Jason Spezza spent 11 seasons in Ottawa including two as captain. When he signed with the Maple Leafs this summer, it brought the Toronto native back home and back to the Battle of Ontario.

But, Wednesday morning, the 36-year-old received news that he would be a healthy scratch for the season and home-opener against of all teams, the Senators. It had all the ingredients to be a pretty special night for a player that is well-respected around the National Hockey League.

But Leafs coach, Mike Babcock had other ideas, opting to go with Nick Shore to center the team’s fourth line instead.

To no surprise, Spezza was disappointed at missing his first season-opener of his career. The coach meanwhile, said he needs the veteran of 16 seasons to work on adjustments on the team’s penalty kill.

“He’s the coach and he decides the lineup and I have to get up to speed with what he wants,” Spezza said. “It’s a long season. It’s obviously disappointing, you want to play to open the season, there’s no doubt about that.”

Spezza wasn’t the only person in Toronto upset. Leafs alumni and co-host of the popular TSN1050 radio program, OverDrive had perhaps the strongest take on the scratching.

“I quite frankly think it’s a joke,” he said. “Jason Spezza signed for peanuts to play here, shows up early to help with the young guys and you put that in his face?

“And another thing going forward–in the next five years, they’re going to have to look for players to sign for nothing just like (Jason) and when they see that message they might think twice about it and say ‘go screw it, why would I want to put myself through that?’ It’s just Babcock being in control and saying ‘I didn’t like the signing and I’m not putting him in the lineup.'”

Spezza did come to the Leafs at a considerable discount, inking a one-year deal at the league-minimum $700,000. The deal did not include any signing or performance bonuses either.

The deal certainly helps the Leafs, who have more than $40 million committed to four forwards until 2024. The club presently has no cap space after placing four players and nearly $14 million on long-term injure reserve, according to CapFriendly.

And so, before the puck even hits the ice on the 2019-20 season, there’s a bit of controversy on the season.

On the ice for the Leafs, it’s business as usual with one goal in mind: Ending a 52-year Stanley Cup drought. Returning with a core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares to go along with an upgraded defense featuring Morgan Rielly, a full season of trade acquisition, Jake Muzzin and Tyson Barrie, who makes his Toronto debut following an offseason trade from Colorado. Frederik Andersen, who finished last season with the third-most wins and the second-best save percentage among goaltenders with 60 or more starts, is also back in the fold for the blue and white.

The Senators enter the season in what is likely another year of building. The club elected not to retain any of its star-caliber players on expiring deals last season, moving them out before the start of the season or at the deadline. In free agency, they added low-risk, one-year deals to ex-Buds, Ron Hainsey and Tyler Ennis while adding Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev in an Ontario swap that sent Cody Ceci the other way. Thomas Chabot and Colin White, players that represent the future, were re-upped to long-term deals. But all indications are that it will be a tough year in Canada’s capital city.

The NHL season kicks off Wednesday at 7p.m. from Toronto. Elsewhere, the Blues and Capitals face-off in a game that features the defending champion, Blues and the 2018 cup-hoisting Caps. The Oilers will host the Canucks in the in a Western-Canadian meeting at 10p.m. and the Sharks and Golden Knights will renew their rivalry from last April’s postseason to close out the first night of the season at 10:30p.m.

Manchester United traveled to Molineux Stadium to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final match of last weekend’s Premier League action. Wolves finished in 7th place last season and qualified for the Europa League thanks in large part to their stellar record against the Premier League’s ‘Big 6’ so their clash against United, who finished just one spot ahead of them in 6th, promised to be a cracker.

At the end of the match honors were even between the two sides after battling to a 1-1 draw. Anthony Martial opened the scoring for the visitors on 27th minutes before Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves leveled things in the 55th minute with a stunning strike from outside the box. The match was not without its drama however as Paul Pogba missed a penalty and the chance to give United all 3 points when he saw his efforts saved by Rui Patricio with 20 minutes left in the match.

Under normal circumstances, a player missing a penalty wouldn’t be front pages; these things happen all the time. However at Manchester United, things are never quite normal and Pogba, who, deservedly or not, is the recipient of regular criticism from the English media, taking a penalty off of Marcus Rashford, a media darling who converted a penalty the week before, and missing became the top footballing story for an entire news cycle.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tried to calm the media frenzy by backing Pogba and explaining that he acted according to his wishes as both Pogba and Rashford are the side’s penalty takers.

