The final insult: Women compete with Copa America, CONCACAF

Megan Rapinoe considers Sunday to be the final insult.

Just a few hours after the United States and the Netherlands meet in the Women's World Cup final in France, Brazil or Peru will celebrate winning the Copa America, South America's men's championship. And then at night, the United States or Mexico will win the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the men's title of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

A TV triple of championships for some is yet another slight for others.

United States' Megan Rapinoe warms up before the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP PhotoFrancisco Seco)

"It's ridiculous, and disappointing, to be honest," said Rapinoe, the star American midfielder.

FIFA said playing the three finals on the same day would boost attention for all

"The scheduling of the different events has gone through a comprehensive consultancy process, which has involved all key stakeholders and taken into account different aspects of the women's and men's international match calendars," the governing body said in a statement. "It is a rare and exciting occurrence."

United States' Alex Morgan, left, scores her side's second goal during the Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and the United States, at the Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. (AP PhotoLaurent Cipriani)

CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani told The New York Times, however, the decision to schedule the Gold Cup final for Sunday was not deliberate and was due to a "clerical error."

"It's terrible," said former American midfielder Aly Wagner, now Fox's lead World Cup match analyst. "It is so disturbing to me that the Women's World Cup does not have its own day to stand on its own and have a final to highlight these tremendous athletes and their work and their accomplishment. They wouldn't dream of doing it to the men. Why would they do it to the women?"

FIFA announced the Women's World Cup dates at the emblem launch on Sept. 18, 2017 , then revealed the full schedule the following Feb. 9 .

Netherlands players celebrate after defeating Sweden 1-0 to win their Women's World Cup semifinal soccer match at Stade de Lyon outside Lyon, France, Wednesday, July 3, 2019. (AP PhotoAlessandra Tarantino)

CONCACAF did not announce the expansion of the Gold Cup from 12 teams to 16 until Feb. 26, 2018 , then said last Sept. 27 that the final would be held at Chicago's Soldier Field on July 7 . South America's governing body made the Copa America dates known since at least early 2018 and said last Dec. 18 the final would kick off at 4 p.m. EDT.

The Women's World Cup final will start at 11 a.m. EDT on Fox, followed by the Copa America final at 4 p.m. EDT on ESPN+ and the CONCACAF final at 9:15 p.m. EDT on FS1. Telemundo, a sister network of NBC, has Women's World Cup and Copa America Spanish-language U.S. rights, while Univision has the Gold Cup.

"I really am a believer in the rising tide lifts all ships," said David Neal, executive producer of Fox's World Cup coverage. "Because of the timing of them, it's probably not going to hurt anybody."

Advertisers don't seem to think the three finals will cannibalize each other.

"It doesn't alter in any way shape or form what we plan to do. I'm not sure whether it'll splinter viewership or not," said Chris Curtin, chief brand and innovation marketing officer of Visa, one of six FIFA partners.

Advertisers focus on their product's marketing and activation and pretty much ignore the other tournaments.

"The priority for Coca-Cola is the FIFA Women's World Cup and we're going to do everything we can to bring a lot of attention, a lot people in front of TVs, to watch the game, to watch the final," said Ricardo Fort, head of global sponsorships at The Coca-Cola Co., another FIFA partner. "Too bad for the other finals. I'm pretty sure the Women's World Cup final is going to be a big global event again."

For the U.S. women's team, vocal advocates for gender equity, the three finals are just another in a long parade of putdowns that include lower prize money and arrangements inferior to those provided for the men.

"I don't really understand why there's such a resistance against going all-in on women," Rapinoe said. "I think it's pretty clear women in sport have not been treated with the same care and financing and all of that that men's sports has."

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NEW YORK (AP) — Ryan Weathers was steamed when he found out he was joining the New York Yankees.

“I had had just finished up my bullpen and I get back to the house — I have like a little travel sauna,” he recalled Thursday. “I literally probably had sat on my couch for about two seconds and I got a phone call from Peter Bendix that I had been traded.”

Bendix, Miami's president of baseball operations, sent the 26-year-old left-hander to New York for four prospects on Tuesday: outfielders Brendan Jones and Dillon Lewis, and infielders Dylan Jasso and Juan Matheus.

Weathers is the son of David Weathers, a pitcher who helped the Yankees win the 1996 World Series after he was acquired from the Marlins at the trade deadline.

“We’ve kind of had a weird, similar paths as to how we got to New York,” Ryan Weathers said.

When Ryan makes his Yankees debut, they will become the fifth father-son duo for the pinstripes, joining Yogi and Dale Berra, Clay and Cody Bellinger, Mark Leiter and Mark Leiter Jr., and Ron Davis and Ike Davis.

Ryan said he was in shock when he spoke with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone.

“I just couldn’t believe that the New York Yankees were a team that I could ever have a chance to play for," he said.

New York’s rotation at the season's start projects to also include Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Luis Gil while Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón rehab from injuries.

Weathers, 26, was 2-2 with a 3.99 ERA in eight starts last year in his second straight injury-shortened season. He missed time with a strained left flexor, made his season debut on May 14, then didn’t pitch for Miami between June 7 and Sept. 11 because of a left lat strain.

He was 5-6 with a 3.63 ERA over 16 starts in 2024, when he was sidelined by a strained left index finger.

“This is the best I’ve probably felt in a year-and-a-half,” Weathers said. “I really did a dive and worked with company on figuring out how to lengthen my lat out, lengthen my back out. We really adjusted a lot of my lifting patterns. We really adjusted my mobility and my prep work, and I think my arm is reaping the benefits right now.”

Ryan grew up in big league clubhouses and remembered the Cincinnati Reds' room with Ken Griffey Jr. and Joey Votto. He played pickle with Dusty Baker, Ramón Hernández, Eric Milton and Juan Castro.

“There’s been a lot of hours put in the Cincinnati Reds' batting cages,” Weathers said. “I just remember Pops taking me to the field every day. I know when his arm was hurting, he’d still throw me BP.”

Ryan was the seventh overall pick by San Diego in the 2008 amateur draft. His dad's knowledge helped him during tough times.

“When I first started going through it and getting adversity and getting traded, he really helped me along those lines of figuring out: This is what you do with your new team. This was what you do in your day-to-day,” Ryan said. “So I’ve been doing mechanics since I was age 10.”

He has remained close with pitcher Aaron Harang, a teammate of his father who last played in 2015.

“He still texts me all the time,” Weathers said. “When I was younger, I didn’t really care about pitching. I just wanted to hit bombs in the outfield, so I didn’t really think about it.”

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FILE - Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sept. 24, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson, File)