A Banner Year for the USA (Already)

I don't know if it's because of the 250th anniversary or not, but it's been an incredible year for American teams in international sports.  And we're only halfway through the year!  Yet we've already seen Olympic gold medals in both men's and women's hockey, as well as team figure skating, a run to the final of the World Baseball Classic, and an ongoing home World Cup where the U.S. Men's National Team is playing so well that the expectations increase with each successive game.  Who knows what else is in store for the rest of 2026!?

Let's start in Milan with a moment that was 46 years in the making.  With the NHL returning to the Olympics for the first time in 12 years, the U.S. could bring all of its best players to the Olympics.  It was arguably the most talented team the U.S. was fielding in the Olympic men's hockey tournament.  They were favored for a medal, but there was only one they wanted.  Especially after winning the World Championship and taking silver at the Four Nations Faceoff last year (and a majority of that team returning for the Olympics), it was gold medal or bust.

The Miracle On Ice will always be the seminal moment in U.S. men's hockey history.  But even the members of that team were ready for another gold medal.  Which is what Jack Hughes delivered.  In overtime.  Against archrival Canada.  It wasn't a miracle.  These guys were supposed to win.  And they did.  For the first time in almost half a century, the United States was the Olympic men's hockey champions again.  And, for the first time ever, they won Olympic gold at a Games held in another country.

That victory came three days after the women's gold medal game in Milan.  That matchup was also between the United States and Canada, the two superpowers in the sport.  The only two countries ever to win the Olympic gold medal.  Who've played each other in the final seven times in eight Olympic tournaments.  Just like the men's final, the women's game went to overtime.  Just like the men, the women came home with gold, while forcing their archrivals to settle for silver.

It was the Americans' third Olympic title in women's hockey, but this one was a little different.  Women's hockey has only been a part of the Olympics since 1998, 18 years after the Miracle On Ice.  The men and women had never won Olympic gold in the same year before.  They have now.

Another American team expected to win Olympic gold in Milan was the figure skating team.  They won gold in 2022, but that wasn't official until two years after the fact, and only after the Russians were disqualified.  This time, there was no controversy.  The U.S. went in as the favorites and held off Japan to win gold.  Only this time, they got their medals right then and there.

A few weeks after the Olympics ended, it was time for the World Baseball Classic.  The U.S. team was loaded.  Aaron Judge.  Bryce Harper.  Bobby Witt Jr.  Kyle Schwarber.  Both of last season's Cy Young winners, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes, anchoring the pitching staff.  They had one goal in mind after losing the 2023 final to Japan.

There were some nervous moments after they lost their final game of group play to Italy.  There was a chance that they might not advance to the quarterfinals, which would've been a disaster and had this team branded a failure.  Well, they did advance to the quarterfinals, where they beat Canada.  Then Skenes shut down the vaunted Dominican Republic lineup in a brilliant semifinal performance to get the U.S. back to the final.  It wasn't the same triumphant finish as the Olympic hockey teams.  They lost that championship game to Venezuela.  But they got the country's attention all the same.

Speaking of capturing the country's attention, the World Cup has shattered attendance records.  More than five million people from all over the world have filled NFL stadiums for the games.  They broke the previous attendance record before the end of the group stage. (Granted, with the larger tournament, there are more games, but, despite the high ticket prices, virtually every game has been a sellout.)  Which World Cup set that previous attendance record?  The 1994 tournament in the United States.

When the U.S. hosted that 1994 World Cup, soccer was more of a curiosity.  No one had any illusions of the home team winning the tournament.  The hope was that they just wouldn't embarrass themselves.  Getting out of the group would be considered a great result.  They not only did that, they held their own against eventual champion Brazil in the Round of 16, only losing 1-0.

Fast forward 32 years and things are incredibly different.  The U.S. Men's National Team is playing a home World Cup knowing this is their opportunity to leave their mark.  "How far can they go?" means "How deep a run can they make?"  Unlike in 1994, this year's team has expectations, and the possibility of not meeting them existed.  Getting out of the group was the bare minimum, but even just doing that would've been a disappointment.

From the opening game, that 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay, they've had the nation's attention.  And interest in the team has only grown.  They didn't just get out of the group.  They won it with a game to spare.  They've won three games at a World Cup for the first time ever.  They've made git to the Round of 16, and thinking this team is capable of going further suddenly doesn't sound so crazy.  They haven't just met the moment.  They've thrived.  And taken the country along for the ride.

We're not done yet, either.  While it doesn't have the same fanfare as those other events or its men's counterpart, the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup will take place in Germany this September.  The WNBA will halt its season so that players can represent their nation at the World Cup.  The United States is the four-time defending champions and will be favored to make it five.

Is it partially a combination of luck and coincidence that American teams are all performing so well on the international stage this year?  Perhaps.  I'd even say that it's likely.  The fact that it's all happening in the country's landmark 250th year can't be escaped, though.  Coincidence or not, it's pretty cool.

