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armory Star Victor Gyckeres has played down any injury or fitness concerns after playing in Sweden’s 2-2 draw with Greece on Thursday.

football scandal report comments More from his surprise appearance in the game today, considering he played in the Champions League final only a week ago.

from arsenal to sweden

Given the Gunners’ run to the Champions League final, the Arsenal forward was expected to miss Sweden’s friendly matches ahead of the World Cup. At least, he wasn’t expected to start.

Instead, he started the game and scored after playing 63 minutes before being replaced by Graham Potter.

This came with its own risks as he was involved in a nerve-wracking moment when he was cut from behind in a scenario that could have had serious consequences. Luckily, he is fine and insists that everything is fine fitness-wise too.

“It’s fun to come back and play with the guys again,” he said.

“It feels good in my body, and I feel in good physical shape. So I thought it was good to get some match minutes in my legs. There’s some time in the World Cup premiere. So, it might be needed.”

world cup plans

Luckily for Sweden, the striker was in good form as he scored one of their two goals in a 2–2 draw. However, surprisingly his famous celebration was nowhere to be seen.

He admits it was a conscious decision. He’s saving his trademark for the big World Cup games.

“I’m saving it for the World Cup,” he said.

“I haven’t done this whenever we’ve lost. It’s happened before that I didn’t do it then. And it was a friendly match too. But I can do it later in the hotel.”

arsenal fest

The 28-year-old goes into the tournament on the back of a successful first season with Arsenal following his move from Sporting Club de Portugal last summer.

Although the goals may not have flowed as freely as they did in Portugal, he still finished the campaign with 21 in all competitions. And, crucially, also a Premier League title. For him, celebration is something he wants to experience again.

He concluded, “We didn’t get many hours of sleep as we drove back to London. After the parade I was a little tired. But it was super fun to experience it.”

“I got a tremendous amount of energy from all the fans. It was a special experience that I would love to do again.”

Andrea Dossena’s time liverpool Wasn’t the most impressive but he has positive memories of it.

The Italian arrived at the Anfield club at the age of 26, joining from Udinese in 2008. He was brought in to replace John Arne Riise, who had joined Roma on a permanent deal after a successful stint on Merseyside.

Dossena spent one and a half seasons at Liverpool. Even though he couldn’t match up to the player he replaced, the defender had some memorable moments of his own.

I have talked to him transfer market about magic, and was particularly influenced by Enfield.

anfield experience

Dossena was asked what impact the song You’ll Never Walk Alone made on him.

Speaking in glowing terms he replied: “Very emotional, even more so when there were Champions League matches: tuxedos were worn in the stadium. When you stand in the middle line before the match starts, hearing the whole stadium singing gives you an incredible boost.”

Dossena revealed that adapting to life at Liverpool was not easy but playing at Anfield made up for it.

“It was a city that was not easy to adapt to, especially given the constant rain and windy environment. But those two hours inside the stadium outweighed the difficulties outside.”

Spanish connection helped

Dossena explained that having Spaniards in Liverpool helped him a lot because of the similarity with Italian culture.

Speaking about his closest companions, he said: “Xabi Alonso and Pepe Reina; the Spanish culture is very similar to ours.

“Gerard often kept to himself, Egger was cold-blooded, and many of them went to play golf, but since I don’t like it, I had less opportunities to hang out with them.”

The former defender also praised Rafa Benitez’s football-minded approach to coaching.

“Very precise and precise. He only talked about football; that was his world.”

Dossena also seemed grateful to Benítez for changing his position and said: “The week of goals against Manchester United and Real Madrid. Benitez moved me into midfield, and in that role I scored those two goals in a few days.”

As the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators face each other on Saturday to open the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they will do so after battling similar adversity in the regular season.

Both teams took a long shot chance to play the part and both teams were successful in their goal of finishing the season strong to claim a postseason berth.

The Hurricanes suffered a major loss of goaltender before the season even started.

In Carolina, the season almost broke before it even started.

As the Hurricanes prepared their roster for the season, they faced a problem in net as their third goaltender, Kayden Primeau, had played very well during the preseason. As soon as they placed him on waivers to reassign him to their AHL-affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, they had a feeling he would be claimed. And so, they started looking for another goalkeeper to serve as a safety measure should that happen. (Yes, that happened. The Toronto Maple Leafs claimed him, though the Hurricanes later reunited with Primo when they placed him on waivers.)

