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The UFC will make its debut in the Intuit Dome with Renato Moicano challenging Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 311 after a late change to the main card.

Makhachev is the defending lightweight champion and enters the event having won his last 14 fights in his 16-fight UFC career. The Russian hasn’t lost since October 2015 when he suffered a knockout to Adriano Martins in the first round.

Makhachev has held the title since a submission victory over Charles Oliveira in October 2022. They were scheduled for a rematch in October 2023 but the fight was canceled.

Makhachev got the best of Tsarukyan with a unanimous decision victory on April 20, 2019. But he now faces a new opponent on very short notice with Tsarukyan stepping away with a reported back injury.

Moicano will have his work cut out for him but comes in with some momentum, winning his last four fights. In September, he defeated Benoit Saint James at UFC Fight Night with a second-round TKO.

Umar Nurmagomedov will also challenge Merab Dvalishvili in the co-main event for the bantamweight title.

Dvalishvili enters the fight on an 11-fight win streak. Nurmagomedov enters the fight as the No. 2 contender in the bantamweight rankings.

The UFC has previously held just two other events in Inglewood: UFC 232 (Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson 2) in 2018 and UFC 199 (Luke Rockhold vs. Michael Bisping 2) in 2016. Both were held at The Forum.

USA TODAY Sports has live coverage of today’s action. Follow along for news, updates and highlights.

UFC 311 Main Card Results

Jailton Almeida puts away Serghei Spivac (Heavyweight): Results, Analysis

First round: Serghei Spivac managed to take down Jailton Almeida and began throwing a series of elbow strikes to the face. Almeida and Spivac exchanged reversals leading into the final minute of the round. Both fighters returned to their feet where Almeida capitalized by stunning Spivac and recording the knockout victory with 10 seconds remaining in the round.

Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen named as Ultimate Fighter coaches

UFC legends Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier were announced as the next pair of coaches for season 33 of the Ulitmate Fighter. The series will begin on May 27 and air on both ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Reinier de Ridder submits Kevin Holland (Middleweight): Results, Analysis

Round 1: Reinier de Ridder immediately begins the fight taking down Kevin Holland and landed an elbow to land a cut above Holland’s eye. De Ridder made quick work of Holland with a body triangle to win by submission.

UFC 311 Prelim results

Raoni Barcelos handles Payton Talbott

Raoni Barcelos held the advantage throughout the first round, staying on top of Payton Talbott, who entered the fight undefeated. Talbott managed to fend off Barcelos’ submission attempts to survive the round.

Barcelos brought Talbott back down to the ground in the final seconds of the second round despite Talbott’s attempt to keep the fight standing up to throw strikes. Barcelos stuck to the game plan, outwrestling Talbott to win by unanimous decision.

Azamat Bekoev stuns Zachary Reese

Azamat Bekoev produced an impressive showing in his UFC debut. Bekoev worked the ground-and-pound game in the first round to successfully knock out Zachary Reese, who was left sprawled out on the mat after a referee stoppage at 3:04 in the opening period.

Bogdan Guskov rallies to beat Billy Elekana

Billy Elekana, who was making his UFC debut, caught Bogdan Guskov by surprise early in the first round and took control of the fight. He took him to the ground and squeezed him from behind with his legs around his waist for well over 2:10. He delivered a series of strikes to Guskov to draw blood above his left eyebrow.

Guskov managed to escape and found himself on top of Elekana. He delivered some heavy blows and placed Elekana in a chokehold. Elekana was seen tapping out after time expired, allowing the fight to continue into the second round.

The fighters spent the second round on the ground with Guskov delivering a series of strikes and putting a defenseless Elekana in a guillotine choke to win by submission.

Grant Dawson controls Diego Ferreira on ground

Grant Dawson took control of the fight early, trying to overwhelm Diego Ferreira in the first round. The fighters exchanged shots to start the second round before Dawson brought Ferreira back down to the ground. Dawson controlled the fight on the ground for over 2:50 in the first two rounds. The third round proved to be no different as Dawson earned a victory by unanimous decision.

UFC 311 Early Prelim Results

Ailin Perez def. Karol Rosa (unanimous decision )

Muin Gafurov def. Rinya Nakamura (unanimous decision)

Benardo Sopaj def. Ricky Turcios  (unanimous decision)

Tagir Ulanbekov def. Clayton Carpenter (unanimous decision)

UFC 311: Time, TV, streaming and how to watch Makhachev vs. Moicano:

Date: Saturday, January 18
Time: Prelims begin at 8 p.m. ET; Main card begins at 10 p.m. ET
Location: Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California
TV: N/A
Stream: ESPN+ PPV

Catch UFC action with an ESPN+ subscription

UFC 311 start time: Prelims and main card

Prelims: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
Main card: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (PPV on ESPN+)

UFC 311 updated fight card

Main card

Main Event: Islam Makhachev vs. Renato Moicano
Co-Main Event: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill
Jailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac
Kevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder

Prelims

Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos
Zachary Reese vs. Azamat Bekoev
Bogdan Guskov vs. Billy Elekana
Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira
Karol Rosa vs. Ailin Perez
Rinya Nakamura vs. Muin Gafurov
Ricky Turcios vs. Benardo Sopaj
Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Clayton Carpenter

UFC 311 odds

All odds are for moneyline bets (as of Saturday), according to BetMGM.

Main card

Main Event: Islam Makhachev (-1200) vs. Renato Moicano (-250)
Co-Main Event: Merab Dvalishvili (+200) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (-250)
Jiri Prochazka (+105) vs. Jamahal Hill (-125)
Jailton Almeida (-550) vs. Serghei Spivac (+400)
Kevin Holland (+105) vs. Reinier de Ridder (-125)

Prelims

Payton Talbott (-1200) vs. Raoni Barcelos (+725)
Zachary Reese (+150) vs. Azamat Bekoev (185)
Bogdan Guskov (-450) vs. Billy Elekana (+350)
Grant Dawson (-250) vs. Diego Ferreira (+200)
Karol Rosa (-250) vs. Ailin Perez (+200)
Rinya Nakamura (-650) vs. Muin Gafurov (+450)
Ricky Turcios (+220) vs. Benardo Sopaj (-275)
Tagir Ulanbekov (-350) vs. Clayton Carpenter (+260)

UFC 308 predictions:

MMA Junkie: Unanimous picks for Makhachev

The MMA junkie agrees, with its 11 staff writers and editors picking Islam Makhachev to get a win on Saturday night after a main card change.

