Graham Potters flexible Swedish attack faces a major test against Sabri Lamouchis lock-down Tunisian defense in an intriguing Group F opener

WASHINGTON, D.C. As far as historic moments at the Lincoln Memorial go, Josh Hokits attempts to keep The Hulk at bay will fall just short of heroic, and its doubtful his suggestion that Alex Pereira chews up Ilia Topurias food for him carries the same longterm gravity as Martin Luther Kings famous I Had a Dream speech.Other than that, nothing was all that demeaning Thursday night in the nations capital beyond the UFCs general presence at the sacred shrine, as the fighters were on their best behavior in the marmoreal world of monuments. These are perhaps small consolations in a week being walked on the ultimate trapeze wire, where the idea at this point is for the UFC to escape in one piece.UFC Freedom 250s final press conference was postponed by an hour (and change), as the sky turned the color of a week-old bruise. If the President of the United States was cool with the intrusion, Zeus was having his say. There was lightning and squallish fits of rain and holds on the double-decker buses at the JW Marriott that were transporting media to the Memorial. The thousands of fans, standing in front of the reflecting pool and seeing their rippling frames in UFC Freedom 250 gear, were urged to take shelter at one point.UFC took over the Lincoln Memorial for Thursday's UFC Freedom 250 pre-fight press conference.Al Drago via Getty ImagesSome of them never budged, as the smell of marijuana tickled Lincolns nostrils. By now even he knows the official herbal incense of Washington.Even though he was standing front and center in what was undoubtedly one of the greatest, most surreal moments of his life, a fatigued Dana White turned red at the very mention of Sundays weather forecast. There is a slight chance of rain. A slight chance of lightning. A slight chance of Things Beyond His Control, and so, as a mighty figure standing in defiance of such meteorological witchcraft, he made the only declaration he could.We are fighting Sunday night on the White House lawn no matter what!Tears. Joy. Jubilance. See, the thing is, these colors dont run, even when rinsed with rain.I saw media members, perhaps of dubious credential, Euro-step out of the press holding to record the fans reactions behind them on their phones.No, it didnt have the exact same ring, but it kicked up just as many goosebumps as when Barack Obama gave his We Are One speech on the same steps some 17 years ago.What gives me that hope is what I see when I look out across this mall, Obama said. For in these monuments are chiseled those unlikely stories that affirm our unyielding faith a faith that anything is possible in America!Dana is proof.And what Dana said, perhaps more grandiloquently than he imagined, was: I dont care if it rains, snows, whatever happens, we have a fight on Sunday, so Im sick and tired of hearing about the weather now and all the other bulls*** surrounding this event.Dana White remains defiant in the face of potentially bad weather for Sunday.Al Drago via Getty ImagesIn other words, a rain slicker is recommended Sunday, as it can serve to protect against low-velocity blood spatter, too. Because the neat thing about this White House card is that all 14 of the fighters are getting some shine, even if the sun isnt always cooperating. Even Kyle Daukaus, the most random goodfellow on the docket, got a pop when somebody asked him a question. Dont be fooled by the Eagles rivalry with the Commanders, Washingtons proximity to Philly is paved with brotherly love.Daukaus, just as with all the principals on UFC Freedom 250s card, has a chance to cash in big come Sunday. As a way of inviting action to the party on the South Lawn, the bonuses will be four times the normal amount this weekend. The best performers will take home $400,000 to $425,000 in cash, which is an enviable amount of kibble for all those fighters left off the card.If a fighter wins both a Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonus, his check will read $825,000, which is super close to a cool milly.I asked Mauricio Ruffy, a believer in divine providence, what it was like to be among these select contestants and he had me peeling back a profound set of bromides like so many bananas.I believe that everything can happen, he said through a translator. I didn't imagine to fight in the White House and look where I am right now fighting at the White House against Michael Chandler. So yes, I believe that if I win this fight, I can fight for the title. You have seen that Im showman. Im training so hard. Im focused.Chandler, it might be said, looked cool up there on the dais. He had on sunglasses and his hair was perfect. There has been a lot of talk about him being a little long in the tooth, about the last time he won a fight occurring in 2022 against a shot Tony Ferguson, about the UFC feeding him to a young lion in the gladiatorial way.Im not disputing any of it. Thats just what theyre saying. I thought it should be mentioned is all.It was a beautiful thing to see, though. The lights were perfect. The military band playing to kick off the ceremony conveyed the patriotic feelings this event has been going for. The stage was magnificent, too. Who couldve imagined seeing UFC fighters standing before those sacred pillars, belonging after so many years of persecution to the nations fabric in such a way?For any of us whove been to the smaller shows, the ones held at Foxwoods or in Bangor, Maine just for the hell of it, it was a scene alright. Back in 1939, after being barred from performing at Constitution Hall, Marian Anderson put on a defiant concert on those same steps in dashing furs. American history has been told on those steps, and I mean, this is why its so surreal theres the UFC was up there sharing a stage.Fans attend the press conference for UFC Freedom 250 at the Lincoln Memorial.Anadolu via Getty ImagesEven Hokit, who wore a camo floppy hat to the gala, couldnt ruin the effect. A long time ago, in nearby Georgetown, they called upon Father Marrin to come in an exorcize the demon from the young body of Regan MacNeil, all documented in the movie The Exorcist. Perhaps youve seen it. The director, the late William Friedkin, was a big fight fan, though his preferences tended toward boxing.Anyway, I wondered if even Father Merrin could speak to the Hulk that resides in Hokit as he mumbled into the conversation at every turn, talking about masticating food to be transferred from one fighters mouth to another. Every time he spoke, Dana looked like he was passing a kidney stone. And every time Dana swatted at a bug in those night lights, I wondered if it might be a locust.Not that is matters, because these fights are happening on Sunday come hell or high water, and you shouldve seen the fans celebrating what will soon be that historic fact.

