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LAFC is trying to find the winning blend of youth and aging stars

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LAFC is trying to find the winning blend of youth and aging stars

Seven seasons after its MLS debut, LAFC is beginning to show its age.

A team built around young, dynamic South Americans, including Brian Rodríguez, Diego Rossi, Diego Palacios, Francisco Ginella and José Cifuentes, had the youngest starting lineup in the league in 2020. It was a relatively new approach to roster building in a league that had long been mocked as a retirement home for big-name European stars.

And it was wildly successful, with LAFC winning two Supporters’ Shields and reaching two MLS Cup finals and two CONCACAF Champions League finals in six years.

Those five South Americans are all gone, sold for nearly $13 million in transfer fees, and this year’s LAFC roster is the 26th-oldest in the 29-team league. It will grow even older in July when Olivier Giroud, a World Cup champion with France, joins the team on a designated player contract 10 weeks shy of his 38th birthday.

Yet for general manager John Thorrington, the maturing of the team isn’t so much a change of strategy as it is a seizing of opportunities.

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“[It’s] adapting to the current climate,” said Thorrington, who certainly knows what he’s doing since he’s the most successful general manager in MLS since 2018.

Changes in MLS budget rules, such as the U-22 initiative, and increases in targeted allocation money have given Thorrington the freedom to spend in different ways. So when Giorgio Chiellini, the 38-year-old captain of the Italian national team, and Gareth Bale, the 32-year-old Welsh captain, became available midway through the 2022 season, LAFC signed both.

Five months later it won an MLS Cup.

Both players have since retired, replaced on this season’s roster by Hugo Lloris, 37, the former captain of the French national team whose 20 World Cup appearances are the most ever by a goalkeeper. Lloris signed for $350,000, less than what 25 MLS keepers will earn this season, a bargain Thorrington said he couldn’t pass up.

Unlike Lloris, Giroud isn’t coming cheap, receiving a designated-player contract that runs through 2025, with an option for 2026. He was reportedly paid $4.76 million in his final season in Milan. Yet unlike Lloris, who didn’t play in his final seven months at Tottenham, Giroud is at the top of his game, with his 14 goals for AC Milan tied for fourth in Italy’s Serie A with a game to play.

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“It’s not as though we have abandoned this idea that we are going to invest in young talent that will help us win here and then sell them. That’s a part of what we’ve always done,” said Thorrington, whose team is 6-4-3, good for fifth in the MLS Western Conference standings heading into Tuesday’s U.S. Open Cup round-of-16 match against Loudoun United. “Are you a player-development club or are you going for championships? We don’t see those as mutually exclusive concepts. We are both.”

LAFC’s roster is indeed a mix of young and old. Eight players are under the age of 23, among them teenager David Martínez, the sixth-youngest player to appear in an MLS game this season. Giroud’s arrival after this summer’s European Championship, will give LAFC eight players over 31, among them 39-year-old striker Kei Kamara, the league’s oldest player.

Thorrington is especially high on Martínez, a Venezuelan forward three months past his 18th birthday, while 22-year-old forwards Mateusz Bogusz and Cristian Olivera are tied for second on the team in scoring with four goals each.

As for established players such as Chiellini, Bale, Lloris and Giroud choosing to end their careers with LAFC, Thorrington said that’s a product of the young team’s success, something the team had to build before it could be exploited.

“At the beginning we were a concept,” he said. “Now that people see and feel what LAFC is, those opportunities from top players in Europe with interest in coming here have certainly increased. For us, signing players at economic terms that make sense for us to help us achieve our objectives of winning and also help our young players develop by showing them the right example and what it means to be a pro, that still fits well within our strategic aims as a club.”

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When that door opens, more than one player can walk through. Consider that the Arizona-based Elite Athletes Agency, whose founder Jerome Meary was in the social media photo that announced Giroud’s signing last week, also has ties to several European-born players, among them Lloris, Denis Bouanga, Stipe Biuk, Filip Krastev and Maxime Chanot, all of whom have played for LAFC.

Four of those players — Giroud, Bouanga, Lloris and Chanot — were born in France. Lloris, the French national team leader in caps, and Giroud, the team’s all-time leader in goals, played together in the last two World Cup finals, winning the title in 2018. Certainly they all spoke to one another before they wound up together in L.A.

That has fueled rumors another Frenchman, Antoine Griezmann, could be in LAFC’s future. Griezmann, 33, is under contract with Atlético Madrid through 2026 but has long expressed a desire to finish his career in MLS.

Part of that desire was to reunite with former Real Sociedad teammate Carlos Vela, who hasn’t played anywhere since his contract with LAFC expired in December. And that raises a question: If LAFC has money and a roster spot to wager on a soon-to-be-38 Giroud, who is a great player but an unknown quality in MLS, why doesn’t it have the same for Vela, 35, a former league MVP, the single-season scoring leader and the team’s captain through its first six seasons?

