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EPL’s Swansea City hires Bob Bradley in historic appointment for American manager

QUICKLY GRANT WAHL2 hours ago

Bradley makes history and becomes the first American to manage a team in one of Europe’s top four leagues.

In a historic move for U.S. soccer, former U.S. coach Bob Bradley has agreed to become the new manager of English Premier League club Swansea City, SI.com has learned. The 58-year-old Bradley, who will replace Francesco Guidolin, will become the first American ever to manage a team in one of Europe’s top four leagues.According to sources close to the deal, Bradley won the job ahead of former Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs and former Villarreal manager Marcelino, who were both interviewed by Swansea as well.The decision to hire Bradley was made collectively by three people at Swansea: Co-managing owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien and Welshman Huw Jenkins, who has been Swansea’s chairman for 14 years. They felt Bradley’s managing experience in various places gave him an edge over Giggs, who has never been a full-time head coach.Bradley’s contract with Swansea will run through the end of the 2018-19 season.

Swansea is in 17th place (one spot above the relegation zone) after seven games, with one win, one tie and five losses. The club was taken over in July by a consortium of American owners led by Kaplan and Levien.

Bradley comes to Swansea from Le Havre in the French second division. He took over Le Havre midseason in November 2015 and came within one goal of promotion to Ligue 1 with a 5-0 win in the final game of the season. Before Le Havre, Bradley spent two seasons at Norway’s Stabaek. Despite being one of the most cash-strapped teams in the Norwegian top flight, Stabaek qualified for the Europa League under Bradley.

From 2011 to ’13, Bradley coached the Egyptian national team. During a time of social upheaval in Egypt and in the wake of the Port Said stadium massacre that took 74 lives and caused the suspension of the Egyptian league, Bradley somehow rallied Egypt to within a game of qualifying for its first World Cup since 1990.Before Egypt, Bradley coached the U.S. national team from 2006 to ’11. During his tenure, Bradley’s U.S. team won its World Cup 2010 group ahead of England and reached the 2009 Confederations Cup final, beating a Spain team in the semifinals that was at the height of its powers before losing 3-2 to Brazil in the final. Bradley was fired in 2011 after the U.S.’s 4-2 loss to Mexico in the Gold Cup final. Bradley coached three MLS teams between 1998 and 2006. He led the Chicago Fire to the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup double during his first season in 1998 and the Open Cup trophy again in 2000. He went on to coach the MetroStars from 2003 to ’05 and Chivas USA in 2006. Bradley got his start in coaching with head jobs at Ohio University and Princeton.

What does Bradley’s hiring at Swansea mean for American soccer?

13 CommentsBy Joe Prince-Wright Oct 3, 2016, 9:55 AM EDT

Game-changer.That sums up what Bob Bradley’s appointment as Swansea City’s new manager on Monday could be.[ MORE: Key US figures react ]

Bradley, 58, has been chipping away for a chance like this for many years and Swansea’s new U.S. majority owners have handed him the keys to the Liberty Stadium.This is a huge opportunity for not only Bradley but for the whole of the U.S. soccer community to be taken more seriously in Europe. That’s not an overstatement.For many years any of us involved in the U.S. soccer scene have had to listened to digs and jibes from around the world about a nation which has not traditionally been a passionate patron of the beautiful game.“What do Yanks know about football?” or “He’s American, what’s the point?” are already some of the responses to Bradley getting the Swansea job. Those responses are, sadly, far too predictable.But what does being American have anything to do with being a good coach? It shouldn’t have anything to do with it but we all know it does.[ LONGFORM: Bradley’s journey in Norway ]

Bradley himself has spoken out in the past about the same group of coaches getting jobs time and time again in the Premier League and Europe’s top leagues. Whether it is because they’re English and seem a safe bet, the circuit has been a closed shop for some time. Now, though, Bradley has a chance to prove just how good of a coach he is. Simply put, his nationality probably played a part in him not getting this chance 10 years ago.Those attitudes and beliefs have often hindered not only American coaches but also American players getting chances in Europe’s elite leagues. Look around Europe’s top leagues today. There are a handful of U.S. players in Germany, five total in the Premier League and a few others scattered around. After that, well, U.S. youngsters at academies across Europe are battling away but are facing similar problems.Back in 2014 I traveled to Norway to sit down with Bob and see his work firsthand with tiny Norwegian side Stabaek, but also to talk about why American’s have found it so hard to gain respect in Europe.

“In its simplest form, as much as the game has grown in the U.S., players and coaches earning respect in Europe is still not easy,” Bradley said. “Actually when we [U.S. national team] had success in the Confederations Cup and then in the World Cup, many football people spoke very highly of the way we played as a team, our football, our results. What we accomplished but still that part of what it means for players getting chances at a big clubs… what does that mean for coaches getting chances? It still takes time. We are still in the midst of it, there’s no two ways about it.”

His resume is helping some of the barriers to be broken down but it will still take time. For instance, Ryan Giggs, who has zero head-coaching experience, was Swansea’s other option here and is many of Swansea’s fans are talking about him being a better option compared to Bradley’s almost four decades coaching in the game.Bradley started off on home soil and led the expansion franchise Chicago Fire to an MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup in their inaugural season. Then led Chivas USA to the playoffs before taking over the U.S. national team before heading overseas for the last five years in Egypt, Norway and France.He is a disciple of Bruce Arena and was his assistant at the University of Virginia and D.C. United in MLS’ formative years. Bradley has been described by many as a founding father of American soccer along with Arena. During his days with the U.S. national team from 2006-11 he won the 2007 Gold Cup, took the U.S. to the 2009 Confederations Cup final after shocking Spain in the semifinals and reached the Round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup. The U.S. national team, despite arguably having a stronger player pool now than when Bradley was in charge, has struggled to reach those heights.The New Jersey native then moved to Egypt and took them to the brink of the World Cup in hugely trying circumstance during the Arab spring. He then proved his worth at Stabaek in Norway’s top-flight in 2014 and 2015 (he became the first-ever American to coach in a European top-flight there, by the way) taking the newly promoted side to third-place in his second season as they qualified for Europe. His most recent job was at Le Havre where he stepped down to France’s second-tier midway through last season and took them to within one goal of promotion to Ligue 1.All of this says that Bradley has earned his chance to manage in the Premier League after being previously linked with the jobs at West Brom, Aston Villa, Sunderland Hull City and Fulham. Now is his chance to show the world, and mostly European soccer’s elite, that an American can succeed in the Premier League, and Europe, as a coach. This is a big chance for the American game to gain more respect globally.Being successful at Swansea will be initially keeping them in the PL and then building them into a stable midtable club, something they’ve been since they arrived in the top-flight in 2011. The Princeton graduate will have to do that while also carrying the baggage of being an American. He’s used to it but it doesn’t make the task any easier.Bradley doesn’t like to be known as a trailblazer and someone who is flying the American flag overseas but he is. That’s the only way he’s been able to get on people’s radar and that has eventually led to him getting this opportunity in the most-watched and competitive league on the planet.His former assistant coach at Stabaek, Tomasz Kaczmarek, back in 2014, summed up the situation regarding the lack of respect for Americans in soccer perfectly.

“Look. All of the players, whether it is in Europe or in Egypt, they work with Bob and nobody thinks of him as American. They think he’s a damn good football coach,” Kaczmarek said, defiantly. “This is all they see and all they care about. They see he is a good leader and he makes the players better so they respect him and appreciate him. I believe on the outside there are too many people who say, ‘Oh yeah, he’s American. He can’t be a good coach. How can an American know something about football?’ This is not only in this case. There are too many people in football who don’t look deep enough. Don’t look at the work that is being done and the way the team plays. That is probably the biggest challenge for him going forward, to make sure that people on the outside recognize that he is American, yes, but he is a very good coach.”

Maybe one day coaches from the U.S. will be hired all across Europe and the rest of the world without a second glance at their passport. If we ever get to that point, there’s no doubting that Bradley’s appointment and any subsequent success he has at Swansea will have been a key factor in helping that happen.Don’t underestimate how monumental of a moment this is for American soccer.

Klinsmann hails Bob Bradley’s hiring at Swansea City as ‘fantastic’

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. — U.S. national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann has hailed the appointment of Bob Bradley at Swansea City, saying it is “fantastic” that there is an American coach now in the Premier League, and that Bradley “deserves it.”Klinsmann succeeded Bradley as U.S. manager back in 2011, but he noted all of the places that his predecessor has coached since, including stints with Egypt, Norwegian side Stabaek, and French club Le Havre.”There are plenty of very, very good American coaches that can coach overseas, so no doubt about it. In Bob’s case he’s so experienced,” Klinsmann told reporters ahead of Friday’s match against Cuba.”He went the tough route. The places he coached after the [U.S.] national team has been impressive. He didn’t shy away from different cultures, different countries, different languages, different approaches. He deserves that chance.”Klinsmann’s sentiments were echoed by Bradley’s son Michael, who is currently with the U.S. squad.”I’m very, very excited; very, very proud,” he said. “It’s a dream he’s had for a very long time, to be able to coach a big club in a big league. I’ve never seen somebody more fearless in the path and the choices that he made along the way.”From somebody who is obviously very close with him, who looks up to him in every way, I couldn’t be more proud.”Klinsmann added that the elder Bradley’s success will hinge in part on the support he receives from owners Stephen Kaplan and Jason Levien. Given that both owners are American, that seems likely, but Klinsmann insisted nonetheless that it is imperative they stand behind Bradley through the inevitable ups and downs.”In the Premier League you need to be backed up by your owners, you need to have their trust, you need to have people around you who are with you when things go wrong, because things aren’t always going the right way,” he said.”Hopefully they give him that trust. You need time and you need to have the backup from the people around you to mae changes the way you want them.”Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U

Five questions facing the U.S. roster for October’s friendlies

Goal.com 13 minutes ago

From the moment the October friendlies against Cuba and New Zealand were announced, Jurgen Klinsmann was expected to call on youth in a pair of rather tame friendlies. What may not have been expected was what Klinsmann has produced: A perfect mix of youth and a strong nucleus of regular starters.

Klinsmann didn’t go the route of Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio, who chose to leave several first-choice starters out of his October squad in order to see a plethora of younger prospects. What Klinsmann did do was bring back in some players who had previously shown signs of being capable of bigger roles, but who for some reason or another had fallen by the wayside.Danny Williams and Timmy Chandler are two such players. Both have had the kind of club success at positions of need that would have led most to think they could have been regular starters by now. Unfortunately for both German-Americans, they have failed to maximize their opportunities, and Klinsmann has responded by not calling them in as frequently as you would expect. Both are in the October camp, and both have opportunities to seize prominent roles at positions of need.As much as the roster is led by a strong base of top starters, there is a good collection of young talent in this camp, including Lynden Gooch, who will be taking part in his first senior team camp. The Sunderland winger turned some heads when broke into the Back Cats’ starting lineup to begin the English Premier League season, and is a good prospect in a deepening pool of impressive young American wingers.In terms of young players who could play themselves into roles in November’s qualifiers against Mexico and Costa Rica, Christian Pulisic heads that list, and the October friendlies could signal his move into a regular starting role for the U.S. He isn’t the only youngster though. Paul Arriola has done well with his looks with the national team and should have an even better chance at more minutes in the upcoming matches.The goalkeeper position will turn some heads because of the absence of reliable veterans Tim Howard and Brad Guzan, but you can’t really blame Klinsmann for wanting a closer look at the next generation of netminders, particularly given the advancing age of his top two options. Here is a closer at some of the questions faced by the roster Klinsmann called on to face Cuba and New Zealand:

WHO WILL STEP UP TO GRAB DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD SPOTS?

It has been three months since Jermaine Jones last played after being sidelined by a knee injury, and with the timetable for his return still up in the air, it’s time to start assuming he won’t be available for the November qualifiers. With that in mind, Klinsmann has a pair of younger options who will have their chances to be longer term solutions for replacing Jones. Perry Kitchen is doing well in Scotland, having earned the captaincy and a regular starting role at Hearts, and Williams is playing well for Reading. Kitchen is still just 24, and coming into his own, while 27-year-old Williams is trying to regain the standing he enjoyed four years ago when he was earning qualifying starts and was seen as the future of the defensive midfield position. He brings more of an attacking element to the spot, which can help offset what the U.S. loses without Jones, but Kitchen is arguably the better defensive option in central midfield. Neither has to be considered a challenger for a starting role since Michael Bradley looks best-suited at the moment to mind the defensive midfield spot, but with Kyle Beckerman and Jones looking like they’re reaching the end of the road, Klinsmann needs some new blood in the pool at that position in a hurry.

IS THIS TIMMY CHANDLER’S LAST CHANCE?

Whether because of poor form, injuries or simple exclusions from the squad, Timmy Chandler has not seen much first-team action under Klinsmann despite having put together a solid career playing fullback in the German Bundesliga. He hasn’t translated that success on the international front, and has missed out on several chances to be a factor in the fullback conversation. With Fabian Johnson not in this camp, Chandler can be the latest to try and stake a claim to the left back role. It is safe to say Klinsmann would love to be able to use Johnson in attack, but he has needed him more at fullback against tougher opponents. Can Chandler do enough in the upcoming friendlies to make Klinsmann comfortable with starting him against the likes of Mexico and Costa Rica? That might be a bit ambitious, but a good showing this month could set him up to taking a step closer to a more prominent role in 2017.Something else to consider is Chandler’s versatility. He can play left back and right back, and with DeAndre Yedlin’s hold on the right back spot looking vulnerable, Chandler could provide some competition there, along with do-everything veteran standout Geoff Cameron.This is all dependent on Chandler showing up in camp with the right mindset, which is something he has lacked in past call-ups, leading to questions of just how committed he is to the national team cause. If he has a poor camp, Chandler could find himself out of the national team picture for a long time.

WHERE WILL CAMERON PLAY?

Just when we thought we were done with this question, Klinsmann decided to mix things up by trying Cameron at right back in the September qualifying win against Trinidad and Tobago. Now, all of a sudden, we are left to wonder if Klinsmann liked what he saw.Cameron is Klinsmann’s most reliable defender. Of that, there is little doubt. Yes, John Brooks was outstanding at Copa America, but his penchant for picking up injuries has made him a bit of wild card. The good news is Klinsmann has a handful of good options, including Steve Birnbaum, Omar Gonzalez and Matt Besler. Birnbaum has been particularly steady when called upon, which made Klinsmann comfortable enough with moving Cameron to right back against Trinidad and Tobago.With Brooks back in the fold, will Klinsmann reunite the dominating tandem of Brooks and Cameron in central defense, or will he see what a Brooks-Birnbaum tandem might look like? It could depend on how the fullbacks look in camp. Yedlin and Chandler need to be close to flawless against the likes of Cuba and/or New Zealand if Klinsmann is going to be expected to trust them in November.If Klinsmann ultimately decides that having Cameron and Fabian Johnson at fullback to cope with the dangerous wingers Mexico and Costa Rica possess, then we could certainly see Cameron stick at right back for the coming months while Birnbaum continues to be rewarded for his steady play.

WHICH GOALKEEPER WILL IMPRESS?

One of the benefits of scheduling a pair of relatively easy friendlies in the same international window is having the luxury to experiment at a position like goalkeeper.

Ethan Horvath is the youngest of the group, and enters as the most highly regarded of the three goalkeepers in camp. He is a full five years younger than the other options, but is already turning heads in Europe with his exploits for Molde.

Bingham posted a national team shut out in last winter’s friendly win against Canada, and has established himself as a steady goalkeeper at the age of 25 (his own goal this past weekend notwithstanding). William Yarbrough, 27, is starting for Leon and has been a big part of that team turning around its fortunes in Liga MX.

One player conspicuous by his absence was Bill Hamid, who suffered a major knee injury to start the year and didn’t get a call from Klinsmann despite having been strong in goal during D.C. United’s recent surge. Given the fact the second October friendly is being played at RFK Stadium, there’s a good chance we will see Hamid get a call for the New Zealand match.

COULD WE SEE AN EARLY LOOK AT HEX LINEUP?

Though it wasn’t mentioned in the announcement of the squad on Sunday, there is a good chance Klinsmann will release some players after the Cuba game and bring in some new faces for the New Zealand match. With that being the case, will Klinsmann trot out as close to a full-strength lineup as possible against Cuba? That could look something like the team above.

Stejskal: Four questions for the USMNT ahead of Friday’s friendly at Cuba

October 4, 20161:15PM EDTSam StejskalContributor

Historical significance notwithstanding, the US men’s national team’s friendly at Cuba on Friday (4 pm ET; ESPN2) is about as minor as international matches get.It’s an exhibition game against a weak opponent that will be played in an environment that won’t approximate anything the US will see on the road in World Cup qualifying, so everything that happens in Havana should be taken with several grains of salt.Still, with Hexagonal matches against Mexico and at Costa Rica looming, the US will have a chance to do a bit of fine-tuning in the Caribbean on Friday. The match might not mean much, but it shouldn’t be totally overlooked, either.Here are four questions I’ll look for the US to continue answering in Havana:

How will the Altidore-Wood partnership look?

Jozy Altidore is playing some of the best soccer of his life; Bobby Wood has gotten his Bundesliga career off to a solid start. Both are talented, both are in form and both will likely start for the US on Friday and in the two Hex matches next month.While it’s undeniably a positive for the US to have two strikers in such fine form (with a third,Jordan Morris, playing pretty well himself), starting Altidore and Wood together doesn’t come without its complications. Both players are best as pure central forwards and tend to occupy the same sorts of spaces. That can create problems in the attack and can be an even bigger issue when the US don’t have the ball.Wood and Altidore building a better understanding with each other will be huge for both players individually. With those massive Hex matches on the horizon, their partnership will be enormously important for the entire USMNT, as well.

Will the Kljestan Show continue?

Like Matt Doyle, I think Sacha Kljestan is the best No. 10 in the US pool right now. It wasn’t against the toughest opposition, but he was excellent at St. Vincent and the Grenadines and against Trinidad and Tobago last month, scoring two goals and notching a pair of assists in the wins. More important than any numbers he put up in those matches, however, was the impact he has on the rest of the US lineup. Doyle summed it up best:“Putting a real playmaker in there allows more service to the forwards, who are playing better than ever; it allows wunderkind Christian Pulisic to play on either wing combining in the channels on the break or around the box in possession while not having to worry about shouldering the pure creative load; it allows Michael Bradley to play in his preferred spot as a No. 6, and in the seven games since he’s been playing there the US have gone 5-2-0 with plus-11 goal differential (15 GF; 4 GA); and that, in turn, allows the central defense a stable outlet in possession, which in turn allows the fullbacks to get forward.”Continuing to get solid play from the Red Bulls creator will be hugely important for the US. Let’s hope the 31-year-old keeps taking advantage of his newfound international opportunity.

Who claims the third goalkeeper spot?

Tim Howard and Brad Guzan aren’t with the US, leaving the door open for David Bingham, Ethan Horvath and William Yarbrough to stake their claim the No. 3 spot.I’m not sure the Cuba game will play a large role in determining who gets called-up for the Hex matches (will the starter actually be tested?), but the time in camp could play a major role. Whoever gets the most time over the next two games will likely be the favorite to be named to the roster for the Mexico and Costa Rica contests in November.

Will any of the youngsters stand out?

Christian Pulisic is the real deal. Barring something depressing, I anticipate that he’ll be a constant in US camp for years to come. You can’t exactly say that about the other unproven young guys on the roster – Paul Arriola, Lynden Gooch and Julian Green.Arriola has the most recent experience with the national team, having played well in his brief run-outs with the USMNT this year. Gooch, 20, doesn’t yet have a full USMNT cap, but he has been in and out of the lineup with Sunderland in the EPL. Green is still toiling away at Bayern Munich, having played a total of 24 minutes in all competitions for the German giants so far this year.It’d be beyond shocking if any of these three were anything more than a sub against Mexico or Costa Rica, but the Cuba and New Zealand friendlies will be good opportunities for them to show Klinsmann they belong on the roster for the Hex openers. We’ll see how they perform on Friday and next Tuesday.

How might the USMNT lineup in Cuba on Friday?

Leave a commentBy Nicholas Mendola Oct 5, 2016, 5:52 PM EDT

The United States men’s national team has largely handled its business in its CONCACAF rivalry with Cuba, with the Yanks and Leones del Caribe renewing acquaintances for the 12th time on Friday.The U.S. boasts a 9-1-1 record ahead of the match in Havana, just the third time Cuba has hosted the Yanks and the first time the two have staged a friendly thereFew expect Cuba to contend in Friday’s contest, and Jurgen Klinsmann should be able to give some of his fringe players a chance to state their intentions ahead of next month’s massive World Cup qualifiers against Mexico and Costa Rica.Jermaine Jones, Clint Dempsey, and Gyasi Zardes are still out, and Alejandro Bedoya will miss the match as well. With a trio of unusual goalkeepers on the roster, Friday’s match may be more experimental than Tuesday’s visit from New Zealand.What might we see?When the Yanks last took the pitch, a 4-0 defeat of Trinidad and Tobago, we saw both Christian Pulisic and Sacha Kljestan earn starts in a dominant win. The set-up was a 4-4-2 with both Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood up top.That duo wasn’t exactly dynamite together, but expect Klinsmann to give them a chance to shine together.John Brooks hasn’t started a match for Hertha Berlin since Sept. 10 thanks to an injury, so we may not see the Yanks’ preferred center back pairing. Also don’t sleep on Timmy Chandler getting another shot at left back, as the Eintracht Frankfurt man has been regularly going 90 for his Bundesliga side during a strong start to the season (though he plays RB there).The trickiest spot to predict is right mid (assuming Bradley, Pulisic, and Kljestan complete the four-man group). Danny Williams, Lynden Gooch, and Paul Arriola could all slide in there, and Gooch seems the least likely due to Klinsmann’s proclivity for using players off the bench for cap No. 1.Klinsmann could also again opt to use Bradley more advanced in order to get a look at Perry Kitchen or Danny Williams in a deep-lying spot, but we doubt that’s going to happen. Right? RIGHT?

Yarbrough

Yedlin — Cameron — Birnbaum — Johnson

Bradley

Williams — Pulisic

Kljestan

Wood — Altidore

Given the Yanks’ opposition and manager, we could provide you with a wild-looking 4-4-2 just for kicks, though. Instead, we’ll opt for some questions for the comment section:

Who’s the third forward? Or at least, what’s the pecking order at each spot? Is Jordan Morris No. 3 regardless, or could Julian Green be preferred if Altidore comes out? Would Klinsmann really opt for Chris Wondolowski before either?
Might Michael Bradley be moved? Look, he’s their best defensive or deep-lying mid, but it’s possible Klinsmann would prefer to play him while also getting a look at Geoff Cameron, Perry Kitchen, or Danny Williams in that spot.
Who’s the No.1, No. 3 goalkeeper? With Tim Howard and Brad Guzan allowed to remain with their clubs, will it be David Bingham, William Yarbrough, or Ethan Horvath between the sticks?

Howard, Guzan left out of United States squad for October friendlies

United States manager Jurgen Klinsmann has called in a mix of veterans and emerging talents to his squad ahead of upcoming friendlies against Cuba and New Zealand on Oct. 7 and 11, respectively.All told, 15 of the players who contested World Cup qualifiers last month against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago are on the roster, including captain Michael Bradley.The group also includes five of the six goal scorers from those matches, a list comprised of New York Red Bulls midfielder Sacha Kljestan, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Christian Pulisic, Toronto FC forward Jozy Altidore, Hamburg SV forward Bobby Wood, and Club Tijuana attacker Paul Arriola. The biggest area of competition comes at goalkeeper, where neither Tim Howard nor Brad Guzan were included. Klinsmann has opted to give David Bingham of the San Jose Earthquakes, Ethan Horvath of Molde FK, and William Yarbrough of Club Leon a chance to impress ahead of World Cup qualifiers next month against Mexico and Costa Rica.Klinsmann did find room for some players who missed out on the most recent round of qualifying matches. Defender John Brooks makes his return to the squad after missing the two recent U.S. matches due to a back injury.Sunderland midfielder Lynden Gooch, Bayern Munich’s Julian Green, Hearts midfielder Perry Kitchen, Eintracht Frankfurt defender Timothy Chandler, and Reading midfielder Danny Williams are also in the squad.

Full U.S. squad:

Goalkeeper: David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Ethan Horvath (Molde FK), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)

Defenders: Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle)

Midfielders: Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland), Perry Kitchen (Hearts), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund),  Danny Williams (Reading)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV), Julian Green (Bayern Munich)Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @JeffreyCarlisle.

Klinsmann calls on young GKs, veteran core, Pulisic, Morris for USA’s October friendlies

BRIAN STRAUSSunday October 2nd, 2016

Brad Guzan and Tim Howard have been left behind for USA’s October friendlies, while rising stars Christian Pulisic, Jordan Morris and Lynden Gooch complement returning veterans.

Juren Klinsmann has upped the stakes on a pair of modest October friendlies, naming a veteran-heavy roster to face lightweight opposition in Cuba and New Zealand in anticipation of the much bigger matches just around the corner. With World Cup qualifiers at home against Mexico and in Costa Rica on deck in early November, the U.S. national team coach said Sunday that, “There’s a lot at stake for the players to make their case, to show where they are right now … I’m sure everyone wants to be in the starting 11 in Columbus on November 11 [against Mexico].”The race for those spots begins over the next couple days with the 23 players named Sunday. The U.S. will train in Miami and then travel to Havana for the first time since 2008. After Friday afternoon’s game against Cuba, the Americans will head to Washington, D.C., for an Oct. 11 meeting with New Zealand. Neither opponent is expected to be very strong and the U.S. hasn’t lost to either in nearly 70 years. Instead, the competition is expected to come from within.In addition to the 23 men identified Sunday, several additional players likely will be called in for the second game thanks to club scheduling considerations both in MLS and Europe.“Now when the players come in they know it’s a competition, and at every position we have very good competition. So if they want a spot, I expect them to get their message across,” Klinsmann said. “These two games are very important for us because it’s the last time we can see certain players before making the decision on the 23 going in to represent us for the Mexico and Costa Rica clashes.”Here’s a look at Klinsmann’s team for the match in Cuba (again, some changes are expected between games).

Goalkeepers

David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Ethan Horvath (Molde FK), William Yarbrough (Club Léon)

The biggest surprises on the roster are in net, and there are at least two of them. Normally, we’d expect to see one of the above names along with co-incumbents Brad Guzan and Tim Howard, But Klinsmann has enough faith in the veterans come November to let them work out different, but equally important, situations with their clubs while getting a good long look at the battle for the No. 3 (and perhaps future No. 1) role.“I think the goalkeeper position is unique,” Klinsmann said. “Obviously we have the two experienced guys with Tim Howard and Brad Guzan. Both are in different situations right now. Tim is obviously very busy with the Colorado Rapids and Brad is not getting the opportunity to play at Middlesbrough. I think it’s a perfect time to give an open window to three younger goalkeepers … That’s why we decided to leave the two older guys out and give these three youngsters a chance to prove their point. That kind of opportunity is very rare.”Bingham appears to have overtaken Real Salt Lake veteran Nick Rimando as Klinsmann’s preferred MLS goalie (not counting the newly-arrived Howard). The 26-year-old has been capped just once but has been a regular call-up this year, and his 1.13 goals against average is among the best in the league. Horvath was the No. 3 at the Copa América Centenario and Yarbrough is back in the picture as the regular starter at Léon.

Defenders

Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United)

Klinsmann’s Copa América pairing of Brooks and Cameron may have been in some doubt following the Hertha stalwart’s recent groin injury, but his inclusion in the 18-man squad for Saturday’s win over HSV is a sign he’s on the mend.Birnbaum and Gonzalez will challenge for minutes in the middle. Yedlin and Johnson are the clear choices at outside back, which remains the position of least depth in the U.S. pool. Chandler, who hasn’t played for the national team since last year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup, now makes his return. He was invited over the likes of Kellyn Acosta (a midfielder), Matt Besler (a center back), Michael Orozco (a center back) and Edgar Castillo, who have been called upon to fill in at outside back in recent months.“Timmy Chandler is playing a good role at Frankfurt right now,” Klinsmann said.

Midfielders

Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Lynden Gooch (Sunderland), Perry Kitchen (Heart of Midlothian), Sacha Kljestan (New York Red Bulls), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Danny Williams (Reading)

The absence of Jermaine Jones (recovering from a knee injury), Kljestan’s dramatic resurgence and Pulisic’s meteoric rise has altered the face of the U.S. midfield, where Bradley and Bedoya are the only real familiar faces. The newer names, however, belong. Kitchen, for example, has been named captain at Hearts less than a year after moving to Scotland. Arriola, 21, became only the eighth U.S. player to score in his first two senior appearances with his goal in September’s qualifying win over Trinidad & Tobago. And Gooch is getting his first look with the top team thanks to multiple starts at Sunderland.Kyle Beckerman’s omission leaves Bradley as the likely defensive midfielder, with Williams his deputy.There’s by far more flux in midfield than any part of the roster, but Klinsmann sounded like that’s a good problem to have.“Obviously we have our core of players that took us through a very successful Copa América and the recent games, but at the same time you constantly evaluate and observe what the players are doing that are knocking on the door,” he said. “Some of the players really deserve a look. Lynden Gooch is a very talented, young player coming through at Sunderland. Danny Williams has had an outstanding season so far for Reading … For Danny Williams, we recognize his good performances over the last two months with Reading.”Six months ago, Klinsmann was nowhere near ready to hand the attacking keys to Kljestan and/or Pulisic, but both have surged up the depth chart. Pulisic’s skill, dynamism and composure can’t be ignored—he’s both old enough and good enough—and Kljestan’s transition to Red Bulls playmaker has afforded him the national team opportunity he couldn’t seem to hold on to when he was in a more defensive role at Anderlecht. The pair combined for four goals and four assists in last month’s two qualifiers.“The national team always has an open-door policy,” Klinsmann said. “Young, old, it doesn’t matter. But if you come in and get the opportunity, then you have to grab it. You have to put a stamp on it. That’s what Sacha did [last month]. That’s what Pulisic is doing. He’s making a difference when he comes on the field. It doesn’t matter if it’s from the bench or from the beginning.”Darlington Nagbe, whose Portland Timbers are fighting for their playoff lives, Sporting Kansas City veteran Graham Zusi and Beckerman are among the frequent call-ups left behind this week. Meanwhile, Kljestan and Bradley are the only two players on this roster who played in Cuba back in ’08.

Forwards

Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburger SV)

Clint Dempsey’s absence may be lengthy because of a heart condition that has sidelined him for the remainder of the Seattle Sounders season. It will be keenly felt. No one is more clutch in a U.S. jersey. But it comes at a time when the national team’s forward pipeline is as packed as its ever been. Wood, now in the Bundesliga with HSV, has seven goals for the U.S. over the past 16 months. And Altidore is in very good form in Toronto (he wrecked Birnbaum on Saturday and scored his ninth MLS goal since the end of July).Wood and Altidore have combined to score 10 goals in the five U.S. games they’ve started together.Morris is among the players who may head back to his club after the Cuba game—Seattle has a massive match against the Houston Dynamo on Oct. 12—but the 21-year-old has handled a unique and challenging rookie season with such composure that it would come as no surprise to see him contribute in Havana. He has 12 goals and three assists in league play this year.Wondolowski has found the net for San Jose only twice in the past two months, but Klinsmann remains enamored of the veteran’s work-rate and intangibles. Green is a somewhat surprising choice. The 21-year-old World Cup scorer has moved up to Bayern’s first team but has played only once this season. Nevertheless, Klinsmann has preferred him to the likes of Juan Agudelo (three goals and three assists in five games for New England), Rubio Rubin or the returning Aron Jóhannsson. Gyasi Zardes’s broken foot also may have affected Klinsmann’s decisions in midfield and up front.

Will Kljestan’s U.S. return open doors for others to come in from the cold?

It was a very Jurgen Klinsmann-esque chance of redemption: A center-back gets injured so a creative midfielder gets called in from a long exile. But the emphatic manner in which Sacha Kljestan seized his unexpected chance, with two goals and two assists in the two games against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, meant he looked a subsequent shoo-in for the latest U.S. roster. And the 31-year-old was duly called up this week.His performance was no surprise to anyone who has watched the New York Red Bulls in the past couple of years, though even those who are high on Kljestan’s movement, vision and eye for the killer assist were caught off-guard by the ease with which he reinserted himself into the national team. His renaissance with the Red Bulls was not an overnight affair, after all; it took time for Kljestan and his club teammates to get a reading on each other’s habits and movements, though when they adapted to his habit of finding or creating pockets of space between opposition midfield and defensive lines, New York’s players went on a charge that took them to the 2015 MLS Supporters’ Shield.Still, it’s an occupational hazard for a creative player who operates in the way Kljestan does to be something of a slow burner as coaches and teammates figure out his game. But it’s to the immense credit of Kljestan that, knowing from bitter experience that he was never likely to receive such indulgence under a national team coach who had already discarded him once, he made such an emphatic case for himself in such short order.And in doing so he held out the tantalizing possibility of a much better-functioning U.S. midfield going forward. If he and Michael Bradley were to gel now — and the signs last time out were encouraging rather than conclusive — with Bradley sitting in his preferred No. 6 position and Kljestan operating as a cool No. 10, Klinsmann might just have stumbled on a midfield spine that finally makes sense of some of the hitherto awkwardly assorted parts around it.That remains to be seen. But Kljestan’s return has opened up some interesting possibilities for other players who might conceivably get a second look, just in case the success of this latest experiment prompts Klinsmann to dig out some old notebooks.There’s Benny Feilhaber, of course: another creative midfielder who went from playing in the 2010 World Cup to being on the outside looking in in 2014, despite maturing into a more effective player in the interim. Feilhaber hasn’t made it easy for himself at times; his mouth has a habit of uttering things that might be on other players’ minds but which they manage to filter before they hit the microphone. But then again, defenseman Brad Evans is no wallflower in public, and he seems to have managed to forge a respectable utility role under Klinsmann.Feilhaber’s not helped by being at a Sporting Kansas City team that has been somewhat indifferent this season, and he was also unfortunate that the 2015 performances that saw him shortlisted for league MVP happened to occur within the stellar context of Sebastian Giovinco’s first season in the league. Outside of his Kansas City market, Feilhaber never quite got the column inches or appreciation he deserved, and those factors could have pushed him closer to Klinsmann’s plans.As it is, Feilhaber is in the last few months of his contract with Sporting, wasthe subject of a $500,000 bid from Israeli champions Hapoel Be’er Shevajust a few weeks ago and might well be off to Mexico in the offseason. Perhaps that will be the cue for Klinsmann to look at him again, just as the manager has started to take Omar Gonzalez more seriously since his game intensified south of the border.Another intriguing possibility is Juan Agudelo, currently finding form in New England playing off Kei Kamara and looking a much more complete physical player than the rather cocky but undercooked version of himself that went to England too soon. Agudelo’s talent is undeniable, and his current form is irresistible, but it’s a very small sample size, and that’s always been Agudelo’s issue: The highlight reel is spectacular, but there’s a lot of combing of footage to be done to come up with it.Kljestan’s case for inclusion can point to his being directly involved in 41 percent of his team’s goals, during the Red Bulls’ rise from losing six of their opening seven games to topping the Eastern Conference going into the final two games. Agudelo’s most recent case, meanwhile, is based on a decent couple of months. But if he can continue his form into the postseason and his partnership with Kamara can mature in 2017, he could yet have his say in the Hexagonal.There is one other potential redemption narrative at play in the current roster. Julian Green’s inclusion in the 2014 World Cup squad, and the fact that he got a goal in the last stand against Belgium, got the hype train running. It says a lot about the expectation that we routinely heap on young U.S. players that his inclusion in this squad feels like a comeback, when after all, what has happened in the interim has merely been his club carefully handling his development and managing his inclusion into the Bayern Munich first-team squad, while his national team manager has monitored his progress.Yet Green too has a point to prove on re-entering the national team picture. If he ends up playing off Kljestan for any portion of the forthcoming games, he’ll get a firsthand reminder that it’s never too late to be a comeback kid.Graham Parker writes for ESPN FC, FourFourTwo,

Expanded World Cup tournament could help US, Canada in different ways

October 5, 20165:46PM EDTAlicia RodriguezContributor

When FIFA presidnt Gianni Infantino recently floated the idea of expanding the World Cup finals tournament to 48 teams from the current 32-team format, there were plenty of groans and moans.The reaction is understandable for several reasons, of course. While Infantino hasn’t had a lot of time to make a real imprint publicly as head of FIFA, his predecessor was fond of coming up withharebrained ideas in soccer. So that’s strike one.And then there’s the prospect of expanding the World Cup itself. While I get the impression most American fans are content with a 32-team tournament, which has been around since 1998, there remains pockets of pundits and fans around the world who sniff at the size of the competition these days, wishing for the purer days, to 24 teams from 1982-94, or even to 16 teams from 1954-78.

The truth is, while a modern-day qualification system that only resulted in 16 teams qualifying would produce a higher caliber of games, historically the smaller tournaments of the past were not equitable in how teams qualified. One could still argue that Europe still holds a disproportionatenumber of slots, with 13, while two more populous continents with a similar number of countries (Africa: five slots; Asia: four and a half slots) have less than that number combined.For any talk of the quality of soccer on display, it seems obvious that expanding the tournament over time has benefitted the World Cup and soccer itself globally, with less represented confederations getting a larger share of the slots.And that’s where the United States and Canada come into the story.How would a 48-team World Cup benefit the US? They’re already qualifying for the tournaments now, so would it really help them? It would, but probably not through the US national team itself.Instead, the main benefit could come from bolstering the chances of hosting the tournament, asCONCACAF president Victor Montagliani discussed this week. The United States already has the stadia, the accommodations and infrastructure to host a 48-team World Cup, and could do it at pretty much any time. That provides an advantage, as Montagliani noted fewer countries around the world would be equipped to take on the additional burden of adding 16 teams to the World Cup.As for Canada, while they too could play a role in CONCACAF hosting an expanded World Cup, something Montagliani also noted this week, one would think a larger World Cup field could bridge the gap for them to qualify for their first tournament since 1986.Canada have been a Top 12 team in the current and previous round of World Cup qualifying, and expanding CONCACAF’s number of slots for the World Cup – to seven, let’s say – would not guarantee Canada a coveted spot in the tournament, but it would increase the odds. And with Canada appearing to get even closer to Top 6 status in the region each cycle, the combination of national team improvement and a larger pool of teams reaching the World Cup could help them reach paydirt.And ultimately, that could fuel further improvement. As we’ve seen with the United States, the twin pillars of qualifying for a World Cup (1990) with hosting a World Cup (1994), followed shortly thereafter by the launch of Major League Soccer (1996) has done wonders for the interest and quality of soccer in the United States. Perhaps a similar trend could be kickstarted for the Canadian national team with a World Cup qualification?So while the cynics among us may scoff at Infantino’s proposal to expand the World Cup field, and for good reason, there could also be a huge silver lining if a 48-team tournament comes to pass for the US and Canada alike. Time will tell, but it may not be a terrible idea after all.

Swansea dismiss Francesco Guidolin, appoint former U.S. boss Bob Bradley

Swansea City have named former United States boss Bob Bradley as their new coach after parting company with Francesco Guidolin.Bradley, 58, had been linked with the position last week as Guidolin came under pressure following a poor run of results, and the Italian has been dismissed after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, which left the club 17th in the Premier League.Swansea have now turned to Bradley, who had been in charge of French second-tier side Le Havre and becomes the first American to take charge of a club in any of Europe’s top five leagues.Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins told the club’s official website: “We are delighted Bob has agreed to join us. He is highly regarded as a coach and has a wealth of experience on the international and domestic front.”He is well aware of the club’s footballing philosophy and will provide us with strong leadership qualities and a renewed belief to compete at this level. It is never easy changing managers, but we are looking at a long-term appointment and we are confident Bob can settle us down and stabilise matters on and off the pitch.”Guidolin, who turned 61 on Monday, had taken charge at the Liberty Stadium in January and guided the club to Premier League safety, finishing in 12th position.Jenkins said: “We are obviously disappointed to part company with Francesco. We felt he deserved his opportunity after the work he did last season.”Unfortunately we have not been able to carry performances over from last season and we felt we needed to change things as soon as possible in order to move forward in a positive way.”We would like to thank Francesco and his staff for their services to the club and wish them well for the future.”In July, an American consortium led by Steve Kaplan and Jason Levienbought a controlling stake in Swansea. Landon Donovan, a U.S. international during Bradley’s tenure, is also a shareholder.Bradley was in charge of the U.S. national team from 2006-2011, including the 2010 World Cup, before being replaced by Jurgen Klinsmann.He then managed the Egypt national team and enjoyed a successful spell with Stabaek, helping the Norwegian club qualify for the Europa League for the first time.He joined Le Havre last November and just missed out on promotion to Ligue 1 in May.Le Havre announced the appointment of Oswald Tanchot as Bradley’s replacement on Monday and the American told the club’s official website he had “mixed feelings” over his departure.Bradley said: “On the one hand, I would have liked to see the project through by taking the team up at the end of the season. On the other hand, I thank HAC [Le Havre] and president [Vincent] Volpe for allowing me the chance to coach in the world’s leading league.”It is a unique opportunity and I will not forget HAC and the president have made it possible for me to take it at this moment during the season. I also know I can now coach in the Premier League thanks to the exposure this club has offered me.”I have total confidence in Oswald’s work. It has been a pleasure working with him and I know he is up to the set task: a Ligue 1 return. I will certainly continue to be a strong supporter of HAC.”Le Havre president Volpe said he was satisfied that Tanchot, who had been Bradley’s assistant, would be a strong appointment.”I am pleased for two reasons,” he said. “Firstly, because we have helped Bob to reach the Premier League and secondly because Oswald is succeeding him as coach. When Bob Bradley arrived in November of 2015, we hoped to team them up so that this promising young coach could learn from his time in contact with the former U.S. men’s national team boss.”We also convinced Oswald to stay at the club this summer because he was wanted by others. We explained to him that he was well positioned to become coach in the medium to long term. We already anticipated the current situation and the senior side will now be led by Oswald Tanchot, holder of the BEPF [FFF coaching badge].”Le Havre are currently 11th in Ligue 2.

Marcus Rashford must start for England, not Wayne Rooney – Shearer

lan Shearer believes Marcus Rashford should start for England against Malta on Saturday — but Wayne Rooney should not be playing behind him.Rashford was among four Manchester United players in interim manager Gareth Southgate’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia, alongside Rooney, Jesse Lingard and Chris Smalling.”He [Rashford] has been knocking on the door until now,” former England captain Shearer wrote in his column for The Sun. “He is crashing on it with his performances for Manchester United. If you can step up to the plate for them, England will hold no worries for him.”To be fair, caretaker boss Gareth Southgate could play anyone up front and win this game, so why not give Rashford his chance? We need to be looking to the future after those woeful performances at the Euros and Rashford is very much that.”Shearer also questioned former England manager Roy Hodgson’s decision to bring Rashford on so late in the round-of-16 defeat against Iceland at Euro 2016.”If he had been given more than a few minutes against Iceland, we might have stumbled along into the quarterfinals of that competition,” he wrote. “Why on earth he wasn’t brought on before the 86th minute, when it was crying out for his spark, I don’t know.”Well, now is the chance to see the very best from him in his best position, straight up front. Not just one game either, give him a run.”This is a young player with pace, trickery, awareness and a great eye for goal. He is not too young either, he is good enough and, from what I hear, he is a very level-headed lad.”The question then, is who plays just behind him? It should not be Wayne Rooney. He has not started in the last three games for his club and doesn’t look like getting back into this Manchester United side.”This is why I said it would have been better for him to retire from international football after the Euros. He can no longer do it for club and country. Right now, he can’t even do it for his club and that is what he needs to concentrate on to have a chance of extending his career. I would put Dele Alli in behind Rashford.”Rashford has scored four goals for United this season in nine appearances, while Rooney has scored once for the Red Devils this term in 10 appearances.

Premier League Playback: Assessing the title contenders

1 CommentBy Joe Prince-Wright Oct 5, 2016, 12:10 PM EDT

ASSESSING TITLE CONTENDERS

Who is on the up?

Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp’s side are the top goalscorers so far this season and they are showing signs of defensive solidity despite still giving up sloppy goals from set piece situations. Still, if you’re going to score at least two goals per game, you can afford the odd slip up and it hasn’t cost Liverpool who have beaten Arsenal and Chelsea away from home, and also drawn with Tottenham on the road. Not bad at all. Liverpool has so many attacking options currently on form with Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana andRoberto Firmino all on their game. The fact that Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi andDanny Ings are on the outside looking in says it all. Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum are quietly building a formidable partnership in central midfield too with Klopp’s tactics and the extra time to work on the training ground with no European action paying dividends already.

Arsenal: The Gunners are red-hot with five wins from five going into the break. Shkodran Mustafi looks like a superb addition in central defense and with Alexis Sanchez through the middle and Mesut Ozil, Alex Iwobi and Theo Walcott feeding off him, Arsene Wenger’s side look so dangerous in attack. After just celebrating his 20th anniversary in charge, will Wenger be celebrating a first PL title since 2004? His side is surging and after finishing second last season despite a dip in the second half of the campaign, the Gunners look like the biggest threat to Manchester City for the title as things stand.

[ MORE: 3 things on Spurs-City ]

Tottenham: These guys, somehow, have flown completely under the radar. After a summer of careful additions to the squad and being focused on signing a dozen key players to new contracts, Mauricio Pochettino’s squad looks much stronger from 1-16 and they’ve coped masterfully with the recent absence of Harry Kane and Mousa Dembele. In their win over Manchester City before the break, Spurs showed just how good they are. High-press, defensive solidity and then relying on Dele Alli and Kane for goals and assists is a pretty formidable formula. The only unbeaten team in the PL has tougher tests ahead but so far they’ve vastly exceeded expectations.

Stalling after strong starts?

Man United: Yes, they’ve still won four of their opening seven games, but United has shown that they’re still very disjointed and I’m a firm believer that Jose Mourinho still doesn’t know what his best team is. The Portuguese coach has chopped and changed so much in midfield but now Wayne Rooney is out, finally he’s getting the best out of Paul Pogba withAnder Herrera alongside him. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has, so far, been a hit and with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial around, he has competition. United have looked really good in flashes but are yet to get firing on all cylinders apart from the first half of the big win against Leicester City. Work to do, Jose.

Chelsea: So, the Blues have defensive issues. Big time. Antonio Conte‘s boys won their opening three games but since then they’ve won just once, losing to Liverpool and home and they were trounced by London rivals Arsenal. With John Terry out injured, Conte’s defense has looked porous, although they did go to a three-man central defensive at Hull last week and it worked a treat. That seems to be the way forward because the plan was for this Chelsea team to be tough to beat and rely on the clinical finishing of Diego Costa and the wizardry of Eden Hazard and Willian to get wins. Conte has a lot of work to do at Chelsea and he knows it.

Man City: Okay, they’re top of the league with six wins from seven but in the last week or so doubts have crept in as to just how good this Man City side is under Pep Guardiola. In truth, they steamrollered opponents early in the season but the toughest game they had was against a Manchester United who were poor on the day at Old Trafford. Both Celtic and then Tottenham showed that intense high-pressing can work a treat against City withClaudio Bravo and his defense unable to find midfielders with the ball. Of course, City have missed Kevin De Bruyne of late and Vincent Kompany too but maybe this small blip will keep their feet firmly on the ground with a tough stretch of games coming up. We’ll find out how good City is in the weeks to come.

BRADLEY’S ARRIVAL HUGE FOR USA, WELL-DESERVED

It actually happened.

For so long now Bob Bradley has been linked with the vacant positions in the Premier League (Fulham, West Brom, Hull, Sunderland to name a few) but on Monday Swansea City announced the former U.S. national team head coach was their new boss.

This is a monumental moment for soccer in the USA as Bradley is the first-ever American to coach in the Premier League or any of Europe’s top five leagues.Bradley, 58, has been working his whole career for this opportunity. From NCAA to MLS, USA to Egypt and then on his recent travails across Norway and France, Bradley has taken the long road and now he has his big chance.Swansea hasn’t had a great start to the season (four points through seven matches will tell you that) but they have real talent and if Bradley can get through the first six games with 7-9 points on the board, a real stretch of winnable matches arrives throughout the busy December period.Speaking following his final game for French second-tier side Le Havre on Monday, Bradley revealed his feelings on joining Swansea.

“In this moment the opportunity to go to the Premier League, on many levels, is special,” Bradley said. “I am sorry to leave, especially at this moment. It is still an opportunity for me, my family, for American football. I thank Le Havre for the opportunity to work in the best league in the world. It’s a unique opportunity.”

It’s a safe bet that everyone in the U.S. Soccer community had a wry smile on their faces when Bradley was appointed Swansea’s new manager and uttered something along the lines of: “Good for Bob.”He’s a much liked figure and although he’s globe-trotted in recent years, the U.S. connection remains strong with his time in charge of the USMNT, plus great success in MLS’ early years. The American soccer community holds him close to their hearts as he starts this exciting journey in the Premier League.Bradley will now prepare for a huge task ahead — starting with his managerial debut in the PL away at Arsenal on Oct. 15 (Watch live, 10 a.m. ET online via NBC Sports) — but it is one he will be relishing and an opportunity he thoroughly deserves.

GOOCH MAKING WAVES

Premier League Schedule – Week 7

Result	Recap & Highlights
Burnley 0-1 Arsenal	Recap, watch here
Everton 1-1 Palace	Recap, watch here
Hull 0-2 Chelsea	Recap, watch here
Leicester 0-0 Saints	Recap, watch here
Man United 1-1 Stoke	Recap, watch here
Tottenham 2-0 Man City	Recap, watch here
Sunderland 1-1 WBA	Recap, watch here
Swansea 1-2 Liverpool	Recap, watch here
Watford 2-2 B’mouth	Recap, watch here
West Ham 1-1 M’boro	Recap, watch here

The Premier League also has a new American midfielder making a name for himself: Lynden Gooch.

A 20-year-old from Santa Cruz, California, Gooch has come up through Sunderland’s ranks after joining their academy as a 16-year-old and he has made seven appearances for the Black Cats, starting their first four games in the Premier League.Last Thursday I went up to Sunderland’s Academy of Light training ground to speak with Gooch about his incredible rise and over the weekend it was announced he’d been called into the U.S. national team for the first time.Looks like it was a good decision to ditch surfing in Santa Cruz to play soccer in Sunderland at the age of 16.Watch the video below of our Facebook live chat, plus here’s a snippet from an exclusive chat we had as the wind howled in England’s north east as Sunderland remains winless through their opening seven PL games.Even if the Mackems aren’t enjoying a good start to this season, Gooch is in dreamland.

“People still ask me ‘why have you come to Sunderland from California!?’ Well, I wanted to be successful. I wanted to be a professional footballer. I wanted to play in the Premier League and I want to play for this football club. Hopefully I can do that for a long time,” Gooch said, proudly. “Some people are still surprised at how far I’ve come. It was a no-brainer for me. As soon as I could’ve come to this club. I would’ve come early at aged 14, or 12, whenever… I would’ve came.”

Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte need time to change past habits

Pep Guardiola’s admission that his Manchester City side had been outplayed by Tottenham in their 2-0 defeat on Sunday was a statement of the obvious. Nevertheless, it was interesting to hear one of his explanations for their superiority.”We played against a team who had the same trainer for the last two or three years,” he said. “They were one step in front of us today.”Continuity, or lack thereof, is something of a theme this season. One of the reasons the top of the Premier League is so intriguing is that three of the main contenders for the title (Man United, City and Chelsea) have new managers: not just men who have their own styles, but men whose styles contrast significantly with their predecessors.That was certainly something Antonio Conte lingered on after Chelsea’s nerve-calming 2-0 win over Hull City. The first weeks of the Italian’s tenure at Stamford Bridge have been rather uneven, Saturday representing their first victory since August. Questions have been asked about their lack of defensive solidity, to the point that Conte almost seemed more pleased with the clean sheet (also their first since August) than the win.Conte changed Chelsea’s system to a three-man defence on Saturday, and while Hull’s attack didn’t exactly provide the sternest of tests, the players did at least show they could cope with the formation he often deployed to great success with Juventus and Italy.Conte noted afterwards that the “principles are more important than the system” and Chelsea’s sticky start to the season is, at least in part, down to the instilling of those principles. It will not come immediately.”I think today I saw a lot of things I like,” said Conte. “We worked to put pressure, to win the ball back, and I like this. To do this it needs time, because we have to change the habits of the past.”That last point didn’t seem to be a particular dig at Jose Mourinho, or interim coach Guus Hiddink, but simply to emphasise that changing a manager is not like changing a t-shirt. Conte stressed that he wants his sides to be compact, to maintain width, to win the ball back quickly and to pressure the opposition, all things that he wants the team to do in his own way.”Now we must work,” he added. “Because we know to change the past we need to work a lot, to work together, to understand there is a lot to improve.”The point about changing the past is arguably even more apposite to one of Conte’s predecessors. Mourinho not only has to deal with a new club, but with a Manchester United team who spent last season playing what we’ll diplomatically call “a particular type” of football.Under Louis van Gaal, United’s players were instructed — nay, ordered, under pain of punishment — to build slowly, to dominate possession and pass, pass, pass. At points it’s been frustrating to watch United this season, but it must be remembered that, like Conte, Mourinho has had to change the habits of the past.This is perhaps one of the more underrated problems that new managers have to face at their clubs: it must be difficult enough to get one player to forget everything they’d been told before by the previous regime, never mind a whole squad of them.A good manager will imbue his charges with his own style, his own instructions, to the extent that it becomes second nature: a new manager has to change that nature.It’s no wonder that Conte has been asking for time, reportedly meeting Roman Abramovich three times last week and having lunch with the owner in the Chelsea canteen. And given this is something Conte has done before, granting him this time is justified: he took Juventus from seventh place to three consecutive Serie A titles, and took an Italy side who had departed the 2014 World Cup in the first round to the quarterfinals at Euro 2016.Hull’s caretaker manager Mike Phelan, as experienced a man as you will find in the game and Conte’s opponent on Saturday, was asked what he made of Chelsea. Without knowing what the Italian had said a few minutes before, Phelan picked up on the point. “They’ve got a new manager with new methods, that shows at times that it’s still a work in progress,” he said. “He knows what he wants, but it’s difficult to impose those beliefs on a group of players that have perhaps had two or three different managers.”These are three works in progress, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City, and one thinks of the immortal Brendan Rodgers line, when he said that managing a football team was “like trying to build an airplane while it’s flying.”The Premier League is so relentless that these teams are busy building while travelling at a thousand miles an hour, so while that pace inevitably comes with a degree of impatience, these managers deserve some understanding as they try to move their squads from the old to the new. We are essentially watching revolution disguised as evolution — a tricky task to manage, to say the least.Guardiola has seemingly coped with the problem of transformation a little better than his opponents, but as Tottenham and to a lesser extent Celtic proved last week, there are still kinks to work out. As for Conte and Mourinho, as well as having the same issues to confront, the two men have identical records: both Chelsea and United have won four, drawn one and lost three.”The work we’ve done is good,” said Conte, “but we must continue.”Nick Miller is a writer for ESPN FC, covering Premier League and European football. Follow him on Twitter @NickMiller79.

After two wild semifinals, Washington and WNY are through to the NWSL championship

The NWSL will have a first-time champion now.

Flash forward Lynn Williams celebrates scoring a goal during the NWSL semifinals at Providence Park in Portland. Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer/isiphotos.com.

By Caitlin MurrayOct 2, 2016 at 9:40p ET

After two dramatic extra-time matches in the semifinals, the slate for the NWSL championship is set. The Washington Spirit will face the Western New York Flash next Sunday (5 p.m. ET, FS1) as one of them will win their first league title.The Portland Thorns looked poised to make try to make history Sunday and become the first NWSL Shield winner to bring home a title — the atmosphere was special as they set a new attendance record for the NWSL semifinals at 20,086 raucous fans. But they spent the day chasing the game after uncharacteristically conceding early twice, despite pulling level and forcing extra time.The match was an even one with both sides recording 17 shots each, but the Flash did well to capitalize on the chances they had, with Samantha Mewis’ first goal and game-winning assist for Lynn Williams the highlights:

Williams finished with a brace and a Makenzy Doniak goal rounded out WNY’s efforts on the day. For Portland, Christine Sinclair, Emily Sonnett and Lindsey Horan each had goals.Waiting for WNY will be the Washington Spirit, who clinched their championship spot on Friday night with an extra-time win over the Chicago Red Stars in cold, rainy conditions. Francisca Ordega scored the winner in the 111th minute.Defender Ali Krieger put Washington up first on a well-finished header, but Chicago striker Christen Press struck back 10 minutes before full-time with a beautiful volley to push the game into extra time: It will be Washington’s first time into the NWSL final in the league’s four-year history, but the Flash have had a shot at the title once before. In 2013, the Flash hosted the championship but were shut out by Portland, 2-0.The NWSL championship will be hosted in Houston as a predetermined site on Oct. 9. at BBVA Compass Stadium.

D.C. United storm into top 10 in MLS Power Rankings as Dallas retake No. 1

Overall points leaders FC Dallas are back on top of our Major League Soccer Power Rankings after an important 1-0 win over the LA Galaxy, while D.C. United are the biggest movers thanks to a six-point week.

FC Dallas(+1)
After slipping against the Colorado Rapids a few weeks ago, FC Dallas have gotten back to their unbeatable ways at Toyota Stadium, most recently with a big 1-0 win over the LA Galaxy. It looks more and more likely that the path to the MLS Cup will go through Texas.
New York Red Bulls(+1)
The Red Bulls are trying to finish the season with a flourish. After Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Union, New York boast a two-game winning streak and a 14-game unbeaten run.
Toronto FC(-2)
Still no Sebastian Giovinco due to injury, and it’s starting to hurt. TFC’s 2-1 loss to D.C. United on Saturday night dropped them into third place in the Eastern Conference.
Colorado Rapids(no change)
The Rapids kept their Supporters’ Shield hopes alive by making a single goal stand up in a home win against the Portland Timbers.
New York City FC(+2)
David Villa is the hero New York need. The Spaniard was sensational on the weekend, scoring a brace in a 2-0 win over the Houston Dynamo and further solidifying an impeccable MVP resume.
Seattle Sounders(+1)
The Sounders are on the verge of making the playoffs after a 2-1 win at the Vancouver Whitecaps and, much to everyone’s surprise, they could be dangerous once they get there.
Philadelphia Union(-1)
The Union’s set piece defending let them down big time in a 3-2 loss at Red Bull Arena. Five games without a win means they’re no longer a safe bet to make the playoffs.
D.C. United(+4)
The contest for the title of “hottest team in the league” is a two-team affair between the Sounders and United. D.C.’s destruction of Columbus Crew SC 3-0 in midweek was impressive, but the road win in Toronto might have proved more.
Real Salt Lake(-1)
RSL look like a team stuck in neutral, and it cost them on the road in a 2-1 defeat against the San Jose Earthquakes. Jeff Cassar’s team have talent and experience, but they lack balance.
Sporting Kansas City(-1)
It’s going to go down to the wire for Sporting, who are clinging to sixth place after a 3-1 loss at the New England Revolution. No blame to Dom Dwyer, who has scored in four straight games.

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9/30/16 Champions League Match-Day 2, Indy 11 on Road after NY Cosmos Thrashing, Local High School Sectionals next week

September 30, 2016 gatorbest

So huge news this week with some fantastic Champion League games during match day 2, the Firing of the English Manager, and the Indy 11 with a huge home win over NASL League leader the NY Cosmos, but the biggest thing I saw was the young American 18 year-old sensation Christian Pulisic for Dortmund –come on and provide the game tying assist for the German side vs the defending Champions Real Madrid. Yes he came on in the 73rd minute down 2-1 and immediately ran at Real, streaking by Daniello to blast a shot in the 83rd minute. Then in the 86th minute again breaking the back line of Real and serving a perfect ball across that was wonderfully hit by Schurrle for a dramatic tying goal in front of the home Dortmund crowd of over 86,000. It was a wall of Yellow and excitement for all in the best Champions League game thus far. Ok maybe I was wrong – Celtics amazing 3-3 home tie with Man City might have been the best – the Bayern/Athetico 1-0 thriller was also fantastic!

Locally the Indy 11 have a Sunday match this weekend @ Edmonton 4 pm on ESPN3, after their huge win over the NY Cosmos moved them into 2^nd place in the league.

The EPL has a battle of top 2 teams with unbeaten Tottenham hosting #1 Man City at home Sunday at 9:15 on NBCSN. Good to see former US Coach Bob Bradley in consideration for the Swansea GM job as they host Liverpool Sat at 7:30 am on NBCSN, meanwhile Bayer Leverkusen and Mexican star Chichirito host Borussia Dortmund and US starlet Christian Pulisic Sat 12:30 on Fox Sports 2. US Internationals Bobby Wood for Hamburg and John Brooks for Hertha Berlin will face off Sun at 9:30 am on Fox Soccer. World Cup Qualifying starts next Thurs so no league games – the USA will travel to Cuba on Friday night for a friendly at 4 pm on ESPN2, and they will host New Zealand Tues Night, Oct 11 at 8 pm on ESPN.

High school sectionals begin next week with the #3 Ranked Carmel ladies facing Westfield Thurs Oct 6^th @ 5 pm followed by Guerin Catholic and #6 Zionsville. The winners meet @ Westfield Sat @ 2 pm. On the boys side 8^th ranked Carmel and 18^th ranked Guerin Catholic will each be playing in Zionsville Wednesday, Oct 5 with GC facing Westfield at 5 pm and Carmel facing Zionsville at 7. Winners match up Sat at 7 pm. Good luck to all our current and former Carmel FC players playing high school soccer this season!

gcboys

Guerin Catholic will honor Seniors and former Carmel FC players from left, Julian T, Matt Quinn, Logan Bedford, Cooper Fetters, 2 from right PJ Grocki, and far right Scott Corman at 3:30 pm before their 4 pm Senior Day Kickoff vs Cardinal Ritter Sat at Guerin High School.

