Emma Raducanu through to round three in Canada after seeing off Peyton Stearns in straight sets
Raducanu, who was born in Toronto, maintained her 100 per cent record against the world No 37 following victories in Washington and Tokyo last year.
After a dominant first set, which the Briton secured in 42 minutes, things got a little trickier in the second set after Stearns started to find her range on the forehand wing.
The American broke in the fifth game of the second set for a 3-2 lead, and consolidated in the next game, holding to 30, before Raducanu got back in the set with a strong service game of her own at 2-4.
The British No 1 was then able to take charge once again, as she attacked the Stearns serve and was always looking to take advantage of the American's second delivery. Returning at 3-4 down, Raducanu pounced and broke the American.
Raducanu then played a classy service game to move 5-4 ahead which put all the pressure on the American who was tasked with holding serve to stay in the contest. Stearns was unable to do so however, as Raducanu ambushed the American and broke, taking the second set and the match 6-2, 6-4.
Speaking during her on-court interview, Raducanu said: 'I know Peyton is a really tough opponent, we've played two times in the past and always had really long matches. I'm really happy with how I came through in that match.
'I kind of lost my focus at some moments in the second set and she took advantage, but very happy that I came through against a top opponent and happy to extend my stay in Montreal.
'I just want to say thank you [to the crowd], I saw the Union Jack in clutch moments and I was actually born in Canada, so to come back it means so much to do well here and very happy to be into the next round.'
Raducanu, now 5-1 during this North American hard-court swing, awaits the winner between fifth seed Amanda Anisimova and Lulu Sun.
12:57 AM BST
Match point
12:46 AM BST
Raducanu wins 6-2, 6-4
Stearns wins the opening point before Raducanu eats up a second delivery from the American. Stearns then nets a backhand to fall 15-30 behind.
A great backhand return winner brings up two match points for the Briton. Stearns finds the line with a forehand to save the first but Raducanu then rips a forehand cross for a clean winner to seal victory.
Another convincing display from the British No 1!
12:40 AM BST
Raducanu* 6-2, 5-4 Stearns
Raducanu gets things started with an ace before Stearns levels up at 15-15. A Raducanu double-fault gets the American to 15-30 and then 15-40, as Raducanu nets a backhand from the baseline. A good serve out wide sets up the point nicely for Raducanu, who puts a backhand away in the open court. A well-timed ace then gets the Briton to deuce. Some good baseline play sees Raducanu get to advantage but Stearns wins the next point after finding the line with a whipped forehand.
Raducanu saves break point with a wicked forehand of her own before Stearns nets a return on the backhand wing to give Raducanu game point... and the Briton holds to put herself a game away from the third round.
12:33 AM BST
Raducanu 6-2, 4-4 Stearns*
At 15-0, Raducanu attacks the Stearns second serve and it pays off as the netcord helps the ball drop dead on the American's side of the net. The Briton then wins the next two points in rapid succession to bring up two break points and she takes advantage at the first time of asking. Back on serve in set two!
12:28 AM BST
Raducanu* 6-2, 3-4 Stearns
Raducanu throws down two good first serves to quickly get to 30-0. The Briton then double-faults as the score moves to 30-15. Stearns nets a return and then sprays a backhand wide which sees Raducanu secure the hold.
12:25 AM BST
Raducanu 6-2, 2-4 Stearns*
Stearns, looking to consolidate the break, wins the opening point before Raducanu draws level with a backhand return winner. Another huge return to the feet of Stearns moves the scoreboard to 15-30 before Stearns draws level at 30-30. Some more clean hitting from Stearns sees the American get to 40-30 and she holds for a 4-2 lead.
12:19 AM BST
Raducanu* 6-2, 2-3 Stearns
At 15-15, Stearns finds her best return to go 15-30 ahead. Raducanu then double-faults to hand Stearns two break points. The Briton saves the first with a huge forehand cross-court winner but is unable to save the second as Stearns seizes the initiative in this second set.
12:15 AM BST
Raducanu 6-2, 2-2 Stearns*
Stearns, serving much better in this second set, races to a 30-0 lead before ripping a forehand down the line to go 40-0 up. Raducanu then gets on the board at 40-15 as the American double-faults but Stearns is able to hold.
