Kylian Mbappé scores again and France reaches World Cup quarterfinals with 1-0 win over Paraguay
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kylian Mbappé scored his 19th career World Cup goal, and France survived stifling heat to beat Paraguay 1-0, sending Les Bleus into the quarterfinals for the fourth straight time. France advanced to play Morocco on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts. With an extreme heat warning in effect throughout the match as temperatures hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), Mbappé finally broke through against a physical, defensive-minded Paraguay side when he converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute. He trails career goals leader Lionel Messi by one, and the two are tied in this year’s Golden Boot race.
Morocco beats World Cup co-host Canada 3-0 and advances to the quarterfinals
HOUSTON (AP) — Azzedine Ounahi scored twice to lead Morocco to a 3-0 win over Canada in the World Cup Round of 16 Saturday to make the country the first African nation to reach the quarterfinals more than once. It’s Morocco’s second straight appearance in the quarterfinals after becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals in 2022. The loss ends a historic run for World Cup co-host Canada, which won its first-ever knockout round game with a 1-0 victory over South Africa to reach Saturday’s match.
Skenes, Misiorowski, Ohtani all could miss All-Star mound appearances. 4 Dodgers elected to start
Shohei Ohtani, Paul Skenes, and Jacob Misiorowski will miss All-Star Game mound appearances due to upcoming starts. Meanwhile, four Los Angeles Dodgers have been voted into the National League’s starting lineup for the July 14 game in Philadelphia. Mike Trout has earned his 12th All-Star selection, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. plans to skip the game to rest his back. Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hasn’t played since May due to a broken rib. The Dodgers have five or more All-Stars for the seventh straight time. Twenty-six first-time All-Stars are among the 64 players picked.
Cubs fans sing `Take Me Home, Country Roads’ during fog delay at Wrigley Field
CHICAGO (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs were delayed by fog at Wrigley Field for 15 minutes after the sixth inning Saturday night. The Cardinals led 2-0 when play was stopped. The crowd of 38,872 joined in singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” as the delay began. The song has emerged during the World Cup soccer tournament, with U.S. players joining tens of thousands of fans in singing it at the end of matches. The rare Saturday night game at the iconic North Side ballpark started an hour late due to rain, then fog billowed in from the north starting in the second inning and got denser. Players seemed to struggle tracking fly balls, but there were no misplays.
Eala upsets Wimbledon champion Swiatek in historic win for Philippines, No. 2 seed Rybakina also out
LONDON (AP) — Iga Swiatek’s title defense at Wimbledon has ended in a straight-set third-round loss to 21-year-old Alexandra Eala who continues to make history for the Philippines. Eala is the first Filipino player, male or female, to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles tournament. Swiatek had beaten Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in last year’s final. Shortly before Swiatek’s exit, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina was upset in the third round by Elise Mertens in straight sets. In another upset, Madison Keys rallied to oust the sixth-seeded Anisimova 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in an all-American contest on the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
Serena Williams’ coach tells AP nerves and a closed roof were factors in Wimbledon loss
LONDON (AP) — One of Serena Williams’ coaches tells The Associated Press that it took some time for her to settle her nerves in her first singles match in nearly four years. Rennae Stubbs pin-pointed a moment about an hour into the 44-year-old’s defeat to an opponent less than half her age earlier this week at Wimbledon. Stubbs says she noticed Williams in the middle of the second set “take a big sort of deep breath and I actually turned around to Venus and said, ‘Oh I think she just relaxed.’” Stubbs also revealed that she first started coaching Williams again in March and immediately noticed that the 23-time Grand Slam champion could still play. Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia on Tuesday
Serena Williams withdraws from doubles match with sister Venus at Wimbledon due to injury
LONDON (AP) — Serena Williams has withdrawn from her doubles match with sister Venus at Wimbledon due to a right knee injury. The 44-year-old Serena was injured during her singles return earlier in the week at the end of the first set of a three-set loss. She says on Instagram that “I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside (at)venuswilliams once more meant the world to me. I did everything I could but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete.” The post included images of four syringes that Serena says “shows the fluid they drained from my knee after my singles match.”
Kylian Mbappé of France scores 19th career World Cup goal, 1 behind Golden Boot rival Messi
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kylian Mbappé of France has scored his 19th career World Cup goal. He found the net on a penalty kick in the Round of 16 against Paraguay on Saturday and moved within one of record holder Lionel Messi of Argentina. Mbappé stutter-stepped on his way to his 19th goal in 19 World Cup appearances, beating Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill in the 70th minute to break a scoreless tie. Mbappé was awarded the penalty when Diego Gomez was called for tripping after a video review. It was the seventh goal of this tournament for Mbappé, matching Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. France went on to win 1-0.
England faces Mexico at ‘monster’ stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has spent 40 years chasing a return to the World Cup quarterfinals. On Sunday, its best chance in a generation arrives. Playing on home soil in a venue that has become an almost impregnable fortress, El Tri will face England in the Round of 16. It’s arguably the most important match in Mexican soccer history. Mexico boasts an incredible record in official matches at Estadio Azteca. Since the venue opened in 1966, the national team has suffered just two defeats, the latter coming over a decade ago against Honduras in September 2013.
NASCAR Cup Series set for first race at Chicagoland Speedway since 2019
JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — It has been seven years since NASCAR last raced at Chicagoland Speedway. Seven years of Midwest heat, rain and snow covering the aging asphalt at the 1.5-mile track. That last weekend also was before NASCAR moved into its Next Gen cars. The Cup Series returns to Chicagoland on Sunday, and what was old is new again. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe says it’s like learning a new racetrack. The biggest unknown is the Next Gen car, which debuted in 2022. Chicagoland Speedway is rough and bumpy, and the Next Gen cars do not like rough and bumpy. But some drivers think it will make for a compelling race.