The interest in former MLB superstar Albert Pujols becoming a manager continues as a third team has been reported to be looking at the 11-time All-Star to fill their manager role.

It was previously reported that the Angels were first interested in Pujols as he played there from 2012-21. Los Angeles just let go of manager Ron Washington and interim manager Ray Montgomery after the season ended. After the Angels, the Orioles popped up as an option for Pujols to become their manager. Baltimore fired Brandon Hyde back in May.

As of Monday, the Padres have become the third team tied to Pujols, Kevin Acee of the reported. San Diego manager Mike Shildt retired from the role after the Padres' playoff exit to the Cubs. Acee reported that the Padres plan to speak with Pujols.

Pujols doesn't have any MLB managerial experience since retiring after the 2022 season. He remained in the baseball world, though, as he's acted as a special assistant to the Angels since '23, while also working as an analyst for MLB Network. He managed Leones de Escogido, a team based in his home country of the Dominican Republic, and led them to titles in the Dominican Winter League and Caribbean Series this year. He is also set to be the manager for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic next year.

Angels reportedly stopped discussions with Pujols amid other MLB teams showing interest

Shortly after the report came out on Monday regarding the Padres' interest in interviewing Pujols for their manager role, the reported that the Angels are now stopping talks with their former player.

The Post noted that the two sides had differing opinions on "coaches, resources and compensation" leading to the discussions ceasing. Pujols was the Angels' top option for the position, though, especially with his history being with the team and the fact that he still works as a special assistant for the organization.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a paralisação do campeonato por contas das chuvas no Rio Grande do Sul, Vitória e Atlético-GO se enfrentam neste sábado (1), pela nona rodada do Brasileirão. A bola vai rolar a partir das 16h (de Brasília), na Barradão (BA), com transmissão do Premiere.

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As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

Confira todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre TIME A e TIME B (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Vitória X Atlético-GO
9ª rodada – Campeonato Brasileiro
🗓️ Data e horário: sábado, 1º de junho de 2024, às 16h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Barradão, Salvador (BA);
📺 Onde assistir: Premiere;
🟨 Árbitro: Kleber Ariel Goncalves da Silva (PR);
🚩 Assistentes: Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis (FIFA-SP) e Brígida Cirilo Ferreira (FIFA-AL);
🖥️ VAR: Daiane Muniz (FIFA-SP).

A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

Vitória (Técnico: Thiago Carpini)
 Lucas Arcanjo; Willean Lepo, Bruno Uvini, Wagner Leonardo e Patric Calmon; Rodrigo Andrade e Dudu (Luan Santos); Daniel Júnior, Matheusinho e Iury Castilho; Osvaldo (Luiz Adriano). 

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Atlético-GO (Técnico: Jair)
Ronaldo; Luiz Felipe (Maguinho), Adriano Martins, Pedro Henrique (Alix Vinícius) e Guilherme Romão; Lucas Kal, Gabriel Baralhas e Alejo Cruz; Shaylon, Luiz Fernando e Vágner Love.

Tudo sobre

Atlético-GOBrasileirãoFutebol NacionalOnde assistirVitória

Playing for England wasn’t always a goal but she soon realised “pace, swing and bounce” were her true calling

S Sudarshanan09-Oct-2025For Lauren Bell, cricket just happened. Naturally athletic and competitive, she dabbled in multiple sports for the fun of it while growing up. A lot of football and a little bit of cricket. Playing for England wasn’t always a goal. It just happened.”If you asked probably like 7-8-year-old Lauren, she would be in a full football kit running around with the shin pads on,” Bell tells ESPNcricinfo in Guwahati. “My grandad always brought us Manchester United kits and I was always in the garden doing football. Like kids spend their time doing different things, what I found fun was playing sports.”Bell played for Reading FC from when she was eight. She also played cricket at the time, and her parents took her to training for both sports. It was in 2017, after the second edition of the Kia Super League (KSL), that Southern Vipers offered 16-year-old Bell a contract for their winter training programme and to then play for them in the summer. Training was on Saturday mornings, the same time as her football games.”My parents were like, you need to choose because we can’t physically get to these two places,” Bell says. “That was when I made the decision that I’ll follow cricket. I haven’t played football since, which is a bit sad, but I’ve not really looked back since then.”Related

