Happy July 4th Soccer Style
Gold Cup Action leads the July 4th soccer schedule tonight at the the US will find out who they are playing in the Quarterfinals as Group D has 3rd place Canada trying to score enough goals vs Cuba at 6:30 pm on FS1 to qualify for the next round. On FS2 surprise team Guadelope (who sits top of their group) will face Guatemala. Any of these 3 teams could advance and will make up the 2 of the teams to face either the USA at 7 pm or Jamaica at 5 pm in Cincinnati this Sunday on Fox and FS1.
MLS – El Traffico from the Rose Bowl tonight on Apple TV 10:30 pm
El Traffico – MLS’s top rivalry kicks off at 10:30 pm tonight as the Galaxy will look to right their horrific season with an upset of defending MLS Champs LAFC in the Rose Bowl with over 70K fans expected and a national TV audience on Apple TV. LA Galaxy fan story last game hilights. (Read all about it below)
The MLS All-Star Game Roster has been announced they will face Arsenal and American GK Matt Turner in DC on Wednesday night, July 19th. Apple has a special on 50% savings to watch the MLS All-Star game as well as the Full MLS Season pass –which shows all the games – including those that Lionel Messi will play in for Inter Miami when he starts sometime in mid July. Big game Sunday as Atlanta United host Philly 4 pm on Fox, then July 4th 10:30 pm El Traffico returns on Apple TV. Tix for Cincy vs Miami THE DEBUT of MESSI in Cincy in Aug went on sale and sold out in 1 hr – got my tickets baby!
Indy 11 Ladies headed to playoffs
The Girls in Blue won the USL W League’s Valley Division and are headed to the playoffs In Flint Michigan vs Flint July 6th at 7 pm.
MLS
Rose Bowl is poised to host a record-setting El Tráfico showdown with extra boom
Messi to Miami talks took three years – owner
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami contract worth between $50 to $60 million per year, according to club’s part-owner
Miami hires Messi’s old boss, Martino
It’s not just the Reds who are hot in Cincy
US Men & Gold Cup
Ferreira’s red-hot form offers another solution in USMNT’s striker search Kyle Bonagura
USMNT’s Jesús Ferreira scores historic 2nd straight hat trick in 6-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago to clinch Gold Cup group
Ferreira 1st American with back-to-back international hat tricks as US advances in Gold Cup
Who is Jesús Ferreira, the USMNT player jokingly nicknamed ‘The Pirate of the Caribbean’?
U.S.’s Ream isn’t ready to retire. He wants 2026 World Cup om Hamilton
Sources: Pulisic to reject Lyon, wants Milan move
Source: USMNT’s Aaronson off to Berlin on loan Kyle Bonagura
CONCACAF Gold Cup: USMNT, Jamaica headed for TQL Stadium this week
Qatar upset Mexico to reach Gold Cup quarters, Ferreira hits another hat-trick
Canada’s injured Borjan to miss remainder of Gold Cup
Mexico’s alternate players fail to impress vs. Qatar in Gold Cup Cesar Hernandez
US Women & Womens World Cup
USWNT 2023 World Cup preview: Everything to know about the 3-peat bid
Women’s World Cup 2023: When does it start? What time are games? And will the USWNT win again?
How USWNT’s winning culture passes to next generation for 2023 World Cup
USWNT 2023 World Cup preview: Everything to know about the 3-peat bid
From Alex Morgan to Ada Hegerberg these are the stars to watch at the Women’s World Cup
USWNT’s Ashley Sanchez and Sofia Huerta on their dual identities as Mexican Americans
Women’s World Cup scouting report: England
England’s squad for the 2023 Women’s Football World Cup
Women’s World Cup scouting report: Germany
GAMES ON TV
Tues, July 4
6:30 pm FS1 Canada vs Cuba Gold Cup
6:30 pm FS2 Guadeloupe vs Guatemala Gold Cup
8:30 pm FS1 Costa Rica vs MArtinque Gold Cup
8:30 pm FS2 Panama vs El Salvador Gold Cup
10:30 pm Apple LA Galaxy vs LAFC El Traffico
Sat, July 8
5/7 pm FS1 Quarters Gold Cup
10 pm Para+ San Diego Wave vs Washington
Sun, July 9
4 pm Fox USWNT vs Wales Send-off
5/7 pm FS1 & 2 Gold Cup Quarter Finals – Cincy
5 pm Jamaica vs ?
7 pm USA vs Canada or Guatemala?
5:30 pm Para+ NY Gothem vs Portland Thorns
8 pm Para+ Angel City FC vs NC Courage
Final NWSL Games till after World Cup
Wed, July 12
TBD FS1 Semi- Finals Gold Cup
7 pm TV 8 ESPN+ Indy 11 vs Charleston Battery
Sun, July 16
7:30 pm FS1 Finals Gold Cup
Thur, July 20 Women’s World Cup Starts
3 am Fox New Zealand vs Norway
6 am Fox Australia vs Ireland
10:30 pm Fox Nigeria vs Canada
Fri, July 21
1 am FS1 Phillipines vs Switzerland
3:30 am FS1 Spain vs Costa Rica
9 pm Fox USWNT vs Vietnam
Sat, July 22
3 am FS1 Zambia vs Japan
5:30 am Fox England vs Haiti
8 am Fox Denmark vs China
7 pm WRTV, ESPN+ Indy 11 vs Tampa Bay Rowdies
Sun July 23
1 am FS1 Sweden vs South Africa
3:30 am FS1 Netherlands vs Portugal
6 am Fox France vs Jamaica
Mon July 24
2 am FS1 Italy vs Argentina
4:30 am FS1 Germany vs Morocco
7 am FS1 Brazil vs Panama
10 pm FS1 Colombia vs Korea
Wed, July 26
1 am FS1 Japan vs Costa Rica
3:30 am FS1 Spain vs Zambia
8 am FS1 Canada vs Ireland
9 pm Fox USWNT vs Netherlands
Tues, Aug 1
3 am Fox United States Women vs Portugal
3 am FS1 Vietnam vs Netherlands
7 am Fox England vs China
7 am FS1 Haiti vs Denmark
Soccer Saturday’s are every Sat 9-10 am on 93.5 and 107.5 FM with Greg Rakestraw
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MLS attendance record expected for El Tráfico at Rose Bowl
MLSsoccer staff Tuesday, Jul 4, 2023, 09:25 AM
A sell-out and record-breaking crowd is expected for Tuesday’s El Tráfico between the LA Galaxy and LAFC at the Rose Bowl (10:30 pm ET | Apple TV – Free). The Galaxy have announced that over 80,000 fans are expected to be in attendance for the Matchday 23 showdown, which was originally scheduled for MLS is Back opening weekend. Due to inclement weather, the game was shifted to July 4th.
