Despite the American League's (AL) 3-2 win in the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, Clayton Kershaw relished pitching the opening inning, conceding it "meant a lot" to him.

After nine All-Star selections and six appearances, the three-time National League (NL) Cy Young Award winner visibly savoured the moment as he approached the mound.

After the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, Kershaw had effectively achieved everything could as a pitcher in baseball today, but had never started in an All-Star Game.

Achieving it in front of his home fans at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, the usually measured 34-year-old could not hide his excitement. 

"It was actually a lot of fun today to be out there, and the crowd was awesome," Kershaw said after his opening inning. "I can’t say enough good things about Dodger fans, people in LA in general, just how much these last few days, how much they wanted me to do this. It meant a lot to me.

"I tried to take a minute at the beginning to take it all in and look around, which I usually never do. Being here at Dodger Stadium, a place where I’ve been now for 15 years, and to get to do something like this with the best in the world, is really fun.

"And it was also really personal for me and my family, everybody. I’m excited it’s over."

Leading off for the AL, Shohei Ohtani was able to claim a single off Kershaw's first pitch, but the Dodgers' starter caught him trying to steal second, before striking out Aaron Judge.

Paul Goldschmidt gave the NL a 2-0 lead in the opening frame after Mookie Betts drove Ronald Acuna Jr. in, crushing a solo home run up the middle off Shane McClanahan.

The AL team were able to claim the lead with a three-run fourth via Giancarlo Stanton's two-run shot, before Byron Buxton followed up with a solo homer of his own.

Coming in to pinch hit in what could be his final at-bat in an All-Star game, Albert Pujols sent a ball deep into left-field off Paul Blackburn in the bottom of the fourth, but Andrew Benintendi eventually made the catch with the crowd at Dodgers Stadium seemingly willing his hit over the wall.

The AL bullpen started to take over proceedings after Alek Manoah came onto the mound, keeping the NL without a hit between the second and fifth innings.

Emmanuel Clase spectacularly closed for the AL's ninth consecutive win in what was a dominant pitching display.

Caretaker Barcelona boss Oscar Hernandez conceded it will be the "first and last time" he runs a game from the touchlines, after his side's 6-0 win over Inter Miami on Tuesday.

There were six different goal scorers for Barca as they played the opening game of their tour in the United States, with Gavi, Memphis Depay and Ousmane Dembele adding to first half-goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Raphinha and Ansu Fati.

With Xavi denied entry into the US reportedly after recent visits to Iran in the past five years with Qatari club Al-Sadd as a player and coach, his assistant was tasked with taking over on match day.

The 45-year-old, who was also an assistant at Al-Sadd, said post-match that he hopes his brother's issues can be resolved quickly, with Barcelona still to play Real Madrid, Juventus and New York Red Bulls.

Nevertheless, he was content with Barca's performance.

"Hopefully it will be my first and last game," Hernandez said. "The situation is not easy for Xavi, but let's hope a solution is found and tomorrow he can be with us.

"We are very happy, because despite being a friendly, things have been seen. Those at the front have been very switched on and deploying mechanisms that we have worked on. We have to create competitiveness and that is how we will grow."

After confirming his transfer from Bayern Munich on Saturday, Robert Lewandowski did not make an appearance but the older Hernandez sibling believes he will an influential addition going forward.

"With his arrival we make a huge leap in quality, because he is a top player in the world," he said.

"The club has made a great effort, but we needed a top player. In addition, he is a footballer with a lot of commitment.

"For Xavi and the coaching staff it is a blessing to have so many forwards, because competitiveness is going to make the team grow.

Hernandez also saved special mention for Ansu Fati, who missed significant amounts of last season due to hamstring injuries.

Along with making it 3-0, the 19-year-old was impressive on Tuesday, providing Barcelona with dynamism they sorely lacked in the last campaign.

"It's like a new signing and a signing at a very high level," the assistant said. "He's growing a lot, physically he's getting better and better and we're very happy, because he's a reference."

Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah all advanced to the final of the women’s 200m at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene on Tuesday.

