MLS Leagues Cup Finals Sat 8 pm – Miami & Messi @ Nashville FC 8 pm Apple TV MLS Network
Man this guy is something 9 goals in 6 games and along with Sergio Busquets has turned this Miami team from the worse team in MLS – 11 games no Wins before the GOAT Arrived – to a team that might just be the best team in MLS right now. Check out this goal and these cheecky moves – man Messi and Miami have become MUST WATCH TV. I haven’t watched an entire MLS game since last year’s finals – but I have plopped down by $39 and watched the last 2 Leagues Cup wins for Miami. And I am headed to Cincy on Wednesday night to hopefully see Messi in person as they face Cincy in the US Open Cup. I for one have enjoyed this Leagues Cup with MLS kicking Mexico’s Liga MX buts. Sure Liga MX was on the road in this first ever competition between the full leagues – but it was fun to watch. I even caught myself sort of rooting for Mexican Giant Monterrey to win setting up a Monterrey vs Messi showdown that would have certainly broken the Record for an MLS game if non any Club team in US TV history. Already close to 1 million tuned in to watch Miami and Messi beat Top 4 MLS contender Philly Union at their place. Miami blanked them 4-0 – goal and assist for Messi. (Highlights) Over 1.3 million have purchased Apple’s MLS Season Package to see.
WORLD CUP Finals Sun 6 am England vs Spain on FOX – All European Final
Man I was sad to see the home team bow out to England with Sam Kerr going the whole game – she had her chances to tie the game up 2 or 3 times in the 2nd half before England pulled off the win 3-1. (Highlights) Any won’t it be funny if England Finally BRINGS IT HOME (the World Cup Trophy) and no dignitaries are there to see it – as the King is sending no one to watch. I struck out on my picks last week – missing both games – here goes my thoughts on the final – I like this dysfunctional Spain team 2-1 win over Sweden (highlights) – who obviously hates their coach – winning despite him – in a hard fought 2-1 win in extra time. I like Sweden over the Aussies in the 3rd place game Sat @ 4 am on Fox.
American’s Make World Cup Final After All – The Refs
Four Americans, including center referee Tori Penso, will be officiating Sunday’s Women’s Finals of the World Cup. This marks the first time U.S. Soccer referees will lead the officiating crew in a senior FIFA World Cup final. In addition to Penso, who will be in control of the match, Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt will be on the field as assistant referees while Armando Villarreal will serve as a video assistant referee. None of that would have been possible had the U.S. made the final, as it had in the last three women’s World Cups, since FIFA prohibits referees from working a game if they come from the same country as one of the teams.
Well I asked for a cleaning of the house and that’s what’s happening for the US Ladies – as both Coach Vlatko and Women’s GM Kate MarkGraf have resigned. I will be interested to see who they bring in – you know the Australian Coach Tom Gustavsson was the US Assistant for 2 World Cup’s under Jill Ellis – many think he should have been offered the job rather than a guy with ZERO international experience in Coach A. Either way – it’s a start. But many things need to change if the US Ladies are going to turn this around. (see stories below along with great WC GK Saves).
World Games To Watch – Serie USA starts
Excited to see how Pulisic and Musah do for AC Milan this weekend (Monday actually at 2:45 pm on Paramount Plus as the Italian Serie A (USA) gets underway this weekend. Lots of Stories below about Serie A predictions, Pulisic and Germany predictions as they both kickoff their European seasons. Great interview with Pulisic on Men in Blazers. Also excited to see McKinney and Tim Weah work together at Juventus they face Udinese Sunday at 2:45 p on Para+. Sat Fulham America hosts Brentford on Peacock, while Man City hosts New Castle at 3 pp on USA, right after The Spurs host Man United at 12:30 pm on NBC. Sunday Germany has Union Berlin and American’s Aaronson & Jordan Pfuk facing Mainz.
Carmel Boys Recap 2-2 vs Noblesville Carmel Ties Noblesville 2-2 on this last second score at home. The Top ranked Carmel Ladies beat Westfield @ Pack the House Night at Murray Stadium Friday night 3-2 with a whole bunch of Carmel FC and Carmel Dad’s Club kids on hand in their jerseys. Great turn out folks !
WORLD CUP IN NEW ZEALAND
GAMES ON TV
Sat, Aug 19
4 am FOX WORLD CUP 3rd pl Sweden vs Australia
9 am ESPN+ Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig
10 am PEacock Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs Brentford
10 am USA Liverpool vs AFC Bournemouth (Adams)
12:30 pm NBC Tottenham vs Man United
3 pm USA Man City vs New Castle United
8 pm Apple MLS Pass Nashville vs Miami (Messi, Alba, Bisquets) Leagues Cup Final
9::30 pm ESPN2 San Diego Loyal vs New Mexico United USL
Sun, Aug 20
6 am FOX England vs Spain WORLD CUP FINALS
9 am USA Aston Villa vs Everton
9:30 am ESPN + Union Berlin (Pfuk, Aaronson) vs Mainz
11:30 am USA West Ham United vs Chelsea
1:30 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Cadiz
2:45 pm Para+ Udinese vs Juventus (Mckinney, Musah)
3:30 pm ESPND Real Betis vs Atletico Madrid
7:30 pm Apple TV Columbus Crew vs Cincy
7:15 Apple TV Free NY Red Bulls vs DC United
Mon, Aug 21
2:45 pm Para+ Bologna vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
3 pm USA Crystal Palace vs Arsenal
Wed, Aug 23
7 pm Para + Cincy (Vasquez) vs Inter Miami (MESSI. Busquets, Alba)
8 pm ESPN+ Memphis vs Indy 11
US Women + World Cup
US bred coach Twila Kilgore Named Interim USWNT Coach
USWNT GM Kate Markgraf steps down as U.S. Soccer shake-up continues
The USWNT needs big changes before the 2024 Olympics. Here’s the to-do list Caitlin Murray
Top Candidates to Lead the US Women
Andonovski steps down as USWNT head coach after World Cup failure
Jill Ellis to U.S. Soccer: If you need a USWNT coach, I know just the guy
Carli Lloyd: I was the only one brave enough to say it how it is
England to USWNT: Don’t even think about approaching Weigman
When do World Cup Players Return to NWSL? I will start posting NWSL TV games again
U.S. makes World Cup final after all as referee Penso gets England vs. Spain
American women will have a historic moment after all at the Women’s World Cup
WORLD CUP
The top five Women’s World Cup Golden Ball candidates
England’s head honchos are sitting out the World Cup final
Spain’s rapid rise to Women’s World Cup final, in spite of its coach and federation, is ‘just the beginning’
Spain’s World Cup run to final makes no sense. Or does it? am Marsden and Sophie Lawson
England’s head ruled over Australia’s heart in FIFA Women’s World Cup Joey Lynch
2023 Spain Women’s World Cup roster
2023 England Women’s World Cup roster
Mind the grass: Meet the man in charge of every 2023 Women’s World Cup pitch
Chloe Kelly’s full bladder inspired England penalty heroics
A look at all eight previous Women’s World Cup finals
Fans react to England’s big win over Australia in World Cup semifinals
Ruthless England ruins Australia and Kerr’s big party
Fans react to Spain’s stunning win over Sweden in World Cup semifinals
The odd ambivalence of watching Spain smash this World Cup
The five biggest disappointments of the 2023 Women’s World Cup
Kerr Goal in Spanish
First Nations soccer advisers threaten to quit if the Women’s World Cup doesn’t free more funding
MLS–Leagues Cup Final Miami @ Nashville
Sat 8 pm
Leagues Cup winners, losers: Messi rules over MLS, Liga MXCesar Hernandez
League Cup Final Miami vs Nashville
Inter Miami soar to Leagues Cup final and confidence has followed with them
Messi aims to end magical month with Miami’s first trophy
Lionel Messi scores 9th goal in 6 games as Inter Miami rolls to Leagues Cup final
Wildest Moments in the Leagues Cup so Far
WORLD
Pochettino warns Chelsea’s big-money buys over selection battle
Werder Bremen 0-4 Bayern Munich: Harry Kane scores and assists on Bundesliga debut
‘Very, very smart’: Tuchel toasts Kane’s ‘impressive’ Bayern debut
Serie A 2023-24 predictions, superlatives: Christian Pulisic, Marcus Thuram, among those set to star in Italy
AC Milan Serie A 2023-24 season preview, predictions: Rossoneri might be favorites to win Scudetto
Serie A 2023-24 Preview: What to expect from Osimhen and
Conti to stand in for Mourinho on Roma bench
Bundesliga preview: What you need to know about all 18 teams, key transfers, prospects in 2023-24
Pochettino warns Chelsea’s big-money buys over selection battle
Werder Bremen 0-4 Bayern Munich: Harry Kane scores and assists on Bundesliga debut
‘Very, very smart’: Tuchel toasts Kane’s ‘impressive’ Bayern debut
Signing Kane: How Bayern Munich finally replaced Lewandowski
Aaronson, Tel, Duranville lead Bundesliga breakout U23 stars
Indy 11
Indy Eleven Place Four On USLC Team of the Week
Goalkeeping
England GK Mary Earps Can Cement Place as Worlds Best GK
GK Former US GK US Timmy Howard Back in the Day for Everton
Tape or Brace after an Ankle Sprain? YourVeryOwnAthleticTrainer.com
Return to Play after an Ankle Sprain YourVeryOwnAthleticTrainer.com
Reffing
U.S. makes World Cup final after all as referee Penso gets England vs. Spain
American women will have a historic moment after all at the Women’s World Cup
Claudia Vasconcelos: How this trailblazer referee unexpectedly made history at the first Women’s World Cup
Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over 13
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Women’s World Cup Daily: Final and third-place previews
- ESPN
- Aug 18, 2023, 07:30 AM ET
The final for the 2023 Women’s World Cup is almost here, and these daily files give you the latest reporting from around the tournament as well as betting lines, what-to-watch-for information and best reads. Check in with ESPN throughout the tournament as we bring you the latest from Australia and New Zealand.
The lead: Two games left; one winner to be crowned
Australia vs. Sweden, Lang Park, Brisbane, Australia; Saturday, Aug. 19: 6 p.m. local / 4 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. BST
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook: Australia +185, Draw +230, Sweden +135
BRISBANE, Australia — For Australia, Saturday’s third-place playoff with Sweden represents an opportunity to send off a magical home World Cup on a high, to shrug off the disappointment of a heartbreaking 3-1 loss to England in the semifinals and secure a first-ever podium finish for any senior Australia national team — men’s or women’s — on football’s biggest stage. Tony Gustavsson indicated on Friday that no quarter would be spared and that his strongest line-up would be selected, while the players were in a bullish mood as well.
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“You want to win, 100%,” Clare Polkinghorne declared. “We don’t want to walk away with nothing from this. We’ll recover like any other game — we’ve got third place to win.” At just 21 years old, midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross will likely feature in several future World Cups in green and gold, but she echoed a similar, defiant desire to take something from the coming game. “We’re not leaving here empty-handed,” she said. “We’re definitely going for third place.”
– Women’s World Cup: Landing page | Bracket | Schedule | News
For the Swedes, victory on Saturday would secure them their fourth third-place finish at the World Cup — their third in the past four tournaments — to go along with silver medals at the previous two Olympics. They’ve become experts of a sort on coming so close yet so far, leading to captain Kosovare Asllani declaring after their semifinal loss to Spain that she was “tired of crying big-tournament tears.” Nonetheless, third place is better than fourth, and coach Peter Gerhardsson said the joy of beating England in a playoff four years ago is something they want to experience again — Joey Lynch
Could Wiegman replace Southgate as coach of the England men’s side?
Gab Marcotti & Julien Laurens debate whether Sarina Wiegman could replace Gareth Southgate.
Spain vs. England, Stadium Australia, Sydney; Sunday, Aug. 20: 8 p.m. local, 6 a.m. ET, 11 a.m. BST
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook: Spain +160, Draw +200, England +190
SYDNEY — England have a fully fit squad as they look to complete a remarkable double. Last summer they broke the nation’s long wait for a major trophy when they won Euro 2022, but now they’re looking to add the World Cup title. Coach Sarina Wiegman switched formation midtournament to 3-5-2, and they’ll look to that system to see off Spain. Star forward Lauren James is back in the mix after returning from suspension, but Wiegman faces a selection dilemma over keeping faith with Ella Toone in the No. 10 role or bringing back James.
Leah Williamson, England’s injured captain from the Euros, will be in the stands supporting the Lionesses, and retired legends Jill Scott and Ellen White will also be in Stadium Australia, but this is a new-look England team from the one that won the Euros. England are fully aware of Spain’s threat and have the local knowledge of Barcelona‘s Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze as the Lionesses look to make it two major trophies in 13 months. — Tom Hamilton
Spain coach Jorge Vilda also has some big decisions to make. Vilda has not named the same side twice at the tournament so far, but he might be tempted to stick with the XI that beat Sweden. However, that would mean leaving out Salma Paralluelo once again. The Barcelona teenager started the first four matches at the finals but has starred off the bench in the past two games. She netted the winner against Netherlands in extra time and scored the opener against Sweden. There is no doubt she deserves to start, but will Vilda want to lose her impact off the bench?
The other dilemma centres around Alexia Putellas. The back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner returned to the team against Sweden only to be taken off after an hour. She has not completed 90 minutes since recovering from an ACL injury. Forward Jenni Hermoso could drop into a deeper midfield role, allowing Paralluelo or Esther González to come in if Vilda decides Putellas is not ready. There are also decisions to make at the back, with full-back Oihane Hernández returning from suspension and captain Ivana Andrés fit again. They are all welcome problems for Vilda, though, and demonstrate the depth La Roja have.
Given their star names and success at youth level in recent years, perhaps the biggest surprise is that Spain had never won a knockout game at a major tournament before this World Cup. They feel their time is now and are seeking revenge for last year’s quarterfinal elimination to England at the Euros. — Sam Marsden
Marsden: Salma Paralluelo pivotal in Spain’s semifinal win vs. Sweden
Sam Marsden praises Salma Paralluelo’s influence after coming off the bench to score in Spain’s 2-1 win over Sweden.
