Sports
Tuchel’s tough love on Bellingham could help England and the player at World Cup
Thomas Tuchel has already demonstrated throughout his club coaching career with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich that he is not afraid to ruffle feathers or argue with his bosses. That is why his appointments are often short-lived. And that tendency to never avoid confrontation was very evident in his decision to omit England‘s star player, Jude Bellingham, from the squad for this month’s games against Wales and Latvia.
However, you dress this up — and Tuchel denies that he has a problem with Bellingham — it is apparent that the England boss is making a point, and arguably aiming a shot across the bows of his most gifted player. Why? Reading between the lines of many a dispatch from the England camp, it seems there is an issue with how the Real Madrid star’s demeanor has been received by some of his teammates.
– Rogers firmly enters No. 10 debate for Tuchel’s England
– When can England qualify for the 2026 World Cup?
– Why has Bellingham, officially England’s best player, been dropped?
He is a perfectionist whose body language can occasionally seem a little disdainful of less gifted colleagues. Are these accusations fair? Or is Bellingham simply trying to improve those around him to get results for the team? You suspect the player himself has, until now, been unaware of the vibes surrounding him.
Though Bellingham himself has admitted he maintains a “macho image” to deflect from personal vulnerabilities, which suggests he is hearing the current mood music.
“You notice when he is not there,” England teammate Anthony Gordon said. “He is a big presence, such a big player,”
No one is denying Bellingham’s importance to England’s World Cup mission as both creator and scorer. If the squad were to be selected tomorrow, he would certainly be included. And those who know him well, such as his good friend Jordan Henderson, describe him as a “brilliant character.”
But even going back to his Borussia Dortmund days, there were stories that some more senior players took exception to the then-teenager giving them a piece of his mind if things were going wrong.
It is easy to forget how much has happened to Bellingham. He was a fixture in Birmingham City’s team at age 16 and has since played 282 club games and 44 times for England. He has become an A-list global celebrity. So it is somewhat excusable for anyone to get a little giddy on that phenomenal success.
But here is Tuchel sending a message that he should take nothing for granted, that there are other No. 10s — such as Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers or Morgan Gibbs-White — on the radar. In other words: “Fight for your place like everyone else. There are no favorites here.”
The head coach astounded reporters last year by saying that his mother sometimes found Bellingham’s on-pitch behavior “repulsive.” He has since retracted that unfairly incriminating remark and apologized, but the quote did appear to reflect a level of dissatisfaction with how the player conducted himself.
It seems Tuchel wants a slightly modified version; a great tourist as well as a great player.
But is he right to do so? It is reminiscent of England’s only World Cup-winning manager, Sir Alf Ramsey, who liked to keep even his most trusted players guessing back in 1966.
His magnificent goalkeeper Gordon Banks left an England camp in that era with a cheery “See you next time, boss.”
“Will you?” was Ramsey’s icy response.
So what we are witnessing here may be Tuchel’s attempt to mold a World Cup squad free of the tensions that have undermined many a campaign for several teams, notably favorites France with their memorable row in 2010 and Spain (prior to their glut of trophies in more recent tournaments) on the frequent occasions when the rival Barcelona and Real Madrid players simply would not mix.
This week, legendary England midfielder Steven Gerrard said the talented national teams he played in failed because they were “egotistical losers” with petty cliques of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool players barely speaking.
So building a unified squad that pulls in the same direction is paramount for Tuchel, as it was for his predecessor, Sir Gareth Southgate.
It would have been easy for the England boss to explain the cold shoulder for Bellingham as an injury-related issue. He has, after all, been recovering from shoulder surgery, albeit featuring five times for Real Madrid since that operation, including starting the Madrid derby against Atlético.
But, typically, the German made it clear that it was a decision based on form, and said Bellingham had “no rhythm” in his play yet.
Besides, he wanted to reward the players who put in a breakthrough display for him with a 5-0 win in Serbia by naming an unchanged squad, even though he had to replace injured winger Noni Madueke with Bukayo Saka.
Yet it is fair to deduce that there is another agenda at play here, namely, the quest to head to the World Cup next summer with a happy band of brothers bursting with the team spirit that can make the difference in tight games.
