The Ole BallCoach

International Champions Cup Schedule July 16-Aug 18

NWSL. You can stream every game live on Yahoo Sports.

Champions League Sat 3 pm TNT

Champions League Preview –

Liverpools & Spurs secret to UCL Success? Systems over Stars – ESPNFC

Lloris Talks Tottenham’s Miracle Race to the UCL Final – ESPNFC

Alisson is Real Reason Liverpool are in Champs League Final – ESPNFC

Lloris – Pochettino Saved my Spurs Career says GK

The London Effect Finally Pays off for UCL and Europa London Teams – ESPNFC

Red’s Must Forget 2018 Final Woes – Mark Odgen ESPNFC

Can Song Make Asian Soccer History?

Firmino Set to Return to Face Spurs – Klopp – ESPNFC

– Reddy: Alexander-Arnold’s road from dreamer to record breaker
Ogden: Can Tottenham hang on to Pochettino after the final?

If you Likes Champions League this Year – Hope this Doesn’t Happen – Leander Schaelaeckens – Yahoo Sports

Women’s World Cup-June 7

USWNT 3, Mexico 0: Takeaways from the American women’s World Cup send-off match

US Dunn impresses – Subs Shine in 3-0 win over Mexico

What We Learned – USA vs Mexico – S & S

US Heads to World Cup with Uncertainty Surrounding the Champs – Grant Wahl SI

Who for US is Coming Into World Cup on a High Note – Yahoo Soccer

These 23 Women Ready to Take on the World – Glamour Mag

US forward Tobin Heath’s Nutmeg Chronicles

Group A – France/South Korea/Norway

Group B Preview- Germany/China, Spain, South Africa SI

US Men

Christian Pulisic’s Path Opens up at Chelsea in summer move – Avi Creditor SI

How will the Final US Men’s Roster look for Gold Cup – S & S

What We Learned After Group Stages for US U20s in World Cup – bobby Warshaw – MLS.com

Harsh Marks After 1-0 Win over Qatar get US U20s thru to play France as 2^nd in the group

US U-20s Win 2-0 vs Nigeria

World

Manuel Neuer Brilliant in Bayern’s German Cup 3-0 Triumph over Leipzig

Aston Villa back in the EPL after winning $200 million dollar game over Derby County in the EFL Champ

Aston Villa back in the EPL – with Chelsea’s John Terry as an Assistant – ESPNFC

Atalanta, Inter Milan Secure Champ League Spots – AC Milan/Roma are out.

Brazil have taken Neymar’s Captains band – but why was he captain in first place? ESPNFC

MLS

Warshaw: Chad Marshall set the all-time standard for MLS center backs

Chad Marshall Never Had Much Chance on the USMNT – Stars and Stripes

Vote now for your 2019 All-Stars

Steffen on Crew finale: I’ll never forget Columbus

Wiebe: Five big questions for the weekend’s action

US Open Cup fourth-round draw: MLS learn opponents

Zlatan back with a bang in rare LA win in KC

Timbers open renovated Providence Park vs. LAFC

MLS Top Saves

UEFA Champions League final ultimate preview: What you need to know before Tottenham vs. Liverpool

6:30 AM ETGabriele MarcottiSenior Writer, ESPN FC

MADRID — The only thing left to settle for the European club season before the summer is the Champions League, and much like the Europa League final, it’s an all-English affair in Madrid as Liverpool take on Tottenham. Who will begin their holidays with a trophy and who will spend the offseason wondering what could have been?Here is what you need to know ahead of Saturday’s game, which kicks off at 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. BST) and is set to be played in hot temperatures.

– Reddy: Alexander-Arnold’s road from dreamer to record breaker
– Ogden: Can Tottenham hang on to Pochettino after the final?

BACKSTORY: Liverpool arrive with the greater pedigree. They’ve won the European Cup five times; only Milan and Real Madrid have more. They reached the final only last season, when they were beaten by Real Madrid in Kiev, Ukraine, and they finished this season a single point off the pace in the Premier League behind Manchester City.Contrast this with Tottenham. Only Michel Vorm, their third-choice goalkeeper, was even born the most recent time they were in a European final of any kind: the 1984 UEFA Cup final. That was also the most recent time they went beyond the quarterfinals in Europe. Spurs finished fourth in the Premier League and lost 2-1 both times they faced Liverpool this season, though the second clash, at Anfield, was a particularly tight, hard-fought affair that could have gone either way.

CARDIAC COMEBACKS, LIVERPOOL EDITION: If it wasn’t for a dramatic victory over Napoli in their final group-stage game in December — which saw them advance thanks to a tiebreaker — Liverpool’s Champions League quest would have ended before the knockout rounds. Plus, they pulled off the most dramatic of turnarounds at Anfield in the semifinal against Barcelona, winning 4-0 to wipe out a 3-0 first leg defeat.

CARDIAC COMEBACKS, TOTTENHAM EDITION: Tottenham were also headed out of the competition in December until Lucas Moura‘s goal, with five minutes to go away to Barcelona at the Camp Nou, in the final group game. Even then they only advanced thanks to the tiebreaker as well. Moura, of course, would prove decisive again in the semifinal second-leg comeback against Ajax, notching a hat trick including that buzzer-beater of a winner in injury time. Oh, and in the quarterfinal against heavily favored Manchester City, a dramatic Fernando Llorente deflected goal with minutes to go saw Spurs advance in a seesaw match.

NO SILVERWARE, NO PROBLEM: Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino famously said that trophies “build egos” but league finishes and year-on-year improvement build clubs. While Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp hasn’t quite gone that far, he too is living proof that a manager’s popularity rests on far more than delivering silverware. Both are immensely loved by their fan bases, yet Pochettino has never won a trophy in his managerial career and Klopp’s last major title was in 2012, when he led Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga title. His record in finals isn’t great, either, having lost six of seven.Obviously, that will change for one of these two men Saturday …

TACTICAL CONTRAST: Both managers believe in pressing, directness, high lines and speedy forwards, but Pochettino has been, often by necessity, the more pragmatic and shape-shifting of the two. Where Liverpool’s lineup has been relatively settled for much of the season, Tottenham have been hammered by injuries at various stages. As a result, Pochettino has played a variety of lineups and schemes, and going into this game, it’s hard to predict how Tottenham will take the field.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO FOLLOWING A DEFEAT, LIVERPOOL:They will be dealt a crushing psychological blow and folks start to murmur that, for all his touchy-feely, cult-of-personality schtick, maybe Klopp really does have issues in getting a team over the line. To miss out on the Premier League by one point and then to fail in Madrid after losing in last season’s Champions League final, ending another season empty-handed … it’s a grim thought the players and fans will not want to entertain.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO FOLLOWING A DEFEAT, TOTTENHAM:Given Liverpool are huge favorites, a loss for Spurs wouldn’t be a big deal. But there’s intrigue here, too. Pochettino says he’s taken Tottenham as far as he possibly can and demands further investment in the side in the summer. If it doesn’t come — and, in fact, contract malcontents Christian Eriksen and Toby Alderweireld leave — Pochettino resigns, too. Not the best way to end a season filled with so much hope.

CENTER-FORWARD CONUNDRUM, LIVERPOOL: Roberto Firmino is an atypical central striker whose contribution is less about goals and more about his movement, passing and work off the ball. He is invaluable to Liverpool’s system but suffered muscular injuries late in the season. Klopp says he’s fit for the final, but you wonder how a layoff of nearly six weeks since his most recent start is going to affect him.

CENTER-FORWARD CONUNDRUM, TOTTENHAM: Spurs born and bred, Tottenham fans sing that their captain, Harry Kane, is “one of their own.” He undoubtedly is, and what’s more, he’s one of the best center-forwards in the world, having scored 90 goals in the past three years in all competitions. While it appears he’s fit again, his most recent appearance for the club was way back on April 9, so rust is bound to be a factor.

Kane’s return also poses a dilemma for Pochettino: Does he leave out either Son Heung-Min or Moura, who were heroic in getting Spurs this far, or does he try to cram all three into his starting XI? On paper, it’s a risky thing to do … then again, he’s done it five times in the Premier League this season. And each time, Spurs have won.

STAR MAN, LIVERPOOL: Mohamed Salah took Liverpool by storm last season, when he scored 44 goals after joining from Roma, and many expected him to regress to the mean this season. But while his numbers are down (he has 26 this campaign), he’s still a constant scoring threat.

STAR MAN, TOTTENHAM: Christian Eriksen is the sort of player soccer connoisseurs love. Neither particularly quick nor athletic, he’s hugely clever in finding space and unlocking opposition defenses and is always a threat from long range.

WHERE THE GAME WILL BE WON OR LOST: Both teams love to exploit the flanks, and Liverpool in particular have devastating fullback-winger combinations in Andy Robertson with Sadio Mane on the left and Trent Alexander-Arnold with Salah on the right. How Pochettino defends them will be key since both his full-backs (Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose) are more attack-minded. He might resort to a back three or, more likely, demand more work off the ball from his wide attacking players.

(Side note: Keep your eye on Robertson — arguably the best crosser of the ball, he could place the ball on a dime in the most dangerous of attacking positions.)

Georginio Wijnaldum speaks exclusively to ESPN FC about the differences he foresees between the 2018 and 2019 Champions League finals.

X FACTOR, LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s style means that Virgil Van Dijk is often asked to do a lot of open-field defending. He’s one of the best center-backs in the world, and how well he marshals the back four will have a huge impact; so too will the threat he poses at the other end on set pieces.

X FACTOR, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR: Son has scored more key goals than you can shake a stick at this season, and his combination of strength, tactical nous and energy makes him both a nuisance (for opponents when in possession) and a threat to run behind (when opponents lose possession).

LIVERPOOL WILL WIN BECAUSE … They simply have more top-to-bottom quality in the lineup, and two key Spurs players are returning from injury (not just Kane but Harry Winks, too). Many of the matchups favor them in different areas of the pitch, particularly out wide. What’s more, they have a distinct edge in dead-ball situations — their goal difference in the Premier League in this department was plus-15, to Spurs’ plus-5 — and that can be decisive in a one-off match.

TOTTENHAM WILL WIN BECAUSE … Pochettino knows how to be pragmatic, and in a final, the old standby of soaking up pressure and hitting on the counter works well. There’s also more pressure on the opposition, and Pochettino is a master at spinning the underdog tale to motivate his players.

PREDICTION: Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham

There’s a reason why these two clubs were separated by 26 points in the Premier League this season. Liverpool have more of an edge to them this season — witness Robertson tackling Lionel Messi at Anfield — and Klopp has more tactical Plan B options, like Xherdan Shaqiri off the bench or Gini Wijnaldum ghosting into the front three, than he did last season.

Liverpool, Tottenham’s secret to Champions League success? Systems over stars

3:13 PMMusa OkwongaESPN.com writer

It is difficult enough to face Barcelona and Manchester City in the late stages of the UEFA Champions League, with both sides desperate for success in a tournament in which victory would define them for an era. To not only face them while missing your talismanic forwards, as Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur did, but to overcome them, is therefore a feat for the ages. When Spurs beat City without the aid of Harry Kane, and Liverpool came back at Anfield even though Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino were not in the lineup, they taught us something important about these teams: that the philosophy guiding them is more important than any individual player.This seems like a straightforward-enough point, but until recently we have not been living in straightforward times. We are slowly emerging from a decade dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, individuals around whom entire teams have been built; a period we could almost call The Age of No Plan B, where the Plan A of using Ronaldo or Messi to best effect was so successful that no alternative was needed.The arrival of Spurs and Liverpool, whose coaches both had to make sharp tactical adjustments, in the Champions League final thus feels strongly symbolic. At one point, it seemed that Messi and Ronaldo would bring Barcelona and Juventus to the final by sheer force of will, only to be undone by some of the most thrilling attacking football that Europe has seen in a generation.The key to the versatility of most modern sides, and their ability to win games even when their best options may not be available, is of course fluidity; of using systems where players can perform multiple roles if needed. The most extreme example of this is Georginio Wijnaldum, a sort of footballing Swiss Army knife who was deployed by Jurgen Klopp against Barcelona as a centre-forward, despite being mostly known as a midfielder.Wijnaldum responded with a performance for the ages, scoring twice in three second-half minutes, and essentially doing the job of a world-class target man. It was a deserved and overdue place in the spotlight for Wijnaldum, who has spent mch of the past year quietly restoring the fortunes of his club and country to supreme shape.That is the compelling thing about this year’s Champions League finalists: the spotlight so often alternates, so many players have come forward to play starring roles. Son Heung-Min has been magnificent, taking up Kane’s goal-scoring mantle with aplomb, but Moussa Sissoko has arguably been even more effective this season, taking on responsibilities far beyond those once expected of him.That these players have felt empowered to do so is great credit to both Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino. It also suggests that while we may be leaving the era of the superstar player, we may be returning to the era of the superstar coach, when tactical innovation rather than individual brilliance is decisive at the highest level.The superstar coach is by definition rare, and is someone who can take good or very good players to extraordinary levels. What is remarkable about Klopp and Pochettino is that several of the footballers they have elevated to prominence — and, in one or two cases, greatness — probably could not have imagined such a grand fate under most other managers.Virgil van Dijk was undoubtedly a very fine player at Celtic and Southampton, but few could have predicted the speed or height of his rise even two seasons ago. Even in a time of exorbitant transfer fees, his price tag attracted much scorn, but there is little laughter when it is mentioned now. As promising of a youth prospect as he was, few could have expected that Dele Alli would blossom to such effect, but under Pochettino he has become elite.

It is this quality — this ability to bring barely imaginable brilliance from everyone in their squad — that enables Liverpool, and to a lesser extent Spurs, to adjust so well when their leading players are missing through injury. That is why, when Messi arrived at Anfield for that second leg and people were asking who would stop him, Klopp could have answered, without the merest hint of irony: “Divock Origi.” That is why, when three goals down to Ajax in the second half of a Champions League semifinal, Pochettino could look at Fernando Llorente on the bench — a 34-year-old forward who had barely found form since his arrival at Spurs nearly two years ago — and say, in the style of U.S. senator Elizabeth Warren, “I have a plan for that.”The rest, of course, is glorious history. Origi scored twice, at either end of the match, while Llorente gave one of the most disruptive centre-forward displays in recent memory, winning almost every aerial duel in sight against Ajax’s defenders and providing Lucas Moura with the room to score a second-half hat trick. And in the near future, we can celebrate whoever wins in the final — despite the resources at the disposal of both teams — as a triumph for tactical mastery.

Alisson is the real reason Liverpool are in the Champions League final

7:55 PM ETRyan O’Hanlon, Special to ESPN.com

Fair warning: Depending on your personal affinities, the following exercise may be either painful, hilarious or offensive. OK, now let’s quickly go through all of the once-in-a-lifetime incidents that happened in last year’s Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.First, Mohamed Salah, he of the 44 goals and 16 assists in his debut season with Liverpool, badly injured his shoulder after a (pick your adjective of choice) collision with Sergio Ramos. He was subbed off in tears after just 30 minutes. In the first half-hour, Liverpool outshot Madrid 9-2; after Salah left, the balance shifted to 12-4 in Madrid’s favor over the final hour.Then, in the 51st minute, Liverpool keeper Loris Karius collected an over-hit through ball and proceeded to throw the ball directly into Karim Benzema‘s foot, seeing it deflect in to make it 1-0. After Sadio Mane evened the score in the 55th minute, Gareth Bale was subbed on with half-an-hour to go. Three minutes later, he scored on a contorted bicycle kick from the top of the penalty area. Bale scored again in the 83rd minute with a harmless-looking shot from 35 yards out hit right at the chest of Karius, who proceeded to aimlessly push the ball into his own net. From Liverpool’s point of view, there’s not much to be done about a game like that; it’s a matter of volatility. You can’t budget against your best player getting injured in the most important game of the season, and Real Madrid are Real Madrid because they have a player like Gareth Bale, who has decided multiple cup finals all by himself, sitting on the bench. Shake your fists at the soccer gods and then move on. Oh, and get yourself a new goalkeeper.A year after the debacle in Kiev, Liverpool are back in the Champions League final. This time, they’re favorites and this time, it’s not despite the guy in goal. No, they’re here because of him.

Last summer, Liverpool shattered the transfer fee for a goalkeeper when they brought in Alisson from Roma for £56.25 million. (It was then broken weeks later when Chelsea bought Kepa from Athletic Bilbao for £72m.) For a squad that had been mostly built on undervalued players, this seemed to mark a change in the way Liverpool did things… or, perhaps it wasn’t.”He maybe added one-third of the points that Liverpool gained this season,” said Paul Power, an analyst with the data company STATS. “You know, it’s chicken feed, basically, what they paid for him.”Goalkeepers have long been a frustrating puzzle for decision-makers, coaches and talent evaluators alike. As Statsbomb’s Derrick Yam wrote in a paper for this year’s Sloan Sports Analytics Conference: “A goalkeeper in the England Premier League faces only 12 shots a game, 80 percent of which miss the goal frame completely or were blocked before they reach the goalkeeper. It’s not uncommon for a goalkeeper to go an entire game without making one save.”On top of the scarcity of events, there’s an issue of context. The style of defense a team plays will affect the type and total of shots they allow. Stopping shots for Burnley — a side that concedes a ton of chances but tries to keep as many men behind the ball as possible — is a vastly different exercise than stopping shots for Liverpool, a team that doesn’t allow many shots but has fewer bodies back in defense whenever they do. Traditional numbers like “clean sheets” or “save percentage” don’t account for these effects, and they also don’t account for the quality of the finish.All of these moving parts seem to show up in just how little clubs seem to value the players they put in goal. Before Liverpool’s deal for Alisson, the world-record fee for a keeper was Juventus’s £47.6m transfer for Parma’s Gianluigi Buffon… in 2001. Among the 50 most expensive transfers ever, just three are keepers. Ederson, the fourth-most expensive shot-stopper, cost less than “punchline players” like Paulinho, Andy Carroll and Shkodran Mustafi, whose high fees have paid more for comedy than competence.Power, however, is working to change how keepers are assessed and, in turn, how they’re valued. At STATS, he helped create a model that uses artificial intelligence to determine what each keeper’s specific skills actually are. As he put it: “What’s his ability to come off his line? What’s his ability to make his body big? Is he better at shots to his feet or hands, or both?

With that information, they’re able to determine how likely a specific keeper is to save a specific shot. The model can then simulate how each keeper in the Premier League would have fared against every single shot taken across the competition that season: a useful way to compare the performance of players up and down the table. It can also help give a sense of how a keeper’s performance would translate across the unique shot profiles that each team concedes.According to the model, Alisson was the best keeper in England this year, and he was the ideal fit for Liverpool’s defense. The 26-year-old Brazilian saved 0.31 goals per game more than the average keeper would have. Despite a late-season swoon, Manchester United’s David De Gea was second at 0.27.”In the 2017-18 season, when Liverpool conceded shots, the shots were very dangerous,” said Power. “So Liverpool needed a goalkeeper who was able to cope in one-on-one situations where the defense just completely collapsed and the keeper had to do something amazing. Alisson’s true strengths were that he was able to make these kind of superhuman saves. He would have saved at least seven goals that [Simon] Mignolet or Karius would have conceded.”A goal is worth around one point and Liverpool improved by 22 points from last year to this year, but Alisson’s impact wasn’t just limited to domestic play. In the final Champions League group stage game against Napoli, with Liverpool up 1-0 in a game they had to win in order to qualify for the knockout round, he made a point-blank save to deny Arkadiusz Milik in the 89th minute. “There aren’t many keepers who could have done that,” said Power. “There are maybe seven or eight in the world.”After the four-goal Champions League semifinal comeback against Barcelona at Anfield, much of the focus was on the fact that unheralded squad players Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum each scored twice, or that Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s quick corner won the game, or that Barcelona collapsed, dramatically, for the second time in as many years. But none of that matters if Alisson doesn’t pitch a shutout and Barcelona get an away goal. He made five saves, including two on “big chances,” which the data company Opta defines as a “situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score.”Alisson’s counterpart on Saturday in Madrid will be Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris, who also rates highly in the STATS system. He saved the fourth-most goals above average (0.21 per game) in the Premier League this season.”In terms of actually picking out shots into the corners, Lloris is exceptional,” Power said. “Where he sometimes gets caught are shots that are actually straight at him. He compensates for shots that go through him by being able to reach these really high-probability shots that should be goals.”Of course, an inability to save shots directly at a keeper was partially responsible for Liverpool’s demise against Madrid last season. The acquisition of Alisson solved that problem, and then some.If there’s another bicycle kick into the top corner, Alisson is at least more likely to tip it wide than either of his predecessors. And if there’s another early injury to a key player — well, could he nurse his teammate back to health? We can’t say for sure; the model doesn’t account for that yet.

If you like this Champions League final, you’d better hope these proposed changes don’t happen

Leander SchaerlaeckensYahoo Sports•May 27, 2019

Everything that made the Champions League great this season is under threat.The final hasn’t yet been played, and a proposal put forth by the richest and most powerful clubs already imperils the future possibility of the very Cinderella runs and collapses by the favorites that made this such a captivating edition of the continental club championship.If adopted, could Ajax have found the formula to returning to European prominence and coming within seconds of reaching the final, as it did this season?No chance.Could Tottenham Hotspur have overcome years, even decades, of late-season collapses to survive heart-stopping thrillers with Manchester City and Ajax to make their first-ever title game?Possibly not.Even a legacy club like Liverpool’s second straight final, courtesy of a stunning comeback against FC Barcelona, would have been less likely.The European Club Association – a sort of trade group of 200 clubs controlled largely by the biggest teams – has convinced UEFA, the regional governing body, to consider its idea of reserving places in the Champions League for the 24 biggest clubs in Europe. The other eight spots would be split between qualifiers from outside the major leagues and the semifinalists from the prior season’s second-tier Europa League in a kind of promotion-relegation scheme that would trickle down into the third-tier tournament envisioned by UEFA.The plan was first reported by the New York Times but has since been acknowledged as a possibility by UEFA, although it claims it’s very much in the concept stage. The thing is, Europe’s biggest clubs hold enormous leverage over their governing body, aware as they are that they generate the bulk of the $2.3 billion in prize money UEFA redistributes. They want a bigger piece of it, while UEFA is trying to avoid a would-be departure of its rebellious cash cows.Such a scheme would ossify the current hierarchy in the sport and create a kind of über-class of clubs that already enjoy enormous economic advantages at the top of the food chain. And it would leave an incredibly narrow path for new teams to join that upper crust.Ajax, having mostly spent two decades in the wilderness after its last spell of European competitiveness, likely wouldn’t have made it. It wasn’t supposed to be able to get this far, outspent in multiples by its adversaries. And if this new arrangement had been suggested just a few years ago, Spurs surely would have missed out too. After all, it didn’t qualify for the elite European tournament from 2011-12 through 2015-16. Or indeed from 1962 through 2010. In fact, if the timing had been less fortunate, Liverpool would also be on the outside looking in, as the Reds qualified for the Champions League just once in seven seasons before these back-to-back runs to the final.And that’s just it. Fortunes rise and fall, but the ECA’s plan would effectively prevent that from happening in continental competition. It would make it harder for small teams to do well, since the proposal includes a group stage that would last 14 games per team, rather than six, making the chances of surprise eliminations smaller.What’s more, a slate of guaranteed Champions League entrants would make the domestic leagues largely unimportant. In the Premier League, for instance, Chelsea, Spurs, Manchester United and Arsenal wouldn’t have had anything to play for, other than marginal bumps in prize money, once they were out of title contention. Fewer game would matter.Much of the drama this season in the Spanish and Italian leagues came not from Barcelona and Juventus winning yet more domestic titles – Barca’s fourth in five seasons and Juve’s eighth in a row – but from little Atalanta and puny Getafe chasing Champions League berths. They would be a pair of major upsets and generational achievements for each club, but if they weren’t even playing for a place among Europe’s elite, nobody would have cared about their final standing.The domestic leagues have understandably pushed back against this plan – La Liga president Javier Tebas has called it “catastrophic” – which would not go into effect until 2024. Because there is even talk of the expanded schedule of Champions League games partly taking place on weekends, rather than being confined to Tuesdays and Wednesdays, as they are now. This, too, would undermine domestic soccer, no matter how beloved the league.In some ways, this sort of proposal was inevitable. The megaclub-controlled ECA has agitated for a breakaway league for years, figuring it would stand to make more money and suffer less risk by simply shutting out the smaller clubs. This is a more palatable version of the once-mooted Super League. And from a fan’s perspective, there is an argument to be made for the biggest clubs playing the biggest games on the biggest stage more of the time.But then the biggest clubs don’t always stay the biggest. Some decline. Others emerge. That’s the beauty of sport. The beauty of soccer, above all. Nothing is ordained – Ajax almost made the final. The games still have to be played. And sometimes the smaller team wins.Leander Schaerlaeckens is a Yahoo Sports soccer columnist and a sports communication lecturer at Marist College. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.

Warshaw: Lessons learned and questions to answer for US at U-20 World Cup

May 31, 201911:33AM EDTBobby Warshaw

Game 1, a 2-1 loss to Ukraine: “Meh. Not great, not bad – certainly some things to build on.”

Game 2, a 2-0 win over Nigeria: “This is everything I’ve ever wanted from an American men’s soccer team.”

Game 3, a 1-0 win over Qatar: “They won? I threw the remote through the TV at about the 40 minute mark.”

From mediocre to very good to very bad, the United States did enough in the group stage to secure second place in Group D and qualify into the Second Round the Under-20 World Cup. The US will likely take on tournament favorite France on Tuesday.

Things we learned about the US from the group stage:

When everything/everyone clicks, the team can play gorgeous soccer. Everyone is comfortable on the ball, and everyone can attack from multiple angles. The wingers can tuck central or stay wide; the outside backs can overlap or underlap; and all three center midfielders can drop deep or drive forward. The game against Nigeria was one of the most exhilarating attacking performances that a US men’s national team at any level has ever played.
With that said … holy crap, does the team need Paxton Pomykalat center midfield. It was not random that the team’s best performance came when Pomykal – who played on the wing in the first game and got rested in the third game – played in the middle against Nigeria. His instinct on where to move and what to do with the ball sets the pace for the group. And when that pace isn’t right … it gets precarious quickly. If the team takes punches, they struggle to stay standing. Every soccer game has momentum swings, and every team needs to know how to manage those swings. Instead of controlling the ball for a little, you focus on controlling the space. When the US lost control of the ball, though, they also allowed opposing players to get in dangerous gaps. They are a team who clearly has inserted the idea of “playing on the front foot” into their minds, but they also need to get more comfortable when they are pushed back.Hopefully Thursday’s win over Qatar will help with that … as they learned that they can win despite being second-best. That statement isn’t an attempt to put makeup on a pig. The win over Qatar was more “lucky” than “gritty.” That distinction won’t matter to the players, though. The idea of “We can win when we are getting outplayed” has now been inserted into their brains; it can function as a rallying cry when the game isn’t going as planned. Stay calm, stay in it – we can find a way. It’s likely that France will control the game on Tuesday, so this little nugget could be important.

Questions that need to get answered before the next game:

Can Tab Ramos find the right starting XI? The team had a pretty clear framework through the qualifying games last November, then in the first game of the World Cup, Ramos experimented; he opted to play without a true center striker. In the third group game, too, Ramos experimented; he put Mark McKenzie, usually a center back, at right back. I didn’t mind the logic behind either decision. It has to be said, though, that they both turned out to be the wrong decisions that almost cost his team the tournament. His next lineup decisions will garner plenty of eyes, both for their impact on a huge knockout game and what they could mean for a potential move to the professional ranks after the World Cup.And the first selection conversation among the coaching staff should be: Who plays center midfield? Chris Durkinand Alex Mendez, who both started all three group games, are suspended for the next match due to yellow card accumulation. Brandon Servania, who started the first and third games, hasn’t looked as sharp as he did in the Concacaf Championship. Pomykal figures to play one of the midfield roles. I’d guess Richie Ledezma gets a start, too, after he looked good in his cameo against Qatar. The last and deepest midfield spot? Does Ramos give FC Dallas’ Edwin Cerillo his first international game? Similarly … Who plays right back? Sergino Dest, who plays for Ajax’s reserve team, has been breathtaking in attack. He’s consistently dangerous when he flies down the right. But he has struggled defensively in both of his starts, to the point that he could be a liability against France. It’d be a shame to lose his attacking ability from the starting lineup, but McKenzie or Julian Araujo could be the more reliable options at right back.

Predicting the USMNT Gold Cup roster

Which 23 players do we think get the call from Berhalter?

By Donald Wine II @blazindw May 28, 2019, 6:00am PDT Stars and Stripes

The CONCACAF Gold Cup kicks off on June 15th, and United States Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter will soon have to name the 23 players that will make up his roster. The USMNT will seek to defend its title from 2017, but will do it with a squad that would be considered almost full strength, save a few injuries.From Berhalter’s 40-man provisional roster will come the 23-man roster, and that roster will be firm thanks to new CONCACAF rules that will be implemented at this tournament. Because of this, the task of trimming 17 players to form the final roster is a difficult one. Berhalter is having a joint camp with the U-23s this week in Annapolis, Maryland before calling in a full USMNT senior roster to compete in the first Gold Cup warm up friendly against Jamaica on June 5th in Washington, DC. On June 6th, Berhalter will announce that final squad, who will head onto Cincinnati to face Venezuela on June 9th before competing in the Gold Cup.So, who do we think Gregg Berhalter will select to form the final Gold Cup roster? We predict, by position, who we think he eventually selects:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge), Sean Johnson (New York City FC), Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew SC)

Zack Steffen is Berhalter’s number one goalkeeper, and he gets the first call amongst the shot stoppers. It will be a decent competition for the other two spots, but in the end they go to Ethan Horvath and Sean Johnson. They appear to be the two that Berhalter feels most comfortable with in terms of distribution out of the back. If Berhalter thinks he needs some more experience between the posts, he could opt to bring Brad Guzan instead of Johnson. In the end, it’s likely Johnson that gets that 3rd goalkeeper spot.

