Jordon Hudson, the girlfriend of North Carolina Tar Heels football coach Bill Belichick, fired back at critics on Monday with a post about her cheerleading team’s success.

Hudson’s team, Cheer Extreme Raleigh, took home a grand national championship and appears set for the world championships. She shared photos of herself with her teammates and a video of the team performing one of their routines.

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“#GOLDDIGGER GOT #PAID,” she captioned the carousel.

She joined Code Black in 2025 as Belichick was about to end his first season as the Tar Heels’ head coach. She also competed in Miss Maine USA pageants in 2024 and 2025, but fell short of receiving the crown.

Hudson previously attempted to trademark “gold digger” to poke fun at critics of her relationship with Belichick, who will turn 73 next month. TCE Rights Management filed the trademark for the term “Gold Digger,” with the goods and services being labeled as “jewelry” and “keychains.” Belichick owns the business and Hudson manages it.

Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Jordon Hudson look on prior to the game against the Richmond Spiders at Kenan Memorial Stadium on Sept. 13, 2025, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Lance King/Getty Images)

UNC GM MICHAEL LOMBARDI CLAIMS ‘FAKE STORIES’ HELPED UNDERMINE BILL BELICHICK’S DEBUT SEASON

She had been in the crosshairs of media criticism since she shut down an interview question with a CBS host over how the two started dating and has been firing off messages toward detractors ever since.

Hudson has also threatened to sue sports media personality Pablo Torre over his reporting about her relationship with the North Carolina football program.

Jordon Hudson attends the game between the Clemson Tigers and the North Carolina Tar Heels at Kenan Memorial Stadium on Oct. 4, 2025, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Lance King/Getty Images)

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Belichick is about to enter his second season as the team’s head coach. North Carolina was 4-8 in 2025.

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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It all comes down to this: two baseball teams battling on the international stage with a chance to win a title for their country.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic culminates in the championship game between the United States and Venezuela. Team USA, after narrowly making it out of pool play, took down a powerhouse Dominican Republic team in Sunday’s semifinal to advance to its third consecutive WBC final. Venezuela beat Italy with a seventh-inning rally Monday in the second semifinal to secure its spot in the tournament’s grand finale.

Will the U.S. avenge its 2023 loss to Japan and take home this year’s trophy? Or will Venezuela put a bow on its surprising run with a win Tuesday night? We have everything you need to know before the showdown begins at 8 p.m. ET, featuring keys to the game, the stars who will step up and predictions from ESPN baseball experts Alden Gonzalez, Jeff Passan and Jorge Castillo.

Make sure to come back as the game gets underway for live updates and postgame takeaways from Miami.

What’s the key to winning it all for the U.S.?

Gonzalez: The bullpen has to continue to step up. That was the key to the United States beating the Dominican Republic in the semifinals, with Tyler Rogers, David Bednar and Mason Miller weaving out of trouble in the middle and late innings. Given the competition, this final game will probably stay close. Nolan McLean’s inexperience and recent struggles probably mean the bullpen will have to cover a good chunk of it. And it might have to do so without Miller, the game’s best closer, who would be pitching for the fourth time in a span of eight days.

Passan: Team USA needs to hit. For the dozens of All-Star appearances that dot the lineup from top to bottom, the U.S. has scored six, five, five and two runs in its past four games, respectively. It is here because of its pitching and spectacular defense more than the offense that was supposed to stack up with the Dominican Republic. Get ahead early, and even if U.S. manager Mark DeRosa is limited in his bullpen options, the surfeit of American arms will be difficult even for a lineup as deep as Venezuela’s to handle.

Castillo: McLean rebounding from his rough outing in pool play against Italy to relieve pressure on the bullpen. The right-hander, who has all of eight major league starts under his belt, gave up two home runs in three innings in Team USA’s upset loss. He will be restricted to about 70 pitches. Four or five good innings should put the U.S. in the driver’s seat.

Who will be the game’s MVP if the United States wins?

Gonzalez: I’ve mentioned him before and I’ll mention him again: Bryce Harper. He has struggled mightily while hitting second between Bobby Witt Jr. and Aaron Judge in this tournament, going 4-for-24 with one extra-base hit and eight strikeouts. But he loves the big moments, and I have a feeling he’s due. This will be the game when Harper comes alive.

