Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Soccer: Charlotte leads bidding to be 30th MLS team, commissioner says
Charlotte, North Carolina, has moved to the front of the line to become the 30th Major League Soccer (MLS) team, Commissioner Don Garber said on Friday. An announcement is expected in the next couple of months with Las Vegas and Phoenix competing with Charlotte, Garber said in comments ahead of Sunday's MLS Cup between the host Seattle Sounders and Toronto FC.
Tennis: Young pretenders arrive in force in London
The greatest trio ever bestowed on men's tennis steadfastly refuse to step aside but this year's ATP Finals boasts a fresh new look that offers a glimpse of the rivalries that should sustain the sport when they go. Top seed Rafael Nadal, who can clinch the year-end top ranking for the fifth time, was asked if he felt a little old as he sat alongside debutants Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, and 2018 champion Alexander Zverev, for Friday's pre-tournament news conference.
Soccer: Seattle and Toronto set for another MLS Cup showdown
The MLS Cup final will have a familiar feel as Seattle Sounders face Toronto FC in the championship game for the third time in four years but there will be more than a trophy at stake. After splitting MLS Cup titles in 2016 and 2017, the clubs will meet on Sunday in Seattle seeking a championship that would help support their case as one of MLS's best teams of the last decade.
Haiti's cyclists brave protests and poor roads in race for gold
Ousline Georges, 22, only started to take cycling seriously a year ago, wary of the many hurdles she faced such as the prohibitive cost of a decent bicycle and the treacherous roads in her home country of Haiti, the poorest in the Americas. This past weekend though, she became the first Haitian ever to win a medal in the Caribbean Road Cycling Championship, thanks to a new program created by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)that fosters the sport in small, developing nations.
Bettman: NHL to return to Europe in 2020
The NHL will continue to play regular-season games in Europe in 2020, with Finland and the Czech Republic each hosting games. Commissioner Gary Bettman, speaking before the start of the 2019 Global Series game in Sweden on Friday, said the Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators will open the 2020-21 season in Prague.
USOPC introduces reforms in response to Nassar scandal
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) on Friday introduced the first wave of reforms to correct the organizational failings that allowed Larry Nassar, the former team doctor for USA Gymnastics, to prey on young athletes. Following recommendations from an independent report and two Congressional investigations, athlete representation on USOPC's board will be increased from three to five and national governing bodies will have to meet specific compliance standards.
Tennis: De Minaur sets up final showdown with Sinner at Next Gen ATP Finals
Australian top seed Alex de Minaur moved into his second consecutive final at the Next Gen ATP Finals with a 4-2 4-1 0-4 4-2 victory over Frances Tiafoe in Milan on Friday. The 20-year-old De Minaur, who lost to Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final last season, put his friendship with Tiafoe aside and needed only 73 minutes to dispatch the 21-year-old American.
NFL notebook: Mahomes to start vs. Titans
Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes will return from a two-game absence to start Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, coach Andy Reid announced Friday. Reid told reporters that Mahomes would play "unless something happens" prior to the game against the Titans in Nashville, Tenn.
Warriors' Curry 'unlikely' to return this season: report
Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry is "unlikely" to return this season, according to a story Friday from Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report. Curry underwent surgery on his broken left hand last Friday. At that time, the team announced it would update his status in three months, which could have put Curry back on the court around the All-Star Game.
Soccer: U.S. women's team granted class action status in equal-pay lawsuit
The members of the U.S. women's national soccer team who sued the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) in March over allegations of gender discrimination can pursue their claims as a class action, a California court ruled on Friday. The decision comes two months after the group filed a motion for class certification seeking to include all women called up to the national team over the multi-year period specified in the lawsuit, in addition to those originally named.
