opener

Bournemouth fight back from two down but Liverpool secure late win on emotional Anfield night.

Liverpool talisman Mo Salah and fellow forward Federico Chiesa struck late goals as the Premier League champions began the defence of their title by beating Bournemouth 4-2 in a thriller on the opening night of the season at Anfield.

On a bittersweet Friday evening charged with emotion after the July death of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, newcomer Hugo Ekitike bagged a goal on his league debut to put the hosts ahead after 37 minutes, and Cody Gakpo doubled the lead in the 49th.

But Antoine Semenyo, who was the target of racist abuse in the first half that led to a pause in the game, pulled one back for the visitors in the 64th minute and completed a double 12 minutes later to rock Liverpool and shock the home fans.

However, substitute Chiesa sent the Liverpool faithful away happy with an 88th-minute strike after goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic swatted away a ball into the box by Salah, who scored himself deep into added time to wrap up the three points.

Salah chased the ball past the defence before cutting inside and firing into the bottom corner with a goal that put the Egypt international joint-fourth with Andy Cole on the all-time Premier League scorers’ list with 187.

An emotional Salah pointed to the heavens and flapped two hands to mimic Jota’s shark goal celebration.

He headed for The Kop stand after the final whistle and wiped away tears while applauding the fans who were singing Jota’s song to the tune of Bad Moon Rising.

The night started with an emotional minute’s silence for Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who died in a car crash. Fans fought back tears as they sang You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Ekitike, who has joined from Eintracht Frankfurt, was the most impressive of manager Arne Slot’s close-season signings in a spending spree topping 300 million pounds ($406.53m).

“Obviously, I think it was a good performance, I could do better,” said Ekitike, who held up two fingers in one hand, and made a zero with the other after his goal, a tribute to Liverpool’s Jota, who wore number 20.

“But the most important thing was winning, the mentality we showed. Obviously, we wanted to win tonight for the people who came and for Diogo,” added the 23-year-old forward.

The game was halted for several minutes after Bournemouth’s Ghana international Semenyo reported the racist abuse.

“It’s totally unacceptable,” Bournemouth captain Adam Smith said. “Kind of in shock to be honest that it happened. In this day and age, it shouldn’t be happening.

“I don’t know how Ant’s played on to be honest and come up with those goals … Something has to be done. We’ll support him in there and hopefully, he’ll be OK.”

Damon Heta beats James Bailey 6-0

Grace Harris’ brilliant 89 unbeaten off 42 balls, including six maximums, helps London Spirit begin their title defence with a 17-run win over Oval Invincibles in The Women’s Hundred.

MATCH REPORT: Harris blasts Spirit to win in Hundred opener

Available to UK users only.

Matthew Stafford will apparently remain an observer for a while.

The Rams star quarterback, who has not practiced during training camp because of a back issue, will “probably not” practice Sunday in the final workout at Loyola Marymount, will not participate in Tuesday’s joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys, and his availability for a joint practice with the Chargers the following week will be determined, coach Sean McVay said.

Stafford, 37, saw back specialist Dr. Steven Watkins again on Saturday, McVay said.

McVay reiterated that Stafford was “week to week.”

“What I don’t want to do is set a timeline,” McVay said. “I know he’s making good progress. He saw Dr. Watkins again. … Everything is in good shape.”

Good shape?

McVay does not play starters in preseason games, so joint practices are regarded by the ninth-year coach as instrumental for evaluating young players and progress by the offense, defense and special teams.

Stafford, entering his 17th season, worked with new receiver Davante Adams during offseason workouts. But he has yet to work on timing with the three-time All-Pro during a full-speed, padded practice.

Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo continues to take first-team reps in Stafford’s place, and Stetson Bennett is directing the second-unit offense as the Rams prepare for their Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium.

“Can’t wait to be able to get Matthew back out here leading the way,” McVay said, adding that Stafford felt the same way. “But in the meantime, Stetson and Jimmy are doing a really good job of continuing to get better and using these reps for their benefit.”

Stafford was one of several players who did not practice Saturday.

Rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson (groin) and defensive lineman Kobie Turner (back) sat out. Linebacker Nate Landman (calf) left practice as a precautionary measure, McVay said.

But Stafford’s continued absence from on-field drills continues to be the dominant storyline for a team that will be regarded as a legitimate Super Bowl contender if he is physically sound. And a question mark — at least on offense — if he is not.

