There were bursts of popularity, like in 1994 and 2002, followed by apathy.

But as legendary Colorado Rapids and international player Marcelo Balbo watched the U.S. men’s national team host Belgium in Seattle on Monday, he saw the indifference turn into something different.

The game drew a record 50.1 million viewers across Fox Sports and Telemundo. It was the highest-rated non-NFL sporting event on American Television since the Winter Olympics in 1994.

Futbol became football. At least in the eyes of the consumer.

“We didn’t take full advantage of the opportunity. Our expectations for the team were to reach the quarterfinals, and they fell short. But you saw the excitement all over the country and how many people supported them,” Balboa told The Post. “It definitely has staying power. You have (50) million viewers, you are doing something right.”

Balboa served as a standout defensive player for the USMNT in the 1990s. And he brings a unique perspective. He was the first American player to reach 100 international appearances.

So, miss him with talk that soccer is going to fade back into the darkness. He does not believe that.

But he also knows that more is needed for the interest to become more deeply rooted. He was a bit offended when he saw the raucous atmosphere in Seattle and at watch parties across the country, and still broadcasters felt the need to ask Americans to keep tuning in after the U.S. team was eliminated.

“You will know things have really changed when we stop saying things like that. No one is going to stop watching the World Cup. If the Broncos get knocked out of the playoffs, are people going to not watch the Super Bowl?” Balboa said. “Of course not.”

Balboa hopes that, as Americans experience the beautiful game on the biggest stage and see the traditions and cultures of other countries, their passion will remain even when the stakes are lower.

“You want it to translate into supporting the local team in the MLS. That’s how we keep growing soccer,” Balboa said. “But we need to start bringing in bigger names and have bigger TV rights.”

One question that hung in the air like an anvil after Belgium skunked the USMNT 4-1: Why are the American men not better at soccer? Why can’t they become a power?

“You have to understand that in every other country, soccer is the No. 1 sport. It has been passed from generation to generation. We are about 30 years in now. It’s going to take a little time to build that up,” Balboa said. “When I was born (as the son of Argentinian immigrants), I was given a soccer ball. And I had every other father try to give me a basketball or baseball. When you are born in Denver, you are given an orange Broncos jersey. When we get to the point where that is a Rapids shirt or USMNT jersey, you will know it has changed.”

The next step in judging progress? The U.S. is considering bidding to host another Men’s World Cup.

“We will find out in 2038, and see how much things have changed,” Balboa said. “I am not going to beat the U.S. team up. We keep talking about this as the golden generation and they haven’t lived up to it. It may have been our most talented team, but not our best team. But everybody, including myself, wants to see this team succeed and this sport succeed.”

College fodder: CU’s Deion Sanders can talk all he wants about winning and how this year’s team will be different. But the reality is that the issues go beyond talent. Players on the roster and many who have left have raised concerns about the lack of coaching. This season represents a watershed moment to show things have changed with Sanders’ staff, especially offensively.

Final Thought: The Nuggets’ offseason is becoming sadder by the minute. No LeBron James, and uncertainty hangs over Peyton Watson’s future. It sure feels like another year of Nikola Jokic’s prime is going to be wasted.

But didn’t it feel like something shifted after FIFA’s eyebrow-raising decision to overturn Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension? Like, there was a disruption in the good karma and momentum the U.S. Men’s National Team had accumulated in its first four World Cup matches?

As news broke Sunday that Balogun was cleared to play in the Round of 16 despite being sent off in the previous game, I texted a few friends my gut reaction: It was an awesome surprise that also smelled like you-know-what. After all, this was FIFA, that seems to function not based on its rulebook but on the whims of a few guys in a room.

I felt a little queasy about it, but I pushed it down in my stomach. Maybe we had earned this. An opportunity to benefit from FIFA’s litigious inconsistencies, which usually feel reserved for the A-list stars. (How exactly the entire group stage, again?)

Then FIFA Peace Prize winner Donald Trump rushed to the first microphone he could find on Monday to brag about making the call that got Balogun reinstated, and I knew it was over. This was all starting to feel a little too much like Game 3 of the NBA Finals — when Midtown Manhattan transformed into a massive security operation to accommodate . His appearance eclipsed the game itself, which ended with the Knicks’ only loss of the Finals. In fact, it was their only interruption in the entire last month of a magical championship run.

