With a scrappy U.S. team, Mauricio Pochettino saw something he liked: Fight.
Coach Mauricio Pochettino's mix of seasoned players and international novices was, it seemed, a placeholder until the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah returned from summer breaks, injuries and club commitments. Most from the current group would have, for all intents and purposes, little hope of getting called back in September.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Here's Why Cal Raleigh Had Winning MLB's Home Run Derby And Waffle House On His Mind
Who knew? Nobody did. Several hours before the end of Tuesday's Home Run Derby in Atlanta, I discovered the motivotion for winning the thing for at least two of the eight participants was something that cost $14.41 (incuding taxes) two miles away from Truist Park. Here's how it started: Two Scrambled Eggs with Toast & Jelly; choice of Grits, Hashbrowns or Sliced Tomatoes; a Waffle and your choice of Bacon, Sausage or City HamThe only thing as sizzling as the weather Monday night at Truist Park in Atlanta during the Home Run Derby was Joe Smith, the Minnesota Twins catcher whose blasts kept going far and then farther than that. Before a lively crowd of 41,912, Smith ignored the temperatures hovering around 90 degrees throughout much of the wind-free evening, and he ripped his way toward a couple of things of note: (1) XX homers to edge the XXX for Ray Smith and (2) $1 million from Major League Baseball. To keep the tears away, Andre Dawson laughed. Thirty eight years ago, he won the third Home Run Derby in All-Star Weekend history with (wait for it) four home runs at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. 'It was a whole different format back then," said Dawson, when the event was two innings with five outs for two participants from the National League and two more from the American League. In contrast, there are now four players representing each league, and they compete over multiple innings with time limits, timeouts, bonus periods and all that money. On Tuesday afternoon, I asked Washington Nationals slugger James Wood what he would do if he won the $1 million later that day, and he said without hesitation, 'I'd probably go to Waffle House.' Wood was eliminated during the early portions of the derby, but I'm guessing he probably went to Waffle House anyway. And how much did Dawson receive as that 1987 winner along his way to the Baseball Hall of Fame? 'Nothing,' said Dawson, still laughing. Baseball didn't start its $1 million payday for the Home Run Derby champion until 2019. Now MLB even compensates the runner-up ($500,000), the other six participants ($150,000) and the hitter with the longest homer ($100,000.) Here's the other thing: Unlike 1987, which was 11 years before ESPN began turning the Home Run Derby into a yearly loive TV event, it has become more than just a warmup act for baseball's All-Star Game the next day. Both the All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby were sold out this year, and according to Ticketmaster, the cheapest ticket for the Home Run Derby before Monday's first swing ($249) was more expensive than cheapest ticket for Tuesday's All-Star Game ($221).
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Reviving the flame: Portland Fire unveil name, branding as WNBA's 15th team
A flame is being reignited for Portland's new WNBA franchise. On Tuesday, the league's 15th team announced it will be called the Portland Fire, reviving the name of the city's original franchise from 2000 to 2002. '(That) is an important heritage,' Fire interim president Clare Hamill told The Athletic. 'The opportunity to bring the Portland Fire back, reborn, was 100 percent — creatively and for the brand and for fans — the way to go.' Advertisement The Fire also unveiled branding, featuring an updated logo that draws from the city's roots while reflecting a new era. The WNBA awarded Portland a franchise in September, and it will begin its inaugural season in 2026 amid a wave of league expansion. The Portland team worked with the creative agency Adopt to form its creative identity. It will utilize a red, brown, blue and pink color palette. The logo includes a rose in its Fire emblem, a nod to Portland's moniker as Rose City, and the 12 bridges that connect the city from east to west were inspiration for the team's wordmark. The team said the top of its 'P' logo references the silhouette of Mount Hood, Oregon's highest point. 'I kinda got chills watching the (design) presentation,' said Hamill, who was a fan of the previous Portland Fire and has been a four-decade Oregon resident. 'I think the fans will connect both with the heritage and the depth of the branding, the logo and the storytelling around Portland.' Hamill joined the organization at the end of June after the franchise abruptly parted ways with Inky Son, who had been hired as its original team president and served in the role for three months. Hamill said she was contacted about three weeks ago. The new franchise, Hamill said, considered names other than the Fire. The original Fire, which was previously led by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, failed to make the playoffs in any of its seasons and folded due to financial losses. Its latest iteration is led by RAJ Sports partners Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who also own the NWSL's Portland Thorns. They were awarded the expansion team after a bid from another businessman was considered but ultimately fell apart at the 11th hour. Hamill, who worked for Nike at the time, attended the initial team announcement as a fan. Her title suggests she is in a temporary position, but she doesn't see herself as merely a placeholder. 