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The USMNT is starting to trend in a positive direction, even on a night when Christian Pulisic departed early with an injury.

Buoyed by Haji Wright’s brace, the USMNT finished off the international break with a 2-1 friendly victory over Australia.

The United States held the advantage in possession (64.3 percent), outshot Australia 10-9 (4-2 on goal) and held a 3-2 advantage on corners. Those stats favor the United States, but the night didn’t start on such a positive note.

Australia opened the match’s scoring in the 19th minute on a fantastic effort from Jordan Bos:

A little over 10 minutes later, Pulisic was substituted from the game after being injured, causing an obvious unease among USMNT and AC Milan supporters alike.

But the United States quickly responded to that adversity, equalizing in the 33rd minute before taking the lead for good in the 51st minute, with both goals assisted by Cristian Roldan.

Wright was the toast of the town following his brace, with folks on social media showing him the love:

Folarin Balogun seemingly remains the first-choice striker for the USMNT and scored the squad’s lone goal against Ecuador on Friday (he was also a second-half substitute on Monday). But Wright is making his case to be in the mix as well, pushing to usurp Ricardo Pepi as the backup forward.

It’s helped that Wright is in blistering form for Coventry City in The Championship, with eight goals in nine games.

Both Wright and Pepi are trying to earn their place on the World Cup roster, and there is a fairly muddled group of strikers all vying for a spot that also includes Patrick Agyemang and Josh Sargent.

If Mauricio Pochettino opts to take three strikers, Balogun, Pepi and Wright would appear to be the favorites. Wright certainly aided his cause on Monday.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are two wins away from back-to-back trips to the World Series thanks to a brilliant performance from Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Los Angeles seized full control of the National League Championship Series with a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Tuesday’s Game 2 at American Family Field. The reigning champions are now up 2-0 after winning the first two on the road.

After Blake Snell was nearly unhittable in Game 1, Yamamoto continued the trend for Dodgers starters by allowing just one run and three hits while striking out seven in a complete game. Things seemed precarious when he gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, but he flipped the switch and dominated the rest of the way.

Throw in home runs from Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy, as well as a late RBI from Shohei Ohtani, and there was little doubt about the outcome.

Social media had plenty of reaction to Yamamoto’s outing:

While Tuesday’s game wasn’t technically a must-win for the Brewers, it certainly felt like it after they dropped Game 1. The last thing they wanted to do was lose each of the first two contests at home and dig themselves a massive hole heading to Los Angeles.

So they handed the ball to their ace in Freddy Peralta, and he got immediate run support when Jackson Chourio launched a solo homer as the first batter to face Yamamoto.

The long ball fired up the crowd in the early going, but the Dodgers quickly responded with two runs in the top of the second. Hernández tied it up with a solo homer before Andy Pages gave the visitors the lead for good with an RBI double that scored Enrique Hernández.

Peralta settled in from there, but Los Angeles drove him out of the game when Muncy went deep with a solo home run in the sixth to extend the lead to 3-1. It was just a two-run lead, but it felt like more than that given how effective Yamamoto was after the initial mistake to Chourio.

Milwaukee didn’t advance a single runner past first base against the right-hander after the first home run. He got stronger as the game progressed with 1-2-3 frames in the sixth, seventh and eighth, and it was that type of efficiency that allowed him to work so deep into the ballgame.

As if dealing with Yamamoto wasn’t troubling enough for Milwaukee, Ohtani snapped out of a slump with an RBI single in the seventh to give the Dodgers some insurance. It was a welcome sign for a lineup that is so dependent on the three-time MVP to deliver in the biggest moments, and that is exactly what he did.

By the time Tommy Edman extended the lead with an RBI single in the eighth, the game was all but over even with a questionable Dodgers bullpen that almost blew Snell’s gem in Game 1.

Perhaps that Game 1 was still in manager Dave Roberts’ mind, as he kept Yamamoto in until the final out to give Los Angeles a commanding 2-0 lead before the series shifts to Dodger Stadium for Thursday’s Game 3.

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Jordan Chiles is once again moving on in the 34th season of Dancing with the Stars.

Week 5 was Dedication Week, giving stars a chance to dedicate their dance to someone important to them. Chiles chose to dedicate her dance to her father, who she said was the one who decided to get her into gymnastics when she was a child.

Most dancers on Tuesday incorporated the person they dedicated their dance to into their performance, and Chiles was no different. Her father joined her for much of her Viennese Waltz, which she performed alongside Ezra Sosa to “Daughters” by John Mayer.

