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With about two minutes remaining, the Houston Texans appeared set to tie the Tennessee Titans at 30. But kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn sent a 28-yard field goal try wide left — and crumpled to the ground in disbelief. That disbelief likely extended to the Titans' sideline, where it soon set in that Will Levis had outdueled 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud , leading his team to a 32-27 upset win over the AFC South-leading Texans in Week 12. PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST. In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field. Sign up for PFF+ for in-depth analysis, PFF grades, Premium Stats, fantasy football tools, betting dashboards and much more! HIGHEST-GRADED PLAYERS LB Kenneth Murray Jr. , Tennessee Titans (90.2) EDGE Will Anderson Jr. , Houston Texans (89.9) EDGE Derek Barnett , Houston Texans (82.7) Note: Follow along with PFF's in-game grading as our analysts evaluate every player on every play in real time! Grades will then be relocked 90 minutes after the final whistle as our first-run analysis is reviewed. Click here to see PFF's initial grades from this game! PLAYER OF THE GAME Kenneth Murray Jr. has been much maligned throughout his NFL career, and the former first-round pick is having another rough season in his first year with the Titans. This game, however, was perhaps the start of a turnaround. Murray picked off C.J. Stroud and allowed only one catch into his coverage — a facet he has often struggled in. He also didn't miss any tackles. If Murray's PFF overall grade holds after reviews, it will be a career-high mark for the fifth-year linebacker. ADVANCED BOX SCORE Read More PFF NFL News & Analysis Share SponsorTwo people airlifted, several taken to hospital due to collision
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — The LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls have been Major League Soccer mainstays since the league's inaugural season in 1996, signing glamorous players and regularly competing for championships through years of success and setbacks in a league that's perpetually improving and expanding. Yet just a year ago, both of these clubs appeared to be a very long way from the stage they'll share Saturday in the MLS Cup Final . The Galaxy were one of MLS’ worst teams after a season of internal turmoil and public fan dissent, while the Red Bulls were merely a steady mediocrity seeking yet another coach to chart a new direction. A year later, these MLS founders are meeting in the league's first Cup final between teams from North America's two biggest markets. “Two original clubs being able to put themselves in this situation, I think it’s great,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “To see two clubs that have been at it as long as this league has been around be here, I think it’s a special moment. Couldn’t be two more different and contrasting styles as well, which could make for an interesting game, and I would imagine a high-intensity game.” Everything changed in 2024 after a dismal decade for the Galaxy , who are favored to cap their transformation by winning their team's record sixth MLS championship with a roster that's dramatically different from its past few groups — albeit with one massive injury absence in the final. The transformation of the Red Bulls happened only in the postseason, when a team that hadn't won a playoff game since 2017 suddenly turned into world-beaters under rookie coach Sandro Schwarz. New York struggled through the final three months of league play with only two wins before posting road playoff victories over defending champ Columbus , archrival New York City FC and conference finalist Orlando to storm into the Cup final. “We know about the history (of our club), and we know tomorrow will define what that could mean,” Schwarz said Friday. “To feel the pressure for tomorrow, it’s necessary, because it’s a final, and without pressure it’s not possible to bring the best quality on the field.” The Red Bulls have never won an MLS Cup, only reaching the championship match once before. What's more, they've somehow never won a Cup in any tournament, although they’ve collected three Supporters’ Shields for MLS' best regular-season record. The Galaxy’s trophy case is large and loaded, and those five MLS Cups are on the top shelf. But not much of that team success happened in the past decade for the club that famously brought David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and many other international stars to Hollywood. In fact, this season has ended a grim era for the Galaxy, who haven't lost all year at their frequently renamed home stadium — which was the site of protests and boycotts just a year ago. The club's fans were tired of LA's steady underachievement and ineptitude in the front office run by team president Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. One year ago Thursday, the Galaxy hired Will Kuntz, a longtime Los Angeles FC executive who engineered his new club's roster transformation, most dramatically by landing new designated players Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil — two international talents that LAFC also had in its sights. “I give Will and the group up there a ton of credit,” Vanney said. “It’s one thing to have players you like, and it’s a whole other thing to get them here and get them to connect with your group.” Pec and Paintsil combined for 32 goals and 27 assists while boosting the incumbent talents of striker Dejan Joveljic and Riqui Puig, the gifted Barcelona product who runs the offense from the midfield. The Galaxy clicked in the postseason, scoring a jaw-dropping 16 goals in four matches. Puig has been the Galaxy's most important player all season, but he won't be in the MLS Cup Final after tearing a knee ligament late in last week's conference final victory over Seattle . The loss of Puig — who somehow kept playing on his injured knee, and even delivered the game-winning pass to Joveljic — makes the Galaxy even more difficult to anticipate. “He played a lot in the regular season, so it was not so easy to analyze all these games now without him,” Schwarz said. “But the main focus is to analyze what we need to do, because it’s not clear now how they’re playing without him.” The Galaxy could give some of Puig's responsibilities to Marco Reus, the longtime Dortmund standout who joined LA in August. Reus is nursing a hamstring injury, but Vanney expects him to play. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccerDartmouth sorority, two members of fraternity face charges after student who attended party drowned HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A sorority at Dartmouth College and two members of a fraternity faces charges related to the death of a student who drowned after attending an off-campus party. The Hanover, New Hampshire police department, where Dartmouth is located, said Friday that Alpha Phi was charged with one count of facilitating an underage alcohol house. Two members of the Beta Alpha Omega face a charge of providing alcohol to a person under 21. Won Jang, 20, of Middletown, Delaware, had attended an off-campus party in July hosted by Alpha Phi sorority. Police said the alcohol was provided by Beta Alpha Omega. Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Tens of thousands of Spaniards are marching in downtown Barcelona to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. Protesters cut off traffic on main avenues in the city center, holding up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living." The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. In cities like Barcelona, rental prices have also been driven up by short-term renters including tourists. Jason Kelce's wife announces she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce's wife is announcing she's pregnant with the couple's fourth child. Kylie Kelce posted a photo on Instagram on Friday of the couple's three young daughters reacting to the news. The oldest daughter, Wyatt, appears to be cupping her head in shock. The middle daughter, Ellioette, is smiling. The youngest, Bennett, is in tears. A caption attached to the photo reads: “I feel like we captured a very accurate representation of how each of the girls feel about getting another sister. At least Ellie, mom and dad are on the same page!” Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in UAE is missing. Israeli officials fear he may have been kidnapped DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran. The Israeli prime minister’s office said that Zvi Kogan has been missing since noon Thursday. It said that against the backdrop of information that this was a terrorist incident, an extensive investigation has been opened in the country. Emirati officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. State-run media in the UAE, an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, did not immediately report the incident. Alyssa Nakken, first full-time female coach in MLB history, leaving Giants to join Guardians CLEVELAND (AP) — Alyssa Nakken, the first woman to coach in an MLB game, is leaving the San Francisco Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians. Nakken made history in 2022 when she took over as first-base coach following an ejection. A former college softball star at Sacramento State, Nakken joined the Giants in 2014 and was promoted to a spot on manager Gabe Kapler’s staff in 2020, becoming the majors’ first full-time female coach. Nakken has been hired as an assistant director within player development for the Guardians, who won the AL Central last season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt. Nakken, 34, will work with former Giants coaches Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Officer kills pet dog mistaken for a coyote in Massachusetts town. The owner says it was unnecessary An animal control officer shot and killed a pet dog in a Massachusetts town after mistaking it for a coyote in an incident local police are describing as a sad mix-up. Police in Northbridge, Massachusetts, say the shooting happened on Tuesday after police received a call of a report of a coyote in a residential backyard. Police say the animal control officer went into the woods to look for the coyote and found what they thought was the animal in a threatening position and shot it. The incident happened as communities around Massachusetts and the country have dealt with an uptick in interactions between coyotes and people. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict.Colorado's federal judges give themselves increased disciplinary power over attorneys
Titans S Julius Wood suspended 6 games for PEDsFox News' Trey Gowdy and Andrew McCarthy unpack the debates surrounding President Biden's pardon of son Hunter and President-elect Trump picking Kash Patel to head the FBI on 'Special Report.' President-elect Trump announced last week that he intends to nominate former White House aide and longtime ally Kash Patel to serve as FBI director, potentially making him the only U.S. president to have fired and installed two separate FBI directors in the middle of their 10-year terms. "Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People," Trump said in a social media post announcing his intent to nominate Patel for FBI director. "He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution." Patel is a close ally of the president-elect and served in the first Trump administration both as a deputy assistant and as the senior director for counterterrorism. He was endorsed on Friday by the National Police Association, which praised Patel's record of "transparency" and "accountability" that it said makes him well-positioned to head up the nation's sprawling law enforcement agency. KASH PATEL: MILLEY, BIDEN ADMIN ‘PEDDLING FALSE FACTS’ ON CHINA PHONE-CALL CONTROVERSY President-elect Trump nominated Kash Patel as FBI director over the weekend. (Getty Images) Still, news of Trump's plans to nominate Patel was met with criticism — if not shock — from others in the law enforcement community. That's because replacing a sitting FBI director is a controversial move that breaks with the express purpose of the role, which, under post-Watergate laws, mandated that directors are nominated for 10-year terms: an express length of time designed to allow the directors — at least in theory — to operate outside political pressure or interference from a sitting president. Trump sent shock waves through the law enforcement community in 2017 when he fired then-FBI Director James Comey, who at the time was less than four years into his 10-year term. Trump also personally selected current FBI Director Christopher Wray — whom he praised at the time as a "fierce guardian of the law and model of integrity" — to replace him. For Trump to install Patel as FBI director, two things must happen: Wray must exit the job, and Patel must earn Senate confirmation. How Wray will leave remains unclear. He could opt to voluntarily vacate the position on his own before Trump's inauguration, though he has not yet said whether he plans to do so. If Wray does not voluntarily vacate his position, Trump could be the only president in U.S. history to have fired and installed two separate FBI directors. TRUMP TRANSITION SIGNS AGREEMENT FOR FBI BACKGROUND CHECKS Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray prepares to testify before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 23, 2021. (Sarah Silbiger/Pool via Reuters) Patel must also be confirmed by the Senate, though it is likely that the Republican-led chamber will move to approve him for the role. Patel's nomination has sparked early criticism from some Democrats ahead of his confirmation hearing, who have cited his previous vows to prosecute journalists and career officials at the Justice Department and FBI that he sees as being part of the "deep state." He has since attempted to clarify some of those remarks. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Only one other FBI director has been fired in U.S. history: William Sessions, a Reagan appointee who was widely disliked both for being an ineffective leader and for using his post to commandeer limousines and private government flights for personal business, among other things. Breanne Deppisch is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the 2024 election and other national news.
With the launch of iOS 18.2 just around the corner, Apple has a few more features that have now been delayed until 2025. As excited as we are about all of the new features Apple is bringing to iOS 18, the wait for many of them has been longer than we expected. With that in mind, here are all the features iPhone owners are going to receive sometime next year: While the feature will likely be released early in 2025 with iOS 18.3, all of these new features will likely be part of iOS 18.4 in the spring. That being said, it’s possible that most of the Apple Intelligence features related to Siri could be delayed to iOS 19 and beyond. In a previous newsletter, : Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there. By signing up, I agree to the and have reviewed the These upcoming upgrades will make Siri easier to use on a day-to-day basis, but it’s not the brain transplant that the service really needs. Siri is still based on an outdated infrastructure — AI models that have been overtaken by the technology used by ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Siri hasn’t yet been rebuilt for the generative AI age, even if Apple is trying to create the impression that it has. Wrap up iOS 18 still has several delayed features that might take a long time to become available. Below, you can learn more about what features .8 Thanksgiving mistakes: Frozen or overcooked turkey, too many sides and other common holiday miscues
Libra Daily Horoscope Today, December 07, 2024 predicts these upcoming venturesTogo: Un diagnostic partiel et biaisé
CONWAY, Ark. (AP) — Elias Cato scored 23 points as Central Arkansas beat UNC Asheville 92-83 in double overtime on Sunday. Jordan Morris made two free throws with one second left for UNC Asheville (2-3) to force overtime tied at 71. Fletcher Abee's 3-pointer with 33 seconds left in the first overtime tied the game at 79 and led to the second extra period. Michael Evbagharu's layup gave Central Arkansas (2-4) the lead in the second OT and Cato followed with a 3-pointer as the Bears outscored the Bulldogs 21-12 to pull out the victory. Cato added nine rebounds for the Bears. Layne Taylor totaled 19 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals. Brayden Fagbemi pitched in with 19 points, seven assists and five steals. The Bulldogs (2-3) were led by Fletcher Abee, who recorded 27 points. UNC Asheville also got 17 points from Josh Banks. Toyaz Solomon finished with 15 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Pat Bryant caught a 40-yard touchdown on fourth down with four seconds remaining as No. 25 Illinois rallied for a dramatic 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday afternoon in Piscataway, N.J. With Rutgers playing cover-zero defense, Bryant caught Luke Altmyer's sidearm toss on fourth-and-13 at the 22-yard line in the middle of the field and ran in from the right side for a 36-31 lead. Bryant's dramatic catch came after Illinois initially decided to attempt a go-ahead 57-yard field goal into the wind. Following a timeout, the Ilini went for it on fourth down. Altmeyer's two-point conversion attempt to Bryant was incomplete, but the