Jackson, who won silver in the 100m in a personal best 10.73 on Sunday, looked magnificent in semi-final 1, cruising to 21.67 to win and advance to the final.

100m bronze medallist and double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah finished third in semi-final 2 in a season’s best 21.97 to advance to the final as a fastest loser. The USA’s Tamara Clark ran 21.95 to win while defending world champion Dina Asher-Smith ran a season’s best 21.96 for second.

Newly-crowned 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was also impressive in semi-final 3, running a season’s best 21.82 to win ahead of US champion Abby Steiner (22.15).

Dominican Republic Mixed Relay gold-medallist Alexander Ogando continued his brilliant world championships so far with a personal best and national record 19.91 to win semi-final 1 of the men’s 200m.

Trinidadian 2017 World Championship bronze medallist Jereem Richards of Trinidad & Tobago finished third in semi-final 2 in a brilliant 19.86 to advance to the final as a fastest loser. American defending champion Noah Lyles ran a brilliant 19.62 to win the race while Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek, also of the USA, ran a season’s best 19.84 for second.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Jamaican champion Janieve Russell ran 54.42 to win heat 2 and advance to the semi-finals.

Panama’s Gianna Woodruff ran 55.21 to finish third in semi-final 3 and progress. Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon produced 54.01 in heat 4 to finish second and advance while her teammate, 2019 World Championship bronze medallist Rushell Clayton finished fourth in heat 5 in 54.99 to advance.

Jaheel Hyde ran a new personal best 48.03 for sixth in the men’s 400m hurdles final. Brazilian world leader Alison Dos Santos dominated to win gold in a championship record 46.29 while Americans Rai Benjamin (46.89) and Trevor Bassitt (47.39) were second and third.

 

The Los Angeles County district attorney has confirmed Charlotte Hornets free agent Miles Bridges will face three felony domestic violence charges.

Bridges was arrested last month by the Los Angeles Police Department after being accused of assaulting his girlfriend in front of their two children. He has been charged on one felony county of injuring a child's parent and two felony counts of child abuse.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said: "Domestic violence creates physical, mental and emotional trauma that has a lasting impact on survivors.

"Children who witness family violence are especially vulnerable and the impact on them is immeasurable.

"Mr. Bridges will be held accountable for his actions and our Bureau of Victim Services will support the survivors through this difficult process."

The Hornets forward, who was released on $130,000 bond, is scheduled to be arraigned in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old was the leading scorer for the Hornets last season and is set to become a restricted free agent on Thursday. Bridges averaged career highs of 20.4 points and 7.0 rebounds last season.

Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic disclosed that players were only informed of Sebastien Haller's tumour after their loss to Valencia.

Dortmund played their first foreign opponent in preparations for the upcoming season on Monday, with a Goncalo Guedes brace helping Valencia to a 3-1 win in Austria.

It was overshadowed by news of Haller's diagnosis of a testicular tumour, however, ruling him out indefinitely, after the 28-year-old travelled back to Dortmund for medical tests over the weekend and missed the game.

Terzic admitted it was hard to focus on the task at hand upon his discovery of the news as the team prepared to depart for the match, but wished the Ivory Coast international a speedy recovery.

"The week went very well until yesterday," Terzic said on Tuesday. "The message from Sebastien Haller shocked us. Personally, I found out about half an hour before leaving for the game.

"Accordingly, it wasn't easy for us to think about tactics, pressing and passing again. We still tried to make it as professional as possible. We didn't talk to the team about it before the game, but informed the team afterwards.

"Sebastien Haller left us yesterday and traveled to Germany for further investigations. We keep our fingers crossed for Sebastien and the entire Haller family that he will recover as soon as possible."

Initially taking over from Lucien Favre in December 2020, Terzic was reappointed as the first team coach on a permanent basis in the off-season following Marco Rose's departure.

The 39-year-old revealed he has experienced a smoother transition into the role as Dortmund boss, despite Haller's recent diagnosis.

