The Tricolores in the All-Star Game confirm the good moment of baseball in Mexico.

▲ Isaac Paredes of the Houston Astros is one of the four Mexican players called up for the game. Photo @astros

Joshua Reyes Samano

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, July 11, 2025, p. a11

The passion for baseball in Mexico seems uncontrollable. If the Tricolor team's performance in the 2023 World Baseball Classic sparked more people's interest in the sport, the participation of four Mexicans (Andrés Muñoz, Jonathan Aranda, Alejandro Kirk, and Isaac Paredes) for the first time in the MLB All-Star Game, which will be played on Tuesday, confirms the great momentum baseball is experiencing in the country.

We're very proud that young players are succeeding in the Major Leagues. This has the effect of increasing the visibility of baseball, as they are excelling at the highest level. Muñoz (Mariners) is having a spectacular season, while Kirk (Blue Jays) and Paredes (Astros) have been having great campaigns for several years , explained Rodrigo Fernández, director of MLB Mexico and Latin America.

The most Tricolor representatives were selected to an All-Star Game in 1983, with two. Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers was selected by the National League, and Aurelio López of the Detroit Tigers was selected by the American League. This record was matched in the 1986, 2010, and 2024 seasons, according to ESPN.

“This matchup will be historic, although we've always had great baseball players. From Toro Valenzuela, Adrián Titán González, and Vinicio Castilla, to Joakim Soria and Sergio Romo. I'm glad our compatriots are standing out,” commented Néstor Ríos, a San Diego Padres fan who attended the first day of MLB Club House 2025 activities yesterday in the capital.

Paredes has 19 home runs this season, while Muñoz has 21 saves. Aranda has 11 home runs, and Kirk has seven.

After the tricolor team finished third in the World Soccer Classic, several casual fans, some of them soccer enthusiasts disappointed by the team's elimination from Qatar 2022, turned their attention to pelota caliente, a sport with a long tradition in the country but one that seemed alien to the younger demographic.

Despite no regular season games being played in the country this year, other than the series between the Sultanes de Monterrey and the Boston Red Sox, the tricolor market is of utmost importance to MLB.

"Mexico is a priority for Major League Baseball and Commissioner Manfred. We're about to announce next year's games. It's been very pleasing for us to see the fans' response to Mexican Baseball League teams playing MLB teams," Fernández added.

Last season, the Diablos Rojos led the tournament's average attendance with 11,694 spectators, followed by the Toros de Tijuana (11,354) and the Sultanes de Monterrey (9,092).

These figures exceed those of several soccer teams such as Pachuca (10,713), Santos Torreón (9,421), Mazatlán (9,522) and Ciudad Juárez (8,980), whose attendance is lower despite playing in larger stadiums.

Having role models in the Major Leagues clearly helps Mexico grow, but we need to constantly serve our fans through diverse experiences off the field, Fernández concluded.

With information from Ap

▲ Welshman Aaron Ramsey is one of the few international stars who arrived in Liga MX this year to play for Pumas. Photo @PumasMX

Karla Torrijos

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, July 11, 2025, p. a12

Still reeling from the sting of failing to secure a fourth Liga MX championship and a place in the Club World Cup, América will begin its quest for its 17th title this Friday when it visits FC Juárez to kick off the 2025 Apertura tournament, a season in which there have been few major signings and where the reigning champion, Toluca, will try to secure a second championship.

Unlike other tournaments, the Azulcrema team has not yet signed high-profile players to try to expand its list of achievements, while Tigres and Pumas have signed renowned players, such as Argentine Ángel Correa, world champion with his national team in Qatar 2022, and British Aaron Ramsey, respectively, both of whom have extensive experience in European football.

In response to criticism over the situation, Americanista defender Ralph Orquín, who returned to the Águilas this semester after being on loan with the Bravos de Juárez, stated that for his team's coach, Brazilian André Jardine, the priority isn't surprising with big signings, but rather choosing his reinforcements wisely.

It's a renewed squad, they've thoroughly studied the players who could arrive, they don't want to break the market with a blockbuster, but rather choose wisely , he indicated yesterday in a press conference held at the Coapa facilities.

He also asked fans to be a little more tolerant regarding the signings, as aside from his return, only Alexis Gutiérrez, from Cruz Azul, and Isaías Violante, the recent champion with Toluca, have joined the team.

"I would tell them to stay calm. The case of América's new number 10, Alejandro Zendejas, comes to mind. He didn't come with much experience and is now a great player, a must-have in the starting XI. I ask for patience. Many clubs hire players their way; we have ours, and it's worked. After a three-time championship and a fourth consecutive final, I think it's worked out well for us. It's the path we should continue on ," he asserted.

For their part, the Diablos Rojos del Toluca also opted to continue the team with which they became the reigning Mexican soccer champions after winning the 2025 Clausura tournament final against América, so they have only added former Mazatlán goalkeeper Hugo González, as well as Fernando Arce Jr., from Necaxa.

Meanwhile, Cruz Azul will once again create excitement in the fledgling tournament with the arrival of Argentine coach Nicolás Larcamón, replacing Uruguayan Vicente Sánchez, as well as Jeremy Márquez, formerly of Atlas, and José Paradela, from Necaxa. Furthermore, there is speculation that Serbian Luka Jovic, formerly of AC Milan, will join the team in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Chivas will try to break out of its slump with the signing of Argentine coach Gabriel Milito, as well as reinforcements Richard Ledezma, Efraín Álvarez, Diego Campillo, Fidel Barajas, and Bryan González.

