Sports
Max Arfsten nets early goal as Crew proceeds to blank Union
Apr 25, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Crew midfielder Dylan Chambost (7) kicks the ball during the first half against the Philadelphia Union at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images Max Arfsten scored in the fifth minute and Patrick Schulte made three saves to help the Columbus Crew defeat the visiting Philadelphia Union 2-0 on Saturday.
After Arfsten staked the Crew (3-4-3, 12 points) to the lead, an own goal by Union defender Nathan Harriel in the third minute of first-half stoppage time provided the final margin.
The Union (1-7-2, 5 points) had a three-match point streak (1-0-2) stopped while the Crew is 3-1-1 in the past five.
Schulte recorded his second shutout of the season, the other coming March 7 in a 0-0 tie with the Chicago Fire.
The first half began and ended calamitously for the Union, which saw midfielder Jesus Bueno leave with a leg injury sustained at the onset of the sequence leading to the second goal.
Arfsten opened the scoring with his sixth goal contribution (three goals, three assists) in the past six matches for the U.S. World Cup hopeful.
Dylan Chambost sent a long ball out of the back which glanced off Union defender Philippe Ndinga to Arfsten down the right flank and he broke free for the score.
Just over a minute later, Arfsten had another break but Andre Blake made the save.
It wasn’t all in favor of the Crew because 10 minutes later, the Union had numbers heading into the final third and Danley Jean Jacques passed to Milan Iloski on his right but his shot pinged the left post.
Philadelphia nearly made it to the half with a one-goal deficit but a potential scoring opportunity quickly turned the other way.
The Union was on the attack after a turnover but a slide tackle by Seko Bangoura dispossessed Bueno, who stayed down with an injury, and the Crew created a counter with Arfsten once again on the run on the right flank before sending a cross to the box.
Harriel’s clearing attempt went off a sliding Blake and the rebound hit Harriel and went into the goal.
Crew defender Mo Farsi entered for Arfsten in the 81st minute for his first appearance since July 6, 2025, after undergoing sports hernia surgery.
Union defender Japhet Sery Larsen was red-carded in the 90+5 minute for preventing a goal-scoring opportunity.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Aryna Sabalenka improves to 25-1; advances to 4th round in Madrid
Mar 28, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus hits a forehand against Coco Gauff of the United States in the final of the women’s singles at the Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Top-seeded Aryna Sabaleka improved to 25-1 in 2026 and moved into the fourth round of the Madrid Open on Saturday with a routine 6-1, 6-4 victory over 29th-seeded Jaqueline Cristian of Romania.
Sabalenka has moved seamlessly onto the clay after a dominant early hard court season. The Belarussian captured the “Sunshine Double” in March, winning back-to-back titles in Indian Wells and Miami. Her lone loss occurred in the finals of the Australian Open, where she fell to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina.
Cristian did have four break point chances to go ahead 4-2 in the second set, but Sabalenka wiped them all away, then broke her opponent and 4-4 and will now face Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the next round.
Osaka cruised past Anhelina Kalinina, 6-1, 6-3. She constantly put pressure on the Ukrainian’s service, winning nearly 50% while receiving and breaking six times.
The two WTA Tour veterans have only met twice, splitting their encounters, with Sabalenka prevailing, 6-2, 6-4 in the same round at Indian Wells.
No. 31 Ann Li recorded the biggest upset of the day, defeating fourth-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland, but not in manner either player was totally satisfied with. Li led, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 3-0 when Swiatek had to retire due to illness.
“Defintely knew it was going to be a tough match, I’m super sorry for her that she’s had to pull out, it’s never easy to go like that,” said Li. “I was just super proud of the way that I fought and I pushed through.”
Ninth-seeded Mirra Andreeva of Russia advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Hungary’s Dalma Galfi. Like Osaka, Andreeva feasted on her opponent’s serve, winning 42 of 75 (56.0%) of her returns.
Andreeva improved to 9-1 on the clay in 2026.
“Clay is such a special surface,” said Andeeva. “You really have to adjust your game.”
In other third-round matches, No. 30 Hayley Baptiste upset eighth-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini, 7-5, 6-3; Switzerland’s No. 11 Belinda Benic edged Russia’s No. 18 Diana Shnaider, 6-2, 7-6 (6); Hungary’s Anna Bondar eliminated Czechia’s Laura Samson, 7-6 (3), 6-1 and Canada’s No. 24 Leylah Fernandez got post 15th-seeded Iva Jovic, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a match that lasted two hours, eight minutes.
