Raúl Jiménez puts Mexico in the final
From the Editorial Staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, July 3, 2025, p. a10
The Mexican national soccer team, coached by Javier Vasco Aguirre, fulfilled its mission and advanced to the Gold Cup final for the fourth consecutive time after defeating Honduras 1-0 in the semifinal match, moving them one step away from securing a second consecutive CONCACAF championship.
A solitary goal from Raúl Jiménez in the second half allowed the tricolor team to reach the final, where next Sunday they will play the zone derby against their bitter rival, the United States, in search of their thirteenth tournament title.
Tempers flared in the opening minutes of yesterday's match at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, when Guillermo Ochoa, who was on the bench, got into an altercation with Romell Quioto after the former allegedly tried to hide the ball when the Honduran went to pick it up. The Honduran became enraged by the action and without hesitation pushed the goalkeeper, sparking a brawl between the two teams that led to the Mexican being cautioned in the 13th minute.
From that moment on, both teams became much more aggressive, and the game became bogged down in midfield, where fouls began to occur constantly, causing the match to be interrupted several times.
Mexico's alarm bells went off in the 24th minute when Alexis Vega suffered a heavy tackle from Luis Crisanto, earning him a yellow card. Fortunately for the Mexican team, the recent Liga MX champion with Toluca was able to stay on the field.
After the scare, Mexico created its first clear scoring opportunity in the 42nd minute, when Marcel Ruiz took advantage of an assist from Mateo Chávez to unleash a right-footed shot from the center of the box. However, a timely reaction from Honduran goalkeeper Edrick Menjívar prevented El Tri from taking a lead at halftime.
The second half started with a lot of intensity, as Mexico took the lead in the 50th minute after Raúl Jiménez connected with an assist from Gilberto Mora in the box, unleashing a cross shot that was impossible for the Honduran goalkeeper to stop.
With this goal, the Fulham player, from the English Premier League, reached 41 goals with the tricolor team, thus closing the gap with respect to the second highest historical scorer, Jared Borgetti, who has 46. Both are located behind Javier Chicharito Hernández (52).
While the Tricolor fans were still celebrating, Edson Álvarez got them excited again in the 54th minute after scoring a shot off a series of rebounds in the box. However, after a VAR review, the referee ruled out the goal due to an offside by the English team's own West Ham United player.
Honduras, meanwhile, handed Mexico its first defeat in Javier Aguirre's third stint as coach when they beat Mexico 2-0 in the first leg of the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals on November 15, but failed to trouble goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón.
Jorge Álvarez and Dixon Ramírez tried to do damage with long-range shots, but were unable to breach the tricolor goal.
In the final stretch, Mexico had more possession, but the Hondurans, led by Reinaldo Rueda, refused to give up and tried to salvage a tie that would force a penalty shootout. However, they were unable to score, and the Mexican team secured a place in the final with a narrow victory.
El Flaco Tena and Guatemala fall to the US, which will seek its eighth title.
From the Editorial Staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, July 3, 2025, p. a10
The Guatemalan national team, coached by Mexican Luis Fernando Flaco Tena, missed out on a ticket to its first Gold Cup final after losing 2-1 to the United States in the semifinal match.
In yesterday's match at Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri, the hosts secured a valuable victory thanks to a double from Diego Luna in the 4th and 15th minutes.
In this way, the Stars and Stripes team will seek its eighth title in the Concacaf tournament. Its most recent triumph was in the 2021 edition.
Mauricio Pochettino's men came onto the pitch with great intensity, and they quickly opened the scoring. In the fourth minute, Luna took advantage of a ball that Guatemalan goalkeeper Kenderson Navarro had left in the center of the box after saving a shot, unleashing a counterattack to make it 1-0.
With the early advantage, the Americans gained more confidence on the field and managed to increase their scoring quota (2-0) just a few moments later, when in the 15th minute, Luna again pierced the opposing goal with a right-footed shot from outside the area.
After the second goal against them, the Guatemalans, who had surprised Canada in the quarterfinals last Sunday by eliminating them in a penalty shootout, were undeterred and began to make things difficult for the home team. José Rosales, Rubio Rubin, and Óscar Santis tried to do damage with long-range shots, but none of them managed to find the back of Matthew Freese's goal.