Enter Brandon Bussey, the Florida Panthers’ latest depth goaltender, signing after several strong seasons with the Providence Bruins. Having never pitched above the AHL-level in his career, he was placed on waivers and was on the drive to Charlotte, NC to join their affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, when he got the call that the Hurricanes had claimed them.

Making a change in more ways than one, he found himself on the opening night roster due to an injury preventing Pyotr Kochetkov from playing. He took the crease again and again and scored a run that made NHL history as he broke records one after another. Of 39 games played, he won 31 – tied for fourth in the entire league for most wins by a goalkeeper this season.

His consistency in net in the first half of the season, despite Kochetkov’s prolonged absence requiring surgery and Frederik Andersen’s cold streak, was key in giving the Hurricanes a huge boost in the standings.

Senators lose top goaltender, throw dice on aging veteran netminder

Meanwhile, the Senators faced the same dilemma as Carolina, albeit later in the season, during an equally crucial time.

In late December, Linus Ullmark – who has been a vocal advocate for mental health in hockey – took leave due to mental issues he was struggling with. The Senators then hit a skid as the position was given to 23-year-old goaltender Levi Merilainen, with 25-year-old Mads Sogaard supporting him.

Amid a blowout 8–2 loss at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, the Senators announced that then-37-year-old James Reimer, the former Hurricanes goaltender, had been signed to a professional tryout contract.

Possibly, his signing saved their season.

Reimer brought a calm, seasoned veteran presence to a young goalie team that was shaken up, stopped the bleeding and earned the team a valuable Atlantic Division point in its first game back – and further points in three of the five games played while Ullmark was out. He had a goals against average of 2.42 in his 14 games, achieved a shutout and helped the Senators score 16 points while at the crease.

Since both teams face each other in the first round of the playoffs, only one team advances to the next round, so it cannot be underestimated what the Hurricanes and Senators managed to accomplish despite the obstacles they faced. Only 16 of the league’s 32 teams were able to clinch a spot in the postseason. To be able to come this far while dealing with key absences in something as crucial as goaltending is something to be commended, no matter what team you’re on.

Rachel Barkley is a beat writer covering the Carolina Hurricanes for Carolina Hockey Now on SportsNote. Painting Stories…More About Rachel Barclay

Nottingham Forest are seeing Danilo become the talk of the club again, this time thanks to an interview he gave during their strong revival in Brazil.

Since returning from England, the midfielder has found his rhythm in impressive fashion at Botafogo.

He is now one of the key figures at John Textor’s side, both for his level of performance and his representation in the market.

And As we covered earlierBotafogo recently tried to send him back to Forest, but the move was blocked amid a legal dispute over the club’s structure.

In other words, Nottingham Forest have not disappeared from their story at all. Whatever happens, they keep reappearing in it.

Back on top form at Botafogo

Danilo’s value has increased rapidly as he is producing again. He has scored five goals in six Brazilian league matches, while also adding one assist. For a central midfielder, these are astonishing numbers.

They help explain why he has become so Important figure for Botafogo So soon after returning to Brazil from Nottingham Forest. He also explains why his name is doing the rounds in the market again.

His domestic form has pushed him back into the Brazil team. He was called by Carlo Ancelotti As for the friendlies against France and Croatia, and the broader picture in Brazil, he is firmly set for the World Cup if this level continues. This gives even more weight to every transfer rumor related to him.

Against that backdrop, both Palmeiras and Flamengo are being linked with a move to take him away from Botafogo. Yet it appears the player has a different long-term idea in mind.

Europe plan remains

Speaking to UOL, Danilo made it clear that he still sees Europe as his desired destination at some level.

“I think my mentality has changed. Of course, now I’m at Botafogo and I’m thinking about helping the team out of this struggle at the beginning of the year. And, if God wills that I return to Europe, I’ll think about it and then we’ll go again.” He said.

“I always thought about returning to Europe. I loved playing in the Premier League. At that time I scored goals, and I helped the team avoid relegation with my teammates at Nottingham Forest, and I was confident there.”

That’s the main line. While Brazilian clubs are making the rounds, Danilo himself is talking about Europe – and specifically, Forest.

