SEATTLE (AP) — It may take some time for each PWHL expansion team to find its stride, but both th...

SEATTLE (AP) — It may take some time for each PWHL expansion team to find its stride, but both the Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes have ample talent to compete from the outset.Their first test comes against one another with the Goldeneyes hosting the Torrent on Friday in the season opener. The teams rank first and third in total season tickets sold for the 2025-26 season, according to PWHL executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer.“Proud of getting those teams stood up from a business perspective, launching them with names and logos and brand identities,” Scheer said. “They’ve quickly become two of our strongest markets and have set themselves up as examples on how to do this in the future.”<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Thankfully for both the Torrent and Goldeneyes, they each snagged a couple of star players in the PWHL expansion draft ahead of <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pwhl-season-preview-56723179d0ddd9941b0a78b9ccd8a515">the league’s third season.</a> The Goldeneyes acquired forward Sarah Nurse and defender Claire Thompson, while the Torrent got forwards Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter.Torrent coach Steve O’Rourke has been particularly impressed with Knight and Carpenter, both of whom have played at the highest level of the sport. Even so, O’Rourke sees them less so as stars, and more as teammates to look up to and revere.“They’ve been in Olympics, they’ve been in world championships, and all that experience just lends to our advantage,” O’Rourke said. “They’ve seen everything. They’ve seen the start of this league. They were part of day one, where it was part of the expansion.”The Goldeneyes are confident the core of Nurse, Thompson, and forwards Hannah Miller and Jenn Gardiner will be sufficient to produce a team that can contend for the Walter Cup.Vancouver coach Brian Idalski, who previously coached at the University of North Dakota and for the China women’s national team, among other stops, also praised 35-year-old rookie forward Michelle Karvinen, who has spent her entire pro career overseas.“She’s built for this league,” Idalski said. “She’s embraced and loves everything that’s happening here, and that includes <a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-hockey-pwhl-checking-906a456c212823e1498a5f69e718f923">the physicality.”</a>From general manager Cara Gardner Morey’s vantage point, Vancouver has every reason to have high expectations heading into its inaugural season.“I think externally, there’s a little bit of outside - I wouldn’t say pressure there, but challenge, and it’s really exciting,” Morey said. “I think it’s really fun to see the way this group is embracing it. You can tell that they know that they have a lot of talent, and they have a lot of grit and heart.”A similar sentiment extends to the Torrent. Forward Jenna Buglioni expects Seattle to field a fast, physical, skilled roster.“We’re going to be tough to play against,” Buglioni said. “I think that’s something that we’re going to take pride in, is people are not going to want to play against us. I think that’s something that’s pretty powerful.”Both expansion teams have similarly constructed rosters, each with a healthy mix of proven veterans and eager young players. Idalski is hopeful to tap the talent on his roster, while O’Rourke is confident the duo of Knight and Carpenter will guide the Torrent to a successful season.“They’re so open and willing and sharing of themselves, it just makes it comfortable for everyone to come into their environment and just be themselves,” O’Rourke said. “That’s the key to success. If you can be yourself, we’re going to have a really good chance to have success here.”___AP women’s hockey: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey">https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey</a>

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PWHL expansion teams in Seattle, Vancouver eager to start inaugural seasons

Hilary Knight is blazing the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s expansion trail in Seattle. Sar...

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pwhl-expansion-seattle-knight-ab22351e0fa7b3995dbd109dca91012a">Hilary Knight</a> is blazing the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s expansion trail in Seattle. Sarah Nurse left Toronto to do the same in Vancouver.Amid the roster upheaval that took place to stock two new teams, the influx of draft talent and an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pwhl-schedule-season-three-a2d5361fca441b7414ce0d2d4886dac7">expanded 120-game coast-to-coast schedule</a>, there remains one constant as the PWHL prepares to open its third season on Friday.The Minnesota Frost are the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/frost-charge-score-pwhl-finals-walter-cup-0cd757162d07e2cebf1c3ea0d5f883a2">two-time defending Walter Cup champions</a>, return much of their core, captained by Kendall Coyne Schofield, and are ready to take on any and all challengers.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“I still think we have the horses to be able to compete with everybody and be right up there when it counts,” coach Ken Klee said of a team that also returns forwards Kelly Pannek, Taylor Heise, defenseman Lee Stecklein, and the goalie tandem of Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney.Just don’t call it a chance to threepeat, Pannek said, in light of Minnesota losing several key pieces, including the defensive duo of Claire Thompson and Sophie Jaques, who are now in Vancouver.“I think the beauty of where we’re at is, does it feel like a threepeat if your team looks different?” she said. “It’s not so much about repeating what we’ve done or having a threepeat. It’s really just how can we bring this new team together and keep building every single day.”<h3>Expansion losses</h3>Welcome to the PWHL’s first expansion era, where the Frost and their fellow original six franchises are challenged to rebuild their identities following <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pwhl-expansion-vancouver-bc800c3bb9eed7360162d4dc6fc3e245">a process in which each team lost four players</a>.Then there are the newcomers, the Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes, who have the benefit of starting with competitive rosters but are starting from scratch.“We’re extremely prepared,” said Knight, who will represent the U.S. at her fifth Winter Olympics in February, and left Boston to sign with Seattle. “The expectations will always be there. ... And if we do our work, we’re going to fulfill them.”Difficult as it was for teams and fans to bid farewell to star players, the PWHL set up its expansion process to ensure Seattle and Vancouver would be able to compete from the opening faceoff.Montreal’s Marie-Philip Poulin looked at the bright side, saying this is what the founding players signed up for in July 2023 to create a sustainable league showcasing the world’s best players.More expansion is on the horizon, with the eight-team league already exploring whether to add between two and four new franchises next year.<h3>Season 3 subplots</h3>The four-team playoff bracket — which stays in place this year — wasn’t decided until the final day of the season in the first two years of the PWHL’s existence. Last season’s race was so close that Ottawa, Minnesota, and Boston each finished with 44 points, with the Fleet eliminated due to a tiebreaker.The Frost have won both titles — beating Boston in the 2024 final <a href="https://apnews.com/article/frost-charge-score-pwhl-finals-walter-cup-0cd757162d07e2cebf1c3ea0d5f883a2">and Ottawa in May</a> — despite finishing fourth in the standings each time. The Montreal Victoire and Toronto Sceptres share the common issue of being dominant in the regular season and losing in the opening semifinal round.“Hopefully, we can take those feelings, those emotions, those losses, the disappointment, and use them as learning,” Montreal forward Laura Stacey said.In New York, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pwhl-womens-hockey-sirens-fillier-80ef1f9cca048328169bbdb6890da331">the Sirens restocked their lineup with young draft talent</a> in a bid to build a contender after consecutive last-place finishes.“We’ve got to find our own identity of what’s going to allow us to have success,” Sirens coach Greg Fargo said of a team that added first-round picks Kristyna Kaltounkova and Casey O’Brien to a roster led by Sarah Fillier, last season’s rookie of the year.In Boston, the Fleet are regrouping following Knight’s departure and with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/boston-fleet-pwhl-kris-sparre-2d19b0954ed5ca8f8e611c52af8559ae">Kris Sparre taking over as coach</a> after Courtney Kessel left for Princeton.“More excitement, honestly, than confusion,” forward Alina Muller said. “Definitely feels like a fresh start. And being one of the players they trust ... means a lot and motivated me even more to come back stronger than ever.”<h3>Charge-ing ahead</h3>In Ottawa, the Charge face on- and off-ice challenges. The team is in jeopardy of moving out of its current home after this season, following <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pwhl-third-season-expansion-scheer-036411bffc858046e456cfe472725d2d">the city’s decision to go ahead with renovation plans</a> to reduce TD Place’s capacity by about 3,000 seats.On the ice, the Charge are rebuilding their defense-first identity that led them to the Walter Cup finals before losing the best-of-five series in four games, all decided in overtime by 2-1 scores.“You get that close, it was probably one of the biggest heartbreaks I’ve experienced in hockey,” forward Emily Clark said. “You learn a lot about yourself and definitely hungry to get back in that same position and have a different result.”Expectations are high in all eight markets.“I wouldn’t say pressure, but challenge. It’s really run to see the way this group is embracing it,” Vancouver GM Cara Gardner Morey said. “And I think we’re going to rise to those challenges.”___AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

ST. PAUL, MN - MAY 26: The Minnesota Frost pose with the Walter Cup after Game Four of the 2025 Walter Cup Finals between the Minnesota Frost and Ottawa Charge on May 26, 2025 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.

