Archive

2025

Browsing

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

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Rapper Snoop Dogg is showing his support for President-elect Trump. 

The ‘Gin and Juice’ rapper took the stage at the Crypto Ball, a pre-iauguration event, and got the crowd on its feet dancing to several hit songs. 

From Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ to Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds (Don’t Worry About a Thing),’ Snoop hyped up Trump supporters as the DJ and sent a positive yet inspirational message through the music. He also performed a few of his own hits, including, ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot.’

Videos of the prolific rapper surfaced on social media of a care-free Snoop in Washington, D.C., wearing a black jacket with gold buttons and a bowtie. He completed his look with matching gold-rimmed sunglasses.

Other high-profiled guests included rapper Rick Ross and UFC star Colby Covington, who both posted about hanging with Snoop. 

‘Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,’ Covington shared on X. 

The ‘Young, Wild and Free’ rapper performed after he recently changed his tune about President-elect Trump. 

Years after Snoop appeared on ‘The Apprentice’ in 2007, he called Trump a clown and mocked him in a music video. In his video for his song ‘Lavender’ in 2017, Snoop depicted Trump as a clown and shot the president in the head. 

Snoop also delivered laughs during a Trump roast in 2011. 

In 2020, during an appearance on Big Boy’s radio show, Snoop argued Trump shouldn’t be in office. 

‘I ain’t never voted a day in my life, but this year I think I’m going to get out and vote because I can’t stand to see this punk in office one more year,’ the rapper said on ‘Big Boy’s Neighborhood on Real 92.3.’

The 53-year-old rapper explained he didn’t believe he was allowed to vote at the time due to his criminal record. Snoop was convicted of a felony in 1990 and 2007.

XXL Magazine shared a video clip on social media of the rapper ripping Trump and his followers, saying ‘Donald Trump is a f—ing weirdo. If you voted for him, I don’t have no problem with that. But if you’re still with him, f— you.’

However, after a long history of condemning the President-elect and his supporters, Snoop praised Trump in January 2024.

‘Donald Trump? … He ain’t done nothing wrong to me. He has done only great things for me. He pardoned Michael Harris,’ Snoop told The Sunday Times.

‘So, I have nothing but love and respect for Donald Trump.’

Michael ‘Harry-O’ Harris, an associate of Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight and the founder of the label’s parent company, Godfather Entertainment, was pardoned in 2021 as one of Trump’s final decisions before leaving office. Snoop Dogg was famously signed by the label only to leave later in his career. Snoop acquired Death Row Records in 2022. 

Harris was imprisoned on charges of conspiracy and attempted murder for over three decades. Snoop Dogg praised Trump at the time for his commutation of Harris.

President-elect Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States Monday, Jan. 20.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Leave it be. Enjoy the show. Let a good thing be a good thing. This 12-team College Football Playoff format works beautifully.
Byes should continue to be reserved for conference champions. What’s so wrong with that?
Twelve teams for playoff is plenty. No need for 14.

The 12-team College Football Playoff works. I don’t mean it works like an old tube television that turns on if you bang on it in just the right spot. This format requires no pounding or modification. It works like a new 72-inch mounted flat screen TV that displays a crisp picture with the click of a button.

Leave it be. Enjoy the show. Let a good thing be a good thing.

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and his Big Ten counterpart Tony Petitti vowed they’d closely monitor this expanded playoff’s debut as they evaluated whether to pursue tweaks to the format.

“This just has to go incredibly well,” Sankey said in October. “This has to be a successful launch.”

Whether this playoff goes down as “a successful launch” probably depends on who’s evaluating the launch pattern. If you ask me, here’s a list of what I’d change, post haste, about the playoff format:

Nothing.

That’s right, I wouldn’t change the format a bit.

When Ohio State or Notre Dame celebrates on Monday in Atlanta, a deserving champion that proved itself throughout four playoff games will be crowned. We won’t wonder whether the selection committee omitted the nation’s best team. Every team rejected from this bracket presented a flawed résumé and squandered opportunities.

Should College Football Playoff adjust seeding, byes? Nope.

The most common grievance about this playoff format is that the four byes are reserved for conference champions. That unlocks the possibility of some funny-looking differences between a team’s CFP ranking and its bracket seeding. Consider, Arizona State ranked No. 12 in the final CFP rankings, but, as the fourth-best conference champion, the Sun Devils were seeded No. 4.