He also reflected on one of the toughest moments of his time at the City Crown, and offered more context about how that spell shaped him.

asked about He suffered an injury soon after reaching EnglandDanilo admitted that this was a big shock at the time.

“It was very difficult, especially because it happened at the beginning of the Premier League. I had a good pre-season, the coach praised me, I was at my best physical moment and then this happened”He said.

“I broke my ankle and left it in God’s hands. Of course it was hard. I spent a long time without playing, but what I went through there helped me mature even more and live this dream now with the national team.”

The Nottingham Forest mantra still matters

The warmth is also evident in the way he talks about Nottingham Forest. He did not describe the move as a failure or a chapter he wanted to forget. Instead, he described it as an important period in his development, and one which he still looks back on with confidence.

This should have caught Forrest’s attention, especially as his time there was not limited to a hard race.

He arrived midway through a season, then endured a relegation battle throughout 2023/24, and then featured again in the early half of the next campaign before returning to Brazil.

Survival Season is the obvious reference point. Forest finished above the bottom three in 2023/24, and Danilo made 29 Premier League appearances, scoring two goals and two assists.

He was part of the team that finished ahead of Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United by narrow margins. Forest finished that season on 32 points, six above 18th place.

Now he is thriving again, attracting attention again, and talking about Europe again. This means that Nottingham Forest are also part of the talks again.

Exclusive: Mathias Oliveira

🚨Nottingham Forest are still pursuing a Napoli player
➡️Change #NFFC Interest has not been affected
🔼The Premier League is the key to a successful transferhttps://t.co/f51ZV1MFiv #SSCinapoli

– Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) 27 March 2026

The day after Valentine’s was filled with love for the NBA, which accomplished something that both fans and pundits thought was impossible. The league saved the NBA All-Star Game.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards went viral on Friday by declaring that the All-Star Game “is where it’s at at this point.” It was a disappointingly transparent warning against any expectations of effort. It was clear after Sunday’s first of four games that Edwards had changed his mind.

Team Stars—the young group of American All-Stars—defeated Team World 37–35. After the game, Edwards told Zora Stephenson that San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama’s intensity brought a competitive edge to his group.

“I mean, you know, I’m not going to lie, Wembley set the tone. Like, he came out playing hard. So it’s hard not to match him, so, s—, that’s what happened. Sorry for my language, though, that’s what happened,” Edwards told Stephenson on NBC’s broadcast.

Edwards and Wembanyama are two players often touted as the “future faces of the NBA.” It’s a heartbreaking acceptance that the playing careers of the two Akron-born superstars, their slim-reaping compatriots and Kawhi Leonard, will be over. The Timberwolves guard has avoided that designation like the plague, but his MVP-winning performance on Sunday worked against it.

Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards make good on Muggsy Boggs’ All-Star prediction

A former NBA player sees the revival of the All-Star Game coming. Ironically, it was the youngest player in league history who had the necessary vision to disagree with an industry that had largely abandoned the event.

Boggs told David Shepard on SiriusXM NBA Radio that the players know the game is just an exhibition and that fans “wait all year” for the event. He also predicted that only a few young, enthusiastic All-Stars would bring the necessary fire from among the rest of the league’s best players.

“It’s the players. They know it’s an All-Star Game. But they know when it’s time to compete and give the fans what they deserve… I think the message and the word is getting out. And I think some of the younger players understand the importance of it. And I think they’ll put some of their – I don’t know, maybe the older guys, on Front Street. Because when you’re putting that type of effort and that energy out there, it resonates. And it shows, too. That’s who’s all in, and who’s all out,” Boggs bluntly explained to Shepard before All-Star Weekend.

Wembanyama’s approach to the competition was reminiscent of the excitement fans saw a young Kobe Bryant bring to the 1998 All-Star Game. the last Dance The recent highlight was the veteran players’ desire to beat the eager Bryant, the same energy that the sixth-year guard in Edwards had for the third-year event.

Putting financial incentives on the league’s wealthiest players has not proven to encourage efforts. However, the challenges of his teammates take advantage of the competitive spirit that fuels his battles against the best players in the world. This is key for the NBA to save its All-Star Game, which it did regardless of the format change.

The event will always go as far as its best talents will take it. This year, he shot for the stars.