United States winger Weah signs 5-year deal with Juventus

United States winger Tim Weah completed a transfer to Juventus on Saturday, fulfilling a dream his father once had of playing for the storied Italian club.

The 23-year-old Weah, who is the son of former FIFA Player of the Year and current Liberian President George Weah, signed a fiveyear contract with Juventus on the day the transfer market opened in Italy.

“Honored & Blessed to finally be Bianconeri. None of this would have been possible without the love and support of my wonderful family,” Weah wrote in an Instagram post. “Thank you to everyone at Juventus for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to represent this legendary club.

“GRAZIE (thank you) to all the supporters for all the love they’ve shown me since day one and I can’t wait to meet you all very soon.”

Weah’s father also played in Italy, for AC Milan, but recently told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport that he would have loved to play for Juventus.

“I have always been a Juventus fan,” George Weah said. “I fell in love with Juventus when (Michel) Platini played for them and if I was asked what other team I would have wanted to play for I would say Juventus.

“I really hope to see Tim play in Italy sooner or later.”

Juventus will pay Lille 10.3 million euros ($11.3 million) — in two installments — for Weah, plus up to 2.1 million euros ($2.3 million) in bonuses.

Weah has played for Lille since 2019. Before that he was on loan at Celtic from Paris Saint-Germain.

He won three French league titles with PSG and

Lille and also helped Celtic to the Scottish title.

Weah has played 31 times for the United States, scoring four goals. He was part of the squad that reached the last 16 at last year’s World Cup in Qatar.

Weah was welcomed by about 100 enthusiastic Juventus fans when he arrived for his medical test on Thursday. Some were also waving American flags.

France forward Marcus Thuram, who completed his move to Juve’s fierce rival Inter Milan on the same day, commented on the post with an Italian flag and an emoji of hands making a heart. Thuram’s father Lilian played as a defender for Parma and Juventus.

BASEBALL YANKEES MINOR LEAGUE

MANAGER RACHEL

BALKOVEC

EJECTED FROM GAME BY FEMALE UMPIRE >> In some ways, it was a typical argument between a minor league manager and an umpire.

In another, nothing ordinary at all.

Rachel Balkovec, skipper of the New York Yankees’ affiliate in the Florida State League, was ejected Friday night for the first time this season. And the ump who threw her out of the game is also a woman.

A disputed call at first base — and a sign of some changing times in professional baseball.

With her Class A Tampa Tarpons trailing 1-0 in the eighth inning against the Daytona Tortugas, a Cincinnati Reds farm team, Balkovec thought the Daytona first baseman’s foot came off the bag on a double play.

Balkovec argued the out call and was tossed by field umpire Isabella Robb before a crowd of 791 at George M.

Steinbrenner Field.

In the low minors, games are often officiated by only two umps: one behind the plate and the other in the field.

Not long after Balkovec was ejected, Tampa rallied for four runs in the bottom of the ninth to win 4-3.

Balkovec, who turns 36 next week, is in her second season managing the Tarpons. Last year she became the first woman to be the full-time manager for a minor league affiliate of a Major League Baseball team.

GOLF

DECHAMBEAU EAGLES THE FINAL

HOLE TO TAKE LIV GOLF LEAD IN SPAIN >> Bryson DeChambeau made eagle on his final hole at the par-5 17th for an 8-under 63 and a one-shot lead over Talor Gooch on Saturday in LIV Golf-Valderrama.

DeChambeau has yet to win against the 48-man fields on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League, and this might be his best chance. He played bogey-free for the day, and his eagle allowed him to move into the lead going into the third and final round.

Gooch, who won back-toback LIV Golf events in Australia and Singapore earlier this year, had the lead for much of the second round at Valderrama, with eight birdies against one bogey. But then he took a second bogey on the 18th hole and finished with a par for a 65.

PGA champion Brooks Koepka, who already has two LIV Golf wins along with Gooch and Dustin Johnson, got his lone mistake out of the way early and shot 65. He was three shots behind DeChambeau.

