Ahead of the start of the group phase of the CAF Champions League, most of the talk was about Algeria, who have a historic three representatives in a single group. But after the opening match day the focus has shifted as the two clubs from Sudan looked impressive. Al Merreikh beat El Eulma, while Al Hilal left Congo DR with an excellent goalless draw against TP Mazembe. The winner of the competition will represent the continent at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan at the end of the year.

The United States Men’s National Team is assembling in Nashville, Tennessee, for its final tune-up ahead of next week’s opening CONCACAF Gold Cup match. On Friday, the USMNT will face Guatemala in a friendly at Nissan Stadium at 6:30 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1, UniMas, UDN). Jurgen Klinsmann tabbed 12 MLS players for his 23-man squad, which features plenty of familiar faces from 2013’s championship team including Kyle Beckerman, Mix Diskerud, Nick Rimando and Chris Wondolowski. Fresh off a pair of historic wins against the Netherlands and Germany, the USMNT sets out to defend its Gold Cup title with a full head of steam. 

Midfielder Abdalla Said hit a brace whilst Moamen Zakaria scored at the death to help Al Ahly to a 3-0 win over Esperance in their Group A clash on Sunday in Suez.


Said scored the opener on 19 minutes and doubled the lead with a stunning shot on 58 minutes before substitute Zakaria wrapped victory with the third in virtually the last kick of the game.


Ahly held on to victory despite finishing the game with ten men after captain Hossam Ashour was sent off on 69 minutes for elbowing Haithem Jouini in an off-the-ball incident.

Houston and Chicago, both eager for points, clash in Texas 

The Houston Dynamo (5-7-5) welcome the Chicago Fire (4-9-2) to BBVA Compass Stadium in the first game of this week’s Viernes de Futbol doubleheader at 9 p.m. ET (UDN). The Fire are coming off of a 1-0 loss against Eastern Conference leading D.C. United last week in which Designated Players Shaun Maloney (back) and David Accam (hamstring) missed the match due to injury. The Dynamo most recently fell to Texas rivals FC Dallas 2-0 and will be eager to welcome an Eastern Conference club as they’re unbeaten in five straight matches (3-0-2) this season against such teams. With both clubs looking to make up ground in their respective conferences, Friday night’s affair in Houston should bring the heat.

Fathy Mabrouk (Head Coach, Ahly)
We played a very good game both physically and technically. We studied Esperance well and the players did what I told them to do. To start the group stage with a victory like this gives us confidence to defend our title in style. I have to praise my players, especially Abdalla Said who was awesome today. He is an exceptional player. I don’t think of my future, I just want to serve my club and think of the coming games.

Abdalla Said (Midfielder, Ahly)
We deserved to win because we were focused from the start till the very end. I was lucky to score twice; credit goes to God who helped me and my teammates. We have numerous absentees via injuries and suspensions but Ahly always plays to win without excuses. After Hossam Ashour’s sending off, the game was a bit complicated, but our character helped us to score yet another goal.

Borger (pictured) and Buthe are facing tough competition to reach Rio 2016

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, June 29, 2015 – As they do every two years the leading beach volleyball players will be aiming for a place on the medal podium at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, but this year there is an extra incentive for the eventual winners of the Netherlands 2015.

For the first time the women’s and men’s gold medallists will earn a place for their federation at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games.

Two years ago Germany’s Karla Borger and Britta Buthe would have been one place off an Olympic berth after they won silver at Mazury 2013. While it is the federation, rather than the team that are awarded the place, for teams as competitive as Germany, finishing with gold will give the team a huge boost in their hopes of heading to Rio. 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the match officials for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015, which will be staged in Ireland and Scotland from 9 to 26 July.

Amongst the appointed list is the experienced Nigel Llong from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires who, to date, has stood in 24 T20 Internationals (T20Is). Llong made his T20I debut in June 2005 when England hosted Australia at Southampton and last officiated in the game’s shortest format in the recent international between co-hosts Ireland and Scotland at Bready.

