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Is there too much soccer? Also, the Lakers fetch a record price

Is there too much soccer? Also, the Lakers fetch a record price

New York Times3 days ago

The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic's daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.
Good morning! Geaux Tigers, folks.
So many popular things in this world face the line of overexposure. Sports, companies, products, social media fads — they all arrive here, whether it takes decades or hours. When something becomes so big and so beloved, the abstract foundations begin to wobble.
Soccer is here in 2025, the most popular sport on the planet. There is more soccer than ever. The men's Club World Cup is ongoing, a year before the World Cup happens. In Europe, Nations League just wrapped. Women's Euros begins in two weeks. The Gold Cup is happening right now, too.
There is so much soccer. It might be a problem:
I went to Phil Hay, author of the brilliant The Athletic FC newsletter, first for a more Europe-centric view on all this:
What is our feeling on the CWC broadly? Excitement? Overkill? Capitalist greed run amok?
💬 Cynicism abounds. The prevailing view is that the Club World Cup is FIFA being FIFA: a mass of hubris which could easily be mistaken for a money-making exercise. To this point, the football has been lukewarm. FIFA ditching its planned anti-discrimination campaign is a terrible look, and its failure to explain why leaves us to draw our own conclusions. The questions I was asking in the run-up to kick-off, I'm still asking now: Is the sport enhanced by an inflated Club World Cup? And how many people outside of FIFA's bubble really need it in their lives?
To drill down further on that last point: La Liga's president is already calling for the CWC to end. Do you think there's any real momentum to change this format? Or will we just churn through because the prize money is so important?
💬 Here's a point to consider: Manchester City spent $148 million on three transfers before the Club World Cup started. If they win the tournament (playing all of eight games), they'll earn $125 million in prize money. So at an executive level, you can see why FIFA's new model might be a guilty pleasure. FIFA has been quite cute in that respect, dangling a carrot which is hard to resist in a world where cash is king. But something else to ponder: If the 2025 Club World Cup is a bit of a wash-out, will 2029 attract enough money to offer a similar prize pot? In the end, the only way this thrives as FIFA wants it to is if the public buys into it. Frankly, in comparison to the money on offer, I suspect the trophy itself means squat.
If you could make one or two changes to this tournament, what would they be?
💬 Firstly, level up the competition so that 10-0 routs don't happen. Secondly, if FIFA insists on having a 32-team CWC, make concessions elsewhere in the calendar to accommodate it. And thirdly, rather than banging on about how wonderful a show it is, let it speak for itself. Because in principle, I actually like the concept of clubs from all over the world mixing it with each other. I just don't like the manufactured hype.
I'm with Phil on the last point, because for all our hand-wringing now, we should get some excellent soccer (and coverage of it) as the CWC draws to a close. This is high time to see those poll results from yesterday, too:
Yikes. We may have crossed the overexposure line already. Let's pause for a quick news break before talking about the state of soccer in America:
Lakers agree to sell for $10 billion
The Buss family, which has owned the Lakers for 46 years, agreed in principle to sell the franchise to Dodgers owner Mark Walter at a valuation of $10 billion, sources told The Athletic, with the possibility of that number reaching $12 billion. Either way, it will be the largest sale of a sports franchise in history. Jeanie Buss will remain as governor of the team, too. Plenty more details in our full report.
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Let's go back to the pitch, but narrow our focus a bit. Here in America, soccer is also everywhere. MLS, NWSL, USL, all while hosting events like the CWC and World Cup. And yet American soccer faces a much different issue than the global game.
Two things:
For help here, I turned to our American soccer expert, Paul Tenorio:
Soccer in the States seems a little … disjointed. Is that your read, or am I off?
💬 I think soccer is immensely popular in the U.S., it's just divided up among many different properties. You have die-hard Premier League fans, loyal Liga MX followers, the sizable Champions League audience and the fans of international soccer who will latch on to the men's and women's national teams. This is the landscape in which MLS has to compete. Soccer fans in America can watch pretty much any soccer league they want — and many do. Access to the game has changed dramatically in the last 20 years, first on TV and now in-person as more events and tournaments come to play in the States. With parties settling in the Relevent lawsuit, we could see regular-season games of other leagues, soon, too. There is so much on offer. American soccer fans are spoiled.
I'm fascinated by the odd behemoth that is MLS, which, despite gobs of teams and money, can't seem to take a true national foothold in the country. Again — off there?
💬 No, certainly not. The major challenge that MLS has is growing from a strong local event business — they drive sizable crowds in many markets — to one that resonates nationally. MLS needs to find a way to pull bigger audiences in order to demand better media rights fees. It comes down to putting a better and more compelling product on the field. That requires spending more and spending differently. MLS' current salary cap structure means teams don't maximize quality compared to their spend. It looks like MLS is on a path toward change — but it'll be in 2027 instead of 2026, when the league could have fully leveraged the home World Cup.
Paul is writing a book on this exact topic, called 'The Messi Effect' — we'll keep you posted on it. Almost done:
📺 NBA: Thunder at Pacers
8:30 p.m. ET on ABC
Oklahoma City can claim its first NBA title with a win tonight. All eyes will be on the health of Tyrese Haliburton. It's hard to imagine Indiana winning with Haliburton hobbled, but the Pacers have defied expectations at every juncture in this series, so who knows?
📺 Gold Cup: Saudi Arabia vs. USMNT
9:15 p.m. ET on FS1
The Americans want to continue the goodwill after that 5-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago. The Saudis have also won their lone Gold Cup match so far, so this is for top spot in the group. Important.
Get tickets to games like these here.
I adored this story about Sabrina Ionescu, a global superstar, who can be illustrated best by her upbringing as a child of Romanian immigrants. Make time for this.
Yes, Gregg Popovich is one of the best coaches to ever grace an NBA sideline. But his best talent may be his mastery of tough conversations.
Need to smile? Read this story from Sam Blum, about a kid's cherished Mike Trout-signed baseball destroyed in a house fire last month. Trout got involved.
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🎧 Today's Juneteenth, and I reflected back on this episode of the 'Full Time' podcast from last year about the holiday itself and Blackness in the NWSL. Listen here.
🎥 'No Dunks' ranked the last 25 NBA Finals in advance of tonight's game. Watch that here.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on Nick Castellanos' tiff with Phillies manager Rob Thomson.
Most-read on the website yesterday: The Lakers' sale news.

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River Plate 0 Monterrey 0 – Explaining the complicated Club World Cup permutations to decide group E
River Plate 0 Monterrey 0 – Explaining the complicated Club World Cup permutations to decide group E

New York Times

time28 minutes ago

  • New York Times

River Plate 0 Monterrey 0 – Explaining the complicated Club World Cup permutations to decide group E

Qualification for the knockout stages of the Club World Cup from group E will go down to the wire after Monterrey held River Plate to a 0-0 draw at the Rose Bowl. Gonzalo Martinez volleyed the best chance of the first half wide for River Plate and Gerardo Arteaga cleared off the line in the second half after goalkeeper Esteban Andrada was caught out by a cross. Advertisement Andrada race out of his goal to deny substitute Miguel Borja on 75 minutes and blocked the striker's effort again ten minutes later. In a game that was marked by tactical fouls, Kevin Castano was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card after being the latest player to stop a counter-attack by fouling. The result means River Plate and Inter Milan, who face each other in the last round, are on four points, with Monterrey two points back and playing the eliminated Urawa Red Diamonds. Here The Athletic's Jack Lang and Felipe Cardenas analyse the key talking points. Right from the start of this match, you sensed that Monterrey would be happy with a draw. They had, after all, held Inter here earlier in the week — not a colossal shock, but an incredibly welcome result. With Urawa Red Diamonds in their final group fixture, two points from two tricky matches has to be regarded as an excellent return. For River, this was a chance to book a place in the round of 16. They played with the greater urgency throughout, albeit to little effect in the final third. Their clash with Inter in Seattle next Wednesday now looks like a potential classic: a knockout clash in all but name. If River win, they progress. Same for Inter. If either of those scenarios plays out, Monterrey would progress with a victory of their own against Urawa. If Monterrey fail to win, they go out and both Inter and River go through regardless the result in Seattle. Things get more complicated if Inter and River draw. If they do, and Monterrey win, all three teams will be level on five points. The first tiebreaker — results in matches between the sides — will not settle it, since all the games would have been drawn. Ditto goal difference in the matches between them. Advertisement It would go to goals scored in the three draws. Monterrey have one goal from their two so far. River have zero from one, Inter one from one. Logically, then, a draw of any form would be good enough for Inter. A 0-0 in that game and Monterrey would go through (assuming they beat Urawa). 2-2 and above, and River would go through with Inter regardless of the Monterrey result. If it finishes 1-1, it will go to group goal difference between River and Monterrey, meaning the latter would have to beat Urawa by three clear goals to progress at River's expense. If not, it comes down to group goals scored. 2-0 wouldn't be enough but any other two-goal win would be. Clear? Thought not. Jack Lang It was a moment of joy and it was a moment of loss. The ball looped off Sebastian Driussi's head and into the net, extending River's lead in their tournament opener against Uruwa Red Diamonds. The River supporters celebrated wildly. Driussi didn't; he had gone over on his ankle, spraining it badly. He watched the rest of the match from the bench but had to be carried off by a member of River's security staff at full time. It turned out to be as bad as feared. The forward is expected to miss the rest of the tournament, even if River go deep. It was a massive blow, not just because Driussi is a classy operator but because he combines so tidily with those around him. 