Aston Martin’s upgrades lead F1 Hungarian Grand Prix storylines The Formula 1 grid will roar to life one final time this weekend, ahead of the annual August shutdown.Before the sport goes on a mandated hiatus, in place to help the teams and drivers reset ahead of the final push to the end of the schedule — and the holiday season sprint to the next season — the grid heads to the Hungaroring for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.Here are the storylines we’re looking forward to this weekend.Aston Martin’s upgradesIt has been, to put it bluntly, a dismal season for Aston Martin.The year began with questions over whether Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso would even participate in the Australian Grand Prix, as power unit vibrations were too intense for the drivers to handle over a race distance. The team used that race as a glorified testing session, with Alonso completing just 21 laps and Stroll 43, after several pit stops.But while other teams brought regular upgrades throughout the season to date, Aston Martin circled the Hungarian Grand Prix for a massive upgrade package, one they hope will pull the team up from the back of the grid.Engineering wizard Adrian Newey outlined what the upgrade contains, including a focus on lowering the weight of the AMR26.”The main structural elements remain the same – the chassis and gearbox architecture don’t fundamentally change – but we’ve taken weight out of both, which required re-homologating and crash testing the forward chassis,” said Newey to the official F1 channel.“The front suspension is unchanged. The rear suspension is slightly revised. We’ve developed a new nose and substantially revised aerodynamic surfaces. So, while the core structure is similar, it’s a big aerodynamic package coupled with significant weight reduction. The target is to get very close to the weight limit.”As far as the team’s expectations for the upgrade?They simply want to be able to race again.“For us, the most important is that we go back racing, because we have not over the last events – it was very difficult to keep up with the midfield,” said Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack. “Whatever it’s going to bring, I think going racing is most important for everyone.“I think the period that we had with no upgrades for very long is now over, so it looks good for the future, and we are just all looking forward to Budapest and seeing what we have.”Can George Russell bounce back?This has absolutely, positively, not been the Summer of George.When the 2026 F1 season began there were huge expectations at Mercedes, with good reason. The worst-kept secret in the paddock all last year was that the Silver Arrows would be on the front foot when the new regulations arrived, and with that belief came the idea that a Mercedes driver would be at the top of the standings when the dust settled.While that has largely played out to form — Mercedes currently enjoys a 73-point lead over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship standings ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix — and it is a Mercedes driver atop the Drivers’ Standings, that is young Kimi Antonelli, and not the veteran George Russell despite those pre-season expectations.Russell seemed to get back in the fight in recent weeks, thanks to a win at the Austrian Grand Prix and a P2 at the British Grand Prix, on a weekend where Antonelli finished outside of the points. But any momentum on Russell’s part was blunted under the harshest of conditions at the Belgian Grand Prix, when his race ended on the opening lap after contact with Lewis Hamilton at the Les Combes chicane.Add in Antonelli’s win at Spa, and Russell now finds himself sitting third in the standings, 50 points behind Antonelli and five points behind former teammate Hamilton.The Mercedes driver vowed to get back up following the Belgian Grand Prix:Ferrari on the front foot in Hungary?Lewis Hamilton’s win at the Spanish Grand Prix ignited thoughts of the seven-time champion making a charge of his own, and there is reason to believe that he and Ferrari could be on friendly footing at the Hungaroring.Ferrari leadership believes that the SF26 is best suited to tracks like this weekend’s, where power and straight-line speed takes a backseat to the lower-speed corners like the grid will see at the Hungaroring. And McLaren boss Andrea Stella already tapped the Scuderia as the favorites ahead of the weekend.“I think in Hungary, the Netherlands we will see the Ferrari being back to probably being the fastest car we see in the corners there. Extremely competitive,” Stella told Sky Sports F1.Ferrari took a step forward at the Belgian Grand Prix as Charles Leclerc challenged Antonelli for the win before ultimately finishing second. That could bode well for the team at other tracks, but with the strength in the corners Ferrari has shown earlier this season, they might very well be the team to beat in Hungary.The calm before the stormThe August shutdown gives the teams and drivers a chance to reset before the final push to the season-ending race at Yas Marina.But it often marks the true kickoff to the driver transfer market.As we discussed last week, rumors over Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull remain the dominant talking point in the paddock, but there are several other teams and drivers wondering how the pieces will fit together for the 2027 F1 season.One driver to watch is Esteban Ocon at Haas. He returns to Hungary, the site of his one Grand Prix victory in the sport, facing an uncertain future at Haas. While no decision has been made about his future with the team, Ocon has been outscored 18-3 by teammate Oliver Bearman this season.Bearman’s position at Haas remains secure, given that any notion of a move to Ferrari is blocked for the moment by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. (Haas and Ferrari are technical partners, Bearman came through the Ferrari Driver Academy, and has long been pegged for a move to Ferrari in the future). But with Ocon lagging behind — and Bearman now more experienced — the team could look to a younger driver as a 2027 replacement. McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli has emerged as an option, having won the Formula 3 title in 2024 and the Formula 2 title a year ago, but with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri blocking his path in Papaya, a move could be possible.As we highlighted last week, SB Nation has unveiled a brand-new F1 Feed, a place for race fans to talk about the sport all year long.We’ll be putting more of an emphasis on the F1 Feed starting this week, with some big stuff planned for after the August shutdown. So get signed up and join in the fun! #Aston #Martins #upgrades #lead #Hungarian #Grand #Prix #storylines