This is not to politicize our national team’s 4-1 loss to Belgium, I promise. But come on, man. The head of state for the World Cup’s host country calls in a favor, and suddenly the USMNT looks like a shell of its former self? I can’t help that I’m a superstitious being: that was karma we just watched on Monday night. You felt it before kickoff, and you knew it was over even before Belgium scored in the ninth minute.

There was no connectivity, no creativity, no sustained possession, no urgency or poise on the back line. One of the most humiliating performances from any team in this World Cup.

Certainly, the talent gap between European and American soccer was yet again laid bare, a once-every-four-years tradition like no other.

But the final score in Seattle was not an accurate referendum on either team’s ability. I’m not convinced the Belgians are meaningfully better than the USMNT. I watched their tournament opener in person last month, a 1-1 group-stage draw with Egypt, and walked away fairly confident that Belgium’s fading golden generation wouldn’t muster another deep run. When they scored two greasy goals to oust Senegal with a miracle comeback in the Round of 32, I celebrated what I thought was a stroke of luck for the Americans. Belgium looked like the more favorable matchup of the two.

The stars and stripes were aligning for a quarterfinal run on home soil. Then Balogun was shown a red card against Bosnia, some 20 minutes after he scored his third goal of the tournament.

It was a questionable call, sure. We were right to be outraged from our biased vantage point. Heck, we might’ve even been unified by it. Balogun was suddenly a household name at Fourth of July barbecues.

But the rules are the rules. Subjective real-time officiating is a part of sports. Red cards are binding one-game suspensions. I had made peace with the reality of the situation by Sunday (which was four days after the win over Bosnia, by the way — FIFA couldn’t have decided Balogun’s fate any sooner?). Honestly, I believed the USMNT still had a good chance to beat Belgium, even without him. I was prepared to celebrate 250 with a defying-the-odds victory.

Instead, the president’s insistence on making these major sporting events about himself loomed over match day. It became a national story. Then the game became our national headache.

For all the talk about Balogun, it was like the rest of the lineup felt saved by his presence. Christian Pulisic was sloppy and listless (and perhaps injured), defenders Sergiño Dest and Tim Ream were vulnerable, and goalie Matt Freese was reckless in a decision that will haunt U.S. soccer fans for years. Balogun barely had any chances to make an impact.

Belgium would call that poetic justice. Americans can only look at it as cruel irony.

Maybe we’d be celebrating a 5-4 classic and preparing for Spain right now if the president had called in four more favors.

That is the simple answer. In the most anticipated game in U.S. soccer history, the Americans failed to match the moment, falling flat on their faces, spoiling a magical run with an embarrassing splat.

Belgium 4, USA 1.

This is a team that united the country. A team that played soccer with purpose, focus and offense, finally taking off the emergency brake so all of us on the fence had a reason to watch.

This is a team that finished with 10 men in a victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina and began Monday with 12 men, counting the red, white and blue draped fanatics at Lumen Field in Seattle.

And this was a team, for all of its progress, that was not ready for prime time.

It was a brutal reminder of the ground the U.S. still has to cover after falling to 1-5 all-time in the Round of 16.

Goalie Matt Freese had a brain freeze.

Defender Tim Ream got creamed.

And Christian Pulisic, Captain America, lost his shield, limping off with a right knee injury early in the second half, failing to live up to the generational hype.

Too bad for all those who defended FIFA’s decision to reinstate Folarin Balogun could not help USMNT’s defense. It was a mess.

Think of the Nuggets in Game 3 against the Timberwolves, and you are getting warm. The Americans could not apply pressure in the center of the field. They could not defend the crossers, long ball, or on the ball, and were fortunate to trail only 2-1 at halftime.

The Americans were passive and indecisive, reacting slowly to a Belgian squad that looked like it had used hydration breaks to keg-stand Red Bull.

The promising and talented Americans took a dive into soccer’s deep end and called for the lifeguard.

“Maybe the explanation is so easy,” USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “It wasn’t our day.”

Two things can be true. We can be proud of this team for winning a knockout game, and stung by disappointment over this performance.

On home turf as a host country — let’s be real, that was a huge reason FIFA president Gianni Infantino granted Balogun amnesty — there was no excuse.

Everything was set up for the U.S. to play its best, and save for the last 20 minutes, it was anything but, as the Americans failed to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002.

If it were a basketball game, the U.S. would have had 20 turnovers in the first half. If it were a football game, the U.S. would have lost three fumbles. Forty-eight seconds in, I was counting the days to American football and the start of Broncos training camp.

