Fear, nervousness and tension prevail ahead of the Gold Cup

▲ A Tricolor fan is arrested during recent protests in Los Angeles. AP Photo

Karla Torrijos

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 12, 2025, p. a11

The tense climate in Los Angeles due to the recent wave of protests against immigration raids in that city represents a worrying and extremely high-risk scenario ahead of the Gold Cup and Club World Cup, which will be held this summer in the United States, said Juan Carlos Barrón, researcher and academic secretary of the Center for Research on North America (CISAN) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), who also indicated that the next few days will be crucial to see what measures FIFA will take in response to this situation.

The protests began last Friday in downtown Los Angeles, just days before the start of the tournaments; the Cup kicks off this Saturday. The protests, held in protest against President Donald Trump's immigration policies, as well as the mass raids and deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have led to riots and clashes with police, who have responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades.

In recent days, protests have spread to other locations in the United States where large Latino populations reside and where matches in the aforementioned tournaments will be held, including Texas, New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia, and Boston, among others. In Los Angeles, a curfew was even declared last Tuesday to curb vandalism and looting.

More protests are being prepared

In addition, according to a report in the Miami newspaper El Nuevo Herald , a group critical of Trump's policies called No Kings is organizing massive mobilizations for Saturday in more than 1,500 cities across the United States, many of them in Florida, which will coincide with a military parade to be held in Washington to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. army and Flag Day, as well as the president's 79th birthday.

These events have caused anxiety among fans planning to attend both the Gold Cup and the Club World Cup, the opening ceremonies of which will take place in Los Angeles and Miami, respectively.

The Mexican national team will be the team that kicks off the Gold Cup this Saturday when it faces the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Its next group stage matches will also be in Texas and Nevada.

Meanwhile, the Mexican teams participating in the Club World Cup (Monterrey and Pachuca) will play their initial round matches in Pasadena (California), Cincinnati (Ohio), Charlotte (North Carolina), and Nashville (Tennessee).

The uncertainty surrounding whether or not to attend these tournaments increases after the altercations already affected the logistics of the tricolor team, which was forced to change its hotel in Los Angeles due to security concerns.

Likewise, in Tuesday's friendly match in North Carolina, where Mexico defeated Turkey 1-0, more than half of the tickets went unsold. According to the American company Soccer United Marketing, which promotes the Tricolor matches in that country, attendance did not reach more than 20,000 fans, while the average attendance for the national team's matches was just over 50,000.

In an interview with La Jornada , Barrón Pastor noted that "there had already been warnings about the ideological gap that exists between the values ​​promoted by FIFA and those that prevail in the Trump administration, where there has been an increase in authoritarianism and xenophobia.

Gianni Infantino (FIFA president) has tried to stay close to the president, they've gone on trips together, taken photos, but that hasn't guaranteed anything on migration issues.

Barrón opined that it would be prudent to change the venue of the matches scheduled for Los Angeles, or even postpone them , given that they could become targets of ICE maneuvers and lead to large-scale clashes. If they're detaining people in workplaces, what can we expect at soccer games? A confrontational scenario would definitely not benefit FIFA or the U.S. government in any way .

He recalled that on other, less serious occasions, FIFA has postponed matches, such as when an Israeli team visited a European country for a Champions League match; so, in this case, rescheduling matches could be even more appropriate.

The specialist also estimated that we are facing the real possibility that California will act more decisively to avoid affecting its businesses. Ultimately, we are talking about tourism, stadium tickets, lodging, transportation, food, and everything that an event of this type entails, so it will be very interesting to see what happens in the coming days .

Finally, he pointed out that this situation contradicts everything FIFA aims for. Infantino has talked about inclusion, but that's the last thing on the agenda right now, which, of course, poses a huge challenge for FIFA, as what's happening could be interpreted as the US government underestimating the importance of these events .

Meanwhile, CONCACAF stated yesterday that it maintains close and ongoing communication with Los Angeles authorities and emphasized that the safety of fans, players, and staff in general remains its "top priority."

We will continue to actively monitor developments as we work to deliver a world-class tournament that showcases the very best of our sport in a safe, inclusive and enjoyable environment for all, beginning with the opening match on Saturday in Los Angeles , the statement said.

Adriana Díaz Reyes

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 12, 2025, p. a12

Although Marco Verde has landed very few blows in the professional ranks, his career in paid boxing can go as far as he wants.

Eddy Reynoso, his manager and trainer for Saúl Canelo Álvarez, asserted that the boxer is a diamond in the rough with the potential to become the next big boxing star in the country.

"It would be mediocre to think he couldn't be like Canelo ; after Julio César Chávez, many believed no one could win titles in different weight classes, and he did. Mexican boxing is the best in the world, and anything is possible," Reynoso stated during the presentation of Verde's second professional fight.

As long as Canelo is active, the trainer added, he will oversee the career of the Olympic silver medalist, whom he described as a disciplined and committed athlete.

We want to emulate what we did many years ago with Saúl. We have everything we need to make him one of the best, and we're going to work hard. He's a diamond in the rough, and we're going to polish him to take him to the top. He has plenty of talent and discipline , he explained.

Verde's training, Reynoso explained, will be distributed throughout Mexico and the United States. We want him to compete in other states and also fight in the north; that will improve his performance and help him become familiar with fighters in his weight class .

