Latest news with #ConcacafGoldCup
Fox Sports
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
'We needed this': Richards keys U.S. men as Gold Cup knockouts await
The U.S. men's national team is into the Gold Cup quarterfinals. In its second group stage match of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, the USMNT beat Saudi Arabia with a 1-0 result on Thursday at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. After a cagey first half, U.S. defender Chris Richards broke a scoreless deadlock with just under a half hour remaining to give the Americans their second consecutive victory at the tournament. "We needed it tonight," Richards told FOX Sports' Jenny Taft following the match. "It was a tough game against a tough opponent … sometimes you gotta get physical. Sometimes you gotta get nasty. I think that's exactly what we did." Combined with the Group D tie between Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago earlier in the day, the three points were enough to ensure that the U.S. men will advance to the quarterfinals of the 16-team regional championship. Here are three quick thoughts on the match. U.S. takes care of business It didn't come as easily as the 5-0 throttling of T&T in Sunday's tourney opener, but the hosts got three points nonetheless. Coach Mauricio Pochettino went with the same startling lineup for the second consecutive match, and while the U.S. struggled to generate scoring chances – it took 44 minutes before Patrick Agyemang recorded the USMNT's first shot – their patience and commitment defensively warrants praise. Pochettino's side managed the last 30 minutes expertly. This team's confidence is clearly growing. Clinching advancement with a game to spare will give the Argentine manager the leeway to rotate a few players before the knockout phase begins. Tyler Adams (turf toe) and Johnny Cardoso (illness) didn't dress for the first game; both came off the bench in the second half and will surely play a bigger role later on. Richards a fitting hero During a summer when this side is controversially missing Christian Pulisic and several other lineup regulars, Richards has emerged as a key leader. So it was fitting that the Crystal Palace center-back was front and center when the game's pivotal moment arrived early in the second half off a pinpoint free-kick delivery from youngster Sebastian Berhalter. "I just saw the ball coming my way, and I figured I needed to get something on it," Richards said. "It was a great delivery." Richards was superb on the other end of the field, too, helping the Americans keep a second straight clean sheet. Pochettino's side can't let up now After a few weeks of off-field drama and poor results, this squad is slowly building its confidence. They mustn't relax now, though: Winning the next one against the Haitians would guarantee top spot in the group and a more favorable quarterfinal matchup – and keep the momentum rolling as well. Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . recommended Get more from Gold Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
13 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
USMNT vs. Saudi Arabia: Time, how to watch Gold Cup match
USMNT vs. Saudi Arabia: Time, how to watch Gold Cup match Show Caption Hide Caption Weston McKennie: Landon Donovan's dig at Christian Pulisic was sad U.S. Men's National Team standout Weston McKennie reacts to Landon Donovan's comments regarding Christian Pulisic. Sports Seriously The U.S. men's national team ended a four-game losing streak in emphatic fashion on Sunday, June 15, cruising to a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in its Concacaf Gold Cup opener. The USMNT — which is playing the tournament without a number of its key players, including Christian Pulisic — should get a sterner test from its next Gold Cup opponent: Saudi Arabia. Just two and a half years ago, Saudi Arabia pulled off a World Cup stunner, upsetting eventual champion Argentina in the tournament's group stage in Qatar. In Sunday's win, Malik Tillman was a standout performer for the U.S., scoring two goals. Patrick Agyemang, Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright also scored goals in the rout. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be looking for the team to carry over the impressive form from its Gold Cup opener into its next game against Saudi Arabia. Here's what to know for Thursday night's Concacaf Gold Cup match between the USMNT and Saudi Arabia: The Concacaf Gold Cup group stage game pairing the USMNT with Saudi Arabia is set for 9:15 p.m. ET at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. Q2 Stadium is the regular home of Austin FC of Major League Soccer. CONCACAF GOLD CUP: How to watch, game times, USMNT and Mexico schedule Time: 9:15 p.m. ET 9:15 p.m. ET Location: Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) Q2 Stadium (Austin, Texas) TV: FS1 (TUDN for Spanish-language broadcast) FS1 (TUDN for Spanish-language broadcast) Stream: Fubo Watch USMNT vs. Saudi Arabia with a free trial of Fubo Sunday, June 15: 5-0 win vs. Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 win vs. Trinidad and Tobago Thursday, June 19: vs. Saudi Arabia, 9:15 p.m. ET (FS1) vs. Saudi Arabia, 9:15 p.m. ET (FS1) Sunday, June 22: vs. Haiti, 7 p.m. ET (FOX) The Gold Cup is a biennial tournament for national teams in the North and Central American and Caribbean region associated with Concacaf. Mexico (nine times), the U.S. (seven times) and Canada (one time) are the only nations to have won the Gold Cup. Mexico won the last Gold Cup competition in 2023. Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/England) Defenders (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/France), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/England), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel/Germany), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC) Midfielders (9): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/England); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/England), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/Canada), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/Spain), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands) Forwards (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/Netherlands), Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Damion Downs (FC Köln/Germany), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/Canada), Haji Wright (Coventry City/England)
Newsweek
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
How to Watch Trinidad & Tobago vs Haiti: Live Stream CONCACAF Gold Cup, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Trinidad & Tobago will face Haiti in this 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup matchup on Thursday at Shell Energy Stadium, and you can catch all the action with FuboTV. Duckens Nazon #9 of Haiti passes the ball against Honduras during a 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup group A game at Bank of America Stadium on July 02, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Duckens Nazon #9 of Haiti passes the ball against Honduras during a 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup group A game at Bank of America Stadium on July 02, 2023 in Charlotte, North to Watch Trinidad & Tobago vs Haiti Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2025 Time: 7:00 PM ET TV Channel: FOX Sports 1 Stream: Fubo (TRY FOR FREE) Trinidad & Tobago and Haiti will take the pitch on Wednesday, June 18th, at Shell Energy Stadium in this CONCACAF Gold Cup match. Neither got off to a great start in the group stage, and will have to claw their way back if they want to have any chance of advancing to the knockout rounds. Haiti lost by one goal to Saudi Arabia in their opener, while Trinidad & Tobago suffered a five-goal loss to the United States. Maximum points are probably required here for either side to have a puncher's chance of catching the two teams ahead of them. Duckens Nazon and Frantzdy Pierrot will provide a potent offensive attack for Haiti, with both players having eighth career Gold Cup goals, which is tied for the most amongst all players in this tournament. This is a great CONCACAF Gold Cup matchup; make sure to tune in and catch all the action. You can view this match on FOX Sports 1 with a free one-month subscription to FuboTV. Live stream every CONCACAF Gold Cup match for free with Fubo: Start your subscription now! Gold Cup Potential Lineups Trinidad and Tobago: Phillip; Cardines, A. Jones, Bateau, J. Garcia, Spicer; Fortune, Powder, Phillips; Molino, Sealy Haiti: Placide; Arcus, Ade, Duverne, Lacroix; Deedson, Pierre, Jacques, Picault; Nazon, Pierrot Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Fox Sports
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Why Is Saudi Arabia Playing In the Gold Cup?