Champions League Match Day 2

US youngster Christian Pulisic Provides Assist on Dortmunds 2-2 tie with Real Madrid

Champions League Wrap

Champions League Match Day 2 Recap – SI

Leicester City Wins 2^nd UCL with home 1-0 winner over Porto

Son saves Point for Tottenham in Moscow

Juve Rolls 4-0

Barcelona survives scare with Mgladbach

Bayern loses to Atletico

Celtic Use Home Crowd to Draw with Man City

Power Rankings Teams in Europe

WORLD

England Coach Sam Allardyce Ousted as England coach after Sting

England laughing stock of the Soccer World

Marcotti – FA Ineptness

EPL

Former US coach Bob Bradley meets with Swansea over possible Mgr Position

Weekend Predictions

Man City Travels to White Hart Lane in 1 v 2 Battle

MLS

Dempsey to miss rest of 2016 Seattle Season

Seattle Sounders Surging to Playoffs – MLS Rankings

MLS Playoff Picture Rounding out

Atlanta Signs former Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino

LA Dos Santos Returns to Mexico National Team

USA

What to Expect in upcoming US Friendlies

Lynden Gooch 20, Living out Dream for Sunderlund

Carters-Vicker 18 Signs new deal with Tottenham

Wisconsin College Defender to face USA and Mexico in Oct

GOALKEEPING

Great Saves in Europe – August

MLS Save of the Week

Top Saves in NWSL this week

New US Women’s Goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and some great saves

Top Saves Champions League last season

Indy 11

Indy 11 vs Edmonton Preview

Indy 11 thrash Cosmos at the Mike

Get your Indy 11 Playoff Tickets now

Tifo Time – the BYB

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Fri, Sept 30

2:45 pm NBCSN Crystal Palace vs Everton

Sat, Oct 1

7:30 am NBCSN Swansea @ Liverpool

9 am Fox Sports 1 U-17 Women’s World Cup – Nigeria vs Brazil

9:30 am Fox Sports2 Bayern Munich vs Koln

9:30 am Fox Soccer? Hertha vs Hamburger

10 am NBCSN Hull City vs Chelsea, Sunderland vs West Brom,

11 am beIn Sport PSG vs Bordoeaux

12 noon Fox Soccer + USA vs Paraguay – US Women’s U17 World Cup

12:30 pm Fox Sports 2 Bayern Leverkusen vs Borussia Dortmund

7:30 pm Gol TV Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Miami

Sun, Oct 2

7 am NBCSN Man United vs Stoke City

9:30 am Fox Sports2 Bayern Munich vs Koln

9:30 am Fox Soccer? Hertha vs Hamburger

9:15 am NBCSN Tottenham vs Man City

10:15 am beIn Sport Real Madrid vs Eibar

1 pm ESPN Orlando vs Montreal Impact

4 pm TV 8? Edmonton vs Indy 11

5 pm Fox Sports 1 NWSL – Portland Thorns vs NY Flash

8 pm Fox Sports Vancouver vs Seattle Sounders

Tue, Oct 4

9 am Fox Sports 2 U17 Women’s World Cup – USA vs Ghana

12 noon Fox Sports 2 U1 WWC – Brazil vs Korea

Thurs, Oct 6 – World Cup Qualifying

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Italy vs Spain

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Austria vs Wales

5 pm beIN sports Ecuador vs Chile

7 pm beIN sports Uraguay vs Venezuela

8:45 pm beIN sports Brazil vs Bolivia

10:15 pm beIN sports Peru vs Argentina

Fri, Oct 7 – World Cup Qualifying

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Netherland vs Belarus

2:45 pm ESPN 2 or 3? France vs Bulgaria

4 pm ESPN 2 Cuba vs United States Men (friendly)

Sat Oct 8 – World Cup Qualifying

9 am Fox Sports 1 U17 WWC – Brazil vs England

12 noon Fox Sports 1 U17 WWC – Japan vs USA

12 noon ESPN 3 England vs Malta

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Germany vs Czech Republic

7 pm TV 8 Indy 11 vs Jacksonville

Sun, Oct 9 – World Cup Qualifying

12 noon Fox Sports 1 Wales vs Georgia

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Albania vs Spain

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Macedonia vs Italy

2:45 pm ESPN 3 Iceland vs Turkey

5 pm Fox Sports 1 NWSL – Championship FINAL

6 pm SEC Network Florida vs Ole Miss

Mon, Oct 10 – World Cup Qualifying

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Netherlands vs France

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Sweden vs Bulgaria

Tues, Oct 11 – World Cup Qualifying

12 noon Fox Sports 2 Kazakhastan vs Romania

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Poland vs Armenia

2:45 pm ESPN 2? Slovenia vs England

4 pm beIN Sport Columbia vs Uraguay

7:30 pm beIN Sport Chile vs Peru

8 pm ESPN USA (Men) vs New Zealand (friendly)

8:30 pm beIN Sport Brazil vs Venezuela

Weds, Oct 12 – U17-WWC

9 am Fox Sports 2 WWC Quarter Final 1

12 noon Fox Sports 2 WWC Quarter Final 2

Thurs, Oct 13 – U17-WWC

9 am Fox Sports 2 WWC Quarter Final 3

12 noon Fox Sports 2 WWC Quarter Final 4

Fri, Oct 14

2:30 pm Fox Sports 2? Dortmund vs Hertha – US Christian Pulisic vs US Defender John Brooks

Sat, Oct 15

7:30 am NBCSN Chelsea vs Leicester City

9:30 am Fox Sports2 B M’Gladbach vs Hamburger

9:30 am Fox Soccer? Hertha vs Hamburger

10 am NBCSN Man City vs Everton, Arsenal vs Swansea

12:30 pm NBCSN West Brom vs Tottenham

12:30 pm Fox Sports 2 Werder Bremen vs Bayern Leverkusen

7:30 TV 8 Indy 11 vs Carolina

German Bundesliga TV Schedule on Fox Soccer and Gol TV

USMNT Pulisic on assist vs. Real Madrid: “There’s no better feeling”

Leave a commentBy Joe Prince-Wright Sep 28, 2016, 8:58 AM EDT

Christian Pulisic continued his fairytale rise up through the ranks of the soccer world on Tuesday as the 18-year-old jumped off the bench and notched a crucial assist as Borussia Dortmund scored a late equalizer in the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid.[ MORE: UCL roundup ]

Trailing the reigning European champions heading into the final few minutes at home in their Group F game, Pulisic picked up the ball on the right flank (see video below) and drove towards Real’s defense. He then clipped a dangerous ball to the back post which eventually found Andre Schurrle who rifled home. Dortmund’s fans went nuts and so did Pulisic.The U.S. national team attacker has now made five appearances in all competitions for Dortmund this season, scoring once, and the Hershey, Pennsylvania native revealed what it felt like to play against Real in a huge UCL game at the Westfalenstadion.Speaking to TV cameras after the game, Pulisic was still on a high from his game-changing assist in just his second Champions League appearance.

“It was an amazing game to come into, especially because the level was so high. It was an intense game, so I was just excited to get in there and show what I could do and try to help the team,” Pulisic. “Yeah [the goal] was amazing, I mean what a goal to score in that moment in that in front of the home fans. It was amazing for both of us, for everyone.”

Pulisic also revealed his pride as his stellar start to the new season continues.“There’s no better feeling. Playing in the Champions League is a whole other sense of pride and it is amazing,” Pulisic said. “You always watch it as a kid and coming on in such a big game, it is incredible. I can’t describe it.”

FOX Soccer WATCH: Pulisic cross makes its way to Schurrle for equalizer

✔@FOXSoccer

Wonderful work from Pulisic to set up Schurrle’s unstoppable equalizer for Dortmund. #UCLonFOX

4:33 PM – 27 Sep 2016

The rising star of U.S. Soccer did describe what it was like to be playing and making an impact at the elite level in Europe and he hopes to stay there for a very long time.“That’s the goal when you want to play professional soccer, you want to get to the highest level you can and that’s how you get better,” Pulisic said. “At such a young age I want to keep playing at the highest level so I can improve more and more and become the best player I can be.”Ahead of the USA’s friendlies against Cuba and New Zealand coming up, Pulisic’s star continues to rise and there’s no doubt that when the Hexagonal round of 2018 World Cup qualifying kicks off in November that he’ll be a crucial part of Jurgen Klinsmann’s plans.Safe to say that will likely be the case for many years to come as we simply have never seen a young U.S. player making such a significant impact on such a big stage at such a tender age.

Champions League wrap: Spurs, Foxes collect wins; Juve wins big in Croatia

2 CommentsBy Nicholas Mendola Sep 27, 2016, 4:57 PM EDT

The UEFA Champions League’s group stage hits its second round of matches Tuesday, with two Premier League teams in play and a bevy of big names from outside England.Leicester won again, meaning the unlikely Premier League champions could all-but-clinch a spot in the knockout rounds if they beat Copenhagen in October. Spurs also won to help make amends for losing at home to start the group stage while — surprise, surprise — USMNT star Christian Pulisic again was the super sub for Borussia Dortmund, making a big difference in a draw with Real Madrid.Standings at bottom.

CSKA Moscow 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur

There’s no shame in picking up a point so far from home, but a loss in the group stage opener but a little more weight on Spurs.Mauricio Pochettino‘s side bossed the play, but found themselves closed down atop the 18 by a stingy and aggressive CSKA Moscow side.Erik Lamela and Son Heung-min were active, and it was the South Korean who found a break through in the 71st minute.Played through on goal, Igor Akinfeev got a piece of Son’s right-footed rip only to see the ball crawl across the line. 1-0.

Dinamo Zagreb 0-4 Juventus

Gonzalo Higuain and Miralem Pjanic scored first half goals for The Old Lady, who has had little trouble establishing itself in UCL this year. Paulo Dybala made it 3-0 in the 57th minute, as we had cruise control in Croatia.

Monaco 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez reportedly cost Bayer Leverkusen less than $10 million, and he’s been an absolute steal. Whatever was missing from his game at Manchester United and Real Madrid has been on full display for Bayer. Hernandez busted the match open with his sixth UCL goal in 11 appearances for the German side. Unfortunately for his side, Kamil Glik leveled things deep into stoppage time.

Leicester City 1-0 Porto

The chemistry between Algeria and now Leicester City teammates Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani is very real.The former fed the latter for an opening goal on Tuesday in UEFA Champions League play at King Power Stadium, as the Foxes have opened up a 1-0 lead on Porto.You can imagine the visitors aren’t too pleased with having to meet up with Slimani, who they just managed to see out of their league only to watch him arrive in their UCL group.And how about the mad dabbing kid shown just after Slimani’s celebration? Wild nights in Leicester, as the Foxes held up to Porto’s second half pressure and went 2-for-2 in the group stage.

Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo got on the scoresheet, though the hosts have been by far the more dangerous side. USMNT teenager Christian Pulisic is on the bench for BVB.Thomas Tuchel’s side threatened to score through a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rocketed a shot just over the frame, and the Gabonese man made it 1-1 soon after when Keylor Navas punched Raphael Guerriero’s free kick off Raphael Varane. Aubameyang touched it over the line for an academic marker.Varane, however, looked to have had the last laugh, poking in a go-ahead goal. That’s when USMNT star Christian Pulisic subbed on for Borussia Dortmund with 17 minutes to go and forced Navas into a save. Emre Mor then did the same.Then, Pulisic beat his man on the right wing, sending a cross through traffic that Andre Schurrle collected and belted by Navas. 2-2.

Elsewhere

Sevilla 1-0 Lyon
Copenhagen 4-0 Club Brugge
Sporting CP 2-0 Legia Warsaw

Lynden Gooch is living the American dream, at Sunderland

1 CommentBy Joe Prince-Wright Sep 29, 2016, 1:12 PM EDT

SUNDERLAND — Lynden Gooch is living his dream in the Premier League.From Santa Cruz, California, Gooch left home at the age of 16 in 2012 to join Sunderland’s academy and pursue his dream of becoming a Premier League player.So far, so good.Gooch, 20, made his Premier League debut for Sunderland away at Manchester City on the opening day of the season back on Aug. 13 and from an early age he’s been driven to chase his ultimate dream in England.The confident yet softly spoken American midfielder has an English father and an Irish mother, something which helped open his eyes to opportunities across the pond, and Gooch began training with Sunderland every summer from the age of 10.Speaking exclusively to ProSoccerTalk, Gooch revealed that after watching the Premier League throughout his childhood in California, he had to make the move.

“I’ve always wanted to be a Premier League player and I’ve always wanted to play in England. I’m English, you know? I’m Irish as well. I’ve got so many family members over here and it has always been a dream to play in this league,” Gooch said. “It is an amazing place to play. To be here for four years and to be here for another three, it is amazing.”

After being handed a surprise debut by new Sunderland manager David Moyes, Gooch has made six starts so far this season for the Black Cats in all competitions. He admitted in a Facebook live chat with ProSoccerTalk on Thursday, see below, that Sunderland’s passionate fans generate the “best atmosphere in the Premier League” and he is striving to do whatever he can to help the team he supports recover from a poor start to the season which has seen them fail to win any of their opening six games in the PL. Sunderland square off against West Bromwich Albion this Saturday (Watch live, 10 a.m. ET online via NBC Sports) in what is being billed a must-win game to kick-start their season. Gooch said that after making his initial breakthrough into the first team in both central midfield and out wide, he aims for consistency to help his team get back to winning ways. What does he see himself adding to Sunderland’s midfield?“Getting the ball, giving it and getting it back, committing a player and dribbling past someone. I like to create things. I like to hit long balls. I like to switch the play. I think I’ve got a bit of everything,” Gooch said. “I’ve got that long ball in me and I can play the simple pass but I can dribble past someone and I’ve got a bit of pace. I just try to give as much as I can and be creative and add some flair. I just want to be a positive player and make sure I can make an impact going forward.”As we chat in the players lounge at Sunderland’s Academy of Light training ground, with a strong breeze whipping up outside the window as trees creaked in England’s north east, there are pictures on the wall behind us of scholars who have made the grade at Sunderland. Jordan Henderson, Jack Colback and Jordan Pickford are among them and there was Gooch, signing on with former manager Martin O’Neil smiling widely. Gooch had a huge grin on his face too. “That was one of the best days of my life,” said the self-confessed Mackem.The debate about innate ability vs. learned ability arose. Gooch grew up in a soccer mad family in Santa Cruz and played for PDA center of excellence which went to Sunderland when he was 10. On that tour of England he played in a trial game against Sunderland’s academy and scored a hat trick in the first half. The Black Cats kept tabs on him ever since and he trained with the club each summer until he signed a two-year scholar deal in 2012 and then a new three-year pro deal in April. Can you teach how to ghost past defenders and pick out passes? “Players just have that. You either see it or you don’t,” Gooch said. “I think I’ve had that since I was a kid and I’ve always been brought up by my dad to play with both feet. I’m very strong with both feet and always have been. I think that is really important, to be able to go either side of where a defender is or play a pass. You have to be able to do that if you want to play in this league.”When you watch him play, Gooch reminds you of a certain U.S. national team legend.With his ease on the ball, ability to dribble and penchant for scoring and creating goals (that helped him win the Premier League U-21 Player of the Month last September) you can see a similarity to Landon Donovan. That’s probably because Gooch grew up idolizing him when Donovan played for the San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.“I was at Spartans Stadium every week watching him play,” Gooch said of Donovan. “He was my idol as a kid, as much as probably every American kid who was playing. It’s amazing to see him come back and continue playing and score a goal against Kansas City. He has definitely been a role model. I actually got to meet him last year in Manchester which was really nice. It was good. He is a nice guy and nice to meet him but I was a bit starstruck. It was amazing to meet him.”There’s another goalscoring hero who is an idol of the Californian’s too.

“I’ve always looked up to Wayne Rooney,” Gooch said, nodding his head. “I think I was watching the game when he scored against Arsenal for Everton, his first goal, and now I am working with the same manager [David Moyes] so it is funny how things work out like that. I see a lot of myself in Wayne. Obviously he is in a different league with the career he’s had but in terms of strength and being able to play in so many different positions, I’ve always looked at him as a role model and to try and be like him.”

Tales of Gooch’s rise is music to the ears of U.S. national team fans as many salivate over the prospect of a USMNT young talent playing regularly in the Premier League. Jurgen Klinsmann has already reacted positively to Gooch becoming a starter at Sunderland and it would not be surprising to see him play for the full U.S. national team in the coming months.He admits that he wants to play for the USA, despite qualifying for both the English national team and Republic of Ireland, but being left out of the U.S. U-20 World Cup squad in 2015 by Tab Ramos was not only a tough pill to swallow but something which spurred him on.“That really hit me quite hard,” Gooch said. “I thought that without a doubt I deserved to be in that squad. I’d been in every single squad up until that point. That was very hard to take but it definitely made me want to prove them wrong even more and show them that they made a mistake.”On the U.S. front, Gooch is one of a number of promising attack-minded midfielders coming up through the ranks. Christian Pulisic has stolen most of the headlines at Borussia Dortmund with his stunning breakthrough, and that success is spurring Gooch on to reach new heights.“I played against him [Pulisic] in preseason when we played Dortmund but obviously I’ve heard and I’ve seen him play. Even here people are talking about him in the dressing room so everyone can see how good he is and what he brings,” Gooch revealed. “Being so young, he just turned 18 years old, he is doing fantastic and it will be great to play with him as well.”That burning desire to push on to bigger things with Sunderland and the U.S. national team drives Gooch on. Even if many still question his decision to leave the sun-kissed beaches of Santa Cruz behind to pursue his dream in the chilly, windswept city of Sunderland in the far north east of England. He lives with his girlfriend and her family (who Gooch says he owes so much too for taking him in over 5,000 miles from his home) and he and Talia are moving in together for the first time in November.Even with his entire family now back in Santa Cruz (including his brother who is, of course, a professional surfer), life is good for Gooch.“People still ask me ‘why have you come to Sunderland from California!?’ Well, I wanted to be successful. I wanted to be a professional footballer. I wanted to play in the Premier League and I want to play for this football club. Hopefully I can do that for a long time,” Gooch said, proudly. “Some people are still surprised at how far I’ve come. It was a no-brainer for me. As soon as I could’ve come to this club. I would’ve come early at aged 14, or 12, whenever… I would’ve came.”Is he surprised how fast all this has happened?

“The start of the season has been surprising not only for me but for everyone around the world, in the States and here at the club as well. It came as a shock to start the first game and to continue playing. I’ve started six games so that’s been amazing so far. It is something I didn’t see coming but I’ve worked really hard to get this opportunity.”

18-year-old American Carter-Vickers signs new Tottenham contract

Leave a commentBy Andy Edwards Sep 29, 2016, 12:07 PM EDT

It’s been a decent eight days for Cameron Carter-Vickers, to say the least.Just last Wednesday, the 18-year-old United States and England dual international made his first-team debut for Tottenham Hotspurin the club’s rout of League One side Gillingham in the third round of the 2016-17 EFL Cup.Barely a week later, it was announced by the club that Carter-Vickers had put pen to paper on a brand new contract that will keep him at Tottenham until the summer of 2019.Carter-Vickers, who is yet to make his Premier League debut for Spurs, has been a part of the club’s youth academy for eight years now, progressing through the ranks and arriving onto the periphery of the first-team squad this season. Available off the bench for just about every game Spurs have played this season, the Essex-born youngster has seemingly surpassed 23-year-old Austrian international Kevin Wimmer along Mauricio Pochettino‘s pecking order.The son of an American father, former professional basketball player Howard Carter, CCV is eligible for both the English and U.S. national teams. With his rise to the Spurs first team, rumors have begun to circulate that England would come calling soon, though SI.com reported on Wednesday that he is “all USA” regarding his international allegiance.CCV spoke exclusively and extensively to PST’s Joe Prince-Wright last September. You can read JPW’s feature about the then-17-year-old, right here.

Barcelona on top of Power Rankings; Atletico also up as Bayern drop

‘s all change at the top of Shaka Hislop’s Power Rankings as a pair of Spanish giants make a move up the chart.

Barcelona(+1)

No Lionel Messi, no problem — last week, at least! Barca swept to a 5-0 win at Sporting Gijon before getting more of a test in the Champions League at Borussia Monchengladbach. They passed it, though, thanks to unlikely scorers Arda Turan and Gerard Pique.

Atletico Madrid(+4)

I’ve probably said it before, but it bears repeating: Is there any other side in Europe that is tougher to play against? Diego Simeone’s men have conceded just two goals in eight games this season and continue to employ an utterly relentless playing style.

Borussia Dortmund(+1)

Did this young BVB side come of age on Tuesday against Real Madrid? Granted, they trailed on two occasions, but think of the belief that equalising twice will give them. Thomas Tuchel has a pretty special team on his hands.

Bayern Munich(-3)

Bayern drop out of the top spot after needing a late goal to win at lowly Hamburg and then, just as they did in last season’s semifinal, losing to Atletico Madrid. There’s no reason to panic for Carlo Ancelotti, but this was not a great week for Bayern.

Real Madrid(-2)

Real Madrid had a frustrating week, in which they twice drew games after leading.

After winning 16 straight games, Madrid have now drawn three in a row. Like Bayern, there’s no cause to fret, but the fact they have conceded late equalisers in their past two games will be a source of frustration to Zinedine Zidane.

Manchester City(-4)

Hands up who predicted Celtic would be the first team to deny Man City a victory this season? Having beaten Swansea at the weekend, Pep Guardiola’s side were given all they could handle by the Scottish champions and only managed to come away with a 3-3 draw.

Juventus(+1)

An own goal gave them victory at Palermo, but Juventus were much more impressive in the Champions League on Tuesday. A 4-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb featured a star turn by Miralem Pjanic and another goal for Gonzalo Higuain.

Napoli(+1)

Equally good in European competition were Higuain’s old club, with Napoli winning 4-2 vs. Benfica. Dries Mertens was the main man with two goals. Having beaten Chievo at the weekend, Napoli remain undefeated this season.

Tottenham(new)

Two tricky away trips were successfully negotiated as Tottenham won at Middlesbrough and CSKA Moscow. The hero on both occasions was Son Heung-Min, who netted all three of his side’s goals. Lucky they didn’t sell him in the summer!

Arsenal(new)

Arsenal destroyed Chelsea with a relentless, first-half attacking performance. Add a midweek win over Basel, and it’ll be a happy 20th anniversary for Arsene Wenger.

Unbeaten Tottenham and Manchester City in Premier League showdown

Tottenham face Manchester City on Sunday as the remaining two unbeaten sides in the Premier League go head-to-head.Elsewhere, resurgent Arsenal face a trip to Burnley while Manchester United host Stoke, Liverpool travel to Swansea and troubled Chelsea are at Hull. Predict the results of all the weekend’s matches by voting in our match polls.

TOTTENHAM: Manchester City have won all six of their Premier League games so far and they are the highest scorers in the top flight with 18 goals. But Spurs have the best defensive record, home advantage and an extra day’s rest after their European exploits. They also did the double over City last season but all these factors may cancel each other out, with both sides retaining their unbeaten records.
Prediction: Tottenham 1-1 Manchester City — Ben Pearce

MAN CITY: The midweek 3-3 draw with Celtic in the Champions League was the first game City have failed to win this season. It was an exhausting match for Pep Guardiola’s side. That makes the trip to in-form Tottenham a difficult follow-up. Mauricio Pochettino’s team have shown intelligence in their play this season, so it could be a tough afternoon.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-2 Manchester City — David Mooney

BURNLEY: Although the Clarets have suffered a couple of heavy defeats away from home, they have been strong at Turf Moor, but their run of seven points from three home games will be tested by an in-form Arsenal side. Burnley memorably beat Arsenal in the League Cup here a few years ago; a repeat performance feels unlikely but Sean Dyche’s men will push the Gunners hard.
Prediction: Burnley 1-2 Arsenal — Jamie Smith

ARSENAL: Arsene Wenger’s men are on a roll and have the chance here to set the seal on a solid opening portion of the season. With Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott beginning to combine brilliantly in attack, the Gunners ought to have too much for Dyche’s men.
Prediction: Burnley 0-2 Arsenal — James McNicholas

MAN UNITED: Stoke, once renowned for their resilient league form, have had a disastrous start to the season, conceding goals freely — while their hosts, Manchester United, are fresh from their best performance of the season so far in last Saturday’s 4-1 win over Leicester and Jose Mourinho may slowly be discovering his best team.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Stoke — Musa Okwonga

STOKE: The Potters haven’t won at Old Trafford for over 40 years and given this is their worst start to a Premier League season it is unlikely they will buck that trend on Sunday. A goal for new boy Wilfried Bony would be a bonus, as would any points on the day ahead of a run of more winnable games.
Prediction: Manchester United 3-1 Stoke — James Whittaker

SWANSEA: Liverpool are second only to Manchester City in terms of goals and style this season. Swansea did better against City last Saturday than the 3-1 scoreline suggested, but it’s hard to see an end to the Swans’ struggles just yet.
Prediction: Swansea 1-2 Liverpool — Max Hicks

LIVERPOOL: One team struggling against another full of confidence leads to one obvious conclusion. Liverpool thrashed Hull 5-1 and perhaps ended their peculiar hoodoo against the so-called lesser sides. They don’t have too good a record at the Liberty Stadium, so it’s time to put that right too.
Prediction: Swansea 1-3 Liverpool — Steven Kelly

HULL CITY: It’s hard to know if this is a good or bad time to be hosting Chelsea. For all the talk of a crisis at Stamford Bridge, they’ll face Hull City with a point to prove. It’s another free hit for Mike Phelan’s side after facing Arsenal and Liverpool but it’s still going to take something special to avoid a third straight loss.
Prediction: Hull 1-2 Chelsea — Phil Buckingham

CHELSEA: A crushing 3-0 defeat to Arsenal has Antonio Conte scrambling, but the Blues travel to Hull, who suffered an even worse hammering. Diego Costa was kept quiet at Arsenal last time out but if Chelsea can play to his strengths they should have enough firepower to see off the Tigers.
Prediction: Hull 1-2 Chelsea — ESPN staff

LEICESTER: The champions will be confident of continuing their strong home record against Southampton, especially after the tremendous win over Porto in the Champions League. If City are to contend for a top-half finish or better they must win at the King Power since their away form has been shaky thus far. Saints are capable of goals so it may be a case of which Leicester defence turns up: the one who beat Porto or conceded four against Manchester United last weekend. If it’s a tight game, it’s one City should win.
Prediction: Leicester 1-0 Southampton — Ben Jacobs

SOUTHAMPTON: Energetic Leicester are the last side Southampton would want to face after a tiring 4,600-mile round trip to Israel in the Europa League on Thursday. Claude Puel left big-hitters Charlie Austin, Ryan Bertrand, Steven Davis and Jose Fonte at home and will be hoping his side benefit from their fresh legs
Prediction: Leicester 1-1 Southampton — Alex Crook

EVERTON: Yannick Bolasie will want to impress but former club Crystal Palace are not ideal opponents as Everton try to bounce back after losing to Norwich and Bournemouth in successive matches. Alan Pardew’s team are unbeaten in three trips to Goodison and have lost just once in the last six meetings.
Prediction: Everton 1-1 Crystal Palace — Luke O’Farrell

CRYSTAL PALACE: The Eagles have previously toiled against Romelu Lukaku — the striker has scored in three of the last four encounters against them — and the added threat of former favourite Bolasie means Palace will have their hands full. Reverting to counterattacking football might be the most successful approach to getting points from the game. Prediction: Everton 2-2 Crystal Palace — Rob Sutherland

Swansea City meet with former U.S. coach Bob Bradley – reports

ormer United States coach Bob Bradley has met with Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins about a potential head coaching job, according to multiple reports.Current Swansea boss Francesco Guidolin has been under increasing pressure after earning just four points from the first six games of the Premier League season.Should Guidolin be sacked, former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs remains the favourite for the job, according to The Sun.But Bradley, now the manager of French Ligue 2 club Le Havre, is also a candidate for the position after meeting with Jenkins recently at Bristol Airport, the BBC reported.In July, an American consortium led by Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien bought a controlling stake in the Welsh club. Landon Donovan, a former U.S. star during Bradley’s tenure, is also a shareholder. Bradley, 58, wa s in charge of the U.S. national team from 2006-2011, including the 2010 World Cup, before being replaced by Jurgen Klinsmann.He then managed the Egypt national team and enjoyed a successful spell with Stabaek, helping the Norwegian club qualify for the Europa League for the first time.He joined Le Havre last November and just missed out on promotion to Ligue 1 in May.

Galaxy, Timbers plummet as Sounders soar in MLS Power Rankings

LA went 1-0 up early, but Seattle stormed back, with Jordan Morris nabbing a brace, and claiming the comeback win.

Toronto FC held on to the top spot in this week’s Major League Soccer Power Rankings despite being without Sebastian Giovinco again, while the Seattle Sounders, D.C. United and Columbus Crew SC continue their climbs.

Toronto FC(no change)
Giovinco, who was expected to play barring a setback, did not feature on Saturday against the Philadelphia Union. This isn’t good news for Toronto, but give the Reds credit for fighting back to draw 1-1 at home.
FC Dallas(no change)
No goals for FC Dallas in a 0-0 draw on the road against Real Salt Lake, but the schedule has to be weighing on the Supporters’ Shield leaders. The point will do as they continue their chase.
New York Red Bulls(no change)
Daniel Royer’s first MLS goal, which clinched a 1-0 win over host Montreal, put the Red Bulls into the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year and pulled them into a dead heat for first in the Eastern Conference.
Colorado Rapids(no change)
After months of struggling to score, the Rapids got a three-goal outburst vs. Vancouver only to see their defense fail them in a 3-3 draw. Is it a blip or the start of a trend?
New York City FC(+2)
David Villa boosted his MVP chances with a brace in NYCFC’s 4-1 win over the Chicago Fire. More importantly, he helped his team secure a playoff berth.
Philadelphia Union(+2)
The Union didn’t sign Alejandro Bedoya to score goals, but the midfielder’s first in MLS for his new team was a big one as Philly grabbed a point in Toronto.
Seattle Sounders(+3)
Did Jordan Morris storm to the lead in the Rookie of the Year race with his two-goal performance in a 4-2 victory over the LA Galaxy? His goals could be big in getting Seattle to the playoffs.
Real Salt Lake(+1)
Jeff Cassar’s team fought to a good draw against league leaders FCD, but there is a troubling lack of goals; RSL have now gone three games without scoring.
Sporting Kansas City(+2)
Dom Dwyer’s third goal in as many games helped his team to a2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on the road. He is tied for fifth in scoring (15) with Ola Kamara and Fanendo Adi.
LA Galaxy(-5)
The first home loss of the year for the Galaxy represented a different type of performance for Bruce Arena’s team with lots of shots and poor defending. Back to the drawing board.
Portland Timbers(-5)
It’s hard to imagine Caleb Porter prioritizing his club’s trip to face Dragon of El Salvador in the CONCACAF Champions League this week with its playoff place under threat after a 3-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo.

MLS Playoff Picture: LA, Philly, 4 others can clinch berths this weekend

Leave a commentBy Andy Edwards Sep 29, 2016, 11:38 AM EDT

By 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, the race for MLS Cup Playoffs places in the Eastern Conference could be 100 percent complete, with only (lots and lots of) questions over seeding for the postseason left to be worked out over the season’s final two games.In the Western Conference, as many as four playoff places could be claimed by weekend’s end, with three teams left to battle it out for the final two spots over the final month of the 2016 regular season.

Eastern Conference

Already clinched

Toronto FC, New York Red Bulls, New York City FC

Can clinch this weekend

Philadelphia Union — With a win over New York Red Bulls (7 p.m. ET, Saturday), and a New England Revolution draw or loss to Sporting Kansas City (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday), would clinch a playoff place; would also clinch a playoff place with a win over Red Bulls, and a Revolution loss to Sporting KC, and an Orlando City SC draw or loss to Montreal Impact (1 p.m. ET, Sunday).

Montreal Impact — With a win over Orlando City SC, and a Revolution draw or loss to Sporting KC, would clinch a playoff place.

D.C. United — With a win over Toronto FC (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday), and a Revolution loss to Sporting KC, would clinch a playoff place.

Game to watch

Toronto FC vs. D.C. United (7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) — Massive implications at the top of the East, and at the bottom of the playoff places. TFC need a win to stay at least one point clear of the duo from New York, while DCU would just about lock up a spot of their own with the three points. Fourth place, thus hosting the knockout round game, is still in play for United.

Western Conference

Already clinched

FC Dallas

Can clinch this weekend

Colorado Rapids — With a win or draw against Portland Timbers (9 p.m. ET, Saturday), would clinch a playoff place.

LA Galaxy — With a win over FC Dallas (9 p.m. ET, Saturday), would clinch a playoff place; would also clinch a playoff place with a draw against FC Dallas, and a Timbers draw or loss against Rapids; would also clinch a playoff place with a loss to FC Dallas and a Timbers loss to Rapids.

Real Salt Lake — With a win over San Jose Earthquakes (10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday), and a Timbers loss to Rapids, would clinch a playoff place.

Game to watch

FC Dallas vs. LA Galaxy (9 p.m. ET, Saturday) — With the Rapids just five points back and holding two games in hand, the Supporters’ Shield is far from locked up for FCD. Winless in their last three, they’ve only themselves to blame for Colorado being back in it.

Indy Eleven Gets Revenge against First-place New York in 3-0 Win

“Boys in Blue” Stay Hot at Carroll Stadium, Pushing Home Unbeaten Streak to 16 Games;Eamon Zayed, Justin Braun & Dylan Mares Each Notch Goal & Assist in Impressive Team Effor

INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, September 24, 2016) – Indy Eleven got revenge for its worst loss of the season in impressive fashion, downing the New York Cosmos 3-0 in a dominant performance in front of 9,157 fans at IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium. Eamon Zayed, Justin Braun and Dylan Mares all notched a goal and assist in the victory for the “Boys in Blue,” which canceled out a loss via a similar scoreline at the Cosmos three-and-half weeks ago.Indy Eleven reinserted itself in the Fall Season race with the win, getting to within four points of the front-running Cosmos with six games remaining for each squad and passing The Miami FC and FC Edmonton to claim second place. The victory also pushed Indy Eleven’s home unbeaten streak to 16 games dating back to last October, drawing even with the Cosmos for the longest such active streak in the NASL.

PHOTOS: Click to download pictures from #INDvNYC from the NASL’s FTP site

STATS: Get detailed Opta statistics from #INDvNYC via the NASL MatchCenter

“New York is a great team, but tonight was a complete effort and shows that if we can have complete efforts on both sides of the game, we can beat the best in the league,” said Indy Eleven head coach Tim Hankinson. “I think part of tonight involved us having a better understanding of how to defend them, and I thought we communicated well. I think we were a step faster than them in dealing with problems, whereas in New York [three weeks ago] we were still trying to figure (things) out and were always a step behind. Big credit to the guys for that.” The early energy from both squads was fitting for a game ripe with postseason implications, but it was Indy’s direct play and high pressure that would start to take over the proceedings shortly into the contest. Indiana’s Team had the first good chance just five minutes in, when a quick counter ended with Sinisa Ubiparipovic’s low effort bouncing just wide of the left post. Don Smart’s sidewinding effort was blocked out for a corner in the 9^th minute, and the ensuing set piece saw Cory Miller get a strong header on goal, continuing the home side’s effort to strike for an early, game-changing goal.Zayed – Indy’s hero in its first meeting at Carroll Stadium against New York back in April – nearly got the opener at the half hour mark, but his shot from 20 yards drifted just high. However, the Irishman contributed to the opening tally just two minutes later, nodding Smart’s cross from the right endline across the face of goal for Braun to finish up, giving the Eleven a hard-earned 1-0 lead.That would be the last dangerous chance of a first half that saw Indy Eleven outshoot the Cosmos 7-1, but the home side’s efficiency would pick up – and put the game away – in the opening minutes of the second half.Mares would first play provider in the 48^th minute, sending a low ball through the six that Zayed pounded home from the doorstep to double the advantage and tally his 13^th goal of the season. Just three minutes later Mares would get one of his own, accepting Braun’s square ball from the left on a counter before blasting a low shot just inside the right post from 20 yards out, all but putting things out of reach with 40 minutes to play.Indy’s constant pressure resulted in very few chances of any note from the run of play for New York, but it also resulted in more fouls – and more set pieces. The first shot on goal for the Cosmos came in the 57^thminute when Juan Arango’s well-driven free kick from 35 yards out snuck through traffic, but Indy netminder Jon Busch read it all the way and pounced on the ball for his first save of the evening.With the “Boys in Blue” able to effectively kill the game from there on out Busch would only be tested once more on the evening, stepping off his line quickly to bat away substitute Jairo Arrieta’s header in the 87^thminute. The shutout was the eighth this season for Busch and Indy Eleven, and the first in eight games dating back to a 1-0 win over Ottawa on Aug. 6.Indy Eleven has away affairs each of the next two weekends, starting with its longest road trip of the season to FC Edmonton next Sunday, October 2, with a matinee kickoff set for 4:00 p.m. ET (live on ESPN3.com). Following its Oct. 8 contest at Jacksonville Armada FC, Indy Eleven will return home on Saturday, Oct. 15, when it hosts Carolina RailHawks FC on “College Night” at Carroll Stadium (7:30 p.m., live on WISH-TV & beIN SPORTS en Español).Tickets for that Oct. 15 game – featuring the matchup of former Mexican National Team legends Gerardo Torrado and Omar Bravo – remain available and can be purchased online at IndyEleven.com or by calling 317-685-1100 during regular business hours.

NASL Fall Season
Indy Eleven 3 : 0 New York Cosmos Saturday, September 24, 2016
Michael A. Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, IN Attendance: 9,157

Indy Eleven:
Fall Season: 8W-3D-5L, 27 pts., 2^nd place
Overall Season: 12W-9D-5L, 42 pts., 2^nd place
New York Cosmos:
Fall Season: 9W-4D-3L, 31 pts., 1^st place
Overall Season: 15W-4D-7L, 49 pts., 1^st place

Scoring Summary:
IND – Justin Braun (Eamon Zayed) 32’
IND – Eamon Zayed (Dylan Mares) 48’
IND – Dylan Mares (Justin Braun) 51’

Discipline Summary:
None

Indy Eleven line-up (4-4-2, L–>R): Jon Busch; Nemanja Vuković, Cory Miller, Colin Falvey (capt), Marco Franco; Dylan Mares, Gerardo Torrado, Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Brad Ring 61’), Don Smart (Nicki Paterson 81’); Eamon Zayed, (Duke Lacroix 85’) Justin Braunndy Eleven bench: Keith Cardona (GK), Lovel Palmer, Daniel Keller, Omar Gordon
New York Cosmos (4-1-4-1): Jimmy Maurer; Ayoze, Carlos Mendes (capt), David Ochieng, Jimmy Mulligan; Danny Szetela (Adam Moffat 54’); David Diosa, Ruben Bover, Juan Arango (Jairo Arrieta 72’), Sebastian Guenzatti (Andres Flores 65’); Lucky MkosanaCosmos bench: Brian Holt (GK); Ryan Richter, Yohandry Orozco, Jimmy Ockford

FOLLOW: #FCEVIND

Indy Eleven Gameday & Match Preview Indy Eleven at FC Edmonton
Sunday, October 2, 2016 – 2:00 p.m. ET Clarke Field – Edmonton, Alberta, CAN National TV: None Streaming Video: ESPN3.com
Last Time Out – Indy Eleven 3 : 0 New York Cosmos

The “Boys in Blue” took full revenge on their NASL foes the New York Cosmos last Saturday in a thrilling 3-0 victory at Carroll Stadium.With Fall Season momentum hanging in the balance, Indy went full throttle from the opening whistle. Both teams would have a number of chances in the opening half hour, but it would not take Indy longer than that to break the deadlock. Defender Cory Miller pinged a beautiful ball across the field that midfielder Don Smart did well to bring down, take to the end line and whip in a well served ball. From there, forward Eamon Zayed headed down across goal for strike partner Justin Braun, and the American struck in from close range. Bouncing back, the Cosmos would threaten Indy ‘keeper Jon Busch’s goal a couple of times, but the 1-0 score would hold through the halftime break.The second half started with a bang for Indy as coach Tim Hankinson’s side scored in the opening three minutes following a set piece. After the Cosmos cleared an Eleven corner, midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic brought down the rebound and showed his patience in finding Dylan Mares again on the far side. The South Bend native took down Ubi’s ball and rolled it across the middle where this time it was Eamon Zayed waiting to pounce, adding a goal to his assist on the evening. In a one-two punch, the third and final goal came just three minutes later as Dylan Mares and Justin Braun combined on a counter-attack that slipped the former in one goal, where a distance finish by the midfielder gave him his fourth goal of the regular season. The win moved Indy back in contention for the Fall and Combined Season title hunt, placing them now seven points back in both tables.
Last Time Out – Jacksonville Armada FC 0 : 0 FC Edmonton

In their last outing, FC Edmonton traveled to Jacksonville to face Jax Armada FC in a nil-nil draw at Community First Park. A statistically even match in attack, both sides registered over ten shots but it was the hosts Jacksonville who came closest, firing on target five times to the Eddies’ two. The visitors had a chance inside the opening three minutes but could not find the goal, while Eddies ‘keeper Matt VanOekel made two saves in two minutes to keep the match level. In the first half, Jacksonville would come close four times compared to just two for the Canadian side.The second half brought an equal number of opportunities for both teams. FC Edmonton nearly opened the scoring in the 75th minute, but Shawn Nicklaw’s effort on Miguel Gallardo’s goal produced a great save from the Armada FC ‘keeper. Meanwhile, Jacksonville came closest through defender Matt Bahner right at the death, but he could not convert in front of goal. The draw dropped FC Edmonton to fourth place in the Fall Season table and third place in the Combined Season.
On the Road Again?

In the past, Indy Eleven has not gotten the results they want away from Carroll Stadium. This week, skipper Colin Falvey believes that will change.As Indiana’s Team heads to the home of FC Edmonton, they are coming off of two momentous performances against Miami FC and the New York Cosmos that re-instilled a sense of belief that they may have lost their way on in a grueling September stretch. The first of six games in October, Indy needs to keep the focus on getting every point possible if they are to continue chasing both the Fall and Combined Season titles ahead of a semi-final matchup in the first weekend of November.Last time Indy faced FC Edmonton, they were 1-0 victors in July with a Greg Janicki header separating the two sides. With Janicki still nursing an injury, the goals will now have to come from elsewhere for the “Boys in Blue” to lockdown the three points.
Who to Watch, Indy Eleven edition: MF Sinisa Ubiparipovic

Working his way back into the starting XI after an extended absence, midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic has proved influential in Indy’s last two games – both wins – back in a No.10 role that he will likely continue in on Sunday barring any further changes from head coach Tim Hankinson.Earning himself a hockey assist against the Cosmos, Ubiparipovic completed 21/28 passes and created one chance in his 61 minutes of action, while also winning a combined two-thirds of his tackles and duels. After the match, Ubiparipovic spoke to IndyEleven.com’s Scott Stewart, saying that while it was good to get another hour under his belt after the same amount of minutes against Miami FC, he’s looking forward to extended action as the Fall Season continues while stressing the importance of three points over individual goals.If Ubi is to retain his spot at the top of a diamond in midfield, he will have a tough task ahead of him in breaking down an FC Edmonton defense that has allowed just one goal in their last four matches.
Who to Watch, FC Edmonton edition: FW Daryl Fordyce

With just two changes to the starting line-up between Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Carolina and the midweek draw in Jacksonville on Wednesday, forward Daryl Fordyce kept his place in both matches. Despite being unable to get on the scoresheet, the native of Ireland still registered eight shots in two matches – two on target – while also creating two chances.There’s no question FC Edmonton are known for their strength as a defensive unit, but players like Fordyce have the ability to contribute on both sides of the ball, making him especially dangerous to Indy. With six goals and three assists on the year in 25 league appearances, the forward leads his side in scoring and is second in the assist column.Though forward Tomi Ameobi will likely be the front man when the two meet on Sunday, look for Fordyce to drive forward play from the center of the park in a unique 4-5-1 system.
Match-up to Mark: FW Eamon Zayed vs. GK Matt VanOekel

As Eamon Zayed’s chase for the Golden Boot continues, a match against FC Edmonton gives him the perfect chance to show that once again he can score against the toughest of opposition. Matt VanOekel and co. have allowed just eight goals thus far in the Fall Season, including once against Indy in their only meeting of the fall, leaving it all to do for Zayed this Sunday at Clarke Field. VanOekel currently leads the NASL in GAA (0.58), saves (90), and shutouts (14), and is a sure candidate for the Golden Glove at the end of the year. However, Indy has found a way to break past VanOekel for three points once, and with Zayed and Braun up top and firing, the tandem will do everything in their power to go ahead in full force.Zayed sits at second in the league scoring chart with 13 goals behind Minnesota United FC forward Christian Ramirez (13), and has just six regular season games to reach the top. As his head coach Tim Hankinson allures to, it’s all about the climb to reach the peak.

Earn your Degree While You Watch Your Kids Soccer Practice – ½ the time and cost of Traditional Schools

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9/23/16 Indy 11 Home vs NY Cosmos Sat 8 pm, CHS Girls Pack the House Night, Sat Eve 7 pm, Champions League Match-Day 2 Tues/Wed

September 23, 2016September 26, 2016 gatorbest

As the Playoffs loom just over 1 month away – your Indy 11 host a huge match vs the league leading NY Cosmos in Saturday night at the Mike at 7:30 pm (TV 8). The 11 have a 17-game home unbeaten streak dating back to last October on the line in this battle of top 4 NASL teams. So make your way out to the Mike and Support the 11 – limited tickets still available!

In World League Play –Man United host Leicester City in a huge match for both clubs 7:30 am on Sat NBCSN while Arsenal hosts Chelsea at the Emirates in the London Derby at 12:30 on NBC. Also Sat 10 AM on NBCSN Man City puts its 10 game win streak on the line under Pep as they travel to Swansea. Tuesday/Wed of next week brings us matchday 2 with some intriguing matchups in Champions League. These are some of the top teams in Europe in the group stages working down to a Sweet 16 in the new year. It will be interesting to see if US forward/mid Christian Pulisic gets any time as Dortmund host Champions Real Madrid with Renaldo, Bale and James coming to town Tuesday at 2:45 pm on FS1. Leicester City will host their first Champions League Leg when they face Porto on FS regional channel (Indiana) while Tottenham will travel to CSKA Moscow on FS2. Wednesday has Borussia Mochengladbach and US mid Fabian Johnson hosting Barcelona without Messi on FS1 at 2:45 pm, while Man City travels to Celtic on FS2, Arsenal host Basel on FS Indiana and Atletico host Bayern Munich on ESPN2. As always the games will be replayed on the Fox Sports channels all night long with the 1 hour long Champions League Hi-Lights Show Must see TV (well must DVR TV as it comes on really late most nights). ANYONE INTERESTED IN CATCHING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEXT WEEK TUES OR WED?

The #2 Ranked Carmel Girls host Pack the House/D Wayne Akin Night vs #6 Zionsville this Saturday night at 7 pm – at Murray Stadium – all CFC and CDC kids get in FREE With Uniforms on!!

MUST SEE GAMES ON TV

Sat, Sept 24

7:30 am NBCSN Man United vs Leicester City – Man U battling for relevance Leicester trying to recapture last season’s magic.

9:30 am Fox Sports2 Hamburger vs Bayern Munich – US forward Bobby Wood faces Germany’s top team.

12:30 pm NBCSN Arsenal vs Chelsea – Wenger tries to defend home turf vs the Blues

8 pm TV 8, ESPN3 Indy 11 vs NY Cosmos – must win game at home for Indy 11

Sun, Sept 25

4 pm ESPN LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders – Seattle desperate for wins to qualify for playoffs while LA trying to move up from 2 to 1 in West

Tues, Sept 27 UEFA Champions League (Group stage)

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Dortmund vs Real Madrid – Defending Champs travel to Dortmund for HUGE match-up. Will Bale or CR 7 play?

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 CSKA Moscow vs Tottenham – more of a must win now for Tottenham after losing game 1 at home.

2:45 pm Fox Sport State Leicester City vs Porto – 1^st home UCL match for City Fans.

Wed, Sept 28

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 B Moncengladbach vs Barcelona – Can US Johnson help Gladbach shock the world at home?

2:45 pm Fox Sports IND Arsenal vs Basel – Arsenal at home after tying PSG in game 1

2:45 pm ESPN 2 Atletico vs Bayern Munich –Huge Match-up of top 4 maybe top 6 teams.

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Tues, Sept 27 UEFA Champions League (Group Matchday 2)

2:30 pm Fox Sports 1 Dortmund vs Real Madrid

2:30 pm Fox Sports 2 CSKA Moscow vs Tottenham

2:30 pm Fox Sport State Leicester City vs Porto

2:35 pm ESPN2 AS Monaco vs Bayer Leverkusen

2:35 pm ESPN3 Dinamo Zagreb vs Juventus, Sevilla vs Lyon

Wed, Sept 28

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 B Moncengladbach vs Barcelona

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Celtic vs Man City

2:45 pm Fox Sports IND Arsenal vs Basel

2:45 pm ESPN 2 Atletico vs Bayern Munich

2:45 pm ESPN3 Lidgorets vs PSG, Napoli vs Benfica

2:45 pm Fox Sports + Whip Around Coverage both days

Thur, Sept 29

1 pm Fox Sports 1, ESPN3 Inter vs Sparta Praha

3:05 pm fox sports 1 Man U vs Zorya

Fri, Sept 30

2:45 pm NBCSN Crystal Palace vs Everton

Sat, Oct 1

7:30 am NBCSN Swansea @ Liverpool

9:30 am Fox Sports2 Bayern Munich vs Koln

9:30 am Fox Soccer? Hertha vs Hamburger

10 am NBCSN Hull City vs Chelsea, Sunderland vs West Brom,

11 am beIn Sport PSG vs Bordoeaux

12:30 pm Fox Sports 2 Bayern Leverkusen vs Borussia Dortmund

Sun, Oct 2

7 am NBCSN Man United vs Stoke

9:30 am Fox Sports2 Bayern Munich vs Koln

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10:15 am beIn Sport Real Madrid vs Eibar

12:30 pm Fox Sports 2 Bayern Leverkusen vs Borussia Dortmund

1 pm ESPN Orlando vs Montreal Impact

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SATURDAY’S Indy 11 vs. NY COSMOS –

FEATURES ANNUAL HISPANIC HERITAGE NIGHT Celebration Presented by Indiana Donor Network & Financial Center

There will be all sorts of postseason implications on the line when Indy Eleven plays host to the New York Cosmos this Saturday night in what could be the most important game yet on the 2016 calendar! In addition to a hotly-contested game on the field between your Spring Season champion and the current Fall Season leader, the evening at “The Mike” will also include Indy Eleven’s Third Annual Hispanic Heritage Night celebration, presented by Indiana Donor Network & Financial Center and featuring an expanded Honda Fun Zone highlighting Latino cultures and the recognition of 11 “Campeones de la Comunidad” who have made a positive impact on Central Indiana.To get the most out of the evening, grab some friends and get the “Gerardo Torrado 4-Pack”that includes four tickets, a poster featuring the legendary Mexican international and access to an exclusive post-game meet-and-greet opportunity with the three-time FIFA World Cup participant … secure your package by heading to Torrado.IndyEleven.com!

DON’T MISS HISTORY! NOVEMBER 5th SEMIFINAL SINGLE-GAME SEATS ON SALE

Indy Eleven’s NASL postseason debut in November will be here before you know it! Save your spot at IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium NOW with a special 2-game playoff ticket package that includes a potential The Championship Final at “The Mike” on November 13 … or go ahead and secure single-game tickets for The Championship Semifinal match on Saturday, November 5 (3:00 p.m. kickoff).

Visit www.indyeleven.com/playoff-tickets for all the ticketing options available and championship.indyeleven.com for general details surrounding Indy Eleven’s historic first postseason appearance.

PREVIEW: #INDVNYC

Indy Eleven Gameday & Match Preview
Indy Eleven vs New York Cosmos
Saturday, September 24, 2016 – 7:30 p.m. ET
IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, IN

Local TV: MyINDY

National TV: OneWorldSports
Streaming Video: OneWorldSports.com & ESPN3.com
Radio: Exitos 1590
Streaming Audio: Exitos1590.com

Team Records Indy Eleven:Fall Season: 7W-3D-5L, 24 pts, 4th place New York Cosmos: Fall Season: 9W-4D-2L, 31 pts, 1st place

Last Time Out – Indy Eleven 2 : 1 Miami FC

Indiana’s Team took care of business in orderly fashion last Saturday with a 2-1 win over the Miami FC snapping a five-game winless streak.During the middle of the week, Indy Eleven head coach Tim Hankinson stressed the importance of the team “finding themselves” again as the chase for the fall championship continues. In doing so, Hankinson re-introduced midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic into the fold, and the Bosnian earned his first start since the Spring Season on Saturday.The first half began with both sides easing into the match, but a 25th minute strike by Dylan Mares cannoned momentum in Indy’s favor. Miami FC ‘keeper Daniel Vega was clearing his lines off a restart, but his pass found the chest of Indy forward Justin Braun who laid it off for Mares, the latter doing the rest for the goal. Heading into the break up 1-0, Indy began to flex their muscle in the beginnings of the second half.Just before the hour mark, Don Smart doubled Indy’s lead after Eamon Zayed headed on a cross by Nemanja Vukovic, and the second of three “Indiana Originals” was on the scoresheet after beating the ball past Vega for the second time. Ten minutes later, Miami FC would make things interesting with a goal off a corner kick by forward Vincenzo Rennella, but Indy would repel further efforts to secure the three points. Keeping their unbeaten streak alive at Carroll Stadium, Indy Eleven extended the run to 17 games total but remain in 4th place in the Fall Season standings despite winning the top four clash.

Last Time Out – New York Cosmos 0 : 0 FC Edmonton

The New York Cosmos also successfully defended their home turf last Saturday against second place FC Edmonton in an eventful nil-nil draw.Despite out-shooting the opposition 20-10 total and 4-1 on target, New York was unable to find the back of the net with chances for starters Sebastian Guenzatti and Juan Arango and substitute David Diosa all being saved by Eddies ‘keeper Matt VanOekel. In addition, the Cosmos held a 72-28% lead in possession while completing 81.8% of their 477 passes (compared to 55.8% of 181 passes for FCE), and also held an 11-2 advantage on corners.Though unable to break down FC Edmonton in front of a crowd just shy of 3750 at Shuart Stadium, the Cosmos retain their place at first in the Fall and Combined Season standings.
Unbeaten Again?

Indy Eleven is riding a major streak at Carroll Stadium – 17 games unbeaten – which spans all the way back to almost a calendar year ago when a win over Minnesota United in October kicked things off. On Saturday night against New York, they have the chance to extend the streak to 18, which would tie a joint all-time NASL record set by the Carolina Railhawks and the New York Cosmos in separate seasons.The run has produced moments of frustration – draws that could have been wins and nights that the ball just wouldn’t find the back of the net – but more importantly, moments of magic – the 4-2 win over Minnesota in May, the 4-1 win over Carolina that clinched the Spring Season championship, the 5-2 thrashing of Jacksonville Armada FC that exerted Indy’s dominance in August, and of course, the 2-1 win over New York that propelled the team forward in April.In order to keep the magic alive, the “Boys in Blue” are looking at perhaps their toughest test yet in this Cosmos team – a team which beat them 3-0 less than a month ago in the Big Apple – but are relishing the opportunity for revenge.

Who to Watch, Indy Eleven edition: MF Gerardo Torrado

After the loss in New York in August, midfielder Gerardo Torrado knew there was work to be done. Compounded by a 1-1 draw away to Ottawa and a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat in Carolina just a week earlier, the defeat sent Indy back to the Circle City with a determination to get things right and fight back off the break.In New York, Torrado had a good showing after completing 34/48 passes, winning 5/10 duels, collecting 5 interceptions and creating one chance. On Saturday, he will likely be in a similar defensive mindset in front of a sturdy backline charged with neutralizing a hot Cosmos attack.Torrado has shown his ability to adapt in different roles in the Eleven midfield playing with attacking, defensive, and a more neutral mindset on more than one occasion, and he must do a little of all three on Saturday if Indy is to get a good result.

Who to Watch, New York Cosmos edition: FW Juan Arango

Scoring two goals against Indy in their 3-0 win has Arango hungry to repeat the feat at Carroll Stadium. With 11 goals in 24 matches, Arango is just one shy of the Eleven’s leading scorer Eamon Zayed (12) in one less game, and his four assists also have him level with the other two of the top three in the league scoring charts.Arango showed his cool from the penalty spot for his first against Indy and put his second in a position where Eleven ‘netminder Jon Busch just couldn’t reach it, but will have to be equally as clever when the pair meet again. The Venezuelan forward has not scored in three full matches as New York has collected five points from their last three total, but still remains the biggest threat to Indy’s success this weekend.

Match-up to Mark: FW Justin Braun vs. GK Jimmy Maurer

All eyes might be on Eamon Zayed this weekend as the foward aims to continue racking up goals in his quest for the NASL Golden Boot, but the match-up to mark involves his striking partner Justin Braun and opposition ‘keeper Jimmy Maurer. Braun made his full return to fitness in a 2-1 loss away to Fort Lauderdale two weeks ago and marked his return with a late goal that nearly helped Indy pull back a point in the Sunshine State. Fast forward to last Saturday’s 2-1 win over Miami FC and again Braun was at the heart of things, getting the assist on Indy’s first goal via Dylan Mares. Now Braun faces one of the statistically best ‘netminders in the league in Cosmos’ Jimmy Maurer, who has kept four straight clean sheets.With Zayed likely attracting plenty of attention on Saturday, the opportunity is there for Braun, who will attract plenty of attention on his own, to sneak in behind the defense with darting runs that put him through on goal. On the attacking end, Indy’s gain continues to be Justin Braun’s return.

BY THE NUMBERS: STREAKING AT CARROLL STADIUM

A closer look at Indy Eleven’s incredible home unbeaten streak Sep 21, 2016

19- It’s been quite the ride for the “Boys in Blue” at Carroll Stadium in both the 2016 Spring and Fall campaigns, winning the former and staying tight in the race for the latter, and home results have played a major factor in their success. Looking all the way back to the second-to-last home game of October 2015, Indy has kept its home pitch an impenetrable surface that visiting opposition have failed to gain ground on … and here’s some numbers breaking down the nearly year-long stretch:
15 – Unbeaten Streak at Home in NASL play

Two games to round out the home slate in 2015 – wins on October 17 and 24 against Minnesota United FC (3-1) and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (2-1) – and all 13 regular season games on the IUPUI campus to this point in 2016 make up the impressive run … and that’s not counting June’s U.S. Open Cup clash against Louisville (a 2-1 win) and another victory in friendly play against Liga MX champion Pachuca (1-0) in August.
12 – Wins during the streak

It’s one thing to go undefeated for awhile, but it’s another thing to do it mostly with wins rather than draws, which is exactly what the Boys in Blue have been doing. Indy Eleven has collected a 12W-3D-0L record during the 11 month (and change) stretch, which includes a 10W-3D-0L record in 2016 that has allowed Indy to collect 33 of a possible 39 points in the friendly confines of Carroll Stadium.
347 (and counting) – Days since last home loss

The last loss suffered on home turf came back on October 10, 2015, via a 1-2 defeat to San Antonio, which was followed by the wins over Minnesota and Fort Lauderdale to start the stretch. Why is that date meaningful? Well, a win or loss over the Cosmos this Saturday (on the 350th day since its last home setback) guarantees Indy Eleven will go a full calendar year without tasting defeat at home, as the squad’s next home match comes on Oct. 15 versus Carolina.
9/10 – Possible teams defeated during streak

So far in 2016, Indy has picked up home wins over every opponent it has faced with the exception of one – the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who drew 1-1 in their only visit to the Circle City earlier this month.New York, Minnesota, Carolina, Minnesota (again), Fort Lauderdale, FC Edmonton, Jacksonville, Ottawa Fury FC, Rayo OKC and Miami FC (in that order) all have suffered losses at “The Mike” this season. Only one new team is able to be added to that list, as Puerto Rico FC will make its lone visit to “The Mike” for the season on Oct. 22 for Indy’s regular season home finale (although it won’t be the last home game in 2016).
18 – NASL’s record home unbeaten streak

This weekend’s opponent knows something about going undefeated at home for awhile, as the New York Cosmos (August 6, 2014-September 22, 2015) are tied with Carolina RailHawks FC (September 22, 2012-July 12, 2014) for the longest such run in the league’s modern era at 18 games. While Indy Eleven’s current streak is impressive, it still isn’t even the longest active streak, as a win or draw on Saturday will pull Indiana’s Team even with the Cosmos on 16 games unbeaten at home.

As it turns out, if both teams keep their current runs going through the end of the regular season, their streaks will both reach, you guessed it, 18 games, tying the all-time record heading into the 2017 campaign.

35 – Number of Goals Scored

During this incredible run of form, Indy Eleven has scored 33 goals in 15 games, including three occasions of four or more in one game (MNU – 4, CAR – 4, JAX – 5).No one has enjoyed playing in front of the Brickyard Battalion more than forward Eamon Zayed, who has tallied 10 of his 12 goals (2nd most in the NASL) at Carroll, including the first two hat tricks in league play in team history. Next on the list is midfielder Dylan Mares with four, and behind the Indiana native is a host of players who have contributed three goals in that run.

See the full list below:

Eamon Zayed – 10 (NYC x2, MNU, CAR x3, FTL, JAX x3)

Dylan Mares – 4 (MNU ’15, MNU, OKC, MIA)

Justin Braun – 3 (MNU, CAR, JAX)

Omar Gordon – 3 (MNU, TBR)

Don Smart – 3 (FTL ’15, OTT, MIA)

Greg Janicki – 3 (FCE, FTL, FCE)

Nemanja Vukovic – 2 (OTT, JAX)

Duke Lacroix – 1 (FTL

Colin Falvey – 1 (OKC)

Nicki Paterson – 1 (MNU)

Brad Ring – 1 (MNU ’15)

14 – Number of Goals Against

In the 15 games unbeaten thus far, Indy Eleven has also only conceded 13 goals while letting in more than two goals in one match just three times.The addition of veteran ‘keeper Jon Busch and a host of other leaders in the backline only further bolstered the talent Indy carried over from 2015, and Busch & co. have kept three clean sheets while relenting just 11 goals in their 13 matches in 2016.
6 – Number of Late Goals Earning Results

Nemanja Vukovic after 89′ vs. Fury FC
Eamon Zayed after 90′ & 95 vs. New York
Don Smart after 90’+2 vs. Fury FC
Colin Falvey after 84′ vs. Rayo OKC

Sensing a pattern here? These four games were all decided in the final minutes of the match by a different goalscorer – and all handed Indy Eleven wins.And that list doesn’t include a goal with a game well in hand but a title still up in the air – Zayed’s 85th minute strike in June against Carolina Railhawks FC, one that completed his hat-trick and catapulted Indy back to the top of the table and (eventually) to the Spring Season title, a moment that Carroll Stadium will always hold high.

