PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Tiger Woods missed a short birdie attempt on the sixth hole Friday, trudged toward his waiting caddie, then profanely informed Joe LaCava that his ball took an unscheduled hop on its way to the cup. The scene summoned Woods' assessment of Pebble Beach's Poa annua putting surfaces during the previous U.S. Open played here nine years ago.

"The greens," Woods said in 2010, "are just awful."

David Fay, then the executive director of the USGA, ripped Woods for ripping the greens, and Tiger responded by maintaining that a lot of players felt the way he did but didn't have the nerve to say so. The good news? Nobody this time around has picked apart the greens, the rough or the tees. In fact, Zach Johnson, who assailed the USGA at Shinnecock Hills last year, was among those who raved about all the above.

"I think it's fantastic," he said. "Whatever they're doing, it's great."

It seems the governing body of the U.S. Open has finally governed itself and allowed the staggering beauty of this iconic course to carry the day, while allowing the world's best golfers to decide this championship on the merits.

Players are happy with the ballpark, fans are happy with the names in contention and everyone is happy with the oceanside visuals.

"A golfer's heaven," Adam Scott called it.

Now, the USGA's elders -- those reigning masters of disasters -- need to spend the weekend honoring this one simple term of sports-and-entertainment engagement:

Don't screw it up.

Sounds pretty simple, right? When you have great actors on a great stage, how hard is it to stay out of the way and let the performance speak for itself?

But the USGA has a grim history of spoiling its most compelling dramas. Over the past four years, the Chambers Bay greens, the Dustin Johnson rules fiasco at Oakmont, the comically forgiving conditions at Erin Hills and the Saturday spitshow at Shinnecock conspired to leave the USGA in a defenseless state. Dozens of players and other figures in the game recently fired away anonymously in Golf Digest, while others aired their grievances on the record.

At the Memorial two weeks ago, Phil Mickelson, six-time runner-up, said that the USGA has screwed up its national championship "100 percent of the time" and that only rain can save the tournament because the ruling body's decision-makers "don't know how to control themselves."

There is no weekend rain in the Pebble Beach forecast.

Of course, this is a good time to remind everyone that Mickelson himself delivered the mother of all U.S. Open clown shows last year by swatting a rolling ball; his recent Memorial massacre surely left USGA officials wishing they had a mulligan on their decision not to disqualify him from the Shinnecock field.

Either way, the USGA has to be careful, very careful, with its pin placements here in the third and fourth rounds. Pebble Beach contenders, including Mickelson, have almost unanimously praised the course setup. USGA officials acknowledged this as a crucial week in the process of rebuilding their reputation. They swore they had done a lot of listening to players, and it appears they were telling the truth.

But Scott pointed out that the greens can firm up "in an instant here." To a man, the players said the greens Friday were faster than the greens Thursday, when 39 players broke par -- the most ever in an opening U.S. Open round not played at Erin Hills. Henrik Stenson said he didn't think the USGA "particularly liked the low scoring we had" -- some 44 players still managed to break par Friday -- and predicted tougher course conditions to come.

"I think the USGA would probably have loved the course setup, but they'd probably have loved 5 mile per hour more breeze both days," said Justin Rose, at 7 under, two shots off Gary Woodland's 36-hole lead. "I think the golf course has plenty of teeth in it. Because you're playing near the ocean, you have to respect Mother Nature. You can't set it up for perfect weather and not get it."

And that's a problem -- a big one. Graeme McDowell, the 2010 champ, called Pebble Beach "a sleeping giant." The wind could pick up on the weekend more than USGA officials think, which could make lethal a potential decision to move pin placements tighter to the edges of the smallest greens these players will see all year.

"They got it right where they want it," Woods said after shooting a 1-over 72 to land at even par for the tournament. He mentioned the firmness of the course's run-up areas: "So if they get the greens anywhere like that, it will be a hell of a test."

Another member of Woods' group, Jordan Spieth, advocated for faster weekend conditions -- if only to help his chances to climb the leaderboard -- but suggested it would be a bad idea to speed up the 580-yard 14th, the longest hole on the course.

"That got a little out of hand in the 2010 U.S. Open here," Spieth said. "So there's certain holes where they probably got to watch it."

The 14th wasn't the lone culprit nine years ago. The impossible pin placement on the par-3 17th inspired some players to aim for the bunker and take their up-and-down chances at par. Ryan Moore, once an amateur champion in multiple USGA events, called the 17th in 2010 "completely unreasonable, just a horrible golf hole the way they set it up."

