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Cherundolo, Pearce, Moreno, Payne elected to US Soccer Hall

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — American national team defenders Steve Cherundolo and Christie Pearce have been elected to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame along with Bolivian forward Jaime Moreno and former D.C. United general manager Kevin Payne.

The four will be inducted Oct. 2 at the hall along with former U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra and Colin Jose Media Award winner Andrés Cantor, whose ceremonies were delayed from last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cherundolo and Pearce were elected by the player selection committee, Moreno by the veteran committee and Payne by the builder committee, the Hall said Wednesday.

Cherunodolo, 42, made 87 international appearances and was on the U.S. roster for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. He played 15 seasons for Hannover and is coach of second-tier Las Vegas.

Pearce, 45, was known as Christie Rampone early in her career, made 311 international appearances from 1997-2015 and played in five World Cups. She played for Central Jersey (1997), Buffalo (1998), New Jersey (1998), 2001-03), Sky Blue (2009-10, 2013-17) and magicJack (2011).

Moreno, 47, scored nine goals in 75 appearances for Bolivia from 1991-2008 and played for Independiente (1994), Middlesbrough (1994-96, 1997-98), and D.C. United (1996-2002, 2004-10) and New York-New Jersey (2003-04).

Payne, 68, was president and general manager of D.C. United from 1994-2001 and president and CEO from 2004-12, then president and general manager of Toronto from 2012-13. D.C. won four MLS titles and two U.S. Open Cups during his tenure. Payne was elected on the builder ballot.

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Washington’s ‘joints for jabs’ vaccine program falling flat

SEATTLE (AP) — It was designed as an innovative way to promote COVID-19 vaccinations, but Washington’s new “joints for jabs” program is off to a rough start.

Officials announced Monday that the state’s nearly 500 licensed marijuana retailers could begin hosting vaccine clinics and offering a single, free pre-rolled marijuana cigarette to any 21-plus adult who received a shot there.

It’s one of many vaccine incentives being offered in Washington, including free pints of beer, sports tickets and prize money to lure those who have been hesitant or just lazy. Washington and Colorado in 2012 were the first states to legalize the adult use of marijuana, with regulated sales beginning in 2014. The industry brought Washington close to $474 million in taxes in the last fiscal year.

But few things are simple in an industry that’s illegal under federal law, and the hurdles to offering the free joints are substantial enough that few of the state’s legal pot shops are saying they will participate, even if they would like to do so.

Retailers told the state Liquor and Cannabis Board during a meeting Wednesday that many don’t have the space to host a vaccine clinic. Some health care providers are queasy about setting up a clinic on the site of a marijuana business because they don’t want to jeopardize federal funding by being involved in the distribution of an illegal drug. And the program is set to expire July 12 — too soon for them to offer a second shot to customers who might show up for a first shot in mid- to late June.

The retailers also ruefully noted that the Liquor and Cannabis Board allowed breweries, wineries and bars to offer a free drink to customers who merely showed proof of vaccination — no onsite clinic required.

“We’re hearing from retailers that they want to be a part of this,” said Aaron Pickus, a spokesman for the Washington CannaBusiness Association, an industry group. “Why can’t we do this like the wineries and breweries did it?”

Board chair David Postman told them it was a member of the business group who late last month suggested the program, which he and Gov. Jay Inslee’s office thought was a great idea.

While a marijuana retailer in Arizona offered free vaccines along with complimentary joints or edibles early this month, no other state appears to have a similar “joints for jabs” program. “We are out ahead on this,” Postman said.

The requirement that the pot shops hold onsite vaccination clinics was partly motivated by the fact that people aren’t allowed to consume cannabis at licensed retailers, unlike alcohol at a brewery or winery, he said — suggesting that people who showed their vaccine cards at multiple pot shops could wind up with a lot of free joints that might be given to youngsters.

He also said that the board gave the marijuana stores an advantage it didn’t give to alcohol purveyors: a tax break on the product they give away.

“I guess I just beg for a little understanding,” Postman said. “If it’s not the right thing, then that’ll be too bad, because I think we all need to get as many people vaccinated as possible.”

Daniela Bernhard, the co-owner of Uncle Ike’s cannabis store in Seattle, told the board the industry is excited to be included in efforts to boost vaccination, but “disappointed that our legal and heavily regulated sector continues to be treated differently than our peer sectors in Washington.”

“If we are trusting adults driving with their vaccination cards to get a pint of beer and then responsibly get to their next destination, we can also trust that adults will pick up a joint and enjoy it later in a legal setting,” Bernhard said.

Bernhard said Uncle Ike’s effort to host a vaccine clinic had been rejected by two health care providers, though she declined to identify them.

One public health agency, the Spokane Regional Health District, had not yet been approached by any licensed marijuana shops about setting up a vaccine clinic — but it had an answer ready.