The other 12 umpires selected for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 are from the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires, namely: Gregory Brathwaite, Anil Chaudhary, Johan Cloete, Shaun George, Mark Hawthorne, Vineet Kulkarni, David Odhiambo, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Ian Ramage, Ahsan Raza, Tim Robinson and Paul Wilson.

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, hosted by Australia and New Zealand during February and March this year, was one the biggest events in the history of both countries and provided a significant positive boost to the local economies.

•             More than AU$1.1 BILLION in direct spending in Australia and New Zealand

•             Cricket World Cup generated 2 million bed nights

•             ICC Chief Executive Officer says popularity of game never stronger

FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° and International Olympic Committee President Dr. Thomas Bach met at the headquarters of the International Volleyball Federation on Monday

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 29, 2015 – FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° welcomed International Olympic Committee President Dr. Thomas Bach to the headquarters of the International Volleyball Federation on Monday, where the ongoing development of volleyball and beach volleyball and preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games were discussed.

The Olympic volleyball tournament in 2016 will take place at the Maracanãzinho Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The same venue will host the Finals of the 2015 edition of the FIVB Volleyball World League, which will serve as a test event ahead of the Olympics next year.

Ghana international Jeffrey Schlupp has signed a new deal with Leicester City which will keep him at the club until 2019.

The 22-year-old fullback or winger has been linked recently with Arsenal, Manchester United and Aston Villa after impressing for Leicester as they avoided relegation from the Premier League last season.

"Jeffrey Schlupp has committed his future to Leicester City by signing a new contract to keep him at King Power Stadium until June 2019," said a statement on Leicester's website.

Women's football is not only in excellent health, it continues to go from strength to strength. One need look no further for proof than the FIFA Women's World Cup™, which has come on in leaps and bounds since China PR hosted the first event in 1991. Now in its seventh edition, the competition is experiencing great success, with Canada 2015 heralding a number of new developments, including the rise from 16 to 24 teams and the introduction of goal-line technology.

Perhaps no one is better placed to take the pulse of the tournament than Sylvie Beliveau, who has been devoted to the growth of the women's game for over 20 years, and also hails from the host country. The former Canada coach led her side to the 1995 Women's World Cup in Sweden, where she was the only woman at the reins of one of the contenders. Two decades on, eight sides kicked off at Canada 2015 with female coaches, while Beliveau herself has been observing the standard of the competition and the tactical trends as a member of the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG). FIFA.com caught up with Beliveau after the quarter-finals to get her early impressions on the tournament.

The Round of 16 field for the 102nd edition of the U.S. Open Cup begins play this week as 14 MLS clubs are joined by the NASL’s New York Cosmos and USL’s Charlotte Independence. After playing this past weekend at a sold out Stanford Stadium, the LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes will meet again this Wednesday for a second California Clásico in the span of four days. The New York Red Bulls will look to flip its U.S. Open Cup script after getting knocked out of last year’s Open Cup on the road by crosstown rival New York Cosmos. The two clubs meet again on Wednesday but this time at Red Bull Arena, allowing the Red Bulls to take care of business at home.

 

The Round of 16 pool is broken up into four geographic regions (East, South, Central and West) and the winners from this week’s games will advance to the Quarterfinals, which will be held July 21-22. A full schedule of Round of 16 matchups can be found below. For more information on the longest running soccer competition in the U.S., click HERE.

Fan voting for the 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game comes to a close this week. Fans have until July 3 to send their favorite players to face English club Tottenham Hotspur at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Wednesday, July 29 at 9 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1, UniMás, TSN, RDS). Media members can apply for a credential by CLICKING HERE.

 Below is where All-Star fan voting stands as of June 25. 

Steven Gerrard will be unveiled to LA Galaxy fans during Saturday’s home match versus Toronto FC, with the crowd at the StubHub Center sure to erupt into a frenzy. The Liverpool legend’s arrival could push a surging Galaxy team over the top. Gerrard will make an immeasurable impact on and off the field, but he is not the only newcomer that has LA poised for a run at a sixth MLS Cup. That other newcomer is Sebastian Lletget—a 22-year-old midfielder who signed with the club in May and is making an exceedingly strong case for a permanent spot in Bruce Arena’s starting XI. The California native has three goals in just six appearances for the Galaxy. 


Five years ago, a 16-year-old Sebastian Lletget signed his first professional contract with English Premiership side West Ham United. One year later, he was nearing a shot with the first team. Just as Lletget was on the cusp of a breakthrough, West Ham made a managerial change—sacking Avram Grant in favor of Sam Allardyce. The move left Lletget on the outside looking in for four years. He didn’t make a single appearance for the club, nor was he afforded playing time on loan. Lletget spoke about the dark side of making a move to Europe as a teenager with Extra Time Radio two weeks ago (LISTEN HERE).   

(London, 25 June 2015): British luxury brand, Jaguar, used ground-breaking innovation to create a multi-sensory ‘VIP Purple Carpet’ at the WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party on Thursday 25 June. 

Jaguar, the Official Car of the WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party, for the first time, captured the crowd reactions to meeting global stars of women’s tennis from the new WTA fan zone on a bio-reactive screen, as they made their way down a unique ‘purple carpet,’ at Kensington Roof Gardens.

Heather Watson, British ladies number one, said: “I’m very excited about next week - I absolutely love playing at Wimbledon. There’s no tournament like it. I am always a bit nervous and get the butterflies as soon as I walk out on court for the first time. There’s nowhere else in the world where the crowd support is so passionate and it can make such a difference.

All 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup participants were named to their 23-man rosters last week, leaving 45 MLS players in the field, representing every MLS club. FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake pace the league with five players named apiece, followed by the Houston Dynamo with four, and the New York Red Bulls, LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders FC, and Sporting Kansas City with three. Mexico and Cuba are the only participating nations without an MLS player on their roster. The Gold Cup kicks off on July 7 when the U.S. takes on Honduras at Toyota Stadium (9:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1). 


MLS PLAYERS ON GOLD CUP ROSTERS (BY NATION):


CANADA (10 players): Tesho Akindele (FC Dallas), Kyle Bekker (FC Dallas), Marcel de Jong (Sporting Kansas City), Cyle Larin (Orlando City SC), Ashtone Morgan (Toronto FC), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Karl Ouimette (New York Red Bulls), Quillan Roberts (Toronto FC), Russell Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps), Maxim Tissot (Montreal Impact)

Two titans of women’s soccer meet at Stade Olympique in Montreal for the FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal on Tuesday night (7:00 p.m. ET, Fox, NBC Universo). Germany and the U.S. Women’s National Team—ranked No. 1 and 2 in the world, respectively—square off in the most anticipated match of the tournament. The USWNT enters the game on tournament, the U.S. has yielded only one goal. Shutting down a dominant German team that has already scored a whopping 20 goals won’t be so easy, however, especially if star midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan is able to return from an ankle injury. The U.S. women have some history with Germany, eliminating the Germanys from the knockout stage en route to both 1991 and 1999 World Cup titles. With Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Holiday returning from suspensions, head coach Jill Ellis will have an abundance of options when setting her starting lineup for Tuesday’s tilt. 

Sierra Leone and FC Lusitanos hit man, Alfi Conteh Lacalle aka ‘White Boy’ (in photo)

 
English premier league side, West Ham United are mindful of the threat posed by Sierra Leone and FC Lusitanos hit man, Alfi Conteh Lacalle aka ‘White Boy’ ahead of their Europa League qualifiers.


The Hammers who qualified for the Europa League via the Fair Play League standings were drawn to face their Andorran counterparts on July 2 at home with the return leg scheduled a week later on July 9.

A poor CAF Champions League group stage home record returned to haunt title-holders Entente Setif this weekend when they lost 2-1 against fellow Algerians USM Alger.

