Alex Morgan retires from professional soccer and is expecting her second child

Alex Morgan retires from professional soccer and is expecting her second child
Alex Morgan #13 of the United States reacts during the first half of the 2024 SheBelieves Cup against Canada at Lower.com Field on April 09, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (AFP)
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Updated 06 September 2024
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Alex Morgan retires from professional soccer and is expecting her second child

Alex Morgan retires from professional soccer and is expecting her second child

Over the course of a career that included two women’s World Cup titles and an Olympic gold medal, Alex Morgan elevated the women’s game through her play on the field and activism off it.

The 35-year-old Morgan, who said she is pregnant with her second child, announced on Thursday that she is retiring from soccer after a 15-year career. She was near tears in a video posted to social media.

“This decision wasn’t easy, but at the beginning of 2024 I felt in my heart and soul that this was the last season that I would play soccer,” she said. “Soccer has been a part of me for 30 years, and it was one of the first things that I ever loved. I gave everything to this sport and what I got in return was more than I could have ever dreamed of.”

Morgan will play her final match with her club team, the San Diego Wave of the National Women’s Soccer League, on Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium.

In addition to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, Morgan also won a gold medal with the United States at the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Early in her career, she was known by the nickname Baby Horse, a moniker given to her by teammates because of her long strides. One of her most memorable goals came in London, the game-winner in extra time against Canada that put the United States into the Olympic final. A year earlier, she scored in the World Cup final against Japan.

At the 2019 World Cup, Morgan scored the deciding goal in a 2-1 semifinal victory over England, which she celebrated by pretending to sip tea.

Morgan played in 224 matches for the national team, ninth-all time, with 123 goals (fifth all-time) and 53 assists (ninth all-time). She was named the US Soccer Player of the Year in 2012 and 2018.

Along the way, Morgan arguably became one of the most recognizable athletes in the United States. She has had partnerships with such companies as Coca-Cola, Chipotle, Google and Nike, and in 2022 was designated the most-endorsed female athlete by SponsorsUnited, which tracks sponsorship deals globally.

Her last game with the United States came on June 4, 2024, against South Korea. She was left off the roster that new coach Emma Hayes selected for this year’s Paris Olympics.

Known as much for her activism as her play, Morgan was among five players in 2016 who filed a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for wage discrimination. The team went on to sue US Soccer in 2019, citing inequitable pay and treatment compared to the men’s national team. The lawsuit was settled and in 2022 the sides agreed to collective bargaining agreements that give the teams equal pay and benefits.

“Success for me is defined by never giving up and giving your all, and I did just that,” Morgan said. “I’m giving my all every single day on the field, and I did that giving my all in the relentless push for investment in women’s sports, because we deserve that.”

Morgan has played for the Wave since 2022. A founding player in the NWSL, she also had stints with the Portland Thorns and the Orlando Pride during her career. In 2022, she was the league’s Golden Boot winner for most goals. She also spent time internationally with Lyon and Tottenham.

Morgan was one of the key figures in bringing to light the NWSL abuse scandal in 2021, which led to the dismissal or resignation of five of the leagues coaches and sparked an investigation that found systemic abuse and misconduct. Morgan was instrumental in rallying fellow players to demand the league adopt an anti-harassment policy.

Morgan and her husband Servando Carrasco have a daughter, Charlie, who was born in 2020.

“Charlie came up to me the other day and said that when she grows up, she wants to be a soccer player,” Morgan said. “It just made me immensely proud, not because I wish for her to become a soccer player when she grows up, but because a pathway exists that even a 4-year-old can see now. We’re changing lives and the impact we have on the next generation is irreversible and I’m proud in the hand I had in making that happen, in pushing the game forward and leaving it in a place that I’m so happy and proud of.”


Australian Open: Ben Shelton will face defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals

Australian Open: Ben Shelton will face defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals
Updated 28 sec ago
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Australian Open: Ben Shelton will face defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals

Australian Open: Ben Shelton will face defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals
“I’m relieved,” said Shelton, who will meet No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy on Friday
Sinner looked and played much better than he did — hand trembling, head dizzy — during a four-set struggle against Holger Rune in the fourth round