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Pitcher and outfielder Kelsie Whitmore is returning to familiar surroundings after being selected...

Pitcher and outfielder Kelsie Whitmore is returning to familiar surroundings after being selected by San Francisco with the first pick in the inaugural Women's Pro Baseball League draft Thursday night.Mo'ne Davis, meanwhile, had to wait until the 10th pick before being selected by Los Angeles. The 24-year-old Davis, who is from Philadelphia, competed at the 2014 Little League World Series at age 13 and became the first girl to win a game and pitch a shutout.Whitmore is from San Diego and made her professional debut in the Bay Area with a coed team, the Sonoma Stompers, in 2016. The 27-year-old has won two silver medals representing the United States at the Women's Baseball World Cup and won gold at the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"You ask a 6-year-old version of me about this opportunity happening right now, she would, one, probably not believe you, but, two, just be so, so, so, so excited for it," said Whitmore, who in 2022 signed with the Staten Island FerryHawks, becoming the first woman to compete in pro baseball's Atlantic League. She played for the Savannah Bananas this season.Whitmore was among 120 players selected in the six-round draft that also included teams representing New York and Boston.Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred opened the draft by congratulating the WPBL for its launch. The league is scheduled to begin play Aug. 1.Each team made five picks per round, with the order of selection determined by a random draw. Teams will cut their 30-player rosters to 15 for the start of the season.Japan's Ayami Sato went No. 2 to Los Angeles. The 35-year-old right-hander is a five-time World Cup winner and the only player to earn three tournament MVP honors.New York selected U.S. infielder Kylee Lahners with the third pick. Boston chose South Korean catcher Hyeonah Kim at No. 4.The startup league had a four-day tryout camp in Washington this summer with more than 600 hopefuls on hand.The league is scheduled to play all of its games at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springville, Illinois. Teams will be based there over a seven-week season, split up into a four-week regular season, a week for all-star activities and a two-week playoff.The WPBL was co-founded by Justine Siegal, who became the first woman to coach for an MLB team with the Oakland Athletics in 2015. It will be the first pro baseball league for women since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League -- immortalized in the film "A League of Their Own" -- dissolved in 1954.

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 25: Kelsie Whitmore adjusts her hair between pitches in a scrimmage during tryouts for the Women’s Professional Baseball League at Nationals Park on August 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. The tryouts are the first women’s professional baseball tryouts to be held in over 80 years since the All American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1943. The Women’s Professional Baseball League will launch six teams in the spring of 2026 and feature a regular-season playoffs and championship.

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HOUSTON (AP) — Buffalo's Josh Allen was harassed by Houston's defense all night Thursday and it w...

HOUSTON (AP) — Buffalo's Josh Allen was harassed by Houston's defense all night Thursday and it was no different on his last play of the game.“Our d-line was getting to him and made him make that bad decision at the end and he threw the ball right to me,” Houston safety Calen Bullock said.Houston sacked Allen eight times, and Bullock forced three turnovers, with his second interception sealing the Texans' 23-19 victory.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Allen took consecutive sacks on the Bills' final possession, leading to a fourth-and-27, but Buffalo gained 44 yards on a short pass from Allen to Josh Palmer, who tossed a lateral to Khalil Shakir.Houston coach DeMeco Ryans was proud of his team for not getting rattled after that big play.“They made a play on us but the thing about our guys is we don’t waver,” he said. “We knew what we were defending. The game isn’t over just because they made one play.”After a false-start penalty created a fourth-and-6 for Buffalo (7-4), Bullock picked off Allen's pass at the 9 with 24 seconds left."We had a chance to win it there at the end,” Allen said. “We did a good job of staying in it and our defense bailed us out a couple of times. We’ve got to find a way, and we didn’t.”Davis Mills threw for 153 yards with two first-half TD passes to help the Texans (6-5) to their third straight victory with C.J. Stroud sidelined by a concussion. Houston moved above .500 for the first time this season.Allen threw for 253 yards without a touchdown after accounting for six touchdowns in a win over Tampa Bay last week. He was harassed all night, and the eight sacks were the most he's taken in his career and he was hit four other times. Will Anderson Jr. had 2 1/2 sacks and Danielle Hunter had two."When they hit our quarterback 12 times, I don’t like that,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “I don’t like that stat at all. It’s just not a healthy way to play and it’s not a good way to keep our quarterback healthy for the rest of the season. We’ve got to play better.”Bullock forced a fumble after a catch by Shakir with about four minutes left in the third and Jaylen Reed recovered it and returned it 9 yards to the Buffalo 22. The Texans extended the lead to 23-16 on Ka’imi Fairbairn's 26-yard field goal.James Cook was stuffed for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-1 on Buffalo’s next drive to give Houston the ball. But Houston couldn’t move the ball and punted.Shakir took a short pass for a 44-yard gain, but Buffalo's drive stalled after that and the Bills settled for a 38-yard field goal by Matt Prater that cut it to 23-19 with about six minutes to go.Anderson had his sixth straight game with at least one sack, tying Mario Williams for the longest streak in a single season in franchise history. His second sack came when he almost took Allen down near the line of scrimmage, but he wriggled away and Anderson got up and chased him across the field to drop him for an 18-yard loss to force a punt early in the third.“Tonight was just a perfect example of everybody just hunting relentlessly, doing whatever it takes,” Anderson said.Cook had 116 yards rushing with a touchdown to give him 1,084 yards this year, his third straight 1,000-yard season. He’s the third player in team history to do that, joining Thurman Thomas (eight) and O.J. Simpson (five).Cook's 45-yard TD run gave the Bills an early lead, but Prater missed the extra point.The Texans had a first down at the 6 on the ensuing possession, but they settled for a 24-yard field goal to cut the lead to 6-3.The Bills led by six after another field goal when Christian Kirk scored his first touchdown as a Texan on a 2-yard reception to put Houston on top 10-9 about four minutes before halftime.Bullock intercepted Allen's pass on a ball that was tipped and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. But the score was called back because of a block in the back, giving Houston the ball at the Buffalo 25. Houston added a field goal after that to extend the lead to 13-9.Ray Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to put Buffalo up 16-13. Davis bounced off a defender and spun away from the crowd before dashing down the field and flipping into the end zone. It was Buffalo’s first kick return for a touchdown since a 101-yard return by Nyheim Hines on Jan. 8, 2023, and the team’s first on the road since C.J. Spiller’s 95-yard return at New England on Sept. 26, 2010.The Texans regained the lead when Jayden Higgins grabbed an 8-yard touchdown pass with 8 seconds left in the first half. The Texans got into scoring position with a 33-yard catch-and-run by Kirk.InjuriesBills: LB Terrel Bernard left with an elbow injury in the third quarter. ... CB Maxwell Hairston left in the second half to be evaluated for a concussion.Texans: CB Ajani Carter left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.Up nextBills: At Pittsburgh on Nov. 30.Texans: At Indianapolis on Nov. 30.___AP NFL: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nfl">https://apnews.com/NFL</a>

HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 20: Will Anderson Jr. #51 of the Houston Texans reacts after a sack during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium on November 20, 2025 in Houston, Texas.