After practicing with the Cowboys in Oxnard, the Rams and Cowboys will play Saturday at SoFi Stadium. The Rams play the Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Aug. 16, and they conclude the preseason on Aug. 23 against the Browns in Cleveland.

The Rams then have two weeks to prepare for the Texans.

Etc.

Safety Quentin Lake intercepted another tipped pass. Safety Jaylen McCollough also intercepted a pass. … Tight end Colby Parkinson made a one-handed touchdown catch. … Bennett connected with rookie receiver Konata Mumpfield on several impressive pass plays. “He’s a mature rookie,” McVay said of Mumpfield. “He’s a guy that is wired to be able to separate. … He continues to be able to just answer the bell with the opportunities that he’s gotten.” … Former Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald attended practice.

“South Park” wasted no time putting its very existence on the line, again. On Wednesday, the Comedy Central series kicked off its 27th season with a searing indictment of President Trump and its network’s parent company, Paramount. Paramount recently paid the president $16 million toward his future library rather than fighting a lawsuit Trump brought against “60 Minutes” (Paramount is also a parent company of CBS).

It was also announced last week that “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” which airs on Paramount-owned CBS, was being canceled. Colbert is one of the most prominent political satirists in America, and from his pulpit has been a relentless critic of MAGA policy and Trump. Like the payout over the “60 Minutes” lawsuit, Colbert’s cancellation comes just as Paramount is seeking federal approval of an $8-billion merger with Skydance Media.

“South Park” couldn’t have returned at a better time.

The episode, titled “Sermon on the Mount,” opens with Cartman discovering his favorite radio station, NPR, has been canceled. Making fun of its wokeness was part of his identity, and now he’s lost and angry. “The government can’t cancel a show!” he laments before dropping a self-referential joke about “South Park’s” own vulnerability. “I mean, what show are they going to cancel next?”

Paramount might be tempted to cancel “South Park” after Wednesday night’s damning premiere, when the show repeatedly lampooned the company’s costly capitulation to Trump. And Paramount earlier this week announced a $1.5 billion deal with “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone for 14 new movies, six more seasons and streaming rights on Paramount+ for the next five years.

The new season continues to plumb the horrifying depths of 2025 when Cartman also finds that his school is demanding students accept the presence of Jesus, literally. Cartman is called to the principal’s office for not letting Jesus sit with his group in the cafeteria at lunch, even though there were no empty seats. There’s always room for the Lord, he’s told.

The townspeople become angry that they voted in a guy who they thought would target other people — like immigrants. They don’t want religion forced on their kids at school, but newscasts make their plight seem hopeless. “More protests today as the president pushes harder for Christianity in our schools. The president stated earlier today that the spirit of Jesus is important to our country and he will sue anyone who doesn’t agree with him.”

The truly wicked satire begins when they cut to Trump at the White House. He’s the only character whose head is an actual photo rather than a drawing, and the president’s image is deftly manipulated to reflect the many faces of the real man: pouting, grimacing, smiling, leering and pouting, again.

He repeatedly demands that everyone relax while he threatens to destroy them. He argues with Canada’s prime minister over tariffs (“You don’t want me to bomb you like I did Iraq,” says Trump. “I thought you just bombed Iran,” the PM replies. “Iran. Iraq. What the hell’s the difference?”). Trump also lies naked in bed with Satan, revealing his minuscule manhood. Disgusted, the devil rebuffs the president’s advances and says, “I can’t even see anything, it’s so small.”

Satan is also perturbed that some rando on Insta keeps commenting about sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s client list.

“Epstein, are we still talking about that?” Trump says.

“Are you on the list or not?” Satan asks. “It’s weird that when it comes up you just keep telling everyone to relax.”

Then we jump to a segment of “60 Minutes” where the beleaguered show’s hosts mumble in terror for fear of another lawsuit as the show’s signature stopwatch sound is set to the image of a ticking time bomb. They refer to the president as “a great man” who “is probably watching” before cutting to their reporter who is covering the protests against Trump in South Park, Colorado.

Jesus touches down to address his flock under the guise of fulfilling Trump’s wish to bring Christianity back into public schools. But he’s really there to warn the crowd, and does so in a whisper. “I didn’t want to come back and be in the school, but I had to because it was part of a lawsuit and the agreement with Paramount.”

“The president’s suing you?” a protester asks.

Jesus, through clenched teeth, explains: “The guy can do what he wants now that someone backed down. … You guys see what’s happened to CBS? Well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount! You really want to end up like Colbert? … All of you, shut the f— up or South Park is over!”

