sport

Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento is a major doubt for England’s World Cup campaign, with Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah poised to replace the full-back.

Livramento, 23, is understood to have sustained an injury during a training session on Sunday before England’s World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday night (21:00 BST).

While the Football Association is not commenting on the extent of Livramento’s injury, it is understood there are fears he could be out of action for up to four weeks.

Livramento’s involvement in the tournament had already been in doubt after he missed the final five weeks of the season with a thigh injury.

If, as is now expected, Livramento is ruled out of the tournament, Chelsea defender Chalobah is set to replace him – though he will not join up with the squad until after the Croatia match.

Outfield players who sustain a serious injury or illness can be replaced in a World Cup squad up to 24 hours before the team’s first match of the tournament gets under way.

Livramento, who was handed his international debut under Gareth Southgate in November 2024, has featured five times during Tuchel’s reign, starting twice.

He came on at half-time during England’s 1-0 warm-up win over New Zealand but was left on the bench against Costa Rica.

Reece James is Tuchel’s first choice at right-back but there are also question marks about his fitness, following another injury-plagued campaign.

The 26-year-old missed nine games for Chelsea at the end of the season because of a hamstring injury.

Other options who are already in the England squad include Djed Spence and Ezri Konsa.

Spence, who can play on both flanks, has featured six times under Tuchel while Konsa, predominantly a centre-back, has played 11 times, including nine starts.

Chalobah has not featured for England since June 2025 when he played the full 90 minutes in a friendly against Senegal, but was on the bench for multiple World Cup qualifiers under Tuchel.

Like Konsa, the 26-year-old’s preferred position is centre-back.

Dodgers defeat the Rays

From Liana Handler: Miguel Rojas had practiced his dance moves in the Dodgers dugout Monday, long before he hit the go-ahead home run. Before the game, he strutted around, at one point even grabbing Dalton Rushing, decked in full catcher’s gear, to get hyped.

Rojas, who pinch-hit for Alex Freeland in the bottom of the seventh and homered to center, was more measured as he crossed the plate without any antics. His veteran steadiness never indicated that he‘d hit a pinch-hit home run only one other time in his career.

“It feels pretty good,” Rojas said. “It’s always a new day, a new opportunity that you contribute to win a baseball game. It’s pretty special, especially with this group that we have right here and the kind of season that we’re having.”

The Dodgers’ 4-3 win over Tampa Bay rid them of their middling road performance. The team split a six-game trip, capped by a Sunday loss to the Chicago White Sox, before returning home.

No one found more immediate success than Kyle Tucker, who temporarily put his .227 batting average on the trip in the rearview mirror. For how long remains a question. Tucker’s season so far has looked more like a teenager testing out their driver’s license: stopping and starting and stopping again. Yet everything seemed to be working when the Dodgers (46-27) beat the Rays (41-28).

“I would love to come back and do it again and make it consistent every single day,” Tucker said. “I guess, if it works out for one at-bat, it’s not like I immediately figured it out and everything is fine now. The important thing is, just try to do it every single at-bat. And, over the course of time — It felt good and everything. I’ve just got to try to do it again tomorrow.”

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Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels lose to the Diamondbacks

Pavin Smith hit a tiebreaking, solo homer off the right-field foul pole, Ryne Nelson threw seven quality innings, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Angels 4-3 on Monday night.

Smith broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh when he launched his first homer in nearly a calendar year. The veteran first baseman — who came into the game with a .103 batting average — has spent most of this season on the injured list after surgery to remove bone chips in his left elbow.

Geraldo Perdomo added an RBI double later in the seventh that made it 4-2. Paul Sewald gave up a solo homer to Donovan Walton with two outs in the ninth but struck out Oswald Peraza to earn his 18th save in 19 chances.

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Angels box score

MLB standings

Iran ties New Zealand in emotional first game

From Iliana Limón Romero: The Iranian national team finally got to just play soccer.

Their journey to the World Cup has been uniquely fraught, with a war erupting between the host of their matches and their home country.

They had to relocate their base camp from Arizona to Tijuana, struggled to get all of their traveling party into the United States amid visa scrutiny and absorbed President Trump’s suggestion they may not be safe if they chose to play in the World Cup.

With the focus shifted solely to soccer, Iran rallied for a 2-2 draw with New Zealand in front of an announced crowd of 70,108 Monday night at SoFi Stadium. While overcoming so many obstacles could have felt like a win to Team Melli, they left frustrated by their fate on and off the field.

After Belgium and Egypt tied 1-1 earlier Monday, all the teams in Group G are tied at one point apiece. The scores made falling short of a win that much more painful.

“At the end, you’re not happy today because I think you deserve to win the game, but what actually is football sometimes? You cannot reach what you want,” Iran’s Ramin Rezaeian said. “But again, I have to thank my teammates, my friends, my people in Iran. They deserve more. I think we deserve more actually, so you have to see forward and to think about our next game.”

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Born in Brooklyn, raised in London, Folarin Balogun lights up the World Cup for the U.S.

Click here for complete TV schedule, groups and players to watch

Monday’s World Cup results

Group G
Belgium 1, Egypt 1
Iran 2, New Zealand 2

Group H
Spain 0, Cape Verde 0
Saudi Arabia 1, Uruguay 1

Today’s World Cup TV schedule

All times Pacific
Noon, France vs. Senegal, Fox, Telemundo
3 p.m., Iraq vs. Norway, Fox, Telemundo
6 p.m., Argentina vs. Algeria, Fox, Telemundo
9 p.m., Austria vs. Jordan, FS1, Telemundo

World Cup Group standings

Group A
Country, W-D-L, Goal Differential, Points
Mexico, 1-0-0, +2, 3
South Korea, 1-0-0, +1, 3
Czechia, 0-0-1, -1, 0
South Africa, 0-0-1, -2, 0

Group B
Switzerland, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Canada, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Qatar, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Bosnia-Herzegovina, 0-1-0, 0, 1

Group C
Scotland, 1-0-0, +1, 3
Morocco, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Brazil, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Haiti, 0-0-1, -1, 0

Group D
United States, 1-0-0, +3, 3
Australia, 1-0-0, +2, 3
Turkiye, 0-0-1, -2, 0
Paraguay, 0-0-1, -3, 0

Group E
Germany, 1-0-0, +6, 3
Ivory Coast, 1-0-0, +1, 3
Ecuador, 0-0-1, -1, 0
Curacao, 0-0-1, -6, 0

Group F
Sweden, 1-0-0. +4, 3
Japan, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Netherlands, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Tunisia, 0-0-1, -4, 0

Group G
Belgium, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Egypt, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Iran, 0-1-0, 0, 1
New Zealand, 0-1-0, 0, 1

Group H
Spain, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Cape Verde, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Saudi Arabia, 0-1-0, 0, 1
Uruguay, 0-1-0, 0, 1

No games played yet for the remaining groups

Group I
France
Senegal
Iraq
Norway

Group J
Argentina
Algeria
Austria
Jordan

Group K
Portugal
Congo DR
Uzbekistan
Colombia

Group L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama

Volunteer to work at the 2028 Olympics

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: With the largest Olympic and Paralympic Games in history approaching, LA28 announced Monday it will open volunteer applications on July 14, the two-year mark before the Olympics officially begin.

LA28 is searching for 60,000 volunteers to work during an Olympics that will feature more than 11,000 athletes across 15 days of competition. Volunteer responsibilities range from welcoming and guiding spectators and athletes, to specialized roles, including medical care and language translation. While the majority of Games-time volunteer opportunities are in the L.A. area, volunteers are needed for every Olympic venue city: Oklahoma City will host softball and canoe slalom events, and soccer preliminaries will be held in New York, Columbus, Ohio; Nashville; St. Louis; San José and San Diego.

Applicants can specify their preferred location, their special skills and whether they would like to volunteer for the Olympics or Paralympics.

Updates about the LA28 volunteer program are available at la28.org/volunteer, where potential volunteers can register their interest to automatically receive more information about the Games-time application process when it opens.

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Sparks offense disappears in loss

From Marisa Ingemi: Any of the good vibes the Sparks generated from their three-game win streak were dissipated Monday.

In their 78-58 defeat, the Sparks’ worst weaknesses were exposed: continued struggles on defense and a punchless offensive scheme with Kelsey Plum struggling to score. Their 58 points were the fewest they have scored all season and they shot a second-worst 33.3% from the floor.

