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Wednesday's Sports in Brief

SOCCER

CHICAGO (AP) U.S. women's goalkeeper Hope Solo was suspended for six months by U.S. Soccer for disparaging comments about Sweden following the Americans' early departure from the Rio Olympics.

Solo called the Swedes ''a bunch of cowards'' for focusing on defense rather than attacking the three-time defending champion U.S. team. Sweden ousted the U.S. 4-3 on penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw in a quarterfinal match.

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said Solo's comments were ''unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players.''

The 35-year-old Solo, who was previously suspended for 30 days early in 2015 for her conduct, will not be eligible for selection to the national team until February.

PRO FOOTBALL

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The San Diego Chargers have withdrawn their contract offer to first-round draft pick Joey Bosa and will restructure a new deal that takes into account his absence from the team.

The Chargers' statement said they believe ''Joey will be unable to contribute for the full 16-game season without the adequate time on the practice field, in the classroom, and in preseason games.'' They characterized their previous offers to the Ohio state defensive end as fair and structurally consistent with the contracts of every other Chargers player.''

Bosa is the only first-rounder who has not signed with his team.

Negotiations stalled over when Bosa's $17 million bonus would be distributed and offset language in the contract.

San Diego said it offered an initial signing bonus payment larger than any draftee received in the last two drafts, and more money in 2016 than anyone draftee except Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.

OLYMPICS

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Nearly 80 percent of the tickets for next month's Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro remain unsold, but sales have increased sharply since the end of the Olympics, organizers said.

On Tuesday, 133,000 tickets were sold, a new daily record for the Rio Paralympics, which will be held Sept. 7-18.

So far over 600,000 tickets, just over 20 percent of the 2.5 million available, have been sold.

The sports in highest demand are athletics, swimming, 5-a-side football, wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.

Poor Paralympic ticket sales have compounded the financial challenges in Brazil that have already hit operations at the Olympics.

Organizers have announced budget cuts that will mean one venue will close down, facilities will be dismantled and the workforce will be reduced.

BRIGHTON, Mich. (AP) - U.S. ski team physician Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher has opened The Sports Neurology Clinic at The CORE Institute.

The director of the clinic says his goal is to help as many athletes as possible with their neurological health at the 7,000-square foot facility about 35 miles west of Detroit. His team of neurologists, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and neuropsychologists will treat athletes of all ages.

Kutcher was the U.S. ski team's first specialist evaluating and treating concussions during the 2014 Winter Olympics. He is the NBA concussion program director, advises the NFL and NHL Players' Associations and helped to create the NCAA's concussion-related policies.

Kutcher founded the University of Michigan's NeuroSport program, which he says limited the number of athletes he could evaluate.

NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. swimmer James Feigen apologized for the ''serious distraction'' he and three teammates caused at a gas station during the Rio Olympics, saying he omitted facts in his statement to police.

Feigen says in a statement on the website of his lawyer in Austin, Texas, that ''I omitted the facts that we urinated behind the building and that Ryan Lochte pulled a poster off the wall.''

He maintains the group didn't force their way into a bathroom and a gun was pointed at them.

Feigen says he paid the driver the cab fare and ''as I walked away, the man with the gun pointed it at me and my teammate and ordered us, in Portuguese, to sit.''

Feigen was pulled off an airplane last week by police for more questioning. He says he paid a fine of $10,800 for return of his passport.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly says his first reaction to six players being arrested over the weekend was disappointment.

Kelly says he reacted like any father would, saying after feeling disappointment he then felt embarrassment. He says then he was ''mad as hell.''

Five players were charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession after being stopped for allegedly speeding in Fulton County, about 40 miles south of South Bend. Three face an additional misdemeanor charge of possession of an unlicensed handgun

In a separate incident, cornerback Devin Butler was accused of tackling a police officer and punching him during an altercation outside a bar near campus. Butler had been suspended indefinitely from the team. Kelly kicked starting safety Max Refield off the team.

Kelly said the other four players are practicing with the team and will be available to play in the opener against Texas unless the university takes action.

HOCKEY

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - The Arizona Coyotes have hired Dawn Braid as skating coach and say she is believed to be the first full-time female coach in NHL history.

Braid has a long association with the NHL.

She worked part-time for the Coyotes last year and has served as a skating consultant with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres and Calgary Flames.

Braid also spent seven years with the Athletes Training Center as director of skating development. Among the skaters she worked with while there is New York Islanders center John Tavares.

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