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MIAMI (AP) — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will play a Major League Soccer match in their new stad...

MIAMI (AP) — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will play a Major League Soccer match in their new stadium for the first time on April 4, one of the highlights of the league’s schedule that was revealed Thursday.The 2026 MLS regular season starts Feb. 21 and runs through Nov. 7. It’ll be the last season in the February-to-November model, with a shortened season planned for 2027 and then the new summer-to-spring calendar for the 2027-28 campaign to closer align with other global leagues.Inter Miami will open the season with five consecutive road matches, which presumably will allow for the finishing touches to be made to Miami Freedom Park — the team’s still-under-construction home near Miami International Airport. It’s not clear yet if there will be preseason or other matches at the stadium before the April 4 date.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The home opener for Inter Miami will be against Austin FC, a 7:30 p.m. start inside the new 25,000-seat stadium. Messi signed a three-year extension in recent weeks to remain with the team into 2028 and getting that deal done cemented that he — as the team long hoped — would be there for the start of their run at the new facility.Miami Freedom Park’s opening will start a planned run of three new MLS stadiums in a three-season span, with New York City FC’s Etihad Park set to open in 2027 and a new downtown stadium for Chicago Fire FC slated to open in 2028.<h3>World Cup break</h3>There will be a nearly two-month break for the FIFA World Cup, with no matches scheduled between May 25 and July 16.Among the final pre-break matches: a doubleheader on FOX on May 24 with Inter Miami facing Philadelphia followed by LAFC against Seattle.The MLS season will resume shortly before the end of the World Cup; MLS has some rivalry games scheduled for July 16 and 17, prior to the third-place match on July 18 and the World Cup final on July 19.<h3>TV deal</h3>All 510 MLS regular season matches next season will be available on Apple TV in more than 100 countries and regions, with no blackouts and — in a change — no additional subscription required. Some MLS matches will also be available on FOX networks in the U.S., along with TSN and RDS in Canada.<h3>MLS is Back: Feb. 21-22</h3>There will be 15 matches on the season’s opening weekend, Feb. 21 and 22. Among them: St. Louis City SC playing host to Charlotte FC on Feb. 21, before FC Cincinnati takes on Atlanta United in the return of coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino.Also that night: Messi and Inter Miami open the season against LAFC at the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.Among the Feb. 22 slate: LA Galaxy hosting New York City FC for Sunday Night Soccer on Apple TV, followed by the Seattle Sounders FC and Colorado Rapids playing on FS1.<h3>All-Star Game</h3>The MLS All-Star Game will be in Charlotte on July 29, one day after the skills challenge. The opponent for the MLS All-Star Game has yet to be announced.<h3>No break in playoffs</h3>The league will observe FIFA’s November window before opening the playoffs, which will allow for the postseason to run without interruption starting Nov. 18.The league has not revealed the full postseason schedule.___AP MLS: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mls-soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/mls-soccer</a>

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL - NOVEMBER 08: Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) celebrates his goal with Inter Miami forward Mateo Silvetti (24) in the first half during a MLS Cup Playoffs match between Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC at Chase Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga won the National Women’s Soccer League’s Most Valuable...

Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga won the National Women’s Soccer League’s Most Valuable Player Award for the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nwsl-mvp-temwa-chawinga-6bb259eb631ec72d3c1707c0a0c37ef4">second straight year</a> Wednesday after leading the league’s top team in goals this season.Chawinga is the first player to win MVP in consecutive seasons. Although she was sidelined following adductor injury to her right leg in October, Chawinga also won the NWSL’s Golden Boot with 15 goals and three assists over 23 matches.Six of her 15 goals were game-winners, tying her own record set last year, her first in the league. The 27-year-old tied the league record by scoring in eight straight NWSL regular-season games.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Ballon d’Or nominee from Malawi became the fastest player to reach 25 regular-season goals in May.The Current finished the regular season atop the league standings, setting NWSL records with 65 points and 21 wins.The NWSL 2025 season awards were passed out Wednesday afternoon in San Jose, California, where the Washington Spirit will face Gotham FC in the league championship game on Saturday.Gotham’s Lilly Reale, named to the U.S. women’s national team roster on Wednesday for its final two games of the year, was named rookie of the year. She played in every match this season for Gotham.The Spirit’s Tara McKeown won defender of the year, while Kansas City’s Lorena was named goalkeeper of the year. Manaka Matsukubo of the North Carolina Courage was named the midfielder of the year.Bev Yanez, who led Racing Louisville to its first-ever appearance in the playoffs, won coach of the year honors. The 37-year-old is the first former NWSL player to win the award.“I’m so grateful for the team — for the team believing in me, trusting in me. I couldn’t be up here without them,” Yanez said.Sam Hiatt of the Portland Thorns won the Lauren Holiday Impact Award for her work with Candlelighters Oregon, which will receive a $50,000 donation from Nationwide to support children with cancer and their families.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

PORTLAND, OREGON - AUGUST 23: Temwa Chawinga #6 of Kansas City Current celebrates after scoring the team's second goal during the NWSL match between Portland Thorns and Kansas City Current at Providence Park on August 23, 2025 in Portland, Oregon.

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Intercontinental playoffs | European playoffs  ZURICH (AP) — Iraq will have to beat Bolivia or Su...

Intercontinental playoffs | <a data-in-app-uri="thescore:///news/3403774" href="https://thescore.com/news/3403774">European playoffs</a>ZURICH (AP) — Iraq will have to beat Bolivia or Suriname in a one-game playoff next March to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.Iraq was seeded in a six-nation draw on Thursday at FIFA headquarters for the intercontinental playoffs that will send two teams to the 48-nation tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Congo was seeded in the other intercontinental playoffs bracket and will play the winner of a single-game semifinal between New Caledonia and Jamaica.A separate draw for European playoffs brackets in March — involving 16 teams, including four-time champion Italy, playing for four World Cup places — was made minutes later at FIFA.The six intercontinental playoff games will be staged in Mexico from March 23-31 at stadiums in Guadalajara and Monterrey, which each will host four World Cup games next June.A total of six teams will advance from the two sets of playoffs in March to complete the first 48-nation lineup.The other 42 teams were confirmed this week when qualifying groups and playoff games were completed on four continents.The World Cup draw is on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. There, the six unconfirmed playoffs teams will be drawn as placeholders and should come out of the pot of lowest-ranked teams in the seeded draw.A penalty scored by Iraq in the 17th minute of stoppage time against the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday sent coach Graham Arnold’s team through to the global playoffs. Iraq’s 2-1 win in Basra sealed a 3-2 victory in the two-leg Asian playoff.Iraq’s only World Cup appearance was in 1986, and Arnold coached his home nation Australia at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, reaching the round of 16.New Caledonia is the lowest-ranked team in the playoffs, at No. 149 of the 211 FIFA member countries.New Caledonia effectively advanced to the playoffs by beating Tahiti 3-0 in March, before losing the Oceania qualifying final against New Zealand. Coach Johann Sidaner’s team has played just one game since, beating Gibraltar in a friendly last month.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

French former player Christian Karembeu poses next to the draw results during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Play-Off Tournament draw at the FIFA's Home of Football in Zurich on November 20, 2025.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Nikola Vucevic hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Chicago Bulls held off...

