SPORT

CHICAGO — Fans around Rate Field rose to their feet as Yoshinobu Yamamoto embraced his teammates before walking off the mound.

Of course, the Dodgers fans stood. But fans clad in White Sox jerseys joined them, waving White Sox hats in the air, acknowledging the brilliance they’d just witnessed.

In the Dodgers’ 7-1 win against the White Sox on Saturday, Yamamoto carried a perfect game bid into the eighth inning and a no-hit bid into the ninth.

Dating back to Yamamoto’s last start, against the Angels, he retired 45 straight batters, one shy of the major-league record set by Yusmeiro Petit in 2014.

In an eventful game, which included Shohei Ohtani returning to the lineup to homer in his first at-bat, a two-homer performance from Max Muncy, and a team-effort bounce-back after getting blown out the night before, Yamamoto’s performance on the mound stole the show.

Yamamoto, who exited with one out in the ninth inning and a pitch count of 109, was efficient even within each out. A 10-pitch strikeout in the third inning showed how Yamamoto wasn’t going to give in.

The Dodgers right-hander was one pitch away from striking out Jacob Gonzalez for seven straight pitches. But Gonzalez kept fouling off anything close to the strike zone.

For the 10th pitch of the at-bat, Yamamoto challenged Gonzalez with a cutter over the plate. And finally, Gonzalez swung through it.

The next inning, Yamamoto retired the side in eight pitches.

The only thing that slowed his roll was the mound itself. Yamamoto asked for the grounds crew to fix it in the sixth. And then he kept cruising.

Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing slaps hands with Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the ninth inning Saturday against the White Sox.

(Zoe Davis / Getty Images)

He had help from a steady defense behind him for much of the game.

The sixth inning included two highlight-worthy plays. Tristan Peters hit a sharp ground ball up the first-base line, and first baseman Freddie Freeman made a sliding stop, tossing the ball to Yamamoto at first to complete the play. Then left-fielder Alex Call ran into the retaining wall in foul territory to catch Edgar Quero’s fly ball for the final out of the inning.

For the most part, Yamamoto made it look easy. The hardest contact against Yamamoto came the third time through the lineup. In the seventh, he pumped a heater to the top rail against Miguel Vargas, who stayed on top of the pitch to send a line drive to left field — and right to Call.

In the eighth, he fell behind Colson Montgomery 3-1. But he worked back to a full count. Montgomery then scorched a line drive up the first-base line — into Freeman’s glove.

His perfect game bid ended two batters later, with two outs, on an error.

Yamamoto got Chase Meidroth to chase a slider, hitting a ground ball to shortstop Mookie Betts. But Betts mishandled the hop. The ball shot to his left, where second baseman Santiago Espinal tried to salvage the play but couldn’t pick up the ricochet cleanly.

The no-hit bid was next to fall. Yamamoto piped a fastball down the middle to Peters, who sent it over the wall in right field.

Yamamoto stayed in for one more batter, inducing Quero to fly out, before handing the ball over to manager Dave Roberts. Left-hander Alex Vesia took over for the final two outs.

Ohtani returns, hits home run

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a home run against the White Sox on Saturday.

(Matt Marton / Associated Press)

Before Yamamoto took the mound, Ohtani’s return was the big story of the day.

As Ohtani stepped into the batter’s box for the first time, he was greeted by a smattering of boos.

He took his first swing at the second pitch of the game. And he sent it into the right-field stands. A no-doubter, proclaiming that his availability was no longer in doubt.

Ohtani returned to the Dodgers lineup after exiting against the Pirates on Thursday because of inflammation in his left knee.

“I think Shohei drove it,” Roberts said of the decision to play. “Training staff drove it. We took him out of the game the other night just for precautionary reasons. Yesterday, treated it up. Today he feels great. All the confidence that he can go out there and hit, feel good, not regress at all.”

The Dodgers (45-26) will continue to monitor Ohtani’s knee as he prepares to take the mound Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium.

“I think we’re full go,” Roberts said before Ohtani threw on flat ground Saturday. “But I do think once he’s out there playing catch and we see how his knee responds to the pressure, the torque will be some good information.”

Even before Ohtani’s knee swelled (it’s still unclear what caused the inflammation) the Dodgers planned to have him pitch the day before their off-day on Thursday.

They switched Ohtani and left-hander Justin Wrobleski in the rotation order, with Wrobleski set to pitch Tuesday on regular rest.

That remains the plan, even after Wrobleski was hit in the leg by a comebacker Thursday. He left the game with a bruised right hamstring.

The Dodgers considered bringing in a spot starter, Roberts said, in order to keep the full rotation on extra rest.

“But considering how Wrobo’s start went short, feels good after it, we feel the four days’ rest will be fine for him,” Roberts said. “And then where Shohei is at, we feel good about just leaving it status quo.”

Ohtani returned without restrictions in his designated-hitter role — except for one request from his manager, after a couple days of parsing whether a steal attempt that was snuffed out by a foul ball had contributed to Ohtani’s injury.

Though they didn’t find a clear inciting incident, Roberts made it clear Saturday: “There will be no base stealing.”

