U.S. Men's National Team Training Base (IRVINE, Calif.) The last time the U.S. mens national team faced Paraguay, things got spicy. American defender Alex Freeman and Paraguay captain Diego Gmez set off a scuffle that cleared the benches in stoppage time during a friendly last November. After a ball rolled out of bounds, both players raced to retrieve it. Possession belonged to the United States, but Gmez challenged Freeman, which is when both teams went at it for several tense minutes. In the end, Paraguays Omar Alderete was shown a red card while U.S. midfielder Christian Roldan was given a yellow. This time around, when the two nations face off in their World Cup opener on Friday at Los Angeles Stadium, cooler heads must prevail. And the 21-year-old Freeman, who will likely be making his World Cup debut as the youngest player on this U.S. roster, knows it. "We matched the intensity versus Paraguay in the last match, and now its, how can we be protagonists and strike first in this game as well?" Freeman said ahead of the teams final training session Thursday morning. "How can we do that and be able to keep our heads on a swivel as well? "In these games, heads can go loose and you kind of get out of your head spaces and get stupid yellow or red cards. And I think thats what we want to avoid. How can we keep the intensity, but how can we keep our head down?" That moment cemented Freemans status in the team, and he backed it up three days later by scoring a brace against Uruguay. Since making his senior debut against Trkiye on June 7, 2025, Freeman has become a fixture in the lineup, starting 12 of his 17 total appearances, including each of the last three matches. And if last weeks sendoff match vs. Germany was any indication which it probably is he will start for the U.S. at the World Cup. "Hes a beast," Christian Pulisic told a group of reporters pitchside before he got warmed up for practice. "Hes really impressed me, especially in these first two games here in this camp [against Senegal and Germany]. I think hes done such a good job, just his overall presence and what he brings. Not even just his physicality and athleticism, but hes made some good forward progression with the ball and played good balls in behind and I feel like he seems a lot calmer. "And I like what Ive seen." Freeman admitted that hell have some pre-tournament jitters. But he wants to make them work in his favor. "How can I take those nerves and make it impact the way I play?" said Freeman, who joined La Liga side Villarreal from MLS club Orlando City earlier this year. "If you dont have nerves, I feel like youre not going to enjoy the moment to the fullest. For me, I want to put those nerves aside and just have the confidence to be able to play my game." Freemans family is no stranger to major events and massive moments, though. His father, Antonio, is a Super Bowl champion wide receiver and Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer. Hell be at Fridays match and the younger Freeman already knows what his dad will tell him ahead of kickoff. "Its knowing that youve gotten to this point, having confidence in yourself, betting on yourself and now, its a big opportunity to better yourself again," Freeman said. "Now, what can you do with the chance, with the opportunity, to make an impact?" Freeman said his family is already in town, and he plans to hang with them on Thursday night to get his mind right for Friday. "My mom and dad and all my family are coming so I can hopefully spend a little time with them and thank them for everything," Freeman said. "To have that calm moment with my family to prepare me for the game knowing that it's gonna be a lot of pressure [is important]. Theyre the kind of people who can calm the moment down and make it feel like everything is easy."

The Mexican attacker missed nine months with a horrible injury in 2020, and on Thursday, he scored his first World Cup goal

