Champions & Europa League Tues/Wed/Thurs
Champions League Semi-Final 2nd round action on Tues/Wed leads the list of huge games this week. Its Real Madrid traveling to Man City on Weds 3 pm on CBS tied at 1, on Tues Inter will have a 2-0 lead over AC Milan at 3 pm on CBS. (Coverage starts at 2 pm). I am rooting for AC Milan and my boy Giroud to make it close today in the San Siro. (tons of stories below). Europa League play has Juventus traveling to Sevilla tied at 1 after the dramatic game tying goal in ET, and Roma took a 2-1 lead at home over Leverkusen with former Carmel FC Coach Baco Benton and his daughter Caroline (CFC 2002 now in college) on hand here’s some cool video. Both will play Thur at 3 pm on Paramount plus along with West Ham hosting AZ.
2023 Alumni Summer Soccer
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GAMES ON TV
| (American’s names in Parenthesis) |
Tues, May 16 Champions League Quarterfinals
3 pm CBS Man City 1 vs Real Madrid 1
Weds, May 17
3 pm CBS AC Milan 0 vs Inter Milan 2
Thur, May 18 Europa League
2:30 pm USA New Castle vs Brighton
3 pm Paramount+ Roma 2 vs Leverkusen 1
3 pm Para+ Juventus 1 vs Sevilla 1
3 pm Para+ West Ham 2 vs AZ 1
Sat, May 20
7:30 am USA Tottenham vs Brentford
9:30 am ESPN+ Union Berlin (Pfok) vs Hoffenhiem
9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Schalke
10 am USA Bournemouth vs Man United
10 am ? Liverpool vs Aston Villa
10 am Peacock Fulham (Robinson) vs Crystal Palace
10 am Peacock Wolves vs Everton
12:30 pm NBC or USA Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal
12:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig
2 pm FS2?/Tele US U20s vs Ecudor U20 WC
2:45 pm Para+ Milan vs Sampdoria
7 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 vs Colorado Springs
7:30 pm Apple TV
7:30 pm Apple TV
7 pm Para+ NC Courage vs Angel City (Ertz) NWSL
8:30 pm Para+ KC Current (Franch) vs San Diego (Morgan, Girma)
10:30 pm Apple+
Sun, May 21
8:30 am USA West Ham vs Leeds United (McKinney, Aaronson)
11:30 am USA Man City vs Chelsea
12 noon CBSSN Napoli vs Inter Milan
12:30 ESPN+ Valencia vs Real Madrid
2:30 pm beIN Sport Auxerre vs PSG (Messi, Mbappe)
5 pm FS2 Italy vs Brazil U20 World Cup
5:30 pm Para+, Sirius Portland Thorns (Rapino) vs Chicago Red Stars NWSL
6 pm Para+ OL Seattle Reign vs NY Gotham FC (Williams) NWSL
Mon, May 22
2 pm FS2 England vs Tunisia U20 WC
2:45 pm Para+ Juventus vs Empoli
3 pm USA New castle vs Leicester City
5 pm FS2 Gambia vs Honduras U20 WC
Tues, May 23
2 pm FS2/Tele USA U20s vs Fiji U20 WC
4 pm ESPN+ Real Valladiod vs Barcelona
5 pm FS2 Argentina vs Guatamala U20WC
7:30 pm NY Red Bulls vs Cincy US Open Cup
7:30 pm Inter Miami vs Nashville US Open Cup?
Weds, May 24
3 pm USA Brighton vs Man City
4 pm ESPN+ Espanol vs Atletico Madrid
5 pm FS2 Brazil vs Domincan Republic U20 WC
7 pm Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs Columbus Crew US Open
7:30 pm ESPN+ Louisville vs FC Tulsa USL
8 pm Birmingham Legion vs Charlotte USOC
9 pm Austin vs Chicago USOC
10 pm Colorado vs Real Salt Lake USOC
Thur, May 24
2 pm FS2 Uraguay vs England U20 WC
3 pm USA Man United vs Chelsea
4 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallencano
Fri, May 26
2 pm FS2/Tele USA U20s vs Slovakia U20 WC
Sat, June 10
2 pm CBS Champions League Final
Thurs, June 15
10 pm USMNT vs Mexico Nations League Semi’s
Sat, June 24
9:30 pm USMNT vs Jamaica (Soldier Field) Gold Cup
Fri, July 21 USWNT vs Vietnam Women’s World Cup
Soccer Saturday’s are every Sat 9-10 am on 93.5 and 107.5 FM with Greg Rakestraw
USA
Balogun given green light to play for USMNT ESPN
Champions League
Lukaku back as Inter Eye Champ Finals
Camavinga’s growing impact clear as Madrid visit Man City
De Bruyne seeks Champions League vindication to sparkling Man City career
Indy 11
Boudadi Named to USL Championship Team of the Week
Diz Pe Named to USL Championship Team of the Week
Indy Falls 1-0 to Columbus in US Open Cup Play
GK
Champions League Great Saves Semi Finals
Europa League Great Saves
Folarin Balogun set to represent USMNT over England after FIFA approves switch
By Ali Rampling
Folarin Balogun’s switch from England to the United States has been approved by FIFA.The 21-year-old forward, who played for the U.S. at under-18 level before switching his allegiance to England, can represent either country as he was born in Brooklyn, New York but moved to London when he was two years old. He is also eligible to represent Nigeria.FIFA rules enable players to switch national eligibility before making a competitive senior appearance at international level.Balogun has spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Reims from Arsenal, scoring 19 times in 34 league appearances.He was called up to England’s Under-21 squad for March’s fixtures against France and Germany but withdrew due to a hamstring injury.Balogun travelled to Orlando, where the U.S. were training, during the international window. U.S. interim coach Anthony Hudson admitted “discussions” had taken place with the forward during March’s international break, adding that it was “an opportunity to share about our program”.