Yahoo Sports: Makhachev to win

Drake Riggs writes, ‘Makhachev is superior in every aspect of MMA to his new challenger, which is why he’s the best fighter on Earth. He’ll hold that edge over nearly any lightweight he’s up against. Outside of some incredible submission that catches Makhachev in a clumsy scramble, the champion should cruise to a victory on Saturday, implementing his soul-crushing top pressure to pummel and break his new Brazilian challenger.’

CBS Sports: Makhachev to win

Brent Brookhouse writes, ‘All credit to Moicano on stepping up on extremely short notice to face the best pound-for-pound fighter in the game but I simply don’t know what he is supposed to do to beat Makhachev. Moicano doesn’t present the same threat Tsarukyan did and his lack of meaningful striking power means that his inability to outwrestle Makhachev leaves him with no real path to victory. Makhachev can likely win this fight however he decides unless he lands a miracle shot or Makhachev blows out a knee while ragdolling him around.’

UFC 311 live stream

The prelims will be available for live stream on ESPN+. The pay-per-view main event can be purchased and streamed through ESPN+.

UFC 311 price

UFC PPV events are available to ESPN+ subscribers for $79.99. You can also purchase a package that includes the PPV event as well as a year of ESPN+ for $134.98.

UFC 311 location

The event will be held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The arena is also the home of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.

Islam Makhachev vs. Renato Moicano: Tale of the tape

Gabe Zaldivar contributed to this story.

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President-elect Trump is discussing the possibility of visiting China again as president with aides, according to a report. 

The incoming president, who takes office on Monday, visited Beijing during his first term in 2017, and spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping over the phone on Friday. 

Trump has been threatening China with tariffs but has told advisers that he wants to strengthen ties with the communist country with the visit, possibly even traveling there within his first 100 days in office, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

‘I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China. The call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A.,’ Trump wrote on Friday on Truth Social. ‘It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!’ 

He didn’t say if they had spoken about a visit. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump transition team for comment. 

It is also possible Xi could come to the White House for a visit, the Journal reported.

Xi also met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida in 2017. 

Xi was invited to Trump’s Monday inauguration – no senior Chinese official has ever attended a U.S. presidential inauguration – but Chinese Vice President Han Zheng will be attending instead, in a first. 

Trump and Xi plan to establish a strategic communication channel, China said of their Friday phone call, adding that Trump said he was ‘looking forward to meeting with President Xi as soon as possible.’

Trump has also mentioned the possibility of going to India to aides, the Journal reported. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The Kansas City Chiefs started their divisional round playoff matchup against the visiting Houston Texans on offense. They got great field position thanks to a 63-yard kickoff return by Nikko Remigio, who made it deep into Houston territory before being tackled by Texans cornerback Kris Boyd.

Boyd was flagged on the play for throwing his helmet after tackling Remigio and forcing a fumble. The Chiefs recovered the fumble and that penalty drew them in closer to the red zone and ultimately set up a 32-yard field goal by Harrison Butker.

After getting flagged on the play, Boyd headed to the sidelines and shoved Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross.

Boyd was later seen back on the field for the Texans’ kickoff following a game-tying field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

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ASHBURN, Va. – Dan Quinn left the Georgetown hotel in Washington D.C. convinced that Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters and the rest of the team’s hierarchy, including owner Josh Harris and his partners, were the type of guys he wanted to work with.

“What I remember most (was) worry, I guess, like I really wanted the job,” Quinn said Thursday of the days between his in-person interview and receiving the news he had been hired. “So, I was like, ‘(Expletive), I hope they call.’”

All things Lions: Latest Detroit Lions news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

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The Kansas City Chiefs are heading to the AFC championship game for a seventh consecutive season after a 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans.

The game wasn’t an easy victory for the Chiefs. Kansas City nearly squandered a 10-point first half lead after Houston closed the first half with a field goal and scored a touchdown after a 10-minute drive to open the third quarter.

However, kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed the extra point amid windy conditions in Kansas City. That allowed the Chiefs to hold onto a one-point lead, one they would not relinquish thanks to Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes was Kansas City’s top offensive playmaker during the game. He completed 16-of-25 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown while adding 14 yards on the ground. He also made one of the plays of the game on the Chiefs’ first drive of the second half. The Chiefs were looking to answer the Texans’ long touchdown drive with one of their own when they faced a third-and-goal from the 11-yard line.

Mahomes looked like he was going to be sacked by Mario Edwards Jr. on the play but just before he went down, he managed to get a pass off to tight end Travis Kelce.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

The ball floated perfectly to the wide-open tight end, allowing Kansas City to extend its lead to eight points.

The Chiefs’ victory marks their eighth consecutive in the postseason. That ties the New England Patriots for the longest winning streak in NFL postseason history.

Kansas City will have a chance to break that record when the play the winner of the Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens game in the AFC championship game.

USA TODAY Sports provided live updates, highlights and more from the Chiefs-Texans divisional round matchup below. All times are Eastern.

Who will the Chiefs play in the AFC championship game?

The Chiefs are set to play the winner of Sunday’s Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens playoff game in the AFC championship game. The contest will be hosted at Arrowhead Stadium, as Kansas City has home-field advantage in the AFC playoff bracket.

Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal blocked, likely sealing Kansas City win

The Chiefs managed to stop the Texans’ drive in the red-zone after another sack of C.J. Stroud. As a result, Houston settled for a field goal seeking to cut the lead to eight points.

Fairbairn’s field goal attempt was blocked. That will all but seal Houston’s fate, down 11 points with less than two minutes left and just one timeout remaining.

Andy Reid challenges Dalton Schultz catch, call stands

C.J. Stroud found tight end Schultz downfield on a third-and-11 to pick up a key first down and set the Texans up to cut into the Chiefs’ two-score lead. Reid challenged the tight call, as he thought Schultz failed to secure the ball before his foot hit out of bounds.

The ruling on the field stood as called, a move that ESPN’s Russell Yurk believed was the right call.

Chiefs settle for field goal, take 11-point lead

The Chiefs have crossed an important threshold. They are now up two scores against the Texans with just 4:38 left in regulation.

Kansas City got there on a 27-yard field goal from Harrison Butker that was set up by a short drive during which Kareem Hunt got 23 yards on two carries. Xavier Worthy nearly picked up another first down, but the Chiefs went for the field goal instead of attempting to convert a fourth-and-1 deep in Houston territory.

The Texans now need to mount two scoring drives with 4:38, two timeouts and the two-minute warning left in regulation.

Justin Reid injury update

The Chiefs forced their first three-and-out of the day halfway through the fourth quarter. It appeared to come at a cost, as safety Justin Reid collided with cornerback Jaylen Watson while knocking down the pass intended for Nico Collins.

