Sports
Can Barça contain Sørloth, Atlético’s Jack Reacher-like striker, in huge LaLiga clash?
There has been understandable consternation from those who are either of an Barcelona persuasion or who simply like and respect Hansi Flick when they saw the state of the German coach on Saturday. The Spanish champions had beaten Alavés 3-1 at home to go clear at the top of LaLiga despite the visitors taking the lead after 44 seconds.
Flick was back on the touchline of the club’s beloved Camp Nou for only the second time since its reopening, following a long period of extensive renovations. And yet the Barça boss looked like a man who’d won the lottery jackpot, but lost the ticket: slumped in his seat long after the final whistle, looking like there were tears in his eyes, wearing a blank thousand-yard stare, with a metaphorical black cloud over his head. One of his players, Raphinha, was standing over him protectively, looking to all the world as if he were counselling his boss. And this after a victory.
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Barcelona said that their coach was frustrated at not being able to communicate with the fourth official, but nobody believed the party line. Many who follow the club interpreted his demeanor as due to the repeated lackadaisical flaws he sees in a team he keeps promising will improve, but instead keeps on churning up the same errors and, frankly, the same air of complacency where they are supposed to be breathing fire and brimming with intensity. Not to ignore his disappointment at two of his assistants, Markus Sorg and José Ramon De La Fuente, incurring red cards. But there’s another potential explanation.
Flick had watched his team struggle to contain a nomadic striker named Lucas Boyé, and his heart sunk in the knowledge that the genuine article, a guy who makes Boyé look like a docile lightweight, is coming to town.
That man is Atlético Madrid striker Alexander Sørloth. He’s a dead ringer for Alan Ritchson, who plays Jack Reacher in the TV series, and some of his solutions to scoring and winning are Reacher-esque in that nobody who stands in his path comes away without bruises — at least to their ego.
The big center forward is, along with Erling Haaland, part of the reason that Norway are going to the FIFA World Cup for the first time this century. He’s also one of the many reasons why, for the umpteenth time in recent years, even the cynics might be tempted to tip Atlético Madrid as potential title winners.
Atlético coach Diego Simeone and his Colchoneros are at Camp Nou on Tuesday, somewhere they’ve still not won for almost 20 years (last December’s away win was at the Olympic Stadium). Whether Sørloth starts or attempts to do damage off the bench, there’s no escaping the fact that when he sees Blaugrana shirts he gets the whiff of mustard in his nostrils and prepares to dish out pain.
He’s won against Barça in Barcelona for Real Sociedad in 2023 when La Real beat Barça away for the first time in 32 years; for Villarreal in January last year, netting the decisive goal in a wild 5-3 game that effectively marked the end for Flick’s predecessor, Xavi Hernández; and he scored the winner against Flick’s team almost exactly a year ago as Atleti won 2-1 in Catalonia for the first time since 2006. Back then, Fernando Torres was the big, menacing blond fella up front. It’s a role Sørloth has adopted with gleeful menace.
Might that be why Flick was looking so morose despite winning on Saturday? A flight of fancy, maybe, but look at the stats.
The 6-foot-5 forward has faced Barça nine times, scoring six and producing three assists — his best record against any of the 238 club and international opponents he’s faced in his 14-year career. And the vast majority of those Reacher-style, hard-impact moments against Spain’s reigning champions have come away from home: either at Camp Nou or Montjuic.
Simeone doesn’t always pair Sørloth with Julián Álvarez when selecting his ‘best’ Atleti XI. And there was a stage last season when the two strikers didn’t quite seem on the same wavelength. But the coach would be utterly mad not to do so here.
Last season Sørloth outstripped the much more expensive, better-paid and, admittedly, World Cup-winning Alvarez. The Norwegian notched 24 goals and two assists in 2,145 competitive minutes for Atleti in LaLiga, the UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey: a goal contribution every 82.5 minutes. This season? Four goals, but in just seven starts out of a possible 19. It’s a records that positively screams “nemesis.”
In case you’re wondering what caused him to become this Barça-kryptonite it’s partly because, as a kid, he was a huge fan of Didier Drogba — the former Chelsea striker who twice scored the winner against Barça and twice eliminated them from the Champions League.
