Saturday, May 25, 2024

Barcelona beats Lyon 2-0 to win UEFA Women’s Champions League, completes first quadruple

Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas scored to help Barcelona win its third Women’s Champions League trophy with a 2-0 victory over Lyon on Saturday.

This win is significant as Barcelona had never beaten Lyon before, losing to them in the 2019 and 2022 finals. The victory in Bilbao completed a spectacular season for Barcelona, earning them a quadruple in coach Jonatan Giraldez’s final match in charge.

Bonmati scored after 63 minutes, and substitute Putellas secured the win in stoppage time, avenging past defeats by Lyon, coached by Sonia Bompastor.

With this win, Barcelona has now won three Champions League titles in five final appearances over the last six seasons, establishing themselves as a dominant force in women’s soccer.

Barcelona’s players believed they could beat Lyon this time, showcasing their experience and mental strength along with their talent. This belief was proven right at a packed San Mames stadium.

The majority of the 51,000 fans at the Women’s Champions League final supported Barcelona. Bonmati and her team completed one of the few challenges they had left.

Coach Giraldez started Mariona Caldentey in attack and moved Fridolina Rolfo to left-back, leaving Ona Batlle and two-time Ballon d’Or winner Putellas on the bench.

Lyon also left Ada Hegerberg, the competition’s all-time top scorer, on the bench due to her recent poor form after injury.

Barcelona had some nervous moments early in the game. Lucy Bronze deflected a ball onto her own crossbar, and Lyon’s captain Wendie Renard hit the post.

Unlike previous finals where Barcelona conceded multiple goals early on, this time they stayed strong defensively. They started creating more chances as the game progressed. Patri Guijarro had a good chance after half an hour, but her shot was saved by Christiane Endler and cleared off the line by Selma Bacha.

Caroline Graham Hansen, in excellent form this season, troubled Lyon’s left-back Bacha and made Renard backpedal uncertainly, although her shot went wide.

Barcelona finally broke through in the 63rd minute when Bonmati scored. She received a clever pass from Caldentey, entered the penalty area, and her low shot deflected off Vanessa Gilles, flying over Endler into the net.

Lyon tried to fight back, with top scorer Kadidiatou Diani curling a shot over and Hegerberg heading over the bar, but they couldn't score.

Late in the game, substitute Putellas sealed the win with a powerful shot into the top corner, sparking early celebrations for Barcelona.

2024 NBA Western Conference Finals Odds, Game 2 Time: Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Picks and Expert Predictions

The Dallas Mavericks aim to secure a 2-0 series lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves as the 2024 Western Conference Finals move to Dallas after Friday's Game 2 in Minneapolis. Dallas shocked Minnesota with a 108-105 win in Game 1. The Mavericks (50-32), who lost both regular-season games in Minneapolis and three out of four overall, are 5-2 on the road in the 2024 NBA playoffs. The Timberwolves (56-26) are 3-3 at home this postseason. Mike Conley (calf) is questionable for Minnesota.

The game tips off at the Target Center at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Timberwolves have allowed the fourth-fewest points per game this postseason at 100.3, while the Mavericks are fifth with 103.3. Minnesota is a 5.5-point favorite in the latest odds, with the over/under set at 207.5 points. Before making any picks, check out expert Bruce Marshall's predictions.

Marshall is a well-known sports handicapper featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the New York Post, among others. He has a strong track record, entering this game with a 193-141 run, returning over $3,800 for $100 bettors. His insights are valuable for anyone betting on this game.

Marshall has analyzed the Mavericks vs. Timberwolves matchup and made his picks and predictions. You can see his choices at SportsLine. Here are the current NBA odds and betting lines:

Mavericks vs. Timberwolves spread: Minnesota -5.5

Mavericks vs. Timberwolves over/under: 207.5 points

Mavericks vs. Timberwolves money line: Dallas +192, Minnesota -239

Dallas has hit the game total Under in 45 of its last 70 games (+17.50 units)

Minnesota has covered the third-quarter spread in 51 of its last 82 games (+16.25 units)

Why the Timberwolves Can Cover

Power forward Jaden McDaniels is excelling in the postseason, surpassing his regular-season stats. He scored 24 points with four rebounds and three assists in Game 1. He also had 23 points, six rebounds, and two steals in the series-clinching Game 7 win over Denver. In 12 playoff games, he's averaging 13.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 blocks, and one steal.

Center Rudy Gobert is averaging a double-double in the playoffs with 12.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks, and one steal. He posted 12 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks in Game 1 against Dallas and has four double-doubles in this year's playoffs.

Why the Mavericks Can Cover

Power forward PJ Washington has three double-doubles this postseason, including 29 points and 11 rebounds in Game 2 against Oklahoma City in the second round. He also had 21 points and 12 rebounds in Game 4 of that series and 10 points and 10 rebounds in Game 5. In Game 1 against Minnesota, he scored 13 points with seven rebounds and two blocks. He's averaging 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and one steal in 13 postseason starts.

Small forward Derrick Jones Jr. is also scoring in double figures. He had a playoff-high 22 points in the decisive Game 6 against Oklahoma City and contributed 8 points, four rebounds, and two assists in Game 1 against Minnesota. Against the Timberwolves in the regular season, he averaged 10 points, 7.7 rebounds, two steals, and 1.3 blocks.

How to Make Mavericks vs. Timberwolves Picks

Marshall is leaning towards the Under on the point total and has identified a key X-factor for one side of the spread. To find out which side to back, visit SportsLine.

So, who wins Game 2 of the Mavericks vs. Timberwolves series, and which side of the spread is the best bet? Visit SportsLine to see which side of the Mavericks vs. Timberwolves spread to back, all from an expert who has returned over $3,800 on his NBA picks this season.

Friday, April 7, 2023

What to watch for as the Masters begins in Georgia

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — From the renegade LIV tour to Scottie Scheffler’s bid for a second straight green jacket to an elongated 13th hole, golf’s first major of the year provides its usual abundance of compelling storylines.

Oh, and let’s not forget Tiger Woods.

Welcome to the Masters, where the golf year really gets started on Thursday amid the blooming azaleas and towering pines of Augusta National Golf Club.

Here are some things to watch for over the next four days:

Super Bowl of golf

The Masters marks the biggest showdown yet between the established PGA Tour and brash challenger LIV.

While there were no outward signs of hostility during the practice rounds and champions dinner, the rivalry between those players who stuck with the PGA and those who chose the generational wealth doled out by LIV’s Saudi backers is unavoidable.

All eyes will be on the scoreboard to see how LIV’s 18 entrants are faring against the rest of the field.

If one of them claimed the green jacket, it would undoubtedly draw comparisons to the New York Jets beating the Baltimore Colts in the third Super Bowl — an astounding result that put the neophyte American Football League on equal footing with the NFL.

Golf is an individual game, of course, but so many harsh words have been exchanged over the past year that it’s impossible to ignore the significance of the Masters to both tours.

“I’d love to see one of us guys get up to the top of the leaderboard and really give it a nice shot,” said Cameron Smith, the reigning British Open champion who defected to LIV.

Big three

Only three players have repeated as Masters champions: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods.

Scheffler seems primed to make a run at joining that illustrious trio, coming in as the world’s top-ranked player, with two victories and nine straight finishes inside the top 12.

“Just because you’re defending doesn’t mean I get to start at 1-under,” he said. “I’ll be approaching it just like I do a lot of other tournaments.”

Scheffler figures to get a stiff challenge from Rory McIlroy and perhaps Jon Rahm, the next two guys in the world rankings.

Those three dominated the first quarter of the year.

Masters Round 2: All eyes on Koepka, the Big Three and the forecast 😀

Masters Round 2: All eyes on Koepka, the Big Three and the forecast

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Brooks Koepka didn't want to share the gruesome details of the injury. But after shooting a 7-under 65 to tie for the first-round lead at the Masters with Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland, he obliged.

The now-member of the LIV Golf Tour and four-time major winner explained how he had slipped at home, dislocating his knee in the process and shattering it when he attempted to put it back in only to tear one of the ligaments around his patella.

"My leg was sideways and out. My foot was turned out," Koepka said. "And when I snapped it back in, because the kneecap had already shattered, it went in pretty good. It went in a lot easier."

In what was a revealing post-round interview, Koepka detailed the journey back from the injury that once had him unable to bend his knee and resulted in him missing the cut at the 2021 Masters following his surgery.

Before the injury and before he bolted for LIV last year, Koepka was considered not just one of the top players in the world, but also a player who almost exclusively excelled at majors. He built an entire reputation on being nonchalant about any other event but majors and seemed to thrive on an attitude of apathy toward golf. The episode of Netflix's "Full Swing" in which Koepka appeared revealed a different side of the former top player in the world -- he cared about golf and about winning. A lot.

"I think it was good. People probably don't think I'm as open as what I really am," Koepka said. "I'll tell you exactly how I'm feeling at the time, how I'm feeling at the moment. I'm pretty vulnerable, too, away from the golf course. I've always said what you see on the golf course isn't what you get behind closed doors."

On Thursday, it appeared we saw both sides of Koepka: the dominant golf side that hit 12 of 14 fairways and 15 greens and finished with three birdies in his last four holes, and the slightly more vulnerable and open personal side.

"I wish I had celebrated the little milestones along the way instead of thinking I could just power through it," Koepka said of his injury. "It's the hardest I've ever worked, just trying to get back, because I felt like I was on the cusp of it, and it was nice to know that I was able to get through that."

Much doubt has followed Koepka since he left for LIV, including whether he'd be able to conjure the level of golf that, for a brief but notable time, made him the most dominant player in the game. Thursday was only one round, but if Koepka isn't just healthy again but back to playing like this, maybe the current best players in the world have to worry about another player on top of Rory McIlroy, Rahm and Scottie Scheffler come Friday and beyond.

Here are four other things to look out for on Friday at the Masters:

Checking in on the Big Three

Speaking of McIlroy, Rahm and Scheffler, all three had very different rounds Thursday. Scheffler didn't play his best golf -- which for him just means he didn't finish the round in first place -- but still played well enough to finish at 4-under and three off the lead after an eagle, four birdies and only one bogey.

Rahm was the one who rose to the top in the first round, starting with an uncharacteristic four-putt on the first hole before rattling off seven birdies and an eagle on his way to 7-under. It felt like the Spaniard was coming into this tournament as the least hyped of this trio, and he quickly showed why he might be the favorite as the event turned to the second round.

McIlroy, meanwhile, had a roller-coaster opening round carding five birdies but balancing them out with three bogeys and a double bogey to finish at even par. While on a normal day that might be a disappointment, McIlroy's opening rounds at Augusta National Golf Club haven't been exactly stellar. In fact, his 72 on Thursday was his best opening round at the Masters since 2017. There's still plenty of golf to play and while many in the field have to worry about the weather getting worse, McIlroy could thrive in it.

Winter is coming (sort of)

Thursday was an idyllic day at Augusta National as the weather was Georgia spring perfect. That won't last. With an expected heavy rain coming into Augusta over the next two days, it's unclear what the second and third rounds will look like, whether they'll be able to finish or how it will affect players' performance. One thing was certain: A low score on Thursday was imperative.

"Today was the opportune time to get the round under par," Tiger Woods said. "Most of the guys are going low today. This was the day to do it."

As Rahm pointed out Thursday, the usual bad weather at Augusta results in suspension for thunderstorms, which delays the tournament but makes the course softer and more receptive to scoring after the weather clears. Friday and Saturday are projected to be days with a 90% chance of rain or more.

"With it softer, you're going to see guys attack this golf course a little better," Patrick Reed, who shot a 1-under 71, said. "If the wind stays down, like it did today, you're going to see a lot of low scores."

The forecast is expected to include winds ranging from 10 to 20 mph on both Friday and Saturday and should the tournament extend well into Sunday and perhaps Monday, the forecast will clear up and could facilitate even lower scores than it did Thursday.

Mickelson showing signs of life

In a surprising turn of events, it was Phil Mickelson -- not Woods -- who carded the lower score of the two Thursday. The 52-year-old shot a 1-under 71, while Woods shot 73 in his first major round of the year. Mickelson had been struggling plenty on the LIV tour this season, finishing 27th, 32nd and 41st in three events so far. His last major appearance was a missed cut at the U.S. Open.

But according to Mickelson, there's something about Augusta that fits his aging, imperfect game.

"I feel like you can play this golf course and not have to be perfect," Mickelson said. "As long as you put it in the correct spots, you can kind of manage your game around and shoot a number. I think that's why I always enjoy playing here because I feel a little bit more relaxed, like I don't have to be perfect."

Whether Mickelson can keep this up and make his first cut at a major since winning the 2021 PGA Championship remains to be seen, but given where the leaders lie, they could both be fighting to make the cut Friday. Who knows, maybe we'll see them paired up over the weekend.

The Sam Bennett Show

One amateur in the field was talked about plenty in the lead-up to Thursday's first round. That was NCAA individual champion Gordon Sargent -- who wowed players like Justin Thomas, Max Homa and McIlroy with his ridiculous ball speed and driving distance. Once Thursday wrapped up, though, it was U.S. Amateur winner Sam Bennett who stole the show.

Bennett and his unique, contorting swing played alongside Homa and Scheffler and matched the top player in the world's score at 4-under while shooting four strokes better than Homa. The Texas A&M senior was unfazed all day and began his round by carding a birdie on 1 and an eagle on 2. He tacked on another birdie at the par-3 sixth hole and surrounded those red scores with 15 pars, including 12 straight to finish a bogey-free round.

"I couldn't have dreamed of a better start," Bennett said. "Bogey-free, that's something I love probably the most out of everything. To go around this place bogey-free is pretty cool."

With the score, Bennett became not just the first amateur to finish inside the top 10 after the first round since Ryan Moore in 2005. His score of 68 was the lowest score by an amateur in a major since Hovland's 67 during the final round of the 2019 U.S. Open.

It's unclear whether Bennett can keep this up through the rest of the week, but it's going to be a blast to watch him try.