The town ends up being sued by Trump, and they, like Paramount, cave. They pay him off, but are also required to sing his praises as part of the settlement.

The episode ends with a pro-Trump ad by the town. It’s a realistic deepfake video of the president trekking through the desert heat in a show of loyalty to his supporters. He strips naked and once again we’re reminded that it’s not just his hands that are small.

That wail you just heard? It’s coming from the White House. A new lawsuit is born.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Lakers dropped their first game of the California Classic at Chase Center to the Golden State Warriors 89-84 on Saturday after leading by double digits in the first half.

The Lakers struggled defensively in the second half, giving up 30 points in the third quarter, when they trailed for the first time.

Bronny James traveled with the team but did not suit up.

Darius Bazley was the Lakers’ only constant on defense, switching on the perimeter while contesting shots at the rim. Perimeter defense was a clear struggle for L.A., forcing late challenges by bigs leading to 25 free throws.

Cole Swider was a bright spot all game for the Lakers, using his ability to shoot from deep to tally a game-high 24 points on seven-for-10 shooting, including, six of eight from three. Swider, entering his fifth year in the NBA, played seven games for the Lakers his rookie season.

DJ Steward also stood out, scoring 20 points on seven-for-10 shooting. Steward’s ability to get to the rim and draw fouls allowed for catch-and-shoot threes for teammates.

“This is a good opportunity to be myself,” Steward said. “There’s a lot of things [the coaching staff] wants me to hone in on, controlling the controllables, picking up 94 feet, communicating, and getting guys involved.”

In his fifth summer league appearance, Steward was the game’s second-leading scorer and assist co-leader with six.

Steward said he will push for a win when the Lakers play their next game on Sunday.

“We got to get the guys together to go out there and play harder than we did today,” Steward said. “We have to make sure we’re picking up 94 feet and being more physical.”

The Lakers’ first round draft pick last season, Dalton Knecht, looked a bit rusty scoring only 10 points on three-for-13 shooting, missing all six shots from deep. Knecht is coming off a season for the Lakers where he averaged 9.1 points on 46.1 % shooting in 78 games.

“It took a while for me to get going; I didn’t get going at all,” Knecht said reflecting on his performance. “I just have to come out ready to play better tomorrow and shake off the rust. My teammates were great, they came out competing, picking up full court, rebounding and crashing the glass, so I’m proud of my team.”

The California Classic will continue tomorrow when the Lakers take on the Miami Heat. Tip off will be at 1:30 p.m.

Since Draper’s last appearance at Wimbledon, he has reached a Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open, won one of the biggest titles on the ATP Tour in Indian Wells and become only the fourth British man to crack the world’s top five.

That means he is widely regarded as the fourth favourite – behind Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic – at this year’s grass-court major.

A big reason why left-handed Draper can thrive on the slicker surface is his serve.

The power and variety of his opening shot enables him to start points strongly.

When he lands his first serve, it is effective. His first-serve percentage is only the 43rd best on the ATP Tour this year, but he is 14th in terms of points won after it.

Against 38th-ranked Baez, Draper broke in the first game of the match and the strength of his first serve meant the Argentine had little chance of responding.

He landed 78% of his first serves in the first set, winning 86% of those points with the help of four aces.

By the time Baez decided he could not continue, Draper had won 23 of his 25 first-serve points (93%).

“I served well, although I could have been a bit cleaner off the ground,” said Draper.

ATLANTA — LAFC’s first foray into the FIFA Club World Cup was competitive, but ultimately a defeat.

LAFC hung around against English powerhouse Chelsea at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and had the match still in striking distance nearly the entire way, but lost 2-0 in its first of three group stage matches.

“Chelsea won, deservingly so,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. “I think we kind of clawed our way back into the game; I think we played a little better in the second half and maybe had the odd chance here or there to get the equalizer.”

The first competitive fixture between English and American clubs featured the mostly expected run of play, with Chelsea carrying most of the action and carving out nearly all of the afternoon’s clear-cut scoring opportunities. It was one-way traffic, and Chelsea broke through in the 34th minute when Pedro Neto beat LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris at his near post following a quick turn inside around defender Ryan Hollingshead.

LAFC soaked up the pressure as long as it could and defended well against continuous pressure for most of the game, a tangible positive for Cherundolo’s team to build on.

“I was quite happy with the way the team performed defensively,” he said. “I think out of the run of play we didn’t concede too much. I think we had things mostly under control, but conceded two transition goals which we didn’t look good on.”