visitors recorded a safety on the game's final play. Bryant finished with seven catches for a career-high 197 yards, and his score came after Rutgers took a 31-30 lead on a 13-yard rushing TD by Kyle Monangai with 1:08 left. Monangai gave the Scarlet Knights the lead after Illinois overcame a nine-point deficit on Aidan Laughery's 8-yard TD run with 13:48 remaining and Altmyer's 30-yard run with 3:07 left. Bryant's clutch catch gave Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) eight wins for the second time in three seasons on a day when it committed 11 penalties. Altmyer finished 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and threw two touchdowns. He also gained a team-high 74 yards on the ground as the Ilini totaled 182 rushing yards. Monangai finished with 122 yards on 28 carries and Kaliakmanis completed 19-of-37 passes for 175 yards, but Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) was unable to win a third straight Big Ten game for the first time. Kaliakmanis also rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. The Scarlet Knights saw their losing streak against ranked teams reach 41 games after taking a 17-9 halftime lead and a 24-15 advantage early in the fourth. --Field Level MediaNone
Chipotle's chief customer and technology officer sells $2.9 million in stockWe're now two years removed from OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT, and there's no doubt which company has been the biggest winner of the generative AI revolution so far. Nvidia ( NVDA -3.22% ) , now best known for making cutting-edge chips capable of powering AI applications like ChatGPT, has seen its stock jump by 10 times since the beginning of 2023, making plenty of investors significantly richer. This month, it again became the world's most valuable company, with a market cap of more than $3.5 trillion. Despite concerns that competition would bring it to heel or that the AI megatrend was inflating a bubble that would eventually burst, Nvidia has continued to deliver blowout results, and that pattern was on display once again in the fiscal 2025 third-quarter earnings report it delivered Wednesday. Total revenue in the quarter jumped 94% year over year to $35.1 billion, topping the consensus estimate of $33.1 billion. The data center segment, where revenue jumped 112% to $30.8 billion, drove that growth, as demand for its graphics processing units (GPUs) continues to outstrip supply. Profits also surged as the company continued to gain leverage on its operating expenses. On a generally accepted accounting principles ( GAAP ) basis, operating income jumped by 110% to $21.9 billion, and adjusted earnings per share surged from $0.40 to $0.81, ahead of the consensus estimate of $0.75. Nvidia is everywhere all at once Never before in history has a company as big as Nvidia grown so fast. Remarkably, its 94% revenue growth was its slowest pace on a percentage basis in six quarters, but it's sustaining blistering growth rates for much longer than analysts had expected. The amount of revenue in dollar terms that it's adding each quarter is also increasing sequentially, so the real growth of the business is accelerating even as its percentage growth moderates. Earlier this year, some analysts were questioning whether the level of dominance Nvidia has established in the AI chip sector was sustainable. Advanced Micro Devices and Intel have launched their own competing AI accelerators. However, they have struggled to make a dent in Nvidia's dominant market share. AMD disappointed the market with its latest earnings report and announced layoffs earlier this month, while Intel began a massive restructuring after its stock hit a 20-year low. At this point, the key constraint on Nvidia's growth is on the supply side, as CEO Jensen Huang recently said demand for its latest GPUs, built using its new Blackwell architecture, is "insane." Describing demand for the Blackwell chips on the earnings call, CFO Colette Kress said, "Every customer is racing to be the first to market." Management stressed how broad Blackwell's reach is in terms of applications and customer base, and how vast its partner ecosystem is. "[A]lmost every company in the world seems to be involved in our supply chain," Huang said. Beyond the concerns that rivals could make headway against it, the other bearish case about Nvidia revolves around the idea of an "AI bubble." Some onlookers think that market demand for AI applications won't justify the massive capital expenditures on AI infrastructure that are fueling Nvidia's growth. However, when asked about it on the earnings call, Huang pushed back on the idea that AI is reaching scaling limitations, saying, "Our foundation model pre-training scaling is intact, and it's continuing." He also said that it was key for post- training and inference to scale in order for large language models and other AI models to become more capable. Is Nvidia a buy? After having successfully withstood competition from AMD and Intel, and delivering another blowout quarter, Nvidia looks unstoppable. Its guidance for the fourth quarter calls for another surge in revenue to $37.5 billion, up 70% from the quarter a year ago even as "demand greatly exceeds supply. Huang has described a vision for the future that has Nvidia's technology at the center of AI factories -- data centers tasked with powering artificial intelligence applications -- and companies of all stripes are racing to get to that future. Nvidia's stock pulled back slightly in after-hours trading Wednesday, but that seemed to be more of a reflection of the stock's valuation and management's guidance. However, that misreads the business. Based on its run-rate EPS, the stock trades at a P/E ratio of 45, and its profits are likely to soar over the next year. Relative to its growth rate, the stock doesn't look overpriced. Nvidia remains in the driver's seat of the AI revolution, and the stock continues to look like a screaming buy.Illinois rolls out first phase of plan to modernize professional licensing
