Can this USA team make a deep World Cup run?
It’s been a long wait since the U.S. got to play host to the World Cup. Thirty-two years to be exact. But times have changed and so has the World Cup.
Good morning! Three markets, one inbox. The U.S. opens its home World Cup tonight in Los Angeles, the Golden Knights are one loss from the end of their season, and the Aces simply will not lose. Let’s get into it.
🚨 HEADLINES
⚽ The U.S. is up. The USMNT opens its home World Cup tonight against Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium — the tournament name for SoFi Stadium— in Inglewood (6 p.m. PT, Fox & Telemundo).
🏒 Knights on the brink. Penalty trouble sank Vegas in Game 5. They trail Carolina 3-2 and face elimination in Game 6 Saturday at home.
⚾ Ohtani scare. The Dodgers held off the Pirates, but Shohei Ohtani exited with knee inflammation — all eyes now on his status.
🏀 Aces won’t lose. The big three powered a fifth straight win on the road.
⚾ Tatis stays hot. Fresh off a walk-off homer, Tatis and the Padres open a nine-game road trip in Baltimore.
See what else is trending at The Sporting Tribune.
⚽ THE U.S. OPENS A HOME WORLD CUP IN L.A.
The wait is over for the home team. More than thirty years after the 1994 World Cup, the United States opens a tournament on home soil tonight in Inglewood, facing Paraguay at SoFi Stadium — rebranded Los Angeles Stadium for the World Cup. Mauricio Pochettino’s group set up its base camp in Irvine this week, and after an up-and-down run of form, a roaring L.A. crowd is the perfect reset. A favorable Group D draw means a strong start could open the door to a long summer.
GO DEEPER
› USMNT preps for a home-soil opportunity at its SoCal base camp (The Sporting Tribune)
› Steve Carp: Can this U.S. team make a deep run? (The Sporting Tribune)
› L.A.’s FIFA Fan Festival roars as the World Cup opens (The Sporting Tribune)
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🏒 KNIGHTS ON THE BRINK
One penalty-filled night has Vegas staring down the offseason. The Golden Knights couldn’t stay out of the box in Game 5 and now trail Carolina 3-2 in a Final that has refused to follow any script. The series shifts back to Las Vegas for Game 6 on Saturday, where the Knights must win to force a decisive Game 7 — or watch the Hurricanes celebrate on their ice.
GO DEEPER
› Penalty trouble pushes the Knights to the brink (The Sporting Tribune)
› The Knights can only embrace the insanity (The Sporting Tribune)
⚾ OHTANI EXITS AS DODGERS HOLD ON
The Dodgers got the win in Pittsburgh, but it came with a scare: Shohei Ohtani left the game with knee inflammation. L.A. did enough to hold off the Pirates, yet the night now belongs to one question — how serious is it for the two-way star as the three-peat chase rolls on?
› Dodgers hold off Pirates as Ohtani exits with knee inflammation (The Sporting Tribune)
🌺 HAWAIʻI CORNER
Our standing slot for the islands — every edition
A foundation for the future. Hawaiʻi Athletics received a major boost as five of the state’s leading businesses and philanthropists pledged $5 million over the next five years to support student-athlete NIL opportunities. The commitment gives UH a critical starting point in an era where recruiting and retaining local talent increasingly comes with a price tag — and sends a clear message that the community is willing to invest in keeping the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine competitive on the national stage.
› UH Athletics NIL initiative and support efforts (The Sporting Tribune)
📺 WATCHLIST — FRIDAY, JUNE 12
⚽ World Cup, U.S.A. home opener: USA v. Paraguay (6 p.m. PT, Fox & Telemundo) at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) in Inglewood.
🏒 Stanley Cup Final: Off night — Game 6 is Sunday in Las Vegas, with the Golden Knights facing elimination.
⚾ MLB: Padres at Orioles — series opener in Baltimore (4:05 p.m. PT, MLB)
⚾ MLB: Dodgers at White Sox — series opener in Chicago (4:30 p.m. PT, Spectrum)
⚾ MLB: Rays at Angels — series opener in Anaheim (6:30 p.m. PT, ABTV)
🎟️ GOING TO A GAME TODAY?
Get-in prices across LA, Vegas & Honolulu — brought to you by TickPick, the no-hidden-fee ticket marketplace.
6:00 p.m. — USA v. Paraguay — Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi) — $1,330
6:30 p.m. — Rays at Angels — Angels Stadium — $6
🌴 THREE-MARKET TRIVIA
Four MLB teams play in The Sporting Tribune’s coverage area this week: the Dodgers, Angels, Padres and Athletics. Which one plays farthest from Hawai’i?
Answer at the bottom.
🎧 THE SPORTING TRIBUNE TODAY
Today’s episode breaks down the NBA Finals and what the Clippers will do in the NBA Draft. Hear it on the radio across Southern California, Las Vegas & Hawaiʻi via Westwood One Sports.
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Trivia answer: The Athletics — Las Vegas (where the A’s are playing their home games this week) sits farthest inland, well away from the Pacific that the Dodgers, Angels and Padres all call home.
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