That projected crowd would establish a new all-time MLS attendance record, surpassing the record Charlotte FC broke last year. The current mark sits at 74,479 fans, set in March 2022 when the then-expansion club hosted the Galaxy for their inaugural match at Bank of America Stadium.Tuesday’s battle for Los Angeles, the 20th El Tráfico in rivalry history, is bound to be a spectacle.Largest standalone match attendances in MLS history
| Attendance | Date | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 72,243 | Atlanta vs. Seattle – July 15, 2018 | Regular season |
| 72,035 | Atlanta vs. D.C. – March 11, 2018 | Regular season |
“It’s going to be a spectacle”: LA Galaxy, LAFC await record-setting MLS crowd
Jonathan SigalTuesday, Jul 4, 2023, 09:26 AM
Sixteen months ago, LA Galaxy defender Raheem Edwards was on the field as the MLS single-game attendance record was set. Behind Efraín Álvarez’s thunderbolt strike from nearly 40 yards out, LA spoiled then-expansion side Charlotte FC’s first-ever home game and silenced most of the 74,479 fans in attendance at Bank of America Stadium.Now, with July 4th here, Edwards and the Galaxy are set to play before a new record-setting crowd for the 20th edition of their El Tráfico rivalry with LAFC – this time at the Rose Bowl. A sell-out and record-breaking crowd of more than 80,000 fans are expected Tuesday evening at the historic venue in Pasadena, California (10:30 pm ET | Apple TV – Free).“It’s going to be a spectacle,” Edwards said at training earlier this week.That much is true, with fans encouraged to arrive two hours early to ensure they don’t miss kickoff. The Galaxy’s longstanding July 4th firework display will follow the final whistle, only adding to a matchup where LA lead an all-time series (8W-6L-5D) that averages 4.32 goals scored per game.With that backdrop, LAFC midfielder Kellyn Acosta said the excitement is palpable.“It’s a huge game,” said the US international. “Personally I’ve never been to the Rose Bowl, so I’m just excited to be around it and take it all in. It’s huge, it’s making history. To be a part of that is going to be super cool.”LAFC, who won a 3-2 thriller at LA’s Dignity Health Sports Park earlier this year, are trying to ignite their season. The Black & Gold, reigning MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield champions, have lost seven of their last 10 matches across all competitions since dropping the Concacaf Champions League final in early June – all as injuries, a jam-packed schedule and travel have taken their toll.The silver lining for LAFC is they’re still second in the Western Conference table, only behind expansion side St. Louis CITY SC. Aside from the expected record-setting crowd, head coach Steve Cherunodolo said that offers plenty of motivation.“It’s our job to blend all that out, to be honest with you,” Cherundolo said. “We are focused on what goes on on the field. If it ends up being an MLS attendance record, wonderful, that means we’re moving in the right direction. It’s great. Hopefully we can focus on our jobs to make sure the quality of the game is at a level that this game deserves. We’re focused on that.”The Galaxy similarly could benefit from a big result, sitting second-from-bottom (13th place) in the Western Conference standings and nine points adrift of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs pace. They enter five games unbeaten (1W-0L-4D stretch), and head coach Greg Vanney is seeing incremental progress while dealing with long-term injuries to two veterans in striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and defender Martín Cáceres.“We probably feel like we should have picked up a few more points – four of those were on the road, one at home,” said Vanney. “It’s not been the easiest stretch, just in terms of challenges to build momentum, but the guys have certainly shown resilience, we’ve shown some good moments of football inside of that. From that perspective, we found a solid foundation and now it’s doing the little things inside of the game to win the game.”As the tactical and in-game battles unfold, players return to eagerness surrounding a match that originally was scheduled for MLS is Back weekend in late February before inclement weather forced a postponement.“It’s a game that we’ve been waiting to play,” said LA midfielder Riqui Puig. “We’re looking forward to that. I think it’s going to be great. My family is here and it’s an important game for the Galaxy.”“It will be a beautiful evening,” said LAFC defender Giorgio Chiellini.Jonathan Sigal – @JonathanSigal
LA Galaxy vs. LAFC: Community & heritage define both sides of El Trafico fandom
Jon ArnoldMonday, Jul 3, 2023, 03:12 PM
Fans will arrive at the lush Rose Bowl grounds Tuesday evening ready for a Fourth of July rivalry match (10:30 pm ET | Apple TV – Free) between Los Angeles’ two MLS teams:
- LA Galaxy, the original SoCal team who’ve racked up 12 major trophies since joining the league as a charter club in 1996 (but who have struggled as of late).
