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It’s always impressive when you see a player go an entire game without an incomplete pass attempt, but that’s not something a center back will necessarily strive to achieve. No center back is going to go out there with the idea of, “I want to improve my completion percentage.” That’s not the job of a defender over 90 minutes. A center back’s primary focus entering a game is, obviously, the defensive responsibilities. On the ball, you’re looking to make plays on the ball that are creating attacks. You’re also trying to be reliable and consistent so you can say at the end of the match, “I had a positive impact.” There’s definitely a fine balance between picking your moments and determining when you have an 80% chance of squeezing a pass through and creating a potential opportunity going forward. Chris Richards’ 83-for-83 passing mark was an opportunity provided to him by Paraguay in the teams’ 2026 World Cup opener. Chris’ defensive partner, Tim Ream, was 84-of-90 with his passing and had the most touches of any player on the pitch with 102. To put that number into perspective, the player with the most passes attempted in the USA midfield was Tyler Adams, who was 52-of-59. The USA’s opponent last Friday night wasn’t pressing very high up the field and was content to sit in a low block and defend. The U.S. was able to play the ball around its back line, feeding Alex Freeman on the right side of defense or Antonee Robinson a little further up the field on the left. A big key for us for creating numerical mismatches in wide positions, and it’s easier for the center backs to find guys in those positions than it is further up the field. Paraguay was always going to sit back and allow the USA to have the ball in spots on the field that aren’t immediately dangerous. It was the kind of game that definitely catered to Chris and Tim being able to keep a lot of possession. The last thing on your mind in a game like that is, “Oh, what am I going to do with the ball?” That’s because you’re always in control. What did surprise me is that Paraguay did not step up the pressure after the second USA goal, which was Flo Balogun’s first of the game. At that point, I expected more of a sense of urgency from Paraguay, but it remained content to sit back and defend – and paid for that mentality. It shows how reliable Richards is. His return was a boost to the American backline, and it’s clear how comfortable he is next to Ream. Chris is also playing different kinds of passes compared to Tim. The USA captain played a more progressive game because Robinson was further up the field on his side compared to Freeman on the right side next to Richards. Expect a different kind of game for the USA backline on Friday against Australia. While Australia will also be content to defend, the difference between the Socceroos and Paraguay is that they can hurt you even more in transition. Australia has more speed going forward. We saw winger Nestroy Irankunda put his speed and dribbling on display with his goal against Türkiye on Saturday night, which gave the Aussies a 1-0 lead. If he gets more people in one-on-one situations in the rest of the tournament, there will be more of that. Australia will play with five defenders and three in midfield who will sit pretty deep. A lot of the time when we have the ball, there will be eight or nine players behind the ball.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The name of the Cape Verde goalkeeper who shut out Spain is only one word, and it isn’t “Him,” although that might be more appropriate following his performance on Monday. Vozinha, whose real name is Josimar José Évora Dias, recorded seven saves in Cape Verde’s stunning 0-0 draw against Spain in Monday’s Group H opener. The 40-year-old had a string of leaping and diving saves late in the first half before making a few big stops late in the second half. As a result, Vozinha won man of the match. So, who is Vozinha, the star who gave Cape Verde a point in its World Cup debut? Here’s what to know about the Cape Verdean goalkeeper. While Vozinha isn’t his real name, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper said he got the name at a young age thanks to his grandparents. In an interview with FIFA, Vozinha said that his grandparents opted to call him Vozinha as he was raised by them and not his parents. Vozinha said that his father was serving in the military and his mother had to work. However, the name Vozinha wound up sticking for a different reason. When he moved to Angola to play for Progresso, Vozinha had a decision to make with his name. “When I arrived in Angola, there was another goalkeeper named Josimar and I said I am not going to put Josimar II on the shirt — if everyone knew me as Vozinha in Cape Verde, that’s what I would be,” Vozinha told FIFA. Vozinha was emotional when the final whistle blew in Monday’s match, appearing to hold back tears as he was embraced by his teammates. In a post-match interview with FOX Sports’ Alex Aljoe, Vozinha explained why he was emotional following the match. “I worked for all my life for this, for this moment, for this dream. A lot of generations in the past was dreaming with this. They did not shift,” Vozinha said. “Now, the dream come true. All of us are here because we worked a lot to be