12:10 AM BST
Raducanu* 6-2, 2-1 Stearns
Stearns, looking much more settled, goes 0-30 ahead before Raducanu throws down an ace down the T to get on the board at 15-30. The Briton then fires down another to go 30-30. Stearns then gets her first break-point look after ripping a forehand winner down the line, but the American is unable to take it as she goes long with a backhand slice. A nice serve-plus-one gets Raducanu to advantage, but the Briton double-faults in the next point to go back to deuce. A nice forehand then wrongfoots Stearns and Raducanu holds.
12:04 AM BST
Raducanu 6-2, 1-1 Stearns*
Stearns races to a 30-0 lead before Raducanu rips a forehand return for a clean winner to get on the board at 30-15. Stearns wins the next two points to close out the game to 15.
12:00 AM BST
Second set: Raducanu* 6-2, 1-0 Stearns
Stearns makes a promising start and goes 0-15 ahead before Raducanu draws level and takes a 30-15 lead. Stearns then gets to 30-30 after drawing an error from Raducanu. The Briton then sees the American go long with a forehand to go 40-30 ahead.
Raducanu, yet to face a break point in the contest, comes through the game to get things started in set two.
11:53 PM BST
Raducanu takes the first set 6-2
Stearns, serving to stay in the first set, gets on the board first as Raducanu goes wide with a return. The American then double-faults to bring Raducanu back in the game at 15-15. The Briton attacks the Stearns second serve again which pays off as it puts the Briton on the frontfoot. Stearns gets it back to 30-30 after some good defence, but then sees another forehand hit the net which gives Raducanu set point.
Stearns saves it with a forehand volley but then nets another groundstroke on the forehand wing to give Raducanu a second set point. Ace from Stearns brings the game back to deuce. Double-fault gives Raducanu her third set point. Another ace from Stearns gets the American back to deuce. Good serve-plus-one gives Stearns game point. The American is unable to seize the advantage but gets a second go soon after. That then passes the American by as she throws down a double fault.
Raducanu, on her sixth set point, gets it done as Stearns goes wide with a forehand from the baseline.
11:37 PM BST
Raducanu* 5-2 Stearns
Raducanu finds her spot with a good first serve to get things started. Stearns then draws an error from the Briton to draw level before Raducanu sprays a forehand wide to fall 15-30 behind. Stearns then goes wide with a forehand from the baseline to move the scoreboard to 30-30. Some huge hitting from Raducanu pays off, as the Briton muscles a forehand for a clean winner to go 40-30. Stearns then nets from the baseline and Raducanu holds.
11:32 PM BST
Raducanu 4-2 Stearns*
Stearns wrongfoots Raducanu as she goes back behind the Briton to go 15-0. The American then gets to 30-0 and then 40-0 with an ace down the T. The American holds to love to stay in contention in this opening set.
11:29 PM BST
Raducanu* 4-1 Stearns
Second-serve ace gives Raducanu a 15-0 lead. The Briton then moves 30-0 ahead as Stearns nets a return. More big hitting from Raducanu sees the scoreboard move to 40-0... and Raducanu consolidates the break with an ace. Brilliant start from the Briton.
11:27 PM BST
Raducanu 3-1 Stearns*
Raducanu sneaks 0-15 ahead after attacking the second serve of Stearns. The American gets to 15-15 after drawing an error from the Briton, before Raducanu moves ahead again after taking advantage of a weak Stearns second delivery. Raducanu then goes 15-40 ahead after making good use of her backhand slice. Stearns double-faults and hands the British No 1 the first break.
11:20 PM BST
Raducanu* 2-1 Stearns
Raducanu races to 30-0 following two big first serves. Another good delivery sees the Briton get to 40-0, as Stearns goes long with her return. The Briton holds to love.
11:18 PM BST
Raducanu 1-1 Stearns*
The American nets a forehand to fall 0-15 behind. The 32nd seed then arrows a forehand down the line off the back of good first serve. Raducanu goes long from the baseline to fall 30-15 behind, before some good scrambling from the Briton gets her to 30-30. A big first serve is netted by Raducanu and Stearns holds with another forehand winner down the line.
