Americans Abroad Five: Injury bug strikes at worst possible time

With a month until the World Cup kicks off, this was not the week that U.S. men's national team fans would have hoped for.

No less than four Americans Abroad went down with injuries during the past week. There is nothing severe among the group but it appears that at best, the players will enter the World Cup with a shortage of recent minutes.

But for one player at least, their World Cup dream looks like it's already over.

This week's Five will take a look at an unexpected late injury crisis for the USMNT.

Johnny Cardoso's World Cup dream likely over

We'll kick off with Johnny Cardoso – not because he is the most important player injured this week, but because he seems the most likely to miss the World Cup.

The Atlético Madrid midfieldersuffered a "high-grade" right ankle sprainduring training this week, which could spell the end of his hopes for Mauricio Pochettino's squad. Atléticoannouncedon Monday that Cardoso will undergo surgery.

Even low-grade sprains can sideline players for multiple weeks and for someone like Cardoso, who would have been on the roster bubble even if healthy, a high-grade sprain and surgery is probably too much to recover from.

Cardoso has been a hugely frustrating player from a USMNT perspective. At the club level the 24-year-old has been one of the standout holding midfielders in La Liga, but for the U.S. he's been injury-prone and inconsistent. His World Cup dream might now have to wait until 2030.

Christian Pulisic's year goes from bad to worse

Plenty has gone wrong for Christian Pulisic in the past few months, but he had at least managed to stay relatively healthy amid a huge dip in form.

But that is no longer the case afterPulisic was forced to missAC Milan's 3-2 defeat to Atalanta on Sunday with a glute muscle injury. Milan is suffering a late-season tailspin that has seen the club go from title contender to desperately trying to hold onto a top-four spot.

The early word on the injury is that it isn't severe, but any fitness issue this close to the World Cup is a concern for a player who will likely have to regain form if the U.S. wants to make a run this summer.

Pulisic's drought is becoming an increasingly big story: no USMNT goals since 2024 and none for AC Milan since 2025. Those two droughts are now more likely to be in effect when the World Cup kicks off.

Tim Weah misses Marseille match

Tim Weah has had a solid season at Marseille, starting the bulk of his side's games while toggling between a defensive and attacking role on the wing.

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Weah was forced to miss Marseille's 1-0 win over Le Havre on Sunday with a muscle injury, which was unfortunately timed during a campaign in which the 26-year-old has mostly stayed healthy.

Thankfully,per L'Equipe, the injury isn't serious and Marseille is hopeful Weah will be fit for Marseille's season finale on Sunday, May 17.

Weah's spot in the USMNT picture has never been in doubt, though he is on the bubble when it comes to a starting role. Should he be healthy, Weah's pace and versatility will be crucial for the U.S. come this summer.

Tanner Tessmann out for the season

Like Weah, Tanner Tessmann is on the right side of the World Cup roster bubble after a strong campaign in France.

And also like Weah, Tessmann is dealing with a muscle injury at the worst possible time.

The Lyon midfielder's injury appears to be worse than Weah's, as he's already beenruled out for the rest of the regular season.Multiple reports have indicated, however, that Tessmann should be fit in time for the World Cup.

Still, for a player who isn't guaranteed a consistent role at the tournament, suffering any kind of injury now is far from ideal.

Gio Reyna is on the board

We couldn't let the Five conclude without at leastsomegood news, which we found this weekend in Germany.

Gio Reyna would not have hoped that his first goal for Borussia Mönchengladbach wouldn't come until May, but the USMNT midfielder avoided being completely shut out this season by scoring a late consolation in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Augsburg.

It's been yet another frustrating season for the 23-year-old, who has once again failed to stay fit and earn a consistent role with his club.

But Reyna has at least been trending slightly upward of late, earning four consecutive appearances off the bench after failing to see the pitch in five of six league matches.

Reyna's 32-minute outing on Saturday was his longest of 2026. It's modest progress but for a player right on the World Cup roster bubble, any kind of forward momentum could make the difference.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Americans Abroad: USMNT players hit by injury bug

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Americans Abroad Five: Injury bug strikes at worst possible time

With a month until the World Cup kicks off, this was not the week that U.S. men's national team fans would have hoped for. No ...

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Jaylen Brown says Celtics fan support led to Brad Stevens putting him back in the starting lineup over Gordon Hayward

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Daniel Donabedian:Jaylen Brown said he used fan support years ago to start again despite the fact that Brad Stevens preferred Gordon Hayward:“Once you get the people talking about it, the front office is going to start making decisions.”Celticsfans even started a petition: “That eventually made the Celtics put me back into the starting lineup.”

