AP Sports SummaryBrief at 12:42 p.m. EST

Watson has better shot winning with Browns than fixing image

Deshaun Watson has a better chance of leading the Cleveland Browns to their first Super Bowl title than rebuilding his public image. The disgraced quarterback wouldn’t address his 11-game suspension for sexual misconduct or his league-mandated therapy sessions on Thursday, which were his first comments since returning to the Browns. Watson has been accused by more than two dozen women of sexual harassment and assault during massage therapy sessions. He has settled 23 civil lawsuits brought by the women, while two others, including one filed in October, are pending. Still, Watson could have said he’s grown as a person, that he has a better understanding of how his behavior affects others and that he’s striving to be the best version of himself.

US coach Berhalter to draw on Dutch lessons at World Cup

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Gregg Berhalter went to the Netherlands 28 years ago to turn pro and will apply some of the early lessons he learned when he coaches the United States against the Dutch on Saturday for a berth in the World Cup’s quarterfinals. The U.S. was knocked out in the round of 16 in extra-time losses to Ghana in 2010 and Belgium in 2014 then failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament. The Americans have not reached the quarterfinals since 2002. The Netherlands is a three-time World Cup runner-up and finished third in 2014.

South Korea advances at World Cup after stoppage-time winner

AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — South Korea advanced to the round of 16 at the World Cup on the tiebreaker of goals scored after beating Portugal 2-1 following a stoppage-time strike from Hwang Hee-chan. South Korea was heading out until Son Heung-min led a length-of-the-field breakaway in the first minute of added time and slipped a pass through for Hwang to convert with a low finish. Son and his teammates then formed a huddle in the middle of the field after the final whistle and watched coverage of the end of the match between Uruguay and Ghana on a cell phone. That game finished 2-0 so South Korea advanced.

Uruguay beats Ghana 2-0 at World Cup but both teams out

AL WAKRAH, Qatar (AP) — Uruguay and Luis Suarez were eliminated from the World Cup despite a 2-0 win over Ghana on Friday. The result also put Ghana out of the competition. Suarez played a key role in both first-half goals for Uruguay scored by Giorgian De Arrascaeta. Uruguay was in a position to go through until South Korea’s late goal gave it a 2-1 win over Portugal in the other Group H game. That meant Uruguay needed to score one more goal in the dying minutes of its game to qualify. It didn’t and Suarez was distraught on the sidelines after being substituted in likely his last World Cup appearance.

EXPLAINER: How will College Football Playoff expansion work?

The College Football Playoff will include 12 teams, starting with the 2024 season. An expansion plan that was crafted for two years and haggled over for another 18 months finally cleared all the obstacles needed to go from idea to reality. The CFP announced Thursday that the current four-team system would be tripling in size. There are still a few more details to work out, like exact dates of some of the games, but college football is two years away from another dramatic change to its postseason.

Walker, Hutchinson meet again, this time with Jags, Lions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Travon Walker and Aidan Hutchinson will always be compared to one another. Same class. Same position. Same lofty expectations. The top two picks in the 2022 NFL draft will be on the same field for the first time as pros when Detroit hosts Jacksonville on Sunday. It’s the second game in less than a year that features Walker and Hutchinson on opposite sidelines. They played in the College Football Playoff last December. Walker says he’d like to exchange jerseys. Hutchinson says Jacksonville’s decision to pass on him will stick with him.

Camel pageant among attractions on World Cup sidelines

ASH-SHHANIYA, Qatar (AP) — The camel batted her eyelashes and flashed a toothy smile for the television cameras at the Mzayen World Cup. The camel pageant was being held in the Qatari desert about 15 miles (25 kilometers) away from Doha and soccer’s World Cup. The pageant is a cross between the Westminster Dog Show and the Miss America Pageant. The winner was Nazaa’a is a majestic light-haired creature that overcame several preliminary rounds and hundreds of other camels to win the pageant at Qatar Camel Mzayen Club on Friday.

Hockey Canada: 900-plus cases of on-ice discrimination

More than 900 documented or alleged incidents of on-ice discrimination like verbal taunts, insults and intimidation happened in Hockey Canada across all levels and age groups during the 2021-22 season. The national sport organization’s first-ever report that tracks the issue shows 512 penalties for discrimination were called by officials. More than 400 allegations were investigated after being reported. The combined per capita rate of the penalized and alleged discrimination incidents stood at 0.18% of the 519,755 registered players in 2021-22. Men made up 99% of the discrimination called by officials and were at least 67% of the discrimination that warranted investigation.

AP photo catches key moment before Japan’s World Cup goal

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — From most angles, it looked like the ball went out of play just before Japan scored its winning goal in the 2-1 victory against Spain in the World Cup. Associated Press photographer Petr Josek took a photo from above that appears to support the referee’s decision to allow it. Josek’s image was taken Thursday night from a narrow catwalk, high above the field at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Messi, Argentina try to avoid World Cup upset vs. Australia

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Australia’s players speak in glowing and almost reverential terms about Lionel Messi. Mathew Leckie says Messi “does things that no one else can do.” Milos Degenek describes the Argentina star as “probably the best footballer ever to grace the game.” Imagine how they’ll be feeling Saturday when they share the same field as Messi and his Argentina team in the last 16 of the World Cup. These are pinch-yourself times for a group of unheralded players who were expected to be on their way home by this stage of the tournament. It looks to be a mismatch with Australia ranked No. 38 and Argentina starting to play like one of the favorites.