National Sports

REGINA — The door to first place in the CFL’s West Division is open slightly for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but it may be firmly closed by the time they step on the field Saturday for their regular-season finale.

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government is set to start its fall sitting with a focus on bills that the Opposition NDP says are aimed at catering to “fringe” elements of Smith’s United Conservative Party.

MONTREAL — As Saba Lobzhanidze slotted Atlanta United’s fifth and final penalty into the bottom corner, CF Montreal’s playoff run — and season — came to a sudden, premature end.

ALMENDRALEJO — Fighting a valiant rearguard action, Canada was seconds away from a win over World Cup champion Spain on Friday.

CALGARY — Calgary Wild FC has named Afghan-Canadian midfielder Farkhunda Muhtaj its first player signing and also announced Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey as an investor in the soccer club.

MONTREAL — Montreal will host a second straight Short Track World Tour event next week after the International Skating Union relocated the event from Salt Lake City.

VANCOUVER — Vanni Sartini accepts that the betting odds are against his Vancouver Whitecaps as they head into the Major League Soccer playoffs.

HALIFAX — When Ilia Malinin stunned the crowd with his world championship performance in Montreal last March, he left the competition with much more than a gold medal hanging around his neck.

BASEL — Canada's Denis Shapovalov was eliminated from the Swiss Indoors tennis tournament Friday with a hard-fought 6-7 (7) 6-3, 7-6 (3) quarterfinal loss to France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

A pair of former Toronto FC coaches meet Saturday when the Los Angeles Galaxy hosts the Colorado Rapids in the first round of the MLS playoffs.