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Nikola Vucevic hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Chicago Bulls held off a furious comeback attempt by the Portland Trail Blazers for a 122-121 victory Wednesday night.Vucevic finished with 27 points and Coby White had 25 off the bench for the Bulls, who led by 21 points in the fourth quarter.Deni Avdija’s 3-pointer tied it for the Blazers at 116 and Donovan Clingan's layup put the Blazers in front with 47 seconds left. Clingan added a free throw to cap a 31-7 run and give Portland a 119-116 lead.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>White's 3-pointer with 9.1 seconds pulled the Bulls within 120-119. After Jerami Grant hit the second of two free throws, White popped the ball out to Vucevic on the perimeter for the game-winner.<figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
VUCEVIC WINS IT FOR THE BULLS 🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/toXPX1BAwz">pic.twitter.com/toXPX1BAwz</a>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1991379576501440833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Grant finished with 33 points for the slumping Blazers, who have lost four straight and six of the last seven.The Bulls were coming off a 130-127 victory over the Nuggets that ended a five-game losing streak. White sat out that game after returning the night before against Utah from a calf injury that had kept him out the first 11 games of the season.The Blazers were playing the second of a back-to-back after falling 127-110 to the visiting Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.Jrue Holiday missed a third straight game with a calf injury and the Blazers were also without Shaedon Sharpe because of right calf soreness. Grant, who missed Tuesday’s game with an illness, started.The Blazers led for most of the first quarter before the Bulls pulled in front 33-31 early in the second on White’s 26-foot running jumper. Chicago led 62-58 at the break.<h3>Up next</h3>Bulls: Host the Miami Heat on Friday.Trail Blazers: Visit the Warriors on Friday.

PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 19: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Chicago Bulls celebrates with teammates after making a buzzer-beating, three-point basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center on November 19, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. The Chicago Bulls won 122-121.

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STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Jaden Bradley scored 21 points, Motiejus Krivas made the go-ahead basket wit...

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Jaden Bradley scored 21 points, Motiejus Krivas made the go-ahead basket with 1:12 left and fourth-ranked Arizona beat No. 3 UConn 71-67 on Wednesday night.Koa Peat had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Krivas finished with nine points and 14 rebounds as the Wildcats (5-0) outrebounded UConn by 20.Freshman Eric Reibe had 15 points for UConn (4-1). He had a chance to tie the game when he was fouled in the lane with 8 seconds left. His layup rolled off the rim and he missed both free throws. Tobe Awaka hit two free throws to ice the game.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Solo Ball had 14 points and Silas Demary Jr. added 13 for UConn, which played without starting center Tarris Reed Jr. because of an ankle injury.Arizona, which led by two points at halftime, held UConn to one field goal in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the second half. Arizona took its first double-digit lead on a driving layup by Brayden Burries with 14:57 left before UConn began chipping away.A 3-pointer by Alex Karaban with 4:38 to play pulled the Huskies within a point. Reibe tied the game with a 3-pointer before Jaylin Stewart’s basket with 3:02 left gave UConn a 62-60 lead, its first since 17:14 remained in the first half.Reed missed UConn’s season opener and both exhibition games after injuring his hamstring in the preseason. He is averaging a team-leading 20 points and also tops the Huskies with 9.3 rebounds per game.It was a one-possession game for nearly 18 minutes in the first half. Arizona missed seven of its last nine shots in the first half as the Wildcats squandered the opportunity to take a commanding lead. A driving layup by Demary cut the lead to 35-33 with five seconds left in the first half.Bradley went over 1,000 career points with 11:01 left in the first half.Up nextArizona is at home against Denver on Monday.UConn hosts Bryant on Sunday.

STORRS, CONNECTICUT - NOVEMBER 19: Dwayne Koroma #4 of the Connecticut Huskies goes to the floor defending against Jaden Bradley #0 of the Arizona Wildcats in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on November 19, 2025 in Storrs, Connecticut.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Lando Norris will tie David Coulthard as the most-tenured driver in McLaren hist...

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Lando Norris will tie David Coulthard as the most-tenured driver in McLaren history when the lights go out for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where the current Formula 1 points leader will make his 150th career start.It's taken the 26-year-old British driver seven seasons to catch Coulthard, an accomplishment he's grateful to have reached. He'll break the mark a week from Sunday when he starts the Qatar Grand Prix."It's crazy, it's a big number, matching DC for the number of races with McLaren. Qatar will be 151 so — I don't know what the word would be — the most-racingest driver for McLaren?" Norris said Wednesday night at the wet and cold circuit that runs down the famed Las Vegas Strip.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"That's something I am pretty proud of, it is quite an achievement, 150 in F1, this is my dream," he continued. "It's been my dream since I was a kid. To get that far is pretty incredible and time certainly flies."Norris is in an incredible position as he hits the milestone for McLaren — he holds a 24-point lead over teammate Oscar Piastri in the world championship standings with three races remaining. Four-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen sits 49 points back.Norris and Piastri have already helped McLaren clinch a second consecutive constructors' championship and the two have swapped the driver standings lead all season.McLaren refuses to designate either of its drivers as the favorite and is giving Norris and Piastri an equal chance to win the title without giving preferential treatment to one over the other.But since reclaiming the points lead from Piastri two races ago in Mexico City, there's been speculation that tension has developed between the teammates. Norris said that isn't the case, though, when asked specifically why he and Piastri haven't partnered together much lately for the humorous social media videos McLaren has been making the last several years."I think the reason you see less videos is because we both asked to do less videos. We're racing drivers, we want to come and drive and not make videos for social media," Norris said.He then explained it's his nature to be friendly with teammates even if that's not the norm in the cutthroat world of F1."It's still the same and I'm very happy, I think we are both happy that that's how it is," Norris said. "It's because we both have a lot of respect for one another and we both understand the position that we're in. I feel like I've always gone on well with my teammates since go-karting — I've always wanted to because it just makes my life more fun, more enjoyable."We very, very much understand that we work for McLaren. We want the best for the team. We work very hard, and you try and maximize your own performance more than anything. But then when we step out the car we can still have a joke. We still have laughs in our debriefs, and we still enjoy everything away from the track."Both have won seven times this season, but Piastri has slipped since winning the Dutch Grand Prix on the final day in August. In the six races since that victory, the Australian has only one podium finish — at the very next race at Monza — and arrived in Las Vegas with three consecutive fifth-place finishes."I'm looking forward to getting back in the car in Vegas. I'm concentrating on performance, building a strong weekend and maximizing every opportunity," Piastri said.His bland pre-race comments are on brand for Piastri, Norris said."We're still very different people. He's just very calm, down to earth, very relaxed. Always looks cool, and that's something I admire quite a bit, how just plain sailing he is with a lot of things," Norris said. "It's a good attribute to have — always hard to read what mood he's in. For me, you see more visually kind of the moods I'm in."Norris' mood is terrific as a first career F1 title is in his reach. He said he feels fortunate to have had a poor start to the season because he's turned it around at the right time, but he's not ready to celebrate a championship yet."Everyone knows my approach is still just one race at a time," Norris said. "I will treat it that way until the very end."