Aston Martin’s upgrades lead F1 Hungarian Grand Prix storylines
The Formula 1 grid will roar to life one final time this weekend, ahead of the annual August shutdown.
Before the sport goes on a mandated hiatus, in place to help the teams and drivers reset ahead of the final push to the end of the schedule — and the holiday season sprint to the next season — the grid heads to the Hungaroring for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
Here are the storylines we’re looking forward to this weekend.
Aston Martin’s upgrades
It has been, to put it bluntly, a dismal season for Aston Martin.
The year began with questions over whether Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso would even participate in the Australian Grand Prix, as power unit vibrations were too intense for the drivers to handle over a race distance. The team used that race as a glorified testing session, with Alonso completing just 21 laps and Stroll 43, after several pit stops.
But while other teams brought regular upgrades throughout the season to date, Aston Martin circled the Hungarian Grand Prix for a massive upgrade package, one they hope will pull the team up from the back of the grid.
Engineering wizard Adrian Newey outlined what the upgrade contains, including a focus on lowering the weight of the AMR26.
”The main structural elements remain the same – the chassis and gearbox architecture don’t fundamentally change – but we’ve taken weight out of both, which required re-homologating and crash testing the forward chassis,” said Newey to the official F1 channel.
“The front suspension is unchanged. The rear suspension is slightly revised. We’ve developed a new nose and substantially revised aerodynamic surfaces. So, while the core structure is similar, it’s a big aerodynamic package coupled with significant weight reduction. The target is to get very close to the weight limit.”
As far as the team’s expectations for the upgrade?
They simply want to be able to race again.
“For us, the most important is that we go back racing, because we have not over the last events – it was very difficult to keep up with the midfield,” said Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack. “Whatever it’s going to bring, I think going racing is most important for everyone.
“I think the period that we had with no upgrades for very long is now over, so it looks good for the future, and we are just all looking forward to Budapest and seeing what we have.”
Can George Russell bounce back?
This has absolutely, positively, not been the Summer of George.
When the 2026 F1 season began there were huge expectations at Mercedes, with good reason. The worst-kept secret in the paddock all last year was that the Silver Arrows would be on the front foot when the new regulations arrived, and with that belief came the idea that a Mercedes driver would be at the top of the standings when the dust settled.
While that has largely played out to form — Mercedes currently enjoys a 73-point lead over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship standings ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix — and it is a Mercedes driver atop the Drivers’ Standings, that is young Kimi Antonelli, and not the veteran George Russell despite those pre-season expectations.
Russell seemed to get back in the fight in recent weeks, thanks to a win at the Austrian Grand Prix and a P2 at the British Grand Prix, on a weekend where Antonelli finished outside of the points. But any momentum on Russell’s part was blunted under the harshest of conditions at the Belgian Grand Prix, when his race ended on the opening lap after contact with Lewis Hamilton at the Les Combes chicane.
Add in Antonelli’s win at Spa, and Russell now finds himself sitting third in the standings, 50 points behind Antonelli and five points behind former teammate Hamilton.
The Mercedes driver vowed to get back up following the Belgian Grand Prix:
Ferrari on the front foot in Hungary?
Lewis Hamilton’s win at the Spanish Grand Prix ignited thoughts of the seven-time champion making a charge of his own, and there is reason to believe that he and Ferrari could be on friendly footing at the Hungaroring.
Ferrari leadership believes that the SF26 is best suited to tracks like this weekend’s, where power and straight-line speed takes a backseat to the lower-speed corners like the grid will see at the Hungaroring. And McLaren boss Andrea Stella already tapped the Scuderia as the favorites ahead of the weekend.
“I think in Hungary, the Netherlands we will see the Ferrari being back to probably being the fastest car we see in the corners there. Extremely competitive,” Stella told Sky Sports F1.
Ferrari took a step forward at the Belgian Grand Prix as Charles Leclerc challenged Antonelli for the win before ultimately finishing second. That could bode well for the team at other tracks, but with the strength in the corners Ferrari has shown earlier this season, they might very well be the team to beat in Hungary.
The calm before the storm
The August shutdown gives the teams and drivers a chance to reset before the final push to the season-ending race at Yas Marina.
But it often marks the true kickoff to the driver transfer market.
As we discussed last week, rumors over Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull remain the dominant talking point in the paddock, but there are several other teams and drivers wondering how the pieces will fit together for the 2027 F1 season.
One driver to watch is Esteban Ocon at Haas. He returns to Hungary, the site of his one Grand Prix victory in the sport, facing an uncertain future at Haas. While no decision has been made about his future with the team, Ocon has been outscored 18-3 by teammate Oliver Bearman this season.
Bearman’s position at Haas remains secure, given that any notion of a move to Ferrari is blocked for the moment by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. (Haas and Ferrari are technical partners, Bearman came through the Ferrari Driver Academy, and has long been pegged for a move to Ferrari in the future). But with Ocon lagging behind — and Bearman now more experienced — the team could look to a younger driver as a 2027 replacement. McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli has emerged as an option, having won the Formula 3 title in 2024 and the Formula 2 title a year ago, but with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri blocking his path in Papaya, a move could be possible.
As we highlighted last week, SB Nation has unveiled a brand-new F1 Feed, a place for race fans to talk about the sport all year long.
We’ll be putting more of an emphasis on the F1 Feed starting this week, with some big stuff planned for after the August shutdown. So get signed up and join in the fun!
#Aston #Martins #upgrades #lead #Hungarian #Grand #Prix #storylines

Sports news F1 July 24, 2026

The Formula 1 grid will roar to life one final time this weekend, ahead of the annual August shutdown.

Before the sport goes on a mandated hiatus, in place to help the teams and drivers reset ahead of the final push to the end of the schedule — and the holiday season sprint to the next season — the grid heads to the Hungaroring for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Here are the storylines we’re looking forward to this weekend.

Aston Martin’s upgrades

It has been, to put it bluntly, a dismal season for Aston Martin.

The year began with questions over whether Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso would even participate in the Australian Grand Prix, as power unit vibrations were too intense for the drivers to handle over a race distance. The team used that race as a glorified testing session, with Alonso completing just 21 laps and Stroll 43, after several pit stops.

But while other teams brought regular upgrades throughout the season to date, Aston Martin circled the Hungarian Grand Prix for a massive upgrade package, one they hope will pull the team up from the back of the grid.

Engineering wizard Adrian Newey outlined what the upgrade contains, including a focus on lowering the weight of the AMR26.

”The main structural elements remain the same – the chassis and gearbox architecture don’t fundamentally change – but we’ve taken weight out of both, which required re-homologating and crash testing the forward chassis,” said Newey to the official F1 channel.