Freese made a miraculous leaping save, but it was an indication that the U.S. was working on a dial-up connection in a game that required fiber optics.

Belgium broke through at the 9-minute mark.

Anyone want to clear the ball? Anyone? Chris Richards’ poor header set up a pass across the face of the goal for an easy score by Charles De Ketelaere.

If only briefly, the Americans punched back in what amounted to the highlight of the night. On a free kick, Malik Tillman booted a right-footed shot off a Belgian player’s head, causing it to knuckle and move like a backup slider as it fooled goalie Thibaut Courtois.

Two minutes later, Belgium secured a 2-1 lead as De Ketelaere outmuscled and flattened Ream on a header.

Pochettino booted a Powerade water carrier in disgust. It was one of the best kicks of the first half, as the Americans had one shot on goal.

Needing a jolt, a burst, anything to gain momentum, the Americans went the wrong direction.

In a play that captured how excruciatingly poor the U.S. played, Freese wandered out of his net to clear a long kick down the field. He inexplicably pumped-faked with his foot, and Hans Vanaken poked the ball away and whistled it past a stumbling, falling Ream.

Down 3-1 at the 57-minute mark, desperation replaced execution. The effort and energy improved, but the results did not. Beating Belgium required a flawless display on this canvas. The Americans splattered Ragu, and Belgium was exquisite.

They peppered the U.S. with shots and left the game salty.

The Belgian Red Devils posted on social media, “OVERTURN THIS.”

While the outside interference was a reprieve for the Americans, it was fuel for Belgium. Americans need not apologize for finally being good enough to benefit from FIFA’s corruption, but in the end, the decision worked against them.

First, FIFA’s handling of Balogun’s red card was shameful. But it is how this organization does business.

We all want to see them get the call right. And in this case, they did. There were breaches of protocol by the video assistant referee, using slow motion on a non-tackling play. No foul was called, and a second look led to a red card. The mistake opened a wound and exposed the flaw in the sport’s governing body.

There is no vehicle available for an appeal. That is what we were led to believe. Then, out of nowhere, Infantino declared Balogun eligible to play. His suspension was suspended.

Americans were right to feel good for the kid, but awful about how it all went down. Infantino admitted he took a call from President Trump, who requested that the matter be reviewed. Whether it was Trump, Obama, Clinton or Reagan, it is uncomfortable when politics bleed into sports.

In the end, all it did was make Belgium mad.

The U.S. picked a bad night to have a bad night. In front of a nation wanting its next Lake Placid, we were left with Lake Flaccid.

SEATTLE — U.S. President Donald Trump intervened on behalf of American star forward Folarin Balogun, whose suspension was lifted in a decision that allows him to play in a World Cup match against Belgium on Monday.

Balogun, the American leader with three goals, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on the right ankle of Tarik Muharemović of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday. A red card triggers an automatic one-game suspension.

FIFA announced Sunday that the suspension had been lifted, triggering praise from Trump and outrage from Belgium’s team.

Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino after the game asking FIFA review the red card, according to a person familiar with the call who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump said in a statement on social media.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said it was “astonished” and Belgium coach Rudi Garcia mocked FIFA’s action.

“I didn’t know that in the offices of FIFA the 5th of July was the 1st of April in Europe,” Garcia said through a translator in an April Fools’ Day comparison. “The Belgian federation does not defend itself, it does not protect the national team, She defends football in general, she defends her integrity, her ethics. I think it����ap the first time in the history of the World Cup that there is this kind of decision.”

Garcia wouldn’t respond when asked about a possible appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport or whether he thought Trump impacted FIFA’s action.

“In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options,” the Belgian federation said in a statement.

American players learned of Balogun’s availability when social media posts started popping up during the 10-minute bus ride Sunday from their hotel to training at the University of Washington’s Husky Soccer Stadium.

Balogun’s red card had been one of the World Cup’s most controversial and consequential decisions.

“If you look at the foul, it was just zero intent at all,” U.S. star Christian Pulisic said. “I felt like there was much worse ones that went on this tournament.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation learned of FIFA’s action in a message sent by FIFA in its portal at 10:31 a.m. EDT.

“The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA announced. “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”

Balogun’s three goals included a go-ahead strike against Bosnia. He matched Landon Donovan in 2010 for the second-most goals by an American in a World Cup, behind only Bert Patenaude’s four in the initial tournament in 1930.

