Category: Sports

WASHINGTON, United States — Donald Trump’s past ties with Jeffrey Epstein are under scrutiny after the US president slammed a Wall Street Journal report that he sent a lewd letter to the infamous sex offender as “fake news.”

AFP looks at the pair’s relationship as the Trump administration also faces demands to release all government files on Epstein’s alleged crimes and his death.

READ: ‘Epstein files’ explained: Why Trump is under pressure

Parties and private jets

Trump, then a property mogul and self-styled playboy, appears to have known Epstein, a wealthy money manager, since the 1990s.

They partied together in 1992 with NFL cheerleaders at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to footage from NBC News, which shows the pair talking and laughing.

The same year, Epstein was Trump’s only guest at a “calendar girl” competition he hosted involving more than two dozen young women, The New York Times reported.

In a display of their close ties, Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet at least seven times during the 1990s, according to flight logs presented in court and cited by US media.

He has denied this, and in 2024 said he was “never on Epstein’s plane.”

In 1993, according to The New York Times, Trump allegedly groped swimsuit model Stacey Williams after Epstein introduced them at Trump Tower — a claim the president has refuted.

Separate from his links to Epstein, Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by around 20 women.

In 2023, he was found liable of sexually abusing and defaming American journalist E. Jean Carroll in a civil trial.

READ: Trump calls for MAGA base to end ‘Epstein Files’ obsession

‘Terrific guy’

Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s main accusers who died by suicide this year, said she was recruited into his alleged sex-trafficking network aged 17 while working at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in 2000.

Giuffre claimed she was approached there by Ghislaine Maxwell, who was jailed in 2022 for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls.

Trump seemed to be on good terms with Epstein during this time, praising him as a “terrific guy” in a 2002 New York Magazine profile.

“He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,” Trump said.

In 2003, according to a Wall Street Journal report, Trump penned a letter for Epstein’s 50th birthday featuring a drawing of a naked woman, with his signature “Donald” mimicking pubic hair.

His apparent message — Trump dismissed the letter as a “fake thing” — read: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

‘I wasn’t a fan’

The pair reportedly had a rupture in 2004 as they competed to buy a waterfront property in Florida, which Trump eventually snagged.

The two men were hardly seen together in public from that point. Trump would later say in 2019 that they had a “falling out” and hadn’t spoken in 15 years.

Shortly after the property auction, police launched a probe that saw Epstein jailed in 2008 for 13 months for soliciting an underage prostitute.

He was arrested again in 2019 after he was accused of trafficking girls as young as 14 and engaging in sexual acts with them.

Trump, then serving his first term as president, sought to distance himself from his old friend.

“I wasn’t a fan,” he told reporters when the charges were revealed.

In 2019, Epstein was found hanging dead in his prison cell awaiting trial. Authorities said he died by suicide.

Since then, Trump has latched onto and fueled conspiracy theories that global elites including former president Bill Clinton were involved in Epstein’s crimes or death.

Those same theories now threaten to destabilize Trump’s administration, despite his attempts to dismiss the saga as a “hoax” created by political adversaries.

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A host of details go into an outfielder’s ability to throw out a runner tagging up on a fly ball. Those details begin with getting a good read on the ball off the bat, so the outfielder can settle into position under the fly ball as it drops from the sky. You’ll want to get “behind the ball” as it comes down, so you can gain some forward momentum into the throw. You’ll also want to have your throwing leg back and your glove leg in front at the catch, so you can transition into the throw quickly using a “pro-step” and minimize any movement as a baserunner gains two steps for every wasted step by a fielder.

Or you could just have an absolute howitzer for an arm.

The latter is the approach taken by Ronald Acuña Jr. on Friday night, as the Atlanta Braves outfielder delivered what might just be the best throw you will ever see, regardless of sport.

With the Braves holding a 3-0 lead over the visiting New York Yankees in the third inning last night, the visitors were threatening. New York had runners on first and second with just one out, and Cody Bellinger was at the dish.

