Europe

England's Lauren James issued an apology on Tuesday after she was sent off for a stamp on Nigeria player Michelle Alozie during their Women's World Cup last-16 game.

James, England's top scorer at the tournament with three goals, received a red card for a bad-tempered stamp on Alozie's back in the 87th minute of Monday's game.

Lauren James steps on Michelle Alozie's back

Lauren James is seeing red and will be sent off

No. 1 United States men’s national team goalkeeper Matt Turner could finally get his wish of starting in the Premier League as he nears a transfer to Nottingham Forest.

Turner, 29, made just seven appearances for Arsenal last season after around a $6 million transfer to the Gunners from the New England Revolution last summer.

None of those seven appearances were in the Premier League.

AUCKLAND — Five days after Spain's shock loss to Japan, a bold squad reshuffle by coach Jorge Vilda paid off for the Spanish team on Saturday as they thrashed Switzerland 5-1 in their last-16 Women's World Cup clash.

The victory launched La Roja into the quarterfinals for the first time in their history.

"(The 4-0 loss to Japan) really hurt and the healing of that pain will continue," Vilda told a press conference.

The San Jose Earthquakes acquired U.S. men's national team forward Matthew Hoppe on a 12-month loan from England's Middlesbrough F.C.

Hoppe, 22, is coming off a loan to Scotland's Hibernian F.C. He has also played with Mallorca in Spain and Schalke 04 in Germany.

Let's Hoppe right into it. pic.twitter.com/FmNfYGcgEl

Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah showed out during Juventus’ 3-1 preseason friendly victory vs. Real Madrid on Tuesday. McKennie was named man of the match while Weah scored his first Juventus goal, assisted by McKennie.

Let’s get straight to what you USMNT fans want to see and look at the McKennie assist to Weah.

With Juventus leading 1-0, McKennie made a darting run into the Madrid box and then put it on a plate for the wide open Weah.

Retired NFL great Tom Brady is now a minority owner of English second-tier soccer club Birmingham City FC.

The seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback's partnership with team owner Knighthead Capital Management LLC was announced Thursday, Brady's 46th birthday.

Tom Brady Birmingham City announcement

Welcome to the Blues family, @TomBrady! pic.twitter.com/ppPyLc6Zsf

PERTH — Debutants Morocco stunned Colombia 1-0 in their final group match in Perth on Thursday to reach the last 16 of the Women's World Cup at the first attempt along with their opponents.

The 72nd ranked Moroccans scored through Anissa Lahmari's toe-poke after a saved penalty at the end of the first half but their passage was only secured after South Korea held twice champions Germany to a 1-1 draw in the other Group H match.

Scoring with a volley from the top of the box straight off a corner kick is one of the game's most audacious tactics. It's pure poetry when it comes off (David Beckham to Paul Scholes, anyone?), but its execution requires pinpoint service and the perfect finish. The margin for error is minuscule, and if either the corner or volley isn't flawless, then you're simply hoping the shot flies into Row Z and you're not getting torn apart on a counter going the other way. 

Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has retired from football, the 45-year-old announced on Wednesday, after 28 years in which he reached exceptional milestones for club and country.

Buffon, who in 2006 lifted the World Cup, won 10 Serie A titles with Juventus and a Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain.

"That's all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together," Buffon said in a statement.