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)
Sports
Steelers legend loses patience with latest chapter in Aaron Rodgers saga: ‘They need to move forward’
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Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers last offseason. At 42, he has not ruled out a 2026 return, but the team is waiting to see what comes next.
The NFL’s new league year kicked off last week and the draft is next month. As the Steelers continue through the offseason, at least one former standout made it clear Rodgers’ time in Pittsburgh should be over.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson urged his former team to simply move on from Rodgers. “Is he gonna play? Listen, I get kinda tired of it,” Woodson said on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) passes in the first half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh on Oct. 12, 2025. (Matt Freed/AP Photo)
“Listen, if he’s gonna play, say he’s gonna play, he’s gonna come back. And the team shouldn’t wait for Aaron Rodgers. They need to move forward.”
While Woodson’s frustration appears to be growing, the Steelers still appear willing to wait. Rodgers recently said he is not aware of any “deadline” but has maintained his offseason training routine.
NFL FREE AGENT QUARTERBACKS: THE TOP 10 QBS AVAILABLE THIS OFFSEASON
Rodgers started in 16 games last season, throwing 24 touchdowns. He helped the Steelers end a five-season AFC North division title drought. But Pittsburgh ultimately could not break its playoff windless streak, losing to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson (26) looks on before a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Three Rivers Stadium on Aug. 24, 1995, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
Rodgers spent the first 18 seasons of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers. He had a two-year stint with the New York Jets before signing with the Steelers.
“What is it with these ex-Green Bay Packers quarterbacks that they have to be talked about all the time?” Woodson added. “‘Cause Brett Favre was that way for years. Remember how we used to have to talk about Brett Favre, talk about Brett Favre.”
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers listens to a question during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Former Ohio State standout Will Howard and NFL veteran Mason Rudolph are set to return to the Steelers in 2026. Concerns about the Steelers’ quarterback room continue to mount, with former star Rod Woodson arguing the team missed a chance to secure a long-term answer in last year’s draft.
“They should’ve taken Jaxson Dart (in the 2025 NFL Draft),” Woodson said. “He fell to them. It was the best opportunity for them to take that quarterback who has that swag, kinda fit into that Steeler mold.”
The Steelers formally introduced Mike McCarthy in January, kicking off a new era. McCarthy replaces Mike Tomlin, who stepped down after 19 seasons as the Steelers’ head coach.
McCarthy coached Rodgers in Green Bay. The new Steelers coach said he’s been in contact with his former quarterback this offseason, adding earlier this year he viewed Rodgers as a “great asset” to the team and suggested the franchise would welcome his return.
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Sports
Team USA star Jack Hughes wants Hockey Hall of Fame to give back gold-winning, possibly $1 million puck
U.S. hockey star Jack Hughes might have lost more than a couple of teeth during the gold-medal-winning victory against Canada at the Milan-Cortina Olympics last month.
The puck that Hughes smacked into the net in overtime to give the United States its first men’s Olympic hockey gold since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” was seemingly forgotten amid the raucous celebration.
But this week, the Hockey Hall of Fame began displaying that puck along with the one Megan Keller knocked into the net in overtime to give the U.S. women’s team gold in Milan. The International Ice Hockey Federation apparently secured the frozen vulcanized rubber disks immediately after the games and handed them to the Hall of Fame located in Toronto.
Hughes is happy “his” puck surfaced but believes he is the rightful owner of a piece of memorabilia that David Kohler, president of SCP Auctions, estimated might be worth $1 million.
“I don’t see why Megan Keller or I shouldn’t have those pucks,” Hughes told ESPN. “I’m trying to get it. Like, that’s [B.S.] that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would they have that puck?”
Hughes might not like the answer. The provenance of the puck is similar to that of a basketball or football used in a notable moment. It is dissimilar to a historic home run because a baseball leaves the field of play, and the owner becomes the fortunate fan.
“Because of the increasing value of memorabilia, ownership of items has become standardized over the last decade or so,” said an expert who agreed to speak anonymously because they work in the acquisition of such items. “Whoever purchased the puck owns it. Jerseys belong to the team, shoes and gloves to the player, the puck to whoever supplied it to the Olympics.”
That would be the International Ice Hockey Federation, the governing body of the Olympics hockey tournament. The IIHF employees who immediately secured those precious pucks amid gold-medal bedlam apparently did their job well.