“We would not be able to provide vaccine because of concerns about federal funding,” spokeswoman Kelli Hawkins said.

Prince Harry spreads news about Invictus Games in Germany

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prince Harry took a break from paternity leave to announce the return of his Invictus Games, which supports the rehab and recovery of wounded veterans.

The Duke of Sussex announced in an Instagram post Wednesday that the Invictus Games will take place in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 2023. The event — started by Harry in 2014 — is an athletic competition for wounded, sick, and injured veterans and armed forces members.

“It’s time to spread the news,” he said. “Something big is coming to Germany.”

Harry and his wife, Meghan, welcomed their second child, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, last week in California. The couple had their first child, Archie Harrison, in 2019.

After Harry’s brief message, the video showed footage of a man running through the streets before entering a stadium in Düsseldorf before flashing the dates Sept. 9-16.

Harry is bringing the Invictus Games back after he had to cancel the event in 2020 and this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Invictus Games will return in the Hague, Netherlands, from April 16-22 in 2022, before it heads to Germany the following year.

Curtain rises on the Tribeca Festival, and on New York, too

NEW YORK (AP) — The 20th Tribeca Festival is aiming to not just rebuild itself after its 2020 edition was largely scuttled by the pandemic, but to help revitalize its hometown.

This year’s Tribeca, which opened Wednesday with Jon M. Chu’s adaption of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical “In the Heights,” will be spread throughout all five boroughs of New York with a mix of in-person and virtual screenings, ultimately culminating in a full-capacity premiere at a newly reopened Radio City Music Hall. For a festival founded in the wake of 9/11, coaxing New York back to life is a familiar role.

“Our founding mission felt more poignant, more important than ever,” Jane Rosenthal, who started the festival with Robert De Niro, said in a recent interview. “That original mission of the festival was to use the power of film and storytelling not just to entertain but to rebuild our city — emotionally more than anything else.”

Tribeca, which this year is being held two months later than usual, will be one of the biggest film festivals yet this year to go forward with a mostly in-person event. But instead of the usual theaters that are home to the festival, its primary venues this year will be outdoor screenings dispersed around the city. There’s still a virtual component to the festival but the emphasis will be the energy generated by perhaps the largest cultural event held in New York in more than a year.

“Eighteen months ago, we all had to isolate,” says Rosenthal. “Now that we’re coming out of it, I talk to so many people who are in some ways struggling to come out. It’s been interesting the emotional toll this has taken on so many of us, not to mention the families that lost loved ones and all the front-line workers.”

Tribeca is part of a wider effort to restore New York’s cultural life. Rosenthal has helped lead Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s “NY PopsUp” program, a series of free pop-up performances running through Labor Day. In just the past week, Bruce Springsteen said that he’ll reopen his Broadway show later this month. A massive summer concert in Central Park was announced. And on June 20, the Foo Fighters will reopen Madison Square Garden to concerts after a 15-month shutdown.

But Tribeca, which includes 56 world premieres and programming across television, videogames, podcasts and virtual reality, had to start planning its 2021 incarnation — its 20th year — last August. Permits needed to be filed. Selections needed to be made. Organizers had to try to guess how health restrictions and vaccinations would evolve as they put the festival together. The rules of the road, as Rosenthal says, kept changing. Ultimately, they gambled that an in-person festival would be possible.

“We said the only way to be sure that our festival is happening is to pursue everything in parallel — to look at outdoor screenings, to look at indoor screenings and to look at a virtual platform,” says Cara Cusumano, festival director. “Then as we keep getting closer, we’ll understand which of these we need to turn the volume up and down on. The outdoor screenings ended up being the centerpiece.”

Films will have fewer showings than normal. Seats will be distanced from one another. But premieres will be rain-or-shine. On Wednesday, Morgan Neville, director of the anticipated “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain,” was relieved to see that the forecast had brightened for Friday, the day his film debuts.

Fewer seats mean the Tribeca Festival, which has dropped the “film” from its name this year because of its multimedia program, will hope to sell more virtual tickets, as well as all-access passes starting at $999. That includes anniversary screenings of “Fargo,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “The Five Heartbeats” and Charlie Chaplin’s “The Kid.” Steven Soderbergh’s “No Sudden Move” will premiere as the festival’s centerpiece, playing outdoors in the Battery. Tribeca will also feature programming timed to Juneteenth, and hand an award to Georgia political powerhouse Stacey Abrams.

But the festival is bookended by two marquee events. “In the Heights,” one of the summer’s most anticipated movies, premiered Wednesday at the United Palace in Washington Heights, as well as in the other boroughs. Though the film has already bowed in Los Angeles and opens imminently in theaters Friday, its arrival in its namesake neighborhood was a special occasion.

“It’s going to be quite another thing to see it on 175th St.,” Miranda said ahead of the premiere. “There are community screenings the next day. I plan to be at those, too, because I want to soak up every bit of it. The whole show is a love letter to this neighborhood and all I want is for them to feel proud.”

