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Vázquez’s first-half header lifts Mexico past Australia 1-0 in a World Cup warm-up

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Defender Johan Vazquez scored a first-half goal and Mexico beat Australia 1-0 on Saturday night in a warm-up match for the World Cup.

On a corner kick taken by Alexis Vega, Vázquez connected with a header that went in past the right post of goalkeeper Mathew Ryan in the 27th minute.

Mexico extended its unbeaten streak to seven games this year and has not lost since Nov. 18, when it fell 2-1 to Paraguay in a friendly match in San Antonio.

Mexico will open World Cup play June 11 against South Africa at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City. On the 18th, it will face South Korea in Guadalajara and close out the first round against Czechia on the 24th.

The Mexicans will have one last warm-up match next Thursday night in Toluca against Serbia.

Australia will open the tournament against Turkey on June 13 in Vancouver, British Columbia, then play the United States in Seattle on the 19th, and conclude the group stage against Paraguay on the 25th, in Santa Clara, California.

The Australians last friendly match will be June 6, when they take on Switzerland at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.

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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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