gold

Sunrise with ancient gods in Anatolia

Rising from the rugged heart of Anatolia, Mount Nemrut offers one of the world’s most surreal sunrise experiences. Here, colossal stone heads of ancient gods and kings gaze silently across the highlands, remnants of a long-lost kingdom. As the first rays of dawn paint the statues gold, visitors are transported into an almost mythic realm. Begin your journey in Gaziantep, often called Turkey’s culinary capital. Savour rich baklava and spicy kebabs before setting out through the hills toward Nemrut. After experiencing the mountain’s majesty, continue to Göbekli Tepe – considered the world’s oldest temple complex, predating Stonehenge by millennia.
Ickin Vural

Join the locals and eat at a büfe

It’s become a little more expensive in Turkey recently, so my tip is: eat at the büfeler, where the taxi drivers eat. You find them at every bus station in every town and village. A light lunch of rice with kuru fasulye (beans) on top, perhaps a side of vegetable stew (despite all those kebab shops, Turkish people don’t eat as much meat as we like to think), and an ayran (yoghurt drink) on the side would be my idea of a perfect lunch. Afiyet olsun! (enjoy your meal), as they say in Turkey.
Anna

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Guardian Travel readers’ tips

Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print. To enter the latest competition visit the readers’ tips homepage

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Exploring the vibrant city of Eskişehir

Eskişehir is a vibrant, studenty city less than an hour and a half’s train ride from Ankara. Its name (“old city”) is a clue to the age of the place – it was founded around 1,000BC – but unlike some of the much more visited ruins and ancient cities in Turkey, it is very much a forward-looking, 21st-century place. The Odunpazarı houses in the oldest part of the city are beautifully multicoloured – it is a perfect area to enjoy an obligatory Turkish coffee and piece of lokum (Turkish delight).
Michael Kuipers

Authentic Turkish charmers near Ephesus

Discover two gems near exquisite Ephesus: Alaçatı, on the coast near İzmir, is a picturesque, sleepy village complete with fresh fish restaurants and sandy beaches; a bit further south is Şirince, a beautiful flower village that stays fresh even through July heatwaves. You can explore the coast, visit thermal baths in spectacular Pamukkale, and Ilıca, or head to the Greek island of Samos for the day, while still savouring the joy of a simpler and more authentic Turkey.
Thomas

Lesser visited Lycian ruins around Kaş

Just above the popular seaside town of Kaş, tucked high in the hills, lie the ancient ruins of Phellos. The steep hike can be tough – especially in the heat – but the reward is worth it. Massive Lycian tombs and weathered stone ruins appear unexpectedly, like a scene from Indiana Jones. With no crowds or noise, it’s an off-the-beaten-track adventure into ancient history. If you’re seeking something beyond beaches and tourist spots, Phellos offers solitude, mystery and a stunning glimpse into a forgotten world.
Pinar Greenwood

Mardin’s heady mix and sweeping views

My top secret Turkey tip would be Mardin, in the south-east. Honey-coloured houses on a hilltop cascade down to the Mesopotamian plateau, and just about every hotel has a terrace with sweeping views across to Syria. The history is a mix of Assyrian, Armenian, Chaldean and, of course Turkish, with museums, medreses and narrow streets. It’s a taste of the Middle East but with the safety of travel in Turkey. And the food …
Ann Ozsivadjian

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Chilled dining in Antalya’s waterside retreat

The Dim River lies on the outskirts of Alanya, in the Antalya region. A short taxi or bus ride will transport you from the bustling seaside town to a cascading waterfall which flows from the Taurus mountains to the Mediterranean Sea. Trees and natural vegetation provide shelter from the searing summer sun, while the waterside restaurants offer traditional Turkish food and drinks. Relax at tables nestled in the trees, perch at the water’s edge, or take a dip in a pool filled with icy mountain water – if you dare!
Natalie

Paddling off the Lycian coast from Fethiye

Sea kayaking along Turkey’s wild south-west coast from Fethiye is an unforgettable experience. Paddle past hidden coves, ancient ruins and dramatic cliffs, before friendly local guides prepare delicious traditional Turkish meals, and the sunsets glow deep red over crystal waters. Fethiye is a culturally rich town nestled between mountains and the sea, and the perfect launch point for a trip. If you’re after beauty, solitude and authentic connection, this is paradise.
Mikey

Hike to stunning ancient Termessos

We visited Antalya in February, and viewing some of the ancient sites on a crisp, sunny day with snow on the mountains in the background was brilliant. But the highlight of our trip was taking a hike in the Mount Güllük-Termessos national park to see the ancient Solymi city of Termessos, and particularly the stunning theatre, set atop the mountain with panoramic views. You pass many interesting ruins on the way up, but this is the jewel in the crown. We went on our own, but if you want to make a day of it I’d suggest joining a hiking group for an in-depth exploration.
Alison

Winning tip: timeless charm at Akyaka

On a spontaneous road trip through Turkey’s south-west, I stumbled upon Akyaka – a peaceful, pine-fringed village untouched by mass tourism. The Azmak River, so clear it seemed unreal, flowed past riverside cafes where I watched turtles drift by. Locals welcomed me like family, and evenings meant fresh seafood and golden sunsets. The architecture – wooden houses with carved balconies – gave the town a timeless charm. Paddleboarding on the calm sea at sunrise was a moment I’ll never forget. Debbie Skudra

July 9 (UPI) — Legendary cyclist Greg Lemond on Wednesday became the first cyclist and 10th athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

Lemond, 64, joins the likes of Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Billie Jean King and Jack Nicklaus in being so honored by Congress.

Lemond was the first American to win the Tour de France with a victory in 1986 and won two others in 1989 and 1990.

He also is the only American to officially win the prestigious, multiday cycling event following disqualifications of Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis over doping allegations, USA Today reported.

A strong and faithful support system

“Throughout his life, Greg has put his talent and success to good use, speaking up for children and our military veterans, for fairness in the sport and for the next generation of cyclists, ” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said during Wednesday’s award event.

“As Greg will tell you, no race gets easier, and no great victory is won all alone,” Johnson continued. “Behind every champion stands a strong and faithful support system.”

Johnson cited Lemond’s wife, Kathy, and his extended family as the cyclist’s support system and acknowledged their attendance at the Gold Medal ceremony.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., called Lemond an “American and worldwide cycling legend” who initially was a skier but began cycling as a way to stay in shape during the off season at age 13.

“Once he got on two wheels, he had a new passion,” Thompson said of Lemond.

“After just one year of training, Greg placed second in his first club ride,” Thompson said, “He rode in a tank top, jogging shorts and tennis shoes.”

Lemond “didn’t have the right gear or the right bike, but it didn’t matter,” Thompson added. “His rocket-ship rise to success had begun.”

Honoring people, places and moments

Lemond and his family joined Johnson and other lawmakers on the stage for the medal presentation.

“The honor is more than I ever expected, and I accept it with deep gratitude and a profound sense of humility,” Lemond said of the Congressional Gold Medal.

“Today isn’t just about reflecting on my own journey,” Lemond told the audience. “It’s also about honoring the people, places and moments that shaped it.”

He thanked his parents and family for their support and all of the teammates who helped make him a champion.

“Cycling was an unusual sport for a 14-year-old kid in 1976,” Lemond said. “I didn’t even know the sport existed until one day a bicycle race passed my home.”

Lemond said he became “passionately obsessed with racing” after winning his first cycling event and “believed that, as an America, if I worked hard enough, anything was possible.”