Speaking after announcing his squad for March’s international fixtures, England manager Gareth Southgate said Balogun would have to be patient regarding a call up to the senior side.“It is up to the player to weigh up where his heart feels,” Southgate said. “Is he prepared to wait a little bit for an opportunity if he backs himself and feels he can push his way into our squad? Because anybody who has followed us will know that we will give young players a chance.“So, we cannot go and give first-team call-ups to someone just because we don’t want them to go somewhere else.”Balogun made four appearances for the U.S. Under-18s in 2018, before going on to represent England at various youth levels.The U.S. are next in action on June 16 when they face Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League. The CONCACAF Gold Cup, which is being hosted in the U.S., takes place between June 24 and July 16.
Pep Guardiola on Real Madrid decider: ‘Don’t worry, I’m not overthinking’
By The Athletic Staff
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has quipped that he will not “overthink” Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final showdown against Real Madrid.
Guardiola, who is seeking a first Champions League trophy with City and a first in his career since 2011, has seen some tactics and team selections in big games scrutinised amid a perception he is prone to unnecessary complication.
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A decision to play without a specialist holding midfielder in the 2021 Champions League final defeat to Chelsea was criticised, while a switch to a three-man defence in a quarter-final defeat to Lyon the previous year proved another call that backfired.
The Spaniard, whose side drew 1-1 in the first leg, has previously responded to questions about his big-game tactics in inimitable style, saying last year: “I have to adapt. That’s why I love to overthink with stupid tactics … we’ll play with 12 tomorrow.”
Asked about his plans ahead of Wednesday’s crucial second leg against Carlo Ancelotti’s side at the Etihad, he told reporters: “I’m not overthinking tomorrow, don’t worry guys.
“It’s nothing special. Nothing different to what we have done in the past.
“We know how important it is tomorrow — maybe one of the most important ones. We can’t deny that, but I said to the players, enjoy the moment; how fortunate we are, how incredibly lucky we are to be here. We’ll do everything, give everything.”
City are close to becoming only the second English team to win the treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup after Manchester United in 1998-99, but Guardiola has played down the prospect that the coming weeks could establish his legacy.
“My legacy is exceptional already,” he said.
“I have been here many times. We have to live this like a huge opportunity, enjoy the moment. We are lucky to be here. We are going to give everything to win one game to reach the final.”
City will be without Nathan Ake against Real, but Guardiola has otherwise confirmed a clean bill of health for his squad.
The winner of Wednesday’s game will face Inter Milan or AC Milan in the Champions League final on June 10.
Do Real Madrid have any galacticos – and does it matter?
By Michael CoxMay 15, 202368
Once upon a time, it was difficult for neutrals to warm to Real Madrid. For all the glamour associated with the bright lights of the Bernabeu and the magnificent all-white kit, something about their approach to team-building somewhat cheapened everything.
In the first period of this century, Real Madrid broke the world record transfer fee five times in a row. In 2000 they signed Luis Figo, in 2001 Zinedine Zidane, in 2009 Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, and in 2013 Gareth Bale. That doesn’t even include their signings of Ronaldo in 2002 or David Beckham in 2003, when “galactico” culture started to feel like a serious issue and Real started underachieving.
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It’s now striking to look at the list of the most expensive transfers of all time and realise that Real Madrid aren’t anywhere to be seen in the top 10. Barcelona feature three times, PSG and Chelsea twice, while Manchester United, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid once apiece. Which prompts the question — do Real actually have any galacticos?
Real Madrid in November 2004: peak Galacticos era (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Defining precisely what makes a “galactico” is open to interpretation, but it’s not the same as simply being a good player. Claude Makelele, for example, was very much not a galactico because of his relatively modest status, and his functional role in the side. Raul Gonzalez probably was, despite the fact he was an academy product rather than a glitzy signing.
But Real Madrid probably don’t have any true galacticos now, not in the true sense. Their squad can be broken down into various sections, all of which point to logic, intelligence and patience, rather than simply splashing the cash on big names.
The first section features the academy products. None of these players are amongst Real Madrid’s best footballers, but if Real’s policy was once about “Zidanes y Pavones” (superstars and academy products), it is the latter who feature more prominently. Thirty-three-year-old Nacho and 31-year-old Lucas Vazquez both came through the club’s youth system and have remained ever since. They’re not always in the starting XI, but they offer a sense of permanence.
Dani Carvajal also fits into this category — although he had a period away with Bayer Leverkusen, he was a cantera player, and one who had a buy-back clause during his time in Germany. Mariano Diaz, similarly, had a season with Lyon, but had worked his way through Real’s C and B teams before becoming a first-teamer.
The second section contains the signings from South America. Other top European clubs have had less success when signing players directly from Latin American countries in recent years, with Premier League clubs often preferring to sign those with European experience. But Real Madrid have made astute purchases of youngsters Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde and Rodrygo.