Reid briefly remained down on the field before being tended to by medical personnel. He eventually got up under his own power and headed to the sideline, no worse for wear.

Texans defense forces three-and-out, still one-score game

Houston’s defense once again came up big after being put in an unforgiving position by the rest of the team. They held the Chiefs to just one yards on three plays following Stroud’s sack and turnover on downs, forcing a Matt Araiza punt and ensuring not too much time ran off the clock.

Robert Woods fair caught Araiza’s punt on the 7-yard line. The Texans will now get to work with 8:32 left in the game trailing 20-12.

C.J. Stroud sacked on fourth-and-10 to give ball back to Chiefs

The Texans made a late decision to go for it on fourth-and-10 just over the midfield stripe. They just barely got the snap off before the play clock expired, but that allowed George Karlaftis to get a good jump on the snap and pressure Stroud.

Stroud was unable to get away from the pressure and ultimately was sacked for a loss of 16 yards. The Chiefs will now get the ball back on Houston’s 44-yard line with 9:59 left in the fourth quarter. 

Kansas City is leading 20-12 and has sacked Stroud four times during the game.

Patrick Mahomes flops in an effort to draw penalty before TD

Mahomes was forced out of bounds by the Houston defense on second-and-goal but tried to convince the officials he was hit late. He slowed down before making contact with the Texans defender and going flying into the bench.

Clay Martin’s crew did not bite, rightly choosing not to throw a flag on the play.

Patrick Mahomes completes mid-air pass to Travis Kelce for touchdown

Mario Edwards Jr. appeared to have Mahomes wrapped up for a sack. Instead, the Kansas City quarterback was able to release the ball mid-air and got the ball to a wide-open Kelce to put the Chiefs back up by a touchdown.

Harrison Butker made the extra point to make it an 8-point game.

Kareem Hunt picks up fourth-and-1 with spin move carry

The Chiefs opened the fourth quarter by running the ball up the middle on fourth-and-1. The Texans gained decent penetration on the play but Hunt found a way to spin away from defenders and bull ahead to gain the first down.

The Chiefs are now on the outer edge of field goal range, leading 13-12.

Chiefs holding onto 1-point lead entering fourth quarter

The Texans dominated the third quarter, taking control of the time of possession battle and continuing to build on their yardage lead over the Chiefs. Houston has outgained Kansas City 275-161 with C.J. Stroud and Joe Mixon carrying a balanced Texans offense in a tough matchup.

The Chiefs have relied more heavily on Patrick Mahomes to carry their offense. He is leading the team as both a passer and a rusher and has drawn a couple of key 15-yard penalties to keep Kansas City’s offense moving.

Kansas City is facing a key fourth-and-1 coming out of the quarter break. If they convert, the Chiefs will be on the outer edge of field goal range.

Texans once again flagged for questionable unnecessary roughness call

Patrick Mahomes ran for a 9-yard gain on the Chiefs’ first drive of the third quarter before sliding to the ground. As he did so, two Texans defenders appeared to make slight contact with him while hitting harder into one another helmet-to-helmet.

Clay Martin’s crew called that unnecessary roughness against the Texans. ESPN’s rules analyst Russell Yurk was not a fan of the call, saying he didn’t believe it met the threshold for a penalty.

Mahomes slid late and sideways on the play too, but Martin’s flag stood and put the Chiefs near field-goal range.

Taylor Swift sitting with Caitlin Clark at Chiefs vs. Texans game

Many NFL fans knew Swift was in attendance for the Chiefs vs. Texans game. So too is Clark, who grew up a huge Kansas City fan. The Indiana Fever star joined the pop star in her luxury box during Saturday’s game, as shown by the broadcast.

Ka’imi Fairbairn stats

Fairbairn has gone just 2-of-3 on field goals in the Texans’ playoff game and missed his only extra point attempt thus far. That said, he enjoyed a quality season, making 36-of-42 field goals, including 13-of-16 from 50-plus yards, and made 34-of-36 extra points as well.

Joe Mixon scores 13-yard TD to cap off 10:24 Texans scoring drive, PAT misses

The Texans held the ball for more than 10 minutes to start the second half before Mixon scampered in for an easy 13-yard touchdown. Mixon’s run capped off a 15-play drive that saw Houston overcome numerous penalties and convert four third downs to make it a one-point game.

However, Houston’s reliable kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed the extra point. As a result, the Chiefs maintain a 13-12 lead over the Texans late in the third quarter.

Nico Collins makes great catch going to the ground to convert third down

The Texans are moving the ball well to start the second half. They have methodically driven the ball down the field against the Chiefs and kept their drive, which has eaten up more than half of the third quarter, with a great catch by Collins.

Patrick Mahomes 40 time

In case you’re wondering how fast Mahomes is every time he takes off to run, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.80 seconds at the 2017 NFL combine.

Texans stats at halftime vs. Chiefs

Despite scoring just six points, the Texans had a good half against the Chiefs. C.J. Stroud, like Mahomes, has been a threat both through the air and on the ground. He has 134 total yards but will need to take fewer sacks after seeing several drives derailed by big losses in the first half.

It would also behoove the Texans to get the ball into Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz’s hands more. The two combined for just three catches in the first half. One will likely need to break another big play for Houston to beat Kansas City.

Below is a look at the first-half stats for the Texans against the Chiefs:

C.J. Stroud: 6-of-10 passing, 102 yards, 3 carries, 32 yards
Joe Mixon: 11 carries, 46 yards, 1 catch, 6 yards
John Metchie: 2 catches, 35 yards
Dalton Schultz: 1 catch, 34 yards
Nico Collins: 2 catches, 27 yards
Will Anderson: 3 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack

Chiefs stats at halftime vs. Texans

The Chiefs played well in the first half despite being unable to generate much on the ground. Patrick Mahomes leads the team in rushing yards with 14, as Isiah Pacheco continues to struggle to return to form from his leg injury.

The good news is that Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy are proving to be two high-quality weapons for the Chiefs, and that should give Mahomes the ammunition needed to keep winning through the air.

Below is a look at the first-half stats for the Chiefs against the Texans:

Patrick Mahomes: 7-of-13 passing, 114 yards, 2 carries, 14 yards
Kareem Hunt: 2 carries, 5 yards, 1 TD
Travis Kelce: 2 catches, 72 yards
Xavier Worthy: 3 catches, 36 yards, 1 carry, -8 yards
Chris Jones: 2 tackles, 1 sack
Nikko Remigio: 63-yard kick return

Chiefs take 13-6 lead into halftime locker room

Kansas City got off to a slow start after the bye week, as is customary in the NFL, but the Chiefs were ultimately able to snap out of it to take a seven-point lead into the halftime locker room.

