Nashville SC have confirmed three new investors have joined their ownership group, including NFL star Derrick Henry and actor Reese Witherspoon.
Tennessee Titans running back Henry is a two-time All-Pro and has featured in two Pro Bowls, while he was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 and led the league for rushing yards and touchdowns in 2019 and 2020.
The 28-year-old has now, alongside actor and producer Witherspoon and her husband, the technology investor Jim Toth, joined the ownership group of Nashville SC, who had their inaugural season in MLS in 2020 and sit eighth in the Western Conference with three wins so far this season.
All eight of Nashville's games so far in 2022 have been played on the road, but that will change on Sunday when they welcome the Philadelphia Union to their new stadium, GEODIS Park.
With a capacity of 30,000, it is the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States or Canada.
"As a kid growing up in Florida, I imagined being a professional sports owner and the opportunity to do that with an MLS club is truly a dream come true," said Henry, who was drafted by the Titans in 2016 and becomes the fourth player in NFL history to own an MLS team.
"My investment in Nashville SC is way more than financial, it's truly an investment in the city of Nashville.
"The chance to be part of a club like Nashville SC, especially after seeing what they are accomplishing in the community, was an opportunity I did not want to miss."
Witherspoon added: "As a Tennessee native, it is thrilling to see how much growth and development has come to our home state.
"One of the things that my whole family is most excited about is Nashville Soccer Club! The opportunity to go as a family and watch a world-class team compete has been such an incredible experience."
Witherspoon is not the first A-list film star to have invested in soccer in the United States, with Natalie Portman having founded Angel City FC, who debuted in the National Women's Soccer League this year.
Tennis greats Billie Jean King and Serena Williams, along with a host of huge stars across sports and entertainment, have a stake in Angel City.
The tremendous success at the 49th Carifta Games in Kingston, Jamaica, is only another step on the pathway for the British Virgin Islands towards putting their athletes on the podium at the pinnacle of the sport.
At the Games that concluded last week, the BVI enjoyed their best-ever medal haul with four gold, two silver and a bronze medal surpassing their medal tallies from 2012 when they won five. Their medal haul saw them finish third in the standings behind Jamaica with 92 medals, 45 of them gold and the Bahamas 17. What was instructive was that BVI had the same number of gold medals, four, as their neighbours from the Bahamas.
Three of those medals were won by the imperious 16-year-old Adaejah Hodge, who the U17 100m, 200m and Long Jump to come away with the coveted Austin Sealy Award as the most outstanding athlete of the three-day meet.
But according to Steve Augustine, President of the BVI Athletics Association (BVIAA), the best is yet to come and is not too far away.
“What’s next for the BVIs, it’s back to the drawing board and putting in the work. We have a long list of local, regional and international competitions remaining,” he said. “While we are there, we haven’t officially arrived until we make the Olympic podium, we fell just short of this with two fourth-place finishes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. This year, we are, of course, eyeing World U20, the Commonwealth Games and World Championships at which I am certain we will again show up.”
Augustine’s confidence stems from his belief in the BVI’s strong grassroots programme that has consistently produced world-class talents from their population of just over 30,000 inhabitants.
“The BVIs formula for success at the Carifta Games speaks of a preparation process that has taken training and mental preparation processes to a higher level, a level that is more in keeping with our competitive Caribbean counterparts,” he reveals.
“Our local club system has resulted in on-island competition whereby our athletes are pushed, much more than before, to perform at higher levels for victories. We monitor regional performances, we are well-advised by statisticians such as Rey O’Neal, and we are aware of where we need to be performance-wise if we are to be competitive.
“Our coaches are trained and certified, our athletes are hungry and they all aspire to be the next Kyron McMaster, Chantel Malone, Tahesia Harrigan Scott, Eldred Henry and now the next Adaejah Hodge.”
Hodge, he believes, will inspire a new generation of stars given what she has managed to accomplish at the 49th staging of the Games founded in 1972 by Sealy, who was on hand to present the award to her in front of an appreciative crowd.
“Yes, this will certainly happen but I must say our people naturally gravitate to athletics and despite all the struggles we may face as a growing territory, we have never had a numbers problem in athletics,” Augustine said.
