The Cooligans welcome former MLS head coach and analyst Giovanni Savarese for a deep dive into the 2026 MLS season. Gio shares his predictions, breakout teams to watch, and how the league continues to evolve ahead of a massive 2026 on home soil. The conversation also turns to the USMNT, as the guys assess expectations, pressure, and what success should realistically look like at the 2026 World Cup.
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Christian and Alexis then tackle the troubling racist incident involving Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica. They unpack how these situations are currently handled, question whether the responsibility to stop a match unfairly falls on the player experiencing abuse, and debate what meaningful structural changes could better protect players moving forward.
Finally, it’s a jam-packed Champions League recap. Folarin Balogun shines in a statement performance against Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus suffer a shocking defeat to Galatasaray, and Bodø/Glimt pull off a stunning win over Inter Milan. The boys react to all the drama, surprises, and what these results mean going forward.
Timestamps:
(6:30) – 2026 MLS preview and predictions
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(30:00) – Gio Savarese’s USMNT World Cup outlook
(39:00) – Vinicius Junior deals with racism again: time for a rule change?
(59:00) – Folarin Balogun shines in Champions League loss to PSG
(1:04:30) – Serie A teams suffer shocking Champions League losses
LIVIGNO, Italy — Hunter Hess, the American freestyle skier who unexpectedly found himself in the middle of a social media and political firestorm at the beginning of the Olympics, said he has emerged from “probably the two hardest weeks of my life” after being called a “loser” by President Donald Trump.
Hess, who essentially went underground after the controversy exploded, spoke after halfpipe qualifying on Friday. He qualified in fifth place and will be one of four Americans in the 12-person final.
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“I worked so hard to be here. I sacrificed my entire life to make this moment happen,” Hess said. “I’m not going to let a controversy like that get in my way. I love the United States of America. I cannot say that enough. In my original statement, I felt like I said that, but apparently people didn’t take it that way. I’m so happy to be here, so happy to represent Team USA and ride as much as I can.”
Hunter Hess qualified for the 12-person final in men’s freeski halfpipe. (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)
(David Davies – PA Images via Getty Images)
Hess was one of several American athletes who were asked prior to the Opening Ceremony how they felt representing the U.S. given current domestic political climate and the ICE raids in Minneapolis and violent clashes with protestors dominating news coverage at that time.
Hess acknowledged “mixed emotions,” saying there was “obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of” and talked about representing his values and the things he believes in when he wears the Team USA uniform.
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“Just because I wear the flag, it doesn’t mean I represent everything that is going on in the U.S,” he said.
Though Hess wasn’t the only American athlete to make comments in that vein, his framing inflamed certain sectors of social media and cable news commentators. Hess acknowledged the backlash in an Instagram post but had not spoken to reporters until Friday about what it’s like to have the president come after you as you prepare to compete in the Olympics.
After becoming far more famous than he expected, Hess and some members of the halfpipe team left to train in Switzerland.
“It was pretty distracting,” he said. “I had a week that was pretty challenging. Luckily my family was there to support me and help me get through it. There was a lot of noise and I’ve never been subject to that type of criticism. But with my family’s help, I was able to get through it. And skiing has saved my life, time and time again, and it seems to have done so again.”
Asked if he would have made the same comments with the benefit of hindsight, Hess said: “I stand with what I said. I love the United States of America. I cannot reiterate that enough.”
Kawhi Leonard stated the obvious on Thursday night. It’s just not the kind of obvious we’re used to hearing from NBA stars.
Following the Clippers’ 115-114 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, Leonard was asked about the Clippers reaching contender status with a younger core following the NBA trade deadline. He responded by emphasizing the importance of developing young players, but three words early on stood out: “It’s over now.”
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The full exchange:
Question: “You mentioned you guys having a younger team and obviously younger guys still trying to find their way and that being part of why you guys aren’t quite in that contender tier. What do you think you guys need to do in order to break into that tier? Is it here, is it guys developing, or is there something missing?”
Leonard: “Just development over time. I think it’s over now. It’s, the second half, like a fourth of the season left. But every day is a day to grow. A day to learn and get better. So just got to keep looking over time and see in two weeks if we’re getting better and see what happens from there.”
Unless Leonard misspoke, that sure sounds like him saying the Clippers’ title chances are likely dead this season. Which, again, isn’t the wildest take, unless it’s coming from the team’s franchise star.
Following Thursday’s win, the Clippers’ record sits at 27-28, ninth place in the Western Conference and a spot in the play-in game. Eighth place might not be hard to achieve given the injury woes of the Golden State Warriors, but anything above that would require a lot of things to go right.
