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Keira Walsh practices with England ahead of Women’s World Cup knockout game against Nigeria

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:00 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — Keira Walsh gave England a potential boost ahead of its Women’s World Cup round of 16 clash with Nigeria when the midfielder was able to practice with the team Sunday, one day before the elimination match.Walsh sustained a knee injury in England’s 1-0 win against Denmark in the Lionesses’ second game of the group stage. Scans showed she didn’t damage her ACL, but it wasn’t clear if Walsh would be able to play again this tournament. Walsh, who plays for Barcelona, participated in individual training to regain her fitness and finally rejoined her teammates in Sunday’s practice. England plays Nigeria on Monday in Brisbane, Australia, in a knockout game. England did not reveal if Walsh, the most expensive player in women’s soccer, will play against Nigeria. Walsh joined Barcelona from Manchester City last year for a reported fee of 400,000 pounds ($513,000), a record for women’s soccer. Despite concerns England wouldn’t be able to ...

Sam Kerr is set to get her Women’s World Cup campaign going for Australia after injury setback

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:00 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — In the end, Sam Kerr wasn’t needed as Australia advanced to the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup. But the Matildas’ inspirational captain is finally expected to get on the field against Denmark in the round of 16 on Monday, “I’m really excited. I will play,” Kerr told Australia’s Nine TV network. The star striker has been sidelined since injuring her left calf on the eve of co-host Australia’s first game against Ireland on July 20.Though she recovered well enough to make the bench against Canada, coach Tony Gustavsson didn’t have to ask the Chelsea forward to perform a rescue act as the Matildas routed the Olympic champion 4-0 to top Group B. While it is still not clear if she will be in the starting 11 against Denmark, both Kerr and Gustavsson are talking as if she will make her entrance at the World Cup at Stadium Australia. “We had a nice moment as a team yesterday, to see her back with the boots on and touching the ball and be ...

Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates play in game 4 of series

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:00 GMT

Pittsburgh Pirates (49-61, fourth in the NL Central) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (60-52, first in the NL Central)Milwaukee; Sunday, 2:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Johan Oviedo (5-11, 4.42 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 111 strikeouts); Brewers: Brandon Woodruff (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Brewers -203, Pirates +170; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Milwaukee Brewers face the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 2-1 series lead.Milwaukee has a 31-25 record in home games and a 60-52 record overall. Brewers pitchers have a collective 4.05 ERA, which ranks fifth in the NL.Pittsburgh has a 49-61 record overall and a 23-33 record on the road. The Pirates have a 31-6 record in games when they scored five or more runs.The teams meet Sunday for the 10th time this season. The Brewers are ahead 7-2 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Christian Yelich has 16 home runs, 53 walks and 64 RBI while hitting .290 for the Brewers. William Contreras is 12-for-44 with six doubles, a home run and nine RBI over the...

San Diego Padres take on the Los Angeles Dodgers Sunday

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:00 GMT

Los Angeles Dodgers (63-46, first in the NL West) vs. San Diego Padres (55-56, fourth in the NL West)San Diego; Sunday, 7:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Dodgers: Lance Lynn (7-9, 6.32 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 151 strikeouts); Padres: Rich Hill (7-10, 4.84 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 104 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Dodgers -125, Padres +105; over/under is 9 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Diego Padres host the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.San Diego has a 30-26 record at home and a 55-56 record overall. The Padres have the ninth-best team on-base percentage in the majors at .329.Los Angeles is 63-46 overall and 29-26 on the road. The Dodgers are second in MLB play with 176 total home runs, averaging 1.6 per game.The teams meet Sunday for the ninth time this season. The Dodgers are up 6-2 in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Juan Soto has 25 doubles and 24 home runs for the Padres. Gary Sanchez is 11-for-35 with two doubles, five home runs and 12 RBI over the last 10 games.Freddie Freeman has 40 ...

Cubs and Braves meet to decide series winner

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:00 GMT

Atlanta Braves (70-38, first in the NL East) vs. Chicago Cubs (57-54, third in the NL Central)Chicago; Sunday, 2:20 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Braves: Charlie Morton (10-9, 3.62 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 128 strikeouts); Cubs: Justin Steele (12-3, 3.03 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 106 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -121, Cubs +101; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves meet on Sunday with the three-game series tied 1-1.Chicago has a 57-54 record overall and a 31-28 record at home. The Cubs have the fourth-ranked team slugging percentage in the NL at .422.Atlanta has a 33-18 record on the road and a 70-38 record overall. The Braves have the top team slugging percentage in the NL at .501.The matchup Sunday is the third meeting between these teams this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Nico Hoerner has 21 doubles, four triples, eight home runs and 58 RBI for the Cubs. Ian Happ is 9-for-34 with three doubles, five home runs and nine RBI over the last 10 games.Ronald Ac...

