From St. Louis and Kansas City to international soccer, volleyball, baseball and tennis, Lacey Weisenborn breaks down the games, comebacks and moments making headlines

Kansas City Current

The Kansas City Current picked up another point at home, playing the Seattle Reign to a 1-1 draw at CPKC Stadium.

It wasn’t the result Kansas City wanted. The Current have been looking for more three-point performances at home, and this was another opportunity to do exactly that. Still, there is something to be said for continuing to avoid a loss. The Current have maintained an impressive home unbeaten run, even though they haven’t always been able to turn those home performances into victories.

Seattle opened the scoring in the 11th minute, but the goal came in heartbreaking fashion for Kansas City. A cross ended up going off Kayla Sharples and into the Kansas City net for an own goal.

The Current responded after halftime. In the 51st minute, Debinha stepped up from the penalty spot and calmly converted to bring Kansas City level.

From there, the Current pushed for the winner. In fact, Kansas City finished with 24 shots, its highest total of the season, compared with just eight for Seattle. The Current created plenty of opportunities but simply couldn’t find the second goal.

There were also some important milestones during the match. Lo’eau LaBonta reached another major appearance milestone, while Izzy Rodriguez continued her incredible run of consecutive regular-season starts.

So, while the Current will certainly look at this as two points dropped rather than one point gained, they can still take something positive from the match. They controlled much of the game, created chances and kept their home unbeaten streak alive.

Now the challenge is turning those performances into three points.

St. Louis CITY SC

St. Louis CITY SC has made consistency a major priority, and the results are beginning to show why.

CITY started this stretch with one of the biggest games on its schedule: a rivalry matchup against Sporting Kansas City.

The game ended 1-1, with St. Louis earning a point in a match that was always going to be physical and emotional. Rivalry games aren’t always about playing beautiful soccer. Sometimes they are about surviving the intensity, taking what you can get and making sure you don’t leave with nothing.

CITY then returned home to Energizer Park for a massive matchup against the Houston Dynamo.

And this time, St. Louis got all three points.

Simon Becher opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, ending Houston goalkeeper Jonathan Bond’s incredible scoreless streak. Houston eventually found an equalizer through Ibrahim Aliyu in the 75th minute, setting up a tense final 15 minutes.

Then came the moment St. Louis fans were waiting for.

In the 85th minute, rookie Dante Polvara scored the go-ahead goal to give CITY a 2-1 victory. It was Polvara’s first goal for the club, and it came at a huge moment.

The victory extended St. Louis’ unbeaten run to 12 matches and gave CITY a huge win over a Houston team that had been sitting near the top of the Western Conference. The victory also ended Houston’s 473-minute shutout streak.

That’s the type of win that can define a season.

CITY has been finding ways to stay in games, pick up results and avoid long stretches of poor form. The next challenge comes at home against FC Dallas, giving St. Louis one more opportunity to finish August on a high note.

If CITY can continue playing this way, St. Louis could become a very difficult team to face when the postseason arrives.

Manchester City

Manchester City’s Premier League opener looked like it was going to become another frustrating result.

Instead, it became one of the most dramatic wins of the weekend.

After losing to Arsenal in the Community Shield, City needed a response against Bournemouth. For much of the afternoon, however, it looked like the disappointment was going to continue.

Bournemouth took the lead in the 26th minute when Marcus Tavernier found the back of the net.

Manchester City struggled to break Bournemouth down, and the clock continued to work against the home side.

Then Rayan Cherki came off the bench.

The substitute completely changed the game.

Cherki provided the creativity City had been missing and delivered two outstanding assists during an incredible late comeback. Marc Guéhi equalized in the 84th minute, and then, just moments later, Cherki found Joško Gvardiol, who fired home the winning goal in stoppage time.

City had scored twice in the final few minutes to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory.

For new manager Enzo Maresca, it was an emotional and dramatic way to begin Premier League life at the Etihad.

It wasn’t a perfect performance, but it showed something important: this Manchester City team can fight.

