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MIAMI, July 18 (Reuters) – England manager Thomas Tuchel said he hoped his players would one day look back on finishing third at the World Cup with some pride, despite falling short of their goal of winning the tournament. A 6-4 win over France in a frenetic third-place playoff at Miami Stadium on Saturday gave England their best finish at a World Cup since their only triumph when they hosted the tournament in 1966.  “It’s the first medal for 60 years, the best World Cup on foreign soil. So I hope that the players can be proud of that in some time,” he told reporters.  “We are fiercely competitive, so like we almost don’t allow ourselves to be proud of the third place because 18 months ago we set ourselves the highest goal … to make it to the final and win the World Cup.  “So it’s very, very painful if you miss out. The pain will stay for a while.” Tuchel came in for heavy flak after England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the semi-finals on Wednesday, particularly because of what were viewed as his defensive tactics after his side took the lead early in the second half. “The press conference yesterday felt as if we went out in the group stage without a win, to be very honest,” the German said. “The best thing you can do is react on the pitch and get the next win. Everything else is just talking, and talking doesn’t get you points, and talking doesn’t get you a win.  “I’m glad that we showed a reaction. We wanted that reaction, and it’s very impressive.” Bukayo Saka’s hat-trick for England on Saturday inevitably raised a question about why the right winger was not played in the semi-final. “It was a tough decision for me to leave him out of the semi-final,” said Tuchel, who admitted he had been cautious with Saka because of the Achilles injury he had been managing for the last few months.   “I had the feeling that Morgan Rogers had something special to give to us with his physicality and his body in the match against Argentina.  “We had (Saka) warm up several times against Argentina. We were ready to change, but the game became so crazy that we in the end opted for a different option.  “But nothing has changed during the World Cup for me. Bukayo is a fantastic teammate, fantastic football player, key player for us, and that will not change. He showed it again today and I’m happy for him.” (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in New York, editing by Ken Ferris) Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

July 18 (Reuters) – List of the all-time top scorers at the World Cup after France’s Kylian Mbappe scored twice against England in the third-place playoff to move ahead of Lionel Messi in the rankings. 1 Kylian Mbappe France 22 22 2 Lionel Messi Argentina 21 33 3 Miroslav Klose Germany 16 24 4 Ronaldo Brazil 15 19 5= Gerd Müller West Germany 14 13 5= Harry Kane England 14 18 7 Just Fontaine France 13 6 8 Pele Brazil 12 14 9= Sandor Kocsis Hungary 11 5 9= Jurgen Klinsmann West Germany/Germany 11 17 9= Cristiano Portugal 11 27 Ronaldo (Compiled by Nick Mulvenney; Editing By Ken Ferris) Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

The Chicago Blackhawks secured the centerpiece of their rebuild Saturday, signing star forward Connor Bedard to a five-year, $75 million contract extension. The deal carries a $15 million annual salary cap hit, and keeps Bedard under contract through 2030-31. Only the contracts of Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks ($18 million) and Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million) have a higher average annual value in the league. The agreement was announced one day after Bedard turned 21. Bedard strengthened his case for a major commitment by setting career highs with 30 goals, 45 assists and 75 points in 69 games last season. He led Chicago in assists, points and game-winning goals (five) while finishing second on the team in goals. The North Vancouver, British Columbia, native became the third player in franchise history to score 30 goals in a season at age 20 or younger, joining Jonathan Toews and Eric Daze. He also reached 200 career points in April, becoming the first Blackhawks player and 13th NHL player to hit the milestone before turning 21. “Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a news release. Bedard has notched 75 goals and 128 assists (203 points) in 219 games since Chicago selected him first overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. He won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2023-24 after recording 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games. The extension completes one of Chicago’s biggest offseason priorities, although Bedard is expected to miss the beginning of next season. He underwent surgery earlier this month to repair his left shoulder after sustaining an injury during an offseason workout. The Blackhawks said his recovery is expected to take approximately four months. Chicago has not reached the postseason since the expanded playoff format was used in 2020 and finished 31st overall for the third consecutive season in 2025-26. The club improved by 11 points last season and has continued adding to its young core, including the offseason acquisition of defenseman Bowen Byram from the Buffalo Sabres. –Field Level Media Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