Although it never really dictated terms, LAFC did create a few opportunities in the second half. Denis Bouanga forced a good save from Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez into a close-range save in the 57th minute, but a tight Chelsea defense held the fort long enough for Enzo Fernandez put the match away with a 79th-minute goal after taking down a Liam Delap cross and gliding it past Lloris.

“The higher up you go, the less opportunities you do get,” Cherundolo said. “You need to make sure those opportunities you do get are taken advantage of, or at least you’re making teams defend properly. I think a little bit of carelessness with the ball in the final third and the opponent’s half hurt us.”

Chelsea’s Liam Delap, right, and LAFC’s Aaron Long battle for the ball during Monday’s match.

(Mike Stewart / Associated Press)

In the big picture, this was as much a feeling out process as anything. Not just for LAFC in its first of at least three matches in this tournament, but for this tournament as a whole acting as something of a dress rehearsal for host cities before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The crowd itself was certainly not inspiring, just 22,167 in a cavernous stadium set to host five more matches in this tournament and eight next summer. It was a stark contrast from the 80,000 who filled the Rose Bowl for yesterday’s Paris Saint-Germain-Atlético Madrid match, and at times felt more like a preseason exhibition than a major competition despite sturdy efforts from a healthy LAFC’s 3252 supporter group camped behind one goal.

“I don’t know,” Cherundolo said. “I don’t know if there’s just more fans in Los Angeles that are into this tournament than here, or if it’s the pairing tonight, there’s a lot of things I just can’t answer.”

The sample size is small, though, with the sparse Atlanta crowd coming in just the sixth of 63 total matches in the event.

“I don’t think we should be talking about this right now,” he continued. “I think we should be waiting until the end of the tournament to make a more complete summary of what was going on and opinion on it as a whole, as opposed to right now and one game.”

One injury note did come out of the match when LAFC forward Nathan Ordaz left play in the 38th minute after Chelsea captain Reese James took him down with a hard foul on the left wing. James received a yellow card, and Ordaz went into concussion protocol.

“After that happened he just wasn’t quite himself,” Cherundolo said. “We’ll hope that he has a speedy recovery. As more information comes in I can give you more, but right now I don’t have an update.”

The setback broke LAFC’s run of 10 consecutive undefeated matches in all competitions, but it will have opportunities to regroup quickly. Group play continues Friday in Nashville, Tenn., against Tunisian club Espérance Sportive de Tunis before finishing out on June 24 with a match against Brazil’s Flamengo in Orlando, Fla.

SAN JOSÉ — The U.S. hopes a blowout win over the world’s 100th-ranked team can start to lessen the pessimism created by the Americans’ longest losing streak since 2007.

Malik Tillman scored twice and Diego Luna had a pair of assists in a 5-0 rout of Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday in the Americans’ CONCACAF Gold Cup opener.

“Really important I think to cut a little bit this — I don’t say negativity, but, yes … but it’s really important now to start the competition with a good feeling,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said.

Victory in the Group D opener ended a four-game losing streak and came after days of controversy over Christian Pulisic’s desire to rest during the Gold Cup and Pochettino not including the star in a pair of pre-tournament friendlies the attacker offered to play in.

Tillman scored in the 16th and 41st minutes for his first two international goals, both following giveaways by Alvin Jones, and Patrick Agyemang scored his fourth international goal in the 44th when Luna’s shot deflected off a foot.

“It was in our hands to show a reaction and I think we’ve done it today,” Tillman said. “We played a good game and it was nice to bounce back, have a good start to the tournament.”

Brenden Aaronson added his ninth goal in the 82nd and Haji Wright his fifth just 1 minute, 13 seconds later for the 16th-ranked Americans, who drew just 12,610 to PayPal Park.

“Malik is a talented player. It’s obvious that everyone can see,” Pochettino said. “October, November, when we met for the first time I think it was difficult to create this relationship that the player need(s) and the coach need(s) to trust and to trust each other. … I think now after a few weeks together I really start to understand him and he starts to understand us. And he’s very special, a very special talent and a very special kid.”

Luna, a 21-year-old who impressed Pochettino during his debut in January when he insisted he stay on the field with a broken nose, was playing not far from where he grew up and said he had gotten tickets for about 30 family and friends.

“Just an honor, right, to be able to dream about this day,” he said. “[To] start off a tournament like this back in my home city is awesome.”

Luna ran onto Jones’ back pass, dribbled down the left flank and crossed to Tillman for the second goal, then shot from just inside the penalty area for the goal that glanced off Tillman for a 3-0 lead.

