Major League Soccer continues to reach new heights.

Heights even MLS commissioner Don Garber couldn’t envision when he joined the league 25 years ago.

It’s been a year since the sport’s greatest player, Lionel Messi, joined MLS to continue his illustrious career. The league continues to reap the benefits.

Garber said Wednesday that MLS and its teams now boast more than 100 million followers across their social media accounts, will play in front of 13 million total fans by season’s end, and the league continues to see rising revenues from sponsorships and merchandise.

MLS hopes to ride the sport’s momentum on the international stage. Copa America and the Euros captivated soccer fans earlier this month. The FIFA Club World Cup in 2025 will be hosted by a MLS club in the United States. And the FIFA World Cup in 2026 will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“This has been a great journey for me. This is my 25th MLS All-Star Game. And I have to say when I started this journey, many, many years ago, I never thought that the league would be where it is today,” Garber said.

“I think it speaks to the resilience of the sport in our country.”

MLS celebrated its 28th annual All-Star Game on Wednesday night in front of a record crowd of 20,931 people at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio — one of the best cities for the league, and sport, in the country.

Although Messi was absent due to an ankle injury suffered during the Copa America final, and the MLS All-Stars endured a 4-1 loss to the LIGA MX standouts, the match was another step in a positive direction for the league.

Garber said San Diego will become the 30th MLS team, and the league certainly appreciates the push from Indianapolis to obtain another franchise.

MLS will begin its second straight Leagues Cup tournament Friday, with MLS teams competing against LIGA MX teams for a midseason trophy that shows off the thriving partnership between the MLS and the Mexican league.

The All-Star Game was also a proud moment for the host Columbus Crew. It’s been roughly five years since owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, their daughter Whitney Haslam Johnson and her husband JW Johnson, and former Crew team doctor Pete Edwards, saved the Crew from leaving town in 2019.

“This is a great success story,” Garber said of the Crew. “Sometimes, you have to have a little trauma to get everybody together and have an outcome that takes courage and takes a lot of people working together.

“A great stadium, an amazing ownership group, a team that’s incredibly successful in Major League Soccer and international competition. We should all be very proud of that.”

Crew star Cucho Hernández scored in the 17th minute off an assist from teammate Diego Rossi to tie the match at 1 early in the first half, providing a memorable moment for the home crowd during the game.

Monterrey’s Germán Berterame and Pachuca’s Oussama Idrissi scored in the first half, while Tigres UANL’s Juan Brunetta and Monterrey’s Maximiliano Meza scored in the second half for LIGA MX.

With the Leagues Cup beginning Friday, Garber hopes the MLS-LIGA MX connection and competition drives fan interest in North America. The winner of the tournament secures a berth in next year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup and Club World Cup.

Messi’s Inter Miami won the first Leagues Cup last year, while Pachuca won the CONCACAF Champions Cup over the Crew earlier this year. The All-Star Game could also add some motivation for MLS teams.

“Clearly we had a boost of energy when Messi was signed and came in, and his first games were in Leagues Cup, and Miami had a very good run. But the competition between our two leagues are getting intense,” Garber said.

“Our expectations (are the Leagues Cup) will continue to grow, become more popular, and I think continue to become more important for our players and our teams.”

The beauty and the beast, surfer Carissa Moore said of her sport, and the site for surfing during the Paris Olympics epitomizes the duality.

The wave of Teahupo’o, a small village on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, will provide breathtaking sights, with surfers barrel riding through the powerful, hollowed-out wave.

The face of those waves measured eight to 10 feet high for a pro competition in May and at other times have exceeded 20 feet.

“The takeoff point is super steep and critical, so you have to have the skill and reaction time to time it right,’’ said Moore, who won gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021 during the Olympic debut of surfing. “And if you don’t, there can be consequences.

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Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

“People have had big falls and big injuries, so just knowing that that’s a possibility, you’re like, ‘Oof.’ It makes that fear factor even greater. But you could also get the thrill of your life, the best ride of your life.’’

Just several weeks before the start of the Olympics, footage from Teahupo’o showed a surfer being towed into the wave on a jet ski. What took place next was a specular ride on a wave well over 10 feet and evidence the waves actually could be too big.

Surfers will need to paddle into Teahupo’o wave, a site where last year two highly regarded surfers suffered injuries that led to hospitalization.

“I’m a little nervous about the venue,’’ Moore said, “but I’m going to try my best, give myself the best chance.’’

Why is Olympic surfing in Tahiti?

Paris, about 100 miles from the nearest beach on the Atlantic Ocean, for obvious reasons is not a hotbed for surfing.

With about $100 million, the Olympic organizing committee might have built a wave pool within view of the Eiffel tower.

Fat chance.

France does have a handful of top-notch surfing sites on the coastline of other parts of the country. But the chances for quality surf there are remote from July 27 to Aug. 5, the window for the Olympic surfing competition.

Enter Teahupo’o, which historically produces spectacular waves during this time of year. Yet issues remained.

For starters, logistics. Tahiti is almost 10,000 miles from Paris, which means the surfers will not be able to participate in the Opening Ceremonies on July 26. They will, however, be able to take part in the Closing Ceremonies.

Then, there are environmental concerns. The Olympic organizing committee faced opposition from residents of Teahupo’o and environmental groups that feared the surfing competition would damage the coral reef and potentially compromise the wave itself.

The Olympic committee made compromises in building a scaled-back judges’ tower. Now, with those hurdles clear, the wave of Teahupo’o can do its thing.

“It doesn’t get better than this,’’ said Fernando Aguerre, president of the International Surfing Association.