“The front suspension is unchanged. The rear suspension is slightly revised. We’ve developed a new nose and substantially revised aerodynamic surfaces. So, while the core structure is similar, it’s a big aerodynamic package coupled with significant weight reduction. The target is to get very close to the weight limit.”

As far as the team’s expectations for the upgrade?

They simply want to be able to race again.

“For us, the most important is that we go back racing, because we have not over the last events – it was very difficult to keep up with the midfield,” said Chief Trackside Officer Mike Krack. “Whatever it’s going to bring, I think going racing is most important for everyone.

“I think the period that we had with no upgrades for very long is now over, so it looks good for the future, and we are just all looking forward to Budapest and seeing what we have.”

Can George Russell bounce back?

This has absolutely, positively, not been the Summer of George.

When the 2026 F1 season began there were huge expectations at Mercedes, with good reason. The worst-kept secret in the paddock all last year was that the Silver Arrows would be on the front foot when the new regulations arrived, and with that belief came the idea that a Mercedes driver would be at the top of the standings when the dust settled.

While that has largely played out to form — Mercedes currently enjoys a 73-point lead over Ferrari in the Constructors’ Championship standings ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix — and it is a Mercedes driver atop the Drivers’ Standings, that is young Kimi Antonelli, and not the veteran George Russell despite those pre-season expectations.

Russell seemed to get back in the fight in recent weeks, thanks to a win at the Austrian Grand Prix and a P2 at the British Grand Prix, on a weekend where Antonelli finished outside of the points. But any momentum on Russell’s part was blunted under the harshest of conditions at the Belgian Grand Prix, when his race ended on the opening lap after contact with Lewis Hamilton at the Les Combes chicane.

Add in Antonelli’s win at Spa, and Russell now finds himself sitting third in the standings, 50 points behind Antonelli and five points behind former teammate Hamilton.

The Mercedes driver vowed to get back up following the Belgian Grand Prix:

Ferrari on the front foot in Hungary?

Lewis Hamilton’s win at the Spanish Grand Prix ignited thoughts of the seven-time champion making a charge of his own, and there is reason to believe that he and Ferrari could be on friendly footing at the Hungaroring.

Ferrari leadership believes that the SF26 is best suited to tracks like this weekend’s, where power and straight-line speed takes a backseat to the lower-speed corners like the grid will see at the Hungaroring. And McLaren boss Andrea Stella already tapped the Scuderia as the favorites ahead of the weekend.

“I think in Hungary, the Netherlands we will see the Ferrari being back to probably being the fastest car we see in the corners there. Extremely competitive,” Stella told Sky Sports F1.

Ferrari took a step forward at the Belgian Grand Prix as Charles Leclerc challenged Antonelli for the win before ultimately finishing second. That could bode well for the team at other tracks, but with the strength in the corners Ferrari has shown earlier this season, they might very well be the team to beat in Hungary.

The calm before the storm

The August shutdown gives the teams and drivers a chance to reset before the final push to the season-ending race at Yas Marina.

But it often marks the true kickoff to the driver transfer market.

As we discussed last week, rumors over Max Verstappen’s future at Red Bull remain the dominant talking point in the paddock, but there are several other teams and drivers wondering how the pieces will fit together for the 2027 F1 season.

One driver to watch is Esteban Ocon at Haas. He returns to Hungary, the site of his one Grand Prix victory in the sport, facing an uncertain future at Haas. While no decision has been made about his future with the team, Ocon has been outscored 18-3 by teammate Oliver Bearman this season.

Bearman’s position at Haas remains secure, given that any notion of a move to Ferrari is blocked for the moment by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. (Haas and Ferrari are technical partners, Bearman came through the Ferrari Driver Academy, and has long been pegged for a move to Ferrari in the future). But with Ocon lagging behind — and Bearman now more experienced — the team could look to a younger driver as a 2027 replacement. McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli has emerged as an option, having won the Formula 3 title in 2024 and the Formula 2 title a year ago, but with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri blocking his path in Papaya, a move could be possible.

As we highlighted last week, SB Nation has unveiled a brand-new F1 Feed, a place for race fans to talk about the sport all year long.

We’ll be putting more of an emphasis on the F1 Feed starting this week, with some big stuff planned for after the August shutdown. So get signed up and join in the fun!

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#Aston #Martins #upgrades #lead #Hungarian #Grand #Prix #storylines

