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Fifty people were treated in hospital following the incident on Water Street
Police have been given extra time to question a man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a car ploughed into football fans during Liverpool’s Premier League victory parade.
Seven people remain in hospital from a total of 79 casualties identified after the incident involving a Ford Galaxy on Water Street in the city centre shortly after 18:00 BST on Monday.
Merseyside Police said it had been given more time to question a 53-year-old man from West Derby, who was also detained on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs.
The force said the vehicle had followed an ambulance, which had been responding to reports of someone having a heart attack, into the road.
Police said they had now spoken to 14 more people who had been injured after reporting 65 were hurt at a news conference on Tuesday.
Officers confirmed they had been granted further time to continue questioning the suspect until Thursday.
Reuters
Some flowers and cards have been left on Water Street, which has now reopened
Under laws around the detention of suspects, police forces can keep a person in custody for 24 hours without charge, while a senior officer of at least superintendent rank can sign off on a 12 hour extension.
After that, an application can be made to a magistrates’ court for further 12 hour extensions to a maximum of 96 hours – or 14 days if the offence is terrorism related.
Within two hours of the suspect’s arrest, the force confirmed he was a “white British male” and said the incident was not being treated as terror related.
How Liverpool FC parade incident unfolded
Merseyside Police urged people not to speculate and reiterated that the only suspect in custody was a 53-year-old man from the West Derby area of Liverpool.
Water Street reopened earlier after cordon was lifted and the aftermath of the parade and the incident was cleaned up overnight.
Det Supt Rachel Wilson said: “I’m pleased to say the number of people in hospital is reducing as they continue to recover from the awful incident.
“We continue to support those still receiving treatment and as part of our ongoing enquiries we are identifying more people who were injured.”
She said detectives were making “significant progress” in establishing the full circumstances that led to what happened.
Officers are carrying out a trawl of CCTV inquiries across the city to establish the movements of the Ford Galaxy before the incident took place.
PA Media
Detectives say they are making “significant progress” in establishing the full circumstances that led to the incident
Some flowers and cards with well wishes have been left as a reminder of the events which unfolded.
Hundreds of thousands of jubilant Liverpool fans packed the city centre on Bank Holiday Monday and lined the 10-mile (16km) parade route as the Reds celebrated winning their second Premier League crown and 20th top-flight league title.
When the Bradford family walks together on a beach, at an airport, in a restaurant, eyes turn. They aren’t just tall, they’re giants. They aren’t a basketball family — they play volleyball. On Memorial Day, mom, dad, daughter and son were at the beach looking for games.
Lee Bradford was a 6-foot-7 middle blocker at Pepperdine in the 1990s. His wife, Sara, is 6-1 and played basketball at Fordham. Their oldest daughter, Carissa, was the 6-2 City Section volleyball player of the year at Granada Hills, played at Tennessee and South Alabama and is now head coach at Bates College.
Their son, Derek, is 6-8, won a CIF title with Royal and now trains with the USA beach volleyball team. Their son, Grayson, is a 6-11 senior at Mira Costa and plays for a state championship on Saturday in Fresno. He’s committed to UCLA.
Even the youngest in the family, 12-year-old daughter Brooke, is 5-10 and headed for volleyball stardom. Talk about good height genes — no giant shoes go unused in this family.
The Bradford volleyball family (left to right). Derek (6-foot-8), Lee (6-7), Sara (6-1), Brooke (5-10), Carissa (6-2), Grayson (6-11).
(Courtesy Bradford family.)
Dad gave his kids a choice growing up. “I love the sport and offered free private lessons,” he said.
They took him up and the rest is history. Lee has been a teacher at Granada Hills and used to be an assistant coach to Tom Harp. He eventually moved his family to Manhattan Beach after driving to the South Bay for years for club competition.
“We made a really good decision four years ago to go to a high level club program,” he said. “It’s been a great journey.”
At 6 feet 11, Grayson Bradford towers over everyone playing volleyball for Mira Costa. He’s headed to UCLA.
It’s a weekend for championships. The Southern Section baseball will be held Friday and Saturday at Cal State Fullerton and Blair Field in Long Beach.
The Southern Section softball finals are Friday and Saturday in Irvine.
The state track and field championships will be Friday and Saturday at Buchanan High in Clovis (temperatures will hit triple digits). The state tennis championships are Saturday in Fresno.
The City Section softball finals are Saturday at Cal State Northridge.
St. John Bosco has unleashed a closer extraordinaire in junior Jack Champlin. Last week, in the bottom of the seventh inning with the score tied, Villa Park had the winning run on third and Champlin was brought in to get a strikeout. He threw 2 1/3 hitless relief before the Braves won 5-4 in nine innings.
He was inserted into the game with a 2-0 count, one runner on and one out in the seventh inning against Corona. He walked the first first batter, then got a strikeout and fly out to end the game.
Jack Champlin comes through as the closer. St. John Bosco beats Corona 2-0. On to the Division 1 final. All-Trinity League. pic.twitter.com/7s0Lh5dny6
He said of the situation, ““I love it,” he said. “There’s close to 1,000 people and it’s electric. I didn’t feel any pressure, didn’t feel nervous. It’s just fun to compete against all these Power 5 players.”
Jack Champlin of St. John Bosco picked up the save in 2-0 win over Corona.
(Nick Koza)
That kind of closer’s mentality and confidence should help St. John Bosco in Friday’s 7 p.m. Division final against Santa Margarita at Cal State Fullerton. Champlin will gladly take the ball whenever coach Andy Rojo offers it.
“I haven’t had a blown save,” he said.
That’s not the kiss of death. That’s a teenager who wants the ball with the game on the line.
From Jack Harris: For a few weeks now, the Dodgers have been in the “treading water” portion of their season, trying to work through injuries in their pitching staff and inconsistencies in the lineup to remain atop the National League West standings.
On Tuesday, in a 9-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, two of their coldest hitters finally gave them some comfortable space to breathe.
In a game that was close until the final few innings, Michael Conforto and Max Muncy both showed long-awaited signs of life at the plate, each reaching base three times and each hitting late home runs to help the Dodgers pull away on a cool night in Cleveland.
“It’s big,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It adds the length [to the lineup] that we expected coming into this season.”
For much of this year, that length had been missing, the Dodgers forced to navigate around subpar production from both veteran sluggers — both at the plate and in the field.
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NBA PLAYOFFS RESULTS
All Times Pacific
Conference finals
Western Conference
No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 6 Minnesota at Oklahoma City 114, Minnesota 88 (box score) at Oklahoma City 118, Minnesota 103 (box score) at Minnesota 143, Oklahoma City 101 (box score) Oklahoma City 128, at Minnesota 126 (box score) Wednesday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ESPN Friday at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ESPN* Sunday at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ESPN*
Eastern Conference
No. 3 New York vs. No. 4 Indiana Indiana 138, at New York 135 (OT) (box score) Indiana 114, at New York 109 (box score) New York 106, at Indiana 100 (box score) at Indiana 130, New York 121 (box score) Thursday at New York, 5 p.m., TNT Saturday at Indiana, 5 p.m., TNT* Monday at New York, 5 p.m., TNT*
Wayne Randazzo, the television voice of the Angels, was detailing just how poorly the team’s relievers had performed. He recited the Angels’ earned-run average in the late innings, inning by inning. Over 5.00. Over 6.00. In the ninth inning, at that time, over 7.00.
“The numbers,” Randazzo said, “are gargantuan.”
What a colorful, descriptive and absolutely apt adjective. Not the “struggling” or “scuffling” or “slumping” a broadcaster typically offers, bland adjectives presented with the assurance that better times are ahead. No team can win with that kind of bullpen performance, and no one can guarantee that better times are ahead for a relief corps where only the closer has a successful track record.
For all that has gone wrong on the field for the Angels in modern times, they have struck gold in the broadcast booth. In pairing Randazzo with longtime analyst Mark Gubicza, the Angels just might have their best broadcast team since Dick Enberg and Don Drysdale half a century ago.
Carlos Rodón pitched seven scoreless innings of five-hit ball, and Devin Williams barely survived a perilous ninth inning to earn his first save since April 17 in the New York Yankees’ 3-2 victory over the Angels on Tuesday night.
Yoán Moncada homered in the ninth as the Angels ended a stretch of 16 scoreless innings in the series with two runs and three hits off Williams, the Yankees’ embattled new reliever. Williams lost the closer role last month after a shaky beginning to his New York tenure, and he hadn’t had a save opportunity since April 25.
After Moncada led off the ninth with a homer on his 30th birthday, Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Ward scored when Jo Adell grounded into a forceout, but Williams got pinch-hitter Logan O’Hoppe on a foul popup to secure his fifth save and the Yankees’ seventh straight series win.
From Anthony De Leon: When the Sparks traded for Kelsey Plum, the buzz around her reunion with former championship teammate Dearica Hamby centered on one thing: their pedigree elevating the franchise.
On Tuesday night, fans got a glimpse of the potential that the duo could attain. The chemistry. The comfort. The way they fed off each other’s energy — stepping up when the Sparks needed it most, looking to build momentum off a previous hard-fought victory.
By the fourth quarter of an 88-82 loss to the Atlanta Dream (4-2) on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, the Sparks (2-4) were on the verge of a comeback. A steal by Hamby near midcourt turned into an outlet on the fastbreak to Plum, who quickly dished it back for the finish, trimming the deficit to 66–63.
The second half belonged to them. Plum and Hamby combined for 39 points to rally the Sparks from a 40–31 halftime hole. Like clockwork, Plum buried a clutch three-pointer to cut the lead to 71–70 — the closest L.A. would get. Hamby’s late free throws pulled them to within two in the final minutes.
From Kevin Baxter: Carlos Vela, the first player signed by LAFC and still the club record-holder in goals, assists, games and minutes played, announced his retirement Tuesday. The team said in announcement that Vela will work with LAFC as its first Black and Gold Ambassador. He will also be honored on Carlos Vela Night at BMO Stadium on Sept. 21.
“Helping to build LAFC and winning trophies for the club is a highlight of my career,” Vela, 36, said in a statement issued by the team. “This club means so much to me and my family, and I am proud of everything we have accomplished together with the great fans of Los Angeles. I am excited to begin this next chapter in my journey here in L.A.”
Vela signed a designated-player contract with LAFC in August 2017, eight months before the team’s first game. He led LAFC to the playoffs in his first season, then set the MLS single-season goal-scoring record with 34 in 2019, when the team won the first of two Supporters’ Shields. Vela was named the league’s MVP that season
From Kevin Baxter: The last time Bruce Arena and Dave Sarachan stood together on the sidelines at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy were beating the Colorado Rapids in the MLS Western Conference semifinals. That was 2016 and the win was the pair’s 18th playoff victory in eight seasons with the Galaxy.
It was also the last game they coached together in Carson.
They’ll be back on Wednesday, only this time Arena and Sarachan will be in the opposite technical area, standing in front of the San José Earthquakes’ bench. And in some ways it’s a bittersweet return. Because while both men have mostly fond memories of their time with the Galaxy, they return with the home team hungry and winless through 15 games, the longest drought in franchise history.