'I've jumped in fully committed,' Hamill said. 'I don't see it as a stopgap, short-term thing. I'd be happy if I were here in three years. That sounds great to me.' Merchandise with the new logo went on sale shortly after it was unveiled, and the team has surpassed more than 10,000 season-ticket deposits. Still, the newly-named Fire has several questions. Hamill said the general manager search is ongoing, and there is no timeline for a hire. League sources told The Athletic late last month that they were in the process of hiring a general manager under Son, and it is unclear how the team president change has impacted the search. Advertisement 'It's a deep search, a lot of thought going into it. Well along its way,' Hamill said. 'I think it's obviously a super important hire.' In February, RAJ Sports unveiled plans for a $150 million campus for the Fire and Thorns. The project will repurpose an existing suburban office complex near Portland, previously occupied by Nike. However, the facility will be completed in phases, a team spokesperson told The Athletic. The spokesman said the first phase — a $75 million investment — will be ready by the start of the 2026 NWSL and WNBA seasons. Hamill said she looks forward to continuing to help the franchise build a connection with fans. 'We're moving and feel good about where we are,' Hamill said. 'We're going to work to build an incredible brand that wins the hearts of Portlanders (and) inspires the city.' The Fire will join the Toronto Tempo as 2026 expansion teams. They follow the Golden State Valkyries, who are competing in their first season. The WNBA recently announced that it will add three more expansion teams in the next five years, launching franchises in Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030). (Top photo of logo courtesy of Portland Fire)
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Expansion WNBA team brings back the original Portland Fire name
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon's WNBA team stepped back in time for its new name, re-introducing the Portland Fire. The WNBA expansion franchise, which begins play next next season along with the Toronto Tempo, announced its name and branding on Tuesday — reviving the moniker of the city's previous WNBA team that played from 2000 to 2002. 'Our feeling is that the fire never died,' interim Fire president Clare Hamill said. 'Fans have been waiting for us to come back, and we're back with the Portland Fire.' In addition to the name, the team has a new 'Rose on Fire' logo and a color palette of red, brown, blue and pink. Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft who passed away in 2018, was chairman of the original Fire and the two teams played at the Rose Garden, now the Moda Center. The NBA owned the WNBA teams until 2002, then sold them to affiliated NBA teams or independent owners. Allen declined to buy the Fire and the team folded. Portland was awarded a new WNBA team last September. The team is run by Raj Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, who also own the Portland Thorns of the National Women's Soccer League. They paid $125 million for the WNBA franchise. The Fire and the Thorns will share a new joint-training facility in the first such partnership between the two women's leagues. The Fire have already sold more than 11,000 season tickets, surpassing the WNBA's previous best. The team will play at the Moda Center, where the original Fire averaged some 8,000 fans a game. But the launch of the team hasn't been smooth. Indications that the team planned to return to the Fire name were previously revealed when a local publication, the Rose Garden Report, published the team's trademark application. The team's president, Inky Son, parted ways with the team late last month after less than three months on the job. Son was announced as the first employee of the team in early April, tasked with leading all aspects of the business, including marketing, ticket and sponsorship sales, and community relations. The Toronto Tempo, meanwhile, announced a team name back in December and have already hired a general manager. Hamill, a former Nike executive, took over for Son until a permanent president can be found. She said the launch of the team name and logo is just a slice of what the team is activating on Tuesday. 'We're pointing everybody to the launch and the pace at which we're moving, and just giving everyone confidence that we have our arms around it,' Hamill said. 'We're moving fast, and you're going to hear from us a lot.' The team planned to celebrate the name and logo launch with a community party on Tuesday afternoon at the Moda Center. ___ AP WNBA:
