Brazil tops Spain for Confederations Cup title
Soccer: Fred scored two goals, Neymar added another and host Brazil defeated world champion Spain 3-0 to win the Confederations Cup on Sunday night in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil, a five-time world champion, beat the reigning world and European champion and ended Spain’s 29-game, three-year winning streak in competitive matches.
Fred put Brazil ahead in the second minute, Neymar doubled the lead in the 44th with his fourth goal of the tournament and Fred added his fifth in the 47th.
Brazil, which won its third straight Confederations Cup, has not lost a competitive home match since 1975.
• Neymar won the Golden Ball award as the best player of the Confederations Cup.
The Brazilian forward scored in four of his team’s five games.
Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta was awarded the Silver Ball, and Brazilian midfielder Paulinho won the Bronze Ball.
Spanish forward Fernando Torres won the Golden Boot award with five goals. Brazil’s Fred also had five goals but had more minutes played, and earned the Silver Boot. Neymar scored four goals and won the Bronze Boot.
Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar won the Golden Glove award, and Spain took the Fair Play award.
• Italy beats Uruguay in shootout for third place: Gianluigi Buffon saved three penalty kicks in a shootout and Italy edged Uruguay 3-2 in Salvador, Brazil, to secure third place at the Confederations Cup following a 2-2 draw.
This shootout capped an entertaining match at the Arena Fonte Nova, where Alessandro Diamanti scored one goal and set up another for Italy, and Edinson Cavani equalized twice for Uruguay.
• Red Bulls blank Dynamo: Fabian Espindola broke a scoreless tie in the 60th minute and Jonny Steele scored with two minutes left in regulation, giving the New York Red Bulls a 2-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo in Harrison, N.J.
Catchings leads Fever over Storm
WNBA: Tamika Catchings scored 18 points and the defending champion Indiana Fever pulled away in the fourth quarter and beat the Seattle Storm 71-63 in Indianapolis.
Shavonte Zellous had 14 points for the Fever.
Shekinna Stricklen scored 11 points for the Storm while Tina Thompson added nine. Seattle has lost three in a row.
Indiana’s Briann January (Lewis and Clark) was hit in the head in the first quarter and left the game. She played the entire second quarter, but was evaluated by doctors at halftime and did not return.
• Hayes helps Atlanta to sixth straight win: Tiffany Hayes scored 19 points, Angel McCoughtry had 15 points and nine assists, and the Atlanta Dream beat the visiting San Antonio Silver Stars 93-67 to improve their WNBA-best record to 10-1.
Jasmine Thomas added 15 points, and Aneika Henry had 12 to help the Dream win their sixth straight game and remain perfect in seven home games.
• Mystics rout Shock: Ivory Latta scored 15 points and the Washington Mystics posted a convincing 84-61 win over the visiting Tulsa Shock.
The Mystics held the Shock to nine points in the third quarter, a season low for Washington’s defense and Tulsa’s offense.
Schumacher holds off Millican at Joliet
Auto racing: Tony Schumacher’s engine exploded in a fireball as he crossed the finish line to win the Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill.
Schumacher, the seven-time season champion raced to his third victory of the season and the 72nd of his career. He finished in 3.930 seconds at 269.29 mph to hold off Clay Millican and regain the season points lead.
Matt Hagan extended his Funny Car series lead with his third win of the season, posting a 4.605 at 315.34 to edge 64-year-old John Force who finished in 4.113 at 304.80.
Jeg Coughlin topped the Pro Stock field, and Michael Ray won in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
• Rosberg captures British GP: Nico Rosberg won the British Grand Prix in an eventful race in Silverstone, England, avoiding the tire trouble that affected several drivers and overtaking Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel with 10 laps remaining after the three-time defending champion retired with mechanical problems.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso got past Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen with two laps remaining to claim third.
The victory will likely be overshadowed by the sight of bursting tires that affected four drivers, including pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton when he was leading on lap 8.
• Fittipaldi, Barbosa take Watkins Glen: Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa won the Six Hours of The Glen in Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Fittipaldi held off Michael Valiante by 0.265 seconds in the second-closest finish in the history of the Daytona Prototype class in the six-hour event on the 3.4-mile, 11-turn Watkins Glen International road circuit.
Blackhawks deal Bolland to Toronto
NHL: The Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks traded Dave Bolland to the Toronto Maple Leafs for three draft picks at the NHL draft. The Blackhawks received the 51st and 117th picks in this year’s draft, and a fourth-rounder next season.