Aston Villa Handed Opening As 21.5m Stars Future Hinges On Hong Kong: Should They Eye Permanent Deal?Aston Villas pre-season meeting with Bayern Munich in Hong Kong could shape far more than preparations for the new campaign. According to Sport 1, via Sport Witness, senior officials from both clubs are expected to use the occasion to restart discussions over Joo Palhinha after negotiations lost momentum during the summer.Aston Villa transfer news: Hong Kong meeting could revive stalled deal for Joo PalhinhaThe Portugal international has returned to Bayern following his loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur, yet Vincent Kompanys plans no longer include the experienced midfielder. Bayern are open to selling him, though their asking price has created a sizeable gap between the two clubs.Villa have kept their interest alive despite that obstacle. Face-to-face talks offer a chance to settle differences over the structure of a deal rather than exchanging proposals from afar. Palhinha has publicly spoken about wanting to stay in Munich, although German reports suggest those comments may have formed part of his negotiating position instead of reflecting his preferred outcome.T4O take: Why Aston Villa should avoid a permanent dealLONDON, ENGLAND MAY 24: Joao Palhinha of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after the team secured safety from relegation during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 24, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)Palhinha enjoyed an impressive individual campaign in difficult circumstances. During the 2025/26 Premier League season, he scored five goals and produced two assists in 33 appearances for Tottenham, playing 2,197 minutes. His stoppage-time winner against Everton on the final day secured Spurs survival and cemented his place as one of their standout performers.Even so, Aston Villa shouldnt commit 21.5 million plus substantial wages for this transfer. Unai Emery has already reshaped his midfield. Joo Gomes arrived from Wolves in a 35 million deal and brings the same aggressive ball-winning qualities while offering greater mobility and a much younger profile. That signing alone changes the picture.Why Aston Villa already have enough depthBoubacar Kamara has recovered from his long-term injury, while Amadou Onana and John McGinn provide strong competition across central midfield. Palhinha would struggle to arrive as an automatic starter despite reportedly earning around 192,000, or 165,000, per week.Those figures matter. Villa continue working within Profit and Sustainability Rules, and spending heavily on a 31-year-old with little resale value makes limited financial sense. The squad still requires investment elsewhere after Ezri Konsas imminent departure, leaving more urgent priorities than another holding midfielder.Nobody questions Palhinhas commitment or his ability to break up attacks. His reading of danger remains excellent. Yet the physical traits that once separated him have started to fade, especially during quick transitional matches. Unless Bayern slash the asking price or agree to a subsidised loan, Villa would be paying premium money for a player whose role already belongs to somebody else.

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The global Diabetic Shoes Market is expanding as healthcare providers and patients place greater emphasis on diabetic foot protection, comfortable footwear, and preventive care. According to Future Market Insights (FMI), the market is projected to grow from USD 10.4 billion in 2026 to USD 19.3 billion by 2036, registering a 6.4% CAGR during the forecast period. The market was valued at USD 9.7...

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more aboutSports Betting on FOX Sports. New users on Kalshi can use promo code FOXSPORTS to unlock up to $500 in bonuses ahead of today's MLB slate. Teams are turning their attention toward the playoff push, making every series increasingly important. The Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins meet in an intriguing matchup between postseason contenders. The Chicago Cubs also take their recent hot stretch on the road against the Kansas City Royals, giving fans another matchup to watch as the weekend begins. The Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners also square off in a pitching-heavy matchup featuring Logan Gilbert, who has already recorded 139 strikeouts this season. The Houston Astros head to San Diego for a matchup with the Padres after seeing their six-game winning streak snapped. New users can use Kalshi promo code FOXSPORTS to unlock up to $500 in bonuses and trade on today's MLB games, postseason races and player markets. For more information and full terms and conditions, visit our Kalshi promo code page. How to Claim the Kalshi Welcome Bonus Yankees vs. Braves *Probability is subject to change* More games markets are available on Kalshi. MLB Games Today

