Soccer

Cucho Hernandez and Yaw Yeboah scored in the first half and the Columbus Crew held off LAFC in a 2-1 victory Saturday.
Leetzow was hired by U.S. Soccer in 2020 and oversaw the independent investigation — conducted by former U.S. Justice Department official Sally Q. Yates — into systemic abuse and sexual misconduct that permeated the NWSL.
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Each Saturday night will include a double-header on Scripps’ over-the-air ION network.
Lionel Messi won the men’s Ballon d’Or for a record-extending eighth time.
Luis Rubiales is now barred from working in soccer until after the men’s 2026 World Cup. His ban will expire before the next women’s tournament in 2027.
A Chicago native, Lindau will be part of the U.S. Men’s Cerebral Palsy National Team that will play at the Parapan American Games next month in Santiago, Chile.
Andonovski takes over a club that went 8-12-2 and failed to make the NWSL playoffs this season, but that has a lot going for it.
An extravagantly gifted attacking midfielder with a ferocious shot, Charlton was the leading scorer for both United (249 goals) and England (49 goals) for more than 40 years until being overtaken by Wayne Rooney.
Before owner Joe Mansueto took over, the Fire were lagging behind their peers. They have a chance to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Messi earns more than the entire payroll of all but three other MLS teams. He has the highest total compensation in MLS, followed by Toronto’s Lorenzo Insigne at $15.4 million and the Fire’s Xherdan Shaqiri at $8,153,000.
What happened in their match against Charlotte is more proof that continuity isn’t the answer for the Fire.
Messi entered in the 55th minute and went scoreless for the fourth straight league game.
To truly build off Wednesday and turn many of the night’s customers into fans, postseason bids cannot be a rare occurrence for the Fire.
Messi fue excluido por Miami debido a una persistente lesión en la pierna, pero Soldier Field se llenó prácticamente en su totalidad aún sin la leyenda del fútbol.
Messi was ruled out by Miami due to a lingering leg injury, but Soldier Field was still mostly filled even without the soccer legend.
The Fire are offering discounts for 2024 tickets to fans attending Wednesday’s match, regardless of whether the injured Lionel Messi plays.
Messi joining MLS has been a boon for the league and could lead to looser roster rules that could help the Fire capitalize on Joe Mansueto’s wealth.
But an injury puts an appearance at Soldier Field next week in doubt.
Rapinoe announced in July that she was retiring after an illustrious career that included a pair of World Cup championships as well as gold and bronze medals in the Olympics.
“By a mile, what we’ve done off the field [is what I’ll be most proud of,]” Rapinoe said. “That has made a lasting impact.”
Rapinoe will play her final match for the U.S. women’s national soccer team Sunday at Soldier Field.
The Fire have been outscored 11-1 in their last four games and look nothing like the team that surged into playoff contention before the Leagues Cup.
The Soccer Federation plans to build a national training center in Atlanta with financial support from Arthur Blank, who owns the Atlanta Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United.
Rapinoe’s last match will be Sept. 24 at Soldier Field.
As celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bring money and attention to underdog Welsh footballers, they avoid stealing focus on the team’s charming documentary show.