It was the fewest points scored by the Sparks since they were held to 57 by the Connecticut Sun on Sept. 9, 2021.

“We weren’t very good,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said.

Golden State’s Kaila Charles and Gabby Williams kept Plum mostly in check, holding her to a season-low nine points after her career-high 43-point game in Phoenix on Saturday. Plum fouled out midway through the fourth quarter after being held to four points in the third quarter.

To make matters worse, Cameron Brink, who led the Sparks with 10 points, appeared to roll her left ankle in the waning minutes of the game and needed to be helped to the bench and then the locker room. Roberts said Brink’s injury was still being evaluated.

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Sparks box score

WNBA standings

This day in sports history

1927 — Tommy Armour wins the U.S. Open with a three-stroke victory over Harry Cooper in a playoff.

1946 — Lloyd Mangrum edges Byron Nelson and Vic Ghezzi to win the U.S. Open by one stroke in a 36-hole playoff.

1951 — Ben Hogan captures the U.S. Open for the second straight year with a two-stroke comeback victory over Clayton Heafner.

1956 — Cary Middlecoff wins the U.S. Open by one stroke over Ben Hogan and Julius Boros.

1968 — Lee Trevino becomes the first golfer to play all four rounds of the U.S. Open under par as he beats Jack Nicklaus by four strokes.

1974 — Hale Irwin beats Forrest Fezler by two strokes to win the U.S. Open. In what becomes known as the “Massacre at Winged Foot,” not a single player breaks par in the first round. Irwin’s 7-over 278 is the second-highest winning score since World War II — Julius Boros was 9-over in 1963.

1975 — NBA Milwaukee Bucks trade Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley to the Lakers for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman and Dave Meyers.

1985 — Andy North wins the U.S. Open by one stroke over Taiwan’s Tze-chung Chen, Canada’s Dave Barr and Zimbabwe’s Denis Watson.

1985 — Willie Banks of USA sets triple jump record (58 feet 11 inches) in Indianapolis.

1993 — Michael Jordan scores 55 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 111-105 victory and a 3-1 lead over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals.

1996 — 50th NBA Championship: Chicago Bulls beat Seattle Supersonics, 4 games to 2; the Bulls’ 4th title in 6 years.

1998 — The Detroit Red Wings become the first team to win consecutive Stanley Cups since Pittsburgh in 1992, completing a sweep of Washington with a 4-1 win behind two goals by Doug Brown. It’s the fourth straight NHL finals sweep, a first in major pro sports history.

1999 — Maurice Greene smashes the 100-meter world record at 9.79 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 9.84 set by Donovan Bailey at the 1996 Olympics.

2002 — A runaway winner again in the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods becomes the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1972 to capture the first two major championships of the year with a three-stroke victory at Bethpage (N.Y.) Black.

2006 — Tiger Woods returns from his longest layoff by making his earliest departure at a major, missing the cut in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time as a pro. Woods, with rounds of 76-76, misses the cut at the U.S. Open by three strokes.

2008 — Tiger Woods wins the U.S. Open in a 19-hole playoff over Rocco Mediate, his 14th career major.

2013 — Justin Rose captures his first major championship and becomes the first Englishman in 43 years to win the U.S. Open. Rose shoots a closing 70 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. for a 1-over 281 total and two-shot victory over Phil Mickelson and Jason Day.

2013 — Greg Biffle gives Ford a milestone victory with his second straight Sprint Cup win at Michigan International Speedway. It’s the 1,000th victory for Ford Motor Company across NASCAR’s three national series — Cup, Nationwide and Truck.

2015 — The Golden State Warriors win their first NBA championship since 1975, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97 in Game 6. Stephen Curry and Finals MVP Andre Iguodala each score 25 points for the Warriors, who won the final three games after Cleveland had taken a 2-1 lead.

2016 — LeBron James scores 41 points, Kyrie Irving adds 23 and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors 115-101 to even an unpredictable series and force a decisive Game 7.

2018 — Video Assist Referee (VAR) technology used for the first time in a World Cup soccer match.

2022 — NBA Finals: Golden State Warriors beat Boston Celtics, 103-90 for a 4-2 series win; Warriors’ 4th title in 8 years; MVP: Stephen Curry.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1916 — Tom Hughes of the Boston Braves pitched a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over Pittsburgh Pirates.

1938 — Jimmie Foxx didn’t get a chance to hit as the St. Louis Browns walked him six straight times. The Boston Red Sox won anyway, 12-8.

1953 — The St. Louis Browns beat New York 3-1 to break the Yankees’ 18-game winning streak and end their 14-game losing streak.

1957 — Relief pitcher Dixie Howell hit two home runs in the 3 2-3 innings he pitched to lead the Chicago White Sox to an 8-6 victory in the second game of a doubleheader against the Washington Senators.

1971 — The Oakland Athletics hit five solo home runs in a 5-1 win over the Washington Senators. Mike Epstein and Joe Rudi had a pair homers and Dave Duncan one. Epstein’s home runs came in his first two at-bats to give him homers in four straight at-bats over two games.

1978 — After three ninth-inning near misses, Tom Seaver threw the first no-hitter of his 12-year career as the Cincinnati Reds beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0.

1991 — Otis Nixon of Atlanta stole six bases against Montreal to set a modern National League record and tie the major league record set by Eddie Collins of the Philadelphia A’s in 1912. Montreal won the game 7-6.

1992 — Boston’s Mark Reardon became baseball’s all-time save leader when he closed out a 1-0 win over the New York Yankees. Reardon logged his 342nd save to pass Rollie Fingers.

1993 — Ken Griffey Jr. of the Seattle Mariners hits his 100th home run in Seattle’s 6-1 victory over Kansas City to become the fourth-youngest to hit the century mark. Only Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews and Tony Conigliaro did it faster than the 23-year-old Griffey.

2001 — John Olerud went 4-for-5 and hit for the cycle as Seattle beat the San Diego Padres 9-2. He hit a homer in the ninth to complete the cycle.

2009 — The San Diego Padres set a major league record with their 12th straight loss in interleague play when they fell 5-0 to Seattle.

2014 — Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, winner of eight National League batting titles, passes away from cancer of the salivary gland at 54.

2015 — Brock Holt became the first Boston player to hit for the cycle since 1996 and the Red Sox slugged their way out to a 9-4 victory over Atlanta.

2015 — Manny Machado and Chris Parmelee each hit two of an Orioles-record eight home runs, and Baltimore pounded woeful Philadelphia 19-3. The eight home runs were the most by the Orioles since their move from St. Louis in 1954.

2019 — An authentic Babe Ruth New York Yankees jersey from 1928-30 sets a record for a piece of baseball memorabilia as it sells for $5.64 million at auction.

2019 — The Padres and Rockies set a record for most combined runs in a four-game series with a total of 92, breaking the previous record of 88 set in 1929 between the Brooklyn Robins and Phillies.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

If fans all around the major leagues are sick and tired of the Dodgers, they have a funny way of showing it.

The Dodgers win too much and spend too much, so offensive to so many outside Los Angeles that the league shutting down next season has somehow become an acceptable outcome if the Dodgers cannot be stripped of their payroll advantage.

So, a pox on all their honors, right?

Apparently not. When Major League Baseball unveiled its initial batch of All-Star voting results Monday, four players from the team that so bothers the rest of America were in position to make the National League starting lineup.

Shohei Ohtani leads at designated hitter, Freddie Freeman at first base, Max Muncy at third base, and Andy Pages in the outfield.

“You look across the league, across baseball, and we have a lot of recognizable names,” Muncy said. “We have really talented players who have been playing really well this year.

“For a lot of us, the game has been speaking for us.”

Maybe not all four hold their leads in voting. Or maybe the Dodgers get more, as they seem to do in everything: Mookie Betts ranks second at shortstop, and Will Smith ranks second at catcher. Never has any team had six players start an All-Star Game.

In all the years Andrew Friedman has assembled super teams here, never have the Dodgers had four players start an All-star Game. That has happened once in franchise history, in 1980: infielders Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes and Bill Russell and outfielder Reggie Smith.

Love the Dodgers, or love to hate them, fans are voting for them.

“We’ve played well the last couple of years,” Freeman said. “We’re playing well again.

“A lot of eyes are on us. A lot of fans know all of us. And we’re playing good baseball.”

