Cape Verde’s dream run continues, becoming smallest country into World Cup knockout round
HOUSTON (AP) — Cape Verde completed an improbable run through the group stage with a third straight World Cup draw to become the smallest country to earn a spot in the knockout round following a 0-0 result against Saudi Arabia. The small island nation off the western coast of Africa is making its debut on soccer’s grandest stage and already held 2010 champion Spain to a 0-0 draw and then came from behind to get a 2-2 result against Uruguay. Cape Verde’s three points put the team in second place behind Spain, which beat Uruguay on Friday night and won the group.
France forward Ousmane Dembélé scores a first-half World Cup hat trick in 4-1 win over Norway
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — France forward Ousmane Dembélé scored a first-half hat trick, including one off a feed from Kylian Mbappé, to help his team beat Norway 4-1 at the World Cup. Dembélé’s goals came in the seventh, 20th and 32nd minutes. It was the first first-half hat trick at the World Cup since Russia forward Oleg Salenko scored three of his five goals in the opening 45 minutes at the 1994 World Cup. Désiré Doué also scored for France. The French had already secured its place in the knockout round. Norway was also assured of a spot in the round of 32.
Maple Leafs select Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 pick in NHL draft
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs have selected Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 NHL draft pick. The 18-year-old McKenna is from Yukon’s capital of Whitehorse, has been a prolific scorer on both sides of the border, with McKenna’s selection validating the projections of the left winger being his age group’s top prospect more than two years ago. For Toronto, McKenna represents a major plank in the rebuilding process of a team suddenly in transition under new general manager John Chayka. Toronto finished last in the Atlantic Division last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since Matthews’ arrival.
Scottie Scheffler misses out on another sub-60 round and posts 60 for early target at Travelers
CROMWELL, Conn. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler was 25 feet away from his second sub-60 round on the PGA Tour. The world's No. 1 player missed a birdie putt on the final hole of the Travelers Championship and had to settle for a 60. He was trying to join Jim Furyk as the only players with two sub-60s rounds in tour history. Furyk shot 58 at the Travelers in 2016 to go along with a 59 at the BMW Championship in 2013. Scheffler shot 59 as a PGA Tour rookie in 2020 at the TPC Boston in The Northern Trust. Scheffler was at 16-under 124, two shots ahead of Viktor Hovland. Needing to birdie the final two holes for a 59, Hovland settled for two pars and a 61,
Ina Yoon widens her Women's PGA Championship lead to 5 strokes
CHASKA, Minn. (AP) — Ina Yoon stretched her lead at the Women’s PGA Championship with a second-round 69 that put her five strokes up on the second-place pack after another strong South Korean showing. Yoon had two bogeys with one birdie on the back nine to finish 12 under. The 23-year-old is seeking her first LPGA Tour victory. Nasa Hataoka, Brooke Henderson, A Lin Kim and Hae Ran Ryu were tied for second. Ryu shot a 64. LPGA Tour leader Nelly Korda had a 68 to climb into a tie for sixth place with Dongeun Lee at 6 under.
Last-place Mets fire manager Carlos Mendoza. Team owner Steve Cohen says 'fans deserve better'
NEW YORK (AP) — Carlos Mendoza has been fired as manager of the underperforming New York Mets and replaced by Andy Green. Last-place New York was 34-47 halfway through a miserable season, 15 games behind NL East-leading Atlanta and 9 1/2 games back of the final NL wild-card berth. Mets owner Steve Cohen had high expectations for a team without a World Series title since 1986. The club opened the season with baseball’s highest payroll at $358 million and was projected to pay an additional $124 million in luxury tax. A former major league infielder, Green had been working in the Mets' front office running the farm system. He was given the title of interim manager for the rest of the season.
Lionel Messi won't start Argentina's group finale, but World Cup scoring record holder could sub in
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Lionel Messi will not start when defending World Cup champion Argentina plays its group finale. Coach Lionel Scaloni said Friday that Messi will be on the bench at the start of Saturday night's game against Jordan, but he indicated the World Cup career goal scoring leader could come in as a substitute. Messi, who turned 39 on Wednesday, has scored all five goals for Argentina in the first two games of this tournament. He has 18 career World Cup goals. This is his sixth World Cup.
Trinidad Chambliss disagrees with LSU coach Lane Kiffin about how Black recruits view Ole Miss
THIBODAUX, La. (AP) — Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss says he doesn't agree with comments first-year LSU coach Lane Kiffin made last month that Ole Miss’ past embrace of Confederate symbols made recruiting Black players more difficult. Kiffin, who coached Ole Miss from 2020 to 2025, was featured in a Vanity Fair magazine article in which he described prospective recruits telling him that their grandparents wouldn't let them move to Oxford, Mississippi. Chambliss says people in Oxford have shown him “nothing but love” and that members of the Ole Miss community ”care about their people no matter what they look like."
Angels fire GM Perry Minasian midway through a 6th straight disappointing season in his tenure
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have fired general manager Perry Minasian midway through their sixth consecutive disappointing season under his leadership. The last-place Angels appointed former Cardinals GM John Mozeliak to be their interim general manager and baseball operations consultant on Friday. Mozeliak will oversee day-to-day baseball operations while assisting the search for its next GM, team president Molly Jolly said in a news release. Minasian took over the Angels’ front office in November 2020, but the long-struggling franchise has made no discernible progress during his tenure. Los Angeles’ streaks of 10 straight losing seasons and 11 straight non-playoff seasons are both the longest in the majors
Jose Alvarado will return to the Knicks on a multiyear deal, AP source says
NEW YORK (AP) — A person with knowledge of the deal says Jose Alvarado will return to the New York Knicks on a multiyear contract. Alvarado declined his player option for next season and is working with the Knicks on a three-year deal, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because a contract is not yet finalized. ESPN first reported the plan, saying Alvarado would make more than $14 million with the new deal. The guard was acquired from New Orleans during the season and had a player option for $4.5 million for next season.