“The two of them [Rashford and Pogba] are designated penalty shooters and it’s up to them there and then who feels like ‘this is mine’. Marcus scored a goal and I’m sure this week he would have loved to but Paul was confident and I like players with confidence and the feeling of ‘I can do this’”.

Unfortunately for Solskjaer, his well-intentioned comment backfired as many pundits and ex-players slammed his indecision and inability to make a simple decision like designating one penalty taker. The United boss backtracked a few days later and said that would choose a single penalty taker going forward.

Aside from the penalty debacle, there were a lot of positives to take away from the match from a United perspective, which Solskjaer explained earlier this week.

“We dominated possession. We got the first goal, which is a great goal, then second half we know they’re going to come out like a house on fire and they got the goal they deserved for the pressure they had. Then I thought we took control again and could’ve won it”.

United played good football against Wolves and were unlucky to not come away with more. Taking a step back however, a draw away to Wolves who are notoriously stingy against quality opposition is not a bad result by any means and with their 4-0 victory over Chelsea on opening day, United have started the new season stronger than expected. Now the Red Devils turn their attention to a home match against Crystal Palace that they’ll enter as heavy favorites.

Philippe Coutinho’s disappointing Barcelona adventure has come to an end, for now. Just 18 months after joining the Blaugrana from Liverpool for €142 million, Coutinho has been shipped off to Bavaria on a season long loan worth €8.5 million that includes an option to buy him for €120 million.

The Brazilian playmaker arrived in Spain in January 2018 to high anticipation after lighting up the Premier League. The step up to Barcelona seemed like the perfect move for a technical and gifted player like Coutinho who was over the moon at the time of his arrival.

“I’m very happy, very happy. I have always said that it is a dream that I am living and I am very happy to be here. It is incredible to know that I am going to live with idols like Leo Messi, Luis Suárez, [Andrés] Iniesta, [Gerard] Piqué, [Sergio] Busquets. I am very happy to be able to live together, to learn from them and be able to win together”.

Coutinho joined Barcelona 6 months after Neymar’s departure and was tasked with picking up the brunt of the creative burden left behind by his countryman. And while Coutinho is certainly talented enough to do so, he struggled to fit in stylistically in a side understandably built around Lionel Messi.

Too often wanting to come infield in the spaces already occupied by Messi, Coutinho was unable to adapt his game to compliment the Argentine in the way that Neymar did to such devastating effect during their time together. So, after just a year and a half, Barcelona decided to cut their losses and move Coutinho on. A return to the Premier League was heavily rumored for the Brazilian but potential moves to Arsenal or Tottenham never came to fruition and now he is set to get a new lease on life in Munich.

After his difficult spell in Cataluña, Coutinho expressed his excitement to revive his career at one of European’s biggest clubs.

“For me, this change represents a new challenge in a new country at one of the best clubs in Europe. I am really looking forward to this. I have big goals like Bayern, and I’m sure I can do it with my new team-mates. At Barcelona, things did not quite work out as planned. But that’s history now”.

Bayern Munich were likewise looking to reinvest themselves after a disappointing season and despite missing out on Leroy Sane, signing Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Perisic is not a bad consolation prize.

The German powerhouse has positioned itself expertly following Sane’s ACL injury that ended their pursuit. They signed both Coutinho and Perisic on loan with an option to buy so if they both perform well, Bayern can sign them permanently and if the possibility to bring Sane in next summer arises, they have not committed to any long-term moves that would get in the way of that.

Meanwhile, Barcelona have made yet another to make room for Neymar. A return for the Brazilian has been heavily reported and with the departures of Coutinho and Malcom, Barcelona now have room in the squad and on the wage bill to finance a return for one of the world’s biggest stars.

After such an impressive run of form, the San Jose Earthquakes seem to have hit a rocky patch and lost their second consecutive game Saturday against Sporting Kansas City. Their poor form started with a disappointing 2-1 defeat on the road to the Colorado Rapids and the misery was compounded with this loss in Kansas by the same score line.

