CINCINNATI — While Major League Soccer finalizes plans to restart the 2020 season, FC Cincinnati is gearing up with the hope that its new coach will arrive in time to lead the team through a fresh beginning.

A team spokesperson said Jaap Stam is still in the process of securing his work visa and approval to fly from his home in The Netherlands to his new adventure in the United States. However, the opportunity for him to potentially join FCC in Orlando – where all 26 teams will gather at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex for a World Cup-style tournament – would be ideal.

Stam fills the role vacated by Ron Jans, who resigned 12 days before the start of the season amid an investigation into a racial slur he made earlier during the preseason.

MLS suspended the season March 12 after just two games because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the ratification of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement on Wednesday paved the way for the league to move forward with plans to resume play initially with the tournament in Orlando and potentially finish the season in home markets. The league on Thursday lifted the team training moratorium that had been in effect since mid-March.

“I think it would be awesome (to restart with Stam),” goalkeeper Spencer Richey said on a Zoom call with media Wednesday. “… I think part of this whole situation is, just, the future has been uncertain and the more stability and certainty you feel you can have in your life these days is so much better, and that's no different with the coaching staff. We've had some changes, obviously. That's no secret, but just in speaking on that one Zoom call with Jaap, I feel like you could feel his energy, you could feel his passion, and he's certainly had an incredible career as a player and he's going to be a guy that guys respect as a coach, so I think guys are really looking forward to that.”

Richey said this feels like a fresh start for the team, but more so once Stam is in place. FCC held its first small-group training session Thursday after weeks of individual training. Assistant Yoann Damet, who served as interim coach, continues heading things up in Cincinnati.

As some of the proposed details to the Orlando tournament emerged late last month, even Stam was on board with the idea, saying in his introductory press conference on May 22, “Orlando would be ideal for me because you get to know everyone really well when you’re all together like that for an extended period of time.”

MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a Zoom news conference with media Wednesday that dates and full details are still being arranged, but the players would be gone for no more than 35 days and teams would essentially be quarantined together at a hotel and at the Disney sports complex. No fans will be in attendance, but games will be broadcast on TV with some added visual enhancements to make the product even better for those watching at home, Garber said.

ESPN.com’s Jeff Carlisle reported from sources that players could arrive as early as June 24 for a two-week training period with a three-game guaranteed first round, followed by knockout rounds to determine a winner. Garber said the idea behind the tournament is related to providing a way to get back on the pitch in as safe a manner as possible (the league will provide regular testing for COVID-19) and a way to recoup some of the revenue lost, as the league is estimated to lose $1 billion this year.

The league and players’ union both had to give some concessions to reach an agreement, and negotiations heated up so much in the last week that MLS threatened a lockout if the MLS Players Association did not agree to its proposal with the main sticking point tied to a force majeure clause meant to allow either side to back out of the contract under extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances, such as a new wave of COVID-19 infections that would force MLS to shut down again.

Players around the league chose not to participate in voluntary training sessions Monday as a stand against the ultimatum, and no FCC players showed up for what would have been the club’s first small-group workouts after the league initially limited teams to individual training sessions. The idea of a lockout and the tough stance taken by players ultimately brought both sides to a deal.

“The tactic of the threat of a lockout is a scary thing, for sure,” said FC Cincinnati defender Nick Hagglund, who is one of the team’s MLSPA representatives. “I think ultimately it made the players dig their heels in even more, and I'm really proud of the players and how they responded to that. There was no panic and everyone was in it together making sure they know what the information was to make sound judgement. It was across the player pool. I'm really proud of FC Cincinnati and what they did to understand and make sure everyone was on the same page. Ultimately, MLS needed a decision made, especially on the Orlando trip, and obviously they wanted a specific thing, so it puts a timeline on everything. We thought we might have had a little bit more time, but once they said that, it was time to get a decision done. For us, ultimately, it was to make sure what we got for the players was right and that we were going to stand together and be unified.”

Players are taking just a 5% pay cut, according to Garber, but the extension of the CBA – one was approved in February but never ratified -- by one year to run through 2025 will help the league save money down the road when the new media-rights deals come into effect in 2023. The force majeure clause remained but with some tweaking of the wording.

