SOCCER

The U.S. soccer team was plunged into public turmoil Wednesday when the family of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna said it notified the U.S. Soccer Federation of a decades-old incident involving Gregg Berhalter and his wife in response to the coach’s disparagement of Claudio’s son, young star Gio Reyna.

Berhalter said Tuesday his 1991 behavior in which he kicked the woman who would become his wife was “shameful” and that he was “looking forward to continuing my conversations with U.S. Soccer about the future.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation has commissioned an investigation by an outside law firm, along with the staff review of the team’s performance over the four-year cycle. All of it leaves the program’s leadership uncertain as the run-up begins to the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host.

“Obviously this is a not a positive time for soccer in this country and for our men’s national team,” USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone said during a news conference.

The controversy has become a messy public dispute involving Berhalter; Claudio Reyna, who was the best man at Berhalter’s wedding; Danielle Egan Reyna, a former U.S. women’s player; Rosalind Santana Berhalter, the coach’s wife and Egan’s college roommate; and Gio Reyna, the 20-year-old midfielder who played only 53 minutes at the World Cup.

For the time being, Anthony Hudson, a member of Berhalter’s staff, will coach the team for exhibitions against Serbia on Jan. 25 and Colombia three days later.

USSF sporting director Earnie Stewart, a former teammate of Reyna’s and Berhalter’s, has been delegated by Parlow Cone and the USSF board to make a coaching recommendation.

ENGLAND: Harry Kane’s quickfire double helped Tottenham get back on track with a 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Kane scored in the 48th and 53rd minutes to change the momentum after a strong first half from Palace.

Fifth-place Tottenham is two points behind both Newcastle and Manchester United, who are in third and fourth, respectively. United has a game in hand.

SPAIN: Barcelona struggled to advance in its opening Copa del Rey match, needing extra time to defeat third-division club Intercity, 4-3.

Ansu Fati scored the winning goal in the 104th minute after the Catalan club relinquished a lead three times in regulation.

HIGH SCHOOLS

BOYS’ HOCKEY: Chase Magnant had two goals and an assist for Biddeford (2-1) in a 5-2 win at Lewiston (2-4).

Collin Scully also scored twice, and Colin Petit had a goal and an assist. Biddeford goalie Aiden Dube made 25 saves.

Cody Dionne scored both goals for the Blue Devils.

• Teddy Conway, Coben Donnelly and Charlie Moore scored and Will Klein made 10 saves for Greely (1-4) in a 3-0 win over York (2-3) at Dover, New Hampshire.

Aidan McQuaide made 31 saves for York.

GIRLS’ HOCKEY: Marina Bassett scored twice and Reilly Eavenson got the winner in overtime as Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete/South Portland (4-5) edged Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse/Lincoln/Oceanside/Boothbay (4-2) at Watson Arena in Brunswick.

Delaney Whitten also scored for the visitors, while goalie Abby Steinhagen made 27 saves.

Alex Durant, Mallory Stuart and Remy LeBel scored for Mt. Ararat, and Emma Morrison stopped 16 shots.

HOCKEY

ECHL: Alex Kile scored the go-ahead goal 1:16 into the third period, lifting the Maine Mariners to a 3-2 win over the Trois-Rivières Lions in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

Reid Stefanson and Gabriel Chicoine staked Maine to a 2-0 lead in the first 11 minutes.

Kyle Keyser faced only 20 shots in his season debut with the Mariners.

WORLD JUNIORS: Adam Fantilli scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, Thomas Milic made 43 saves and Canada overcame an early deficit to beat the United States 6-2 in the semifinals at Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Seeking its 20th title, Canada will face the Czech Republic on Thursday night. The Czechs rallied to beat Sweden 2-1 in overtime in the first semifinal.

Joshua Roy had two goals, the second into the empty net, and two assists for Canada. Fantilli, Connor Bedard and Logan Stankoven each had a goal and an assist, and Brandt Clarke also scored.

Logan Cooley and Kenny Connors scored in the first period as the Americans raced to a 2-0 lead. But the U.S. later had two goals overturned because of goaltender interference.

SKIING

WORLD CUP: Mikaela Shiffrin won the first World Cup women’s race of 2023, prevailing in a slalom in Zagreb, Croatia, to move within one victory of Lindsey’s Vonn women’s record.

Shiffrin dealt best with difficult course conditions to raise her career tally to 81 World Cup wins. She could match Vonn’s mark Thursday in another slalom on the same course.

The overall best mark is 86, held by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark.

Shiffrin, a four-time overall champion, stretched her winning streak to five races, covering three different events: super-G, giant slalom, and slalom.

Only two female racers have won more races in succession: Switzerland’s Vreni Schneider won eight in 1988-89 and Germany’s Katja Seizinger won six in 1997.

Shiffrin beat runner-up Petra Vlhova by 0.76 seconds.

• Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway dominated the field on a visibly deteriorating course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, winning a night slalom race by 1.22 seconds over Austria’s Manuel Feller.

TENNIS

UNITED CUP: Frances Tiafoe beat Britain’s Daniel Evans 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to clinch a 4-1 win for the United States and send the Americans to the semifinals of the mixed teams tournament in Sydney.

Earlier, world No. 3 Jessica Pegula gave the U.S. a 2-1 lead by beating Harriet Dart, 6-2, 6-0.

In the afternoon session, Madison Keys rallied from a set down to defeat Katie Swan, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. But world No. 14 Cameron Norrie of Britain posted a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win against No. 9 Taylor Fritz to level the match.

Pegula and Fritz then won the final mixed doubles match.

BASEBALL

MAJOR LEAGUES: The Milwaukee Brewers acquired right-handed pitcher Bryse Wilson from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash.

The trade comes a week after the Pirates designated Wilson for assignment.

Wilson, 25, went 3-9 with a 5.52 ERA while making 20 starts out of 25 appearances last season.