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Gray’s header in 9th minute of stoppage time helps NYCFC beat Union 2-1

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Tayvon Gray scored in the ninth minute of stoppage time to help New York City FC beat the Philadelphia Union 2-1 on Sunday.

Hannes Wolf scored in the 36th minute to give NYCFC (1-0-1) a 1-0 lead.

Olwethu Makhanya was shown his second yellow card in the second minute of stoppage time and the Union played a man down the rest of the way.

Agustin Ojeda, from the left corner of the 18-yard box, flicked an arcing cross to the back post where Gray skipped a header back inside the front post to cap the scoring.

Wolf, who had a career-high 11 goals in 2025, scored his first of the season to give NYCFC a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute. On the counter-attack, Nicolás Fernández had his shot from the left corner of the 6-yard box parried by goalkeeper Andre Blake, but Wolf slammed home the first-touch putback.

The Union’s Stas Korzeniowski drew a penalty, conceded by Thiago Martins, and Indiana Vassilev converted from the spot to make it 1-1 in the 89th.

Blake finished with eight saves for Philadelphia (0-2-0), which won the 2025 Supporter’s Shield.

Matt Freese had three saves, which included a kick-stop of a shot by Agustín Anello in the 60th minute and a diving parry that denied Nathan Harriel in the 81st.

Ojeda cut back to evade Union defender Frankie Westfield, but his shot from the center of the area banged off the right post.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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