ALANIS THAMES Sports Writer, Author at The Rapid City Post

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, left, and Juventus' Daniele Rugani challenge for the ball during the Club World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Real Madrid and Juventus in Miami Gardens, Fla., Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Kylian Mbappé makes his Club World Cup debut in Real Madrid’s win over Juventus

July 1, 2025

Kylian Mbappé jogged, clapped his hands together and waved to a crowd of excited fans before checking into the Club World Cup for the first time. From there, the Real Madrid star didn’t need to do much for his club to advance past Juventus into the tournament’s quarterfinals. Gonzalo García, who had started Madrid’s four matches while Mbappé dealt with an illness, scored what turned out to be the winning goal on a header Tuesday before subbing out of the match. Mbappé replaced him in the 68th minute of the 1-0 win in the round of 16,

Real Madrid's Gonzalo Garcia celebrates after scoring during the Club World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Real Madrid and Juventus in Miami Gardens, Fla., Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Gonzalo García’s header powers Real Madrid past Juventus 1-0 and into Club World Cup quarterfinals

July 1, 2025

Breakout tournament star Gonzalo García scored his third goal of the Club World Cup to power Real Madrid past Juventus 1-0 in the round of 16 on Tuesday afternoon and into the quarterfinals. García has started all four of Real Madrid’s matches because of a gastrointestinal illness to star striker Kylian Mbappé. The 21-year-old broke a second-half tie with a header in the 54th minute, giving him a goal contribution in every match of the tournament. García subbed out in the 68th as Mbappé checked in, making his Club World Cup debut

Bayern Munich's Harry Kane celebrates after scoring his side's second goal against Flamengo during the Club World Cup round of 16 soccer match between CR Flamengo and Bayern Munich in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sunday, June 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Harry Kane scores twice as Bayern Munich beats Flamengo 4-2 to advance in Club World Cup

June 29, 2025

Harry Kane scored twice and Bayern Munich capitalized on a quick start to beat Flamengo 4-2 in the Club World Cup round of 16 on Sunday. Germany’s premier soccer club regrouped quickly from its only loss of the tournament last week against Benfica, jumping out to a 2-0 lead then holding off Flamengo’s comeback attempt to advance to the quarterfinals. Bayern Munich will face Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday in Atlanta. Kane’s first goal was a deflected strike nine minutes in that made it 2-0, and the prolific goal scorer found the back of the net again on a feed from teammate Joshua Kimmich at the edge of the box that he whipped past Agustín Rossi.

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi shoots on goal against Palmeiras' Richard Rios during the Club World Cup Group A soccer match between Inter Miami and Palmeiras in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Messi and Inter Miami stars prepare to face former coach Luis Enrique and PSG in Club World Cup

June 26, 2025

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and their Inter Miami teammates took the field at their practice facility Thursday for another training session. There wasn’t much different about what they did. Dribbling drills. Some laughs. Interactions with coaches. But this training was more important than most. In a few days, Inter Miami will play one of the biggest matches of its five-year club history when the Herons take on French juggernaut Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup round of 16. It will be the first time Messi faces his former club since his exit from PSG in 2023 after two seasons. He also will be facing his former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique, now the coach of PSG.

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice kisses the Stanley Cup trophy after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

For back-to-back champ Panthers, the celebrations will continue before an important offseason begins

June 21, 2025

The Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup championship festivities have included an all-night celebration at a popular beach bar; crowd surfing, pole climbing and impromptu karaoke at a Miami nightclub; a Brad Marchand appearance at Dairy Queen; a few team dinners and a boat ride. That’s just so far. Their chaotic celebratory escapades have been all over social media. The Panthers also partied hard after winning the franchise’s first title a year ago. But some players have described those days as a surreal whirlwind of first-time experiences. This time, the celebrations are different, as the reality of what they accomplished set in.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky poses in front of fans after winning the Stanley Cup in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Sergei Bobrovsky’s brilliance leads Florida Panthers to second straight Stanley Cup title

June 17, 2025

The loudest cheers among Florida Panthers fans at Amerant Bank Arena are always for Sergei Bobrovsky.Prega me warmups. Jumbotron appearances. Each and every save. Florida fans know how important the veteran goaltender is to their team. So do the Panthers. It’s why Florida never appeared rattled during its third straight Stanley Cup Final run. The defending champion Panthers remained even-keeled, never looking too far ahead, and certainly not harping on the past — mirroring the attitude of their unflappable two-time Vezina trophy-winning goaltender.