11:14 PM BST
First set: Emma Raducanu* 1-0 Peyton Stearns
Raducanu wins the opening point before Stearns draws level at 15-15. The two then get into a drawn out baseline rally, which sees Raducanu come out on top before Stearns draws level at 30-30. Raducanu eventually closes out the game to 30.
11:06 PM BST
Coin toss
Stearns won the toss and elected to receive.
11:05 PM BST
Players are on court
Emma Raducanu and Peyton Stearns are on court and warming up.
10:57 PM BST
Osaka comes back from a set down
Back in Montreal, Naomi Osaka sealed an impressive comeback win against 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova.
10:42 PM BST
Norrie ousted in Toronto
Cameron Norrie, who was the last British man standing in Toronto, was knocked out by Australian Aleksandar Vukic earlier today.
The Briton was the 31st seed at the Masters 1000 event so receieved a first-round bye.
09:43 PM BST
Briton leads head-to-head 2-0
Good evening and welcome to third-round coverage of Emma Raducanu versus Peyton Stearns at the Canadian Open.
Raducanu is enjoying a good North American hard-court swing so far following her semi-final showing in Washington last week. The British No 1 won three matches in the American capital without dropping a set, before succumbing to eventual runner-up Anna Kalinskaya.
The world No 33 is playing in Montreal for only the second time in her career. Her first appearance at the WTA 1000 event, in 2022, ended in defeat to Italian Camila Giorgi in the second round – the Briton who was then ranked 10 in the world received a first-round bye as the ninth seed.
This year, an unseeded Raducanu started her campaign in the first round where she saw off good friend Elena-Gabriela Ruse in straight sets – 6-2, 6-4. Afterwards, the Briton spoke about how pleased she was to secure the win.
'I'm happy to have come through that. I know Elena and she's a very good friend of mine. It's very difficult to play someone that you're close to,' said the 22-year-old during her on-court interview. 'I'm really proud of how I put that to one side for the match and also backed up a good week last week in DC and performed well today.'
Stearns, the American world No 37 who is the 32nd seed in Montreal, is searching for her first win on the North American hard courts following a first-round exit at the Citi Open last week. Stearns, 23, fell to 45-year-old seven-time grand slam champion Venus Williams in straight sets.
Raducanu leads the head-to-head 2-0 coming into this one. Those two matches were both played on hard courts last year, first in DC where Raducanu won 7-6, 6-2 and in Korea where the Briton secured victory in two tie-break sets.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
25 minutes ago
- New York Times
Ruben Amorim interview: Man Utd head coach on walking away, code of conduct and exiled players
In the press conference room at Chicago Fire's training base, Ruben Amorim is laughing. A quote from his boss, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has just been put to him. The one where Ratcliffe said he likes Amorim because they have frank conversations over a brew at Carrington and Manchester United's head coach tells the club's co-owner to 'f*** off' if he strays into territory beyond his expertise. Advertisement Amorim explains their dynamic. 'We speak on the phone, he sends me messages, he sends me GIFs. You call it GIFs? Joking.' It is fun to imagine Ratcliffe, 72, pinging Amorim a WhatsApp of the looping clip of Leonardo DiCaprio, as the Great Gatsby, raising a glass of champagne, following the 5-4 victory over Lyon. Or maybe, after any of the many losses last term, the footage of Roy Hodgson, when England manager, getting excited in the dugout during an attack against Iceland, only to flop his head down in disappointment when the chance is missed. 'So we have this kind of relationship,' Amorim continues. 'It's really easy to deal with Jim. Easy in the sense that if you know your stuff, if you know how to explain any decision, you'll be fine with him. 'If you try to use some bullshit in big words with him, he's going to knock you. So, for me, it's really easy. I will say whatever I need to say with a lot of respect, like with everybody. I know that he's the owner of the club, I know my place. But when I need to say something, I will say it naturally, with no bullshit — I can say that — with no bullshit. 'I'm not around the subject, I'm really direct. I think it's something that he likes a lot.' There is much for United supporters to like from Amorim's words and demeanour during his sit-down with reporters, which spans 25 minutes at the high-class facilities his team have called home for nearly a fortnight. Ideally, he would prefer not to speak. The former Sporting CP head coach conducted more interviews last season than he had in his entire managerial career, but contractual obligations for Premier League and Europa League broadcasters dictated a regular stream of Amorim content. At times, he looked drained. He joked he had turned 50 rather than 40 when he left his thirties on January 27. Advertisement Now, he seems refreshed. He has a healthy glow from the Illinois sunshine, aided by regular runs through the city and 7am gym sessions. He is happy enough to grant time to journalists covering the club in the United States, giving his most revealing interview. 