His dream was to become the world’s best cyclist, so he moved to Europe at age 19 to make it happen.

Just a blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid

“I brought an American attitude to the sport of cycling,” Lemond said. “I was open to new ideas and bringing innovation and technology to a very traditional sport. That was a huge competitive advantage.”

He said Europeans taught him a lot and embraced him as “le American.”

“I was just a blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid from America, and for some reason, that resonated with people,” Lemond said. “I think Europeans saw in me what the U.S. has meant to Europe at critical times — as an ally, a liberator and a friend.”

He recalled a recent encounter in a village of about 80 people in the French Alps, where he said an old man approached him and announced he was the one who invented the carbon fiber disc wheels that Lemond was the first to use and that helped him to win the 1986 Tour de France.

Lemond told the man he wished he still had those wheels. The man told him they were in his mother’s garage and asked if he would like to have them.

“They were the first carbon fiber wheels to win the Tour de France,” Lemond said.

A legacy of sacrifice and courage

Lemond, his wife, Kathy, and the man walked to the 104-year-old woman’s home, where the old woman hugged him, invited them into her home.

She had an old U.S. flag and lots of American-related memorabilia in her home and told Lemond and Kathy that she witnessed the Nazis occupy France in 1940.

Her brothers fled into the mountains to join the resistance, and she rode her bicycle through the countryside to deliver food and information, Lemond told the audience.

“Sadly, one of her brothers was killed in the fighting, and then the Americans came,” he said.

The woman told him Americans saved her father, her family and her country.

“She cried as she told us, and so did we,” Lemond said. “That moment has stayed with me.

“It reminded me that being an American, especially abroad, carries a legacy of sacrifice, of courage and showing up when it matters most,” he said. “So I am honored beyond words to receive this Congressional Gold Medal.”

Lemond said the honor isn’t his alone and belongs to every teammate, supporter, family member and to “all the extraordinary Americans whose courage and sacrifice made my life possible.”

Greatest U.S. cyclist who raced clean

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest award that a civilian can receive from Congress, which Congress initially awarded to Lemond in 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic delayed Lemond’s receipt of the Gold Medal until Wednesday.

Lemond was born in northern California and grew up in Reno, Nev., where he was graduated from Wooster High School in 1979 and soon after pursued his cycling dreams in Europe.

He is considered the greatest U.S. cyclist who did not resort to performance-enhancing drugs to become a champion.

Lemond’s final two wins came he was nearly killed when accidentally shot during a turkey hunt on his family’s ranch in northern California in 1987.

His 8-second margin of victory during the 1989 race is the closest in the history of the Tour de France, which covers more than 2,000 miles in the French Alps over 21 stages each summer.

It is one of the world’s most popular sporting events and its oldest and most prestigious cycling race.

The U.S. was thoroughly outplayed by Mexico in Sunday’s CONCACAF Gold Cup final. It was outshot, outpassed, outpossessed and arguably out of its league.

Which, surprisingly, was partly the way coach Mauricio Pochettino wanted it. Because the monthlong tournament was never really about results for the U.S. It was about finding heart, grit, determination and dedication. It was about taking the pulse of his player pool a year before soccer’s biggest event returns to North America.

And those are things not easily measured by results alone.

So while Mexico deservedly won Sunday’s battle 2-1, the larger war, Pochettino believes, rages on.

“That,” he said after Sunday’s final, “is the way we want to build our journey into the World Cup.”

When Pochettino gathered his team for the tournament in early June, it was missing as many as six first-choice starters for a variety of reasons. Some had club duties, some were injured. Others preferred rest over the honor of playing for their country.

So Pochettino called up a roster that averaged just 25 years of age and 14 players with fewer than five international caps and challenged them to prove they belonged. That was the team that rolled into Sunday’s final unbeaten (barely) in five Gold Cup games. That was the team that entered the final 15 minutes against a veteran Mexico squad even on the scoreboard.

If this was Pochettino’s “C” team, nobody bothered to tell the players.

“It’s an honor,” midfielder Diego Luna, who had played for the U.S. just four times before the Gold Cup, told reporters about wearing the crest. “I think every single one of these players thinks about it the same way I do. It’s the No. 1 dream that we’ve had as kids and we’re going to fight for this to have as many chances to wear it was we can.”

Credit Pochettino for taking the lemons he was handed and turning them into lemonade. After the USMNT’s listless and uninspired performance in last March’s Nations League final four, where it scored just once in back-to-back losses to Panama and Canada, the coach learned the majority of his first-choice lineup planned to pass up the Gold Cup, the team’s final competition matches before the World Cup.

If the U.S. had lost its identity, had lost its way, by the end of the Nations League, the absences of veterans Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie this summer gave Pochettino an unexpected opportunity to redefine what it meant to be a national team player. He pushed his young, inexperienced roster of fringe national team players to show how much they cared, to show they really wanted to be part of the program.

And it worked.

Luna thrust himself into contention for a World Cup roster spot through grit and hunger alone. Others such as goalkeeper Matt Freese, midfielders Sebastian Berhalter and Malik Tillman and forward Patrick Agyemang also shone brightly enough that the coach said his roster for his team’s September friendlies with South Korea and Japan, much less the World Cup, is wide open.

“All the American players have the possibility for September to be on the roster,” he said Sunday. “It’s still one year from the World Cup. But now we need to build a roster for September. We need to analyze every single player, see the circumstances, the situations, performance, fitness level.

“Don’t worry. We are people that are very open, and not closed. And who deserves to be [there] will be [there.]”

Pochettino’s message is that desire and national pride are as much a requirement to play for the national team as talent. It’s partly a bluff, of course. He won’t go far in the World Cup with Luna and Berhalter playing in place of Pulisic and McKennie because all the star-spangled celebrations in the world can’t hide the fact the team Pochettino fielded this summer was deeply flawed.

It prepared for the Gold Cup by getting outscored 6-1 in losses to Turkey and Switzerland, running the team’s losing streak to four games, its longest since 2007. The U.S. rebounded with narrow wins over Saudi Arabia and Haiti to advance out of the tournament’s group stage and in the knockout stage it beat Costa Rica on penalty kicks, then had to hold off Guatemala for a one-goal win to reach the final.

Of those six opponents, only Switzerland ranks in the world’s top 20, according to FIFA. Guatemala isn’t even in the top 100. And the loss to Mexico was the fifth in as many games against top 30 teams since Pochettino took over nine months ago.

That won’t get it done in the World Cup.

If heart, effort and belief really do matter, so does talent. That makes Pochettino’s task during the next year a simple one: he must find a way mesh the intangibles developed this summer with the talent he’ll need to win next summer.

As the players shuffled out of Houston’s NRG Stadium after Sunday’s loss, that fusion was already taking place.

“There’s a few non-negotiables now,” defender Chris Richards told reporters. “This was kind of a game-changer. … When the guys come back, these are some things that we have to hold each other accountable for. And hopefully moving forward we can add a little bit more quality to it, as well, and we’re going to be a really tough team to beat.”

⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week’s episode of the “Corner of the Galaxy” podcast.

It proved one game too far for Mauricio Pochettino’s United States as defeat to Mexico in the Gold Cup final ended their hopes of lifting the trophy in their own country.

Pochettino’s start to life as head coach has been unconvincing but a promising run in this summer’s Gold Cup had started to provide new hope.

A win against Mexico in Sunday’s final would not only have delivered a trophy but also started the process of instilling some much-needed belief. It was not to be as Mexico came from behind to win 2-1.