Tuchel, like Ramsey 59 years ago, is going to do the job his way, even if it puts some noses out of joint. He does not care about that.
It is not only a brave option, but the right one. Bellingham will return to the team determined to prove a point and, as the world-class player and top character that he is, he will have taken note of what his boss is telling him. It is all just part of the learning curve, and one day, he might reflect that the day England left him out made him realize how he could become an even better contributor to the cause.
It’s Monday, and another round of NWSL action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.
Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 24 to come up with this week’s order of all 14 teams in the league. Let’s dive in.
Previous ranking: 1
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. Houston Dash, 7.30 p.m. ET
Kansas City is soaring into the postseason after beating another top-of-the-table team this weekend. Temwa Chawinga and Bia Zaneratto provided the goals as the league-leaders put space between them and 2023 champs Gotham FC in a 2-0 victory at CPKC Stadium. With the goal, Chawinga also added space between herself and Gotham’s Esther González at the top of the Golden Boot race, which she now leads by two goals. The victory also saw the Current set a new NWSL record for points in a season.
Previous ranking: 2
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. Orlando Pride, 12.30 p.m. ET
Trinity Rodman‘s left-footed strike from inside the box (her fifth goal of the season) set the Spirit ahead in the second half in Cary, but they settled for a 1-1 tie against ninth-place North Carolina. With the draw (plus Gotham’s loss to Kansas City), the Spirit have officially clinched home-field advantage through to the playoff semifinals. After a record-breaking year for total attendance at Audi Field, that’s massive for last year’s runner-up, who seem poised to make a compelling playoff run.
1:11
North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit – Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit, 10/12/2025
Previous ranking: 3
Next match: Sunday Oct. 19 vs. Racing Louisville, 3 p.m. ET
2024 NWSL goalkeeper of the year Ann-Katrin Berger missed Gotham’s marquee meeting with Kansas City due to a knee injury, so the Bats debuted 27-year-old goalkeeper Shelby Hogan on the road at CPKC Stadium in a massive test. Hogan’s three-save performance helped limit the Current’s dynamic attack, but Gotham left Missouri with a 2-0 defeat. They outshot their hosts but managed just two on target themselves, while team top-scorer Esther stretched her scoreless run to four games. They finished the weekend fourth in the table but will need to battle to hold on to home-field advantage with final tests in their next two games against teams vying for playoff positions (Racing Louisville, then North Carolina).
Previous ranking: 5
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. Washington Spirit, 12.30 p.m. ET
In her first match back from a back injury, inimitable club veteran Marta forced a heroic own goal in stoppage time to secure a hugely consequential three points against the Portland Thorns. That’s Orlando’s second win in a three-game undefeated run in the regular season, marking a sorely needed turnaround after a nine-game winless rut. The reigning champs finished the weekend in third place, but play second-place Washington Spirit and fifth-place Seattle Reign in their final games.
Previous ranking: 4
Next match: Sunday Oct. 19 vs. Angel City FC, 5 p.m. ET (Stream LIVE on ESPN+)
In a fairly even contest on the road in Orlando (which saw both sides clock four-total shots on target), the Thorns settled for defeat thanks to Marta’s 93rd minute attempt from a corner that was officially ruled an own goal. A win or draw could have seen Portland clinch a playoff spot pending other results in the table. But after this last-minute defeat, the seventh-place Thorns will look to do so next weekend against Angel City.
1:19
Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns FC – Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns FC, 10/11/2025
Previous ranking: 6
Next match: Friday Oct. 17 vs. Utah Royals, 10 p.m. ET
Seattle’s Welsh veteran that never stops, Jess Fishlock, came to the rescue for the Reign in a 1-1 draw against Bay FC. Fishlocks’s sixth goal of the season earned them a second-straight draw in a three-game undefeated run of results, seeing them to a fifth-place finish ahead of the penultimate weekend. They might regret not securing all three points as they jockey for homefield advantage, but they’re on track for a postseason berth.