Is it too late for Kawhi Leonard the Clippers to be taken seriously? (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
James Harden is gone. Ivica Zubac is gone. The trades that sent away those two both returned interesting young players in Darius Garland (who still hasn’t made his Clippers debut) and Bennedict Mathurin, respectively, but expectations are going to be low as the team reworks its core.
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To Los Angeles’ credit, the team has come a long way after looking dead in the water when it began the season with a 6-21 record. The Clippers actually have the best win percentage in the NBA since that 27th game on Dec. 18, with a 21-7 record. Leonard has played some of the best basketball of his career in that time, with 29.8 points, 6.87 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game, plus his usual defensive impact.
However, there is still a long way to go before the Clippers are taken seriously.
The World Baseball Classic returns for its sixth edition in March, featuring a 20-team field spread across four pools. In all, 47 games will be played over 13 days at four sites: the Tokyo Dome, Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, loanDepot Park in Miami and Daikin Park in Houston.
Team Japan, the only nation to win multiple WBC crowns (2006, 2009, 2023), is aiming for its fourth title, while the Dominican Republic (2013) and U.S. (2017) are the only other winners of the event. Japan’s roster features 2025 NL MVP Shohei Ohtani and 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, both of the Dodgers, in addition to Angels lefty starter Yusei Kikuchi and Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki.
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The U.S. roster is led by captain Aaron Judge and features both 2025 Cy Young winners in Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes. Team USA boasts a combined 65 MLB All-Star Game appearances and four former MVPs in Judge, Bryce Harper, Paul Goldschmidt and Clayton Kershaw.
Most games will be broadcast in the U.S. on the Fox family of networks (Fox, FS1, FS2) and streamed on the Fox Sports app and Tubi.
2026 World Baseball Classic pools
Pool A | Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Canada Colombia Cuba Panama Puerto Rico
Pool B | Daikin Park, Houston
Brazil Great Britain Italy Mexico U.S.
Pool C | Tokyo Dome, Tokyo
Australia Chinese Taipei Czechia Japan South Korea
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Pool D | loanDepot Park, Miami
Dominican Republic Israel Netherlands Nicaragua Venezuela
2026 World Baseball Classic schedule
All times Eastern
Pool play
Wednesday, March 4 10 p.m.: Australia vs. Chinese Taipei (FS1)
Thursday, March 5 5 a.m.: South Korea vs. Czechia (FS1) 10 p.m.: Czechia vs. Australia (FS1)
Friday, March 6 5 a.m.: Chinese Taipei vs. Japan (FS1) 11 a.m.: Panama vs. Cuba (FS2) Noon: Venezuela vs. Netherlands (Tubi) 1 p.m.: Great Britain vs. Mexico (FS1) 6 p.m.: Colombia vs. Puerto Rico (FS1) 7 p.m.: Dominican Republic vs. Nicaragua (FS2) 8 p.m.: Brazil vs. U.S. (Fox) 10 p.m.: Czechia vs. Chinese Taipei (FS2)
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Saturday, March 7 5 a.m.: Japan vs. South Korea (FS1) 11 a.m.: Canada vs. Colombia (FS2) Noon: Netherlands vs. Nicaragua (Tubi) 1 p.m.: Italy vs. Brazil (Fox app only) 6 p.m.: Puerto Rico vs. Panama (FS1) 7 p.m.: Venezuela vs. Israel (FS1) 8 p.m.: U.S. vs. Great Britain (Fox) 10 p.m.: South Korea vs. Chinese Taipei (FS2)
Sunday, March 8 6 a.m.: Japan vs. Australia (FS1) Noon: Cuba vs. Colombia (FS2) Noon: Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands (Fox) 1 p.m.: Italy vs. Great Britain (Tubi) 7 p.m.: Israel vs. Nicaragua (Tubi) 7 p.m.: Canada vs. Panama (FS2) 8 p.m.: Mexico vs. Brazil (FS1)
Monday, March 9 6 a.m.: Australia vs. South Korea (FS1) Noon: Israel vs. Dominican Republic (FS1) Noon: Panama vs. Colombia (FS2) 1 p.m.: Great Britain vs. Brazil (Tubi) 7 p.m.: Puerto Rico vs. Cuba (FS1) 7 p.m.: Nicaragua vs. Venezuela (FS2) 8 p.m.: U.S. vs. Mexico (Fox)
Tuesday, March 10 6 a.m.: Japan vs. Czechia (FS1) 7 p.m.: Netherlands vs. Israel (Fox app only) 7 p.m.: Puerto Rico vs. Canada (Tubi) 9 p.m.: U.S. vs. Italy (FS1)
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Wednesday, March 11 3 p.m.: Cuba vs. Canada (FS1) 7 p.m.: Mexico vs. Italy (Tubi) 8 p.m.: Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic (FS1)
Thursday, March 12 No games
Quarterfinals
Friday, March 13 6:30 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD (FS1) – loanDepot Park 8 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD (Fox) – Daikin Park
Saturday, March 14 3 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD (FS1) – Daikin Park 9 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD (Fox) – loanDepot Park
Semifinals
Sunday, March 15 8 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD (FS1) – loanDepot Park
Monday, March 16 8 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD (FS1) – loanDepot Park
Championship
Tuesday, March 17 8 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD (FS1) – loanDepot Park
The 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics have reached their final day, and these Games will end on a high note for Team USA with a gold medal in men’s hockey, ending a 46-year drought.