The defeat though will leave supporters questioning again whether things are moving in the right direction before a World Cup on home soil next summer.

Pochettino, who was furious after Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar Toca turned down a penalty appeal for handball, believed the majority of the 70,000 crowd at the NGR Stadium in Houston being Mexican went against his side.

He said: “Mexico is a great team, they have great players and a good coaching staff, but I want to emphasize how important the fans are in a soccer match.

“When you have their support, you regenerate the player’s energy on the field, and when you don’t, you drain their energy and it’s hard.

“If we had the majority supporting us today, it would have been different, but that’s what we’re dealing with. The truth was that if that happened in the opposite box, for sure, it’s [given as a] penalty.

“This Gold Cup though allowed us to have the players together for 40 days to establish the principles of what we want, and that has been very helpful. It was important to see players crying after losing; it makes me happy because that’s how this sport should feel.”

Mixed results across the Argentine’s first 16 matches have shown a worrying inconsistency and during this time, they have lost all five matches against a team in the top 30 of Fifa’s rankings.

By now, the US should have some clarity in their preparations for the 2026 tournament, but there remains an unfinished, rocky feel to the foundations they have been laying since Pochettino took over in September 2024.

Questions were being asked of the former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris St-Germain boss following consecutive defeats by Panama and Canada in the Nations League finals, and Turkey and Switzerland in Gold Cup warm-up games.

There has been a lack of consistency in both personnel and results. The squad appears unresolved, with the group of players called up differing for each camp, something that has mostly been beyond Pochettino’s control.

Fifty-five players have made appearances for the USA under the Argentine since he was appointed 10 months ago, making it difficult to build momentum and togetherness.

Edson Álvarez scored a tiebreaking goal in the 77th minute after a video review reversed an offside call, and Mexico beat the United States 2-1 on Sunday night for its record 10th CONCACAF Gold Cup title.

Chris Richards put the U.S. ahead in the fourth minute, heading in a Sebastian Berhalter free kick for the second time in the tournament, but Raúl Jiménez tied the score in the 27th with his third goal of this Gold Cup.

Mexico was awarded the free kick when Diego Luna fouled Alexis Vega on a flank. Johan Vásquez flicked the restart across the goal mouth and Álvarez burst past the defense, redirecting the ball from three yards just inside Matt Freese’s far post. While the play was initially called offside, the goal was awarded by the VAR, and Mexico defended its title from 2023 while improving to 6-2 in Gold Cup finals against the U.S.

Patrick Agyemang had a chance two minutes into stoppage time but he didn’t make good contact on his short-range shot that was blocked by goalkeeper Luis Malagón.

“We’re disappointed obviously to not come away with a win,” U.S. captain Tim Ream said.

A sellout crowd of 70,925 at NRG Stadium was about 70% pro-Mexico and booed U.S. players when they walked out for pregame warmups. Mexico dominated with 60% possession and had 12 corner kicks to none for the Americans.

This was the last competitive match for the U.S. and Mexico before co-hosting next year’s World Cup with Canada.

The U.S., which has seven Gold Cup titles but none since 2021, used a starting lineup with only a handful of players currently projected as World Cup starters, missing regulars because of vacation, injuries and the Club World Cup.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino used their absence to evaluate players who could push for starting jobs during the friendlies this fall and next spring, and Luna, Agyemang and Freese emerged as contenders for World Cup roster spots.

Richards put the U.S. in front when he headed Berhalter’s free kick from about 40 yards off the crossbar. The ball bounced straight down and just crossed the goal line.

Jiménez scored his 42nd international goal, third-most in Mexican history. He burst past the defense and one-timed the pass from Marcel Ruiz, beating Freese from about 10 yards on a shot that might have nicked Ream.

Jiménez celebrated by grabbing a Mexico No. 20 jersey with “DIOGO J” in honor of Diogo Jota, his former Wolverhampton teammate who died in a car crash Thursday in Spain. Jiménez ran to a corner, sat down with the jersey and mimicked playing a video game.

ST. LOUIS — Diego Luna scored twice in the first 15 minutes, and the United States hung on to beat Guatemala 2-1 on Wednesday night to reach its first CONCACAF Gold Cup final since 2021.

Luna put the U.S. ahead with a left-footed shot in the fourth minute, then scored with his right in the 15th for his third goal in two games.

Olger Escobar, an 18-year who was born in Lynn, Mass., cut inside and slid a shot from inside the area between Matt Freese and the far post in the 80th minute for his second goal of the tournament. Freese parried José Morales’ shot toward the far post in the second minute of stoppage time.

The U.S. plays defending champion Mexico or Honduras for the title Sunday at Houston, the Americans’ last competitive match before their World Cup opener next June. El Tri has won nine Gold Cups, the U.S. seven and Canada one.

The 16th-ranked Americans advanced to the Gold Cup final for the 13th time. All five losses in finals have been to Mexico.

No. 106 Guatemala, which has never reached the final, outshot the U.S. 13-1 in the last 30 minutes of the first half.

Luna got his first goal after Alex Freeman crossed for Malik Tillman. He touched the ball to Luca de la Torre, whose shot was stopped by goalkeeper Kenderson Navarro. Luna reacted quickly and switched the ball from his right foot to his left, then shot over Navarro’s outstretched right hand.

Eleven minutes later, Luna received a cross-field pass from Tillman about 40 yards out, dribbled in, got by defender José Carlos Pinto with a stepover and put the ball inside the near post from the edge of the penalty area.

Guatemala’s starters included a pair of former U.S. players: 29-year-old forward Rubio Rubin made seven appearances for the Americans from 2014-18 before switching in 2022 and 28-year-old defender Aaron Herrera made one in 2021 and then changed in 2023.

Rubin put the ball past Freese in the 29th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Freese made a kick save on Rubin in the 34th.

Christian Pulisic was supposed to be in St. Louis on Tuesday, preparing to play in the national soccer team’s Gold Cup semifinal with Guatemala. Instead he was standing under a freeway overpass in Culver City playing with a bunch of kids.

“This is kind of what I was, you know, born to do,” the former and perhaps future captain of the national team said. “Having this platform and being here to inspire, hopefully, the next generation and do this for kids, it’s special.”

Pulisic, 26, isn’t far removed from being a kid himself, one who grew up learning the game on mini fields not too different from the one he was opening Tuesday. But for Pulisic soccer is no longer a child’s game, it’s a business. And that has taken a lot of fun out of it.

So when Pulisic, the national team’s active leader in both appearances (78) and goals (35), decided to pass up this summer’s Gold Cup, the last major competition before next year’s World Cup, he was widely pilloried as selfish and egotistical by former national team players including Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard and Landon Donovan.

“I just can’t fathom turning down the privilege of representing my country,” added Alexi Lalas, who played on two World Cup teams for the U.S.

However, Pulisic says he was simply exhausted.

He played a career-high 3,650 minutes in all competition for AC Milan last season, leading the team with 11 goals and nine assists in Serie A play while appearing in 118 games for club and country in the last 22 months. He needed a break to rest both body and mind before the World Cup, when he’ll be the focus of a U.S. team playing the tournament at home for the first time in 32 years.

So after consulting with U.S. Soccer and national team coach Mauricio Pochettino, he took it, offering to play in two June friendlies — an offer Pochettino declined — but turning down an invitation to play in the Gold Cup.

The reaction was swift and hurtful, with many critics accusing Pulisic of turning his back on his country.

