The Fall of the Superclsico, Pt. 1: The River Plate ContradictionBoth River Plate and Boca Juniors are going through one of the most difficult periods of their modern history. Massive spending, coaching carousels, and an apparent struggle to adapt to a rapidly changing football landscape have put Argentinas two biggest clubs on remarkably similar paths that are headed in the wrong direction.The Superclsico remains one of the biggest events in world football, but the institutions behind it are struggling to live up to the extraordinary standards they established over the past two decades. River Plate and Boca Juniors continue to have enormous fanbases worldwide, some of the largest commercial operations in South American football, and the ability to spend more than most of their domestic rivals. Yet the results on the pitch increasingly fail to reflect those advantages.That contradiction is at the heart of the current crisis. Argentinas two biggest clubs have more resources than almost any other team in the country, but neither has been able to turn those resources into a sustainable sporting project.A Struggle to AdaptPhoto by Marcelo Endelli/Getty ImagesArgentine soccer has changed dramatically over the last two decades. There was a time when the Primera Divisin was structured around the familiar Apertura and Clausura tournaments, a format that gave Argentine football a recognizable rhythm and identity. The system was not perfect, but supporters understood the stakes and knew that two separate league champions would be crowned each year.Today, Argentine football looks very different.The Primera Divisin has expanded to 30 teams similar to that of Major League Soccer, while the Apertura and Clausura tournaments are divided into zones and followed by a playoff stage. Alongside those competitions, clubs compete for the annual table, the Copa Argentina, and a variety of super cups and other titles. The result is a football calendar that can be difficult even for committed Argentine supporters to follow and one that can crown up to eight champions in a single season.Keeping up with it can sometimes require a scorecard. An outsider might assume that such a crowded calendar would naturally create more opportunities for the biggest rivalry in world football, with River Plate and Boca Juniors meeting regularly throughout the season. Instead, the Superclsico remains a relatively protected fixture, and the two clubs are not necessarily guaranteed to face each other more frequently. The fact that both are doing poorly doesnt help either.The clubs that appear to have struggled most to adapt to this new environment are also the two institutions with the greatest expectations. River Plate and Boca Juniors have both gone nearly three years without the trophies their supporters expect.River Plate at Rock Bottom Despite Enormous SpendingPhoto by Marcelo Endelli/Getty ImagesThe beginning of River Plates decline can be traced, at least symbolically, to November 23, 2019.Almost a year earlier, River had defeated Boca in the 2018 Copa Libertadores final in Madrid, giving Marcelo Gallardo his second Libertadores title as manager. By the time River reached the 2019 final against Flamengo in Lima, Gallardo had transformed the club into a dominant force in South American football and had become the most successful manager in Rivers modern history.River appeared to be cruising toward another continental crown. The team took control of the final and looked increasingly comfortable as the minutes passed. With only a few minutes remaining, a fifth Libertadores title appeared within reach and Gallardo seemed destined to add another chapter to one of the greatest managerial eras in South American football.Then everything changed.Gabriel Barbosa scored in the 89th minute and again in stoppage time, completing one of the most dramatic comebacks in Libertadores final history and giving Flamengo its second continental title. River went from being minutes away from another historic trophy to watching the championship disappear in the space of three extraordinary minutes.At the time, the defeat was treated as a painful setback rather than a sign of a larger problem. Gallardo remained in charge and River continued to win trophies, all of them domestic, and most one-offs, with just one league title to boast. The emergence of Julin lvarez and Enzo Fernndez also helped maintain the impression that the clubs footballing machine was still operating at full strength.But the warning signs were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.River reached the Libertadores semifinals in 2020, the quarterfinals in 2021, and then suffered a round of 16 elimination in 2022. The club remained competitive domestically, but its grip on South American football was weakening.The team needed a rebuild, and the club itself was undergoing a transformation at the same time.Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty ImagesRodolfo DOnofrios presidency had overseen one of the most successful periods in Rivers history, but the institution was increasingly focused on modernization, commercial growth, and infrastructure. When DOnofrio left the presidency, Jorge Brito inherited the difficult task of maintaining Rivers sporting standards while turning the club into a modern football business.Brito, a businessman and banking executive who had previously served as DOnofrios vice president, made infrastructure and global marketing one of the defining elements of his administration. The modernization and expansion of the Ms Monumental transformed Rivers stadium into one of the largest and most commercially valuable venues in South America.Off the field, River was becoming a bigger institution with sellout crowds of 85,000 at every home game for the last three years.On the field, however, the transition was much more complicated.Gallardos historic era ended in 2022 on a whimper, and River turned to Martn Demichelis as their new manager. At first, the appointment appeared to be exactly what the club needed. Demichelis implemented an aggressive, high-pressing and attacking style that immediately restored Rivers domestic dominance.Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty ImagesHis first season was highly successful. River won the 2023 Liga Profesional and subsequently added the Trofeo de Campeones. The club then won the Supercopa Argentina 2023, played in 2024 against Estudiantes. With three titles in just over one year, Brito and River Plate seemed back on track.The problem was that Rivers performance in the Copa Libertadores continued to expose a growing gap between the club and the strongest teams in South America. River was eliminated by Internacional in the 2023 round of 16, losing on penalties in Porto Alegre.The domestic success could no longer completely disguise the problems. Despite its spending, River Plate always seemed to be coming up short internationally.Then in August 2023 it all imploded. Demichelis held a private meeting with journalists in which he reportedly criticized the physical condition and age of several senior players. The comments eventually reached the locker room, creating a major breach of trust between the manager and some of the teams most influential veterans.Demichelis apologized, but the damage had been done. His relationship with important members of the squad was weakened, and his authority inside the locker room was never completely restored.Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty ImagesAfter a series of poor results, Demichelis was dismissed in July 2024. The pressure from supporters for Gallardo to return became overwhelming, and Brito eventually brought the legendary manager back to the club.The decision was understandable, but it created more problems than solutions.Gallardo returned to River with enormous institutional power and the expectation that he could immediately restore the club to the level it had reached during his first tenure.The club backed him financially, despite worries that giving Gallardo almost total control could backfire. River invested heavily in the squad, bringing in players such as Maximiliano Salas, Sebastin Driussi, and Colombian midfielder Kevin Castao. The clubs spending continued to increase as it attempted to build a team capable of competing with the strongest clubs in South America.The problem was that the results did not follow the spending.Gallardos second spell became increasingly defined by disappointing performances, particularly in attack. River had brought in expensive attacking players yet repeatedly struggled to score in the games that mattered most.The club had essentially given its most famous manager a blank check, but the money could not reproduce the football of his first era, and his second term didnt providethe trophies supporters expected.Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)River then turned to another major change. In March 2026, Eduardo Coudet was appointed as the clubs new manager, beginning another attempt to reset the sporting project.Coudet initially provided some optimism. River went on a strong run domestically and reached the 2026 Apertura final against Belgrano. But the team surrendered the match late and lost the final, extending the clubs wait for another league title to two years. Two very underwhelming years.Previously Coudet and his team had lost to Boca Juniors in the Superclsico, and slowly the new manager was being pegged as a coach who balked on the big occasion.The problems then became even more severe.Now in August, the club has lost six consecutive matches in AFA competitions, a run that had not occurred since 1911. Worse, River Plate have gone four league games in a row without scoring a goal and have just one goal in five games.The teams performances have deteriorated to the point where supporters were questioning not simply individual players or managers, but the entire direction of the football department.And yet River continues to spend.The clubs most recent transfer window was another major financial statement, with approximately $67 million invested in new players. Former Atlanta United Designated Player Thiago Almada arrived from Atltico Madrid as the centerpiece of the recruitment strategy, while ngel Correa, Lucas Beltrn, and Mauro Arambarri also bolstered the ranks.River is once again trying to buy its way out of a sporting crisis, whichis becoming increasingly difficult for supporters to accept.New Structure, Same Old ResultsIn an attempt to move away from hemorrhaging cash, Rivers new administration has attempted to address the problem structurally.Stefano Di Carlo, elected president at only 36 years old, has sought to reshape the clubs football department and move away from the enormous squads and expensive contracts that accumulated during previous administrations.The idea makes sense: River needs a leaner squad, greater accountability, and a clearer sporting structure. The club cannot continue accumulating expensive players without a defined plan for how those players fit into the team.The execution, however, has generated controversy.River separated a group of contracted players from the first-team structure, effectively signaling that they were no longer part of the clubs sporting plans. Among those affected was Paraguayan midfielder Matas Galarza, who subsequently went on to impress at the 2026 World Cup.The situation created an uncomfortable contradiction. River had spent millions acquiring players and then found itself paying the price for decisions that left some of those same players outside the first-team project.That is the central contradiction of the modern River Plate.The club has become better at generating money, modernizing its infrastructure and producing and selling talent, but those strengths have not consistently translated into sporting success.River is increasingly a modern football business without a clear answer to the most basic question: what kind of football club does it want to be?The appointment of Spanish executive Pablo Fernndez Longoria as sporting director was intended to provide greater structure and a more modern approach to football operations. But supporters remain skeptical because the club has already gone through several different sporting philosophies in a relatively short period.The result is a feeling that River is constantly changing the people in charge without addressing the deeper problem: simply putting together a coherent and attractive football team.Stay tuned for part two of our Superclsico series, which will feature Boca Juniors and the future of this historic rivalry.

