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What a weekend! It feels like we say this every weekend, but it was especially true here. Liverpool and Manchester City put on a show, Atletico Madrid (in particular Luis Suarez) made a statement vs. Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo made a scene after Manchester United‘s frustrating home draw vs. Everton. Elsewhere, Bayern Munich were beaten (but don’t worry), Borussia Dortmund won (and they should worry), Real Madrid lost again and Paris Saint-Germain‘s billion-dollar team was humbled by Rennes.

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It’s Monday, and Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments in the world of football.

Jump to: Liverpool-Man City | Suarez beats Barcelona | Bayern lose | Milan are back! | Real Madrid woe | Ronaldo’s sulking | PSG misfire | Dortmund need a Plan B | Arsenal need time | Lucky Inter | Leverkusen keep rolling | Napoli still perfect | Chelsea’s depth steps up | Locatelli lifts Juve | Son stars for Spurs


Talent runs rampant when Liverpool play Man City

It finished 2-2, but unless you were a fan of either club, the result wasn’t the main thing. What mattered to most neutrals at the final whistle was the spectacle to which we had been treated by Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and their players. From Mohamed Salah‘s goal and weak-foot finish, to the Bernardo Silva run and shimmy that set up Phil Foden amid a crowd of red shirts, there was so much to please the eye.

– Ogden: Liverpool vs. Man City is now a great rivalry

But make no mistake about it, this wasn’t just about entertainment, technical ability unleashed or even the aesthetic smorgasbord it was. This was putting talent at the service of a game plan. Guardiola mixed it up, deploying Jack Grealish at center-forward — almost as if to troll the “recognized striker” brigade. City dominated a first half that finished scoreless, but could easily have seen them a couple goals up at the break. It’s not that Liverpool were poor in the first 45 minutes, it’s just that City were superior by several orders of magnitude.

Then came the break and Liverpool got back into the game, powered by an irrepressible Salah, who set up Sadio Mane‘s goal and then notched his own “Goal of the Season” contender. Both times City equalized, first with Foden, then with Kevin De Bruyne. And then, heading to injury time, came Rodri‘s last-ditch block of Fabinho‘s shot, sealing the 2-2 draw.

View the game strictly through the lens of merit and City deserved three points. Not just for the chances created (Alisson had to make several more super saves, De Bruyne sent a wide open header over the bar), but because James Milner stayed on the pitch rather than being sent off.

Milner was deputising for the unavailable Trent Alexander-Arnold and he had one of the roughest afternoons of his (recent) career, with Foden repeatedly getting away from him. Milner was booked once and he twice escaped an additional booking: once when Foden was through at the edge of the box (referee Paul Tierney didn’t even see a foul) and once when he hacked down Bernardo Silva, who did a 180 in the air and landed, literally, on his head.

Milner is a tremendous professional and a very likeable man whose selflessness and versatility, at age 35, are commendable. But that doesn’t change the fact that he was very lucky not to have been sent off (you hope it was just Tierney getting it wrong rather than some misguided attempt by the referee “not wanting to spoil the game” by keeping it 11 vs. 11). With a man advantage, it would have been hard to see City not taking home all three points. But that’s the sort of cold analysis that doesn’t seem right after what these two teams served up. Better then to talk about the performances.

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Julien Laurens struggles to understand why some fans spoil games of football by abusing or spitting at the opposition.

Liverpool started slow, but reacted well, which is what you expect from teams of this caliber. Alexander-Arnold was missed as was, especially in this sort of game, the calm and quality of Thiago Alcantara. But they were fearless, committed and, crucially, unflustered, even after enduring that rough first half. That’s the sort of quality you see in champions.

As for City, it’s important to put this in context. In the past week they faced Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool — as good a trio of opponents as they’re likely to face this season. They beat Chelsea, lost to PSG and split the spoils with Liverpool, but in each game, they showed the ability to outplay quality opposition for long stretches. And, in a very Pep way, each time they did it with an entirely different look.