(Photo: Mateo Villalba/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
None of them could be considered unknowns — there’s hype about any promising player these days — but all adapted quickly and played a crucial role in Real’s European Cup victory last year. Centre-back Eder Militao is a slightly different case, having spent a season at Porto and been signed for a sizeable fee. Again, it’s not quite galactico territory.
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The third section is comprised of those signed for big sums of money, but at a young age, so they should offer longevity and resale value. Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni didn’t come cheap, at an estimated £30million and £80million respectively. But they were considered future greats, and young enough to be nurtured into precisely the type of midfielders Real want. Dani Ceballos and Marco Asensio, who arrived for more modest fees, are also in this mould.
The fourth section is the two free transfers. Signing quality centre-backs was once Real Madrid’s blind spot, but now they don’t simply sign good defenders, they sign them for nothing. David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger were both approaching 30 when they arrived from Bayern Munich and Chelsea respectively, and Real have learned not to pay big money for players of that age. On a Bosman, though, both made sense.
Alaba and Rudiger joined Real on free transfers (Photo: Rubén de la Fuente Pérez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The fifth section is the world-class players who have been around for ages. Karim Benzema won the most recent Ballon d’Or, but is coming up to 14 years at Real Madrid, an extraordinarily lengthy spell considering Real’s previous determination to sign superstars. Always a talented player, Benzema has truly shone in recent seasons, notably after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo — in other words, the absence of a galactico unlocked his true potential.
Another Ballon d’Or winner, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos are broadly similar cases. Modric was an outstanding Premier League midfielder when he joined in 2012, while Kroos was excellent for Germany’s World Cup-winning side upon his transfer in 2014. But as with Benzema, their longevity and familiarity with Real’s methods is the defining feature of their status in this side, not their reputation upon arrival or transfer fee. They all feel like quiet, hard-working professionals rather than individualistic superstars.
That leaves very few players who have actually started a league game for Real Madrid this season. We can safely say that back-up goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is not a galactico, nor is left-back Ferland Mendy.
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Maybe the biggest contender for true galactico status is goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. He wasn’t an academy product, nor signed as a youngster or from a lesser league. He was an established world-class operator, 26 years old, signed for a large sum of money, and he’s gone on to produce excellent individual performances to help Real to win trophies, most notably in last year’s 1-0 Champions League final win over Liverpool. But can a goalkeeper really be a galactico?
And that leaves just one other player who has started in La Liga for Real Madrid this season — a player who is unquestionably a galactico. The 11th-most expensive player of all time, signed at the age of 28 from one of Europe’s major clubs, where he was a borderline legend.
That man is Eden Hazard, an attacker who has sadly managed just four league goals in nearly four years for Real Madrid. Nothing symbolises the anti-galactico nature of this side like the most obvious galactico becoming the club’s forgotten man.
Is Hazard Real’s only current galactico? (Photo: David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)
It’s worth considering, too, the nature of Real’s manager. On one hand, Carlo Ancelotti is the ultimate superstar coach, a European Cup specialist who has worked at an elite club in every major European league. But it’s also worth remembering his managerial spells before Real: he was sacked from Bayern because the players thought his methods were dated, he underachieved at Napoli and he’d most recently finished 10th with Everton. It wasn’t like Real had recruited Pep Guardiola.
It remains to be seen how long Real Madrid remain like this. Rumours continue about the potential arrival of Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, all of whom would obviously be galacticos.
But building a winning side isn’t about signing good players. It’s also about having a defined culture, about familiarity between players and about developing them into precisely what you want. That often beats galactico culture on the pitch — and brings more plaudits from neutrals too. (Photo: Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
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Manchester City feel unstoppable at Etihad thanks to ‘small’ mentality (and big noise)
Sam Lee May 16, 2023
There was a tweet going around last week praising Manchester City’s home record in the Champions League which did not quite tell the full story.It said, “Man City haven’t lost at home in the Champions League since 2018, in a 2-1 loss to Liverpool. 🤯”, which is not quite right because they lost to Lyon in September 2018.But by digging a little deeper it is clear to see how impressive City’s run actually is. Since that Lyon game, they have played 25 games and won 23 of them, with just two draws — a win percentage of 92.They have scored 81 goals and conceded just 18, which is an average of over three goals scored per game and fewer than one conceded=1
A simple case of ‘good team wins at home’, like you would get anywhere else? Not really. In the same period, Real Madrid have lost six home games and drawn four. Liverpool have lost five and drawn four. Bayern Munich have lost two and drawn two. Chelsea, winners in 2021, have lost five and drawn four.
Barcelona have lost four, Juventus six, Paris Saint-Germain five. Atletico Madrid have lost three and only won once in their last 11 European home games.
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So what City are doing really is quite special. Especially given the draws did not come against Europe’s top sides but in dead rubbers against Shakhtar Donetsk and Sporting Lisbon when progression to the next round was already assured.
The primary reason is that City are a very special team, better than most (if not all) others, with an unusual ability to stay consistent over a number of years. In the Premier League in that period at home, for comparison, they have won 74 of their 91 games, a win percentage of 81.
Ahead of the semi-final first leg against Real Madrid last week, Rodri gave an insight into the reasons why his side has been able to fight for the title and Champions League at this stage of the season for the past three years.
“We have staff behind us who push us every year to be better and better,” he said. “We have new players coming in and we try to teach them this level of ambition, of hunger, because when you win, win, win, of course… you need something inside to go again.