Things looked like they were headed back on track for the Quakes when Chris Wondolowski emphatically nodded in a Cristian Espinoza corner on 25 minutes. MLS veteran Benny Feilhaber restored parity just after the half when the ball fell kindly to him at the top of the box for a shot and the victory was sealed for the hosts in the 75th minute when defender Graham Smith tapped from close range after Johnny Russell’s free kick cannoned off the post.

Even after the win, Kansas City still only sit in 10th place, 6 points off a playoff spot in a crowded Western Conference. SKC have been one of the mainstays in the hunt for MLS Cup having qualified for the postseason in 8 consecutive years and even though it looks like that streak may be coming to and end up, Feilhaber assured fans that they will continue to give 100% in every game like they did against San Jose.

“Regardless of whether we make the playoffs or we don’t make the playoffs or we win or lose every game, we want to make sure we show ourselves well for these fans and everyone that’s been part of this organization since it was basically nothing”.

Interestingly, if Sporting KC do manage to finish the season in a playoff position, it may end up being at San Jose’s expense. After failing to win in 3 straight games, Earthquakes are entrenched in a playoff battle which seemed unthinkable a few weeks ago when they began to emerge as the biggest challenger to LAFC in the West.

With an away match against league leaders LAFC next on the agenda for the Quakes, manager Matías Almeyda assessed what went wrong against Kansas City and looked forward to the tough task ahead of his side.

“I think it was an even game. Each team had one half. Even though we had our chances to go up one goal, in the second half they scored more goals than us… all opponents are hard for us and [LAFC] is the one making the biggest difference in the league. We’ve played against them twice and lost twice. We’ll try to do the best that we can”.

One glimmer of hope for San Jose despite the defeat was new signing Andres Rios making his debut and looking lively when he got on the ball. Almeyda will be hoping that Rios can build off his first MLS appearance and make a real difference in the match against LAFC, which is now a must-win for the side from the Bay.

Barcelona lost their opening match of the La Liga season for the first time since 2008 when one Pep Guardiola lost his first game as the Barcelona manager against Numancia. This time out the Catalan giants fell to Basque side Athletic Bilbao thank to a spectacular overhead kick in the 89th minute scored by 38-year-old Aritz Aduriz.

Despite the defeat, Barcelona fans may be able some solace from the fact it was not a full strength Barcelona that lost in Basque country. The Blaugrana were without Phillipe Coutinho who is closing in on a move to Bayern Munich, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, Arthur, and most importantly, Lionel Messi.

With Messi on the pitch, Barcelona will be considered favorites against almost anyone but when the Argentinean magician is unavailable for whatever reason, they look a shadow of themselves despite the remaining talent at the club. Manager Ernesto Valverde lamented this inability to cope without Messi and focused on what wrong after the match.

“We’re not all like [Messi] and we have to learn to cope when he’s not there. It’s inevitable to miss him, but we need to do other things too. We have to transform possession into goal chances, that’s what counts”.

In the same way that Barcelona struggle to replace Lionel Messi, Athletic Bilbao will face a similar such challenge in replacing Aritz Aduriz when he retires at the end of the season. The 38-year-old is a Bilbao legend and showed that even 20 years into his professional career, he is still capable of producing moments of pure magic.

Aduriz was nothing but smiles after Bilbao’s victory as he spoke about his decision to hang up his boots and his mindset going into his final season.

“Sometimes football is so beautiful and when you least expect it a ball like that comes to your feet and goes into the net. It’s impossible that I won’t end up missing that but everything must come to an end. Everything in life has a start and a finish. I’m grateful to be able to choose to end things where I’m happiest”.

Even in his wildest dreams, Aduriz couldn’t have thought up a better way to kick off his farewell season than scoring a last-minute winner against Barcelona at the San Mames. While he will be hoping for more the of the same going forward, Barcelona were given a wake-up call and realized that there is a lot more work to be done if they are to achieve what they set out to this season.

Atlanta United defeated Mexican champions Club América 3-2 earlier this week to win the second installment of the Campeones Cup. The Campeones Cup is an annual competition that pits the winners of MLS and Liga MX against each other in a battle for continental superiority. With Atlanta’s victory, they are the first MLS team in history to defeat a Mexican side in a major final.