At Stamford Bridge, Foden led the line, with Gabriel Jesus and Grealish wide. In Paris, it was Grealish and Riyad Mahrez wide, with Raheem Sterling through the middle. And at Anfield, it was Grealish in the center-forward role, flanked by Foden and Gabriel Jesus. When you can throw so many different looks at the opposition without a drop in performance, you’re on to something special.


It was unmistakable. Having made it 2-0 against his former club, Luis Suarez initially didn’t celebrate — he’d later say it was a mark of respect for Barcelona, where he spent six seasons. Then, as he jogged back, he put his hand to his ear, middle fingers folded in, thumb and pinkie extended in the classic “telephone gesture.” The reference was obvious. It was Ronald Koeman, in the summer of 2020, who told Suarez — then a Barca player — over the course of a two-minute phone call that his services were no longer needed at the club. Not only did Suarez end up leaving for nothing, and joining Atletico, but Barca literally paid him several million just to go away.

It’s obviously not all on Koeman — Barca were (and are) hemorrhaging money, Suarez was on a big contract, the decision was clearly made above the manager’s head — but it was the Dutchman’s voice that Suarez heard on the phone. And that was more than enough.

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Ale Moreno saw nothing from Barcelona to suggest the players ever believed they could beat Atletico Madrid.

In the grand scheme of things, this ignominy is at the bottom of Koeman’s laundry list of problems. It’s not so much the league table — defeat to Atletico leaves them eighth, but if they win their game in hand, they’re fourth — but the Champions League performances (two games, two defeats, zero goal scored and seven conceded) and the one victory in their last six in all competitions. And it’s that intangible sense that the only reason that he’s still in a job is because Barca remain close to insolvency and firing Koeman and hiring a replacement costs money — money they’d rather not spend unless they absolutely have to.

As for the game itself, Koeman’s decisions on Saturday blew up in his face. He stuck the youngster Nico alongside the veteran Sergio Busquets, with Frenkie De Jong out on the right. The idea, you presume, was to slow down Yannick Carrasco, Joao Felix and Thomas Lemar; it did no such thing and, in fact, that’s where Atleti’s first-half goals came from.

Why you would reinvent arguably your most important player in a role he’s never played before is one of the many mysteries of Koeman lore. By the time he fixed it at the break, sending on Sergi Roberto, Atletico were 2-0 up and more than comfortable sitting back.

It’s tough to know where you go from here. There were bright spots that maybe shouldn’t be forgotten. Philippe Coutinho started again and actually looked quite dangerous (though, again, he’s the guy who came off to make way for Ansu Fati with half an hour to go). Fati himself, you hope, will be ready to start after the international break. And sure, this wasn’t a game Barca expected to win (or even get points from), but the sense that Barca don’t score unless Memphis Depay wears his super hero cape, and Barca won’t keep opponents out no matter how many guys Koeman sticks in front of his defence, is hard to shake.

As for Atletico, Simeone deserves a ton of credit both for reading the game correctly — dropping Antoine Griezmann was overdue, but still took courage, as did trusting Joao Felix — and for, lest we forget, generating their first convincing 90-minute performance since August. Yes: between late goals, lucky breaks and refereeing errors, it had been that long since they logged such a comprehensive victory.


Call it the randomness of football. A late Filip Kostic goal meant Bayern were defeated at home by Eintracht Frankfurt. The visitors deserved the win for the intensity, energy and quality they displayed. At the same time, Bayern did not play poorly and, in fact, this game could have gone either way. Yes, both things can be true.

Given the perfectionist Bavarian media, you imagine some will question Julian Nagelsmann’s lack of rotation, or whether Niklas Sule can be an efficient right-back against opponents who sit deep. And sure: when you give up a lead at home and you’re Bayern, there will always be criticism. But as I see it, Kevin Trapp made some unbelievable saves, Bayern created plenty of chances and, as the old cliche goes, the other guys are also trying to win.

So Bayern may as well take it on the chin and move one. As long as it doesn’t become a habit, there’s no reason to be concerned.


Milan’s young guns take down Atalanta as well

Fresh off a crushing — and controversial — Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid, the last team you’d likely want to face are Atalanta and their mile-a-minute intensity, which Pep Guardiola famously compared to a “trip to the dentist.” But this Milan side, as their coach Stefano Pioli put it, manage to be young without “acting young” and their win over Atalanta was more comprehensive than the 3-2 scoreline suggests.

