EPL off to Roaring Start for American Players
What a start for Captain America Christian Pulisic at AC Milan as he scored a blistering goal (in Italian) and had an assist in his first official game becoming the first American to score in the German, English and Italian leagues. Yanus Musah is expected to join him in the line-up as they face Torino at home Saturday at 2:45 pm on Paramount plus, then next Friday @ League Champ Roma at 2:45 pm on Para+. Fulham American’s Tim Ream and Jedi Robinson will look to bounce back from a bad loss last weekend at they travel to Arsenal Sat at 10 am on USA. Of course American Captain Tyler Adams how now officially signed with Bournemouth where he expects to return to the field in early October after leaving relegated Leeds United. It appears Bologan has finally signed with Monaco from Arsenal – his return to the French League 1 costing Monaco $50 million. (see all the US players oversea’s games below)
Miami & Messi win Leagues Cup in Penalty’s then defeat Top Rated Cincy @ home in Penalties again to advance to the US Open Cup Finals in Sept.
After going 10 rounds deep in an amazing shootout win@ Nashville on Saturday night including this goal / from behind goal and this miss at the buzzer to win the first ever Leagues Cup Inter Miami and Lionel Messi came back to beat league leading FC Cincinnati in an amazing 5-4 win on Penalty kicks after a 3-3 finish in extra time. It was my first visit for a Cincy game and we had standing room only seats in the Baily. I have to admit this was a solid supporters section – rivaling the 3252 @ LAFC – the issue was the STANDING ROOM only for us old guys. We spent the first half watching Messi coming our way – wearing my Cincy Jersey before bailing to the other endzone – and unleashing my Miami Messi Jersey down 2-0 at the half. All Miami did was come back with 2 spectacular assist from the GOAT – one in the 93rd minute to send it to extra time. Miami scored first before Cincy tied it up late in ET sending us to another shootout – right in front of us. Where Miami won it 5-4 on PKs- as they move on to the US Open Cup Finals in Sept – after winning their first ever trophy and Messi’s World Leading 42nd in the Leagues Cup @ Nashville. It was there than Messi – gave the captains band to the former captain American Defender Deandre Yedlin – allowing him to lift Miami’s first ever trophy with Messi’s help. Messi is the Best player I have ever seen play – no questions asked – and now I am fully a member of the crazy Messi Fan club. Miami games have become must watch TV – No wins in the 11 games before he arrived – and now 8 in a row, 1 trophy with a home date in mid-Sept for another vs Houston. I still don’t think Miami can make the playoffs this year-the Barcelona trio needs rest on these next MLS regular season games like at New York Sat night – hopefully Messi will go at least a half – but we’ll see.
GAMES ON TV
Sat, Aug 26
7:30 am USA Bournemouth vs Tottenham
9:30 am ESPN+ Darmstadt vs Union Berlin (Aaronson, Pfuk)
10 am USA Arsenal vs Fulham (Ream, Jedi)
10 am Peacock Man United vs Nothingham Forest (Turner)
12:30 pm NBC Brighton vs West Ham
12:30 pm ESPN+ MGladbach (Scally) vs Bayer Leverkusen
2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) vs Torino
2:45 pm CBSSN Hellas Verona vs Roma
7 pm MyIndy TV Indy 11 vs Loundon United
7:30 pm Apple TV free Atlanta United vs Nashville SC
7:30 pm Apple TV Free DC United vs Philly
7:30 pm Apple MLS Pass Miami (Messi) vs NY red Bulls
8:30 pm Apple TV Free Dallas (Matt Hedges) vs Austin
8:30 pm Para+, Galazo Houston Dash vs KC Current NWSL
9::30 pm ESPN2 San Diego Loyal vs New Mexico United USL
Sun, Aug 27
9 am USA Sheffield United vs Man City
11:30 am USA New Castle vs Liverpool
11:30 ESPN+, ESPND Villareal vs Barcelona
2:45 pm Para+ Bologna vs Juventus (Mckinney, Weah)
4:30 pm FOX Minn United vs Seattle Sounders
5 pm Para+ Washington Spirit vs Portland Thorns NWSL
8 pm Para+ Angel City vs OL Reign
Tues, Aug 29
2:45 pm ESPN+ Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs Tottenham (Leagues Cup)
3 pm para+ Young Boys vs Maccabi Haifa
Wed, Aug 30
2:45 pm ESPN+ Doncaster Rovers vs Everton (Leagues Cup)
3 pm Para+, TUDN PSV vs Rangers
7 pm Apple MLS pass Inter Miami (MESSI. Busquets, Alba) vs Nashville
8 pm ESPN+ Rio Grand vs San Antonio (Farr)
Fri, Sep 1
2:30 pm EPSN+ Dortmund vs Heidenheim
2:45 pm Para+ Roma vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
3 pm USA Luton Town vs West Ham
8 pm Para+ KC Current vs Angel City
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to the Badger Field for Training? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/ Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
US Men
USMNT to play Nations League quarterfinal home leg in Austin on November 16th By Donald Wine II
USMNT film room: Pulisic and Dest make their debuts
Christian Pulisic makes a statement with his AC Milan debut By Parker Cleveland
Sources: U.S.’s Cowell target of new Bologna bid dJeff Carlisle
ASN’s 2023/24 European season preview: a detailed look at each American player in Europe
MLS
Lionel Messi in MLS is a dream come true for American sports Luis Miguel Echegaray
Messi, Miami survive wild U.S. Open match
The price to watch Lionel Messi play live keeps going up
Messi’s brilliance in U.S is unsurprising and amazing all at once
American Gen-Z Soccer Fans Like MLS More Than Other Soccer Leagues
Messi-Led Inter Miami Projects MLS Record $200M Revenue in 2024
US Women + World Cup + NWSL
It took Rubiales Public Behavior to Validate Spanish Player’s Concern’s for Years
Spain’s Women’s World Cup winners refuse to play until Luis Rubiales is removed
FIFAopens disciplinary case against Luis Rubiales over forced kiss
Spanish soccer president refuses to resign after kissing player
Megan Rapinoe: Rubiales’ kiss of Hermoso displays ‘deep misogyny’
Everything you need to know about Spain’s controversial coach Jorge Vilda — and the feud with his players that’s tainted their World Cup run
Spain players boycott as Rubiales refuses to quit Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Fae
Spain FA boss won’t quit; govt seeks suspension Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez
USA
USWNT falls to 3rd in FIFA world rankings By Donald Wine II
Andi Sullivan on USWNT coach search: ‘The future is uncertain for all of us’
Ashley Sanchez’s World Cup role did not match her expectations Kate Yanchulis August 24, 202
USWNT’s Savannah DeMelo signs extension with Racing Louisville
Megan Rapinoe, Midge Purce ‘concerned’ about USWNT youth system
Sam Mewis places USWNT among 2024 Olympic contenders
Megan Rapinoe: USWNT wants equality even ‘at expense of dominance’
U.S. and Mexico still in contention to host 2027 World Cup
NWSL Golden Boot race: Sophia Smith extends lead in Thorns return
How Ashley Hatch responded to USWNT snub in the NWSL
Benjamin girls soccer star Lily White enjoys perfect debut as football kicker
Goalkeeping
How’s this for Taking out a Player?
Return to Play after an Ankle Sprain YourVeryOwnAthleticTrainer.com
Reffing
Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over 13
FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
Expect the unexpected
SOURCE: LEYLA HAMED/X
Content warning: This section contains mention of sexual misconduct.
The GIST: Amid repeated calls for his resignation after he forcibly kissed Spain’s captain Jenni Hermoso as she accepted her FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC) medal on Sunday, Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales announced early this morning that he is not stepping down, insteading vowing to fight for his post. You can’t make this sh!t up.
The background: Following swift backlash to the kiss (among other lewd gestures), Rubiales released a bullsh!t “apology” earlier this week, apparently eager to brush all criticism aside and ignore the calls for his removal, even as Hermoso herself urged action.
- FIFA, the world’s governing soccer body, also announced disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales yesterday.
The latest: Still, in an impassioned speech at today’s RFEF extraordinary general assembly, Rubiales said the kiss was “mutual and with consent.” He shared that he would not be forced out of his role due to a “witch hunt” and “false feminism” and called the last five days a “social assassination” of his character.
- Not only that, but Rubiales doubled down on backing Spain’s controversial women’s national team head coach, Jorge Vilda, reportedly offering him a four-year contract extension and increasing his salary to half a million Euros next year.
- As a reminder, 15 players from Spains’ women’s national team resigned in protest against Vilda last September, citing a toxic and unprofessional work environment.
- Sadly, Rubiales’ speech was received with a mighty round of applause as he blew kisses to the majority male assembly. To quote USWNT star Megan Rapinoe, what kind of upside-down world are we living in?
The pattern: Unfortunately, women’s soccer and misogyny go hand in hand. In the past year alone, an investigation uncovered widespread misconduct within the NWSL, CanWNT played under protest as they fought for equal treatment from their federation, and Zambia’s head coach was accused of sexual misconduct by his players.
- And after all that, last week, FIFA president Gianni Infantino had the audacity to say that the onus is on female footballers to “convince us, men, what we have to do” when speaking about equality in the game.
Zooming out: Women’s soccer has never been more popular, yet players are still fighting for protection on the field, in the locker rooms, and even in moments of glory. When will it end?
Casey Stoney blasts Spain federation: ‘What goes on behind closed doors?’
San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney again called out Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales for his forced kiss of star player Jenni Hermoso at the World Cup, which she described as “completely inappropriate.”“If you are prepared to do that on the world stage in front of millions, what goes on behind closed doors?” she asked of the Spanish federation before asking the sport’s governing bodies to intervene.Rubiales has come under fire for his actions following Spain’s 1-0 win over England in the World Cup final, which included the kiss and also grabbing his crotch in celebration. While Hermoso initially downplayed the kiss, the 33-year-old midfielder has since called for action against Rubiales in a statement released in conjunction with her agency and the Spanish players’ union.FIFA has opened an investigation into Rubiales’ actions, it announced in a statement released Thursday.