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 19: Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren answers questions in the FIA press conference during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, United States.

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett each scored 22 points and the Toronto Raptors w...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett each scored 22 points and the Toronto Raptors won their fifth straight game, surging in the third quarter to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 121-112 on Wednesday night.Jakob Poeltl scored 19 points, and Immanuel Quickley had 18 — hitting two 3-pointers in the final two minutes — to help the Raptors win for the ninth time in 10 games. Scottie Barnes added 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 24 points. VJ Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes had 21 points each.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The 76ers led 56-53 at halftime behind 15 points from Maxey. Toronto took the lead with an 18-7 run to start the third quarter, powered by seven points from Ingram. The Raptors outscored the 76ers 44-28 in the period.Toronto shot 2 for 15 from 3-point range in the first half, then went 5 for 6 from deep in the third quarter. Toronto is 7-3 on the road and 9-2 against Eastern Conference opposition.Sixers center Joel Embiid (right knee injury management) missed a fourth straight game and his ninth out of 14 this season. Paul George, who made his season debut Monday, was held out as part of management of his left knee injury. The 76ers announced before the game that Kelly Oubre Jr. will miss at least two weeks with a sprained LCL in his left knee.Raptors rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles missed the game because of right knee soreness.Up nextRaptors: Host Washington on Friday night.76ers: At Milwaukee on Thursday night.___AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nba">https://apnews.com/hub/nba</a>

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 19: Brandon Ingram #3 of the Toronto Raptors shoots the ball against Justin Edwards #11 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena on November 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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ZURICH (AP) — The top-seeded teams for the Dec. 5 World Cup tournament draw, including Germany bu...

ZURICH (AP) — The top-seeded teams for the Dec. 5 World Cup tournament draw, including Germany but not Croatia, were set Wednesday when <a href="https://inside.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men">FIFA published new rankings</a> the day after four continents completed qualifying.Co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico will be joined in the pot of No. 1 seeds by top-ranked Spain, defending champion Argentina, France, England, Portugal, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.Croatia, a semifinalist in 2022 and beaten finalist by France in 2018, was edged down into pot 2 for the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fifa-world-cup-draw-kennedy-center-b76c2dabc0f46e4ee961be5f0377fb86">draw ceremony at the Kennedy Center</a> in Washington DC. President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The updated FIFA rankings also decided seeding for the draw Thursday for playoff brackets in March that will decide the final six entries in the expanded 48-nation lineup.The 22 playoffs teams include 16 in Europe playing for four World Cup places and six from the other regions chasing two spots in the intercontinental brackets.Italy is the headliner in the European brackets as the four-time world champion aims to avoid a humiliating third straight exit in the playoffs.The 12th-ranked Italians were pushed into the playoffs after finishing runner-up in a qualifying group won by Norway. Erling Haaland’s Norwegian team shapes as a dangerous option from pot 3 in two weeks’ time.Italy will be drawn Thursday at home against a fourth-seeded team. It could again be North Macedonia, which shockingly eliminated the Italians in 2022.The winner on March 26 advances to a playoff final five days later against the team that emerges from the No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed pairing in its knockout bracket. Home advantage in the single-game playoff finals will be decided by the draw Thursday and not FIFA ranking.The teams that eventually emerge from the four separate European playoff brackets are expected to be placeholders from low-ranked pot 4 in the Dec. 5 draw.The intercontinental brackets will see top-seeded Iraq and Congo each await the winner of playoff semifinals that involve Bolivia, Jamaica, New Caledonia and Suriname.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

LEIPZIG, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 17: Forzan Assan Ouedraogo of Germany celebrates after scoring his team's sixth goal with Nick Woltemade (L) during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Germany and Slovakia at Red Bull Arena on November 17, 2025 in Leipzig, Germany.

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican cities Guadalajara and Monterrey will host the intercontinental playof...

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican cities Guadalajara and Monterrey will host the intercontinental playoff tournament for the <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup">2026 World Cup</a>, FIFA announced Wednesday.The tournament starts March 23 and will consist of six teams from five confederations fighting for two spots at next summer’s World Cup being hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada.“These iconic stadiums are the perfect stages for what promises to be a thrilling event filled with passion, drama and excitement,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Guadalajara and Monterrey stadiums also will host World Cup matches.The six nations are Iraq, Congo, Jamaica, Suriname, Bolivia and New Caledonia. The draw will be held Thursday in Zurich, and the match schedule will follow.In next year’s World Cup, the Guadalajara stadium will host four group-stage matches while the Monterrey stadium will stage three group games and a round-of-32 match.The other Mexican venue for the World Cup is the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/azteca-stadium-world-cup-2026-mexico-a4b419b385a25bb84ce33ccb1584c783">newly renovated Azteca stadium</a>.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO - OCTOBER 25: General view of the stadium during the 15th round match between Chivas and Atlas as part of the Torneo Apertura 2025 Liga MX at Estadio Jalisco on October 25, 2025 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

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ESPN and Major League Baseball appeared headed for an ugly separation after the network opted out...

ESPN and <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">Major League Baseball</a> appeared headed for an ugly separation after the network opted out of its rights deal in February.Nine months later, it appears to be the best thing to happen to both parties.ESPN has a reworked deal that includes out-of-market streaming rights while NBC and Netflix will air games as part of a new three-year media rights agreement announced by MLB on Wednesday.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Commissioner Rob Manfred also was able to maximize rights for the Home Run Derby and Wild Card Series.NBC/Peacock will become the new home of “Sunday Night Baseball” and the Wild Card round while Netflix will have the Home Run Derby and two additional games.The three deals will average nearly $800 million per year. ESPN will still pay $550 million while the NBC deal is worth $200 million and Netflix $50 million.How ESPN benefitsESPN, which has carried baseball since 1990, loses postseason games and the Home Run Derby, but gains something more valuable for its bottom line by becoming the rights holder for MLB.TV, which will be available on the ESPN app.ESPN also gets the in-market streaming rights for the six teams whose games are produced by MLB — San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, Cleveland, Minnesota and Seattle.Even though ESPN no longer has “Sunday Night Baseball,” it will have 30 games, primarily on weeknights and in the summer months.Baseball is the second league that has its out-of-market digital package available in the U.S. on ESPN’s platform. The NHL moved its package to ESPN in 2021.Welcome back NBCNBC, which celebrates its 100th anniversary next year, has a long history with baseball, albeit not much recently. The network carried games from 1939 through 1989. It was part of the short-lived Baseball Network with ABC in 1994 and ’95 and then aired playoff games from 1996 through 2000.Its first game will be on March 26 when the defending two-time champion Los Angeles Dodgers host the Arizona Diamondbacks.The 25 Sunday night games will air mostly on NBC with the rest on the new NBC Sports Network. All will stream on Peacock.The first “Sunday Night Baseball” game on NBC will be April 12 with the next one in May after the NBA playoffs.The addition of baseball games gives NBC a year-around night of sports on Sunday nights. It has had NFL games on Sunday night since 2006 and will debut an NBA Sunday night slate in February.NBC will also have a prime-time game on Labor Day night.The Sunday early-afternoon games also return to Peacock, which had them in 2022 and ’23. The early-afternoon games will lead into a studio Whip-Around Show before the Sunday night game.NBC/Peacock will also do the Major League Futures game during All-Star week and coverage of the first round of the MLB amateur draft.Netflix and baseballNetflix’s baseball deals are in alignment with its strategy of going for big events in a major sport. The streamer will have an NFL Christmas doubleheader this season for the second straight year.Besides the Home Run Derby, Netflix will have the first game of the season on March 25 when three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees visit the San Francisco Giants. It also has the Home Run Derby and MLB at Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, on Aug. 13 when Minnesota faces Philadelphia. Netflix will stream an MLB special event game each year.Don’t forget the othersThe negotiations around the other deals were complicated due to the fact that MLB was also trying not to slight two of its other rights holders. MLB receives an average of $729 million from Fox and $470 million from Turner Sports per year under deals which expire after the 2028 season.Fox’s Saturday nights have been mainly sports the past couple years with a mix of baseball, college football, college basketball and motorsports.Apple TV has had “Friday Night Baseball” since 2022.The deals also set up Manfred for future negotiations. He would like to see MLB take a more national approach to its rights instead of a large percentage of its games being on regional sports networks.___AP MLB: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mlb">https://apnews.com/hub/mlb</a>

