Sports
Why did the USWNT-Canada match continue? Explaining the rules around postponing games
American soccer has dealt with two high-profile instances of extreme weather disrupting professional games in the last week. In both cases, despite conditions making it impossible to play at anything close to normal, the games went on.
The most recent of the two happened on Wednesday, when steady and heavy rains flooded the field at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Caif. before the U.S. women’s national team’s Gold Cup semifinal match against Canada. Conditions meant the ball could not travel on the ground farther than a couple of feet in most parts of the field, which played a direct role in the United States’ opening goal.
JAEDYN SHAW RIDING THE STORMMMM 🔥🤩 pic.twitter.com/0gq2tkR2sa
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) March 7, 2024
“It was honestly insane,” Shaw said. “We had such a good warmup … the ball was moving really fast, and we were excited to just play and have a really intense game, and then we came back out and we were like, ‘What’s happening?’”
Asked if the game should have been played, USWNT interim head coach Twila Kilgore said, “Probably not.”
The previous Saturday, an MLS match between Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles FC was similarly affected, but by a different form of precipitation. That game, which was held at America First Field in Sandy, Utah, was delayed first by high winds and then again shortly after kickoff by lightning. Once the game began in earnest, snow had started to fall, resulting in accumulation of up to four inches and whiteout conditions by the end of Salt Lake’s 3-0 win.
“It was one of the worst professional sporting events I’ve ever seen in my life,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said after the match, comments for which he was fined $10,000 by the league this week for violating the league’s public criticism policy. “I feel terrible for the players that we put them through this. The game could have and should have been called (off). In my opinion, it was an absolute disgrace we had to play today.”
Why were these games allowed to play on?
In North America, soccer games are usually only called off or delayed when there is lightning within a certain radius of the field or any sort of weather that would impact the structural integrity of the stadium. While baseball and tennis (which saw a recent competition postponed due to rain) are at the more delicate end of the cancellation, soccer is generally about as likely to play through bad weather as American football.
There are numerous examples of professional and international soccer games played through bad conditions, with perhaps the most prominent example being the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica in Commerce City, Colo., just outside of Denver (dubbed by many U.S. fans as the “SnowClásico”). In the 2022 World Cup qualifying cycle, the U.S. hosted Honduras in St. Paul in February, with the temperature at kickoff hovering around 2 degrees Fahrenheit (-16 Celsius). That game, too, was played as planned.
Herculez Gomez takes a corner in 2013’s ‘SnowClásico’ (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
The fact that Saturday’s game continued to be played came as a surprise to new RSL signing Matty Crooks, who has spent his whole professional career in the United Kingdom.
“Back in England, I’d probably say after about 10 minutes it would’ve been called off,” Crooks said. “But to be fair, no one in the changing room even mentioned it being called off, so it was like, ‘Alright, we’re going to play through it.’”
USWNT forward Alex Morgan pointed out how the conditions on Wednesday turned a game that is largely played on the ground into something else entirely.
“It’s just hard to even call it a game of soccer tonight, especially the first half,” she told the media afterward. “Your instincts are to dribble, and then you can’t dribble, you’ll lose the ball. Your instincts are not to hit it long when you have shorter options but we saw from the goal that Jae scored … that it’s anyone’s game and just to put instincts aside and just really grind this win out.”
Alex Morgan tackled by a Canadian defender (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
What are the rules for W Gold Cup matches? Is that different from NWSL?
Many professional games throughout the world are generally overseen by a person whose job it is to make sure that all the logistical things required to play are in place. This includes but is not limited to ensuring on-time arrival of both teams and the officiating crew, inspecting the field of play, ensuring security arrangements are met, and acting as the organizers’ representative on the ground. In CONCACAF, that person is called the match commissioner and is usually stationed on the sideline between the benches.
CONCACAF rules for the W Gold Cup state that the decision on whether or not to play a game in case of inclement weather is up to the match referee (except in cases of lightning), but in practice it is the match commissioner who has the final say.
“Technically and practically by law it is always in the ultimate decision of the referee to make that decision,” professional referee and CBS rule analyst Christina Unkel said during the halftime broadcast. “That being said, practically speaking, there is a match commissioner at each of these CONCACAF matches. As we saw within the first minutes of this game, the referee went and demonstrated that the ball was not in fact rolling when she went over to near the fourth official station, which is where the match commissioner stands. It was very clear from her demonstrative showing that she does not necessarily think this is a safe condition, but is being told to continue this match by that match commissioner.”
CONCACAF did not respond to questions from The Athletic about the decision-making process that led to Wednesday’s game playing on.
