By Doug Feinberg Published 3:25 pm PDT, Friday, September 21, 2018 TENERIFE, Spain — It would be easy to think it’s a forgone conclusion that the U.S. women’s basketball team will win a third straight World Cup. The Americans haven’t lost a major international contest since falling to Russia in the semifinals of the 2006 world championship. That includes winning the past two world championships. Still, winning another title is something that veterans Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi don’t take for granted. Especially with the rest of the world getting better and the Americans having a major turnover of the roster from the 2016 Rio Olympics team that won gold. “The world is definitely catching up,” said Taurasi, who is playing in her fourth world championship. “You may not see it in the scores, but playing overseas and watching film you see them improving.” Bird, who is in a record fifth World Cup, agreed with her backcourt … [Read more...] about U.S. women’s basketball team takes aim at World Cup title
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FIFA to upgrade flights, raise prize money for Women’s World Cup
Chronicle news services Updated 10:56 pm PDT, Thursday, September 20, 2018 In a concession to women’s soccer, FIFA — the sport’s world governing body — will start funding business-class flights for some of the Women’s World Cup teams traveling to France for next year’s tournament. Total prize money also will “significantly increase” from the $15 million shared among 24 teams at the 2015 tournament, FIFA official Emily Shaw said Thursday at the Women in Sports Law conference in Lausanne, Switzerland. The total sum will be confirmed by the FIFA Council, which meets Oct. 25-26 in Rwanda, she said. FIFA has been urged to close the gap between women’s and men’s World Cups in a new four-year cycle of tournaments and commercial deals that begin next year. In the current cycle, men’s World Cup champion France earned $38 million from FIFA. The United States got $2 million for winning the 2015 Women’s World … [Read more...] about FIFA to upgrade flights, raise prize money for Women’s World Cup
U.S. midfielder Tobin Heath’s time is here with World Cup looming
By Anne M. Peterson Published 3:32 pm PDT, Friday, September 14, 2018 PORTLAND, Ore. — Less than a year ago, Tobin Heath lamented that being injured was the “worst thing in the whole entire world.” Now healthy, the midfielder for the Portland Thorns and the U.S. national team looks like she’s having the time of her life. “I feel like it’s been nice for me to be out on the field for a while now,” she said. “I always try to get better and better and improve my game. I never feel like I’ve reached it. I’m also in a great place to find my best form here in Portland. I’m supported by amazing people, so I get the freedom to be able to grow and improve as a player because of the people around me.” Heath and the Thorns host a National Women’s Soccer League semifinal match against the Seattle Reign on Saturday. Portland went 12-6-6 this season to capture second place in the nine-team league, behind the … [Read more...] about U.S. midfielder Tobin Heath’s time is here with World Cup looming
Who are Pussy Riot, were they responsible for the World Cup final 2018 pitch invasion and what were they protesting?
THE World Cup final between France and Croatia was suspended after protesters stormed on to the pitch. Pussy Riot claimed responsibility for the World Cup invasion, but who are they and what were they protesting about? Here's the lowdown. Who are Pussy Riot? Pussy Riot is a Russian political punk group who has a rotating cast of musicians and artists. Staunch activists, members Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, served 21-month jail terms following an anti-Putin performance at the altar of Moscow's largest cathedral in 2012. Alyokhina was also detained in August 2017 in the Siberian city of Yakutsk after protesting with another Pussy Riot member against the imprisonment of Ukranian film-maker Oleg Sentsov. The band staged another demonstration against Sentsov’s imprisonment by storming Trump Tower in New York in October 2018. They have also slammed the US president in their songs Make America Great Again and Police State. The family of Pussy Riot member Pyotr … [Read more...] about Who are Pussy Riot, were they responsible for the World Cup final 2018 pitch invasion and what were they protesting?
Salah takes on Egyptian federation over World Cup debacle
Hamza Hendawi and Samy Magdy, Associated Press Updated 8:11 am CDT, Thursday, August 30, 2018 FILE - In this June 25, 2018, file photo, Egypt's Mohamed Salah reacts after Saudi Arabia's Salem Aldawsari scored his side' second goal during the group A match between Saudi Arabia and Egypt at the 2018 soccer World Cup at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd, Russia. Emboldened by his global star power, Salah has said out loud what many of his Egyptian teammates have been saying in private for weeks: Failure by the national federation to enforce discipline and stop meddling by sponsors was mostly to blame for the Pharaohs' miserable World Cup run in Russia. less FILE - In this June 25, 2018, file photo, Egypt's Mohamed Salah reacts after Saudi Arabia's Salem Aldawsari scored his side' second goal during the group A match between Saudi Arabia and Egypt at the 2018 ... more Photo: Andrew Medichini, AP FILE - In this … [Read more...] about Salah takes on Egyptian federation over World Cup debacle