Even with Woodland, Rose and others threatening to move into double figures under par, USGA officials don't need to cook up any horrible holes as part of an unnecessary overcorrection for Saturday or Sunday. Will they resist temptation and embrace this opportunity to, as Rory McIlroy said, redeem themselves by declining to cross the line separating fair and foul play?

John Bodenhamer replaced Mike Davis as the man responsible for setting up U.S. Open courses. Bodenhamer said he has played more than 100 rounds at Pebble since the 1970s and that he has never seen the course in better shape. But as much as he acknowledged that the USGA has heard the players' criticisms, Bodenhamer made it clear that the ruling body isn't about to abandon its approach.

"Our philosophy has not changed," he said the other day. "We will continue to endeavor to provide the toughest test, the ultimate test, the most comprehensive test ... and really just to create something where players' shot-making ability, mental resolve and physical stamina are tested. We're not going to lose that."

But they shouldn't lose their minds, either, and bury their credibility for good at sea. They should count on stronger-than-expected winds off the Pacific Ocean and firmer-than-expected greens. They should keep the pins reasonable, let Pebble be Pebble and, in the end, let the players play.

"A lot of great storylines this weekend," McDowell said.

Here's hoping the USGA doesn't wreck all of them.

When Vince Carter arrived at the Atlanta Hawks' training facility last September, the first thing he said to newly hired head coach Lloyd Pierce and general manager Travis Schlenk was, "Who do you want me to talk to and what do you want me to tell them?"

As the Hawks' season progressed, Pierce stopped providing Carter the specific message. From Pierce's perspective, he didn't need to.

"He's been a guy who now I just go up to and say, 'Have you talked to John [Collins] lately? Have you talked to Trae [Young] lately? This is what he's worried about,'" Pierce says. "Then I let Vince address whoever it is in the locker room on his own, knowing he'll have the right message for a young player with that concern."

At 42 and planning to enter his final NBA season in 2019-20, Carter is the oldest player in the league by a considerable margin. He's still a solid bench performer at about 18 minutes per game, but Carter's real benefit to young teams is his institutional knowledge of NBA locker rooms.

How do you quantify the value of a veteran imparting the wisdom accumulated over 21 years in the NBA to a player who didn't exist when that career began? Is it even possible to measure the tangible worth of a late-night conversation on a team flight between Carter and a rookie who, hours earlier in a rough performance, encountered real doubts about himself as a basketball player for the first time in his young life?

Assignments like these in his latter NBA years have been every bit a part of Carter's professional portfolio as play calls or defensive coverages. It was evident on a January 2018 afternoon in Sacramento, when the Kings' brass led the team on a tour of the organization's business side operations. There was Carter, fully engaged, with the team's youngest players -- De'Aaron Fox, Malachi Richardson, Skal Labissiere -- following him through the cubicle farm as he provided relevant addenda to the business execs' spiels on topics like brand marketing. Carter's young teammates couldn't get enough of his authority and presence.

Carter has lived through seismic shifts in pro athlete culture and league trends. The smartphone wouldn't land until halfway through his career, and much of the power claimed by players in today's NBA is a relatively new advent. Carter has seen can't-miss talents bust, and obscure prospects rise to fame. He has a pretty good sense of why many NBA players succeed or fail, and agreed to discuss some of these beliefs with ESPN ahead of the 2019 NBA draft (Thursday on ESPN).

Think of it as Vince Carter's Guide for Young Ballers.

On personal hygiene

You see it more often now, where guys are just like, 'Eh, yeah, the facility, that's where I live.' No, no, no, you're in a house now, and it's not walking distance. Go hop in the shower!

So hygiene, believe it or not, is just as important as anything else. With the season going so long, with the travel, hygiene plays an important part of this, as far as just getting sick, and obviously getting everyone else sick. My third year in Dallas, I want to say, we had one guy get sick who, in essence, ended up getting five guys sick. And it just spreads like that, because we spend so much time together, more than in college.

Reading list
+ The 2011 norovirus

On the hazards of nightlife

Let's say you live in those smaller markets. The excitement of going on the road to other cities can be dangerous, as opposed to living in Miami, Dallas, Houston, L.A., New York, where you see it every day. Trouble can happen, particularly for a young guy -- though not just young guys.

