Arsenal captures FA Cup
Simpson shoots 67 for two-stroke lead in 3rd round of Colonial
Removing the record seventh FA Cup winner’s medal from his pocket, Arsene Wenger was gratified and yet apprehensive.
“For once I have kept my medal,” said the Arsenal manager, who usually gives them away to staff members. “So that means it’s a special night for me.”
And maybe his last night managing an Arsenal team.
Even after beating Chelsea 2-1 in the final on Saturday in London, Wenger indicated he has to stew until Tuesday’s board meeting before discovering whether his 21-year reign will be extended by the record 13time FA Cup winners.
Owner Stan Kroenke said earlier in the season he remained “very high on Arsene.” Unsurprisingly, Wenger is anxious about publicly discussing whether he expects the north London club to offer a new contract.
“I don’t think I can answer that question,” Wenger said, “at the moment.”
Aaron Ramsey, who scored the winning goal to deny English Premier League champion Chelsea a double, certainly hopes there isn’t change in the dugout. “I’m happy for the manager,” Ramsey said at Wembley Stadium. “Hopefully he will be here next season.”
The fan base certainly seems more divided, with Wenger bemoaning the “very hostile environment” created by some fans demanding his removal.
“It’s down to the board members if I am the right man to lead this club further,” the 67-year-old Frenchman said. “It’s not about popularity, it’s about competence.”
Cristian Roldan scored on a header off a corner kick in the fourth minute and the Seattle Sounders held on to beat Portland Timbers 1-0. ... Kortne Ford scored his first career goal and Tim Howard made it stand with his 24th MLS shutout in the Colorado Rapids’ 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City. ... Joao Plata scored and Real Salt Lake beat Philadelphia 1-0.
Houston Dash forward Rachel Daly collapsed during the final minute of a National Women’s Soccer League match against the Seattle Reign as temperatures climbed into the 90s. The 25-year-old Daly was stretchered off the field and taken to the hospital, where the team said she was being treated for heat illness. The Reign won 2-0.
The San Francisco Deltas remained unbeaten away from home with a 0-0 draw against the two-time defending champion New York Cosmos.
Golf
Webb Simpson shot a 3-under 67 to break out of a crowd and take the thirdround lead at the Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas.
At 9-under 201, Simpson was two strokes ahead of Danny Lee and Paul Casey after both of them made long birdie putts at the 18th hole. Stewart Cink and Kevin Kisner were three strokes off the lead. Defending champion Jordan Spieth shot a 68 with a caddie switch after making the turn, and was at 4 under.
Shanshan Feng shot a 6-under 66 to take a onestroke lead after three rounds of the LPGA Volvik Championship in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Feng is 15 under for the tournament after a bogey-free round. Lizette Salas (67) is in second place, one shot ahead of Suzann Pettersen (69).
Vijay Singh used his power to take advantage of rain-softened Trump National, shooting a 5-under 67 to move one shot ahead of Bernhard Langer in the third round of the Senior PGA Championship.
The 54-year-old Singh is 10 under par for the week on the par 5s at President Donald Trump’s 7,100-yard course on the shores of the Potomac River.
Track and field
Mo Farah pounded his chest after crossing the finish line on a U.S. track for perhaps the final time. Farah won the 5,000 meters at the Prefontaine Classic at Oregon’s Hayward Field in 13 minutes, 0.70 seconds. The British distance specialist, who won Olympic gold in both the 5,000 and 10,000 at the Rio Games, plans to retire after the World Championships in London this August.
American Ronnie Baker bested both countryman Justin Gatlin and Canadian Andre De Grasse to win the men’s 100, while Tori Bowie prevailed over a strong field to win the 200.
Sailing
Two-time defending champion Oracle Team USA came from behind to beat Emirates Team New Zealand for its second victory on the opening day of the America’s Cup qualifiers on Bermuda’s Great Sound. It was a rematch of the 2013 America’s Cup, when Oracle won eight straight races to cap one of the greatest comebacks in sports. Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill caught the Kiwis rounding the mark onto the sixth of seven legs and pulled away to win by six seconds.
Boxing
George Groves became a world boxing champion at his fourth attempt when he stopped Fedor Chudinov in the sixth round for the vacant WBA super middleweight belt in England.