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Published

4 years ago

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6:42 PM ET

LONDON — England reached the 2018 World Cup semifinals by scoring just three goals from open play. Gareth Southgate and his coaching staff offset this issue by developing a sustained and inventive threat from set pieces, chiefly through mastering the adaptation to VAR quicker than most other countries.

The rich array of attacking talent England have developed in the intervening three years demanded much more of them at Euro 2020, but Friday’s 0-0 draw at Wembley highlights just how much work there is still to do.

Scotland were well organised, disciplined and carried a tangible threat when the opportunities arose, cheered on by 2,500 members of the Tartan Army whose noise far exceeded their number. None of that will have been a surprise to Southgate, mindful of the history of the world’s oldest international fixture — this is the 115th instalment dating back 149 years (the first also ended 0-0) — and wary of the gulf in expectations possibly creating a misguided sense of entitlement.

Perhaps it spoke to the conservative streak within him. There was certainly a measure of caution in England’s passing, lacking risk or penetration, particularly in central midfield where they continue to miss a playmaker able to inject the requisite tempo to unsettle a team as defensively resilient as the Scots were here.

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Southgate is acutely aware of the idiosyncrasies of tournament football and England undeniably remain on track for their first target: qualifying for the knockout rounds from Group D.

“We didn’t do enough to win the game or create enough clear-cut chances,” he said. “I thought they defended extremely well. We couldn’t find the solutions. We had moments down the sides, which is where the spaces were against them, but we weren’t able to exploit the spaces.

“In the end, not enough to win but this is a tournament and it is critical when you can’t win, not to lose. That of course feels difficult in the last 15 minutes of a game like tonight where fans are desperate for you to go forward and abandon all shape because it is Scotland, it feels like a unique occasion. But we have to still approach it in the context that a point is an important step towards qualification and that is the first objective for us.”

Yet if they are to justify the pre-tournament hype that this young side could genuinely rival Europe’s heavyweights and launch a prolonged run into the latter stages, they need to offer more going forward than this.

Harry Kane encapsulates the problem at present. Kane won the Golden Boot in Russia three years ago, but he made the absolute maximum of the limited service he received, including a fortuitous goal against Panama when the ball flew in off his heel while he ran in the opposite direction.

Only five teams created fewer chances from open play at the last World Cup. No team had more shots on target from set pieces — an average of six per 90 minutes.

Among Southgate’s principal aims was to increase England’s potency in normal play yet here they mustered one shot on target all evening. Kane’s 19 touches are the fewest he has ever had in an England game when playing more than 45 minutes.

England’s captain looks some way off his best yet it is rare sight indeed to witness the 27-year-old taken off when his team — Tottenham Hotspur or England — need a goal, but Southgate did just that with 16 minutes remaining. It was a logical decision, as was introducing Marcus Rashford in some capacity and, of course, he is fully capable playing through the middle. But the Manchester United forward did not start any qualifying games there and is, generally speaking, more convincing off the left flank. Dominic Calvert-Lewin seemed more obviously suited to the physical battle Scotland made this but he remained an unused substitute. Southgate must get these calls right when the stakes increase as the tournament progresses.

Typically, he sought to generalise when the focus shifted to Kane’s two underwhelming individual displays so far this summer.

“We have got to look at the whole performance, our use of the ball and review where we could be better,” he said. “That is right across the board. It is not about one person. Scotland marked him extremely well. With the back five there isn’t a lot of space. Anything that is played up, they’re aggressive and defended well. We couldn’t find the answers.”

This was structurally a similar performance to the one that managed to see off Croatia, but caution in their approach was more understandable in those circumstances. England were always going to have more of the ball here yet it followed almost the exact same pattern as the previous Sunday: start well, hit the post early, then gradually lose their way as the opposition settles into a rhythm.

Early in the second half against Croatia, the England fans began calling for Jack Grealish. It was a sentiment rendered redundant minutes later as Raheem Sterling broke the deadlock, but it should not be forgotten that goal came during a spell in which England looked most vulnerable.