That makes the homecoming both welcome and challenging.
“I have nothing but good memories of my time in L.A. with the Galaxy. So it’s nice to go back,” Arena said.
“I like watching them and they’ve had tough times. But they’re better than their record indicates. We’re the next team up, which will be in some ways very, very challenging because you know they’re due to have success.”
From Kevin Baxter: With the World Cup, one the U.S. will play at home, just 380 days away, Captain America has decided to take a pass on the national team’s last major competition ahead of the tournament.
That’s Pulisic’s choice, of course. He’s played a grueling schedule with AC Milan this season, one that concludes Sunday, a week before the national team reports to camp in Chicago.
And he has permission.
“Christian and his team approached the Federation and the coaching staff about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played,” said Matt Crocker, U.S. Soccer’s sporting director, noting that Pulisic has played more than 4,400 minutes for club and country the last 12 months.
Nor is Pulisic alone in his absence. Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Josh Sargent and Yunus Musah, Pulisic’s teammate in Milan, were also left off the 27-man roster summoned to training camp ahead next month’s Gold Cup, although some of those players will be participating in the Club World Cup.
Yet even if reason and rules are strongly on Pulisic’s side, the optics are bad.
Let’s hear from you. Could a smoother path to the College Football Playoff be worth losing the Notre Dame-USC rivalry? Vote here and let us know. Results announced next week.
NHL PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, RESULTS
All times Pacific
Conference finals
Western Conference
Central 2 Dallas vs. Pacific 3 Edmonton at Dallas 6, Edmonton 3 (summary) Edmonton 3, at Dallas 0 (summary) at Edmonton 6, Dallas 1 (summary) at Edmonton 4, Dallas 1 (summary) Thursday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN Saturday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., ABC* Monday at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN*
Eastern Conference
Metro 2 Carolina vs. Atlantic 3 Florida Florida 5, at Carolina 2 (summary) Florida 5, at Carolina 0 (summary) at Florida 6, Carolina 2 (summary) Carolina 3, at Florida 0 (summary) Wednesday at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT Friday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT* Sunday at Carolina, 5 p.m., TNT*
* If necessary
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1901 — Parader, ridden by Fred Landry, overcomes a bad start to win the Preakness Stakes by two lengths over Sadie S.
1904 — Bryn Mawr, ridden by Eugene Hildebrand, wins the Preakness Stakes by one length over Wotan.
1958 — European Cup Final, Brussels: Francisco Gento scores the winner in extra time as Real Madrid beats AC Milan, 3-2; 3rd consecutive title for Los Blancos.
1969 — European Cup Final, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid: AC Milan striker Pierino Prati scores 3 in 4-1 win over Ajax; second title for I Rossoneri.
1975 — 19th European Cup: Bayern Munich beats Leeds United 2-0 at Paris.
1978 — Al Unser wins his third Indianapolis 500, the fifth driver to do so, edging Tom Sneva by 8.19 seconds.
1980 — 24th European Cup: Nottingham Forest beats Hamburg 1-0 at Madrid.
1985 — The San Diego Sockers beat the Baltimore Blast 5-3 to win the MISL title in five games.
1995 — Jacques Villeneuve overcomes one penalty and wins by another in the Indianapolis 500. Villeneuve drives to victory after fellow Canadian Scott Goodyear is penalized for passing the pace car on the final restart.
1997 — 5th UEFA Champions League Final: Borussia Dortmund beats Juventus 3-1 at Munich.
2000 — Dutch swimming star Inge de Bruijn sets her third world record in three days, adding the 100 freestyle mark to the 50 and 100 butterfly marks she set previously at the Sheffield Super Grand Prix. De Bruijn becomes the first swimmer to finish under 54.00 in the 100 freestyle at 53.80 seconds.
2003 — Patrick Roy officially announces his retirement from the NHL.
2003 — 11th UEFA Champions League Final: Milan beats Juventus (0-0, 3-2 on penalties) at Manchester.
2006 — Sam Hornish Jr. overcomes a disastrous mistake in the pits and a pair of Andrettis — Marco and father Michael — to win the second-closest Indianapolis 500 ever, by .0635 seconds.
2007 — Duke has an almost unfathomable comeback fall short in a 12-11 loss to Johns Hopkins in the NCAA lacrosse championship game. The Blue Devils never finished their 2006 season, and then make it all the way back to the title game.
2011 — Novak Djokovic extends his perfect start to the season at the French Open, beating Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 for his 40th straight victory this year. Djokovic’s 40-0 start to 2011 is the second-best opening streak in the Open era, which started in 1968.
2011 — UEFA Champions League Final, London: FC Barcelona beats Manchester United, 3-1; 4th title for Barça.
2020 — The Boston Marathon canceled for the first time in its 124-year history. The race had originally been scheduled for April 20 before being postponed for five months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
2022 — UEFA Champions League Final, Paris: Carlo Ancelotti becomes first manager to win CL x 4 as Real Madrid beats Liverpool, 1-0.
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1918 — Boston’s Joe Bush pitched a 1-0 one-hitter against the Chicago White Sox and drove in the lone run. The only Chicago hit was by Happy Felsch. It occurred when he threw his bat at the ball on a hit and run.
1939 — Philadelphia pitcher Robert Joyce was victimized two straight days by New York’s George Selkirk. Joyce gave up two homers to Selkirk a day earlier. Joyce came on in relief on this day and gave up two more homers to Selkirk. Selkirk ended with four homers in four at-bats against the same pitcher over two successive games. The Yankees won 9-5.