The United States men's national team's next opponent at the Concacaf Gold Cup isn't one of its usual foes — it's not even a country from the same region. It's Saudi Arabia, which pulled off one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history at Qatar 2022, when it beat Lionel Messi and eventual champions Argentina 2-1 in the group stage. But why is Saudi Arabia playing in the Concacaf Gold Cup? Here's everything you need to know about the U.S. men's next challenge: Gold Cup invites The Concacaf Gold Cup has a rich history of inviting countries from outside the North American, Central American and Caribbean regions, dating back to 1996, when Brazil competed as a guest two years after it won the World Cup at USA 1994. Despite its international prowess at the time, Brazil didn't win the Gold Cup in 1996 — in fact, no guest nation has ever won the tournament. Concacaf took a 16-year break from inviting teams to compete in the Gold Cup, but the tradition resumed in 2021 with Qatar as part of a partnership between Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that was established in 2018. Saudi Arabia, which is also part of the AFC, is competing in this year's tournament as well as the 2027 edition. In total, eight nations have participated in the Gold Cup as a guest team: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and South Korea. Brazil (1996 and 2003) and Colombia (2000) have each finished as the runner-up in the tournament. What happened in 2022? In what has been referred to as the most shocking result in World Cup history, Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2-1 in its group stage opener. At the time, Saudi Arabia was ranked 51st in the world by FIFA, while Argentina was ranked third and entered the tournament on a 36-match unbeaten streak. Saudi Arabia's Cinderella story was short-lived, however, as it failed to advance past the group stage after losing to Mexico and Poland in its next two matches. Saudi Arabia has already qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States. Can they beat the USMNT? On paper, Saudi Arabia doesn't have the talent the U.S. men's national team does, but as evidenced in 2022, it's more than capable of coming up with a big result. That's especially true now that Hervé Renard is back for his second stint as Saudi Arabia's coach. Saudi Arabia beat Haiti in its opening match at the Gold Cup, while the U.S. enjoyed a 5-0 thrashing of Trinidad and Tobago in its opener. The U.S. is a +150 favorite to win the match and has +200 odds win the entire tournamnet, which is only second to Mexico (+170). Saudi Arabia is ranked 58th in the world by FIFA. The U.S. is currently ranked 16th. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from Gold Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump travel ban, new revenue-sharing model create uncertainty for international college athletes
Moses Jean-Pierre is the son of two Haitian immigrants. He grew up near Boston, where his mother would cook for any child in the neighborhood who looked hungry, regardless of whether the family knew them. His parents were the 'cornerstone' of their West Cambridge, Mass. community, Jean-Pierre said, and so before his parents died in 2017 and 2019, he promised them he would honor their roots and continue giving back to Haitian communities. About a decade ago, Jean-Pierre founded Hoops for Haiti, a nonprofit that mentors youth in Haiti and Haitian communities in the U.S. and elsewhere. The organization offers basketball and other initiatives in education and mental health to facilitate better opportunities, including high school and college athletics in the U.S. Advertisement 'Some of the kids already come from trauma in Haiti, and coming here legally, this was their dream,' Jean-Pierre said. 'I've never seen them so happy to have an opportunity.' That mission has encountered sudden and significant change due to Haiti's inclusion in a recent proclamation issued by President Donald Trump that restricts travel to the U.S. Haiti is one of 12 fully restricted countries; another seven have partial restrictions. 'It's been very, very, very difficult within this process because I get the tears, I have some students who have gone through so much,' said Jean-Pierre. 'For me and some of those other kids who are in Haiti, I have to start looking at, 'Maybe the U.S. is not the place to go right now.'' Jean-Pierre's focus is on one of the 19 newly restricted countries, but his sentiment extends to a much broader group of young people facing similar uncertainty: international college athletes. Advertisement The travel ban features exceptions for athletes traveling to the U.S. for major sporting events such as the ongoing Concacaf Gold Cup or next summer's FIFA World Cup, but international college athletes are not specified in the listed exemptions. The Trump administration described the restrictions as 'necessary to garner cooperation from foreign governments' and enforce immigration laws, among other reasons. Trump in the proclamation cited visa overstay rates as a reason to restrict travel from Haiti. The restrictions came during a U.S. pause on all new student visa applications, which was lifted on Wednesday, and just as college sports is establishing a new financial model under the recently approved House settlement, which allows Division I schools to begin sharing revenue directly with college athletes on July 1. International college athletes, the vast majority of whom are on F-1 student visa classifications, are eligible