This bothered many observers. ESPN blowhard Rece Davis used the network’s weekly rankings show as his personal pulpit to demand that seeding be reworked so that the four byes are awarded to the top four teams in the CFP rankings.

Why is that necessary? Why shouldn’t conference champions be rewarded with byes?

Arizona State would have been seeded 12th, if teams were seeded based off rankings. Texas and Penn State, a pair of conference runners-up, would have received byes, replacing the Sun Devils and Boise State.

But, when Arizona State and Texas played in the quarterfinals, the Sun Devils performed a lot more like a No. 4 seed than a No. 12 seed.

In one of the playoff’s most thrilling games, Texas won in double overtime. The Longhorns converted a fourth-and-13 play in the first overtime to extend the game. So, tell me again, what was so wrong about Arizona State receiving a bye? And, what Texas achievement made it so worthy of a bye?

As for Boise State, it’s not the Broncos’ fault the ACC stunk, creating an avenue for a Group of Five conference champion to claim a bye.

No. 1 Oregon and No. 2 Georgia also lost in the quarterfinals, so Arizona State and Boise State gained company in failing to win as the better-seeded team.

If teams are seeded based off CFP rankings, college football would become America’s only major sport in which wild-card teams are eligible for first-round byes.

In the NFL, byes are reserved to the top team from each conference. The MLB’s byes are reserved for the top two division winners from each league.

Reserving byes for conference champions appropriately rewards regular-season results and conference standings. Then, postseason games can get to work on sorting out who’s really the best team.

Other reasons to keep byes exclusive to conference champions:

∎ Conference championship games would become more irrelevant if byes are available to at-large teams. Based off CFP rankings, the four teams that competed in this season’s SEC and Big Ten championship games would have received byes, rendering those “Super Two” conference championship results mostly irrelevant.

∎ Change the format so that byes are awarded based off ranking, and Notre Dame would be eligible for a first-round bye. Combine that with Notre Dame being off on conference championship weekend, and the Irish could cash in on what amounts to a double bye, gaining an unfair advantage as an independent. Likewise, a third- or fourth-place team from a power conference would become eligible for a bye, which also seems unfair, as compared to teams that earn byes through their conference championship performance.

∎ The current format protects conference champions from subjective rankings that might unfairly punish a good team from a conference that’s not appropriately valued by the committee.

The biggest issue with this playoff had nothing to do with byes. The committee positioned No. 1 Oregon to face No. 8 Ohio State, the best at-large team, in the quarterfinals. Don’t blame the format. Fault the committee for not seeding Ohio State appropriately at No. 5, a spot the Buckeyes had earned with their résumé that included wins against two playoff qualifiers, Penn State and Indiana.

Should the playoff expand to 14 teams? That’s unnecessary

Alabama and Miami would have been the additional at-large qualifiers in a 14-team playoff. This playoff didn’t miss them. Twelve is plenty. Having a playoff this big means an at-large team or two will qualify with blemished credentials (see SMU). Expanding the playoff would invite more of those teams.

A 12-team playoff provides room for the teams most capable of contending or a national championship, without being so big as to render the regular season irrelevant.

In the CFP selection committee we trust?

Look, we can debate the committee’s selection of Indiana or SMU. The Mustangs, especially, failed to vindicate the committee’s selection with their pitiful first-round showing against Penn State. But, who’s to say Alabama or Miami would have produced a different result?

I viewed Mississippi or Brigham Young as a stronger choice than SMU, but those teams squandered opportunities in the regular season, and the rejection of either didn’t amount to a travesty that warrants benching the committee in favor of a computer system or some sort of funky metric inspired by ESPN’s Football Power Index.

The committee whiffed on Ohio State’s seeding, but, it mostly supplied fair-minded work.

So, what will happen to 12-team playoff?

Changing the playoff format for next season would require unanimous support from the 10 conferences, plus Notre Dame. That call for unanimity makes drastic overhauls unlikely for 2025, although perhaps the bye or seeding structure will be tweaked.

For 2026, all bets are off. Starting that year, the SEC and Big Ten gain additional power to restructure the playoff. Will Sankey and Petitti hatch a format better, fairer and more compelling than this one? I retain doubts.

After years of banging our fist on an outdated postseason product, this 12-team playoff looks picture-perfect. Enjoy it while you can.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will begin their MLS preseason preparations in earnest Saturday with a friendly against Mexican giant Club América that will be played in Las Vegas.

