Terrence Boyd has joined German third division side Hallescher FC after mutually parting ways with Major League Soccer's Toronto FC on Monday.

Boyd, 28, signed with Toronto in February and played in 13 games across all competitions.

Boyd has 14 caps for the United States national team, with the last one coming in 2016.

Born in Germany, Boyd has spent most of his professional career in his native country. Before signing with Toronto in February, Boyd played with SV Darmstadt 98, who were regulated from the top-level Bundesliga to Germany's second tier during his time with the team.

According to the Toronto Sun, Boyd wanted to return to Germany due to his struggles in the MLS and the upcoming birth of his second child. Boyd and Toronto FC reportedly worked on an agreement for about a week.

Boyd has not scored a goal in a competitive game since March 2018.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- MLS All-Star coach James O'Connor doesn't expect the war of words between two of the league's biggest stars in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Carlos Vela to spill over into the North American team's friendly match against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.

Less than two weeks ago, Ibrahimovic told ESPN's Ahora o Nunca that he is "by far" superior to Vela, despite the Mexico international leading the league in goal scoring -- six ahead of the Swede. After scoring a hat trick in the LA Galaxy's 3-2 win over Vela's LAFC just three days after his first shot across Vela's bow, Ibrahimovic followed up, saying it was a mistake for anyone to compare the two players.

But O'Connor says that the two are professionals, and he expects the pair to be "fine" as they take on Atletico's newly reconstructed back line.

- Power Rankings: LAFC top of MLS at All-Star break
- Dyer: Vela is rewriting MLS' record books

"Not really any impact, to be honest with you," he said in a news conference on Monday when asked about how the exchange of words between Ibrahimovic and Vela could affect his All-Star team. "I think they're both very professional lads, I don't see anything being an issue, so I think everything will be fine.

"I think both players, and all the guys, are just really excited and just looking forward to the game on Wednesday night."

What's occupying more of O'Connor's brain space is an issue every All-Star manager is tasked with: building a cohesive team and implementing a tactical structure in just four hours' worth of training sessions. The All-Stars trained together for the first time on Monday, and will do so just once more on Wednesday, before taking on an Atletico side that have been La Liga runners-up the past two seasons and lifted the Europa League barely 12 months ago.

But amid the friendly nature of the All-Star Game, O'Connor is more concerned with his players building relationships with one another and enjoying their experience in Orlando rather than carrying out a tactical plan to upset one of Europe's most talented sides.

"Well I think obviously we have a very short period of time to try to get to know the players," he said. "Obviously we've seen all the players play for their clubs, but I think it's different to get a personal understanding.

"So I think the biggest thing that we try to foster is just to encourage all the guys to try to get to know each other, especially the players who are coming on their own and perhaps don't know as many people. Just to try to create a friendly atmosphere, make sure that the players create that relationship, have a little fun in training."

The All-Stars will get another opportunity to do that in Tuesday's 90-minute session, but that evening's skills competition (8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+) could be their best chance yet to really let their hair down before Wednesday's encounter with Atletico.

U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro contended Monday that analysis of federation finances showed that it paid members of the women's national team millions of dollars more than members of the men's national team over a period of nearly a decade.

Responding publicly for the first time to weeks of public and even congressional criticism since the U.S. won the Women's World Cup while national team players are in the midst of suing the federation for gender discrimination, Cordeiro sent an open letter to federation members that included the results of what he termed extensive analysis of 10 years of financial data.

Among the conclusions, which U.S. Soccer said were verified by an independent accounting firm, are that women's players were paid $34.1 million by the federation from 2010 to 2018 in salaries and bonuses (2018 the most recent fiscal year for which information was available). That also includes the National Women's Soccer League salaries paid by U.S. Soccer for national team-contracted players. Members of the men's national team were paid $26.4 million by the federation over the same period, the analysis concluded.

"Just as our WNT players have shared their perspective, I strongly believe that you -- as U.S. Soccer members, stakeholders, sponsors and partners -- deserve to hear ours," Cordeiro wrote Monday. "Now that the Women's World Cup is behind us, a common understanding of key facts will also help advance our shared work to grow women's soccer in America as well as the larger national discussion about equality."

The men's and women's teams operate with separate collective bargaining agreements and with separate pay structures.

Cordeiro's letter stipulated that the totals do not include money received by U.S. Soccer from FIFA for World Cup bonuses. With that money included, federation analysis said that the men earned $41 million for the same nine-year period, compared to $39.7 million for the women.