“I was a Chelsea fan growing up, so he was by far my favorite striker,” Sørloth told FIFA earlier this year. “I liked the physicality of his play. Players could kick 50-meter long balls to him, with snow on them, and he would still get it down and be dangerous.”
It’s also because young Sørloth was a national champion at ice hockey and handball — he reckons that taught him toughness, flexibility and competitive ‘smarts’. About his own warrior status, he added: “I like the physical battles and the fight with the defenders. I actually prefer to play against the big ones. If I play against small ones, I get more free kicks against me!”
Tuesday’s game could well be pivotal in this season’s title race. Last season the four Barça-Atleti matches gifted us 18 goals, Barça trailed in three of those games but only lost once and. With Real Madrid stuttering, most recently in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Girona, whoever wins at Camp Nou this is guaranteed to end the night top of LaLiga.
But when you watch, keep an eye on poor old Flick. He’ll be a bit more solitary in his Barça dugout given that those two staff members, No. 2 Sorg and goalkeeping coach De La Fuente, will be banned after being sent off against Alavés. And, although his team have an identical points haul (34) after 14 matches as at the same stage last season’s title-winning campaign, he’s hugely underwhelmed with them, even admitting: “We don’t have the control and intensity we had last season”
That will be music to the ears of Atleti’s hulking great Jack Reacher lookalike. Look out Barça: here comes Sørloth.
Port Vale boss Jon Brady admitted a long FA Cup run was a “pain in the bum” amid his side’s League One relegation scrap, but that did nothing to dampen huge celebrations after they stunned Premier League Sunderland 1-0 to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954.
Ben Waine’s 28th-minute header was their only attempt on target but still enough to secure a famous win at Vale Park as they beat top-flight opposition for the first time since a fourth-round win over Everton 30 years ago.
Despite an uptick in form since Brady replaced Darren Moore in early January, Vale remain rooted to the bottom of League One, 11 points from safety, and could arguably do without further distractions as they fight for their lives at the foot of the division, yet performances like Sunday’s also offer belief.
“It’s a bit of a pain in the bum, to be honest!” Brady said. “It is really because what it’s doing for us is adding to our fixture list and as you saw we lost one of our best centre-halves [Cam Humphreys] and we haven’t got the size of the squad to cope with the amount of games at the moment.
“It’s a privilege, but it’s tough as well.”
Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal are now all potential opponents, but Brady insisted he was giving no thought to Monday’s draw as he focuses on trying to get out of trouble.
“I wouldn’t have a clue because I’m thinking about Bradford on Wednesday,” he said.
Waine has now hit the winner in three of Vale’s FA Cup ties this season, scoring in extra time of Tuesday night’s fourth-round victory over Bristol City as well as an earlier tie.
But for a boyhood Newcastle United fan to do it in a match against Sunderland was something extra special — with the 24-year-old almost lost for words when shown that Alan Shearer had retweeted an image of Waine mimicking his trademark celebration.
The New Zealand international grew up in Wellington, but his mum’s family hail from the northeast, and this was a special occasion.
“I always watched the Newcastle games against Sunderland and to be involved in this game and to score the winner is pretty special,” Waine said. “Not just for me, but the whole family…this is the dream, so you’ve got to enjoy living it.”
In a week where they reached the 40-point mark in the Premier League, Sunderland blew their chance to reach the FA Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2014.
“I was really disappointed,” Regis Le Bris said. “We went strong with the ambition to win, with the knowledge as well, that it was a tough challenge because of the challenge here, with the crowd, the team fully involved, full credit them.
“In this competition, it’s more about mindset, fighting spirit, rather than the tactical or technical qualities, and probably we were not consistent enough. I think some of the players were at their level, but especially to create situations today, we were not good enough.
“I don’t think we were complacent. It’s not my feeling. It’s more about the ability to reset.”
Sports
2026 NCAA Tournament Berth Tracker: Automatic Bids, Championship Game Times, and Defending Champs
Conference tournaments are underway and March Madness has officially arrived. Teams that win their conference tournaments clinch automatic bids into the 2026 NCAA Tournament, which begins with the First Four on Tuesday, March 17.