This high-profile preseason game will be Miami’s first step into the spotlight under new coach Javier Mascherano, adding an element of intrigue for a team that will view 2024 as a mixed bag. The Herons won the MLS Supporters’ Shield as the league’s regular-season champion, but lost at the first hurdle in the playoffs. That followed a pattern that in knockout play, a team with Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba was ultimately too vulnerable at the back to win the biggest games.

Miami will not face regular-season play in MLS until February 22, and their first game of consequence (a Concacaf Champions Cup first-round clash with Sporting Kansas City) is exactly one month away. That makes a test against América — winners of the last three Liga MX championships — vital to hit the ground running next month.

Here’s what to know ahead of Inter Miami’s first preseason game of 2025, including time, date, and how to watch.

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Club America: Time, TV, streaming

The MLS preseason friendly between Inter Miami and Club América of Liga MX is set to take place Saturday, Jan. 18, with the star-studded teams meeting at Allegiant Stadium just outside Las Vegas. The game can be streamed for free on Apple TV.

Date: Saturday, Jan. 18
Time: 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT)
TV: None
Streaming: Apple TV
Location: Allegiant Stadium (Paradise, Nevada)

Inter Miami 2025 roster

Inter Miami, under new head coach Javier Mascherano (a longtime teammate of Messi’s with the Argentine national team), have the following players under contract:

Goalkeepers (2): Drake Callender, Óscar Ustari
Defenders (9): Tomás Avilés, David Martínez, Ryan Sailor, Ian Fray, Jordi Alba, Tyler Hall, Noah Allen, Marcelo Weigandt, Israel Boatwright
Midfielders (8): Sergio Busquets, Facundo Farías, Julian Gressel, Benjamin Cremaschi, David Ruiz, Yannick Bright, Federico Redondo, Santiago Morales
Forwards (6): Fafà Picault, Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi, Robert Taylor, Leo Afonso, Tadeo Allende

Is Messi still playing for Inter Miami?

Lionel Messi, arguably the best player in soccer’s history, will play for Inter Miami in the 2025 MLS season. However, there are no guarantees after that, as Messi’s two-and-a-half-year contract, announced back in July 2023, expires at the end of the 2025 season.

It’s an inflection point for Miami, MLS, and Messi, who will turn 38 this summer. From Messi’s perspective, he’s been able to dominate the league as expected: the former Barcelona star has scored 34 goals and added 18 assists in a total of 39 appearances across all competitions, and won the MVP award last season. It’s not the largest sample size, but no player in MLS history has comparable numbers over the same span.

On the other hand, Messi’s appearance total would be much higher if not for some persistent injuries and obligations outside the league. Messi has missed 21 matches over that same spell owing to thigh and ankle issues, not to mention national team duty for 2022 World Cup champions Argentina. That may give him pause in terms of how much longer he wants to play — particularly with the heavy travel demands in place with Miami, who will participate in the upcoming Club World Cup — and could impact the offer the team wants to put forward.

Club owner Jorge Mas has said he is personally handling talks over a contract extension. Beyond the obvious cache of the world’s most famous player suiting up for the Herons, Miami has a financial incentive to keep Messi in the fold. The club has a stadium under construction in Miami, with Freedom Park due to open in 2026. That should bolster Inter Miami’s stature, as the club’s current home Chase Stadium a temporary venue constructed in Fort Lauderdale.

Finally, MLS is also looking at 2026 as a massive year. The thinking goes that the 2026 World Cup will supercharge attention for soccer in the U.S., as was the case after the 1994 World Cup. MLS will not have the option of simply signing another Messi if the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner retires or finds another club.

How did Inter Miami MLS season go in 2024?

Inter Miami had a lot of positives to take from the 2024 MLS season. The club won its first truly major trophy, bringing home the Supporters’ Shield (given to the top team in MLS’s regular-season standings). Lionel Messi won the league’s MVP award, and the Herons’ total of 74 points set a new league record for points in a single season. It was, by any reasonable measure, one of the best seasons an MLS team has ever had.

However, the defining memory might be three bad results in knockout play. In April, Miami lost home and away to Mexican powerhouse CF Monterrey, crashing out of the Concacaf Champions Cup at the quarterfinal stage. Four months later in the Leagues Cup, the Columbus Crew trailed by two with just 23 minutes to play, only to eliminate Miami by coming back to win 3-2.

