Sports detente: Cosmos beats Cuba in soccer friendly played in Havana
The New York Cosmos dominated host Cuba 4-1 in a soccer friendly meant to promote better relations between the U.S. and Cuba and demonstrate that baseball-mad Cuba is also becoming a soccer nation.
International goodwill was on display as the American flag was unfurled on the pitch in Havana and the U.S. national anthem played before the match, both previously unheard of in Communist-governed Cuba.
But the Cuban national team disappointed against a club from the second-tier North American Soccer League, falling behind 4-0 in the first half on two goals by Lucky Mkosana and one each from Sebastian Guenzatti and Hagop Chirishian.
Cuba, which has not appeared in a World Cup since 1938, scored five minutes into the second half on a strike by Andy Baquero.
Raul, the former Real Madrid striker and Spain captain who is now the face of the Cosmos, went scoreless.
The Cosmos became the first U.S. professional sports team to visit Cuba since detente in December, when President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced they would seek to restore diplomatic relations that were severed in 1961.
Also: Former UNLV star Randall Cunningham is back on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot, but now he also is mentioned at quarterback.
He remains listed mainly as a punter because that’s the position where he became a first-team All-American.
This is the information provided with Cunningham’s candidacy: “Named First Team All-American as a punter in 1983 and Second Team All-America as a punter and Honorable Mention as a quarterback in 1984 … Led UNLV to their first-ever Bowl game … Broke 18 UNLV records.”
He is one of 76 candidates from the Football Bowl Subdivision for one of an expected 15 spots. Voting opened Tuesday, and the class will be unveiled Jan. 8 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Cunningham, who played at UNLV from 1982 to 1984, remains the Rebels’ record holder with 8,020 yards passing and 59 touchdown tosses. He also averaged 45.6 yards per punt over his career, which is still the school record.
The New Jersey Devils named John Hynes as their new coach.
Hynes had been coach of the American Hockey League’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins since 2010, when he was hired by former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ray Shero, who is the Devils’ new GM.
Hynes, 40, becomes the youngest coach in the NHL. Minnesota’s Mike Yeo, who turns 42 in July, previously held that distinction.
Third-seeded Michigan forced a decisive third game in the Women’s College World Series’ championship round, beating top-seeded Florida 1-0 in Oklahoma City.
The decisive game in the best-of-3 softball series will be played today.
Wolverines pitcher Haylie Wagner threw a six-hit shutout, and right fielder Kelsey Susalla’s RBI single in the first inning held up as the decisive run.
Michigan (60-7) rebounded after a 3-2 loss to Florida (59-7) on Monday night that ended the Wolverines’ 28-game winning streak. The Gators lost for the first time in the postseason.