I Dig Sports
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Alex Palou begins the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season in the same place he finished 2024 first in the championship points race.
Palou drove a masterful race on the streets of St. Petersburg on Sunday, leading the final 26 laps to score his 12th IndyCar Series victory of his career in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
It was also a 1-2 finish for Chip Ganassi Racing as teammate Scott Dixon passed Team Penskes Josef Newgarden on the final lap as Newgardens No. 2 PPG Chevrolet ran out of fuel.
Palou is a three-time IndyCar Series champion, including two-straight in 2023 and 2024. The last time the defending IndyCar Series champion won the first race of the season was 2011 when Dario Franchitti won on the streets of St. Petersburg. Franchitti went on to win his third-straight IndyCar Series championship later that season.
Palou is attempting to become the first driver to win three-straight IndyCar Series Championships in 2025.
Franchitti scored all three of his Chip Ganassi Racing IndyCar championships in the No. 10 car. He also won the 2007 IndyCar Series Championship when he was driving for what is now known as Andretti Global.
Palous three IndyCar Series titles, including the 2021 championship, have been in the No. 10 CGR entry.
The numbers are looking good for Palou this year.
I couldnt be happier, Palou said. Its been a long off-season and a tough off-season for everybody at CGR and HRC (Honda Racing Corporation). This was one of the places that weve been struggling in the past, and we wanted to get a little bit closer to the competition.
I wanted to be here in Victory Lane, but I did not expect maybe to be here in Victory Lane.
That shows the amazing job that all the men and women did at Chip Ganassi Racing during the off-season. One-two for the team, I dont know what Chip said, but I bet hes pretty happy.
Team owner Chip Ganassi was certainly happy, especially after Dixon was able to race his way to second place as Newgardens Chevrolet was sputtering with a fuel issue.
Youre right, he told Palou after he made that comment.
Newgarden started 10th and was hoping to make amends for 2024 when he won the race at St. Petersburg, only to be disqualified six weeks later when IndyCar discovered Team Penske had manipulated the push-to-pass system in the car.
Newgarden was tracking down Palous Honda in the closing laps before encountering a fuel issue, a result of an air pocket in the No. 2 fuel tank prevented Team Penske from putting a full load of fuel into Newgardens machine.
We just had fuel miscues today two times, Newgarden explained. We had a shift that was unexpected with a lap to go, and we just had to hit the emergency button, which was unfortunate. We started that last lap like half emergency mode, and then they said, You just have to pull the chute here. Like just finish.
Yeah, it happens. Its unfortunate.
To have miscues like that and to still finish third I think is a great day in a lot of ways. Really pleased to come out of here with points. Obviously, theres a lot more that could have been.
Second-place finisher Dixon also had an issue throughout the race with his radio. It kept cutting in and out and his team in the pits were unable to communicate with the driver.
Yeah, no radio for the entire race, Dixon explained. It was kind of tough just to see what we were doing, mileage-wise. I knew it was going to be a lot tighter, obviously; once the first caution happened, it was going to be a strict kind of two-stopper.
The radio kind of worked on the warm-up laps and kind of for the first 10 and that was about it, but ultimately cost us the race, I think, with not coming in when I should have, I think, with about maybe the same lap as Alex. We caught that traffic with about five or six cars and lost about two or three seconds on that in lap, so that was a bit of a nightmare.
The car was good. I think pit stops were really good. I think all around, we had good speed.
I think anytime that we had clean air, we could definitely stretch out but spent most of the race in dirty air. Its kind of the first time Ive ever done a whole race without a radio, so that was interesting.
We needed like a lap board out there or something.
Im glad we got some good points and a nice one, too, for the team.
Pole winner Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske finished fourth after leading 40 laps. Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global finished fifth and complained the disparity between the Firestone Black primary tires and the Green Alternates were too drastic.
Firestone wanted a greater variation between the blacks and the greens this year to create more strategy. That was something many drivers favored, but not Kirkwood.