Passan: Bobby Witt Jr. has done just about everything this WBC. His defense at shortstop has been majestic, from his soft hands to his range to the seeds fired by his arm. He has stolen three bases and taken extra bases at every turn. He’s even taking walks, something that has been a weakness of Witt’s throughout his career. What he hasn’t done in this WBC is hit a home run, and taking Eduardo Rodriguez deep early in the game would serve as a reminder that the full Bobby Witt Jr. experience is something to behold.

Castillo: Aaron Judge, after an outstanding showing in October that exorcised his postseason demons, has also had his moments in this tournament. At the plate, the three-time American League MVP has two home runs, six walks and a .979 OPS. On defense, he saved a run with his arm in the semifinals against the Dominican Republic by throwing out Fernando Tatis Jr. at third base to end the third inning with Juan Soto up next. Judge, the U.S. captain, will have his opportunities Tuesday. Chances are he’ll come through.

What’s the key to winning it all for Venezuela?

Gonzalez: Production from the bottom half of the lineup. That includes Gleyber Torres, Salvador Perez (assuming he starts at catcher), Jackson Chourio and Wilyer Abreu. None of them have necessarily caught fire just yet. That group getting on base and feeding RBI opportunities to Ronald Acuna Jr., Maikel Garcia and Luis Arraez will be critical in the finale.

Passan: Play clean baseball. The Venezuelans haven’t committed a single error in the field of play in their six games — their lone charged error was a catcher’s interference by William Contreras in the sixth inning of their first game — and the surehandedness of their infield and the ground covered by their outfield puts immense pressure on opposing hitters. Team USA is aware of Venezuela’s brand of baseball and understands nothing will come easy. And that, in and of itself, is a win going into any game.

Castillo: Piecing together the right pitching plan. Even if Rodríguez gives Venezuela four or five innings, manager Omar López needs his bullpen to handle a loaded U.S. lineup. López pushed the right buttons Monday, with six pitchers keeping Team Italy scoreless over the final 7⅔ innings after starter Keider Montero‘s departure. While five of the six relievers did not reach 30 pitches and are eligible to pitch Tuesday, their clubs could restrict their usage — and decide whether they’re given clearance to pitch at all. It won’t be an easy task for López.

Who will be the game’s MVP if Venezuela wins?

Gonzalez: Arraez, Venezuela’s No. 3 hitter, has been elite in this tournament, cranking out eight hits, drawing two walks and driving in 10 runs in 25 plate appearances. He’s in a crucial spot of the lineup, batting behind Acuña and Garcia. If Venezuela overcomes the overwhelming talent on Team USA’s roster, it will be because Arraez drove them in when he needed to.

Passan: Jackson Chourio is batting ninth for Venezuela, which would be like Bobby Witt Jr. batting ninth for Team USA. Chourio laid down a sacrifice bunt in the semifinal game, something he has done all of twice in his two major league seasons. Regardless of why he’s buried in the lineup, Chourio is one of the most dynamic young players in the big leagues and a prime candidate to break out. His two-out single Monday started a run of four straight base hits that sent Venezuela to the final. The 22-year-old is primed to do even more Tuesday.

Castillo: Acuña, when healthy, can be the best player on the field against anybody, including Team USA. And he has made his presence felt in this tournament. Against Japan in the quarterfinals, he clubbed a leadoff home run. His hustle to beat out a two-out RBI infield single in Monday’s win over Italy changed the game. He possesses the five tools and a whole lot of energy. Venezuela needs him to shine to pull off the upset.

Which team do you think will take home the title — and why?

Gonzalez: The United States came painfully close to the championship three years ago and made it its mission to strengthen the roster even further to finish the job. With that opportunity in its sights, Team USA will not let it slip.

Passan: Team USA. The number of options at DeRosa’s disposal, with both his lineup and pitching staff, allows the U.S. to win the tactical battle. In a game that should be close, the little things will matter. And despite a crowd that’s likely to tilt heavily in favor of Venezuela, the Americans have shown an ability to silence the noise, put their heads down and go to work. They act like lunch-pail stars, stoic and workmanlike, and it’s the sort of thing that, when combined with overwhelming talent and matchup advantages, should lead to a championship.

Castillo: Team USA. The U.S. is more talented and better rested. Three years after falling just short, the Americans will win their second WBC title.