The NBA is different -- it's a whole new world. I remember as a rookie it was like, 'Oh man, I'm on my own. No responsibilities of going to class, the tutors, whatever the case may be.' And you're free to do whatever.

When you make those decisions like, 'OK, if I hang out this late I've gotta be able to still be at the facility early to do your rookie duties, or to get my early lift in, to get my shooting in.' And if you're not performing up to par, it tends to carry over on your minutes, and then you wonder why you can't get your minutes. Well, it's because you're looking tired, and fatigued, that's the thing that a first-year player doesn't think about

Reading list
+ The tinderization of today's NBA

On winning the locker room as a young player

Perform your rookie duties, whatever it might be. Sometimes it's, 'Hey, grab a towel young fella.' 'Hey, can you grab me a water.' Simple things.

For second- or third-year guys, team functions -- participate. Like when guys want go to dinner together, go to eat, or guys want to just hang out together? Let's go out together, because it builds a camaraderie on the court. Or even after practice, if we sit in the locker room, and laugh and joke, just be in there even if you don't speak.

Reading list
+ How the Sixers cracked the culture code

On the frustration of not getting minutes

At first, you felt like you were gonna get the minutes. Maybe it didn't work out for the team, or they brought somebody else in. And now you don't get many minutes.

What do you tell that young player? First of all, you say the most cliched thing you can say: 'Don't get discouraged, and continue to work on your game.' But after a while, you don't wanna hear that.

I think sometimes coaches and organizations -- and they would probably disagree when I say this -- I feel they do things like that to see where your character, and your heart is. How do you handle adversity? I really believe that. Because sometimes I can't figure out how you have guys who deserve to be in the rotation and don't get to play. And they play well, and then all of sudden it's like, 'Hey, let's just see how he handles this adversity.'

So what do you tell them? I just tell them to continue to work at, and do the things. Ask questions. You know, sometimes it's the thing that we as athletes, a lot of us, but particularly young athletes don't think about: Go talk to the coach. 'Coach, what do I need to get my minutes back? Or get into the rotation?' A lot of times they don't want to do that. You have to work your game, and you also have to work on your mental game -- and that's part of it.

Reading list
+ How Khris Middleton became a star

On preparation

It's the individual work that is key, and paramount for a young guy. You're still developing your game, and you're developing the mental game -- which is confidence.

So when you get in the game, there's no doubt that you can compete and play. The team will have what it sees as the kind of player you are, but maybe you have your agenda in what type of player you think you are, which is a different vision. And you have to kinda find a way to intertwine the two, and I think that's the toughest thing. So you go talk to the coach.

And obviously most teams, most coaches, in the beginning of the season, they say, 'Hey, Vince, here's your role. This is what you bring for us right now.' Well then be the best at that until they give you a little more rope, when you can kinda be that player you think you're supposed to be. Prepare for that role they've designed for you, even if it's not the role you'd design for yourself.

Reading list
+ Inside the dark, daunting art of the NBA's toughest position

On family and friends asking for money

Guys wanting to come and hang out for a couple of weeks and just do nothing, sit around, and I've never been good with that. When I was a rookie, my guys would say, 'Oh yeah, we're going to hang out.' No we're not. I'm working, and if you're coming here, that means you're gonna work. Then you get into the issue where you're funding, funding, funding. It's the toughest thing to do, and I had to go through it, and family members that to this day, going on to 20 years, haven't talked to me since then for saying no.

Giving a young guy the formula on how to handle that is tough. There's no real blueprint in my opinion, but you have to be honest.

Some of the requests are a little far-fetched. You feel like, 'Hey, I don't have the money to give you. Yes, I signed a contract, but I don't have anything to give you.' You start there. You have to buy yourself time until you feel comfortable telling that uncle, that friend, mom, or whatever, 'No.' The hardest thing to do is telling mom, grandmother, brother, sister, whoever, 'No.'

And then you have guys from your neighborhood, from your community who've looked after you. Now they're like, 'Hey, I was looking out for you, making sure you were comfortable. Now I want mine.' That's the toughest one. You always want everybody in your corner, and you want to keep everybody happy. Because once you say no, that's the first thing. That is the first thing, 'Oh, you're big time now? Oh, cuz you're in the NBA now you think you're better than us.'