NASL faces major shakeup, potential demise, amid impending exits, financial distress

BRIAN STRAUSWednesday September 21st, 2016 SI

Significant shifts in the pro soccer landscape across the USA and Canada are underway that will result in the overhaul, or perhaps the eventual demise, of the North American Soccer League.Sources have told SI.com that the NASL’s Ottawa Fury will depart for the United Soccer League and that the Tampa Bay Rowdies likely will follow. With the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Rayo OKC in financial distress—Raleigh, North Carolina’s WRAL reported Wednesday morning that Strikers’ ownership has ceased funding the club—and Minnesota United leaving for MLS, the six-year-old NASL faces a period of unprecedented adversity. And it will need to keep core clubs like the New York Cosmos, Jacksonville Armada, Miami FC and Indy Eleven on board, and then expand, if it’s going to survive.The NASL operates as the independent second tier of the pro game in the USA and Canada. The USL, which traces its roots back to the early 1990s, sits at the third tier and includes both independent clubs and MLS reserve teams. Both leagues have applied to the U.S. Soccer Federation for an upgrade in sanctioning (NASL to first division and USL to second) and the USSF board is expected to consider those requests at its meeting in New York City this Friday. However it’s unlikely, according to sources, that U.S. Soccer will sanction two leagues at the same tier.The NASL has more immediate concerns. League-wide average attendance has fallen more than 18 percent from 2015 and despite increased TV exposure on CBS Sports Network and BeIN Sports, it’s trajectory has been troubling. Minnesota, which leads the league at 8,545 fans per game, pushed for entry into MLS in large part to fend off a charge from the NFL’s Vikings. The Atlanta Silverbacks dropped into amateur soccer this season and the summer addition of Carmelo Anthony’s Puerto Rico FC hasn’t really moved the needle.The Cosmos, the NASL’s reigning champion and flagship club, have seen crowds at Hofstra University plunge to under 4,000 per game. As its Belmont Park stadium project seems increasingly unlikely to happen, New York faces an uncertain future. It may spend next season at a minor league baseball stadium in Coney Island.The NASL has argued that being labeled ‘second division’ has hampered its ability to attract fans, sponsors and the political support required for venue upgrades. It threatened antitrust litigation last year, but in an interview this week NASL commissioner Bill Peterson told SI.com that the league no longer is considering legal action.“We took a decision over the winter that we wanted to step back and try to re-engage with U.S. Soccer and discuss the [sanctioning] standards and where we fit in and our feelings about them … in a more productive manner than pulling the trigger on any sort of legal activities. And that’s what we’ve been doing,” Peterson said. “It’s incredibly important that the Federation and the NASL have a positive relationship because there are so many different aspects and facets to the game. It doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything, but it does mean we have a partnership … [A lawsuit is] not looming there as a threat, and it’s not something we want to do.” U.S. Soccer doesn’t benefit if a league struggles or folds. It doesn’t reflect well on the sport. That being said, USL certainly won’t complain if the second tier opens up. The three pro leagues are both colleagues and rivals, and Major League Soccer’s entry into Minnesota and Atlanta, along with the USL’s rapid expansion (from 14 teams in 2014 to 29 this season) certainly left many wondering if the two were trying to squeeze out the NASL.Peterson said he did not think there was a focused effort to undercut NASL, but he did say that American soccer’s fractured and evolving structure fostered counterproductive competition.“I think you have a unique relationship here. You have soccer companies that aren’t necessarily all aligned for the same reasons under the [U.S. Soccer] Federation,” Peterson said. “If you look at the federation and the pro game in another country, everyone basically has aligned themselves to focus on the same type of development, success, things like that. Here, you’ve got three soccer companies that are making decisions for the best interests of the company. And that’s a unique situation.”There have been no claims, accusations or indications that the USL is pursuing or poaching NASL clubs, but the third-tier circuit obviously is aware that its growth and relative stability could be attractive to NASL teams anxious about the future. The USL’s “third division” designation doesn’t seem to be a hindrance at the moment. Rather, it would be a safe place to land. Ottawa eventually may target a proposed Canadian league, but it prefers USL for the time being.Tampa Bay may be eyeing MLS, so a USL entry would make sense. Carolina’s new owner, medical software entrepreneur Stephen Malik, has put money into the club and seen attendance grow. If the NASL isn’t growing along with him, he then may have a choice to make about his team’s future. And he’d have natural USL rivals in Charlotte and Richmond. Carolina’s long-term future in NASL is far from guaranteed.

Meanwhile, Fort Lauderdale needs a new owner and stadium, and it would be a shock if Rayo is around in 2017. The first-year team’s local investor group has fractured and its Spanish backer, Rayo Vallecano, was relegated from La Liga.Isolated, second-place FC Edmonton is performing well on the field but faces prohibitive travel costs and average crowds of just over 2,100, the second lowest in the league. The San Francisco Deltas are on board as a 2017 expansion team and will play at venerable Kezar Stadium. But there’s so much volatility elsewhere in the NASL that it’s tough to imagine the new club strengthening the circuit significantly in 2017.One source told SI.com that as of last week, at least four NASL clubs (including Ottawa) had yet to post their bond to ensure participation next season. If four or five teams depart, Peterson and the remaining owners will have to attract new investors to survive past 2017. It’s believed that the NASL’s expansion fee is under $5 million.“We’ve never had more serious conversations happening than we do right now, in more cities than we do right now,” Peterson said regarding expansion. “We’ve probably been in a process with maybe 40 groups. These are all people that have the wherewithal to do it. You start down through the process, depending on the group, depending on the city, can take as little as three to four months or as long as 18 months to complete.”He continued, “We’re talking to potential owners on the west coast—three different cities. Some are more advanced than others. All of them have a chance of getting admitted. We still have two conversations on the East Coast—they’re not in Florida—which if they make sense you would want to do it.”Chicago, led by former MLS and NASL executive Peter Wilt, and Baltimore are among the markets pursuing an NASL team.“We had three new teams start this year. I don’t know if we’ll have new teams [beyond San Francisco] start next year, and the clock’s ticking. But we’ll have ownership groups added to the league. I’m very confident of that. And it could be three or four,” Peterson said. “I think our league, I hope it’s beyond the point of anybody doubting if it’s going to be in existence. I think the model’s demonstrated that it can be successful if you work hard at it, passionate and in the right cities.”

MLS’s model certainly took time to gain traction. At the end of its sixth season, the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion folded and the league likely would have died if not for Phil Anschutz and Lamar Hunt. In 2005, its 10th season, MLS finally returned to 12 teams with the additions of Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA, each of which paid all of $7.5 million to get in. Next year, it’ll add Atlanta (team No. 21) and Minnesota (No. 22), who each paid an expansion fee of more than $100 million. The NASL can only hope that it weathers its seventh-season storm in similar fashion.The Fury didn’t respond to an email from SI.com requesting comment and the Rowdies declined to comment. Peterson was unavailable Wednesday to respond directly to the situations in Ottawa and Tampa Bay. USL president Jake Edwards also was unavailable.

Soccer: Lloyd scores her 94th international goal, U.S. beats Netherlands

THE ASSOCIATED PRESSFirst Published Sep 18 2016 08:36PM • Last Updated Sep 18 2016 08:36 pm

Atlanta • Carli Lloyd scored her 94th international goal, Megan Rapinoe knelt again during the national anthem and the U.S. women’s national team beat the Netherlands 3-1 on Sunday night.Rapinoe, who entered as a substitute in the 64th minute, took a knee during the anthem for the second straight national team match and fourth game overall. She has said she wanted to express solidarity with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is attempting to bring attention to racial inequality.Lloyd tied it at 1 in the 35th minute. Tobin Heath ran in open space down the right sideline and found a trailing Lloyd near the penalty spot. Lloyd, who was coming off a hat trick against Thailand on Thursday, scored her 15th goal of the year.The U.S. took a 2-1 lead in the 50th on an own goal after it appeared Netherlands defender Mandy van den Berg was tripped into the ball in front of the net.Allie Long made it 3-1 in the 78th. Rapinoe chipped it into the 6-yard box, Alex Morgan headed it back across goal and Long knocked it in.It was the team’s second game since goalkeeper Hope Solo was suspended for six months. Ashlyn Harris started in the United States’ 9-0 victory over Thailand and Alyssa Naeher got the nod against the Netherlands.Naeher didn’t face much pressure after the opening five minutes and finished with four saves.The Netherlands opened the scoring in the second minute when Shanice van de Sanden finished on a breakaway. She raced to a glancing defensive header and finished on a breakaway by powering it past Naeher. Van de Sanden had an open shot knocked wide by Naeher in the 79th.Lieke Martens tried to chip Naeher in the fourth minute but it went over the crossbar.The U.S. had two shots hit off the post in the second half. Ali Krieger sent in a cross in the 49th minute but Morgan Brian’s one-touch deflected off the post and Morgan’s rebound attempt was blocked. Christen Press had an open shot hit the post in the 53rd.

Sunderland’s Lynden Gooch talks about USMNT decision

Leave a commentBy Joe Prince-Wright Sep 21, 2016, 11:07 AM EDT

From Santa Cruz, California, Lynden Goochis making his way in the Premier League with Sunderland.The 20-year-old midfielder has burst onto the scene at the start of this season, starting four of Sunderland’s first five games in the PL as he made his debut away at Manchester City in the opening game of the season.That success has caught the eye of U.S. national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann and with Gooch previously part of the U.S. U20 setup, he’s obviously a player the USMNT is keeping a close eye on. As for Gooch, well, he’s keeping his options up for now.In an interview with the Guardian in the UK, Gooch revealed he has yet to decide if he will represent the U.S. at the international level as he also qualifies for England and the Republic of Ireland.

“I qualify for England and Ireland as well, so there’s always stuff that can happen,” he says. “But I would love to play for the US again. I had a lot of pride putting on that shirt coming from California. I played a lot of football in California and I owe a lot to the country. The door is wide open at the minute.”

Gooch’s rise has been a pleasant surprise for the USMNT and it will be intiguing to see if Klinsmann calls him up to his squad for the friendly games against Cuba and New Zealand in October.While some may be surprised about Gooch’s remarkable rise from joining the Black Cats as a 16-year-old in their academy four years ago to now being a first team regular, the California native isn’t.“I knew I was good enough from a young age,” Gooch said. “I was really confident. I had no doubts, without even training at Sunderland or knowing anyone. I think that’s a big part of it. If you have the confidence in your ability, anything can happen.”Right now, just at the start of his senior career in the Premier League, it seems like the U.S. should make a big push to get Gooch on board as quickly as possible.

5 big things from Americans abroad this week (9/12-9/18)6Christian Pulisic stars in a big week for Americans in Germany

By Roderick MacNeil @rodmacneil Sep 20, 2016, 9:27a

1. Pulisic Shines

Let us take a few moments to reflect on the week Christian Pulisic had for Borussia Dortmund.On Wednesday, Pulisic was in the XI for a potentially tricky away match in Warsaw, becoming the youngest player ever to start in Champions League for the club. Per usual, he was far from out of place. Dortmund would dominate from start to finish, with Pulisic playing a major role throughout. After making numerous key passes, he’d cap the day with an assist on BVB’s 5th goal, en route to a decisive 6-0 win.Three days later, Pulisic would get the call again on short rest. On the day before his 18th birthday, the Hershey Kid would take over the game in the second half. His first goal of the season in the 54th minute gave Dortmund a 3-0 lead. Assists in the 78th and 88th minutes would pile on for a familiar 6-0 score line vs. Darmstadt.Perhaps unsurprisingly, Pulisic’s final stat line was impressive as well, earning him a spot in the Bundesliga’s official Fantasy Team of the Week: has Pulisic at the #10 Slot.

The recognition wouldn’t stop there. On Monday, Pulisic was voted Bundesliga MVP for Match Day 3. We’re not talking Man of the Match. More like Man of the League. With a crowded schedule continuing in the coming weeks for Dortmund, combined with the quality of these performances, we’re certain see much more of Christian Pulisic. Exciting times.

2. Johnson Down, Then Up

It was a mixed week for Fabian Johnson and Borussia Monchengladbach. Things didn’t go so well in a midweek Champions League match at Manchester City. With Johnson in the starting lineup, the Fohlenelf fell hard, losing by a 4-0 margin. The goal differential will hurt most, making Gladbach already a huge underdog to advance to the knockout rounds. Advancement now will likely require a similar margin of victory in the return match, or an upset win against mighty Barcelona. Either task is daunting.Back in league play on the weekend, it was a sunnier result. Gladbach got the early lead, thanks to an 11th minute assist from Johnson on Thorgan Hazard’s goal (skip to 0:53 of the video):The home side would coast to a 4-1 victory over hapless Aron Johannsson’s Werder Bremen(more on him in a moment.) Gladbach creeps back up to 6th place on the Bundesliga table ahead of Wednesday’s clash against surprising 2nd-place RB Leipzig.

3. Jóhannsson Up, Then Down

As mentioned above, the other side of the Gladbach-Bremen clash featured USMNT forward Aron Johannsson. AronJo began this one on the bench, but entered after halftime with his club already trailing 4-0.Johannsson would help trim the margin in the 73rd minute with a perfect touch on a chip pass to Serge Gnabry, who volleyed it home with a glorious finish:The good feelings for Johannsson wouldn’t last long. Believing he’d been fouled in the 81st minute, he chased the referee toward midfield, pleading his case and gesticulating his displeasure. Whatever came out of Johannsson’s mouth, the official didn’t like, as he quickly stopped play and issued a straight red card. Johannsson would later claim his words were misunderstood, but he’ll be serving a two-game suspension nonetheless.The ban comes at perhaps an inopportune moment for the U.S. striker. Following Sunday’s dismal defeat, manager Viktor Skripnik was relieved of his duties. Through 3 games, Werder Bremen is bottom of the table, earning zero points with a -10 goal differential. Interim manager Alexander Nouri will have to make his changes with Johannsson unavailable. It’ll be on Johannsson to assure there’s still a place for him in the lineup when he returns.

4. Future Bundesliga Gaines?

The Bundesliga has become the league to watch when it comes to the USMNT’s attacking talent. There just might be another young American joining their ranks sooner than later. U.S. U18 forward McKinze Gaines is off to a flying start with VfL Wolfsburg’s U19 side. With 2 goals and an assist this week, Gaines is turning heads. Through his first five games, he’s racked up 5 goals and 3 assists.Speculation on a promotion to the senior team is probably getting way ahead of things. But if Gaines can sustain anything resembling that sort of production, an opportunity just may come way ahead of schedule.

5. Boyd Returns

Another milestone along the long comeback road for Terrence Boyd was reached this week. Boyd made his return to competitive play after nearly two years out of action. He started twice in the past week for RB Leipzig’s reserves, even going the full 90 minutes midweek in a 1-1 draw:

With RB Leipzig off to an impressive 3-0 start in its Bundesliga debut season, cracking the senior team lineup will prove challenging. However, earning extended injury-free minutes with the U23s isn’t a bad place to start.Germany’s top division is well-stocked with American attacking talent. Already, nearly every game in the league has a USMNT flavor; having Boyd back in the mix only enhances our viewing menu.

Is it fair to compare Christian Pulisic to Landon Donovan?

-Ed. Note: This is a guest post by Josh Hall. He is a writer for SB Nation’s Borussia Dortmund blog, Fear The Wall.

As fan of Borussia Dortmund and the U.S. national team, I have observed Christian Pulisic’s rise with great interest even before the hype started to build. One thing I find odd is while many people are quick to speculate that Pulisic could become the greatest U.S. player of all time, there have been scant comparisons to arguably the greatest player the U.S. has had: Landon Donovan. The only times I hear the two mentioned in the same sentence are throw-away references to Donovan being the last world-class American player. I suspect this lack of comparison is due to the polarizing nature of Donovan within the U.S. soccer community.This unfortunate reality demonstrates the level of emotional stock we American fans placed in him, and how so many of us felt let down by what we saw as unfulfilled potential. Perhaps most American fans are hesitant then to compare Pulisic with Donovan because we felt we have been burned many times before. The wreckage of promising American careers that tells the cautionary tale of teenage hype is so well documented it would be superfluous to mention in this forum. What separated Donovan from that ignominious long line and what currently separates Pulisic is the inarguable product on the pitch; the delight that watching those two ply their trade on the largest stages in the world brings to American fans. So why not compare the two?Technically speaking, I haven’t seen a player as poised and positive as Pulisic in U.S. colors since the Landon Donovan era. Every time he receives the ball, there is this palpable tension, an almost physical bating of breath as you expect something remarkable to happen. And when he plays that curled, inch perfect ball threaded between the goalkeeper and outstretched legs of the defense, or takes that silky-smooth first touch to tee up a perfect finish, that tension explodes orgasmic like in heretofore unexperienced emotive bliss for deprived American fans.While certainly he does not possess the same kind of magic that only a Messi can produce, the sight of watching an American fearlessly receive the ball, turn into space, and rampage vertically down the field with a conviction and self-confidence born of experiential performance is something that, let’s face it, is largely foreign to us. Pulisic’s ability to pass, dribble, tackle, and his first touch is pretty much on par with Donovan in his prime.Tactically, Pulisic is eons beyond kids his age. He shows the tactical flexibility that Donovan had as well. Equally comfortable on the wing as in the center of the field as a number 10, the comparisons between the two are apt (although Donovan was far more effective on the wing and Pulisic has yet to be used by his club or country in the middle). Physically, both are relatively small and rely on their superior technical ability rather than the brute physicality, speed, and/or raw athleticism that American fans are used to seeing in their DeAndre Yedlins, Jozy Altidores, and Brian McBrides, all great players, but all only capable of just so much on the international level. When viewed from a technical and tactical perspective the comparisons are completely justified.The one area that completely separates the two and the factor that has me so hopeful is that of the psychological. Here is where Donovan becomes polarizing. No one ever questioned his ability on the field, but when it came to the decisions he made in his career, or the consistency of his performances (eg. 2006 World Cup), he has been subjected to more scrutiny than I think he could bear. He has been very forthright in his battles with his mental health and has highlighted an area in which most professional athletes likely struggle. He has spoken out on his bouts of depression and how the decision to stay at home to play where his mental well-being was assured was the right one for him.I completely respect that and am grateful to him for bringing attention to such an emotionally uncomfortable subject in the high-stress world of professional team sports. But an unimpassioned observer would be intellectually dishonest to say that he truly reached the dizzying heights of his sporting potential with his decision to forgo a career in Europe. Of course it could be argued that had he made a career in Europe he could have failed due to his emotional and mental framework, and who are we to cast aspersion on a man whose natural and genetic makeup has a predisposition to a delicate emotional health state? These are the types of questions that a figure even more polarizing, Jürgen Klinsmann, has asked further dividing American passions and opinions on the soft-spoken Californian midfielder.Landon Donovan’s mental makeup, without judgement or aspersion, is the only thing that separates Christian Pulisic from him, and is the reason why I am so hopeful for the future. With Pulisic, the one thing that has impressed me far beyond his technical and tactical prowess has been his ability to psychologically handle the transition of playing in a development program in the U.S. to becoming a full time professional footballer in Germany… at the age of 17.He has not just adapted and survived in this environment, but has thrived within a top-ten club team in the world, fought for places through their U17, U19, and U23 sides, and has bashed down the wall to the senior team as an American teenager. He has learned to speak German competently enough to give very coherent interviews. He has learned to deal with the pressure and hype associated with his rapid ascent. He has learned to give the correct, nuanced, and politically astute answers to prying and delicate questions from reporters asking about transfer rumors. Succinctly, he has become a complete professional in a world class league. And he is only 17.Pulisic is an American prodigy who has taken the difficult, but necessary route; one that is not unique in America but unique in a youngster as talented as he. And it is the route that is normal and understood for players like Antoine Griezmann, who left his home of France for opportunities abroad in the Basque region of Spain, of Lionel Messi who departed Argentina at a very young age for a new life at La Masia, and many other youths who have left their comforts in pursuit of professional football. There seems to be nothing stopping him except perhaps a string of poor performances and a falling off the depth chart at Dortmund, but for such a professionally minded player, whose only youthful indiscretion consists of a questionable taste for the music of Justin Bieber, even a footballing setback like that could be quickly overcome.Is it fair to compare the two? I say it is.

Premier League Power Rankings: So. Much. Movement.

	12 (3)		Man United: A poor week for Jose Mourinho as he lost three on the spin, Rooney is struggling and so too are Pogba and Fellaini in midfield. Needs a big win against Leicester on Saturday to shut up the “Einsteins” out there.
	11 (2)		Chelsea: Not a great week for Chelsea who drew at Swansea and thenlost at home to Liverpool in a poor display. Conte’s boys beat Leicester in the EFL Cup but plenty of work to do. Arsenal away next up. Huge challenge.
	10 (18)		Southampton: What a difference a week makes. Claude Puel’s side won three on the spin with victories in the Europa League, PL and EFL Cup and they kept three clean sheets. Charlie Austin is on fire as they head to West Ham.
	9 (17)		West Brom: Much-needed win for Tony Pulis‘ side against West Hamand Pulis will celebrate his 1000th game as a manager against Stoke. Baggies suddenly seem like scoring goals.
	8 (13)		Leicester City: Much better from Claudio Ranieri‘s side who beat Club Brugge in the Champions League and then beat Burnley comfortably in the PL. Slimani is the new hero at the KP.
	7 (8)		Crystal Palace: Two wins on the spin in the PL for Pardew’s side as their offensive masterplan is clicking into place. They’ll be confident heading to Sunderland this weekend.
	6 (9)		Watford: The Hornets will be confident too. Two wins on the spin and afirst league win vs. Man United since 1986 has Mazzarri’s boys flying high. Tricky test at Burnley awaits.
	5 (5)		Tottenham: Pochettino’s side fluffed their lines at Wembley in the UCL but remain unbeaten in the PL as Alli, Eriksen & Rose signed new deals.Kane’s injury a real worry though.
	4 (6)		Arsenal: As Wenger celebrated 20 years at Arsenal, his side have clicked through the gears. Three wins in a row has the Gunners pushing in the right direction ahead of a big London derby vs. Chelsea.
	3 (4)		Everton: Ronald Koeman has sprinkled the magic dust over the Toffees who remain unbeaten and have 4 wins from 5 in their best-ever start to a PL season. Keeping Lukaku fit is key.
	2 (7)		Liverpool: Well, well, well, Jurgen Klopp’s side is rampant right now with Mane, Lallana, Henderson et al. flying. Big wins vs. Leicester and at Chelsea. Now, can they keep it up against Hull?
	1 (1)

Premier League player Power Rankings: The top 20 players, right now

Leave a commentBy Joe Prince-Wright Sep 20, 2016, 1:40 PM EDT

For the first time this season we are going to select the top 20 players in the Premier League, right here, right now.Remember, Power Rankings are based purely on the output of players at this moment in time. Reputations mean nothing. This list is all about results.So, without further delay here’s a look at ProSoccerTalk’s Premier League Player Power Rankings (try and say that 10 times fast) so you can chuck a handful of these in your fantasy teams, settle some arguments with friends or watch some of these smaller named players a lot closer in the weeks to come.Let us know if you agree in the comments section below.

Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Diego Costa (Chelsea)
Raheem Sterling (Man City)
Idrissa Gueye (Everton)
Kelechi Iheanacho (Man City)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Romelu Lukaku (Everton)
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
Michail Antonio (West Ham United)
Nicolas Otamendi (Man City)
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City)
Etienne Capoue (Watford)
Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool)
Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Fernandinho (Man City)
Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
Islam Slimani (Leicester City)
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Heung-Min Son (Tottenham Hotspur)
Virgil Van Dijk (Southampton)

Man City: These guys are legit.Despite his very public spat with Yaya Toure’s agent, Pep Guardiola has 8 wins from 8 as City’s boss. Top of the league and full of goals, De Bruyne is running the show. Hand them the title already…!?

Arsenal face Chelsea, champs Leicester’s trip to Manchester United

Chelsea will look to hit back after last week’s 2-1 defeat at home to Liverpool when they travel to bitter rivals Arsenal on Saturday evening. Manchester United, meanwhile, are stuck in a rut. Yes, they won against League One Northampton in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, but it’s two defeats in a row in the league ahead of the visit of champions Leicester.Elsewhere, Manchester City have a 100 percent record under Pep Guardiola, and the latest team to try and stop them, Swansea, lost 2-1 to Saturday’s opponents in the EFL Cup, too.Can the Swans win at the second attempt? Vote on their result and the rest of the action in our match polls.ARSENAL: The Gunners have responded well to the 4-3 opening weekend defeat to Liverpool, but Chelsea provide the sternest test yet. Arsene Wenger’s men do have some momentum, and the midweek win over Nottingham Forest showed they have depth and quality to call on if needed. It’s imperative they don’t capitulate in familiar fashion to traditionally tricky opposition. It’s a test of Arsenal’s Premier League mettle, but one they should feel pretty confident about.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea — Andrew Mangan

CHELSEA: Recent results between Arsenal and Chelsea will give the Blues a psychological edge going into the game — but will it be enough this time? Both defences have a suspect element to them which has typically been countered by attacking prowess. This means a boring 0-0 encounter is unlikely. With so much at stake and avoiding defeat a priority for both managers, a high scoring draw is a distinct possibility. Prediction: Arsenal 3-3 Chelsea — Mark Worrall

MAN UNITED: Leicester City have had uneven form in recent weeks, succumbing 4-1 to Liverpool in between two wins, while United have lost their past two in the league. These two teams with wounded pride and porous defences seem set for a draw.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-2 Leicester — Musa Okwonga

LEICESTER: The last time Leicester travelled to Old Trafford they got a vital point and days later they were Premier League champions. This time City face an out-of-sorts United side with a point to prove. It should be an intriguing encounter, especially with Claudio Ranieri up against former foe Jose Mourinho. The last time the pair met, Leicester beat Chelsea 2-1 and Mourinho was sacked shortly after. Expect a cagey encounter. Prediction: Manchester United 1-1 Leicester — Ben Jacobs

SWANSEA: Having lost the “battle of the B-teams” in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, Swansea will be looking to avenge themselves in league play against a full-strength Manchester City on Saturday. Francesco Guidolin lately has favoured unduly cautious football, but the last time City failed to score in a league game was way back in March.
Prediction: Swansea 1-4 Manchester City — Max Hicks

MAN CITY: City return to Swansea’s Liberty Stadium three days after winning there in the EFL Cup and must try not to let Vincent Kompany’s injury scare them or the next round match against Manchester United take their minds off the big task: Turning nine wins out of nine into 10 wins out of 10.
Prediction: Swansea 0-2 Manchester City — Simon Curtis

LIVERPOOL: In form Liverpool have shown they can overcome the Premier League’s top sides and now they need to prove they can also beat the teams they are expected to beat. Having lost already this season to a newly promoted club, Jurgen Klopp’s men will be anxious to make sure there is no repeat when they face Hull City at Anfield, and they won’t make the same mistakes they did against Burnley.
Prediction: Liverpool 4-0 Hull City — David Usher

HULL CITY: A trip to Anfield looks to be among the toughest assignments the Premier League has to offer on current form. Hull City will set up to be hard to break down, just as they did against Manchester United and Arsenal, but Liverpool have the attacking quality to hurt Mike Phelan’s men. Hard to make a case for anything but a home win.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Hull City — Phil Buckingham

MIDDLESBROUGH: Boro will aim to regroup after two defeats on the trot as they continue their quest to prevent slack defensive displays from letting them down. Goalkeeper Victor Valdes will have to be at his very best to help the team come anywhere close to a clean sheet, and fans will hope to see midfield stalwart Adam Clayton back from injury. Tottenham’s attacking efforts may be somewhat hampered by injuries, particularly to star striker Harry Kane.
Prediction: Middlesbrough 0-2 Tottenham— Catherine Wilson

TOTTENHAM: While Tottenham are now missing Harry Kane, they have a number of attacking midfielders in good form — Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Son Heung-Min have all shone this week — so they should get chances. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough have lost their past two Premier League matches and their last home game was a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace. Spurs can match that.
Prediction: Middlesbrough 1-2 Tottenham — Ben Pearce

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9/16/16 Liverpool vs Chelsea today 3 pm, Indy 11 Host Miami Sat TV 8, Carmel MLS Star Matt Hedges wins US Open Cup, Games of the Week

September 16, 2016September 16, 2016 gatorbest

Huge congrats to former Carmel High School star and current Dallas FC defender and Captain Matt Hedges who scored the winning goal vs NE in the US Open Cup Final on Tuesday night. Dallas who leads the MLS Western Division won their first US Open Cup before traveling to play NYCFC in Yankee Stadium Sat night at 7:30 pm on YES network. Sunday we have a battle of the top 2 teams in the East as #1 Toronto and Michael Bradley/Jose Altidore/Sebastion Giovinco face Sacha Kljestan and the NY Red Bulls at 5 pm on Fox, right after Landon Donovan returns to LA as they host Sporting KC at 2 pm on Fox.

Champions League had some intriguing matches Tues/Wed – great to have the Group Stages back this time on Fox Sports and ESPN. US young rising star Christian Pulisic became the youngest Dortmund player ever to have an assist in Champions League as he started in the 7-1 win. Defending Champs Real Madrid needed 2 late goals including a beat by the just returned Renaldo to hold beat Sporting Lisbon 2-1, Juve was stunned with a 0-0 tie at home, while my Foxes of Leicester City got a 3-0 win on the road, Man City rolled at home, Arsenal survived a 1-1 tie with PSG and Tottenham lost at Wembley in their return to UCL. Match-day Two returns Sept 27/28 with Bayern Munich traveling to Atletico Madrid, Real @ Dortmund and Leicester City hosting Porto.

In World League Play – Liverpool @ Chelsea is the best EPL game on Friday on NBCSN at 3 pm, while Everton hosts Middlesborough at 12:30 on NBC Sat. Inter hosts Italian League Champion Juve Sunday on beIN Sports at noon. Locally the Indy 11 host Miami at 7:30 pm Sat night – game on TV 8 looking for their first win in over a month. The 11 will host Octoberfest with beer specials before and during the game. Nice Story on Soccer Coaching.

cfcu12bg_champs

Carmel FC 05 Boys Gold wins Championship Game verse CESC Orange at Fall Classic 1-0. Two years in a row. Congrats Coaches Doug Latham and Commish Jeremy Slivinski

OctoberFest Celebration for Sat Night home Game

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Fri, Sept 16

3 pm NBCSN Chelsea vs Liverpool – weird to have this huge game on a Friday with no decent games on the weekend – tape it to watch Sat.

Sat, Sept 17

7:30 am NBCSN Hull City vs Arsenal

12:30 pm NBC Everton vs Middlesborough – wow this is the best the EPL can give us on NBC?

7:30 pm YES NYCFC vs Dallas battle of top teams can NYCFC defend Yankee Stadium?

7:30 pm TV 8, GolTV Indy 11 host Miami

Sun, Sat 18

7 am CNBC Watford vs Man United

9:15 am NBCSN Crystal Palace vs Stoke City – US defender Geoff Cameron @ CP

12 noon beIN Sports Inter vs Juventus – Inter hosts the Champions

2 pm Fox LA Galaxy vs Sporting KC – Landon Donovan’s return home vs KC.

5 pm Fox Toronto vs NY Red Bulls

7 pm FS 1 US Women vs Netherlands

Tues, Sept 20

2:45 pm beIN Sports LEAGUE CUP – Leicester City vs Chelsea

Sat, Sept 24

7:30 am NBCSN Man United vs Leicester City

12:30 pm Arsenal vs Chelsea

INDY 11

Indy 11 vs Miami preview

Loss to Ft. Lauderdale 2-1

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The Wrap-up of Champions League Day 1 (second day)

Champions League Match Day 1 Wrap Up – NBC Soccertalk

US Pulisic becomes youngest Dortmund player with a Champions League Assist

Leicester City Have Dream UCL Debut in 3-0 Road Win

UCL Team of the Week

Dortmund Hi-Lights 6-0 – Christian Pulisic starts and has assist

Real Madrid Score Twice Late to Survive vs Sporting CP

EPL Champ Leicester City crush Brugge 3-0 in first UCL Game

Tottenham loses at Wimbley to Monaco

EPL and World

EPL Predictions

Marcotti’s Musings- Around the World of Soccer – ESPN FC

Pep’s Early Tactics Were the Difference in the Manchester Derby – Joe Prince Wright – NBC Soccer Video

USA

Heather ORiely, Megan Rapino share the spotlight in Rout

US Ladies Heather ORiely Retiring Thurs Night

Clint Dempsey returns to Training after Heart Scare

US Hot List

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soccer-insider/wp/2016/09/11/four-american-goal-scorers-in-europe-this-weekend

Things Looking Up for USA – ESPN FC

Pulisic to Receive new contract offer from Dortmund

MLS

Former Carmel High now Dallas Defender Matt Hedges Scores Winning Goal vs NE

Youthful Dallas FC wins US Open Cup

Donovan’s Return Shows lack of Stars in MLS

Will Canadian Team’s pull out of MLS?

Toronto FC can Grab Playoff Spot this Weekend

Stevie Nicols New Book

Goalkeeper Matt Lampson Lives his Dream after Cancer Battle

Pirlo’s Best Assists for NYCFC

MLS Table

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Fri, Sept 16

3 pm NBCSN Chelsea vs Liverpool

Sat, Sept 17

7 am beIn Sports Barcelona vs Leganes

7:30 am NBCSN Hull City vs Arsenal

9:30 am Fox Sports 1 Buyern Munich vs Ingolstadt

9:30 am Fox Sports 2 Dortmund vs Darmdstadt

10 am NBCSN Man City vs Bournemouth, Leceister City vs Burnley,

12:30 pm NBC Everton vs Middlesborough

12:30 pm Fox Soccer + Borussia Mgladbach vs Werder Bremen

7:30 pm YES NYCFC vs Dallas

7:30 pm TV 8, GolTV Indy 11 host Miami

Sun, Sat 18

7 am CNBC Watford vs Man United

9:15 am CNBC Crystal Palace vs Stoke City

9:30 am FS1 Augsburg vs Mainz

9:30 am Fox Soccer Plus Ingolstadt vs Hertha BSC

9:30 am Fox Sports 2 Freiburg vs Borussia M’Gladbach

11:30 am NBCSN Tottenham vs Sunderland

12 noon beIN Sports Inter vs Juventus

11:30 am FS 2 Hertha vs Schalke

2 pm FS 1 LA Galaxy vs Sporting KC

2:45 pm beIN Sport Espanyol vs Real Madrid

5 pm FS 2 Toronto vs NY Red Bulls

7 pm FS 1 US Women vs Netherlands

Tues, Sept 20

2:45 pm beIN Sports LEAGUE CUP – Leicester City vs Chelsea

Sat, Sept 24

7:30 am NBCSN Man United vs Leicester City

10 am NBCSN Liverpool vs Hull City, Bournemouth vs Everton, Swansea vs Man City

12:30 pm Arsenal vs Chelsea

Sun, Sept 25

11 am NBCSN West Ham United vs Southampton

5 pm? ESPN LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders

7 pm Fox Sports 1 Columbus vs NE Revs

9:30 pm Fox Sports 1 Houston Dash vs Seattle Reign

Sept 27

Man City @ Celtic

Bayern Munich @ Athletico Madrid

Sept 28

Real Madrid @ Dortmund

Porto @ Leicester City

German Bundesliga TV Schedule on Fox Soccer and Gol TV

Report: Dortmund to give US youngster Pulisic new contract; Liverpool still pursuing

Leave a commentBy Andy Edwards Sep 15, 2016, 12:09 PM EDT

It sure is nice to be wanted, isn’t it? Christian Pulisic is a wanted (young) man with the soccer world at his feet. After starring for the U.S. national team in a pair of World Cup qualifiers during the most recent international break, Pulisic made his UEFA Champions League debut for his club team, Borussia Dortmund, on Thursday, and provided the assist on the fifth goal of a 6-0 blowout over Legia Warsaw, the reigning Polish champions.Pulisic, who’ll turn 18 on Saturday, broke into the Dortmund first team during the second half of last season, which resulted in the hot pursuit of a pair of Premier League clubs — Liverpool and Stoke City — this summer. Despite a wealth of other young attacking talent, much of which was signed this summer, Dortmund rejected all suitors.Those bids, coupled with his standout showings for the USMNT and BVB, have the Hershey, Penn., native reportedly set to be offered a new, improved contract to keep him in Germany for the foreseeable future. Not exactly the worst coming-of-legal-age birthday present.While playing as much first-team soccer as possible is important, Pulisic seems to be at the perfect club for a young attacker to develop, whether he’s an everyday starter or not. Of course, Klopp wouldn’t be the worst manager in the world to play for, though the we want results, and we want them now now now nature of the PL would likely lead to a full-time substitute’s role with older, more experienced players preferred to the teenager.At Dortmund, a club lauded for its development of young players, he’ll get just enough game time and still be forced to show every time out that he’s cut out for the Bundesliga and CL levels.

Liverpool’s test at Chelsea, Manchester United need derby response

Liverpool have won 4-3 at Arsenal and thrashed champions Leicester 4-1 so far this season. Friday night’s trip to resurgent Chelsea represents the latest test to their upward trajectory.

Elsewhere, Manchester United need a response to their 2-1 derby defeat at home to Manchester City as Jose Mourinho’s men travel to Watford on Sunday, while Pep Guardiola’s side are at home to Bournemouth.

Predict the results of every match in our polls.

CHELSEA: An exciting, incident-packed encounter is in prospect as two lively attacks face up to two brittle defences. Diego Costa, at the peak of his goal-scoring powers for Chelsea, will no doubt be the focus of Liverpool’s wind-up merchants meaning referee Martin Atkinson is likely to be the busiest man on the pitch.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool — Mark Worrall

LIVERPOOL: With strikers on both sides in fine form there should be goals in what is normally a tense, tight affair. The home side have the edge defensively but the Reds rarely disappoint in away games against the top sides, so both teams’ advantages should cancel themselves out.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool — Steven Kelly

MAN CITY: Pep Guardiola’s men are in splendid form. They’ve won all seven of their opening matches of the new season and the new coach has got them playing beautiful, attacking football. Bournemouth won their last outing in the Premier League but are enduring a difficult second season so far. With City’s attack, this should be a formality.
Prediction: Manchester City 4-0 Bournemouth — David Mooney

BOURNEMOUTH: Last weekend’s 1-0 win over West Brom will fill Bournemouth with plenty of confidence heading into their next fixture against Manchester City. However, it’s still a colossal task for the Cherries to overturn Guardiola’s undefeated side. Eddie Howe’s team won’t go down without a fight, but they will lose.
Prediction: Manchester City 3-1 Bournemouth — Will Kent

HULL CITY: You have to go back to 1915 for the last time Arsenal came to East Yorkshire and failed to leave with a victory but Mike Phelan’s side will fancy their chances of bucking the trend. Hull City are playing as well as their seven-point haul would suggest and showing no sign of trepidation against stronger opponents. That wasn’t quite enough against Manchester United three weeks ago but they are capable of exposing Arsenal’s frailties.
Prediction: Hull City 1-1 Arsenal — Phil Buckingham

ARSENAL: A long trip to Hull after a draining sojourn to Paris presents an early test of Arsenal’s mettle, but it is one they should pass. Class will prevail as Arsenal have too much talent, even if the two teams are locked together on seven points after four games of the season.
Prediction: Hull 0-2 Arsenal — Tom Adams

WATFORD: Walter Mazzarri’s men will be confident after a stunning comeback away at West Ham, but will be wary of a wounded Manchester United who will be looking to bounce back after their derby day defeat. The pressure is on Mourinho’s men, but the Hornets must avoid the slow starts that have plagued their season if they are to avoid defeat here.
Prediction: Watford 1-1 Manchester United — Mike Parkin

MAN UNITED: Watford have shown some strong form this season, providing a stern test for Chelsea and overwhelming West Ham. Manchester United, perhaps a little shaken their derby defeat, still have an attack that could punish the home defence, and should have enough for the win.
Prediction: Watford 1-2 Manchester United — Musa Okwonga

Leicester City: The champions will be confident of rounding off a superb week at home to Burnley. After thrashing Club Brugge 3-0 on Wednesday night, the Foxes will expect another three points. Riyad Mahrez has found his goalscoring touch and his Algerian compatriot Islam Slimani will look to get off the mark. Leicester will get a huge ovation following their Champions League success and can win equally as handsomely as in Brugge.
Prediction: Leicester 3-0 Burnley — Ben Jacobs

BURNLEY: Leicester’s European exertions should give an advantage to the Clarets. They have had a full week to prepare for this game, rather than a couple of days, although a win against Club Brugge will be a lift to the Foxes. With both sides relying heavily on energy for their game, this could be a frantic match and Burnley can claim their first away point of the season.
Prediction: Leicester City 1-1 Burnley — Jamie Smith

TOTTENHAM: Spurs could not ask for a much easier fixture after Wednesday night’s disappointment in the Champions League. They have slipped up in such circumstances before of course and, like Monaco, Sunderland will probably set up to defend and frustrate — but Spurs’ squad is stronger than it was last season and they should come out on top.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-0 Sunderland — Ben Pearce

SUNDERLAND: David Moyes’ men have lost all three of their televised games this season and were thumped 4-1 in the corresponding fixture in February. Changes may be made at the back and there is a possibility Moyes may select three central defenders in a bid to stem the goals conceded while Victor Anichebe may add some much-needed muscle up front.
Prediction: Tottenham 2-1 Sunderland — Pete Sixsmith

WEST BROM: The Baggies need both a good performance and result at the Hawthorns against fellow early season strugglers West Ham to ease the pressure on head coach Tony Pulis. Brendan Galloway will need to improve on last week’s performance against Bournemouth if he wants to keep the in-form Michail Antonio quiet.
Prediction: West Brom 1-1 West Ham — Matthew Evans

WEST HAM: Pulis’ side have struggled this season so far but are on a high after beating Bournemouth. West Ham, meanwhile, are still stinging after huge criticism following last Saturday’s defensive nightmare against Watford. These are two early season crisis clubs and it’s hard to separate them.
Prediction: West Brom 2-2 West Ham — Peter Thorne

EVERTON: Evergreen midfield mainstay Gareth Barry could make his 600th Premier League appearance, against Middlesbrough on Saturday. Alongside the equally impressive Idrissa Gueye, Barry has been the driving force behind a fine start that has the Blues chasing a fourth consecutive league win and third successive clean sheet.
Prediction: Everton 2-0 Middlesbrough — Luke O’Farrell

MIDDLESBROUGH: Boro will be looking to bounce back from their first Premier League defeat of the season, at the hands of Crystal Palace. The Teessiders will be hoping to cut out the careless mistakes that let them down last week, but rallying against a buoyant Everton will be no mean feat. Centre-backs Ben Gibson and Daniel Ayala will be occupied with the unenviable task of keeping Blues’ striker Romelu Lukaku quiet, but it might be too much.
Prediction: Everton 2-0 Middlesbrough — Catherine Wilson

CRYSTAL PALACE: The Eagles appear to have found a spring in their step in recent weeks and with more confidence and a striker hungry for goals, Alan Pardew’s side look reinvigorated. It’s the perfect time to face a Stoke side struggling to find their stride.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 3-1 Stoke — Rob Sutherland

STOKE: Having overseen the club’s worst start in 110 years, Mark Hughes will be firmly under the microscope when he takes his rock-bottom Stoke side to Palace. Playing away from home could help them, but the thought of an in-form Wilfried Zaha running at the Potters’ porous defence is a frightening one.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 2-1 Stoke — James Whittaker

SOUTHAMPTON: The Premier League season may only be four matches old but this already looks like a pivotal game for Claude Puel against a Swansea side expected to struggle. The Frenchman is yet to taste victory in the league and is already coming under fire from fans over his tactics.
Prediction: Southampton 1-1 Swansea — Alex Crook

SWANSEA: Swansea’s unlikely 2-2 draw against Chelsea last Sunday should give Francesco Guidolin’s side some belief, and belief might be all that’s required to defeat the winless Saints. The Swans have beaten Southampton just once in the Premier League. Sunday presents a golden chance to make it twice.
Prediction: Southampton 1-2 Swansea — Max Hicks

To get you in the mood for the weekend’s action, read Richard Jolly on the issues facing Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp at their respective clubs, while Scott Patterson says Henrikh Mkhitaryan needs to be patient at Manchester United.Michael Cox, meanwhile, says Mourinho has a problem fitting in his playmakers at United. Can the Portuguese find the right mix at Vicarage Road this Sunday? Vote in the match poll and have your say in the comments.

Real Madrid get late win, Leicester and Manchester City win in UCL

Late goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata earned Real Madrid a comeback 2-1 win against Sporting Lisbon at the Bernabeu.Bruno Cesar had put Sporting into a 48th-minute lead with a low curling effort but the holders left it late, first Ronaldo scoring a free kick in the final minute of normal time before Morata headed home in the fourth minute of added time to earn Los Blancos all three points.Leicester City began their debut Champions League campaign with a bang, running out 3-0 winners against Club Brugge in Group G.Marc Albrighton took advantage of a defensive mix-up to score from close range on five minutes and Riyad Mahrez doubled the Foxes’ advantage, in front of a below-capacity stadium, with a 28th-minute free kick.Mahrez added a third from the spot in the 61st-minute after Jamie Vardy was fouled by Brugge goalkeeper Ludovic Butelle.Manchester City kept up their perfect start to the season and began their Champions League campaign with a win, at the second attempt, by beatingBorussia Monchengladbach 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium courtesy of a Sergio Aguero hat trick.Aguero turned in a low cross from Aleksandar Kolarov after eight minutes, added a 28th-minute penalty when debutant Ilkay Gundogan was fouled, and completed his treble on 77 minutes when Raheem Sterling’s through-ball allowed him to round Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer and tap in.Kelechi Iheanacho came off the bench to add a late fourth. That result puts City second in Group C, behind Barcelona on goal difference.It wasn’t a good start for Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on their Champions League return, however, as they crashed to a 2-1 defeat againstAS Monaco.Bernardo Silva had the Ligue 1 side in front on 15 minutes before Thomas Lemar added a 31st-minute second. Toby Alderweireld pulled one back for Spurs on 45 minutes with a header from a cornerJuventus played out a frustrating 0-0 draw with Sevilla, Gonzalo Higuain’s second half header, which struck the crossbar, their best chance against the three time Europa League winners.Headers from Mario Gotze and Sokratis and a close range tap-in from Marc Bartra had a rampant Borussia Dortmund three goals ahead against Legia Warsaw inside 20 minutes as they ran out 6-0 winners in Poland. Raphael Guerreiro added a fourth early in the second half after Ousmane Dembele’s blocked shot fell kindly to him in front of goal before substitute Gonzalo Castro and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang completed the rout late on.CSKA Moscow fought back from two goals down to earn an unlikely 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen. The Bundesliga side controlled the opening exchanges, and took a two-goal lead through Admir Mehmedi and Hakan Calhanoglu inside the opening 15 minutes, but against the run of play Alan Dzagoev and Roman Eremenko pulled the Russian champions level and earned a point.In the other game in Leicester’s group, Porto were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man FC Copenhagen. Andreas Cornelius pulled Copenhagen level on 52 minutes after they had fallen behind to Otavio’s 13th-minute strike for Porto, before Jan Gregus was dismissed for a second bookable offence. That draw leaves Leicester top of Group G.Goals from Corentin Tolisso, Jordan Ferri and Maxwel Cornet gave Lyon a convincing 3-0 win against Dinamo Zagr

Riyad Mahrez up and running as Leicester enjoy dream UCL debut

Leicester City put in a near-perfect performance to beat Club Brugge 3-0 in their Champions League debut on Wednesday night. The Foxes were ruthless and arguably still had a gear to go up. On this evidence they will have no problems getting out of Group G.

Positives

Riyad Mahrez’s brace could kickstart his season. The Algerian looked far more like his old self, even if he is yet to score from open play this term. It was also encouraging to see the Algerian link up effectively with international teammate Islam Slimani. The fact Porto were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Copenhagen was a welcome bonus, too.

Negatives

The game could have been different had Jose Izquierdo handed Brugge a 1-0 lead after just a few minutes. City must use that scare as a warning in order to stay grounded. There is no room for complacency in the Champions League even if City probably only need to win the return leg against Brugge plus one victory from the two games with Copenhagen to reach the round of 16.

Manager rating: 10

9 — Claudio Ranieri got his tactics spot on. He was forced to replace the injured Danny Simpson with Luis Hernandez and the latter used his long throw to set up Marc Albrighton for the opening goal — Leicester’s first in Europe since Muzzy Izzet scored against Red Star Belgrade in 2000.

The decision to keep Daniel Amartey in the starting XI instead of Andy King could have backfired, but the Ghanaian rewarded his manager’s faith. Ranieri also played a master stroke before a ball was even kicked, claiming it is “impossible” for Leicester to win the Champions League even though the Foxes are just 50-1 shots. Saying so alleviated any pressure on his squad.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best; players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Kasper Schmeichel, 7 — Barely had a save to make, although was a bit fortunate to keep a clean sheet after Izquierdo missed an early sitter and hit the post late on. Important not to concede after shipping four against Liverpool at the weekend.

DF Luis Hernandez, 8 — Replaced the injured Simpson and provided the assist for Albrighton’s opener courtesy of his trademark long throw. Pace of the game definitely suited the Spaniard.

DF Robert Huth, 8 — Never troubled at the back and unlucky not to score from a header in the second half.

DF Wes Morgan, 7 — Didn’t have much to do, but will go down in history as Leicester’s first ever captain to win a Champions League game.

DF Christian Fuchs, 7 — Flawless at the back and was given far more license to charge forwards than in the Premier League thus far.

MF Riyad Mahrez, 10 — Back to his very best. Totally controlled the game. Scored a wonderful free kick and finally converted from the penalty spot, too, after a series of woes from 12 yards.

MF Danny Drinkwater, 9 — Solid and at times a touch audacious. Hit the target with a long range free kick and saw a spectacular dipping volley fizz just over. Given a touch more freedom and proved he is far more than just a defensive midfielder.

MF Daniel Almartey, 7 — Responded well after a sluggish shift at Liverpool. If anything, he may prove more of a threat in the Champions League than the Premier League.

MF Marc Albrighton, 8 — Has the honour of scoring Leicester’s first ever Champions League goal after lingering in the area and taking a gamble at the back post.

FW Islam Slimani, 7 — Still finding his feet, but Leicester’s record signing showed flashes of flair and held the ball up well. Clearly has a strong understanding with Mahrez, who he set up for a curling shot that was deflected just wide. However, there remain question marks over his temperament, as illustrated by his needless shove on Bjorn Engels.

FW Jamie Vardy, 8 — His pace caused havoc against a slow Brugge backline. Won the penalty which Mahrez scored after being fouled when clean through. Now looks totally match fit.

Substitutes:

MF Demarai Gray, N/R — Great experience for the youngster to get a few minutes. Will only help with his development.

FW Ahmed Musa, N/R — Came on when the game was safe. Slimani’s arrival may mean he has to get used to cameos from the bench.

FW Leonardo Ulloa, 7 — Held up the ball well and shrewdly wound down the clock towards the end.

U.S. Hot List: Jozy Altidore in best form of his career, Julian Green cools down

There are several ways to figure out what Jurgen Klinsmann is thinking at any given time when it comes to the state of the national team player pool. The most telling is watching who the coach does (and does not) call in for games and how he uses players during international breaks. Actions speak louder than words, of course.But occasionally, the coach speaks and offers genuine insight into how he views his various options.That was the case on Monday afternoon, when Klinsmann conducted a live Facebook chat with U.S. fans. As is often the case, the supporters’ questions tended to concern individual players. “Here and there you can ask about different topics as well,” Klinsmann joked, but the answers to those others offered real clues about how the Americans will approach October’s exhibitions at Cuba and against New Zealand in Washington, D.C. — the last tune-up games before the final round of World Cup qualifying begins with a visit from archrival Mexico.”Going forward we’re trying to still integrate more talent into our pool, still see what youngsters are coming through to challenge the older ones,” Klinsmann said. “We have two friendlies coming up, big friendlies for us. It gives us a last opportunity to test things out before we hit Mexico on Nov. 11.”Based on his comments and their play with their clubs, here are 11 guys who may or may not be in the mix.

Warming up

Jozy Altidore, F, Toronto FC (MLS)

Why he’s here: With nine goals in his last 10 games for club and country, the 26-year-old is quite simply in the best form of his career right now.What this means: “Jozy, if he is healthy, if he is fit, if he has confidence, he’s a difference-maker,” Klinsmann said, adding that he’s confident that the hamstring injuries that have plagued Altidore in recent years are a thing of the past. “He still so young. Hopefully he stays healthy. We need him in top shape.”

Paul Arriola, M/F, Club Tijuana (Mexico)

Why he’s here: Arriola scored off the bench in last week’s 4-0 rout of Trinidad and Tobago in Jacksonville, Florida, giving the 21-year-old San Diego-area product two goals in two U.S. games.What this means: Arriola still has to establish himself with Xolos — he’s been used exclusively as a substitute this season after winning a starting job last spring — but he clearly impressed with the U.S., and not just during the game. “Arriola stuck out for me in training all week,” teammate Sacha Kljestan said in Florida. “He works his butt off.”

Steve Birnbaum, D, D.C. United (MLS)

Why he’s here: Birnbaum started and played well against the Soca Warriors, then returned to United and scored a huge goal in Sunday’s 2-2 tie against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena.What this means: The Americans’ depth at center-back could make it hard for Birnbaum to keep his place when Matt Besler and John Brooks are available (both missed the T&T game), but Birnbaum remains ahead of Liga MX-based Omar Gonzalez on the U.S. depth chart.

Aron Johannsson, F, Werder Bremen (Germany)

Why he’s here: The Icelandic-American missed almost a year with a hip injury, but he has started both of Bremen’s first two games of the Bundesliga season and scored from the spot on Sunday in Bremen’s 2-1 loss to Augsburg.What this means: Johannsson is just a couple of matches into the new campaign, and it sounds like Klinsmann has an eye on the striker not for next month, but for the Hex itself. “He’s not at 90 minutes (fit) yet,” Klinsmann said of the 25-year-old. “We need to be patient with Aron for a little bit. Hopefully soon we have him back. If that will be already the games against Cuba and New Zealand, that’s questionable.”

Lynden Gooch, M, Sunderland (England)

Why he’s here: Gooch is still looking for his first senior cap, but he started Sunderland’s first three games of the Premier League season and he was right back in David Moyes’ XI following the international break, going 56 minutes in Monday’s 3-0 loss to Everton.What this means: The 20-year-old will be in the coach’s plans if he keeps playing. Klinsmann called the Californian recently. “He just said well done for what I achieved and just told me to keep working hard and make sure I stay in the team,” Gooch told Men in Blazers.

Sacha Kljestan, M, New York Red Bulls (MLS)

Why he’s here: With two goals and two assists in two games for the U.S. following his surprise recall, the MLS assists leader sealed his spot in next month’s camp.What this means: “He matured,” Klinsmann said of Kljestan, who went more than two years between international invites. “Sacha definitely took his chance in these two World Cup Qualifiers and made a strong case. I told him see you back in October.”

Timmy Chandler, D, Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)

Why he’s here: The German-American made the Copa America Centenario roster in June before having to withdraw through injury, and he has started his hometown team’s first two games of the season at right-back.What this means: Some U.S. fans love to hate on the 26-year-old. But Chandler’s pedigree, age and — most crucially — his position will keep him in the mix. “Where we’re lacking is definitely full-backs, left-backs and right-backs that are natural in that position,” Klinsmann said. “He’s another player that we’re looking at.”

Cooling down

Julian Green, F, Bayern Munich (Germany)

Why he’s here: The 21-year-old dressed but was an unused substitute in both of Bayern’s first two Bundesliga games.What this means: It’s hard to see Klinsmann calling Green in next month if nothing changes. Answering a question about Green and Arsenal prospect Gedion Zelalem, the coach said this: “They are not seeing any minutes with their club teams, so it’s really difficult to bring them into the senior environment right now.”

Clint Dempsey, F, Seattle Sounders (MLS)

Why he’s here: The national team’s second career leading scorer remains sidelined indefinitely because of an irregular heartbeat.What this means: Three weeks since news about Dempsey’s condition first broke, there has been no update about his potential return. “I’m in touch with Clint,” Klinsmann said. “I can only say from our end that we hope to have him back as soon as possible.”

Brad Guzan, G, Middlesbrough (England)

Why he’s here: He started two league games for Boro while ex-Barcelona and Manchester United keeper Victor Valdes was injured and played well. But with Valdes back, Guzan returned to coach Aitor Karanka’s bench for Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace.What this means: With U.S. teammate Tim Howard playing every week for the Colorado Rapids, Guzan might need to oust Valdes over the next eight weeks to earn the start against El Tri.

Gyasi Zardes, M/F, LA Galaxy (MLS)

Why he’s here: The hard-running and versatile attacker is out until November with a broken foot, and others — including a certain touted teenager — are gunning for his spot in the lineup.What this means: “It’s a bummer for Gyasi because over the last two years he’s been big for us,” Klinsmann said. “We’d love to have more alternatives in midfield on the wing, especially with Zardes out for a little bit. With Christian Pulisic, I think we found a kid that gives us a huge option now.”Doug McIntyre is a staff writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @DougMacESPN.

Heather O’Reilly, Megan Rapinoe share spotlight in U.S. Ladies rout

By Graham Hays | Sep 16, 2016 Heather O’Reilly subbed off for final time

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thursday night’s game between the United States and Thailand was a great many things. Heck, it was a lot of things before the actual game was five minutes old.The first mile on the road to France and the 2019 World Cup?Not so much. On a night when the United States beat Thailand 9-0, when Carli Lloyd tallied three goals and four assists, the game was about two people. And Lloyd wasn’t one of them.One was celebrated as she stood alone in a national team uniform for the final time.One was watched as she knelt on the ground, surrounded but solitary, before the game.Thursday was about Heather O’Reilly becoming part of the team’s past after her final game and Megan Rapinoe stoking controversy in the present by kneeling during “The Star-Spangled Banner” for the first time while wearing a national team uniform.Neither has much to do with what happens across the Atlantic Ocean in three years.”The most important thing for me is Heather O’Reilly having a fitting send-off game,” U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. “That was the most important thing, in terms of with the team internally, externally, what we tried to do and how we honored her. That was the priority.”On a different night, really any other night, O’Reilly would have had the spotlight to herself. This was the antithesis of that laborious game in New Orleans last December when the United States tried and tried to send off Abby Wambach with a goal and instead lost to China.In the minutes before the game, O’Reilly blasted the ball into the top of the goal during a shooting drill. Starting and wearing the captain’s armband in the last of her 231 appearances for the national team, O’Reilly appeared more than ready to go out as more than a ceremonial figure.Less than 60 seconds into the game, she got to the end line and delivered a cross — of course she did — that Lloyd finished for the opening goal. For someone with more assists than all but five women in the team’s history, it was a fitting way to exit. Except O’Reilly wasn’t done. In the fifth minute, Christen Press having already extended the lead to two goals in the intervening seconds, Lloyd returned the favor and set up O’Reilly for her first international goal in nearly a year. She nearly poached another goal, chasing a Tobin Heath goal into the net, relentless effort that in its own way summed up the player.

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Even a final act that Ellis made sound like something of an audible proved perfect. When the United States made its sixth and final substitution in the second half and O’Reilly stayed on the field, it seemed she wouldn’t get the typical farewell curtain call. But with only a handful of minutes remaining, Ellis got approval from the referees to make a unique move.Up went the fourth official’s electronic board with O’Reilly’s No. 9 as the departing player. But where the number of her replacement would have been, there was nothing. O’Reilly walked off alone, and the United States played the final minutes with 10 players on the field.”I thought it was just fitting that she get a standing ovation, a moment to herself in this game,” Ellis said. “I just felt she needed that singular moment to be acknowledged and recognized by everyone.”Left unsaid was that it was a night when singular moments were difficult to come by. O’Reilly was honored on the field before the game in a ceremony that included Mia Hamm, a fellow North Carolina Tar Heel and former national teammate when O’Reilly first appeared as a high schooler. But that felt like prelude to the national anthem that followed. After saying Wednesday that she wasn’t sure if she would stand or kneel, Rapinoe made her choice.If you hadn’t been looking, you might not even have noticed her flanked by the other bench players who remained standing. But, of course, everyone was looking. The day after a police shooting in Columbus in which a 13-year-old African-American boy was killed after reportedly pulling what proved to be a realistic looking BB gun from his waistband, Rapinoe knelt.”I never felt like it was wrong in the first place,” Rapinoe said of her decision. “I never felt it was disrespectful. I felt very convicted in Chicago that night when I took that knee for the first time. And I think that I’ve been trying to figure out a way to make everybody happy. That’s not possible. I truly believe in what I’m doing and the things that I’m saying and the need for this conversation to happen, especially in light of what happened last night in this city.”I think, ultimately, I know I can sleep at night with the decision that I made.”What some people heard as a single voice shouting “Stand up Pinoe” was the only audible response, although it later sounded as if some boos greeted Rapinoe when she took the field in the second half.Ellis made clear the day before the game her belief that national team duty conveys a responsibility to stand for the anthem. In a statement released during the game, U.S. Soccer expressed an almost identical stance. But Rapinoe said no one asked her to stand for the anthem and the statement made no mention of potential sanctions. Ellis, too, said she didn’t consider not playing Rapinoe. But she also left room to suggest that isn’t permanent.”I think for me and who I am, I’ve given this a lot of thought and a lot of contemplation,” Ellis said. “And I think tonight I was not going to get caught up in an emotional response in the moment. I’m pretty measured in everything I do, and certainly even to the game plan was measured in minutes and that was factored in, including Megan. I think that’s just how I am.”Now it’s continued conversations and thoughts on my part and probably with the federation.”

I never felt it was disrespectful. … I think that I’ve been trying to figure out a way to make everybody happy. That’s not possible. I truly believe in what I’m doing and the things that I’m saying and the need for this conversation to happen …

Megan Rapinoe on kneeling

It took until now to even mention that the United States played the game without Hope Solo in goal, a situation that will be so for at least the next six months. Then again, it took until the 34th minute for the crowd to get a chance to cheer starting goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris in her first appearance for the national team in more than a year, when a teammate played a ball back to her. But for a second-half sequence in which Thailand nearly scored a goal, replays suggesting Kelley O’Hara’s goal-line clearance was either perfect timing or an advertisement for goal-line technology, the defensive half of the field was an afterthought for the Americans.Of course, except for those that involved O’Reilly, the nine goals they scored at the other end were ultimately an afterthought, too. With apologies to Lloyd’s haul, history will not long remember the final score of the game. It might well remember the rest of the night.This is supposed to be the doldrums of women’s international soccer for North American teams. The United States won’t play another meaningful game until 2018. But when nine goals and Solo’s absence don’t even make the top of the page, these are interesting times.So it was left to O’Reilly, who half-jokingly confirmed she was still sure about international retirement in the wake of such a strong performance, to offer her final words as a member of the national team not about the celebration but the latest controversy.”She did talk to the team, that she was thinking about doing that,” O’Reilly said of Rapinoe. “And we know, obviously, why she is doing that — because she loves this country and she wants to see change and that’s how she feels, in her heart, that she’s demonstrating it.”We will eventually start down the road to France. It just didn’t happen Thursday night.Graham Hays covers college sports for espnW, including softball and soccer. Hays began with ESPN in 1999.