Sciver-Brunt ton, Ecclestone four-for help England brush aside Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka focus on the present as England challenge looms

Unbeaten England prepare for Sri Lanka spin test

Beaumont: England ready for hard graft in Colombo

Young ones to watch: Kranti Goud, Georgia Voll and Lauren Bell prepare to light up World Cup

Bell is about six feet tall, nicknamed ‘The Shard’. She bowls at good pace and has a mean inswinger. However, she used to lose her footing and fall to her left during her bowling action, which gave her a bit of back pain. Last year, she worked hard to remodel her action, and she can now swing the ball both ways.”I don’t think I was really aware that being this tall is a massive advantage for me,” Bell says. “When I was a kid, I was so much taller than everyone. So obviously as a fast bowler, that’s going to bring its advantages. But I never thought, ‘oh, I’m tall, I’m going to do this’. It just all fell into place.”As I became a professional, I actually started to learn my craft. Before then, you worked on your talent and you’ve already been coached, but you don’t learn about the intricacies of fast bowling and bowling action. Only since I’ve started learning about my skill set and I guess the intricacies of my action, have I learned that obviously my height and the balance I can get in the extra bounce and how I play differently to other seamers. It’s obviously a big advantage for me or it makes me different to other girls and fast bowlers in the game.”Once she understood the advantage her height gave her, she worked hard on improving her speed and controlling swing.”I take the new ball and swinging the ball is a big skill of mine and one of my biggest advantages,” Bell says. “My coaches and I always talk about the three massive things – pace, bounce and movement. If you’ve got them, then you’re going to be a really hard bowler to face. With my height, I can get bounce and if I keep working on my strength, I can increase my pace. I’ve got the ability to swing the ball and hopefully I’ll keep progressing to moving the ball both ways. Swing, pace and bounce is probably where I’m most threatening.”Lauren Bell: ‘Swing, pace and bounce is probably where I’m most threatening’•Getty ImagesIt is not just her bowling that differentiates Bell from most other cricketers. She likes to make a statement with her hairstyle, which has inspired many young players to wear their hair in plaits like she does, and wants to see women cricketers embrace their “girly” side.”I’ve always liked doing my hair,” Bell says. “I remember vividly when I first played with plaits in my hair. I played in a [T20] World Cup with plaits and then played in the Hundred in England and I was meeting these girls and they were obviously there for the cricket. But so many of them had matching hair, like they had their hair in plaits. I was meeting the mums, who were like, ‘I have to do this hairstyle for my daughter every day now’. Stuff like that is part of the reason that I love playing and having the platform to inspire these young girls.”I want cricket to be seen as cool and mainstream, and you can be girly and do your hair and wear whatever you like and play cricket. You don’t have to be like a certain type of personnel. When I was growing up, it was like a boy sport, which has changed over time. This is one thing that I’m passionate about and I care about, and doesn’t affect my cricket in any way. If anything, it reaches an audience that someone else might not reach.”Bell is a graduate in sociology and criminology. She completed her degree before her England debut but worked on her dissertation while being involved in the Women’s Ashes and the 2022 ODI World Cup as a standby.”When I was at school, my parents were really keen for me to go to Bradfield College and do really well at my A levels and study really hard,” she says. “I always wanted to do whatever my sister did and she went to uni, so that was always going to happen. My A levels were good and then I went to Loughborough.”I chose Loughborough with the cricket in mind as well because it made training easier. But when I started at Loughborough, I wasn’t a professional cricketer. I wanted to just study something I enjoyed. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but after uni, if I wasn’t a cricketer, I just wanted to study something that I thought I enjoyed.”

“I want cricket to be seen as cool and mainstream, and you can be girly and do your hair and wear whatever you like and play cricket.”Lauren Bell

With Covid-19 impacting cricket in 2020 and 2021, her first two years at university were relatively easier, in that she did not have to juggle cricket and course work. But her third year was a challenge, when she was picked for England A’s tour of Australia just before the Women’s Ashes.”It was hard, especially on tour when you’re touring such amazing countries like New Zealand and you have a dissertation to write. It’s tricky to turn down the social part and the exploring. It was the first time I’d been to Australia and New Zealand. So you want to obviously see it, but I also knew that I needed to get this dissertation written and I needed to study and keep up with my lectures. Because of Covid, everything was online and I managed to get through. I had a lot of support and few extensions on deadlines. I’m glad I did it and graduated, but it was tricky.”Since her debut in July 2022, no England fast bowler has taken more wickets in women’s ODIs than Bell’s 40. Kate Cross was close with 39 but she was left out of the World Cup squad, elevating Bell as the leader of the pace attack. In England’s first two games at the 2025 World Cup, Bell took 1 for 24 in four overs against South Africa and 1 for 28 in seven overs against Bangladesh, on slightly sticky surfaces in Guwahati.”It is responsibility; it’s how I really thrive,” she says. “When Heather [Knight] was captain and now Nat [Sciver-Brunt] is the captain, I think the more responsibility I’m given and the more clarity I have on the importance of my role, the more I thrive. I really enjoy taking those opportunities, being the bowler to make an impact or leading the seam attack. It gets the best out of me. I really enjoy it and every time I get a chance to do it, it’s great.”As England travel to Colombo to play Sri Lanka on what could be a slow surface, the once-football-crazy Bell will have another opportunity to show off her new-ball skills. England will hope that just happens.

Something is happening at Chelsea this season.

Enzo Maresca’s side blew Spanish champions Barcelona away in the Champions League last Tuesday and then followed that up with a sensational performance against Arsenal in the Premier League.

The Blues were by far the better team for most of the first half, and even after Moises Caicedo was sent off, they scored a goal and held on for a point.

Now, having the Ecuadorian out for three games is a problem, but Maresca could solve it by unleashing one of Chelsea’s most exciting young stars.

Chelsea's solutions to Caicedo's red card

With it highly unlikely that Caicedo’s ban will be overturned – if it’s even appealed – Chelsea need to come up with a solution for the next three games. This is a player who is renowned as one of the best midfielders in the world, a player of the calibre of a certain Declan Rice. Therefore, replacing him will not be easy.

One answer could be to keep Reece James in the middle of the park, drop Enzo Fernández back next to him to create a double pivot and start Cole Palmer ahead of them.

Now, this would be quite a change, but it would allow the captain to continue to boss games from a central area and bring the club’s best player back into the most important part of the team.

Moreover, if the Englishman is pulling the strings in the ten position, Estevao can keep his place on the right, where he tore Barça to bits last week.

However, if Enzo only wants to make one personnel change to the side to keep up momentum, he could be extra brave and bring one of Cobham’s most exciting youngsters into the side: Reggie Walsh.

The 17-year-old star in the making is someone who could slot in next to James in the midfield and, especially against a poor Leeds United, earn some brilliant experience.

It would certainly be a bold move, but even though he’s so young, the academy gem is seen as “truly ridiculous” talent, per Como scout Felix Johnston, and has already made four appearances for the senior side.

Yet, with all that said, there is a far more realistic and sensible option Maresca could go for.

Chelsea's ideal solution to Caicedo's red card

With Dario Essugo unlikely to be fit enough to play a significant role over the next three games, Maresca should turn to Andrey Santos to cover for Caicedo.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The 21-year-old is still most certainly a little raw and clearly not the finished article, but there are a few reasons why he would be the perfect solution to the Blues’ problem.

The first is that with him being comfortable playing in central and defensive midfield, he could form a fluid partnership with James and Fernandez.

In other words, the three of them could rotate in and out of positions in the middle of the park, making life difficult for opposition defenders and attackers.

The second reason is that, thanks to his comfort in a variety of positions, he has developed a skill set that makes him effective in attack and, in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig, a duel-winning “one-man war machine in midfield.”

For example, despite only playing 655 minutes across nine appearances this season, he has already produced four goal involvements.

His underlying numbers are also sensational.