Understanding the Teahupo’o wave

You don’t have to be an oceanographer to understand why the wave of Teahupo’o is one of the best and most dangerous in the world.

“It’s very simple to understand it for a person that doesn’t understand the ocean,’’ said Aguerre, president of the ISA.

OK, class in session.

Tahiti, a volcanic island, is steep and high and drops sharply, Aguerre explained. Like most of the French Polynesian islands, he added, it is surrounded by a ring of shallow coral reef.

This shallow water is the wave breaks. Where it begins is in a zone more than 300 feet deep.

“So the wave comes with all this power from deep water, deep ocean,” Aguerre said.

The wave picks up speed as it moves from the relatively short distance between deep to shallow water. The dynamic produces not only one of the strongest waves in the world but also a fast ride, which typically lasts less than 10 seconds.

In practice, Moore said, she has worn an ‘impact suit” with foam to protect her back and legs if she were to fall onto the coral. Griffin Colapinto, a member of the U.S. Olympic surfing team, said he experimented with a helmet during practice in the spring.

“So far,’’ Colapinto said, “my experience has been that you can pretty much get the best wave of your whole life at the risk of dying.’’

Major League Soccer’s All-Star Game was spoiled by the opposition.

Germán Berterame and Oussama Idrissi scored in the first half, while Juan Brunetta and Maximiliano Meza scored in the second half to lead LIGA MX to a 4-1 win over the MLS All-Stars at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday night.

The Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernández scored in the 17th minute off an assist from club teammate Diego Rossi to tie the match at 1 early in the first half — the lone highlight for the MLS All-Stars.

MLS and LIGA MX, the Mexican soccer league, continue their thriving partnership when the Leagues Cup tournament begins Friday.

MLS was unable to win its third straight game against the LIGA MX standouts, after victories in 2021 and 2022. MLS fell 5-0 to English Premier League club Arsenal during the exhibition in 2023.

Here is a recap of Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game from USA TODAY Sports:

MLS vs. LIGA MX All-Star Game highlights

Maximiliano Meza goal: LIGA MX 4, MLS 1

Welp. LIGA MX has taken a three-goal lead against MLS behind a goal from Monterrey’s Maximiliano Meza in the 69th minute.

Juan Brunetta goal: LIGA MX 3, MLS 1

Tigres UANL standout Juan Brunetta has scored in the 68th minute to give LIGA MX a 3-1 lead.

Riqui Puig and Luca Orellano miss shots on goal for MLS: LIGA MX 2, MLS 1

Two shots on goal to no avail by the MLS All-Stars. Check out the sequence here.

Oussama Idrissi goal: LIGA MX 2, MLS 1

Just before halftime, Oussama Idrissi has put the LIGA MX All-Stars ahead of MLS just before halftime.

Idrissi executed a long dribble just outside the penalty box and unleashed a right strike in the 41st minute.

What is a handball? Penalty reversed after VAR: MLS 1, LIGA MX 1

Nothing like a rule and replay review making its mark in an All-Star Game.

Although a kick from a MLS player hit a LIGA MX player’s leg then his arm, which should have been a handball, the penalty was reversed after VAR.

Cucho Hernández goal: MLS 1, LIGA MX 1

How about this response by the MLS All-Stars?

Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernández scored a strike in the 17th minute, thanks to an assist from his club teammate Diego Rossi to tie this match. The score came roughly a minute after Germán Berterame’s score.

Germán Berterame goal: LIGA MX 1, MLS 0

Monterrey’s Germán Berterame scored a header in the 16th minute to help LIGA MX take a 1-0 lead over the MLS All-Stars.

Berterame’s goal was a beauty, assisted by América’s Jonathan dos Santos.

Goal: G. Berterame vs. MLS, 16′ | MLSSoccer.com

First 10 minutes update: MLS 0, LIGA MX 0

We’ve seen several shots from MLS in the opening minutes, but Luciano Acosta, Thiago Martins and Juan Hernández were unable to score.

Germán Berterame also missed a header for LIGA MX.

MLS All-Star Game begins with amazing pregame scenes

The MLS pregame celebration was 10/10. Just check out the scenes from Columbus, Ohio.

Here are the starting lineups for both teams

Riqui Puig won’t get to play with former Barcelona stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba

L.A. Galaxy star Riqui Puig indicated he would play in the second half of the MLS All-Star Game, and won’t get to play with former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba because they’re starters.

MLS All-Star coach speaks before the game

“The idea is to have a good night,” Columbus Crew coach Wilfred Nancy said before the game.

What time does the MLS All-Star Game start?

The MLS All-Star Game is slated to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 24.

MLS All-Star Game live stream, how to watch

The MLS All-Star Game will stream on the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Where is the 2024 MLS All-Star game?

The game will be held at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, the home of MLS’s Columbus Crew. It was the host stadium for last season’s MLS Cup, which the Crew won against Los Angeles FC.

Why is Lionel Messi not playing in MLS All-Star Game?

Lionel Messi — who was voted onto the MLS All-Star team by fans, players and media — will not play in the game. Messi has been dealing with a right ankle injury he suffered during Argentina’s Copa America final win against Colombia.

Real Salt Lake’s Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango is suspended and will miss the All-Star Game. 

Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson is with the U.S. men’s national team for the Paris Olympics.

