Sports
Texans roll into playoffs, while Titans clinch 2025 No. 1 pick
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (28) runs past Tennessee Titans linebacker Luke Gifford (57) during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. C.J. Stroud threw a touchdown pass and Damien Pierce rushed for 176 yards and another score as the Houston Texans tuned up for the playoffs with a 23-14 defeat of the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in Nashville.
With their loss and the New England Patriots’ victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the Titans hold the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Stroud hit all six of his passes for 50 yards on the game’s first possession, finding Nico Collins for a 2-yard strike at the 7:43 mark. Houston coach DeMeco Ryans hooked Stroud at that point and used backup Davis Mills, who was 12 of 22 for 128 yards.
A large portion of Pierce’s yardage came via a 92-yard touchdown run with 13:55 left in the second quarter that gave the Texans (10-7) a 13-0 lead.
Houston, which clinched the AFC South title in Week 15, will likely host a wild-card game next weekend.
Tennessee (3-14) started Will Levis at quarterback and also used Mason Rudolph. Levis hit 9 of 17 passes for 175 yards, including a 49-yard scoring strike to Tay Martin with 2:41 left in the game, while Rudolph was 7 of 9 for 70 yards.
Tony Pollard rushed 22 times for 62 yards, falling 21 yards shy of 1,100 yards for the year. That would have triggered an automatic $250,000 bonus. Calvin Ridley collected 76 receiving yards, giving him his third 1,000-yard receiving season with three teams (2023 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2020 Atlanta Falcons).
The Texans took a 16-3 lead to halftime after the teams swapped field goals in the last two minutes of the first half. Matthew Wright hit from 35 for Tennessee before Ka’imi Fairbairn connected from 27 as time expired.
Wright pulled the Titans within 16-6 with a 38-yard field goal at the 6:47 mark of the third quarter, capping a drive of more than eight minutes. But Houston made it 23-6 with 13:50 remaining in the game when Derek Barnett recovered a fumbled handoff by Levis and rumbled 36 yards for a touchdown.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kelvin Yeboah nets brace as Minnesota rallies past Crew
Columbus Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki (25) attempts to block the shot of Minnesota United FC forward Tomás Chancalay (8) in the first half of the MLS match at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on Saturday, May 2, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. Kelvin Yeboah’s brace and a goal and an assist by Anthony Markanich keyed a 15-minute second-half comeback as Minnesota United defeated the host Columbus Crew 3-2 on Saturday.
Markanich broke a 2-2 tie in the 74th minute off a throw-in when he scored on a header off a cross by Nectarios Triantis.
After Taha Habroune in the 31st and Hugo Picard in the 56th staked the Crew to a 2-0 lead, Yeboah scored from corner-kick setups in the 59th and 66th minutes as Minnesota (6-3-2, 20 points) moved to 5-1-1 in their past seven matches.
The Crew (3-5-3, 12 points) had won two straight and looked to be cruising until their collapse, falling to 2-2-2 at home.
Habroune, the 20-year-old Homegrown player, worked a give-and-go in tight space with Max Arfsten at the top right corner of the box for his second career goal in 33 matches.
Arfsten heeled the ball to Habroune, who rocketed a shot to the upper right corner. Arfsten has three goals and four assists in the past seven matches.
Picard scored his first career goal in his 19th MLS match after having scored four goals in two U.S. Open Cup matches this season, including two vs. USL One club One Knoxville on Wednesday.
He scored on a rebound of his own shot that was blocked by Loons defender Jefferson Diaz.
The Minnesota rally started when Yeboah slid between two defenders and right-footed a flick by Markanich.
Yeboah made it 2-2 when he had an open header from a corner kick by Joaquin Pereyra. Of Yeboah’s seven goals, five have come on the road where the Loons are 4-2-1.