here. We deserved to be here today. A great game against Spain because it’s one of the best national teams in the world.” In terms of FIFA rankings, Cape Verde’s draw was the fourth-most surprising result in the history of the World Cup. Cape Verde entered the tournament ranked 67th and Spain entered the tournament ranked second. As for Vozinha, he became the third-oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in a men’s World Cup match, after Peter Shilton (40 years, 281 days) and Dino Zoff (40 years, 130 days), per FOX Sports Research. Vozinha is the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in his World Cup debut and just the second goalkeeper aged 40 or older to make at least seven saves in a World Cup match since 1966, per OPTA. Vozinha has already seen his social media following grow in a major way in the hours following Monday’s match. His followers on Instagram have gone from 50,000 to 2.2 million as of 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday. Vozinha had 90 international caps for Cape Verde prior to Monday’s match, beginning his senior international career in 2012. He recorded nine clean sheets for Cape Verde over the previous year before blanking Spain. He logged three clean sheets in five matches for Cape Verde in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Vozinha currently plays for Chaves in Liga Portugal 2, Portugal’s second division of soccer. He’s spent the bulk of his club career with Progresso (2012-15) and AEL Limassol (2017-22), though. Vozinha logged 116 caps during his time with AEL Limassol, a club in the Cypriot First Division.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

How do you describe what we saw in Atlanta? An inspiring performance? A powerhouse squad playing too one-dimensionally? Whichever way you want to call it, Cape Verde making its World Cup debut in the grandest of fashion by stalling mighty Spain will forever be remembered. Cape Verde, an archipelago nation off the coast of Africa and the third-smallest country ever to World Cup to qualify based on population, made history after earning a 0-0 result against Spain, a tournament favorite and European powerhouse. What an ending to the match, what a story. What a World Cup. Here are my takeaways: It was a heroic and relentless performance that will forever be remembered by Cape Verdeans (and soccer fans in general) everywhere around the world. For context, here are some numbers. Cape Verde is ranked 67th in FIFA World Rankings compared to second-ranked Spain – the ninth-largest gap ever in a World Cup fixture and a difference of 65 spots. What’s more, all 26 players of Cape Verde’s national team have a combined transfer value of approximately $63.1 million. Compare that to Spain’s teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, who made a second-half appearance, who has a reported value of $232.1 million. Or Spain’s midfielder Gavi at $174 million. The Blue Sharks delivered a fantastic, heroic performance, frustrating Spain’s possession and its 27 shots. Cape Verde did not allow the European side to get out of first gear throughout the match. But this is not a Cinderella story. Cape Verde is a team that plays without nerves. It committed its players to any presure from Spain and remained extremely well organized. Monday’s result is a testament to commitment and heart, and I am so insanely proud of this achievement … and I absolutely have no connection to the country. What’s more, the African side even had some chances to enter the final third. It wasn’t until the last five minutes that Spain truly threatened at goal. Which brings us to … In a tournament that includes several 40-year-old players across the field (Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, Edin Dzeko), we didn’t expect to be talking about a Cape Verde keeper who plays in the Portuguese second division. But Vozinha produced seven excellent saves to keep his clean sheet and give his team the result. He was playing the match of his life and would continue throughout. What a performance. He deserves all the flowers. The resilience continued in the second half as Spain remained thwarted by Cape Verde. That team felt like it wanted more and was determined to create history. It rallied around the keeper to help keep Spain’s attack at bay. Fresh from recovery after a hamstring injury, Yamal entered the pitch and the energy around the stadium — and on the pitch — immediately changed. His mere presence ignited a much-needed spark and every time he touched the ball on the right wing, the crowd erupted. Cape Verde, therefore, needed to put two and even three men on the young phenom from Barcelona because they knew the danger he possessed. But still, Cape Verde held strong. Let’s be very honest here. In the first half without Yamal or Williams, Spain was one dimensional, with the usual amount of possession (70%) but with nothing to show for it. Cape Verde, as said, needs to take a lot of the credit here but regardless, let’s also call it as it is: it was not good enough for a team who is favored as a team who can win it all. Something I always stress with teams like Spain is the fact that possession without intent is meaningless and that’s exactly what we saw in the first half and it shouldn’t take the introduction of Yamal to get the team going. And even when