Sports

By JOHN DUERDEN Associated Press After three years of isolation and financial struggles in Chinese soccer, the country is reopening its borders and economy to the outside world. With it, frustrated fans, financially challenged clubs and unpaid players in the Chinese Super League might receive some long-awaited good news. The 2022 season was unrecognizable from

By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Pro Football Writer FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Ezekiel Elliott is no longer the lead running back for the Dallas Cowboys. The two-time rushing champ shares the backfield role with Tony Pollard. The understudy is the team’s leading rusher going into a wild-card playoff game at Tampa Bay on Monday night. Elliott’s

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer HONOLULU (AP) — Jordan Spieth is playing about how he expects, and that’s a good thing. Spieth opened with a 64 and shares the early lead in the Sony Open with Chris Kirk. Spieth says he is feeling more confident that has swing changes are now becoming routine. The

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer Clemson is working to hire TCU assistant Garrett Riley as its next offensive coordinator, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because a deal was being finalized and still needed approval from the school’s Board of

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) — Mateo Fuenmayor of Colombia has the lead in the Latin America Amateur Championship after a 66 at Grand Reserve. Fuenmayor is a junior at Oregon State. He is coming off a top 10 in the South American Amateur last week in Ecuador. The winner of the Latin America Amateur

By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens are still practicing without Lamar Jackson. But Thursday did include one significant development. There was an update from the star quarterback’s Twitter account. Jackson tweeted that he’s suffered a grade 2 PCL sprain. He says there’s still inflammation surrounding his knee

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson on Thursday, making him the first announced candidate for their head coaching vacancy. Texans general manager Nick Caserio is searching for his third coach in as many years. Lovie Smith was 3-13-1 in one season and was fired on Monday, a year

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin has announced the additions of Paul Haynes, Colin Hitschler and Greg Scruggs to new coach Luke Fickell’s defensive staff. Hayes will coach cornerbacks and Scruggs will coach defensive linemen. Hitschler will coach safeties and lead the special-teams unit. Fickell already had named Mike Tressel his defensive coordinator. Haynes coached Minnesota’s

BOSTON (AP) — The home of the Boston Celtics and Bruins will be known as the TD Garden through 2045. TD Bank and the building’s owner, Delaware North, announced a 20-year extension for the arena naming rights. The agreement began in 2005 and had been set to expire in 2025. The bank will also be

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer Alyssa Thompson was the top pick in the National Women’s Soccer League draft by Angel City, becoming the first high school player to be selected in the history of the league. Thompson is an 18-year-old forward out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles who declared her eligibility

The Associated Press Derek Mason announced on social media that he is stepping down as Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator and taking a sabbatical from coaching football. Mason took over this past season after Jim Knowles took the same position at Ohio State. Under Mason, Oklahoma State allowed 28.9 points per game, fifth in the Big

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans interviewed two in-house candidates on Thursday for the team’s vacant general manager position. The team interviewed vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden and director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort for the position previously held by Jon Robinson, who was fired last month after seven seasons on the

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Marc-André ter Stegen saved two penalties and Pedri converted the deciding spot kick as Barcelona defeated Real Betis 4-2 in a shootout to set up a Spanish Super Cup final against rival Real Madrid this weekend in Saudi Arabia. Madrid defeated Valencia on penalties in the other semifinal on Wednesday.

LONDON (AP) — João Félix was sent off on his Chelsea debut for a studs-first lunge as his new team lost 2-1 at Fulham in the Premier League to fall deeper into crisis. The Portugal forward was shown a straight red card in the 58th minute for his dangerous challenge on Kenny Tete that caught

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers have announced that guard Tyrese Haliburton will miss about two weeks, and possibly more, after he suffered a left elbow sprain and a mild left knee bone bruise. The Pacers said Haliburton underwent an MRI and the team is awaiting additional opinion on the results of those scans. He

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Chelsea newcomer David Datro Fofana is the subject of a legal dispute between two other clubs over the Ivory Coast international’s move to Norway two years ago. The Court of Arbitration for Sport said Thursday it has registered a case filed by Ivorian club Abidjan City against Fofana and Norwegian club

ROME (AP) — Substitute Paulo Dybala scored to send Roma into the Italian Cup quarterfinals with a 1-0 win over second-division Genoa on Thursday. Dybala was brought on at halftime and he changed the game as Roma’s attack instantly looked more dangerous. He scored what was to prove the winner in the 64th minute. Roma

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer A diversity report examining racial and gender hiring in Major League Soccer reported another boost in scores for the hiring of women. That marked a second straight year of significant gains after four years of declines. Thursday’s report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at