Celebrating 250 With the All*Star Game

Say what you will about the MLB All*Star Game, but it's still the one that works the best.  Sure, they've done their share of stupid gimmicks (last year's "swing off," I'm looking at you!), but there's never been the need to experiment with different formats to drum up interest, which the other sports can't help themselves from constantly doing.  It's always been American League vs. National League and it always will be American League vs. National League.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  And that part of the MLB All*Star Game definitely ain't broke.

Our friends North of the Border sure tried to break it, though.  Canadian fans made a mockery of the voting process by stuffing the ballot box so much that every Blue Jay was a finalist to start.  Never mind the fact that their outfielders aren't good and Alejandro Kirk has played a grand total of 19 games this season.  Even Vlad Guerrero Jr. is having a down year.  But he at least has the pedigree and overall popularity to justify it.

Fortunately, it looks like Vlad Jr. might be the only Toronto player joining Ernie Clement (who's clearly the best/most popular player in the AL, LOL) in the starting lineup.  Once it got to the final round and you were only allowed to vote once per day for a week (instead of five times a day for a month), people voted for those who actually deserve it instead of those who simply play for Toronto.  That's the strength of those new, two-phase voting system that was introduced a few years ago.  It's become much less of just a popularity contest.  Fans are more knowledgeable and the most deserving players have generally ended up starting.

There's only one choice in the AL that's questionable, and it has nothing to do with performance.  Aaron Judge.  It looks like he'll be voted as a starter, even though he'll be out until August.  Which either says a lot about Judge's popularity or fans' general stupidity (or both).  Personally, I'd like it if injured players who they know will be out past the All*Star Break were either removed from the ballot entirely or at least not advanced to the second phase.  Mike Trout is different since he's hoping to be back in time.  But there's absolutely no chance Aaron Judge will be playing in the All*Star Game, whether he's voted in or not.

I do hope Trout makes it back in time, though.  And not just because he'd make things easier by being the Angel.  Trout's from South Jersey.  Philadelphia's basically his hometown.  Since the All*Star Game won't be coming to Anaheim anytime soon, it's the closest thing he'll have to a home All*Star Game.  It's also been a long time since Mike Trout was healthy enough to actually play in the All*Star Game, so it'd be nice to see him for that reason, too.

It's also crazy to think that Bobby Witt Jr. has never started the All*Star Game.  It looks like that will finally change this year.  Junior Caminero is in a position to win the fan vote for the first time, too.  He started last year, but as a replacement for Jose Ramirez.  I'm willing to bet this won't be the last time Witt or Caminero is a fan-voted starter.

In the National League, it's a bit of a different situation.  Ohtani was voted in as the starting DH.  Nothing new there.  But it looks like he's gonna make the team as a pitcher, too.  So, if history is any indication, the NL will end up getting an extra pitcher to give them 32 individuals on the roster.

You also kinda have to feel for Kyle Schwarber, though.  That guy would start the All*Star Game every year if not for Ohtani.  And he'd deserve to.  Instead, the best he can hope for is being selected as the second NL DH.  Fortunately, it looks like the Phillies will still have somebody in the starting lineup, as Brandon Marsh should get rewarded for his career year.  (Along with Michael Harris III, the new favorite player of English soccer fans, who I'm sure would've voted for him had they decided that before Monday.)

Anyway, with that in mind, may I present the 2026 Joe Brackets All*Stars.  I followed the standard rules of 20 position players and 12 pitchers per team (with at least five starters and three relievers), although the NL did get an extra pitcher because of Ohtani.  I also named Cody Bellinger as an injury replacement for Judge, who obviously won't be playing.  (Elected starters are in italics, with the asterisk for Clement and Ohtani indicating that they were the leading vote-getters.)

AMERICAN LEAGUE
C: Shea Langeliers (ATH), Dillon Dingler (DET)
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR), Nick Kurtz (ATH), Ben Rice (NYY)
2B: *Ernie Clement (TOR), Cole Young (SEA)
SS: Bobby Witt Jr. (KC), Gunnar Henderson (BAL), Colson Montgomery (CWS)
3B: Junior Caminero (TB), Kazuma Okamoto (TOR)
OF: Mike Trout (LAA), Byron Buxton (MIN), x-Aaron Judge (NYY), Wilyer Abreu (BOS), Riley Greene (DET), Julio Rodriguez (SEA), #-Cody Bellinger (NYY)
DH: Yordan Alvarez (HOU), Yandy Diaz (TB)
SP: Sonny Gray (BOS), Davis Martin (CWS), Gavin Williams (CLE), Joe Ryan (MIN), Cam Schlittler (NYY), Will Warren (NYY), Drew Rasmussen (TB), Jacob deGrom (TEX)
RP: Cade Smith (CLE), Bryan Baker (TB), Jacob Latz (TEX), Louis Varland (TOR)

NATIONAL LEAGUE
C: Drake Baldwin (ATL), Hunter Goodman (COL)
1B: Freddie Freeman (LAD), Matt Olson (ATL)
2B: Ozzie Albies (ATL), Ketel Marte (ARZ), Luis Arraez (SF)
SS: CJ Abrams (WSH), Otto Lopez (MIA)
3B: Max Muncy (LAD), Alex Bregman (CHC)
OF: Brandon Marsh (PHI), Michael Harris II (ATL), Juan Soto (NYM), Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), Andy Pages (LAD), Jung Hoo Lee (SF), Jordan Walker (STL)
DH: *Shohei Ohtani (LAD), Kyle Schwarber (PHI)
SP: Eduardo Rodriguez (ARZ), Chris Sale (ATL), Chase Burns (CIN), Shohei Ohtani (LAD), Justin Wrobleski (LAD), Max Meyer (MIA), Jacob Misiorowski (MIL), Cristopher Sanchez (PHI), Braxton Ashcraft (PIT)
RP: Raisel Iglesias (ATL), Robert Suarez (ATL), Jhoan Duran (PHI), Mason Miller (SD)

Last year, Dave Roberts announced that Paul Skenes would be the NL starting pitcher like a week ahead of time.  This year, his selection should come much closer to game time.  Because he has two very viable candidates.  Ordinarily, I'd say Jacob Misiorowski would be a no-brainer choice (what a difference a year makes, huh?  No one's questioning his All*Star nod this time).  However, with the game being played in Philadelphia, I can also see it being the Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez.  Tough call.  My choice would be Misiorowski, however.

The American League starter should come out of the AL East.  Cam Schlittler was the clear clubhouse leader until about a week ago, and he very well may still be.  It's no longer a lock, though.  If it's not Schlittler, I'd say Drew Rasmussen of the Rays and Sonny Gray of the Red Sox are the other top candidates.  But I do still have a feeling it'll be Schlittler.  He's been the best pitcher in the American League for most of the first half, so he gets the nod for me.

Finally, is there any place other than Philadelphia where they could play this game?  Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004 and still hasn't hosted the All*Star Game.  Because they were waiting for 2026.  It's the same reason the 1976 All*Star Game was in Philadelphia and one of the World Cup Round of 16 games on the Fourth of July was scheduled for Lincoln Financial Field.  It's oozing with historical significance.  Which is why the answer to that question is, no, there isn't any other stadium that could've hosted this year's All*Star Game (which immediately follows a World Cup semifinal that could include the U.S., BTW).

NCAA Five-for-Five

"Beleaguered" is a word that can be used to describe the NCAA over the past several years.  Through a flurry of lawsuits and, in many ways its own failure to adapt to changing times, the NCAA has had to throw out and completely revise its model whether it wanted to or not.  Many of those lawsuits have involved eligibility questions, usually from players seeking an extra year for whatever reason.  Those situations have now, hopefully, been addressed with the passage of a new five-for-five model.  Which I'm sure will still be challenged, but at least makes things more clear.

Under the old system, student-athletes had five years to play their four seasons of competition.  If they played a certain number of games or past a certain point in the season, that year counted as one of their four.  If you wanted to get an additional year, you had to apply for a waiver, which may or may not be accepted.  Needless to say, there was much confusion regarding those waivers, particularly regarding how Player A got one and Player B didn't despite their circumstances being similar.  And, more often than not, those declined waivers would wind up in the courts.

It also led to far too many situations of student-athletes (especially in certain sports) trying to take advantage of or game the system.  You'd have players deciding to sit out the rest of the season after a handful of games with a minor injury just so they could preserve their redshirt year (that they'd use somewhere else).  Or those who argued that their injury prevented them from playing for multiple seasons, so they deserved a sixth (or seventh...or eighth) year.

Frankly, the number of waivers that players were getting had become a joke.  These are 26-year-olds who graduated high school seven years ago still playing college football.  Meanwhile, people they graduated from high school with had already played in AND retired from the NFL in that span.  Whether their reasons for getting redshirt and after redshirt were legitimate or not, it was making a complete mockery of the system.  (While saying nothing and everything at the same time about why these Van Wilder wannabes still want to play in college instead of actually getting jobs and moving on with their lives.)

With this new legislation, the NCAA is hoping to stop (or at least limit) that insanity.  Redshirts and waivers are a thing of the past.  Everybody still has a five-year clock, but now you're eligible to compete in all five of those years.  If you miss a season due to injury, it doesn't extend your clock.  And you don't need to worry about how many games you can play in while still preserving your redshirt year.

There's one big catch, though.  Your five-year clock starts either when you first enroll in college full-time or the academic year after you turn 19, whichever comes first.  The only exceptions to this age-based model are for pregnancy, active-duty military service or religious missions (many student-athletes at BYU and Utah either start their eligibility late or have it interrupted in the middle for this reason).  That's it, though.  If you turn 24 and you've only played three seasons, you're not getting an extra year.  This closes the ridiculous loophole being exploited by people in their mid-20s, who were taking roster spots from people who were 10 when they started college.

Also of note is how this new age-based eligibility rule isn't being applied retroactively.  If you exhausted your eligibility during the 2025-26 season, you don't get another year.  Almost immediately after the new eligibility rules were announced, Class of 2026 graduates sued for the ability to compete in 2026-27.  I'm curious to see where this one goes.  Because they do have a point.  (Personally, I'd be fine with them being granted the extra year, as long as they're still enrolled in school.  But that would only extend to the Class of 2026.)