Hagglund and Richey both said it will be nice now to just focus on soccer. Although there are risks to returning because of COVID-19, they were satisfied with the league’s plan to try to keep players and staff safe.

“I think that was a lot of the first thought that came to guys' minds when this idea of the tournament came together, but there's a lot of smart people that both the PA and MLS have brought on board to ensure it's as safe as can be,” Richey said. “We know there is some risk that comes with it, but we think there are enough protocols and enough safety measures in place that we will hopefully be able to get out of there healthy.”

Garber said all players will be required to participate unless they fit into the categories the league discussed with the MLSPA, such as a medical reason or extenuating family needs.

FCC is hoping to get a chance to return to Nippert Stadium to finish the season, ideally in front of at least a lower-capacity crowd. In the meantime, they will treat the Orlando tournament like playoff games. The club lost its first two games played before the season was suspended and was coming off a last-place finish in 2019, but there is reason for optimism with an improved roster and now a new coach who was known as a legendary defender in his playing career with Manchester United, among others.

“It wouldn't be exactly the same feeling of having a full season and then playing MLS Cup, but it's also like a World Cup kind of tournament, so when you win anything it's an exciting feeling,” Hagglund said. “I think it's obviously going to feel different, but any time you have an opportunity to lift a trophy, you are excited about that.”

Hispanic Americans have built a legacy of activism and change in the central coast community. One program making a big impact is the Aztecas Youth Soccer Academy in Watsonville, California.

Gina Castañeda will flat out tell you, soccer saved her life. Even though a childhood of neglect and abuse, Castañeda learned the game, a sport deeply embedded in the Hispanic culture.

By her early teens, the high school team was her lifeline.

“By the time I got to high school, I was homeless and living on the streets,” Castañeda said. ”And people really didn't know me at that point. And then I just was this amazing freshman that got on the field and people were like, 'where did you come from?' And what they didn't know about me is that I was full of hurt and pain and like eating out of garbage cans and just really, really struggling in life. I kept working in school to get my grades up so that I could play on the team. And the team really became my family.”

Soccer helped her steer clear of the gangs that swallowed her brothers and so many of her friends. She became a probation officer, working with other kids in trouble.

“Soccer saved my life and I knew that I could use soccer to save their lives,” Castañeda said.

With that, the Aztecas Youth Soccer Academy was born. Run through the Santa Cruz County Probation Department, it is an intervention program for high-risk kids.

Castañeda remembers the first day she saw two rival gang members working together on the field.

“And I had the biggest smile on my face because I knew at that point what we had done. And it was the beginning as to what Aztecas is today,” Castañeda said.

Now, 13 years later Aztecas is still breaking those cycles and connecting with kids on the edge.

That caring extends beyond the soccer field, the kids are also required to attend tutoring sessions and life skills classes.

Watch the full story in the video above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Miguel Berry scored twice in a 1:18 span and the Columbus Crew beat FC Cincinnati 3-2 on Friday night to snap a six-game losing streak.

Columbus (7-9-6) won for the first time since July 24 when it beat Atlanta 1-0. Cincinnati (3-9-8) is winless in a franchise-record 11 matches, with seven ending in draws.

Berry tied it at 2 in the 81st minute when goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer failed to wrap it up and punched a short tap-in off the ricochet.

In the 83rd minute, Cincinnati defender Gustavo Vallecilla attempted to clear Vermeer’s save, but deflected the ball off Berry’s thigh and into the net.

Lucas Zelarayán opened the scoring for Columbus in the 45th minute. Ronald Matarrita tied it in first-half stoppage time, and Isaac Atanga gave Cincinnati the lead in the 74th.

TOKYO, Tokyo —

Some sports are beginning to wrap up while others are in knockout rounds as the Tokyo Olympic Games continue.

The U.S. women's soccer team has made it to the semifinals.

Medals are up for grabs in individual events for both men's and women's gymnastics.

Here's what to watch:

Women's Soccer

The U.S. women's soccer team will take on Canada in the semifinals at 4 a.m. Monday. Australia will play Sweden at 7 a.m.