Reading list
+ How much NBA stars actually earn

On expressing yourself politically

If you're a guy who feels comfortable doing it, go for it. That's your business. I would say, educate yourself on the situation before you speak out on it. Don't just haphazardly speak out if you don't know what you're talking about.

So I don't have a problem with guys speaking up, and having an opinion, even if sometimes we're criticized for having an opinion. But pick your spots.

Reading list
+ 'I am a voter': How NBA players from LeBron to KD are making an impact

On how to balance the team's medical opinion vs. your own specialist

Players now have the option to go and get a second opinion. I feel like it all stems from the Kawhi [Leonard] thing [with the San Antonio Spurs]. And most teams are willing to work with us. So there, again, most of the problems that occur now are lack of communication, from player to coach, player to organization, agent to organization. We don't get on the same page. So it's about establishing trust.

As a young guy you don't really know. Obviously you could say, 'I don't trust them.' But based on what? You haven't been around long enough. So ask questions -- talk and communicate. Talk to the veterans who have been around long enough.

Reading list
+ Inside the tensions between Kawhi and the Spurs

On dealing with referees

Vets can help you. I remember Charles Oakley before games, he'd bring me as the rookie to the referees, and introduce me to them. Whether I knew them or not, that's where it started. Maybe it was Joey Crawford. 'How are you doing?' 'Oh, I know who you are.' 'I just wanted to introduce myself.' Keep it at that. It was something simple, and it was a little awkward at first. But then I started, as I grew, to gain a little more respect, and a little more rope from the officials. They allow you to show your emotions sometimes.

When there's a bad call, walk away. The rookies are actually pretty good at it. It's when they get to that second, third year is the problem. It was easy for me, because every time I would go to say something, Oak would move me out of the way, and take care of it. They've been around long enough, so they have the power to talk. And that's what I try to do with these guys now. I tell Trae all the time, even if he gets beat up, no calls, I say, 'Hey let me do it. Let me get the fine. Let me get the technical before you. Save your money.'

One of the first things you talk about in preseason with young guys, you kind of give them the rundown on each referee. 'These are not the guys to mess with. We leave him alone.'

Reading list
+ Behind the crucial calls NBA refs make on the biggest stage

Closing thoughts

For the young baller, I'd say, in the beginning, tread lightly and ask questions. Utilize your veterans.

I think you win your teammates from the beginning, in pick-up games in the summer, in training camp, when you're learning how to play this game, and how this game works. When you're frustrated, and a vet comes to you and says, 'Hey, try this. Look at it like this,' Don't, 'Nuh uh, I got this. I got it.'

Don't think you're bigger than the game. Nobody is bigger than the game.

A Babe Ruth New York Yankees jersey has sold for a record $5,640,000 at auction.

The jersey, dating to around the 1928-30 period, broke the previous mark of $4,400,000 for a 1920 Ruth jersey, according to Hunt Auctions.

The over 400 pieces of Ruth memorabilia at auction was supplied by the late Hall of Famer's family and a few other collectors.

"For many years, we cherished the items within his personal collection and have been blessed to represent his legacy through our many family endeavors," said Linda Ruth Tosetti, granddaughter of Babe Ruth. "The decision to share items from his personal collection was made with careful consideration and the intent to further his legacy within a new generation of baseball fans. Babe's collection has remained largely unknown to the general public and we felt it was time to bring these amazing pieces of his life to light. There could be no other place to showcase these items than Yankee Stadium and we are also thrilled to be able to benefit related charitable entities through the sale of these items."

Ruth hit a then-record 714 career home runs from 1914 to 1935 including a single-season record 60, in 1927. He played 22 seasons, mainly with the Boston Red Sox and Yankees.

Britain's Dan Evans is into the last four of the second-tier Nottingham Challenge event after beating Dominik Koepfer in a lengthy three-setter.

Evans, 29, took a 62-minute opener in a tie-break, before losing the second to German Koepfer on another shootout.

The British number three eventually prevailed 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 in two hours and 41 minutes.

Evans will play Japan's Go Soeda later on Saturday for a place in Sunday's final after a week of rain delays.

Thirty-four year-old Soeda will also be playing his second match of the day after overcoming Czech 16th seed Lukas Rosol 6-4 6-4.

World number 70 Evans is climbing the rankings after serving a year's ban for cocaine use. He is on a steak of eight successive victories after lifting the title in Surbiton last week.