Week after week, month after month, Rúben Amorim sent out his Manchester United players in a 3-4-2-1 shape. Many considered it to be a mistake and, among the many gripes about Amorim’s play, the sentiment “it’s too defensive” was rife.

It is a familiar complaint with a back-three system; with three center backs as opposed to the more typical two you’d find in a back four, it’s easy to see how fans would think a team is setting up to be more defensive. But that’s not necessarily the case.

The last decade or so has been littered with examples of how a team playing a back three can be among the most attacking and aggressive in the sport — with one particularly extreme case currently on show in the Dutch Eredivisie — and even Amorim’s United debunked that theory to an extent. In the 20 Premier League games he managed this season, the Red Devils registered the most shots on target (109) and accumulated the third-most xG (36.14) in the league, behind only Arsenal (36.41) and Manchester City (38.02).

Now Amorim’s team had problems, let’s not pretend otherwise, and we’ll circle back to that a little later. But using a back three is not automatically a cue to sit back and defend, it can be a bold and innovative shape. Here’s why.

Wing backs are attacking, aggressive, and difficult to mark

A trademark feature of the back-three system is the use of wing backs, a position which occupies a unique place in football tactics. It can be difficult to classify them as defenders, midfielders, or forwards as they effectively play all three roles simultaneously in one of the most complex briefs the sport has to offer.

Very few wing backs are defensively minded. It used to be a joke in scouting circles that every full back is a failed winger who has been forced to drop deeper on the pitch, but in the age of “inverted wingers” and wide forwards who can score 40 goals a season, having a wing back who can bolster the attack is hugely beneficial, as their defensive duties are often covered by others.

Take Inter Milan’s duo of Federico Dimarco and Denzel Dumfries, for example.

Left-sided wing back Dimarco has created the most chances by far in Italy’s Serie A this season (76), has the highest Expected Assists tally (8.49) too, which signifies the quality of the opportunities he fashions, and spends more time in the final third than he does anywhere else on the pitch.

Meanwhile, on the right, Dumfries acts like a striker who has been forced to play elsewhere; he is constantly getting into the opponent’s box and offers a massive threat when he arrives at the back post.

With both wing backs pushed up so high, it’s common for seven or eight of Inter’s players to record the majority of their touches in the opposing half, which would be unusual for most other teams.

Crystal Palace wing back Daniel Muñoz plays in a similar way. He has 15 goal involvements since the beginning of the 2024-25 season and, as with Dumfries, he can be hard for defenses to pick up because he often receives the ball in the space between their defensive and midfield lines. Plus, his incredible speed and stamina means he can run up and down the touchline relentlessly.

Certain coaches, such as Antonio Conte and Simone Inzaghi, have recognized the inherent value of wing backs and utilize them when possible. But in order to unleash them, you have to play a back three, or you’ll be too exposed in defense.

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Center backs can push into midfield

Playing a back three doesn’t necessarily mean you’re adding too much defensive personnel to your XI, however.

Some managers design their systems to allow one of the center backs to step up and join the midfield while in possession. So long as that player is comfortable on the ball, they can create a numerical overload in the middle of the pitch (while there are still two center backs covering behind them.)

Amorim has long been a proponent of this strategy. At Sporting CP, he asked Gonçalo Inacio to do this; while at Manchester United, he asked Lisandro Martínez, and later Luke Shaw, to carry out the role.

The pass map above shows the strongest cluster of passes coming from what is effectively a left center midfield — or even left No. 10 — space on the pitch. Much of the Red Devils’ passing volume went through Shaw (or Martínez) under Amorim, who pushed up and played very close to Bruno Fernandes and company.

Atalanta’s Giorgio Scalvini has also carried out this role from right center back in the past, Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck also regularly dribbles into midfield from left center back, while Conte’s Premier League title-winning 2016-17 side at Chelsea encouraged Brazil defender David Luiz to roam forward and affect play however he felt best.

However, the best example of a center back pushing into midfield and completely changing a team’s dynamic is John Stones‘ role for Manchester City’s treble-winning side in 2022-23.