The Chiefs’ lead has been bolstered largely by the team’s ability to win the special teams battle. Return man Nikko Remigio set Kansas City up for a field goal on its opening drive after a 63-yard return while Ka’imi Fairbairn went just 2-of-3 on field goals for the Texans. His 55-yard miss set the Chiefs up for the lone touchdown of the first half, which went to Kareem Hunt.

Despite this, the Texans are outgaining the Chiefs 174-123 while C.J. Stroud has gone blow-for-blow with Patrick Mahomes throughout the contest. The Texans will get the ball to start the second half and if they can finally get into the end-zone, they will have a chance to challenge the Chiefs in what has been a tightly contested game thus far.

Texans settle for 48-yard field goal before halftime

Houston was moving the ball well in the two-minute drill after a 24-yard catch by John Metchie but had to settle for a field goal attempt after C.J. Stroud was sacked and the team was flagged for a 10-yard holding penalty.

Fairbairn just snuck the 48-yard attempt inside the right upright after missing from 55 yards away. That cut Kansas City’s lead to 13-6 with 16 seconds left in the half. 

Houston gets the ball first to open the second half, so scoring on its final possession of the half was paramount.

Kareem Hunt converts 1-yard TD run to give Chiefs 13-3 lead

After Xavier Worthy nearly got into the end-zone on a tricky play from Andy Reid, the Chiefs handed the ball to Kareem Hunt to finish the job. Hunt plunged in for the easy score to give Kansas City a 10-point lead with 4:36 left in the first half.

Travis Kelce makes longest reception of the year (49 yards)

After Hollywood Brown failed to bring in a deep shot following Fairbairn’s missed field goa, Patrick Mahomes found Kelce wide open over the middle of the field. Kelce rumbled down the field for a gain for 49 yards and set the Chiefs up with a goal-to-go opportunity.

Ka’imi Fairbairn misses 55-yard field goal after C.J. Stroud sack

Fairbairn was one of the best kickers during the NFL regular season, but with a strong wind blowing left to right in Kansas City, he couldn’t make his field goal attempt from 55 yards. It took a wild turn to the right and didn’t land anywhere close to the uprights.

That will give the Chiefs great field position as they look to expand upon their 6-3 lead over the Texans.

C.J. Stroud runs for 28 yards on third-and-10

NFL quarterbacks tend to run more in the postseason. Stroud is showing a willingness to do that, running for 28 yards on third-and-10 to put the Texans in field goal range.

Will Anderson sacks Patrick Mahomes to force Chiefs punt

Anderson continues to be a game-wrecker for the Texans. He got around left tackle Joe Thuney to get quick pressure on Mahomes’ blind-side and bring the quarterback to the ground.

Matt Araiza’s punt was nearly downed inside the 5-yard line, but it rolled into the end-zone for a touchback. Robert Woods helped make that happen by getting a hand on Chiefs gunner Joshua Williams, who was nearly positioned to down the ball.

Chiefs lead Texans 6-3 in touchdown-less first quarter

The Chiefs are holding an early lead over the Texans, but Houston is holding its own in its meeting with the AFC’s No. 1 seed early.

C.J. Stroud is off to a strong start, completing 4-of-7 passes for 67 yards while top playmakers Joe Mixon, Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz have all managed big plays in the first quarter. Houston’s defense is playing even better, however, as it has held the Chiefs to 44 yards despite allowing six points.

Patrick Mahomes is off to a slow start following a 24-day gap between starts. He completed 3-of-8 passes for 48 yards in the first quarter. He should get more into rhythm as the game continues.

Chris Jones sacks C.J. Stroud on third down to force Texans punt

The Texans were on the edge of field goal range and facing a third-and-8 when Jones beat second-round rookie tackle Blake Fisher around the edge to put pressure on Stroud. The All-Pro managed to drag down the second-year quarterback for a loss of 12.

That put the Texans behind the midfield stripe and forced a Tommy Townsend punt. It traveled 48 yards but was returned 10 by Nikko Remigio, netting Houston 38 yards of field position.

C.J. Stroud injury update

Stroud did not miss a snap after limping off the field with a knee injury. He spent a lot of time on the sideline with an ‘infrared heating wrap’ around his banged-up knee while the Texans defense was on the field.

Stroud threw a pass on his first play back on the field. It went in the direction of Xavier Hutchinson and fell incomplete.

Patrick Mahomes stats today

Mahomes is off to a slow start against the Texans. He has completed just 2-of-6 passes for 44 yards to start the day.

Of course, Mahomes’ completions were both for big chunks of yardage of Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy. Even so, it appears the three-time Super Bowl champion is shaking off a bit of rust after having 24 days off between his final action in Week 17 and the Chiefs’ first playoff game.

Texans stop Chiefs in red zone again, Harrison Butker makes 36-yard field goal

Patrick Mahomes made a couple of longer completions to Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy to get the Chiefs to a goal-to-go opportunity, but Kansas City once again stalled out in the red-zone. Will Anderson blew up a Worthy run on first-and-goal and the Chiefs couldn’t recover from that to get near the end-zone.

As a result, Butker came onto the field to attempt another field goal. The veteran was once again good from inside of 40 yards, making the 36-yarder with ease despite the cold conditions in Kansas City.

Will Anderson called for roughing the passer on Patrick Mahomes, negating Texans 3-and-out

The Texans appeared to force a three-and-out against the Chiefs on Kansas City’s second drive of the game. However, Anderson was called for roughing Mahomes after hitting the quarterback as he released the ball.

The officials ruled Anderson had hit Mahomes high as a part of the play. ESPN’s rules analyst Russell Yurk didn’t agree with the flag, making it a controversial call in the early stages of the divisional round game.

Who is the Texans backup QB?

Should C.J. Stroud miss any time after limping off the field, Davis Mills would enter the game. 

Mills was a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft and has made 25 career starts. He has 5-19-1 career record while completing 62.6% of his passes for 6,167 yards, 35 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.

The Texans do not have a third quarterback on the active roster, so they would be down to Mills and an emergency option if Stroud couldn’t go.

Texans tie game up with Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 30-yard field goal

The Texans moved the ball well down the field as they attempted to answer the Chiefs’ opening score. They accomplished that goal, as Fairbairn made a 30-yard field goal to tie the game.