Bellinger worked the count to 2-2, fouling off a few tough pitches from Spencer Strider, before lifting a deep fly ball to right field off a slider down-and-in. Acuña settled under the fly ball on the warning track near the foul line, caught it over his shoulder, and then, without any movement at all, simply unleashed an absolute rocket into third base as New York’s Jorbit Vivas was tagging up from second:

Okay.

As someone paid to describe sporting moments, I am at a loss to describe this throw beyond saying THIS IS MIND-BLOWING. Acuña makes this throw without a crow-hop or a pro-step; he simply catches the ball over his shoulder, pivots, and throws a supersonic missile into third baseman Nacho Alvarez Jr. And some credit goes to Alvarez who sold the play at the end, waiting until the last possible moment to get his glove out to snare this frozen rope from Acuña.

Leaving Vivas, and the rest of us, absolutely stunned.

And let’s not forget that this throw comes in from deep right field IN THE AIR. At one point, as this baseball version of a Concorde travels over second base, it seems as if the ball is still rising, before dropping right into Alvarez’s glove for the stunning double play to end the inning.

You can watch baseball … heck, you can watch every sport imaginable, for the next ten years and not see a better throw.

Oh and Acuña also went 2-for-3 with a double and a triple.

Not a bad night at the ballpark.

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It’s always fascinating to see the disconnect between football fans and the people making the decisions. This is especially prevalent as ESPN released its wide receiver rankings, polling executives, scouts, and coaches to get their personal Top 10 list at the position.

This is a consensus ranking, meaning everyone polled gave a list of one-through-10, and they were given a points system to come up with the final rankings, no dissimilar to All-Star voting. There were some surprises to say the least.

Ja’Marr Chase over Justin Jefferson at No. 1

This is one of football’s great debates, but those inside the league give the edge to Chase and his playmaking ability. One exec called him the “ultimate pick up and play” receiver, who can essentially do everything asked of him before, during, and after the catch.

Putting Chase over Jefferson isn’t really a shocker. They’re No. 1 and No. 1A in the league — and then there’s a big drop off. I personally like Jefferson’s route running more, and think he’s shown the ability to get his yards even with sub par quarterbacks, while Chase has benefitted much more from having an elite talent under center.

That said, I wouldn’t fault anyone for having thee two in either order.

Tyreek Hill is No. 3

Now this one we can make fun of for being bad. Front office folks are supposed to be able to look at a player holistically, and it’s wild to see Hill make it this high on the list despite having a down year and quitting on his team in Week 18.

If Hill was truly the No. 3 receiver in the league he would have been traded right now. If a guy has such a pronounced level of talent that you’re putting him amongst the best in the league then you wouldn’t balk at his large contract.

Hill finished 30th in the NFL in receiving yards last year. Sure, you can blame a lot of that on the injury to Tua Tagovailoa, but the best receivers in the league are still able to eat in spite of a change at QB. Hill just can’t.

It should have been several other guys in this position.

Brian Thomas Jr?

This one is absolutely mind boggling to me. The only way it makes sense that the Jaguars rookie didn’t make this list is because not enough people around the league saw him.

It was an abysmal 2024 season in Jacksonville, but Thomas Jr. was a mammoth bright spot. He finished third in the NFL in receiving yards, catching passes at all three levels and becoming one of the best young targets in the NFL. His 14.7 yards per reception ranked 6th in the NFL among receivers with over 100 targets, and truth be told it’s weird to have BTJ only get an honorable mention, while Malik Nabers ranked all the way up at No. 7.

No love for Drake London

It’s tough to even say that Drake London is “polarizing,” because execs were in lockstep that he doesn’t belong anywhere near the Top 10. That’s pretty wild considering he was 4th in the league in receiving yards last year, and one of only 10 receivers to catch 100+ passes in 2024.

It’s not so much that London didn’t crack the Top 10, but more that he didn’t earn a single vote to be in the Top 10 at all. Receivers the likes of George Pickens, D.J. Moore, and Cortland Sutton garnered at least one vote, but it was crickets when it came to London.

That likely speaks to the incosnsistent offensive coaching in Atlanta and their fluid quarterback situation. If Michael Penix Jr. can shine this season there’s no doubt he’ll rise.

Did the NFL forget that Puka Nacua exists?