The likes of Fikayo Tomori, Mike Maignan, Brahim Diaz, Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao again looked impressive, though for me, it was Sandro Tonali who stole the show, showing just why folks raved about him when he was a teenager, comparing him to one Andrea Pirlo.

They’re also confounding the critics, and it’s worth reminding themselves that they’re doing it without Gianluigi Donnarumma (by choice) as well as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud (by injury). Their decision to trust in youth and quality rather than big names is being rewarded with their best start in 17 years.

You wonder what happens when Ibrahimovic returns. He’ll get into the team you imagine, but in many ways this is no longer Zlatan’s Milan. It’s a different side. And if they’re going to succeed, it’s likely he’ll have to adapt to them rather than the other way around.


Real Madrid beaten as their hunt for balance continues

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Luis Garcia explains where Real Madrid fell short in their shock 2-1 defeat against Espanyol.

I’ve lost count of the different versions of Real Madrid that Carlo Ancelotti has served up this season. Against Espanyol on Saturday, he brought Lucas Vazquez back at right-back, moved Nacho inside with David Alaba wide, dropped Casemiro and played a 4-4-2 with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric flanked by Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga. The outcome was a 2-1 defeat that could have been heavier if not for Karim Benzema‘s solo effort and what Ancelotti himself described as Madrid’s “worst performance of the season.”

It certainly was far worse than the shock defeat against Sheriff Tiraspol, a match Real Madrid dominated.

You can see what Ancelotti was trying to do in alternative solutions for when Casemiro needs a break (he was on the bench and, based on his recent performances, he most definitely needed one). It’s just that even with so much talent, you still need chemistry and, at the very least, time together on the pitch.

Taken individually, all his moves, to varying degrees, make sense. Taken collectively, they backfired badly against a well-organised Espanyol. The good news is that they’re still top. The bad news is that at some point he’s going to need to settle on some sort of backbone for this team.


Glum Ronaldo overshadows Man United’s home draw vs. Everton

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Stevie Nicol has doubts over Man United’s squad depth as they give up a lead in their draw with Everton.

When you sign Cristiano Ronaldo and he doesn’t start and you don’t win, you know what’s coming. Just ask the three guys who coached Juve in the past three seasons. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows this, and he probably knows that the fact Ronaldo looked disconsolate at the final whistle after the 1-1 draw with Everton has more to do with the home draw than the fact that he came on as a substitute. And that giving him the occasional time off is not just inevitable; it’s the right thing to do at age 36.

– Dawson: Ronaldo can’t rescue Man United off the bench

More problematic, as I see it, were the defensive wobbles from a back line that was only missing Harry Maguire, and a starting XI missing not just Ronaldo, but Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho, too. Along with Bruno Fernandes, those are United’s most gifted individuals. What made him think Everton would be such pushovers that he could easily dispense with their services?

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Gab Marcotti feels Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to stay humble to keep Manchester United fans on his side.

Picking Anthony Martial down the left ahead of Sancho is especially perplexing. United’s record signing has started just one Premier League game since August. Against Rafa Benitez’ predictably organized defensive system, one would have thought Sancho’s individual trickery and creativity would be a better fit than Martial, who these days is much more a forward than a winger anyway.

Who knows? Maybe it suits Solskjaer that folks are needlessly focusing so much on Ronaldo’s body language that they’re overlooking United’s other shortcomings in this game.


Reality bites for Messi, Neymar and Mbappe

Maybe, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter since prior to Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Rennes, PSG had won all eight of their games in Ligue 1. They still have a six-point lead and it’s early October. So why not take the afternoon off against Rennes, who had won just once since August?

It certainly looked as if that’s what Neymar did. Lionel Messi hit the woodwork, but also faded as the game wore on. Kylian Mbappe at least showed some bite after missing a sitter, but goals just before and just after the break condemned PSG. This is something Mauricio Pochettino will have to deal with as the season goes on: with those three guys up front, some games will be boom (a moment of genius) or bust (when’s the next Champions League fixture?).

