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Bayern Munich finally receives Bundesliga trophy and celebrates

Bayern Munich finally got hold of the Bundesliga trophy after extending its goals record with a Harry Kane hat trick on Saturday.

Kane’s fourth hat trick this season lifted his tally to 36 goals — five shy of Robert Lewandowski’s league record from 2020-21 — in Bayern’s 5-1 rout of Cologne in the last round.

Tom Bischof and Nicolas Jackson also scored.

Bayern finished with 122 goals, easily surpassing the previous Bundesliga record haul of 101 by the 1971-72 Bayern team with the likes of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller.

Leon Goretzka, who’s leaving the club after eight seasons, scored the goal that broke the record with five rounds still to play.

“We have a great group, a great togetherness, and to celebrate success with that is awesome,” Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said after his second league title with the club.

With the exception of Bayer Leverkusen’s remarkable unbeaten domestic season in 2024, Bayern has won every Bundesliga since Borussia Dortmund won back-to-back titles in 2012.

French winger Michael Olise, who chipped in 15 goals and set up 22 more over 32 appearances, was named Bundesliga player of the season on Saturday, which turned into a day of celebration for the Bavarian powerhouse.

Vincent Kompany’s team wrapped up the title with four rounds to spare but the players had to wait until Saturday before getting their hands on the “salad bowl” trophy.

Manuel Neuer, the captain who extended his contract with the club for another year on Friday, gave the trophy to Goretzka to hoist skyward, prompting an explosion of confetti and the ubiquitous Queen hit “We Are The Champions” to be blared as the celebrations got underway.

The traditional beer showers quickly followed as giant pitchers full of beer were brought to the field and anyone unfortunate enough to be dry became a target. Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano doused Kompany before the soaked coach managed to join his family members on the sideline.

“I’d say today it’s OK to celebrate a little,” Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich said. “Then we have a week and then we’ll be fully focused on the cup final.”

Bayern plays defending champion Stuttgart in the German Cup final in Berlin’s Olympiastadion next Saturday.

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