1946 — The Washington Senators beat New York 2-1 in the first night game at Yankee Stadium. The first ball was thrown out by General Electric president Charles E. Wilson.
1951 — After going 0-for-12 in his first three major league games, Willie Mays of the New York Giants hit a home run off Warren Spahn in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Braves.
1956 — Dale Long of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit a home run in his eighth consecutive game, a major league record. Long connected off Brooklyn’s Carl Erskine at Forbes Field.
1968 — The American League announced the league will be split into two divisions. The East division will consist of Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, New York and Washington. California, Chicago, Kansas City, Minnesota, Oakland and Seattle will make up the West.
1979 — George Brett of the Kansas City Royals hit for the cycle and added another home run to beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 in 16 innings.
1986 — Joe Cowley of the Chicago White Sox set a major league record by striking out the first seven batters he faced. He lasted 4 2-3 innings in a 6-3 loss to the Texas Rangers.
1995 — The White Sox and Tigers set a major league record with 12 homers, and combined for an American League-record 21 extra-base hits in Chicago’s 14-12 victory in Detroit.
1998 — Arizona manager Buck Showalter intentionally walked Barry Bonds with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and the Diamondbacks held on to beat San Francisco 8-7.
2003 – Atlanta became the second team in major league history to start a game with three straight homers in its 15-3 win over the Reds. Rafael Furcal, Mark DeRosa and Gary Sheffield hit consecutive home runs off Jeff Austin in the bottom of the first. The Padres did it against the Giants on April 13, 1987.
2006 — Barry Bonds hit his 715th home run during the San Francisco Giants’ 6-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies to slip past Babe Ruth and pull in behind Hank Aaron and his long-standing record of 755.
2007 — Adrian Beltre tied a franchise record with four extra-base hits, including two homers, as Seattle pounded the Angels 12-5.
2010 — Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera hit three homers in a 5-4 loss to Oakland. Oakland’s Ben Sheets gave up three runs — on Cabrera’s first two homers — worked seven innings in his longest start of the season.
2012 — The Cubs end a twelve-game losing streak, their longest since 1997, with an 11-7 win over the Padres at Wrigley Field.
2013 — The Mets honor Yankees great Mariano Rivera, who has announced his retirement at the end of the year, by having him throw the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the two teams from the Big Apple at Citi Field, with retired Mets closer John Franco acting as his catcher for the occasion.
2016 — In the third inning of a game against the Dodgers, Mets P Noah Syndergaard is ejected for throwing at Chase Utley, in apparent retaliation for Utley’s aggressive slide which injured Mets SS Ruben Tejada in last year’s NLDS. Umpire Adam Hamari also tosses Mets manager Terry Collins for arguing his decision, then Utley gets his revenge when he opens the score with a solo homer off Logan Verrett in the 6th and adds a grand slam off Hansel Robles in the 7th. The Dodgers hit five homers in total as they win the game, 9-1.
2019 — Derek Dietrich continues his unlikely homer binge as he hits three, all two-run shots, in leading the Reds to an 11-6 win over the Pirates. With 17 homers this year, he has already topped his career high, and 12 of his last 17 hits have gone over the fence. For the Pirates, rookie Kevin Newman hits his first career homer, a grand slam off Lucas Sims.
2023 — Spencer Strider of the Braves becomes the fastest starting pitcher to record 100 strikeouts in a season, doing so in his 61st inning in an 11 – 4 win over the Phillies. Last year, Strider set the record for the fastest pitcher to reach 200 Ks in a season.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
“In the first two months of me being professional, I realised that goal’s impossible. I was naive when I said that. I said that before I turned professional.
“I didn’t realise how much you can’t control in this boxing game. You think since I turned professional, the world champions have been Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
“There’s no way in two years I would have put myself in a position to fight them.”
Itauma’s two-round destruction of Mike Balogun on Saturday extended his record to 12 wins and 10 knockouts.
He was initially marketed as the teenager to break Tyson’s record, but denied it was only ever a clever “marketing strategy” for his career.
When the Sparks traded for Kelsey Plum, the buzz around her reunion with former championship teammate Dearica Hamby centered on one thing: their pedigree elevating the franchise.
On Tuesday night, fans got a glimpse of the potential that the duo could attain. The chemistry. The comfort. The way they fed off each other’s energy — stepping up when the Sparks needed it most, looking to build momentum off a previous hard-fought victory.
By the fourth quarter of an 88-82 loss to the Atlanta Dream (4-2) on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, the Sparks (2-4) were on the verge of a comeback. A steal by Hamby near midcourt turned into an outlet on the fastbreak to Plum, who quickly dished it back for the finish, trimming the deficit to 66–63.
The second half belonged to them. Plum and Hamby combined for 39 points to rally the Sparks from a 40–31 halftime hole. Like clockwork, Plum buried a clutch three-pointer to cut the lead to 71–70 — the closest L.A. would get. Hamby’s late free throws pulled them to within two in the final minutes.
They led by example — attacking the basket, applying pressure on defense, diving for loose balls — doing everything necessary to win the close games the Sparks have so often found themselves in this season.
But in the end, like so often before, their effort fell just short.
Although the duo played with a sense of urgency, it’s still something the team as a whole struggles to sustain over a full 40 minutes, according to head coach Lynne Roberts. It seemed they might have turned a corner Sunday, but that performance now feels like the exception, not the start of a trend.
“My message to the group was we’ve got to be able to put 40 minutes together and not get down and then play with that urgency,” Roberts said. “We have the ability to play like that more, and that’s what I’d like to see when we go in those spurts or the droughts.”
As a team, the drought came in the second quarter. Coming off their highest-scoring game of the season, the Sparks looked out of sorts against a staunch Atlanta defense that refused to give up easy baskets.