'Nowadays I can feel more excited,' he says when comparing his current mood to a few months ago. 'I learned a lot. Small things. How to build up (to a game). How to sometimes not be so romantic. All these things are gone now. I truly believe that I will be better managing the season.' Here, The Athletic details what Amorim said, analyses those words and provides context for the key themes. The Athletic has reported how, in February, as United's season spiralled into turmoil through defeats and injuries, observers at Carrington felt Amorim was giving serious thought to offering his resignation. Then, after the Europa League final defeat, Amorim said he would go 'without any conversation about compensation' if the board felt he was not the right man. On each occasion, Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada, and director of football Jason Wilcox reassured Amorim. Amorim explains how the results and atmosphere made him consider his position. 'Walk away is more an ego thing,' he says. 'I'm like that. If you saw Sporting: I won the league and we had second place in the next year. In the third year, when we lost Matheus Nunes, Joao Palhinha, and all these guys, we were fourth in the league, and I put my place (up for discussion). 'It's a thing that my agent says, you don't need to sign a big contract. Because when things go bad, I put my place. I'm maybe really romantic about things.' Amorim insists he is comforted by the club's backing. 'I always felt that,' he says. 'In some moments last season, I was more concerned about me than them. They always show support. Advertisement 'If you try to remember one big team that lost so many games and the manager kept their job, you will not find it. So that shows more than words that they support me.' Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, the average lifespan of a United manager is two years. 'I want to stay 20,' replies Amorim. 'That is my goal, and I truly believe in that. Something will happen. In some moments, I will be lucky. I had a lot of luck during my career as a manager, and my idea is to stay for many years. Results will dictate that. And I know that all the credit I had when I arrived… last year was used on that. But I'm ready to start fresh.' Amorim acknowledges that his personal ledger at United took a major hit during his first six months, and knows he must start well in his first full campaign. His record in charge stands at 42 games, 16 wins, 10 draws, and 16 defeats. He lost the Europa League final agaainst Tottenham Hotspur in a way that disappointed many inside and outside the club, but he maintains belief, powered by his success at Sporting CP, where he won two Portuguese titles in his four complete seasons. 'If you look, Sporting was the same thing. They said that in three months, I'm out. They said that I had a three per cent chance of winning one title with Sporting. 'The pressure is different (at United). But I don't like to change clubs. I like to bond with people and carry on. I was waiting for the right club. It sounds crazy, but I chose this club. I had the feeling. Until I can, I will stay here.' On the subject of pressure, Amorim says it was more acute when he finished his playing career, which spanned 322 club games, mainly for Benfica, and 14 Portugal caps. He retired aged 32 after a year out, having ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. 'This is not the moment that I felt more pressure in my life,' he says. 'I had my career as a player, and I finished really quickly because of the injuries. I remember that me and my wife, we had an Excel (spreadsheet) with all the money that we have, all the things that I need. I want to help my family. All this responsibility. And I felt the pressure in that time. 'Nowadays, I don't feel any pressure about that. It's more like an ego thing. I want to be manager of Manchester United for a while. I don't want to fail. That is the only pressure.' Amorim is explaining how he felt last season, as if he could not raise his fists to battle. 'I had that feeling during the season that I'm so frustrated, I cannot do anything, so I have to wait. And to wait, and being manager of Manchester United, is like going to a fight with my hands like this.' Amorim drops his arms by his side, almost placing them behind the chair he is sitting on. Advertisement 'In some moments, I just needed to survive to the end, because everything I need to do, I will need to do with a new start, with more time, with some changes that I cannot do now. That is even people around the staff and players. 