Stoney, who already had condemned the Spanish soccer federation president’s kiss of Hermoso, weighed in again Wednesday, drawing a line between the gesture and the broader issue of player-staff relationships. Team staff members “should not be having relationships with players at all,” she said, calling such relationships something that she “absolutely despises” despite having seen them happen repeatedly in the sport,“You shouldn’t be socializing with players anyway,” she said. “You shouldn’t even be putting yourself in that position. … Don’t come into work and prey on vulnerable women who you are responsible for their contracts or medical or whatever it is, whatever role you play. Don’t have a relationship with players.”The controversy surrounding Rubiales comes on top of a longstanding dispute between Spanish players and the national federation. Last September, 15 players protested the national team environment and the management style of head coach Jorge Vilda, and just three of those players were selected for the World Cup roster. There is “a reason players were on strike,” Stoney said of the Spanish federation.And while she made clear that the issue of power imbalance in relationships extends beyond sports, she wants to see the issue addressed within women’s soccer.“I’m completely against anything that puts a player in a vulnerable position. … So I think the governing bodies, FIFA, UEFA, anybody who’s involved, step in because it’s not acceptable,” Stoney said. “These women get treated like this far too often, far too many times, and something needs to change.
Christian Pulisic begins life in Serie A with a goal and a renewed sense of purpose
By James HorncastleAug 21, 2023
As AC Milan’s bus wound through Bologna, passing the porticos and red and orange buildings, the colour of the fat and tomato of the ragu that makes this city world famous, Christian Pulisic prepared for his debut in Serie A.When the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara’s iconic brick tower came into view, the American could have been forgiven for thinking it was one of the fortresses that make the region of Emilia Romagna feel like one of those far-off lands in Game of Thrones.
ADVERTISEMENT
Visiting teams have tried and failed to break its walls in Thiago Motta’s time in charge of Bologna. Since replacing the late Sinisa Mihajlovic in September last year, Bologna’s defensive record at home has been the best in Serie A along with that of Champions League finalists Inter.
(Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Pulisic’s new coach, Stefano Pioli, found that out in April when a 1-1 draw almost cost Milan their place in this season’s Champions League. Some of the starters that day, Aster Vranckx, Charles De Ketelaere and Ante Rebic are no longer at the club. Others, Alexis Saelemaekers and Fode Ballo-Toure, are on the way out.
Pioli was rotating his team in between Milan’s Champions League quarter-final with Napoli. But the last visit to the Dall’Ara underlined Milan’s all too frequent struggles in breaking teams down — not to mention the shallowness of a squad which has been comprehensively overhauled this summer. Pulisic was bought in to help ensure that more frustrating draws in places like Bologna and other Italian cities where championship contenders can’t be seen to be dropping points are a thing of the past.
On a night sweatier than a slice of mortadella in one of those steaming Schiacciata sandwiches they sell around here, Pulisic could have found the going tough. Playing on the right in a 4-3-3, he has in effect replaced De Ketelaere, the €36million (£30.7m; $39.3m) present Milan gifted themselves for winning the league in 2022.The Belgian underwhelmed in his first season and opinions on what to do with him this time around were split. Now on loan at Atalanta, De Ketelaere scored on his debut in a 2-0 win against Sassuolo in Reggio Emilia, a short drive down the road from Bologna. If Pulisic had stumbled on Monday night, it would have been a story in itself, not much ragu about nothing. A fickle online response along the lines of “Milan should never have let De Ketelaere go” was easy to predict.
ADVERTISEMENT
But, on a night when Milan’s owner Gerry Cardinale had flown over to Italy especially to see the game, Pulisic didn’t allow that to happen.
Pulisic opens his Serie A account (Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images)
In this university town with its 11th-century red brick college, the 24-year-old turned out to be a model student for Pioli. He’s a quick learner and it was abundantly clear how much Pulisic has benefited from a full pre-season. During Milan’s tour of the U.S., Pulisic built up his fitness and reconnected with old Chelsea team-mates in a way that has facilitated his integration and effectiveness.For instance, Ruben Loftus-Cheek plays on Pulisic’s side. The pair warmed up together and covered for each other on the pitch. But it was Pulisic’s ability to activate Olivier Giroud and vice-versa that got the Milan fans in the away end so hot under the collar they were shirtless before long.First, an angled ball from Pulisic to the far post found fellow Milan debutante Tijjani Reijnders who cut it back for Giroud to open the scoring.
Then Pulisic introduced himself in the best way possible to his new league. There have already been some sumptuous goals in Serie A over the opening weekend. Antonio Candreva’s curler against Roma for Salernitana was good enough to be an installation at the next Venice Biennale. Nadir Zortea’s clincher at the Mapei Stadium was the kind of dart best fired from a bamboo shoot. One of the best, however, came in the last match of the first round.Pulisic cut inside and exchanged a one-two with Giroud as he had done when he won a penalty against Monza in the Trofeo Silvio Berlusconi friendly a fortnight ago. Only this time, rather than carry on his run, Pulisic took aim and fired a shot past Lukasz Skorupski, silencing the Bologna ultras standing behind the Pole in the Curva Andrea Costa.The Athletic reported earlier this week that 45 per cent of all Milan jerseys sold since Pulisic’s arrival have his name and number on the back. More will no doubt be sold in the wake of a debut that more than delivered. Which isn’t to say it was perfect.
Pulisic in Milan – it’s make or break
Bologna almost scored the quickest goal of the weekend when Charalampos Lykogiannis burst down Pulisic’s side and forced Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan to tip a shot destined for the top corner onto the bar. The lively Lewis Ferguson and direct Dan Ndoye tried to create overloads on the same flank, causing Milan problems. But Maignan, arguably the best goalkeeper in the world when fit, was up to whatever came his way and Milan boarded the bus back to Lombardy with a 2-0 win.
(Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images)
Withdrawn by Pioli with a quarter of an hour to spare, Pulisic couldn’t have wished for a better start in Italy. “I knew Pulisic was a talent when I was on the phone trying to convince him to join us,” said Pioli.“I was sure we’d signed a player of great quality. He’s very versatile. He allows us to give other players a breather. He can play very well in Leao’s place on the left or off the striker.”Pulisic was delighted with how his debut had gone. “For sure, I’m very emotional, it was great to score a goal so early on my debut, great to help the team win and get a clean sheet. It was just the perfect night,” he said after the game.There’s a song they play at the Dall’Ara, typically when Bologna win, by the city’s greatest songwriter Lucio Dalla. It’s called L’anno che verrà. The year to come. These may still be early days for Pulisc in Italy but, on the basis of his showing in Bologna, the year to come could be a very good one for him.(Top photo: Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Full slates
Lots of action around the globe this weekend.
By jcksnftsn Aug 25, 2023, 11:41am PDT Stars & Stripes
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72579001/1631333531.0.jpg)
There look to be matches involving USMNT players all across the top five leagues in Europe as well as in MLS this weekend. Saturday in particular has over a dozen matches spread throughout the day that can be access relatively easily on a variety of platforms. There are a couple matches on Friday as well so let’s start there.
Friday
Nantes v Monaco – 3p on beIN Sports
Folarin Balogun looks set to join Monaco, but will be a spectator as his new side take on Nantes Friday afternoon. Balogun will be joining a side that has scored seven times in their first two matches, winning both. Meanwhile, Nantes are looking for their first points this season.
Celta Vigo v Real Madrid – 3:30p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Luca de la Torre started and went 84 minutes last weekend in Celta Vigo’s 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad. This weekend, things will get tougher as they face league leading Real Madrid, who have been predictably dominant in their opening two matches.
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur – 7:30a on USA Network
Tyler Adams has officially joined Bournemouth ,but remains out with a hamstring injury that seems likely to keep him sidelined through the upcoming international break. Bournemouth are looking for their first win on the season and taking on a Spurs side that have top six aspirations coming off a 2-0 win over Manchester United.
Koln v Wolfsburg – 9:30a on ESPN+
Kevin Paredes was a time wasting sub for Wolfsburg last weekend in their 2-0 win over Heidenheim, coming on in the 89th minute. The good news is he looks recovered from a hamstring pull that had sidelined him in the preseason.
Bochum v Borussia Dortmund – 9:30a on ESPN+
Gio Reyna has only just returned to training and also seems likely to be out through the upcoming international break. His Dortmund teammates picked up a late goal last weekend to win 1-0 and will now face Bochum.
Heidenheim v Hoffenheim – 9:30a on ESPN+
John Brooks and Hoffenheim lost their opener 2-1 to Freiburg last weekend and will look to pickup their first points of the season Saturday against newly promoted Heidenheim. Brooks started and went the full 90 last weekend.
Darmstadt v Union Berlin – 9:30a on ESPN+
Brenden Aaronson started and played 76 minutes of Union Berlin’s 4-1 win over Mainz last weekend, but Jordan Pefok was an unused substitute in the match. The team will look to keep things rolling against a Darmstadt side that lost their opener 1-0.
Arsenal FC v Fulham FC – 10a on USA Network
Tim Ream received a rather harsh red card last weekend in Fulham’s 3-0 loss to Brentford and will miss the match this weekend as Antonee Robinson and the rest of the squad take on Arsenal. Arsenal have won their first two matches though both were decided by just a goal.
Brentford v Crystal Palace – 10a on Peacock
Chris Richards has not made it off the bench for Crystal Palace in their first two matches and could be in for a long season if things don’t change. The club has split their first two and face a Brentford side coming off a 3-0 win over Fulham.
Manchester United v Nottingham Forest – 10a on Peacock
Matt Turner and Nottingham Forest picked up their first points of the 2023-24 campaign with a 2-1 win over Sheffield United last weekend and now face Manchester United. Man U are coming off a 2-0 loss to Tottenham after an opening weekend win over Wolverhampton.
Borussia Mönchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen – 12:30p on ESPN+
Joe Scally and Borussia Mönchengladbach escaped with a draw with Augsburg last weekend. After jumping out to a 3-1 lead, ‘Gladbach allowed Augsburg to score three unanswered to take the lead themselves before picking up a tying penalty kick goal in the dying minutes of the match.