The Dream disrupted the Sparks’ rhythm from the start, denying space for them to initiate sets, locate open shooters or generate meaningful possessions — the blueprint of Roberts’ offense. That inefficiency became more pronounced as the quarter progressed, when opportunities came sparingly and turnovers, whether from steals or denied attempts at the rim, became a recurring theme.
“I could do a better job,” Plum said, shouldering the brunt of the offensive inefficiency in the period. “Getting the people the ball, good shot. And I think we had a lot of good looks around the rim early… Just missed them, and credit to them.”
Plum finished with 27 points, five assists, three rebounds and four steals, and Hamby had 28 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals of her own, with Roberts adding that “those are stupid numbers. And her defense there in the second half got us back in it.”
With inconsistency still prevalent and struggles to close out games lingering, Plum and Hamby agree the team is close to improving, but the process is ongoing.
“If you watch these game, we’re right freaking there,” Plum said.
Hamby says success won’t come this early in the season, reflecting on her and Plum’s championship experience in Las Vegas.
“We enjoy the process — been part of the process,” Hamby said. “We know that it’s not like it happens overnight. It’s not going to happen in the first six games of the season.
“Obviously, we want to compete and we want to keep building. But perspective: this is a new group. We’re learning a whole new system. It’s predicated on chemistry, movement, space, team.”
But the road to success remains a marathon.
The Sparks will have only a few days to continue their team-building efforts before hitting the road for a matchup in Las Vegas against the Aces — the former home of both All-Stars. For Plum, it signifies her first return since the offseason trade.
The quick turnaround also gives Rickea Jackson, fresh off a concussion, more time to ease back into the lineup.
With starters logging heavy minutes and rookies thrust into high-pressure roles early in the season, the Sparks simply needed more bodies to ease the burden. The return of Rickea Jackson was a welcome boost.
Still, the Sparks took a cautious approach to her reintroduction. Jackson came off the bench and played limited minutes (12) mostly in the second half, as she worked to reacclimate to the pace of live play.
At times, she looked like a player still finding her rhythm, missing shots she typically makes and picking up uncharacteristic fouls. She finished with more fouls than any other stat: three fouls and just one rebound.
While Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham are all planning for next season’s Champions League, United are unable to offer new recruits any European football – let alone a place in Europe’s premier club competition.
Indeed, it is now more than three years since United last played a Champions League knockout tie.
Despite a lowly league finish and absence of European football next season, BBC Sport understands Cunha still views United as a big club – and that the player does not look at it as a risk.
Instead Cunha, who turned 26 on Tuesday and is in peak form, is excited by the enormous challenge of reviving United’s fortunes.
There is a feeling the move makes sense for all parties.
Cunha wants to move to a so-called bigger club, while Wolves get more than £60m to reinvest.
Meanwhile, Wolves have already showed they can win matches without Cunha after securing 10 points from the four Premier League games he missed through suspension following a red card against Bournemouth in the FA Cup in March.
United, who are set to allow England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho to leave this summer, need to boost the options available to boss Ruben Amorim.
His side managed just 44 top-flight goals in 2024-25 – a club-record low in the Premier League era. Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap, external and Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo have also been linked.
Cunha has 27 goals in 65 Premier League appearances over the past two seasons and is regarded at United as someone who can make an instant impact, while at the same time add experience to the team.
“United are lucky they still have their historic appeal and reputation as a club, so players of the Brazilian’s quality and potential want to move there,” former England midfielder Fara Williams told BBC Sport.
“If he does, there is no doubt he improves the squad.”
Carlos Rodón pitched seven scoreless innings of five-hit ball, and Devin Williams barely survived a perilous ninth inning to earn his first save since April 17 in the New York Yankees’ 3-2 victory over the Angels on Tuesday night.
Yoán Moncada homered in the ninth as the Angels ended a stretch of 16 scoreless innings in the series with two runs and three hits off Williams, the Yankees’ embattled new reliever. Williams lost the closer role last month after a shaky beginning to his New York tenure, and he hadn’t had a save opportunity since April 25.
After Moncada led off the ninth with a homer on his 30th birthday, Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Ward scored when Jo Adell grounded into a forceout, but Williams got pinch-hitter Logan O’Hoppe on a foul popup to secure his fifth save and the Yankees’ seventh straight series win.
Tyler Anderson (2-2) held the Yankees to five hits and one unearned run over six innings, but the Angels have scored just five runs during their four-game skid after an eight-game winning streak.
Ben Rice and Oswald Peraza homered and Anthony Volpe had an RBI single for the defending AL champion Yankees, who have won four in a row, eight of nine and 15 of 19 to surge seven games ahead of second-place Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Rodón (7-3) tied his season high with 10 strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter while winning his third consecutive start. He struck out Chris Taylor with a runner in scoring position to end the seventh, slotting a fastball in the bottom of the zone with his 105th and final pitch. Opponents are batting just .164 against the left-hander, the lowest mark in the majors among qualified pitchers.
Great Britain’s men produced a solid performance to win team gold at the European gymastics championship in Leipzig, Germany.
Olympic medallists Jake Jarman and Harry Hepworth, double European floor champion Luke Whitehouse plus Jonas Rushworth and Jamie Lewis – two newcomers to the senior squad – combined for a winning score of 247.528 points.
That total was enough to see off the challenges of Switzerland and Italy and earn Britain a first gold in the event since 2022.
Jarman, who was part of the quartet who won that title in Munich, told BBC Sport: “I’m incredibly proud of this team. It was a new team coming into this and I was a bit unsure how we’d get on together, but from day one it just seemed like the chemistry of the team came together so seamlessly.
