Nationals' offense remains MIA in 11th straight loss

Colorado Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia saw the curveball, then crushed it Wednesday night at Nationals Park. Washington left-hander Mitchell Parker saw it make a beeline for the visitor's bullpen, then had some choice words for himself muffled into the fabric of his jersey in the sixth inning.
It wasn't even a bad pitch. That breaking ball had allowed him to cruise through six. That lone bit of damage, the only run he conceded, shouldn't have put the Nationals on the defensive, not against the 17-win Rockies who are headed for the wrong kind of history. But it did. It put the Nationals behind. And as has so often been the case as of late, the slimmest of margins was not one the Nationals could overcome.
The result: More scattered boos, more of the same from a sputtering offense and the Nationals' 11th straight loss, this one a 3-1 defeat to the Rockies.
The loss tied the Athletics' stretch in May for the longest losing streak in MLB this year. The Nationals (30-44) are one loss from tying the club record for consecutive losses, set back in 2008. They have lost back-to-back series against two of the three worst teams in the National League, the Miami Marlins and now the Rockies. They are still averaging fewer than three runs per game this month. They will have a chance to prevent a four-game sweep on Thursday afternoon.
The Rockies scored again in the seventh when Daylen Lile failed to come up with a diving catch that was ruled a triple and Ryan Ritter pushed him home with sacrifice bunt. James Wood doubled CJ Abrams home in the seventh to get Washington back within one. And Jose A. Ferrer put the deficit back at two runs after he allowed a solo shot in the eighth.
In June, the Nationals' offensive production has been divvied up like so: They do not score early, and then they turn it on late. Since the start of the month, they have scored 20 runs in the first six innings, by far the worst mark in baseball. The offense has actually ranked in the top half of baseball in the final three innings this month.
This time, hard contact saturated the first four innings, but runs did not. After four frames, the Rockies had hit eight baseballs at least 100 mph. The Nationals had four off Germán Márquez. Neither team had a run.
Wood and Abrams caught scorching liners in the first to strand Colorado's leadoff hitter at second. Abrams walked to lead off the game and stole the 100th base of his career, but back-to-back fly outs followed the effort. In the second, Brady House's first career steal put a runner in scoring position. Josh Bell and Lile followed with two loud line outs to the outfield. After Jacob Young was caught stealing in the third and Abrams popped up, three straight Nationals reached.
That kept a run off the board, but Washington's zero-run third will be better remembered for the following: With the bases loaded, House tattooed a liner that looked certain off of the bat. It was low, sure, but the sort of ball that usually gets through. At third base, Orlando Arcia snagged it at full extension, laid on his back for a few seconds, then chuckled as Ritter helped him up.
The Nationals then put runners on first and third with two outs in the sixth before Lile grounded out. And with Wood standing on second in the seventh, Luis Garcia Jr. grounded out on the first pitch he saw.
Before the game, Washington Nationals Manager Dave Martinez used the word, 'relax,' when asked what Parker needed to do to improve his first-inning woes. The natural follow up, then, was whether he felt his whole team could stand to take that advice during this losing streak.
'Right now, yes,' Martinez said with a chuckle. They looked a little looser than usual after a one-hour, 46-minute rain delay. But it didn't matter: Eight of their 11 losses have come by two or fewer runs.
Notes: Right-hander Mason Thompson (Tommy John surgery) pitched in his first rehab game with a Nationals affiliate, pitching one scoreless inning with Class AA Harrisburg. Paul DeJong, who is rehabbing from a broken nose, also hit a homer in the game.

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New York Times

11 minutes ago

• New York Times

Extreme heat at the Club World Cup: Players and fans voice concerns as temperatures soar