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How AI guardrails are impeding the work of offensive cybersecurity researchers | TechCrunch<div> For months, AI giants have devised special vetted programs and strict guardrails to limit the use of their models by malicious hackers. But these limits are now hindering the work of legitimate network defenders, as well as that of offensive cybersecurity researchers. In June, the U.S. government <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/12/anthropics-safety-warnings-may-have-just-backfired-the-government-has-pulled-the-plug-on-its-most-powerful-ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">slapped export control restrictions</a> on Anthropic’s much-hyped AI models Mythos and Fable. The move was prompted at least in part by a report that claimed it was possible to bypass the models’ guardrails designed to prevent users from using them to build and execute malicious cyberattacks. Regardless of whether the incident was really motivated by <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/15/the-us-governments-anthropic-models-ban-was-never-about-an-ai-jailbreak/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fears of a jailbreak</a>, the fact is that Anthropic <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/07/anthropic-mythos-ai-model-preview-security/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">has repeatedly marketed</a> Mythos as <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/09/is-anthropic-limiting-the-release-of-mythos-to-protect-the-internet-or-anthropic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">some kind of doomsday cybermachine</a> that can only be given to carefully vetted users, and even then with strict guardrails in place. (The export controls on Fable 5 and Mythos 5 have since been lifted. Fable 5 returned to general access on July 1; Mythos 5 has been reintroduced only to vetted U.S. organizations as part of the government’s review process.) That kind of gatekeeping isn’t unique to Mythos. Both Anthropic, with its other models, and OpenAI offer cybersecurity researchers programs they can apply to get vetted and — if approved — access models with fewer cybersecurity restrictions: OpenAI’s <a href="https://openai.com/index/scaling-trusted-access-for-cyber-defense/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Trusted Access for Cyber program</a> and Anthropic’s <a href="https://support.claude.com/en/articles/14604842-real-time-cyber-safeguards-on-claude-opus-and-sonnet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Cyber Verification Program</a>. These guardrails have been widely criticized, particularly by researchers whose job is to find unknown vulnerabilities in systems and devise ways to exploit them before criminals do. During a recent appearance on a cybersecurity podcast, Mark Dowd, a well-known security researcher, <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G2B7VetSNfxN9Lfb8f2Y1Vyy-uVBQPl_YSj_3ayVUxM/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">said</a> that, “it’s not really comfortable to me that these random large companies are making arbitrary decisions about what is safe in security and what’s not.” Dowd has spent decades <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/iphone-zero-days-inside-azimuth-security/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">finding and selling “zero-days”</a> — previously unknown software flaws and the exploits that take advantage of them — to Western governments, rather than reporting them to the software makers so they get patched. Governments pay a premium for vulnerabilities precisely because they stay open, which is useful for intelligence operations. Dowd admitted his work may make him biased, but he isn’t alone. Several people who work in offensive cybersecurity — they proactively probe systems for weaknesses — described to TechCrunch how they use AI tools and deal with their guardrails. Chris Anley, the chief scientist at security consulting giant NCC Group, said that asking an AI model to try to exploit a bug is a key step in confirming it’s a real vulnerability worth fixing. But if a guardrail prompts the model to refuse to answer the question outright, the guardrail hurts defenders, he said. “This is where the whole offensive versus defensive and guardrails part comes in, because ‘fix this code’ as a prompt is both an essential mechanism for defense but also a roadmap for finding critical vulnerabilities in the code base,” said Anley. “So at the same time, the same tool is both an offensive tool and a defensive tool, and the two can’t really be unpicked.” It’s “like a hammer,” he continued. “You can’t build a house without a hammer. It’s definitely a tool but it’s also irreducibly a weapon as well.” When he and his colleagues run into such a roadblock, they sometimes fall back on open source AI models that come with no guardrails at all. Paolo Stagno, the chief technology officer at Crowdfense, a well-known company that develops, acquires, and sells unknown vulnerabilities to government agencies, agreed with Dowd, saying AI companies “essentially treat customers like children who need babysitting” with their vetted programs and guardrails. Stagno said he and his colleagues do use frontier models — but only for reverse engineering. They avoid using AI to help find vulnerabilities or build exploits, he said, because feeding that work into a cloud-based model risks leaking sensitive vulnerability data or having it absorbed into future training runs. For that step, he said, they use open source models run locally, as they do not rely on sharing data outside of the model. Giuseppe Cali, a security researcher who finds zero-days and develops exploits, said guardrails are not impeding his work. That’s because he doesn’t use AI for offensive work; instead, he uses it for initial reverse engineering, to understand the code he’s analyzing, and to build supporting tools. For that, he said, AI tools can speed up the process and allow him to focus on discovering vulnerabilities. “I still want to own the actual bug discovery and weaponization myself and that wouldn’t change if all guardrails were lifted tomorrow,” said Cali. “I am jealous of my bugs, and I like this game too much to let models play it for me.” One researcher at a smartphone-component manufacturer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he isn’t authorized to talk to the press, said his employer isn’t part of Anthropic’s CVP program and as a result, its tools are barely useful for finding vulnerabilities because the guardrails are too strict. “If it catches wind we’re doing anything security related, it just stops and isn’t usable,” the person said. Chris Thompson — chief executive of cybersecurity firm RemoteThreat and founder of Offensive AI Con, an offensive security and AI-focused event — said that in his experience using the frontier AI models, the guardrails can be inconsistent and work differently every day. That’s true even inside the looser boundaries of Anthropic’s and OpenAI’s vetted programs. “I think the practical impact is you spend a lot of time negotiating with the model instead of working on the core security program,” said Thompson. “Instead of analyzing a vulnerability and reasoning through the exploitability, you’re trying to find why you’re getting inconsistent results or why are models over-sanitizing the output.” Consequently, researchers rely on or get pushed toward Chinese open source models like GLM — freely downloadable models that can be run locally with no vetting or usage restrictions — said Thompson. “You have these responsible researchers that are being pushed away from U.S.-governed systems to foreign-owned systems,” he said. “I think it’s more harmful than good to have these guardrails in place.” Rather than tightening restrictions further, Thompson called for the AI frontier labs to open up their programs, provide responsible access, and hold those who abuse their tools accountable. Otherwise, he argued, defenders will lose the AI race. “There’s this big storm coming. There’s this big wave of attacks that are going to happen at speed and scale like never before,” said Thompson. “But the same security consulting firms and legit researchers that are trying to make a difference are being stifled right now.” </div>When you purchase through links in our articles, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/techcrunch-affiliate-monetization-standards/">we may earn a small commission</a>. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#guardrails #impeding #work #offensive #cybersecurity #researchers #TechCrunchcybersecurity,Zero-days