Running through June 20, Tribeca will conclude with an untitled Dave Chappelle documentary by Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, makers of the Oscar-winning “American Factory.” It will be the first time Radio City Music Hall opens its doors since the pandemic began. The historic Art Deco hall in midtown will be filled to capacity with vaccinated attendees, and without masks required.

It’s possible that in the 12 days of the festival, New York will grow a little more comfortable gathering again — that just between opening night and closing night, the city will be a bit brighter and little livelier.

“There’s a little bit of a come-on-this-adventure with us,” says Cusumano. “We can’t control the weather. We hope that everyone has that spirit of excitement that we went into it with: This is just exciting that this is happening and that there are movies again.”

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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

US routs Costa Rica 4-0 to finish 4-game, 11-day stretch

SANDY, Utah (AP) — The United States finished a grueling stretch of four games in 11 days over 5,400 miles that resulted in three wins, including the CONCACAF Nations League trophy. Twenty-four players saw action, and eight scored.

Prep time for the Europe-based players is over. Next up is the start of World Cup qualifying in September.

“The depth of this team will really come in handy,” Brenden Aaronson said after scoring in the eighth minute Wednesday night to start a 4-0 exhibition rout of Costa Rica. “I think it’s it’s going really well so far. And I think we showed that today.”

Daryl Dike and Reggie Cannon added their first international goals and Gio Reyna converted a penalty kick in the 77th, three minutes after entering.

U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter changed nine starters from the lineup he used to beat Mexico 3-2 in extra time on Sunday to win the first CONCACAF Nations League.

Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Josh Sargent didn’t play at all.

Defender Mark McKenzie, the target of racial abuse on the Internet after a poor first half Sunday, was the only player to start for the fourth straight game and had a stronger effort.

“I came of out of the Mexico game being extremely proud of Mark and the way he handled himself,” Berhalter said. “He didn’t need to play another minute today and I still would have been proud of him.”

This schedule was designed to mimic pandemic-delated World Cup qualifying, where the U.S. opens with three matches from Sept. 2-8, a window FIFA designed for two.

“What I realized is that it’s going to take a group to get this done. It’s not going to take 11 starters,” Berhalter said. “We think we have a young, talented group. And to gain that CONCACAF experience was massive. And when we turn around and we go into World Cup qualifying, we’ll have a good idea of what that’s going to be like and what the three-game rhythm’s going to be like.”

Reyna was the only multiple goal scorer over the four games, which began with a 2-1 friendly loss at Switzerland on May 30 and was followed by last Thursday’s 1-0 win over Honduras in the Nations League semifinal. Pulisic, McKennie, Jordan Siebatcheu and Sebastian Lletget also scored.

“I think there’s guys that will be able to go three games and 90 minutes, but it’s not going to be many, especially given the way we want to play and the way we want to press,” Berhalter said.

Europe-based players will go on brief vacations and then skip next month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup to report for preseason ahead of 2021-22 club seasons.

The 20th-ranked U.S. improved 11-1-1 in its last 13 matches and won its 10th consecutive game against a regional opponent since a 2019 Nations League loss to Canada, matching the American high set in 2013. The U.S. beat its top three regional rivals within a week.

Ethan Horvath was rarely tested and got the shutout on his 26th birthday after taking over when Zack Steffen sustained a bone bruise in his left knee during the second half on Sunday.

The 50th-ranked Ticos are winless in 11 games since 2019, with six losses and five draws that included a pair of penalty-kicks defeats.

The U.S. team, wearing rainbow numbers on white jerseys for LGBTQ Pride month, dominated and went ahead after Lletget passed to Antonee Robinson on the left flank, and he crossed for Dike. Francisco Calvo knocked the ball away, but it bounced into the path of Aaronson, whose right-footed shot from 8 yards beat goalkeeper Leonel Moreira for his third goal in seven international appearances.

Dike, six days past his 21st birthday and making his third international appearance, scored in the 42nd minute. McKenzie fed a through pass from just short of the midfield stripe, and Dike ran onto the ball and scored from 14 yards.

A crowd of 19,007 was unusual for Dike, who has played most of his pro career in empty stadiums or in front of limited crowds.

“It was incredible to have fans,” Dike said. “It’s something that you’ve always kind of looked forward to as a young kid to be able to play in front of thousands and thousands of fans.”

Cannon picked up an errant sideways clearance attempt by Yeltsin Tejeda in the 52nd minute, dribbled in, cut around Joseph Mora and scored with a left-footed shot from 14 yards.

Reyna was awarded the penalty when he was knocked over by Keysher Fuller. The 18-year-old, a son of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna, became the youngest American to convert a penalty kick with his fourth international goal.

Notes: Siebatcheu entered in the 74th minute and appeared to hurt his right knee in an aerial challenge, forcing the U.S. to finish a man short.

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