New mens basketball coach Matt Majkrzak will make a unique debut for Northern Illinois.The Huskies will open the season against Grambling at 2 a.m. Central time on Nov. 2 as part of a 24-hour opening-day marathon.The Field of 68 media network announced the schedule Tuesday for the event, which features eight games played in Rock Hill, S.C., and Sioux Falls, S.D., and streamed on the outlets YouTube channel and X feed. The marathon begins at 11 p.m. CT on Nov. 1.The Huskies will play the second game of the slate in Rock Hill.Majkrzak, whom NIU hired in March from Northern Michigan, said in a release that the opener will be awesome and that he grew up watching a previous version of the opening-day tipoff classic.I think starting at 3 a.m. (ET) is something our guys will never forget, he said. You always have some nerves going into the first game, but add in that its at 3 a.m., its going to be a lot of fun. Excited about the opportunity to start right away and not have to sit around all day waiting for the first game.Heres the full schedule for the marathon (all times are Central).Rock Hill, S.C.High Point vs. Liberty, 11 p.m.Grambling vs. Northern Illinois, 2 a.m.Appalachian State vs Merrimack, 5 a.m.Queens vs. Winthrop, 8 a.m.Sioux Falls, S.D.Murray State vs. Tennessee State, 10:30 a.m.UTEP vs. Northern Kentucky, 1 p.m.Rock Hill, S.C.UAB vs. McNeese State, 4:30 p.m.Furman vs. Bethune-Cookman, 7 p.m.

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The Ravens are hoping for the best for cornerback Nate Wiggins. Wiggins had to be carted off the field at Thursday's practice. Reports from the practice field say Wiggins couldn't put weight on his left leg after his feet got tangled with wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane during a drill. After practice, head coach Jesse Minter said there is optimism that Wiggins avoided a major injury but that things are still being evaluated. "Dont have a ton of information on that yet. Well kinda get it looked at, see where its at," Minter said.Wiggins started every game for the Ravens last season and finished the year with 76 tackles, three interceptions and 14 passes defensed.

Barcelona rule out move for free-agent striker who has an offer from Turkey reportAccording to SPORT, Dusan Vlahovic is expected to finally make a decision on his future and choose his next destination to bring an end to his free-agent status.The Serbian is the most sought-after free-agent striker on the market, and everything points toward him eventually playing in Turkish football. However, the striker has been waiting for Barcelona, as well as Atletico Madrid, to make a move, because his biggest desire was to move to LaLiga.His high demands have stalled several potential deals, and he has repeatedly been offered to Barcelona. However, everything indicates that the sporting department led by Deco has ruled out the striker.Why Bara has ruled out VlahovicBarcelona have always viewed the Vlahovic option with considerable caution. It is true that the Serbian was closely followed by the Blaugrana several years ago. Barcelona rule out the Vlahovic option. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)Xavi Hernandez also pushed for his signing from the bench, although getting him out of Juventus at the time was impossible.At the end of last season, Vlahovic offered himself to Barcelona. But Bara was looking for a different type of striker, and the club also had significant doubts about his physical condition, which had kept him out of action for many weeks.In fact, Vlahovic has endured two years of very inconsistent performances, making his current level something of an unknown.As such, Barcelona limited themselves to listening to the Serbians demands without ever taking the next step. The financial figures requested by Vlahovic were considered excessive, and the two sides never entered into negotiations.Flick wants a different type of No. 9Barcelona are exploring interesting profiles as potential Plan B options if Julian Alvarez cannot be signed. However, everything now clearly points toward Vlahovic not being one of them, barring a major surprise.Flick is looking for a different profile. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)The reason is largely tactical. Flick wants a striker with greater mobility and the ability to combine with his teammates. Vlahovic is more of a finisher, similar in profile to Robert Lewandowski.Besiktas makes final moveAccording to the report, Vlahovic has received a final offer from Besiktas, the club that first contacted him in late June and has endured the striker being offered to several other clubs before deciding to bring negotiations to a close.Besiktas have offered him a two-year contract worth 8 million net per season. The Turkish club has also increased the signing bonus and the performance-related bonuses that would be included in the contract.Between the signing bonus and commissions, Vlahovic and his representatives could receive more than 10 million.For now, therefore, Vlahovics future appears increasingly likely to lie in Turkey, with Besiktas having made its final move while Bara continue to focus on other options.