Maybe the solution will necessarily be more rotation and days off, especially after Champions League fixtures and before international breaks, perhaps with more room for Mauro Icardi. Otherwise, the risk is more days like Sunday, which might not affect who wins the Ligue 1 crown, but is simply deflating.

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Julien Laurens explains all about Kylian Mbappe’s future after the forward confirmed he asked to leave PSG in July.


Three points, but no Plan B for Dortmund vs. Augsburg

Erling Haaland is one of several players unavailable to Borussia Dortmund and coach Marco Rose right now. And because it’s not as if there’s an off-brand Haaland alternative waiting to come off the bench, when he’s not there, Dortmund necessarily need to play differently. That’s not easy to do, but hey, you’re managing in the Bundesliga, your club moved heaven and Earth to get you, you’re Marco Rose — get it done.

Only he hasn’t, and it didn’t work again for the visit of lowly Augsburg. Marco Reus hit the woodwork and Dortmund took plenty of shots, but they did little in terms of attacking fluidity and were helped by a goalkeeping error and the gift of an early penalty. This team is nowhere near their ceiling and there’s still lots of work to be done, both with Haaland and without him.


Arsenal revival continues, but Brighton draw reminds us they need time

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Steve Nicol explains why Arsenal can be happy with a well-earned point at Brighton.

It might seem counter-intuitive to speak of an Arsenal revival on a day when Brighton outplayed them for long stretches in a 0-0 draw, and on a day when they created little on the attacking end (thanks to a poor day at the office from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang), but this was the sort of game you could easily see them lose earlier in the campaign.

That they didn’t and, in fact, might even have won if Emile Smith Rowe had made a different choice late in the match, speaks volumes about how far they’ve come… and how far they have yet to go. Brighton may not be better than Arsenal man-for-man, but they are a better side right now; they’re a more cohesive unit and better coached, too. The operative words being “right now.”

Mikel Arteta has work to do, but the spirit seems to be there and the raw material. It’s a long way back to the top four, let alone the top.


Inter Milan ride luck — and quadruple change — to beat Sassuolo

For nearly an hour, Simone Inzaghi’s Inter got battered by Sassuolo. (By the way, coach Roberto De Zerbi may have gone, but Alessio Dionisi continues in the same vein, making them one of the most attractive and entertaining sides in Serie A, if not all of Europe.) They went a goal down, Samir Handanovic had to make a stellar save to deny Jeremie Boga and then Handanovic himself was very lucky not to be sent off after colliding with Gregoire Defrel outside the area.

Inzaghi made a quadruple change, sending on Edin Dzeko, Fede Dimarco, Matteo Darmian and Arturo Vidal, and the impact was immediate. Dzeko equalized with his first touch and won the penalty that Lautaro Martinez converted for the 2-1 win.

When stuff like this happens, a coach looks like a genius. But you can’t erase the first hour or so either, nor can you count on Dzeko, who is 35, to save you time and again.


Don’t look now, but Bayer Leverkusen are joint-top of the Bundesliga

But for a draw on opening day and a wild 4-3 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen have won every game this season and the streak continued with a 4-0 trouncing of Arminia Bielefeld. It was enough to lift them to the top of the table alongside Bayern, and it shows just what an impact Gerardo Seoane has had since joining from Young Boys in the summer.

Seoane has cleaned up Peter Bosz’ mess, gotten the best out of Moussa Diaby, turned Patrik Schick into a goalscorer and helped nurture the prodigy that is Florian Wirtz. All in a few months’ work.

Can they stay at or near the top? It will be tough against better-funded and more talented opposition. But Leverkusen continue to grow and, certainly, a top four finish feels like an attainable goal.


Napoli still the only perfect team in Europe’s big five leagues

You wouldn’t have expected it after a summer that saw them make only one significant signing (midfielder Andre Zambo Anguissa on loan from Fulham), while replacing a popular manager (Rino Gattuso) with one who is more of a misunderstood genius-type (Luciano Spalletti). But after coming from behind to beat a tough Fiorentina side, 2-1, Napoli have seven wins from seven games and sit atop of Serie A.