Most of all, a playoff upset for the ages looms. Miami entered the MLS playoffs having lost just once in its final 17 regular-season games, and faced an Atlanta United side that needed to survive incredible drama just to claim the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Miami won the opening game in a best-of-three series as expected, but lost games two and three (despite taking a lead in both of those matches).

Inter Miami game location

A bit of a departure geographically, Saturday’s match for Inter Miami will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. It is the home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders.

Messi, Inter Miami preseason tour

Inter Miami will face Peruvian side Club Universitario de Deportes, the country’s first division back-to-back champions, at Estadio Monumental in Lima, Peru on Jan. 29.

Four days later, Inter Miami will face Sporting San Miguelito at Estadio Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez in Panama City, Panama on Feb. 2. —Safid Deen

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Detroit Lions are one win away from their second consecutive appearance in the NFC championship game. With a win over the Washington Commanders in the divisional round, the Lions would host the conference championship game for the first time since the AFL-NFL merger.

Detroit’s reached this point in the playoffs behind one of the best offenses in the league as well as a top-10 scoring defense. Their defense has reached that level despite playing most of the season without one of its best players, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

Hutchinson suffered a broken tibia and fibula on the road against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 13. His leg slammed into teammate Alim McNeill while going for a sack on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

‘All I remember thinking is just, one, I’m not gonna be able to play in the Super Bowl,’ Hutchinson said on ‘The Squeeze’ podcast on Dec. 18. ‘And two, this season, I was on this defensive-player-of-the-year track. Everything got ripped away from me.’

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

Hutchinson was initially ruled out for the season but could potentially see the field in the postseason. Here’s the latest on his status.

Will Aidan Hutchinson play in the Super Bowl?

The Lions initially put his recovery timeline at 4-6 months after surgery. Hutchinson underwent surgery the day after the Lions’ 47-9 win over the Cowboys. That timetable puts his earliest return date at Feb. 13, four days after Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.

Lions coach Dan Campbell acknowledged the timeline but stated he would leave the door open for Hutchinson’s return in Super Bowl if the team made it that far.

‘I would never count Hutch out. Ever.’ Campbell said. ‘Long road, but I would never count him out. If anyone can make it back, it’s him.’

Hutchinson said he did not suffer any ligament damage with the injury which could simplify his recovery. But it still takes time.

‘In the past, four to six months has been the normal timeline,’ Dr. Christopher Cooke, an orthopedic surgeon and chief of sports medicine at the Detroit Medical Center, told the Free Press. ‘Advances in technology, both surgically and with physical therapy, healing has slowly sped up this timeline…

In the literature, the earliest return to play to date is approximately 12 weeks or three months.’

Campbell has not ruled out Hutchinson returning for the Super Bowl and the Lions have not put out any other statements regarding his availability.

Hutchinson seems more convinced.

‘I keep telling all the boys when I see them in the facility, you guys just got to get there (Super Bowl 59) and I promise you I’m going to be back,’ Hutchinson said on ‘The Squeeze’ podcast.

Aidan Hutchinson stats

Hutchinson’s become one of the better pass rushers in the NFL since going No. 2 overall to Detroit in the 2022 NFL draft. He made his first Pro Bowl in 2023 and was on pace for an impressive season in 2024 before injury.

2022 (17 games): 52 tackles, 9.5 sacks, three passes defensed, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries
2023 (17 games): 51 tackles, 11.5 sacks, seven passes defensed, one interception, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries
2024 (5 games): 19 tackles, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble

NFC playoff bracket

Divisional round

Saturday, Jan. 18:No. 1 seed Detroit Lions vs. No. 6 seed Washington Commanders, 8 p.m. ET
Sunday, Jan. 19:No. 2 seed Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 4 seed Los Angeles Rams, 3 p.m. ET

Conference championship

Sunday, Jan. 26: Divisional round winners face off and higher remaining seed hosts, 3 p.m. ET

Lions DE depth chart

Prior to the season, Detroit already lost defensive ends Marcus Davenport and John Cominsky to a torn triceps and torn MCL injuries, respectively. Hutchinson’s injury made it three of the team’s top edge rushers sidelined with injury.

The Lions traded for veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns ahead of the trade deadline to bolster the position.

