England's Harry Kane (9) celebrates after scoring a goal during the World Cup Group L soccer match between England and Croatia in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Wednesday. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Kane ties

record

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Harry Kane scored twice to equal the English record for World Cup goals, Jude Bellingham added another two minutes into the second half and England beat Croatia 4-2.

Martin Baturina and Petar Musa answered each of Kane’s first-half goals in a rematch of the 2018 semifinal game won by Croatia. Musa’s goal came on the final play before the whistle ending the first half. After Bellingham’s goal, Marcus Rashford padded the lead in the 85th minute. Kane is up to 10 World Cup goals. That ties Gary Lineker’s mark from the 1986 and 1990 tournaments.

Portugal

held to draw

HOUSTON (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by Congo in their opening match of the World Cup. Congo became the second African nation to make a strong start in the tournament against European competition following Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw with Spain on Monday.

João Neves gave Portugal the lead in the sixth minute. Yoane Wissa equalized for Congo with a header in stoppage time at the end of the first half. It was Congo’s first World Cup goal in the country’s history.

Ronaldo missed shots wide right in the 68th and 73rd minutes. He shook his head in disgust after both.

MLB warns

players

(AP) — Major League Baseball is facing challenges with LGBTQ+ inclusivity as some players resist participating in Pride events. During the San Francisco Giants’ Pride Night, several players added Bible verses to their caps or chose not to wear the themed caps.

MLB issued a warning, stating that writing on caps violates league policy, saying the issue wasn’t with the messages themselves. This has sparked reactions from Republican politicians like Vice President JD Vance and Missouri Senator Josh Hawley.

Similar incidents have occurred on other teams, and MLB is unique in having regular-season games during Pride Month.

Sorsby plans

NFL workout

(AP) — A person with knowledge of the plan says Brendan Sorsby is tentatively planning to work out for NFL teams before the supplemental draft. That follows the quarterback’s decision to end an unprecedented legal fight to retain his eligibility after he acknowledged impermissible bets while playing college football.

The person told The Associated Press that Sorsby plans to have his pro day July 10 at a Dallas-area high school. The deadline for entering the draft is Monday. That rarely used supplemental draft would be completed before the start of training camps in late July.

WNBA adds

to schedule

NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA is expanding its schedule to 50 games per team next season — the most in the league’s 30-year history. The new collective bargaining agreement that was ratified earlier this year allows the league to play up to 50 games for the next two seasons.

There can be up to 52 regular-season games in 2029 and for the rest of the CBA. The league is playing 44 games again this season. Over the next few seasons the WNBA is adding three new teams through expansion.

Cleveland is joining in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. Connecticut is moving to Houston next year.

Golf balls

under study

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — The USGA and R&A are moving forward with a new golf ball distance standard set for 2030. They also announced they will expand their study to explore other areas that might help control distance.

The study will involve more direct input from tour players. The goal is to prevent distance from making golf too one-dimensional and causing courses to lengthen. The governing bodies updated the “Overall Distance Standard” test in 2023. Feedback from the golf community led to a single-date implementation in 2030. The USGA and R&A are considering alternative approaches to address distance increases without disrupting the golf market.

Simpson

collapses

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Olympic bronze medalist and world champion 1,500-meter runner Jenny Simpson collapsed after suffering a medical episode while pacing a mile group at an event in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday night.

Simpson underwent CPR at the track and an automated external defibrillator was also used before taking her to the hospital. The 39-year-old Simpson was taking part in a community track event hosted by Sir Walter Running, with runners of all levels encouraged to attend. The event featured a chance to meet Simpson.

She won the bronze medal in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Reese paces

Atlanta Dream

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) — Angel Reese looked like a perfect fit for Atlanta when she was traded from the Chicago Sky to the Dream. After 13 games, the fit still looks perfect. As the team prepares for back-to-back games against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, Atlanta has one of the best records in the WNBA.

Reese has been on a double-double tear, providing the inside presence on the boards and clutch points to keep the offense balanced even while All-Star center Brionna Jones continues to recover from a knee injury. Reese and the Dream are winning and the two-time All-Star can’t stop smiling.