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Angel City embarks on a ‘new beginning’ in dominant, season-opening victory

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Angel City embarks on a ‘new beginning’ in dominant, season-opening victory

Neither Alexander Straus nor Mark Parsons were around when Angel City played its first NWSL game in 2022. But they didn’t miss much; in four years the team had one winning season and made just one playoff appearance.

So Straus, in his first full season as coach, and Parsons, 15 months into his job as sporting director, decided to raze the club and its sad history and start over. And that break from the past couldn’t have been much clearer than it was in the opening game of the team’s fifth season Sunday, a 4-0 rout of the Chicago Stars.

“There is a little bit of a new beginning,” Straus said.

The performance was the most dominant in club history and the margin of victory matched Angel City’s largest ever. It was also the team’s first season-opening win since 2022.

“We’re a completely different organization than we were at the end of last year,” Parsons said.

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For one thing the players are already having a good time, something that rarely happened the first four seasons. So if there was a black cloud hovering over the team when Straus and Parsons arrived, it has lifted — at least for one afternoon.

“It’s a lot different than last year,” said teenager Kennedy Fuller, who opened the scoring in the 33rd minute. “We’re just having fun. We’re expressing ourselves and we’re playing how we want to play and we’re doing what we’re able to do and what we’re good at.

“We’re OK to make mistakes. And so that really drives us to want to do better.”

Fuller said that new attitude is the product of having Straus for a full preseason camp. The coach arrived midway through last season and never had a chance to fully implement the aggressive, attacking style he wants to play. Those lessons took hold this winter.

The second big change was to the roster. Six of Sunday’s starters weren’t with Angel City at the start of last season and three of them — Evelyn Shores, Ary Borges and Maiara Niehues — scored. Borges also picked up her first Angel City assist.

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“He kind of got his time to really structure us how he wanted. And he was able to bring in players that he thought were going to fit his style,” Fuller said of Straus. “With that, we were able to kind of mold into the team that he wants.

“Our meetings were very long and our trainings were very long, and so we were really able to focus on exactly what he wanted.”

Fuller’s goal was the only score in a first half Angel City dominated but the second half was just eight minutes old when Shores doubled the lead, heading in a Fuller corner for her second NWSL goal. Borges, a Brazilian international, made it 3-0 in the 66th minute, jumping in front of Chicago’s Maitane López to intercept a short goal kick by Alyssa Naeher, then beating the Stars‘ keeper cleanly with a left-footed shot from the center of the box.

Niehues, another Brazilian international, closed the scoring in the 70th minute on a right-footed shot from the center of the box. Iceland’s Sveindis Jonsdottir, got the assist on that goal. Of the four goal-scorers for Angel City, only Borges, who also had an assist in her Angel City debut, is older 21.

For Straus, part of the challenge now is convincing his young team that it can get better while also preparing it for the struggles that undoubtedly await.

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“So we take this, we learn from the experience of what we were successful with today, and we keep that,” he said. “And when we try things that fail, we try again.

“From a coaching perspective, you have games like today and it’s great and it’s fantastic and it’s amazing. But I do exactly the same job when we when we lose. And [the] players do the same job. The outcome is something that sometimes is out of [our] control.”

Also likely to temper Straus’ excitement is that Sunday’s performance came against a team that finished last in the 14-team NWSL in 2025 and hasn’t had a winning record since 2022. Angel City’s long-suffering fans certainly still need to be convinced things have changed because the announced crowd of 16,813 on a beautiful sun-splashed afternoon at BMO Stadium was the smallest ever for an Angel City opener.

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That was the only sour note of the day, though. In fact, the franchise got a second, arguably more important, victory in the 63rd minute when defender Savy King came off the bench to play for the first time since collapsing on the same field 10 months ago. King was rushed to a hospital and later underwent surgery to address a heart abnormality, which temporarily left her career in doubt.

Those doubts ended Sunday.

“The game is so much bigger than playing 90 minutes on the field,” Fuller said. “She came back and she was like, ‘I’m gonna play. And I’m gonna be better than I was.’

“To see her step on the field and have so much confidence, to be able to have that back in our environment, is so crucial. To be able to get that moment in front of her family, in front of her hometown, is so, so special.”

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Terrion Arnold, Lions’ 2024 first-round pick, charged with kidnapping and armed robbery in Florida

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Terrion Arnold, Lions’ 2024 first-round pick, charged with kidnapping and armed robbery in Florida

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Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold was arrested in connection with an alleged kidnapping and robbery that investigators say occurred in February, the Tampa Police Department announced on Wednesday night.

Police previously arrested six other individuals accused of participating in what authorities described as a “targeted armed robbery” on Feb. 4.

Arnold turned himself in and was taken into custody at Orient Road Jail in Hillsborough County on Wednesday night. He is charged with four counts of kidnapping and four counts of armed robbery.

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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)

“We are aware of the matter and have been in contact with the club. We have no further comment at this time,” an NFL spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

The Lions have not immediately responded to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.

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.

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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.

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.

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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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.

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.

Investigators said they believe Arnold was the primary organizer of the alleged scheme based on evidence gathered during the investigation.

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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)

Arnold, an Alabama product, was selected by Detroit with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The 23-year-old recorded his first career interception this past season in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings, though he was only able to play eight games due to a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery.

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

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Mexico celebrates magical World Cup win over Czechia at rowdy Azteca Stadium

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Mexico celebrates magical World Cup win over Czechia at rowdy Azteca Stadium

Mexico’s national team overcame a lackluster first half to beat Czechia thanks to a dream second half that allowed it to finish the group stage undefeated on a night that will be remembered as one of the greatest in Mexican World Cup history.

