Sports

Tom Iorpenda: Notts County star on why Messi is Wembley inspiration

Published

3 months ago

May 21, 2026

Relocating to Huddersfield while his career was still in its infancy would appear to have been a daunting step, but Iorpenda never saw it that way.

For him it was “just a four-hour drive” from the south coast to the foothills of the Pennines.

“It changed my thinking to be more positive. I could go somewhere else and show people what I can do,” he said.

“I was laid back about things and didn’t stress too much. I enjoyed it.”

It is with the Terriers that he added to his reputation as a player capable of breathtaking moments. The audacious free-kick he scored from his own half for Huddersfield’s B team against Brentford’s second-string side in 2023 was the finest example.

It was a year earlier that he signed his first professional deal.

But even when he did that, he revealed a lot about himself when he immediately signed away part of his earnings to the Common Goal cause – a charity initiative made famous when World Cup-winning Spain midfielder and former Manchester United and Chelsea player Juan Mata became the first to take the 1% pledge in 2017.

When Mata got involved, he was reportedly earning £7m a year. Hundreds of footballers worldwide, as well as clubs and companies associated to the game have made donations to the cause.

So why, when earning his first real pay cheque, did Iorpenda do the same?

“I just thought it was the right thing to do,” he said.

“My mum’s really into that stuff with charities through football. So it think it’s mainly the way I’ve been brought up.”

It was also at Huddersfield when Iorpenda first worked under Martin Paterson.

When the former Terriers assistant coach was named as boss of Notts County this term, he was quick to make a case for bringing the inexperienced Iorpenda to Meadow Lane.

“He likes to remind me that I was rubbish before I came here,” Iorpenda said, with a laugh, when asked about his relationship with the head coach.

“He has put his trust in me from the first game and I’m just trying to repay that with good performances.

“Whatever happens, I’m forever grateful for what this club’s done for me and hopefully I – me and the team – can help repay Notts with a win on Monday.”

Sports

How to watch Braves vs. Yankees: TV channel and streaming options for August 8

Published

3 minutes ago

August 8, 2026

qasimgillani

Aug. 8, 2026 7:14 am EDT Updated

The Atlanta Braves are looking for another strong showing from a slugger on a roll against the New York Yankees on Saturday at 3:05 p.m. ET, at Yankee Stadium. Matt Olson is currently on a two-game homer streak. Chris Sale (12-6, 2.08 ERA) will start for the Braves, who are 70-46 this season and first in the NL East. Gerrit Cole (5-5, 3.42 ERA) is the expected starter for the Yankees, who are 65-51 and second in the AL East.

How to watch Atlanta Braves vs. New York Yankees

Braves vs. Yankees odds

Favorite Moneyline: Braves -143
Underdog Moneyline: Yankees +120
Total: 7.5
Total Over Odds: -105
Total Under Odds: -115

Injury reports

Braves

Reynaldo López: 15 Day IL (Knee), Robert Suarez: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Spencer Strider: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Spencer Schwellenbach: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Joey Wentz: 60 Day IL (Knee), Joe Jimenez: 60 Day IL (Knee)

Yankees

Giancarlo Stanton: 10 Day IL (Leg), Cody Bellinger: 10 Day IL (Leg), Carlos Rodon: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Aaron Judge: 60 Day IL (Rib), Clarke Schmidt: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Stats to know

Olson is hitting for a .269 BA, .346 OBP and .553 SLG with a 24.4% strikeout rate and a 10.2% walk rate. His OPS is .900, which ranks 8th in MLB, and he has scored 82 runs. In 508 plate appearances, he has hit 33 home runs (2nd in MLB) and driven in 71 runs (14th in MLB).
In 498 plate appearances, Ozzie Albies has hit 19 long balls, tallied 63 RBIs and scored 71 runs (16th in MLB). He is batting .259/.311/.433 and has posted a 14.5% strikeout rate and a 6.8% walk rate.
New York’s Ben Rice is slashing .260/.354/.546 this season with 31 home runs (6th in MLB), 74 RBIs (9th in MLB) and an OPS of .900 (8th in MLB). He has a 25.1% strikeout rate and a 12.2% walk rate in 475 plate appearances, and he has scored 71 total runs.
In 391 plate appearances, Luis Garcia has posted a 15.6% strikeout rate and a 4.6% walk rate while slashing .282/.315/.556 with 24 home runs (16th in MLB), 78 RBIs (6th in MLB) and 50 runs scored.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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Aug 8, 2026

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Sports

PSG vs Manchester United live updates: Pre-season friendly latest team news, predictions

Published

8 minutes ago

August 8, 2026

qasimgillani

Hello one and all, and welcome along to today’s live coverage of Manchester United’s pre-season friendly against Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain.

After a summer of jam-packed World Cup action, domestic football is back and we are bringing you every kick, goal and important moment from today’s match here on The Athletic.

Michael Carrick’s side are looking to enter the season in good form after showing a marked improvement under him last season. Let’s see what the current back-to-back European champions have in store for them today.

Stay tuned for team news, analysis and more right here.