Deadspin | Reds get first look at Cardinals RHP Dustin May Jul 18, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images With both sides attempting to gain ground in the National League wild-card race, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night. The Cardinals have dropped five of seven games since the All-Star break and sit 1 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final NL wild-card spot. St. Louis also is a half-game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are currently the first NL team out of the playoff picture. Trying to stay afloat in the playoff chase, the Reds enter their third consecutive road set riding a pair of series victories. Cincinnati, which is six games behind the Diamondbacks, took two of three from both the Colorado Rockies and the Seattle Mariners. Since St. Louis’ Dustin May hurled a one-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres on June 15, little has gone right for the right-hander. In five starts since the gem, May (5-7, 4.78 ERA) is 0-1 with a 9.92 ERA. May threw five innings for the first time in more than a month on Saturday, but he surrendered five runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking four in a 5-3 loss at Arizona. Despite May’s rough patch, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol has confidence the 28-year-old can find his rhythm again. “He’s competed well. He went through a stretch there where he gave us some really good outings,” Marmol said. “After the complete game, there have been some ups and downs, but he’s good enough to get out of this.” Making the 91st appearance (77th start) of his major league career, May will face Cincinnati for the first time. Among the Reds getting their first look at May will be All-Star first baseman Sal Stewart. The 22-year-old ranks fourth in the majors with 74 RBIs after knocking in nine runs across the club’s first two series since the midseason break. “I think there are guys that relish those opportunities,” Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said of Stewart’s success with runners on base. “He’s so strong and he’s got great hitter’s hands. The ball just jumps off his bat.” Despite the RBI surge, Stewart is batting just .130 (3-for-23) since the break. On the mound, Rhett Lowder (3-7, 5.75 ERA) will be chasing a bounce-back effort for Cincinnati. After appearing as a starter for his first 13 outings of the year, Lowder made three appearances out of the bullpen before re-emerging in the rotation after the All-Star break. Last time out, the 24-year-old right-hander lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits in a 10-3 loss to the Rockies on Saturday in Denver. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter. “(Colorado) was just being aggressive and I was probably leaving too many thick pitches for them. Balls were just finding holes,” Lowder said of that outing. “It was very frustrating.” Lowder has thrown eight scoreless innings across a pair of starts against the Cardinals during his career. He faced St. Louis on June 7, allowing just one hit but walking five across three scoreless innings in a no-decision. The Reds lost 5-3. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Reds #Cardinals #RHP #Dustin

#Deadspin #Reds #Cardinals #RHP #Dustin">

mwasimuddin125 0

Jul 18, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

With both sides attempting to gain ground in the National League wild-card race, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.

The Cardinals have dropped five of seven games since the All-Star break and sit 1 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final NL wild-card spot. St. Louis also is a half-game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are currently the first NL team out of the playoff picture.

Trying to stay afloat in the playoff chase, the Reds enter their third consecutive road set riding a pair of series victories. Cincinnati, which is six games behind the Diamondbacks, took two of three from both the Colorado Rockies and the Seattle Mariners.

Since St. Louis’ Dustin May hurled a one-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres on June 15, little has gone right for the right-hander. In five starts since the gem, May (5-7, 4.78 ERA) is 0-1 with a 9.92 ERA.

May threw five innings for the first time in more than a month on Saturday, but he surrendered five runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking four in a 5-3 loss at Arizona.

Despite May’s rough patch, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol has confidence the 28-year-old can find his rhythm again.

“He’s competed well. He went through a stretch there where he gave us some really good outings,” Marmol said. “After the complete game, there have been some ups and downs, but he’s good enough to get out of this.”

Making the 91st appearance (77th start) of his major league career, May will face Cincinnati for the first time.

Among the Reds getting their first look at May will be All-Star first baseman Sal Stewart. The 22-year-old ranks fourth in the majors with 74 RBIs after knocking in nine runs across the club’s first two series since the midseason break.

“I think there are guys that relish those opportunities,” Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said of Stewart’s success with runners on base. “He’s so strong and he’s got great hitter’s hands. The ball just jumps off his bat.”

Despite the RBI surge, Stewart is batting just .130 (3-for-23) since the break.

On the mound, Rhett Lowder (3-7, 5.75 ERA) will be chasing a bounce-back effort for Cincinnati.

After appearing as a starter for his first 13 outings of the year, Lowder made three appearances out of the bullpen before re-emerging in the rotation after the All-Star break. Last time out, the 24-year-old right-hander lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits in a 10-3 loss to the Rockies on Saturday in Denver. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter.

“(Colorado) was just being aggressive and I was probably leaving too many thick pitches for them. Balls were just finding holes,” Lowder said of that outing. “It was very frustrating.”

Lowder has thrown eight scoreless innings across a pair of starts against the Cardinals during his career. He faced St. Louis on June 7, allowing just one hit but walking five across three scoreless innings in a no-decision. The Reds lost 5-3.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Reds #Cardinals #RHP #Dustin">Deadspin | Reds get first look at Cardinals RHP Dustin May

Jul 18, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dustin May (3) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

With both sides attempting to gain ground in the National League wild-card race, the St. Louis Cardinals host the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.

The Cardinals have dropped five of seven games since the All-Star break and sit 1 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final NL wild-card spot. St. Louis also is a half-game behind the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are currently the first NL team out of the playoff picture.

Trying to stay afloat in the playoff chase, the Reds enter their third consecutive road set riding a pair of series victories. Cincinnati, which is six games behind the Diamondbacks, took two of three from both the Colorado Rockies and the Seattle Mariners.

Since St. Louis’ Dustin May hurled a one-hit shutout against the San Diego Padres on June 15, little has gone right for the right-hander. In five starts since the gem, May (5-7, 4.78 ERA) is 0-1 with a 9.92 ERA.

May threw five innings for the first time in more than a month on Saturday, but he surrendered five runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking four in a 5-3 loss at Arizona.

Despite May’s rough patch, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol has confidence the 28-year-old can find his rhythm again.

“He’s competed well. He went through a stretch there where he gave us some really good outings,” Marmol said. “After the complete game, there have been some ups and downs, but he’s good enough to get out of this.”

Making the 91st appearance (77th start) of his major league career, May will face Cincinnati for the first time.

Among the Reds getting their first look at May will be All-Star first baseman Sal Stewart. The 22-year-old ranks fourth in the majors with 74 RBIs after knocking in nine runs across the club’s first two series since the midseason break.

“I think there are guys that relish those opportunities,” Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said of Stewart’s success with runners on base. “He’s so strong and he’s got great hitter’s hands. The ball just jumps off his bat.”

Despite the RBI surge, Stewart is batting just .130 (3-for-23) since the break.

On the mound, Rhett Lowder (3-7, 5.75 ERA) will be chasing a bounce-back effort for Cincinnati.

After appearing as a starter for his first 13 outings of the year, Lowder made three appearances out of the bullpen before re-emerging in the rotation after the All-Star break. Last time out, the 24-year-old right-hander lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs on 11 hits in a 10-3 loss to the Rockies on Saturday in Denver. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter.

“(Colorado) was just being aggressive and I was probably leaving too many thick pitches for them. Balls were just finding holes,” Lowder said of that outing. “It was very frustrating.”