Spalletti deserves praise for how quickly he’s connected with his players, but also for putting so much trust in them. Victor Osimhen, fit again after missing nearly half the campaign last season, obviously grabs the headlines, but players like Lorenzo Insigne (despite his contractual dispute), Fabian Ruiz and even Kalidou Koulibaly look positively regenerated by Spalletti.

Yes, coaching does matter, and the lesson here is evident. Too often, when a new manager comes in, debate focuses on whether the club will “back him” and what new players he’ll sign. First and foremost, the criteria ought to be whether he can do a better job than his predecessor with the guys who are already there.


Late goals and squad players deliver hard-fought win — and first place — for Chelsea

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Steve Nicol explains Thomas Tuchel’s surprising decision that proved a masterstroke in Chelsea’s win.

I’m not sure what it says about Chelsea that they really haven’t had a convincing 90-minute performance since August, and yet they now sit atop the Premier League. On Saturday, against Southampton — a team that lost Ryan Bertrand, Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard over the summer — they put together a 3-1 victory, facilitated by two late goals and a lineup that suggests Thomas Tuchel is ready to use more of his squad in an effort to jolt the European champions into life.

– Olley: Werner, Chelsea’s fringe stars find redemption

Trevoh Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi all started (and Ross Barkley came on as a substitute), and maybe it’s what they needed after back-to-back defeats against City and Juventus in the Champions League. Of the above quartet, Chalobah may end up getting the most playing time, Chilwell may be the most expensive and Hudson-Odoi may have the biggest long-term upside, but it’s Loftus-Cheek who is the most intriguing.

Tall, strong and powerful, but blessed with a delicate touch, he’s the guy who never made the transition from teen prodigy to first-team regular at a Champions League-caliber club. When that happens, you often get the tag of “lazy” or “injury-prone,” but he looked fit on Saturday and, crucially, he has a very different skill set to Chelsea’s other midfielders. Whether it’s offering an alternative to Mateo Kovacic or N’Golo Kante or, possibly operating further up the pitch, Loftus-Cheek may well end up having the biggest long-term impact out of Saturday’s quartet.


Locatelli powers Juventus to fourth win in a row

Right now, Juventus are about two things: results and individual growth. The latter is important because in the absence of Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata, it’s critical that the kids they put their faith (and resources) in show they can grow in the face of adversity. Federico Chiesa and Manuel Locatelli (who scored the late winner against Torino) are doing just that. The others will need to catch up.

As for results, they’ve always been Allegri’s (and Juve’s) bread-and-butter, and the 1-0 win over Torino makes it four wins in a row. It also ended the horrific run of 20 games without keeping a clean sheet.

It was far from a sparkling performance — more the old-style defend-and-counter against Ivan Juric’s aggressive Torino — but it does alleviate the pressure and offers time and room to grow, which is just what Allegri needs in the post-Ronaldo Era.


Son shows that rumors of Spurs’ demise are vastly exaggerated

It was all set up for the wheels to come off. A week after humiliation in the North London Derby, there were protests against owner Joe Lewis and chairman Daniel Levy. Aston Villa were in town, fresh off wins over Everton and Manchester United and a solid performance away to Chelsea. Oh, and the international break was around the corner — that time when clubs like to change (or threaten to change) their managers.

Yet Spurs showed plenty of bite and plenty of fight in their 2-1 victory. Heung-Min Son was in fine form, showing he can be near unplayable when in full flight. But many of the players who, supposedly, had lost faith in Nuno Espirito Santo, from Tanguy Ndombele to Cristian Romero, turned up on the day. Nuno may or may not be the right guy to lead this team, but on Sunday’s evidence, the players are still on board.

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2025 MLB All-Star rosters: Biggest snubs and other takeaways

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2025 MLB All-Star rosters: Biggest snubs and other takeaways

The initial 2025 MLB All-Star Game rosters are out, the product of the collaborative process between fans, players and the league. How did this annual confab do?

We already know that injuries will prevent some of these selectees from appearing in Atlanta, and replacement choices will be announced in the coming days. By the end of this post-selection period, we’ll wind up with something like 70 to 75 All-Stars for this season.