Emerson Hyndman opened the scoring for the hosts in the 5th minute but Atlanta’s lead was short-lived as Renato Ibarra fired América back on level terms 8 minutes later. Josef Martínez later had the chance to put Atlanta back in front but saw his penalty saved on the stroke of half time. Club América did not make the same mistake as their opponents and Roger Martínez took advantage of a loose ball in the box to put his side in front in the 57th minute. This time it was Atlanta who quickly fired back when Jeff Larentowicz scored a screamer from outside the box just 2 minutes later. Atlanta’s victory was then sealed in the 65th minute when Martínez made amends for his earlier miss and slotted the ball past Oscar Jiménez from 12 yards out.

Goal scorer Emerson Hyndman spoke after the match about the importance of Atlanta’s victory in terms of the heated MLS-Liga MX rivalry.

“They’re obviously a great team. We knew it was going to be tough match. But I think the way we competed tonight showed we can compete with teams in Mexico. It was a great team performance. It showed how far we’ve come”.

For years, Liga MX and those in the Mexican Football Federation have viewed MLS and inferior to their own league and with Atlanta United’s victory, the balance of power might just be started to swing north for the first time.

Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer echoed Hyndman’s sentiments and saw this victory as a key step in the development of soccer in America and its status across the continent.

“These are the two champions against each other. It’s good to see we’re getting closer. If you see how we did today, then you can say we made major steps forward, not only ‘we’ as Atlanta, but also as a club from the United States”.

Although both sides came out with the utmost intensity and desire to win, it just seemed like this trophy meant a little more to Atlanta. Club América are one of the biggest clubs in South America and have been enjoying a golden spell with former Mexico manager Miguel Herrera at the helm. While Herrera certainly would’ve loved to win, he didn’t need to win as badly as Frank de Boer who has been heavily scrutinized from fans and his players alike since accepting the unruly task of replacing Tata Martino.

Following Martino, the man who led Atlanta United to an MLS Cup triumph in their second season as a franchise, was always going to be an uphill battle but after a rocky start to the season and facing criticism from his players for deviating from Martino’s successful attacking football, de Boer seems to have finally steadied the ship. The Dutchman will be hoping to ride this momentum through the end of the regular season and into MLS Cup but first he must deal with the next task ahead of him, a tough away match against the Portland Timbers.

Things have simply not gone to plan in the 2 years since Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona in a record breaking €222 million deal. The mercurial Brazilian arrived in Paris to unprecedented fanfare but PSG’s failure to make a meaningful challenge for the Champions League coupled with Neymar’s continued antics have turned this once adoring relationship toxic.

At the time, the Neymar signing seemed like a perfect fit for all parties involved, except Barcelona of course. PSG got a bonafide superstar who could finally take them over the top in the Champions League and Neymar could now establish himself as the best player in the world, free of Leo Messi’s shadow. However, a combination of Neymar’s continual disrespect towards PSG and French football as a whole and two separate long-term injuries gradually turned the PSG fans against him. This growing animosity towards the Brazilian culminated last week in PSG’s Ligue 1 opener when supporters unveiled vulgar banners and chanted obscenities towards the Brazilian that should not be repeated.

According to various reports, Neymar communicated his desire to leave PSG a few months ago but out of respect for his employers, did not make any statements publicly. The straw that finally broke the camel’s back came earlier this summer when a reported asked Neymar about his favorite moment as a professional.

“When we won against PSG with Barcelona it was completely… we all went crazy afterwards. I believe it was the best feeling for all of us. The ‘Remontada’ against Paris, what we felt when we scored the sixth goal…I have never felt anything like this. It was incredible!”

Barcelona’s 6-1 victory over PSG after losing 4-0 in the first leg of their tie is a Champions League classic and one of the best days in the history of FC Barcelona and likewise, one of the darkest in PSG’s. For Neymar to cite such an embarrassing moment for PSG while heavily linked to Barcelona was simply inexcusable for both the club’s hierarchy and fans alike.