The dance was technically sound with very few errors, and she earned a score of 32 out of 40. Her score likely would have been enough to advance anyway, but the judges announced at the end of the show that each dancer would advance to the next week.

But she had more than just a technical element. It was an emotional performance that certainly pulled on the heartstrings of the audience. Chiles’ father also received some praise for his performance.

Last week, during Disney Week, Chiles performed the quickstep to “Special Spice” from The Princess and the Frog and earned a score of 24 out of 30 possible points.

After another strong performance, she’s moving onto Week 6.

Athletes have historically fared well on Dancing with the Stars, with former NBA player Iman Shumpert and former NFL running back Rashad Jennings winning in past seasons.

Chiles is the only athlete remaining after former NBA star Baron Davis’ elimination, so she’s looking to represent well against the other actors, influencers and other celebrities.

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Dallas Mavericks fans got their third look at rookie Cooper Flagg on Monday as the Mavs beat the Utah Jazz 114-101 in the NBA preseason.

In the grand scheme of things, Flagg’s third preseason game will likely be forgotten, but he showed some flashes of what’s to come. The No. 1 overall pick had 11 points, seven boards, two steals and a pair of blocks in the win.

He struggled to find his shot, hitting just three of his 13 attempts from the field and one of his six shots from deep, but that’s to be expected for a young player still adjusting to the NBA game.

Jazz fans were hoping to see more of Ace Bailey after the No. 5 pick impressed in his first two preseason games, but he played just 11 minutes before exiting with knee soreness.

With Bailey out for most of the game, Flagg was the story of the night. Fans applauded the 18-year-old as he continues to figure things out, taking note of what he did on the defensive end.

Flagg hasn’t done much to impress on offense in three preseason games, but that shouldn’t be a huge concern. For now, the Mavs just want to see him get comfortable going up against NBA talent, and his shots will eventually start to fall.

Even if he isn’t a major threat on offense, it seems like he’ll be a reliable defender from the jump.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Blake Snell this offseason so he could pitch well in the biggest moments.

And he did just that in Monday’s Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field.

The two-time Cy Young winner allowed just one hit and struck out 10 in eight shoutout innings as he led the Dodgers to a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers to seize a 1-0 advantage in the series. Los Angeles is now three wins away from reaching back-to-back World Series.

Snell didn’t need much run support, and the only offense he got came from a Freddie Freeman homer in the sixth and a Mookie Betts RBI walk in the ninth during what was also a strong bullpen game from Milwaukee.

That last run was key because the Brewers scored in the ninth and loaded the bases before Blake Treinen struck out Brice Turang to end the game and preserve the win for Snell, who drew plenty of reaction from social media:

While both offenses were quiet in the early going with Snell and Brewers reliever Quinn Priester—who entered the game after opener Aaron Ashby pitched the first inning—pitching well, one of the biggest moments of the game came in the fourth inning when it seemed as if Los Angeles might break it open.

It was also one of the strangest plays one could ever expect to see on the baseball field.

With the bases loaded, Max Muncy drilled a deep fly ball to center field that looked to be a grand slam when it was in the air. However, Sal Frelick kept the ball in the park and threw it into the infield, where the Brewers were able to get a double play thanks to confused base runners who weren’t sure if he caught it on a fly.

Teoscar Hernández initially tagged, started running home when he thought it wasn’t caught, returned to third when it looked like it might have been, and didn’t make it to home on time. Meanwhile, Will Smith went back to second base thinking it was caught and was forced out at third for a double play and no runs.

Some teams may have allowed such an unfortunate break to linger and undercut their efforts the rest of the game, but the Dodgers’ didn’t do that. Instead, Snell continued to dominate on the mound before Freeman launched a solo homer off Chad Patrick to break the scoreless tie in the sixth.

Even one run shifted all the pressure to Milwaukee’s offense given how dialed in Snell was on the mound. The southpaw maintained the lead with a 1-2-3 sixth inning and another 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, which extended his streak of consecutive batters retired to 14.

The only question at that point was whether he would pitch a complete game, and another 1-2-3 frame in the eighth made it seem like he might.

Perhaps he should have even with 103 total pitches because closer Roki Sasaki struggled in the in the ninth and allowed a run before he was pulled for Treinen.

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Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills suffered their second straight defeat on Monday night at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons.