Here’s a man who finished with 990 receiving yards despite only playing in 11 games. If we extrapolate out his usage rate he would have finished with 1,530 receiving yards — bettering his already ludicrous rookie season.

Nacua doesn’t have that one unicorn trait that blows you away, which is why he was such a steal in the 2023 NFL Draft — but he plays quick. Every movement he makes is intentional, efficient, and done with a goal in mind. There’s no wasted motion to Nacua, which is why he might not have the top-end speed or quick-twitch athleticism of some top guys, but because everything he does is so intentional he’s able to close the gap and match top receivers.

It’s dumb he didn’t crack the Top 10.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Gabriel Tapales may have delivered a highlight-reel knockout, but it was his compassion that stole the spotlight.

The 22-year-old younger brother of former world champion Marlon Tapales went viral on social media not just for his devastating finish, but for how he responded after the feat.

Tapales floored Ian Donaire with a vicious combination in the second round of their eight-round non-title bout during a Sanman Boxing card held on July 11 in General Santos City.

READ:

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Jerusalem, Tapales are first Pacquiao-Elorde ‘Boxers of the Year’ awardees

Pacquiao solves lingering cramps issue ahead of Barrios bout

 

The bout ended suddenly when Tapales landed a clean left straight followed by a crushing left hook as Donaire was already falling. The impact sent Donaire crashing face-first to the canvas where he lay motionless for a few tense moments.

Instead of celebrating, Tapales immediately rushed beside Donaire, visibly shaken by the brutal ending. He tried to assist his unconscious opponent but was advised by his corner to let medical personnel handle the situation. Fortunately, Donaire regained consciousness after a few minutes and appeared to be out of danger.

In the post-fight interview, Tapales was visibly emotional.

“Luoy kaayo, murag gikumot akong kasing-kasing. Kahilakon kaayo ko ganiha, dili madala ug celebrate pero okay lang, safe ra man,” he said.

(“I really felt sorry, like my heart was crushed. I almost cried earlier. I couldn’t even celebrate, but it’s okay—he’s safe.”)

Tapales, fighting under the Sanman Boxing Gym banner, improved his professional record to 8-1, with six of those wins coming by knockout. The win marked his seventh straight victory, adding momentum to his rising career.

Donaire, on the other hand, dropped to 5-5-1 with four knockouts. It was his third consecutive loss, all via stoppage.

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The Minnesota Lynx have waived second-year forward Alissa Pili, per the WNBA’s transactions page. Pili, who was drafted with the 8th pick in 2024, wasn’t able to crack the rotation in her first two seasons in Minnesota. Now, her tenure comes to an end.

Pili appeared in 36 games across her first two seasons, averaging 2.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in 6.1 minutes per game. Pili’s best game this season came on June 14th, in which she recorded 8 points in a 10-minute stint against the Sparks. But, she never managed to break through before being waived midseason.

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

Last year, during the WNBA Finals, Pili told SB Nation that getting regular DNPs was a mental challenge.

“It’s definitely taken a toll on me mentally,” she said. “I’ve never been in this position before, and my coach knows that.”

Still, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of such high-profile moments.

“There aren’t a lot of rookies that get to be in this position I’m in, and the fact that our team is so successful has been really fun to be a part of,” Pili said. “It’s just been a very great learning experience. I’m trying to soak everything in.”

Pili was an elite college player; as a freshman at the University of Southern California, she averaged 16.3 points per game, and in her senior season at her University of Utah, she was one of the most efficient scorers in the country, averaging 21.4 points per game on 55% shooting, while shooting 40.4% from beyond the arc.

The announcement came shortly after the Lynx’s 87-71 loss to the Chicago Sky. The Lynx are now 18-4 on the season, owners of the best record in the WNBA. Presumably, Minnesota will sign another player to their 12th roster spot in place of Pili, but who that will be has yet to be announced.

MANILA, Philippines — Constrained household savings—as shown by surging credit card debts—could be a “worrying” sign for the Philippines, especially against the backdrop of “stagnating” investments, ANZ Research said.