U.S. Soccer contends that it should not be held responsible for the inequity in FIFA prize money, with the winner of the men's tournament in Russia last year receiving more ($38 million) than the total prize pool for the 24 teams in the recently concluded women's tournament. Cordeiro said he continues to push FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the sport's global governing body to increase prize compensation for the signature event in the women's game.

As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, U.S. Soccer and lawyers representing the 28 players who filed suit in March have agreed to mediation. Cordeiro said he chose this time to commission and release the financial analysis because the federation did not want to disrupt the team's preparation for and participation in the Women's World Cup.

"This is a sad attempt by the USSF to quell the overwhelming tide of support the USWNT has received from everyone from fans to sponsors to the United States Congress," Molly Levinson, a spokesperson for the players, said in response to the letter. "The USSF has repeatedly admitted that it does not pay the women equally and that it does not believe the women even deserve to be paid equally. This is why they use words like 'fair' and 'equitable,' not 'equal,' in describing pay.

"The numbers the USSF uses are utterly false, which, among other things, inappropriately include the NWSL salaries of the players to inflate the women's players' compensation. Any apples-to-apples comparison shows that the men earn far more than the women."

While broadcasting and sponsorship revenue doesn't differentiate between the men's and women's teams, U.S. Soccer also pointed to ticket revenues as evidence in its favor.

The Wall Street Journal reported last month that women's game produced more total revenue than men's games in the three years after the U.S. won the 2015 Women's World Cup. U.S. Soccer countered Monday that from 2009 to 2019, the women's game produced a net loss -- ticket sales minus expenses -- of $27,544,953 compared to $3,130,980 for the men over the same period.

U.S. Soccer has faced significant public criticism for its stance on pay in the wake of the Women's World Cup, beginning with large numbers of fans in the stadium in Lyon, France, chanting "equal pay" minutes after the final against the Netherlands. A week after the final, Procter & Gamble, an official sponsor of U.S. Soccer, took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times in support of the players and pledged more than $500,000 to the players association.

Congress has also weighed in to support the players in recent weeks.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., introduced a bill earlier this month that would deny federal funds for the 2026 Men's World Cup, to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico, until the American federation agrees to pay its men's and women's teams equally. Last week, Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., introduced a similar bill in the House.

"The USSF fact sheet is not a 'clarification.' It is a ruse," Levinson said. "Here is what they cannot deny: For every game a man plays on the MNT, he makes a higher base salary payment than a woman on the WNT. For every comparable win or tie, his bonus is higher. That is the very definition of gender discrimination. For the USSF to believe otherwise is disheartening, but it only increases our determination to obtain true equal pay. If the USSF cannot agree to this at the upcoming mediation, we will see them in the court of law and the court of public opinion."

The U.S. women play their first game since the World Cup on Saturday against Ireland in the Rose Bowl, site of the famous 1999 World Cup final that cemented the team's place in the mainstream sporting consciousness.

U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro contended Monday that analysis of federation finances showed that it paid members of the women's national team millions of dollars more than members of the men's national team over a period of nearly a decade.

Responding publicly for the first time to weeks of public and even congressional criticism since the U.S. won the Women's World Cup while national team players are in the midst of suing the federation for gender discrimination, Cordeiro sent an open letter to federation members that included the results of what he termed extensive analysis of 10 years of financial data.

Among the conclusions, which U.S. Soccer said were verified by an independent accounting firm, are that women's players were paid $34.1 million by the federation from 2010 to 2018 in salaries and bonuses (2018 the most recent fiscal year for which information was available). That also includes the National Women's Soccer League salaries paid by U.S. Soccer for national team-contracted players. Members of the men's national team were paid $26.4 million by the federation over the same period, the analysis concluded.

"Just as our WNT players have shared their perspective, I strongly believe that you -- as U.S. Soccer members, stakeholders, sponsors and partners -- deserve to hear ours," Cordeiro wrote Monday. "Now that the Women's World Cup is behind us, a common understanding of key facts will also help advance our shared work to grow women's soccer in America as well as the larger national discussion about equality."

The men's and women's teams operate with separate collective bargaining agreements and with separate pay structures.

Cordeiro's letter stipulated that the totals do not include money received by U.S. Soccer from FIFA for World Cup bonuses. With that money included, federation analysis said that the men earned $41 million for the same nine-year period, compared to $39.7 million for the women.

