The United States Men’s National Team is advancing to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final after defeating Guatemala 2-1 on Wednesday, July 2. 

American star Diego Luna got the USMNT on the board early by scoring two goals in the fourth and 15th minute of the semifinal match, which was enough to seal the win. Luna was named the Man of the Match for his efforts.

“I think it’s just finding the rhythm and being able to get the freedom from the coaching staff and from the team,’ Luna said after the match. ‘I know that they are going to have my back and trust of the defensive responsibilities lets me do what I do on the ball.’

Guatemala made it close in the end. Olger Escobar cut Guatemala’s deficit in half with a goal in the 80th minute, and José Morales nearly scored the equalizer in stoppage time, but American goalie Matt Freese blocked the shot to hold the Guatemalans off and secure the win.   

With the victory, the USMNT will face Mexico in the final. Mexico defeated Honduras 1-0 in the other semifinal.

Gold Cup semifinal highlights: USMNT 2, Guatemala 1

Olger Escobar scores: USMNT 2, Guatemala 1

Guatemala’s Olger Escobar has cut the U.S. men’s lead in half with a goal. Escobar scored in the 80th minute on an assist by Arquímides Ordóñez to get Guatemala on the board. It marked Escobar’s second goal of the tournament.

Yellow cards are flying

Here’s all the yellow cards assessed so far. It’s worth noting that a second yellow card would lead to a suspension in Sunday’s Gold Cup final:

USA’s Matt Freese | 77′
USA’s Diego Luna | 51′
Guatemala’s Stheven Robles | 49′
USA’s Chris Richards | 45’+1′

First half ends: USMNT 2, Guatemala 0

The USMNT has a two point advantage heading into halftime. USA’s Chris Richards heads into the locker room with a yellow card after picking it up in the first minute of stoppage.

Diego Luna scores again: USMNT 2, Guatemala 0

Diego Luna strikes again. Malik Tillman found a wide-open Luna up the middle. Luna then juked a defender and scored the ball with a clean strike in the fifteenth minute to put the USMNT up 2-0 over Guatemala. Luna pointed to his last name on the back of his jersey in celebration of his second goal of the night.

Diego Luna scores goal: USMNT 1, Guatemala 0

The U.S. men’s national team is off to a great start in the Gold cup semifinals. Diego Luna got the Americans on the board first after finding the back of the net in the fourth minute, marking his second goal in as many games.

How to watch USMNT Gold Cup semifinals

The 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals will feature two matches on Wednesday: the United States will face Guatemala at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, followed by Mexico battling Honduras at 10 p.m. ET on FS1.

How to watch USMNT vs. Guatemala

The United States will face Guatemala in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals on Wednesday, July 2at 7 p.m. ET.

Date: Wednesday, July 2
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, Univision
Stream: Fox Sports, Fubo, Sling TV
Location: Energizer Park, St. Louis, Missouri

Watch Gold Cup action with Fubo

USMNT lineup for Gold Cup semifinal

Liverpool soccer player, Diogo Jota, 28, and his brother died in a car crash in northwestern Spain, according to the Portuguese Football Federation.

The federation confirmed Jota’s death on Thursday, after the regional fire department of Castile and Leon, stated on its website that a car crashed early on Thursday, shortly after midnight.

Two men, aged 28 and 26, were found dead in the car, which burst into flames near Zamora, the capital of the Zamora province, which is in the Castile and León region.

‘We have lost two champions. Their deaths represent irreparable losses for Portuguese football, and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy every day,’ the Portuguese Football Federation said in a statement.

Spanish police told Reuters they could not yet officially confirm the names of the deceased, but everything pointed to it being Jota and his brother. The Lamborghini they were travelling in veered off the road, the spokesperson said.

The bodies have been taken to a forensics unit in Zamora, where autopsies will be performed, they said.

Who was Diogo Jota?

Jota, who got married in June, helped Liverpool win the Premier League last season and also won the FA Cup and League Cup with the Merseyside outfit.

‘He just won the Prem, Nations League, and got married all within a month,’ wrote one user on Instagram. ‘And his life has been cut short. RIP’

Jota arrived at Anfield, Liverpool’s football [soccer] club, from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2020 and scored 65 goals in 182 appearances for the club in all competitions.

