Hall of Fame horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas, winner of 15 Triple Crown races, dies at 89, his family says
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Hall of Fame horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas, winner of 15 Triple Crown races, dies at 89, his family says.
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Winnipeg Free Press
36 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Oliver Giroud admits he 'didn't fit' LAFC, but is eager to 'challenge myself one more time' at Lille
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Olivier Giroud admits his brief tenure at Los Angeles FC was disappointing, although he will cherish the friendships and the trophy he gathered during his year in Major League Soccer. The 38-year-old striker is eager to play once again in France after 13 years away, and he confirmed Sunday night that he will join Lille to take on one more challenge in his storied career. The top goal-scorer in the history of the French national team said farewell to LAFC by going scoreless and coming off with what he called tendon pain after 60 minutes in a 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Giroud had a golden opportunity to score in front of goal early in the second half, but volleyed a pass from Denis Bouanga over the bar. Giroud was still given a standing ovation by the BMO Stadium fans who stayed firmly behind him while he scored just five goals in 38 matches for their club. 'I wish I could have had a bigger impact on the team, on the results,' Giroud said. 'At the end, it was a good experience. Obviously I can't stay longer, so I need a new chapter. I need to challenge myself one more time, and when I had the opportunity to come back (to) France, I just grabbed it. I wish nothing but the best for the club. I tried hard. I tried my best.' Giroud was under contract until the end of the current MLS season, but LAFC and Giroud mutually agreed to part ways so he could leave on a free transfer. He confirmed he will soon join Lille, which finished fifth in Ligue 1 last season to earn a Europa League place. 'I think the French people are happy that Paul Pogba, myself are coming back in the French league,' Giroud said of his Monaco-bound friend and teammate on France's World Cup-winning team in 2018. 'If you would have asked me a few years before, I would have answered you that was not the plan to come back, but you never know, and never say no,' Giroud added. 'I think this club ticked a lot of boxes for me and for my family. (I) hope that I can be helpful for the team, being a leader and a link-up player on the field, but (also) off the pitch between the youngsters and the staff. I'm excited because we also play Europa League. It's very positive. It's a big club in France, Lille. Top five.' Giroud hasn't played in Ligue 1 since 2012, when he left Montpellier for the start of his famed six-year tenure at Arsenal. He subsequently won the Champions League and the Europa League with Chelsea before winning Serie A with AC Milan. Giroud moved to LAFC in July 2024, but he now acknowledges he never fit into the system played by LAFC and its championship-winning coach, Steve Cherundolo — who is also leaving the club this fall. 'If you know football, you understand that in one sense, yeah, I didn't really fit to maybe the game style, I would say,' Giroud said. 'Just being honest. I try to adapt. I try my best one more time, but I can't do something I'm not used to (doing) and I don't know how to do.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Cherundolo favors a transition game emphasizing counterattacks and play up the sides, which doesn't mesh with Giroud's 38-year-old pace up the middle. In a scenario familiar across MLS, LAFC struggled to find a playmaker capable of providing service to an elite goal-scorer like Giroud, who excels on crosses in the box. Giroud was relegated to a substitute role in most matches despite wearing the No. 9 shirt, and he made a major impact in only a handful of outings — most memorably his goal in LAFC's victory in the U.S. Open Cup final last year. 'We did not use the cross a lot, which is my main strength in the box,' Giroud said. 'And yeah, I had the feeling that we would play a lot in transition, so it's not the best for me. … I know what I can bring to the team, but I know what I can't do also. I think it's time to say goodbye now, and one more time to wish all the best to the boys because I love them. I will miss LA, but on the other hand, I'm really excited to have another challenge.' ___ AP soccer:
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Matt Freese shined in his shootout moment, and the Americans are moving onto the Gold Cup semifinals
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — After losing a second-half lead to Costa Rica, this young U.S. side was forced into a shootout with the daunting task of facing goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Matt Freese studied for this. Literally. The late-blooming national team rookie, who made a costly mistake in the previous match, actually conducted an in-depth research project in college at Harvard about penalty kicks. Freese spent the flight to Minneapolis reviewing his findings and examining Costa Rica's tendencies, time well spent that fueled his steely performance in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal victory on Sunday night. 'To be able to rely on that type of thing and deal with a lot of statistics and read the game and read their hips, things like that, is massive,' Freese said after making three saves in the six-round shootout won 4-3 by the Americans after a 2-2 tie in regulation. The Americans play Guatemala in the semifinals on Wednesday in St. Louis. If the U.S. can rely on Freese like this moving forward, that too would be an enormous boost. The 26-year-old native of Pennsylvania, who has displaced for now 2022 World Cup and 2023 Gold Cup starter Matt Turner, knocked away shootout attempts by Juan Pablo Vargas, Francisco Calvo and Andy Rojas. Calvo scored on Freese in the 12th minute on a penalty kick. Freese, a little-used backup for Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union before a trade to New York City FC in 2023 jump-started his career, has had little time with the national team for training. His path was only cleared this spring by injuries to Patrick Schulte and Zack Steffen. But new coach Mauricio Pochettino has been determined to push his young players into the deep end during this biennial championship for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, with Freese at the forefront of the experiment. 'I've just got to be ready for whatever game I get, for whatever moment is there for me,' said Freese, who gave up one goal in three group stage matches. 'He's shown a lot of faith in me. That's something I'm really grateful for, and it's my job to repay him and help the team win.' The goal Freese gave up during the group stage was quite a gaffe, a misfired clearing attempt against Haiti that set up the tying goal in a game the U.S. won 2-1. But Pochettino and his staff had no problem sending Freese back to the net for the knockout rounds. 'It's an opportunity to show you can bounce back, an opportunity to learn and quickly move on to the next,' Freese said. Turner played only three club matches in the recently ended season for Crystal Palace, all in the FA Cup and none since March 1. The critical position is wide open for Freese — or anyone — to seize it with the North American World Cup looming next summer. 'I think it's good for Matt, for the rest of the keepers, to see that they can have the possibility and deal with the pressure,' Pochettino said. 'Because you never know what's going to happen in one year. Now is the moment to test or to give the possibility to show that they can deal with that stress and perform.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Pochettino didn't directly answer a question about whether Freese has passed Turner on the depth chart. But the native of Argentina, who began his playing career with the same club that Navas stars for and briefly managed him with Paris Saint-Germain, was clearly pleased by the way his keeper stepped up with one of the best in the world during the dramatic shootout. After each save, Freese told himself he wanted another one. After the third diving stop, he became especially demonstrative — nodding his head and sticking out his tongue toward his cheering teammates at midfield. 'He's done extremely well. He's worked extremely hard,' said Diego Luna, who scored his first international goal for the U.S. in the first half. 'These are the type of moments that we live for.' ___ AP soccer:
Toronto Star
3 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Aryna Sabalenka's Wimbledon foe is Carson Branstine, a qualifier from California, Canada and Texas A&M
LONDON (AP) — There are plenty of tennis players who might be daunted by the prospect of making their Grand Slam debut against someone ranked No. 1 and in a big stadium — in this case, Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon's No. 1 Court. Carson Branstine, though, is embracing the circumstances she'll find herself in Monday. Branstine, 24, is a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen — she was born in California and represents Canada, where her mother is from — and helped Texas A&M win the 2024 NCAA title. She is ranked just inside the top 200, but made it into the women's bracket at the All England Club by winning three matches in qualifying last week.