PSV Eindhoven v Go Ahead Eagles – 12:45p on ESPN+
Sergino Dest stepped right into the starting lineup for PSV on Tuesday following his transfer from FC Barcelona. Dest got the start at left back in PSV’s 2-2 draw against Rangers in the away leg of their Champions League qualifier. Dest played 81 minutes for PSV while Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman were unused substitutes for their side. The team returns to league action this weekend where they have won their first two matches and are facing a Go Ahead Eagles side that lost their opener 5-1 to AZ Alkmar and then defeated FC Volendam 4-1 despite playing the second half of the match down a man.
AC Milan v Torino – 2:45p on Paramount+
Christian Pulisic scored a screamer in AC Milan’s opener last weekend as the team went on to win 2-0. Yunus Musah, who also joined the side this summer, was ineligible to play due to a red card picked up in last season’s finale with Valencia. Milan’s opponent this weekend played to a scoreless draw with Cagliari last weekend.
Free MLS matches on Apple TV:
- Miles Robinson and Atlanta United face fellow centerback Walker Zimmerman and Nashville SC at 7:30p.
- DC United host the Philadelphia Union’s Quinn Sullivan and Jack McGlynn at 7:30p.
- CF Montreal and New England kick off at 7:30p.
- Jesus Ferreira and FC Dallas take on in state rival Austin FC at 8:30p.
- Sporting Kansas City play host to Cade Cowell and the San Jose Earthquakes at 8:30p.
Sunday
Mainz v Eintracht Frankfurt – 9:30a
Paxten Aaronson was held out due to illness last weekend as Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Darmstadt 1-0. Aaronson also missed the previous weekend’s DFB-Pokal match due to illness so it sounds like he must have had something pretty rough. Hopefully he will be recovered and available this weekend as Frankfurt travel to Mainz.
Juventus v Bologna – 12:30 on Paramount+
Tim Weah started for Juventus and played the opening 45 minutes coming off at halftime for USMNT and club teammate Weston McKennie. Weah had picked up a knock in the first half and it seems like the substitution may have been precautionary as his side was up 3-0 at the half.
Minnesota United v Seattle Sounders – 4:30p on Fox
Jordan Morris and the Seattle Sounders are coming off a 2-0 loss to Atlanta United and will look to get back to their winning ways against a Minnesota side that sit just five points back in ninth place, holding on to the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.Which matches are you watching? Hit the comments and discuss.
Breaking down Miami’s classic win, CCV Shelved, Cannon’s saga, Balogun update, & more
ASN’s Brian Sciaretta walks you through an epic night in the Open Cup, a big breakthrough with Folarin Balogun where he seems likely to join Monaco, tough news for Cameron Carter-Vickers, the latest with Reggie Cannon and Caden Clark.
BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED
AUGUST 24, 2023
1:00 PM
THE U.S. OPEN CUP final is set after a classic between Inter Miami and Cincinnati saw Messi and CO. advance yet again while Houston deserved its win over Real Salt Lake. Meanwhile, there is plenty of news to unpack abroad with big updates on Folarin Balogun and Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Let’s start in Ohio.
MIAMI WINS CLASSIC OVER CINCY
Inter Miami defeated Cincinnati on penalties after a wildly intense and entertaining 120 minutes ended in a 3-3 stalemate. This game had everything you would want. It started with Luciano Acosta nabbing the opener early off a deflection. Things got crazy in the second-half and Lionel Messi was front and center.
U.S. national team forward Brandon Vazquez, 24, was terrific on the day and his 53rd minute goal put Cincy up 2-0.
But that is when Messi took over and provided a masterclass on what makes him great. Like all great players, when he is down, he has a response. It requires an effort that goes from the opening whistle to the final whistle. Messi will expose even the slightest of lapse, particularly at the end of the games.
In the 68th minute, Messi’s free kick found Leo Campana to pull it back. Then Messi made his play of the game deep into stoppage time with a pass for the ages – again to Campana for the finish.
As Tata Martino put it: Messi was “more as a conductor and not a finisher” on the night. And that is sometimes when he is at his best.
When the game went to extra time, it seemed as if Miami would win. Four minutes into extratime Ben Cremaschi, 18 assisted to Josef Martinez to move in front. Even when Cincy equalized towards the end, it always felt Miami had the edge.
Sure enough, in penalties it turned over two a pair of Americans who are breaking out. In the 5th round, goalkeeper Drake Callender made a save on Nick Haggelund and Cremaschi won it with the final take.
Here are a few thoughts
Miami wins in Cincy: To show you just how good Miami is right now, they became the first team to win in Cincinnati this season after Pat Noonan’s team had a 15-0-3 record before last night’s game. If Miami can win Leagues Cup and then roll into Cincy and win, who exactly is going to beat them now.
Miami heads to NJ: It’s important to note that Lionel Messi still hasn’t played an MLS game. Once that happens, Miami has a huge climb to make the playoffs. It’s still unlikely and it requires no off days. But now they head to New Jersey to face the Red Bulls on Saturday after going 120 minutes on Wednesday. It’s yet another tough test for Messi and Co.
Martino’s doing a great job: Tata Martino has done a great job. “A lot of our wins have been more due to our character than our game and, obviously, due to having the best player in the world playing with us,” he said after the game. He’s right. Messi is one thing. But making it all work is on Tata. What he’s done in a short time frame is impressive.
Cremaschi and Callender: Both of these players are likely on Berhalter’s list to get into camp. Cremaschi is a top duel national and the obvious ties to Argentina are becoming stronger with him in Miami. Argentina wants him for their U-20 team. The U.S. will have to work harder to keep him in the system. A September call-up won’t ensure Cremaschi stays with the U.S., but it would be a nice signal of confidence. Meanwhile, Callender has been very strong over the past few months and the lack of playing time with Zack Steffen and Ethan Horvath have opened the door for him.
HOUSTON GETS PAST RSL
While the game took 120 minutes, Houston clearly deserved its 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday. It was a disappointing performance from RSL who badly misses the injured Pablo Ruiz. For long stretches, it seemed as if RSL was trying to hold on, maybe muster a chance off a counterattack, and try to get the game into penalties. Houston was clearly better.
Ben Olsen has had a great season and he’s surpassed my expectations. Getting into the Open Cup final also helps because Inter Miami is already in the Concacaf Cup due to the Leagues Cup. As a result, Houston is now assured of entry next year.
Houston is going back to the playoffs this year. They’re going to the CONCACAF Cup next year. Things are trending in the right direction. But does anyone really think they’re going to go to Miami and win the Open Cup final?
CARTER-VICKERS SHELVED
According to Scottish journalist Gavin McCafferty, Cameron Carter-Vicker will be out longer than expected with his hamstring and is now expected to be shelved for eight weeks. That means the next two international windows. Even worse, he will miss key Champions League games for Celtic (who are now scrambling for centerbacks in the remaining days of the window).
It’s unclear who Berhalter will call-up in central defense next month. Carter-Vickers is out but there is a long list of players who are not playing including Chris Richards, Auston Trusty, and Erik Palmer-Brown. It is also unclear how long Berhalter will continue with Tim Ream, who turns 36 in the fall.
BALOGUN TO MONACO?
Sky Sports is now reporting that U.S. national team forward Folarin Balogun is nearing a transfer from Arsenal to Monaco.
Monaco is not in Europe this year after a late three-game collapse to end 2022/23 saw them tumble to sixth. But the club is expected to contend for Ligue 1 this year and has six points from the first two games of the season.
Balogun, 21, scored 21 goals last year on loan with Stade de Reims. Keeping him within Ligue 1 makes this a safer bet for Monaco as he has proven himself within the league.
CANNON’S SAGA
What is going on with Reggie Cannon? He’s still without a club after terminating his deal with Boavista when he claimed lack of payment. But that issue is apparently unresolved legally and that makes Cannon a difficult player to sign on a free deal since it is not clear.
On top of that, FC Dallas still claims it has not been paid any money from selling Cannon to Boavista. The Portuguese club might be short on funds, but they’re still buying players. Dallas has taken its case to CAS (Court of Arbitration and Sports) and won. But Boavista still continue to ignore the ruling and are continuing to operate business as usual.
The entire matter is strange.
CADEN CLARK SIGHTING
Former New York Red Bull and U.S. U-20 midfielder Caden Clark is training close to home with Minnesota.
Clark, 20, is still owned by RB Leipzig after a weird start to his career that involved him starting his career with the Red Bulls (who had to pay Minnesota for his rights), getting sold to Leipzig, and getting loaned back to Red Bulls. At the end of the 2022 season, the Red Bulls decided not to exercise its option to extend his loan for 2023 and he moved to Leipzig where he made the bench for a few Bundesliga games but didn’t play. Clark ended up not making the U.S. U-20 World Cup team and wasn’t part of the important March camp and instead he went back to the USA. Now, it appears he hasn’t been with Leipzig at all in preseason and now he’s training with Minnesota. He was set to join Colorado earlier this month, but Leipzig couldn’t’ seal the paperwork in time.
Clark hasn’t played a game in over 11 months. It is fine he is training with Minnesota, but he can’t sign for them since it’s past the MLS transfer window and he’s not a free agent. It now looks as if he is going to go all of 2022 without playing.
What level he will be at when he returns is anybody’s guess.
Tyler Adams and Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth are a perfect tactical match
By Thom HarrisAug 23, 2023
From Leeds United to Chelsea to Bournemouth. On the face of it, Tyler Adams’ dramatic week of transfer twists and turns in English football might look to have fizzled out into a slight anti-climax.
The 24-year-old USMNT midfielder sealed a move worth around £23million ($29.1m) from Yorkshire down to England’s south coast on Sunday, as Andoni Iraola’s side swept in to sign him following a failed switch to the capital. As reported by The Athletic, concerns about a hamstring injury caused negotiations with Chelsea to stall.
ADVERTISEMENT
In Bournemouth, however, Adams has not only found an exciting project, but one that specifically needs a player like him for it to flourish.
With a forward-thinking head coach at the helm, one seeking to implement a fearless, high-intensity style of play, Adams’ energy and defensive tenacity will make him an essential part of a promising, new-look side.
“He’s a really good player,” Iraola said of the American last week, “he has performed in the Champions League, has national-team experience, but I don’t want to go too far because right now he’s not our player.”
