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🇺🇸 USMNT year in review
The USMNT routed Uruguay, 5-1, on Tuesday night in Tampa to cap off a promising conclusion to an uneven year.
From Yahoo Sports' Steven Goff:
A year that began with acute growing pains, with questions about the coach's acuity for international soccer and with doubts about a trumpeted generation of U.S. national team players ended in emphatic fashion with a masterful, goal-filled performance against a celebrated opponent.
Sebastian Berhalter, who has been with the national team for all of five months, scored a terrific opening goal. Alex Freeman, a defender who's been with the national team for all of five months, scored the next two, the first assisted by Berhalter.
Diego Luna, a midfielder who's excelled under Pochettino this year, added the fourth before halftime. Substitute Tanner Tessmann added a goal midway through the second half in the program's highest-scoring outing against a team from the South American confederation.
Ending on a high note:The U.S., ranked 16th in the world, went unbeaten in their final five matches of 2025, all against opponents insideFIFA's top 40(No. 15 Uruguay, No. 19 Japan, No. 23 Ecuador, No. 25 Australia, No. 39 Paraguay). After a disappointing start to his tenure, this is exactly the form head coach Mauricio Pochettino was hoping for entering 2026, when the World Cup comes stateside.
Year in review:The USMNT went 11-6-1 in 18 games this year, with nearly identical records in friendlies (6-3-1) and official matches (5-3). They were also a team of runs, with five separate streaks of at least two consecutive wins or losses.
Jan. 18: USA 3, Venezuela 1
Jan. 22: USA 3, Costa Rica 0
March 20: Panama 1, USA 0 (Nations League Semifinal)
March 23: Canada 2, USA 1 (Nations League 3rd Place Game)
June 7: Turkey 2, USA 1
June 10: Switzerland 4, USA 0
June 15: USA 5, Trinidad & Tobago 0 (Gold Cup Group Stage)
June 19: USA 1, Saudi Arabia 0 (Gold Cup Group Stage)
June 22: USA 2, Haiti 1 (Gold Cup Group Stage)
June 29: USA 2, Costa Rica 2; USA wins on penalties (Gold Cup Quarterfinal)
July 2: USA 2, Guatemala 1 (Gold Cup Semifinal)
July 6: Mexico 2, USA 1 (Gold Cup Final)
Sept. 6: South Korea 2, USA 0
Sept. 9: USA 2, Japan 0
Oct. 10: USA 1, Ecuador 1
Oct. 14: USA 2, Australia 1
Nov. 15: USA 2, Paraguay 1
Nov. 18: USA 5, Uruguay 1
Looking ahead:The Americans will not regroup again until March for reported high-end tests against Portugal and Belgium. Pochettino will name his 26-man World Cup roster in May.
Further reading:How the USMNT found its identity under Pochettino(Goff)
🏈 CFP rankings: Where it stands
Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M remained the top three teams in thelatest CFP rankings, while Alabama dropped six spots to No. 10 after losing to Oklahoma on Saturday.
The big question:Notre Dame or Miami? The committee is setting itself up for the biggest controversy — and arguably injustice — in the history of the playoff.
From Yahoo Sports' Dan Wolken:
Let's do a little thought exercise using everything we have learned through the first 11 years of the College Football Playoff.
Team A is 10-2, didn't win a conference championship, has played the 29th-toughest schedule in the country, and owns one win over a team on the low-end of the top 25.
Team B is also 10-2, didn't win a conference championship, has played the 43rd-toughest schedule in the country, and owns one win over a team ranked in the top 10.
Based on the blind résumé, you'd probably assume Team B would be ranked slightly above Team A. You'd especially be convinced of that if you learned that when they played head-to-head, Team B defeated Team A.
But in this case, you'd be wrong: Team A is Notre Dame and Team B is Miami.
In the latest CFP rankings on Tuesday night, Notre Dame is ranked No. 9, and Miami is ranked No. 13 with no plausible path to leapfrog the Irish. And at least right now, it looks like there may be room for only one of the two in this year's field.
Keep reading.
📊 By the numbers
⚽️ 156,000 people
Curaçao, an autonomous territory of about 156,000 people within the Netherlands kingdom,qualified for the 2026 World Cupon Tuesday with a 0-0 draw against Jamaica. The tiny Caribbean island becomes the smallest nation ever to qualify, taking the record previously held by Iceland (population: 350,000).
🏀 23rd season
LeBron Jamesmade his season debut on Tuesday, becoming the first player in NBA history to suit up for 23 seasons. James finished with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting, 12 assists, 3 rebounds and a turnover in the Lakers' 140-126 win over the Jazz.