Lowder has thrown eight scoreless innings across a pair of starts against the Cardinals during his career. He faced St. Louis on June 7, allowing just one hit but walking five across three scoreless innings in a no-decision. The Reds lost 5-3.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Reds #Cardinals #RHP #Dustin

Manpreet Singh chasing World Cup medal and LA Olympics podium finish before drawing curtains Talismanic Manpreet Singh has achieved plenty in his hockey journey, but the veteran midfielder still rues one missing trophy from his cabinet — a medal in the World Cup — a feat he wants to attain in the upcoming mega-event before drawing curtains to his illustrious career after the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.To his credit, former captain Manpreet has two Olympic medals — back-to-back bronze in Tokyo and Paris — two Asian Games gold (2014 Incheon and 2022 Hangzhou) and a bronze (2018 Jakarta), besides multiple other titles.But one goal the 34-year-old star midfielder is still chasing is an Indian podium finish at the World Cup after 51 long years. India’s last medal at the World Cup was a gold at the 1975 edition.And Manpreet is confident of breaking that jinx in the upcoming edition to be jointly hosted by The Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30. “An athlete never stops, personally I want to represent my country for the longest time and win as many medals as possible,” Manpreet told PTI.“We won back-to-back medals in Olympics, but a World Cup medal is still missing and I want to achieve that and fill that gap because the only World Cup medal we won was back in 1975.“I am pretty confident this time and I have belief in the team. The mindset we showed during last two Olympics to win medals, we have to approach the same way and we will go with the same mindset to win medal.”Manpreet very well knows he is standing at the fag end of his career, but he is backing his fitness to continue till the Los Angeles Olympics. “I have high expectations because an athlete’s lifespan is pretty short, you never know what your future will be, be it your 24 or 35, you never know when some injury happens, so you have to consider every tournament as your last tournament.“I don’t know what will happen after the World Cup but I will try to give my 100 per cent,” said Manpreet, who recently became the most-capped Indian hockey player surpassing the legendary Dilip Tirkey.“As an athlete my personal goal is to play till LA 2028, maintain my fitness and give my 100 per cent, never to give up.”Talking about India’s preparation for the World Cup, Manpreet said the Harmanpreet Singh-led side’s main focus would be on its defensive structure.He highlighted the strong and weak points of the Indian team.“We worked on our penalty corner conversions. Defence also improved, the easy goals we conceded in Rourkela was not there.“If you look at our strongest points, there are plenty of things. Penalty corner is one area, we have Harman, Sanjay and Amit Rohidas. Our attacking and PC defence is also good. We conceded very less goals from penalty corners. Post LA 2028 Olympics, Manpreet Singh wants to spent time with his family before foraying into coaching career.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images

Post LA 2028 Olympics, Manpreet Singh wants to spent time with his family before foraying into coaching career.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images
“But the important thing is we have to keep our defence strong because if you miss while attacking, you need to fall back and defend and get opportunities again to score and I am confident whenever we get chances we can score goals.“There won’t be an easy matches. We need to keep our defence strong and not allow any easy goals. We will always have to be proactive in defence and need to maintain the tempo from start to finish.”India is placed in Pool D alongside England and Wales and a mouth-watering match against arch-rival Pakistan on August 19 awaits, but Manpreet is unfazed by the hype around the blockbuster clash.“We are approaching match by match. We are not thinking too much about Pakistan match, we are just focussed on doing our basics right.”Post LA 2028 Olympics, Manpreet wants to spent time with his family before foraying into coaching career.“Definitely, the time I have spent and experienced I have gathered in hockey, I would like to share with the next generation. This is in my mind but for that also I have to work and study hard. As a coach you need to be very patient but all these will come after LA,” he said.Manpreet is a big fan of football legends David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, a reason he opted for No.7 jersey while representing India.“When I was a kid I used to watch matches of Beckham and Ronaldo a lot, when Cristiano was in Manchester and David Beckham was there before him. I used to like their hairstyle, tattoos, their work ethic, fitness, especially Ronaldo’s never give-up attitude at the age of 41 which was visible in the recent World Cup,” he concluded.Published on Jul 24, 2026 #Manpreet #Singh #chasing #World #Cup #medal #Olympics #podium #finish #drawing #curtains — Post LA 2028 Olympics, Manpreet Singh wants to spent time with his family before foraying into coaching career. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

#Manpreet #Singh #chasing #World #Cup #medal #Olympics #podium #finish #drawing #curtains">

