SOME HOCKEY (REMPE SIGNS) ... MOSTLY SOCCER (SMALL CROWDS FOR BIG MATCHES)

 YOUR New York Rangers this week signed 6-7 ½ tough-guy forward MATT REMPE to a two-year contract worth $975,000 annually, leaving six unsigned restricted free agents (including defenseman ZAC JONES from Richmond) … with time rapidly running out before the July 1 deadline when they also can be available to any other team … Make an offer … Rempe became something of a cult hero with Ranger fans because of a willingness to fight anyone despite losing as many as he won … With a new coach, New York is expected to come up with a tougher team via trades and free-agent signings.

*** STOP THE PRESSES! The United States men’s 

national soccer team actually won a game, routing 

Trinidad and Tobago 5-0 to open play in the CONCACAF 

Gold Cup … but, in keeping with a trend that is engulfing 

soccer-watching in this country, only drew 12,610 to 

18,000-seat PayPal Park in San Jose. Why, not even 

Mexico could sell out SoFi Stadium (cap., 70,240) in 

Inglewood, California, Saturday for a 3-2 victory over the 

Dominican Republic, making its first Gold Cup 

appearance … before 15,931 empty seats.

*** QUOTING PAUL ROBINSON, former pro futbol 

goalkeeper, on Borussia Dortmund’s 0-0 first-round 

“thriller” with Fluminense in the Club World Cup soccer 

tournament at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium: “Futbol 

isn’t futbol without managers’ excuses …” after 

0,Dortmund (coach and players) complained the pitch 

(field) wasn’t to their liking.

Raise your hand if you were aware of the (expanded to) 

32-team event being held in North America for the first 

time … (not to be confused with THE World Cup that is 

coming to these shores in 2026). Well, it got under way 

over the weekend, with the championship match 

scheduled July 13 also at MetLife … Among the morning 

line favorites (wishful thinking, at best) was Major 

League Soccer’s Inter Miami FC that features all-time 

great LIONEL MESSI … now in the twi-light of a 

distinguished career but still dangerous enough to lead 

Argentina to the last (2022) World Cup title.

Despite discount ticket pricing, attendance for the 

opening round has been disappointing. In Seattle, River 

Platte 3-1 over Urawa Red Dragons drew a crowd of 

11,974 (officially) to a 68,740-capacity venue … 40,311 

were said to have been at the 100,000-seat-plus Rose 

Bowl in Pasadena, California, where heavily-favored 

Inter Milan had to settle for 1-1 with Monterrey of 

Mexico … Dortmund/Fluminense attracted 34,736.

With so many no-name teams (in addition to such well-

known English Premier League sides as 2025 champ 

Liverpool), organizers expect interest to grow … Not that 

all games so far haven’t done well at the box office. 

Sunday at the Rose Bowl, 80,619 was the official count 

for Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-0 romp over Atletico Madrid 

… FIFA says ticket sales have been just shy of 1.5 million 

for the tournament so far … A rain delay left 3,412 fans 

(at 25,000-seat Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Fla.) 

watching Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) beat Ulsan 

HD (South Korea) 1-0. That was the smallest crowd to 

date.

Until next time ...