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Lamine Yamal and his 14 seconds of Lionel Messi-like magic against Alaves

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Lamine Yamal and his 14 seconds of Lionel Messi-like magic against Alaves

You wonder what went through the mind of Alaves’ left-back, Manu Sanchez, three minutes into the game against Barcelona at Montjuic yesterday.

Lamine Yamal, the player who Sanchez was assigned to mark for the next 87 minutes or so of his life, had dribbled past him and four other team-mates in practically his first involvement of the match.

Sanchez would have been forgiven for thinking he might be in for a long afternoon.

In a way, Alaves can be happy with how they contained Barcelona overall. The Catalans got a scrappy 1-0 win at home against a relegation-battling side in a must-win game, after Real Madrid lost across town against Espanyol the night before. Hansi Flick’s side are now four points behind their main rivals at the top of La Liga, and the 2024-25 title race feels more alive than ever as we enter February.

A packed fixture list on Madrid’s side, including a two-legged Champions League play-off against Manchester City on February 11 and 19, could do Barca, who are straight through to the round of 16 in March, a favour too.

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But weeks and perhaps months will pass, and Yamal’s outrageous early solo run will linger in the minds of those who were present.

It is nothing new to see fans on the edge of their seats every time Yamal gets the football, but the sequence that started at 3:45 on the clock and finished 14 seconds later had most of the 42,900 attending at Montjuic roaring in excitement, louder and louder as he glided by opponent after opponent.

It’s sometimes easy to forget that Lamine Yamal is still only 17 years old.


Let’s go back to the very start of this extraordinary move.

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Yamal picked up possession on the right-hand side, his comfort zone, but in Barcelona’s half of the pitch. Sanchez was pressing him straight away, but the teenager shifted the ball back in the direction it came, wrongfooting his initial opponent immediately.

After he disarmed Sanchez with a shoulder feint and a dribble on his left foot, Alaves’ left-winger Tomas Conechny was there waiting to double up on the Spain international prodigy.

The 17-year-old shielded the ball, then burst past both players and cut inside towards a central area.

Sanchez admitted defeat at this point and returned to his left-back role, but Conechny chose to persevere, following Yamal and trying to grab his arm.

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More backup was needed.

The attacking midfielder Jon Guridi now made an attempt to reach Yamal, but the latter was already operating in a different gear.

Antonio Blanco, one of the visitors’ holding midfielders, tried to step into Yamal but a quick flick of his left foot meant that tackle was useless. Yamal kept moving forward.

Now Conechny was back for round two, this time trying to perform a merciless sliding tackle. In some part of his peripheral vision, the Barca winger saw him coming and quickly switched his ball to the right foot — sending Conechny out for tapas.

Those in the Montjuic stands were loving every second of it, never wanting the run to end.

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Guridi and Blanco now tried to take Yamal down again but failed again.

Alaves’ other holding midfielder, Ander Guevara, now stood in Yamal’s path and fancied his luck, but with so many players now crowded around him, Yamal opted to find his team-mate Raphinha in plenty of space out on the left-hand side.

With a trivela pass.

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Lamine Yamal’s trademark trivela: Dissecting the Barcelona star’s work of art


(Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Raphinha took a shot at goal that went wide, though few in the stadium really cared. The fans were still roaring for Yamal, making the kind of comparisons in their heads with past Barcelona greats that managers understandably tend to try to downplay, for fear of inflaming the hype. But Yamal is no ordinary talent.

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“Lamine is already one of the best players in the world, to be honest,” said Alaves full-back Sanchez in an interview with Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo. And that was before yesterday’s match.

On a similar note, here is Barcelona’s starting goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, in an interview with Italian media outlet La Gazzetta Dello Sport last week.

“For me, they’re the two biggest talents I’ve seen in my life, both (Kenan) Yildiz (at Szczesny’s previous club Juventus) and Yamal. They’re very different because Lamine, technically, it’s absurd. Yildiz is stronger physically. He’s already ready physically. But technically, Lamine is… it’s so impressive. So it’s really hard to make a comparison but they’re two extraordinary talents and, in my opinion, they’ll both do big things.”

Yamal’s performance on Sunday went beyond his jaw-dropping run. According to Opta, he attempted 20 dribbles and succeeded with 11 of them, and equalled the most by a Barcelona footballer in a single game since the 2005-06 season at least.

Guess whose record he matched…

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Yes, it was Lionel Messi, in 2006-07 against Mallorca. He attempted 20 dribbles that day, completing 10 of them.

Yamal was also involved in the goal against Alaves, which was scored by Robert Lewandowski when he tapped in a volleyed shot by the teenager. La Liga did not count it as an assist, as Yamal’s attempt deflected off Alaves defender Nahuel Tenaglia before reaching Lewandowski. Never mind. He still leads the league for that metric this season with 11 in 19 games.

His progression has been superb since breaking into the Barcelona first team last season, and those around the club feel blessed to have such a talent on their hands.

