The U.S. men’s national team clinched a spot in the knockout round of the Concacaf Gold Cup after a grind-it-out 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, June 19.

The U.S. will close out group play on Sunday, June 22 against Haiti at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas (7 p.m. ET, Fox).

Defender Chris Richards put in a ‘man of the match’ performance, scoring the game’s lone goal and circumventing a Saudi Arabia scoring threat in the first half.

‘We needed tonight. It was a tough game against a tough opponent. Props to them,’ Richards told Fox Sports after the game. ‘But that’s Concacaf for you. Sometimes you’ve got to get physical, sometimes you’ve got to get nasty, and that’s exactly what we did tonight.’

As expected, Saudi Arabia proved to be a much tougher opponent to break than Trinidad and Tobago, which the U.S. steamrolled 5-0 on Sunday, June 15. On Thursday night, it took until late in the first half for the U.S. to even manage a shot on goal. For their part, the U.S. was equally as stingy defensively, allowing just one shot on goal the entire game.

USMNT vs. Saudi Arabia highlights

Brouhaha in the 89th minute

Tempers flared after Tyler Adams was pushed to the ground. Both Saudi Arabia manager Hervé Renard and U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino got involved as players from both teams got into a scrum.

Sebastian Berhalter was issued a yellow card, as were Saudi Arabia’s Ziyad Al Johani and Abdulrahman Al Obud.

USMNT 1, Saudi Arabia 0: Chris Richards finds back of net on set piece

The USA-Saudi Arabia Gold Cup match finally had a breakthrough, as Chris Richards scored off a free kick from Sebastian Berhalter in the 63rd minute.

The play went to VAR, but Richards was ruled onside, giving the defender his second career USMNT goal.

USA 0, Saudi Arabia 0: Scoreless match at halftime

The USMNT was not able to break down their disciplined opponents and make any threatening attempts on goal in the first half.

The U.S. enjoyed the majority of possession (72% to 28%), but did not get a shot on goal until late in the first half. In the 45th minute, Patrick Agyemang’s header attempt was on goal, but Saudi Arabia ‘keeper Nawaf Al Aqidi made an easy save.

Earlier in the first half, defender Chris Richards made the USMNT’s best play of the game so far, thwarting a potential Saudi Arabia goal-scoring opportunity.

Haji Wright out with an Achilles injury

Haji Wright, who came on as a second-half substitute and scored a goal on June 15, is not with the U.S. team for Thursday night’s game against Saudi Arabia. Wright is dealing with an Achilles issue.

What time is USMNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago at Concacaf Gold Cup?

The Concacaf Gold Cup group stage game pairing the USMNT with Saudi Arabia is set for 9:15 p.m. ET at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. Q2 Stadium is the regular home of Austin FC of Major League Soccer.

How to watch USMNT vs. Saudi Arabia Gold Cup game: TV, stream

Time: 9:15 p.m. ET
Location: Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas)
TV: FS1 (TUDN for Spanish-language broadcast)
Stream: Fubo

Watch USMNT vs. Saudi Arabia with a free trial of Fubo

USMNT starting lineup vs. Saudi Arabia

Mauricio Pochettino is going with the same starting 11 as the U.S. featured in Sunday’s win over Trinidad and Tobago.

For Sebastian Berhalter and Alex Freeman, the start against Saudi Arabia represents a third national team cap for each player.

Saudi Arabia starting lineup vs. USA

Saudi Arabia is coming off a 1-0 win over Haiti in its Gold Cup opener. The goal scorer from that win, Saleh Al-Shehri, starts this game on the bench. Forward Firas Al-Buraikan (known as Feras) is the team’s most-capped active player (52).

Why is Saudi Arabia in the Gold Cup?

Concacaf announced in December 2024 that Saudi Arabia would participate in the 2025 and 2027 Gold Cup tournaments. This announcement came shortly after Saudi Arabia was selected as the host nation for the 2034 World Cup.

Saudi Arabia is the eighth different non-Concacaf affiliated nation to be invited to compete in the Gold Cup. Other invited teams include Brazil (1996, 1998 and 2003), Colombia (2000, 2003 and 2005), South Korea (2000 and 2002), Peru (2000), Ecuador (2002), South Africa (2005) and Qatar (2021 and 2023).

USMNT schedule for the 2025 Gold Cup

Sunday, June 15: 5-0 win vs. Trinidad and Tobago
Thursday, June 19: vs. Saudi Arabia, 9:15 p.m. ET (FS1)
Sunday, June 22: vs. Haiti, 7 p.m. ET (FOX)

What is the Concacaf Gold Cup?

The Gold Cup is a biennial tournament for national teams in the North and Central American and Caribbean region associated with Concacaf. Mexico (nine times), the U.S. (seven times) and Canada (one time) are the only nations to have won the Gold Cup. Mexico won the last Gold Cup competition in 2023.

2025 Concacaf Gold Cup key dates

Group stage: June 14-24
Quarterfinals: June 28-29
Semifinals: July 2
Final: July 6

What are the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup host cities and stadiums?

Arlington, Texas (AT&T Stadium)
Austin (Q2 Stadium)
Carson, California (Dignity Health Sports Park)
Glendale, Arizona (State Farm Stadium)
Houston (NRG Stadium and Shell Energy Stadium)
Las Vegas (Allegiant Stadium)
Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium)
Minneapolis (U.S. Bank Stadium)
San Diego (Snapdragon Stadium)
San Jose, California (PayPal Park)
Santa Clara, California (Levi’s Stadium)
St. Louis (Energizer Park)
Vancouver, British Columbia (BC Place)

Which players are on the USMNT Gold Cup roster?

Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/England)

Defenders (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/France), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/England), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel/Germany), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)

Midfielders (9): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/England); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/England), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/Canada), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/Spain), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands)

Forwards (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/Netherlands), Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Damion Downs (FC Köln/Germany), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/Canada), Haji Wright (Coventry City/England)

The Golden State Valkyries pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever 88-77 at home on Thursday.

The Valkyries have won four of their last five games and improved to 6-6 overall, after becoming the fastest franchise to win five games in its inaugural season earlier this month.

The Fever finished each of the first three quarters with the lead and put the Valkyries in a deficit as large as 13 points, but it wasn’t enough to deny Golden State.

Kayla Thornton led Golden State with 16 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes of play. Tiffany Hayes, playing her first home game since her return from injury, produced 14 points and five assists in 32 minutes off the bench.

Aliyah Boston finished with a game-high 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Fever in the loss. Clark had 11 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. She shot just 3-for-14 from the field and didn’t hit a 3-pointer (0-for-7).

Clark was coming off a game where she was in the middle of a scuffle that led to an ejection, flagrant fouls and subsequent fines. It inspired Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White to blast the league’s refs and reignited the national debate about how the WNBA’s biggest star is treated and viewed by opposing players.

White missed Thursday’s game for personal reasons. Austin Kelly served as the acting coach for Indiana.

Fever vs. Valkyries highlights

Caitlin Clark stats tonight vs. Valkyries

Points: 11
FG: 3-for-14
3PTs: 0-for-7
FT: 5-for-5
Rebounds: 7
Assists: 9
Blocks: 0
Steals: 1
Turnovers: 6
Fouls: 3
Minutes played: 34

Final: Valkyries 88, Fever 77

The Valkyries overcame a double-digit deficit to regain the lead in the fourth quarter.

Aliyah Boston was forced to sit in the middle of the quarter after picking up her fifth personal foul.

3Q: Fever 59, Valkyries 55

The Fever went on a 10-3 run to start the quarter and built up one of its biggest leads of the game against the Valkyries. The Valkyires went on a 10-2 scoring run of their own to end the third quarter. Kate Martin scored back-to-back baskets, scoring five of her nine points in the final minute of the period. Kayla Thornton has 10 points and five rebounds through three quarters for Golden State.

