US, Iran find common ground: Olympic wrestling

U.S. National freestyle wrestling coach Zeke Jones, right, and his team members arrive at the Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran, Iran, early Tuesday morning to attend World Cup tournament. USA Wrestling has formalized plans for a committee charged with restoring Olympic wrestling.

US, Iran find common ground: Olympic wrestling

TEHRAN, Iran | The caretakers of the Olympics may have inadvertently accomplished what has eluded diplomats: Galvanizing Iran and the U.S. on a common goal.

U.S. tops Japan to take Olympic women's soccer gold

WEMBLEY, England | Abby Wambach didn't put on her "Greatness Has Been Found" T-shirt right away. She instead strayed from her teammates and knelt alone at midfield — and cried into a U.S. flag.

United States rallies to beat France in Olympic women's soccer opener

GLASGOW, Scotland | An early start to the Olympics turned into an early deficit for the U.S. women's soccer team, which gave up two quick goals before unleashing an attack the rest of the world will find hard to stop.

With US in town, British basketball gets attention

MANCHESTER, England | The question would be almost unimaginable in the United States.

Olympics organizers insist early woes are minor

A tourist poses for a photo next to a newly unveiled statue of Wenlock, one of the Olympic Games 2012 mascots, Tuesday in London. London unveiled 83 of the life-sized, stylized statues throughout the capital. The statues are decorated in classic British motifs to reflect their locations, inc…

Olympics organizers insist early woes are minor

LONDON | London Games officials dismissed concerns Tuesday over a lost bus driver, a scramble for more security guards and some rain-soaked venues — embarrassments that had one tabloid newspaper headline using the Olympic rings to spell out the word "OOPS!"

Spain has eyes set on going down as greatest team

KIEV, Ukraine | Spain has taken its place among soccer's great teams by becoming the first nation to successfully defend its European Championship after winning the World Cup. The task, now, is to be remembered as the greatest.

Gabby Abby Wambach takes role as on U.S. co-captain

Abby Wambach, as usual, would not stop talking. On and on she went. To the point that her coach — her brand new coach, mind you — couldn't take it any longer.

Bahrain soccer stars pay price for protesting

SITRA, Bahrain | When anti-government protests broke out in Bahrain, Alaa and Mohammed Hubail hunkered down in their family compound and refused to take part. They feared their reputations as top soccer players would make them easy targets for police.

Bumpy road looking pretty good now for Americans

FRANKFURT, Germany | The bumpy, windy road got the Americans right where they wanted to go all along.

Wambach lifts United States to Women's World Cup finals

MOENCHENGLADBACH, Germany | Abby Wambach sure knows how to deliver.

Team USA ready for Women's World Cup semifinal vs. France

MOENCHENGLADBACH, Germany | The Americans feel just fine, thank you, not tired a bit. The high they were on after that epic Brazil game? That's so yesterday.

World's best player hasn't found a way to beat U.S. keeper

DRESDEN, Germany | Bent at the waist, her back to the goal, Marta buried her face in her hands.

Team USA makes quarterfinals after routing Colombia

SINSHEIM, Germany | Anyone can sign autographs or pose for photos. The U.S. women found a better way to say "thank you" to the American military members who turned their World Cup match into a home game.

Cheney, Buehler score as U.S. wins World Cup opener

DRESDEN, Germany | Once, twice, three times and then a fourth, Lauren Cheney launched a shot with her foot only to watch it go right into the hands of the North Korean goalkeeper.

Host Germans seek record third straight World Cup title

FRANKFURT, Germany | When Germany won its first major title in women's soccer, coming home with the trophy from the 1989 European Championship, the players' bonus was a coffee set. A tacky one to boot, with a design of red and blue blooming flowers — and a flaw.

Iniesta's overtime goal gives Spain first World Cup

JOHANNESBURG | Spain's place among world football's all-time greatest teams was assured Sunday when Andres Iniesta scored with four minutes of extra time remaining to beat the Netherlands 1-0 and clinch his country's first World Cup.

Sneijder's remarkable run ends in frustration

JOHANNESBURG | A perfect season for Wesley Sneijder turned sour, minutes from its happy conclusion.

Spain meets Netherlands in World Cup final

JOHANNESBURG | Spain and the Netherlands have all the talent necessary to provide one of the most thrilling World Cup finals in the tournament's 80-year history.