A 25-year-old who plays for Monaco, Balogun scored 13 Ligue 1 goals last season. He has 12 goals in 30 international appearances. He was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents who were living in London and in 2023 opted to change his national team affiliation from England, which he had represented at the under-21 level.

“He strikes fear into a lot of defenders,” Richards said.

The host U.S. is seeking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. The Americans lost in the round of 16 to Ghana in 2010, Belgium in 2014 and the Netherlands in 2022. They failed to advance from the group stage in 2006 and didn’t qualify for the 2018 tournament.

The USSF said it will not make Balogun available for comment Sunday, but Balogun posted on social media a picture of himself in front of U.S. fans and overlaid with music of Michael Jackson’s pop single “Bad.”

On Friday, Balogun said he thought a yellow card instead of red “would have been fair.”

FIFA said its decision relied on Article 27 of disciplinary committee rules.

“The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure. By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years,” the rule states.

FIFA in November deferred the final two games of a three-match ban for Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo for a red card against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, allowing him to play at the start of the World Cup.

Argentine defender Nicolás Otamendi and Ecuadoran midfielder Moisés Caicedo in April had one-game bans deferred for red cards in qualifiers, also allowing them to be available for World Cup openers.

Brazil’s Garrincha was ejected from a 1962 semifinal but allowed to play in the final against Chile after political pressure.

Price reported from Washington, D.C.

AP Soccer Writer James Robson and AP Sports Writers Andrew Destin and Jim Vertuno contributed to this report.

The World Cup should be embarrassed by the suspension of United States Men’s National Team forward Folarin Balogun for serious foul play (SFP). It was TBS (Total Bull(sheet).

When a Bosnia-Herzegovina player reacted to the decision by hugging Balogun apologetically on the pitch, it tells you how awful the call was.

Here is what irks.

After Balogun stepped on Tarik Muharemović’s ankle as they were playing the ball, it was not deemed worthy of a card by referee Raphael Claus. Then the video assistant referee Juan Ernesto Soto Arévalo gave Bosnia a Christmas gift.

Using slow-motion replays, which is not the correct application of protocols because it was not a tackle situation, Arevalo determined the play was dangerous, and Balogun received a red card. It is the equivalent of an NBA player getting tangled up on a rebound, and a no-whistle turning into an ejection.

It makes no sense. No person can objectively watch the contact and see intent.

Worse, Lionel Messi, the Argentinian soccer god, stepped on the back of an Algerian player’s calf on Tuesday and received nothing. Zilch. Whether it was clumsy or not, it looked more purposeful than any action by Balogun.

“For me, never is it a red card,” USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino said.

There is no way around it. The U.S. could use Balogun against the veteran-laden Belgium team on Monday in Seattle. Balogun has established himself as one of the best forwards in American history, capable of well-timed rocket bursts to create space and unafraid of physicality.

But playing without him for 30 minutes, the U.S. showed how it can beat Belgium.

The Americans won their first knockout game in 24 years because they won ugly. They can reach the finish line in different ways now, a stark contrast to previous decades of underwhelming teams and performances on the biggest stage.

Ricardo Pepi figures to start in place of Balogun. He played for the injured Christian Pulisic in a 2-0 win over Australia in the group stage. So, he is not wandering into the spotlight with dilated pupils.

Everything about the call against Balogun stunk. But this U.S. team should not sink. The Americans made it to the Sweet 16, the bare minimum requirement for a group with this talent. It is time to show the grit that surfaced at the end of the last victory for 90 minutes.

There was no playing the victim. The anger became motivation. It must be channeled again.

Two weeks ago, those outside of the soccer world did not know who Balogun was — admittedly, I barely did as I was researching for potential future columns. Now, every fan is furious and concerned about how the Americans will manage without him.

The best answer to a ridiculous VAR? Go BTA (Belt to bleep) against Belgium, freeing Balogun to play in the next game.

One-score horror: ESPN unearthed a statistic that frames the challenge facing the Broncos, one that I have emphasized when criticizing the team’s static offseason. From 2015-2024, only one team that led the league in one-score wins won a playoff game the following season. The Chiefs had the most one-score victories in 2020 and won a postseason game in 2021 before falling in the conference finals. The Broncos won 11 one-score games last regular season. The best way to avoid the follow-up trap? Play fewer close games because of a more dynamic offense, especially after the opening six-pack.

