As tempting as it may be for the Braves to try and repeat their 2021 World Series run, trading for Joc Pederson and Jorge Soler isn't the answer.Alex Anthopoulos could (and should) make some smaller moves to improve the Atlanta ball-club, which currently holds the best record in the Nationa...

Newcastle are ready to make an offer to sign Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella.

The Champions League is nearly upon us for the new 2023/24 season, as treble-winners Manchester City try to retain their crown as the kings of Europe following their 1-0 win over Inter Milan in Istanbul in June. For the final time before the competition takes on a new format next season, 32 teams will be split into eight groups of four. Each group will contain one team from each of the four seeded pots, and clubs from the same national league will not be drawn together in the same group. Pot 1 will consist of the Champions League winners, the Europa League winners and six domestic champions of the highest ranked leagues. The remaining pots will be decided by Uefa’s club coefficient rankings. The final will take place at London’s Wembley Stadium on 1 June 2024. When is the Champions League draw? The draw for the group stage will take place in Monaco on Thursday 31 August, at 5pm BST. Which clubs have already qualified? There are 29 clubs already qualified for the Champions League group stage, and three play-offs still to be decided. England: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United Spain: Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Sevilla Germany: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig, Union Berlin Italy: Inter Milan, Lazio, AC Milan, Napoli France: Lens, Paris Saint-Germain Portugal: Benfica, Porto, Braga Netherlands: Feyenoord Austria: Salzburg Scotland: Celtic Serbia: Red Star Belgrade Switzerland: Young Boys Turkey: Galatasaray Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk Who are still in the play-offs? PSV Eindhoven 2-2 Rangers, AEK Athens 0-1 Antwerp, Copenhagen 1-0 Rakow Czestochowa. What are the Champions League group stage dates? Matchday 1: 19/20 September 2023Matchday 2: 3/4 October 2023Matchday 3: 24/25 October 2023Matchday 4: 7/8 November 2023Matchday 5: 28/29 November 2023Matchday 6: 12/13 December 2023 Read More On this day in 2015: Manchester City sign Kevin De Bruyne for club-record fee Chelsea’s Academy stars can rise to Carabao Cup challenge – Mauricio Pochettino Atletico Madrid run riot in demolition of Rayo Vallecano Vinicius Jr facing lay-off after hamstring injury Points can’t mask Man United’s muddled start to Ten Hag’s second season Liverpool lucky with availability of centre-backs this season – Jurgen Klopp

Francisco Mejía had an eighth-inning sacrifice fly and the major league-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Milwaukee Brewers 1-0 on Friday night

Houston rookie C

It was not a good weekend for the Atlanta Braves. They were swept by the Blue Jays in Toronto and have now lost four straight to fall to 25-15.Now, they have a three-game series against the 25-15 Texas Rangers who just took three of four from the A’s.This will be a big matchup of divis...