While he believes it will take time for his BVB side to be truly ready for the season ahead, the added time to work on patterns of play has made his job less chaotic.

"The biggest difference is that when I first became head coach, I was told on a Sunday morning and we had an away game on Tuesday night," Terzic said.

"You couldn't prepare many things and decided a lot quickly and intuitively. We now have weeks of advance notice to plan this preparation and the match opponents, to shape the group and to promote the integration of the newcomers. That's a key difference.

"The preparations won't be finished next Friday either, but it will still take some time before we're where we want to be at the end and we're showing consistently good football with a lot of automatisms. It will still take a little time, but we are on the right track."

The Atlanta Falcons signed Eddie Goldman in early July to provide depth on the defensive line, but he is stepping away from the game before ever stepping foot on the field with his new team.

Goldman informed the Falcons on Tuesday that he is retiring from the NFL.

The announcement came less than two weeks after the 28-year-old signed a $1.12million, one-year deal with Atlanta on July 6.

A second-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2015, Goldman spent his entire seven-year career with Chicago, which included opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.

He returned in 2021, playing in 14 games while totalling 22 tackles.

Over his career, Goldman appeared in 81 games with 73 starts, compiling 175 tackles with 13 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Goldman had one year remaining on a four-year contract worth $42million before the Bears decided to release him on March 14.

The New Jersey Devils are set to begin with competition for the starting goaltender position when training camp opens in a few months.

Vitek Vanecek agreed on Tuesday to terms on a $10.2million, three-year contract with the Devils, a deal that will give him a salary just slightly less than incumbent starter MacKenzie Blackwood.

New Jersey acquired Vanecek from the Washinton Capitals at the NHL draft to provide some depth after the team used a franchise-record seven goalies last season.

"There's an opportunity for me, you know, to play lots of games, and I'm really happy for it," Vanecek said. “And then I will battle with Mackenzie, you know, and that's, that's what I need."

The 25-year-old Blackwood, who is going into the final year of his contract, made a team-high 24 starts in 2021-22, but also missed nearly three months due to a heel injury.

The 26-year-old Vanecek started 38 games for the Capitals last season, going 20-12-6 with a 2.67 GAA and .908 save percentage.

Blackwood, meanwhile, went 9-10-4 with a 3.39 GAA and .892 save percentage last season after going 46-41-12 with a 2.83 GAA and .911 save percentage in his first three seasons with New Jersey.

"We feel really good about, again for another summer, adding depth to our goaltending and watching Mackenzie and Vitek challenge each other and push each other," Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said at the draft. "You have to have depth. You saw teams in the playoffs lost depth and ended up losing a series."

The Devils missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year last season and have just one playoff appearance since the 2012-13 season.

Anett Kontaveit and Barbora Krejcikova both breezed through at the Hamburg European Open, while Yulia Putintseva eased into the Palermo Ladies Open second round.

Top seed Kontaveit overcame world number 61 Irina Bara in straight sets in her first-round clash and third favourite Krejcikova followed suit in her second-round match against Poland's Magdalena Frech.

Kontaveit will meet Sweden's Rebecca Peterson in the next round as she looks to set up a quarter-final meeting in Germany with eighth seed Andrea Petkovic, who defeated Misaki Doi 6-4 6-3 on Tuesday.

There was no such luck for ninth seed Elena Gabriela Ruse, though, after she lost 6-0 6-4 to last week's Budapest Grand Prix winner Bernarda Pera.

Swiss Joanne Zuger will next be the next challenge for Pera as she aims to reach a quarter-final clash against Katerina Siniakova, who triumphed 6-1 6-1 over Brazil's Laura Pigossi.

Putintseva is ranked as the second favourite in Italy and progressed with ease from her first-round clash against world number 147 Jaimee Fourlis, winning 6-3 6-1.

Seventh seed Anna Bondar had little difficulty beating Clara Burel 6-4 6-4, though Caroline Garcia and Nuria Parrizas Diaz faced more difficult tasks in their respective openers.