As temperatures rose towards 90F at Cincinnati's TQL Stadium on Saturday while Borussia Dortmund played South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns, the German team posted on social media: 'Our subs watched the first half from inside the locker room to avoid the blazing sun — never seen that before, but in this heat, it absolutely makes sense.' The message was accompanied by a picture of players who would usually be pitchside instead sitting in shorts and T-shirts around a table stocked with drinks. Players, coaches and supporters were already concerned about high temperatures during matches in the opening week of the Club World Cup, and now a heatwave across the United States in the coming days will cause temperatures to rise even further, with participants expressing their worries to The Athletic and experts suggesting FIFA take proactive moves. Advertisement 'The match was clearly influenced by the temperature,' said Luis Enrique, manager of the European champions Paris Saint-Germain, after their opening game against Atletico Madrid in Los Angeles on the weekend kicked off at 12pm local time. 'The time slot is great for European audiences, but the teams are suffering.' Over the next week, parts of the country are set to get even hotter, including locations where football games are taking place. Eight of the 11 host cities (there are two venues in Orlando) are located on the East Coast, and it is the northeast of the country that is expected to experience the worst of the heatwave. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the temperature in New York is expected to pass 100F (37.8C) by Tuesday and an extreme heat warning has been in place for Philadelphia from Sunday until the end of the week. In Nashville, Tennessee, which hosts Auckland City vs Boca Juniors on Tuesday at 2pm local time, the temperature could get to 98F (36.7C). There is a similar forecast on Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Benfica take on Bayern Munich at 3pm local time (99F, 37.2C). Afternoon kick-offs on Wednesday and Thursday in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Washington, D.C, respectively, could take place in heat in the mid-90s, too. The timing of matches in this tournament is a concern, with 35 of the 63 fixtures kicking off earlier than 5pm, and 15 of those starting at midday. Only two of those 12pm games are being held in Atlanta, where the roof can provide some protection for players. The National Weather Service recommends that, during heatwaves, people should stay hydrated and look for areas of shade when outdoors. It also suggests limiting strenuous outdoor activities. Given this tournament is something of a trial run before the 2026 World Cup, which will be played across the U.S, Canada and Mexico at the same time of year, FIFA's approach in terms of the safeguarding of players and fans in such circumstances is set to come under increased scrutiny. Advertisement 'It's difficult, but we have to get used to it because the tournament is here and next year the World Cup will be here, too,' France and Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni told The Athletic. So, what are the rules around playing in high temperatures? What impact does it have on players and how are teams preparing for this? What are FIFA doing to protect those involved and those attending games? And is it enough? The Athletic explains… Before the opening weekend on June 14-15, the National Weather Service predicted 'moderate' heat risk for Miami and Los Angeles, with temperatures likely to exceed 86F (30C). For the tournament's opening game between Inter Miami and Al Ahly, an 8pm ET kick-off at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium meant the peak heat of the day had passed. But on Sunday afternoon, Paris Saint-Germain vs Atletico Madrid kicked off at midday in the open-air Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles amid temperatures reportedly nearing 104F (40C) on the pitch. Both PSG and Atletico made it clear that the heat was a factor. Luis Enrique's sentiments were echoed by PSG midfielder Vitinha, who said: 'It's hot at this time. I'm all red. It was really difficult. We just have to try to recuperate as much as possible, whether it's using compression boots or cold treatment.' The Atletico midfielder Marcos Llorente went into more detail after the match, saying: 'It's impossible, terribly hot. My toenails were hurting; I couldn't slow down or speed up. It was unbelievable.' Of the 12 stadiums across the United States being used in the Club World Cup, only one, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, has a roof that can be closed, which is done when the temperature is above 80F, as it was for Manchester City's 6-0 win over Al Ain on Sunday night. Advertisement Five of the remaining 11 stadiums have no coverage at all, while the other six have partial coverage, mainly for spectators to protect them from the elements. In Cincinnati, the TQL Stadium (which hosted Bayern's 10-0 thrashing of Auckland City on the tournament's opening weekend in temperatures of around 83F/28C) has a canopy roof that covers all seats but is designed to allow ample sunlight to reach the field. Good for the grass, not so great for the players exerting themselves in the midday sun. Cooling/ice towels have been widely in use, with players (and coaches) applying them to the backs of their necks or over their heads during cooling breaks and at half and full time. During Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Al Hilal in Miami on Wednesday afternoon (a 3pm ET kick-off), the Madrid coach Xabi Alonso could be seen picking up a wet towel and placing it around his neck in a bid to cool down. For his players, it was tougher. Alonso revealed after the game that Vinicius Junior was having cramps 'because of the heat, because of the pitch', while Gonzalo Garcia said after the game: 'It was very hot, the match was at an hour that we are not used to playing at. It would have been better to play at a different time.' At Real Madrid's training base in Miami, the club included heated tents among the temporary structures they put in place before the team's arrival to mimic the kind of conditions players will face. Heat lamps can even be used inside these tents to help recreate the feeling of the powerful rays of the sun. Temperatures inside the tents can range from 35 to 50C (95 to 122F) and the humidity rises from around 30 per cent to 80 per cent by the end of the session. Teams including Manchester City and Juventus have been using training sessions to deliberately try to speed up the adaptation process, with City manager Pep Guardiola holding long training sessions in the searing Florida heat at their base in Boca Raton. Last Friday's session lasted nearly two hours in temperatures surpassing 90F. Phil Foden, the City midfielder, said after