The Class of 2026 really is getting the short end of the stick here.  For multiple reasons.  Not only are they not eligible for the fifth year of competition, they also didn't get the COVID waiver on the front end.  Meanwhile, for most of their college careers, they were competing against student-athletes who did receive the COVID exemptions in 2020 (Spring) and/or 2020-21 (all sports) and were in their fifth (or sixth) season of college sports.  So, they only got the traditional four years while the classes that graduated immediately before and after them got five.  (Another reason why I'm in favor of those who just graduated this Spring being given the option to play an extra year this season.)

And, while the legislation has passed, it won't go completely into effect until the 2027-28 school year.  Those currently on rosters and incoming freshmen can either apply the new model or continue under the old one, whichever is in the best interest of the athlete (although, I'm not sure how many athletes will choose the old model if they're now guaranteed a fifth year).  Starting in the Fall of 2027, only the age-based model will be applied.  (Which will obviously have a big impact both on roster sizes and recruiting cycles for the next two years.)

This is a fundamental change, but it's also a necessary one.  And it's also being met with almost universal praise.  Perhaps the most important element of it is that the language is very clear.  It makes the rules easier to understand and administer.  In addition to eliminating the need for waivers, it also limits grounds for challenging eligibility rules (since injuries no longer qualify you for exemptions).  Pretty much everyone agrees that it's all within reason.

Most of the challenges regarding eligibility have come in the past few years, which isn't a coincidence.  They've come since players were given the opportunity to transfer without having to sit out a season at their new school (which led to the chaos that is "the Portal") and the opportunity to cash in on NIL deals.  Not to sound completely cynical, but NIL and transferring (sometimes both) seem to be the motivating factors for a majority of those lawsuits in recent years.  And it caused an untenable situation where rosters were constantly in flux.

Hopefully, moving to the age-based eligibility model moving forward will create more roster stability, especially in football and men's basketball.  Coaches will have a better idea of their numbers for the upcoming season.  They won't need to manage playing time and have to figure out who is or isn't available based on redshirt considerations.  Likewise, with everybody getting five years and only five years, it may curtail the overabundance of transfers (although, transfers will certainly still happen, which everyone understands) and prevent those 26-year-olds who are looking just to extend their potential NIL earnings. 

Will there still be challenges?  Almost certainly.  But the whole point of going to the age-based model was to give everyone--NCAA institutions, coaches, and student-athletes--what they wanted.  That's why this change has almost universal support.  Beyond that, the 5-for-5 model makes sense.  It also, as the NCAA pointed out in its release, aligns college athletic careers with the normal amount of time someone spends in college.  What a concept!

A lot of the NCAA's recent rules changes have been reactive, and only after being forced upon them.  This one is different.  It's proactive.  And it's designed to make things easier for everyone.  You can only play college sports between the ages of 18-23 or 19-24.  No waivers.  No exceptions.  It was the right move.  Which is why it's the rare NCAA rule change that has very little disagreement.

A New Round

Congratulations to Canada on making World Cup history.  The Canadians won the first-ever Round of 32 game.  Opinions vary on this new additional round, but it isn't the first format change in World Cup history and it won't be the last.  And it led to some thrilling action on the final day of group play.  Different?  Yes.  But no less thrilling than in the past.

Take the Austria-Algeria game.  They both knew going in that they'd both advance with a draw and the loser would be out if somebody won.  They could've passed the ball around for 90 minutes, settled for the 0-0 result, and both made the next round.  But that's not what happened.  Instead, they played arguably the best game of the tournament.  It went from Austria and Iran advancing to Austria and Algeria advancing to Algeria and Iran advancing to Austria and Algeria advancing, all within the span of about a half hour.  And all Iran could do was sit there and watch as their fate was decided.

Critics have their different reasons for not liking the format, which is their prerogative.  One guy suggested that they should "do it like the Champions League" and only have the top two teams in each group advance.  That might be my favorite suggestion because of how impractical it is.  For starters, that would be eight fewer games, which kind of defeats the purpose of the extra round.  Also, in the Champions League, they get a week off between games and play on their home fields.  You can't do that in the World Cup where they have a set schedule and it's only a few days between games.  Otherwise, great idea though!  Moron!

My biggest gripe about the Round of 32 is how, because of all the different permutations involving third-place teams, the bracket wasn't set until literally group play ended.  And, since it was dependent on which third-place teams advanced, you couldn't even really create a mock bracket.  But, now that the bracket is set, that's no longer a problem.  You can make predictions based on the matchups without having to move third-place teams around.  It's so much easier.

And some matchups are definitely tougher than others.  That's an entirely luck of the draw situation, especially for those first-place teams that have to face second-place teams.  That's how you get the Netherlands vs. Morocco, which is easily the best game of the 16 in the Round of 32.  And those second place vs. second place games aren't a walk in the park, either.  Just ask Portugal and Croatia.

It's in the Round of 16 where we'll really see the impact of the luck of the draw.  England's a contender to win the whole thing.  They have to play Mexico at Azteca.  France and Germany have to play each other.  The Portugal-Croatia winner gets Spain.  That late Iran goal went from the United States having a potential Round of 16 matchup with Egypt to a potential Round of 16 matchup with Belgium.  I don't think I have to tell you which one I would've preferred.

