When U.S. Soccer chose to host U.S. men’s national team friendlies in Kansas City, Kansas and Cincinnati, Ohio during the September international window, it seemed like a safe enough bet. Kansas City sits in America’s soccer heartland and is home to Sporting Kansas City, among MLS’ most consistently supported sides, and the NWSL’s Kansas City…

As we prepare for a new NBA season, let’s fast forward for a second to Christmas, because there’s a fascinating story here involving the league’s schedule. You see, Christmas games are perhaps the league’s marquee in-season event (although the NFL is trying to cut in on the NBA’s  business). Essentially, the NBA takes its 10…

“This was really the plan against Rafa. Now I can say it because I’m not going to face him anymore.” Dominic Thiem is watching back one of many epic rallies he enjoyed against Rafael Nadal, explaining, in a demob-happy kind of way, his tactics against the 22-time Grand Slam champion who beat him 10 times…

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Patrick Mahomes is the NFL’s most talented quarterback — and he needs help. Desperately. Emphatically. Immediately. As the Kansas City Chiefs seek to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls, the only option is to make a trade. Although the league’s trade deadline is on Election Day, Nov.…

SAN FRANCISCO — Paul George’s rookie season overlapped with the final of Mike Dunleavy Jr.’s five seasons as a player with the Indiana Pacers. Dunleavy was, as Draymond Green referred to it, George’s initial “vet,” generating a relationship that proved beneficial for the Golden State Warriors this June. Dunleavy — now the Warriors general manager…

The Champions League — where dreams come true, fantasies become reality and legends are born. Or something like that. Unless you’re Dinamo Zagreb, Red Bull Salzburg, Celtic, Red Star Belgrade, Slovan Bratislava or Young Boys, in which case the Champions League is where fears prevail, nightmares become reality and careers get ruined. OK, maybe not…

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani strolled into the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse about three and a half hours before first pitch, displaying the easygoing demeanor of a kid he once was growing up in Japan. He smiled. He joked with teammates. He appeared completely relaxed, just happy to come to the field to play baseball.…

There was a time, not long ago, when it would have been piling on to suggest the 2024 New England Patriots seemed headed for a 1-16 season. But now? After Sunday’s 32-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London, and after Pats coach Jerod Mayo walked into the interview room and made…

Tiger Woods is expected to play competitive golf again in January. Woods, who underwent back surgery last month, is being promoted as making his TGL debut in the nascent league’s second week of competition. His Jupiter Links Golf Club team will play Los Angeles Golf Club at 7 p.m. ET on Jan. 14, televised on…

Welcome back to the Monday Tennis Briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories from the past week on court. This week, the Six Kings Slam ended, while tournaments in Europe and Asia moved the season closer to the finals in Turin, Italy, for the ATP and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the…