Sports
NYCFC visits Philadephia, hoping to get on winning track
Feb 1, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; New York City FC coach Pascal Jansen looks on after a win in a MLS preseason match between Austin FC at Q2 Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Jefferson-Imagn Images The Philadelphia Union and visiting New York City FC will both look to respond from disappointing away results when they meet on Sunday in Chester, Pa.
As the winner of the 2025 Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular-season finish, the Union (0-1-0, 0 points) suffered one of the MLS opening weekend’s most shocking results in last Saturday’s 1-0 loss at a D.C. United team that finished 2025 with the worst MLS record.
Former Union striker Tai Baribo scored the lone goal for his new club late in the first half. And a red card on the hour mark to Philadelphia Ezekiel Alladoh for an obscene gesture toward an opponent hurt the Union’s comeback chances. It also means Alladoh will be suspended on Sunday.
But after beginning their 2026 schedule with a 5-0 victory at Defence Force in a Concacaf Champions Cup match three days before the league opener, Philadelphia manager Bradley Carnell was able to rest several regulars in Thursday’s home return leg (a 7-0 win).
“It’s only as good as we want it to be, right?” Carnell said of the rest. “I mean we have to apply it in the right way, and just because you’re rested, it doesn’t mean — it’s only an ingredient for success. It doesn’t mean that the success is there. So we have to work really hard at it to make it count.”
New York City (0-0-1, 1 point) earned a 1-1 draw at the LA Galaxy in their opener last Sunday, but that felt more like a defeat after failing to capitalize on a man advantage for the final 26 minutes plus stoppage time.
Nicolas Fernandez Mercau scored the visitors’ lone goal from the penalty spot as they began the season without Alonso Martinez, who led NYCFC in scoring the previous two seasons but suffered a torn ACL while on international duty last November.
But Cityzens manager Pascal Jansen insisted the performance showed his team is still capable of attacking production.
“We are fully aware of the fact that we are missing our No. 1 No. 9,” he said. But the fact is … If you see, if we are able to add maybe 20% more quality, better decision-making, we’ll get the goals …”
–Field Level Media
–Field Level Media
Sports
Plenty at stake as No. 8 Purdue sets sights on Ohio State
Feb 26, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) looks at a referee during the first half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images While No. 8 Purdue and Ohio State are coming off losses, they still have goals in front of them when they convene on Sunday in Columbus, Ohio.
The Boilermakers (22-6, 12-5 Big Ten) have their eyes on a top-four finish going into the conference tournament. However, they find themselves in fifth place after a 76-74 home loss to No. 13 Michigan State on Thursday.
Nebraska and Michigan State are tied for second with 13-4 conference records with Illinois (13-5) a half-game back. The top four teams receive triple byes into the tourney.
“Most disappointing for us is you’re trying to jockey for that triple bye. Now you’re playing fewer games,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “Last year was the first time in 10 years that we didn’t get there.
“That’s important leading up to the NCAA Tournament because you want to be a little more pristine, like three games in three days instead of four games in four days. It’s not the end of the world but that’s what you’re jockeying for.”
Purdue likely will need to win out beginning with its game versus the Buckeyes (17-11, 9-8 Big Ten) who are in a more dire situation. While Painter can talk about the NCAA Tournament with certainty, Ohio State is wobbling on the bubble.
A 74-57 setback at Iowa on Wednesday marked the first time the Buckeyes lost two straight games this season. It also left them with a 1-10 record against Quad 1 opponents.
Ohio State is in ninth place in the Big Ten, one game back of Iowa (10-7) for the double bye which goes to teams seeded five through eight.
In order for the Buckeyes to upset Purdue, they must get a full team effort. Playing without center Christoph Tilly (ankle) against Iowa — his status for Sunday’s game is unknown — the Buckeyes did not get much out of Bruce Thornton.
Thornton did not score in the first half, during which Ohio State found itself trailing 37-23 at intermission. His first points came with just over 12 minutes left in the game. He had 10 points, half his season average.
