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Wilson converts penalty kick to pull Thorns into a 2-2 draw with the Royals

Sophia Wilson scored on a penalty kick in stoppage time to give the Portland Thorns a 2-2 draw with the Utah Royals on Saturday in a matchup of the league’s top teams.

In other National Women’s Soccer League matches, the Washington Spirit beat the Seattle Reign 2-1; and the Kansas City Current topped the Boston Legacy 1-0.

The Thorns (7-3-3) took a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute on a goal by Olivia Moultrie.

The first-place Royals (7-2-3), unbeaten in their last 10, leveled the match on Kiana Palacios’ header in the 44th minute. It was the first goal that Portland had conceded at Providence Park this season and ended a 637-minute home shutout streak.

Mina Tanaka found Cloé Lacasse in the 50th minute to give Utah a 2-1 lead.

Alexa Spaanstra fouled Jayden Perry in the box for the penalty kick that Wilson converted for her fifth goal of the season.

Second-place Portland is unbeaten at home over 10 regular-season matches stretching to last season.

Hershfelt gets go-ahead goal for the Spirit

Hal Hershfelt scored her first goal of the season in the 81st minute to give the Spirit (6-2-3) the win over the Reign at Audi Field.

Spirit midfielder Leicy Santos opened the scoring in the 18th minute off a free kick from outside the box.

The Reign (4-5-2) equalized in the 44th minute on an own goal from defender Lucia Di Guglielmo.

Hershfelt’s winner deflected off defender Jordyn Bugg.

Current remain unbeaten at home

Reigning league MVP Temwa Chawinga scored her seventh goal of the season in the 69th minute to lead the Current (7-5-0) over the visiting Legacy.

Goalkeeper Lorena made three saves for her third clean sheet of the season.

The Current head into the summer break with an unbeaten home record (6-0-0) and now have a 23-match unbeaten streak at home (20-0-3).

The Legacy (2-7-3) are winless in their last three.

Current defender Kayla Sharples went down in the second minute with an injury and left the field as a concussion substitute seven minutes later.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

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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