- LAFC, the precocious upstart who’ve already won an MLS Cup and two Supporters’ Shields since joining the league in 2018.
Many of those fans will fire up the grill for the carne asada, dress their beers with a michelada mix or sip palomas, the cocktail made with grapefruit soda and tequila (or mezcal).There will be tailgating, a few live bands and a boisterous atmosphere before they file into the stadium and become part of the expected largest-ever crowd to attend a standalone MLS match.Angelenos, neighbors, united in most things and fiercely divided by one: Which team they support. Because fans in LA, including the 3.64 million people who are Mexican or Mexican-American according to 2021 Census estimates, have a choice to make.It’s from within those supporters’ communities that one of North America’s richest and most exciting soccer cities has sprung to life. But that doesn’t mean fandom for the beautiful game in LA is any less divided than it is for the city’s other multi-franchise sports: basketball and football.So what is it about each club that draws their supporters in?
Superstar connection
Javier Servin grew up in LA watching soccer with his dad, who supported Liga MX’s Cruz Azul. After the 1994 World Cup, Servin was thrilled to see the colorful-kit-wearing Mexico goalkeeper, Jorge Campos, sign on with the Galaxy. He followed the Galaxy from their inaugural season in 1996, listening to radio broadcasts, watching on TV and reading reports in the LA Times or La Opinión.
It wasn’t until decades later he’d actually be able to attend a match in person, an experience that pushed him into the supporters’ group culture.“I’m a big history nerd. They are one of the original teams in MLS, that helped get the league going,” said Servin, who hosts a California history web series under the moniker Foo Howser, a play on legendary LA public broadcasting host Huell Howser.That historical connection is key for many Galaxy fans, and the club has tried to emphasize its history with its “Since ’96” merch line launch in 2021.There also is a long line of star names who have played with the Galaxy. Even before David Beckham arrived, fans showed up to cheer Jorge Campos, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Luis “El Matador” Hernandez, Cobi Jones and other international standouts. Since Beckham, LA brought in Mexico national team legends Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, the Dos Santos brothers and international superstar, Zlatan Ibrahimović.After missing the period from 1996-2002 when the Galaxy played at the Rose Bowl and were led by players like Hernandez and Cienfuegos, Servin is thrilled to head to the stadium this week with his wife and brother for a throwback experience against a cross-town rival.“I think the rivalry is great for the game. It’s great for the league. At the end of the day, we’re all Angelenos, we all live and work with each other,” Servin said.Aside from simply a spirit of civility, Servin says he gives credit to LAFC for pushing the soccer scene forward but that he’s never wavered in his support for the team.“A line in the sand was drawn with a lot of people. Obviously, they were very successful in marketing and pulling in new fans, even people that were Galaxy fans switched over, but to me, it was always staying loyal to your first love,” he said. “The Galaxy was that first love for me.”
The pulse of the city
While the Galaxy like to mention the five MLS Cups in their trophy case, more than any other team in the league, LAFC fans can boast of modern success.Despite the club’s young age, or maybe because of it, the Black & Gold can also boast about their cultural relevance in the city’s core. With its stadium located downtown, LAFC have drawn a new crowd, converting fans of other sports into soccer fans and capturing fans looking for the international experience of hopping on public transit and taking the train to and from the game.LAFC also have played up their connection to the glamor of the city, putting a spotlight before each match on the celebrities in attendance and working to create cross-cultural moments like when breakout corrido singer Peso Pluma met Dr. Dre before the Concacaf Champions League final.
Community-first, on both sides
Jose Yepez knew a new team was on the rise when he felt drawn to the Galaxy. He knew he had just missed the Beckham years. Yet, he felt the draw to become a Galaxy season-ticket holder and didn’t fight the urge.“I decided I’m just going to jump the gun, get my tickets and enjoy the team because I love the connection they have with the city. I started going to all the games, then started going to some away games,” Yepez said.He was able to celebrate an MLS Cup run in 2014 but, since then, has only seen bitter rivals LAFC lift silverware. Yepez said the supporters’ togetherness, even as on-field results have fallen short of expectations, has been part of the reason he still looks forward to Galaxy matches – and is enjoying the team’s recent five-match undefeated run all the more.“It’s really the community and the friends you make, right?” Yepez said. “I got to know a lot of folks through the club and even through social media. We all banded together. For me, it’s just a community of healing. We’re all suffering together through the thick and thin. That’s what made me continue to be connected to the team, is we all share that nice bond together.“It’s kind of an extension of your family in that sense. We all care deeply about the team.”Maybe it won’t feel like it Tuesday night, or maybe it will, but fans of LA’s neighbor MLS clubs have more in common than it may appear: A love of the game, of good food and good times with friends, and a feeling of family, of acceptance and of bonding over a shared love of the Galaxy or LAFC.
Ferreira offers another solution in USMNT’s striker search
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff WriterJul 3, 2023, 12:26 AM ET
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Let the real tournament begin.As much as the United States men’s national team might not have wanted to disrespect their Gold Cup Group A partners, there was never any real concern from the team it would fail to advance to the knockout round. Sunday’s thoroughly dominant 6-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago showed why.For the U.S., the group stage was all about integrating players, building rapport and setting the team up to win its fourth-straight Concacaf trophy.”I think right from the beginning the message is sure that we give as many players opportunities to experience this group stage,” interim coach B.J. Callaghan said on Saturday. “We know with that experience it’ll only pay dividends in the short term, but also when we get to the long term.”