“His performance was really good. He showed his character,” Pochettino said.

The Americans have won their group in 16 of 17 Gold Cups, along with a second-place finish behind Panama in 2011, and improved their group stage record to 41 wins, one loss and five draws. They play invited guest Saudi Arabia on Thursday at Austin, Texas, then close group play on June 22 against Haiti at Arlington, Texas.

Matt Freese was in goal in place of Matt Turner, who had started 14 consecutive competitive matches for the U.S. and 23 of 24 dating to the 2022 World Cup. The lone exception was a Gold Cup group stage game against St. Kitts and Nevis in 2023.

Pochettino said he wanted to create competition for Turner, who didn’t get into a Crystal Palace match after March 1. The coach said Turner told him he was disappointed with the decision but understood it and would compete to get playing time.

Champions League winners PSG beat fellow European heavyweights Atletico Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the US.

Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain opened their Club World Cup campaign with an impressive 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid, underlining to their rivals that they will likely be the team to beat in this tournament.

PSG largely dominated Atletico at the Rose Bowl on Sunday in their first match since trouncing Inter Milan 5-0 to win its first Champions League title on May 31.

Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha scored in the first half, while Senny Mayulu and Lee Kang-in scored against 10-man Atletico in the second half of their Group B clash.

The European giants met at the venue of the 1994 World Cup final for one of the highest-profile matches in the group stage of the first 32-team edition of the Club World Cup.

Ousmane Dembele did not feature for PSG after reportedly injuring a quadricep while playing for France on June 6. Goncalo Ramos replaced Dembele in Luis Enrique’s only change to the starting lineup from the Champions League final.

Enrique wore shorts and a training shirt on the sideline while coaching PSG in 31 Celsius (88 Fahrenheit) midday California heat.

PSG controlled possession early, and Ruiz capitalised from just outside the penalty area in the 19th minute. The Spanish midfielder long coveted by Atletico beat Jan Oblak with a clever strike into the far corner.

Atletico got a golden chance to tie it in first-half injury time, but Gianluigi Donnarumma swallowed up Antoine Griezmann’s chance in the box.

Moments later, Vitinha slipped through the Atletico defence and scored on the break.

Julian Alvarez appeared to pull one back for Atletico in the second half, but his goal was chalked off after VAR determined Koke had fouled Desire Doue in the build-up.

Atletico’s Clement Lenglet was sent off in the 78th minute with his second yellow card on a frustrating day that left coach Diego Simeone visibly furious at both the referees and his players’ mistakes.

Alexander Sorloth somehow missed an open net in the 82nd minute for Atletico in a move that made Simeone fall to his knees in disbelief.

Mayulu secured PSG’s victory five minutes later, and Lee converted a penalty with the final kick of the match from the spot after a handball by Robin Le Normand in the box.

Man of the match Vitinha told DAZN it was a “very good performance” by his side.

“We did a very good game, it is difficult with this temperature. We did well against a tough team, we controlled all of the game. We are happy with the result,” he said.

“The toughest thing to do in football is to maintain the level, and that is what I try to do.”

PSG coach Enrique also hailed his side’s performance.

“I think every single player showed their best quality to the team,” he told DAZN.

“As a coach, I am happy. Really great to feel that love [from the stadium]. We are happy and want to continue with our ways.”

In Sunday’s earlier game, Bayern Munich romped to a 10-0 victory over Auckland City as Jamal Musiala had a hat-trick in a 17-minute span of the second half in front of a crowd that unfurled a banner urging to “Smash FIFA!” while accusing the governing body of mismanagement.

Thomas Muller, Kingsley Coman and Michael Olise scored two goals each for the Bundesliga champions, who went ahead on Coman’s goal six minutes in. Bayern had a 17-1 advantage in shots on target.

Musiala, a 22-year-old midfielder, replaced Harry Kane in the 61st minute, making his first appearance since April 4 after recovering from a hamstring injury. He scored in the 67th minute, converted a penalty kick in the 73rd and scored again in the 84th.

Before a crowd of 21,152 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, fans displayed a red-and-white banner referring to the 2015 raid by US law enforcement at a Zurich hotel that led to the arrest of many football officials over corruption allegations: “10 Years Baur Au Lac – World Football Is More Poorly Governed than Before! Smash FIFA!”

Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Rea finished 12th as Toprak Razgatlioglu won the opening race of the weekend in round six of the World Superbike Championship at Misano in Italy.