to receive revenue sharing under the terms of the settlement. But schools and athletes will have to consider how this new system aligns with student visas that do not authorize employment, against a backdrop of heightened attention on U.S. immigration. As written, the U.S. travel restrictions, mostly for countries in Africa and the Middle East, should directly impact only a small percentage of current international college athletes. The most recent NCAA data estimates there were roughly 23,000 international college athletes across all divisions in 2023-24. That equals about 4 percent of all college athletes, only a sliver of whom hail from the 19 restricted countries. The NCAA's data on athlete country of origin, last updated in 2022, counted athletes from 12 of the 19 impacted countries, but only two produced more than a dozen athletes that year: Haiti (24) and Venezuela (126). Canada, for comparison, had the most international students with 4,408. Advertisement In addition to the travel exceptions for athletes and team members to major sporting events, there are also exceptions for existing visa holders, and anyone currently in the U.S. on a visa should not be at risk of being detained, even if their visa has lapsed since last entering the country, according to immigration attorneys. Any additional exceptions, including the designation of major sporting events, will be at the discretion of the Secretary of State, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State. Because of the caveats for existing visa holders, the international college athletes most likely to be impeded by the ban would be those who need a U.S. visa, either new athletes or current athletes from the banned countries who might have traveled home for the summer on an expired visa. Many others, however, are feeling the ripple effects. Jean-Pierre described his inability to bring a 6-foot-8, 16-year-old athlete to a high school in Florida due to the travel ban, despite nearly a year of planning and just before his visa was expected. Advertisement 'Right now the change has been the disappointment of this kid coming to a school in Florida that's predominantly a lot of Haitian kids and an opportunity to assemble with his community in the U.S. and (not only) get an education but be a productive member of society,' Jean-Pierre said. 'And to have that taken away is very disheartening. But I'm not gonna give up.' The athlete, whom is not naming because he is a minor, said in a message that he was 'devastated' to hear about the ban and isn't sure what's next. He will remain in Haiti for the time being. 'I felt bad and that saddened me because I finally saw an opportunity to do something big with my talent to help my family,' he wrote of no longer being able to attend school in Florida, where he was planning to play basketball. 'I will continue praying and trusting God, but for now I am lost.' Others affected by the travel bans have been hesitant to speak out publicly on the matter, even if they are currently in the U.S. One current international Division I athlete told in a social media message that he is currently stuck in Canada and 'not allowed to enter back into the United States.' made multiple requests to speak with current college athletes from countries included in the travel ban, but each was declined due to the sensitivity of the situation. Advertisement The NCAA has not publicly spoken about the travel and visa restrictions and declined to comment for this story. Recent reports indicate that the travel ban could expand to as many as 36 additional countries, most of which are in Africa. That includes Nigeria, Egypt and Ghana, each of which was estimated to have more than 70 NCAA athletes as of 2022. South Sudan is also on the list of 36 additional countries, just months after the U.S. State Department took actions to revoke existing visas and halted the issuance of new visas for South Sudanese passport holders. Announced during the Final Four of the NCAA men's basketball Tournament in early April, that ban made headlines regarding then-Duke freshman Khaman Maluach, a native of South Sudan. Maluach has since declared for the NBA Draft, which will be held next week in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he is expected to be a top-10 selection. Maluach was recruited to Duke through the NBA Academy Africa, a training center in Senegal for top African prospects. The NBA told it is currently advising Maluach on the visa and immigration process, as it does for all international players and draft prospects. According to the NBA, it does not have any active players or projected draft picks from the 19 countries with travel restrictions, but the league and its international academies work closely with the State Department and abide by U.S. law and policy. Advertisement Multiple immigration attorneys told they are advising international college students on the matter. 'I do not want my international athletes traveling abroad unless it's a true emergency,' said Ksenia Maiorova, an attorney with Green and Spiegel law firm who advises universities, athletic departments and international college students on immigration issues. 'It's just not worth the risk.' Beyond the existing restrictions and possibility that more countries could be added, the nearly month-long pause on processing student visa applications likely created a backlog that could slow the overall process in the immediate future, along with the new State Department directive that applicants will be asked to make their social media accounts public and screened for perceived 'hostility' directed at the United States. The Trump administration is also in a legal battle with Harvard over an edict to bar all international students from attending the university. And according to Maiorova, a valid visa does not guarantee admission into the United States. Advertisement 'In addition to the bans, you have to consider that a student-athlete could just be denied entry on a valid visa even if there is no ban,' she said. 'They present themselves at the border, have a conversation with a (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) officer, and that officer determines whether or not to admit. If that officer determines for whatever reason the student-athlete is not maintaining their status or in violation of U.S. immigration law, they could refuse admission and revoke the visa and send them back. There's no real due process in that scenario.' Aaron Blumberg, an attorney with Fragomen law firm who also advises universities and students on immigration issues, added that even though the pause on student visas has been lifted, it still increases the possibility that any international student, regardless of country, may not secure a visa as quickly as they had hoped. 'The pause happened in the heart of peak season to obtain a student visa,' said Blumberg. 'I'm sure there are summer workouts starting for programs that might not have every international team member in time.' The House settlement has introduced another potential concern. Most student visas offer very limited labor and employment authorization on U.S. soil. Prior to the settlement's approval, this forced international college athletes to find creative workarounds in order to collect name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation from third-party entities, such as former Kentucky men's basketball player Oscar Tshiebwe completing his NIL deliverables during an offseason trip to the Bahamas in 2022. Advertisement Terms of the House settlement alter that landscape by allowing schools to distribute revenue sharing directly to athletes beginning next month. Some legal experts argue that international athletes are eligible to receive those funds because they are considered royalties or passive income (as opposed to labor), which is allowable under a traditional F-1 student visa. NCAA president Charlie Baker told Yahoo Sports last week that he believes international college athletes can receive revenue sharing from schools, but that the NCAA 'still has some work to do' and is seeking legal counsel. Sources familiar with the House settlement and newly created College Sports Commission oversight told that schools are eligible to distribute revenue sharing to international athletes as they see fit, but it is a school's responsibility to evaluate how that could impact an athlete's visa status. 'The (revenue sharing) agreements use all this magic language to make it sound a lot less like compensation for the availability of the student-athlete to play sports at a certain school,' Maiorova said. 'They don't call it a salary or employment or labor, but it can be construed as compensation for their services as an athlete.' Maiorova's concern is that the Trump administration or the Department of Homeland Security could interpret revenue sharing with international athletes in this way, and possibly even target certain universities, which could then trigger student visa issues across the country. Advertisement 'Some schools don't seem to be aware of how close they might be to triggering those (labor) provisions,' said Maiorova, 'because they are getting advice that as long as they refer to the revenue sharing as royalties or passive income (for international athletes), they will be fine. Which, in my opinion, is horrendous legal advice.' It's why Maiorova and Blumberg are advising college athletes to seek alternative, work-approved visa designations such as P-1a visas for athletes who are internationally recognized or O-1 visas for people with 'extraordinary ability.' But those options are more expensive and tougher to get approved. Maiorova is currently representing Last-Tear Poa, an Australia native and women's college basketball player who recently transferred from LSU to Arizona State. Poa filed a lawsuit in Louisiana against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) after her application for a P-1a visa was denied last year. '(University) compliance departments have gotten comfortable pushing the envelope with NCAA enforcement, but DHS is not the entity you want to play that game with,' said Maiorova. A State Department spokesperson said that each visa applicant is reviewed individually based on U.S. law, and that the department cannot comment on or anticipate how the House settlement will or will not affect visa adjudications. For inquiries about the status of student visa holders in the U.S., the State Department defers to the Department of Homeland Security. Advertisement U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), USCIS and the White House directed requests for guidance on the matter to the State Department. 'There are so many different things all going on at once that are making it really challenging for international students, for colleges and for their athletic teams,' said Blumberg. 'That could be a continuing trend for the foreseeable future.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. College Football, Men's College Basketball, Women's College Basketball 2025 The Athletic Media Company