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype:Jaylen Brown says Celtics fan support led to Brad Stevens putting him back in the starting lineup over Gordon Hayward

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Jaylen Brown says Celtics fan support led to Brad Stevens putting him back in the starting lineup over Gordon Hayward

Advertisement Daniel Donabedian:Jaylen Brown said he used fan support years ago to start again despite the fact that Brad Stevens...

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What prediction markets say about AOC's possible presidential run

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of the main namesbeing thrown around for a possible Democratic nominee in the next presidential race.

And in an interview this past weekend, she said her ambition was to "change this country" — only strengthening the speculation for a White House bid.

Here's what the congresswoman said, and what prediction markets are currently thinking about who could be the next Democratic nominee in the 2028 election.

Kalshi, Polymarket odds on Democratic nominee

While no major candidate has officially announced a 2028 bid, people are already placing odds on big names, Ocasio-Cortez included.

Kalshi and Polymarket are prediction-market platforms that allow users to buy shares predicting real-life events, and the odds (and price) change as traders bet.

On Polymarket, the likelihood of AOC being the Democratic presidential nominee was 8.6%, according toPolymarket odds, per live bets as of Wednesday, May 13. The market on AOC had a trading volume of over $12.8 million.

In total, the prediction market had a trading volume of over $1.1 billion. Gov. Gavin Newsom remained the frontrunner amongst market players at 24%.

Polymarket odds place former Vice PresidentKamala Harrisat 9%.

On Kalshi, Newsom still leads the pack with 25% predicting his nomination. But AOC comes second in odds, at 10%. Harris follows closely behind at 9.8%, according toKalshi prediction odds. In total, the prediction market had a trading volume of $105 million.

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Odds can fluctuate quickly as users trade in or out of the market.

What AOC has said about running for president

The progressive joined Democratic strategist David Axelrod for an interviewthis past week, who asked her flat-out if she was considering a presidential or Senate run. In response, she said her "ambition is to change this country."

"They assume that my ambition is a title or a seat," Ocasio-Cortez said. "And my ambition is way bigger than that. My ambition is to change this country."

The crowd erupted in cheers after her response.

"Presidents come and go. Senate, House seats, elected officials come and go," she said. "But single-payer healthcare is forever, a living wage is forever, workers' rights are forever, women's rights, all of that."

This is not the first time she has had to answer about her own political ambitions. In February, AOC was asked a similar question during a panel, the interviewer saying: “So, when you run for president, are you going to impose a wealth tax or a billionaire’s tax?”

Instead of answering flat-out, the congresswoman said that Americans “don’t have to wait for any one president to impose a wealth tax.”

“I think that it needs to be done expeditiously."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What prediction markets say about AOC's possible presidential run

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What prediction markets say about AOC's possible presidential run

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of the main namesbeing thrown around for a possible Democratic nominee in the next presidential ra...

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Air NZ warns of biggest loss in 4 years as Middle East war drives up fuel costs

May 14 (Reuters) - Air New Zealand on Thursday forecast its biggest annual pre-tax loss in four years, as the long-drawn ‌Middle East conflict drives up jet fuel prices, inflating its ‌expenses and adding to pressure from weak demand and fleet constraints.

The country's flag carrier ​forecast its annual pre-tax loss of between NZ$340 million and NZ$390 million ($201.62 million-$231.27 million), assuming average jet fuel price of $145 per barrel in the second-half. It had posted a profit of NZ$189 million last year.

The ‌U.S.-Israeli war against Iran ⁠has severely disrupted energy supply, sending crude prices soaring. That has caused the prices of jet fuel, derived ⁠from crude, to spike to $150-$200 per barrel, adding to the strain on airlines for which fuel accounts for up to a quarter of operating ​expenses.

Air New ​Zealand expects to consume about 4.1 ​million barrels in January to ‌June period, taking its fuel bill to NZ$980 million in the second-half of the financial year, 32% higher than predicted in February.

That will rack up its annual bill to NZ$1.75 billion, compared with NZ$1.48 billion incurred in 2025.

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"The scale and speed of recent movements in ‌jet fuel prices and refining margins have ​created a material external shock for the ​global aviation sector," the ​carrier said.

"If fuel prices stay at these elevated levels, ‌the airline expects to announce further ​capacity updates in ​the coming weeks."

Air New Zealand has already reduced its overall group capacity thrice across its network, and implemented fare increases. However, ​a recent slowdown ‌in booking momentum and soft domestic and trans-Tasman demand continue ​to weigh.

