Florida Sports Wire

CHARLOTTE, NC (www.jaxsportsday.com) – The MLS All-Stars defeated the LIGA MX All-Stars, 4-2, in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime before a capacity crowd of 35,197 at Bank of America Stadium.  The victory improved MLS to 4-1 all-time against LIGA MX in the MLS All-Star Game. Son Heung-min scored twice in the first half to lead the MLS All-Stars to victory and earn 2026 MLS All-Star Game MVP honors. Scoring Summary: LMX - Rey (Brunetta), 9' Juan Brunetta (Tigres) delivered a curling set piece to the back post, where Luis Gabriel Rey (Chivas) headed it home to open the scoring. MLS - Son (Gil), 20' WATCH - Carles Gil (New England Revolution) played a perfectly weighted ball over the defense to Son Heung-min (LAFC), who took a touch before calmly finishing to level the match for the MLS All-Stars. MLS - Son (Gil, Mukhtar) 23' WATCH - Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC) found Carles Gil (New England Revolution) with a clipped pass, who's cross found Son Heung-min (LA...

JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com) – Sporting Club Jacksonville (Sporting JAX) today announced the signing of midfielder Jean Mota to its USL Championship roster, pending league and federation approval. Mota, 32, serves as another veteran addition to the Sporting JAX squad during its inaugural season. The São Paulo native has spent time most notably with Brazilian giant Santos FC and Inter Miami CF, where he played alongside Lionel Messi and new Sporting JAX teammate Harvey Neville.  Most recently, he took the pitch for Persija Jakarta in Indonesia. Mota’s time at Santos, where soccer icon Pelé became a household name, stands out. Across 255 appearances for the club, he netted 19 goals and 26 assists, contributing to multiple podium finishes in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Brazil’s top professional league. Following Santos, Mota joined Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer for the 2022 season. In his first season with the club, Mota made 36 appearances across all competitions,...

ORLANDO (SportsDay Media)) – Orlando City SC has loaned forward Yutaro Tsukada to Rhode Island FC of the USL Championship through the remainder of the 2026 season, it was announced today. Tsukada joined Orlando City after being selected with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. The Tokyo, Japan, native made his MLS debut for the Lions against Inter Miami CF on May 15, 2024, before signing a First Team contract later that season through 2025 with Club options in 2026 and 2027. Prior to signing with the First Team, Tsukada began his professional career with Orlando City B, where he recorded four goals and four assists in 12 starts during the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season. He recorded his first professional brace in a 3-1 victory over Red Bull New York II on May 8, 2024.

From SportsDay Media Billy Ray Smith Jr., the legendary Arkansas defensive end and 2000 NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductee, passed away July 29. He was 64. "Billy Ray represented everything the College Football Hall of Fame stands for," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "He was an extraordinary player whose toughness and excellence helped define Arkansas football, but he was just as respected for the way he carried himself away from the field. He will always be remembered as one of our game's greats." Smith contributed to one of the greatest family lineages in college football history. His father, Billy Ray Smith Sr., lettered two years as a tackle at Arkansas and earned All-Southwest Conference honors in 1956. Billy Ray Jr. expanded the family's reign from 1979–82, lettering four years while earning unanimous All-America honors as a defensive end in 1981 and 1982. Both father and son were named to the Arkansas All-Century Team. Billy Ray Jr. served ...

By Don Coble, Jax Sports Wire   JACKSONVILLE – Answers to so many offseason questions will start becoming clearer when training camp opens on Wednesday at the Jaguars Training Center at the Miller Electric Center.  The 90-player preseason roster will be on the field at 8:30 a.m. as Jacksonville looks to back up its 13-5 2025-26 record that included a 27-24 loss to Buffalo in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.  "Establishing is definitely a little easier [than Year 1] because they (players) are very ready to hear something different,” head coach Liam Coen said. “When you have lost or are coming off a tough year, they're eager, their eyes are bright, they want to hear what you've got to say because like, 'Hey, man. This is what we got. This is where we have to go.' “This team understands there was meat left on the bone.”  The Jaguars must either cut players, designate them as physically unable to perform, non-football injury or illness to get to the 53-player li...