In the NWSL, weather delay decisions are made by a weather delay committee, according to the league’s 2023 rules and regulations. The committee is comprised of the referee, representatives from each team (usually the head coaches), and stadium staff.
The 2012 Eastern Conference semifinal at Red Bull Arena was postponed due to Superstorm Sandy, and was eventually played in a Nor’easter (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
What are the rules for MLS matches?
According to MLS policy, “Matches may be delayed or postponed when circumstances exist such that the start or continuation of play would pose a threat to the safety and well-being of participants or spectators.”
“The determination of whether a match is considered ‘delayed’ or ‘postponed’ shall be made by the League Office in its sole and absolute discretion,” the policy reads. The league generally makes that determination with input from meteorologists, staff at the venue and both competing teams.
MLS says it considers safety for players, officials, staff and fans first, followed by competition-related factors like the playability of the field. The league also takes logistical factors into consideration, like availability of the venue and match officials if the game is played the following day. Broadcast implications and other commercial aspects are considered after the aforementioned factors.
When rain flooded the Los Angeles area last February around the start of the MLS season, the league rescheduled its highly touted El Trafico between LA Galaxy and LAFC due to “safety considerations resulting from inclement weather” – factors that included flooded parking lots around the stadium. The game was rescheduled to take place months later, on July 4. LA had recorded its fourth-highest average rain total (6 inches). This February, LA saw 12.6 inches of rainfall — an inch less than the 1988 record.
What’s the reaction been like?
After the Real Salt Lake vs. LAFC game, LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead said that the MLS Players’ Association would be notified of the players’ complaints.
“My lower back is killing me,” he said.. “It’s just like trying to run on an ice rink. You’re sliding and slipping the whole time. The whole goal is just to not fall over and hurt yourself. It will absolutely be taken to the players association. I know our rep will be having that conversation immediately.”
Reached on Thursday, an MLSPA spokesperson told The Athletic: “We’re continuing to discuss things that need to be done better with the players and the league. At this time, we have no further statement.”
Reaction on social media to the playing conditions was universally negative. Former USWNT player Julie Foudy posted, “This is so insane. STOP THE MATCH.” San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney, whose NWSL team plays at Snapdragon Stadium, was concerned for the players on the field — including multiple representatives from the Wave — writing, “So dangerous!! Make the right call for player safety!”
“Why are the players being put in this situation? No chance these are safe playing conditions,” former USWNT player Sam Mewis posted.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump pardoned five former NFL players on Thursday night.
White House pardon czar Alice Mary Johnson announced the pardons in a post on social media. Joe Klecko, Nate Newton, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry and the late Billy Cannon were granted clemency.
President Donald Trump listens during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Jan. 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
“As football reminds us, excellence is built on grit, grace, and the courage to rise again. So is our nation,” Johnson wrote in a post on X.
She added that Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones shared the news “personally” with Newton, who was a three-time Super Bowl winner with the Cowboys.
Klecko, a former New York Jets star and Pro Football Hall of Famer, pleaded guilty to perjury when he lied to a federal grand jury that was investigating insurance fraud.
COWBOYS NFL FREE AGENCY PREDICTIONS: 4 PLAYERS TO HELP DALLAS GET BACK INTO PLAYOFFS
Dallas Cowboys guard Nate Newton (61) in action against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on Nov. 10, 1996. (James D. Smith/USA TODAY Sports)
Newton, who was a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection, pleaded guilty to a federal drug-trafficking charge after law enforcement discovered $10,000 in his pickup truck as well as 175 pounds of marijuana in a vehicle in an accompanying car driven by another man.
Lewis, who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, pleaded guilty in a drug case in which he used a cellphone to try to set up a drug deal soon after his former team selected him with the No. 5 overall pick of the 2000 draft. He was the Offensive Player of the Year in 2003.
Henry, who was a Pro Bowl running back that played for three teams in his seven-year NFL career, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic cocaine for financing a drug ring that moved between Colorado and Montana.
Oakland Raiders tight end (33) Billy Cannon catches a pass against the Green Bay Packers during Super Bowl II at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 14, 1968. (Tony Tomsic/USA TODAY NETWORK)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Cannon, a star with the Houston Oilers and Oakland Raiders, admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s. He was the 1959 Heisman Trophy winner while at LSU. His pardon came posthumously as he died in 2018.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sports
Commentary: Start talking three-peat! Dave Roberts believes these Dodgers can be better than ever
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — On the day Kiké Hernández came home, meaning the whole gang was returning for a run at a third consecutive World Series championship, I asked Dodgers manager Dave Roberts an obvious question.