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)
Jesus Ferreira is the best example of that. In the short term, the striker’s back-to-back hat tricks in the last two games were what allowed the U.S. to win the goal differential tiebreaker with Jamaica to top Group A. Those performances are a positive sign for the USMNT’s improving long-term depth at the position.During the last World Cup cycle, striker was a glaring problem for the U.S. No one grasped the starting role during qualifying, and it was the team’s most obvious weakness at the tournament in Qatar.Ferreira, of course, was part of that equation. It’s not that he played his way onto the 26-man World Cup roster as much as other options played their way off. Even so, his inclusion was subject to great debate, and when he finally saw the field — as a starter in the Round of 16 against the Netherlands — the stage proved too big.Given the circumstances, his performance wasn’t surprising. Calling on a 21-year-old MLS striker to make his World Cup debut against one of the most talented back-lines at the tournament inadvertently set him up for failure. And with that came a lasting impression that can only come from the sport’s biggest stage.Since then, Ferreira has responded about as well as possible. He scored against Mexico in an April friendly to keep the team’s now six-game unbeaten streak in the rivalry alive. He’s third in MLS with 10 goals in 18 games. His six goals in three Gold Cup matches ties the record for the most goals by a player in the tournament by a player 23-or-younger (with possibly three matches still to play).
EDITOR’S PICKS
- Ferreira nets hat trick to make USMNT history2dKyle Bonagura
- USMNT’s Weah completes Juventus move2dESPN
- Concacaf Gold Cup: Schedule, results, bracket1dESPN
“I think all forwards are going to be judged by the goals that they score first and foremost,” Callaghan said. “And when I see his movement and his confidence in the penalty box, you can tell that the game has slowed down for him and he’s just placing balls into the back of that and that’s a positive sign. It lets us all know that he’s focused and committed to being a goal scorer for us.”There are the obvious caveats about levels of competition. His three career USMNT hat tricks, which ties Landon Donovan for the most in team history, have all come against overmatched Caribbean competition. That reality is important context, but it also doesn’t mean scoring six goals in an 88-minute stretch isn’t worth celebrating.USMNT players in the past also had opportunities to score against the lightweights of Concacaf and few took those chances as well as Ferriera. He’s the first to ever record back-to-back hat tricks. In 21 career games, he’s scored 14 goals. He’s also shown to be a selfless player. That trait was a large factor in why coach Gregg Berhalter brought him to Qatar. After his first-half hat trick put the game out of reach and it was clear the U.S. would hold on to the goal differential tiebreaker against Jamaica, Ferreira might have been the team’s most active player trying to win possession back.”I think it helps the team. It shows that we’re still in it and it kind of gets everyone going again,” Ferreira said of his defensive effort. “I know people are tired. I’m used to playing in the heat, so I have maybe a little bit more energy than the rest.”I always want to be the guy that can bring energy to the team and can spread that energy. We always say that someone can be contagious with their energy and so for me it’s always being that person that can get everyone going.”It didn’t go unnoticed by Callaghan.”All of the work that he’s doing leading our line defensively, dropping down, helping build up play,” Callaghan said. “For me, he’s having a really complete tournament so far and we’re going to continue to get him better.”
It also doesn’t mean he’s going to unseat Folarin Balogun as the presumed starter with USA’s full team any time soon. It doesn’t mean he’s a better option than Ricardo Pepi, his former FC Dallas teammate, as a pure striker. It is, however, encouraging for the continued improvement of the depth at the position.
There were memorable performances from other attacking players, too. Cade Cowell and Gianluca Busio scored their first senior national team goals as the U.S. kept the pressure on until the final minute. Cowell’s goal, especially, showcased what he can do, using his speed to get free on goal before he navigated past the goalkeeper and lone defender in the box.”He was running at defenders relentlessly,” Callaghan said of Cowell. “He was able to go inside, he was able to go outside. He was able to create combination play and then he gets rewarded with the goal.”As the winner of Group A, the U.S. will play the runner-up from Group D in Cincinnati on July 9. That opponent will be determined on Tuesday, when Guadeloupe (four points) plays Guatemala (four points) and Canada plays (two points) and Cuba (zero points). Of those, only Cuba has been eliminated.Alan Sonora, who strained his hamstring against St. Kitts and Nevis, will not continue with the team in the knockout stage, Callaghan said, but his roster replacement has not been determined. Jordan Morris was available off the bench on Sunday and will remain with the team, along with Miles Robinson who started and played the first half. Midfielder Aidan Morris left the team for personal reasons, the team announced on Sunday, and it is unclear if he will return during the tournament.
| Ferreira flashes prolific credentials |
 |
| The USMNT’s Jesus Ferreira has rocketed to the top of the Gold Cup scoring charts after his second consecutive hat trick in a 6-0 win over Trindad and Tobago followed the first against St. Kitts and Nevis. The 22-year-old is now the first U.S. player in history to net two straight trebles and the FC Dallas man is emerging as a credible No. 2 striker behind newly acquired Folarin Balogun. Ferreira’s international strike rate is currently higher than one every two games and almost twice as good as his club pace which is close to one goal every three games. Admittedly, the USMNT are strong favorites in the majority of their Gold Cup fixtures, but these are still impressive numbers being put up by the Colombia-born hotshot. Here’s Chuck Booth breaking down Ferreira’s performance Sunday night. |
| Booth: “DeJuan Jones at left back was excellent assisting Ferreira and creating another goal in the match but the midfield shined creating chances and maintaining possession with ease. With his hat trick, Ferreira has now scored 12 goals for the national team in only 21 matches played. While 10 of those goals have come against Caribbean nations, Ferreira can only play the teams in front of him and shooting with confidence is something that he needs to do more of. We know what Ferreira can do as a creator, but during this tournament, if he can continue to take his attacking chances well, it will go a long way to making sure that the USMNT can win a second consecutive Gold Cup title.” |
| Booth raises an interesting point in that Ferreira’s previous statistics, notably with Dallas, has shown greater balance in terms of distributing goals and assists. Before this current Major League Soccer season, he had notched 34 goals but also provided 19 assists across his three most prolific campaigns. This term, however, Ferreira’s numbers are purer in terms of goals scored at the expense of teeing up other teammates with 16 goals from 21 outings across all competitions. Should he help the UMSNT to what could be their eighth Gold Cup title, his newfound clinical edge could make him a strong contender to be Gregg Berhalter’s second striker behind Balogun and a key part of the FIFA 2026 World Cup cycle. |
USWNT media day: Naming new captain, Megan Rapinoe injury update and investing in women
By Elias Burke Jun 27, 2023
On Tuesday, the United States women’s national team held its pre-World Cup media day at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The usual home of MLS side LA Galaxy was adorned with red, white and blue for the occasion — which later included the unveiling of a 20-foot statue of Alex Morgan in the likeness of the Statue of Liberty. At the event, head coach Vlatko Andonovski and all 23 players selected to represent the four-time World Cup winners in Australia and New Zealand spoke to members of the media. Here are some of the key takeaways from the day.