FOXBOROUGH, MA - JUNE 02: Chad Muma #49 of the New England Patriots walks on to the field during New England Patriots OTA on June 2, 2026, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Summer Lamont/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesFor one final time this spring, the New England Patriots took the lower practice fields behind Gillette Stadium on Thursday. The third and final session of this years mandatory minicamp was a 180-degree turn from Wednesdays: while that took place at a walkthrough pace, the team increased both its intensity and competition significantly to close out its offseason program.For a comprehensive recap of the practice, please head over to our Patriots minicamp notebook. Here is who caught our eye, for better or worse.Standout of the dayWR A.J. Brown: The Patriots high-profile trade acquisition finished the day with two touchdowns among three total receptions from Drake Maye, including an impressive grab in the back corner of the end zone that very much can be seen as the play of the day. Maye showed some tremendous anticipation and trust in his newest weapon, letting the ball go before Brown had even turned and despite him being tightly covered by Craig Woodson.It mattered not, because the veteran receiver turned just in time and high-pointed the ball for the score. It was another promising display of the two developing some nice early chemistry.CORNER TUD @newbalance | #NEPatspic.twitter.com/8ctP8bXpRE New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 11, 2026Great ball. Back. shoulder. I just kind of turned my head, Brown later recalled about the play. My background, playing baseball in center field, turned over the shoulder, looking over the shoulder. Thats a tough catch.Other performances of noteBackup QBs: While Drake Maye had another efficient day at the office, his backups did not enjoy the same success. Tommy DeVito and Behren Morton both struggled with accuracy late during the session, and between them ended minicamp with seven straight incompletions: DeVitos final four passes all hit the turf, as did Mortons last three. Obviously, mistakes like those are a key part of spring practices, but you nonetheless would still like to see the two head into summer break on a higher note.Second-year WRs: A.J. Brown stole the show, but he was not the only wide receiver standing out in a positive fashion on Thursday. Second-year wideouts Kyle Williams and Efton Chism also caught the eye, primarily because they saw some reps with Drake Maye and the first-string offense. Neither registering any receptions from the starting QB in competitive drills, but they did both find the end zone on passes from Tommy DeVito something that was also true for fellow sophomore Jeremiah Webb.TE Eli Raridon: With Jack Westover absent for undisclosed reasons, the Patriots third-round draft pick saw an increased workload and some more time with Drake Maye and the top offense. He did catch one quarterback, but also saw an incompletion come his way that led to a quick huddle with Maye. Still, the reps are valuable and Raridon saw a lot of them on Thursday.ED Bradyn Swinson: The Patriots originally were scheduled to practice until around 2:50 p.m. ET, but they decided to call the session early after a collision involving Drake Maye. The Pro Bowl quarterback got tangled up with second-year pass rusher Bradyn Swinson, an incident that left both players on the ground before popping back up without any visible damage done. Still, contact is a no-no in the offseason especially involving the starting QB. There was no ill intent, but Swinson still needs to err on the side of caution a bit more than that.LB Chad Muma: With Robert Spillane a limited participant to close out the spring, the Patriots redistributed his starter-level reps at the off-ball linebacker position. The primary benefactor of that was Chad Muma, the 2025 in-season addition who mostly played special teams for New England last year. At least on Thursday, he was heavily involved on defense as well: Muma wore the green dot on his helmet as the units on-field signal caller and also registered a pass breakup. An active day for a player seemingly on the roster bubble.CB Kindle Vildor: Christian Gonzalez again did not participate in competitive team drills, which in turn opened the door for free agency signing Kindle Vildor to yet again see quality reps with the starting defense. Vildor performed well, providing tight coverage on an incomplete fade intended for Mack Hollins. He did give up the last touchdown to A.J. Brown, but overall was competitive.And with that concludes the Patriots mandatory minicamp and offseason workout program as a whole. The team will now head off to a multi-week summer break before reconvening at Gillette Stadium in late July for the start of training camp.

The Broncos have signed coach Sean Payton to a new five-year contract that will run through the 2030 season.

New York police said on Thursday that 56 people were taken into custody as unrest broke out during game four of the NBA Finals, which saw the Knicks snatch a stunning comeback against the San Antonio Spurs.

In her time of grief following the loss of her husband and NASCAR legend Kyle Busch, Samantha Busch is taking the time to thank the first responders who helped her family.