In the Nature Valley Open event being held at the same venue, Croatia's second seed Donna Vekic recovered from losing the first set to sweep into the final with a 5-7 6-0 6-0 win over Germany's Tatjana Maria.

She will play either top seed Caroline Garcia of France or Jennifer Brady of the United States.

Tournament officials in Nottingham have been criticised by Sascha Bajin, the current coach of French player Kristina Mladenovic who has also worked with Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, for how they have handled the week's weather conditions.

The German tweeted on Friday that "many bad decisions have been made here in Nottingham".

However, Great Britain Davis Cup captain Leon Smith and the Lawn Tennis Association's director of international events Stephen Farrow were among those to defend the organisation.

"Our great team in Nottingham have dealt with five complete washouts in the past seven days," Farrow said.

"This is unprecedented for any tennis event in the UK. Easy to criticise but in the circumstances they've done an outstanding job."

BRANDON, S.D. — With South Dakota’s Huset’s Speedway struggling to find a buyer, track officials are taking a radical step to find a new owner.

On Aug. 13, Huset’s Speedway will play host to a first of its kind 410 sprint car race that will see the winner become the new owner of the entire 70+ acre facility, including the track, buildings, lights, website and branding.

Though the rules for the event are unofficial at this time, track officials said in a post on husets.com that each team that enters will be required to pay a non-refundable $200,000 deposit. Anyone choosing to enter after the registration deadline will be required to pay an extra $75,000. The race will feature a minimum field of 18 cars and a maximum field of 36 cars.

Should the track not get the required minimum field of 18 cars, the race will not take place and all money will be returned to those who have entered the race.

The race will feature three heat races of 12 cars, with 24 cars advancing to the 40-lap main event that will decide the new owner of the facility.

In addition to the race winner becoming the new owner of the facility, the runner-up will earn $200,000 while the drivers who finish third and fourth will each earn $100,000.

The event will feature standard 410 sprint car rules for the cars for specs and technical inspection. The rules will be posted in advance of the event and will match those ran at the Knoxville Nationals just days prior.

According to the Huset’s Speedway website, official rules, processes and procedures will be released on or before June 19 at www.husets.com.

INDIANAPOLIS — It was 1996 and Tony George’s Indy Racing League was struggling to gain a foothold, even though it had the Indianapolis 500 as its cornerstone event.

If the Indy Racing League was going to ever have a chance to grow and continue without the big-name teams from CART that had boycotted the Indy 500 over the creation of the rival IRL, it was going to need another anchor venue.

Later that year, as Texas Motor Speedway was nearing completion, Speedway Motorsports Chairman O. Bruton Smith and TMS Executive Vice President and General Manager Eddie Gossage announced Indy car racing would be part of Texas Motor Speedway’s inaugural schedule in 1997.

The 1.5-mile oval hosted the first Indy car race in Texas since 1980 and the first night race for Indy car racing.

Texas Motor Speedway officials sold a season ticket for both the NASCAR and Indy Racing League contests. Even if the fans didn’t show up for the IndyCar race, they had to buy the ticket in order to watch the NASCAR event.

It was marketing genius but what happened on Saturday night, June 7, 1997, was stunning.

More fans came out to watch that first IRL race at Texas Motor Speedway than any race other than the Indianapolis 500. Not since the days of California’s Ontario Motor Speedway in 1970, when 172,000 spectators showed up, had such a large crowd attended an Indy car race.

The crowd was announced at 129,000 and many believe it was a legitimate figure in a sport that often inflates attendance.

The crowd witnessed breathtaking racing between young IRL star Tony Stewart and 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier, but the race ended in surprising fashion.

It appeared Billy Boat had won the race aboard A.J. Foyt’s familiar No. 14 Indy car, but it was quickly learned that the USAC scoring system failed and did not credit Arie Luyendyk for leading two laps during pit stops.

Several other drivers, including Scott Goodyear and Tyce Carlson, also had the same issue with the scoring system.

Luyendyk was furious inside of the cockpit of his race car. He wanted an answer from USAC Chief Steward Keith Ward, but no explanation was given.

On lap 190, Stewart was in the lead and — believing Luyendyk was two laps down — waved him by. Stewart had a one-lap lead over Boat. With two laps to go, Stewart’s Oldsmobile Aurora engine blew. Boat was scored as the leader and two laps later, took the checkered flag.

What followed has become Texas folklore and is probably the state’s most colorful    contribution to the history of Indy car racing.