Previous ranking: 8
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. Chicago Stars, 10 p.m. ET
San Diego was one of a few clubs that couldn’t clinch or be eliminated from the playoffs this weekend. But they needed a result against Utah to keep their postseason aims alive. Despite horrible weather and trailing early, they secured a pivotal 3-2 win (ending a seven-game winless run) that has them in sixth place of a congested table ahead of the penultimate weekend. They’ve still got the tools to make a splash in the playoffs but will need to stay focused to secure their spot.
1:16
Utah Royals vs. San Diego Wave FC – Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from Utah Royals vs. San Diego Wave FC, 10/12/2025
Previous ranking: 7
Next match: Sunday Oct. 19 vs. Gotham FC, 3 p.m. ET
Bethany Balcer‘s 93rd-minute equalizer against the already-eliminated Chicago Stars could prove pivotal in Louisville’s race to make their first playoffs. They finished the weekend in the eighth and final playoff position, ahead of North Carolina Courage by four points. They’ve got two games left — starting with a tough test on the road at Gotham — and will make club history if they stay above that line.
Previous ranking: 10
Next match: Friday Oct. 17 vs. Bay FC, 10 p.m. ET
The Courage joined San Diego as one of two clubs (of those not already eliminated or secure in their playoff spot) that couldn’t clinch or be eliminated this weekend. Playing at home, they fell behind first against the second-placed Spirit, but fought back for a 1-1 draw that saw them finish one spot and four points short of the playoff positions. With two remaining games against Bay FC and then Gotham, they’ll need to find positive results and hope the teams above them stumble.
Previous ranking: 12
Next match: Sunday Oct. 19 vs. Portland Thorns, 5 p.m. ET (Stream LIVE on ESPN+)
If Racing Louisville had won their 1-1 draw against Seattle, there would have been nothing Angel City could do to stay in postseason contention. But they entered Sunday’s contest with fate in their own hands, and secured a compelling 2-0 win against Houston. They displayed a lot of attacking progress in the win, and have two games to break into the playoff positions. They need to win both remaining games to maintain a slim chance. Next up, Portland.
1:19
Angel City FC vs. Houston Dash – Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from Angel City FC vs. Houston Dash, 10/13/2025
Previous ranking: 9
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. KC Current, 7.30 p.m. ET
Mathematically, Houston can still make the playoffs. But the odds are very much not in their favor after falling 2-0 to fellow playoff-hopefuls Angel City FC on Sunday. They’re now sitting in 11th place and need to win their remaining games to maintain a slim chance of making the postseason. Unfortunately, they play Kansas City next.
Previous ranking: 11
Next match: Friday Oct. 17 vs. Seattle Reign, 10 p.m. ET
The Utah Royals put in a valiant end-of-season effort. Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to San Diego Wave ends a laudable eight-game unbeaten run (four wins, four draws), and officially eliminates them from the playoffs. They took the initial lead in the ninth minute and equalized later on, but needed a win to stay afloat in their postseason hopes. Regardless, fans can be proud of end-of-year form for the Royals.
Previous ranking: 13
Next match: Friday Oct. 17 vs. NC Courage, 10 p.m. ET
Bay FC were already eliminated from the playoffs ahead of their 1-1 draw with Seattle Reign, but they put in an impressive performance while playing on the road. Jordan Silkowitz contributed three saves to a near victory, which kept Seattle goalless until the 84th minute. At the other end, Bay created as many shots as Seattle in a match they nearly won.
Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. San Diego Wave, 10 p.m. ET
Alyssa Naeher refuses to let us forget why she’s one of the GOATs of US Soccer. The World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist made eight saves for the Stars in a 1-1 draw against Racing Louisville, which they looked set to win until Balcer’s stoppage-time equalizer.
Olivier Sarr — the older brother of second-year center Alex Sarr — scored an alley-oop layup as time expired to give the Raptors a 113-112 win.
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The 2025 MLB playoffs are down to the final four teams after an action-packed division series round that saw the Milwaukee Brewers and Seattle Mariners move on in thrilling Game 5s.
Now that the matchups are set — Los Angeles Dodgers-Brewers and Mariners-Toronto Blue Jays — it’s time for some (more) predictions! We asked our MLB experts to weigh in on who will reach the World Series, which players will earn league championship series MVP honors and the themes that will rule the week to come. We also had our experts explain why their initial Fall Classic picks are still in play — or where they went very wrong.