C.J. Stroud performed well on the opening drive, completing 3-of-4 passes for 53 yards, including a 34-yard completion to Dalton Schultz. However, Stroud limped off the field after scrambling for a few yards at the end of the drive, so his status will need to be monitored moving forward.

Who is Kris Boyd?

Boyd is a veteran cornerback who is in his sixth NFL season. He was a seventh-round pick out of Texas by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2019 NFL draft and has also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals during his NFL career.

Boyd has been with the Texans since 2023 and has played on Houston’s special teams units in 2024. He was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the opening kickoff against the Chiefs and shoved special teams coordinator Frank Ross while coming off the field.

Texans hold Chiefs to field-goal attempt, Harrison Butker nails 32-yarder

After Houston’s special teams unit put its defense in a bad position, DeMeco Ryans’ unit held serve. The Chiefs lost a yard on three plays before settling for a Butker field goal attempt.

Butker made the chip-shot to take a 3-0 lead just a minute into the AFC divisional round matchup. Still, holding the Chiefs to three has to feel like a win for the Texans after Remigio’s big return.

Nikko Remigio returns kickoff 63 yards, fumbles, recovered by Samaje Perine

The Chiefs got off to a great start after receiving the opening kickoff. The team’s return man, Remigio, found a seam in the defense and nearly was able to break it for a touchdown.

However, Kris Boyd managed to tackle Remigio and force a fumble. A scrum ensued for the ball, but savvy veteran running back Perine was able to jump on it.

Boyd was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for throwing his helmet after the play, too. That gave Kansas City an instant red-zone possession.

What time is Chiefs vs. Texans?

Start time: 4:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. CT)

The Chiefs and Texans are scheduled for kickoff at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.

The Texans travel to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the matchup.

Who did the Texans beat last week?

The Texans beat the Los Angeles Chargers to make it to the NFL’s divisional round. Houston’s defense force Justin Herbert into four interceptions in the contest after he had just three for the entire season in its 32-12 victory.

Houston’s win over the Chargers was just its second of the season over a team with a record of .500 or better.

Did Patrick Mahomes have his baby?

Yes, Mahomes’ wife Brittany gave berth to the couple’s third child – a daughter, Golden Raye – during Kansas City’s playoff bye week. Sterling Mahomes and Patrick Mahomes III (a.k.a. Bronze) are the couple’s other two children.

How many Super Bowls have the Chiefs won?

The Chiefs have won four Super Bowls. They are as follows:

Super Bowl 4
Super Bowl 54
Super Bowl 57
Super Bowl 58

Three of those championships have come with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes as the team’s coach and quarterback. They are gong for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat in 2025 and will need to win just three more games to accomplish that goal.

Chiefs vs. Texans TV channel

TV channel: ESPN

ESPN is the broadcast home of Chiefs vs. Texans. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be on the call with Tracy Wolfson patrolling the sidelines.

Chiefs vs. Texans weather updates

There isn’t any snow in the forecast for the first divisional playoff game of 2025, but it is going to be cold. Here’s a look at the forecast for Saturday’s Chiefs-Texans game, according to Weather.com.

High temperature: 25 degrees
Low temperature: 8 degrees
Chance of precipitation: 0%
Wind: 10-20 mph

Is Taylor Swift at Chiefs vs. Texans playoff game?

Yes, Swift is in attendance to watch Travis Kelce in action against the Texans. She was spotted coming into Arrowhead Stadium and figures to be in her usual suite as the Chiefs look to tie a record and win an eighth consecutive playoff game.

Is Joe Mixon playing?

Yes, Mixon is set to play for the Texans in their divisional round game against the Chiefs. He failed to practice Thursday because of an ankle injury, but he is active for Saturday’s contest.

Mixon should be expected to handle a lion’s share of Houston’s running back snaps, with Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale spelling him as needed throughout the contest.

Chiefs inactives vs. Texans

The Chiefs didn’t have many surprises on their inactives list for Sunday’s playoff game.

The most notable players not suiting up for their game against the Texans are pass rusher Josh Uche, who they acquired from the Patriots ahead of the trade deadline, and Wanya Morris, who was one of the many options the team tried at left tackle before settling on Joe Thuney as their top option.

Texans inactives vs. Chiefs

Good news for the Texans: Joe Mixon, who was listed as ‘questionable’ for Saturday’s game, is set to play. He will lead the Houston backfield while veteran defenders Jerry Hughes and Devin White represent the most recognizable inactives for the Texans.

Chiefs vs. Texans predictions, picks

Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the Chiefs-Texans matchup will play out:

Lorenzo Reyes: Chiefs 29, Texans 23
Tyler Dragon: Chiefs 28, Texans 24
Jordan Mendoza: Chiefs 27, Texans 23

Chiefs vs. Texans live stream

Live stream: Fubo | ESPN+

For cord cutters looking for a live stream for the matchup, you can turn to Fubo. Fubo carries NBC, as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season.

ESPN+, the proprietary streaming service of ESPN, will also carry the game.

Chiefs vs. Texans odds, moneyline, over/under

The Chiefs are favorites to defeat the Texans, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week.

Spread: Chiefs (-8.5)
Moneyline: Chiefs (-500); Texans (+375)
Over/under: 42

NFL playoff bracket

Here’s how the NFL playoff bracket stacks up entering the divisional round:

AFC

No. 4 Houston Texans at No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs
No. 3 Baltimore Ravens at No. 2 Buffalo Bills

NFC

No. 6 Washington Commanders at No. 1 Detroit Lions
No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Rams

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Ohio State football offensive coordinator Chip Kelly took a jab at his former employer and one of the two opponents to beat the Buckeyes this week on Saturday.

Kelly, who is in his first season with OSU, criticized the Ducks for taking a penalty purposely during their regular-season 32-31 win over the Buckeyes in Eugene, Oregon, while praising his national championship opponent, Notre Dame.

“They can double anybody they want, but they can’t double everybody,” Kelly said when talking about Notre Dame’s coverage options for Monday’s game. “If they do, it’s a penalty—they have too many guys on the field. And we saw that before against some team, sometime before in a game.”

Kelly was alluding to Oregon coach Dan Lanning, who sent 12 players following a timeout. The Buckeyes faced a third-and-25 with 10 seconds remaining and needed about 15 yards to get into field goal range. The Buckeyes ran a play, which resulted in an incompletion, but were awarded five yards for a penalty. Despite the yardage gained, four precious seconds came off the clock.

Ohio State got revenge against Oregon in the CFP Rose Bowl, winning 41-21 to advance to the semifinal. The Ducks’ need for trickery to beat the Buckeyes on the first time around was a hot topic discussed with the team in preparation for the rematch.

“That was a message to our team for a week leading up to the Rose Bowl that I think resonated really well with our guys,” Kelly said.

Ohio State believes it would have beaten Oregon the first time if it had not been for Lanning pulling off the trickery.

Kelly coached at Oregon from 2009 to 2012, leading the Ducks to the 2011 BCS National Championship Game. Kelly had a 46-7 record with Oregon, winning three Pac-12 Championships during his tenure.

“It was a unique message to our players, that you can’t stop us with 11,” Kelly said. “You had to stop us with 12. And then you saw the final result of 11 vs. 11.”

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With Selection Sunday still eight weeks away, UConn’s dream of winning a third-consecutive NCAA men’s basketball championship remains firmly alive.

At least one statistical marker of the Huskies’ dominance over the past several years, however, has now vanished.

Behind a career-high 24 points from guard Jamiya Neal, Creighton defeated UConn 68-63 Saturday at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut to snap the Huskies’ 28-game home win streak.

Prior to this weekend, coach Dan Hurley’s team hadn’t lost a home game for nearly two full years, going back to a Jan. 25, 2023 loss to Xavier.

The home win streak was the second-longest in program history, behind only a 31-game run from 2004-07.

UConn had rallied from a nine-point deficit with less than seven minutes remaining to take the lead on a pair of Samson Johnson free throws with 3:27 left, but shortly fell back behind. With his team trailing by three, Huskies forward Alex Karaban misfired on a contested 3-pointer with four seconds remaining, allowing the Bluejays to hand UConn a rare home loss.

Ryan Kalkbrenner and Steven Ashworth added 16 and 12 points, respectively, for Creighton while Hassan Diarra and Solo Ball had 15 points apiece for the Huskies.

It was the second loss in the past three games for UConn, which had an eight-game win streak snapped with a two-point setback at Villanova on Jan. 8. The Huskies’ five losses this season are more than they had all of last season, when they went 37-3 and rolled to a second straight national championship.

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ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Ben Johnson heard the question and…danced.

The crafty Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, one of the hottest prospects on the NFL coaching market for the third year in a row, wouldn’t take the bait when asked what it would take to get him to accept one of the vacant head coaching gigs across the league.

“I see what you’re doing right now, and I’m not taking it,” Johnson replied to a reporter during a midweek news conference.

Last week, during the Lions’ bye week, the 38-year-old engaged in virtual interviews with the Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars.

This week, he’s apparently consumed in preparations for Detroit’s divisional playoff matchup on Saturday night. He was not about to use the podium to send any smoke signals to potential employers as six head coaching jobs across the league remain vacant.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

“I’m going to stay focused on the main thing right here, and that’s going to be the Washington Commanders right here and now. That’s what we’re about. Told the head coach (Dan Campbell) when we came in – he asked me how it went (last) weekend. ‘It went great,’ and that’s the end of it. The focus right here and now, for the players, for the coaching staff, for everybody in this building, is about this game, this week.”

As it should be. Yet Johnson and another hot candidate from the Lions’ staff, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, are among a handful of top assistant coaches in the league who are proceeding with their job of chasing Super Bowl glory while managing the possibility of landing their next job.

Glenn, who interviewed with the Bears, Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets during the bye week, hardly sounded as though he was sweating the process. He’s also been on the market before, which aided in the preparation. He and Johnson know what to expect.

Said Johnson: “This go-around, I’ve been a lot more prepared for the types of questions that they’ve been asking. I’ve also changed my frame of mind a little bit, and instead of worrying solely about the offense and what we’re doing right here, I’ve been able to have offseasons and summers to think about, big-picture view, what a program would look like where I’m running it.”

The Lions coordinators, like Kansas City Chiefs counterparts Steve Spagnuolo and Matt Nagy, had the benefit of the bye week. It aligns with NFL policy that dictated the virtual interviews had to be completed by last weekend.

Yet with eight teams left in the playoffs as the divisional-round games commence on Saturday, several other candidates from playoff teams are seemingly squeezed much more as they prepare for critical games while conducting interviews.

It has fueled debate as the NFL in recent years has instituted measures to slow down the process. Yet it also underscores such a need. The top prospects for promotions typically come from successful teams. The openings are with the 18 teams that didn’t make the playoffs – and they are trying to get a jump on the competition.

If you’re one of the candidates who has spent a career lifetime to position for one of the rare NFL jobs, you’d obviously want to best present yourself in the process – although it would also be a disservice to short-change the existing team trying to leave no stone uncovered in trying to advance in the playoffs.

Both offensive coordinators angling for the AFC showdown on Sunday between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills – Todd Monken and Joe Brady, respectively – had interviews lined up as the game approached. Ditto for their Philadelphia Eagles counterpart, Kellen Moore, who interviewed virtually with the Dallas Cowboys on Friday.

None of those coaches were permitted to interview last week as they ramped up for playoff openers. Now, as their teams advanced, it’s a tighter squeeze.

“The way the system is set up is unfortunate, but it is what it is,” Monken told reporters in Baltimore. “I’m excited to play the Bills. That’s where my mind’s at.”

Still, it’s fair to wonder if the interviews take away energy and focus from the coaches who should be committed to helping the teams win this weekend – which might even strengthen cases for a promotion.

That’s why the thought of freezing head coach hirings until after the Super Bowl is often brought up in conversation – without much traction. It’s a bit much to expect a team that ended its season after Week 18 (or fired its coach in midseason, in some cases) to wait for weeks to hire a new coach. Remember, two weeks after Super Bowl 59, the NFL scouting combine begins to ignite the run-up to the draft.

“I don’t know if there’s an easy way, or they’d already be doing it,” Monken said.

No, there’s no easy solution.

Kliff Kingsbury, the Commanders offensive coordinator, has an approach that works for him. Kingsbury, requested for interviews by at least two teams, has tabled any interviews until the Commanders are eliminated from the playoffs – or finish the campaign in Super Bowl 59. By not interviewing, though, he’s perhaps risking the chance to make the right impression on a team for the next job.

Still, it’s more understandable when considering that after a playoff-opening victory at Tampa Bay on Sunday night, the Commanders have just six days to prepared for the divisional matchup at Detroit.

If a team wants to consider Kingsbury, it will have to wait.

Then again, Kingsbury can afford his approach. He’s still drawing a hefty paycheck from the Arizona Cardinals, who hired him as coach in 2019 and fired him after the 2022 season.

Glenn, meanwhile, is taking the process in stride in another sense. He is keeping an eye out for the next potential opportunity, but with a big task at hand on his current job is determined to minimize distractions.

“The one thing that I get out of all these interview is, man, I’m going to be myself,” Glenn said. “Either you’ll like it or you don’t. If you don’t, all good. I keep telling you guys, I have a great job here. If it’s an opportunity I think that’s best for me and my family, then we’ll take a look at it. I had a really good time over the bye week looking at those. But now, man, we’re all locked in, ready to go and play this game against Washington.”

In other words, that other competition is on the back burner.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell on X @JarrettBell.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Jack McGlynn, Patrick Agyemang and Matko Miljevic will never forget their first.

The three U.S. men’s national team players scored the first international goals of their young careers in a 3-1 win over Venezuela, during a friendly played in front of 18,008 people at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium on Saturday.

It was an efficient day at the office for the club and new coach Maurico Pochettino, who improved to 4-1 since taking over last September for former coach Gregg Berhalter.

“Today, not only did we see good players and a good performance, we played like a team,” Pochettino said after the game. “We are so happy.”

McGlynn, 21, scored a long, left strike from outside the box in the 37th minute to break the ice. The Philadelphia Union standout scored his first USMNT goal in his second start, and third match overall with the national team.

“I found myself in a good pocket with a lot of space in front of me, and thought, why not? I have a good shot.” McGlynn said. “I tried it, and thank the Lord it went in.”

Agyemang, 24, scored in the 39th minute for his first goal in his first game with the national team. The Charlotte FC standout delivered a left strike of his own with an assist from Miljevic, through the legs of the Venezuelan goalkeeper Wuilker Faríñez.

Then, Miljevic scored on his own in the 64th minute on an assist from McGlynn for his first goal after missing a penalty kick in the second minute of the match. Miljevic, 23, also made history as the first player signed to an Argentine club to play for USMNT in a game.

Miljevic’s goal certainly diffused some early-game drama. He missed a penalty kick in the second minute of the game, and it was unclear whether he was supposed to take the kick or not while McGlynn also wanted to take the shot. Pochettino said he intently did not designate a penalty shooter before the game so he could see which one of his players would rise to the occasion. The matter was resolved after a discussion between him and the players at halftime.

“We didn’t say who would be the taker in case we take a penalty to see the reaction and see what happened, but I think it was good. It showed the character. Marko took the ball first, and Jack wanted to shoot,” Pochettino said. “It’s part of how we need to grow and our mentality. Fight. I want them to feel like they can help the team scoring.”

Pochettino told a sideline reporter at halftime he was happy with the club’s 2-0 lead in the first half, but still harped on the team’s field position to prevent the opposition from being able to run freely.

Pochettino may have spoken his warning into fruition when Venezuela’s Jorge Yriarte scored in the 68th minute, past goalie Patrick Schulte of the Columbus Crew, to avoid a shutout.

Still, it was a positive day for the national team in its preparation for the Concacaf Nations League finals in March, and in the Concacaf Gold Cup later this summer. And, of course, the next World Cup in 2026, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

McGlynn said Pochettino told the team to “just be ourselves.” The coach wanted the players to play freely and show their talents.

“Hopefully, we left a good impression out there,” McGlynn said.

USMNT standout Christian Pulisic was among the players not able to join the club filled with mostly MLS players, due to Saturday’s game being outside of the FIFA international window.

“It’s great for us to know all these players,” said Pochettino, who estimates he may have grown his USMNT player pool from 25-30 players to nearly 50 for the next year.

Walker Zimmerman was substituted into the game in the 88th minute, marking his first USMNT appearance since playing against Canada in the Nationals League Final on June 18, 2023.

The U.S. improved to 4-1-2 (win, loss, draw) after its seventh all-time match against Venezuela.

The USMNT will conclude its January camp with a friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday in Orlando, Fla.

Check out these highlights from Saturday’s USMNT match:

Jorge Yriarte goal: USMNT 3, Venezuela 1

It won’t be a shutout for USMNT as Venezuela’s Jorge Yriarte scored in the 68th minute to get his side on the board.

Matko Miljevic scores goal: USMNT 3, Venezuela 0

Matko Miljevic scored in the 64th minute to increase the U.S. national team’s lead to 3-0 over Venezuela.

Miles Robinson misses a header in the box: USMNT 2, Venezuela 0

Robinson’s header was deflected by the thigh of Venezuelan goalie Wuilker Faríñez in the 53rd minute.

Matko Miljevic misses shot on net: USMNT 2, Venezuela 0

USMNT’s Matko Miljevic nearly made it three goals in four minutes, but his shot was just a bit wide to the left of the net in the 40th minute. About a minute later, he also had a shot near the net deflected by a defender.

Patrick Agyemang goal one minute later: USMNT 2, Venezuela 0

Two goals in about two minutes for USMNT, this time by Patrick Agyemang. He was able to deliver a left strike, through the legs of the Venezuelan goalkeeper in the 39th minute, for his first international goal.

All of the sudden, the U.S. leads 2-0.

Jack McGlynn scores beautiful left strike: USMNT 1, Venezuela 0

The USMNT is on the board, thanks to a long, left strike from outside the box by Jack McGlynn in the 37th minute of the first half.

McGlynn, who plays with the Philadelphia Union, found the back of the net, past Venezuelan goalie Wuilker Faríñez. It’s McGlynn’s first goal for the U.S.

Jack McGlynn misses long strike toward net: USMNT 0, Venezuela 0

USMNT’s Jack McGlynn delivered a strike with his left boot from outside the box, but was unable to score in the 28th minute.

USMNT’s Benjamin Cremaschi gets yellow card: USMNT 0, Venezuela 0

Benjamin Cremaschi, who played for the U.S. at the Paris Olympics, received a yellow card for pulling Venezuela’s Juan Añor’s jersey in the 19th minute. Cremaschi is wearing No. 6 for USMNT, and playing on his home pitch at Inter Miami.

USMNT’s Patrick Schulte with two early defenses: USMNT 0, Venezuela 0

USMNT goalie Patrick Schulte has defended two early Venezuelan opportunities well. He secured Gleiker Mendoza’s shot in 15’, and a shot by Jan Hurtado a minute later despite Hurtado was ruled offside.

Patrick Agyemang misses sliding kick in front net: USMNT 0, Venezuela 0

Patrick Agyemang nearly put the USMNT on top, but was unable to connect on a sliding kick in the 12th minute.

Matko Miljevic misses penalty kick in second minute: USMNT 0, Venezuela 0

The USMNT had a chance to take an early lead, but Matko Miljevic’s penalty kick was stopped by Venezuelan goalie Wuilker Faríñez in the second minute.