The Royal Marines told England boss Gareth Southgate that Harry Kane would make the perfect captain, the striker has revealed. The Bayern Munich player heads back to Scotland for a friendly at Hampden Park, where he first skippered the national team, on Tuesday. Six years ago Southgate took his squad for a surprise weekend at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines in Devon. They camped, hiked and were dunked in the feared sheep dip as the Marines tested their physical and mental strength during a boding exercise which helped Southgate decide his skipper. A few days later, Kane was handed the armband and scored a last-gasp leveller in the 2-2 draw in Glasgow. “I remember that trip very clearly,” he said. “We had a fantastic time and I think Gareth did use that to see who stood out in terms of leadership. “Leadership comes in many ways. It isn’t just the guy in the front shooting the paintball. Maybe the way I got on with the Marines and the way I handled certain situations. “I know that Gareth asked some of the Marines afterwards who they thought were natural leaders, who were approachable and who other players were leaning towards to talk to. Things like that. “I think that might have helped in me becoming captain. It was a fantastic few days. Some great memories that will be with me forever. “It helped the whole squad get to know each other. We had no phones for three days, we were camping in the woods. That helped us, not just as a team. It helped us become closer. “We did a camping thing where we learned to put up our own tents and had the rations the Marine guys have when they’re going to war. “We woke up at sunrise and did a trek with all the stuff on our backs. Then we did an obstacle course. That was fun, although I think they left out some of the tougher parts. “We had to follow the Marines. Whenever they shouted ‘down’ we had to crawl in the mud, though stones and the sheep dip. “So we were all soaking wet, with sand and mud everywhere, and we thought we were going to get in a car and go back to camp, until they told us we were walking back – which was another hour on the road. That was probably the hardest part, it was mentally tough. I know that Gareth asked some of the Marines afterwards who they thought were natural leaders, who were approachable and who other players were leaning towards to talk to. Things like that. I think that might have helped in me becoming captain Harry Kane “Then we got back to the place we were staying. I was looking forward to a nice, hot shower and it was just a bit of water dripping out. It was just brutal.” Kane returns to Hampden as England’s record-breaking skipper with 58 goals in 84 caps. Back in 2017, Kane scored just his sixth international goal with a close-range volley from Raheem Sterling’s inch-perfect pass and remembers the World Cup qualifying draw well. “First of all I was extremely proud to be leading the boys out and I thought it was an amazing atmosphere, even from the national anthems,” said the 30-year-old. “The noise at Hampden Park is still one of the best atmosphere’s I’ve been a part of. The game was OK. We got ahead and then they quickly turned it around with two great free-kicks and then you’re thinking about being an Englishman losing to Scotland. “That isn’t the most ideal situation – especially when it’s your first game as captain, so it was nice to score in the last minute. “To be honest, I don’t think I realised how important the goal was until after the game, then I heard all the talk around it. For me, not to lose my first game as captain was important and it’s a nice memory.” Kane has linked up with England for the first time since his £100million move from Tottenham to Bayern. He has scored three goals in his first three starts and slotted into life in Germany, including a club photoshoot while dressed in Lederhosen and posing with fake beer. He said: “It was alright actually. The shorts were a bit heavier than I thought. It wasn’t even real beer – it was just to look good. “We have a day when all the players and staff go to Oktoberfest. I don’t know when that will be, but I’ve heard it’s really good.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Brennan Johnson has the potential to reach ‘highest of levels’ – Neco Williams George Ford masterclass earns 14-man England an opening World Cup win New Italy boss Luciano Spalletti denied first win as North Macedonia fight back

Ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season, Arsenal football club has unveiled its new away kit and the fan feedback is not great. This morning, Arsenal fans got a preview of the kit that new signings such as Declan Rice will be seen wearing in the upcoming season’s away fixtures. In images posted across the club’s social media, the Adidas-manufactured kit is a bright highlighter-yellow with black dots and thick black lines going across it. According to Arsenal, the lines across the kit are, “Inspired by the map of Islington” where the team’s stadium is based. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The text on the shirt, including the Arsenal logo, is a light blue colour, while the shorts appear to be black with three yellow stripes down the side. In a video produced to coincide with the release, players like Saka, Odegaard and Martinelli feature wearing the shirt, while other celebrity Arsenal fans such as Mabel, Asa Butterfield, Martin Kemp and Ashley Walters all make cameo appearances. But, it seems many fans just can’t get on board with the eccentric design of the kit. One fan reasoned: “Adidas were overdue a miss. Let’s leave it at that.” Another said: “I’m trying my absolute hardest to convince myself that I like it but it’s simply not possible.” Someone else joked: “Have flashbacks to the contours session in my GCSE geography class.” “That Arsenal away kit is undoubtedly the worst kit I’ve ever seen in my lifetime without exaggeration,” wrote another. Another wrote in despair: "First time back in the Champions League for years and this is how they’re doing us." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Silverstone is one of the most iconic circuits in Formula One, holding the first championship race back in 1950 and 73 years later in 2023, the event is more popular than ever. It was a record-breaking weekend this year, as the British Grand Prix drew in the biggest crowd it had ever seen with 480,000 spectators entering from Friday (July 7) to Sunday (July 9). Though this figure should come as no surprise with F1 benefitting from the rise in popularity in recent years thanks to the Netflix series Drive to Survive which has propelled the sport into popular culture and widened its demographic in the process. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter For this race, I was able to watch the action unfold in the grandstands for the first time – here’s a breakdown of my experience. Arrival Clouds and rain loomed on Sunday morning when arriving at the track at 9 am, after navigating the race day traffic (and getting briefly lost on the way in classic road trip style). Upon arrival, the rain jackets were on as we took in the scale of the event and walked around the circuit that was abuzz with fans of all ages excited for the upcoming race. Hospitality An unmissable sight around the perimeter of the circuit was the variety of food trucks belonging to Freemans Event Partners who have partnered with Silverstone for over four decades. As a spectator, a deep thought isn’t typically given to the logistical efforts that go into pulling off such a huge event like this but for Freemans, they had expected to sell the following over the weekend: 40,000 burgers 35,000 glasses of wine and champagne 6,000 kg of chicken 65,000 portions of chips 1m+ drinks 90+ cuisines across 260 outlets, with meat-free options available at every outlet Stephen Freeman CEO, told indy100: “As one of the UK’s biggest spectator events – with over 480,000 UK and international visitors – the Formula 1 Aramco British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone provides a unique opportunity to showcase the very best of British food and drink. “We’ve been working in partnership with Silverstone for over 40 years and this year, as part of our delivery of 270 food outlets, offering over 90 varieties of cuisine, we created a ‘Best of British’ food zone for the first time. “Featuring a Pimm’s branded double-decker London bus, a range of photo opportunities and competitions for spectators to enjoy, the area was situated at the heart of the circuit. He added: “A selection of British treats were on offer such as traditional Cornish pasties, fish & chips, and cream teas, as well as Pimm’s & strawberries over the course of the four days of festivities." Initially, it was the perfect weather for a nice hot cuppa to warm us up as the Formula 3 and Formula 2 races took place where we were confronted by the riveting sound of the race cars zooming past on the track. But as the day went on, summer finally decided to make an appearance – just in time for the driver’s parade where the F1 drivers waved to the crowds as they made their way around the track in classic cars. Two hours before the race, it was time for lunch and from the array of cuisines to choose from, we opted for a chicken kebab – a popular choice as the queue snaked around the area, but definitely worth the 30-minute wait as we got to feast while being entertained by spectacular the Red Arrows display. Seating and the race itself After some exploring, we settled back into our Stirling A grandstand seats which provided a perfect reprieve from the sun as strong winds cooled us down and a great view where we could see the car speed towards Copse Corner with the 180mph bend being one of the fastest of the circuit. The first lap provided a thrilling start as McLaren'sLando Norris jumped Red Bull's Max Verstappen to lead the first couple of laps while loud roars from the stands cheered the Brit on as he and the other drivers went flat out as they sped past us down to Copse. Though Verstappen was able to get back in front with DRS by lap five, and went on to claim his first win at Silverstone with the reigning two-time world champion's continuing his dominance this season. There was a safety car deployed on lap 33 due to a fire in the Haas car of Kevin Magnussen, and this "free" pitstop was perfect timing for Verstappen, Norris and Hamilton - and we managed to see this unfold on the big screen conveniently situated near our grandstand. In the end, Norris impressively held second place by choosing a different type of strategy and defended the position on hard tires, while Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was able to get ahead of Piastri to secure third. As a result, Norris and Hamilton are the first pair of Brits on the podium at Silverstone since 1999 when David Coulthard won the race, followed by Eddie Irvine in second. In true British style, the weather couldn't make up its mind so our rain jackets and sunglasses were on stand-by with clouds threatening a downpour one minute followed by bright sunny skies minutes later - though in the end, the rain didn't come but this element of unpredictability did still entertain us. Post-race events After the race, we headed over to the Chrome Main Stage where we watched The Big Moon, DJ Patrick Nazemi, and Tom Greenan perform where fans were enjoying the post-race music festival vibes. Between these artists, some F1 drivers also made brief appearances to discuss their race performance with Williams' Alex Albon, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Some of the highlights included Russell bringing his niece and nephew on stage, and the McLaren boys toasting their result with a celebratory shoey. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was welcomed on stage with boos from the crowd but soon had the audience onside when his wife and Spice Girl Geri Horner made a surprise appearance. He also gained cheers when he asked the crowd "If we get [Daniel] Ricciardo back, will you be nicer to me?" as the Red Bull third driver was scheduled to carry out Pirelli tyre tests in the RB19. (Little did we know then, after doing the tests Ricciardo would be announced on July 11 as the new AlphaTauri driver, replacing Nyck De Vries). Following an action-packed day, we then chowed down on some food and made the most of the various cuisines available opting for a Greek Gyros, a Mac & Cheese pot and a Katsu Curry. With our bellies full and the day coming to an end, we headed home and as we discussed the day, the enjoyment of my first Silverstone Grand Prix already has me excited for 2024... Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou insists only one transfer deadline counts as he aimed a thinly-veiled dig at Bayern Munich’s public pursuit of Harry Kane after the forward scored four goals against Shakhtar Donetsk. Kane put the uncertainty over his future to one side to produce a classic display of predatory finishing in what could prove to be his final appearance in Spurs’ colours. Bayern are reported to have lodged their latest offer for Kane on Friday and an apparent self-imposed deadline of midnight was set by the German club, but there has been no further news on the outcome of that bid and Kane grabbed a hat-trick in 55 minutes of a 5-1 friendly win over Shakhtar. Kane added another goal in the 79th-minute before he left the pitch a minute later to a standing ovation following more chants of ‘he’s one of our own’ and at the conclusion of the clash the club’s record goal-scorer walked around the pitch to clap all four corners of the ground in what felt a significant moment. “We know there’s one deadline and that’s the end of the transfer window,” Postecoglou pointed out. “Beyond that, I’m in open dialogue with Harry and with the club on a regular basis. I’ve said to them that if the status quo changes then inform me. “I don’t need to know about the comings and goings in between. I just want to deal with what’s in front of me because, irrespective of the outcome of that, I’m building a team here. I can’t wait (around) for a decision either way to get going. “We don’t have the time or the luxury to do that. I’m working with what’s in front of me. You saw today that Harry certainly is invested in what we’re doing and we’ll keep on doing that unless something changes.” Bayern have been public about their desire to sign Kane all summer, with their honorary president Uli Hoeness and president Herbert Hainer talking openly in the media last month about trying to sign the England captain. We know there's one deadline and that's the end of the transfer window Ange Postecoglou Postecoglou added: “That’s up to Bayern to decide. If that’s the way they want to conduct things, it’s not up to me to judge that. “It doesn’t affect me. I don’t sit there on a daily basis and worry about what other clubs are doing. “I think what is factual right now is that he is a contracted player of our football club. “I certainly wouldn’t talk about contracted players at other football clubs but I’m not at Bayern mate so they can go the way they want.” While a lot of the focus on Sunday was on Kane, amongst the spectators at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven. Netherlands defender Van de Ven is scheduled to have a medical at Spurs’ training ground on Monday. But asked about Van de Ven, Postecoglou replied: “It hasn’t been done yet, so it’s not right for me to talk about but there’s no doubt we need some bolstering in that central defensive area. “Hopefully we’ll get one or two done in the next couple of days to bolster us in that area.” While Van de Ven’s future looks certain to be at Tottenham, Kane’s club for this campaign remains up in the air. Postecoglou refused to be drawn into the significance of Kane walking alone to applaud all four corners of the stadium at full-time. “You are reading something into it, aren’t you,” he added. “I don’t even know what’s in Harry’s mind, let alone anyone else’s. I think all these things will obviously play out over the next period, we’ll deal with what happens from there. “From my perspective, I’ve got a team to build here. Today showed me that we’ve made some progress but there’s still a lot of work to do. “There were areas today I wasn’t delighted with, so we need to make sure we focus on getting this team right. We’ll see what happens after that. “He’s a fantastic striker, one of the world’s best. I think the way the team plays will help him as well. He loves scoring goals and you saw today we created a load of chances and he was the beneficiary of that.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 5 things we learned from the opening round of Scottish Premiership action Harry Kane puts speculation to one side with four goals in Tottenham friendly Leicestershire-born Ashleigh Plumptre out to beat England at Women’s World Cup

There is yet another player on the Detroit Lions who is under investigation for violating the NFL's gambling policy, according to The Athletic.Back in April, the Detroit Lions had four players suspended by the NFL for violating the gambling policy. Wide receivers Jameson Williams and Stanle...

Date and time of Lionel Messi's next game for Inter Miami and when he could make his MLS debut after winning the Leagues Cup