Final predictions
Spain 2-1 England. It will be a real clash of styles in the final. European champions England are tough, organised and predictable under Wiegman, and they know how to win. But Spain are the team with the flair and individual brilliance of Paralluelo and Putellas, who is still searching for top form after a long-term cruciate ligament injury. England have the winning pedigree, but Spain are the developing team, and if Paralluelo shines, La Roja will win. — Mark Ogden
England 2-0 Spain. An all-European World Cup final in Sydney to determine the champions of the world. The technical brilliance of Spain against the resourcefulness and adaptability of England. Looking at the way the two teams have played in this tournament, something has got to give with both being ball-dominant sides. I can’t see Spain giving up possession and playing on the counter. Wiegman, though, is one of the best managers in the world, and I fully believe she’ll have a plan ready that can come through. — Lynch
Spain 2-1 England. The team I’ve picked to win has lost ever since the knockout rounds started: the United States, Sweden, now Australia. Based on that alone, it seems Spain will win. The players are incredible to watch, but knowing about the issues the players have had with manager Vilda and the lack of support from their federation makes it hard to fully back them. That said, the Spanish team’s ability to dictate play and score at will is undeniable. La Roja have two of the very best players in the world in Aitana Bonmatí and Putellas, and they play like it. I think it’ll come down to execution, and the Spanish players are just better. — Caitlin Murray
England 2-1 Spain. England have the difference-maker in this final: Wiegman. She knows what it takes to win these tournaments and is the best coach in the world. England will look to take the tempo out of the Spain passing system and control the balance of the match, with Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp the threats up front. — Hamilton
England 2-1 Spain. It will be close, just as almost all the knockout games have been this tournament, but England will edge it. The Lionesses have found some much-needed momentum (and goals) over the past few games, growing into the World Cup, and have shown incredible calm throughout. Experience will be a factor on Sunday, and, against a Spain side who don’t always make the best decisions, England will find their way through. — Sophie Lawson
England 2-1 Spain. England will make it a Euros-World Cup double on Sunday. Wiegman’s tactical genius has so far gotten England through every obstacle at this tournament and they have found a way to win even when they haven’t looked convincing. Throw in the fact that the Lionesses appear to be getting into a groove at exactly the right time, and their finals experience, and England look the goods. That being said, Spain will be no easy beats and goals should come from both sides. La Roja’s best is exceptionally good, but England will find a way to crush Spanish dreams. — Marissa Lordanic
Lordanic: Devastation for Matildas after semifinal loss to England
Marissa Lordanic reacts to Australia’s 3-1 loss to England in the semifinal of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Sights and sounds
TV ratings a winner despite Matildas’ heartbreaking loss
MELBOURNE, Australia — The Matildas’ efforts to secure a fairy-tale World Cup win on home soil came to a heartbreaking end on Wednesday evening, but Australia continued to smash records in support of them nonetheless. Yet again, television rating records were smashed as the nation rallied around its women in green and gold: free-to-air broadcaster the Seven Network has declared that its broadcast of the Matildas’ 3-1 loss to the Lionesses was the most-watched television program in Australia since 2001, when the current rating system was established.
Per the broadcaster, the semifinal clash reached 11.15 million Australians at some point during its broadcast (approx. 41% of the total population), with an average audience of 7.13m (approx 26.7%).
The Matildas have already smashed the previous benchmarks in Australian ratings history, such as Ash Barty’s win at the 2022 Australian Open, Lleyton Hewitt’s loss at that same event in 2005, and England’s win over the Wallabies in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Given that the Seven Network figures don’t include those watching the contest on Optus Sport — who on-sold the rights to select games, including Matildas’ matches, to the free-to-air network — or those watching at pubs, clubs and the dozens of live sites across the country, the number of viewers for the game could even surpass the record set when more than 8 million Australians watched as Cathy Freeman won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics under the previous rating scheme.
Given that several members of the squad, including Sam Kerr, cite Freeman as their childhood inspiration, the Matildas breaking that mark would represent a piece of romantic serendipity. — Lynch
Early USWNT exit a motivating force?
SYDNEY — Former two-time Women’s World Cup-winning coach Jill Ellis said the failure of the United States women’s national team at this year’s tournament should galvanize leaders to make changes and be a turning point in the sport in the country.”Do I see it as a step back? No, I see it as a motivating force,” Ellis told reporters at the FIFA Women’s Football Convention on Friday. “People need to come to the table. We can spur more collaboration. Maybe this is a moment and reflection point for us to get together and for stakeholders to work out a bigger plan.”Such discussions should include changes at the U.S. youth development level, she added.”At the end of the day, you want the best players to train with the best players,” Ellis said. “I mean, the ECNL had a 6-0 semifinal. There’s so much disparity in that league, and it’s the best.”The Elite Clubs National League, or ECNL, is the premier youth developmental league in the United States for girls.”The beauty of the smaller countries is they get the best to train with each other, so how do we look at that environment?” Ellis added. “How do we get the best coaches in the youth environment? The training environment matters.” — Murray
Alessia Russo ready for World Cup final ‘dream’ vs. Spain
Alessia Russo speaks about playing in a World Cup final and whether England are treating the game any differently.
News of the day
– Former Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg led the backlash against Gianni Infantino on Friday after the FIFA president said women need to “pick the right battles” and “convince men” to enforce change. The Norway and Lyon striker responded to Infantino on X (formerly Twitter) after his speech, which came ahead of Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final between England and Spain in Sydney. She wrote ironically: “Working on a little presentation to convince men. Who’s in?” Infantino had earlier hit back at critics at the FIFA Women’s Football Convention, saying that expanding the tournament to 32 teams has turned out to be a success and that “FIFA was right” to do so.- Australia coach Gustavsson said there will be no room for sentimentality at the selection table in the World Cup third-place playoff against Sweden, with it his intention that the strongest possible side will take the field. Alanna Kennedy was ruled out with delayed onset concussion symptoms on Friday morning, but the rest of the squad trained, albeit Katrina Gorry, her left leg encased in a pressure bandage, was on an individualised, lighter load during the portion of training open to the media. “If it was emotional, those players would play because they deserve to play,” he said. “But I can’t pick based on emotions. This is a third-placed game, we’re playing for a medal. I’m gonna make sure we have a line-up there that is the strongest starting line-up we can have but also the strongest finishing line-up. I’m just going to plan what I think is best for the team in this one game and not look at it as a bigger picture than that. It’s not about giving players experience just for the sake of giving experience. This is a game to win.”
– England’s determination to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup could be on hold until 2035 at the earliest due to the English FA opting against an attempt to bid to stage the 2027 competition. UK government Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said last month “it is a matter of when not whether” the country would submit a bid to host the competition, but the situation facing England is more complex than simply entering the bidding race. The FA has already accepted that a joint bid involving Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands will be Europe’s sole submission for 2027, with South Africa, Brazil and a U.S.-Mexico effort also aiming for the hosting rights. A decision on the hosts will be made in May 2024.
A successful Germany-Belgium-Netherlands bid would rule out a European host nation in 2031, so the English FA, although keen to capitalise on the accelerated growth of women’s football and last year’s successful staging of Euro 2022, are now prepared to play the long game to win hosting rights in the future.”In terms of bidding, we’re obviously conscious we’ve had a lot of tournaments,” English FA CEO Mark Bullingham said. “We’ve put a bid in for Euro 2028, and that’s obviously a big commitment. We would love to host the Women’s World Cup one day, don’t get any doubt on that, but if you look at the landscape, you’ve got Germany, Belgium and Netherlands bidding for 2027, so potentially be the one after that [2035].”England hasn’t hosted a men’s World Cup since 1966, and a proposed joint UK bid for 2030 has been dropped. There are no existing plans to bid for a subsequent Men’s World Cup, but the women’s event is a more likely target. “There are 211 countries in FIFA, and the fact is we’ve had the women’s Euros so recently, we’ve had the men’s Euros final, we’re hopefully going to secure the men’s Euros for 2028; that’s actually a lot of Euros in our country at one time, clearly the next step would be to get a World Cup, men’s or women’s,” Bullingham added. “And I think a Women’s World Cup could be brilliant for us and brilliant for the game.” — Ogden
– Seeking to attach itself to the momentum that has seen the Matildas break attendance and rating records across Australia, the A-League Women (ALW) competition will launch before its men’s counterpart for the first time in 2023-24, attempting to break domestic attendance records in a stand-alone opening round this October. The coming season will mark the first time the ALW features 12 teams and a full home-and-away season — the only major footballing code in Australia to do so — and commissioner Nick Garcia said the league wants to see “more fans in bigger venues cheering on our stars” across its first week. The ALW has consistently battled for mainstream recognition in Australia, magnified in recent years as members of the Matildas squad struck out to play in European leagues — Lynch
Features of the day
Meet the man in charge of every 2023 Women’s World Cup pitch
Arguably the most important, yet ignored, figure at the World Cup is the man responsible for every single pitch used in Australia and New Zealand.
‘Mystic Meerkats’ predict England Women’s World Cup final run
England’s run through the Women’s World Cup knockout phase to the final has been predicted, game by game, by meerkats at Drusillas Park.
Five things the USWNT must do before the 2024 Olympics
After a disastrous Women’s World Cup, the USWNT needs serious reform with destination Paris less than a year away.
And finally …
SYDNEY — Alex Chidiac‘s hopes of reaching the final were dashed when she and her Australia teammates suffered a 3-1 defeat to England in their semifinal, but there’s still one major prize she’s after: teatime with Women’s World Cup mascot Tazuni.A longtime appreciator of the mascot arts, Chidiac has taken a particular affinity to Tazuni — a Eudyptula penguin native to Australia and New Zealand. Ever since Tazuni’s reveal ahead of the tournament, Chidiac has gone as far as to don a penguin outfit when she and other Matildas met the mascot last November.The talented midfielder has owned an Emperor penguin plush since her childhood, a toy that follows her on her travels around the world as an emotional stand-in for her mother, who also owns a small penguin plush representing Chidiac. With the tournament almost over, Chidiac is becoming slightly concerned that Tazuni hasn’t been returning her calls.”Is there anything we get, like a Tazuni plush toy?” Chidiac asked. “[Tazuni] leaves after the game. The live one leaves after the game, and I’d like to celebrate with her. Just to hang out. I’ve been wanting to get a cup of tea with her since I met her; she’s been ghosting me.”More seriously, Chidiac’s continued dearth of minutes this World Cup has become a significant point of consternation in the Australian fanbase.One of the Matildas’ most technically proficient players, one who is willing to embrace risk and possesses the talent to slice open a defence, the 24-year-old has featured just twice this tournament off the bench and, on both occasions, was thrown on with her side down 3-1 and the game largely settled.”It’s always up to the coach at the end of the day,” Chidiac told reporters when asked what she felt she needed to do to play. “So it’s tough for me to say what else I need to do — it’s not up to me. I’m just trying to do my best every session and put myself forward in any way possible.” — Lynch
England have lost once in 38 games under Wiegman – why are they so hard to beat?
By Michael Cox and Charlotte Harpur15m ago The Athletic
Winning a major tournament is not about your ceiling, it’s about your floor.ngland have rarely played exhilarating football at this Women’s World Cup, with the exception of the 6-1 victory over China in the final group game. Against knockout-stage-quality opposition, Sarina Wiegman’s side haven’t offered a performance as majestic as, say, Japan in their 4-0 thrashing of Spain, or Sweden in the first half of their 2-1 win over Japan, or even Nigeria in the second half of their 3-2 win over Australia.
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All those victorious sides, however, have now been eliminated. England have not and, over the course of two years under Wiegman’s management, we have seen how difficult they are to beat, having lost once in 38 games.
The list of managers who have tried and failed to beat England during her time in charge is growing by the week. Brazil’s Pia Sundhage watched her side draw the Finalissima at Wembley in April before losing on penalties, and she was impressed with what she saw.
“They are so good, whatever they do,” she said. “If you look at the passing patterns, we know them but we’re one step behind and there they are. England are so comfortable in the way they play — just look at the Euros. Even if you and I know exactly how it is going to go… the ball is played there, I should be there and everybody knows. But England will be successful.”
The Lionesses’ solid base has helped them become an excellent tournament side, not because they always play well, but because they never play terribly. But how?
Few managers know how to get through major tournaments quite like Wiegman. This is, remarkably, her fourth straight European Championship or World Cup where she’s reached the final — two with the Netherlands and two with England. The common theme has been a fine defensive record. Her Netherlands side conceded once in five matches before a 4-2 win over Denmark in the Euro 2017 final and three times in six matches before a 2-0 loss to the USWNT in the 2019 World Cup final.
Vivianne Miedema: Wiegman has evolved but this is how she will handle World Cup final
With England, it was two concessions in five matches before a 2-1 win over Germany in the final of Euro 2022 and this year there have been three concessions in six matches so far. Of those three goals, one was a penalty and two were unstoppable long-range efforts. Overall, in the 22 matches leading up to the final, Wiegman’s sides have kept 13 clean sheets. In nine matches, they’ve conceded once. Never have they conceded twice. Wiegman’s sides don’t always sparkle, but they never collapse.
Wiegman on the touchline against Australia (Ane Frosaker/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Despite her teams being defensively strong, they are never defensive. They generally take the game to the opposition. They are patient in their build-up play, asserting control in the opposition half. They usually defend with a high line. And yet England are rarely caught out, despite — or because of — a major system change midway through the tournament, from 4-3-3 to 3-5-2. We also have to take into account the absence of Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby — three surefire starters.
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“I think Sarina Wiegman is exceptional,” says Jill Ellis, who coached the U.S. to success at the previous two World Cups. “She’s made big adjustments within the tournament. And from the Euros to now, you’ve got players like Alessia Russo starting, you had Lauren James starting. These were players that weren’t starting. So she’s not only brought that talent on to be starters a year later, but they’ve shone; they’ve done exceptionally well.
“I think she’s managed this tournament close to perfect. She’s done a remarkable job and her staff have done a remarkable job, as well as the players they’ve brought in. They adjusted during the tournament when they played China. They found ways to win at times. They’ve come back from being behind. And it’s tough to go out and play in front of 75,000 people that are not cheering for you. So we’ve got to give full credit to England and their staff. Sarina has managed an incredible tournament.”