Minnesota’s Colombian international midfielder James Rodriguez did not play due to “a previously scheduled routine medical procedure — not related to any injury,” according to the club. He practiced Friday morning and will rejoin the team next week.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nashville SC stays atop East with draw against Union
May 2, 2026; Chester, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Union defender Olwethu Makhanya (29) dives against Nashville SC midfielder Patrick Yazbek (8) in the first half at Subaru Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Nashville SC and the Philadelphia Union played to a scoreless draw on Saturday night in Chester, Pa.
Nashville (7-1-2, 23 points) stayed atop the Eastern Conference table while extending its MLS unbeaten streak to four matches. Keeper Brian Schwake made five saves for the clean sheet as Nashville moved to 3-1-2 on the road.
Philadelphia (1-7-3, 6 points) remained last in the Eastern Conference while pushing its home record to 0-3-2. The Union only lost once at home last season (12-1-4) when they won the Supporters’ Shield. Philadelphia is winless in four straight (0-1-3). Keeper Andre Blake stopped two shots to preserve the clean sheet.
Both teams hit the post early in the second half.
In the 52nd minute, Nashville defender Josh Bauer redirected Warren Madrigal’s free kick off the post.
A minute later, Union midfielder Indiana Vassilev hit the right post with his strike from outside the box.
Philadelphia hit the post a second time in the 72nd minute as Agustin Anello curled his right-footed strike off the far post.
Blake made a glorious save in the 74th minute to keep the match scoreless, diving to get his hand on Ahmed Qasem’s left-footed strike.
Nashville controlled first-half possession, but it was Philadelphia with the lone two shots on target.
The Union’s first quality chance came in the 11th minute as Jovan Lukic put his strike from the middle of the box over the woodwork.
In the 29th minute, Cavan Sullivan forced Schwake to make a save on his left-footed shot from the left side of the area.
Philadelphia defender Japhet Sery Larsen left the match in the 15th minute with an apparent injury and was replaced by Geiner Martinez.
Sam Surridge, who leads Nashville with nine goals through seven MLS appearances this season, missed the match with a back injury.
Saturday was the first of two meetings this season between the two clubs. Nashville hosts Philadelphia on Oct. 28 to conclude the season series.
Up next, Nashville hosts D.C. United next Saturday, while Philadelphia travels to New England.
–Field Level Media
Sports
FC Dallas finally win against host Red Bulls after 20-year drought
May 2, 2026; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; Red Bull New York forward Cade Cowell (7) and FC Dallas midfielder Ran Binyamin (6) battle for the ball during the first half at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Peter Musa scored in the 54th minute and FC Dallas snapped an 11-game road winless skid in all competitions against the New York Red Bulls with a 2-0 victory on Saturday night in Harrison, N.J.
Dallas (4-3-4, 16 points) earned its first road win in the series since its 2-1 win on May 24, 2006, in a game that was played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Dallas had been 0-9-2 in the previous 11 visits to the Red Bulls, including a loss in penalty kicks during U.S. Open Cup competition on May 21, 2025.
Musa scored his league-leading 10th goal by capitalizing on a breakdown by New York’s defense.
Left unattended near the left side of the net by Red Bulls defender Matthew Dos Santos, Musa waited for a pass from Ran Binyamin and put a right-footed shot past goalie Ethan Horvath.
Musa scored after missing last week’s 2-1 loss at the Seattle Sounders due to injury. His goal also helped Dallas end a four-game winless skid.
Samuel Sarver scored on a header in the 88th minute on an assist from Logan Farrington. The goal came two minutes after midfielder Ramiro Benetti blocked an attempt by New York’s Rafael Mosquera.
Besides getting another goal from Musa, FC Dallas clamped down defensively. Despite allowing New York to hold possession for 61.2% of the contest, Dallas allowed only seven shot attempts, and Michael Collodi earned the shutout without facing a shot.
New York (3-5-2, 12 points) was blanked for the second straight league game and third time overall as its winless skid reached four games (0-3-1). The Red Bulls also fell to 1-5-2 after winning their first two contests.
Horvath finished with four saves and kept the Red Bulls in it by denying Musa’s header in the 11th minute along with a pair of shots by Binyamin in the opening half.
–Field Level Media
