Vladimir Tarasenko signed a two-year $9.5 million deal with the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. It has an average annual value of $4.75 million. Tarasenko had 55 points (23 goals, 32 assists) in 76 regular-season matches for the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators last campaign. This includes 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 19 matches after he was bought by the Panthers in a trade with the Senators on March 6. Chosen by the St. Louis Blues in the first round (No.16) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Tarasenko has 629 points (293 goals, 336 assists) in 751 regular-season matches for the Panthers, Senators, New York Rangers and Blues and 73 points (49 goals, 24 assists) in 121 playoff matches. Tarasenko also won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019. Detroit on Monday traded forward Robby Fabbri and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft  to the Anaheim Ducks for goalie prospect Gage Alexander. Fabbri had 32 points (18 goals, 14 assists) in 68 matches for the Red Wings last campaign and has 200 points (98 goals, 102 assists) in 598 regular-season matches for the Red Wings and St. Louis Blues. He is entering the final season of a three-year $12 million contract ($4 million average annual value) and may become an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming campaign. Alexander, a fifth-round pick (148) in the 2021 NHL Draft has yet to play in the NHL. He was 5-8-1 with a 3.76 goals-against average, .887 save percentage and one shutout in 19 games with Tulsa of the ECHL last term. The Red Wings also signed Cam Talbot (two years) and Jack Campbell (one year), forward Tyler Motte (one year), and defenseman Erik Gustafsson (two years) since free agency began on Monday. They re-signed forward Christian Fischer (one year). They also re-signed forward Patrick Kane to a one-year contract on June 30. Detroit (41-32-9) finished tied in points with the Washington Capitals for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference last term. But, they lost the tiebreaker via regulation victories (32-27), causing them to miss the playoffs for the eight consecutive campaign, which is the longest streak in their history.

Real Madrid are finalising a deal for Bayern Munich wing-back Alphonso Davies. This is according to Okdiario’s chief pundit Eduardo Inda, when speaking on El Chiringuito.  He now has less than a year left on his Bayern deal. Inda said: “Alphonso Davies is an imminent signing of Real Madrid. He has been looking for a Madrid house for days, in La Moraleja or in La Finca.  “Real Madrid is in the process of selling Fran García. “The question I have is (Ferland) Mendy. Next year Alphonso Davies would go free and Real Madrid wants the player now and Bayern are at the last chance to make a fee. It will be a symbolic figure. It will be less than 50 or 60 million (euros).”

The race for the Euro 2024 championship is underway, as the knockout stage of the tournament continues. With so many talented players gracing the tournament with their presence; both experts and fans are stuck predicting who they believe will take the title of top goalscorer, ultimately winning the Golden Boot award. Read MatchPlug’s Euro 2024 Top Goalscorer Predictions. Talented players like Harry Kane, Kai Havertz, Alvaro Morata, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Romelu Lukaku are some of the favourites predicted to win the coveted award as the top goalscorer for the Euro 2024 tournament. In this article, we delve deeper into the Euro 2024 top goal scorer, while sharing latest predictions for the ongoing tournament. Euro 2024 Top Goalscorer And Odds  Player Odds Harry Kane 5/1 Kylian Mbappe 10/1 Alvaro Morata 25/1 Cristiano Ronaldo 40/1 Jude Bellingham 14/1 Antoine Griezmann 50/1 Olivier Giroud 100/1 Bukayo Saka 100/1 Phil Foden 80/1 Jamal Musiala Euro 2024 Top Goalscorer And Number Of Goals Scored In The Tournament The table below contains the number of goals scored by each player in the top goalscorer race, so far in the contest. Player Country Goals Jamal Musiala Germany 3 goals Harry Kane England 2 goals Kylian Mbappe France 2 goals Alvaro Morata Spain 1 goal Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal 1 goal Jude Bellingham England 2 goals Antoine Griezmann France 0 Olivier Giroud France 0 Bukayo Saka England 0 Phil Foden England 0 Euro 2024 Top Goalscorer Predictions This year’s European Football Championship features numerous players who are ready to lead their nation’s to glory. However, only one of those players can be awarded the Golden boot. For fans who want to follow the match as it unfolds, you can find our Euro 2024 Match Previews on MatchPlug. On that note, here our Euro 2024 top goalscorer predictions below: 1. Kylian Mbappe Kylian Mbappe has been the favourite since the start of the Euro 2024 competition to win the Golden Boot for this contest. The French forward stole the show in the World Cup final 18 months ago, and has been opportune to work with plenty of talents around him such as Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud.  Mbappe’s chances at winning the top goalscorer took a hit when he broke his nose, but he is favourite again. The French man opened his goal scoring for the Euros by scoring in the 1-1 draw with Poland during the group stage.  With a move to Real Madrid lurking in the next football season, Mbappe focuses on the Euros champion and the race for a coveted title.  2. Jamal Musiala German forward, Jamal Musiala is another player whose name is being mentioned for Euro 2024 top goalscorer predictions. Musiala is the biggest threat so far in Germany’s football team. The 21-year old has scored three goals so far in the contest and played a key role in his team topping Group A. Although he grew up in England, Musiala is representing Germany where he was born. He is recognized globally as one of the best young talents in Europe. Many experts expect Germany to win this contest, and Musiala is a shoo in for Golden Boot if this happens. 3. Harry Kane Harry Kane has been searching for his first major trophy, since joining Bayern Munich last summer. After scoring 36 goals as the top scorer in the Bundesliga, the Three Lions’ captain is seen as a top favourite to win the Golden Boot this season.  Kane scored in the English team’s pre-Euro friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina showing a promising form before the tournament kicked off. He also scored in Slovakia VS England at the 91st minute, and has 2 goals to his name so far. 4. Alvaro Morata Alvaro Morata is the captain and veteran goalscorer who leads the Spanish team. At the start of the tournament, Morata was deployed as the target man up front for Luis de la Fuente’s squad and it has been working well for them. Morata is another name that has been mentioned repeatedly in articles for Euro 2024 top goalscorer predictions. He scored the opener in the team’s 3-0 beating of Croatia, which lead to their opponent’s elimination.  Although Morata has scored just once, Spain continues to go far in this competition, and their captain is expected to get more opportunities for scoring. 5. Cristiano Ronaldo Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo, won the Golden Boot during the Euro 2020 and scored 10 goals in that tournament’s qualifying round. Although Ronaldo stepped away from FIFA matches to continue his career at Saudi Arabia, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is no stranger to winning trophies at a major football contest. But, in a disappointing turn of events, Ronaldo ended the group stage with no goals. However, he scored his first goal of the tournament with a goal against Slovenia in their knockout stage fixture.  6. Jude Bellingham Jude Bellingham was excellent for Real Madrid last football season. Most fans expected him to barely scale through at La Liga, he disappointed the naysayers by scoring 23 goals as of the middle of May 2023.  In this tournament, Bellingham seems to have gotten a smaller role for England, than he got for Real Madrid where he is a top dog. He is picked as a favourite in Euro 2024 top goalscorer predictions, but Harry Kane has more recognition than him as Golden Boot material.  Bellingham has the same number of goals as Harry Kane in the tournament, scoring a total of two goals. He and Kane scored the goals in a 2-1 scoreline against Slovakia in the knockout stages. Bellingham was named player of the match. 7. Antoine Griezmann Antoine Griezmann has a solid history in the European Championship, finishing as top scorer in the 2016 Euros contest with six goals. But, after France lost to Portugal in the final, and an uneventful five years following that, Griezmann was set to redeem himself in Germany. At the start of the Euro 2024 tournament, Antoine was selected as

Slovakia will face off with Ukraine at Düsseldorf Arena in the second match of their group-stage competition today. Slovakia won their campaign opener 1-0 against Belgium on Monday, while Ukraine fell to a 3-0 defeat to Romania. Watch Slovakia VS Ukraine. Use MatchPlug to get the Expert Football Predictions, picks, odds, and analysis for Slovakia VS Ukraine. We are a Winning Prediction Site to get Euro 2024 previews.  Predictions and Betting Preview For Slovakia VS Ukraine  Venue: Düsseldorf Arena. When: Friday, June 21st, 2024. Time: 17:00 Teams to play: Slovakia and Ukraine. Expert Picks: MONEYLINE 3.17. Odds provided by 1XBet. Betting On Slovakia 1XBet Spread: 0 1XBet Over/Under: Over 2.5 1XBet Moneyline: 3.17 Slovakia pulled off the first major upset of the tournament, with Ivan Schranz scroing the only goal of the game in the seventh minute against Belgium. They also maintained their second clean sheet at the European Championships and will want to build on that form. Sokoli scored an excellent win over Belgium in their season opener and had luck too as VAR canceled two Belgian goals. David Hancko made a pivotal goal-line clearanace in the second half and helped his team maintain a clean sheet against the team ranked third in FIFA Rankings. Francesco Calzona will likely choose a similar starting XI from their campaign opener. Betting On Ukraine 1XBet Spread: 0 1XBet Over/Under: Under 2.5 1XBet Moneyline: 2.488 This is a must-win match for Ukraine, who play Belgium in their final game of the group stage next week. While winning this matchup will help Slovakia get a place in the top two in the Group E table. The Blue and Yellow put up a tough fight against Romania and dominated possession but could not make the most of it as they got only two shots on target. Ukraine struggled defensively in their campaign opener and Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin made two big mistakes that handled goals to Romania. Vitaliy Mykolenko was an unused substitute in that game and should start for Ukraine today. MatchPlug Prediction For Slovakia VS Ukraine  This an important game for Slovakia and Ukraine, as it will decide their fate in the tournament. With the stakes high, both clubs will want to put on a good performance and likely end in a draw.  Final Prediction: Ukraine Moneyline.

