Riverhounds play to draw in season opener
Robbie Mertz scored the tying goal in the 71st minute, and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC opened their 24th season with a 1-1 draw against Birmingham Legion FC in Birmingham, Ala.
The Riverhounds opened a season with a draw for the first time since 2018.
Alex Crognale had given the Legion (0-0-1) the lead when he scored off a corner kick in the first half.
The Riverhounds remain on the road for Game 2 of the 2023 season when they travel to Memphis 5 p.m. Saturday.
More soccer
The BBC was forced to scrap much of its weekend sports programming as the network scrambled to stem an escalating crisis over its suspension of soccer host Gary Lineker for comments criticizing the British government’s new asylum policy. As a growing number of English Premier League players and BBC presenters rallied to Lineker’s support and refused to appear on the airwaves on Saturday, Britain’s national broadcaster faced allegations of political bias and suppressing free speech, as well as praise from some Conservative politicians. The former England captain was suspended from “Match of the Day,” a popular soccer highlights show, over a Twitter post that compared lawmakers’ language about migrants to that used in Nazi Germany.
• Teen-age defender Caleb Wiley, 18 had two goals and
an assist in the first half as Atlanta United defeated Charlotte FC, 3-0, in MLS action in Charlotte, N.C.
Winter sports
MarcoOdermatt won a men’sWorld Cup giant slalomin Kranjska Fora, Slovenia,and in the process locked up the overall season title. Odermattbuilt on his firstrun lead to beat Alexis Pinturaultof France by 0.23 seconds.Odermatt, who is the defendingoverall champion, securedthe title again as the victoryincreased his lead overrunner-up Aleksander AamodtKilde in the overall standingsto 486 points. He is thefirst skier to win the sport’smost prestigious prize inback-to-back seasons since Austrianstandout Marcel Hirscherwon eight times in a rowfrom 2012-19.
Iditatrod
BrentSass, the defending IditarodTrail Sled Dog Race champion,withdrew from this year’s race, citing concernsfor his health. Sass was inthe lead when he arrived at theEagle Island checkpoint lateFriday night with an almostfour-hour advantage on hisnearest competitor, JessieHolmes. Eagle Island isabout 600 miles into the nearly1,000-mile race. Holmeswas the first musher to leavethe Eagle Island checkpointearly Saturday morning.
Pro football
BudGrant, the stoic and demandingHall of Fame coachwho took the MinnesotaVikings to four Super Bowlsin eight years — and lostall of them — died at age 95.He guided the Vikings from1967-85, with a one-year hiatusin 1984, on his way to a 158-96-5 record with 11 divisionchampionships in 18 seasons.He was eighth on the all-timewins list at the time ofhis retirement. Obituary,
Page C-5 Tennis
Top-rankedIga Swiatek routedClaire Liu in 65 minutesto win her opening matchat the BNP Paribas Openin Indian Wells, Calif. Swiatek,the defending champion,won 6-0, 6-1. She lost just seven points in the first set. TaylorFritz and Andy Murrayalso won on a busy Saturdayat the two-week event for menand women.
Golf
Jorge Campillo made eight birdies, including four in a row to end his round, for a 63 and a one-shot lead after three rounds of the European Tour’s Kenya Open in Nairobi. He is at 13 under, one shot ahead of Robert MacIntyre, who put himself in contention with a 6-under 65.