DEFENDERS (8): Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Daniel Lovitz (Montreal Impact), Matt Miazga (Chelsea), Tim Ream(Fulham), Antonee Robinson (Wigan Athletic), Walker Zimmerman (Los Angeles Football Club)

There are several players that hope to play themselves into the mix for the 23-man roster, but there are a few that are solidly in Berhalter’s plans. Tyler Adams will be the starting right back in the hybrid formation that Berhalter employs. Nick Lima will also be brought on to back up Adams in that position. Whoever mans that right back position will be called on to also shift at times into the center defensive midfield position as well.On the left side, Daniel Lovitz, Tim Ream, and Antonee Robinson will be named to the team to hold things down. Greg Garza’s injury puts Berhalter in a tough spot, as he probably makes the team ahead of Robinson if he’s 100%. For centerbacks, Matt Miazga, Walker Zimmerman, Aaron Long, and even Tim Ream will battle for the starting spots. They all will be expected to be ready to play as the squad rotates throughout the group stage.

MIDFIELDERS (6): Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Weston McKennie (Schalke 04), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew SC)

The main midfielders of Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie are going to be the go-to players each match. Michael Bradley and Wil Trapp will be called upon to serve in the center defense midfield area, while Sebastian Lletget and Cristian Roldan will provide cover off the bench. Still, it will be about where they play Pulisic. Will he be on the right, as he was for most of the year with Borussia Dortmund, will he play on the left, or will Berhalter place him in the center?

FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Paul Arriola (D.C. United), Tyler Boyd (MKE Ankaragücü), Jonathan Lewis (Colorado Rapids), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC)

Jozy Altidore is back, he’s currently healthy, and is scoring or assisting (or both) in each match he plays in. If he can maintain his health, he’s Berhalter’s first name for forwards. Tyler Boyd’s ability to work the left side will mean he makes the roster along with Paul Arriola, whose work rate will get him in the starting lineup either at left attack wing or right attack wing. Jonathan Lewis will also be able to play either wing, though he appears to be most comfortable on the left. Josh Sargent and Gyasi Zardes could be options at center forward or withdrawn behind Jozy Altidore on either side. Gregg Berhalter will likely bring in players who can play multiple positions while letting them know exactly what their role will be for the Gold Cup. His meticulous approach to establishing and executing a game plan will mean that while the versatility of this predicted roster will be utilized at times throughout the tournament, it will be done in a controlled way that maintains the structure of Berhalter’s desired hybrid 4-3-3 formation.

To recap, here’s who Gregg Berhalter will likely name to his final Gold Cup roster:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath, Sean Johnson, Zack Steffen

DEFENDERS (8): Tyler Adams, Nick Lima, Aaron Long, Daniel Lovitz, Matt Miazga, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Walker Zimmerman

MIDFIELDERS (6): Michael Bradley, Sebastian Lletget, Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Cristian Roldan, Wil Trapp

FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore, Paul Arriola, Tyler Boyd, Jonathan Lewis, Josh Sargent, Gyasi Zardes

We will find out who is actually selected on June 6th. For now, hit the comments and let us know who you think Gregg Berhalter names to the final Gold Cup roster. Most importantly…do you think this roster will be enough to win America its 7th Gold Cup?

Chelsea Clouded With Uncertainty, but Christian Pulisic’s Path There Clears Up

By AVI CREDITOR May 22, 2019 SI

Chelsea is facing plenty of uncertainty in the coming weeks. There’s the future of Eden Hazard, who is thought to be headed to Real Madrid after a year of public flirtation with the Spanish power. There’s the future of Maurizio Sarri, the manager whose hot seat has constantly changed temperatures, despite guiding the club to a Champions League place and the Europa League final. Then there’s the looming specter of a transfer ban, which would prohibit the club from signing players this summer and next winter, pending an appeal.Amid all of this has come the arrival of Christian Pulisic, the 20-year-old American phenom who joined the Blues in a $73 million transfer in Januarybefore being loaned back to Borussia Dortmund for the rest of the season. At the time of the transfer, the move was met with some skepticism as it related to the player’s chances for individual success. Chelsea was far from a shoo-in for a Champions League berth at that stage in the season, and its squad was flush with able-bodied players at his position.Fast forward nearly five months, and even with all of the uncertainty clouding his new club, Pulisic’s outlook is actually quite clear.Achilles injuries to Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have, by unfortunate circumstance, removed two chief competitors for playing time. Hazard’s departure is fully expected to take place after the Europa League final vs. Arsenal, which would open yet another chunk of minutes. The club has an army of players out on loan, but that figures to be its only source of player addition this summer. With Pedro and Willian both on the wrong side of 30, the runway is clear for takeoff.It all adds up to Pulisic, with the expectations of the pricetag bestowed upon him, getting the opportunity to meet them. That isn’t to say that it will be spoonfed, though. Pulisic’s last season at Dortmund was uneven at best, with the player fighting recurrent muscle injuries and the ascent of Jadon Sancho to the tune of only making nine Bundesliga starts in his 20 appearances. At Chelsea, he’ll have to win the favor of his new manager, whether it’s Sarri or someone else. But that was always going to be the case, and some of the obstacles for doing so have now been removed.”He is a world-class talent,” U.S. and now-Chelsea teammate Matt Miazga said in March. “You saw at a young age what he can do in the Bundesliga. This season he has been injured a lot, so it has been difficult for him to kick on, but everyone knows the talent he possesses, he is a great player. He is very comfortable on the ball in tight space. You don’t see that too often from American players, to have that level of technical ability and savviness in tight spaces to get in and out and create goalscoring opportunities.”You can see from his play that he can create those goalscoring opportunities, and be a nuisance for a defender on the wing. He can isolate a defender and beat him one-on-one with speed and technique. Chelsea have added a great player, and I think he will add a lot, particularly beating players one-versus-one.”Pulisic wasted little time in playing down the inevitable and immediate comparisons that will be made between him and Hazard while setting the goal of one-day reaching the Belgian’s heights.”Eden is a fantastic player, we all know that, and if I can get anywhere close to that I will be happy,” Pulisic told the club’s official site upon his introduction at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. “He is a great player. I want to come in, be my own player, and do the best that I can do.”I want to use my skills, my pace, my quickness and creativity to help, especially on the attacking end of things. Scoring goals and providing assists, that is what I am here to do. I want to make an impact and be a team guy who is going to give it everything.”Nothing is set in stone. The last two years were supposed to be breakout statistical years for Pulisic, and they didn’t quite pan out that way. Such is the nature of being a young player at one of the world’s best teams. But with a fresh start amid some helpful circumstances, his Premier League breakout could happen sooner rather than later. “I was 15 when I moved to Dortmund,” Pulisic said. “It was something I always wanted and it was just a matter of finding the right time. Now I just felt that it was the right step [to join Chelsea]. It was a great time in Dortmund but it was a feeling and I still have that. This is the biggest stage, it is incredible to come in and be in England and part of this league. If you want to prove yourself it is the greatest stage to be on.”

As USWNT Heads to Women’s World Cup, Uncertainty Surrounds the Champs

By GRANT WAHL May 26, 2019 SI

HARRISON, N.J. — In its last game before the World Cup starts on June 7, the U.S. women’s national team beat Mexico 3-0 on Sunday at Red Bull Arena with goals by Tobin Heath, Mallory Pugh and Christen Press. But in the bigger picture, the most important things were that the U.S. suffered no injuries and felt like it was departing for the World Cup on a higher note than on each of the previous final “send-off” games that took place in the same stadium in 2011 and ’15.

Compared to the 2011 game, the attendance Sunday (26,332) was almost five times the size of the 5,852 that came eight years ago, reflecting the sea change in popularity that the defending World Cup champions are enjoying these days. And while Sunday’s win against Mexico could have been significantly bigger, given the amount of chances the U.S. created, there were more positive moments than in the 0-0 send-off game against South Korea here in 2015. “I thought back to our performance here that we had in 2015, which was actually a really poor performance on our part, and we had a bad feeling to go to that World Cup with that as our last game,” said Press, who had a tremendously composed 88th-minute finish to score the final U.S. goal on Sunday. “We can absolutely play better than we did today, 100%, but it’s a far better place than we were four years ago. And four years ago, we won [that World Cup].” Press is a prime example of just how scary the U.S.’s attacking depth is in 2019. The American front three in the first half was Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Heath. They were replaced after halftime by Press, Carli Lloyd and Pugh, who would start on basically any other national team in the world.When Press is at her best, she does things that few other American players can do. Witness the goal she scored against Spain earlier this year after running half the length of the field with the ball, or the patience she had in the box on her goal Sunday. “Phenomenal,” said Rapinoe afterward. “She’s such a good finisher, super-composed around the box. Her little fake to set herself up on the left was just beautiful.”Press’s ceiling is enormous; she’s capable of being the U.S.’s breakout star of the World Cup. But she’s also capable of not creating much of an impact, which makes her one of the USWNT’s most intriguing players.If Rapinoe did have one concern about the U.S. attack, it was over the hesitation to take a pause in certain moments like Press did in the 88th. “The key is understanding of the game and dominating games with our tactics and being able to control games that way,” Rapinoe said. “I still think we’re way too impatient, and I think we get caught in this transition-style game where we just go-go-go-go-go. We need to go when we get the best chance, not just when we get a chance. I think throughout the World Cup, especially in a seven-game tournament over a short period of time, we can play that game for maybe one or two or three games in a row, but physically we make ourselves do a lot of work doing that.“So we’ll need to be able to play a different style and control the game in a different way, and I think as well teams will probably sit in on us a little more, so we won’t be able to just go every time. We’ll need to be able to break down that low block.”The inability to do that against Sweden sent the U.S. out of the 2016 Olympics in the quarterfinals. But this U.S. team has more players who can break you down one-on-one and create space on the ball on their own. That was personified in the first half on Sunday by Rose Lavelle, who befuddled the Mexicans on the dribble and even brought down an errant pass with an outrageous scorpion kick touch before passing to Heath (who missed her chance on goal).The U.S. will be the favorite to win in France, largely due to having the most firepower we’ve ever seen in the history of the program. But the Americans are also less of a favorite than they were six months ago, not least because their defense has struggled at times against top competition, whether it was in the 3-1 friendly loss at France in January or in the SheBelieves Cup this year, which was won by England.

And while the USWNT did compete against world-class competition earlier in the year, its last four games before the World Cup were against less competitive teams in Belgium (6-0), South Africa (3-0), New Zealand (5-0) and Mexico (3-0). With two expected blowouts to open the World Cup against Thailand and Chile, the competition will take a swift spike upward in the third game against Sweden and in the knockout rounds thereafter.I asked U.S. coach Jill Ellis if she would have preferred to have more difficult opposition in the most recent four games.“When you do scheduling, you do it a year out,” she said. “No [World Cup-contending] teams are going to travel to us. We have to have three send-off games [in the U.S.], so teams aren’t going to travel from Europe at this point to come play us. So it’s really getting teams that are en route to the host country, so it’s part of that in terms of logistics. … Historically, it’s challenging. Unless we’re willing to travel early, it’s tough to get those top teams to come at this late a date. Actually, most of them are together already in Europe.”The U.S. will now head to Europe as well. For the next week, the team will be training in London at the grounds of Tottenham Hotspur before heading to France around June 7. (The U.S. and Thailand will be the last teams to play their first World Cup game, which happens on the evening of June 11 in Reims.)After a stay this week in New York that was dominated by media promotion, the U.S. players said they were ready for a quiet stretch of training and focusing inward on themselves and the team.“We have been talking about how excited we are to get out of here,” said Morgan on Sunday. “No offense to anyone, but we are ready to kind of have that tight-knit community within our team and just continue to build that chemistry and to do team-bonding activities. And also, no offense, to just get away from the media for a little bit. Just everyone kind of disconnects with everything and connects more with the team. So we’re looking forward to that piece of it and just enjoying everyone’s company before the roller-coaster gets real.”

USWNT Stock Watch: Who’s heading to the World Cup on a high note?

Caitlin Murray,Yahoo Sports•May 27, 2019

There are no more friendlies or send-off games. All that’s left is for the U.S. women’s national team to begin their Women’s World Cup campaign in France in two weeks.With that, here is our final stock watch before the tournament begins, where we look at who has proven their value and who is falling behind.

Trending up

▲ Rose Lavelle, midfielder

With a talent pool as deep as the one in the central midfield, Lavelle has had to fend off the challenges of other players vying for her spot. But she reminded everyone again Sunday of why head coach Jill Ellis wants to find a starting spot for her so badly.When Lavelle wasn’t creating pockets of space with her smart through-balls, she was dribbling through the defense and setting up her teammates with crafty touches. Amazingly, Lavelle told reporters afterward she only just now is starting to feel the way she did before a rash of injuries. That means she can get even better.No one on the USWNT roster can provide the same sort of central playmaking that Lavelle can, and she figures to play a big role in France.

▲ Crystal Dunn, defender

Ellis said that the decision to sub Dunn out at halftime wasn’t planned — Dunn had been dealing with some ankle stiffness, and as a precaution, she took Dunn out. In Dunn’s place was Tobin Heath, a surprising option for left back. Later, when Emily Sonnett came in at right back, Kelley O’Hara took over at left back.On one hand, this substitution pattern shows that Ellis is relying on depth within her core group of starters. But on the other hand, it highlights how there isn’t an ideal off-the-bench substitute option for Dunn. No one can replace her, and the team is expecting a lot out of Dunn in France.If you think of our stock watch as measuring a player’s value to the USWNT, Dunn’s stock is off the charts.

▲ Christen Press, forward

The starting core is set: It’ll be Alex Morgan up top, Megan Rapinoe on left and Tobin Heath on the right. That means players like Carli Lloyd, Mallory Pugh and Press are vying to be the first option off the bench. Press proved she may be that option on Sunday, with a well-taken goal that was quintessential Press — she cut around a defender and calmly struck.

Trending down

▼ Jessica McDonald, forward

This isn’t McDonald’s first time on the stock down list, but it’ll be the last before the World Cup begins. She’s one of the only players to have not played a minute in the final three friendlies, and it’s hard to imagine a role for her in rance.Asked about McDonald’s lack of playing time, Ellis said she was cognizant of McDonald as an option.“Jess, she’s a weapon and we’re going to make sure we know how to use her,” Ellis said.

▼ Morgan Brian, midfielder

If there’s a player that shocked followers of the USWNT by making the 23-woman World Cup, it was Brian. She has struggled due to injury, form and playing time, but Ellis said she had seen Brian in the “pressure cooker” of a World Cup and trusted her.Still, it looks like that will only get Brian so far. She hasn’t featured for the USWNT in these send-off games and it remains to be seen if she can make any sort of impact in France. Ellis, however, was optimistic.”We brought Moe in and Moe’s been building and doing very well,” Ellis said.

▼ Adrianna Franch / Ashlyn Harris, goalkeepers

Alyssa Naeher is the starting goalkeeper, and will play every minute in France, barring injury or suspension. Any chances that Franch or Harris had to change things are long gone.

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Indy 11 Soccer Camp – Carmel Dad’s Club Badger Field June 17-20 9-12 noon.ages 6-14 $135

Carmel FC Summer Soccer Camps – July 15-18 9-12 pm Beginner Camp $150

Carmel FC Summer Soccer Camps – July 15-18 3-5 pm Elite Player Development Camp $150

CHS Boys Soccer Skills Camp – Murray Stadium July 15-18 8:30-10:30 am ages 8-14 $85

Carmel FC is Recruiting Coaches for 2019/20 seasons

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5/24/19 Indy 11 home Sat 7 pm, US Ladies vs Mexico Sun 12 on Fox, German and Spanish Cups Sat, Full TV Game Schedule

May 24, 2019May 24, 2019 gatorbest

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Indy 11

The Indy 11 look to stay undefeated at home vs 2^nd place Nashville at Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday night. Tickets for the 7:00 p.m. kickoff remain available for as little as $15 at IndyEleven.com/tickets or by calling 317-685-1100. Special Indy 500 jersey’s and merchandise will be available during this “Racing Indy Night” with free special edition Indy 11/IMS Caps going to the first 500 in the building the night before the Indy 500. The game will also be on Wish TV.

USA World Cup

The final of the USWNT’s send-off friendlies will be this Sunday vs Mexico on May 26 (Noon ET, ESPN). The US Ladies have dominated in their 2 other games (3-0 vs NZ + 5-0) and look ready to roll as the Women’s World Cup is now just 2 short weeks way. Interesting stories below on Lindsay Horan’s skipping college and going to Europe before landing on the US squad and US star d-mid Julie Ertz being a bad, bad woman! Check out the Casual Fans Guide to the Women’s World Cup, the World Cup Power Rankings and follow along on Yahoo Soccer for all the updates. The World Cup from France gets underway June 7 with the US starting June 11.

Fri, June 7 3 p m FS1 France vs South Korea
Tues, June 11: 3 p.m. ET, Fox USA. vs. Thailand,
Sun, June 16: Noon ET, Fox USA. vs. Chile,
Thurs, June 20: 3 p.m. ET, Fox USA. vs. Sweden

On the men’s side – Gold Cup Preparations are underway as US Coach Greg Berhalter has called in a large squad for training before cutting down the roster on June 7^th right before the first friendly in Cincy on Sunday, June 8^th. Notable omissions from the squad are defenders John Brooks and outside back DeAndre Yedlin – who will both miss the tourney due to injuries. Headliner’s include Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, Schalke’s Weston McKennie and RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams along with Toronto’s Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore. (see full roster below). The USMNT U20’s with coach Tab Ramos at the helm start their World Cup campaign on Friday at 2:30 pm vs Ukraine, then Monday at 2:30 vs Nigeria both on Fox Sport 1. PSG Winger Tim Weah and Philly’s Chris Richards will lead the way. The US games along with many other U20 World Cup games will be featured on FS1 & FS2 – here’s a US quick preview and the TV games are listed on the schedule.

Europa and Champions League

Trophies are not all that’s on the line in the Europa League final on Wednesday afternoon between Chelsea and Arsenal this Wednesday, May 29 on TNT. Arsenal finished in 5^th place in the EPL – which means a victory is the only thing that will put the Gunners into the lucrative Champions League next season. For Chelsea there are rumors it will take a win for manager Sari to keep his job next season when American Christian Pulisic will join the team. I am afraid Chelsea will win a close one but I will be rooting for Arsenal! Of course the All English Finals continue on Sat, June 1 at 3 pm as Liverpool will face Tottenham on TNT for the Champions League final.

World

Bayern Munich won its 7^th Bundelisga Title as club legends Frank Ribbery and Arjen Robben both scored in their final home games. Bayern edged Borrusia Dortmund by 2 pts for the title after Dortmund blew their lead down the stretch. Good news for Americans in Champions & Europa League next season in Germany as John Brooks of Wolfsburg, Fabian Johnson of Borrusia Monchengladbach and Timothy Chandler of Enintract Frankfurt all made Europa League and Tyler Adams of RB Leipzig finished 3^rd for a Champions League spot. Of course, Tyler Adams and Red Bull Leipzig will face Bayern Munich in the German Cup finals this Saturday at 2 pm on ESPN News. Barcelona battles Valencia Saturday at 3 pm on ESPN Desportes/Watch ESPN for the Spanish Copa Del Rey title. Meanwhile, Italy has 1 spot available in Champions League between 3 teams as Milan, Inter and Atalanta battle it out this weekend – games are Saturday on ESPN+.

MLS

Big news in MLS this week as Indiana’s own DeMarcus Beasley has announced his retirement at the end of Houston’s MLS Season, the former US international played professionally overseas for clubs such as PSV Eindhoven, Man City, and Celtic Rangers, before returning to finish out his career in Houston as a left back – here are some highlights. I for one was hoping he might hook up with the Indy 11 at some point – who knows? The only free TV game this week features Sporting KC vs Seattle Sunday evening 6 pm on FS1. Of course, most MLS games are on ESPN+.

Carmel FC Tryouts & Camps are Set

Tryouts for kids from U8 till 18 are right around the corner. Carmel FC is a community -based club who has put tons of kids on the local high school teams at Carmel High, Guerin, University and more. Tryouts are June 4^th for academy teams U8-U10, and June 10 & 11 for U13 & above. Click here for more info about CFC Tryouts. For Goalkeepers getting ready for high school or club tryouts – Carmel FC’s Head Goalkeeping Coach Indy 11’s Jordan Farr is offering individual and small group training – contact him at farrjordn13@gmail.com.

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Indy 11 Soccer Camp – Carmel Dad’s Club Badger Field June 17-20 9-12 noon.ages 6-14 $135

Carmel FC Summer Soccer Camps – July 15-18 9-12 pm Beginner Camp $150

Carmel FC Summer Soccer Camps – July 15-18 3-5 pm Elite Player Development Camp $150

GAMES ON TV

Fri, MAY 24

2:30 pm Fox Sport 1 USA U20s vs Ukraine U20 WC

Sat, MAY 25

2 pm ESPNNews German Cup Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig (Adams)

2:30 pm FS2 Argentina U20 vs South Africa U2

3 pm ESPN Desp Copa Del Rey – Barcelona vs Valencia

3:30 pm ESPN+ Chicago Fire vs NYCFC

7 pm WISHTV Indy 11 vs Nashville (Lucas Oil)

7:30 pm EPSN+ Cincy vs NY Red Bulls

Sun, MAY 26

9 am ESPN News Torino vs Lazio

9:30 am FS1 Mexico U20 vs Japan U20

12 pm ESPN USA Ladies vs Mexico

2:30 pm ESPN+ SPAL vs Milan (champ league race)

2:30 pm ESPN+ Inter vs Empoli (champ league race)

2:30 pm ESPN+ Atalanta vs Sassuolo (champ league race)

6 pm Fox Sport 1 Sporting KC vs Seattle

7:30 pm EPSN+ Toronto FC vs San Jose

Mon, MAY 27

2:30 pm FS1 USA U20s vs Nigeria U20 WC

Weds, May 29 Europa League Finals

2:30 pm TNT Chelsea vs Arsenal

Thur, MAY 30

2:30 pm FS1 USA U20s vs Qatar U20 WC

Sat, June 1 Champions League Finals

2:30 pm TNT/FuboTV Liverpool vs Tottenham

8:00 pm ESPN+ Colorado vs Cincy

8:30 pm ESPN+ Dallas (Matt Hedges) vs Seattle

7:30 pm ESPN2 Portland vs LAFC (new stadium opens!)

Sun, June 2

11:30 pm FS2 U20 WC Sweet 16

2:30 pm FS2 U20 WC Sweet 16

Mon, June 3

2:30 pm FS2 U20 WC Sweet 16

Wed, June 5

2:45 pm ESPN2 Portugal vs Switzerland Nations League

Thurs, June 6

2:45 pm ESPN2 Netherlands vs England -Nations League

Women’s World Cup June 7-July 7

Fri, June 7 3 p m FS1 France vs South Korea
Tues, June 11: 3 p.m. ET, Fox S. vs. Thailand,
Sun, June 16: Noon ET, Fox S. vs. Chile,
Thurs, June 20: 3 p.m. ET, Fox S. vs. Sweden
Sun, July 7 3 pm ET, Fox Women’s World Cup Finals from France

Gold Cup TV Schedule June 15– July 7

International Champions Cup Schedule July 16-Aug 18

NWSL. You can stream every game live on Yahoo Sports.

Where to Watch Soccer Games on Which Channels

Indy 11 vs Nashville

Indy 11

Indy 11 Preview of Nashville game and Indy Racing night

3 Things Indy 11 Last Week

Indy 11 Defender Garcia is Named to USL Player of Week

Late Goal leads to 1-0 Win over Charleston

Sat 9 am Soccer Talk with Greg Rakestraw on 1070 the Fan & 107.5 FM

Champions & Europa League

Arsenal’s Mkhitaryan forced to miss Europa Final

Arsenal’s Iwobi excited by Europa League Final – Goal.com

Champions League Winners Thru the Years – Video

Who’s Going to Win the Champions League Final June 1?

Oxade Chamberlain chasing Champions League dreams after Liverpool Injury

New Champions League Revamp would wreck EPL and others – Marcotti – ESPNFC

European League Hate the New Champions League Plan – Goal.com

USA

Yedlin & Brooks Left off US Men’s Gold Cup List – Jeff Carlisle ESPNFC

Pulisic wants to emulate Hazard at Chelsea – EPSNFC

U20 US World Cup quick preview.

U20 World Cup Groups

Womens’ World Cup Power Rankings – Yahoo Doug McIntyre

Women’s World Cup ticket Fail

US Ladies Julie Ertz (Johnston) is Ass Kicker of US Women’s Team

US Lindsey Horan Skipped College- Road Never Traveled – Yahoo Soccer

Get Ready for US Mal Pugh

Meet the 23 members of the USWNT 2019 World Cup roster

Carli Lloyd scores Brace in 5-0 win over New Zealand – Stars and Stripes

Ali Krieger Reaches 100^th Cap for US Ladies – Stars and Stripes

Hosts France to feature 7 players from powerhouse Lyon

WORLD

Quick World Wrap-up with Marcotti – ESPNFC

30 Best players under 21 – Pulisic, Mbappe, De Jong lead list – ESPN

3 Teams battle for 2 Champions League Spots in Italy on Final Day on ESPN+ – AP

Bayern Munich win 7^th Bundesliga Title as Robbin and Ribbery play last games ESPNFC

Bayern Edges Dortmund to Win Title on Final Day

Pulisic’s Warm Farewell to Dortmund

Man City could Lose Champions League Spot over FFP Breach –

Man City are the Greatest Team of this EPL Era – Gab Marcotti ESPNFC

Man City – How they Won the English Treble – ESPNFC

World Cup Qatar in 2022 Stays at 32 Teams

MLS

Chris Wondolowski Breaks MLS All Time Goals Record – Jeff Carlisle

Indiana’s own DeMarcus Beasley to Retire from Houston at Season’s End

Beasley’s Top 5 Moments for Club and Country

Run DMB – Beasley A look back – Stars and Stripes

Power Rankings MLS

Landon Donovan gives kudos to Wondo for breaking his MLS Goalscoring Record

Week 12 Review MLS – Greg Doyel

LAFC chase of history rolls on with another win

Zlatan suspended 2 games for Choking Goalkeeper

Goalkeepers

Goalkeepers – How do Pros Handle the Pressure – Mark Odgen ESPNFC

http://www.nwslsoccer.com/videos/8DC0EB23-738E-2F96-D474-B760EE0662DB Saves of the week

MLS Saves of Week

Indy 11 THREE THINGS | OPEN CUP & WEEK 11

By IndyEleven.com, 05/22/19, 7:30PM EDT

Our three things from Indy’s back-to-back wins in U.S. Open Cup & Week 11

DONUTS FOR EVERYONE

I’ve only worked in a true office environment for a little over a year now, but it seems customary to bring donuts when you’ve shown up late or made some department’s life a little harder. That’s what goalkeeper Evan Newton did last Thursday morning after receiving an early red card in Indy’s U.S. Open Cup fixture against Lansing Ignite the previous night. He brought donuts to training to thank his guys for having his back a gracious gesture appreciated by his teammates (just ask defenders Paddy Barrett and Macauley King).But this point is about more than delicious, empty calories. It’s about how much adversity Indiana’s Team has overcome courtesy of red cards and the toll they take on you not only physically, but mentally. Just ask Head Coach Martin Rennie.

“What’s been important is we’ve had a bit of adversity early in the season,” the Scotsman said. “We’ve had red cards twice in the first 20 minutes.”Two red cards in the first 20 minutes of two matches two weeks apart; that’s going to take a toll on your squad, mentally, physically and emotionally. What’s most impressive though, were the donuts – aka “zeroes,” aka shutouts – that followed the cards. The squad pulled out a point by keeping an old-school glazed yeast against a goal heavy Tampa Bay Rowdies down a man for 70 minutes, followed by a chocolate cake clean sheet in the face of a strong North Carolina FC three days later.After a week off to recover, the Boys in Blue found themselves short-handed for 70 minutes after Newton’s early ejection against Lansing. That meant it was Jordan Farr’s turn to make the donuts with the defense (more on him later), and the team rallied to pitch a 1-0 maple long John to advance in the USOC. Another game, another donut (we’ll go vanilla sprinkled) three days later against Charleston helped spur the squad to a pivotal 1-0 win, ended a string of games that tested Rennie’s and the team’s resolve – and fitness.“We’ve come into home games with only two days recovery, but we’ve still been picking up points and winning games.”

THE HOT HAND AT HOME

Undefeated at home. Curse of the football lines, credit the defense, thank god for majestic own goals, or kiss the left foot of Tyler Pasher … regardless of whatever reason you put the most emphasis on for the home form of the Boys in Blue, they’re undefeated. as Oil Stadium is becoming a fortress, and last Saturday night’s fixture against Charleston Battery helped justify that.In the first four games at home, the ledger has been a bit unorthodox: four clean sheets – which helped ‘keeper Evan Newton become the newest Lew’s Crew to hold a USL Championship regular season record – two goals, one red card, and no losses.“We’ve been kind of unfortunate in the sense all of our home games have been after two days of recovery,” Rennie said. “As a result, we haven’t been coming out flying.”What has been flying is the defense. Indiana’s Team hasn’t allowed a goal at home in 360 minutes during the 2019 season, and 421 minutes dating back to October 6, 2018. But on Saturday night, fans had something to cheer about besides a fourth clean sheet after the 90 minutes against Charleston. The Boys in Blue scored their first goal at home, by our own player, when midfielder Tyler Pasher rocketed a shot off the chest of Charleston’s goaltender into the back of the net to secure a 1-0 win.“We talked about it before the game and again at half time that it was really important that we got a goal,” Rennie said. “At home in this stadium we haven’t had one of our players put the ball in the back of the net yet, so it was really important, even if it meant risking losing a goal, to go for it.”Now, with the proverbial monkey off the back of the collective Eleven attack and the squad able to enjoy a full week’s rest, the result could be more streamers floating over the BYB starting Saturday night against Nashville.