SAVANNAH, Ga. (www.jaxsportsday.com) — The Florida Panthers and Savannah Ghost Pirates announced  that they have extended their affiliation agreement through the 2028–29 season. The 2026–27 campaign will mark the third season of the partnership between Savannah and Florida. “We are extremely excited to continue our partnership with the Florida Panthers and the Charlotte Checkers,” said John Thompson, Executive Vice President of Zawyer Sports Savannah. “We want to thank the entire Panthers organization as we continue to build success over the next three seasons.” Through its first two seasons, the affiliation has helped develop several players in Savannah, including goaltenders Cooper Black and Kirill Gerasimyuk, who are nearing their NHL debuts.  It has also seen Evan Cormier, the Ghost Pirates’ goaltender for the past two seasons, raise the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2025. “The Savannah Ghost Pirates have been a tremendous partner in our player development pipeline, an...

JACKSONVILLE (www.jaxsportsnews.com) – Former Ponte Vedra High School standout Cameron Reed was the beneficiary of a 54th-hole stumble by rising Tocoi Creek High School junior Ambrose Kinnare, which led to Reed securing a one-shot victory in the 65th playing of the JAGA Jacksonville Amateur Championship presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners at Sawgrass Country Club. With Reed having finished in the second-to-last group at 7-under par, Kinnare strode to the final tee holding a one-shot lead at 8 under. A pulled tee shot that ended up in the water lining the par-5 18th hole initiated a debacle that ended in a double-bogey and a flip of the two names atop the leaderboard, with Reed capturing Northeast Florida’s most prestigious amateur golf title. Entering third-round play, Reed was three shots off Kinnare’s lead, in fifth place. His deficit grew to six shots through the first eight holes before the script began to flip, with Reed reeling off birdies on five of the first seven holes on...

WORCESTER, Mass. (Jax Sports News.com) – Cam Cannarella notched a career-high four hits but the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp suffered their 10th consecutive loss in a 6-5 defeat to the Worcester Red Sox on Friday at Polar Park. The setback marked the first time a Jacksonville (50-48, 8-16) club has lost 10 straight games in its recorded history (2005-present). The Jumbo Shrimp fell for the 14th time in the last 15 games; 10 of those defeats have come by just one run. Jacksonville led 2-1 when Allan Castro led off the fourth with a single. Bradley Blalock (1-8) then walked each of the next three hitters to force in the tying run. Nate Eaton’s sacrifice fly put Worcester (49-46, 13-11) ahead 3-2. Mickey Gasper started the fifth with a double. He scored two batters later on Brett Harris’ RBI single. The Jumbo Shrimp answered in the sixth. Agustín Ramírez led off with a walk against Sam McWilliams (2-1). Andrew Pintar replaced Ramírez on first after a fielder’s choice before stealing second ...

  PONTE VEDRA BEACH (SportsDay Media) – Four-time PGA TOUR winner and founder of NB3 Foundation, a national, award-winning Native-led nonprofit, Notah Begay III has been named the recipient of the Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company, honoring his character, sportsmanship and commitment to charitable giving. Begay III, 53, will be honored Tuesday, August 25, at the Payne Stewart Award Ceremony in conjunction with the 2026 TOUR Championship. Golf Channel will televise the ceremony as part of a “Golf Central” special from 7-8 p.m. ET at the Southern Exchange in downtown Atlanta. “Notah Begay III has always used his platform to make a meaningful and lasting impact, particularly within his Native American communities, and that ongoing work no doubt reflects the values of character, compassion and leadership that define the Payne Stewart Award,” said PGA TOUR CEO Brian Rolapp. “The PGA TOUR is proud to recognize Notah as the 2026 recipient of the Payne Stewart Award presen...

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (SportsDay Media) – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp were swept on Sunday in an 11-2 loss to the Rochester Red Wings at ESL Ballpark. The Red Wings (56-38, 11-10) opened up the scoring with a massive third inning. Jumbo Shrimp (50-44, 8-12) reliever Amos Willingham (0-2) issued a leadoff walk to Riley Adams before Cayden Wallace singled. Maxwell Romero Jr. followed with an RBI single for the game’s first run.  Christian Franklin then walked to bring up Abimelec Ortiz, who crushed a grand slam to make it 5-0. Two batters later, Andrew Pinckney doubled before scoring from second on a passed ball. Pinckney walked with one out in the fifth and Trey Lipscomb singled. Joey Wiemer brought in Pinckney with an RBI double before consecutive RBI singles from Adams and Wallace made it 9-0. Jacksonville got on the board in the sixth. Kemp Alderman led off with a double. After a strikeout and an error, he scored on Gage Miller’s RBI single. Rochester added their final two runs in t...