The U.S. just narrowly defeated the Netherlands last week. Following a 2-2 draw, the U.S. outscored the Netherlands in a shootout, 4-2, to advance to the semifinals.

If Sweden and the U.S. advance, it would set up a gold medal rematch of the opening game in which Sweden beat the World Cup champions 3-0.

Gymnastics

Medals will be on the line for additional event finals in both men's and women's gymnastics.

The events scheduled are men's vault, men's rings and women's floor exercise. The only American expected to compete is Jade Carey for women's floor exercise. Simone Biles had also qualified but withdrew from the event.

The event finals begin at 4 a.m. ET Monday.

Women's Basketball

The women's basketball tournament is in the group stage. Next up, the U.S. is set to take on France at 12:40 a.m. ET Monday.

The U.S. Olympic women's basketball team claimed gold at at the 2016 Rio Games.

Beach Volleyball

The Round of 16 will continue in beach volleyball. Americans April Ross and Alix Klineman will face off against Echevarria Benitez and LC. Martinez Ortega of Cuba.

The other beach volleyball team from the U.S., Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes fell to the Canadian team in the Round of 16.

Ross and Klineman will play at 8 p.m. ET Sunday.

Track & Field

For more than a month now, McLaughlin has been the proud holder of the world record in the 400-meter hurdles. Her mark of 51.90 seconds could be broken at the Tokyo Games — maybe even by her.

Probably not Monday, though, in the semifinals of the competition. She and her biggest rival, teammate Dalilah Muhammad, are in different heats. They each hope to make it through to the final and set the stage for what could be another record-breaking day.

This time, with an Olympic gold medal on the line.

Each time they’ve met at a big competition, the record has fallen. Muhammad set the mark at nationals in 2019 and then again at the world championships in Doha. McLaughlin put her name at the top of the list with her race at the U.S. Olympic trials.

"Anything’s possible," said McLaughlin, who turns 22 on Saturday. "It’s a really great group of girls, so I wouldn’t put it past anybody to go out and do it."

London gold medalist Brittney Reese and Tara Davis aim to win America’s third straight gold in the women’s long jump, with coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET Sunday.

Basketball

The late-night crowd can catch a men's basketball quarterfinal matchup between the United States and Spain.

Spain is the reigning basketball world cup champion and one of them won’t make the medal round at the Tokyo Games.

The Americans play Spain on Tuesday afternoon at 1:40 p.m. in Tokyo and 12:40 a.m. ET Monday. The U.S. is 16-2 in FIBA and Olympic play against Spain.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The first day of the Tokyo Olympic Games looked a lot different than years past due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Still, the Games went on Friday, beginning with the opening ceremony and parade of nations in front of a nearly empty stadium. Competition also got underway in men's gymnastics, women's soccer, swimming, tennis and more.

Here's what's ahead for the second day of the Games.

Women's soccer

The Americans rebounded from their opening loss with a 6-1 rout of New Zealand in front of the First Lady Jill Biden on Saturday in the women's soccer tournament at the Tokyo Olympics.

With the United States leading 2-0 at the break, Biden arrived in time to watch the team put the game away in the second half at Saitama Stadium.

The United States was stunned by Sweden in the first match, losing 3-0. It was the team's first loss since January 2019 and snapped a 44-game unbeaten streak. The Americans had not been held scoreless since 2017.

Rose Lavelle scored off a well-placed pass from Tobin Heath in the ninth minute to give the United States an early lead — and the team's first goal of the Olympics. Despite the lack of goals, the Americans dominated the half, unlike their out-of-sorts start against the Swedes.

Lindsey Horan scored with a header in the final moments of the half to put the United States up 2-0 at the break. It was Horan's 23rd international goal and it came on her milestone 100th appearance for the national team.

It could have been worse for New Zealand but the United States had four disallowed goals, all for offside, in the first half.

An own-goal by Abby Erceg extended the U.S. lead to 3-0 in the 64th. New Zealand avoided the shutout with Betsy Hassett's goal in the 72nd.

Softball

Cat Osterman pitched six innings of one-hit ball and Monica Abbott struck out the side in the seventh, helping the top-ranked U.S. shut out No. 5 Mexico 2-0 on Saturday.