The city witnessed Carl Lewis win four Olympic gold medals, cheered Valerie Brisco-Hooks’ historic golden double and watched Edwin Moses extend his 400-meter hurdles unbeaten streak. L.A. has history with track and field.

Now when Ato Boldon, a UCLA Hall of Famer and four-time Olympic medalist for Trinidad and Tobago, looks to this weekend’s L.A. Grand Prix and the city’s future with the sport, he wonders what it holds.

“I’ve always felt like L.A. needs a signature event,” Boldon said, “and with the Olympics coming up in two years, you look at the quality of this event this weekend, and you’re like, yeah, this is the kind of meet they should have all the time.”

At the halfway mark of the Olympic quadrennium, the USA Track & Field event serves as an important checkpoint for the sport’s hope to break out of the four-year popularity cycle.

The two-day event, which begins Saturday with the women’s hammer throw at the South Bay Athletic Club, features 18 Olympic or world champions competing primarily at USC’s Allyson Felix Field. Sunday’s marquee competition beginning at 1 p.m. will be televised on NBC.

With USA Track & Field building toward a home Olympics, L.A. has been a critical but stubborn market to conquer. Last year’s L.A. Grand Prix, which would have been the third edition of the meet, was canceled in April. The decision, USA Track & Field Chief Executive Max Siegel said, came down to another meet scheduled in the same venue within the same month.

But that competing event, part of Michael Johnson’s upstart Grand Slam Track league, was canceled only weeks before it was set to take place at UCLA’s Drake Stadium, leaving L.A. without a major track competition last summer.

“We knew last year when we canceled the meet that we had every intention leading up to the Olympics to be present in the L.A. market,” Siegel said.

The city knows great track. UCLA boasts legends such as Rafer Johnson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Florence Griffith-Joyner. USC, which boasts more Olympians than any other U.S. university, had athletes win nine Olympic medals in track and field at the 2024 Games in Paris, including double gold medals for Rai Benjamin in the 400-meter hurdles and 4×400-meter relay and a 4×100-meter relay championship for TeeTee Terry.

After Terry ran the second leg of the relay, Sha’Carri Richardson’s stare down at the end of her anchor leg became one of the iconic shots of the Paris Games, where 70,000 people packed Stade de France and millions more tuned in for one of the most-watched Olympics.

But the sport is back in the shadows like it always seems to be outside of Olympic years, said Boldon, now NBC Sports’ track and field analyst. There have been several attempts to penetrate the U.S. sports consciousness since the successful Paris Games. Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian launched Athlos, a women’s track and field meet that began in New York City in 2024 and added a stop in London to its 2026 schedule. Grand Slam Track, founded by the Olympic legend Johnson and touting major names including Gabby Thomas and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, filed for bankruptcy last year, after completing only three of four planned events in its first season, and is only now emerging from it.

This year’s inaugural USATF Tour aims to organize the fragmented sport by streamlining the calendar and working with existing event coordinators to provide resources, including prize money and travel for top athletes, marketing and drug testing. The tour, which was in College Station, Texas, last week for the Lone Star Grand Prix, has 17 events in 10 states.

American Tara Davis-Woodhall after winning the women’s long jump at the 2025 world championships in Tokyo.

(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

“I feel like LA28 gives the country something to organize around,” said Siegel, who hopes track and field can rise to be among the five most popular sports in the United States. “People are paying more attention to athlete stories in anticipation of what’s going to happen on U.S. soil.”

There is no shortage of stories at the L.A. Grand Prix. Almost everyone who matters in American track and field will be there, Boldon said. Kenny Bednarek, the silver medalist in the 200 meters in Paris, will line up in the 100 meters against Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who took gold in the 200 in 2024.

Tara Davis-Woodhall, the reigning Olympic long jump champion, will compete in her signature event and race in the 100-meter hurdles for just the second time in the last five years. Her husband, Hunter Woodhall, will race in the 400 meters on Saturday, when Para athletes will be among those competing in the L.A. Distance Classic at Allyson Felix Field.

Richardson will run her first 100-meter race of the season. The 2024 Olympic silver medalist could be in line to end a three-decade gold medal drought in 2028. No U.S. woman has stood atop an Olympic podium for the 100 since 1996, when Gail Devers won in Atlanta.

Such a stacked field outside of an Olympic year on U.S. soil could be a sign of a changing tide for track and field, Boldon said. The L.A. Grand Prix is a gold-level event on the World Athletics Continental Tour, the second-highest tier of single-day international competition. As athletes vie for world ranking points, the event could be a true Olympic preview two years before the Games begin at the Coliseum.

“This,” Boldon said, “is not a normal week in our sport.”

The 2026 World Cup, the largest ever, will be played in three countries and 16 stadiums, organized by geography, not national borders.

Seven of the 11 U.S. venues — all but Kansas City, Philadelphia, Santa Clara and Miami — plus Vancouver normally have artificial-turf fields.

So for the World Cup, which FIFA mandates must be played on grass, those surfaces underwent multi-million-dollar transformations, with state-of-the-art fields — each with its own root system and irrigation methods — rolled out across the plastic turf.

Additionally, stadiums that have corporate names not affiliated with FIFA sponsors — SoFi Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, etc. — will use generic names such as Los Angeles Stadium and Atlanta Stadium during the tournament.

The U.S. men’s soccer team chose an incredible day to have an incredible day.

Crucially, the United States aced its only chance to make a first impression, kicking off this colossal World Cup it’s co-hosting with Mexico and Canada with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay.

Consider it a save for the tournament, three points for soccer in America and maybe even a win for uniting the States.

The Americans on the pitch did all that, including making sure a sellout crowd of 70,492 fans got their money’s worth for their exorbitantly high-priced seats to watch football under Friday Night Lights at SoFi Stadium.

U.S. forward Folarin Balogun, right, celebrates with Sergino Dest and Chris Richards after scoring during a World Cup win over Paraguay on Friday at SoFi Stadium.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

It was not a clean sheet. And it wasn’t an elixir for all the issues — visas, tickets, transportation — that ailed the tournament in its buildup.

But the opening statement by the United States confirmed what we thought might be true. Only one thing could save this soccer tournament: soccer.

The U.S. delivered a performance to change the conversation — for the next few weeks and maybe longer.

Making history to alter history.

The United States scored multiple goals in a World Cup first half for the first time since 2002.

It got two of them from Folarin Balogun, the Brooklyn-born, England-raised forward of Nigerian descent who became just the second USMNT player to score two goals in a World Cup game and the first since 1930.

Got a perfect match from Chris Richards, the afro-rocking defender with the long, loping strides, who was 83 for 83 on his passes. That’s better than any player at a World Cup since 1966.

And if possession is nine-tenths of the law of attraction, know that the Americans possessed the ball 71% of the first half, most in the first half of a World Cup game in the modern era.

Landon Donovan, star of the 2002 team that reached the World Cup quarterfinals — a record that still stands — posted on X: “From start to finish, that was the most enjoyable day of soccer I’ve ever experienced.”

That’s the stuff that will get the American people going. Get us invested, get us behind them. That could convert even devout casuals.

Americans love a good underdog story. We also want the best, the finest, the biggest — and this, with its expanded field of 48, is the biggest version of the biggest and best tournament in the world.

And the only thing we love more than winning is dominating. The United States did that Friday against a Paraguayan team that had allowed only 10 goals in 18 World Cup qualifying matches, and whom the United States beat 2-1 in a tense match in November.

Fans cheer during the U.S. win over Paraguay in their World Cup opener Saturday at SoFi Stadium.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

That was Mauricio Pochettino and his players helping us help them.

“The fans, amazing,” said Pochettino, the team’s accomplished Argentine coach. “On behalf of the whole team, a massive thank you to the fans. Because the energy that they [gave] to the team was amazing. We can do amazing things if the fans are in this as well.”

Friday was so good for soccer in America.

And so good for America. The kind of butt-kicking that’s chicken soup for a nation’s soul.

Maybe it’s idealistic and naive, or apple-pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking, but I believe that they can win. (And by win, I mean make the quarterfinals again.)

There’s no removing politics from this World Cup, but wouldn’t it be fun to all rally behind a team together? Can’t you see the country coalescing behind the right wingers and left wingers on the pitch? Picture people celebrating the freedom inherent in Pochettino’s system? Cheering the all-for-one and one-for-all of this team of dual nationals and Americans raised abroad — or in Alabama?

Postmatch, Pochettino refused to single out any one player, instead giving reporters a recitation of his roster: “[Christian Pulisic] was amazing [setting up two goals]. Balogun was amazing, of course. Tim Ream was amazing, of course. Chris Richards was amazing, yes. Weston McKennie, he was amazing, amazing. Antonee Robinson, Alex Freeman, amazing. Sergiño Dest, amazing …”

Like they put it on the @USMNT Instagram account: “Together as Won.”

U.S. soccer, amazing.

Britain’s Emma Raducanu overcomes an injury scare to beat Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 7-5 and advance to the semi-finals of the Queen’s Club Championship.

READ MORE: Raducanu battles into Queen’s semis but Boulter goes out

Available to UK users only.

England have recovered the majority of the training equipment that was stolen prior to their arrival in Kansas City on Saturday.

Sources have confirmed the return of the items that were taken after vehicles transferring equipment to their Swope Soccer Village base in Kansas City were broken into.

Thomas Tuchel and his squad will arrive in Kansas City on Saturday afternoon and the equipment was due to be in place beforehand.

Police officers, who are in touch with the FA, were on site on Friday night dealing with the matter.

It is understood two arrests have been made in connection with the incident.

A spokesman for Kansas Police said before the recovery of the equipment: “We are investigating a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived in Kansas City with items missing this evening. The investigation is ongoing.”

The theft occurred as Tuchel’s side began their preparations for their World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday (21:00 BST).

“We have plenty of pairs of boots throughout the season, but for the tournament a lot of them will have them personalised,” former England defender Phil Jagielka told BBC Sport.

“A lot of them may have their own special insoles. Then you could choose whether to have the flag, your initials, your kids’ [names], nicknames… All this would have been done months in advance.”