Condon Knocking: Pretty soon, the Rockies will not be able to avoid the question. Ideally, they would have kept outfielder Charlie Condon in the minors until September call-ups. He is making that increasingly difficult. Not only does the top prospect have 20 home runs in 73 Triple-A games, but his strikeout rate is reasonable (23.5 percent), and he is walking 14.6 percent of the time. Metrics that suggest he is ready for a promotion. The trade deadline is Aug. 3. That should be the latest Condon arrives in the big leagues, as the Rockies ship out an outfielder or two for pitching.

, along with the team and staff, is thinking big.

“Making history is winning the World Cup. It����ap not winning three matches only within the World Cup,” the USMNT coach said after . “What does it mean to win three matches if you lose the next one?”

The “next one” is Wednesday’s Round of 32 clash against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The USMNT finished first in Group D, while Bosnia-Herzegovina was .

A loss wouldn’t label this as a successful tournament. A Round of 16 exit probably wouldn’t either, considering that����ap been the exit ramp in the last three trips to the World Cup.

“Quarterfinals, for sure,” former USMNT star DaMarcus Beasley said before the tournament began of an attainable goal for the national team. “And then after that, it depends on who you get and it����ap tough because in the past, we have not done well with the Top 10, Top 15 countries in the world of football. It����ap been difficult.”

Beasley, the only man in U.S. Soccer history to play in four World Cups, was 20 when he made the 2002 team. That squad holds its place in national team history, advancing to the quarterfinals and coming close to moving to the semifinals before falling 1-0 to Germany.

“To be able to beat one of those teams, one of those favorites to get to a semifinal,” he said. “That����ap tough. The World Cup is difficult, but I hope they do much better than what we did in ’02.”

Aside from a semifinals appearance in the first World Cup in 1930, which hosted just 13 teams, the 2002 club is the bar for all national teams to meet.

Wednesday offers the current group a chance to continue its pursuit of history. This is the first FIFA World Cup with a Round of 32, meaning the U.S. still has a lot of work to do to even reach the Round of 16. A win Wednesday would advance the U.S. to the Round of 16 on Monday in Seattle against Belgium or Senegal.

MORE: 2026 men’s World Cup bracket, standings and scores

The path to the World Cup final is littered with European teams, which have proven to be a giant obstacle for the U.S. The U.S. has lost its last 10 games against European foes and has only one win in its last 18 matches. The last win came in 2021 against Northern Ireland.

Despite the outlook, confidence reigns within the USMNT.

“We’re very confident,” defender Sergino Dest said. “We finished finished first in the group and that����ap a difference already. I think everybody’s confident, we’re more experienced, we have better chemistry, I feel like, and we’re just in a good headspace. Everybody’s concentrated and the whole country believes, so I think that����ap in our advantage. We still have belief that we can do it and that����ap what we’ve got to show on Wednesday.”

Dest, along with Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic, was a starter in the Round of 16 loss in 2022 against the Netherlands.

“I feel like there is pressure, but in a healthy type of way,” Dest said. “Because we all have belief that we know that we can do it, so we want to do it, but pressure in a negative way, we don’t feel. Our belief is big and our focus is big.”

Bosnia-Herzegovina, ranked 63rd by FIFA, qualified through a UEFA playoff, eventually securing a World Cup spot by defeating Italy. In the group stage, (1-1), , and ended with .

Aside from the 2014 World Cup, this is just the second tournament appearance for the Bosnians.

Coach Sergej Barbarez said after the group stage that “we will try to take on any team that comes our way. We are confident enough to face anyone.”

Ream, a defender and the USMNT captain, believes the group is prepared for anything that might present itself.

“If we do everything that we’ve done up to this point, we’re going to put ourselves in the best possible position to move on in the tournament,” Ream said. “It����ap just focusing on us and what we need to do to accomplish the next step and that����ap doing everything we did in the group stage and then some, because you are going to have to do more and more as the tournament goes on.

“We’re absolutely where we want to be and ready to go for whatever happens.”

FIFA WORLD CUP ROUND OF 32

Who: United States vs. Bosnia Herzegovina

When: 5 p.m. PT, 8 p.m. ET, Wednesday

Where: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California

TV: FOX, Peacock, Telemundo (Spanish)

“I think he’s every bar’s MVP,” Hickey, the longtime owner texted me Tuesday.

This is a story about foot traffic. And footie traffic. See, McGregor Square, which sits adjacent to the Rockies and Coors Field and is owned by the Monfort family, had been hosting World Cup watch parties in LoDo for free.