Aliyah Boston has produced a double-double for the Fever with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Caitlin Clark scored five of her seven points in the third quarter for Indiana to go along with her seven assists and six rebounds.

Indiana has led by as many as 13 points. Golden State’s largest lead has been five.

Halftime: Fever 44, Valkyries 38

Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard led the way for the Fever in the first half against the Valkyries. Boston has produced 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for Indiana. Howard has chipped in with eight points, three rebounds and two assists.

Caitlin Clark was limited to just two points in the first half but contributed with six assists and four defensive rebounds.

Carla Leite and Chloe Bibby led Golden State with eight points each in the first half. Kayla Thornton had seven points and five rebounds.

1Q: Fever 21, Valkyries 12

Monique Billings scored four of the Valkyries’ first seven points in the quarter against the Fever. Kayla Thornton and the Valkyries led Caitlin Clark and the Fever 7-2 with 7:43 left in the opening quarter. Thornton has scored three points.

Natasha Howard would help rally the Fever with four points as part of an 11-0 scoring run to take a 13-7 lead with 3:08 left in the quarter. The scoring run was built up to 14-0 before Golden State’s Chloe Bibby made a layup off an assist from Laeticia Amihere.

Clark went scoreless in the first quarter.

Fever’s starting lineup vs. Valkyries

Guard Caitlin Clark
Guard Kelsey Mitchell
Guard Lexie Hull
Forward Natasha Howard
Forward Aliyah Boston

Valkyries’ starting lineup vs. Fever

Guard Carla Leite
Guard Veronica Burton
Forward Kayla Thornton
Forward Stephanie Talbot
Center Monique Billings

What time is Fever vs. Valkyries?

The WNBA regular-season game between the Indiana Fever and Golden State Valkyries is scheduled to tip at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local time).

How to watch Fever vs. Valkyries WNBA game: TV, stream for Caitlin Clark

The WNBA regular-season game between the Indiana Fever and Golden State Warriors will be streamed nationally exclusively via Amazon Prime, with only local affiliates in the Bay Area and Indianapolis able to televise the game.

Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Location: Chase Center in San Francisco, California
TV: KPIX 5 (Bay Area), KOVR 13 (Sacramento), WTHR Channel 13 (Indianapolis)
Stream: Amazon Prime

Watch Fever vs. Valkyries with Amazon Prime

Cleveland Browns traded up on the final day of the 2025 NFL Draft to select high-profile quarterback Shedeur Sanders. His fall to the fifth round was the story of the draft this year.

Less than two months later, there’s a new story attached to Sanders as minicamps wrap up in Cleveland.

Sanders was cited for driving 101 mph in a 60 mph speed limit zone around 12:30 a.m. on June 17. According to municipal court records from Medina, Ohio, this is Sanders’ second speeding citation of the month.

The first citation stemmed from a June 5 incident in Brunswick, Ohio and Ohio State Highway Patrol told WKBN-TV that Sanders was cited for going 91 mph in a 65 mph speed limit zone.

Sanders failed to appear for his arraignment, which was scheduled for June 16, on the first speeding ticket. He is facing $269 in fines and court costs for that citation.

‘He is taking care of the tickets,’ team spokesman Peter John-Baptiste told Cleveland.com.

Sanders is competing for the starting quarterback role in Cleveland alongside veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett as well as fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Will the NFL suspend Shedeur Sanders?

No, the league won’t suspend Sanders for these speeding tickets. The NFL has not yet provided a statement on the citations.

At time of publishing, Sanders has not released a statement on the speeding citations.

Igor Jesus scored a first-half goal, leading Botafogo to a stunning 1-0 win over the reigning European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup on Thursday, June 19 in Pasadena, California.

The result leaves Botafogo (2-0-0, 6 points) alone atop Group B. PSG (1-1-0, 3 points) are tied for second with Atletico Madrid, who defeated the Seattle Sounders, 3-1, earlier on Thursday.

In the game’s decisive moment, Botafogo’s Jefferson Savarino rolled a pass from midfield into the attacking half. Jesus ran onto the ball between Paris Saint-Germain defenders, then took a shot from the top of the 18-yard box that bounced once and nestled into the bottom left corner of the net.