The England players will undertake their first full training day on Sunday.

Crocombe’s selection may raise eyebrows, given other recent picks such as Essex’s Sam Cook or Durham’s Matthew Potts have been overlooked, but it should not be a big surprise.

When England named their Test squad at the start of the summer, Key mentioned the tall, strong quick saying he had “really kicked on” this season.

Crocombe, a product of Sussex’s academy, was first picked by England Lions in 2024 before struggles with injury.

It was when he began this County Championship season with his first five-wicket haul, taking nine in the match against Leicestershire, that he began to seriously catch the eye.

Another right-arm quick, Crocombe bowls at a lively pace.

Overall, his statistics this season are solid – a Championship average of 28.61 while sitting joint 11th in the wicket-takers’ list – and he has the skills England value.

After topscoring with the bat for Scotland, Kathryn Bryce makes an impact with the ball, taking a superb one-handed catch to remove Ireland’s Alana Dalzell for six in their opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Old Trafford.

FOLLOW LIVE: Impressive Scotland complete victory over Ireland

Available to UK users only.

BBC Sport Scotland called on the knowledge of 1998 World Cup squad members Darren Jackson and Paul Lambert, as well as the last player to captain Scotland at the women’s finals in 2019, Rachel Corsie, to enlighten and excite us.

All three said it was “surreal”.

Lambert and Corsie explained the build-up – the bit where the fans are frantically booking planes, trains and automobiles – as perhaps being the most “stressful” part of the process from qualifying.

“You’re like, I want to be in the best condition of my life,” said Corsie, who skippered Scotland in France seven years ago said.

“I don’t want to get hurt, I want to get selected, I want to be playing for my club, there’s so many things that you’re thinking and you just think, I just want us to get there.”

“It feels like endless build-up,” Lambert added.

“Then, when you’re selected, that’s when it really sinks in that you know the summer could be the greatest tournament for the national team. It’s the best tournament.”

For Jackson, who didn’t make his international debut until he was 28, said it wasn’t until he lined up in the Stade de France for the tournament opener against Brazil that things started to feel real.

“When you’re standing in the tunnel and the guy standing next to you is Ronaldo, reality kicks in,” he explained.

Add Rivaldo, Dunga, Roberto Carlos, Cafu and the rest and you’ve got a point, Darren. Gulp.

Wales pairing Jonny Clayton and Nick Kenny continued their impressive start to the World Cup of Darts with a resounding victory over Group C opponents Thailand in Frankfurt, Germany.

Having had to go through group qualifying after Gerwyn Price withdrew, the new Wales pairing opened their campaign by thumping Lithuania 4-1, and then followed that up on Friday by beating Thailand by the same score.

The Welsh duo topped their group to book a Saturday afternoon tie at the Eissporthalle against USA.

Hosts Germany again impressed with a 4-2 win over New Zealand as Martin Schindler and Ricardo Pietreczko secured their place in the second round where they will play the Czech Republic.

Republic of Ireland’s William O’Connor and Mickey Mansell clinched top spot in Group D by beating Gibraltar’s Craig Galliano and Justin Hewitt 4-2, earning a tie against Poland.

The top ranked nations – including England, Netherlands, Northern Ireland and Scotland – enter the tournament in the second round.

England pair Luke Littler and Luke Humphries – the top seeds – face Spain, while defending champions Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney begin their title defence against Belgium.

Scotland duo Gary Anderson and Cameron Menzies face Norway, while Netherlands pairing Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen take on Sweden.

France against Latvia completes the round two fixtures.

An overhead kick from Scott McTominay, a Lewis Ferguson corner that was going in until Lawrence Shankland helped it on its way, a curler to beat all curlers from Kieran Tierney and then a fourth from the other end of the earth – or the halfway line to be precise – from Kenny McLean.

It was the perfect night, a night that further reinforced the bond between these players, which is genuinely tight. That’s always said, but this group is extremely close, a club side in national team colours, a band of brothers who have each other’s back.

There was a collective swoon when news came through on Thursday that McTominay, the totem, had an iffy tummy, but he’s good now. The Napoli midfielder with the Midas Touch probably just waved his hand over his stomach and, hey presto, he was healed.

What’s absolutely fascinating about this game is the options that Clarke has and the way he’s talking about the utilisation of his bench, hinting that he might keep a heavy hitter in reserve.

On more than one occasion he’s suggested that the team that finishes the game might have to be as strong, or stronger, than the one that starts.

It’s inconceivable, for this game, that he’ll go away from his new approach of playing Shankland and Che Adams up front, so one of his star midfielders most probably won’t start.

Scotland are buoyed by the eight goals they scored in their last two games. There were caveats – Curacao had 10 men for much of it at Hampden and fell away to lose 4-1 and Bolivia were, well, not all that good.

But confidence is a valuable thing, no matter how you get it. Clarke, as is his wont, has been talking up the threat of Haiti, referring regularly to their size, their power and their athleticism.

In warm-up games, Haiti hammered New Zealand 4-0 before New Zealand lost just 1-0 to England soon after. That form line makes them a theat.

