Riqui Puig leads Galaxy to win over LAFC in front of MLS record crowd at Rose Bowl
- July 5, 2023
PASADENA — There was no clowning around at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday.
Setting a Major League Soccer attendance record, the 20th El Trafico derby was as fierce as the city has come to expect when the L.A. Galaxy and Los Angeles Football Club ram into one another.
The hot Fourth of July crowd topped out at 82,110 as the hosting Galaxy, thanks in large measure to young Spanish midfielder Riqui Puig, edged LAFC 2-1.
Puig’s game winner in the 73rd minute gave the second-year Galaxy star, an All-Star in 2023, more room to brag after he was criticized for celebrating too hard in a U.S. Open Cup win in May over what was essentially an LAFC team mostly composed of prospects.
Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini called Puig a clown that night — he apologized privately and publicly — because he wanted to defend the kids who put on an LAFC jersey that night.
But on Tuesday Puig’s goal plus an assist on the Galaxy’s first score could not be dismissed against a first-choice LAFC team.
He was clearly the best player on the field.
Unfolding on Independence Day because the scheduled season opener was postponed due to inclement weather last February, the Galaxy had not played a competitive match at the Rose Bowl since an MLS Cup semi final contest against the Colorado Rapids in front of 24,742 fans on Oct. 5, 2002 — the first of their five league championship seasons.
Two decades later the rivalry, which would have been unfathomable while the Galaxy helped forge American professional soccer during its formative years playing in Pasadena, topped the previous attendance record set on March 5, 2022, when the Galaxy squared off against Charlotte FC in front of 74,479 fans at Bank of America Stadium.
Close to an even split inside the Stadium, the crowd was primarily decked out in Galaxy white or LAFC black, making the partition easy to see.
Supporters on both sides stood and chanted from behind the opposing goals, and had good reason to raise their voices.
Tyler Boyd put the Galaxy ahead in the eighth minute, with his third finish against LAFC in 2023, another line drive that hit the back of the net.
LAFC got back into the match in the second half, when Ilie Sanchez headed in a goal off a corner kick to the near post.
The goalkeepers did their part keeping the match level until Boyd’s finish in the 26th minute.
John McCarthy, celebrating his 31st birthday, denied Puig eight minutes in with a stretching, lunging save after the Spaniard found himself clear inside the six-yard box for the first of his four saves.
Less than 10 minutes later it was Jonathan Bond’s turn to keep the match scoreless.
The English keeper saved a goal — and perhaps himself — when a rocket of a volley off the right foot of Denis Bouanga fizzed toward his head.
Instinctively, Bond raised his hands to redirect the ball over the net for one of his four saves. Jonathan Klinsmann replaced Bond in the second half, and recorded another three saves.
With the victory, the Galaxy improved its all-time series mark against LAFC to 9-6-5, once again dominating on their home field (8-1-2).
In 108 all-time regular-season and playoff games played at Rose Bowl Stadium, the Galaxy hold a combined record of 87-32-9 record.
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Nneka Ogwumike’s career highs may be attribute to carrying a lighter load with Sparks
- July 5, 2023
TORRANCE — In her 12th season in the WNBA, Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike did not expect to be putting up career highs in points, rebounds, and assists.
The 8-time All-Star, who celebrated her 33rd birthday on Sunday, July 2, knew what she could bring to the Sparks. However, she did not anticipate that would be nearly averaging a double-double with career-high 19.9 points and 9.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in her first 16 games this season. Ogwumike, who prides herself on efficiency, is shooting 52% from the field and 89.8 from the free throw line.
“To be honest, I feel like I’m doing more than I thought I was going to do,” Ogwumike said before flashing a big smile and letting out a hearty laugh after Sparks practice at the team’s training facility at El Camino College in Torrance Tuesday. “I’m blessed to be healthy and to be out here at 33 and still being productive. I pride my game on efficiency and being productive so I’m very grateful to be out here doing that and I want to be able to empty the tank every time in that way to help my team.”
Sparks 8x All-Star Nneka Ogwumike on exceeding her own expectations this season. This is Year 12 for @nnekaogwumike. pic.twitter.com/xSoXDPe0Ui
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) July 4, 2023
It’s safe to say Ogwumike, who was recently selected as an All-Star starter for the second consecutive year, is exceeding her own expectations but she can’t exactly pinpoint why. But the Sparks team captain can say she is doing better a job this season of managing how much of herself she gives to the team and organization, which has allowed her to concentrate on being the best basketball player she can be.
