SOCCER
White House for Gotham
US President Joe Biden is to welcome US National Women’s Soccer League champions Gotham FC at a White House reception on Monday, as the New York/New Jersey team become the first from the top-flight US women’s league to receive the honor. The White House regularly receives championship teams from the US men’s “Big Four” leagues and the move this year represents “a major benchmark moment for professional women’s soccer,” Gotham FC said in a statement. Retired fan-favorite Ali Krieger, championship Most Valuable Player Midge Purce and Juan Carlos Amoros, the 2023 NWSL coach of the year, are expected to attend along with commissioner Jessica Berman. Gotham beat Seattle Reign 2-1 to collect their first championship title in November last year and currently sit third in the table.
TENNIS
Osaka to return in NZ
Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka would start her 2025 season at the ASB Tennis Classic in Auckland in January. The four-time Grand Slam singles winner returned to tennis this year after an 18-month break during which she gave birth to a daughter, Shai. She is ranked 76th in singles and lost in the second round of the US Open on Aug. 29. Osaka last played in Auckland in 2017, reaching the quarter-finals. Osaka last week split with her coach after her US Open loss. “Naomi is one of the premier players in tennis with an exciting and hard-hitting game,” tournament director Nicolas Lamperin said yesterday. “It is always challenging to return to this sport after extensive time away but Naomi has shown some extremely promising form.”
TENNIS
Gauff splits from coach
Coco Gauff split from coach Brad Gilbert after more than a year and one Grand Slam title together, the pair announced on Wednesday via separate messages on social media. The end of their partnership comes nearly three weeks after Gauff’s defense of her 2023 championship at the US Open unraveled amid 19 double-faults during a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 loss to Emma Navarro in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows. That Sept. 1 loss was the latest in a series of disappointing-for-her results in recent months for Gauff, a 20-year-old American who recently dropped from No. 3 to No. 6 in the WTA rankings.
NBA
Sixers have mayor backing
The Philadelphia 76ers have a new teammate in their bid to build a new US$1.3 billion arena downtown. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker on Wednesday announced that she has forged a deal with the team’s owners to keep the NBA franchise in town and would send it to the city council. The decision comes despite objections from nearby Chinatown residents and just weeks after New Jersey’s governor offered US$400 million in tax breaks to build the site across the river in Camden. “This is an historic agreement,” Parker said in a video posted on the social platform X. “I wholeheartedly believe this is the right deal for the people of Philadelphia. To the people of Chinatown, please know that I hear you. We have the best Chinatown in the United States, and I am committed to working together to support it.” Team owners say their planned 76 Place would improve a struggling retail corridor near City Hall and capitalize on the city’s public transit.
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg on Wednesday was ruled out for the second half of their 118-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets after the No. 1 pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and turned the ankle as he fell to the floor with 6 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter. Flagg limped to the bench and continued to the locker room, but returned for the final 2 minutes, 35 seconds before the break. The 19-year-old did not come out for the second half before the announcement that
Yassine Bounou on Wednesday saved two penalties, while Youssef en-Nesyri netted the decisive spot-kick as hosts Morocco secured a 4-2 shoot-out victory over Nigeria following a 0-0 draw in a tense Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Rabat. Morocco, seeking their first continental title in 50 years, are to face 2021 winners Senegal in Sunday’s decider in Rabat, while Nigeria take on Egypt in the third-place playoff tomorrow. The 120 minutes before the shoot-out had few clear-cut chances for either side, but it was Morocco who created more opportunities, although they were denied by some fine saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Nigeria
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
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