“To question my commitment, especially towards the national team, in my opinion that’s way out of line,” Pulisic said in his defense on a Golazo Network podcast last month.

“I don’t regret my decision. I think it’s the right thing for me.”

Given a chance to expand on that Tuesday, Pulisic declined.

“I said what I needed to say. I don’t think it’s something that I want to harp on,” he said.

But events like Tuesday’s clearly rekindle his passion for soccer by reminding him of what the game still looks like through a child’s eyes.

“To see the joy that it brings to kids’ faces and to give them a free space to just come and play and enjoy the game like I used to when I was a kid, that’s what it’s all about,” he said. “When I was around their age, that’s when I really grew the love for the game.”

His father, Mark, was a former indoor soccer player and longtime coach, so Pulisic spent much of his childhood in places just like the one in Culver City. Getting back to those basics after what has been one of the most trying months of his professional career has been a breath of fresh air and it showed because Pulisic, whose smiles are rare and generally sarcastic, was wearing a wide and sincere one Tuesday.

The play space he was visiting is the second Christian Pulisic Stomping Grounds facility in the U.S., one developed in conjunction with the global sports brand Puma. The first Stomping Ground opened two years ago in Miami and there are plans to build a third in Texas.

Wedged into an industrial area crowded with storage facilities and warehouses beneath an on-ramp to the 405 Freeway, the space, home to the Culver City Football Club, was refurbished to include mini indoor and outdoor turf fields, a putting green and a life-size chess set.

The costly update was nice, said Krist Colocho, president and chief executive of the Culver City Football Club. But having the captain of the men’s national team come to christen the site, then engage some three dozen players, ages 9 to 13, in training drills, was priceless.

“There’s no words for it,” he said. “The top player in the U.S.? It’s amazing. To get to play with him? That’s a cherry on top.”

The nonprofit club, Colocho said, is dedicated to ending the pay-for-play model that has made soccer too expensive for many kids. The Pulisic-Puma partnership will help with that.

“This is a start,” he said. “Coming from a background where soccer is difficult to afford, this is going to be one of those stepping [stones] that we work with.”

Outside Pulisic backed toward a mini goal as 6-year-old Arih Akwafei charged forward, pushed the ball around Pulisic and tucked it into the net, then celebrated as only a 6-year-old can.

“It was fun doing everything and using our bodies to try to play soccer with him to see if he was good or not,” Arih said, gulping air between words in an effort to control her excitement. “I scored on him.”

Cameron Carr, 9, agreed.

“It’s a very big deal,” he said of Pulisic’s visit.

Asked whether he’d be happier if Pulisic was in St. Louis practicing with the national team, as so many critics had demanded, Cameron grew confused. To him the answer was as obvious as the question was stupid.

“I’m very happy that he’s taking his time to meet with us kids when he could be training,” he said.

MINNEAPOLIS — Damion Downs scored in the sixth round of a shootout after three saves by Matt Freese, sending the U.S. to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 4-3 penalty-kicks win over Costa Rica after a a 2-2 tie on Sunday night.

The U.S. advanced to a Wednesday matchup in St. Louis against Guatemala, which upset Canada on penalty kicks in the opener of the quarterfinal doubleheader.

Mexico plays Honduras in the other semifinal on Wednesday in Santa Clara. The championship is in Houston on July 6.

The U.S. has reached the semifinals in 17 of 18 Gold Cups, including 13 straight since a quarterfinal loss to Colombia on penalty kicks in 2000.

Diego Luna and Max Arfsten scored in regulation for the U.S., which faced its highest-ranked opponent of the tournament in Costa Rica (54th) after breezing through the group stage with an 8-1 goal differential.

Alonso Martinez scored the tying goal for the Ticos in the 71st minute with a left-footed shot after Carlos Mora split Luca de La Torre and Arsten to take a shot on Freese and seize the rebound to set up Martinez.

CONCACAF changed the rules for this edition of the biennial championship for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, eliminating extra time except for the championship game.

John Tolkin had the first chance to win the shootout for the U.S. Keylor Navas knocked down his try in the fifth round. Freese then denied Andy Rojas with a diving hand, climbing to his feet while nodding his head and sticking out his tongue toward his cheering teammates at midfield. That set up the winner by the 20-year-old Downs.

Missing the tournament for the U.S. are regulars Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun and Sergiño Dest, due to a variety of reasons from injuries to rest to Club World Cup commitments.

Three of Costa Rica’s six goals during the group stage came by penalty kick, and Francisco Calvo added another one in the 12th minute after a foul by Arsten. Calvo went low to zip the ball just out of reach of a diving Freese.

Malik Tillman, who had three group stage goals, put a 37th-minute penalty kick off a post and Navas knocked away Arfsten’s attempt off the rebound.

Luna picked him up with his first goal in international competition by rocketing a shot off the chest of defender Alexis Gamboa for the equalizer in the 43rd minute.

Tillman made amends for his miss early in the second half by poking a pass ahead for Arfsten, who surged in from the left wing to send the ball into the opposite corner for the lead.

Seven workers were injured in the collapse, which occurred in an area controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces.

The partial collapse of a traditional gold mine in Sudan’s northeast has killed 11 miners and wounded seven others, according to the state mining company, as a brutal civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is in its third year.

Since the war erupted in April 2023, both sides’ war chests have been largely funded by Sudan’s gold industry.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC) said that the collapse occurred in an “artisanal shaft in the Kirsh al-Fil mine” over the weekend in the remote desert area of Howeid, located between the SAF-controlled cities of Atbara and Haiya in Sudan’s northeastern Red Sea state.

Another seven workers were injured and transferred to a hospital, the SMRC said.

The company added that it had previously suspended work in the mine and “warned against its continuing activity due to its posing great risk to life”.

According to official and NGO sources, nearly all of the gold trade is funnelled through the United Arab Emirates, which has been accused of arming the RSF. The UAE denies it does so.

The war has shattered Sudan’s already fragile economy. The army-backed government, nevertheless, announced record gold production of 64 tonnes in 2024.

Africa’s third-largest country is one of the continent’s top gold producers, but artisanal and small-scale gold mining accounts for the majority of gold extracted.

In contrast to larger industrial facilities, these mines lack safety measures and use hazardous chemicals that often cause widespread diseases in nearby areas.

Mining collapses are also common. Similar incidents in recent years include a 2023 collapse that killed 14 miners and another in 2021 that claimed 38 lives.

Before the war, which has pushed 25 million people into dire food insecurity, artisanal mining employed more than two million people, according to mining industry sources and experts.

Today, according to those sources, much of the gold produced by both sides is smuggled to Chad, South Sudan and Egypt, before reaching the UAE, the world’s second-largest gold exporter.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in Sudan, where more than 13 million people are currently displaced in the world’s largest displacement crisis.

More than four million have fled across borders.

Currently, the SAF dominates the north and east of the country – including the smallest state by area, but most populous, Khartoum – along with some central areas. The RSF, meanwhile, holds most of western Sudan, including most of Darfur.

Jennifer Dodds is aiming for back-to-back Winter Olympic gold medals, with the curling teams the first officially confirmed Team GB athletes for Milan-Cortina 2026.

And, with a silver medal on their debut, Bruce Mouat and his rink are aiming to go one better in Italy next year.

Mouat, along with Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan Jr, were narrowly beaten by Sweden in the 2022 final.

Dodds teamed up with Eve Muirhead, Vicky Wright and Hailey Duff in Beijing as Britain topped the podium for the first time in 20 years.