Indy Eleven Gameday & Match Preview
Indy Eleven vs Miami FC Saturday, September 17, 2016 – 7:30 p.m. ET IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis, IN

Watch/Listen Live:Local TV: WISH-TV

Indy Eleven:Fall Season: 6W-3D-5L, 21 pts, 4th place // Combined Season: 10W-9D-5L, 39 pts., 3rd place

Miami FC: Fall Season: 7W-4D-2L, 25 pts, 2nd place // Combined Season: 8W-8D-7L, 32 pts, 5th place

Click here for the complete NASL Fall Season standings

Last Time Out – Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2 : 1 Indy Eleven

The “Boys in Blue” fell to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers last Saturday at Central Broward Stadium in a scrappy match that finished 2-1. Though Indy had a few chances early on, it was the Strikers who got on the board first through Paulo Jr. In the 19th minute. The Brazilian raced forward on a counterattack and used his pace to streak down the wing and into the box, where he beat Eleven ‘keeper Jon Busch low to his right-hand side. The 1-0 scoreline would remain the same through halftime as Indy pressed back but could not find an equalizer.Just after 20 minutes of action in the second period, the Strikers would take advantage of dispossession in the center of the park, and attacking weapon Maicon Santos would tally past a stretched Indy backline to increase the host’s lead. The Boys in Blue continued to pressure the Fort Lauderdale goal as the match wore on, but it wasn’t until the 88th minute when they found the back of the net. Defender Lovel Palmer stood on the right wing and whipped in a perfectly weighted cross that met the head of forward Justin Braun, and the American buried it from close range to make it a contest.Ultimately, the Eleven could not find a last-gasp equalizer and fell in the Sunshine State to drop to fourth place in the Fall Season – but remain in third place in the Combined Season standings.

Home Sweet Home

The team returning to Carroll Stadium on Saturday means one thing – another chance to defend the fortress that has been #TheMike in 2016. The “Boys in Blue” were unable to break down the Tampa Bay Rowdies in their last home, but that draw followed eight straight home wins dating back to the 4-2 win over Minnesota United FC on May 21. If you can’t remember the last time Indy Eleven lost on the IUPUI campus it is for good reason – Indiana’s Team will carry a 14-game home unbeaten stretch with it into Saturday’s game, dating back to last October. With the home crowd behind them, Indy Eleven has been unbeatable (seriously) and will now look to continue that momentum against a Miami FC side that has earned some impressive results in recent weeks.

Who to Watch, Indy Eleven edition: FW Eamon Zayed

One of many to watch on Saturday night, Zayed has not scored since the loss at Carolina on August 20 but remains one of the team’s biggest threats going forward. Alongside Justin Braun, the Irish striker has a knack for goal that has earned him the nickname “El Raton” from head coach Tim Hankinson, like “the rat that chases his cheese.”In training, Zayed has been transitioning seamlessly with his striking partner and working hard to connect with the midfield in an attempt to get himself more space from the defense – and it has worked. A true poaching forward, look for Indy’s No.9 to put himself in position to get back on the scoresheet when Miami FC comes to town.

Who to Watch, Miami FC edition: FW Dario Cvitanich

The name to know from the visiting side Saturday is forward Dario Cvitanich, who took just one minute to score against Carolina Railhawks FC midweek in their 1-0 home win.Cvitanich has nine goals and four assists in 21 appearances for Miami FC and has scored in all three of their matches in the month of September, all of which they won. The Argentine will be ahead of midfielder Poku, who showed his capacity as a dangerous midfielder in the last meeting with Indy Eleven, and will look to pounce in the same fashion that saw him score in the 2-1 win at the end of July. Indy’s backline will have to keep their eyes on that pair, and Cvitanich specifically, as they look to limit scoring chances in their return home.
Match-up to Mark: MF Poku vs. MF Gerardo Torrado

Two extremely impactful midfielders are at the center of Saturday’s match when former NYCFC midfielder Poku lines up against Mexico legend and a staple in Indy’s starting XI in Gerardo Torrado.With five goals and one assist in 12 appearances in 2016, Poku acts as Miami’s No.10 with an attacking presence that his marginally increased in the Fall Season. The Ghanaian midfielder is one of many engines in the visiting side that will look to both create and finish chances in front of the Indy net, but will have to get past Torrado in order to do so.Arriving in the Fall Season, Gerardo Torrado has yet to register a goal or assist in 11 appearances but plays an incredibly important role in the fluidity of the midfield. Winning 19 of 21 tackles, tallying 22 interceptions, and completing over 80% of his passes, nearly 40% of which have gone forward, the former Cruz Azul man will be tasked with acting as a roadblock between the Miami FC midfield and attack on Saturday.

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Earn your Degree While You Watch Your Kids Soccer Practice – ½ the time and cost of Traditional Schools

Check out The Ole Ballcoach online www.theoleballcoach.com –

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9/12/16 Champions League Tues/Wed 2:45 pm on Fox Sports Networks/ESPN2, Indy 11 Home Sat vs Miami, US Open Cup Tues, CHS Senior Night Tues Night, Guerin Pack the House Night Tues Night

September 12, 2016September 14, 2016 gatorbest

If you didn’t watch Borrusia Dortmund vs Legia Warsaw — Watch it now — US National 17 year old Christian Pulisic not only played but he started and had an assist!!! Hi lights show 9:30 till 10:30 pm on Fox Soccer Channel and again on FS2 2 to 3 am Thurs AM.

The Wrap-up of Champions League Day 1 (second day)

Dortmund Hi-Lights 6-0 – Christian Pulisic starts and has assist

Real Madrid Score Twice Late to Survive vs Sporting CP

EPL Champ Leicester City crush Brugge 3-0 in first UCL Game

Tottenham loses at Wimbley to Monaco

Real Madrid get late win, Leicester and Manchester City win in UCL

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=So Champion’s League Group Play gets underway this Tues/Wed as the top teams in Europe begin the quest for the ultimate Team Prize – the EUFA Champions League Title. Anyone want to grab a late lunch with the games Tues or Wed let me know!! Huge games for Arsenal Tues on Fox Sports 2 as they host their UCL nemisis PSG, while Man City host US Winger Fabian Johnson of Borussia M’Gladbach on Fox Sports Indiana as they open their campaigns at home. Also Tues night 10 pm on ESPN 2 its the US Open Cup Final as NE takes on Dallas FC and former Carmel High star Matt Hedges. On Wednesday Juve hosts Sevilla 2:45 pm on ESPN 2, while Tottenham host Monaco on FS Ind and Leicester City travels for their firsts ever UCL game at Club Brugge (Belgium) on Fox Soccer Channel. The big game of the weekend overseas was of course the Manchester Derby and oh it did not disappoint!! The huge match-up was EPIC as Man City and coach Pep G. showed their class with a masterful first half performance that put them up 2-1 at Old Trafford as they dominated possession 70-30. Not to disappoint however – the self appointed – Special One Man U’s Jose Mourino changed tactics in the 2^nd half and had the boys in Red in charge with nearly a 65-35 possesion time dominance and 3 times as many shots on goal. Man U couldn’t find the equalizer however despite new Goalie Claudio Bravo’s many gaffs. Great game, great atmosphere on Sat early morning on NBCSports Network. Friday Chelsea hosts Liverpool in the only decent game of the weekend in the EPL at 2:30 on NBCSN, while in Italy Juve hosts Inter Sunday 12 noon on beIN Sports.

The Indy 11 return home Saturday in a desperate search for a win vs Miami at 7:30 pm at The MIKE! The 11’s last win was at home nearly a month ago but they still stand in 4^th place overall in the NASL standings with 21 pts. They host Octoberfest this Saturday night with beer specials galore get your tickets today!

LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL

The 5^th ranked Carmel High School boys team is hosting Senior Night this Tues, Sep 13th – 7:00pm Murray Stadium. We have 2 former and 1 current Senior on the Squad – Max Toubin is a current U18/19 player and Reese McDaniel and Matthew Skor are former CFC’ers.

Guerin High School is hosting their Pack the House night this Tuesday night, Sept 13 at Grand Park on Field 1 – the Championship Field Jv at 5:30, Varsity at 7pm. FREE Admission for Carmel FC and CDC kids and parents, prizes, contests and more. CFC has many former and current players on the JV and 9th grade teams and these 9 on Varsity: Cooper Fetters, Julian Tessarzyk, PJ Grocki, Matt Quinn, Scott Corman, Logan Bedford, Noah DeWaal, Jack Hagle, and Patrick Koehl.

The 2^nd Ranked Carmel High Girls – host Teacher Appreciation Night tonight at Murray Stadium vs North Central with 5 pm Coach Carla Baker’s JV and 7 pm Varsity.

9_11_u11_girls

Coach Andy Martin (a former Captain in the Army who served in Kuwait, and West Point Grad) was proud of his U-11 girls displaying the Flag at their Sunday game on 9/11. Mighty proud ladies and Coach!!

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Tues Sept 13 Champions League Group Stage Starts

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Arsenal @ PSG home date for Arsenal

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Celtic @ Barcelona

2:45 pm Fox Sports Indiana Man City vs Borussia M’gladbach – US Winger Fabian Johnson travels to Man City in the group of death

2:45 pm ESPN 2 Bayern Munich vs Rostov

10 pm ESPN2 Dallas vs New England – US Open Cup FINAL – see who takes home US club team top hardware-like the FA Cup in England

Wed Sept 14

2:45 pm ESPN 2 Juventus vs Sevilla

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Real Madrid vs Sporting CP

2:45 pm Fox Sports Indiana Tottenham vs Monaco –The Spurs host their 1^st game at Whiteheart Lane

2:45 pm Fox Soccer Plus Club Brugge vs LEICESTER CITY – the Foxes travel for their 1^st ever UCL game ! Go Foxes!!

Thurs, Sept 15

8 pm ESPN 2 US Ladies vs Thailand

Fri, Sept 16

3 pm NBCSN Chelsea vs Liverpool – weird to have this huge game on a Friday with no decent games on the Sat/Sun–tape it to watch

Champions League

5 Must See Games in Group Stages – eSPN FC

Which 16 Teams will make it out of Group Stages – NBC Sports

Vote Best 11 in UCL

32 players you must watch

Group A 1. Paris Saint-Germain 2. Arsenal 3. FC Basel 4. Ludogorets Razgrad

Group B 1. Benfica 2. Napoli 3. Dynamo Kiev 4. Besiktas

Group C 1. Barcelona, 2. Manchester City 3. Borussia Monchengladbach 4. Celtic

Group D 1. Atletico Madrid 2. Bayern Munich 3. PSV Eindhoven 4. Rostov

Group E 1. Tottenham 2. Bayer Leverkusen 3. Monaco 4. CSKA Moscow

Group F – 1. Real Madrid 2. Borussia Dortmund 3. Sporting Lisbon 4. Legia Warsaw

Group G – 1. Porto 2. Leicester City 3. Copenhagen 4.Brugge

Group H – 1. Juventus 2. Lyon 3. Sevilla 4. Dinamo Zagreb

INDY 11

Indy 11 lose 2-1 to Ft. Lauderdale

OctoberFest Celebration for Sat Night home Game

USA

US Women Host Free Practice Session at Columbus Crew Stadium Wed followed by Game Thurs Eve

US Open Cup final Pits FC Dallas vs New England Revs

Game notes for Tuesday Night – US Open Cup Final on ESPN 2

More GAMES ON TV

Mon, Sept 12

3 pm NBCSN Sunderland vs Everton

Tues Sept 13 Champions League Group Stage Starts

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Arsenal @ PSG

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Celtic @ Barcelona

2:45 pm Fox Sports Indiana Man City vs Borussia M’gladbach

2:45 pm ESPN 2 Bayern Munich vs Rostov

2:45 pm ESPN Desporte PSV vs Atletico Madrid

10 pm ESPN2 Dallas vs New England – US Open Cup

Wed Sept 14

2:45 pm ESPN 2 Juventus vs Sevilla

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Real Madrid vs Sporting CP

2:45 pm Fox Sports Indiana Tottenham vs Monaco

2:45 pm Fox Soccer Plus Club Brugge vs LEICESTER CITY

Thurs, Sept 15

1 pm Fox Sport 1 Feyernord vs Man United

3 pm Fox Soccer Plus Inter vs Hapoel Sheva

8 pm ESPN US Ladies vs Thailand

Fri, Sept 16

3 pm NBCSN Chelsea vs Liverpool

Sat, Sept 17

7 am beIn Sports Barcelona vs Leganes

7:30 am NBCSN Hull City vs Arsenal

9:30 am Fox Sports 1 Buyern Munich vs Ingolstadt

9:30 am Fox Sports 2 Dortmund vs Darmdstadt

10 am NBCSN Man City vs Bournemouth, Leceister City vs Burnley,

12:30 pm NBC Everton vs Middlesborough

12:30 pm Fox Soccer + Borussia Mgladbach vs Werder Bremen

7:30 pm YES NYCFC vs Dallas

7:30 pm TV 8, GolTV Indy 11 host Miami

Sun, Sat 18

7 am CNBC Watford vs Man United

9:15 am NBCSN Crystal Palace vs Stoke City

9:30 am FS1 Augsburg vs Mainz

9:30 am Fox Soccer Plus Ingolstadt vs Hertha BSC

9:30 am Fox Sports 2 Freiburg vs Borussia M’Gladbach

11:30 am NBCSN Tottenham vs Sunderland

12 noon beIN Sports Inter vs Juventus

11:30 am FS 2 Hertha vs Schalke

2 pm FS 1 LA Galaxy vs Sporting KC

2:45 pm beIN Sport Espanyol vs Real Madrid

5 pm FS 2 Toronto vs NY Red Bulls

7 pm FS 1 US Women vs Netherlands

Sept 27

Man City @ Celtic

Bayern Munich @ Athletico Madrid

Sept 28

Real Madrid @ Dortmund

Porto @ Leicester City

German Bundesliga TV Schedule on Fox Soccer and Gol TV

Indy Eleven’s Comeback Bid Falls Short in 1-2 Loss at Fort Lauderdale-Justin Braun’s Fifth Goal of the Season Not Enough to Help Indiana’s Team Earn Road Result
(Saturday, September 10, 2016) – Indy Eleven saw a late comeback bid fall short, as forward Justin Braun’s 88^th minute tally could only bring things close in an eventual 1-2 defeat at the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Central Broward Stadium. Fort Lauderdale used goals from Brazilian forwards Paulo Junior and Maicon Santos on either side of halftime to build a lead that proved insurmountable, keeping Indy Eleven winless on the road in seven Fall Season attempts.STATS: Get detailed Opta statistics from #FTLvIND via the NASL MatchCenter

Paulo Jr. would see the game’s first quality look just four minutes in when a ball found him with ample space in the right side of the area, but his rushed shot would miss just high and wide of goal. He would make up for that miss in the 19^th minute, when he finished a lengthy run down the right flank with a shot that beat Indy Eleven goalkeeper Jon Busch low and inside the far left post to give the home side the early 1-0 advantage.Despite several dangerous crosses and set pieces earned throughout the first half, Indy Eleven couldn’t scratch across a goal. Midfielder Gerardo Torrado’s volleyed attempt in the 14^th minute marked the visitors’ best chance until the 37^th minute, when midfielder Don Smart’s crafty chip was batted away by Strikers netminder Bruno at the near left post.Paulo Jr. nearly had his second of the night in the 42^nd minute when he danced past a defender and into the area to snap off a shot from 10 yards, but Busch did well to knock away the chance with two hands. A minute later Maicon Santos saw a header ring off the crossbar and bounce off the goalline, but the shot was nullified anyway when the offside flag went up on the dead ball opportunity. Indy Eleven looked to have scored a last gasp goal in first half stoppage time when Lovel Palmer got a head on Nemanja Vukovic’s set piece delivery, but it too was whistled dead for offside.The second half would take some time to heat up, but quality chances would come from both sides around the hour mark, first from the Strikers when a cross found Ramon Nunez unmarked at the far post, but the Honduran would push his header from five yards out wide. A minute later Indy’s best chance from the run of play on the evening would end with substitute Duke Lacroix running onto Eamon Zayed’s low ball played across the area, only to sky the chance from the edge of the six.That would leave the door open for the home side to double the advantage, and it would do just that through Maicon Santos in the 67^th minute. With the Indy backline stretched, Santos was able to carry 20 yards into the left side of the Eleven area before cutting inside and firing a low shot inside the far right post, giving Busch no chance and extending the Fort Lauderdale lead to 2-0.Braun had a great chance to cut the lead in half in the 72^nd minute after running onto Lacroix’s cross five yards out, but the ball short-hopped the forward, forcing him to pop up the golden opportunity. However, Braun would indeed make things interesting in the late going thanks to his fifth goal of the season, ending well an industrious shift in what was his first start in more than a month since suffering a right MCL strain. Braun’s return to the scoresheet came in the 88^th minute, when he nodded home Lovel Palmer’s cross from 10 yards out, cutting the Fort Lauderdale lead in half and setting up a contested finish. However, repeated forays into the final third would be repelled through four minutes of stoppage time, resulting in Indy Eleven’s recent winless streak moving to five games (0W-2D-3L).ndy Eleven returns to IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium next Saturday, Sept. 17, and will look to extend its 14-game home undefeated streak when it welcomes The Miami FC to “The Mike” for the first time. Kickoff that evening is set for 7:30 p.m. (live on WISH-TV and online via ESPN3.com), while the club’s second annual Oktoberfest event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for that match and the pre-game Oktoberfest celebration are available at IndyEleven.com or by calling 317-685-1100 during regular business hours.
NASL Fall Season
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2 : 1 Indy Eleven Saturday, September 10, 2016
Central Broward Stadium – Lauderhill, FL Attendance: 2,376

Indy Eleven:
Fall Season: 6W-3D-5L, 21 pts.
Overall Season: 10W-9D-5L, 39 pts.

Fort Lauderdale Strikers:
Fall Season: 4W-4D-5L, 16 pts.
Overall Season: 8W-7D-8L, 31 pts.
Scoring Summary:
FTL – Paulo Jr. (Ramon Nunez) 19’
FTL – Maicon Santos (Paulo Junior) 67’
IND – Justin Braun (Lovel Palmer) 88’
Discipline Summary:
IND – Lovel Palmer (caution) 15’
IND – Brad Ring (caution) 42’
FTL – Ramon Nunez (caution) 52’
IND – Duke Lacroix (caution) 76’
IND – Gerardo Torrado (caution) 84’
FTL – Bruno (caution) 92+’

Indy Eleven line-up (4-4-2, L–>R): Jon Busch; Nemanja Vuković, Daniel Keller, Colin Falvey (capt), Lovel Palmer; Omar Gordon (Duke Lacroix 57’), Gerardo Torrado, Brad Ring (Dylan Mares 57’), Don Smart (Nicki Paterson 74’); Eamon Zayed, Justin BraunIndy Eleven bench: Keith Cardona (GK), Marco Franco, Neil Shaffer, Souleymane Youla
Fort Lauderdale Strikers (4-3-3): Bruno; Nana Attakora, Julius James, Dalton, Jorge Luis Corrales; Manny Gonzalez (Bryan Arguez 45’), Luis Felipe Fernandes, Ramon Nunez (Adrianinho 70’); Paulo Jr., Jose Angulo, Maicon Santos (Amauri 81’)Strikers bench: Matias Reynares (GK), Geison Moura, Luis Zapata, Victor Pineda

Five must-see UCL group stage games: Barca-Man City, PSG-Arsenal, more

The Champions League is about to get underway again. James Horncastle takes a look at the five matches to look out for in the group stages…

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Arsenal, Sept. 13

The last time these sides met was so long ago that Arsène Wenger wasn’t even manager of Arsenal. In fact, to find their last encounter you have to cast your mind all the way back to 1994 and a Cup Winners Cup semifinal decided by a Kevin Campbell goal at Highbury. Reunited at the Parc this Tuesday, Wenger, who amusingly confused Croatia’s doctor for Unai Emery while doing a spot of punditry at the Euros, will finally shake hands with the real thing.While the stakes will no doubt be higher at the Emirates in November, this game also comes at a delicate time, particularly for PSG. Emery isn’t done experimenting with the team and the players are still adjusting to his methods. A defeat to Monaco before the international break was followed by a draw to Saint-Étienne on Friday and for all of Emery’s success in the Europa League with Sevilla, he’s never made an impact in the Champions League. The question is: can Arsenal capitalise at a time when PSG are uncertain in what they do and are still in search of new reference points?Zlatan Ibrahimovic is gone although as fans of Inter and Barça will tell you, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Both just so happened to win the Champions League in the year he left them. If anything, it bodes well…

Juventus vs. Sevilla, Sept. 14

After spending €162 million this summer (and still managing to turn a profit!), the Champions League is where Juventus will be judged this season, starting with Sevilla. The Old Lady has gone all-in to end her two-decade wait for this trophy and Juventus have matured in Europe under Max Allegri, reaching the final two years ago. Since then, and at his specific instruction, they have looked to add skill to the team in the firm belief that technique is what ultimately makes the difference in this competition.Unlucky to go out at the Round of 16 last year after giving Pep Guardiola’s Bayern a real scare, in truth Juventus only had themselves to blame after defeat in Seville meant they finished runners-up in their group. Their old friend Fernando Llorente came back to haunt them on that occasion. Luckily Llorente is now gone, as is Emery, the mastermind of Sevilla’s hat-trick of Europa League wins.Excitingly, though, Jorge Sampaoli has taken his place. This is his first experience in Europe and it will be fascinating to see him pit his wits against Allegri. Both managers have some wonderful talent at their disposal. Monchi, like Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici at Juventus, worked wonders again this summer, bringing Paulo Henrique Ganso, Wissam Ben Yedder, Samir Nasri and Paulo Dybala’s old buddy from Palermo, Franco Vazquez, to Andalusia.This game promises to be a classic, particularly with Juventus uncharacteristically leaking goals at the moment and Sevilla playing roller-coaster football.

Atletico Madrid vs. Bayern Munich, Sept. 28

We get a repeat of last season’s enthralling semifinal when Atleti progressed on away goals and denied Guardiola the fairytale ending to his time in Munich and if there’s even a smidgeon of the drama, tension and skill we saw in late April and early May, this clash will be must-watch TV.Carlo Ancelotti returns to the Spanish capital where he famously got the better of Atleti in the Champions League. Real claimed the Decima at their expense in Lisbon and then eliminated them in the quarterfinals the following year. In some respects, however, this is Ancelotti in a nutshell because the story was completely different in La Liga, where Atleti did the double over Real for the first time since 1951 and even trounced them 4-0 at the Calderón.No one in football looks forward to facing Diego Simeone’s side and Ancelotti is no different. However, Bayern will see this as an early opportunity to put last season’s knock-out behind them. Omitted from the starting line-up the first leg, Thomas Müller missed a penalty in the second. He’ll be out for redemption.

Barcelona vs. Manchester City, Oct. 19

Of course this isn’t the first time Pep Guardiola returns to the Camp Nou to sit in the away dug-out. You’ll remember how a little over a year ago, he daringly tried to get Bayern to out-Barça Barça and memorably had Mehdi Benatia, Jerome Boateng and Rafinha man-mark the “MSN.”As brave as it was foolish, Bayern valiantly held out until the 77th minute, Messi then floored Boateng and the floodgates opened. Barça won 3-0 and the lesson for Pep to learn was a simple one: Don’t try and beat Barça at their own game. The trouble is while the Blaugrana have become more direct since Pep left, their game is his game too and he will not compromise on it.For instance, Pep will not ask his Manchester City players to park the bus at the Camp Nou. You will never hear him say: “We didn’t want the ball,” like Jose Mourinho did when Inter prevailed there in 2010. Or set up like Atleti did last season, alternating between a high pressing game and getting everybody behind the ball in a deep block. How Pep approaches this game will be fascinating.

Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund, Dec. 7

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were to get to the final Matchday in Group F and this game at the Bernabeu still decided the group winner? Historically there is often high drama when these teams clash in this competition, from the Torfall in 1998 to the Polka poker scored by Robert Lewandowski three years ago. Dortmund reached the final that year and I suppose one of things they they have in common with Real’s neighbours Atleti is that no one ever relishes playing them although for the reasons for that are slightly different.Real coach Zinedine Zidane has bad memories of facing BVB. He was on the losing side in the 1997 final when his Juventus team were beaten by Dortmund. However, all of that is in the past now and he can call upon a very settled side. Alvaro Morata was Real’s only summer signing and he scored in both legs when Juventus eliminated Dortmund from this competition two years ago.Dortmund, by contrast, have changed a lot, losing Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the summer but adding a number of uber-talented youngsters, the most exciting of which is Ousmane Dembele. Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel has the look and the genius of a charismatic Bond villain. Make no mistake: he will be a formidable opponent for Zidane to out-think.

Champions League draw yields great matchups, top-heavy groups

BEN LYTTLETONThursday August 25th, SI

This was the second year that the Champions League group stage draw put reigning champions in Pot 1, and if the day began with everyone wondering who surprise Premier League champion Leicester City would draw, it ended with some mouth-watering ties to look forward to in the opening round of the tournament.Among them, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City was drawn against his former club Barcelona, while holder Real Madrid faces its 2013 semifinal conqueror, Borussia Dortmund. There were no glaring groups of death to emanate from the bowls in Monaco, and the majority of the groups are rather top-heavy, but there will still be some memorable matches on the way.Here is a breakdown of each group, along with picks for the top two spots and who will advance to the knockout stage:

Group A

PSG, Arsenal, FC Basel, Ludogorets

Overview: Top seed Paris Saint-Germain sacked coach Laurent Blanc as a result of his side’s toothless quarterfinal defeat to Manchester City. In his place has come back-to-back Europa League winner Unai Emery, and already the difference is apparent. PSG now plays a faster, more direct, and riskier brand of attacking football. With Ligue 1 as good as in the bag, Europe is once again the priority for PSG. The French champion now seems closer to winning this trophy than Arsenal, which is in the group stage for a 19th straight season. FC Basel, whose former players Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny are now Gunners (Xhaka’s brother, Taulant, is still there), could prove to be a dangerous Pot 3 side and may push for a knockout berth.

Match to watch: PSG vs. Arsenal, Sept. 13

The group kicks off with a familiar trip for coach Arsene Wenger, who has turned down offers to coach the French capital side on more than one occasion. The French side will be favored, but Wenger will want to cause an upset.Tipped to progress: PSG, Arsenal

Group B

Benfica, Napoli, Dynamo Kiev, Besiktas

Overview: One of the most open groups to come out of the draw, with top seed Benfica stumbling early in the league and fourth seed Besiktas among the strongest out of the pot. It will mark an early return for Anderson Talisca, on loan to Besiktas from Benfica.Napoli’s challenge will be to make the next round, with Polish pair Arkadiusz Milik and Piotr Zelinski likely to play important roles. Napoli is also trying to sign Eliaquim Mangala on loan from Manchester City. Dynamo Kiev has sold Miguel Veloso and Aleksandr Dragovic but kept onto Andriy Yarmolenko and has won its first five games of the season. Could it be a surprise contender for the next round?

Match to watch: Napoli vs. Benfica, Sept. 28

Maurizio Sarri has worked wonders as Napoli boss, but how he copes with the Champions League remains an intriguing proposition. The home tie against top seed Benfica could be decisive, and Napoli should have enough to get out of the group.Tipped to progress: Napoli, Dynamo Kiev

Group C

Barcelona, Manchester City, Borussia Monchengladbach, Celtic

Overview: Is this the hardest group of the lot? If not, it might be the most passionate, save for City fans whose relationship with this competition, and UEFA in general, remains muted. Barcelona is one of the favorites to win the trophy, deservedly so if it strengthens its squad with the likely signing of Paco Alcacer this week to lighten the load of its three-man, Messi-Neymar-Suarez machine.Monchengladbach is a dangerous dark horse, having coasted through its qualifier against Young Boys, courtesy of Thorgan Hazard and Raffael hat tricks, and the matchups pose a second straight year of challenges–Gladbach drew Man City, Juventus and Sevilla last season. From Pot 4, Celtic and coach Brendan Rodgers will have a tough task.

Match to watch: Barcelona vs. Manchester City, Oct. 19

This marks a return to Barcelona for Pep Guardiola, new goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and City executives Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain. Barcelona beat City comfortably last season, but this will be a fine opportunity to see how far the English side has progressed under its Catalan coach.Tipped to progress: Barcelona, Manchester City

Group D

Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, Rostov

Overview: Atletico beat Bayern in last season’s semifinal, and this group pits two genuine title hopefuls against each other. Both sides have bought smartly in the summer, with Renato Sanches and Mats Hummels now at Bayern–coached by European Cup specialist Carlo Ancelotti–while Atletico has brought in Kevin Gamiero and Nico Gaitan, among others.Dutch champion PSV has not had its normal summer fire sale but is unlikely to repeat last season’s European heroics, while tournament debutant FC Rostov, which beat Ajax in qualifying, could make it into the Europa League spots.

Match to watch: Bayern Munich vs Atletico Madrid, Dec. 6

It figures to be a straight shootout between these two powerhouses for the top spot in the group, and it could well come down to the final matchday. The winner should get the easier draw in the knockout round.Tipped to progress: Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid

Group E

CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham, Monaco

Overview: How could we forget the craziness of last season’s European ties involving Bayer Leverkusen? It beat BATE 4-1, drew 4-4 with Roma and in the return game lost it 3-2. And it managed to draw with Barcelona along the way. Expect more goals and drama from Roger Schmidt’s highly entertaining side, who could progress from a group that contains one of the weaker Pot 1 sides in CSKA Moscow. Spurs, playing group matches at Wembley Stadium, will fancy itself to qualify, while Monaco will be happy to use this stage to showcase the talents of tomorrow’s stars like Thomas Lemar and Kevin Mbappe.

Match to watch: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Tottenham, Oct. 18

Schmidt against Mauricio Pochettino: the chances are that in three or four years, these two men could be leading Bayern and Barcelona. This might show why: they both demand high-tempo and attacking football. It will be great to watch, unless you’re a defender.Tipped to progress: Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham

Group F

Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon, Legia Warsaw

Overview: This is not an easy group for the reigning champion, which faces a highly motivated and well-organized Dortmund side looking to make a big impact under Thomas Tuchel, and a Sporting side that is a much tougher proposition with the charismatic Jorge Jesus at the helm. Madrid might drop points along the way, and Dortmund could push it close for top spot–and might even take it–too.

Match to watch: Sporting vs. Real Madrid, Nov. 22

This will be all about Cristiano Ronaldo, back at the club where he began his career. He may not celebrate when he scores, but then again… Tipped to progress: Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid

Group G

Leicester, FC Porto, Club Brugge, FC Copenhagen

Overview: No one said Leicester was lucky to win the Premier League but given the caliber of teams the English champion avoided in this draw, fate was on its side in Monaco. It drew arguably the weakest sides from Pots 2 and 3 and has every chance of making it to the next round. As for who might join it, FC Porto, who destroyed Roma 3-0 in qualifying away from home this week, will consider this a great chance to top the group. Brugge and Copenhagen will be fighting it out for third and a place in the Europa League knockout stage.

Match to watch: Leicester vs. FC Porto, Sept. 27

With no marquee European name in Leicester’s group, this will be the biggest team to grace the King Power Stadium in the group stage. The normally raucous arena will be in full voice for the Portuguese visitors. The Leicester faithful may not get the result they want, but their side should still go through. Tipped to progress: FC Porto, Leicester City

Group H

Juventus, Sevilla, Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb

Overview: This is the season that five-time reigning Italian champion has gone all in to win the Champions League. It has spent the money it earned from the Paul Pogba sale to sign Gonzalo Higuain and Miralem Pjanic, and maintained the back four that was so impenetrable last season. Its biggest challenge will come from three-time reigning Europa League champion Sevilla, a hugely watchable side under ex-Chile boss Jorge Sampaoli. Sevilla could go deep in this competition if it clicks.Lyon has so far held on to most of its star assets this summer, but the next seven days could determine its level in this group. Dinamo is often the afterthought, but the revenue from qualification at least will keep it dominant in Croatia.

Match to watch: Juventus vs. Sevilla, Sept. 14

This is the real test for Sampaoli–and it comes immediately–to work out a way of beating one of Europe’s strongest sides. Sevilla’s individual components are not as strong as Juventus’s, but Sampaoli is expert at making teams greater than the sum of their parts. Let the games begin! Tipped to progress: Juventus, Sevilla

PSG to fend off Arsenal for top spot in Champions League Group A

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group A. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Paris Saint-Germain
Arsenal
3. FC Basel
4. Ludogorets Razgrad

Paris Saint-Germain

Laurent Blanc was unseated as PSG manager last season despite winning Ligue 1 by 31 points. It all came down to losing 3-2 on aggregate to Manchester City in the Champions League quarterfinals, and now the pressure will be on new manager Unai Emery to go at least one better than that.Emery’s European pedigree is rich, having led Sevilla to three Europa League titles in a row. The additions of Grzegorz Krychowiak from his old club and Jese Rodriguez from Real Madrid represent a change in focus, as PSG get used to life without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who departed for Manchester United this summer.

Arsenal

The Champions League has caused Arsenal sincere pain over the years, yet they also boast the proud record of having made it past the group stage in every season since 2000-01. Finishing second in the Premier League in 2015-16 made them automatic qualifiers, though a lack of squad strengthening beyond the additions of midfielder Granit Xhaka and fledgling defender Rob Holding has many fans exasperated and concerned.Wenger is surely nearing the end of his tenure in North London, though a closing date is not yet set on a term that pushes past 20 years next month. The closest the manager has come to lifting the trophy was losing 2-1 to Barcelona in the 2006 final in Paris.

FC Basel

Utterly dominant in Swiss football after seven consecutive title wins and a slippery proposition over the years for teams from bigger leagues having beaten Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United within the last five years. Last season, they failed to reach the Champions League and were beaten in the Europa League by eventual winners Sevilla.

Ludogorets Razgrad

Two seasons ago, they were a fairy tale story when centre-back Cosmin Moti saved two penalties in a shootout and scored his own to qualify them for the group stage after goalkeeper Vladislav Stoyanov had been sent off. They competed admirably with Real Madrid, Liverpool and Basel.Moti and Stoyanov remain, while coach Georgi Dermendziev has returned. Seeing off Viktoria Plzen in the qualifying round made them the first Bulgarian team to advance to the group stage twice.

Game of the group:

PSG vs. Arsenal — There have been times when it was suggested that Wenger might be tempted back to France, but London is his home now. He is a welcome face in Paris, though, and has made Arsenal hugely popular in France. Emery gets the chance to pit himself against the one who got away.

X Factor

Is this finally the year that Arsenal fall at the hurdle of the group stage? Pulling Ludogorets and Basel might make that seem unlikely but both proved problematic for Liverpool when they faced them in the 2014-15 competition. Arsenal cannot afford to start like last season, when they lost their first three matches and needed to rescue themselves.John Brewin is a staff writer for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter@JohnBrewinESPN

Can Leicester’s title-winning tactics survive UCL Group B challenge?

Take an in-depth look at the UCL draw and see how each of the teams will line up in this year’s competition.Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group G. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Porto
Leicester City
3. Copenhagen
4.Brugge

Leicester City

Can the romance and storytelling of last season’s amazing Premier League title win be sustained in the club’s first ever venture into this competition? Manager Claudio Ranieri, who took Chelsea to the 2004 semifinals, has held onto his stars of last season, aside from N’Golo Kante, who departed for Stamford Bridge. Flying forwards Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez remain, and Leicester’s style of play — which eschews long periods of possession to hit opponents on the break, after defending deep and in numbers — might just cause as much trouble for continental opposition as it did last season in England.

Porto

Porto are inn the middle of what is for them a terrible title drought, having not won the Primeira Liga in the last three seasons; the last time they went longer than that without a domestic championship was in the early-1980s. They have a new manager in former Valencia boss Nuno, but their Champions League prospects might depend on keeping hold of key players like Yacine Brahimi.

Club Brugge

Brugge were runaway Belgian champions last season, winning both the regular season and championship playoffs that take place in the Jupiler Pro League, and are coached by goalkeeping legend Michel Preud’homme. Young defender Bjorn Engels looks to be the latest off Belgium’s production line of talent and refused the chance to join Arsenal in the summer.

FC Copenhagen

Overcoming what was looking like a hex for Danish teams against APOEL Nicosia (it was fourth time lucky in the qualifying rounds), FC Copenhagen made it into the Champions League proper by beating the Cypriots with a late Federico Santander goal. Stale Solbakken remains in charge, and they’ll be looking to repeat the 2010-11 competition when they surprisingly qualified from the group, thanks partly to a draw with Barcelona.

Game of the group: Porto vs. Leicester

Foxes fans did not quite get the glamorous trips to the likes of Paris, Munich or Barcelona they might have liked, but a trip to Europe’s Atlantic coast is not to be sniffed at. Porto, a club with ever-changing personnel, due to their policy on cashing in on talent to survive, have proved themselves tricky, canny opposition down the Champions League years. Escape from there with a point, then Ranieri’s team may be set up for further adventures.

Can Leicester be as effective in Europe as they were for the entire nine months of the Premier League last season? Might referees disapprove of the strong-arm defending that is often employed by centre-backs Wes Morgan and Robert Huth? Or will Ranieri return to his old tinkering ways, and mess with a previously successful formula? It is certain that their three opponents have real physical tests to pass in playing them.

Pep Guardiola’s return to Barcelona the highlight of Group C

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group C. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Barcelona
2. Manchester City
3. Borussia Monchengladbach
4. Celtic

Barcelona

Last season was a disappointment for Barca, as they became the latest team to fail to retain the Champions League trophy. If anyone looked capable of breaking the hoodoo that has tripped up defending champions since AC Milan in 1990, it was them, but they came up against Atletico Madrid, and were mugged by Diego Simeone’s team in the quarterfinals. The star names remain, aside from Dani Alves, who has joined Juventus. Headline additions of the summer are defender Samuel Umtiti, signed from Lyon, and Villarreal winger Denis Suarez. As ever, Barcelona will look to Lionel Messi to win their sixth European title.

Manchester City

If Pep Guardiola was brought to Manchester to achieve anything, it was to finally establish the club as a European powerhouse. Manuel Pellegrini reached the semifinals last year, yet the meek manner of defeat to Real Madrid suggested a club still struggling in such rarefied air. Not that Guardiola does not have anything to prove. Losing in the semis three years in a row at Bayern Munich represented a failure to meet expectations, having been European champion at Barcelona in 2009 and 2011. City have splashed out over £180 million on new talent for Guardiola to hone and the pressure to deliver is on.

Borussia Monchengladbach

Andre Schubert did a mightily impressive job last season to secure a fourth-place domestic finish, after Lucien Favre had shocked the club by resigning in September, in reaction to a poor start to the season. Schubert couldn’t do much about their European campaign, the whipping boys of a tough group featuring Manchester City and Real Madrid, but they should be in a more secure position this time.

Celtic

Former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is back in the Champions League group stage, as are Celtic, who have been in exile since the 2013-14 season, having suffered failures in the qualifying rounds.This time around was a close-run thing, with Hapoel Be’er Sheva taking Rodgers’ team to the wire, as Celtic escaped Israel with a narrow 5-4 aggregate scoreline. Striker Moussa Dembele was the summer’s flagship signing from Fulham, and all-out attack looks the strategy so far for Rodgers.

Game of the group

Barcelona vs. Manchester City — No questions here. The return of Guardiola to Barcelona’s Camp Nou is undoubtedly the headline event of this group. City’s Abu Dhabi owners were admirers of Barcelona from that 2008-09 season when Guardiola’s team sw

difficult than it should be.John Brewin is a staff writer for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter@JohnBrewinESPN.

Atletico Madrid out to upset Bayern Munich again in UCL Group D

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group D. Who do you think will go through?

ept all before them, just as they were setting up their project in east Manchester. Now, after a long wait, they have their man, as he returns to the region of his birth.

X factor

Guardiola — City are on a steep learning curve with Guardiola, with new players coming in and previous mainstays like Joe Hart and Yaya Toure on their way out. At both Bayern and Barcelona, there was a habit of his teams struggling away from home. Might that let in either Monchengladbach or Celtic? Unlikely, but it could make the group stage more

Predicted finish

Atletico Madrid
2. Bayern Munich
3. PSV Eindhoven
4. Rostov

Bayern Munich

Bayern have now reached such a point where winning the Bundesliga is the bare minimum expected, and victory in the Champions League is now the primary aim for the Bavarian behemoths. While any debate over whether Pep Guardiola was a success or failure at Bayern, because he didn’t win the Champions League, is surely too binary; the team brass clearly had Europe in mind when they appointed his replacement. Carlo Ancelotti is one of two managers (along with Bob Paisley) to win the tournament three times, but if he manages what his predecessor couldn’t, then he’ll be the first to win it with three different clubs. And all in the Champions League era too.

Atletico Madrid

Usually you might expect Atletico Madrid to be upset at being drawn with Bayern, but Diego Simeone seems like a manager who likes things to be difficult. He has managed to crack the great Spanish duopoly and nearly won a remarkable second Liga title last season, as well as coming within a penalty shootout of victory in this tournament, which would have been even more extraordinary. This summer they have managed to avoid selling their best players, and in Antoine Griezmann they have a forward who looks like he’s about to make the step up to the “Ronaldo-Messi-Suarez-Bale” level of quality. Even with just about the toughest draw they could have been given, don’t bet against them.

PSV Eindhoven

Eredivisie winners by virtue of Ajax fluffing their lines on the last day of the season, to make it two consecutive championships. Coach Phillip Cocu is developing a fine reputation, with May’s triumph achieved having sold previous stars Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum. A predominantly Dutch group of players will aim to match or better last season, when they lost on penalties in the round of 16 to eventual finalists Atletico, having eliminated Manchester United in the group stage.

Rostov

On Wednesday, they positively humiliated four-time winners Ajax with a 4-1 final qualifying round second-leg thrashing. A club with no permanent manager — Dmitri Kirichenko is the current caretaker — enjoyed the most glorious night in their history on the Don River delta. Kurban Berdyev, who guided Rostov to a highest ever league position of second last season, quit on Aug. 6.

Game of the group

Atletico vs. Bayern. The all-conquering Bavarians will expect to clean up, and probably should do given their resources, but Atleti have made embarrassing teams like that their business in recent years. Don’t be surprised if Simeone’s men top the group by beating Bayern.

Earn your Degree While You Watch Your Kids Soccer Practice – ½ the time and cost of Traditional Schools

Kingsley Coman. Bayern have an incredible range of options in the attacking third, to the point that some of the most decorated and talented players in the world cannot consider themselves automatic selections for the first team. But Coman, still just 20, looks like something else, and could well take another step forward this season.

Harry Kane can inspire Spurs in Champions League Group E

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group E. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Tottenham
Bayer Leverkusen
3. Monaco
4. CSKA Moscow

Tottenham

Back in the competition after a break of five seasons, and automatic qualifiers having finished third in last season’s Premier League, Mauricio Pochettino’s young team has the potential to cause a few ripples among the continent’s established forces.

Striker Harry Kane is the leading man, and will attempt to put his own and England’s troubles at Euro 2016 behind him. Spurs, on their day, can swarm all over their opponents, a little like Borussia Dortmund under Jurgen Klopp and also like Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid. However, a small squad may find itself stretched by trying to meet the tough discipline of playing midweek in the Champions League and then at weekends in the Premier League.

Bayer Leverkusen

The “best of the rest” in the Bundesliga behind the big two of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen have been one of the most consistent sides in Germany in recent years. The last time they finished lower than fifth was 2009, but despite being regular qualifiers from the Champions League group stage, they haven’t gone beyond the round of 16 since reaching the final against Real Madrid in 2002. Javier Hernandez missed the start of the season after breaking his hand falling down some stairs, so hopefully their luck will improve

Monaco

Beyond all-conquering Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco look the second-best team in France and once again feature Colombian striker Radamel Falcao in their lineup, after two seasons of anonymous misadventure with Manchester United and Chelsea. Coach Leonardo Jardim is a canny campaigner, and the Stade Louis II Stadium is a tricky away trip for any opposition.

CSKA Moscow

Leonid Slutsky has won the Russian title in three out of the past four seasons but struggled in charge of Russia at Euro 2016, failing to get out of the group stage. Slutsky’s side haven’t managed to reach the knockout round in the past three Champions League campaigns and will have to do without last season’s top scorer Ahmed Musa, sold to Leicester, although Alan Dzagoev and Aleksandr Golovin will be key in midfield.

Game of the group

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Tottenham — This is not a group granted much in the way of glamour ties, though it looks as if it could be quite even between all four teams. However, a battle of the third-best teams from the Bundesliga and the Premier League last season, with highly regarded coaches in Roger Schmidt and Pochettino taking each other on, may serve as an indicator of the respective strength of each country’s league.

X factor

Wembley — Spurs will be playing their home matches at Wembley this season, as White Hart Lane is being renovated, and the change in atmosphere that brings could be a factor. Five years ago, while Gareth Bale tormented Inter Milan, the Lane rocked. When neighbours and rivals Arsenal tried to use Wembley in the late 1990s in this competition, they twice failed to get past the knockout rounds.John Brewin is a staff writer for ESPN FC.

Group F: Real Madrid go in search of historic Champions League triumph

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group F. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Real Madrid
2. Borussia Dortmund
3. Sporting Lisbon
4. Legia Warsaw

Real Madrid

The defending champions and colossus that always sits astride the Champions League, Real will be gunning for their 12th success in the competition, and to be the first team to retain the trophy since the switch in format in 1992. They’ve been unusually quiet in the transfer market this summer, but that may well be because they already have a pretty stacked squad: Alvaro Morata might make a few more starts up front, but this will largely be the side that Zinedine Zidane guided to success last season. A ticklish draw will at least keep them honest in the group stage, but this is less a football club more a Champions League-winning machine, and success for the second year in a row might be their greatest achievement.

Borussia Dortmund

Another summer, another departure of a key player to a big rival. Mats Hummels was the latest to defect to Bayern Munich, but while they might therefore be concerned about their defence, their forward line looks pretty decent. Marco Reus is joined by Mario Gotze and Andre Schurrle, playing behind Pierre Emerick Aubameyang with the hugely promising Ousmane Dembele waiting in the wings. As curious as it sounds, they probably have a better chance of winning Champions League than they do their domestic competition. At home they face an immovable object in Bayern, who will almost certainly prevail during a long season, but in Europe most things are possible.

Sporting Lisbon

Without domestic success in 14 years, even after poaching Jorge Jesus from Benfica, they haven’t had too much luck in Europe either, since making the semifinals of the Europa League in 2012. Sporting have gathered a squad featuring several Premier League outcasts, including Alberto Aquilani, Bryan Ruiz, Sebastian Coates and Joel Campbell.

Legia Warsaw

Poland’s champions were pushed all the way by Ireland’s Dundalk in the final qualifying round on Tuesday. Down to 10 men, a late goal from Michal Kucharczyk in Warsaw made it secure at 3-1 and eventually returned Legia to the Champions League group stage for the first time since the 1995-96 season. This looks a very high step for them to make.

Game of the group

Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid — In the wider scheme of things this match might not actually matter too much, as they should both qualify. But this is why we watch the Champions League, two of the finest teams in Europe slugging it out, and the atmosphere at either ground should be sensational.

X factor

Gareth Bale — Whether Cristiano Ronaldo really is on the wane is open to debate, but if he does slip at all this season then at least Real Madrid have someone already in their ranks to step forward. After such an exhilarating summer with Wales at Euro 2016, Bale has returned to Spain looking sharp and dangerous. This could be his year.

Can Leicester’s title-winning tactics survive UCL Group G challenge?

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group G. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Porto
2. Leicester City
3. Copenhagen
4.Brugge

Bottom of Form

Leicester City

Porto

Club Brugge

FC Copenhagen

Game of the group: Porto vs. Leicester

X Factor

Group H: Juventus plot Champions League glory with Higuain and Pjanic

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group H. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Juventus
2. Lyon
3. Sevilla
4. Dinamo Zagreb

Juventus

Overwhelming favourites in Serie A, the Champions League is surely Juve’s main priority this season. The purchase of Gonzalo Higuain and Miralem Pjanic could well have simply looked like bullying their only real domestic rivals, but it also sees them armed with a formidable squad to take a shot at the biggest prize, one they haven’t won since 1996. Two decades is a yawning chasm of time for club of their size to go without success in Europe, even considering the few years when their role in the Calciopoli scandal put them out of continental action. Coach Massimiliano Allegri proved the doubters wrong at home, but the real test for him is now in the Champions League.

Lyon

There are signs of revival in a club that seemed a permanent fixture in the knockout rounds of this competition a decade ago or so. Last season, they finished second in Ligue 1, just as they had the previous campaign, and though that was 31 points behind Paris Saint-Germain, coach Bruno Genesio had taken over from Hubert Fournier in December to rescue the campaign. Whether striker Alexandre Lacazette will be available to Genesio or sold before the transfer window closes is a leading question against them.

Sevilla

It has been all change in southern Spain, as the heart of a team that won three Europa League titles in a row was finally ripped out. Crucially, coach Unai Emery has gone to Paris Saint-Germain and the loss of Ever Banega, Coke, Kevin Gameiro and Grzegorz Krychowiak would be felt by any team. Jorge Sampaoli is in charge now, with Brazilian Ganso perhaps their headline signing. Another drop down to play in the competition they pretty much own may again be in order.

Dinamo Zagreb

After squeezing through their playoff with an extra-time win over Red Bull Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb might just be happy to be in the Champions League this season. Manager Zlatko Kranjcar is back at the club for his third spell as manager (his fourth in total and he also played for them for six years), after a short spell in Qatar. Dinamo is the seventh club he’s managed since leaving the national team job in 2006.

Game of the group

Sevilla vs. Lyon — The winners of Group H should be relatively obvious, so attention turns to who joins Juventus in the next phase. Sevilla of course have European pedigree, but Lyon are a little more stable, and the two fixtures between these two clubs could go a long way to determining who qualifies.

X Factor

Jorge Sampaoli — Sevilla seem to be one of those clubs that barely needs a head coach because they’re so well organised. They’re certainly one of the best equipped to deal with upheaval, but Sampaoli is something of a wild card. Whether they progress in this tournament or drop back into the comfort zone of the Europa League may well depend on how their new man slots in.

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9/9/16 Manchester Darby Sat 7:30 AM, Landon Donovan Un-Retires for LA Galaxy, US Men Advance to HEX, US Ladies play Thur Eve in Columbus

September 9, 2016 gatorbest

Ok so big news week in soccer this week – Champions League Group Stage returns next Tues/Wed, the Manchester Darby with Man City and Pep vs Man U and Mourino (the special one) live from Old Trafford at 7:30 am on NBCSN on Sat – (don’t ask me why this isn’t 12:30 NBC game but what the heck –over 2000 media credentials (almost the same as the last Superbowl) were requested. Should be a dousy! Renaldo returns from his knee injury to feature for Real Madrid this Sat and of course the US just qualified for the HEX (the final 6 team/10 game segment that will determine which 4 teams advance to the 2018 World Cup in Russia) – which includes an opening match vs Mexico (possibly in Columbus, Ohio) on Friday night, Nov 11. As for the US – it was great to see Klinsmann finally play some of the kids this past week. FC Dallas man Kellen Acosta was good at left back last weekend, Bobby Wood was solid, as was Morris off the bench. But that new winger/forward the 17 year old Dortmund sensation Christian Pulisic from Penn showed he is the real deal. Two goals and an assist on Friday, then an assist and some fantastic shots and overall play vs T+T showed he is not just hype, heck he was the best player on the field Tuesday. Seriously his long runs with the ball remind me of Landon Donovan except I think he actually passes and moves around the field a little better than Landon especially when he was young. Exciting to see what Pulisic can do in the future. Also Altidore was very good up front and the addition of Sasha Kleistian was key – you could argue he made up the most ground this past week. Of course the US Women host a game at Columbus next Thursday night, Sept 15^th — tickets are still available to see the ladies play or watch on ESPN at 7:30 pm.

But trumping all of that for me is the UN-RETIREMENT of former US and LA Galaxy superstar Landon Donovan. He returns to an injury plagued LA Galaxy as they shoot for another MLS Cup. You can perhaps see Donovan play this Sunday as LA hosts Orlando City on Fox Sports 1 -7 pm on Sunday evening. Sat at 12:30 on NBCSN Liverpool will host Leciester City in a battle vs last season’s EPL Champ at Anfield, while Sat 7 am has Celtic vs Rangers in Scottish Football action on Fox Sports 1. The Indy 11 are at Ft. Lauderdale Saturday and will be on Tape Delay on beIN Sport at 9 pm.

I will have a Champions League Update on Monday before the huge matches on Tues/Wed which include Arsenal traveling to PSG, Celtic @ Barcelona, Man City hosting Borussian Mgladbach and US mid Fabian Johnson on Tuesday and Juve v Sevilla, Tottenham at home to Monaco and my Foxes of Leciester City traveling to Club Brugge on Wednesday all on the Fox Sports Channels and ESPN. (see schedule below) Let me know if anyone wants to gather for a late lunch 2:45 Tuesday or Wednesday for the action!!

Weekend EPL Predictions ESPNFC

Check out The Ole Ballcoach online www.theoleballcoach.com –

Sat, Sept 10

7 am FS1 Celtic vs Rangers – Ireland’s top Rivalry!

7:30 am NBCSN Man United vs Man City – Manchester Darby between the new mega star coaches

12:30 pm NBCSN Liverpool vs Leicester City – defending champs head to Anfield for a top 5 battle

9 pm beIN Sports Ft. Lauderdale host Indy 11 (tape delay)

Sun, Sept 11

1 pm ESPN New York Red Bulls vs DC United

7 pm FS 1 LA Galaxy vs Orlando City – Top 4 teams battle for playoff slots as Landon Donovan returns to face Kaka

Tues Sept 13 Champions League Group Stage Starts

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Arsenal @ PSG

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Celtic @ Barcelona

2:45 pm Fox Sports Indiana Man City vs Borussia M’gladbach – US Winger Fabian Johnson travels to Man City in the group of death

2:45 pm ESPN 2 Bayern Munich vs Rostov

10 pm ESPN2 Dallas vs New England – US Open Cup

Wed Sept 14

2:45 pm ESPN 2 Juventus vs Sevilla

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Real Madrid vs Sporting CP

2:45 pm Fox Sports Indiana Tottenham vs Monaco

2:45 pm Fox Soccer Plus Club Brugge vs LEICESTER CITY

Thurs, Sept 15

8 pm ESPN US Ladies vs Thailand

Fri, Sept 16

3 pm NBCSN Chelsea vs Liverpool

WORLD LEAGUES-EPL

Manchester Darby -7:30 am NBCSN

Darby Predictions ESPNFC

Key men in the Battle ESPNFC

Manchester Darby what you need to know

Most Anticipated EPL Match Ever? SI

Aguero ban hurts Man City vs United

Ibra Needs No Motivation for this game

Huge battle of world class Managers

5 Key Questions

Old Trafford Awaits the matchup with over 2K media requests

What impact will new signing have for the Leciester city Foxes

Gigi Buffon Fan gets awesome Tatto of Gigi

MLS

What to think of Landon’s Stunning Un Retirement – SI – Grant Wahl

Landon Donovan Returns to LA Galaxy from Retirement

Donovan is a Risk Worth Taking for LA –eSPNFC

Can Donovan Really pull off the Comeback 2 years later? Stars and Stripes

What to Watch 4 – MLS Weekend – Jason Davis

Landon Return response on Social Media

USA

Klinsy launches the Pulisic Era – Jason Davis

Its OK to feel confident about the US Right now –

Tim Howard Sets Record in Win

US Finishes 1^st in Group On to the HEX – US Soccer

US Vets amazed by Pulisic Start

Pulisic must Wait for Chance at Dortman – Coach Says

1^st Kid and 1^st US Goal – Special day for D Matt Bezler

US Paralympic Team Starts Pool Play next week

Fab Johnson in Group of Death in champions League

US Women

Megan Rapinoe named to USWNT Roster for Friendlies next week

Buy tickets for the Game

Below is the USWNT squad in full for GAME NEXT THURS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO

GOALKEEPERS (2): Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

DEFENDERS (7): Whitney Engen (Boston Breakers), Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), Meghan Klingenberg (Portland Thorns FC), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City), Emily Sonnett (Portland Thorns FC)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC), Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash), Allie Long (Portland Thorns FC), Samantha Mewis (Western New York Flash), Heather O’Reilly (FC Kansas City), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC)

FORWARDS (4): Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars), Mallory Pugh (Real Colorado)

World Cup Qualifying

Mexico has a Tough Road in the HEX

Mexico lost faith in coach?

Brazil showed in WCQ

Messi scores to help Argentina

Indy 11

Full NASL Table

Indy 11 broadcast changes to 2 hr delay for Indy @ Ft. Lauderdale

New Indy 11 Blog

3 things Indy vs Tampa Bay

Preview of Upcoming Strikers Game

Check out The Ole Ballcoach online www.theoleballcoach.com –

Fri, Sept 9

2:30 pm Fox Sport1 Bayern Munich vs. Schalke 04

Sat, Sept 10

7 am FS1 Celtic vs Rangers – Ireland

7:30 am NBCSN Man United vs Man City

9:30 am fox Sports 1 Bayer Leverkusen s Hamburg SV

10 am beIN Sports Real Madrid vs Osasuna

10 am NBCSN Arsenal vs Southampton, Stoke City vs Tottenham, West Ham vs Watford

12:30 pm FS 2 RB Leipzig vs Borussia Dortmund

12:30 pm NBCSN Liverpool s Leicester City

2:30 pm beIn Sports Barcelona vs Deportivo

7:30 pm YES New England vs NYCFC

7:30 pm beIN Sports Ft. Lauderdale vs Indy 11

9 pm beIN Sport Futsal World Cup – Colombia vs Portugal

Sun, Sept 11

9:30 am FS1 Werder Bremen vs Augsburg

9:30 am Fox Soccer Plus Ingolstadt vs Hertha BSC

9:30 am Fox Sports 2 Freiburg vs Borussia M’Gladbach

11 am NBCSN Swansea vs Chelsea

11:30 am FS 1 Mainz 05 vs Hoffenhiem

1 pm ESPN New York Red Bulls vs DC United

7 pm FS 1 LA Galaxy vs Orlando City

9:30 pm FS 1 Women -Portland Thorns vs NY Flash

Mon, Sept 12

3 pm NBCSN Sunderland vs Everton

Tues Sept 13 Champions League Group Stage Starts

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Arsenal @ PSG

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Celtic @ Barcelona

2:45 pm Fox Sports Indiana Man City vs Borussia M’gladbach

2:45 pm ESPN 2 Bayern Munich vs Rostov

2:45 pm ESPN Desporte PSV vs Atletico Madrid

10 pm ESPN2 Dallas vs New England – US Open Cup

Wed Sept 14

2:45 pm ESPN 2 Juventus vs Sevilla

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Real Madrid vs Sporting CP

2:45 pm Fox Sports Indiana Tottenham vs Monaco

2:45 pm Fox Soccer Plus Club Brugge vs LEICESTER CITY

Thurs, Sept 15

1 pm Fox Sport 1 Feyernord vs Man United

3 pm Fox Soccer Plus Inter vs Hapoel Sheva

8 pm ESPN US Ladies vs Thailand

Fri, Sept 16

3 pm NBCSN Chelsea vs Liverpool

Sat, Sept 17

7 am beIn Sports Barcelona vs Leganes

7:30 am NBCSN Hull City vs Arsenal

9:30 am Fox Sports 1 Buyern Munich vs Ingolstadt

9:30 am Fox Sports 2 Dortmund vs Darmdstadt

10 am NBCSN Man City vs Bournemouth, Leceister City vs Burnley,

12:30 pm NBC Everton vs Middlesborough

12:30 pm Fox Soccer + Borussia Mgladbach vs Werder Bremen

7:30 pm YES NYCFC vs Dallas

7:30 pm TV 8, GolTV Indy 11 host Miami

Sun, Sat 18

7 am CNBC Watford vs Man United

9:15 am NBCSN Crystal Palace vs Stoke City

9:30 am FS1 Augsburg vs Mainz

9:30 am Fox Soccer Plus Ingolstadt vs Hertha BSC

9:30 am Fox Sports 2 Freiburg vs Borussia M’Gladbach

11:30 am NBCSN Tottenham vs Sunderland

12 noon beIN Sports Inter vs Juventus

11:30 am FS 2 Hertha vs Schalke

2 pm FS 1 LA Galaxy vs Sporting KC

2:45 pm beIN Sport Espanyol vs Real Madrid

5 pm FS 2 Toronto vs NY Red Bulls

7 pm FS 1 US Women vs Netherlands

Sept 27

Man City @ Celtic

Bayern Munich @ Athletico Madrid

Sept 28

Real Madrid @ Dortmund

Porto @ Leicester City

German Bundesliga TV Schedule on Fox Soccer and Gol TV

Landon Donovan has earned the chance to rewrite the end of his storybook career

Goal.com 17 hours ago

After two years away from the game and becoming a father for the first time, Landon Donovan seemed like the last person anyone would expect to decide to lace the boots back up and resume his playing career.What else was there to prove?He walked away from the game as the best to ever play in MLS and is arguably the greatest player in U.S. national team history. He had his MLS Cup titles and MVP trophies, and the league even renamed its MVP award trophy after him. He was supposed to make the transition to television pundit, or coach, or part owner, or whatever else retired superstars decide to do to occupy their time once the playing days are over.Donovan did a little bit of all of those things, but apparently he decided that he still had something left to give on the field . Perhaps he felt some obligation to the LA Galaxy after watching them seemingly fall apart a week ago amid a rash of injuries and the surprising departure of Nigel de Jong. Here was the team he helped transform into the league’s definitive empire showing signs of crumbling, and we can’t forget we’re just two years away from LAFC arriving in the area.You can chalk it up to fate that the Galaxy just happened to have a roster slot available to sign him, thanks to the hasty unloading of De Jong. The timing of the two moves might lead some to believe they were related, but multiple sources have confirmed to Goal USA that De Jong’s departure was in no way driven by or related to Donovan returning, though De Jong’s departure has helped pave the way for Donovan’s serendipitous return.Opening the doors for Donovan’s return is a no-brainer for the Galaxy, who lost Gyasi Zardes for the season to a broken foot and had seen their attack struggle with inconsistency even before his injury. Donovan’s versatility should allow him to slide into any number of positions. And even if he is a step slower, his passing ability and soccer smarts should give the attack a boost.That is, if Donovan is still anywhere close to the player he was when he retired. Donovan went out on top, winning an MLS Cup in 2014 and enjoying a strong final season before retiring. He certainly looked capable of playing at a high level for another couple of years, but now that he has been away for two years, will he be able to shake enough of the rust off to still be an impact player?Perhaps that very question is what is driving Donovan’s second act. It can’t be about trying to win another title or about making more money. It’s probably as simple as being about proving to himself that he can still play at a high level. The fierce competitor in him probably doesn’t need much more.Or maybe, after all the time off and all the other ventures he tried, he missed playing most of all. Luckily for him, he retired at the relatively young age of 32, and at 34 still might have a few more seasons in him. The Galaxy would love nothing more than bringing back such a charismatic figure to help the team on the field as well as off it, where the impending arrival of LAFC must have the Galaxy feeling the heat to solidify its standing in the Los Angeles market.Donovan shed light on the process that led to his decision in a statement he released on Facebook, with wanting to help the Galaxy in their time of need and also wanting to be able to bring his infant son onto the field after a mach he has played in among the motivations.The desire to have his son, born last January, have some part in his playing career makes a world of sense as motivation, and his choice of No. 26 (the date his son was born) shows just how much.Donovan’s return isn’t without risk. He is risking overshadowing, and in some ways ruining, what was by all measures a perfect farewell, winning an MLS Cup in his final match and kissing one final trophy as he rode off into the California sunset. If his return proves to be a struggle and he is nowhere near the player he once was, then the fairytale ending will wind up being replaced by a cautionary tale of another athlete who wound up holding on a bit too long.Donovan made it clear he isn’t worried about that.”I know this won’t be received well by everyone,” Donovan wrote on his Facebook page. “That’s OK. I’ve always made decisions in life based on two guiding principles: my own happiness and the happiness of those I love and care about. Being on the field again, being able to help an organization that has meant so much to me and having my son in my arms after a game will undoubtedly make me and all my loved ones happy. That’s all that matters.”f Donovan isn’t worried about that possibility, then we probably shouldn’t be either. He’s done more than enough in his career to go out on his terms and come back for one more run at glory. That possibility just might be all the motivation Donovan needs. It is certainly enough to make American soccer fans excited about having one more chance to see him play, and one more chance to see him add to his legacy.

