Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer-Ireland, Switzerland qualify for 2023 World Cup, Portugal advance in playoffs

Ireland and Switzerland qualified for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand after wins over Scotland and Wales while Portugal will advance to the inter-confederation playoffs after sealing a victory over Iceland. Ireland edged 1-0 past Scotland in Glasgow thanks to a goal by Amber Barrett in the 72nd minute to reach their first ever World Cup finals.

Soccer-Hay quits as New Zealand coach after World Cup miss

New Zealand coach Danny Hay has decided to quit rather than re-apply for his job following a review of the All Whites’ failure to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar. Hay, who took over the team in 2019, will finish his tenure when his contract ends on Oct. 31, governing body New Zealand Football (NZF) said on Wednesday.

Motorcycling-World Supersport rider Steeman dies after crash in Portugal

Dutch World Supersport 300 motorcycle rider Victor Steeman has died of injuries suffered in a crash in Portugal at the weekend, World Superbikes said on Tuesday. The 22-year-old Kawasaki racer crashed with another rider in Saturday’s race at the Algarve circuit and was taken by helicopter to hospital in Faro.

Baseball-Ex-Angels employee Kay sentenced to 22 years after overdose death of pitcher Skaggs

Former Los Angeles Angels communications director Eric Kay, who in February was found guilty of distributing a controlled substance to late Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Tuesday, the Department of Justice said. Skaggs, 27, died on July 1, 2019 while on a team trip to Texas and an autopsy showed oxycodone, fentanyl, and alcohol in his system.

Tennis-Rubin comes up short in tennis, ready to walk tall in pickleball

Noah Rubin has been unable to hit the heights expected of him since winning junior Wimbledon in 2014 and the American says he has decided to swap his racket for a paddle to explore a career in the fast-growing sport of pickleball. Rubin, who stands 1.75m tall, said last month that he would take an indefinite break from tennis. He announced his pickleball switch on Monday, poking fun at his height in a video posted on Twitter.

Soccer-Ireland were ready for anything in World Cup qualifier win at Scotland

Ireland manager Vera Pauw said her team had prepared for every possible scenario ahead of their 1-0 win over Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in their history. Ireland keeper Courtney Brosnan kept out Caroline Weir’s early penalty while substitute forward Amber Barrett scored the winner in the 72nd minute.

Soccer-Mexico tells fans not to bring iconic ‘Lucha Libre’ masks to World Cup

Mexico fans have been advised by their government not to wear their colourful ‘Lucha Libre’ wrestling masks at World Cup matches in Qatar to comply with local rules. Alfonso Zegbe of the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) asked fans not to wear the masks at the World Cup, citing guidance from the tournament’s organising committee, although organisers told Reuters there was no such policy in place.

Soccer-INEOS chief Ratcliffe contacted Glazers but told Man United not for sale

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe said he had contacted Manchester United owners the Glazer family about buying the English Premier League club, but was told they were not for sale. Ratcliffe, head of chemical company INEOS, was interested in investing in the 20-time English top flight champions back in August, a source close to the Manchester-born billionaire had told Reuters, but no official bid was launched.

Soccer-Thorns owner stepping down as CEO after NWSL misconduct report

Merritt Paulson, the CEO of the Portland Thorns and their Major League Soccer counterparts, the Timbers, said he was removing himself effective immediately, following a report that detailed abuse in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). An investigation released earlier this month said that abuse and sexual misconduct were systemic throughout the NWSL and that the league and U.S. Soccer failed to put in “basic measures” to safeguard players.

Flight bookings to Qatar boom for World Cup, especially from Dubai

Flight bookings to Qatar are booming for the soccer World Cup being held in November and December, with particularly strong demand from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as fans work round a shortage of accommodation in Doha, a study showed on Tuesday. Flight bookings to Qatar from the UAE and nine other countries have risen ten-fold compared with before the pandemic, travel analysis group Forward Keys said,

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)