AP Sports SummaryBrief at 11:39 p.m. EST | Sports | yakimaherald.com – Yakima Herald-Republic
US has clear World Cup task against Iran: win or go home
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The task is clear for the United States: beat Iran in a politically charged World Cup match or go home. A draw or a loss Tuesday night would eliminate the Americans. During unusual pre-match news conferences, captain Tyler Adams was asked to defend the U.S.’s treatment of Black people and chastized for pronoucing the opponent “Eye-ran” instead of “E-ran.” American coach Gregg Berhalter was questioned about U.S. immigration and Naval policy and apologized for the U.S. Soccer Federation’s decision to strip the emblem of the Islamic Republic from Iran’s flag on social media.
Snell runs for go-ahead TD, Steelers hold off Colts 24-17
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Benny Snell Jr.’s 2-yard touchdown run with 9:55 left gave Pittsburgh the lead and the Steelers fended off a last-minute comeback bid to beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-17. Snell had 12 carries for a season-high 62 yards after replacing the injured Najee Harris in the third quarter. Harris was ruled out at halftime with an abdominal injury. Pittsburgh improved to 4-7 and won its eighth straight over Indianapolis, which fell to 4-7-1. Matt Ryan drove the Colts in position for a tying score but Indy stalled in Pittsburgh territory and didn’t call its first timeout until a fourth-down play with 30 seconds left. Ryan threw incomplete and that was it.
Portugal advances to last 16, beats Uruguay 2-0 at World Cup
LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Portugal became the third team to reach the round of 16 at the World Cup by beating Uruguay 2-0. Bruno Fernandes curled in a cross from the left that barely went over the head of Cristiano Ronaldo and bounced into the far corner of the net in the 54th minute. Ronaldo appeared to believe he had scored. It was awarded to Fernandes after repeated close-up replays. Fernandes added a stoppage-time penalty. Portugal becomes the third team to reach the last 16 after France and Brazil. The match was briefly interrupted just before the goal by a protestor carrying a rainbow flag.
Minnesota star Towns helped off with right leg injury
WASHINGTON (AP) — Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns had to be helped off the court in the third quarter at Washington because of what the team is calling a right calf strain. Towns was well behind the play during a Washington break and grabbed his right leg. After a 3-pointer by Kyle Kuzma, play stopped with Towns down on the floor near midcourt. He was immediately helped toward the locker room and was not putting any weight on the leg. Towns has started all 21 games for Minnesota this season and entered Monday averaging 21.4 points.
Protester with rainbow flag runs onto field at World Cup
LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — A protester ran onto the field carrying a rainbow flag and wearing a blue Superman T-shirt that said “SAVE UKRAINE” on the front and “RESPECT FOR IRANIAN WOMAN” on the back during a World Cup match between Portugal and Uruguay. Security officials chased the protester down and the flag was dropped on the field before the person was escorted off the field. The referee then picked up the flag and left it on the sideline. It stayed there for a few moments before a worker came and collected it. The protester was ushered away through a tunnel. It wasn’t immediately clear if the person faced any charges or had been detained by police.
Texans brace for Deshaun Watson’s return with Browns
HOUSTON (AP) — Deshaun Watson is set to return from an 11-game NFL suspension following sexual misconduct allegations when the Cleveland Browns visit the Houston Texans on Sunday. It’s an uncomfortable return to Houston for Watson, formerly the face of the franchise. He was a star quarterback with the Texans before becoming disgruntled with the team’s direction and choosing to sit out an entire season. He was later disgraced when more than 20 women filed civil lawsuits alleging that he sexually harassed or assaulted them during massages, sparking a police investigation. The NFL banned him 11 games in August, several months after Houston traded him to Cleveland. Sunday marks his first NFL game since the end of the 2020 season.
Auburn hires Liberty’s Hugh Freeze, who’s coming back to SEC
Auburn hired Liberty coach Hugh Freeze to take over the football program more than five years after his resignation from SEC West rival Mississippi amid both personal and NCAA scandals. Auburn athletic director John Cohen announced the move after what he called a “well-vetted search.” Freeze went 34-15 in four seasons at Liberty. He replaces Bryan Harsin, who was fired after going 9-12 in less than two seasons at a proud program that has fallen on hard times. Freeze called Auburn “one of the preeminent programs in college football.”
Huskers pay premium for Rhule to bring back program’s glory
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Matt Rhule’s eight-year contract as Nebraska’s football coach is valued at $74 million. That will make him the third highest-paid coach in the Big Ten behind Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Michigan State’s Mel Tucker and among the top 10 nationally. Rhule was introduced Monday at the team’s indoor practice facility. He promised to bring back a physical style of play to Nebraska. Athletic director Trev Alberts says Rhule’s success turning around Temple and Baylor made him the best choice for Nebraska. Alberts also says programs need to pay a premium for coaches to compete in the Big Ten or Southeastern Conference.
Ravens’ Harbaugh speaks with Jackson about offensive tweet
Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said he spoke with Lamar Jackson on Monday about the star quarterback’s profane postgame tweet directed at a fan a day earlier, saying the language Jackson used was out of character. Jackson, meanwhile, insisted on Twitter that he did not intend to disrespect anyone’s sexual orientation and has never done so. After the Ravens lost 28-27 to Jacksonville on Sunday, a fan suggested Baltimore let Jackson leave via free agency. Jackson responded — in a tweet that was later deleted — by saying the person “never smelt a football field” and using vulgar language that members of the gay community said was offensive.
Houston reaches No. 1 in AP poll for first time since 1983
Houston is the No. 1 team in the AP men’s college basketball poll. It is the first top ranking for the Cougars since Clyde Drexler and Akeem Olajuwon had Houston there in the final poll of the 1982-83 season. They received 45 of 63 first-place votes from a national media panel. Texas climbed to No. 2 with Virginia, Arizona and Purdue rounding out the top five. North Carolina had been No. 1 all season but fell all the way to 18 after losing twice last week. Every slot in the Top 25 has a new team this week except for No. 16 Illinois.