he came on, there was not enough aggression. I hope De la Fuente shows his team highlights from two years ago when Spain won the Euros, because that’s exactly what they need – to inject some direct energy going forward. Pretty patterns are just that: pretty. And when it comes to weapons, it can’t just fall to two players. For now, however — I am doing nothing else but saluting Cape Verde, its goalkeeper Vozinha and the manager, Bubista — who, as a former captain, knows too well the mountains his team had to climb to get here. This is what the World Cup is all about. It’s a tournament where heroes are born on the pitch. For Spain, La Roja stays in Atlanta with a Sunday matchup against Saudi Arabia, whilst Cape Verde travels to Miami to face Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay on the same day.  And with eight third-place teams from the 12 groups advancing to the World Cup knockout rounds, Cape Verde has added its name to the mix.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Bob Bradley woke up Monday morning and sent a text to Egypt national team superstar Mohamed Salah. He had two wishes for the player he once coached: Good luck in Egypt’s 2026 World Cup opener — and Happy Birthday. Salah — Egypt’s captain and arguably its best player ever — turned 34 years old the same day as his team’s match against Belgium in Seattle, kicking off what could be his last World Cup. And Bradley is rooting for him. “I haven’t gotten to see him in a while, and we always talk about how we’ve got to figure out a way to get together, but in the meantime, we stay in touch,” said Bradley, who previously coached the U.S. men’s national team, along with the Pharaohs, and is now a FOX Sports World Cup analyst. Expectations are high for Salah and Egypt, which aims to not only win its first World Cup match but also to advance to the knockout round of the tournament for the first time. With 67 goals and 116 appearances for Egypt ahead of the Belgium opener, the Liverpool legend also has the second-most men’s national team goals and is two away from tying current coach Hossam Hassan’s record of 69. On Salah’s birthday and ahead of the Pharaohs’ first 2026 World Cup match, we spoke with Bradley about his time coaching the Egyptian star and what makes him the beloved icon he is. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Mo Salah made his Egypt national team debut as a teenager about a month before you took over as manager in 2011. When you look back, what characteristics did you see that indicated what type of player he would grow into? Two things. First, from the very beginning in training, you could see how quick and powerful he was, really dynamic. And I was fortunate that I had coached a great player named Hristo Stoichkov [on the Chicago Fire], and Hristo was also strong and powerful and is left-footed. Hristo is a player that would start in wide positions — but not stay wide and play like a winger, but find ways to make really hard runs into the box to be a goal-scoring threat. And when I got to see Salah up close, the bells in my head went off. There are so many similarities with Hristo. The second thing is how much he wanted to be coached and challenged and how you could tell he was so motivated to get better. I think that’s been something that has been evident throughout his career. He’s just constantly looking for ways to improve. You once said you “immediately” knew Salah was special. What else pointed to that for you? It was the power and the speed that he had. You could tell that he was young, but he was still strong and could get away from defenders and get into good positions. Those things just stood out immediately. When you look back, is there a favorite on-field moment that comes to mind first when you think of him? Yes. At that time in Egypt, on February 1, 2012, there was a [riot] in the stadium in Port Said, where 72 young fans were killed in the stadium after a game. When that happened, the [Egyptian Premier] League shut down, and we could only have friendly matches. We had to work very hard because our first [2014] World Cup qualifier was in June, and friendly matches had to be outside the country. So it was a really tough time, but the players were incredible. It was a time when none of them knew what was going on in their careers. They probably weren’t being paid, but they still were so committed to the national team. And it was during that period that, in these camps and with these friendly matches outside Egypt, the team started to take shape. The player who had been a big part of the team for years — African player of the year — was [Mohamed] Aboutrika. And you could see on the field the way Aboutrika and Salah developed a very good understanding. So we played the first World Cup qualifier in Alexandria against Mozambique in an empty stadium, which was obviously quite strange, and we won, 2-0. For the second World Cup qualifier, we had to travel and play in Guinea. We were down, 1-0, and then [Aboutrika] scored two goals to make it 2-1. Near the end, Guinea scored, so it looked like a 2-2 game. [Salah] played mostly on the right, and we had worked really hard on his movement — I always use this expression — from outside, meaning you’re wider on the field, to inside. After the game was 2-2, we moved forward with the ball, and he made a