Last week, that … changed. McGregor Square is now instituting an admission charge for patrons to check out United States and Mexico matches, including Wednesday’s Mexico-Czechia tussle and Thursday’s U.S.-Turkey showdown. It costs $23.18 per head, including $3.18 in fees.

England-Ghana? Free. Panama-Croatia? Free. Norway-France? Free.

Capitalism 1, Community nil.

I asked Hickey if he had considered adding a cover charge whenever the Yanks or El Tri happen to air on TV. He laughed.

“Not even slightly,” Hickey replied. “This isn’t about the almighty dollar.

“It’s about creating an atmosphere. It’s about creating a culture that we’ve spent a long time (cultivating). It’s not about making a couple extra grand.”

Blasphemer! FIFA, the World Cup’s notoriously shady organizers, has made every decision regarding the 2026 Cup with dollar signs in its eye sockets. Does FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the patron saint of boot-licking opportunists, I asked Hickey, know that The Celtic dares to call itself “soccer bar?” I mean, what did you say to yourself when McGregor Square tacked on a fee in order for fans to watch its sexiest matches?

“I was delighted,” Hickey quipped, chortling beneath his native Irish brogue. “More people coming our way.”

Safety is the Monforts’ story here, and they’re sticking to it. McGregor Square officials on Tuesday emailed me this statement:

“The move to ticketing for this round was made in direct response to the large crowds that we saw at McGregor Square for the U.S. and Mexico games over the first weekend. Ticketing allows us to safely manage attendance and provide the best possible fan experience. We have brought in additional security personnel, Denver Police, ticketing staff, fencing, and other event operations measures, including bag screening, to help us safely and comfortably host thousands of guests in the plaza.”

Which you understand. Appreciate, even. If crowd capacity is one of McGregor Square’s primary concerns, couldn’t U.S. and Mexico matches be ticketed events at a friendlier price point? The CU Buffs, for example, It can be done.

“McGregor Square is a metaphor for what happens every World Cup cycle when corporate America and local bars in Denver realize, ‘Oh, wait, soccer is popular now, we can monetize it,'”  offered Dave Wegner, former president of the Rapids’ Centennial 38 supporters’ group. “The fact they’re charging is kind of insulting to soccer fans who’ve been there a while. And it just goes to show that they underestimated how big a deal this is.”

I posed the same questions I had for Hickey to Kevin Tuohy, , another amazing downtown watering hole for footie fans. And one that’s got McGregor Square’s crowd concerns, times a thousand.

The Bulldog’s not a hole-in-the-wall, per se. But it’s darned close. The snug soccer bar has a capacity of just 66. Tuohy got permission to expand their patio out front to accommodate another 130-ish or so outdoors, which required additional screens, chairs, tables, et cetera.

This is America, baby — land of the free, home of the brave, and inventor of “dynamic pricing.” The latter says you charge more for the Dodgers than, say, the Marlins, because ChatGPT and the invisible hand of the marketplace told you to.

Only, like Hickey, Tuohy won’t.

“We don’t think about really raising prices,” Tuohy replied. “Because part of our ethos is to be a neighborhood bar that has good prices, is a place where you can go to and get a beer or a shot or something for a reasonable price. That’s not something that enters into our thoughts, just because we want to be that bar that has the affordable pint of Guinness, the affordable shot of Jack Daniels.”

Bulldog 4, McGregor Square nil.

“I mean, honestly, (when they did it), I thought, ‘You know, it, it can only benefit us,'” Tuohy mused. “I said, ‘You know, they want to get greedy and do that. They can do that all they want.’

“It’s one thing when it’s free and they’re still charging stadium prices for beverages for beers and whatnot. Now that they’re going to charge that cover, it just makes it harder and harder for anybody to go out as a group or if you want to bring your family out to McGregor Square.

“It seemed like one of their selling points might have been, ‘You could bring the family out here.’ But who wants to bring the family out if it’s going to cost them the same amount as it is to go to a Broncos game or something like that?”

I did the math over at the Square with Mike Corbett of Highlands Ranch, who’s got two soccer-loving kids and a wife who humors all three of them.

Corbett attended Nuggets watch parties at McGregor Square in 2023 during the NBA Finals, soaking in the tribal joy with thousands of his closest friends. For the Corbett clan, the U.S.-Turkey clash is $23.18 per person, times four, so…

“That would be $92.72,” Corbett said, shaking his head. “Plus everything else.”

Hard backheel pass.