“The puck was designated for archival preservation with the Hockey Hall of Fame to ensure its long-term safekeeping and historical recognition,” an IIHF spokesperson said.
The pucks are featured in an “Olympics ‘26” display that also contains a hockey stick used by Brady Tkachuk of the U.S. team and a U.S. jersey worn by four-time Olympian Hilary Knight.
It might strike some as odd that the display is in Canada, where fans are mourning the loss to the United States, but that’s been the location of the Hall of Fame since it was established in 1943. HOF president Jamie Dinsmore said in a statement that the display contains “donated items,” although it is unclear whether the IIHF has donated or merely loaned the pucks to the HOF.
“The Olympics ’26 display will help ensure that these unforgettable Olympic moments are preserved for our guests from around the world to experience,” Dinsmore said.
Meanwhile, Hughes told ESPN he wants the puck to become the property of one particular fan — his father, who collects memorabilia for him and his brothers Quinn and Luke. All three play in the NHL.
“I wouldn’t even want it for myself. I’d want it for my dad. I know he’d just love, love having it,” Hughes said. “When I look back in my career, I don’t collect too many things for myself, but my dad’s a monster collector for the three of us. I know he would have a special place for it.”
Or it could be sold at auction, where certainly it would pay for any dental work Hughes needs after getting teeth knocked out during the gold-medal game. Various auction houses have estimated the value of the puck to be from $40,000 to $1 million.
Should he acquire the puck, though, Hughes might not even consider selling it. The first pick of the 2019 NHL draft, he signed an eight-year, $64 million contract extension with the New Jersey Devils four years ago.
Sports
Venezuela hero Eugenio Suarez taps faith after shocking Team USA: ‘All the glory is for the Lord Jesus’
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Eugenio Suarez, the man who hit the game-winning RBI double to lift Venezuela over Team USA in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) final, tapped into his faith during his post-game interview.
“I mean, what can I say about this? It’s amazing. God is good, all the glory is for the Lord Jesus. He was with us the whole time,” Suarez told FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal after being asked his emotions following the 3-2 win over the U.S.
“We have to glorify, put his name in front of everything. Nobody believed in Venezuela, but now we [won] the championship today. This is a celebration for all [of Venezuela].”
Eugenio Suárez of Team Venezuela reacts after hitting an RBI double against Team United States during the ninth inning at loanDepot park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Suárez shared his faith on Monday night after Venezuela came from behind to defeat Italy, when he hit a solo home run. But he knew the job wasn’t finished with one more game left on the schedule before he and his teammates — whom he called a family — returned to their MLB clubs.
It was a dominant performance by Venezuela at loanDepot park on Tuesday night, a surprising showing in which Team USA was held to just two hits and four total baserunners when Bryce Harper came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning.
VENEZUELA SHOCKS TEAM USA TO WIN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC FOR FIRST TIME
However, the game turned on its head, as Harper hammered an Andres Machado fastball over the center-field wall to tie the game at two runs apiece. The momentum shift was palpable, but Suarez found himself in a great position to bring it back to the Venezuelan dugout.
Eugenio Suárez of Team Venezuela celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against Team Italy in the fourth inning at loanDepot park on March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
As Javier Sanoja stole second base, Suárez didn’t miss a 3-2 changeup in the heart of the plate from Garrett Whitlock, driving it to left-center field for the game-winning hit.
He stood on second base and immediately looked to the sky, which Rosenthal asked about – what exactly did he say?
“I just prayed at the time,” Suarez said. “I pointed to my family out there – they were happy for me. God is good, man. God is good.”
Venezuela’s upset over Team USA, one of the most stacked lineups the Stars and Stripes have fielded in this tournament, marked the country’s first-ever WBC victory. It’s why everyone, from players to coaches, was emotional in celebration on the field after the game.
Eugenio Suárez of Team Venezuela reacts after hitting an RBI double against Team United States during the ninth inning at loanDepot park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
“The union – we are together the whole time. We’re not just teammates, we’re all family,” Suarez added. “This team is awesome – we are family here. That’s why we play with passion, with love because we feel that on our jersey. We feel our country on the front of us. That’s why this is a lot for us as players, as people, as human beings and as a Venezuelan. Now, we are the champions.”
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