Nashville draws crowd to MLS debut Olympics
Emerson Hyndman scored in the 37th minute in Atlanta United’s 2-1 victory over Nashville, spoiling the expansion team’s MLS debut Saturday night.
Ezequiel Barco also scored in the ninth minute for Atlanta, the 2018 MLS Cup winners.
Walker Zimmerman scored the first goal for Nashville off a set piece in the 28th minute, giving the biggest crowd ever to see a soccer game in the state of Tennessee something to celebrate. A handful of NFL players also were on hand, including Titans Pro Bowl punter Brett Kern and teammate Cory Davis along with 49ers tight end George Kittle.
The 30,000 fans who filled the lower bowl at Nissan Stadium stood from start to finish.
“I’ve had a couple of new team openings in the last 20 years, and this one ranks as at least for me one of the most exciting,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said. OTHER MLS HIGHLIGHTS >>
A second-half goal from Houston’s Mauro Manotas canceled out an early wonder strike from Los Angeles’ Cristian Pavon, as the visiting Galaxy and Dynamo played to a season-opening 1-1 draw. While there was naturally much hype surrounding the MLS debut of Mexican superstar Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, it was budding league star Pavon who stole the spotlight from his new Galaxy teammate to open the season. Maximiliano Urruti broke a tie with a long shot in the 80th minute in the Montreal Impact’s 2-1 comeback victory over the New England Revolution on in their MLS season opener in Montreal. Romell Quioto scored in the first half, and Clement Diop made five saves in Thierry Henry’s MLS coaching debut for Impact. … Jonathan Lewis scored in the second minute of extra time to give the Colorado Rapids a 2-1 win over host D.C. United in the first game of the 25th MLS season. … Zdenek Ondrasek and Paxton Pomykal scored, and Jesse Gonzalez made three saves to help FC Dallas beat the Philadelphia Union 2-0. … Zac Macmath made two saves for Real Salt Lake in a scoreless draw with Orlando City in their MLS season opener.
Golf
FLEETWOOD HOLDS FIRST 54-HOLE LEAD ON PGA TOUR
>> Tommy Fleetwood will begin today’s final round at The Honda Classic with a one-shot lead as he seeks his first career victory on the PGA Tour.
The Englishman shot a 3-under-par 67 at the difficult PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Saturday to reach 5-under 205 for the tournament. Overnight leader Brendan Steele battled to a 71 to stay in the hunt. This is Fleetwood’s first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour. Only 13 players are under par through three rounds. Fleetwood’s 67 was the second-best score of the third round.
Fellow Englishmen Luke Donald and Lee Westwood are tied for third at 3 under.
Reigning U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland suffered a pair of double bogeys over a three-hole stretch and is tied for 23rd at 1 over.
QUIGLEY TAKES 3-SHOT LEAD OVER COUPLES >> Brett Quigley shot a 5-under 68 in the Cologuard Classic to open a three-stroke lead in his bid to win for the second time in his first four PGA Tour Champions starts. Fred Couples was second after a 66 in Tucson, Arizona.
The 50-year-old Quigley won a month ago in Morocco in his second Champions start and tied for ninth two weeks ago in Florida in the Chubb Classic. STANFORD’S RILEY EARNS SPOT ON U.S. TEAM IN MARATHON >> Former Stanford runner Jacob Riley qualified for his first Olympic team Saturday by finishing second in the U.S. marathon trials to earn a spot in the Tokyo Games this summer.
Riley ran a personal record of 2 hours,10 minutes, 20 seconds to make his first Olympic team at age 32 in Atlanta. Galen Rupp (2:09:20) won his second straight U.S. Olympic marathon trials.
Abdi Abdirahman earned a spot by taking third in 2:10:03 to earn his fifth Olympic team berth at age 43.
Aliphine Tuliamuk edged Molly Seidel by seven seconds in the closest women’s finish in the trials. Seidel became the first woman to make the U.S. Olympics team while running in her first marathon. Sally Kipyego was third.
Motorsports
BOWYER EDGES JIMMIE JOHNSON FOR NASCAR POLE AT FONTANA >> Clint Bowyer has won the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Fontana, holding off sixtime race champion Jimmie Johnson.
Bowyer turned a lap in 40.086 seconds in his Stewart-haas Racing Ford to claim just his fourth pole position in 508 career Cup races.
Johnson will start on the front row for his final race as a full-time driver at his hometown track. The 44-year-old star’s qualifying lap was barely behind Bowyer at 40.093 seconds.
Johnson’s wife and daughters will drop the green flag on today’s race. He is hoping to end a career-worst winless streak of 97 Cup races when he starts at a track where he has won a record six times.
Martin Truex Jr. will start from the rear after his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota failed inspection three times.
BURTON CLAIMS 1ST XFINITY SERIES WIN AT FONTANA >> Harrison Burton held off Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota teammate Riley Herbst for his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory. The 19-year-old Burton is the son of NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton, and he finished strong with an impressive final restart.