Stars forward Janmark has joint disorder in knee (Yahoo Sports)

FRISCO, Texas (AP) -- Dallas Stars forward Mattias Janmark will possibly miss all of the season because of a joint disorder in a knee.

Hunwick, Holland each score twice, Maple Leafs rout Sabres (Yahoo Sports)

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Matt Hunwick and Peter Holland each scored twice to help the Toronto Maple Leafs rout the Buffalo Sabres 8-1 on Friday night in exhibition play.

Spirit defeated Red Stars 2-1 in OT, headed to NWSL final (The Associated Press)

Francisca Ordega scored in the 111th minute and the Washington Spirit advanced to the National Women's Soccer League championship game with a 2-1 semifinal victory in overtime over the Chicago Red Stars on Friday night. Ali Krieger scored on a header in the 36th minute to put the Spirit up 1-0. Christen Press scored the equalizer in the 80th minute, then nearly won it for the Red Stars with a strike that hit the crossbar in stoppage time.

Toronto FC has what DC United wants -- a playoff spot (The Associated Press)

Toronto FC has already secured a playoff bid and surging DC United is trying to do the same as the teams prepare to face off Saturday at BMO Field in Toronto. Toronto FC (13-8-10) is second in MLS' Eastern Conference with 49 points, two points behind New York City FC and one point ahead of the New York Red Bulls. DC United (9-9-13) is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 40 points, just above the red line in the MLS playoff race.

David Villa surpasses 20-goal mark, NYCFC beats Dynamo 2-0 (The Associated Press)

HOUSTON (AP) -- David Villa scored his 20th and 21st goals of the season and New York City FC beat the Houston Dynamo 2-0 on Friday night to take the Eastern Conference lead.

Time getting short for Sporting, Revolution (The Associated Press)

One club is uncomfortably in playoff position while the other needs a victory to improve its chances as Sporting Kansas City (12-12-7, 43 points) travels to Foxborough, Mass., to take on the desperate New England Revolution (9-13-9, 36 points) Saturday night. Sporting KC resides in fifth place in the Western Conference, but the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders are just two points back, and the Sounders have a game in hand with the other two clubs. New England is in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, four points behind sixth-place D.C. United and five behind fifth-place Montreal.

Real Salt Lake looks for solve scoring woes against Earthquakes (The Associated Press)

Real Salt Lake's offense has gone ice cold at the worst possible time. With the MLS playoffs looming, RSL finds itself losing ground in the Western Conference and searching for solutions to a suddenly toothless scoring attack. Real Salt Lake (12-10-9) is mired in a four-game winless streak after being shut out in each of its last three matches.

FC Dallas, Galaxy square off in first meeting this season (The Associated Press)

Western Conference leader FC Dallas could eliminate the Los Angeles Galaxy from the Supporters' Shield chase when the two meet Saturday night. "We're where we want to be," FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz told mlssoccer.com after last weekend's scoreless draw with Real Salt Lake. The Hoops (15-8-8, 53 points) have held the top spot in the West after 18 of their 31 games this season but might be facing their toughest test with two matches against a star-studded Galaxy squad twice in their final three games.

Crew, Fire meet in matchup of teams at bottom of standings (The Associated Press)

The Chicago Fire was eliminated from postseason contention on Wednesday, the same night Columbus Crew SC saw its slim playoff hopes fade even more. On Saturday in Columbus, they face each other in a matchup of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Chicago (6-15-9) lost 1-0 at Seattle and will be looking to end a nine-day, three-match trip with its first points.

Union look for edge against Red Bulls (The Associated Press)

Tranquillo Barnetta might shake off a minor knee injury in time for the Philadelphia Union's match at the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. A day later, Union coach Jim Curtain told the Philadelphia Inquirer he hoped Barnetta "will play a role in the game" against New York after missing last week's 1-1 draw at Toronto. "He's the best player that ever wore a Philadelphia Union jersey, in my opinion," Curtin told mlssoccer.com.

Arsenal-Burnley Preview (The Associated Press)

This may be the Arsenal team their supporters have wanted for so long. Seeking their fifth league victory on the trot and fifth consecutive win overall, the Gunners look to keep rolling into the international break Sunday when they face Burnley at Turf Moor. After a slow start in which they took just one point from their first two matches, Arsenal (4-1-1) have regrouped in emphatic fashion, scoring 19 goals while going 6-1-0 across all competitions and not letting up against the Premier League's lightweights.