Here’s how the depth chart at defensive end looks ahead of their game against Washington:

Za’Darius Smith
Josh Paschal
Al-Quadin Muhammad
Trevor Nowaske
Mitchell Agude
Jonah Williams

The Lions also have rookie defensive end Isaac Ukwu signed to the practice squad.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Israel Defense Forces, in coordination with the Health Ministry, additional government ministries and security authorities, completed final preparations Saturday to receive the first of the hostages being released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip Sunday. 

The preparations included home-like conditions inside trailers for the hostages to sleep before they head to hospitals to be looked over and all the comforts of home, including baskets of toiletries and fresh clothes. 

Inside the trailers, the hostages will have couches and potted plants for a bit of décor. Outside, they can sit on outdoor patio furniture accented with colorful oversize pillows. 

The receiving locations also have necessary medical provisions. 

From there, the hostages will be taken to hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families. 

The IDF said it requests ‘patience and sensitivity’ from the public as the hostages return. 

‘We ask everyone to respect the privacy of the hostages and their families,’ the IDF said. ‘The public is requested only to refer to official updates and announcements and refrain from sharing unverified information.’ 

The hostages have been held by Hamas for nearly 500 days since Hamas’ unprovoked attack on Israel Oct. 7, 2023. 

Three hostages are expected to be released first on Sunday after a cease-fire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas Wednesday. 

The first hostages released are expected to be female. 

In all, 33 hostages will be released, including two Americans. More than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners will be returned by the Israelis. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday Israel wouldn’t move forward with the outline of the deal until it receives a list of the hostages to be released. That was agreed upon after the names didn’t arrive from Qatar as expected Saturday. 

‘Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement,’ he said. ‘The sole responsibility is on Hamas.

‘In the … war, we make it clear to our enemies — we make it clear to the whole world — that when the people of Israel stand together, there is no force that can break us.

‘To date, we have brought home 157 of our abductees, of which 117 are alive. In the agreement now approved, we will bring home 33 more of our brothers and sisters, most of them alive.’ 

He also credited both President Biden and President-elect Trump with helping reach a cease-fire deal. 

‘As soon as he was elected, President Trump joined the mission of freeing the hostages,’ Netanyahu said. ‘He talked to me on Wednesday night. He welcomed the agreement, and he rightly emphasized that the first step of the agreement is a temporary cease-fire. That’s what he said, ‘temporary cease-fire.’’

Netanyahu said Biden and Trump ‘gave full backing to Israel’s right to return to fighting if Israel comes to the conclusion that negotiations on Phase B are futile.’

Netanyahu also said he appreciated Trump’s decision to ‘remove all remaining restrictions on the supply of essential weapons and armaments to the State of Israel.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Now that power is about to be peacefully transferred, Americans can all expect to hear from a president who actually speaks for himself. A novel concept, for sure. 

The public rarely heard from President Joe Biden unaided by a teleprompter. Press conferences became foreign concepts. Here’s a juxtaposition: In Donald Trump’s final year in office, he held 35 solo press conferences. In Biden’s final year, he held exactly zero solo pressers. His handlers wouldn’t even let him do one on the way out the door.

So, with the absentee president being shielded from the public, or off on another long weekend in Delaware, the face of the administration became Karine Jean-Pierre in the final two-and-a-half years after taking over for the pious Jen Psaki, who ran off to the very friendly confines of MSNBC. 

Let’s be fair: Defending Biden, who exits the Oval Office with a 36% approval rating, is an almost-impossible task, especially after his brain appeared to turn into applesauce. But at least Psaki could lie, er, think on her feet, when the questions got tough from Fox News Channel’s Peter Doocy and Jacqui Heinrich. KJP possessed no such ability, leading to these dubious moments in our Top Five Cringe Moments for the outgoing White House Press Secretary.

 

5. ‘Right? Right?’ 

After Biden argued that the way to bring down inflation is to make corporations pay their fair share in taxes, Doocy asked, ‘How does raising taxes on corporations lower the cost of gas, the cost of a used car, the cost of food, for everyday Americans?’
 
What followed was like listening to a college sophomore putting together a stream of consciousness in order to achieve a mandatory word count on a verbal book report. Here was the answer verbatim, per the official White House transcript. 