Matchday one of the 2025 Apertura tournament will begin this Friday with the following matches: Puebla–Atlas, FC Juárez–América, and Xolos–Querétaro.

Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, July 11, 2025, p. a12

London. Amanda Anisimova stunned world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 at Wimbledon, reaching her first career Grand Slam final just over a year after taking a break from tennis due to exhaustion.

The American, seeded 13th, was playing her second major semifinal after losing at that stage of the 2019 French Open at the age of 17.

In May 2023, she took a break from the tour, struggling with her mental health for almost a year. "This doesn't feel real right now ," Anisimova said after finishing the two-hour, 36-minute duel with a forehand winner on her fourth match point. "I don't know how I did it ."

She will face Poland's Iga Swiatek on Saturday, a five-time Grand Slam champion who advanced to her first title match at the All England Club with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Switzerland's Belinda Bencic in 71 minutes of play.

It's been more than a year since Swiatek won a trophy anywhere, part of the reason the 24-year-old ceded the top ranking to Sabalenka in October and is the eighth seed this fortnight.

For Sabalenka, the loss prevented her from becoming the first woman to reach four consecutive Grand Slam finals since Serena Williams a decade ago.

Now 23, Anisimova is playing as well as ever, her crisp groundstrokes, particularly on the backhand side, as strong and smooth as anyone's. She is guaranteed to break into the top 10 of the WTA rankings for the first time after Wimbledon, no matter what happens in the title match, 12 months after losing in qualifying for the grass-court tournament and failing to reach the main draw.

The Independent

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, July 11, 2025, p. a12

Two professional footballers admitted before the Court to having participated in corrupt acts in betting in which Mexican player Ulises Dávila, a former Chivas youth player and former captain of the Macarthur Bulls of the Australian A-League, allegedly acted as a mediator by receiving money to pay for yellow cards during matches.

Dávila and midfielders Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis were charged in May 2024 with tampering with yellow cards during matches in 2023 and 2024.

The 33-year-old Tricolor footballer allegedly acted as a contact between the southwest Sydney club's players and a criminal group in Colombia, arranging yellow cards to appear during certain games.

Davila allegedly paid up to 10,000 Australian dollars ($6,550) to Baccus, 33, and Lewis, 27, to deliberately try to receive bookings issued by the referee for foul play.

Baccus and Lewis pleaded guilty in a Sydney court to engaging in conduct that corrupted the outcome of match betting. A second charge of assisting a criminal group was dropped.

Lewis had previously pleaded not guilty to both charges, but reversed his plea on one of them after a plea bargain. Both will face sentencing in September.

Dávila, who also played for Santos Laguna, has yet to plead guilty to the nine charges he faces. He will return to court next month.

Police said the gambling scheme resulted in payouts of hundreds of thousands of dollars in winnings.

The league suspended all players. Dávila's contract with Macarthur FC was terminated shortly after his arrest. Baccus was released by the Bulls in 2024, and Lewis remains suspended.

▲ Photo @mostvaluablepromotions

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, July 11, 2025, p. a12

With a record purse of $9 million, the most expensive in women's boxing, the third fight between Puerto Rican Amanda Serrano (right) and Irish Katie Taylor will be held this Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York, which will be broadcast on Netflix. Serrano will seek to redeem her two losses in previous bouts and take the undisputed super lightweight title (IBF, WBC, WBO, and WBA) from Taylor. Both boxers weighed in at 136 pounds yesterday. Also on the card will be Mexican Yamileth Mercado, who will put her WBC super bantamweight title on the lineup against British Ellie Scotney, the WBO and IBF champion. Meanwhile, Olympic medalist Marco Verde said he is ready to appear with his people in Culiacán this Saturday against Colombian Cristian Montero, after a last-minute change due to his Venezuelan opponent Humberto Díaz having immigration issues.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, July 11, 2025, p. a30

Former world boxing champion Julio César Chávez denied any knowledge of any injunctions filed by the attorneys for his son, Julio César Chávez Jr., who was arrested a few days ago in the United States for his irregular immigration status and possible ties to the Sinaloa cartel. He also expressed confidence that his legal situation will soon be clarified.

"I want to express my full respect and confidence in the authorities of Mexico and the United States. I am convinced that the facts will be clarified, because my son is not a criminal. That will be the task of the lawyers, who are already working on it."

I know there are many people who want to help me, and I sincerely appreciate it. But I want to make it clear that I am unaware of the injunctions that have been filed to date , Chávez said in a statement posted yesterday on his social media.

He also asked for respect for his privacy, that of his family, and that of the legal process his son is currently facing. "When things become clearer, I will be happy to answer all your questions, as I always have. I appreciate your understanding ," he concluded.

The announcement was released two days after Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero announced that his team is ready to prosecute Julio César Chávez Jr., who faces deportation proceedings to Mexico.

All our staff is ready. Your lawyer has been filing a series of injunctions that are inadmissible, and we're going to take them to court as soon as I arrive ," the official said during Tuesday's morning press conference.