I'm not reading too much into the fact that Mexico, France and Argentina were the only teams to win all three of their group games, either.  That's not necessarily a good thing since it means they'll have to go 8-for-8 if they want to lift the trophy.  Winning five in a row in the knockout phase will be difficult enough.  And I don't blame the teams that decided resting players and/or sitting those with yellow cards was more important.  It's no different than an NFL team that's already clinched a playoff berth sitting its starters in Week 18.

So, long story short, I'm not concerned that the U.S. lost to Turkiye.  Or that Germany lost to Ecuador (who was desperate).  Or that Portugal seemed fine with finishing second in the group and getting Croatia, then Spain instead of the easier Ghana/Switzerland/Algeria bracket that Colombia got for winning Group K.  Landon Donovan made a great point during the Norway/France game, too.  What happens if you play everyone and lose anyway?  Then they've got an extra 90 minutes in their legs and still have to travel, which isn't great, either.

Also, let's give it up for the African teams.  Part of the reason the tournament was expanded to 48 teams was to give more opportunities to African and Asian nations.  And the African teams proved that they belong!  There were 10 African teams in the tournament.  Nine of them made the Round of 32, including DR Congo and the world's new second-favorite team, Cape Verde.

Does Cape Verde have a chance at winning the World Cup?  Absolutely not.  Does Cape Verde have a shot at beating Argentina?  Also most likely not.  But Cape Verde is facing Messi and Argentina.  In Miami, where Messi plays his club football.  How can anyone not think that's awesome?

Anyway, on to my predictions for the knockout stage.  Germany and France both win to set up that Fourth of July matchup in Philadelphia.  The Netherlands beats Morocco, then rolls against Canada.  The quarterfinal will be France vs. the Netherlands, two teams that were impressive in group play.  France was more impressive, though.  They make it back to the semifinals.

Senegal lost its first two games, but that was only because they faced two extremely good European squads.  They showed how good they are against Iraq.  Belgium won't have an easy time against them, but should pull it out and take on the U.S. in the Round of 16.  If the United States can win that game and get to the quarterfinals, you'd have to consider this a successful World Cup.  If not, it's just another Round of 16 exit.  I'll be optimistic and think the U.S. can win before losing to Spain.  In Spain's Round of 16 game, La Roja will defeat Croatia.

That third section of the bracket is where it gets interesting.  Brazil gets the Ivory Coast-Norway winner, which should be Norway.  Which means Vinicius Jr. vs. Erling Haaland.  And, like I said earlier, Mexico vs. England at Azteca.  In any other situation, England's an easy pick.  At Azteca, however, I see another major tournament disappointment.  Reality then hits Mexico when they have to leave home and see all those Brazilian shirts in Miami.

Argentina, meanwhile, has the easiest path to the semifinals of all the major contenders.  After Cape Verde, it's Australia or Egypt.  I've got a feeling the Pharaohs will get it done against the Socceroos.  Then you've got Switzerland vs. Colombia.  Are we setting up for an all-South American quarterfinal between Argentina and Colombia?  I think we just might be.

In fact, it's setting up for the European bracket (plus the United States) on one side and the South American bracket (plus Mexico) on the other side.  Ultimately, though, it'll be business as usual.  With a couple of rivalries getting renewed in the World Cup semifinals: France vs. Spain and Brazil vs. Argentina.

Before the tournament started, I had those exact same semifinal matchups.  There's no reason for me to change it now.  Spain's little hiccup against Cape Verde was just that.  A hiccup.  I still see them reaching the final.  Where I still see them beating Argentina.

Welcome Back, Serena

Serena Williams is back.  That's obviously the biggest story heading into Wimbledon.  And it should be.  She began her comeback shortly after the French Open and was only playing doubles at first, but you had a feeling the seven-time Wimbledon champion would want to play singles at the All-England Club.  They left a wild card open for her just in case.  So, it wasn't really surprising when she decided to take it and make her return to Wimbledon, where she'll also play doubles with Venus.

Does anyone expect Serena to win Wimbledon?  Absolutely not.  But the fact that she's back playing another Grand Slam as a 44-year-old mother of two after a three-year retirement truly is amazing.  And it'll make her first-round match against Maya Joint on Tuesday must-see TV.  Just looking ahead, too, she could face defending champion Iga Swiatek on the 4th of July.  Happy 250th indeed!

Swiatek being the defending Wimbledon champion, of course, is one of the craziest things.  She's the best clay court player of her era.  No one would've ever thought she'd win Wimbledon.  But she did (with a 6-0, 6-0 victory in the final).  Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka, whose game is perfectly suited to grass, has never even made the final.  She's lost in the semis in each of her last three appearances.  Although, this is also the first time she's playing at Wimbledon in an even year since 2018 (COVID, Belarusian players suspended, injury in 2020, 2022 & 2024).  Sabalenka hasn't played Wimbledon in back-to-back years since 2017-19, her first three seasons as a pro!  That stat means nothing.  It's just interesting.