“He’s got to be aggressive, stay aggressive,” Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said. “We moved him around a little bit. I thought he passed up some opportunities in the first half to attack. Did a much better job getting the ball in the paint in the second half.”
The Buckeyes are looking for consistency but Diebler said that has been difficult because players have been in and out of the lineup due to injuries.
“We’ve got a little time now to have some great prep heading into our next game and hopefully we can get healthier and get some time to practice some of these lineups that we’re having to play,” he said.
Purdue’s Braden Smith, who has totaled 1,004 assists, needs four more to pass Long Island’s Jason Brickman for fourth on the NCAA all-time list.
“(Smith’s) a fabulous player. He’s great,” Painter said. “He’s put a lot of time into it and sacrificed a lot. Basketball’s an important piece in his life. I’m honored to coach him and he’s been great for us, fabulous, and done a lot for this university.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Austin looks to continue successful history against D.C. United
Feb 21, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; DC United forward Tai Baribo (9) in action against the Philadelphia Union at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images Austin FC will look to continue their successful history against D.C. United and break into the win column when the sides square off on Sunday afternoon in Austin, Texas.
The Verde (0-0-1, 1 point) kicked off the 2026 season with a 2-2 draw at home with Minnesota United on Feb. 21. Austin got goals from Brendan Hines-Ike and Myrto Uzuni and an assist from their flash offseason signing Facundo Torres but gave up the tying goal in the 90th minute and settled for spitting the points.
“We just have played one game and I think we see a team already that is more vertical, that is more going forward,” Austin coach Nico Estevez said Thursday. “We don’t want to lose much time on building if it’s clear that we can be vertical, but we also use the building up to create the spaces in between the lines.
“We want to be a team that is fun to watch and a team that goes forward and wants to score goals, and this is the work that we keep doing.”
The Verde announced Friday that they have acquired forward Christian Ramirez from MLS waivers. Ramirez played last season with the LA Galaxy and started 10 of 25 games, scoring four goals and adding an assist.
Austin has won each of its three all-time meetings with D.C. United, most recently a 4-2 victory last season in the nation’s capital.
D.C. United began their campaign with a 1-0 win at home against the Philadelphia Union, with the game’s lone goal scored by Tai Baribo in the 23rd minute. Baribo signed with the Black and Red in the offseason after he played 2025 with the Union, which added insult to injury in the Week 1 victory.
D.C. coach Rene Weiler lauded his new scoring threat after the win.
“As a striker, you have to be decisive and he scored the goal, it was the decisive goal, so he did his job,” Weiler said. “It’s uncomfortable to play against him, so, it helps us a lot.”
Sean Johnson was sharp in his first competitive start in goal for D.C. United, producing three saves to earn a clean sheet, the 113th of his MLS career.
D.C. United finished last in the Eastern Conference in 2025 but are already off to a better start.
“We want to be unpredictable, so we played some diagonal balls and then we played some long balls,” Weiler said. “So that is an option to open the field.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Seattle game breaks U.S. arena attendance record for women's hockey
Mar 27, 2023; Seattle, WA, USA; A general overall view of the Space Needle and Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images A sold-out crowd of 17,335 fans at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena broke the U.S. attendance record for a women’s hockey game on Friday night.
In the first game back from the Olympic break for both PWHL teams, the host Seattle Torrent fell 5-2 to the Toronto Sceptres.
The Torrent played without captain Hilary Knight, who led the U.S. women’s team to a gold medal in the Milan Cortina Olympics. She was placed on long-term injured reserve due to a lower-body injury she suffered during the Games.
The previous record of 17,228 fans came on Jan. 18 when the Montreal Victoire faced the New York Sirens at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
The Torrent also broke their own attendance mark, set when 16,014 fans filled the Seattle arena for the expansion club’s inaugural home opener on Nov. 28, 2025.
Overall attendance across the PWHL for the league’s third season was up 17 percent through 61 games at the Milan Cortina Olympics break, according to the league.
–Field Level Media
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