FARR OUT MAN

CFC_Far2

It might not have happened the way Rennie expected, but second-year goalkeeper Jordan Farr finally made his professional debut between the sticks for Indy Eleven last Wednesday against Lansing Ignite FC, the appearance coming 15 months after signing in February 2018.“It was funny,” Rennie said in the minutes following the U.S. Open Cup Second Round win at Butler University’s Sellick Bowl. “I brought him into my office [Tuesday] and spoke to him and said, ‘Look, I’m not going to play you in this game, but I do believe in you and think you’re going to be a great goalkeeper for us. I’ve got no problem putting you into a game when that time comes.’”What wasn’t funny was Farr’s performance. The 24-year-old made multiple acrobatic saves and looked more composed with every minute under his belt on his way to earning the first clean sheet in the Eleven’s now eight-game LHUSOC history.“When I got in it felt like home,” Farr said. “It felt fantastic and like I belonged there.”Farr’s next appearance will be anything but unexpected, the Corban University product is guaranteed to start due to Newton’s USOC red card suspension when Indy travels to take on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the Third Round next Wednesday. This time he’ll have to keep the net empty for a full 90 minutes, a task his head coach is confident he can handle.

“He proved what I already knew – and that is he is a very good goalkeeper.”

Indy Eleven’s busy month of May continues this Saturday, May 25, with the club’s first-ever “Indy 500 Eve” game. Kickoff for “Racing Indy Night” against Nashville SC at Lucas Oil Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m., and the first 500 fans through the gates will receive a special-edition Indy Eleven/IMS cap. Tickets remain available for as little as $15.

Pulisic wants to emulate Hazard at Chelsea

pulisic_chelsea

3:48 AM ET ESPN

New Chelsea signing Christian Pulisic has said he wants to fill the void left by Eden Hazard should the Belgian leave for Real Madrid this summer.

Chelsea signed Pulisic for £58 million (€64m) from Borussia Dortmund in January, a record fee for a U.S. player, although he remained in the Bundesliga for the rest of the 2018-19 season.

Pulisic could be the only new face to arrive at Stamford Bridge this summer with the prospect of a two-window transfer ban hanging over the club, while sources have told ESPN FC that Hazard wants to complete a move to Real as soon as possible, with the winger’s final game for Chelsea likely to be against Arsenal in the Europa League final on May 29.But Pulisic, 20, has said he is ready to replace Hazard should he exit Stamford Bridge this summer and has set his sights on emulating the Belgian, who has lit up the Premier League since his arrival in 2012.”It is incredible to see what Eden can do. He is a guy to look up to and what I would love to become,” Pulisic told BBC Sport.”It is definitely a goal. Any player would be dumb not to want to be in the same team as him.”Hazard led Chelsea in both goals and assists as the club finished third in their first season under Maurizio Sarri, scoring 16 Premier League goals while setting up another 15. Pulisic, meanwhile, scored on the final day of the Bundesliga campaign to take his season tally to four, although the forward was hit by injuries during the year.During his time in Germany, Pulisic became the youngest non-German to score a Bundesliga goal and the youngest player to play for Dortmund in the Champions League. He is also the youngest player to captain the U.S. men’s national team, but says he is motivated to set new records now he has arrived in the Premier League.”I don’t want to be looked at as someone who is the youngest to do this or that,” Pulisic said. “I just want to be an established player and someone people respect, who is successful in this league.”It is completely new to me and something not a lot of American players have experienced. It is a blessing to be in this position, so I can inspire American kids, to show them we can do it too.”Pulisic also wants to help Chelsea close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool, who finished 26 and 25 points ahead of the Blues last season respectively.”Liverpool and City are two great teams who had great seasons but I have seen Chelsea compete against big teams and do well against them this season,” he said.”We want to go in with a winning mentality and compete with them right away.”

Gold Cup: Yedlin left off U.S.’s preliminary roster

May 20, 2019Jeff CarlisleU.S. soccer correspondent

Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, Schalke’s Weston McKennie and RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams join Toronto’s Michael Bradley as the headliners on United States coach Gregg Berhalter’s 40-man preliminary roster for this summer’s Gold Cup, while DeAndre Yedlin and John Brooks Jr. have missed out.

CONCACAF released every team’s preliminary roster on Monday.In addition to the big names, Berhalter dug up a few surprises for his list, selecting Derby County midfielder Duane Holmes as well as Tyler Boyd, currently on the books of Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, who just had a one-time switch to represent the U.S. approved after playing a handful of friendlies for New Zealand.There is also a recall for MSV Duisburg attacker Joe Gyau, whose once-promising career has been devastated by knee injuries. Fulham full-back Marlon Fossey, himself a victim of a knee injury last year, has been added to the list as well.Andrew Gutman, currently on loan with the USL’s Charlotte Independence after signing with Celtic, was named to the list, as was defender Miles Robinson, who has been outstanding for Atlanta United this season.There were a couple of notable omissions, though the biggest were injury-induced. Newcastle United defender Yedlin will miss out after recently undergoing groin surgery, while a knee ailment has rendered Wolfsburg defender Brooks unavailable.Bobby Wood, who hadn’t made the game-day roster in over two months while on loan at Hannover 96, also didn’t make the cut.Berhalter is expected to announce the group that will participate in a pre-Gold Cup training camp on Wednesday.The final 23-player rosters will be announced by CONCACAF the first week of June. After the official announcement, only injury-related changes will be allowed, up until 24 hours before each team’s first match, and any injury replacements must come from the preliminary 40-player roster. – Morris injures hamstring as Gold Cup looms

U.S. preliminary roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Atlanta United), Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge), Sean Johnson (New York City FC), Tyler Miller (LAFC), Zach Steffen (Columbus Crew),

Defenders: Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham Hotspur), Marlon Fossey (Fulham FC), Greg Garza(FC Cincinnati), Omar Gonzalez (Club Atlas), Andrew Gutman (Charlotte Independence), Nick Lima (San Jose Earthquakes), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Daniel Lovitz (Montreal Impact), Matt Miazga (Chelsea FC), Tim Ream(Fulham FC), Antonee Robinson (Wigan Athletic), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), Walker Zimmerman (LAFC)

Midfielders: Paul Arriola (DC United), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Tyler Boyd (MKE Aknaragücü), Duane Holmes (Derby County), Jonathan Lewis(Colorado Rapids), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Weston McKennie (Schalke 04), Djordje Mihailovic (Chicago Fire), Darlington Nagbe (Atlanta United), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea FC), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Jonathan Amon (FC Nordsjaelland), Corey Baird (Real Salt Lake), Joe Gyau (MSV Duisburg), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Christian Ramirez (LAFC), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew)

Bayern wrap up Bundesliga and say goodbye to legends. PLUS: Vincent Kompany calls time at Man City

May 20, 2019 Gabriele MarcottiSenior Writer, ESPN FC

After another action-packed weekend in soccer, Gab Marcotti reflects on the big talking points in his latest edition of Monday Musings.

Bayern wrap up turbulent season with another league title

There was no drama on the final day of the 2018-19 Bundesliga season. Bayern won and did it emphatically, beating up Eintracht Frankfurt, 5-1, to win their seventh straight title. Despite being 90 minutes away from a Double — they play Leipzig in the German Cup final next weekend — Niko Kovac’s job is on the line.The fact that he said “I’m convinced I’m staying” rather than simply “I’m staying” speaks volumes here, and if you followed Bayern’s season, you’ll know why.

– Honigstein: Can Bayern ever replace Robben, Ribery?

This is a team that was nine points back from Borussia Dortmund in December. And rather than putting together an inspired comeback, the narrative of the campaign has been more about taking advantage of their rivals’ stumbles (and there have been many). In Kovac’s case, it was also about less-than-inspired football — the ghost of Pep Guardiola still haunts the Allianz Arena — and occasionally stormy relations with a number of first-team players. Saturday also marked the goodbye for three men who have marked Bayern’s recent history: Rafinha, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery after a combined 30 seasons at the club. Robben and Ribery in particular ought to be singled out. It’s easy to forget that both started and made their name as traditional wingers, only to evolve into something different and more modern, during the Guardiola era. It’s one thing for young players to adapt to a new boss, quite another for two veterans pushing 30 to reinvent themselves and make a radically different change. That’s a credit to their professionalism and the environment that existed at the club.

There are big decisions ahead for Bayern even if Kovac ends up staying, but the lasting legacy of this season ought to be a warning shot across their bow: this title is more about your opposition’s flaws than your own merits. Fix things or watch someone else win next season.

Praise for Vincent Kompany

Watford failed to put up much of a fight in the FA Cup final as Manchester City romped to a 6-0 win, matching a record for margin of victory that stood since 1903 when Bury defeated Derby County. The win seals City’s domestic Treble and yes, they probably are the greatest English side in the Premier League era, although they certainly did not need Saturday’s win to prove it.In some ways, the day was all about Vincent Kompany, who announced his departure to join Anderlecht, the club where he grew up, in a player-manager role. Kompany, of course, may be City’s greatest-ever captain and the way he stormed back into the starting line up after three injury-riddled seasons, scoring the key goal at Leicester in the most improbable way only cements his place in history. (The fact that by shooting from 30 yards out, he chose not to follow the standard Guardiola instruction for a center-back in that position — play it out to the wings — also shows what a leader is: someone who knows when to follow orders and when to trust his gut.)Anybody who has met Kompany will tell you he is precisely the sort of charismatic, intelligent and empathetic individual who is bound to do something important in football upon retirement — if he so chooses. The fact that he opted to return home when, you’d imagine, City were willing to roll out the red carpet for him and groom him as a future coach or club executive — as they did with Patrick Vieira and wanted to do with Frank Lampard — as well as giving him the option of another season on the pitch, says plenty about him.He’s been a tremendous servant to City, but the Etihad is not reality. It’s an extreme situation, with a unique set-up and manager. If he wants to learn the ropes, he needs to dig in further down the food chain. The fact that he can do it at the (other) club he loves is a bonus.

A big summer ahead for Real Madrid and Gareth Bale

Real Madrid’s season finished with a whimper, beaten 2-0 at home by Betis in Quique Setien’s final game in charge of Betis. It was their 18th defeat of the season, their 12th in La Liga. It also marks arguably their worst campaign in more than two decades, and while the arrivals of Eder Militao and Luka Jovicmay inject new life in the side next season, Sunday also offered a reminder of how they can’t just flip a switch, blow up the team and start over.After two straight weeks where he was fit but wasn’t even called up to the match day squad, Gareth Bale made the substitutes’ bench against Betis. He was an unused sub as Zinedine Zidane sent on Marco Asensio, Isco and Lucas Vazquezinstead. Cameras pictured him laughing on the bench with Toni Kroos. At the final whistle, he disappeared down the tunnel while his teammates gathered to salute the fans: few got resounding cheers, other than Keylor Navas, who is leaving.Bale is one of the five highest-paid players in the world, with a salary of more than $30 million a year. While his output, when prorated over minutes on the pitch, has actually been relatively steady, at least statistically, he no longer fits into the club’s plans. They have Vinicius Junior, Asensio, Lucas Vazquez, Brahim Diaz and they hope to sign Eden Hazard. It’s seemingly an open secret that they’d love to sell him.Except Bale’s contract runs through 2022, on the eve of his 33rd birthday. And the reality is that very few clubs can afford those wages and those who do maybe don’t want or need Bale. Certainly not at that salary, anyway, and not if they also need to pay a transfer fee however small. Bale doesn’t want to go on loan, and as far as we know, he won’t take a pay cut either.That’s his prerogative, of course. If he’s willing to sit and wait for Zidane to change his mind about him or for a new manager to take over, that’s his choice. But he shouldn’t be surprised if people don’t understand how a guy who likely has close to $100 million in the bank is unwilling to take a pay cut in order to play. His pride may be wounded, sure, but in a couple seasons, his body won’t allow him to play the game at all. And he’ll never get that opportunity back.Here’s hoping he takes a leaf out of the Arjen Robben play book, swallows his pride, cuts his salary — in the short term, at least, in the long-term it might extend his shelf-life and the money he earns — and relaunches his career elsewhere.I don’t want Bale’s Real Madrid tenure to end the way Jack Rodwell’s did in Sunderland. I refuse to believe the fire has gone out and that this really is all about golf.

Serie A’s top-four race goes to final weekend

The FC crew have their say on who among Atalanta, Inter, Roma, or Milan will be celebrating Champions League football qualification next weekend.

Serie A is going down to the wire in the battle for the final two Champions League spots after the weekend’s matches which saw Roma draw away to Sassuolo (0-0), Inter get thumped at Napoli, Milan overcome Frosinone (2-0, after Gianluigi Donnarumma saved a penalty with the game scoreless) and Atalanta concede a late equaliser away to Juventus (1-1).The first obvious point to make is that the old trope whereby late-season Serie A games yield “weird” results as teams that don’t need points happily gift them to the opposition is out the window. Napoli had nothing to play for and neither did Sassuolo. Juventus stormed back in the second half after a horrendous first 45 minutes. And sure, you can say that they didn’t want to spoil the postgame scudetto party but equally, quite a few of their fans wouldn’t have minded seeing Atalanta knock one of the Milanese clubs out of the Champions League places.The upshot?Atalanta — home to Sassuolo in theory but in practice away to Sassuolo, since Atalanta’s stadium is closed for renovations — and Inter (home to Empoli) control their own destinies. A win guarantees a place in the Champions League. Milan (away to SPAL) need to win and hope that Inter or Atalanta draw or Milan can draw if Atalanta lose since the head-to-head tiebreaker favours the rossoneri. There’s also a scenario where Roma can qualify, but it would require three different results to go their way, and they’d need a massive swing in goal difference.The stakes are high for everyone, particularly Inter and Milan.The former have just come out of their financial fair play settlement agreement, but missing out on Champions League revenue would limit the much-needed rebuild. (And yes, if you saw how awful they were at Napoli, you’d agree they need serious help beyond just a new manager). The fact that they’re playing Empoli, who desperately need the points to stay up, isn’t encouraging either. Meanwhile, Milan have their own FFP issues, of course, and things will only get more complicated if they miss out, particularly after shelling out $90 million in January on Krzysztof Piatek and Lucas Paqueta.Whatever happens, even if they don’t qualify Atalanta have already won Serie A, metaphorically speaking.

Will the real Dortmund please stand up?

From one vantage point, it’s hard to tell who the real Borussia Dortmund are. Are they the side that lost just twice before February and enjoyed a six-point lead at the top of the table? Or are they the team that won just eight of their past 17 games in all competitions the rest of the way?Youth can be an excuse for many things, and this is undoubtedly a side packed with promising talent. Then again, that’s why they signed an experienced coach in Lucien Favre who was supposed to guard against a second-half collapse. Instead we saw a side lacking maturity in the spring, particularly when injuries hit.In some ways, their final act of the season, away to Borussia Moenchengladbach, was a metaphor of the season, only in reverse. Against an opponent that still had a shot at winning a place in the Champions League, Dortmund looked chaotic and flimsy in the first half, only to rediscover themselves in the second and storm back to a 2-0 victory. Favre needs to convince the players that the real Dortmund is the one we saw after the break Saturday.When you throw titles away, it always hurts more, but this is the club’s third highest points total ever. There is plenty of raw material with which to work, and if they sell a prize asset or two, there will be plenty of resources available to narrow the gap with Bayern, who look to be heading towards a transition year next season.

Messi wraps up another Golden Boot?

Having sealed their eighth league title in 11 years, the main purpose of Barcelona’s final match of the Liga campaign away to Eibar was Lionel Messigetting a chance to pad out his goals total with a view towards winning his sixth European Golden Boot. (Whether or not he cares and whether he’d happily swap them all for a World Cup, Copa America or even another Champions League is a matter for debate.)

As it happened, he bagged both goals in the 2-2 draw, which means his season ends with 36 Liga goals: he has 50 overall, with the Copa del Rey final to come. Assuming Kylian Mbappe fails to score five goals in Paris Saint-Germain’s final game of the season (not likely he will) and Fabio Quagliarella doesn’t bag 11 in Sampdoria’s last outing (even less likely), it’s yet another piece of silverware for his trophy cabinet.

De Rossi’s exit causes chaos at Roma

News that Daniele De Rossi will be leaving Roma at the end of the season marks the end of an era. The man once known as “Captain Future” because, of course, there can only ever be one Capitano at Roma, will play his final game next weekend at home to Parma after 18 years at the club. The club are fortunate that they have quality ready-made replacements ready to take over the armband. Just as they went from Francesco Totti to De Rossi, they’ll go from De Rossi to Alessandro Florenzi and, perhaps, one day to Lorenzo Pellegrini and then to Luca Pellegrini (no relation, in case you’re wondering).That said, it’s telling how De Rossi’s departure is wreaking such havoc at the club. He simply said he imagined himself playing for Roma until he could no longer stand and they “dragged me off the pitch.” He also said that had he been in charge, he would have renewed his contract another year. He even said he was willing to stay on a “pay-for-play” deal. That was enough for a popular uprising among some supporters against the Roma top brass, from owner Jim Pallotta to executives Mauro Baldissoni and Franco Baldini. Even Claudio Ranieri, the outgoing manager, appeared to take a swipe when he said that he would have kept De Rossi around.You can get the fans’ reaction — we want our heroes to be immortal — but some of this also feels like a case of “point-scoring” against the club for what has turned into a disappointing season.As for De Rossi, you can’t picture him wearing different colors, and you’d imagine that if he has to play for a different club, he’ll want it to be as far away as possible. The fact that he speaks good English and his wife is British-American (although she was raised in Rome) has prompted some to see Major League Soccer in his future. You’d imagine that would be an option, although the legacy of great European midfielders moving to MLS isn’t great: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Steven Gerrard and Andrea Pirlo didn’t exactly pull up trees.So here’s hoping he takes the more romantic option, mooted by some: he has long been an admirer of Argentine football, what if he rocked up at Boca Juniors or River Plate for a season or two?I have no idea if this is even a possibility, but yeah, if it happens I’ll want to witness it. And so will you.

Julie Ertz is the ass kicker of the U.S. women’s national team

Off the field, U.S. women’s national team star Julie Ertz is a ball of sunshine. On the field, she’s a tsunami. She’ll be a key to the U.S.’s success at the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Mary Ellen Matthews for ESPN

May 16, 2019Allison GlockSenior Writer, espnW

IT’S 10 MINUTES before practice in the Chicago Red Stars’ training room, and midfielder Julie Ertz is curled up on a massage table, cupping the arches of her feet. She suctions her skin into a small, pressurized globe, a process that calls to mind medieval torture but allegedly relieves tightness. Her toenails are painted periwinkle blue. A small cross tattoo is tucked behind her ear like a flower.Ertz winces as she pops the seal of skin, then hops off the table and runs the tender pockets of her feet over a golf ball. She has high arches, a foot shape better suited to ballet than soccer and one that causes her intense discomfort every time she hits the pitch.”I was 23 in the last World Cup,” the team captain says matter-of-factly. “Now I need to listen to my body more.”On the floor, various teammates receive their own treatments: icing knees, heating quads, feet submerged in buckets soaking ingrown nails. They chat amiably about the dubious sartorial cred of Uggs, big versus small dogs, new restaurants, Gossip Girl — the free-flowing, unconcerned conversation found in groups with decades of shared history and unambiguous commonalities. Every few minutes, forward Michele Vasconcelos’ toddler, Scarlett, is rolled through the room in a plastic pushcart, a small soccer ball bouncing in the front.”It was fire,” Ertz shares about the foosball tourney she and a few other players got into last night, noting, “I made Gilly [Arin Wright, née Gilliland] switch positions because she wasn’t defending well enough.” Ertz laughs, says she had no skin in the game beyond “you know, pride.”Soon, the players hit the field and begin running laps. They shift like a flock of geese, repositioning en mass, pivoting to and fro as if nudged by the wind. During drills, Ertz transforms. She yanks her ponytail tight, walks the turf with a purpose, bowlegged, arms bent and floating at her hips like a cowboy ready to draw. Her expression is serious, contemplative, her genial demeanor subsumed by the beast within.”I’m the kind of person that wants to take advantage of all my opportunities,” she explains. And for Ertz, practice is as critical an opportunity as any.

WORLD FOOTBALL

For more on the U.S. and global stars of the upcoming 2019 Women’s World Cup, check out the June issue of ESPN The Magazine.

Capitalizing on her prospects is something the seasoned defensive champion has been doing since her teens. After a winning stint at Santa Clara University, the NWSL rookie of the year became the second-youngest player on the victorious 2015 World Cup team, a position she slid into after an injured Crystal Dunn was dropped from the roster. Former alternate Ertz seized her moment by the throat, playing every second of the tournament, emerging as a star. In 2017, she was named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year, and she is now viewed by many as the most critical component in the projected success of the 2019 national team — the strategic linchpin and a player head coach Jill Ellis describes as “a weapon” who “will run through anything.”Like the Kool-Aid Man, Ertz has a reputation for furiously demolishing barriers with a smile. On the outside, she is all warm, sunny blond; on the inside, it’s Game of Thrones, mother of dragons. She has etched her place in soccer history as a rare amalgamation of physical and technical threat, the uncommon defender who dissects film and tackles audaciously, her body as ruthless as her brain.”Julie is incredibly intelligent about the game,” Chicago head coach Rory Dames says. “She’s like having another coach on the field.”Dames drafted Ertz to the Red Stars five years ago, in large part because of her brute chutzpah. “Julie puts her body on the line. It’s unusual to have a player that has all the characteristics that Julie has and still have her willingness to tackle,” he marvels, adding, “There is no gray area for her.”Teammates describe Ertz as a player who thrives under pressure, joyfully running headlong into the mouth of every cannon.”Julie is probably one of the more aggressive players that we have,” says keeper Alyssa Naeher, who plays alongside Ertz on the USWNT and the Red Stars. “She’s the one that’s going to the ground. Which is weird because off the field, you don’t see that side.”Out of uniform, Ertz, 27, is chill, open, thoughtful. She makes a lot of deep eye contact. She keeps her indulgences in check. She does not smoke or drink or eat crappy food or sleep late or skip practice. She’s like Sandra Dee, if Sandra Dee possessed a secret, bone-deep desire to knock your punk ass into the artificial turf.”If her goal was just to be a great soccer player, that goal would’ve already been accomplished,” observes her husband, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. “She could rest on her laurels and be complacent. But she’s not.”Julie Ertz is the opposite, consumed by self-scrutiny, poking at what she perceives as her weak spots like a tongue prodding an aching tooth.”When you fail or you make a mistake, you learn a lot about yourself,” she explains. “That wouldn’t happen if I just did everything right. You know what I mean?”

IF YOU ASK her, Ertz will tell you she doesn’t have nightmares. She dreams nearly every night. But her head is filled instead with happy fantasies and memories. Sometimes she dreams about past vacations or trips to the sea. More often, she dreams of soccer.”I see moments of a game that could happen,” she says, knitting her brow. Premonitions and “visions,” not of trophies but of plays, of tackles. Even at rest, she is strategizing.Ertz sees nothing odd about this. The infinite calculus of soccer has been her abiding preoccupation since she was an eager child in Mesa, Arizona, stumbling into a lifelong passion while trying to beat her two-years-older sister, Melanie, at something, anything. (Ertz’s grandmother remembers Julie making up rules to win at Candy Land.)Natural athletes, the sisters were encouraged to battle. Their father, David Johnston, a starting kicker for LSU, designed makeshift physical challenges to entertain them whenever he could. Chores became races. An idle jump on the trampoline transformed into a contest to see which daughter could jump higher over a swinging pipe.David worked in the cold room at Shamrock Foods, lifting heavy stock 65 hours a week. Mom Kristi was a nurse. The family bedrock was hard work and the belief in its ability to cement character.”It was tough love,” Ertz recalls.”My dad wanted us to find that drive at a young age,” Melanie says. “The mentality was, ‘No one is stopping you but yourself.'”The two girls shared a room, an enforced closeness that Melanie says brought benefits — “We were partners in crime” — and annoyances — “Julie borrowing my Hollister T-shirt, not hanging it up, it’s on the floor types of things.”The sisters excelled in every sport but showed particular promise in soccer, a game “my parents didn’t know anything about,” Ertz recalls. By age 9, Ertz thought of little else. Local leagues were joined. A net was erected in the backyard. Self-motivated practice was expected. If this was where the family time and money was going to be spent, the girls were called upon to take their commitment seriously. Ertz says the early accountability was a blessing.”It made us super independent. Our parents made it known, we’re going to treat you like an adult.”David and Kristi logged extra shifts to pay for team expenses. The girls’ heavy sporting schedule meant cheap pizza dinners in the car, hours commuting to matches every weekend. There were no vacations that didn’t revolve around soccer.”That’s why Julie and I are so hard on ourselves to perform at a higher level,” Melanie says. Neither child wanted the sacrifices their parents made to be for nothing.Whenever Melanie joined a league, Julie followed. After a growth spurt in middle school, Julie began eclipsing her sister on the pitch. “Julie was so advanced. She played above her age,” Melanie recalls.At 13, Ertz switched to a more hard-core club with European coaches, and the die of her career was cast. “I loved how seriously everyone there took it,” she says — her most of all. It was a fevered dedication that’s only grown over the ensuing dozen years, Ertz sewing up a heady college run before dropping out to go pro in 2013, a decision that haunts her slightly.”I wanted to finish, and I really, really tried,” she says. “It was hard to balance classes while I was getting called in with the national team. My parents still ask me when I’m going to finish my education, and I tell them, ‘Soon.'”When asked why she would bother at this point, Ertz says flatly, “To say I did it.”She is a completionist. “I want to win more games,” Ertz says of her immediate goals. “I will never be satisfied,” she says of her competitive mentality. “It’s such an honor to be able to represent your country that I just don’t ever want to let it down.””Julie is a sore loser,” Zach confides with a chuckle. “If I beat her at something, I try to keep it mellow because I know the repercussions if I go all out.”Julie does not disagree. “I want to be a good, moral person and have good values,” she says earnestly. “But I don’t think I’ll ever mature about how to act about losing. I hate losing so much.”Ertz is happiest with her husband. (The soccer field, she says, is a close second.) Her call log reads like a skipping record. Hubby, hubby, hubby, hubby, hubby FaceTime, hubby FaceTime, hubby. The two famously met at a Stanford baseball game, him quiet, her chatty. They shared sunflower seeds. A friendship developed. Six months later, they were an item, bonding over their willingness to forgo late nights on the quad for a pursuit of athletic excellence, a commitment unusual among their peers. Zach also reminded Julie of her father: reserved, with a well of sweetness beneath the surface. She knew it was serious when the two of them could drive in silence and not feel awkward.Julie took Zach home, the first boyfriend to meet her parents. It was July in Arizona. Sweltering. “He was absolutely miserable,” Julie remembers, laughing.Adding to the discomfort, the family Johnston is a “more the merrier” extended dance remix crew, the sort that gathers every aunt, uncle and second cousin together any chance they get; boisterous, voluble — at least on the maternal side. When Zach was introduced to the cheerful chaos, “he was like, ‘This is insane!'” Julie recalls. “He was really nervous.”Since then, “Julie has pulled a lot of stuff out of me,” Zach says. When they are together, the pair put fun first. They play games of gin or Bananagrams, tease each other good-naturedly. “More her making fun of me. We rarely have a bad day.”The couple did marriage counseling before they wed, approaching their partnership like they do their sport — giving it their all, in all ways.”Zach knows me better than anyone else in the world,” Julie says. “He’s that person I’m vulnerable with. We grew up together. In the soccer world, it’s really hard to root yourself.”For Julie, Zach is home. And that home is sacred. The couple decided long ago that their marriage would come first, before football, before soccer, before the World Cup and the Super Bowl and the raining down of international acclaim.”Our relationship wasn’t built on Julie’s ability to play soccer and my ability to play football,” Zach explains.”Don’t get me wrong,” Julie clarifies. “We want to give sports everything we have. But this career isn’t something you can do forever.”