Singer Taylor Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce watch Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers,Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce attend Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final between Panthers and Oilers

June 13, 2025

Pop superstar Taylor Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce were among the celebrities that flocked to Amerant Bank Arena to watch Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers. Kelce, a Super Bowl-winning tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, is a known hockey fan along with his brother Jason Kelce. And ever since Swift and Kelce began their high-profile romance in 2023, the 14-time Grammy Award winning singer has been known to pop in on big sporting events — including the last two Super Bowls — and cause an excited frenzy for fans.

Panthers build and then squander a 3-goal lead against Oilers in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final

June 13, 2025

The Florida Panthers were up 3-0 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. But, they lost. Matthew Tkachuk and the stars of the defending champion Panthers smothered the Oilers in the first period. Edmonton’s veterans responded fiercely — scoring four straight to take a 4-3 lead. After the Panthers forced overtime, Oilers star Leon Draisaitl scored the winner. What initially looked like an easy victory that would put Florida one win away from clinching a second straight Stanley Cup Final turned into a huge collapse that has the series tied 2-2 heading back to Edmonton.

FILE - Plastic toy rats litter the ice after the Florida Panthers scored during the third period of Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers, Saturday, June 8, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Brad Marchand embraces Panthers’ rat-throwing tradition, which goes back 30 years

June 10, 2025

There’s a giant, gold-outlined rat emblazoned on the hat that dangles in Brad Marchand’s locker. The scrappy NHL veteran has been likened to the tiny rodent for much of his career, notoriously known as “The Rat” among hockey fans. So when Marchand was traded from Boston to Florida back in March, it didn’t take long for him to embrace Panthers fans’ tradition of tossing plastic rats onto the ice after wins. After the Panthers routed the Edmonton Oilers 6-1 on Monday in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, rats rained down in a tradition that has last lasted 30 years.

Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) scores a goal against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) during the second period of Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup final Monday, June 9, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

From a massive hit to a breakaway goal: Sam Bennett’s unforgettable moment in the Stanley Cup Final

June 9, 2025

In a single shift, Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett showed why he’s been one of the most unstoppable players in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, Bennett knocked Vasily Podkolzin off his feet with a huge hit in the defensive zone, then buried a breakaway goal on the other end moments later. After the goal, which put the Florida Panthers up 4-1 in the second period against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, Bennett pumped his fist and hugged teammate Matthew Tkachuk, whose mouth was wide open, as if neither could believe what had just happened.

Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough wears a Florida Panthers cap before a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

South Florida pro sports teams are inspired by the success of the Florida Panthers

June 8, 2025

The Panthers are in the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight year. They’re three wins away from defending their 2024 title. The Panthers went from winning just 25 playoff games in their first 28 seasons combined to winning more than 40 — and counting — in the past three seasons. And their general manager, Bill Zito, has been in conversations for GM of the Year for several seasons after building title-contending rosters year after year. They’re the pinnacle of success in South Florida, and other pro sports teams in the region have taken notice.

After 2 overtime games, Panthers and Oilers relish days off as Stanley Cup Final shifts to Florida

June 7, 2025

The first two games of the Stanley Cup Final have gone to overtime, only the sixth time in NHL history that’s happened and first since 2014. Game 1 went on until Leon Draisaitl’s power play goal 19:29 into the extra period. Marchand put Game 2 to an end with a breakaway goal 8:07 into the second overtime. With the series tied 1-1, both teams will embark on a cross-continent trip from Canada to Florida, enjoying an extra day’s rest between games to recover after a intense start to their championship series. Game 3 is Monday night in Sunrise, Florida.

