JONES GOES TO UTAH ... A VOTE FOR USA OVER B4LGUIM
OF ALL THINGS … starting with – STOP THE PRESSES!! – an item that has nothing to do with the ongoing FIFA World Cup … or soccer, for that matter.
IN CASE YOU missed it – and apparently quite a few of us did … ZAC JONES, the first ... as far as we know still the only … native born andraised in Virginia to suit up in the National Hockey League, agreed to a two-year contract with Utah last week on the first day free-agent signings could be announced.
The Mammoth, which finished the 2025-26 regular season
10 games over .500 then bowed in six games to eventual Stanley Cup runnerup Las Vegas in the first round, will be Jones’ third NHL team in as many years.
The 5-11, 198-pounder, winner of the 2026 Eddie Shore Award as the American Hockey League’s best defenseman,
spent the first five years of his pro career with the New York Rangers before signing with the Buffalo Sabres a year ago as a free agent, spending the entire season with their top farm team in Rochester, N.Y.
From Richmond (Glen Allen), Jones, 25, signed a two-way contract with the Mammoth, the transplanted Arizona Coyotes who moved to Salt Lake City two seasons ago. His maximum annual salary will be $872,000 … although it’s likely several bonus clauses (if met) could bring his annual take to more than a million dollars a year.
A left-handed defender who excels on the power play, Jones has appeared in 115 NHL games (5 goals, 24 assists, 38 penalty minutes), all with the Rangers.
NOW … ABOUT the World Cup ...
QUOTING LANDON DONOVAN on Team America’s chances of beating Belgium in Monday’s Round of 16 ...
“This is weird to say, I know, but we should be favorites … two knockout rounds in a row!!!” said the all-time leader of goals scored for the USMNT, knowing it would be a first. The Americans have a grand total of two knockout wins ... in 2002 over Mexico 2-0 in the Round of 16 … and now, 24 years later, Wednesday’s 2-0 decision against Bosnia.
“Belgium has not been inspiring,” Donovan explained.
Naturally, he watched CRISTIANO RENALDO and friends come from behind to beat Senegal 3-2 but, “when Senegal went up 2-0. we were like ‘this is a bad matchup for us’ because we thought Senegal would win,” Donovan said. “[And], all of a sudden, Belgium come [sic] back to win.
“I just feel like, in Seattle, with the crowd, with the way things are going … it’s not like ‘Oh, we could win this game’ … it’s a game we shouldwin. This is not a Belgium team from the past that you feared.”
Ouch! Talk about the kiss of death.
“CAPE VERDE, thank you … on behalf of the world …We will never forget you.” Boy, did Fox’s JOHN STRONG have that right after theUNDERDOG of all underdogs gave Argentina a major scare, bowing 3-2 in overtime Friday night in the round of 32.
With LIONEL MESSI – who else? – scoring the first goal then setting up two more with corner kicks, the defending Cup champions got the game-winner on what officially was ruled an own goal by DINEY BORGES of Cape Verdi … after a header by Argentina’s central midfielder CRISTIAN “CUTI” ROMERO (off a Messi corner) glanced off two defenders including Borges – with 19 minutes to go.
From there, the question was: Could the South American juggernaut somehow hold on and escape several blue-ribbon opportunities the final 10 minutes by CV to come from behind a third time … and possibly force a shootout to determine who would face Egypt Tuesday in the round of 16?
The answer was – barely – when 40 year old Argentine goalie EMELIANO MARTINEZ stood tall, making at least two brilliant saves … while Cape Verde, faced with several great chances to pull even, was failing to put the ball on goal with various body parts including heads and feet.
“Cape Verde has lost only one of its last 18 matches,” noted Stu Holden, working the game with Strong, and preparing the viewing audience it shouldn’t be surprised by anything in this one.
After all, hadn’t little old Cape Verde (Population 519,630; ranked 67th) held mightyBrazil which, coming in, was considered among the few teams in the expanded field of 48 capable of beating Messi and associates … scoreless to open the tournament held every four years?
“Cape Verde is organized. They are disciplined. They play together. And they play without pressure … as crazy as that might sound,” Holden said.
But, added Strong, “This is absolutely a home game for Argentina. They have a 3 to one advantage in spectators.”
“The stats will tell you they will score. It’s only a matter of time,” said Holden … and moments later Messi, 41, had his total Cup-leading 20th goal, taking a perfect pass to score from right on in the 29th minute.
It marked the 11th straight WC game that three-times champion Argentina had scored first … eight by you know who.
“You have a group of players who understand he is the star. They are stars on their own teams … but when it is Argentina, this is Messi’s team, and everybody is OK with that,” Holden said, adding,
“It’s crazy to think 14 of his 20 Cup goals have come after the age of 35. People thought he was going to slow down at this World Cup. He’s older. He’s been playing in [Major League Soccer] … and no one can stop him yet.”
Midway it was still Messi 1-0 … and, in the Fox booth, they were talking about how Argentina prefers keeping things under control, using only as much effort and intensity as necessary.
“They know they aren’t going to win the Cup today,”Holden said. “They are in control.”
Then they played the second half, and suddenly all bets were off. Cape Verde, which scored one goal in three group appearances including 1-1 with two-time champ Uruguay as well as a scoreless tie with Saudi Arabia, drew even in the 59th minute on a perfect double-nutmeg by Duarte of a shot that went between the legs of a defender then goalie Martinez.
“This was a comfortable patrol for Argentina,” Strong said, “… until it wasn’t.”
Twice Messi had free kicks to regain the lead. The first was blocked by the Cape Verde wall. On the second, from just outside the box, goalieVOZINHA made a soaring finger tip save after Messi caught the rest of the CV lineup moving around, unaware the whistle had blown for play to resume.
With 80 minutes gone, Cape Verde defender LOPES saved a sure-fire score only to barely miss an own goal, the ball just sailing wide of the right upright.
Again, in stoppage, Messi had another chance to win it from just beyond the box … and again Vozinha robbed him of a deflected shot for his seventh save of the game.
Clearly, Cape Verde had something left after LISANDRO MARTINEZ(no relation), off a corner kick from Messi, gave Argentina ostensibly the game-winner exactly two minutes into the 30-minute OT.
Until next time ...
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GET THIS … Among the few five-star football recruits still unsigned is 6-7, 345-pound lineman Ismael Camara from Gilmer, Tex., where he is expected to graduate from Gilmer High in 2 ½ years. He is said to run as fast as 20 miles an hour and has been measured at 45 feet in the long jump.
The University of Texas is now said to be the front runner, moving ahead of Texas A&M, LSU and Eas
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