IT IS LATE afternoon, and Alyssa Naeher is driving Julie to their midtown Chicago gym for their second workout of the day. Naeher’s side mirror is knocked off, so she wrenches her head hard left.”You look like me on the field,” Ertz jokes, dramatically swiveling her body, thick ponytail snapping. The women laugh, talk about Mike Trout’s record-breaking contract for $36.8 million a year.”Where’s our multimillion-dollar payday?” Naeher asks.”Right?” Ertz chimes in, noting that she and Trout are nearly the same age. (Ertz says she has no comment on the current USWNT lawsuit seeking equitable pay and treatment, preferring to “keep a one-track mind toward France.”)Ertz reminds Naeher that she knows Trout personally, that he’s a great guy. She and Zach have couples dinners with him and his wife. She says her second wedding anniversary is coming up, and she and Zach are going to buy each other surprise outfits to wear to dinner. She’s worried about what Zach will pick. She usually dresses him.”Hips Don’t Lie” comes on the radio, and Ertz breaks into song. She makes an inspirational playlist every December, adding songs “over the year whenever I hear one that speaks to me in the moment.” The last tune she added was “Sunshine,” by Maoli, a breezy island bop celebrating true love. She says it reminds her of a trip to Turks and Caicos with Zach.Earlier in the week, Ertz was interrupted by a soccer dad during dinner out. He said his 13-year-old daughter was holding herself back on the field and that he’d advised her to act like Ertz, told her, “It’s OK to be a savage on the field. I guarantee Julie would destroy someone.”Ertz nodded along, pleased.”My teammates all know not to go into a tackle when I go for it,” she told the man.Ertz is not ashamed of her rep for aggression. Or how observers interpret her game. “No matter what we do, somebody will have something to say about it.” She shrugs. “That’s just how it is if you’re a woman athlete.”Ertz knows all too well the cruel vagaries of pro sports, especially for women, where scarcity of opportunity casts every high and low in crushing relief.During the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Ertz was hitting her stride at center back. “The game against New Zealand was one of the best games I’ve played.” Later came Sweden: the first time Team USA didn’t win gold in 16 years and the first defeat for Ertz.”I’d never lost with the team when I was on the field until that game,” she says. “It didn’t feel real.”After the loss, Ertz was the one U.S. player randomly pulled for drug testing. She was driven to the doctor with a member of the Swedish team. They both waited for hours to pee in a cup, Ertz biting her cheeks in silence as her opponent gleefully celebrated into her cellphone, the scene something out of a goofy European farce.”I didn’t get to see my teammates, give them hugs,” Ertz says. “I didn’t hear what the coaches had to say.”When she made it back home to Philadelphia, Zach was already with the Eagles in OTAs, and Julie found herself alone in an empty house. Zach flew in her parents to nudge her out of her funk. “And I didn’t talk to them,” she says. “I literally sat in silence for two weeks.”On her phone, she kept a photo of her near-miss block in the fatal game as her screen saver. “It was not a great time in my life,” Ertz says, sighing.When you are a defender, your job is basically proving a negative, your triumphs largely invisible while your mistakes scream loud as sirens.”You could play a great game for 89 minutes, and then if you don’t do one thing …” Ertz quiets, shakes her head. “A forward can suck for 90 minutes, but if you score in overtime, no one remembers the rest of the game.”Ertz was benched from the national team after the Olympics. For nearly a year she didn’t start, an abrupt and gutting life change.”It was a really hard time for me. I never asked why. Probably never will. I don’t want to know.”Ertz is not one for self-pity. She can do the USWNT math. The bench is deep with exceptional players. Rejection is in the DNA of the cutthroat selection process. Still, it was hard to reconcile.”It’s weird to talk about,” she says. “I was pissed: ‘I’ll show you the mistake you’re making by not using me.’ I said that every day at practice in my head. Then as it went on and I wasn’t playing, I started thinking, ‘Maybe your life is going in a different direction than you think.'”She considered retirement. Sitting out game days was almost too painful to bear. But “I realized my career has been started in those moments. I could either choose to sit there and be mad or be prepared and prove my point. I still had that pride.””When you’re dealing with adversity as an athlete, you can pout and point the finger at someone else, or you can reflect and ask yourself, ‘How can I get better?'” Zach says. “That’s what she did. She ramped up to another level.”Ertz leaned in to the inescapable grind of professional sport. The monotony behind moments of elation, trudging through muddy parking lots to dimly lit practice fields to do the same drills she’d done almost every day for 20 years. She also doubled down on overall fitness.”To be elite, my fitness had to go way up. And I had to accept that mentally it’s going to be very, very hard and push past it.”Playing in the NWSL was a balm.”Feeling wanted, at least somewhere,” Ertz says, allowed her “to figure out where I belonged.”As it turns out, it was in the midfield. Asked by Ellis to sub as a midfielder for the Brazil game in the 2017 Tournament of Nations, Ertz didn’t hesitate. She did what she has always done. She said yes and worried about the details later.”I was told, ‘Don’t expect to be a midfielder.’ And I kind of just stayed there. I was working my ass off. I was thinking, ‘If this is the way that it’s going to go, at least I’m going to leave knowing that I did everything that I could.'”Observes Dames, “A lot of people would not mentally be able to overcome those obstacles. Her ability to reinvent herself in the midfield and become arguably the most vital piece of the U.S. team’s success, it’s special.””This is not a normal thing what we do,” adds Naeher. “It’s hard to understand the psychological side of it unless you’re in it.”Ertz still wants her passing completion to be higher. She wants more goals outside of the 18 she has. She wants to be fit enough to play seven games “at my top, because that’s what it’s going to take to win the World Cup.” But she is #grateful for her hardships.In the best case, failure begets knowledge, and Ertz has learned plenty. About her fortitude. About the limited value of what others believe are your limits. About going to the mattresses. She knows who she is now.”Days after the World Cup, I couldn’t wait until we could win the Olympics. And then days after we lost the Olympics, I couldn’t wait for another World Cup. I thought, ‘If I just won this, it would be everything.’ And then you get there and you always want something else.”Ertz sensed there had to be more than leapfrogging from medal to medal, goal to goal. “All I had was soccer. That was my identity. If soccer didn’t go well, nothing else was great.” So she shifted her perspective. Less end game, more journey. Ertz started asking herself, “What else is there?” And her answer was faith, family and deep friendship.”Everyone feels alone in this world,” she says. “I felt alone in college, and I lived in a room with five girls.”Ertz pauses, takes a beat to ponder her spiritual growth.”Sometimes it’s hard. I want to be a really good role model, but at the same time, look, I’m still trying to grow up.”

ERTZ LIVES OUT of a single suitcase. On the left side are her undergarments. On the right side, her toiletries. She packs only four outfits, two big old coats, leggings, sweatpants, tank tops. She’s an expert at simplifying in the service of excellence, at winnowing life to the crux of what matters.In third grade, Ertz’s teacher asked the class to draw a dream board of what the children wanted their futures to be when they grew up. Her classmates drew pictures of houses and dogs and firemen and doctors and flowers and princesses. Young Julie drew a soccer player. It was the only image on her board.Over coffee at a hipster café in the West Loop, Ertz contemplates her résumé: “I played soccer and I baby-sat. It would literally be that.”Ertz has already begun considering the end of her game. She is at her peak. And peaks do not last. That reckoning has not gone down easy. She does the mental prep, tries to focus on the joy that still awaits — children, her foundation, paying it forward, her faith. But the verdict remains heavy.”If I retire when I’m 55 or 28, it will never be the right moment. There is nothing that makes me as excited and joyful as soccer does.”Dames recently repositioned Ertz into the Red Stars’ back line, even though she’s ramping up for the World Cup at midfield.”The soccer IQ needed for juggling those two positions at this level is huge,” Naeher says.”It wasn’t best for her,” Dames acknowledges. “But she said, ‘Let’s do it!’ No hesitation. Not, ‘Well, I need to get into the six and my spot might be in jeopardy.’ Just a very simple, ‘Yep, I agree. It’s best for the team.'”To compensate for the demands of dual positions, Ertz adds extra running to her workout, concentrates on specialized ballhandling. She rarely takes a day off; she is still, as her parents imparted decades ago, accountable. The exigent complexity drives her.”When I’m called upon, I’m going to be ready.”After Red Stars practice, as her teammates trot off to showers and lunches, Ertz remains on the field. She does drills, gets in extra touches, examines her weaknesses, systematically dismantles them.In the far corner of the field, she launches the ball repeatedly into a wooden kickboard, maneuvering and adjusting her footwork centimeter by centimeter.Boom. Thump. Boom. Thump. Again and again she kicks.It sounds like a heartbeat.

Lindsey Horan’s road never traveled

Henry BushnellYahoo Sports•May 20, 2019

The sobs were audible. Chubby tear-stained cheeks visible via Skype. On her first of many lonely nights at 10 Rue de Poissy, in an apartment 10 miles west of Paris, long before she became a reticent U.S. national team star, an 18-year-old girl from Colorado called her mom and cried.It was September of 2012 when Lindsey Horan first wondered what the hell she had done. Months earlier, she had barged into her mother’s bedroom at a similarly nocturnal hour, flicked on the lights, and revealed the biggest decision of her life. She had turned down the most prestigious college scholarship in women’s soccer. Turned down a well-worn path to USWNT stardom, and instead chosen an untrodden one, all because of a dream. So in late August, to fulfill it, Horan flew an ocean and half a continent away from home, to a sprawling European metropolis, its culture and intricacies capable of swallowing up even the most mature foreign teenager. She was there to do something no American woman had ever done: Play soccer, professionally, straight out of high school. For PSG. On a six-figure contract.

But before she could, not two weeks into her trailblazing adventure, the club moved her out of a host family’s house, into the apartment on Rue de Poissy. And with her first evening alone winding down, she came to a problematic realization.She had no bed sheets.So she cried. Clicked Skype. Dialed mom, for one of several hundred emotional transatlantic calls that immediately became daily routine. She slept on towels that night, with a thought coursing through her mind.“Oh my God, what am I getting into?”

With a decision no other American girl had ever made came a journey no other American girl had ever embarked on, a journey armed with challenges no other American girl had ever faced. Challenges as complex as soccer drills, explained only in French, defenders and profanities bombarding her with equal venom; and challenges as simple as grocery runs. Or cooking. Or a search for a fitted sheet.For weeks, they consistently brought Lindsey Horan to tears. “Not that I was depressed,” she recalls six years later. “But I was homesick.”But the journey, in part because of those unprecedented challenges, led her to a podium in Portland, an MVP trophy in hand. It led her to world player of the year shortlists; to the cusp of World Cup stardom; and, last fall, to a hotel lobby in Raleigh, where, sporting a black “E♀UALITY” t-shirt and an effortless smile, she reflected on her odyssey using both words and a hand motion: Up and down, up and down, the wave-like movement representing the trajectory of her rise.“There were so many learning experiences,” Horan says of her time 5,000 miles outside her comfort zone. And in so many ways, she’s stronger because of them.

The obsession

The most remarkable aspect of Horan’s story isn’t anything that transpired on glistening swaths of French grass. It isn’t her unique footballing blend of physical prowess and artistry. It isn’t a starting point or a final destination. It’s an incongruity – between the profile of a prototypical pioneer and the profile of this one.Horan, in her own words, “wasn’t outgoing whatsoever” as a kid growing up in Golden, Colorado. When an overflowing soccer schedule relented, her most common weekend diversion involved smuggling food into a movie theater with her best friend. When she arrived in Paris, she’d snuggle up in her room with TV shows or soccer streams. And when her first American teammate, Tobin Heath, arrived at PSG, Horan was the last to greet her – with minimal eye contact, in the corner of the room, timidity and nerves obstructing words.Heck, when organized footy first enticed her, 5-year-old Lindsey would only play if her mom, Linda, signed up to coach.“So shy,” Horan says now of her younger self.

Soccer, though, has transformative power. It reshapes personalities, cracks shells. And Horan, from a young age, was “just obsessed” with it. She and her older brother, Michael, would play in backyards and basement hallways. Linda remembers Michael’s friends retiring to the house after hours of friendly competition and marveling to him: “Man, your sister’s tough.”The obsession broadened around age 11 when a club coach with the Colorado Rush, Tim Schulz, gave Horan an assignment: Don’t just play the game fanatically; watch it as well. Schulz mentioned Barcelona and a 17-year-old phenom named Lionel Messi. Horan became an OG Messi fangirl – “never a bandwagon[er],” she clarifies – with multiple jerseys, a scarf, a Barca flag and posters still adorning the walls of her childhood bedroom to this day.

Then, soon after her European football indoctrination, Horan realized this magical world in which she’d immersed herself through TV screens was in the same universe as hers. After a club practice, Schulz told Horan and her teammates that one day, one of them would play professionally, perhaps overseas. Which led to her declaration, in the car on the way home: “Mom, that’s gonna be me.”Over the coming years, she’d occasionally reiterate her ambition. And after one regional coach literally laughed at it, she pursued it compulsively. After a youth national team coach cut her, leaving her in tears for three days, she became almost possessed. She’d rise with the Rocky Mountain sun for 7 a.m. training, rearranging school schedules to accommodate dream-chasing. After her last class of the day, she’d zip to practice with the academy boys from 3-4:30 p.m. Then she was off to her own team. Afterwards, she’d go again, a fourth session in 12 hours, with whoever had the field next, no matter the age group or gender.She prioritized training over school dances and family dinners, instead returning home late at night for microwavable meals. She endured criticism and rude comments from opponents for playing with a boys team. “Everything I did was for soccer,” Horan says. She fit in whatever homework she could.And that was all before what she now calls “the most stressful year of my life.”

The decision

It began with a phone call, at Denver International Airport, with vacation mere hours away. The Horans were checking in for their flight. Their destination? Barcelona, then a European cruise. The occasion? Grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary.But now Lindsey’s phone was buzzing. Schulz’s voice was coming through it, delivering fantastic yet inconvenient news: He’d negotiated an opportunity for her to train with Lyon, the reigning European champions.“You’re kidding me,” Lindsey immediately thought. “When is it?”What followed was a 12-day trip that Linda admits “was horrible.” While she and her husband – Lindsey’s father, Mark – argued about whether to let their 17-year-old daughter go to France alone, their daughter fretted about measuring up to top pros. The vacation impeded preparation. Lindsey’s solution was a small-sided field on the cruise ship’s deck that hosted daily pickup games. Her parents’ solution was to arrange for Erik Bushey, one of her club coaches back home, to accompany her to France.So Horan jetted from Barcelona to Lyon, and eventually trekked up into the Alps, with big eyes and almost zero French words in her linguistic arsenal. She ran and biked miles at altitude, the preseason fitness regimens startling to a girl who’d never sniffed a proper strength and conditioning program. She battled with and against French national teamers while French instructions rippled off tongues and over her head.And yet the brutality, the challenges, the draining work … they would have broken most 17-year-olds. But they attracted Horan.Over two grueling weeks, she earned a four-year contract offer. She and her family eventually decided it came a year too early. Back in Colorado, with a deadline looming, and with parents pushing the importance of at least completing high school, Lindsey sat down with some of her best friends, cried, hugged them, and said through sniffles, “I don’t want to leave you guys.” With fulfillment of her dream at her fingertips, she bravely turned it down.But she still yearned for it. The opportunity lingered, and therefore a decision – go to college, or turn pro? – loomed throughout senior year. The top-ranked player in her recruiting class, Horan committed to the University of North Carolina. The program’s track record – 20 of 30 national titles, 21 American World Cup stars produced – fueled unimaginable pressure to honor the pledge. To do what every other player in the history of the U.S. women’s national team had done. To take the safe route. To conform.But as she sought advice, heard opinions – most nudging her toward Chapel Hill – she found herself thinking: “No, you’re wrong. I know what I want.”

“In the end,” she says, “I knew what I wanted the whole time. I needed a push.” It came during an hours-long discussion with Bushey after training. Coach did most of the talking, impartially laying out pros and cons. Pupil listened. And cried.And drove home. Linda remembers it being after midnight. “My mom’s in bed,” Horan recounts. “I turn on all her lights. And I was like, ‘Mom, I made a decision!’ ”Linda, still groggy, wondered: “Am I having a dream?”“She’s half asleep,” Horan continues. “And I’m like, ‘I’m going pro!’ ”

The French adventure

Lindsey Horan, in case it wasn’t already clear, is a crier. She wept while telling her best friends she wasn’t ready to leave them, then a year later while realizing she was. She wept when a youth national team coach told her she wasn’t good enough. She wept without bed sheets, without family on Thanksgiving, without English-speaking friends consistently by her side. And on the Friday before her maiden away trip with PSG, the list grew.Horan had snubbed UNC for Europe. Lyon, however, had maxed out its international roster slots. With the back-to-back European champs no longer an option, Paris Saint-Germain swooped in to seal a deal. Horan, despite an arrival delayed by a July knee surgery, quickly earned a place in the starting 11.Before her professional bow, though, was a trip to France’s western tip, to tiny Guingamp. And before her team’s match was her other team’s match.One of many things Horan sacrificed to turn pro was a crack at the 2012 Under-20 World Cup. As former and future teammates marched onto a field in Tokyo for the final that Friday, Horan sat in a hotel lobby, staring up at “this tiny-ass TV in the corner of the lounge area.” As seconds ticked away on a U.S. victory, a few PSG players joined her and remarked: “Oh, you were supposed to be there!”Horan forced a laugh. Tried to stifle tears. Couldn’t.“I just started bawling my eyes out,” she recalls. “Like, ‘Oh my gosh, what did I do? I’m in Guingamp.’ It was a nightmare.”UNC also won a national championship that fall. Meanwhile, Horan would retreat to her room, resort to frozen foods or McDonald’s, too afraid of a short grocery store expedition. Adapting to a foreign land as a timid teen, she says, “was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done.”On the field, assimilation came quicker, but was nonetheless turbulent. At training, Horan would wait for English explanations that never came. Some of her first French words were the soccer terms for “man on” (sa vient) and “space” (sol) – but of course she mixed them up, and would turn into pressure, or hurry passes unnecessarily, until realizing the interpretive error.She also had to reform her diet. “I was the worst with my nutrition and fitness,” Horan admits. “I knew nothing about it, nor did I care about it.” And the club’s technical staff, led by head coach Farid Benstiti, didn’t care about communicating fitness goals respectfully. “They were just terrible,” Horan says. “Especially with female players, they were just [saying], ‘You need to lose weight, you need to get thinner, you need to run more.’“But it was more [about] how you were seen and not how it was helping you play,” Horan says of the demands. At one practice, Benstiti told her she was benched until she shed weight. Afterward, she called mom and said she wanted to quit.As she struggled with adaptations, however, she largely found comfort in football. (Horan uses both “football” and “soccer” interchangeably.) With her four-a-day practice habit reduced to one per day, she would sneak in solo sessions. (“Don’t tell Farid,” she jokes.) In late September, she scored on her debut. She bagged five goals in her first five league appearances, and 17 in 20 by the end of her first season.And in January, she received a godsend in the form of Heath’s arrival. After awkward intros and unwelcoming beginnings, the two Americans bonded. They explored the city. They frequented a nearby Indian restaurant, so frequently that after a while they didn’t even have to speak to order. Heath would get buttered chicken, Horan tikki masala. “Every time,” Horan remembers with a smile. They’d sit and talk for hours, hours that felt unexceptional at the time, but that in retrospect, Heath says, “were really special.”As Horan eased into her new life, however, soccer began pelting her with adversity. After two USWNT appearances in 2013, she went 23 months without a senior call-up. U.S. head coach Jill Ellis stated publicly that Horan’s decision to play abroad – despite accelerating her development – hurt her national team chances. Then, as Ellis called in roster after roster comprising exclusively U.S.-based players, Horan suffered a January knee injury that ruled her out of 2015 World Cup contention.Instead, she trekked to Canada as a fan, and was overcome with mixed emotions. “I’ll never forget being in the stands as the national anthem started to play, just looking down onto the field, and seeing all the women with their hands over their hearts,” she recalled in a Players Tribune article. “And I mean … I lost it. I wanted to be out there so bad that I actually started to cry.”

The dream realized

In a few weeks, one of those women will be her. On June 11 in Reims, 90 miles along highway A4 from the city that hosted so much suffering and yet so much growth, Lindsey Horan will stand with her right hand over her heart. She’ll face an American flag. She’ll sing. And then she’ll justify all the four-practice days and offseason grinds; all the homesickness and risk; all the courage required to follow that heart and take a road never traveled.In January 2016, Horan left PSG after three and a half seasons as a prolific striker – and after a week of teary-eyed goodbyes. She arrived in Portland, to play for the National Women’s Soccer League’s Thorns, at the same age a typical college grad would – but with a “reading [of] the game, game intelligence, game understanding,” says Thorns coach Mark Parsons, that “was a big, big difference from the player you normally get at that age.”Since, Horan has morphed into a domineering midfielder the likes of which 21st-century women’s soccer has never seen. She sits deep and dictates play, then bursts forward into the attacking third, a 6, 8, 9 and 10 all packed into one 5-foot-9, 24-year-old frame. “There is no midfielder in the world that has all the elite tools that she has,” Parsons says. And numbers reinforce his passionate praise. In the NWSL in 2018, Horan touched the ball more than any other player; won it more than any other player; and won more aerial duels, too. She completed the second-most passes and second-most dribbles, and scored the third-most goals. Her all-around excellence earned her an MVP award and 26 consecutive USWNT appearances, a streak interrupted only by minor injury.The positional changes, Horan says, actually haven’t been difficult. Not for someone who got tastes of everything from center back to center forward growing up. Not for someone who’s “glued to the TV any time football is on”; who consumes women’s and men’s games, as fan or student; who’ll sometimes do both, greeting Barca goals with yelps, but also recording matches and re-watching for educational purposes. “Watching football is such an underrated thing to help you grow as a player,” she says. And “if you know the game,” she later continues, “if you’re a football player, you can play anywhere.”There’s a certain confidence about Horan nowadays, a confidence she credits Parsons with instilling. It shows up in the way she purposefully checks to the ball or attacks crosses, but also away from the pitch. Soccer, throughout her life, is the one thing that has consistently pulled her out of her shell, into a comfort zone. With self-belief in her soccer soaring, and with close friends almost always close by, she is no longer that timid teen who boarded a plane to Paris seven years ago.Which is not to say the accolades that accompany success don’t make her uncomfortable. She “absolutely hated” the fanfare that came with last year’s MVP announcement the day before the NWSL Final. She has “a love-hate relationship” with her nickname, “The Great Horan” – the brainchild of U.S. teammate Rose Lavelle via Twitter shenanigans. “More hate,” grins Lavelle, who considers it one of her “proudest accomplishments.” With the moniker now adorning T-shirts, Horan has reluctantly embraced it. But “she still does not like the spotlight,” her mother says – even if she’s getting used to it.At times, Horan has wondered whether well-traveled roads would have led her to similar success. Whether the homesickness and heartache were necessary. “Any player can make their situation good for them,” she admits. “If I went to UNC, I’m sure I would find a way to make myself better, make things harder, challenge myself. It’s what the player puts into it.“But then again, where I went, the challenges I went through … experiencing a different culture, language … you can’t get that anywhere else.”Occasionally, back at 10 Rue de Poissy, or in that Guingamp hotel lobby, it all felt like a “nightmare.”“That was the best thing for me,” Horan says now. “I do not regret it whatsoever.”

Previewing the US national team at the 2019 U-20 World Cup

May 20, 20195:56PM EDTTravis ClarkContributor

The Under-20 World Cup kicks off this week in Poland with arguably the best US Under-20 national team roster ever assembled, ready to compete against some of the top talents in the world.Head coach Tab Ramos is preparing to lead the US in the competition for the fourth time, and as Concacaf champions for the second straight cycle.At the start of May, Ramos named a roster of 21 players set to compete in Group D, aiming to improve on two straight quarterfinal finishes in 2015 and 2017. Ten of the players on the roster hail from MLS teams, with early season standouts like Edwin Cerrillo and Paxton Pomykal among the contenders to carve out key roles.

A familiar style

Ramos has favored a press-intensive style of play throughout his time in charge, looking to win the ball high up and the field and turn that into scoring chances. This year’s group should be similar to past Ramos teams: a 4-3-3 formation, pressing high and looking to control games and create chances in that fashion. He has a dynamic and exciting group of attackers to choose from, with Tim Weah, Konrad de la Fuente, Justin Rennicks, Ulysses Llanez and Ayo Akinola among the wide options to complement Sebastian Soto in the middle.

Defensive questions to answer

Provided the attack clicks and the US show that they are capable of scoring goals, the group’s defensive quality is going to determine how far it can go in the tournament. Chris Richards is potentially the team’s most important player, as the Bayern Munich center back has the intelligence and athletic ability to put out fires where needed.As the team presses high, if they lose out in transition moments, that could put pressure on the back line and leave them exposed. One of Cerrillo, Chris Durkin or Brandon Servania are likely to be on the field as well, shielding the team’s defense and providing a helping hand at the back.Who lines up next to Richards is the other part of the question. Matt Real, while more of a left back, saw time centrally in qualifying. Aboubacar Keita, the Columbus Crew SC Homegrown signing who is on loan at Richmond Kickers, is another. Mark McKenzie is still working his way back to full fitness from an appendectomy as well, but should be in the mix soon. Sergino Dest and Chris Gloster are the leading candidates to start on the right and left, respectively, providing support on both sides of the ball.

Group ambitions

Back in 2017, the US U-20s won Group F, advancing to a favorable Round of 16 matchup against New Zealand. The ambition heading into the 2019 edition of the competition, where they’ve been drawn into Group D with Ukraine, Nigeria and Qatar, is the same: Win the group. That would see the United States advance to a knockout game against a third-place team from Groups B, E or F, which is likely a more favorable opponent.A second-place finish means a round-of-16 clash against the first-place team in Group E; barring a huge shock or surprise, that is almost certain to be France, considered to be one of the favorites of the competition. That means getting off to a good start against Ukraine in Friday’s group opener is huge, as that provides the ideal platform to progress as deep in the tournament as possible.

Key players

D Chris Richards – As noted above, the Alabama native’s presence in the backline is huge. He’ll need to stay fit and avoid picking up too many yellow cards, as there is a notable drop-off in quality between him and the other options in central defense.

F Timothy Weah – It’s been an up-and-down club season for Weah, who spent the first half of the 2018-19 season hardly playing for Paris Saint-Germain, before playing in fits and starts on loan at Celtic FC in Scotland. Like others on the roster, he’s a versatile player, capable of lining up as the central striker or on either wing. His desire to play at the U-20 World Cup is notable, and he’ll provide an important presence and experience on and off the field.

M Alex Mendez – Winner of the Golden Ball at the U-20 Concacaf Championship, where he scored eight goals, Mendez heads into the World Cup in good form. A smooth, left-footed central midfielder who can pick a pass, smash home from distance and deliver dangerous set pieces on a consistent basis, the LA Galaxy academy product has recently scored some spectacular goals for SC Freiburg’s A-Junioren side. That threat is going to be massive for the US, whether it’s unlocking an opposing defense with his passing range or offering up a chance to score from set pieces.

F Konrad de la Fuente – Something of a mystery to US fans, the FC Barcelona prospect is one of a host of exciting options on the wing. Between him and Uly Llanez, Ramos has a pair of wide attackers that can take defenders on one-v-one, which can certainly create chances in transition moments during the game.

M Paxton Pomykal – Before picking up a hamstring injury, Pomykal had been firmly in the middle of a breakout season with FC Dallas. Assuming he’s healthy and available for selection, his two-way ability in either central midfield or potentially on one of the flanks can create space and opportunities for his teammates.

Champions League revamp would wreak havoc on Premier League and others

May 16, 2019 Gabriele MarcottiSenior Writer, ESPN FC

There are bad ideas and there’s bad execution. The European Club Association’s (ECA) proposed “reforms” of the Champions League happen to be both.On the one hand, they are bad ideas founded purely on the self-interest of a tiny number of wealthy super clubs. On the other hand, the plan has been ham-fistedly executed. It has prompted not only threats of lawsuits and expulsion from domestic leagues, but also failed to rally the public support of other super clubs, thereby negating the leverage — rich revenue-driving clubs acting in unison to get their way — they might otherwise have had.The battle rumbles on because the deadline is not that far away. Once the current deal governing the FIFA calendar expires, in 2024, European football could look a whole lot different.

Here’s the proposal:

– Instead of eight groups of four playing a total of six games in the Champions League group stage, you’d have four groups of eight playing 14 games. The top four in each would advance to the Round of 16, which would continue as normal. So if you get to the final, you’d play a total of 21 matches, rather than 13.

– The majority of teams wouldn’t qualify, as they do now, based on their domestic finish the season before. Instead, the top six sides in each group would automatically return the following season. The bottom two would be “relegated” to next season’s Europa League, unless they managed to qualify via their domestic seasons. But, of course, that would be more difficult, since there would be only four slots (remember, four would go to the Europa League semifinalists, who get “promoted” to the Champions League) to share among 55 leagues.- To maximize global revenue, some games, maybe in the knockout stage, would be played on weekends.- It would be a three-tiered system, with the Champions League on top, Europa League in the middle and UEFA’s new third European competition on the bottom.That’s it in a nutshell, with details to be determined. The thinking is that with most of Europe’s biggest clubs guaranteed a place and with more games (and a potentially bigger audience) the competition will grow and generate far more money, some of which would be reinvested back into the system and a lot of which would go back to the super clubs. Trickle-down economics at its finest.Last week, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu, one of the main backers along with ECA (and Juventus) president Andrea Agnelli, said it was “evolution” and that the fans were asking for it.This is where you might be tempted to call BS.

