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Commentary: For Galaxy, Coachella Valley offers perfect preseason hub for road-weary MLS teams

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Major League Soccer had a problem.

With clubs spread all over the country, scheduling quality preseason matches was proving to be a problem. If a team stayed home during training camp, it would be limited to playing college teams, lower-tier opponents or holding intrasquad scrimmages. Journeying to play against MLS rivals, on the other hand, would add to what is already one of the most arduous and fatiguing travel schedules of any first-division league in the world.

“I think back to a preseason in Toronto, where you can’t really stay in Toronto,” said Galaxy coach Greg Vanney, who managed in Canada for parts of seven seasons. “We flew to Los Angeles to do the first part, then we went back to Toronto, then we went to Mexico City to do a part, then we came back, and then we went somewhere else to start our season.

“By the time you’re done with that, you’ve already traveled 8,000 miles.”

Exhausted before the regular season even started Toronto, the reigning MLS champion, went 10-18-6 in 2018, its worst finish in six years. So this winter, like the two that preceded it, Vanney’s Galaxy team will play a half-dozen MLS opponents while traveling just 260 miles. By bus.

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And for that he can thank Tom Braun, the club’s president of business operations, and Dan Beckerman, CEO of the Galaxy’s parent company AEG, who came up with the idea for a preseason competition in the desert east of Palm Springs.

In just three years the event has grown from a six-team, 12-game tournament played behind closed doors to one that will kick off Wednesday with 12 MLS clubs, two from the USL Championship and four from the NWSL. And with the doors now open to fans, attendance is expected to top 28,000 over seven match days.

The Coachella Valley offers a perfect setting for MLS teams looking to prepare for the upcoming season.

(Kyle McCune / L.A. Galaxy)

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“What we offer the clubs is a really meaningful event,” Braun said. “Instead of flying around trying to piece together competitive matches, we’re giving you the opportunity to come to a great setting, be around some of your competitors [and] have some really nice grass fields.”

In fact the Coachella Valley Invitational has proven so successful it’s a wonder no one thought of it earlier. For AEG, a global sports and entertainment presenter, it was a no-brainer since Goldenvoice, an AEG subsidiary, has for years put on the enormously successful Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals at the sprawling 1,000-acre Empire Polo Club in Indio. All Braun had to do was get someone to manicure the grass — “horses are heavy and they create divots,” he said — and send out invitations.

Shaun Ilten, the groundskeeper at Dignity Health Sports Park, joined with Goldenvoice to take care of the first job, preparing two private pitches for each team. AEG also brought in gym equipment, ice baths, goals, benches and just about anything else a soccer team would need to train.

As for the invitations, the tournament sold itself, with teams lining up to a spot in the field before the competition had even been announced.

“Coachella is not a flight, it’s a drive,” said LAFC general manager John Thorrington, whose team has played in the tournament from the start. “And yeah, it’s grown to be a really good tournament.”

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But there’s more to it than that. Because players are sequestered in hotels, away from their families, the tournament gives them time to bond. Defender Ryan Hollingshead said the chemistry LAFC built in Coachella in 2022 was a big reason why the team won both the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup that season.

“It gives us five, six days. And we’ve seen particularly in the past two years, the group really came together,” Thorrington said. “We’re focused and concentrated on building things. It gives the coaches more time with the players to get to know each other.”

For many MLS clubs the tournament has replaced the Desert Showcase, a preseason competition launched in Tucson in 2011 that grew to include 10 teams by 2018. But last year, because of the AEG event, just two MLS clubs — the Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake — traveled to Tucson.

Galaxy forward Dejan Joveljic signs autographs before a preseason match against the New York Red Bulls in the Coachella Valley.

(Robert Mora / L.A. Galaxy)

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The Fire will play in Coachella this year, leaving the Arizona tournament, now called the 2024 Desert Friendlies, to soldier on with a field made up primarily of second- and third-division teams.

“The owner of the L.A. Galaxy decided to do an event at Coachella, a place that he owns and can sort of dictate what goes on there,” FC Tucson President Jon Pearlman told Tucson’s Channel 13 News. “We have to pivot.”

Braun likens his tournament to baseball’s spring training, with teams from all over the country, gathering in the same place and playing in a small venue and a more relaxed environment, allowing players and fans to interact.

“It was a really cool event where there was really amazing engagement that you just can’t get in a regular-season game,” he said of the 2023 tournament. “Being so close to the action is really special.”

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What the tournament hasn’t produced yet is a profit. But Braun believes that will change.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a losing proposition cost-wise, because it’s a very big opportunity for AEG to make this a successful event,” Braun said. “Leaning into the fact that this is a partnership with other AEG properties allows us to make this a successful event. Between ticket sales and sponsorship, this very much has an opportunity to be a money-maker.”

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Orioles’ Craig Albernaz says he must eat baby food for weeks after foul ball to face leads to 7 fractures

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Orioles’ Craig Albernaz says he must eat baby food for weeks after foul ball to face leads to 7 fractures

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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz has seven fractures in his orbital area as well as a broken jaw after taking a foul ball to the face, but he remains in the dugout with his squad.

However, Albernaz has one big change to his daily routine over the next month or so. He needs to eat baby food.

The injury occurred on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as the foul ball came whipping toward the Orioles’ dugout and hit Albernaz square on the right side of his face. But he was back at Camden Yards on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after suffering his multiple facial injuries.

