Yesterday in Sports 06 19 26

Hey, I'm Chris Horvidell and this is Yesterday in Sports. The show that gets you caught up on the biggest things that happened yesterday, why they mattered, and what you need to know before pretending you watched every second of it. Here we go. Welcome to Yesterday in Sports, the show where we catch up on what happened yesterday and why it matters. We're covering Thursday, June 18th, and we're going to start at the World Cup, where Canada got the kind of win that changes how countries talk about them. Canada beat Qatar 6-0 in Vancouver, and this is Canada's first ever World Cup win. Jonathan David scored a hat-trick, Saeul Aron opened the scoring, Nathan Saliba added a free kick, Qatar added a known goal, and by the end, Canada had the win. The goal difference, and one of the biggest nights in the history of the men's program. The context matters here. Canada had been to the World Cup before, it had played real teams, it had produced good players, it had built a group that looked like it belonged, but it had never won on this stage. Now it has. Not by one goal, not by holding on late, but by six goals. That part's really important too because this isn't just a nice host country moment. Canada is now on four points in Group B, level with Switzerland, and because of that margin it sits in a very strong spot going into the final group match. And if you're checking in at the odds over at Lucky Rebel Sportsbook, Canada-Switzerland is now a much, much, much different game than it looked before the tournament. Canada's not just trying to survive the group anymore, Canada can win this. Now it wasn't all good news here, this match was a little bit of a tough watch because Ishmael Kone suffered a broken leg after a hard challenge from Haseem Madibo. Madibo was sent off, Katar went down to nine men, and Kone went to the hospital for surgery. Actually, it's worth pointing out that Canada did do this against a nine-man Katar team with two players sent off for red cards. It did somewhat change the tone of the night when you have this historic win and still you're feeling the weight of losing a key midfielder. Both things can be true, it can be good and bad. Jonathan David said afterwards that the injury made it hard for players to keep going emotionally and that makes sense, you're trying to celebrate a national breakthrough while also watching a teammate leave on a stretcher. Saliba's goal celebration, holding up Kone's shirt, was one of those moments that cuts through the score. This was a massive night for Canada, but it came with a cost. Katar meanwhile is in real trouble. Homan Ahmed was sent off in the first half, Madibo went off in the second, and they never really had any control. Holding the pay-to-gee has managed huge clubs, big matches, pressure moments, all of it, but trying to solve a World Cup match with nine men against a host team in full roar is a rough day of work. We'll stay in Group B though because Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 and that score makes it look cleaner than it was. This match was 0-0 deep into the second half, Bosnia were compact, organized, and doing exactly what they wanted to do. Switzerland coach Marat Yaqeen went to the bench and Yoann Manzambi changed the whole match. Manzambi is 20 years old, he came in late, he scored three minutes later, and added another before it was over. Ruben Vargas scored two, and Grant Giacca added a penalty after Bosnia went down to ten men. For Switzerland that's huge. Now they have four points, just like Canada. They only need one more point to guarantee a place into the round of 32 as either a group winner or a runner up. And if you look at tournament teams that hang around, Switzerland's been that kind of team for years. Rarely chaotic, usually well prepared, and very very hard to get rid of. The Manzambi part was a fun angle, he'd never scored twice in a professional match before then he ditched the World Cup off the bench with his family in the building. A life changing half hour for the young man. Lucky Rebel actually had Switzerland minus 185 on the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina so this was also a favor taking care of the job. But they did it in a way that matters. They waited, they made the right change, and the match broke open. In group A, Mexico became the first team to reach the knockout stage. Mexico beat South Korea 1-0 in Guadalajara, with Luis Romo scoring in the 50th minute after a mistake between goalkeeper Kim Sung-gwo and defender Lee Ji-hyuk. Kim spilled the ball after a collision, Romo was there, and Mexico had the only goal it needed. Lucky Rebel had Mexico plus 107 on the match line against South Korea which is a little fun note because Mexico was at home but they were still priced like a team in a tight match. And it was tight, Mexico had long stretches where the attack felt flat, the home crowd actually booed at halftime, South Korea pushed late, and goalie Raul Ronel made a huge save late near the end. But Mexico got the win, they moved to 6 points, they locked up the group, and they secured a round of 32 match in Mexico City. This is a major advantage, less travel, a massive crowd backing them, and a team that now knows it's not going to be leaving home right away. This is also a really good reminder that tournament soccer isn't always about looking great, sometimes it's about clean sheets, one mistake from the opponent, and getting out of the group before anybody else is finished doing the math. South Africa stayed alive with a 1-1 draw against Czechia, Mikel Sadalik scored early for the Czechs, and for a long time South Africa looked stuck. Kebohu Mokwena converted an 83rd minute penalty to save a point. The good news is South Africa is still alive. The bad news, Mokwena picked up a yellow card and is going to miss the final group match against South Korea. This is a rough trade, score the goal that keeps your team in the tournament, then miss the match that decides whether or not it actually matters. Sports do enjoy being a little bit cruel. Meanwhile in the WNBA, Atlanta beat Indiana 108-101, and this was bigger than just the next Kaitlyn Clark-Angel Reese game. Angel Reese had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Kaitlyn Clark had 26, Kelsey Mitchell had 26, and became the 8th player in WNBA history to make 700 career threes. Aaliyah Boston had 23-8, but this story was Atlanta's balance. All five dream starters reached double figures. Nas Hillman