Ali Aguilar provided a two-run single in the third that was just enough for the Americans to improve to 3-0 as the country tries to regain the Olympic gold medal.

“I’m here so they can win a gold medal because I already have one,” said Osterman, the last player remaining from the 2004 champions. “I want to see how they feel and how they react after we are able to possibly do that.”

Osterman struck out four, walked one and hit a batter. Pitching without a cap and with a white towel dangling from her back pocket on a 90-degree, humid afternoon, she retired her final 15 batters.

She escaped her only trouble in the second, when Suzannah Brookshire worked out an eight-pitch walk leading off and Victoria Vidales reached on an infield single that went off the glove of Kelsey Stewart at third. Chelsea Gonzales fouled out, Sashel Palacios took a called third strike and Stefania Aradillas struck out.

Mexico, a team with many U.S. college players and veterans of the American player development program, dropped to 0-3 in its first Olympic tournament.

Haylie McCleney had two more hits and is 6 for 9. Mexico shortstop Anissa Urtez, who is engaged to U.S. right fielder Amanda Chidester, made a diving backhand stop to rob McCleney of a hit leading off the fifth.

Dejah Mulipola, getting her first start, walked leading off the third and McCleney singled before O’Toole replaced Dallas Escobedo (0-2).

O’Toole struck out Janie Reed and got Chidester to ground out, then intentionally walked Valerie Arioto. Aguilar followed with a single to center.

After pushing across just five runs in three games, the U.S. plays Australia on Sunday and host Japan on Monday to complete the group stage. The top two nations advance to Tuesday’s gold medal game.

Men's volleyball

After a long wait to get on the court, the U.S. men’s volleyball team made quick work of France in its Olympic opener.

The U.S. didn’t take the court until 11 p.m. local time in the final match of the opening day of pool play but set the tone early by scoring the first five points of the match. The Americans won the match 25-18, 25-18, 25-22, as they try to build on their bronze medal performance in 2016.

The other winners in the opening day of men’s competition were defending champion Brazil, Italy, the Russians, Japan and Iran.

Swimming

Both women's and men's competitions take place throughout the weekend. Look for butterfly heats, freestyle heats, freestyle relay heats and breaststroke heats.

Men's gymnastics

Daiki Hashimoto topped Olympic qualifying through two subdivisions on Saturday, putting on a show inside the largely empty Ariake Gymnastics Centre to help Japan sprint to the top of the leaderboard.

Hashimoto's all-around total of 88.531 pushed Japan past rivals China and ROC, as the Russian team is known, to the top spot in qualifying. The Japanese will bid Monday night for an Olympic title to back up the one they captured in Rio de Janeiro five years ago.

Men's beach volleyball

Beach volleyball player Phil Dalhausser has had a rough start to the Tokyo Games.

The four-time Olympian and 2008 gold medalist has been in modified quarantine because he is considered a close contact of Taylor Crabb, the U.S. beach volleyball player who withdrew after testing positive for COVID-19. Dalhausser sat near Crabb on a flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco before heading over to Japan.

Dalhausser and teammate Nick Lucena practiced together only twice from the time they arrived in Tokyo until their opening match on Saturday.

The Americans lost to defending bronze medalists Robert Meeuwsen and Alexander Brouwer of the Netherlands. The Dutch won 21-17, 21-18 at the Shiokaze Park venue.

Wang Fan and Xia Xinyi of China beat Heather Bansley and Brandie Wilkerson of Canada 18-21, 21-15, 15-11 earlier.

Check out the full Olympics schedule here.

CNN and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

As Christian Eriksen lay unconscious on the field, his pulse slipping away, Denmark team doctor Morten Boesen quickly realized there wasn’t a second to lose.

“He was breathing, and I could feel his pulse. But suddenly that changed,” Boesen said Saturday. “And as everyone saw, we started giving him CPR.”

The next 10 minutes were among the scariest to ever unfold during a match at soccer's European Championship. Several medics worked frenetically to give Eriksen chest compressions while his teammates choked away tears and formed a circle around the midfielder to shield the scene from public view.

And finally, the eerie silence that had descended around Parken Stadium was replaced with massive cheers.

