SPORTS HEADLINES

Brazil rallies for 1-1 draw against Morocco in its World Cup opener behind Vinícius Júnior goal

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Vinícius Júnior scored an equalizing goal in the 32nd minute to give five-time champion Brazil a 1-1 draw against Morocco in a pulsating, high-profile group match at the World Cup. A semifinalist four years ago, Morocco dominated early, and Ismael Saibari put the African champions ahead in the 21st minute. Brazil, seeking its first World Cup title since 2002, entered the tournament with high expectations and yellow-clad Seleção fans who dominated the crowd of 80,663 at MetLife Stadium became a bit subdued before Vinícius evened the score with a spectacular angled effort.

Game 5: Knicks, and their fans, are in San Antonio, hoping to close out the NBA Finals with a title

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Larry O’Brien Trophy will be in the building in San Antonio. The rehearsals for the presentation ceremony, if one is needed, are complete. Thousands of New York fans have made the trip to Texas, looking to see something that hasn’t happened in 53 years. The rest is up to the Knicks. New York can win its first NBA championship since 1973 on Saturday night, with the Knicks holding a 3-1 lead going into Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

Dodgers’ Yamamoto loses no-hit bid on Peters’ leadoff homer for the White Sox in the 9th inning

CHICAGO (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto lost a bid for a no-hitter when Tristan Peters hit a leadoff homer for the Chicago White Sox in the ninth inning. Yamamoto retired his first 23 batters before Chase Meidroth reached on a two-out error on shortstop Mookie Betts in the eighth. Jacob Gonzalez then bounced to second, ending the inning. But Peters connected for his third homer of the season on a 96.6 mph fastball, sending a drive deep to right. After Edgar Quero flied out to center, Yamamoto was replaced by Alex Vesia. The Dodgers then closed out a 7-1 victory over the White Sox.

49ers mourn the sudden death of former All-Pro linebacker Aldon Smith at 36

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Aldon Smith, a former All-Pro linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers whose playing career was sidetracked by legal issues, has died. He was 36. The team announced the death on Saturday but did not disclose a cause of death. The 49ers drafted Smith out of Missouri with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft. He had 33.5 sacks through his first two seasons, the most by any player in their first two seasons. Smith was first suspended with the 49ers in 2014 and was later released by the team. He also played for the Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys.

Boualem Khoukhi’s goal on header in stoppage time earns Qatar a 1-1 World Cup draw with Switzerland

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Boualem Khoukhi scored an equalizing goal on a header in the fourth minute of stoppage time, and Qatar spoiled a dominant day by Switzerland in a 1-1 draw in Group B of the World Cup. Breel Embolo scored for Switzerland from the penalty spot in the first half just over a week after being cleared to enter the U.S. following a visa delay, but the Swiss failed to capitalize on multiple other scoring chances. Switzerland dominated the possession game on an unseasonably warm June afternoon — with sprinklers running during a first-half break. There were thousands of empty seats scattered throughout Levi’s Stadium.

70 seconds, 26 passes and an iconic World Cup moment for the US and Gio Reyna

Gio Reyna’s goal might go down as one of the iconic moments of the 2026 World Cup. It will certainly take something special to eclipse it as the goal of the tournament even at this early stage. Deep into added time at Los Angeles Stadium and with virtually the last kick of the game, Reyna capped a spectacular 4-1 win for the United States against Paraguay on Friday with an exquisite finish to a wonderful team move. This was Pochettino-ball at its finest.

Olympic gold medal-Stanley Cup double is at stake for Americans in the final

Jaccob Slavin is one win away from becoming the second American to win an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year. That could happen as soon as Sunday if Carolina defeats Vegas in Game 6 of the Cup final. It would bring some measure of retribution for teammate Seth Jarvis, who played for Canada in the overtime loss in the final in Milan. Mitch Marner, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore were on the wrong side of that game, too, and Golden Knights teammates Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin need two more victories to complete the Olympic gold-Stanley Cup double that only Ken Morrow had before in 1980 with the “Miracle on Ice” and the New York Islanders.

James Harden is arrested in Houston on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a weapon in a motor vehicle

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden has been arrested in Houston on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon in a motor vehicle, according to the Harris County District Clerk’s Office. Harden was arrested at 3:41 a.m. Saturday and booked just before 5 a.m. He posted $100 bond and was released from police custody, according to charging documents. The documents say Harden had a handgun in plain view that was not in a holster. His arraignment is scheduled for June 22, according to the clerk’s office website. Harden is listed as a Houston resident in court documents.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal shows some rust in first start since elbow procedure

CLEVELAND (AP) — Tarik Skubal showed some rust, and that was to be expected. The two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner pitched 4 2/3 innings on Saturday in Detroit’s 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. It was the left-hander’s first start since April 29 and first since undergoing a new surgical procedure to have some loose bodies removed from his elbow. While he wasn’t dominant, the Tigers were just happy to have Skubal back on the mound. He threw 80 pitches and made only one major mistake, a fastball that Daniel Schneemann hit for a two-run homer in the third inning.

Jackson Suber takes Canadian Open and goes for first PGA Tour title

CALEDON, Ontario (AP) — Jackson Suber has his first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour and goes after his first win at the RBC Canadian Open. Suber birdied the last hole for a 66. That gives him a one-shot lead over Bud Cauley and a host of others right behind. Tommy Fleetwood and Wyndham Clark are among 17 players within four shots of the lead going into Sunday. In the forecast is rain and wind. Brooks Koepka fell out of contention with a mysterious hand issue that kept him from gripping the club. The 36-hole leader, Ben James, shot 78.