How Sarina Wiegman manages – by those who’ve experienced it
Those tactical changes over the past month have been instrumental in taking the team to the World Cup final. “In April we had meetings with the technical staff,” said Wiegman. “We had the last camp and said, ‘Where are we now? What can we do?’. We tried to find ways to be unpredictable for our opponents. At that time the squad still had lots of wingers so we thought we’d stick with what we wanted to do, stick with the same shape.
“Then, during the tournament, the first two matches we were struggling a bit and we had moments where we played really well but we also had moments where we were a little vulnerable. After the second match Arjan (Veurink, Wiegman’s assistant) came to me and said, ‘Sarina, let’s sit down. Isn’t this the time to go to a 3-5-2?’. I said. ‘You’re completely right, this is the right setting’.
“Now, how the squad is built and with the players available, we can get more of their strengths in this shape, so then we changed.”
Belief is an abstract concept which is hard to measure, but the England players have an aura about them. It is not an arrogant swagger but a gentle breeze of unwavering belief.
“Sarina makes you feel on top of the world and confidence can go a long way for a footballer,” Beth Mead tells The Athletic.
Despite the challenges England have encountered in this World Cup, they have never crumbled. Prior to Wiegman’s reign, they would have done.
The manager has created a collective who really know each other. One of her buzzwords is “connections” and that is why when she first came in as England boss in September 2021, she created a safe environment so each player and staff member could express themselves.
The England manager sent players off in pairs to find out more about each other, the theory being the connections would transcend to the pitch.
In high-pressure moments, you need calm heads. Wiegman and her assistant, Veurink, do not yell. The players feel their reassurance on the sidelines and in team talks. Wiegman knows that if she prepares well and has planned for different scenarios, then she’ll feel calm, but, most importantly, she has learned how to conduct herself from experience.
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The Dutch duo are quick to recognise what to do in various situations. Veurink, a very good tactical reader of the game, will spot minor details that can have a big impact. They keep instructions simple and to the point.
Wiegman and Veurink in training (Photo: Naomi Baker – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Wiegman is also a master of creating a tight-knit team, especially in tournaments. She keeps her squad focused on themselves and never gets carried away with the noise or added pressure from the outside. “She will not leave an opening for anyone who is outside the team,” Arvid Smit, who was Wiegman’s assistant coach with the Netherlands, says. “That’s impossible. That’s what makes her team so strong. You are together with staff and players and there’s nothing going out and in. She manages that really well.”
Although they have not hit top form, England players have a licence to play with freedom and enjoy their football. It sounds simple, but a happy person is a happy footballer. There are patterns of play but it’s not overly prescriptive. Players under Wiegman express themselves.
“That’s one thing I’ve really loved about her coming in,” said Millie Bright last year. “You don’t feel pressured to play a certain pass — whatever you see it’s your decision and the team goes with it. If it’s wrong, you learn to make a better decision next time. I feel really free to be able to play like that and it gives me confidence. Football changes in every second of the game. You can’t be predictable. We have game plans but being able to express ourselves has taken us to another level.”
When Wiegman was asked why Russo and Lauren Hemp are playing so well together up front in the aftermath of the 3-1 win over Australia, she was keen to stress it is because they have “complementary” qualities.
The same might be said of her defence. Last year’s centre-back duo of Bright and Williamson worked so effectively because they offered completely different skills. Bright was the aerially dominant centre-back who was impossible to beat, while Williamson was the reader of the game who distributed the ball forward intelligently.
This year’s balance at the back works even better. Now using a back three, Wiegman is fielding three completely different players in defence. Bright remains in position in the middle, always there to clear the ball. To her right, Jess Carter is England’s best one-on-one defender and good at covering ground quickly. On the left, Alex Greenwood offers a left-footed option, particularly important considering that left wing-back Rachel Daly is right-footed.
Carter in action against Australia (Andy Cheung/Getty Images)
England also protect the defence very well, regardless of whether Keira Walsh is on her own with two midfielders ahead or Georgia Stanway is positioned alongside her. They have an excellent understanding and England seldom leave space between the lines.
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Consistency of selection was a key tenet in Wiegman’s approach last year. Things have varied more at the World Cup with that major system alteration, chopping and changing to find her best XI in the group stage and the absences of James and Walsh through injury and suspension respectively. But since settling on the 3-5-2, Wiegman has kept the same XI together when possible. She’s retained faith in Russo, who was slightly misfiring in the group stage. She’s stuck with Daly at left wing-back, despite concerns about her against the trickery of Nigeria and Colombia.
Most interestingly, Wiegman has used substitutes very sparingly. In the age of five substitutes, she has used just 2.7 per game, the joint-lowest in the competition. She’s introduced a substitute 17 times in total at this tournament, a significant difference from the approach of Spain boss Jorge Vilda, who has used 29.
That’s partly because England’s games have been tighter going into the final stages, whereas Spain’s first four were all over at an early stage. But Wiegman isn’t looking to turn to fresh legs to restore a lead. In the aftermath of the 2-1 win over Colombia, she indicated she was reluctant to use substitutes unnecessarily because they might take time to adjust to the tempo of the game. She believes a consistent XI is more solid.
Consideration must also be given to England’s set-piece defending. They are yet to concede from a dead-ball situation in tournament football under Wiegman, although Lucy Bronze’s handball against China that led to England’s only concession of the group stage from the penalty spot did come from a corner. Bright and Bronze are England’s best defenders in that sense — Carter and Greenwood are reliable too — while Russo and Daly effectively both bring the aerial power you expect of No 9s.
If either side are to put on a true footballing exhibition in Sunday’s final, it is likely to be the tiki-taka specialists from Spain. But great football rarely wins tournaments. Wiegman’s way often does.
Five things the USWNT must do before the 2024 Olympics
- Caitlin Murray, ESPNAug 17, 2023, 03:39 PM ET
When it comes to the future of the U.S. women’s national team, there’s a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it.Vlatko Andonovski has finally resigned as head coach after steering the USWNT to its worst Women’s World Cup finish in program history. His decision to step down was as necessary as it was inevitable, but it doesn’t automatically fix anything.The USWNT still needs serious reform, but with another major tournament coming up in less than a year in the form of the 2024 Olympics, there’s not a lot of time to spare. The U.S. Soccer Federation is now in a situation where it’ll be making decisions soon that will have big impacts in the short term and for years to come.Here is a look at the biggest items on the to-do list for U.S. Soccer and whoever becomes the next USWNT coach.
Step 1: Pick a coach (and make sure they have the qualifications Andonovski lacked)
U.S. Soccer has announced that new sporting director Matt Crocker will be leading the search for a new coach. It’s perhaps notable that USWNT GM Kate Markgraf is not leading that search, but we’ll get to that in a moment.Crocker’s background is not in women’s soccer — before joining U.S. Soccer full time earlier this month, he headed football operations for Southampton in the Premier League — but it shouldn’t be difficult to hire someone qualified. Andonovski had no international experience — not as a player, not as an assistant coach, and not as a head coach — which should’ve disqualified him for the job.If U.S. Soccer is willing to pay for the best coaches in women’s soccer, poaching another international coach is a no-brainer. Coaches such as England‘s Sarina Wiegman and Australia‘s Tony Gustavsson should be at the top of U.S. Soccer’s list, but with the 2024 Olympics around the corner, some of these proven coaches might not be available yet.
That leaves U.S. Soccer with two ways to approach this:
1. Hire someone on a multiyear contract through the next World Cup-Olympics cycle, and settle if the best candidates are still committed to their current teams, or
2. Bring on someone for the Olympics only, then make a permanent hire afterward when more candidates become available.
If U.S. Soccer wants to look short term at the Olympics only, former USWNT coach Jill Ellis makes an intriguing option, too. She wasn’t on the list of USWNT head-coach candidates ESPN’s experts put together because, over the long term, it doesn’t seem as if it would make sense for Ellis or for U.S. Soccer. But in the short term, if no long-term candidates are available, maybe U.S. Soccer can convince her?
Ellis stepped down after winning back-to-back World Cups in 2015 and 2019, the ultimate high note to leave on. But the part of her legacy no one talks about anymore is the disappointing quarterfinal exit at the 2016 Olympics. A retry at the next Olympics is a chance for her to find success in the one tournament where she didn’t win. In her favor is the fact that, even if it goes poorly, it still won’t tarnish her double-World Cup-winning legacy.
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(I interviewed Ellis for a piece I did about Gustavsson, where she said U.S. Soccer ought to look at Gustavsson as a candidate, and I didn’t have time to ask her whether she’d be interested in the USWNT job herself. She’s leading FIFA’s technical study group for this World Cup and was pressed for time as she spoke to me between meetings. This is another reason I doubt she’s looking to go back into coaching full time right now: plenty of opportunities keep coming her way, beyond her president role at San Diego Wave FC.)
Whatever U.S. Soccer does, the struggles of Andonovski raise the stakes to get this hire right. Maybe there was a time when the USWNT had such a differential in talent, fitness and/or resources — you name it — that it could overcome a bad coach, but the Andonovski era proved that time has passed.
Step 2: Decide whether the USWNT needs a GM at all (and whether it should be Markgraf)
When Markgraf was hired as general manager for the U.S. women’s national team in 2019, it was a new position. It also seemed, at least on paper, as if it might be an unnecessary position.
U.S. Soccer added a general manager on the men’s side after the men’s team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Whether this was a move that has provided extra support for the men’s team or was intended to add a buffer layer of accountability for people at the top of U.S. Soccer is something fans and pundits continue to debate. But once the men’s team added a GM, the women’s team had to have one too.
U.S. Soccer then added another layer of oversight when Markgraf’s hire was announced: men’s GM Earnie Stewart was promoted to sporting director — becoming Markgraf’s boss in large part, sources told me, because his salary was so much higher than Markgraf’s as GM that the optics were seen as a problem within U.S. Soccer. Brian McBride was later hired as the new men’s GM.
Vlatko Andonovski steps down as USWNT head coach
Cristina Alexander details Vlatko Andonovski deciding to step down as head coach of the USWNT.
Stewart, a sporting director for various men’s teams, did not have relevant experience in women’s soccer (just like Crocker), and Markgraf, while an intriguing hire for a lot of reasons, had no experience in sports administration herself — and then she hired an inexperienced coach, too. In short, two people were apparently directly responsible for overseeing what Andonovski did — Stewart and Markgraf — but in the end it didn’t seem to help much.
U.S. Soccer has not replaced McBride as the men’s GM since he stepped down in January, and maybe the federation won’t. If the federation doesn’t have a men’s GM anymore, does it need a women’s GM? In May, Oguchi Onyewu was hired in a new role called “VP of sporting” that directly reports to Crocker. That role, which U.S. Soccer said doesn’t replace the men’s GM role, oversees everything U.S. Soccer does despite, again, Onyewu having no background in women’s soccer.
For years the USWNT didn’t have a GM and everything worked out just fine. This isn’t cause-and-effect, of course — the timing might be incidental as much as anything because women’s soccer is getting much more competitive, which we’ve seen during this World Cup. But U.S. Soccer changes its organizational chart seemingly as often as the U.S. national teams change their kit designs, so the federation’s top brass are probably in the midst of deciding not only whether Markgraf should remain as the USWNT’s GM but whether the USWNT needs a GM at all.
Step 3: Retool the USWNT roster (and cut players without sentiment, as hard as it is)
The USWNT’s World Cup roster is full of players who have had previous success on the international stage or have been outstanding in the National Women’s Soccer League. But that clearly didn’t always translate to the 2023 World Cup.
Rather than hoping they’ll come good, the players who have performed well in the NWSL but not for the USWNT need to be cut loose. In some cases it might be clear — Andonovski loaded his World Cup roster with successful NWSL players he apparently didn’t think were good enough to see the field — but others will be tough. Look, for instance, at the case of Savannah DeMelo. We don’t know whether she can hack it at the USWNT level because she made the roster as an uncapped player and was thrown into a role without much of a chance to succeed.
For the players with outsized reputations, the next coach must shed any reverence for the past. That job is made a bit easier by the retirement of Megan Rapinoe — she was sensational for the USWNT for about a decade but, at this World Cup, didn’t look like the world-class player she once was. The USWNT needs to invest in finding its next great game-changing winger instead of hoping it can still be Rapinoe.
Other evaluations of veterans won’t be as easy. Alex Morgan has been the face of the USWNT for years now, but she also had a very rough World Cup. There needs to be a serious examination about whether she wasn’t put in the right position to succeed or whether she just isn’t at the level to contribute to the USWNT.
This is the sort of tough decision-making that must happen with every player before settling on an Olympic squad.
Step 4: Make the system and the tactics fit the USWNT player pool
Andonovski’s tactics were a failure at the World Cup, full stop.
His attacking line, for instance, was full of redundant parts. Morgan needs service to thrive as a striker, but the so-called wingers on either side of her were actually strikers who wanted to dribble and shoot, not pass the ball. Why play a 4-3-3 that can’t score goals in the way a 4-3-3 is meant to score goals?
His midfield was also a mess. That was proved by the fact that switching to a double pivot with Emily Sonnett — in her first start in the midfield for the USWNT — seemed to fix a lot of the USWNT’s problems. Unfortunately, that switch came far too late in the World Cup.
So what’s the next coach to do? Well, it should depend on how the roster looks once the coach finishes Step 3.
The system needs to fit the players, not the other way around. This isn’t club soccer, where you can go out and sign players for the system you want and then work on it every day for months at a time. This is national team soccer, where the players in your pool are the only players you have and the system should be relatively turnkey and easy for them to execute with limited prep time.
On top of that, the next coach needs to make sure the players are comfortable with different systems based on different scenarios. Andonovski seemed to have an idea about how the USWNT should play, and he never really deviated from it. The wacky tactical experiments and surprise formations former coach Ellis tried (and got criticized for) in friendlies? Andonovski never did that, and because of that the players could not adapt or solve problems on the field in the World Cup.
Can USWNT land ‘dream’ hire after Andonovski’s resignation?
Ali Krieger answers a question about the possibility of the USWNT luring England manager Sarina Wiegman or Australia manager Tony Gustavsson to replace Vlatko Andonovski.
Step 5: Make team chemistry and player mentality a focus to bring back USWNT swagger
If U.S. Soccer nails the previous four steps, the USWNT will be in much better shape, but there is something else that has been missing from this team. It’s harder to put your finger on, and it could’ve been because of the bad tactics the players were saddled with, but the mentality was off during the World Cup.