Could this be his best team ever?
Relaxed and beaming throughout his annual Cactus League media day appearance Thursday at a local hotel, Roberts gave an obvious answer.
“Yeah,” he said.
As in, duck.
Yes, these Dodgers have a team that could be better than the teams that have dominated baseball the last two years. Yes, these Dodgers could be better than a group that produced two MVPs, two World Series MVPs, and a passel of All-Star appearances.
Take a champion, add baseball’s best reliever and one of its best young hitters, then do the math.
Yes, yes, and oh yeah.
“On paper, it could be [the best],” Roberts said. “Looking at the guys in their prime, the experience, the talent, the starters, the pen, the depth of the young players … probably the best team we’ve had on paper.”
Roberts is right. Who is even close to the Dodgers? Who can seriously contend with the Dodgers? Who would have a chance in a seven-game series against the Dodgers?
The answer is, nobody.
Adding reliever Edwin Díaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker, frankly, is just piling on.
Instead of the usual criticism that the Dodgers are ruining baseball, Thursday’s interview session was appropriately filled with talk about how nobody in baseball can ruin the Dodgers.
“It does get lost, the things that we do well,” Roberts said. “Scouting and player development, I think we do as well as anybody in baseball … to get superstars to play well every night, to put out a good product every single night, I think we do a good job at that.”
To understand why the Dodgers’ domination is beyond much of the payroll criticism, check out the last big transactions before Friday’s start of spring training, deals which included a one-year contract for Hernández and a one-year extension for Max Muncy.
At first glance, they didn’t really need either player.
Hernández has struggled during recent regular seasons while Muncy always seems to get hurt. Both players are aging and expendable and it seems like the Dodgers would be fine without them.
But upon further inspection, the heart of the Dodgers’ efforts are fueled by guys like these.
“That’s why the biggest conversation should be that instead of a payroll question,” said Roberts. “Why are we good for baseball? Because our players play the game the right way. When you watch our team play, there’s not anyone that can say our guys don’t respect the game and play the game the right way. We’re good because we play the game the right way and because we give our fans a great product every single night.”
Hernández is a postseason superstar, with an .826 OPS while seemingly making every big postseason play that comes at him.
He hit three home runs in the NLCS clincher against the Chicago Cubs in 2017. He homered in the Dodgers’ 2-0 victory in the NLDS clincher against the San Diego Padres in 2024.
Then, more impactful than all of that, it was his decision to cheat in while playing left field in the ninth inning that led to a catch-and-throw double play that clinched the Dodgers’ victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6 of the World Series. All of that while nursing an elbow that would later require surgery.
““To play through it and not complain was pretty amazing,” said Roberts. “When it comes to crunch time, he can be counted on.”
Muncy is like Hernández. You forget about him until October, a month when he will be remembered forever.
He set a major league record by reaching base in 12 consecutive plate appearances in the 2024 NLCS against the New York Mets. He hit a home run in the eighth inning to spark the Dodgers’ comeback in last season’s Game 7 win.
Guess who has hit the most postseason home runs in Dodger history? Muncy, seriously, with 16 rockets in 259 at-bats. And to think when the Dodgers signed him to a minor-league contract before the 2017 season, he was a fringe player with seemingly no future.
“I think we’ve built something very good, very consistent, and I’m proud of it, I really am,” Roberts said. “It’s really special what we have, this whole operation.”
In Thursday’s final few moments before the start of the race to a three-peat, Roberts allowed himself the luxury of reminiscing on a memorable postseason that included a monumental Game 7 victory created by the rich Dodgers’ ability to do the little things.
Roberts talked about Tommy Edman’s sliding-stop-and-throw to third base, Miguel Rojas’ throw home to Will Smith, two of a dozen little things that created a championship.
“It’s going to go down as one of the best games of all time,” Roberts said of Game 7. “I do think about a lot of things that would have changed the game … yes, I’m amazed … we got our breaks, we had big hits … man, when I think about that, it still blows my mind.”
Pitchers and catchers begin work this weekend. If you believe the manager, prepare to have your minds re-re-blown.
Sports
US Olympic figure skaters speak out on judging that denied them gold amid widespread questions
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Madison Chock and Evan Bates have responded to questions over judging in the recent Olympic ice dance pairs final.
The couple was looking to defend their gold medal, but came in second to the French duo of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.
A French judge graded Beaudry and Cizeron higher than Chock and Bates, which ultimately helped thrust the French team to gold over the Americans. The judging has been the topic of controversy on social media, with some arguing that Chock and Bates should have graded higher.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States compete during the ice dancing free skate in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Chock and Bates were asked by NBC News how they felt about the judging.