MLS expansion side San Diego FC showed Hirving “Chucky’’ Lozano on Thursday as the ‘ ‘cornerstone’’ of their ambitious project that begins during the 2025 season.  The Mexican international, was announced last week as San Diego’s first-ever Designated Player on a reported $12 million transfer from Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven. Club CEO Tom Penn described him as a “magnificent deal for MLS, for San Diego FC and a lot of people who worked really hard to make it happen.” “Building something special” Penn, who contributed to Carlos Vela’s arrival at then-expansion side LAFC ahead of their 2018 debut season, believes that Lozano could be a transformative signing for San Diego. They expect him to be as good as Vela was for Los Angeles FC. “We wanted a cornerstone of our club, someone who embraces our entire project,” Penn said of the CF Pachuca product who also played for Italian Serie A side SSC Napoli. “And when Chucky learned of the Right to Dream [youth academy], of what our ambitions are for North America, for the United States, for Mexico, and when he and [wife] Ana heard the story, they identified with this. “And that means a lot, because we’re building something special and the most important aspect is our players. And for Chucky to be so excited about Right to Dream and to be the leader and mentor and to help the next generations of talents, that’s the other part of this project – in addition to scoring goals, winning matches and lifting trophies.” Lozano too is stoked about his responsibilities, highlighting San Diego’s emphasis on youth development as a significant factor in his decision to move Stateside for 2025. “Right to Dream is a very important project on a global scale that few clubs have,” he said. “Helping youngsters in Mexico and the United States is very important for me because I want to leave a mark in my career.” “… I had different proposals [from other clubs], but this one fulfilled me in every sense because I really identified with every aspect [of the project], and that was the most important thing for me.” Major League Soccer’s newest star There is also the matter of winning silverware, an area Lozano has dominated throughout his club career. The 28-year-old has lifted six trophies – including Pachucha’s win of the 2016 Concacaf Champions League. That tournament was where Loranzo first encountered the MLS, facing FC Dallas in the semifinals en route to a 4-3 aggregate victory.  “Honestly, they were very good games. Back then you could see the level was there. The level of play has only increased in the last few years,” said Lozano, the latest of several recent blockbuster MLS signings. “Bringing in important players like \[Lionel\] Messi, and now \[Olivier\] Giroud is coming [to LAFC]. All the players that are coming are very important. And that speaks volumes about how the league wants to grow.” Mr. San Diego Lozano is entering something unique by joining San Diego FC, where an entire club will be built, from scratch, around the two-time World Cup veteran. “We want him to be able to express his special qualities,” said chief soccer officer and assistant sporting director Tyler Heaps. “… We’re taking all that into consideration, but certainly with the type of player he is and the work rate that he provides the team, it makes my job a lot easier in terms of finding players who want to play with and can play with him.” This seriousness of the situation is not lost on Lozano, who sees his upcoming MLS adventure as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “There aren’t many players who get this opportunity,” Chucky said. “To be in this position right now is a privilege. It wasn’t very hard to make this decision.”