Mookie Betts, throwing to first base after forcing out Tampa Bay’s Austin Slater at second on Monday, is second in NL voting at shortstop.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

In olden times, voting was conducted largely on paper ballots distributed at the stadium. With digital ballots, you can vote from anywhere, to the delight of a team that has extended its fan base to Japan.

“There’s no question we have a very, very strong fan base, domestically and internationally,” Dodgers president Stan Kasten said. “There’s no question that’s an advantage.

“But, in every case this year, the players that are up there this year certainly deserve it. It just speaks to the quality of the players we have.”

But, sir, your team is ruining baseball. Haven’t you heard?

“Who ever said that?” Kasten said. “I’ve always said the opposite. I think we have been good for baseball, and I think everyone in baseball would agree.”

Said Freeman: “I think that’s just noise. We’re good for baseball. You just saw it in Chicago.”

The Chicago White Sox average 22,000. The Dodgers showed up over the weekend, and the White Sox sold out — all three games, at 38,000 per game.

“To say we’re bad for baseball,” Freeman said, “I think that’s what Doc would say is a lazy statement.”

Doc is Dave Roberts, the Dodgers’ manager. He laughed. He already branded popular critiques of the Dodgers as “lazy” once this season. He didn’t want to say it again.

But, if the Dodgers give people what they want to see, how can they be ruining the game?

“That’s a great point,” Roberts said. “I think people still love talent. They love the way our guys play. And they should be showcased in the midsummer classic.”

This year’s All-Star Game is in Philadelphia, home to the most passionate of fan bases. The Dodgers and Phillies each represent the National League, but can you imagine what the Phillies fans might have to say about four — or more — Dodgers introduced in the, er, home team lineup?

People love to hate the Dodgers. Philly fans love to hate, period.

“It would probably be a lot of fun,” Muncy said. “At the All-Star Game, you’re just there to celebrate the best players in baseball.

“Obviously, there will be boos and cheers for everybody. You’re just there to celebrate the talent, and not necessarily what team they’re playing for.”

If they’re playing for the Dodgers? Philly fans booed Santa Claus. Shohei Ohtani, you have been warned.

Stokes’ future as Test captain is uncertain with England head coach Brendon McCullum not offering any guarantees when he faced the media on Monday.

But Stokes has the full backing of Australian Campbell, who has been unimpressed at how his player has been treated since news of the incident in a London nightclub emerged last week.

“Ben knows he made a mistake and broke the curfew, but some of the reaction has been a little over,” Campbell added.

“I’m a bit old school, I like a beer after a game of cricket if you’ve got 10 days off but I’m not the coach, I don’t run that system.”

Stokes played two county games for Durham in the run-up to the New Zealand series and Campbell has already suggested he has a “75% chance” of featuring against Northants.

With his availability for the third Test at Trent Bridge, starting on 25 June, uncertain, the four-day Championship game could be Stokes’ last red-ball cricket before the Test series with Pakistan in mid-August.

“Ben is a competitor and he loves to play and he wants to play,” Campbell said. “He put his hand up and said he made a mistake.

“From what I’ve seen, he’s in good spirits, he’s back in training, working hard and the rest will take care of itself.”

To understand the gravitational pull toward golf, consider the sport as a sequence of problems. Aaron Singleton, a skilled player in the Dads Link Golf Club, is playing particularly well today at Palos Verdes Golf Course, having just hit two back-to-back birdies. But even on the shots that fly into a grassy oblivion, he smiles.

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“Golf is 18 different holes. 18 different chances to solve a problem,” he says. “Each hole presents a different problem. Each shot is a different problem.” According to Singleton, this wisdom that players inherit on the golf course — especially resilience and patience — translates to fatherhood.

Singleton, who has a 3-year-old son, is part of a growing group of fathers who participate in the Dads Link Golf Club. The club is part of the region’s golf boom; Southern California Golf Assn. is estimated to have one of the largest memberships in the country, with over 200,000 golfers.

Ian Davis, the founder of Dads Link and Golf Club, watches his drive.

Ian Davis is the founder of Los Angeles’ Dads Link Golf Club. Each month, he invites fathers to enjoy golf together to focus on fellowship, fatherhood and their well-being.

“This has grown in a way that I couldn’t have imagined,” says Davis, who works as a wellness coach with an emphasis in mindfulness and meditation. He started the club in 2023 on the East Coast before relocating it to Los Angeles in January 2024, where the club hosts an annual Father’s Day tournament and various golf clinics.

At the driving range, Davis leads the group through “a grounding practice” that involves stretching and deep breathing. Member Ose Akhile, a personal trainer, follows up with stretching and other warm-up exercises. For many of the men, golf has become a rediscovered hobby. Singleton returned to the sport after playing it as a teenager. “I’m looking forward to getting better,” he says.

Club member Darius Ingram, father of 3-year-old daughter, says that reconnecting with the game has allowed him to prioritize his own well-being.

“I used to play golf recreationally. Now, I do it for mental stability,” he says.

Ian Davis greets Ose Akhile as Darius Ingram stands nearby.

Ian Monteilh, who is new to the group and has two daughters ages 11 and 15, says the outing provides camaraderie that was missing from his life.

“It’s a community that I didn’t have. I’m blessed to be around like-minded men with no pressure,” he says. “Even if we’re having a rough day on a golf course, there’s camaraderie.”

Once considered a predominantly white sport, golf is now being reshaped by a new generation of Black players and other players of color, including many of the fathers in Dads Link Golf Club. In 2024, 25% of golfers across courses nationally were Black, Asian and Latino, marking the most diverse era in the sport’s history, according to the National Golf Foundation.

“It’s a lot less pretentious — more diverse, more access for all different types of people,” says Ingram, who noticed a shift in golfing culture in recent years. Despite Tiger Woods’ storied career as one of the sport’s most impactful athletes, Black men remain underrepresented in top tournaments.

Darius Ingram reacts to barely missing a putt on the 18th green as Ian Davis watches.

Ingram partly attributes Black men’s interest in golf to renewed interest from other professional athletes. Star athletes like Michael Jordan and Steph Curry — who also happen to be dads — are skilled golfers.

“There are a lot of people who play their main sport, and they play golf when they retire,” says Ingram.

Ose Akhile smiles before teeing off.

Rappers like Schoolboy Q and DJ Khalid have also become interested in the sport, adding to its cachet.

The benefits of the groups are apparent, explains Akhile, who has three daughters, ages 6, 7 and 9.

“I’m outside — fresh air, sunshine, a break for my family. I get to decompress,” he says. Describing himself as a “Caribbean baby,” he explains that the ocean waves have a hypnotic effect on him. As the golfers move along the Palos Verdes course, the ocean stretches beyond them.

“Nature helps a lot with stress relief. There’s a lot of green grass and quiet out here. I love my child, but it’s hard to hear her yell, ‘Dad!’ every three seconds,” says Singleton. During the game, he stays calm while a squirrel approaches him. “Me and nature are one with each other,” he says. Behind him, a baby coyote prances into the fog.

Singleton adds that in the chaos of fatherhood, friendships occasionally fall to the wayside.

“There’s so much to do. Everyone separated. It’s beneficial to have a group text, a fellowship like this, where you can hear someone going through the same thing as you,” Singleton says.

Akhile agrees. “These are probably the only guys that understand the day-to-day stressors and pressures of my life,” he says.

Ose Akhile, Darius Ingram, Ian Monteilh, Ian Davis, Aaron Singleton and other Dads Link and Golf members have breakfast together.

After finishing nine holes, the men enjoy breakfast burritos. They joke that they will begin ranking the golf courses in the L.A. area by the quality of their breakfast burritos. Meanwhile, Davis leads the group through a conversation about fatherhood. Each month he chooses one dad to be the focus. This morning that’s Ingram. He speaks on being a father and how it relates to golf.

“I’m not as good as I want to be, so there’s frustration there,” Ingram says, referring to the challenges of parenting. He adds that to “right things” he doesn’t like about himself, he focuses on how his efforts could result in his daughter becoming a better version of him. The men offer encouragement as birds circle above. The sun pierces through the fog.

Monteilh looks up and jokes: “The only birdies I saw today were in the sky.”

The World Cup on Tuesday features tournament heavyweights Argentina and France, who are beginning their campaigns.

France, the 2018 World Cup winners, take on Senegal in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in a repeat of their famous opener in the 2002 edition while Lionel Messi’s reigning champions Argentina face Algeria in Kansas City, Missouri. In Tuesday’s other matches, Norway return to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years against Iraq, and Austria meet Jordan in the day’s final fixture.

Away from the games, Cape Verde are still celebrating their historic draw with Spain while Iraq’s return to the tournament has sparked both happiness and frustration among their supporters.

Here’s what to watch on Day 6 of the World Cup:

What is the schedule for Tuesday?

Four more teams begin their campaigns on Tuesday.

France vs Senegal at New York New Jersey Stadium is scheduled to kick off at 3pm (19:00 GMT).

Later, Norway return to the World Cup for the first time since 1998 when they take on Iraq at Boston Stadium in Massachusetts with kickoff at 6pm (22:00 GMT).

And Argentina will also play against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium at 8pm (01:00 GMT on Wednesday) before Austria meet Jordan at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in California at 9pm (04:00 GMT on Wednesday).

What are the predictions for France vs Senegal?

France head into the tournament as one of the favourites, sitting third in FIFA’s world rankings. But African powerhouse Senegal, ranked 16th, are expected to provide a stern early test in their opening match.

The teams’ only previous World Cup meeting came in the opening match of the 2002 tournament when tournament debutants Senegal stunned defending champions France 1-0. Papa Bouba Diop’s memorable winner sparked celebrations across Dakar, and then-President Abdoulaye Wade declared a national holiday. Senegal went on to reach the quarterfinals while France exited without winning a game.

Opta’s supercomputer still gives France a clear edge at New York New Jersey Stadium, assigning Les Bleus a 64.8 percent chance of victory. Senegal’s chances of pulling off another upset stand at 14.9 percent while the probability of a draw is put at 20.3 percent.

What are the predictions for Iraq vs Norway?

Tuesday’s Group I clash will be the first meeting between Iraq and Norway, and it will be the Nordic country’s first World Cup match against a team from the Asian Football Confederation.

Norway have relished their return to the World Cup after a long hiatus from the tournament. Fans have drawn attention with their synchronised “Viking row” celebrations while Erling Haaland shared a Viking-themed team photo on social media, describing the tournament as “a dream 28 years in the making”. Led by Haaland and Martin Odegaard, the Norwegians arrive with high hopes.

Opta’s supercomputer expects Norway to start strongly, giving them a 77.4 percent chance of victory. A draw is rated at 14 percent while Iraq have an 8.6 percent chance of pulling off an upset.

What are the predictions for Argentina vs Algeria?

Argentina and Algeria have never faced each other at the World Cup although they did meet in a friendly in 2007 when Argentina came from behind to secure a thrilling 4-3 win at Barcelona’s Camp Nou. A teenager by the name of Lionel Messi scored the first two goals of his international career that day.

History also favours the South Americans. Argentina have won each of their last six World Cup matches against African opponents, rebounding from their shock 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in 1990. Algeria, meanwhile, have enjoyed mixed fortunes against South American sides at the tournament, beating Chile in 1982 before losing to Brazil four years later.

Opta’s supercomputer expects Argentina to make a winning start in Group J. After 25,000 simulations, Lionel Scaloni’s side emerged victorious 68.2 percent of the time. Algeria were given a 13.2 percent chance of causing an upset while a draw was the outcome in 18.6 percent of the projections.

What are the predictions for Austria vs Jordan?

Austria enter the match as the clear favourites on paper. Ranked 25th in the world, they sit 39 places above Jordan, who are 64th in FIFA’s standings, and the Europeans are widely expected to challenge for a place in the knockout rounds.

Opta’s supercomputer strongly backs Austria to open their campaign with a victory in San Francisco, giving them a 70.3 percent chance of taking all three points. Jordan have been assigned a 12.9 percent probability of pulling off an upset while the likelihood of a draw stands at 16.9 percent.

Looking beyond this match, Austria are considered Argentina’s main challengers in Group J. They have an 18 percent chance of finishing top of the group, compared with just 2.9 percent for Jordan.

What else is shaping the World Cup?

Cape Verde celebrate historic point

Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw with Spain led to wild celebrations among fans, including in Boston, home to a large Cape Verdean community. Supporters said they were proud to see their country shine on the World Cup stage.

“Everyone thought Spain would beat us,” one fan said. “We’re a small country, but we have a big heart.”

According to a report on the NBC TV network, goalkeeper Vozinha also became an overnight social media sensation with his Instagram following soaring after the game. NBC said the goalkeeper went from 50,000 followers on Instagram to 4.9 million.

Saudi Arabia deny Uruguay victory

Saudi Arabia looked set for another famous World Cup upset after Abdulelah Alamri gave the Green Falcons the lead against Uruguay, four years on from their shock win over Argentina.

But Uruguay’s Maximiliano Araujo struck 10 minutes from time to earn Uruguay a 1-1 draw. Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais then made several key saves to preserve the point, leaving Group H finely balanced after the opening round of matches.

Tunisia sack coach after heavy defeat

Tunisia have dismissed Sabri Lamouchi after their 5-1 loss to Sweden in their World Cup opener. Mondher Kebaier is set to take over on an interim basis as Tunisia try to revive their campaign before matches against Japan and the Netherlands.

Meet Merlin, Mexico’s unlikely mascot

A duck named Merlin became one of the World Cup’s first viral stars after appearing in Mexico City celebrations dressed in the national team’s colours. Fans on social media called the two-year-old a “national treasure” and even called for him to attend matches as the tournament’s unofficial mascot.

Norway embrace their Viking roots

Norway have brought Viking fever to the tournament. Fans have debuted a synchronised “Viking row” celebration in the stands while the team posed for a Viking-themed photoshoot that sparked both excitement and debate back home. The images, shared by Erling Haaland, have become one of the tournament’s early talking points.

FIFA clears VAR official Shaun Evans

FIFA said it found “no evidence” to support allegations that video assistant referee Shaun Evans breached its disciplinary code after he was accused of making a white supremacist hand gesture during Germany’s World Cup opener against Curacao. Evans, an Australian, said the gesture was an involuntary movement and denied any intent to communicate a racist message.

For many Iraqis, qualifying for the World Cup has brought a rare moment of joy after decades of conflict and hardship.

Fans said the team’s return to football’s biggest stage after more than 40 years offers people a chance to unite and move away, even briefly, from the tensions in the region.

“We haven’t felt this happy in a long time,” Ahmed Salman, an Iraqi fan, told Al Jazeera.

“This is a chance for people to come together and move away from the atmosphere of war, especially given the tense situation in the region.”

But the celebrations have also been mixed with frustration over restrictions that some said have prevented Iraqi supporters from attending the tournament in the United States.

“Banning the fans is a very negative step because sports have nothing to do with politics,” Salman said. “People are coming to celebrate.”

Another Iraq supporter described the emotions as bittersweet.

“As Iraqis, after more than 40 years, we have qualified for the World Cup,” Taha Mohamed said. “It brings a feeling of joy and comfort, … but regarding the fans, it is frustrating.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Any of the good vibes the Sparks generated from their three-game win streak were dissipated Monday.

In their 78-58 defeat, the Sparks’ worst weaknesses were exposed: continued struggles on defense and a punchless offensive scheme with Kelsey Plum struggling to score. Their 58 points were the fewest they have scored all season and they shot a second-worst 33.3% from the floor.

It was the fewest points scored by the Sparks since they were held to 57 by the Connecticut Sun on Sept. 9, 2021.

“We weren’t very good,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said.

The Sparks (7-7) were coming off victories against Portland and at Seattle and Phoenix but had no answers for the Valkyries’ smothering defense. They were notably unhappy with their effort.

“They played harder,” Roberts said of the Valkyries.

Golden State’s Kaila Charles and Gabby Williams kept Plum mostly in check, holding her to a season-low nine points after her career-high 43-point game in Phoenix on Saturday. Plum fouled out midway through the fourth quarter after being held to four points in the third quarter.

It was only the second time Plum fouled out of a WNBA game, and her first with the Sparks.

“We were down 12 or 13 and had to roll the dice,” Roberts said of keeping Plum in the game with five fouls in the fourth quarter. “It’s not like time was on our side.”

Plum shot three for 10, tied for her fewest attempts in a game this season. The only other time she was held to single-digit points with the Sparks was in another road game at Golden State last season.