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Lindsey Horan and Lynn Williams, in their final media availability before the fateful round-of-16 match against Sweden, volunteered that the players had discussed with one another wanting to play with more joy. That they admitted that confirms a lack of confidence that didn’t help the USWNT either. After all, through four games, the USWNT’s expected goals, or xG, was 9.14, per Opta calculations, and the team took 85 shots but scored only four times. A team with more swagger was probably going to score more off those chances.Although Sweden got knocked out in the semifinals, the Swedes looked much better than the USWNT did at every point. The Sweden players also discussed how much fun they were having and how much they were enjoying each other’s company. They held cornhole tournaments and played games with each other to decompress. Compare that to a USWNT group that, from outside, didn’t appear to be having fun.(I personally asked multiple players how they spent their downtime, and the response I always got was that recovery and meals were their downtime. If they did any team-bonding activities, they kept it a secret.)The Swedish players talked throughout the tournament about the importance of their team psychologist — indeed, the cornhole tournament was the psychologist’s idea. But it could be as simple as allowing the players to take their mind off soccer — at past tournaments, players took team field trips to zoos and landmarks together. In Auckland, New Zealand, they said their days were filled with training and recovery “modalities.”Or maybe there’s something else that needs to be addressed. Whatever it is, the USWNT needs its mojo back.
Leagues Cup winners, losers: Messi rules over MLS, Liga MX
- Cesar Hernandez Aug 17, 2023, 11:55 AM ET
After 70-plus matches featuring 47 teams from North America’s MLS and Liga MX, the first-ever fully expanded edition of the Leagues Cup tournament is set to conclude Saturday.
The World Cup-style competition, kicked off by a dramatic game-winning goal from Argentina superstar Lionel Messi in his Inter Miami CF debut last month, has been exceedingly entertaining and at times bizarre. We’ve seen thrilling high-scoring results, an outcome flipped on its head after players were called back to retake a final round of penalties, lengthy weather delays, stunning golazos, a raccoon storming through a press box, and of course, a goalkeeper literally doing magic tricks in the middle of a penalty shootout.
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It’s been a highly enjoyable few weeks and on Saturday, we’ll see who will lift the interleague trophy when Nashville SC host Messi’s Miami in the blockbuster championship match. Earlier in the day, as an appetizer, the Philadelphia Union will host Monterrey in the tournament’s third-place game.
Summarizing the competition is no easy task, especially when you consider the constant supply of fireworks and eccentricity that has been on display. That said, clear talking points and lessons have been gained and ahead of the weekend’s conclusion, here are a few winners and losers of the lively 2023 edition of the Leagues Cup.
Winners
Messi mania in Miami and MLS
Who would have guessed that the greatest player of all-time would have been a success both on and off the field?
From the minute Messi first stepped onto the pitch in the tournament’s opener between Miami and Cruz Azul, to the buildup to Saturday’s championship match, the World Cup winner has been a massive triumph for Miami and MLS. With nine goals and four assists in just six games played, the 36-year-old (along with new teammates such as Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba) has helped transform the worst team in MLS to an immediate powerhouse that has now qualified for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Whether it be in the stands, with celebrities like LeBron James and Kim Kardashian in attendance, or on TV screens, attention on MLS has soared. Ticket prices are through the roof for Messi’s games and according to a social media post from Miami owner Jorge Mas last week, subscribers to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV have more than doubled since Messi’s arrival.
By Saturday, the Messi spotlight could grow even brighter with a possible first trophy with his new team.
Liga MX optimists
Living in the shadow of Messi and his MLS impact, Liga MX clubs are dealing with a mixed bag of feelings with no representation in the final.
If we’re looking at the glass half-empty, Mexican media and fans will feel justified by their complaints that Liga MX teams have been falling behind in recent years. For those looking for examples of stagnation, arguments have been made that no Liga MX teams in the final and just two overall in the quarterfinal stage point to an ongoing mismanagement of the Mexican top flight.
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However, if we crunch the numbers for individual Liga MX vs. MLS results at the Leagues Cup, the glass does tend to look half-full. Playing as the constantly traveling visitors, Liga MX teams have so far gone 17W-12D-17L (90 minutes only, not including penalties). MLS teams at home only won those Liga MX matchups outright 36.9% of the time.
That’s actually a fantastic sign for the competitiveness of Liga MX that isn’t talked about enough. Even when you take away Mexican title favorites like Club America, Monterrey and Tigres, Liga MX’s middle-to-lower-tier teams held a 9W-10D-15L away record vs. MLS clubs.
As an aside, in a recent exclusive interview with ESPN, Liga MX president Mikel Arriola did leave the door open to the possibility of hosting Leagues Cup matches in Mexico.
Nashville
Keeping the previous section in mind, what Nashville have done looks all the more impressive. With the caveat of their home-field advantage, the Tennessee club found knockout-round success against both America and Monterrey, two Mexican clubs that were pre-tournament favorites to win it all.
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Earlier in the round of 32, Nashville also had to surpass rivals FC Cincinnati.
“To be able to come through this tournament beating Cincinnati, beating Club America, beating a good Minnesota team handily [5-0 in the quarterfinals] and then obviously beating Monterrey, we should be full of confidence,” club captain Dax McCarty told the league’s website after defeating Monterrey 2-0 in Tuesday’s semifinal. “I can tell you right now, there’s no one in that locker room right now that’s afraid or scared of the moment and scared to play this Miami team.”
While most of the American soccer world has been focusing on Messi’s every move, Nashville deserve a huge amount of credit for their run to the final. This is a team that joined the league alongside Miami in 2020 to much less fanfare, and yet they’re now on the cusp of a first-ever trophy, led by the two goals and five assists from game-changing attacker Hany Mukhtar.
And at the very least, like Miami, they’ve officially qualified for next year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup for the very first time.
Queretaro‘s Cinderella run
On paper, Queretaro shouldn’t have even been included in the Leagues Cup conversation. Were it not for the ongoing pause on promotion/relegation in Mexico’s top flight, Los Gallos Blancos would currently be playing in the second division.
Heading into the tournament as the team with the lowest market value in Liga MX and MLS, according to Transfermarkt, Queretaro not only made it out of the group stage, but somehow finished in the quarterfinals. In fact, they made things difficult for 2022 MLS Cup finalists Philadelphia Union last week, narrowly missing a semifinal spot after a 2-1 loss after an injury-time goal for the hosts.
Playing a defensive-minded approach from manager and former player Mauro Gerk, as opposed to the typical intense attack-heavy style championed by most Liga MX clubs, Queretaro found success on their own terms as they outpaced all but one Mexican team.
Losers
Canadian clubs
Often overlooked in the U.S. vs. Mexico rivalry that encompasses both clubs and national teams, Canada can at times feel like a third wheel in North American soccer. And yet when handed a chance to steer the narrative in their direction at the Leagues Cup, MLS’s three Canadian sides didn’t do much to steal headlines.
Toronto FC, with zero points, were knocked out in the group stage. CF Montreal, with two points, also suffered a group-stage exit. Only the Vancouver Whitecaps made it through to the next round after a second-place finish in their group, but once there, they were quickly pushed out after a round-of-32 penalty shootout with Tigres.Barring an unexpected title push this season in MLS (Vancouver as long shots?), Canadian teams will need to wait until at least 2024 to get top billing over the U.S. and Mexico focus.
Mexico’s cuatro grandes
The largest fan bases in Liga MX and likely in all of North America? Check. Long-heralded histories that could provide a boost in the Leagues Cup? Check. Silverware or progress made in that Leagues Cup tournament? Well, about that …Mexico’s traditional “big four” of America, Chivas, Cruz Azul and Pumas will probably want to quickly move on from their summer performances. With a chance to show MLS clubs and new Liga MX powerhouses like Monterrey and Tigres that they could thrive in an international competition, all four teams ultimately fell short of their own expectations.For Chivas, who entered the Leagues Cup with a promising 3W-0D-0L start to the Liga MX season, the Guadalajara giants collapsed with two consecutive losses and a group-stage exit. Things only went slightly better for Pumas and Cruz Azul, both of whom were rapidly knocked out in the round of 32. Cruz Azul, facing behind-the-scenes turmoil with ownership and staff, later fired coach Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti after falling to Charlotte FC.Club America went a step further into the round of 16, but for a team and organization that prides themselves as being consistent title contenders, anything short of a final appearance is a failure. Sure, part of their exit was due to a controversial retaking of a penalty shootout that had initially gone in their favor, but they only have themselves to blame for putting themselves in that position to begin with.
Austin FC and the LA Galaxy
Teams could be forgiven for being knocked out in the group stage. With the countless variables coming into play for a tournament that was expanded to all Liga MX and MLS clubs for the first time, it wasn’t a surprise to see the occasional upset or shocking result.But when you finish last in your group with zero points, and also with the added advantage of hosting all of your group-stage matches, that’s a different conversation. Austin and the Galaxy were the two teams to do that this summer.While the Galaxy imploded in spectacular fashion after scoring a late own-goal and allowing an injury-time winner from Vancouver that ended the California club’s group-stage run, Austin were embarrassed twice in a row at home in losses to Liga MX minnows Mazatlan and FC Juarez.”This is disappointing, this is really disappointing, there’s no other way to put it,” Austin’s Ethan Finlay said after his side were eliminated from contention. “We had to win one game out of two.”
Tired, out-of-form clubs returning to regular seasons
With both Liga MX and MLS returning to regular season play this weekend (for clubs not involved in the final or third-place matches), time will tell who the Leagues Cup will hurt more: teams who were knocked out early, but subsequently had longer breaks, or teams who are more in rhythm but with more mileage in their legs.For struggling teams in both leagues such as the Colorado Rapids, Toronto, the Galaxy, Puebla and Necaxa, it’s tough to imagine that poor performances this summer will provide a boost in the return to regular-season play. On the other end of the spectrum, it’ll also be interesting to see what group-stage exits mean for Liga MX league-leaders Chivas and Western Conference leaders St. Louis City SC.Also of note are Monterrey and Philadelphia, both of whom will be gutted that they won’t be fighting for silverware on Saturday. Although the Union still have a CONCACAF Champions Cup spot that’s up for grabs for the third-place finisher, could the extra minutes and exertion in the Leagues Cup hurt their regular-season run? Will Monterrey’s constant traveling and injuries gained in the competition drop their morale in the returning Apertura season?
Bournemouth agree Tyler Adams deal with Leeds; USMNT midfielder set for £23m transfer
By Adam Leventhal and Phil Hay Aug 18, 2023 The Athletic
Bournemouth have agreed a deal with Leeds to sign USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams for a fee in the region of £23million plus add-ons.The south coast club made the breakthrough on Friday after protracted negotiations.Adams is set to undergo a medical on Friday afternoon and, if all goes to plan, the 24-year-old will sign a five-year deal.
The Athletic reported on Thursday that a potential deal was proving complicated, with Bournemouth believing they had met a time-limited relegation release clause of £20m, but Leeds maintaining that it had expired.Talks continued, despite the apparent impasse, and Adams is now set to return to the Premier League with Androni Iraola’s side.Adams had last week travelled to London to finalise a proposed move to Chelsea, only for the deal to fall through. The west London club have since signed midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Romeo Lavia from Southampton.Adams has been recovering from a hamstring injury that saw him undergo what the club described as “non-invasive” surgery at the end of March. He had stepped up his training programme in recent weeks and is scheduled to return after next month’s international break.He has 36 caps for the USMNT and captained them at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Getting things rolling
The EPL is already in its second matchday, while things kick off in Germany and Italy.
By jcksnftsn Aug 18, 2023, 11:30am PDT
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After an extended summer break, we’re back with fall action as the European leagues are kicking off. We also have a number of USMNT players making moves and looking to settle in at new clubs. Let’s see what we’ve got:
Saturday
Wolfsburg v Heidenheim – 9:30a on ESPN+
Wolfsburg welcome newly promoted Heidenheim to the Bundesliga on Saturday morning. Kevin Paredes suffered a hamstring injury during the preseason, and it does not appear that he will be ready for the opener. Once fit, he’ll be looking to build on the 554 minutes he saw with Wolfsburg last season.
Hoffenheim v Freiburg – 9:30a on ESPN+
John Brooks looks to keep his Bundesliga career rolling as Hoffenheim and Freiburg open their season. Justin Che has moved on following the end of his loan to Hoffenheim, and he was sold by FC Dallas to Danish side Brøndby and subsequently loaned to AO Den Haag in the Dutch second division.
Augsburg v Borussia Mönchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN+
Still just 20 years old, Joe Scally signed a four year extension with Borussia Mönchengladbach in April and will look to build on the 4,100 minutes he has already logged in the Bundesliga. ‘Gladbach finished last season in 10th place, seven points out of qualification for European competitions.
Fulham FC v Brentford – 10a on Peacock
Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, and Fulham far exceeded expectations last season and will do well to see a repeat performance in the EPL this year. Robinson signed a long term extension with Fulham in July and is now under contract through the end of the 2027-28 season.
Liverpool FC v Bournemouth – 10a on USA Network
There have been solid rumors over the last couple of days that Tyler Adams will complete a physical and move to Bournemouth over the weekend, though likely not in time for the club’s match with Liverpool on Saturday morning. Bournemouth finished last season just five points out of relegation while giving up a third worst 71 goals, so it looks like Adams will once again have his work cut out for him.
Borussia Dortmund v Köln – 12:30p on ABC
Gio Reyna is once again injured to start the season, this time with an ankle injury that looks like it will keep him out of Dortmund’s opener on Saturday against Köln. Dortmund had a fantastic chance to break Bayern Munich’s league title domination last year, but choked away the opportunity in the final matchday and lost the league on goal differential. Reyna saw just 600 minutes of playing time last season, and another injury is a poor start to the new campaign.
Vitesse v PSV – 12:45p on ESPN+
Ricardo Pepi picked up his first goal for PSV this week, a penalty kick in the team’s 3-1 Champions League qualifying victory over Sturm Gratz. PSV opened their season last weekend with a 2-0 win over Utrecht, with Pepi seeing 7 minutes off the bench late.