‘So, look, I think we encourage those who have done very well — right?’ Jean-Pierre began. ‘Especially those who care about climate change, to support a fairer tax — tax code that doesn’t change — that doesn’t charge manufacturers’ workers, cops, builders, a higher percentage of their earnings; that the most fortunate people in our nation — and not let the — that stand in the way of reducing energy costs and fighting this existential problem, if you think about that as an example, and to support basic collective bargaining rights as well, right? That’s also important. But look, it is — you know, by not — if — without having a fairer tax code, which is what I’m talking about, then all — every — like manufacturing workers, cops — you know, it’s not fair for them to have to pay higher taxes than the folks that — who are — who are — who are not paying taxes at all or barely have.’

No matter how many times she injected ‘right?’ into her Kamala-esque word salad, we still couldn’t find an answer in there to the question about how raising taxes on corporations lowers inflation.

4. Election denier 

We’ve been warned by Democrats that denying election results is a chilling threat to democracy itself. So it was odd to see KJP chosen to be White House press secretary, because she’s an election denier herself. 

‘Stolen election … welcome to the world of #unpresidented Trump,’ she tweeted after the 2016 election. 

‘Trump always finds a way to take it to the lowest of lows. Not only is he a petulant dotard but also a deplorable illegitimate president,’ was her sentiment in 2017. 

‘Reminder: Brian Kemp stole the gubernatorial election from Georgians and Stacey Abrams,’ she said of Abrams’s gubernatorial loss to Republican Brian Kemp in 2018. 

That’s arctic chilling stuff. When Doocy noted KJP’s objections to Donald Trump’s complaints about the 2020 election and noted these tweets, she became the dictionary definition of ‘defensive.’

‘Let’s be really clear. That comparison that you made is just ridiculous,’ Jean-Pierre replied. ‘I was talking specifically at the time about what was happening with voting rights, and what was in danger of voting rights.’

Let’s be clear: No you weren’t, Karine.

3. ‘I can square that’

After Trump’s victory on Nov. 5, Heinrich asked Jean-Pierre a solid question around pre-election fearmongering vs. post-election assurances: 

‘This administration messaged to millions of Americans that they’re going to wake up the day after the election if Trump won and have their rights stripped away, that democracy would crumble. And the president said today, ‘We’re going to be okay.’ So how do you square that?’ Heinrich asked the press secretary.

‘I can square that,’ Jean-Pierre said. ‘I’m going to square that in a way that hopefully makes sense, because I’ve been answering this question multiple times (author’s note: she hadn’t answered the question multiple times to that point). 

‘The American people made the decision,’ she continued. ‘There was an election two nights ago. There was! And it was a free and fair election, and we respect the election process. We do. And Americans spoke.’

‘What is the message to people who are fearful based on what the messaging was about [Trump]?’ asked Heinrich.

‘Well, now you’re just twisting everything around, and that’s really unfair,’ a flustered KJP responded. ‘Jackie, it’s unfair because I’ve been standing here trying to be very respectful to what happened the last two nights, two nights ago. Being respectful. I’ve been standing here saying that we respect the decision that the American people made.’

Instead of squaring Biden’s statements, KJP just talked in circles.

2. ‘Shouted questions’ 

When asked in 2023 if the people around Biden were trying to ‘protect’ the aging president from the press by not allowing him to answer direct questions, Jean-Pierre began spinning at ludicrous speed.

‘The President many times has stood in front of all of you, has taken questions on his own, because he wanted to see what was on — on your minds, he wanted to see what the questions you all were going to ask him, and he wanted to answer them directly,’ she claimed before eventually adding, ‘I’ll say this: It is also unprecedented that a president takes as many shouted questions as this president has. And he has.’

Oh, please. Whenever reporters are invited into the Biden Oval Office, they were screamed out of the room by the president’s handlers at what would normally be Q&A time. And ‘shouted questions’ are the ones Biden never answered as he shuffled away.

1. ‘No, no, no, no, no, you can’t’

When Doocy challenged the KJP in September, 2023, on her outlandish claim that the border was under control, she tried to blame the Republicans.

‘What do you call it here at the White House when 10,000 people illegally cross the border in a single day?’ Doocy asked.

‘So what do you call it, Peter, when [the] GOP puts forth a … wait, no, no, no, no, no, you can’t,’ Jean-Pierre responded as Doocy attempted to redirect the press secretary back to reality. 

‘You’re answering my question with a question,’ Doocy noted.