This time, she will be joined by Rebecca Morrison, Sophie Sinclair and skip Sophie Jackson.

“Winning gold last time was a dream come true, so I’m excited to get back there, obviously with a new team,” Dodds told BBC Scotland.

“We’ve been building a lot over the last couple of seasons and I’m excited to see where the trajectory of our performance can go over the next eight months.

“I’ve known a couple of the girls for quite a while, but that’s the thing, we probably had to build that teamwork, build the friendships and I feel like we’ve done that really well. I think you can see in our performances, our teamwork has improved, and a big part of that is communication and understanding each other.”

Mouat’s Scotland rink won World Championship gold for a second time this year, having been European champions on four occasions.

Now the Edinburgh curler wants to add Olympic gold to their list of achievements.

“We were close last time,” he said. “It came down to a matter of centimetres in the final. It was tough at the time but we’ve really bounced back and got our two world championships and now we’ve got 10 Grand Slam titles, so we have a lot of momentum.”

You could argue that Nevada City peaked 170 years ago, along with Charles Darwin, Herman Melville and Queen Victoria.

But we’re still talking about them all. And Nevada City, 60 miles northeast of Sacramento in the Sierra foothills, is reachable without a séance.

In the 1850s, it grew from a miners’ outpost into a Gold Rush boomtown of 10,000 (heavy on the bars and brothels) before anyone got around to naming that other Nevada as a territory or a state. Today it lives on as a tiny town with a lively arts scene and a liberal bent, home to about 3,200 souls.

Perhaps because there’s so much to escape from these days, Nevada City and its larger, more middle-of-the-road neighbor Grass Valley have been drawing more visitors than ever lately. Nevada County’s hotel and vacation rental tax revenues have doubled in the last five years to a record high.

“A lot of people are coming up from the Bay Area and settling up here because Nevada City is in a lot of ways like the Bay Area,” said Ross Woodbury, owner of Nevada City’s Mystic Theater. “It’s a very blue town in a very red region.”

If you’re from elsewhere, it’s easy at first to overlook the differences among these Gold Rush towns. Once your feet are on the ground, however, the distinctions and fascinating details shine through — as do historic rivalries.

“Nevada City thinks it’s a little better than Grass Valley and Grass Valley think it’s a little better than Nevada City. I don’t think that’s ever going to change,” said restaurateur John Gemignani, standing by the grill of the Willo steakhouse in Nevada City.

“That’s never going to change,” confirmed his wife, Chris Gemignani.

Nevada City’s intimate size, upscale shops and throwback 19th century architecture alone are enough to win over many people. Its downtown is a 16-acre collection of more than 90 historic buildings, cheek by Victorian jowl. Say you have breakfast at Communal Cafe, lunch at Three Forks Bakery, dinner at Friar Tuck’s, a drink after at the Golden Era. You haven’t even hit 1,000 steps for the day yet, unless you’ve been dancing to the live music that often fills the area. (One night, I stepped from Spring Street into Miners Foundry — an 1856 landmark now used as a cultural center — and found about 200 locals gathered for a community sing, a chorus of Beatles-belting Boomers.)

For those who seek higher step counts, forested foothills and miles of trails wait outside town, along with often-perilous springtime whitewater and summer swimming holes along the South Yuba River. And in surrounding hill country, the Empire Mine and Malakoff Diggins, once the major employers (and polluters) of the region, now serve as state historic parks. The Beat Generation poet Gary Snyder (95 years old and well represented on the shelves at Harmony Books on Main Street) still lives on a ridge outside town.

Meanwhile, four miles down the road from Nevada City in Grass Valley, changes are afoot. The Holbrooke Hotel (statelier sibling to Nevada’s City’s National Exchange Hotel) reopened after a dramatic renovation in 2020. Soon after, spurred by the pandemic, the city closed busy Mill Street to cars, making it a permanent two-block pedestrian promenade full of restaurants, bars and shops.

Still, if Los Angeles moves at 100 miles per hour, Foggy Mountain Music store clerk Pete Tavera told me, “Grass Valley is like 60.”

Both towns preserve their mining heritage, and when you stroll through them, you can just about hear echoes of those raucous Gold Rush days. Here’s a little more of what I learned during a three-day visit:

• In the early days of the Gold Rush, most of the area’s mine workers lived in Grass Valley while the owners, bosses and other white-collar people built their upscale Victorian homes in Nevada City, the county seat.
• The Great Depression of the 1930s never really reached this corner of Gold Country, because the big hard-rock mines kept on producing gold.
• In 2024, when a company tried to restart gold mining at the nearby old Idaho-Maryland Mine, residents of Nevada County, which includes Nevada City and Grass Valley, rose up and the county board of supervisors shut down the idea, citing environmental risks. These days, it seems, Nevada County wants to remember gold mining, not live with it.

Because everybody needs a break now and then, here is a closer look at 15 essential spots, starting in Nevada City, continuing with Grass Valley.

Great Britain’s Romell Glave topped a field including Andre de Grasse and Marcell Jacobs to win the men’s 100m final at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland.

Glave won with a time of 10.08 seconds, with Canada’s Jerome Blake and Ghana’s Benjamin Azamati coming in at 10.09 and 10.10 respectively.

Canada’s De Grasse – Tokyo 2020 Olympics 200m gold medallist – came sixth at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Turku with 10.23.

Jacobs, who won 100m Olympic gold five years ago but was racing for the first time since the 2024 Games in Paris, came last with 10.44.

“It’s the redemption from the [2024] European Championships where I finished behind Jacobs [who won gold],” said Glave, 25.

“This time I got the better of him. After the heats I felt a bit tight but I had enough time to go back to warm up and release it.

“I was able to be patient compared to my last race, I just focused on the first 30m.”

Meanwhile, Britain’s Morgan Lake won the women’s high jump on countback ahead of Jamaica’s Lamara Distin as they both managed 1.91m.

Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh secured a seventh successive victory of the season with gold in the discus, with the top three all surpassing 70 metres.

The 2022 world champion threw 70.61m to beat Australia’s Olympic bronze medallist Matt Denny and Sweden’s two-time world gold medallist Daniel Stahl.

Back on the track, USA’s Dylan Beard won the 110m men’s hurdles in a meeting record of 13.16.

Switzerland’s world indoor silver medallist Ditaji Kambundji won the women’s 100m hurdles final, clocking 12.66 to deny Pia Skrzyszowska by just 0.02.

New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs clocked 11.07 after an 11.09 heat to take 0.02 off the meeting record in the women’s 100m and win by 0.04 ahead of Boglarka Takacs of Hungary.

Another meeting record fell in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase as Germany’s Frederik Ruppert continued his fine form to win in 8 minutes 10.39 seconds, finishing just over a second ahead of his compatriot Karl Bebendorf who ran a personal best of 8:11.52.

SAN JOSÉ — The U.S. hopes a blowout win over the world’s 100th-ranked team can start to lessen the pessimism created by the Americans’ longest losing streak since 2007.

Malik Tillman scored twice and Diego Luna had a pair of assists in a 5-0 rout of Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday in the Americans’ CONCACAF Gold Cup opener.

“Really important I think to cut a little bit this — I don’t say negativity, but, yes … but it’s really important now to start the competition with a good feeling,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said.

Victory in the Group D opener ended a four-game losing streak and came after days of controversy over Christian Pulisic’s desire to rest during the Gold Cup and Pochettino not including the star in a pair of pre-tournament friendlies the attacker offered to play in.