“It was such early days in the IRL with teams scrambling to get cars together,” Luyendyk said. “The side-by-side racing is what really did it for the IRL in that race and attracted a different kind of fan. The crowd at Texas was amazing and then there was a lot of stuff going on in that race with the side-by-side racing.

“But the IRL had a long way to go.”

Outside of Indianapolis and Texas, the IRL drew very small crowds at that time.

Luyendyk was one of the more well-known drivers who chose the IRL over CART when the series began in 1996.

“I got my second win at Indy in 1997 and was thinking really hard about retiring, but team owner Fred Treadway wanted me to stay on to continue his team and keep the sponsors that he already had,” Luyendyk said. “People back then didn’t realize the IRL was a bunch of cowboys brought together. They drove sprint cars and modifieds and drove really hard. They had no fear. They were not easy to beat. There were a lot of good drivers there, but the cars were not the safest.

“A lot of guys got hurt back then. I looked around and saw what was going on and said, ‘Shit, I don’t know if I want to do this’ because I was getting up there in age,” Luyendyk continued. “I was vocal about it then and was criticized by IRL management, who thought I was negative.

“To me, it was a very trying time.”

Luyendyk admits the 1997 True Value 500 was a pivotal race in the history of the NTT IndyCar Series.

So, as Boat was celebrating with Foyt’s crew in victory lane, Luyendyk crashed the celebration.

Luyendyk was not venting his anger at Boat or Foyt, but to USAC.

“I passed him two times,” Luyendyk yelled at USAC officials. “You guys don’t know how to (expletive) count.”

Foyt was standing nearby and thought Luyendyk was trying to create an issue with his team.

As soon as Luyendyk uttered the word “count,” Foyt backhanded him with a hard slap to the head.

Foyt, a Texas hero who was the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, drug Luyendyk and pushed the driver from The Netherlands into the flowers in victory lane.

Shortly after the scuffle ended, Luyendyk’s team owner filed an appeal with USAC. After working all night, USAC confirmed the system had failed and declared Luyendyk the winner.

It was the last time USAC sanctioned an Indy car race. By the time the series arrived at Pike’s Peak Int’l Raceway for the next contest, the IRL had created its own sanctioning body.

Texas Motor Speedway has firmly established itself as a vital part of the NTT IndyCar Series schedule and it has hosted at least one Indy car race every year since 1997.

PASADENA, Calif. -- Mexico's 23-player Gold Cup squad is finally complete, with LA Galaxy winger Uriel Antuna coming in for injured America defender Jorge Sanchez.

Manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino made the announcement on the eve of Mexico's Group A opener against Cuba at the Rose Bowl.

Defender Hector Moreno has been included in Martino's list after the coach practically ruled him out following the final friendly against Ecuador, although the Real Sociedad player will not be involved against Cuba and is unlikely to feature until later in the tournament.

Jonathan dos Santos and Edson Alvarez are also recovering from injuries and will start on the bench against Cuba, but could see minutes depending on the game situation, said Martino in Friday's news conference.

The news underscores a tough last couple of months, which have been punctuated by a long list of absentees in the Gold Cup squad, including Javier Hernandez, Jesus "Tecatito" Corona, Miguel Layun, Hirving Lozano, Hector Herrera and Carlos Vela.

But Martino isn't lamenting those not in the squad, with El Tri showing some positive form in pre-Gold Cup friendly wins over Venezuela and Ecuador.

"I'm very happy with the players that we have at the Gold Cup," said Martino.

- CONCACAF Gold Cup: All you need to know
- Full Gold Cup fixtures schedule

The Mexico coach admitted his disappointment that his team won't be competing in next year's Copa America -- with Australia and Qatar the invited guests -- and if it was up to him, Mexico would be there.

"I can recommend [tougher] competition, like you [the press] can and the directors as well," said Martino. "[Participation] doesn't depend on my side, if it was up to me we would be playing Copa America and Mexican clubs would be in the Copa Libertadores."

Martino said he expects Mexico to dominate the ball against a Cuba team ranked 175th in the world by FIFA and wants his side to remain intense for the 90 minutes.

Cuba will be without its captain Jordan Santa Cruz, who was denied a visa in the U.S. embassy in the Dominican Republic.

Mexico takes the field at 10 p.m. ET, following the opening match at the Rose Bowl between Canada and Martinique, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET.