Spain Reigns

August 21, 2023

By: Carlos Alvarez

Welcome Back

What a weekend! The sports world dished out three sets of hardware, and then some. From Spain’s World Cup triumph to a comeback for the ages at the BMW Championship and another chapter in the Djokovic-Alcaraz odyssey, we’ve got it all. No time to waste. Today’s edition is a doozy.

Sad News: After scoring the winning goal in the World Cup final, Spain’s Olga Carmona learned that her father had passed away before the game. Has to be the highest and lowest of emotions in a matter of hours… Read More

Letter Rip!

WORLD CUP

La Roja Reigns

\"\"/ — *Photo: Daniela Porcelli / ISI Photos / Getty Images*

Spain Tops England (1-0) on Olga Carmona\’s Goal to Win 1st Ever FIFA Women’s World Cup

¡La Roja de Historia! After 63 games and countless moments of drama, soccer down under has found its inevitable champion. Spain captured their first-ever World Cup title Sunday morning in Sydney with a 1-0 victory against England. The deciding goal came early on from the boot of Spain’s Olga Carmona. Let’s break it down and tie a bow on the World Cup.

How Spain Won The Finals

Both clubs had early chances that didn’t reach the back of the net. England’s Rachel Daly hit a curler off the crossbar in the 16th minute before Spain failed to convert an easy one just a minute later (17th). The only goal of the match was found in the 29th minute when Olga Carmona struck a left-footed line-drive across the box and into the bottom-right corner. That made it 1-nil, Spain, and that was all she wrote. Spain kept the pressure on, earning a penalty in the 69th off a handball, but Jennifer Hermoso’s shot was saved. England’s attack grew weary, and the Lionesses found little opportunities down the stretch.

The Final Whistle

Spanish goalkeeper Cata Coll corralled England’s final effort on a corner kick 14 minutes into stoppage time (90’+14), then fell to the grass as the final whistle blew. Elation for Espana!

Spain’s 1st World Cup Crown

La Roja are teh surprising winners of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in just their third World Cup appearance. The first two saw Spain get knocked out in the group stage (2015) before losing to the USWNT in the Round of 16, 2-1 (2019). They began the tournament ranked 6th in FIFA World Rankings.

Fun Fact: Spain joins Germany as the only two countries to win both the men\’s and women\’s World Cups.

2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Awards

Golden Boot (5 Goals): Hinata Miyazawa (Japan)

Golden Glove (4 Goals Allowed): Mary Earps (England)

Golden Ball (Best Player): Aitana Bonmati (Spain)

Best Young Player (2 Goals): Salma Paralluelo (Spain)

Watch: Spain Beats England (1-0) for 1st Ever Women’s World Cup Title

That’ll do it for our coverage of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup! It’s been a fun (and tiring) month of overnight matches and agonizing penalty shootouts. Congrats to the newest champions of the world!

Read More

FIFA: Sweden Shuts Out Australia (2-0) for 3rd Place (Video)

USA Today: World Cup Final Recap: Spain Beats England (1-0) for 1st Title

Yahoo! Sports: Spain Beats England in Tense Final to Complete Its Rise to the Sport’s Summit

SI: With a World Cup Title Won Amid Controversy, It’s Time for Spain to Do Right By Its Players

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GOLF

Hovland\’s Hot Sunday

\"\"/ — *Photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images*

Viktor Hovland (-17) Surges on Sunday With Course Record 61 (-9) to Win BMW Championship & Set Up FedEx Cup Finale

There was Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rory McIlroy and Max Homa all in contention when Sunday began at Olympia Fields Country Club, but one golfer shocked them all with a back-nine of legend. Viktor Hovland recorded a final-round 61 — a course record! — to rally from three strokes back and steal the BMW Championship on Sunday. Hovland began the day at 8-under and climbed to 10-under with a solid front nine. That put him in the mix atop the leaderboard, but he was still down four strokes with nine holes to play. That\’s when Hovland strung together seven birdies in nine holes for an earth-shattering 28 on the back-nine. The huge run flipped Hovland from 7th to 2nd in FedEx Cup points with one event to play. What a day for the 25-year-old Norwegian star!

BMW Championship (Final Leaderboard)

1. V. Hovland (-17)

T2. S. Scheffler (-15)

T2. M. Fitzpatrick (-15)

4. R. McIlroy (-12)

T5. B. Harman (-11)

T5. M. Homa (-11)

7. S. Im (-10)

Other Significant Scorecards: T8. X. Schauffele (-9), T10. C. Conners (-7), T15. P. Cantlay (-6), T15. C. Young (-6), T15. W. Clark (-6), T22. L. Glover (-4), T25. C. Morikawa (-3), T25. Rickie Fowler (-3), T25. T. Fleetwood (-3), T31. J. Rahm (E), T34. J. Spieth (+1) | Full Leaderboard

Watch: Hovland Surges With Record 61 on Sunday to Win BMW Championship

FedEx Cup Standings

With Hovland’s shocking win at the BMW Championship, only one event remains — the Tour Championship. This weekend’s finale at East Lake will determine the FedEx Cup champion. The playoff field was trimmed from 50 players to 30 players after Sunday. Click the link below to see the full 30 and Sunday cuts. Let’s play one more.

Points Leaderboard

1. S. Scheffler (4,218 points)

2. V. Hovland (4,024 points)

3. R. McIlroy (3,494 points)

4. J. Rahm (3,486 points)

5. L. Glover (3,041 points)

Full FedEx Cup Points Standings (30 Players)

Yahoo! Sports: Viktor Hovland Overtakes Scottie Scheffler With Sizzling Back-9 to Grab Win at BMW Championship

SB Nation: Viktor Hovland Lights Course Record on Fire at BMW Championship With Back-9 28

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MLB / LLWS

Little Leaguers Big Leaguers

\"\"/ — *Photo: Rob Carr / Getty Images*

Nats & Phillies Join Little League World Series for Special Day in Williamsport

After a full weekend of meaningful baseball with the MLB regular season nearing the final month, one game held more meaning than the rest. On Sunday night, the Nationals and Phillies traveled to Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the annual the Little League World Series Classic at Lamade Stadium. It was an opportunity for little leaguers to meet some of their big league heroes, and a chance for the pros to renew their inner child. A bunch of unique moments — including the iconic hill slide, custom bats and the one-of-a-kind first pitch — highlighted a break in the LLWS tournament games before the Nats and Phillies took the field. Nationals’ righty Trevor Williams tossed six scoreless before Washington earned a 4-3 win. And with that, the LLWS enters its final few days of action. Big or small, it’s baseball\’s crunch time.

Watch: Nationals Top Phillies in LLWS Classic (4-3)

Little League World Series Schedule (Today)

Curacao vs. Venezuela (1:00 pm ET)

Tennessee vs. Washington (3:00 pm ET)

Japan vs. Chinese Taipei (5:00 pm ET)
Texas vs. California (7:00 pm ET)

Yahoo! Sports: Phillies Recharged by Sunday in Pure Baseball Atmosphere

AP News: Nationals & Phillies Are Kids for a Day, Mingling Among Little Leaguers in LLWS Classic

MLB Quick-Hitters

Weekend Series Recaps

Individual Feats

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TENNIS

A Cincinnati Instant Classic

\"\"/ — *Photo: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images*

Novak Djokovic Beats Carlos Alcaraz in Another Epic; Coco Gauff Earns 1st Masters 1000 Title

We were going to feature Coco Gauff after the 19-year-old phenom won her third singles event and first Masters 1000 title, then Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz produced another epic battle. By the end of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, it was a 36-year-old Djokovic, nearly twice the age of Gauff, who took home his 39th Masters 1000 trophy. And the U.S. Open warm-up was anything but a “warm-up.” Here’s what happened:

#2 N. Djokovic def. #1 C. Alcaraz (5-7, 7-6, 7-6)

Just one month after their Wimbledon final clash when Alcaraz took down the four-time defending champion, Djokovic got another chance to square up the head-to-head, and he did. Sunday’s finale was the fourth meeting between the two stars in an ever-expanding rivalry between youth and wisdom. Alcaraz fended off a first-set rally from Djokovic to take the lead (7-5) before a resilient Djoker outlasted the kid in back-to-back tiebreaker showdowns for his 39th Masters 1000 title. Upon match point, Djokovic ripped his shirt down the middle in a scene of raw emotion, but the love between the two competitors remains evident and full of class. The pair are now split 2-2 in four head-to-head matchups.

#7 C. Gauff def. K. Muchova (6-3, 6-4)

In Sunday’s women’s final, the arrival of Coco Gauff means excitement for American tennis fans in the upcoming U.S. Open. Gauff upset World No. 1 Iga Swiatek on Saturday before getting a crack at Karolina Muchova in the final, and she delivered a straight-set beatdown. It’s not Gauff’s first event win, but it is her first Masters 1000 victory, marking the inevitable rise of Gauff into the elite players of women’s tennis. She\’s the youngest champion of the Cincinnati Open since 1968.

Tennis Tune-Up: Djokovic (39) continues to hold the all-time record for Masters 1000s while Gauff puts her first in the record book. The U.S. Open begins with qualifying this week before next week’s first round (Aug. 28).

Yahoo! Sports: Coco Gauff Downs Karolina Muchova for Biggest Title of Career in Cincinnati

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HIGHLIGHTS

NFL Preseason (Week 2)

Steelers DB Joey Porter Jr. Gives Game Ball to Father After 1st INT

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson Dazzles in Preseason Debut

Texans QB C.J. Stroud Shows Improvement in Loss to Dolphins

Colts Rally From 10 Down in 4th Quarter to Beat Bears (24-17)

Soccer

Tottenham Start New Era With Win Over Man. United (2-0)

Inter Miami Win Leagues Cup Final Behind Messi Goal, Epic Penalty Shootout (1-1, 10-9 PKs)

FIBA World Cup (Exhibition)