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Zavian McLean scored 18 points to lead FGCU and Michael Duax secured the victory with a free throw with 21 seconds left as the Eagles defeated Florida International 60-59 on Sunday. McLean shot 7 for 12, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc for the Eagles (2-5). Rahmir Barno scored 11 points and added five assists and three steals. Jevin Muniz shot 2 of 7 from the field and 5 for 5 from the line to finish with nine points. Jayden Brewer finished with 18 points and eight rebounds for the Panthers (2-5). Jonathan Aybar added 12 points for Florida International. Dashon Gittens also had seven points and eight rebounds. McLean scored 14 points in the first half and FGCU went into the break trailing 30-29. Barno scored a team-high nine points for FGCU in the second half. FGCU outscored Florida International by two points over the final half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — The LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls have been Major League Soccer mainstays since the league's inaugural season in 1996, signing glamorous players and regularly competing for championships through years of success and setbacks in a league that's perpetually improving and expanding. Yet just a year ago, both of these clubs appeared to be a very long way from the stage they'll share Saturday in the MLS Cup Final . The Galaxy were one of MLS’ worst teams after a season of internal turmoil and public fan dissent, while the Red Bulls were merely a steady mediocrity seeking yet another coach to chart a new direction. A year later, these MLS founders are meeting in the league's first Cup final between teams from North America's two biggest markets. “Two original clubs being able to put themselves in this situation, I think it’s great,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “To see two clubs that have been at it as long as this league has been around be here, I think it’s a special moment. Couldn’t be two more different and contrasting styles as well, which could make for an interesting game, and I would imagine a high-intensity game.” Everything changed in 2024 after a dismal decade for the Galaxy , who are favored to cap their transformation by winning their team's record sixth MLS championship with a roster that's dramatically different from its past few groups — albeit with one massive injury absence in the final. The transformation of the Red Bulls happened only in the postseason, when a team that hadn't won a playoff game since 2017 suddenly turned into world-beaters under rookie coach Sandro Schwarz. New York struggled through the final three months of league play with only two wins before posting road playoff victories over defending champ Columbus , archrival New York City FC and conference finalist Orlando to storm into the Cup final. “We know about the history (of our club), and we know tomorrow will define what that could mean,” Schwarz said Friday. “To feel the pressure for tomorrow, it’s necessary, because it’s a final, and without pressure it’s not possible to bring the best quality on the field.” The Red Bulls have never won an MLS Cup, only reaching the championship match once before. What's more, they've somehow never won a Cup in any tournament, although they’ve collected three Supporters’ Shields for MLS' best regular-season record. The Galaxy’s trophy case is large and loaded, and those five MLS Cups are on the top shelf. But not much of that team success happened in the past decade for the club that famously brought David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and many other international stars to Hollywood. In fact, this season has ended a grim era for the Galaxy, who haven't lost all year at their frequently renamed home stadium — which was the site of protests and boycotts just a year ago. The club's fans were tired of LA's steady underachievement and ineptitude in the front office run by team president Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. One year ago Thursday, the Galaxy hired Will Kuntz, a longtime Los Angeles FC executive who engineered his new club's roster transformation, most dramatically by landing new designated players Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil — two international talents that LAFC also had in its sights. “I give Will and the group up there a ton of credit,” Vanney said. “It’s one thing to have players you like, and it’s a whole other thing to get them here and get them to connect with your group.” Pec and Paintsil combined for 32 goals and 27 assists while boosting the incumbent talents of striker Dejan Joveljic and Riqui Puig, the gifted Barcelona product who runs the offense from the midfield. The Galaxy clicked in the postseason, scoring a jaw-dropping 16 goals in four matches. Puig has been the Galaxy's most important player all season, but he won't be in the MLS Cup Final after tearing a knee ligament late in last week's conference final victory over Seattle . The loss of Puig — who somehow kept playing on his injured knee, and even delivered the game-winning pass to Joveljic — makes the Galaxy even more difficult to anticipate. “He played a lot in the regular season, so it was not so easy to analyze all these games now without him,” Schwarz said. “But the main focus is to analyze what we need to do, because it’s not clear now how they’re playing without him.” The Galaxy could give some of Puig's responsibilities to Marco Reus, the longtime Dortmund standout who joined LA in August. Reus is nursing a hamstring injury, but Vanney expects him to play. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccerNone
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