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Spain blanks favored France to advance to World Cup final

July 14, 2026; Arlington, Texas, U.S.; Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal and Unai Simon in action.  Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images July 14, 2026; Arlington, Texas, U.S.; Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal and Unai Simon in action. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Spain is headed back to the World Cup final for the second time after denying France a third straight appearance following a 2-0 victory in a semifinal in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday.

Pedro Porro followed Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty in the 22nd minute by doubling the count in the 58th minute.

Spain, the 2010 champion, will play in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday against the winner of the reigning champion Argentina-England match in Atlanta on Wednesday.

France plays in the third-place match in Miami on Saturday.

Spain has a 37-match unbeaten streak (30 wins, seven draws) to tie Italy’s European record.

The best chance for France came in the 82nd minute when Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon raced midway between the penalty area and the center circle to challenge Desire Doue for the ball.

Doue got to it but Simon ran back and cut the angle to make a save inside the box as two Spain defenders guarded the goal line. Simon (three saves) is the first men’s keeper to have six shutouts in a single World Cup.

Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty in the 22nd minute put Spain ahead.

France trailed for the first time in the tournament when Oyarzabal scored his fifth goal of the World Cup with a shot to the upper right corner.

Lamine Yamal, a day after his 19th birthday, drew a foul by Lucas Digne on the right side of the box.

A long cross by Marc Cucurella was popped in the air by Digne. As he attempted a volley, Yamal snuck in behind him and as the ball hit his left shoulder, Dinge kicked him in the left thigh, prompting Yamal to fall.

More misfortune befell France at the half-hour mark when veteran defender William Saliba left with an injury and was replaced by Max Lacroix, whose only action in the tournament was 90 minutes in the group finale vs. Norway.

Nearing 40 minutes in, Yamal set up an onrushing Fabian Ruiz but defender Dayot Upamecano was able to get a foot on the attempt to deflect the ball for a corner kick.

France was seeking to become the third nation to qualify for three straight finals, joining West Germany (1982, 1986 and 1990) and Brazil (1994, 1998 and 2002).

The French won the World Cup in 2018 and were runner-up to Argentina in 2022.

–Field Level Media

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Revs sign homegrown D Peyton Miller to extension

May 13, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution defender Peyton Miller (25) and Nashville SC forward Warren Madrigal (41) battle for control of the ball during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn ImagesMay 13, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution defender Peyton Miller (25) and Nashville SC forward Warren Madrigal (41) battle for control of the ball during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The New England Revolution signed homegrown defender Peyton Miller to a multi-year contract extension Tuesday.

The deal runs through the 2028-29 season and includes an additional club option for 2029-30.

Miller, 18, has recorded a career-high three goals through 12 MLS matches (six starts) this season.

“Peyton Miller is one of the most promising players our Pro Pathway has produced and a tremendous example to all the young players rising through our program today,” general manager Chris Tierney said in a release. “Peyton has been a reliable presence in our first team for more than two years and he is still maturing as a player each and every day. We are excited to help continue his development here at the club he grew up supporting.”

Across three seasons with the Revs, the Connecticut native has posted five goals and three assists in 48 games (39 starts). At age 15 in 2023, Miller became the youngest player in club history to ink an MLS contract.

New England will return from the FIFA World Cup break with a two-game homestand, starting on July 22 against Toronto FC.

–Field Level Media

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Sun hold off furious rally from Fire, win as buzzer-beater fails

Jul 14, 2026; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards (8) shoots the ball against Portland Fire forward Emily Engstler (21) in the first half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn ImagesJul 14, 2026; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards (8) shoots the ball against Portland Fire forward Emily Engstler (21) in the first half at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Reserve Aaliyah Edwards scored 21 points as the Connecticut Sun withstood a comeback try by the Portland Fire and hung on for a 90-87 victory in Uncasville, Conn., on Tuesday afternoon.

Edwards scored 15 points in the first half and made 9-of-13 shots overall as the Sun (6-18) avoided a third straight loss.