MELBOURNE: Ben Shelton’s Australian Open quarterfinal foe, Lorenzo Sonego, produced the shot of the tournament — diving to his left for a volley with so much spin that the ball bounced on one side of the net, then floated back over to the other — but it was the American who ended up with the victory Wednesday.
The left-handed Shelton did some entertaining of his own, including earning cheers by doing a couple of push-ups after tumbling in the concluding tiebreaker, and he reached his second Grand Slam semifinal at age 22 by beating the unseeded Sonego 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4).
“I’m relieved,” said Shelton, who will meet No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy on Friday for a spot in the final. “Shout out Lorenzo Sonego because that was some ridiculous tennis.”
Sinner, the defending champion at Melbourne Park, completely overwhelmed the last Australian in the men’s bracket, No. 8 Alex de Minaur, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 at night.
“It’s been too many times playing him and seeing the same thing. So I’m not even surprised anymore when I face him,” said de Minaur, who is now 0-10 against Sinner over their careers. “Matches like these happen.”
Sinner looked and played much better than he did — hand trembling, head dizzy — during a four-set struggle against Holger Rune in the fourth round. After giving himself a bit of a break on Tuesday, sleeping in and only hitting on court for about 30 or 40 minutes, Sinner said his body was much better.
“For sure, was (my) best match of the tournament so far,” said Sinner, who stretched his unbeaten winning streak to 19 matches dating back to last season.
Shelton, who is seeded 21st, closed the first set against Sonego with a 144 mph (232 kph) ace, tied for the fastest serve over the past 1 1/2 weeks, and flexed his left arm after smacking a powerful forehand to close a 22-stroke point and earn a break in the second. His father Bryan, a former tour pro who is Ben’s coach, grinned, too, while patting his own right biceps.
A few points from the end, Shelton sprinted to get his racket on a seemingly unreachable ball, and fell into a courtside advertising board as Sonego hit an easy winner to take the point.
Shelton stayed on the ground for a bit, then earned applause for his effort — and post-fall calisthenics.
When Shelton closed things with a 26th forehand winner — he had zero via backhands — he flexed again and sneered until his expression morphed into a smile.
At his news conference, Shelton offered some unprompted comments critical of some of the people handling on-court post-match interviews.
As good as Shelton is with his serves and forehands, his improving return game is a significant part of what carried him to the final four at the Australian Open for the first time.
He did just enough in that department, accumulating 11 break points and converting three, against Sonego, an Italian ranked 55th. Shelton entered the match coming through on 52 percent of his break chances, the highest rate among the eight men’s quarterfinalists.
Shelton lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2023 US Open semifinals.
The other semifinal will be Djokovic vs. No. 2 Alexander Zverev. Djokovic continued his pursuit of an 11th Australian Open title, and unprecedented 25th major trophy, by overcoming a leg injury and Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in a quarterfinal that began Tuesday night and ended at nearly 1 a.m. on Wednesday.
The women’s semifinals Thursday night are No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the tournament winner in each of the last two years, against No. 11 Paula Badosa, and No. 2 Iga Swiatek against No. 19 Madison Keys.
The crowd-pleasing factor was high for Shelton vs. Sonego, who never before had made it this far at a major.
Sonego went 67-for-90 on trips to the net, and his highlight-reel volley came at the outset of the second set. It was so remarkable that Shelton acknowledged the effort by offering a congratulatory handshake.
There was another terrific shot by Sonego in the fourth set, when he raced with his back to the net and spun to hit a hook shot of sorts that resulted in a winner.
It’s Shelton, though, who will get to keep playing in Melbourne this year.

Lewis Hamilton waves to fans as he drives a Ferrari F1 car for the first time

Lewis Hamilton waves to fans as he drives a Ferrari F1 car for the first time
Updated 6 min 28 sec ago
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Lewis Hamilton waves to fans as he drives a Ferrari F1 car for the first time

Lewis Hamilton waves to fans as he drives a Ferrari F1 car for the first time
  • Hamilton was behind the wheel of a 2023-specification Ferrari SF-23 bearing his racing number, 44, at the team’s Fiorano test track
  • The 40-year-old British driver set out for his first lap at 9:16 a.m. local time in light fog and twice waved to a crowd of around 1,000 spectators

MODENA, Italy: Lewis Hamilton greeted a crowd of waiting fans on Wednesday as he drove a Ferrari Formula 1 car for the first time since joining the Italian team for the 2025 season.
Hamilton was behind the wheel of a 2023-specification Ferrari SF-23 bearing his racing number, 44, at the team’s Fiorano test track, and wore a new helmet design in yellow with a prominent Prancing Horse logo.
The 40-year-old British driver set out for his first lap at 9:16 a.m. local time in light fog and twice waved to a crowd of around 1,000 spectators, who had gathered on a nearby bridge despite the cold and wet weather.
Part-way through the day, Hamilton headed over to fans who had waited for hours in the wet conditions since early morning for a glimpse of him behind the wheel. Wearing a jacket in Ferrari red, he waved, gave a thumbs-up gesture and put a hand to his heart.
There was excitement Wednesday from one of Italy’s biggest sports stars, too.
After reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open, top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner was asked by an Italian reporter if he had seen anything on social media about Hamilton’s Ferrari debut.
“It’s still pretty strange to see him in red,” Sinner said, “but it’ll be a great season.”
Hamilton has shaken up F1 with his move to Ferrari after 12 years with Mercedes, where he won six of his seven world titles. He has said he’s fulfilling a childhood dream.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn’t be happier to realize that dream today,” he said Monday after arriving at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters for his first day at work with the new team.
F1 tightly restricts teams from testing current-specification cars but the rules are more loose for older cars like the SF-23 that Hamilton drove Wednesday. The F1 regulations for 2025 allow Hamilton to drive up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) over four days in older F1 cars under the “testing of previous cars” rule. The SF-23 is the most recent Ferrari that’s eligible.
Pre-season testing for the new season’s cars is from Feb. 26 through 28 in Bahrain.