I didnt want any difference, I dont know who is telling you that, Kirkwood said. Firestone wanted some differences to spice of the strategy a little bit for the street courses to get more passes, but that is the nature of the street courses its hard to pass.
The green tires were very soft and only lasted a few laps. Everyone would jump off of them after a few laps. They were deadly, and everybody wanted to get off of them and that is due to how soft they are.
We nailed all the boxes, had good stops, we started on the right tire, on the same strategy as all the other guys and were definitely a top five, top four car today.
Powers Short Day
It was a miserable birthday weekend for two-time IndyCar Series champion and 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner Will Power. He turned 44 on Saturday, but his team had to use three different Hybrid units after the Team Penske driver experienced issues in practice and qualifications.
When the green flag dropped to start the race, Power never made it through the third turn as he was in a crash with Nolan Siegel of Arrow McLaren Racing. Rookie Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing was also involved in a crash on that lap, and the yellow flag waved for the only time in the race.
SPEED SPORT caught up with Power after the race for an exclusive interview.
Oh man, you put a lot into it, and it is frustrating, Power told SPEED SPORT. Everyone at some point gets caught up in a first turn thing every few years.
All the work we put in during the offseason, to be out on the first lap, it is frustrating. I was not ready for that checkup in Turn 3.
I dont know what happened. Nolan checked up heavily to the point where I got into him, he got into somebody and someone else got into me.
It was definitely a good hit. Hopefully, it didnt damage the engine. Im hoping no more hybrid issues and hopefully the gearbox isnt damaged.
I have to focus positively on the next race and the next few outings. Its funny how things roll.
I didnt have much to celebrate by birthday on the track, thats for sure.
Were going to move forward, man.
In the end, it was Palou that continued to move forward. He once again proved he is the coolest driver in the series and looked like he barely broke a sweat to score his 12th IndyCar win.
He makes it look easy, doesnt he? Ganassi said. He makes it look easy.
He doesnt sweat.
The New York Rangers won't play forward Reilly Smith on Sunday night against the Nashville Predators for roster management reasons.
Smith, 33, is a likely candidate to be traded before Friday's NHL deadline. The Rangers do not want to take a chance that he'll sustain an injury ahead of the deadline.
Smith, in his first season with the Rangers, is due to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. On Saturday, the Rangers traded Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Lindgren, who also will reach UFA status at season's end, to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Rangers sent a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft and a second-round pick in 2027 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 1, 2024, to acquire Smith.
Smith has played for the Dallas Stars (2011-13), Boston Bruins (2013-15), Florida Panthers (2015-17), Vegas Golden Knights (2017-23), Penguins and Rangers. He is in the final season of a three-year, $15 million contract he signed with Vegas in July 2022.
In 898 career games, Smith has 542 points (223 goals, 319 assists), with 29 of them (10 goals, 19 assists) coming with the Rangers.
The Rangers enter play Sunday four points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
SUNRISE, Fla. -- The opportunity to acquire a defenseman like Seth Jones might seem like a simple decision. It was not that way for the Florida Panthers.
A day after pulling off the deal that brought Jones in from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for goaltender Spencer Knight, Panthers general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito said the Stanley Cup champions took their time before finally agreeing to bring on Jones, who has five years left on a big-money contract.
"Obviously, this isn't a decision made over 10 minutes," Zito said Sunday. "Lots of time and energy and effort and research in all areas of the game, whether it's live scouting, knowing somebody, the analytic side, the coachability. And as we went through it, he just continued to check every box. Those are the kinds of guys we can commit to, and we think that he'll thrive in our environment."
Jones, the No. 4 pick in the 2013 draft, will be introduced by the Panthers on Monday following the team's morning skate in advance of its home game against the rival Tampa Bay Lightning. He is expected to quickly fill a marquee spot on the Florida blue line. Some Panthers players already know Jones well -- he and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky were teammates in Columbus, for example.
The trade came at a high price. The Panthers will be on the hook for 74% of Jones' average annual salary of $9.5 million over the next five years; Chicago retained the other 26%. And Knight was widely considered to be Florida's goaltender of the future, a 2019 first-round pick who played at Boston College and has impressed at every level of hockey.
Knight spoke openly in the past 18 months of how he has dealt with obsessive compulsive disorder -- he sought help in 2023 and stepped away from the game for a few months. He didn't play for the Panthers last season and spent the entire 2023-24 season in the minors before going 12-8-1 with two shutouts as Sergei Bobrovsky's backup this season.
The Panthers -- players, coaches and front office included -- have raved about Knight all season. Zito said the idea of parting with Knight a, fan favorite in Florida, only added to the difficulty of the decision to make the trade.
"It was really very difficult, on so many different levels," Zito said of trading Knight. "You can't imagine. The level of respect we have for Spencer is tremendous. He's a wonderful person. He's a wonderful guy. The guy's a champion. It's really hard. It's not fun on a personal level and it's not fun on a business level, but you have to make hard decisions."
The Panthers likely aren't done with their work going into Friday's trade deadline. Forward Matthew Tkachuk was placed on injured reserve Sunday, indicating that his return from a lower-body injury -- he was slowed during the 4 Nations Face-Off event and hasn't played for the Panthers since that tournament ended -- is not imminent.
There's also the matter of Bobrovsky's backup now that Knight is in Chicago. Earlier Sunday, the Panthers recalled veteran Chris Driedger, 30, from the club's AHL affiliate. Driedger has NHL experience, including 31 career wins. But he has struggled in the minors this season, posting a 2.97 goals-against average and an .878 save percentage.
"Busy week," Zito said. "I like our team. I'm happy with our team. But if we can get better, we get better. That's what we do."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Manchester City will visit Bournemouth in the FA Cup quarterfinals as Pep Guardiola's side look to salvage a disappointing season.
The draw, which was made on Sunday evening, has also thrown up a London derby between Fulham and Crystal Palace.
Fulham knocked holders Manchester United out of the competition on Sunday, winning their fifth round tie at Old Trafford 4-3 on penalties.
In the other quarterfinal match-ups, Championship side Preston North End will host Aston Villa, while Brighton will play either Nottingham Forest or Ipswich Town, who play on Monday,.
The quarterfinals will be played between March 28 - March 31.
Full quarterfinal draw:
Fulham vs. Crystal Palace
Preston North End vs. Aston Villa
Bournemouth vs. Manchester City
Brighton vs. Nottingham Forest or Ipswich Town.
Fulham keeper Bernd Leno saved two penalties as they beat FA Cup holders Manchester United 4-3 in a shootout to secure their spot in the quarter-finals after Sunday's dramatic fifth-round tie at Old Trafford ended 1-1 after extra time.
The match went to penalties after United's Bruno Fernandes grabbed a second-half leveller following Calvin Bassey's opener for Fulham in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
After a goalless extra time, Leno saved Victor Lindelöf's penalty, leaving United's Joshua Zirkzee needing to bury his to keep their hopes alive. Yet he fired his effort straight at Leno sparking wild Fulham celebrations.
Raúl Jiménez, Sander Berge, Willian and Antonee Robinson converted their penalties for Fulham, who will face Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals.
Fulham caught United's defence flat-footed from Andreas Pereira's corner to strike first blood seconds before halftime, with Rodrigo Muniz nodding on for Bassey to head home in his first FA Cup appearance.
Fernandes levelled in the 71st minute when Diogo Dalot cut it back from the left-hand side and United's skipper unleashed a left-footed shot from just inside the 18-yard box that sailed past two Fulham defenders and goalkeeper Leno on its way into the far corner to send the game into extra time.
Getty Images
"Unbelievable," a smiling Leno told the BBC. "I think we deserved to win after 90 minutes. Of course, penalties, it is sometimes a lottery and luckily we won. The goalie coach told me couple of information, but my feeling is more important.
