Aitana Bonmatí aims for 2nd Women’s Champions League title with Barcelona

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 02:17:24 GMT

Aitana Bonmatí aims for 2nd Women’s Champions League title with Barcelona SANT JOAN DESPÍ, Spain (AP) — When Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí was the only girl playing on her village’s soccer team, she quickly learned that she would have to fight for the game she loved.That character-forging experience has helped the 25-year-old Bonmatí lead her team to a fourth Women’s Champions League final in five years. On Saturday, the Spanish club will face German team Wolfsburg in Eindhoven for the title.Back in her younger days, her opponents weren’t the source of trouble. It was her own teammates.“I was the only girl and I remember having lots of fights. The boys had a hard time accepting that a girl could play soccer,” Bonmatí told The Associated Press recently in an interview at the stadium where Barcelona’s women play most of their games. “It was like ‘I can’t step on a girl,’ or ‘How can a girl play ahead of me?’“But I don’t blame those boys, it was an issue of education and society as a whole,” she said about her childhood in Sant Pere d...

Virginia comedians compete in contest to find America’s Funniest Veterans & Military Spouses

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 02:17:24 GMT

Virginia comedians compete in contest to find America’s Funniest Veterans & Military Spouses Velena Metcalfe of Dumfries, Virginia will compete in the semi-finals of the America's Funniest Veterans & Military Spouses Competition on June 4 in Tacoma, Washington. (Courtesy HEAL*ARIOUS) Velena Metcalfe of Dumfries, Virginia will compete in the semi-finals of the America's Funniest Veterans & Military Spouses Competition on June 4 in Tacoma, Washington. (Courtesy HEAL*ARIOUS) toggle audio on and off change volume download audio ...

San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins meet in game 2 of series

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 02:17:24 GMT

San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins meet in game 2 of series San Diego Padres (25-29, fourth in the NL West) vs. Miami Marlins (28-27, second in the NL East)Miami; Wednesday, 6:40 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Blake Snell (1-6, 5.22 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 54 strikeouts); Marlins: Braxton Garrett (1-2, 4.50 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 47 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Padres -121, Marlins +102; over/under is 8 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Diego Padres lead 1-0 in a three-game series with the Miami Marlins.Miami has a 14-12 record at home and a 28-27 record overall. The Marlins have a 20-7 record in games when they out-hit their opponents.San Diego has a 13-14 record in road games and a 25-29 record overall. The Padres have hit 63 total home runs to rank eighth in the NL.The matchup Wednesday is the second time these teams meet this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Jorge Soler has 10 doubles and 17 home runs while hitting .250 for the Marlins. Bryan De La Cruz is 13-for-39 with two home runs over the last 10 games.Juan Soto leads the Padres with 10 home runs...

Giants and Pirates meet with series tied 1-1

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 02:17:24 GMT

Giants and Pirates meet with series tied 1-1 Pittsburgh Pirates (27-27, second in the NL Central) vs. San Francisco Giants (28-27, third in the NL West)San Francisco; Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Mitch Keller (6-1, 3.01 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 85 strikeouts); Giants: Alex Wood (1-0, 3.51 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 26 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Giants -125, Pirates +105; over/under is 7 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates play on Wednesday with the three-game series tied 1-1.San Francisco is 28-27 overall and 16-12 at home. The Giants are 16-4 in games when they out-hit their opponents.Pittsburgh is 27-27 overall and 15-14 in road games. The Pirates have gone 17-2 in games when they scored five or more runs.Wednesday’s game is the third time these teams square off this season.TOP PERFORMERS:Bryan Reynolds has seven home runs, 16 walks and 33 RBI while hitting .284 for the Pirates. Ji-Hwan Bae is 13-for-37 with four doubles and an RBI over the past 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: ...

Freeman leads Dodgers against the Nationals after 4-hit outing

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 02:17:24 GMT

Freeman leads Dodgers against the Nationals after 4-hit outing Washington Nationals (23-32, fifth in the NL East) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (34-22, first in the NL West)Los Angeles; Wednesday, 4:10 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Nationals: Patrick Corbin (4-5, 4.88 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 40 strikeouts); Dodgers: Noah Syndergaard (1-4, 6.27 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 33 strikeouts)FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK MLB LINE: Dodgers -247, Nationals +202; over/under is 9 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Dodgers play the Washington Nationals after Freddie Freeman’s four-hit game on Tuesday.Los Angeles has a 19-7 record in home games and a 34-22 record overall. The Dodgers have a 16-3 record in games when they did not allow a home run.Washington is 23-32 overall and 12-15 on the road. Nationals hitters have a collective .328 on-base percentage, the ninth-best percentage in MLB play.The matchup Wednesday is the third time these teams meet this season.TOP PERFORMERS: Max Muncy has four doubles and 17 home runs for the Dodgers. J.D. Martinez is 16-for-42 with two doubles and seve...