Nashville SC v Inter Miami – 9p on Apple TV
Walker Zimmerman and Nashville SC will need to keep Lionel Messi in check if Nashville is to defeat Miami and lift the Leagues Cup. Miami have scored four goals in four of their six Leagues Cup matches, scoring 2 and 3 in the other two matches. DeAndre Yedlin even added an assist in the team’s most recent match, a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Union.
Sunday
Norwich City v Millwall – 7a on ESPN+
Josh Sargent picked up a goal and an assist last weekend for Norwich City in the team’s 4-4 draw with Southampton. Norwich probably should have won the match, but gave up a penalty 7 minutes into second half stoppage time.
Union Berlin v Mainz – 9:30a on ESPN+
Jordan Pefok saw 22 minutes off the bench last weekend for Union Berlin in the team’s 4-0 win over FCA Waldorf in DFB-Pokal play. After a strong start to the 2022-23 campaign, Pefok really cooled off and was used exclusively as a substitute for the last two months of the season.
Eintracht Frankfurt v Darmstadt – 11:30a on ESPN+
Paxten Aaronson joined Eintracht Frankfurt in January and saw 165 minutes for the club through the end of the season. Aaronson wasn’t included in the squad for last weekend’s DFB-Pokal match.
Udinese v Juventus – 1:45p on Paramount+
Weston McKennie has rejoined Juventus after his loan to Leeds, and as of this moment, it looks like he will be trying to break back into the minutes distribution with the club. Joining him this season is Tim Weah, who has joined the side from Lille. Speculation is that Weah will see significant time as a wingback, where he’s expected to be heavily involved in the attack as well.There is a full slate of MLS action on Sunday evening as well, with the Columbus Crew-FC Cincinnati and New York Red Bulls-DC United matches being the free offerings from Apple TV for the weekend.
Monday
Bologna v AC Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+
The biggest shift on the USMNT radar for the upcoming season is both Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah joining title contending AC Milan in Serie A, Pulisic transferring from Chelsea and Musah joining the side from Valencia. Milan finished last season in fourth place and qualified for Champions League play, though they were 20 points back of Napoli, who ran away with the league. Early indications are that Pulisic is expected to feature on the right wing, but there are fears that Musah will be in a backup role.Hit the comments section below and let us know what you’re following this weekend and what you’re looking forward to for the upcoming season.
USWNT GM Kate Markgraf follows coach with exit
- Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentAug 18, 2023, 05:39 PM ET
The U.S. women’s national team‘s leadership shakeup will continue with general manager Kate Markgraf set to leave her role at the end of this month, the U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed Friday.Markgraf’s contract expires at the end of August and the USSF said she would “provide support through the end of the month to assist in the transition.”Sources told ESPN that her decision not to return was made prior to the Women’s World Cup.The news that Markgraf, 46, will depart came a day after manager Vlatko Andonovski resigned.”Kate has been an instrumental part of Women’s National Team both on and off the field for many years, and we’re very thankful for the tireless work she has given to the USWNT and all our Youth National Teams,” U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said.”We wish her all the best in her future endeavors and look forward to building on the foundation she helped establish over the past several years.”The Americans were eliminated in the round of 16 by Sweden via a penalty shootout, though conversations continued with U.S. Soccer about Markgraf possibly staying. The World Cup exit was the earliest in U.S. team history and appeared to seal her decision.”It has been an incredible honor to work with the players, coaches and staff at U.S. Soccer on the mission of keeping our program at the top of the women’s game,” Markgraf said.”I am proud of the foundation we have built, and even more proud of the character and commitment demonstrated by our players as they represent the United States on and off the field. I look forward to supporting all of our programs and have every confidence that we will maintain our standards of excellence moving forward.”Markgraf was the first person U.S. Soccer appointed to the position of general manager of the team in 2019, and her first decision was the hiring of Andonovski. That was followed by two substandard performances in major tournaments, starting with a bronze medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics.In an interview with ESPN prior to the World Cup, Markgraf said that, while she didn’t explicitly tell Andonovski which players to take to the tournament, she had a part in shaping the roster. Andonovski confirmed that was the case.”We have to make so many tough decisions in different times, whether it’s on the field or off the field,” Andonovski said prior to the tournament. “But the questions that [Markgraf] is posing is in such a professional and respectful way, help us think deeper, help us think different, outside of the box, and in a way prepare ourself for even more stressful moments and be ready for it.”It is unclear if the GM position will continue going forward.”We are grateful to Kate for the tremendous work she has done in helping guide our Women’s National Team and the transformative work on our youth Women’s National Team programs,” U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said.”Her knowledge and experience have been incredibly valuable, and we are poised to build on that foundation as we look to the future.”In announcing Andonovski’s resignation, the federation reiterated that Crocker had already started an in-depth analysis of the women’s national team program and would develop a long-term strategy “to ensure U.S. Soccer can continue its success on the women’s side of the game. The comprehensive approach will establish the operational roadmap that will guide the women’s program forward.”Markgraf was a decorated player for the U.S. team, making 201 appearances and being part of the 1999 side that won the Women’s World Cup as well as gold medal-winning squads at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.Following her playing career, she earned master’s degrees in kinesiology and educational psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She also worked as a broadcaster for ESPN.
Losing this World Cup doesn’t make the U.S. women’s national team a failure
The U.S. women’s national soccer team is still the most successful team in the history of the women’s game.
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Earlier this month in Melbourne, Australia, the U.S. women’s national soccerteam lost to Sweden in penalty kicks, sealing their elimination from the World Cup. Two-time World Cup winners Tobin Heath and Christen Press, both sidelined with injuries, described the team’s early exit from the World Cup, respectively, as “traumatic” and “a nightmare.”
Yes, the U.S. women had their earliest major tournament exit ever, but that loss doesn’t take away from all that the national team has achieved.
This World Cup will have 31 losers — the most ever — as FIFA expanded the field of national teams competing from 24 to 32. The winner, either Spain or England, will be decided at 6 a.m. Eastern on Sunday.
And this was a World Cup of firsts. The first World Cup in my lifetime where all the teams that had previously won the tournament were eliminated before the semifinal round, meaning that a new champion will emerge. The first World Cup where 1.77 million tickets were sold for the tournament’s first 60 games. The first World Cup where an openly trans and nonbinary person — Quinn, of Canada — played, fresh off their victory in the Tokyo Olympics. And Nouhaila Benzina, of Morocco, was the first player to wear a hijabin a major tournament.
hose players (and fans) are losers, too. But losing is a part of sports. Or, as my 85-year-old grandfather — himself a former Ironman triathlete and ultramarathoner — so eloquently put it when I described this op-ed to him: “Someone has to lose.”
And losing doesn’t make them a failure.
Since the Women’s World Cup was first played in 1991, the U.S. women have won four times — in 1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019 — making them the most successful national team in the world. (Germany is in a distant second place, with two World Cup wins in 2003 and 2007.) The way I see it, the U.S. women deserve more than pay equity with the men’s team — which they achieved only last year. How many times have the U.S. men won a World Cup? Zero.
Many of the critiques against the U.S. team are gendered and homophobic. Some people — including Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham and Jesse Watters, former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, and former President Donald Trump — seem more excited about the loss than their wins.
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Watters called star player Megan Rapinoe “abrasive and self-centered.” On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Many of our players were openly hostile to America – No other country behaved in such a manner, or even close. WOKE EQUALS FAILURE. Nice shot Megan, the USA is going to Hell!!! MAGA.” And users on social media piled on.
This is a woman who has won two World Cups and two Olympic medals, largely due to her brilliant passes and set pieces. Last year, President Joe Biden awarded Rapinoe the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor.
And yet, it often felt like many people were cheering for her demise.
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Clearly, the criticisms stemmed from her politics, not her performance on the field. Rapinoe was one of the first openly LGBTQ soccer players, and she has spoken out for trans kids’ right to play sports. She was also one of the first athletes to take a knee during the national anthem in support of Colin Kaepernick in 2016.In 2019, Rapinoe refused to visit the White House after the team’s World Cup win and encouraged her teammates to do the same, angering then-President Trump.
Rapinoe has played for our country in international matches 202 times. This World Cup was her last, but she’s still the cofounder of two companies: re—inc, a fashion brand, and A Touch More, a production company. At 38 years old, she has already had an incredible career, and I’m excited to see what she does next.
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As my colleague Will Bunch noted in these pages, cheering against players like Rapinoe because you disagree with their politics is simply un-American.
The 13 coloniesrebelled against Britain and America was founded — right here in Philadelphia — so that we could enjoy free speech. We should all be taking pride in the fact that these players are able to use their voices — even if FIFA refused to allow them to wear rainbow armbands in support of LGBTQ rights without incurring a yellow card.
Rapinoe and the other U.S. players are among the best in the world, and these women represent us on an international stage. Rooting for them is patriotic.
Other countries get it. In Australia, “Matilda Mania” — a reference to the nickname given to the women’s team — has swept over the continent, selling out stadiums, breaking viewer records, and prompting kids to sign up to play soccer in droves.
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I was once one of those girls. In 1999, after watching the U.S. women best China in the World Cup final, I proudly hung a Mia Hamm poster in my bedroom. I looked up to the U.S. players then, and I still look up to them now.
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I cheer for the U.S. women because I can’t get Abby Wambach’s 2011 World Cup quarterfinal goal — dished out by the most incredible assist by Rapinoe — out of my head. I cheer for the team because I think Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird are the best couple in sports, and because I grew up without LGBTQ role models. I cheer for theteam because Naomi Girma has nerves of steel, and she plays with heart to honor Katie Meyer, a friend she lost from suicide. I cheer for the teambecause Rose Lavelle always surprises me, and because Alex Morgan, Crystal Dunn, and Julie Ertz are all moms.
Once the World Cup is over, I’m excited to cheer for the National Women’s Soccer League, because it is the best soccer league in the world. And don’t get me started on how Philly needs a professional women’s sports team — basketball or soccer — stat. In a city of sports fans, surely that team would thrive. Dawn Staley, come through? Maybe even Carli Lloyd could get behind the idea.
I cheer for women’s sports because when one of us succeeds, we all succeed. Surely that is worth celebrating.
Carli Lloyd: USWNT lacked confidence in Women’s World Cup, ‘didn’t think this team was fit’
By The Athletic Staff1h ago The Athletic
Carli Lloyd said she “didn’t see the confidence” in the U.S. women’s national team during its 2023 Women’s World Cup run while speaking to reporters at the FIFA Women’s Football Convention on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Lloyd said she “didn’t think this team was fit.”
- She added that the training sessions at the end of her career — which concluded in November 2021 — “were very easy and barely competitive and barely training. I can’t speak to how they were in the last year and a half and I wasn’t there, but it’s everything.”
- When asked about what Spain and England’s presence in the final indicates about their domestic leagues, Lloyd said the NWSL isn’t on the same tactical level as its international counterparts right now.
What Lloyd felt was lacking
“I think developing players at the youth level, mentally being able to persevere. I think you saw a group of players that maybe needed to be taught a little bit more about adversity or have a coach that could motivate, that could allow them to believe in themselves.
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“I mean, I just looked at that team, and you didn’t see the confidence. You didn’t. You didn’t see the the aura, in any interviews in any postgame remarks that we’ve generally had over the last several decades, where you just feel like the players are confident. So I think from a development standpoint, from a technical standpoint, from a tactical standpoint, I didn’t think this team was fit.”
What Lloyd said about NWSL
“I just think that we’re seeing these leagues around the world really put pressure on the NWSL. Because I firmly believe the NWSL is one of the best leagues in the world from a transitional standpoint. From a tactical standpoint, not up there yet. From a tactical standpoint, probably not up there that much,” she said. “So it’s going to be interesting and you’re not seeing a lot of players coming overseas into the NWSL whether that is the pay structure, the caps, all of that.”
Backstory
Following the USWNT’s 0-0 draw with Portugal, Lloyd criticized the Americans for dancing and smiling after the final group stage match, adding “you’re lucky to not be going home right now.”
USWNT captain Lindsey Horan said the comments were “kind of frustrating for me to hear, especially knowing this team and how much we put into every single game” during a news conference at the tournament before the team was eliminated. When asked about the remarks, Horan said, “I always want to defend my team and say like, you have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes, you have no idea every single angle, every single training, like what we’re doing individually, collectively, et cetera.”
Required reading
- Carli Lloyd was wrong in her criticism of the USWNT – this is why
- Carli Lloyd’s USWNT criticism is a natural extension of her exacting public persona
After Andonovski: What went wrong for the USWNT, and what should come next
By Kimberly McCauley 8h ago The Athletic
Vlatko Andonovski has resigned from his post as United States women’s national team manager. He was, in many ways, extremely unlucky, but his downfall was also very much of his own making.Andonovski was a popular hire whose tenure started spectacularly before poor performances at the Tokyo Olympics led to his competence being called into question. What followed felt like a slow but steady two-year decline of the former best team in the world, culminating in an early World Cup exit. He couldn’t handle the team’s numerous injury issues, and eventually, his decisions stopped making sense entirely.U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker is now tasked with finding Andonovski’s replacement. His timeline for that is short, with the 2024 Paris Olympics less than a year away. But before he starts interviewing candidates, it’s important that he reaches some sound conclusions about why Andonovski’s tenure went sour.
USWNT Survey: How do you feel about the team after the 2023 World Cup disappointment?
Andonovski was supposed to be a slam-dunk hire
The USWNT players asked for Vlatko Andonovski. During the hiring process, general manager Kate Markgraf consulted several players about who they thought should take over from Jill Ellis, and Grant Wahl reported that “Andonovski was by far the preferred choice.”
In 2016 and 2017, several FC Kansas City players told me that having the opportunity to play for Andonovski was the only thing keeping them from retiring from NWSL or pursuing a move overseas.
The manager Andonovski replaced was a two-time World Cup winner, but still a relatively unpopular coach. Jill Ellis faced a player revolt in 2017, requiring then-U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati to hold a meeting where he informed the squad she wouldn’t be fired. Following Ellis’s departure, Ali Krieger, Sydney Leroux, Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd all shared public criticism of their former coach.
It’s notable that Ellis had not been an international or professional club head coach before starting the USWNT job. She was a successful college coach, as well as a long-time assistant and youth team coach for the USWNT program. But by current standards, she would be considered underqualified for the post.