In her last four games against the Valkyries, Plum is 17 for 57 from the field.

“We were throwing her different coverages, different looks, but again, just give credit to Gabby and [Veronica Burton],” said Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase about shutting down Plum. “They were taking that matchup.”

To make matters worse, Cameron Brink, who led the Sparks with 10 points, appeared to roll her left ankle in the waning minutes of the game and needed to be helped to the bench and then the locker room. Roberts said Brink’s injury was still being evaluated.

The Valkyries (9-5) ended the first quarter on a 17-4 run to lead 25-10. The Sparks went the final 3:45 without scoring. They made just three first-quarter baskets.

The Sparks cut the deficit to nine midway through the second quarter after a 16-6 run, powered by eight points from Brink off the bench.

But the Sparks’ defense couldn’t keep up with a Valkyries squad that shot 51.5% in the half. The Sparks trailed 45-26 at halftime after two Plum shots were blocked. Golden State scored the next 12 points and led by as much as 24.

Brink’s third-quarter entry gave the Sparks some life again as they narrowed it to a 13-point game.

The Sparks shot three for 21 from three-point range for their second-worst night from behind the arc this season. They committed 15 turnovers that turned into 22 Golden State points.

Along with Plum’s foul trouble, starting point guard Erica Wheeler finished with five fouls. In her return to Golden State, Sparks development player Kate Martin was the lone player with a positive plus/minus at plus-two in the ninth of her 12 allotted games.

The Sparks actually held the Valkyries to their third fewest points in a game this season, but they simply fell in too big of a hole early to recover.

“That is a hell of a team over there, in terms of offensive ammo,” Nakase said. “So holding them to 58, like that was a pretty good accomplishment.”

The Sparks return home to face the first-place Minnesota Lynx (11-3) on Wednesday before another tough matchup with New York. After what looked like a successful road trip, the Sparks will need to recover from another poor game.

“Defense is a choice, and you know, we came out casual in the first quarter,” Roberts said. “We were down 15, and we were playing catchup the whole time. To me, that’s the story.”

PHOENIX — Pavin Smith hit a tiebreaking, solo homer off the right-field foul pole, Ryne Nelson threw seven quality innings, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Angels 4-3 on Monday night.

Smith broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh when he launched his first homer in nearly a calendar year. The veteran first baseman — who came into the game with a .103 batting average — has spent most of this season on the injured list after surgery to remove bone chips in his left elbow.

Geraldo Perdomo added an RBI double later in the seventh that made it 4-2. Paul Sewald gave up a solo homer to Donovan Walton with two outs in the ninth but struck out Oswald Peraza to earn his 18th save in 19 chances.

Nelson (3-5) gave up two runs, scattering nine hits and striking out five. The right-hander has thrown at least seven innings in five of his last seven starts.

Angels slugger Mike Trout hit his 16th homer, an opposite-field shot, to tie the score 2-2 in the fifth. It was the three-time MVP’s 420th career home run.

Walbert Ureña (4-5) threw seven innings for the Angels, giving up four runs (three earned).

The Angels (29-44) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on Jo Adell’s double down the right-field line that brought home Trout. The Diamondbacks (37-35) tied it in the bottom half on Gabriel Moreno’s single.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returned to Arizona’s lineup after missing roughly three weeks because of a strained left hamstring. He had an RBI single in the fourth.

Up next: The Diamondbacks throw RHP Merrill Kelly (5-5, 5.46 ERA), while the Angels counter with LHP Reid Detmers (2-5, 4.00) on Tuesday.

Head coach Danny Rohl’s exit from Rangers, to be replaced with Heart of Midlothian’s Derek McInnes, appears to move closer as Barney Stewart is reportedly poised to be sold by Falkirk to West Bromwich Albion.

Contracts have been agreed for head coach Danny Rohl’s switch from Rangers to RB Salzburg and for Hearts’ Derek McInnes to arrive at Ibrox as his replacement, but talks are continuing about the German’s desire to take his backroom team with him. (Scottish Sun), external

Rangers are set to receive a £2m compensation fee when head coach Danny Rohl’s switch to RB Salzburg is completed. (The National), external

Senior Hearts officials will interview candidates this week as they prepare for head coach Derek McInnes’ departure for Rangers after compiling a shortlist and hope to make an appointment within 10 days. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Hearts officials have already held informal talks with head coach candidates from Britain and abroad as they prepare to appoint a new head coach ahead of the first-team reporting back to the Oriam on 25 June before flying out to Spain for a warm-weather training camp. (Hearts Standard), external

Motherwell are down to the final three candidates for their new manager and Gonçalo Feio, who took over at Tondela in March before their relegation from the Portuguese top flight, is among them but also has options in Portugal, Poland and Scandinavia. (Ben Jacobs on X), external

Former Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has agreed a deal to become Feyenoord head coach for a second time after leaving his role as Liverpool assistant. (Fabrizio Romano on X), external

Bayer Leverkusen have made fresh contact with Rangers amid interest in centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez, but there is significant other interest in the 24-year-old for whom the Ibrox club want at least £25m. (TeamTalk), external

Bailey Rice has agreed a new contract with Rangers and will put pen to paper later this week despite interest from Ajax, Schalke, Leeds United, Nottingham Forrest and West Ham United in the 19-year-old midfielder. (Daily Record), external

West Bromwich Albion are close to finalising the seven-figure signing of 22-year-old striker Barney Stewart from Falkirk. (Daily Record), external

Miguel Rojas had practiced his dance moves in the Dodgers dugout Monday, long before he hit the go-ahead home run. Before the game, he strutted around, at one point even grabbing Dalton Rushing, decked in full catcher’s gear, to get hyped.

Rojas, who pinch-hit for Alex Freeland in the bottom of the seventh and homered to center, was more measured as he crossed the plate without any antics. His veteran steadiness never indicated that he‘d hit a pinch-hit home run only one other time in his career.

The Dodgers’ 4-3 win over Tampa Bay rid them of their middling road performance. The team split a six-game trip, capped by a Sunday loss to the Chicago White Sox, before returning home.

No one found more immediate success than Kyle Tucker, who temporarily put his .227 batting average on the trip in the rearview mirror. For how long remains a question. Tucker’s season so far has looked more like a teenager testing out their driver’s license: stopping and starting and stopping again. Yet everything seemed to be working when the Dodgers (46-27) beat the Rays (41-28).

Of the five Dodgers who’ve played at least 60 games, Tucker has the lowest batting average (.238). Still, he battled in an eight-pitch duel in the second inning before taking a changeup 384 feet over the wall in right-center. His home run tied the score at three apiece, and Tucker wasn’t finished.

The next inning, the Rays’ Ben Williamson hit a two-out single to Tucker in right field, and Tampa’s Jonathan Aranda darted around third toward home. Tucker lasered a ball to Rushing, who tagged Aranda out on the slide.

Miguel Rojas acknowledges the bullpen after homering in the seventh inning.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

The defensive play helped buoy an otherwise precarious start by pitcher Eric Lauer. The left-hander had been undefeated in three starts with the Dodgers, a large departure from the 1-5 record he had with the Toronto Blue Jays. After starting his year with a 6.69 ERA, Lauer had dropped it to 2.76 with the Dodgers.

But inconsistencies plagued Lauer’s start, ranging from the three earned runs he gave up in the first two innings to a pitch clock violation in the fourth. While Lauer eventually settled, the command of his fastball remained absent. He normally crosses the strike zone with 53.7% accuracy on his fastball, getting batters to chase about 37% of the time. In the series opener, Lauer threw his four-seamer in the zone only 42% of the time, cutting his chase rate to 23%.

In other words, the best pitch in Lauer’s arsenal became one of his worst, and the Rays took advantage. Junior Caminero doubled in the first inning, and Ryan Vilade followed with a home run on a cutter, silencing a sold-out Dodger Stadium before the game could even heat up. The Rays tacked on another run on a safety squeeze, taking the lead until Tucker’s home run. Lauer finished after six innings, giving up the three earned runs on six hits and three walks, striking out four.

Tampa Bay starter Nick Martinez fared about as well. The right-hander lasted 5-1/3 innings of three-run baseball, striking out six and walking one.

While there was movement on the bases for both starters, the game lulled until the seventh. A couple of feet separated Rushing’s foul ball from a home run. Reliever Steven Matz didn’t get so lucky with Rojas, who delivered his first homer since April 20.