“Support from the BVI Olympic Committee, World Athletics, our government, our fan base and with sponsors such as Puma onboard, we have been able to annually attract scores of athletes into our club system.
“The level of performance that Adaejah exhibited at the Carifta Games is a reality that our people have become accustomed to over the years. Adaejah has been performing at the top of her age group for years. She’s remained world ranked as a junior and she has continued to dominate at the US high school level. Adaejah was originally scheduled to make her Carifta debut at the 2020 Carifta Games and then the 2021 Carifta Games but for obvious reasons, those intentions had to be put aside. As it relates to our young ones, they are certainly inspired by Adaejah. It’s been this way for years and perhaps more so now.”
Augustine is confident that in the years to come, what unfolded in Kingston in mid-April will be more the norm than the exception.
“As it relates to other talents, the truth is there is only a handful of athletes on this year’s team that won’t be back next year and as it relates to those in the pipeline, we have a handful of gifted athletes that I know will represent the BVI well and will prove that they are indeed the next Adaejah Hodge, Kyron McMaster, Chantel Malone, Eldred Henry and Tahesia Harrigan-Scott.
“The storybook on BVI Athletics is far from finished.”
A destructive unbeaten 39 from Andre McCarthy propelled the Surrey Kings to an easy seven-wicket win over the Middlesex United Stars in the Dream 11 Jamaica T10 at Sabina Park in Kingston on Monday.
After winning the toss and choosing to field first, the Kings were in good form with the ball, holding the United Stars to a modest 82-6 in their 10 overs.
Jamaica Scorpions player, Alwyn Williams, was the only batsman to make a significant contribution for the Stars with 35 against 3-13 off two overs from medium-pacer Oraine Williams and 2-5 off one over from leg-spinner Kenroy Williams.
When it came time for the Kings to chase, McCarthy, batting at number four, was the chief destroyer with his 39 coming off just 12 balls including two fours and four sixes.
Opener Kennar Lewis also contributed 19 as the Kings easily chased their target reaching 83-3 off just 5.3 overs.
Left-arm quick Andel Gordon was the best bowler for the United Stars with 2-21 from his two overs.
The Surrey Kings now have five wins in five games, living up to their tag as favourites.
Off-spinner Akim Fraser held his nerve in the final over to help the Surrey Risers defeat the Middlesex Titans by four runs in the Dream 11 Jamaica T10 at Sabina Park in Kingston on Monday.
The Risers took first strike after the Titans won the toss and elected to field first.
Delbert Gayle (35), Ricardo McIntosh (27) and captain Chadwick Walton (22) did the bulk of the scoring to help the Risers post 106-5 off their 10 overs.
Brian Buchanan (2-23 off two overs) and Errol Thomas (2-15 off two overs) were the best bowlers for the Titans.
In the Titans' turn at the crease, contributions from Sherdon Allen (33), Wayne Davis (22) and Albert Gopie (20) were not enough as they fell agonizingly short of the Risers total, finishing 102-6 off their 10 overs.
Fraser, who has 24 wickets in five first-class matches for the Jamaica Scorpions and West Indies A, was the pick of the bowlers with 3-24 from his two overs, including two wickets in the final over when the Titans needed 13 runs for victory.
He got the wicket of Jamie Merchant (2) off the second ball of the over before a six from Oshane Walters off the penultimate ball of the innings meant the Titans needed five runs from the last ball.
Fraser then dismissed Walters (8) off that final ball to seal the Risers’ second win of the tournament.
The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has confirmed that St Kitts & Nevis will be hosting matches during the 2022 tournament which will run from August 30 to September 30. St Kitts & Nevis will host seven matches between August 30 and September 4 with the home team and current champions, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, playing in four of those games.
Hero CPL will return to St Kitts & Nevis again in 2022 after the Federation successfully hosted the whole tournament in 2021.
Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO, said: “The 2021 Hero CPL was an enormous success, and we are hugely grateful to the government and people of St Kitts & Nevis who were fabulous hosts. Warner Park is a fantastic venue, and we are very excited to be back there as St Kitts & Nevis Patriots get their championship defence underway in front of a home crowd.”