very strong move without the ball from outside to inside [and] received a great pass. He’s left-footed, so when he’s coming in from the right, he worked very hard on his ability to curl a ball into the far corner. So he scored the winning goal in that fashion, and I think from that moment on, he was a star, with Aboutrika, on the national team. Off the field, is there a memory that encapsulates him as a leader or as just who he is as a person, rather than a player? His teammates love him. He’s humble, and he’s just a guy with a fantastic personality. Just to see how much his teammates love him. We stay in touch, in part, because he’s always appreciated everything, and in all ways, he’s, for me, a great guy. Why do you think he’s so beloved by his teammates? How does he endear himself to them? He’s funny, he’s down to earth. He’s just good to be around and makes everybody better in a real way. Salah is obviously a huge international star, but is there something you think the masses don’t know about him but should? Probably two things. The first one is out there a little bit because people have written about it, but as a young player, he played at a team called Al Mokawloon. In English, they would call it Arab Contractors. He lived in a village outside Cairo, so it took him three to four hours to get into training and to get home. And when you travel in Egypt, there’s something called microbusses. It’s a little van [for] public transportation, but people pack inside microbusses, and he had to take a number of different microbusses and get off and get on. So his commitment just to get from where he lived in and out to training every day was incredible. And then the second thing is — and he does it very quietly — he finds many, many ways to give back to causes in Egypt. Egyptians are very proud people, and they love their country. That shows in the way he conducts himself and also in the way that he quietly supports many, many, many good causes. From a global perspective, what do you think Salah’s legacy is for the game? His legacy is that when he got to Liverpool, he exploded. And there were steps along the way, but it all came together. Everyone got to see him playing on one of the best teams in the world and become a global star that people mention with the best names in football. For that to happen for a player from Egypt, that was new, and to do it with style and class and grace and a smile, I think made it even better. In what could be Salah’s last World Cup, what are your expectations for him and for Egypt as a team? For sure hope that they can play well, that they can get out of the group [stage] and have a chance to go far in the tournament. I know that that would be his dream and his goal for himself and for the team. Do you think they can do it? I hope so. We’ll see. What three words would you use to describe Mo Salah? Humble, proud, positive.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The fourth day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered plenty of goals, a historic German blowout, and late-game heroics that shattered records and unbeaten streaks alike. From Amad Diallo’s dramatic 90th-minute winner to Japan fighting back from behind twice to snatch a point, the drama kept going right until the final whistle. Here is everything you might have missed from Day 4 of the World Cup: Germany vs. Curaçao Netherlands vs. Japan Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador Sweden vs. Tunisia BEST OF THE DAY Save Of The Day With all due respect to Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana, who was the only player that managed to keep a clean sheet on Sunday, the crossbar was called into action more than him against Ecuador. While Fofana only recorded one save against Ecuador in the 68th minute, the crossbar denied Ecuador from scoring not once, but twice! Congratulations on this prestigious honor, crossbar. Assist Of The Day Koki Ogawa might have been going for goal when he struck the ball in the 88th minute of Japan’s thrilling catchup with the Netherlands on Sunday, but he caught his teammate Daichi Kamada’s head instead. Luckily for him, he struck it hard enough to where it found the back of the net in the end, he just didn’t get credit for it. Hopefully an assist is just as meaningful for him — this one should be. Goal Of The Day There were 19 goals scored on the fourth day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup — the first one of the day is our Goal of the Day. Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha started the play by passing the ball to Florian Wirtz, and Wirtz gave it right back to a darting Nmecha, who struck it well to the far right post, well outside the reach of Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room. Moment Of The Day Entering the fourth day of the World Cup, everyone had the matchup between the Netherlands and Japan circled on their calendars. Thankfully, it lived up to the hype and then some. While there was no winner, it had everything else: star power, drama, great energy and four goals, including an 88th-minute match-winner from Daichi Kamada. And with Sweden’s dominant win over Tunisia, Group F is wide open.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