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Caleb Durbin of the Red Sox is doused with water after hitting a walk off single (his third hit of the night) to help Boston win an instant classic at Fenway Park. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThe Boston Red Sox are on an all-time heater. After starting 32-46, they have won 31 of their last 36 games to climb within half a game of the second-place Yankees, and a comfortable 6.5 game lead for the second Wild Card spot.But of those 31 games which include their current eight-game winning streak none was crazier or more topsy-turvy, or more unexpected, or more record-breaking, than last nights tilt with the upstart Chicago White Sox.Boston fell behind 2-0 in the third inning when Chase Meidroth hit the first of his two homers on the night. By the time the BoSox came to bat in the bottom of the third, they trailed 4-0. A Connor Wong two-run home run cut the lead in half.The White Sox tacked on another run in the fourth inning, only to see the Red Sox score three in the bottom half to tie the game at five.Chicago answered right back with two runs in the top of the fifth; and Boston again cut the lead in half with a single run in the sixth. That 7-6 score held until the bottom of the ninth. Wilyer Abreu, down to his last strike with two outs, singled home pinch-runner Eli White to tie the game.Meidroth hit his second dinger with one on and one out in the tenth to give the ChiSox a 9-7 lead. Boston scratched out two runs in the bottom half to keep the game going.Chicago scored a single run in the top of the 11th, and Boston responded with a run of their own in the bottom half. They sang the same verse in the 12th inning. However, it took a great throw from left fielder Jarren Duran to cut down Braden Montgomery at the plate to keep the score square*. *Duran made up for his fly out with the bases loaded to end the 11th inning.In the 13th, Brayan Bello, working his second inning out the bullpen, was able to retire the side in order and keep the White Sox off the board for the first time in extras. Caleb Durbin, continuing his bounceback, ended the affair with his third hit of the night, a one-out single up the middle that brought home Nick Sogard, much to the delight of the 37,000 in attendance (most of whom stayed for the nearly four-and-a-half-hour contest).The Red Sox tear the jersey off Caleb Durbin after he hit a walk single against the White Sox Thursday night. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)Getty ImagesHow and why was this game so crazy? According to OptaStats, the Red Sox are the only team in the modern era to score in five separate innings in the ninth inning or later. They trailed five different times in the game.With the win, the Red Sox swept the season series with the White Sox for the first time in their storied history. And in doing so, according to MLB.coms Sarah Langs, the Red Sox became the first team since 1969 to have six series sweeps against teams that entered the series in first place in their respective division.After the game, Durbin the hero said, We didnt think anything of it. Were just gonna fight. He went on to say, Its just special right now. Its a fun group to be a part of.One should say so. The Red Sox have turned their season around with a run unlike many others in the history of the game, and will look to stay hot as the Athletics come to Fenway Park for the weekend.This article was originally published on Forbes.com

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board on Friday announced that free entry will be provided to fans for the upcoming two-match Test series against India in Galle and Colombo. The series between the subcontinental rivals forms a key part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 20252027 cycle.The two-match series begins on August 15 in Galle. The first Test will be played at the Galle International Stadium, while the second match is scheduled at the SSC in Colombo from August 23 to 27."Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) wishes to announce that public admission to the upcoming Test Series between Sri Lanka and India will be free of charge thus providing cricket fans with an excellent opportunity to witness world-class Test cricket," SLC said in a release."Sri Lanka Cricket warmly invites cricket enthusiasts, young aspiring cricketers, families, and sports fans from across the country to take advantage of this initiative and experience the excitement of international Test cricket between Sri Lanka and India," it added.Test cricket has struggled to attract crowds in Sri Lanka over the years, and even Indian teams in the past have often played in front of empty stands.Across the subcontinent, Test cricket has generally not drawn large crowds, except in a few big Test centres such as Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru.India head into the series placed fifth in the World Test Championship standings, while Sri Lanka are sixth. India last played a Test in June, when they faced Afghanistan in a one-off match in New Chandigarh. A strong performance in Sri Lanka will improve their chances of reaching the World Test Championship final.The tour will also mark the start of Subhadeep Ghosh's tenure as India's fielding coach after the BCCI decided not to extend the contracts of T Dilip and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.India dominated their previous Test tour of Sri Lanka in 2017, winning the three-match series 3-0. They won the opening Test in Galle by 304 runs, followed it with an innings and 53-run victory in Colombo, and completed the clean sweep with an innings and 171-run win in Pallekele.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, enter the series after losing their recent two-Test series against the West Indies 1-0. They suffered an innings and 216-run defeat in the first Test before drawing the second match.India vs Sri Lanka schedule:1st Test: 1519 August 2026 GICS, Galle2nd Test: 2327 August 2026 SSC, Colombo