Well, now he is.
And you can be sure that his new coach will be going into every possible detail with the player himself.
This is what Adams can expect at Iraola’s Bournemouth…
First and foremost, Iraola will be delighted to get his hands on a high-quality ball-winner to play in the centre of midfield, particularly after the departure of Jefferson Lerma to Crystal Palace as a free agent earlier this summer. Only Philip Billing averaged over 2.0 tackles a game among Bournemouth central midfielders to play more than 900 minutes in the league last season, while up at Leeds, Adams was the third-most prolific tackler among the 20 clubs in the division, averaging 3.7.
Drilling into some more advanced defensive metrics shows us that Adams brings quantity and quality in terms of defensive actions.
Using the true-tackles metric — a combination of successful tackles, failed challenges and fouls committed while attempting a tackle — we can see he was one of the more aggressive midfielders in the 2022-23 Premier League, attempting to make a tackle 8.8 times per 1,000 opposition touches. His true-tackle win rate was only bettered by four Premier League midfielders who played a minimum 900 minutes, and his capabilities in the air were similarly strong.
It’s a gung-ho approach to defending that Adams has developed during a career under some of the sport’s most demanding coaches.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I always err on the side that I’m going to win every single ball,” he said in an interview with The Athletic’s John Muller in February 2022 (see below), “so I tend to be aggressive and go for it.
“In the Red Bull DNA (Adams played for New York Red Bulls in MLS and then their German sister club RB Leipzig before going to Leeds, where he worked under Jesse Marsch, who had previously managed Red Bull Salzburg and Leipzig), counter-pressing is such an important thing. We try to win the ball as quickly as possible and aren’t afraid to make mistakes because we’re confident in our pressing as a team.”
Words that will be music to Iraola’s ears.
My game in my words. By Tyler Adams
Before taking charge at Bournemouth, Iraola led Madrid club Rayo Vallecano to La Liga promotion in the summer of 2021, before launching two unprecedented pushes to qualify for European football.
Despite perennial off-field turbulence and a shoestring budget, Rayo’s fearless approach under their young coach saw them beat Barcelona three times in four meetings, while also catching Real Madrid, Villarreal and Sevilla off guard with their high-pressing football. No side in Spain’s top flight won back possession in their attacking third more often than Rayo did last season, in a system that encouraged risk-taking in advanced areas on the pitch.
Adams will rarely be the player tearing after opposition defenders, looking to win the ball back in Bournemouth’s attacking third, nor will he be busting a lung to join in every attack. Instead, his ability to defend the width of the pitch will provide the assurance for his team-mates to push on, knowing he will work tirelessly to maintain the side’s defensive shape.
His role is likely to be similar to the one played for Iraola’s Rayo by Oscar Valentin, a similarly tenacious ball-winner at the heart of midfield, and the player who attempted the most true tackles in La Liga last season.
ADVERTISEMENT
As we can see from the comparison chart below, the two profile remarkably similarly in regards to their defensive tenacity, while their attacking contributions are minimal.
One of the principal ways Iraola teams attack you is via their full-backs, so Valentin’s role was about positional discipline to cover the spaces those wide men left behind.
Here against Real Valladolid in January, for example, Valentin sprints over to the left side of the pitch as he sees full-back Fran Garcia carry the ball forward, making sure he is in a good position to deal with any counter-attack if the ball is lost.
And here he is on the right against Getafe last October, as Ivan Balliu charges forward, ready to plug the gap should Rayo’s marauding right-back lose the ball.
Whether provided with a midfield partner or not, Valentin was always prepared to put out fires across the width of the pitch.
Hungarian left-back Milos Kerkez and English right-back Max Aarons are among Iraola’s other signings this summer, transfers that certainly suggest Adams will be expected to play a similar role for him to Valentin at Rayo: the facilitator who allows high-flying full-backs to get forward.
Kerkez profiles similarly to Garcia, a high-volume tackler who looks to get forward and cross the ball often, while Aarons is a relentless dribbler, having attempted the most take-ons of any full-back (97, 2.6 per game) in England’s top four leagues with Norwich City in 2022-23 — 42 more than any other full-back in the Championship.
And, looking at Adams’ tackles and interceptions map from last season, it’s clear he is comfortable dropping in to defend wide spaces, with the majority of his ball-winning actions taking place on the flanks.
He looks to be the perfect midfield sweeper who can allow his team’s wide players to attack without fear of what is going to happen behind them if it goes wrong.
On the ball, Adams won’t need to be the principal creator, particularly with Alex Scott also joining the club.
ADVERTISEMENT
Valentin completed an average of just 33.7 passes and created less than a chance per game for Rayo last season, with a pass completion rate of 81.9 per cent.
Adams offers an upgrade on all of these figures, having completed 46.2 passes per game for Leeds last season with an accuracy of 82.4 per cent and moving the ball particularly well into the attacking third, so he should have no problems adapting to Iraola’s stringent possessional demands.
With a need for solidity rather than creativity, Adams’ role in this Bournemouth team won’t need to be as expansive as it might have been if he had signed for Chelsea, allowing the USMNT star to focus on what he does best — winning back the ball.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
USMNT player tracker: Weah impresses, McKennie gets a chance, Sargent shines
By Greg O’KeeffeAug 21, 2023
Fresh starts and second chances — it was a positive weekend for USMNT duo Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie as Serie A got under way.Welcome to the USMNT player tracker where, each week, we will be bringing you updates on our U.S. players in various leagues around Europe.With the Copa America next year, and a home-soil World Cup on the horizon, we’ll be tracking how they perform every weekend.
ADVERTISEMENT
For Weah, who joined Juventus from Lille in July, it was a lively league debut as he helped the Turin giants to an impressive 3-0 win at Udinese. Playing as a wing-back, he completed two out of three duels and 3.97 progressive passes per 90 minutes in the half he played. Weah, son of AC Milan’s legendary striker George, was withdrawn at half-time with a slight foot injury.But his exit meant a chance for compatriot McKennie. The midfielder has been facing an uncertain future under manager Max Allegri, with rumours rife that he was not in his plans this season.It had even been uncertain whether the former Leeds United loanee would be taken on Juve’s pre-season U.S. tour. In the end, he did fly out with the squad and did enough to convince Allegri to give him 45 minutes on Sunday.McKennie won five of the six duels he attempted, made three successful tackles and made one key pass in an encouraging run out.If you want to keep up with this column each week you can follow Greg here.
Issue of the weekend
After some head-spinning twists and turns, Tyler Adams is a Premier League player again. The midfielder signed for Bournemouth, owned by American businessman Bill Foley, on Sunday following a week when he appeared to be on the brink of joining Chelsea, only to be left in limbo when the west London club’s interest abruptly fizzled out as they pursued other targets.
Tyler Adams: A Chelsea collapse, legal drama with Leeds and a move to Bournemouth
Then came the drama over whether Bournemouth’s initial approach had triggered the £20million ($25.4m) release clause in his contract, with Leeds denying they had and the south-coast outfit insisting otherwise.
A compromise was reached eventually, with Bournemouth paying over that amount, and the 24-year-old got his return to one of Europe’s big leagues along with the chance to become a fixture in Andoni Iraola’s team ahead of next summer’s Copa America.
ADVERTISEMENT
If that was encouraging news for USMNT supporters, then so too was right-back Sergino Dest finalising his loan switch from Barcelona, where he had been deemed surplus to requirements, to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands on Monday. It is a chance to reset his European career and get vital minutes at another big club.
Player of the weekend
Name: Josh Sargent
Club: Norwich City
Position: Striker
Appearances: 4
Goals/assists: 2/1
Norwich had a big hole to fill when Finnish striker Teemu Pukki called time on his illustrious Carrow Road career to head for MLS and Minnesota United in June. After 88 goals in 210 appearances for the club, supporters may have wondered who would be able to even begin to plug that gap.
Well, it’s provided an opportunity for USMNT forward Josh Sargent and, so far, it’s one he’s taken with both hands. The 23-year-old was no slouch last season, with 13 goals in 40 Championship games, and he seems set to continue that form with two in his club’s first three league games.
He was on target again with a header as Norwich beat Millwall 3-1 on Sunday, and completed three dribbles, with four shots, before his replacement on 80 minutes. Sargent’s bright start to the season has brought with it speculation that Leeds United are coveting him as they bid for their own return to the top flight.
(Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The visualisations in the Graphics of the Weekend section below hint at Sargent enjoying the additional space in the box and scoring responsibility afforded by Pukki’s departure, with a trend of coming off the left and cutting on to his right foot.
Quote of the weekend
Former Inter Milan and Udinese manager Andrea Stramaccioni was impressed with Weah’s contribution in Juventus’ win over the latter.
“Juventus have caught an interesting player with potential to be expressed,” said Stramaccioni during Sunday Night Square on DAZN. “He knows how to attack and has a modern open-mindedness because he is able to defend.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The U.S. national team coach had pointed him out to me as a player with huge potential for growth. He has to have time to adapt, but he’s a futuristic player and Juve are right to bet on him.”
Graphics of the weekend
How did other U.S. players get on?
Name: Matt Turner
Club: Nottingham Forest
Position: Goalkeeper
Appearances: 2
Clean sheets: 0
Save Percentage: 70%
Turner experienced his first win as a Nottingham Forest player when he helped his new side to beat Sheffield United. The 29-year-old will have prioritised playing regularly in his next step after it became apparent Arsenal wanted David Raya to compete with Aaron Ramsdale at his expense.
Enter Steve Cooper’s side, who continue to be linked with a move for Manchester United’s Dean Henderson as well. But Turner has started his first two games with Forest and, although he hasn’t kept a clean sheet yet, he made several important saves against Sheffield United, including one on 78 minutes that felt pivotal with the scores level. Eleven minutes later Chris Wood got the winner which ensured smiles for Turner and his new team-mates.
(Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
Name: Tim Ream
Club: Fulham
Position: Defender
Appearances: 2
Tackles/Interceptions per 90mins: 0.81/1.17
Last weekend, Ream was celebrating an impressive performance as Fulham ground out a win at Everton on the opening day. This time he was heading for an early bath after being sent off in the 64th minute as Brentford inflicted an emphatic 3-0 defeat on his team at Craven Cottage.