‘OK, we’re going to move on,’ Jean-Pierre said, without any explanation as to why. 

After the briefing, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) called out the White House for its apathy.

‘Joe Biden doesn’t seem to care. Karine Jean-Pierre doesn’t seem to care. And I know [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas] doesn’t care because we’ve asked him tons of questions, asked for information and data that he refuses to get to us,’ Jordan argued. 

‘So this is the state of this administration. And it’s frankly, why I think the approval ratings of Joe Biden are so darn low, because they see what a pathetic job this administration has done,’ he added. 

Karoline Leavitt will be the next White House press secretary. At 27, she will be the youngest to ever hold the position. Leavitt has promised to allow more access to non-traditional reporters and bloggers and even potentially podcasters in an effort to end the White House Correspondents Association’s monopoly on the James S. Brady Briefing Room.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

The Colorado athletic department reported record revenue and football ticket sales in fiscal year 2024, leading to an $8.2 million “profit” after posting deficits in five of the previous six years, according to a financial report filed by Colorado recently with the NCAA.

Colorado released the report this week for fiscal year 2024, which covers July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, including the first football season under coach Deion Sanders and also the last full fiscal year for Colorado in the Pac-12 Conference. The Coach Prime Effect of Sanders’ hiring helped lead the department to a record $146.6 million in reported revenue and a record $31.2 million in football ticket sales, which is roughly double the previous school record.

But the overall athletic department revenue still includes a school-record $31.9 million in allocated funds from the university in the form of direct institutional support ($27.1 million), indirect institutional support ($3.1 million) and student fees ($1.7 million). Without that, Colorado still would have posted record generated revenue but not nearly enough to keep up with its reported expenses.

“Institutional support was provided to help offset shortfalls in conference distributions as well as costs related to legal settlements caused by conference realignment,” said a statement from Colorado athletic department spokesman Steve Hurlbert. “This support consists predominantly of auxiliary reserves and does not include any tuition or state funds. As we begin a new era in college athletics that is unprecedented in our history, the university will continue to explore long-term funding options for intercollegiate athletics in order to best position CU for success amidst a constantly evolving landscape.”  

Challenges ahead, especially if Deion Sanders leaves

The report underscores the power of the Prime Effect at Colorado while also showing the challenges the university faces during a turbulent time in college sports for all schools, especially if Sanders leaves for the NFL as speculation about it swirls. The pending House lawsuit settlement with the NCAA permits schools to pay players directly for the first time, putting pressure on athletic departments to come up with the money for it.

In preparation for that, Colorado has cut ties with the 5430 Alliance, the third-party collective that was paying Colorado players for use of their names, images and likenesses (NIL).

The school instead is now encouraging donors to give money to the athletic department’s fundraising arm, which would make giving money to third-party collectives “unnecessary,” Colorado athletic director Rick George said in email to supporters Jan. 13.

The now-defunct 5430 Alliance had an $8 million goal for the football budget in 2024, a far cry from the estimated $20 million in NIL money compiled this season for the football team at Ohio State. The pressure to keep up and pay players even led a former Colorado football staffer, Trevor Reilly, to seek $10 million in investment funding from Saudi Arabia before he quit in frustration. The school said it did not sanction this unsuccessful quest.

Pac-12 Conference woes partly at issue

The biggest revenue categories in the report were football ticket sales and the allocated university support. The ticket sales figure captures the first-ever season sellout at Folsom Field in 2023, when the Buffaloes finished 4-8, in addition to the spring football game in April 2024.

The allocated university support is only slightly higher than the $31.89 million provided to athletics in fiscal year 2023, when the department posted a $9.1 million deficit despite bringing in then-record revenues of $127 million, according to the NCAA report. But in previous years before that, the combined allocated support from the university was usually around only $12 million.

The shortfall in fiscal 2023 was attributed in part to similar underwhelming distributions from the Pac-12, which includes media rights. In fiscal 2024, the Buffaloes got even less in overall media rights revenue ($16.6 million) than they did in fiscal year 2023 ($19.4 million) or fiscal year 2020 ($21.9 million).

The Buffs now hope their conference distribution revenue improves in the Big 12 Conference, which they rejoined last August. In addition to new expenses for paying players, Colorado is expected to increase the compensation for Sanders, who made $5.7 million in guaranteed pay this past year and recently talked to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about becoming his new coach. Colorado spent a record $12.5 million on football coaches’ compensation in fiscal year 2024.