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 25: Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. looks on during warm ups prior to Game Two of the 2025 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Saturday, October 25, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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If Sarah Fillier’s aspirations involve her becoming the best women’s hockey player in the world, ...

If Sarah Fillier’s aspirations involve her becoming the best women’s hockey player in the world, the New York Sirens center is hardly satisfied following her PWHL rookie of the year season.For all the times she produced in finishing tied with Hilary Knight for the league lead with 29 points, Fillier spent the offseason instead focusing on the opportunities she missed that contributed to New York ending up last in the standings for a second straight year.“There were moments that I had the game on my stick and we just couldn’t put the puck in the back of the net,” the 25-year-old said, referring to how New York fell out of contention during a nine-game midseason skid. “If you want to be the best in the world, those are moments that define you.”<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Unaccustomed to losing, the former Princeton star and 2022 Team Canada Olympic gold-medalist has plenty of motivation as the Sirens kick off the PWHL’s third season at Ottawa on Saturday. And Fillier has reinforcements to accompany her after the Sirens restocked their lineup with high-caliber draft talent.After selecting Colgate forward Kristyna Kaltounkova with the No. 1 pick, general manager Pascal Daoust acquired the No. 3 selection in a trade with Toronto, and used it to choose NCAA women’s hockey MVP Casey O’Brien.Add in the addition of second-round pick Anne Cherkowski, who combined for 147 points in 168 career college games, and the Sirens feature the league’s top young forward lineups.The additions offset the veteran talent the Sirens lost through trades and the expansion process. Forwards Alex Carpenter and Jessie Eldridge signed with Seattle. New York traded high-scoring defenseman Ella Shelton to Toronto to land the No. 3 pick, and also dealt Abby Roque to Montreal to acquire Team Canada forward Kristen O’Neill.With Fillier as the centerpiece, Kaltounkova, O’Brien, O’Neill, and Cherkowski provide coach Greg Fargo numerous options to fill out his top two lines.“It’s new. It’s exciting,” the second-year coach said. “Every year, to a certain extent, feels like a fresh start. But with the amount of turnover that we’ve had, this is a new team.”It’s a boost the Sirens could use after struggling to generate wins and fan attention playing out of the NHL Devils' home in Newark, New Jersey.Fargo is particularly familiar with Kaltounkova in having coached her during his previous stint at Colgate. From the Czech Republic, Kaltounkova is the first European-born player taken first in the PWHL draft, and coming off a college career in which she set a program record with 111 goals, and ranks second with 233 points in 171 games.O’Brien is enjoying a homecoming after she grew up playing hockey at New York City’s Chelsea Piers. She’s a two-way, play-making center who led the nation with 88 points (26 goals, 62 assists) in 41 games during her graduate season at Wisconsin.“I think there’s a lot of noise around that, changing what’s happened the past two seasons,” O’Brien said. “It’s going to be easy for us to step in and have a new culture, a new team right off the bat.”On defense, the Sirens return captain Micah Zandee-Hart, Maja Nylen Persson, and Jaime Bourbonnais, while adding Jincy Roese in free agency.New York is young in net after losing two-year starter Corinne Schroeder, who signed with Seattle. Kayle Osborne, who made her Team Canada debut this month, returns after going 2-4-3 in her rookie season. And she’s joined by rookie draft picks Callie Shanahan and Kaley Doyle.Fillier, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 PWHL draft, is refreshed and driven to make an impact in New York after signing a two-year contract in July.“We can build something really exciting,” Fillier said.“Really enjoy Greg as a coach and I’m along for the ride with the vision he has for us,” she added. “If you look at the talent we got out of our college players, we could have a really dangerous roster.”___AP women’s hockey: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey">https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey</a>

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 19: Sarah Fillier #10 of New York Sirens skates during the first period of the game against the Toronto Sceptres on February 19, 2025 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — After struggling in its first nine months under coach Mauricio Pochettino, t...

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — After struggling in its first nine months under coach Mauricio Pochettino, the United States headed into a World Cup year with a five-game unbeaten streak and its most one-sided win over an opponent from South America’s confederation.“We wanted to make a statement. We wanted to show what U.S. soccer’s about,” Sebastian Berhalter said after the Americans scored four goals in a 25-man span of the first half and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-uruguay-score-a8fea127c0877bb8641776d4570b03d0">routed Uruguay 5-1</a> on Tuesday night. “We had a chance to go out here and give everything we had and show that we’re ready.”Berhalter, Alex Freeman and Tanner Tessmann all scored their first international goals and Freeman — a son of former NFL All-Pro receiver Antonio Freeman — added his second while Diego Luna scored his fourth. The U.S. led 4-0 and scored five goals against a team outside the CONCACAF region for the first time since beating Scotland 5-1 in 2012.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>After getting knocked out in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Nations League in March, losing the CONCACAF Gold Cup final to Mexico in July and then falling 2-0 in a friendly to South Korea in September, the 16th-ranked U.S. ended the year with a 2-0 win over Japan, a 1-1 tie against Ecuador, 2-1 victories over Australia and Paraguay and the blowout of No. 15 Uruguay.“The main thing that we’ve been focused on is the DNA, building that DNA and that grit, that hard-working mentality because that’s us, that’s us as a country and that’s us as a team,” Luna said.The U.S. was missing more than half its projected likely World Cup starters: Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Malik Tillman and Chris Richards.Pochettino took offense to questions about facing Uruguay without many first-choice players.“I hate that ‘no regular players,’” the coach said. “It’s USA playing. It’s the national team. Stop with that mindset. ... I hate to talk in this way. It’s so disrespectful. It’s so disrespectful because I think we need to give credit to all the guys that today were involved.”Asked another question about the lack of regulars, Pochettino said: “Maybe I think we need to stop the press conference and I need to go to the dressing room, come back and start again the press conference because it’s like we were the opposite, losing five-nil, no, 5-1.”There are just two more games before Pochettino selects his World Cup roster, March friendlies likely against Belgium and Portugal.“We start to feel the World Cup and the excitement,” Pochettino said. “I think it’s important for our fans this type of victory and the result because I think it’s to push them to really believe in the team. We never doubt(ed) because we saw the quality of the players.”___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 18: Tanner Tessmann #8 of United States celebrates after scoring the team's fifth goal during the International Friendly match between United States and Uruguay at Raymond James Stadium on November 18, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.

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The Professional Women’s Hockey League is exploring options including the possibility of relocati...

