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The international break continues for a few more days, leaving plenty of time between now and Wednesday night’s Sounders-Dynamo match to bone up on you might have missed over this past week in the world of soccer. To reiterate my appeal from last week’s inaugural edition 0f this weekly series: Please do forward along any submissions — or anything you think I missed — either via Twitter or email (mpentz@seattletimes.com). –…

Media playback is not supported on this device Wayne Rooney: England captain to keep his role under Gareth Southgate England captain Wayne Rooney says he is in a “difficult period” after he was dropped for Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Slovenia. Interim manager Gareth Southgate said the decision was tactical and not a reflection of the forward’s form. Rooney, who was booed by sections of the Wembley crowd during Saturday’s…

When the Cubs‘ Starlin Castro cracked a home run in Game 3 of last year’s divisional playoff series against the Cardinals, Affan Arain was praying. Arain, who is Muslim, had excused himself from his seat and found an out-of-the-way spot in the Wrigley Field concourse for his daily evening ritual. The crowd’s roar provided an unmistakable soundtrack, and he knew instantly the Cubs had scored. “In the midst of that…

Cooperstown and baseball are synonymous for fans of the sport. The picturesque town of 2,000 full-time residents, swells to over 25,000 during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction weekend every July. In 2016, longtime Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. and New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza joined the elite roster of hall of famers. Only 217, 1 percent of those who have played the…

DETROIT – Renovations for the baseball diamond at Calcara Park in Detroit are underway after a $25,000 grant was given by Comerica Bank. Building a new baseball diamond is the goal, and it is beginning with cleaning up the existing backdrop, removing turf, building a new infield and installing new player benches for the first phase of renovations to be finished in October. Improving player safety with the addition of…

When the Cubs‘ Starlin Castro cracked a home run in Game 3 of last year’s divisional playoff series against the Cardinals, Affan Arain was praying. Arain, who is Muslim, had excused himself from his seat and found an out-of-the-way spot in the Wrigley Field concourse for his daily evening ritual. The crowd’s roar provided an unmistakable soundtrack, and he knew instantly the Cubs had scored. “In the midst of that…

OLYMPICS LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) In a show of unity after sharp divisions caused by the Russian doping scandal, Olympic leaders gave the World Anti-Doping Agency increased powers to lead the fight against drug cheats and pushed ahead with plans for a separate independent body to carry out global drug-testing. A summit of top global sports officials backed WADA to continue to oversee worldwide anti-doping efforts, upholding the agency’s central role…

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump described his comments from a 2005 leaked video as “locker room talk” American athletes have condemned Donald Trump on social media for claiming that obscene comments about groping women were just “locker room talk”. The Republican presidential nominee, whose comments were broadcast in a leaked 2005 tape, apologised for the remarks but said they were “just words” and repeatedly referred to the context of the…

Few will mourn it. Many had never seen it up close. Some didn’t even know of its existence. And so the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena — now a mass of dusty concrete and steel — is slowly being razed with little public outcry. It’s a finale that characterizes the city’s apathy for a 57-year-old has-been that plodded through the decades in the shadow of glitzier venues. In its later years, the arena became an object…

Although still largely unknown outside of South Asia, kabaddi is an ancient Indian sport in the midst of a resurgence on the subcontinent. Outdating more dominant (and imported) sporting traditions like cricket and field hockey, kabaddi – a mix of red rover, wrestling, and tag – was long considered a pursuit of the underclasses, a dusty, pre-modern relic devoid of the glitz, spectacle, and revenue of sophisticated, contemporary sport. With…

<!– FOOTBALL GOSSIP After Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Lithuania at Hampden, Scotland manager Gordon Strachan thinks the chances of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup hinge on securing a big result away from home, and he believes winning in Slovakia could be the one. (Various) Portland Timbers’ Lithuanian defender Vytautas Andriuskevicius is frustrated by the loss of a late goal to Scotland but feels that his country showed they are…

When the Cubs‘ Starlin Castro cracked a home run in Game 3 of last year’s divisional playoff series against the Cardinals, Affan Arain was praying. Arain, who is Muslim, had excused himself from his seat and found an out-of-the-way spot in the Wrigley Field concourse for his daily evening ritual. The crowd’s roar provided an unmistakable soundtrack, and he knew instantly the Cubs had scored. “In the midst of that…

In the eighth inning Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, Manager Dusty Baker took the ball from Blake Treinen and patted the right-hander on the shoulder, gratitude for his part in stifling the Los Angeles Dodgers. The pitching change offered first baseman Ryan Zimmerman the opportunity for brief reflection. Standing on the mound as he watched Treinen march into the dugout, he looked toward second baseman Daniel Murphy and nodded toward…

The Arizona Fall League usually rolls in and out of town with little attention from anyone outside the ballpark. This year might be different though, because Tim Tebow is on the Scottsdale Scorpions roster. (Photo: 12 News) Scottsdale, Ariz. – The Arizona Fall League usually rolls in and out of town with little attention from anyone outside the ballpark. This year might be different though, because Tim Tebow is on the Scottsdale…

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: And it’s time now for sports. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) MARTIN: It’s the playoffs – the baseball playoffs, where heroes and goats are made, or so I’m told. Mike Pesca of “The Gist” joins us from the studios of Slate in New York. Hi, Mike. MIKE PESCA, BYLINE: Hi. The goats – let us talk of the goats. MARTIN: The goats. OK, truth be told, I’d never heard…

Channing Tatum at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards. Tatum will star in next fall’s “Logan Lucky,” a heist film directed by Steven Soderbergh.(Photo: Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY) CONCORD, N.C. – NASCAR hasn’t been the vehicle for a major Hollywood feature film since Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby a decade ago. That’s set to change with Logan Lucky, a heist movie starring Channing Tatum that filmed several scenes at…

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: And it’s time now for sports. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) MARTIN: It’s the playoffs – the baseball playoffs, where heroes and goats are made, or so I’m told. Mike Pesca of “The Gist” joins us from the studios of Slate in New York. Hi, Mike. MIKE PESCA, BYLINE: Hi. The goats – let us talk of the goats. MARTIN: The goats. OK, truth be told, I’d never heard…

Starting a football program is never cheap. But when the University of North Carolina at Charlotte fielded its first team, in 2013, it tried to keep a lid on spending. The first season, the head coach made just $250,000. The second year, the team…

Buttler’s innings was his 12th ODI half-century Skipper Jos Buttler was “disappointed” by Bangladesh’s pointed celebrations of his dismissal in England’s 34-run defeat in Dhaka on Sunday. Buttler fell lbw to Taskin Ahmed for 57 to leave England 123-7, chasing 239. “You don’t have to run up to a guy. I’m disappointed to get out, but emotions were running high,” said Buttler. “I was a little bit disappointed in the…