and Alicia Gray both had 17, Ryan Howard had 16, and Atlanta moved to 10-4. It looks like a team that can win without ever needing one player to carry the team. That's a key point. The Clark-Reese attention is always going to drive the loudest conversation. Some of it is good for the league, some of it gets old in about 8 minutes, but the actual basketball takeaway is that Atlanta looks real. Reese gives them extra chances in interior fours, Howard gives them shot creation, Gray gives them the guard who can steady the game. It's a playoff profile for this team. Indiana is obviously still good too. Clark's scoring and passing are the engine, Mitchell is one of the league's absolute best shooters, and Boston gives them interior balance. But Atlanta closed better, and that matters in a league where the top tier is kind of getting crowded. This also does set the Commissioner's Cup final, Vegas against New York on June 30th in Brooklyn. The Aces got there by beating Phoenix 86-76 behind Asia Wilson who had 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals. The Liberty were waiting on the other side after a perfect cup run in the East. This is exactly the matchup that the league wants for this event. Aces-Liberty has stars, history, and enough edge that nobody is going to pretend the game doesn't matter. And it does. It's not the finals, but it's also not a random Tuesday either. We're also going to keep one eye on the NHL market because the offseason is already moving and the futures board is interesting after Carolina's cup win. Lucky Rebel lists the Carolina Hurricanes at plus 700 to win the 26-27 Stanley Cup which makes sense. They just won it, the structure is still strong, and Rod Brindamore's group has the kind of identity that tends to travel well year to year. But the board also shows how quickly the league resets. Lucky Rebel lists the Toronto Maple Leafs at plus 4,000 to win the 26-27 Stanley Cup which is a big number for a team with this much attention on it. Toronto is always one bold move away from convincing itself the window is wide open again and it's basically tradition for the Leafs. And for another major market team trying to regroup, Lucky Rebel lists the New York Rangers at plus 6,600 to win the 26-27 Stanley Cup. It tells you how far the market has moved from where the Rangers thought they were not that long ago. The names are still there but the trust, most certainly, is not. In baseball, the Mets beat the Phillies 6-4 and yep, we're gonna remain calm and adult about this. Juan Soto hit two home runs off Aaron Nola and the Mets took the opener in Philadelphia. It was Soto's 30th career multi-home run game and he also made a sliding catch to take a run away from Bryce Harper. The Phillies kept coming back. Alec Boehm drove in runs, the lineup had chances, and the game was tied late. Then Eric Wagemann had the go-ahead pinch hit single in the 7th. Marcus Simeon followed with a two-run triple and the Mets bullpen held. For the Mets, this matters because Soto looks locked in. For the Phillies, it's annoying because losing to the Mets never feels like a good loss. The Yankees also had a rough finish. The White Sox beat them 5-1 after Andrew Benatendi hit a pinch hit grand slam in the 8th inning. Chicago had not won at Yankee Stadium since June 8th, 2023. Benatendi broke a 1-1 tie against Camilo Duval on the first pitch he saw. Sean Burke was also great, giving up just one run over 7 1⁄3 and the White Sox ended the Yankees' four-game winning streak. That's baseball in a neat little box. You can have the better roster, the better record, the better month, and then one guy off the bench takes one swing and the whole thing turns around. Now let's turn to tennis where Alexandria Iola stunned Elena Rybakina at the Berlin Open. Iola won 7-5 and 6-4. Rybakina is the world's number two and the reigning Australian Open champion, a former Wimbledon winner, and seemingly the better player. Iola is 21 from the Philippines and this was a massive grass court result right before Wimbledon. What stands out really is how she did it. Rybakina had a 4-1 lead in the first set and Iola came back. On grass against a big server, it's not supposed to be that easy. One break can decide a set. One loose service can decide a match. Iola handled the moment. She broke Rybakina's serve more than once and turned this into the kind of win that changes how people view your ceiling. And because the World Cup needs one little weird subplot, Tarek, the elephant oracle in Cologne, picked Germany to beat Ivory Coast. He walked past the balls the first time and then came back and stomped on the one with the German colors. I'm not saying I'm building a model around zoo picks. I am saying I've heard worse pre-game analysis on television. But before we get out of here, let's close with our rumor of the day. Liverpool reportedly had a 100 million euro bid rejected from RB Leipzig for Jan Diamande. The reported offer was 90 guaranteed plus 10 million in add-ons and Leipzig is reported to want more. This is interesting for a few reasons. Diamande is only 19, he's coming off a breakout year in Germany, he's at the World Cup with the Ivory Coast. This is the exact mix that makes transfer fees get out of hand. Liverpool has already reportedly moved for Victor Munoz under Andoni Iraola, but Diamande would be the biggest wing. He's viewed as a guy who could be a long-term answer on the wing to Mo Salah. And we all know replacing Salah is not just a normal job. It is one of the toughest, most unenvious positions that a football player can have. This rumor matters because it shows Liverpool may not be done reshaping its attack. It also shows that Leipzig knows exactly what it has. If Diamande has one more big World Cup performance, that number is probably going to keep going up and up and up. So that's the day. Canada finally gets its first men's World Cup win. Switzerland finds a young hero. Mexico becomes the first team through. South Africa stays alive. Atlanta makes a real WNBA statement. Aces Liberty set for the Commissioner's Cup Final. Mets beat the Philz. White Sox beat the Yankees. Ila gets a major tennis win. And an elephant picks Germany, while Liverpool's chase for Jan Diamande becomes a major rumor to watch. Check out more from Underdog Podcasts at underdogpodcast.com and explore the other shows on the network, on Spotify, or the platform of your choice. That's all for today's episode about what happened yesterday. We'll see you tomorrow.