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Good morning! Hang on to your 3-0 leads today.
Three Questions: Can the USMNT really win this thing?
Weâre going to say this a lot from now until 2026: There has never been a more important time for the sport of soccer in America than right now. Consider:
- Copa America, a massively popular tournament in which the U.S. menâs national team sometimes plays, currently serves as the thrilling appetizer for what the 2026 World Cup will look like on U.S. soil. Stadiums are selling out for non-USMNT games. There is palpable energy everywhere.
- And roster-wise, this is the golden generation of the USMNT. The roster is filled with young talent, which will coalesce right around 2026. Perfect.
So the Americans have a good team with high expectations while interest is peaking. No pressure. I asked our Paul Tenorio, who is in Dallas for tonightâs USMNT Copa opener against Bolivia, for more insight:
You and every other member of our roundtable picked the USMNT to make the Copa quarterfinals. Should fans be happy with that outcome if it happens?Â
Paul: It depends a bit on the path there. Sneaking into the quarterfinals with a win and two draws, or two wins and a draw, or a loss against Uruguay, and then getting shellacked by Brazil in the quarterfinal has a much different feel than winning the group with a win over Uruguay and then losing in penalties against Colombia. So we canât quantify success or failure based simply on round. The context matters. I think anything past the quarterfinals is a success, though.
Youâve written about the importance of this tournament as the U.S. prepares to host a World Cup, and that it could push soccer forward here. Do you think it will?
Paul: I donât think this tournament alone can do it just by existing. Thatâs partly because the marketing and promotion around the tournament has been poor, in my opinion. Itâs not resonating as much as it could or should. There are a few other factors that will help:
- The first is if the U.S. can make a deep run into the tournament or pull off an upset against a world power like Brazil.
- The second is if the stars of the tournament can go on a special kind of run that pulls in the more casual sports audience.
Juiciest for last: Is there any way Gregg Berhalterâs job is on the line in this tournament, just two years out from the World Cup?
Paul: Of course. I think many coaches on the international level are one or two or three bad results away from getting fired. Look at the discourse around Englandâs Gareth Southgate, for example. If the U.S. fails to get out of the group stage, I think there would be legitimate discussions about Berhalterâs future. This is a group out of which the U.S. should absolutely advance.
On the Brink: An all-time comeback? Weâll see
A couple weeks ago, the NHL lost the possibility of the Rangers in the Stanley Cup Final. Ratings noogie. Then the Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 series lead over the Oilers. Intrigue gut punch.
But life comes at you fast. Tomorrow, the league has one of its biggest âwowâ moments in the last century.
- The setup: Edmonton has a chance to come back from the 3-0 deficit after smashing Florida in Game 6 on Friday.
- The history: Itâs happened once in the final ⌠in 1942. (And never in the World Series or any round in the NBA.)
- Added crazy: Early this season, the Oilers were in last place in the league.
Would it be an all-time comeback? Yes, Pierre LeBrun writes. The all-time choke, too? Absolutely. And it wouldnât even be close! Tick tick ⌠tomorrow night.
News to Know
L.A. Olympics head east
Organizers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics announced a slew of venue updates, including moving swimming into SoFi Stadium and softball and canoe slalom to ⌠Oklahoma City! The new plan uses fewer temporary venues, saving money and aligning with high-up guidance to use existing venues for sustainability reasons. L.A. apparently lacked existing venues to host softball and canoe slalom, so the sports are headed 1,500 miles away from the Gamesâ epicenter. The move isnât completely unprecedented â but the Angels would like a word with the âLos Angeles Olympics of OKCâ for stealing their vibe.
Klay, Warriors at an impasse
Negotiations between Klay Thompson and the Warriors have essentially stalled, our Anthony Slater reported yesterday. Nothing is currently on the table with the start of free agency just over a week away. Thompsonâs exit âfeels closer and more probable than ever before,â per Slater. Welp. There also hasnât been any traction between the four-time NBA champ and the Magic, despite their initial mutual interest. Read the full breakdown.
More news
- American sprint star ShaâCarri Richardson won the 100-meter title at U.S. Olympic trials with the worldâs fastest time this season, qualifying for the Paris Games.
- Four-star QB Antwann Hill, the top uncommitted quarterback in the Class of 2025, picked Memphis. Itâs the latest mark of momentum for the program, which Bruce Feldman tabbed as the Group of 5 rep in his College Football Playoff projection.
- Texas A&M rolled to a 9-5 win over Tennessee in Game 1 of the Menâs College World Series final, putting the Aggies one win away from their first title.
- Turkey scored perhaps one of the worst own goals ever in its 3-0 loss to Portugal at the Euros. I mean, itâs hard to even understand what happened here at first glance:
Own goal is back at it again đ
THIS WAS INSANE 𤯠pic.twitter.com/3Ls27owo1f
â FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 22, 2024
Investigations: Why is MLB offense dead?
If youâve been thinking MLB hitters this season are ⌠âmidâ ⌠as the kids would say, youâd be right. Through Thursday, the 2024 league batting average was .241. Slugging? .390. Woof.Â
Jayson Stark and Eno Sarris investigated theories as to why the leagueâs offense is largely producing at the rate of a flamed-out backup catcher (specifically, one Bruce Bochy)Â in their latest piece.
Per the esteemed scribes, if baseball keeps up this pace over the season, it would lead to:
- 39,404 hits â about 1,400 fewer than last year.
- 21,078 runs â about 1,300 fewer than last year.
- 5,079 home runs â almost 800 fewer than last year (fewest since 2015).
- 7,628 doubles â exactly 600 fewer than last year and the fewest in a season since before the 1993 expansion.
So: Why? Players have theories.
Some say itâs because technology is so good now that pitchers know exactly what to throw in every situation. That means no more meatballs in a hitterâs count, for example. Also, some hurlers have as many as eight different pitch types! Unpredictability is off the charts.
As for the decline in doubles, the numbers show that outfield defense has quietly evolved to limit extra-base hits, even if thatâs at the risk of allowing more bloop singles.Other potential causes? The usual suspects like the makeup or preparation of the balls (and bats, actually!). Itâs also possible itâs just too early in the season to jump to conclusions â but it sure seems like something is up. The full story is worth your time.
Watch This Game
Copa America: USMNT vs. Bolivia
6 p.m. ET on FOX
Just see above. This is big, though the Americans are huge favorites.
WNBA: Fever at Sky
4 p.m. ET on ESPN
When these teams met a week ago, it was the most-watched WNBA game in 23 years â and added fuel to the leagueâs most exciting budding rivalry: Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese. Every meeting seems to get more interesting (this one catches the Fever on a four-game winning streak).
Get tickets to games like these here.
Pulse Picks
Sure, this yearâs NBA Draft isnât star-studded, but that just means teams will have to dig harder to find value. Thatâs where Sam Vecenie comes in with his massive annual draft guide which, without hyperbole, has everything you need to know on the draft. This tab will be open on my computer for the next week.
An interesting lookahead from Dane Brugler: Ohio State could have a record-tying 15 players selected in next yearâs NFL Draft.
Jake Ciely has breakout RB candidates for your fantasy football research. Donât tease me on Kendre Miller.
Shayna Goldman has the top 10 NHL players teams should target with an offer sheet this offseason.
I liked this from Thursday on NASCAR driver Daniel Suårez, who left Mexico for his racing dreams, and the day he became a U.S. citizen.
With the NHL Draft also less than a week away, Scott Wheeler dropped his final predictions for the first two rounds.
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