'My goal in that moment, three months to the end, was trying to win the Europa League. We struggled a lot, trying to save players, to play 60 minutes. You play against Newcastle, all these clubs, and you have to perform, or we will have problems. But you need to take one guy off at 60 minutes — and you cannot do it in Manchester United, you cannot think like that, I cannot change three guys because I have to try to maintain the team fit to win the Europa League.' Amorim's side lost 4-1 at Newcastle United, and also tasted defeat against Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brentford, West Ham United and Chelsea in the final weeks of the Premier League campaign. He is asked how going home following those performances felt. 'To tell you the truth, it's not how I returned to my house after the games — (it was) how I left to go to the games. Because I knew that we will struggle in specific games. That is the hardest part, to go to the games and know that we are not going to be competitive, how we should be. 'When I returned (home), I just looked to my family and tried to think in different things. But I was really frustrated.' Amorim believes he will not head into matches this season with that same sense of trepidation. 'If I have the feeling that before the game, that we are going to be competitive, we'll be OK,' he says. 'I just don't want to return to that feeling that we are thinking it's not a 50-50 game.' United, under Amorim's direction, have introduced a code of conduct, detailing expectations and possible sanctions. The list is fairly extensive and includes notes on timekeeping and engaging with fans. Bryan Mbeumo was applauded onto the pitch, seemingly ironically, when he was the last to arrive for training before the Bournemouth friendly. 'The rules are not to treat the players as babies, they have sons,' Amorim explains. 'I treat them as a man, but they have rules now. And that can change the way you train. If you don't train in the right way, I have footage to show you. And I show you in front of everybody. So I'm always on top.' He adds: 'They understand that when I say one thing, I will do it. That is really important. And the change of culture is more a club thing than a manager thing. I cannot do everything by myself.' Amorim wants players to continue to take more responsibility. 'I expect in one phase that I don't need to do anything, because they will push each other,' he says. 'But in the moment, if you train one time bad, I will show you the image. I will not just speak. I will show everything. So that really requires a lot of energy. But what I feel in this year is that I have more people to do that.' Advertisement Amorim reveals he has a new team to assist him. 'We have a leadership group now. It's not just Bruno Fernandes. It's not just Harry Maguire. It's six guys now. They are responsible for the group. There are some things that, in the last year, I had to deal with that. I said to them, 'You deal with that. Small issues are with you guys. You are responsible'. All these small changes, it's helping the group.' Joining Fernandes and Maguire are Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot, Tom Heaton and Noussair Mazraoui. 'So it's not just the oldest one, Nous is in the group because he's a character that I like,' Amorim continues. 'I try to understand the dynamic of the group, try to reach every space. They are the guys who are responsible for keeping everyone in line.' Amorim namechecked United's revamp of the medical and nutritional departments as significant changes. Omar Meziane left his role as first-team head chef in December to join McLaren's Formula One team, with Will Carvalho replacing him as head performance chef. Marcus Hannon is the new head of sports nutrition, and Filipe Sousa is the first-team nutritionist. Carvalho joined from Brighton & Hove Albion, Hannon has experience at Aston Villa, while Sousa previously worked for Vitoria Sport, Famalicao and Vizela in Portugal. Gary O'Driscoll, head of medical services, is set to leave but is out on tour as his replacement is found. United have appointed two relatively new physios and two soft tissue specialists. 'We improved in every department,' says Amorim. 'Omar and Jason, they were aligned about everything we need to change.' Amorim is a head coach who lets his feelings rip at times. He broke the dressing-room television amid a furious inquest after the loss to Brighton at Old Trafford. He thinks his team can use that kind of mentality as fuel. 'We need to be a little bit more emotional in this team,' he says. 'With the emotion, we become more sacrifice, more pace, more energy. We are improving on that. Advertisement 'Competition is going to help. If you see Matheus Cunha is playing, Mason Mount is on the bench. Bruno and Kobbie Mainoo are in the same position. Bruno can do different positions and even Kobbie. These things will help. 'It's a perfect year to do that without European competition. We need to put the standards, then we'll be ready in the next season (2026-27), to cope with less trainings, all the culture is already here, so we can play, play, play.' Amorim's belief that United will be ready to return to Europe in 12 months is understandable but he will need major progress. That space in United's calendar has been commented on by several players, who felt the hamster wheel of last season jeopardised the switch to 3-4-2-1. The reduction in games means it is harder for players to get satisfactory minutes, though. 