The penalty he conceded with the challenge that earned him his second booking allowed Bryan Mbuemo to score but incensed the home fans, who felt it was a harsh decision by referee Darren Bond.
Further reading…
Look out for Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah’s Milan kicking off their Serie A campaign at Bologna on Monday evening in Italy (2.45pm ET, Paramount+). Plus keep your eyes peeled for The Athletic’s interview with USMNT and Eintracht Frankfurt prospect Paxten Aaronson later this week.
(Top photos via Getty Images)
Paxten Aaronson exclusive: Cheetah runs, stir fries and staying power
Greg O’KeeffeAug 25, 2023
It was a moment that made it all worthwhile: moving nearly 4,000 miles from home, the gruelling training, the lonely nights when you miss your family, your girlfriend and a home-cooked meal.Thrust into the action as a 59th-minute substitute, Paxten Aaronson did not have time to stop and pinch himself.There was a job to be done. His team, Eintracht Frankfurt, needed to beat Freiburg on the last day of the 2022-23 Bundesliga season to ensure a seventh-place finish.But nearly three months later, as the 19-year-old describes helping Frankfurt over the line to European qualification, his eyes light up and the excitement in his voice is still palpable.“We needed a win and we needed two other teams to lose,” he says. “I was lucky enough to be on the pitch and it was just unreal, you know. The stadium, the atmosphere and the passion. Every game kicked off at the same time so, on the scoreboard, you would see the scores every time someone across the league scored.“The fans would be cheering and you didn’t always know which team had scored, but you just know that you had to get the job done. It was a surreal moment.”In front of 50,500 supporters, Frankfurt scored an added-time winner to clinch a spot in the Europa Conference League to cap a memorable season that had already seen them compete in the Champions League, reaching the last 16.It’s why Aaronson feels justified in making the move to Germany, where he made seven appearances (all from the bench) in his debut season, instead of remaining in MLS with Philadelphia Union where he played 23 league games the previous campaign. For the self-confessed football nerd, the threat of relegation or the promise of European qualification, and all the associated drama, gives everything an edge.“Every game means something (here),” he says. “If you’re past the line, you’re fighting against relegation. If you’re above it, you’re fighting to get a European spot.“The fans and the players put their hearts on the line to either stay in the league or clinch Europe next year. So I think that’s the biggest difference, in terms of the two competitions and in terms of the league. If you’re ambitious and you don’t want to stay too complacent, then Europe’s definitely the way because the competitions, the atmosphere, all of it is… yeah, it’s different.”
Aaronson tussles with Borussia Dortmund’s Emre Can (Fantasista/Getty Images)
The player, whose brother Brenden will also play in the Bundesliga this season after joining Union Berlin on loan from Leeds United, feels the high of being involved on that triumphant final day fuels his desire to play a more significant part for Frankfurt this term and made the initial homesickness worth it as he adapted to life in Germany.Aaronson is from a close family and went from living with parents Janell and Rusty and sister Jaden to following his brother into a move to Europe.“I live by myself in an apartment,” he explains. “There are perks to it, you know. It’s enjoyable at times because you have your freedom. You can just go at your own pace. And then sometimes it’s not as enjoyable — when you’re sitting there at seven or eight o’clock at night and you don’t know what to cook and there’s nothing on the table, so you have to make some really bad pasta or something like that.“And, of course, some days it’s more difficult than others. When you have two days off and everybody in Europe wants to fly home because it’s so close here, but you can’t fly back to America because it’s six or seven hours (away). But you keep yourself occupied. And I have.“I have visitors a lot. My grandparents, my girlfriend flies out a lot.“So I’m always keeping busy and honestly, with the amount of effort and work you have to put in every day in training, the days go by fast. It’s an adjustment. It’s a part of my character development — not even in football but outside, too. Being able to mature in a new country and learn different things all around the world. It’ll only make me a better person in the long run.”He’s improving at cooking, too, and becoming a selfless team-mate on and off the pitch as he builds friendships that extend beyond the dressing room.“My go-to is probably stir fry,” he smiles. “My girlfriend actually taught me how to make it. It’s just vegetable and chicken stir fry. I always love rice with everything and, yeah, it’s broccoli, peppers, chicken, rice and carrots.“Jesper Lindstrom (Frankfurt’s Danish midfielder) is a good friend. We sometimes go out to dinner. When he hurt his foot, I actually had to go over every morning at like 8am — he lives a 23-minute walk from me — to walk his dog because he was on crutches.“But I have a strong connection with everybody because they were all just super welcoming and it’s a good group of guys. Especially when you’re a young guy coming in nervous and stuff — it’s just important that you feel welcomed.”
Brenden Aaronson playing for Union Berlin against Mainz earlier this month (Boris Streubel/Getty Images)
They may be two of the U.S.’s brightest young footballing talents, but the Aaronson brothers had to overcome early rejection back home due to their slight frames and height.
Their parents encouraged resilience, though, and the brothers’ natural ability won through. That is why the younger Aaronson remains keen to embrace his attributes rather than trying to match older and more physical opponents in Europe.
“I’ve always said the two attributes I like most about my game are my quick acceleration and how fast I can be with the ball,” he says. “And I always explain to the lifting coaches that I never want to lose that.
“I wanted to build healthy muscle. Muscle that wouldn’t get me so bulky that I turn into a player that’s not as explosive as I am.
“And they understood that. We do exercises, of course, in pre-season. But after that, you can’t do these heavy exercises because it just weighs you down.
“So they do a lot of exercises that are built for the player like me, like squatting and jumping, which is for explosiveness. And focus on the core. For every athlete, it’s super important because they always preach that if you have a strong core, it’s injury prevention number one.”
He has had to step up his level of stamina since returning for pre-season training after a trip back to New Jersey with Brenden to spend time with family and friends.
“There’s a difference here in terms of training and demand on the body; a lot of double sessions. Usually in America, when we would have double sessions, it would be maybe one on the field and one in the gym,” he says.
ADVERTISEMENT
“So I’d say, intensity is definitely the biggest challenge. Here, if you have a double session in pre-season, it’s two on the field and it’s not like in the morning it’s hard in the afternoon it’s easy — it’s like two really hard sessions. That definitely took some adapting to get used to, but I’m enjoying it.”
(From left) Marcel Wenig, Ellyes Skhiri, Aaronson and Timothy Chandler in training (Arne Dedert/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Opposition midfielders could well have a hard time keeping up this season. The pre-season work is likely to have enhanced the pace and endurance of a player who credits his willingness to run (and run and run) to his early days on his elementary school yard.
“They had something every day at recess called ‘cheetah running’,” he explains. “You would run around the track all recess until they blew the whistle and you would collect popsicle sticks. So every time you ran around the track, you would get one popsicle stick. You’d try to get the most popsicle sticks out of everybody in the class.
“And then at the end of the year, you would see how many popsicle sticks you had. They had a ceremony and stuff for whoever won. So me and my brother would always gun for number one on the cheetah-running list.
“My dad always jokes, ‘This is what built your endurance’ because every day, right before lunch, I would be itching. I would be telling my teacher, please let me out early so I can get more popsicle sticks.
“It seems silly now. But yeah, that’s kind of where the endurance and running started.”
Like anyone connected with the Bundesliga, Aaronson is excited at the impact of England captain Harry Kane’s move to Bayern Munich and feels it will only make the division stronger.
“It’s massive for the league having someone of his calibre and what he’s done in England,” he says. “It will boost the level and recognition of the league even higher.
“I think the Bundesliga is definitely up there with one of the best.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Every league has their differences. When you think about Serie A, it’s known for the defending. When it’s La Liga, it’s ball possession and the very good passing. And then the Premier League has its calibre. For me, the Bundesliga is a league that’s very fast-paced and a lot of the games are frantic. It’s man-to-man defending. Nobody really drops off.
“If you get the ball in the middle, someone’s coming from behind and hitting you. Everybody runs forward and it’s all about the pressing. Being an American and having so many Americans in the league, it kind of suits our playing style. We have strong endurance, we’re usually always quick.
“It’s a big transition game and it’s a big transition league. And if you win the ball, most of the time you’re going in on a three versus two. If you can capitalise on the moment, that can win you games.”
Aaronson loves the energetic nature of the Bundesliga (Ulrik Pedersen/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
He hopes stepping up in this league will also boost his USMNT career. Aaronson has one senior cap and hopes to play for the under-23s in next summer’s Paris Olympics after the U.S. qualified for the first time since 2008.
“It’s a major event,” he says. “When you think about the Olympics, you just kind of get this feeling. It would obviously be very good to represent my country in such a big tournament.
“So getting to be on a team that helped qualify and then hopefully playing in the tournament would be a good honour.”
Before that will come another season of learning his craft at Frankfurt and soaking up more experiences.
He has already tasted the fervour of a game against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park. “It was a difficult game for us (Frankfurt lost 4-0 in April). It’s always difficult going there,” he recalls. “But for me, I just remember walking onto the field and seeing the Yellow Wall (Dortmund’s famously imposing single-tiered stand).
“You speak about watching it on TV, but it’s not the same as when you’re on the pitch.
“All those 80,000 people are just stacked above you and they’re all shouting down at you. When I was warming up to go into the game, I got four beer bottles just launched on me.
“It’s an incredible stadium and getting onto the field, playing against the likes of Marco Reus and guys I’ve watched since I was a youth was an exciting moment.”
The Yellow Wall at Signal Iduna Park (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
There should be plenty of equally exciting moments for both brothers this season and their father has already booked his trip to Berlin in November — Frankfurt travel to the capital raising the prospect of his boys going head to head.
Although it is over four hours by train between the two cities, or an hour’s flight, Aaronson is glad to have his brother relatively near and sought his older sibling’s advice before agreeing the switch to Europe last November.
But this season he is preparing to make his own mark on the league; Aaronson was named as one of the top five youngsters to watch in 2023-24 by the Bundesliga’s website along with Nelson Weiper, Kevin Paredes, Julien Duranville and Mathys Tel.