Given how lucrative the Champions League is to most clubs, you’d effectively be creating a permanent upper class of clubs who would be guaranteed a massive stream of income year after year, only for finishing sixth or higher in a group of eight. And if they do screw up? No worries, they can still qualify via their domestic league. In an already polarized footballing landscape, where the one-percenters dwarf the rest, is this what football needs?Then there’s the obvious issue of incentives. If four of eight qualify in a 14-round tournament, there’s bound to be somebody who locks up their spot, just as there’s bound to be somebody who will finish bottom early, with nothing to play for. You already have meaningless in a six-round format: you’d have many more with 14.Would fans of the big clubs even enjoy the group stage? Bartomeu says everybody wants to see the big clubs playing each other more often. Sure, if it means something. But if they have already qualified for the knockouts — and that will happen early and often with four of eight teams going through — is it really an audience-grabber?Agnelli loves comparing Champions League revenues with those of the NFL, which are twice as high despite having a smaller audience. I can’t tell if he really thinks this is a valid comparison or if he’s being ignorant. In any case, here are 10 reasons why it’s a foolish analogy. Then there’s the fact that this proposal would wreak havoc on domestic leagues. Whether it’s playing games on weekends — sure, you can move the Champions League clubs’ domestic fixtures to midweek, but what about all the other clubs? Are they going to sit around weekends? — or creating situations where sides have no shot at winning the league but have already secured their spot in the UCL by December so they simply go through the motions the rest of the year, it would simply be disastrous for the domestic game. Which, of course, is the bread-and-butter for most clubs and, indeed, supporters.Why are they pushing this? One-percenters would say it’s only fair because they take on the “entrepreneurial risk”: they spend more, they have more skin in the game, they generate most of the income, so why should they share equally with clubs along for the ride?The problem with that argument is that, in an era of Financial Fair Play, owning a big club is no longer the loss-making, risky affair it once was. Europe’s top-flight clubs made more than a half billion dollars last year on aggregate. In the Premier League, 85 percent were profitable last year. The reality is that it’s really about delivering ever-increasing returns to your shareholders, which, in Juventus’ case, happens to be mainly Agnelli’s own family, who own nearly two-thirds.Or, in the case of clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid that don’t have shareholders, becoming even more of a perpetual powerhouse would be a surefire way to bolster your status as a president and maybe one day have a stadium named after you. (It worked for Santiago Bernabeu… how does Estadi Josep Bartomeu sound?)It’s not surprising that representatives from Europe’s top leagues fired back, with Liga boss Javier Tebas saying he’d go to court to stop the ECA proposal. French league officials have said they’re ready to ban any clubs participating in such a monstrosity from Ligue 1. Even the usually rather measured Premier League boss Richard Scudamore said it was “out of order.” You’d imagine mid-sized to small associations, who make up the bulk of UEFA’s 55 members, are also ready to go on the warpath.The UEFA president, Aleksander Ceferin, insists these are consultations and brainstorming. He notes that the last time we had major reform, in 2016, just before he took over, it was the result of private backroom negotiations between UEFA and the clubs. This time, he wants to bring the discussion into the open before a decision is reached.Of course, he’s caught between a rock and a hard place. Big clubs drive Champions League revenue and the threat of some sort of breakaway league/Champions League boycott is always in the background despite assurances to the contrary. It happened before in basketball with the creation of the Euroleague and it’s not lost on anybody that three Euroleague clubs — Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern — also happen to be elite football clubs.Backers of the proposal argue that there would be a windfall for everyone, with increased revenue trickling down the system. On the flip side, given how high the barriers of entry would be (and they’re already sky-high) you wonder why anybody would ever invest in a club outside the elite. For what? To play on Wednesday nights in a devalued domestic league, at best competing for a title against sides who either have 10 times your revenue (most of it due to their virtually permanent Champions League status) or who field reserve teams because their focus is Europe?

There is an additional bulwark against this: the Premier League. England’s big clubs are far less reliant on Champions League income, because the Premier League is so lucrative. Which means they would balk at anything that messes with the Premier League.It’s also notable that other continental super club bosses have stayed on the sideline. You wonder if even they realize that this is an asinine proposal, but they’re happy to let Agnelli do the dirty work: a bit like a spoiled 18-year-old demanding a Lamborghini for his birthday knowing he’ll have to settle for a Porsche.Agnelli and ECA keep pushing, while plenty worry that UEFA are in lockstep with them. Ceferin denies this. Others say he’s giving Agnelli enough rope to hang himself. The impression is that unless Agnelli can build support among the leagues and other stakeholders, which appears about as likely as Cristiano Ronaldo developing a beer belly over the summer, UEFA won’t even consider it.Yet frankly, it’s a whole heck of a lot more appealing than what ECA are proposing. If this crashes and burns it will have more to do with ham-fisted incompetence in the way it was pushed, rather than the idea itself. That’s why the game needs to remain vigilant. These guys will be back, in another guise, likely with a similarly self-serving pitch.

Goalkeepers go to ‘dark places’ after making a high-profile mistake. How do the pros handle the pressure?

3:28 AM ET Mark OgdenSenior Writer, ESPN FC

Tim Howard has experienced the highs and lows of goalkeeping, but it’s the lows that really stick in the memory. “You have to go to some dark places as a goalkeeper,” the former United States and Manchester United No. 1 told ESPN FC.Howard was feted by President Barack Obama and became a national hero after an incredible display during the World Cup defeat against Belgium in 2014, but his failure to hold onto Benni McCarthy’s 90th minute free kick during a Champions League second-round tie against FC Porto 10 years earlier gifted Costinha a decisive goal that knocked United out of the competition and convinced Sir Alex Ferguson that Howard was not up to the job of being the club’s first-choice keeper.”In order to be successful in England, you’ve got to be great for the better part of five-10 years,” Howard said. “I had a great season at Manchester United and then phew, I didn’t see the field for two years, so it’s not about having one or two good games.”Being a goalkeeper is a thankless task, one that requires a certain kind of individual to don the gloves and pull on the No.1 jersey. You can make 10 incredible saves — “worldies,” in goalkeeper parlance — and then allow one to slip through your grasp and into the back of the net. Guess what gets remembered?”In my experience of football, goalkeepers are more invested than outfield players in the psychological side [of the game]. And they need to be,” sports psychologist Dan Abrahams said, who has worked with Premier League players and clubs, said. “They are individuals operating in a team setting and there are times when their world can cave in if they make a calamitous mistake.”David James made high-profile mistakes during his early days at Liverpool, and once he was nicknamed “Calamity James,” it stuck for the remainder of his career. You can only imagine how former France No. 1 Dominique Dropsy — yes, that’s his real name — would have been treated in today’s ferocious, unforgiving world of social media if he accidentally dropped the ball onto the toes of an opposition forward.David De Gea, Manchester United’s No. 1 keeper, knows all about the downside of the position these days. Rated by many as the best in the world, he’s had a nightmare run of mistakes between the posts, dating back to his unconvincing performances for Spain at last year’s World Cup. His error against Chelsea on April 28 ultimately proved to be a key moment in United’s late-season slide.Loris Karius has had it even worse than De Gea. The German keeper made two huge mistakes leading directly to goals in Liverpool’s 3-1 Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid in Kiev, Ukraine, last year, and even though it transpired that he was suffering from concussion following a collision with Sergio Ramos earlier in the game, he became the target of merciless criticism. Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool defended Karius in public at the time, but he hasn’t played for the club since: He was shipped out on loan to Besiktas in Turkey, where his battle to rebuild his confidence has been marred by further mistakes. An error on his debut against Bursaspor in September resulted in Besiktas being held to a 1-1 draw and he made another high profile mistake to concede a goal during a Europa League defeat against Malmo in October. But Karius’s time in Turkey hit its lowest ebb in March when, after being jeered by fans following a goal conceded against Konyaspor, Besiktas coach Senol Gunes claimed publicly that “something is wrong” with the German.Mark Bosnich, the former United, Aston Villa and Australia goalkeeper, saw Karius make those errors against Real, and it triggered memories of his young days at Old Trafford, from 1989 to 1991 (he had a second stint at the club, 1999 to 2001). “What happened to Karius, it had been coming.” Bosnich told ESPN FC. “He had made mistakes in games running up to the final and you could see he was having a tough time. His manager, Klopp, should have helped him and taken him out of the firing line before that game and allowed him to rebuild his confidence and go again.”When I was a kid at United, I saw the same happen to Jim Leighton, who was an experienced No. 1. He had a bad run, his confidence dropped, but Alex Ferguson played him in the FA Cup final and he let in three and was dropped for the replay. Jim never really recovered from that, but sometimes a manager has to spot the problems before a big mistake happens. They have a responsibility to act before it can be too late.”Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has that decision to make with De Gea,” Bosnich added of the United manager. “I believe De Gea can come through this period but at some point, the manager has to make a decision when a keeper is struggling.”Karius and De Gea have both been in the eye of the storm, but when you are the last line of defence, you need to be able to handle that, right?”I always wanted to be a goalkeeper as a kid, but I also knew that you had to take the rough with the smooth,” Bosnich said. “As a keeper, you have to have that mindset. Whenever I made a mistake, I would just apologise to my teammates in the dressing room and move on. That’s how I was.”My best game for United was against Palmeiras in the Intercontinental Trophy, when we became world champions in 1999, but I was the same after that. No big deal. Move on.”Not all goalkeepers are as mentally tough as Bosnich, however. The Australia international was an extrovert, criticised more for being too confident rather than being riddled with self-doubt, while others have sunk after high-profile mistakes.The England careers of the likes of Rob Green and Scott Carson ended before they properly began thanks to costly errors in big games for their country. Scrutiny can be intense, especially in an era of all-angle replays, VAR and super-slo-mo analysis, but Howard said that staying strong is crucial for every keeper who has, quite literally, dropped the ball. “You have to prepare for some dark days,” he said. “You have to be strong, block out the media, the fans and even some of your own teammates when they’re looking across the dressing room at you and you know they have no confidence in you.”It’s never-ending. Your self-belief can never waver. Confidence ebbs and flows, but self-belief is not something that ebbs and flows with performances. You have to always believe in yourself.”That’s where I think a lot of goalkeepers get it wrong. I wasn’t stupid, I could look in the mirror and say, ‘By the way, you haven’t been playing very well,’ but I never discounted the fact that I belonged there or that I could play.”Ben Foster also experienced the unforgiving spotlight that comes with playing in goal for Manchester United. He, too, fell foul of Ferguson after one mistake too many. Massimo Taibi and World Cup-winner Fabien Barthez went the same way as Leighton, Bosnich, Howard and Foster at Man United. Now Watford’s No. 1, Foster said it’s taken until his 30s for him to develop the strength of mind to deal with the pitfalls of his profession.”United was definitely the wrong place at the wrong time for me,” Foster said, recalling his time as a young keeper making his way at Old Trafford. “I wasn’t equipped mentally to be able to deal with being at United at that time.”Young goalkeepers now, they get taught how to play football, with training for this and that, but they don’t get taught how to deal with stuff mentally. Personally, I think the mental side of the game is 50 percent and the coaching and football side of it is 50 percent, but the mental side is completely neglected.”The influence of psychologists such as Abrahams points to football learning that goalkeepers need specific help, countering Foster’s assertion that the area is overlooked. Abrahams said that coaching a goalkeeper to deal with adversity is the key.”There are tools and techniques to help keepers cope with making mistakes,” Abrahams said. “It’s about staying focused, using key trigger words to themselves to control the situation, projecting positive body language and, crucially, not dwelling on the mistake.”Foster agrees, insisting that “if you ever think [about a mistake], that’s when you’re going to start getting problems.”So how do you rebuild a keeper’s confidence on Monday morning, after a costly mistake, when he heads out to train?”Some keepers will want to focus on the mistake and work on it, others will just want normality and repetition of what they always do,” said Ant White, a member of Bournemouth’s goalkeeping coach team. “But they have to know their identity, what makes them a top goalkeeper and remain focused on their strengths.”A mistake could be a 1-in-5,000 incident, so you also make sure they don’t forget the other 4,999 good moments.”Only De Gea truly knows whether his energy and focus is being drained by his run of mistakes. The same applies to Karius, too: Does he have nightmares about those two errors in Kiev? Ultimately, all players grapple with mistakes they’ve made, but it’s different for a goalkeeper. They are exposed, in every sense.”I almost don’t see myself as a footballer, you know?” Foster said. “I just try to get in the way of a ball that’s going in the back of a net. That’s what it comes down to at the end of the day. But you’re on your own.”As a goalie, you’re on your own and you’ve got a deal with it on your own.”

Robben and Ribery’s status as Bayern legends assured, but are they irreplaceable?

May 19, 2019Raphael HonigsteinGermany writer

For one final time, the most important duo of wingers in Bayern Munich’s history graced the Allianz Arena pitch and scored as second-half substitutes in a 5-1 win over Frankfurt to help the club to a seventh consecutive Bundesliga title. Then they showed everyone how much they differed as characters after the game.Whereas Franck Ribery was overcome with emotions and broke down in tears in front of the Sudkurve stand, Arjen Robben bemoaned not finding the net for a second time in a TV interview — it would have been his 100th Bundesliga goal — and admitted that he had done everything to get one last run-out before his farewell.”It was important to me to play one more time, I was totally up for the game,” said the 35-year-old, who had missed most of the campaign with a series of injuries. They didn’t call him “ego shooter” for nothing in the local tabloids.Even as all of Munich was swept up in nostalgia as the end of a decade dominated by his and Ribery’s spell-binding brilliance, Robben retained his own perspective: first person, first and foremost. The Dutchman’s self-obsessed outlook, nigh-pathological commitment in training and single-mindedness on the pitch neatly mirrored Bayern’s win-at-all-cost philosophy and hard-nosed professionalism.However, the crowd found it easier to connect with Ribery: an uncontrollable, complicated bundle made up of rough-edged genius, warrior-attitude and puerile humour. Scarred by an accident in his childhood, the Frenchman was an unashamed anti-hero who embraced adversity and made other people’s derision work in his favour. Defenders and fans of rival clubs hated him, which only made Bayern supporters love him all the more.Club president Uli Hoeness, his biggest fan, cried in the VIP area after the 36-year-old’s irresistible solo run for the Bayern’s fourth goal on Saturday. “Someone up there wrote the script today,” Hoeness said, adding that “Rib und Rob” (Abendzeitung) should be seen as Bayern all-time greats among Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer, et al.heir place in the club’s pantheon of superstar icons is indeed assured. The duo did not just magically combine to produce the most crucial goal in Bayern’s recent history — the 2-1 winner over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final in 2013 — they were also instrumental in lifting the Bundesliga behemoths back to the spheres of the European elite after a few years in the second-rank doldrums.Ribery’s pacy, unpredictable style immediately added another dimension to final third attacks after his €25 million transfer from Marseille in 2007. A couple of years later, Louis van Gaal’s insistence on balance saw Robben arrive from Real Madrid for around the same price. Seen as big risk because of his persistent injury problems, the Bedum-born Flügelstürmer(winger) was an instant sensation, providing inverse wing-play class on a level which had not been seen in Germany’s top flight for quite some time.A combined tally of 185 league goals has gone some way to help Bayern win eight Bundesliga titles in 10 seasons. Their deepest impact, however, was on the team’s identity. Germany’s most successful side had traditionally relied on dominant players in the centre: sweepers, all-action box-to-box specialists and powerful centre-forwards. Robben and Ribery made Bayern’s game lateral.Attacking space and defenders with the ball on their feet, they set off tremors of panic in the opposition and excitement in the stadium; a rush that echoed football’s pre-modern roots as a gallant battle of individual dribblers hell-bent on making inroads into enemy territory.The new-found emphasis on wing-play begot a more structural approach in midfield which now had to provide defensive cover and a regular supply of passes to the dangermen out-wide. Thanks to “Robbery”‘s domineering influence, the team’s all-important metamorphosis into a position-possession team was both smooth and inevitable. The final step to Champions League-winning excellence was made when they started working much harder to hunt down the ball and protect their full-backs at the beginning of the 2012-13 treble-winning season.In recent years, Robben and Ribery were no longer able to perform consistently in line with their gigantic wages and pronounced self-importance; the club’s regression since coach Pep Guardiola’s departure in 2016, can partially be explained by the duo’s waning powers to make a difference against top opposition.Hoeness himself came close to admitting that the club’s reluctance to let them go earlier could have cost Bayern the championship this season. The dressing room will certainly feel a lot more spacious following the departure of the two super-sized egos, but Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry, their heirs-apparent, will do well to get close to their sustained levels of mastery.”Back in the day, I used to watch them on YouTube; learning from them has been amazing,” Gnabry told ESPN recently.The Germany international, 23, has closely watched the veterans’ positioning and taken a cue from their relentlessness in front of the box. “They are always on the attack,” he added. “They don’t ever shy away from an opportunity to go one against one. Whereas I would have said to [myself] before that you sometimes have to go back [with the ball], they helped me to just go again and again, saying that ‘eventually, you will break through’ [the defence.] Mentality-wise, they have defined an era here. Just to be around them has been been brilliant.”If Bayern are to get back to the world-beating heights of the first half of the decade, the successors to the most devastating double-act since Paul Breitner and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in the early 1980s must become nothing less than world-beaters, too.That’s a tall order, though, and explains why Saturday’s title-celebrations were tinged with sadness — perhaps even fear. Robben and Ribery might well prove irreplaceable.

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5/17/19 Indy 11 home Sat 7 pm, FA Cup Finals Sat 12 noon ESPN+, German/Spanish League Wraps-Up, Full TV Game Schedule

May 17, 2019May 17, 2019 gatorbest

Shane Best The Ole Ballcoach

Indy 11

Fresh off their first US Open Cup win in a few years Wednesday night at the Butler Bowl, the Indy 11 are home this Saturday night as it’s back to USL Championship action for Indy Eleven (4W-2L-2D, 14 pts.) when it welcomes the Charleston Battery (4W-1L-4D, 16 pts.) on “Armed Forces Night” at Lucas Oil Stadium. Tickets for the 7:00 p.m. kickoff remain available for as little as $15 at IndyEleven.com/tickets or by calling 317-685-1100. Back-up goalkeeper, and Carmel FC Goalkeeper Coach Jordan Farr came in to save the day Wednesday night after starter Evan Newton was red carded in the 28^th minute as he helped a 10 man Indy 11 outlast their League 1 opponents 1-0 with an extra time goal late in the first half- Highlights. The Indy 11 also announced they will host a Coaches Symposium on Tues, May 21^st at Grand Park for just $30.

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FA Cup

Tiny Watford will look to fulfill their FA Cup Dreams against EPL Champions Manchester City on Sat at 12 noon on ESPN+. Singer Elton John’s boyhood and favorite team will hope for some FA Cup magic as they face one of the top sides in the world in Man City. Not sure why this is on the Plus for ESPN – you would think they could find a spot on ESPN or ESPN2 for this FINAL match after serving all the other games on the Plus. But that appears to be where we stand having to stream our overseas soccer these days. I for 1 will NOT be watching.

USA World Cup

The US ladies won both of their Send-Off Series games this past week with a 3-0 win Sunday on Fox and a solid 5-0 win over New Zealand last night. You can watch the USWNT’s final send-off friendly next Sunday: vs Mexico on May 26 (Noon ET, ESPN). The World Cup from France gets underway June 7 with the US starting June 11. The US 20 World Cup featuring the US team with Tim Weah will kickoff next week with the US playing Friday on Fox Sports 1 vs Ukraine at 2:30 pm. The US U17’s have qualified for next summer’s World Cup behind 7 goals from Reyna – yeah Claudia’s son. They lost a heartbreaker in the CONCACAF Finals vs Mexico 2-1 after dominating possession most of the game.

EPL

So the EPL season limped into the final weekend with just title race barely on the line – for about 2 minutes it was a thrill across Anfield as the score showing Man City trailing Brighton 1-0 came across the board. Of course less than 2 minutes later Aguero scored and Man City was on its way to a 4-1 win and a second consecutive EPL title. An amazing 98 points 1 year after having 100 total points and outlasting Liverpool who finished with 97. How about the fact that Liverpool wins the EPL with 97 points any other year in the history of the league but this season and last except for Man City. Amazing – great story here about the millimeters that truly separated Man City and Liverpool this season. Of course with an All-EPL Champions League match-up of Liverpool vs Spurs and Chelsea vs Arsenal in Europa League at the end of the month we’ll have more EPL coming up.

Games to Watch

Great story about American Christian Pulisic as he played his final home game last week for Dortmund scoring his second goal in as many games after a moving pre-game celebration and after game visit to the yellow wall. Dortmund still has a slight chance to win the Bundesliga title as they are 2 points back of Bayern Munich after having the lead for most of the season. Dortmund will be on Saturday at 9:30 am on FS1 vs Borussia Gladbach, Bayern Munich meanwhile hosts Frankfurt (who desperately needs the win to secure Champions League next season) on FS 2 at 9:30 am. Of course, the top 6 teams in the Bundesliga are still mathematically alive for that 4^th Champions League spot or certainly a top 7 Europa league position as the race will be to the finish.

In La Liga the 4^th and final Champions League spot is between Spanish clubs Valencia and Sevilla FC who play at 10:15 am on beIN Sport. If Valencia win they are 4^th if Sevilla win they need tiny Getafe to lose to jump them and Valencia into the 4^th position. A day of drama for tiny club Getafe with the miracle chance to make Champions League for the 1^st time ever. Go Getafe! Also in Spain – sorry to see my precious Atletico losing Greizmann but life goes on for the 2^nd place team in La Liga this season as long as they still have the manager in black – Simeone! Oh and Bruce Arena, former US and the most successful MLS coach ever, is back in the league as GM And Manager of the New England Revolution.

GAMES ON TV

Sat, MAY 18 (American’s in parenthesis)

9:30 am Fox Sport 2 Bayern Munich vs Frankfurt

9:30 am Fox Sports 1 Borussia M’gladbach (Johnson) vs Dortmund (Pulisic)

9:30 am Fox Soccer Schalke (McKinney) vs Stuttgart

10:15 am beIN Sport Real Valladolid vs Valencia

12 noon ESPN+ Manchester City vs Watford – FA Cup Final

2 pm Univision San Jose vs Chicago Fire

7 pm WISHTV Indy 11 vs Charlestown (Lucas Oil)

8 pm ESPN+ Min United vs Columbus Crew

Sun, MAY 19

6 am beIN sport Real Madird vs Real Betis

11:30 am ESPN3 Netherlands U17 vs Italy u17 Eefa Finals

2:30 pm ESPN+ Napoli vs Inter (champ league race)

3 pm ESPN+ Orlando City vs Cincy

5 pm Fox Sport 1 NY Red Bulls vs Atlanta United

Fri, MAY 24

12 noon ESPN2? Copa Del Rey Barcelona vs Valencia

2;30 pm Fox Sport 1 USA U20s vs Ukraine U20 WC

Sat, MAY 25

2 pm ESPNNews German Cup Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig (Adams)

7 pm WISHTV Indy 11 vs Nashville (Lucas Oil)

Sun, MAY 26

9:30 am FS1 Mexico U20 vs Japan U20

12 pm ESPN USA Ladies vs Mexico

6 pm Fox Sport 1 Sporting KC vs Seattle

Mon, MAY 27

2:30 pm FS1 USA U20s vs Nigeria U20 WC

Weds, May 29 Europa League Finals

Thur, MAY 30

2:30 pm FS1 USA U20s vs Qatar U20 WC

Sat, June 1 Champions League Finals

Women’s World Cup June 7-July 7

Fri, June 7 3 p m France vs South Korea
Tues, June 11: 3 p.m. ET, Fox S. vs. Thailand,
Sun, June 16: Noon ET, Fox S. vs. Chile,
Thurs, June 20: 3 p.m. ET, Fox S. vs. Sweden
Sun, July 7 3 pm ET, Fox Women’s World Cup Finals from France

Gold Cup TV Schedule June 15– July 7

International Champions Cup Schedule July 16-Aug 18

NWSL. You can stream every game live on Yahoo Sports.

Where to Watch Soccer Games on Which Channels

Indy 11

Indy 11 Score 1-0 Win in US Open Cup with 10 men

Indy 11 douse Landing Ignite in US Open Cup – Soc Takes – Kevin Johnston

Indy 11 win USOC as odd Trend Continues – Brian Cook

Indy 11 Sign Indy Fire U17 Player

GK Evan Newton is USL Player of Week w/2 Clean Sheets

Indy 11 in USL Academy Cup for ages U13-U17

Sat 8 am Soccer Talk with Greg Rakestraw on 1070 the Fan & 107.5 FM

WORLD

Dortmund Hopes for Miracle on final day of German Season

Bayern has advantage but Dortmund still has a chance to German Title 2 pts back

Juve Manager Allegri to leave this summer

Former American Player and Huddersfield Town Mgr David Wagner takes over Schalke

EPL

Watford Captains Journey from jail to FA Cup Final ESPNFC

Top 10 moments of EPL Season – NBC sports

Lampard to Replace Sarri at Chelsea?

– Ogden: Epic title race decided by millimetres and seconds
– Ames: City showed character, guts to retain trophy

– Man City ratings: Laporte, Gundogan both 8/10 as title clinched

– Ogden: 10 year after City takeover — how football changed forever
– When are next season’s Premier League fixtures revealed?

USA

How Biggest Loss in Recent Memory for US exposed an Issue it Still Hasn’t Solved – yahoo soccer
Hays: USWNT solves South Africa »

Mewis, Lloyd goals lift USWNT »

US focus on firepower in search of 4^th World Cup

FiFA hopes 1 billion watch Women’s World Cup

Tim Weah makes U.S.’s U20 World Cup roster, Sargent and Adams left off

U20 player Paxton Pomykal

US Qualifies for U17 World Cup on Reyna’s 5^th Goal

GK

Buffon offered 1 year Extension at PSG

MLS Saves of the Week

USL Save of the Week

NWSL Save of the Week

Camps

Indy 11 Soccer Camp – Carmel Dad’s Club Badger Field June 17-20 9-12 noon.ages 6-14 $135

Carmel FC Summer Soccer Camps – July 15-18 9-12 pm Beginner Camp $150

Carmel FC Summer Soccer Camps – July 15-18 3-5 pm Elite Player Development Camp $150

RECAP | INDY ELEVEN ADVANCES IN LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP WITH 1-0 WIN OVER LANSING IGNITE FC

By IndyEleven.com, 05/15/19, 10:30PM EDT

Goalkeeper Jordan Farr’s Sudden Professional Debut – and Subsequent Shutout – Help Boys in Blue to Second Round Win

#INDVLAN HIGHLIGHTS

Playing a man down for 70 minutes was not a bridge too “Farr” for Indy Eleven in its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup debut, as goalkeeper Jordan Farr came on in reserve duty to keep a clean sheet and help the Boys in Blue advance past Lansing Ignite FC 1-0 in Second Round action at Butler University’s Sellick Bowl. Forward Thomas Enevoldsen’s 57th minute tally was enough to give Indy Eleven its first USOC win since the 2016 tournament and set up a Third Round match-up at USL Championship cohort Pittsburgh Riverhounds in two weeks’ time. “Obviously, it was a hard game. It was doubly hard when we went down to 10 men. We had to put a lot of effort into it,” said Indy Eleven Head Coach Martin Rennie. “I knew if we could get a goal that we could expect to defend well. It was nice to get the win as well. It was nice to not go to extra time with ten men. I thought we played really well given the situation.” Lansing Ignite almost took advantage of an Eleven defensive miscue within 30 seconds of the opening whistle, but thankfully defender Paddy Barrett saved an initial shot off the goalline, and midfielder Kenney Walker followed suit within the six-yard box on the rebounded effort. A scary moment and quick flash point came in the 16th minute, when Indy Eleven goalkeeper Evan Newton collided with Lansing forward Elma N’for as the two raced for a 50-50 ball just outside of Newton’s area. N’for received medical attention on the field for several minutes, and during the delay match referee Adam Behrens rescinded his initial yellow card to Newton and instead issued a straight red for the challenge, putting Indy Eleven down a man five minutes later. After a 12-minute delay, the match would restart with Steve Saint-Duc entering up top for N’for, and Farr going in between the posts in what became an impromptu professional debut. Two minutes later the substitutes would be introduced to each other, Saint-Duc’s scuffed shot from 10 yards forcing Farr to make his first save. Not much came from the next half hour, but waist-deep into 11 minutes of stoppage time Indy Eleven would create danger. Off a designed set piece, Matt Watson got free down the right flank only to see his cross towards the six-yard box driven just over the head of defender Karl Ouimette. A minute later, Lansing’s Rafa Mentzingen found space and tried his luck from 35 yards out, but his pacey shot would sail over the crossbar and mark the final shot of a fairly-even first half. A sluggish second half would spring to life in the 57th minute when header from Thomas “The Engine” Enevoldsen gave Indy the lead. After a cleared Indy corner, midfielder Tyler Gibson sent the ball back into the mixer from the midfield stripe and found defender Paddy Barrett, whose square header was nodded home by Enevoldsen to break the deadlock. Ricky Lopez-Espin had a chance to even things up in the 65th minute, but he couldn’t get enough on his near-angled shot to beat defender Neveal Hackshaw, who tracked behind Farr to cover his near post and clear off the goal line for a corner. Lopez-Espin was free again inside the penalty area five minutes later, this time sending a low shot that Farr pounced on with ease. With 15 minutes left in regulation it was Tumi Moshobane’s first-time laser that forced Farr’s best stop of the evening, the second-year ‘keeper batting the chance away off the tips of his gloves before it could reach his upper 90. The Boys in Blue withstood steady pressure by Ignite FC through the end of regulation and an additional four minutes of stoppage time to survive and advance to the Third Round. Indy Eleven and the Riverhounds are set to meet at Highmark Stadium on the banks of the Monongahela River in downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday, May 29th, in an USL Championship-Open Cup mashup. There’s no rest for the weary as it’s back to USL Championship action for Indy Eleven (4W-2L-2D, 14 pts.) this Saturday, May 18, when it welcomes the Charleston Battery (4W-1L-4D, 16 pts.) on “Armed Forces Night” at Lucas Oil Stadium. Tickets for the 7:00 p.m. kickoff remain available for as little as $15 at IndyEleven.com/tickets or by calling 317-685-1100.

2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Second Round
Indy Eleven (USL Championship) 1 : 0 Lansing Ignite FC (USL League One)
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 – 7:00 p.m. ET

Sellick Bowl at Butler University – Indianapolis, Ind. Attendance: 853 Next LHUSOC Game – Third Round

Indy Eleven at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USL Championship) Highmark Stadium | Pittsburgh, Penn.