The Hon. Jonel Powell, Minister of Sport for St Kitts & Nevis, said: “The hosting of the CPL in its entirety in 2021 in St Kitts & Nevis proved a success in every way for our people. Tremendous direct economic gains were made in our economy and to individuals at a difficult time due to the pandemic. Our people were able to receive some much-needed ‘Covid relief’ socially through the amazing matches, and our very own St Kitts & Nevis Patriots won its first CPL title in the most dramatic style.
“This is why we are very pleased to partner with CPL once again as a host venue for their 2022 edition, and to have the opportunity to see our Patriots defend their title right here at historic Warner Park.”
The 2022 season will take place in four countries, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana with the final set to talk place at Providence on September 30.
Canada blanked the Dominican Republic 10-0 in their opening match of the CONCACAF U17 Women’s Championships to move to the top of Group F on goal difference over Jamaica on Sunday.
Garth Gayle, President of the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association and Jamaica’s sports minister Olivia Grange have hailed Elaine Thompson-Herah on her historic win of the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award on Sunday.
No Jamaican female athlete had ever taken home the prestigious award that began in 2000.
The Jamaican sprint queen won on the back of her historic achievements last summer when she became the first woman in Olympic history to win the 100/200m sprint double at consecutive Olympic Games and added a third gold medal to her trophy case when she ran the second leg of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that won in a national record of 41.02.
She would go on to create even more history when she ran times of 10.54 to become the second-fastest woman of all time while winning the 100m in Eugene, Oregon, and then added times of 10.64 and 10.65 to be the only woman to run faster than 10.7 on four occasions.
Her achievements topped USA’s Allyson Felix (athletics), Australia’s Ashleigh Barty (tennis), Australia’s Emma McKeon (swimming) and USA’s Katie Ledecky and drew praise from the JAAA and the Jamaican government.
"Becoming the second Jamaican and the first female to win the prestigious Laureus Award is a significant achievement for Elaine and by extension Jamaica,” said Gayle.
“This is also a boost for women in track and field and other sports to aim for the highest. We are particularly proud of Elaine for her continuous achievements on and off the track. This definitely sets the tone for a great year for all our athletes.”
Meanwhile, in a missive from the United Kingdom where she will launch the Jamaica 60 programme of activities in the United Kingdom on Monday evening, Minister Grange said Thompson-Herah was most deserving of the honour of “best athlete in the world”.
“This latest success for the fastest woman alive is a tribute to Thompson-Herah’s hard work and sacrifice,” Minister Grange said.
Thompson-Herah is the second Jamaican to win the award. Usain Bolt, won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2017.
Inter Miami kept in touch with the mid-table in the tightly packed Eastern Conference after beating Atlanta United 2-1 on Sunday.
The home side had to come back from an early deficit after Atlanta's Ronaldo Cisneros broke the deadlock in the 13th minute, but a well-directed DeAndre Yedlin cross found Leonardo Campana for the equaliser 15 minutes later.
Campana then turned provider for the second goal, setting up Bryce Duke for the eventual winner in the 64th minute.
The hosts survived their second VAR review as Atlanta pleaded for a penalty in the closing stages, but it was not to be.
It was a gutsy effort from the Miami side, with just 37 per cent possession – including just 28 per cent in the second half – and seven shots, compared to Atlanta's 20.
Miami goalkeeper Nick Marsman kept his side in the contest with six saves, while it was a very different game at the opposite end for Atlanta's Bobby Shuttelworth, who was not credited with a save.
It was an absolute barn-burner when New York City FC hosted Toronto FC, with the home side holding on for a 5-4 win.
Incredibly, Toronto scored the first two goals of the game to lead 2-0 in the 27th minute thanks to a Jesus Jimenez brace, before a Valentin Castellanos reply kept New York in the game, trailing 2-1 at half-time.
In a remarkable start to the second half, New York added three goals in 13 minutes after Keaton Parks' finish made it 4-2 in the 58th.
When Gabriel Pereira made it 5-2 after 75 minutes, it seemed like icing on the cake, but it turned out to be crucial as Toronto snatched back two late goals in the 87th and 91st, ultimately running out of time.