Manchester City-Tottenham Hotspur Preview (The Associated Press)

Manchester City will be many pundits' Premier League champions elect if they record a seventh straight win in Sunday's game against Tottenham Hotspur. Pep Guardiola's City (6-0-0) have yet to be truly threatened in domestic action under their new boss, even in a headline-grabbing derby fixture against Jose Mourinho's Manchester United. Tottenham (4-2-0) also beat the Sky Blues 4-1 in this fixture last season before running out 2-1 victors on the road in February to give hope of a title challenge that never truly materialised.

Crystal Palace, Everton play to 1-all draw (The Associated Press)

Everton and Crystal Palace shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park on Friday after Romelu Lukaku saw his first-half free-kick cancelled out by a header from Christian Benteke. Both sides started the game brightly, but it was Ronald Koeman's side who took the lead at 35 minutes via Lukaku's superb free-kick. The visitors were level early in the second half as an excellent cross from Joel Ward was met with a towering header from Benteke, who sent the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

NHL, NHLPA expect World Cup of Hockey to return in 2020 (Yahoo Sports)

The World Cup of Hockey will return, without a doubt, and avoid another 12-year break. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr both confirmed for The Associated Press on Friday that they expect the next World Cup of Hockey to be in 2020. It is much less certain whether the best players will go to South Korea to participate in the 2018 Olympics.

EPL's battle of Belgium strikers ends Lukaku 1, Benteke 1 (The Associated Press)

The English Premier League's battle of the Belgium strikers ended in a stalemate when Romelu Lukaku and Christian Benteke scored in Everton's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Friday. Benteke grabbed Palace's equalizer in the 50th minute, rising above Seamus Coleman to connect with Joel Ward's cross and guiding a header inside the far post.

Rennes wins Brittany derby in French league (The Associated Press)

RENNES, France (AP) -- A goal from substitute Adama Diakhaby two minutes into added time helped Rennes keep its perfect home record this season and beat 10-man Guingamp 1-0 in the French league on Friday.

Carlos Vela gives Sociedad 1-0 win over Betis in Spain (The Associated Press)

SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain (AP) -- Carlos Vela's second-half goal gave Real Sociedad a 1-0 victory over an overmatched Real Betis in the Spanish league on Friday.

Leipzig beats Augsburg, goes provisionally 3rd in Bundesliga (The Associated Press)

Unbeaten Leipzig continued its impressive start in its first Bundesliga season by beating Augsburg 2-1 to move to provisional third on Friday. Leipzig, founded in 2009 when energy-drink manufacturer Red Bull rebranded fifth-tier side SSV Markranstaedt and financed its speedy promotion as a new entity through the lower leagues, is the first promoted side in the Bundesliga to remain unbeaten after six games. Emil Forsberg fired the home side ahead, continuing Leipzig's recent trend of scoring early after the 1-1 draws against Cologne and Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Neymar sues Brazilian government for leaking financial data (The Associated Press)

Neymar has filed a suit against Brazil's government for allegedly leaking details of an investigation into fiscal crimes supposedly by him and his family. According to records of a federal court in the capital Brasilia, to which The Associated Press and Brazilian media had online access, Judge Eduardo Santos da Rocha Penteado received Neymar's complaint on May 17. Penteado asked Brazil's government to reveal which staff members had access to Neymar's data.

NHL 2016-17: Odds stacked against Penguins repeating (Yahoo Sports)

After the Penguins paraded the Stanley Cup through the streets of Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby took it to his hometown of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Evgeni Malkin to Moscow and Phil Kessel to a children's hospital in Toronto as part of the summer-long celebration. If there's one thing champions in the NHL have learned, it is to savor those moments because history says they won't happen back-to-back. No team has repeated as Cup champion since the salary-cap era began in 2005, and the last back-to-back winners were the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.

Blues forward Jalen Schwartz out a month with broken elbow (Yahoo Sports)

St. Louis Blues forward Jaden Schwartz will miss at least a month after hurting his left elbow in practice. The Blues announced the timetable on Schwartz's return Friday, a day after he was injured in training camp. Schwartz has played five seasons in NHL.

Sabres GM: Ristolainen's return unlikely to sway talks (Yahoo Sports)

Buffalo Sabres general manager Tim Murray tells The Associated Press he doesn't believe defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen's decision to join the team for practice without a contract will have any effect on thawing negotiations. With a big laugh, Murray on Friday said the only way Ristolainen could speed up contract talks is if ''he got all lovey-dovey'' and elected to take the Sabres latest offer. Ristolainen is a restricted free agent whose rights were retained by the Sabres in June.