Scoring Summary:
IND – Thomas Enevoldsen (Paddy Barrett) 57’

Disciplinary Summary:

IND – Evan Newton (red card) 21’

IND – Thomas Enevoldsen (yellow card) 51’

LAN – Grant Stoneman (yellow card) 62’

IND – Matt Watson (yellow card) 62’

IND – Kenney Walker (yellow card) 88’

Indy Eleven lineup (3-5-2, L–>R): Evan Newton (GK) (red card 21’); Karl Ouimette, Paddy Barrett, Neveal Hackshaw; Tyler Pasher, Kenney Walker, Tyler Gibson, Matt Watson (captain) (Ayoze Garcia 86’), Macauley King; Thomas Enevoldsen (Dane Kelly 74’), Alioune Diakhate (Jordan Farr 28’) IND Substitutes: Mario Perez (GK), Mitch Osmond, Emerson Nieto, Josh Penn
Lansing Ignite FC lineup (3-5-2, L–>R): Kyle Ihn; Grant Stoneman, Brandon Fricke (captain), Kevin Coiffic; Nathan Lewis (Xavier Gomez 69’), Christian Silva, Tumi Moshobane, Marshall Hollingsworth, Rafa Mentzingen (Alex Bruce 69’); Elma Nfor (Steeve Saint-Duc 28’), Ricky Lopez-EspinLAN Substitutes: Mike Kirk (GK), Rhys Williams, Kyle Carr, Nick Moon

Borussia Dortmund’s warm farewell for Christian Pulisic, a player always destined to move somewhere else

May 13, 2019Stephan Uersfeld Germany correspondent

DORTMUND, Germany — As he walked down the tunnel, he was holding back tears. Four minutes before half-time, Christian Pulisic was again holding back his tears; he’d just scored to hand Dortmund the lead. They remain firmly in the title race and “Captain America” had come to the rescue. Just over an hour later, Borussia wrapped up the 3-2 win and Pulisic obliged with the media tour before walking to the locker room. At 6:36 p.m. local time, he left, his family waiting for him near the exit.In the end, Pulisic could not have wished for a better ending to his time at the Westfalenstadion, though there might always be a sense of what could have been. But before he joins his new Chelsea team, there’s still one more match to be played, and in a turbulent season, he could still sign off with a Bundesliga title.”We will never give up,” Pulisic vows.Going into the penultimate day of the season and Christian Pulisic’s home farewell, Bayern held a four-point lead over Dortmund and boasted a vastly superior goal difference. The fans were listless about it all, having seen their team lose control of the title race. This is what the fans discussed over prematch beers and giant plates full of asparagus and meat at Zur Sonne, one of the traditional meeting points for Dortmund fans.They also contemplated why Pulisic might not leave that big a footprint in Borussia’s club history.

– Report: Pulisic scores in final Dortmund home game
– Video: Bayern’s slip takes title down to final day

“Had he not been an American and had Chelsea not been hit with a transfer ban, Dortmund would have got €5 million for [Pulisic],” said Thomas Reske, a member of Borussia’s Goldener Oktober fan club, jokingly of course. Jens Weber, a lifelong BVB supporter like everyone at the bar, recalled the American’s first steps in the U-17 and U-19.”He’s a Dortmund youth product and he wasn’t even the most talented player of his age group,” Weber said, remembering Felix Passlack, currently on loan with Norwich City. “But he prevailed. And it was nice to see Pulisic work himself up to the first team.”The past 1,495 days have been a wild ride for Pulisic. It began with his unassuming debut for Borussia Dortmund’s U-17, a 4-1 win against Fortuna Dusseldorf’s U-17 in front of just 100 spectators at the Paul-Janes-Stadion in Dusseldorf. On Saturday, he played his penultimate game in a 3-2 win against Dusseldorf’s senior side in front of a capacity crowd of 81,365 at one of the cathedrals of world football. In between, he became the superstar of American soccer and he put his name on the map of European football. He broke records on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, making clear that he is the real deal.The 20-year-old U.S. international first set up a goal back on April 8, 2015, in his debut and scored one on Saturday, too. Overall, his record speaks for itself: he made 151 competitive appearances for Borussia Dortmund, scoring 33 goals and setting up a further 38. The vast majority (126 matches, 19 goals and 25 assists) were for the senior side.Saturday’s goal was notable in that it kept alive Dortmund’s hopes of winning a first Bundesliga title since 2012. When he leaves for Chelsea, which paid €64 million in January for him — the highest-ever fee for an American — he can say he has given his all for BVB until the final minutes. Before that, though, he has one more match to play at Borussia Monchengladbach next Saturday. It could still win him his first Bundesliga title, although his side’s chances remain slim.Of course, nobody was more aware of Saturday’s occasion than Pulisic. It felt like he didn’t even want to leave his home of the past five years; he was the last to leave the locker room down in the catacombs of the Westfalenstadion. His last home match for Borussia Dortmund had ended hours earlier, but he was still there, soaking up every moment. There was time for one final interview with the club TV and one last walk up to the journalists waiting for him.”I still can’t believe it. Everything worked out perfect today. But the most important thing is that we got the win and still have a chance,” he said in English before switching to German. “Most of all, I will miss the fans and the stadium. It was a super goodbye for me and yes, I am thankful for the fans and for Dortmund.”The American’s time at Dortmund was never going to be a lifelong love affair; rather it was laid out as a chapter in Pulisic’s career, an important one for him and one Dortmund knew they could capitalize on in the future. Turning Pulisic into a star would not only boost the club’s profile as one of the go-to places for the best young talents in world football, but it also would one day get the club a good transfer fee.Last season, Borussia and Pulisic endured a difficult campaign. Prior to 2017-18, he’d been a young player at the Westfalenstadion capable of providing that bit of extra magic. While Pulisic already was the star player of American soccer by that point, he could always return to Dortmund, where there was no extra pressure. But this year, the pressure was on him too. There were games in which he was the most experienced player in Dortmund’s attack and it was expected of him to just deliver.Pulisic’s unresolved future and his new role were weight on his shoulders, but once his next move was secured, he vowed in a statement that he’d fight for Borussia until the last matchday. The club told him he must live up to his words and, bar a few injuries, he did.Over the past couple of months, Borussia squandered a nine-point lead at the top, lost 5-0 at Bayern and, only a fortnight ago, suffered humiliation against Schalke 04 in the Ruhr derby, with their rivals taking all three points back home to Gelsenkirchen. Yet Pulisic remained true to his word: at Bremen the week before, he embarked on an Eden Hazard-like run through the opponent’s defense to hand Dortmund an early lead. He had fought back and become a force for Dortmund again, but in that same game, Borussia blew a 2-0 lead, which opened the door for Bayern to extend their lead to four points ahead of his final home match.As Dortmund’s fighting spirit resulted in a call for perseverance, with the fans stating “it ain’t over ’til it’s over” in a giant banner unfolded on the stands at Bremen, Pulisic prepared for his last match at the Westfalenstadion.He raced out onto the pitch to warm up just over half an hour before kickoff. He kicked his ball toward the Sudtribune and took a long look at the Yellow Wall. He absorbed every moment during his 17-minute warm-up, watching Dortmund’s 1989 cup heroes receive a warm welcome by the fans as they celebrated 30 years of bringing Borussia back on the map of German football.As Dortmund’s veterans left the pitch, Pulisic walked up to stadium announcer Norbert Dickel, one of those 1989 cup heroes. Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc and CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke were waiting for him ahead of a small ceremony. He got a bouquet of yellow flowers and a giant portrait thanking him for his service. Pulisic posed for photos and then grabbed the microphone, walking toward the Yellow Wall. He addressed the fans in German: “Dortmund will always feel like home!” The supporters applauded him. “All the best and hopefully see you again one day.”He then returned to the locker room to finish prematch preparations, where former captain Marcel Schmelzer gave a speech. It ain’t over ’til it’s over was the message, but Pulisic was aware that his own journey was nearly complete. “It hit me when I was walking to the locker room. It was really emotional. My last time. It was not easy,” Pulisic later said.”It was very emotional for Christian. He can just be proud how he solved it today. And also how well he handled the overall situation,” BVB squad manager Sebastian Kehl said in the postmatch scrum.While some fans might argue Pulisic will not leave a trace at the club, he earned a lot of respect over the course of five impressive years at Dortmund. Now it’s time to see what he can do in the Premier League.

Dortmund hopes for ‘small miracle’ to take title from Bayern

Associated Press•May 16, 2019BERLIN (AP) — Despite needing a “small miracle” to win the Bundesliga title on the final day of the season, Borussia Dortmund already has its celebration party planned.Bayern Munich, which leads Dortmund by two points and has a huge advantage on goal difference, is favored to win its record-extending seventh straight title on Saturday. But Dortmund hasn’t given up hope.”I have the feeling we’re on the verge of something great,” Dortmund chief executive Hans Joachim Watzke said. “I myself can’t explain it.”Bayern essentially needs only a point at home against Eintracht Frankfurt, which hasn’t beaten the defending champions in 15 league games and has lost on its last nine visits to Munich. Dortmund, meanwhile, faces a tough game at Borussia Mönchengladbach at the same time.”It’s still possible. We want to achieve the small miracle,” said Sebastian Kehl, a former Dortmund midfielder who is now a club official working closely with the players. “If there’s a little wobble from Bayern we want to use it.”Plans for an open-top bus parade through Dortmund’s streets on Sunday were made months in advance, when the team held a nine-point lead over Bayern.”We look at the standings,” said Oliver Nestler, the head of the city’s fire department.But Dortmund squandered its lead in consecutive draws against Frankfurt, Hoffenheim and Nuremberg in February before losing at Augsburg. A 5-0 win for Bayern in Munich underlined the difference between the teams last month, before Dortmund dropped more points at home against Schalke and then at Werder Bremen.Bayern could have won the title last weekend but was held to a goalless draw at Leipzig. However, the team is determined the take the second of what coach Niko Kovac described as “two match balls” against Frankfurt, his former team, and bring what has been a testing season to a successful close.”If we had this situation in winter, that we could seal it with a win at home against Frankfurt, we would have signed for it straight away,” Bayern forward Thomas Müller said.It should be straightforward. Frankfurt claimed the last of its three wins in Munich (from 47 visits) in November 2000. It avoided conceding only twice in those 47 games.Frankfurt has conceded eight goals in its last two league games and is clearly feeling the effect from a long European season. The team pushed Chelsea hard before bowing out in the semifinals of the Europa League.Frankfurt, which was fourth and in the last place for Champions League qualification, is now sixth and in danger of missing out on qualifying even for the Europa League.”We only have ourselves to blame for this situation,” said Frankfurt coach Adi Hütter, who took over from Kovac and was leading Frankfurt to its best ever league campaign. “We still have the chance to re-qualify. We have to take it.”With favors from elsewhere and a win in Munich, Frankfurt could even reclaim fourth and earn its place in Europe’s premier competition for the first time since 1960.One omen gives Frankfurt – and Dortmund – hope: Bayern has never won the title at home since moving into its new stadium in 2005.

SECOND DIVISION

Cologne has already earned promotion back to the Bundesliga as second-division champion despite only one win from its last six games. Either Paderborn or Union Berlin will join Cologne in the top division, replacing relegated Hannover and Nuremberg.Paderborn, currently second, leads Union by a point ahead of its visit to Dynamo Dresden on Sunday. Union realistically needs a win at Bochum and a favor from Dresden at the same time to claim the automatic promotion spot.Failing that – and barring an extraordinary 21-goal turnaround from fourth-place Hamburger SV – Union will face Stuttgart in a two-leg playoff to determine which team plays in the Bundesliga next season.

Manchester City vs. Watford: FA Cup final predictions and key battles

4:34 AM ETThe 138th final of the FA Cup, the world’s oldest club competition, pits all-star Premier League champions Manchester City against able underdogs Watford.The odds may be heavily stacked in favour of Pep Guardiola’s team, but there is enough cause to believe that Javi Gracia can mastermind a memorable upset that would be a fitting conclusion to what has been a thrilling tournament this season. Here’s everything you need to know.

WHERE: Wembley Stadium, London (capacity 90,000)
WHEN: Saturday; noon ET, 5 p.m. UK (live on ESPN+)

BACKSTORY: This is Watford’s second FA Cup final (35 years ago, they lost 2-0 to Everton) and for most of their history they’ve been a second-tier club, though since their most recent promotion to the Premier League in 2015 they’ve generally been solidly mid-table, finishing 11th this season.

Manchester City are arguably the best team in the world right now and, in English terms, have completed the most dominant two seasons ever, having gained 198 of a possible 228 in winning back-to-back titles. They retained the Carabao Cup this year and would complete an unprecedented domestic treble if they win this too.

MUSICAL ICON: Oasis’ Noel Gallagher is a fixture at City games, and he led the title celebrations in the dressing room at Brighton. But Elton John has him trumped, despite having to miss the match to perform a concert in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was actually chairman of Watford on two occasions for a total of 16 years. Plus, his middle name is Hercules, whereas Gallagher’s is a more mundane Thomas.

ROAD TO WEMBLEY: The FA Cup is a straight knockout competition, so luck and happenstance play a key role, especially since the rounds are one-legged: you only play the return leg if it’s a draw through to the fourth round. City won all five of their games on the way to the final, but faced just two Premier League clubs (Burnley and Brighton) en route. Watford faced three top-flight clubs on the way (Crystal Palace, Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers) and only played at home once.

KEY COMEBACKS ON THE WAY: Watford had to come from two goals down in the semifinal to overcome Wolves 3-2 in extra time. Manchester City found themselves 2-0 down with 21 minutes to go away to second-tier Swansea in what would have been one of the shocks of the season. But they stormed back and grabbed a winner with two minutes to go, sealing a 3-2 victory.

KEY BATTLE: Abdoulaye Doucoure and Etienne Capoue vs. the Silva brothers

OK, the latter aren’t actually brothers, they just have a chemistry and understanding that suggests either blood relations or extra-sensory perception. If City, as expected, have the bulk of possession and Watford raise the barricades, it will be up to Bernardo Silva and David Silva (or possibly Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne or Phil Foden — yes, City have that many weapons) to break them down. Capoue and Doucoure form one of the best midfield duos in the Premier League, offering physicality, workrate and tactical nous. If City can’t get through them, they’ll need to figure out a way around them.

– Ogden: Deeney’s journey from prison to FA Cup final
– United need City to win FA Cup to avoid fixture chaos
– Who qualifies for Europe from the Premier League?
– ESPN+: Man City and Watford’s road to Wembley

X FACTOR, WATFORD: Gerard Deulofeu

He doesn’t always start, but he has the unpredictability and one-on-one ability to create something out of nothing and, of course, his heroics in this very stadium in the semifinal are what got Watford here.

X FACTOR, MANCHESTER CITY: Leroy Sane

The fact that you can chuck the German roadrunner on the pitch late in games, against tired, glassy-eyed opponents is a huge boost. He gets in the box with the ball with an ease rarely seen at this level.

HEART AND SOUL, WATFORD: Troy Deeney

It’s the ninth season at the club for this battering ram of a striker who leaves nothing on the pitch and has worked under 11 different managers. Not always the prettiest to watch, but his effort and underdog redemption story — he spent time in prison for his involvement in a brawl when he was 22 and later passed the equivalent of a GED (General Educational Development) exam — make him appealing to neutrals.

HEART AND SOUL, CITY: Raheem Sterling

His is also a redemption tale, though more a factor of how he was perceived rather than anything he did. Cruelly and unfairly lampooned as greedy and bling-obsessed when he moved from Liverpool to Manchester City, he is now adored in England and has established himself as a thoughtful commentator on social issues as well. At 24, his star is still rising …

OLD TIMER, WATFORD: Heurelho Gomes

He’s 38, he’s no longer a regular, and he’s meant to be leaving at the end of the season, even though Watford have asked him to stay another year. But he’s immensely popular at the club and the chief cheerleader, whether he starts or not. Definitely one of the good guys.

OLD TIMER, MANCHESTER CITY: Vincent Kompany

He’s been here for 11 years, pre-dating the Emirati owners and the transformation of Manchester City into a super-club. Once one of the best defenders in the world, he was slowed by injuries the past three years only to come roaring back this season with some vintage performances (and an improbable key goal against Leicester City) down the stretch. Articulate, bright and a natural leader, when (if?) he leaves then he can pretty much write his own ticket whatever he chooses to do.

WHAT WATFORD HAVE TO DO TO WIN IT: Impose themselves physically in midfield with the Doucoure-Capoue partnership. If, as expected, Gracia opts for two strikers, ensure that they pin back City’s full-backs when not in possession and disrupt the build-up as much as possible. Exploit the size advantage on set pieces.

WHAT CITY HAVE TO DO TO WIN IT: Let their superior talent and know-how shine and carry them to victory. Do not get frustrated if the goals take time to come. Drop Sterling into central positions to wreak havoc if Watford pack the penalty box. Dominate the wide areas to stretch the opposition and create gaps for the midfield to exploit.

PREDICTION: Manchester City to win 3-1

It’s a combination of nous and firepower. Watford can be very awkward to play against, so if things don’t pan out early for City boss Guardiola he may need to find other solutions. Luckily for him, he has a whole array of options to call upon, either from the bench or simply by switching players around.

How the USWNT’s biggest loss in recent memory exposed an issue it still hasn’t solved

Yahoo Sports•May 15, 2019

The U.S. women’s national team has been unpredictable over the past three years. From game to game, or even within the same game, there’s consistently been a surprise from coach Jill Ellis designed to add more firepower in the attack.There were the times Ellis had the team play with just three defenders to add an extra number going forward. There were asks for offensive players to fill defensive positions so they could attack, even from the back line. And there have been the late game substitutions where balance goes out the window – just get every attacker possible on the field, even if players are in unusual positions.Many of these experiments haven’t gone particularly well, but Ellis has persisted because the USWNT suffered a trauma in 2016 that she hasn’t quite gotten over: losing to Sweden in the Olympics.At the Rio Games, the USWNT lost to bunkering Sweden team and got knocked out in the quarterfinal round, the USA’s earliest exit ever. Up until then, the USWNT had never failed to finish third in a World Cup or an Olympics, and Ellis’s mission since then has been to ensure such a disaster never happens again.But that’s been easier said than done, as failed experiments over the past three years have proven, and it’s unclear the USWNT has found its answer.After all, a far inferior South African team bunkered with two blocks of four on Sunday, and the USWNT looked stymied for long stretches. It was a friendly, and the USWNT did eventually win 3-0, but there were many moments where the Americans did not look up to the task of unlocking South Africa’s defense.A better bunkering team could surely still succeed like Sweden did. And given how that loss to Sweden has guided the USWNT’s tactics over the past three years – not to mention the fact the two countries will face each other in the final group game at this summer’s World Cup – it’s worth revisiting that match.The first thing to understand about what happened in 2016 is that Sweden’s game plan was not a surprise to Ellis or her team.”They will park the bus,” Ellis said the day before the game. “They will sit as low as they possibly can and then look to transition, and they’re going to try to kill the game off that way and not give up space. I imagine they’ll play a 4-5-1 and be very compact.”That’s exactly what Sweden did, and yet the USWNT still couldn’t take a lead at any point. The score ended in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes, and the U.S. lost in penalty kicks.But the Americans’ performance in Brasília has been colored – tainted, even – by the fact that they ultimately lost. In truth, they found plenty of chances and were simply unlucky to not put more of them away. If the U.S. had won the penalty kick shootout, the Sweden match would’ve been a forgettable affair.

Here is each team’s shooting map from the game:

The USWNT took 26 shots and only got five of them on target – a problem of execution rather than opportunity. Of those 26 shots, 16 were taken inside the penalty box.The Americans also dominated the game in other ways. They held onto 64 percent of the possession and controlled the rhythm of the game. They won 65 duels to Sweden’s 38, and won 17 tackles to Sweden nine.Carli Lloyd even scored what should’ve been the game-winner in the 115th minute of extra time, but she was incorrectly called offside.In other words, the USWNT’s attack wasn’t the biggest problem on that day. Sweden did successfully cram the penalty box, and it made it harder for the U.S. to get the shots they wanted. The U.S. also did play a bit too directly and focused on crossing the ball more than working it into dangerous areas with combination play, which led to some low-quality chances. But there were good chances, too.The reason Sweden won in 2016 was partly because of the USWNT’s attacking-first approach. The defenders were flung so far forward in an effort to overload the midfield that it took Sweden two quick passes to bypass the entire defense. It was a textbook absorb-and-counter play, and the USWNT left itself vulnerable because it was so focused on barraging Sweden.Ellis’s takeaway, however, has been the opposite – she apparently decided the USWNT attack didn’t do enough against Sweden and more firepower is needed to break a bunker.In the book, “The National Team: The Inside Story Of The Women Who Changed Soccer,” Hope Solo recounts how the day after the loss to Sweden, Ellis spoke with her about the U.S. needing to learn to get past bunkering teams. Solo was later kicked off the team for calling Sweden “a bunch of cowards” for their ultra-defensive strategy, but up until Solo’s punishment overshadowed the loss, the talking point from the game was how Sweden successfully bunkered past the No. 1-ranked team in the world.That’s why after the Olympics in late 2016, Ellis concocted a three-back system that would remove one defender and replace her with an attacker.The experiment was a disaster. The way the USWNT got beat on the counterattack by Sweden became even easier. Romania, a team that has never even qualified for a World Cup, scored a goal that looked beat-for-beat similar to Sweden’s goal in the Olympics.Ellis abandoned the three-back but has been tinkering with other ways to give the USWNT more numbers in the final third.That’s why she has tested out some ultra-attacking rotations, such as putting Tobin Heath, one of the best wingers in the world, is in the central midfield. Mallory Pugh, another winger, started some games in the central midfield during the SheBelieves Cup. Pugh brought almost no defensive presence, but Ellis said she wanted Pugh there to race behind back lines.The USWNT is as aggressive as it’s ever been, and it’s because of how Ellis has responded to that loss at the Rio Games three years ago. The team’s fullbacks are converted forwards who bomb up the field. The center of the pitch doesn’t have a stay-at-home holding midfielder as Julie Ertz is encouraged to fly forward and join the attack.The Americans undoubtedly are going to score goals in France – that’s what they’re built for. The question is how much they will concede in the process.After all, despite everything that Ellis has tried, one simple soccer truth remains: bunkering often works. That’s especially true when the defending team can be quick on the counterattack.Ellis has to hope that teams in France don’t use the Americans’ attacking style against them. That’s what Sweden did, and becoming an even more attacking U.S. side hasn’t solved it.Caitlin Murray is a contributor to Yahoo Sports and her book about the U.S. women’s national team, The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer, is out now. Follow her on Twitter @caitlinmurr.

U.S. women’s national team solves South Africa in Women’s World Cup tuneup

11:40 PM ET Graham Hayse EspnW.com

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The United States played its first game Sunday since announcing the roster of 23 players that it hopes will produce the latest in a series of unforgettable summers. And then promptly ran into the sort of forgettable game that is almost always a part of those stories.To get through seven games in the World Cup, there will be 90 minutes like this.So although a 3-0 win against South Africa was an exercise in problem solving more than riveting entertainment for the largest crowd to see the national team play this year, 22,788 inside Levi’s Stadium, there was at least a solution that sent everyone home satisfied. It isn’t inconsequential that it started with Sam Mewis, someone yet to play her first minutes in a major tournament.Mewis scored the first two goals for the U.S., the second time in the midfielder’s 48 games with the national team that she scored multiple goals. Carli Lloyd provided the final goal, the 108th in an international career that began when Mewis was in middle school.But for much of the afternoon, Mewis’ first-half goal looked like it might be all the Americans managed against an opponent that showed increasingly little interest in possession, let alone possession with intent to score. Missing three of its best players because of their professional commitments abroad, South Africa set out to defend en masse behind the ball.”That’s a challenging thing, I don’t care what level you are,” U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. “That’s challenging to break down teams that are organized and get low and get a lot of numbers in the box.”For a team that itself shares a World Cup group with the likes of Germany and Spain, that plan might have been South Africa’s own sort of practice for what’s ahead. Defense first may also be what the U.S. sees from Chile and Thailand in its own group in France next month.It may even be what the U.S. sees from the other team in its group, a Swedish team ranked among the best in the world. Because more to the point, Sunday was not altogether unlike the game that eliminated the U.S. from the most recent Olympics before the medal round. Albeit that defensive strategy was employed by a more talented Swedish team with far more counterattacking intent than Sunday’s opponent.”The things that teams throw at you know now, the things that you have to adapt to, the things that you see — I would hazard to say a lot of that wasn’t there five years ago,” Ellis said. “When Sweden did it to us in the Olympics, it left a mark on me, in terms of we’ve got to make sure we have players that can break teams down. Because when there’s no space in behind, you have to problem solve in a different way.”The first half, and to some degree the first 60 minutes, was not a master class in how to do that problem solving. Ellis said the team looked “sloppy.” Veteran defender Kelley O’Hara noted that they struggled to get people into the box. No one tried to pretend it was perfect. Against an opponent that was committed but hardly impenetrable, touches were off, crosses too heavy or too light, and rhythm missing.Yet the U.S. still went into halftime with a lead, if not a fully satisfying one, because of what two World Cup rookies, Mewis and Rose Lavelle, produced in the 37th minute.obin Heath found Lavelle with a pass in a pocket of space in the center channel and between South African lines. Lavelle dribbled past one defender, then drew two more players toward her as she continued forward. That movement, in turn, left Mewis in space with only one defender to worry about at the top of the box. A quick feint to the left forced the defender to overcommit, and Mewis shot the other direction, finding the corner of the net.Amidst an otherwise messy half, two World Cup rookies broke out of the bunker.”Something we were talking about was just more central runs and more penetrating runs,” Mewis said. “So I think Rose found me kind of making a penetrating run and I just tried to find an angle. I think that we’ll grow from that and just keep trying to create chances. I think this team usually creates a ton of chances, so it was actually a really important challenge for us to face something like that.”Mewis played more minutes than any outfield player save Becky Sauerbrunn in 2017, as the national team began to retool in search of those things Ellis felt were missing against Sweden in the Olympics. But injuries slowed her progress in 2018, when she made just two starts for the U.S. and played fewer than 300 minutes. Sunday’s performance was the continuation of a strong start to 2019 for a 26-year-old who is already among the best players in the NWSL and indispensable in league champion North Carolina’s success.”Sammy’s confidence just grows and grows and grows with match play and experience she gets out there,” Ellis said. “She’s a dynamic player that can impact a game. When you go to a World Cup, your midfield — you need to have players that can score goals from distance, that can get in the box that can, obviously, play-make. I think there is versatility in Sam.”Mewis may not be among the starters when the U.S. gets to France, her place in the three-player line dependent on the health of Lindsey Horan, who was in uniform Sunday but didn’t play as a precautionary measure because of injury. Or Mewis may start in some games but not others. What matters is that the U.S. would be comfortable with her in the starting lineup, just as it would be comfortable with Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn, Lavelle, Mallory Pugh and others preparing for their first World Cup.After three years of auditioning, those players now know there is faith in them.

“People don’t really seem to understand our environment — we’re basically in tryout mode every year, every camp I would say, until a major roster needs to be named,” Dunn said this week. “This is that time that it’s no longer tryout mode but more so this is our team. This is our 23 that is going to the World Cup and hopefully hoist that trophy up at the end. So I think there is that shift of, OK, you can breathe a little bit. Not get complacent, but at the same time, feel like I’ve accomplished something and I should feel really happy where I am.”It’s worth noting that an afternoon that finished so well for Mewis began with a misstep. She let an opportunity slip away in the opening minute, unable to make good contact on a ball that Heath sent across the box and that could easily have found its way into the back of the net. Mewis misplayed her share of moments in that sloppy first half. But when Lavelle split the defense and gave her teammate an opportunity, Mewis calmly gave the U.S. the lead.”When she’s comfortable,” Ellis said, “that’s when you get the best out of her.”Less than a month away from the opening game in France, Mewis looked comfortable. So although Sunday was a largely forgettable affair for fans, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t useful.”I think everyone on this team has been through adversity,” Mewis said. “All of our journeys have been amazing in the fact that they’ve led us here.”

Top Ten moments of the Premier League season

Nicholas Mendola NBC Sports•May 15, 2019

Neil Warnockstands defiantly at midfield, stares at referees

Cardiff City didn’t do enough to stay up, but it got a lot of help from officials in its fall into the Championship.

Fortunately for us, manager Neil Warnock did not lay off of the officials who made or reversed calls he perceived as major slights to his Bluebirds.

Perhaps his best tune would be best accompanied by a version of The Robot dance.

“I always thought Mike Riley was a manufactured referee from day one,” Warnock said after a loss to Chelsea. “I don’t think he’s changed since then. He’s been coached, manufactured, almost like a robot. He knows everything about the rules, but I feel these people struggle to understand the game and the human element. A lot of referees are like Mike Riley and that’s why I think we have gone backwards. Common sense is not allowed nowadays, but the best refs still use it.”

That loss ended with Warnock standing at midfield, staring at the referee crew before stating that the Premier League is “the best league in the world with the worst officials.”

De Gea stuns Spurs to take Ole mania up a notch

Manchester United’s star goalkeeper was not up to his standards this season, but his performance against Tottenham Hotspur early in the Ole Gunnar Solskjaerera was impeccable.

Spurs dominated the Red Devils, but De Gea made 11 saves at Wembley to give OGS his first win over a top side.

Arsenal wins thrilling North London Derby

Arsenal finished below Tottenham Hotspur on the table, but the Gunners sent a message that they were up for the fight with a thrilling 4-2 win over Spurs on Dec. 1.

It had everything, including Mike Dean calling penalties for both sides. Arsenal outshot Spurs 22-11, and the teams combined for 13 shots on target. And the Gunners trailed 2-1 at the break!

Most importantly for the Gunners, it was a victory over their hated rivals which ran their unbeaten mark to 19 matches.

Wolves howl into contention with first upset

Nuno Espirito Santo‘s Wolverhampton Wanderers became giant killers for the first time when they ended a six-match dry spell by using a second-half burst to beat Chelsea 2-1.

The win was typical of Wolves’ best days, as Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota were the goal scorers. On the season, the newly-promoted Wolves beat Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, and Manchester United, drawing the Blues, Gunners, and Red Devils as well en route to a possible Europa League berth.

Mourinho’s “respect” rant

Manchester United had just lost 3-0 to Spurs at Old Trafford, but that’s not the three Jose Mourinho wanted to discuss in his post-match media briefing.

“Three-nil. Do you know what that also means? Three Premiership titles, and I also won more titles than the other 19 managers combined.”