Tillman scored in the 16th and 41st minutes for his first two international goals, both following giveaways by Alvin Jones, and Patrick Agyemang scored his fourth international goal in the 44th when Luna’s shot deflected off a foot.

“It was in our hands to show a reaction and I think we’ve done it today,” Tillman said. “We played a good game and it was nice to bounce back, have a good start to the tournament.”

Brenden Aaronson added his ninth goal in the 82nd and Haji Wright his fifth just 1 minute, 13 seconds later for the 16th-ranked Americans, who drew just 12,610 to PayPal Park.

“Malik is a talented player. It’s obvious that everyone can see,” Pochettino said. “October, November, when we met for the first time I think it was difficult to create this relationship that the player need(s) and the coach need(s) to trust and to trust each other. … I think now after a few weeks together I really start to understand him and he starts to understand us. And he’s very special, a very special talent and a very special kid.”

Luna, a 21-year-old who impressed Pochettino during his debut in January when he insisted he stay on the field with a broken nose, was playing not far from where he grew up and said he had gotten tickets for about 30 family and friends.

“Just an honor, right, to be able to dream about this day,” he said. “[To] start off a tournament like this back in my home city is awesome.”

Luna ran onto Jones’ back pass, dribbled down the left flank and crossed to Tillman for the second goal, then shot from just inside the penalty area for the goal that glanced off Tillman for a 3-0 lead.

“His performance was really good. He showed his character,” Pochettino said.

The Americans have won their group in 16 of 17 Gold Cups, along with a second-place finish behind Panama in 2011, and improved their group stage record to 41 wins, one loss and five draws. They play invited guest Saudi Arabia on Thursday at Austin, Texas, then close group play on June 22 against Haiti at Arlington, Texas.

Matt Freese was in goal in place of Matt Turner, who had started 14 consecutive competitive matches for the U.S. and 23 of 24 dating to the 2022 World Cup. The lone exception was a Gold Cup group stage game against St. Kitts and Nevis in 2023.

Pochettino said he wanted to create competition for Turner, who didn’t get into a Crystal Palace match after March 1. The coach said Turner told him he was disappointed with the decision but understood it and would compete to get playing time.

They played a soccer game at SoFi Stadium on Saturday.

Not that many people really cared.

Mexico won, beating the Dominican Republic 3-2 in the first game of the monthlong CONCACAF Gold Cup. Yet even the team’s biggest fans found it hard to celebrate given what was going on just a dozen miles away, where hundreds of people protested in front of police, national guard troops and U.S. Marines during the eighth day of protests over federal immigration raids aimed at the Latino community.

“When the Mexican team plays, it’s a celebration, right? But no, it wasn’t,” said El Coronel, the nom de guerre of the leader of Pancho Villa’s Army, the Mexican national team’s largest supporter group in the U.S. — a group started by Sergio Tristan, a Texas attorney and national guard colonel who spent 30 months on the front lines in Iraq as a U.S. Army infantryman.

They couldn’t celebrate because many in Southern California’s Latino community — citizens and immigrants, documented and not — were being targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. So they stayed away from Saturday’s game, believing it would be a target-rich environment for ICE.

In response, Pancho Villa’s Army confined its band to their barracks and canceled its traditionally joyful pregame tailgate party Saturday. Cielto Lindo and Patrones de México, the national team’s two other major supporters’ group in the U.S., did the same.

“We don’t feel right celebrating with music and food [when] our brothers and sisters and cousins and mothers are all suffering from what’s happening,” said El Coronel, who attended the game as a civilian, wearing a blue hoodie rather than a national team jersey. “While others are suffering, it just doesn’t seem right.”

Last week the Department of Homeland Security announced on social media that federal agents would provide security for the FIFA Club World Cup, which also kicked off Saturday in South Florida, raising concerns that fans attending soccer matches could be targeted in immigration sweeps. The security presence at SoFi Stadium was normal, however, visibly limited to uniformed police officers and the ubiquitous yellow-clad workers from Contemporary Services Corp., a private company.

“Everything,” El Coronel said, heaving a sigh of relief “is calm.”

But fears over what could happen left most of SoFi’s top deck empty and the lower bowl just half filled. Mexico’s last three games at SoFi drew an average attendance of more than 64,000; Saturday’s drew an often-subdued crowd announced at 54,309.

Carmen Garcia of El Monte came, but reluctantly. She bought a $350 VIP ticket a month ago but had second thoughts once the ICE raids began.

“I tried to get a refund,” she said in Spanish. “They said no. So we are here, but we are not happy.”

One of those who didn’t enter was Daniel Fuentes of Los Angeles, who instead gathered with a group of anti-ICE protesters across the street from the stadium a couple of hours before the game.

“I am a soccer fan but today we are not for soccer,” he said in Spanish. “It is not fair what Donald Trump is doing, lifting up our working people saying they are criminals and it is not so.

“They are raging against us Latinos, saying we are the worst.”

The Mexican soccer federation generates about a third of its annual income in the U.S. through matchday income, TV rights and sponsorship deals driven by the large Mexican and Mexican-American fan base in the country. The team’s U.S. tour ahead of the 2022 World Cup, for example, reportedly generated $31 million.

But while those fans have long backed the team, given the chance to return the favor, the team decided to stay silent. The media were told coach Javier Aguirre — the Mexican-born son of Spanish immigrants — and his players would only answer questions about soccer.

Mexico, the reigning Gold Cup champion, started slowly in opening its defense of its title in the biennial 16-team tournament. The Dominican Republic, ranked 139th in the world and playing in the confederation championship for the first time, frustrated ‘El Tri’ for most of the first half before an Edson Alvarez header put Mexico ahead to stay a minute before the intermission.

Raúl Jiménez brought the crowd out of its stupor less than two minutes into the second half, chasing a through ball from Santiago Giménez into the penalty area, then finishing with his right foot from the edge of the six-yard box to double the lead.

Peter González halved the deficit for the Dominican Republic in the 51st minute before Mexico’s César Montes and the Dominican’s Edison Azcona traded scores 14 minutes apart.

Montes’ goal came first, on a header that ricocheted off a couple of players before one-hopping its way just inside the left goalpost in the 53rd minute.

Azcona answered with a right-footed shot from the left wing that bounced off a pair of Mexican defenders and over goalkeeper Luis Malagon.

The teams move on to Arlington, Texas, for their second group-play games Wednesday, with Mexico facing Suriname and the Dominican Republic playing Costa Rica. The U.S. opened its Gold Cup schedule Sunday in San José against Trinidad and Tobago.

Staff writer Eduard Cauich contributed to this story.

A board on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York City shows gold’s activity (February 2020). Gold was a bright spot for investors Friday, as gold futures were $3,448.80 at 11:28 a.m., just a tick down from its $3465.80 peak of the day. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

June 13 (UPI) — Oil and gold prices jumped Friday as stocks fell in response to Israeli airstrikes on Iran Thursday night.

Crude oil futures have been in the green all day so far, with an open of $68.90 that rose as high as $77.62 before falling back a bit, as by 11:29 a.m. the price was $72.24, which still stands as a 6.17% upsurge.

The stock market on the other hand is down all around, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average being the hardest hit so far, down to 42,509.25 as of 11:36 a.m., which is actually up from its worst point of the day when it plummeted to 42, 259.84 at 10:30 a.m.