“You have to have the proper mentality to feel like a small team and fight like a small team — because if you feel something bigger you will be confused. That’s why we do it: we feel small, we fight like a small team, run like a small team and then we have top-quality players who deserve everything.”
Part of that, especially when it comes to the Champions League, is Pep Guardiola’s insistence on playing strong teams packed with senior players even in those supposed dead rubbers — a phrase he does not like.
Another part, which becomes more relevant ahead of the clash against Madrid on Wednesday, is that the Etihad Stadium comes to life in the bigger games.
(Photo: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Whether against Liverpool in the league in recent years or PSG, Bayern or Madrid in Europe, there is a buzz around the Etihad that belies the usually lazy stereotypes about City’s home support.
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In reality, most of the big cathedrals of European football are not quite so rowdy for routine matches but suddenly come to life for the biggest spectacles. The Etihad is no different.
There is a degree of fear among the fanbase this time that the club have undermined their own chances of creating a fierce atmosphere by altering their ticketing criteria for the Madrid game.
For the first time this season, City fans did not have to have attended any other games this season to buy a ticket for Wednesday night. The complaint is that those who have been to loads of games this season joined the same queue as everybody else and have been overtaken by ‘tourists’. There is an assumption — which, it must be said, is not especially watertight — that those newcomers will not know how to make an atmosphere.
It is easy to imagine that the football on display will sort that out, if it is an issue at all. City — well, Kevin De Bruyne — have a knack for scoring early goals in these big games that tend to drag everything else along with them.
Last season against Real Madrid, he scored within two minutes; three weeks before that game he had scored inside five against Liverpool. A few weeks ago, he scored after seven minutes against Arsenal which, yet again, set the tone.
De Bruyne scores against Real Madrid in 2022 (Photo: David Ramos/Getty Images)
It may be a coincidence that City score early goals in their biggest games at this stage of the season but it does mark out a difference compared to their away games in Europe in particular.
Since the home defeat against Lyon four and a half years ago, City have played 27 games away from home and won 14, with nine draws and four defeats. They have scored 49 and conceded 22, an average of 1.81 for and 0.81 against.
City have actually drawn their last five Champions League away games, for a variety of reasons: in Copenhagen, they had a man sent off in the first half and were happy to settle for a draw; in Dortmund, a draw suited both them and the home side.
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At Bayern, they hardly needed to exert themselves given they were 3-0 up from the first leg but against RB Leipzig and Real Madrid, with the first legs away from home, a more cautious approach has been obvious.
In both of those games, Guardiola did not use any substitutes and the explanations were basically identical.
“With the transitions and the way they play, you have to have a lot of control,” he said in Leipzig. “That’s why the players that we had, like (Ilkay) Gundogan, like Riyad (Mahrez), we have the extra passes and that’s what we need, especially in the first leg. Maybe in the second leg, I will be crazy and play with nine strikers and make up-and-downs. But in this game, I felt I need this type of control because, when it’s open, German teams are better than us.”
A few days after the draw in Madrid he offered this: “I thought a lot in the last minutes about making a substitution in the Bernabeu or not. The players on the bench are so, so dynamic in their movements, especially Phil (Foden), Julian (Alvarez), a little bit Riyad. But in that moment, we didn’t need that.”
https://theathletic.com/report/podcast-clip/?clip_id=7387
Aside from arguing that Mahrez gives them ‘extra passes’ in one example but is, to some extent, more dynamic in another, Guardiola’s comments show perfectly how City are happy to keep games tight away from home — which is something they tried did at Tottenham in 2019, too.
We are used to seeing English teams go away from home in Europe and play for a draw, or even a narrow defeat, by putting men behind the ball and digging in. City effectively do the same thing but they do it with the ball — more passes, fewer risks.
There will be an element of that at home: they will not rush things on Wednesday, especially if Madrid sit back and wait for counters, but there will not be the same level of caution.
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“We will try to adjust something maybe in the second leg to be more fluid and play with a bit more rhythm because we play at home and at home we feel comfortable with our people,” Guardiola said in Madrid last week.
And, as Jack Grealish put it: “At the Etihad, we feel unstoppable.”
AC Milan get Rafael Leao injury boost ahead of Champions League second leg vs Inter Milan
By James Horncastle May 15, 2023
AC Milan forward Rafael Leao could return for Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final decider against Inter Milan.
Leao, 23, missed Milan’s 2-0 defeat in last week’s first leg after suffering a muscle injury in a recent Serie A win against Lazio.
He had trained — separately from his team-mates — on the morning of Milan’s defeat by their city rivals, only to be deemed not fit enough to feature.
But Milan coach Stefano Pioli has delivered a positive update ahead of the second-leg showdown.
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“He’s better,” Pioli said when asked about Leao on Monday. “(Rade) Krunic and (Junior) Messias are too. If everything goes as it should, they’ll be available for training later and for tomorrow.”
While Leao’s return would be a major boost for Milan, Inter are out to hold onto their lead at San Siro and reach the final for the first time since they were crowned European champions in 2010.
“It will take a cool head and a warm heart,” said Inter boss Simone Inzaghi. “I will be repetitive, but it’s the only way for matches like this.
“Tomorrow, we know it’s one of the most important games in Inter’s history. We know we have an advantage, deservedly so, but we won’t just have to manage it. We’ll have to play as Inter, knowing that we have a strong team in front of us.