Meanwhile, NCAA-defined “contributions” or donations went down from $29.3 million in fiscal year 2023 to $14.8 million in fiscal 2024, which was similar to the contribution totals in the years before Sanders, according to the NCAA reports. Fiscal year 2023 included roughly the first seven months after Sanders’ hiring in December 2022. Hurlbert said contributions went down in fiscal 2024 because the last tranche of donor funds from the school’s Sustainability Excellence Initiative were used in fiscal 2023 to pay off debt.

But CU also set a new school record in fiscal 2024 for revenue from royalties, licensing, advertisement and sponsorship – $10.7 million, up from previous years that hovered around $6 million to $8 million.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

CHICAGO — That moaning and groaning you heard from coast to coast Friday night was from every baseball franchise and fanbase outside Los Angeles, hearing the news they dreaded, and long feared.

Rōki Sasaki, the most talented young pitcher on the planet, is going to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers, the defending World Series champions, have been the favorites for the past 12 months for Sasaki’s services, with whispers so prevalent that a deal was already struck that Major League Baseball officials did a thorough investigation.

MLB found no wrongdoing. The Dodgers played by the rules.

Many thought the Dodgers were already the team to beat in 2025. Who can blame them if they start taking orders for postseason tickets this weekend?

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

My God, if the Dodgers can win a World Series with just three healthy starters, as they proved last year, how in the world is anyone going to stop them with seven starting pitchers?

They just may have the deepest and most-talented rotation in history … at least since the glory days in Atlanta when Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz all pitched for the team.

This is a star-studded Dodgers rotation that features Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Sasaski, Clayton Kershaw (who plans to return), Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Landon Knack, Bobby Miller … and on and on.

If it wasn’t painful enough to watch the Dodgers acquire Sasaki, all it cost was a mere $6.5 million in international bonus pool money.

It’s like a billionaire buying a Beverly Hills mansion for a few hundred bucks.

It’s a steal.

Sasaki, in making the announcement, called it “a very difficult decision, but I will do my best to make it the right decision when I look back after my baseball career.’’

The Dodgers clearly now are Japan’s team. They will open the season there, against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, in March.

No wonder that when Sasaski posted his decision on his Instagram account, with the news spreading quickly at the Chicago Cubs convention, one executive winced, and Cubs fans soon started heading for the lobby bar.

Let’s be honest: 29 teams now may be playing for the silver medal, trying to beat a team with this rotation.

Sure, it’s not as if the Dodgers still don’t have a few concerns about the rotation. Ohtani, coming off elbow surgery, won’t start the season on time. Gonsolin and May are coming off injuries. Still, with Sasaki having to acclimate himself to the major leagues, the Dodgers can utilize a six- or even seven-man rotation, taking their time developing Sasaki, and making sure he’s fresh for the World Series.

While no one questions Sasaki’s greatness, scouts and executives who watched him pitch last year in Japan hardly expect him to walk in and win a Cy Young Award. Now, if you’re talking a year or two from now, yes, it’s certainly possible with his 102-mph fastball, devastating split-finger and slider.

“Rōki is by no means a finished product,” Joel Wolfe, his agent, said in December. “He knows it and the team knows it.”

This year, he’ll probably be the Dodgers’ No. 4 starter, who just may be the greatest in recent baseball history.

If you’re the Arizona Diamondbacks, who just had a press conference to introduce ace Corbin Burnes, who signed a six-year, $210 million contract, you’re crushed at the outcome.

The San Diego Padres, who were confident last week they would sign Sasaki, now are scrambling, having to find two starters on a limited budget.

And the Toronto Blue Jays, who were the third finalist for Sasaki’s services and even made a wild trade to assume outfielder Myles Straw’s $15.5 million contract from Cleveland just to gain an extra $2 million in international pool money, are absolutely devastated.

They thought they had Ohtani a year ago, only to be snubbed for the Dodgers.

They thought they had a great shot of signing Juan Soto last month, only for him to go to the New York Mets.

And now this…

If you see a Blue Jays fan this weekend, please give them a hug.

Then again, if you see a diehard fan of any of the 29 other teams, buy them a drink.

They already started at the Cubs convention.

The mighty Dodgers, that Evil Empire on the West Coast, have struck again.

Follow Nightengale on X: @BNightengale

This post appeared first on USA TODAY