The goal did not come this time. Grealish’s involvement was demanded once more and this time Southgate yielded, taking off Phil Foden, who is yet to set this tournament alight in the manner many hoped.

Grealish briefly threatened to breathe life into England but the collective malaise soon engulfed him too. Southgate opted not to change the team’s 4-3-3 shape, yet the patterns of play still looked disjointed.

England worked the ball into crossing positions for the full-backs — Reece James and Luke Shaw were the two changes to the starting lineup due to “their technical ability with the ball,” according to Southgate — only for those players to often turn down the chance to cross. Players ran down cul-de-sacs or played straight passes that were easy for Scotland’s tireless back five to deal with.

“The timing of our movement, our rotation patterns could have been better,” admitted Southgate. “We didn’t hit the level we wanted to or need to. Tonight we have to accept whatever comes our way. What I would say is I totally understand anything that comes my way as the manager. What we need to do is make sure we get behind the players. There are a lot of young players who need the support of everybody.”

The clamour to include some fresh faces will grow after this. Jadon Sancho, for example, did not even make the 23, nor did Bukayo Saka. These were always likely to be decisions that would go a long way in determining England’s tournament hopes. Southgate has plenty of thinking to do.

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Quenneville back in Chicago for 1st time since ban

Published

7 hours ago

on

October 20, 2025

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Quenneville back in Chicago for 1st time since ban

  • ESPN News Services

Oct 19, 2025, 10:18 PM ET

CHICAGO — First-year Anaheim Ducks coach Joel Quenneville returned to the United Center on Sunday night for the first time since he and two other former Chicago Blackhawks executives were banned from the NHL in October 2021 for their mishandling of a sexual assault allegation by a former player in 2010.

Quenneville, 67, has the Ducks off to a 2-2-1 start almost four years after he was forced to resign as coach of the Florida Panthers. He was banned from the NHL for nearly three years.

“I’m grateful to be back in the game,” Quenneville said before Chicago’s 2-1 win on Ryan Donato‘s overtime goal. “I’m excited about being back in here in Chicago.”

It has been a long road for Quenneville, the second-winningest coach in NHL history. His 971 career victories entering Sunday trail only Scotty Bowman’s 1,244.

An independent investigation commissioned by the Blackhawks led to Quenneville stepping down from the Panthers in October 2021. The investigation concluded the team mishandled allegations raised by 2008 first-round draft pick Kyle Beach against video coach Brad Aldrich during the team’s first Stanley Cup run.

Former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and assistant GM Al MacIsaac also resigned and were prohibited from working in the NHL.

They were reinstated by the league in July 2024. Bowman became the Edmonton Oilers‘ general manager three weeks later. The Ducks signed Quenneville in May to replace Greg Cronin.

Quenneville has spent parts of 25 NHL seasons behind the benches of St. Louis, Colorado, Chicago and Florida. He guided the Blackhawks for more than 10 years and led them to championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

The Blackhawks fired Quenneville in November 2018 after a 6-6-3 start. He joined the Panthers for the 2019-20 season.

Quenneville returned to the United Center for the first time with Florida in January 2020 and received a video tribute from the Blackhawks and a roaring ovation from fans. He was behind the Panthers’ bench in the arena four times during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, but no fans were present.

Quenneville seemed a little uncertain about how he might be received by United Center fans this time.

“The memories we had were all very positive here,” he said. “I’m just happy to be back in that building and hear the crowd being excited, and the crowds look like they’ve been good so far this year.”

When asked if he expected acknowledgment from fans, Quenneville responded with his signature, “We’ll see.”

The reaction turned out to be muted and mixed.

Public address announcer Gene Honda called Quenneville’s name in a routine introduction as the visiting team coach about 10 minutes before the opening faceoff. A handful of fans cheered and about the same number booed, with only about half of the United Center’s 19,717 seats occupied.

The Ducks conducted background checks and spoke with Beach before hiring Quenneville, who said he has accepted responsibility for his role in failing to properly address the allegations and has engaged in educational activities to deepen his understanding of sexual assault scenarios.