Andonovski, by contrast, entered the position with an impressive NWSL resume. Two championships with FC Kansas City. Two playoff appearances with an OL Reign team that had failed to make the playoffs in the season before he took over. The latter top-four finish was achieved while he was forced to utilize a league record 33 different players due to injuries and international call-ups. The players and federation had every reason to believe he would be an upgrade over Ellis.Early returns were good. Between Andonovski’s appointment and the 2021 Olympics, the USWNT had a record of 22 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses. That run included an Olympic qualifying tournament where the team won by at least 3 goals in every match and did not concede once. It also included shutout wins over England, Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil, and France.In the sendoff friendlies before the team headed to Tokyo, the USWNT recorded a pair of 4-0 wins over Mexico while playing the most stylish soccer the team has ever played. The second game featured the famous Christen Press Phantom Goal, disallowed for an erroneous early whistle for an offside call that shouldn’t have happened.
There was no reason to lack optimism about the USWNT’s chances of competing for the Olympic gold medal.
And then the Sweden game happened.
The Olympics were a warning sign
It was obvious something was wrong from the first second of the USWNT’s opening group stage game at the Olympics. The team looked completely disjointed. They couldn’t string three passes together. When Sweden finally scored in the 25th minute, it had felt like it was coming for a very long time.
Starting slow and having to mount a comeback wasn’t new territory for this U.S. squad. Sweden was also a good team that regularly gave the USWNT problems — they handed Andonovski his only draw before the tournament. What was shocking, though, was the complete lack of a response. The Americans didn’t battle to get back into the game. They just continued to get comprehensively outplayed for the rest of the match, a 3-0 victory for the Swedes.
The USWNT bounced back with a 6-1 trouncing of New Zealand, but its remaining 4 games were less than impressive: A staring contest 0-0 draw with Australia, a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands where they advanced on penalties, a 1-0 loss to Canada where their attack was stagnant, and a 4-3 win in a clown fiesta of a rematch with the Australians to salvage a bronze medal.
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To this day, I fail to understand how a team that looked so impressive in the build-up to the Olympics simply forgot how to play soccer. I’m sure Andonovski felt similarly. I’ve been waiting for the story about player infighting, or a food poisoning incident, or anything that would cause the extreme downturn to make sense, and it just hasn’t come.
Markgraf clearly put more stock in the 23 games that came before the Olympics than the 5 poorly played ones at the tournament, and Andonovski kept his job for the next two years. The situation was reminiscent of 2007, when Greg Ryan’s first and only regular-time defeat as USWNT manager was a 4-0 loss to Brazil in the World Cup semifinals. The main difference, of course, is that Ryan was fired.
The wrong solutions for large problems
Andonovski has, in many ways, been dealt a bad hand. Eight players he’s clearly indicated he’d like to have as part of his main rotation, if not as first-choice starters — Christen Press, Tobin Heath, Becky Sauerbrunn, Sam Mewis, Mallory Swanson, Catarina Macario, Abby Dahlkemper and Tierna Davidson — were unavailable for selection in this World Cup squad or nowhere near full speed due to recent injuries. One could reasonably argue he needed to have succession plans for the former 3 due to their age, but he was certainly counting on having the latter 5. With all of these players available, who knows if coaching mistakes are even noticeable?
But Andonovski still had plenty of talent at his disposal without those players. His tactical ideas in the 0-0 draw with Portugal were nonsensical. His roster and rotation decisions were poor.
Savannah DeMelo went from being unable to get a camp invite to the starting lineup in the blink of an eye. Alana Cook went from clearly first-choice to withdrawn from consideration just as quickly. Sophia Smith — ostensibly the team’s most talented attacking player — was shifted from right wing, to left wing, to center forward, without any clear consideration for opposition matchups or how best to get her the ball in dangerous positions. Emily Sonnett’s surprise start in defensive midfield actually worked out very well, but it came out of nowhere. It was another action in a pattern that screamed “A coach who’s not sure what to do is making stuff up.”
It’s a stunning downfall for the coach who figured out that NAIA goal machine Bethany Balcer would make a better second striker than out-and-out No.9, or that dribbly winger Christina Gibbons would make an even better box-to-box midfielder, or that Allie Long had the ability to resurrect her career as a holding midfield general in the mold of Sergio Busquets. At NWSL level, Andonovski was a master of solving roster issues by correctly identifying which underutilized skills his bench players possessed and repurposing them into new roles. At the international level, he couldn’t make it work.
(Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Variance can be cruel
Andonovski didn’t do a great job, and the USWNT players are ultimately responsible for not putting the ball in the back of the net. But it wouldn’t have taken much positive random variance for the World Cup to have gone a different way for the Americans.
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Like facing Sweden goalkeeper Zećira Mušović on the average form she showed against Japan and Spain, rather than the white-hot form she had against the USWNT. Or Alex Morgan, scorer of 121 international goals, converting one of her 17 shots for 3 xG. Or Megan Rapinoe, Ballon d’Or winner, converting a penalty. If any of those things happen, we might be talking about Andonovski doing a respectable job rather than calling him one of the most unsuccessful coaches in the program’s history.
As Andonovski departs USWNT, many questions remain for USSF
We don’t have to look far to know this is true. Speculation is rampant about the USWNT trying to poach England manager Sarina Wiegman, to the point where the FA felt compelled to shoot down the rumors. If England prevails in the World Cup final, she’ll be able to stake a claim as one of the great international managers of all time. Her team was inches from suffering the same fate as the USWNT did in their round of 16 match against Nigeria, turning in the exact same level of performance, but edging the penalty shootout to advance.
Bev Priestman guided Canada to an Olympic gold medal, then exited the World Cup in the group stage 2 years later. Pia Sundhage has earned praise for Brazil’s improvement over the last 4 years, and her team went out in the group stage. Futoshi Ikeda presided over a Japan team that played the most impressive soccer at this tournament, then was defeated by Sweden more decisively than the United States was.
Andonovski did not do a good job, but the margins are paper thin in international soccer tournaments. The alternate reality where his team wins the World Cup is not that difficult to imagine, especially given that Spain has made the final while their players openly despise their coach and claim he is incompetent.
Where does U.S. Soccer go from here?
An opinion I was stewing on before I started writing this article, but wasn’t totally set on, is that the next USWNT manager should be someone who has experience in international management. I became more convinced of that when I started reminiscing about how good Andonovski was at adjusting to injury and squad construction problems when he was a club manager, and conversely, how bad he was at doing the same thing as USWNT manager.The way you replace outgoing or unavailable talent is different in club vs. international soccer. If you’re asking a player to convert to a new position as the USWNT manager, you don’t get to work with them every single day for nine months at a time as you do as their club coach. Andonovski’s USWNT was great when he had all his preferred pieces available, but when he started losing them, he was unable to problem-solve as he did with FC Kansas City and OL Reign.It was reasonable to hypothesize that, based on his club record, Andonovski would be an excellent USWNT manager. Unfortunately, his skillset didn’t translate well. I fear that the likes of Laura Harvey and Emma Hayes would run into similar problems, and end up lamenting how little of their job was actually working on the grass with players. International management is probably closer to being a CEO than a soccer coach, hence Jill Ellis’s current position with the San Diego Wave.
FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
England’s Mary Earps can cement her place as the game’s best goalkeeper
Updated Aug. 17, 2023 12:34 p.m. ET
Martin RogersOX SPORTS INSIDER
Mary Earps has loved the Women’s World Cup because she loves winning, and England is winning.
She has loved her time in Australia and New Zealand because she enjoys making big saves, and she has made some absolute gems. And because she believes now more than ever she’s part of a group that’s good enough to lift the trophy when the team takes on Spain on Sunday (coverage begins at 5 a.m. ET with kickoff at 6 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
If you could write the ideal script for a player based off how they would wish their tournament to go then Earps’ tale might be it: The formerly discarded goalkeeper who won back her spot, has conceded just twice in more than nine hours, triumphed in a penalty shootout, is loved by her teammates and her army of loyal TikTok followers and has backed up her status as FIFA’s best shot-stopper.But there is one thing Earps wishes she could change. Like the rest of her colleagues she is being supported by a cadre of friends and family members Down Under, getting behind the Lionesses‘ surge to meet Spain in Sunday’s final.Yet she’s the only member of the starting lineup whose loved ones don’t get to support her in the most obvious and visible way — by wearing her jersey. It isn’t for sale, no matter how much England supporters and Earps enthusiasts might be willing to pay.”I can’t really sugar-coat this in any way, so I am not going to try,” she told the Guardian last month. “It is hugely disappointing and very hurtful. It is something I have been fighting behind closed doors. I have been trying to go through the correct channels as much as possible. … I have been desperately trying to find a solution.”Nike has stated that selling England goalkeeping jerseys is not part of its commercial strategy. Frankly, it is hugely disappointing. Earps’ traveling fans have bought outfield jerseys and had her name and No. 1 embossed upon them, but that’s far from an ideal workaround.Earps plays for Manchester United, where she became the Women’s Super League goalkeeper of the year and the first to claim 50 clean sheets in WSL. Her goalkeeper jersey with the Red Devils was available, for a while. It was so popular, it sold out.
2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final preview: Spain vs. England
That Earps would be outspoken and attack the issue with passion should be no surprise. She lives her life the way she plays the game, with spirit and barely a backward glance.She holds a degree in business and information management and vacations in eye-catching locations, to the delight of her social media followers. Sydney, where the Lionesses will meet La Roja at Stadium Australia, has already been ticked off her list. So, too, coincidentally given Sunday’s opponent, has Madrid.Her trips usually take place during offseason downtime, and there hasn’t been much of that lately. Earps’ performances in starting every game of England’s victorious European Championships campaign led to her claiming the FIFA award. This tournament has done nothing to dispel the notion that there’s no better women’s goalkeeper, anywhere.
Earps was calm and disciplined against Australia in the last four, and the goal the co-host did score, a scorching strike from Sam Kerr, fell into the category of “unstoppable.”She’s 30 and coming into her prime for a keeper, but less than three years ago she thought this might be it, after falling out of the England squad altogether, with four other keepers selected ahead of her. Earps sat on her kitchen floor, in tears, at the news.”I had made peace with my international career being over,” she told the English Football Association’s website.This, needless to say, is the opposite end of the spectrum.All that comes before Sunday is a compelling story about an intriguing and mightily likable athlete. But it’s about to get overtaken. Rightly or wrongly, a World Cup final has an inevitable way of becoming the biggest thread to a soccer player’s narrative.
[England ends Australia’s dream run, will meet Spain in World Cup final]
To win one is life-changing, an accolade to be placed on the top line of the resume forever. To lose one hurts, the sting so deep as to never be fixed. Over-dramatic? Just ask anyone who it’s happened to how they feel about it, and if they still think about it, never mind how long has elapsed since.
Goalkeeper Mary Earps leads England against Denmark
England looks good but will be up against its biggest test. The backline in front of Earps is perhaps the tournament’s best. Jess Carter, Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood have been mostly rock-solid, though captain Bright erred in allowing Kerr too much space for that Wednesday wonder-goal and would do well to avoid a repeat against Jenni Hermoso or Salma Paralluelo.Earps seems to take everything in her stride, and that’s just as well. The next task on the list? Oh, just the biggest game of her life.”The job is not done,” Earps told reporters, with typical unflappability. “Still one game to go.”Martin Rogers
Published Aug. 16, 202
Medford’s Brenden Aaronson is enjoying his new home with Union Berlin
‘It just really opened my eyes,’ the Medford native said of moving to Berlin on loan from Leeds United, ‘I felt like it was a great place to come, and it would get the best out of me as a footballer.’ Philly U:nion
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A new chapter in Brenden Aaronson’s European soccer journey starts Sunday when his new club, Germany’s Union Berlin, kicks off its Bundesliga season.
The Medford native moved to Berlin from England’s Leeds United last month on a season-long loan, a financial and sporting consequence of Leeds’ relegation from the English Premier League. But while the Premier League is the world’s most prestigious domestic league, Aaronson isn’t making that much of a trade-off on the whole.
Union Berlin will play in the UEFA Champions League this season for the first time in its history, qualifying directly for the group stage after finishing fourth in the Bundesliga last season. Off the field, Aaronson gets to live in Germany’s largest city, and be part of a club renowned for its family atmosphere and tight-knit fan base.
“The things that they were talking about, the plan of the club and things like this, and playing in [the] Champions League and in the league, it was easy,” Aaronson, 22, told a small gathering of media including The Inquirer via Zoom this week.
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“I think they made it a really good layout for us, and a good layout for myself,” he said, “and what they wanted me to come and do here, and the player that they want me to be. It just really opened my eyes, and I felt like it was a great place to come, and it would get the best out of me as a footballer.”
» READ MORE: Brenden Aaronson joins Union Berlin on loan from Leeds United
A new style and a familiar face
Aaronson will play in a different tactical setup with Union Berlin than the U.S. national team’s usual 4-3-3, and the 4-4-2 he saw often with past clubs. Manager Urs Fischer prefers a 5-3-2 setup with Aaronson in a box-to-box role. That’s deeper than Aaronson has been used to, but he said he likes it.
“We get into a shape and we’re very structured and we’re hard to break down,” Aaronson said, “but then attacking, he tells me to be free, go one-v-one and play my creative self like I like to be in games. … Honestly, it’s going really well, I feel very confident in the system now, I feel like it’s going to benefit me a lot as a player. I’m going to learn a lot this season.”
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There’s a long, proud history of Americans in the Bundesliga, including a current U.S. national team colleague at Union Berlin: striker Jordan Pefok. Aaronson was happy to see a familiar face when he arrived, though Pefok might not be staying there. He has fallen down the team’s depth chart, and soon after Aaronson spoke for this story, a report emerged in Germany that Pefok might go on loan to Borussia Mönchengladbach.
“He’s been like an older brother, I guess you can say, coming in here,” Aaronson said. “It’s just a good feeling having someone to go to at first, because things can be a little awkward sometimes. At first I’m a little shy, but then when I get up to guys and I get to know the group, it goes really well.”
» READ MORE: For USMNT goalkeeper Zack Steffen, coming home to Downingtown still means a lot
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The Aaronson Derby
Speaking of brothers, Aaronson’s actual brother — his younger brother Paxten — is set to begin his second campaign with Germany’s Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday. It’s a neat coincidence that Union and Eintracht play back-to-back Sunday, and each at home: Union vs. Mainz (9:30 a.m., ESPN+) and Eintracht against Darmstadt (11:30 a.m., ESPN+).