Turkish rider Razgatlioglu battled it out at the front throughout with series leader and early pacesetter Nicolo Bulega, with the two-time champion prevailing on his BMW by just over a second at the chequered flag.

It was a seventh individual race win of the season for Razgatlioglu, who reduced his Ducati rival’s lead from 31 points to 26 in the championship standings.

It was revealed earlier this week the 28-year-old will transfer to the MotoGP series in 2026, having signed a deal to ride a Yamaha for Prima Pramac Racing.

New Zealand and San Francisco’s Finn Allen hits record 19 sixes against Washington in 2025 Major League Cricket opener.

San Francisco Unicorns opener Finn Allen smashed a record 19 sixes in his incredible 151 off 51 balls against defending champions Washington Freedom in the opening match of the new Major League Cricket (MLC) season.

The New Zealand international opener’s knock on Thursday evening at Unicorns’ Oakland Coliseum, was the Twenty20 league’s highest individual score since its 2023 debut season.

Allen’s six-hitting display passed the previous record of 18 in a T20 match held by West Indian great Chris Gayle and Estonian Sahil Chauhan, who registered the knock in the European Cricket League.

The Unicorns amassed 269-5, an MLC team record, with Allen taking 34 balls to bring up his 100 against a bowling attack that included fellow New Zealand internationals Ben Sears, Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips.

Phillips took a catch at long-on to dismiss the 26-year-old off Mitchell Owen’s bowling in the 18th over of the innings.

Freedom, led by Australian international Glenn Maxwell, were all out for 146 in 13.1 overs in reply, suffering a comprehensive 123-run defeat.

Allen, who was named Player of the Match, has already smashed two centuries and five fifties in 52 T20 international innings for the Kiwis, and hits at a strike rate of 163.

This was his 22nd fifty in domestic T20 cricket, where he has also scored two centuries but hits at a strike rate of 173.

The Auckland-born Allen, who has yet to make his Test debut, has also appeared in 22 one-day internationals for the Kiwis, where he has hit five fifties.

Football’s world governing body has reduced prices on thousands of tickets before tournament opener in Miami on June 14, despite the presence of football superstar Lionel Messi.

Hoping to fill a lot of empty seats, FIFA is reportedly slashing ticket prices for the June 14 Club World Cup opener hosted by Inter Miami.

The Athletic reported on Wednesday that “tens of thousands” of seats at the 65,326-capacity Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, remain unsold for the 8pm ET match between football superstar Lionel Messi’s MLS club and Egyptian side Al Ahly.

FIFA rejected a suggestion that fewer than 20,000 tickets had been sold, insisting the number is “much higher” but declining to provide a specific total.

“We are introducing many new, successful clubs from all over the world to the world through this tournament being staged in the 11 cities across the United States,” FIFA said in a statement. “Overall, we anticipate great attendances throughout the competition for this first-ever edition – a tournament that we believe will grow edition-on-edition.”

As of Tuesday night, tickets for that game had dropped to $55 on Ticketmaster – half of what they were going for last month. The cheapest seat available after the tournament draw in December was $349 but had dropped to $230 by December, per The Athletic.

The 32-team FIFA Club World Cup runs through to July 13 and includes MLS clubs Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC, plus global powerhouses like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Inter Milan.

England opener Phil Salt will miss the T20 series against West Indies on paternity leave.

In a dramatic week, Salt, 28, returned home from the Indian Premier League for the birth of his child and then returned to India to play a part in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s win in Tuesday’s final.

He has now been granted permission to spend the week at home.

Salt has been replaced in the squad by fellow wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, who impressed in his new role opening the batting during England’s 3-0 win in the one-day international series.

Smith is unlikely to play in the first of three T20s at Chester-le-Street on Friday, leaving Somerset’s Tom Banton or Surrey’s Will Jacks as the most likely partner for Ben Duckett at the top of the order.

All-rounder Jacob Bethell is also in the squad and opened for RCB in the IPL.

Friday’s series opener is followed by matches in Bristol and Southampton on Sunday and Tuesday respectively.

Michael Barnett flipped a weighted baseball into his hand and threw it against the side of the strength-training room next to UCLA’s clubhouse.

Jostling through folding tables, water coolers, television stands and a postgame news conference podium, he resumed his starting pitcher routine, as he would for any start, moving inside the weight room to stretch his right arm with resistance bands.

The junior right-hander’s pregame obstacle course — navigating university staffers, media and more — before trotting down to the bullpen, was outside of the ordinary. Friday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium was different — from the energy on the concourse to the noise from the dugouts and ultimately, the power from the Bruins’ bats.