It looks from afar more UFO than UFC.Maybe it's the kind of contraption that has carried space aliens to the White House to force a meeting with America's leader.But come closer and you'll see the contours of the eight-sided cage, 30 feet (9 meters) in diameter and shaped, with careful precision, like the MMA league's signature Octagon. That is, a STOP! sign flipped on its edge, with wire-mesh sides and padded corners fitted with different sponsors' logos: Morgan & Morgan, Bud Light, Dodge Ram, Corona Extra and Polymarket, which identifies itself as the worlds largest prediction market.Overhead looms The Claw, a four-sided mass that arcs more than 90 feet (27 meters) into the air and features lights, speakers, thick snakes of wiring and four large screens so fans not seated right next to the Octagon can follow the cage fighting below. Think more of the four-sided, metal grabby thing that tries to grasp stuffed animals at a video arcade rather than what house cats have hence the extraterrestrial vibes. And surrounding all that are risers filled with gray folding chairs forming a temporary arena expected to seat 4,000-plus people for the seven UFC fights being staged on Sunday to celebrate the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independences signing.Quite attractive to a lot of people For non-UFC fans, all of this might be disorienting under any circumstances. But the temporary arena is covering nearly the entirety of the White House's South Lawn, where Marine One usually lands to ferry the president to out-of-town trips and gobs of kids scramble in the grass during the Easter Egg Roll every spring.More than $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been poured into building the arena, according to a court filing from the National Park Service, which oversees the South Lawn and is contesting a lawsuit meant to block the event. The White House says the UFC is covering the costs, though the filing states that seven agencies including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration have allocated significant resources and manpower.Fighters, their entourages and assorted support staffers are expected to take over the driveway and part of the West Wing when they're not fighting. But they'll enter the arena via curtained-off walkways with access to the Octagon. They, as well as ordinary attendees of Sunday's spectacle, will have picturesque views of the White House's Executive Residence and its storied Truman Balcony on one side and the Washington Monument towering in the distance on the other. All of it will be accentuated by swirling spotlights, and perhaps even sweat and blood pouring off the fighters pummeling each other. A packed pre-event schedule includes a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial with UFC chief Dana White and the fighters on Friday night. There's also a ceremonial weigh-in for combatants on Saturday at the Ellipse, a park near the White House where organizers expect 120,000-plus visitors to watch Sunday night's proceedings on large screens after winning free tickets in a lottery. Stunt athlete Travis Pastrana is also set to do a potentially death-defying backflip on a dirt bike on the White House lawn as part of the preshow extravaganza. Trump has called the Octagon and its Claw quite attractive to a lot of people. He's even suggested that maybe the temporary structure could become permanent, like the Eiffel Tower, which he notes was originally built as part of the 1889 World's Fair but then was never taken back down.Only the president knows how serious that suggestion really is. The fights will go on rain or shine despite a lack of covering Work on the arena began May 20 and has continued for weeks. During a walk-through for reporters on Thursday, construction noises particularly sanding and hammering could be heard. Giant cranes were carrying materials around overhead, though that was for the $400 million ballroom that Trump is building nearby, not the UFC fight. The remaining grassy lawn around the arena, on the other sides of the White House, has been fitted with supplemental spotlights. But the grass that normally grows between the White House and the start of the risers for the arena is now gone, with nothing but dusty dirt that will need to be resodded when this is all over unless the president really does decide to leave the arena up permanently.There's also a large Freedom 250 logo standing between the White House and the arena. Nearby, crews removed the tables and yellow patio umbrellas from Trumps refurbished Rose Garden and were power-washing that space, as well as the colonnade to the Oval Office, in preparation for the fights. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a cooperation agreement with UFC that will pair the two to provide fight training and health and diet regimens, while promoting teamwork and leadership among youth around the world.We are so polarized, Rubio said. There are only a handful of things that bring people together in one place at one time, united by their interest in one thing. We need more of those.Later Thursday, crews began testing the sound system, unleashing a deep rumbling and sometimes unsettling bass notes throughout the West Wing. During a subsequent Oval Office event, the music from the lawn was loud enough that the 1970s hit "Boys are Back in Town rollicked in the background as Trump spoke. Sunday's event starts at 8 p.m. ET. As darkness falls, crews will illuminate The Claw in red, white and blue, and the mass of lights will offer projections that make it seem as though the entire structure has been enveloped in a twirling stars and stripes pattern.The weather forecast calls for hot and muggy conditions with thunderstorms possible. The underside of The Claw's tower features an overhead cover that should keep the fighters reasonably dry should it rain and Trump is also likely to watch from a protected, covered area. But everyone else would almost certainly get wet. White has vowed that even heavy lightning when The Claw might make a conspicuous target for bolts wouldn't stop the show. I dont care if it snows," White said.