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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz looks on before an MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., on April 8, 2026. (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)

Reports from Baltimore state that he has a visible bruise on the right side of his face, and that he will need to consume baby food for the next six weeks as his face heals.

“This is what we’re here for,” Albernaz said to reporters, per the Baltimore Banner. “We’re here for the players. We have a game. I’m physically able to be here, so let’s go.… If my jaw was wired shut, I’d still be here.”

ORIOLES MANAGER CRAIG ALBERNAZ TAKES LINE DRIVE TO FACE IN TERRIFYING SCENE

Albernaz said he felt “pretty good” considering the circumstances from Monday night’s foul ball off the bat of one of his own, Jeremiah Jackson.

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“Ball hit me pretty flush in the cheek, but I feel good,” he added. “Luckily, no surgery. I think all in all, it was at least seven fractures in my cheek area, orbital, and then a broken jaw. But luckily, it doesn’t have to be wired. No surgery. I just have to eat baby food for six weeks.”

Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)

Albernaz, like many managers, was standing at the top of the dugout steps when Jackson was late to a pitch that shot immediately toward his teammates and coaches. It’s an unfortunate situation for Albernaz, but the first-time MLB manager is clearly showing his grit and resilience for his squad.

They also showed it for him on Monday night, as they were trailing at that point in the game. However, the Orioles rallied to win the game 9-7.

A lot of that had to do with Jackson, who bashed two home runs, including a grand slam in the victory.

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“I hit, and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face,” Jackson told reporters. “My heart kind of dropped. I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.… Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better. I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”

Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

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The Orioles’ win keeps them tied with the New York Yankees atop the AL East standings at 9-7.

Albernaz will continue to lead the way in the dugout moving forward, even if his diet does have to change.

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NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns after photos published of her and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel

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NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns after photos published of her and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel

NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic days after the New York Post’s Page Six published photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel interacting at an Arizona resort.

The photos appear to show Russini and Vrabel holding hands, hugging and sitting a hot tub and a swimming pool. In the April 7 article that accompanied the photos in the Post’s Page Six, Russini and Vrabel — both of whom are married to other people — gave statements denying anything inappropriate was happening between them.

The article also included a statement from Steven Ginsberg, executive editor of The Athletic, who expressed full support of Russini and said the photos “are misleading and lack essential context.” The New York Times, which owns The Athletic, reported days later that the digital sports outlet would conduct an investigation into the matter.

Russini submitted her letter of resignation to Ginsberg on Tuesday, then posted it on X. In it, Russini states she has “no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept.”

“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published,” Russini wrote. “When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts.

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“Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks. … Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”

The New York Times confirmed Russini’s resignation but declined to comment further for this article.

Page Six wrote Tuesday that it received a statement from Ginsberg following Russini’s resignation.

“When this situation was brought to our attention last week, there were clear concerns,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “but we received a detailed explanation and it was our instinct to support and defend a colleague while we continued to review the matter.”

But as “additional information emerged,” Ginsberg wrote, according to Page Six, “new questions were raised that became part of our investigation.” Ginsberg’s statement did not elaborate on the “new questions.”

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The investigation is ongoing, according to Page Six.

Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at ESPN, where her roles included “SportsCenter” anchor and NFL analyst and insider. Vrabel was a three-time Super Bowl champion as a Patriots linebacker and was head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023 before returning to New England as head coach last season.

In Page Six’s initial article last week, Russini said the photos of her and Vrabel “don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day.” Vrabel said in the same article: “Those photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Orioles manager Craig Albernaz takes line drive to face in terrifying scene

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Orioles manager Craig Albernaz takes line drive to face in terrifying scene

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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was involved in a terrifying moment during the team’s victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

Albernaz was struck by a line drive off the bat of Orioles second baseman Jeremiah Jackson in the fifth inning. The ball hit the manager’s left cheek and he left to be looked at by the team’s medical staff.

Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz talks to media in the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on April 8, 2026. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

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Albernaz briefly returned to the game after Jackson hit a grand slam to help the Orioles to the 9-7 win.

“He’s doing good. Just as a precaution, he’s going to get it scanned,” Orioles bench coach Donnie Ecker said.

Jackson said he had a sunken feeling when he saw Albernaz in pain after the errant liner.

“I hit and then I kind of saw Alby holding his face. My heart kind of dropped,” Jackson said. “I was able to see him afterward and see he was doing OK.”

AVALANCHE COACH TAKES PUCK TO THE FACE, WILL MISS FINAL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES

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Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., on Apr. 10, 2026. (Mitch Stringer/Imagn Images)

“Knowing he was OK helped. It made me feel a little bit better,” Jackson added. “I’m just happy he’s doing OK and in good spirits.”

Albernaz and Jackson embraced after the infielder hit the big home run in the sixth inning.

“That was awesome,” Jackson said of the impromptu embrace from his manager. “You never want to hurt anybody, and Alby’s awesome. It sucked. But he wore it well and he’s in good spirits so it made me feel better.”

Albernaz is in his first year as Baltimore’s manager. He served as a bench coach and assistant manager for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 and 2025.

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Baltimore Orioles’ Jeremiah Jackson rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Baltimore on April 13, 2026. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)

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Baltimore improved to 9-7 with the win and are tied with the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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