Because Paxten turned pro in MLS with the Union after Brenden left, it’s the first time in the brothers’ careers that they have played professionally in the same league. They could face each other twice in the Bundesliga this season, Nov. 4 in Berlin and March 30 in Frankfurt.
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“It’s going to be amazing — I can’t wait to see my brother,” Brenden said. “I’m already trying to plan a trip to, like, if I have two days off or something, go and see him in Frankfurt. He’s there alone right now because his girlfriend just went back to the States, and I know what it’s like being alone in a foreign country. It’s tough.”
The elder Aaronson has quite a bit of experience with that now. It’s been more than 2½ years since he left the Union to move to Europe, first to Red Bull Salzburg, then Leeds, and now Berlin. Last season was especially difficult for him, because his first World Cup — the pinnacle of his career to date — was jammed into the European club season.
» READ MORE: Ernst Tanner reveals details of Paxten Aaronson’s move from the Union to Eintracht Frankfurt
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Summer rest ‘really needed’
While many fans don’t like it when players complain about playing too much, in the soccer world they’ve gotten a fair hearing. The 2022-23 European season was exhausting, and the World Cup made it end later than usual, which cut into increasingly rare time off to relax.
Aaronson noted that in the short span between when the World Cup ended in December and the Premier League season resumed just over a week later, he flew home to New Jersey for a few days, then flew back to Leeds. Only in late June, after the English season and the U.S. national team’s Concacaf Nations League title win were finished, was he finally able to just go sit on the beach for a while.
“Everybody knows that it was a tough year; it wasn’t the way things wanted to go,” Aaronson said of Leeds’ relegation. “I think the beginning of the year, it went really well, we were playing good football, and then, you know — I mean, I’ll say it — [expletive] happens in football. It’s tough, and that’s the way it goes, but I think that to be able to disconnect from the season, go home, be around family, just get away from it, play a little golf with some friends, just relax, go to the beach — it was something I really needed.”
» READ MORE: From Leeds to Philadelphia, Brenden Aaronson’s first Premier League goal was big news
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He emphasized, though, that “there’s no excuses” for his subpar stats down the stretch of the season, which earned him a lot of scorn from Leeds fans.
“I think I could have played better for a portion of that season,” he said. “I’m OK with it now, and I’ve forgotten about it, so yeah, I feel good.”
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Aaronson hasn’t forgotten about his old team back home, though. He noted that when he woke up the morning after the Union’s 4-1 blowout loss to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami (which took place in the middle of the night in Germany), he checked his phone and was surprised by the score.
“I saw a 30-yard goal from Messi, and I was like, oh my God, he scored on Andre Blake from 30 yards?” Aaronson said. “It’s crazy.”
Spoken like the Union fan he still is, now having a second Union to call home.
» READ MORE: B.J. Callaghan’s rise up the U.S. men’s soccer team’s coaching staff has roots at Villanova
Published Aug. 17, 2023
Messi and money: The ripple effect for MLS, its teams and sponsors
Paul Tenorio Jul 31, 2023 The Athletic
Just a day after Lionel Messi announced to the world that he was coming to Major League Soccer and Inter Miami, CBS Sports Golazo Network host Susannah Collins twirled her hands around a clear glass bowl live on air and pulled out a red ball.
FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami had advanced out of the quarterfinals of the Eastern region in the U.S. Open Cup. The team whose name was pulled out of that bowl first would host the semifinal of the 110-year-old tournament. On the heels of Messi’s announcement the day prior and the seismic movement of ticket prices around his games in the hours since, the ball Collins pulled would now represent a multi-million dollar prize. The semifinal was now likely to be a sold-out game, with the chance to sell every ticket in the house at Messi-level prices.
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“The team that will be hosting in the east is…” Collins said, pausing slightly for effect and unfurling the small piece of paper.
“FC Cincinnati.”
Three weeks later, FC Cincinnati put tickets for the semifinal up for sale. Typically, the club’s rivalry “Hell is Real” game against the Columbus Crew is their hottest-selling ticket. With around 17,000 season ticket holders and a stadium capacity of 25,513, that game usually sells out after a few days.
Messi’s visit needed just one day to sell out.
Messi has turned free kicks into an art form that confounds goalkeepers
When details of Messi’s contract emerged, some observers wondered whether MLS owners would be frustrated that league partners like Apple, Fanatics and Adidas played a role in sweetening the deal in order to entice the Argentine to any single club. So far, the answer has been no, mostly because every team understands that it, too, will see the benefit of the signing. MLS was built so that the business interests of the teams are tied together, a single-entity structure that embraces revenue share and aims to minimize losses for each individual owner. What’s good for one team typically is good for all.
“The group in that room (at MLS board of governors), they’re all partners unless they play each other,” MLS deputy commissioner Gary Stevenson said earlier this month. “So they’re rooting for each other.”
Fans are flocking to more cities than just Fort Lauderdale to see Messi (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Messi’s arrival opened up the potential for increased revenue not just for Inter Miami, but for the whole league, something which is important when you consider that Sportico research for last year had the average MLS team bringing in $57 million of revenue per year, compared to NFL ($545 million), NBA ($308 million), MLB ($313 million) and NHL ($187 million).
“It’s a positive for all the clubs in the league, and I think it’s positive for the league,” Houston owner Ted Segal said earlier this month. “Personally, I feel gratitude towards the Mas brothers and David Beckham for getting the deal across the line, in partnership with the league. And I think it’s a (continuation) of our momentum that we have in this league right now.”
David Beckham, the interview: Miami, Messi, Manchester United – and more
Right now, just about everyone in American soccer is seeing the rewards of Messi’s arrival — and the show he’s put on in his first two games. Most MLS teams hosting Miami are seeing significant upticks in gameday revenue. Messi’s jerseys are selling out. Apple announced that three games the week of Messi’s debut set records in viewership. Social media numbers are through the roof, both in Inter Miami’s followers and in views on highlights, like Messi’s freekick goal in his debut against Cruz Azul, which has drawn hundreds of millions of eyeballs. Even the U.S. Soccer Federation will benefit – as the organizer of the U.S. Open Cup, it will get a 50 percent cut of the gate from FC Cincinnati’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal.
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Messi’s deal is not just about who is paying him, but also about just how big the ripple effect from this contract will be.
“While we’ve talked about the dollars being significant, I think the halo effect of him and what it means for the entire football ecosystem (is key),” said Derek Aframe, executive vice president and head of integrated marketing at Octagon, a top global sports and entertainment marketing and management firm. “Anyone in some form or fashion is going to benefit from his presence.”
After Inter Miami’s 4-0 win over Atlanta United last Tuesday, right back DeAndre Yedlin arrived to speak to the media with a pair of pink and black Beats by Dre headphones on top of his head. They were a gift to teammates, he said, from Messi.
Beats by Dre, of course, is owned by Apple, so the headphones became another visible extension of the partnership between one of the biggest companies in the world and one of the biggest sports figures.
It also spoke to the unique nature of Messi’s contract.
“The fact you’ve got MLS, Apple and Adidas and equity in (Inter Miami), those four pieces coming together are rather historic, that you see that level of coordination to bring any athlete,” Aframe said.
Similar to David Beckham’s deal with MLS in 2007, Messi’s contract is designed to be a mutually beneficial one beyond Messi’s playing days. MLS paid a steep price in the $25 million expansion clause that Beckham triggered to launch Inter Miami. By the time the team was announced, expansion fees were significantly higher — NYCFC paid $100 million in 2015, a year after Beckham triggered his clause, and FC Cincinnati paid $150 million in 2018, the year Miami announced its team. But in providing Beckham an opportunity to own an MLS franchise, the league also kept Beckham’s brand tied to its own.
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Beckham’s visibility around Inter Miami, and thus MLS, advertises the league to all of his followers and fans. Messi’s contract has similar benefits. With a trigger to own a percentage of Inter Miami after he is done playing, Messi will be an MLS stakeholder after his playing days. His brand will remain closely linked with the league. It also incentivizes Messi to continue to push the league forward, as he directly benefits from its growth.
“Jorge (Mas) is spending a tremendous amount of money, to have Apple and (senior vice president of services) Eddy (Cue) jump in, this only happens when you have five or six people that are willing to take economic risk,” said former AEG executive Tim Leiweke, who helped put together the deal that brought Beckham to MLS in 2007. “The league and Don Garber have been through this and Don is smarter about this than anybody in the world. It’s about: how do you compensate Messi to share in the 10-year vision even though the contract is three years?”
Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas noted as much when he compared the contract to that of Michael Jordan, whose deal with Nike and the Jordan brand has continued to pay long after Jordan stopped playing.
“Commercial opportunities are important. The windows of athletes are ‘X’ time and I always talked to him about a legacy,” Mas said on Taylor Twellman’s new Apple podcast, Offside. “I said, ‘Lionel, you have an opportunity. Much like Michael Jordan. Much like figures in time, Muhammad Ali, a name you could recognize in every corner of the world, David Beckham and others. That in your post-career, you can not only maintain relevance but make a difference in the things that matter to you.’ And I think that was super compelling.”
Messi’s arrival has seen ticket sales increase in many cities (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Even in the short-term, MLS attaching itself to brands like Beckham and Messi is hugely valuable, both in significance and in reach. That has been evident in the early days of Messi in MLS, with his highlights being shared out by both Messi (490 million Instagram followers) and Beckham (81.5 million), far exceeding the impact of Inter Miami (12.7 million) or MLS (3.3 million).
“When we look at athletes active on social, by carrying sponsors with them, jerseys sponsors, arena sponsors, there is an incredible amount of value in that and that value attaches itself to Inter Miami and their sponsors,” said Daniel Kirschner, the CEO of Greenfly, a platform used by over 500 sports organizations to optimize digital content. “Inter Miami’s reach and impact, the number of people seeing those logos, has expanded exponentially. For MLS more broadly, it brings value by showing who he is playing against, awareness of teams, awareness of the league. It carries that value to a much broader fan base.”
For Messi’s commercial partners, the impact has been immediate.
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Tor Southard, senior director of Adidas Soccer in North America, said in a press conference on July 20 that the company has seen “incredible demand” for Messi jerseys and that “retail partners have reported record single-day sales for the launch day.” Messi jerseys are on backorder online and have sold out in the team stores at DRV PNK Stadium on game days. Adidas inked Messi to a lifetime contract in 2017.
Ahead of last Tuesday’s game against Atlanta United, Messi shared a link to MLS Season Pass on his Instagram story. It was another example of the value of his partnership with Apple. According to Sports Business Journal, the MLS Season Pass subscription numbers have increased from around 700,000 in early June to nearly 1 million in late July.
Other advertisers, like Hard Rock Casino and Budweiser, have also put out new ads upon Messi’s arrival.
AB InBev struck a partnership deal with Messi in 2020, winning an award for an advertising campaign by sending bottles of Budweiser to the goalkeepers on whom Messi has scored goals. Octagon works with AB InBev, and Aframe said Messi’s move to North America brings an entirely different value proposition to companies’ partnership with the Argentine.
“It opens up a whole new set of opportunities to attract a new fanbase in that sense,” Aframe said. “There’s a chance to maybe reframe the story of Messi, in light of now playing in this country. That story is yet to be told.”
In MLS, the valuation of Messi goes beyond single-game ticket sales, or even jersey and subscription sales. There is an opportunity valuation, as well. Messi opens doors to new audiences.
The Messi boost can be seen simply by looking at Inter Miami’s social media growth, from just less than 1 million Instagram followers before he announced to 12.7 million today (though claims that 3.5 billion people saw his unveiling should be taken with a large pinch of salt). But there is no guarantee on how long that expanded audience will stick around.
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The task the league and teams now face is how to turn these touchpoints with Messi into fans that stay after he’s gone. It’s a challenge that MLS teams hosting Inter Miami recognized as soon as Messi announced he was coming and ticket sales spiked.
The Chicago Fire is currently on pace to set a league record for most gross revenue driven by a single game. Prior to Messi’s announcement on June 7, the team had sold around 8,000 tickets for its midweek game against Inter Miami on October 4. They sold 10,000 more in the 10 hours or so after Messi’s announcement.
Uhh, Messi’s in my WhatsApp group. Behind the scenes of the Miami hero’s first days
Currently, the team is tracking toward more than 40,000 tickets sold for the game at Soldier Field, an NFL venue with a capacity of 61,500. The low ticket prices are $189 in the 400 level, with prices going up to $495 in the club level, $650 in the 100 level and a handful of field-side seats as high as $3,500. Sources said the Fire are looking at between $7 and $10 million in revenue for the game. That is more than every other Fire home game this season combined.
For a team that ranked dead last in MLS in revenue as recently as 2021, it’s a massive uplift. But the game now also represents a significant opportunity for Chicago, which has been attempting to pull in new fans since returning to Soldier Field in 2020 after a generation in suburban Bridgeview.
The Fire has been one of the worst teams in the league over the past decade, and that’s led to a significant drop-off in fan interest. The hope was that a rebrand and a return to the downtown Soldier Field in 2020 could provide a rare chance at a reintroduction to the market that might spur interest. That plan was scuttled by the COVID-19 shutdown. The Fire sold nearly 50,000 tickets for its first game back at Soldier Field in March 2020 only for the pandemic to end any hope of making a big impression under new owner Joe Mansueto. The game was postponed and the season was played behind closed doors.
This Messi game now presents a similar marquee event to pull in fans who otherwise haven’t engaged with the Fire. If Chicago can put on a show for the 30,000-plus who purchased tickets specifically to see Messi, perhaps they can compel them to return.
The Fire is not alone in these efforts. Atlanta United opened up the upper bowl of its stadium (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 71,000 capacity for soccer) and sold out the 25,000-seat inventory with an average price of around $150 — adding around $4 million in gross revenue. That despite the fact that Messi may not even play because Atlanta United has an artificial turf surface and some players deem that too risky as it can cause more knee injuries in particular. (With the Mexican national team playing the Tuesday before the game and the NFL’s Falcons playing the day after, Atlanta United officials have said they will not be putting down a grass surface on top of the turf.) Charlotte FC also opened up the entirety of its NFL stadium and is selling upper-bowl tickets for between $150-$250. They also play on an artificial surface.