Who will be the next USWNT captain?
The answer isn’t available just yet — not officially. Andonovski was expected to announce the USWNT captain for the 2023 World Cup on Tuesday.“The decision has been made, and we were going to talk to the team last night, but not everybody was able to make it in on time because we had players coming from the East Coast who got here late,” said Andonovski. “I would want to talk to the players first before announcing publicly. Sorry.”It was clear that forwards Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and midfielder Lindsey Horan will be Andonovski’s senior lieutenants in the locker room. The three players were rolled out in press conference format before other teammates joined in a roundtable layout.Morgan is familiar with the role of captain, given her experience and stature on the team. The 33-year-old has 206 caps for the national team since making her debut against Mexico in 2010, scoring 121 goals – fifth in the nation’s all-time rankings. She is a two-time World Cup winner, an Olympic gold medalist, and the captain of the San Diego Wave, where she won the NWSL Golden Boot last season. Rapinoe’s winning experience makes her a valuable member of the squad, but she is currently nursing an injury and, at 37 years old, may not play as prominent a role as she did in 2019.Defender Becky Sauerbrunn, who normally holds the title, is unavailable for selection and will not be on the team for the tournament after reaggravating a foot injury in June with her club the Portland Thorns.ADVERTISEMENT
“Take a moment wearing that armband and leading the team out there,” Sauerbrunn said in a video clip of her podcast with the Men in Blazers. “Everything has to bounce your way throughout your career to make it to a World Cup. Then to also be the captain and to lead that squad out there, it’s such an honor but also such a responsibility.”Horan, headed to her second World Cup, spoke about Sauerbrunn’s influence as a teammate on the Thorns and the national team in molding her as a leader.“I’m so, so sad for Becky. She was a huge role model for me and someone that took me under her wing and helped me with the leadership role,” said Horan. “My leadership role has changed a huge amount on the field, and I’ve worked more and more off the field. Going into a major tournament like this, it’s about doing my thing: who I am as a leader.“Not changing any bit because we, unfortunately, lost Becky. I’ll be the same Lindsey that I’ve always been, but do whatever I possibly can to help the team lift the trophy at the end of the day.”
Megan Rapinoe expects to be fit for start of World Cup
Rapinoe, who is sitting on 199 caps for the national team, expects to be fit to start the World Cup.She limped off the field in early June for OL Reign inside seven minutes against the Kansas City Current, grabbing her lower leg. She had suffered injury issues earlier in 2023 and sat out the USWNT’s January training camp.“The injury is going really well. It was quite minor. It was not amazing timing, but such is the life of an athlete,” Rapinoe said. “It’s nothing that I’m worried about for the start of the tournament. It feels like we’re here right now because we’re coming into camp, but we have a little bit of time and we’ll have time down in New Zealand before we get going. I’m feeling good, and training is going well, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”The 2019 Ballon d’Or winner enters her fourth World Cup with her eyes set on a third title. While her role may be more rotational than she played in 2019, where she won the Golden Ball, she has had an excellent start to 2023 on the field, suggesting she still has a lot to give as one of women’s football’s most recognizable players.“First and foremost, when Pinoe is on the field, she’s a great player,” Andonovski said. “That’s the first reason why she’s on this team. Unfortunately, she got injured in the last game but the game before that she showed what she can bring to this team. She’s one of the most creative players I’ve ever seen and a true winner. She’s certainly a great player and that’s why we want her on the team. But also her experience and leadership is what she needs as well. She will have a role as a player, a leader and leading the leaders as well.”
The focus is on Vietnam
The USWNT kicks off its World Cup campaign against Vietnam on July 21 at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. And, judging by the comments of Andonovski and the players, their focus lies squarely on their opening match — one they do not anticipate to be comparable to the 13-0 result against Thailand in 2019.
“Looking at this tournament and games we’re going to be playing, you can’t compare our match against Thailand to any upcoming games,” said Morgan. “That tournament we started off with a bang.“We’re hopeful and optimistic that in this tournament we will be able to be successful. That’s what we’ve worked so hard towards these last four years. We have incredible respect for Vietnam.”Vietnam is going into its first World Cup among the best sides in Asia, sitting fifth in FIFA’s continental rankings. In 2022, they reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup, losing 3-1 to eventual winners China. Currently, all but one of their players play their club football in Vietnam, but their 2-1 friendly defeat to Germany on Saturday highlights their potential to be a stubborn opponent for the USWNT.“They’re an incredibly organized team, and we can’t overlook the first match of the tournament,” Morgan said.Andonovski’s side will round out the group stage against the Netherlands in Wellington, New Zealand, before returning to Auckland to face Portugal.“It’s one of the hardest groups, if not the hardest group in the World Cup,” Andonovski said. “We have three teams that are very good. They’re all different types of teams with, in some ways, different philosophies and different styles of play which made it a little bit harder for us in the preparation for the group play because we had to dissect three different styles and approaches. We think that we have enough time to prepare for them separately. The goal is to win the group before we move to the ultimate goal.”