'I want a small squad so everyone feels really important,' Amorim says. 'If you have a lot of players, you have one week to prepare, and a lot of players are going to be out and then in training, they will be frustrated, then the quality will drop.' Amorim plans to use academy players to fill in the gaps in positions. 'I think we need to improve the academy,' he adds. 'We have young kids that are not going to be 100 per cent of the time with us.' He wants to be meticulous when making senior additions. 'For someone to come into our team, we need to do all that work that we did with Bryan and Cunha,' he says. 'We need to be really careful to assess the character the way they play, try to imagine if they play abroad, try to imagine them physically, technically playing in our club.' Leaving Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia in Manchester during the tour aligns with Amorim's desire for a tight squad. He says: 'The market is open. There are players who clearly show they don't want to be here, and that is normal. They are not bad, and I'm good. I'm not bad, and they are good. It's a simple situation that they want new challenges. Advertisement 'We will try to use this space to prepare the team that I think will be here. If the market closes and they are Manchester United players, we as a club have to treat them in the same conditions.' Amorim speaks on Garnacho for the first time since he told him to find a new club on the final weekend of the Premier League campaign. 'You can see he's a really talented boy,' he says. 'Sometimes things don't work out. You cannot explain specifically what it is but it's clear that Garnacho wants a different thing with a different leadership. I can understand that. It's not a problem. Sometimes you adapt to one guy, you have the connection. Other times, you want a new challenge.' Amorim is confident United's financial picture will improve, due to the club's established prestige and global renown. 'I have no doubts, because there are some things that you cannot buy — this club has,' he insists. 'The pedigree, the history, the fans. 'We have money without the Champions League. You talk with Omar and all these guys, they are making all the strategy to have more money in the future. That will not be a problem. 'Then if we have a different culture, with all the pedigree, the money, we can return to our place. That is clear.' Amorim's system became a stick to beat him with last season. He was told to be flexible, especially when chasing games, and the sight of Maguire as a makeshift striker was awkward. But Amorim claims he does evolve. 'I changed so many things during my short career as a manager,' he says. 'When I see a different thing that works, I will use it. I copy so many things about other managers, the way they play, warm-ups. I stole warm-ups. I'm not so stubborn. 'To be a really strong team, we need to have a base. When the base is OK, we will start doing different things. It's a process. Advertisement 'I said that in the interview (with United), I'm not the coach who is going to try to survive, to put an idea that is not mine. Since day one, it's the only way I know. Let's build the base. Are we going to suffer? Yes.' Injecting some dynamism into midfield is important to Amorim, with talks about recruits ongoing, but he thinks coaching players can be as beneficial as fresh physical attributes. 'Of course, there are players who are not going to have a bigger pace. But if you look at the same players in these games, the pace is different. That is my feeling.' Why? 'I think it's the time to train. Even the certainty of the movements can help a player to be faster, if you are thinking, 'I jump, I don't jump'. We train when they need to jump; they already know. So, 'I start sooner'. Sometimes it's one metre, one second. That is something that the tactical aspect and the physical aspect are together.' Mainoo's jump to intercept Alphonse Areola's kick to set up Fernandes for his second goal in the friendly win against West Ham was a case in point. 'Mainoo, with those feet, playing the ball, if he finds the right pace, playing like every time I give the ball, I find a new solution. Every time the guy is running back, I can follow the guy because he can. He's going to be faster.' The issue Amorim has is that the teams at the top are getting stronger, too. Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea have all made significant additions in the market. Amorim is not contemplating them, however. 'If we were in a different moment, I would be more concerned about that,' he concedes. 'We have such big issues here, I'm so excited to change all these things, I'm not thinking in that way. 'I'm really happy with the players that we bring. They proved in the Premier League, so I'm not concerned about the physical aspect. I'm really happy with the character. Advertisement 'I think personally, Jason and Omar also, that all the players that we want to bring to Manchester, any coach will want them. 'This is not my style'… I can guarantee you, if you bring any manager here, they will say, 'Bryan, thank you. Matheus Cunha, thank you'.' If Amorim can translate his words to actions on the pitch, United fans will be the ones saying thank you to him.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Brian Daboll, Giants' coaching staff disrespected in ESPN ranking
