09 jili The Los Angeles Galaxy will aim to complete one of the most remarkable transformations in Major League Soccer history on Saturday when they host the New York Red Bulls chasing a record-extending sixth MLS Cup crown. A year ago, the California franchise had hit rock bottom, plummeting to their worst ever regular season record to finish one place off the bottom of the Western Conference. The team that had once been a home to the likes of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were engulfed in crisis, with fans boycotting fixtures after nearly a decade of failure on the field. Moreover, the Galaxy's status as one of MLS's glamour clubs had been diminished by the arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, as well as the emergence of city rivals Los Angeles FC, winners of the MLS Cup in 2022. The febrile atmosphere at the Galaxy prompted team ownership to shake up their front office, with Will Kuntz appointed general manager to replace long-time predecessor Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. The turnaround since those changes has been dramatic. After winning just eight fixtures in the 2023 season, the Galaxy under head coach Greg Vanney won a record-equalling 19 games this season to finish joint top of the table, second only to leaders LAFC on goal difference. The Galaxy kept up their winning ways in the postseason, swatting aside Colorado 9-1 on aggregate to wrap up their first round series, before thrashing Minnesota United 6-2 and then squeezing past Seattle 1-0 last weekend. Those results have left the club on the threshold of a first MLS Cup title since 2014 and a record sixth championship overall. Victory in Saturday's showpiece in Carson would be especially sweet for Vanney, who appeared in three MLS Cup finals with the Galaxy as a player in 1996, 1999 and 2001 -- and lost all three. Reflecting on his team's journey to this year's final, Vanney said this week his team had thrived under the pressure of being expected to challenge for silverware. "The expectation is to be in games like this, to win trophies and win championships," Vanney said. "This group has come out and attacked it from day one and hasn't been afraid of it or in awe of it -- and that's one of the beauties of this group. "I'm excited for this group and this opportunity and now the objective is to win it and put the stamp on it, rewriting a new group of players and new legacy for this organisation." Vanney's task has become more complicated by an injury to star midfielder Riqui Puig, who suffered torn knee ligaments in last week's Western Conference final win over Seattle and will miss Saturday's game. "He's the ultimate competitor," Vanney said. "He wants to win, compete, and take responsibility on the field. He drives the team in so many ways. "We're going to have to adapt, and we're going to have to adapt in a collective way." The Galaxy meanwhile will be wary of a New York Red Bulls line-up that have ripped up the form book en route to the final. After finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference -- 27 points behind leaders Inter Miami -- the Red Bulls stunned reigning champions Columbus in the first round of the playoffs before wins on the road over rivals New York City FC and Orlando to book their place in their first MLS Cup since 2008. New York's Scotland international midfielder Lewis Morgan says the team is unfazed by Saturday's assignment in Los Angeles. "For me, it doesn't really matter where it is: it's playoff football," Morgan said this week. "It's not the regular season. These games are more cagey. You go 1-0 up, we defend a little bit deeper and we're relying on guys at the back. There have been massive performances." rcw/bb

Artificial Intelligence, drones and DNA analysis are all playing a critical role in the ongoing manhunt for the 'brazen' assassin who shot Thompson, 50, in broad daylight Wednesday. AI-powered facial recognition software is being used to analyze CCTV and other images of the killer from the days around the shooting and cross-reference them with NYPD databases of known individuals. This database includes 'lawfully possessed arrest photos' which the AI compares to photo and video evidence from the investigation. The department also has use of more than 100 drones for surveilling the more than 450-square-mile city. And items collected from the crime scene are currently undergoing DNA analysis, as police believe they may have belonged to the gunman. These technologies are already piecing together the events that took place before, during and after Thompson's murder, as officials revealed Monday they are questioning a man about the slaying. New images released by the NYPD show the suspect wanted in connection with UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's shooting, captured by taxi dashcam footage The NYPD is using AI-powered facial recognition software, drones and DNA analysis to catch the person of interest as the investigation enters its sixth day Surveillance cameras recorded the shooter lying in wait outside the New York Hilton Midtown on West 54th Street around 6:45am on December 4. The video then shows him locking in on his target, approaching Thompson, and firing a gun several times at his back at roughly 7:00am. The CEO was declared dead at the hospital. While the NYPD cannot make an arrest based on facial recognition evidence alone, it is a valuable tool for narrowing down suspects. When used effectively, it can crack a case. In 2019, the department's Facial Identification Section received 9,850 requests for comparison and identified 2,510 possible matches, according to the NYPD website. That included possible matches in 68 murders, 66 rapes, 277... Ellyn Lapointe