The Iranian national team finally got to just play soccer.

Their journey to the World Cup has been uniquely fraught, with a war erupting between the host of their matches and their home country.

They had to relocate their base camp from Arizona to Tijuana, struggled to get all of their traveling party into the United States amid visa scrutiny and absorbed President Trump’s suggestion they may not be safe if they chose to play in the World Cup.

Iran forward Mohammad Mohebi (8) heads the ball for a goal during the second half against New Zealand in group play at the World Cup on Monday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

With the focus shifted solely to soccer, Iran’s 2-2 draw with New Zealand in front of an announced crowd of 70,108 Monday night at SoFi Stadium may have felt like a victory because of the sheer fight it took for Team Melli to play in Inglewood.

After Belgium and Egypt tied 1-1 earlier Monday, all the teams in Group G are tied at one point apiece.

The All Whites showed no signs they were rattled by the pro-Iran crowd or their standing 65 slots behind Iran in FIFA world rankings.

Iran fell behind twice, but the team rallied to avoid plummeting to the bottom of its group.

A flurry of chances generated by both teams during stoppage time never translated into a winning goal.

New Zealand struck first.

New Zealand forward Elijah Just, right, celebrates after scoring his second goal against Iran on Monday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Elijah Just rumbled toward the box and seemed to pinball around the Iranian defense. He passed to Sarpreet Singh, who chipped the ball to Chris Wood in the box. Wood then chested the ball back to Just, who took one touch before kicking the ball in for New Zealand’s first goal in the seventh minute.

A small but hearty contingent of New Zealand cheered.

After the hydration break, Iran’s Ramin Rezaeian pushed the ball into the box and tapped it to Saman Ghoddos. Shahriyar Moghanlou’s shot was blocked, but Rezaeian was in position to tap the deflection into the far lower left corner of the net in the 32nd minute.

The stadium roared as Mexico fans joined Iran fans cheering and waving flags.

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1. Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand watches the ball go into the net after a goal by New Zealand forward Elijah Just in the first half. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 2. Iran defender Milad Mohammadi leaps over a New Zealand defender during the second half. (Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times) 3. New Zealand defender Finn Surman, top, goes after the ball in front of Iran forward Ali Alipour during the second half. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 4. Iranian soccer team fans show their support during the team’s 2-2 draw with New Zealand. (Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)

Both teams has chances to break the tie late in the first half.

New Zealand earned a free kick in the 45th minute just outside the box. Wood took a direct shot at the goal, but Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand gathered it with ease.

During first-half stoppage time, Rezaeian’s free kick was headed home by Ali Nemati, but Nemati was clearly offsides and the goal was waived off by the referees.

In the 54th minute, Iran turned the ball over and Just connected with Just for his second goal of the match.

Iran responded in the 64th minute with Rezaeian’s cross headed home by Mohammad Mohebi, tying the game and delighting fans.

Iran forward Mohammad Mohebi reacts after scoring against New Zealand in the second half Monday.

(Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)

Before the game, protesters outside SoFi Stadium argued Iran’s oppression regime should be sanctioned for human rights violations and banned from competition. Other Iranian Americans countered they gathered at the venue to cheer on players rather than Iran’s totalitarian leaders.

Iran captain and star striker Mehdi Taremi said before the game he hoped the team that has unified in the face of massive distractions could provide solace during a difficult time.

“We, the players of the national team, we play for every Iranian, be it the Iranian diaspora or be it Iranians in the country,” Taremi said through a FIFA interpreter. “Look, in every country, people have different opinions, but we are here as footballers to unite people, and we will try to bring joy to all Iranians, irrespective of where they live.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and we respect them, but we are here to bring joy to the Iranian people. We do not get involved in politics. We are here to play football.”

From his hometown of Sao Vicente in Cape Verde, Vozinha has been his jersey name throughout his club career.

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha broke down in tears at the end of the 0-0 draw with Spain after the 40-year-old was mobbed by his teammates following a stunning display as he denied the European champions victory in their World Cup opener.

Cape Verde were pinned back in their own half for much of Monday’s game, but whenever Spain broke through their dogged rearguard, Vozinha came to the rescue.

His heroics earned him the player of the match, pulling off a string of saves at the end of the first half to deny Ferran Torres, Pedri and Aymeric Laporte.

Here’s everything we know about the Cape Verde goalkeeper:

Where does Vozinha play?

Vozinha goalkeeps for Chaves in Portugal’s second-tier football league.

The World Cup is by far the biggest stage he has reached, but Vozinha began his club career at home with Batuque FC, before transferring to CS Mindelense.

The veteran player’s experience comes from the myriad clubs he has represented – from Progresso in Angola to Zimbru Chisinau in Moldova, Gil Vicente in Portugal, AEL Limassol in Cyprus and AS Trencin in Slovakia, before arriving at Chaves.

Is Vozinha his real name?

No, Vozinha is a moniker for Josimar Jose Evora Dias. It came from his grandparents, whom he spent most of his time with as his father was in the military and his mother was working. The name checks out, since it means “little granny” in Portuguese.

From his hometown of Sao Vicente in Cape Verde, Vozinha has been his jersey name throughout the nomadic club pilgrimage across Africa and Europe.

“When I arrived in Angola, there was another goalkeeper named Josimar, and I said, ‘I am not going to put Josimar II on the shirt’. If everyone knew me as Vozinha in Cape Verde, that’s what I would be,” he told FIFA in an interview earlier this year.

What did Vozinha say after the match?

The Cape Verde keeper was reduced to tears by his heroics and fairytale World Cup debut.

“Very proud… It is an honour for me to represent my country,” Vozinha told reporters of his island nation, the third smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup.

“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and, unfortunately, they were not here; they died a few years before, and they did everything for me and my life,” he added.

“Also, my mum, she didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. The money for the visa, we didn’t manage on time, and I would like her to be here.”

Is Vozinha world-famous now?

Yes, on all counts.

The goalkeeper’s Instagram following jumped from a modest 500,000 to nearly 5 million within a few hours of full-time in the Spain match.

His quiet brilliance was spotlighted on the world’s biggest stage for all to see.

French football star Paul Pogba took to social media after the match in praise of Vozinha.

“The Cape Verde goalkeeper is really something, waaaaw,” he wrote.

SAN FRANCISCO — The toughest decision of the Sparks’ season to date is fast approaching.

Within the next few games, the team will have to decide whether they are going to keep fan-favorite Kate Martin around.

She joined the roster on a developmental contract at the start of the season after being waived by the Golden State Valkyries the day of roster releases. Developmental contracts were introduced this year as part of the league’s new collective bargaining agreement.

Each team can carry up to two players on developmental deals. Those players are allowed to practice and travel with the team, but they can only be active for a maximum of 12 games during the season.

The Sparks’ Kate Martin shoots over the Fire’s Nyadiew Puoch at Crypto.com Arena on June 7.

(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)

Typically, developmental players are used as emergency depth, stepping into the lineup only when injuries create a short-term need. That hasn’t been the case for Martin, who has been active for eight of the Sparks’ first 13 games, making her a regular part of the team’s plans.

“I’ve been activated for quite a few games and that is a blessing,” Martin said. “I feel very grateful to have been activated for so many games so far, but I think just like not knowing until like game day, trying to figure out, like, ‘Oh, am I going to be activated, am I not?’ I think that’s probably the biggest difference, but you know, they don’t treat me any differently.”

When given the opportunity, Martin has brought energy and impact off the bench. She is shooting 47.4% from the field and taking 1.6 shots from three-point range per game despite playing just 7.4 minutes. Martin often receives the loudest cheers from fans during home games.

She delivered her strongest offensive performance in a loss to the Tempo on May 17, scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, but since then she has been used as a first-half rotation player to rest the Sparks guards as a reliable shooter and defender.

Even with the Sparks at full strength against the Portland Fire last week, Martin still earned eight minutes of play. Then she played four minutes in Saturday’s overtime win against Phoenix.

“We’re figuring it out in real time,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “These are new positions, and so each player only gets 12 games, but Kate does have experience. She is a spark off the bench. Everyone out there trusts her. There’s value to that. It’s hard, though, as a [developmental] player, to play one game and not play the next, and like it’s just hard for the rest of the group. So that part’s been tricky, and we’re figuring it out as we go.”