Setif were favoured to win the Group B matchday one clash on the strength of having won the premier African club competition a second time last year. But USM, back in the mini-league phase after 11 years, must have sensed they had a chance given the continuous failures of Setif to exploit home advantage.

The 'Black Eagles' lifted the trophy last season despite drawing all three home group games, and a previous appearance in 2010 yielded only one win, a draw and a defeat. Setif did look the likelier scorers at Stade du 8 Mai until USM snatched two goals within 13 minutes during the second half.

Lausanne, 27 June 2015 – Manerba del Garda, Italy, hosted the AIBA Pro Boxing Light Welter and Light Heavyweight Cycle I Round 1 on 27 June according with the following match results.

LIGHT WELTER 64 KG - SATURDAY, 27 JUNE (20:00 GMT+2)
Location: Manerba del Garda – Venue: Palazzetto dello Sport

APB Light Welterweights Harutyunyan and Chadi both win to set up incredible Cycle I Round 2 clash

Two outstanding Light Welterweight (64 kg) matches in AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) Cycle I Round 1 delighted the watching crowd on Saturday night at Palazzetto dello Sport, Manerba del Garda Italy.

Tunisia and Belgian coach George Leekens have parted ways, the national football federation has confirmed.

The move comes just two weeks after hosts Tunisia crushed Djibouti 8-1 in their opening 2017 CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Leekens guided Tunisia to the 2015 Cup of Nations quarter-finals before suffering a defeat by hosts Equatorial Guinea.

An FTF statement read in part: "We have decided (on) an amicable separation between the two parties without any payment on the part of FTF or George Leekens." Leekens' contract with Tunisia was due to run until March 2016.

The build-up is over. The pressure has reached its peak. It's the final few minutes before kick-off and YOU have the chance to say something to the FIFA Women's World Cup™ finalists before they live out their dreams and play the most important 90 minutes of their lives.

FIFA, together with our Partners, are giving you a unique chance to use YOUR voice to connect with the players. The years of training, the sacrifices and hard-earned victories have led the players to this point. Can you inspire them?

Post YOUR message on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #LiveYourGoals and your message could be on display in the tunnel at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 Final; the last thing the players see before taking to the pitch.  

What would YOU say? 

NEW YORK (Saturday, June 27, 2015) – This week, Real Salt Lake filed an appeal for the red card issued to Javier Morales in the 40th minute of the June 24 match against the New York Red Bulls.

 
An independent review panel consisting of one representative from the U.S. Soccer Federation, one representative from the Canadian Soccer Association and one representative of the Professional Referees Organization (PRO), were not unanimous that the referee had made a serious and obvious error in the send-off.

 
As a result, Morales will serve his one-match suspension and will miss Real Salt Lake’s next MLS match against the Columbus Crew on June 27 at Rio Tinto Stadium (10 p.m. ET, MLS LIVE). 

As Madelein Meppelink (left) moves for the pass, Marleen Van Iersel cradles the Mikasa during the Dutch's win Sunday in Pool A play against Canada at the 2015 FIVB World Championships in The Hague

The Hague, The Netherlands, June 28, 2015 - After playing only eight matches during the first two days of competition on the sand at The Hofvijver stadium court in the 2015 FIVB “senior” Beach Volleyball Championships, the schedule here Sunday in front of The Netherlands' center of government became more intense with six women and five men’s matches.

Kazan, Russia (in Photo)

Japan’s leading airline to become Partner of the FINA World Championships

FINA is proud to announce it has entered into a multi-year agreement with ANA, Japan’s leading airline, beginning in 2015 and running through 2018. This announcement solidifies ANA’s ongoing commitment to sports sponsorship leading up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

FINA’s involvement with ANA begins this year and includes partnership of the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia (July 24-August 9, 2015) and Budapest, Hungary (July 2017) as well as the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Windsor, Canada (December 7-11, 2016) and Hangzhou, China (December 2018).