For 37 minutes on Sunday, Curaçao stayed with four-time champion Germany, with the World Cup first-timers daring to believe they could pull off the unimaginable. Livano Comenencia tied it with his left-footed shot through traffic from the center of the box in the 21st minute to give Curaçao its first goal in the tournament and send fans of the Blue Wave into a frenzy. But Germany broke a 1-1 tie in the 38th minute and overwhelmed this tiny Caribbean nation after that, running away with the game for a 7-1 victory in the group stage. “This is not a disgrace,” Curaçao coach Dick Advocaat said. “I think we can still be proud.” It was an emotional day for the 78-year-old Advocaat, a World Cup veteran who previously coached the Netherlands in 1994 and South Korea in 2006. He wept before the game as his team from a country of just 158,000 made history with its debut in the tournament. “This is related with the joy of the people in Curaçao,” he said. “It may be a matter of my age, but this is when the emotion comes to the surface. I don’t really like it … [but] the joy of the people is fantastic.” He became the oldest man to ever coach a World Cup game and did it against Germany’s 38-year-old coach Julian Nagelsmann, who is the youngest in this year’s tournament. Comenencia’s goal gave Curaçao confidence early and was yet another milestone in the team’s historic run. “The goal was absolutely fantastic for all of us, for the nation as well,” winger Kenji Gorre said. “It’s more history being made. The first goal ever scored on the world stage. It’s just phenomenal, and we’re all grateful that we were here to experience it [with] all the people in the stadium.” Nagelsmann was impressed with the fight shown by Curaçao and noted that it can be dangerous when an underdog gets confidence. “The opponent played better than many had expected in Germany,” he said. “They played with a lot of courage.” While Curaçao was proud to have stuck with a powerhouse like Germany for most of the first half, there was disappointment at the final score. Curaçao had the biggest goal difference in a defeat of a nation making its World Cup debut since South Korea lost 9-0 to Hungary in 1954, according to Opta. “Mixed emotions, mixed feelings. On one side, you think, ‘Wow, we’ve made history by coming to the World Cup,’” Gorré said. “On the other it’s like, ‘Wow, we wish that we could have got some points.’ But we’re playing against the world’s best and the world’s best punish you at every opportunity they can, and you see that they punished us seven times from mistakes that we made.” Curaçao hopes that the experience gained Sunday will help as it continues in the tournament against Ecuador on Saturday in Kansas City. “We still have matches to go and things can still end up differently,” Advocaat said. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Pocono Raceway (Long Pond, Pa.) — Denny Hamlin won for the third consecutive week and all from the pole. And like any competitor, he wondered what could have been after his victory on Sunday at Pocono Raceway, which followed wins at Nashville and Michigan the previous two weeks. “I’m just thinking, ‘Holy crap, man, we’re three seconds away from having five in a row with Charlotte with the rain [ending the race before I took the lead],’” Hamlin said in his post-race news conference. Hamlin will take four wins in his last five events, as he won the All-Star Race at Dover the week before the race at Charlotte. Here are my Pocono takeaways: 1. Denny Gets GOAT Motivation Hamlin had an emotional few months prior to this season. He lost the 2025 title on a late caution and pit call, his 23XI Racing won a settlement in a brutal trial against NASCAR and his terminally ill father died in a house fire. He said in the preseason that he wasn’t really ready to race and that the season could go either great or awful. It’s obviously going great. And Hamlin can trace some of it back to a preseason rally for 23XI Racing and something said by team co-owner Michael Jordan. “I never forget Michael, when he addressed 23X1 in the offseason, he’s like, ‘What I’m interested to see is what does Denny do. Because after what happened in Phoenix, you either pick yourself up and you respond or you fold. We’ll find out,’” said Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing while co-owning 23XI Racing. “He’s finding out.” Said Hamlin race team co-owner Heather Gibbs: “He’s a consummate professional. I think for many of us that go through a lot of tough times, being at the racetrack is our home. That’s where we find the most peace and want to be back at the track. That’s normal to him. I think he wanted to be back. He had records to break. He had something to prove. He’s doing it now.” 2. Hamlin Closing In On Reddick With 10 races left in the regular season, Hamlin — with four points-race victories — has cut Reddick’s lead in the standings to just 19 points. Reddick had five wins early in the year and had more than a 100-point lead. The regular-season champion starts the 10-race Chase (postseason) with 2,100 points. The runner-up starts with 2,075 points. Hamlin isn’t as strong as Reddick on road courses and the next two races are on the street course at Naval Base Coroando and the road course at Sonoma Raceway. “There’s a lot of tracks coming up where we’re both going to be very strong at. It’s just going to be a matter of who puts together the better weekend, really, to close the thing out,” Reddick told me and other reporters after a second-place finish at Pocono. 