“I was just trying to tell them to enjoy it. We do all the hard work back in the gym at home and when it comes to the day you don’t want to walk away from a competition wishing you’d enjoyed it more.”
Rushworth, 19, was making his senior debut for GB.
He told BBC Sport: “It’s a privilege, I feel blessed to be in this team.
“There’s no better group of lads to be here with. The experience was immense and I’m just excited for the future.”
The team event also served as qualification for the men’s all-around and apparatus finals, while the mixed team final takes place on Wednesday.
Arne Slot thanked “the wider football community” for its support following the incident at Liverpool’s title parade as he was named manager of the year and Premier League manager of the year at the League Managers Association (LMA) awards.
About 50 people – including four children – were injured on Monday when a car rammed into crowds in central Liverpool.
Slot was honoured with the Sir Alex Ferguson Trophy at the annual LMA ceremony in London – which he did not attend.
After replacing Jurgen Klopp last summer, the 46-year-old only signed one player – forward Federico Chiesa – but still delivered Liverpool’s second Premier League title, winning the league by 10 points from Arsenal.
“I have had to withdraw from the event out of solidarity with all affected,” he said., external
“This is not a decision I have taken lightly but it is one that I feel is absolutely right given the seriousness of the situation.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the wider football community, including the LMA itself, the Premier League and many clubs for the support we have received over the last 24 hours.
Jack Champlin, a junior pitcher for St. John Bosco, surveyed the memorable scene Tuesday afternoon. There were fans standing everywhere — down the lines, around the outfield walls, in the press box. It was the top of the seventh inning, and No. 1 Corona had two runners aboard trying to rally in the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.
“I love it,” he said. “There’s close to 1,000 people and it’s electric. I didn’t feel any pressure, didn’t feel nervous.”
He got a strikeout and fly ball to save St. John Bosco’s stunning 2-0 victory over Corona and unbeaten pitcher Seth Hernandez, who had never lost in two years of high school baseball.
Jack Champlin comes through as the closer. St. John Bosco beats Corona 2-0. On to the Division 1 final. All-Trinity League. pic.twitter.com/7s0Lh5dny6
“Tough day for people who don’t normally have tough days,” said Corona coach Andy Wise, who guided the Panthers to the Division 1 title last season and saw his team’s record drop to 28-3.
The Braves will play Trinity League rival Santa Margarita in Friday’s 7 p.m. Division 1 championship game at Cal State Fullerton.
Everything St. John Bosco needed to do to pull off victory happened. Left-hander Trevor Heishman gave up one hit in 6 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts. He struck out Corona’s hottest hitter, Anthony Murphy, three times.
The Braves refused to be intimidated by the 99-mph fastball of Hernandez, who came in with just four walks and 96 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings and an 18-0 record in high school baseball. He struck out nine, walked three and gave up a run in the second inning on consecutive singles by Champlin and Macade Maxwell. St. John Bosco scored another run in the fifth on a Hernandez balk.
“He’s just another player like us,” Champlin said of the Braves’ attitude toward Hernandez, one of the top pro prospects in the nation. “We weren’t scared. We came out with confidence we were going to win from the time we stepped on the field.
Second-year coach Andy Rojo has St. John Bosco in the Division 1 final.
(Nick Koza)
In two years as head coach, Andy Rojo has taken the Braves to the Division 3 final (last season) and now the Division 1 final on Friday.
His batters made Hernandez throw 92 pitches in five innings and hit the ball hard when they needed. “The key for us we wanted to put the ball in play,” he said.
St. John Bosco has never won a section baseball title after all the success the football and basketball teams have had. But this 26-4 team won the Trinity League championship for the first time since 2017 and has beaten Santa Margarita two of three times this season.
And they’ve got Champlin ready to be the closer again on Friday.
“I haven’t had a blown save,” he said with the confidence of a true closer.
Santa Margarita 12, Crespi 0: Ben Finnegan had three hits and four RBIs and Brennan Bauer gave up two hits in five scoreless innings to send the Eagles into the Division 1 championship game.
Mater Dei 5, Fountain Valley 4: A three-run sixth inning propelled the Monarchs to the comeback win in the Division 2 semifinals. Lawson Olmstead broke a 4-4 tie with an RBI single. Brandon Thomas picked up the save in the seventh and will pitch in the championship game.
West Ranch 8, Etiwanda 7: Ty Diaz had a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning, culminating in a three-run comeback victory in the Division 2 semifinals. Etiwanda took a 7-5 lead with two runs in the top of the eighth. Diaz finished with three hits and two RBIs.
San Dimas 4, Beckman 1: The Saints advance to the Division 3 championship game. They will face Glendora, a 7-5 winner over Temecula Valley.
Al-Hilal move for Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Manchester City join the race for Rayan Cherki and Leroy Sane could return to the Premier League.
Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have offered a deal for Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, 30, and told the Portugal midfielder he has 72 hours to make a decision. (Mail, external)
Manchester City have joined the race to sign Lyon’s 21-year-old Frenchmidfielder Rayan Cherki, who has also been linked with Liverpool and Chelsea. (Telegraph – subscription required, external)
Everton have joined Leeds United in the race to sign 33-year-old Newcastle United and England striker Callum Wilson, who is out of contract next month. (The Sun, external)
Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign 29-year-old Bayern Munich and Germany winger Leroy Sane, who will become a free agent at the end of next month (Sky Sports, external)
Aston Villa look poised to sign Feyenoord’s 18-year-old Dutch striker Zepiqueno Redmond on a free transfer this summer. (Sky Sports, external)
Arsenal have held talks with Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres’ agent in Lisbon and made a £58.7m offer to sign the Sweden international. (Correio da Manha – in Portuguese, external)
Manchester United have agreed the framework of a deal for Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap and are now waiting for the English striker to decide on his next move. (ESPN, external)
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, is expected to leave Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and sign for a new club to play in the Club World Cup, which kicks off on 15 June in the United States. (Telegraph – subscription required, external)
Carlos Vela, the first player signed by LAFC and still the club record-holder in goals, assists, games and minutes played, announced his retirement Tuesday. The team said in announcement that Vela will work with LAFC as its first Black and Gold Ambassador. He will also be honored on Carlos Vela Night at BMO Stadium on Sept. 21.
