New USMNT roster a head-scratcher: Is Pochettino wasting a chance for World Cup prep? The USMNT only has four more camps before the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins, but coach Mauricio Pochettino's latest roster feels like a wasted opportunity.

One more time! Pochettino's roster for the Sept. window contained some head-scratchers. He says it's the last chance to look at new players b4 the WC. But w/time in short supply, he may be squandering one of the last opportunities to develop chemistry w/top players.

www.espn.com/soccer/story...

And they play a season opener vs Ohio Valley Community Christian College (not a member of NJCAA)
ohiovalleycc.com
ohiovalleycc.com/our-universi...
OVCCC's website gives off serious Bishop Sycamore vibes

2025-26 Hocking College Football Schedule 2025-26 Hocking College Football Schedule

Check out their schedule
3 home-and-home series vs other NJCAA Independents, including 4-time NJCAA DIII Champ DuPage
2 home games vs local post-graduate teams (Howard, Lead Prep)
2 away games at SUNY Community Colleges (Hudson Valley, Nassau)
athletics.hocking.edu/sports/fball...

Mixed Emotions Tensions between doubles specialists and singles stars will be settled on court at the U.S. Open's mixed doubles revamp, with Andrea Vavassori flying the flag.

In short, the doubles team of the Jensen Brothers or Bryan Brothers are long retired
Singles players like Gauff and Pegula are concentrating on singles and only playing doubles at the Olympics
Full column here www.benrothenberg.com/p/us-open-mi...

Thought ‪@benrothenberg.bsky.social‬ column nailed the reason it works
"Many successful singles players feel, increasingly, like the doubles specialists are freeloaders on their coattails, taking up half the space at tournaments and 20% of the prize purses while contributing little commercial value"

If the USTA had given the U18 wildcards instead to pros Aidan Mayo, Alex Rybakov, Govind Nanda (the highest US-ranked men's players not given a wildcard) a first-round win would have equaled more money than they made this year on the ATP Tour

USTA was too heavy on the U18 wildcards
The U18 players went a combined 0-8 in Round 1 of qualifying
Professional (most who played in college) and college players went 8-2 with only two losses Stoiana (guaranteed a WC as college playoff loser) and Zink's 3-set loss where he had 6 match points

I'm just tagging @sickoscommittee.org because I have a strong feeling they might enjoy the read and the fact that the Minigolf World Championships are this week in Germany, and the sport of Cycle-Ball

4 Year Wait Until the Next World Games 10 Sports like Cycle-ball and Minigolf that might be added to the World Games in 2029

4 Year Wait Until the Next World Games...
Here is the Way Too Early 2029 World Games post looking at what sports could be added

teamusatracker.substack.com/p/4-year-wai...

Is DJ Bennett healthy? Bummer as NCAA runner-up, they didn't give Bennett a wildcard

I'm pretty bummed it doesn't include college sports, too. You could be higher. Northwestern likely breaks the algorithm, as how do you quantify an 8-time national champs in women's lacrosse vs. 3 NCAA tournament apps and zero Sweet 16 apps in MBB and 2 Rose Bowl appearances in 130+ years of football

Freediving and Boxing...Also, the safety intervention DQ is pretty standard and likely will be used by College Football Coaches as a reason why CFB should follow suit and DQ defensive players who fake injuries

USA brought home the most medals in 1997 (46)
-21 medals were in events not being held at 2025 World Games (skydiving, artistic roller skating, casting, bowling, bodybuilding, and waterskiing)
-22 medals were in inline speed skating track events incl. four from Olympic gold medalist Chad Hedrick

If the U.S. ends up winning 31+ medals, it would be the best result for the United States at a non-U.S. hosted World Games since 1997
As a host country in 2022, the U.S. had two advantages: automatic spots in most events and lower travel expenses for self-funded athletes

Team USA's best chances at additional gold medals: Women's Flag Football, Mixed Team Ultimate, Cheerleading, Women's Softball, Sport Climbing, Racquetball, and Powerlifting
Also, two-time world medalist Audrey Johnson could make podium in parkour

Midway through the World Games...
Team USA has 12 medals (6 gold, 5 silver, 1 bronze)
I have Americans projected to win another 19 medals (7 gold, 9 silver, 3 bronze) for 31 total medals.
Would be remarkable since Team USA did not compete in over 70% of the events at the World Games

Jordan Chiles medal saga: Olympic gymnastics bronze still in limbo a year later Here's where things stand with Jordan Chiles' bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and her ongoing legal fight, one year later.

It’s now been a year since the International Olympic Committee stripped Jordan Chiles of her bronze medal following the seriously screwed up decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
@tomschad.bsky.social and I break down where things stand.

Darwin Blanch is the 2025 Kalamazoo 18s National Champion. He defeats Jack Satterfield 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Blanch is just the second player to win both the 16s and 18s titles here this century(Patrick Kypson)
#NatsZoo25

Iva Destruction

Still playing under age restrictions as a 17yo, Cincinnati is Iva Jovic's first event since qualifying at Wimbledon.

And, after getting in as a lucky loser, Jovic scores the biggest win of her career with a blistering 6-3, 6-0 win over world #23 Linda Noskova.

No surprise, but Paul Juda just confirmed he’s retiring.
“The decision was easy. … Sometimes you’ve got to know when to walk away, and I’m happy doing that today.”
In the last year, Juda helped the U.S. men win a rare Olympic medal and Michigan win an NCAA title.

Team USA's preview for the 2025 World Games Where you can Watch and Team USA's 🥇 Chances

Team USA preview for the 2025 World Games
open.substack.com/pub/teamusat...

QF see #2 seed and #4 seed to break up any form semifinals...Blanch vs Kennedy seems like it might determine the US Open berth

Per USA Swimming
Gretchen Walsh will not be swimming the 100m freestyle and Josh Matheny will not be swimming the 200m breaststroke today.
4 U.S. swimmers have now pulled out of individual events at the World Championships

No Americans qualify for the men's 100m backstroke semifinals #singapore2025
#18 Tommy Janton (53.87)
#44 Jack Aikins (56.54)
It is the first time in World Championships history that the U.S. will not have a swimmer make the men's 100m backstroke final

USA Swimming suffering from a stomach bug/gastrointestinal problems that has plagued swimmers from their camp in Phuket. Three swimmers DNS or replaced in three different events (Huske, Weinstein, Walsh)

First day of Swimming Worlds
Team USA wins 🥈🥉🥉
4x100m freestyle relay team has not won 🥇at Worlds or Olympics without Caeleb Dressel since 2009
Women’s 4x100m relay competes without Gretchen Walsh who was a late medical scratch

James Lichtenstein wins High Diving Gold on his final dive!!!
Team USA's first 🥇 in Singapore
LA28 should have added High Diving since Team USA's last four gold medals at the Diving World Championships have all been in the sport of high diving

18 year old Maya Kelly wins Team USA's first medal of the World Aquatics Championships in Women's High Diving
Kelly is committed to diving at St. Thomas (MN) next year
www.instagram.com/p/DMegI4vv_m...

Kiefer now has 8 World Championship medals (2🥇2🥈4🥉) to go along with her 3 Olympic gold medals 🥇🥇🥇 from Tokyo and Paris, with the team event still to come later at the World Championships