“We’d mentioned coming down (for the U.S. matches) and then my wife’s like, ‘No, they’re charging,'” Corbett continued. “So I was like, ‘I’m not (going) down here for that.’ Because you have to pay for parking somewhere, too. Total money grab, for sure.”

“Which is very FIFA,” I said.

“It seems so Rockies,” Corbett countered. “It’s so Monfort … It’s frustrating because they built (the Square) for all this (gathering) to happen. Now you’re going to charge people to come into it? It’s like, ‘Come on, man.'”

MVP = Mad, Vindictive Pricing?

“Maybe Dick Monfort,” Wegner cracked, “is running for Infantino’s job.”

Hickey plans to keep the hard line in prices, even if the crowds start drinking him dry. What the Monforts see as a line on a spreadsheet, the crew at The Celtic sees as a marketing opportunity. A chance to grow a community.

“We had about 50 Norwegians (last weekend) doing the rowing thing on the floor,” he said. “We had a bunch of Vikings in for Sweden, about 60-70, so that was a pretty good showing.”

For Mexico matches, Hickey brought in a Mariachi band. For Scotland, he hired a piper. The computers project the two countries could very well meet in the knockout round if the Tartan Army don’t get their kilts torched by Brazil on Wednesday.

“I’ll tell you, that would be a lot of fun,” Hickey chuckled. “I’d have to order extra beer.”

ATLANTA — Welcome to the , Lamine Yamal. Welcome to the World Cup, Spain.

scored 10 minutes into his first start on soccer’s biggest stage and Spain kickstarted its tournament with the 4-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday.

The 18-year-old forward slid in at the far post to touch home a low cross for the opening goal and became the eighth-youngest scorer in World Cup history. More importantly, he settled Spanish nerves after the European champion was held to a surprise in its opening game.

“The first game wasn’t really us, it was different, but now we’ve arrived and we’re going for more,” Yamal said.

In a tournament that has already seen , Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane get off to flying starts, Yamal’s strike saw him join the party.

“I’ve always dreamed of being at a World Cup, and being able to score in my first match as a starter is a dream,” he said. “I watched the last World Cup from a classroom so being able to score here with my mum and my family in the stands is a dream come true.”

The Barcelona winger is already considered one the world’s top players and helped Spain win the European Championship in 2024 despite being just 16 years old when the tournament started. He is tipped to take over from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the sport����ap biggest star but came into the World Cup with questions over his fitness after he missed the end of the season with a hamstring injury.

After being used only as a second-half substitute against Cape Verde, he was thrown in from the start on Sunday and wasted no time in making his presence felt, repeatedly slicing through the Saudi defense before turning home Mikel Oyarzabal’s cross.

“When there are players with individual attributes in this game that can work (beat opponents) one-on-one, they can make a difference,” said Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis. “This is a player that makes a difference all the time in Spain and I think the better the physical condition, the more time he has, he’ll help his team even more.”

A full house at Atlanta Stadium that was mainly filled with Spain fans erupted in celebration just at the sight of Yamal emerging for the pre-game warm up. And the cheers were even louder as he raced away to celebrate his goal, dropping to his knees, praying and kissing the turf.

It was just the impact Spain coach Luis de la Fuente wanted from his star player, having been inundated with questions about when Yamal would be ready to start.

Those questions felt even more anxious after Spain, one of the pre-tournament favorites, was shut out by Cape Verde.

After all, Spain has failed to advance beyond the round of 16 since lifting the World Cup in 2010, winning just three games during that run.

But Yamal’s opener sparked a flurry of first-half goals. Oyarzabal, who was criticized for not touching the ball at all in the first 30 minutes against Cape Verde, not only provided the assist for Yamal, but scored two more with close range strikes in the 21st and 24th.

So dominant was Spain’s lead that De la Fuente had seen enough and took both his scorers off at halftime.

Inside four minutes of the second half, the lead was extended when Marc Cucurella’s shot rebounded off Hassan Altambakti for an own goal.

“It����ap crazy to question this team,” De la Fuente said. “You can have better days, worse days, normal days, but questioning, doubting this generation of very young footballers, with a bright future, I think it����ap unfair.

“I love that I have the honor to lead this group of footballers, this group of players who are a role model for many people in football and for many athletes and people loving this sport.”