In a commentary, ANZ said such a condition may suggest that the country is increasingly relying on foreign capital to fund everyday spending of consumers, instead of investing the money in projects that would help grow the economy.

And the red flags are in the country’s current account balance—which has been in a deficit that, ANZ said, would likely remain elevated at 3.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025.

READ: Dear daughter: Why you should prioritize saving and investing

Latest data showed the country’s current account deficit reached $4.2 billion in the first quarter, equivalent to 3.7 percent of GDP.

From a national accounting perspective, the current account balance is the difference between gross domestic savings and total investments.

ANZ explained that in emerging markets like the Philippines, where there is a strong need to invest in development but limited savings, current account deficits are common.

These deficits mean the country relies on foreign money to support growth—which can be normal in early development stages.

However, ANZ said that these deficits are sustainable only if the borrowed money is used to boost future income and the ability to repay.

“In this context, it is notable that although the current account balance is lower for Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, their investments as a share of GDP have also fallen compared to their prepandemic averages,” ANZ said.

High inflation

“This implies that savings have fallen even more sharply. This is especially worrying for the Philippines as it runs a current account deficit, which has widened in recent years amid stagnating investments,” it added.

ANZ said savings have remained constrained in the region as high inflation in recent years has led to low real income growth.

While inflation has subsided, the bank said wages have not grown sufficiently to offset the impact of higher price levels.

This, ANZ said, is evident in the Philippines, where household savings are “structurally low, driven by a large informal sector, low incomes and limited access to formal saving instruments.”

READ: Vico Sotto: Pasig City to use annual savings for new city hall

“Household savings as a share of GDP returned to its prepandemic level in 2024 following three years of dissaving between 2020 and 2022,” the bank said.

“Moreover, a surge in credit card loans in recent years points towards higher stress among households,” it added.

Moving forward, ANZ said it expects this trend to continue.

“Subdued savings will be offset by moderating investments. However, such a pattern reflects weakness than strength in growth,” it said.

/rwd

Killed by greed and mismanagement in the summer of 2023, the Pac-12 has risen and rebuilt itself.

Set to launch on July 1, 2026, the new Pac-12 will feature just two teams from its last version, the left-behinds in Oregon State and Washington State. Joining the Beavers and Cougars to bolster this conference are soon-to-be-former Mountain West members Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Utah State. Gonzaga brings its storied history in basketball, coming over from the West Coast Conference as the lone non-football member, while Texas State rounds out the nine-team league as its easternmost member.

Around the same time the Pac-12 announced the addition of Texas State from the Sun Belt, it unveiled that CBS will be its anchor partner of a new TV deal through 2031. College sports fans will be seeing these nine schools a whole lot on CBS, CBS Sports Network and Paramount+.

Since launching, the Pac-12’s social media arm has been busy touting its successes in men’s basketball and football. And indeed, they now have signature brands in both. Boise State is coming off a College Football Playoff appearance and Gonzaga has been to a pair of Final Fours and two Elite Eights in the past decade. Seven of the new Pac-12’s nine teams have made at least one men’s NCAA Tournament since 2021.

But what about women’s basketball? How good of a league can the new Pac-12 be in that sport?

It depends on how one views the new Pac-12. If you’re expecting this league to return to its old form where it was competing for national championships and putting more than half its membership in the NCAA Tournament every year, you’ll likely be disappointed. This new version of the Pac-12 simply doesn’t have the same depth of talented teams that the old one did.

However, if you’re a bit more clear-eyed but also optimistic, carrying the belief that this could be among the best mid-major conferences in the sport and be a multi-bid conference most seasons, I think your expectations will be met.

Among the nine teams in this conference, there’s a clear top, middle and bottom in women’s basketball.

Let’s start at the bottom with Fresno State, Texas State and Utah State. These are the only three teams in the new Pac-12 that haven’t appeared in an NCAA Tournament in the past decade.

If there’s a team to be optimistic about, it’s probably Fresno State, the program that gave us the Cavinder Twins and has produced two seasons of 20 wins or more in the past decade. The Bulldogs, following the retirement of Jaime White, just hired a new head coach in Ryan McCarthy. He comes to Fresno after 13 seasons at Division II Alaska Anchorage, where he had an 82.2 win percentage, produced six All-Americans and took his team to the national championship game. If he can turn things around at Fresno, it will raise the floor of this league.