LCS previews: Blue Jays-Mariners, Dodgers-Brewers | Bracket
Jump to: ALCS | NLCS | Predictions we got right | … and wrong
ALCS
Seattle Mariners (8 votes)
In how many games: seven games (5 votes), six games (3)
MVP if Mariners win: Cal Raleigh (4), Randy Arozarena (2), Josh Naylor (1), Julio Rodriguez (1)
Who picked Seattle: Jorge Castillo, Alden Gonzalez, Paul Hembekides, Eric Karabell, Tim Keown, Kiley McDaniel, Jeff Passan, David Schoenfield
Toronto Blue Jays (7 votes)
In how many games: seven games (3 votes), six games (3), five games (1)
MVP if Blue Jays win: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3), George Springer (1), Kevin Gausman (1), Daulton Varsho (1), Ernie Clement (1)
Who picked Toronto: Tristan Cockcroft, Bradford Doolittle, Tim Kurkjian, Matt Marrone, Dan Mullen, Buster Olney, Jesse Rogers
The one thing we’ll all be talking about:
How a perpetually tormented franchise is going to represent the American League in the World Series. The Mariners have played 49 seasons. They’re the only team in MLB never to make the World Series. And to advance to the American League Championship Series in such dramatic fashion only supercharges the stakes for them.
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, spend year after year in the AL East meat grinder, haven’t been to the World Series since winning it in 1993 and returned much of the roster from a team that went 74-88 last year. They’re a delightful team to watch, though, putting the ball in play, vacuuming balls on the defensive side like Pac-Man, running the bases with purpose and throwing tons of filthy splitters.
Destiny calls one of these snakebit organizations. It’s a fight decades in the making. — Jeff Passan
The stars in both lineups. On one side you have George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who torched the Yankees in the American League Division Series. On the other, it’s Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh. Complementary players matter in October, but stars fuel deep October runs. — Jorge Castillo
There’s so much to like about the Mariners — the powerful lineup led by Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez, good starting pitching and an effective closer, and they’re good at home — but they will start this series at such a disadvantage because of how their series played out against the Tigers. Whether Dan Wilson chooses an opener or goes with a starting pitcher on short rest or leans into Bryan Woo for his first appearance in a month, the dominoes from the ALDS Game 5 will affect the choices Seattle will have to make in this round. Meanwhile, the Jays will be relatively well-rested. — Buster Olney
It rarely comes down to one thing in baseball, but as I like the way the Blue Jays’ hitters match up against the Seattle staff, I think we’ll be harping on the importance of making contact as a standout trait for an offense in this era of strikeout hyper-inflation. This will especially be the case if the Blue Jays end up playing the Brewers in the World Series. Batting average is alive and well! — Bradford Doolittle
NLCS
Los Angeles Dodgers (10 votes)
In how many games: seven games (2 votes), six games (4), five games (3), four games (1)
MVP if Dodgers win: Shohei Ohtani (6), Blake Snell (2), Teoscar Hernandez (1), Freddie Freeman (1)
Who picked Los Angeles: Jorge Castillo, Alden Gonzalez, Paul Hembekides, Tim Kurkjian, Matt Marrone, Kiley McDaniel, Buster Olney, Jeff Passan, Jesse Rogers, David Schoenfield
Milwaukee Brewers (5 votes)
In how many games: seven games (3 votes), six games (2)
MVP if Brewers win: Jackson Chourio (4), Andrew Vaughn (1)
Who picked Milwaukee: Tristan Cockcroft, Bradford Doolittle, Eric Karabell, Tim Keown, Dan Mullen
The one thing we’ll all be talking about:
How the Dodgers’ rotation doesn’t just have them on the brink of becoming the first repeat champion in a quarter century, but might make a case for the best a team has ever fielded this time of year. The foursome of Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow will continue to dominate. — Alden Gonzalez
How the big market Dodgers have tipped the economic scales in baseball will be the talk during the World Series, but for the LCS, the conversation will be about Shohei Ohtani. He’s going to get hot. Hitting .148 in the postseason so far — with 12 strikeouts to just three walks — is an outlier. That will reverse itself very soon as his struggles this postseason come to an end starting on Monday. He’s your NLCS MVP. — Jesse Rogers
Can anyone stop the Dodgers? It’s the same question that was asked last year. The answer was no. And now Los Angeles is coming off a series in which it beat a very game Philadelphia team while posting a .557 OPS and hitting two home runs, the fewest of any division series team. The prospect of the Dodgers’ bats staying cold for an extended period of time is unlikely, regardless of what’s thrown at them.
