U.S. women’s soccer sets roster for friendlies
U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski called up a 23-woman roster Tuesday for April friendlies in Sweden and France, part of the national team’s continuing preparation for this summer’s Olympic tournament in Tokyo.
Fifteen of the players were on the 2019 Women’s World Cup championship team. The U.S. is bidding to become the first country to win a World Cup and Olympic gold medal in the same four-year cycle.
There were no surprises in the roster that Andonovski summoned and — aside from the injury-related absences of Mallory Pugh, Tobin Heath and Casey Short Krueger — the 18 players the U.S. takes to Tokyo likely will come from the team called up Tuesday.
Among those who were called up is Carli Lloyd, whose next appearance will make her the third American to play in 300 international matches.
CONCUSSION DIAGNOSIS BREAKTHROUGH
Researchers say they can diagnose concussions accurately using a biomarker in saliva, a groundbreaking finding that raises the possibility that doctors and athletic trainers could rapidly determine whether someone suffered a concussion using an objective test, according to a peer-reviewed article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The implications reach beyond the playing field but are significant for sports — especially football, which for years has grappled with how to diagnose concussions and when to allow players to return to play after potentially suffering a brain injury. An objective test would not replace the standard clinical assessment based on symptoms, but it could provide a crucial supplement for confirming concussions or even finding ones that went unreported.
ETC.
NFL: The Philadelphia Eagles
● have signed veteran quarterback Joe Flacco as backup to
Jalen Hurts. Flacco, the 2012 Super Bowl MVP, started four games for the Jets last season and eight games for the Broncos in 2019 . ... Backup quarterback
Marcus Mariota has agreed to restructure his contract and take a pay cut to return to the Raiders . ... Running back Mike Davis, who played at South Carolina, and former LSU standout Barkevious Mingo are set to sign with the Falcons. Davis has 412 carries for 1,531 yards and 11 touchdowns in 65 games.
MLB: Padres star Fernando ●
Tatis Jr. left Tuesday’s game after feeling discomfort in his left shoulder after he reached to backhand a grounder in the hole at shortstop. He will be evaluated again Wednesday . ... Dodgers free agent prize Trevor Bauer sailed through four scoreless innings against the Mariners before giving up homers to Evan White, Jose Marmolejos and Mitch Haniger. Last year’s NL Cy Young Award winner was charged with five runs and six hits in 4 1⁄3 innings. ... Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola struck out nine in six splendid innings of one-hit ball against the Yankees, and Didi Gregorius hit a two-run homer against his former team . ... Astros star star Jose Altuve lined into a bases-loaded triple play against the Mets . ... Rangers designated hitter Khris Davis
strained his left quadriceps running out a bunt single.
Horse racing: The Preakness
● will be run in front of a limited capacity of 10,000 fans at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on May 15. Churchill Downs has said it expects the Kentucky Derby to be run in front of roughly 40-50% of capacity May 1 in Louisville. Typically, the Preakness draws over 100,000 spectators.