Аргентин Египетийн эсрэг гайхамшигтай эргэн ирэлт хийж, тоглолтын сүүлийн 15 минутад гурван гоол оруулан 3:2-оор хожлоо. Лионель Мессигийн тоглолт олны анхаарлыг татаж буй ч Египетийн хөгжөөн дэмжигчид шүүгчийн шийдвэрт сэтгэл дундуур байгаагаа илэрхийлсээр байна. Аргентин ирэх шатанд Колумбийг торгуулийн цохилтоор буулган авсан Швейцартай тулна.
Тэмцээнийг зохион байгуулагч АНУ-ын шигшээ баг Бельгид 4:1-ээр хожигдож, тэмцээнийг орхилоо. Талбайн эздийн үзүүлсэн тоглолт мэргэжилтнүүдийн шүүмжлэлд өртөж, багийн ирээдүйн талаарх хэлэлцүүлэг өрнөж байна. Ялангуяа Фоларин Балогуны улаан хуудас болон үүнтэй холбоотой маргаантай шийдвэрүүд олон улсын хэмжээнд ихээхэн шүүмжлэл дагууллаа.
АНУ-ын багийн тоглолтын хэв маяг, авьяаслаг тоглогчид өмнөхөөсөө ахиц дэвшил гаргасан ч дэлхийн шилдэг багуудтай өрсөлдөхөд хангалтгүй байв. Тэмцээнийг зохион байгуулагчдын хувьд энэ удаагийн амжилтгүй тоглолт нь тус улсын хөлбөмбөгийн хөгжлийн асуудлыг ил болголоо. Одоогийн байдлаар тэмцээнд үлдсэн багуудын өрсөлдөөн үргэлжилж байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
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Good morning! Enjoy a miracle today. Inside:
Last Words: A World Cup moment to reflect
Today marks the first day without a World Cup game since June 11, when the tournament began. I don’t really know what to do with myself, but we shall persist … until tomorrow.
Yesterday’s results — along with a final say about the USMNT’s ugly exit and future — warrant plenty of conversation. Let’s start with what actually happened:
- Argentina advanced via a miracle comeback over Egypt, winning 3-2 and scoring all three goals in the final 15 minutes of the match. Supporters will say Lionel Messi’s left foot is kissed by God, while Egyptian fans will rue some iffy VAR calls for years to come. Either way, Argentina advances to the final eight.
- Messi and company will play Switzerland, which survived a nervy 0-0 tie through extra time and won in a shootout over Colombia. Argentina will be favored in that matchup, but don’t forget that the reigning Cup winner has been on the ropes in two straight matches. This Switzerland team has guts, too.
Jamie Squire / Getty Images
As for the latest departed host country, bitterness still roiled a day later over the Americans’ poor showing in a 4-1 loss to Belgium. Interest had soared; over 40 million people watched the game here. The lingering emotions are sensitive and inhabit a wide spectrum:
- There is despair/resignation. For all the strides this U.S. team made, the ending was same old USMNT stuff. Our columnist Candace Buckner wrote this morning about why the United States will never win a men’s World Cup. Maybe I’m naive, but I’m not sure I agree. You can read her argument here.
- There is resentment on a grander scale. The entire Folarin Balogun red-card saga made an inspiring story — America’s possible ascent into the soccer elite — into one of villainy, at least to the rest of the world, who saw a punishment overturned after the host country’s president made a call to FIFA. Jerry Brewer wrote a great column explaining the nuance of that.
- There is also quiet hope. Whatever fanciful dreams any American had of winning the World Cup on home soil this year were misguided at best. But despite the exit, there was real progress in the talent and style of play this American team exhibited, though it was clearly not enough to compete with actual soccer powers. The problems have been laid bare. Will anyone do anything about them? Paul Tenorio has a brutal assessment of things, along with a path forward.
We’ll focus on the teams still in the tournament tomorrow. Onward:
News to Know
Adam Davy / PA Images via Getty Images
Gauff glides on grass, again
Coco Gauff is apparently done with her grass tennis allergy after beating No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula in three sets yesterday, advancing to the semifinals at Wimbledon, where she had never gone past the fourth round before this year. She won yesterday by playing “anti-grass,” as Matthew Futterman wrote.