In the back of their minds, though, there is a silent debate over the best way to handle Yamal. If, at the age of 17, he is already so fundamental to the club’s overall project, what is coming next for him? What is the best way to make sure his development stays on the right track, or to be sure that the teenager’s mind can stay in the right place?

Last week, Flick subbed Yamal off in the dying minutes of their final league-phase match in the Champions League, against Atalanta. The teenager was visibly frustrated with the substitution, as he was enjoying himself after scoring one goal.

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As he made his way to the bench, Flick stopped him and had a friendly chat to try to smooth things over. Yamal was then named man of the match, and therefore had some media duties to go through. Initially, he was not feeling in the mood to go and speak to broadcasters but eventually agreed to after a conversation with the club’s press officers.


(Pedro Salado/Getty Images)

It was described more as a heat-of-the-moment situation rather than anything with a deeper significance from those in the dressing room, but in a way reflects how Flick wants to protect Yamal from the public eye and excessive scrutiny during press conferences.

Straight after the win yesterday, he was asked about Yamal’s display and whether it was reminiscent of other club greats such as Messi and Diego Maradona.

“I am not a fan of comparisons and all that,” Flick said. “Lamine is a genius. I’ve already said that in the past. What he did today in some situations was unbelievable. I am so happy that he is a Barca player and I want him to do this week after week.

“Again, he is just 17.”

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What makes Lamine Yamal such a special footballer?

(Top photo: Josep Lago/AFP via Getty Images)

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NCAA committee recommends adding flag football as emerging sport for women

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NCAA committee recommends adding flag football as emerging sport for women

An NCAA committee recommended on Wednesday adding flag football to its emerging women’s sports program, a significant step toward it becoming an officially sponsored championship sport in all three divisions.

The NCAA said at least 65 schools are already sponsoring flag football at either the club or varsity level, with more moving in that direction. With a push from the NFL, flag football also has been added to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The NFL has vigorously promoted flag football for several years, including starting a global ambassador program in 2022. Domestically, the league and its teams have been pushing for flag football to be sanctioned as a varsity sport in high schools around the country.

Once in the NCAA’s emerging women’s sports program, flag football would need a minimum of 40 schools sponsoring it at the varsity level and meet minimums in games played and player participation to be considered for NCAA championship status.

The NCAA’s emerging women’s sports program was created to help facilitate more opportunities for women and give schools more opportunities to sponsor teams.

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The last sport to move through the program was women’s wrestling, which was approved last month to become the NCAA’s 91st championship sport. The first women’s wrestling championship will be held in 2026.

Five other sports are currently in the program: acrobatics and tumbling, equestrian, rugby, stunt and triathlon. Five sports have previously emerged from the program to earn NCAA championship status: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015).

(Photo: Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)

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Jets to move on from Aaron Rodgers after 2 seasons

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Jets to move on from Aaron Rodgers after 2 seasons

The New York Jets have made it official: They intend to move on from Aaron Rodgers. 

The team released a statement on Thursday that they are moving forward without the four-time MVP. 

“Last week we met with Aaron and shared that our intention was to move in a different direction at quarterback,” head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey said in a statement released by the team. 

FILE – New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) stands with teammates before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Jan. 5, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

“It was important to have this discussion now to provide clarity and enable each of us the proper time to plan for our respective futures. We want to thank him for the leadership, passion, and dedication he brought to the organization and wish him success moving forward.”

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Rodgers spent two seasons with the team, but suffered a torn Achilles just four snaps into his first game into his Jets tenure.

Returning from the season-ending injury in 2024, Rodgers’ Jets went 5-12 and fired both head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas during the season. 

Rodgers threw for 3,987 yards and 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 17 games for the Jets last season. 

“I personally want to thank Aaron for his time at the New York Jets,” said owner Woody Johnson in the statement. 

“His arrival in 2023 was met with unbridled excitement and I will forever be grateful that he chose to join us to continue his Hall of Fame career. From day one, he embodied all that it meant to be a New York Jet, embraced our fans, and immersed himself in our city. That is what I will remember most when I look back at his time here. He will always be welcome, and I wish him only the best in whatever he chooses to do next.”

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Prep talk: Anthony White leads resurgent Reseda basketball team

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Prep talk: Anthony White leads resurgent Reseda basketball team

Marlon Burt spent years coaching football at Reseda High, his alma mater, until head coach Alonso Arreola retired. Then he changed directions — becoming basketball coach.

Now in his third season, Reseda has had a breakthrough year with a 16-4 record and 10-2 mark in the Valley Mission League, putting the Regents in second place.

“They’re the surprise team,” Sylmar coach Bort Escoto said.

The key player has been 6-foot-4 Crespi transfer Anthony White, a junior who is averaging close to 25 points a game.

“Just a bunch of kids getting together to turn the program around,” Burt said.

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Burt, 38, played basketball and football at Reseda, so switching his coaching emphasis was an easy transition. And getting White was a big deal.

“He does everything well,” he said.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

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