Team Melli still feels like home during World Cup
The Sporting Tribune's Arash Markazi watched Iran and New Zealand play to a 2-2 draw in their World Cup opener and realized he still can't stop pulling for Team Melli.
Good morning! Three markets, one inbox. The World Cup turned SoFi into theater again, the Dodgers found a pinch-hit hero, and it was a tough night for both the Aces and the Sparks. Let’s get into it.
🚨 HEADLINES
⚽ Drama at SoFi. Iran and New Zealand played to a 2-2 draw to cap a historic day of four straight World Cup draws.
⚾ Rojas off the bench. Miguel Rojas’ pinch-hit homer lifted the Dodgers past the Rays at Chavez Ravine.
🏀 Aces stumble. A flat night against Dallas dropped Vegas to second in the Commissioner’s Cup.
🏀 Sparks dig too deep. A slow start doomed L.A. against the Valkyries in San Francisco.
⚾ A’s pass the test. The Athletics’ Las Vegas trial run was a win on and off the field.
See what else is trending at The Sporting Tribune.
⚽ THE WORLD CUP TURNS SOFI INTO THEATER
The World Cup keeps delivering in Inglewood. Iran and New Zealand traded blows in a 2-2 draw at SoFi Stadium — Los Angeles Stadium for the tournament — punctuating a historic day in which all four matches finished level. For The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi, watching Team Melli was personal, a reminder of home even from the SoFi stands. And the night carried a subplot: Iran’s players went public with complaints about their FIFA travel arrangements.
GO DEEPER
› Arash Markazi: Team Melli still feels like home during the World Cup (The Sporting Tribune)
› Iran, New Zealand cap a historic day of World Cup draws (The Sporting Tribune)
› Iran players blast FIFA travel arrangements after the draw (The Sporting Tribune)
TOGETHER WITH BETONLINE
Today’s TST Best Bets are brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Join here — new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
⚾ ROJAS PLAYS HERO AS DODGERS EDGE THE RAYS
The Dodgers needed a spark, and Miguel Rojas delivered it off the bench. His pinch-hit home run carried L.A. past Tampa Bay at Dodger Stadium, a tidy bounce-back after a rough weekend in Chicago and another reminder that the defending champs have contributors up and down the roster as the three-peat chase heats up.
› Miguel Rojas’ pinch-hit homer lifts Dodgers past Rays (The Sporting Tribune)
⚾ THE A’S PASS THEIR VEGAS AUDITION
The Athletics’ homestand at Las Vegas Ballpark doubled as an audition for the franchise’s desert future — and by most measures it delivered, drawing well and selling the city on big-league baseball. It’s an encouraging marker for a club building toward a permanent Las Vegas home.
› Athletics win on and off the field in a successful Vegas trial run (The Sporting Tribune)
🌺 HAWAIʻI CORNER
Our standing slot for the islands — every edition
Still flying the year’s biggest banner. As the islands’ sports calendar turns toward summer, Hawaiʻi can still point to the season’s crowning achievement: the Rainbow Warriors’ men’s volleyball team capped a 30-5 campaign ranked No. 1 in the nation as NCAA champions under longtime coach Charlie Wade. It remains the marquee title of 2026 for a program that routinely fills the Stan Sheriff Center.
› Rainbow Warrior volleyball at UH Athletics
📺 WATCHLIST — TUESDAY, JUNE 16
⚽ World Cup: France vs. Senegal — Fox — 12 p.m. PT
⚽ World Cup: Iraq vs. Norway — Fox — 3 p.m. PT
⚾ MLB: Padres at Cardinals - MLB - 4:45 p.m. PT
⚽ World Cup: Argentina vs. Algeria — Fox — 6 p.m. PT
⚾ MLB: Angels at Diamondbacks - ABTV - 6:30 p.m. PT
⚾ MLB: Rays at Dodgers - SportsNet - 7 p.m. PT
🎟️ GOING TO A GAME TODAY?
Get-in prices across Southern California, Las Vegas and Hawaii — brought to you by TickPick, the no-hidden-fee ticket marketplace.
⚾ MLB: Rays at Dodgers — Dodger Stadium — $50
🌴 THREE-MARKET TRIVIA
With the World Cup back in Los Angeles, a bit of history: the 1994 World Cup final was played at a famous Southern California venue. Name it.
Answer at the bottom.
🎧 THE SPORTING TRIBUNE TODAY
Today’s episode takes you inside a blockbuster trade in the NBA, what the Clippers will do with their top five pick in the NBA draft, plus a Dodgers club finding heroes up and down the roster. Hear it on the radio across Southern California, Las Vegas & Hawaiʻi via Westwood One Sports.
› Listen to the latest episode
Trivia answer: The Rose Bowl in Pasadena — it hosted the 1994 World Cup final, where Brazil beat Italy on penalties.
Thanks for reading! Follow us on X and Instagram, or drop us a line at tips@thesportingtribune.com.