“Helping to build LAFC and winning trophies for the club is a highlight of my career,” Vela, 36, said in a statement issued by the team. “This club means so much to me and my family, and I am proud of everything we have accomplished together with the great fans of Los Angeles. I am excited to begin this next chapter in my journey here in L.A.”
Vela signed a designated-player contract with LAFC in August 2017, eight months before the team’s first game. He led LAFC to the playoffs in his first season, then set the MLS single-season goal-scoring record with 34 in 2019, when the team won the first of two Supporters’ Shields. Vela was named the league’s MVP that season.
A four-time MLS all-star, Vela played on two MLS Cup teams and made his final appearance for LAFC in the MLS playoffs last November, coming off the bench to play four minutes against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
With 78 goals and 59 assists Vela is one of just 13 players in MLS history to record at least 75 goals and 50 assists and he is the only player to reach those milestones in six seasons.
“From the beginning, Carlos has been more than just a player — he has been the heartbeat, the captain, and the face of LAFC,” LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington said. “Carlos arrived in Los Angeles with a shared vision of building something truly special, and he delivered on that promise in every way.
“Carlos helped make LAFC what it is today.”
Vela entered the Chivas de Guadalajara academy at 13 before moving to Arsenal of the English Premier League. He also played in England with West Bromwich Albion and in Spain with Salamanca and Osasuna before making more than 200 appearances in all competition for Real Sociedad from 2011-17, scoring 72 times.
He played 72 times for the Mexico national team, including in two World Cups, scoring 19 times.
McIlroy joined 18-time major champion Nicklaus as part of an elite group of six players who have completed a career grand slam of all four major tournaments by winning The Masters at Augusta in April.
The world number two subsequently tied for 47th place at the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow and is set to return to competitive action at the Canadian Open on 5 June as he prepares for the season’s third major, the US Open at Oakmont in Pennsylvania, from 12-15 June.
The PGA Tour’s final signature event of the season, the Travelers Championship, will be staged in Connecticut the following week.
“I know he likes to play so many in a row. He likes to play the week before a US Open. And so that’s what he’s doing. So, you know, I really don’t have a comment on it,” added Nicklaus.
“It’s very difficult, very difficult. I mean, I’m a big Rory fan, I always have been. I’m sure that I will remain that way. I just, I was a little surprised, yes.”
LIVERPOOL, England — A 53-year-old British man who injured 65 people when his car rammed into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans celebrating their team’s Premier League championship was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said Tuesday.
The driver was also being held on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving on drugs, Detective Chief Superintendent Karen Jaundrill said.
The incident late Monday afternoon turned a jubilant parade into a tragedy that sent 50 people to hospitals for treatment of their injuries. Eleven remained hospitalized Tuesday in stable condition.
The wounded included four children, one of whom had been trapped beneath the vehicle with three adults.
Driver dodged road block
Police had closed off much of the area to traffic, but the driver is believed to have maneuvered around a road block by following an ambulance that was rushing to treat a person suspected of having a heart attack, Asst. Chief Constable Jenny Sims said.
Merseyside Police said they were not treating the incident as terrorism and were not looking for other suspects. The force has not identified the arrested driver. Police in Britain usually do not name suspects until they are charged.
Detectives were still working to piece together why the minivan plowed into crowds packing a narrow street just after the players of Liverpool Football Club had celebrated its championship with an open-topped bus parade.
The incident cast a shadow over a city that has suffered twin tragedies linked to the soccer team and led to widespread expressions of shock, sadness and support.
“It is truly devastating to see that what should have been a joyous celebration for many could end in such distressing circumstances,” King Charles III said in a statement while on a visit to Canada. “I know that the strength of community spirit for which your city is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need.”
Crime scene scoured for evidence
Water Street, near the River Mersey in the heart of the city, was cordoned off by police tape, and a blue tent had been erected on the road strewn with the detritus of celebration, including bottles, cans and Liverpool flags.
Teams of officers wearing white forensic suits scoured the damp streets for evidence and snapped photos of clothing and other items left behind as people fled the chaotic scene.
Hundreds of thousands of Liverpudlians had crammed the streets of the port city in northwest England on Monday to celebrate the team winning England’s Premier League this season for a record-tying 20th top-flight title.
As the parade was wrapping up, a minivan turned down a cordoned-off street just off the parade route and plowed into the sea of fans wrapped in their red Liverpool scarves, jerseys and other memorabilia. A video on social media showed the van strike a man, tossing him in the air, before veering into a larger crowd, where it plowed a path through the group and pushed bodies along the street before coming to a stop.
“It was extremely fast,” said Harry Rashid, who was with his wife and two young daughters as the minivan passed by them. “Initially, we just heard the pop, pop, pop of people just being knocked off the bonnet of a car.”
Rashid said the crowd charged the halted vehicle and began smashing windows.
“But then he put his foot down again and just plowed through the rest of them, he just kept going,” Rashid said. “It was horrible. And you could hear the bumps as he was going over the people.”