MLS All-Star Game roster

Goalkeepers (3): Roman Bürki (St. Louis City SC), Hugo Lloris (Los Angeles FC), Maarten Paes (FC Dallas)

Defenders (9): Jordi Alba (Inter Miami CF), Moïse Bombito (Colorado Rapids), Rudy Camacho (Columbus Crew), Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake), Aaron Herrera (D.C. United), Thiago Martins (New York City FC), Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew), Luca Orellano (FC Cincinnati), Keegan Rosenberry (Colorado Rapids)

Midfielders (10): Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati), Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami CF), Mathieu Choinière (CF Montreal), Evander (Portland Timbers), Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo FC), Robin Lod (Minnesota United FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC), Darlington Nagbe (Columbus Crew), Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy)

Forwards (8): Christian Benteke (D.C. United), Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC), Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC), Juan ‘Cucho’ Hernandez (Columbus Crew), Petar Musa (FC Dallas), Gabriel Pec (LA Galaxy), Diego Rossi (Columbus Crew)

LIGA MX roster for MLS All-Star Game

Goalkeepers (3): Ángel Malagón (Club America), Kevin Mier (Cruz Azul), Fernando Tapia (Tigres UANL)

Defenders (9): Jesús Angulo (Tigres UANL), Brian García (Toluca), Bryan González (CF Pachuca), Alan Mozo (Guadalajara), Jesús Orozco (Guadalajara), Alexis Peña (Club Necaxa), Gonzalo Piovi (Cruz Azul), Guido Pizarro (Tigres UANL), Juan Manuel Sanabria (Atlético San Luis)

Midfielders (15): Roberto Alvarado (Guadalajara), Alán Bautista (CF Pachuca), Germán Berterame (CF Monterrey), Juan Brunetta (Tigres UANL), Sergio Canales (CF Monterrey), Nelson Deossa (CF Pachuca), Javairô Dilrosun (Club América), Jonathan Dos Santos (Club América), Rodrigo Dourado (Atlético San Luis), Álvaro Fidalgo (Club América), Andrés Guardado (Club León), César Huerta (Pumas UNAM), Oussama Idrissi (CF Pachuca), Maximiliano Meza (CF Monterrey), Carlos Rodríguez (Cruz Azul)

Forwards (3): Andre-Pierre Gignac (Tigres UANL), Guillermo Martínez (Pumas UNAM), Salomón Rondón (CF Pachuca).

Aaron Rodgers is back at work with his New York Jets teammates after skipping mandatory camp while on a trip to Egypt. And though the four-time NFL MVP was fined by the team for his absence, he said Wednesday there are no lingering issues with coach Robert Saleh or his teammates.

Speaking at the first day of practice at Jets training camp, Rodgers also said he had no regrets about his decision and that he ‘knew the consequences.’

‘I’m an adult,’ Rodgers said. ‘I knew what I was getting into. I knew the fine that was coming. Also knew how much I wanted to be in Egypt. I wish there hadn’t been a conflict scheduling-wise, but it was what it was.’

Rodgers said the idea for the trip began in ‘the doldrums’ of rehab on his torn Achilles, which the quarterback suffered just four plays into his first game and cost him his inaugural season with the team. But the time frame he selected conflicted with the Jets’ mandatory minicamp from June 11-13.

‘Once I saw the schedule, I was trying to move some things around,’ Rodgers said. ‘(It) just didn’t happen.’

All things Jets: Latest New York Jets news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Rodgers reiterated his stance that the minicamp, which is the final team event prior to the break leading into training camp, is not meaningfully different from the rest of the organized team activities. Per the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, however, OTAs are voluntary, whereas missing mandatory minicamp subjects a player to fines.

‘They happen to be labeled as minicamp, as not the same as it was in 2005 or 2010,’ Rodgers said. ‘The schedule is an OTA day. It’s labeled as minicamp so you can try to get anybody who hasn’t been around to be there.’

Rodgers confirmed he had been fined for what the team considered an unexcused absence. Asked if the fine was for $50,000, he smiled and said, ‘I think it was for a little more than that.’

Saleh was quick to praise Rodgers upon the signal-caller’s return.

‘He’s an unbelievable teammate,’ Saleh said. ‘His wealth of knowledge and his understanding of football makes him pretty much another coach on the football field. So when he speaks, our guys listen.’

Of all my 29 years on this Earth, I have tried fencing two times: one recreationally and one with a qualifying Olympian. I was humbled by the latter.

Team USA’s Kat Holmes and I are at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but only one of us will be competing in team épée. Before that, she agreed to teach me a few things about it, so I gave it a try. I must give myself credit, though. I’m left handed, so our mini bout didn’t favor me with a right handed épée.

Only five sports have been included at Olympic Games since 1896, and fencing is one of them. Ancient civilizations fenced in combat and self-defense, but sport evolved in the 15th century in Italy and Germany. Today, the disciplines of fencing in the Olympics include foil, sabre and épée. Each has their own unique origins in history, and requires different target areas to score points. 

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After putting on all the gear and getting a quick lesson on attacking and scoring, I said a little prayer to myself. Then, salute and en garde position. Let’s just say Kat went easy on me.

Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

Of all the many sports I’ve tried in my life, this one was the hardest. Aside from using my non-dominant hand, the stance and the weapon were tough to get used to. I have so much respect for athletes who excel in this sport.

You can watch me try, and fail, at fencing in the video above. 

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MARSEILLE, France – For an hour, the U.S. men’s U-23 team hung with host country France and the crowd out in full force. 

Then Alexandre Lacazette happened. 

The veteran forward beat U.S. goalkeeper Patrick Schulte to the low far post from long range for the match’s first goal in the 61st minute. He assisted on an insurance goal from Michael Olise – a similar score from outside the box, and Schulte could not reach the far post in time.

France walked away with a 3-0 victory in a packed Marseille Stadium, adding a late header from Loic Bade.  