3. Bell Feels OK Christopher Bell said his broken left wrist, suffered in a crash last week at Michigan, impacted him some on restarts and when he wanted to make quick maneuvers in the race at Pocono. Bell was leading until five laps to go, as he tried to stretch fuel until Hamlin caught him. It was a huge roll of the dice and Bell didn’t feel this was a race that slipped away. The JGR driver finished 26th after having to pit for fuel on the white-flag lap. “My wrist is fine whenever I’m by myself, but certainly in like any sort of adverse conditions, like whenever I banged with [Josh Berry], getting into [Turn] 3 and then that wreck in front of me, I just don’t really have the ability to make sharp quick corrections to the car. … [And] I certainly think it affected my restarts,” Bell told me and other reporters. Bell said he didn’t have any pain, and he’ll have to see how he is next week on whether he can race the 16-turn street course at Naval Base Coroando. 4. Three Weeks, Three Wrecks For Keselowski Brad Keselowski has fallen outside the Chase cutoff after three consecutive weeks where his race ended early because of an accident. At Pocono’s incident, he cleared the initial wreckage as several cars tangled. But then Bubba Wallace and Joey Logano had contact, and Keselowski had nowhere to go to avoid Logano. “Guys run really stupid races where they’re like three-wide on Lap 5 in a race where the strategy is going to reshuffle the field three more times,” Keselowski told me and other reporters after being released from the infield medical center. “So you’re just trying not to get caught up in their junk. And I missed the first wave of their junk but not the second.  … We just keep digging the hole. I know we have good cars for these last three races, and we didn’t get any results on, so that’s not good.” 4 ½. What’s Next NASCAR heads to a special one-off event as it conducts a race at Naval Base Coronado. The 16-turn, 3.4-mile street course will be a challenge, as a new event and one with very little room for error. Shane van Gisbergen, who won the inaugural Chicago street race in his NASCAR debut three years ago, is the prohibitive favorite.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Sunday’s four-goal thriller at Dallas Stadium was one that started slowly but undoubtedly came to life in the second half. The Netherlands drew 2-2 against Japan thanks to goals from Virgil Van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville that were then respectively canceled out by Keito Nakamura and Daichi Kamada. This was also a battle between two very high-skilled, fast-playing chess players that took some time to get going as the first half was played at a passive pace due to Japan’s uber-counter-attacking and defensive strategy and the Dutch’s inability to break through. But once the second half arrived, it was clear the message at the break to both dressing rooms was exactly the same: to play at a faster pace and to gamble. In the end, the excellent Japan — a team I have waxed lyrical about for a long time — rescued a point against the Netherlands, who failed to win the opening match at a World Cup for the first time in its history. Here are my takeaways: The 24-year-old winger scored his team’s second goal, and it was a wonderful left-footed shot from inside the box. Throughout the game, he showed lively runs that caused mayhem for Japan’s inverted fullbacks. For West Ham, he plays on the left wing but Koeman smartly placed him on the right and allowed him to cut inside with his quick decision-making. It’s amazing to think that, prior to this World Cup, he had never played a competitive game for the Netherlands before. Consequently, Ronald Koeman calls him up and after impressing, the manager not only takes him to the tournament, but starts him in the first match. Summerville repays the decision with a winning goal for this team. Speaking of West Ham, he won’t be there much longer as multiple clubs are very interested in him. If he carries on playing the same way he is doing, the sky will be the limit. After Summerville’s goal, the Dutch manager, a former defender himself, decided to shut shop — but there were still 26 minutes left, and that was a massive error from the Netherlands as Japan pushed for another equalizer. Crystal Palace’s Kamada capitalized from a corner in the 88th minute and fully deserved it. It’s a lesson for the UEFA side, who now realize that the best form of protection is to keep going. We all know about the imperial presence of Virgil Van Dijk as the Liverpool man is one of the best defenders in the history of the modern game. For his country, just like his club, everything begins and ends with him from the back, but just as shown today thanks to the opening goal, his aerial ability is often unmatched. There is no one who distributes the ball like him in the game. The overlapping strategy that came from Japan’s full backs when penetrating the final third, was also a problem for the Netherlands. Their wing backs play the role of wingers whenever they counter, trying to cross the ball as fast as possible. And the actual wingers cut inside to create an overwhelming line inside the Dutch box. The interesting thing is that all of Japan’s wide players are inverted (left wingers with a stronger right foot looking to come inside and vice versa but love to come inside, hence Nakamura’s goal. It was truly a hard-fought effort from both sides as defenders took center stage. The Netherlands will stay in Texas to face Sweden in Houston on Saturday whilst Japan travels to Tunisia a day later at Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe. This group is most definitely there for the taking.