Bookmark this page — OutKick will update as automatic berths are locked up through Selection Sunday.
Last updated: Sunday, March 8, 2026 (5:30 p.m. ET). All times ET.
Selection Sunday
The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed Sunday, March 15 at 6 p.m. on CBS.
Automatic Bids Clinched (5)
ASUN: Queens
Big South: High Point
Missouri Valley (MVC): Northern Iowa
Northeast (NEC): Long Island (LIU)
Ohio Valley (OVC): Tennessee State
University of Northern Iowa Panthers guard Geon Hutchins kisses the MVC Tournament trophy. (Ron Johnson/Imagn Images)
Completed Conference Tournaments
Ohio Valley Conference (OVC)
Championship: Saturday, March 7
Tennessee State def. Morehead State, 93-67
Big South Conference (Big South)
Championship: Sunday, March 8
High Point def. Winthrop, 91-76
Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)
Championship: Sunday, March 8
Northern Iowa def. UIC, 84-69
Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN)
Championship: Sunday, March 8
Queens def. Central Arkansas, 98-93 (OT)
Upcoming Championship Game Schedule
*All times ET
Summit League (Summit)
Championship: Sunday, March 8, 9 p.m. (CBSSN) — Denny Sanford PREMIER Center (Sioux Falls, SD)
No. 1 North Dakota St. Bison vs. No. 3 North Dakota Fighting Hawks
Sun Belt Conference (Sun Belt)
Championship: Monday, March 9, 6 p.m. (ESPN2) — Pensacola Bay Center (Pensacola, FL)
2025 champion: Troy
Southern Conference (SoCon)
Championship: Monday, March 9, 7 p.m. (ESPN) — Harrah’s Cherokee Center (Asheville, NC)
2025 champion: Wofford
Coastal Athletic Association (CAA)
Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 7 p.m. (CBSSN) — CareFirst Arena (Washington, DC)
2025 champion: UNC Wilmington
Horizon League (Horizon)
Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 7 p.m. (ESPN) — Corteva Coliseum (Indianapolis, IN)
2025 champion: Robert Morris
Northeast Conference (NEC)
Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 7 p.m. (ESPN2) — Steinberg Wellness Center (LIU Campus)
No. 1 LIU vs. No. 3 Mercyhurst
*NOTE: LIU clinches automatic bid regardless of result (Mercyhurst is ineligible for NCAA Tournament)
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)
Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 9 p.m. (ESPN2) — Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, NJ)
2025 champion: Mount St. Mary’s
West Coast Conference (WCC)
Championship: Tuesday, March 10, 9 p.m. (ESPN) — Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
2025 champion: Gonzaga
Southland Conference (Southland)
Championship: Wednesday, March 11, 5 p.m. (ESPN2) — The Legacy Center (Lake Charles, LA)
2025 champion: McNeese
Patriot League (Patriot)
Championship: Wednesday, March 11, 7 p.m. (CBSSN) — campus site (higher seed hosts)
No. 2 Lehigh Mountain Hawks vs. No. 4 Boston University Terriers
Big Sky Conference (Big Sky)
Championship: Wednesday, March 11, 11:30 p.m. (ESPN2) — Idaho Central Arena (Boise, ID)
2025 champion: Montana
Western Athletic Conference (WAC)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 12 a.m. (ESPN2) — Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
2025 champion: Grand Canyon
America East Conference (America East)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 11 a.m. (ESPN2) — campus site (higher seed hosts)
2025 champion: Bryant
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 1 p.m. (ESPN2) — Norfolk Scope Arena (Norfolk, VA)
2025 champion: Norfolk State
Big 12 Conference (Big 12)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 6 p.m. (ESPN) — T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, MO)
2025 champion: Houston
Mountain West Conference (MWC)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 6 p.m. (CBS) — Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, NV)
2025 champion: Colorado State
Big East Conference (Big East)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 6:30 p.m. (FOX) — Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
2025 champion: St. John’s
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU) — Gateway Center Arena (Atlanta, GA)
2025 champion: Alabama State
Mid-American Conference (MAC)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 8 p.m. (ESPN2) — Rocket Arena (Cleveland, OH)
2025 champion: Akron
Conference USA (C-USA)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 8:30 p.m. (CBSSN) — Propst Arena (Huntsville, AL)
2025 champion: Liberty
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) — Spectrum Center (Charlotte, NC)
2025 champion: Duke
Big West Conference (Big West)
Championship: Saturday, March 14, 10 p.m. (ESPN2) — Lee’s Family Forum (Henderson, NV)
2025 champion: UC San Diego
Ivy League (Ivy)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 12 p.m. (ESPN2) — Newman Arena at Bartels Hall (Ithaca, NY)
2025 champion: Yale
Atlantic 10 Conference (A10)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 1 p.m. (CBS) — PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh, PA)
2025 champion: VCU
Southeastern Conference (SEC)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 1 p.m. (ESPN) — Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN)
2025 champion: Florida
American Athletic Conference (AAC)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 3:15 p.m. (ESPN) — Legacy Arena at the BJCC (Birmingham, AL)
2025 champion: Memphis
Big Ten Conference (Big Ten)
Championship: Sunday, March 15, 3:30 p.m. (CBS) — United Center (Chicago, IL)
2025 champion: Michigan
Sports
Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase delivers expletive-filled reaction to Ravens trading for Maxx Crosby: ‘Oh my God!’