mwasimuddin125 0

Talismanic Manpreet Singh has achieved plenty in his hockey journey, but the veteran midfielder still rues one missing trophy from his cabinet — a medal in the World Cup — a feat he wants to attain in the upcoming mega-event before drawing curtains to his illustrious career after the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
To his credit, former captain Manpreet has two Olympic medals — back-to-back bronze in Tokyo and Paris — two Asian Games gold (2014 Incheon and 2022 Hangzhou) and a bronze (2018 Jakarta), besides multiple other titles.
But one goal the 34-year-old star midfielder is still chasing is an Indian podium finish at the World Cup after 51 long years. India’s last medal at the World Cup was a gold at the 1975 edition.
And Manpreet is confident of breaking that jinx in the upcoming edition to be jointly hosted by The Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30. “An athlete never stops, personally I want to represent my country for the longest time and win as many medals as possible,” Manpreet told PTI.
“We won back-to-back medals in Olympics, but a World Cup medal is still missing and I want to achieve that and fill that gap because the only World Cup medal we won was back in 1975.
“I am pretty confident this time and I have belief in the team. The mindset we showed during last two Olympics to win medals, we have to approach the same way and we will go with the same mindset to win medal.”
Manpreet very well knows he is standing at the fag end of his career, but he is backing his fitness to continue till the Los Angeles Olympics. “I have high expectations because an athlete’s lifespan is pretty short, you never know what your future will be, be it your 24 or 35, you never know when some injury happens, so you have to consider every tournament as your last tournament.
“I don’t know what will happen after the World Cup but I will try to give my 100 per cent,” said Manpreet, who recently became the most-capped Indian hockey player surpassing the legendary Dilip Tirkey.
“As an athlete my personal goal is to play till LA 2028, maintain my fitness and give my 100 per cent, never to give up.”
Talking about India’s preparation for the World Cup, Manpreet said the Harmanpreet Singh-led side’s main focus would be on its defensive structure.
He highlighted the strong and weak points of the Indian team.
“We worked on our penalty corner conversions. Defence also improved, the easy goals we conceded in Rourkela was not there.
“If you look at our strongest points, there are plenty of things. Penalty corner is one area, we have Harman, Sanjay and Amit Rohidas. Our attacking and PC defence is also good. We conceded very less goals from penalty corners.
Post LA 2028 Olympics, Manpreet Singh wants to spent time with his family before foraying into coaching career. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Post LA 2028 Olympics, Manpreet Singh wants to spent time with his family before foraying into coaching career. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
“But the important thing is we have to keep our defence strong because if you miss while attacking, you need to fall back and defend and get opportunities again to score and I am confident whenever we get chances we can score goals.
“There won’t be an easy matches. We need to keep our defence strong and not allow any easy goals. We will always have to be proactive in defence and need to maintain the tempo from start to finish.”
India is placed in Pool D alongside England and Wales and a mouth-watering match against arch-rival Pakistan on August 19 awaits, but Manpreet is unfazed by the hype around the blockbuster clash.
“We are approaching match by match. We are not thinking too much about Pakistan match, we are just focussed on doing our basics right.”
Post LA 2028 Olympics, Manpreet wants to spent time with his family before foraying into coaching career.
“Definitely, the time I have spent and experienced I have gathered in hockey, I would like to share with the next generation. This is in my mind but for that also I have to work and study hard. As a coach you need to be very patient but all these will come after LA,” he said.
Manpreet is a big fan of football legends David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, a reason he opted for No.7 jersey while representing India.
“When I was a kid I used to watch matches of Beckham and Ronaldo a lot, when Cristiano was in Manchester and David Beckham was there before him. I used to like their hairstyle, tattoos, their work ethic, fitness, especially Ronaldo’s never give-up attitude at the age of 41 which was visible in the recent World Cup,” he concluded.
Published on Jul 24, 2026

#Manpreet #Singh #chasing #World #Cup #medal #Olympics #podium #finish #drawing #curtains">Manpreet Singh chasing World Cup medal and LA Olympics podium finish before drawing curtains

Talismanic Manpreet Singh has achieved plenty in his hockey journey, but the veteran midfielder still rues one missing trophy from his cabinet — a medal in the World Cup — a feat he wants to attain in the upcoming mega-event before drawing curtains to his illustrious career after the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

To his credit, former captain Manpreet has two Olympic medals — back-to-back bronze in Tokyo and Paris — two Asian Games gold (2014 Incheon and 2022 Hangzhou) and a bronze (2018 Jakarta), besides multiple other titles.

But one goal the 34-year-old star midfielder is still chasing is an Indian podium finish at the World Cup after 51 long years. India’s last medal at the World Cup was a gold at the 1975 edition.

And Manpreet is confident of breaking that jinx in the upcoming edition to be jointly hosted by The Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30. “An athlete never stops, personally I want to represent my country for the longest time and win as many medals as possible,” Manpreet told PTI.

“We won back-to-back medals in Olympics, but a World Cup medal is still missing and I want to achieve that and fill that gap because the only World Cup medal we won was back in 1975.

“I am pretty confident this time and I have belief in the team. The mindset we showed during last two Olympics to win medals, we have to approach the same way and we will go with the same mindset to win medal.”

Manpreet very well knows he is standing at the fag end of his career, but he is backing his fitness to continue till the Los Angeles Olympics. “I have high expectations because an athlete’s lifespan is pretty short, you never know what your future will be, be it your 24 or 35, you never know when some injury happens, so you have to consider every tournament as your last tournament.

“I don’t know what will happen after the World Cup but I will try to give my 100 per cent,” said Manpreet, who recently became the most-capped Indian hockey player surpassing the legendary Dilip Tirkey.

“As an athlete my personal goal is to play till LA 2028, maintain my fitness and give my 100 per cent, never to give up.”

Talking about India’s preparation for the World Cup, Manpreet said the Harmanpreet Singh-led side’s main focus would be on its defensive structure.

He highlighted the strong and weak points of the Indian team.

“We worked on our penalty corner conversions. Defence also improved, the easy goals we conceded in Rourkela was not there.

“If you look at our strongest points, there are plenty of things. Penalty corner is one area, we have Harman, Sanjay and Amit Rohidas. Our attacking and PC defence is also good. We conceded very less goals from penalty corners.

Post LA 2028 Olympics, Manpreet Singh wants to spent time with his family before foraying into coaching career. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Post LA 2028 Olympics, Manpreet Singh wants to spent time with his family before foraying into coaching career. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

“But the important thing is we have to keep our defence strong because if you miss while attacking, you need to fall back and defend and get opportunities again to score and I am confident whenever we get chances we can score goals.

“There won’t be an easy matches. We need to keep our defence strong and not allow any easy goals. We will always have to be proactive in defence and need to maintain the tempo from start to finish.”

India is placed in Pool D alongside England and Wales and a mouth-watering match against arch-rival Pakistan on August 19 awaits, but Manpreet is unfazed by the hype around the blockbuster clash.

“We are approaching match by match. We are not thinking too much about Pakistan match, we are just focussed on doing our basics right.”

Post LA 2028 Olympics, Manpreet wants to spent time with his family before foraying into coaching career.

“Definitely, the time I have spent and experienced I have gathered in hockey, I would like to share with the next generation. This is in my mind but for that also I have to work and study hard. As a coach you need to be very patient but all these will come after LA,” he said.

Manpreet is a big fan of football legends David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, a reason he opted for No.7 jersey while representing India.

“When I was a kid I used to watch matches of Beckham and Ronaldo a lot, when Cristiano was in Manchester and David Beckham was there before him. I used to like their hairstyle, tattoos, their work ethic, fitness, especially Ronaldo’s never give-up attitude at the age of 41 which was visible in the recent World Cup,” he concluded.

