World Cup map set for United States women
DefendingWomen’s WorldCup champion United Stateswas drawn into a groupwith Vietnam, the Netherlandsand a playoff winnerstill to be determined fornext year’s tournament.
Thedraw means that a repeatof the 2019 World Cup finalbetween the U.S. and Netherlandswill occur even beforethe knockout stage.
The U.S. will play all of its groupmatches in New Zealandin the tournament to beplayed at 10 stadiums in Australiaand New Zealand inJuly-August 2023. The matchagainst the Netherlandswill be at Wellington on July27. The U.S. beat the Dutch, 2-0, in the 2019 final in France.
Second-rankedSweden is drawnin Group G with SouthAfrica, Italy and Argentina.Third-ranked Germanyis in Group H with
Morocco, Colombia and SouthKorea and European championEngland in Group Dwith Denmark, China and aplayoff winner.
More soccer
Broadcasters were criticizedby FIFA president GianniInfantino for what he called unacceptably low offers for rights to screen the Women’sWorld Cup next year.Offers of just 1% of the valueof men’s World Cup rightsdeals have been rejected.
Auto racing
WilliamByron’s NASCAR CupSeries playoff push will startfrom the ideal spot in Sunday’srace in Homestead, Fla.He won the pole — his firstof the 2022 season — in qualifying, turning in a lap of 32.454seconds. Fellow playoff entrant Christian Bell will startsecond, and another driver still in the playoff hunt, Chase Elliott, will start third.
•ESPN and Formula One announceda new rights deal that will keep the series’ raceson the Disney-owned familyof networks through 2025.
Golf
RoryMcIlroy made two eaglesas part of a 4-under 67, goodfor a one-shot lead after thethird round of the CJ Cup inRidgeland, S.C. A win wouldvault McIlroy to No. 1 inthe world rankings for the ninthtime in his career and first since 2020.
•Atthaya Thitikul hit five birdieson the back nine and willtake a one-stroke lead intothe final day of the BMW
Ladies Championship in Wonjuo,South Korea. The 19year-oldThai player’s 5-under67 in the third round left herat 15-under 201 overall withLydia Ko and Andrea Leeboth trailing by a shot.
•Ryan Fox and Yannik Paulshare a two-stroke lead ofthe Mallorca Open in Palma,Spain. Fox is aiming forhis third European tour winof the year. However, the starof the day was Richard Mansell,who shot a courserecord61.
Tennis
It will be an all-Italian final atthe Napoli Cup in Naples, Italy.Second-seeded Matteo Berrettini will face fourth seeded Lorenzo Musetti.
B err etti ni recovered from a setdown and a foot injury to beatMackenzie McDonald, 36, 7-6 (2), 6-3. Musetti who took just89 minutes to beat Mio-mirKecmanovic 6-3, 6-4.
•American Sebastian Korda will play secondseeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final of the European Open in Antwerp. Korda rallied from a break down in the third set to edge Dominic Thiem 6-7 (4), 6-3, 76 (4), and Auger-Aliassime defeated Richard Gasquet 76 (2), 7-6 (3), in the semifinals.
Winter sports
Two men’s World Cup downhill races next weekend that were to start in
Switzerland and finish in Italy have been called off due to a lack of snow on the final 300 meters of the course following an unseasonably warm fall. The Zermatt -Cervinia downhill against the spectacular backdrop of the Matterhorn was set to become the first cross-border event in Alpine skiing’s World Cup history.