Utah State has endured six consecutive losing seasons and has never been to the NCAA Tournament. Wesley Brooks — who has worked under Kevin McGuff, Kim Barnes Arico and Lynne Roberts — is about to enter his second season there. Of the nine teams in the new Pac-12, Utah State is the only one to never finish a season in the past 10 years with a HerHoopStats rating better than 10.0. For reference, 91 teams had HHS ratings of 10 or better this season, including Gonzaga which has had a rating north of that for 10 consecutive seasons.

Texas State is in somewhat of a similar boat, as it hasn’t been dancing in March Madness since 2002. Zenarae Antoine is entering her 15th season at the helm of the Bobcats with a win percentage of 50.1. If she makes it to her 16th season, it’ll be the fourth different conference she’s coached Texas State in. The Bobcats have won two division titles under her watch and were regular season champs of the Sun Belt in 2023.

Now to the middle, which brings us to Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State. Each of these schools have had some form of varying degrees of consistent success over the past decade.

Colorado State, for example, has one NCAA Tournament appearance, four WNIT trips, and seven seasons of 20 wins or more — including the last four — since the 2015-16 season under Ryun Williams. They’ve been a consistent decent-to-good mid-major team.

The same could be said for Boise State, though the Broncos have leveled out a bit since winning four straight Mountain West titles from 2017 through 2020. They have enjoyed three consecutive winning seasons though and returned to the WNIT this past year. In the last decade, Boise State also has five wins over Power 4 opponents — the most of the middle and lower class teams in the new Pac-12.

San Diego State is trending upward under Stacie Terry-Hutson, who just coached the Aztecs to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. They’ve enjoyed three consecutive seasons of 20 or more wins and just added three players in the transfer portal who should help them this season.

Here’s the upper class of the league, which features three teams who have enjoyed national success in women’s basketball in the last decade: Oregon State, Washington State and Gonzaga.

The Beavers are the lone team in this league with a Final Four appearance under their belt, going there in 2016. Since then under Scott Rueck, they’ve gone to two more Elite Eights. Even while playing in the West Coast Conference this past year — after being decimated with transfer portal departures — the Beavers still went to the NCAA Tournament, marking their seventh trip to March Madness in the past decade.

“Those who have been paying attention know the story and know how significant it is,” Rueck said in Chapel Hill in March after the Beavers lost to North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. “I couldn’t be happier for what we’ve accomplished, more proud, and it’s just been an absolute joy… Oregon State is going to be Oregon State. We’re going to be a team that takes care of you and is competitive every night and makes pros. That won’t change. So I think everybody just has evidence now if they were wondering previously.”

In the offseason, the Beavers lost zero players to the portal while gaining two.

Of the nine teams in the new Pac-12, Oregon State has the most wins over AP-ranked opponents in the past 10 years with 43. Having produced stars of the sport like Sydney Weise, Mikayla Pivec and Raegen Beers, Oregon State enters the new Pac-12 as its marquee brand in women’s basketball.

But Gonzaga is right there with the Beavers with seven NCAA Tournament trips in the past 10 years, 20 wins over Power 4 teams and eight wins over ranked opponents. The Zags have won 20 or more games in nine of the past 10 seasons and went to the Sweet 16 in 2024. With Lisa Fortier at the helm, they’ve dominated the West Coast Conference — winning eight of the last nine regular season conference championships — and established themselves as a true mid-major power.

The other team to mention here is Washington State, which went to three straight NCAA Tournaments between 2021 and 2023 and won a Pac-12 title. Kamie Ethridge’s squads have won more than 20 games in each of the past two seasons, but missed March Madness. Still, over the past 10 years, Washington State has 14 wins over ranked opponents. Ethridge, a former Wade Trophy winner and national champion at Texas, will keep Wazzu competitive no matter what conference they’re in.