July 18 (Reuters) – Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello was suspended by the WNBA without pay for one game on Saturday for an “inappropriate comment” she made during Friday’s game against the Atlanta Dream.  “The WNBA expects all coaches and team personnel to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respect that are fundamental to our league,” the WNBA said in a statement on Saturday. During the Dream’s 111-92 win, the broadcast picked up Brondello addressing the officials after Tempo player Nyara Sabally went down with an injury following contact with Angel Reese. Sabally was called for the foul and the Tempo coach could be heard saying what sounded like, “Angel, she’s a protected species.” Reese responded after the game on social media, posting, “ARE WE SURPRISED?! @SBrondello” with a clown face emoji.  Brondello is from Australia, where the term “protected species” is used in sports to express frustration for a lack of calls against a certain player.  But in the U.S., referring to a human as a “species” could be seen as derogatory toward Black people.  Brondello apologized to Reese on social media on Saturday, saying she regretted that her words “caused hurt to a community I respect so deeply.” “Angel, I’m sorry. Last night, in the emotion of the moment after Nyara’s injury, I used a phrase that I shouldn’t have used, and I take full responsibility for that,” Brondello wrote on X. “My frustration was with the officiating, but my words unfairly put the focus on you. “I also understand that my words carried an impact beyond what I intended, particularly for Black women in our league, and I’m deeply sorry for that. I’ve spent my career competing with, coaching and learning from incredible Black women.” Brondello, a two-times WNBA champion coach who is in her first season with the Tempo, will miss Monday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces. (Reporting by Nicole Fernandes in Toronto; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, whose social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities, were arrested Saturday in Miami as British authorities sought their extradition on rape and sex trafficking charges. The brothers were taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service on a sealed warrant, agency spokesperson Brady McCarron told The Associated Press, placing the United States at the center of an international legal saga that has stretched from Romania to Britain. British prosecutors announced Saturday that they were seeking the brothers’ extradition on charges alleging they raped and trafficked women between 2010 and 2017. The dual U.S. and British citizens moved to Romania in 2016. They were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations and the Romanian case hasn’t gone forward because of legal and procedural problems. Last year, they were allowed to leave Romania and flew to Florida on a private jet. The brothers are expected to appear in Miami’s federal court early next week, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive law enforcement operations. The pending charges in the United Kingdom accused the brothers of abusing women in an area north of London, where they grew up. Their lawyers had said they denied the allegations. Joseph McBride, an attorney representing the Tate brothers, said in a phone interview Saturday evening that he has not been able to speak with his clients but called the new charges out of the U.K. “filth and slander” intended to derail defamation lawsuits filed by the brothers in the U.S. “They’re pulling out all the stops to make sure these guys never get their day in court,” McBride said. “We are confident that once a competent judge sees the facts, and once the Department of Justice confronts this egregious abuse of its own authority, Andrew and Tristan Tate will walk free. America does not do Britain’s political dirty work.” Andrew Tate, 39, first reached a mainstream audience as a contestant on the U.K. reality television show “Big Brother” in 2016. He was removed from the show when a video surfaced that appeared to show Tate assaulting a woman. He and his brother Tristan Tate, 38, are vocal supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump. Andrew Tate has amassed over 10 million followers on X but has been banned from platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram for violating hate speech guidelines. His most widely condemned rhetoric includes comments that women who are sexually assaulted should bear some responsibility for their attacks, graphic descriptions of how he might attack women and criticisms of people who seek treatment for mental illness. The Tate brothers have consistently denied allegations of abuse and human trafficking, claiming that violent and misogynistic statements have been taken out of context or were intended as jokes. In a statement Saturday, the U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Services said that in addition to the charges publicly announced against the brothers in 2025, involving alleged crimes against three women, it was bringing a total of 38 new charges related to “four further victims.” Both brothers are accused of rape and human trafficking. Andrew Tate faces an additional charge of profiting from prostitution, and 19 charges “for offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography,” according to U.K. authorities. “There is no place for male violence against women and girls, and we will continue to work tirelessly to support victims and investigate all reports made to us,” said Karena Thomas, an assistant chief constable of the Bedfordshire Police, which investigated the case. ___ AP writer Savannah Peters in Santa Fe, New Mexico contributed. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com