Thorrington said he has had discussions with Vela’s agent, but the talks have so far been fruitless.

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“It’s been a bit of a frustrating process trying to find a match between what we could afford to do and what we felt like we needed as a club on the field,” he said. “We, unfortunately, have not been able to find that balance with Carlos.”

When it comes to mixing young players with old, however, LAFC has gotten that balance just right.

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Paraguay stuns four-time World Cup champions Germany in penalty shootout after controversial call

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Paraguay stuns four-time World Cup champions Germany in penalty shootout after controversial call

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Paraguay stunned Germany, the four-time FIFA World Cup champions, after moving on to the round of 16 after winning 4-3 in a penalty shootout on Monday in an absolutely thrilling match with a key controversial moment sprinkled in.

That moment came in extra time, which was needed after a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes plus stoppage time between these two opponents.

Germany had dominated throughout this match, but Paraguay had made the best of their grade-A chance in the first half when Julio Enciso buried a header in the 42nd minute. The Germans were able to finally get on the board, though, in the 54th minute when Kai Havertz saw his own header flick into the back of the net.

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Julio Enciso of Paraguay celebrates with teammate Gustavo Gomez after scoring the team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match against Germany at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on June 29, 2026. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

From there, Germany was on the offensive, getting chance after chance with some from Paraguay tossed in. But when extra time began, it seemed only a matter of time before Germany would pot another and take the lead.

It appeared to happen when Jonathan Tah rose up and smashed a header on a corner kick past Paraguay keeper Orlando Gill. The German faithful inside Boston Stadium went ballistic, but that was short-lived after the head official went to the VAR screen to review a potential foul.

CURACAO STUNS GERMANY AT WORLD CUP WITH HISTORIC GOAL THAT SENDS SUPPORTERS INTO UNDERSTANDABLE FRENZY

During the corner kick, Germany’s Waldemar Anton seemed to obstruct Gill’s movement toward the ball, and ultimately to defend Tah’s header. And if he was simply trying to sell the foul, it worked.

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After review, the goal was annulled with the referee explaining that Anton’s actions had prevented Gill from properly getting the chance to stop the header.

After the 30 minutes of extra time, neither side was able to break the 1-1 tie. As a result, the tournament’s first penalty shootout was set to determine who would move on to the round of 16, and who would be heading home.

Things did not start off on the right foot for Germany when Havertz stepped up to the ball and saw Gill make a save. Maurício used that momentum and scored his first to immediately put Paraguay in a good position to win.

Both sides would ace their next two penalties apiece before Nick Woltemade’s attempt was saved by Gill. Paraguay, now, had a chance to win it all, but Antonio Sanabria missed the team’s fourth penalty.

Orlando Gill of Paraguay celebrates after Julio Enciso scored the team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match against Germany at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on June 29, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

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Nadiem Amiri kept Germany’s hopes alive with a made shot on the team’s fifth attempt, but being that penalties are determined by five shots, Fabián Balbuena had the opportunity to win it all. However, Manuel Neuer, one of the most decorated goalkeepers in soccer history, let alone Germany’s squad, kept up clutch with a save to force another round.

With slight momentum on their side, Tah stepped up to the penalty area with the chance to get another game-winning goal, this time with his boot. But his attempt was a miserable one, belting it over the crossbar and into the stands.

Paraguay, elated after the miss, sent José Canale to the box and he didn’t disappoint. Neuer guessed the wrong way and Canale tucked his shot under the bar and Paraguay celebrated as you’d expect: pure joy.

It’s the first time ever Germany has lost in penalties at the FIFA World Cup.

Germany was left shocked on the pitch, as their 2026 World Cup journey comes to a close. And it’s hard not to think what-if when they appeared to have the game-winner on the scoreboard only for it to be taken away by a call that will certainly be debated for some time.

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Paraguay’s midfielder Julio Enciso celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 match against Germany at Boston Stadium in Foxborough on June 29, 2026. (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)

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Meanwhile, Paraguay will now await the winner of the round of 32 match between France and Sweden, which will be played at 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday at New York/New Jersey Stadium.

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Teoscar Hernández returns, and Dodgers unleash 17-hit barrage in win over Athletics

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Teoscar Hernández returns, and Dodgers unleash 17-hit barrage in win over Athletics

Teoscar Hernández was back from a hamstring injury, and a little bit humble. He was about to play his first game in a month for the Dodgers.

“I don’t think they really need me in the lineup,” he said, with a hint of a smile.

Hernández hit 58 home runs over his first two seasons with the Dodgers, each of which ended in a World Series championship, so of course they need him. But, in his absence, the Dodgers had more than doubled their National League West lead.

Hernández is back, but Will Smith and Kiké Hernández still are out. So are Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Edwin Díaz.

No matter: The Dodgers boosted their division lead to 11 games Monday with a 9-4 victory over the Athletics. Shohei Ohtani, Max Muncy and Andy Pages homered to highlight a 17-hit attack.

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The Dodgers are on pace to win the NL West by 21 games. They boast the best record in the major leagues at 55-30, and Ohtani and the Traveling All-Stars remain baseball’s best road show.

Before the game, a guy setting up one of the merchandise stands here pointed to all the Dodgers gear for sale. He wore a Dodgers cap. He said he wished he had more Dodgers stuff to sell, because the crowd would be overwhelmingly in favor of the Dodgers.

And so it was, one day after San Diego fans complained of all the Dodgers partisans at Petco Park. In Sacramento, where the wandering home team wears a Sacramento patch on one jersey sleeve and a Las Vegas patch on the other sleeve, there were loud cheers for Ohtani and Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, and loud chants of “Let’s go, Dodgers!”

Every Dodger in the starting lineup had two hits except for Betts, who had one.

Eric Lauer, imported to fortify a starting rotation without Glasnow and Snell, worked six innings to record the victory. He gave up three runs and four hits in the second inning, no runs and five hits over the other five.

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Dodgers starting pitcher Eric Lauer worked six innings to record the victory. He gave up three runs and four hits in the second inning, no runs and four hits over the other five.

(Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

He is 3-0 with 2.88 earned-run average in six starts for the Dodgers, the last three of them classified as quality starts.

“He’s been nothing but impressive for us,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

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Glasnow and Snell are weeks away from returning, and maybe more, but Roberts said they would not lose their job because of injury.

“Eric coming over here knew that this was the deal, right?” said Roberts, who posted his 999th career win. “Until they get back. We just don’t know when. He’s just got to stay focused on doing his job. Then when that time comes we’ll see what happens.”

In the top of the second, the Dodgers bunched four hits, all singles — the first by Hernández, beating out an infield single in his first at-bat since the hamstring injury — to take a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the A’s also bunched four hits, including a Colby Thomas home run, to take a 3-2 lead.

The rest of the Dodgers’ scoring: a solo homer by Muncy and a two-run homer by Pages in the fourth, a three-run homer by Ohtani in the sixth, and an RBI single by Freeman in the eighth. The A’s scored the final run on a wild pitch in the ninth.

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And, speaking of wild, each team had a Max Muncy playing third base and batting seventh.

“It’s a strange feeling standing at third base and they’re announcing that you’re hitting and it’s not you,” Muncy (the Dodgers one) said.

Miguel Rojas said the Dodgers have flourished in the wake of significant injuries because the organization places a priority on developing players and giving them a fair shot at playing time, citing Pages, infielder Alex Freeland and pitchers Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan, as well as wise trades for supplementary players, including infielder-outfielder Tommy Edman and outfielder Alex Call.

“It’s not living with the narrative of ‘We’re buying championships and spending money,’” Rojas said. “Yeah, we’re spending money to get good players. But we’re not really basing our success just on that.

Shohei Ohtani tosses his bat after hitting a three-run home run for the Dodgers.

Shohei Ohtani tosses his bat after hitting a three-run home run for the Dodgers in the sixth inning against the Athletics on Monday night.

(Sara Nevis / Associated Press)

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“The front office does quality work on getting the right players and putting the puzzle together. I feel that’s the reason why we can afford losing a couple guys in the middle of the year, because we have a full team that is ready to step up.”

Still, Rojas conceded none of that would matter without Ohtani, Freeman, Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. And, yes, Rojas said, the Dodgers do have an irreplaceable player.

“It’s going to be really hard if we lose Shohei,” Rojas said. “It’s going to be a little bit different than losing another player. Having Shohei at the top of the lineup every single day and doing both sides of the ball has been really helpful.”

Ohtani gave the Sacramento crowd what it wanted to see: a majestic 432-foot home run, with a supercharged, 112-mph exit velocity. On Wednesday, the last day of the Dodgers’ only scheduled visit here before the A’s move to Las Vegas in 2028, he’ll take the mound to give the people more of what they want to see.

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“I think we got market share tonight,” Roberts said. “It was fun. A lot of people don’t get a chance to see us play. So people up here in this area, Northern California, get to see us, get to see Shohei put on a show.”

Ohtani, two-way All-Star?

Roberts said no decision has been made about whether Ohtani will pitch in the All-Star Game. Ohtani already has been elected as the starting designated hitter for the National League.

If Ohtani is not the starting pitcher, he will not pitch.

In the 2021 All-Star Game, Ohtani was the starting pitcher and designated hitter for the American League. It would be impractical for Ohtani to warm up to pitch in the middle of an exhibition game in which he is the DH.

