Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Don't expect any man-marking of Messi in semi-final, say Croatia

Croatia will not attempt to stop Argentina superstar Lionel Messi by man-marking him but instead will focus on immobilising the entire team in their World Cup semi-final on Tuesday, they said. Croatia are bidding to make it to the final for the second World Cup in a row after losing in the 2018 showcase match to France.

Soccer-Tearful Ronaldo the lasting image of Portugal World Cup debacle

Cristiano Ronaldo running to the tunnel in tears and as desolate as the football world has ever seen him will be the lasting image for Portugal fans looking back on the World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo, a five-times Ballon D'Or winner, arrived with a mission to prove he could still make a difference. He ended the tournament, however, as a bench player and had no impact as a substitute in his team's 1-0 quarter-final loss to Morocco.

Swimming-Governing body FINA changes century-old name to 'World Aquatics'

International swimming federation FINA voted on Monday to rebrand itself 'World Aquatics' at its extraordinary general congress in Melbourne. Federation International de Natacion - French for International Federation of Swimming - was the governing body's official name dating back to 1908.

NBA roundup: Warriors blitz Celtics in Finals rematch

The Golden State Warriors picked up where they left off in June, riding Stephen Curry's long-range shooting and a defense that frustrated Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum for a 123-107 victory Saturday night in a rematch of the NBA Finals in San Francisco. Klay Thompson poured in a game-high 34 points, Curry had 32 and Jordan Poole 20 as the Warriors were able to outgun the league's top offensive team without Andrew Wiggins, who missed his third straight game with a strained right adductor.

NHL roundup: Maple Leafs slide by Flames in OT

Mitchell Marner scored a power-play goal 43 seconds into overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Calgary Flames 5-4 Saturday night. Marner scored his 12th goal of the season on an assist from William Nylander, who had two goals and three assists. Marner also had an assist to extend his point streak to 22 games, which is already a team record. The Maple Leafs have picked up at least one point in 14 straight games (11-0-3).

PREVIEW-Soccer-Croatia in the way of Argentina's dream of a World Cup final spot

Argentina, led by superstar Lionel Messi, came into the World Cup as one of the favourites but they face a big roadblock in the semi-final on Tuesday with 2018 runners-up Croatia, who proved too much for the other title contenders, Brazil. The Croats stunned the tournament favourites in the quarter-finals with a vintage performance, after going a goal down in extra-time but digging deep to bounce back and force a penalty shootout that they ended up winning.

Soccer-Ronaldo says dedication to Portugal unchanged but will 'let time be a good adviser'

Cristiano Ronaldo said on Sunday that he had always been dedicated to being a part of the Portuguese national team, which was knocked out of the World Cup a day earlier, but he was coy about his future in the national side. The 37-year-old, a five-times Ballon D'Or winner, had arrived in Qatar with a mission to prove he could still make a difference on his national team. He ended the tournament, however, coming on as a second-half substitute in Portugal's 1-0 quarter-final loss to Morocco.

Royal Air Maroc plans 30 flights to carry Moroccan soccer fans to Doha

Morocco's Royal Air Maroc will operate 30 special flights to carry soccer fans from Casablanca to Doha for the country's Wednesday World Cup semifinal game against France, the airline said on Monday. The flights would depart on Tuesday and Wednesday, it said.

Soccer-Giroud sends France into World Cup semis as England miss late penalty

Olivier Giroud sent France into a World Cup semi-final with Morocco as his late header after Aurelien Tchouameni's opener clinched a gutsy 2-1 win over England on Saturday with Harry Kane blazing a penalty over the bar six minutes from time.

Four years ago Giroud did not manage a shot on target in the entire tournament as France won the title but in Qatar he now has four goals and has become his country's record goalscorer along the way.

Top 25 roundup: No. 8 Alabama rallies to beat No. 1 Houston

Noah Clowney scored 16 points, including the go-ahead layup with 1:12 remaining, to lift No. 8 Alabama to a 71-65 victory over host and top-ranked Houston on Saturday. The Crimson Tide's second win over the AP poll's top-ranked team in as many months made them the first with multiple wins over the season's top-ranked team before Jan. 1 since Duke in 1965-66. Alabama (8-1) beat then-No. 1 North Carolina 103-101 in four overtimes on Nov. 27. Duke knocked off then-No. 1 UCLA on Dec. 10 and 11 in 1965.