SOCCER

Lucas Moura completed a hat trick in the sixth minute of injury time as Tottenham pulled off another stunning comeback on Wednesday, beating Ajax 3-2 to set up an all-English final in the Champions League.

A day after Liverpool stunned Barcelona by erasing a three-goal deficit, Moura nearly single-handedly helped Tottenham pull off a similar feat in Amsterdam.

Ajax seemed to have the two-legged semifinal wrapped up by halftime after goals from teenage captain Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech put it up 2-0 at the break – and 3-0 on aggregate.

But Moura scored twice in a four-minute span to put the visitors one goal from going through on the away goals rule.

After Jan Vertonghen’s header hit the crossbar in the 87th minute, that goal finally arrived when Moura struck again deep into injury time. Dele Alli laid the ball off to the Brazilian as he streaked into the area, and his low shot crept inside the right post to complete another improbable victory.

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MLS: The expansion team owned in part by David Beckham plans to start signing players this summer and will select its first coach later this year.

Inter Miami CF, which says it will begin play in March 2020 and that an 18,000-seat stadium in Fort Lauderdale will be ready by then, has narrowed its coaching search to three finalists. Managing owner Jorge Mas declined to reveal names, and only suggested the hire would be done by September or October.

TENNIS

MADRID OPEN: David Ferrer’s career came to an end with a 6-4, 6-1 loss to Alexander Zverev in the second round in Spain.

The 37-year-old Spaniard had announced earlier that this would be his last tournament because he didn’t feel he was fit enough to keep competing at a high level on tour.

Ferrer finished his 20-year career with 27 singles titles, fifth-best among active players.

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HOCKEY

NWHL: Buffalo Beauts owner Kim Pegula gave up control of the team in a move that further jeopardizes the future of the National Women’s Hockey League as it struggles to keep its five franchises afloat without the support of the world’s top players. Last week, more than 200 players announced they would not play in North America this year without what they say needs to be a single, economically viable professional league for women.

BETTING

INDIANA: Indiana became the latest state to legalize sports gambling when Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb signed legislation allowing sports betting and allowing the construction of two new casinos in the state.

Indiana, Montana and Tennessee have legalized sports gambling this year. Six other states did so last year after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed it nationwide.

FOOTBALL

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NFL: The South Carolina Senate is set to debate Thursday whether to offer about $120 million in tax breaks to the Carolina Panthers to build a new practice facility and team headquarters in South Carolina.

• Running back Rod Smith signed with the New York Giants, joining a crowded backfield to compete for the backup job to Saquon Barkley.

HIGH SCHOOL: The Michigan High School Athletic Association voted this week to trim the amount of full-contact football practice from a maximum of 90 to 30 minutes per week and to drastically reduce the amount of full contact allowed in preseason workouts.

The group cites studies that say 58% of concussions in high school football happen on the practice field, compared with 4% in the NFL.


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