Although, I'm actually more interested to see where Sabalenka's head is after her French Open meltdown.  After that match, she said she felt like quitting tennis.  I'm sure she was just being facetious in the moment, but that's what's happened to her in each of those Wimbledon failures.  She wins a long match, then runs out of gas in the semifinal and blows a lead. But I also have a feeling she'll come back with a vengeance after her disappointment at Roland Garros and just blitz the field for her first Wimbledon title.

French Open finalist Maja Chwalinska had an interesting path to Wimbledon too.  Wimbledon entries closed before the French Open and she was ranked too low to get direct entry.  Meanwhile, her French Open points got her into the top 25.  They gave her a wild card (which was the right call) and, since the seeds are based on the rankings, she ended up seeded.  I'd never seen a seeded wild card before!  I have now!

Sabalenka, Chwalinska and French Open champion Mirra Andreeva are all in the same quarter, which is easily the toughest of the four.  It also includes Naomi Osaka and top British player Emma Raducanu.  So, whoever comes out of there will be battle-tested for a semifinal, where there's a good chance an American will await.  Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Iva Jovic are all seeded in that section.

On the Serena/Swiatek side of the draw is No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina.  She's a former Wimbledon champion, having won the title in 2022, and added a second Grand Slam title earlier this year in Australia, where she beat Sabalenka in the final.  Could we see another Sabalenka-Rybakina final here?  I don't think that would shock anybody.

This is the first time in quite a while where the pre-tournament talk heading into Wimbledon is more about the women and the men.  That's mostly because of Serena, of course, but it's also because Carlos Alcaraz is still out with an injury.  So, we won't get a repeat of those classic finals we've had in the past few years between Alcaraz and either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic.  And, with Sinner and Djokovic on the same side of the draw, it guarantees we'll have somebody different as a finalist.

Second-seeded Alexander Zverev finally won his first Grand Slam title at the French Open.  He won't be following it up with a victory here.  Zverev, in fact, has never been to the second week of Wimbledon.  Although, now that he's finally a Grand Slam champion, we'll see if that changes.  It seems more likely, though, that one of the American contenders in the bottom half of the draw will have a chance at finally ending that long American Grand Slam drought.

Ben Shelton is the No. 4 seed and was a quarterfinalist last year.  It's definitely realistic to see him making a deep run.  Taylor Fritz did Shelton one better in 2025, reaching the semifinals.  Frances Tiafoe has, surprisingly, never been past the fourth round at Wimbledon.  I'm not really sure why since he's a regular at the tail end of the US Open and has a game that's suited to grass.  Will this be the year he breaks through?

Last year, Sinner was saved from sure defeat when Grigor Dimitrov retired up two sets in their fourth round match.  He took full advantage and went on to win the title, beating Djokovic in the semis and Alcaraz in the final.  When last we saw Sinner, however, he succumbed to the Paris heat in the second round of the French Open.  By all accounts, he's fine.  And the weather in London is famously not that.  So, there's no reason to think it'll have any lasting effects.

Then there's Novak Djokovic.  The quest for No. 25 continues.  And Wimbledon is still his best chance to get it.  You'd like his chances much better, however, if he weren't in Sinner's half of the bracket.  Especially with no Alcaraz.  Alas, he ended up having to face Sinner in the semifinal, should they both get there.  The one benefit of that, though, is that whoever makes it out should be favored in the final.

I know sticking with the chalk is boring, but, with the Wimbledon men's title, there's little reason not to.  Last year, Sinner became just the sixth different champion since Roger Federer began his run in 2003.  And those titles were limited to the Big Four (three of whom are retired) until Alcaraz.  And now he's been to three straight finals, a streak that obviously can't continue this year.  So, my point is, why pick anyone other than Sinner to lift the trophy on the men's side?

Which means, yes, my pick is Jannik Sinner to win his second straight Wimbledon title.  Zverev's victory in Paris broke up that streak of Sinner and Alcaraz trading off nine straight Grand Slam titles.  We may see a new streak start right away.  Because I'm not sure I see anyone beating Sinner, who actually hasn't won a Grand Slam since his victory here last year.  You know he wants to change that, too.

Finally Going Head-to-Head

At the 2016 Copa America, Colombia and the United States finished tied atop Group A with 6 points each.  Colombia beat the United States 2-0.  But, since the United States had a better goal differential, they finished first in the group.  Doesn't make much sense, does it?

Meanwhile, at the same year's Euro, it was a similar situation in Group E.  Except it wasn't.  Belgium and Italy both had 6 points.  They also had the same goal differential (+2).  In the next tiebreaker, goals scored, Belgium had a 4-3 advantage.  But Belgium didn't win the group.  Italy did.  Why?  Because Italy won their head-to-head matchup, 2-0.

That's because UEFA has used head-to-head as the first tiebreaker at the Euro since 1996.  UEFA was the only confederation to figure out something that seems like it should be fairly obvious.  If two teams finish tied in the final standings and only played each other once, the team that beat the other head-to-head should be ranked higher.  Yet, that was only obvious to UEFA.  Everybody else, including FIFA, didn't consider head-to-head at all.  Goal differential and goals scored were the primary tiebreakers.  Until this year, that is.

This World Cup is the first where head-to-head victories actually matter.  Goal differential is no longer the No. 1 tiebreaker.  Head-to-head is.  If the tied teams played to a draw in their match against each other, then it reverts to goal differential.  But GD is no longer the be-all, end-all.  Now, if you finish with the same number of points as a team you beat, you're automatically ranked ahead of them.  As it should be.

I first noticed this during the Mexico-South Korea game.  They kept saying that the winner would win Group A, which left me a little confused since I didn't know FIFA had changed the order of the tiebreakers, making head-to-head more important.  It was previously on the list--at No. 4, meaning they almost never got there.  Now, they've moved it up to No. 1.  Finally, FIFA got with the program and realized that a head-to-head win should have more relevance than who blew out the last-place team by more.

It's because of the head-to-head tiebreaker's increased importance that four countries--Mexico, the United States, Germany and Argentina--clinched their group after just two games.  That obviously left them with nothing to play for in their final group game, which is the first thing critics point to, but how is that their fault?  It can also be taken the other way and seen as a reward for taking care of business in those first two games.  Because they already won the group, they can sit players with yellow cards or injury concerns or just try out different lineups.  Which they wouldn't be able to do if the group wasn't already wrapped up. 

On the flip side, going with head-to-head as the first tiebreaker means teams can be eliminated after losing their first two games, also turning their final game into a dead rubber.  Under the old tiebreaker rules, they wouldn't have necessarily been eliminated.  They would've had the chance to potentially move up by improving their goal differential.  But, again, how would it be fair for a team that beat them head-to-head to get jumped in the standings because the other team went chasing goals?  They took care of business on the field when they played each other.  That has to mean something.

Critics are, of course, jumping all over this change, mainly because it's something different.  They don't like the fact that a team can clinch the group (or be eliminated) after two games and the "dead rubbers" that it can create.  There's even those who've argued that FIFA "didn't think this one through."  It's just the opposite, actually.  With the new tiebreaker, FIFA is incentivizing winning.  Not running up the score.  It's designed to make games more competitive.  And if a team can clinch their group after two games, good for them.  They've earned the right to do whatever they want in the third game.

The fact that FIFA made this change the same year they expanded the World Cup to 48 teams and added a Round of 32 isn't a coincidence.  With eight third-place teams advancing, the difference between second and third or third and fourth in your group is significant.  To which I reiterate my previous point.  If you played a team once and beat them head-to-head, why should anything else matter when it comes to tiebreakers?  I'll use Group D as an example.  The Australia-Paraguay winner gets second place, regardless of what happens in the United States-Turkiye game.  The U.S. beat them both.  They should be ahead of either.  Likewise, Turkiye lost to both.  They should be behind either.

In the past, teams had a chance to make up goal differential in their final game to potentially flip the standings.  They no longer can.  I don't understand why so many people consider that a bad thing.  If you take care of business in either of your first two games, you won't be in that position.  So, while I appreciate the argument that it can make the third game meaningless, it also ups the ante on the first two games.  If you don't want to be in that position, there's a very easy way to avoid it.

Since third-place teams can advance, finishing third in your group matters.  Which is why the head-to-head result should make a difference.  Especially if that win determines who's third (and has a chance to advance) and who's fourth (and has no chance).  How fair would it be for somebody to get knocked out of the tournament because of goal differential while a team that they beat head-to-head advanced over them?  How does that make any sense?  Yet, for a long time, that's the way it was.

Sometimes it comes down to luck of the draw.  I'll concede that.  You may have to play the strongest team in your group first.  Or you may get the weakest team in your group first.  That, frankly, is another argument in favor of using head-to-head.  If you get blown out in the first game, so what?  Your goal differential doesn't completely kill you anymore.  Likewise, running up the score against an inferior opponent only matters so much.  You can't bank a huge goal differential and sit on it.  So, while it might make third games less significant, it actually increases the significance of the other two games.

And it's not like goal differential suddenly doesn't matter at all.  It's still the second tiebreaker, so it can still very much come into play.  If two teams tied in their head-to-head meeting, it reverts to GD.  If it's a three-way tie and the head-to-head results are even, it reverts to GD.  Most significantly, goal differential is being used to separate the third-place teams if they're level on points.

So, while there are plenty of people around the world who hate it (mainly because it's new), I welcome this change.  Frankly, it never made any sense that goal differential was the first tiebreaker over head-to-head results.  What was even the point of playing head-to-head then?  Will they change it back after this World Cup?  Who knows?  I hope not.  Because the whole point is to win.  Teams should be rewarded for beating their opponents head-to-head.  I'm glad FIFA finally sees that.  And I'm not entirely sure why so many people have an issue with what should be such an obvious point.

Norway vs. Senegal

When MetLife Stadium was officially chosen as one of the stadiums for the World Cup, I just wanted to go to a game.  Any game.  It didn't matter what date.  It didn't matter who was playing.  I just wanted to be there to experience it live.  Getting tickets proved to be a much harder (and more expensive) task than I thought it would be, but I was able to get one for Norway-Senegal (the original plan was to go with my brother-in-law and nephew, but I couldn't get three).  And the price of admission was certainly worth it.