And, if it was not clear. The ultimate goal is to add a fifth star to the national team’s crest.“Would I be happy with anything short of a third straight win? No,” Andonovski said, with a chuckle. “Absolutely not. There’s only one thing in mind going to this tournament – our goal is to win the World Cup.”
Investing in women
The USWNT has historically coupled its success on the field with the ability to affect change off it.
“Having charter flights, having the best hotels, having all the recovery resources, having the money to provide that for players gives us the best opportunity to perform at our best and keep up with the level on the field that increases year over year,” said Rapinoe. “We’re fortunate to have that and we fought a lot for that over the years. To have an environment that allows for every team in the tournament to reach their full potential, that’s what it’s all about.”FIFA’s decision in 2022 to provide “the same conditions” and services for all female players and staff as their male counterparts was in part due to the USWNT efforts.While the new $110 million pot is just 25% of the $440 million paid out to the 32 national federations that participated at the Qatar World Cup, it is far beyond the $60 million pot that FIFA president Gianni Infantino previously promised in 2019.The USWNT’s 2019 World Cup success was won with the backdrop of an equal pay lawsuit, accusing the United States Soccer Federation of “institutionalized gender discrimination” toward the team. While players from the USWNT settled their class action lawsuit for a total of $24 million in February of 2022, the senior leaders on the team say there is still a long way to go for equality.
USWNT’s Crystal Dunn signs a collective bargaining agreement signifying equal pay between the U.S. men’s and women’s teams. Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images.
“The vibe is still the same, the vibe has been the same since 100 years ago. Just wanting to constantly strive for whatever the next thing is,” said Rapinoe. “This is not a team that does any sort of resting on its laurels, it’s always about the next game, the next area of progress, the next thing we can fight for using our platform and continuing on the field to be the best team that we possibly can. Being one of the best teams in the world, you’re always on that razor’s edge. The on-field is the most important thing and that’s been the fuel for the team always: striving to win every single game whether in practice or on the field.“Some of the players on the team now are never going to experience inequalities as a professional athlete under U.S. soccer,” Morgan added. “We actually just got our first settlement check in the mail a week ago. (Center back) Naomi (Girma) was joking that she didn’t get one and I was like, ‘Be grateful you don’t, you just get equal!’”The upcoming World Cup will be the first Morgan will play as a mother, after giving birth to her daughter Charlie in 2020. Four years later, she became the highest-scoring mother in USWNT history, passing Joy Fawcett with the opener in a 2-1 win over Brazil in February. Fawcett, a member of the 1999 World Cup-winning team, held the previous record with 13 goals.“I’m really grateful for the women before me that fought for mom athletes. Joy Fawcett was the OG in that, and she had way less resources and support and was able to somehow become world champion and do many great things to create the legacy she has today,” said Morgan. “I have fought hard for female athletes to get the support and resources needed to continue to stay at the top of our game after having children.”
After injury, USWNT Lynn Williams is back in form, if not better, ahead of the World Cup
Courtney StithJul 1,
In The Journey to the Cup, The Athletic tells the stories of players and teams as they work towards a place in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Follow along as we track their progress as they prepare both mentally and physically for a chance to shine on the game’s biggest stage.
Lynn Williams is headed to her first World Cup with the U.S. women’s national team — and for good reason. Since returning from injury on January 17, she’s been in red-hot form, and USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski noticed. In his press conference following the World Cup roster announcement, Andonovski credited Williams’ NWSL play as a major factor in her making the final 23-player roster.“[Her] performance in the NWSL was a little bit more important than maybe another group of players,” Andonovski told reporters.The NJ/NY Gotham FC forward is tied for third in the NWSL Golden Boot race with Washington Spirit’s Ashley Hatch. But her goal scoring isn’t anything new. With seven goals this season, Williams surpassed Sam Kerr’s 102 goal contributions to take the all-time league crown in the category. She is also the only player in league history to surpass combined goal contributions of 60 career goals (63) and 25 career assists (26). She is only four tallies short of becoming the NWSL’s all-time leader in goals scored.
And she scores at the right time. Since joining Gotham, Williams has become the league’s all-time career leader in game-winning goals (19).When we look at the attacking stats for Williams, she’s on par with many of the forwards in the USWNT pool. She’s three goals behind Sophia Smith’s league-leading 10 and is second in the league in shots (40) and shots on target (30). According to data from Opta Analyst, Williams has 25 chance-creating carries (the sum of her carries ending in a shot plus her carries ending in a key pass), and 23 of those ended in a shot. Only Smith creates more shots from progressive carries with 43.At some point in the tournament, the USWNT will face a low block, and having a player like Williams (and Smith and Trinity Rodman, to be fair), who can pick up the ball from the midfield and run at a defense to create chances, is important.At the start of the season, coming back from a hamstring injury and surgery which kept her out for nearly a year, Williams went on a goal-scoring tear. She scored five goals in her first seven regular-season appearances and seven in nine across all competitions. Williams partially credited her success to playing with joy on the field after being out of the game. She says the system Gotham plays helped her grow and should make her transition to the national team easier.“With Gotham right now, it’s a similar system to the national team,” Williams told The Athletic. ”With the national team, because every single team that you go up against are good too, you’re not going to have a million chances to finish. So in Gotham, in the system right now, I feel like I’m not really having a million chances either.”And Williams doesn’t exactly throw away her shot. Her 0.69 post-shot expected goals per 90 (which looks at shots on target to quantify a likelihood of scoring depending on a shot’s placement) rank third in the league behind Smith (0.89) and Hatch (0.78), further showcasing her expertise when placing her shot on frame.