With seven active appearances already used, Martin has just four games remaining under the terms of her developmental contract. The Sparks must either preserve those appearances for later in the season or make a long-term commitment by signing her to a standard contract or she will become a free agent again.

The challenge is that Los Angeles does not currently have an open roster spot, meaning the team would need to waive a player to make room.

The Sparks’ Dearica Hamby and Kate Martin chest bump to celebrate after scoring against the Dallas Wings at Crypto.com Arena on June 5.

(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)

Rookies Jihyun Park and 2026 second-round draft pick Ta’Niya Latson have both appeared in fewer games than Martin, as have veteran Emma Cannon and second-year forward Sania Feagin, who was injured earlier this season but hasn’t claimed a rotation spot since her return.

Martin was a regular part of the rotation with the Valkyries in her one season with the franchise, playing in 42 games and averaging 6.2 points per game and 31% shooting from three-point range. She was inconsistent at times, but also provided a spark off the bench and it was a surprise when they cut her.

After an emotional few days after being waived, Martin joined the Sparks, where she was excited for the opportunity to develop. Now, she sees herself as a fit beyond the 12-game limit.

“The system that we want to run at a very fast pace,” Martin said. “Spread the floor and shoot a lot of threes, and I think that I am good at spacing the floor, and I think that what they want to run here offensively benefits my game in a lot of ways, and I think I fit kind of seamlessly in that way.”

Maxi Araujo scored a late equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw for Uruguay in their World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia, preventing another stunning upset in Group H after Spain’s earlier goalless draw with Cape Verde.

The Saudis famously beat Argentina 2-1 in their 2022 tournament opener, and they looked on course for another shock, courtesy of Abdulelah Alamri’s 41st-minute strike, until winger Araujo stepped up 10 minutes from time at Miami Stadium on Monday.

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa certainly viewed it as a missed opportunity after European champions Spain dropped two points earlier in the day.

“An opponent we should have beaten; we gave away minutes in the first half that suggest we didn’t do things right,” he said. “We had to win this match.”

The Green Falcons ultimately had goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais to thank for their point, which will give them confidence they can progress to the knockout stage for the first time since the United States last hosted the World Cup in 1994.

“We were very tired at the end, but to play this type of game with this opponent, and to get a point, it’s a positive for us,” said Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis.

“I like the spirit and the passion of my players, but I think we have the quality to play better.”

Uruguay, World Cup winners in 1930 and 1950, started the match with the swagger of favourites, and in the fifth minute, left winger Araujo turned on the edge of the box and angled a shot at goal, which Alowais parried away.

But barring a Federico Vinas diving header on the half-hour mark, which Alowais also pushed away, the Uruguayans lacked accuracy going forward and often looked a bit casual at the back.

Donis had promised his side would be courageous, and their attack sparked into life in the 36th minute, when left-back Moteb Alharbi skipped through the midfield before being cynically cut down 30 metres (about 30 yards) from goal.

Alamri had a shot from the centre of the box well saved by Fernando Muslera two minutes later, but the Uruguay goalkeeper was powerless to prevent the Saudis from going ahead soon afterwards.

Mohamed Kanno got on the end of a Musab Aljuwayr corner, and although Muslera managed to save his powerful header, Alamri was on hand to tap the ball into the net.

Bielsa made two changes at the break, and Uruguay’s game plan immediately looked more coherent – getting players down the flank to put crosses into the box and producing a string of headers for Alowais to deal with.

Defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte came within inches of an equaliser when he beat the Saudi keeper in the 60th minute, only for his drilled shot to bounce off the far post.

Vinas had been Uruguay’s best aerial threat all game, and it was no surprise that the breakthrough came from one of his headers 10 minutes from full-time.

Alowais again denied the target man, but the ball fell straight to Araujo, who did well to control it and clip it into the net at the near post.

Uruguay poured forward, looking for a winner in a frenetic finish; Federico Valverde and Jose Maria Gimenez coming closest with rasping shots from either side of the box, which Alowais did well to push past his posts.

“I think the nerves of the debut worked against us, as did the need to go out and score,” said Vinas.

“In the second half, we did a bit more of what the manager wanted. I’m frustrated and angry, but as captain, I’m happy with my teammates’ work.”

A weekend BASE jumping accident in a Utah canyon killed two people, one of them a daredevil athlete best known for performing onstage with Madonna at the 2012 Super Bowl, authorities said.

The Sheriff’s Office in Grand County, Utah, confirmed one of the dead was Andy Lewis, an extreme athlete known for feats in BASE jumping, a dangerous sport that involves parachuting to the ground after jumping from a tall fixed object such as a building, a bridge or a desert cliff overlooking a deep canyon.

In BASE jumping circles, Lewis had a huge following and a reputation for pushing the envelope — leaping into tighter spaces or deploying his parachute later than his peers would dare, said John McEvoy, a BASE jumping instructor in Twin Falls, Idaho, who has jumped with Lewis.

“He had an incredible level of athleticism and skill that was developed over years of practice,” McEvoy said. “But then he would take an incredible amount of risk.”

Lewis’ other sport made him an overnight celebrity, thanks to Madonna

Lewis was also a prominent figure in the niche sports of slacklining and tricklining, which combine elements of high-wire walking with aerial acrobatics — sometimes at perilous heights.

Lewis went from obscure athlete to overnight celebrity when he appeared onstage in Madonna’s 2012 Super Bowl halftime show. Dressed in a Roman toga, Lewis bounced and executed tricks on his inch-wide line as though it was a trampoline while Madonna sang behind him.

“My phone actually rang itself to death three days in a row,” Lewis said soon afterward in an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s late-night show.

Emergency responders were dispatched Sunday to a report of people injured in a BASE jumping attempt at Mineral Bottom, a remote desert area near the Utah-Colorado line, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Lewis and an unidentified 50-year-old man died at the scene, the office said in a news release.

Sheriff’s Lt. Al Cymbaluk confirmed to the Associated Press that it was Lewis the extreme athlete who died. He said he had no further details on the fatal accident.

BASE jumping is far more dangerous than skydiving

Though there’s no official tally of BASE jumping deaths, a list compiled by the website BASEaddict.com shows 540 total fatalities worldwide since 1981 — including 30 people killed last year. Prominent deaths include BASE jumper Dean Potter and his climbing partner, Graham Hunt, who were killed in 2015 while attempting a wingsuit flight in Yosemite National Park.

A study focused on BASE jumping in Norway, published in a medical journal in 2007, estimated that BASE jumping carried risks of injury or death five to eight times greater than skydiving.

Lewis openly acknowledged the sport’s inherent danger.

“It’s weird to think about how many people are dead, because it’s like a normal thing,” Lewis told documentary filmmaker Ella Warnick in an interview published last year.

Lewis owned BASE Jump Moab, a business that offered excursions to inexperienced customers using tandem jumps, in which the customer was harnessed to a guide wearing the parachute.

Sheriff’s spokesperson Cymbaluk said he didn’t know whether Lewis and the other man killed were performing a tandem jump.

Tandem BASE jumping carries additional risk because it straps together two people, one of whom generally lacks experience, under a single parachute, McEvoy said. But because they involve novices, they also tend to be the most low-risk, basic types of jumps.

“Within BASE, it’s a very controversial topic,” McEvoy said. “There’s a lot of people who say it’s the stupidest thing in the world and others arguing, `No, we’re giving people the experience of their lives.’”

No one immediately returned phone, text and Facebook messages left Monday for BASE Jump Moab.

Lewis won four straight world championships in competitive slacklining from 2008 through 2011. Lewis set a Guinness World Record for slackline surfing, swaying his feet side to side in a rocking motion that mimics surfing, while keeping his balance above China’s Diaoshuilou waterfall in 2011.

In 2014, he walked a slackline suspended between two hot air balloons more than 4,000 feet above the Nevada desert.

Bynum writes for the Associated Press.

WASHINGTON — While millions of soccer fans cheer or groan over World Cup matches spanning North America, health officials are on high alert for germs.

A heat wave may be the most obvious health threat. But infectious diseases can spread in a crowd, and experts are scrutinizing wastewater, hospital visits, even social media for any signs that an outbreak might be brewing.

Measles, one of the most contagious diseases, is among the top concerns, sparking a warning this week from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO. With a nearly six-week stretch of packed stadiums, bars and tourist sites in 16 cities, officials are on the lookout for a long list of infections, from the stomach bug norovirus to mosquito-borne dengue fever.

“This is truly a marathon,” said Palak Raval-Nelson, Philadelphia’s health commissioner.

The mass gatherings come at a tense moment for budget-strapped health agencies in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hit hard by Trump administration staffing cuts, already was grappling with a growing Ebola outbreak in central Africa and a cruise ship hantavirus outbreak. While CDC officials have advised state and local health departments behind the scenes, it’s expected World Cup disease surveillance dashboard still was “in final development” days before games began, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Our public health professionals are pretty stretched,” said global health specialist Rebecca Katz of Georgetown University, who is leading an unusual new hub to help.

At the Health Security Operations Center, a joint effort between Georgetown and MedStar Health, workers are analyzing data from around the country so they can alert health authorities, even emergency rooms, to any early signs of trouble. The center is issuing daily “situation reports” about disease trends around World Cup host cities and team base camps to several hundred local and federal public health groups, emergency management and hospital officials and others who’ve signed up.

“It’s important that we don’t become alarmist,” said MedStar emergency medicine specialist Dr. Shane Kappler. “We’re trying to be the insurance policy.”

Measles is a top concern for potential World Cup spread

Already more than 2,000 people in the U.S. have come down with measles this year, nearly as many as during all of last year, according to the CDC. Patients can spread measles before the rash appears and they realize they’re sick. Not too long ago, the U.S. seldom saw measles except from international travel by unvaccinated people.

Now with frequent U.S. outbreaks, “actually a lot of our international partners are worried about measles being exported to them after the games,” said Georgetown’s Katz.

Measles is spreading in Canada, too, and has exceeded 11,000 cases in Mexico, according to PAHO. It’s urging soccer fans to be sure they’re vaccinated, with a health campaign saying a single measles patient can spread the virus to up to 18 unprotected people.

Is Ebola a concern at the World Cup?

Brown University’s Dr. Craig Spencer, who survived Ebola while working in the West Africa outbreak over a decade ago, said he’s repeatedly asked about the risk of Ebola during the World Cup — but “for me, Ebola is not the No. 1 or No. 2 or even No. 3 threat.”

“I am concerned about importation of measles, I am much more concerned about the importation of other infectious threats that may not seem as scary to us as Ebola,” Spencer said.

Many health experts agree that the risk of Ebola spreading in the U.S. is very low. That’s partly because of government travel screenings and restrictions on people recently in outbreak-affected areas. Moreover, Ebola spreads by contact with bodily fluids from someone showing symptoms, not through the air like measles or respiratory viruses.

“One fortunate thing about this virus is you’re most contagious when you’re really quite ill. It’s not like COVID, where you could be sitting next to someone who doesn’t even know they’re infected and perhaps contract the virus,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of Brown’s Pandemic Center.

How to spot brewing diseases

There’s precedent for germs invading major sporting events. Canadian scientists linked a community measles outbreak to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, and clusters of norovirus had to be contained during the Olympics this year in Milan and in 2018 in South Korea.

One way to detect signs of trouble: People with certain viral or bacterial infections shed genetic material that sophisticated testing of wastewater can spot. For example, measles can appear in wastewater days before an emergency room sees its first patients.

A recent surveillance reports from Katz’s center note that wastewater testing recently found diarrhea-causing rotavirus, hepatitis A and norovirus in some parts of the U.S., something to watch as soccer crowds arrive.

In Dallas, officials ramped up wastewater screening including at the international airport, casting a wide net rather than looking for specific illnesses, said Dr. Phil Huang, director of Dallas County Health and Human Services.

His team also is enhancing the usual mosquito testing, checking not just for West Nile virus that regularly spreads in the U.S. but for viruses more common in other countries like dengue and chikungunya.

Public health officials have been preparing for months, said Philadelphia’s Raval-Nelson, including with mock emergency drills and communications with counterparts around the country.

“I don’t want to send a message that there’s one key thing,” she said. “We have the frameworks in place to carry out what we need to.”

Neergaard writes for the Associated Press.

Australian referee Shaun Evans says he didn’t intend to ‘communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind’.

FIFA says it has found “no evidence” that one of the referees at the World Cup breached its code of conduct after he was accused of making a white supremacist hand gesture during one of the games.

“FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee can confirm that, after looking into the matter involving support video assistant referee Shaun Evans, it has found no evidence of breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code,” football’s global governing body told Al Jazeera in an emailed statement on Monday.

Earlier, FIFA’s discrimination monitor at the World Cup called for Evans, working as a VAR official in the tournament, to be removed for appearing to make a hand gesture resembling a white supremacist sign.

When the official broadcast of Germany’s opening game against Curacao on Sunday cut pre-game to show the team of video review analysts, Australian official Evans made an “OK” symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg.

Though the game was played in Houston, video officials work in Dallas at the World Cup broadcast centre.

Evans said the hand gesture was not intentional, nor did he make it to “communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind”.

“The only explanation I can offer is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and I was unaware I had done it at the time,” the official said in a statement shortly before FIFA announced its decision.

“Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers,” Evans went on to add.

“The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am. Of course, I understand how the gesture has been interpreted and I regret this; however, I want to be very clear and categorically say that I did not knowingly or deliberately make the hand symbol suggested.”

Toronto Tempo forward Isabelle Harrison was tossed from Sunday’s game after committing a hard foul against the Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese.

Reese had established position in the paint nearly four minutes into the third quarter when she was passed the ball. Harrison reached over and tackled her to the floor. Reese’s teammates immediately jumped in to separate the two players.

The takedown occurred with around 6:05 left in the third quarter, while the Dream were leading 52-42. Officials reviewed the play and Harrison was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for contact that was deemed “unnecessary and excessive” and ejected from the game.

Harrison, who was drafted in 2015, was the leading scorer for the Tempo with 17 points at the time she was tossed. Reese ended the game with 15 points and 17 rebounds in Atlanta’s 102-77 victory. It marks the ninth double-double of the season for the two-time All Star.

WNBA officials have been cracking down on physical play this season after complaints about the level of physicality last year.

Things appeared to get heated between the two former teammates, who crossed paths during Reese’s rookie season with the Chicago Sky, starting in the first half of Sunday’s game at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto. The players could be seen exchanging words throughout their match-up and, at one point during the second quarter, Harrison swatted at the ball being held by Reese after play had already been stopped.

After the game, Tempo coach Sandy Brondello said Harrison’s ejection was “unfortunate” because Harrison was “playing so well.” When asked about what she was hoping to see from her team in their next stretch of games, Brondello mentioned consistency and her players “not getting too high [or] too low.”

“I think sometimes the emotions get the best of us and takes away from how we want to play,” Brondella said.

Dream guard Allisha Gray, who led all scorers with 26 points, praised her teammate after the game.

“Angel’s a beast on the boards,” Gray said. “She does everything that we need to help us win and accomplish our goals for the game. So, I think Angel did really well tonight, keeping her composure and really battling on the boards.”

The Dream (9-4) is currently fourth in league standings, while the Tempo (7-7) sit in ninth place.

Saka, who will make his 50th appearance for England in his next match, played 27 minutes of England’s warm-up game against Costa Rica as the forward’s game-time was managed by Tuchel.

The winger was taken off in the Champions League final as Arsenal lost to Paris-St Germain in Budapest with the scores level at the time of his substitution.

Saka’s performance in that match was criticised, but when asked if he found it frustrating being judged while not 100% fit, he said it is a “gamble” he is willing to take.

“Yeah, but I think as players it’s the biggest gamble, especially if you’re not feeling your sharpest. You have the choice whether you don’t play or you put yourself out there knowing that people are going to judge you the same,” Saka said.

“And at the end of the day people don’t really care how you’re feeling, they expect you to deliver, they expect you to perform.

“I’m happy to take that gamble and it paid off I’d say, and I’m going to continue doing that – but like I said I’m feeling a lot better than I did in March and I’m ready to go, so I’m excited.”

Saka is competing for a starting spot on the right wing with Arsenal team-mate Noni Madueke, but says that despite competing for game-time for club and country they want the best for each other.

“It’s quite unique, two players that play in the same position to be as close as we are,” Saka said.

“I don’t really know how it works, but it works. Noni is like my brother on and off the pitch. We push each other and we speak every day.

“We have that mutual respect for each other and we want each other to do well.

“The good thing is that we play on the same team and that if one of us is doing well it is good for the other.”