Team USA is golden! The U.S. men’s hockey team has won the gold medal for the first time since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team that upset the Soviet Union. In an incredible game that saw Canada dominate the scoring chances, U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck was a brick wall. And when the game went to overtime, Jack Hughes was the hero just over 90 seconds later.
Eileen Gu adds another gold to her collection
The freestyle skiing halfpipe final was postponed due to a snowstorm, but that didn’t stop Eileen Gu, the American-born freeskier who competes for China, from winning her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the women’s halfpipe. After pulling out on her first run, Gu bounced back with a 94.00 in Run 2 and a 94.75 in Run 3.
Sweden takes gold over Switzerland in final curling showdown
After the U.S. women fell to Canada in the curling bronze medal game, Switzerland and Sweden faced off for gold on Sunday morning, with the latter coming out victorious 6-5. Sweden also took gold in mixed doubles curling earlier in these Olympics.
Closing Ceremony (2:30 p.m. ET)
The Closing Ceremonies will take place in Verona, east of Milan, at the historic Verona Arena. Women’s hockey gold medalist Hilary Knight and ice dance silver medalist Evan Bates will be the United States flag bearers for the ceremony.
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How many medals has Team USA won so far? Check in with our medal tracker for the full breakdown.
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for all the news, events and medals from the Milan Cortina Olympics:
Live401 updates
Team USA celebrates a 2-1 victory against Canada in overtime for the gold medal during the Men’s Gold Medal match at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
(Elsa via Getty Images)
Ian Casselberry
MILAN — This wasn’t a miracle. It was a moment of magic.
Forty-six years to the day after a bunch of unheralded amateurs stunned the heavily favored Soviet Union en route to winning Olympic gold, the U.S. men’s hockey team engineered another epic victory. The Americans won a battle of the sport’s superpowers on Sunday, toppling longtime nemesis Canada 2-1 in overtime to win their country’s first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since the famed 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”
Jack Hughes scored the decisive goal, ripping a shot past Jordan Binnington less than three minutes into 3-versus-3 overtime.
Jack Hughes created the winning scoring opportunity with a poke check in the USA end and Zach Werenski skated hard up the ice to get the puck.
Retrieving it in toward the left corner, he finds a wide-open Hughes with a centering pass. Hughes then whistled it past Jordan Bennington for Team USA’s first men’s ice hockey gold in 46 years.
Ian Casselberry
Jack Hughes wins the gold medal for Team USA, 1:40 into overtime. Hughes took a centering pass from Zach Werenski and slaps it past Jordan Binnington for the game-winner.
The U.S, wins gold for the first time since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team.
Ian Casselberry
Why not overtime for the men’s hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics? The U.S. and Canada will go to an extra period tied at 2-2 after three.
Under Olympic rules, the two teams will play 3-on-3 to decide the winner.
The Milan Cortina Games will last just a bit longer!
Cale Makar’s goal tied the score for Canada at 1-1 shortly before the second period ended. Prior to that, Team USA did strong work defensively in denying scoring chances, even killing a 5-on-3 Canada power play.
As the period ended, Canada’s Brad Marchand and USA’s Matt Boldy tussled in front of the U.S. bench. USA’s Charlie McAvoy and Vincent Trocheck tussled with Canada’s Drew Doughty and Sam Bennett as well, but no penalties ensued.
Ian Casselberry
The U.S. and Canada each have eight shots on goal as the first period ends. At one point, Canada had a 7-2 advantage, so Team USA really increased the pressure late in the period, helped by a power play opportunity.