U.S. Soccer contends that it should not be held responsible for the inequity in FIFA prize money, with the winner of the men's tournament in Russia last year receiving more ($38 million) than the total prize pool for the 24 teams in the recently concluded women's tournament. Cordeiro said he continues to push FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the sport's global governing body to increase prize compensation for the signature event in the women's game.

As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, U.S. Soccer and lawyers representing the 28 players who filed suit in March have agreed to mediation. Cordeiro said he chose this time to commission and release the financial analysis because the federation did not want to disrupt the team's preparation for and participation in the Women's World Cup.

"This is a sad attempt by the USSF to quell the overwhelming tide of support the USWNT has received from everyone from fans to sponsors to the United States Congress," Molly Levinson, a spokesperson for the players, said in response to the letter. "The USSF has repeatedly admitted that it does not pay the women equally and that it does not believe the women even deserve to be paid equally. This is why they use words like 'fair' and 'equitable,' not 'equal,' in describing pay.

"The numbers the USSF uses are utterly false, which, among other things, inappropriately include the NWSL salaries of the players to inflate the women's players' compensation. Any apples-to-apples comparison shows that the men earn far more than the women."

While broadcasting and sponsorship revenue doesn't differentiate between the men's and women's teams, U.S. Soccer also pointed to ticket revenues as evidence in its favor.

The Wall Street Journal reported last month that women's game produced more total revenue than men's games in the three years after the U.S. won the 2015 Women's World Cup. U.S. Soccer countered Monday that from 2009 to 2019, the women's game produced a net loss -- ticket sales minus expenses -- of $27,544,953 compared to $3,130,980 for the men over the same period.

U.S. Soccer has faced significant public criticism for its stance on pay in the wake of the Women's World Cup, beginning with large numbers of fans in the stadium in Lyon, France, chanting "equal pay" minutes after the final against the Netherlands. A week after the final, Procter & Gamble, an official sponsor of U.S. Soccer, took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times in support of the players and pledged more than $500,000 to the players association.

Congress has also weighed in to support the players in recent weeks.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., introduced a bill earlier this month that would deny federal funds for the 2026 Men's World Cup, to be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico, until the American federation agrees to pay its men's and women's teams equally. Last week, Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., introduced a similar bill in the House.

"The USSF fact sheet is not a 'clarification.' It is a ruse," Levinson said. "Here is what they cannot deny: For every game a man plays on the MNT, he makes a higher base salary payment than a woman on the WNT. For every comparable win or tie, his bonus is higher. That is the very definition of gender discrimination. For the USSF to believe otherwise is disheartening, but it only increases our determination to obtain true equal pay. If the USSF cannot agree to this at the upcoming mediation, we will see them in the court of law and the court of public opinion."

The U.S. women play their first game since the World Cup on Saturday against Ireland in the Rose Bowl, site of the famous 1999 World Cup final that cemented the team's place in the mainstream sporting consciousness.

METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton says Zion Williamson's athleticism and physical stature would make the New Orleans Pelicans rookie and top NBA draft choice an intriguing NFL prospect at a handful of positions, starting with the defensive line or tight end.

But Williamson is making a case for quarterback as well, albeit in good fun.

The NFL's Saints and NBA's Pelicans are both owned by Gayle Benson, and their training headquarters are on the same campus. So the Saints have invited the 6-foot-7, 285-pound Williamson to watch their training camp practices, and on Monday included him in a quarterback challenge starter Drew Brees regularly organizes with Saints reserve QBs.

The latest challenge involved throwing a football through a basketball hoop. Williamson nearly did so from about 50 yards away.

In an interview on SiriusXM, Payton joked that the Saints thought about using a seventh-round draft choice on Williamson "in case there was a problem across the parking lot."

Payton said if he surveyed his staff on who would like a chance to develop Williamson, "there'd be five position coaches with their hands up right now, starting with the defensive line coach, the tight end coach."

"He's a tremendous prospect," Payton added. "I know they're excited and thrilled to have him here and we're excited for the Pelicans because, look, we are separated by a parking lot, and this winning culture is somewhat contagious."

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Toronto Blue Jays have called up top prospect Bo Bichette about two hours before first pitch against the Kansas City Royals on Monday night as they continued with sweeping changes to their big league roster.

The move came one day after Toronto shipped pitcher Marcus Stroman to the New York Mets for two pitching prospects and sent infielder Eric Sogard to the Tampa Bay Rays for a pair of players to be named later.

Bichette, the son of former major league outfielder Dante Bichette, is the third legacy player to join the Blue Jays' roster. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (son of Vladimir Sr.) and Cavan Biggio (son of Craig) arrived with the club earlier this season.