Fernandez broke Jovic three times in the final set to advance to the fourth round, where she will face Li.
–Field Level Media
Sports
David Martinez's goal lifts LAFC over Minnesota United
Apr 25, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Football Club forward David Martinez (30) celebrates his goal during the first half against Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images David Martinez’s goal in the ninth minute was the lone score as Los Angeles FC defeated Minnesota United in Saint Paul, Minn., on Saturday.
For LAFC (6-2-2, 20 points), the win was its first since a victory over reigning CONCACAF champions Cruz Azul on April 7.
Minnesota (5-3-2, 17 points) hadn’t lost since a 6-0 defeat to Vancouver on March 15. Loons goalie Drake Callender recorded six saves in Saturday’s loss, his second highest tally of the season.
Martinez’s goal ended a 278-minute run without a goal scored in Minnesota’s Allianz field, a streak that spanned three matches.
The motto of the match was missed opportunities, as Minnesota accumulated 11 corner-kick opportunities compared to LAFC’s two, and 24 shot attempts to Los Angeles’ seven.
Stephen Eustaquio perfectly executed a touch through two Minnesota defenders that cruised with an in-motion Martinez. From the left side of Minnesota’s penalty area, Martinez delivered a strike to the high right side of the net that secured the only goal for either side.
The victory saw Hugo Lloris record his eighth clean sheet in league play this season, leading MLS. The win was also LAFC’s third straight 1-0 rout of Minnesota United.
LAFC hopes to use the win as momentum as they prepare to face Deportivo Toluca FC in the CONCACAF semifinals on Wednesday night.
Minnesota will look to rebound against San Jose in MLS play on Tuesday night.
Minnesota and LAFC are set to square off again on Nov. 1 in Los Angeles.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Giants go deep three times to down Marlins
Apr 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Heliot Ramos (17) hits a home run against the Miami Marlins during the eighth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Casey Schmitt made up for a baserunning blunder with a two-run homer, Drew Gilbert and Heliot Ramos added solo shots, and the San Francisco Giants evened their three-game home series against the Miami Marlins at a game apiece with a 6-2 triumph Saturday afternoon.
Robbie Ray combined with four relievers on a six-hitter, lifting the Giants to their first home win over the Marlins since August of 2024.
Miami had won six straight in San Francisco, including 9-4 in the series opener Friday night.
Xavier Edwards gave the Marlins a 1-0 lead in the rematch with an RBI single in the third inning that scored Agustin Ramirez, but the Giants dominated the action after that.
San Francisco finally broke through against Miami starter Eury Perez (2-2) in the fifth when Gilbert launched a leadoff homer, his second of the season, to tie the game at 1-1.
Schmitt’s homer, his third of the year, came two batters after Matt Chapman had doubled leading off the sixth. Patrick Bailey’s two-out RBI single against Marlins reliever Anthony Bender made it a three-run inning and a 4-1 game.
Earlier in a scoreless contest, Schmitt had blooped a double down the left-field line. After momentarily considering stretching the hit into a triple, he slipped rounding second base and was thrown out by shortstop Otto Lopez.
Jung Hoo Lee then followed with a double, but the Giants failed to score in the inning.
Ray, who did not get a decision, threw the first five innings, limiting the Marlins to one run and four hits. He struck out four and walked three.
Matt Gage (2-0), Keaton Winn, Erik Miller and Ryan Walker each followed with an inning of work.
Perez was lifted during the three-run sixth, charged with four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out six.
Ramos’ homer, his third of the year, led off the eighth against the third Miami pitcher, Tyler Phillips. San Francisco added an insurance run later in the inning on an RBI double by Luis Arraez.
Schmitt, Ramos, Lee and Arraez had two hits apiece for the Giants, who out-hit the Marlins 11-6 en route to snapping a two-game losing streak.
Edwards and Ramirez collected two hits each for the Marlins, who capped the day’s scoring on a run-scoring single by Jakob Marsee in the ninth.
–Field Level Media
Aryna Sabalenka improves to 25-1; advances to 4th round in Madrid
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