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Canadian soccer fans rejoice as men’s team clinches World Cup berth

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TORONTO — Canadian soccer fans rejoiced upon seeing Canada’s men’s soccer team clinch a berth in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a 4-0 win over Jamaica on Sunday at BMO Field.

This is just the second time Canada’s men’s soccer team has reached the World Cup in its history and the first time since 1986.

The World Cup is considered to be the most prestigious international soccer event in the world, taking place every four years.

The 2022 World Cup will take place from Nov. 21 to Dec. 18.

“In a way I’ve been waiting 36 years (for this moment), but it’s been mostly the last 15-20 years when I’ve been watching it closely,” said Rob Nootenboom, who travelled from Regina to witness Canada’s clinching moment. “It feels like half my life, and I guess it is half my life, almost.”

The scene at BMO Field was a festive one with fans coming into Sunday’s game ready to celebrate knowing that Canada only needed to draw or outright beat Jamaica in order to see their team reach the World Cup.

Cyle Larin of Brampton, Ont., scored Canada’s first goal in the 13th minute of the 90-minute match and from there the party was on with the BMO crowd erupting into cheers and celebration.

Or rather, it just continued on.

Festivities began well before the game’s 4 p.m. ET opening kickoff, with fans beginning to arrive at the BMO Field parking lot at noon for tailgating, and to play a few rounds of cornhole while high-energy hip-hop music blasted out of the back of a trunk.

“This is probably going to be one of the biggest sporting moments in the history of our country,” said Bruce Rayakovich of Brampton, who jumped onto the bandwagon last June during Canada’s World Cup qualifying campaign. “To be here for an event like that is just an unbelievable feeling.”

Rayakovich came to Sunday’s match with his two sons, 11-year-old Bray and 13-year-old Branden, with hopes that he would witness something special, and he wasn’t disappointed.

In the 44th minute, Tajon Buchanon, another Brampton native, scored the Canadians’ second goal, sending BMO field into such a frenzy that the vibrations from the rocking crowd could be felt from the press box.

At that point, everyone in the building knew that Canada was absolutely guaranteed to be heading to the World Cup in Qatar and the sense of relief came out in raucous celebration.

And when Canada scored its last two goals in the final eight minutes of the contest, courtesy of Brampton’s Junior Hoilett and an own-goal from Jamaica’s Adrian Mariappa, BMO Field hit fever-pitch pandemonium.

“It has sunk in that the team has qualified for Qatar, that we will be at the World Cup and it’s the first time in my lifetime,” said Benjaminn Wolff of Ottawa. “My dad remembers the days when Canada qualified for ’86, but I was born after that, so this is a first for me.

“I’m incredibly excited, incredibly pumped and am really looking forward to seeing the team on the biggest stage.”

The historic win drew reaction from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian women’s captain Christine Sinclair, among others.

“That’s what I’m talking about! Congratulations to the Canada men’s national soccer team – taking us to the World Cup for the first time in 36 years,” tweeted Trudeau.

“We are going to QATAR,” tweeted Sinclair, who has represented Canada at five women’s World Cups.

 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2022.

 

Steven Loung, The Canadian Press

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Jays reliever Green and Canadian slugger O’Neill nominated for comeback player award

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NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.

Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.

The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.

Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.

The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.

O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.

After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Panthers’ Reinhart named NHL first star after posting nine points over four games

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NEW YORK – Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart was named NHL first star of the week on Monday after leading all players with nine points over four games last week.

Reinhart had four goals, five assists and a plus-seven rating to help the Stanley Cup champions post a 3-0-1 record on the week and move into first place in the Atlantic Division.

New York Rangers left-winger Artemi Panarin took the second star and Minnesota Wild goaltenderFilip Gustavsson was the third star.

Panarin had eight points (4-4) over three games.

Gustavsson became the 15th goalie in NHL history to score a goal and had a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage over a pair of victories.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Browns QB Deshaun Watson’s season ended by ruptured Achilles tendon, team said he’ll have surgery

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson won’t finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight year.

He’s injured again, and the Browns have new problems.

Watson ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati, collapsing as he began to run and leading some Browns fans to cheer while the divisive QB laid on the ground writhing in pain.

The team feared Watson’s year was over and tests done Monday confirmed the rupture. The Browns said Watson will have surgery and miss the rest of the season but “a full recovery is expected.”

Watson was injured on a noncontact play in the second quarter of Cleveland’s 21-14 loss to the Bengals and carted off the field in tears.

It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year after just six starts.

The 29-year-old went down Sunday without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson crumpled to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.

He immediately put his hands on his helmet, clearly aware of the severity of an injury similar to the one Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained last year.

As he was being assisted by the team’s medical staff and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson grabbed a ball to begin warming up, there was some derisive cheers and boos from the stands in Huntington Bank Field.

Cleveland fans have been split over Watson, who has been accused of being sexually inappropriate with women.

The reaction didn’t sit well with several Watson’s teammates, including star end Myles Garrett, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who was appalled by the fans’ behavior.

“We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. To be season-altering, career-altering injury,” Garrett said. “Man’s not perfect. He doesn’t need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect. Can’t judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can’t throw stones for my glass house.

“Ultimately everyone’s human and they’re disappointed just like we are, but we have to be better than that as people. There’s levels to this. At the end of the day, it’s just a game and you don’t boo anybody being injured and you don’t celebrate anyone’s downfall.”

Backup quarterback Jameis Winston also admonished the uncomfortable celebration.

“I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years, and he put his body and life on the line for this city every single day,” he said. “The way I was raised, I will never pull on a man when he’s down, but I will be the person to lift him up.

“I know you love this game. When I first got here, I knew these were some amazing fans, but Deshaun was treated badly and now he has to overcome another obstacle. So I’m going to support him, I’m going to lift him up and I’m going to be there for him.”

The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s tumultuous time with the Browns.

Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks and five overall to Houston in 2022 to get him, with owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam approving the team giving Watson a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract.

With a solid roster, the Browns were desperate to find a QB who could help them compete against the top AFC teams.

The Browns had moved on from Baker Mayfield despite drafting him No. 1 overall in 2018 and making the playoffs two seasons later.

But Watson has not played up to expectations — fans have been pushing for him to be benched this season — and Cleveland’s move to get him has been labeled an abject failure with the team still on the hook to pay him $46 million in each of the next two seasons.

Watson’s arrival in Cleveland also came amid accusations by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. Two grand juries declined to indict him and he has settled civil lawsuits in all but one of the cases.

Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the league’s personal conduct policy before he took his first snap with the Browns. The long layoff — he sat out the 2021 season in a contract dispute — led to struggles once he got on the field, and Watson made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.

Cleveland signed veteran Joe Flacco, who went 4-1 as a starter and led the Browns to the playoffs.

Before Watson got hurt this year, he didn’t play much better. He was one of the league’s lowest-rated passers for a Cleveland team that hasn’t scored 20 points in a game and is back in search of a franchise QB.

___

AP NFL:

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