Haiti are a distant 83rd in the Fifa world rankings, but Clarke has been at pains to point out their strengths. One of those strengths is a mental fortitude that comes with representing a country that is riven by crisis and humanitarian disaster.

The capital, Port-au-Prince, is controlled by armed gangs – instability, hunger, killings, kidnappings and sexual violence is rife. Public services have collapsed. Thousands of schools have closed, 10% of the population have fled. The football team can’t play any games at home. Two years into his role as head coach, Sebastien Migne still hasn’t been able to set foot in Haiti.

That level of hardship could breed some amount of determination. Clarke knows it and you sense that his players know it, too.

Scotland have played 23 matches at World Cups and have won only four, a sobering stat when you set it alongside the memories of nightmares past, the loss to Costa Rica in 1990 chief among them.

So Clarke is taking nothing lightly. This is a must-win given the scale of what’s to come against Morocco and Brazil.

Nobody in Clarke’s camp is hiding from that. They have said repeatedly that they’re here to make history as the first Scotland team to make it through a group.

They have a vast travelling army with them and millions more at home, a strange amalgam of positivity and anxiety, belief and fear. All human emotion on the grandest stage.

Thrilling and terrifying. What a time to be alive.

The U.S. men’s national team made its first World Cup game on home soil in 32 years one to remember, defeating Paraguay 4-1 in front of a sold-out crowd at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) in Inglewood on Friday night.

Here’s a look at some of the best moments before and during the game as captured by the Los Angeles Times photography staff:

U.S. fans march to Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) before the start of the U.S.-Paraguay World Cup match Friday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

1

2

3

1. David Beckham, right, and Tom Cruise waves to fans before the World Cup group stage match. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2. Katy Perry, right, and Tius Luka perform during the World Cup opening ceremony before the U.S.-Paraguay match. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 3. U.S. players, left, and Paraguay players enter the pitch before their World Cup group stage match. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. forward Christian Pulisic, right, controls the ball in front of Paraguay defender Juan Jose Caceres during the first half Friday.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. defender Antonee Robinson, right, and Paraguay midfielder Diego Gomez battle for the ball during the first half. (Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie celebrates after a U.S. goal in the first half against Paraguay. (Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. star Christian Pulisic celebrates after a goal in the first half of a 4-1 win over Paraguay at the World Cup on Friday at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium).

(Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. players and coach Mauricio Pochettino, center, celebrate after a 4-1 win over Paraguay in the World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) on Friday night.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

1

2

3

1. Paraguay midfielder Cristian Roldan heads the ball over U.S. striker Folarin Balogun during the second half. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 2. Paraguay forward Julio Enciso jumps over U.S. defender Chris Richards during the second half. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 3. A stage is placed for the opening ceremony before the start of the U.S. vs. Paraguay match at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) on Friday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Fans cheer during the United States’ 4-1 win over Paraguay at the World Cup on Friday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Tickets to watch the U.S. dominate Paraguay 4-1 on Friday night at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium cost a fortune. But roughly nine miles north, fans such as Jose Santiago and Ivan Gonzalez enjoyed the match at a fraction of the price.

The pair each paid $10 for a ticket to watch the Stars and Stripes flourish in their first World Cup game on home soil in 32 years on big screens at the packed Coliseum on Day 2 of the Los Angeles FIFA Fan Festival.

“We bought these tickets [at the] last minute, not knowing what to expect,” said Santiago, of Fullerton. “And so far, we’ve been blown away. We definitely want to come back.”

“It’s dope,” added Gonzalez, of Yorba Linda. “You feel it. You feel the game. You feel the atmosphere. It’s fun. Everyone’s into it right now.”

Food and drink options. Pop-up tents featuring brands such as Galaxy and LAFC. A rare on-field experience at the home of USC football. And, of course, some good ‘ol collective effervescence.

“It makes you still feel like you’re a part of it,” Santiago said of his viewing experience. “It still makes you feel like you’re at the stadium, because we’re all watching the game.”

The U.S. took care of business in its World Cup opener. Presumably, those who could afford the intimidating ticket and parking prices at SoFi Stadium considered the experience worthwhile.

Santiago and Gonzalez, however, spoke for many who cherished their inexpensive night at the Coliseum, in the City of Angels itself, during their nation’s statement victory.

Fans cheer during a watch party at the Coliseum during the U.S. win over Paraguay Friday night.

(Mario Tama / Getty Images)

Several other attendees would agree — even those who aren’t backing the U.S.

Take Charlotte Cabeca, a 37-year-old from downtown L.A., is primarily rooting for Colombia — as well as “anybody from South America” — but was still grateful for the opportunity to watch the beautiful game with other fans at a bargain.

“It’s so fun,” Cabeca said with a laugh, as “USA” chants rang in the background. “It’s a really kid-friendly and family-oriented [environment.] It’s not as hectic as I had anticipated.”

Cabeca said she’ll attend more fan events in L.A. throughout the tournament, as Friday marked “the closest we can get [and] that we can afford” compared to actually attending a World Cup match.

U.S. fans celebrate during a watch party at the Coliseum as Americans beat Paraguay during the World Cup Friday.