Pens, Caps, Lightning and Panthers make East crowded at top (Yahoo Sports)

Get ready for a competitive race among those four teams in the Eastern Conference. Throw a healthy Carey Price back in net for the Montreal Canadiens and they could challenge, too, especially if defenseman Shea Weber fits well after a stunning summer trade from Nashville for P.K. Subban. Of course, it starts and ends with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins.

NHL's Western Conference race seems to be set up to be wild (Yahoo Sports)

The NHL's Western Conference should be wild all season, perhaps as much as ever as parity reigns and points are tough to come by on any given night. The defending Conference champion San Jose Sharks, who had five players in the World Cup of Hockey finals , certainly appear to have a chance to be among the final two still skating in mid-June. The Blackhawks and Kings, who alternated as champions from 2012 to 2015 and won five Cups in a six-season span, failed to even make it out of the first round last in 2016.

German federation to train Kosovo's staff, coaches, judges (The Associated Press)

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) -- The German soccer federation has agreed to assist Kosovo in its first steps as a new organization.

Mangala replaces Mathieu in France squad (The Associated Press)

PARIS (AP) -- Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu has been removed from the France squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers for an unspecified reason.

Crosby-led Canada still can't be beat in best-on-best hockey (Yahoo Sports)

Canada had no interest in playing Game 3 against Team Europe in the World Cup of Hockey finals. Brad Marchand scored a short-handed goal with 43.1 seconds left after Patrice Bergeron tied it with 2:53 to go on a power play, giving Canada to a 2-1 victory over Europe on Thursday night and the World Cup of Hockey title. What was Sidney Crosby thinking in the final minutes?

Stoke City-Manchester United Preview (The Associated Press)

Manchester United are finally starting to look like themselves again, and the turn in form couldn't have come quick enough for manager Jose Mourinho or their fans. United collected goals from unlikely sources in defender Chris Smalling and Juan Mata, favored in place of Wayne Rooney.

Southampton-Leicester City Preview (The Associated Press)

Leicester City's remarkable run to the Premier League title last season taught an invaluable lesson to fans and pundits alike - you don't always have to have the highest wage bill to win. Coming off last weekend's 4-1 loss to Manchester United, the Foxes (2-1-3) are aiming to get back to their winning ways Sunday against Southampton at King Power Stadium on Sunday. The big boys always come calling, and while the club did well to keep hold of star men Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, perhaps the most vital piece of that title-winning side, N'Golo Kante, departed for the blue pastures of Chelsea.

FIFA hires former UEFA, ISL executive to commercial team (The Associated Press)

ZURICH (AP) -- FIFA says it has hired Philippe Le Floc'h, a former marketing executive with UEFA and the ISL agency, as its chief commercial officer.

UEFA says no disciplinary case over banana throwing (The Associated Press)

MOSCOW (AP) -- UEFA says it has not opened a disciplinary case against Russian club FC Rostov after a banana was thrown onto the field during a Champions League game.

Ilkay Gundogan returns to Germany squad for qualifiers (The Associated Press)

Ilkay Gundogan will return for Germany after nearly a year out with various injuries for World Cup qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Northern Ireland. The Manchester City midfielder last played for Germany in a friendly against France on Nov. 13, the night of multiple attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Gundogan missed the European Championship in France.

Iniesta returns as Spain seeks to avenge loss to Italy (The Associated Press)

MADRID (AP) -- Andres Iniesta will lead Spain in its World Cup qualifying matches against Italy and Albania after returning from injury.

Iniesta returns as Spain seeks to avenge loss to Italy (The Associated Press)

MADRID (AP) -- Andres Iniesta will lead Spain in its World Cup qualifying matches against Italy and Albania after returning from injury.

Sidney Crosby adds to legacy with MVP award, World Cup title (Yahoo Sports)

Sidney Crosby was stewing after each of the first two periods in Game 2 of the World Cup of Hockey finals. Crosby set up Patrice Bergeron's game-tying goal with 2:53 left in the third period on a power play that paved the way for Brad Marchand's short-handed goal with 43.1 seconds remaining to be the winner, lifting Canada to a 2-1 victory over Team Europe and the World Cup of Hockey title Thursday night. The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar was voted MVP of the best-on-best tournament, with a World Cup-high 10 points, just three months after winning his second Stanley Cup and earning the Conn Smythe as MVP of the playoffs.