Just over halfway through that campaign, Pep Guardiola discovered a tactical tweak that no team had an answer for. He fielded four center backs (Stones, Rúben Dias, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Aké) in the defensive line, then asked Stones to join Rodri in midfield when the team were on the ball. That in turn pushed Ilkay Gündogan up next to Kevin De Bruyne, creating a 3-2-5 shape.

Stones’ role was to recycle the ball high up, as a midfielder would, but also form a barrier with Rodri to protect against counter attacks. That allowed Guardiola to use five players to attack, spread across the width of the pitch. A simple glance at his pass map (above) against Real Madrid in that year’s Champions League semifinal might fool you into thinking he purely played as a center midfielder … but he didn’t.

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Center backs can join the attack

Some center backs even go beyond the central midfield areas and try to affect play in the final third more directly.

When Tottenham’s Cristian Romero played in Serie A for Genoa and Atalanta, he regularly steamed forward and joined the attack. Occasionally he’d appear next to the striker after a 40-yard dash, sensing the chance to arrive undetected and cause chaos.

These days, you might see Juventus’ Federico Gatti hammering up the pitch in a similar vein — although not always from a back three, which adds extra risk to the move — and then there’s Inter center back Alessandro Bastoni, who is a solid defender and a great long passer from the back, but also has license to push well beyond the midfield. In fact, the 26-year-old will regularly overlap his wing back (Dimarco), receive the ball and cross, or he’ll make an underlapping run and get into the opposition box himself.

Bastoni has had an astonishing 477 touches in the attacking third this season, the 19th-most in Serie A; he heavily contributes to the league’s best attack, yet also remains integral to a defense that have conceded just 23 goals in 29 games.

But if you think that’s impressive then get ready, because NEC. Nijmegen take it to the extreme.

NEC have a remarkable story. A storied, small club from the Netherlands who have never won a major trophy, they currently sit third in the Eredivisie, above the giants of Ajax and other regular European qualifiers such as AZ Alkmaar and FC Twente.

And they’ve risen to this point by playing the most reckless football you will ever see this season. NEC build out from the back and attack in freeform fashion, with center backs steaming up the pitch to join the forward line, wingers ending up at the back and everything in between. Elazar Dasa, the right center back, has sent in 34 crosses this season, which is more than some teams’ forwards around Europe.

NEC’s base formation is a 3-4-2-1, but as soon as one player makes a pass, they move up the pitch and the shape melts. It is perhaps the ultimate example of why playing with three center backs doesn’t necessarily mean you’re playing defensively. After all, only champions-elect PSV Eindhoven have scored more goals (77) than NEC’s 67, while they’ve only conceded the joint-seventh-most (45), which is impressive given they can leave themselves hugely open at the back on occasion.

Pushing the limits

In the same way that no 4-4-2 is the same — Sean Dyche’s relegation-battling variant for Burnley, which hoofs the ball to a target man, is night and day to Unai Emery’s possession-based, controlled version at Aston Villa — a back three system is not necessarily defensive.

The proof of that is in the pudding: Inter are Serie A’s top scorers with 65; Dortmund are the Bundesliga’s second-top scorers with 55; and Lens are Ligue 1’s third-top scorers with 49. All those teams play a back-three system consistently.

Conte has unleashed a back three to great attacking effect over the years with various clubs such as Chelsea, Juventus and Napoli; while Manuel Gasperini, the creator of some wonderful Atalanta teams that have thrilled in front of goal, is also back-three stalwart.

ESPN’s Ryan O’Hanlon recently argued that the world — and most specifically the Premier League — needs more back threes, as the flexibility and ingenuity the shape allows could be an effective antidote to a world of man-marking, physicality and set pieces.

Not every back-three story is a success, though … and that brings us back round to Amorim’s Manchester United.

His side missed plenty of the opportunities in front of goal, as the Portuguese struggled to get the best out of young striker Benjamin Sesko and stifled creative midfielder Bruno Fernandes in a deeper role that heavily restricted his impact in the final third. Meanwhile, United were defensively poor; only six clubs let in more goals than their 30, as the system was forced on a squad which lacked the athleticism in center midfield to pull it off. And now interim boss Michael Carrick has ditched it for a back four, results have improved.

But don’t let that put you off. As several clubs, from last season’s Champions League finalists Inter to Dutch upstarts NEC are showcasing, a back three can be system that pushes the limits of “attacking” when deployed properly. And isn’t that just what football needs?