Botafogo goalkeeper John made two saves to register a clean sheet. PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma stopped three shots.

PSG finished with a 16-4 advantage in shots, though Botafogo had a 4-2 edge in shots on target.

Botafogo vs. PSG highlights

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports’ newsletter.

Like so many farms, meat-packing plants and other industries that rely heavily on immigrant labor, horse racing is full of people who supported President Trump’s campaign in 2024 but did not believe he would target their businesses with the mass deportations he promised. 

“They were convinced that he was only going after the bad guys,” said Will Velie, an immigration attorney who specializes in the horse racing industry. “But the definition of bad guys to a lot of people in the administration is anyone here without status.” 

And now, perhaps predictably, there’s reason for horse racing to be nervous that it’s about to have a major problem on its hands. 

An ICE raid Tuesday morning at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana, where more than 80 backstretch workers were reportedly detained, should be a wake-up call for an industry that would simply not be able to function without a workforce of grooms and hotwalkers and stall cleaners who are, by some credible estimates, roughly 75% immigrants. 

They come from places like Venezuela, Panama, Colombia and Mexico, working low-wage jobs but filling indispensable roles, caring round-the-clock for animals worth hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars. 

Most of these workers at the glamorous tracks like Churchill Downs and Saratoga are here on H-2B visas that the prominent and well-resourced barns manage to secure for them, allowing them to travel from one race meet to the next. 

Even in the best of times, though, it can be a tricky system to navigate with just 66,000 issued each year by the U.S. government, long processing times and an intricate renewal mechanism. And, of course, these are not the best of times. In a climate where immigrant construction workers are getting systematically arrested in Home Depot parking lots, the only thing that would prevent racetracks from being a big, fat target for ICE are the whims of a president. 

“We’re out in the middle of the open,” Velie said. “There’s no hiding. You’re in the middle of a town and they can surround you and come round up a lot of people at once.”

‘Everybody’s nervous’

Ever since it became clear during the first weeks of the current Trump Administration that its posture toward deportations would be more aggressive than in his first term, it has been horse racing’s barely spoken but impossible-to-ignore fear, lingering in the background every day on the backside. 

“Everybody’s nervous about it,” prominent trainer Dale Romans told reporters during a Kentucky Derby-week news conference set up to specifically address the threat posed by a potential ICE raid at a racetrack. “If we couldn’t have an immigrant workforce on the backside, I don’t know how horse racing exists. We need a common sense path to long-term legalization. We’re not talking citizenship, just some kind of work permit.

‘The perfect scenario is we get an amnesty program that leads to a work permit. If you’re vetted, if you’re proven not to be a criminal, you pay your taxes, you are sponsored by an employer, you have a right to work in the United States. That’s all we’re asking for.” 

It is, of course, a difficult topic to get most people to address. Not just because trainers or owners are reticent to draw undue attention to themselves but because of the clear political implications: The racetrack is, by and large, an unabashedly Republican-leaning ecosystem. Many prominent owners and racetrack executives have direct lines to Trump himself. 

And that’s why it seemed like there was relief last week when the Department of Homeland Security issued guidance exempting the agricultural industry, hotels and restaurants from these raids due to the harm being inflicted on those businesses. Though horse racing wasn’t specifically mentioned, it clearly falls into the same category. 

Then, a couple days later, the White House reversed course and decided to resume those raids. It didn’t take long for a racetrack to be on the hit list.

“The head of the New York Racing Association, Marc Holliday, is business partners with (Trump’s son-in-law) Jared Kushner, so he had pretty strong assurances there would be some type of executive action protecting the horsemen and agriculture workers,” Velie said. “But I think there’s a lot of competing factions inside the administration battling over this.”

Sweeping up ‘folks that are constantly caring for the horses’

Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, the issue of whether horse racing should be relying on cheap immigrant labor is fair game for critique. Steve Asmussen, the all-time winningest trainer in North America, earlier this month finally settled a 10-year-old court case with the Department of Labor over hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime and back pay. Over the years, whenever wages and living conditions of backstretch workers have been subject to media scrutiny, it’s rarely made the industry look good. 

