Alex Morgan earns Golden Boot from U.S. women’s team
Former Cal star Alex Morgan has been named U.S. Soccer’s Player of the Year for a second time after leading the national team with 18 goals in 19 games and helping it earn a spot in the World Cup next year in France. Stanford defender Tierna Davidson, who started in her first nine national team appearances, was named Young Player of the Year, U.S. Soccer announced Friday.
Morgan scored seven of her goals during the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying tournament this fall to earn the Golden Boot. The United States won the tournament and earned a spot in the World Cup. Morgan also earned Player of the Year honors in 2012, when she had 28 goals and helped the national team win an Olympic title. The U.S. women’s team, ranked No. 1 in the world, went undefeated in 2018 with 19 wins and two ties. That extended the team’s overall unbeaten streak to 28 games, dating to a 1-0 loss to Australia in the 2017 Tournament of Nations.
Morgan currently sits at 98 career international goals.
Davidson’s college season at Stanford was cut short when she broke her ankle in September.
The draw for the World Cup is set for today in Paris. The United States is the defending champion, having won in Canada in 2015. The June 7-July 7 tournament will be played in nine cities in France with the final in Lyon. GROUP TRYING TO KEEP CREW IN COLUMBUS >> Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam are part of a group planning to build a $230 million stadium for the Columbus Crew as part of a bid to keep the Major League Soccer team in the city. The Haslams and Columbus-area investors announced in October they are Morgan trying to buy the Crew after it appeared the team was headed to Austin, Texas, after this season.
Winter sports
WORLD CUP SKIER COULD BE STRIPPED OF COLORADO WIN >> Days after getting his first career World Cup win, Stefan Luitz could be disqualified for breaking skiing’s doping rules by using an oxygen mask. The International Ski Federation said Friday it is investigating an incident that occurred last Sunday in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Racing in the giant slalom started at an altitude of 10,340 feet (3,152 meters) and the 26-year-old German won by retaining his first-run lead.
The victory ended runner-up Marcel Hirscher’s five-race winning streak in the event. Hirscher, the Olympic champion in giant slalom, could yet be awarded his 60th World Cup race win. FIS anti-doping rules state oxygen tanks cannot be brought to race venues, and “competition results achieved after the use of the equipment shall be automatically disqualified.”
Boxing
HBO’S LAST SHOW FEATURES WOMEN FIGHTERS >> Cecilia Braekhus (34-0) was in the first women’s boxing match on HBO , and the dominant Norwegian champion will be in the main event of HBO’s final boxing show tonight in Carson at the StubHub Center when she defends her welterweight titles against Aleksandra Magdziak-Lopes.
On the undercard, two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields (70) defends her middleweight belts against Femke Hermans.
HBO is closing out its 45-year history as a driving force in boxing.
Figure skating
CHEN WINS SHORT PROGRAM, ZAGITOVA STUMBLES >> Nathan Chen’s strong post-Olympic season continues after he won the short program at the Grand Prix Finals in Vancouver, British Columbia. Olympic champion Alina Zagitova had a rare runner-up finish in the women’s short, however.
Chen, the first American men’s world champion since 2009, finished with 92.99 points even though he made a mistake on his quad toe looptriple toe loop combination, which cost him some points. Japan’s breakout star Rika Kihira dominated the women’s short program with 82.51 points.
Golf
SCHWARTZEL EAGLES 17TH ON WAY TO LEAD AT SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN >> Charl Schwartzel holed out from the fairway for an eagle on the 17th on his way to an 8-under 63 and a one-shot lead after the second round of the South African Open. The 2011 Masters champion moved to 12-under overall and replaced overnight leader Louis Oosthuizen at the top of the leaderboard at Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg.
Oosthuizen, ahead by a shot after the first round, dropped into a tie for third at 10 under.
3 TEAMS TIED AT SHOOTOUT >> The teams of Bryson DeChambeau-Kevin Na, Brian Harman-Patton Kizzire and Emiliano Grillo-Graeme McDowell shot 13-under 59 in scramble play to share the first-round lead in the QBE Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. LPGA Tour player Lexi Thompson and Tony Finau were two strokes back at 61.
Volleyball
STANFORD WOMEN ADVANCE IN NCAAS >> Four Cardinal registered doubledigit kills as No. 1 Stanford (31-1) eliminated No. 16 seed Washington State 3-1 in an NCAA tournament regional semifinal at Maples Pavilion. Stanford set a school record with its 29th consecutive win and extended its nationbest home winning streak to 35. Stanford advances to its third straight regional final today against No. 8 seed Penn State.