The pressure exerted by the Guatemalans, who returned to the Gold Cup semifinal 29 years after having done so against Mexico in the 1996 edition, seemed to pay off in the 28th minute, when Rubin, following a pass from Rosales, finally managed to put the ball into the back of the net; however, the goal was disallowed due to an offside by the striker himself.
Nicolás Samayoa, with a header from the center of the area, and Pedro Altán, with a left-footed shot from long range, also tried to break the Americans' goal, but they were unsuccessful, and their team had to go into the break with a large deficit on the scoreboard.
In the second half, the Guatemalan team's offensive power began to wane, and desperation over the lack of goals took hold of both teams, as the game became rough, with various fouls impeding the proper development of the match.
Sebastian Berhalter and Patrick Agyemang capitalized on the Guatemalans' sluggish play and generated several chances, but were unable to find the back of the net. Faced with the hosts' threat, Tena decided to make changes to his lineup, sending Jonathan Franco, Óscar Castellanos, and Olger Escobar onto the field in the 65th minute to replace Stheven Robles, José Rosales, and Rudy Muñoz, respectively.
The changes had the desired effect in the 80th minute, when Escobar connected with a pass from Arquímides Ordóñez to finish with his right foot from the center of the area and reduce the deficit on the scoreboard (2-1).
The goal brought the Guatemalans back into the game; however, they didn't have time to turn things around and were forced to bow out of the tournament with a painful defeat, which also meant Tena lost the opportunity to fight for her first title in the tournament.
FIFA Club World Cup 2025
No to conformism, says Professor Cruz
Mexico must now make a statement in international tournaments.
▲ Spaniard Sergio Ramos (93) came close to tying the match against Borussia Dortmund, but ultimately couldn't take Monterrey to the quarterfinals. Photo AFP
Erendira Palma Hernández
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, July 3, 2025, p. a11
While Monterrey—the last CONCACAF representative to fall at the Club World Cup—made a strong showing despite losing in the round of 16 to Germany's Borussia Dortmund, that performance shouldn't be enough for Mexican soccer, as only Rayados and Inter Miami stood out as representatives from the region in this edition.
In these competitions, Mexico has left positive impressions with Tigres and Monterrey, but Liga MX must now make a statement in international tournaments as a regional benchmark (Concacaf), making it clear that we are not just another participant
, said José Guadalupe Cruz, former Rayados manager.
With a professional competition with more than 80 years of history and the maximum champion of the Concachampions , as well as the Gold Cup, Mexico is still considered the giant of Concacaf
, while the United States has begun to take off in the football entertainment industry on the way to the 2026 World Cup. However, the sporting level of both seems to still be far from that of powers like Brazil and Europe that currently dominate the Mundialito .
On social media and in sports columns, messages were posted highlighting Rayados's courage in the match against Borussia Dortmund. However, the Monterrey team's elimination in the round of 16 also marked the end of CONCACAF team participation in the tournament.
Only Monterrey, which signed highly experienced players such as Spain's World Cup champion Sergio Ramos, and Inter Miami, where international star Lionel Messi plays alongside his former Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets, performed decently as CONCACAF representatives in the new Club World Cup format, which went from six to 32 participants.
The rest of the teams failed to make a splash, failing to advance past the first round. From Pachuca of the Liga MX (Liga MX) to the Seattle Sounders and LAFC of the American MLS, they finished last in their respective groups. In fact, only the Los Angeles team managed to earn a point, as both Tuzos and Reven Green bowed out after suffering only defeats.
In contrast, Europe has reiterated its position as a leader with five teams in the quarterfinals, while Brazil, which belongs to CONMEBOL (the governing body of football in South America), has two representatives in this stage. The surprise result was Al-Hilal of Asia, which also advanced.
I'm surprised that Pachuca, a team with all the infrastructure and players, couldn't score a single point. It's true, they had a new coach (with the recent arrival of Jaime Lozano), and it's different than when you're already in the process, but as a professional, you have to give your best
, said Coach Cruz.
Already in the round of 16, Inter Miami, with all its legendary stars, was thrashed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday. Monterrey, on the other hand, was eliminated on Tuesday in more dignified fashion, coming close to a draw against Borussia Dortmund, who emerged with a 2-1 victory.
As representatives of Mexico, we support Monterrey. They said goodbye with their heads held high, but the clubs in the region must understand that they are already playing against teams of a very high level and must be decisive; the opponent is unforgiving
, said Marcelino Bernal, also a former member of Rayados.
