A life-changing season: Why Alex Eala remains a 'champion' despite her HK Open loss

Nov 8, 2026

Titans brace for tough battle vs Cool Smashers

CHOCO Mucho pioneer member Maddie Madayag knows an uphill battle awaits the Flying Titans as they need to conquer Creamline and PLDT in their remaining games of the 2026-27 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference–Siklab Series. Choco Mucho sits in third place with a 3-3 record, tied with Akari and trailing Nxled (5-0) and Creamline (4-1). In a crucial match, the Flying Titans fell to the Akari in a grueling five-set match, 25-19, 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, 16-14, on Saturday that positioned the team to lethal position from falling out from the last four. A win would have improved their record to 4-2 and strengthened their bid, but the loss left them with more pressure heading into a tougher stretch of the schedule. Madayag, who finished with eight points, admitted the defeat was difficult to accept. “I don’t know at this point; the standings are so close that we really need to ... We should have won this game, but Akari just showed they wanted it more. It’s unfortunate because we had so many weapons and we weren’t able to show them,” she said. “But there’s nothing we can do ... it’s tiring. Well, I guess we just have to bounce back next game, and it’s against Creamline too.” Madayag also acknowledged that the recent losses have weighed heavily on the team. “The losses are very degrading, but that’s just part of the game. It’s part of being a professional athlete, you win and you lose. It really comes down to how we, as a team, handle the loss and bounce back from it. “I think we just need a day to recover and reflect on what went wrong and how we can make it better. But again, we have to face Creamline once more.” With a tough slate remaining against the 11-time champions Creamline and a dangerous PLDT side powered by Savi Davison, Madayag emphasized that both upcoming matches are must-wins. “It’s a must-win game, both games are must-wins for us. I think we have to give everything we’ve got, and we have no choice but to win if we still want to play in the next round.”

Nov 8, 2026

Nuggets hold off Pacers in Mexico City game

Nov 8, 2026

Rahm, McIlroy primed for Abu Dhabi title battle

ABU DHABI, UAE — Jon Rahm will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Abu Dhabi Championship, with Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy among the players breathing down his neck. Rahm broke out of a three-way tie for the overnight lead with a six-under 66 on Saturday, picking up five shots on the back nine, including an eagle at the 11th. "Fantastic round. Wishing I would have hit a couple better putts in the last two holes, right, just misread those two putts. But overall, obviously very good golf," said Rahm. The Spaniard is 18-under overall and a stroke clear of Tyrrell Hatton and Francesco Laporta. They began the third round level with Rahm, who is playing in his first event since leaving the rebel LIV Golf tour last month. Rahm is targeting his first win outside of LIV since triumphing at the Masters in 2023. "It would be amazing. It's been a good year so far. But to win again on the DP World Tour would be special," said Rahm. McIlroy sits two shots off the lead at Yas Links after a five-under 67, having surged with four birdies on the front nine before a double-bogey at the 10th and a dropped shot at the 17th slowed his momentum. "Encouraged, as I played some really good golf out there but also a little rueful," said McIlroy, who overshot the green on the par-four 10th hole and took a costly six. He rebounded with four straight birdies but failed to find the green out of the bunker on the par-three 17th and lost ground on Rahm. "Overall, good day. Kept myself within touching distance and I have a good shot at it tomorrow, which is all I want," said McIlroy. "I'm going to have to go out and shoot a low one, something in the mid to low 60s to get it done tomorrow, and that will be the goal." McIlroy is bidding for a fifth successive Race to Dubai title and record-equaling eighth in total. He trails Eugenio Chacarra and Patrick Reed in this season's standings. Chacarra is 10 shots off the pace in Abu Dhabi, while Reed lies on a distant one-under after three rounds.

Nov 8, 2026

Messi wins second MLS Golden Boot

MIAMI — Inter Miami's Lionel Messi won his second consecutive MLS Golden Boot award on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) after the defending champions took second place in the Eastern Conference with a wasteful 3-3 draw against Charlotte on the final day of the regular season. The Argentine superstar did not score but set up the first two goals at Miami's Nu Stadium, both from corners, to help procure his club a home-field advantage for the first two playoff rounds. Messi's 26 goals this season were enough to make him the first back-to-back MLS Golden Boot award winner. Petar Musa of Dallas was second on 22, not scoring in his club's 3-1 home victory over Colorado. Ian Fray, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul racked up three first-half strikes for Inter Miami before Liel Abada's brace soon after the break sparked a comeback sealed by Rodolfo Aloko's late strike. Runaway overall leaders Nashville broke the all-time MLS points record for a season with a whopping 77 after beating Cincinnati 2-0. At 23-3 with eight drawn, Nashville won the East and broke the mark of 74 points set by Miami in 2024. Miami finished second in the East on 60 points as third-place New England failed to take advantage of Inter's draw with a surprise 1-0 loss at Orlando to end on 58. Messi's men will face Columbus to begin the MLS playoffs. Other East matchups send New England against Philadelphia, Charlotte against Chicago and top seed Nashville against the wild-card winner, Orlando or Cincinnati. Columbus took advantage of the Cincinnati loss with a 4-3 victory at Chicago to finish seventh and avoid the wild card round. At Miami, Messi's 14th-minute corner fell unexpectedly to Charlotte's Luca de la Torre, who spooned it up for Fray to open the scoring. Another Messi corner in the 33rd minute found Suarez wide open at the near post. The Uruguayan glanced in his header for 2-0. De Paul made it three before halftime, but Abada pulled back a goal for the visitors early and bagged a second in the 55th minute. In the 90th, Aloko bagged the equalizer, responding first to the ball as Smalls's shot ricocheted off the post. A visibly frustrated Messi hit the post in stoppage time before Aloko came inches from bagging an unlikely winner with a thunderous shot into the outside netting.