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Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase wasn’t happy at all to hear news of the Las Vegas Raiders trading five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby to his rival Baltimore Ravens.
Chase was on a livestream playing video games when he said he got a text from his quarterback, Joe Burrow, about the Ravens’ move for Crosby. He let an expletive-laden rant once he read the text.
“Joe just f—ing texted me. Ravens traded for Maxx Crosby,” Chase was heard saying over the livestream. “No f—ing s—. No f—ing s—, brother.
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Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) looks on after the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on Sept. 29, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
“I’m f—ing highly pissed right now. Oh my God.”
As he processed the information, Chase couldn’t believe Crosby is yet another high-end pass rusher being added to an already stacked AFC North, which has Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett, who rewrote the single-season sack record in 2025, and Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro T.J. Watt, among others.
“How do we let this n—- go to the f—ing division bro?” Chase questioned. “… Oh my god.”
The Raiders received two first-round picks from the Ravens, including their No. 14 overall selection in next month’s NFL Draft, to land the 28-year-old Crosby. Baltimore, with new defensive-minded head coach Jesse Minter, are not playing around about bolstering the defense, and they finally got the Eastern Michigan product out of Las Vegas after seven seasons.
But Chase knows that Crosby could be affecting his workload twice a year, as the Bengals haven’t had the most offensive lines in recent seasons.
Since entering the NFL in 2020 as the first overall pick, Burrow has been sacked 213 times, the fourth-most among active quarterbacks in that timeframe. Justin Herbert, Russell Wilson, and Baker Mayfield have been sacked more.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) looks on from the sideline during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium on Sept. 28, 2025. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)
The Bengals certainly need to keep addressing their O-line heading into 2026, and they have around $47 million to currently work with during the legal tampering period, which begins on Monday. Perhaps they will look to shore up that spot, or look in the NFL Draft to make sure Burrow is covered on all ends.
Meanwhile, the Bengals are likely moving on from their top pass rusher, as they didn’t use the franchise tag on Trey Hendrickson, who is expected to get a large deal in free agency – one he was hoping the Bengals would give him last offseason. Instead, he played on a one-year deal, and he is an unrestricted free agent this time around.
Since losing in the AFC Championship Game in 2022, which came one season after falling to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl, the Bengals haven’t since the success they were used to. That partially has to do with serious injuries to Burrow in 2023 and this past season, where the team finished 6-11 as the signal caller played only eight games.
The Bengals still have the offensive firepower to go along with Burrow and Chase, as fellow receiver Tee Higgins re-signed to an extension last offseason, and running back Chase Brown has been quite the addition since being drafted in the fifth round in 2023. He rushed for 1,019 yards and caught 69 passes for 437 yards in 2025.
Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase had quite the reaction to Maxx Crosby being traded to the Baltimore Ravens — his AFC North rival. (GETTY)
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But it’s always tough going against AFC North defenses six times a year, and the Ravens will be more formidable with Crosby on their side.
Chase clearly knows it.
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