Hosting its first regional since 2019, national No. 15 seed UCLA posted season highs for hits and runs in a dominant, 19-4 victory over regional No. 4 seed Fresno State.

“It wasn’t the cleanest game — it didn’t feel like the cleanest game,” said UCLA coach John Savage, “but at the end of the day, at this time of the year, you win any way you can and certainly we did that today. So it was a good win.”

A six-run, seventh-inning sent the Bulldogs unknowingly waving a white flag. UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu’s line drive off the left-field wall cleared the loaded bases to provide the Bruins with a 12-2 lead. Fresno State’s nine players dejectedly walked off the field, as if they’d been walked off in a mercy-rule defeat.

But the field crew reminded the Bulldogs that in the NCAA tournament, no matter how many runs you trail by, both teams play nine innings. The Bruins still had seven more runs to score in the eighth inning Friday.

It wasn’t Big Ten player of the year Roch Cholowsky — the 20-year-old who dreamed of Omaha when he chose the Bruins over entering the MLB draft — who led the offensive barrage that gave UCLA a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The middle of the UCLA lineup helped produce a rally as they had all year.

UCLA’s Dean West makes contact during the Bruins’ blowout win over Fresno State on Friday.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Levu — who led the Bruins in regular-season RBI with 74 and led UCLA with five RBI against Fresno State — singled into left field to start the rally. Cleanup hitter Roman Martin brought home the first run of the game with a single into left. Payton Brennan and Blake Balsz (who tallied his third-career, three-hit game) connected for back-to-back RBI base hits, solidifying a lead as the Bulldogs awaited the walk back to the dugout for a mid-inning reprieve.

“The nice part about today is I was just trying to simplify everything and trust that my teammates are gonna pick me up,” Balsz said.

Before Fresno State starting pitcher Jack Anker knew it, UCLA strung together four runs in the blink of an eye, creating distance against the Mountain West champions they never made up.

Martin connected for a third-inning solo home run — his seventh of the year — while Balsz joined his teammate with multiple RBI after a run-scoring single a few batters later.

“One of the huge things we talked about, one of our offensive goals is to score first, and that’s really a huge momentum shift for us,” Martin said. “It definitely kind of took a little bit off, especially during our first playoff game, kind of eased us into it a little bit.”

UCLA tagged Anker for six earned runs and 10 hits across five innings, holding the Bulldogs junior who entered the game averaging 10.5 strikeouts-per-nine innings to just two punchouts. The two strikeouts were the second-fewest Anker forced against an opposing team this season.

UCLA pitcher Michael Barnett delivers during the first inning Friday.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Barnett’s outing on the mound was an obstacle much like his routine before toeing the Jackie Robinson Stadium mound. The sinkerballer struggled with command against the Bulldogs, throwing just 40 strikes among 74 pitches, and lasted just 4⅓ innings before UCLA coach John Savage pulled Barnett with runners on the corners and one out in the fifth.

Southpaw Chris Grothues, a junior in his first season of high-leverage pitching opportunities, broke Barnett out of the inherited jam with a 3-6-1 double play to end the inning. Grothues then spun a scoreless sixth — placing the Bruins in cruise control for the rest of the contest, earning the victory.

“They did a really good job against Barnett,” Savage said, adding that he felt lucky to be up 6-2 entering the seventh. “Our bullpen did a nice job. Grothues came in, got that double play. That was a big play — the 3-6-1 — that was a big momentum swing.”

Cholowsky, who also led the nation in wins-above-replacement with 6.36, according to D1Baseball, still collected two hits Friday.

Leadoff hitter Dean West was hit by a pitch three times by Bulldog pitchers, the last of which brought home a run to make it 9-2 in the bottom of the seventh.

Brennan hit a two-run home run in the eighth, while catcher Cashel Dugger also pulled a solo home run over the right-field wall for the Bruins’ 15th run.

UCLA advances to the winner’s bracket where it’ll face the winner of the UC Irvine-Arizona State game late Friday. The Bruins split midweek season series against both the Anteaters and the Sun Devils.

You only get one shot at a first impression — and for the Sparks, led by a first-year coach and a new superstar, Sunday marked the home crowd’s first glimpse of the new-look squad inside Crypto.com Arena.

With high aspirations, including a return to the playoffs, the Sparks faced an early litmus test in the Minnesota Lynx — a perennial contender and last year’s WNBA runner-up, led by one of the league’s elite talents in Napheesa Collier.