Paxten Aaronson led the U.S. with two shots on goal. France outshot the U.S. 11-9, and the  discrepancy in shots on goal was similar (6-4). France did take six corners – five in the first half – to the Americans’ two.  

Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

It was a physical match, with the U.S. typically on the friendly side of referee Yael Falcon’s whistle. 

The top two teams from each group will advance so the Americans still have a shot to advance. The Americans will play New Zealand on Saturday in Marseille. 

– Chris Bumbaca

Paris Olympics begin with soccer, rugby

The 2024 Paris Olympics soft launched on-field action Wednesday, with eight men’s soccer matches and 12 men’s rugby sevens matches.

Elsewhere, the U.S. men’s gymnastics team had podium training, and the U.S. men’s basketball team practiced ahead of their first game Sunday.

Here’s how Wednesday happened in France:

Goal! France 3, USA 0 

MARSEILLE, France — For good measure, Loic Bade hammered home a header to give the French another goal that will help the team if tiebreaking comes into play. But the result was already in hand by that point. 

Goal! France 2, USA 0

MARSEILLE, France — France is pulling away. 

Michael Olise beat U.S. goalkeeper Patrick Schulte to the right for France’s second goal in eight minutes, and the U.S. is staring down defeat as a result. 

The U.S. hasn’t been without its opportunities in the second half and could have netted a score or two itself. But France’s finishing has put them in a comfortable lead with 20 minutes to play. 

Goal! France 1, USMNT 0 

MARSEILLE, France — The most experienced man on the pitch scored the match’s first goal. 

France forward Alexander Lacazette beat USA goalkeeper Patrick Schulte to the far corner in the 61st minute. Michael Olise was credited with the assist. 

The U.S. nearly equalized on two separate occasions in short order, the second of which was a golden opportunity for the Americans. John Tolkin streaked in to receive a cross, but French keeper Guillaume Restes caused enough disturbance to deter the threat. Paxten Aaronson’s header minutes before that was also turned away.

Djordje Mihailovic hits crossbar

MARSEILLE, France — The U.S. is playing with more urgency – despite spending plenty of time on the ground after French contact – and nearly broke through in the 59th minute. 

Djordje Mihailovic’s strike drilled the crossbar square and ricocheted over the net for a goal kick. It was the closest the Americans have come to scoring by far in the match.

Earlier in the half, Nathan Harriel had an early header on target.  

– Chris Bumbaca

Halftime: USA 0, France 0 

MARSEILLE, France — Jean-Philippe Mateta nearly supplied France with its first goal of the match on two separate occasions in the closing minutes of the first half, which the French dominated and forced the Americans on their heels. 

Mateta first had a chance to connect on a long ball into the box, but wasn’t able to put enough behind the attempt and U.S. goalkeeper Patrick Schulte made the save. 

Schulte had to make another save on a ball from Manu Kone that appeared to be a cross but was bound for the back of the net had he not dived to his left and pushed the threat away. 

Mateta again fired off a low shot from the top of the box that went just wide of the ride post. 

France outshot the U.S. 8-3 (3-1 on target) and had five corners compared to one for the U.S. The French had 61% possession.

Paxten Aaronson has been the most active American in the attack, but there hasn’t been much to report for the U.S. on that end outside of a few chances. 

– Chris Bumbaca

USMNT vs. France: Finally a shot!

MARSEILLE, France — It took more than 30 minutes, but there was a shot on goal.

France’s Manu Kone let one rip from beyond the box and wasn’t that much of threat, however. USA keeper Patrick Schulte dove to his right and easily secured the ball. 

A few minutes later, Kevin Paredes picked up the first yellow card for the Americans. 

Paxten Aaronson then finally delivered the first shot on net for the USA, which French keeper Guillaume Restes deflected back into play. 

– Chris Bumbaca

USMNT vs France: Scoreless first 30 minutes

MARSEILLE, France — American defender John Tolkin writhed in pain and France’s Kiliann Sildillia drew a yellow card. France has had more pressure but the Americans have defended well enough in the first half hour.

U.S. goalkeeper Patrick Shulte did well to be aggressive on France’s first corner and claim the ball. The French midfield has been aggressive in trying to keep the U.S. pinned in its own third but have been called for a few fouls to help the U.S. alleviate the pressure. 

– Chris Bumbaca

Olympic soccer: USMNT vs. France underway

MARSEILLE, France — For the first time in 16 years, the U.S. men’s U-23 national team is back in the Olympics. 

The best finish for the U.S. men was a fourth-place showing at the Sydney Games in 2000. 

By winning the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship in Honduras, the team clinched its spot in the 2024 Olympics. 

Since 1992 in Barcelona, the men’s soccer Olympic tournament has been played with players age 23 or younger. Each squad is allowed to carry three overage players if they choose. 

The lone senior national team member with previous World Cup experience is defender Walker Zimmerman. Defender Miles Robinson and midfielder Djordje Mihailovic are the other overage players. 

– Chris Bumbaca

Thiery Henry takes Olympic stage with France 

MARSEILLE, France – Although fans may not recognize most of France’s roster, even casuals know its manager: Thierry Henry. 

After his playing career ended, Henry began his coaching journey with Arsenal’s youth academy in 2015. He had been an assistant for Belgium’s national squad during its run to the World Cup semifinal in 2018. 

Henry’s other managerial roles have included Ligue 1’s Monaco and CF Montréal of Major League Soccer. 

As a player, Henry helped France win the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship. He ranks as the second all-time leading scorer (51) for “Les Bleus.”

