Wedding bells in New Jersey
Chris Richards‘ arrival in Fayetteville for USMNT’s World Cup training camp on Friday brought the number of players on hand to 25.
The 26th? Brenden Aaronson was excused. He was back home marrying longtime girlfriend Milana D’Ambra, a daughter of Saint Joseph’s men’s coach and former U.S. futsal international Don D’Ambra.
The Medford Messi was due back in time for training Saturday. The USMNT faces Senegal on Sunday in Charlotte.
The No. 1 question around camp Friday morning was: phone or no-phone wedding. Matt Turner, who also hails from New Jersey, offered the help of his family.
“I could get some eyes on that wedding,” Turner told reporters, “because I know exactly where the venue is, and I know how to get there. My parents have a house down near there, so maybe they can row a boat up and tell me what’s going on.”
• More: Ryan Tolmich (Goal.com):‘Making our family grow even more’ – As Brenden Aaronson briefly leaves World Cup camp for his wedding, USMNT reflect on growing up together’
Looking ahead to USA-Paraguay
• Amid the swirl around talk of interest from AC Milan in a post-World Cup coaching project, Steven Goff (Yahoo!Sports) reported that Mauricio Pochettino’s focus is on the June 12 opener against Paraguay at SoFi. Pochettino told a media round-table on Thursday he has known his starting XI since “before March” camp.
• Henry Bushnell (The Athletic): Thousands of tickets remain available for USA World Cup opener vs. Paraguay; Will it sell out?
MLS at the break …
From Paul Kennedy: At the World Cup break, MLS is averaging 22,109 fans per match, up from last season’s final average of 21,988 fans per match.
MLS’s all-time record average is 23,234 set in 2024. A big reason for the 2026 increase is the continued popularity of Lionel Messi. Five teams — three playing in big stadiums — set new single-game records for games all of which involved Messi’s Inter Miami.
Team record crowds (2026)
• Colorado vs. Inter Miami (April 18), 75,824 (at Empower Field at Mile High)
• LAFC vs. Inter Miami (Feb. 21), 75,673 (at LA Memorial Coliseum)
• D.C. United vs. Inter Miami (March 7), 72,026 (at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore)
• Toronto FC vs, Inter Miami (May 9), 44,828 (at BMO Field)
• Inter Miami vs. Austin (April 4), 26,412 (at Nu Stadium)
Note: The Colorado and LAFC crowds rank second and third in MLS history.
• Viewership: According to MLS, it averaged 7.9 million live match viewers per week across streaming and linear platforms through the first three months of the 2026 season, an increase of 62% year-over-year. Games on Apple TV no long required a separate MLS Season Pass subscription.
More …
• Canada: Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David were the star names in Canada’s World Cup squad as Coach Jesse Marsch unveiled the co-host’s 26-man roster on Friday.
• France: Deschamps guards against World Cup over-confidence
• World Cup 2026 (New 🇨🇦): Rosters
• Heaps farewell: OL Lyonnes beat Paris FC 5-0 for their 19th League title in the last 20 seasons. It was Lindsey Heaps‘ last game. The USWNT captain is returning to play for her hometown Denver Summit.
What We’re Reading …
• Sam Dean (The Telegraph): The extraordinary story of Viktor Gyokeres’ grandfather fleeing Hungary
PSG-Arsenal:
• Luis Enrique’s PSG eye greatness with back-to-back Champions Leagues in sight
• Arsenal must banish European final demons to make Champions League history
• Soccer on TV: Networks, cable, streaming
WANT TO SHARE THIS ARTICLE?
Enjoy free unlimited access for 30 days.
‣ Inside access to USA’s 2026 World Cup prep.
‣ Daily TV listings for U.S. and global soccer.
‣ Exclusive interviews with players and coaches.
‣ Expert analysis of all the top stories in U.S. soccer.
Cancel anytime.
Bob, If they were Paying you $11Million Dollars… While you live in Barcelona.
and Don’t have to PUNCH a Clock….
Do you Think you could Find the Time to make a Few Phone Calls or Write a Few Evaluations.???
Google Ai; Where does PONCH Work.???
“European Residences: He spends a lot of his time in Europe, particularly London and Barcelona, to stay close to the majority of his national team players who play for overseas clubs.
U.S. Base: When his duties require him to be stateside, he works primarily out of the U.S. Soccer Federation headquarters and training center in the Atlanta area (Fayetteville/Marietta, Georgia).”
Oopss.. Posted to the Wrong Thread…
Time for Another MARGARITA.!!!