The surprising result led to a major shift in betting odds for both Super Bowl and MVP:

Though Allen remains a favorite, he is tied with Patrick Mahomes at +200 to win MVP, just ahead of Baker Mayfield (+400).

Allen and the Buffalo offense turned in an underwhelming performance Monday without the injured Dalton Kincaid and Curtis Samuel.

Allen had some questionable moments, including a shovel pass to the outside on a fourth down late in the third quarter.

The disappointing performance was capped by an interception as the Bills drove down the field late in the game.

Allen didn’t receive much help from his supporting cast. Joshua Palmer led the Bills with 60 receiving yards, but that came on two catches. Buffalo’s No. 1 wide out, Khalil Shakir, only had 33 receiving yards.

The lackluster showing from the Bills looked even worse in comparison to the Falcons. Bijan Robinson had 238 total yards, 170 of which came on the ground, and Drake London posted 158 receiving yards.

Buffalo has a chance to rest during its Week 7 bye. After that, the Bills have a Week 8 trip to Carolina before they face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9.

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The Seattle Mariners are halfway to an American League Championship Series victory, and they haven’t even played a home game yet.

Seattle seized a 2-0 series lead over the Toronto Blue Jays with a 10-3 victory in Monday’s Game 2 at Rogers Centre. It is now just two wins away from its first World Series appearance in franchise history.

Power was the name of the game for the visitors in their latest triumph, as Julio Rodríguez launched a three-run homer in the first inning, Jorge Polanco sent one over the wall for another three-run long ball in the fifth and Josh Naylor added insurance with a two-run homer in the seventh.

Polanco’s blast broke a tie and put the Mariners ahead for good and helped provide plenty of run support for a strong bullpen that went the final six innings.

The home runs and overall performance also caught the attention of social media:

Neither team wasted any time offensively with immediate fireworks. While Rodríguez’s home run was the first blow, Toronto answered right back with two runs of its own against Mariners starter Logan Gilbert in the first inning.Â

George Springer doubled and scored on an error after Nathan Lukes’ single, and Lukes then scored on Alejandro Kirk’s single. Lukes was far from done, as he tied it up in the second with an RBI single.

Toronto was dialed in against Gilbert across the starter’s brief three innings of work, but the same could not be said against the bullpen. Eduard Bazardo got the ball first out of the Seattle bullpen and was brilliant with two shutout innings.

The Blue Jays were unable to counter with their own bullpen, as Louis Varland came in for starter Trey Yesavage with runners on first and second and nobody out in the fifth only to give up Polanco’s monster homer two batters later. Yesavage was charged with five earned runs in the four innings, but the Mariners continued to add to the lead with an RBI single from J.P Crawford in the sixth.

By the time Naylor hit his homer, the result was hardly in doubt.

Carlos Vargas and Emerson Hancock shut the door the rest of the way for Seattle’s bullpen against a strong Toronto offense that just overwhelmed the New York Yankees in the last series.Â

The formula of timely long balls on offense and shutdown pitching in the late innings from the bullpen is a dominant one in the playoffs, and the Mariners will look to unleash it again when the series shifts to Seattle for Wednesday’s Game 3.

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The Seattle Mariners claimed a 3–1 victory on the road in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

Fresh off a 15-inning Game 5 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS on Friday, No. 2 seed Seattle returned to action against the top-seeded Blue Jays, who had several days off after defeating the New York Yankees 3–1 in their series last Wednesday, Oct. 8.

Cal Raleigh finished 2-of-4 at the plate with a solo home run, while Jorge Polanco added two RBI while. Randy Arozarena stole two bases and scored a run in the win.

With starters limited after Friday’s 15-inning game, Seattle ace Bryce Miller delivered a standout performance, setting the tone with a dominant outing. He struck out three over six innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run.

Fans took notice as Raleigh, Miller and the Mariners shined in their Game 1 victory on the road.

The Blue Jays energized the home crowd early as George Springer launched a leadoff home run on the first pitch he saw, giving the team an early spark.

The Mariners answered in the sixth inning with two runs—a 420-foot home run from Raleigh, followed by a Polanco single that brought in Julio Rodríguez to give Seattle a 2–1 lead.

It was déjà vu in the eighth inning as Polanco delivered another RBI single, set up by Arozarena’s two stolen bases, extending the Mariners’ lead to 3–1.

Game 2 of the ALCS is set for 5:08 p.m. ET on Monday from Toronto.

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TNA Wrestling Bound For Glory 2025 saw an amazing match ruined by an NXT stable.