The Boston Celtics have reached the NBA Finals this season, thanks to Joe Mazzulla and his coaching style. Celtics guard Derrick White stood behind the 3-point line late in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. And Jaylen Brown moved into the lane, drew defenders and flipped a pass toward him, White was ready for the moment.  That is because coach Mazzulla had simulated scenarios like it throughout the regular season. “It starts in practice with them championship stations that Joe loves to do,” White recalled. “It starts there and then just continues to trust one another.” White believed that Brown would make the correct basketball play. He did, and it ended with Derrick connecting on a tie-breaking 3. This secured the Celtic’s spot in the NBA Finals. It got them a showdown with the Dallas Mavericks. The strategy is also an example of how in his second year as coach, Mazzulla has helped Boston recover from the shame of a campaign that ended on the cusp of the Finals a year ago. This season has the Celtics four wins away from securing their 18th championship. Mazzulla said, White’s shot is testament to the type of team culture he has been trying to build over the last two years. One that prioritises details. “Things that you can’t take for granted,” Mazzulla said, “Sometimes it’s as small as getting the ball inbounds. But just try to pick little things that we see on a nightly basis that can impact winning and can affect losing. And, we just practise them over, over and over again until they become second nature.” What equally contributed to Boston’s success this season is the adoption of an egoless team-first philosophy. No one player takes credit for the team’s accomplishment on a roster packed with All-Stars like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, White, and Kristaps Porzingis. Mazulla has also reaped the benefits of working with a coaching staff he chose in the offseason. This is something he did not have last campaign after being forced into a job he did not expect, when Ime Udoka was suspended days before training camp. Head assistant Charles Lee and Sam Cassell have helped Mazzulla upgrade a system built around 3-point shooting and defence, which watched Boston rank first and third in offensive and defensive ratings during the regular season. These rankings have stayed the same this postseason for a club that is 6-0 on the road and 3-0 in close-out matches. However, while Mazzulla and his staff have established their philosophies through X’s and O’s, they have also focused on the mental aspects of the sport. Last season it was through film sessions that started with Mazzulla showing the Celtics images of sand castles, which represented a metaphor that even the best castles are washed away by the daily tide, requiring them to be rebuilt. It was something Tatum described as “a little cheesy” but “something we bought into.” Joe’s tactics were once again present in a showdown win back in March over the Phoenix Suns. He went viral after sprinting to dispute the Suns’ Royce O’Neale practice basket entering into a timeout. “I saw a guy going in to get a shot and he hadn’t made one and I didn’t want him to feel good about himself going to the bench,” Mazzulla explained at the time. “That’s the bench rule. … If I’m going to ask the guys to contest, the staff’s going to do the same thing.” Mazzulla said later during an appearance on Boston radio 98.8 that instances like that are the foundation of their team culture. “We can laugh about it. But at the end of the day I think you have small moments in your organisation to set the temperature of what you want to be about,” Mazzulla said. “We did that last year and thinking back, that’s an important thing that mindset that we try to bring. That we’re going to bring it every day. That we want our opponents to constantly be uncomfortable. We don’t want to give them an edge at any point.” Holiday acknowledged that Mazzulla’s style is unique, but one that he’s come to appreciate during his first season in Boston. “You go with it. You go with the craziness,” Holiday said. “I think maybe it’s controlled madness. I think it’s definitely his way of preparing us and I feel like preparing himself. And I feel like it’s been working. It’s fun. It’s different. … Joe definitely brings a spark and some weird energy.” From Mazzulla’s perspective, it’s about forming the kind of bonds that may ultimately bring Boston another championship. “I think, one of the best gifts that I have is, why I got into coaching is building relationships with guys,” he said. “When I left college to go to the NBA, most people were, like, hesitant about that because NBA guys get a negative rap as to being able to build relationships with them. But I felt like it was, ‘There’s a lot there.’”

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley has been named the 2023-24 Twyan-Stokes Teammate of the Year. Conley has won the annual award for the second time, having previously received the honour in the 2018-19 season. The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award recognises the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, and on-and-off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players. This includes commitment and dedication to the team. A panel of league executives chose 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. Current NBA players then selected the winner from the list of finalists. Conley is in his 17th NBA season. In addition to receiving the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award twice, he has also won the NBA Sportsmanship Award a record four times.  The award, given yearly for selfless play, on-and-off-court leadership, commitment and dedication to the team, is named after Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman. They were friends who played together on the Cincinnati Royals. Stokes was paralyzed after an on-court injury in 1958, and Twyman became his legal guardian. He supported Stokes for the rest of his life until he died in 1970. The only other Timberwolves player to win this teammate award was Jamal Crawford for the 2017-18 season. Jrue Holiday a three-time winner, is the only other player in the league to win this award multiple times.