It’s unclear if Messi will play at Atlanta (Photo: Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Other teams, like LAFC, who have bigger season ticket bases and smaller venues, aren’t going to see the single-game revenue increases, but look at the game as an advertisement for their teams, stadiums and atmosphere. Notably, the league’s revenue share model, which was updated this year, requires teams to put 10 percent of all ticket revenue into a league pot through the first 30,000 tickets sold, then 33 percent of all revenue above that, according to sources with knowledge of the agreement. So, every team in MLS benefits from the Messi crowds.
Those aims to convert Messi fans into Fire fans — or any other MLS team — are a microcosm of the long-term opportunities built into this current Messi boost.
“We have a special moment to capitalize on,” Garber said earlier this month. “So you would expect us to do everything to ensure that we’re providing our fans, our partners, particularly our media partners, all the tools to be able to capture the moment. We’re very thoughtful about how we ensure that to 2026 and beyond, MLS is raised to a higher level and it’s really transformed by having this iconic moment that we take advantage of.”
AC Milan Serie A 2023-24 season preview, predictions: Rossoneri might be favorites to win Scudetto
Stefano Pioli’s team were the most active this summer
By Francesco PorzioAug 16, 2023 at 3:09 pm ET•3 min read
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AC Milan went through a big summer revolution. After reaching the Champions League semifinals last season, losing to city rivals Inter, coach Stefano Pioli and the club decided that it was the right time to make some changes in the roster. Club legend and former director Paolo Maldini left after some disagreements with the American owner, Gerry Cardinale. The former head of scouting, Geoffrey Moncada took charge of the transfer business alongside the new CEO, Giorgio Furlani. The Rossoneri made some big changes that created a lot of expectations around the team and the club, which is now considered one of the main candidates to win the title in the upcoming season. This will be the first season without soccer legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who decided to retire at the end of the past season.
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Summer transfer business
The AC Milan summer transfer window started off with Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali leaving his childhood club to join Newcastle for €70 million plus €5 million in add-ons. That money was immediately used to make some signings, as the Rossoneri signed goalkeeper Marco Sportiello and midfielder Luka Romero as free agents. Then, they signed USMNT winger Christian Pulisic from Chelsea for around €20 million and USMNT midfielder Yunus Musah for €20 million, add-ons included, Then midfielders Tijjani Reijnders from Feyenoord for €19 million and Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea for €16 million followed, and most recently winger Samuel Chukwueze from Villarreal for €20 million and striker Noah Okafor from RB Salzburg for €14 million.
It was a very active summer for the club, which decided to add young and talented players. AC Milan will also change the tactical system and will play with the 4-3-3 in the upcoming season, as the Rossoneri already tried in the first preseason games against Juventus, Real Madrid and Monza, with the possibility to switch back to the 4-2-3-1 as they played in the past three years under Pioli.
Don’t miss CBS Sports Golazo Network’s Morning Footy, now in podcast form! Our crew brings you all the news, views, highlights and laughs you need to follow the Beautiful Game in every corner of the globe, every Monday-Friday all year longContinue watchngFormer Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger returning to field … as an assistant youth football coachafter the ad
What to expect from AC Milan
AC Milan can be considered one of the top candidates to win the title, as they renovated the roster with some young and promising talents but also had already some of the best players in the league, including winger Rafael Leao and goalkeeper Mike Maignan. AC Milan will likely fight with Inter again for the Serie A title and can be considered as the best-positioned side to win it this time, considering that have invested and changed the team early in the summer, while Inter still have to make some moves at the end of August. Pioli had more time to prepare for the season and worked with the new signings already the whole preseason, while Simone Inzaghi couldn’t. The Rossoneri also signed two of the most talented USMNT players. The two should not be starters at the beginning of the season, but they will definitely have chances to show their potential.
Three players to watch out
Tijjani Reijnders: One of the most underrated signings of the summer. The Dutch midfielder was one of the best talents of European soccer in the past seasons when he played for AZ Alkmaar and now has the chance to make an impact in one of the most prestigious clubs in the world. Watch out for him, he’s one to follow this year.
Christian Pulisic: The USMNT star can play in multiple positions of the attacking line. He can play as right winger, left winger when Leao is not available and potentially also as a number ten if AC Milan will use the 4-2-3-1. Pulisic is the player that AC Milan missed in the past years, the one that can also come off the bench and decide games.
Samuel Chukwueze: He is considered one of the best talents around Europe and attracted interested of multiple clubs, but AC Milan were able to bring him to the Italian league. The Nigerian winger should become the starter on the right in the 4-3-3.
AC Milan predictions
- Serie A finish: 1st
- Top scorer: Olivier Giroud
- Player of the season: Rafael Leao
- Something unexpected: Zlatan Ibrahimovic will join coaching staff
- Christian Pulisic at AC Milan: USMNT star fitting right in with Rossoneri after positive preseason performance
- The American international has looked sharp for his new club so far
- By Francesco Porzio
- Jul 30, 2023 at 9:14 am ET•3 min read
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- Christian Pulisic has officially started his new chapter at AC Milan. The U.S. men’s national team player moved this summer from Chelsea for €22 million with the ambition to become a key player for the side coached by Stefano Pioli. Pulisic made his debut in the US pre-season tour and played as a starter in both clashes against Real Madrid and Juventus. AC Milan lost 3-2 to the Spanish giants in the second half after the Rossoneri were up 2-0 and then lost in penalties against the Italian rivals on Thursday.
- Despite the results, Pulisic is making a great impression so far among both his teammates and the fans. His attitude on and off the pitch was widely appreciated, and supporters could feel his desire to shine with his new club since he touched ground in Italy at the beginning of July. Pioli considered Pulisic the perfect addition to his squad, which last season suffered a lot when key player and winger Rafael Leao was not fit. The USMNT player can play in three different positions in the tactical system used by the Rossoneri — he can play as a left winger, as a right winger in the 4-3-3 and potentially also as a number ten in the 4-2-3-1.
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- That’s what AC Milan needed — a player that could play in different positions of the attacking line to provide quality and depth. Pulisic, in fact, played in two different positions in his first unofficial games of the season. Against Real Madrid, he started at left winger, while against Juventus he started on the right, with Leao playing on the left. It’s easy to imagine that Pioli has in mind to play with Leao on the left and new signing Samuel Chukwueze on the right as starters in either the 4-2-3-1 or the 4-3-3, as he played in the first two games of the season. However, this shouldn’t impact the role of Pulisic, who can become a crucial player, potentially off the bench, something that AC Milan definitely missed last season. But he can also be key as a starter when one between Leao and Chukwueze aren’t available.
- “His physical condition is improving, we’ve only been working for two weeks. He can play on the right, left or on the frontline, he’s smart and has quality,” Pioli said after the Juve match. “Can he play with Leao? They also swapped sides against Juventus. We have Leao on the left, Chukwueze on the right, Pulisic who can play very wel everywhere.”
- In general, the first impressions of Pulisic are definitely positive. He’s adapting fast and well, and the fans are perceiving his attitude as a good sign for the upcoming season. For sure, he needs to work hard to get a starting role in this renovated roster, but he will have his chances. Pioli considers him as the perfect player to overcome some of what lacks in the squad, either as a starter or as a player that can come out of the bench and decide a game.
- Tactically speaking, Pioli will have to deal with the presence of much more offensive players like Leao, Chukwueze and Pulisic that support striker Olivier Giroud compared to past years. The question is: can they all play together? At the beginning of the season, probably not, but considering that the second lines didn’t perform as the starting eleven players, this is definitely a big improvement for the club in any case, at least on paper.
- Pulisic needed a place to shine, and AC Milan this season looks like the right place to be, despite the big changes that happened in the summer, including the farewell of former director and club legend Paolo Maldini. Time will tell us if this was the right move for him, but looking at the first weeks of his new chapter at AC Milan, it all seems to be going in the right direction.
Eleven looking for third straight victory
#ELPvIND Preview
Indy Eleven at El Paso Locomotive FC
Saturday, August 19, 2023 – 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. MT
Southwest University Park – El Paso, Texas
Follow Live
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed
Stats: #ELPvIND MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com
2023 USL Championship Records
El Paso Locomotive FC: 9W-9L-5D (-8) 32 pts; 8th in Western Conference
Indy Eleven: 8W-9L-7D (3), 31 pts; 6th in Eastern Conference
Community Health Network Sports Medicine Indy Eleven Injury Report
OUT: Y. Oettl (ankle), M. King (hip)
QUESTIONABLE: None
SETTING THE SCENE
The Boys in Blue return to action Saturday when they hit the road for the second game of a three match road trip against El Paso Locomotive FC.
The Eleven are coming off a 1-0 win over The Miami FC and are 3-2-0 in their last five games. With an 8-9-7 record, Indy is sixth in the USLC Eastern Conference. El Paso is 0-4-1 in its last five matches and is coming off a 5-0 loss to Phoenix. ELP is eighth in the Western Conference at 9-9-5.
| ELP | IND | |
| 23 | Games | 24 |
| 29 | Goals | 29 |
| 37 | Goals Conceded | 26 |
| 20 | Assists | 19 |
| 99 | SOT | 76 |
| 107 | Shots Faced | 91 |
| 6 | Clean Sheets | 8 |
SERIES VS. EL PASO
Saturday marks the second meeting between the two teams, with El Paso holding the 1-0-0 all-time advantage in USL Championship action. The is the lone meeting of the season.
ELP leads: 1-0-0 | GF 0, GA 2
Recent Meetings
6.9.21 | at ELP | L, 2-0
2021 USL Championship Regular Season
El Paso Locomotive FC 2:0 Indy Eleven
Wednesday, June 9, 2021 – 9:00 p.m. ET
Southwest University Park – El Paso, Texas
Scoring Summary
ELP – Nick Ross (Macauley King) 2’
ELP – Diego Luna (Macauley King) 49’
A FAMILIAR FOE
Indy’s roster looks drastically different from the last time these teams met in 2021. In fact, there were more current Indy players in El Paso’s starting lineup than there were in the 18 for the Boys in Blue. Mechack Jerome, Macauley King and Bryam Rebellon suited up for El Paso, while current assistant coach Ayoze was the only current Eleven product to represent the Boys in Blue. Head coach Mark Lowry was also on the other bench for the match up, while Sebastian Velasquez spent two stints with the club.
INDY ELEVEN PLACE FOUR ON USLC TEAM OF THE WEEK
AUGUST 15, 2023
After an undefeated week, Indy Eleven placed four players on the USL Championship Team of the Week and added a bench selection
Defender Adrian Diz Pe, midfielder Solomon Asante and forward Sebastian Guenzatti earned starting nods after Indy earned a decisive 4-0 win over Birmingham Legion FC and a 1-0 win over The Miami FC last week. Defender Younes Boudadi was added as a bench selection. Indy is the only third team in 23 weeks of action to place three players on the team of the week, while adding a bench player, and only one team has seen four players recognized among the league’s top 11.
Diz Pe scored his first goal of the season, which proved to be the match winner in the 1-0 decision over Miami on Saturday. As part of the Indy backline, he helped the team to a pair of shutouts, registering 14 clearances and a pair of interceptions.
Asante recorded three assists in a match for the third time in his USL Championship career in the win over Birmingham. His three assists gave him a combined 103 goals and assists (51G/52A), placing him tied for fourth all-time in the USL Championship, and made him the first player to split 50-50. His assist total places him second all-time.
Guenzatti scored a pair of goals, including the game winner, in Indy’s win over Birmingham. The two tallies bring his season total to six and USLC career total to 63, moving him to ninth all-time in the league.
Boudadi played all 180 minutes of action on the Indy backline over a two-match week helping the Boys in Blue to a pair of clean sheets. He registered four tackles, three clearances, a blocked shot and an interception. In all, the Eleven only allowed five shots on target.
LAST TIME OUT
MIA 0:1 IND
AUGUST 12, 2023
It was another night for the history books as Indy Eleven defeated The Miami FC, 1-0, on Saturday. The victory ended a three-match win streak for Miami, the hottest team in the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference, who had only given up one goal in the stretch.
Adrian Diz Pe had the match-winning strike as he headed in a corner from Aodhan Quinn to improve the Eleven to 8-9-7 on the season. The 51st-minute game winner was the first of the season for Diz Pe who came on for Indy at the half, and the assist was the 50th career for Quinn.
Quinn is now fourth all-time time in the USL Championship for regular season assists and moved up to a tie for fourth with four players, including teammate Solomon Asante, with 103 (53G/50A) combined goals and assists. Asante reached the feat on Wednesday against Birmingham Legion FC with his third career USLC match with three assists, and now sits at 51 goals and 52 assists. Quinn and Asante are the only two players in the USL Championship who have reached the 50/50 threshold.
USL Championship Regular Season
The Miami FC 0:1 Indy Eleven
Saturday, August 12, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. ET
FIU Stadium – Miami
2023 USL Championship Records
The Miami FC: 6W-10L-8D (-3), 26 pts
Indy Eleven: 8W-9L-7D (2), 31 pts
Scoring Summary
IND – Adrian Diz Pe (Aodhan Quinn) 51’
Discipline Summary
MIA – Boluwatife Akinyode (caution) 12’
IND – Younes Boudadi (caution) 47’
MIA – Joaquin Rivas (caution) 62’
IND – Cam Lindley (caution) 66’
50/50 CLUB
Solomon Asante and Aodhan Quinn became the first two players in USL Championship history to reach both 50 regular season goals and 50 regular season assists. Asante (51G/52A) had three assists in the 4-0 win over Birmingham (8.9) to push himself over the plateau. Quinn (53G/50A) added his 50th assist in the 1-0 win at Miami (8.12).
20,000 AND BEYOND…
Aodhan Quinn became the USL Championship’s leader in regular-season minutes played against Tampa Bay on July 22.
Minutes | 20,546 | 1st
Appearances | 247 | T6
Assists | 50 | 4th
Quinn has 53 goals, becoming the 24th player in USL Championship history to hit 50 goals. He is one of only seven players to have a combined 100 career goals and assists with 53 goals and 50 assists, and is the second player to join the 50 goals/50 assists club.
Quinn has recorded 24 penalty kick goals in 27 attempts in his career in the league, the most of any individual player on record in league history.
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