Can this be his year?
“I think so, definitely. If I take my moments and I take my opportunities, every minute I’m on the pitch, whether it’s training or in a game,” he says.
“I want to show I’m here to stay. If I always keep working and doing what I’m supposed to, for sure I can have a good season.”
Some players may feel pressure at the heightened expectations but Aaronson’s enjoyment of football always supersedes the sense of tension.
“For me, it’s never felt real, you know? It still just feels like I’m just playing for fun. Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like it’s my job. So it’s just enjoyable. I’m like a big nerd with that stuff. If there’s a game on, it doesn’t really matter what it is: I’m putting it on.
“First weekend of the Premier League with Burnley versus Man City on the Friday, I was on my couch watching it. It’s entertaining for me and that’s always been the same, even when I was a little kid.
“There are the occasional players that you talk to and they’re like, ‘I’ve never watched the game’ and that always amazes me. You play the game, you love the game. Like, isn’t it interesting for you to watch other players and other teams?”
Aaronson playing for Philadelphia Union in May 2021 (Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The adventures continue for Aaronson and European football is another prospect that has the wide-eyed football fanatic excited for the new season.On Thursday, he was an unused substitute as Frankfurt drew 1-1 with Bulgarian side Levski Sofia in the first leg of their Europa Conference League qualifying play-off.“Getting to play against teams from different countries like France, or even occasionally the teams you might not have heard of — that’s amazing,” he says. “They’re always gonna come in and fight, so embracing this competition and getting to play against these different styles and these different tactics is exciting.“The fans always get behind it because when you play in Europe and you have a trophy that you can win, it always puts a pump on your chest.”In May, Frankfurt parted company with Oliver Glasner, the manager who signed Aaronson, but his replacement Dino Toppmoller was quick to reassure the youngster he values him as highly as his predecessor.“He told me about the importance of staying hungry,” he says. “He thinks that this season can be as good as I make it.“And I think that, too — if I never get complacent. It is a big thing for me because, at a young age, you can kind of see some players who get a lot of spotlight or a lot of success too early and then, later on, it kind of affects them.
Toppmoller has taken Aaronson under his wing (Arne Dedert/picture alliance via Getty Images)
“I always try to tell myself not to ever get too high or too low. Just always be hungry.“And I think that sets a tone. It sets the mood for always wanting to accomplish more.”He might be running for more valuable prizes than popsicle sticks this season, but Aaronson’s enthusiasm remains just as unbridled as it was as a young boy tearing around the playground in Medford. And as back then, rewards are sure to follow.
(Top photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Greg O’Keeffe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering US soccer players in the UK & Europe. Previously he spent a decade at the Liverpool Echo covering news and features before an eight-year stint as the paper’s Everton correspondent; giving readers the inside track on Goodison Park, a remit he later reprised at The Athletic. He has also worked as a news and sport journalist for the BBC and hosts a podcast in his spare time.
Drake Callender’s rise from Inter Miami’s third-choice keeper to Leagues Cup hero
By Matt Pyzdrowski Aug 23, 2023
It was the 86th minute and Atlanta United had just won a penalty kick. Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender stood tall in goal with his chest puffed out and his hands at his sides, waiting for the approach from Thiago Almada. Though Miami led 4-0, and the result was all but guaranteed, Callender remained unfazed in goal. He was approaching the spot kick as if the game was on the line. As Almada made his approach, Callender was focused — he waited and waited, refusing to move too early. He had studied the Atlanta United attacker and knew that he liked to shoot to his right, but he couldn’t move in advance of the kick and risk exposing that he already knew where Almada was going to shoot. If he did, Almada would just tuck the ball into the other side of the goal. It wasn’t until Almada virtually made an impact with the ball that Callender finally moved and threw himself to his right to make the save. As the ball was cleared out of play, Callender jumped up onto his feet, clenched his fists together, grinned cheek to cheek, and let out a child-like scream of joy. It was the first penalty kick stop of his professional career. You could see by his reaction how good it felt to get over that mental hurdle and finally save one. Even though it might not have had a major on the result of the game, or been the most difficult of saves to make, it would turn out to be incredibly valuable for his psyche, and a positive memory he would be able to rely on in the future. As it would turn out, he wouldn’t have to wait too long for his next opportunity to put into practice what he had learned from that valuable experience. Less than a month later, Callender would be required to step up again when Inter Miami’s match against Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup final went to penalty kicks on Sunday. His previous stop, certainly still fresh in his mind. This time, the situation was more tense, though.After five saves in regulation, and one already earlier in the shootout, Callender would save his best for last when he stepped up to the spot in the 11th round of the penalty shootout. With the game on the line, and every outfield player having already attempted their kicks, it was now the goalkeeper’s turn. Once again unfazed by the moment, Callender looked calm as could be — you could hardly tell he’d never been there before, as he rocketed the ball into the roof of the net with the confidence of someone who’d scored hundreds of goals in their career. But his job was not done yet, he still had one more shot to face, from fellow goalkeeper Elliot Panicco. As Panicco made his approach, Callender danced on his line, waving his arms and legs about, but just like against Atlanta, he waited until the moment right before impact to finally make his move. With the ball headed toward the upper left half of his goal, the Inter Miami keeper pushed off with all his might and expertly redirected Panicco’s attempt far away from goal. Fully aware of what this stop meant to him and his team, Callender jumped to his feet and immediately took off on a dead sprint for his teammates, who were running toward him from the center circle. It was Inter Miami’s first trophy in team history. Though the 25-year-old Callender had a tough and inconsistent start to the year, his game has improved remarkably since the arrival of Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. His performances during the Leagues Cup have been on another level and were often marked by heroic displays, including his saves against Nashville, and impressive performances against both Cruz Azul in the group stage and the Philadelphia Union in the semifinals. It would be hard to argue that without his big-time stops, often in the game’s most crucial moments, Miami would have never ended up lifting the Leagues Cup trophy this season. It should hardly be surprising that his impressive play earned him the title of best goalkeeper at this summer’s tournament. What makes Callender’s story even more inspiring is his journey from being Miami’s third-choice goalkeeper to now becoming a vital piece of arguably the most exciting team in the league. After playing college soccer for the California Golden Bears, Callender had his homegrown rights traded from San Jose to Miami ahead of the latter club’s inaugural MLS season. After spending a majority of that season outside the game day squad, Callender knew that in order to develop it was crucial for him to get playing time in 2021. With the encouragement of his then head coach Phil Neville, he spent a majority of 2021 with the reserve team in USL League One. That year, Callender gained invaluable experience as a No. 1 goalkeeper, playing 17 games for Fort Lauderdale, and learning what it takes to make it at the next level. He returned to preseason in 2022 a changed goalkeeper. It didn’t take long to see that the decision to go down a level for playing time was a wise one. Callender started the beginning of preseason as third choice, but got his first chance in MLS in March 2022 during a 3-1 loss to FC Cincinnati after injuries to both goalkeepers in front of him. Despite the loss, he showed glimpses to his coaches in that game of what he could be if he put it all together. Though his promotion would be short lived and he was once again relegated to the bench the following match, it wouldn’t take long for Callender to get another opportunity, this time in the U.S. Open Cup against local rivals Miami FC. That match would turn out to be a springboard for Callender that season, and proved to his coach and to the rest of the team that he ultimately had what it took to make it at the MLS level.By July 2022, after a string of impressive performances in league play, Callender’s evolution from third-string goalkeeper to first choice at Inter Miami was complete. In total, he started 24 league games last season and consistently got better as the year progressed.This season, despite that slow start in MLS, Callender has been a constant in the starting lineup and gradually impressed along the way — even in the face of adversity when his team struggled on the way to Neville’s departure. His performances haven’t just been noticed within MLS circles either, as he’s now being called into USMNT camps (twice so far), including when the USMNT beat Canada to lift the CONCACAF Nations Leagues Cup this past summer.Even though Callender’s rise has been impressive, the reality is he still has some work to do if he wants to permanently etch his name as one of the three goalkeepers called into USMNT camp on a consistent basis. While Matt Turner has locked down the No. 1 spot, both Ethan Horvath and Zack Steffen have made a case over the past 12 months that they still have a valuable role to play for their country, and at just 19-years-old, Gabriel Slonina has the inside track to become Turner’s eventual successor. Though not impossible, it will be difficult for Callender to knock down that door without some things going his way over the coming months and years, considering who is in front of him, and that each of those other keepers are under 30-years-old — the prime age for the position. That being said, the USMNT goalkeeper position has been more unpredictable in recent years than it traditionally has been. As for his skill set, like many Americans before him, Callender is very explosive, has exceptional reflexes and is often able to save shots that appear to be guaranteed goals. He is quick in his decision-making and direct to the ball, which allows him to make a lot of saves and through a variety of methods. His stop in the Leagues Cup semifinal against Philadelphia is a perfect example of this. Callender’s ability to shoot his right hand down, while keeping a strong and stable barrier behind the ball, was special, and not a save every goalkeeper makes under the circumstances. Callender’s positioning is also impressive for a younger goalkeeper, usually only requiring small and minimal movements in order to consistently get into the correct shape to make the save. His excellent hands and ability to catch the ball is also how he gives off the allure that everything is easy, and makes so many difficult stops look routine. That’s not to say that he always gets things correct — he would surely be the first to admit that he’s a work in progress, but it is encouraging to see him often rely more on the fundamentals than his athleticism to make saves.Callender is blessed with height and long arms and knows how to use his reach and wingspan to his advantage. His size and advanced starting position can also be seen in how effectively he deals with and claims high balls lifted into his box, even when his box is busy. It’s one of his biggest strengths as a goalkeeper. One area of his game that has occasionally come into question is his positioning when dealing with long and direct balls played in behind his back line. Though often confident in his actions, it is in these moments where he sometimes hesitates, unsure of how to best handle the situation. It’s also one of the hardest things for goalkeepers who like to stick closer to their line, like Callender often does from open play, to get comfortable doing. Against the Union in the Leagues Cup semifinals, Callender nearly got punished when he got the timing of his attempted sweep outside the box all wrong.