Giants’ pitching is winning games despite the team’s offensive woes

June 1, 2025

Runs have been hard to come by lately for the San Francisco Giants. The good news is their pitching staff has made it just as difficult for opponents to score them. San Francisco ended may with a Major League-best 2.64 ERA, while going 14 straight games without scoring more than four runs. That theme continued in their series against the Miami Marlins, where they took two of three in South Florida. The Giants (33-26) reached the four-run threshold just once, in Sunday’s 4-2 win, while limiting the Marlins to just three runs over the three-game series.

Luis Matos’ 3-run homer powers Giants to 4-2 win over Marlins

June 1, 2025

Luis Matos hit a three-run home run and the San Francisco Giants beat the Miami Marlins 4-2. After Wilmer Flores knocked in a run with a groundout in the second inning, Matos connected on a 2-0 changeup from Ryan Weathers (1-1) in the third that traveled 390 feet to left-center and gave the Giants a 4-0 lead. San Francisco did not score after that, marking the 14th straight games the Giants have failed to score more than four runs. Hayden Birdsong struck out five and allowed five hits and one run in his second start in San Francisco’s rotation.

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts after scoring a goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against CF Montreal, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Messi scores twice, assists in Miami’s 4-2 win over Montreal

May 28, 2025

Lionel Messi scored twice and had an assist, and Inter Miami broke out of its slump with a 4-2 rout of Montreal. Messi scored in the 27th and 87th minutes and set up Luis Suárez’s goal with some nice dribbling in the 68th minute on Wednesday. Suárez added another in the 71st. The win gave Messi’s slumping Inter Miami team just its second victory in its past eight contests. Miami last won a match on May 3, going 0-2-2 since then and dropping to sixth in the Eastern Conference. Dante Sealy and Victor Loturi scored for Montreal.

Tyreek Hill: ‘I’ve got to prove myself’ to Dolphins after last season’s frustrations

May 28, 2025

Tyreek Hill said he has to prove to the Miami Dolphins that they can depend on him as a committed leader after his comments at the end of last season indicating that he wants to play somewhere else. Hill has spent the offseason rehabbing two wrist procedures and said he’s focused on putting last season’s frustrations behind him while achieving his goal of surpassing 2,000 yards receiving. Additionally, the Dolphins are still pursuing trade options for cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Coach Mike McDaniel declined to give details on why the relationship deteriorated.

ALANIS THAMES Sports Writer.

Kylian Mbappé makes his Club World Cup debut in Real Madrid’s win over Juventus

Gonzalo García’s header powers Real Madrid past Juventus 1-0 and into Club World Cup quarterfinals

Harry Kane scores twice as Bayern Munich beats Flamengo 4-2 to advance in Club World Cup

Messi and Inter Miami stars prepare to face former coach Luis Enrique and PSG in Club World Cup

For back-to-back champ Panthers, the celebrations will continue before an important offseason begins

Sergei Bobrovsky’s brilliance leads Florida Panthers to second straight Stanley Cup title

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce attend Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final between Panthers and Oilers

Panthers build and then squander a 3-goal lead against Oilers in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final

Brad Marchand embraces Panthers’ rat-throwing tradition, which goes back 30 years

From a massive hit to a breakaway goal: Sam Bennett’s unforgettable moment in the Stanley Cup Final

South Florida pro sports teams are inspired by the success of the Florida Panthers

After 2 overtime games, Panthers and Oilers relish days off as Stanley Cup Final shifts to Florida

Giants’ pitching is winning games despite the team’s offensive woes

Luis Matos’ 3-run homer powers Giants to 4-2 win over Marlins

Messi scores twice, assists in Miami’s 4-2 win over Montreal

Tyreek Hill: ‘I’ve got to prove myself’ to Dolphins after last season’s frustrations

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