It was much smoother sailing for New York Red Bulls, beating Orlando City 3-0 away from home to move up to second in the Eastern Conference.
Luquinhas delivered the only goal in the first half, before Cristian Casseres doubled the advantage shortly after play resumed, and Lewis Morgan put the finishing touches on with a late penalty.
Meanwhile, an Acosta scored for both teams in Los Angeles FC's 2-1 win against Cincinnati.
Cincinnati's Luciano Acosta broke the deadlock deep into first-half stoppage time, before Los Angeles' Kellyn Acosta equalised in the 59th minute.
Carlos Vela put Danny Musovski in to net the winner for Los Angeles in the 79th minute, holding onto top spot in the Western Conference.
A goal in each half from Maya Raghunandanan helped steer Jamaica to a 7-0 drubbing of Bermuda in their opening match in the CONCACAF U17 Women’s Championships in the Dominican Republic on Sunday.
Raghunandanan opened the scoring in the seventh minute and added a second in the 65th as Jamaica dominated the lop-sided affair to go top of Group F which also comprises Canada and the home team, the Dominican Republic.
Jamaica took 39 shots at goal, 12 on target and should have won by a more handsome margin. Notwithstanding, Avery Johnson added a second in the 11th minute and Tiny Seaton added a third in the 16th as Jamaica threatened to run rampant.
However, through faulty finishing by Jamaica, Bermuda managed to make it to the break without going further behind.
Jamaica added a fourth in the 47th minute courtesy of Tyesha Nelson but Jamaica had to wait a while before Raghunandanan got her second 18 minutes later. Shaneil Buckley added Jamaica’s sixth in the 78th minute.
Natoya Atkinson, who came on as a substitute for Johnson in the 64th completed the rout seven minutes from full time.
The Dominican Republic is set to face Canada later Sunday.
Panama defeated Trinidad and Tobago 5-1 and the United States swamped Grenada 20-0 on Saturday.
Tokyo Olympics triple gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah has won the Laureus Sportswoman Award for 2022. In doing so, she became the first Jamaican female athlete to win the coveted award that began in 2000.
The 29-year-old Thompson-Herah created history in Tokyo last year when she became the first woman in Olympic history to win the 100m and 200m titles at consecutive Olympic Games. She won the 100m in 10.61, breaking the previous record of 10.62 set by American Florence Griffith Joyner at the Seoul Games in 1988.
She then won the 200m in a lifetime best of 21.53, the second-fastest time in history. She won a third gold medal as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that set a national record of 41.02, the third-fastest time in history.
However, she was only getting started. Following the Olympics, she ran 10.54, the second-fastest time in history, to win the 100m at the Diamond League meeting in Oregon and then ran times of 10.64 and 10.65 to become the only woman in the history of the sport to run the 100m in under 10.70 four times.
“I really don’t think I can really express how it feels to be nominated amongst these wonderful and super talented ladies across their respective disciplines but to think that I could come out as the chosen winner of this prestigious award is just mind-blowing for me,” Thompson-Herah posted on Instagram in reaction to the news beneath a photograph of her holding her award.
“I would like to thank the Laureus Sports Academy for this wonderful recognition. I want to thank all my friends and family who have continuously supported me throughout my journey.”
She also thanked her sponsors Flow Jamaica, NCB Jamaica and Nike as well as her many fans.
“My fans, my fans! I love you guys so much, continue to motivate and pray for me as I set out to continuously rewrite the record books.”
Only one other Jamaican athlete has ever won the Laureus Sports Award. Usain Bolt won the Sportsman of the Year Award in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2017.
Formula One driver Max Verstappen won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year Award after winning his first title albeit under controversial circumstances.
Lamara Distin’s impressive season continued on Saturday when she won the high jump at the Michael Johnson Invitational at the Clyde Hart Track and Field Stadium in Texas.
Re-stating her intentions to prolong her career until the 2024 Games in Paris, two-time Olympic 100m gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is targeting 10.5, perhaps 10.4 seconds in the blue ribbon sprint.
