McKenna Resigns as Ipswich Manager to Focus on Family

Kieran McKenna stepped down as Ipswich Town manager on Friday, citing a desire to recharge and be with his family. The 40‑year‑old, who has led the club since 2020, will not take on a new role immediately. Chair Mark Ashton expressed disappointment at the decision, while McKenna said he was proud of the progress made during his tenure. sportbet.reviews

"Bear Bets" are real wagers that Chris "The Bear" Fallica is actually making. The World Cup is finally here, and what's even more exciting is that the United States gets to co-host it right here on our home turf. It doesn't get much better than that. Well, actually, it can get slightly better if we are able to cash in on the action. Here's how I'm wagering on Day 1 of the globe's grandest event. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. World Cup Best Bets — Thursday, June 11 Mexico vs. South Africa It would be very surprising if Mexico were defeated here, but laying -1200 on the Mexico double chance is a little steep. Instead, I’ll look at the highest-scoring half of the match being the second half. My thought is that, in the first half, South Africa will be fresh and there’s a possibility of a 0-0 score going to halftime. However, the second half could be where the heat and elevation of Azteca take over, and we could see some breakdowns — or even a penalty. PICK: Second half (+110) to be highest-scoring half South Korea vs. Czechia This is a huge match out of the blocks, as one of these two will likely be the runner-up to Mexico in the group. And who knows, maybe one could even pull an upset of El Tri and wind up winning the group. That leads me to believe these teams will go for it, especially with the match being played later in the evening in Guadalajara. Patrik Schick gets the headlines, but Pavel Šulc had an excellent season domestically for Lyon, scoring in the playoff final vs. Denmark. I can see him in search of goal-scoring opportunities here. I'll grab the plus-money on shot attempts (which is different than shots on goal, for those new to soccer betting). PICK: Pavel Šulc (+240) 3+ shot attempts

Mauricio Pochettino was blunt in his assessment of American soccer talent. "We are USA and competing against Belgium, Portugal," the U.S. coach said after a pair of March losses in friendlies. "I think, for sure, Belgium and Portugal have a few or some players playing [who are] in that top 100 [I don't think we have that]." No Americans were listed among the top 100 when The Guardian published its annual list in December. Christian Pulisic was 116th in the voting by a panel of 219 former players, coaches, technical staff and media. Tim Weah was next at 183rd. Spain placed 14 in the top 100, France 10, Brazil and England nine each, and Argentina and Portugal eight apiece. "I don’t think our talent is far or much less than any other country, in my humble opinion," retired American forward Jozy Altidore said. "I think we’re just as talented. So for me, I’m that crazy guy. I believe, and I know the players believe, but, why not? Why not us?" U.S. players and staff are thinking big, hoping the red-white-and-blue can win its first World Cup title or at least reach the semifinals for the first time since 1930. Americans still have to prove themselves to much of the soccer world. "We want to do this for ourselves. We want to do this for our own country. We don’t need to prove to anyone else," Pulisic said. "We have good players, really good players playing in top clubs in the world. We have a good team and, yeah, we’re going to do the best we can to prove ourselves right more than anything." Tyler Adams, the captain in 2022 and the team's top defensive midfielder, sees the goal as "to go as far as any team has before." "It’s just been a while, I feel like, since we’ve knocked off a big boy," he said. "I think we need to try and find that in our character and I think that we will." U.S. Has Won Only 1 World Cup Knockout Game Dreams and reality have collided for the U.S. in the World Cup. The Americans are 1-7 in World Cup knockout games, their only win coming over regional rival Mexico in 2002 before a quarterfinal loss to Germany. Since then, they lost in the Round of 16 in 2010, 2014 and 2022, failed to advance from the group stage in 2006 and didn't even qualify for 2018. Despite the lack of pedigree, Pochettino told players in March they could win the title. "Why not us? Why not us? Why not us?" he said. "We need to really believe that we can be there. We need to dream." Only A Handful Of Players On Top European Clubs Pulisic in 2021 became the first American to play in and win a European Champions League final, helping Chelsea to the title. He is one of six American World Cup-bound players on clubs ranked among the top 40 by UEFA coefficient, spending the past three seasons with No. 30 AC Milan. That list includes midfielder Malik Tillman (No. 9 Bayer Leverkusen), midfielder Weston McKennie (No. 25 Juventus), defender Sergiño Dest and forward Ricardo Pepi (No. 26 PSV Eindhoven) and defender Alex Freeman (No. 39 Villarreal). Decline Of American Goalkeepers Goalkeeper, once an American strength with Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel and Tim Howard all starting for English teams, is now a weakness. This will mark the first time a Major League Soccer goalkeeper appears for the U.S. at a World Cup. "Goalkeeping is definitely a concern," said former American midfielder Stu Holden, now a FOX commentator. "We haven’t had a standout goalkeeper now for a number of years, but yet you have an opportunity to change the perception of who you are by one tournament." Matt Freese, the likely starter, made his international debut last June and has just 15 appearances. "Not really, not really listening to anyone outside of the guys with me and the coaching staff," he said. Home Field Crowd Advantage For A Change The U.S. team often plays home games in front of crowds with a majority cheering on the opponent, which happened during games against Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Morocco, South Korea and Turkey. "Americans are some type of fans that show out and show up for the big things even if they don’t love soccer," McKennie said. "Any big event, we know how to put on a show, and we know to show up, so I think it’s a huge advantage." Reporting by The Associated Press.

BlogHow Patti Edwards Shaped BYU’s 1984 Title and LaVell’s Enduring Coaching LegacyPatti Edwards died on 13 February 2026 in Provo, Utah, at 93, closing the quiet half of a marriage that turned BYU from an unknown program into the 1984 national champion.Open →