When the new Pac-12 begins play in the 2026-27 season, it’s not inconceivable to see it as a three-bid league for the NCAA Tournament. The Ivy League just pulled that off this season, and the A-10 got two teams in. It will require signature brands like Oregon State, Washington State and Gonzaga playing at their very best and winning some tough out-of-conference games to boost their NET ratings. And if the other six teams in the league can raise their play and beat some good teams in the non-conference portion of the season, that will only help.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — RV Deniega suffered a one-sided unanimous decision loss to South Africa’s Charlton Malajika in their International Boxing Organization (IBO) World Youth bantamweight title clash on July 5 in Kempton Park, South Africa.

Malajika controlled the fight from the opening bell, earning convincing scorecards of 100-90, 100-90, and 98-92 to deny the 25-year-old Filipino the title.

Deniega, who fights out of the Sanman Boxing Gym in General Santos City, dropped to 10 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw, with 7 knockouts.

The win improved Malajika’s record to 8-1, with 3 knockouts. It was his eighth straight victory since 2023—all fought and won in South Africa.

The bout began as a tactical affair, with both fighters cautiously probing each other. But as the rounds progressed, Malajika found his rhythm, using his jab to dictate the pace and disrupt Deniega’s timing.

Malajika repeatedly launched well-timed combinations that kept Deniega on the defensive. The Filipino boxer struggled to let his hands go, often relying on counterpunching while Malajika stayed busy with jabs and crisp one-twos.

Deniega’s left eye began to swell midway through the fight, the result of Malajika’s consistent targeting with sharp jabs and sneaky straight shots. The South African also showcased superior hand speed and movement, slipping Deniega’s punches and controlling the ring.

By the later rounds, Malajika had fully asserted control, landing the cleaner, more accurate shots. Deniega showed signs of frustration and managed to land a few significant blows, but it was too little, too late.

In another undercard bout, Filipino boxer Richard Garde (11-3, 9 KOs) also suffered defeat, falling to Zimbabwe’s Beaven Sibanda (9-1, 3 KOs) via fifth-round knockout in their battle for the vacant IBF International minimumweight title.

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The 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup has wrapped up the group stage. Following three matches for each team, the knockout bracket is settled. The group stage consisted of 16 nations competing in four groups. The top two in each group advanced to the knockout bracket where they were seeded based on whether they finished first or second in their group.

2025 Gold Cup bracket

Final

Match 7: Mexico 2, United States 1

Semifinals

Match 5: United States 2, Guatemala 1
Match 6: Mexico 1, vs. Honduras 0

Quarterfinals

Match 1: United States 2, Costa Rica 2 (4-3 PKs)
Match 2: Guatemala 1, Canada 1 (6-5 PKs)
Match 3: Mexico 2, Saudi Arabia 0
Match 4: Honduras 1, Panama 1 (5-4 PKs)

Who has advanced

Group A: Mexico*, Costa Rica**

Group B: Canada*, Honduras**

Group C: Panama*, Guatemala**

Group D: United States*, Saudi Arabia**

*: Group winner
**: Group runner-up

Costa Rica and Mexico were the first two nations to advance, with both claiming wins in their first two matches to eliminate the Dominican Republic and Suriname. Costa Rica and Mexico face off on June 22 with the winner claiming the group and the loser finishing as the runner-up. The United States followed in advancing after beating Saudi Arabia 1-0. They will clinch the group with a win or draw against Haiti. They have a six-goal lead on Saudi Arabia in goal differential (the first tiebreaker), which means they likely will clinch the group even with a loss to Haiti.

June 22 update: The US beat Haiti 2-1 to win Group D. Saudi Arabia played Trinidad & Tobago to a 1-1 draw, which clinched the Saudis second place in Group D and accompanying advancement to the knockout stage. Mexico and Costa Rica tied 0-0, which meant Mexico won the group and Costa Rica finished second due to the goal differential tiebreaker.

The United States and Canada are co-hosts of this year’s tournament. The United States and Mexico entered the tournament as co-favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook.

June 24 update: Panama beat Jamaica to clinch Group C. Guatemala beat Guadeloupe, which coupled with Jamaica’s loss secured Guatemala the second spot in the knockout bracket. Canada and Honduras won their final matches to secure first and second place in Group B, respectively.