🏈 9 of 16 teams
The NFC playoff picture is chaos at the moment, withnine of 16 teams currently over .500. Consider this: The third-place Bears (7-3) are just three games up on the 11th-place Vikings (4-6).
👟 6th signature shoe
Pistons star Cade Cunninghamhas re-signed with Nikeon a deal that will make him the sixth active NBA player with a signature Nike shoe. The other five: LeBron, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker and Ja Morant.
Seventh coming soon? Stephen Currywarmed up in Nikeson Friday in his first game since ending his 12-year partnership with Under Armour. Could Steph make a move back to the Swoosh, with whom he had a deal from 2009-13?
🏈 NFL power rankings
The defending champion Eagles (8-2) remain atop our power rankings behind an elite defense that's rounding into form for the stretch run. The Birds are allowing just 14.5 points per game during their current four-game win streak.
Rounding out the top five:The Rams (8-2) climbed two spots after beating Seattle, the Colts (8-2) fell one spot during their bye week, the Seahawks (7-3) fell one spot after their narrow loss to the Rams and the Broncos (9-2) jumped two spots after winning their eighth straight game.
🥌 A changing of the guard in American curling
All dynasties must come to an end eventually, and on Sunday at the U.S. Olympic curling trials, it was John Shuster's turn to cede his spot at the top.
Changing of the guard:Team Shusterlost in the finalsto 24-year-old Danny Casper's team, ending Shuster's run of five consecutive Olympic appearances and halting his bid to become the first curler ever to appear in six Games.
The 43-year-old Minnesota native had represented Team USA at every Winter Games since 2006, and his bronze medal that year and gold in 2018 are the only curling medals the U.S. has ever won at the Olympics (men's, women's or mixed doubles).
While his streak may end at five straight Games, that record sixth appearance could still come in 2030 or beyond. "I'm not counting me out, necessarily, because I got nothing else to do," he quipped after the loss. "I got no job."
What's next:Casper and his team still have some work to do. They'll represent the U.S. at next month's last-chance qualifier in Kelowna, Canada, where eight teams will vie for the final two spots at Milan-Cortina 2026, which kicks off in just 79 days.
📺 Watchlist: Wednesday, Nov. 19
🏀 NBA on ESPN
The second-place Cavaliers host the red-hot Rockets(7pm ET), who've won nine of their last 10 behind one of the league's best duos in Kevin Durant (25.9 ppg) and Alperen Şengün (23.0). Then the Knicks visit the cellar-dwelling Mavericks in the nightcap(9:30pm).
🏒 NHL on TNT
First up is Oilers at Capitals(7pm)in a matchup of the greatest scorer of all time and the best player alive. The Wild host the Hurricanes in the second leg(9:30pm).
🏀 NCAA Men's Basketball on FS1
Two top-11 matchups on a Wednesday in November? Yes please. First up is No. 4 Arizona at No. 3 UConn(7pm), followed by No. 11 Alabama at No. 8 Illinois(9pm).
More to watch:
🎾 Davis Cup Finals: Italy vs. Austria (10am, Tennis) … Two-time defending champion (and tournament host) Italy plays in the quarterfinals.
🏈 NCAAF: Miami-Ohio at Buffalo (7pm, ESPN2); Central Michigan at Kent State (7pm, ESPNU) … Midweek MACtion.
⚽️ Women's Champions League: Arsenal vs. Real Madrid (3pm, CBSSN) … One of five games to kick off Matchday 4.
Today's full slate.
🏒 NHL trivia
101 years ago this month, the NHL officially welcomed itsfirst American franchise.
Question:Can you name that team?
(A) Detroit Red Wings
(B) New York Rangers
(C) Boston Bruins
(D) Chicago Blackhawks
Answer at the bottom.
🏔️ Denver's historic start
Denver sports fans are enjoying a historic start to the fall/winter sports season, with the Broncos (9-2), Avalanche (13-1-5) and Nuggets (10-3) all off to hot starts.
Exclusive club:Denver in 2025joins Philadelphia in 1980as the only cities to have the following in the same calendar year:
NFL team won 9+ of first 11 games
NBA team won 10+ of first 12 games
NHL team won 13+ of first 19 games
Flashback… 1980 was quite the time to be a Philadelphia sports fan. All four teams made their respective league championships (Super Bowl in January, NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final in May, World Series in October), the Phillies won their first title, and then the Eagles, 76ers and Flyers all got off to strong starts in the latter months to cap off a banner calendar year.
Trivia answer:(C) Boston Bruins
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