The Sparks showed they are clearly capable of competing for a playoff spot with their energetic and cohesive play, but their 89-75 loss to Minnesota also demonstrated they’re still behind the league’s elite teams.

In the first half, the Sparks (1-1) went toe-to-toe with the Lynx. They trailed 46-45 at halftime, an encouraging start for a team learning to gel under new leadership while facing a battle-tested opponent returning five starters from last year’s Finals run.

Dearica Hamby led the charge on the offensive glass, relentlessly converting at the free-throw line. She led the Sparks with 20 points and 10 rebounds for her second straight double-double.

Azurá Stevens was unshaken on catch-and-shoot looks, confidently letting it fly on her way to a team-high 21 points. Rickea Jackson added a physical presence, attacking defenders and establishing herself in the lane.

But by the start of the fourth quarter, the Sparks trailed by eight. They mounted a brief comeback, sparked by a Kelsey Plum steal that led to a transition layup, cutting the deficit to 80-75. A gritty defensive stand followed, with rookie Sarah Ashlee Barker and Collier hitting the deck for a loose ball, setting up another Sparks possession.

But missed opportunities on the offensive end allowed the Lynx (2-0) to regain momentum and push the lead to double digits — a margin that proved too much to overcome.

Already shorthanded, the Sparks suffered another blow when Jackson went down after a hard collision late in the third quarter. She remained on the floor for a few minutes before walking off with the help of trainers. Jackson watched the rest of the game from the bench.

Stevens was a much-needed contributor, showcasing the skills she worked on during the offseason, notably her improved three-point shooting. She scored 12 of the team’s first 17 points, making her first trio of three-point attempts to give the Sparks an early lead.

Defensively, Stevens drew the tough assignment of containing Collier, a matchup nightmare for the entire Sparks unit. Coming off a 34-point outing Friday that tied her career high, Collier scored 23 points.

The Sparks leaned heavily on Plum in their season-opening win Friday against Golden State, logging 40 minutes — a workload coach Lynne Roberts called “unsustainable.” To lighten the load, Roberts turned to Barker for critical minutes at the point.

While Barker wasn’t stellar offensively, she played 24 minutes and brought a much-needed jolt of defensive energy. Plum finished with 18 points and five assists.

It marked Barker’s first game at Crypto.com Arena — a milestone for the self-proclaimed “Mamba Mentality” disciple, stepping up for a depleted backcourt. With just four healthy guards available, the team continues to navigate Rae Burrell’s absence as she recovers from a knee injury that is expected to keep her out six to eight weeks.

The Chargers’ season opener in Sao Paulo, Brazil, will be the NFL’s first game streamed exclusively on YouTube, the league announced Tuesday, further expanding the NFL’s streaming footprint to include the ubiquitous free video platform.

Despite now having a home team and TV partner for the matchup, the Chargers’ opponent was the only piece of the NFL’s seven-game international slate that was not announced Tuesday. Front Office Sports reported the Chargers will face AFC West rival Kansas City on Sept. 5 at Arena Corinthians. The Chiefs have won seven consecutive games against the Chargers while becoming one of the league’s most popular TV draws.

Kansas City star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce were at the center of the NFL’s expanded streaming influence last year as the Chiefs played in the league’s Christmas Day takeover of Netflix. The doubleheader that also featured Houston playing Baltimore drew an average of 26.5 million viewers, which made them the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history. But the ratings lagged slightly behind recent linear broadcasts. In 2023, the NFL boasted its most-watched Christmas Day game since 1989 with the Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders drawing 29.2 million viewers on CBS.

Last season, the Chargers faced the Arizona Cardinals in a “Monday Night Football” game that was the first ESPN+ exclusive to not be included in the international series.

Played as the second game of a staggered doubleheader that featured a matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens, the Chargers’ loss to the Cardinals attracted less than 2 million viewers, according to NBC’s Pro Football Talk, which made it the least-watched NFL game since 2008.

Putting a star-studded division matchup at a neutral site on Friday of Week 1 would remove a marquee game from the Chargers’ SoFi Stadium slate. While local fans would miss the highly anticipated rivalry game, the Chargers will still host the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and NFC rookie of the year Jayden Daniels, the San Bernardino native who led the Washington Commanders to their first NFC championship game appearance since 1991 last season.

The home schedule also features AFC West counterparts Las Vegas and Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Minnesota. On the road, the Chargers will play their three AFC West rivals, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Dallas, the New York Giants and Miami.

The remainder of the schedule will be released Wednesday at 5 p.m. PDT.