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Building on Barcelona’s success, Spain is playing its first Women’s World Cup final against England

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — If those precise passes that untangle defenses and the attacks coming from all angles by first-time Women’s World Cup finalist Spain look familiar, there is good reason.The Spanish squad is built on a core of Barcelona players who have triumphed with their club and are now one step from the ultimate prize when they face England on Sunday in Sydney.Nine Barcelona players, including two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, attacking midfielder Aitana Bonmatí and defensive leader Irene Paredes, are among the key players for Spain.The club’s influence also extends to the England team, which features Barcelona players Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh.“Some of us are very lucky, we’ve won two Champions Leagues with Barcelona,” Bonmatí said after beating Sweden 2-1 in the semifinals. Barcelona’s women’s team has played in front of record crowds exceeding 90,000, Bonmati added, “but playing a World Cup final in front of 75,000, it will be crazy.”R...

Nationals host the Phillies, look to continue home win streak

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

Philadelphia Phillies (66-56, second in the NL East) vs. Washington Nationals (56-67, fifth in the NL East)Washington; Saturday, 4:05 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Cristopher Sanchez (1-3, 3.39 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 53 strikeouts); Nationals: Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.86 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 74 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Phillies -167, Nationals +142; over/under is 9 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Washington Nationals will try to keep a three-game home win streak going when they take on the Philadelphia Phillies.Washington is 56-67 overall and 28-35 in home games. The Nationals have the ninth-ranked team on-base percentage in the NL at .321.Philadelphia is 66-56 overall and 32-32 in road games. The Phillies have a 48-13 record in games when they out-hit their opponents.The teams play Saturday for the 12th time this season. The Phillies lead the season series 6-5.TOP PERFORMERS: Lane Thomas has 29 doubles, two triples and 20 home runs for the Nationals. Stone Garrett is 14-for-31 with five ...

Marlins bring 3-game road win streak into matchup with the Dodgers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

Miami Marlins (64-59, third in the NL East) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (74-47, first in the NL West)Los Angeles; Saturday, 3 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Marlins: Eury Perez (0-0); Dodgers: TBDFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Dodgers -143, Marlins +121; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Miami Marlins will try to keep a three-game road win streak going when they visit the Los Angeles Dodgers.Los Angeles has a 41-21 record in home games and a 74-47 record overall. The Dodgers are 32-10 in games when they did not allow a home run.Miami is 27-32 in road games and 64-59 overall. The Marlins are 48-17 in games when they have more hits than their opponents.The teams play Saturday for the second time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Freddie Freeman has 23 home runs, 57 walks and 84 RBI while hitting .338 for the Dodgers. Mookie Betts is 16-for-38 with three doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI over the past 10 games.Luis Arraez has five home runs, 32 walks and 58 RBI while hitting .361 for the Marli...

Mets try to keep win streak alive against the Cardinals

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

New York Mets (57-66, fourth in the NL East) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (54-69, fifth in the NL Central)St. Louis; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Mets: Kodai Senga (9-6, 3.30 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 149 strikeouts); Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (6-8, 4.27 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 103 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Mets -113, Cardinals -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The New York Mets will attempt to extend a three-game win streak with a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.St. Louis has a 54-69 record overall and a 27-36 record at home. The Cardinals have gone 10-23 in games decided by one run.New York is 57-66 overall and 26-38 in road games. The Mets are 39-18 in games when they scored at least five runs.Saturday’s game is the sixth meeting between these teams this season. The Mets hold a 3-2 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Tommy Edman has 18 doubles, four triples and 11 home runs for the Cardinals. Tyler O’Neill is 7-for-35 with a double and thr...

San Diego Padres take on the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

Arizona Diamondbacks (62-61, third in the NL West) vs. San Diego Padres (59-64, fourth in the NL West)San Diego; Saturday, 3:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Diamondbacks: Merrill Kelly (0-0); Padres: TBDFANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Padres -164, Diamondbacks +139; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Diego Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.San Diego is 59-64 overall and 33-30 at home. The Padres have gone 28-54 in games when they have allowed at least one home run.Arizona has gone 32-30 on the road and 62-61 overall. The Diamondbacks are 48-29 in games when they record at least eight hits.Saturday’s game is the 12th time these teams meet this season. The Padres hold a 6-5 advantage in the season series.TOP PERFORMERS: Ha-Seong Kim leads the Padres with a .281 batting average, and has 19 doubles, 15 home runs, 57 walks and 45 RBI. Fernando Tatis Jr. is 13-for-39 with a home run and five RBI over the past 10 games.Ketel Marte has a .276 batting average to le...