EU chief unveils new Western Balkans support plan

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 02:17:24 GMT

EU chief unveils new Western Balkans support plan BRATISLAVA — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday announced a new plan to bring the Western Balkans closer to the EU. Speaking at the GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum, the EU’s top executive said the bloc needs to do more to reach out to aspiring members in the region, unveiling a four-point blueprint to boost local growth. The Western Balkans has long been a potential expansion area for the EU, but accession efforts have become drawn out and stalled in many cases.“We finally realize that it is not enough to just wait for our friends outside the Union to move closer to us,” von der Leyen told a crowd of officials and think tankers from across the Continent. “We must also take responsibility to bring the aspiring members of our Union much closer to us.” The plan, according to von der Leyen, would include efforts to further align the Western Balkans with the EU’s single market, deepen regional economic integration, accelerate judicial ...

‘Very militant’: France slams Novak Djokovic over Kosovo comment

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 02:17:24 GMT

‘Very militant’: France slams Novak Djokovic over Kosovo comment Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic’s controversial message at the French Open, in which he said Kosovo was the “heart of Serbia,” is “clearly not appropriate,” France’s Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said Wednesday.“It’s a very militant message, very political,” Oudéa-Castéra said in an interview with French public broadcaster France 2.“We really shouldn’t go down that road, especially given the circumstances,” the minister added, referring to recent clashes.One of the most successful athletes in tennis history with 22 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic caused an outcry on Monday after his first-round win at Roland-Garros. “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence,” Djokovic wrote in Serbian on a TV camera screen. Long-standing tensions between Serbia and Kosovo — which declared its independence in 2008 but is not recognized by Belgrade — have resurfaced in recent days, after clashes between p...

WATCH: Video shows moment shots fired during shooting near Revere Beach

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 02:17:24 GMT

WATCH: Video shows moment shots fired during shooting near Revere Beach As police continue to investigate two separate shootings at Revere Beach that left three people wounded, new cellphone video shows the moment shots were fired during one of the incidents.Video obtained from 7NEWS sources shows what police confirmed to be the first of two shootings that happened on Sunday, May 28, occurring around the corner from the Revere Beach MBTA stop on Centennial Avenue, a couple blocks from the beachfront.In one video, a large crowd of young people can be seen taking part in some sort of scuffle when a man wearing a white tank top and gray shorts and sneakers pulls out a handgun.Raising the gun over another individual in front of him, the man is seen firing multiple rounds into a group of people out of view of the camera.Another video from a different angle shows people running away as the gunman raises his arms and begins shooting.Police said a 17-year-old girl suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to her lower body and was later treated at Mass Gene...

Firefighter, worker injured in blaze at Charlestown recycling plant

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 02:17:24 GMT

Firefighter, worker injured in blaze at Charlestown recycling plant A firefighter and a worker suffered minor injuries in a fire that broke out in a recycling plant in Dorchester late Tuesday night.Crews responding to heavy black smoke coming from the recycling plant at 24 Bunker Hill Industrial Park ordered a second alarm and began cutting holes in the building and roof to access the flames, according to the Boston Fire Department.The two people who were injured were taken to the hospital by ambulance.Crews will remain on scene today to monitor the area for hot spots and assist in clearing debris.The cause of the fire remains under investigation.https://twitter.com/BostonFire/status/1663748899276718080https://twitter.com/BostonFire/status/1663753030892761088https://twitter.com/BostonFire/status/1663755348153446400https://twitter.com/BostonFire/status/1663802282389938178This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

Driver slams into home in Marlboro

Published Sat, 28 Dec 2024 02:17:24 GMT

Driver slams into home in Marlboro Police are investigating a crash in Marlboro on Tuesday night that left a home seriously damaged.Officers responding to a reported crash on Ash Street found a car against the home. Video from the scene showed damage to the side of the house.No additional information was immediately available.This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.