Lorenzo Insigne scores a goal, sets up another as Toronto FC defeats D.C. United 2-0
TORONTO - Italian star Lorenzo Insigne, considered surplus to requirements by Toronto FC to start the season, stole the show Saturday.
The 33-year-old Insigne scored his first MLS goal in 11 months and set up another as Toronto defeated D.C. United 2-0 for its first home win this season.
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CBC
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- CBC
2025 HoopQueens Summer League : Reign vs Tide
Watch the Reign take on the Tide in exciting basketball action from the 2025 HoopQueens Summer League stop at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport in Toronto.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
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Shevchenko hopes Ukrainian soccer history can be preserved through Toronto exhibition
Fans of all ages flocked to a vibrant historical exhibition of Ukrainian soccer history in Toronto on Thursday and Friday, highlighted by a special appearance by 2004 Ballon d'Or winner Andriy Shevchenko. Designed to coincide with the Ukrainian national team's appearance at the Canadian Shield – a four-team men's international tournament also featuring Canada, Ivory Coast and New Zealand – the exhibition is running until June 10. Ukraine and Canada kick off a tournament doubleheader Saturday afternoon at BMO Field, with New Zealand and Ivory Coast playing later the same day. In collaboration with the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada and the Consulate General of Ukraine in Toronto, the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) displayed all of its national team jerseys dating back to 1991, FIFA World Cup balls and club flags and scarves since the early eighties. And there was plenty of silverware, too, with European trophies won by some of those teams also on display. 'Football is part of being Ukrainian,' said Artem Dzherikh, who was attending the event with his English teacher. 'It's in our everyday life.' Also enjoying the artifact-filled hall was a select group of players, who held a Q&A session after taking a look at some of the history that they now help to write. 'I have never had the opportunity to meet the team,' Dzherikh said. 'Even when I was back home [in Ukraine], we never had an opportunity like this.' Some kids also had the chance to ask the players questions, before racing in line for autographs and pictures. The questions ranged from 'How can I be famous like you?' to 'Who is your favourite player?' and the classic, '[Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo?' Mark Milchevych, who is 11 years old, was at the event that 'he couldn't miss' with his mother after a long day at school. During his wait in the lobby before entering the exhibition, Milchevych and his friends were kickabout with the ball he brought along. 'I want the players to sign my ball and wish my generation good luck so I can succeed like them,' Milchevych said. 'It's very exciting that my national team is here.' Though admission into the event was free, the organizers emphasized the importance of donations to charities that are helping children affected by the war in Ukraine. Many wearing the yellow and blue colours of the national team handed over a donation before walking inside and headed toward a specific section in the room. An infographic wall with pictures and text titled 'Football and War' drew immediate attention from the entering crowd. Situated alongside it was the military uniform of FC Volyn Lutsk player Roman Maksymiuk, who went missing on the battlefield defending Ukraine. On the same table were valid tickets for a scheduled Ukrainian Premier League match set to take place in February, 2022. The fixture was cancelled due to the start of the invasion, and has since been coined by fans as 'the match that never happened.' 'Even during the war, we still believe we can improve football, and provide everything for our young generation,' said Shevchenko, who is also the UAF president. 'We can still grow and deliver.' Shevchenko is widely considered one of the best strikers to ever grace a soccer pitch, winning trophies at every club he played for. As he walked into the hall to take questions, the crowd erupted, and the expression of disbelief across the faces of the waiting children was contagious. 'I could not believe it,' Milchevych said after getting his soccer ball signed by his 'inspiration.' The impact of the war has been harsh on the Ukraninan Premier League's financial health, soccer infrastructure, and players who have taken themselves to the front line, says Shevchenko. However, the fan affection has not been hindered as the regular season is operating without restricted attendance, in comparison to the start of the war. 'Football events bring joy at a time that is very difficult,' said Mykola Vasylkov, who is a volunteer with the UFA, helping to set up events with the team on the road. 'It is a sign of normal life, which [is what] we want to finally achieve.' Shevchenko and Dzherikh both feel grateful to Canada and the way its people have welcomed Ukrainians fleeing the war, helping to provide them with a sense of community. There is nothing they bond over more than soccer, and an exhibition of this scale is important to preserve their history, Shevchenko added. 'If you look at the history of each player [part of the team], 90 per cent of them have been affected by the war,' he said. 'It's always been an incredible connection [with the fans].'
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Champ takes 2-shot lead, Canada's Taylor and Lee tied for 3rd heading into weekend at Canadian Open
Cameron Champ wasn't even supposed to be here today. Champ shot a 4-under 66 to climb atop the leaderboard on Friday at 12-under overall at the RBC Canadian Open for a two-stroke lead over fellow American Andrew Putnam. A week ago, Champ was the eighth alternate for the only PGA Tour event in Canada, but enough golfers withdrew from the tournament that he made the field. "I definitely didn't think I was getting in, especially as eighth," Champ told media after leaving the scorers' room at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. "I know the deadline, some guys will withdraw over the weekend but as eighth, I was like, 'yeah, probably not getting in.' "Luckily, I actually brought my passport. I don't know why I brought it. I was like 'I'm just going to bring it in case' for whatever reason, not even thinking about the tournament. So it all worked out nicely." It's been five years since Champ last won on the PGA Tour and he's been bouncing back and forth between the top-flight circuit and the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour this season. "It's been a grind. It's been a mental battle, that's for sure, going back and forth and having limited starts," said Champ, who has played in five PGA Tour events this year and eight on the Korn Ferry Tour. "For me now, it's just more so embracing it. "Embracing the situation I'm in and just try to take advantage of every opportunity I can." Putnam shot an 8-under 62, the best round of the day, to take sole possession of second at 10-under overall. Vancouver's Richard T. Lee (64), Nick Taylor (65) of Abbotsford, B.C., Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen (70) and Italy's Victor Perez (65) were tied for third at 9 under. WATCH l Canadians Taylor, Lee tied for 3rd midway through Canadian Open: Canadians Nick Taylor and Richard T. Lee tied for 3rd midway through RBC Canadian Open 1 hour ago Duration 2:31 Taylor was grouped with Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. The all-Canadian trio was easily the most popular pairing on Friday, with fans going wild for each made shot. "The fans are phenomenal. The ovation on the first hole alone, we had the national anthem, it felt like, almost every tee box," said Taylor, who had five birdies on the front nine. "It was fun. The Rink Hole was buzzing. It was a fun day." McIlroy struggles Two-time Canadian Open champion Rory McIlroy struggled mightily, dropping an 8-over round to easily miss the cut at 9 over. The par-4 fifth hole was particularly costly, as the No. 2 player in the world scored an eight. McIlroy said his poor showing is a concern ahead of next week's U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Corinth, Texas. "You don't want to shoot high scores like the one I did today," said McIlroy, who has been trying out a new driver after his go-to was disqualified by the USGA at the PGA Championship. "I came here with a new driver thinking that that was going to be good and solve some of the problems off the tee, but it didn't. "Obviously, going to Oakmont next week, what you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways. Still sort of searching for the missing piece off the tee." Lee and Taylor headlined a group of eight Canadians who made the cut at the national men's golf championship, matching the record previously set in 2023 at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto and again at Hamilton Golf and Country Club last year. A special air quality advisory was in the area due to wildfires in Manitoba and parts of Ontario. An Air Quality Index of 164 — considered unhealthy — was recorded in the Greater Toronto Area.