Article content Jade Rose’s job for Canada is to prevent goals. Younger sister Nyah Rose is looking to score them. Recommended Videos While 26 appearances, including 25 starts, under her belt, the 21-year-old Jade is already a veteran of the Canadian senior side. The Harvard senior is part of Canada’s first-choice back three alongside veterans Vanessa Gilles and Kadeisha Buchanan, who is sidelined with a knee injury. Just 19, Nyah is taking her first steps with the senior side after excelling as a youth international. Nyah is in camp with the sixth-ranked Canadian women in Spain, preparing for friendlies Friday against No. 13 Iceland and Dec. 3 against No. 19 South Korea, with both games at the Pinatar Arena in Murcia. She is learning the ropes in the absence of Jade, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. “It’s been a great experience,” Nyah said Tuesday after getting a taste of the step up from the youth level to the senior side in the team’s first full training session in Spain. “I think the biggest difference is the intensity, like ball speed during practice. And within the team environment, everyone kind of holds each other to the same high standard and level.” Nyah, a former centre back who grew up in Markham, has a nose for the goal. At the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, Nyah scored in Canada’s opening 3-3 draw with France on Aug. 31 and recorded seven shots on goal in a 9-0 romp over Fiji as Canada reached the round of 16 in the tournament for the first time since 2014, eventually losing 2-1 to Spain. As a freshman last year at Dallas-based Southern Methodist University, she led the American Athletic Conference in goals with 11, was named conference co-Rookie of the Year and earned All South Region first team, All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team, and All-Rookie team honours. As a sophomore, Nyah missed five games early this season due to the U-20 World Cup. Upon her return, she scored five goals in 11 games to rank second on the team with the Mustangs facing stiffer competition after shifting to the ACC. In September, Nyah scored in a 1-1 draw with defending NCAA champion Florida State. That came three days after a highlight-reel goal at Miami, with Nyah rising high to control a cross with her right foot before swivelling to volley the ball home before it hit the turf. In camp with Canada, Nyah has been reunited with under-20 coach Cindy Tye, who is serving as Canada’s interim coach for the two friendlies. Canada Soccer has said head coach Bev Priestman will not be returning in the wake of the recent independent report into the Olympic drone-spying scandal. Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi are serving one-year suspensions from FIFA, with Lombardi having already resigned his Canada Soccer position. Nyah said her call-up came out of the blue. “I was not expecting it whatsoever,” she said. RECOMMENDED VIDEO She was disappointed at first that Jade would not be in camp with her. But her sister told her it was a good thing, given she could find her own way with the team. The sisters are close — and competitive, says Nyah. “I felt like I kind of pushed myself a lot more when I went up against her just because I wanted to beat her, because she’s my sister. Mehkai, their 16-year-old brother, also plays soccer as a winger. Earlier this year, Nyah was one of only three sophomores among the 44 players named to the 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, The annual award goes to the top NCAA soccer player, with former Canada captain Christine Sinclair (2004 and ’05) and Buchanan (2016) among the past winners. Nyah, who is studying sports management at SMU, and her sister both hope to play professionally in Europe after college. Jade and Nyah Rose are no relation to forward Deanne Rose, a Leicester City forward with 84 caps for Canada who is also in camp in Spain. Tye has also brought North Carolina State University defender Janet Okeke, another under-20 player, into the senior camp for the first time. And there are second call-ups for 18-year-old midfielder Jeneva Hernandez Gray from the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls elite team and 28-year-old defender Megan Reid from the NWSL’s Angel City.

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Priyank Kharge isn’t Kalaburagi Nizam, he must resign, demands AshokaNEW YORK (AP) — The huge rally for U.S. stocks lost momentum on Thursday as Wall Street counted down to a big jobs report that’s coming on Friday. The crypto market had more action, and bitcoin briefly burst to a record above $103,000 before pulling back. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from the all-time high it had set the day before, its 56th of the year so far, to shave a bit off what’s set to be one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 248 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2% from its own record set the day before. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

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