“We managed to get Christian back,” Boesen said. “And he spoke to me before he was taken to the hospital.”

Eriksen was awake and in stable condition Saturday night after being taken to a Copenhagen hospital, the Danish soccer federation said.

His collapse, which came in the 43rd minute of the match against Finland, led to the game being suspended for about 90 minutes before both teams made the decision to play on. Finland went on to win 1-0 after Joel Pohjanpalo scored in the 60th minute and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky later saved a penalty.

But in the end, the result seemed merely an afterthought.

“Of course you can’t play a game with such feelings,” Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said. “What we tried to do was incredible. It’s incredible that the players managed to go out and try to play the second half.”

UEFA said both teams had held an emergency meeting before deciding to continue playing. The players came back out onto the field to a huge ovation as they started warming up for a second time.

Hjulmand said the teams were given the option of finishing the game on Saturday or resuming on Sunday.

“The players couldn’t imagine not being able to sleep tonight and then having to get in tomorrow, get on the bus and play a game,” Hjulmand said. “Honestly, it was best to get it over with.”

Eriksen had just played a short pass when he fell face-forward onto the ground. His teammates immediately gestured for help and medics rushed onto the field.

Eriksen’s partner, Sabrina Kvist Jensen, went onto the field and was comforted by Denmark captain Simon Kjaer and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

The Finland players huddled by their bench and eventually walked off the field while the Inter Milan midfielder was still getting treatment, as did the referees.

Eriksen was eventually carried off to a loud ovation, with his teammates walking next to the stretcher.

Inter Milan team physician Piero Volpi told The Associated Press that the Italian club was in contact with the Danish soccer federation.

“We’re in contact with the Danish federation, the team manager, the team physician. But we still don’t know anything yet,” Volpi said. “We heard what UEFA said and we’re all happy that he’s been stabilized. But that’s all we know.”

Volpi added that Eriksen never contracted COVID-19, has no medical conditions that he’s aware of and has passed every medical exam without problem since joining Inter in January 2020 from Tottenham.

“But we’ll talk about that when the time is right,” Volpi added of Eriksen’s medical history. “Right now, the important thing is that he recovers.”

Eriksen is one of Denmark’s biggest stars and the incident brought an instant sense of shock to the Parken Stadium, where about 15,000 fans fell into hushed silence. Some supporters could be seen crying and hugging in the stands.

The game was broadcast widely, including on ESPN in the United States, which later responded to online criticism that its telecast lingered too long on the scene before cutting away. ESPN said it didn't have its cameras on the scene and was using a worldwide feed supplied by the Union of European Football Associations.

“Once it was clear the world feed was going to take a more aggressive approach to covering the situation, we should have moved quicker to a static wide shot of the stadium or returned to the studio,” ESPN said in a statement.

As the fans in the stadium were waiting for updates, Finland supporters started chanting “Christian! Christian,” which was then answered by the Danish fans shouting “Eriksen! Eriksen!”

A huge roar then went up from all supporters when the stadium announcer said Eriksen was “stable and awake.”

The incident brought back memories of other soccer players who have collapsed on the field, including Marc-Vivien Foe and Fabrice Muamba. Foe died while playing for Cameroon during the 2003 Confederations Cup in France, while Muamba needed CPR in 2012 when he collapsed in a match between Bolton and Tottenham at White Hart Lane in north London.

Muamba, who fully recovered, wrote ”Please God” on Twitter as Eriksen was taken to the hospital.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Adam Buksa scored on a header in the 70th minute and the New England Revolution stayed atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati on Saturday.

Buksa jumped between a pair of teammates to connect in the 6-yard box with Carles Gil’s free kick from just outside the 18-yard box near the end line.

The Revolution (5-1-2) extended their unbeaten streak to four games.

Matt Turner made a pair of saves in the 82nd minute, the second to stop a wide-open chance for Cincinnati’s Brandon Vázquez. Turner finished with four saves for his third shutout of the season.

Geoff Cameron had a header miss over the crossbar on the last play before the final whistle for FC Cincinnati (1-4-1).

CINCINNATI — When driving through the West End – you can’t miss it. TQL Stadium is huge, but the team it houses isn’t just a sports presence. All along, FC Cincinnati has said it’s going to be a good neighbor to the community – and a big part of that is working with local kids.