France's Garcia, the fifth favourite in Palermo, responded to a first-set scare to defeat compatriot Chloe Paquet, while eighth seed Parrizas Diaz also lost her opening set before downing Asia Muhammad.

Thomas Tuchel suggested Armando Broja will remain a Chelsea player amid transfer speculation, while the Blues head coach still wants a "couple more" arrivals at Stamford Bridge.

West Ham, Everton and Newcastle United are reportedly interested in Broja, who scored six goals in 32 Premier League appearances on loan at Southampton last season.

With Romelu Lukaku loaned back to Inter, the future of Timo Werner somewhat uncertain and Kai Havertz arguably more suited to a deeper role, the 2022-23 campaign could be a breakthrough one for Broja at Chelsea.

While Tuchel's preference seems to remain with Havertz as a false nine, the Blues boss outlined his expectations that Broja will stay with his side for the upcoming campaign.

"I don't expect him to leave," Tuchel told a news conference. "We are aware of interest and offers, which just tells us there is a lot of potential, and the owners and me will take this decision together in the end, also with the player.

"Right now when he arrived, it's clear he's trying to impress and is just trying to become a Chelsea player as soon as possible.

"After his loan at Southampton, the situation was very clear for him to make the next step, to show his improvement and make an impression in pre-season.

"Unfortunately he injured himself and of course there is a lot of noise going on because there are offers and interest in him. Let's see how this goes but I'm pretty calm about it because we know the situation and we have a contract."

Tuchel has already brought in the experienced Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly from Manchester City and Napoli respectively, but lost Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Lukaku.

The Chelsea coach previously stated his top target was Sterling, who scored 17 goals in all competitions for City last season, a tally bettered by only Riyad Mahrez (24) and Kevin De Bruyne (19).

But Tuchel acknowledged he would now like a couple more signings, with Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde among those linked with the Premier League side.

"I have a figure and I think we need a couple more players in to improve the squad," he added. "We were third last season and there was a gap between us, Manchester City and Liverpool.

"In general if you want to fight, even for the same position, you need to improve. You can never stand still because if you stand still then other teams will overtake you.

"Given the situation that we even lost players, it's common sense for me that we need to bring new quality to the team to maintain our level.

"It's always the dream of every manager that you find players in the same league and who can adapt maybe quicker than other players, but it's also a very individual process.

"Of course we see that Raheem knows many players from the national team and he is very familiar with the habits of English clubs so this is very nice to see.

"For Kalidou, it's a big help that we have some French guys, that we have Edou [Mendy] his team-mate in the national team and of course Jorginho who is a big help from Napoli to make this process faster.

"Both of them should be huge players for us and that's why we need to speed things up."

Carlos Alcaraz was made to come from a set down but finally overcame Nicola Kuhn in the first round of the Hamburg European Open.

The highly rated Spanish teenager eventually downed the German wildcard 3-6 6-1 7-6 (7-3).

Kuhn, ranked 259 in the world, was aggressive early on against Alcaraz, and was rewarded with the first set.

But the 19-year-old – playing as top seed in an ATP Tour event for the first time – rallied to ease through the second set, before being made to work much harder to clinch the win on a tie-break.

Alcaraz will now play Filip Krajinovic in the second round after the Serbian also won in a third-set tie-break against Sebastian Baez 6-1 4-6 7-6 (8-6).

Three seeded players crashed out on Tuesday in straight sets, with third favourite Diego Schwartzman losing against Emil Ruusuvuori 7-5 6-4, sixth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili beaten by Aslan Karatsev 6-4 6-0, and eighth seed Holger Rune going down 7-6 (10-8) 7-5 to Tallon Griekspoor. 

Fourth seed Pablo Carreno Busta eased through against Luca Nardi 6-2 6-1, while there were also wins for Fabio Fognini, who sealed his 400th career victory, as well as Daniel Elahi Galan, Borna Coric and Francisco Cerundolo.

At the Swiss Open in Gstaad, sixth seed Cristian Garin lost 6-3 6-4 to Yannick Hanfmann and seventh favourite Hugo Gaston fell to Dominic Thiem despite winning the first set, losing 1-6 6-1 7-6 (9-7).