Sean Keeler: Your humble colleague is a footie fan, full-stop, no apologies. Got bitten by the bug during USA ’94. Partied with Nigerian fans in Athens, Ga., as we watched the Super Eagles upset Argentina to win the men’s soccer gold in ’96. Denver is an amazing, fun, vibrant soccer town. FIFA? FIFA is as crooked as the Serpents Trail, my friend. When Colorado whiffed on its penalty kick with footie bigwigs during the bid process a few years back, I raged. “What does Kansas City have that Denver doesn’t?” I asked. Rooms that FIFA had booked in blocks — only to cancel at the last minute. Oh, and without any cancellation fees on the back end for KC to recoup. Because Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s fawning, making-up-trophies-to-give-world-leaders president? That’s how he rolls, baby.

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Renck: The running joke is if you want to watch a good shakedown, skip the mob movies and watch documentaries on how the IOC and FIFA choose host cities. The demands are outrageous and, in some cases, criminal. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted 14 football executives for racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering. When Denver submitted its bid, it made a final offer. FIFA wanted assurances the city would cover all cost overruns, and make everything whole. So, I am not going to crush Denver for drawing a line in the sand. The reality is the timing stunk. Everyone knows how much Denver loves soccer (See Denver Summit FC and Lionel Messi appearance). But the city needed a savior in the Broncos owners, and the bid was submitted before the Walton-Penner group took over. Who knows if they would have stepped up to fill in the gaps like soccer AFLAC. History says they would have. In the absence of that help, Denver showed proper restraint, even if watching right now hurts.

Keeler: The Denver chapter might have had a different ending if Carrie Walton-Penner and Greg Penner were in the picture to soak up cost overruns. I don't blame the city for balking, though, given what's come out over the last 8-12 months. be built over Soldier Field -- and that the locals were on the hook to pay for it. The state of Missouri reportedly forked over $78 million and the state of Kansas $28 million for infrastructure, security, etc. No wonder Colorado took a pass.

Renck: It is OK to not get everything you want. We have become spoiled because of Final Fours, high-profile soccer exhibitions and having four major sports teams that we believe Denver should host anything of merit out of default. If it were just on private donations, it would be easier to have a problem with missing out. But at the time of the bid, the city did not have its Clark Hunt or Robert Kraft to push it through. Given the financial issues facing Denver, it would be impossible to rationalize the city increasing taxes to cover the open-ended costs. There is no doubt Denver deserves to host the World Cup. But there is also no shame in showing common sense, if not cents, and waiting to go all out to host the Women's World Cup in 2031.

Keeler: And it will. Or at least, it should. Summit FC got on a roll after May 9, and the powers behind the club want to keep those good vibes going. Did you see the way Can you imagine the juice those kind of travelers would give Coors Field during another sad Rockies summer? Denver deserves to walk on world soccer's biggest catwalks. But not by having to sell its shirt first.

The Socceroos announced their on Sunday, and Herrington was included as the only teenager in the squad at 18 years old. He became the only Rapids player to be called to a World Cup ahead of Monday’s deadline for participating countries to make their final selections.

Herrington signed a pre-contract to the Rapids in the middle of the 2025 MLS season and joined during the offseason. Expectations at the time were that he would come in as another patented Rapids center back prospect — tall, good in the air and with the ball — but he has already smashed any mark he or the club could have imagined in such a short time.

He’s started all 15 MLS matches this season for Colorado and has played every minute. His accolades include a goal in his Dick’s Sporting Goods Park debut against the Portland Timbers, three MLS Team of the Matchday nods and his first callups to Australia’s senior team. The latest was for a friendly against Mexico on Saturday, in which he started and played 89 minutes. Australia lost, 1-0.

The Aussie’s professional journey started for his hometown club, the Brisbane Roar, in the Australian A-League as a 17-year-old in the 2024-25 season. He appeared in 11 games (10 starts) and earned the club’s Young Player of the Year award before departing for the Rapids.

For Colorado, he’s become a mainstay and crowd favorite out of the back. Making a name for himself for his calm and commitment to decisions, he routinely makes jaw-dropping tackles and is typically first to head clearances.

In the analytics department, his real impact is made with the ball. According to American Soccer Analysis, he’s a top-10 passer and top-2 dribbler among MLS center backs in terms of goals added, which measures a player’s total on-ball contribution.

For the World Cup, Australia is in Group D with the host U.S., Turkiye and Paraguay. The Socceroos have one more friendly against Switzerland on Saturday before opening their World Cup group stage against Turkiye on June 13. They’ll face the hosts on June 19.

It will mark the country’s sixth-straight and seventh overall foray at the World Cup. They’ve made it past the group stage on two occasions, but have never won a knockout game.