"I went the wrong way three times, but credit to our penalty takers -- it is not easy. Brilliant job from all of us."
Thirteen-times FA Cup winners United defeated Manchester City last year and lost to City in the 2023 final.
But Ruben Amorim's men have struggled mightily this season, languishing 14th in the Premier League, five places below Fulham.
"I think we have the best chances in the game," Amorim said. "In the end, the penalties can go both ways and today wasn't our way.
"The goal is to win the Premier League," he added. "I know that we are losing games, but the goal is to win the Premier League again. I don't know how long it will take. We have a goal and we continue forward no matter what."
Both sides squandered chances at winning goals in the breathless affair at Old Trafford. United keeper André Onana dived to push away a shot from Emile Smith Rowe late in normal time.
United then had several terrific chances to seal the victory seconds before the whistle sounded. Leno came out to save a point-blank shot from Alejandro Garnacho and then 17-year-old Chido Obi first stabbed the ball just wide of the net and then forced Leno to make a diving save.
Fulham boss Marco Silva said his team deserved to win in normal time.
"I think we were the best team on the pitch. Our team was on the ball dominating the ball," he said. "We deserve to be in the next stage."
Fulham reached their only FA Cup final in 1975 when they were beaten 2-0 by West Ham United. Leno said he would like to see his team get back to Wembley for the final.
"Two years ago we lost here in the quarterfinal [to Manchester United] and we're in the quarter-final again," he said. "We want to go to Wembley 100%."
Naomi Girma, women's soccer's first million-dollar player, was injured and replaced in her Chelsea debut on Sunday.
The United States defender was taken off after 59 minutes of a 2-2 draw against Brighton and it was not immediately clear how serious the unspecified injury was.
"We'll need to assess her tomorrow, but it doesn't look too bad, but we will see," Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor said.
The 24-year-old Girma joined Chelsea from the San Diego Wave FC in January for a reported fee of 900,000 ($1.1 million). That deal surpassed the previous world-record fee of $788,000 that Bay FC paid to sign Zambia striker Racheal Kundananji from Madrid CFF last year.
Girma was replaced by Nathalie Björn in the Women's Super League game at Brighton's Broadfield Stadium.
"She's learning about the league, the team and her teammates. As you could see, the first game is never easy because it's a competitive league," Bompastor said. "It was good for us to have her start this game, building minutes and being able to play with the team."
Five-time defending WSL champion Chelsea secured a point through Lauren James' equalizer in the 61st minute.
Chelsea led through Sandy Baltimore's opener in the 16th, but Brighton went into half-time up 2-1 after goals from Marisa Olislagers in the 22nd and Vicky Losada in the 42nd.
Chelsea are five points ahead of Manchester United at the top of the standings.
Ruben Amorim responded to Wayne Rooney's suggestion that he's "naive" to say his goal at Manchester United is to win the Premier League by telling the former club captain that it's "easy" to be a pundit.
Amorim said his main aim at Old Trafford is to win the title as he reflected on his disappointment at United's FA Cup exit to Fulham on Sunday.
Rooney, working as a pundit for the BBC, said the claim was "naive," but Amorim hit back by telling the former United striker it is was "easy" to speak from the safety of a television studio.
"[The Premier League] is the goal," said Amorim. "Being naive is to think we are going to do it this season or be the best contender next season. So I know that in this moment everybody knows everything. I know that and it's really easy -- I was a pundit when I finished my career. I know it's really easy.
"Our goal is to win the Premier League. Maybe it is not with me. But our goal, as a club, the board, is to win the Premier League like we did in the past with all the great glories and legends of this club and we will want to do better and we are in a difficult moment. And I'm not naive, that's why I'm here, at 40-years-old, coaching Manchester United."
Fulham knocked United out of the cup on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. Calvin Bassey gave Fulham the lead on the stroke of half-time before Bruno Fernandes equalised in the second half.