– Chris Bumbaca

USMNT vs. France: Host nation’s fans out in force

MARSEILLE, France – Fans of the host country were out in full force hours before kickoff, wearing blue and waving French flags. 

With no fans at the Tokyo Summer Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games due to COVID-19, the eruptions from the France-heavy crowd will be a reminder of the Olympics’ draw. 

– Chris Bumbaca

Medal count today

Our 2024 Paris Olympics medal count tracker updates after every single medal event. The first medals can be won on Saturday.

Olympics on TV today

NBC is airing and streaming the Paris Olympics from all angles: Peacock is streaming every sport and event live as it unfolds; NBC, USA Network, CNBC and E! are carrying various live events and replays throughout the day. The Games can also be streamed on Fubo. Here are 6 tips and tricks for getting the most out of Peacock during the Olympics.

Olympic soccer: Morocco vs. Argentina ends in chaos

A fan invasion in the opening match of the Olympic men’s soccer tournament between Argentina and Morocco on Wednesday caused chaos, with Argentina eventually beaten 2-1 following a VAR review after play was suspended with the score tied at 2-2.

Argentina’s Cristian Medina scored deep in injury time to salvage what looked like a 2-2 draw, but the decision ruling out the goal was delivered about two hours after play was suspended when the teams re-emerged to finish the match in an empty stadium.

The teams played for three minutes and 15 seconds after VAR completed its review and disallowed the goal.

After order was restored in Saint-Etienne and the teams had left the field following the fan invasion, they discovered that the match had not been completed but suspended by officials. The venue manager told Reuters the game had been interrupted, adding that a decision about whether the match would be completed was being discussed.

The teams re-emerged just before 7:00 p.m. local time and warmed up a second time so the final minutes could be played.

– Reuters

Olympic soccer: Iraq vs Ukraine, Japan vs Paraguay begin

Halfway through Wednesday’s slate of eight men’s games, Iraq vs. Ukraine and Japan (in Lyon) vs. Paraguay (Bordeaux) have kicked off.

Olympic soccer: New Zealand wins it late vs. Guinea

Ben Waine’s goal in the 76th minute was the winner for New Zealand in a 2-1 victory over Guinea to open men’s Group A play.  Guinea had equalized minutes earlier with Amadou Diawara’s goal, but Waine – who plays for Plymouth Argyle in England – restored New Zealand’s advantage to earn three points.

Olympic soccer: Egypt vs. Dominican Republic finishes scoreless

Egypt and the Dominican Republic men’s soccer teams played out a scoreless draw in their opening group match on Wednesday. With each team picking up a point, the two countries are behind Group C leader Spain, who beat Uzbekistan earlier in the day.

Olympic Rugby results Wednesday

Australia 21, Samoa 14 (Pool B)
Argentina 31, Kenya 12 (Pool B)
United States 12, France 12 (Pool C)
Fiji 40, Uruguay 12 (Pool C)
Ireland 10, South Africa 5 (Pool A)
New Zealand 40, Japan 12 (Pool A)
Australia 21, Kenya 7 (Pool C)
Argentina 28, Samoa 12 (Pool B)
France 19, Uruguay 12 (Pool C)
Fiji 38, United States 12 (Pool C)
Ireland 40, Japan 5 (Pool A)
New Zealand 17, South Africa 5 (Pool A)

Olympic men’s rugby: Ireland beats South Africa

Ireland outlasted South Africa, 10-5, in a Pool A matchup. Ireland led 5-0 after the first half and had a 10-0 lead late before allowing its first points with just about a minute left to play.

New Zealand is taking on Japan in the next game.

Olympic men’s soccer: Next pair of games in action

New Zealand has taken an early lead on Guinea (1-0) in their Group A game, while Egypt and the Dominican Republic are squaring off in a Group C matchup.

Olympic schedule today

There are eight soccer matches and 12 rugby sevens matches. The U.S. men’s national soccer team plays host France at 3 p.m. ET. The U.S. men’s rugby sevens team has two matches: against France (10:30 a.m.) and against Fiji (2:30 p.m.).

Olympic men’s rugby: United States-France finish in a tie

Trailing France 12-7 five minutes into the second half, Team USA got a score by Marcus Tupuola to tie things up. The U.S. had a chance to break the 12-12 tie, but Madison Hughes’ conversion failed.

Team USA plays Fuji later at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Olympic men’s rugby: Fiji routs Uruguay

Waisea Nacuqu and Joji Nasova combined for more than half of Fiji’s points in a 40-12 rout of Uruguay.

Fiji led 19-7 after the first half, and then outscored Uruguay 21-5 in the second half to win the Pool C opener.

Olympic soccer results Wednesday

9 a.m.

Group B: Morocco 2, Argentina 1
Group C: Spain 2, Uzbekistan 1

11 a.m.

Group A: New Zealand 2, Guinea 1
Group C: Egypt 0, Dominican Republic 0

1 p.m.

Group B: Iraq 2, Ukraine 1
Group D: Japan 5, Paraguay 0

3 p.m.

Group A: France 3, United States 0
Group D: Mali 1, Israel 1

Olympic men’s soccer: Spain holds on against Uzbekistan

Spain made Sergio Gomez’s tiebreaking goal hold up and comes away with the 2-1 win in its opener.

Uzbekistan nearly got the equalizer from Khusniddin Alikulov, who fired a kick just over the crossbar in the 81st minute.

Team USA projected to win most medals at Paris Olympics

The United States will top the Paris Olympics medal table and host France will almost double its haul from 2021, according to a projection from data and analytics company Nielsen.

Nielsen said that based on its Gracenote results data from key global and continental competitions since Tokyo three years ago Team USA would be top of its virtual medal table for eighth consecutive summer Games.

It said the US would win 112 medals, one less than in 2021, and that 37 golds would also be the top mark, with almost half the haul from athletics and swimming.

China is to follow again with 86 medals, down three, with 34 of them gold in Paris. — Reuters

Olympic men’s soccer: Argentina cuts into Morocco lead

Argentina is on the board after Giuliano Simeone scored on an assist by Julio Soler. Argentina’s first goal came in the 68th minute and is one of only two shots on goal so far.

Olympic rugby sevens: United States leads France

Team USA holds a 7-5 lead after one half in its men’s rugby sevens matchup against France. Lucas Lacamp scored just before the end of the half with Steve Tomasin following with a conversion.

France scored 3:07 into the first half, but missed on the conversion.

Olympic rugby sevens: Argentina cruises past Kenya; USA begins

Argentina won the second men’s rugby sevens matchup, overcoming an early 7-0 deficit with an explosive second half that resulted in a 31-12 victory.

The United States gets to cheer on its first team at the Paris Games, as the men’s rugby sevens squad takes on host country France next.

Olympic men’s soccer: Spain breaks tie against Uzbekistan

Sergio Gomez scored on an assist by Juan Miranda to snap a tie and give Spain a 2-1 lead in the 62nd minute. It was Gomez’s third shot on goal.

Olympic men’s soccer: Morocco adds to lead

Morocco scored another goal on another Soufiane Rahimi penalty kick against Argentina. The goal came in the 49th minute and gave Morocco a 2-0 lead. Argentina has yet to get a shot on goal.

Olympic rugby sevens: Australia defeats Samoa

After falling behind 7-0, Australia scored 21 unanswered points and held on for a 21-14 victory against Samoa in a men’s Pool B matchup.

Argentina vs. Kenya are next up, while the United States will take on France at 10:30 a.m. ET. There are 12 total men’s rugby sevens matchups lined up for today.

Olympic men’s soccer: Morocco leads at halftime; Spain-Uzbekistan tied up

Just before the end of the first half, Morocco got on the board against Argentina. Soufiane Rahimi scored in the 45th minute. It was the first shot on goal by either team.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan has evened the score against Spain after a penalty kick by Eldor Shomurodov in the 45th minute. The teams go into halftime tied up at 1-1.

Olympic rugby sevens begin

Australia and Samoa are getting ready to start the second half of their men’s rugby sevens matchup, the first of the Paris Games. The two teams are locked up in a 7-7 tie after Australia dug out of a 7-0 hole.

Olympic men’s soccer: Argentina-Morocco still scoreless

Argentina and Morocco are battling it out in their Group B opener. The two squads are relying on defense to keep their opponent away from the net, as neither team has a shot on goal after 39 minutes.

Olympic men’s soccer: Spain scores first against Uzbekistan

Spain struck first during its Group C opener against Uzbekistan. Marc Pubill scored off a feed from Abell Ruiz in the 29th minute. It’s the first goal of these Olympics and gets Spain on the board with a 1-0 lead.

Is Lionel Messi playing in Olympics?

No. The global star from Argentina is sitting out the Paris Games after just completing Copa America, during which Argentina beat Colombia in extra time and Messi was injured. Messi won a gold medal with Argentina at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Olympics begin: Men’s soccer on the pitch

The Argentina-Morocco and Uzbekistan-Spain men’s soccer games have started, and so have these 2024 Paris Olympics.

What time does USMNT play today at Olympics?

The U.S. men’s national soccer team plays France at 3 p.m. ET.

How to watch USMNT vs. France?

NBC will air the match live, along with Peacock.

USMNT players to watch

Though some of the best USMNT players are still age-eligible for the Olympics, it’s hard to get clubs to let their stars go to a tournament where they might get hurt and almost certainly would miss some of the preseason. 

But the Olympics could provide some invaluable experience for some of the USMNT’s stars-in-the-making. Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessmann, who led Venezia to promotion to Serie A in Italy, are on the roster. So is Kevin Paredes, U.S. Soccer’s Young Male Player of the Year last year, and goalkeeper-of-the-future, Gaga Slonina. — Nancy Armour

Frederick Richard has big goals in mind when men’s gymnastics begins at the Paris Olympics later this summer. Winning a gold medal or two − something no American male has done in the sport since Paul Hamm in 2004 − is just the start.

‘I want to be that Michael Jordan of gymnastics,’ Richard told USA TODAY in a June interview. ‘The one that changes it when he leaves and makes it 20 times as big and respected. And that’s one of the big goals that I have, and I’ll be in the sport for another 10 years. Every day that’s what I really go after. It’s not one competition or a certain amount of medals. It’s really changing the sport.’

Last October, Richard joined an exclusive group of American male gymnasts when he won a bronze medal in the all-around at the world championships.

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He became the first American male to medal in the all-around at worlds since 2010, he helped the U.S. win its first team medal, also a bronze, since 2014, and he’s one of the team’s top medal contenders in Paris.

Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

Just 20 years old, Richard is a rising star in the gymnastics world and on social media, where he’s known to his nearly 1 million followers across Instagram and TikTok as ‘Frederick Flips.’

He stumbled into his social media presence during the COVID pandemic, saw immediately how it could help grow his brand and the sport − he got about 300 views on his first TikTok video, before he had any followers or the benefit of being an All-American college gymnast at Michigan − and has used it to express his personality, creativity and competitiveness since.