“I think it’s a lot better,” Ogwumike said. “It’s a lot lighter. I think that we have a lot of great pieces that we’ve added that doesn’t put a strain on the aspects of my role that extended outside of me just playing and being a teammate so I feel a lot better about it.”
Meanwhile, Sparks head coach Curt Miller believes Ogwumike’s success is rooted in balance and not having to help with behind-the-scenes management issues.
“I think she’s got as good of balance in her life on the court, off the court that she’s had,” Miller said. “She doesn’t have to shoulder so much, trying to keep the team together… There’s a new coach with a long contract so I think she can go be herself and play. We’re trying really hard to put her in positions to be successful.”
Ogwumike’s stats are a carbon copy from her 2016 MVP season when the Sparks won the franchise’s third WNBA title. However, the Sparks are 7-10 overall and have struggled lately, losing seven of the team’s last ten games. All three wins were against the Dallas Wings.
“I think it’s seasons within seasons,” Ogwumike said. “We started off trying to figure ourselves out and then as you’re trying to do that you end up having bodies go down and so trying to manage our identity in the middle of that and understanding what our intention is, what our purpose is, what our goals are while we’re out there and really finishing strong in the first half of the season.”
The Sparks will host the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena, hoping to break a three-game losing streak and avenge Sunday’s blowout 112-84 loss at Atlanta, in which 2022 WNBA Rookie of Year and All-Star forward Rhyne Howard scored a career-high 43 points on 6 of 12 shooting from 3-point range.
“While we did good things in stretches against Atlanta, we didn’t play hard enough to have success in this league and then it snowballs, Miller said. “From our opening day roster, we were four starters down, and with all our injuries, I don’t care what five we have on the floor. I want a desire and an attitude that it doesn’t matter, we just have to keep playing hard.”
Miller said the Sparks are nearing 50 missed games by players on the team’s active roster, not including Steph Talbot (ACL) and Katie Lou Samuelson (pregnancy), who will both miss the 2023 season.
“We aren’t tanking,” Miller said. “Most people are like you have the playbook for tanking right now and it’s like no, it’s just one of those uncanny years with injuries and illness. We are not tanking. These people have injuries (Layshia Clarendon, Nia Clouden, Chiney Ogwumike) and these people have illness (Lexie Brown) and we’re still trying to be as competitive as we can.”
Meanwhile, Dearica Hamby, Karlie Samuelson, and Zia Cooke are the only three players who have played in all 17 games this season for the Sparks.
“I think for us a lot of it is about playing hard, playing through fatigue, playing with purpose,” shared Ogwumike, who finished with a team-high 25 points in 24 minutes against Atlanta Sunday. “We have a great group of coaches that keep us very much prepared so understanding what it means to take that preparation to execute the game plan and it’s not necessarily always X’s and O’s, a lot of times it’s about how you play, how you feel when you’re out there, how you’re encouraging, how you’re communicating and trying to translate that in the middle of adversity.”
The Sparks will play three games before a much-needed break during the WNBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas on July 14-15. Ogwumike wants to go into the halfway point of the 40-game regular season on a positive note, rooted in clarity about her team’s identity.
“What is our passion, what is our identity and how can we collectively bring that night in and night out,” Ogwumike said. “That’s something that is very much top of mind and the subject of conversation lately.”
Meanwhile, the Sparks believe they have unlocked Azurá Stevens by playing her primarily at power forward, instead of small forward. Despite the team’s three-game losing streak during their recent road trip, the subtle change has Stevens, the team’s prized acquisition during free agency, trending in the right direction. The 6-foot-6 sixth-year forward averaged 14 points and seven rebounds while playing 25.5 minutes in the last two games.
“I’m happy for Azurá, that she’s stuck with it and may be through the early season bumps,” Miller said.
ATLANTA AT SPARKS
When: Wednesday 7 p.m. PT
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV: Spectrum SportsNet, CBS Sports
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Tour de France: Jasper Philipsen makes it back-to-back stage wins, Yates keeps overall lead
- July 5, 2023
NOGARO, France — Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen won a mass sprint to earn a second straight stage victory at the Tour de France on Tuesday, while Adam Yates kept the race leader’s yellow jersey heading into the Pyrenees mountains.