Published on Jul 24, 2026

#Manpreet #Singh #chasing #World #Cup #medal #Olympics #podium #finish #drawing #curtains

Deadspin | Fire transfer high-scoring Hugo Cuypers to CF Monterrey Apr 18, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Fire FC forward Hugo Cuypers (9) (center) dribbles forward during the second half of an MLS match against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images The Chicago Fire sent star striker Hugo Cuypers to CF Monterrey of Liga MX for a multimillion-dollar transfer fee, the MLS club announced Thursday. Cuypers, 29, departed for a .5 million transfer fee plus 0,000 in add-ons, according to The Athletic. The Belgian’s exit opens a designated player roster spot. “My time in Chicago is one that I will always treasure,” Cuypers said in a statement released by the team. “Since arriving here in 2024, the city has become a second home for me and my family. “I would like to thank the club and staff and especially the fans for their unwavering support. I look forward to cheering the team from afar and wish my teammates nothing but the best.” Named to the 2026 MLS All-Star Game, Cuypers has scored 13 goals this season, tied for the league lead with Petar Musa of FC Dallas. He established a Fire record this campaign by scoring in 10 consecutive matches in which he played. Cuypers amassed 40 goals in 75 matches for the Fire since being acquired for a reported million fee from Belgian first division side K.A.A. Gent in February 2024. Chicago signed Polish free agent striker Robert Lewandowski in late June. The former star for Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona made his Fire debut on Wednesday. “We are incredibly grateful to Hugo for everything he has given this club, both on and off the field,” Chicago director of football and head coach Gregg Berhalter said in the team’s news release. “He is an outstanding professional, a valued teammate and someone who has made a lasting impact on our group. We wish Hugo and his family nothing but success in this next chapter. “While these decisions are never easy, this was the right move for both Hugo and the club,” Berhalter continued. “With his contract nearing its end, we felt this was the right moment to maximize the opportunity, create greater roster flexibility and continue investing in the squad to build a competitive roster now and in the years ahead.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Fire #transfer #highscoring #Hugo #Cuypers #Monterrey

#Deadspin #Fire #transfer #highscoring #Hugo #Cuypers #Monterrey">

mwasimuddin125 0

Apr 18, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Fire FC forward Hugo Cuypers (9) (center) dribbles forward during the second half of an MLS match against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images

The Chicago Fire sent star striker Hugo Cuypers to CF Monterrey of Liga MX for a multimillion-dollar transfer fee, the MLS club announced Thursday.

Cuypers, 29, departed for a $7.5 million transfer fee plus $500,000 in add-ons, according to The Athletic. The Belgian’s exit opens a designated player roster spot.

“My time in Chicago is one that I will always treasure,” Cuypers said in a statement released by the team. “Since arriving here in 2024, the city has become a second home for me and my family.

“I would like to thank the club and staff and especially the fans for their unwavering support. I look forward to cheering the team from afar and wish my teammates nothing but the best.”

Named to the 2026 MLS All-Star Game, Cuypers has scored 13 goals this season, tied for the league lead with Petar Musa of FC Dallas. He established a Fire record this campaign by scoring in 10 consecutive matches in which he played.

Cuypers amassed 40 goals in 75 matches for the Fire since being acquired for a reported $12 million fee from Belgian first division side K.A.A. Gent in February 2024.

Chicago signed Polish free agent striker Robert Lewandowski in late June. The former star for Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona made his Fire debut on Wednesday.

“We are incredibly grateful to Hugo for everything he has given this club, both on and off the field,” Chicago director of football and head coach Gregg Berhalter said in the team’s news release. “He is an outstanding professional, a valued teammate and someone who has made a lasting impact on our group. We wish Hugo and his family nothing but success in this next chapter.

“While these decisions are never easy, this was the right move for both Hugo and the club,” Berhalter continued. “With his contract nearing its end, we felt this was the right moment to maximize the opportunity, create greater roster flexibility and continue investing in the squad to build a competitive roster now and in the years ahead.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Fire #transfer #highscoring #Hugo #Cuypers #Monterrey">Deadspin | Fire transfer high-scoring Hugo Cuypers to CF Monterrey

Apr 18, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Fire FC forward Hugo Cuypers (9) (center) dribbles forward during the second half of an MLS match against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images

The Chicago Fire sent star striker Hugo Cuypers to CF Monterrey of Liga MX for a multimillion-dollar transfer fee, the MLS club announced Thursday.

Cuypers, 29, departed for a $7.5 million transfer fee plus $500,000 in add-ons, according to The Athletic. The Belgian’s exit opens a designated player roster spot.

“My time in Chicago is one that I will always treasure,” Cuypers said in a statement released by the team. “Since arriving here in 2024, the city has become a second home for me and my family.

“I would like to thank the club and staff and especially the fans for their unwavering support. I look forward to cheering the team from afar and wish my teammates nothing but the best.”

Named to the 2026 MLS All-Star Game, Cuypers has scored 13 goals this season, tied for the league lead with Petar Musa of FC Dallas. He established a Fire record this campaign by scoring in 10 consecutive matches in which he played.

Cuypers amassed 40 goals in 75 matches for the Fire since being acquired for a reported $12 million fee from Belgian first division side K.A.A. Gent in February 2024.

Chicago signed Polish free agent striker Robert Lewandowski in late June. The former star for Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona made his Fire debut on Wednesday.

“We are incredibly grateful to Hugo for everything he has given this club, both on and off the field,” Chicago director of football and head coach Gregg Berhalter said in the team’s news release. “He is an outstanding professional, a valued teammate and someone who has made a lasting impact on our group. We wish Hugo and his family nothing but success in this next chapter.

“While these decisions are never easy, this was the right move for both Hugo and the club,” Berhalter continued. “With his contract nearing its end, we felt this was the right moment to maximize the opportunity, create greater roster flexibility and continue investing in the squad to build a competitive roster now and in the years ahead.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Fire #transfer #highscoring #Hugo #Cuypers #Monterrey

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