Canada wins World Cup, rallying to beat Europe 2-1 (Yahoo Sports)

Brad Marchand scored a short-handed goal with 43.1 seconds left and Canada beat Team Europe 2-1 on Thursday night to win the World Cup of Hockey. The Canadians won the best-of-three finals 2-0. Patrice Bergeron tied it with a power-play goal with 2:53 left in the third, and Marchand won it with a shot from the slot.

Brandon Pirri scores twice, Rangers beat Devils 3-1 (Yahoo Sports)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Brandon Pirri scored two goals in the New York Rangers' 3-1 exhibition victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

Chelsea-Hull City Preview (The Associated Press)

Chelsea's fast start in which they gained the maximum nine points from their first three matches already seems like a distant memory. The cracks in an already questionable back line began to show in a 2-2 draw Sept. 11 at Swansea City, and a 2-1 home loss to Liverpool did not help matters any.

Middlesbrough-West Ham United Preview (The Associated Press)

It's probably one of the most popular non-Brexit questions being asked around London - what is wrong with West Ham United? Hammers manager Slaven Bilic is still searching for answers as his team tries to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat Saturday against Middlesbrough at London Stadium. Following a seventh-place finish and a Premier League era-record 62 points last season, much was expected of West Ham (1-0-5) given their move to their new London Stadium grounds as well as a Premier League that featured evergreens Manchester United and Chelsea in a state of flux.

Bournemouth-Watford Preview (The Associated Press)

Watford hope that last week's loss to a Premier League newcomer was just a blip as they face Bournemouth on Saturday at Vicarage Road. Walter Mazzarri's Hornets (2-1-3) were downed 2-0 by Burnley last time out, ending a surge in form that saw them come from behind to beat West Ham United 4-2 before getting the better of Manchester United 3-1 the following game. "We've played a couple of games well, others not great like the last one for example," centre-back Miguel Britos said.

West Brom-Sunderland Preview (The Associated Press)

David Moyes is still waiting for his first win as Sunderland boss after a dismal start to life on Wearside. Perhaps it will come Saturday against visiting West Bromwich Albion. The former Everton, Manchester United and Real Sociedad manager took over at the Stadium of Light in the summer after the club's previous manager, Sam Allardyce, had been poached by the England national team.

Red Stars face Spirit, and Thorns host Flash in NWSL semis (The Associated Press)

It seems like everything is going right for the Portland Thorns heading into the National Women's Soccer League playoffs. The Thorns finished out the regular season with a four-game winning streak and claimed the NWSL Shield for the team with the best record. Forward Christine Sinclair credited first-year coach Mark Parsons.

Canadiens' Shaw suspended 3 preseason games for boarding (Yahoo Sports)

Montreal Canadiens forward Andrew Shaw has been suspended three preseason games for boarding Washington Capitals prospect Connor Hobbs. Shaw hit Hobbs into the glass from behind Tuesday during his first preseason game with the Canadiens and was given a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct.

Ronaldo and Sanches back for Portugal World Cup qualifiers (Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo and Renato Sanches were recalled to the Portugal squad after injury on Thursday as coach Fernando Santos urged the European champions to switch out of party mode. Santos, naming his players for next month's World Cup qualifiers at home to Andorra and away to the Faroe Islands, believes his players were not fully switched on when they began their campaign with a 2-0 defeat in Switzerland. "We have to get out of European champion mode, that party mode, that state of relaxation," Santos told reporters.

Inter suffer more Europa woe, Fiorentina thrash Qarabag (Reuters)

By Toby Davis LONDON (Reuters) - Inter Milan's recent aversion to European football continued as they lost 3-1 to Sparta Prague on Thursday to suffer a second straight Europa League defeat this season and fourth in a row. It is six years since Inter last won the Champions League but they have not played in Europe's top club competition since 2012 and have now developed a losing habit in its second-tier cousin. The three times European champions, who suffered a shock defeat in their opening Group K game at home to Israel's Hapoel Beer Sheva, were two goals down to Sparta inside 25 minutes thanks to a double from Vaclav Kadlec.

Inter loses again, drops to last in its Europa League group (The Associated Press)

Inter Milan's loss to Hapoel Beer-Sheva became less shocking when it fell at Sparta Prague 3-1 and dropped to last in its Europa League group on Thursday. A three-time champion, Inter has lost four straight in European competitions. Inter arrived boosted by a come-from-behind win over Juventus in Serie A, but produced another poor performance in European competition at Generali Arena.