Johnson shared the opening-round lead but could only manage a 71, leaving him five back. Jason Kokrak was a late arrival due to travel from Ohio and was tied for the 18-hole lead with Johnson. He shot 74 and fell eight shots behind.

DeChambeau was 9-under 133.

Among those at 1-under 141 was Sergio Garcia, who knows Valderrama as well as anyone. He had to settle for a 71 and was well back in his bid for a first LIV victory. at

TENNIS KEYS WINS EASTBOURNE TITLE

FOR 2ND TIME AFTER

MARATHON TIEBREAKER >> American Madison Keys prevailed in a marathon tiebreaker Saturday to win the Eastbourne International final, beating ninth-seeded Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 7-6 (13) for her second title at the grass-court tournament.

The WTA said it was the second longest tiebreaker of the season so far.

It was Keys’ seventh career title — and third on grass.

“I love coming and playing in Eastbourne,” Keys said. “Being able to win the title here twice now makes me have very fond memories.”

Keys beat seventh-ranked Coco Gauff in straight sets Friday in her first grasscourt victory over a top-10 player since defeating Angelique Kerber in the 2014 Eastbourne final.

In the men’s draw, American Tommy Paul faces fourth-seeded Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina in the final later Saturday. It will be a second match of the day for both players, although Paul had to spend considerably more energy in his first.

Cerundolo only had to play one game to finish off his semifinal against American

Mackenzie MacDonald, which was suspended when rain stopped play Friday. Cerundolo led 2-6, 7-5, 5-2 when the match was halted and quickly wrapped up the final set 6-2 when it resumed.

The second-seeded Paul then beat France’s Gregoire Barrere 6-4, 6-3 in the other semifinal.

AUTO RACING GOVERNING BODY FIA

AGREES TO HEAR MCLAREN’S

REQUEST TO REVIEW NORRIS PENALTY >> Formula One’s governing body has agreed to hold a hearing to address McLaren’s request to review the time penalty given to Lando Norris at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The hearing will take place with a McLaren representative summoned to appear before stewards on Sunday morning at the Austrian Grand Prix, ahead of the race later in the day. If stewards decide that a “relevant new element” is worth considering then a second hearing will take place at a later date.

Norris was handed a fivesecond penalty during the race in Montreal for what the stewards called “unsportsmanlike behavior.”

After Mercedes driver George Russell triggered a safety car by crashing into the wall and sending debris on the track, McLaren told its drivers Oscar Piastri and Norris to pit for new tires. Norris was then accused by stewards of driving deliberately slowly in order to create enough of a gap for McLaren to more easily change tires on both cars.

The time penalty dropped Norris down from ninth to 13th place and out of the points.

“In Canada, we were surprised by the penalty and uncertain as to the rationale behind the decision,” McLaren said. “We will now continue to work with the FIA closely, in the same constructive and collaborative manner in which we normally do, and will accept the outcome of their deliberations and decision.”

SWIMMING

CAELEB DRESSEL FAILS TO

QUALIFY FOR THE WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIPS AFTER

22ND PLACE IN 50 FREESTYLE >> Two years after winning five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, Caeleb Dressel has failed to qualify for the world championships.

Dressel’s final attempt to make the U.S. team ended Saturday morning when he tied for 22nd in the preliminaries for the 50-meter freestyle at the national championships in Indianapolis.

He clocked a time of 22.72 seconds in the frantic sprint from one end of the pool to the other, leaving him 1.07 behind top qualifier Ryan Held and 0.59 outside the top eight that advanced to the “A” final in the evening.

Dressel did earn one more swim in the “C” final at the IU Natatorium, which will cap a week that showed just how far he has to go after taking a long break from swimming following last year’s worlds in Budapest, Hungary.

The 26-year-old Floridian competed in four events at Indianapolis, with a best showing of third place in the 50-meter butterfly, a non-Olympic event. He tied for fifth in the 100 fly and failed to advance to the main final in either the 50 or 100 free.

Dressel won the 100 fly and both the 50 and 100 free at the last Summer Games, along with two relay gold medals.