the win over Wydad (a noon kick-off in Philadelphia) that he and his team-mates had tried to play more of a possession game to cope in the conditions. Juventus have been mirroring their training times to match kick-off times, with defender Lloyd Kelly telling the media after their opening game that they had trained 'the past 10 days in the hottest times of the day'. That match against Al Ain was a 9pm kick-off on Wednesday evening, but despite the later hour, temperatures in Washington were still hot and sticky enough that after the match (a 5-0 victory for the Italians), USMNT forward Timothy Weah told reporters: 'I only played a half, and it was like, I was dying out there. It was really hot.' Advertisement Dortmund's post about their substitutes sheltering was characterised in some replies as being another European team finding an excuse for their performances at a tournament in which South American teams have had an early edge. But Dortmund won the game in question 4-3, and after Palmeiras' 2-0 win over Al Ahly at MetLife Stadium on Thursday (a midday kickoff), the Brazilian midfielder Mauricio told The Athletic: 'The heat definitely had an impact today. We couldn't play with the same intensity we showed against Porto. We had to slow things down and manage the tempo.' His team-mate Joaquin Piquerez echoed those thoughts: 'Today was too hot and the time of the day when we played did not help. I asked Egyptian players what they thought of the heat and even they said it was hot, even though they are used to playing in a hot climate.' As well as the teams suffering, those attending matches have been struggling with the heat, too. The biggest issue comes in the open stadiums, where there is little to no shade for supporters. At PSG against Atletico in the uncovered Rose Bowl stadium, one journalist said they had collapsed after transport issues left them having to walk two miles to the stadium in the searing sun, and a girl was seen being treated by medical staff. There were also reports of 45-minute queues for water at concession stands. At the Palmeiras match against Al Ahly on June 19, which kicked off at midday in New York, supporters moved seats to try to be in shaded areas and at half-time flooded inside for shelter and to access water. There are water fountains on the concourses at MetLife and bottled water is for sale from concession stands. Some people who complained to stadium staff about the heat during the match, particularly elderly fans, were directed towards Club 50, an air-conditioned VIP area with a bar and screens showing the match. Brazilians are no strangers to high temperatures, but Palmeiras fans who made the trip to New York still weren't thrilled about the early kick-off, with one fan telling The Athletic: 'Back home, our league matches don't start until after 4 or 5pm. This is not a good time.' Al Ahly followers echoed the sentiment. Many had brought children to the game and spent parts of the match ducking into air-conditioned areas to escape the heat. On top of that, there were grumbles about the concession prices: $15 for a beer and $5 for water. At half-time, a long line formed in front of the water fountain as fans waited to fill their cups. A sporting director for one of the teams at the tournament — speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect their position — told The Athletic during the opening week that the conditions so far and the forecast for the coming days have made their sports science team and players very worried about their remaining group games. Advertisement The only reference to extreme weather in FIFA's regulations for the tournament refers to the use of cooling breaks. These breaks in play are implemented around the 30th and 75th minute of play in cases when the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT; an overall thermal strain measure achieved by combining temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation) exceeds 32C/89.6F on the pitch and allow players to hydrate and use cooling measures such as ice towels. These breaks can last anything from 90 seconds to three minutes. Christopher Tyler is a reader in Environmental Physiology at the University of Roehampton. His research focuses on human responses to extreme hot and cold environments, specifically how to minimise the performance impairments observed in such conditions. He believes that FIFA's heat protocol should be implemented earlier. 'When you take into consideration other factors the elite footballer faces, such as total game load, 32C/89.6F is probably too high as a break — this is a preventative break,' he says. 'FIFA would argue that it works because they haven't seen enough medical complications at that temperature or above, but the argument against that is that players are probably slowing down and changing how they are playing, so they're not getting ill. 32°C/89.6F is high compared to many other sports as a threshold from a safety point of view, but also, it will eventually compromise the quality of the game as well.' Tyler says there is data to show that stopping at 32C/89.6F and taking on fluid does decrease the strain afterwards because players have time to lose a bit of heat and not continue to gain more, but says 'there is no real reason why that couldn't be lowered'. In response to questions from The Athletic, FIFA said its medical experts 'have been in regular contact with the clubs to address heat management and acclimatisation'. It said it was working with local medical authorities regarding heat management. People briefed on the organisation's position said that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that lowering the threshold for cooling breaks improves safety and that there are no plans to do so. Advertisement 'FIFA's current approach is reactive, not preventative,' says Tyler. 'We urgently need more robust, science-led heat mitigation strategies, or we risk seeing performance suffer and health compromised on the world's biggest stage.' FIFA did not respond directly when asked by The Athletic if it would consider moving matches or kick-off times during the incoming heatwave but people briefed on the organisation's thinking say that the conditions will be considered in the same way that storm threats have been, though there is no specific guidance as to what happens if it gets too hot. Four matches in four days have had weather-related delays that have at times suspended play for as long as two hours. In each case, FIFA has worked in unison with the relevant local authorities on the decisions. The organisation is not monitoring the weather across the competition but does receive reports and updates from the stadium. In a statement shared with The Athletic, FIFPro, the organisation that represents professional footballers across the globe, said: 'FIFPro has consistently advocated for comprehensive heat protection