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LOS ANGELES STADIUM How do you celebrate scoring twice in your World Cup debut and helping your team open the tournament with a 4-1 victory? "You know, watch some Netflix," USA striker Folarin Balogun joked after recording half the goals in the U.S. mens national teams rout over Paraguay on Friday. Balogun called it "a dreamy night," and he couldnt have described it better. Thats because the Americans hardly could have scripted a more perfect start to this home World Cup. Even Balogun, who had envisioned what this moment might feel like, said the real thing measured up. "Yeah," he said, flashing a smile. "It was pretty similar." There were 70,492 hopeful fans who battled Los Angeles traffic in order to support this squad. They were decked out in their patriotic best, had paid a premium to be there and maybe expected to witness a bit of history. While the team has always had a loyal following, this World Cup presents an opportunity to expand that base. The Americans tournament opener drew everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio and Katy Perry to Bill Gates and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And those in the stands, along with the millions watching from home, were rewarded with one of the most flat-out fun and entertaining U.S. performances in recent memory. "For everyone who says soccer is boring, well, you had five goals today," midfielder Weston McKennie, who had dyed part of his hair red, white and blue, told reporters after the game. "So hopefully they might not say that anymore, and theyll feel the electricity in the stadium and the passion by viewing the fans who have been with us for years and for decades. "One thing thats gonna change soccer is having the World Cup here, because I think a lot of people will be touched by the passion that a lot of fans have and the extent that they go through to be here." Whether you arrived as a diehard fan or not, the first 45 minutes sucked you in. The U.S. put on a show, scoring three goals before halftime matching its entire output from four matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In the seventh minute, Alex Freeman sparked the attack, McKennie made a dizzying cut away from a defender, and Christian Pulisic split two defenders near the box before slipping the ball back to McKennie. His attempted pass toward Balogun took a fortunate deflection off Paraguay defender Damian Bobadilla and rolled into the goal to give the U.S. an early 1-0 lead. The pro-American crowd erupted, overflowing with optimism and celebration as beer rained down from the upper deck. "It meant everything for us," Pulisic said of the visible and vocal fan support. "I mean, a half like that, to go as it did and to have the fans really excited about our performance, it felt amazing." Balogun added two more stellar goals before halftime one that was shot directly into the upper left corner. And then Gio Reyna, whose debut World Cup four years ago was marred by drama, scored a beautiful fourth and final goal for good measure with the outside of his right foot. For years, doubt has surrounded this team. Much of it has been self-inflicted, stemming from past underwhelming World Cup performances, disappointing results at other major tournaments and the perception that they were wasting their golden generation of talent. This summers tournament has been viewed as a chance to change the stigma. To further grow soccer in this country, ignite passion in fans, unite people. Ever since Mauricio Pochettino took over as manager in September 2024, hes repeatedly said, "Why not us?" That mantra has resonated with players and become part of the fabric of this team. It showed against Paraguay. This was the start the squad needed. The Americans were sharp, intense and relentlessly attack-minded for more than 90 minutes. "We have to believe," Balogun said. "You can't do anything if you don't believe in yourself." After the match, Pochettino hugged each of his players before leaving the pitch. He told them he was proud of the result, but more than that, of their performance. Now, the expectation will be to keep winning in style. The Americans continue Group D play against Australia in Seattle on June 19 before returning to L.A. to play Trkiye on June 25. "We can take a deep breath," Pulisic said of getting the first match out of the way. "But theres still so much we want to accomplish in this tournament."

The Socceros will face the side coached by Vincenzo Montella