‘I guess where I see my role being, at least while I’m in gymnastics is two areas,’ Richard said. ‘One, of course, is dominating. I have to do what no one’s ever done. I have to do things that people realize they didn’t think was possible and I stand for that ability of being able to push the limits of what was possible. And then No. 2 is getting as many eyes as possible on the sport. The more eyes I can bring to the sport, the more people I can get to kind of learn the story and eventually fall in love with the sport the way they do with other sports.’

How Fred Richard got started in gymnastics

For Richard, gymnastics has been a lifelong love and the only sport he’s ever competed in.

He took his first gymnastics class at a gym walking distance from his Stoughton, Mass., home when he was 4, but was a regular on the mat before that, tumbling enthusiastically across the floor as his older sister, Lexi, shyly clung to her mother’s skirt, not wanting to leave her side to take part in class.

Ann-Marie Richard recalls her son doing handstands in his crib with a pacifier in his mouth, ‘just there, upside down’ in ‘his happy place,’ and doing straddle Ls on her bedposts a few years later. When he was 4 or 5, Frederick would scale a doorway in his home and flip through the tiny space between the door’s molding and his father’s Iron Gym pull-up bar.

‘He was always a little daredevil from since he was a baby,’ Ann-Marie Richard said. ‘We had to constantly look at him because we were just afraid he was going to kill himself. Literally. And he has fallen on his head a couple of times jumping up and down on my bed, flipping and then would land on the floor and I would get all frantic yelling, cause I’m like, ‘Oh my god, the cops are going to pick me up for this child.’ It was crazy.

‘And then at one point, my husband and I said, when he started doing it in gymnastics we said, ‘Great, this is an outlet. It’s a safe place to do it, cause he’s going to do it either way. He’s going to do it at home, so we might as well just put him in early.”

Richard was as much a product of his own fearlessness and hard work as he was a gymnastics prodigy.

When he was about 8 years old, Richard told his then-coach, Tom Fontecchio, the kids his age weren’t serious enough about gymnastics and he wanted to work with the older boys. He skipped family vacations, including at least one trip to Disney, to stay and train or compete in meets.

And when he scored just high enough to secure a spot in USA Gymnastics’ Future Stars Program for the first time, tying for eighth place in a program that put the top eight finishers on a path for the junior national team, it stoked his passion to be the best.

‘My whole mindset changed of like, ‘Wow, I’m eighth? All these kids are better than me? I want to be better than them,’’ Richard said. ‘So from there, you kind of have that wakeup call of seeing kids across the country and how good they are and seeing where you could be, and from there I just started pushing harder and harder and climbing the ladder.’

Growing up being among the few Black kids in gymnastics

Through all his travels, two things stood out to Richard: The miniscule crowds that showed up to watch men’s gymnastics, especially when compared to their women counterparts, and how few Black males there were competing in the sport at all levels.

‘You grow up in the gym and there’s, if you’re lucky enough, three Black kids in the gym out of hundreds, and it’s weird,’ Richard said. ‘You’re a kid and you already feel out of place, and you’re growing up with kids have lots of questions, kids go through a period of experimenting, learning new words, learning what racism is, learning what stereotypes are, learning all this stuff and you’re that person that it all goes towards because you’re the odd one out.

‘I did have a lot of support of gymnasts very close to me as best friends and coaches and it’s not like it was some terrible racist system. It was a great childhood, but when you feel out of place you want to look up to somebody like you who looks like you, but there wasn’t really anybody winning these medals in the Olympics. So now I feel like that’s an opportunity I have while I’m here to make those other kids feel comfortable.’

Around the time Frederick was 12 or 13, Ann-Marie said he realized how powerful the U.S. women’s team was and how the men’s team struggled to medal in international competitions, and vowed to change it.

He took an online marketing class with future designs of growing his brand and the sport. He got practical experience in the marketing field, starting a roofing company in conjunction with his father’s construction business and going door-to-door to drum up business. And after missing a season of gymnastics with a stress fracture in the L4 vertebrae in his lower back − an injury that relegated him to a full torso brace for a period of time − he returned better than ever to competition.

Richard won the junior division all-around competition as well as the floor exercise, vault and high bar at the 2021 U.S. Gymnastics Championships. He won five golds at the Junior Pan American Championships in Brazil in 2022; Fontecchio had promised to loan Richard his Fiat roadster sports car for a week if he won four golds at the event. And after winning NCAA titles in the high bar, parallel bars and all-around as a freshman at Michigan in 2023, he won the U.S. Olympic trials in June, finishing in the top three in floor exercise, parallel bars and high bar.

As his profile as a gymnast grew, so did Richard’s presence on social media.

He used his entire $1,500-a-month U.S. national team stipend to hire two friends from his dorm at Michigan to help create and publish content on Instagram and TikTok. He dreamed up friendly athletic competitions against other Michigan athletes, and posted one video − a front flip challenge between him and teammate Sam Kaplan − that he said generated more than 20 million views across all his social media accounts.

Richard said he’s heard directly or indirectly from countless young athletes who said he was the reason they started or were sticking with gymnastics. And at the NCAA championships this year, one fan saluted with him with a sign that said he drove several hundred miles to watch ‘Frederick Flips’ compete.

Known for his power and athleticism in competition − Richard does five high-level release skills on the high bar, and Fontecchio said he ‘has probably the highest difficulty in the United States at all the events’ − Richard has become more technical in his two seasons at Michigan, refining his lines and sharpening his mental approach.

But to reach his lofty goals −dramatically growing the fan base of men’s gymnastics and ushering in a new wave of minority talent − he knows there is more to do.