Tackles Won

2.09

Top 3%

Tkl+Int

4.26

Top 7%

Goals + Assists

0.39

Top 8%

Pass Completion % (Long)

77.3%

Top 8%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.20

Top 9%

Goals/Shot

0.14

Top 15%

Clearances

2.33

Top 16%

Pass Completion %

88.3%

Top 17%

Fouls Drawn

1.74

Top 17%

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles won, the top 8% for goals plus assists, the 13% for dribblers tackled and more, all per 90.

Finally, given his brilliant box-to-box skill set, he would add some more dynamism and explosiveness to the middle of the park, which, against teams like Leeds, could make the Blues impossible to live with.

Ultimately, while nobody in the Chelsea squad can replace Caicedo in a like-for-like capacity, Santos could bring something else to the side and keep the quality level high.

Chelsea star who saved Caicedo is their "most underappreciated player"

The underrated Chelsea ace made sure Caicedo’s red card didn’t cost Enzo Maresca’s men against Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 30, 2025

Several players showed up for the pair of friendlies vs. Italy, led by Cat Macario's three goals, Jaedyn Shaw's first goal on the year, and a two-game shutout from Claudia Dickey.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The USWNT closed out the calendar year with a confident 2-0 win over UEFA Women’s Euro semifinalist Italy, sealing back-to-back victories over the Azzurre in three days and finishing 2025 with a 12-0-3 record. It was a year of firsts for the Americans: 43 players earned their senior debuts, the most in a single year since 2001.

It was a near-perfect conclusion for head coach Emma Hayes, who spent the year stress-testing the depth chart, integrating new faces and challenging the group to evolve its style of play. For the rematch with Italy, Hayes made five changes to the XI and started three teenagers – Lily Yohannes, Claire Hutton and Jordyn Bugg. Alongside them, Lindsey Heaps earned her 170th cap, tying former captain Carla Overbeck for 20th on the all-time appearance list. The blend of emerging talent and veterans has defined the arc of the U.S. program this year.

“My goal is always to create successive, competitive teams,” Hayes said. “Not just one team and then you have to rebuild again over another four-year period. This is how I know to build teams.”

The USWNT will now break before reconvening for January camp and the first friendlies of 2026. World Cup qualifying looms as the primary focus heading into the new cycle. Cat Macario’s three goals across the two Italy matches led the way, while goalkeeper Claudia Dickey capped her year with consecutive shutouts as the reshaped U.S. defense continued to settle in.

Who stood out? Whose stock rose, and whose fell? GOAL takes a look.

• Imagn
  

  Stock up: Cat Macario

  It’s hard not to love Macario, whose return to full form has been nothing short of remarkable. Now the USWNT’s leading scorer this year with eight goals, she was the clear focal point across both matches against Italy.

  Macario wasn’t just clean and disciplined in her hold-up play – she delivered. She scored a brace in the first meeting and added an electric finish in the second, and realistically could have had more. The Chelsea forward has five goals in her last three U.S. appearances, and her output helped the Americans secure their ninth win in 10 games. Yohannes mentioned how Macario's finishing ability makes her top class and an easy player to assist. 

  "Cat is just such a special player, and I know if she gets the ball in front of the goal, 10 times out of 10, it is probably going to be a goal," Yohannes said. 

  There’s no holding Macario back now. Walking through the mixed zone afterward, she carried the look of someone who felt both pride and a growing sense of normalcy – back on the pitch, scoring goals, and doing it alongside teammates she calls friends.

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• Imagn
  

  Stock down: Alyssa Thompson

  It feels almost harsh to say Alyssa Thompson’s stock dipped, but across the two matches against Italy, her influence wasn’t at its usual level. Thompson started both games and remained her typically dynamic, impossible-to-contain self in flashes – yet she struggled to find her usual rhythm out wide.

  Her best moments with the USWNT often come when she cuts inside and drives directly at defenders, but those opportunities were limited in both fixtures. When she did get on the ball, she more often looked for quick combinations through midfield rather than attacking players one-on-one.

  It’s been a whirlwind year for the newly signed Chelsea forward, and with Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith set to return, competition in the front line is about to intensify. For Thompson, continuing to lean into what makes her unique will be critical as the attacking depth chart tightens.

• Imagn
  

  Stock up: Rose Lavelle

  Rose Lavelle featured in only one of the two matches against Italy – understandable after her heroic, title-winning goal that lifted Gotham FC past the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL Championship.

