Ralston loses second as Quakes coach
San Jose could manage just four shots with just one on target as the Earthquakes fell 2-0 to the host Los Angeles FC on Saturday in the second game under interim coach Steve Ralston.
Walker Zimmerman netted both goals for the firstyear LAFC, knocking in two headers off Carlos Vela corner-kick deliveries.
In a sidelight, an ESPN FC report noted the Quakes have requested permission from LAFC to interview assistant Marc Dos Santos for their head coaching job. Ralston has lost both games since taking over Monday after the Quakes fired Mikhael Stahre.
LAFC became the third MLS franchise to reach 50 points in its first season. LAFC (14-7-8) is unbeaten in its last six matches.
Dos Santos led the San Francisco Deltas to the 2017 NASL championship in that league’s most recent season, before joining Bob Bradley’s staff in Los Angeles.
That same report confirmed the rumor that Dutch coach Peter Bosz has been contacted by San Jose. Bosz most recently worked at German powerhouse
Borussia Dortmund. It also has been reported the team contacted Stanford coach Jeremy Gunn about the job. MCDONALD’S 2 GOALS LEAD
COURAGE TO NWSL TITLE >> Jess McDonald scored two goals, and the North Carolina Courage won the National Women’s Soccer League championship with a 3-0 victory over the host Portland Thorns on.
NBA
REPORT: TOWNS TO SIGN MAX DEAL WITH WOLVES >> Karl-Anthony Towns announced that he is recommitting to the Minnesota Timberwolves, reportedly agreeing to sign a five-year super-max extension worth $190 million. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither the team nor Towns revealed the financial terms of the deal. Towns announced part of the deal through social media, saying “5 More” a clear nod to the length of the contract.
Motors
BUSCH GETS PLAYOFF WIN IN RICHMOND >> Kyle Busch passed Brad Keselowski with 38 laps to go and held off hard-charging Kevin Harvick to win the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Richmond, Virginia. Busch won for the sixth time in his career on the 0.75-mile oval of Richmond Raceway, and for the first time in the fall.
Martin Truex Jr., who swept the first two stages before a penalty forced him to play catch up, rallied for third, followed by Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola.
Basketball
USA WOMEN TAKE WORLD CUP OPENER >> Elena Delle Donne scored 19 points, and former Stanford star Nneka Ogwumike added 16 to help the U.S. beat Senegal 87-67 in the Americans’ opener at the Women’s Basketball World Cup in Tenerife, Spain.
The game was tied at 25 midway through the second quarter before the U.S. started to assert its dominance. The Americans play China today.
Tennis
OSAKA LOSES IN FINAL >> Fourth-seeded Karolina Pliskova beat Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-4 to win the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and deny the U.S. Open champion a win in her home country. Pliskova broke Osaka for a second time to go up 5-4 in the second set and then hammered her sixth ace to secure her 11th career title.
Boxing
JOSHUA KEEPS HEAVYWEIGHT TITLES >> Anthony Joshua (22-0) retained his WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight titles with a seventh-round stoppage of Alexander Povetkin at London’s Wembley Stadium. Joshua, who fought with a suspected broken nose from the second round, sent Povetkin to the canvas with a big right midway through the seventh and was unloading a flurry of punches before the referee stepped in to end the fight.
Golf
STRAKA LEADS WEB.COM TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP >> Sepp Straka moved into position to earn a PGA Tour card in the Web.com Tour Championship, shooting a 7-under 64 to take the thirdround lead. With the top 25 earners in the fourevent Web.com Tour Finals getting PGA Tour cards today, Straka birdied the final three holes to reach 18-under 195, a stroke ahead of Curtis Luck, Lucas Glover and Denny McCarthy at Atlantic Beach (Florida) CC.