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.
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.
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.
Padres’ Walker Buehler beats the Dodgers for the first time after nearly a decade in Blue
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Walker Buehler usually pitched superbly against the San Diego Padres during the near-decade he spent wearing Dodger Blue. In his first chance to pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his still-new Padres uniform, Buehler was a star in this NL West rivalry once again. Buehler beat the Dodgers for the first time since he left the World Series champions 1 1/2 seasons ago, pitching three-hit ball into the sixth inning of the Padres’ 7-1 win. The veteran right-hander played a significant role in building the baseball-dominating powerhouse he faced from the Petco Park mound in the opener of this weekend rivalry series.
Sinner wants to ‘talk about tennis’ not top players’ prize-money protest at Wimbledon
LONDON (AP) — No. 1 Jannik Sinner has limited a media appearance as a prize-money protest by top players continues at Wimbledon. But he deflected questions about it, saying he wants to “talk about tennis.” The grass-court Grand Slam increased prize money by 20% after top players began their protest at the recent French Open, arguing they deserve a bigger share of revenues. The protest involves players limiting their media appearances. Defending Wimbledon champion Sinner says it’s “getting better” but declined to go in-depth on more questions, saying “I’m here now to talk about tennis.”
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.
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
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.”