It looks from afar more UFO than UFC.Maybe it's the kind of contraption that has carried space aliens to the White House to force a meeting with America's leader.But come closer and you'll see the contours of the eight-sided cage, 30 feet (9 meters) in diameter and shaped, with careful precision, like the MMA league's signature Octagon. That is, a STOP! sign flipped on its edge, with wire-mesh sides and padded corners fitted with different sponsors' logos: Morgan & Morgan, Bud Light, Dodge Ram, Corona Extra and Polymarket, which identifies itself as the worlds largest prediction market.Overhead looms The Claw, a four-sided mass that arcs more than 90 feet (27 meters) into the air and features lights, speakers, thick snakes of wiring and four large screens so fans not seated right next to the Octagon can follow the cage fighting below. Think more of the four-sided, metal grabby thing that tries to grasp stuffed animals at a video arcade rather than what house cats have hence the extraterrestrial vibes. And surrounding all that are risers filled with gray folding chairs forming a temporary arena expected to seat 4,000-plus people for the seven UFC fights being staged on Sunday to celebrate the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independences signing.Quite attractive to a lot of people For non-UFC fans, all of this might be disorienting under any circumstances. But the temporary arena is covering nearly the entirety of the White House's South Lawn, where Marine One usually lands to ferry the president to out-of-town trips and gobs of kids scramble in the grass during the Easter Egg Roll every spring.More than $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been poured into building the arena, according to a court filing from the National Park Service, which oversees the South Lawn and is contesting a lawsuit meant to block the event. The White House says the UFC is covering the costs, though the filing states that seven agencies including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration have allocated significant resources and manpower.Fighters, their entourages and assorted support staffers are expected to take over the driveway and part of the West Wing when they're not fighting. But they'll enter the arena via curtained-off walkways with access to the Octagon. They, as well as ordinary attendees of Sunday's spectacle, will have picturesque views of the White House's Executive Residence and its storied Truman Balcony on one side and the Washington Monument towering in the distance on the other. All of it will be accentuated by swirling spotlights, and perhaps even sweat and blood pouring off the fighters pummeling each other. A packed pre-event schedule includes a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial with UFC chief Dana White and the fighters on Friday night. There's also a ceremonial weigh-in for combatants on Saturday at the Ellipse, a park near the White House where organizers expect 120,000-plus visitors to watch Sunday night's proceedings on large screens after winning free tickets in a lottery. Stunt athlete Travis Pastrana is also set to do a potentially death-defying backflip on a dirt bike on the White House lawn as part of the preshow extravaganza. Trump has called the Octagon and its Claw quite attractive to a lot of people. He's even suggested that maybe the temporary structure could become permanent, like the Eiffel Tower, which he notes was originally built as part of the 1889 World's Fair but then was never taken back down.Only the president knows how serious that suggestion really is. The fights will go on rain or shine despite a lack of covering Work on the arena began May 20 and has continued for weeks. During a walk-through for reporters on Thursday, construction noises particularly sanding and hammering could be heard. Giant cranes were carrying materials around overhead, though that was for the $400 million ballroom that Trump is building nearby, not the UFC fight. The remaining grassy lawn around the arena, on the other sides of the White House, has been fitted with supplemental spotlights. But the grass that normally grows between the White House and the start of the risers for the arena is now gone, with nothing but dusty dirt that will need to be resodded when this is all over unless the president really does decide to leave the arena up permanently.There's also a large Freedom 250 logo standing between the White House and the arena. Nearby, crews removed the tables and yellow patio umbrellas from Trumps refurbished Rose Garden and were power-washing that space, as well as the colonnade to the Oval Office, in preparation for the fights. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a cooperation agreement with UFC that will pair the two to provide fight training and health and diet regimens, while promoting teamwork and leadership among youth around the world.We are so polarized, Rubio said. There are only a handful of things that bring people together in one place at one time, united by their interest in one thing. We need more of those.Later Thursday, crews began testing the sound system, unleashing a deep rumbling and sometimes unsettling bass notes throughout the West Wing. During a subsequent Oval Office event, the music from the lawn was loud enough that the 1970s hit "Boys are Back in Town rollicked in the background as Trump spoke. Sunday's event starts at 8 p.m. ET. As darkness falls, crews will illuminate The Claw in red, white and blue, and the mass of lights will offer projections that make it seem as though the entire structure has been enveloped in a twirling stars and stripes pattern.The weather forecast calls for hot and muggy conditions with thunderstorms possible. The underside of The Claw's tower features an overhead cover that should keep the fighters reasonably dry should it rain and Trump is also likely to watch from a protected, covered area. But everyone else would almost certainly get wet. White has vowed that even heavy lightning when The Claw might make a conspicuous target for bolts wouldn't stop the show. I dont care if it snows," White said.