($1 = 1.6863 New Zealand dollars)

(Reporting by Nikita Maria Jino ​in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)

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Air NZ warns of biggest loss in 4 years as Middle East war drives up fuel costs

May 14 (Reuters) - Air New Zealand on Thursday forecast its biggest annual pre-tax loss in four years, as the long-drawn ‌Middle East c...

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Trump says no need for China's help on Iran as shippers seek way through Hormuz

By Nandita Bose and Jana Choukeir

WASHINGTON/DUBAI, May 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has said he does not expect to need China's help to end the war in Iran and ease Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, in remarks made before he arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a summit with President Xi ‌Jinping.

The war is expected to feature in talks between Trump and Xi over the next two days, but Trump downplayed Beijing's potential role in ending the conflict, which has ‌choked off traffic through a key waterway that typically carries about one-fifth of the world's oil supply.

"I don't think we need any help with Iran. We'll win it one way or the other, peacefully or otherwise," he told reporters in ​Washington before departing for China.

Iran has appeared to firm up its control over the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, cutting deals with Iraq and Pakistan to ship oil and liquefied natural gas from the region, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

Iranian officials have signalled they see that control as a long-term strategic goal. An army spokesperson said supervision of the waterway could generate revenue amounting to twice Iran's oil income, while strengthening its foreign policy leverage.

"After this war ends, there will be no place for retreat," the spokesperson said, according to comments carried by ISNA news agency.

More than one month after ‌a tenuous ceasefire took effect, U.S. and Iranian demands to end ⁠the war remain far apart.

Washington has called for Tehran to scrap its nuclear programme and lift its hold on the strait, while Iran has demanded compensation for war damage, an end to the U.S. blockade and a halt to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon, where Israel is battling Iran-backed ⁠Hezbollah. Trump has dismissed those positions as "garbage."

CHINESE SUPERTANKER CROSSES STRAIT

The Trump administration said on Tuesday that senior U.S. and Chinese officials had agreed last month that no country should be able to charge tolls on traffic through the region, in an effort to project consensus on the issue ahead of the summit.

China, a major buyer of Iranian oil that maintains close ties with Tehran, did not dispute that account.

On Wednesday, a Chinese ​supertanker ​carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, ship-tracking data showed, marking the ​third known passage by a Chinese oil tanker through the channel since the ‌U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28.

Other countries are exploring shipping arrangements similar to Tehran's deals with Iraq and Pakistan, sources said, potentially entrenching Tehran's control of the waterway through which fertilisers, petrochemicals and other bulk commodities vital to global supply chains normally flow.

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PRICE OF WAR

As the costs of the conflict mount, Trump said Americans' financial struggles were not a factor in his decision-making on the war.

Data released on Tuesday showed that U.S. consumer inflation accelerated in April, with the annual rate posting its largest gain in three years as food, rent and airfares rose.

Asked to what extent the economic strain on Americans was motivating him to strike a deal, Trump replied: "Not even a little bit."

"I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation ...," Trump said before leaving for China. "I think ‌about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon."

The remarks are likely to draw scrutiny as ​cost-of-living concerns remain a top issue for voters ahead of November's midterm elections.

WAR HITS OIL SUPPLIES

The conflict is weighing heavily ​on global energy markets. Global oil supply will fall by around 3.9 million barrels ​per day across 2026 and undershoot demand due to disruptions caused by the Iran war, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday, with more than 1 ‌billion barrels of Middle East supply already lost.

Brent crude futures were steady ​at around $108 per barrel, after a three-day rally driven ​by the Hormuz deadlock.

Surveys show the war is unpopular with U.S. voters less than six months before nationwide elections. Two out of three Americans, including one in three Republicans and almost all Democrats, think Trump has not clearly explained why the country has gone to war, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

ISRAEL CONTINUES TO STRIKE LEBANON

Iran has demanded security guarantees ​for Lebanon as part of its proposal to end the wider war, ‌but despite a U.S.-mediated ceasefire announced last month, Israel has continued to strike Hezbollah.

On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes on cars in Lebanon killed 12 people, including two children, ​according to Lebanon's health ministry.

Some of the strikes targeted vehicles well beyond the main theatre of conflict in the south, on the coastal highway south of Beirut, security ​sources said.

(Reporting by Reuters Newsrooms; Writing by Ros Russell; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Keith Weir)

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Trump says no need for China's help on Iran as shippers seek way through Hormuz

By Nandita Bose and Jana Choukeir WASHINGTON/DUBAI, May 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has said he does not expect to...

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