These first-draft rosters contain 65 players, the odd number stemming from the decision to send Clayton Kershaw to the festivities as a “Legend” pick. First reaction: Baseball’s newest member of the 3,000 strikeout club has earned everything he gets.

Now, on to the nitpicking.


American League

Biggest oversight: Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins

The Twins’ lone representative on the initial rosters is outfielder Byron Buxton, a worthy selection. Ryan (8-4, 2.76 ERA) fell into a group of similar performers including Kansas City’s Kris Bubic and the Texas duo of Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. Bubic and deGrom made it, which is great, and Bubic in particular is quite a story.

But Ryan and Eovaldi didn’t make it, and both were probably a little more deserving that Seattle’s Bryan Woo, whose superficial numbers (8-4, 2.77) are very close to Ryan’s. But Woo plays in a more friendly pitching park, and the under-the-hood metrics favor Ryan.

The main takeaway: If this is the biggest discrepancy, the process worked well.

Second-biggest oversight: Many-way tie between several hitters

The every-team-gets-a-player rule, along with positional requirements, always knocks out worthy performers from teams with multiple candidates. Thus, a few picks on the position side might have gone differently.

The Rays are playing so well they probably deserve more than one player. Their most deserving pick made it — infielder Jonathan Aranda — along with veteran second baseman Brandon Lowe. Infielders such as J.P. Crawford (Seattle), Isaac Paredes (Houston) and Zach McKinstry (Detroit) had good cases to make it ahead of Lowe, whose power numbers (19 homers, 54 RBIs) swayed the players.

While acknowledging that Gunnar Henderson has had a disappointing season, I still think he deserved to be the Orioles’ default pick instead of Ryan O’Hearn. But the latter was selected as the AL’s starting DH by the fans, and Baltimore doesn’t deserve two players. It’s a great story that O’Hearn will be a first-time All-Star just a couple of weeks before his 32nd birthday.

Other thoughts

• The default White Sox selection is rookie starter Shane Smith, a Rule 5 pick from Milwaukee last winter. Smith is my lowest-rated player on the AL squad, but he has been consistently solid. Adrian Houser, an in-season pickup, has been great for Chicago and has arguably produced more value than Smith. But I like honoring the rookie who has been there the whole campaign.

• The Athletics’ Jacob Wilson was elected as a starter and is easily the most deserving player from that squad. I’m not sure I see a second pick there, but Brent Rooker made it as a DH. Rooker has been fine, but his spot could have gone to one of the overlooked hitters already mentioned, or perhaps Kansas City’s Maikel Garcia.

• Houston’s Jeremy Pena is a deserving choice and arguably should be the AL’s starter at shortstop instead of Wilson. Alas, he’s on the injured list, and though reports say he might soon resume baseball activities, it’s likely Pena will be replaced. Any of the above-mentioned overlooked hitters will do.

• As for the starters, the fans do a great job nowadays. I disagreed with them on a couple of spots, though. I would have gone with a keystone combo of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Pena rather than Gleyber Torres and Wilson, but I’d have them all on the team. And I would have definitely started Buxton over Javier Baez in the outfield.


National League

Biggest oversight: Juan Soto, New York Mets

Not sure how this happens, but I’m guessing Soto is a victim of his own standards. Yes, he signed a contract for an unfathomable amount of money, and so far, he hasn’t reinvented the game as a member of the Mets. He has just been lower-end Juan Soto, which is still one of the best players in the sport. His OBP is, as ever, north of .400, he leads the league in walks and it sure seems as if Pete Alonso has very much enjoyed hitting behind him.

The All-Star Game was invented for players like Soto, and though you might leave out someone like him if he is having a truly poor season, that’s not the case here. It is kind of amazing that he didn’t make it, while MacKenzie Gore and James Wood — both part of the trade that sent Soto from Washington to San Diego — did. They deserve it, and you can make a strong argument that a third player the Nats picked up in the trade — CJ Abrams — does as well. But Soto deserves it too.

Finally, the Marlins’ most-deserving pick is outfielder Kyle Stowers, who indeed ended up as their default selection. But he probably ended up with Soto’s slot.

