Yesterday in Sports 06 28 26

Hey, I'm Chris Horvidell and this is Yesterday in Sports. The show that gets you caught up on the biggest things that happened yesterday, why they mattered, and what you need to know before pretending you watched every second of it. Here we go. Welcome to Yesterday in Sports, I'm Chris Horvidell and we've got a fun one for you today leading off with England getting the job done at the World Cup. The wild Austria-Algeria finish that knocked Iran out, and the Sharks making NHL draft history with a 7-foot-1 defenseman. Today's episode is brought to you in part by our friends at NordVPN, more on that later. Let's start with the World Cup where England beat Panama 2-0 and finished top of Group L. This was not England at its cleanest. It was rainy, it was choppy, and for a while, it had the feel of one of those games. England had the ball, England had control, and yet everybody was still a little nervous. Jude Bellingham eventually broke it open in the 62nd minute, and then 5 minutes later he set up Harry Kane for a second. That goal mattered for the game, obviously, but it also mattered historically because it moved Kane past Gary Lineker as England's all-time leading scorer at the World Cup with 11. It's the kind of stat that really frames Kane's international career. He's been around long enough that people almost get bored with how productive he is, but England now has its all-time leading overall scorer and all-time World Cup scorer in the same player. The larger takeaway is that England did what good tournament teams have to do. They didn't play a perfect game, but they avoided the messy route, topped the group with 7 points, and now move into the knockout stage with Bellingham looking like a player who can still change a match in 5 minutes. But the wildest World Cup story of the day came later because Austria and Algeria played a 3-3 thriller that ended up sending both teams through and knocking Iran out. This had all the weirdness of the expanded World Cup format where teams are playing while other third place teams are basically watching the math. Iran had drawn Egypt 1-1 and was sitting there hoping that the Australia-Algeria result would break its way. And for a brief shining moment, it looked like it may. Riyadh Miraz appeared to put Algeria ahead in stoppage time, which would have opened the door for Iran, but then Austria answered in the 96th minute through Sasha Kalidich and that equalizer changed everything. Austria advanced, Algeria advanced, Iran, despite going unbeaten with 3 draws, were out. That's brutal, but it's also exactly why a tournament format like this is going to keep creating chaos. It gives more teams life, it creates more scoreboard watching, and it means one goal in Kansas City can change the mood in an entire locker room entirely. Staying with the big stage results, the Dodgers made a pretty loud statement in San Diego. LA beat the Padres 15-3 and the key number is 9 because the Dodgers put up 9 runs in the 6th inning. Kyle Tucker had a huge night with 4 RBIs, Mookie Betts hit a 3-run homer that capped that 6th inning eruption, and Dalton Rushing also went deep. Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave the Dodgers 6 innings and allowed just 2 runs, which is exactly what you want when your lineup is doing its best to turn a close game into a blowout. The reason this one matters isn't just the score, it was Dodgers-Padres, the top two teams in the NL West, and LA pushed the division lead back to 9 games. San Diego had a 4-game winning streak snapped, and the Dodgers reminded everybody that even when the season gets long, their lineup can flip a game in one inning. Now we talk about an NHL draft story that is legitimately fascinating. The San Jose Sharks picked Alexander Karmanoff in the 7th round, 201st overall. Karmanoff is a defenseman from Moldova who played for the North Bay Battalion and he's listed at 7'1 and roughly 280 pounds. That makes him the tallest player ever drafted into the NHL. And yeah, the size is a headline because it has to be. Hockey has had huge defensemen before. Charo was 6'9 and became a Hall of Fame level player because he combined reach, strength, and a heavy shot with real hockey intelligence. But 7'1 is different. That's not just tall for hockey, that's tall for any sport. The interesting part for San Jose is what they're actually betting on. A 7th round pick is usually a developmental swing. You aren't drafting a finished product there, you're drafting a trait, a tool, or a player who can do one thing that can't be taught. Karmanoff has the obvious one. His reach changes passing lanes, his frame changes board battles, and his sheer size alone can make entries and playing in front of the net tough for opponents. The question is going to be whether or not he can actually move well enough as the game gets faster. And that's always the challenge with unusually large defensemen. If the feet are good enough and the processing comes along, there is something here. If not, the novelty is going to wear off quickly. For the Sharks though, it's a worthwhile lottery ticket. They're rebuilding, they can afford patience, and they just added one of the most unique physical profiles this sport has ever seen. In the WNBA, Seattle got a good one from its young core. They beat the Atlanta Dream 105-90, and rookies Flo-J Johnson and Awan Pham led the way. Johnson had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Pham added another big performance as Seattle starters all hit double figures. It matters because Seattle's trying to build a team that can play fast, score in bunches, and not have everything depend on one veteran creator. Atlanta have been one of the better stories of the season, but Seattle putting up 105 is a reminder that this storm can be dangerous when the pace tilts their way and their rookies are not just surviving minutes, they're controlling stretches. Quick tennis note as well, Madison Keyes won Eastbourne for the third time, beating Tatiana Maria 7-5, 6-4. That's a strong Wimbledon lead-in for Keyes, especially because Eastbourne is one of those grass court events that can really tell you who are comfortable right before the All-England Club. Keyes first won there back in 2014, and now, more than a decade later, she's still dangerous on grass because her serve and first strike power translate so well. Finally, let's hit one NBA rumor to watch. According to reporting from Mark Stein and Jake Fisher, the Nets are being linked to multiple free agent targets, including Mitchell Robinson, Rui Hachimura, and Keion Ellis. It's interesting because Brooklyn has the salary cap flexibility and appears to be trying to put a more credible team on the floor after having a rough season. Robinson would be the New York rivalry angle, and that's fun. Coming from the Knicks, giving them rebounding and toughness, Hachimura gives them size and scoring on the wing, Ellis is more of the clean 3 and D guard. Now, to be clear, this is not a done deal, none of it. It's just free agent interest, but the Nets are one of the teams that can actually act, and that makes their rumors a little bit more meaningful than a team just floating names out there without a path to get anything done. That's a pretty good place to bring back in NordVPN, because this part of the sports calendar is basically rumors, reports, trackers, fake accounts, real insiders, and a million tabs open all at once. NordVPN is one of the things that just makes sense in the background when you're bouncing around online, checking news, streaming, traveling, or you just like a connection with a little more privacy without having to think too much about it. I'm Chris Horvidell, and that's it for today's show about what happened yesterday. We'll see you tomorrow.