LeBron James is expected to make his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, October 20, at Madison Square Garden, where the Sixers will face the defending champion New York Knicks on the opening night of the 2026 NBA season.The four-time NBA champion announced his decision to go to Philadelphia in July, signing a two-year, $8 million deal."This is my last decision. Im not going for money. Im not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win, and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship," James said in a thread on X on July 24."I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team, and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time."The 2026 NBA season tips off with a tripleheader on NBC and Peacock, featuring a star-studded lineup. First at 3:00 PM ET, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics face Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. Then at 7:00 PM, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks receive their championship rings before hosting James, Jaylen Brown, and the 76ers at the Garden. At 9:30 PM, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder go head-to-head with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in a rematch of the 2026 Western Conference Finals.See below for additional information on how to watch the 2026 NBA season on NBC and Peacock.NBA tips off season on NBC and Peacock with tripleheader featuring LeBron, 76ers at New York on ring nightAlso, Boston is at Detroit, and Oklahoma City opens the season in San Antonio. Kurt Helin,When is NBA Opening Night?The 2026 NBA season tips off on Tuesday, October 20.2026 NBA Opening Night Schedule:Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons - 3:00 PM ET on NBC and PeacockPhiladelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks - 7:00 PM ET on NBC and PeacockOklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs - 9:30 PM ET on NBC and PeacockLeBron James chooses Philadelphia, will join team on two-year, $8 million dealLeBron had said a chance to win one more ring was his top priority, and he joins Embiid, Maxey and Brown to chase it. Kurt Helin,How do I watch NBA Basketball games on Peacock?NBA basketball games will be available on Peacock throughout the 2026-2027 season.Sign up here.What devices does Peacock support?You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices.View the full list of supported devices here.

Jaylen Browns return game to Boston wont happen on the opening week of the 2026-27 NBA season. One Celtics insider made a claim about the leagues level of attention towards that storyline.Brown represented the Celtics for 10 seasons, having been the longest-serving member as he helped the team win the title in 2024. However, his stint came to an end after Boston sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George and draft compensation.Some may have anticipated the league to dedicate a game on opening week to having the Celtics face the 76ers. It would have seen Boston star Jayson Tatum take on Brown, his former co-star. Not to mention LeBron James being on the 76ers as well.However, that game will take place on a later date. And according to Celtics inside John Karalis, he claimed the league didnt place a lot of focus on the return game for Brown.The league does not care about the Jaylen Brown returns to Boston storyline at all, Karalis wrote on social media.What Lies Ahead for Celtics after Jaylen Brown tradeMay 2, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) talks with Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7)after Philadephias win in game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)The Celtics will definitely miss having Jaylen Brown on the squad. After all, he played a major role in keeping the team in title contention throughout most of his time there.Browns final campaign in Boston was remarkable, seeing him land on the All-NBA Second Team. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game throughout 71 appearances. In the playoffs, he produced 25.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest.Boston exceeded expectations as they finished with a 56-26 record, securing the second seed in the Eastern Conference standings. However, they blew a 3-1 series lead as they lost to the 76ers in seven games during the first round of the playoffs.The Celtics have plenty of questions to answer when it comes to improving their roster. They landed the players they wanted in the draft and in free agency, now turning to the summer to recover and regroup ahead of training camp in the fall.Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter

ARDMORE, Pa. The worlds top-ranked amateur wont make it to Wednesday at the 126th U.S. Amateur.Oklahoma State senior Preston Stout, who was also the reigning U.S. Amateur medalist, backed up a 5-over 75 Monday at Merion Golf Club with a 1-over 71 Tuesday at nearby Philadelphia Country Club. He didn't card a birdie until his 28th hole, making three coming in, though it was too late to mount any sort of comeback.At 6 over and well off the projected cut line of 1 over, Stout will become the first player to start the championship at No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and go on to miss match play since Keita Nakajima at Oakmont in 2021.Since WAGR was introduced in 2007, world Nos. 1 are now 11 for 18 in making the cut. Just six of those 11 have advanced past the Round of 32 while Peter Uihlein remains the only one to win, when he did so at Chambers Bay in 2010.The other two players in Stouts featured group this week, Tyler Watts and Miles Russell, ranked Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, combined to shoot 9 under in 36 holes of stroke play. Watts fired a second-round 65 and was the clubhouse leader at 6 under when he finished his round.Stouts next tournament will be the Walker Cup next month at Lahinch. Stout is already on the 10-man U.S. squad after debuting last year at Cypress Point.Watts and Russell are also already part of that team, with Watts winning the Northeast Amateur earlier this summer and Russell advancing to the final of the U.S. Junior and semifinals of the Western Amateur.