“We’ve certainly gone through a roller coaster of emotions, especially in the last 24 hours,” Chock said. “And I think what we will take away is how we felt right after our skates and how proud we were of what we accomplished and how we handled ourselves throughout the whole week. Putting out four great performances at the Olympic Games is no small feat, and we’ve got a lot to be proud of.”
Chock and Bates were trailing the French couple by 0.46 of a point entering the free dance Wednesday night, and they were searching for their first ice dance Olympic medal with hopes that it would obviously be gold.
Their matador routine, dancing to a rendition of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It, Black” drew cheers from the crowd, and they finished with tears in their eyes.
They finished with 224.39 after notching a 134.67 score in their free dance.
Chock and Bates are two-time team gold winners after Sunday’s Team USA victory, but they had to watch one more routine to see if they could capture gold when Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron took the ice.
But the judges decided the French duo did enough to defeat the Americans in the end.
US FIGURE SKATING STAR ALYSA LIU OPENS UP ON BEING TARGETED BY CHINESE SPYING OPERATION
Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States react to seeing that their scores earned them the silver medal after competing during the ice dancing free skate in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Beaudry and Cizeron scored a 135.64 in the free dance for a total of 225.82.
Chock and Bates were looking to experience receiving their gold medals on the podium after a delayed reception of their medals in the 2022 games.
Chock and Bates initially had to settle for team silver with their American teammates on the podium at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Team Russia and Kamila Valieva, who was 15 at the time, stood above them with their gold medals.
It wasn’t until the end of January 2024, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Valieva guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, when Chock, Bates and the U.S. were declared the rightful 2022 gold medalists.
Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance, during an anti-doping test at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in December 2021. She was suspended for four years and stripped of all competitive results since that date.
Chock and Bates spoke about what their message to Valieva would be today during an interview at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee media summit in October.
“It’s hard to, I think, imagine what a 15-year-old has gone through and under that kind of situation,” Bates said. “And I know how stressful it is, being an elite athlete as an adult, as a 36-year-old. And I think that grace should be given to humans across the board. And we can never really know the full situation, at least from our point of view. … I genuinely don’t know what I would say to her.”
Chock added, “I would just wish her well like as I would. I think life is short. And, at the end of the day, we’re all human just going through our own human experience together. And regardless of what someone has or hasn’t done and how it has affected you, I think it’s important to remember we’re humans as a collective, and we’re all here for this, our one moment on earth, at the same time. And I just wish people to have healthy, happy lives, full of people that love them.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States skate with their medals after competing in the ice dancing free skate in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan, Italy, Feb. 11, 2026. (Francisco Seco/AP Photo)
Chock and Bates had to wait more than two years after the initial Olympics to get their rightful gold medals, and they were finally presented with them during a ceremony at the Paris Olympics in summer 2024.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
A dangerous nuclear moment : Consider This from NPR
Sanctuary policies let alleged child predator roam free until DHS made Portland, Oregon, airport arrest
Don Lemon defiant after pleading not guilty in Minnesota church case, vows he will ‘not be intimidated’
Former Jack Smith deputy involved in prosecuting Trump announces run for office
Newsom stop in key presidential primary state sparks more 2028 speculation
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
A dangerous nuclear moment : Consider This from NPR
Video: Pride Flag Returns to Stonewall, Defying Federal Order
DHS shutdown explained: Who works without pay, what happens to airports and disaster response
More than 5,000 ISIL detainees transferred from Syria, says Iraqi ministry
Second US aircraft carrier is being sent to the Middle East, AP source says, as Iran tensions high
-
Politics1 week agoWhite House says murder rate plummeted to lowest level since 1900 under Trump administration
-
Alabama6 days agoGeneva’s Kiera Howell, 16, auditions for ‘American Idol’ season 24
-
San Francisco, CA1 week agoExclusive | Super Bowl 2026: Guide to the hottest events, concerts and parties happening in San Francisco
-
Ohio1 week agoOhio town launching treasure hunt for $10K worth of gold, jewelry
-
Culture1 week agoIs Emily Brontë’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ Actually the Greatest Love Story of All Time?
-
News1 week agoThe Long Goodbye: A California Couple Self-Deports to Mexico
-
Politics1 week agoTrump admin sued by New York, New Jersey over Hudson River tunnel funding freeze: ‘See you in court’
-
Science1 week agoTuberculosis outbreak reported at Catholic high school in Bay Area. Cases statewide are climbing