Neymar’s attitude has been an issue for PSG since his arrival and with Kylian Mbappe’s rapid rise to superstardom, the club agree that now might be the right time to cut their losses and move on. PSG however, refuse to sell on the cheap and will only agree a deal if it meets their valuation of Neymar’s price. PSG Sporting Director Leonardo spoke publicly on the matter for the first time and opened to door to an exit but reiterated the club’s stance.

“Talks more advanced than before, but there’s no agreement. We will see what happens, everybody needs the future to be resolved. Neymar is still a PSG player and we shouldn’t forget he still has three seasons left on his contract”.

For months, a return to Barcelona seemed like the most likely outcome = but since the Catalan club signed Antoine Griezmann earlier this summer and disagree drastically with PSG on Neymar’s value, a deal has yet to be agreed. Meanwhile Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez has been a huge fan of Neymar for years and dreams of bringing him to the Bernabeu. Madrid’s offer of 2018 Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric plus €120 million is much closer to PSG’s valuation than anything Barcelona have offered, putting them on the front foot, but anything can happen in the coming weeks.

The biggest match of the Premier League’s opening weekend saw Manchester United host Chelsea at Old Trafford. Going into the new new season, there are a lot of question marks surrounding both sides, mainly regarding the inexperience of their managers and the general lack of quality of their players. Ultimately, it was United who silenced their critics by cruising to a commanding 4-0 victory over one of their main rivals.

The first surprise of the day came before the match when the team sheets were released and it was revealed Christian Pulisic would be starting on the bench. In the early stages of the match it didn’t seem like Chelsea missed him much as The Blues dominated the early goings. But the momentum swung in favor of the hosts in the 18th minute when Marcus Rashford confidently fired United into the lead from the penalty spot after Kurt Zouma clumsily brought him down in the box. Chelsea refused to roll over however and came close to scoring on two occasions as both Emerson Palmieri and Tammy Abraham struck the woodwork of de Gea’s goal late in the first half.

Pulisic then came off the bench on the hour mark with the hopes of sparking a comeback for his side but it was United who showed they had an extra gear and put the game to bed with two quick goals from Martial and Rashford in the 65th and 67th minute. New signing Daniel James came off the bench a few minutes later and scored on his debut to cap the victory off in the 81st minute.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær has made it his mission to get United back to playing the free-flowing, attacking style of football that they were once synonymous with and saw their performance as another step in the right direction.

“As we said to the boys before the game, we have found the way we want to play and a way we believe in. We took risks but that’s the way here. You have got to go for it. It’s risk and reward and today we were rewarded. Coming into half-time we were a bit lucky. They pinned us back and created chances, but we settled a few nerves. The second half was outstanding, we defended well in shape and counterattacked well”.

Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard had a lot fewer positives to take away from Sunday’s loss, which served as a wake-up call for the tough task ahead of him and his side.

“We made four mistakes and they put them away. It is a reality check for us all. We are Chelsea. We don’t want to come here and lose 4-0. It wasn’t a 4-0 game for long periods, but we need to accept it.”

After losing Eden Hazard and David Luiz, Chelsea are a much weaker side than they were last season when they just snuck into the top 4 and an injury to defender Antonio Rudiger certainly isn’t helping matters either. With Manchester City and Liverpool clearly the league’s best sides and Tottenham pulling away as the clear best of the rest, it will likely by a close race between United, Chelsea, and Arsenal for that 4th and final Champions League spot. United may have won the first battle, but it is a long season ahead and anything can happen in the coming 37 games.

The Premier League season kicked off at Anfield on Friday when Liverpool hosted newly promoted Norwich City. The European champions picked back up right where they left off and made quick work of their opposition, cruising to a comfortable 4-1 victory.

Things could hardly have started off better for Liverpool and worse for Norwich. In the 7th minute, Norwich captain Grant Hanley scuffed his clearance of a tame Divock Origi cross and redirected the ball into the back of his own net. By that point, the match was already over. Liverpool went on to put Norwich to the sword, smashing in 4 goals by the time the referee’s whistle blew for halftime.

Mohammed Salah scored the second when he got on the end of a perfectly weighted through ball from Roberto Firmino and slotted the ball past an onrushing Tim Krul. Virgil van Dijk kept the party rolling by nodding home a Mo Salah corner in the 28th minute and Divock Origi, after setting up the first goal, got one of his own when he flicked in a cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold on the stroke of halftime.