Britney Griner added 20 in her return from a groin injury as the Sun survived being outscored 24-18 in the final 10 minutes.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 16 and Leila Lacan contributed 14 for the Sun, who shot 52.2% and survived a missed 3-point try at the buzzer by Portland’s Bridget Carleton that would have forced overtime.

Carla Leite led the Fire (10-14) with 18 points and Megan Gustafson contributed 15. Emily Engstler chipped in 14 and Carleton finished with 12 as the Fire shot 48.3% but finished 9-of-26 on 3-point tries.

The Sun outscored the Fire 11-4 in the final 3:36 of the first quarter to take a 32-23 lead. Nelson-Odoba sank a 16-footer for a 13-point lead two minutes into the second, Griner’s layup opened a 46-32 lead with 5:37 left and the Sun held a 50-40 lead at halftime.

The Sun took a 15-point lead with 1:42 remaining in the third on a free throw by Raegan Beers and settled for a 72-63 lead into the fourth after allowing the final five points.

Portland scored the first eight points of the fourth and forced a timeout when Gustafson’s layup cut the deficit to 72-71 with 7:52 remaining.

The Sun let the lead slip to one with 7:19 left and held an 84-79 lead on a short jumper by Lacan with 3:23 remaining. After Engstler’s six-footer made it 84-83 with 2:27 left, Edwards sank a 16-footer and a pair of three throws to help the Sun get a 90-83 lead with 73 seconds left.

Carleton sank a 10-footer with 40.9 seconds left to make it 90-87 and blocked a Lacan shot with 20.8.8 seconds left. Following a Portland timeout, the game ended when Carleton shot an airball on a well-contested corner 25-foot attempt.

–Field Level Media

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Red-hot rookie Olivia Miles leads Lynx into clash with Sparks

Jun 17, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles (5) drives to the basket against LA Sparks guard Ariel Atkins (7) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesJun 17, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles (5) drives to the basket against LA Sparks guard Ariel Atkins (7) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While pursuing their second winning streak of at least four games this season, the Minnesota Lynx have had a knack for keeping things interesting.

Owner of the league’s best record, Minnesota (18-6) seeks a more comfortable showing on Wednesday afternoon when it hosts the Los Angeles Sparks (10-12) in Minneapolis.

The Lynx have had to mount fourth-quarter rallies in each of their last three wins. On Monday, they trailed by eight in the opening minute of the final quarter before an offensive outburst lifted the club to a 104-100 victory over the Phoenix Mercury.

Kayla McBride and rookie Olivia Miles combined for 70 points in Monday’s win, helping the highest-scoring offense in the Western Conference (90.6 points per game) reach triple digits for the fifth time this year.

Miles, in particular, has turned heads just two months into her pro career. With her 33-point, eight-assist outing, the No. 2 overall pick out of TCU became the fastest player in league history to reach 400 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists (22 games).

“There have been tremendous players in the league, so I just can’t say enough,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “Her impact on our team, just the magnitude of it, shouldn’t be understated. … The success of the team is on her shoulders and it’s impressive how she’s handled it.”

Miles’ 19.4 points per game lead the Lynx, while McBride adds 17.0 per night and Natasha Howard averages 16.8.

Los Angeles enters the difficult matchup having dropped six of its last nine games. The Sparks also have gone 1-12 against the Lynx since the beginning of the 2023 season, which includes a 99-83 loss on June 17 in Los Angeles.

Coach Lynne Roberts’ team has been dealt bad luck on the injury front throughout the year. Kelsey Plum (team-high 23.9 points per game) hasn’t played since June 21 with a lower leg injury. Former No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink has appeared in just 14 games — none after June 15 due to a sprained ankle.

“We can’t be entirely outcome-driven. We haven’t been healthy all year,” Roberts said. “The roster that we had on paper has not been the roster that we’ve played with. That’s hard on the players. It’s tough to gain consistency. But that’s what it is. We have to just keep chopping wood.”

Fifteen-year veteran Nneka Ogwumike leads the healthy Sparks with 17.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while Dearica Hamby averages 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds.

–Field Level Media

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