The Professional Women’s Hockey League is exploring options including the possibility of relocating the Ottawa Charge following the city’s plan to reduce the team’s current home’s seating capacity by about 2,000 during a renovation, a league executive said Tuesday.Speaking on a Zoom call with reporters, executive vice president of business operations Amy Scheer said the only certainty is the Charge not playing at the renovated facility. And she accused city officials of blindsiding the league by refusing to give it a seat at the table before making its plans public.“We will not go backwards,” Scheer said.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>“We certainly don’t want to leave Ottawa. We chose Ottawa for a reason. And the fans have been wonderfully supportive of us there. And we’d like to find a solution that works for us to stay in Ottawa,” she added. “But the city hasn’t made it easy for us. And it’s disappointing.”Scheer’s comments come two weeks after Ottawa city council voted 15-10 to move ahead with a $419 million plan to renovate Lansdowne Park, an entertainment, sports, and outdoor area. The park is home to the CFL Redblacks stadium and adjoining hockey arena that is home to the Charge and the Ontario Hockey League 67s.A message seeking comment left by The Associated Press with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who voted in favor of the plan, was not immediately returned.At issue are plans to reduce the arena’s capacity from 8,500 to 6,600 — including about 900 spaces for standing-only patrons — for a project expected to break ground this year and run through 2033.In passing the resolution, the council included an amendment to work with the PWHL to keep the Charge in Ottawa.The Charge averaged nearly 7,000 fans per game last season, though they enjoyed larger turnouts on weekends.“These women have worked too hard to get to the point today where a 5,500-seat building is well below what we average in Ottawa,” Scheer said, accusing the city of favoring men’s over women’s hockey. “The city was very clear on where we fit in the ecosystem of their sports, which is nowhere.”The venue issue and potential relocation of the Charge come as the PWHL prepares to open its third season on Friday, and with further expansion on the horizon. After growing to eight teams with the additions of franchises in Seattle and Vancouver, the league is already in the process of adding between two and four more teams for Season 4.Scheer first went public with the PWHL’s expansion plans when addressing Ottawa city council before its vote.Among the PWHL’s options for the Charge are having them play out of the NHL Senators’ home, located about a 40-minute drive outside of downtown. The Senators are also in the early planning stages of building a new home closer to downtown.Scheer said the league remains in discussions with city officials, with no deadline set on when to make a decision on the Charge’s future.“I don’t think you turn your ears off to what is possible,” Scheer said. “So we’re ready to listen.”Earlier in the day, the PWHL unveiled its expanded broadcast schedule that provides the league access to 96 million homes across North America. Each of the four U.S.-based teams will have games broadcast over the air in their respective markets, including the additions of Seattle’s KONG-TV and Fox 13+ sharing the rights for the expansion team.Each of the league’s eight Takeover Tour neutral-site games played in U.S. markets also will have local broadcast partners. And the entire 120-game schedule still will be available globally on the PWHL’s YouTube channel, with the exception of Canada, Czech Republic and Slovakia.In Canada, Sportsnet returns as the league’s broadcast partner, with games also being aired on TSN, RDS, CBC and Prime Video.“The PWHL’s broadcast strategy isn’t about exclusivity — it’s about accessibility,” Scheer said.In other developments, Scheer said Vancouver currently ranks first in the league in season tickets sales, with Seattle third. Seattle, meanwhile, set a PWHL single-day record for sales when those jerseys were made available last month. Overall, ticket sale volume was up by 55% on the first day they became available as compared with the two previous years, she said.___AP women’s hockey: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey">https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey</a>

NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 22: A general view of the Ottawa Charge Jersey Logo prior to the PWHL game between the Ottawa Charge and New York Sirens on March 22, 2025 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was at the White House on Tuesday as Preside...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was at the White House on Tuesday as President Donald Trump hosted a glitzy dinner to honor Saudi Arabia’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-saudi-crown-prince-mbs-505b32527e58d4bd49d5bc917efb4936">Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman</a>.The soccer star was seated near the front of the East Room, not far from where the president and crown prince gave remarks to officials from both nations, along with major business leaders such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and Tesla founder Elon Musk.Trump, in his speech, made a point of recognizing Ronaldo, whom he said he introduced to his teenage son.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div><figure class="article-segment--embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨🤳🏼 Cristiano Ronaldo’s selfie after visiting president Donald Trump at the White House.<a href="https://twitter.com/DavidSacks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DavidSacks</a> 📸 <a href="https://t.co/dnBw0f3Z4B">pic.twitter.com/dnBw0f3Z4B</a>— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1991041195502678531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2025</a>
</blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></figure>Ronaldo has been the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronaldo-saudi-super-league-36906a7b899fde8ef0645912c5b39794">face of the Saudi soccer league</a> since joining Saudi club Al-Nassr at the end of 2022 on a reported $200 million-a-year contract.The 40-year-old Portuguese star signed a two-year extension in June with Al-Nassr, which is majority owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund that the crown prince chairs.Trump thanked the athlete for attending. He said that his youngest son, Barron, is a “big fan” of Ronaldo and the 19-year-old was impressed that he got to meet the soccer player.“Barron got to meet him. And I think he respects his father a little bit more, now, just the fact that I introduced you,” Trump said.Prince Mohammed was visiting the White House for the first time since a period of diplomatic isolation began in 2018 after the killing of Washington Post journalist <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jamal-khashoggi">Jamal Khashoggi</a> by Saudi agents in a consulate office in Istanbul. U.S. intelligence agencies determined that Prince Mohammed <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-saudi-crown-prince-khashoggi-killing-26c37f6d603737de7509f5ee09ae7f9d">likely directed the operation</a>. He has denied involvement in the killing.It was a rare U.S. visit for Ronaldo, who hasn’t played in the country since 2014.In 2017, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that Ronaldo had years earlier <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ronaldo-vegas-rape-lawsuit-hush-money-appeal-ad1590f028c2cba8ccef5905e84bc4a8">paid $375,000 in hush money</a> to a woman who accused him of raping her at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. Ronaldo’s lawyers maintained the sex was consensual and no criminal charges ever were filed.World Cup connectionSaudi Arabia will <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fifa-world-cup-2030-2034-saudi-arabia-spain-portugal-945f8d7bf332553de0726901d096b956">host the 2034 World Cup</a> after FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, shaped a fast-track bidding process two years ago that helped ensure there was no rival bid.Ronaldo promoted that bid, saying last December when the Saudi win was confirmed “after what I see, I’m more convinced that 2034 will be the best World Cup ever.”Ronaldo is set to play at a record sixth edition of the World Cup next year after Portugal qualified Sunday for the tournament co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. However, he <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cristiano-ronaldo-fifa-ban-red-card-world-cup-7133c519cf2b120999046b547898af8f">likely will be banned by FIFA</a> for Portugal’s first game next June after getting his first red card last week in 23 seasons playing for the national team.Portugal will learn its World Cup opponents on <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fifa-world-cup-draw-kennedy-center-b76c2dabc0f46e4ee961be5f0377fb86">Dec. 5 at the tournament draw</a>, which Trump is set to attend at the Kennedy Center in Washington.Trump has closely <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-world-cup-soccer-gianni-infantino-65a8160052baa74a007403ad20bbc256">aligned himself with the 2026 World Cup</a>. In the Oval Office he has a copy of the golden trophy loaned to him by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

DUBLIN, IRELAND: NOVEMBER 13: Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal during team warm-up before the Republic of Ireland V Portugal, 2026 World Cup Qualifying - UEFA, Group Stage match at Aviva Stadium on November 13th, 2025, in Dublin, Ireland.

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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Freeman scored twice and Sebastian Berhalter and Diego Luna had one goal ...

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alex Freeman scored twice and Sebastian Berhalter and Diego Luna had one goal each as the United States overwhelmed Uruguay with a four-goal first half in a 5-1 win on Tuesday night to head into a World Cup year with a five-game unbeaten streak.Tanner Tessmann added a 68th-minute goal for the U.S., which scored five times against a South American opponent and a top 30 team for the first time.The 16th-ranked Americans continued their autumn turnaround after lackluster performances in the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>They have just two more games, March friendlies likely against Belgium and Portugal, before coach Mauricio Pochettino selects his World Cup roster.Freeman, Berhalter and Tessmann all scored their first international goals as the U.S. got five goals against a team outside the CONCACAF region for the first time since <a href="https://apnews.com/c70a23fd3fd1486d9efc1e8f117b2dff">beating Scotland 5-1 in 2012</a>. The Americans have won four games, including three straight, during the five-game unbeaten streak against World Cup-bound teams.Uruguay’s Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off in the 64th minute for a high sliding tackle on Berhalter. La Celeste, ranked 15th and headed to its fifth straight World Cup, had entered the friendly with a six-game unbeaten streak.Berhalter, a son of former coach Gregg Berhalter, put the U.S. ahead in the 17th minute off a free kick and Freeman headed in Berhalter’s corner kick in the 20th. Freeman added a 31st-minute goal and Luna opened a four-goal lead in the 42nd."We wanted to make a statement," Berhalter said afterwards."We wanted to show what US soccer is about. We had a chance to go out here and give everything we had and we were ready against a good Uruguay team," the Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder added."We just wanted to make the fans happy - to give them something to believe in and hopefully tonight we went out there and did that."Fielding a starting lineup of mostly backups, the U.S. scored four goals in a half for the first time against a South American team.Uruguay’s Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored on a 7-yard overhead kick in the first minute of first-half stoppage time, his 13th international goal, after goalkeeper Matt Freese and defenders Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie converged and all failed to clear the ball.Before the start and again at the final whistle, Pochettino hugged Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa, the coach who signed him as a 13-year-old for Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina.The U.S. went ahead after Manuel Ugarte fouled Haji Wright just to the side of the penalty area. Berhalter exchanged passes with Sergiño Dest and one-timed a shot past goalkeeper Cristopher Fiermarin inside the far postFreeman outjumped Bentancur to head in Berhalter’s corner kick for the second goal and Timmy Tillman slid to win a challenge against Nahitan Nández, leading to the third goal. Tillman passed wide to Trusty, who one-touched the ball into the path of Freeman. He dribbled between Ronald Araújo and Manuel Ugarte to score from short range, becoming only the second American defender with a two-goal game after Aaron Long in 2019 against Trinidad and Tobago.Luna got his fourth international goal after Tillman’s cross deflected off Rodrigo Zalazar and rolled into his path near the penalty spot.Tessmann headed in a cross from fellow second-half substitute Gio Reyna following a short corner kick.Pochettino changed nine starters, keeping only Freese and Dest, who played wide right. Trusty made his second start, his first since his debut in March 2023, and Tillman made his second start, his first since his debut in January 2024.___AP soccer: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/soccer">https://apnews.com/hub/soccer</a>

TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 18: Sebastian Berhalter #17 of United States celebrates after scoring the team's first goal during the International Friendly match between United States and Uruguay at Raymond James Stadium on November 18, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.

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BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Deion Sanders cried tears of happiness as his son took the field over the w...

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Deion Sanders cried tears of happiness as his son took the field over the weekend for the first time in a regular-season NFL game.There was admiration, too, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/browns-analysis-shedeur-sanders-d95283b100a805c5e9f0b243dbbfa0af">over what it</a> took for quarterback Shedeur Sanders to get his opportunity with the Cleveland Browns.“I know the fight behind the fight,” the Colorado coach said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “I know what’s been transpiring behind the curtains, and I’m just proud of him. Because he’s not just saying the right things, he’s doing and living the right things. That’s just who he is.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"He's a Sanders."Shedeur Sanders was drafted by the Browns in the fifth round. He fell down the depth chart and behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, the third-round pick who has started six games this season. But when Gabriel was knocked out with a concussion Sunday, Sanders was summoned.And with Gabriel in concussion protocol, Sanders could be in line for his first NFL start Sunday in Las Vegas against the Raiders.Deion Sanders hasn't decided yet if he will make the trip. Colorado (3-7, 1-6 Big 12) hosts Arizona State (7-3, 5-2) on Saturday night.“I’m so focused on what we have at hand,” the coach said. “I’m not thinking about that, although I just got off the phone with him.”Sanders had a hunch his son would get in the game against Baltimore. But he didn't want to see it transpire like that, with Gabriel leaving early in the third quarter with a concussion.“I thought the Ravens would have played better early on to provoke (Shedeur) getting in,” Deion Sanders said. “I didn’t want him to get in by injury, because I’m fond of Dillon, and I want him to be successful as well.”It was a rough showing for Shedeur Sanders, who finished <a href="https://x.com/NFL/status/1990238865463091447">4 of 16 for 47 yards</a> with an interception as the Ravens rallied for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ravens-browns-score-d9d22cac85015b2bfc9c2e3803973725">a 23-16 win</a>. Not entirely a surprise, given that Sanders didn't have a chance to build camaraderie with the starters.“I knew it was going to be some inconsistencies of a lot of things, because I know football," Sanders said.On Sunday night, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/browns-shedeur-sanders-home-burglary-f43d7f0208f5276d02d1369756d5caa4">Shedeur Sanders</a> discovered that his suburban Cleveland home had been burglarized during the game, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. No suspects have been identified, the person said.Shedeur Sanders and his dad chat all the time since he left Colorado for the NFL. Their bond is tight.“I know some stuff behind the curtain, so I offer him not just on-the-field advice, off-the-field advice, life advice, because he’s going through a lot,” Deion Sanders said. “A lot of stuff is coming at him and he’s doing a great job. Thank God that God prepared him for everything he's dealing with. I think a lesser man would've crumbled. But he's been built for this."These days, they're teaming up to buy a house together — if they iron out one tiny detail.“He wants the master (bedroom),” Deion Sanders said. “I say, ‘Well, put more in.’”Strong bondSanders praised <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rick-george-colorado-0dd37952e6850b2792c203f27114db5c">Rick George</a>, the athletic director who hired him at Colorado and announced he is stepping down at the end of the academic year. George will transition into an advisory role.“I love Rick to life,” he said.Sanders hopes to forge a strong relationship with the school's next athletic director.“I’m not built like that to just be messy and nasty and hateful," Sanders said. "I’m so blessed — too blessed to be stressed.”Turning 101Sanders gave a shout-out to Colorado superfan <a href="https://apnews.com/article/colorado-big-12-realignment-college-football-86a0c8ad3f378333eface6c93712c008">Peggy Coppom</a>, who turns 101 on Wednesday.“She just brightens up your day,” Sanders said.___AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy contributed to this report.___Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up <a href="https://www.apnews.com/newsletters">here</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/ap-newsletters">here</a> (AP News mobile app). AP college football: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll">https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/college-football">https://apnews.com/hub/college-football</a>

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 08: (L-R) Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders, and Shilo Sanders attend the 13th Annual NFL Honors at Resorts World Theatre on February 08, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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