Second-biggest oversight: Andy Pages, Los Angeles Dodgers

It’s hard to overlook anyone on the Dodgers, but somehow Pages slipped through the cracks despite his fantastic all-around first half for the defending champs.

It was just a numbers game. I’ve got five NL outfielders rated ahead of Pages, and all but Soto made it, so no additional quibbles there. The fans voted in Ronald Acuna Jr. to start at his home ballpark. Having Acuna there in front of the fans in Atlanta makes sense. But he has played only half of the first half.

Other thoughts

• The shortstop position is loaded in the NL, but the only pure shortstops to make it were starter Francisco Lindor and Elly De La Cruz. Both are good selections, but the Phillies’ Trea Turner has been just as outstanding. Abrams and Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo are also deserving. The position has been so good that the player with the most career value currently playing shortstop in the NL — Mookie Betts — barely merits a mention. Betts has had a subpar half, but who will be surprised if he’s topping this list by the end of the season?

• Both leagues had three pitching staff slots given to relievers. The group in the AL (Aroldis Chapman, Josh Hader and Andres Munoz) was much more clear-cut than the one in the NL, which ended up with the Giants’ Randy Rodriguez, the Mets’ Edwin Diaz and the Padres’ Jason Adam. It made sense to honor someone from San Diego’s dominant bullpen, and you could have flipped a coin to pick between Adam and Adrian Morejon.

• Picking these rosters while meeting all the requirements and needs for teams and positions is hard. I don’t have any real issue with the pitchers selected for the NL. One of them is Atlanta’s Chris Sale, who is on the IL and will have to be replaced. My pick would be Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez (7-2, 2.68 ERA).

• And for the starting position players, Alonso should have gotten the nod over Freddie Freeman at first base, though it will be great to see Freeman’s reception when he takes the field in Atlanta. For that matter, the Cubs’ Michael Busch has had a better first half than Freeman at this point, though that became true only in the past few days, thanks to his explosion at Wrigley Field. I would have gone with Turner at short, but it’s close. And I’d have started Wood in place of Acuna.

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Nats seek ‘fresh approach,’ fire Martinez, Rizzo

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Nats seek 'fresh approach,' fire Martinez, Rizzo

The last-place Washington Nationals fired president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez, the team announced Sunday.

Rizzo, 64, and Martinez, 60, won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019, but the team has floundered in recent years. This season, the Nationals are 37-53 and stuck at the bottom of the National League East after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox this weekend at home. Washington hasn’t finished higher than fourth in the division since winning the World Series.

“On behalf of our family and the Washington Nationals organization, I first and foremost want to thank Mike and Davey for their contributions to our franchise and our city,” principal owner Mark Lerner said in a statement. “Our family is eternally grateful for their years of dedication to the organization, including their roles in bringing a World Series trophy to Washington, D.C.

“While we are appreciative of their past successes, the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward.”

Mike DeBartolo, the club’s senior vice president and assistant general manager, was named interim GM on Sunday night. DeBartolo will oversee all aspects of baseball operations, including the MLB draft. An announcement will be made on the interim manager Monday, a day before the club begins a series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rizzo has been the top decision-maker in Washington since 2013, and Martinez has been on board since 2018. Under Rizzo’s leadership, the team made the postseason four times: in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. The latter season was Martinez’s lone playoff appearance.

“When our family assumed control of the team, nearly 20 years ago, Mike was the first hire we made,” Lerner said. “Over two decades, he was with us as we went from a fledging team in a new city to World Series champion. Mike helped make us who we are as an organization, and we’re so thankful to him for his hard work and dedication — not just on the field and in the front office, but in the community as well.”

The Nationals are in the midst of a rebuild that has moved slower than expected, though the team didn’t augment its young core much during the winter. Led by All-Stars James Wood and MacKenzie Gore, Washington has the second-youngest group of hitters in MLB and the sixth-youngest pitching staff.

The team lost 11 straight games in a forgettable stretch last month. And during a 2-10 run in June, Washington averaged just 2.5 runs. Since June 1, the Nationals have scored one run or been shut out seven times. In Sunday’s 6-4 loss to Boston, they left 15 runners on base.