Philipsen followed up his win on Monday’s third stage and was once again expertly helped into position to attack by his Alpecin–Deceuninck teammate and Mathieu van der Poel.
Philipsen showcased his pure speed by holding off Australian rider Caleb Ewan at the line to underline his credentials to win the sprinter’s green jersey with another impressive performance. Philipsen’s countryman Wout van Aert won it last year.
“Caleb was right next to me. I wasn’t too confident. He almost caught up with me at the end, it was really nerve-wracking,” Philipsen said. “I’m extremely proud to have won twice in a row. The finish was super fast, we felt like race cars. There were wide turns that sometimes tightened.”
German rider Phil Bauhaus was third to make it the same top three finishers as Monday, with Ewan beating Bauhaus this time. Several riders behind them crashed as they jostled for position on the final straight.
The 181.8-kilometer (112.7-mile) route from Dax to Nogaro in southwestern France was almost totally flat and again favored sprinters.
On the eve of the Tour’s first mountain stage — a difficult Pyrenean trek — riders were keen to save some energy.
The peloton started at a leisurely pace with no team prepared to place a rider in a breakaway. So there was time to glance over and take in some of the countryside scenery, such as the 12th-century Saint-Saturnin church.
The gentle procession was interrupted when the first attack came about 100 kilometers (62 miles) out, when Frenchmen Benoît Cosnefroy and Anthony Delaplace formed a breakaway. They were still together when they got over the day’s only ascent — the modest Côte de Dému is small compared to Wednesday’s climbs — but were caught with 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) remaining.
The closing stages were around a circuit with a smooth tarmac, but that didn’t make it easier for Danish sprinter Fabio Jakobsen, who fell off his bike, and several other riders fell as they clipped barriers in a nervy finish.
But the Belgian-born Dutchman Van der Poel showed both his class and his race craft by timing an attack on the left and putting Philipsen in an ideal position from which he made no mistake.
“I’m really glad I didn’t hit the deck. I saw there were a lot of falls,” Philipsen said. “You also need some luck, but when you have someone like Mathieu with you, even in a difficult situation where everything is on a razor edge, he manages to bring us back to the front.”
It effectively gave Philipsen a hat trick of sprint-stage wins after winning the last stage of last year’s Tour.
“My goal in this Tour was to win a stage,” he said. “We already ticked that box yesterday. Now, we want more. And we want to go for the points (green jersey).”
Meanwhile, Yates maintained his six-second lead over two-time Tour winner Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia and his twin brother Simon Yates in third.
“We’ll see how it plays out tomorrow. I think it’s the very first chance for a breakaway, so all hell will break loose at the start,” said Yates, who rides for UAE Team Emirates. “Then, there are the bonuses on the last climb, so it’s going to be a bit difficult for me (to keep the yellow jersey). But we’re lucky to have Tadej on our team.”
Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark stayed in sixth spot but could make up some ground on Wednesday.
That’s when Vingegaard and other expert climbers test their legs with two big ascents on Stage 5.
The 162.7-kilometer (100.9-mile) trek from Pau to Laruns includes a daunting 15.2-kilometer (9.4-mile) grind up Col de Soudet that has the toughest category rating.
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Photos: OC packs Fourth of July with celebrations
- July 5, 2023
Independence Day celebrations started early in Orange County on Tuesday and the fun wasn’t set to stop until well after the sun went down.
The Laguna Niguel Family YMCA hosts its 44th Run in the Parks with a 5K and kids race. Runners got up early on their Fourth of July to start the races at 8 a.m.
In Villa Park, the Stars on Parade also got an early start with kids lining up at 8:30 a.m. with their red-white-and-blue festooned bikes, trikes, wagons and scooters to tour the neighborhoods and get everyone into the American spirit.
Huntington Beach had a packed day of celebrations, advertised as the biggest west of the Mississippi, and it seemed like most everyone was out in the morning for the always popular parade down Main Street.
Communities throughout the day enjoyed carnivals and concerts and many had fireworks shows planned to light up the night sky across Orange County.
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Andy Murray gets a win at rainy Wimbledon and a thumbs-up from Roger Federer
- July 5, 2023
By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer
WIMBLEDON, England — On a day filled with far more rain drops than drop shots at Wimbledon — light, but persistent, showers prevented the completion, or even start, of dozens of matches — Roger Federer and Andy Murray provided the highlights.
The retired Federer, who won a men’s-record eight of his 20 Grand Slam titles at the All England Club, was in the front row of the Royal Box, where he sat next to Kate, the Princess of Wales. Federer was saluted with a 1 1/2-minute standing ovation during a pre-match tribute to his career at Centre Court on Tuesday.
Hours later, Murray was down below, competing.
Murray won two of his three Grand Slam titles and one of his two Olympic gold medals on that rather famous patch of grass and — even if those triumphs were long ago; even if he is now 36 with an artificial hip — the locals fondly remember those good times, especially his 2013 championship that made him the first British man in 77 years to win the event. They hope for an attention-grabbing show this fortnight, so Murray got most of the full-throated support that reverberated under the closed roof of the main stadium during a 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 victory over wild-card entry Ryan Peniston in an all-Brit first-round match.
“It was amazing to have some royalty here, but also some tennis royalty, as well,” Murray said during his on-court interview, as Kate and Federer looked on.
“It’s amazing to have Roger here, supporting the event,” Murray said. “Last time I was on this court, and he was watching, was during the (2012) Olympics, and he sat in (Swiss countryman) Stan Wawrinka’s box and was supporting against me. So it was nice to see a couple of claps today after some good shots.”
When the interviewer looked toward the guest of honor to ask, “Roger, you approve of today’s performance?” Federer responded with a thumbs-up.
Peniston’s assessment of Murray: “He was just relentless on every point.”
Murray sounded pleased as well after claiming all 11 of his service games, breaking four times and going 17-for-17 at the net.
“I played some good stuff as the match went on. There were some good signs there,” he said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt sort of physically this good coming into Wimbledon. The last few years have been very challenging. I’m hoping I’m fit and ready for a good run.”
At his age and with his two hip operations plus other assorted setbacks, Murray is not considered among the leading favorites. That is a short list that leads with two names and does not include many more: Novak Djokovic, who has won seven of his 23 major titles at Wimbledon, and Carlos Alcaraz, who is ranked No. 1.
The 20-year-old Alcaraz put on his usual display of variety and athleticism — he hit one shot by wrapping his racket around his body and swinging from behind his back while on the run, making contact but sending the ball long — while beating the about-to-retire Jeremy Chardy 6-0, 6-2, 7-5.
Like Murray, Alcaraz was never truly troubled by his opponent.
Unlike Murray, Alcaraz played at No. 1 Court, so he did not get to perform for Federer.
And, boy, was Alcaraz bitter about that.
“After the match, I was (on) the phone checking everything … all the stories, all the posts. I saw that Roger Federer was here. I was a little bit jealous,” he said with a smile, wearing a white hoodie and bucket hat at his news conference. “Honestly, I want Roger Federer to watch one of my matches, obviously. I (want) to talk a little bit with him. For me, (that) would be amazing.”
Because of the wet weather, the only courts where play was allowed after the rain began on Day 2 were the two with retractable roofs, Centre and No. 1. By the end of the day, only eight of 77 scheduled matches had been completed.
Three leading women — defending champion Elena Rybakina, 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who is seeded No. 2 — all won, as did the highest-seeded male British player, No. 12 Cam Norrie. But another seeded man from the host country, No. 27 Dan Evans, lost to Quentin Halys of France 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4. In the last of the matches that concluded — one that commenced at Court 11 on Monday and wrapped up shortly before 10 p.m. at No. 1 Court on Tuesday — No. 29 Tomás Martin Etcheverry finished off a comeback from a two-set deficit to get past Bernabé Zapata Miralles 6-7 (5), 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
Rybakina dropped the opening set against American Shelby Rogers before coming back for a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 win; Jabeur defeated Magdalena Frech 6-3, 6-3; and Sabalenka eliminated Panna Udvardy 6-3, 6-1 in her return after being banned from Wimbledon a year ago along with other players from her country, Belarus, and Russia over the war in Ukraine.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed this place,” Sabalenka said, “until this match.”
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Laguna Woods golf cart parade showcases patriotism
- July 5, 2023
The spirit of 1776 moved Village residents to decorate 100 golf carts for this year’s two Fourth of July parades: 53 golf carts took off from Clubhouse 1, and 47 from Clubhouse 5, according to the recreation department.
They converged at Clubhouse 2 inside Gate 12 for a picnic with burgers, hot dogs, Italian sausage, fries and ice cream.
And to burn off all those calories, partygoers packed the dance floor and rocked to the Village favorite, Motown tribute band Stone Soul.
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Joey Chestnut defends title at Nathan’s Fourth of July hot dog contest
- July 5, 2023
By CAROLYN THOMPSON (Associated Press)
Eating superstar Joey “Jaws” Chestnut shook off a rain delay and gobbled his way to another win at Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, downing 62 franks and buns in 10 minutes.
Chestnut out ate runner-up Geoffrey Esper and the rest of an international field of 15 competitive eaters by double digits to clinch his 16th title. Esper, of Oxford, Massachusetts managed to ingest 49 hot dogs and buns.
In the women’s contest, defending champion Miki Sudo forced down 39 1/2 hot dogs and buns to collect her ninth Mustard Belt. But before the men could compete, stormy weather moved over New York City’s Coney Island and delayed the competition for two hours.
“What a roller coaster, emotionally,” Chestnut said after riding out the rain and wondering whether the famed contest would go on at all. The 39-year-old from Westfield, Indiana first competed for the Nathan’s title in 2005 and hasn’t lost it since 2015.
His best finish was in 2021 when he tallied 76 hot dogs, but Tuesday’s weather disruption made a repeat impossible.
“Everybody got messed up,” Chestnut said.
Sudo beat Mayoi Ebihara’s 33 1/2 hot dogs in 10 minutes in a women’s event that appeared to be much closer until the final count was announced. The unofficial real-time counter showed the two leaders tied throughout much of the competition. A final count of plates settled the score.
Sudo, 37, was disappointed in her winning total, which was nine hot dogs short of her all-time high. She said competition from the 27-year-old Ebihara had thrown her off.
“The first couple minutes, I found myself watching her, which I never want to do. I never want to be distracted by the other competitors,” Sudo, of Port Richey, Florida, said after the competition. “Watching her, I fumbled my hands. I got stuck with a big burp early on but was able to correct.”
The annual contest on New York City’s Coney Island drew competitors from England, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Brazil and Australia, according to ESPN.
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Heroic astronaut Sally Ride honored at unveiling of her statue at Reagan museum
- July 5, 2023
A life-size statue of famed astronaut Sally Ride was unveiled at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Tuesday, July 4, inspiring the patriotic audience as Ride’s sister, Bear Ride, told the crowd, “Sally’s mission was not only ‘to space and back,’ but also to open young minds and hearts to the dedication that can make this planet of ours a better place for us all.”
The intricate bronze statue, now standing on the walkway of the Reagan Library’s Peace Through Strength pavilion, honors Ride’s legacy as the first U.S. woman in space. An astronaut and physicist, she made history in 1983 when she flew into space on the Challenger shuttle.
Bear Ride said that her sister “was a trailblazer and a hero. Here we are looking down on our old home in the San Fernando Valley and remembering and celebrating her.”
Bear Ride and other speakers said they were proud to have the statue in the Los Angeles area, because Sally Ride, who died in 2012 of pancreatic cancer, grew up in Van Nuys and Encino. More than a dozen of her family members and close friends attended the unveiling.
“Her groundbreaking contributions to physics, especially the field of astrophysics, are unparalleled,” said Steven Barber, a filmmaker and one of the organizers of the fundraising to create the statue. “She grew up right around the corner and her spirit is still here.”
President Reagan said on June 18, 1983, “Today marked the launching of the seventh space shuttle flight. This particular shuttle flight is unique in several respects. It’s the first space flight of an American woman — Dr. Sally Ride, another example of the great strides women have made in our country.”
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The Reagan Library hosted several Independence Day festivities in addition to the statue unveiling. Kids in red, white and blue outfits and patriotic face paint ran around on the library lawn, played carnival games and created paper craft projects. And if they got tired from jumping in the inflatable bounce castle or trying to win prizes at the ring toss, there was plenty to do to cool off, like listening to live music in the shade — or soaking their family members with water balloons.
Visitors guessed how many jelly beans — Reagan’s favorite candy — were in a display jar, and others posed with volunteers dressed as famous American historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Betsy Ross.
The event also featured several singers and musicians, including 14-year-old Alexis Silva who performed an original song titled “I think I can fly,” inspired by what Sally Ride’s legacy meant to her. The song ended with cheers from the friendly crowd. “It’s so great to be out here singing today and honoring (Sally Ride),” Silva said. “Happy Fourth of July.”
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