SUNDAY SPORTS
Major League Soccer postponed a match between Toronto FC and D.C. United shortly before it was scheduled to begin Sunday morning because of one unconfirmed positive test and one inconclusive test for the coronavirus.
The unconfirmed positive test was for a D.C. United player, while a Toronto player returned the inconclusive test. Players and staff are tested the day before each game during the MLS is Back tournament. Because of the positive and inconclusive tests, the league’s protocol for the tournament called for both teams to undergo another set of testing on Sunday.
Both teams had already announced their starting lineups for the match when it was called off shortly before its scheduled 9 a.m. EDT kickoff.
The league did not announce when the match would be rescheduled.
The postponement is the latest hiccup for the tournament, which has already had two teams drop out because of a spate of COVID-19 cases. FC Dallas and Nashville were both withdrawn earlier this week, reducing the tournament to 24 teams. FC Dallas had 10 players and one coach test positive for the virus. Nashville had nine players test positive.
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Kamaru Usman retained his welterweight title with a smothering victory over short-notice challenger Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 on Saturday night.
Alexander Volkanovski retained his featherweight title with a narrow split decision over Max Holloway, and Petr Yan won the vacant UFC bantamweight championship with a fifth-round stoppage victory over Jose Aldo on Yas Island, the UAE tourist destination turned into a secure bubble by the UFC during the coronavius pandemic.
Former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas avenged her loss to Jessica Andrade with a split-decision win in their rematch on the UFC’s so-called “Fight Island.” The mixed martial arts promotion will host four shows this month at the arena, with more expected in the upcoming months at its haven from the coronavirus.
Usman (17-1) earned his 16th straight MMA victory and defended his belt for the second time with a cerebral, technical performance against the 35-year-old Masvidal (35-14), who gallantly accepted his first UFC title shot on six days’ notice when Gilbert Burns tested positive for the coronavirus.
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Roman Polak of the Stars and Mike Green of the Oilers are opting out of playing, and Lightning captain Steven Stamkos will try to play after recovering from injury.
In the aftermath of a deal being struck to resume the NHL season, Aug. 1, Green, Polak and three other players joined Calgary defenceman Travis Hamonic in choosing not to participate in the expanded 24-team playoffs.
“Due to the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 and after much consideration, I’ve decided for deeply personal family health reasons not to participate in the return to play,” Green said in a statement. After a trade from Detroit, the defenceman played two games for Edmonton before injuring his right knee.
Boston’s Steven Kampfer, Montreal’s Karl Alzner and Vancouver’s Sven Baertschi also decided to opt out. Kampfer, who played 10 games with the Bruins this season, said his wife and son have a congenital defect that could cause complications with the virus and called it “one of the hardest decisions” he has had to make.
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Sheldon Creed won the NASCAR Trucks Series race Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway when rain washed out the final stage.
The 22-year-old won for the first time in 37 series starts, taking the second stage just before the thunderstorm hit the track.
“I sat in the hauler and talking to (crew chief) Jeff (Stankiewicz) about what the truck was doing,” Creed said. “I didn’t want to jinx it. I’m getting texts, Jeff’s getting texts and I was like, `I didn’t want to talk about it, I don’t want to assume anything,’ and then they called it.”
Stewart Friesen of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., was 15th.
(Canadian Press)