Emiliano Sala‘s plane disappears

Cardiff City’s joy at the record purchase of Nantes striker Emiliano Sala soon turned to sickening grief when the Argentine’s plane was lost at sea. His body was recovered from the wreckage a few days later.

Pickford error gives Origi, Liverpool the derby

Everton supporters don’t need to be reminded that Liverpool had two moments of good fortune for every bit of bad luck in a run to second on the Premier League table. Jordan Pickford lost track of the ball in stoppage time to deny the Toffees a memorable point against their despised cross-town Reds.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha mourned

Leicester City lost its owner in November when his helicopter crashed after leaving King Power Stadium, and the world soon learned just how deeply Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was loved by the Foxes’ faithful. The scenes at the next home game were poignant and unforgettable.

Kompany’s thunderbolt

Manchester City’s big Belgian leant an aire of inevitability to his side’s title defense when he busted down the door of Kasper Schmeichel and Leicester City with an absolutely stunning strike.

Eleven millimeters

Let’s set the scene: Unbeaten Liverpool has a chance to put Man City in its rear view mirror at the Etihad Stadium when Sadio Mane beats the keeper and hits the post. City center back John Stones‘ effort to clear the ball hits his keeper Ederson, and the Englishman does this en route to City’s 2-1 defeat of the Reds.

GK Gigi Buffon offered contract extension by PSG

Omnisport•May 16, 2019

Gianluigi Buffon confirmed Paris Saint-Germain have offered him a contract extension.Buffon, 41, was expected to retire at the end of the 2017-18 campaign with Juventus before PSG persuaded him to move to France, and now he is considering a further extension to his career.The Italian has featured 24 times across all competitions for the Ligue 1 champions this season, sharing first-choice responsibilities with Alphonse Areola.He only signed a one-year deal with PSG, but has shown himself to still be capable of performing at the highest level despite his age.And PSG seem intent on keeping him around until he is 42.Speaking to Sky Uno, Buffon said: “The club has offered me an extension, which makes me really happy.”We will look in a few days to examine this project and see if we both believe that it is good to continue together.”It’s going well in Paris. I live an exceptional life experience at 41 years old. I arrived convinced that I would be involved as a player and as a person, and I found what I came for.”Should Buffon stay at PSG for another year, he will enter his 25th season as a professional.

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5/10/19 US Ladies Sun 4:30 pm Fox, Indy 11 @ Butler Bowl Wed 7 pm, All England Champs & Europa Finals + Final weekend, Full TV Game Schedule

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Champions League & Europa League

Wow – has this Champions League run over the last 16 been something or what? First 2 Time Defending Champ Real Madrid is bounced in the Round of 16, as does then favorite Juventus in the round of 8. But now Barcelona are sent packing after bringing a 3-0 lead into Anfield against Liverpool. The Miracle at Mercy-side had Liverpool score an amazing 4-0 victory to send home the world’s best player and Barcelona as the Reds advanced to the Champ League finals for the 2^nd year in a row (click to see the after scenes from Anfield as You’ll Never Walk Alone gave me chills). Then not to be outdone – Tottenham fell behind 3-0 in aggregate to up-in-comers Ajax (the team that beat Juve & Real Madrid) before scoring 3 straight goals in the 2^nd half – the last one in stoppage time no less with Lukas Mora’s hat-trick. I feel sorry for US Fans and Fox Sports – as TNT and BR Sports and their horrific coverage of Champions League – somehow got THE MOST EXCITING Champions League ever. Unfortunately, much of the US couldn’t see much of it on LIVE TV or even on replays for that matter – man do I miss Fox having the UCL. Either way we get an all England Final with Liverpool vs Tottenham on Saturday, June 1. And it’s an All-England Europa League final as Arsenal advanced 7-3 and Chelsea went to penalties to beat Frankfurt 3-2. It will be the first final for Arsenal since 2006 and first for Chelsea since they won it in 2013.

USA World Cup

The US Ladies World Cup Roster was announced late last week – with no major surprises. Of the 23 players with winners medals from 2015, 12 are back for another go. And 15 of the 18 from the 2016 Olympics are among this year’s 23. There’s a lot of experience – 1,841 national team appearances, to be exact. There’s been relatively little turnover. The names you’ll remember are Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath and Becky Sauerbrunn. They’ll be starting in the same positions (striker, winger, winger and center back) as four years ago. The fifth starting lineup holdover is Julie Ertz – formerly Johnston, before marrying Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach in 2017. A defender in 2015, she’s now the defensive midfield destroyer. Among other 2015 starters, attacker Carli Lloyd, midfielder Morgan Brian and fullback Ali Krieger are now reserves. (Conversely, defender Kelley O’Hara and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, reserves in 2015, are now starters. Forward Christen Press is still great, but still stuck behind others on the depth chart.). The are some concerns regarding Jill Ellis’ decisions but for the most part this looks like a team that should be favored to at least make the semi-finals if not win it all. A potential showdown with home team France in the semi’s, along with a questionable defense is one reason I am not penciling us in just yet. Check out the Casual Fans Guide to the Women’s World Cup and follow along on Yahoo Soccer for all the updates. You can watch the USWNT’s send-off friendlies starting this Sunday: Against South Africa on May 12 (4:30 ET, Fox), New Zealand on May 16 (8 ET, ESPN2), and Mexico on May 26 (Noon ET, ESPN).

The World Cup from France gets underway June 7 with the US starting June 11.

Tues, June 11: 3 p.m. ET, Fox US. vs. Thailand,
Sun, June 16: Noon ET, Fox US. vs. Chile,
Thurs, June 20: 3 p.m. ET, Fox US. vs. Sweden
Great to see American Christian Pulisic reward his coach with his first start in months for Dortmund with a solid solo goal run from midfield leading to Dortmund’s first goal. He had a few other chances and was one of the top players on the day for Dortmund. Unfortunately for Dortmund the tie at home all but eliminates them in the title race with Bayern who now has 4 pt lead with 2 games left in the season. Dortmund will be on Saturday at 9 am on FS1, American Tyler Adams might be back from injury with RB Leipzig to face Bayern Munich with the title on the line on Fox at 9 am., while American Weston McKinney will travel with Schalke to Bayern Leverkusen at 9 am on Fox Soccer. Of course, the top 8 teams in the Bundesliga are still mathematically alive for that 4^th Champions League spot or certainly a top 7 Europa league position to the race will be to the finish.

EPL

So we are down to the final weekend in the EPL – with Sunday’s all game coverage across all the network’s of NBC at 10 am. Unfortunately, only the title race is still in play as Man City hold a slim 1 point lead over Liverpool. Liverpool, fresh off their amazing comeback in Champions League midweek, will face Wolverhampton on NBC 10 am. Meanwhile, Man City will travel to relegated Brighton on NBCSN. Both of the top 2 had to pull a rabbit out of the hat last weekend to secure late victories so this one isn’t over yet – but realistically I don’t see Man City losing. With Arsenal and Man United inexplicitly losing last weekend the race for the top 4 Champions League spots is over as Chelsea and Tottenham will join Liverpool and Man City. Of course,Arsenal can still play their way in as Europa League Champions in late May.

Indy 11

The Indy 11 will host a US Open Cup game this Wednesday night at the Butler Bowl – at Butler University at 7 pm. Tickets are available for as low as $15 at IndyEleven.com/Tickets. The 11 threw their 2^nd shutout in a row a 0-0 tie with North Carolina last weekend as GK Evan Newton recorded his 41^st USL shutout earning him USL Player of the Week honors. The Indy 11 also announced they will host a Coaches Symposium on Tues, May 21^st at Grand Park for just $30.

Indy11USOpen

at Butler/Tickets.

GAMES ON TV

Sat, MAY 11 (American’s in parenthesis)

9:30 am Fox Sport 2 RB Leipzig (Tyler Adams) vs Bayern Munich

9:30 am Fox Sports 1 Dortmund (Pulisic) vs Dusseldorf

9:30 am Fox Soccer Bayer Leverkusen vs Schalke (McKinney)

11 am beIN Sports Angers vs PSG

1 pm ESPN+ Cincy vs Montreal Impact

2 pm Univision Dallas (Matt Hedges) vs NY RB

2:30 pm ESPN+ Fiorentina vs Milan

4 pm ESPN LA Galaxy vs NYCFC

10 pm ESPN+ San Jose vs Cincy

10:30 pm ESPN+ LAFC vs Chicago Fire

Sun, MAY 12

10 am NBC Liverpool vs Wolverhampton

10 am NBCSN Brighton vs Manchester City

10 am CNBC Liecester City vs Chelsea

10 am USA Man United vs Cardiff City

10 am SyFy Tottenham vs Everton

12 noon FS1 Frankfort vs Mainz

2:30 pm Fox Atlanta United vs Orlando City

2:30 pm ESPN Roma vs Juventus

3 pm beIN Sport Marseille vs Lyonnais

4:30 pm FOX USA Ladies vs South Africa – Send off Series

7 pm Fox Sport 1 DC United vs Sporting KC

Mon, MAY 13

7 & 8 pm ESPN+ USA Open Cup games USL teams vs lower division teams

Wed, MAY 15

7 & 8 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 vs USA Open Cup @ Butler Bowl

8 pm ESPN+ Toronto FC vs DC United

8 pm Fox Sports 1 New England vs Chelsea

Thurs, MAY 16

8 pm ESPN2 USA Ladies vs New Zealand– Send off Series

Sat, MAY 18 (American’s in parenthesis)

9:30 am Fox Sport 2 Bayern Munich vs Frankfurt

9:30 am Fox Sports 1 Borussia M’gladbach vs Dortmund (Pulisic)

9:30 am Fox Soccer Schalke (McKinney) vs Stuttgart

12 noon ESPN+ Manchester City vs Watford – FA Cup Final

2 pm Univision San Jose vs Chicago Fire

7 pm WISHTV Indy 11 vs Charlestown (Lucas Oil)

Sun, MAY 19

3 pm ESPN+ Orlando City vs Cincy

5 pm Fox Sport 1 NY Red Bulls vs Atlanta United

Fri, MAY 24

12 noon ESPN2? Copa Del Rey Barcelona vs Valencia

2;30 pm Fox Sport 1 USA U20s vs Ukraine U20 WC

Sat, MAY 25

2 pm ESPNNews German Cup Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig (Adams)

7 pm WISHTV Indy 11 vs Nashville (Lucas Oil)

Weds, May 29 Europa League Finals

Sat, June 1 Champions League Finals

Women’s World Cup June 7-July 7

Fri, June 7 3 p m France vs South Korea
Tues, June 11: 3 p.m. ET, Fox S. vs. Thailand,
Sun, June 16: Noon ET, Fox S. vs. Chile,
Thurs, June 20: 3 p.m. ET, Fox S. vs. Sweden
Sun, July 7 3 pm ET, Fox Women’s World Cup Finals from France

Gold Cup TV Schedule June 15– July 7

International Champions Cup Schedule July 16-Aug 18

NWSL. You can stream every game live on Yahoo Sports.

Where to Watch Soccer Games on Which Channels

Indy 11

Indy 11 tie North Carolina 0-0 thanks to GK Evan Newtons 41^st shutout

GK Evan Newton is USL Player of Week w/2 Clean Sheets

Indy 11 tie Tampa Bay Rowdies 0-0 a man down- Indy Star Kevin Johnston

Indy 11 in USL Academy Cup for ages U13-U17

Sat 8 am Soccer Talk with Greg Rakestraw on 1070 the Fan & 107.5 FM

Champions League

Recap Spurs over Ajax 3-2

Klopp made us Beliveve – Goal.com

Barca too Reliant on Messi AP

Liverpool’s Comeback tops any magic Anfield has ever seen – Mark Odgen ESPNFC

– Ogden: Spurs’ comeback fitting to season of close calls
– Ajax captain de Ligt calls loss ‘a nightmare’
– Social reaction to another Champions League classic
– Kane hopeful to be back for Champions League final

– Hunter: Barca were the ‘dopes’ in shock loss to Liverpool
– Social reaction: LeBron, Mourinho stunned by comeback
– Liverpool ratings: Origi, Fabinho top list of heroes vs. Barca
– Barcelona ratings: Alba 3/10 as his mistakes start collapse

Marcotti: In Liverpool loss, Barca didn’t learn from Roma collapse
– Tottenham vs. Liverpool: When is the UCL final?

Aubameyang hat trick sees Arsenal into Europa final

EPL

Roma ready to offer Sarri escape route out of Chelsea – Telegraph

EPL Weekend Wrap-up

Come from Behind Win for Liverpool – Battle of Will – ESPNFC

— Liverpool ratings: Origi, Robertson rescue Liverpool’s title hopes

Tactics on the Last Goal for Liverpool-NBCSN

– Wright Thompson: What a title would mean to Liverpool

Kompany Delivering Title would be fitting farewell for Captain

– Ratings: Kompany 9/10 in thrilling win
– Kompany: My teammates said ‘don’t shoot’
– Premier League sprint to the finish: What’s left?

— The worst is yet to come for Man United
— Sanchez has been a disaster
— Man United Keep/Dump: Assessing Solskjaer’s squad

Arsenal’s Hopes of Top 4 Over after Home Draw with Brighton

USA

Pulisic’s Brilliant Goal not enough for Dortmund who are tied at home – Fox Soccer

Lletget is the most interesting man in U.S. soccer 10dNoah Davis ESPNF

Lloyd, Morgan, Rapino Headline US 2019 World Cup Roster – Graham Hays ESPNW

US Ladies Roster – 2 Reasons to Relax and 1 to be Concerned – Stars and Stripes

Women’s World Cup Hub on Yahoo Sports

Women’s World Cup Full Schedule

June 11: U.S. vs. Thailand, 3 p.m. ET, Fox
June 16: U.S. vs. Chile, Noon ET, Fox
June 20: U.S. vs. Sweden, 3 p.m. ET, Fox

GK

Casper Schmeichel calls Ederson the Best GK in the World along with Barcelona’s Ter Stegan and Jan Oblak of Atletico

Quick Corner Shocks Ter Stegan of Barcelona

Great Saves by both Keepers in Chelsea vs Frankfurt Europa Semi

Double Save not enough for Onana vs Arsenal in Europa Semi loss

Lloris kept Spurs in it

Liverpool’s comeback tops any magic historic Anfield has ever seen

May 7, 2019Mark OgdenSenior Writer, ESPN FC

LIVERPOOL, England — Jurgen Klopp hinted that he didn’t believe Liverpool could pull off a Champions League miracle against Barcelona, admitting Monday that “beautiful failure” was perhaps the best his team could hope foragainst the Spanish champions.Come on, Jurgen, you need to have more faith. Your players have shown they are capable of anything, but nothing can match this: a 4-0 rout of Barcelonawhen every odd was stacked against them.

Trailing 3-0 from the semifinal first leg in the Camp Nou, when Liverpool were taken down by the genius of Lionel Messi, Klopp and his players had the faintest of hope going into the second leg at Anfield. To make their task even more daunting, they had to make do without their two world-class forwards — Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino — due to injury.

But this is Liverpool, and this is Anfield, and, well, all the myths and fairy tales surrounding this place came true on an unforgettable night of pulsating and fearless football. Barcelona — mighty Barcelona — were ruthlessly dispatched with two goals from a makeshift striker (Georginio Wijnaldum) and another two from a player (Divock Origi) who was on loan at Wolfsburg at this time last season.

This was Liverpool’s night, make no mistake about that. It was a comeback for the ages, topping anything this historic old ground has ever seen, but Barcelona played their part in a way they never could’ve imagined in their worst nightmares.

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– Barcelona ratings: Alba 3/10 as his mistakes start collapse

They were supposed to have learned their lessons from last season’s quarterfinal meltdown in Rome, when a 3-0 defeat saw them crash out in the Stadio Olimpico, but this was worse. Barca collapsed. Perhaps they started the game believing it was won — too complacent, too arrogant — and Liverpool punished them mercilessly.But this is what Liverpool do at Anfield on European nights, regardless of who is in charge on the touchline. From David “Supersub” Fairclough’s winner against Saint-Etienne in 1977 to Luis Garcia‘s “ghost goal” that was enough to beat Chelsea in 2005 to the incredible fightback against Borussia Dortmund in 2016 and the pummeling of Manchester City last season, Anfield turns the men in red into superheroes when European glory is at stake, and Barca became the latest and greatest name on that lengthy list of victims.et the noise from the Kop was only one ingredient of this stunning victory. The supporters were the 12th man, but Klopp and his players were the architects and builders of a win that took Liverpool to next month’s final in Madrid.Alisson, the Liverpool goalkeeper, was part of the Roma team that produced its own miracle against Barcelona last season, and he admitted that that result played a part in his preparation for this tie.”You try to visualise it before the game, but it’s nearly impossible to do, to imagine that things will work out just as you want them to,” Alisson told Sky Italia. “It happened for me last year with Roma. It happened again tonight.”To turn this tie around, Liverpool had to get everything right. They could not afford Barcelona any opportunity to score a killer away goal, which would leave the home side needing to score five, and they had to take every big chance that came their way.But good fortune smiled on Liverpool in the seventh minute, when Jordi Alba‘s misplaced header fell into the path of Sadio Mane, who fed the onrushing Jordan Henderson. The Liverpool captain burst into the penalty area and shot goalward, but his effort was saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The Barca keeper could only palm the ball away, however, and Origi struck from 6 yards to give Liverpool the dream start.Anfield shook, but Barcelona responded with fire, as Messi forced Alisson to tip a clipped shot over the bar on 14 minutes. Luis Suarez, once the darling of Anfield, became its enemy as he became embroiled in ugly tangles with Andy Robinson and Fabinho, prompting his old fans to decry him as a “cheat” and then sing “F— off, Suarez!”The passion in the stands drove the Liverpool players, but half-time arrived, and it was only 1-0. Liverpool needed two more goals. But Wijnaldum, a half-time replacement for the injured Robertson, earned himself a place in Liverpool folklore by scoring twice in the space of 120 seconds, on 54 and 56 minutes, to haul Klopp’s team level on aggregate.If Anfield shook after Origi’s opener, it was now rocking from its foundations because the crowd sensed that Barcelona were falling to their knees. Even Messi looked shell-shocked by the scenes around him.”Things got on top of us after those two quick goals,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde admitted post-match. “We didn’t manage to get on the score sheet, and they rolled us over, really.”Valverde was right. Barcelona were rolled over. So much for the best team in Spain; they simply crumbled when faced with Liverpool’s intensity and hunger.But it wasn’t all done at 3-0. Barcelona were still in it, knowing one goal would swing the pendulum back in their favour and keep them on course for Madrid. Yet their world well and truly caved in on 79 minutes, when Origi struck again to make it 4-0 and put Liverpool ahead.Barcelona simply fell asleep at a corner, with Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s cross to Origi catching them completely flat-footed. Origi still had a job to do by putting the ball into the net, but yes, this is Anfield, so where else was it going to end up?It was 4-0, and thousands of Liverpudlians could start to book their flights to Madrid, while the same number of Catalans began to cancel their hotels. This was Liverpool’s night, and nobody inside Anfield will ever forget it.”The whole game was too much,” Klopp said. “It was overwhelming. We played against maybe the best team in world. Winning is difficult, but winning with a clean sheet, I don’t know how they did it. It’s unbelievable.”I saw James Milner crying on the pitch after the game. It means so much to all of us. It’s the best phase of football. There are more important things in the world. But creating this emotional atmosphere together is so special.”Beautiful failure? Maybe not. Liverpool’s sixth European Cup is waiting to be lifted next month.

‘Klopp made us believe’ – Liverpool captain Henderson reflects on remarkable Champions League comeback

Goal.com Wed, May 8 7:00 AM EDT

For Jordan Henderson there is no doubt.“It has to be the top,” said the Liverpool captain, unable to keep the smile from his face. “Just an unbelievable night.”It was more than an hour since the final whistle at Anfield, since the end of the most remarkable night of European football you could ever hope to witness.Barcelona were long gone. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho had left with barely a sideways glance. They headed back to Catalunya shell-shocked, dumb-struck by what had happened.For Henderson and his team-mates, the mood could not have been different. Liverpool’s players had stayed on the pitch at the final whistle, to be hugged by their manager and serenaded by their supporters. The greatest night in Anfield’s long and illustrious history? It just might be.“From start to finish I thought the lads were amazing,” Henderson would say. “The atmosphere was amazing.”Liverpool had arrived, naturally, as underdogs. But the 3-0 advantage Barcelona had brought with them from the first leg would be wiped out within 56 ferocious minutes. And when Divock Origi netted in front of the Kop, 11 minutes from the end of the 90, the Reds were on their way to the final.“I think a lot of people would have written us off,” Henderson said. “But we have a belief in this team. We knew that if we gave everything, you know never know what can happen in football. We said we would fight for everything right to the end“I think we proved quite a few people wrong tonight, We showed that if you never give up and you keep trying you can produce special things and create a special night.”He’s got that right. Liverpool had been unlucky to lose by three at Camp Nou a week ago, but they tore into Barcelona from the first whistle here. They were ahead through Origi inside seven minutes and never looked back. Gini Wijnaldum, a substitute, scored twice in three second-half minutes before Origi’s late winner. It was frenzied.Afterwards, a beaming Jurgen Klopp spoke of “big hearts” and “genius” moments. The triumph belonged to the manager as much as his players or fans.“I think he believed because of the talk he gave before the game before we came to the stadium,” Henderson said. “I think the players could see that the manager believed which helps us believe in what he said to us. “He said we can enjoy the night and maybe tell the grandkids one day it was a special night. “The manager has ingrained that belief into us – no matter what happens you keep fighting right until the end until the final whistle goes. That is what we have done all season and we will continue to do that on Sunday [when Liverpool face Wolves in their final Premier League game] and in the final as well.“We have two big games to look forward to and we just have to keep with that belief and that spirit. Then we will be OK.”As for Henderson himself, he can look forward to joining Emlyn Hughes, John McGovern and Steven Gerrard as Englishmen to have captained clubs in two European Cup finals. The 28-year-old continues to make a mockery of those who doubt his credentials at the highest level.“I quite enjoy it now,” he smiled. “I’ve got used to it!“But is only a [good] display from me because of my team-mates. It is nothing to do with one person. Yes I contributed but so did everyone else who played. It was everybody together.“For me throughout my career I have always wanted to prove people wrong and that will never change. I will continue to do that until I finish playing football. “Football is like that anyway. It changes that quickly. Whether you are winning trophies or not there are always questions asked, someone else saying you cannot do this or that. So there are always things that you want to prove. I want to improve as a footballer and keep getting better to contribute to the team to be successful”For now though, he can reflect on a job well done. Liverpool are into the Champions League final. Whatever happens in Madrid on June 1, Tuesday night will be remembered forever.“It was just an amazing night,” he finished. “I was honoured to be a part of it.”

Barcelona’s fall highlights team’s Messi-dependency

TALES AZZONI,Associated Press Wed, May 8 9:45 AM EDT

Barcelona's Lionel Messi leaves the playing field after losing the Champions League semifinal, second leg, soccer match against Liverpool at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, May 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

MADRID (AP) — If Lionel Messi doesn’t come to the rescue for Barcelona, no one will.The Argentina forward has saved Barcelona time and time again over his career, coming up with extraordinary goals and incredible assists that have led the club to dozens of titles over the years.And it was his remarkable performance in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals against Liverpool that helped Barcelona overcome an off-night by the rest of the team. Messi scored two goals last week to put Barcelona in position to make it to the final for the first time in four years.But when Barcelona struggled again collectively in the second leg, Messi wasn’t able to turn things around.Liverpool reversed the 3-0 loss from the Camp Nou with a spectacular 4-0 win at Anfield, extending Barcelona’s European title drought for yet another year.The loss highlighted Barcelona’s dependency on Messi, who put in a solid performance but couldn’t produce any more epic goals to keep the team in the tournament.”We shouldn’t blame anybody,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said. “We are a team in the good situations and in the bad situations. In the end, it’s the coach who has to bear the responsibility.”Catalan sports daily Sport called Barcelona’s defeat “the worst ridicule in the history” of the club, saying the result in England was “unforgivable.”A video reproduced online by Spanish media showed what appeared to be Barcelona fans verbally confronting the team’s players at the airport in Liverpool after the match.Valverde rested Messi more than ever this season, knowing how crucial he could be in the decisive moments of the season. He had been key to the team in several occasions, either deciding games as a starter or when coming off the bench.The Argentina playmaker was rattled by Liverpool players from the start on Tuesday, at one point having his head shoved by defender Andrew Robertson as he prepared to get off the ground.Messi had a few good moments, though, including two great throughballs that Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez squandered in front of the goal. Philippe Coutinho also had an opportunity off an assist from Messi but couldn’t capitalize on it.Messi missed a good chance himself, one that he would not normally miss, with the ball by his feet inside the area, but he couldn’t get a shot on goal. Still, he had the most attempts for Barcelona, with two being stopped by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.Barcelona had been mostly outplayed against Liverpool in the first leg, but Messi still scored twice to give his team the advantage. It was Ousmane Dembele who had the chance to add to Barcelona’s result in that match, failing to score in a late counterattack that was started by Messi.The defense also faltered at Anfield, with Alba’s mistakes being mostly to blame for two of Liverpool’s goals.Barcelona also couldn’t survive Messi’s ordinary performance in the team’s elimination against Roma last season, when it squandered a three-goal first-half advantage in the quarterfinals.”What hurts the most is that it has happened again,” Valverde said. “I think it will take a long time for us to put this behind us.”It had been a nearly perfect season for Messi and Barcelona so far, with the playmaker putting up some of the best numbers of his career and the club reaching the final stretch of the season with a chance to win the treble.Barcelona has already won the Spanish league, and it has a chance to win the Copa del Rey in a final against Valencia on May 25.But there will be no fifth Champions League trophy this year for Messi, who had promised at the beginning of the season “to do everything we can to bring that beautiful and coveted cup” back to Barcelona. Maybe next year.

Barcelona, Valverde didn’t learn from Roma shock last season. Then it happened again vs. Liverpool. Why?

May 8, 2019 Gabriele MarcottiSenior Writer, ESPN FC

Maybe as a kid you didn’t see the point in history class, reading up on all those men (and yeah, they were probably mostly men) of yesteryear, with their outdated ideas and senseless battles won and lost. Maybe you failed to see how events from centuries ago have any relevance to the here and now. And maybe that’s why some annoyed teacher or parent quoted the philosopher George Santayana to you: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”Ernesto Valverde was likely never told this. Or, if he was, he wasn’t paying attentionThere are few other explanations for what unfolded at Anfield on Tuesday night.Let’s be very clear. This column focuses on Barcelona’s deficiencies. It should in no way detract from the Herculean effort put out by Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, from the way foot-soldiers like Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum turned into game-changers and from the way an assembled sea of red and Scouse helped turn an implausible notion into real, live history through the sheer din of wanting it to happen.It was a night that will live on in Anfield lore. It was extraordinary. But so, too, was what happened to Barcelona, and not in a good way.Rewind 13 months, because this was a mashup of “Groundhog Day” and “Nightmare on Valverde Street.” Ernesto Valverde’s Barca roll to victory by a three-goal margin at the Camp Nou against Roma. The score should have been closer than it was — Allison was in goal for the opposition — and then, in the return leg, it all falls apart. Just like at Anfield.It’s not just a symmetry of results and circumstances, it’s a symmetry of events.Barcelona slumbered through the first few minutes and conceded a goal after misjudging a speculative ball down their left flank. At the Stadio Olimpico, it was Edin Dzeko after six minutes; at Anfield, Origi after seven. Galvanized by the early strike and spurred on by the crowd, Roma held an absurdly high defensive line and pressed the stuffing out of Barca’s midfield, often engaging them in the opposing half. Pretty much like Liverpool on Tuesday night.They didn’t score again until the second half but the marker was laid down: we will give everything and gamble by pressing in your half and daring you to hit balls over the top for Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. It was a gamble — of course it was — and it put a strain on the central defenders. But Barcelona couldn’t exploit it, whether because their strikers are now in their 30s and asking them to sprint 30 yards time and again isn’t a great idea, or whether because the opposing defenders were that good on the night.Roma made it 2-0 just before the hour mark. Liverpool made it 2-0 and then 3-0 just before the hour mark. Valverde stared, helpless from the bench. In both scenarios, he was now a single goal away from elimination.So what did he do?Not much. In Rome, he waited actually until nine minutes from time to make his first change, Andre Gomes for an exhausted Andres Iniesta. At Anfield, he struck at the hour mark, taking off Philippe Coutinho for a full-back, Nelson Semedo, and moving Sergi Roberto into midfield. In Rome, a third goal conceded would have knocked out Barcelona on away goals so you can sort of see the logic: let’s take off an attacking midfielder for a defensive one. In Liverpool, because the first leg had finished 3-0, there wasn’t much to defend. Barcelona had to score or face the prospect of extra-time.Roma’s winner came eight minutes from time, when Kostas Manolas caught Nelson Semedo napping at the near post. Liverpool’s was 11 minutes from time, the difference being that at Anfield, it was the entire Barca defence that switched off and were punished by the trickery of Trent Alexander-Arnold and the coolness of Origi.Then, as now, a 60-something Bostonian billionaire owner laughed and rejoiced like he hadn’t done since he made his first million. Maybe more so.It didn’t take Nostradamus to predict how Klopp would approach the game: early gamble, high press and intensity, hope for a quick goal to get the crowd into it. Heck, he had the whole Roma blueprint from the year before. Maybe Valverde thought (wrongly) that Liverpool would do things differently, fine. But once he saw things unfold just as they had a little over a year ago, why not look for alternatives? Why not actually read the game and try something different?He might point out that, relative to the Roma game, Barca did create better chances and did force better saves from Alisson. But they also kept getting overrun in the middle of the park. For Andres Iniesta — a non-factor in Rome — read Coutinho at Anfield, bar from a single shot that was saved by Alisson. Arturo Vidal‘s wild man schtick fooled nobody, Ivan Rakitic was spending so much time helping Sergio Busquets (hampered by a first-half booking and the fact that he isn’t the one-man gang he once was) that he was gassed when he got on the ball. And the less said about Jordi Alba‘s night, the better.A coach is on the sideline, all blame must be shared with the players. We get it. It’s a footballing mantra. Nobody is exonerating the players: nine of them were in Rome too, you’d imagine they might have remembered what happened. But it’s the coach’s job to read and understand his players, to put the right ones out in conditions where they can best contribute even when they’re having a bad day. And if circumstances change, find a more suitable approach. Or change the players.Valverde chose the wrong game plan, seemingly oblivious to what Liverpool would do, and when it wasn’t working, he was slow to act. When he finally did act, he made the wrong choices. Sharing the blame with the players doesn’t mean he gets a free pass, on the contrary.Frankly, neither does the club. When you have the second-highest wage bill in the universe and your reserve centerforward is Kevin Prince Boateng — who only arrived in January, on loan from a mid-table Serie A side, is not a centerforward and is Kevin-Prince Boateng — something is seriously wrong. It means either you believe Messi and Suarez — who are 31 and 32, respectively — are invulnerable to injury or suspension (and we know with the latter, that’s not the case), which is foolish, or you believe that the rest of the team is so gifted that it doesn’t matter, which is deluded.Maybe Valverde thought Ousmane Dembele would be around to provide fresh legs off the bench, even though in Rome he only sent him on in the final five minutes: wrong. Maybe he thought that against Grandpa James Milner, any old Malcom would do: wrong again. Maybe he thought Messi would load the whole kit and caboodle on his back, like he did in the first leg and at so many points in the season: wrong. (Messi spawns more miracles than anyone, but even his supply isn’t limitless.)(Oh, and while we’re at it: Suarez has not scored away from home in the Champions League since September 2015. That’s 18 games and counting. To not have an alternative, or at least some help, other than the ubiquitous Messi, the ghost of Coutinho and Dembele, who has lasted 90 minutes just four times this season, plus of course Boateng and Malcom, boggles the mind.)Valverde may well go on to win the Double this season, just as he did last year. And just like last year, it will feel that little bit empty. Not because they were knocked out of the Champions League, per se, but because they went out in eerily similar circumstances, their reaction barely shifting as they lived out the copycat sequel to their own personal horror show.It’s one thing for a manager and his players to make mistakes; it’s quite another to not learn from them and, in near-identical circumstances, take the exact same wrong course of action they took before, hoping for a different result.

Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan headline U.S.’s Women’s 2019 World Cup roster

ESPN’s Julie Foudy joins Golic & Wingo to talk favourites to win the 2019 Women’s World Cup and her new podcast Laughter Permitted. (2:11)

May 2, 2019Graham HaysespnW.com

FacebookCarli Lloyd will be back for her fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup after United States coach Jill Ellis announced her 23-player roster for the 2019 edition this summer in France.Ellis attempted to bridge the gap between experience and change, with almost half of the players named to the U.S. roster set to participate in the sport’s signature event for the first time.The roster includes 11 first-time participants, three more than the team that won the World Cup four years ago and tied for the third-most rookies among U.S. entries in the women’s tournament that began in 1991.

But the roster announced Thursday also includes eight players who started in the 2015 World Cup final against Japan. That experience includes Lloyd, the tournament’s reigning Golden Ball winner and now the ninth American woman to appear in four World Cups. Six more players are appearing in their third World Cup — including a potential starting forward line of Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe. Morgan and Rapinoe share the captain duties with Lloyd.”Coming out of the Olympics it was looking at just not player personnel but profiles, what kind of players, where were things headed, where we trending and making sure we had players to fill those needs and being able to contribute to where I envisioned the game going four years on,” Ellis said during a conference call.”What we’ve come to is exactly that, a team with great energy, a team with great experience.”Even though there is younger players, I think those players have been with us for awhile and have experience a lot of top quality matches.”Defenders Ali Krieger, Kelley O’Hara and Becky Sauerbrunn also make a World Cup roster for the third time, with O’Hara and Sauerbrunn likely to fill starting roles on the back line.In all, 12 players return from the 2015 team that won the championship.There is also experience of a sort among the newcomers. Only goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, midfielders Rose Lavelle and Samantha Mewis, forward Jessica McDonald and defenders Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson and Emily Sonnett have no prior major tournament experience. Mewis and Sonnett were Olympic alternates in 2016 who traveled with the team before and during that tournament in Brazil.Those 2016 Olympics turned out to be something of an early look at 2019. Despite Ellis’ stated desire to expand the player pool and open up competition after the U.S. was eliminated from that event in the quarterfinals, 15 of the 18 players named to the smaller Olympic roster also appear on the current World Cup roster.Crystal Dunn, Lindsey Horan and Mallory Pugh, all first-time World Cup participants who are expected to play leading roles, made their major tournament debuts in the Olympics.

FIFA WWC 2019: Schedule, news, analysis, TV inf

This year also marks the first time since the first Women’s World Cup in 1991 that a U.S. team will compete in either the World Cup or Olympics without either Briana Scurry or Hope Solo among its goalkeepers. Named to this roster, Alyssa Naeher and Ashlyn Harris were part of the 2015 team but did not play any minutes in the tournament. Among the notable omissions were defender Casey Short, who started 13 of the team’s 16 games as recently as 2017, and midfielder McCall Zerboni, an NWSL standout who became the oldest player to earn her first cap when she debuted in 2017. After giving debuts to current and recent college players such as Emily Fox, Hailie Mace, Savannah McCaskill and Andi Sullivan, Ellis also opted to instead complete the roster with veterans such as Morgan Brian, Krieger, Allie Long and McDonald.The average age of the World Cup roster is 28, as was the case for the roster four years ago. That despite the inclusion of Davidson, the youngest player on the roster at 20, and Pugh, 21. Both Davidson and Pugh are younger than any player on the 2015 roster.The only holdover from the 2007 team, Lloyd is the oldest player on the roster at 36.The United States plays Thailand in its opening game on June 11 in Reims, France. It also faces Chile and Sweden in Group F play. The only other team in the group ranked among the top 30 in the world, Sweden eliminated the U.S. in the 2016 Olympic quarterfinal.

Women’s World Cup roster by position (Club):

Goalkeepers (3): Adrianna Franch* (Portland Thorns FC), Ashlyn Harris** (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher** (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders (7): Abby Dahlkemper* (NC Courage), Tierna Davidson* (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn* (NC Courage), Ali Krieger*** (Orlando Pride), Kelley O’Hara*** (Utah Royals FC), Becky Sauerbrunn*** (Utah Royals FC), Emily Sonnett* (Portland Thorns FC)

Midfielders (6): Morgan Brian** (Chicago Red Stars), Julie Ertz** (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsey Horan* (Portland Thorns FC), Rose Lavelle* (Washington Spirit), Allie Long* (Reign FC), Samantha Mewis* (NC Courage)

Forwards (7): Tobin Heath*** (Portland Thorns FC), Carli Lloyd**** (Sky Blue FC), Jessica McDonald* (NC Courage), Alex Morgan*** (Orlando Pride), Christen Press** (Utah Royals FC), Mallory Pugh* (Washington Spirit), Megan Rapinoe*** (Reign FC)

* First Women’s World Cup ** Second Women’s World Cup *** Third Women’s World Cup **** Fourth Women’s World Cup

Galaxy creator and partner to a pop star: Sebastian Lletget is the most interesting man in American soccer

May 1, 2019 Noah DavisESPN LOS ANGELES –

Five o’clock on the Friday of a holiday weekend is not an ideal time to be driving on the highways of Southern California. But here we are, somewhere between the apartment Sebastian Lletget shares with his girlfriend, pop star Becky G, and Dignity Health Sports Park, home of the LA Galaxy — The 26-year-old star, a facilitator of his Major League Soccer club’s potent attack and arguably the one man in the U.S. men’s national team player pool with the ability to press Christian Pulisic for his starting spot (although the ideal lineup probably involves them both), weaves in and out of the early-evening traffic. He has somewhere to be.

In the past, Lletget wouldn’t have been the first one to the stadium on game day. He is now, however, hitting the gym to get 100 touches even before heading out to the field to warm up for the Galaxy’s matchup with the Houston Dynamo. The new routine is a result of growing older and having a body that’s not quite as pliable as it used to be, and also of returning from a foot injury that nearly cost him his career.In March 2017, he scored his first goal for the U.S., in a key qualifier in front of a home Northern California crowd. Minutes later, an Ever Alvarado tackle ended his night, breaking bones and tearing ligaments, requiring surgery and a long rehab. Two years later, Lletget is only now returning to form.”The first year post-injury, I basically didn’t touch a ball,” he tells ESPN FC. “To build off of all that and use last year to gather all my skills back, my sense of the game, and my instinct took longer than I expected. Prior to an injury like that, you feel invincible. When this happens, it kind of breaks you. You don’t have that Superman shield that you think you have subconsciously.”The superpower of youth becomes the preparation of a veteran. Lletget drives a Chevy Traverse that’s new enough to maintain its dealership shine but dusty enough for a Galaxy staffer to lovingly write “Wash Me” on the driver’s side door after he parks it in the bowels of Dignity Health. He jokes with the perpetrator, smiles for a few photos, says goodbye to his parents (who come to town for most of his home games), and walks down a hallway past trophies from previous Galaxy squads, and into the locker room to prepare, alone.

Sebastian Lletget the person is not Sebastian Lletget the social media account. His Instagram, @theylovedaboy, boasts 506,000 followers — a lot, until you realize that Becky has 17.6 million and counting — and a remarkable variety of selfies featuring him Blue Steeling it for the camera. He got the idea for the Drake-inspired handle one night in England when he was a teenager who was trying — and ultimately failing — to find his way at West Ham. He started the account, then went to sleep.”I wake up the next morning and I’m getting killed by my teammates,” he says. “Just murdered, nonstop. First-team players and coaches are asking what I was thinking.”Some guys would have deleted their foray into social media, or at least changed their handle. Not Lletget. He loved the reaction, the good-natured ribbing. He still does.”I got so much s— for my last media post, which is hilarious,” he says. “I love going in and everybody cracking jokes at me. It starts that banter in the locker room. It will happen without fail. I have a really good time with it.”He tells this story in a Manhattan Beach coffee shop, sipping a decaf Americano and a bottle of water, wearing a simple white t-shirt and shorts. He could be anyone, just another anonymous, fit, sun-kissed surfer with a megawatt smile and easy charisma. Lletget is quieter, more subtle than Da Boy, although the overlap is obvious. There’s an easy through line between the guy sitting in front of me, and the one in a hot tub, teaching Alan Gordon and Dan Gargan how to take a selfie. Lletget understands the balance, the value of showing off his personality.

“I think we’re at a point in sports in general of blurring the lines between street scene and fashion,” he says. “It’s kind of OK to do something away from soccer. I think people enjoy seeing a different side of you.”Of course, he also knows that the off-field fun is only tenable if he’s producing on the field.”Once a coach sees my dedication and my focus in what the common goal is in the locker room, I don’t think they care as much,” he says. “They know I know that when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. If you show every day that you’re into this, if you don’t have that brush-off mentality, I think coaches will be OK with you being you, especially off the field.”Injury aside, Lletget has been good for the Galaxy since joining the team in 2015. He’s competitive — “Not like [Zlatan Ibrahimovic],” he says. “Ibra’s intense.” — and wants the ball in a way not a lot of Americans do: gesturing for it demonstratively, emphatically and aggressively. The Galaxy offensive philosophy primarily involves getting the ball within about 40 yards of the opposition net, then looking for Ibrahimovic. (This strategy, it should be said, has been proven to work.) But there are also some intricate exchanges, weaves between Lletget, Jonathan dos Santos and Joe Corona; quick one-twos with Lletget and the big Swede; other variations that demonstrate Lletget’s improving understanding of his teammates and the game.

On the American team, he’s one of Gregg Berhalter’s No. 10s, and he’s loving the push the new U.S. boss gives him.”It’s uncomfortable, but he really does make you see the game a little bit differently,” Lletget says. “I have certain habits in my position, and they weren’t necessarily the best habits. He’s trying to take me out of those. I was comfortable, but I could be in a more dangerous area that’s more risky. He dragged me out of my comfort zone in the short time we’ve worked together. When you do things he advises you to do and they work, it’s like, ‘Oh my god, I’m progressing.'”He credits Berhalter with helping him improve his awareness, his positioning, and his game, skills that he’s brought back to the Galaxy and wants to deploy at the Gold Cup this summer.It’s a contract year for Lletget, and there are thoughts about the future. Europe calls in that way it does, although perhaps not as aggressively as it does for some others. There’s a tension between the cliché of athletes wanting to test themselves against the best in the world and the fact that Lletget did that already as a teenager and it went poorly for reasons both his fault and not. Though he thinks he has the skill to play in Europe now, he’s cautious.”Going back to Europe could be in the cards,” he says. “It has to be a right situation. You want to go to the right organization. A manager that really wants you there. I think Americans think Europe is the best thing for us, then we get there and immediately regret it.”Plus, he’s carved out a damn nice life for himself in LA. He’s nearing 100 appearances for a single club, which has been a lifelong goal. This Galaxy team might be the best in years, with a chance to bring home a trophy. His parents are close by. His favorite NBA team, the Golden State Warriors, play at a reasonable time. He and Becky share an apartment in a quiet neighborhood a few minutes from the beach. There’s parking and a pool, a place to make a home. She’s gone a lot, touring and being a star, but they are figuring it out.”We don’t see each other often. It’s almost like a long-distance relationship but we live together,” he says. “Once you get the hang of it, it’s not that hard. It’s finding that partnership.”Last year, he organized a surprise birthday party for her, an event that earned the TMZ treatment, with him being called “her soccer boyfriend, Sebastian Llejay.” The pair take the pressure off of their respective careers, Lletget pretending he knows about music to make Becky laugh, Becky kicking the ball around with him. (Lletget’s scouting report of her: “a little rat” with “some good control.”) I asked him about his skin-care routine because the dude has some nice skin, and he said that Becky always puts stuff on the bed for him. “I don’t know if I should take it as an insult, but she always gives me a boatload and tells me I’ll thank her when I’m 40,” he says, laughing. “She’s investing in herself, too. She has to look at me, so I get what she’s doing.”Whatever the next move is, the pair will decide it together. For now, however, the future can wait. It wasn’t so long ago that his return was a real question mark. Lletget’s just happy to be back playing, back taking selfies, back doing what he loves.”I feel like I’m going to keep playing better,” he says. “Maybe I only notice that. But I definitely want it more. I’m grateful for these opportunities. It’s just awesome to be part of a special moment in time with the club and with the national team.”Da Boy, man; he’s going places.

Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas released from hospital after heart attack

10:33 AM ETAssociated Press

Veteran Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas has been released from the hospital five days after having a heart attack.

The 37-year-old Casillas fell ill during a practice session last Wednesday and underwent a catheterization after being rushed to the hospital.

Casillas saidMonday he doesn’t know “what the future holds,” and that the most important thing was to be standing there talking about himself.He said he was “feeling much better” but will need to rest “for a couple of weeks or a couple of months.”The Spanish goalkeeper said he feels “very lucky” the incident didn’t have more serious consequences, and thanked the outpouring of support he’s received.Casillas joined Porto in 2015 after helping Real Madrid win five league titles and three Champions League trophies.He also helped Spain win one World Cup and two European Championships.Casillas recently had his contract with Porto extended until the end of the 2019-20 season, with an option for another year.

‘Ederson is Premier League’s best keeper’ – Schmeichel leaves De Gea & Alisson off global list

Goal.com May 6, 2019, 3:40 AM

Manchester City’s Ederson is ahead of David de Gea and Alisson as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, according to Kasper Schmeichel.The Brazilian still serves as number two for his country at international level behind the Liverpool shot-stopper, despite another stellar campaign for his club.City have the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League this term and Ederson has recorded 19 clean sheets in total, which is just one behind Alisson’s current tally.For many years Manchester United’s De Gea has been revered as the finest ‘keeper in English football, but he has failed to live up to his high standards at Old Trafford in recent months.Schmeichel, who will line up against City for Leicester on Monday, believes that Ederson is now the best in the business, citing “bravery” as his standout attribute between the sticks.”I would say Ederson along with Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Jan Oblak are the three best goalkeepers in the world and have been for a while for me,” he told Sky Sports.”The way Ederson plays is so brave. To dare to play like that is bravery and it also enables City to play with a much higher press.”They are able to really press because they know any ball in behind he will sweep up.”His bravery in daring to be in those positions, knowing the slightest mistake will cost his team, that’s proper goalkeeping for me and I think he has been the best goalkeeper in this league for a while.”

RECAP | EVAN NEWTON’S RECORD-BREAKING EFFORT EARNS INDY ELEVEN POINT VERSUS NORTH CAROLINA FC

By IndyEleven.com, 05/04/19, 11:00PM EDT Three Second Half Saves Help Eleven to 0-0 Draw, Newton to USL Championship Record 41st Career Shutout

#INDvNC HIGHLIGHTS via Indy Eleven YouTube Channel

Indy Eleven (4W-1L-2D, T-7th) earned another hard-fought point at home in the club’s second Week 9 match-up, this time via a 0-0 draw against long-time rival North Carolina FC (4W-1L-3D, T-4th). Goalkeeper Evan Newton made three second half saves to collect his third shutout in as many 2019 home contests, and the 41st clean sheet of his USL Championship career, setting the league record in the category.“The guys in front of me are doing a great job. We’re getting in sync and guys are battling. I think we played a lot better and had good chances,” said Newton, who joined Indy Eleven in the offseason from FC Cincinnati. “You can’t lose if you don’t get scored on. We got a point and we’ll take it and run with it. A little frustrating we didn’t get three, but it could be worse.”North Carolina looked the fresher side out of the gates, but it was Indy Eleven that nearly nicked the opener against the run of play nine minutes in. Midfielder Nico Matern parlayed a smooth turn on a 50-50 ball in his own defensive third into a free break up the middle of the field, Dane Kelly’s one-touch flick springing forward Tyler Pasher on a 50-yard foray. The speedy winger took one touch too many when baring down on NCFC ‘keeper Alex Tambakis’ goal, allowing a defender to poke the ball away and end a golden opportunity for an early lead.While fruitless, that play seemed to spark the Boys in Blue, who created numerous chances of quality in the 10 minutes to follow. Kelly, a USL Championship April Player of the Month nominee, had two bites of the apple in the 13th minute, first just getting beat to a pass outside of the NCFC area by Tambakis before his sidewinding effort from 15 yards flared wide. Pasher wreaked more havoc in the 17th minute when his low cross buzzed through the six-yard box before Kelly could catch up to it.At the stroke of the half-hour Indy Eleven nearly capitalized on its first corner kick opportunity, Alex Crognale forcing Tambakis into a save at his right post off the Indy defender’s header. The last 10 minutes of the half saw Indy press Tambakis into two more saves off of efforts by Thomas Enevoldsen and Ayoze.As it did early in the first half, “Route 1” opened once again for the Eleven three minutes into the second stanza, this time Enevoldsen’s through ball for Kelly finding its target. The Jamaican was able to fire from 10 yards, but his near-angle shot was sent into the right outside netting. In the 51st minute Neveal Hackshaw, who wore the captain’s armband out of the locker room for the Boys in Blue, did well to rise and connect with Ayoze’s back post corner, but the defender’s header was sent right to Tambakis on his line.“[Wearing the armband] was great. When [Coach Rennie] brought it to me I was like, ‘Oh me?’ So, being the guy to lead them out was so fantastic,” said Hackshaw. “It made me feel a little above. I have to make sure I’m on point because I have the band on and I have to show leadership.”It was finally time for Tambakis’ opposite number to get called into service a minute later, and Newton was up to the task for his first saves of the night. The Eleven netminder first extended low to his right, pushing Andre Fortune’s tricky shot from outside the area off his right post before bouncing off the turf to set himself for a kick save off the rebound. The saves were the first for Newton in over three halves of action after not being forced to stop a shot on Wednesday night against Tampa Bay or in this evening’s opening half.Shots from distance were Indy Eleven’s go-to in the minutes to follow, with Pasher’s 58th minute attempt sent into the hands of Tambakis and Kelly’s three minutes later whistling just over the crossbar. Kelly had another half-chance go wanting in the 63rd minute, his sliding effort to get to Thomas Enevoldsen’s flick sailing high from eight yards out.North Carolina’s Ben Speas nearly made his old team pay in the 67th minute when he had ample space to fire from 20 yards out on a counter, only to see his low shot with pace gobbled up by Newton without a rebound. In the 77th minute it was Kelly again seeing a ball sit up for him, but he couldn’t steer his shot from 12 yards out on frame. Just minutes after coming into the match, Indy substitute Josh Penn looked to have claims for a penalty after fellow substitute Graham Smith’s swim move put the Eleven attacker to ground inside the area, but the referee let play continue without a whistle.Three substitutes and three minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half wasn’t enough for either side to find another scoring opportunity, resulting in a stalemate in the Circle City. The point was not the three Indy desired, but did push its undefeated streak against its former NASL rival to eight games (6W-0L-2D) dating back to October 2016.“I think we had a lot of good chances, and in both halves we dominated play and defended well, but we need to not be too happy with that and put the ball in the back of the net,” said Indy Eleven head coach Martin Rennie. “The score needs to be on the scoreboard. We’re dominating these games. We’re better than the teams were playing against but we have to show it on the score.”Prior to getting back to league play in two weekends, Indy Eleven will enter the 106th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in a Second Round fixture on Wednesday, May 15. The Boys in Blue will host a 7:00 p.m. kickoff at Butler University’s Sellick Bowl against the winner of next week’s First Round match between Lansing Ignite and AFC Ann Arbor. Indy Eleven will resume USL Championship action three days later on Saturday, May 18, when it welcomes the Charleston Battery on “Armed Forces Night” at Lucas Oil Stadium. Tickets for the 7:00 p.m. kickoff remain available for as little as $15 at IndyEleven.com/tickets or by calling 317-685-1100.

USL Championship Regular Season Indy Eleven 0:0 North Carolina FC
Saturday, May 4, 2019 – 7:00 p.m. ET Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind. Attendance: 9,017

Indy Eleven (4W-2L-2D, 14 pts., T-7th in Eastern Conference)

North Carolin FC (4W-1L-3D, 18 pts., T-4th in Eastern Conference)

Scoring Summary:
None

Disciplinary Summary:

IND – Alioune Diakhate (Yellow card) 90+1’
Indy Eleven lineup (3-4-3, L–>R): Evan Newton (GK); Neveal Hackshaw (captain), Alex Crognale, Karl Ouimette; Ayoze Garcia, Tyler Gibson, Nico Matern, Macauley King (Matt Watson 72’); Dane Kelly (Alioune Diakhate 86’) , Thomas Enevoldsen, Tyler Pasher (Josh Penn 74’)
IND Substitutes: Jordan Farr (GK), Lucas Farias, Kenney Walker, Ilija Ilic
North Carolina FC lineup (4-1-4-1, L–>R): Alex Tambakis (GK); Aaron Guillen, Sam Brotherton, Alexander Comsia, D.J. Taylor; Thomas McCabe; Steven Miller (captain) (Donovan Ewolo 81’), Andre Fortune (Graham Smith 68’), Ben Speas, Manny Perez; Marios Lomis (Robert Kristo 86’) NC Substitutes: Darrin MacLeod (GK), Caleb Duvernay, Victor Igbekoyi, Yamikani Chester

Indy 11 Soccer Camp – Carmel Dad’s Club Badger Field June 17-20 9-12 noon.ages 6-14 $135

CHS Boys Soccer Skills Camp – Murray Stadium July 15-18 8:30-10:30 am ages 8-14 $85

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5/3/19 Indy 11 home Sat 7 pm, Champions League 2nd legs Tues/Wed TNT, EPL Frenzied Finish, Full TV Game Schedule

May 3, 2019 gatorbest

The Ole Ballcoach

Indy 11

The Indy Eleven return to Lucas Oil Stadium to take on North Carolina FC at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday night. I am guessing the roof will be closed for this – just 2^nd home Saturday night game of the season. Tickets are available for as low as $15 at IndyEleven.com/Tickets. The 11 tied league leaders Tampa Bay, the lone undefeated team in the East, 0-0 at home Wednesday night despite playing almost 70 minutes with only 10 players. Eleven standout defender Paddy Barrett received his 2^nd yellow card 20 minutes in and the Eleven battled but couldn’t quite pull off the win at home down a man. Also this week the bill allowing the Indy 11 New Stadium and Indy Park passed the senate and the bill is now on the way to the Governor’s Desk. Great news for the future of professional soccer in Indy!!

Champions League & Europa League

Wow Messi. What else can you say – he’s simply magisterial as my favorite color guy Rocky Ray Hudson on beIN Sports says. Two goals including one spectacular free kick to make it 3-0 at home over Liverpool his 600^th goal by the way. The thing is after a 1-0 first half – Liverpool really outplayed Barca in the 2^nd half – but GK Ter Stegan came up with huge saves, along with a lucky save off the line followed by a Salah shot off the post that could have made it 2-1. Even Klopp echoed the statement – that Liverpool actually played well – especially in the 2^nd half down 1-0 – they had multiple chances to score but somehow gave up 2 goals against the run of play. It will take a magical performance to make up a 3 goal deficit heading home to Anfield next Tues at 3 pm. Of course the youngsters at Dutch side Ajax continue their attack on the history books as they took a 1-0 win at Spurs Tuesday – a game that could have easily be 2 or 3 to zero. Tottenham should have their talisman Son back up front Wed at 3 pm on TNT – for the away leg as he missed the home stint having received 2 yellow cards last round. (the stupidest rule is sports be the way !! 2 yellow cards in 6 games and you sit the next game – can you imagine the NFL sitting Tom Brady in the AFC Championship game?) In the Europa League Semi-finals Arsenal used the home field to a 3-1 lead over Valencia while Chelsea tied Frankfort 1-1 on the road. The 2^nd legs of both semi-finals will be next Thurs at 3 pm on Univision Desportes. Remember the winner of Europa gets a Champions League entry next year which could help both EPL squads as they battle for top 4 position. Finally – Prayers out to one of the best GK’s ever Iker Casillas, 37, who had a heart attack at training with Porto Wednesday. See GK section below for all the Great Saves from Champions League/Europa & More this week.

EPL

Man United managed to blow its home chance vs Chelsea as they ended in a 1-1 tie at Old Trafford last Sunday – that leaves Man United on the outside of the top 4 with just 2 games left. Man City maintains its 1 pt lead over Liverpool for the top slot after they scored a goal by 30 millimeters last weekend. NBCSN did a great job chronicling that the EPL Title Race might just come down to 75 millimeters – as Liverpool were denied a goal by 45 or so millimeters in their 2-1 loss (there only loss of the season) at Man City earlier this year. Ah goal-line Technology !! Still with just 2 games to go it’s a spectacular race for the top and the top 4 slots (Champions League Qualification) in the EPL. Liverpool travels to New Castle United Sat at 2:45 pm on NBCSN in the game of the week, while Tottenham travel to Bourmouth and US youngster Emerson Hyndman at 7:30 am NBCSN Sat and Chelsea host Watford at 9 am Sunday. Also Sunday Man U travels to Huddersfiled at 9 am NBCSN and Arsenal host Brighton at 11:30 am NBCSN. Finally Man City, on an 11 game winning streak in the league, will host Leicester City (who’s still battling for Europe) on Mon at 3 pm on NBCSN. EPL Table Here’s a Quick Glance at all the European Leagues and Standings with 2 games to go.

Good Luck to all those Carmel FC and other teams playing Cup games this Weekend oh and May the 4th Be With You!

GAMES ON TV

Sat, MAY 4 (American’s in parenthesis)

7:30 am NBCSN Bournmouth vs Tottenham (American Mid – Emerson Hyndman)

9:30 am Fox Sport 2 Bayern Munich vs Hannover 96

10 am NBCNS Fulham (Tim Ream) vs Wolverhampton

12:30 pm Fox Sport 2 Werder Bremen vs Dortmund (Pulisic)

12:30 pm NBCSN Cardiff vs Crystal Palace

2:45 pm NBC New Castle United (Yedlin?) vs Liverpool

2 pm ESPN NY Red Bulls vs LA Galaxy

7 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 vs North Carolina (Lucas Oil)

10 pm ESPN+ San Jose vs Cincy

10:30 pm ESPN+ LAFC vs Chicago Fire

Sun, MAY 5

7:30 am Fox Sport 2 Schalke (McKinney) vs Ausburg

9 am NBCSN Chelsea vs Watford

9 am CNBC Huddersfield Town vs Man United

10:15 am beIN Sport Real Madrid vs Villarreal

11:30 am NBCSN Arsenal vs Brighton

9 pm Fox Sport 1 Sporting KC vs Atlanta United

Mon, MAY 6

3 pm NBCSN Man City vs Leicester City

Tues, May 7 Champions League SEMI-FINALS Leg 2

3 pm TNT Liverpool 0 vs Barcelona 3

Weds, May 8 Champions League

3 pm TNT Ajax 1 vs Tottenham 0

Thur, MAY 9 Europa League SEMI-FINALS Leg 2

3 pm Uni Desportes/BR Live Chelsea 1 vs Frankfurt 1

3 pm Uni Desportes/BR Live Valencia 1 vs Arsenal 3

Weds, May 29 Europa League Finals

Sat, June 1 Champions League Finals

Indy 11

Indy 11 tie Tampa Bay Rowdies 0-0 a man down- Indy Star Kevin Johnston

Indy 11 in USL Academy Cup for ages U13-U17

Indy 11 Draw Tampa Bay 0-0