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.
CORALVILLE, Iowa — Yu Sakamoto beat Riley Rayome of North Central (IL) 4-3 to win the 117-pound crown and clinch the team title for McKendree on Saturday night at the inaugural NCAA women’s wrestling championships.
After a wild scramble in the final seconds, a challenge by North Central and a review, Sakamoto’s win gave McKendree a 167-166 lead over Iowa — which finished with three individual champions and a runner-up but had no remaining competitors with two matches remaining. The Bearcats finished with 171 points and third-place North Central had 123.5.
Grand Valley State’s Katerina Lange, the No. 1 seed, beat second-seeded Claire DiCugno of North Central 4-1 to claim the 138-pound title and become the first women’s wrestling national champion.
North Central’s Bella Mir won at 145 pounds, beating No. 1 seed and former teammate Reese Larramendy of Iowa in the first round to avenge her only regular-season loss. The second-seeded Mir — an Iowa transfer and the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion, Frank Mir — reversed a takedown attempt, immediately rolled and pinned Larramendy with 34 seconds left.
Iowa’s Valarie Solorio, the No. 2 seed, beat fourth-seeded Rayana Sahagun of Grand Valley State by technical fall in the second round to win the 103-pound title. Sahagun beat No. 1 seed Heather Crull on criteria (7-7) in the semifinals.
Lehigh’s Audrey Jimenez pinned Sage Mortimer of Grand Valley State just 1:19 into the first round to claim the crown at 110 pounds.
Quincy’s Xochitl Mota-Pettis won at 124 pounds, beating Shelby Moore of McKendree by technical fall (10-0) in the second round.
Cameron Guerin of McKendree beat Alexis Janlak of Aurora on criteria (5-5) to win the championship at 131 pounds in the final match of the night.
Iowa’s Kennedy Blades, the No. 1 seed, pinned third-seeded Tiffani Baublitz of East Stroudsburg in 1:19 to claim the 160-pound crown.
Iowa’s Kylie Welker outscored Destiny Rodriguez of McKendree 11-0 in the first round to win the 180-pound title by technical fall.
McKendree’s Tristan Kelly beat Sabrina Nauss of Grand Valley State by technical fall (11-0) in the second round to secure the national championship at 207 pounds.
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Former Chicago Blackhawks standout Troy Murray, who transitioned to the broadcast booth after his playing career, has died, the team announced Saturday. He was 63.
The Blackhawks said he died earlier in the day.
It’s unclear where Murray spent his final moments. Murray publicly disclosed his cancer diagnosis in August 2021. While he revealed he had been undergoing chemotherapy, details about the type of cancer he was fighting were kept private.
Murray, affectionately known as “Muzz,” continued to appear on Blackhawks broadcasts during his cancer battle, though his appearances eventually tapered off. He stepped away from the booth entirely ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season.
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Troy Murray is honored during Hockey Fights Cancer night during a game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks at United Center Nov. 28, 2021, in Chicago. (Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)
For more than a decade, Murray starred at center for the Blackhawks. CEO Danny Wirtz said the loss of one of the franchise’s most respected leaders left the team “deeply heartbroken.”
“Troy was the epitome of a Blackhawk so far beyond his incredible playing career, with his presence felt in every corner of our organization over the last 45 years,” Wirtz said.
“During his long and hard battle with cancer, it was often said that Troy didn’t have any ‘give up’ in him,” Wirtz added. “While our front office won’t be the same without him, we will carry that spirit forward every day in his honor. We’ll miss you, Troy.”
Troy Murray, a former player for the Chicago Blackhawks, is honored during the “One More Shift” campaign prior to a game against the Ottawa Senators at the United Center Feb. 21, 2018, in Chicago. (Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)
After 12 seasons with the Blackhawks, Murray finished his NHL career with the Colorado Avalanche, winning the 1996 Stanley Cup.
After spending the following season with the International Hockey League Chicago Wolves, Murray stayed in the city to begin his broadcasting career in 1998. Murray was also named the president of the Blackhawks alumni association.
“Troy Murray is remembered for not only his contributions on the ice, but for his professionalism and humility and dedication to the city of Chicago,” the team said in a release. “He leaves behind a lasting legacy within the Blackhawks family and the broader hockey world.”
Chicago Blackhawks radio announcers John Wiedeman and Troy Murray wear lavender ties in honor of Hockey Fights Cancer night during a game against the Vancouver Canucks Oct. 20, 2010, at the United Center in Chicago. (Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)
From Calgary, Alberta, Murray topped 20 goals five times, but he also became known for his defensive play. In 1986, he became the Blackhawks’ first player to win the NHL’s Frank J. Selke Trophy, the award for the league’s top defensive forward.
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Murray finished with 197 goals in 688 games over two stints with the Blackhawks and also played for the Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins. Overall, he had 230 goals in 915 career games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Lionel Messi scored the 899th goal of his career to help Inter Miami to a 2-1 win over D.C. United on Saturday in front of 72,026 fans at the home of the Baltimore Ravens.
With interest in Messi obviously high, the game was held in downtown Baltimore instead of at D.C. United’s smaller venue in Washington. Messi gave many fans what they came to see when he put Inter Miami (2-1-0) ahead 2-0 in the first half.
“It’s definitely nice to be able to go to away stadiums and know that you probably have more supporters than the actual home team,” Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair said. “Obviously that won’t be the case in every single stadium. I think it was definitely a case tonight.”
Rodrigo De Paul also scored for the defending MLS Cup champions. Tai Baribo pulled D.C. (1-2-0) within one in the 75th minute, but the home side was unable to equalize.
It was an eventful week for Messi and his team, which visited the White House on Thursday. Inter Miami opened the scoring in the 17th minute when De Paul collected the ball about 15 yards from goal and struck a shot into the far side of the net.
Messi then scored his fourth goal of the young season, slipping behind the D.C. defense to receive Mateo Silvetti‘s pass, then flicking the ball with one touch past goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
The 38-year-old will next look to become just the second men’s player in history, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, to reach 900 career goals when Miami visits Nashville on Wednesday for its first game in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said the team will be competing to win every title this season, though at some point players’ minutes will need to be managed.
“I think it would be a big mistake to choose which competitions to focus on,” he said in his news conference. “We’re a team that has to compete equally in every competition.
“For us, the Champions League in this first half of the season is a very important competition, and we’re going to give it that value. We’ll try to go as far as possible, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to throw away the league matches.
“Last year, the team was able to compete in every competition we entered, and we did so at a high level, reaching almost the final in all of them except the Club World Cup. So, this year, we’ll try to do the same and even go further in the Champions League.
“Clearly, at some point we’ll have to start managing the players’ minutes as well. Playing every three or four days is a big drain, especially in this first part of the season where we’ve had to play away games all the time. That’s also something to keep in mind, and it does generate even more wear and tear.”
Inter Miami has won two straight since dropping its league opener 3-0 to LAFC.
D.C. United broke through in the second half. Jackson Hopkins‘ shot forced a save, and Baribo put away the rebound.
ESPN’s Lizzy Becherano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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