He also made 49 appearances for Portugal, twice winning the UEFA Nations League.

Former No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton did not have to wait very long to find a new team this offseason.

The free agent center agreed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night, according to a report from ESPN. He will earn $34 million next year with some of the payment coming from the Lakers and some coming from the Portland Trail Blazers, his former team.

Ayton finalized a buyout of his contract with the Blazers on Sunday, June 29 after Ayton and his representatives had expressed discontentment with the organization and a desire to play for a winning franchise.

Ayton has been part of a winning franchise before, offering a solid rim presence for the 2021 Phoenix Suns, who ultimately lost in the NBA Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks. He now joins the same Lakers team that pulled off the biggest trade in the league this past season when they acquired Luka Dončić from the Dallas Maverick. Los Angeles looks to have another season of LeBron James in its future as well.

Were other teams interested in DeAndre Ayton?

Yes. According to ESPN, the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Cleveland Cavaliers had all expressed interest in Ayton.

The reason a deal was not stuck sooner was because it took a few days for Ayton to clear waivers after the buyout.

DeAndre Ayton stats

During the 2024-25 season, Ayton averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game across 40 contests. Ayton has played at least 40 games in every season he has played barring the shortened 2020 season. Furthermore, he is the first player since Dwight Howard to average over 10 points and 10 rebounds per game in each of his first seven seasons.

Ayton was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He is now paired with Dončić, who went third overall in that same draft. The Lakers are the third team for each player, considering Dončić was originally drafted by the Atlanta Hawks.

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy had to be helped off the field after suffering a knee injury making a tag play in the sixth inning of his team’s game against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, July 2.

Muncy made an athletic play to apply a tag on Michael A. Taylor stealing third base, which was the second out in the inning. He crumbled near third base and was helped into the dugout after several minutes on the ground.

Taylor’s head hit Muncy’s left knee as the White Sox runner slid into third. Slow-motion replays showed Muncy’s leg bending in an unnatural manner. Enrique Hernandez came in to replace Muncy at third base.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the game that Muncy would undergo an MRI the next day, and the team’s initial ‘hope’ was that it was a sprain.

This took place while Clayton Kershaw was at 2,999 career strikeouts, leaving the Dodgers standing around as the air exited the stadium. But the club legend managed to bounce back, striking out the next batter, Vinny Capra, to end the inning and become the 20th player in MLB history with 3,000 strikeouts.

The Dodgers rallied with three runs in the bottom of the ninth to win 5-4 on Freddie Freeman’s walk-off single.

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The former Detroit Pistons guard is under federal investigation for gambling and information regarding Beasley’s finances have come to light in the immediate aftermath. Beasley was in serious talks with the team to finalize a three-year, $42 million contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, but that deal is now on hold.

Beasley is coming off a one-year, $6 million deal with the Pistons. It leaves the free agent’s NBA future up in the air, but brought something else into focus – Beasley’s financial struggles.

According to the records, the former Piston paid Rekar Jaff of Cairo Cuts, a Milwaukee area barbershop, $26,826.76. Hassan Alshehabi, a dentist at Delicate Smiles LLC on Silver Spring Drive, received $34,389.70.

Beasley’s wages were garnished by the Pistons to help pay back some of the debts.

The Bucks and Jaff declined the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s requests for comment, while Alshehabi and Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, were not immediately available for comment.

Records show that the guard was lent money from both businesses in 2024, when Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Cairo Cuts lent Beasley $15,000 on March 23, 2024. On April 2, Cairo Cuts lent Beasley $1,000 and on April 3 lent him another $4,000.

On April 11, Beasley provided a ‘loan agreement and promissory note’ of $30,000 to Delicate Smiles, and the company provided a $20,000 advance to Beasley.

Then on April 24, Delicate Smiles gave a $10,000 advance to Beasley.

On April 30, Cairo Cuts lent Beasley $1,000. The next day, Cairo Cuts lent Beasley $9,000, and he gave the company another loan agreement and promissory note for $30,000.

