Nations League: Yamal helps Spain extend unbeaten run in homecoming game. Gordon, Kane lead England
Lamine Yamal led World Cup winner Spain as it defeated Croatia in the Nations League to add to its record unbeaten streak in its homecoming game, while England rebounded from its opening loss to the world champions with a win over 10-man Czech Republic. Yamal scored twice and set up another goal as Spain beat Croatia 4-1 at home to reach 40 games unbeaten. England needed second-half goals by Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane to defeat the Czechs 2-0, with the hosts playing a man down from the 23rd minute after Pavel Sulc was shown a red card.
White Sox receive a letter from Pope Leo XIV before winning playoff opener
HOUSTON (AP) — The Chicago White Sox received a letter from Pope Leo XIV on the same day of their playoff opener against the Houston Astros. The Sept. 9 letter was addressed to White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. The team says the note arrived at Chicago’s Rate Field ahead of Game 1 of its AL Wild Card Series against the Astros. Leo is a White Sox fan dating to his days growing up in Chicago. He was known as Robert Prevost or Father Bob when he went to the World Series opener 21 years ago, a 5-3 White Sox victory over the Astros.
Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown set to appear in Miami court for expected plea agreement
MIAMI (AP) — Former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown is scheduled to be in a Miami courtroom to accept a plea deal that will let him avoid prison time on a reduced charge in an attempted murder case. Defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh has said Brown will plead no contest Wednesday to aggravated assault and be sentenced to probation. Eiglarsh also said adjudication will be withheld, meaning Brown will not be considered a convicted felon. Brown could have faced up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the original charge. Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer after a celebrity boxing match in May 2025 and firing two shots at a man he had been in a fistfight with earlier.
Now that it has passed the Senate, what comes next with the Protect College Sports Act?
The Senate has passed a bill aimed at controlling spending and addressing issues in college sports. The bill, which took over four months to pass, faces challenges in the House. Sen. Ted Cruz hopes the House will pass it within four weeks, but the House isn’t scheduled to return until after the midterm elections. Some Republicans and Democrats have concerns about the bill, including antitrust protections and the employment status of student-athletes. The bill offers lawsuit protections to the NCAA and increases revenue-sharing with athletes. If the bill doesn’t pass, conferences may consider self-governance models.
Sparse crowd, empty seats greet .500 Astros for wild-card opener vs White Sox
HOUSTON (AP) — The crowd at Daikin Park was surprisingly sparse as the Houston Astros — baseball’s first division winner with a .500 or worse record — opened their Wild Card Series with a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Large swaths of seats, especially in the upper deck, sat empty while right-hander AJ Blumbaugh delivered the game’s first pitch at 4:10 p.m. The bottom two levels were much fuller than the upper deck, but many seats in the lower two decks were also empty. The announced attendance was 34,011, in a park with a capacity of 40,963.
Man City scandal: What to know about the controversy surrounding the Premier League soccer team
It’s a years-long controversy that has gripped English soccer and beyond: Did Manchester City’s ownership engage in large-scale rule-breaking in an effort to transform the team into a global superpower and serial title winner? The answer, the Premier League says, is yes. In a stunning verdict announced Tuesday, the Premier League published a statement confirming City was guilty of almost all of the 115 charges leveled against the Abu Dhabi-controlled club for alleged breaches of financial rules in the world’s most popular league for much of the last two decades. Here’s a closer look at the case: