Month: November 2022

The United States defeated Iran on Tuesday in a crucial game at the 2022 World Cup in Doha, Qatar, advancing them to the knockout stage of the tournament. The Americans clinched the runner-up spot out of Group B and will join first-place England in the Round of 16.  Winning the game was the only way to advance to the knockout stage of the international tournament; the Americans will face Group A winner Netherlands in the Round of 16 at 10 a.m. EST Saturday at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan. England, which won Group B, will face Group A runner-up Senegal in another Round of 16 match Sunday in Al Khor.

The U.S. scored their first and only goal of the match just over a third of the way through the first half when Christian Pulisic came sprinting into the area, split defenders Ramin Rezaeian and Majid Hosseiniand and sliced a shot into the net past Iranian goalie Alireza Beiranvand before collapsing in pain. Beiranvand collided with Pulisic just after the shot, and Pulisic stayed on the ground until being looked at by trainers. U.S. Soccer said he sustained an abdominal injury during the play and would not return for the second half.  On Tuesday evening, the team shared an update on the injured Pulisic, tweeting that “forward Christian Pulisic has been diagnosed with a pelvic contusion and his status is day-to-day.”

U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter said after the game: “I think, in the first half, we showed what we could do soccer-wise … In the second half, we showed what we could do determination-wise.”  The team also posted on Twitter shortly after the game ended, thanking fans for their support and sharing their on-field excitement:  “At home and in Qatar, you were with us all 99+ minutes tonight. We felt the love. We felt the unwavering support. Thank you.”

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Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a calf strain. The forward was injured during Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards. Reports circulated that Towns was unable to put any weight on his right leg, as the team quickly ruled him out for the rest of the game. According to Wojnarowski, Towns had scans on Tuesday to reveal the extent of the injury, and is expected to return sometime in January.

The 27-year-old Towns has played more power forward this season. He has averaged just 20.8 points per game, this after scoring at least 24 per game in each of the last four years. His 8.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game are an all-time career low. Towns is averaging 5.3 assists per game, with at least 20 points in 14 of 21 games this year.

With Towns out, Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson will see more playtime. The Timberwolves have struggled this year, are are currently 10th in the Western Conference with a 10-11 record.

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Tiger Woods announced on Twitter on Monday that he has withdrawn from this week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The tournament, which benefits Woods’ charity, ‘TGR Foundation,’ was supposed to be his first start since he missed the cut in the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews in July. Woods will be replaced in the 20-man field by Sepp Straka.

Woods wrote in a statement: “In preparation and practice for this week’s Hero World Challenge, I’ve developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot, which is making it difficult to walk. After consulting with my doctors and trainers, I have decided to withdraw this week and focus on my hosting duties. My plan is still to compete in The Match and PNC Championship.”

The 46-year-old Woods competed in just nine rounds in three majors this past season. He finished 47th at the Masters in April and withdrew after 54 holes at the PGA Championship in May.  As of now, the 15-time major champion will still be playing in The Match at Pelican Golf Club outside Tampa, Florida, on Dec. 10, teaming up with world No. 1 golfer Rory McIlroy in a 12-hole match against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. Woods is also scheduled to play with his son, Charlie, in the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 17-18.

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The Dallas Mavericks are expected to sign four-time All-Star guard Kemba Walker.  The 32-year-old Walker, an 11-year veteran, averaged a career-low 11.6 points 3.5 assists and 3 rebounds per game last season and was waived in October by the Detroit Pistons.

Walker spent his first eight seasons in the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets. In 2019, the Hornets traded Walker to the Boston Celtics; and in 2021, the Celtics traded Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Two months later, the Thunder waived Walker. He signed that same off-season with the New York Knicks, who then traded Walker to the Pistons in July.

Walker scored a career-high 25.6 points per game in 2018-19 for the Hornets. He averaged at least 20 points per game from 2015-16 through 2019-20. In 741 career appearances, he averaged 19.5 points, 5.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds.

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