Hércules came off the bench and scored in the 70th minute to lift Fluminense past Al Hilal 2-1 in a Club World Cup quarterfinal match on Friday.

Physical play resulted in a pair of yellow cards against both sides as they vied for scoring chances in the first half in front of a crowd of 43,091 at Camping World Stadium.

Fluminense struck first after a poor clearance from Al Hilal allowed Brazillian midfielder Martinelli to find the back of the net.

The second half opened with an emphatic response from Al Hilal, which had not lost a match in the tournament. Marcos Leonardo, who scored the winner in a 4-3 surprise victory over Manchester City, scored in the 51st minute to tie the game at 1.

Hércules, a halftime substitution, scored the tiebreaker and secured a semifinal round berth for Fluminense.

Jota family, friends gather for tearful wake

Family and friends of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother are gathering at the Capela da Ressurreição São Cosme in Gondomar, Portugal, where their bodies have been brought for a wake.

The Portuguese soccer players were killed in a car crash in Spain on Thursday.

Jota and his brother André Silva were found dead near Zamora in northwestern Spain after the Lamborghini they were driving crashed on an isolated stretch of highway just after midnight and burst into flames.

Their bodies were repatriated to Portugal after being identified by the family. The funeral is planned for today.

Chelsea, Barcelona fined for breaking UEFA rules

Chelsea was fined a total of 31 million euros ($36.5 million) for breaking financial monitoring rules by UEFA to hit a record sum for a European club penalized in a single season.

Barcelona also was ordered to pay 15 million euros ($17.7 million) for making excessive losses according to UEFA’s complex evaluations of club accounts if they qualify for European competitions, designed to promote stability in the industry.

Both clubs were sanctioned over their financial accounts for 2024 and must pay tens of millions of more euros (dollars) in future seasons if they miss financial targets set by UEFA.

USL W

Aurora win playoff opener at Pittsburgh

The Aurora kept their unbeaten season going with a 2-0 win at the Pittsburgh Riveters in the opening round of the USL W playoffs.

Saige Wimes put Minnesota on the board with a goal in the 43rd minute to give the visitors a 1-0 halftime lead.

Natalie Tavana’s free kick strike in the 72nd minute provided the Aurora some insurance until time ran out on the Riveters’ season. It was Tavana’s team-leading seventh goal of the summer.

Minnesota (10-0-2) now advances to the second round of the USL W playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

The Heartland Division champions will face Cincinnati’s Kings Hammer FC, a 2-1 winner over Detroit City FC in its playoff opener, in Pittsburgh at 6 p.m. Sunday.

— Staff report

MILB

St. Paul logs just three hits in loss at Gwinnett

The Saints lost their fourth consecutive game in a 4-3 defeat at Gwinnett.

St. Paul (4-6) beat the Stripers (6-4) in the series opener last Tuesday, but the hosts clinched the six-game series with Friday’s victory.

The Saints logged just three hits in the game, yet were also issued eight walks with three bases-loaded passes in the fourth inning accounting for all of St. Paul’s scoring.

Gwinnett trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth, but rallied for a trio of scores off reliever Jarret Whorff, who took the loss.

The loss wasted a solid performance from Saints starter Marco Raya, who allowed one earned run on three hits and four walks in six innings of work before giving way to Whorff.

St. Paul and Gwinnett finish up their series today with a 12:05 p.m. first pitch scheduled.

— Staff report

F1

Horner: Verstappen to stay with Red Bull

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said Max Verstappen intends to stay with the team for next year despite speculation about a move to Mercedes which would shake up Formula 1.

Verstappen has repeatedly declined to say he’s committed to Red Bull for 2026 following a suggestion last week from Mercedes’ George Russell that his team spoke with Verstappen. Russell doesn’t have a contract for 2026.

The four-time world champion has a contract through 2028 at Red Bull but there have been indications that a performance-related clause could allow him to exit earlier. The exact details are not public.

“The contracts between the drivers and the teams are always going to remain confidential. With any driver’s contract there is an element of a performance mechanism, and of course that exists within Max’s contract,” Horner said at the British Grand Prix.

“His intention is that he will be there and driving for us in 2026.”

Horner suggested Russell “probably triggered all this speculation” to strengthen his hand in talks with Mercedes. “I think the most important thing is the clarity that exists between Max and the team and that’s very clear,” Horner added.

WNBA

Clark to miss fifth straight game for Fever

Caitlin Clark will miss her fifth consecutive game with a strained left groin for the Indiana Fever when they host Los Angeles.

The Fever announced Clark’s status a day before their game against the Sparks. Clark’s most recent absence came Thursday night when she sat out Indiana’s 81-54 win over Las Vegas as the Fever snapped a 16-game losing streak against the Aces.

She also missed the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, which did not count toward the regular-season standings.

Clark never missed a game in college at Iowa or with the Fever as a rookie.

— From news services