Despite the odds, Nigeria survives tough group to reach knockout stage at Women's World Cup

NEW YORK — The Rays found a deal Monday to add a starting pitcher they needed, acquiring right-hander Aaron Civale from Cleveland.

The Angels and their former clubhouse employee have settled the defamation lawsuit filed against the club, reaching an agreement on the day the case was set to begin a trial.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Nick Bosa risks a $40,000 daily fine for not being at 49ers training camp, and, a week into it, he is not here.

Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick on Monday suffered an injury the team believes is to his left Achilles’ tendon, head coach Sean Payton confirmed after practice.

Former Uruguay defender Diego Godin has retired from professional soccer, ending a 20-year career at age 37. Godin played in four World Cups and spent much of his club career in Spain, notably at Atlético Madrid from 2010 to 2019. This season, he played in Argentina for Velez Sarsfield. The Uruguayan also had spells at Villarreal, Inter Milan and Cagliari. He played for Uruguay at the past four World Cups.

Jaqueline Cristian has upset top-seeded Marie Bouzková 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to eliminate the defending champion in the first round of the Prague Open. The unseeded Romanian beat the Czech player for the fist time in their four encounters. Another unseeded player, Viktoria Hrunčáková of Slovakia, rallied to beat seventh-seeded Xinyu Wang of China 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5). In an all-Ukrainian match, eighth-seeded Kateryna Baindl defeated Dayana Yastremska in three sets.

Major League Baseball has paid its $185 million settlement of a lawsuit by minor leaguers alleging violations of minimum wage laws. Under terms of the settlement agreed to last year, about 24,000 players from 2009-22 were potentially eligible to share the money, with estimated payments to players averaging in the $5,000 to $5,500 range. MLB said Monday it had transferred the money to JND Legal Administration, which is expected to make the payments by Aug. 14. Minor leaguers unionized last September and agreed this spring to a five-year labor contract that more than doubled player salaries.

Saints coach Dennis Allen says he hopes Alvin Kamara’s plan to meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will help the league resolve any disciplinary action the star running back could face in connection with his 2022 arrest in Las Vegas. Kamara agreed to plea no contest to misdemeanor charges on July 11 to avoid trial and possible jail time for his involvement in a beating that left a man unconscious. Allen says Kamara wants to give Goodell “his side of the story” and help the league resolve any disciplinary matters so the team can move forward. The NFL has declined comment on the planned meeting or any potential timeline for issuing discipline.

The Kansas City Chiefs will rely on a pair of new offensive tackles to protect Patrick Mahomes this season. They signed ex-Tampa Bay tackle Donovan Smith to handle the left side and former Jacksonville tackle Jawaan Taylor to handle the right during free agency. They replace Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie, who signed elsewhere. The Chiefs also used a third-round pick for Oklahoma's Wanya Morris, who will compete at both positions and potentially provide depth this season. The hope is that Smith and Taylor can help Mahomes avoid the type of injury that nearly derailed their Super Bowl run last season.

The Minnesota Wild signed goalie Filip Gustavsson to a three-year, $11.25 million contract that avoids salary arbitration after his strong first season with the club. The 25-year-old made 37 starts last season. He was 22-9-7 with three shutouts, a 2.10 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. Gustavsson had a shutout streak of 177 minutes and 13 seconds across four games from Feb. 28 to March 12. That was the third-longest in franchise history.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin says he's put aside his fear to find joy after practicing in pads for the first time since going into cardiac arrest during a game last season. Hamlin said he leaned on his faith in God and himself and the support of family and teammates to overcome any feelings of trepidation he had. The padded practice at training camp marked the next step in the 25-year-old Hamlin's pursuit to resume playing football. Hamlin collapsed and needed to be resuscitated on the field in January. He was cleared to play in April.

Stuart Broad delivered a fitting finale to his cricket career by taking the last two wickets to clinch England a series-tying victory on Day 5 of the fifth Ashes test against Australia. An Ashes series that had pretty much everything ended with one last dramatic twist as England produced a stirring recovery in the final session to dismiss the Australians for 334 and earn a 49-run victory at The Oval. The series finished 2-2. It was Broad who finished off the tourists by removing Todd Murphy and Alex Carey to take his final career tally of wickets to 604. The 37-year-old pacer announced Saturday he would be retiring after this test.

The DC Open tennis tournament is touting itself as the first combined ATP-WTA 500 event. That is two levels below Grand Slams and one level below Masters 1000s and was accomplished by elevating the women’s portion through the lease of what had been a hard-court tourney in San Jose, California, played during the same week. While ostensibly that puts the men and women on equal footing in Washington, it still isn't equal all the way around. The men’s champion receives a check for $353,445 while the women’s champion earns $120,150. There are other stops on the professional tennis tours that include female and male players but don't pay them evenly. The plan at the tournament in Washington is to pay the men and women equally by 2027.

A Spanish judge has decided to indict Dani Alves following an investigation into sexual assault accusations against the Brazilian soccer player. The judge concluded the investigation and found evidence of wrongdoing by Alves. He has been in custody since January on accusations he sexually assaulted a woman at a nightclub in Barcelona on Dec. 30. Alves will be formally indicted after being informed of the judge’s decision on Wednesday. Prosecutors will then specify the charges, and a trial date will be set. The former Barcelona defender has denied wrongdoing and said that sex with the accuser was consensual.