There was industry speculation over the winter that the Nationals would spend money on free agents for the first time in several years, but that never materialized. Instead, the team made minor moves, signing free agents Josh Bell and Michael Soroka, trading for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and re-signing closer Kyle Finnegan. Now, the hope is a new management team, both on and off the field, can help change the franchise’s fortunes.

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

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Kershaw gets special ASG invite; no Soto, Betts

The rosters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game will feature 19 first-timers — and one legend — as the pitchers and reserves were announced Sunday for the July 15 contest at Truist Park in Atlanta.

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner who made his first All-Star team in 2011, was named to his 11th National League roster as a special commissioner’s selection.

Kershaw, who became only the fourth left-hander to amass 3,000 career strikeouts, is 4-0 with a 3.43 ERA in nine starts after beginning the season on the injured list. He joins Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera as a legend choice, after the pair of sluggers were selected in 2022.

Kershaw said he didn’t want to discuss the selection Sunday.

Among the first-time All-Stars announced Sunday: Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto; Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood and left-hander MacKenzie Gore; Houston Astros ace Hunter Brown and shortstop Jeremy Pena; and Chicago Cubs 34-year-old left-hander Matthew Boyd.

“It’ll just be cool being around some of the best players in the game,” Wood said.

First-time All-Stars previously elected to start by the fans include Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Overall, the 19 first-time All-Stars is a drop from the 32 first-time selections on the initial rosters in 2024.

Kershaw would be the sentimental choice to start for the National League, although Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who leads NL pitchers in ERA and WAR, might be in line to start his second straight contest. Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler, a three-time All-Star, is 9-3 with a 2.17 ERA after Sunday’s complete-game victory and also would be a strong candidate to start.

“I think it would be stupid to say no to that. It’s a pretty cool opportunity,” Skenes said about the possibility of being asked to start by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I didn’t make plans over the All-Star break or anything. So, yeah, I’m super stoked.”

Kershaw has made one All-Star start in his career, in 2022 at Dodger Stadium.

Among standout players not selected were New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who signed a $765 million contract as a free agent in the offseason, and Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, who had made eight consecutive All-Star rosters since 2016.

Soto got off to a slow start but was the National League Player of the Month in June and entered Sunday ranked sixth in the NL in WAR among position players while ranking second in OBP, eighth in OPS and third in runs scored.

The players vote for the reserves at each position and selected Wood, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres as the backup outfielders. Kyle Stowers also made it as a backup outfielder as the representative for the Miami Marlins.

Unless Soto later is added as an injury replacement, he’ll miss his first All-Star Game since his first full season in 2019.

The Dodgers lead all teams with five representatives: Kershaw, Yamamoto and starters Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. The AL-leading Detroit Tigers (57-34) and Mariners have four each.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will join AL starters Riley Greene, Gleyber Torres and Javier Baez, while Raleigh, the AL’s starting catcher, will be joined by Seattle teammates Bryan Woo, Andres Munoz and Julio Rodriguez.

Earning his fifth career selection but first since 2021 is Texas Rangers righty Jacob deGrom, who is finally healthy after making only nine starts in his first two seasons with the Rangers and is 9-2 with a 2.13 ERA. He has never started an All-Star Game, although Skubal or Brown would be the favorite to start for the AL.

The hometown Braves will have three All-Stars in Acuna, pitcher Chris Sale (his ninth selection, tied with Freeman for the second most behind Kershaw) and first baseman Matt Olson. The San Francisco Giants had three pitchers selected: Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and reliever Randy Rodriguez.

The slumping New York Yankees ended up with three All-Stars: Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Max Fried. The Mets also earned three All-Star selections: Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz.

“Red carpet, that’s my thing,” Chisholm said. “I do have a ‘fit in mind.”

Rosters are expanded from 26 to 32 for the All-Star Game. They include starters elected by fans, 17 players (five starting pitchers, three relievers and a backup for each position) chosen in a player vote and six players (four pitchers and two position players) selected by league officials. Every club must be represented.

Acuna, Wood and Raleigh are the three All-Stars who have so far committed to participating in the Home Run Derby.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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