Sports

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer LONDON (AP) — FIFA has backed away from immediately expelling Russia from World Cup qualifying but said it remained an option, deciding instead the squad can play using the “RFU” acronym for the country’s football federation. The ruling from the FIFA Bureau, featuring the six regional football confederation

By CIARÁN FAHEY AP Sports Writer BERLIN (AP) — Borussia Dortmund has stumbled again in the Bundesliga with a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Augsburg to let Bayern Munich open up an eight-point lead. Thorgan Hazard scored in the first half for Dortmund but the visitors failed to build on their lead as Donyell Malen hit

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Locked-out players and management officials were bargaining for the seventh straight day, just one day before Major League Baseball’s deadline to salvage March 31 openers and a 162-game schedule. Negotiators entered the 88th day of the work stoppage far apart on big issues that include

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer With Russian troops encircling the capital of Kyiv, more than 60 athletes from Ukraine and elsewhere sent an open letter to Olympic and Paralympic leaders urging them to immediately suspend the Russian and Belarussian Olympic and Paralympic Committees. Among them was Ukranian skeleton rider Vladyslav Heraskevych. He made headlines

MADRID (AP) — Spanish media reports say former Wales forward and coach John Toshack is in intensive care in a Barcelona hospital. Toshack has been in the hospital since last week for the treatment of pneumonia that stemmed from a COVID-19 infection. Reports said the 72-year-old Toshack is on a ventilator. As well as leading

DHARAMSALA, India (AP) — Shreyas Iyer struck his third consecutive half-century as India beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in their third and final Twenty20 cricket game to sweep the series 3-0. Iyer followed up his scores of 57 not out and an undefeated 74 in the first two games with another 73 not out

LONDON (AP) — Tomas Soucek has boosted West Ham’s push for a Champions League spot by clinching a 1-0 Premier League victory over Wolverhampton. Michail Antonio played in Soucek and he tapped in the only goal in the 59th minute. West Ham had slipped down to sixth in the league before the game but bounced

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer LONDON (AP) — Several issues remain a day after Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich handed over the “stewardship and care” of the Premier League club to its charitable foundation trustees, declaring he always had “the club’s best interest at heart.” What has been heard from Abramovich is a vague

By ALAN SUDERMAN and CIARÁN FAHEY Associated Press DIEZ, Germany (AP) — As head of the German soccer federation and a FIFA executive committee member, Theo Zwanziger was among his sport’s most prominent critics of the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. He publicly attacked the energy-rich Gulf nation’s poor human rights

MADRID (AP) — Yeremy Pino became the first Villarreal player to score four times in a Spanish league game. Pino scored a hat trick before halftime and added another goal in the second half of Villarreal’s 5-1 rout of Espanyol at home. The 19-year-old Spain forward had never scored more than a goal in a

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic has joined Poland and Sweden in refusing to play Russia in 2022 World Cup qualifying matches next month in response to that nation’s invasion of Ukraine. Poland and Sweden made the same decision on Saturday. The Czech Republic is a potential opponent of Russia in the World Cup playoffs.

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer LONDON (AP) — Several issues remain a day after Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich handed over the “stewardship and care” of the Premier League club to its charitable foundation trustees, declaring he always had “the club’s best interest at heart.” What has been heard from Abramovich is a vague

PORTLAND, Ore. — Khalid Thomas had a career-high 27 points as Portland State edged past Idaho State 73-69 in overtime. Tarik Cool led the Bengals with 14 points.

DHARAMSALA, India (AP) — Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat in the third and final T20 against India on Sunday. The hosts have already sealed the series with convincing wins in the first two matches. India won in Lucknow by 62 runs and then won on Saturday in Dharamsala by seven wickets.

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Henrik Kristoffersen came from behind to win his second men’s World Cup slalom in two days after the top three skiers from the first run all failed to finish. Kristoffersen became the first skier this season with multiple slalom victories after the previous seven races had seven different winners. Kristoffersen was

LEEDS, England (AP) — Marcelo Bielsa has been fired by Leeds after another heavy loss dropped the team to within two points of the Premier League relegation zone. Leeds said it aims to announce the Argentine coach’s successor on Monday. A 4-0 loss at home to Tottenham came at the end of a seven-day stretch

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — Swiss skier Priska Nufer has got a breakout win at age 30 in a World Cup downhill on home snow at Crans-Montana. It was Nufer’s first podium place in close to 150 World Cup races. She finished just ahead of three Olympic gold medalists. Nufer was 0.11 seconds faster than Ester