Elsewhere, Frenchman Richard Gasquet beat Roberto Carballes Baena 7-5 6-4, while his compatriot Benoit Paire retired hurt when a set and a break down against Elias Ymer.

A tight game between Swiss pair Dominic Stricker and Marc-Andrea Huesler saw the former prevail 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4, and an all-Spanish affair was similarly close as Jaume Munar defeated Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-3 3-6 7-5.

There were also wins for qualifiers Juan Pablo Varillas and Nicolas Jarry against Lorenzo Sonego and Thiago Monteiro respectively.

Roma's potential acquisition of Paulo Dybala can shift the balance in Serie A and make Jose Mourinho's men Scudetto contenders, according to former Giallorossi boss Fabio Capello.

Having left Juventus as a free agent when his contract expired at the end of June, Dybala was strongly linked to Inter and Napoli, but now appears set to join Mourinho's Europa Conference League winners.

With reports on Monday suggesting Dybala was close to joining Roma, the Argentina international arrived in Portugal, where the side are holding a pre-season training camp, for his medical.

Dybala scored 82 goals in 210 Serie A appearances for the Bianconeri after arriving from Palermo in 2015, including 25 from outside the penalty area, more than any other player has managed during that time in the competition.

Among current Roma players, captain Lorenzo Pellegrini's nine is the highest such tally, and Dybala's imminent move has led to suggestions the Giallorossi could better last season's sixth-placed league finish.

Asked by Il Messaggero whether the Argentine's arrival could shift the balance at the top of Serie A, Capello responded: "I would say yes. He is a great player, one of those who make the difference. 

"[He can] raise the level of the team and change something in Serie A, because Roma are now in the group of favourites.

"If Mourinho calls you himself, it becomes really difficult to say no."

 

Capello led Roma to the most recent of their three Serie A titles in 2000-01, edging out Juventus by just two points in a tense title race.

The legendary tactician believes there are likenesses between Mourinho's side and his Scudetto winners, adding: "The comparison is plausible. I see many similarities. 

"I think that Mourinho, as happened to me in that season, will try to guarantee balance in a team with enormous offensive potential. 

"Roma, after all, was doomed to attack; we had Cafu and [Vincent] Candela outside. I needed some cover."

Manchester City favourite Pablo Zabaleta believes Pep Guardiola's men have signed the world's best player in Erling Haaland, as he refuted suggestions departing winger Raheem Sterling was a club legend.

Having scored a remarkable 86 goals in 89 appearances during a two-year spell at Borussia Dortmund, Haaland agreed to sign for City in May before officially joining the Premier League champions on July 1.

In his final campaign with the Bundesliga outfit, Haaland scored 29 goals in 30 games in all competitions, putting away 65.8 per cent of his big chances as he became one of world football's hottest properties.

Haaland is part of a City squad embarking on a pre-season tour of the United States, and could make his bow when they face Mexican giants Club America in Texas on Thursday.

Zabaleta, who made 333 appearances for the club between 2008 and 2017, believes City have acquired the world's finest in the Norwegian striker, and hopes his arrival will fire Guardiola's team to a first Champions League title. 

"He's a big lad, eh? I saw him and was like, 'wow'," Zabaleta told Sky Sports. "He was one of the main players on the market and a lot of top teams were looking to sign him.

"We're all very pleased to have him at the club, I think he's got that connection already with Man City, because of his dad playing for the club.

"For me, I would say he's the best player in the world. 

"He's a world-class player, he's a great signing, the same as Kalvin Phillips. Fernandinho left and the club needed to bring someone in to replace him. He's been really good at Leeds.

"All the players have been doing everything they can to make the club better, domestically they won everything, they have been very successful [and] dominated English football for the last 10 years.

"The Champions League is probably one of those competitions the club is looking for. I'm confident, hopefully they can win it soon."

Haaland's arrival has been facilitated by City allowing versatile attackers Sterling and Gabriel Jesus to leave for Premier League rivals Chelsea and Arsenal respectively.