Landon Donovan’s comeback is a risk worth taking for injury-hit LA Galaxy

Now that Landon Donovan has come out of retirement to rejoin the LA Galaxy, there is one question: Landon, what took you so long?It always seemed like Donovan retired too soon. When the confetti rained down at StubHub Center on Dec. 7, 2014, his sixth MLS Cup now in his possession, Donovan was only 32 years old. He was physically in good shape, and clearly still one of the best players in MLS.”You don’t retire at 32 unless you have to,” former U.S. international Kasey Keller told ESPN FC via telephone. “You retire from the national team maybe because that’s going to take so much time and energy, so you think, ‘Maybe I just concentrate on my club career.'”But with Donovan, continuing his life as a professional soccer player was never about the legs, or the heart, but the head. Toward the latter part of Donovan’s career, there seemed to be almost a love/hate relationship with his chosen profession, and there was a good reason for this. Donovan admitted to me in an October 2014 interview that prior to the sabbatical he took in early 2013, “I was [depressed], and I was burnt out and getting up and going to training every day was really weighing on me.”For that reason, the long slog that can at times characterize the pro athlete’s existence seemed one that Donovan was willing to leave behind, and since calling it quits he has always looked content with his new life. There was his marriage to Hannah Bartell and the birth of his son, Talon. He seemed to enjoy his broadcasting work and had begun acquiring his coaching licenses.But while players and coaches talk of the grind, there are plenty of things about being a pro soccer player that are missed: the adrenaline rush of game day, the camaraderie of teammates, the roar of the crowd. There are financial incentives as well. The siren call has now proved to be one that not even Donovan could ignore, saying the chance to play in front of his newborn son played a role in his decision to return.So now a different set of questions is being asked. Having taken nearly two seasons off, one can only assume that his head has cleared, his conflicting feelings about being a pro now gone, or at least diminished. But what about the legs? Now 34, how much rust has Donovan accumulated? How will he recover? His return carries with it some risk. There’s a chance, or even a strong likelihood, that Donovan will not be the player that he was.”It’s completely doable,” said Keller. “But I remember there were times when Chris Henderson would do the beep test with [the Seattle Sounders] in preseason and he had been retired for years, and be one of the top finishers in the beep test. But that doesn’t mean he can still play. It’s a different ball game thinking, ‘I’m fit, I watch these guys, and I [coached] the Homegrown Game and I’m better than these guys.’ That may be, but those guys don’t have the expectation of being Landon Donovan or the paycheck of Landon Donovan.”Regardless of how those questions get answered, the risk is still one worth taking for Donovan, and especially the Galaxy. The best-laid plans of manager and GM Bruce Arena haven’t completely gone awry, but through no fault of his own, the season was threatening to go off the rails. Gyasi Zardes will be sidelined for the rest of the regular season with a broken foot. Steven Gerrard is dealing with a hamstring injury. Robbie Keane has played just 13 of the Galaxy’s 28 regular season games. With the injuries piling up, the Galaxy put together a deal in the span of two weeks that now sees Donovan return to the five-time champions of MLS.And if anyone can get Donovan in the frame of mind needed to jump back onto the field, it is Arena. The Galaxy head coach has almost always managed to coax the best out of Donovan, be it with the Galaxy or the national team. Arena has provided Donovan with a cocoon of trust, the needed benefit of the doubt.There is also the rather exciting prospect of seeing Donovan on the field with Giovani Dos Santos. The two players are similar in so many respects. Both have shouldered the weight of high expectations from a young age, especially as it relates to their respective national teams.For Donovan, it has been there since he emerged out of the U.S. U-17 residency program in Bradenton, Florida. For Dos Santos, the hopes were heaped on him ever since he led Mexico to the 2005 U-17 World Cup, and later signed with Barcelona. His career has meandered somewhat since, but this season in L.A., Dos Santos has largely lived up to his Designated Player billing, with 12 goals and nine assists.There is some question as to how well the two will mesh, especially since Dos Santos has thrived in a more central role. But Donovan’s versatility makes it more likely the two will complement rather than impede each other. The results could be devastating for the rest of the league.There are no guarantees of course, and the fact that the league’s MVP award is named after Donovan creates a certain level of awkwardness. But having Donovan back in the league will no doubt generate buzz that MLS can’t get enough of. And he may even lead his beloved Galaxy to a sixth MLS Cup.Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @JeffreyCarlisle.

What to make of Landon Donovan’s stunning return to the LA Galaxy, MLS

QUICKLY-Two years after stepping away from the game, Landon Donovan is set for a shocking return to the LA Galaxy.

GRANT WAHLThursday September 8th, 2016As recently as June, Landon Donovan was a 34-year-old retiree broadcasting U.S. games in the Copa América for Fox Sports. He was taking courses for his coaching badges. He was enjoying his first year as a new father. He had moved to the San Diego area with his wife, Hannah. He was playing a lot of tennis. In early July, he announced his role as part owner of Premier League’s Swansea City.Now Donovan is set to come back and play for the LA Galaxy.

Donovan, the all-time MLS leader in goals (144) and assists (136), the player who was so important to the league that it named its MVP trophy after him, is nearing the official completion of a deal that would see him come out of retirement and rejoin the Galaxy, SI.com has confirmed with multiple sources. Blake Thomsen of The Cauldron first reported the story.WATCH: Your questions answered on Landon Donovan’s return

According to a source with knowledge of the deal, which could be announced as early as Thursday, Donovan will play for the rest of this season with the Galaxy and has not yet committed to continuing beyond that. He will fill the spot of the recently departed Nigel de Jong on the roster, meaning Donovan will not be a Designated Player. While player selection is up to Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, Donovan could play as early as early as this Sunday against Orlando City (FS1, 7 p.m. ET).What does it mean for Donovan? Well, despite not giving any hints of a return, he clearly has missed playing. He retired two years ago at age 32, a remarkably young age, even if he had been playing as a professional for 15 years already. Donovan talked openly of dealing with depression and struggling to find the motivation to continue the grind of soccer week after week, year after year.But he left the sport while still playing at a high level. U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann had controversially dropped Donovan from the 2014 U.S. World Cup team, but Donovan ended his LA career with an MLS Cup trophy, his third in four years and record sixth of his career, and put up superb numbers: 10 goals and a career-high 19 assists in the 2014 MLS season.Now Donovan is back. “He’s our Brett Favre,” one MLS insider told SI.com on Thursday.The Galaxy could use him, too. LA is in third place in the Western Conference with six games left in the regular season stretch run. The team sold de Jong to Turkey’s Galatasaray and has lost Gyasi Zardes for the rest of the regular season with a broken foot, but it has plenty of talent, led by Robbie Keane, Giovani Dos Santos and Steven Gerrard. At his best, Donovan is just the kind of player who could bring out the best in Dos Santos in a way that we haven’t totally seen yet in MLS.More details will emerge in the coming days on Donovan’s return, but it’s hard to imagine that he would return if he didn’t think he could still excel in this league.Whatever happens, it will be a lot of fun to find out if he can still bring it on the soccer field.

Rivalries, tactical battles, great clubs converge in anticipated Manchester derby

QUICKLY-Two 3-0-0 teams. Mourinho vs. Guardiola. Ibrahimovic vs. Guardiola. City vs. United. This Manchester derby may be the most anticipated match in Premier League history. JONATHAN WILSONFriday September 9th, 2016

And to think we used to get excited about whether Wayne Bridge would shake John Terry’s hand.Saturday’s Manchester derby (7:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN) at Old Trafford might be the most anticipated match in English Premier League history. It’s not just a derby, not just a meeting of probably the two best squads in the country, but it’s Jose Mourinho against Pep Guardiola–and a little bit of Zlatan Ibrahimovic too.This is a day when the game of football and the soap opera of football come together, a clash of two great clubs, two great managers and an awful lot of questions.There is one clash missing, though. There will be no battle of the strikers, no face off between Ibrahimovic and Sergio Aguero. Everybody in both squads is either fit or nearly fit, butAguero will be missing as he serves the first of a three-game suspension imposed for his elbow on West Ham’s Winston Reid in the last league game before the international break.here are tactical conundrums aplenty, but the most pressing of them is a simple matter of personnel. With Aguero absent, who plays up front for City? Until Gabriel Jesus arrives in January, and with Wilfried Bony sold to Stoke City, the only other orthodox center forward in the squad is Kelechi Iheanacho. The Nigerian 19-year-old impressed last season, scoring eight Premier League goals despite being largely restricted to appearances from the bench, but making his first start of the season in the derby would be an extraordinary responsibility for one so inexperienced.The other option is to go with a false nine, as Guardiola so often has in the past. David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne have both occupied the role before, but the most likely candidate is Raheem Sterling, even if his falseness is likely to manifest in movement out to the flank rather than back into midfield. If he is used centrally, it means the Silva-De Bruyne axis, playing as “free eights” at the front of the midfield is kept in tact, but it does leave a question of who operates on the right, assuming Nolito is retained on the left. Jesus Navas has already played there this season, but if Leroy Sane is fully fit, there may be a temptation to give him his debut.At the other end of the pitch, Guardiola’s issues are threefold. Does he give Claudio Bravo his debut in goal, even though he will have trained with his new colleagues for only three days? Does he field Ilkay Gundogan for his first start for the club now that he is recovered from his knee injury–and, if he does, who does he replace? And does Guardiola trust the two Argentina players, Nicolas Otamendi and Pablo Zabaleta, who were away playing in World Cup qualifiers and returned to training only on Thursday?But there is always the possibility Guardiola does something unexpected. His capacity to devise a specific plan for a specific game is a major part of his genius. Trying to guess what it may entail is all but impossible, but there could be a case for including both Fernandinho and Gundogan.Assuming there is no switch to a back three, which, given Ibrahimovic’s form and aerial prowess would be an enormous gamble, could there be a case for playing without a center forward at all, with Sterling and Nolito attacking the box from wide? Or perhaps Guardiola might risk matching the two fullbacks against Juan Mata and Anthony Martial, using John Stones against Ibrahimovic with Fernandinho dropping back to cover. It would mean Sterling and Nolito (if they play wide) operating as quasi-wingbacks, but it would be a way of exerting pressure on the back of the United midfield, which is where they are least settled.That’s assuming United plays a 4-2-3-1, which it may not. On five of the 12 occasions when Mourinho faced Guardiola in Spain, he played a 4-3-3, his “trivote” with three holding midfielders. City probably isn’t yet slick enough to warrant such an approach, but it could be that Mourinho nonetheless prefers the insurance of an additional player in the center. Morgan Schneiderlin could come in, freeing up Paul Pogba, which would mean either that Wayne Rooney misses out or that he operates on the right in place of Juan Mata.Tactics, of course, are only part of it. There are personal antipathies and subplots everywhere, not just between the two managers. Most significant, perhaps, is that between Ibrahimovic and Guardiola. The striker has clearly never quite forgiven Guardiola for the way he treated him during his spell at Barcelona. “As a coach he was fantastic,” Ibrahimovic said in an interview with CNN last year. “As a person I’ve no comments about that, that’s something else. He’s not a man, there’s nothing more to say.” (Also last July, Ibrahimovic was asked to play word association in an interview with SI. He gave Mourinho “power.” Pep? “Good coach. Bad person.”)And that’s why Saturday’s encounter is so fascinating. It’s a tactical battle and a personal battle that also happens to be one of England’s biggest derbies. The plot lines are converging, and it could be apocalyptic.

Five Questions for the Manchester City-Manchester United derby

Ahead of the weekend’s Manchester Derby, Nick Miller checks in with five questions for this highly anticipated Premier League showdown between Jose Mourinho’s United and Pep Guardiola’s City.

Will we see any of the old Guardiola-Mourinho animosity?

They used to get on quite well, these two. From when they both were at Barcelona — Pep Guardiola as a player, Jose Mourinho as a translator then coach — they were friends, and Manchester United’s new manager has described their relationship back then as “close.” That obviously changed when they were managers of Barca and Real Madrid, two men taking on the personalities and rivalries of their respective clubs, whose rows spread from touchline to news conference and beyond. In the end, their animosity was undoubtedly a factor in Guardiola’s burnout and departure from Cataluyna.So will that spill over into their first meeting in the Premier League? Relations have seemingly been quite cordial so far, and Mourinho even managed to leave Guardiola off his list of targets to have a brief jab at in his introductory news conference. Maybe it’s too soon for the old rivalry to manifest itself, and it will take an incident, a comment or a perceived injustice to spark it again. For now, maybe it’s best just to concentrate on the football.

Who will City replace Aguero with?

Sergio Aguero found out the hard way that, these days, there isn’t much you can get away with on a football pitch. The cameras see all, and in this case they spotted him laying an elbow on Winston Reid, earning him a three match ban and Guardiola with a bit of a quandary. Who shall play up front in his place? There are two obvious options: Guardiola could either go with what is as close to a like-for-like swap as is available to him, bringing in Kelechi Iheanacho, or he could choose from a number of “false nine” possibles. Nolito, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling are the stand-out candidates for the second option, but Guardiola might be loath to move the latter two from positions they have already excelled in this season.The “false nine” seems the most likely choice, but when Aguero was rested for the second leg of their Champions League qualifier against Steaua Bucharest, he opted for Iheanacho. “He is always ready,” Guardiola said of the young forward. “We will need him. Sergio can’t play all season and Keli is going to play.” Playing in what was essentially a meaningless match is one thing, but it will be interesting to see if Guardiola trusts him in a game as big as this.

Can Mourinho afford to ignore Rashford?

Even before Marcus Rashford sauntered off with the match ball, having helped himself to a hat trick for England’s under-21s on Tuesday, the case for him starting more for Manchester United was strong. Rashford’s goal against Hull in United’s last game may well have been a tap-in, but it was his vigour and relentlessness that really made an impression, providing more danger in 19 minutes than many of the United players managed in 90. When there are still question marks over the City defence, can Mourinho afford to ignore him? And if the answer is no, who would he play instead of?There’s little chance of Zlatan Ibrahimovic being left out of a game this size, while Wayne Rooney seems to still be the apple of any manager’s eye, regardless of how he actually plays. Thus, oddly enough, the most likely candidate to be omitted is Anthony Martial, who has looked slightly subdued in the opening weeks of the season. Rashford has already shown that he can provide a threat from the left flank. Mourinho’s record with young players is constantly queried, but the only way Rashford plays like a kid is through the energy in his legs. The pressure on Mourinho to start him is strong.

Who will City play in defence?

The top end of Guardiola’s team looks fine, a buzzing collection of busy and absurdly skillful attackers providing just as much threat as we thought they would. The defence is more questionable, and might provide the biggest head-scratcher. Nicolas Otamendi has started the last two games alongside John Stones, but he might be in no fit state to take part after appearing for Argentina in Venezuela on Tuesday. Ideally, Vincent Kompany would be back to reassure everyone, but his fitness is, as always these days, in doubt. Aleksandar Kolarov has played in the middle, and Guardiola talked up the possibility of Fernandinho filling the role a few weeks ago. In short, any option looks risky, and when the “defensively incomplete” Stones is the safest option available to City, it’s no wonder they could be worried.

Will Mourinho adapt his tactics to counter City?

So far, Jose Mourinho has deployed a fairly conventional 4-2-3-1 system with a deep-lying midfielder alongside Paul Pogba, behind the attacking trio. However, with the greatest respect to Southampton, Bournemouth and Hull, this is a different matter entirely, with the added problem of a dangerous City attacking line featuring De Bruyne, Sterling, David Silva and possibly for the first time, Leroy Sane. Could Mourinho change things and switch to a 4-3-3 system, bringing in an extra midfielder to counter City’s attackers? That could be the most sensible option, but would require dropping a forward, with one of Juan Mata, Rooney, Martial or Rashford missing out. The arch pragmatist, you can be sure Mourinho will have a plan.Nick Miller is a writer for ESPN FC, covering Premier League and European football. Follow him on Twitter @NickMiller79.

Newcomers Ibrahimovic and Bravo headline Manchester derby

When United meet City in Saturday’s Manchester derby, there will be story lines galore to follow. But who are the most important players to watch? Michael Cox picked three from each side.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United)

Although the Swede is often criticised for not performing in big Champions League matches, his record in major league games is excellent. He had a fine record in the Milan derby, scored minutes into his El Clasico debut and regularly netted against Marseille when playing for PSG.

Against his old foe Pep Guardiola, Ibrahimovic will be even more fired up than usual. He might have something of a lonely game if Jose Mourinho decides to play cautiously, but could thrive against City’s somewhat lightweight centre-back combination. John Stones, for all his quality in possession, can struggle against strong number nines, and Ibrahimovic’s physical power shouldn’t be underestimated.

Few centre-forwards adapt to the Premier League so smoothly, but Ibrahimovic’s quality shouldn’t come as a surprise – it’s arguably only English football which has underestimated him over the past decade. It would be typical for him to settle his first Manchester derby with a moment of magic.

Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United)

Manchester United’s primary tactical task this weekend should be protecting the space in front of their defence. City’s shape for this season features a 4-3-3 with both David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne springing forward from conventional central midfield positions, and some of their interplay has been quite magnificent. Therefore, United need a solid midfield performance from their two holding players, and Mourinho might decide to beef up his midfield with the introduction of a second defensive player, pushing Paul Pogba into a more advanced role. Could Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera or Morgan Schneiderlin come in? It is Fellaini, however, who is assured of a start in one of the two deep midfield roles. He’s impressed for United under Mourinho, with his physical power as useful as ever, but his positioning has been particularly good too. Having often played in a more advanced role under Louis van Gaal, he’s readjusted impressively to this more defensive position, and will have a crucial role to play in stopping City’s two dangermen.

Eric Bailly (Manchester United)

United fans knew what to expect from Ibrahimovic, Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but centre-back Eric Bailly was a relative unknown. Nevertheless, the Ivorian international has looked excellent so far at the heart of Manchester United’s defence, and won United’s Player of the Month award for August. Saturday will be his biggest test yet, and Bailly won’t know quite what to expect. He’ll presumably be delighted that Sergio Aguero is out injured, but what threat will he play against instead? The traditional centre-forward qualities of Kelechi Iheanacho? The speed into the channels of Raheem Sterling, Nolito or Leroy Sane? Perhaps even a false nine with David Silva dropping deep between the lines?

The major question mark about Bailly is his positioning, which is inevitable for a young defender in a new league. He’s impressed so far by responding to things quickly and decisively, but against top-class opponents, centre-backs need to read the game and anticipate danger. He’ll need intelligence to adjust his positioning according to his direct opponent, but he’ll relish the challenge.

Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)

Sterling’s first Manchester City campaign was disappointing, his Euro 2016 even more underwhelming. But Guardiola already appears to have rejuvenated his career; Sterling looks lively, threatening and – perhaps most crucially – highly motivated.So far he’s started on the right flank, told to stay wide and stretch the play, dribbling at opposition left-backs repeatedly. But without Aguero there’s a good chance Sterling will be deployed upfront, a position he played occasionally last season, including when he hit a hat trick against Bournemouth in October.Sterling’s major weakness, however, remains his finishing. He’s simply not good at striking the ball, often snatching at chances and failing to generate the necessary power. He can’t realistically expect to play a centre-forward role regularly if his shooting doesn’t improve – and this weekend, in the biggest game of the season so far, a crucial goal would illustrate his continuing improvement.

Claudio Bravo (Manchester City)

Guardiola is expected to throw his new goalkeeper in at the deep end, and a debut away at Old Trafford is a huge first test for the Chilean. Of course, Claudio Bravo is a highly experienced and reliable goalkeeper accustomed to performing on the biggest stage, so the occasion itself shouldn’t bother him. Premier League football, though, is different in style to La Liga.As his opposite number David De Gea realised when joining Manchester United five years ago, goalkeepers are tested physically in English football. Bravo is famed for his fine distribution skills, precisely the reason Guardiola recruited him, but physically he’s hardly the most imposing goalkeeper, at just 6’0.Mourinho will look to put him under pressure in this sense, and Bravo should expect plenty of men around him the first time United get a corner. He’s not particularly good at commanding his box though, and City don’t have a particularly tall team this season. Bravo will eventually prove a fine addition, but his first match might be difficult.

John Stones (Manchester City)

A player purchased for his ability in possession, Stones should have plenty of opportunities to demonstrate his passing quality here. Manchester United are likely to drop off, keep it tight between the lines and deny City space in the final third. The onus, therefore, will be on Stones to come forward on the ball.Stones doesn’t necessarily need to provide killer passes. He simply needs to attract opposition midfielders towards him, creating space for his more creative teammates in advanced positions. It’s funny how much opponents panic when they realise a talented centre-back is going on a dribble forward; there’s often a moment of panic before someone actually commits and engages.But Stones’ defensive abilities will be tested, too. He’s yet to form a reliable centre-back partnership with any particular individual at City, and against the threat of Ibrahimovic, Stones needs to demonstrate that he’s physically capable, and intelligent enough to read the game. Sometimes guilty of getting caught too high up the pitch, his positioning must be flawless this time around.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic needs ‘zero’ motivation to shine – Jose Mourinho

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic needs to be given “zero” motivation and has not chased after the riches of China or the United States, according to manager Jose Mourinho.On Saturday, Ibrahimovic will have a chance to go up against Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola when their clubs meet in the derby at Old Trafford.The Swede fell out with Guardiola while they worked together at Barcelonaand the 34-year-old arrived in the Premier League with the aim of turning United into serial winners again.Discussing Ibrahimovic in his news conference on Friday, Mourinho said: “Zlatan is a phenomenal player, who arrives at 34 and still wants more for his career. “He didn’t want the Chinese money or the American U.S. dollars; he wanted the most difficult place to play and win.”Zlatan is more about him than us. Our contribution to him, in motivational terms, is zero. This is just his nature.”United’s out-of-favour midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger expressed interest in moving to the United States last month when he said on Aug. 24 that he would not play for another club in Europe, then added on Aug. 30 that“America is naturally an option.”Mourinho isn’t the only one to tout Ibrahimovic’s ability to motivate himself, as his former teammate Thierry Henry believes “he will score goals no matter what.””Zlatan was born for these types of games, he demands these types of games, and he usually performs,” Henry said in his position as a pundit forSky Sports.”Zlatan obviously has a bit of an edge on him now, he’s not the young player he used to be, but there is something, he usually backs it up when he talks.”He maybe hasn’t controlled games yet, but it doesn’t matter for Zlatan, he has scored, and that’s the impact you want. That is something I like about him, he brings a winning mentality.”He doesn’t like second-best, wherever he went he won the league. He will score you goals. You will see this year. I tipped him to be top scorer, and I know people think I’m crazy, but he will score goals no matter what.” ichael Cox is the editor of Zonal Marking and a contributor to ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @Zonal_Marking.

Mourinho and Guardiola in Old Trafford summit meeting for United vs. City

ESPN FC’s Shaka Hislop and Alexis Nunes predict the winners and losers of this weekend’s Premier league action.

It’s the biggest game of the Premier League season so far and probably the biggest across Europe this weekend as Manchester United face Manchester City.

And, of course, it’s Jose Mourinho vs. Pep Guardiola as the bitter rivals resume hostilities again. It promises to be an enthralling occasion at Old Trafford, but there’s plenty of action elsewhere too, as champions Leicester face Liverpool in their newly improved Anfield and Antonio Conte puts his 100 percent record on the line as Chelsea travel to Swansea.

MAN UNITED: Both Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola will be eager to get one over on each other on Saturday, even if both will claim that the match is not about them. For the fans, aside from all-important bragging rights, it will be a good opportunity to see how their team fare against the competition. Sergio Aguero’s absence could be crucial, while United’s attacking dilemma is whether Marcus Rashford should get a spot in the starting XI, and if so, who he should replace. Expect a tight clash that United will just edge.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City — Scott Patterson

MAN CITY: City go to Old Trafford in the best form they could, having won all five of Pep Guardiola’s matches so far. The fans are optimistic, but cautiously so as Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United are in fine form, too. This could be a very tight game and a huge tactical battle between two rivals, with both teams perhaps worried about losing.
Prediction: Manchester United 1-1 Manchester City — David Mooney

LIVERPOOL: After four games on the road, Liverpool finally return home to play at an expanded Anfield. Not since the 1980s have the Reds played in front of more than 50,000 fans in their home stadium, and that will provide the inspiration for a narrow win over the champions.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Leicester City — Steven Kelly

LEICESTER: A trip to Liverpool is another big test of Leicester’s European credentials, and they need a positive performance ahead of their Champions League debut at Club Brugge on Wednesday. Claudio Ranieri must also decide his best XI now that the transfer window has shut. Islam Slimani may come in for Shinji Okazaki, but the Japanese forward’s defensive qualities could come in handy. With both sides capable of goals, a high-scoring draw isn’t out of the question. Prediction: Liverpool 2-2 Leicester City — Ben Jacobs

SWANSEA: The Swans have had a week off to reflect on a slow start to their season, but will need to find something spectacular to stop unbeaten Chelsea, even with home advantage. Perhaps likely debutant Borja Baston can be that something, although finding a way to stop conceding from set pieces might be just as valuable.
Prediction: Swansea 0-2 Chelsea — Max Hicks

CHELSEA: Chelsea have yet to face a serious challenge to their 100 percent start to the Premier League season. Swansea have yet to score in front of their own fans, and while there’s always a chance of that happening against a Blues side prone to defensive wobbles, Antonio Conte’s side will have enough goals in them to win the game comfortably.
Prediction: Swansea 1-3 Chelsea — Mark Worrall

ARSENAL: With over £50 million of new signings added to the squad, Arsenal approach Saturday’s match in a position of some strength. It might be too early for Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez to start, but Arsenal should still have enough to beat a Southampton side still looking for their first win of the season.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-0 Southampton — Tom Adams

SOUTHAMPTON: Claude Puel was Arsene Wenger’s protege at Monaco, but his side need to show more quality than they have in their first three games of the season to help their new manager turn the tables on his mentor, especially with new club-record-signing Sofiane Boufal not yet match fit.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Southampton — Alex Crook

STOKE: New loan-signing Wilfried Bony is set to make his debut, and Mark Hughes will be hoping that Xherdan Shaqiri passes a late fitness test to provide the Ivorian with the service needed to score the goals to lift his side off the foot of the table.
Prediction: Stoke 1-1 Tottenham — James Whittaker

TOTTENHAM: Spurs have been a long way off their best in the first three Premier League games, and the international break is unlikely to have helped them regain their fluency. With Mousa Dembele still suspended and Erik Lamela likely to be on the substitutes bench following a long flight back from Argentina on Thursday, all eyes will be on new signing Moussa Sissoko to see if he can kick-start Tottenham’s season. It’s asking a lot to expect the French international to hit the ground running, and the likely result is another draw.
Prediction: Stoke 1-1 Tottenham — John Crace

BURNLEY: Burnley will have the visit of Hull City down as one of the games they must win if they are to survive in the Premier League this season. Former Clarets and Hull caretaker manager Mike Phelan will get a great reception from the Turf Moor crowd, but club-record-signings Jeff Hendrick and Steven Defour can see the hosts through to a vital three points.
Prediction: Burnley 2-1 Hull — Jamie Smith

HULL CITY: Any meeting of two newly promoted sides brings an added significance, and the timing of Hull City’s trip to Burnley only heightens that. Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea map out a demanding trilogy of fixtures after this weekend, so anything from this notoriously unhappy hunting ground would be welcomed. City have lost 10 of their last 12 trips to Turf Moor, but another well-drilled approach can secure a point from a tight fixture.
Prediction: Burnley 0-0 Hull — Phil Buckingham

SUNDERLAND: David Moyes, a good manager at Everton, will want to show his old side he has not lost his touch. After a so-so transfer window, his new-look Sunderland desperately need a first win — against tough opposition — on Monday night. Expect it to be tighter than the 3-0 victory that sealed survival in May.
Prediction: Sunderland 2-1 Everton — Colin Randall

EVERTON: A pleasing August and the sight of Romelu Lukaku back among the goals during the international break should put Everton in a confident mood for Monday’s trip to Sunderland. Seamus Coleman’s return to fitness and the fine form of Mason Holgate leaves Ronald Koeman with a dilemma at right-back as the Blues prepare to face former manager David Moyes.
Prediction: Sunderland 1-2 Everton — Luke O’Farrell

WEST HAM: Watford, searching for their first win under Walter Mazzarri, are still something of an unknown quantity, but West Ham will be welcoming back a fully fit Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini, while Zaza will make his debut. The season proper starts here.
Prediction: West Ham 3-0 Watford — Peter Thorne

WATFORD: In the bottom three for the first time since being promoted, Watford will be looking to bounce back after suffering a heavy defeat against Arsenal last time out. The impressive Miguel Britos could return to the back three after becoming a father, whilst it seems certain midfielder Roberto Pereyra will make his first start. Hornets fans will hope that the International break has been used to further integrate the swathe of summer signings, and the visit to the London Stadium provides a chance for Mazzarri’s men to kick-start their season.
Prediction: West Ham 2-2 Watford — Mike Parkin

MIDDLESBROUGH: This could be the game where Boro finally let fly as an attacking force — the gritty groundwork laid in previous Premier League games finally coming to fruition. Crystal Palace head to the Riverside in search of their first victory of the season, with Scott Dann’s injury-time goal saving their blushes against Bournemouth last time out. A refreshed Boro have been largely undisturbed by the international break and will have used the time to tighten the link between goalkeeper Brad Guzan and his back four, as well as fine-tuning the balance of a busy midfield five.
Prediction: Middlesbrough 3-1 Crystal Palace — Catherine Wilson

CRYSTAL PALACE: Palace have another striker addition to call upon in Loic Remy, and alongside Christian Benteke the Chelsea loan-signing should give Alan Pardew’s side more aggression in attack. If Palace can create chances for them, they should win.
Prediction: Middlesbrough 1-2 Crystal Palace — Rob Sutherland

BOURNEMOUTH: Despite not winning a league game so far this season, Bournemouth have still performed well in bursts. It’s up to them to change these short stints into full 90-minute performances, and they will do that against West Brom. Jack Wilshere, signed on loan from Arsenal on transfer deadline day, will play a pivotal role, and the Cherries will win.
Prediction: Bournemouth 2-0 West Brom — Will Kent

WEST BROM: West Brom will be looking to finally kick-start their Premier League season when they travel to Bournemouth on Saturday. Tony Pulis will be hopeful that new club-record-signing Nacer Chadli will be able to provide the attacking impetus and creativity that has been sorely lacking so far this campaign.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-1 West Brom — Matthew Evans

Mourinho’s clash with Guardiola is the latest meeting in the pair’s ongoing rivalry, with the United boss potentially under more pressure to get a result at Old Trafford. The pair’s tactics will be a talking point this Saturday lunchtime, as will Guardiola’s choice of who deputises for the suspended Sergio Aguero.As always, you can vote for your winner in every Premier League match this weekend and have your say in the comments below.

What can new signing Islam Slimani bring to Leicester?

Claudio Ranieri believes Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool have all the tools necessary to compete for the title.

Leicester’s sensational exploits to win the Premier League title last season were fuelled to a large extent by the prolific Jamie Vardy, whose remarkable ascension up the football ladder is well documented. Less well-known is the equally meteoric upward trajectory of his new strike partner, Islam Slimani.In an amazing three-year journey, Slimani went from an average performer in the Algerian league to the most feared centre-forward in Portugal. And now, after arriving on deadline day for a fee of €35 million, he is a Leicester player.Leicester fans will get their first look at the 28-year-old striker on Saturday evening when the Premier League champions take on Liverpool at Anfield. Here’s five things they can expect from their record signing.

He’s lethal in the air

Without doubt the Algerian’s strongest asset is his deadly heading prowess. Standing 6-foot-2, Slimani uses his height and strength to great effect in the opposition area. He times his runs and jumps to perfection, and is equally adept at producing bullet headers or using the pace of well-delivered crosses to expertly direct the ball into the net. He is also a big asset in helping to defend free kicks and corners in his own box.Sporting coach Jorge Jesus said while co-commentating on Portuguese TV during the England vs. Portugal friendly before this summer’s European Championship: “If Vardy is the top scorer in England, then with the right coach Slimani would score double the number of goals as him.”

He is a real work horse

As well as his goals and willingness to follow whatever instructions the three managers he played for at Sporting gave him, what made Slimani such an icon among the Alvalade faithful was his insatiable work rate. He worked hard for every minute of the game, throwing himself into challenges all over the pitch, running the channels tirelessly, and using his big frame to batter the opposition into submission. Slimani never gives up on what others would consider a lost cause. In short, he is a nightmare to play against.

He has a big-game temperament

Another facet to Slimani’s game that so endeared him to Sporting’s fans was his productivity in the biggest matches, which also suggests the step up to Premier League football will not be a step too far.Portugal may not have the strongest league in Europe, but Benfica, Porto and Braga provide stern opposition. In a total of 24 matches against Sporting’s three biggest domestic rivals, Slimani scored 16 goals. Last season Sporting played the trio eight times, and in only two of those games did the Algerian fail to find the net.After they were drawn with Leicester in the Champions League group stages, Porto fans must have let out a collective groan upon hearing about Slimani’s transfer to the Foxes. In his last three games against the Dragons, Slimani has bagged five goals.

He is happy to get into a battle

At the end of 90 minutes, Premier League defenders charged with marking Slimani will know they’ve been in a battle. Liberal use of his arms has got the Algerian into trouble in Portugal on several occasions, with Porto calling out a flailing elbow just two weeks ago.In a particularly bad-tempered Lisbon derby in last season’s Portuguese Cup, city rivals Benfica were infuriated he was not red-carded for hitting the throatof Greek midfielder Andreas Samaris. TV replays showed they were justified in their complaints, although the fierce nature of the game mitigated Slimani’s actions in Sporting’s eyes. The lesson learned? If it’s one of those matches that turns into a battle, expect Slimani to be on the front line.

He is willing to learn, and shows humility and intelligence

Slimani joined Sporting in August 2013 and the first impressions were not the best. His poor technique persuaded many to conclude early on that he did not have the necessary quality for a club of Sporting’s ambitions. But perceptions soon changed as improvements became apparent in just about every aspect of his game: positioning, tactical awareness, touch, passing and finishing.He scored 10, 15 and then 31 goals in his three seasons at Sporting, which accurately reflects his development. Under Jesus especially, his game progressed to a whole different level, and Slimani himself recognises the role the charismatic Sporting manager played in his career.”He’s a world-class coach, a genius, and I’m not exaggerating,” he said. “He points out details that seem irrelevant, but suddenly you realise why. He makes you improve every day and it’s a pleasure to work with him.”The ability to take his coach’s recommendations on board shows that Slimani has intelligence and humility to go with his brawn. The tears he shed after coming off the pitch in his last match for Sporting only cemented his place in the hearts of the Lisbon club’s fans. Upon his departure, hundreds of messages from Sporting supporters flooded social media wishing Slimani luck at his new club.

It’s okay to be somewhat-confident about the USMNT right now

By Harrison Hamm on Sep 8, 2016, 9:30a +

The United States men’s national team has not always been good at beating the teams they’re supposed to beat. We all remember the semifinal loss to Jamaica in last year’s Gold Cup and the calamitous away defeat in Guatemala back in March. They managed to lose to Ukraine in a 2014 World Cup warm-up game, and, who could forget, they needed a 90th-minute Eddie Johnson header to beat Antigua and Barbuda in World Cup qualifying back in 2012.So you could forgive someone for being a little tentative when pondering the US’s qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago, even if there wasn’t an obvious reason to be. The US went into the match having all but secured a spot in the next round of 2018 qualification — only drastic measures could see Guatemala leapfrog them — and arrived in Jacksonville confident following a 6-0 shellacking of St. Vincent, a team that brought back memories of Antigua. But given their history in these kinds of games, I don’t think I was the only one worrying about a disaster.A disaster, by the way, would mean a draw or a loss, not an unrealistic 12-goal swing that would move Guatemala up a place in the standings. Dropped points against Trinidad would be severely disappointing despite their secure spot in the Hexagonal, especially considering Jurgen Klinsmann’s statements saying he would play his best lineup. It would have been a severe humiliation.Observers had reason to believe an embarrassment was possible. CONCACAF referees are known to be quite slimy and have a tendency to give out red cards and/or PKs at the drop of a hat, often drastically changing game outcomes. Trinidad could have come out firing and run away with it early as revenge for Fox Sports 1’s showing of the 1989 World Cup qualifier that saw the US eliminate T&T in Port of Spain. Klinsmann could have played Sacha Kljestan at left back or Jozy Altidore in defensive midfield or something.Plenty of things could have gone wrong, like they have in the past. But the US erased all doubts and cruised to a convincing 4-0 victory, with Kljestan dominating from the No. 10 position and Altidore recording a brace as a center forward.Montero turned out to be a fine and capable official. Already-qualified Trinidad looked asleep for long periods of time. Klinsmann put out his best lineup in forever. It honestly turned out alright.We can now afford to be semi-confident about things going forward, if only because the US don’t play a competitive match for another couple of months. You all can worry about another soccer team for the time being, because our national team is actually looking okay right now.Because I said that, Michael Bradley probably won’t get called up two months from now or something ridiculous like that, but for now, we can afford to be satisfied, even if history tells us not to be.

KLINSMANN CHOSES TO START THE PULISIC ERA

SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Sep 7, 2016) US Soccer Players – Jurgen Klinsmann certainly didn’t do what so many of us thought he would. The expectations for the final Group C World Cup qualifier leaned toward practical. Name a solid eleven capable of getting the job done against Trinidad & Tobago in Jacksonville. One that would put stopping Trinidad & Tobago’s speedy attack first among its priorities and then work from that platform to score any goals.Those expectations were built on so many other lineup choices from Klinsmann over the last five years. Lineups that failed to measure up to the front-foot, aggressive attitude Klinsmann so often says he wants. More often than not, the USMNT head coach had chosen to go with teams that could only be called “conservative” in the face of an impending challenge. Sometimes it had to do with the opponent. Most times, the talent advantages of the Americans seemed not to matter.What Klinsmann did on Tuesday night was throw (some) caution to the wind. Again, the chances that the Americans would miss out on the Hex were essentially nil. So though he could have justified rolling out a team that lacked an adventurous spirit, Klinsmann instead took the opportunity to give a start to a number of players who think forward first.The most intriguing name in the eleven was the one who created the most discussion heading into the game: Christian Pulisic. At just 17, Pulisic is an extremely young player who nevertheless has shown immense potential in his limited time playing for both Borussia Dortmund of the German Bundesliga and the USMNT. Perhaps not since Landon Donovan has the United States produced a player who arrived looking so ready to become a major part of every team the Americans put out in every game of consequence. Pulisic’s instincts, touch, and understanding of the game put him on a level unseen in an American teenager.Klinsmann made sure to downplay some of the hype around Pulisic in the buildup to the game. Preaching patience, he spoke to how long Pulisic had to go before he could be called a complete player. Then, Klinsmann being Klinsmann, he started Pulisic in a midfield quartet that also included the previously banished Sacha Kljestan. Remember, Kljestan was a late addition to the squad for this round of matches. He replaced the injured John Brooks on the roster just days ahead of the start of camp. Suddenly, the Red Bulls midfielder is first-choice in a game that would serve as both the final piece of Hex qualification and a platform from which the team would build into the last round.The choices paid off. Pulisic made a case to be a starter every time out. Kljestan, after a slow start, grew into the game first with a goal then as a playmaker as the Americans salted away the win. Even better, the pair worked well together, showing an understanding of space and movement the speaks to their soccer intelligence and current form. The Americans raised their level in the second half, and almost all of it came down to a conscience decision to involved the teenager at every possible turn. A very clear shift from right (manned by full back Geoff Cameron and midfielder Alejandro Bedoya) to left (fullback: Fabian Johnson, midfielder: Christian Pulisic) facilitated the pressure and chance-creation that led to all three second-half goals.For all the positives Pulisic and Kljestan brought to the team, the combination of Bobby Wood and Jozy Altidore up top failed to produce much over the course of an hour. It’s not that either player was bad, it was that they similarity in their games prevented them from working well ahead of Kljestan. Altidore scored just before Wood was removed for Jordan Morris, but the goal came with the Hamburg striker dropped deep and allowed Altidore to occupy the central of the T&T defense.Altidore’s form is a major takeaway from the match heading into the gauntlet of the Hex. When he’s on his game, there is no one like him in the American player pool. The combination of power, touch, and goal-scoring makes him an immensely important part of any team Klinsmann runs out in the next round. Against T&T, Altidore showed every bit of his skill as well as his fully evolved hold-up ability. If finding a partner to work with the TFC forward is Klinsmann’s biggest problem coming out of the win, it’s a good problem to have. No matter what he decides to do, he has a rampant center forward at his disposal.Amid the excitement over Pulisic, the redemptive influence of Kljestan, and the form of Altidore, the important thing is that the United States advanced. The Hex will present its own challenges. Namely, opening at home against Mexico followed by a road trip to Costa Rica four days later. That’s the reward for finishing atop their fourth round group. However, the format is incredibly forgiving. Barring a series of disastrous performances, the USMNT is in line to make its eighth-straight World Cup.They may arrive in Russia with an emerging group of talented young players. Pulisic will be chief among them .They’re the forefront of the quest to reach Klinsmann’s goal of a semifinal berth in part because of surprising lineup choices made nearly two years before the tournament begins.Jason Davis is the founder of MatchFitUSA.com and the host of The United States of Soccer on SiriusXM.

USA FINISHES FIRST IN SEMIFINAL ROUND OF 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING GROUP C WITH 4-0 WIN VS. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

SECOND HALF BRACE SEES JOZY ALTIDORE BECOME MNT’S ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER IN WORLD CUP QUALIFYING; SACHA KLJESTAN AND PAUL ARRIOLA SCORE SECOND GOALS IN AS MANY MATCHES TO HELP MNT TO TOP SPOT IN GROUP C; WIN SETS UP NOV. 11 HOME CLASH WITH MEXICO TO BEGIN FINAL ROUND WORLD CUP QUALIFYINGMNT Sep 6, 2016

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Sept. 6, 2016) – The U.S. Men’s National Team used a brace from Jozy Altidore and goals from Sacha Kljestan and Paul Arriola to earn a hard-fought 4-0 victory against Trinidad & Tobago Tuesday night. The win propelled the MNT to the top spot in Group C of Semifinal Round CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying, as well as a berth in the Final Round beginning in November.A dominant first half from the U.S. saw Christian Pulisic force a diving stop out of Trinidad & Tobago goalkeeper Marvin Phillip in the ninth minute, before the 17-year-old attacker incredibly careened a shot off both posts in the 31st. The first stanza also saw a clear penalty shout for a foul on Geoff Cameron inside the area, but referee Ricardo Montero Araya awarded a free kick just outside the box.Just as it looked like the MNT would go into the break empty-handed, a nice bit of combination work between Fabian Johnson, Kljestan and Pulisic led to a failed T&T clearance before Kljestan buried inside the right post in the 44th minute.With that goal in the bank, the floodgates opened for the MNT in the second half. Altidore would tally two goals in the 59th and 62nd minutes, with the first moving him past Clint Dempsey to become the MNT’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup Qualifying. His second of the match padded his lead at the top, giving him 16 Qualifying goals.Just moments after entering the match, second half substitute Paul Arriola increased the lead, burying a close-range rebound off of a Pulisic effort in the 71st minute.On the defensive side of the field, the U.S. back line kept its eighth clean sheet of the year, while Tim Howard made five saves to earn his 37th career shutout.The win sees the U.S. finish with a 4-1-1 record and top spot in Group C of the Semifinal Round of CONCACAF Qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, setting up a home clash with Mexico to open the final round of World Cup Qualifying. The site of the Nov. 11 match vs.El Tri will be announced early next week.

Next on the Schedule: The U.S. MNT gets set for CONCACAF’s Final Round of Qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with an historic visit to take on Cuba in Havana on Friday, Oct. 7 on ESPN and Univision Networks (Time TBD). The MNT then returns home to the familiar confines of RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. where they’ll face Oceanic Football Confederation champions, New Zealand on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN and Univision Networks).

Goal Scoring Rundown:
USA – Sacha Kljestan (unassisted), 44th minute: Fabian Johnson began on the left, playing for Sacha Kljestan in the penalty area before returning a back heel to the left back in stride. Johnson then played for Christian Pulisic whose centering pass was heeled away by Radanfah Abu Bakr before Carlyle Mitchell took another swing. His clearance was blocked by Kljestan who quickly poked the ball in the lower, right corner. USA 1, TRI 0 [WATCH]

USA – Jozy Altidore (Fabian Johnson) 59th minute: Fabian Johnson broke free down the left before feeding Altidore into the area. The MNT forward took a touch past his marker before firing a low shot inside the right post to double the advantage and make Altidore the MNT’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup Qualifying. USA 2, TRI 0 [WATCH]

USA – Jozy Altidore (Christian Pulisic) 62nd minute: Altidore would score his 16th all-time World Cup Qualifying goal just three minutes later. A quick combination between Pulisic and Kljestan on the left saw Pulisic cross for Altidore at the right post, allowing the veteran striker an easy tap-in. USA 3, TRI 0 [WATCH]

USA – Paul Arriola (unassisted) 71st minute: Pulisic intercepted a T&T pass in his own half and rushed upfield to the edge of the Trinidad box before laying the ball off to Jordan Morris who turned away from pressure and played the ball back to the center of the pitch for Sacha Kljestan to send it on to the feet of Jozy Altidore, who sent an incisive cross through the box for a sliding Pulisic to get a redirected shot on goal that was saved by Soca Warriors ‘keeper Marvin Phillip. The rebound fell to the onrushing Arriola who hit a one-time shot into the vacated net for his first World Cup Qualifying goal. USA 4, TRI 0 FINAL

Key Saves and Defensive Stops:
USA – Tim Howard, 7th minute: Trinidad & Tobago found the opportunity to spring a fast counter attack as Kenwyne Jones found Joevin Jones in stride up the right. The Seattle Sounders FC winger sprung forward before cutting inside and firing a well-hit blast directly at Howard.

TRI – Marvin Phillip, 9th minute: A quick transition in midfield saw Sacha Kljestan turn towards goal before laying off for Christian Pulisic on the left. The 17-year-old attacker cut inside and rifled a low, right-footed blast that deflected off a Trinidad defender before seeing goalkeeper Marvin Phillip make a diving save to push the ball out for a corner kick.

TRI – Marvin Phillip, 67th minute, 68th minute: Just moments after entering the match, Paul Arriola received a feed from Altidore on the right, cut inside and blasted an effort that saw Phillip push the ball over the post for a corner kick. Michael Bradley’s ensuing take found Kljestan open outside the box, where the MNT midfielder blasted a long-range effort that Phillip parried away in the 68^thminute.

TRI – Tim Howard, 75th minute: With Trinidad continuing to look for a goal, Joevin Jones took some space about 30 yards from goal and unleashed an effort that Tim Howard pushed out to his right for a corner kick.

MILESTONE WATCH:

At 17 years, 353 days, Christian Pulisic is the youngest player in MNT history to start a FIFA World Cup qualifier, beating Jozy Altidore’s previous mark of 18 years, 343 days set on Sept. 1, 2001 vs. Honduras.
Jozy Altidore’s 59th minute goal moved him past Clint Dempsey into first place on the MNT’s all-time World Cup Qualifying goals list with 15. His 62nd minute strike padded his lead over Dempsey, giving him 16.
Tim Howard earned his 32nd World Cup Qualifying appearance, moving past Kasey Keller for the most all-time among MNT goalkeepers and into fourth in team history. Howard is 22-7-3 all-time in World Cup Qualifying.
Captain Michael Bradley became the 12th player in MNT history to reach 30 World Cup Qualifying caps.

NOTES:

The victory sees the U.S. top its Semifinal Round World Cup Qualifying group for the sixth-straight time.
Sacha Kljestan’s 44th minute goal was his second in as many matches and sixth career strike for the MNT.
Paul Arriola’s 71st minute goal was his second in as many matches for the U.S. Arriola also tallied in the MNT’s 3-1 win against Puerto Rico on May 21.
Geoff Cameron is the only U.S. player to start all six semifinal round World Cup Qualifying matches.
Arriola and Caleb Stanko each made their World Cup Qualifying debuts.
Starting Tim Howard in goal, Jurgen Klinsmann elected to go with a backline featuring Geoff Cameron and right back, Steve Birnbaum and Omar Gonzalez in the middle and Fabian Johnson on the left.
In handing Christian Pulisic his first MNT start, Klinsmann deployed the 17-year-old on the left side, with Alejandro Bedoya as his counterpart on the right and Michael Bradley and Sacha Kljestan paired in the middle.
Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood completed the starting XI up top, pairing for the second straight game and fifth time overall.

– U.S. Men’s National Team Match Report –

Match: U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Trinidad & Tobago
Date: September 6, 2016
Competition: 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying; Semifinal Round
Venue: EverBank Field; Jacksonville, Florida
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Attendance: 19,410
Weather: 86 degrees, Sunny

Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 1 3 4
TRI 0 0 0

USA – Sacha Kljestan                           44th minute
USA – Jozy Altidore (Fabian Johnson)     59
USA – Jozy Altidore (Christian Pulisic)    62
USA – Paul Arriola                                 71

Lineups:
USA: 12-Tim Howard; 20-Geoff Cameron, 21-Steve Birnbaum, 3-Omar Gonzalez, 23-Fabian Johnson; 11-Alejandro Bedoya (14-Paul Arriola, 66), 4-Michael Bradley (capt.), 16-Sacha Kljestan (13-Caleb Stanko, 72), 10-Christian Pulisic; 7-Bobby Wood (8-Jordan Morris, 60), 17-Jozy Altidore
Subs not used: 1-Brad Guzan, 22-Ethan Horvath, 2-Kellyn Acosta, 5-Michael Orozco, 6-Darlington Nagbe, 9-Rubio Rubin, 15-Kyle Beckerman, 18-Chris Wondolowski, 19-Graham Zusi
Head Coach: Jurgen Klinsmann

TRI : 1-Marvin Phillip; 2-Aubrey David, 12-Carlyle Mitchell, 6-Radanfah Abu Bakr, 17-Mekeil Williams; 3-Joevin Jones, 8-Khaleem Hyland, ,10-Kevin Molino, 14-Andre Boucaud (19-Kevan George, 76), 16-Levi Garcia (23-Jomal Williams, 57); 9-Kenwyne Jones (capt.) (11-Shahdon Winchester, 69)
Subs not used: 21-Adrian Foncette, 22-Greg Ranjitsingh, 5-Daneil Cyrus, 7-Hughtun Hector, 13-Cordell Cato, 15-Neveal Hackshaw, 18-Yohance Marshall, 20-Trevin Caesar
Head Coach: Stephen Hart

Stats Summary: USA / TRI
Shots: 17 / 14
Shots on Goal: 10 / 5
Saves: 5 / 6
Corner Kicks: 3 / 2
Fouls: 8 / 11
Offside: 4 / 1

Misconduct Summary:
TRI – Mekeil Williams (caution) 25th minute
TRI – Carlyle Mitchell (caution) 52
TRI – Jomal Williams (caution) 62

Officials:
Referee: Ricardo Montero Araya (CRC)
Assistant Referee 1: Octavio Jara Carballo (CRC)
Assistant Referee 2: Juan Carlos Mora Araya (CRC)
4th Official: Walter Quesada Cordero (CRC)

Budweiser Man of the Match: Jozy Altidore

FIRST KID, FIRST GOAL – A SPECIAL DAY FOR MATT BESLER

MNT Sep 3, 2016 Matt Besler woke up Friday morning hoping for a special day. It’s fair to say he had no idea precisely how special it would be.On the day he and his wife Amanda welcomed Parker Rhea Besler into the world that morning, he scored his first international goal in the 32^nd minute of the USA’s 6-0 World Cup Qualifying victory at St. Vincent and the Grenadines.“It’s amazing, it really is,” Besler said when asked about his day following the match. “It’s just hard to explain how I was feeling this morning. Obviously a big part of me would have liked to have been at home to be there and be at the side of my wife. At the same time, I was just so excited to play in the game. I really felt special today, and I’m glad that things worked out and I made the most of it.”Feeling conflicted about the timing of the camp and where his wife was at this stage in her pregnancy with two weeks to her due date, Besler knew there was a chance he would miss the birth. Because of the difficulty of travel from the U.S. to St. Vincent – there are no direct flights – the veteran defender knew there was a period of time where he might be locked in without a way to get back.That point came following Thursday’s night’s training session at Arnos Vale Stadium, when he received a text stating only “CALL ME ASAP.”Besler told MNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann of the news that night and said they would talk again in the morning. He got the great news just before 7 a.m., and when he spoke to Klinsmann, the coach offered to send him home straight away. With his baby born, no easy path to return and a huge World Cup qualifier to be played Besler elected to stick it out.“I was really excited, but I was also ready to play. This was something I really wanted to do because it’s already a special day and I wanted to make it even more special and play in this special game,” he added.With the U.S. already leading following Bobby Wood’s 28^th minute goal, Besler secured his daughter’s first gift four minutes later. A free kick played into the box from Graham Zusi was poorly cleared by a St. Vincent defender and fell right to Besler, who chested the ball down before volleying into the net.

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His teammates gathered around him and joined as he did the classic “rock the baby” goal celebration. With just three goals in MLS play since starting with Sporting KC in 2009, Besler admitted he hasn’t had a lot of time to practice goal celebrations.“It just came natural I guess,” he joked after the match. “Once you become a dad, it’s just instinct to do that.”As the MNT returns to Jacksonville, Fla., Saturday afternoon to prepare for Tuesday’s Semifinal Round World Cup Qualifying finale against Trinidad & Tobago, Besler will head back to Kansas City to be with his wife and new baby girl. He’ll also be carrying that present, the ball with which he scored his first international goal for his first child.

Christian Pulisic ‘trusted’ at Dortmund, but must wait for his chance – Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel says Borussia Dortmund fully trust United States international Christian Pulisic, but the teenager will have to wait for his chance in the Bundesliga.Pulisic, 17, impressed for the United States in their World Cup qualifiers against St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where he contributed two goals in the 6-0 win, and Trinidad and Tobago, where he became the youngest player to start in a World Cup qualifier for the country.However, his late return to preseason from the Copa America Centenario means he is behind the rest of Dortmund’s squad in terms of fitness and, speaking at a news conference in Germany on Friday, Tuchel told reporters Pulisic is unlikely to feature against RB Leipzig this weekend.”He started preseason late as a 17-year-old,” Tuchel said. “This makes being selected for the match day squad harder.”We are delighted that Christian is that successful for the United States. He’s only 17 years, and it’s a huge, huge achievement and a confirmation of his talent. To beat those records is testimony to his quality.”But Tuchel also wants Pulisic’s achievements at international level to be put into perspective.”Those were games against St.Vincent and Trinidad,” he said. “And if you play against Trinidad, it’s not like you have the right to play Bayern in the Super Cup. And he’s aware of it. It’s difficult enough to cope with all the praise and distraction and to remain open for the normal processes.”We’d like to think that he stays sensible. We’ve already trusted him last season. Because he deserved it and not so we can pat ourselves on the back. The trust is there.”

THREE THINGS: #INDVTBR

Three points as Indy draws one-all with Tampa BaySep 6, 2016

CONCEDING FIRST

As of late, Indy Eleven has had a pattern of conceding the first goal of the match and while it tends to pan out at Carroll Stadium, Saturday night’s turn of the tale proved the point again – Indiana’s Team must tighten up defensively.Just under a month ago, Indy hosted Rayo OKC on a drenched Saturday night in mid-August. On that night, OKC took advantage of the “shock factor” and put one past Eleven ‘keeper Jon Busch inside the opning 15 minutes. Though Indy would rescue the three points thanks to a 41st minute tally from Dylan Mares and a 84th minute goal from Colin Falvey, it was the beginning of a dangerous pattern.Indy hit the road to Ottawa and New York where they conceded first in both matches. It is worth noting that against Carolina it was the “Boys in Blue” who struck first, but a goal by the hosts just three minutes later takes the sting out of a quick strike like that.Turning attention back to Saturday night, a 28th minute goal by Justin Chavez off a Joe Cole free kick opened the scoring at Carroll Stadium, and while Omar Gordon was able to turn momentum back to the Eleven with his 34th minute strike, Indy would not strike again leaving a 1-1 final score. The result means that the home unbeaten streak is extended, but Tampa Bay managed to snap the 8-game win streak that the Eleven had been riding since May.Special mention does go to Daniel Keller for his performance at centerback, though. He was outstanding.

RECAP | Indy Eleven 1 : 1 Tampa Bay Rowdies
LIMITING JOE COLE

It was always going to be difficult when it came to limiting chances for former England international Joe Cole, but Indy did relatively well in stifling his success. The 34-year-old had 59 touches in 89 minutes, completed 35/47 passes and created two chances while notching an assist on Saturday. But, looking at the blueprint for Cole, the Eleven might have done their best job.Choking off access to the ball for the midfielder has been difficult, but in some matches certain methods seem to work better than not. Looking at Tampa Bay’s 1-0 loss against FC Edmonton, Cole’s stats were even better. Securing 61 touches in 90 minutes, the former Chelsea FC man completed 32/36 passes and created four chances while registering three shots on target. However, in the 2-0 win over Rayo OKC, Cole’s two goals were added by his completing of 44/47 passes while creating four chances with three shots on target.While he created double the amount of chances in a win over OKC and loss over FCE, perhaps Indy’s biggest mistake was the amount of set-piece chances given up in front of goal. Cole couldn’t work something up on the other two from 30 yards or less, but his drop pass at the feet of Chavez in the 28th minute was seemingly enough to do the job.
Playoff soccer comes to “The Mike” in November!

MONTH OF SEPTEMBER

After the 3-0 loss against New York, it was emphasized how important it was to hit September hard and take every point from each match. Indy is already chasing the rest after Saturday’s draw with a somewhat struggling Rowdies side, but there is still plenty to play for.That starts this Saturday against Fort Lauderdale. Stepping into their own, the Strikers are unbeaten in their last five matches after a draw at home against the New York Cosmos and new signing Amauri has three goals in five total appearances. The Eleven were unable to break down Fort Lauderdale in the Sunshine State in May, but both sides have a different look and will be employing different systems if recent weeks have shown anything. Regardless, Indy has three weeks to take advantage of a lighter fixture schedule before a grueling October brings the season to a close.

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Earn your Degree While You Watch Your Kids Soccer Practice – ½ the time and cost of Traditional Schools

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US WC Qualifiers Fri 3:30 pm, Tues 8 pm, Indy 11 H Sat 7:30, CHS Boys-Fri 7 pm Free Admission CDC/CFC Players

September 2, 2016 gatorbest

Anyone feel like grabbing a late lunch for the US game Friday 3:30 pm? I was thinking Stacked Pickle on 96^th/Grey or Chattam Tap in Fishers.

The US National Team has some HUGE Qualifiers this Friday 3:30 pm at St Vincent on beIN Sport and Tues in Jax vs Trinidad and Tobago at pm on Fox Sports 1. What’s at stake – well currently the US is 2^nd behind T&T in our group – 2 wins are a necessity to win the Group and guarantee ourselves the top slot moving into the next round (the HEX). Win both games without our leading scoring Clint Dempsey (who is still having irregular heartbeat tests done) and we advance to the HEX and get to host Mexico on Nov 11 most probably at Columbus. Lose one or lose and tie and qualifying could be in question with Guatamala just 1 pt back in 3^rd place. Locally the Indy 11 return for a home game at the MIKE on Saturday, Sept 3^rd vs the Tampa Bay Rowdies at 7:30 pm. Tix just $11. This Friday – Sept 2 – the CHS boys host PACK THE HOUSE/MAKE GOOD DECISIONS NITE with FREE ADMISSION for CDC + CFC players in uniform

What the US Needs to Qualify for Next Round of WC Qualifying – The HEX

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Fri, Sept 2

3:30 pm beIN sport WCQ – US @ St. Vincent + Grenadines –US needs to seal top spot with wins

Sat, Sept 3 *International Break *

7:30 pm Ch 8/ESPN3 Indy 11 vs TB Rowdies

Sun, Sept 4

12 pm Fox Sports ? ESPN3 Slovakia vs England

Tues, Sept 6

8 pm Fox Sport 1 WCQ – US vs Trinadad and Tobago US needs to seal top spot with wins

8:15 pm beIN Sport Brazil vs Colombia -Brazil in danger of missing WC2018

Sat, Sept 10

7 am FS1 Celtic vs Rangers – Ireland’s top Rivalry!

11 am NBCSN Man United vs Man City –Manchester Darby between the new mega star coaches

LOCAL High School

Fri, Sept 2 CHS boys host 7:30 pm PACK THE HOUSE/MAKE GOOD DECISIONS NITE with FREE ADMISSION for CDC + CFC players in uniform

Sat, Sept 3 Guerin boys 5 pm at Indy 11 – The Mike – Guerin plays Bishop Chatard downtown at the Mike before the 7 pm Indy 11 game.

U.S. Men

W2W4 – S+S

US Needs Creativity from Somewhere – GOAL

US Needs the younger Players to push for playing Time says Klinsy

Bobby Wood/Altidore Partnership could be a Key ESPN FC –

US has Reasons for Hope and Worry in these 2 qualifiers – ESPN FC Doug McIntyre

Sacha K looks to make an Impact

Sultry 5 days for US in the Caribean – US Soccer Players

What’s the next 12 Months look like for US Men

Why the US Needs to Win

EPL – World – Transfers /Deadline Day

EPL transfers good and bad

Should the Transfer System be Changed? J Hutcherson US Soccerplayers.com

US D Matt Miazga loaned to Vitesse from Chelsea

MLS

Why do American Players Peak so late? Stars and Stripes

Rapids are much worse with Tim Howard

Indy 11

3 Things NY Cosmos 3-0 loss

Playoff Tickets for Purchase

Tickets for Sat Sept 3 Game vs Tampa Bay just $11

Check out The Ole Ballcoach online www.theoleballcoach.com –

Wed, Aug 31

7:30 pm CBS Sports Network Ft. Lauderdale vs Minn.