- Also in London: Novak Djokovic is into the men’s semifinals after a five-set epic win against Félix Auger-Aliassime. Waiting for him is world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
A 6-team trade
NBA stalwart Khris Middleton is heading back to the Washington Wizards as part of a six-team trade that is frankly difficult to track. Middleton will sign an extension with the suddenly interesting Wizards, while D’Angelo Russell goes to Memphis in the deal, Caris LeVert lands in Milwaukee and John Collins ends up in Detroit. The full details are here.
IOC reinstates Russia
The International Olympic Committee provisionally ended its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee yesterday, which means Russian athletes will be able to participate in the 2028 Olympics and beyond under their flag. The suspension came about in 2023 after Russia invaded Ukraine. See more on the implications here.
More news:
- Former Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who died by suicide last November, was diagnosed with CTE posthumously. Read our full story.
- CB Bucknor is among seven MLB umpires set to retire at the end of this season. See our full report.
- Twins star Byron Buxton landed on the IL with a hip strain and will miss the All-Star Game.
- Meanwhile, Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin will miss eight to 10 weeks with an injury to his left ring finger. Tough.
Mess: Drama continues to shroud WNBA
Griffin Quinn / Getty Images
There are so many compelling on-court things to talk about this WNBA season. Minnesota, for one, having the best record in the league (tied with Las Vegas) despite missing its best player. Or Atlanta’s resurgence as a power player, despite a recent skid. And then there are the Aces and Liberty, always elite.
Yet, days like yesterday are defined by the league’s off-court drama. Two buzzy stories:
- Las Vegas waived guard Chennedy Carter, further spotlighting the strange career Carter has experienced. Her talent is undeniable — she’s averaged 14 points per game across five seasons — but every stop has led to an unfriendly departure. The 27-year-old was great for the Aces earlier this season before complaining about her role on social media. Catch up with the full saga here.
- In Chicago, veteran Skylar Diggins also aired grievances on social media after being demoted to the bench for the first time in 10 years. This comes months after the Sky traded away franchise cornerstone Angel Reese. It doesn’t help that the team is 7-14. Read more on Diggins.
Let’s keep moving:
Watch Guide
📺 Tennis: Wimbledon
8 a.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN2
Two women’s quarterfinal matchups early this morning: Linda Nosková-Elise Mertens and Marta Kostyuk-Jasmine Paolini.
📺 MLB: Phillies at Reds
7:10 p.m. ET on ESPN
We have two primetime baseball games tonight, and I chose the game featuring the highest-ranked team on our latest Power Rankings (Phillies, seventh). We’re in the final full week before the All-Star break. Get some baseball in your life on a rare World Cup off day.
📺 WNBA: Fever at Sparks
10 p.m. ET on USA Network and CNBC
Indiana is on a roll, while Los Angeles has failed to capture any momentum the last couple of weeks, losing three straight.
Pulse Picks
The MLB Draft is this weekend, which means it’s probably a good time to check out Keith Law’s latest mock draft, posted this week. See the picks. We will have plenty of draft stuff this weekend, too, but for now, check out our primer as to what’s different this year.
As we creep toward the end of the month, MLB teams get more frantic about the upcoming trade deadline. Are we buying? Selling? Doing nothing? See our latest Urgency Index to find out how your team is feeling.
Wait, why are LIV golfers popping up at the Scottish Open — a PGA Tour event — this week? Brody Miller explained the nuances.
Roster rebuilds in the transfer portal era are nothing new. But at Oklahoma State, new football coach Eric Morris is nearly starting over from scratch: 140 scheduled visits, 87 new players … and one star QB. Go inside the rebuild.
Necessary reading: The NFL stories you missed this offseason.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story on the 10-second disaster that was Belgium’s third goal against the U.S.
Most-read on the website yesterday: World Cup quarterfinal bracket predictions.
