France hands U.S. rare loss in soccer
Kadidiatou Diani scored twice and France ended the U.S. women’s national team’s 28-game unbeaten streak with a 3-1 victory Saturday in Le Havre, France.
The top-ranked United States had not lost since falling 1-0 to Australia in 2017. The Americans were 25-0-3 over the span.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto also scored for third-ranked France, which has won eight straight.
It was the first of 10 games the United States will play before the World Cup. The Americans are the defending champions and could meet France again in the tournament’s quarterfinals. “I’m not worried,” U.S. coach
Jill Ellis said following the loss. “We know who we are and what we can do.”
Ellis had to tinker with her starting lineup and rested stars
Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath and Julie Ertz as a precaution because of minor injuries. Also held out was
Kelley O’Hara, still recovering from ankle surgery.
Defender Tierna Davidson entered the game in the 53rd minute, marking her first appearance since she fractured her left ankle in a match for Stanford in September.
Skater found dead after suspension
John Coughlin, a two-time U.S. pairs champion recently suspended from figure skating, took his own life in Kansas City, Mo. He was 33.
U.S. Figure Skating released a statement and cited his sister, Angela Laune. The sister said in a Facebook post that her “wonderful, strong, amazingly compassionate brother John Coughlin took his own life. I have no words.” There were no further details from her.
The Kansas City Police Department said in an email that officers responded to a call of a suicide at a home just before 5 p.m. Friday and found Coughlin’s body. Sgt. Jacob Becchina declined to give specifics on the death.
Coughlin, who won national pairs championships with Caitlin Yankowskas in 2011 and with Caydee Denney in 2012, received an interim suspension from the U.S. Center for SafeSport and U.S. Figure Skating for unspecified conduct.
He was barred from activities sanctioned by the skating body or the U.S. Olympic Committee.
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