Suspect partly identified to stop rumor mill
Police quickly identified the suspect as a white local man to prevent misinformation from flooding social media, Liverpool City Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said.
Rotheram said police acted appropriately to tamp down online speculation about the person responsible as false rumors spread rapidly online of there being another incident.
“Social media is a cesspit,” he said, referring to the conjecture and misinformation. “It was designed to inflame. It was designed to divide. The message of hate doesn’t go down well here.”
Last summer, a teen in the nearby town of Southport killed three girls in a stabbing rampage at a dance class and wounded 10 others, including two adults. An incorrect name of the suspect was spread on social media and people said he was an asylum-seeker. In fact, he had been born in the U.K. Rioting spread across England and Northern Ireland, targeting Muslims and refugees in hotels for asylum-seekers, lasting about a week.
Liverpool soccer legacy tainted by tragedy
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was appalled by the tragedy as he hailed the bravery of rescuers and said the country’s thoughts were with the city and its people.
“Scenes of joy turned to utter horror and devastation,” Starmer said Tuesday. “Liverpool stands together and the whole country stands with Liverpool.”
The storied franchise has been associated with two of the biggest tragedies in professional soccer.
Its fans were largely blamed for the 1985 disaster at Heysel stadium in Belgium when 39 people — mostly supporters of Italian team Juventus — died when Liverpool backers surged into the rival’s stand.
Four years later, a crush at Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans.
Ha and Melley write for the Associated Press. Melley reported from London. AP writer Jill Lawless contributed to this report.
There are portraits that precede greatness, snapshots of youthful genius. The boy with the indie-band bangs celebrating on Ronaldinho’s back. The bleach-blonde teen with blaugrana braces leaving a trail of Inter defenders in his wake.
Almost exactly 20 years separated Lionel Messi’s first goal for Barcelona and Lamine Yamal’s sensational Champions League semi-final strike on his 100th appearance for the Catalan giants last month.
Yamal did it again to clinch Barcelona another La Liga title earlier this month, cutting inside on to his left foot and emphatically delivering what is becoming his trademark finish against rivals Espanyol.
That made it two league titles already for Yamal, and the 17-year-old is still a month younger than Messi was when he lobbed the goalkeeper from Ronaldinho’s scooped assist to become La Liga’s then youngest scorer in 2005.
Yamal has also won a Copa del Rey and Super Cup with Barcelona, and a European Championship with Spain just for good measure.
“I don’t want to compare myself with the best player in football’s history,” said the forward last month, but conjecture around whether he can emulate Messi is natural.
The stats show Yamal’s trajectory since his debut aged 15 years and 290 days is rising faster than that of either Messi or the other superstar of his generation, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Yamal, not 18 until July, has already played 105 games at club level and scored 24 goals. By the same age, Messi had scored once in nine senior games for Barca while Ronaldo had netted five goals in 19 games for Sporting.
Yamal also has four goals in his 19 appearances for Spain. Neither Messi nor Ronaldo made their international debut until they turned 18.
“Lamine is Lamine. Leo is Leo,” Barca sporting director Deco told BBC Sport. “Leo was the best player in the history of this club, and, for me, the best player in history.
“So it’s not easy to compare these kinds of things. But Lamine in terms of quality, he can, in the same way, make history like Leo.”
It took Messi, who made his debut at 16, until shortly before his 21st birthday to hit the 100-game mark in Barcelona colours, scoring 41 goals in the process.
But they were the first of an incredible 672 goals for the club, to complement the eight Ballons d’Or, one World Cup, two Copas America, four Champions Leagues and a huge haul of domestic silverware.
“It is not normal,” says former Barcelona midfielder Mark van Bommel of Yamal’s rise. “That’s why everyone is talking about him. [But] to reach the number of Messi, that’s not easy. Even for a guy playing at 17.”
U.S. gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton faces a DUI charge after being arrested earlier this month in Marion County, W.Va.
According to Magistrate Court of Marion County records, Retton was arrested May 17 and charged with a misdemeanor count of driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs. She was released after posting a personal recognizance bond of $1,500, the court records show.
Retton’s attorney declined to comment on the matter when reached by The Times.
Born in Fairmont, W.Va., Retton, 57, rose to household-name status during the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, when she became the first U.S. gymnast to win Olympic gold in the all-around competition, edging Romania’s Simona Pauca by five-tenths of a point.
Retton sealed the gold medal by earning perfect scores on her final two exercises, floor and vault, much to the delight of the crowd at Pauley Pavilion and millions of TV viewers around the country. During those Games, she won five medals, also including silvers for team all-around and vault, and bronzes for floor and uneven bars.
On Oct. 10, 2023, Retton’s daughter, McKenna Kelley, revealed that her mother had “a very rare form of pneumonia” and was “fighting for her life” in intensive care without being covered by medical insurance.
“She is not able to breathe on her own,” Kelley wrote in the description of a fundraiser that has raised nearly $500,000 to help cover Retton’s medical costs.
On Oct. 23, 2023, Kelley wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post that Retton was “HOME & in recovery mode.”
Retton said she was “not great yet” when she spoke about her ordeal and ongoing recovery with NBC News’ Hoda Kotb in January 2024.
“I don’t know how long I’ll indefinitely need the oxygen,” Retton said while gesturing toward her nasal tube, “but you have no idea how blessed and how grateful I was for this holiday season.”
Retton also addressed why she didn’t have health insurance at the time of her medical emergency.
“When COVID hit after my divorce, and all my preexisting — I mean, I’ve had over 30 operations, orthopedic stuff — I couldn’t afford it,” she said.
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