I had actually singled out Norway-Senegal as the game that I wanted to go to.  One of the reasons for that was because it was one where I thought I had a shot that it wouldn't already be sold out.  (With Brazil, France, Germany and England playing the other MetLife games during group play, I figured it might be my only shot.)  As it turns out, it was the only game still available when I finally got into the queue, which was fine with me.  Because I truly didn't care which game I went to.

For all the talk about the exorbitant price of game tickets, there was just as much about the cost of tickets for the train.  And I agree that $100 for the 20-minute trip from Penn Station was excessive.  But I also knew that it would be the easiest, most convenient way of getting there.  That was especially true after all the horror stories of people who decided not to take the train getting stranded at the stadium after the Brazil game.

Taking the train was 100 percent the right call.  It only took about 25 minutes to actually get on a train once I got in line.  And, because the NJ Transit side of Penn Station was closed to non-World Cup commuters, the station was otherwise empty, making things even easier.  In total, it only took about an hour between arriving at Penn Station and arriving at the stadium.

Going back (in a downpour!) was just as easy.  We were given wristbands when we first got on the train, and all we needed to do on the way back was show our wristband.  Even with all 25,000 people who took the train to the stadium leaving at the same time, the wait wasn't that long.  As one train filled up, another empty one pulled in and the other left.  Then, when that one filled up, another empty one was ready.  Rinse and repeat.  It took me slightly longer to get home, but I was still back before the late game was over.

Getting into the stadium itself was also surprisingly easy.  FIFA took over all of the stadium parking lots (another source of frustration for fans), but it really did make sense why they did.  There was the Fan Fest, all kinds of food, the outdoor sets for all the different international broadcasters (Norway's crew was either live or about to be), and the merchandise stands.  As for actually getting in, there were so many lines that it was a breeze.  I was expecting airport security lines, so it was a pleasant surprise to be thru the gates within about 10 minutes.

Another pleasant surprise was that food prices were the same as they usually are.  With the prices for everything else getting jacked up for the World Cup, I was expecting it to be the same for concessions.  So, imagine my relief when I found out that wasn't the case!  Although, my guy also took forever, so, despite the fact that I got in line for food at like 7:25, I only got to my seat as the teams were walking out.  Which was fine.  Since the walkouts and anthems are one of the best parts of any World Cup match.

As a neutral fan, I didn't have a rooting interest one way or the other going in.  I initially thought I'd end up cheering for Senegal since I was expecting their fans to be more fun.  That opinion quickly changed when I saw how fun the Norwegian fans were.  Their Viking Row has gone viral, so you know what a good time it is, and the train was full of red-clad Norwegians.  I'd say the stands were at least 75 percent red, if not more, with their fan section taking up the entire area behind the goal opposite me.  They broke into the Viking Row several times, and each time it was amazing!

There was another reason why I ended up rooting for Norway.  Erling Haaland.  He's incredible!  The Manchester City striker is a rock star!  He scored twice at the goal right in front of me (the second of which was absolutely ridiculous), and that should've been a hat trick.  He had a wide open net in the first half, but hit the post.

After Norway went up 2-0, I thought it was game over.  Boy, was I wrong!  Senegal cut it to 2-1, then, after Haaland's second goal, scored again in stoppage time to pull within 3-2.  That's how it ended, with Norway clinching a spot in the round of 32 with the win.  They went undefeated in qualifying (in a group that included Italy) and looked every bit the part.  I give Senegal credit for coming back, though.  They made it a game at the end.

If you think that was it, though, you'd be sadly mistaken.  They went over to the fans and joined in the Viking Row.  It was so cool to watch!  It was like watching the All Blacks doing the Haka (BTW, I really hope New Zealand plays at MetLife in the 2031 Rugby World Cup...and that getting tickets is easier and less expensive than it was for the FIFA World Cup).  Haaland said afterwards that they were thinking about it after the first game, but decided they would only do it if they won.  Which they did.

Something I've noticed while watching the World Cup games on TV was the lack of a visible clock on the field.  I was shocked by this, so it had me curious whether there was one that you just couldn't see on TV or if there actually wasn't.  It was the latter.  No scoreboard clock at all.  The only place where the game time was visible at all was on the graphic for the live video.  Otherwise, nothing.

The last thing worth noting is the weather.  It had been gorgeous in New York for the entire World Cup.  The first two MetLife matchdays had beautiful weather.  So, of course, that wasn't the case for Norway-Senegal.  A storm was expected, and it rained in the afternoon.  It was clear throughout the game, though.  (Unlike France-Iraq in Philadelphia, which had an hour-long lightning delay.)  The rain came literally as the game ended and got bad pretty much immediately.  They even made a lightning warning announcement as we were exiting the stadium.  But it could've been worse.  We could've been sitting there in the rain for two hours, but weren't.

My first World Cup game was almost everything I was hoping it would be (there were no cards or VAR reviews).  It didn't beat the experience of being there for the World Series, but it was a different kind of experience.  And it was a worthwhile one nonetheless.  More importantly, had I not gone, I would've regretted it.  I couldn't miss out on the opportunity to go to the World Cup.  I'm glad I got it.  It's one of those sporting memories I'll definitely never forget.