Nationals try to keep win streak going against the Reds

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:00 GMT

Washington Nationals (48-63, fifth in the NL East) vs. Cincinnati Reds (59-54, second in the NL Central)Cincinnati; Sunday, 1:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Nationals: Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.97 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 62 strikeouts); Reds: Lyon Richardson (0-0)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Reds -159, Nationals +136; over/under is 11 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Washington Nationals will try to keep their three-game win streak going when they visit the Cincinnati Reds.Cincinnati is 28-28 in home games and 59-54 overall. The Reds have the fifth-ranked team on-base percentage in the NL at .329.Washington has a 26-29 record on the road and a 48-63 record overall. Nationals hitters are batting a collective .259, the sixth-best team batting average in MLB play.The teams square off Sunday for the seventh time this season. The Reds lead the season series 4-2.TOP PERFORMERS: TJ Friedl has a .277 batting average to lead the Reds, and has 17 doubles, three triples and nine home runs. Matt McLain is 12-for-39 with ...

Cardinals and Rockies meet, winner secures 3-game series

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:00 GMT

Colorado Rockies (43-67, fifth in the NL West) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (49-63, fifth in the NL Central)St. Louis; Sunday, 2:15 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Rockies: Austin Gomber (8-8, 5.68 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 77 strikeouts); Cardinals: Zack Thompson (2-3, 4.76 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 21 strikeouts)BOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies play on Sunday with the three-game series tied 1-1.St. Louis has a 25-32 record at home and a 49-63 record overall. Cardinals hitters have a collective .331 on-base percentage, the fourth-ranked percentage in the NL.Colorado has a 43-67 record overall and an 18-37 record on the road. The Rockies are 21-8 in games when they did not give up a home run.The matchup Sunday is the sixth time these teams match up this season. The Cardinals have a 3-2 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Nolan Arenado has 21 doubles, two triples and 23 home runs for the Cardinals. Lars Nootbaar is 13-for-36 with two doubles, four home runs and seven RBI over ...

Pope announces next World Youth Day will be in Seoul, South Korea in 2027

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:00 GMT

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Pope Francis announced Sunday that the next World Youth Day, the big Catholic faith festival, will be held in Seoul, South Korea in 2027.The announcement marks the first time the festival returns to Asia since 1995, when millions of people turned out for one of St. John Paul II’s biggest events, in Manila, Philippines.Francis shared the location for the coming year’s festival at the end of the Lisbon edition of World Youth Day.The Associated Press

Three dead in overnight airstrikes and shelling across Ukraine

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:00 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Three people have died during a night of air strikes and intense shelling across Ukraine, officials said Sunday, as Kyiv’s military exchanged fire with Russian occupation forces.Two people were killed and four more were injured following a Russian air strike in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, said the head of the local regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a guided bomb had hit a blood transfusion center in the area’s Kupyan district late on August 5.“This war crime alone says everything about Russian aggression,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “Defeating terrorists is a matter of honor for everyone who values life.”A woman in her eighties was also killed by Ukrainian shelling in the Russian-held Donetsk, the city’s Moscow-appointed mayor Alexei Kulemzin said Sunday.The attack also set alight the main building of the M. Tugan-Baranovsky University of Economics and Trade, said the Moscow-installed he...

Pope wraps up World Youth Day with 1.5 million attendees and urges: ‘Do not be afraid of failing’

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:16:00 GMT

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Pope Francis told young people on Sunday the Catholic Church needs them and urged them to follow their dreams as he wrapped up World Youth Day in Portugal on Sunday with a massive open-air Mass for an estimated 1.5 million people.“Do not be afraid!” Francis told the vast crowd of pilgrims, many of whom camped out overnight on the Lisbon field so they could be in place for the grand finale of the Catholic festival.Francis largely stuck to script but again skipped much of his prepared homily, continuing the improvisation that has characterized his five-day trip to Portugal. Early on in his 10-year papacy, Francis would frequently go rogue and ignore his pre-planned speeches, seemingly moved by the moment to engage directly with even huge crowds of people. In more recent years, he largely stuck to script especially when visiting places where Christians are a minority or where his audiences might not appreciate his informal style.But in Lisbon, he’s been back on ...