“We know we are 90 minutes away from a dream, which I and these wonderful guys had.”
Forward Joaquin Correa was taken off at half-time during Inter’s 4-2 win over Sassuolo on Saturday but could still feature against Milan.
“Correa asked for a change,” Inzaghi said. “Hopefully, it’s nothing serious, but we’ll evaluate in today’s training. He should make it but I have no certainties.”
Milan haven’t learned from derby defeats — Inter were far superior with and without the ball
How Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun would fit with USMNT after breakout season
By Jeff Rueter
Jan 6, 2023
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For 13 years, Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun was the public eye. The New York City-born striker’s family emigrated to England when he was two years old, ultimately joining the Gunners’ academy at the age of 8. For over a decade, he developed while studying Arsenal forwards like Robin van Persie, Olivier Giroud and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
This season has been his breakthrough, having scored 10 goals while on loan to French Ligue 1 side Reims through the first half of the season. That’s good enough to be the club’s top scorer and open more discussion as to where his international future may lie, as Balogun is eligible to represent England, the United States and Nigeria.
And while Arsenal has yet to recall him as a replacement for the injured Gabriel Jesus, his torrid form has opened a lucrative potential transfer market for teams in need of a goalscorer.
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What has made Balogun so successful in France, and how might he fit in to a U.S. national team program in desperate need of a striker (should he choose the U.S.)? Let’s dive in.
Player profile
At the end of the 2019-20 season, the then-19-year-old Balogun had yet to log a single senior club appearance for Arsenal, though he had represented both England and the United States in their youth national teams, most notably (respectively) at the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and the Václav Ježek Youth (U-18) Tournament.
The 2020-21 campaign provided his career with a breakthrough of sorts: Balogun opened his Arsenal scoring account during the Europa League group stage before securing a winter loan to Middlesbrough for more regular match action. Playing under Chris Wilder at Boro, Balogun bagged three goals while adding three assists in 18 Championship matches.
Upon his return, Arsenal thought that a year with Stade de Reims could speed up his developmental curve in Ligue 1 as it had for William Saliba on the other end of the pitch.
As it turns out, it’s been a dream move for all parties. Speaking with The Athletic last month, Balogun said that onetime Arsenal teammates Alexander Lacazette and Nicolas Pépé each suggested he try his hand at the French first division for more frequent involvement in a physical league.
“(Pepé) just said to stay positive, keep working hard and then he said to maybe think about a loan to the French league, ‘I’m sure you can do well in this league if you apply yourself’,” Balogun said in December, “He set me a challenge of getting 10 goals in the league and said, ‘If you do that, you’ve made progress.’”
As it turns out, Pépé’s “challenge” has hardly seemed a steep one. The striker notched his 10th goal of the Ligue 1 campaign with a brace against Rennes in Reims’ return to action following the World Cup. He did so despite managing just 19 touches, his fewest in a league start since late August. He missed the team’s ensuing match on January 2 with a reported hamstring issue, with Reims finishing 1-1 in an away day at Lille.
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So, what changed?
In all likelihood, Balogun may not have been set up for success at his previous loan. Being asked to lead the line for a team in a promotion battle is no small assignment for a player’s first extended senior involvement. At an established Ligue 1 side, Balogun has been able to express himself more.
| STAT | 2021-22* | 2022-23** |
|---|---|---|
| Shots/90 (% on target) | 2.2 (54.2%) | 3.11 (46.5%) |
| xG/90 (npxG/90) | 0.32 | 0.64 |
| Goals/90 | 0.27 | 0.72 |
| Touches in pen area/90 | 3.85 | 4.34 |
| Offsides/90 | 0.37 | 0.87 |
| Progressive runs/90 | 0.46 | 1.37 |
* With Middlesbrough (EFL Championship)
** With Reims (Ligue 1)
Data via Wyscout
While shots were hard to come by with Boro, he was consistent in placing them on frame. He also finished his chances at close to his expected rate, albeit with fairly meager service. It all pales in comparison to what he’s managed through the first half of the Ligue 1 campaign. Even removing his 3-for-3 record from the penalty spot, Balogun has managed 0.48 non-penalty expected goals per 90 when factoring for extra time.
He’s also been given more license to play a progressive role, logging an additional touch in the box per two games, being caught offside at a similar clip — showing a greater license to break behind the line, which isn’t a bad thing — and adding nearly a full additional progressive run per game. Those aren’t just significant improvements on his Championship output, either. It’s the type of profile which turns a striker from a rank-and-file loan army mainstay into a coveted young striker.
Here are Balogun’s percentile figures in the following table compared to positional peers in Men’s “Big 5” leagues, Champions League and Europa League over the last 365 days. Balogun has played 1160 qualified minutes in that timeframe.
| STAT | # PER 90 MINUTES | PERCENTILE |
|---|---|---|
| Non-penalty goals | 0.54 | 86 |
| npxG | 0.52 | 87 |
| Shots total | 3.1 | 78 |
| npxG+expected assists | 0.63 | 78 |
| Shot-creating actions | 2.25 | 39 |
| Progressive passes | 1.63 | 70 |
| Progressive passes received | 8.53 | 95 |
| Dribbles completed | 1.09 | 71 |
Data via fbref dot com
If there’s an area for improvement, it would be in his aerial game. Listed at 5-foot-10 (1,55 meters), Balogun hasn’t been adept at getting on the end of headers with Reims whether the balls floats in from set pieces or the run of play. Smarterscout data rates players from zero to 99 depending on how often they perform a certain action. It also tells us how effective they are at it compared to others in their position.
Nevertheless, he’s fared well when he takes opponents on with the ball at his feet while also factoring into Reims’ front-line press. While we like to see an all-rounder up top, the number of true target forwards is dwindling with each passing year.
Balogun seems to project nicely to a more modern archetype — even when factoring for the difference in quality between Ligue 1 and the Premier League, as smarterscout’s data reflects on his pizza chart.
International future
Having represented England and the U.S. at youth ranks and holding Nigerian eligibility, Balogun told Ligue 1’s website in November that he would make a decision about who he’ll represent soon. While recent years have seen high-pressure decisions made by the likes of Sergiño Dest, Yunus Musah, Gaga Slonina and Malik Tillman among others, Balogun is unfazed by the speculation.
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“I don’t have a problem with it,” Balogun said. “It’s the role of the media to ask these kinds of questions and I accept it. I’m going to make a decision soon and that decision will not depend on what the media or people think but on what is best for me. We will talk about it quietly with my family.”
He spoke favorably about his U.S. experience in the same interview.
“Yes, when I was 17, the U.S. federation offered me a friendly tournament in the Czech Republic in the summer,” Balogun said. “I had played for England in the Euro U-17 a few months before, but after talking to my family I decided to go. And we won the tournament! It was a good experience because I got to see a different way of playing and other methods. I’m still in contact with several people I met there.”
While his family deliberates his options in private, the rest of us in the public arena can bear the brunt of analyzing his options. England’s striker stable ahead of the 2026 World Cup is headlined well, as Harry Kane will be 32 and Marcus Rashford just 28. There isn’t a clear next-in-line among the younger options beyond Balogun (who’s currently 21), as Aston Villa’s Cameron Archer, Leeds’ Joe Gelhardt, and Tottenham’s Dane Scarlett have yet to establish themselves at club level.
Nigeria arguably has the deepest pool of the three nations, with Napoli ace Victor Osimhen leading a group which includes Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Kelechi Iheanacho and Terem Moffi, who also has 10 goals in the ongoing Ligue 1 season with Lorient.
But for the U.S., no position has been a weaker spot over the past five years than striker. Throughout the Gregg Berhalter era, the team has opted to play its strikers in a more withdrawn role, asking them to play in build-up phases and create chances for their wingers as well as themselves.
While Jesús Ferreira was top option throughout the summer in a deep-lying role, he struggled in his only World Cup involvement, a start against the Netherlands in the round of 16. Josh Sargent looked much better alongside Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah but failed to factor for scoring chances of his own before missing the knockout defeat due to injury. Haji Wright came as more of a target option and pure scorer, but struggled to impress in the tournament after a fine debut against Wales.
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All three represented a different approach to the position; all three struggled. In Balogun, the program would find its white whale: someone who could be a well-round striker and an upgrade over the current options.
Balogun vs. U.S.’s 2022 World Cup strikers, 2022-23*
Balogun vs. U.S.’s 2022 World Cup strike
| BALOGUN | FERREIRA | SARGENT | WRIGHT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shots/90 (% on target) | 3.11 (46.5%) | 2.58 (49.4%) | 2.08 (56.3%) | 2.37 (35.9%) |
| xG/90 | 0.64 | 0.4 | 0.31 | 0.42 |
| Touches in pen area/90 | 4.34 | 3.48 | 4.15 | 3.65 |
| Forward passes/90 (% accurate) | 3.4 (57.4%) | 6.27 (53.7%) | 3.37 (61.5%) | 1.76 (69%) |
| Dribbles/90 (% success) | 2.96 (53.7%) | 1.48 (49%) | 3.16 (52.1%) | 4.56 (52%) |
| Aerial duels (% won) | 2.53 (20%) | 1.04 (19.4%) | 5.58 (38.8%) | 5.6 (41.3%) |
| Recoveries in opp ½ | 2.46 | 2.87 | 4.11 | 1.89 |
Data via Wyscout* All data for 2022-23 league action save for Ferreira, which uses the full 2022 MLS season
Balogun has not only fired off more shots per 90, but he’s done so at a respectable level of putting shots on frame. Even his non-penalty xG of 0.52 would be tops in this class, to say nothing of his 0.64 clip factoring for three converted penalty kicks.
The rest of the data helps show how he’s played for Reims, even if you don’t watch Ligue 1. The forward passing figures help illustrate the difference between Ferreira — a deep-lying forward if ever there was one — and Wright, more of a classic line-leading target forward. On that spectrum, Balogun is nearly identical to Sargent, as is reinforced by the number of dribbles he attempts. Unlike the Norwich forward, however, Balogun has yet to showcase much ability in the air while factoring less in frontline defending.
Nevertheless, based on numbers alone Balogun would represent a better goalscoring threat than the current stable of U.S. men’s strikers without sacrificing many of the factors which helped Sargent (and, in qualifying, Ricardo Pepi) become ideal options between Pulisic, Weah and the rest of the wing options.
While January may not see Balogun change clubs, his loan spell in France has indeed brought his game to another level. Whether he joins Musah and Tillman in leading the U.S. into the 2026 World Cup or becomes one of the program’s great near-misses like Neven Subotić or Giuseppe Rossi remains to be seen.