Harris II leads Braves against the Giants after 4-hit outing

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

San Francisco Giants (64-58, second in the NL West) vs. Atlanta Braves (79-42, first in the NL East)Atlanta; Saturday, 7:20 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Giants: Logan Webb (9-9, 3.42 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 157 strikeouts); Braves: Yonny Chirinos (5-5, 5.22 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 49 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Braves -119, Giants -100; over/under is 9 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Braves play the San Francisco Giants after Michael Harris II had four hits on Friday in a 4-0 win over the Giants.Atlanta has gone 41-20 in home games and 79-42 overall. The Braves have gone 37-14 in games when they did not allow a home run.San Francisco has gone 29-30 on the road and 64-58 overall. The Giants rank 10th in the NL with 133 total home runs, averaging 1.1 per game.The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Olson leads the Braves with 43 home runs while slugging .608. Ozzie Albies is 16-for-45 with a double, four home runs and 14 RBI over the last 10 games.Wilm...

Hurricane Hilary threatens ‘catastrophic and life-threatening’ flooding in Mexico and California

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Hilary headed for Mexico’s Baja California Saturday as the U.S, National Hurricane Center predicted “catastrophic and life-threatening flooding” for the peninsula and for the southwestern United States, where it is forecast to make land as a tropical storm on Sunday.Officials as far north as Los Angeles scrambled to get the homeless off the streets, set up shelters and prepare for evacuations.Hilary is expected to plow into the Mexican peninsula on Saturday night and then surge northward and enter the history books as the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years.The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm watch for a wide swath of Southern California from the Pacific coast to interior mountains and deserts. Officials talked of evacuation plans for California’s Catalina Island.“I don’t think any of us — I know me particularly — never thought I’d be standing here talking about a hurricane or a tropical sto...

Lebanese state media say Syrian man suspected of deadly bombing committed suicide to avoid detention

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian citizen suspected of being behind a deadly bombing that killed and wounded dozens near the capital, Damascus, last month committed suicide when gunmen tried to detain him in Lebanon where he fled, state-run National News Agency reported Saturday.The agency identified the man as Wissam Dalla and said that he entered Lebanon illegally and was staying with relatives in a Beirut southern suburb where he was planning another “terrorist attack.” The 23-year-old man jumped from the 7th floor of the building where he was staying late Friday night and later succumbed to his wounds in hospital.NNA did not report on who tried to detain Dalla but other media outlets said they were members of the militant Hezbollah group, adding that the dead man was suspected of links to the extremist Islamic State organization.On July 28, a motorcycle planted with explosives detonated in the Damascus suburb of Sayida Zeinab near a Shiite Muslim shrine killing at least six people and woun...

Zelenskyy visits NATO candidate Sweden for 1st time since full-scale war with Russia

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting Sweden on Saturday — his first visit to the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, the Swedish government said.It said Zelenskyy will meet Swedish government officials in Harpsund, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Stockholm. He will also meet Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia at a palace in the area.Sweden abandoned its longstanding policy of military nonalignment to support Ukraine with weapons and other aid in the war against Russia. It also applied for NATO membership but is still waiting to join the alliance.Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited top military officials in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don near the Ukrainian border.The Kremlin said that Putin listened to reports from Valery Gerasimov, the commander in charge of Moscow’s operations in Ukraine, and other top military brass at the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District.Th...

United owner Bill McGuire paints new vision for development around Allianz Field

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:12:46 GMT

A real estate adviser with the Tegra Group submitted an updated block diagram to the St. Paul Parks and Recreation Commission on July 14, 2023, showing an updated plan for development near Allianz Field at Snelling and University avenues in St Paul. (Courtesy of United Village)When Minnesota United team owner Bill McGuire persuaded the city of St. Paul to move forward with a 19,400-seat professional soccer stadium in the Midway in 2016, he presented a real estate development vision that would overhaul the surrounding Midway Shopping Center with new retail, housing and perhaps a movie theater.With construction largely funded by backers lined up by McGuire himself, the city’s $250 million stadium opened in 2019, replacing an outdated supermarket, a dance studio, liquor store and the nearby Midway Pro Bowl bowling alley. But the promised real estate around it never followed. In fact, just the opposite.Of the 28 or more retail tenants that once surrounded the Loons’ stadium ...