preview Page 247 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Resilient Rapids welcome Galaxy to town
The Colorado Rapids have been stellar at home and have had a knack for bouncing back from losses. They'll need both trends to continue on Wednesday night when they face the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Galaxy in Commerce City, Colo.,The Rapids (15-11-5, 50 points) are 10-2-3 on their own p...

Minnesota United out to defeat RSL, lock up playoff bid
Minnesota United can clinch an MLS Cup playoff berth with a victory when it faces Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night in Sandy, Utah.,The Loons (13-12-6, 45 points) enter the contest in eighth place in the Western Conference, eight points ahead of 10th-place FC Dallas with three matches remaining. Min...

Dynamo 'turn the page' to focus on desperate Revolution
There will still be plenty on the line when the Houston Dynamo host the New England Revolution on Wednesday in a late-season interconference match.,The most likely scenarios are that Houston will be on the road for the first round of the playoffs and the Revolution will be eliminated even if they fi...

Inter Miami can clinch Supporters' Shield by beating Crew
Inter Miami have inched their way toward clinching the MLS Supporters' Shield when they'd rather have sprinted, but they will have the opportunity again to stake their claim as the best team in the regular season when they play at the Columbus Crew on Wednesday.,A win over the Crew (16-5-9, 57 point...

Eyeing East wild-card spot, Toronto FC face slumping Red Bulls
Toronto FC will try to halt a three-match league winless run and take a major step closer to an Eastern Conference wild-card spot when they host a New York Red Bulls side in its own slump on Wednesday night.,The Reds (11-17-4, 37 points) have only one point from their last three league matches, and ...

Union, Orlando City face off in crucial match for both clubs
The Philadelphia Union have yet to clinch a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs with three matches remaining, but they hope to take another step closer when they visit Orlando City on Wednesday night.,The Union (9-12-10, 37 points) may feel that they deserved more than a 1-1 draw against Atlanta United on ...

Charlotte FC hope to uplift fans by clinching playoffs vs. Fire
Charlotte FC are in position to clinch a playoff spot and hoping to make giant strides when they take on the visiting Chicago Fire on Wednesday night.,"We are hungry, hungry for more," Charlotte defender Adilson Malanda said. "We know we can achieve a good thing before playoffs.",Charlotte (11-11-9,...

Atlanta United aim to end draw streak vs. CF Montreal
Atlanta United's push toward a playoff spot has been slowed by the club recording draws in its last three matches.,Residing in 11th place in the congested Eastern Conference, the Five Stripes (8-13-10, 34 points) will look for a much-needed win on Wednesday night when they host 10th-place CF Montrea...

No. 1 Alabama aims to continue dominance of Vanderbilt
Top-ranked Alabama looks to take another step towards a league title and the College Football Playoff when it travels to Nashville, Tenn., to face Vanderbilt in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday.,It'll be the conference home opener for the Commodores (2-2, 0-1 SEC), and the first conference r...

No. 3 Ohio State, dominant in second half this season, meets Iowa
If Iowa hopes to upset No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon in Columbus, it would be wise for the Hawkeyes to get off to a good start.,While the Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) have outscored opponents by an average of 42 points (48.8 to 6.8), they have been more vulnerable in the first half before ma...

No. 25 UNLV begins tough stretch by hosting Syracuse
Every team faces challenges over the course of a long season, but No. 25 UNLV absorbed a major dose of adversity last week.,The Rebels passed their first test following the departure of starting quarterback Matthew Sluka and will look to ace another challenge Friday when Syracuse visits Las Vegas fo...

Red-hot but inexperienced Tigers prepare for veteran Astros
HOUSTON -- The Astros had to rebound from a miserable start to the season to win their fourth straight American League West title. Now they carry an overwhelming advantage in postseason experience into their matchup vs. the Detroit Tigers in the American League wild-card series, which begins Tuesday...

Sun, X-factor Marina Mabrey aim for 2-0 lead on host Lynx
The Connecticut Sun will aim to take a 2-0 series lead while the Minnesota Lynx hope to even up the score when the two sides face off again Tuesday night in the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs in Minneapolis.,Connecticut took a 1-0 advantage in the five-game series on Sunday night, topping Minnesota...

Aaron Nola, Phils tune up for NLDS in finale vs. Nats
The rebuilding Washington Nationals have been locked into a fourth-place finish in the National League East heading into Sunday's regular-season finale with the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. But manager Dave Martinez's squad still can finish on a high note., ,A win would give Washington (71-90) a ...

Anthony Rizzo's playoff status unclear as Yanks, Pirates close regular season
The New York Yankees received an unwanted reminder Saturday afternoon of how seemingly meaningless late-season games can suddenly become important for all the wrong reasons.,The Yankees will be without first baseman Anthony Rizzo on Sunday afternoon, when they finish tuning up for the playoffs by ho...

Whitecaps, Timbers battle for potential playoff-clinching win
With a national title in tow, the Vancouver Whitecaps return to MLS regular-season action when they host the Portland Timbers on Saturday.,Vancouver (13-9-7, 46 points) is in seventh place in the Western Conference, just ahead of eighth-place Portland (12-10-8, 44 points). Both teams can clinch a pl...

Dynamo, Sounders square off with playoff berth in sight
With four matches remaining in the regular season, the Houston Dynamo visit the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, with both teams on the verge of securing a playoff spot.,Houston (13-8-9, 48 points) heads to the Pacific Northwest on a tear.,After dropping its first match after the Leagues Cup break, the...

Rapids aim to continue turnaround season vs. Minnesota
With their first playoff berth in three seasons wrapped up, the Colorado Rapids will try to build on one of the best turnaround stories in Major League Soccer when they travel to Saint Paul, Minn., to face Minnesota United on Saturday night., ,Colorado (15-10-5, 50 points) clinched a postseason bert...

Aiming to bolster playoff hopes, Austin FC host Real Salt Lake
Austin FC looks to keep its waning hopes of making the playoffs on track when it hosts dynamic Real Salt Lake in a late-season Western Conference match on Saturday.,The Verde (9-13-8, 35 points) are in desperate straits to make the postseason. With four matches remaining, Austin is in 11th place, tw...

Alouettes can wrap up division with win over Argonauts
The Montreal Alouettes will try to clinch their first East Division title since 2012 on Saturday night when they visit the Toronto Argonauts.,The Alouettes (11-2-1) would secure a first-round bye in the playoffs and earn home-field advantage for the Nov. 9 division final with a win.,The defending Gr...