India win toss and bowl first against England in first T20 as fit-again Shami left out

India win toss and bowl first against England in first T20 as fit-again Shami left out
Updated 28 min 56 sec ago
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India win toss and bowl first against England in first T20 as fit-again Shami left out

India win toss and bowl first against England in first T20 as fit-again Shami left out
  • India is the reigning world champion at the T20 format

KOLKATA: India won the toss and chose to bowl first in the series-opening T20 against England’s cricketers in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Mohammed Shami missed out for India despite the fast bowler being available after more than a year on the sidelines.
India is the reigning world champion at the T20 format.
It is Brendon McCullum’s first white-ball match since becoming England’s all-format coach.
Teams:
India: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Azar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy.
England: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.


Struggling Dortmund sack coach Sahin after four-game losing run in 2025

Struggling Dortmund sack coach Sahin after four-game losing run in 2025
Updated 22 January 2025
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Struggling Dortmund sack coach Sahin after four-game losing run in 2025

Struggling Dortmund sack coach Sahin after four-game losing run in 2025
  • “Borussia Dortmund have released head coach Nuri Sahin with immediate effect,” said the club
  • Dortmund said current Under-19 coach Mike Tullberg would be in charge

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund have fired coach Nuri Sahin, the German soccer club said on Wednesday, after Tuesday’s shock 2-1 loss to Bologna in the Champions League that stretched their losing run to four games across all competitions.
“Borussia Dortmund have released head coach Nuri Sahin with immediate effect following an internal analysis of recent sporting developments,” said the club in a statement.
The Ruhr valley club, last year’s Champions League finalists, conceded two goals in two minutes in the second half against the Italians after taking a 15th minute lead.
They have also lost all three league matches in 2025, dropping down to 10th place in the Bundesliga and putting their participation next season in Europe’s premier club competition at risk.
“After four defeats in a row and only one win from the last nine games ... we have unfortunately lost faith in being able to achieve our sporting goals in the current constellation,” Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken said in the statement.


“This decision also hurts me personally, but it was no longer avoidable after the game in Bologna.”
Dortmund said current Under-19 coach Mike Tullberg would be in charge for their league game against Werder Bremen on Saturday.
Sahin, 36, leaves the club just a little over half a year after being appointed to replace Edin Terzic as the new coach.
The German-born former Türkiye international was a former youth and senior player at the club. He became an assistant coach at Dortmund in 2024 after a two-year coaching spell at Türkiye’s Antalyaspor. He had signed a contract to 2027.


Pakistani cricketers Saud Shakeel, Noman Ali break into ICC top 10 Test rankings

Pakistani cricketers Saud Shakeel, Noman Ali break into ICC top 10 Test rankings
Updated 22 January 2025
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Pakistani cricketers Saud Shakeel, Noman Ali break into ICC top 10 Test rankings

Pakistani cricketers Saud Shakeel, Noman Ali break into ICC top 10 Test rankings
  • Saud Shakeel and Noman Ali were both instrumental in Pakistan’s recent Test win against West Indies in Multan
  • Shakeel moves up to number 8 in batter’s rankings as Noman Ali moves to number 9 in ICC bowler’s rankings

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani cricketers Saud Shakeel and Noman Ali have broken into the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) top 10 Test batter’s and bowler’s rankings, the cricket governing body said on Wednesday, after their recent heroics against the West Indies at home. 
Shakeel, Ali and spinner Sajid Khan were instrumental in Pakistan’s 127-run convincing victory against the West Indies in Multan last week. Noman grabbed six wickets in the Test match, including a fifer in the West Indies’ first innings that helped dismiss the Caribbean team before they could amass a sizable lead over Pakistan’s first innings total. 
Shakeel scored a heroic 84-run knock to steer Pakistan out of the woods in the first innings, helping the team reach 230 runs before they were dismissed. 
“Batter Saud Shakeel and bowler Noman Ali are Pakistan’s big movers in the newly updated ICC Men’s Test Rankings,” the ICC said in a report on its website. “Saud Shakeel (753 ratings points) scored 84 in the first innings, climbing three Rankings spots to 8th on the batting list, moving above Steve Smith (746, 9th) and Rishabh Pant (739, 10th).”
Ali, with 761 points to his credit, broke into the top 10 by securing the number nine position. India’s Jasprit Bumrah with 908 points and Australia’s Pat Cummins with 841 points occupy the first and second position, respectively. 
“Other notable movers include Pakistan’s Sajid Khan (621), who climbed 18 places to No. 23 after his standout performance in Pakistan’s victory in the first Test,” the ICC said. 
Pakistan, who lead 1-0 in the two-match Test series, will next face the West Indies in Multan for the second Test on Jan. 25. Both teams are placed at the bottom of the World Test Championship after successive losses to other teams. 
Pakistan are expected to head into the second Test with both Khan and Ali in the playing XI. The South Asian team have been making spin-friendly tracks in Multan and other venues across the country ahead of Test series to capitalize on its home conditions. 
Pakistan beat England 2-1 in a three-match Test series at home, capitalizing again on the spin-friendly tracks. However, the South Asian team lost to South Africa 2-0 in an away Test series this month.