Bamba, Cuypers and Lod score as Fire beat Montréal 3-0 — and more

CHICAGO (AP) — Jonathan Bamba scored in the first half, and the Chicago Fire scored twice in stoppage time to secure a 3-0 win over CF Montréal in their home opener on Saturday.

Chicago (1-1) controlled the match throughout, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime after Bamba finished from the center of the box in the 27th minute. The Fire generated steady pressure and limited Montréal’s chances despite playing the final 34 minutes a man down following a red card to Jonathan Dean in the 56th minute.

The Fire secured the match in stoppage time as Hugo Cuypers converted a penalty in the 90th minute to make it 2-0, and Robin Lod added a third moments later with a finish from close range.

Chicago dominated the attacking numbers, finishing with an 18-4 advantage in shots and an 11-2 edge in on-target shots while producing 4.0 expected goals. Montréal (0-2) managed just 0.1 expected goals and rarely threatened.

Goalkeeper Chris Brady made two saves for the shutout, while Thomas Gillier kept the visitors within reach for much of the afternoon with seven saves.

The win extended Chicago’s unbeaten streak against Canadian opponents to six matches dating to 2024 and marked the Fire’s first victory of the season after opening with a road loss at Houston.

Up next

Montréal: faces New York on March 8th.

Chicago: against Columbus on Saturday.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Dylan Cease has been wearing Blue Jays colours for a few weeks now, but Saturday marked his first official spring training action and the debut went according to plan.

The right-hander completed 1.2 innings while striking out three, allowing a Bryan De La Cruz home run and averaging 97.4 m.p.h. with his fastball.

“Pretty ideal,” Cease said. “Definitely a lot of positives.”

At this point in spring, he’s focused on repeating his delivery so his location can be as precise as possible. He estimates that he’s already 80 per cent of the way to where he should be mechanically, with some fine-tuning ahead over the coming weeks.

“But I feel really optimistic with where I’m at,” Cease said.

Behind the scenes, the 30-year-old has enjoyed his first few weeks in Blue Jays camp since he’s been able to get to know his new teammates on the defending American League champs.

“A lot of that is trying to assimilate and just do my job, really. Not make it about myself,” Cease said. “It’s been great. I feel like we’re bonding well. We like each other. It’s been a lot of fun.”

But while Cease was in the spotlight Saturday, there are countless intriguing stories unfolding with less fanfare. Here’s a closer look at a few of them, starting with the team’s rotation:

Berrios bounces back

While Cease was pitching in Dunedin, Fla., Jose Berrios was facing the Yankees a short drive away in Tampa, Fla. At a time when most starting pitchers are content to pitch an inning or two, Berrios completed four innings on 54 pitches without allowing a hit or a run.

Now, results don’t matter this time of year, but it’s worth noting that Berrios had more velocity Saturday than he did in his spring debut against the Mets. After averaging 91.9 m.p.h. on his four-seam fastball Monday, he was up to 93.1 m.p.h. against a Yankees lineup featuring Aaron Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and most of New York’s regulars.

This was a step in the right direction for Berrios, who’s now way ahead of most pitchers with four weeks to go before opening day.

Gasuman easing in

Speaking of Blue Jays starters, Kevin Gausman’s spring debut went according to plan this week with three strikeouts in his first inning of work. Including the post-season, Gausman led all MLB pitchers in innings, pitches, batters faced and starts last year, so there’s no need to overdo it this spring. But if he adds an inning per outing over the course of five starts, he’ll be where he needs to be when the season begins — perhaps with his first-ever Opening Day start against the Athletics on March 27.

“He’s about as low-maintenance and low-key as you can get,” manager John Schneider said. “He’s been our workhorse, our ace.”

Meanwhile, Shane Bieber doesn’t have immediate plans to get off a mound and Trey Yesavage will be eased into spring training action while Max Scherzer is expected to arrive in Blue Jays camp Sunday or Monday. There are a lot of moving pieces here – so many that opposing teams look at the mix and wonder how it’ll all fit together – but more options will only help, especially after a season in which the Blue Jays played an extra month.

Springer feeling healthy

George Springer took a beating as the 2025 post-season unfolded, but he says he was able to get his body “back underneath” him over the winter, and he’s not especially inclined to reflect back on the knee, side and wrist issues that he dealt with late last year.

“It doesn’t matter what’s wrong with you or if you feel good or not,” said Springer, now 36. “There isn’t a guy on the field who feels good at that point in the year, so it doesn’t really matter.”

Springer says he’s throwing more comfortably than he did last year and is ready to contribute in the outfield again as needed. And after posting career highs in batting average (.309) and on-base percentage (.399) last year, there’s no doubt that the offensive changes he made last year can work.

“Spring training means absolutely nothing for a guy like him,” Schneider said. “So we’re just looking for him to take some aggressive swings and be on time (at the plate).”

Schreck pulling closer

The area where the Blue Jays might have the most organizational depth is outfield, and that’s partly thanks to RJ Schreck, the left-handed hitting 25-year-old who joined the Blue Jays in exchange for Justin Turner back in 2024. Multiple Blue Jays people have gone out of their way to praise Shreck, who hit 18 home runs with a .249/.395/.459 batting line in 105 games spent mostly in the upper minors last year. Schneider has been particularly impressed with the outfielder’s self-awareness and communication with the coaching staff.

If things go well, he could bring a Nathan Lukes-like profile to the team – that is, a strong side platoon hitter who holds his own at all three outfield positions. And speaking of position player depth, shortstop Josh Kasevich has been impressing team decision makers, too.

Rodriguez must attack

When the Blue Jays took Yariel Rodriguez off the 40-man roster this winter, it was a clear sign they weren’t thrilled with his performance. They’d love to see him bounce back and contribute to the 2026 team, as opportunity will surely emerge throughout the season. As of now, though, he’s not attacking within the strike zone enough to have a great shot of breaking camp with the team.

Rule 5 intrigue

Elsewhere in the bullpen mix, Rule 5 picks Spencer Miles and Angel Bastardo will get more chances to show the Blue Jays they have big-league-ready command along with big velocity.

“The stuff is there with both of those guys,” Schneider said. “They’re flashing stuff (that shows) the reason we acquired them. They’ve got to stay healthy and as we get closer, they’ve got to tighten a few things up, but so far so good.”

Of course, making the team as a Rule 5 selection is a challenge for any player, especially one on a contending team like the Blue Jays. But being on the 40-man roster with big velocity is at least a start.

Roster reminder

The opening day roster always gets extra attention, and rightfully so. But it’s worth remembering the active roster changes weekly and the main purpose of the Opening Day roster is to set the Blue Jays up for success in their first games of the year
— that is, against the Athletics. If a roster battle is close, some consideration should probably be given to what the A’s will do. We’re a long way from that point, but hypothetically, that might mean taking an extra lefty reliever to neutralize lefty bats like Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Jeff McNeil and Lawrence Butler.

More from Sportsnet

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Green followed up his explosive physical testing by running a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, the second-fastest time ever for a quarterback at the event. While analysts compared his build to Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, NFL Network's Charles Davis noted Green firmly rejected any talk of switching positions. "Absolutely not. I'm a quarterback," Green reportedly stated when asked about wide receiver drills. The 6-foot-6 prospect, who played at Boise State under Bobby Petrino, is widely regarded as a top-tier dual-threat signal caller despite his lower recruiting ranking coming out of high school in Texas.

The importance of Der Klassiker cannot be understated. The Clash of the Titans, if you may, of German football happens to be the face-off between the two most decorated teams of the Bundesliga. Every year the title race is decided by whether Bayern Munich manage to win against Borussia Dortmund and the game becomes even more special if it is away at the Signal Iduna Park. Away games at Dortmund are always difficult and every win there hence becomes a well-deserved one.

No one understands this better than Jonathan Tah, who strongly emphasizes that the win was deserved. In an interview following Bayern’s 3-2 win, Tah praised the game’s intensity. “We obviously knew it was a very important game. It was an intense match, with both teams giving their all on the pitch,” the former Leverkusen man said, per @iMiaSanMia.

“In the end, it all came down to mentality and team spirit. We showed that team spirit on the pitch today, and we kept pushing until the end,” he added, citing the role team spirit played against Dortmund. It is particularly noteworthy that both Tah and his companion Dayot Upamecano had a very solid game and held the defense together for the most part. It is perhaps fitting that he spoke on team spirit — for he exemplified it.

“I think it (the win) was deserved,” he declared.

What do you think of Tah’s performance from tonight? Let us know in the comments!

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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The River Plate world has finally found the man tasked with inheriting the coach’s jersey after the departure of Marcelo Gallardo.

Eduardo "Chacho" Coudet has reached a full agreement with the management led by Stefano Di Carlo to become the new head coach of the institution. After a week of intense negotiations and secrecy that kept fans on edge, the club’s former midfielder has accepted the challenge of returning to Núñez, this time to lead the football project from the bench.

The logistics for his arrival are already underway. Coudet, who had been working as the coach of Deportivo Alavés in the Spanish league, will leave the club. The coach is expected to land in Buenos Aires next Wednesday to sign a contract that will tie him to River. This decision marks the end of his stint in the Old Continent and his triumphant return to Argentine football, where he already made his mark with his intense and attacking style.

The mission ahead is not easy, as he will have to manage the post-Gallardo transition during a period of institutional change. The bet by Di Carlo and manager Enzo Francescoli on Coudet aims to inject energy and character into a squad that has shown inconsistencies in the Torneo Apertura. "Chacho" arrives with the backing of his previous success at Racing Club and Rosario Central, but above all with the advantage of knowing every corner of the Monumental, a key factor in easing the pressure that comes with the job.

As a player, Coudet left an indelible mark in the memory of River Plate members, winning five domestic titles and earning the fans’ affection with his charisma and commitment. That sense of belonging has been fundamental in bringing the negotiations to a successful conclusion, even surpassing other alternatives considered by the Technical Secretariat. His profile fits the club’s historic tradition: teams that take the initiative, press high, and seek to be protagonists on any field—qualities that fans demand without compromise.

The official debut of the new era is scheduled for next March 12, when River visits Huracán for the tenth round of the tournament, once the scheduled break in local football has passed. In the meantime, Marcelo Escudero will continue as interim coach for this Monday’s match. Expectations are sky-high; Núñez is preparing to welcome back a familiar face who promises to restore to the team that spark and rebelliousness that define his personality, with the goal of returning River to the top of the continent.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.