After joining from Liverpool in 2015, Sterling scored 91 goals and recorded 42 assists in 225 Premier League appearances for City.

Only Sergio Aguero with 184 has scored more goals in the competition for the club, while only David Silva (93), Kevin De Bruyne (85) and Aguero (47) have laid on more goals for team-mates.

Sterling also won four league titles, one FA Cup and five EFL Cups with the club, but Zabaleta does not believe that is enough to put him alongside some of the most illustrious names in City's history, as he accused the England forward of showing a lack of respect for City since departing.

"I think the word 'legend' these days in football is a bit overused sometimes," he added. "I think he's done a great job for the club, he came at a very young age, and he's been absolutely brilliant for the club.

"When I say 'legend', for me, it's Silva, Aguero, [Vincent] Kompany, those guys are on a different level. That's why they have statues outside of the club.

"Raheem, he's been great, so we wish him all the best. He went to a team which obviously is a big contender for the Premier League, I wish him all the best, he's a great lad.

"But Man City is always the most important thing and when you come to this club you have to give 100 per cent respect. The moment that you leave you always have to talk nicely to the club that you've been playing for, so I wish he could behave in that way."

Meanwhile, City announced on Tuesday that Sterling's old number seven shirt will be worn by full-back Joao Cancelo during the 2021-22 season.

The Jamaica Olympic Association issued a statement on Tuesday congratulating the national senior women’s and under-19 men’s teams on their silver medals at the recently concluded Rugby Americas North tournament held at the UWI Mona Bowl.

The women's senior team narrowly missed out on first place losing to USA South 14-17 in the final while the men's under-19 team suffered a 10-56 loss to the same opponents.

“The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) congratulates our member, the Jamaica Rugby Football Union, and its players for historic and silver medal performances in the recently concluded 2022 RAN Senior Women’s 12s and Men’s Under-19 tournament at the University of the West Indies,” said JOA President Christopher Samuda in the statement.

The statement continued: “Rugby in the local Olympic movement is quickly becoming a flagship sport and the JOA will continue to invest in our Reggae Crocs who are demonstrating that the nation's talent is deep and our prowess multi-faceted.”

“The JOA will always invest in giving reality to the ambitions and aspirations of our youth in sport. The sport of rugby is tough and gruelling and our men and women continue to put their health on the line for a nation. The JOA remains extremely grateful to our national players for their valour and salute them for their admirable display of patriotism.”

The Jamaica Lacrosse Association (JLA) continues to create milestones and recently, its national team became the first team to qualify for the 2023 World Championships which will be held in San Diego, California.

In securing this achievement, the Jamaican sport ambassadors scored victories over Columbia 7 - 2 and the US Virgin Islands 5 - 4 and now stand a real chance of topping the table in the competition currently underway in Medellin, Colombia.

In commending JLA President, Calbert Hutchinson and the team, Jamaica Olympic Association President Christopher Samuda stated that "our member association continues to personify merit in sport and is inspiring its players to go beyond the call of duty in the national colors which is the essence of patriotism and a compelling attribute which all sportsmen and women should have."

The sport of Lacrosse locally is quickly gaining ascendancy which mirrors its growing popularity globally and is providing many opportunities for our youth engaged in competitive sport.

"A primary focus of the JOA is to broaden the options in sport for our youth and create as many opportunities for them to excel on the field of play in self-actualising while motivating them to earn a value-based education that will be their pension after sport. Lacrosse is raising the bar impressively and is taking ownership and passing the shuttle and not the buck'" Secretary General/CEO, Ryan Foster said.

The sport was contested at the Summer Olympics Games in 1904 and 1908 and played as an exhibition sport in 1928, 1932 and 1948 and the JOA supports the growing advocacy to have the sport make a long-awaited re-appearance in 2028 in Los Angeles.

"The calls for the sport's rebirth in Los Angeles are resonating and fittingly so after being absent for almost a century. If the echoes of history don't compel it, then the voices of the present will" President Samuda said.

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