7:30 pm My Indy TV NY Cosmos vs Indy 11

Fri, Sept 2

3:30 pm beIN sport WCQ – US @ St. Vincent + Grenadines

5 pm beIN Sport Honduras vs Canada

8 pm beIN Sport Haiti vs Costa Rica

10 pm beIN Sport Mexico vs El Salvador

Sat, Sept 3 *International Break *

7:30 pm Ch 8 ESPN3 Indy 11 vs TB Rowdies

Sun, Sept 4

12 pm Fox Sports 2 Denmark vs Armenia

12 pm Fox Sports ? ESPN3 Slovakia vs England

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Norway vs Germany

Mon, Sept 5

12 pm Fox Sports 1 Spain vs Leichenstein

Tues, Sept 6

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Belarus vs France

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Switzerland vs Portugal

8 pm Fox Sport 1 WCQ – US vs Trinadad and Tobago

8:15 pm beIN Sport Brazil vs Colombia

Fri, Sept 9

2:30 pm Fox Sport1 Bayern Munich vs. Schalke 04

Sat, Sept 10

7 am FS1 Celtic vs Rangers – Ireland

11 am NBCSN Man United vs Man City

9:30 am fox Sports 1 Bayer Leverkusen s Hamburg SV

10 am NBCSN Arsenal vs Southampton, Stoke City vs Tottenham, West Ham vs Watford

12:30 pm FS 2 RB Leipzig vs Borussia Dortmund

12:30 pm NBCSN Liverpool s Leicester City

7:30 pm YES New England vs NYCFC

7:30 pm beIN Sports Ft. Lauderdale vs Indy 11

9 pm beIN Sport Futsal World Cup – Colombia vs Portugal

Sun, Sept 11

9:30 am FS1 Werder Bremen vs Augsburg

11 am NBCSN Swansea vs Chelsea

11:30 am FS 1 Mainz 05 vs Hoffenhiem

7 pm FS 1 LA Galaxy vs Orlando City

9:30 pm FS 1 Women -Portland Thorns vs NY Flash

Mon, Sept 12

3 pm NBCSN Sunderland vs Everton

Tues, Wed Sept 13/14 Champions League Group Stage Starts

Tues -Arsenal @ PSG + Celtic @ Barcelona

Wed- Monico @ Tottenham + Sevilla @ Juve

Sept 27

Man City @ Celtic

Bayern Munich @ Athletico Madrid

Sept 28

Real Madrid @ Dortmund

Porto @ Leicester City

German Bundesliga TV Schedule on Fox Soccer and Gol TV

2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying: Semi-final round advancement scenarios

By Cody Bradley  @ThatCodyTho on Sep 1, 2016, 8:55a 5

After surviving quite the scare, the U.S. men’s national team have put themselves in a good position to advance from their Fourth Round Group with two matches to play. We wanted to take a look at all possible scenarios for the Red, White and Blue to finish the group and move on to the Hexagonal.As is stands now, the U.S. would advance as they are sitting in second place behind Trinidad & Tobago. Here is what the table looks like:

Guatemala is still right in the mix, and could potentially still eliminate the U.S. from World Cup qualification. Each team has two matches remaining and the USMNT faces St. Vincent & the Grenadines on Friday before wrapping up the group on September 6th against Trinidad & Tobago.

How to Win the Group

The USMNT need to make up three points on T&T and would obviously do so by beating them on the 6th. However if Trinidad can beat Guatemala, they would tie for first with 13 points and it will come down to goal differential. The U.S. is trailing T&T in that category by one goal at the moment. USMNT need to win both matches AND do so with a better goal difference than T&T; OR a T&T draw or loss vs Guatemala

How to Advance

For all the pessimists out there, the U.S. can technically lose both remaining matches and still advance. After Friday’s USMNT match against SVG, all eyes will turn towards Guatemala vs Trinidad & Tobago later on in the evening. If Guatemala can surprise again, then they will REALLY put some pressure on the U.S. going into the final match. A draw between those two teams would probably be the best result for the Americans.Failure to pick up all three points against last place SVG would likely put the U.S. in a “win or go home” situation against T&T.But you have to think they’ll take care of business and get that win. In that case, a Guatemala loss to T&T would put the U.S. four points clear and guaranteed to advance going into the final match. If Guatemala draws with T&T, then the U.S. would have to get a result in the last match or hope for SVG to pull of an upset.The only thing that should matter here.. is that if the Americans win both matches, they advance.

How to be eliminated

Yes, it is a possibility. Don’t shoot the messenger.If the U.S. messes around and loses both matches, Guatemala would only need two points from two matches to knock them out. One of those matches is against an 0-2 SVG, so the points are there for them to get. But even playing at their worst, the USMNT should be able to get at least one win.If the U.S. beats SVG and Guatemala also beats T&T, then Guatemala could still eliminate the Americans. That would indeed happen if the USA then lose to T&T and Guatemala beats SVG***.

***Technically if Guatemala were to beat T&T by 10 goals, then only draw against SVG would also see them move into 2nd place in this scenario.

Crazy Scenario

If the United States loses to SVG, Guatemala beats T&T; then U.S. beats T&T and Guatemala beats SVG… it would mean Trinidad & Tobago slide out of qualifying with Guatemala finishing first and the U.S. second.

The Bottom Line

The USMNT hold their destiny in their own hands. If they win these next two matches as they very well should, they are through to the Hexagonal where it is much safer. Of the six teams, the top three go to Russia in 2018 plus a fourth then plays an inter-confederation playoff against a team from Asia to qualify. In 2014 qualifying, Mexico went a lowly 2-3-5 in the Hexagonal and still was able to qualify. This round is more forgiving with more matches to play and one bad day won’t put you on the brink of elimination.

SVG vs. USA, What to watch for

By Adam Whittaker Snavely  @Snaves on Sep 1, 2016, 7:30a 15

The USMNT travels to the Caribbean to lock up three points and possibly advance to the Hex against minnows St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Will they take care of business, or can Vincy Heat give them a run for their money?

Usually when you talk about CONCACAF travel, you think hostile, urban environments with stifling heat and immense pressure from the home fans. Vincy Heat will have heat and a good home crowd (the nation has declared a half-day holiday for the game), but…well, just look at it.This time around, the boys get a beach-side hotel and rainbows overlooking rain forests for practice sessions. The epitome of hostility these islands are not.St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG for time’s sake from here on out) has a population of roughly 103,000 people, which means the pickings for a soccer team (which splits time with cricket as most popular sport) are relatively slim. This didn’t stop SVG from taking a shock lead against the U.S. in St. Louis before receiving a thorough trouncing to the tune of six unanswered goals. With Trinidad & Tobago squaring off with Guatemala in Trinidad, a win for the U.S. and a T&T victory guarantees both victors advancing to the Hex. Any other combination of results complicates things a bit more, but advancing on Friday is still firmly within reach.

Recent Form:

USA

L (0-1) – Colombia – Copa America

L (0-4) – Argentina – Copa America

W (2-1) – Ecuador – Copa America

W (1-0) – Paraguary – Copa America

W (4-0) – Costa Rica – Copa America

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

L (0-1) – St. Kitts and Nevis – Caribbean Cup

L (2-1) – Suriname – Caribbean Cup

L (6-0) – Trinidad & Tobago – WCQ

L (2-3) – Trinidad & Tobago – WCQ

L (0-4) – Guatemala – WCQ

What to Watch For:

Get the Result – This isn’t a complex gameplan. This is a team the United States shouldbeat 10 out of 10 times, and a win is absolutely necessary if the U.S. is to maintain any semblance of control over their destiny (and with SVG traveling to Guatemala for the last matchday of this round of qualifying, a loss here and a Guatemala win against T&T would be catastrophic). Again, this should be an easy win for the U.S., but…Antigua & Barbuda.

Play Your Vets – With a result needed, expect Klinsmann to turn to his veterans as much as he can to start the game off. We might see some greener faces later on (and again against T&T should advancement be secured on Friday), but don’t be surprised when the Kyle Beckerman-types get the nod. Klinsmann will want people who have experience with the zaniness of CONCACAF in from the start, and while that might not be exciting, it’s also smart, common-sense coaching.

Midfield Shakedown – Michael Bradley is suspended, Jermaine Jones is hurt, and Clint Dempsey isn’t in the squad due to medical precautions. The middle of the field is a bit up in the air for Friday. Kyle Beckerman, Alejandro Bedoya, and Graham Zusi are the only people left that Klinsmann has called on with any regularity, while Darlington Nagbe, Christian Pulisic, Paul Arriola, and Sacha Kljestan all offer different and intriguing skillsets to the midfield pool, but have yet to fully win Klinsmann’s trust. Any way you slice it, it looks like a pretty sure bet someone will be grabbing a somewhat-surprising start in the midfield.

Lineup Prediction:

Klinsmann preached consistency with the results and positive performances from the Copa America, so I think he’ll try to replicate them as much as possible.

Altidore

Wood/Bedoya

Nagbe/Beckerman/Zusi

Johnson/Besler/Cameron/Yedlin

Guzan

With limited midfield options, I think Klinsmann tries out the lopsided 4-3-3/4-4-2 thing that worked against Ecuador so well. Bobby Wood provides defensive cover as he can on the wing, but also pinches into the middle to be a second forward as opposed to staying on the touchline. Altidore gets the nod up top, while Bedoya’s work rate gives him the nod to on the right. The midfield trio works because Nagbe is so attune to the needs of his team and his tactical adjustments can account for Wood switching into a forward on the break and in possession. Zusi is another Bedoya-like player with a high work rate that Klinsmann trusts, and with no other holding midfielder here besides Caleb Stanko, Beckerman will almost certainly be the one shielding the backline. Besler is the only change fromt the Copa America defense, filling in for John Brooks. It’s also possible Klinsmann decides to slot Geoff Cameron back into the defensive midfield position and give the Omar Gonzalez-Matt Besler tandem another go, but my guess is he keeps Cameron at the back where he’s been so good for the U.S. over the past year.

Whether Kljestan or Nagbe, Klinsmann needs creativity in Dempsey-less U.S. lineup

Goal.com Tue, Aug 30 11:10 PM PDT

Clint Dempsey’s absence will be felt by the U.S. national team in the upcoming days. That statement seems obvious enough, but it might be easy to look at the Americans’ upcoming opponents and think it won’t matter all that much if the team’s most dynamic attacking weapon is not around.It may not matter a ton against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday, or even in Jacksonville, Florida, on Tuesday against Trinidad and Tobago. But with a perfect opportunity to give some creative midfield options a try in the starting lineup, Jurgen Klinsmann would be wise to hand the keys to the attack to Sacha Kljestan or Darlington Nagbe.If you think including Kljestan or Nagbe in Friday’s starting lineup is a foregone conclusion, then you haven’t been paying attention to Klinsmann’s moves over recent months and years. Nagbe has repeatedly been given nibbles as a second-half substitute, and looked good each time, but he has yet to be in a starting lineup. Kljestan is fresh off a two-plus-year absence from the team, and has played one national team match in almost three years. Not exactly the track record of someone Klinsmann is going to automatically insert into the lineup.Klinsmann could very easily start a central midfield pairing of Kyle Beckerman and Alejandro Bedoya, or even a triangle including those two along with Graham Zusi. Those would be safe enough options, with all three being World Cup veterans who know what it’s like to start in qualifying.Such picks would be safe, but they would ignore the opportunity to look at a pair of truly gifted creators capable of doing a better job of filling the playmaking void Dempsey’s absence creates. And we’re not just talking about Friday’s qualifier, which won’t included suspended U.S. captain Michael Bradley. We are talking about an opportunity to see if Kljestan and Nagbe can lead the attack in a creative midfield role and make the most of the fact that the U.S. currently boasts some in-form forwards.Kljestan is playing some of the best soccer of his career. He leads MLS in assists (15) and chances created. The argument can be made that he’s a much better creator now than he was seven years ago, when he was last a regular starter for the national team. Back then, Bob Bradley partnered Kljestan with Michael Bradley. Oftentimes Kljestan seemed content to defer to Bradley’s attacking whims, which worked most memorably in the 2009 qualifying win against Mexico. Bradley scored two goals that day and Kljestan did a lot of the dirty work in midfield while also keeping the ball moving.Kljestan is older now — he turns 31 next month — but also more mature as a player and more accomplished at delivering key passes to his forwards. He has also honed the defensive side of his game during his time in Europe, and more recently with the New York Red Bulls. He may not cover ground like he used to seven years ago, but he certainly reads the game better, and has just as much experience in big matches than most players in the U.S. player pool.Nagbe is a different kind of player, but he is also deserving of a chance to start in one of the September qualifiers. His attacking statistics don’t jump out at you, at least not this year, but he is still the same mobile and dangerous midfielder who can put defenders on their heels. He hasn’t created even half as many chances as Kljestan in MLS play this season, but nobody has a higher pass completion percentage among MLS starters, or a better passing accuracy in the attacking half of the field.Klinsmann has seemed reluctant to give Nagbe a shot, and the sense you get is that he feels there is still something missing — at least that has been the case in 2016. Maybe there is something to that, because there is no denying Nagbe has struggled to reach the levels he hit in the final months of 2015, when he helped carry the Portland Timbers to an MLS Cup. He has just one goal and five assists this season, but he still hasn’t lost his quickness or ability on the ball.Yes, Klinsmann could choose to pass on both Kljestan and Nagbe as starters, but that will be doing a disservice to a pair of forwards in Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood who rely heavily on good service. Why not put a skilled attacking midfielder behind Altidore and Wood and see what they can create? Doing so just might reveal a truly viable creative alternative for if and when Dempsey may not be available.Bradley will be back for the Trinidad and Tobago match, and Klinsmann could choose to slot him in a playmaking role, but we have seen enough evidence to know that isn’t the best place to play him. Bradley is thriving in a deep-lying midfield role with Toronto FC and he functioned well in that role in the Copa America. Giving Bradley someone who he can connect passes with and count on to provide some distribution to the forwards is paramount without Dempsey.Nagbe is the younger option, at 26, so Klinsmann could choose to go with him, but nobody would blame him if he decides to split the two September qualifiers between them. That would be the best route. Let Nagbe start the first match, and then reunite Kljestan and Bradley in central midfield against Trinidad and Tobago. It would mark their first start together since 2013, and first start together in an official competition since the 2011 Gold Cup semifinal win against Panama, two games before Klinsmann took over as U.S. coach. They have changed quite a bit in the years since then, but those changes just might make Kljestan and Bradley an even better central midfield tandem now than they were before.It will all depend on what Klinsmann wants to do. Leaving Nagbe and Kljestan on the bench against opponents the U.S. should be able to go after offensively will feel like an overly safe play, and a wasted opportunity to give two of the most creative players in the U.S. player pool a chance to show what they can do.

Bobby Wood, Jozy Altidore rapport could benefit Dempsey-less U.S.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Forward partnerships are typically formed on the practice field. Preferences, from a player’s favored foot to the runs he likes to make, are noted. Repetition and time are then needed for such knowledge to take hold, though the infrequency of national team matches can make this difficult at international level.In the case of Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood, there was work off the field as well.When Wood was first getting called into the U.S. national team on a consistent basis, he endured some inevitable ups and downs. It was Altidore who reached out to offer emotional support.”[Altidore] was one of the guys who was always there for me,” said Wood prior to Tuesday’s practice session. “He always wrote to me after games to tell me what I could do to try to improve. I’ll always have respect for him. [That help] is always great. I can’t complain.”Altidore has a deep reservoir of advice from which to draw, of course, having ridden the roller coaster that is endemic to the life of a forward. He has endured injuries and drops in form, as well as criticism from coaches and media. He sees in Wood a forward whose career is about to reach escape velocity.”Bobby is a guy who is just well-rounded,” Altidore told reporters on Tuesday. “I think his work rate is fantastic, he’s a little bit of a pit bull. He makes it uncomfortable for defenses. It was rough on him in the beginning. I think people were a little harsh on him but now I think you see him starting to grow. He’s getting more confident, and he’s got a great transfer now at Hamburg, and you see around the group he’s just brighter, happier. He’s improved a lot and he’s going to continue to improve.”head of two World Cup qualifiers — one in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday, followed by a home match against Trinidad & Tobago on Sept. 6 — it seems likely the U.S. will rely on Wood and Altidore at some point over the next week. The absence of Clint Dempsey due to an irregular heartbeat will force something of a rethink in terms of the U.S. attack, a situation compounded by the suspension of Michael Bradley for Friday’s game and an ongoing knee injury for Jermaine Jones.Altidore insisted not much would change — “Trying to be effective, trying to be dangerous,” — but U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann admitted that he has a bit more planning to do than he normally would if Dempsey was available. He noted that Dempsey’s habit of dropping back into midfield left Wood to remain high, occupying the center-backs. When the ball was lost the roles were reversed, with Wood the one to help out defensively. Now the U.S. will have to compensate for that loss in familiarity.”You put your puzzle together, and it’s always important what key elements you have and [Dempsey] has been a key element for us over the last years, over the last 10 years,” Klinsmann told ESPN FC. “Then once he’s not on the field, you put it together differently. You have a different approach then.”Then he added, “I think we have built some players over the last couple of years and they are ready to step in and get the job done.”Wood is foremost among those, having struggled at 1860 Munich only to break out last year at Union Berlin.”I think Bobby is an example of a lot of work,” said Klinsmann, referring to both player and coach. “Two years ago people said ‘Why is he playing that kid? He hasn’t played any minutes at 1860 Munich.’ Well, if you tell the German national team coach to pull a kid from the second division that isn’t even on the bench, they would call you crazy. But our pool of players is just completely different to any team in Europe or South America. We don’t have the luxury just to pick the players from Champions League teams.”Now Wood’s aforementioned transfer to Hamburg looks promising, especially after he scored on his Bundesliga debut in a 1-1 draw with Freiburg. “It was a really proud moment and something I worked hard for,” he said.Altidore is only just back into the frame after recovering from his latest hamstring injury. When reminded of this he said, “Let’s knock on wood somewhere,” pun not intended.”I think now we’ve pinpointed it,” said Altidore about the cause of his hamstring injuries. “The national team has been a really big help for me in that. Hopefully I can stay healthy and if I stay healthy, with my ability, I know I can help the team.”In total, Altidore and Wood have been on the field together in 10 U.S. matches, including the 6-1 win over the Vincy Heat in November, a game in which both players scored. For that reason Wood is confident that he and Altidore will link up well.”We’ll figure it out,” he said. “He’s a great player and it’s not going to be a problem playing with two strikers or whatever we do. We’ll just have to come in and adapt and do whatever we can to help the team.”And each other.Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC.

Reasons for hope, reasons for worry for U.S. in World Cup qualifying

As the U.S. heads into a pair of important World Cup qualifiers starting with Friday’s tilt at St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the question facing national team fans is this: How worried should they be about their country’s chances of reaching the final round of regional qualifying for Russia 2018? In truth, not very.The U.S. is coming off a successful summer. It finished fourth at a Copa America played on home soil, and the Americans are the clear favorites in both upcoming games, the second of which is Tuesday in Jacksonville, Florida, against Trinidad and Tobago.But if March’s ugly road loss in Guatemala proved anything, it’s that things don’t always go according to plan in this region, especially away from home. And the U.S. will be without some of its most reliable veterans for the double fixture. That doesn’t mean it won’t advance to the six-team “Hexagonal” — this is a team that has participated in seven consecutive World Cups, after all, and has reached the knockout stage in three of the last four tournaments. It’ll get there.But challenges with travel, weather, field conditions and opponents hell-bent on stealing a result means it won’t be a cakewalk. It never is.”CONCACAF is very tricky — I had to experience that myself over the last five years,” U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “On a piece of paper it looks easy, but reality is just different.”Here are five reasons U.S. fans should be concerned, and five reasons to be hopeful as Friday’s kickoff approaches.

Reasons to worry

Dempsey’s absence

Clint Dempsey has been the USA’s most consistent scoring threat during the past two World Cup cycles. He led the team with three goals during the Copa, and had five in three games for Seattle when the club shut down the 33-year-old, who is being evaluated for an irregular heartbeat. He’ll miss both games as a result.The Texan leaves huge shoes to fill. Dempsey’s is the USA’s all-time top scorer in qualifying.”Would we need him down in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and against Trinidad and Tobago in the second game?” Klinsmann said. “Absolutely.”

Other key players are out, too

Dempsey’s absence wouldn’t be as big a concern if other starters weren’t also unavailable. Captain Michael Bradley is suspended for Friday’s game because of yellow card accumulation. Jermaine Jones was called in but only so the national team staff could evaluate the knee injury that has prevented the enforcer from playing for the Colorado Rapids in almost two months. And center back John Brooks, who was a rock alongside Geoff Cameron during the Copa, withdrew from the squad Monday because of a back injury.

Consistently inconsistent

You never know what U.S. team is going to show up under Klinsmann, whose penchant for tinkering unnecessarily at times has led to flat performances. The U.S. coach was more pragmatic at Copa America, after which one player told ESPN FC that Klinsmann’s upbeat style helped maintain a positive locker room atmosphere during the month-plus the U.S. squad was together. But that loss in Guatemala City is a reminder how quickly one game can turn things south.

Little margin for error

With only six games (compared to 10 in the final round), the semis are even trickier than the Hex. One slip-up can be devastating, and reminds us that playing CONCACAF minnows on their own (bumpy) turf isn’t always easy. In Barbados 16 years ago, the U.S. was 45 minutes away from being eliminated from the 2002 World Cup before gutting out the victory. (The Americans went on to reach the quarterfinals in Korea and Japan.) Four years ago, Klinsmann’s side needed a stoppage-time goal from Eddie Johnson in tiny Antigua and Barbuda to secure three points and ensure that its closing semifinal-round game against Guatemala wasn’t a must-win.

Remember Mexico

If you think not qualifying is impossible, look at what happened to Mexico in 2008. Long before “San Zusi” saved El Tri‘s bacon in 2013, CONCACAF’s other giant was on the brink of elimination at the semifinal stage. Mexico eventually advanced to the Hexagonal over Jamaica on goal difference, but it was a massive scare for the futbol-crazy nation, and it went a long way toward the dismissal of manager Sven Goran-Eriksson, who was fired after Mexico lost its Hex opener to the United States in early 2009.

Reasons not to

1. Altidore, Wood in fine form

Even without Dempsey, the U.S. has more than enough firepower to beat the Vincy Heat, as the hosts are known. (And for good reason: It will be 87 degrees Fahrenheit, with 78 percent humidity, on Friday.)

Target forward Jozy Altidore has plenty of experience in games just like this, and he arrived in camp having scored five times in eight MLS appearances for Toronto FC since returning from the hamstring injury that ruled him out of Copa America. The similarly physical Bobby Wood, who impressed in Altidore’s place in June, scored Saturday for Hamburg in his Bundesliga debut. (Both players also found the net against SVG last November.) And Jordan Morris and Chris Wondolowski have combined for 18 MLS goals in 2016.

Opportunity for others

The absence of Bradley and almost certainly Jones (who, not surprisingly, didn’t train with his teammates Tuesday) all but guarantees that veteran destroyer Kyle Beckerman will start in central midfield. World Cup 2014 starter Matt Besler should slot in seamlessly for left center back Brooks. And based on who’s available, it’s possible that one of Sacha Kljestan (who was added to the squad Monday) Darlington Nagbe or 17-year-old Christian Pulisic will start. All three have plenty to prove and will be motivated to perform well if the chance comes, with a bigger role in the team up for grabs.

Continuity

Eighteen members of the 23-man Copa squad return. It would’ve been 21 of 23 had Brooks, Dempsey and LA Galaxy forward Gyasi Zardes (who misses out because of a broken foot) been healthy and available. That built-in cohesion is by design. Klinsmann’s hope is that the chemistry developed within the team over the summer carries into these two dates even if his lineup is shorthanded.

Wins and they’re in

The U.S. should always beat SVG. Trinidad and Tobago is expected to top Guatemala — the Americans already beat them away this cycle — in Port of Spain. If both results pan out, the U.S. and T&T advance regardless of what happens in Jacksonville. But the bottom line is the U.S. should win both games. If it does, not only will the Americans advance to the Hex, they’ll lock up the top spot in Group C, setting up a home date against Mexico in the opening match of the final round.

The U.S. isn’tEl Tri

Mexico won last year’s CONCACAF Cup over the U.S., and top to bottom, El Tri has a deeper roster. But the Americans have been better in World Cup qualifying over the last decade. In fact, Mexico hasn’t finished above the U.S. — which has topped the regional standings in each of the last three cycles — since 2001.Doug McIntyre is a staff writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @DougMacESPN.

U.S. team youth need to push older players out – Jurgen Klinsmann

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — U.S. national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann has told ESPN FC in an exclusive interview that, with the team about halfway through the current World Cup cycle, he wishes more young players were pushing for spots.Klinsmann hailed the U.S.’ highly respectable fourth place finish at the Copa America and said he was confident that his side would carry the momentum from that tournament into the last two matches of the current round of World Cup qualifying.On Friday, the U.S. will play St. Vincent and the Grenadines in Kingstown, followed by a match against Trinidad & Tobago four days later in Jacksonville. The U.S. is expected to get the results it needs to clinch a spot in the final round Hexagonal.In terms of the team’s composition, the U.S. remains heavily reliant on veteran players. But what is concerning for Klinsmann is the lack of pressure coming from up-and-coming players, a point made more acute by the absences of Jermaine Jones and Clint Dempsey.”We hoped for more push from the younger generation,” Klinsmann said. “So our message consistently is when they are with us you’ve got to make your case. You’ve got to come out of your shell.”You’ve got to speak up and ask questions. Push the older ones out. This is your job. In general, my experience over the last five years is that American talent takes longer, maybe because the college culture is still there in the middle of it.”Meanwhile, you have European or South American kids at 18, 19, biting the legs off the older ones. Here [a player] needs to be maybe 22, 23, so that kind of personality jump comes a bit later with our players.”Granted, age in itself is no crime, Klinsmann said. In the heat of a qualification cycle, experience is a valuable commodity to have. But Jones is injured and likely won’t play in either of the upcoming qualifiers, although he remains a significant part of the team at age 34. And the other mainstay, 33-year-old Dempsey, has been sidelined with an irregular heartbeat, though Kyle Beckerman, also 34, is a shoo-in to play in both matches.Klinsmann didn’t sound overly alarmed by the presence of the veterans, noting that he considers this part of the normal process, and he did bring in some younger elements to his squad for the current round of qualifiers.But out of players under 25, only DeAndre Yedlin (23) and Bobby Wood (23) are certain starters. It remains to be seen how big a role 17-year-old Christian Pulisic will be handed with progression to the next round of qualifying on the line.Klinsmann pointed to Wood as an example of what the U.S. has to go through in terms of bringing players into the national team.Two years ago, Wood was sitting on the bench for 1860 Munich, but Klinsmann kept calling the young forward up anyway. That provided a badly needed dose of confidence, and combined with a stellar season at 2. Bundesliga side Union Berlin, Wood has parlayed that into a move to Hamburg.”If you tell the German national team coach to pull a kid from the second division that isn’t even on the bench, they would call you crazy,” Klinsmann said. “But our pool of players is just completely different to any team in Europe or South America. We don’t have the luxury just to pick the players from Champions League teams.”We don’t have that. We have to be happy for a kid to sign a professional contract and then try to help him understand what it takes to become a pro, and to work his way through the system wherever he is.”The lack of young players coming through is most apparent in midfield, though Klinsmann noted that injuries have played a part. Hearts midfielder Perry Kitchen is a candidate, but Klinsmann said the player’s recent recovery from injury didn’t come in time for this week’s games.Bournemouth’s Emerson Hyndman is another who has been dealing with injuries of late. FC Vaduz midfielder Caleb Stanko did make the trip, and Klinsmann said he had showed well during a U.S. camp last May.One player who has made a something of a breakthrough at club level is 20-year-old Lynden Gooch, who has made five appearances for EPL side Sunderland already this season.But Klinsmann declined to call Gooch up, saying that he’s seen numerous instances of players losing their spot in the starting lineup at club level after returning from international duty, especially given the jet lag and fatigue involved.For that reason, Klinsmann didn’t want to jeopardize Gooch’s spot in the starting lineup at Sunderland.”I spoke to [Gooch], and for him now it’s a case of, ‘I just broke in. I’ve got to digest that for a second, and I’ve got to make sure I keep my spot.’ This is World Cup qualifying right now.”Yeah, we brought a couple of youngsters in, but we give priority to the group that got Copa America done. So we’ve got to get results now. This is purely result-driven the next seven days.”So maybe in October, we have the opportunity to bring some youngsters in, give them some playing time. It’s a completely different scenario.”In terms of improving the overall quality of the U.S. side, Klinsmann admitted there is no better test than what the U.S. faced earlier this summer.”The Copa America was for us, priceless in terms of not only because it was successful, but also because of the experience,” he said.”If every two years we could have a Copa America, it would boost our program tremendously because you need to play the best nations out there, and the best nations are in Europe and South America. So that learning curve hopefully pays off two years from now.”Klinsmann added that given the level of competition that the Copa offered, he hopes the U.S. will be able to compete in more editions of the tournament in the future.”Maybe down the road we have one Copa America in between the cycles and one Gold Cup, and not two Gold Cups,” he said. “I think that would be ideal. A Gold Cup doesn’t really challenge us. OK, it’s Costa Rica, Mexico, Honduras, and us. Yeah, Jamaica here and there.”They are strong nations, but from a learning perspective between two cycles, you want to play if possible Brazil, Argentina, Chile; or Holland, England, France and Germany.”Now with the way they schedule, and the qualifiers, obviously the 18-game schedule of South America, we have actually no chance anymore to schedule them in friendly games. That’s not good for us, because the only way we grow is by playing up.”Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC.

‘Difference-maker’ Sacha Kljestan ready to seize latest U.S. team chance

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sacha Kljestan thought his first U.S. national team call-up in more than two years was a prank.It was around 11 p.m. Sunday night when Kljestan received a text from U.S. manager Jurgen Klinsmann giving him the news he had long waited for. In that moment, the New York Red Bulls midfielder didn’t recognize the number, and his troll deflector shield immediately went up.”It was a 949 phone number, which is where my brother lives and close to where I grew up, so I thought it was maybe one of my friends that was having a joke with me,” he told reporters prior to Tuesday’s training session with the U.S. national team. “I didn’t really want to text back like I was excited, [which] I was, so I just wrote, ‘Please call me.’ [Klinsmann] called me a few minutes later, and we talked for a few minutes, and I told my wife and she didn’t really believe it either. I’m here now. It’s pretty exciting.”Kljestan’s wait has certainly been well-documented — and excruciating — for a player who first made his U.S. debut in 2007. He most recently appeared for the U.S. in a 2-0 loss to Ukraine on March 5, 2014, in a match that was moved to Larnaca, Cyprus. Kljestan’s fading international prospects were made even tougher to swallow as he moved to Belgian side Anderlecht, won league titles and played in the UEFA Champions League.He returned to MLS in 2015 with the New York Red Bulls and put together an impressive season as the side won the Supporters’ Shield. His stellar form has continued into this season, as he has tallied five goals and a league-leading 15 assists.None of that was good enough for Klinsmann. Although Kljestan was called up with a fair bit of regularity in 2012 and 2013, he essentially fell off the international map thereafter. In a recent interview with ESPN FC, Kljestan called the snub “a small mystery.” Consider it now a mystery solved, mostly.”The reason Sacha is back in this group is he deserves it,” Klinsmann said in an exclusive interview. “He’s a difference-maker at [the Red Bulls], and he’s more mature. He seems very driven.”Klinsmann insisted that he has been watching Kljestan over the years and said that he considered him for Copa America, though the New York attacker didn’t make the 40-man provisional roster. The U.S. manager noted that players such as Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones and Kyle Beckerman created something of a logjam in the center of midfield. But as Klinsmann explained this thinking, it became clear that the difference-maker tag — however he defines it — has been the dividing line for whether Kljestan gets called in.”We always ask national team players to be a difference-maker,” Klinsmann said. “Whatever position you play, you’ve got to be different to whatever the other players out there in your league and your club that play your position. That needs to be there. There’s always a special piece to a player that becomes a national team player.”So if you play a No 8 or a No. 10 now — he plays more a No. 10 at Red Bulls — then I need killer passes, I need you to get in the box, I need you to be decisive on set pieces, certain things that make a difference. That’s what Kljestan is doing. When he was three, four years with us, he struggled to do that for whatever reason. Now there’s another opportunity.”Kljestan understands full well why this chance has come about. Jones is out because of a lingering knee problem that includes an LCL strain, and Bradley is suspended for Friday’s World Cup qualifier against St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Kljestan’s experience is such that the circumstances don’t bother him in the least. He knows that his smarts and ability mean there is a real chance that he’ll see the field against the Vincy Heat or, failing that, against Trinidad & Tobago four days later.”I think it’s up to me in the next couple of days in practice to prove that I’m ready for that level again,” he said. “But yeah, I’ve been asked this question a million times over the last couple of years, and I said, ‘If I get a chance, I’ll be ready.’ If I get a chance to play in either of the games, I know I’ll be ready, and I know I’ll help the team.”Klinsmann certainly sounds like a believer, even though it’s been a long time coming for Kljestan.”It’s great to have [Kljestan] back, and without putting pressure on Sacha, it’s an opportunity for him now to prove a point,” he said. “He doesn’t have to prove that point in these eight days. It’s not that I want to see miracles from you. I just want you to take the initiative.”Consider that a message received.Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC.

THE NEXT 14 MONTHS FOR THE USMNT

AUGUST 29, 2016

By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Aug 29, 2016) US Soccer Players – The USMNT returns to action this week for the first time since reaching the semifinals of the Copa Centenario. The September window means a pair of World Cup Qualifiers versus two island nations. They’re on the road versus St Vincent & the Grenadines on September 2 (3:30pm ET – beIN Sport). Then it’s home against Trinidad & Tobago four days later (8pm ET – Fox Sports 1). These are both winnable games. The USMNT is on an upswing coming off of the Centenario. Still, they know better than to underestimate a CONCACAF opponent. The matches also mark the start of a 14-month period where there will be little time for mistakes. Tinkering with lineups and tactics may be a thing of the past for Klinsmann. CONCACAF has stretched the final round of qualifying over two years. At the same time, FIFA has reduced the dates on its international calendar starting next year. That move was to appease European clubs. For everybody else, it’s a schedule crunch leaving less time to play friendlies. The USMNT will also play in the Gold Cup next summer. That adds another layer of competitive regional games to the already congested mix. There could’ve been more games. the Confederations Cup is also next summer. It’s hard to think of the mini-World Cup as a time to experiment. Instead, it’s a chance to familiarize teams with the venues and the country ahead of the World Cup. From this point on, the United States has to play every game to win.The USMNT works toward the September games ranked 26th in the world. They have a large group of MLS players approaching playoff form. There’s also a core of European-based players who are just starting their club seasons. That’s a plus for Klinsmann. At the Copa Centenario he used the same starting IX in three straight games. That’s something a US coach had not done since the 1930 World Cup. That provided both the coaching staff with a base to work with and the players with some sense of stability heading into next year. “We definitely think that the group that got fourth (place) in the Copa America deserves a certain priority going on to the next World Cup qualifiers because they did tremendously well in the Copa America,” Klinsmann said in a news release Sunday. “It was an exciting tournament with great games. The whole group learned a lot, playing teams like Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina. This is a big stage, and they deserve to come back and confirm what they did in the tournament in these upcoming, very important World Cup Qualifiers.”Here’s a look ahead to what lies ahead for the USMNT and what to expect as it resumes its journey to Russia 2018:

September

Klinsmann will gather his players this week in Florida. They play at St Vincent & the Grenadines on Friday and Trinidad & Tobago on September 5 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville. Games in the Caribbean are always a tricky proposition. Anything less than the full six points will be a disappointment. It’s worth noting that T&T is a team on the rise. It has a core of European-based players. That’s turning them into one of the best sides to come out of that country since qualifying for Germany ’06. The Americans, however, are 4-0 in Jacksonville dating back to 1997.The United States will be without Clint Dempsey, but Jozy Altidore is back from injury. Look to Altidore for the goals. He’s scoring regularly in MLS and leads this group of players in World Cup qualifying goals. The defense hasGeoff Cameron and John Brooks both coming off strong Copa Centenario performances. Omar Gonzalez, overlooked for the Copa, also got the call-up. Brad Guzan is likely to be the starter in goal. Tim Howard provides the team with a great back-up should Klinsmann choose to switch it up.

October

This will be the chance for the United States to play some friendlies. Unfortunately, the opposition isn’t strong. The October 2 game in Havana versus Cuba appears to be more about diplomacy than soccer. Even so, it will be good to play in the Caribbean given the type of teams and travel schedule in the Hex.Eight days later, it’s USMNT vs New Zealand at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. Klinsmann will have his European-based players at his disposal for both games. Expect this to be a place where he experiments with a player or two. These games will be confidence-builders entering the 10-game Hexagonal.

November

This is where the schedule becomes intense. The month will feature two games to start the final round of World Cup qualifying. Based on the draw earlier this year, the United States is likely to face Mexico, followed by Costa Rica. That would be a tough start to the whole thing.Mexico will finish first in Group A. In Group C, the USMNT trails Trinidad & Tobago going into the final two games. The schedule calls for the Group C winner to host the winner of Group A1 (Mexico). Forget about the Guerra Fria this time around.Costa Rica, meanwhile, is in first place in Group B, just three points ahead of Panama. If Costa Rica and the US both win their respective groups, the sides will meet on November 14 in Costa Rica.

January 2017

January camp may be the only real chance for Klinsmann to look at players. This isn’t a FIFA date, so expect what we regularly see in January. MLS players. European players that need games. Opponents that aren’t as strong as they would be on an official FIFA date.

March

There are no official FIFA dates in January or February. March 20th and 28th are the next two times the United States will get the chance to play. Both these dates have been set aside by CONCACAF for Hexagonal matches.

July

The United States will again host the Gold Cup. The tournament runs from July 9-30. The US and Mexico, as always, enter the competition as favorites.

August

August 28 and September 5 will feature two Hex games.

October

October 2 and 10 marks the final two Hexagonal rounds.

November

The top three teams in the Hexagonal advance to Russia ‘18. The 4th-place finisher in CONCACAF will play the 5th-place team from Asia over two legs on November 6 and 14. Based in New York City, Clemente Lisi is a regular contributor to US Soccer Players.

THE EXTENDED LIFE OF SOCCER’S TRANSFER SYSTEM

AUGUST 31, 2016

By J Hutcherson (Aug 31, 2016) US Soccer Players – Amid the talk of super leagues, mergers, and revamping European club soccer as we know it, the transfer system doesn’t get enough attention. FIFPro is adament that it needs to stop, and they’ve got a solid point. The way players move in European soccer is a relic of a different era, one that should’ve come to an end before any of us were born. Instead, clubs are still attaching value to players apart from their contract and selling them. Any of the North American leagues could’ve done the same. None of them made that the main way players move clubs.Yet, the transfer system hangs on. English clubs complain that they’re paying more for overseas players and new records fall. Small clubs find themselves cut out almost entirely, something that has become a relic of an earlier era. It wasn’t long ago that transferring a star player could float a small club for years. Now, that move happens before that player ever makes a first team appearance. Thus FIFA’s insistence on solidarity payments.It’s what has to happen to shore up the transfer system that should be enough to topple it. The big clubs move money around between each other. The record transfers almost always lead to the selling club spending the balance. Otherwise, they face the wrath of supporters wondering why they made the sell in the first place. Then there’s the push to get rid of players before they become free agents. Anything is better than nothing within the transfer system. Meanwhile, the complaints about home grown players, limited opportunities, and building from within are loudest when a super club is struggling.It’s hard to see Europe as it is deciding the transfer system has to go. It would be the equivalent of all of the leagues deciding on an entry draft and a salary cap. But a breakaway league. That changes things, right? It’s as close as we’ll ever see to Europe starting from scratch.Should those super clubs make that move, what’s in their best interest? Certainly not the transfer system as we know it. Paying gigantic amounts of money for the right to a player contract doesn’t make a lot of sense. Baseball uses it when a club signs a player from a Japanese club but it’s a rarity bordering on silly. You trade players and sign free agents. You don’t buy the right to a contract for tens of millions of dollars unless there’s no other option.Europe’s proposed super league could choose to create those other options. That would be for entirely self-serving reasons, but it would also answer a lot of FIFPro’s complaints.Pushing against that is more than tradition. It’s the way clubs move money around in a system that relies on several basic assumptions. Few of them hold up. It doesn’t make economic sense to pay for the right to pay a player. It doesn’t make sense to hold players hostage within a system that puts a market value on them without their involvement. A player has very little choice within the transfer system, something that “giving” the player a cut of the fee doesn’t address. That last one is a bigger moral and ethical question, one world soccer chooses to avoid.So here we are at the end of the summer of 2016. We’re staring down a super league. UEFA may have postponed that inevitability for a few more years, but it’s stalking European and world soccer as a whole. It’s not a straw man to suggest that a breakaway super league would reconsider the transfer system. That’s just common sense and a practical business adjustment. The better question is why would it take a super league to bring an end to the transfer market? Why not just go ahead and take that step now? J Hutcherson started covering soccer in 1999 and has worked as the general manager of the US National Soccer Team Players Association since 2002.

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8/31/16 US WC Qualifiers Fri 3:30 pm, Tues 8 pm, Indy 11 @ Cosmos Wed 7:30, Champions League Predictions, CHS Boys-Fri 7 pm Free Admission CDC/CFC Players

August 31, 2016August 31, 2016 gatorbest

Anyone feel like grabbing a late lunch for the US game Friday 3:30 pm? I was thinking Stacked Pickle on 96th or Chattam Tap in Fishers.

The US National Team has some HUGE Qualifiers this Friday 3:30 pm at St Vincent on beIN Sport and Tues 9/6 in Jax vs Trinidad and Tobago at 8 pm on Fox Sports 1. What’s at stake – well currently the US is 2^nd behind T&T in our group – 2 wins are a necessity to win the Group and guarantee ourselves the top slot moving into the next round (the HEX). Win both games without our leading scoring Clint Dempsey (who is still having irregular heartbeat tests done) and we advance to the HEX and get to host Mexico on Nov 11 most probably at Columbus. Lose one or lose and tie and qualifying could be in question with Guatamala just 1 pt back in 3^rd place.

Locally the Indy 11 travel to league leader NY Cosmos for a midweek game featured on MyIndyTV 23 locally on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm. The 11 sit just 3 pts back in 3^rd place overall and will return for a home game at the MIKE on Saturday, Sept 3^rd vs the Tampa Bay Rowdies at 7:30 pm. Tix just $11. This Fri, Sept 2 CHS boys host 7:30 pm PACK THE HOUSE/MAKE GOOD DECISIONS NIGHT with FREE ADMISSION for CDC + CFC players in uniform

So I tried watching some Bundesliga this weekend with the new season opening and lets be real there are more American US National team players playing in Germany than England these days with (D) John Brooks, (M) Fabian Johnson, (F) Bobby Wood, (F) Aron Johannsson, (M) Christian Pulisec (if he plays) and more. So I watched 2 or 3 games- first time watching entire German league games. What I saw was interesting – good solid technical soccer – more than EPL, less that La Liga, Huge Stadiums – 75K plus for many of the games – with load boisterous flag waving fans. In all, while I don’t recognize a lot of the players like I do having watched the EPL for many seasons, it is good soccer. I think I will start watching the teams with US based players and Bayern Munich of course – seeing as we have what all of 2 American’s in the EPL right now? So go Champs League squad Bourusia Monchenglab (Fabian Johnson), and Hertha (John Brooks – he was dominant Sun), and newly promoted Hamburg (Bobby wood scored a wonder goal) and Dortmund of course (come on coach give the 17 yo American Pulisec a chance), and Aron Johannsson started for Werder Bremen. I’ll be tuning in 2 weeks when league play resumes after this International Break weekend.

CHS_Pack the House Night Poster

Who Should Start Where with Dempsey and Bradley out? Stars and Stripes

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Wed, Aug 31

7:30 pm My Indy TV 23 NY Cosmos vs Indy 11 Big game for Indy as they chase down NY in standings

Fri, Sept 2

3:30 pm beIN sport WCQ – US @ St. Vincent + Grenadines –US needs to seal top spot with wins

Sat, Sept 3 *International Break *

7:30 pm Ch 8/ESPN3 Indy 11 vs TB Rowdies

Sun, Sept 4

12 pm Fox Sports ? ESPN3 Slovakia vs England

Tues, Sept 6

8 pm Fox Sport 1 WCQ – US vs Trinadad and Tobago US needs to seal top spot with wins

8:15 pm beIN Sport Brazil vs Colombia -Brazil in danger of missing WC2018

Sat, Sept 10

7 am FS1 Celtic vs Rangers – Ireland’s top Rivalry!

11 am NBCSN Man United vs Man City –Manchester Darby between the new mega star coaches

LOCAL High School

Fri, Sept 2 CHS boys host 7:30 pm PACK THE HOUSE/MAKE GOOD DECISIONS NITE with FREE ADMISSION for CDC + CFC players in uniform

Sat, Sept 3 Guerin boys 5 pm at Indy 11 – The Mike – Guerin plays Bishop Chatard downtown at the Mike before the 7 pm Indy 11 game.

U.S. Men

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Middlesbrough), Ethan Horvath (Molde FC),  Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids)

Defenders: Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha BSC), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle)

Midfielders: Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Caleb Stanko (FC Vaduz), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Rubio Rubin (FC Utrecht), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV)

Why the US Needs to Win

US Returns to Regulars for Friday Qualifier

Klinnsy calls on Core for Qualifiers – Straus – SI

Sacha Kljestan replaces injured John Brooks on Roster

Did Klinsy Get it Right on Rosters? Stars and Stripes

Klinsmann Calls in Safe Squad for Qualifiers TV

Forward Bobby Wood scores First Bundesliga Goal for Hamburg

American’s Abroad this Week

We Should Appreciate What US Men have done

Dempsey Duece – Out with Irregular Heartbeat

Hope Solo Suspension Seems Hollow – Graham Hayes ESPNW

Hope Solo’s Rant after her Suspension

INDY 11

Indy vs NY Cosmos Preview

Indy 11 3 Things in Tie with Ottawa

Playoff Tickets for Purchase

Tickets for Sat Sept 3 Game vs Tampa Bay just $11

Champions League

Group A 1. Paris Saint-Germain 2. Arsenal 3. FC Basel 4. Ludogorets Razgrad

Group B 1. Benfica 2. Napoli 3. Dynamo Kiev 4. Besiktas

Group C 1. Barcelona, 2. Manchester City 3. Borussia Monchengladbach 4. Celtic

Group D 1. Atletico Madrid 2. Bayern Munich 3. PSV Eindhoven 4. Rostov

Group E 1. Tottenham 2. Bayer Leverkusen 3. Monaco 4. CSKA Moscow

Group F – 1. Real Madrid 2. Borussia Dortmund 3. Sporting Lisbon 4. Legia Warsaw

Group G – 1. Porto 2. Leicester City 3. Copenhagen 4.Brugge

Group H – 1. Juventus 2. Lyon 3. Sevilla 4. Dinamo Zagreb

Key Early Games Tues Sept 13

Arsenal @ PSG

Celtic @ Barcelona

Sept 14

Monico @ Tottenham

Sevilla @ Juve

Sept 27

Man City @ Celtic

Bayern Munich @ Athletico Madrid

Sept 28

Real Madrid @ Dortmund

Porto @ Leicester City

Marcotti – Why UCL changed the #s

UCL losing the Romance Jon Wilson SI

Predictions Ben Lyttleton SI

Man City Looks good in Group C

Athletico has Tough Draw

Juve should run away with Group H

Europa League Match-up Set

Europa League Draw Results

GOALKEEPERS

Arsenal Keeper Petre Cech – Interview

Top EPL Saves of Week 3

MLS Save of Week 24

Vote Save of Week 25

Check out The Ole Ballcoach online www.theoleballcoach.com –

Wed, Aug 31

7:30 pm CBS Sports Network Ft. Lauderdale vs Minn.

7:30 pm My Indy TV NY Cosmos vs Indy 11

Fri, Sept 2

3:30 pm beIN sport WCQ – US @ St. Vincent + Grenadines

5 pm beIN Sport Honduras vs Canada

8 pm beIN Sport Haiti vs Costa Rica

10 pm beIN Sport Mexico vs El Salvador

Sat, Sept 3 *International Break *

7:30 pm Ch 8 ESPN3 Indy 11 vs TB Rowdies

Sun, Sept 4

12 pm Fox Sports 2 Denmark vs Armenia

12 pm Fox Sports ? ESPN3 Slovakia vs England

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Norway vs Germany

Mon, Sept 5

12 pm Fox Sports 1 Spain vs Leichenstein

Tues, Sept 6

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Belarus vs France

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Switzerland vs Portugal

8 pm Fox Sport 1 WCQ – US vs Trinadad and Tobago

8:15 pm beIN Sport Brazil vs Colombia

Fri, Sept 9

2:30 pm Fox Sport1 Bayern Munich vs. Schalke 04

Sat, Sept 10

7 am FS1 Celtic vs Rangers – Ireland

11 am NBCSN Man United vs Man City

9:30 am fox Sports 1 Bayer Leverkusen s Hamburg SV

10 am NBCSN Arsenal vs Southampton, Stoke City vs Tottenham, West Ham vs Watford

12:30 pm FS 2 RB Leipzig vs Borussia Dortmund

12:30 pm NBCSN Liverpool s Leicester City

7:30 pm YES New England vs NYCFC

7:30 pm beIN Sports Ft. Lauderdale vs Indy 11

9 pm beIN Sport Futsal World Cup – Colombia vs Portugal

Sun, Sept 11

9:30 am FS1 Werder Bremen vs Augsburg

11 am NBCSN Swansea vs Chelsea

11:30 am FS 1 Mainz 05 vs Hoffenhiem

7 pm FS 1 LA Galaxy vs Orlando City

9:30 pm FS 1 Women -Portland Thorns vs NY Flash

Mon, Sept 12

3 pm NBCSN Sunderland vs Everton

Tues, Wed Sept 13/14 Champions League Group Stage Starts

Tues -Arsenal @ PSG + Celtic @ Barcelona

Wed- Monico @ Tottenham + Sevilla @ Juve

Sept 27

Man City @ Celtic

Bayern Munich @ Athletico Madrid

Sept 28

Real Madrid @ Dortmund

Porto @ Leicester City

German Bundesliga TV Schedule on Fox Soccer and Gol TV

PREVIEW: INDY ELEVEN AT NEW YORK COSMOS

Indiana’s Team faces the Cosmos for the second time in 2016

Indy Eleven: 6W-2D-3L, 20 pts, 3rd in NASL Fall standings New York Cosmos: 7W-2D-2L, 23 pts, 1st in NASL Fall standings
Click here for the complete NASL Fall Season standings Local: MyWNDYOnline: O NE World Sports

Last Time Out – Ottawa Fury FC 1 : 1 Indy Eleven

Indy faced game #2 of 3 on the road last Sunday against Fury FC in Ottawa, coming away with a deserved point after 90 minutes that featured almost as many rain delays as goals. After a scoreless first half that featured limited chances for both sides, second half substitute Thomas Stewart opened the scoring in the 56th minute following a set piece by Fury FC midfielder Ryan Williams. Ottawa’s No.7 struck the ball hard and over the wall towards Eleven ‘keeper Jon Busch, and the MLS veteran was only able to punch it straight into the air where it then fell into the path of Stewart who made no mistake heading home from close range.However, in the 64th minute Indy earned a set piece of their own on the right hand side. As midfielder Nicki Paterson swung his cross into the center of the box, forward Eamon Zayed headed it backwards in the direction of midfielder Brad Ring, and the American lashed home an effort that struck the underside of the bar and in. Despite a number of substitutes and a delay for lightning, the final 25 minutes saw both teams come close only once, but finish the match with a point a piece – a justfiable scoreline.

Last Time Out – New York Cosmos 6 : 1 Carolina Railhawks FC

Last weekend at Shuart Stadium, the New York Cosmos asserted their dominance against Railhawks FC in a 6-1 thrashing that featured braces by Juan Arango and Jairo Arrieta, and a goal a piece by Andres Flores and Sebastian Guenzatti.Carolina got off to a fast start in the sixth minute when forward Matt Fondy found the back of the net off a pass by Nazmi Albadawi, but it took New York just two minutes to level the score as Arango bagged his first from a Flores assist. As both sides settled into the match, chances would come but none were converted as halftime saw things tied at 1-1.Just inside the hour mark though, the tide began to overwhelmingly turn in New York’s favor as Juan Arango scored his second goal of the match on a skillful solo effort. Four minutes later, Jairo Arrieta brought down a pass from Andres Flores and put New York 3-1 up with thirty minutes to play. After a break in scoring, things resumed in the 79th minute with a goal by Andres Flores this time off a ball by Jairo Arrieta, and three minutes later it was Arrieta again on the scoresheet as substitute David Diosa bagged his only assist of the match to make it 5-1. Putting the finishing touch on the game, Sebastian Guenzatti scored in the third minute of stoppage off a Flores pass, who tallied three assists on the night, to end Carolina’s misery. The 6-1 score shot Cosmos to the top of the table ahead of Wednesday’s clash.

“Climbing the Mountain”

Before Indy challenge New York for the top spot in the table, we throw it back to a phrase used by Eleven head coach Tim Hankinson before the Jacksonville Armada FC game in May – “climbing the mountain.” At that point in time, “Coach Hank” was using the phrase to describe Indy’s Spring Season title challenge and how, as a group, they were looking to climb the mountain and finish the job.Now, Indy is climbing a different mountain – one that requires a much longer trek – the challenge that is the Fall Season. Sitting third in the fall standings, Indy could vault to the top with a win featuring a three-goal margin of victory, but it will take a great deal of effort by the “Boys in Blue” still facing injury trouble among other concerns. While the Cosmos are pacing the league with four wins in their last five games, they will be without a number of players due to international call-ups and injury trouble of their own, meaning Indy needs to throw their all into this fixture if they hope to scrape out their first road win of the Fall Season.

Placing Your Weight

On the other side of the coin, though, is the idea that Indiana’s Team needs to place distribute their weight evenly with a match against Tampa Bay Rowdies looming on Saturday.August was a mixed month for the opponents from the Sunshine State with two wins and three losses, though it’s worth noting the losses were to quality opposition in New York, Minnesota United FC, and FC Edmonton. Former England international Joe Cole helped rescue the three points in their last match against Rayo OKC after finding the back of the net twice and remains the biggest threat ahead of that match, but the point remains that Indy has enough on their plate with three games in the next 11 days.While a win over New York would very much keep Indy in the running for the Fall Season championship, a loss would place them six points off the top of the charts and damage their title hopes. The two Tim’s Hankinson and Regan are now tasked with figuring out how much weight to place both Wednesday and Saturday as the chase continues.

Who to Watch, Indy Eleven edition: FW Eamon Zayed

In the spotlight once again is forward Eamon Zayed, who still sits just one goal off the top of the league scoring charts and will look to continue his form against the Cosmos after his brace in the spring.Zayed has performed well in the fall, often scoring in spurts. Without a goal in the first two games, he would go onto score in three of the next five games with goals against Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and a hat-trick at home against Jacksonville Armada FC. After missing out on scoring against Ottawa and Rayo OKC, he returned to form with a penalty against Carolina. With Wednesday’s match carrying major weight in the fall standings, the Irishman is due for another big performance and has found his stage. Will he deliver?

Who to Watch, New York Cosmos edition: MF Juan Arango

Leading the team in goals (9) and second in assists (4) midfielder Juan Arango is growing as one of the biggest midfield threats on any team in the league.The Venezuelan international nabbed a brace in the Cosmos’ 6-1 win over Carolina and has helped lead the team in their three-game win streak, continuing to push forward and assist the attack on a regular basis. Without Andres Flores, who has been called up to his national team squad, Arango will have to put in an extra shift if the Cosmos are to ruffle Indy’s feathers defensively.

Match-up to Mark: GK Jon Busch vs. FW Jairo Arrieta

Jon Busch won’t forgive himself for the goal Ottawa scored on Sunday, despite the tricky free kick from Fury FC midfielder Ryan Williams being difficult to handle. However, Buschy is looking at a much bigger task on Wednesday in New York – stifling an impressive Cosmos attack that has scored 15 goals in their last five matches.Jairo Arrieta, who also bagged a brace against Carolina, will help spearhead that attack alongside Sebastian Guenzatti, who also scored against Railhawks FC. If the Cosmos are to continue their pattern of dominance at home, making a statement with a win over the Spring Season champions Indy Eleven will likely involve impact by Arrieta.

US MEN – SEMIFINAL ROUND SITUATION: TWO TO GO, AND ALL TO PLAY FOR

Aug 28, 2016

Going into the final two matches of the Semifinal Round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, there is still a lot very much up in the air. Sitting in second place with seven points, the USA’s place in the final round still must be secured. Should the MNT advance, the blue print for the Hexagonal has already been set, and it could start off in massive fashion. Below is an explanation of where we are, where we can go, and what happens after.

CONCACAF Semifinal Round World Cup Qualifying – Group C
Team	GP	W	L	D	Pts.	GF	GA	GD
Trinidad & Tobago	4	3	0	1	10	11	3	+8
USA	4	2	1	1	7	10	3	+7
Guatemala	4	2	2	0	6	7	6	+1
St. Vincent and the Grenadines	4	0	4	0	0	3	19	-16

The top two teams from the group will move on to the “Hex” that begins in November. In looking at the table, three of the four countries are still alive: Trinidad & Tobago, the USA and Guatemala. As a reminder the tiebreakers are as follows: Goal Differential // Goals For

Here is the remaining schedule:

Sept. 2, 2016	St. Vincent & The Grenadines vs. United States
	Trinidad & Tobago vs. Guatemala
Sept. 6, 2016	United States vs. Trinidad & Tobago
	Guatemala vs. St. Vincent & The Grenadines

What to watch for on Sept. 2

If the United States beats St. Vincent AND Trinidad beats Guatemala on Matchday Five, then both will have qualified. T&T needs only a point from their home match to secure advancement. Any other combination of results would leave the future unsettled for all three teams until the final day.Now, if the MNT and T&T both win and are through to the Hexagonal, the next fight is for first place in the group. Why does that matter? We’ll get to that.If those results happen, Trinidad will be in first with 13 points and the United States in second with 10 points. This would mean that only a U.S. victory on Matchday Six at home would give it a chance to take top spot in the group. As you see above, Trinidad also currently holds the advantage in goal differential (+1) and goals scored (+1). So, keep an eye on not only the results but the scorelines!If the U.S. beats St. Vincent and Trinidad ties Guatemala on Sept. 2, a USA victory at home against T&T would guarantee the MNT first place. If the U.S. beats St. Vincent and Guatemala beats Trinidad, that would leave both T&T and the USA with 10 points and Guatemala with nine. In that case, things get really, really interesting…

What to watch for on Sept. 6

Obviously it all depends on the results from MatchDay Five. For the Guatemalans, a victory away in Port of Spain is vital to substantially keeping their hopes alive, especially with their final match at home against St. Vincent. Two wins in two games gets the job done.

Same goes for the United States. Two wins equals advancement. If the USA beats St. Vincent and ties Trinidad, it can finish no less than tied on points for second place, which then triggers the tie breakers.Regardless of the specific circumstance, the game in Jacksonville will be – how do you say … HUGE!

Let’s get back to why. The schedule matrix for the six teams competing in the Hex has already been established. The random draw took place July 8 in Miami. If the MNT finishes in first place in the group, they enter the final round as C1. And wouldn’t you know which team C1 hosts in the opening game? Think #DosaCero. That’s right – the United States would host Mexico on Nov. 11 at a stadium to be … ahem … determined. Just as intriguing, with Costa Rica in pole position in Group B, the second match for Team 1 would most likely be away to Los Ticos four days later. As it turns out, it doesn’t snow in Costa Rica in November (or any time, for that matter). Should the U.S. finish in second place, they become C2 and would still be at home. And here comes that Costa Rica game again! The other intriguing part of the C2 schedule is back-to-back home games for Matchdays 3-4, and back-to-back away games for Matchdays 5-6 and 8-9. So you see, where you finish in the semifinal round matters a great deal on the roadmap to Russia. But to be there, you’ve got to get there, making these next two matches absolutely critical. While it may have seemed September was a sleepy time, the MNT needs your support now more than ever.

Jurgen Klinsmann takes no chances with U.S. squad for crucial WCQs

With a qualifying spot in the next round of World Cup qualifying at stake, U.S. men’s national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann has opted for a veteran roster before games against St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Sept. 2, and Trinidad & Tobago four days later.All told, 26 players have been called in. The group includes Toronto FC striker Jozy Altidore but the Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey has been left off due to an irregular heartbeat that was announced by his club on Friday. No timetable has been given for his return. LA Galaxy midfielder Gyasi Zardes was also left off the roster due to an undisclosed injury he sustained in Saturday night’s 0-0 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps.Altidore has been plagued by hamstring issues for much of 2016 — one such injury caused him to miss the Copa America earlier this summer. But since returning to his club on July 23, Altidore has scored five goals and added one assist in eight appearances, three of them starts. It is expected that he will be relied on heavily to pick up the slack created by Dempsey’s absence, and forward Bobby Wood (fresh off scoring on his Bundesliga debut for his new club Hamburg) will also play a big role. Opportunity will also beckon for Dempsey’s club teammate, Jordan Morris, and FC Utrecht’s Rubio Rubin, with San Jose Earthquake mainstay Chris Wondolowski rounding out the group of forwards.Beyond that, the roster looks very similar to the one that saw the U.S. reach the semifinals of the Copa, with 19 of the 23 players on that roster getting recalls.”We definitely think that the group that got fourth in the Copa America deserves a certain  priority going on to the next World Cup qualifiers because they did tremendously well [in that competition],” Klinsmann said. “It was an exciting tournament with great games. The whole group learned a lot, playing teams like Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina. This is a big stage, and they deserve to come back and confirm what they did in the tournament in these upcoming, very important World Cup qualifiers.”That list includes captain Michael Bradley, who will serve a one-game suspension against SVG for yellow card accumulation. Michael Orozco is also suspended due to the red card he incurred late in the Copa America third-place match against Colombia.Colorado Rapids midfielder Jermaine Jones has been called in despite not playing for almost two months due to a lingering knee problem. It is expected that he will be checked out by the U.S. medical staff and the hope is that he will be ready if needed. That said, it seems unlikely that he will play in either match.Jones’ injury and Bradley’s suspension mean that Klinsmann will rely heavily on Kyle Beckerman to man the center of midfield against the Vincy Heat. It could also mean that one of Christian Pulisic or Darlington Nagbe will get extended minutes.With regard to the defense, the group that performed so well at the Copa (including Geoff Cameron, John Brooks, DeAndre Yedlin, and Fabian Johnson) are on the roster. Omar Gonzalez is back in the frame after missing out on the Copa while FC Dallas defender Kellyn Acosta is expected to provide valuable depth at both full-back positions.In terms of unexpected call-ups, both Tijuana midfielder Paul Arriola and Caleb Stanko of FC Vaduz are on the roster.The U.S. currently lies in second place in Group C with seven points, three points behind T&T but just one point ahead of Guatemala. A win against the Vincy Heat, combined with a T&T win against Guatemala, would see the U.S. clinch a spot in the final hexagonal round, due to begin in November. Given the edge that the U.S. has over Guatemala in goal difference — currently, plus-six — a win in St. Vincent combined with a draw between T&T and Guatemala would all but guarantee that the U.S. would advance. Should Guatemala prevail over T&T, determining who will advance will come down to the final day.”We are preparing for these two games very seriously with a lot of urgency because we want to finish off our group in first place if possible, and this group of players gets the chance to do that,” said Klinsmann.The U.S. team will be expected to log plenty of air miles over the next week. Because St. Vincent’s airport can’t accommodate jets, the team will stop over in Barbados, where it will take a series of 19-passenger planes — including one just for the team’s gear — to make the final journey to St. Vincent.

