Goals, Grass, and Guesswork 🕵️
From soccer drama to tennis tradition to a sneaky trivia twist… here are 3 things you need to know today.
But real quick… Sam wants harder questions (challenge accepted!).
And Jake? Your Banana Ball rule with the unicorn glitter bat? Legendary. 🍌🦄💥
1️⃣ Gold Cup Thriller ⚽
There’s an international soccer tournament underway right now where teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean battle it out.
It’s called the Gold Cup. And yesterday? The US vs. Costa Rica match was epic. We know you can’t wait to watch, but first…
A few facts about the Gold Cup:
🗓️ It Happens Every Two Years: The Gold Cup is played every other summer… which means it’s one of the most regular international tournaments in the world. More chances to rep your country and build rivalries!
🏆 It’s All About Pride: It doesn’t affect World Cup spots… but it’s huge for bragging rights, national pride, and confidence-building.
🌟 It’s a Stage for New Stars: While some teams send their older, more experienced players, others focus on younger players. It’s where tomorrow’s soccer stars start to shine.
Alright, enough context!
🎥 Watch the drama unfold:
Final score: US wins 4–3 on penalties.
On Wednesday, they’ll face Guatemala in the semifinals… which also advanced on penalty kicks in a win against Canada!
2️⃣ From Clay to Grass: Wimbledon Begins! 🎾
Remember the French Open? We watched Carlos Alcaraz climb back in thrilling fashion. We cheered as Coco Gauff claimed her first Paris title. And then we teased what came next…
Well, next is now. Wimbledon starts today.
📜 Wimbledon 101
Here’s more on the world’s oldest tennis tournament, first played in 1877:
📍 Where? London, England
🌱 Surface? Super-fast grass courts
👕 Uniform? All white… every match!
🍓 Snack? Strawberries & cream… LOTS of them
🏆 Last Year’s Champions?
On the men’s side, Alcaraz won his second straight Wimbledon, crushing Novak Djokovic in three straight sets. Let’s see if he can keep winning!
On the women’s side, Barbora Krejčíková claimed the title in a thrilling final that came down to the final set.
📅 Dates to Watch?
The Men’s Final is Sunday, July 14
The Women’s Final is Saturday, July 13
We’ll break in earlier if anything unforgettable happens: a super-long match, surprise upset, or record-fast serve. Stay tuned!
3️⃣ Wait… That Can’t Be True?! 🕵️♂️
Wimbledon is full of history, traditions… and just a little weirdness. Here are five “facts” about the tournament.
But be careful: one of them is made up.
Can you spot the fake?
🍓 Snack Attack: Fans eat over 200,000 servings of strawberries and cream during the tournament… all picked fresh from local farms. Mmmmmmmm!
🫨 No Lefties Allowed: Tradition says only right-handed players are allowed to compete at Wimbledon to “keep everything looking even.”
🤴 Bow to the Box: If British royalty is in the stands, players are expected to bow or curtsy before their match. Wimbledon is the only major with that tradition.
🐦 Pigeon Patrol: Wimbledon employs a trained hawk named Rufus to fly over the courts each morning and scare away pigeons.
🏆 No Trophy for You: Win Wimbledon? You don’t get to keep the real trophy. Champions get a copy… the original never leaves the club.
🎤 So… which one did we make up? Drop your guess in the comments! 🤔
Today brought us drama at the goal, legends on the lawn, and a trivia twist we’ll reveal tomorrow.
Thanks for playing along, Smallballers!
Hmmm maybe all those strawberries is more than they actually eat?
I THINK LEFTIES CAN PLAY! Jake!