Feb. 18 — Beef. It's What's For Dinner. 300 (Austin Hill)

The New Jersey Devils have signed defenseman Kevin Bahl to a two-year contract worth $2.1 million. Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said Monday the 23-year-old will earn $900,000 this season and $1.2 million in 2024-25. Bahl appeared in his third NHL season with New Jersey and played in a career-high 42 games, finishing with two goals and six assists. His 6.52 hits per 60 minutes ranked second for all New Jersey defensemen who played in more than 10 games. Bahl played in 11 of the team’s 12 playoff games.

Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick has been carted off the field with a left leg injury almost a year after he tore his right ACL at training camp. There was no immediate word on the nature or extent of Patrick’s injury but it appeared to be a serious setback for the 29-year-old who was embarking on a comeback after missing all of last season.

Nebraska defensive back Myles Farmer wasn't on the 120-man roster when the Cornhuskers opened practice and his return is uncertain. First-year coach Matt Rhule said he suspended Farmer indefinitely. Rhule didn’t disclose the reason other than to say it had to do with failure to adhere to team standards. Farmer was Nebraska's second-leading tackler last year. Rhule also announced that wide receiver Josh Fleeks reported to practice significantly overweight. The Baylor transfer will be held out until he makes weight. Backup defensive lineman Brodie Tagoloa probably is out for the season because of injuries sustained in a car accident.

The United States arrived at the Women’s World Cup as the favorites to win an unprecedented third consecutive title. But after an underwhelming draw against the Netherlands, there’s a real chance the Americans can be eliminated in group play for the first time in tournament history. The U.S. plays Portugal in the third and final match of Group E play, and if Portugal pulls off an upset Tuesday at Eden Park in Auckland, the Americans could be in big trouble. The United States needs to either win or draw against Portugal, one of eight teams playing in its first World Cup, to ensure the Americans continue to play in this tournament.

Churchill Downs will implement safety measures for its September meet including new track surface maintenance equipment and additional monitoring and equine care following 12 horse deaths before and after the Kentucky Derby that spurred suspension of its spring meet. Racing is scheduled to resume Sept. 14 and run through Oct. 1 at the historic track, which paused racing operations on June 7 and moved the meet to Ellis Park. The track will work with HISA and industry experts to predict at-risk horses through advanced analytic techniques and form a safety management committee including horsemen, track employees and veterinarians.

In what could have been Canada star Christine Sinclair’s last Women’s World Cup match, she and her Olympic champion teammates have been eliminated by Australia 4-0 in a group-stage finale. Canada coach Bev Priestman says “I’m obviously still processing it. Even hearing you say, ‘could this be Christine Sinclair’s last game?’ It breaks my heart.” The 40-year-old Sinclair is the all-time leading goal scorer in international soccer and has played in six Women’s World Cups. Canada finished fourth in her tournament debut in 2003, its best finish to date.

Matildas fans had to hope for a new scorer with Sam Kerr sidelined yet again. Hayley Raso scored twice in the first half of a 4-0 win over Canada to keep Australia in contention in the Women’s World Cup it is co-hosting. Raso’s opening goal in the 9th minute was her first at a World Cup. Raso says “When I saw the girls put all their hands up, I actually didn’t hear that it was a goal,. I just fell to my knees.” She completed a brace in the 39th to give Australia a 2-0 lead over the Olympic champions. Mary Fowler and Steph Catley added goals in the second half of the win-or-go-home, group-stage game for the Matildas.

The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is showcasing some of the best soccer on the planet — and some of the best photographs. Associated Press photographers are covering every match at the month-long tournament, including Zambia's Lushomo Mweemba celebrating a goal against Costa…

The Atlanta Braves have reinstated left-hander A.J. Minter from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver to Triple-A Gwinnett. Minter had been out since July 12 while recovering from left shoulder inflammation. He will return to his late-innings role in the Braves’ bullpen for Monday night’s opener of an interleague series against the Los Angeles Angels. Minter is 3-5 with a 4.91 ERA and 10 saves. Smith-Shawver, a 20-year-old rookie, allowed three runs in five innings and did not receive a decision in Sunday’s 8-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 1-0 with a 4.56 ERA in five games.

Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum knew his Super Falcons were in for a tough time when the groups for the Women's World Cup were drawn. Co-host Australia and Olympic champion Canada were ranked way higher than his team and only two of the four teams in the group can advance to the knockout stages. Waldrum says “When I first saw the group, it was like ‘oh my gosh, this is such a difficult group.’” After holding the Olympic gold medalists to a 0-0 draw and upsetting the highly-favored Matildas 3-2, Nigeria's 0-0 draw against Ireland on Monday was enough to finish second in Group B and secure a spot in the Round of 16.

Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson sat out of practice Monday and could sit out again Tuesday after undergoing nose surgery. The former Florida star was the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft. Indy was expected to hold its first practice in full pads Monday. But Richardson, who started only one full season with his home state Gators, was not available. It's unclear whether Richardson could miss even more time than this week's first two workouts. Richardson's absence comes at the same time the Colts and 2021 NFL rushing champ Jonathan Taylor have been embroiled in a contract dispute.

Through Saturday, July 15

Today in Sports, August 1 - American Greg Louganis becomes 1st diver to score 700 (752.67) in 11 dives

This Date in Baseball, August 1 - Cal Ripken Jr. becomes the second major leaguer to play 2,000 straight games

Max Verstappen’s dominance is so total that it already feels like he’s won his third straight Formula One title. That's with 10 races remaining following the mid-season break. With a lead of 125 points over his nearest rival the Red Bull driver is already in position to watch a highlights reel of his season and list his favorite wins. There have been 10 out of 12 races so far plus a further two victories when including sprint races. After winning the Belgian Grand Prix with another emphatic drive Verstappen was asked which of the victories this season he likes the most. But he says "it’s difficult to choose.”