TNA Wrestlingâ€s Bound For Glory event went down on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts. This included a very impressive match for the X-Division Title.

At TNA Bound For Glory, Leon Slater defended the TNA X-Division Championship against Jeâ€Von Evans. The match continued the crossover between TNA and WWEâ€s NXT brand, with Evans representing NXT in his bid to capture one of TNAâ€s most historic titles.

Fans cheered this match before Evans and Slater even touched each other. This had a big fight feel, and both competitors shook hands before they started. The fans also chanted “This Is Awesome†before the first move.

Once the match got started, Slater and Evans matched each other move for move, even doing a pose like the famous Spiderman twin meme, and fans were all here for it.

The contest continued as Jeâ€Von Evans had a chance to show off a bit, but Leon Slater was right with him. This assault from Evans included a ton of high risk dives, and Evans felt the brunt of each daredevil move.

Slater nailed a nice cutter for a near fall. Fans chanted “TNA†as the match continued, and Leon Slater mounted his offense against the guest from NXT. After Evans countered a slingshot into a DDT, he took off his shirt and got down to business with an OG Cutter on the ring apron as fans chanted “Holy Sh*t.â€

This match was one high spot after another, as Evans nailed a splash from the top rope across the ring, but Slater kicked out. Eventually, both men were laid out on the mat as they reset themselves.

Leon Slater kept putting up a huge fight as he continued kicking out of everything Jeâ€Von Evans threw at him. Eventually, they ended up in the crowd, fighting through the crowd. In the end, the twenty-minute time limit expired as they battled at ringside. Fans booed this result in a huge way, because there was no real winner decided in the match. Fans chanted “bullsh*t†and then TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella came out to re-start the match with 5 more minutes.

The two went at it in a big way as soon as the bell sounded to re-start the match. Suddenly, the lights went out before Evans could get the pinfall, and then DarkState made their way out to disrupt things and end the match with a massive beatdown.

Fans chanted “f*ck these guys†as DarkState posed in the ring. This was not the result anyone wanted at all for this highly expected TNA X-Division Title match.

Whatâ€s your take on the TNA Wrestling and NXT partnership? Do you think it is helping both sides equally? Let us know what you think in the comments section!

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The Call Your Shot Gauntlet match at TNA Bound For Glory 2025 lit up the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts, but fans werenâ€t thrilled with how it ended — and they werenâ€t quiet about it either.

TNAâ€s annual spectacle went down on Sunday, October 12, with the intergender Call Your Shot Gauntlet match once again offering the winner a future title shot of their choosing. The rules were clear: survive the battle royal, make it to the final two, and win by pinfall. But this yearâ€s match took a left turn nobody saw coming.

Léi YÇng Lee entered the match at #1, followed by Mara Sade. The early minutes were full of surprises — Ryan Nemeth entered third, but quickly got jumped by both women. Nic Nemeth entered fourth to back up his brother, and Cedric Alexander hit the ring next in his Bound For Glory debut.

As more names entered — including Rich Swann, AJ Francis, Eric Young, Jake Something, and even YouTuber BDE — the eliminations piled up. The Rascalz stormed in as a unit, while Dani Luna, Rosemary, and hometown surprise entrants added even more chaos.

One moment drew major heat: Jody Threat was scheduled to enter at #17 but never made it to the ring. Frankie Kazarian ambushed her and stole her spot. Santino Marella came out next, Cobra in hand, and dropped Kazarian before being swiftly tossed out by Nic Nemeth.

Then Matt Cardona entered at #19 to a thunderous ovation and quickly cleared house, only to be double-teamed by the Nemeth Brothers. Mance Warner was the final entrant, taking the match down to the final stretch.

It all came down to Kazarian — who was never officially eliminated — and Nic Nemeth. After both men appeared to score a pin at the same time, the referees couldnâ€t come to an agreement. In the end, TNA declared them both winners.

That announcement set the crowd off. Fans erupted in boos, chanting “bullsht!â€* as both Kazarian and Nemeth celebrated their dual victory. Social media lit up with fans calling the decision a “joke†and demanding TNA make it right.

The Call Your Shot Gauntlet may have produced two winners, but it left the audience with zero satisfaction. Now the big question is — will both men actually get a title shot, or will TNA be forced to revisit this messy finish?

What did you think of the double win at TNA Bound For Glory? Should there have been a clear winner? Drop your comments below and let us know how youâ€d fix this finish.

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