Bichette was playing shortstop and batting sixth for the series opener in Kansas City.

NEW YORK -- Marcus Stroman vows not to be one of those pitchers crushed by the pressure of pitching in New York -- after all, he's a native.

A 28-year-old All-Star right-hander who grew up in Medford on Long Island, Stroman was acquired by the Mets from the Toronto Blue Jays and hopes to debut for his new team on Friday at Pittsburgh as he fills a rotation slot vacated when Jason Vargas was dealt to Philadelphia.

"Oh, I think I'm ready for it. I mean, I think my personality kind of has shown that over the years, kind of never shy away from the bright lights," Stroman said Monday, a day after the trade was announced. "I get excited in the big moments, and I feel like I'm able to really kind of lock in. So I know that New York is obsessed with winning, and that's how I am. So I'm excited to kind of have that pressure behind me each and every start. I kind of enjoy that. I don't think the pressure behind it should faze me at all."

Stroman is 6-11 in 21 starts despite a 2.96 ERA that was fifth-best in the American League. He grew up near Mets starter Steven Matz, about 50 miles from Citi Field, and Stroman's family was excited by the trade.

"I'm going to be able to play baseball in kind of my backyard. They're going to be able to come watch me pitch every game," Stroman said. "I didn't actually grow up a Met fan -- I grew up a New York fan. I used to go watch Mets games as well as Yankee games. I actually played at Shea Stadium with my travel team when I was younger."

Barring more deals before Wednesday's trade deadline, he joins a rotation that includes National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler and Matz -- a former high school rival and travel ball teammate. Stroman is eligible for arbitration next winter and can become a free agent after the 2020 season, and Toronto held only cursory talks over a long-term contract.

After Stroman was informed of the trade Sunday, he had a heated conversation with officials of the Blue Jays organization. That led to speculation he was unhappy with the swap. Toronto took the unusual step of keeping its clubhouse closed to media.

"The commotion was in a discussion that I had with some of our coaches, some of the higher-ups in our org, kind of just like an exit meeting," Stroman said. "I was just kind of voicing my opinion and I didn't like how a couple of things were handled along the process."

New York is 50-55 and started Monday six games back in the NL wild-card race, with six teams ahead for the two spots. Stroman denied he was disappointed he was not dealt to a team closer to a playoff berth.

"I knew that I could kind of be shopped anywhere," he said. "It all hit me kind of quick, and once I kind of settled and I talked to my family, the excitement kind of all settled in."

Neither Stroman nor Toronto general manager Ross Atkins would disclose details.

"This city and country is very important to him. This organization was very important to him," Atkins said. "So it was very emotional."

Stroman is 47-45 with a 3.76 ERA in six big league seasons. The 5-foot-7 pitcher often is animated, which he thinks New York fans will appreciate.

"My energy is extremely authentic," he said. "When I'm between those lines, it's kind of a different savage, a different demon that kind of is out there -- kind of go to a dark place to kind of put myself where I need to be, and I'm very passionate, very emotional. But away from the field I'm very relaxed and I'm kind of the opposite."

Toronto received 24-year-old left-hander Anthony Kay and 18-year-old righty Simeon Woods Richardson. As part of the swap, the Mets get $1.5 million from the Blue Jays to offset much of the $2,506,452 remaining on Stroman's $7.4 million salary this year.

Atkins said rebuilding Toronto narrowed eight-plus teams down to four in trade talks and did not have a firm offer until Sunday. His goal is to assemble a young roster around Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette, a trio of sons of former big league stars. Bichette who was brought up from the minor leagues on Monday.

"It clearly doesn't make our current roster better," Atkins said. "Understandable that fans will be disappointed in not having Marcus Stroman and that absolute real asset today that we know can perform and make massive differences and wins and losses."

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt Miller has been added to the BRANDT Professional Agriculture board of directors, company officials announced Monday.

Earnhardt Miller, one of the most prominent women in NASCAR, will bring drive, diversity and competitiveness to the company. She joins Chris Harbourt, Ph.D. – an assistant professor at the University of Illinois – as one of two new BRANDT board members.

“We just added two rock stars to Team BRANDT,” said Rick Brandt, President and CEO of BRANDT. “Kelley is an amazing businesswoman and leader; Chris is a unique marriage of academia and real world experience. Together, they are both entrepreneurs who know how to identify opportunities, build teams and run companies.”