We left it all
: Ramos
At 39 years old, and having won a World Cup with Spain, as well as the Spanish league and the European Champions League with Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos hoped to make history with Rayados at the Club World Cup and lead them to the final stages. But the defeat against Borussia Dortmund brought him back to a reality where time as a player is beginning to run out.
"We fought until the very end and left it all on the field. We leave proud and with a clear conscience for having defended this badge properly. After that, it's all about the details, and that's football. You don't lose, you learn."
“Personally, it's tough but I'm happy with what I was able to contribute to the team. Even sadder because it might be my last World Cup appearance, but oh well… Football is so capricious and beautiful that you never know. Let's keep looking ahead, and ready for the next challenge,” he posted on the social network X, formerly Twitter.
With sustained growth in revenue and viewership, the Women's Euro Cup kicks off
▲ The Norwegians rallied to beat the Swiss, the tournament hosts, and win 2-1. Photo @kvinnelandslaget
AP and Reuters
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, July 3, 2025, p. a11
Zurich. Norway and Finland opened the curtain with victories at the Women's European Championship being held in Switzerland, in an edition that confirms the sustained and explosive growth of women's football on the continent. With tickets sold out for the match, where the Norwegians defeated the Swiss 2-1 yesterday, and a projected attendance of more than 600,000 across the eight stadiums that will host the event, the tournament is on track to set a record for attendance.
Star player Ada Hegerberg led her team to a comeback victory against the hosts despite missing a penalty. The home side dominated the first half and took the lead in the 28th minute when Nadine Riesen took advantage of a series of rebounds conceded by the Norwegians to score with a shot that went in off the left post.
Hegerberg equalized with a header in the 54th minute, four minutes before Switzerland's Julia Stierli scored an own goal when she attempted to cut out Caroline Graham Hansen's cross.
The match was played at St. Jakob-Park, the country's largest stadium, with a capacity of 34,250. This venue will also host the final.
The third Women's European Championship in the 16-team format has generated record revenue for broadcasters and sponsors. The tournament's total, close to $152 million, will more than double that of the 2022 edition in England. The prize money also doubled to $48 million, up from $18.75 million at the previous tournament.
We knew we needed to activate a larger global fan base that travels and follows their team. That's unheard of in women's football
, said Nadine Kessler, UEFA's director general of women's football.
The sport has not only gained ground in stadium attendance, but also in the coaching ranks. For the first time, seven of the 16 teams are coached by women, representing 43.75 percent of female coaches, a figure much higher than the 18.75 percent recorded in the 2013 edition. Names such as football legend Pia Sundhage and Wales debutant Rhian Wilkinson reflect both the experience and the renewal of the coaching staff.
In the other opening match of the day, corresponding to Group A, Finland beat Iceland 1-0, thanks to a goal by Katarina Kosola in the 70th minute, who with a superb goal into the top corner, after a cut on the edge of the penalty area, beat goalkeeper Cecilia Rán Rúnarsdóttir.
▲ Although there are still concerns about the lack of security regarding the private data collected by artificial intelligence, the tool's use and management is increasing every day, as shown in this AI-created image. Photo by Europa Press
Europa Press
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, July 3, 2025, p. a12
Madrid. More than half of sports fans—54 percent—are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) or generative AI to obtain more personalized content, according to the latest report published by the Capgemini Research Institute think tank, a French multinational technology consulting services company.
Between March and April of this year, the company conducted a survey of more than 12,000 fans in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Spain to understand how artificial intelligence is transforming consumption and the fan experience in the global sports industry.
As AI-powered tools become the primary gateway to sports content and data, fans continue to seek the excitement of authentic, in-person moments, raising the need to find a balance between the digital and physical worlds as a key consideration.
AI is redefining the way fans interact with sports. More than half of them use AI tools as their primary source of information, and nearly six in 10—59 percent—rely on the content, according to the report, Beyond the Game: The New Era of AI-Powered Sports Entertainment .
From personalized match summaries to real-time video highlights, fans increasingly expect AI and generative AI to aggregate all their sports-related content: 67 percent want a single, streamlined platform where they can discover information gathered from websites, search engines, and social media.