Then on May 3, Delicate Smiles lent Beasley $1,000, followed by $2,000 on May 8 and $3,000 on May 12.

It comes on the heels of a report by the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, that Beasley was sued in June by Paperclip Properties, a Detroit property manager, for non-payment of rent.

Hazan Sports Management Group, Beasley’s former agency, is another group that has a legal matter with the player. The agency sued him in April for breach of contract, saying Beasley did not pay back a $650,000 advance, instead sending ‘little more than drips and drabs of sporadic payments and vague promises to repay the balance over time.’

Beasley was previously suspended for 12 games by the league in 2021 for felony gun charges that also resulted in jail time.

The former Piston became the most recent NBA player involved in a gambling-related investigation. In January 2025, it was revealed that the Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier was being looked at for a series of curious bets placed on him during a March 2023 game when he played for the Charlotte Hornets.

Rozier was cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to the matter.

Former Toronto Raptors’ forward Jontay Porter was handed a lifetime ban from the league after he was discovered to be making prop bets on himself. He also revealed crucial information to bettors while also changing his level of play depending on the wagers.

For now, Beasley’s attorney is adamant about maintaining his client’s innocence – pointing out that he hasn’t been charged with anything yet.

Haney, Beasley’s attorney, said in a statement to ESPN: ‘An investigation is not a charge. Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything.”

The investigation remains ongoing.

Now that Clayton Kershaw has officially become the 20th pitcher in major league history to record 3,000 career strikeouts, baseball fans’ attention can turn to the question of who might be the next pitcher to join him.

Kershaw is now the third active member of MLB’s 3,000-strikeout club, along with Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

On the horizon though, only four current pitchers are even two-thirds of the way to the milestone.

So let’s take a look at some of the best strikeout pitchers in the game today and see how likely it is they’ll become part of that exclusive group.

Next closest to 3,000 strikeouts

Only four pitchers currently on MLB rosters have even surpassed 2,000 career strikeouts. Unfortunately, the top two are currently on the injured list, putting a halt to their climb up the leaderboard.

Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves (2,528 strikeouts)

Sale, 36, went on the injured list June 21 after suffering a fractured ribcage diving for a popup in a game against the New York Mets. He was later moved to the 60-day injured list, which means he can’t return until at least mid-August.

The reigning NL Cy Young award winner had continued to be one of the league’s best pitchers this season — with 114 strikeouts in 89 ⅓ innings (11.5 K/9). However, staying healthy has proved to be a challenge for Sale throughout his 16-year career.

At his current career rate of 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings as a starter (and his career average of 6.3 innings per start), Sale would need to make another 60 starts to get to 3,000. Assuming five more starts this season, Sale would be on pace to hit the milestone toward the end of the 2027 season at age 38.

Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees (2,251 strikeouts)

Cole, 34, is out for the season after undergoing reconstructive surgery on his right elbow in March. He’s expected to be able to resume throwing in September with an eye toward being ready for the start of the 2026 season. Pitchers have been able to come back from elbow surgery and have successful careers — Verlander was one who did it and won a Cy Young at age 39 – so it’s certainly possible Cole will make it to 3,000 strikeouts.

If he can maintain his career strikeout rate, Cole would need 106 more starts to hit 3K. If his recovery is successful, he could potentially get there during the 2029 season.

Charlie Morton, Baltimore Orioles (2,124 strikeouts)

At age 41, Morton is unlikely to make it to 3,000 – even though he has averaged 192.8 strikeouts a year over the past four full seasons. Even at that amazing pace, he’s still need to pitch until he’s 45 to get there.

Yu Darvish, San Diego Padres (2,007 strikeouts)

Probably the most surprising member of the 2K club, Darvish has yet to pitch this season as he works his way back from elbow inflammation he first developed this spring.

Since he began his pro career in Japan and only started pitching in MLB in 2012, Darvish, 38, probably doesn’t have enough time to get to 3,000 K’s. However, he did lead the majors in strikeouts with 277 in 2013.