Laurel playground is the place 170 local kids come to get their soccer fix. The practice field sits in the shadow of TQL stadium by design.

WCPO Staff

There’s a double meaning to the words on 11-year-old Jasiah Murph’s jersey – West End Pride. You see, FC Cincinnati’s mascot is a lion – and we all know a group of lions is called a pride.

“You get to be with teammates, coaches and be around here playing with your friends,” Murph said.

Then there’s pride in one’s community.

“You show people what it’s like to be in this neighborhood,” Murph said.

Acknowledging the stadium by playing the sport that brought it to the area – and even sharing it. The FC Cincinnati Foundation supports the youth soccer cause by covering the kids’ registration fees, uniforms, equipment and after-practice snacks. It’s part of the local team’s commitment to making the West End a better place to live and play

WCPO Staff

“We’re here showing that we wanna be part of the community,” former FC Cincinnati player Omar Cummings said. “We wanna be good neighbors.”

Cummings works as an ambassador to the team and focuses on the next generation by helping to grow the youth soccer program.

“It’s about the future – 5 years, 10 years, 15 years down the line – hopefully have kids from this neighborhood in our academy, playing int the stadium,” he said.

Speaking of the kids – they were the first ones to play on the pitch at TQL Stadium.

“I’m a little jealous, myself. Having been a pro in the MLS, that’s still one of the best stadiums anywhere – and for the kids to have the first opportunity to play on it, I was like, ‘man,’” Cumming said with a laugh.

The kids were impressed, too.

“It was amazing,” West End Pride player Harmoni Dennard said.

WCPO Staff

Dennard’s mom, Thelma Little is so happy her daughter and all the other kids get to play.

“It keeps them active, keeps them engaged in the community, and we’re from down here,” Little said. “It’s exciting to have this type of opportunity available to them.”

In just five years, the West End Pride has grown to nine teams – with one co-ed preschool team. Like Cummings said – the hope is that one of the program’s kids will make it to the academy, which can be a pathway to Major League Soccer play.

Target is pulling Pokémon cards and sports trading cards from their store shelves, according to multiple outlets.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14,” the nationwide retail chain said in their announcement.

Collectibles have increased in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic as people stuck at home during lockdowns have turned to online auction sites to sell or buy.

Rare cards, from the sports world or Pokémon, have been selling for millions, according to MarketWatch.

This increased demand for Pokémon and sports cards during the pandemic has led to customers camping out or forming long lines before stores like Target or Walmart open, according to the Business Journal.

Target moved the cards to customer service and limited their availability, only causing longer lines.

A Target in Wisconsin reportedly had a fight between customers over trading cards, in which one person had a gun.

In that incident, a 35-year-old man was physically assaulted by four men between the ages of 23 and 35 as he left the Target, according to TMJ4. Police said at the time the attack stemmed from a disagreement over the purchase of sports trading cards inside the store.

Some Walmart stores also stopped selling trading cards earlier this month because of “inappropriate customer behavior” from the increasing demand.

CINCINNATI — As TQL Stadium opens for FC Cincinnati's home opener, here's what fans should know about parking before heading to a match.

Season parking pass holders will have access to parking close to the stadium, which includes:

• The East Garage on the stadium site
• The West Premium Lot in the rear of the stadium
• The newly built West End garage north of the stadium with about 800 parking spots
• The Town Center Garage across from Music Hall on Central Parkway.

The Washington Park Garage is also offering parking sign-ups for FC Cincinnati fans, but this garage also has spots set aside for season parking pass holders.

Fans can also get their steps in by parking at the Mercer Commons Garage, the Ziegler Park Garage or the Kroger Garage and walking between 15 and 20 minutes to the stadium.

The stadium is nestled into the West End neighborhood where some might try their luck with street parking, but FC Cincinnati has a map online that shows that parking in residential neighborhoods is off limits. Residents hope fans respect this.

"They’re not going to want to pay to park, so they’re going to think they can come over here, which is free parking, and it’s not," Yona Dowdell, a West End resident, said. "They don’t live over here to park over here.”