It’s a tough way to make a living. But in the end, for thousands of people who desperately need it, it is a living. And their symbiotic relationship with horses who need to be fed and taken care of isn’t just a human story. One of the biggest concerns coming out of any potential racetrack raid is what happens to the horses while their grooms are being arrested. 

‘The problem is that the kind of work the people on the backside, the grooms and hotwalkers, those folks that are constantly caring for the horses and making sure they’re maintained and healthy, that job is 24-7 just a real difficult job,’ said Peter Ecabert, the general counsel for the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

‘It’s hard to get anyone to do that job, and we depend a lot on immigrants and they’re hard-working and good people. Obviously there are a couple that may have run afoul of the legal system, and in those cases, especially if there’s a violent situation we don’t want them around either. We’d work with ICE in any way possible to make sure those people are taken into custody and transported back after their due process hearing. But as far as an unannounced raid on the backside of racetracks, that just puts all of us in a real difficult situation and puts the horses at risk.’

Chelsea Perez, the senior program manger of equine protection at Humane World for Animals, told USA TODAY Sports that it was critical for any law enforcement action to include a process where the safety and well-being of the horses is secured.

“Horses are large, easily frightened animals who can suffer serious injury or injure others when not properly handled,’ she said. ‘The development of appropriate protocols is key to effective emergency response for both law enforcement agencies and equine facility managers.”

Meanwhile, there is a school of thought among those USA TODAY Sports has spoken with that a racetrack in Louisiana was particularly vulnerable to an ICE raid for a few reasons, including the fact that racing in the state is operating under a court injunction preventing the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) rules from being enforced. A HISA spokesperson declined comment, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association did not answer a request for comment. 

Delta Downs is also currently running its quarter horse meet, where there would be stronger suspicion about workers without visas being present than at higher-profile Thoroughbred tracks. 

Still, there’s a potential chilling effect for the whole industry now that an ICE raid has taken place at a racetrack, particularly given the lack of consistent message from the Trump Administration.

‘There is a lot of tension on the backside,’ Ecabert said. ‘People are concerned, obviously, that there’s going to be (another) raid and a lot of apprehensive people for sure.’

Of course, this is what many of those owners and trainers voted for – even if they didn’t realize it. 

“I got calls from tracks all over the country (the next day), and every one of them was saying the same thing: ‘If it happens there, it can happen here. What’s our plan?’ Velie said. “The long-term plan is to get your workforce on to stable visas, but in the short term, we’re stuck.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Diego Padres Thursday night, but hours before fans began arriving, federal immigration agents tried to enter the parking lot to use as a staging area.

The first wave of vehicles arrived shortly after 10 a.m. local time. Shortly after, protestors arrived at Gate E, chanting at the officers, and preventing their entry. LAPD officers eventually arrived as well, and escorted the federal agents out of Dodger Stadium entirely.

The Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed as much with a statement on social media, claiming it was ‘ICE agents’ who tried to access the parking lots.

The standoff between the protestors and law enforcement lasted multiple hours, and tons of footage was captured by the protestors.

Scenes from outside Dodger Stadium

NHL general managers are beating the deadline and getting their pending free agents re-signed before the July 1 start of free agency.

The Dallas Stars were the latest, getting forward Matt Duchene, 34, re-signed to a four-year, $18 million contract on June 19. He led the Stars with 82 points in 82 games and set a career best with 52 assists.

The Chicago Blackhawks had signed leading goal scorer Ryan Donato to a four-year, $16 million contract on June 18.

Duchene’s four-year contract is a change from his recent deals, though it is team-friendly. After the Nashville Predators bought him out in 2023, he signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Stars and had a 65-point season. He signed another one-year, $3 million deal before averaging a point a game last season.