'We had just found an attacking system that was working well,' River coach Marcelo Gallardo lamented in an interview with ESPN Argentina on Friday. Here, Gallardo replaced Driussi with the experienced Maxi Meza and played Facundo Colidio through the middle. He wasn't sure if it would work — he told ESPN that Colidio doesn't enjoy playing with his back to goal — and, sure enough, it didn't. Colidio, man of the match against Urawa, struggled to get much change out of Sergio Ramos and John Medina in the first half. Things improved a little after the break. Colidio drifted left more, into his favoured areas. It was no great surprise, though, when Gallardo turned to Miguel Borja — a far more conventional No 9 — with 20 minutes to go. The Colombian gave River more presence in the area, plus pace in behind. There is surely now a good chance he will start in River's final game, against Inter on Wednesday. Jack Lang Former River Plate and Argentina fullback Juan Pablo Sorin is an analyst for DAZN Espanol. In the first half, after Franco Mastantuono shimmied past two Monterrey defenders and smashed a left-footed shot toward goal (it deflected for a corner), Sorin described the Real Madrid signing's attitude on Saturday night as: 'Es la rebeldia de la juventud.' It's the rebellion of youth, said Sorin. Advertisement Real Madrid fans watching must be salivating. In a scoreless first half that was mired by tactical fouls, Mastantuono's energetic play and silky left foot stood out. In the second 45 minutes, Mastantuono continued to impress. The 17-year-old knows that the spotlight is on him at the Club World Cup. He's still raw and far from a finished product, but rather than shrinking under the pressure to perform, the Argentine playmaker is growing before our eyes. The excitement he displayed led to him overhitting his set pieces and his final ball needs work. What has Real Madrid fans eager to see him in the club's all white strip is Mastantuono's unflinching style of play. It's early days, but Mastantuono has shown that he had the mindset of a real competitor. Felipe Cardenas After two matches under new manager Domenec Torrent, Monterrey have shown a hardened mindset and a commitment to defending. Unfortunately, the Mexican side have generated very little in the attack. On Saturday, starting No 9 German Berterame was subbed off in the 64th minute after 11 touches and no shots. Midfield creator Sergio Canales showed that his workrate at 34 years of age is noteworthy, but the former Real Betis star did little more when he was in possession. Monterrey left fullback Arteaga told The Athletic last week that Torrent's tactics are fairly cut and dry. 'He's someone who really likes to have possession, to control the ball,' Arteaga said. 'He likes to play out from the back, no long balls. And defensively, he wants us to press — press really high, be aggressive.' A former assistant to Pep Guardiola, Torrent, who made his Monterrey debut against Inter Milan on June 17, has turned up the intensity in training, a trait that was apparent against River Plate. But Monterrey has to find a way to hurt teams with the ball. Their lone goal of the tournament came from defender Sergio Ramos, whose header off a corner kick drew first blood versus the Italians. For Monterrey, the effort is there but the football is lacking. Felipe Cardenas Wednesday, June 25: Inter, Club World Cup (Seattle), 9pm ET, 2am Thursday UK Wednesday, June 25: Urawa Red Diamonds, Club World Cup (Los Angeles), 9pm ET, 2am Thursday UK You can sign up to DAZN to watch every FIFA Club World Cup game for free

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