The World Cup has been bringing the heat this summer! Lionel Messi has helped power Argentina past two close calls, Erling Haaland has lit the pitch on fire with furious scoring displays and England dueled Mexico to a fireworks-filled 3-2 win.

While the U.S. might be out of the tournament, we’re here to help make sure you don’t feel left out from all the international soccer thrills. Enter today for your chance to win a pair of tickets to see two of the top women’s soccer teams in the world compete at Toyota Field when Liga MX Femenil’s Club América collides with Tigres UANL on July 26th!

PLAY BALL

• We’re just a few short weeks away from the Texas Collegiate League playoffs! See the San Antonio River Monsters take over Sullivan Field again this week across several key matchups against the likes of Lake Charles, Victoria and Abilene.

• The Gunslingers blast into their penultimate home game this Saturday as they look to make the Orlando Pirates walk the plank!

• Swing by Sideliners Grill this Saturday for the Corona Competitive 4's Volleyball Tournament. Score Corona samples, win giveaways and enjoy some summer volleyball competition!

• Fists and Glory Pro Team Boxing brings a night of fiery fisticuffs to Tech Port at the Boeing Center on Saturday for San Antonio versus Austin 2.

• Enjoy some relaxed beach vibes in the stands while San Antonio FC dukes it out with Chattanooga on the pitch during a Margaritaville Night USL Cup matchup at the Toyota Center this Saturday!

ASTROS & RANGERS MIDSEASON REPORT

The MLB All-Star break is next week! Before the stars of the game head out on the diamond, catch up on all things Astros and Rangers right here with our midseason report!

As the Rangers and Astros continue to fight for the AL West pennant, we break down some of the biggest stats and stories from the first half of the season for each team. Plus, we’ll even spotlight some of the standout series you’re not going to want to miss when the regular season rolls on after the All-Star break. It’s your go-to midseason guide to Texas baseball!

THIS WEEK

LOCALS ONLY

• San Antonio Sports Highlight of the Week: The Spurs recently received permission to play an extra home game outside of the Frost Bank Center during the next two seasons, bumping the overall total permitted up to four. According to the San Antonio Report, the Spurs have not commented on where the moved home game will be played, but the team does already have games against the Pelicans in Paris and Manchester, England on the books for next season. One of those remaining two games could even end up taking place in Austin based on comments from Precinct 2 Commissioner Justin Rodriguez.

• College Sports Report: KSAT recently spotlighted a more under-the-radar sport earning international recognition for San Antonio-area students, artistic swimming. UIW’s artistic swimming team has been able to send many of their athletes to international competitions where they’ve been able to represent their countries. See the full report on this accomplished program here!

• The Sports Story You Need to See: An MLB record that’s stood strong for well over 100 years was matched on Tuesday night. AP News reports that Kansas City Royals outfielder Tyler Tolbert racked up hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances during his team’s 16-12 win over the Mets, tying an MLB record that was set by Johnny Kling in 1902 and later matched by the Tigers’ Walt Dropo in 1952. In the process, he also became the first player with consecutive five-hit games since Roberto Clemente in 1970. Needless to say, Tolbert’s bat has already been sent off to Cooperstown.

• What We’re Watching: The World Cup quarterfinals are stacked with must-see matchups! The round starts with France versus Morocco today and Spain versus Belgium on Friday, with the winners moving to the last Texas-based World Cup game at AT&T Stadium on Tuesday. Saturday features a battle between premier strikers when Erling Haaland and Norway face Harry Kane and England. An Argentina team that’s seen its fair share of memorable battles this tournament will face Switzerland as well. Check out this story by The Athletic to see when all the action starts as well as receive an update on the fierce Golden Boot race.

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