The USMNT’s Patrick Agyemang was fouled by Venezuela’s Daniel Pereira in the goal area before the kick.

When is the USMNT’s friendly against Venezuela?

Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 18.

How to watch USMNT vs. Venezuela on TV

The television broadcast will be available on TNT, with pregame coverage starting at 2:30 p.m. ET. The Spanish-language television broadcast is available on Telemundo and Universo.

How to live stream USMNT vs. Venezuela

The match will stream on Max and Peacock, with pregame coverage starting at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Where will the USMNT’s friendly against Venezuela be played?

The USMNT-Venezuela friendly will be held at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Chase Stadium is the home of Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer.

What to know about Venezuela

Venezuela has never qualified for a World Cup, but reached the 2024 Copa America quarterfinals, following wins over Ecuador and Mexico in the tournament. They lost to Canada via penalty kicks.

Venezuela is in eighth place through 12 games in the Conmebol (South American) World Cup Qualifying standings, following draws against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

USMNT roster for January friendlies

Here’s the USMNT roster by position with Club/Country; Caps/Goals.

GOALKEEPERS (3): Matt Freese (New York City FC; 0/0), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; 2/0), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids; 29/0)

DEFENDERS (7): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 0/0), George Campbell (CF Montréal; 0/0), DeJuan Jones (Columbus Crew; 8/0), Shaq Moore (FC Dallas; 19/1), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 66/1), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 30/3), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 41/3)

MIDFIELDERS (4): Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami; 1/0), Emeka Eneli (Real Salt Lake; 0/0), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 1/0), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; 1/0)

FORWARDS (6): Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 0/0), Caden Clark (CF Montréal; 0/0), Brian Gutiérrez (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matko Miljevic (Huracán/ARG; 0/0), Indiana Vassilev (St. Louis City; 0/0), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps; 1/0)

Upcoming USMNT 2025 schedule

Jan. 20 (friendly) — Venezuela (Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Jan. 22 (friendly) — Costa Rica (Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida)
March 20 (Concacaf Nations League) — Panama (SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California)

Mauricio Pochettino bringing passion to USMNT

With Lionel Messi in Major League Soccer, and Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino taking the helm of the U.S. men’s national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the Argentine presence in American soccer is clear.

Can Pochettino’s Argentine influence translate to U.S. Soccer eventually replicating Argentina’s winning ways in the sport? It may be easier to translate Spanish to English, but it’s easy to see the aspiration.

USMNT Starting XI vs. Venezuela:

Here is today’s starting 11 vs. Venezuela:

1-Patrick Schulte; 18-Shaq Moore, 20-George Campbell, 12-Miles Robinson (Capt.), 15-Max Arfsten; 6-Benjamin Cremaschi, 16Jack McGlynn; 23-Caden Clark, 11-Matko Miljevic, 17-Brian Gutiérrez; 7-Patrick Agyemang

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Fox News has learned that House and Senate offices are growing increasingly frustrated about who may be allowed to attend President-elect Trump’s inauguration inside the Capitol Rotunda Monday.

Fox is told that member offices were asked to ‘resubmit’ paperwork about whether a lawmaker wants to attend and if the lawmaker’s spouse wants to attend. However, there are no ‘plus-ones.’ And Fox was told the attendance of spouses could be ‘iffy.’ 

One lawmaker said members were trying to get governors or other state officials into the Capitol Rotunda. But it was far from clear if officials could accommodate those requests.

There is an effort to get a small group of people into the Capitol Rotunda who were slated to be seated down in front but were not House and Senate members. One official refused to identify to Fox who those with ‘special status’ could be.

This likely means very few dignitaries or others are allowed inside for the inauguration. One Trump-supporting lawmaker was ‘happy’ it was moving inside so the lawmaker didn’t have to sit outside in the cold ‘for an hour-and-a-half.’ The lawmaker also noted that House members would likely have had the most uncomfortable experience had the inauguration been outside. That’s because of the way the wind blows across the platform and where House members were to be seated on the West Front.

One lawmaker told Fox about having 700 people traveling to Washington for the inauguration, and now none of them would be seated anywhere. But the lawmaker had ‘not heard one complaint’ from people traveling to see the inauguration in person who now can’t.

President Reagan’s 1985 inauguration, moved inside because of extreme cold and a temperature of 7 degrees, accommodated a crowd of 1,000 in the Capitol Rotunda. Fox colleague Aishah Hasnie reports the grand total allowed inside the Capitol Rotunda for this inauguration will likely be 600. In addition, Fox is told that ‘600 is pushing it’ due to fire concerns. One source says the figure may be closer to 500 before all is said and done.

Fox is told that there were concrete plans for inaugurations in 2017 and 2021 to move ceremonies indoors. Officials even rehearsed those scenarios. In addition, Fox is told there was serious discussion about moving the 2017 inauguration inside because of rain and concern about umbrellas.

While the weather is the primary reason for moving the inauguration indoors, multiple sources close to the planning of the event have expressed concerns about security. 

‘My Spidey senses are up,’ said one lawmaker who asked not to be identified and is steeped in the planning of this event. But when Fox pressed various lawmakers and other sources, no one could identify a specific threat.

That said, more than one lawmaker contacted by Fox noted there were multiple outdoor events with the President-elect prior to the July assassination attempt, and every other event since has been indoors.

Fox is told that security officials will erect what was described as a ‘geo-fence’ around the Capitol to interfere and jam nefarious communications and/or drones. At one point, there was talk of shutting off all cell communications during the time period when President-elect Trump was on the platform.

That said, a forecast of about four inches of snow in Washington Sunday night began to change thinking around this year’s inauguration. There is genuine concern about thousands of people on the National Mall standing in cold, fresh snow for hours. There was worry about emergency personnel being able to reach those who may have medical emergencies while on the National Mall because of the inclement weather. Another issue is how snow that melted today could refreeze, creating significantly slick surfaces around the Capitol.

And then there is another factor: snowball fights.

One senior source tells Fox there was actual discussion about snowball fights interfering with the event if Washington got a fresh coating of snow. One source said planners worried it could ‘get out of hand’ and could contribute to injuries.

Inside or out, this could be the snowiest inauguration since the swearing-in day was moved to Jan. 20 in 1937. The previous record for snow on inauguration day came in 1961, for the swearing-in of President John F. Kennedy. Washington received seven-tenths of an inch of snow that day.

And considering the weather, perhaps it was only appropriate that the poet Robert Frost spoke at JFK’s inauguration.

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