  The Championship MVP didn’t look like she missed a beat despite the rapid turnaround from club to country. She was everywhere in midfield and set the tone early, slipping a clever ball to Olivia Moultrie for the opening goal inside the first 90 seconds. Lavelle now has three assists this year and 27 in her USWNT career.

  Her soccer IQ remains unmatched: she sees gaps that shouldn’t be there and combines in spaces that appear far too tight. Earning her 116th cap, Lavelle is firmly a veteran presence in this group – and will be paramount in steering the U.S. toward the 2027 World Cup.

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• Getty Images
  

  Stock down: Emma Sears

  Racing Louisville forward Emma Sears didn’t quite replicate the success she’s shown in earlier USWNT appearances. She covered ground relentlessly after coming on in the second half, but her timing was a bit off – runs came a step late, and the finishing touch wasn’t there.

  Sears’ work rate on the wing is almost unmatched, but the competition for wide attacking spots is fierce. On nights when she doesn’t produce a goal, an assist, or a clear impact while others do, it becomes harder to strengthen her case. Even so, Sears remains firmly in the mix for Hayes. Her energy as a first-off-the-bench option is valuable – the kind of spark teams rely on during long tournament runs.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has explained why Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori were left out of his starting XI to face Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The Gunners were already without key defenders Gabriel and William Saliba due to injury, meaning midfielder Christian Norgaard was handed a surprise start in central defence in Belgium.

Injuries piling up for Arsenal

Arsenal have had a very strong start to the season but have seen key players pick up injuries in recent weeks, particularly in defence. Gabriel, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera  have all been sidelined, while Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice were also ruled out of the trip to Belgium for Arsenal's latest Champions League match. The situation means that Arteta raised a few eyebrows with his team selection against Club Brugge as the north Londoners aim to maintain their 100% record in the competition so far this season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesArteta explains absence of duo

The Arsenal boss told ahead of kick-off: "They both had issues from the weekend, both really bad kicks. For Jurrien it was too early and for Ricci [Calafiori] we have to manage to see if he can do some minutes [tonight]."

The absence of the duo meant that Arteta lined his team up with Norgaard partnering Piero Hincapie in central defence, with Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly as the full-backs. The outing is Norgaard's first as a centre-back since featuring in the role for Brentford in the Championship back in 2020.

Arteta defends training methods

Arsenal have now suffered 28 injuries already this season, but Arteta has defended his training methods and insists they are not to blame.

He told reporters: "Not training, no, because we don't have time to train. So, training is not there. But obviously, the fact that you are missing players, you are loading other players more. That's a consequence of that and it's a really dangerous. The fact that we have some others who have long-term contracts that haven't been with us since the beginning of the season. But, yeah, it's a test for the team, and so far, we have reacted very, very well to that."

"I think you have to separate the kinds of injuries that they have. Some of them have been long-term and acute injuries, especially with some of the key players who give you a lot of days out. It's something that we are constantly looking at. As I said, we have played a lot of games with a lot of players missing. That gives a lot of stress and then more injuries. We are on it and I'm really happy with what we are doing in terms of the medical stuff and everything that we are trying to do together. Sometimes, as well, we need some people to go in our time.

"It's not only one season. It's about some of the players that they have played. It starts to get overloaded and you start to ask them again and again to play. Others, because, as well, the moment that you have an injury, you are more likely to have another injury. That's been a consequence of some of the states as well. We're on it."

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Praise for Norgaard

Arteta also took time out to praise Norgaard pre-match. The summer signing has only made two appearances as a substitute in the Premier League so far this season and just one start in the Champions League. Yet Arteta is happy with how he's settled in following his transfer from Brentford. He told reporters: "I'm really happy with how he’s come to the club, especially with him and everything that we need to do in many areas. Not only in the pitch, but what he has to do, he excels in the manner that we expect him. I think it's similar to Ben White or Myles [Lewis-Skelly]. They haven't played as much as expected, but they're very positive."

Australia’s stand-in opener left many wondering what they had witnessed

Andrew McGlashan23-Nov-20253:17

Smith: Travis Head’s batting incredible to witness