However he leans, it’s clear that he’s finally gotten his senior career on track — whether he’s in Mikel Arteta’s plans for Arsenal moving forward or not.
How Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun would fit with USMNT after breakout season
By Jeff Rueter
Jan 6, 2023
111
For 13 years, Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun was the public eye. The New York City-born striker’s family emigrated to England when he was two years old, ultimately joining the Gunners’ academy at the age of 8. For over a decade, he developed while studying Arsenal forwards like Robin van Persie, Olivier Giroud and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
This season has been his breakthrough, having scored 10 goals while on loan to French Ligue 1 side Reims through the first half of the season. That’s good enough to be the club’s top scorer and open more discussion as to where his international future may lie, as Balogun is eligible to represent England, the United States and Nigeria.
And while Arsenal has yet to recall him as a replacement for the injured Gabriel Jesus, his torrid form has opened a lucrative potential transfer market for teams in need of a goalscorer.
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What has made Balogun so successful in France, and how might he fit in to a U.S. national team program in desperate need of a striker (should he choose the U.S.)? Let’s dive in.
Player profile
At the end of the 2019-20 season, the then-19-year-old Balogun had yet to log a single senior club appearance for Arsenal, though he had represented both England and the United States in their youth national teams, most notably (respectively) at the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship and the Václav Ježek Youth (U-18) Tournament.
The 2020-21 campaign provided his career with a breakthrough of sorts: Balogun opened his Arsenal scoring account during the Europa League group stage before securing a winter loan to Middlesbrough for more regular match action. Playing under Chris Wilder at Boro, Balogun bagged three goals while adding three assists in 18 Championship matches.
Upon his return, Arsenal thought that a year with Stade de Reims could speed up his developmental curve in Ligue 1 as it had for William Saliba on the other end of the pitch.
As it turns out, it’s been a dream move for all parties. Speaking with The Athletic last month, Balogun said that onetime Arsenal teammates Alexander Lacazette and Nicolas Pépé each suggested he try his hand at the French first division for more frequent involvement in a physical league.
“(Pepé) just said to stay positive, keep working hard and then he said to maybe think about a loan to the French league, ‘I’m sure you can do well in this league if you apply yourself’,” Balogun said in December, “He set me a challenge of getting 10 goals in the league and said, ‘If you do that, you’ve made progress.’”
As it turns out, Pépé’s “challenge” has hardly seemed a steep one. The striker notched his 10th goal of the Ligue 1 campaign with a brace against Rennes in Reims’ return to action following the World Cup. He did so despite managing just 19 touches, his fewest in a league start since late August. He missed the team’s ensuing match on January 2 with a reported hamstring issue, with Reims finishing 1-1 in an away day at Lille.
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So, what changed?
In all likelihood, Balogun may not have been set up for success at his previous loan. Being asked to lead the line for a team in a promotion battle is no small assignment for a player’s first extended senior involvement. At an established Ligue 1 side, Balogun has been able to express himself more.
| STAT | 2021-22* | 2022-23** |
|---|---|---|
| Shots/90 (% on target) | 2.2 (54.2%) | 3.11 (46.5%) |
| xG/90 (npxG/90) | 0.32 | 0.64 |
| Goals/90 | 0.27 | 0.72 |
| Touches in pen area/90 | 3.85 | 4.34 |
| Offsides/90 | 0.37 | 0.87 |
| Progressive runs/90 | 0.46 | 1.37 |
* With Middlesbrough (EFL Championship)
** With Reims (Ligue 1)
Data via Wyscout
While shots were hard to come by with Boro, he was consistent in placing them on frame. He also finished his chances at close to his expected rate, albeit with fairly meager service. It all pales in comparison to what he’s managed through the first half of the Ligue 1 campaign. Even removing his 3-for-3 record from the penalty spot, Balogun has managed 0.48 non-penalty expected goals per 90 when factoring for extra time.
He’s also been given more license to play a progressive role, logging an additional touch in the box per two games, being caught offside at a similar clip — showing a greater license to break behind the line, which isn’t a bad thing — and adding nearly a full additional progressive run per game. Those aren’t just significant improvements on his Championship output, either. It’s the type of profile which turns a striker from a rank-and-file loan army mainstay into a coveted young striker.
Here are Balogun’s percentile figures in the following table compared to positional peers in Men’s “Big 5” leagues, Champions League and Europa League over the last 365 days. Balogun has played 1160 qualified minutes in that timeframe.
| STAT | # PER 90 MINUTES | PERCENTILE |
|---|---|---|
| Non-penalty goals | 0.54 | 86 |
| npxG | 0.52 | 87 |
| Shots total | 3.1 | 78 |
| npxG+expected assists | 0.63 | 78 |
| Shot-creating actions | 2.25 | 39 |
| Progressive passes | 1.63 | 70 |
| Progressive passes received | 8.53 | 95 |
| Dribbles completed | 1.09 | 71 |
Data via fbref dot com
If there’s an area for improvement, it would be in his aerial game. Listed at 5-foot-10 (1,55 meters), Balogun hasn’t been adept at getting on the end of headers with Reims whether the balls floats in from set pieces or the run of play. Smarterscout data rates players from zero to 99 depending on how often they perform a certain action. It also tells us how effective they are at it compared to others in their position.
