Sports Blitz: Portugal, Stewart, De Bruyne, Thorpe, and Richardson Light Up the Weekend

From Portugal's 3-0 win over Turkey in Euro 2024 to Breanna Stewart's stellar performance for Liberty, this weekend was packed with sports action. Kevin De Bruyne's hints on retirement, Drew Thorpe's first career win, and Sha'Carri Richardson's Olympic redemption are notable highlights. The stage is set for more thrilling moments ahead.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Portugal coast into Euro 2024 last-16 with 3-0 victory over Turkey

Bernardo Silva's first goal at a major tournament, a calamitous own goal from Samet Akaydin and a Bruno Fernandes tap-in gave Portugal a comfortable 3-0 win over Turkey on Saturday to guarantee qualification for the last 16 as Group F winners. Silva gave Portugal the lead in the 21st minute, rifling home after Nuno Mendes' cross deflected kindly into his path before Akaydin failed to look and passed the ball beyond onrushing goalkeeper Altay Bayindir seven minutes later.

Breanna Stewart shines as Liberty cruise past Sparks for second time in three days

Breanna Stewart tied a season-high with 33 points as the host New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks Saturday 98-88 at the Barclays Center. Sabrina Ionescu had 24 and Kayla Thornton had 20, including a career-high six threes for the Liberty (14-3) who never trailed in the second half and led by as many as 23 points.

Soccer-Belgian De Bruyne not ready to talk retirement after Euros masterclass

For a brief moment on Saturday, Belgian maestro Kevin De Bruyne looked like he was about to drop a bombshell on his country when he started talking about leaving the national team in good shape for when he moves on. It would have been terrible timing for De Bruyne to announce he was hanging up his international boots after an astonishing performance in their 2-0 win over Romania, when he netted his 28th goal for Belgium and was instrumental in keeping their Euro 2024 hopes alive.

Drew Thorpe earns first career win, White Sox down Tigers

Drew Thorpe pitched six scoreless innings and notched his first career win as the Chicago White Sox topped the host Detroit Tigers, 5-1, on Saturday afternoon. Thorpe (1-1) gave up two hits and walked four while striking out five. Thorpe, who was making his third career start, gave up eight runs in 3 1/3 innings to Arizona in his previous outing on Sunday.

Athletics-Richardson punches ticket to Paris Olympics with 100m win

Sha'Carri Richardson earned her Olympic redemption on Saturday, winning the 100 metres final at the U.S. trials to punch her ticket to Paris, as Noah Lyles cruised through the opening heats on the men's side. The world champion wrested the lead midway through the race and accelerated through the final metres to finish in a world-leading 10.71 seconds, with Melissa Jefferson taking second in 10.80 and Twanisha Terry third in 10.89.

Athletics-US star Richardson credits growth in Olympic qualifying

Sha'Carri Richardson banished painful memories of years past to punch her ticket to the Paris Games on Saturday in the 100 metres, saying she grew both on and off the track to reach the next level of her sport. Richardson won the 100 metres three years ago at the U.S. Olympic trials but was not allowed to compete at the Tokyo Games after testing positive for cannabis, sparking intense debate and outcry among her legions of loyal U.S. fans.

MLB roundup: Angels prevail in reunion with Shohei Ohtani

Taylor Ward delivered a tiebreaking single in the top of the 10th inning as the Los Angeles Angels notched a 3-2 victory over the host Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in the opener of a two-game set. The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani hit a massive two-run homer and reached base four times in his first game against his former team, but his 455-foot blast accounted for all of his team's runs. Ohtani had two of the Dodgers' five hits. Ward had two of his team's four hits as the Angels snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Dodgers.

Phillies LHP Cristopher Sanchez agrees to 4-year extension

Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez agreed to a four-year contract extension on Saturday that runs through 2028 with club options for 2029 and 2030. Sanchez's new contract begins in 2025, with the team buying out his arbitration years.

Soccer-Hosts United States expect big things at Copa, Musah says

A pre-tournament draw against Brazil shows the United States have what it takes to go the distance, midfielder Yunus Musah said, as the Copa America hosts prepare to open group play against Bolivia on Sunday in Arlington, Texas. The U.S. team put on a convincing performance to hold one of the hot favourites, Brazil, 1-1 in a pre-tournament friendly earlier this month, and Musah told reporters it offered a glimpse into how his group could succeed.

Soccer-Euro 2024: What each team needs from final group match to reach last 16

Euro 2024 enters the final group matchday with three teams having already secured their place in the last 16, but with only one side out of 24 eliminated from the tournament. Final positions in the six groups are still up for grabs which determine potential opponents in the knockout stage.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)