Now comes an even more interesting matchup.

City travels to face Crystal Palace, the club that defeated Manchester City in the 2025 FA Cup final. That gives the match an extra layer of motivation. After surviving Bournemouth, City will be looking to build momentum and perhaps get a little revenge against a team that caused them a painful defeat last season.

Barcelona

Barcelona’s women’s team has officially finished preseason, and they ended it with a trophy.

Barcelona defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 in the Joan Gamper Trophy, putting together an impressive first-half performance.

The Blaugrana needed only seven minutes to open the scoring. New captain Patri Guijarro delivered an excellent pass to Esmee Brugts, who controlled the ball and calmly finished to put Barcelona ahead.

Clàudia Pina and Caroline Graham Hansen also found the net as Barcelona took control of the match.

Patri Guijarro was particularly impressive, playing all 90 minutes and contributing two assists. New signing Tyler McKeown also made her debut, while other new additions got valuable minutes before the start of Liga F.

Now the preseason is over.

Barcelona’s women’s team begins its Liga F campaign on August 30 against Costa Adeje Tenerife.

The men’s team is also beginning its La Liga campaign, traveling to face Elche before returning home to face Athletic Club.

And that second game will be a very special one.

Barcelona’s newly renovated Spotify Camp Nou is back as the club’s home, and the stadium is expected to eventually hold approximately 105,000 spectators.

That means Barcelona is not simply returning to a stadium. It is returning to one of the most recognizable atmospheres in world soccer.

Once the stadium is fully open and packed, visiting teams are going to have an enormous challenge on their hands. Walking into a stadium with nearly 105,000 Barcelona supporters is going to be an experience all by itself.

The new era at Camp Nou is officially beginning.

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have experienced just about everything during this stretch.

Their series against the Cincinnati Reds was a roller coaster from beginning to end.

The Cardinals split a doubleheader, winning the opener 2-1 before losing the second game 6-5. St. Louis then bounced back with a 3-0 shutout, only to lose another close game 5-4.

Then came one of the wildest games of the season.

The Cardinals defeated Cincinnati 10-9, but they had to pull off an unbelievable ninth-inning comeback to do it.

The Reds appeared to have the game under control. Matt McLain had hit a grand slam earlier in the game, giving Cincinnati a huge advantage.

But the Cardinals refused to go away.

With two outs in the ninth, Cincinnati outfielder Dane Myers dropped a fly ball. That error opened the door, and St. Louis took full advantage.

Jordan Walker was one of the stars of the comeback, hitting a three-run homer and finishing the game with four RBIs. Then, after the dropped fly ball, Alec Burleson drove in a run, Joshua Báez drew a bases-loaded walk and José Fermín delivered a two-run single.

Suddenly, a game that looked like a Cincinnati victory became a Cardinals lead.

The Reds nearly completed a comeback of their own in the bottom of the ninth, but Riley O’Brien got the final out by getting McLain to fly out.

It was chaos.

It was messy.

And it was a Cardinals victory.

Unfortunately, the momentum didn’t follow them to Philadelphia.

The Cardinals lost the series opener 7-6 in 10 innings after Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm delivered a two-run triple in the bottom of the 10th.

Then Philadelphia dominated the second game 12-3.

Rookie Andrew Painter was outstanding for the Phillies, throwing seven innings and allowing just one run while striking out eight. Kyle Schwarber also hit his MLB-leading 38th home run, while Bryce Harper added a three-run homer.

The Cardinals had a 4-0 lead in the series finale, but Philadelphia came all the way back to win 6-4, completing a sweep.

That’s a frustrating ending to a road trip that began with one of the most exciting comebacks of the Cardinals’ season.

U.S. Men’s Volleyball

The U.S. men’s volleyball team has had an impressive international run.

The Americans were nearly perfect through the early stages of the Pan American Cup, sweeping Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago without dropping a set.

Then they met Canada.

Canada swept the United States 3-0, showing once again why the Canadians have become such a strong force in men’s volleyball.