Plane that Ronaldo uses runs off runway in Barcelona (The Associated Press)

MADRID (AP) -- A plane believed to be used by Cristiano Ronaldo skidded off a runway in Barcelona because of a landing gear problem.

Houston embracing spoiler role against NYCFC (The Associated Press)

The Houston Dynamo can play the spoiler when they host New York City FC on Friday at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo (7-11-11), who are last in the Western Conference with 32 points, will try to prevent New York City from moving into first place in the Eastern Conference. After clinching their first playoff berth in their second season, New York City FC is in a logjam atop the East.

Klopp holds talks with Sakho after Snapchat comments (The Associated Press)

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has held talks with Mamadou Sakho following the France defender's middle-of-the-night comments on social media about his current marginalization from the first team. Sakho took to Snapchat in the early hours of Saturday to question why he is not currently being considered for selection by Liverpool. ''Now it's three weeks since I am fit to play games,'' Sakho wrote.

Scotland punished after sick women's team refuses to play (The Associated Press)

NYON, Switzerland (AP) -- UEFA has ordered Scotland to forfeit a women's Under-19 European Championship match for refusing to play because of a sickness bug.

UEFA fines Celtic for fans' Palestinian flags at Hapoel game (The Associated Press)

NYON, Switzerland (AP) -- UEFA has fined Celtic 10,000 euros ($11,200) for fans displaying dozens of Palestinian flags at a Champions League game against a team from Israel.

2nd coach in England loses job out after newspaper sting (The Associated Press)

A British newspaper investigation has led to a second soccer coach getting fired in England. Two days after Sam Allardyce lost his job as England manager following an undercover operation by the Daily Telegraph, second-tier club Barnsley fired assistant coach Tommy Wright. Wright was filmed apparently accepting an envelope which the Telegraph said contained 5,000 pounds ($6,500) from a fake Asian firm to help place players at the northern club.

UEFA punishes Legia with empty stadium for Real Madrid visit (The Associated Press)

NYON, Switzerland (AP) -- Legia Warsaw must play Real Madrid in an empty stadium as punishment for fan violence and racist behavior at a Champions League match.

Man City's risk-vs-reward style paying off for Guardiola (The Associated Press)

Manchester City's risk-versus-reward approach under Pep Guardiola was summed up in one passage of play during a Champions League match against Celtic. With two opponents closing in, City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo coolly slid a pass between them to midfielder Fernandinho on the edge of the area. Pressured by two more hounding Celtic players, Fernandinho produced a Cruyff turn to create space for himself and burst upfield.

Anti-racism group reports banana at Champions League game (The Associated Press)

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russian club FC Rostov is likely to face a UEFA disciplinary case for fan racism after a banana was thrown onto the field during a Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven.

After 25 years, Napoli is emerging from Maradona's shadow (The Associated Press)

Still attempting to climb out of Diego Maradona's shadow after 25 years in relative obscurity, Napoli appears to be on the verge of something special. The southern club was thoroughly dominant in a 4-2 win over Benfica on Wednesday, tightening its grip on Group B of the Champions League. ''It was an extraordinary match against an opponent that is more accustomed to playing in this competition,'' former Napoli forward Roberto Sosa told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Liverpool-Swansea City Preview (The Associated Press)

It's five weeks into the Premier League season, and while some teams are playing up to expectation, others have been more of a pleasant surprise. Jurgen Klopp's team announced their attacking and pressing tactical aspirations early with an exhilarating 4-3 win at Arsenal over the opening weekend. Then, save for a blip on the radar with their 2-0 loss to Burnley, the Reds (4-1-1) have been pouring in the goals heading into Saturday's lunch-time fixture against Swansea City at Liberty Stadium.

Marshall's first-half goal enough, Sounders beat Fire 1-0 (The Associated Press)

SEATTLE (AP) -- Chad Marshall headed in a corner kick in the 24th minute, and the Seattle Sounders beat the Chicago Fire 1-0 on Wednesday night to get back into the MLS playoff picture.

Glendening, Ott help Red Wings beat Bruins 5-1 (Yahoo Sports)

BOSTON (AP) -- Luke Glendening and Steve Ott each had a goal and an assist to help the Detroit Red Wings beat the Boston Bruins 5-1 on Wednesday night in an exhibition game.

Neagle has late goal, assist, United beats Crew 3-0 (The Associated Press)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lloyd Sam opened the scoring in the 71st minute, Lamar Neagle had a late goal and assist, and D.C. United beat the Columbus Crew 3-0 on Wednesday night for their first two-game winning streak of the season.

