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SPORTS Thursday 7 March 2019

U.S. wraps up SheBelieves Cup with 1-0 win over Brazil

By ANNE M. PETERSON ons of soccer’s most presti-
AP Sports Writer gious tournament.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — While The United States played
the United States didn’t to a 2-2 draw with Japan
win the SheBelieves Cup in the tournament opener
tournament on home soil, in Chester, Pennsylvania,
coach Jill Ellis is still encour- and then tied England 2-2
aged with the team’s prog- in Nashville on Saturday.
ress as it prepares for the Brazil, ranked No. 10, lost all
women’s World Cup. three of its matches.
Tobin Heath scored in the Alyssa Naeher, the pre-
first half and the United sumed U.S. starter in goal
States finished the SheBe- for the World Cup, injured
lieves Cup with a 1-0 vic- her shoulder in the opener
tory over Brazil on Tuesday against Japan. Adrianna
night. Franch got her first cap
“I’ve already come out of for the United States in the
this tournament with less draw against England.
question marks, because But on Tuesday, Ellis opted
of the takeaways in terms to start goalkeeper Ashlyn
of personnel and different Harris, who is a Florida na-
things that we’ve seen, tive. Harris stopped a free
and that feels good,” Ellis kick from Orlando Pride
said. “Obviously you want teammate Marta late in
to lift that trophy, 100 per- the match. United States’ Tobin Heath, second from right, is congratulated on her goal by Mallory Pugh (11),
cent, you want to win every “I’m very proud of the shut- Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan (13) during the first half of a SheBelieves Cup soccer match
game, but now it’s going out and I’m proud of the against Brazil Tuesday, March 5, 2019, in Tampa, Fla.
in with even more clarity. I performance,” Harris said. Associated Press
think that’s a positive.” “Moving forward we have Morgan led the team with and I think that final piece, Neville said. “This is just the
It was the final game of to be better, though.” 18 goals last year, and she the final pass, the final fin- first step.”
the four-team, round-robin The United States went has 26 goals over her last 30 ish. ... That’s where we’re The United States will con-
tournament played in three ahead in the 20th minute national team matches. at right now, and it’s not tinue its 10-match tour in
cities. England defeated when Heath buried a re- Heath assessed the team’s a bad place to be at,” preparation for the World
Japan 3-0 in the early bound while Brazil’s goal- overall performance after- Heath added. “The game’s Cup next month, when
game at Raymond James keeper was out of position. ward. the greatest teacher, and the team faces Australia in
Stadium on Tuesday to win It was Heath’s 27th interna- “I think there are a lot of there’s a lot we can learn Commerce City, Colorado,
the SheBelieves Cup title. tional goal. things we can learn and from this tournament.” on April 4 and Belgium in
The United States finished Alex Morgan remained one grow from. On the de- Earlier Tuesday, England Los Angeles on April 7. The
second on points. goal away from reaching fensive front it’s eliminat- scored all three goals in the Americans open World
All four teams are in the top 100 for her career, which ing errors, figuring how we first 30 minutes against Ja- Cup group play on June 11
10 of the FIFA rankings and will tie her with Tiffeny Mil- concede goals, why we pan. against Thailand.
will play in the World Cup in brett for sixth on the team’s concede goals, and fixing “This is nice, we’re happy, England and Japan play in
France later this year. The career list. She had a head- those things,” she said. but for me it’s small com- the same group in France
Americans, ranked No. 1, er in the 73rd minute that “Then on the attacking pared to where we want and meet again on June
are the defending champi- she lofted just wide. front it’s just converting, to be,” England coach Phil 19.q
Little League to include Cuban

youth players

By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ As- League’s international pro- provide support for things
sociated Press grams, including the Little including tournament trav-
HAVANA (AP) — Cuban League International Tour- el, field renovation and
baseball and Little League nament. The Cubans will equipment such as shoes
International said Wednes- have a chance to qualify and uniforms.
day that young Cuban at the Caribbean Region “One of the most impor-
players will soon be able to Tournament in Curacao in tant things we’ve thought
participate in international July. about ... is the value of de-
Little League tournaments. “It’s encouraging for the veloping friendly relation-
The agreement follows family, for the children, for ships through children who
a deal between Major the coaches ... who with play baseball,” said Little
League Baseball and the their work and effort will League President Stephen
Cuban Baseball Federation have a chance to repre- Keener, who traveled to
that will allow Cuban play- sent Cuba in an event of Cuba to sign the agree-
ers to legally play profes- this magnitude,” said Higi- ment.
sionally in the United States nio Velez, president of the The deal comes at a time of
for the first time. Cuban Baseball Federa- high tension between Cuba Stephen D. Keener, Little League International president, left,
The two organizations said tion. and the Trump administra- holds still for photos as he gifts a jersey to Antonio Castro, son of
that Cuba’s programs for Little League International tion, which is increasing Cuba’s late leader Fidel Castro who represents Cuban baseball,
during a ceremony in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, March 6,
children between 4 and 12 said it would work with Cu- pressure on the island’s so- 2019.
will now be included in Little ba’s baseball federation to cialist government.q Associated Press