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The Dodgers and Yankees are ready for the starriest World Series in decades

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Even 8-year-old Charlie Freeman is excited about a Dodgers-Yankees World Series.

“He’s at Universal (Studios) right now with a couple of his buddies, but he goes, ‘Daddy, I can’t wait for the World Series to start tomorrow,’” Los Angeles first baseman Freddie Freeman said at the last workout before Friday’s opener. “He’s on YouTube and seeing all the videos about Yankees-Dodgers. So you’re starting to get a hint of how big this could be.”

This will be the 12th Dodgers-Yankees matchup and the first in 43 years. The rivalry dates to 1941, when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn and Joe DiMaggio’s Yankees were seeking their fifth title in six years.

“You can be the best player. You can do whatever you want,” Yankees star Juan Soto said, “but at the end of the day, people remember you because you won a World Series.”

Broadway vs. Hollywood has produced the starriest Series in decades, if not ever. The League Championship Series had the highest U.S. TV ratings since 2017, and that’s been dwarfed by viewership of the Dodgers from Japan driven by interest in Shohei Ohtani.

“You could easily argue that on a global scale, the Yankees and the Dodgers are the most followed, the most supported, the most visible,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said.

This figures to be the first World Series featuring five MVPs: the Dodgers’ Ohtani, Freeman and Mookie Betts, and the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. There hasn’t been a Fall Classic with four since 1971.

Ohtani and Judge are the likely MVPs this year, marking the first Series to feature both since San Francisco’s Buster Posey and Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012. This will be the first Series with a pair of 50-home run hitters in Judge (58) and Ohtani (54).

In an age of expanding playoffs, this is just the fifth World Series since the Wild Card Era started in 1995 involving the teams with the best records in each league.

“I’m sure I’m going to feel how special it is,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.

Players practiced in 85-degree weather as the sun highlighted Dodger Stadium’s sky blue, yellow, light orange and sea foam green seats. Freeman, slowed by a bad ankle, insisted he will be in the lineup for the opener.

While the Dodgers are seeking their eighth title and second in five years, the Yankees are in the World Series for the first time since winning No. 27 in 2009.

“This is where the real fun starts,” Judge said.

Judge realizes a title is necessary for membership among the Yankees’ greats.

“They definitely got a different aura walking around here when you got a couple of rings on your fingers,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest thing, is that you see that they’re battle-tested. They’ve been through the grind. They’ve been through the ups and downs and they came out on top.”

Aaron Boone, Dave Roberts rekindle their own decades-old rivalry

Roberts and Yankees manager Aaron Boone have faced each other since April 3, 1992, when Roberts’ UCLA Bruins beat Boone’s Southern California Trojans’ 11-1 UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.

“As we all know in here, you’re a Trojan for life. You’re a Bruin for four years,” Boone said playfully.

Told of Boone’s shot, Roberts said: “Ouch! That hurts” and “absolutely disagree, 100 percent.”

Boone texted a Yankees emoji to Roberts when New York’s charter flight landed Wednesday.

“There was another emoji I thought about sending him with one finger, but I didn’t,” Roberts said. “I just gave a laughing emoji back.”

Jack Flaherty returns to the World Series — this time to pitch

Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty, who starts the opener against the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole, was high school teammates with Max Fried and Lucas Giolito at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. Three years ago, Flaherty was at Houston’s Minute Maid Park for World Series Game 6 along with Giolito to watch Fried get the win that finished off the Atlanta Braves’ World Series title.

“It’s a funny feeling watching that,” Flaherty said, “because you’re excited for one of your best friends and you’re incredibly happy for him, also at that same moment you’re a competitor and you want to be in that situation, you want to be on the field.”

Flaherty is 1-2 with a 7.04 ERA in three postseason starts this year. Cole is 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA in three starts.

Like Roberts, Cole went to UCLA. The pitcher’s college rooting aligns more with the Dodgers manager than his own.

“Aaron and I don’t always agree on everything,” he said.

Hal Steinbrenner recalls 1977 Yankees-Dodgers World Series showdown

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner was 7 years old in 1977 when the Yankees won their first title under his father, George. New York clinched the title over the Dodgers with a Game 6 win in the Bronx as Reggie Jackson hit three homers on three straight swings.

“I’d say my two most prevalent memories are Reggie’s third home run, and of course the final popup that was caught by (Mike) Torrez and the pandemonium that ensued,” he recalled this week. “Was a great day!”

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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