measures including mandatory cooling breaks, adjustments to kick-off times to avoid the most intense heat, and the postponement of matches when conditions pose a serious health risk to players… FIFPro will closely monitor the situation in the coming weeks with a view to prioritising player welfare over other considerations.' In a statement to The Athletic, FIFA said: 'From a broader player welfare perspective, besides having the right to make a maximum of five substitutions, teams can make an additional substitution if a match goes into extra time (regardless of whether the team has used its maximum number of substitutes or not), as well as a concussion substitution. Additionally, all teams have a minimum of three rest days between matches to facilitate recovery.' And regarding people attending the games: 'Fans are welcome to bring empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles, up to one (1) litre/33.8 oz. capacity into the stadiums. In venues where temperatures are extreme, local authorities may implement additional measures such as hydration reminders via stadium announcements, cooling buses and water stations. Furthermore, in coordination with the World Health Organization, 'beat the heat tips' will be shared with all ticket holders. 'FIFA will continue to monitor the weather conditions in coordination with the venue teams to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.' Advertisement The issues are particularly relevant because the United States, along with Canada and Mexico, will host the World Cup next year, the biggest sports event on the planet that will involve 48 teams and their travelling supporters. The Athletic reported on Sunday that the National Weather Service has been working with FIFA to develop plans for all 11 U.S. cities preparing to host World Cup games next year. One advantage is that some venues not in use this summer, such as the AT&T Stadium in Dallas and the NRG Stadium in Houston, are indoor stadiums. The agency will also have meteorologists in each city who will work closely with local leaders, Ben Schott, the operations chief with the National Weather Service, told The Athletic. Their main goal as a federal agency is to protect 'life and property.' He explained that FIFA, meanwhile, will likely have its own meteorologist who will prioritise forecasting related to players and the tournament. Here are when and where games are taking place in the next seven days and the forecast temperature on each day. All forecasts are per the National Weather Service's NOAA and are correct as of June 22. Friday, June 27, is the only day during the tournament with no matches. MetLife, New York, New Jersey Monday, June 21: Porto vs Al Ahly (9pm ET) – high of 98F in the day, low of 78F at night Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Tuesday, June 24: Esperance de Tunis vs Chelsea (9pm ET) – high of 102F in the day, low of 81F at night Thursday, June 26: Salzburg vs Real Madrid (9pm ET) – high of 93F in the day, low of 71F at night Saturday, June 28: First match of last 16 (12pm ET) – high of 86F in the day, low of 72F at night Audi Field, Washington, D.C. Thursday, June 26: Wydad vs Al Ain (3pm ET) – high of 96F in the day, low of 76F at night Advertisement TQL Stadium, Cincinnati Wednesday, June 25: Dortmund vs Ulsan (3pm ET) – high of 96F in the day, low of 75F at night Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles Monday, June 23: Atletico Madrid vs Botafogo (12pm PT) – high of 78F in the day, low of 55F at night Wednesday, June 25: Urawa Red Diamonds vs Monterrey (6pm ET) – high of 83F in the day, low of 60F at night Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte Tuesday, June 24: Benfica v Bayern Munich (3pm ET) – high of 99F in the day, low of 77F at night Saturday, June 28: Second match of last 16 (4pm ET) – high of 94F in the day, low of 73F at night Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta Sunday, June 29: Third match of last-16 (12pm ET) – TBC GEODIS Park, Nashville Tuesday, June 24: Auckland City vs Boca Juniors (2pm CT) – high of 98F in the day, low of 77F at night Thursday, June 26: Al Hilal vs Pachuca (8pm CT) – high of 98F in the day, low of 76F at night Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Monday, June 23: Inter Miami vs Palmeiras (9pm ET) – high of 90F in the day, low of 80F at night Wednesday, June 25: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Fluminense (3pm ET) – high of 90F in the day, low of 79F at night Sunday, June 29: Fourth match of last 16 (4pm ET) – TBC Lumen Field, Seattle Monday, June 23: Seattle v PSG (12pm PT) – high of 77F in the day, low of 56F at night Wednesday, June 25: Inter vs River Plate (6pm PT) – high of 69F in the day, low of 56F at night Camping World Stadium, Orlando Tuesday, June 24: LAFC vs Flamengo (9pm ET) – high of 94F in the day, low of 75F at night Thursday, June 26: Juventus vs Man City (3pm ET) – high of 94F in the day, low of 75F at night The Gold Cup is also in progress in the U.S. this summer, while other competitions, such as the Premier League's Summer Series, have also taken place in the country at this time of year before without significant issues. However, heat controversies are not new in football. At the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, 34 of the 52 matches were scheduled to kick off at noon despite oppressive temperatures (over 100F in Monterrey, northern Mexico, where England were due to play). The Argentina forward Jorge Valdano called the midday kick-off times an 'attack against the players… This World Cup shows clearly that the interests of television are put on top of those of soccer'. Advertisement There were concerns at the 1994 tournament in the U.S, too, where the heat in Dallas and Orlando was expected, but a heatwave also brought scorching temperatures to Chicago and California. During the tournament, The New York Times reported that, in Orlando, 106 fans were treated for 'mostly minor heat problems', while in Chicago, 43 were treated for heat exhaustion and 13 hospitalised on the tournament's opening day. Last year's Copa America was heavily impacted by the heat, too. During a match between Canada and Peru at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, assistant referee Humberto Panjoj collapsed while running the line at the end of the first half. Temperatures in the stadium were as high as 91F, with a feels-like temperature of 101F at the time, with 51 per cent humidity. 'It's gotta be an 8 or 9 o'clock kick-off. Because honestly, it's not even safe for the fans,' Canada defender Alistair Johnston said. Contributing reporters: Dan Sheldon, Jack Lang, Adam Crafton, Mario Cortegana, Felipe Cardenas (Top photos: Jonathon Moscrop/Getty, Alex Pantling/Getty, Stu Forster/Getty, Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty, Darren Walsh/Getty; design: Kelsea Petersen)

New York Times

16 minutes ago

• New York Times

What Brazil's early success at the Club World Cup says of its status as a football power

This is a public service announcement. You may think that this Club World Cup is an American affair. You probably looked at the host cities, saw FIFA president Gianni Infantino glad-handing with Donald Trump in the Oval Office, noted the distinctive bombast of those grating individual player walk-ons, heard the U.S. anthem being played before each of the 32 matches so far. Advertisement All very American, fair enough. Hence your confusion. But sorry, no. Appearances have deceived you. This is actually a Brazilian tournament. The rest of the world just hasn't realised it yet. First there are the demographics. 508 players took to the field in the first round of group matches. 70 of them — 14 per cent — were from Brazil. Argentina had 57 players on that list. Next was Spain with 26. There are, granted, four Brazilian clubs in the U.S. this summer. But the reach of the diaspora is remarkable. There are Brazilians at Manchester City, Real Madrid and Los Angeles FC, but also at Esperance de Tunis and Urawa Red Diamonds, Pachuca and Al-Hilal, Ulsan and Mamelodi Sundowns. Some countries sell oil, grain or circuit boards to the wider world; Brazil exports footballers. This, though, is only a footnote to the bigger story. The Brazilian teams have played eight matches between them. They have won six of them, drawn two, lost zero. Each tops their group after two rounds of games. It's not because they've only had easy fixtures, either. Flamengo duffed up Chelsea. Fluminense went toe-to-toe with Borussia Dortmund. Botafogo defrocked Paris Saint-Germain, the European champions and any rational person's idea of the best team in the world right now. 'No one has defended better against us this season,' an admiring Luis Enrique said after that match. The results have been greeted with a mixture of humour and excitement in Brazil. 'The Europeans are sending a petition to FIFA,' went one typically catty gag doing the rounds on Brazilian WhatsApp. 'They want Vasco da Gama (the fourth of the big Rio de Janeiro sides) in the competition so they have a chance of winning.' Writing in the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper, former Brazil international Tostao — usually a fairly sober observer of the game — allowed himself to dream, just for a sentence: 'Can you imagine the euphoria and pride if a Brazilian team ends up becoming champion?' Take a long view of history and this may appear quite normal. In the early 1960s, Pele's all-conquering Santos side enjoyed back-to-back victories in the Intercontinental Cup, a competition established in 1960 to pit the European champions against their South American counterparts. Flamengo thrashed Liverpool in the same competition in 1981; Gremio and Sao Paulo (twice) also tasted glory. Advertisement When FIFA first dreamt up the Club World Cup in 2000, Brazil's clubs thrived. Corinthians won the inaugural edition, beating Vasco in an all-Brazilian final,. The next two editions went to Sao Paulo and Internacional. The years since, though, have been cruel. In 2010, Internacional were knocked out by Congolese side TP Mazembe. Santos were hammered by Barcelona a year later. Gremio, Flamengo, Palmeiras and Fluminense have all lost to European teams in the final. Before this current tournament began, no Brazilian club had beaten a European side in a competitive match since 2012, when Corinthians famously overturned Chelsea. You could write a book on the factors underpinning that drift. The short version is that European football — the top leagues at least — left Brazilian domestic football behind in a number of areas, from commercialisation and investment to infrastructure and tactical innovation. It is no coincidence that Brazil's last World Cup win came in 2002. Nor did the decline go unnoticed: lamentations about the growing quality gap were a staple of the Brazilian media for decades. Where, then, have the results of the past nine days come from? In the first instance, a little context is probably due before we get too excited. Dortmund and Porto — held to goalless draws by Fluminense and Palmeiras respectively — are not great teams. Fluminense also made extremely heavy work of Ulsan. Flamengo fans were thrilled with the win over Chelsea but dedicated watchers of the Premier League may not have viewed it as quite such a coup. Even Botafogo's result against PSG came with a minor caveat: Luis Enrique rested a number of key players. None of which to say it isn't an eye-catching pattern, or not worth zooming in on. Indeed, even those involved have been struck by the novelty of it all. 'I'm surprised by these results,' Flamengo manager Filipe Luis said after the Chelsea match. 'I know the quality of European clubs, especially the elite.' Advertisement There are three circumstantial factors at play. One is the climate: the Brazilian clubs are more accustomed to playing under a roasting sun. 'We're used to it,' Botafogo right-back Vitinho said last week. 'I hope that it works in our favour.' Another is that the Brazilian teams are midway through their season, which runs from January until December. The national league only kicked off at the end of March. Compared to the European sides, many of whom look exhausted at the end of a long campaign, there is a level of freshness there. Motivation is also relevant. There has been scant evidence to suggest that the European sides are phoning it in, but are they committing to the competition with every last drop of energy? That's up for debate. Rightly or wrongly, the Club World Cup is not currently seen as being on the same level as the Champions League or even domestic competitions. For the Brazilian clubs, like many others from outside Europe, this is a priority. Even if they are just half a percentage point more motivated, it can make a big difference. 'You can see the teams are playing every game like it's a final,' Filipe Luis said on Friday. 'That makes a lot of difference.' There are wider trends at work here, too. Brazilian football has evolved a lot in the last 10 years, particularly behind the scenes. A number of the country's big clubs — Flamengo and Palmeiras in particular — have gone to great lengths to become more professional and stable. Their training facilities are every bit as good as those found at the best European clubs; their marketing departments have finally found a way to leverage the colossal fanbases that exist in a country as big as Brazil. In 2021, Brazil's government passed a law that introduced a new ownership model for the country's football clubs, promising to make them more corporate, more sustainable and even — whisper it quietly — profitable. In has come foreign investment: John Textor, the co-owner of Crystal Palace, acquired Botafogo; Red Bull has put significant resources into Bragantino; the City Football Group added Bahia to its roster of clubs. Advertisement As recently as 15 years ago, most Brazilian squads were filled with players at the bookends of their career: youngsters destined for Europe and veterans in the twilights of their careers. The very best youngsters still leave but clubs can afford to sign and pay players in their prime. The 28-year-old midfielder Gerson, bought by Flamengo from Marseille for €15 million in December 2022, is the most obvious example of this trend but far from the only one Nor is it just a question of quality. 'You look at the Palmeiras squad and they have two or even three high-level players in every position,' Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said on Sunday, before his side's game against the São Paulo side. 'It's the same with Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo. They have invested a lot of money.' Alongside the spending has come greater openness to new ideas. A wave of foreigners has freshened up the local managerial scene, challenged old notions. Four of the past six Brazilian championships have been won by Portuguese coaches. Little wonder that public opinion over the possibility of a non-Brazilian manager of the national team softened considerably over that time frame. The result of all this? Brazil has begun to dominate the Copa Libertadores, South America's Champions League equivalent, like never before. The past six editions have been won by clubs from the Campeonato Brasileiro. Four of those finals were all-Brazilian affairs. That might not be good for the overall health of the South American game. For Brazil, though, it's a signal that they are doing something right. So too is the growing ease with which they are able to scout and sign youngsters from other South American nations. 'They clearly have an economic strength that the rest of the countries do not,' Mascherano said. The next step is unclear. There are some who see huge potential, just waiting to be harnessed by good governance, the right global TV deal. 'Brazilian football looks like the next Premier League,' ran a headline in The Economist in December. Textor, the Botafogo owner, has been bullish in his championing of the Brazilian game. Hurdles remain, however. The calendar remains bloated: the most successful teams play 70 or 80 matches a season, many of them in the outmoded, low-wattage state championships. This affects the quality of the football, as do poor pitches. Working conditions for coaches have improved but there is still a culture of short-termism and churn. Advertisement The Club World Cup, though, is providing hope that the chasm is bridgeable. Not even the most one-eyed Botafogo fan thinks her team is better than PSG's. But maybe they're not as far off as some would have assumed before the tournament began. 'I think there's an elite in football, formed of eight or ten teams,' Filipe Luis, the Flamengo coach, said last week. 'They're far superior. Beyond that elite group, I think the Brazilian clubs are on the second rung.' Renato Gaucho, his Fluminense counterpart, echoed that view. 'There's no way we can compete with the European teams financially,' he said on Saturday. 'They can buy the best players and build incredibly strong teams. But football matches are decided on the pitch. The Brazilian people should be really proud of what our clubs are doing at this Club World Cup.'

CNN

20 minutes ago

• CNN

The Oklahoma City Thunder win the NBA championship after defeating Indiana Pacers in winner-take-all Game 7

Update: Date: Title: Thunder cap off incredible season with a hard-earned NBA title Content: The Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday night finished what they started back in late October, and put the rest of the NBA on notice that there's a new sheriff in town. With an average age under 26, the Thunder capped off one of the winningest seasons in league history with a seven-game triumph over a pesky Indiana Pacers team to win the Larry O'Brien trophy. It was a tight affair in the early-going, indicative of the back-and-forth nature of the entire series, and then disaster struck for Indiana. Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who had been instrumental in a string of incredible comeback wins for the Pacers this postseason, went down with a non-contact injury to his lower right leg. He writhed in pain, slapping the floor in a mixture of frustration, heartbreak and physical discomfort. His father later confirmed to broadcaster ESPN what many had suspected - it was an Achilles injury for the 25-year-old. With every excuse to throw in the towel, the Pacers instead rallied around their injured leader. Keyed by Eastern Conference Finals MVP Pascal Siakam and a hard-nosed defense, Indiana took a surprising 48-47 lead into halftime. As the adrenaline began to wear off, the Thunder started to impose their will in the third quarter of the game. In the blink of an eye, the game went from tied at 56-56 to a nine-point OKC lead after three consecutive long range shots from the Thunder's 'Big 3' - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. The Thunder never looked back from that point. OKC, which boasted the league's best defense in the regular season, began swarming all over the short-handed Pacers. The Thunder held Indiana scoreless for the first 4:31 of the fourth quarter as Oklahoma City's lead grew to 22 points. The Pacers showed their trademark determination and never quit, trimming the deficit down to 10 points with two-and-a-half minutes left. But without their late-game hero Haliburton, the mountain was just too steep for the Pacers, and the Thunder ultimately won the game 103-91. The Thunder's centerpiece, Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 29 points and earned Finals MVP honors, becoming the first player since LeBron James in 2013 to earn both regular season and Finals MVP awards. SGA also became just the fourth player in NBA history to win the league MVP trophy, the scoring title and win the Finals, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. After looking listless at halftime, the Thunder closed their season in the same fashion that they had been playing since October: Intense defense, lightning quick runs and leaning on Gilgeous-Alexander's near-perfect basketball to take home the title. Update: Date: Title: Isaiah Hartenstein's sleeping child steals hearts Content: The lasting image from the celebration tonight will not be remembered by its focal point. Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein was on the stage, celebrating with his teammates and holding his son who was absolutely zonked out. Lil Hartenstein is slumped 😂😂😂 congrats Okc. The little Hartenstein is a little more than a year old and truly must not be used to late nights because even amid the raucous cheering in the Paycom Center, he was sleeping hard. Hartenstein said he wanted the crowd to make a little noise to wake up his son but it was to no avail. Sometimes, you just gotta sleep. Update: Date: Title: Pacers coach on Haliburton injury: "All of our hearts dropped" Content: An emotional Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle talked about his star player, Tyrese Haliburton, who went down with an apparent Achilles injury in the first quarter. 'What happened with Tyrese, all of our hearts dropped. But he will be back. I don't have any medical information about what may or may not have happened, but he'll be back in time, and I believe he'll make a full recovery,' Carlisle told reporters. Haliburton's father told the ABC broadcast that the injury was to his son's Achilles. 'So, he authored one of the great individual playoff runs in the history of the NBA with dramatic play after dramatic play. It was just something that no one's ever seen and did it as 1 of 17. You know, that's the beautiful thing about him. As great a player as he is, it's always a team thing. And so, our hearts go out to him.' Carlisle also congratulated the Thunder for their NBA championship win. 'The way this season started and everything, they may have had those buses painted up back in December,' Carlisle said. 'So they will have a great parade. They have great fans. This was a great series.' Update: Date: Title: SGA on winning title: "It doesn't feel real" Content: 'It doesn't feel real,' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander told ABC's Lisa Salters after the game when asked about accomplishing his childhood dream of winning an NBA title. 'So many hours, so many moments, so many emotions, so many nights of disbelief, so many nights of belief. It's crazy to know we are all here. But this group worked for it and this group put in the hours and deserved this.' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander The Finals MVP said 'the fun' he had tonight with his family is what he will remember the most of the NBA Finals first Game 7 in almost decade. 'The moment was amazing,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'The fans were amazing. It was so much fun. Exactly what I expected.' Update: Date: Title: Tears and hugs for the Pacers after coming up just short in championship quest Content: As Paycom Center erupted in joy after Oklahoma City clinched its first NBA title, there was also an outpouring of emotion from the Indiana Pacers, who game up just short in this seven-game rollercoaster of an NBA Finals. Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers' late game hero so many times this postseason, was waiting on crutches in the tunnel to welcome his teammates after a reported Achilles injury ended his night in the first quarter. The injured star exchanged consoling handshakes and hugs with all of the Pacers' players, coaches and basketball staff as they filtered through the tunnel. Pacers' royalty Reggie Miller was also seen in the tunnel to offer words of encouragement to the dejected Indiana players. The five-time All-Star and hall of famer Miller was part of the only other Pacers team to reach the Finals in 2000, when Indiana fell to the Los Angeles Lakers. Reserve guard TJ McConnell, who stepped up with 16 points off the bench in Game 7 and a whopping 84 points in the series, was inconsolable as the emotion poured out in the wake of the heartbreaking loss. Update: Date: Title: To no one's surprise, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is named the Finals MVP Content: Who else could it be? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the regular season MVP and now he can call himself the NBA Finals MVP as well. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the @okcthunder is the recipient of the Bill Russell Trophy as the MVP of the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV. SGA becomes just the fourth ever player to win the scoring title, regular season MVP and NBA Finals in the same season, joining Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Not bad company. Update: Date: Title: The Thunder were reeling at halftime. Then they got back to being who they are Content: Truly a game of two halves for the Oklahoma City Thunder. After a mostly listless opening two quarters in which Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – surely the MVP of these Finals – was the only player on the team in double figures, the Thunder returned to what makes them great. The suffocating defense, the breakneck speed on the offensive end and SGA playing an exquisite game of basketball was more than enough to put away the Pacers. It's been a truly remarkable Finals – most pundits expected the Pacers to be swept or maybe go down in five games – and a second-half blowout and Tyrese Haliburton's devastating injury wouldn't have been on anyone's wishlist for how it would end. But no one can argue the Thunder don't deserve this title, putting together one of the most complete seasons the NBA has seen in quite some time. Update: Date: Title: OKC HAVE WON THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP! Content: Oklahoma City outlasted a potential signature Indiana fourth quarter comeback to win the NBA championship. The Thunder beat the Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to bring home the franchise's first title since moving to 'The Big Friendly' in 2008. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 29 points and 12 assists to lead the Thunder to the franchise-altering win. The major key of the game for the Thunder was the defense. OKC forced Indiana to commit 23 total turnovers, scoring 29 points off of them. The Thunder, who finished with the NBA's best regular season record, become the second straight team to win the title and have the best regular season record after the Boston Celtics did last year. Update: Date: Title: With 32 seconds left, the Thunder are on the brink Content: The Thunder are on the verge as the bench is emptied and the starters exit to a huge ovation. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle does the same and it's just about done here. Score: Thunder 103, Pacers 87 Update: Date: Title: The celebration is starting in Oklahoma City as Thunder look to close this game out Content: The Paycom Center is rocking as the Thunder are closing out this Game 7 over the Indiana Pacers. It's now a 14-point game with a minute to go. Score: Thunder 101, Pacers 87 Update: Date: Title: Time running out on the Pacers Content: There were hints that the Pacers maybe had one last miraculous comeback in them, but it's looking increasingly unlikely. The Thunder have a 13-point lead and we are under three minutes to go. Score: Thunder 94, Pacers 81 Update: Date: Title: The Thunder's defense has been the key to this second-half surge Content: Somewhere, Nico Harrison is smiling because it does seem like defense is about to win a championship. The Thunder were the league's best defensive team in the regular season, leading the NBA in defensive efficiency. In the opening game of this series, they forced Indiana to turn the ball over an insane 25 times, making the Pacers' win in that game even crazier. But in this game, the Pacers no longer have Tyrese Haliburton. And they appear to have run out of miracles. The Thunder have forced the Pacers into 19 turnovers and scored 28 points off those turnovers. Particularly in the second half, the Pacers shooting has been disappointing and they're under 40% from the field for the game. It seemed at halftime like this game was going to be a rock fight until the end. But the Thunder opened up the third quarter like a team that remembered what got it here – defense, defense, defense. Oh, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who leads the game with 25 points. Score: Thunder 93, Pacers 80 Update: Date: Title: Pacers cut into deficit as final quarter ticks down Content: Just like that, the Pacers have cut the lead down to 14 points with 4:45 remaining the game. Indiana are currently on an 11-1 run behind two players off the bench – TJ McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin, who both have 16 points. Can the Thunder hold on to the lead or are the Pacers due for another improbable fourth quarter comeback? Score: Thunder 93, Pacers 79 Update: Date: Title: It's been all Thunder in the fourth quarter as they open up a 21-point lead Content: Oklahoma City has all the momentum and they lead by 21 points with under nine minutes to go in the game. The Thunder are firing on all cylinders – offensively and defensively. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a game-high 25 points while Chet Holmgren is defending the boards with six rebounds and three blocks. The Thunder can start to see their first title for the franchise since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008. Score: Thunder 89, Pacers 68 Update: Date: Title: TJ McConnell's 3rd quarter heroics keeping Indiana within shouting distance Content: With star point guard sidelined for the rest of the game with a reported Achilles injury and the game seemingly beginning to slip away in the third quarter, the Pacers once again released its secret weapon – veteran reserve guard TJ McConnell. Just as he has time and time again for the Pacers this postseason, the 33-year-old guard came of the bench with a huge shot in the arm for his team. McConnell caught fire for the Pacers coming out of halftime, pouring in 12 points in the third quarter and suddenly leading Indiana in scoring with 16 points in the game. The high-energy reserve also has 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot. Update: Date: Title: Thunder one quarter away from hoisting Larry O'Brien trophy Content: Twelve minutes is all that separates both these teams from being NBA champions. The Thunder take a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter after a huge frame from the NBA's best regular season team. Shai Gilegous-Alexander has a game-high 22 points while TJ McConnell is doing his best Haliburton impression off the bench with 16 points. But the Pacers' turnovers are killing them and it seems like the Thunder rediscovered their identity at halftime. Can the Thunder keep this momentum in the final quarter? Score: Thunder 81, Pacers 68 Update: Date: Title: Defense turning to offense for OKC as they open up a double-digit lead Content: The Paycom Center is rocking with electricity as the Thunder lead by 11 points with under two minutes to play in the third quarter. It isn't the offense thats propeling OKC to the lead, it's their defense. The Thunder have been all over Indiana, forcing them into eight turnovers in the quarter alone. The even more impressive part… they have 25 points off Indiana turnovers. The Pacers have 17 total turnovers while the Thunder have five. Score: Thunder 79, Pacers 68 Update: Date: Title: Thunder starting to pull away? Content: For a second there, it looked like the Pacers finally woke up after halftime. Indy tied the game at 56 on a Myles Turner 3-pointer. But since it's again been all Thunder. And it's not just their MVP that's doing the work. OKC went on a 3-point barrage - three consecutive long range shots from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. SGA's teammates are stepping up after a quiet first half and that could be the deciding factor in this one. The Thunder hold a nine-point lead – the largest of the game so far. Indiana has had a response to each Thunder run in this game. Do they have a counterpunch ready or is this going to be one of those trademark Thunder runs that breaks the game open? Score: Thunder 65, Pacers 56 Update: Date: Title: Thunder come out of half scorching hot Content: The Thunder look like a different team to start the second half. OKC took the lead on a Chet Holmgren two-point shot and have not looked back since. Luguentz Dort has been one of the few Thunder players shooting the ball well from 3-point land and knocked down a crazy long range Hail Mary as the shot clock expired to expand the lead. Game 5 hero Jalen Williams finally looked himself as he drove to the rim to extend the lead to five points. There is still 9:20 to play in the third quarter. Score: Thunder 56, Pacers 51 Update: Date: Title: How are the Pacers hanging with the Thunder minus their injured star? Content: When Indiana point guard Tyrese Haliburton went down midway through the first quarter with a reported Achilles injury, conventional wisdom would have suggested that the already-difficult prospect of defeating the Thunder in their raucous home arena might have just become an impossible task for the Pacers. But somehow the Pacers are hanging with the NBA's winningest team of the season. Indiana's MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals, Pascal Siakam, is leading the way for the Pacers with 10 points at halftime. The Pacers' tandem of guards Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin have scored 9 points and 8 points respectively playing extra minutes. The Pacers' secret weapon at the midway point might just be its in-your-face defense. In the absence of the team's most streaky scorer, Indiana as slowed the game down with its defense grinding on Oklahoma City on every possession. The results speak for themselves, as the Pacers held one of the NBA's most dynamic offenses to just 47 first-half points and took a 1-point lead to the intermission. And in a way, Tyrese Haliburton himself has a big role in the successful first half for Indiana. Before his injury, Haliburton knocked down a trio of 3-pointers, scoring 9 points in just seven minutes played - tied for second most points for Indiana in the first half. His 9 points were already more than he mustered in Indiana's Game 5 loss where he strained his right calf - the injury that precipitated his Achilles injury Sunday night.