Possible late-career surge

Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies (1,671 strikeouts)

Of the 10 remaining pitchers at least halfway to 3,000, Nola, 32, has the best combination of accumulated strikeouts and potential production. However, he also is currently on the 60-day injured list with ankle and rib issues.

He’s averaged 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings over his 11-year career — one that has been largely injury free. Over the past six full MLB seasons, he’s averaged 203 strikeouts per year. At that pace, he would have needed almost seven full seasons to get to 3,000. This year’s injury seemingly would extend that into 2032 before he’d be able to reach 3,000 K’s.

Robbie Ray, San Francisco Giants (1,658 strikeouts)

Ray, 33, will likely pass the injured Nola sometime this month. He’s 20 months older, but has a better career whiff rate (11.0 K/9) than the Phillies star. In fact, Ray has the third highest strikeout rate in major league history of pitchers with at least 1,000 career innings.

However, he’s dealt with health issues over the past two seasons – pitching a total of 34 innings in 2023 and 2024 combined. Back in top form this season, the 2021 AL Cy Young winner would need to continue his historic whiff rate over another 200 starts to get to 3,000 strikeouts. So optimistically, 2032.

Too early to tell

The road to 3K is long and filled with obstacles. Even the most talented pitchers need to avoid catastrophic injuries and have lengthy careers to have a shot. But they all have to start somewhere and bat-missing talent is a good place to start.

Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers (786 strikeouts)

The defending AL Cy Young award winner just might be the most dominant pitcher in the game right now. He led the majors in strikouts last season with 228 and is just six behind Garrett Crochet’s 144 for the MLB lead this year.

Projecting his career over at least another decade is tricky, but let’s give it a shot. He’s whiffed 10.4 batters per nine innings over 120 major league starts, averaging 5.6 innings per start. At that pace, Skubal would need to make 344 more starts to reach 3,000 strikeouts.

He made a career-high 31 starts last season, so if he’s able to do that every year going forward … it would take Skubal until the second half of 2036 to hit the 3,000 mark.

Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates (285 strikeouts)

Just for kicks, let’s do last seasons’s NL Rookie of the Year. Now in his first full major league campaign, Skenes is just slighly ahead of Skubal in averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings over his 41 big-league starts.

Needing just 2,715 more strikeouts to join the 3K club, Skenes would need to stay healthy and maintain his current pace for strikeouts and innings pitched per game for another 392 starts. Let’s be optimistic and say he makes 34 starts per season every year. That’s another 14 in 2025, plus 11 full seasons and another four starts in 2037.

Good luck fellas. Clayton will see ya’ in Cooperstown!

The Midsummer Classic is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15 at Truist Park in Atlanta, capping off a week of baseball festivities that include the Home Run Derby and 2025 MLB Draft.

The Detroit Tigers (Gleyber Torres, Riley Greene, Javier Báez) and Los Angeles Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith, Freddie Freeman) are the only teams with three players voted to start.

Aaron Judge and Ohtani had clinched starting spots as their respective league’s leading vote-getters after the first round of fan balloting.

The full All-Star rosters will be announced on Sunday, July 6, but the starting pitchers won’t be revealed until the day before the game by managers Aaron Boone (AL) and Dave Roberts (NL).

Here’s a look at the 2025 MLB All-Star Game starters:

American League All-Star Game starters

Catcher: Cal Raleigh, Mariners
First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays
Second base: Gleyber Torres, Tigers
Third base: José Ramírez, Guardians
Shortstop: Jacob Wilson, Athletics
Outfield: Aaron Judge, Yankees
Outfield: Javier Báez, Tigers
Outfield: Riley Greene, Tigers
Designated hitter: Ryan O’Hearn, Orioles

National League All-Star Game starters

Catcher: Will Smith, Dodgers
First base: Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
Second base: Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks
Third base: Manny Machado, Padres
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor, Mets
Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves
Outfield: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs
Outfield: Kyle Tucker, Cubs
Designated hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers

When will MLB All-Stars be announced?

Full rosters, including pitchers, will be announced Sunday, July 6 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Pitchers and reserves – 23 for each league with at least one representative from every team – will be determined by “Player Ballot” choices and the Commissioner’s Office.

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