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Lamine Yamal is in “ideal condition” to play in Spain’s World Cup opener against Cape Verde on Monday, coach Luis de la Fuente said. Yamal is not expected to start the game in Atlanta, but has been cleared to play in his return from a hamstring injury that forced the 18-year-old superstar to miss the final weeks of the season for Barcelona. “We are following the indications of medical staff from Barcelona, his club, and also from the Spanish national team, with the fitness coaches. Everything says that Lamine Yamal is ready to play tomorrow,” de la Fuente said at a news conference. “We don’t know how much. It is a matter of how the game is evolving, the game situation, that gives you a hint of when he might jump on the pitch, but he is in ideal condition to play tomorrow.” Yamal has established himself as arguably the brightest emerging talent in Europe after helping Spain win the European Championship in 2024, despite only turning 17 on the eve of the final. His popularity in the United States has been evident during the opening days of the World Cup. An advertisement with his image towers over Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Spain kicks off its campaign. On Sunday, fans congregated outside Kennesaw State University where Spain was training, with several children copying his trademark blond curly hair. Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of him Monday may not be disappointed. “Lamine Yamal is ready to play a few minutes and our medical team agree on that decision. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be even on the bench,” de la Fuente said. Spain’s one World Cup title came in 2010, when, like now, it entered the tournament as European champion. It is the co-favorite with France to win the title. “This is just recognition for everything we have done to come this far,” de la Fuente said. “We are humble. We know how difficult it is to win any match and to win the World Cup.” Cape Verde is playing in its first World Cup and is the third-smallest country ever to qualify. It is not expected to pull off a historic upset against Spain. De la Fuente, however, said there was no danger of his players underestimating their opponent. “They might be one of the teams springing a surprise in this World Cup,” he said. Cape Verde coach Pedro Leitão Brito agreed. “I believe the match will be competitive on the field,” he said. “Our will is to play without fear. … When we mention identity, we are talking about who we are as a people.” Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

For years, the United States has searched for a World Cup squad capable of matching its potential. Through one match, this group looks like it could be the answer. A dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay has fueled excitement ahead of Team USA’s next test against Australia on June 19. The Socceroos also enter the matchup brimming with confidence after a 2-0 upset victory over Türkiye on Saturday night. Despite their shared World Cup history, the United States and Australia have never faced one another on soccer’s biggest stage. Australia’s dominant win over Türkiye left an impression on FOX Sports analysts Kasper Schmeichel and Bob Bradley, both of whom believe the Socceroos will provide a far sterner test for the United States than many fans realize. “That’s a good lesson for them,” Schmeichel said. “Take this really seriously because they’re [Australia] a difficult team to play against. So I think that just maybe [this win] says to the U.S. team and maybe to the U.S. fans to not take it for granted yet.” Schmeichel praised Australia’s discipline and organization, focusing on its knack for making life difficult for even the tournament’s most talented teams. Its compact defensive shape and commitment to the game plan will be something the United States has to be ready for, which is exactly what Türkiye found out on Saturday night. “There’s still work to do,” Schmeichel said. “It’s more than possible, but don’t get too far ahead because they’re a very well-organized side.” Australia’s performance served as a reminder that its structure travels well against higher-ranked opponents. Both Schmeichel and Bradley agreed the United States will need patience and precision to break them down if they want to come away with the win. However, Bradley believes head coach Mauricio Pochettino needs to make it clear that the United States will have to match Australia’s discipline, arguing that they’re not a team to overlook and should be perceived as a bigger threat than Paraguay. “At some point this week, Mauricio [Pochettino] was going to make the point to the U.S. players that Australia is a good team,” Bradley said. “It’s a little easier for him to make that point after tonight’s result.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports