Front Row Seat: SDFC continues magical expansion season
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San Diego FC
John Gennaro
Comparing San Diego FC’s Historic Debut Season to Other MLS Expansion Teams - Sports Illustrated
Comparing the 2025 San Diego FC season to the 2018 LAFC season, the 2023 St. Louis City SC season, the 1998 Chicago Fire season and the 2017 Atlanta United season.
San Diego FC Defeats Houston Dynamo 4-2 - Chromatic FC
Pellegrino, who came in at halftime, contributed three goals in the half. He had 13 touches in the attacking third and led the team with five touches in the penalty area. Having Pellegrino come off the bench might be the ideal rotation for San Diego FC moving forward.
Odds & Ends
San Diego Wave FC Fall 2-1 in Late Dramatics at Washington Spirit - San Diego Wave FC
San Diego Wave FC (8-8-7, 31 points) fell 2-1 to Washington Spirit (12-4-7, 43 points) in a dramatic finish at Audi Field on Sunday afternoon. After Delphine Cascarino scored a stoppage-time equalizer in her return from injury, Washington’s Rosemonde Kouassi found her second goal of the match to deny the Wave from a nine-game unbeaten road streak.
Team Effort Propels Aztecs Past Colorado State, 45-24 - GoAztecs.com
After mustering just two field goals last week, San Diego State’s offense came to life on Friday, scoring touchdowns on four straight drives in the first half to highlight a 45-24 triumph over Colorado State in the Mountain West opener for both teams at Snapdragon Stadium.
3 Thoughts … on the Aztecs’ 45-24 win over Colorado State - San Diego Union-Tribune
SDSU quarterback Jayden Denegal’s decision-making, among other things, was questioned in SDSU’s loss to the Cougars. He has responded with improved performances, none better than Friday’s against Colorado State.
Denegal (13-for-16, 256 yards, 2 TDs) threw for first-half touchdowns of 45 and 42 yards and hit another receiver for 61 yards, setting up another TD. They were three beautiful throws, the likes of which have not been seen from an SDSU quarterback in more than a decade.
Friars got 2025 makeover; free agency virtually ensures another - MLB.com
Arraez, of course, represents one of a handful of Padres slated to become free agents. That list includes Dylan Cease and Deadline acquisition Ryan O’Hearn. Soon enough, it could include Robert Suarez and Michael King. Both have options in their contracts.
“Those are guys that we’ve been with together for a long time,” said Manny Machado. “It was an honor to put on the same uniform as them. Hopefully, they put it on again next year with the Padres.”
MLB playoffs: How Roki Sasaki became Dodgers' 100 mph reliever - ESPN
For all of the grief directed at the Dodgers because of their half-billion-dollar payroll and cadre of superstars, their ability to diagnose issues and coach players up, to open clear lines of communication and remain on the same page -- to make players better and make that change sticky -- is among the best in baseball. The Dodgers' exceptional financial might makes them behemoths. Their skill at creating other advantages available to even those with much lower payrolls makes them terrifying.
The resurrection of Sasaki is their latest triumph, and they're confident that with the extra strength he developed during his time off, the cue he found to hone his delivery and the dominance he has experienced in the bullpen, it's here to stay. Everything coming together in less than a month was fortuitous, yes, but it was no accident.
NFL Winners and Losers: Ravens might be cooked after embarrassing loss to Texans - Yahoo Sports
It was only two weeks ago when the Chargers were the toast of the NFL.
The problem with being upset by a bad New York Giants team isn’t just the loss but letting it become two or more losses. The Chargers started hot on Sunday but then the offense stalled and they lost 27-10 to the Washington Commanders. Suddenly a 3-0 start has turned into 3-2. With the Chargers’ injury situation on the offensive line, a quick rebound isn’t guaranteed either.
How one big play turned around the Commanders’ trip to L.A. - The Athletic
The Commanders changed course after the turnover, eliminating many of their persistent mistakes to stifle the Chargers while quarterback Jayden Daniels — in his first game back from a knee injury and his first career game in his hometown of L.A. — led the offense on five unanswered scoring drives.
Tijuana vs Monterrey: Thrilling 2-2 Draw in Liga MX Apertura 2025 - AzatTV
For Tijuana, the draw means another precious point in their quest to solidify a playoff spot. Their record now stands at 5 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses, with a healthy goal difference and growing confidence in their ability to compete with the league’s elite. Monterrey, meanwhile, maintain their position near the top of the table, despite the setback of Chávez’s injury and the challenge of playing away from home.
Both teams left the field with reasons for optimism and concern. Xolos demonstrated resilience and attacking flair, but their inability to hold a late lead may haunt them. Monterrey’s depth and tactical flexibility were on display, yet injuries and defensive lapses remain areas to address.
WNBA Finals 2025: Aces surge to Game 2 win over Mercury behind Jackie Young’s magical third quarter - Yahoo Sports
The Las Vegas Aces stormed to a 91-78 win over the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Finals on Sunday, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. While the Aces’ Game 1 win was a narrow comeback victory, Game 2 was a romp, with Las Vegas going up by as many as 22 points.
The Hottest Ticket In Vegas? Cathy Engelbert’s Press Conference - Defector
With a smile, Engelbert began the strange balancing act she’d perform on the podium for the next half hour. It was clear she wanted to deny saying any of these things but knew she couldn’t explicitly call Collier a liar. To do that, she had to stay away from sentences with real subjects. “There’s a lot of inaccuracy out there through social media and all this reporting,” Engelbert said. Blame lay neither at her feet nor Collier’s, but ours.
How to Fix the U.S. Ryder Cup Team (in Eight Easy Steps) - The Ringer
With a fresh slate and clear eyes, it is time for us to put our heads together and figure out what steps can be taken to fix the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Let’s not sugarcoat it: The situation has become untenable. The Europeans have now won nine of the last 12 Ryder Cups. This entire first quarter of the century has been an exercise in lacerating subjugation, in an event we dominated for decades. The Euros win and win with flair. They win there; they win here. Brimming with suave European sophistication, they make rubes of us. Somehow, this has got to stop. Here are eight ways to start that process.
Security footage reportedly shows Mark Sanchez following 69-year-old truck driver before stabbing: ‘This guy is trying to kill me' - Yahoo Sports
Sanchez, who was described by the alleged victim as smelling of alcohol with slurred speech, reportedly said he could only remember grabbing for a window during the incident when a detective took his statement. However, there was both a witness on the scene and security footage from two different hotels, which "closely aligned" with the alleged victim's recollection of what happened, per police.
Governor Newsom to sue, urges Americans to speak out on Trump’s “breathtaking abuse of power” with cross-state Guard deployment - The State of California
"This isn’t about public safety, it’s about power. The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens. We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the President of the United States."
Alright, that's going to do it for today's edition of Front Row Seat. I'll be back tomorrow, and every weekday, to try and make it easier for you to follow the news.
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