“Right from the day that we joined the Ducks, it’s been a lot of positivity,” Quenneville said. “Just getting around people that are in the game, being around the organization, having a young team, kind of reminds me of the team when we were here.”

With Anaheim, Quenneville took over a team with the NHL’s third-longest active playoff drought. The Ducks finished sixth in the Pacific Division last season at 35-37-10 after being in the bottom two for the previous four years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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AP Week 8 poll reaction: What’s next for each Top 25 team

Published

10 hours ago

on

October 20, 2025

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AP Week 8 poll reaction: What's next for each Top 25 team

Oct 19, 2025, 02:25 PM ET

Two top five teams lost in Week 8, with Miami losing to Louisville and Ole Miss blowing a multi-score lead against Georgia. Texas Tech’s first loss of the season came in a squeaker against Arizona State. Meanwhile, Ohio State looked as steady as ever in a 34-0 shutout of Wisconsin and Indiana blew out Michigan State to remain undefeated.

What does it all mean for the AP Top 25? Let’s break down the rankings.

Stats courtesy of ESPN Research.

All times Eastern.

Previous ranking: 1

2025 record: 7-0

Week 8 result: Defeated Wisconsin 34-0

Stat to know: Ohio State has won 15 straight games as the AP No. 1, the longest streak by a Big Ten team.

What’s next: Nov. 1 vs. Penn State

Previous ranking: 3

2025 record: 7-0

Week 8 result: Defeated Michigan State 38-13

Stat to know: Indiana is now 16-0 against unranked opponents under Curt Cignetti.

What’s next: Saturday vs. UCLA

Previous ranking: 4

2025 record: 7-0

Week 8 result: Defeated Arkansas 45-42

Stat to know: This is Texas A&M’s first 7-0 start since 1994.

What’s next: Saturday at LSU, 7:30 p.m., ABC

Previous ranking: 6

2025 record: 6-1

Week 8 result: Defeated Tennessee 37-20

Stat to know: With the win over Tennessee, Alabama became the first team in SEC history to win four straight games, all against ranked teams, with no bye week mixed in.

What’s next: Saturday at South Carolina, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Previous ranking: 9

2025 record: 6-1

Week 8 result: Defeated Ole Miss 43-35

Stat to know: Georgia is 2-0 at home under Kirby Smart when trailing by nine or more points entering the fourth quarter.

What’s next: Nov. 1 vs. Florida (in Jacksonville, Florida), 3:30 p.m., ABC

Previous ranking: 8

2025 record: 6-1

Week 8 result: Defeated Rutgers 56-10

Stat to know: Oregon is 6-0 following losses under Dan Lanning.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Wisconsin

Previous ranking: 12

2025 record: 7-0

Week 8 result: Defeated Duke 27-18

Stat to know: Georgia Tech had a 95-yard fumble return in the first quarter, the longest in school history.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Syracuse, noon

Previous ranking: 5

2025 record: 6-1

Week 8 result: Lost to Georgia 43-35

Stat to know: Ole Miss gained just 13 yards in the fourth quarter, tied for its third-fewest in a quarter under Lane Kiffin.

What’s next: Saturday at Oklahoma, noon, ABC

Previous ranking: 2

2025 record: 5-1

Week 8 result: Lost to Louisville 24-21

Stat to know: The loss to Louisville was Miami’s fourth home less as a double-digit favorite under Mario Cristobal, the most losses in FBS in that span (since 2022).

What’s next: Saturday vs. Stanford, 7 p.m., ESPN

Previous ranking: 17

2025 record: 6-1

Week 8 result: Defeated LSU 31-24

Stat to know: This is Vanderbilt’s first 6-1 start since 1950.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Missouri

Previous ranking: 15

2025 record: 7-0

Week 8 result: Defeated Utah 24-21

Stat to know: BYU has started 7-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.