Nevertheless, he’s fared well when he takes opponents on with the ball at his feet while also factoring into Reims’ front-line press. While we like to see an all-rounder up top, the number of true target forwards is dwindling with each passing year.
Balogun seems to project nicely to a more modern archetype — even when factoring for the difference in quality between Ligue 1 and the Premier League, as smarterscout’s data reflects on his pizza chart.
International future
Having represented England and the U.S. at youth ranks and holding Nigerian eligibility, Balogun told Ligue 1’s website in November that he would make a decision about who he’ll represent soon. While recent years have seen high-pressure decisions made by the likes of Sergiño Dest, Yunus Musah, Gaga Slonina and Malik Tillman among others, Balogun is unfazed by the speculation.
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“I don’t have a problem with it,” Balogun said. “It’s the role of the media to ask these kinds of questions and I accept it. I’m going to make a decision soon and that decision will not depend on what the media or people think but on what is best for me. We will talk about it quietly with my family.”
He spoke favorably about his U.S. experience in the same interview.
“Yes, when I was 17, the U.S. federation offered me a friendly tournament in the Czech Republic in the summer,” Balogun said. “I had played for England in the Euro U-17 a few months before, but after talking to my family I decided to go. And we won the tournament! It was a good experience because I got to see a different way of playing and other methods. I’m still in contact with several people I met there.”
While his family deliberates his options in private, the rest of us in the public arena can bear the brunt of analyzing his options. England’s striker stable ahead of the 2026 World Cup is headlined well, as Harry Kane will be 32 and Marcus Rashford just 28. There isn’t a clear next-in-line among the younger options beyond Balogun (who’s currently 21), as Aston Villa’s Cameron Archer, Leeds’ Joe Gelhardt, and Tottenham’s Dane Scarlett have yet to establish themselves at club level.
Nigeria arguably has the deepest pool of the three nations, with Napoli ace Victor Osimhen leading a group which includes Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Kelechi Iheanacho and Terem Moffi, who also has 10 goals in the ongoing Ligue 1 season with Lorient.
But for the U.S., no position has been a weaker spot over the past five years than striker. Throughout the Gregg Berhalter era, the team has opted to play its strikers in a more withdrawn role, asking them to play in build-up phases and create chances for their wingers as well as themselves.
While Jesús Ferreira was top option throughout the summer in a deep-lying role, he struggled in his only World Cup involvement, a start against the Netherlands in the round of 16. Josh Sargent looked much better alongside Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah but failed to factor for scoring chances of his own before missing the knockout defeat due to injury. Haji Wright came as more of a target option and pure scorer, but struggled to impress in the tournament after a fine debut against Wales.
ADVERTISEMENT
All three represented a different approach to the position; all three struggled. In Balogun, the program would find its white whale: someone who could be a well-round striker and an upgrade over the current options.
Balogun vs. U.S.’s 2022 World Cup strikers, 2022-23*
Balogun vs. U.S.’s 2022 World Cup strike
| BALOGUN | FERREIRA | SARGENT | WRIGHT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shots/90 (% on target) | 3.11 (46.5%) | 2.58 (49.4%) | 2.08 (56.3%) | 2.37 (35.9%) |
| xG/90 | 0.64 | 0.4 | 0.31 | 0.42 |
| Touches in pen area/90 | 4.34 | 3.48 | 4.15 | 3.65 |
| Forward passes/90 (% accurate) | 3.4 (57.4%) | 6.27 (53.7%) | 3.37 (61.5%) | 1.76 (69%) |
| Dribbles/90 (% success) | 2.96 (53.7%) | 1.48 (49%) | 3.16 (52.1%) | 4.56 (52%) |
| Aerial duels (% won) | 2.53 (20%) | 1.04 (19.4%) | 5.58 (38.8%) | 5.6 (41.3%) |
| Recoveries in opp ½ | 2.46 | 2.87 | 4.11 | 1.89 |
Data via Wyscout* All data for 2022-23 league action save for Ferreira, which uses the full 2022 MLS season
Balogun has not only fired off more shots per 90, but he’s done so at a respectable level of putting shots on frame. Even his non-penalty xG of 0.52 would be tops in this class, to say nothing of his 0.64 clip factoring for three converted penalty kicks.
The rest of the data helps show how he’s played for Reims, even if you don’t watch Ligue 1. The forward passing figures help illustrate the difference between Ferreira — a deep-lying forward if ever there was one — and Wright, more of a classic line-leading target forward. On that spectrum, Balogun is nearly identical to Sargent, as is reinforced by the number of dribbles he attempts. Unlike the Norwich forward, however, Balogun has yet to showcase much ability in the air while factoring less in frontline defending.
Nevertheless, based on numbers alone Balogun would represent a better goalscoring threat than the current stable of U.S. men’s strikers without sacrificing many of the factors which helped Sargent (and, in qualifying, Ricardo Pepi) become ideal options between Pulisic, Weah and the rest of the wing options.
While January may not see Balogun change clubs, his loan spell in France has indeed brought his game to another level. Whether he joins Musah and Tillman in leading the U.S. into the 2026 World Cup or becomes one of the program’s great near-misses like Neven Subotić or Giuseppe Rossi remains to be seen.
However he leans, it’s clear that he’s finally gotten his senior career on track — whether he’s in Mikel Arteta’s plans for Arsenal moving forward or not.
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