It's no secret that the 2025 NFL season is something of a 'make or break' year for New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Once a rising star as the offensive coordinator for Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, the Giants hired Daboll as head coach and saw some success right away. He guided New York to a 9-7 record, a return to the playoffs, and got quarterback Daniel Jones to look the best he ever has. Since then, it's been all downhill for Daboll and the Giants, winning just nine total games across two seasons while Daniel Jones is now the likely backup quarterback in Indianapolis. As the NFL is a 'what have you done for me lately' league, it should come as no surprise that Daboll and his coaching staff fared poorly in a recent ranking of NFL coaching staffs. Ben Solak, an analyst for ESPN, ranked each team's coaching staff heading into the 2025 NFL season and placed the New York Giants in dead last, a drop of 8 spots from last year. Regarding Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Solak writes, 'It's not much to hang a hat on, but if and when we see Jaxson Dart this season at quarterback, I expect the team to have some smart, easy ways to get him into a rhythm and involved in the running game. I can at least see the visions in New York, even if the plane often struggles to get off the ground.' Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen earned a slightly rosier assessment, at least. 'I have a warmer appreciation for Bowen, who is always willing to get creative with alignment and coverages to solve personnel problems on the back end. The 2024 Giants' defense was definitely poor, but they have overhauled the secondary and added to the pass rush this offseason, so I'm happy reserving a stronger judgment for Year 2.' As aforementioned, it should surprise no one that the Giants' coaching staff is ranked among the league's worst. What is rather surprising was seeing them rank at dead last, behind even some first-time head coaches with inexperienced staffs, like the Jacksonville Jaguars. To be fair, the Jaguars only ranked one spot higher than New York, but even that feels like a major disservice to Daboll's potential. At least Daboll has a playoff appearance to his name. Hopefully, the arm of Russell Wilson, who is the unquestioned starting QB in 2025, will guide New York to a strong 2025 season and we'll see a more positive evaluation in next year's rankings.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Texas A&M senior RB predicted to lead the SEC in rushing this season
Texas A&M's 2025 running game will be headlined by senior running back Le'Veon Moss, who, after missing the final four games of the 2024 season due to a lower body injury sustained against South Carolina, will be back. Moss is back and 100% healthy, according to himself and head coach Mike Elko, which was further confirmed during the first two practices of the preseason last week. However, Moss has not received the national coverage he deserves, while a small portion of the Aggie fan base is worried that he could face issues returning to complete form, based on the wear and tear of playing running back in the SEC. Still, Moss has dealt with setbacks in the past, and the depth behind him, including Rueben Owens, Amari Daniels, EJ Smith, and freshmen Deondrae Riden and Jamarion Morrow. Last season, depth was a significant issue after Rueben Owens was lost early in the preseason, leaving just Amari Daniels and EJ Smith, who was also dealing with an injury, as the only options behind Moss. As we all witnessed, the lack of depth hurt the Aggie offense, forcing starting quarterback Marcel Reed to drop back more than OC Collin Klein wanted late in the season. On Saturday, Michael Bratton of That SEC Podcast listed his top 10 SEC running backs who will finish the 2025 season as the top rushers, and for what seems like the first time all offseason, Bratton chose Le'Veon Moss to finish the year as the leading rusher in the SEC. Before his injury, Moss led the SEC with 765 rushing yards and ten touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Currently listed at 5'11" and 210 pounds, Moss is a complete back with a bright NFL future, and if he stays healthy, combined with the offense living up to its elite potential, expect Moss not only to lead the SEC in rushing, but also to finish in the top five nationally. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty. This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M RB Le'Veon Moss predicted to lead the SEC in rushing