Although they were absolutely ruthless going forward, Liverpool’s back line looked slightly shaky and afforded Norwich far too many chances than they should’ve. After a series of good attempts, Finnish striker Teemu Pukki pulled one back for The Canaries in the 64th minute.

Club captain Jordan Henderson was pleased with the way the match transpired and saw a lot of positives for his side to build on but likewise knows there is still a lot of room for improvement.

“There’s still improvement [to be made] but overall we’re delighted with the result and performance. It wasn’t so much defensively, we gave the ball away sloppy at times and we didn’t control the game with the ball, so in the transition we weren’t in great positions. That’s one thing we can improve on. We’ll learn from tonight and want to improve in the next one”.

Unfortunately for Liverpool, things didn’t all go to plan on Friday and their victory was deflated after goalkeeper Alisson went down with a calf injury in the first half and had to be subbed out. Manager Jurgen Klopp was happy with the way his side started the new campaign but still lamented the injury to his star keeper.

“I think the first 60 minutes were pretty impressive. We could have scored more, especially after half-time and that would maybe then impress the opponent a bit more. We are early in the season and some mistakes happen that will not happen during the season. If somebody would have told me before the game we would win 4-1, I would have taken it easily. There’s actually nothing bad to say about the game apart from Ali’s injury”.

Last season, the margin between first and second place was razor-thin, so Liverpool will have to be at their best in every single match they play if they are to triumph over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Their professional and ruthless performance against Norwich is proof they have the mentality to do so but an extended period of absence for Alisson could spell the end of Liverpool’s title ambitions already.

In one of the most surprising deals of the summer, Chelsea defender David Luiz left Chelsea to join Arsenal, their crosstown rivals and competitors for a spot in the top 4. The 32 year old Brazilian joins Arsenal in a deal worth £8 million, just months after signing a 2 year contract extension with the Blues back in May.

At first glance, Luiz’s decision to jump ship from the blue to red side of London seems a curious one but unconfirmed reports of a riff between Luiz and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard night provide an explanation. According to these reports, Luiz and Lampard have been on bad terms since Lampard’s days as a Chelsea player and Luiz threatened to go on strike if he was not sold to Arsenal. Lampard unsurprisingly denied these claims and provided a different, more Chelsea-positive account.

“I did it purely as a football decision. We had some conversations over the last week, honest conversations because I know David well and I think the conclusion was that he moved on. There certainly wasn’t any strike and in terms of fallouts, no, there weren’t any”.

It does however seem unlikely that Luiz was sold ‘purely as a footballing decision’ because without him, Chelsea are a weaker footballing side. The Brazilian was set to play a key role alongside Antonio Rüdiger in the heart of Chelsea’s defense this season. But now with his departure, Rüdiger’s injury, and Chelsea’s transfer ban, The Blues have no choice but to start the inexperienced Andreas Christensen and returning loanee Kurt Zouma. To make matters worse, Christensen and Zouma are currently the side’s only two fit center backs, although César Azpilicueta is capable of slotting in if need be.

If Luiz made it clear that he saw no future at Chelsea then the decision to sell an unmotivated player who could cause problems in the locker room would make sense but that’s not the story Lampard told. Luiz’s decision to force a move to Arsenal and leave Chelsea in such an uncomfortable position is proof that the former fan favorite’s blood doesn’t run Chelsea Blue as many had thought. Once he decided that he wanted out of Stamford Bridge, the decision to move The Emirates makes a lot of sense. Arsenal are the only top side in England that can guarantee him regular playing time and by staying in London, Luiz doesn’t have to uproot his family.

David Luiz meanwhile has no second thoughts about the move and is eager to start his new adventure across town.

“The cycle finished there. It was a conversation between me and Chelsea and everybody. It’s a new cycle in my life, in my career as a footballer. I grew up watching a lot of Arsenal games and I’m excited to play for this big club”.

Only time will who out of David Luiz and Chelsea made the right decision to part ways. Luiz’s exit gives Zouma and Christensen the opportunity to establish themselves as an elite center back for Chelsea going forward while his skill and experience could be just what Arsenal need to get over the hill and qualify for the Champions League season.