The 35-year-old Fraser-Pryce revealed her revised objectives after coasting to a second-place finish over 200m at the Velocity Fest meeting at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday evening. The 2013 200m world champion, ran 22.79 after easing down 50m from the finish line in the race won by Bahamian Athonique Strachan in 22.55.
“The aim was to come out here today and get a run in. I haven’t raced in a while so I was definitely good to come and get a good run,” said the four-time 100m world champion before revealing what her new goals are, having achieved one of her goals of running 10.60 last season.
“10.6 after having that season last year has definitely opened a new door for me in terms of the dreams and the goals I am chasing this season. I am looking forward to running 10.5 and possibly 10.4, so that’s the aim and I think I am on my way to doing that, I just have to continue to trust that God will give me the strength, trust the coach and just continue to put in the work.”
Fraser-Pryce said her training has been going well, especially now that her training group at Elite Performance has grown over the past season with like-minded athletes Olympian Julian Forte and Rushell Clayton and the 2019 World Championship 400m hurdles bronze medallist among others.
“It’s good. It’s good to have training partners that have a similar mindset in terms of the work and what is required to be successful. To have teammates like those, you come to training in the morning, you’re feeling a little down or something is not happening, the work ethic also motivates you to put that work in. The vibe is good, the environment is good.
“It’s a great group and I am really in an expectant mood for them as club mates.”
Austin FC momentarily moved to the top of the Western Conference in the MLS, securing a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
A Maximiliano Urruti double within the opening half-hour put Austin in a commanding position at the interval, but they struggled in the second half, giving up eight shots to three despite 62.3 per cent of possession.
Sebastian Driussi clinched the result for Josh Wolff's side in the 68th minute, though, getting on the end of a flick-on from Nick Lima's long-throw at the back post to head home.
Austin have now gone five games undefeated in the league, bouncing back from Wednesday's elimination at the hands of San Antonio FC in the US Open Cup.
They remain a point ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy, who scraped a 1-0 win at home to Nashville via Dejan Joveljic's winner in the 86th minute. Real Salt Lake slipped up away to Portland Timbers, playing out a goalless draw.
There were also goalless draws between Sporting KC and Columbus Crew, and Colorado Rapids and Charlotte FC.
They were leapfrogged by FC Dallas, who claimed their fourth win of the season with a 2-1 win over Houston Dynamo.
They left it very late in the Texan derby after Sabastian Ferreira's opener for Dynamo in the 33rd minute, only equalising in the 87th minute through Tsiki Ntsabeleng.
Facundo Quignon claimed the three points for the Toros, lurking unmarked at the back post from a corner to score in the third minute of injury time.
Philadelphia Union remained top of the Eastern Conference despite a 1-1 draw at home to Montreal CF, giving the impetus to Orlando City and New York RB to make up ground on Sunday.
San Jose Earthquakes moved from the bottom of the Western Conference with a shock 4-3 win over the Seattle Sounders. Cristian Espinoza scored the winner for his hat-trick in the fourth minute of injury time via the penalty spot.
In Saturday's other results, Minnesota FC defeated Chicago Fire 3-0, while DC United claimed a 3-2 win over New England Revolution.
Olympic champion Steve Gardiner turned in a quality performance to open his outdoor season after clocking a world-leading 44.22 seconds at the LSU Alumni Gold meet on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Gardiner continued to build momentum from a series of impressive indoor performances earlier this season, where he competed in the 200m. On Saturday, the Bahamian beat back a challenge from the USA’s Vernon Norwood, who ran 44.59 for second place. The time was the fourth-fastest of Norwood's career.
Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith finished third in 44.61 seconds and the USA’s Tyler Terry was fourth in 45.00. The time was Gardiner’s fastest ever 400m season opener and seems to set him in good stead to defend his world title at the Eugene 2022 World Championships later this summer. Gardiner’s time bettered the earlier mark of 44.28 seconds, set by the USA’s Michael Cherry last weekend.
Elsewhere, Jamaica’s LSU hurdles star Damion Thomas finished third in the men’s 110 metres hurdles. Thomas’ time of 13.79 saw him finish just behind Canada’s Joey Daniels who clocked 13.78 for second, while the event was won by LSU’s Eric Edwards Jr who took top spot in a time of 13.34.
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