U.S. Roster by position

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Middlesbrough), Ethan Horvath (Molde FC),  Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Rubio Rubin (FC Utrecht), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV)Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPN FC

Klinsmann turns to USA’s Copa core, recalls Morris for World Cup qualifiers

QUICKLY – Of the USA’s 23-man Copa America roster, 19 are part of the squad for September’s World Cup qualifiers, though a handful will miss he first match vs. St. Vincent and the Grenadines. BRIAN STRAUSSunday August 28th, 2016

It’s been two months since the U.S. national team finished fourth at the Copa América Centenario, but time hasn’t dimmed the accomplishment for coach Jurgen Klinsmann. On Sunday afternoon he named 19 of the 23 men who participated in that competition to the squad that will close out CONCACAF’s semifinal round of World Cup qualifying, and he would have invited more if possible.This year’s leading international goal scorer (and last year’s), Clint Dempsey, will miss out while being evaluated by doctors following the diagnosis of an irregular heartbeat. The 33-year-old forward will be out of action for both the U.S. and the Seattle Sounders for an undetermined period. He’ll be joined on the qualifying sidelines by LA Galaxy attacker Gyasi Zardes, who was a late scratch after leaving Saturday night’s MLS game against Vancouver. Zardes had taken a hard, sliding tackle from the Whitecaps’ Kendall Waston midway through the second half and is being evaluated by Galaxy staff.Otherwise, apart from a few younger players Klinsmann would like to get a look at during this international window, the team aiming to clinch a spot in the Hexagonal is the team that took the field this summer. Midfielder Perry Kitchen and defender Edgar Castillo, neither of whom saw action at the Copa, are the only others excluded.“We definitely think that the group that got fourth in the Copa América deserves a certain priority going on to the next World Cup qualifiers because they did tremendously well,” Klinsmann said. “This is a big stage, and they deserve to come back and confirm what they did in the tournament in these upcoming, very important World Cup qualifiers. We are preparing for these two games very seriously, with a lot of urgency because we want to finish off our group in first place if possible, and this group of players gets the chance to do that.”The U.S. (2-1-1) will gather in Jacksonville on Sunday and Monday and then head to Kingstown, the capital of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, for Friday’s game against the 0-4-0 Vincy Heat. The Americans then will head back to Jacksonville, where they’ll play Trinidad & Tobago (3-0-1) on Sept. 6. Klinsmann’s team is in good shape to finish in the top half of the four-team group, but unless both the U.S. and Trinidad win on Friday, the Americans will head into the finale needing the right result to cement its place in CONCACAF’s final qualifying round.So Klinsmann is taking no chances, and even has called in key players facing suspension (Michael Bradley) or still recovering from an injury (Jermaine Jones). The opposition might not be formidable, but the stakes are enormous.“Our message for players coming into this camp for the two World Cup qualifiers is very clear: approach it with a lot of urgency,” he said. Klinsmann named 26 players on Sunday but said he will take only 23 to St. Vincent. Bradley (yellow card accumulation) and defender Michael Orozco (ejected during Copa bronze medal game) are both suspended for Friday’s match and will be among those left behind. If passage to the Hex is secured in St. Vincent, the manager may send a few players home. The slightly larger squad gives him a bit of leeway for what could be a tense and unpredictable finale.Here’s a look at Klinsmann’s qualifying team:

Goalkeepers

Brad Guzan (Middlesbrough), Ethan Horvath (Molde FC), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids)

Guzan, the Copa América starter, appears to have maintained a claim on the No. 1 shirt after three consecutive starts for Middlesbrough, his new club. Playing time wasn’t guaranteed with former Barcelona netminder Víctor Valdés and incumbent Dimi Konstantopoulos in the fold. But an injury to the former helped open the door and Guzan has had the opportunity to shake off the summer rust. He shut out West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

Howard has started just twice for the U.S. this year, but he’s been good for the Colorado Rapids and showed what he still can do with Friday’s spectacular penalty kick save on Real Salt Lake’s Javier Morales. Horvath continues to hold off MLS stalwarts like Nick Rimando, David Bingham and Bill Hamid for the third spot.

Defenders

Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United)

Arguably the most surprising omission from the Copa roster, Liga MX champion Gonzalez has returned and very well could push Cameron for a starting spot alongside the imperious Brooks. Besler and Birnbaum provide reliable depth, while Johnson and Yedlin have established themselves as the clear choices at outside back—a position where there was considerable uncertainty last year.

Johnson still may be a better midfielder, but the U.S. has more depth further up the field. He came on as a substitute in Gladbach’s season opening 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.

Midfielders

Paul Arriola (Club Tijuana), Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Philadelphia Union), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Caleb Stanko (FC Vaduz), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

Klinsmann has a couple interesting choices to make assuming Jones (knee) isn’t ready to play on Friday. The veteran has been out of the Colorado Rapids’ lineup since early July. His inclusion is testament both to the importance of these upcoming games and to Klinsmann’s faith in the 34-year-old midfield powerhouse.“We will take it one day at a time with him,” Klinsmann said.eckerman may be part of the player pool forever, and he’ll likely be deployed to do Beckerman-type things, giving Klinsmann’s creative players a bit more leeway to push forward. In Bedoya and Nagbe, the U.S. has the talent to carve open the likes of St. Vincent and Trinidad, while Pulisic’s promise is such that Klinsmann has brought him in despite rumors that the 17-year-old could be on the move from Dortmund.The manager addressed that issue on Sunday.“Every time you go into a national team qualifying window in early September is a bit tricky because FIFA has that rule to close the transfer window on August 31st,” he said. “Players who are not transferred before August 31st, or maybe are in jeopardy on not knowing where to go, bring that kind of atmosphere into the national team environment. So this is not ideal. We had this in the past where we had transfers done at the last moment and it was real difficult for players to focus on what is really important, meaning the game. So hopefully our players will be all set as quickly as possible over the next couple of days, knowing where their future takes them, we can focus fully on the World Cup qualifiers.”He obviously has faith confidence in the teenager, who’s been far from overawed in either a U.S. shirt or at the Westfalenstadion.Stanko, 23, is a relatively new name on the senior national team list (he went unused in the pre-Copa friendly vs. Puerto Rico) and will be brought in for evaluation. The defensive midfielder is unlikely to play. The Michigan native moved for Germany’s SC Freiburg in 2011 and now is on loan to Liechtenstein’s FC Vaduz, which plays across the border in the Swiss Super League.

Forwards

Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders), Rubio Rubin (FC Utrecht), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Hamburger SV)

Dempsey will be missed, certainly, but there are goals to be found among the available forwards. “Clint Dempsey has been back scoring and we wanted to have him here, but of course his health comes first,” Klinsmann said. “We’re thinking of Clint and hoping that he will be okay. With our other forwards, Jozy is back scoring. Jordan Morris is doing really well. Then we’ve had the European-based players Bobby Wood and Rubio Rubin starting their season right now. It looks good. Wondolowski is scoring as well … so that’s a good thing for us. We know our strikers are hungry for goals, and hopefully they can start with that right away in St. Vincent.”Wood started off with his new club, HSV, where he left off in the spring, scoring in Bundesliga debut on Saturday. His rise to international starter status represents Klinsmann’s greatest post-World Cup personnel success.

Altidore, who’s been tormented by hamstring injuries at the worst moments, has been strong for TFC in recent weeks and has four goals in his past five games. They may be less inclined than Dempsey to drop into midfield and look to create or facilitate, but that shouldn’t be much of a handicap against opposition that likely will play lower and more compact.

Morris has had a good rookie season and should be up to the challenge, and Wondolowski’s veteran influence ensures he remains in the picture. He has nine goals and two assists for San Jose this season.

3 thoughts on the USMNT’s World Cup qualifying roster

By Rob Usry @RobUsry Aug 28, 2016, 12:38p Stars and Stripes

On Sunday, Jurgen Klinsmann named a very interesting 26-man roster for the final two World Cup qualifiers in the semifinal round of CONCACAF. In all honesty, no matter what roster was called up, the United States men’s national team should be heavily favored in both of these upcoming qualifiers.On paper, the U.S. should steamroll St. Vincent and the Grenadines away from home and then should be able to handle Trinidad and Tobago to finish off Group C as the top dogs.However, as we know, in CONCACAF “on paper” rarely means anything. The improbable usually becomes possible in the wacky land of North and Central America.Here are a few thoughts on Klinsmann’s selections:

The Deuce is Lost

The most notable thing when you look at the roster is the lack of Clint Dempsey. As you likely know by now, he has been sidelined with an irregular heart. This means that the onus on finding the back of the net when it matters most will fall on the other strikers. Thankfully the U.S. crop of goal scorers are in rare form with Jozy Altidore at the top of his game at the club level. Then you have Bobby Wood scoring a great goal on his Hamburg debut.Those two will likely be called upon to be the team’s main goal threats. Hopefully they can both translate their recent club success to the national team and continue to bang in the goals. If they do that, there shouldn’t be a problem.Gyasi Zardes is also out with an injury, giving fringe guys like Paul Arriola and Rubio Rubin a chance. While it’s not expected that they’ll play much, it’s good to see them getting the opportunity to shine in training in front of Klinsmann.

Why Wondo Why?

I mean, I get that there are injuries, but why? Why always him? To be fair, Wondolowski has made his national team resume on facing minnows of CONCACAF. Perhaps he’ll be the guy who can slay the mighty Vinny Heat at their place. Sort of like the Alan Gordon of this cycle.

Have you seen Danny Williams?

Seriously, where the heck is he? Caleb Stanko gets a call-up but not him? Jemaine Jones, who has been injured for a month, get a call-up but not him? Kyle Beckerman gets — you get it. I’m thoroughly confused by his consistent omission from rosters. He seems like the perfect two-way midfielder to add depth to the squad. Why is he completely out of the picture? I guess we’ll just add it to the other mysterious Klinsmann roster decisions over the past six years.All-in-all I like the mix of veterans and young guys. It should be more than enough to get a spot in the Hex. I’ll refrain from fully judging the roster and philosophy until the Hex is clinched. Once that’s done, I’d really really like to see him get over the veterans like Wondo, Beckerman, and Michael Orozco. It’s time to find some new squad players who can contribute. October’s friendlies are the perfect opportunity to find some new blood.

US Forward Bobby Wood: Draw spoils joy of first Bundesliga goal with Hamburg

U.S. international Bobby Wood said he would have preferred Hamburg had beaten Ingolstadt after scoring his first goal for the club in Saturday’s 1-1 draw.The 23-year-old hit the back of the net only 30 minutes into his Bundesliga debut for Hamburg following his €3.5m summer transfer from second-tier club Union Berlin.The forward picked up a long ball by Hamburg keeper Rene Adler and scored with a strong finish from inside the box, but he was left with mixed emotions with the draw.”Sure, I am pleased with the goal, but I would have preferred to pick up three points,” Wood said. “I am annoyed, it’s just stupid how we conceded that goal. I don’t know what happened to us in the second half.”Wood’s goal was not enough to secure Hamburg three points on the opening day of the league. With only 11 minutes left, HSV defender Cleber failed to clear an Ingolstadt cross and rather set up Lukas Hinterseer for the equaliser. abbadia said that Wood’s goal was part of the club’s expectations.”We bought him just for that. He’s got pace, and he knows how to use his body,” Labbadia told reporters after the match.On Sunday, Wood left Hamburg and flew to Jacksonville, Florida, where he met up with his U.S. teammates. The U.S. play a crucial 2018 World Cup qualifier away at St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Sept. 2, followed by another at home to Trinidad & Tobago four days later.

Tab Ramos urges cautious approach with Christian Pulisic

U.S. fans didn’t see much of 17-year-old midfielder Christian Pulisic during June’s Copa America Centenario, but U.S. U20 coach Tab Ramos sure did. Ramos, who for the past five years has served as one of Jurgen Klinsmann’s assistants with the senior squad, got to see the Borussia Dortmund midfielder in training on a daily basis for more than a month, en route to the Americans’ fourth-place finish.”I have to tell you, you would have never known that he’s a 17-year-old kid in practice,” Ramos told insider during a recent chat. “He played like a man. He made plays like a man.”I think it was tough for Jurgen to decide how much pressure to put on him,” Ramos added. “Almost every team we played was a little bit ahead of us, so if you’re asking a 17-year-old not only to play in but to win games like that, that’s a lot to ask. You have to bring him along little by little. That’s the only reason he didn’t play more. He could’ve started every game. I think we’ve made mistakes in the past with young players, and I think we have to take a little bit of time with this one. He’s special.”Unfortunately for Ramos, that’s part of the reason Pulisic isn’t likely to play for the U.S. U20s when it attempts, beginning in February, to qualify for next summer’s FIFA under-20 World Cup in South Korea. The U20s last got together earlier this month, a camp limited mostly to college players and development academy standouts as MLS enters the final stretch of its regular season. And overall, Ramos — the U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer who guided the 2015 squad to a quarterfinal finish at the last U20 World Cup — came away impressed by the country’s deepening player pool.”This is my third cycle as head coach, and every camp it gets a little tougher to decide on players when we put the depth chart together to decide who’s ahead of who,” Ramos said. “It’s getting more competitive. Everybody pushes each other. They’re all getting better.”The list of names unavailable to Ramos for that July 31-Aug. 8 camp in New Jersey is long. Missing were 18-year old Cameron Carter-Vickers, who cracked Tottenham Hotspur’s first-team squad for the new Premier League season, and fellow center backs Justen Glad (Real Salt Lake), Erik Palmer-Brown (Porto, on loan from Sporting Kansas City) and Tommy Redding(Orlando City). Pulisic and Gedion Zelalem stayed with Dortmund and Arsenal respectively, while other eligible foreign-based midfielders like Brooks Lennon (Liverpool), Sebastian Saucedo (Veracruz), Kyle Scott(Chelsea) and forward Mukwelle Akale, who recently made his first-team debut for Spanish side Villarreal, were absent, too. This isn’t anything new for Ramos. The U20s have been shorthanded at every camp he’s hosted over the past year. The team has performed consistently nonetheless, as others seized the opportunity to demonstrate their potential.”Miles Robinson of Syracuse has done well every single camp I’ve had him in,” Ramos said. “He’s becoming one of the leaders of the team at the center back position.”In midfield, Eryk Williamson [Maryland] is taking the leadership-by-example role on the team,” Ramos continued. “He controls the temperament of the team, which is amazing for a player who hasn’t had much international experience.” This last camp also featured 11 newcomers to the U20 squad. Of those, Ramos said Indiana defender/midfielder Jeremiah Gutjahr and Akron forward Jonathan Lewis stood out .Identifying new talent and learning to play without its most experienced professionals is vital for Ramos’ team. European clubs will be midway through their seasons in February, when the CONCACAF U20 championship that doubles as World Cup qualifying takes place in Costa Rica, meaning that Carter-Vickers, Pulisic and Zelalem are unlikely to participate. Ramos has even received pushback from MLS clubs in the past.”Two cycles ago in World Cup qualifying, in the final against Mexico, I think I had only 13 players because teams had already called their players back,” Ramos said, noting that unlike MLS, Liga MX requires its clubs to release players to Mexico’s youth national teams. “Even in the preseason, obviously every MLS coach would like to have their young players participate. There’s not much I can do about that.”The U20s will next assemble in Europe for training and games during October’s FIFA window, and, with MLS on its winter hiatus, host one camp in December and two more in January.”We have to have a fitness camp mostly for MLS players and college players, which will be 90 percent what this team is made up of in February,” Ramos said. “We sort of have to become their club, which is not a good scenario for us because we’ll be playing against countries whose domestic leagues are in season.”Should the Americans successfully reach their third straight World Cup, Ramos is hoping he’ll have his best team available next summer.”I look back three years ago and Paul Pogba was starting for Juventus and he played in the U20 World Cup,” Ramos said. “If France does it, Argentina does it, why wouldn’t we? I think at the World Cup we need to represent ourselves well.”Deciding who goes and who doesn’t will be harder than ever. But as far as Ramos is concerned, that’s a good problem to have.”What’s different about this group than previous cycles is there are three or four guys who can win a game on their own,” Ramos said. “We haven’t had an abundance of those over the years, so I think that’s a good sign for us. And that’s without counting the obvious ones, like Pulisic.”

NOTES

Before the transfer window closes on Wednesday, Ramos would like to see the 19-year-old Zelalem, who made 29 appearances (22 starts) for Scottish club Rangers in 2015-16. He was farmed out again rather than remain with the Gunners, where minutes will be hard to come by. “Like any young player, at this point the best-case scenario for Gedion would probably be a loan somewhere,” he said. “I’m hopeful he goes to a good place where he’s playing.”One player not in contention for a spot on the U20 squad — at least right now — is Schalke forward Haji Wright. “He’s someone we’re trying to bring along through our U19s,” Ramos said of the 18-year-old Los Angeles native. “He’s gone through some ups and downs, and it’s difficult to break into the first group.”But I think Haji has a lot of potential for the future,” Ramos said. “He’s got size, speed, all those things. The national team is how well you are doing today, and I have to balance throughout the year the guys who I can project long-term to maybe be on the [senior] team. Maybe Haji Wright can be one of those. As we get closer to qualifying I have to decide who’s going to be good for us now. The sooner Haji is ready, the earlier we’ll call him in.”Doug McIntyre is a staff writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN FC.

5 big things from Americans abroad this week

Bobby Wood makes his Bundesliga debut in style.By Roderick MacNeil @rodmacneil Aug 30, 2016, 10:00a

Nordic Wall Restored

Ethan Horvath may have had a fine experience this summer at Copa America. Being named as the USMNT’s third keeper for the tournament was a significant step in his young career. Both his club, Molde FK, and Horvath had enjoyed strong starts to the 2016 Tippeligaen season before the June break. By the time he returned to club action, however, the form of both had suffered as Molde struggled through a six-game winless skid.The month of August has seen a rapid turn for the better. On Saturday, Horvath turned away a whopping 8 shots in a 2-0 win at Stromsgodset. Molde has suddenly won four straight, with Horvath posting clean sheets in two of the last three. The club finds itself back in the thick of the race for Europa League positions, currently in 5th place, yet only 1 point behind 2nd place Odd BK. Horvath now has 4 clean sheets in 17 starts this season. Jurgen Klinsmann noticed, and has rewarded him with yet another call-up for the September World Cup Qualifiers.

AronJo Returns

One could be forgiven for wondering if Aron Johannsson might ever return to the field. His latest injury setback was a frustrating one, dealing with chronic hip issues and associated nerve pain for the better part of a year. In recent weeks, things were finally looking up for Johannsson, returning to full training and seeing some limited preseason minutes.On Friday, Johannsson was, somewhat surprisingly, in the starting lineup for Werder Bremen on opening day in the Bundesliga. After 11 months on the shelf, reclaiming his starting striker role was certainly a moment of great personal satisfaction. Unfortunately, the opposition for the day was mighty Bayern Munich, who were in no mood to be gracious hosts. Bayern would roll 6-0 behind a Robert Lewandowski hat trick. Johannsson would put in a full 90 minutes in a losing effort.But Aron’s back, finally, to full health, and that’s the best news of all.

Wooten Back on the Scoresheet

Remember Andrew Wooten? We last saw him with the USMNT in the fall of 2015, earning a call to Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad after a blistering start to the 2.Bundesliga season. Scoring 5 goals in his club’s first 4 games, and 6 goals overall, Wooten was in sizzling form. Yet mysteriously, after returning from international duty, the well went dry, and he didn’t score again the rest of the season. On Friday, that goal-scoring drought would come to an end: After nearly an entire calendar year, Wooten, with the help of some sloppy defending, found the back of the net. His 76th minute strike was his first goal for SV Sandhausen since September 11, 2015. The goal trimmed SVS’s deficit to 2-1 vs. VfB Stuttgart, but that’s how it would end.Wooten’s club has its work cut out with a slow start, earning just 1 point in three games, and sits 17th on the 18-team 2.Bundesliga table.

Yedlin’s a Magpie

DeAndre Yedlin is now a former Tottenham Hotspur player. He’s also a former Sunderland player. Last week we finally learned where Yedlin will play his club minutes this season, and it’s on the other side of the Tyne-Wear Derby. On Wednesday came the announcement of a permanent transfer to Newcastle United, now of The English Championship, for a reported fee of about £5 million.While taking a step down from the Premier League has to be viewed as a modest disappointment, it’s a move that can play out well for Yedlin in the long run. Firstly, the Magpies will clearly be a favorite to earn promotion back to the EPL. There’s also the opportunity for starting minutes under the watchful eye of managerial legend Rafa Benitez.Yedlin didn’t have opportunity to train much, if at all, prior to Newcastle’s Saturday clash vs. Brighton Hove & Albion. He did make the bench and made a 3-minute cameo appearance in front of his new home fans. Meawhile, Newcastle showed its excitement over their new acquisition by placing him on the cover of the game day program:

Bobby Wood!

Welcome to the Bundesliga, Bobby Wood! If you were wondering if Wood’s goal-scoring prowess in Germany’s second division would translate to the top flight, you found out in a hurry. Just over 30 minutes into his Bundesliga debut with Hamburger SV, Wood treated us all to yet another highlight goal:That’s a goalkeeper assist, and a stellar individual effort from Bobby Wood to do the rest. After bringing the long ball down and fighting his way through two defenders, Wood unleashed a rocket with his second touch to give HSV the early lead. A crowd favorite in the making? To be determined, but it’s certainly an ideal way to make your introduction.A late defensive error would cost Hamburg a chance at three points on opening day. It ended in a 1-1 draw against Alfredo Morales’ FC Ingolstadt. Up next: USMNT duty. With Clint Dempsey out, it’s as sure a lock as any that Bobby Wood will be in the XI on Friday vs. St. Vincent & The Grenadines. Right now that’s a scary proposition for any opposing defense.

Wiebe: Seattle Sounders, US must step up in wake of Clint Dempsey news

August26, 20164:57PM EDTAndrew WiebeSenior Editor Here’s what we know: Clint Dempsey is undergoing medical evaluations for an irregular heartbeat. The Seattle and US national team star will miss Sunday’s rivalry match in Portland between the Sounders and Timbers as well as the US national team’s World Cup qualifiers in September. No additional details are available at this time, and there is no public timetable for his return.In situations like this, what we don’t know is just as, if not more, important than what we do know. “Irregular heartbeat” sounds serious, scary even, but Dempsey – and the rest of us – can do nothing but allow the medical process play out at its own pace.For the time being, it’s time for perspective. We may support different clubs and different national teams, but we’re all members of the North American soccer family.Of course, while Dempsey and his family navigate a trying time, the games will go on. The Sounders will travel to Portland for a massive match against the Timbers, and then proceed with their remaining schedule. The USMNT will gather next week to resume their quest to qualify for an eighth straight World Cup.What role Dempsey will play in either campaign is yet to be seen, but there’s no doubt any prolonged absence will have a very real effect on both squads.After spending much of the first half of 2016 adjusting to the preseason departure of strike partnerObafemi Martins, Dempsey seemed to be reinvigorated by the arrival of Nicolas Lodeiro. He scored a hat trick in the Uruguayan’s first match then added two more goals against Portland last Sunday to bring his season tally to eight.Deuce – and his swagger – was back.Suddenly a playoff spot that seemed close to inconceivable a month ago wasn’t just possible but increasingly likely. With Lodeiro pulling the strings and Jordan Morris bullying opposing defenders with his strength and speed, Dempsey appeared poised to do what he’s done throughout his entire career: deliver in big moments.

Then Friday’s news hit and the future – Dempsey’s and the Sounders’ – became murky.For the time being, Dempsey’s teammates have no choice but to do something Dempsey has done more than once in his career: step up. Lodeiro must shoulder the expectations that’ve come with two goals and four assists in his first four games. Morris will have to become a more reliable finisher. Herculez Gomez and Nelson Valdez can’t let a bone-dry 25 matches color their final nine.

For the USMNT, Jurgen Klinsmann will need to find another option as reliable and consistent at putting the ball in the back of the next as Dempsey has been for his country. After all, despite his age, Dempsey is the USMNT’s leading scorer over the last three years.Who’s the US alpha dog now? Who will score the goals they need against St. Vincent and the Grenadines to avoid a nervy final matchday? Will it be Jozy Altidore, healthy and productive again after another hamstring injury rule him out of this summer’s Copa America Centenario? Perhaps Bobby Wood, who’s shown so much promise in the past year?For both the US and the Sounders, there’s an inevitable domino effect that comes with a certain level of reliance on one player. If not Dempsey, then who?We’ll find out the answer to that question this weekend in Portland, and on Sept. 2 and 6 in Kingstown, St. Vincent, and Jacksonville, Florida.In the meantime, get well, Deuce. Your health is more important than a game.

Why UEFA will guarantee Champions League places to the top leagues

UEFA has approved structural changes to the Champions League, with the biggest move being automatic group stage qualification for the top four teams from the top four leagues, beginning in the 2018-19 season. Gab Marcotti looks at how this came about.

Q: So all has been revealed. Europe’s rich get richer. The top four leagues will all have four guaranteed spots in the Champions League group stage. It’s official now, right?

A: This pretty much confirms what some of us had previously reported. There are still some very minor details to work through, but UEFA interim general secretary Theo Theodoridis says it’s done, and he would know. It’s a brave new world.

Q: So did UEFA just lie down for the big clubs?

A: They would say they haven’t. They had to strike a balance between the big boys, who make the Champions League more attractive to the guys who pay the bills — broadcasters and sponsors mostly — and the small and midsized associations.

“We had one target: Keeping the dream alive,” Theodoridis said. “[That means] Allowing all countries to have access to our competitions and maintaining the champions path [to qualification.]. There is an impact [on smaller and midsized associations], I agree. But we minimized it.”

Q: It’s almost as if he’s suggesting it could have been worse.

A: “Worse” depends on your point of view. Some of the things that were discussed at the request of the clubs would have made the Champions League an even more lucrative competition.

We’re talking about wild-card entries for historically big clubs who fail to qualify; this year, for example, think Milan, Manchester United and Liverpool, who have 15 European Cups between them.

Or playing games on weekends, when they can reach a far greater global audience; Asia is asleep and North and South America are at work or school during Champions League games. Or, heck, playing games in other continents.

None of these things will come to pass at least until 2021, as Theodoridis noted. Nor will clubs be boycotting the Champions League or setting up their own competition.

Q: How real was that threat of clubs pulling out of the Champions League?

A: Theodoridis suggests it wasn’t much more than a negotiating ploy. Others with knowledge of the talks said it was real enough to prompt this compromise.

Q: So I guess the big winners are the top four nations? That’s Spain, Germany, England and, especially, Italy.

A: Yes, provided they stay in the top four. Italy’s case is pretty telling. Right now, they have two guaranteed places, plus another in the playoffs for the third-place team in Serie A. But that side has been knocked out in the playoffs in five of the past six seasons. So, effectively, they’re doubling their presence.

Q: But if the Italian teams aren’t that good and can’t make it past the playoffs, why should they be in the competition?

A: Great question. Because, I think, merit matters less here than money. Italy has the second-biggest Champions League contract, after England. Obviously broadcasters and sponsors will pay more if they know clubs are guaranteed a spot, rather than running the risk of getting knocked out in the playoffs.

Q: Sounds like an unfair system.

A: In some ways it is. But UEFA are also hoping folks will look at it a different way. Having more clubs from big leagues in the competition means the overall revenue will be higher; much higher, they hope. And that means there’s more money to redistribute to clubs.

Q: Didn’t you write last time that 35 percent of the revenue is distributed via that “market pool,” whereby teams from countries with bigger TV contracts get a bigger share?

A: I did. And that’s one thing that has changed. Only 15 percent of revenue will be allocated via the market pool. The other 85 percent will be distributed in prize money, including some 25 percent to be shared equally by all clubs who qualify. So that means teams from midsized leagues that do well in the competition will earn more in two ways: The overall revenues will, UEFA hope, be higher, and teams will get a bigger slice of the pie.

Q: That sounds more fair.

A: It is, although, again, the devil is in the detail. Part of that merit payment will be awarded based on a new coefficient system that will also track historical performance. Which means that, say, Ajax with their four European Cups will get more points than Leicester. It will be weighted and the details, which have not been fully defined, are set to be very complicated.

Q: What else have they come up with?

A: The other big change is that a new company is being set up, half-owned by UEFA and half-owned by the European Clubs Association (ECA), to run the European competitions. So rather than being indirectly represented via their national associations, clubs will effectively be in business with UEFA. (They sort of were before, of course, but now it’s formalized.)

Q: Aren’t UEFA having elections in a few weeks? Couldn’t they wait until they have a new president before they take such a drastic step?

A: Indeed, they’ll be electing a new president on Sept. 14 but, as Theodoridis said, they had been working on this for six months. And, he said, they had to go to market and pitch sponsors and broadcasters. The 2018-19 season is less than two years away and they had to get contracts tied up.

Besides, of the three guys running for president, Holland’s Michael van Praag and Spain’s Angel Maria Villar Llona sit on UEFA’s Executive Committee, so you assume they have signed off on this. And the third candidate, Slovenia’s Aleksandar Ceferin, is supposedly also on board.

Q: So that’s that, then. I guess it at least means we won’t have a breakaway European Super League.

A: At least until 2021, anyway. The hope, I think, is that these changes will boost revenue so much that everyone — primarily the big clubs — will benefit and be happy to the point that they’ll forget about breaking away.

Q: Is that likely?

A: As the saying goes, you can never be too rich or too thin. I think history shows that when clubs get more money, they tend to spend it on wages and transfer fees. And because everybody is spending more, there will be some, even among the big clubs, who will be left behind. And that in turn means they’ll grumble. And we may end up going through this whole thing all over again. Gabriele Marcotti is a columnist for ESPN FC,

Champions League draw yields great matchups, top-heavy groups

QUICKLYThursday’s Champions League draw pits powers together, while first-timer Leicester drew a favorable path. None of the recent European powers should have much to fear, though. BEN LYTTLETONThursday August 25th, SI

Group A

PSG, Arsenal, FC Basel, Ludogorets

Match to watch: PSG vs. Arsenal, Sept. 13

Group B

Benfica, Napoli, Dynamo Kiev, Besiktas

Match to watch: Napoli vs. Benfica, Sept. 28

Group C

Barcelona, Manchester City, Borussia Monchengladbach, Celtic

Match to watch: Barcelona vs. Manchester City, Oct. 19

Group D

Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, Rostov

Match to watch: Bayern Munich vs Atletico Madrid, Dec. 6

Group E

CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham, Monaco

Match to watch: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Tottenham, Oct. 18

Group F

Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon, Legia Warsaw

Match to watch: Sporting vs. Real Madrid, Nov. 22

Group G

Leicester, FC Porto, Club Brugge, FC Copenhagen

Match to watch: Leicester vs. FC Porto, Sept. 27

Group H

Juventus, Sevilla, Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb

Match to watch: Juventus vs. Sevilla, Sept. 14

PSG to fend off Arsenal for top spot in Champions League Group A

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group A. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Paris Saint-Germain
Arsenal
3. FC Basel
4. Ludogorets Razgrad

Paris Saint-Germain

Arsenal

FC Basel

Ludogorets Razgrad

Game of the group:

X Factor

Can Leicester’s title-winning tactics survive UCL Group B challenge?

Predicted finish

Porto
Leicester City
3. Copenhagen
4.Brugge

Bottom of Form

Game of the group: Porto vs. Leicester

Pep Guardiola’s return to Barcelona the highlight of Group C

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group C. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Barcelona
2. Manchester City
3. Borussia Monchengladbach
4. Celtic

Barcelona

Manchester City

Borussia Monchengladbach

Celtic

Game of the group

difficult than it should be.John Brewin is a staff writer for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter@JohnBrewinESPN.

Atletico Madrid out to upset Bayern Munich again in UCL Group D

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group D. Who do you think will go through?

ept all before them, just as they were setting up their project in east Manchester. Now, after a long wait, they have their man, as he returns to the region of his birth.

X factor

Predicted finish

Atletico Madrid
2. Bayern Munich
3. PSV Eindhoven
4. Rostov

Who will win Group D?

Top of Form

BAYERN MUNICH

ATLETICO MADRID

PSV EINDHOVEN

ROSTOV

Bayern Munich

Atletico Madrid

PSV Eindhoven

Rostov

Game of the group

Earn your Degree While You Watch Your Kids Soccer Practice – ½ the time and cost of Traditional Schools

Harry Kane can inspire Spurs in Champions League Group E

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group E. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Tottenham
Bayer Leverkusen
3. Monaco
4. CSKA Moscow

Tottenham

Bayer Leverkusen

Monaco

CSKA Moscow

Game of the group

X factor

Group F: Real Madrid go in search of historic Champions League triumph

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group F. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Real Madrid
2. Borussia Dortmund
3. Sporting Lisbon
4. Legia Warsaw

Real Madrid

Borussia Dortmund

Sporting Lisbon

Legia Warsaw

Game of the group

X factor

Can Leicester’s title-winning tactics survive UCL Group G challenge?

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group G. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Porto
2. Leicester City
3. Copenhagen
4.Brugge

Bottom of Form

Leicester City

Porto

Club Brugge

FC Copenhagen

Game of the group: Porto vs. Leicester

X Factor

Group H: Juventus plot Champions League glory with Higuain and Pjanic

Now that the Champions League draw has been completed, here’s a preview for Group H. Who do you think will go through?

Predicted finish

Juventus
2. Lyon
3. Sevilla
4. Dinamo Zagreb

Bottom of Form

Juventus

Lyon

Sevilla

Dinamo Zagreb

Game of the group

X Factor

As Champions League evolves more for the elite and rich, it loses its appeal, romance

QUICKLY -Only eight clubs have made the Champions League semifinals in the last five years, leaving the tournament without much appeal until the quarterfinals.

JONATHAN WILSONTuesday August 23rd, 2016 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have reached the last four of the Champions League in each of the past five seasons. Barcelona has gotten to that stage three times in that time and Chelsea and Atletico Madrid twice. In the last five years, only eight different sides have reached the semifinal. Three of them are Spanish, two German, two English and one Italian. If it has come to feel that the early rounds of the Champions League lack appeal, that is why.Of course there are intriguing new themes. How will Leicester City fare in its first Champions League campaign? Can Pep Guardiola energize Manchester City into being the power it surely ought to be in Europe (and overcome its fans seeming diffident about the competition)?And then there are reworkings of old themes. Can Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain transform domestic dominance into European success? Can Real Madrid become the first side successfully to defend the Champions League title? Can Borussia Dortmund’s idiosyncratic style thrive outside the Bundesliga?But these are essentially minor variations on well-worn tropes. Familiarity has bred contempt. For the next seven months, there’ll be some vague sparring. Perhaps a giant will fall. Arsenal will almost certainly face some sort of crisis. Leicester’s presence as a top seed may shake up some of the familiar patterns. But the reality is the competition won’t really get going until the quarterfinals in March.UEFA has pulled off a remarkable feat over the past decade, ruining its two flagship tournaments in completely opposing ways. The European Championship has been rendered tedious by the dilution of quality an expansion from 16 to 24 teams entailed, something some have sought to justify by empty calls to some vague doctrine of inclusivity.The success of Wales and Iceland was held up as evidence the bloated new format of Euro 2016 had worked when the fact is that both would have qualified in a 16-team system. Take the best 16 sides in qualifying and compare them to the sides that reached the last 16 of the tournament and 14 were the same; we spent two weeks and 36 games swapping Ireland and Hungary for Austria and the Czech Republic.The Champions League also drags and also feels as though it is overlong. The problem in the club competition, though, is not dilution of quality so much as over-concentration of quality at the top end. A Ludogorets Razgrad or an APOEL simply cannot compete with Bayern or Madrid. It’s been seven years since a team from outside the big four leagues of Spain, Germany, England and Italy so much as reached the semifinal.When European football began, it had the feel of a quest. That’s why the likes of Jock Stein, Matt Busby and Brian Clough developed an obsession with the European Cup. It was difficult. It was hard to get into and once you were there, winning it involved difficult and occasionally dangerous trips to lands that felt very foreign, taking on talented sides that might play in ways with which you were not familiar.Globalization has destroyed that–and probably raised the level at the very top end. It would be absurd now to go back to a structure of one club per country. Nor is anybody suggesting a return to the sort of intimidation and chicanery that was so prevalent in the 1960s and 70s. But at the same time, much of the romance has been lost. European football was supposed to be exotic, not the same old battles between the same old giants.Eight semifinalists over a five-year period is the least diverse the competition has ever been. Between 1982-83 and 1986-87 there were 18 semifinalists. But the problem is not simply that of the Champions League: it’s the problem of all top-level club football in Europe outside the Premier League. It will be a major shock if Bayern Munich fails to win the Bundesliga. It will be a major shock if Juventus fails to win Serie A. It will be a major shock if Paris Saint-Germain fails to win Ligue 1. They are so much richer than their closest rivals that it would take grotesque mismanagement to come second. In Spain, barring another Atletico miracle, Real Madrid or Barcelona will win the league. Those top sides need Europe for affirmation–and revenue.Only the Premier League is genuinely competitive, and, while its level has dipped in European terms, domestic revenues have increased nonetheless. Real Madrid took £81 million for winning the Champions League last season; 10 clubs took more than that in Premier League prize money. This season it’s estimated that even the bottom club will win £97 million. In direct financial terms, football has reached a point where it would make sense for Premier League clubs to prioritize domestic competition.Of course there are indirect benefits to success in the Champions League and still a sense that that’s where the real glory is to be found. But at the same time, Europe’s super clubs are becoming increasingly envious of the Premier League’s wealth, which in part lies behind the proposed changes to the structure of the Champions League from 2018-19 onwards.At the moment that amounts to no more than guaranteeing that the big four leagues will each have four slots in the group stage–a relatively minor adjustment that would continue the process of enriching the rich and stabilizing the status quo.That will not rekindle the romance of the Champions League. On the contrary, it will reduce even further the opportunities for sides from beyond Spain, Germany, England and Italy. There’s no obvious solution: this is the natural outcome of the economic policies football adopted when the Champions League was established in 1992. The paradox is that the more successful it has become, the more parochial it has become, and that, ultimately, may be its undoing.

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8/25/16 Brazil Neymar Wins Gold, US Suspend Hope Solo, Renaldo POY – Champions League Set, Germany + Spain Start Seasons, #1 CHS Girls host weekend Tourney

August 25, 2016August 26, 2016 gatorbest

I know it was a full week ago now – but wow what an ending in Brazil for the Olympics as the home standing Brazilians went to penalty kicks vs Germany in a drama filled intense affair. Congrats to Brazilians and Barcelona star forward Neymar as he slotted home the winner after a brilliant save by the Brazilian Goalkeeper on the 5^th penalty. The atmosphere was spectacular and I was glad to see Brazil restore some of their national pride in their soccer team.

A job well done by US Soccer for suspending US Women’s controversial goalkeeper Hope Solo for 6 months and cancelling her national team contract – while excessive perhaps for this one offense – lets be real – this is like strike #4 or #5 for Solo. When is enough, enough? I stand by what I said 2 weeks ago when Hope said what she said. So disappointed in Hope Solo and her comments – seriously I try to coach Goalkeepers and get young girls excited about one of the toughest positions in soccer by giving them role models – but Hope Solo is an embarrassment to her team, The US national program, the sport of soccer and the entire country. Honestly how do her coaches even let her speak to the media. She’s 35, we don’t play another major competition for 3 years – I think its past time she not be allowed to represent our country anymore! Lets hope Jill Ellis and the US women’s soccer team can find a goalkeeper in the group who represents the US the way almost every other player on the team does with class!! Next Friday Sept 2/Tues Sept 6 the US men return to World Cup Qualifying with games @ St. Vincent and vs Trinidad & Tabago and the entire world league play will take an international break.

In Europe the Champions League Group Stage is set and it has some great match-ups with Man City and Barcelona in the same group as well as Arsenal again in with PSG (see complete list below). Congrats to Real Madrid’s Renaldo for winning the Player of the Year Award !! Both the German Bundesliga and the Spanish La Liga season’s kick off this weekend as 4 time defending champs Bayern Munich start play Friday vs Werder Bremen on Fox Sports 1 at 2:30 pm. Saturday features a huge game on FOX at 12:30 pm as US international Fabian Johnson and Borussia Monchengladbach host Mexican star forward Chicerito Hernandez and Bayer Leverkusen. The EPL has a Sat 7:30 am NBCSN match-up featuring Tottenham vs Liverpool, while a pair of 2-0 squads square off as regulation Cinderella Hull City hosts Manchester United at 12:30 on NBCSN.

Stateside MLS has a solid Sunday doubleheader this week on ESPN as the New York Red Bulls host New England at 2:30 pm followed by My Seattle Sounder’s, on a 4 game winning streak since changing coaches, traveling to defending champs Portland in the Cascadia Cup showdown #2 on Sunday at 5 pm. The Indy 11 fell to 3^rd after their loss on the road last weekend as they travel to Ottawa for a Sunday match up at 2 pm on ESPN3 before returning Labor Day Sat for a 7:30 match up with Tampa Bay at the Mike.

Locally – High School soccer is underway and the Carmel Girls are back on top at #1 in the state after impressive early season victories, this week they host the Carmel Invitational at Murray Stadium with top 10 ranked foes Cathedral (9 am- Sat) and Fishers (7 pm Sat) coming to town (tix just $5) before traveling to Zionsville next weekend for match-ups against #2 Ranked Brebeuf, and Sacred Heart. The Guerin Varsity boys got 2 goals from Carmel FC U18 forward Julian Tessarzyk but fell in a heartbreaker at #6 ranked Lafayette Harrison 5-3. They return home vs Lawrence North 6 pm on Monday. The Carmel boys have opened with 3 straight ties – and will face Zionsville at home Sat at 2:30 pm. Next Friday – Sept 2 – the CHS boys host PACK THE HOUSE/MAKE GOOD DECISIONS NITE with FREE ADMISSION for CFC players in uniform. Finally Carmel FC had some great results at both the PikeFest and Westside Tournaments the past 2 weekends – with Academy Winners 07 Boys Blue, 09 Boys White, and 09 Girls Blue along with Championship winners 06 Gold Girls, 06 Girls Blue, and 05 Girls Gold. 04 and 03 Girls Gold finished 2^nd in their divisions (pics below).

GAMES OF THE WEEK ON TV

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Fri, Aug 26 German Bundesliga + Spain La Liga Starts

2:30 pm Fox Sport1 Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen

Sat, Aug 27

7:30 AM NBCSN Tottenham vs Liverpool

10 am NBCSN Chelsea vs Burnley, Everton vs Stoke

12:30 p.m., Fox Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Sun, Aug 28

2 pm ESPN3 Ottawa vs Indy 11

5 pm ESPN Portland host Seattle Sounders – CASCADIA CUP 2!

7 pm Fox Sport 1 Orlando City vs NYCFC

Wed, Aug 31

7:30 pm My Indy TV NY Cosmos vs Indy 11

Fri, Sept 2

3:30 pm beIN sport WCQ – US @ St. Vincent + Grenadines

WORLD

Renaldo is Player of the Year

Brazil Wins First Gold Medal

European League – Over/Under – SI – Ben Lyttleton

Spanish La LIGA Season Preview

Bale nets Brace as Real Madrid start La Liga with Win without Renaldo

Germany Bundesliga Season Preview-Video

Can Dortmund knock Bayern off the Bundeliga Perch? ESPNFC

Chicharito Hernandez looks for steller Season with Bayern Leverkusen

Juve’s Higuain’s Instant Impact – Marcotti – ESPNFC Video

GK Jasper Cillessen moves from Ajax to Barcelona to be #2 GK

English Premier League

Man City Sign GK Claudio Bravo from Barca

EPL Investments paying off for Rich Clubs SI

Sterling and Zlatan Star in Manchester ahead of Manchester Darby next

Man City Already looks Impressive – David Mooney ESPNFC

Arsenal Still missing Physicality and Personality –

USA

Hope Solo banned for 6 months by US Soccer

US Soccer Comes Down Hard on Solo – Grant Wahl SI

Solo’s Response is Typical

USA Today – Solo US Career Over?

Who Replaces Hope Solo for US Ladies?

Competition Brews for US Men Keepers

US Hot List – Altidore and Dempsey are Hot

Yedlin to New Castle United?

Great Column Talking to US Players with WTF – Eric Wynalda

MLS

Weekend update – NYC Dazzle over LA, Seattle Wins Again

Another MLS Weekend Update

Sigi simply wasn’t working in Seattle anymore

MLS – GOALKEEPER WEEK Just Wrapped Up

Favorite for Goalkeeper of the Year in MLS

Why are Goalkeepers So Crazy

Nick Rimando voted best MLS Keeper ever – 1 of the Best PK Savers ever

GK FullBracket

Best Saves for American Goalie Andre Blake for Philly Union

What Happens when you put a field player in goal

Long List of American Goalkeepers in EPL – you will notice Carmel’s own Juergen Sommer on this list

INDY 11

3 Facts ahead of Ottowa

Playoff Tickets go on sale Aug 29th

3 Things Carolina Loss

Champions League

Champions League Draw has some Great Matchups

2006 Gold

2006 Girls Gold – Pike Fest Champions

Blue team

2006 Girls Blue — Pike Fest Champions

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Fri, Aug 26 German Bundesliga + Spain La Liga Starts

2:30 pm Fox Sport1 Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen

Sat, Aug 27

7:30 AM NBCSN Tottenham vs Liverpool

9:30 a.m., Fox Sports 2: Borussia Dortmund vs. Mainz
9:30 a.m., Fox Soccer Plus: Hamburg SV vs. Ingolstadt

10 am NBCSN Chelsea vs Burnley, Everton vs Stoke, Leciester vs Swansea, Southhampton vs Sunderland

12 pm beIN Sport Lazio vs Juventus

12:30 pm NBC Hull City vs Man United
12:30 p.m., Fox Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen

2 pm beIN Sport Real Madrid vs Celta De Vigo

8 pm beIN Sport, ESPN3 Miami vs Min United

Sun, Aug 28

9:30 a.m Fox Sport1 Hertha Berlin vs. Freiburg

11 am NBCSN Man City vs West Ham

2 pm ESPN3 ? Ottawa vs Indy 11

2:30 pm ESPN NY Red Bulls vs New England

5 pm ESPN Portland host Seattle Sounders – CASCADIA CUP 2!

7 pm Fox Sport 1 Orlando City vs NYCFC

Wed, Aug 31

7:30 pm CBS Sports Network Ft. Lauderdale vs Minn.

7:30 pm ?? NY Cosmos vs Indy 11

Fri, Sept 2

3:30 pm beIN sport WCQ – US @ St. Vincent + Grenadines

5 pm beIN Sport Honduras vs Canada

8 pm beIN Sport Haiti vs Costa Rica

10 pm beIN Sport Mexico vs El Salvador

Sat, Sept 3 *International Break *

7:30 pm Ch 8 ESPN3 Indy 11 vs TB Rowdies

Sun, Sept 4

12 pm Fox Sports 2 Denmark vs Armenia

12 pm Fox Sports ? ESPN3 Slovakia vs England

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Norway vs Germany

Mon, Sept 5

12 pm Fox Sports 1 Spain vs Leichenstein

Tues, Sept 6

2:45 pm Fox Sports 2 Belarus vs France

2:45 pm Fox Sports 1 Switzerland vs Portugal

8 pm Fox Sport 1 WCQ – US vs Trinadad and Tobago

8:15 pm beIN Sport Brazil vs Colombia

Fri, Sept 9

2:30 pm Fox Sport1 Bayern Munich vs. Schalke 04

Sat, Sept 10

7 am FS1 Celtic vs Rangers – Ireland

11 am NBCSN Man United vs Man City

9:30 am fox Sports 1 Bayer Leverkusen s Hamburg SV

10 am NBCSN Arsenal vs Southampton, Stoke City vs Tottenham, West Ham vs Watford

12:30 pm FS 2 RB Leipzig vs Borussia Dortmund

12:30 pm NBCSN Liverpool s Leicester City

7:30 pm YES New England vs NYCFC

7:30 pm beIN Sports Ft. Lauderdale vs Indy 11

9 pm beIN Sport Futsal World Cup – Colombia vs Portugal

Sun, Sept 11

9:30 am FS1 Werder Bremen vs Augsburg

11 am NBCSN Swansea vs Chelsea

11:30 am FS 1 Mainz 05 vs Hoffenhiem

7 pm FS 1 LA Galaxy vs Orlando City

9:30 pm FS 1 Women -Portland Thorns vs NY Flash

Mon, Sept 12

3 pm NBCSN Sunderland vs Everton

German Bundesliga TV Schedule on Fox Soccer and Gol TV

Neymar, Brazil finally win gold as program tries to reclaim glory

“Brazilian soccer is not dead.” Neymar’s penalty kick gave Brazil its first men’s soccer gold medal and sent the Maracanã into a long-awaited frenzy. GRANT WAHLSunday August 21st, 2016 Sports Illustrated

RIO DE JANEIRO — “Brazilian soccer is not dead.”It may not be a statement you’d put on a bumper sticker, but the words of Rogério Micale, Brazil’s men’s Olympic soccer coach, were exactly what this country was looking for from the nation’s first soccer gold medal in its history. Plenty of too-cool-for-school soccer observers will be quick to deride Brazil’s historic Olympic triumph—achieved on penalties against Germany—for what it isn’t instead of for what it is.

Here is what it is not:

Revenge forthe 7–1 loss to Germany in the World Cup. (That trauma will never go away, and men’s Olympic soccer is an age-restricted tournament anyway.)
Evidence that Brazil’s soccer structure has been fixed. (Even Brazilian federation insiders admit otherwise.)
Reason to think Brazil will be a favorite to win World Cup 2018. (With the senior team currently in sixth place in South American World Cup qualifying, Brazil is hoping just tomake itto Russia.)But anyone focusing on those things is missing the point. Brazil’s stirring victory in a sold-out Maracanã Stadium on Saturday, featuring a glorious free kick goal and a game-clinching penalty by superstar Neymar, was pure theater, a chance with the world watching for Brazilians to finally start feeling some pride again in a national institution.At a time when Brazil has been taking hits for its political and economic shambles, for the Zika virus and Rio’s safety issues, for that awful 7–1, the chance to end nearly a century of Olympic soccer failures was something thatmattered here. No Olympic gold medal mattered to Brazilians more, in fact, than this one. Will the 2020 men’s Olympic soccer tournament mean much to Brazilians? Probably not. But this one certainly did.“I’m sure this will give reason for pride and confidence for the Brazilian people and the national team,” said Micale, the mild-mannered coach who brought the team back from two scoreless draws against South Africa and Iraq to start the tournament. “We know the huge responsibility on the shoulders of the Olympic team. After all, soccer is the No. 1 sport in Brazil. But this [post-World Cup recriminations] phase now is passed. We can look toward the future of Brazilian soccer more confident, more proud and, once and for all, Brazilian soccer is not dead.”The 24-year-old Neymar, in particular, lived a real-life Brazilian novela in this Olympic tournament. He is Brazil’s biggest sports star, and he was put on this Olympic team for two reasons: 1) Brazil had never won Olympic soccer gold before, and 2) It couldn’t afford an embarrassment on home soil. And so Neymar skipped June’s Copa América with the senior team and missed the start of the Spanish season for Barcelona to be here over the past three weeks.And it got off to a nightmare start for him. Brazil’s inability to score over 180 minutes against two lightly regarded Under-23 teams set off alarms all over Brazil. Fans started scratching out Neymar’s name on Brazil jerseys with magic markers and booing him from the stands. The Brazilian press was merciless too, and after the Iraq game Neymar refused to speak to the media in the postgame mixed zone and press conference. That would continue for the rest of the tournament, even after his moment of glory in the final.So be it. That’s his call. But whether he was talking or not, Neymar’s semifinal and final performances were electric. He scored just 14 seconds into the 6–0 semifinal win against Honduras and added a second on a penalty just before the end. Then in the final, Neymar’s gorgeous free kick goal grazed the underside of the crossbar and gave Brazil a 1–0 lead that threatened to send the Maracanã into orbit.Neymar tired as the night went on and Germany equalized as the game headed into extra time. He was visibly limping, at some moment barely able to move. But he had one more moment of magic left. During the penalties, which were taken well by both teams, Neymar had been given the No. 5 slot by Micale. It was actually bad strategy, since you never usually want your best penalty-taker to go fifth, for fear that he’ll never get the chance if his teammates miss.But from a dramatic perspective it was fantastic. In the fifth round, with penalties tied at 4–4, Germany’s Nils Petersen had his kick saved by Brazilian goalkeeper Weverton (one of the few Brazilian top-level players who comes from the Amazon). Neymar walked slowly to the spot with the Olympic gold on the line. “The only thing on my mind was I had to do this,” he told a TV reporter on the field.And so he did. Pandemonium in the Maracanã. “It gives us huge pride to share the gold medal with Neymar,” said Micale afterward. “We know he’s a reference for Brazilian soccer, but just as Neymar was brilliant scoring the fifth goal in the shootout, Weverton the goalkeeper made a special defense. We knew when we called him up that he might be called on to do exactly that. And he didn’t let us down.”The Maracanã rejoiced, and Rio rejoiced, and the medal that Brazil had to win was won.There are a lot of things that this gold medal is not. But it still matters. Brazilian soccer is not dead.

Barcelona to face Man City, Arsenal draw PSG in Champions League draw

Pep Guardiola will return to the Camp Nou after Manchester City and Barcelona were drawn together in the Champions League group stage on Thursday. Guardiola spent the majority of his playing career with Barcelona and led them to two European titles as manager in 2009 and 2011. And now in his first season as City boss, he will face off against his former club in Group C, along with Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic, when the group stage begins next month.The Spanish champions beat City in the round of 16 in both 2014 and 2015, and the teams completed a transfer of goalkeeper Claudio Bravo to City just hours before the draw.The draw featured some other blockbuster matchups, as defending champions Real Madrid play Borussia Dortmund in Group F, Paris Saint-Germain face Arsenal in Group A, and Bayern Munich will meet last year’s runners-up Atletico Madrid in Group D.vThere were more favourable draws for the other two English clubs.vDebutants Leicester City were drawn with Porto, Club Brugge and FC Copenhagen in Group G, while Tottenham must play CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco in Group E.

Group A
Paris Saint-Germain
Arsenal
FC Basel
Ludogorets Razgrad

Group B
Benfica
Napoli
Dynamo Kiev
Besiktas

Group C
Barcelona
Manchester City
Borussia Monchengladbach
Celtic

Group D
Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid
PSV Eindhoven
Rostov

Group E
CSKA Moscow
Bayer Leverkusen
Tottenham Hotspur
Monaco

Group F
Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Sporting
Legia Warsaw

Group G
Leicester City
Porto
Club Brugge
FC Copenhagen

Group H
Juventus
Sevilla
Lyon
Dinamo Zagreb

Group-stage matchdays

Sept. 13, 14
Sept. 27, 28
Oct. 18, 19
Nov. 1, 2
Nov. 22, 23
Dec. 6, 7

Round-of-16 draw: Monday, Dec. 12.

U.S. Soccer calls Hope Solo comments at Rio Games ‘unacceptable’

Aug 25, 2016

Goalkeeper Hope Solo has been suspended six months from the national team for what U.S. Soccer called “conduct that is counter to the organization’s principles.” After the United States was eliminated from the Rio Olympics earlier this month in a penalty shootout, the 35-year-old Solo criticized the winning Sweden team, calling it “a bunch of cowards.” “The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our National Team players,” U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said in a statement Wednesday. “Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions.”Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we’ve had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a U.S. National Team member, U.S. Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action.”The suspension is effective immediately. Solo was previously suspended for 30 days early in 2015 for conduct related to an incident at the team’s training camp.”For 17 years, I dedicated my life to the U.S. Women’s National Team and did the job of a pro athlete the only way I knew how — with passion, tenacity, an unrelenting commitment to be the best goalkeeper in the world, not just for my country but to elevate the sport for the next generation of female athletes,” Solo said in a statement. “In those commitments, I have never wavered. And with so much more to give, I am saddened by the Federation’s decision to terminate my contract.”I could not be the player I am without being the person I am, even when I haven’t made the best choices or said the right things. My entire career, I have only wanted the best for this team, for the players and the women’s game, and I will continue to pursue these causes with the same unrelenting passion with which I play the game.”Richard Nichols, the executive director of the USWNT Players Association, said the union will file an appeal on Solo’s behalf. “Given the cited conduct and alleged policy violation, we believe the proposed discipline to be excessive, unprecedented, disproportionate and a violation of Ms. Solo’s First Amendment rights,” Nichols said. “We also question whether this action would ever have been taken against a male player or coach, who, in the heated moments after a frustrating defeat, questioned the tactics of the opposing team. Needless to say, we will file an appeal on Ms. Solo’s behalf.”The U.S. Olympic team dominated possession against Sweden in the quarterfinal match in Rio and finished with 27 shots, but Sweden scored on a counterattack in regulation — one of only two shots on goal it had in the game. After playing to a 1-1 stalemate over 120 minutes, Sweden edged the U.S. 4-3 in the shootout.Solo didn’t hold back in her comments afterward. “I thought that we played a courageous game,” Solo said. “I thought that we had many opportunities on goal. I think we showed a lot of heart. We came back from a goal down. I’m very proud of this team.”I also think we played a bunch of cowards. But, you know, the best team did not win today. I strongly, firmly believe that. I think you saw America’s heart. You saw us give everything that we had today. Unfortunately, the better team didn’t win.”Sweden coach Pia Sundhage, who coached the U.S. team to gold medals during the Beijing and London games, replied by stating: “It’s OK to be a coward if you win.”Solo was a lightning rod during the Olympic tournament, irking fans in Brazil when she posted a photo of herself covered with mosquito netting and armed with insect repellent on social media. Fans booed her mercilessly and hollered “Zika!” each time she kicked downfield. Then she caused a stir with her “cowards” comment.She has been making headlines throughout her career. She has vocally advocated for women’s rights. Solo was among the U.S. players who filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for wage discrimination, saying the men’s national team players have been paid much more than many on the women’s team, which for years has outperformed the U.S. men on the international stage.More recently, she has called for better conditions for players in the National Women’s Soccer League.She has also been trying to avoid a trial on misdemeanor domestic violence charges after a 2014 incident at her sister’s home, when the goalkeeper was accused of being intoxicated and assaulting her sister and 17-year-old nephew. Solo said she was a victim in the altercation.Earlier this year, an appeals court in Washington state rejected Solo’s request to avoid trial.Solo currently is playing for the Seattle Reign of the National Women’s Soccer League. They resume their season Saturday. Alyssa Naeher is the only other goalie currently on the USWNT roster.

U.S. Soccer suspends goalkeeper Hope Solo for six months for Olympics remarks

The U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper called Sweden “cowards” for assuming defensive tactics in an Olympic quarterfinal upset of the Americans. GRANT WAHLWednesday August 24th, 2016

U.S. Soccer has suspended goalkeeper Hope Solo for six months after her controversial comments at the Olympics and terminated her national team contract, the federation announced Wednesday. U.S. women’s coach Jill Ellis and U.S. Soccer general secretary Dan Flynn met with Solo, 35, in Seattle on Wednesday afternoon and gave her the news. The move follows Solo’s comments at the Olympics when she called the Swedish players “cowards” for their defensive style in eliminating the U.S. in the quarterfinals. Solo, who received public criticism from teammate Megan Rapinoe and U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati for her comments, did not apologize for them.“The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our national team players,” Gulati said in a press release. “Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions.”Gulati continued: “Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we’ve had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a U.S. national team member, U.S. Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action.”Solo and U.S. women’s national team player representative Rich Nichols gave their responses to SI:

View image on Twitter

Grant Wahl

✔@GrantWahl

Hope Solo’s response to SI on her suspension.

Grant Wahl

✔@GrantWahl

Solo, the most dominant goalkeeper in women’s soccer history, has won one World Cup title and two Olympic gold medals in a U.S. career that has included 202 national team appearances and 102 clean sheets. Both are the most ever internationally for a goalkeeper, male or female. Solo has been involved in controversy as well. At the 2007 World Cup, U.S. coach Greg Ryan benched her for the semifinal against Brazil after she had started every game. Solo lashed out publicly after the U.S.’s 4-0 loss and was shunned by her teammates, but ultimately Ryan lost his job and Solo was welcomed back to the U.S. team under coach Pia Sundhage and won agold medal in 2008. As coincidence would have it, Solo’s controversial remarks at this Olympics were about Sundhage’s Sweden team.After Solo’s standout performance at the 2011 World Cup, where the U.S. finished second, she became a breakout personality and ended up on Dancing With The Stars. But in 2014 she was accused of a fourth-degree domestic violence offense in an incident involving her nephew and half-sister. That case has yet to be resolved. In early 2015, Solo was suspended for 30 days by U.S. Soccer after she and her husband, Jerramy Stevens, were stopped in a U.S. team van that Stevens was driving in Los Angeles. He was charged with DUI and served three days in jail.Solo was part of an impressive U.S. defensive display in winning the 2015 World Cup, but her performance in the 2016 Olympics was mixed. She made some huge saves in the U.S.’s 1-0 group-stage victory against France, but Solo’s howler against Colombia cost the U.S. two points in a 2-2 tie.Solo will still play for her NWSL club team, the Seattle Reign.

WHO REPLACES HOPE SOLO FOR THE US?

By: Laken Litman | August 25, 2016 12:02 pm

U.S. Soccer has terminated Hope Solo’s contract and suspended the record-setting goalkeeper from the U.S. Women’s National Team for six months for “conduct that is counter to the organization’s principles.” After the U.S. lost to Sweden in the Olympic quarterfinal, she called her opponent “cowards.” So if she’s not eligible for national team selection until Feb. 2017, who will replace her? Right now, coach Jill Ellis has two main options at goalkeeper: Alyssa Naeher, who was Solo’s backup at the Olympics, and Ashlyn Harris, Solo’s backup at the World Cup last year and an alternate in Rio. Neither has the experience, caps or accolades as Solo, but they’ll have to step up and earn a starting job. Because what if Solo’s career is finished? It realistically could be at this point. Solo, who has been the USWNT’s starting goalkeeper since 2005, is 35 now, which mean’s she’ll be 38 at the 2018 World Cup and 39 at the next Olympics. She had an overall disappointing performance in Brazil, even letting the ball slip between her legs against Colombia. Not to mention the other headaches she’s caused U.S. Soccer.

If she doesn’t return, these are the two most obvious choices:

Alyssa Naeher, 28 (caps: 7)

Naeher has been part of the USWNT for the last year, including the Rio Olympics, 2015 World Cup, and 2015 Algarve Cup. She played as a substitute for a few victory tour matches following the World Cup. She earned her first cap in a shutout victory against Argentina in 2014. She was the third string goalkeeper during the Olympics, but moved ahead of Ashlyn Harris for the No. 2 spot during the Olympics. Plays professionally for the Chicago Red Stars.

Ashlyn Harris, 30 (caps: 8)

Solo’s backup at the 2015 World Cup, she didn’t start any matches in Canada, but did during the Victory Tour. Has had several injuries hamper her college and professional career, and was demoted to alternate (third string) for the Rio Olympics behind Naeher. She plays professionally for the Orlando Pride. The USWNT is back on the field twice next month in a pair of friendlies against Thailand (Sept. 15) and the Netherlands (Sept. 18).

U.S. Hot List: Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey finding form at the right time

unday is when the United States national team roster for next month’s World Cup qualifying matches, at St. Vincent and the Grenadines and in Jacksonville, Fla., against Trinidad and Tobago, is expected to be announced.And at this late stage, Jurgen Klinsmann has more likely than not already made his picks.But while a number of the 11 names below will surely be included on the squad list — one that could be larger than usual if the coach is considering releasing players to their clubs should the Americans secure a place in the final “hexagonal” round of CONCACAF qualifying after the first game — a few others are here more because of recent developments and their long-term prospects within the U.S. program.Here’s who is trending up (and down) in the U.S. team this week:

Warming up

Jozy Altidore, FW, Toronto FC

Why he’s here: Now with four goals in his last five appearances — his last this powerful solo effort in TFC’s 3-1 win at Philadelphia on Saturday night — Altidore is playing his best soccer since 2012-13, when he scored 31 goals in all competitions for Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.

What this means: Altidore’s recent strike rate has been off the charts, averaging a goal every 60.5 minutes since July 31. He has yet to play 90 minutes for the Reds since returning from a hamstring problem last month and so Klinsmann may still want to ease him in slowly but the 26-year-old, who has three strikes in four U.S. games in 2016, is making a strong case to start both qualifiers.

Matt Besler, DF, Sporting Kansas City

Why he’s here: A knee injury forced him to miss five weeks plus last month’s MLS All-Star game, but Besler returned to the SKC lineup on Saturday and helped his team pitch a clean sheet against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

What this means: A healthy Besler is good news for club and country, no doubt. But his extended absence — the 29-year-old was last seen for Sporting way back on July 13 — means it wouldn’t be a shock if Klinsmann leaves him home this time.

Clint Dempsey, FW, Seattle Sounders

Why he’s here: As with Altidore, his timing couldn’t be better. Dempsey added two more goals in Sunday’s 3-1 win against the Portland Timbers, giving him five (and one assist) in his last three games.

What this means: With Bobby Wood having just made his preseason debut for Bundesliga side Hamburg on Monday, don’t be shocked if Dempsey and Altidore, whose spot Wood filled admirably at Copa America, resume their partnership up top next month.

Brad Guzan, GK, Middlesbrough

Why he’s here: Guzan made his first start in Boro’s second game of the Premier League season on Sunday, leading his new employer to a 2-1 win at Sunderland.

What this means: Guzan got the nod after ex-Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes was injured in training and played well overall. He should keep his place at least for Middlesbrough’s next match, Wednesday’s League Cup tilt vs. Fulham. That should assuage any concerns about the 31-year-old’s match fitness heading into the international break.

Lynden Gooch, MF, Sunderland

Why he’s here: The 20-year-old made his second straight start for Sunderland and went 90 minutes in the loss to Guzan and Co. He was involved throughout, too, mostly on the left wing and was named the Black Cats’ man of the match.

What this means: The sudden emergence of Gooch is exciting for the national team. But the former U.S. under-20 is still more likely to get his maiden senior invite in October, when the Americans play friendlies against Cuba and New Zealand, than before two important World Cup qualifiers. Besides, staying in England this time around might keep him in rhythm and help him hold onto his place under David Moyes.

Josh Gatt, MF, Molde FK

Why he’s here: Gatt didn’t even feature in Sunday’s 4-2 win against Odds BK in the Norwegian Tippeligaen, but the 24-year-old winger, who won the last of his two U.S. caps in early 2013, deserves a mention for making manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s 18-man squad after missing most of the last three years because of knee injuries.

What this means: It’s way too early to talk about Gatt in the context of a national team return, but credit to the Michigan native — once one of America’s hottest prospects — for making it back.

Julian Green, MF, Bayern Munich

Why he’s here: Green, 21, played the final 24 minutes of Bayern’s 5-0 German Cup rout of lower division Carl Zeiss Jena last Friday.

What this means: It’s a promising sign than Green will get at least some time off the bench for Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season, if he’s not sold or loaned before the Aug. 31 deadline.

Cooling down

Geoff Cameron, DF, Stoke City

Why he’s here: The center-back dressed but didn’t play in either of Stoke’s first two Premier League games.

What this means: The 31-year-old joined up late for preseason after his stellar run for the U.S. at Copa, then took ill on the eve of the new season. But as long as Cameron sees minutes either in the midweek cup game against Stevenage or Saturday’s Premier League match at Everton, Klinsmann won’t be overly concerned.

Fabian Johnson, DF, Borussia Monchengladbach

Why he’s here: The versatile German-American played a combined nine substitute minutes in Gladbach’s two most recent matches.

What this means: We’ll have a better sense of where Johnson stands in manager Andre Schubert’s pecking order this time next week; the club plays a Champions League playoff-round match against Switzerland’s Young Boys before opening Bundesliga play against Bayern Leverkusen on Saturday. Either way, only injury will prevent him from lining up at left-back for the U.S. next month.

Darlington Nagbe, MF, Portland Timbers

Why he’s here: Since returning from Copa America duty, Nagbe has no goals and two assists in 12 games for the Timbers. The MLS champions have gone 3-6-3 during that span.What this means: To be fair, Portland’s recent struggles aren’t all down to Nagbe. But there’s still a sense that the midfielder could do more to impose himself during games, both at the club level and with the national team.

Christian Pulisic, MF, Borussia Dortmund

Why he’s here: The 17-year-old was left out of Dortmund’s squad for last week’s German Super Cup loss to Bayern and, while he made the roster for Monday’s cup match against Eintracht Trier in place of injured Mario Gotze, he didn’t see the field.What this means: In terms of his long-term prospects? Nothing. Those remain sky-high. But in the short term and as a practical matter, the attacking players BVB signed this summer — specifically Gotze, Ousmane Dembele and Andre Schurrle — appear to have impacted the youngster’s minutes already.So, if he’s not going to go on loan, it may be difficult for Pulisic, who made nine Bundesliga appearances (four starts) and scored two goals in the second half of the 2015-16 season, to play on a regular basis early on.Doug McIntyre is a staff writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @DougMacESPN.

Christian Pulisic in Borussia Dortmund cup squad due to Mario Gotze injury

Dortmund play fourth-tier side Eintracht Trier in the first round of the DFB Pokal on Monday and coach Thomas Tuchel said Pulisic would fill in for summer signing Gotze, who has problems in the thigh/adductor region.”We will rest Mario Gotze as a precautionary measure, and we’ve decided Christian Pulisic will be named in the squad in his stead,” Tuchel told reporters. Pulisic, 17, was reported to be unhappy after he was not selected for Dortmund’s 2-0 Super Cup defeat against Bayern Munich and there had been speculation he would seek a temporary move to secure more regular game time this season.However, his father subsequently denied those claims and Pulisic himself vowed to fight for his place, saying: “I want to play as much as I can.” Tuchel also confirmed that 2014 World Cup winner Roman Weidenfeller, 36, will be his first-choice goalkeeper for all DFB Pokal matches.He said: “Roman Weidenfeller will play in goal in the cup matches, and Roman Burki will start in the other two competitions.”Stephan Uersfeld is the Germany correspondent

U.S. Hot List: Competition brews as Howard heats up and Guzan sits out

With less than two weeks to go until the U.S. national team’s roster for the World Cup qualifying matches against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago is revealed, which players are putting themselves in position to participate?Attackers are leading the way once again, although at least two of them are probably best considered long-term projects rather than locks for coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad next month.The situation in goal is almost equally as interesting, with an open competition brewing between two of the program’s most decorated veterans. Injuries are again a factor, as is always the case, with time quickly running out for one regular starter in the midfield.It’s all below in this week’s U.S. Hot List.

Warming up

Jozy Altidore, F, Toronto FC (MLS)

Why he’s here: Altidore was in Toronto’s lineup for the first time in three months against the Houston Dynamo on Sunday and scored a beauty of an equalizer in the 1-1 away tie. The veteran striker, who had come off the bench in the Reds’ previous three matches following a hamstring injury, now has three goals in his last 186 minutes of action.What this means: He’s sharp and noticeably svelte but still not fit for a full 90 minutes (Altidore was substituted midway through the second half against the Dynamo). TFC play three more times before the Americans convene in Florida ahead of their trip to the Caribbean, though, so the 26-year-old should at least be ready for a role off the bench for his country next month.

Steve Birnbaum, D, D.C. United (MLS)

Why he’s here: The central defender’s goal against the Portland Timbers on Saturday was his second in as many weeks; the 25-year-old also scored a94th-minute equalizer against the Philadelphia Union on Aug. 6.What this means: Birnbaum’s knack for finding the net — he had the game-winner for the Americans in a January friendly versus Iceland — is one of the reasons he’s been a regular for the U.S. this year. It’s also why he’s expected to move overseas at the end of the current MLS season.

Ethan Finlay, M/F, Columbus Crew (MLS)

Why he’s here: On Saturday, Finlay scored twice late in Columbus’ 3-3 tieagainst New York City FC — his first start for the Crew in a month.What this means: Finlay, 26, got off to a slow start this season after making his U.S. debut in January and didn’t crack the Copa America roster. Needless to say, Saturday’s performance comes at a good time.

Lynden Gooch, M/F, Sunderland (England)

Why he’s here: The 20-year-old Californian was a surprise starter in the Black Cats’ Premier League season opening loss to mighty Manchester City on Saturday, going 64 minutes on the left wing.What this means: It’s just one game, and next month’s international matches will probably come too soon for the former U.S. under-20 player, but Gooch’s speed, versatility and pedigree will probably be irresistible to Klinsmann later this year if he continues to earn minutes from manager David Moyes.

Tim Howard, G, Colorado Rapids (MLS)

Why he’s here: Howard stood on his head against the LA Galaxy on Saturday, making five saves — including three spectacular stops — in a 1-1 draw.What this means: The 37-year-old was Brad Guzan’s deputy at Copa America, but so far the pair have split the Americans’ four qualifying games of the 2018 cycle. With Guzan idle in England, expect Howard to get at least one of these two upcoming tilts, too.

Aron Johannsson, F, Werder Bremen (Germany)

Why he’s here: The oft-injured striker saw the field for the first time in nearly a year following hip surgery, appearing in Werder’s two most recent preseason matches.What this means: Even if Johannsson isn’t fully ready by the time the Bundesliga season begins (against Bayern Munich on Aug. 26) or for the September qualifiers, his return is great big-picture news for both the 2014 World Cup vet and the U.S., which is quietly building considerable forward depth heading into the Hexagonal.

Jordan Morris, F, Seattle Sounders (MLS)

Why he’s here: A week after running Orlando City SC’s back line ragged and setting up two Clint Dempsey strikes, Morris scored his team-high eighth goal of the season in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake.What this means: Morris’ progress with the Sounders has been fun to watch this season. He has struggled at times, as expected, during his first professional season, but the 21-year-old Seattle native has also responded to the inevitable adversity with aplomb and is deserving of his first senior team invite of 2016.

Gyasi Zardes, M/F, LA Galaxy (MLS)

Why he’s here: Zardes came back from a two-game injury layoff in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup loss to FC Dallas, then started and went the distance against Colorado three days later, getting robbed by a point-blank Howard stop along the way.What this means: Given the amount of minutes the hard-running 24-year-old has played for the U.S. since making his international debut in 2015 — more than anyone besides Michael Bradley — having him healthy and available next month is hugely important for the team.

Cooling down

Brad Guzan, G, Middlesbrough (England)

Why he’s here: Guzan watched from the bench as former Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes manned the net for Boro in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Stoke City.What this means: The decision wasn’t unexpected, as the job is considered Valdes’ to lose. But while the 34-year-old played well enough against Stoke, it was only Valdes’ eighth first-team appearance since leaving Barca two years ago (he made two for Manchester United in 2014-15 and five on loan to Belgium’s Standard Liege last season). The Spaniard is also mistake-prone at times. So while Guzan will have to wait for his chance, it figures to present itself at some point.

Jermaine Jones, M, Colorado Rapids (MLS)

Why he’s here: He was listed as questionable before the game in LA, but Jones (knee injury) ended up missing his sixth consecutive match.What this means: It’s looking less and less likely that Jones, 34, will be able to play any role for the U.S. next month.

Gregory Garza, D, Club Tijuana (Mexico)

Why he’s here: Garza was not in the Xolos‘ 18-man roster for Friday’s 2-0 victory over Leon.

What this means: Garza, 25, started the first two games of the season under former Mexico national team coach Miguel Herrera, but he could be falling victim to the Liga MX’s new 10/8 rule. Despite the fact that he holds Mexican citizenship through his father, the Texas-born left-back is no longer counted as a domestic player south of the border. If that’s the reason he didn’t dress, it’s a worrying development. He was on the bench the last two matches following a concussion scare.

Edgar Castillo, D, Monterrey (Mexico)

Why he’s here: The little full-back is out for two months with a knee injury, sidelining him for the U.S. games in September and October.What this means: While it’s true that Castillo is mostly a squad player for the Americans — he was added to the Copa roster only after Bundesliga-based German-American Timmy Chandler was forced to withdraw because of injury — his absence robs the U.S. of some badly needed depth at left-back.ESPN FC’s Tom Marshall contributed reporting from Mexico.Doug McIntyre is a staff writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @DougMacESPN.

Over/Under: European club, season predictions for 2016-17

How many trophies will the elite clubs net in 2016-17? We predict that and more, taking a look at the major European leagues and seasons ahead.

BEN LYTTLETON Thursday August 18th, 2016 SI

With the new top-flight seasons set to kick off in Italy and Spain this weekend–and Germany one week later–and the Premier League just underway, there are lots of predictions to be made and questions to be answered. Will the competitive imbalance in France, Germany and Italy continue to be a problem? Will we see a surprise winner in any league? Will there be an outsider who cracks the Champions League elite? And just who will Jose Mourinho fall out with next?

With all of those questions–and more!–in mind, we take a look at the European club landscape in the over/under prism to provide as much clarity as possible entering a nine-month quest for trophies and championships:

Over/Under 2.5: Trophies for…

Bayern Munich

Carlo Ancelotti has already won his first trophy at Bayern, last weekend’s Super Cup win over Dortmund, getting him and his new club off to a winning start. But there was a clear difference in approach: Bayern had 45% possession and was happy to play on the break; it’s not quite the Pep Guardiola way, but it’s effective. With Dortmund recruiting smartly in summer, the question is whether it can push Bayern off the top spot in the Bundesliga. Ancelotti is a cup specialist, and the German Cup and Champions League might be where he sets his sights. Bayern will not find things as easy as this season.

Prediction: Under

Barcelona

The Spanish Super Cup is won, after Wednesday’s victory against Sevilla. Now all Luis Enrique needs to do is have his team defend its La Liga crown and win the Champions League or Spanish Cup (that’s all!). While the first XI may not change too much this season–with Marc-Andre ter Stegen likely to replace Claudo Bravo (who appears bound for Manchester City) as the first-choice La Liga goalkeeper, and Sergi Roberto replacing Dani Alves at right back, the supporting cast is stronger than ever. Midfield schemer Andre Gomes has joined from Valencia, Denis Suarez is back where he started and Samuel Umtiti and Lucas Digne improve the defensive depth.

Prediction: Over

Manchester United

Like Ancelotti, Mourinho got off to a winning start at Manchester United, winning the Community Shield as his first piece of silverware at Old Trafford. Next up? The Premier League title, which he says others are too scared to admit they are targeting. The signs were encouraging after the opening game at Bournemouth, and that’s before Paul Pogba has even started playing. Pogba could be a difference-maker, but depending on where he plays, he could also make threaten the place of Wayne Rooney. Mourinho will target cup runs too–including the Europa League–but might fall just short this time around.

Prediction: Under

Paris Saint-Germain

Another big club, another new coach and this time Unai Emery has already won over his players and the fans at PSG. “We are working better tactically,” said Thiago Silva of Laurent Blanc’s replacement. Fans have also enjoyed Emery’s personal website launch, in which they are invited to pick their PSG team and see how it compares to his. PSG’s 4-1 rout over Lyon was a sign of where this season could go with Emery at the helm of a team that has won consecutive domestic trebles.

Prediction: Over

Over/Under 1.5: Trophies for…

Manchester City

It’s still early days for Guardiola, but the first week of the season has been encouraging, even if the team was helped by some generous defending from Sunderland and, particularly, Steaua Bucharest. The attacking potential of Sergio Aguero and his back-up cast is frightening, though if the Argentine is injured at the business end of the season, things could get tricky. The Premier League is the prime target for Guardiola, while a return to the Champions League semifinals (where Guardiola has never fallen short of reaching but has been eliminated in four straight seasons) is a possibility, too. Add a domestic cup to the mix, and the Pep project could be off to a flying start.

Prediction: Over

Real Madrid

Real Madrid has now gone five seasons without winning La Liga, and this summer’s low-key transfer moves suggest an end to that run is not in the offing. The reigning Champions League holder will have its work cut out defending that crown, just as Cristiano Ronaldo, chasing a sixth straight season in which he scores at least 50 goals, might find Father Time catching up with him. It’s already won the UEFA Super Cup, besting Sevilla, so that leaves one of the league, Champions League, Copa del Rey and Club World Cup titles to take it over 1.5. Of the bunch, the Club World Cup (where UEFA entrants have won eight of the 12 titles) is the likeliest prize.

Prediction: Over

Over/Under 9: Points by which Juventus wins Serie A

17. 17. 9. 4. That’s how many points by which Juventus has won the last five Serie A titles. It looks locked-in for a sixth in a row after signing its rivals’ best players–Miralem Pjanic from Roma and Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli–but it could be derailed if, as it clearly hopes, it goes deep in the Champions League and its focus is split. After reaching the final in 2015, the aim is to go one better this year.

Prediction: Over

Over/Under 20.5: Goals scored by new Napoli’s Higuain replacement, Milik

Higuain scored more than a goal per game in Serie A last season (36 goals in 35 matches) and his replacement, Poland’s Arkadiusz Milik, will need to hit the ground running. Milik cost £34 million, after scoring 21 goals in the Dutch league last season. It’s a big purchase for Napoli, which will hope it pays off, but scoring in the Eredivisie and scoring in Serie A are two entirely different tasks.

Over/Under 1.5: Ligue 1 games PSG loses this season

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Where do you go after winning the league four times in a row with barely a challenge? Last season PSG wanted to go unbeaten, and for 27 games, it looked possible. Then came a 2-1 loss at Lyon, and PSG’s version of the Invincibles was over. It lost at home to Monaco three weeks later. Can it come close again? With Hatem Ben Arfa, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Jese and Thomas Meunier among the new arrivals and Emery winning friends as coach, the question is when and not if PSG will win the league, even after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure. The real challenge is taking the next step in the Champions League and conquering Europe.

Prediction: Under

Over/Under 9.5: Leicester City’s final Premier League position

Last season’s surprise Premier League champion had a nasty wake-up call with its opening-day defeat at newly-promoted and written-off Hull City. But off the pitch it has sealed two big wins, with Jamie Vardy and, on Wednesday, Riyad Mahrez, signing new deals–so the attacking stars of 2015-16 will stay (at least until January offers roll in). Coach Claudio Ranieri says survival is the target, but regardless of European distractions, this squad is good enough to finish top half in the table. Expect the Foxes to regain their bite–maybe not against Arsenal on Saturday, but in the coming weeks.

Prediction: Over (top-half of the table)

Over/Under 3.5: Players Manchester City will be able to sell before the summer window shuts

It’s early days in the Pep-olution at the Etihad, but a few truths have already emerged after the first game of the season. Guardiola does not rate Joe Hart; there is no space for Yaya Toure in the squad; and Wilfried Bony, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri and Jesus Navas are all available if someone is prepared to take on their salaries. There is some talent in that group, but Guardiola will want to trim down his squad, and the focus for the City board next week will be selling rather than buying.

Prediction: Under

Over/Under 2.5: Number of Spanish players to make over 20 starts for Real Madrid this season

Zinedine Zidane has made his point as Real Madrid coach, as this is one of those rare summers during which the club has not made a big-money signing. Instead it has welcomed back two players, Alvaro Morata and Marco Asensio, from successful loan spells. Zidane has won the power battle with Florentino Perez, for now, but will his Spanish contingent get much game time? Sergio Ramos will play if fit, and the same might go for Dani Carvajal, but what of Morata, Asensio and Lucas Vasquez, the winger who excelled last season and scored a penalty in the Champions League final shootout win? If Isco lasts the month, does he have a role to play, too?

Prediction: Over

Over/Under 3.5: Managers Mourinho will attack in the press

It’s been a relatively quiet start to the season for Mourinho, with only a mild poke at Jurgen Klopp and Arsene Wenger for their clubs not being big enough to sign Pogba. It was his early foray in the siege mentality/belligerent wind-ups in which he likes to engage. But there is plenty of time to go, and it promises to be interesting to see him lock horns with his bête noire Guardiola, as well as Wenger (again), Klopp (whose Dortmund beat his Real Madrid in the 2013 Champions League semifinal), and, of course, Ranieri, who was often on the receiving-end of his barbs when they were both coaching in Italy. The lower this number, the better United will be doing. Mourinho tends to pick fights when the pressure is greatest.

Prediction: Over

Over/Under 75.5: Combined La Liga goals scored by Messi, Suarez, Neymar

This is a generous estimate considering last season’s total scored between the three of them was 90 (out of 112 in total, so 80% of the team’s tally). But this is factoring in the potential of injuries and, given that Barcelona is looking to finally sign a fourth striker to give each of them some chance of a break, less playing time. Because all three are South American, holidays come in short supply: this summer they were with their countries for either Copa America or the Olympics, and the toll of traveling for international breaks and World Cup qualifying could start to add up–especially now that Messi has un-retired from international football.

Prediction: Over

Over/Under 3.5: Bundesliga coaches linked with jobs in England

It used to be Frenchmen, then Italians and very briefly Spaniards, but Liverpool’s feel-good factor under Jurgen Klopp will be noted by Premier League chairmen who have the likes of Thomas Tuchel (Borussia Dortmund) and Roger Schmidt (Leverkusen) on their radars. Also look out for Martin Schmidt (Mainz), Markus Wienzierl (Schalke) and Pal Dardai (Hertha Berlin).

Prediction: Under

Over/Under €49.5 million: Amount at which point Lyon will consider selling Alexandre Lacazette

We’ve been here before; 12 months ago, in fact, when Lyon’s tough negotiator and president Jean-Michel Aulas rejected bids for Lacazette and upset the player as well. This time around, Lacazette is playing it smarter. He scored a hat trick on Ligue 1’s opening day against Nancy, smiled when asked about his future and said, “Ask the president.” If someone bids €50 million for him, then Lyon will sell. Arsenal bid €35 million last month and might go up a level in the next two weeks.

Prediction: Over

La Liga 2016-17 preview: Barca and Real to contest the title, Atletico to slip

I think it was Confucius who once wisely said, “There are Five Things about everything.” How right he was — and here are mine as far as Spain’s new La Liga season goes.

1. A two-horse race for the title

Usain Bolt has turned the Olympic 100-meter final into a one-horse race for eight long years now. Still, the world devours it, loves it and venerates him. In the U.S. alone, 35 million people tuned in to watch the Jamaican sprint, have a cigar, chat to some competitors, grin for the cameras, make a cup of tea and meander home for gold. Again.But when people like me admit that this year’s Spanish title is a two-horse race, there’s usually a wailing and a gnashing of teeth, an end-of-times condemnation of everything in Spanish football from the TV money to the exquisite fine art they’ve developed here of making it as hard and confusing as possible to actually watch the thing. What makes me sadder now is that previously the thoroughbred stallions, Barcelona and Real Madrid, cut through the field not because the other competitors were poor, but because the two of them were utterly elite.Right now, however, when you look at the runners and riders it’s reasonable to fear that there has been an equine decline. And yes, I’m sorry, Atleti fans. They won’t — in fact, they can’t — win the league title.When Diego Simeone’s vastly impressive, vastly likeable group of players became champions in 2014, the two thoroughbreds were a touch lame. But right now, Madrid are a well-equipped squad (not by any means perfect in certain positions, mostly the back four) and also imbued with a confidence, a fighting spirit and a sense of mission which makes them good competitors. Conquering Europe will never, ever be made to look like a “second best” option for them, but the fact that they’ve won one Spanish title since 2008 means that La Liga will actually be their top priority.As much as I wanted Zinedine Zidane to isolate Madrid’s wrong-headed president, Florentino Perez, and make him change his ways by not accepting the job, he has been an absolutely wonderful addition to the racecourse here. Impishly happy in his work, elegant, tough, increasingly smart in his decision-making, full of leadership qualities and committed to attractive (read: winning) football, he has galvanised his club and it’s just terrific to watch.Then there’s Luis Enrique and his champions. Despite the adrenaline injection from a phalanx of young, hungry and technically able footballers like Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne, Andre Gomes and Denis Suarez, the absolute key factors are these: the front trident (Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez) is sublime and the key members of the squad are, somehow, managing to fight the psychological rust that usually ends winning eras.The transfer market hasn’t closed yet, so wild things could still happen, but look at it this way. Madrid lost the first Clasico 4-0 at home, dropped points stodgily until Rafa Benitez was sacked and coped with two-thirds of the “BBC” (namely Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale) starting just 21 and 26 league games respectively but still had the title in their sights until the final matchday. Throw in Alvaro Morata and Marco Asensio (recalled to HQ after time at Juventus and Espanyol) and Barcelona have a rival on their hands.So what’s wrong with Atleti? Like Barcelona, we have to admire how they keep a fire raging in their bellies. Not just when they hear the roar of the crowd and the scent of win bonuses on game night. No: This is a club, a coach and a group of athletes who go to war every single day. They’ll be capable of winning the Copa and even the Champions League, but do they have the excellence, the “special” players, to dig out exceptional results in extremis?I’m not convinced.If Atleti are sitting top with a couple of games to go then, don’t worry: You won’t have to go to your bookmarks and use this to mock me. I’ll be happily patting them on the back and celebrating the two-steed race seeing a dark horse edging in front down the stand side. For now, I’m just happy to be working in a league that has two Usain Bolt-esque teams fighting to go higher, faster and stronger.

2. The next-tier contenders all have major flaws

I’d like to be more positive and more optimistic about the supporting cast. Football often benefits from change, innovation and problem-solving results. But no matter how you package it, Sevilla and Villarreal have lost two intelligent, successful, driven and high-quality coaches in Unai Emery and Marcelino. How they cope with that will be a test. Interesting and quite possibly fun, too.At Sevilla, it’s going to be fascinating to discover how well Ganso and Wissam Ben Yedder can add the kind of élan, chutzpah and Toreador instincts that the crowd love down there. Jorge Sampaoli will have his team well-drilled, full of hard work and raucous to play against, but is there a cutting edge?Valencia: I know them well and just think Pako Ayesteran is the bees knees. Bright, diligent, head over heels in love with football, blessed with a winning etiquette and endlessly hard working. One smart dude. But the squad lacks quality and they’re shedding too much of the talent they did possess. Storm clouds there, sadly.I admit I’ve high hopes for Fran Escriba but before September comes, Villarreal’s exceptional recruitment department needs to add more goals: either those who make them or take them.

3. Why you should watch out for Espanyol, Real Betis

I’m hugely intrigued and excited about two teams in particular as La Liga restarts. Quique Sanchez Flores is not only a coach of proven talent but he’s also Spanish football royalty: a title winner as a player, the godson of Alfredo Di Stefano, a man from an artistic family who’ve been beloved in this country for decades.And now there’s a “Dirty Dozen’ or “Kelly’s Heroes” feel about his Espanyol squad. The old soldiers accepting one big and thrilling last mission include Martin Demichelis and Jose Antonio Reyes, each of whom has supped the nectar at football’s top table in the past. Pablo Piatti and Leo Baptistao add the impish, lovable “Peter Pan” feel to the project: they’re awfully full of talent but too preoccupied with being cool to show it all the time.If they focus and get inspired by Sergeant Major Snchez Flores, then who knows? The mission might yield some laughs and some victories. No negative waves either.Nor will many of those be allowed at Betis. Gus Poyet is a phenomenon — misinterpreted, I think, because of his love of a laugh and some chatter. He has an impish sense of humour, a voracious hunger for life. The fact that he gobbled up finals and trophies wherever he went as a player indicates the truth: he’s intense, hard working, dedicated to winning. A stern rival.It’s true that Betis have a lot of workday players — not Charly Musonda (on loan from Chelsea), Matis Nahuel (borrowed from Villarreal) or Ruben Castro, mind you — but when Gus says he wants his team to play with character, attacking attractively and using the ball intelligently, he means it.It’s worth watching these two teams this season, I’d say.

4. Look out for Athletic, too!

I guess it went under most people’s radar that Athletic Club played 24 matches over and above their Liga campaign last season. Some achievement: they won a trophy, their first since the beginning of the 1980s, thanks to a Supercopa thrashing of Barcelona, they eliminated both Valencia and Marseille from Europe and experienced a valiant quarterfinal Copa defeat to the eventual winners, Barcelona.I think that speaks volumes about the quality, spirit and attitude at the club — particularly as they qualified for Europe again by finishing fifth. Hats off.You’re right about the question marks, though. Another year older for the dazzlingly special Aritz Aduriz, not far removed from Raul Garcia’s health scare, and Aymeric Laporte is still recovering both form and fitness after his broken fibula. But it’s worth keeping your eye on the exhilirating Iñaki Williams and watching how Guillermo and Oscar Gil develop.If Luis Enrique doesn’t renew his contract with Barcelona, then it’ll be third or fourth time lucky for Ernesto Valverde at the Camp Nou, I’d guess. There is still time for him to win a knockout trophy with Athletic just in case this does prove to be his last season at the mighty San Mames.

5. Must-see TV in Granada

Paco Jemez is a true managerial enigma: good enough to coach Rayo to more Primera Liga permanence than anyone outside that rock n’ roll club thought possible. Good enough to make Carlo Ancelotti ask him whether he could come and study training. At the same time, he’s either unwilling or unable to coach a team to defend.I know some Rayo players who’ll tell you he just doesn’t bother with anything other than “attack is the only form of defence.” Also, they’ll note that Jemez is a high maintenance guy who’ll have his work cut out to survive at a club which isn’t the hand-in-glove “fit” he had with Rayo.Now, he’s at Granada. New, demanding owners… same old demanding Los Carmones crowd but no Youssef El Arabi or Adalberto Peñaranda up front.For better or worse, there will be fireworks down in Granada over the coming months. Stay tuned. Oh, and welcome back.Graham Hunter covers Spain for ESPN FC and Sky Sports.

Season preview: Dortmund’s chance to knock Bayern off Bundesliga perch

A spending spree of €110 million on eight new players. The capture of two German internationals from two Bundesliga rivals. A disciplined, tactics-obsessed coach who will soon attract plenty of interest from the Premier League. Hold on a minute: Have Borussia Dortmund turned into the new Bayern Munich?BVB supporters and neutrals alike will hope that the 2016-17 will bring Thomas Tuchel’s men and the four-in-a-row champions from Bavaria much closer together, even to the point of the table(s) being turned. It’s certainly a compelling matchup: a new, completely reconstructed, hungry but necessarily unfinished Dortmund side versus the post-Pep Bayern of Carlo Ancelotti, a Champions League specialist who rarely delivers championships.The Italian’s remarkably modest record of three league titles in 20 years hints at the closest title race in years. But the sheer amount of talented players and smart coaches plying their trade in the 54th Bundesliga season should offer plenty of excitement beyond the Red vs. Black and Yellows tussle, with real quality football from top to bottom.

Three big storylines

Tuchel’s revolution and Ancelotti’s first year at Sabener Strasse aside, one of the biggest stories will be RB Leipzig’s hostile reception in their debut season in the top flight. The Red Bull-controlled and sponsored side are facing calls of stadium boycotts by opposing fans. They’ll be considered public enemy No. 1 by traditionalists who dislike a corporation gaming the system the way Red Bull have — legitimately — by taking over a fifth division side and rising through the leagues.Sporting success for RB will turn up the volume of dissent but could also inspire others to follow suit. The wider point is whether the league will allow more direct investment in the face of new money, mostly from China, flooding football elsewhere.Bayer 04 Leverkusen were tipped as champions by Hertha BSC coach Pal Dardai. That might be overly optimistic, but it isn’t altogether outlandish. Roger Schmidt didn’t lose any key players and gained German international Kevin Volland in attack. Overall, the team is good enough to consolidate in third place. Leverkusen’s relatively small stature and following, however, will see the bigger, more strategically important battle to become the third true force in the league continue.Schalke 04, under new manager Markus Weinzierl, and the reliably well-run Borussia Monchengladbach are well-placed to break up the Bayern vs. Dortmund duopoly, but strong competition will make that hard, as Hamburger SV and Wolfsburg harbour ambitions to make it into the Champions League too.This season will also see the momentous, historic introduction of live video evidence — kind of. The Bundesliga will trial the use of video referees by having officials watch three matches each week and take notes, for research purposes only. If that first run of tests proves positive, actual video referees could come in at the start of the next season.

Marquee signings

World Cup winners Mats Hummels (Dortmund to Bayern), Mario Gotze (Bayern to Dortmund) and Andre Schurrle (Wolfsburg to Dortmund) were the biggest names to sign on the dotted line.Hummels has moved back to Bayern, where he started as a player, in order to win trophies, but his Germany teammates Gotze and Schurrle need to first find themselves again and fulfill their huge potential in the wake of false dawns.It’s a similar story with Mario Gomez (Fiorentina to Wolfsburg), while Portuguese teenage midfielder Renato Sanches (Benfica to Bayern) and Swiss talent Breel Embolo (Basel to Schalke) will aim to add to their burgeoning reputation.

Big departures

The class of BVB duo Ilkay Gundogan (Man City) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United) will be missed — and not just by fans of Tuchel’s team.The loss of the prodigious German international Leroy Sane to Man City also hurts both Schalke and the league, even if the blow was cushioned by a transfer fee so inflated that Schalke 04 couldn’t possibly refuse to sell.

Who will win the league?

Dortmund’s typically smart acquisition of future stars (left-back Raphael Guerreiro, winger Ousmane Dembele and attacking midfielder Emre Mor) and underrated performers (Sebastian Rode and Marc Bartra) will enable Tuchel to rotate more, introduce even more tactical flexibility and speed BVB’s game up even further.The number of changes to the side will take some time to be implemented properly, and it’s hard to see Bayern drop too many points with the superlative squad at Ancelotti’s disposal. But if Dortmund manage to stay the course until the latter part of the season, when Bayern’s focus might well shift to the Champions League, a first title for the Black and Yellows since 2012 appears feasible.

Battle at the bottom

As much as underfunded Darmstadt admirably beat the odds to stay up last season, it’s difficult to see them repeat that feat, now that manager Dirk Schuster has moved on to FC Augsburg and Norbert Meier has taken over.In terms of individual potential, the Lilies simply can’t hold a candle to their opponents. Although many have tipped Werder Bremen to follow VfB Stuttgart down to Bundesliga 2 in May, the Northerner’s squad is good enough to stay up in relative safety, provided the club realise that Viktor Skripnik needs replacing.SC Freiburg will almost certainly keep the faith with Christian Streich, come what may, but their outlook is bleak. Like Darmstadt, Ingolstadt could suffer from “second season syndrome,” which is just a fancy phrase for the lack of quality catching up with you eventually.

EPL Notes: Investments paying off for Premier League’s wealthiest clubs

QUICKLY -Wealthy powers Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City are gaining immediate returns for their expensive investments.PETER BERLINSunday August 21st, 2016 SI

Two weeks into the new Premier League season, a glance at the standings suggests a return to big business as usual. Only four clubs have won their first two matches. Three of them are the trio of oligarchs who had won 11 straight league titles before Leicester so rudely interrupted last season.All three are under new management, having hired the most prestigious coaches on the market. The fourth pacesetter, Hull, does not have a manager at all. In the transfer market, the two Manchester clubs have attempted to crush the competition under sacks of money. Net spending for both clubs is close to $200 million. Chelsea has spent half that amount, although that was on only two players, and, because of the sales of Mohamed Salah and Papy Djilobodji, is fourth in net outlay behind Arsenal (a stat which may surprise the Emirates Wenger haters). Hull has bought one player, Mohamed Diamé, for $7 million, but more on Hull later.So far, results suggest the wealthy threesome are all gaining immediate returns for their investments. On Friday, United beat Southampton 2-0. On Saturday, City won 4-1 at Stoke and Chelsea fought back to win 2-1 at Watford.

United already looks like a José Mourinho team: big, hard working, organized and ruthless in exploiting errors.The new manager has supervised a high-priced spine transplant. The early evidence is that the operation has been a success.At the heart of the defense, Eric Bailly is quick, tough and skillful. Ahead of him Paul Pogba, the luxury import from Italy, is flashier than a pimped-up Ferrari: powerful and fast and determined to show his value with every ostentatious touch. On Friday, his attacking intent repeatedly drove United forward. Southampton tacklers just bounced off. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored both goals. His movement, positioning and control are already shaping the way the team attacks. His finishing is breeding confidence in teammates who know if they create chances, Zlatan will score.Yet there is always a perverse side to Mourinho and his teams. This was his first home match as United manager. In the last 20 minutes, against an overmatched opponent, United could have gone for the throat. Instead, it parked the bus. Yet the home team had done enough to ensure that the demanding Old Trafford crowd went home justifiably happy.City is still a long way from a Pep Guardiola team, even if the final score at Stoke had a Barcelona look to it.For the second straight league match, City took the lead with a Sergio Agüero penalty (he also missed two the spot kicks in a 5-0 victory in Bucharest in the Champions League on Tuesday). The final score flattered City. In the last four minutes, as Stoke pressed, Nolito, a summer buy who was on for just 20 minutes, scored twice on the breakaway. Of the 10 players City bought in the summer only John Stones has so far made a league start. He already looks like an upgrade in central defense, which was not a big ask.Unlike Mourinho, Guardiola works in the long-term. He wore a broad and mischievous smile as he said: “I am a little bit surprised, in the short time, with the level we played here and in Bucharest.”Antonio Conte at Chelsea has only two new players, so far. At Watford, N’Golo Kanté, ran around industriously as Chelsea chased shadows. Michy Batshuayi came on in the 73^rdminute. Just seven minutes later (and 12 minutes into his Premier League career), he received a gift that will make him feel at home, poking a rebound into an empty net.That goal and Chelsea’s late winner were both set up by Cesc Fàbregas. In just 12 as a sub he gave his best Chelsea display in more than a year. That might have something to do with the arrival of Conte, or it might say more about how Mourinho managed the Spanish midfielder.Chelsea was largely outplayed but still won. That’s a trick Conte’s Italy team managed against Spain and almost pulled off against Germany in the Euros this summer.Mourinho is winning well. Guardiola and Conte are winning.

Crazy Costa—Once again, Chelsea won with a late goal by Diego Costa. Once again, the striker probably should not have been on the field.There is a theory that Costa is a cunning provocateur who knows just how far he can go. Yet in the first two matches he has misbehaved in pretty much every possible way. Both at West Ham and at Watford he received a first yellow card for the pointless offense of dissent. At West Ham, he might then have been sent off for kicking goalie Adrian, at Watford he escaped punishment for a dive that would have scored 9.5 in Rio.Maybe referees simply cannot believe what they are seeing. Maybe Costa isn’t that dumb. If referees won’t punish him, he can keep being naughty.

Possession is not eight tenths of the result—On Friday at Old Trafford, Southampton had almost 60 percent of the ball and never looked like winning. On Saturday at Burnley the numbers were even more one-sided.Liverpool enjoyed more than 80 percent of possession and completed some 760 passes in 90 minutes. The Reds set all sorts of records for statistical domination – while losing a match.Burnley deservedly won, 2-0. It completed fewer than 130 passes. It only had two shots on target, but they were good ones. Liverpool had 26 shots, but 17 were from outside the box, and only five were on target.”We have never been bogged down with all the stats about possession,” Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager told the BBC.

To Hull and Back—For the first 104 years of Hull City’s history its only claim to fame was that it represented the largest city in England never to have had a top-division soccer club.The Tigers are starting their fourth Premier League season in eight years. This was one was widely expected to end the same way as two of the previous three, in relegation. That was before manager Steve Bruce quit on the eve of the season because the club was dormant on the transfer market. That inactivity looked particularly damaging because the squad that squeaked out of the Championship has been crippled with long-term injuries.The club is surrounded by confusion. The owner, Assem Allam, who has been feuding with fans, reportedly wants to sell and is also reportedly ill.Yet Hull might have got lucky. Bruce is a specialist in taking teams up to the Premier League but not at keeping them there. Mike Phelan, the deputy who has taken his place for now, was an assistant at United for 14 years while that club won 13 trophies.Phelan insists his club has only 13 fit senior fit players. So far he has used just 12 as Hull has won its first two games. On Saturday, a week after beating the champion, Leicester, Hull went toe-to-toe with Swansea and won, 2-0. The solitary replacement, Shaun Maloney, scored the first, six minutes after coming on. It is difficult to imagine Hull emulating Leicester over 38 matches. Yet the Tigers are showing they aren’t as badly wounded as they would like their foes to believe and that their claws are sharp.Anyone inclined to believe him might have wanted to tune in to West Ham’s first Premier League game at its new home on Sunday.The Hammers eked out a 1-0 victory with a late goal after Bournemouth was reduced to 10 men.The home team desperately missed Dimitri Payet, who has still to start a game this season. It won only because referee Craig Pawson, having shown Harry Arter a yellow card for the fashionable offense of dissent, was then prepared to show the Bournemouth player another yellow, for yanking back Cheikhou Kouyaté in the 77^th minute.It was a dreary first league game in an arena fans of other clubs (except, perhaps, Manchester City) call “Taxpayer Stadium”. Until the naming rights are sold, its official name is The London Stadium or the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It was built for the 2012 Games and has been pretty much given to West Ham rather than allow it to rust with disuse.In theory it holds 60,000 for soccer, 70 percent more than Upton Park. If West Ham can keep filling it once the novelty wears off, it will give the club financial muscle to compete at a higher level. Atmosphere could be an issue. The stadium will continue to be used for track and field to fulfill the promises London made to win the right to host the game. Part of that space has been used to make the field 4 meters wider and 5 meters longer than the Boleyn Ground. That should lead to more goals, though there was precious little evidence of that on Sunday.Despite retractable seating, a huge green carpet surrounds the field. Visiting teams will welcome the vast expanse of green carpet between the field and the passionate West Ham fans. Because those passionate fans stood throughout an exhibition game and a Europa League match safety cut capacity by 3,000 for Sunday.The 57,000 who were allowed in were present at a memorable occasion and an utterly forgettable match.

MLS Villa’s NYCFC dazzle, Dempsey boosts Seattle, Chicago snaps away woes

Week 26 of the Major League Soccer season saw New York City FC seal a 1-0 win over the LA Galaxy and a handful of away wins in an entertaining round of matches.

NYCFC shows its credentials

From the outset of Saturday’s clash between New York City FC and the LA Galaxy at Yankee Stadium, the visitors were obviously uncomfortable. A team who is at their best when utilizing every inch of a large field back in Carson simply did not have the space to impose themselves on their hosts. And while NYCFC has not always thrived when playing on their home patch — jammed as it is into the confines of a baseball venue — they instituted a tactical tweak to challenge of the Galaxy that worked wonders.Patrick Vieira’s team used Ronald Matarrita’s ability to get up and down the left flank, shifting the rest of the backline around to cover for his forays. Early in the match, Matarrita ripped a shot that deflected off of Galaxy goalkeeper Clement Diop and into the path of Villa. The Spaniard was offside when the shot was taken but nonetheless guided the aerial deflection into the net. The flag stayed down and the goal proved the difference in the game.Is NYCFC a legitimate MLS Cup contender? Even if it’s hard to know if that’s true, this win is additional evidence that Vieira’s side has progressed over the course of 2016. Early in the season, it had trouble slowing down anyone, much less a team with as much attacking talent on the field as LA.NYCFC is now unbeaten in four, with the two wins in that stretch coming at home against Western Conference playoff contenders. Forming a habit of taking victories against teams in what is usually considered the tougher conference can’t hurt down the stretch of the season, especially as it’s helping NYCFC creep up the Supporters’ Shield standings.The winning goal was also Villa’s 16th of the year, putting the Spaniard in the driver’s seat for MVP. If NYCFC finishes out their campaign with a top seed in the East, he’ll deserve it.

Seattle’s surge

The Seattle Sounders have now won three straight after taking care of the Portland Timbers at CenturyLink Field by a 3-1 scoreline on Sunday night. Those nine points have the Sounders just two points back of the Timbers for the sixth playoff spot in the Western Conference, with two fewer games played. The Seattle revival shows no signs of abating and what looked like it might be a lost season has some hope.Sunday’s clash between the Cascadia clubs can be summed up by the divergent performances by players on each side. The winning Sounders got an immense night out of young midfielder Cristian Roldan. The University of Washington product cleaned up in the center of the field, drew the penalty that led to Clint Dempsey’s first goal, and then helped himself to a goal of his own, to cap off a good night. On the other side, Portland striker Jack McInerney — starting in place of Fanendo Adi for reasons that weren’t clear — missed several excellent chances that could have staked the Timbers to a lead and potentially changed the outcome.Seattle and Portland will do it again next Sunday — live on ESPN — after the Sounders make a midweek trip to Houston. While Portland is still winless at CenturyLink Field in the regular season, Seattle has a couple of wins to their name down the road at Providence Park. The match will feel even bigger than the usual Portland-Seattle clash considering the stakes might be a spot in the playoff places.

Going Away

It was a weekend of surprising away wins for a number of teams. Houston won on the road for the first time all year, as did Columbus. And Chicago, a club that hadn’t won a match away from Toyota Park for more than two years, broke that ignominious streak with a 3-0 thumping of the Impact in Montreal.Houston got a goal from Ricardo Clark and a second on a set piece from David Horst to claim a 2-1 win over San Jose at Avaya Stadium. The Dynamo might not have much of a chance of making a run to the playoffs in the West, but Wade Barrett has shown during his stint as interim head coach that he can get strong performances from a team that looked poor under Owen Coyle.Unlike Houston, Crew SC is suffering through a season that is not just bad, but painfully below expectations. Gregg Berhalter’s team isn’t quite out of it yet, but the pressure to get the move up the standings underway is rising. A win on the road in New England helps, especially since it takes points off of a team that is also in the mix for a postseason berth in the Eastern Conference. The Revs’ continuing defensive woes fed into Crew SC’s desperation.Of all of the places for Chicago’s losing away record to end, Montreal was from the most likely. The Impact had lost just twice in 2016 at Stade Saputo, while the Fire’s sputtering attack made a win there unlikely. But a goal from new acquisition Luis Solignac via a counterattack set Chicago up to control the game by absorbing Montreal’s pressure.

Finishing touches

A few quick thoughts on the rest of the happenings around the league:

Villa may have the edge at the moment, but Sebastian Giovinco isn’t going to relinquish his MVP title willingly. The Italian’s first touch on his goal in a 3-1 win vs. Philadelphia was truly special.D.C. United’s 2-2 draw with the Red Bulls at RFK Stadium was the type of game that leaves everyone unhappy. New York jumped out to a two-goal lead, only to have United execute a comeback and keep the Red Bulls to a single point. United can take some solace from their fight, but know that home games have to be wins at this point in the season.

Vancouver’s collapse — the Whitecaps have lost four in a row — couldn’t have come at a worse time. Carl Robinson’s team has a tough week ahead with a Champions League match against Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday night and a date against the Galaxy in LA on the weekend.

Indy 11 -tHREE FACTS AHEAD OF #OTTVIND

Three points before Sunday’s Fall Season battle Aug 25, 2016

1 – NUMBER OF WINS IN MEETINGS THIS YEAR

The lone win for Indy against Ottawa Fury FC is still at the forefront of most people’s minds having come just three weeks back in the middle of a three-game homestand at Carroll Stadium.Scoreless through the 90 minutes and into stoppage time, a late free kick was taken quickly by midfielders Brad Ring and Dylan Mares, and the latter swung in a deep cross that was met by Don Smart at the back post. Connecting all three of the Indiana OG’s, Smart somehow sent a ball hurdling towards goal that Ottawa ‘keeper Romuald Peiser could not keep out, instead punching it into the roof of his own net to give the “Boys in Blue” an extremely late lead.Indy held on through the final minute stoppage time to extend their home win streak one more game and knock off a Fury FC side that had won three straight games going into that night.

2 – TOTAL NUMBER OF MEETINGS THIS YEAR

It was cold, it was wet, and it was brutal – but the 2016 home opener back in April saw Indy Eleven draw one-all with Fury FC thanks to a late goal from left-back Nemanja Vukovic. Both sides lined up fairly different on that occasion than they do now, as Ottawa deployed a four man backline to their usual three man line now, and Indy head coach Tim Hankinson was still experimenting with the 4-2-3-1, a formation we never saw again after that night. However, the “Boys in Blue” would battle the conditions and fight all the way until the final whistle as the beginnings of their ‘never say die’ attitude shown through. After a spell of heavy pressure in the 89th minute, Don Smart lifted a cross into the area that defender Greg Janicki flicked on towards goal. Fury FC ‘netminder Peiser was in the way of the initial effort, but the ball trickled its way into the path of Nemanja Vukovic, and the Montenegrin opened his Indy Eleven account in dramatic fashion to secure the first point at home in 2016. With near stoppage time drama clearly a theme, expect the two sides to keep up the show this Sunday at TD Place.

3 – NUMBER OF FORMER FURY FC PLAYERS NOW IN INDY

Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Nicki Paterson and Colin Falvey all made the move from Indy to Ottawa in the 2016 offseason, and all three players have played a role in keeping the Circle City side near or at the top of the table at each point this season.For Ubiparipovic, despite his limited role thus far in the 2016 season, the No.10 has featured in seven games in both the Spring and Fall Seasons, starting five and contributing a crucial assist – Jair Reinoso’s opening tally against Rayo OKC back in April. The Serbian midfielder possesses a certain magic on the ball, with his quick touch, excellent vision, and mastery distribution all crucial elements of his game. Though we haven’t seen much of him in the fall, expect Ubi’s efforts both on the pitch and on the training ground to continue to influence Indy’s play.Scotish midfielder Nicki Paterson is the second addition of three, and controls the midfield with poise and energy when charged with holding down the center of the park. Appearing in 19 matches with 14 starts, Paterson has a trio of assists and one goal – his stunning free kick against MNU in the spring – on the statsheet and plays an integral part of Coach Hankinson’s side as an excellent variable whether starting or coming off the bench.Lastly, he’s the captain and his influence is well-known, and well heard, on Indy Eleven’s success in 2016. Colin Falvey made the switch from the 2014 Fall Champions to the 2016 Spring Champions in the offseason, and has started in all 13 appearances for the club. Had he not suffered a knock that kept him out for around six weeks, he would likely lead the team in appearances alongside “Iron Man” left-back Nemanja Vukovic, though the defender admits the time off allowed his body to fully recover to leave him ready for whatever comes next. Scoring one goal on the year – the winner against Rayo OKC – and assisting in keeping multiple clean sheets, Falvey is one of the many leaders Indy had been searching for heading into the year and remains that voice leading through the rest of the fall and into the playoffs.

THREE THINGS: #CAR win over INDy11

Our takeaways from a tough loss in Carolina -Aug 22, 2016

ROUGH ROAD

Road games in 2016 have not been kind to Indy Eleven. In the spring, the team captured just seven points in their five games away from Carroll Stadium, and won just one of those – their second test of the year in OKC. In the fall, the results have been even worse with a draw to Puerto Rico FC and losses at Minnesota United, and Miami FC now compounded by their third straight defeat in as many road games – Saturday night’s 3-2 loss to Railhawks FC at WakeMed Soccer Park. Heading into the weekend, Indy head coach Tim Hankinson emphasized on multiple occasions that teams at the top needn’t worry about their home matches as those were seemingly easy points in the bag, using the home records of FC Edmonton, the New York Cosmos, and Indiana’s Team as a reference point. Coach Hankinson pointed to the results on the road as the determining factor in the Fall Season title race, the only problem being that both FCE and NYC took care of business where his side did not.The Eddies took to the road against the Tampa Bay Rowdies and grinded out a 1-0 win in the “Sunshine State” thanks to a Daryl Fordyce penalty in the 76th minute, while the Cosmos traveled south to Puerto Rico FC and took home all three points due to a 91st minute stunner from midfielder Andres Flores. Meanwhile, a late-minute handball whistled on Indy midfielder Brad Ring gifted Carolina a stoppage time penalty, which Omar Bravo buried past Eleven ‘keeper Jon Busch to keep the three points in Carolina.It’s a long road to the Fall Season with plenty of ground left to cover, but if road results are to truly be the difference in the title race, then Coach Hankinson & co., need to pick up every point on the road they can, with chances against Ottawa Fury FC and the New York Cosmos in the next ten days.

LATE DRAMA NOT ALWAYS FAVORABLE

Indy’s success at the end of matches has been well documented this season, with last-gasp winners, stoppage time drama, and goals in the last quarter of an hour somehow always going the way of the “Boys in Blue.”Their fortune changed Saturday night.After twice taking the lead in the first half, the Bravo penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage that secured the win for Railhawks FC was the first time in league play that a late goal went against Indy to decide a win. In Miami a few weeks back, the South Beach side scored relatively late but had already built a 1-0 lead that was extended by a second goal in addition to Zayed’s late tally to pull one back. This time, however, it was the difference between stealing a point on the road and coming home empty-handed, with the latter being the unforunate result of this trip.It was inevitable that at some point, in some way, fortune had to favor the opposition at the end of a match. Now Indiana’s Team must hope this is one of just a few occasions.
WHAT NEXT?

With Indy now sitting third in the Fall Season table (19 pts) behind the New York Cosmos (20) and FC Edmonton (22), who also have a game in hand, each match means that much more.Fortunately, road contests against both the Cosmos and the Eddies present the opportunity for the Eleven to steal some points back and prove their strength away from home. Indy travel to New York next Wednesday (8/31) and will face FC Edmonton the first Sunday in October (10/2) with the title hopefully still in reach. Despite securing an automatic slot in the 2016 Championship playoffs, Indy is adamant about securing both titles after locking up the Spring Season in June, but have plenty of work ahead in doing so. The road continues this Sunday (8/28) in Ottawa against Fury FC.

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8/19/16 Brazil vs Germany in Gold Medal Game Sat 4;30 NBCSN, EPL Season Shane’s Picks, Indy 11 Stay on Top,

August 20, 2016August 20, 2016 gatorbest

So fun opening weekend of EPL –so do I really have to pick my top 4 now? Ouch – maybe its time I admit my sentimental favorite Leicester City (the defending champs) don’t have the depth to make a serious run at the title. That being said I have to go with my heart and still put them in the top 4 along with Man U, Man City, and either Arsenal or Liverpool. Yes I do think the new coaches will help put the Manchesters into the top 4. Looking ahead to this weekend we see if American Geoff Cameron works his way into the lineup for Stoke City hosting Man City Sat at 7:30 am on NBCSN while Leicster City will hope a return to the King Power stadium can help them against Arsene Wenger and Arsenal on CNBC at 12:30 pm. The Italian, Spanish and French Leagues all get underway this weekend and can be seen on beIN Sport.

What has happened to Juega Bonita?

So hoping the Brazilian ladies would win the hearts of Brazil by winning Gold this season after the US was eliminated –I watched with great interest the Semi’s as Sweden once again won in a shootout after 123 minutes of goaless soccer over the homestanding Brazilians cementing Swedish Goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl as THE BEST Goalkeeper in the World. (sorry Solo). The Swedes oncea again parked the bus with 5 and 6 in the box frustrating the more technical Brazalians over and over again with Lindahl making a number of fine saves. Once again the Swedes showed their mettle in the shootout as just like vs the US – Lindahl made the crucial save at just the right time. So is this the future of soccer? First Athletico got all the way to the Champ League final using the parked bus counter attack approach perfected by Jose Mourinho before losing to Real Madrid. Then in the Euros it was Portugal using a staunch defense lead by Pepe and Renaldo on the counter. Finally here’s Sweden in the Gold Medal final using lets just say not futbal Juega Bonita? Too bad – would have been great to see the Beautiful game of Brazil vs Canada as the final, instead we get Sweden vs Germany this Friday 4:30 pm on NBCSN. Sat the men will feature a Gold Medal showdown between Brazil and Germany as the homestanding Brazil lead by Neymar will try to avenge last year’s 7-1 loss at the hands of the World Cup winning Germans that game 4:30 pm on NBCSN.

Stateside MLS has a dosey on Sat 3:30 pm on ESPN as the East leading NY City FC hosts the LA Galaxy, My Seattle Sounder’s, on a 3 game winning streak since changing coaches, will host defending champs Portland in the Cascadia Cup showdown #2 on Sunday at 9:30 pm on Fox Sports1. The Indy 11 remain atop the NASL as they travel to Carolina Sat for 7:30 pm game that can be seen on beIN Sport.

Must See GAMES ON TV

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Fri, Aug 19

12 noon MSNBC Women’s Olympics 3^rd place Brazil vs Canada

2:30 pm USA Net Man United vs Southhampton

4:30 pm NBCSN Women’s Olympics Gold Medal Sweden vs Germany

Sat, Aug 20 (La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 starts)

7:30 a.m., NBCSN                                Stoke City vs. Man City
10:00 a.m., NBC Live Extra           Tottenham vs Crystal Palace
12 noon NBCSN                                    men’s Olympics 3^rd place game

12:15 pm beIN sports Barcelona vs Real Betis

12:30 p.m., CNBC: Leciester City vs Arsenal

2:45 pm beIn sport Juventus vs Fiorentina

3 pm ESPN NY City FC vs LA Galaxy

4:30 pm NBCSN Men’s Olympics Gold Medal German vs Brazil

7:30 pm beIn Sport Indy 11 @ Carolina

Sun, Aug 21

8:30 a.m., NBCSN: Sunderland vs Middlesborough
11:00 a.m., CNBC West Ham vs Bournemouth

9:30 pm Fox Sport 1 Seattle Sounders host Portland – CASCADIA CUP 2!

Fri, Aug 26 German Bundesliga Starts

2:30 pm Fox Sport1 Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen

Sat, Aug 27

7:30 AM NBCSN Tottenham vs Liverpool

9:30 a.m., Fox Sports 2: Borussia Dortmund vs. Mai nz
9:30 a.m., Fox Soccer Plus: Hamburg SV vs. Ingolstadt

12:30 pm NBC Hull City vs Man United
12:30 p.m., Fox Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Sun, Aug 28

11 am NBCSN Man City vs West Ham

2 pm ??? Ottawa vs Indy 11

2:30 pm ESPN NY Red Bulls vs New England

5 pm ESPN Portland host Seattle Sounders – CASCADIA CUP 2!

7 pm Fox Sport 1 Orlando City vs NYCFC

USA

Grant Wahl – SI – Whats Next for US Women?

3 things the US Learned in Olympic loss to Sweden – Stars and Stripes

Why the Shocking Exit Might be What the US Needed

People, Analyst rake Hope Solo over the Coals after comment -GOOD

21-yo US Youth makes surprise start for Sunderland

EPL + World

Marcotti Musings ESPNFC – Opening Weekend Thoughts

What’s Trending – EPL

Heros and Villians of Openning Weekend – Ian Mcintsoh -eSPNFC

Man U optimism is back

Zlatan – I brought back Pogba

Buck stops with Arsene Wenger

Man City close to Deal with Claudio Bravo from Barca – Joe Hart out

Man City and Pep pass 1 ^st test – barely-MacIntosh

Pep’s Shaky start as own goal gives City the Win

EPL passing Arsenal by? Nick Miller ESPNFC

Champions League to Give top 4 leagues 4 automatic Spots

MLS

Minn United as Next MLS Team to start with Atlanta in 2017

Check out The Ole Ballcoach online www.theoleballcoach.com –

Fri, Aug 19

12 noon MSNBC Women’s Olympics 3^rd place game

2:30 pm USA Net Man United vs Southhampton

4:30 pm NBCSN Women’s Olympics Gold Medal Game

Sat, Aug 20 (La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 starts)

7:30 a.m., NBCSN                                Stoke City vs. Man City
10:00 a.m., NBC Live Extra           Tottenham vs Crystal Palace, Burnley vs Liverpool, Chelsea vs. Watford
12 noon NBCSN                                    men’s Olympics 3^rd place game

12:15 pm beIN sports Barcelona vs Real Betis

12:30 p.m., CNBC: Leciester City vs Arsenal

2:45 pm beIn sport Juventus vs Fiorentina

3 pm ESPN NY City FC vs LA Galaxy

4:30 pm NBCSN Men’s Olympics Gold Medal Game

7:30 pm beIn Sport Indy 11 @ Carolina

Sun, Aug 21

8:30 a.m., NBCSN: Sunderland vs Middlesborough
11:00 a.m., CNBC West Ham vs Bournemouth

12 noon beIN Sport AC Milan vs Torino

2:15 pm beIN Sport Real Soiciedad vs Real Madrid

9:30 pm Fox Sport 1 Seattle Sounders host Portland – CASCADIA CUP 2!

Tues, Aug 23

2:45 pm Fox Sport2?? UCL – Roma vs Porto

2:45 pm beIN Sports Burton Albion vs Liverpool – Cap 1 Cup

Wed, Aug 24

2:45 pm Fox Sport2?? UCL – Man City vs Steaua Buceresti

Fri, Aug 26 German Bundesliga Starts

2:30 pm Fox Sport1 Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen

Sat, Aug 27

7:30 AM NBCSN Tottenham vs Liverpool

9:30 a.m., Fox Sports 2: Borussia Dortmund vs. Mainz
9:30 a.m., Fox Soccer Plus: Hamburg SV vs. Ingolstadt

12:30 pm NBC Hull City vs Man United
12:30 p.m., Fox Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Sun, Aug 28

9:30 a.m Fox Sport1 Hertha Berlin vs. Freiburg

11 am NBCSN Man City vs West Ham

2 pm ??? Ottawa vs Indy 11

2:30 pm ESPN NY Red Bulls vs New England

5 pm ESPN Portland host Seattle Sounders – CASCADIA CUP 2!

7 pm Fox Sport 1 Orlando City vs NYCFC

Wed, Aug 31

7:30 pm CBS Sports Network Ft. Lauderdale vs Minn.

7:30 pm ?? NY Cosmos vs Indy 11