Ian Casselberry
Sweden defeated Switzerland, 6-5, in 10 ends to win the gold medal in women’s curling.
Anna Hasselborg scored the final point to give Sweden its fourth consecutive gold for the Swedish team, joining the championships won in Sochi, Pyeongchang and Beijing.
Hasselborg is the second Swedish skip to win two gold medals, joining Anette Norberg. Altogether, five Swedish curlers have earned two Olympic golds, including Sara McManus, Agnes Knochenhauer and Sofia Scharback.
Overall, Sweden has medaled in seven of the eight Winter Olympics since women’s curling was added to competition in 1998. The Swedes have earned four golds, one silver and two bronze.
Switzerland gets its third silver medal in women’s curling, joining those won in Salt Lake City and Turin.
Ian Casselberry
Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby will not play against the U.S. in Sunday’s gold medal men’s ice hockey final.
Crosby, 38, suffered a right leg injury during Canada’s quarterfinal matchup versus Czechia and did not play in the semifinals against Finland. The hope was that Crosby would recover in time for Sunday’s final, but the decision was made before gametime.
Germany did not sweep the medal podium in 4-man bobsled. However, the Germans took the first two spots with the team piloted by Johannes Lochner taking gold and Francesco Friedrich’s team getting silver.
Lochner’s gold joins the silver his team won in Beijing. He and George Fleischhauer also took gold in two-man bobsled at the Milan Cortina Games.
Switzerland, piloted by Michael Vogt. made a late surge to get a spot on the podium.
Ian Casselberry
Eileen Gu saved her best for last, scoring a 94.75 on her final run and reaching 4.0 meters on her highest jump to win her second consecutive gold medal in women’s freeski halfpipe.
Ian Casselberry
Eileen Gu has won her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the women’s freeski halfpipe. After pulling out on her first run and scoring a 30.00, she bounced back significantly with a 94.00 and 94.75.
China took the first two spots on the podium with Gu’s teammate Li Fanghui earning silver with a 93.00 on her third run.
Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin was on top after her first run, but couldn’t recover from missing a landing on her second. She scored a 92.50 on her third run to finish behind Gu and Fanghui.
Ian Casselberry
Eileen Gu earns a 94.75 on her third run in the women’s freeski halfpipe final, improving on the 94.00 she scored on her second run. She landed all of her tricks and got strong amplitude, reaching 4.0 meters on her jump.
Eileen Gu won her second consecutive Olympic gold in the women’s freeski halfpipe at the Milan Cortina Games, excelling on her final two runs. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
(Cameron Spencer via Getty Images)
Zoe Atkin will be the final skier in this third run with a chance to overtake Gu for gold.
Ian Casselberry
After three runs, Germany holds the top three spots in the 4-man bobsled competition. The team of Francesco Friedrich, Matthias Sommer, Alexander Schuller and Felix Straub are in first place.
Team USA has the ninth and 10th spots with the team of Frankie Del Duca, Boone Niederhofer, Bryan Sosoo and Joshua Williamson the closest.
Ian Casselberry
Li Fanghui puts China in the first two spots after scoring a 91.50 on her second run. She and Eileen Gu are one and two.
Zoe Atkin followed and hit the edge of the pipe as she tried to land an alley-oop, causing her to lose both skis as she landed. She gets a “DNI” for her second run, though did reach 5.4 meters on one of her jumps.
Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin falls on her second run of the Women’s Freeski Halfpipe Final at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
(David Ramos via Getty Images)
Ian Casselberry
Shaking off her first run, Eileen Gu rebounded with a strong second run. She landed the alley-oop that she missed the first time, though didn’t get quite as high with her jumps as Zoe Atkin did on her first run.
Gu scores a 94.00 to move into first with Atkin still to go.
Ian Casselberry
After finishing first in qualifying, Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin stays in top form on her first run in the women’s freeski halfpipe final.
She got great amplitude, reaching 4.5 metres on her highest jump.
Eileen Gu earned a 30.00 on her first run and is eighth going into the second run.
Ian Casselberry
Eileen Gu’s first run in the women’s freeski halfpipe final will be a throwaway. She earned a 30.00 after pulling out on the run after a shaky landing on her first trick.
Canada’s Kate Fraser scored an 85.00 on her first run and is currently in first. USA’s Kate Gray placed seventh with a 44.50.
Ian Casselberry
We have some extra Winter Olympics action on this final day with the women’s halfpipe final, which was delayed yesterday due to snow.
Representing China, this is Eileen Gu’s last chance to leave the Milan Cortina Games with a gold medal after she won silver in Slopestyle and Big Air. She is defending the gold she won in Beijing.
China’s Eileen Gu is pursuing her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the women’s freeski halfpipe. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Americans Kate Gray and Svea Irving will compete in the event for Team USA. But Zoe Atkin — American, but competing for Great Britain — might be Gu’s top challenger today. Atkin finished first in qualifying, while Gu placed fifth.
After defeating Canada, 2-1, in overtime to win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the U.S. men’s ice hockey team honored late teammate Johnny Gaudreau with players holding up his No. 13 jersey as they skated around the ice.
As the full team posed on the ice for a photo, Gaudreau’s two children joined the squad while their father’s jersey was displayed.
MILAN — This wasn’t a miracle. It was a moment of magic.
Forty-six years to the day after a bunch of unheralded amateurs stunned the heavily favored Soviet Union en route to winning Olympic gold, the U.S. men’s hockey team engineered another epic victory. The Americans won a battle of the sport’s superpowers on Sunday, toppling longtime nemesis Canada 2-1 in overtime to win their country’s first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since the famed 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”
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Jack Hughes scored the decisive goal, ripping a shot past Jordan Binnington less than three minutes into 3-versus-3 overtime.
The Americans forced overtime only because Connor Hellebuyck withstood target practice from Canada’s all-world forward corps. Hellebuyck made incredible save after incredible save against constant Canadian pressure, turning away 41 of the 42 shots he faced.
To win gold was a dream fulfilled for the American players. To do it at Canada’s expense made it all the more satisfying and cathartic.
In the biggest moments, Canada had previously owned this rivalry since NHL players began participating in the Olympics in 1998. Canada won gold-medal matches against the U.S. at the 2002 and 2010 Olympics and shut out the Americans in the 2014 semifinals. The U.S. did beat Canada in round-robin play at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, but when it mattered, the Americans lost again.
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A winner-take-all showdown between the U.S. and Canada has long been the most enticing potential matchup at these Olympics, but neither hockey superpower had the luxury of just strolling to the gold-medal match. The U.S. needed an overtime game winner from Quinn Hughes to survive Sweden in the quarterfinals. Canada rallied to overcome third-period deficits against Czechia in the quarters and Finland in the semis.
That set up the gold-medal matchup that the hockey world has waited a dozen years to see on an Olympic stage. Bars opened before sunrise in New York, Minneapolis, Milwaukee and other hockey hotbeds. Fans across the U.S. watched “Miracle” on Saturday night to hype themselves up, set their alarm clocks for an early wakeup and then gathered over early-morning beers and bloody marys.
The scene was even more festive across the Atlantic. The Milan metro was awash with Canada and U.S. jerseys of every era, Eruzione, Gretzky, McDavid and Tkachuk. Chants of “U-S-A” and “Let’s go Canada” rang out as the train hurtled toward Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. One particularly brazen fan in a USA cap playfully tried to start a chant of “51st state.” Outnumbered by Canadians, he was quickly shouted down.
The combination of speed, skill and physicality on display lived up to pregame expectations once the puck dropped. There were ooohs and ahhhs every few seconds from fans on both sides as the Americans and Canadians generated scoring chances.
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It was American fans who had reason to cheer first. Six minutes into the first period, Matt Boldy scored a goal that was a product of both individual stickhandling brilliance and defensive negligence.
With Cale Makar and Devon Toews between him and the Canadian net, Boldy deftly flipped the puck over both their sticks and skated unencumbered right between two of the NHL’s top defensemen. Then he deked a stunned Binnington and beat the Canadian goaltender with a backhand.
The Americans withstood unrelenting Canadian pressure for most of the second period, even killing off the 5-on-3 power play that lasted 93 seconds. Hellebuyck made a series of massive saves at close range, even stuffing the Olympics’ leading points scorer Connor McDavid on a breakaway.
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Then, just when it seemed like a period of squandered opportunities for Canada, Makar beat Hellebuyck with a wicked wrist shot from the right faceoff circle. It was an absolutely perfect shot from Makar, just over Hellebuyck’s right pad but just under the blocker.
That set the stage for a pressure-packed third period with the Canadians pushing hard for a game winner and the Americans desperately trying to withstand it long enough to give themselves the chance for a moment of magic.
In the opening minutes of the third period, Hellebuyck robbed Toews at the last possible moment, reaching behind his back with his stick to keep the Canadian defenseman’s point-blank shot from crossing the goal line. Minutes later, Macklin Celebrini had a clear breakaway, but Hellebuyck denied him with a pad save.
Hellebuyck withstood the onslaught.
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Hughes delivered an overtime goal for the ages.
And now the U.S. gold-medal drought is over.
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest updates from the Olympics men’s ice hockey final, featuring Team USA against Team Canada:
Live coverage is over45 updates
Who needs all their teeth anyway?
Team USA honored the late Johnny Gaudreau after their gold medal win. (Photo by Peter Kneffel/picture alliance via Getty Images)
(picture alliance via Getty Images)
Ian Casselberry
USA players celebrate winning the men’s gold medal ice hockey match over Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP via Getty Images)
(ALEXANDER NEMENOV via Getty Images)
Ian Casselberry
Jack Hughes wins the gold medal for Team USA, 1:40 into overtime. Hughes took a centering pass from Zach Werenski and slaps it past Jordan Binnington for the game-winner.
The U.S, wins gold for the first time since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team.
Ian Casselberry
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 41 Canada shots in Team USA’s win over Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game.
Ian Casselberry
Jack Hughes created the winning scoring opportunity with a poke check in the USA end and Zach Werenski skated hard up the ice to get the puck.
Retrieving it in toward the left corner, he finds a wide-open Hughes with a centering pass. Hughes then whistled it past Jordan Bennington for Team USA’s first men’s ice hockey gold in 46 years.
Ian Casselberry
Quinn Hughes had a one-timer opportunity from the left side for the USA win, but Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington made the glove save.
Ian Casselberry
Looking at the shots on goal, you’d be excused for wondering how this game is tied at 1-1 and going to overtime. Canada has 41 shots to USA’s 26 after three periods.
Jay Busbee
MILAN — EVerybody’s exhausted. It’s been three periods of unbelievably tense, disaster-at-any-second gold medal hockey, and the crowd at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena feels just beaten down from the pressure.
And now it’s on to 3×3 for the gold medal, which will do no good for anyone’s blood pressure. Hang on tight, friends!
Ian Casselberry
Why not overtime for the men’s hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics? The U.S. and Canada will go to an extra period tied at 1-1 after three.
Under Olympic rules, the two teams will play 3-on-3 to decide the winner. The Milan Cortina Games will last just a bit longer!
Ian Casselberry
Canada had an opportunity to score on the power play with Macklin Celebrini getting the puck in front of the net. However, he fired wide of Connor Hellebuyck and the U.S. will kill Canada’s one-minute power play advantage.
Ian Casselberry
After taking a high stick, Jack Hughes gets called for high-sticking on Bo Horvat. So we’ll have 4-on-4 hockey for 49 seconds and 3:20 remaining in the third period.
Canada will have a 5-on-4 power play after Sam Bennett’s penalty expires.
Ian Casselberry
Sam Bennett is called for a four-minute double-minor penalty, committing a high-sticking foul on Jack Hughes behind the USA net. The U.S, will be on the power play for nearly the remainder of the third period.
With Hughes bleeding from his mouth (and some thinking he might have gotten teeth knocked out), referees had to make that call.
Ian Casselberry
Canada fans will complain that the U.S. should have been called for too many men on the ice during a line change. NBC’s replay showed Team USA had seven players on the ice while Jack Hughes handled the puck along the boards.
Ian Casselberry
That right side of the goal is cursed for Canada. Nathan MacKinnon missed an open net with Connor Hellebuyck out of position after Devon Toews couldn’t get a shot past the U.S. goaltender earlier in the period.
Ian Casselberry
Connor Hellebuyck stones another scoring chance for Canada, denying Macklin Celebrini on a breakaway.
Canada has an 8-1 shot advantage seven minutes into the third period.
Ian Casselberry
Canada’s Devon Toews had a fantastic chance at a goal in front of the U.S. net, with the right side wide open after Connor Hellebuyck stopped a shot by Mitch Marner.
However, Hellebuyck got just enough of his pad on Toews’ shot to save a goal. Had Toews kept the puck on the ice, rather than try to flip it in, Canada may have taken the lead.
Ian Casselberry
Canada battered U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck in that second period, giving them a 28-16 advantage in shots going into the third period.
Ian Casselberry
Brock Faber nearly gave Team USA the lead back before the second period ended, hitting the post with a shot.
As the period ended, Brad Marchand and Matt Boldy mixed it up in front of the USA bench. USA’s Charlie McAvoy and Vincent Trocheck tussled with Canada’s Drew Doughty and Sam Bennett as well.
Tied at 1-1, this third period should be memorable.
Jay Busbee
MILAN — Canada was far more aggressive than the United States this period, outshooting the Americans 19-8, and it finally paid off 18:16 into the period when Makar lasered a shot past Hellebuyck.
