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Celtic scores penalty in the 9th minute of added time as Scottish title race goes to the last game

By The Associated Press

Celtic scored a penalty in the ninth minute of added time to clinch 3-2 win against Motherwell on Tuesday and set up an epic final day in the race for the Scottish title.

League leader Hearts beat Falkirk 3-0, meaning the title will be decided when the top two meet at Celtic Park on Saturday. Hearts stayed one point ahead of Celtic and will need at least a draw to finish in front.

But it looked to be in an even better position and closing in on its first title since 1960 until the late drama at Motherwell.

Celtic had already fought back from a goal down to lead 2-1 at Fir Park when Liam Gordon made it 2-2 in the 85th.

At that point it meant Celtic would have needed to beat Hearts by at least three goals in the season finale to take the title on goals scored.

But Kelechi Iheanacho’s late penalty means the four-time defending champion can retain its trophy with a win in front of its home fans.

Hearts is bidding to become the first team to break the dominance of Celtic and Rangers in Scotland since Aberdeen in 1985.

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

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

By WTOP Staff
▶ 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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