But the United States didn’t let that loss define its tournament.

Instead, the Americans responded.

They defeated the Dominican Republic 3-1, swept Mexico and then defeated Puerto Rico 3-1 to win the Pan American Cup.

The final was particularly impressive because Puerto Rico won the opening set. The Americans responded by winning the next three sets and taking control of the match.

Jacob Pasteur led the United States with 17 kills, while Kyle McCauley also made a major contribution. The Americans finished with advantages in both kills and blocks, showing just how balanced their attack had become.

That response is perhaps the biggest takeaway.

Canada showed the U.S. that there is still work to do, but the Americans showed that they can respond to adversity. Losing 3-0 and then bouncing back to win a championship is exactly the type of mental toughness you want from an international team.

U.S. Women’s Volleyball

The U.S. women’s volleyball team has been nearly unstoppable at the 2026 NORCECA Championships.

The Americans opened with an absolutely dominant sweep of Trinidad and Tobago.

The set scores tell the story:

25-6, 25-11, 25-4.

The United States then followed that up with another sweep against Mexico, winning 25-19, 25-20, 25-17.

That gives the U.S. a perfect 6-0 record in sets through its first two matches.

But the biggest test of pool play is still ahead.

Canada awaits.

And this isn’t simply another international match.

Canada has established itself as a legitimate rival to the United States in women’s volleyball, and the Americans know they will have to play at a much higher level than they have needed to so far.

The U.S. has dominated the first two matches. Now comes the test that will show just how good this team really is.

U.S. Women’s Field Hockey

The U.S. women’s field hockey team has had a respectable run at the 2026 FIH Women’s World Cup.

The Americans began pool play with a 1-1 draw against Argentina, one of the world’s strongest field hockey nations.

They followed that up with a 3-2 victory over Scotland, giving the Americans a strong opportunity to advance.

Germany proved to be a tougher opponent, defeating the United States 3-1.

The Americans then moved into the next phase of the tournament and faced New Zealand.

That game also ended in a 1-1 draw.

The result means the United States still has one final game to play, against Ireland on August 24.

It has been a competitive tournament for the Americans. They have shown that they can play with some of the world’s best teams, especially with the draw against Argentina and the victory over Scotland.

Now the goal is to finish strong against Ireland.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have not had the preseason start they wanted.

After losing to the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City suffered another narrow defeat against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, falling 16-15.

The Chiefs actually had a strong start.

Kansas City led 9-0 at halftime, and the defense was able to keep Tampa Bay’s offense under control for much of the first half.

Harrison Butker even connected on an incredible 69-yard field goal, showing once again that he has one of the strongest legs in football.

But Tampa Bay completely changed the game in the second half.

Rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels led three scoring drives, helping the Buccaneers erase the deficit and eventually take the lead.

Kansas City had an opportunity late, but Butker missed a 43-yard field goal that would have given the Chiefs the lead.

It was another frustrating ending.

The good news is that preseason records don’t count once the regular season begins. Coaches are evaluating young players, experimenting with combinations and trying to figure out which players will make the final roster.

The Chiefs’ final preseason game should be particularly interesting because their opponent will be the Seattle Seahawks, the reigning Super Bowl champions.

That’s a pretty good final test before the games actually count.

Beach Pro Tour Elite16 — Montreal

The Beach Pro Tour Elite16 tournament in Montreal has been another great showcase for the world’s best beach volleyball players.

And Team USA has been well represented.

One of the biggest American stories has been Kristen Nuss Cruz and Taryn Brasher.

The American duo has been one of the standout teams throughout the tournament, winning both of their pool matches and advancing deep into the knockout stage.

They defeated Kelly Cheng and Megan Kraft in the quarterfinals, setting up a semifinal matchup against Germany’s Müller and Tillmann.

Cheng and Kraft also had an impressive tournament before their run ended against their fellow Americans.

The American depth has been especially noticeable in Montreal. Multiple U.S. pairs have advanced through pool play, showing that the United States has several teams capable of competing against the world’s best.