The celebration of Mexico’s 3-0 win Wednesday at Azteca Stadium turned into a tribute to legendary goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who entered the game in the final minutes to receive a standing ovation unlike any other for a Mexican player in the history of the tournament.

Czechia was eliminated after failing to earn more than one point in the tournament. In the other group match, South Africa defeated South Korea 1-0 in Monterrey and advanced in second place. South Korea will have to wait to find out whether it advances as one of the eight best third-place teams.

Czechia put up a strong performance during the first 45 minutes, while Mexico showed little offensive clarity, mainly because of a lack of control in midfield.

Everything changed in a matter of six minutes during the second half, when El Tri figured out Czechia and secured its best victory in the group stage.

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Mateo Chávez opened the scoring in the 55th minute with the help of Mexico’s lethal counterattack. Luis Romo set up the goal by shaking off three Czechia players at midfield and pushing forward, passing to Chávez, who beat Czechia’s Michal Sadilek and buried a shot to the left side of goal.

Forward Julián Quiñones extended the lead in the 61st minute, exploiting Czechia’s defensive confusion in the penalty area.

Álvaro Fidalgo, who was a second-half substitute, capped the win with a stoppage-time goal. The run on the final goal was set up by a booming Ochoa kick and triggered a raucous celebration by the goalkeeper and his teammates.

The match encapsulated both the present and the future of the Mexican team.

Gilberto Mora, a 17-year-old midfielder from Tijuana and the team’s youngest player at the World Cup, was instrumental in the second half, setting up several of the plays that decided the outcome. With a 2-0 lead, one of the greatest moments for a goalkeeper in World Cup history unfolded. Ochoa replaced starter Raúl Rangel and was greeted with a standing ovation from a large portion of the 80,824 fans at Azteca Stadium.

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Mexico’s Julian Quinones celebrates scoring his side’s second goal against Czechia during a World Cup match in Mexico City on Wednesday.

(Silvia Izquierdo / Associated Press)

The fans chanted Ochoa’s name every time the goalkeeper touched the ball, honoring a player who has competed in six World Cups for Mexico.

Coach Javier Aguirre said that finishing first in the group was a “primary objective” for Mexico, which already qualified for the next round. The team achieved a first by securing three consecutive wins without conceding a goal in the group stage. Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in the opening match and South Korea 1-0 in the second game.

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Mexico, which is co-hosting the tournament alongside Canada and the United States, will face its next opponent — one of the best third-place finishers — on Tuesday at Azteca Stadium.

The only sour note for Mexico came in the scoreless first half when the restless crowd unleashed a popular homophobic chant at least twice. FIFA previously sanctioned the Mexican soccer federation in an effort to stop the chant.

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2026 World Cup Third-Place Standings: Who’s In, Who’s On The Bubble

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2026 World Cup Third-Place Standings: Who’s In, Who’s On The Bubble

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For the first time at a FIFA World Cup, finishing third in your group does not necessarily mean going home.

With 48 teams competing in 2026, FIFA expanded the field to include the eight best third-place finishers across all 12 groups. The top two teams in each group advance automatically, and the remaining eight spots in the 32-team knockout bracket go to the highest-ranked third-place teams, determined by points, goal difference, goals scored and other tiebreakers.

That means 12 teams will be competing for eight spots, and the race to stay in the top eight is one of the most compelling subplots of the final days of the group stage.

Here’s where the third-place standings sit heading into the final round of group stage matches on June 24.

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Third-Place World Cup Standings

Rank   GP Points Goal Diff.
1 Bosnia & Herz. 3 4 -1
2 Sweden 2 3 0
3 Scotland 2 3 0
4 Croatia 2 3 -1
5 Algeria 2 3 -2
6 Paraguay 2 3 -2
7 Cape Verde 2 2 0
8 Belgium 2 2 0
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9 Czechia 2 1 -1
10 DR Congo 2 1 -1
11 Ecuador 2 1 -1
12 Senegal 2 0 -3

The third-place standings will shift considerably over the next two days as the final round of group stage matches is played. Follow the live standings at FOXSports.com and watch every match on FOX and FS1, streaming live on FOX One.

Standings as of the end of Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar and Canada vs. Switzerland on Wednesday.

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2026 FIFA World Cup Standings Rules

How Do Points Work? How Do Tiebreakers Work? 

In a group, a team will earn three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. That could mean some teams are equal on points at the end of the three-game group stage. That leads us to tiebreakers. 

If two or more teams finish equal on group-stage points, here is the order of who finishes on top:

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1. Most points obtained in the head-to-head matches played between the tied teams;
2. Superior goal difference in the head-to-head matches played between the tied teams;
3. Most goals scored in the head-to-head matches played between the tied teams;

There are even more tiebreakers if any teams remained locked after all that. From there, ties are broken by these rules:

4. Superior goal difference in all group matches
5. Most goals scored in all group matches
6. Highest team conduct score in all group matches (taking into account yellow cards and red cards)
7. FIFA World Ranking

Which Third-Place Teams Will Advance?

To fill out the World Cup knockout bracket, the best eight third-place teams out of the possible 12 in the tournament will advance. The criteria for those teams are based on: 

1. Points
2. Goal difference
3. Goals scored
4. Highest team conduct score in all group matches (taking into account yellow cards and red cards)
5. FIFA World Ranking

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