-Prior to that, the penalty kill was a massive momentum shift. Canada had a 5×3 advantage for 1:42 and squandered a golden – pardon the pun – opportunity.
-Hellebuyck’s shutdown of McDavid’s breakaway also took the air out of the substantial Canadian contingent here.
-The fans were virtually silent for the final 30 seconds of the power play, the tension and anxiety almost visible in the air.
-Unrelated to the game, but the way that the organist trots out standards like “Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog” gives this the feel, every so often, of a Wednesday-night half-price ticket game in November.
-Very much related: Now we got ourselves a ballgame.
It was remarkable that the Hawks were in the game at all after their cold shooting in the first half. The Hawks missed their first 21 attempts from 3 and almost went into halftime without a make from beyond the arc.
A 3-pointer late in the second quarter by C.J. McCollum ensured that they’d enter the break shooting 1 of 22 from long distance. The Hawks managed just 38 first-half points due to the poor shooting and trailed 54-38 at the break.
Hawks catch fire from 3 after halftime, but rally falls short
Thanks largely to Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the Hawks found their stroke from 3 after halftime and finished the game shooting 12 for 42 from long distance, including an 11-of-20 clip in the second half. After missing all seven of his attempts from 3 in the first half, Alexander-Walker finished 7 of 16 for the game en route to a game-high 32 points.
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The Hawks rallied to take a 105-104 lead on a Jalen Johnson 3 with 1:10 remaining. They then had a chance at a game-winning or game-tying shot with the ball and a 112-110 deficit in the final 12 seconds. But McCollum lost control of his dribble as the clock ticked down and forced up a contested heave from the elbow that didn’t have a chance.
In the end, Atlanta’s poor start from 3 dug too big of a hole to overcome.
The Houston Rockets, meanwhile, missed 27 consecutive attempts from 3 in a historic Game 7 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 Western Conference finals.
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So the Hawks escaped ignominious history. But that probably doesn’t make them feel much better about Monday’s game.
Bieniemy will replace offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, whose contract has expired. Nagy has interviewed for other positions across the league.
Bieniemy previously spent five seasons as Kansas City’s offensive coordinator from 20018-22. He was in that role for Patrick Mahomes’ first five seasons as Kansas City’s starting quarterback and oversaw the offense as the Chiefs went to three Super Bowls and won two.
Eric Bieniemy is expected to reunite with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.
(Michael Reaves via Getty Images)
Bieniemy was frequently mentioned as a head-coaching candidate during his tenure with the Chiefs, but never landed a head job. He left the Chiefs in 2023 to become the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders.
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Under new ownership, the Commanders fired head coach Ron Rivera and his staff that included Bieniemy after the 2023 season. Bieniemy spent 2024 in college as the offensive coordinator at UCLA and returned to the NFL this season for his role with the Bears.
Can Bieniemy fix ailing Chiefs offense?
Bieniemy would return to a Chiefs team that missed the playoffs in 2025 for the first time in 11 seasons after playing in seven consecutive AFC championship games and three consecutive Super Bowls. Mahomes finished the season on injured reserve with a torn ACL, but the Chiefs were trending toward missing the postseason even before his injury.
Mahomes hopes to be back for Week 1 of the 2016 season, which would be the most optimistic timeline for his prognosis. Regardless of when he returns, the Chiefs will be seeking an offensive spark after a stagnant 2025 campaign in which they finished 20th in the league in total yards and 21st with 21.3 points per game.
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Improving on offense will require more than installing Bieniemy as offensive coordinator. Kansas City’s struggles this past season were due in large part to a lack of playmakers around Mahomes. Kansas City’s front office will be tasked with upgrading the roster around Mahomes as the Chiefs look to get back to Super Bowl contention with Mahomes still in his prime.
Indiana is going for its first national championship in school history while Miami is trying to snap a streak without a championship that dates back to 2001.
Here’s everything you need to know for Monday night’s game.
National championship game: No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 10 Miami
Indiana (15-0): The Hoosiers have been a playoff steamroller. No team has done what Indiana has done over its first two games of this postseason. Not only is Indiana the only team to win a game after getting a first-round bye in the 12-team playoff format, the Hoosiers have dominated. Indiana has outscored Alabama and Oregon 94-25 after a 38-3 win over the Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl and a 56-22 victory over the Ducks in the Peach Bowl.
Over the whole season, Indiana has outscored opponents by 31.5 points per game. Only North Texas scores more points per game. Only Ohio State gives up fewer points per game.
No. 10 Miami faces No. 1 Indiana in the national championship game on Monday night. (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)
How the QBs stack up
Carson Beck needs to be more like the QB he was against Ole Miss for the Hurricanes to have a chance.
Beck was 23-of-37 passing for 268 yards with two passing touchdowns and an interception against the Rebels. Oh, he also rushed for the game-winning score with 18 seconds left.
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His yardage total in the Fiesta Bowl was more than he had thrown for in the first two playoff games … combined. Over the course of the first-round game against Texas A&M and the Cotton Bowl against the Buckeyes, Beck was 33 of 46 for 241 yards and two touchdowns.
Miami is 12-0 in games where Beck has thrown one or fewer interceptions and 1-2 when he has multiple picks. That only win came against USF, when he threw for 340 yards and three scores while having two interceptions and five incompletions.
Against Louisville, Beck threw four interceptions in the Hurricanes’ 24-21 loss. Two games later, Beck had two interceptions — including on Miami’s OT possession — in that loss to the Mustangs.
Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza has thrown 41 TDs and six interceptions. Those six picks have been spread across six games.
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Mendoza’s season has been historic — and not just because he won the Heisman. He’s 31-of-36 passing for 369 yards and eight touchdowns over Indiana’s two playoff wins. Yes, he’s thrown five incompletions and eight touchdowns. In both the Rose Bowl and the Peach Bowl, Mendoza had more TD passes than incompletions.
He’s now done that five times this season and has another game with four touchdowns and four incompletions. Nearly every quarterback has more incompletions than touchdown passes on a weekly basis. That’s only happened 60% of the time for Mendoza this season.
Players to watch
Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.: The junior has had a relatively quiet postseason. Cooper is Indiana’s leading receiver with 64 catches for 866 yards and 13 scores but hasn’t added much to those stats over the past three games.
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After injuring his ankle in the Big Ten title game against Ohio State and going without a catch, Cooper has six catches for 62 yards and two scores in the College Football Playoff. To be fair, the Hoosiers haven’t really needed him. Indiana has rushed for 400 yards and four scores in those games.
So far, Cooper’s biggest moment of the season has been his game-winning catch against Penn State. That catch will live on for a long time in highlight reels whether or not the Hoosiers ultimately win the national championship. And we have a feeling that Cooper is in line for a big game against the Hurricanes on Monday night.
Miami WR Keelan Marion: The BYU transfer picked a heck of a time for his second 100-yard game of the season in the Fiesta Bowl.
Marion had seven catches for 116 yards and a score in Miami’s win. Before the Fiesta Bowl, Marion’s only other 100-yard game came in a blowout win against a depleted Syracuse squad. And that’s the only other game in which Marion has scored a TD.
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Overall, Marion is Miami’s second-leading receiver behind Malachi Toney with 56 catches for 740 yards, but he’s scored just two touchdowns all season. Toney will be a focus of Indiana’s defense — just like he’s been a focal point for every other Miami opponent — and Miami is going to need another receiver to step up. Will it be Marion or CJ Daniels? TE Elija Lofton is set to miss the game after he was injured in the Fiesta Bowl.
Keys to the game
Can Miami’s defensive line continue to be a dominant playoff force? The Hurricanes have been able to beat up opposing offensive lines so far, but this Indiana offensive line is better than any line that Miami has faced in its three playoff games. Indiana has been able to push both Indiana and Oregon around, even as Mendoza has been sacked four times over those two games.
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Against Alabama, Indiana RBs Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby combined to rush 33 times for 188 yards and two scores. In the Fiesta Bowl, their totals were muted — they rushed 29 times for 116 yards — but Black still scored twice.
If Indiana can run against Miami like it did the Crimson Tide, the Hurricanes could be in trouble. Miami’s biggest deficit of the playoff came in the Fiesta Bowl when the Hurricanes trailed by four early in the first quarter. What happens if Indiana gets out to a two-score lead?
Miami’s chances of an upset also hinge largely on Toney breaking a big play. After tallying just 51 total offensive yards in the first two playoff games, he had five catches for 81 yards and a score and two carries for 11 yards in the Fiesta Bowl. Miami isn’t winning if Toney’s stats resemble those first two playoff games.
A Miami win would also be the biggest title game upset since the Hurricanes lost as 11-point favorites in January of 2003. But we’re not bullish on that happening. Even if Miami can get pressure on Mendoza, he’s the quarterback best-equipped to beat that pressure with the way that he can diagnose defenses. We’re taking Indiana to be the first team at the top level in college football to go 16-0 in over 125 years.