The men’s tournament has also featured American representation, with several U.S. teams battling through pool play and into the knockout rounds.

Montreal has been filled with strong international teams as well, including Canadian stars Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson, Norwegian teams and several of the world’s top Brazilian and European pairs.

The Elite16 is one of the highest levels of competition in beach volleyball, so every match provides a valuable test.

For Team USA, Montreal has once again shown that American beach volleyball has plenty of depth.

Little League World Series

There is nothing quite like the Little League World Series.

Every August, Williamsport becomes the center of the baseball world as young players from across the United States and around the globe get the opportunity to represent their communities on one of baseball’s biggest stages.

The 2026 tournament features 20 teams — 10 from the United States and 10 international teams competing in a double-elimination format.

And the tournament has already delivered plenty of memorable games.

Among the early results were Latin America’s 2-1 win over the Caribbean, Northwest’s 2-0 victory over Southeast, Asia-Pacific’s 7-0 shutout of Canada and Metro’s 2-0 win over New England.

Then the offense started exploding.

Mexico defeated Australia 7-1, Curaçao shut out Japan 6-0, and Southeast crushed the West 12-2.

Japan responded with a dominant performance of its own, defeating the Caribbean 10-1.

Great Lakes also produced one of the biggest blowouts of the tournament, defeating New England 10-0.

Sunday brought even more action.

Mountain defeated Northwest 5-0, with Brooks McFarland striking out five batters and Nevada scoring all five of its runs in the fifth inning.

Latin America then defeated Mexico 8-4, while Metro shut out Midwest 6-0.

The double-elimination format makes every game fascinating. A team can lose once and still fight its way back, but another loss ends its tournament.

That creates some incredible pressure for players who are still so young.

And that’s what makes the Little League World Series so special. These aren’t professional athletes. They’re kids representing their towns, countries and families, playing in front of huge crowds and millions of viewers.

Every game creates a new memory.

Cincinnati Open

The Cincinnati Open has been a fantastic tournament for American tennis.

Taylor Fritz put together a strong run on the men’s side.

He defeated Daniel Mérida in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-4, before moving on to face Christopher O’Connell. Fritz won that match in straight sets as well, reaching the quarterfinals.

Unfortunately, his run ended against fellow American Brandon Nakashima.

Nakashima defeated Fritz 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 in a dramatic three-set match.

That result was significant because it helped create an all-American men’s semifinal. It was the first time since 2010 that two American men reached the Cincinnati semifinals.

Nakashima then faced Frances Tiafoe.

Tiafoe defeated Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(2), 7-5, while Nakashima advanced past Fritz.

Tiafoe ultimately defeated Nakashima 7-5, 6-3, sending him into the Cincinnati final.

And that creates another piece of history.

Tiafoe will face France’s Arthur Fils in the final, making this the first all-Black men’s Masters 1000 final. Fils reached the final by defeating Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-4.

So even though Fritz’s tournament ended in the quarterfinals, American men’s tennis has still had an incredible week.

Then there is Coco Gauff.

Gauff has been absolutely outstanding in Cincinnati.

She began her tournament with a hard-fought victory over Liudmila Samsonova, winning in three sets.

From there, she found another level.

Gauff defeated Ann Li in straight sets, then Marie Bouzkova in straight sets, and followed that with another straight-set victory over Marta Kostyuk.

In the semifinal, Gauff faced Czech teenager Sara Bejlek.

Once again, Gauff took control.

She defeated Bejlek 6-4, 6-1, earning her place in the Cincinnati final.

Standing in her way will be another American star.

Jessica Pegula reached the final by defeating defending champion Iga Swiatek in an incredible three-set semifinal, winning 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

That sets up an all-American women’s final between Gauff and Pegula.

It is exactly the kind of matchup American tennis fans want to see.

Two top players.

Two American stars.

One Cincinnati championship.

And regardless of who wins, it has already been an outstanding tournament for American tennis.