Williams also credits the Gotham system with her higher goal tally and more efficient finishing this year. Data from Opta Analyst shows that Williams is scoring a goal about once every 10 shots.
“That’s been the difference in my growth this year (compared) to years in the past I would say,” she explained. “I feel like with the less amount of chances I’m getting, I’m converting. So to be able to prepare and visualize in that way and also being able to play in the same system has definitely — I’m hoping, obviously (it) hasn’t happened yet — but I’m hoping it will be an easier transition from one to the next.”
A part of her transition to the national team might involve moving to center forward instead of her usual position on the right. When asked who would back up Alex Morgan, Andonovski told reporters the coaching staff is comfortable with the abilities of all the forwards, mentioning Williams, Smith and Rodman all playing the position for their NWSL clubs.
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“I think that when you get to the world stage and you have a set roster, the ability to be flexible is hugely important,” Williams said. “So I’m really excited for that challenge. I’m excited that I have had some experience (playing the nine) here at Gotham but I’ve also had experience with the nine on different teams as well.”
When opposition teams study the USWNT forwards, they will inevitably prepare for Williams’ quality and workrate going forward. They might not be prepared for Lynn Williams’ defense — it’s where she shines statistically compared to other forwards in the NWSL.Presenting Lynn Williams the defensive forward:
Amongst forwards in the league, Williams has the most interceptions with 14. No other forward has more than 10. She is in the top 10 of the league with 23 tackles, averaging 1.7 tackles a match when the average forward notches 0.56. When it comes to aerials, according to FBRef, Williams leads the league with 60 aerials won. She’s in the 99th percentile for tackles, interceptions, blocks, clearances and aerials won per 90.
“One of the things that Lynn is very special at is she’s probably one of the best defenders from the attacking players,” Andonovski said after a SheBelieves Cup game in February. “There is no hesitation when she goes into press, (she) drives the press, drives the intensity of the team, sets up a good rhythm.”Andonovski will be counting on her work on and off the ball, especially when there are lingering fitness issues within the squad. Williams is often the key to Andonovski’s system. Just look at the quarterfinal game during the 2020 Olympics versus the Netherlands. Several of the USWNT’s best chances came through Williams either through pressing to force a turnover, crossing the ball in from wide or winning an aerial duel in the box that led to the U.S.’s go-ahead goal.Though it is impossible to know what will happen when the World Cup kicks off, finally making it on the plane has been an “incredible” experience for Williams. There were moments of doubt during her hamstring injury recovery if she would be able to be the same player she was before.“Everybody sees all the glory and all the fun stuff, but it was a lot of hard work. Obviously, the injury I had wasn’t small and as you get older, you don’t necessarily recover as fast. So yeah, to be able to look back and know that it’s paid off and I am here (is special),” she said. “Also before that, being cut from teams and not making it, it’s been a pretty incredible journey and experience. It’s really hard to put into words actually how awesome it has been. It’s been a pretty cool year, I would say and so I’m hoping that the good times keep rolling.”
“TheJourney to the Cup” series is part of a partnership with Google Chrome. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports; Design: Sam Richardson)
Should Arsenal integrate Folarin Balogun into their first team?
By Jordan Campbell and Liam Tharme Jun 26, 2023
The anticipation to sense defence switching to attack in an instant, the timing of the run in behind, the use of his body to hold off the defender and, finally, the early finish with zero back-lift to beat the goalkeeper.If you had been paying attention to Folarin Balogun’s time in France last season you would be excused for thinking you’d seen him scoring this goal before for Reims. In fact, this was his first international goal for the USMNT — and a crucial one, too, as it helped see off Canada to retain the the CONCACAF Nations League Crown. Balogun has proven he can score regularly for a middling Ligue 1 side. Now he is off the mark at international level, having chosen the country of his birth over England, where he has spent the vast majority of his life.That decision was logical given the pack of strikers Gareth Southgate has at his disposal, and the comparative lack of firepower in the USMNT squad ahead of a home World Cup in three years’ time.The striker turns 22 next week and is approaching another pivotal crossroads this summer — this time at club level. But, when it comes to doubts over his true potential, he has been here before.He joined Arsenal in 2012 as a 12-year-old and, come scholarship decision time, Balogun was a winger who felt he was among the weakest players in his age group. “I told myself I only had two options: go hard or go home,” he said. “And, at 16, I had my best season ever. I was the top scorer in the team — I must have scored 40 goals. Even I was shocked at the transformation.”Despite scoring 21 goals in 37 games in his loan spell in France last season — a previous temporary stint at Middlesbrough had been far less productive — the question of whether he can do it at the sharp end of the Premier League, or even be allowed the chance to demonstrate his quality, remains up in the air.
Gabriel Jesus is first choice at the Emirates Stadium, while fellow Hale End graduate Eddie Nketiah had an impressive spell during the Brazilian’s absence last season in which he proved he had adapted his game to be the all-rounder Mikel Arteta desires.Leandro Trossard performed a false-nine role at times and the imminent arrival of Kai Havertz from Chelsea will add even more competition in that area.
