Opening

The Premier League blew up this week: Brighton's Diego Gomez lobbed in a 51.3-meter strike from near the halfway line, marking the longest-range Premier League goal since Rooney's in 2017, as Brighton went on to demolish Crystal Palace 5-0. The American League Championship Series was just as tense, with Rasmussen pitching 7 innings and allowing just 1 run to lead the Rays to a Game 5 win, pushing the series to 3-2 and putting them one step from the World Series. Coming up, we'll also tell you just how heartbreaking Ben Simmons' latest injury setback with the Kings really is.

This Week's Top Sports Stories

1. Rasmussen Allows Just 1 Run Over 7 Innings as Rays Move to the Brink of the World Series

• What happened: The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 on the road at Progressive Field in Game 5 of the ALCS, pushing the series to 3-2. Starter Drew Rasmussen pitched 7 innings, allowing 4 hits and just 1 run, with 6 strikeouts against 1 walk, surrendering only 1 hit through the first 5 innings. Closer Bryan Baker sealed it in the 9th, notching his 5th postseason save of the year.
• Why it matters: The Rays scored a run in each of the first three innings and simply held the lead the rest of the way. Whoever wins this year's World Series will be claiming their franchise's first championship, so there's plenty to follow as the series continues.
• Source: MLB.com

2. 51.3 Meters! Gomez's Halfway-Line Lob Demolishes Crystal Palace

• What happened: Brighton thrashed local rival Crystal Palace 5-0 at home, scoring three goals within the first 10 minutes. The second goal came from Diego Gomez, who intercepted the ball near the halfway line and struck it straight away, with the ball traveling 51.3 meters over the advancing goalkeeper Benitez and into the net.
• Why it matters: This is the longest-range Premier League goal in nearly 9 years, since Rooney's 57.7-meter strike in November 2017. According to a post-match report from Sky Sports, Crystal Palace manager Pierre Sage said he felt "ashamed" of his team's performance.
• Source: ESPN

3. Comeback Dreams Shattered: Simmons Ruptures Achilles Two Days Before Season Opener

• What happened: Sacramento Kings guard Ben Simmons suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon during a contact drill in practice. An MRI confirmed he's out for the season, just days before he was set to start in Wednesday's season opener against the Clippers.
• Why it matters: Simmons signed with the Kings just last month on a 1-year, $3.5 million deal, after spending the whole year rehabbing back and leg injuries. He only played 2 preseason games but was averaging 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, and seemed to be rounding back into form. What makes it even more heartbreaking: ESPN had just announced plans to film a documentary about his comeback earlier that same day.
• Source: CBS Sports

4. Josh Allen Ties Franchise Record as Bills Edge Out Raiders in Nail-Biter

• What happened: The Buffalo Bills beat the Las Vegas Raiders 33-30 on the road. Josh Allen threw for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns, tying franchise legend Jim Kelly's record of 258 career touchdown passes, as the Bills improved to 5-1.
• Why it matters: The record-tying play was wild: in the third quarter, Allen nearly got sacked but broke free and launched a 12-yard touchdown pass to Keon Coleman in a shot-put-style throwing motion. With more than half the stadium packed with Bills fans, the crowd immediately erupted into chants of "MVP."
• Source: ESPN

5. Man United Winless Streak Hits 5 Games as Leeds Holds Red Devils to a Draw

• What happened: At Elland Road, Manchester United took the lead in the 35th minute when Bryan Mbeumo converted a cross from Tielemans. But just 6 minutes into the second half, Calvert-Lewin equalized, heading the ball past Mbeumo's defensive effort from the edge of the six-yard box, and the match finished 1-1. Leeds held 61.3% possession and outshot United on target 5-3.
• Why it matters: The draw extends Manchester United's winless Premier League run to 5 games, dropping them to 13th in the table, while Leeds climbed to 7th on the back of the result. United's slump shows no sign of letting up.
• Source: NBC Sports

6. 8 Straight Titles, 23 Career Golds: Lavreysen Writes History Again in Shanghai

• What happened: Dutch cycling star Harrie Lavreysen won gold in the men's keirin at the Shanghai velodrome, claiming his 8th consecutive title in the event. He beat Australia's Leigh Hoffman in the final, with Japan's Kaiya Ota taking bronze.
• Why it matters: This gold pushed his career world championship gold medal count to an unprecedented 23. On this Shanghai trip alone, he swept three golds, in team sprint, keirin, and individual sprint, which also happens to mark the start of the qualification points race for the LA 2028 Olympics.
• Source: ABC News (Australia)

Closing

The most jaw-dropping moment of this episode has to be Gomez's 51.3-meter lob, which just shattered the Premier League's longest-range goal record of the past nine years. The Rays are now just two wins away from their franchise's first-ever championship, and the World Series kicks off right after the ALCS wraps up, so there's plenty to keep watching. We'll keep tracking all the action in the next episode. See you next time!