Sports
USL deals NWSL blow by signing Texas' all-time leading scorer
Texas Longhorns midfielder Lexi Missimo (10) sets up for a corner kick in the first half of the Longhorns’ game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in their first SEC Conference match-up of the season at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Sept. 19, 2024. The game ended in a 2-2 draw. The USL scored arguably the upstart league’s biggest victory to date with the announcement that Texas Longhorns All-American Lexi Missimo has signed with the Dallas Trinity FC.
The No. 1 recruit out of high school, Missimo passed on opportunities from England’s Manchester United and Arsenal WFC to turn pro immediately, according to the Dallas Morning News. She went on to become an All-American midfielder for the Longhorns, finishing her career as the program’s all-time leader in points (176), assists (64) and goals (56).
The 64 assists also ranks 10th in NCAA Division I history, and Missimo was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference in 2024. She was the only player in the conference to be credited with at least 10 goals and 10 assists during the season.
Missimo, who turned 22 on Thursday, was listed among the top 10 college players to watch by the NWSL just last month. However, she eschewed the more established league in favor of the USL Super League, which started its inaugural season in August.
The USL season runs from fall to summer, with a break from December to February. The league does not have a salary cap and does not conduct a draft. The NWSL also ceased conducting drafts as part of the new collective bargaining agreement in August.
Missimo is from Southlake, Texas, near Dallas, while the NWSL’s closest franchise to her hometown is the Houston Dash. The Trinity made the announcement of the two-and-a-half-year contract signing on Wednesday, although financial terms were not disclosed.
“I didn’t compare the two leagues, the NWSL and USL,” Missimo told Front Office Sports. “I just considered what would be best for my development as a player on and off the field. And I think just living in Dallas, which is 30 minutes away from my hometown, it’s just a perfect fit for me and my family. And everything about it just was better in my opinion.”
Missimo told FOS that she played with several of the current Trinity players while growing up, and said she has known Dallas general manager Chris Petrucelli since she was about 10 years old.
Dallas is currently second in the eight-team USL standings with a 6-3-5 record, and Missimo said she went through her first training with the team on Sunday.
“The USL, obviously, a new league coming in, it’s going to continue to grow and be a positive thing, and I’m glad that I can have a mark in that,” she told FOS. “But definitely for me personally, I would just say Dallas was just the perfect fit. And it didn’t matter what league it was.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Giants sending DT Dexter Lawrence to Bengals for No. 10 overall pick
New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (97) gestures during a Thursday Night Football game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Oct. 9, 2025. The New York Giants have traded three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 pick overall in Thursday’s draft, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.
Lawrence, 28, requested a trade last week and did not report to the Giants’ offseason program, with reports that discussions over a contract extension had reached an impasse.
The Giants have their original first-round pick at No. 5 and now No. 10.
NFL Network reported on Saturday that the Bengals will be giving Lawrence a contract extension. He is set to earn a base salary of $18.5 million in 2026 and is under contract through 2027 but with no guaranteed money remaining.
A 2019 first-round pick (17th overall) out of Clemson, Lawrence has recorded 341 tackles, 30.5 sacks and 103 quarterback hits in 109 games (102 starts) over seven seasons in New York.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022 through 2024, but not last season when he started 17 games and had 31 tackles, 0.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits and one interception.
Cincinnati already added to its defensive line with offseason signings of former Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million contract and former Vikings tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $25 million deal.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Galaxy rally from 2-0 deficit, earn draw with FC Dallas
Apr 18, 2026; Frisco, Texas, USA; LA Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil (28) dribbles the ball as FC Dallas forward Petar Musa (9) defends during the first half at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images The visiting LA Galaxy erased an early 2-0 deficit with a pair of late first-half goals and then choked off the FC Dallas offense in the second half to earn a 2-2 draw on Saturday night in Frisco, Texas.
Lucas Sanabria got LA (2-3-3, 9 points) on the board and Joseph Paintsil equalized three minutes into first-half stoppage time. It appeared that Dallas (3-1-4, 13 points) snapped the tie when Kaick tallied in the 75th minute, but the goal was nullified for offsides.
Petar Musa collected a brace for Dallas, giving him nine goals on the year and enabling him to take the MLS goal-scoring lead over Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Nashville’s Sam Surridge. But the Galaxy kept him in check after halftime.
Musa needed just seven minutes to start the scoring, with the help of a horrific turnover by LA captain Maya Yoshida. Attempting to boot the ball laterally to a teammate in his end, Yoshida instead squibbed the ball right to Musa.
Given plenty of time and space to make his move, Musa measured goalie JT Marcinowski and calmly booted the ball into the lower left corner from just outside the box.
Dallas controlled the ball for most of the half, bolstering its advantage in the 38th minute via a nice buildup inside the Galaxy zone. Logan Farrington crossed from the left side and a sliding Musa poked it past Marcinowski.
Sanabria pulled one back in the 43rd minute as his shot from the top of the box deflected off the shoe of a Dallas defender and eluded goalie Michael Collodi at the right post.
Paintsil, playing his first match of the year after sitting out the first eight with injury, made it level via a fine feed from Gabriel Pec. Left open in the box, Paintsil wired a shot over Collodi and under the crossbar.
Dallas tried 11 shots to LA’s nine as it stretched its unbeaten string to five matches. Both teams got five shots on frame.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Minnesota United blank Timbers for 3rd straight win
Apr 18, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota United FC forward Kelvin Yeboah (9) shoots the ball as Portland Timbers defender Finn Surman (20) and defender Brandon Bye (5) defend during the first half at Allianz Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Tomas Chancalay had a goal and an assist as the Minnesota United won their third match in a row with Saturday night’s 2-0 victory against the Portland Timbers at Saint Paul, Minn.
Kelvin Yeboah scored the other goal, making it three matches in a row that he has a goal for the Loons (4-2-2, 14 points). Minnesota goalkeeper Drake Callender made two saves for the clean sheet.
Yeboah has half of his team’s 10 goals in MLS play. He’s the team’s only player with more than one goal.
James Pantemis made five saves for Portland (2-5-1, 7 points), which fell to 0-4-0 in road matches.
Chancalay scored his first goal of the season in the 16th minute off Jefferson Diaz’s assist.
Yeboah’s goal in the 60th minute capped a fastbreak with a short-range shot after Chancalay provided the final pass. Chancalay has four assists this year.
Portland has surrendered two or more goals in each of its last three road matches.
The Timbers began a busy stretch that includes several road assignments with a largely solid game despite failing to score. They held a 4-3 edge in corner kicks and a 55%-45% possession advantage, but Minnesota outshot the visitors 17-12, including 7-2 on shots on target.
The teams played to a 1-1 draw last August in the same stadium.
Portland stays on the road next Saturday, visiting San Diego FC. Minnesota plays twice next week, visiting FC Dallas on Wednesday before hosting LAFC on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
Reports: Giants sending DT Dexter Lawrence to Bengals for No. 10 overall pick
Galaxy rally from 2-0 deficit, earn draw with FC Dallas