The Nasdaq Composite also crept up from a 10:30 a.m. low of 19,381.74 to 19,539.49 at 11:34 a.m., which is still down 0.63%. The S&P 500 also saw a 10:30 a.m. worst at 5,975.91, but rose to 6,012.26 by 11:36 a.m., still pointed downwards at 0.55%.

Aside from oil, gold has been a bright spot for investors Friday, as gold futures were $3,448.80 at 11:28 a.m., just a tick down from its $3465.80 peak of the day so far, still up 1.36% and not far from its record high of $3,500.05, set in April.

Israel reported to have attacked nuclear facilities and missile factories in Iran Thursday that also killed some Iranian military commanders. Iran has since retaliated by launching several drones at Israel in what could evolve into a prolonged conflict.

US president unveils site for applicants to register interest for ‘Trump Card’ granting path to citizenship.

United States President Donald Trump has said his administration is accepting applications for his so-called “Trump Card”, which promises applicants permanent residency for $5m.

Trump made the announcement on Wednesday as he unveiled a new website for prospective applicants to register their interest.

Visitors to TrumpCard.gov are encouraged to submit their name, region and email address, and specify whether they are applying as an individual or a business, in order “to be notified the moment access opens”.

“Thousands have been calling and asking how they can sign up to ride a beautiful road in gaining access to the Greatest Country and Market anywhere in the World,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“It’s called THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE WAITING LIST IS NOW OPEN.”

Trump first proposed the residency visa in February, saying his administration would offer wealthy applicants a “gold card” that grants residency and work rights as well as a path to citizenship.

“They’ll be wealthy, and they’ll be successful, and they’ll be spending a lot of money, and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people,” Trump said at the time.

In April, Trump displayed a sample visa – a gold-coloured card bearing his visage – to reporters on board Air Force One.

Trump administration officials have suggested that the card will replace the EB-5 immigrant investor visa programme, which grants permanent residency to immigrants who invest at least $1.05m in the US, or $800,000 in designated economically distressed areas.

It is unclear what criteria applicants may have to meet apart from the $5m price tag, though the Trump administration has indicated there will be a vetting process.

Under current immigration rules, lawful permanent residents can apply for naturalisation after five years provided they have a basic grasp of English, and they can demonstrate they are of “good moral character” and have an “attachment to the principles and ideals of the US Constitution.”

When the CONCACAF Gold Cup was launched, it was intended to be the confederation’s version of UEFA’s European Championships or CONMEBOL’s Copa América.

And for more than a generation it sufficed.

But as Mexico and the U.S. got better, playing group-play matches against the likes of Saint Kitts and Nevis or Martinique every other year ceased to be a challenge. So twice in the past decade the confederation brought South America’s championship tournament to North America just to make things interesting.

However, this summer the Gold Cup, which kicks off Saturday with Mexico, the reigning champion, facing the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium, has gotten its groove back. (The U.S. opens play Sunday in San José against Trinidad and Tobago.)

It’s not that the tournament has gotten more competitive; if anything, it may be worse. In addition to the Dominican Republic, 139th in the FIFA rankings, the 16-team tournament includes seven other teams outside the world’s top 80.

But the fact that the Gold Cup comes less than a year before the World Cup returns to North America has made it noteworthy.

Because the World Cup will be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, those countries have been spared an arduous qualifying competition — tense games that would have steeled them for the tournament ahead. And with no qualifiers, the fixture calendar for all three teams are wide open between the Gold Cup and the World Cup.

That’s not a good thing.

The U.S. has friendlies with South Korea and Japan scheduled for September, but with qualifying competitions in South America running through the end of the summer and tournaments in the rest of the world spilling over into 2026, it will be difficult to schedule more games with a World Cup-caliber opponent until early next year.

In fact, after this summer there will be just four FIFA match windows — short ones that leave time for three or four training days and a couple of games — before World Cup rosters are called up.

That makes the Gold Cup, a three-week tournament with group play and a single-elimination knockout stage, an important preparatory test for the three hosts even if the field is less than stellar. But only Mexico will have its first-choice team this summer.

Canada will be without winger Alphonso Davies, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the Nations League semifinals in March, and defender Moise Bombito. The U.S. is missing eight potential starters in captain Christian Pulisic, midfielders Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna, defender Antonee Robinson and forwards Tim Weah, Yunus Musah, Folarin Balogun and Josh Sargent, who are out because of injury, personal reasons or commitments to the FIFA Club World Cup.

Because the Gold Cup is held outside a FIFA international match window, clubs are not obligated to release players for the tournament. And many didn’t. As a result, 15 of the players on the Americans’ 26-man training camp roster play in MLS. Not an ideal way for a team that lost to Canada and Panama in March — with its best players — to prepare for the World Cup.

Still, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose team warmed up for the World Cup with a 2-1 loss to Turkey last weekend, seemed unconcerned.

“Many people can say it’s really important for us to be all together for the last time before the World Cup,” said Pochettino, the first U.S. coach with a three-game losing streak in his first 10 games since Manfred Schellscheidt in 1975, according to statistician Paul Carr.

“Sometimes we give too much importance to be[ing] together.”

In the Gold Cup, the U.S. will follow Trinidad with games against Saudi Arabia and Haiti, giving it a low bar to clear to get out of group play. Mexico will play Suriname and Costa Rica after its opener with the Dominican Republic. With two teams advancing to the quarterfinals from each of the four four-team groups, Mexico is virtually assured of moving on as well.

Whether any of that helps the teams prepare for the World Cup won’t be known for a year. But there may be an omen there because there have been links between the World Cup and Gold Cup since the first CONCACAF tournament was played in 1991.

That came just a year after the U.S. returned to the World Cup, ending a four-decade absence, and three years before the country hosted the tournament for the first time. It was important then because, without it, the U.S. would have played just 11 games that year, hardly enough to prepare for a World Cup.

The inaugural Gold Cup was also the first tournament for new coach Bora Milutinovic and marked the first time the U.S. would play in the Rose Bowl, where they drew 18,435 fans for a game with Trinidad. The stadium and the coach would reunite three years later when Milutinovic coached the U.S. in a World Cup game with Romania that drew a crowd of 93,869, still the largest for the men’s national team game at home.

The tournament also included a 2-0 U.S. victory over Mexico, just the second win over El Tri in 54 years and a scoreline that has been repeated nine times since.

Then there’s 2002, when the U.S. won the tournament on its way to the World Cup quarterfinals for the only time in the modern era.

But if the Gold Cup provided a challenge then, it really doesn’t anymore. The U.S. and Mexico have combined to win every tournament this century — and have met in the final seven times.

All of which that brings up an idea: If the U.S., Mexico and Canada — the only other country to win a Gold Cup title — can’t find anyone to play while the rest of the world is busy with qualifying, maybe they should just play one another.

That’s probably how the Gold Cup is going to end up anyway.

⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week’s episode of the “Corner of the Galaxy” podcast.

CLOVIS, Calif. — Overcoming intense pressure to quit from President Trump, dozens of local protesters and other prominent critics of transgender athletes in girls’ sports, 16-year-old AB Hernandez bounded past many of her peers to win multiple gold medals at California’s high school track and field championships Saturday.

The transgender junior from Jurupa Valley High School — who competed despite a directive from Trump that she be barred from doing so — won state titles in the girls’ triple jump and the girl’s high jump and took second place in the girls’ long jump.

Hernandez’s success at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships in Clovis came amid high heat — with temperatures above 100 degrees for much of the day — and under an intense spotlight.