Verde's next match will take place on July 12 at the Juan S. Millán Sports Center in Culiacán, Sinaloa.

It's going to be a great celebration, because what he did in Paris made him an example for many children. His medal encouraged those who didn't dare to pursue their dreams, to be brave.

The boxer declared himself ready for his second fight in paid boxing, which will take place in his native Sinaloa.

▲ The fight will take place in Culiacán and will be the Olympic silver medalist's second professional bout. Photo @MarcoAGreen

Promises more spectacle

"My first fight wasn't what I expected. I hope this time there will be more rounds and more spectacle. I'm preparing myself physically and mentally to go out there with my arm raised and give my fans something to cheer about," he said.

The Sinaloan spoke respectfully about his rival, Venezuelan Humberto López, an opponent who has an 8-2 record and several knockouts.

"It'll be a tough six- round fight, but I'll have the fans' support. I feel comfortable, though not confident, because he's also preparing to win."

–How complicated has the transition to professionalism been?

"It's very tough after more than a decade as an amateur. I was used to fighting three rounds at a fast pace, but I've learned to calm down because the fights are longer now. I'm taking it slow; I'm not in a hurry because it's a radical change," explained the boxer, who fights at 160 pounds.

In his professional debut on May 3, El Green knocked out Michel Polina in just seconds, who declared that the Mexican defeated him thanks to the fact that he had to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time.

If you want to be a professional, you have to be ready 365 days a year. I'm in shape, always training, and every boxer has to do the same because it's their profession. I think he should have been in shape; I just played my fight , he concluded.

Present at the announcement of the upcoming fight were Culiacán Mayor Juan de Dios Mendívil and Sinaloa Tourism Secretary Mireya Sosa.

Adriana Díaz Reyes

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 12, 2025, p. a12

The World Athletics Athletics Integrity Unit (AUI) has suspended Mexican marathon runner Citlali Moscote for three years after testing positive for the banned substance octodrine.

The champion of the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, took an anti-doping test last January after participating in a 10-kilometer race in Valencia, Spain. Three weeks later, a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory in Barcelona reported an adverse result in her sample.

Moscote argued that her consumption of the substance was not intentional, but rather due to a contaminated product. The long-distance runner requested an analysis of her supplements, but the UIA determined that the evidence presented was insufficient to avoid the sanction.

Finding no other way to avoid punishment, Moscote, 30, decided to accept the suspension. This isn't the first time the national team player has tested positive for banned substances. In July 2019, she was given a two-year ban due to the presence of oxilofrine and phenpromethamine in a sample taken from the athlete on April 7 of that year.

For his performance, Moscote received a 24,000-peso scholarship from September to December 2024; in January and February of this year, it was reduced to 15,000 pesos, before finally losing the support last March due to the possibility of a positive doping test.

The Mexican woman's punishment will end on March 24, 2028, just a few months before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Before Moscote, athletes like Olympic silver medalist Lupita González were sanctioned.

In addition to a four-year suspension imposed by the UIA for failing a doping test (trenbolone, an anabolic steroid), González is serving an extended suspension for lying during his defense since November 2018, according to a ruling by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal.

González will be eligible to return to competition on November 15, 2026. Her goal is to seek a spot on the national team and participate in the Pan American Games, the World Championships, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

In 2024, Eduardo Rodríguez, who won silver in the 1,500 meters at the 2018 Barranquilla Central American and Caribbean Games, was suspended for three years after the presence of boldenone was detected in his system.

The runner argued that the substance could have come from a medical injection, a post-operative supplement, or meat consumption.

▲ Indiana's Mathurin led his team to retake the lead in the finals. AP Photo

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, June 12, 2025, p. a30

Indianapolis. Benedict Mathurin led his team with 27 points off the bench, and Tyrese Haliburton added 22 as the Indiana Pacers reclaimed the lead in the NBA Finals with a 116-107 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3.

Indiana, which lost Game 2 at Oklahoma a few days ago, improved its record to 10-0 since mid-March in games following a loss. Several players contributed at different times and were key, said Haliburton, one of the Pacers' leaders.

For the Thunder, Jalen Williams led the way with 26 points, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 24, and Chet Holmgren with 20. Oklahoma held a five-point lead going into the fourth quarter but couldn't hold on. Game 4 will be played again in Indianapolis on Friday night.

History now favors the Pacers because in the previous 41 NBA Finals, which were tied 1-1, the team that won Game 3 went on to win 33 times, or 80.5 percent of the time.

Fans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis witnessed a close and exciting duel from start to finish, at times worthy of the history books. There were 15 ties throughout the game. To put this into context, last year's Finals between Boston and Dallas had only 13 total over five games.

TJ McConnell contributed 10 points, five assists, and the same number of steals for Indiana. Since these statistics have been recorded, no reserve has achieved that combination in a Finals game.

“We had guys who came through again and again,” Haliburton added. “Our second unit was sensational.” With less than three minutes left, Aaron Nesmith committed a hard foul on Alex Caruso, leading to a lengthy review by the officials to determine if it deserved to be called a flagrant foul. Ultimately, it was ruled a common foul, and Caruso was awarded only two free throws.

The Pacers, playing an NBA Finals game at home for the first time in 25 years, maintained their composure and control until the end.