As the ball was played from within Philadelphia’s own half, Callender was far too low in his starting position and hesitated, unsure whether to come for the ball or stay closer to his line, before eventually rushing off his line at the final moment to try to win the ball off the foot of Chris Donovan. Luckily for Callender, after Donovan beat him to the ball and rounded him, the Union attacker became unbalanced and launched the ball with his left foot over the net and into the stands. It wasn’t the first and it won’t be the last time it happens — he also had a similar moment against FC Dallas before that — but it will be key for him to learn from the moments when things go wrong, make improvements, and put things right the next time.Callender does have this skill set in him and it appears he has already started to make adjustments to his approach, though. In the final against Nashville, just five minutes into the game, he made a great sweeping header, clearing the ball nearly to the center of the field. This time his positioning was higher, and his thought process clear. Though it’s encouraging to see, it’s definitely an area he will want to improve upon and get more comfortable and consistent doing.
Another area of his game that he will have to improve if he wants to take the next step and work his way into a consistent spot with the USMNT and potentially earn a mve to a bigger league in Europe, is his ability with the ball at his feet. Though Callender is secure in his passing, and able to use both feet out of the back, the range of passes that he is consistently able to play are often limited. He’s primarily been used as the pivot at the back to slowly move the ball out wide to his center backs, or clear the ball long and away from danger rather than as someone who can break lines with his passing. The accuracy of his medium to long distance passing in particular is where he will need to improve if he wants to take that next step in his career. It will be interesting to see how this area of his play develops now that Miami has a new coach in Tata Martino and new players who want and demand their team play out of the back. On Wednesday, Callender and Inter Miami already have their sights on their next trophy when they meet MLS leaders FC Cincinnati in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup at TQL Stadium. It was the Open Cup last season where everything started to take off for Callender, and the fact that Wednesday’s match will be played against the same team and at the same venue of his first start for an MLS team couldn’t be more symbolic and meaningful.
(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
USWNT knocked off FIFA world rankings top spot for first time in six years
By Nnamdi Onyeagwara4h ago10
The U.S. women’s national team (USWNT) have been knocked off the top spot of FIFA’s world rankings for the first time since March 2017.They were replaced by Sweden, who moved up from third to the summit for the first time in their history. World Cup winners Spain sit in second after rising from sixth place, with the USWNT in third.England, the losing finalists in Australia and New Zealand and European Championship winners a year ago, remain fourth.The U.S.’ fall follows their disappointing World Cup campaign, which saw them be eliminated in the round of 16 after a penalty shootout defeat to Sweden. It was the first time the team had failed to at least reach the semifinal in a Women’s World Cup.latko Andonovski resigned as coach of the team last week. Assistant coach Twila Kilgore was named interim head coach while sporting director Matt Crocker leads the search for a new head coach.
There are implications for the program as a whole, for the NWSL, for the youth national teams, for the role of NCAA and elite club soccer in player development.his World Cup has raised massive existential questions about America’s ability to keep up moving forward.As much as U.S. Soccer has always said it’s set the bar for international women’s soccer, the bar has been raised on them — and while that state of affairs is something they have acknowledged in the past, there’s a big difference between acknowledgement and the harsh reality of their World Cup campaign ending in the round of 16 for the first time ever.
USWNT captain Lindsey Horan on World Cup exit, more: ‘We did not get the best out of every single individual’
By Meg Linehan and The Athletic StaffAug 22, 2023184
U.S. women’s national team midfielder Lindsey Horan discussed the team’s Women’s World Cup exit, captaining the squad and more, saying Tuesday, “We did not get the best out of every single individual.” Here’s what you need to know:
- Speaking with former USWNT players Tobin Heath and Christen Press on their podcast, “The RE-CAP Show,” Horan said, “I don’t think everyone was fully prepared, and that’s on us as well.”
- Horan also addressed feeling like the USWNT was not set up to succeed, and she suggested the players came together to adapt during the Sweden game.
- The USWNT exited this year’s Women’s World Cup after losing 5-4 on penalties to Sweden in the round of 16. It marked the first time the program failed to at least reach the semifinal in the tournament.
What else Horan said
“At the end of the day, you’re set up in a structure to do this, and your opportunity individually (is) just go play within the structure,” Horan said. “But if you’re not set up — like the game against Sweden, I don’t think we were necessarily set up to play the way that we played. That was just us, finally coming together and being like, this is what we’re gonna do. And then it worked. Then it’s like, ‘Okay, keep doing it.’ Could that have happened earlier? Maybe.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Horan also spoke about finding joy at the World Cup, saying, “I think it’s such a hard one because it’s a tournament.”
“You’re going into each game, where all you want to do is win, and it doesn’t really matter how you play,” she said. “It’s about winning, and it’s each game at a time. The joy is winning, you look at it in that kind of way. (In) the first game, there were bits and pieces of joy, but we still weren’t at our best.“Looking at those three group stage games, and you felt it in the team. You felt this tense feeling, and people were just not enjoying their football or they weren’t enjoying individually playing, and there’s so much going on in their head. I had a press conference, and that was the first thing that came to my mind: there was no joy. I haven’t truly enjoyed enough moments on the field where I came off the field and I was like, ‘Oh, I loved that game.’ That’s hard to say a lot in the World Cup. So that’s where I was finding it very difficult to be like, yeah, we just need to find the joy again and then we’re gonna be great. That’s a very hard thing to do.”
Horan also discussed her pregame speeches with the team throughout the tournament.
“I remember going to the Sweden game, and I was just like, ‘Guys, we are so good. Every single one of us is so good. When we’re confident, when we’re brave, when we’re actually enjoying football, we are at our best.’ The one thing I said was, ‘Every time someone gets the (ball), each person should have three or four options. That’s always a thing you say in football, but when you have that, when you see that everyone wants that ball. One of my other main points was (for) everyone (to) sit in their heads right now and say, ‘I want the ball at all times in this game. I’m not hiding. I want the ball. If I’m going to make a mistake, I want the ball again.’ I remember, actually, Tobin saying that to me in the Olympics, she kept saying to me, ‘I don’t care if you make a mistake, get on the ball again.’ So that was my main message to the team in that game.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It just all came together. Maybe the first 10 minutes, we were under a little bit of pressure, but once we started being confident, everyone wanting the ball, there was bravery. You saw it in every single player. You saw the joy.”“It comes and goes in so many ways after the World Cup,” Horan said. “You’re disappointed, you’re upset, you’re angry. Then you sit there and you think, especially as a captain, you’re just like, ‘I had so much responsibility. What more could I have done to help the team?’ I sit there and I’m just like, ‘Maybe that speech that I had before the Sweden game, that could have been before the Netherlands game or before the Vietnam game or whatever.’ I think it’s so hard. There’s always little things that you can fix and you can look back on, but I think individually I tried to do that as much as possible with each of the players.”The captain continued, speaking about how she attempted to alleviate pressure from her younger teammates.“I remember I made it a point, I want to help Sophia Smith as much as possible in this tournament because I think she has a lot of pressure on her back and I want to make sure she’s in a good place, that some of the younger players are in a good place because they’re going to have massive roles. So it’s like, could I have done more to help those players? Because I don’t think we got the absolute best out of some of them because of the way that we were set up and some of the things that we did in the game. But at this point, you’re just killing yourself. I’m killing myself for the last two weeks, like, what the heck could I have done to help or to push or to push our playing style or to push this bravery?”
Horan also spoke about the team’s failure to win in specific moments, compared to the 2019 team.
“When I think about a World Cup, you win a World Cup in moments, moments in every single game,” she said. “There had been moments in every single game for us to win. There are moments in the Netherlands game that we could have won. There are moments in the Vietnam game, where we could have made it a seven or eight (to) nothing game, and then you look back and you’re like, ‘Oh, we could have been playing South Africa in the round of 16.’ We didn’t win those big moments.
“I think back to 2019, and we won every single one of those big moments. They came in every single game with the route that we had, which was so difficult. We won those moments. … How did we prepare for those moments? We were put in a place — that’s usually on the individual like Pinoe (Megan Rapinoe) scoring every single PK that we had throughout the tournament. She was prepared to win that moment. We were put in a place to be prepared for those, and how did the coaching staff do that? That’s such a hard, hard thing for me. We actually were fully prepared for that back in 2019.”
Horan continued, “With this team — with a new coach coming in and Olympics very quickly — and now leading into another four-year cycle, what’s the main goal here?”
“Do we just prepare for a four-year cycle leading into the next World Cup, or do you focus on, ‘Hey, we want to go win gold?’ Don’t ask me that, because I’m a player that hasn’t won a gold medal at the Olympics. For me, it’s just like how can you prepare for the next four-year cycle but also in your mind, winning a gold medal, that’s what this team is about.
“When a coach comes in, it’s like, hey how do we get the best out of every single individual player putting the most simplicity into a 10-day camp every few months and getting the best out of your team, and without overcomplicating everything? Because yes, I could talk about the last four-year cycle, and we don’t need to get into every single thing, but that’s not what we did. We did not get the best out of every single individual. I don’t think everyone was fully prepared, and that’s on us as well.”
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What to make of Horan’s comments
While some of the highlights of Horan’s comments are provoking strong reactions on social media already, for me, it’s the entirety of what Horan said about the World Cup experience and the last four-year cycle that feels particularly damning.The general consensus around the team’s lackluster Olympic performance was that they were missing a fundamental joy when playing the game — so to hear that the exact same problem occurred two years later under the same technical staff shows that this could have been prevented.And while Horan’s right that she’s just a player and not in charge of the decision, her own questions about what the next coach might bring to the role illuminates that not even the players quite know what U.S. Soccer is prioritizing at this moment in time — the next four-year cycle leading up to the 2027 World Cup, or the immediate challenge of the 2024 Olympics.
The interview does help show how Horan grew into her role as captain, and her own frustrations about not being able to fully succeed in that role, on or off the field. Her honesty should be appreciated, not just by those on the outside looking in, but by the federation’s leadership. — Linehan
Backstory
Vlatko Andonovski resigned last week as head coach of the USWNT, and assistant coach Twila Kilgore was named interim head coach while U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker leads the search for a new head coach.Andonovski succeeded Jill Ellis in October 2019. The U.S. did not win either of its major tournaments under Andonovski, taking bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The team won four of 10 matches with Andonovski at the helm at the Olympics and World Cup combined. The coach went 51-5-9 overall with the U.S. team.Kilgore’s first matches as interim head coach will come next month when the U.S. women have two friendlies against South Africa on Sept. 21 and 24.