After two rounds, the Dodgers have solved their closer issue — Roki Sasaki is the guy — but their lack of bullpen depth has been exacerbated. For a seven-game series, manager Dave Roberts needs to find at least one more reliever he can trust, or the Dodgers could find themselves in the sort of late-inning trouble that has yet to derail them. If that and the paltry offense couldn’t do the job, perhaps nothing can. — Passan
The talk of the NLCS will be the same story as in the Dodgers’ NLDS win over the Phillies: the starting pitching and their new closer.
Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow are peaking at the right time, the main reason — along with Roki Sasaki — why the Dodgers held the Phillies to a .212 average in their series (and under .200 if you ignore the Clayton Kershaw disastrous relief outing). Of course, the related talk, if they do dominate, is that this is the ultimate store-bought staff of high-end pitchers, with four free agents and Glasnow (acquired in a trade, signed to a big extension). Not a single homegrown starter. — David Schoenfield
World Series predictions we’re right about — so far
I rarely go chalk when filling out a bracket, but this year I did exactly that by seed line — picking both the Brewers and Blue Jays. Of course, those No. 1 seeds were also far less popular choices going into the postseason than the Yankees and Phillies, among others, but a second straight World Series between top seeds is still in play. — Dan Mullen
The Blue Jays easily handled the Yankees, especially at Rogers Centre. They’re rightfully the slight Vegas favorite to win this series with home-field advantage. But I picked the Mariners to win the World Series before the regular season started and again before the postseason, so I’m sticking with them. — Castillo
The Dodgers were one bad Orion Kerkering decision away from potentially having to go back to Philadelphia and win a do-or-die game — and now, they should be everyone’s favorites. The Yankees just got beaten by a better team. — Passan
Well, obviously the Phillies found a way to “Phillies” again, so they won’t be winning, but I had the Mariners representing the AL, and they have the pitching to hold the Blue Jays relatively in check. In the NL, it’s Milwaukee’s best chance in such a long time. It may be unconventional against the behemoth Dodgers, but the Brewers have the pitching and depth. We’ll have a first-time WS champion, the Brewers. — Eric Karabell
World Series predictions gone wrong
My World Series pick (Phillies-Yankees): If I had it to do all over again, I would have picked two teams that did not lose in the LDS. Thinking back to my late-September self, I’m sure I was entranced by the veteran presence and long ball power on both the Phillies and Yankees. It did not work out. — Doolittle
I also predicted Yankees-Phillies, a 2009 World Series rematch that failed to materialize thanks to a scorching Blue Jays lineup and a dominant showing from the Dodgers’ starting rotation. — Paul Hembekides
Before the playoffs, I predicted the Phillies would beat the Dodgers in the NLDS and go on to win the World Series. The home-field advantage wasn’t what I thought it would be for Philly, though the starters and Jhoan Duran were as good as expected: 30.1 innings, 6 earned runs for a 1.78 ERA in the series. I’ll shift my World Series winner prediction over to the Dodgers, as they were my second option from before the playoffs. — Kiley McDaniel
I had the Phillies winning the World Series, which says a lot about what it meant for the defending-champion Dodgers to get past them in the division series. They might have been the most talented in this field. — Gonzalez
Since my original pick, the Phillies, decided to play the Dodgers just as Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan transformed the Dodgers’ bullpen into a formidable unit, Los Angeles seems like the obvious pick here now — and why not a West Coast World Series against the Mariners, with the shadows creeping from the mound to home plate in the late afternoon sun, and every game ending 2-1? — Tim Keown
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