Both André Onana and Bernd Leno needed to make saves to send the game to penalties. Leno was the hero in the shootout after keeping out efforts from Victor Lindelöf and Joshua Zirkzee.
It leaves United needing to win the Europa League to save their season ahead of their last-16 first leg tie against Real Sociedad in Spain on Thursday.
"I think we started quite well, we had good possession, controlling the game but we cannot maintain that for all the game," said Amorim. "Sometimes we drop the lines to feel more comfortable to use the transitions.
"I think during the game we create the best chances. With the penalties it can happen and today was not our day."
Amorim, Man United's big week opens with FA Cup humbling for the holders vs. Fulham
MANCHESTER, England -- A big week for Ruben Amorim has started with another setback.
Two cup games in the space of five days -- one against Fulham in the FA Cup fifth round, the other against Real Sociedad in the Europa League round of 16 -- offered Manchester United and their head coach hope that something can yet be salvaged from this miserable season. Fulham, though, had other ideas and after a 1-1 draw played out over a tense 120 minutes short of any real quality, it was Marco Silva's side that prevailed 4-3 on penalties. Victor Lindelöf and Joshua Zirkzee missed from the spot as United -- the holders -- crashed out.
The cup exit closed another door for Amorim and now the pressure on Thursday's trip to San Sebastian has heightened even further. The Europa League offers a trophy and a place in next season's Champions League. Winning it would turn this season into something resembling a success. On the evidence of their performance against Fulham -- which lacked any real cutting edge in key moments -- that's easier said than done.
"In the end, the penalties can go both ways and today wasn't our way," Amorim said. "We know that we are losing games, but the goal is to win the Premier League again. I don't know how long it will take. We have a goal, and we continue forward no matter what.
"It's impossible to know, but you start understanding the players are better and we understand the league. We'll see in the future."
Sometimes he must feel as if he's banging his head against a brick wall. In his programme notes ahead of the game, he paid tribute to his coaching staff for "improving in how we defend set-pieces in recent weeks."
It was typical of his "one step forward, two steps back" start to life at Old Trafford that at the end of one of United's better first halves under his management, Fulham scored from a set piece.
It looked like a poor decision to award a corner, but that doesn't excuse the ease at which Rodrigo Muniz flicked it on for Calvin Bassey to nod it home at the back post. Manuel Ugarte, who lost Muniz's run, and Noussair Mazraoui, who was marking Bassey, won't want to see a replay.
It was the fifth time in a row United conceded the first goal. In Amorim's 24 games in charge, United have conceded the first goal 16 times. That's a damning stat on its own, but particularly when the team is struggling to score itself. Goalless again in the first 45 minutes, United have failed to score from open play in 19 consecutive first halves.
Amorim's list of problems is a long one. Among other things, he was able to name only seven substitutes instead of the permitted nine. Of those on the bench, two were young goalkeepers.
Fulham eliminate Manchester United from the FA Cup after winning a penalty shootout to decide the tie at Old Trafford.
It's lucky for Amorim that Bruno Fernandes is so durable. After a week that has seen more criticism come his way courtesy of former captain Roy Keane, the Portuguese midfielder showed again that he is United's most important player. He might not rank with Keane or Paul Scholes as one of the club's greatest ever midfield players; he is, though, the undisputed star of this team.
It was Fernandes who dragged United level in the second half, ghosting in to whip Diogo Dalot's cross into the bottom corner. The technique was exquisite, but he made it look simple.
Fernandes now has six game-changing goals this season -- three winners and three equalisers -- and has more goals (11) and assists (12) than anyone else. He stepped up first in the penalty shootout and rifled his shot into the net in front of the Stretford End, but he can't do it all on his own and in the absence of 11 Brunos, both Lindelof and Zirkzee saw their efforts saved by Bernd Leno. The Fulham keeper was outstanding, making key saves from Alejandro Garnacho and Chido Obi to keep the game level.