Toronto FC ties Orlando City 0-0 to regain East lead (The Associated Press)

TORONTO (AP) -- Toronto FC regained the Eastern Conference lead with a 0-0 draw with Orlando City on Wednesday night.

Piatti has goal and assist, Impact beat Earthquakes 3-1 (The Associated Press)

MONTREAL (AP) -- Matteo Mancosu set up first-half goals from Dominic Oduro and Ignacio Piatti and the Montreal Impact beat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 on Wednesday night to snap a four-game winless streak.

Argentina's Martino to manage Atlanta's MLS team (The Associated Press)

Gerardo Martino hasn't spent much time in the United States and admits that he needs to learn more English, yet the coach from Argentina knows enough about Atlanta United that he can hardly wait to start as the first manager of the Major League Soccer expansion club. Before being introduced Wednesday, the 53-year-old former head of Argentina's famed national team looked at facts and then pursued his first job in the U.S. There's owner Arthur Blank, who also owns the NFL's Falcons, and the fancy downtown Mercedes Benz Stadium he's building for both teams, a $60 million practice facility going up, a roster forming the 22nd MLS team, and a brand already popular.

Rejuvenated Walcott underlines return to form (Reuters)

By Martyn Herman LONDON (Reuters) - Snubbed by England for Euro 2016 and linked with a summer move away after 10 years at Arsenal, Theo Walcott's career appeared to be at a crossroads a couple of months ago. "I am working hard, enjoying my football," Walcott, who made a brief appearance for England versus Slovakia this month, said.

Crystal Palace-Everton Preview (The Associated Press)

Less than three months after he declared the timing was not right to be manager of England, Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew finds himself again faced with the possibility of taking over the national team as rumours and conjecture swirl regarding his status ahead of Friday night's match at Goodison Park versus Everton. The Three Lions are again without a manager following the shocking departure of Sam Allardyce, whose biggest sin in the entrapment video splashed for the world to see by The Daily Telegraph was explaining how to circumvent FA rules regarding third-party ownership of players to reporters posing as businessmen.

Sidney Crosby in class by himself at World Cup of Hockey (Yahoo Sports)

Sidney Crosby has been surrounded by the best hockey players on the planet at the World Cup of Hockey, and still seems as if he is in a class by himself. The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar has a World Cup-high nine points - two more than anyone else - and is within a win of adding another accomplishment to his Hockey Hall of Fame-ready resume. Canada will play Team Europe in Game 2 Thursday night, leading the best-of-seven series 1-0.

Liverpool reassesses further Anfield expansion after protest (The Associated Press)

Liverpool owner John Henry says fan protests against ticket prices are causing the club to reassess plans to further redevelop Anfield. Henry's Fenway Sports Group apologized to fans earlier this year and reversed planned rises in ticket prices after a walkout during a game. The Anfield Road stand had been next in line for rebuilding at the 54,000-capacity Anfield.

Man City, Bayern winning streaks end in Champions League (The Associated Press)

In a fiercely competitive Champions League round on Wednesday, the 100 percent winning records of Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti with their new clubs finally came to an end. Guardiola's Manchester City trailed three times at Celtic, leveled each time and finished strongly before having to settle for a 3-3 draw. Ancelotti, a three-time Champions League winner as a coach, had won his first eight games at Bayern Munich, but his team failed to impress in losing 1-0 at Atletico Madrid.

Matthews shatters glass in first full practice with Leafs (Yahoo Sports)

It didn't take long for Auston Matthews to make an impact at the Toronto Maple Leafs' training camp. Following the formal portion of practice, Matthews shattered a pane of glass with a shot. ''It was a terrible shot ,too,'' Matthews said.

Cavani strikes twice to rally PSG to 3-1 win vs Ludogorets (The Associated Press)

Edinson Cavani struck twice in the second half to lift Paris Saint-German to a 3-1 victory over Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League on Wednesday. PSG and Arsenal both have four points in the group, while Ludogorets and Basel have a point each. Ludogorets wasted a golden opportunity in the 59th when Cosmin Moti failed to convert a penalty kick.

Inexperienced Southgate given 1st shot at vacant England job (The Associated Press)

After the acrimonious departure of Sam Allardyce, England's national soccer team is temporarily in the hands of a man who said just three weeks ago that he wasn't ready for such a high pressure job. The English Football Association's preference is that an Englishman coaches the national team, but there's hardly a queue of top-quality candidates. Alan Pardew, Eddie Howe and Steve Bruce are high on the list of bookmakers' favorites to be the next England coach, yet none of them have managed a so-called big club in the Premier League or coached a team in the Champions League.

Higuain a distant memory as Napoli thump Benfica (Reuters)

Gonzalo Higuain was a distant memory as Napoli produced a rousing display to beat last season's quarter-finalists Benfica 4-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday. Midfielder Marek Hamsik headed Napoli in front after 21 minutes before a devastating spell of three goals in eight minutes early in the second half left the Portuguese champions reeling. Dries Mertens curled in a free kick in the 51st minute, Arkadiusz Milik swept home a penalty and Mertens struck again just before the hour.

Predators sign Girard to three-year, entry-level contract (Yahoo Sports)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Samuel Girard to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Barcelona battle from goal down to beat Gladbach 2-1 (Reuters)

Barcelona battled back from a goal down and scored twice in the second half to overcome hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 in their Champions League Group C match on Wednesday despite the absence of the injured Lionel Messi. Second-half goals from substitute Arda Turan and Gerard Pique gave the Spaniards their second win in two group matches to top the standings, after their opening 7-0 demolition of Celtic. The hard-working Germans had taken a surprising lead, scoring against the run of play, with Thorgan Hazard slotting in to complete a quick break in the 34th minute.

Cavani double allows PSG to sink Ludogorets (Reuters)

Edinson Cavani scored twice in the second half to give Paris St Germain a 3-1 Champions League Group A win over resilient Ludogorets on Wednesday at the ground where they made their European soccer debut 34 years ago. It was no more than PSG, who were beaten 1-0 at the Vasil Levski stadium by another Bulgarian side - Lokomotiv Sofia - in the now defunct Cup Winners Cup in 1982, deserved after dominating throughout with Cavani running the show. The result put PSG top of the group with four points from two games, ahead of Arsenal on goal difference after the English side secured a 2-0 home win over FC Basel.

Walcott scores twice as Arsenal beat Basel (Reuters)

By Martyn Herman LONDON (Reuters) - Theo Walcott scored twice before halftime as Arsenal beat FC Basel 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium to move joint top of Champions League Group A on Wednesday. The England forward twice combined brilliantly with Alexis Sanchez as Arsenal overwhelmed the Swiss to stretch their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight matches. Arsenal needed only six minutes to open the scoring when Walcott headed in a Sanchez cross and a superb one-two 20 minutes later with the south American saw him double the lead.

Guardiola's perfect record falls in thrilling Celtic draw (Reuters)

(Reuters) - Pep Guardiola witnessed the end to his perfect record with Manchester City as his Premier League leaders had to come from behind three times to earn a 3-3 draw at Celtic in a dazzling Champions League Group C encounter on Wednesday. Guardiola's men were taken aback by the fevered atmosphere at Celtic Park as they were denied an 11th straight win which would have equalled Tottenham Hotspur's 1960-61 landmark as the best start to a season by any English club. The inspired Scottish champions, unrecognizable from the side humbled 7-0 at Barcelona in their opening game, sniffed a sensation after Moussa Dembele scored at the start of each half and when Raheem Sterling netted a first-half own goal.

Rostov draws with PSV for first-ever Champions League point (The Associated Press)

Two goals from Dmitry Poloz gave Rostov its first-ever Champions League point on Wednesday in a 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven. Unlucky to concede two goals following deflections in the first half, fortune was firmly on the Russian side in the second as the crossbar and some excellent goalkeeping from Soslan Dzhanaev stopped PSV from claiming the win. Just being in the Champions League is something of a fairytale for the team from southern Russia.

Atletico hands Bayern another Champions League loss in Spain (The Associated Press)

Bayern Munich's struggles in Spain continued on Wednesday with a 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. Bayern's defeat at the Vicente Calderon Stadium after a first-half strike by midfielder Yannick Carrasco made it another frustrating night for the German champions against Spanish clubs. Bayern's last three trips to Spain had ended in elimination in the semifinals of the Champions League - against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico last season.

Carrasco strike helps Atletico halt Bayern's perfect run (Reuters)

Bayern Munich's perfect start to the season under coach Carlo Ancelotti came to an end as Jannick Carrasco's first-half goal gave Atletico Madrid a 1-0 home victory in their Champions League Group D game on Wednesday. Bayern were aiming to make it nine wins in a row in all competitions, but were derailed by an Atletico side that took a deserved 35th-minute lead and remain unbeaten this season. Atletico seized the initiative when Bayern's Xabi Alonso gave the ball away in midfield, allowing the Spaniards to counter.

No Higuain, no problem: Napoli beats Benfica 4-2 in CL (The Associated Press)

Not missing Gonzalo Higuain in the least, Napoli tightened its grip on Group B of the Champions League with a convincing 4-2 win over Benfica on Wednesday. Captain Marek Hamsik opened the scoring with a header after 20 minutes, and Napoli opened the floodgates early in the second half with three goals - two of them from Dries Mertens - in the space of seven minutes. Mertens scored his first with a beautiful free kick that floated over Benfica's wall before dipping down into the net.

City's winning run ends with 3-3 draw at Celtic (The Associated Press)

Manchester City came from behind three times to draw 3-3 at Celtic in a Champions League thriller on Wednesday that ended the English team's 100 percent start to the season under new coach Pep Guardiola. City's winning run stopped at 10 games - one short of matching the English record - and Guardiola will be relieved at earning a point after his team's dreadful defensive display at Parkhead. Fernandinho and Raheem Sterling scored equalizers for City in an action-packed first half after Celtic went twice ahead through Moussa Dembele, in the third minute, and a Sterling own goal in the 20th.

Dynamo Kiev holds Besiktas to 1-1 draw in Champions League (The Associated Press)

ISTANBUL (AP) -- Substitute Viktor Tsygankov scored a second-half goal for Dynamo Kiev to salvage a 1-1 draw at Besiktas in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Barcelona beats Moenchengladbach 2-1 without Lionel Messi (The Associated Press)

Barcelona overcame the absence of Lionel Messi to come from behind and beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday. Gerard Piquet stabbed home the winning goal in the 74th minute after a corner from Neymar was volleyed by Luis Suarez. Moenchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer spilled the shot and the Barcelona defender hustled to nod it home.

Walcott brace guides Arsenal to 2-0 win over Basel (The Associated Press)

Theo Walcott's first-half goals and Alexis Sanchez's boundless energy helped Arsenal to a straightforward 2-0 win over Basel in the Champions League on Wednesday. Walcott opened the scoring in the seventh minute when a long ball over the top found Sanchez, who ran down the left before crossing into the box. An unmarked Walcott darted behind the defense to power a header beyond the reach of Basel goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik.

Ovechkin comfortable quickly with Capitals after World Cup (Yahoo Sports)

It didn't take long for Alex Ovechkin to feel comfortable back on the ice with the Washington Capitals. Ovechkin made his training camp debut Wednesday after playing at the World Cup of Hockey, joined by Russian teammates Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. Russia lost to Canada in the semifinals Saturday, and Ovechkin got a couple of days off like other World Cup players felt physically OK when getting back to work.

Mexico-based midfielder Pizarro gets first Argentina call (Reuters)

Mexico-based midfielder Guido Pizarro was called up for the first time by Argentina on Wednesday for their 2018 World Cup qualifiers next month. Pizarro, who plays for UANL Tigres in the Liga MX, was one of four players coach Edgardo Bauza added to the squad he named last week for matches against Peru in Lima on Oct. 6 and at home to Paraguay in Cordoba five days later. The others are River Plate striker Lucas Alario, San Lorenzo left back Emmanuel Mas and Estudiantes goalkeeper Mariano Andujar, who were all in the squad for the previous qualifiers early this month.

Hope Solo has shoulder replacement surgery (The Associated Press)

Suspended U.S. national team goalkeeper Hope Solo says she has had shoulder replacement surgery. Solo was suspended for six months and her contract with U.S. Soccer was terminated last month following the Rio Olympics, where she drew criticism for calling the Sweden national team a ''bunch of cowards'' for their defensive style of play.

Devils sign defenseman Kyle Quincey to 1-year contract (Yahoo Sports)

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- The New Jersey Devils have signed veteran defenseman Kyle Quincey to a $1.25 million contract for the upcoming season.

Mourinho mindful of another backlash against Rooney (The Associated Press)

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho may not start Wayne Rooney in the Europa League on Thursday, saying he wants to ''protect'' his captain from another media backlash if he has a poor performance. Rooney, who was dropped for United's last Premier League game, returned to training on Wednesday after missing a practice session on Tuesday because of a slight back problem. Mourinho wanted to start Rooney against Ukrainian side Zorya Luhansk at Old Trafford, but isn't so sure now after the striker's injury-hit build-up to the match.