After the Olympics, Richard will join Simone Biles on her Gold Over America Tour, a performance gymnastic event scheduled for 30 stops in just over six weeks. By the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, Richard said he hopes to master several new moves he’s in the process of creating across multiple events; one he’s currently working on is bringing the breakdancing-inspired air flare he does in his floor routine to the pommel horse.

And in Paris, he plans to pile up medals while stamping himself as the new face of the sport.

‘I think it’s more of an opportunity,’ Richard said. ‘I’ve chosen to take the role on and I’ll gladly take it with whatever risks come. But if I failed – I guess pressure comes from if you’re fearing what happens if you don’t do it. And if I would fail, the sport would be exactly where it is right now, so it’s like, there’s only opportunity to move it in the right direction.’

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

LAS VEGAS — In a one-year span during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jim Boylen lost his brother to cancer, lost his marriage and lost his job as head coach of the Chicago Bulls.

Adrift personally and professionally, Boylen didn’t know what was next.

Then USA Basketball called him in 2021. Organization executives asked if he wanted to coach the men’s senior national team in qualifying games for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

“The only way you can be part of it is if you don’t have a job,” Boylen said. “I told (USA Basketball men’s national team director) Sean Ford I will swim there to do it.”

As much as USA Basketball needed a coach to help the men reach the 2023 FIBA World Cup which leads to qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Boylen needed the gig more. It was not high-profile, but that didn’t matter.

Meet Team USA: See which athletes made the U.S. Olympic team and where they are from

“The blessing was that I got to grieve my divorce and be with my kids,” Boylen said. “I got to mourn the loss of my brother, and I got to get over getting fired.”

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Since some of those qualifying games fall during the NBA season, Boylen coached a team mainly of G League players against teams from FIBA Americas: Uruguay, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Columbia. Coaching in the 50-year-old Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is nothing like coaching the Bulls in the United Center on a Saturday night.

So what.

“The competitive part of it,’ Boylen explained, ‘was exactly what I needed at that point in my life.’

Though not part of the USA Basketball staff going to Paris, Boylen was an assistant coach for the U.S. select team that scrimmaged against the U.S. Olympic team at the Las Vegas training camp earlier this month in preparation of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

He instructed young sensation Cooper Flagg, a rising freshman at Duke who held his own on the court against NBA stars, and worked with other young NBA players who might someday be Olympians – Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr., Sacramento’s Keegan Murray and Charlotte’s Brandon Miller.

Boylen is a part of the USA Basketball coaching staff and partly responsible for helping the U.S. get to the Olympics.

The U.S. went 9-3, including six consecutive victories, during qualifying, which began in November 2021 and ended in February 2023. The U.S. made it to the World Cup where it finished fourth but as the second-best finisher from FIBA Americas, it qualified for the Paris Summer Games.

It was a challenge. Boylen, who was USA Basketball’s Coach of the Year in 2023, never had the same roster during the six qualifying windows, had limited practice time before games and had to teach players quickly and simply the intricacies of FIBA rules.

“The ball is a 12-panel ball, not an eight-panel ball like ours,” Boylen said. “Now, it’s a 40-minute game, not 48. There’s 77 possessions in the FIBA game, and 102 in an NBA game. Every possession in FIBA is like gold.

“You got to win. Otherwise you’re the guy who lost and couldn’t get the U.S. to the World Cup.”

Boylen did significant preparation, watching hours and hours of FIBA games, and decided to make offense and defense as simple as possible while still being effective.

Chatting with a USA TODAY Sports reporter 17 months ago before two qualifying games in Washington, D.C., Boylen pulled out a dry-erase clipboard and began diagramming plays. He was fired up, appreciative and motivated by the national team experience.

“This is bigger than ourselves because this (is) about the mission, not the man,” he said then. “It’s been a godsend, and I’m really thankful to be doing it.”

He relayed his methods and what he learned to U.S. senior national team coach Steve Kerr who has expressed his appreciation for Boylen’s work.

Boylen caught the USA Basketball bug when former NBA and Olympics coach Rudy Tomjanovich invited him to training camp before the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“I always had a little bit of a hole in my soul and thought, ‘I’d love to be part of that again,’ ” Boylen said. “I always wanted to be part of it. Plus, I want to coach.”

He’s a blue-collar coach’s coach, a Michigan native who played college basketball at Maine and worked factory jobs in the summer between college years.

His first job as a grad student was for cantankerous Michigan State coach Jud Heathcote. Spartans coach Tom Izzo was also on the staff, and Izzo hired Boylen back to Michigan State in 2005. It’s not difficult to see where some of Boylen’s old-school ways originate.

A veteran assistant and head coach in college (Michigan State, Utah) and the NBA (Houston, Golden State, Milwaukee, Indiana, San Antonio, Chicago) for 37 years, Boylen thought he was going to remain the Bulls’ head coach when Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley took over basketball operations. That didn’t happen. Not all of Boylen’s old-school ways resonated with today’s NBA stars.

But Boylen still had two years left on his contract. He watched a lot of basketball, visited with the Portland Trail Blazers and consulted University of Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk, who has had four consecutive 20-win seasons.

Boylen was a consultant for the Indiana Pacers in 2022-23 and moved to assistant coach for the Pacers and head coach Rick Carlisle last season.

“I’m a better coach, a better version of myself than I was. I grew, I got my ass kicked a little bit, which is what it’s all about,” Boylen said. “So I’m doing great.”

Boylen will watch the U.S. games, and if the American men win gold, Boylen will not get a medal. But he’ll very much be part of a gold-medal winning effort.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt