Reuters Sports News Summary

The US soccer team is riding high after a dream World Cup start, but faces a tough test against Australia, who have been fired up by perceived disrespect.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-US riding high after dream World Cup start, but wary of Australia

The United States ​will hope to keep the party going after starting the World Cup with a fluid ​attacking display, but must be wary of an Australia side which ‌began ​with a famous victory and have been fired up by misplaced disrespect. Few would have predicted that Friday's game could decide who tops Group D, but the co-hosts' 4-1 rout of Paraguay followed by the Socceroos' 2-0 humbling of Turkey makes the winners firm favourites to progress in first place.

The World Cup ‌returned to Mexico after 40 years. Many locals feel left out

Born in 1986, the last time Mexico hosted a World Cup, Eduardo Marin likes to joke that he’s measured his life not in years, but in soccer tournaments. In 1994, as a young kid, he watched with his family as Mexico crashed out on penalties to Bulgaria. In 2006, by then at college, Marin recalls the heartbreak of Argentina's Maxi Rodriguez smashing ‌home a volley from outside the box in extra time, knocking out one of the best Mexico teams in recent memory. And in 2018, in his early 30s, Marin and eight friends painted ‌a bus in Mexico’s green, white and red and drove from Germany to Russia in support of 'El Tri.' The bus appeared on TV channels across the globe and secured the friend group, for a moment, viral fame.

Report: C Walker Kessler rebuffs $140M offer from Jazz

Restricted free agent Walker Kessler and the Utah Jazz remain far apart, despite a five-year, $140 million offer on the table, ESPN reported Wednesday. It reportedly would be the largest contract ever given to a center who has never been an All-Star. ⁠However, the 24-year-old ​Kessler and his representatives are looking for "significantly more than ⁠that," per ESPN.

Report: Jags make Ross Matiscik highest-paid snapper

The Jacksonville Jaguars are making three-time Pro Bowl selection Ross Matiscik the NFL's highest-paid long snapper, NFL Network reported Wednesday. Matiscik, 29, is signing a two-year extension worth $3.8 million in new money, according to ⁠the report. His previous contract, signed in April 2022, was four years for $5.07 million.

Tennis-Clinical De Minaur eases into Queen's quarter-finals

Top seed Alex de Minaur dispatched Canadian Denis Shapovalov with ease to move into the Queen's Club quarter-finals on Wednesday where ​he will face American Brandon Nakashima. World number six de Minaur produced a clinical display on a sunny Andy Murray Arena to win 6-4 6-1 in little more than an hour -- ⁠improving his record over Shapovalov to 6-0.

Former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka retires at 27

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, a first-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, abruptly retired at age 27. The outside linebacker signed a one-year free agent deal in March with the Philadelphia Eagles, ⁠who ​put him on the reserve/retired list on Tuesday.

Rapids transfer M Connor Ronan to Aberdeen FC

The Colorado Rapids transferred midfielder Connor Ronan to Scotland's Aberdeen FC on Wednesday. Ronan, 28, had one assist in six matches (two starts) this season, his fourth with the Rapids.

Union part ways with veteran D Olivier Mbaizo

The Philadelphia Union waived longtime defender Olivier Mbaizo on Wednesday. The 28-year-old Cameroon native had been under contract ⁠through the 2026 MLS season.

WNBA expanding to 50-game regular season in 2027

The WNBA is expanding the regular season from 44 games to 50 games starting with the 2027 campaign, the league ⁠announced Wednesday. During its inaugural season in 1997, each ⁠of the league's eight members played only 28 regular season games.

Maple Leafs tab former Kings bench boss Jim Hiller as next head coach

The Toronto Maple Leafs named former assistant Jim Hiller as the 41st head coach in franchise history on Wednesday morning. Hiller, 57, returns to Toronto after serving four seasons ‌as an assistant coach under Mike ‌Babcock from 2015-19. He spent parts of the past three campaigns as the head coach of the ​Los Angeles Kings before being fired on March 1.