Ukraine misses chance to play in World Cup with loss to Wales on own goal

When it was over, when the referee blew his whistle and the crowd roared and Ukraine’s dream of earning a place in this year’s World Cup was gone, most of its national soccer team dropped straight to the grass. A few players held their heads in their hands. The rest simply stared off into space.

The scoreboard confirmed what, in that moment, even the Ukrainians themselves could scarcely believe: Wales 1, Ukraine 0. A World Cup-qualifying journey laced with symbolism and spirit and national pride, an opportunity delayed three months by war with Russia and reaching its denouement on a day that had begun with explosions in Kyiv, the first direct airstrikes on the capital in a month, had ended not in triumph but in the cruelest of twists: defeat to Wales on an own goal scored by a Ukraine forward, Andriy Yarmolenko.

“The most important game of our lives,” Ukraine defender Oleksandr Karavayev had called the match less than 24 hours earlier. And for weeks, he and his teammates and their countrymen had treated every step of their war-delayed World Cup campaign as such: a chance to bring joy to a nation desperately in need of it; a chance to showcase their pride in their jerseys, in their flag, in themselves; a chance to keep their nation’s plight on the world stage. But it is Wales, not Ukraine, that will be headed to Qatar in November, to a date with the United States in its opening game. Wales has not played in the World Cup since 1958. The 1-0 win over war-disrupted Ukraine on Sunday, secured in the 34th minute in the Cardiff downpour, was enough to send Wales back to the World Cup as the country with the longest gap between qualifications for the FIFA showpiece. “It’s the greatest result in the history of Welsh football,” Bale said. “I’m just delighted we are going to a World Cup. It means everything, it’s what dreams are made of. I’m speechless. I’m so glad we’ve done it for these amazing fans.”

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US men’s team shifts lineup for exhibition with Uruguay

Midfielder Weston McKennie made his first start for club and country since breaking a foot on Feb. 22 and Sean Johnson was in goal for the United States for the first time in more than two years for Sunday’s exhibition against Uruguay. In the second of four World Cup warmups this month, US coach Gregg Berhalter made four changes from the lineup that started Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Morocco. Johnson took over in goal from Matt Turner in his 10th international appearance going back to 2011, his first since a February 2020 exhibition against Costa Rica. Johnson is competing with Turner, Zack Steffen and Ethan Horvath for three roster spots. Steffen withdrew from the roster for what the US Soccer Federation called “family reasons” and was replaced by Johnson. The 15th-ranked US started right back DeAndre Yedlin in place of Reggie Cannon and left back Joe Scally in place of Antonee Robinson. McKennie replaced Brenden Aaronson

. . . Canada’s World Cup warmup match against Panama was canceled Sunday when the men’s team refused to play because of a labor dispute with the nation’s governing body that includes a demand the women’s national team get equal match fees. Players, preparing for the nation’s first men’s World Cup appearance since 1986, refused to train Friday and Saturday.

NBA

Quin Snyder resigns from Jazz

Quin Snyder guided the Utah Jazz to six consecutive playoff appearances, was an NBA coach of the year finalist just last season and won nearly 60 percent of his games with the franchise. And he’s decided that was enough. Snyder resigned Sunday as coach of the Jazz, ending an eight-year run of regular-season success but with the team never getting past the second round of the playoffs in his tenure. Snyder released a statement through the team, part of it simply saying “it is time.”

WNBA

Lynx rally to beat Liberty

Aerial Powers scored 27 points, Sylvia Fowles and Kayla McBride added 18 apiece and the Minnesota Lynx held off the New York Liberty, 84-77, after nearly blowing a 19-point lead late in the third quarter. A pullup jumper by Sebrina Ionescu had New York, which trailed, 71-55, after three quarters, within 74-73 with four minutes to go. Powers grabbed an offensive rebound on the ensuing possession and turned that into a pair of free throws. She then rebounded a Liberty miss and quickly scored on the other end for a 78-73 lead . . . Nia Coffey had 16 points and 10 rebounds — her second double-double of the season and third in her six-year career — Rhyne Howard also scored 16 points and the Atlanta Dream beat the Indiana Fever, 75-66.

MISCELLANY

Matt Hagan claims third Funny Car win of season

Funny Car points leader Matt Hagan raced to his third victory of the season, beating Robert Hight in the final round of the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H. Hagan had a 3.922-second run at 327.98 mph in a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for Tony Stewart Racing in the championship round to beat Hight for the first time in three finals this year . . . Veryl Switzer, the trailblazing former Green Bay Packers halfback who traded a career in the NFL for service as a lieutenant in the Air Force, died Saturday. He was 89.