Sports
West's best clash north of border as LAFC take on Whitecaps
Jul 25, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LAFC forward Son Heung-Min (7) celebrates with forward Denis Bouanga (99) after scoring a goal during the first half against Sporting Kansas City at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The Vancouver Whitecaps will be in a battle to keep hold of the top spot in the Western Conference when they host Los Angeles FC on Saturday night.
The Whitecaps (10-3-3, 33 points) hold matches in hand over LAFC and the San Jose Earthquakes immediately below them, but have returned from the World Cup break in middling form.
After dealing with Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC in the Canadian Championship — earning a win and a draw in the set — the defending conference champions fell 4-3 at FC Cincinnati and fought Minnesota United to a scoreless draw on the road.
To further complicate matters, the team confirmed the sale of Sebastian Berhalter to Middlesbrough on Tuesday, leaving a hole in the midfield that has yet to be filled.
“It’s not a big surprise for me,” Vancouver head coach Jesper Sorensen said in a press conference that day. “It’s not in the short term strengthening us because Sebastian was playing at such a high level, but we also know that when people leave, it will open up opportunities for others.”
On the flip side, Vancouver has been strengthened by the returns of Designated Player and captain Ryan Gauld and left back Sam Adekugbe from lengthy injury-induced absences — the latter played his first competitive match in 419 days when he subbed on late against Minnesota on July 25.
The Whitecaps also bolstered their depth with the acquisition of Canadian international forward Kwasi Poku from Belgian side RWDM Brussels on Thursday.
In contrast, they will face a Los Angeles team (10-5-3, 33 points) in faultless form since its return. Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga have terrorized opposition defenses, helping the Black and Gold outscore their opponents 10-1 in July en route to three wins.
Both head to Vancouver on three-match scoring runs, Bouanga nabbing a brace and an assist in a 4-0 win against Sporting Kansas City in their last outing. Son netted two goals in the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday and was named MVP.
“When he came back from the World Cup, there was a lot of talk of us getting a Sonny that mentally was not in a good place,” LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos said. “But I always said… inside our bubble here, I never felt him with a lack of focus or confidence.”
The match will mark the two teams’ first encounter since last year’s conference semifinals — won by the Whitecaps — and Dos Santos’ first clash against his former team.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Packers activate TE Tucker Kraft (knee) from PUP list
Sep 11, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) looks on after the game against the Washington Commanders at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images The Green Bay Packers activated tight end Tucker Kraft from the physically unable to perform list on Friday.
Kraft, 25, had surgery last November to repair a torn right ACL and is expected to be eased back into practice.
“No team (drills),” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said before Friday’s session at training camp. “So, we’re just going to kind of get him back ingrained into the process and into individual. What’s great is when they do come off PUP, then now he can partake in some of the walk-through periods, especially that we do in the evenings, just to get him back hearing the call, lining up and then just going through that.”
Kraft currently is about 8 1/2 months removed from surgery, just short of the nine-month mark the Packers typically wait for before allowing a player returning from a torn ACL to do 11-on-11 drills.
“The way he looks, you’d think he’s ready to go … but there’s a lot of science behind the nine-month mark, and so we’ll be very cautious as we head into it,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said.
Kraft had 32 catches for 489 yards and six touchdowns in eight games before the injury last season.
The 2023 second-round draft pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is looking for a long-term deal.
“I think it would be best if we got it done as soon as possible,” Kraft said on Wednesday, per ESPN.
Kraft has 113 receptions for 1,551 yards and 15 touchdowns in 42 career games (33 starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Giants' Harrison Bader crashed scooter into fire truck
May 22, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Harrison Bader (9) gestures after he hit a single against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images The San Francisco Giants are shutting down outfielder Harrison Bader for the season after he reportedly crashed his scooter into the back of a fire truck.
The Giants confirmed earlier this week that Bader was in an accident last weekend that aggravated a left foot injury that has kept him sidelined since May 29.
Bader, 32, met with a foot and ankle specialist Monday in Indianapolis to check the progress of his initial injury, left plantar fasciitis. However, the impact of the scooter-related injury “changed the nature of his evaluation,” the team said in a statement.
Bader was scheduled to undergo an MRI to “better understand the severity of the injuries sustained from the scooter accident,” per the Giants.
TMZ Sports reported Friday that the scooter crash occurred in San Francisco at about 1:50 a.m. local time Sunday morning. A witness said Bader collided with the rear of a San Francisco Fire Department truck, causing the scooter wheel to roll over his foot.
The fire department confirmed that a patient was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Bader batted .170 with five home runs and 14 RBIs in 30 games this season, his first with the Giants. He signed a two-year deal worth $20.5 million in January. He also missed time earlier this season with a hamstring injury.
Bader is a career .244 hitter with 93 home runs and 336 RBIs in 954 games over 10 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals (2017-22), New York Yankees (2022-23), Cincinnati Reds (2023), New York Mets (2024), Minnesota Twins (2025), Philadelphia Phillies (2025) and Giants.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Gotham D Emily Sonnett (left knee) out for season
Jul 4, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Gotham FC defender Emily Sonnett (6) comes down field during the second half against the San Diego Wave FC at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images U.S. women’s national team defender Emily Sonnett will miss the rest of the NWSL season for Gotham FC following knee surgery.
Gotham announced Friday that Sonnett, 32, underwent surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in her left knee. She sustained the injury in the first half of last Friday’s 2-2 draw against the host Portland Thorns.
“Emily has the full support of everyone at the club, and we will be with her every step of the way throughout her recovery,” president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West said. “She is incredibly resilient, and we know she will return stronger.”
The team did not provide a projected recovery timeline for Sonnett, whose participation in the 2027 Women’s World Cup could be in jeopardy. That tournament begins next June in Brazil.
Sonnett has helped Gotham secure three trophies since joining the squad in 2024, winning the NWSL Championship and Concacaf W Champions Cup in 2025 and the NWSL Challenge Cup in 2026.
The No. 1 pick in the 2016 NWSL Draft, Sonnett is in her 10th season in the league. She has recorded six goals and four assists in 180 career matches (174 starts) with Portland (2016-19), the Washington Spirit (2021-22), Seattle Reign (2023) and Gotham.
Internationally, she has made 118 appearances for the USWNT and helped to win the 2019 Women’s World Cup and 2024 Olympic gold medal.
–Field Level Media
Packers activate TE Tucker Kraft (knee) from PUP list
Reports: Giants' Harrison Bader crashed scooter into fire truck