Earlier in the week, Trump had said on social media that he was “ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow” Hernandez to compete, wrongly alleging she had won “everything” in a prior meet and calling her “practically unbeatable.” Protesters gathered outside the meet both Friday and Saturday to denounce her inclusion and the LGBTQ+-friendly state laws allowing it.

Despite all that, Hernandez appeared calm and focused as she competed. When her name was announced for the long jump, she waved to the crowd. When she was announced for the high jump, she smiled.

Hernandez beat out all other competitors in the triple jump, though the runner-up was also awarded 1st place under new rules established by the California Interscholastic Federation after Trump issued his threats.

Hernandez tied with two other girls in the high jump, with the three of them all clearing the same height and sharing the gold.

Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, heaped praise on her after the events in a statement provided to The Times, saying, “As your mother, I cannot fully express how PROUD I am of you.”

“Watching you rise above months of being targeted, misunderstood, and judged not by peers, but by adults who should’ve known better, has left me in awe of your strength,” her mother said. “Despite it all, you stayed focused. You kept training, you kept showing up, and now you’re bringing THE GOLD HOME!!!

During some of Hernandez’s jumps, a protester could be heard on a bullhorn from outside the Buchanan High School stadium chanting “No boys in girls’ sports!” California Interscholastic Federation officials banned protest signs inside the facility, but outside protesters held a range of them — including ones that read “No Child Is Born in the Wrong Body,” “Trans Girls Are Boys: CIF Do Better,” and “She Trains to Win. He takes the trophy?”

Josh Fulfer, a 46-year-old father and conservative online influencer who lives near the stadium, said he was the protester on the bullhorn. He said Hernandez should not have been competing — regardless of how she placed — because her presence in the competition had a negative “psychological effect” on her cisgender competitors.

“I stand with truth,” he said. “Males should not be pretending to be females, and they shouldn’t be competing against female athletes.”

Loren Webster, a senior from Wilson High School in Long Beach who beat Hernandez in the long jump, said she wasn’t giving Hernandez much thought — instead, she was focused on her own performance.

“It wasn’t any other person I was worried about. I knew what I was capable of,” Webster said. “I can’t control the uncontrollable.”

The intense focus on Hernandez over two days of competition Friday and Saturday reflected a broad rise in conservative outrage over transgender girls competing in sporting events nationwide, despite their representing a tiny fraction of competitors. It also reflected a concerted effort by Trump and other prominent conservative figures to single out Hernandez, individually, as an unwitting poster child for such concerns.

Recent polls, including one conducted by The Times last year, have shown that many Americans support transgender rights, but a majority oppose transgender girls participating in youth sports. California has long defended transgender kids and their right to participate in youth athletics, but other states have increasingly moved to limit or remove such rights entirely.

Trump first latched onto transgender issues with fervor during his presidential campaign, spending millions of dollars on anti-transgender political ads. Since being elected, he has issued a wave of executive orders and other policies aimed at rolling back transgender rights and protections.

Again and again, Hernandez has been singled out in that discussion.

Earlier this week, Trump referenced Hernandez in a social media post in which he said his administration would cut federal funding to California if it didn’t block her from competing in this weekend’s state finals and more broadly get in line with his executive order purporting to ban transgender youth from participating in school sports nationwide.

The following day, U.S. Justice Department officials referenced Hernandez again, announcing the launch of an investigation into whether California, its interscholastic sports federation and the Jurupa Unified School District are violating the civil rights of cisgender girls by allowing transgender students such as Hernandez to compete in sports.

At the meet Friday and Saturday, Hernandez often blended in with the hundreds of other athletes, hardly drawing attention. She was less conspicuous by far than the protesters there to denounce her for competing.

Hernandez’s mother has pleaded with Trump and other adults in recent days to show her daughter compassion, calling it heartbreaking “every time I see my child being attacked, not for a wrongdoing, but simply for being who they are.”

She has said her daughter “is not a threat,” while the harassment directed at her is “not just cruel, it’s dangerous.”

Local protesters — some with ties to national conservative organizations — cast Hernandez’s competing in girls’ events in starkly different terms.

Before being escorted out by police, Sophia Lorey, outreach director for the conservative California Family Council, walked around the stadium Saturday wearing a hat reading, “Women’s Sports, Women Only.” She told members of the crowd that Hernandez was a boy and handed out pink “Save Girls’ Sports” bracelets and fliers directing people to an online petition calling on the California Interscholastic Federation to change its policies to bar transgender athletes from competition.

Trump administration officials have taken a similar stance.

In a letter Wednesday to interscholastic federation executive director Ronald W. Nocetti, Assistant Atty. Gen. Harmeet Dhillon, who was appointed by Trump to head the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, called Hernandez’s success in recent track and field events “alarming.” And she said the California policies allowing Hernandez to compete are a potential violation of Title IX, the 1972 federal civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs and other activities that receive federal funding.

Dhillon also noted Gov. Gavin Newsom’s own recent remark to conservative activist Charlie Kirk that transgender girls competing in sports is “deeply unfair.”

The remark came in a conversation on Newsom’s podcast in March, in which Hernandez was also singled out.

Kirk, a co-founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, asked Newsom whether he would voice his opposition to Hernandez competing in girls’ track and field events. Newsom said he agreed such situations were “unfair” but that he also took issue with “the way that people talk down to vulnerable communities,” including transgender people.

When Kirk suggested Newsom could say that he has “a heart for” Hernandez but still thinks her competing is unfair, Newsom again said he agreed.

Newsom has issued no such statement since. But, the playing field has shifted in California for transgender athletes since Trump started talking about Hernandez.

On Wednesday, the CIF announced a change in its rules for this weekend’s championships. Under the new rules, a cisgender girl who is bumped from qualifying for an event final by a transgender athlete will still advance to compete in the finals. In addition, the federation said, any cisgender girl who is beaten by a transgender competitor will be awarded whichever medal she would have claimed had the transgender athlete not been competing.

The CIF did not mention Hernandez by name in announcing its policy change, but it did make direct reference to the high jump, triple jump and long jump — the three events in which she was to compete.

Under the new rules, Hernandez shared her place on each of the event podiums with other girls.

The CIF did not respond to a list of questions about its new policy. A spokesman for Newsom applauded the change, but others were unimpressed.

Critics of transgender athletes rejected it as insufficient and demanded a full ban on transgender athletes. Fulfer, the protester on the bullhorn, said the CIF was “admitting that they’ve got it wrong for a long time” while still not doing enough to fix it — which Trump would see clearly.

“I hope Donald Trump sees what happens this weekend, and I hope he pulls the funding away from California,” Fulfer said.

LGBTQ+ advocates also criticized the rule change, but for different reasons, calling it a crass capitulation that singled out a teenager to appease a crowd of bullies picking a political fight.

“The fact that these same political players continue to bully and harass one child, even after CIF changed its policy, shows this was never about sports or fairness,” said Kristi Hirst, co-founder of the public education advocacy group Our Schools USA.

“It was simply about using a child, while compromising their personal safety on a national scale, to score political points and distract from the serious issues families and communities in this country are actually concerned about,” Hirst said, “affording groceries, the loss of health care, and access to quality teachers and resources in their public schools.”

Nereyda Hernandez said she hoped AB’s wins would serve as inspiration for other kids who feel “unseen.”

“To every young person watching, especially those who feel unseen or unheard, let AB be your reminder that authenticity, courage, and resilience shine BRIGHTER than hate,” she said. “It won’t be easy, but definitely worth it.”