Arsenal’s downfall in the run-in last season was primarily the erosion of their defensive solidity, which collapsed after an injury to William Saliba, rather than a lack of attacking options, but there is still a feeling that the squad lacks a genuine No 9 to bury a crucial chance. Perhaps Gabriel Martinelli will naturally evolve into that central player given his rapid development and assuredness in front of goal. But, for now, he is primarily a left winger.So do Arsenal need a 30-goal pure No 9 in their ranks? Is Balogun that man? And even if he is, does that necessarily mean he has a future at the Emirates?Balogun does not yet know the answer to those questions, but he knows he is coveted and has already made clear he has no interest in another loan next term. Or, indeed, reverting to life as a squad player. That leaves only two options: playing at Arsenal, or leaving permanently.So what would Arsenal, or a potential suitor, be getting with Balogun?
Balogun enjoyed an exceptional breakout season last time round in Ligue 1, but that is no guarantee that form and goals will automatically transfer over to a better league and a different team.Reims are not Arsenal. They like to counter and hit opponents by attacking straight through the middle, from which many of Balogun’s most impressive goals stemmed.They averaged just 48.7 per cent of possession — only the ninth highest in the league — and made the joint-fourth fewest passes/sequences. Indeed, Will Still’s side played with the fourth-highest direct speed.“I saw that there were a lot of quick transitions so, as a striker, I have to be particularly careful with my movements,” Balogun told the Ligue 1 website. “In the Premier League too, there is a lot of transition, a lot of speed in the game, but here (in France) the transitions are maybe even faster. A lot of teams are able to wait in a block and then go forward in two seconds to bang a goal in.”Arteta is trying to cultivate his Arsenal into a team who view the act of not having the football as a crime against humanity.Reliable goalscorers are at a premium in football, though, and it would be naive to turn your nose up to a player who has just scored 21 goals playing in a very new environment. Balogun initially set himself a target of 10 goals and ended up surpassing it by more than double. If that was the test, he passed with flying colours.There are no concerns about Balogun’s presence in the penalty area, as 19 per cent of his open-play touches occurred in the box and he managed to fire off 3.42 shots a game. Shot volume is important but a bigger indicator of future success is the location and quality of chances a striker is forging. Again, Balogun shows up well in that regard with an average value of 0.18xG (expected goals) per shot dispatched from an average distance of a little over 15 yards out.That is the profile of chance that should lead to respectable numbers but, while he was able to convert some simple chances by finding space through his movement and reading of the game, he is not yet at the conversion rate of an elite striker.He scored 15 non-penalty goals but he underperformed his overall xG by six and recorded a big-chance conversion rate of 39.5 per cent — considerably below some of Ligue 1’s other leading scorers such as Jonathan David and Alexandre Lacazette, who were both around one in two.There is variety to his finishing repertoire as there was a 68-46-13 split of shots with his right foot, left foot and head, and a split of 8-5-2 in non-penalty goals. All six of his penalties were converted right-footed.He is, however, fond of shooting from the left channel in a similar fashion to Thierry Henry’s trademark curled finish.The way he worked space on the edge of the Auxerre penalty box…
…and opened up his body …
…before passing it into the far corner spoke of a striker who is composed even with time to overthink.
He is able to shift the ball and whip it in the same way, too, even if it is not entirely out of his feet and he is facing away from goal.
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That is one of Nketiah’s weaknesses and it led to several big chances being missed, despite his all-round game clearly having matured. Jesus is not a striker who is likely to score over 20 goals every season, either.In contrast, Balogun has shown signs that he is a man for the big occasion with five match-winning goals and another 10 to open the scoring. These are goals when the match is in the balance and the game is tight. Much is made of the quality gap between Ligue 1 and the Premier League, but the fact he scored against so many teams is also a fairly good indicator that he can adapt his game against different types of defences. He scored against the champions Paris Saint-Germain, registered home and away against second-placed Lens and third-placed Marseille, and also registered a brace against fourth-placed Rennes and a goal against sixth-placed Monaco. He was not just filling his boots against the relegated teams.The thing that allows him to get into scoring positions so often is his movement. It is his biggest strength and it is promising that, at a young age, he understands his abilities so well.“I know I’m fast and I’m able to hold off defenders so the most important thing for me is really the timing,” said Balogun. “If you start at the right time, nobody can stop you.”Reims learned to look for Balogun within seconds of winning the ball back as they knew he could hurt teams on the break. He possesses extremely intelligent movement and against Brest he was able to draw the defender in…
…before spinning …
… and running in behind.
His goal against Troyes in February showcased those perceptive skills again, but it also demonstrated what a powerful runner he is.
He was able to get a run on the defender and barge him out of the way…
… before slotting home with his weaker foot.
He has mastered the art of the out-to-in run, ghosting in from the left channel to get on the end of through balls. It led to several big chances last season.
This one was against Lens…
And this one against Lille…
… to show how effective those darts have been.
The doubts over his suitability for Arsenal mainly stem from the fact that he would not enjoy as much space with teams increasingly dropping deep against Arteta’s men.
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He will have to operate in tighter areas where space is harder to come by, but his movement to get on the end of crosses is good and his combination play can be neat with his ability to lay-off and spin particularly effective.
There are times when his passing and hold-up can look a little clunky.
In his defence, he was often dealing with long balls played up to him with a defender tight to his back as Reims tried to use him to get up the pitch. When he has his back to goal and is under tight pressure, he could do with securing the ball more often.
With two years left on his deal, Arsenal would command a healthy fee for Balogun on the back of an impressive season, but they need to be sure that sanctioning his sale would not turn out to be a costly error. Should he stay or should he go?There are compelling reasons to believe the youngster boasts a profile of forward Arsenal do not currently possess if he could be persuaded to stay and work his way into the team. Convincing a player who was prolific as a regular in Ligue 1 last season to bide his time, though, may be tricky.
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