“As our team’s leading scorer last season, he helped to solidify our forward group while also providing invaluable leadership off the ice and in the community,’ general manager Jim Nill said. ‘The fit with Matt and our team has been seamless from the start, and we’re looking forward to continuing to pursue our shared goal of bringing a championship to Dallas.’

The Stars needed to clear out cap space after the signing so they traded 22-goal scorer Mason Marchment and his $4.5 million contract to the Seattle Kraken for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2025 fourth-rounder.

In other free agency news, Edmonton Oilers forward Trent Frederic, a trade deadline acquisition, could be getting closer to a deal.

‘We’re talking, my agent’s talking,’ he said during the Oilers’ end-of-season media availability. ‘Hopefully, something will get done here.’

The New York Islanders’ Kyle Palmieri and Tampa Bay Lightning’s Yanni Gourde re-signed earlier.

A look:

Pending unrestricted free agent forwards

Mitch Marner, Maple Leafs

Sam Bennett, Panthers

Brad Marchand, Panthers

John Tavares, Maple Leafs

Brock Boeser, Canucks

Nikolaj Ehlers, Jets

Mikael Granlund, Stars

Patrick Kane, Red Wings

Claude Giroux, Senators

Andrei Kuzmenkov, Kings

Evgenii Dadonov, Stars

Jonathan Drouin, Avalanche

Pending unrestricted free agent defensemen

Aaron Ekblad, Panthers

Vladislav Gavrikov, Kings

Nate Schmidt, Panthers

Ivan Provorov, Blue Jackets

Dmitry Orlov, Hurricanes

Matt Grzelcyk, Penguins

Brent Burns, Hurricanes

Ryan Lindgren, Avalanche

Pending unrestricted free agent goalies

Jake Allen, Devils

Vitek Vanecek, Panthers

Ilya Samsonov, Golden Knights

Alexandar Georgiev, Sharks

Dan Vladar, Flames

The U.S. men’s national team ended a four-game losing streak in emphatic fashion on Sunday, June 15, cruising to a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in its Concacaf Gold Cup opener.

The USMNT — which is playing the tournament without a number of its key players, including Christian Pulisic — should get a sterner test from its next Gold Cup opponent: Saudi Arabia. Just two and a half years ago, Saudi Arabia pulled off a World Cup stunner, upsetting eventual champion Argentina in the tournament’s group stage in Qatar.

In Sunday’s win, Malik Tillman was a standout performer for the U.S., scoring two goals. Patrick Agyemang, Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright also scored goals in the rout. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be looking for the team to carry over the impressive form from its Gold Cup opener into its next game against Saudi Arabia.

Here’s what to know for Thursday night’s Concacaf Gold Cup match between the USMNT and Saudi Arabia:

What time is USMNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago at Concacaf Gold Cup?

The Concacaf Gold Cup group stage game pairing the USMNT with Saudi Arabia is set for 9:15 p.m. ET at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. Q2 Stadium is the regular home of Austin FC of Major League Soccer.

How to watch USMNT vs. Saudi Arabia Gold Cup game: TV, stream

Time: 9:15 p.m. ET
Location: Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas)
TV: FS1 (TUDN for Spanish-language broadcast)
Stream: Fubo

Watch USMNT vs. Saudi Arabia with a free trial of Fubo

USMNT starting lineup vs. Saudi Arabia

Mauricio Pochettino is going with the same starting 11 as the U.S. featured in Sunday’s win over Trinidad and Tobago.

For Sebastian Berhalter and Alex Freeman, the start against Saudi Arabia represents a third national team cap for each player.

Saudi Arabia starting lineup vs. USA

Saudi Arabia is coming off a 1-0 win over Haiti in its Gold Cup opener. The goal scorer from that win, Saleh Al-Shehri, starts this game on the bench. Forward Firas Al-Buraikan (known as Feras) is the team’s most-capped active player (52).

Why is Saudi Arabia in the Gold Cup?

Concacaf announced in December 2024 that Saudi Arabia would participate in the 2025 and 2027 Gold Cup tournaments. This announcement came shortly after Saudi Arabia was selected as the host nation for the 2034 World Cup.

Saudi Arabia is the eighth different non-Concacaf affiliated nation to be invited to compete in the Gold Cup. Other invited teams include Brazil (1996, 1998 and 2003), Colombia (2000, 2003 and 2005), South Korea (2000 and 2002), Peru (2000), Ecuador (2002), South Africa (2005) and Qatar (2021 and 2023).

USMNT schedule for the 2025 Gold Cup

Sunday, June 15: 5-0 win vs. Trinidad and Tobago
Thursday, June 19: vs. Saudi Arabia, 9:15 p.m. ET (FS1)
Sunday, June 22: vs. Haiti, 7 p.m. ET (FOX)

What is the Concacaf Gold Cup?

The Gold Cup is a biennial tournament for national teams in the North and Central American and Caribbean region associated with Concacaf. Mexico (nine times), the U.S. (seven times) and Canada (one time) are the only nations to have won the Gold Cup. Mexico won the last Gold Cup competition in 2023.

What are the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup host cities and stadiums?

Arlington, Texas (AT&T Stadium)
Austin (Q2 Stadium)
Carson, California (Dignity Health Sports Park)
Glendale, Arizona (State Farm Stadium)
Houston (NRG Stadium and Shell Energy Stadium)
Las Vegas (Allegiant Stadium)
Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium)
Minneapolis (U.S. Bank Stadium)
San Diego (Snapdragon Stadium)
San Jose, California (PayPal Park)
Santa Clara, California (Levi’s Stadium)
St. Louis (Energizer Park)
Vancouver, British Columbia (BC Place)

Which players are on the USMNT Gold Cup roster?

Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/England)

Defenders (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/France), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/England), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel/Germany), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)

Midfielders (9): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/England); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/England), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/Canada), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/Spain), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands)

Forwards (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/Netherlands), Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Damion Downs (FC Köln/Germany), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/Canada), Haji Wright (Coventry City/England)

Caitlin Clark was in the middle of a scuffle that led to an ejection, flagrant fouls and subsequent fines the last time she appeared in a WNBA game. It inspired Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White to blast the league’s refs and reignited the national debate about how the WNBA’s biggest star is treated and viewed by opposing players.

Thursday is the first chance to put the focus back on Clark’s on-court exploits. The Fever (6-5) are on the road to face the expansion Golden State Valkyries for the first time at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The Valkyries (5-6) saw their three-game winning streak snapped Tuesday in a loss to the Dallas Wings. Indiana has consecutive wins over the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun since Clark returned from a quad injury.

Clark averaged 26 points and 7.5 assists on 11 of 20 shooting from 3-point range in those two games, but the Fever’s 88-71 victory over the Sun on Tuesday, June 17 was largely overshadowed by an incident late in the third quarter. Clark was dribbling around the perimeter when Sun guard Jacy Sheldon made contact with Clark’s face. The Fever star was frustrated and shoved Sheldon. But Sun forward Marina Mabrey immediately jumped in and pushed Clark down on the floor. Clark’s teammate, Fever forward Sophie Cunningham, later pulled down Sheldon during a layup attempt and, after review, was given a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game.

White, though, will miss the game for personal reasons. Austin Kelly will be acting coach.

Here’s how to watch Thursday’s WNBA game featuring Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever vs. the Golden State Valkyries:

What time is Fever vs. Valkyries?

The WNBA regular-season game between the Indiana Fever and Golden State Valkyries is scheduled to tip at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local time).

How to watch Fever vs. Valkyries WNBA game: TV, stream for Caitlin Clark

The WNBA regular-season game between the Indiana Fever and Golden State Warriors will be streamed nationally exclusively via Amazon Prime, with only local affiliates in the Bay Area and Indianapolis able to televise the game.

Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Location: Chase Center in San Francisco, California
TV: KPIX 5 (Bay Area), KOVR 13 (Sacramento), WTHR Channel 13 (Indianapolis)
Stream: Amazon Prime

Watch Fever vs. Valkyries with Amazon Prime