Sport

The following is a script from “The Match of their Lives,” which aired on Nov. 20, 2016. Norah O’Donnell is the correspondent. Keith Sharman and Erin Horan, producers. Few teams have been as glorious on the soccer field as the United States Women’s National Team. They’ve won three World Cups, four Olympic gold medals, and set the standard in the most popular sport on the planet.  But despite their achievements,…

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HOMESTEAD – Donald Trump is making NASCAR controversial again. Brian France, NASCAR’s top executive, took a combative stance as he fended off a question about his endorsement of Donald Trump during the recent presidential campaign while stressing his own efforts in promoting diversity in racing.  “I’ll stop you right there,” France said, interrupting Dustin Long of NBC Sports. “First of all, nobody wants to hear my political views. So I…

The Latest on NASCAR’s season finale (all times local): 5:40 p.m. The championship contenders are back near the front of the field. Carl Edwards was running second with 60 laps to go at Homestead-Miami Speedway, just ahead of Joey Logano (third), Kyle Busch (fourth) and Jimmie Johnson (sixth). The four finalists were setting the NASCAR season finale up for a frantic finish. Edwards and Logano have been the best of…

RELATED: Stats breakdown reveals championship favorite   Carl Edwards: Went with the No. 19 as a championship pick on my pre-Chase grid, thinking the postseason schedule lined up favorably. The Championship 4 — especially this season — is a toss-up, but Edwards’ history at Homestead (two wins, two poles) may tip the scales. — Zack Albert   Joey Logano: The Team Penske driver has been loose and fast throughout the…

NASCAR chairman Brian France refused Sunday to discuss his political support of President-elect Donald Trump and quickly pivoted the conversation toward his own efforts at improving diversity in his sport. France addressed the media hours before Sunday’s title-deciding season finale, and a day after Mexican Daniel Suarez became the first foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR national title. Earlier in the 17-minute news conference, France declared that Suarez would never…

Four years ago, an unexpected guest crashed a celebration in Manhattan so he could hang out with U.S. Olympians who were on their way to the London Games. The guest: Donald Trump. The president-elect, who also carried the torch in the lead-up to the Athens Games, has been a longtime sports fan and admirer of the Olympics. He also likes winning, which is what has attracted him, over the years,…

Rachel Corboz, far right, scored the clinching goal in the 77th minute at Shaw Field. (Rafael Suanes/Georgetown Athletics) When Dave Nolan checked Facebook on Sunday morning, he was reminded through the memories feature that six years ago his Georgetown women’s soccer team had advanced to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals for the first time. In the pregame meeting, he told his players, “This is a little bit of destiny. I have…

The Latest on NASCAR’s season finale (all times local): 11:20 a.m. NASCAR CEO Brian France says he’s happy with the health of the sport. Sweating profusely while speaking at his state-of-NASCAR address, France defended sagging ratings and praised his Drive for Diversity program. Mexican driver Daniel Suarez won the Xfinity Series title Saturday night, becoming the first foreigner to win a NASCAR national series championship. France also refused to talk…

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Destined to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Tony Stewart’s NASCAR career ends Sunday in the final race of the 2016 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  For his last race, Stewart will drive a special black and gray “Smoke” paint scheme and wear a unique helmet paying tribute to his career, which began with grassroots racing in Indiana. MORE: What Smoke will do post-retirement Intended to replicate a weathered helmet from a seasoned local-track veteran, Stewart’s…

Four years ago, an unexpected guest crashed a celebration in Manhattan so he could hang out with U.S. Olympians who were on their way to the London Games. The guest: Donald Trump. The president-elect, who also carried the torch in the lead-up to the Athens Games, has been a longtime sports fan and admirer of the Olympics. He also likes winning, which is what has attracted him, over the years,…

The competition on the asphalt isn’t the only battle going on at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. Beneath the roar of the race cars on the track, there is a quiet, subtle competition for car sales going on. In the business, it is called, “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.” Whether they know it or not, car purchases by fans can be influenced by which brand of car they see win…

RELATED: Full race results | Final Chase Grid   HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Daniel Suarez, 24 and only two years into a NASCAR XFINITY Series career, can check another box off his career bucket list. Series champion. The Monterrey, Mexico, native became a winner in the series for the first time earlier this season to qualify for the inaugural XFINITY Series Chase. Saturday evening at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he led 133 of…

RELATED: Qualifying results | Chase Grid   HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Kevin Harvick won the pole position for Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with only half of the four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship-eligible drivers advancing to the final round of 12. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch will start ninth and 10th, respectively, making up Row 5….

RELATED: Full race results | Truck Series Chase Grid | Race recap HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Johnny Sauter remembers well the first time he talked to GMS Racing competition director Mike Beam about making a significant career change. While at the hospital for the birth of his third child in September 2015, Sauter scurried away to the parking deck for a 45-minute chat about driving for the upstart organization. That period in…

RELATED: Qualifying results | Chase Grid   HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Kevin Harvick won the pole position for Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), with only half of the four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship-eligible drivers advancing to the final round of 12. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch will start ninth and 10th, respectively, making up Row 5….

My teammate and I were standing outside RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. It was April 2003, our first home game of the season against the Chicago Fire. It was my first official appearance as a professional soccer player. It was a dream come true. “Let’s take a picture,” he said. “I feel like this is a day we definitely want to remember.” He handed someone his digital camera, we posed…

QUITO, Ecuador –  The former president of the Ecuadorean Soccer Federation was convicted of money laundering Friday and given a 10-year sentence in a case tied to the corruption scandal at FIFA, the sport’s international governing body. Luis Chiriboga was convicted along with two co-defendants on allegations involving nearly $6.12 million allegedly received in 2010-2015. Hugo Mora was also sentenced to 10 years and Pedro Vera was given 40…

MORE: Buy tickets for Homestead-Miami Championship Weekend Jimmie Johnson. A worldwide household name, Johnson has reached remarkable feats in the racing world. This weekend could represent a pinnacle in his racing career, as he runs for his seventh championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the opportunity to tie the great Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most all-time Sprint Cup Series championships within reach. But “Six-Time” wasn’t always that way: Former…