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The Dodgers closely manage Ohtani’s workload on the mound, which could lead to a decision that he skip pitching in the game. The most likely candidates for NL starting pitcher: Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers and Cristopher Sanchez of the host Philadelphia Phillies, with Yamamoto also worthy of consideration.

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Lions release Terrion Arnold after bond set at $1 million in armed robbery, kidnapping case

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Lions release Terrion Arnold after bond set at  million in armed robbery, kidnapping case

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The Detroit Lions announced they have released cornerback Terrion Arnold, their 2024 first-round pick, following an arrest last week where he was charged with armed robbery and kidnapping.

This comes after Arnold had his bond set at $1 million on Monday by Hillsborough County Judge Christopher Sabella.

Sabella also added conditions for Arnold, which included no contact with the six co-defendants in the case as well as the witnesses. He also must surrender his passport within 48 hours, and remain confined to his home in Tallahassee, Florida, except when he would be playing, training or traveling with the Lions or making court-related appearances.

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Terrion Arnold of the Detroit Lions runs onto the field before an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, on Nov. 27, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

The state also asked Judge Sabella for Arnold to be required to wear a GPS tracking device, but Arnold’s attorneys said he wouldn’t be able to play football with it on.

Prosecutors were pushing for Arnold to be held without bond but, though the charges are serious ones in Sabella’s eyes, he didn’t believe the case was strong enough to hold him in that fashion.

The 23-year-old Arnold was arrested in connection with an alleged kidnapping and robbery that investigators say occurred in February, the Tampa Police Department announced on June 25. Arnold turned himself in and was taken into custody at Orient Road Jail in Hillsborough County on Wednesday night.

TERRION ARNOLD, LIONS’ 2024 FIRST-ROUND PICK, CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING AND ARMED ROBBERY IN FLORIDA

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Arnold is charged with four counts of kidnapping and four counts of armed robbery.

Spokespersons for the Lions and the NFL told Fox News Digital they were aware of the situation, but wouldn’t comment any further. Now, the Lions have made their move one month before training camp kicks off across the league.

According to investigators, Arnold rented an Airbnb in Largo, Florida, where he periodically stayed with several co-defendants: Arianna Del Valle, 19; Jasmine Randazzo, 19; Lyndell Hudson II, 26; Christion Williams, 24; Boakai Hilton Jr., 23; and Freddie Hughes, 27. Authorities said other individuals also stayed at the property.

Investigators said three male victims, all in their late teens, suffered visible injuries after they were allegedly battered, held at gunpoint and pistol-whipped before being robbed and ordered to leave a residence in the 14000 block of North 46th Street in Tampa.

Terrion Arnold of the Detroit Lions looks on during the second half of an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., on Sept. 7, 2025. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

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According to investigators, multiple personal items belonging to Arnold and others were stolen from the Airbnb on Feb. 1. Authorities said Arnold suspected two of the three victims were responsible, though Tampa police later determined they were not involved in the theft.

On Feb. 3, Arnold, Hilton, Hughes and another individual reported more than $250,000 in stolen property to the Largo Police Department.

Investigators allege that later that day Arnold and Hilton coordinated with Del Valle and Randazzo to contact one of the victims and lure him to an apartment.

Police said the three victims arrived at the apartment on Feb. 4 to meet the women, where Williams and Hudson were allegedly hiding inside a bedroom closet. According to investigators, Williams and Hudson grabbed the victims, held them at gunpoint and assaulted them.

Authorities said Del Valle streamed the incident to Arnold, Hilton and Hughes as they traveled to the apartment. Investigators also said they recovered a group chat involving the defendants in which Arnold and Hilton allegedly gave directions to Del Valle, Williams and Hudson during the assault.

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According to investigators, Arnold, Hilton, Hughes and another individual arrived at the apartment around 1 a.m. Police allege Arnold directed the group inside, and that Hughes, Hudson and Williams stole the victims’ personal property while the assault was ongoing.

Authorities said the victims were escorted from the apartment about 40 minutes later, forced into their vehicle and left the scene. They later reported the incident to Tampa police and identified the suspects.

Terrion Arnold of the Detroit Lions lines up before a play during an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Nov. 27, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

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Investigators said they believe Arnold was the primary organizer of the alleged scheme based on evidence gathered during the investigation. However, Harvey Steinberg, one of Arnold’s attorneys, argued in court that the prosecutors were “not even close” to showing he knew or directed his associates in this incident.

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Arnold was expected to be a starting corner for the Lions this season, making his release a big one for the depth chart. He recorded his first career interception this past season in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings, though he was only able to play eight games because of a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery.

Arnold played 16 games during his rookie season in 2024, tallying 10 passes defended and 60 combined tackles.

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