"Unbelievable," Leno said after the win. "I think we deserved to win after 90 minutes. Of course, penalties, it is sometimes a lottery and luckily, we won. The goalie coach told me a couple of informations, but my feeling is more important."
Fulham have a quarterfinal against Crystal Palace to look forward to. For Amorim, it's Europa League or bust.
The Portuguese coach has lost 10 of his 25 games since replacing Erik ten Hag in November. United are refusing to countenance that he could be under pressure so early into his tenure, but there was an acceptance before the defeat to Fulham that the cup competitions are important -- both in terms of extending interest in the season and providing a pathway into Europe.
Languishing 14th in the Premier League table and now out of the FA Cup, United are left with just the Europa League. A pivotal week in Amorim's short reign rests on Real Sociedad.
India to face Australia in Dubai semi-final; NZ to meet SA in Lahore semi-final
The tangled scheduling was a result of India not playing any of their games in Pakistan for the tournament, and they were supposed to play the semi-finals in Dubai, regardless of their standings in Group A. Such a scenario became all but inevitable after India refused to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, despite the country officially being the sole host of the tournament. The PCB had spent several months trying to get India to visit Pakistan, at one stage proposing hosting all their games in Lahore. However, the BCCI said the Indian government did not grant the team permission to play cricket in Lahore.
New Zealand are set to take an early-morning flight to Lahore from Dubai on Monday while South Africa will fly back to Pakistan later in the day after having spent around 36 hours in Dubai.
While Rohit Sharma was pleased with India's showing - they are the only team with three wins in as many games in the Champions Trophy - he turned his focus to the semi-final against Australia.
"I think it [momentum] is very, very critical when you're playing such a short tournament," Rohit said after the win against New Zealand. "You try and possibly win every game that is in front of you and try and do everything right and while doing that, there are bound to be mistakes but as long as you correct them quickly, that is what matters. I thought the mistakes that we've been making from game one now, we tend to correct those mistakes and that is what is required.
"It [semi-final] is going to be a good game and obviously we know Australia has a rich history of playing ICC tournaments well. We do understand that; it's about what we want to do against the opposition and try and do that right. We're all looking forward to that contest and hopefully we can stitch one [more win] towards us."
'My shot changed the momentum' - Sachin Baby takes 'blame' for Kerala's heartbreaking loss
Several members of the Kerala team, heartbroken and lost for words, recognised the presence of these young kids in the stands, posing for pictures even as Baby momentarily brought some comic relief at the presentation. "You guys have beaten us in all three knockout stages. Next time, guys, we'll beat you. We'll give you a tougher time," Baby told the Vidarbha team in jest.
"Brain fade," he said at the post-match press conference, of the slog he dragged to Karun Nair at deep midwicket on 98. The occasion couldn't have been bigger; a century in his 100th first-class game may have well killed the game. But it wasn't to be; it was as if they'd run out of luck in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, which they scraped through courtesy leads of one and two runs respectively.
"As the leader, I'll take the blame," he said. "My shot changed the momentum of the game. I wanted to be there for the team, and we were six down. I wanted to be there till the end to get the lead. I wanted to have a lead of 100-plus if at all we got a lead. That would have made a difference."
Baby couldn't quite explain why he played the slog - it was instinct more than a calculated risk, one that he will perhaps replay in his mind over and over again. "I was playing all along the ground till that moment, but then I don't know what happened and why I played that shot. But that and the dropped catch of Karun [Nair] were important moments of the game."
And then he continued. "If I take credit for the success, I will take the blame for failure, too. Nobody plays a shot to get out. That shot was not on my mind, actually. Maybe, it was a brain fade moment. But on this wicket, you had to play shots. If I had played too defensively, there would have been pressure on the team and myself."
At 36, Baby is the oldest member of this side. He hates the use of the word 'veteran' to describe ageing stars. He says he's never felt fitter - all possible signs of him wanting to continue. But without wanting to make it about him, he continued: "We have to improve still. I was telling the team about how Vidarbha came back from the defeat in last year's final to win the trophy this year."
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