(Mario Tama / Getty Images)

Perhaps more important, though, Cabeca appreciates the community engagement unfolding before her eyes.

“I love that the city is coming together,” Cabeca said. “I feel the unity. And even these fanfests, they bring us together. So even if we’re not at the game, it still brings all of us together as a country.

“It’s awesome. The traffic is not helpful, but other than that, it’s exciting. I really feel like everybody is for soccer right now, and that’s what we need right now to heal and be happy together.”

While Friday was a night of smiles, chants and relative affordability, there remain fans who wish FIFA and the U.S. would do more to make the World Cup more accessible, particularly by making everything, well, cheaper.

“Obviously, football is a very hard sport to monetize, because we don’t have the breaks like the NFL,” Kunal Mehrotra, a 25-year-old soccer fan from Koreatown, prefaced before saying, “Without the fans, it isn’t really a World Cup. So, it is disappointing from the U.S., and it’s not just the tickets. … It really shows that the U.S. is in it for the money and not at all for the football, which is disappointing.”

“It’s pretty ridiculous,” added Monica Unzueta, a Maywood resident and fan of Mexico and Spain. “But aye, at least FIFA’s holding some events. I mean, they should be free. But, I don’t know — that’s just FIFA.”

While they’d rather attend a World Cup game live, as Mehrotra and Unzueta noted, that isn’t realistic for most residents.

So, nights such as Friday at the Coliseum are the next-best thing.

A fan wears an American flag during a World Cup watch party at the Coliseum on Friday.

(Mario Tama / Getty Images)

And for fans such as Tyler David, a 24-year-old from Tampa, Fla., the trip to the home of the Trojans couldn’t have gone better.

“Beyond belief,” David said. “And it’s so cool to see everybody and the cultures colliding. Love it.”

Oh, and the USA’s big victory was splendid for fans too.

“Dude, absolutely magnificent,” David said, in disbelief of the U.S. leading 3-0 after 45 minutes against Paraguay. “Christian Pulisic, [coach Mauricio] Pochettino, all the guys, [Timothy] Weah. They’re playing at the top of the charts right now. I love to see it on the home soil in L.A.

“It’s getting me fired up; the fan base, the environment, the atmosphere — through the freaking roof.”

Trey Mancini hit a two-run triple to give the Angels an early lead, rookie Sam Aldegheri tossed five strong innings, and Ryan Zeferjahn struck out Cedric Mullins with the bases loaded in the ninth in a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

Zeferjahn walked Junior Caminero on four pitches after replacing Mitch Farris with two on and two outs. He struck out Mullins swinging on a 2-and-2 pitch for his second save, sealing the Angels’ third straight win and fourth in five games.

Aldegheri (2-1) gave up two runs (one earned) and three hits with three walks in his second start this season and the seventh of his career.

Mike Trout and Jo Adell had back-to-back, one-out singles off Shane McClanahan (6-4) in the first inning, and Mancini followed with a two-out triple for a 2-0 lead.

Oswald Peraza led off the third with a double, and Nick Madrigal drove him in with a two-out single before stealing second and scoring on Logan O’Hoppe’s single for a 4-0 advantage.

Aldegheri gave up a hit and walked two in the first inning, then retired 10 straight before walking Chandler Simpson to start the fifth. Nick Fortes reached on a fielding error by shortstop Zach Neto, and Taylor Walls’ bunt single loaded the bases with no outs.

Aldegheri struck out Yandy Díaz looking, but Jonathan Aranda singled to left to cut it to 4-2. Caminero hit into a double play to end the rally.

Simpson robbed Adell of a homer in the eighth to keep the Rays within two, and Aranda cut it to 4-3 with a two-out single off Farris before Zeferjahn finished.

McClanahan gave up four runs and eight hits in four innings but struck out seven. Mason Englert pitched four shutout innings and gave up four hits and two walks.

U.S. Navy Captain and NASA Artemis II astronaut Victor Glover threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Trout.

Up next: Rays RHP Griffin Jax (1-4, 4.15) starts Saturday opposite Angels RHP José Soriano (7-4, 2.96).

The United States opened their World Cup campaign with a fine win – but not before a sequence of events that left everyone inside SoFi Stadium scratching their heads as the video assistant referee (VAR) made history.

The co-hosts were comfortably leading Paraguay 3-0 when confusion reigned in the Group D game.

Veteran defender Tim Ream, 38, conceded a free-kick and was shown a yellow card for his ‘challenge’ on Miguel Almiron.

After the free-kick was taken, Dutch referee Danny Makkelie was sent to the screen by the VAR and overturned his decision – something officials have not previously been allowed to do.

After rescinding Ream’s caution, Makkelie instead booked former Newcastle United forward Almiron, who had clearly dived.

It is the first VAR intervention for mistaken identity at the World Cup, even if it perhaps was not used in the way most expected it to be.

Fifa has introduced of a number of rule changes for the tournament, with Pierluigi Collina, the head of referees, requesting one specifically for mistaken identity.

The rule states that if a player is booked or sent off – but the foul was actually committed by the opposition team – the decision can be changed.

Another new law is second yellow cards leading to a red card can be reviewed, but not first yellow cards. The only reason referee Makkelie was able to rescind the decision was by using the mistaken identity law.

The officials allowed the game to restart before stopping, which also confused fans as normally once the game resumes it cannot be pulled back.

Former Everton and Wales defender Ashley Williams, speaking to BBC Sport, added: “They let them take the free-kick, which was bizarre but clearly the right decision.

“It’s the first time we have seen it but fair play.”

Former England midfielder Danny Murphy, who was co-commentating for BBC Sport, added: “Any adaptation of the rules which means diving gets more punishment is good.”

The United States, managed by former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, won the match 4-1 to get their campaign off to a winning start in front of a jubilant home crowd.

Following an own goal by Damian Bobadilla, the US led 3-0 at half-time after Folarin Balogun scored twice.

In doing so he became just the second US player to score more than once in a World Cup match.

Paraguay pulled one back through Brazilian-born Mauricio before the goal of the night from substitute Giovanni Reyna, who curled a 20-yard shot home with the outside of his right foot with the final kick of the game.

It was a game eight years in the making. The first World Cup match on American soil in more than a generation and the start of a tournament that has the potential to alter the direction of soccer in this country for the next generation.

And the U.S. seized on every bit of that opportunity Friday, with Christian Pulisic setting up two goals and Folarin Balogun scoring twice in his World Cup debut, sparking an impressive 4-1 victory over Paraguay in a game that was far more one-sided than the score indicated.

The U.S., which needed a big effort to start the tournament, was on the front foot from the start, going in front to stay in the seventh minute — although it was Paraguayan midfielder Damián Bobadilla who got credit for the goal after stepping in front of Balogun and deflecting in a cross from Weston McKennie.

Pulisic, the American star who is under intense pressure to perform in this tournament, set up the goal, pushing the ball between a pair of defenders before poking it on for McKennie in the center of the box. Bobadilla then did the rest, inadvertently sticking his right foot in front of the ball and bouncing it by Paraguayan keeper Orlando Gil.

Balogun appeared to double the lead coming out of the hydration break midway through the opening half, but the goal was negated by an offside call. That only delayed the second goal, however, with Balogun making it 2-0 by one-timing in a perfect feed from Pulisic from the penalty spot in the 31st minute.

Balogun added to the U.S. advantage just before the intermission, running on to a perfectly weighted through ball from Malik Tillman, stepping through a challenge from Omar Alderete entering the penalty area and turning around Paraguayan captain Gustavo Gómez before left-footing a shot into the top left corner to complete his first brace for the national team.

Gil was just a spectator on the play, with no chance to best the save. The goal marked the first time Paraguay had given up three scores in a World Cup game — much less one half — since 2002 and it came at the end of what was arguably the best opening 45 minutes a U.S. team has played in the tournament in decades.

Gio Reyna scored the fourth U.S. goal on the final play of the game.

Pulisic left in favor of Sebastian Berhalter to start the second but the U.S. continued to dominate in every way it was possible to dominate, controlling the ball for nearly 60 of the 90 minutes and completing more than twice as many passes. Paraguay’s first shot on goal didn’t come until the 73rd minute when Mauricio, a halftime substitute, took advantage of a slow-reacting U.S. defense to pull a goal back.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino also got a solid game out of center back Chris Richards, playing for the first time since tearing two ligaments in his left ankle a month ago.

The Americans will face Australia in the second of three group-stage games next Friday in Seattle, where a draw will all but guarantee them a spot in the round-of-32, something Pulisic said should be just the first objective for this team.

This World Cup is the largest and most ambitious sporting event in history, with three host countries — Canada and Mexico, in addition to the U.S. — and a record 48 teams playing 104 games in 16 cities spread across four time zones. A long run by the American team, playing on home soil, could excite a nation and give soccer the kind of boost it hasn’t seen since 1994, the last time a World Cup was played here.

It could also change the narrative of a tournament whose run-up was clouded by outrageously high ticket prices, travel bans, the threat of ICE raids at tournament venues and the war in the Middle East, the first to pit a World Cup host against a World Cup qualifier.

And the U.S. portion of that tournament opened with pomp despite those circumstances, with Thai pop star Lisa, Nigerian recording artist Rema and Brazilian singer Anitta headlining a 10-minute mini concert staged before a massive replica of the World Cup trophy set over a blue map of the U.S. Katy Perry mounted a stage of her own an hour later to debut her song “Wonder” as the flags of the 48 participating countries circled around her.

President Trump did not attend the game, just as Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum skipped her country’s opener Thursday in Mexico City and prime minister Mark Carney missed Canada’s first game Friday in Toronto. Secretary of State Marco Rubio took Trump’s place in the Hollywood-heavy crowd of 70,492 that packed SoFi Stadium, one which included Tom Cruise, David and Victoria Beckham, Halle Berry, Rob Lowe, Becky G, Jaime Foxx, Paris Hilton, Bill Gates, Justin Trudeau and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

That crowd was a sea of blue and red — the U.S. and Paraguay share the same colors — but the cheering was primarily for the Americans since Paraguay rarely mounted a threat.

Golf legend Phil Mickelson is refuting an accusation that he inappropriately touched a female employee at a prestigious golf club in Southern California a few months ago.

According to Golf Digest, Mickelson allegedly approached the worker at Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe and made “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact.” After she rejected him, she reported to her supervisors and accused him of sexual misconduct.

Mickelson hired Tom Clare, a top defamation attorney, who said video evidence contradicted the allegations.

“There is a great deal of misinformation circulating and, while Phil’s full attention is devoted to a private family health matter, he has retained defamation counsel and is determined to hold accountable any publication or individual trafficking in speculation or false rumors,” Clare said in a statement to Golf Digest.

Clare did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said it investigated but found no evidence of an assault. However, the allegation resulted in the immediate removal of Mickelson from the golf grounds and revocation of his longtime membership at the club.

Farms Golf Club said in a statement to the golf magazine that it conducted a thorough investigation before confronting Mickelson and stood by its decision to end his membership. Farms also said no video cameras were in the area where the alleged misconduct occurred.

“Following a staff member report of member misconduct, the club provided immediate and ongoing support to the staff member, conducted a thorough independent investigation of the incident and took decisive action,” the statement read. “This individual is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club.

“To protect the safety and privacy of our staff and member, we are unable to speak further on the matter.”

Mickelson, who turns 56 next week, withdrew from professional golf this year because of family health reasons, last playing at the LIV Golf South Africa in March. A married father of three, Mickelson won six major tournaments on the PGA Tour — three Masters, two PGA Championships and one British Open — before he left the tour in 2022 for the upstart LIV Golf League, which will lose the financial backing of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund this fall.

His estimated career earnings exceed $1 billion, including $97 million in PGA Tour prize money, a reported $200 million signing bonus to join LIV Golf and an estimated $800 million from endorsements and business ventures.

Mickelson was one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour before his controversial move to LIV and comments about his Saudi backers, and his career survived some unsavory headlines, several of which pertained to gambling.

The Detroit News obtained federal court records that claimed a mob-connected bookie handled bets for Mickelson and was accused of cheating the golfer out of $500,000 in 2007.

Mickelson was accused by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2016 of getting an insider trading tip and buying $931,000 of stock from sports gambler Billy Walters. Mickelson was not charged and agreed to pay back the amount.

Federal auditors investigating Mickelson’s role in the scheme found that his gambling losses totaled more than $40 million from 2010 to 2014, according to an unauthorized biography of Mickelson.

Watch the best shots as Danni Wyatt-Hodge hits an unbeaten 105 to guide England to an 85-run win against Sri Lanka, and give the hosts the perfect start to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

READ MORE: England win World Cup opener after Wyatt-Hodge ton

Available to UK users only.

Wyatt-Hodge always been one of England’s most fascinating cricketers. She jokes and smiles, but that should never be confused with anything but fierce determination.

As a cricketer, she as resilient as they come.

Wyatt-Hodge made her debut in the same Mumbai ODI as Heather Knight and the pair are now the longest-serving members of this England set-up.

From the World Cup win at Lord’s in 2017 to last year’s Ashes drubbing down under. Together they have witnessed it all.

But while Knight was front and centre nine years ago as captain, Wyatt-Hodge was a bit-part player. She played five matches before others returned from injury for the trophy tilt.

Now, at 35, there is still time for this career’s defining chapter.

While Wyatt-Hodge took her parental leave, debate bubbled about who would be England’s openers when the big time came in this tournament.

Sophia Dunkley’s form faltered and Amy Jones was promoted. The one certainty, despite her absence, was always England’s diminutive right-hander.

Bleary-eyed from the sleepless nights, she made 29 when she did return against India last month in Bristol. Three single-figure scores followed but again England did not waver.

“Some people just need a bit of pressure and a bit of ‘something’ on a game,” said another former team-mate Katherine Sciver-Brunt, who watched on from the commentary box.

“This is exactly the sort of environment she needs.

“As a cricketer you can thrive or you can go within yourself, and she thrives with situations like these.

“Don’t be surprised if she is the highest run-scorer of this tournament now.”

It was also fitting that when Wyatt-Hodge reached three figures, captain Nat Sciver-Brunt was at the other end.

Like Wyatt-Hodge she is a cricketer and mum. Like Wyatt-Hodge she rocked her bat to celebrate reaching three figures at last year’s 50-over World Cup.

Coincidentally both tons were against the same opposition.

“It was really nice to have her in the middle to celebrate that hundred – two mummies,” Wyatt-Hodge said.

“I got a bit nervous at the end when the crowd was cheering me on. Nat said just take a breath and time it. I was really determined.”

As Wyatt-Hodge took the crowd’s acclaim and left the field, it was the jettisoned Dunkley who met her first by the boundary edge.

There is a togetherness building in this squad and Wyatt-Hodge is one of its most popular members.

“It was pretty emotional. A few of the girls said they had a few tears,” she said of those moments returning to the dressing room.

It was Graham Gooch who coined the phrase ‘Daddy Hundred’. This was one of the mummy variety.

After everything, few are more deserving of this moment in the sun than Wyatt-Hodge.