However, personalization and interactivity are essential to ensuring an authentic and genuine fan experience. Although the document reveals that fans are returning to stadiums since the pandemic, with 37 percent having already attended matches this year, AI has transformed the way people engage with sports in general.
The technology offers updates that enhance the game experience, with statistics and data on favorite teams, matches, and players. In fact, 64 percent of fans would like AI to provide them with personalized updates, a similar percentage would like to compete against famous athletes in a virtual space during live matches, and 58 percent would like to replay matches using hypothetical scenarios.
Fancy
Just over a quarter—27 percent—are even willing to pay extra for these AI-powered interactive experiences. For example, Tour de France fans can now play and follow their fantasy team in real time, vote and choose the day's most combative cyclist, and even experience the race from inside an official fan car.
The true power of AI in sport, and especially generative AI, lies in its ability to transform the way fans connect with the game, the athletes, and each other
, explained Pascal Brier, Capgemini's Chief Innovation Officer and member of the Executive Committee.
As technology evolves, new ways will open up for fans to create their own unique experience, combining real-time data with immersive and interactive opportunities. The challenge is to ensure these innovations deepen the emotional connections that make sport so powerful for fans and, above all, preserve the authenticity of the spirit of the game
, he added.
While sports fans are hungry for data, the study shows that their digital engagement peaks before games and during halftime, but not during the game itself.
Although digital innovation is widely accepted, nearly 60 percent of fans fear that too much technology could detract from the excitement of the games. Furthermore, there is a lack of awareness about the data privacy aspects of AI tools.
Out of Wimbledon, 23 seeds in two days
AP and AFP
La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, July 3, 2025, p. a12
London. Aryna Sabalenka was just two points away from losing the first set of her second-round match at Wimbledon before prevailing 7-6, 6-4 over Marie Bouzkova to avoid the kind of upset that has sent a group of seeded players home.
Four of the favorites failed to make it past the first round: Coco Gauff (2), Jessica Pegula (3), Zheng Qinwen (5) and Paula Badosa (9). In total, a record 23 seeded players (10 women and 13 men) were eliminated by the end of the second day of the tournament, the most at any Grand Slam in the past 25 years.
I hope there are no more surprises in this tournament
, said Sabalenka, the world number one.
The Belarusian is a three-time Grand Slam champion, all on hard courts. She also finished runner-up to Gauff at Roland Garros last month. However, she has yet to make it past the semifinals on the grass courts of the All England Club.
On Center Court, Bouzkova, ranked 48th, took a 6-5 lead in the first set with the first break of serve of the match thanks to a double fault from Sabalenka. Marie served to win that set and came within two points of winning at 30-15 in that game, then 30-30 again, and then tied again.
But on the final occasion, the Belarusian capitalized on a forehand volley winner that ended with a scream, followed by a triumphant backhand down the line that was accompanied by another scream.
"It was a tough moment
," the world number one expressed. "My return wasn't good enough to break her serve. I'm very happy, everything fell into place, and I was able to break her serve
."
That took them to a tiebreak , and from 4-4, Sabalenka took the next three points, closing out the set with a powerful forehand winner after a 108-kilometer-per-hour second serve. In the second set, the only break came for a 3-2 lead for Aryna, and that was pretty much it.
Meanwhile, sixth-seeded Australian Open champion Madison Keys joined Sabalenka in the third round, defeating Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2.
Zarazúa falls
After achieving the first victory for a Mexican in 30 years, Renata Zarazúa bowed out of the singles tournament at Wimbledon.
The 27-year-old player fell in the second round with scores of 6-4 and 6-3 to American Amanda Anisimova, seeded number 13 in the tournament.
The tricolor team started off with a good pace; however, their opponents didn't allow them to take the lead despite the national team's multiple attempts.
The capital native played her seventh consecutive Grand Slam and will now focus on the doubles tournament, where she makes her debut today with her compatriot Giuliana Olmos.
Alcaraz advances
Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz remains determined to win a third consecutive Wimbledon title and advanced to the third round by defeating Briton Oliver Tarvet 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
The second- ranked Spaniard easily dispatched the modest British player, ranked 733 in the ATP, in two hours and 16 minutes.
I have to pay tribute to Oliver. I loved his match. I knew I had to play my best tennis. I'm really happy, but I also give him a lot of credit
, Alcaraz noted.
World number five Taylor Fritz avoided another upset and reached the third round with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Gabriel Diallo.
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