The Patriot Games, will feature boys and girls representing all 50 states and some territories, military bases and tribal nations, competing in a series of athletic challenges.Part of the Trump administration's programming for America's 250th anniversary, the games start Aug. 9. Tatum Palmer of Central Point and Vincent Schmidt of Portland will represent Oregon in the Patriot Games.They will compete with high school athletes from around the country for the chance to win a pool of $250,000 in scholarship money.Palmer and other contestants interviewed by USA TODAY said a week before the event they knew only they would be playing dodgeball and kickball. Throughout the week, Freedom 250 and streaming partner ESPN have announced various track and field events, tug-of-war and other vague games like "Operation Endurance" and "Varsity Circuit."The Patriot Games are organized by Freedom 250, a quasi-government, nonprofit organization Trump started to bring his vision for the country's anniversary to life. Freedom 250 said the champion will need to be great at more than one sport. A review of the contestants' announcements on social media shows that the kids selected specialize in a range of sports. Some are to be expected, like football, softball, basketball and soccer.Palmer said she spent her recent 15th birthday shopping for different athletic shoes for the games since she usually just wears barefoot shoes for the balancing, jumping and climbing in her main sport, parkour."One of the things I love about it is that you don't have to be built a particular way to do it," she said of parkour, an obstacle-maneuvering sport. Palmer also helps teach other kids at the gym where she trains. "There's always something in parkour that you can do, which is really special, watching all these kids grow in confidence and be able to do things that you they weren't able to do a week before, or a couple of weeks before."See the schedule: Details on the 2026 Patriot Games are sparse. Here's everything we knowPalmer said she is focused on the opportunity participating presents, especially with the scholarship money on the line. Palmer said she wants to go to school to be a sports journalist.All the youth interviewed by USA TODAY had resounding, similar answers for what they are most looking forward to for the weekend: Meeting each other. The kids, many of whom said they are already in touch with each other via social media and group chats, also said they will get to dorm together at Spire Academy, a sports boarding school in Geneva, Ohio, where the games are being hosted. According to Freedom250, all states and several tribal nations, military bases and U.S. territories will be represented by 120 student-athletes.Read about other youth: Why join Trump's Patriot Games? These teen athletes tell usTrump's Patriot Games schedule, live streamThe games will be livestreamed on the ESPN App Aug. 9-11. The schedule of events, including kickball, dodgeball and tug-of-war, can be found here. The one-hourESPN special on ABCshowing highlights of the competitions, features of the athletes and the moment the winners accept their awards, is scheduled to air Thursday, Aug. 13 at 9 p.m. ET.Contributing: Karissa Waddick, USA TODAYKinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her onX (Twitter),Threads,BlueskyandTikTok.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Central Point teen representing Oregon in Patriot Games

Ian Machado Garry is confident he pulls the upset against Islam Makhachev.Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) is a big underdog against welterweight champion Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) in their UFC 330 main event on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia (Paramount+).While on a video call with Eddie Hearn, who now represents him, Machado Garry showed his new manager where he plans on placing the UFC welterweight title once he claims it. The brash Irishman has an empty frame ready at home above his Cage Warriors belt."As much as I respect Islam, as much as I know how good he is, and I know how talented he is, I know that I can beat him if I go out there and do what I believe I can do," Machado Garry told Hearn in a video on his Instagram.You can watch the full video below:View this post on Instagram