Human Interest

“We will speak. We will act.”

That was the promise made by San Diego Loyal SC players after teammate Elijah Martin was racially abused in a match against LA Galaxy II last week. The USL club had a plan to join together with Wednesday night’s opponent, Phoenix Rising, to halt the match in the 71st minute to raise banners with the phrase in a show of solidarity against white supremacy.

It was one of football's most successful midfield partnerships: on the one hand, the snarling, combative Gennaro Gattuso, and on the other, the thoughtful, elegant, unflappable Andrea Pirlo.

The pair formed the backbone of a memorable AC Milan team for more than a decade and helped Italy win the 2006 World Cup.

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Rookie defender Madison Hammond collected a bunch of firsts after her OL Reign faced off against the Utah Royals in their Fall Series debut.

Hammond, a graduate of Wake Forest University, made her first appearance for the Reign during the match and became the first Native American to play in the NWSL. (Hammond is Navajo.)

Fourteen team members and staff of Serie A side Genoa have now tested positive for COVID-19, the club said in a statement on Monday.

Genoa had reported at the weekend that their Denmark midfielder Lasse Schone and goalkeeper Mattia Perin had contracted the virus.

TOKYO — Thirty four years after making his professional debut, Japanese forward Kazuyoshi Miura became the oldest player to appear in a J-League first division match when he led Yokohama FC on Wednesday at the age of 53.

The player known as "King Kazu", who started his career in Brazil in 1986 because Japan did not have a professional league for him to play in, was given the captain's armband, but he could not inspire his team who lost 3-2 to league leaders Kawasaki Frontale.