Joining eight other directors and three consultants, Earnhardt Miller and Harbourt were elected for one-year terms by the BRANDT shareholders.

The daughter of late seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt, Earnhardt Miller is the backbone of JR Motorsports, overseeing the company’s race teams and its management team, as well as all business ventures for her brother, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

After she joined JR Motorsports in 2001 as general manager, the company has flourished, winning seven team championships at the highest levels of American stock car racing.

“I am excited to join the BRANDT board,” Earnhardt Miller said. “Like JR Motorsports, BRANDT is a family-owned company with a distinctive set of values and a clear vision for the future. I look forward to bringing my experience to the BRANDT board and the company overall.”

In addition to her duties at JR Motorsports, Earnhardt Miller serves on the board of The Dale Jr Foundation, which has raised over $8.1 million for various charities. She’s also the chairman of the board of Blueharbor Bank, a trustee for Iredell Memorial Hospital and a board member for Children’s Hope Alliance.

LONG POND, Pa. – Kyle Larson may have been in a backup car on Sunday at Pocono Raceway, but he didn’t let that stop him from turning in an impressive performance in the Gander RV 400.

After a crash in Friday’s opening practice session relegated him to a secondary mount and a starting spot at the rear of the grid, Larson charged his way forward through traffic, ultimately ending up with a fifth-place finish at the end of the overtime-extended event in the heart of the Pocono Mountains.

RELATED: Elliott & Larson Forced To Backups At Pocono

The Elk Grove, Calif., driver wasted no time moving forward, making it all the way to sixth within the first 50 laps and earning bonus points in both stages on Sunday. He ran as high as second in the race, but faded back to fifth in the final laps after nearly tagging the outside wall during a late restart.

“I didn’t hit the wall, but I got close,” noted Larson. “I knew I was going to be close to the wall, so I bailed out of the throttle to keep myself from hitting the wall and lost momentum. I felt bad, but it was better than ending up torn up like the last time I was aggressive on a restart. It was a good day. It was a lot better car than I thought I was going to have, so it just goes to show how good our team is right now and how good our cars are.

“Last week, I felt like we had one of the fastest cars and we didn’t get to show it. Today, I felt like we were one of the fastest cars,” he added. “If I could just race a primary car, who knows what we could do. I just have to clean up a bit of what I’m doing in practice and the races, and hopefully we can get a win.”

With Sunday’s strong result, Larson now has three top-five finishes in the past four Cup Series races, solidifying himself as a playoff contender in 14th in points with just five weeks left in the regular season.

“This just goes to show how good our cars are right now,” Larson said. “Any time you have a good run in a backup car, it’s satisfying. The past two weeks in a row I feel like we’ve had good speed in our backup cars, so I’ve been really happy with that.

“I don’t want to race backup cars, though, so I just have to stop crashing.”

The New Jersey Devils continued their summer upgrade on Monday, trading a third-round pick in 2020 and a second-round pick in 2021 for left wing Nikita Gusev of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Knights brought Gusev, 27, over from the Russian Kontinental Hockey League for the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, but he didn't see any action. Gusev became a restricted free agent, and it became clear to Vegas that his asking price and their offer -- reported to be $2 million apart -- weren't in sync.

"When you have a roster comprised of players who are deserving of a certain salary range, you are not always able to make room for everyone. This is the reality of having a good team in the salary-cap world," said general manager George McPhee.

As they did in acquiring defenseman P.K. Subban from the Nashville Predators, the Devils utilized their cap space in landing a pricey asset. Gusev signed a two-year deal with New Jersey worth $4.5 million against the salary cap, a significant investment for a player who hasn't appeared yet in the NHL.

There are reasons to believe Gusev will thrive, however. He spent the 2018-19 season with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, where he totaled 17 goals and 65 assists for 82 points with 10 penalty minutes and a plus-39 rating in 62 games. He led the KHL in assists and points and was selected to his fourth KHL all-star game.

In his KHL career, Gusev totaled 332 points in 391 games, had 119 goals and won the league MVP award in 2017-18. He also had 34 points in 24 games at the IIHF worlds and 12 points in six games at the 2018 Winter Olympics, where he won gold.

With Devils star Taylor Hall holding down the top-line spot at left wing, Gusev could slot in on the second line with center Jack Hughes, taken as the first overall draft pick in June. New Jersey has now added Subban, Hughes, Gusev and winger Wayne Simmonds this summer.

As for the Knights, they now own nine picks in the first three rounds of the next two NHL drafts.