What’s next: Saturday at Iowa State, 3:30 p.m., Fox

Previous ranking: 13

2025 record: 5-2

Week 8 result: Defeated USC 34-24

Stat to know: Notre Dame has won seven of its past eight meetings with USC.

What’s next: Nov. 1 at Boston College

Previous ranking: 14

2025 record: 6-1

Week 8 result: Defeated South Carolina 26-7

Stat to know: This was Oklahoma’s first win against South Carolina.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Ole Miss, noon, ABC

Previous ranking: 7

2025 record: 6-1

Week 8 result: Lost to Arizona State 26-22

Stat to know: The loss to Arizona State was Texas Tech’s first game of the season with 20 or more points allowed.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Oklahoma State, 4 p.m.

Previous ranking: 16

2025 record: 6-1

Week 8 result: Defeated Auburn 23-17 (2 OT)

Stat to know: Missouri has won 22 straight games against unranked opponents.

What’s next: Saturday at Vanderbilt

Previous ranking: 18

2025 record: 6-1

Week 8 result: Defeated Washington State 22-20

Stat to know: Virginia’s 6-1 start is its best through seven games since 2007.

What’s next: Saturday at North Carolina, noon, ACC Network

Previous ranking: 11

2025 record: 5-2

Week 8 result: Lost to Alabama 37-20

Stat to know: Tennessee’s 20 points against Alabama is its fewest scored in a game this season.

What’s next: Saturday at Kentucky, 7:45 p.m., SEC Network

Previous ranking: 19

2025 record: 6-1

Week 8 result: Defeated Florida Atlantic 48-13

Stat to know: The win over FAU was South Florida’s fourth straight game with at least 48 points.

What’s next: Saturday at Memphis, noon

Previous ranking: NR

2025 record: 5-1

Week 8 result: Defeated Miami 24-21

Stat to know: Louisville’s win over Miami was its second over an AP top-2 team in program history.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Boston College, 7:30 p.m., ACC Network

Previous ranking: 10

2025 record: 5-2

Week 8 result: Lost to Vanderbilt 31-24

Stat to know: Garrett Nussmeier has thrown a passing touchdown in 13 straight games, the third-longest active streak among current SEC quarterbacks.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m., ABC

Previous ranking: 24

2025 record: 6-1

Week 8 result: Defeated Oklahoma State 49-17

Stat to know: This is Cincinnati’s first 6-1 start to a season since 2022.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Baylor, 4 p.m.

Previous ranking: 21

2025 record: 5-2

Week 8 result: Defeated Kentucky 16-13 (OT)

Stat to know: Texas’s 179 total yards against Kentucky marked its fewest in a win in the past 30 years.

What’s next: Saturday at Mississippi State

Previous ranking: NR

2025 record: 5-2

Week 8 result: Idle

What’s next: Saturday vs. Washington

Previous ranking: NR

2025 record: 5-2

Week 8 result: Defeated Texas Tech 26-22

Stat to know: Arizona State is now 6-1 against AP-ranked opponents since the start of the 2024 season.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Houston, 8:00 p.m., ESPN2

Previous ranking: NR

2025 record: 5-2

Week 8 result: Defeated Washington 24-7

Stat to know: Michigan is on a 28-game home winning streak against AP unranked teams.

What’s next: Saturday vs. Michigan State, 7:30 p.m., NBC

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Knights’ Stone leaves with apparent wrist injury

Published

10 hours ago

on

October 20, 2025

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Knights' Stone leaves with apparent wrist injury

  • Associated Press

Oct 19, 2025, 12:49 AM ET

LAS VEGAS — Golden Knights captain Mark Stone suffered an apparent wrist injury in the third period of Vegas’ 6-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.

Coach Bruce Cassidy said he would know about Stone’s status Sunday or Monday.

Stone left the ice about midway through the third period and then headed to the locker room.

He had two goals and two assists before exiting, giving him a six-game point streak with two goals and 11 assists.

When healthy, Stone has been one of the Golden Knights’ top players, but he has had trouble avoiding injuries. His 66 games last season were his most since appearing in 77 games in the 2018-19 season.

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