(Photo: Jenna Watson / USA Today)
The USWNT’s salvation lies in youth development. Will the status quo stop it?
In most big-time women’s soccer countries, elite prospects get pro coaching as teens. The NWSL and U.S. Soccer face pressure to make that happen here. But will old-minded youth clubs block progress?
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/VBV6RRJ3TFCMTO3JIC4QPQLTGE.jpg)
YDNEY, Australia — Though Spain’s women’s World Cup triumph was the nation’s first, it was far from a one-off. It was years in the making, thanks to major investments in youth player development.There’s a lesson in that for the U.S. women, and it has nothing to do with the dreams of those fans who obsess about the team’s playing style.Spain’s most important push in women’s soccer came not from its national governing body, but from its pro teams. Their youth academy setups, especially Barcelona’s, have created a pipeline of players that America currently can’t match.If you’re the parent of a youth or college soccer player, or a coach or administrator of a league, you might have just done a double-take. How is it that a country as big as the United States, with so many players and teams and leagues and scholarships, isn’t producing enough quality?
The answer is actually quite simple. In Spain, England, France, Germany and other big-time women’s soccer countries, elite prospects get coaching worthy of their pro potential starting as teenagers. In the U.S., only a tiny handful of players can dream of that.Most of them play through their high school years for youth clubs that focus on their own interests, then hope to get to an elite-level college team that can launch them to the pros in their early 20s.
» READ MORE: Spain wins the women’s World Cup and arrives as a women’s soccer superpower
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/F4RE67DEXFG37E2OVXDES7TWAI.jpg)
No wonder the U.S. under-20 team hasn’t won its age-group World Cup in a decade, and the under-17s never have won theirs. Meanwhile, Spain won last year’s under-20 women’s World Cup and is a two-time under-17 reigning champion.Some players from those squads were on the field at Stadium Australia on Sunday, including 19-year-old phenom Salma Paralluelo, who won the World Cup’s top young player award.
Pressure on the NWSL
For years, close observers of the National Women’s Soccer League have complained about its lack of a homegrown player rule akin to Major League Soccer’s — a way for young players to sign directly with teams instead of going through a draft. And for years, the NWSL has promised a rule would come.But the wait has dragged on for so long that it took a lawsuit from then-15-year-old Portland Thorns prospect Olivia Moultrie in 2021 to force the NWSL to drop a ban on all players younger than 18. And it took another year after that for the league to allow its teams to sign two under-18 players to their squads without having to petition the league for special permission.
ADVERTISEMENT
In the NWSL’s early years, some teams didn’t have the internal infrastructure to handle having minors in their squads. But those days are in the past as ever more investment comes to clubs and the league as a whole. Now people who’ve been pushing for bigger change are done waiting, including some of the biggest names in the game.“I think there’s conversations that are going to happen,” said San Diego Wave president Jill Ellis, the former two-time World Cup-winning U.S. manager who chaired FIFA’s technical committee at this tournament. “I know there’s some fantastic talent. … I think there are opportunities to grow in certain areas, and pull certain levers to continue to accelerate.”
» READ MORE: How America helped build England’s rising women’s soccer powerhouse
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/RI5C7SDE3BHSXEHNSJVM2A5J4Y.jpg)
Ellis knows firsthand about that fantastic talent, because she has signed quite a bit of it to the San Diego Wave. She drafted Naomi Girma, convinced the league to let Jaedyn Shaw turn pro at 17, and this year brought in 15-year-old Melanie Barcenas.They’ve rewarded Ellis with impressive play. Girma was on this year’s World Cup team, Shaw was last year’s U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year, and Barcenas has played in 11 games this year.
Breaking barriers
“I do think allowing the minors to sign now has been a big step,” Ellis said. “We’ve got to make ourselves so attractive [that] people don’t want to On the other end of the Pacific coast in Portland, Thorns general manager Karina LeBlanc is also pushing for reform. The former Philadelphia Independence and Canadian national team goalkeeper joined the club after the Moultrie lawsuit, and ensures no guessing is needed of her opinion.“What [the] Portland Thorns did and Olivia Moultrie did broke a barrier,” LeBlanc said. “I think the pathway of what it was, is going to be different from what it is in the future. And it’s about us sitting at the table and having those honest discussions of, what do we need to do differently?”he revealed that some meetings have already taken place, with “honest conversations” about focusing on youth development.“Everything was discussed,” she said, followed by an admission she wasn’t allowed to say what everything meant. “It was an open discussion. And I think it was important because we had owners, GMs, we had across the board — other stakeholders that are not within the league. … We all understand that the game is growing, and we have to grow with the game.”
» READ MORE: Kate Markgraf stepping down as GM of U.S. women’s national team
So the ideas are there, which is a good sign. Now they need executing.It will take a lot of money, and not every NWSL team has the funds to run its own youth academy. Some already do, and there’s a growing sense they should be allowed to reap the rewards. Those without the resources could be allowed to partner with a local youth club of choice to build a pipeline there, as some MLS teams did before they could fund their own full-fledged academies.
‘Meaningful impact on the pitch’
Proof that the matter has reached NWSL team owners’ suites came from a conversation with Julie Uhrman, president of Angel City FC. The Los Angeles-based team doesn’t just have piles of money, Hollywood fame and a willingness to push boundaries, it has Alyssa Thompson: the 18-year old winger who debuted for the senior U.S. team at England’s Wembley Stadium as a high schooler last fall, was the NWSL’s No. 1 draft pick this past winter, and charged on to the World Cup squad.“You’re seeing younger and younger players not only enter the NWSL, but have meaningful impact on the pitch.” Uhrman told The Inquirer, name-checking Moultrie, Shaw and Thompson unprompted.“How do we develop the best program for young players to come in, develop and grow, learn the game, mature and have the support necessary to be successful on and off the pitch?” she continued. “We’ve started with Alyssa Thompson, and I think you’re seeing some exceptional players at a younger age. We just have to create a system that can really support them.”The other big stumbling block isn’t about money. It’s about emotions. It took almost a decade for MLS to overcome youth clubs that complained about the pro teams taking “their players.” In some cities, there’s still ample ill will. (Fortunately, Philadelphia isn’t one of them, thanks to the savvy of the Union academy’s leaders.)ow can that status quo be beaten? Former U.S. women’s team and Orlando Pride manager Tom Sermanni has seen a lot of ruffled feathers in his years around the American game, and didn’t hesitate to ruffle a few more.“It is hard to beat that,” he told The Inquirer. “I would say there’s two things. One is that you’re not taking all of your players, you’re only taking a few. The second thing I would say is that from a club perspective, would it not be a big advantage to say that we’ve actually produced players who are getting identified on a level?”Common sense to an outsider’s ear, but a stick in the chest of the youth soccer-industrial complex.
‘The ideal vehicle’
“For me, it’s selling it to the club in the sense of saying that it’s showing that your club is actually doing a very good job,” Sermanni said. “But ultimately, the state associations, probably in conjunction with the national association, have just got to sort of bite the bullet.”His vision is state- or regional-level hubs giving players elite training under U.S. Soccer’s supervision. Sermanni added the carrot of allowing players to go back to their local clubs part-time.
» READ MORE: The USWNT’s long era of success is over, but a new one could be on the horizon
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/UG6HMRTDXNDA3BK2665LHQJW5I.jpg)
“If those programs are run well, players will want to go there and play,” he said. And if those programs are free, some players will want to go there and play. The other thing is that you don’t necessarily then have to take the player all the time — you might take the player in a training program, but they can go back and play for the club.”The biggest challenge of a U.S. Soccer-run structure, even more than the nature of top-down rule, is the country’s vast size. It’s easier to scout everyone in a European or South American country with a smaller land mass.That’s where the NWSL comes in, and the new women’s league planned by the USL to join its second- and third-tier men’s leagues. Sermanni called on the pros to lead the way.“They’re the ideal vehicle to be that elite pathway, if it’s too challenging for it to come through the governing body and the state bodies,” he said.For decades, the U.S. women’s team’s most prized skill has been its been its decisiveness in big moments. As a consensus forms that change is needed, one can only hope the people in charge act the same way.
» READ MORE: Former USWNT star Briana Scurry has pointed criticism of Vlatko Andonovski’s World Cup failure
Premier League team news, injury latest, fixtures, referees – matchweek 3
By Ali Rampling, Ali Humayun and more6h ago10
The Premier League action continues, with three sides hoping to maintain perfect starts in matchweek three.Brighton, who have hit eight goals in their first two games, will aim to continue to impress against West Ham, while Arsenal host Fulham in a London derby and champions Manchester City head to Sheffield United hoping to compound the promoted side’s early misery.ADVERTISEMENT
Click or tap the match headings for more, including team and player stats, officials and pre-match reading.
- Premier League fixtures
- Fantasy Premier League — tips, features and more
- Transfer news — live updates
Chelsea vs Luton Town
Friday, August 25 (8pm BST)
Chelsea team news: Head coach Mauricio Pochettino confirmed that Mykhailo Mudryk will miss the Luton game, as will new signing Romeo Lavia. The west London club also have a number of long-term absentees including, Carney Chukwuemeka, who faces a spell on the sidelines after having surgery on a knee injury. Benoit Badiashile, Armando Broja, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Reece James and Christopher Nkunku are all also unavailable for first-team action due to injury.
Luton team news: Former Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley is in contention to face his old side. Rob Edwards said: “He’s been training with us now for a couple of weeks, I’ve been delighted with him, so he’s certainly in the mix. I just know he’s hungry and he wants to play football.” Another new signing, goalkeeper Tim Krul, is also available, but defenders Gabe Osho and Dan Potts remain sidelined.
Referee: Robert Jones
Opta omen: Pochettino has won 85 per cent of his Premier League games in charge against promoted sides (W34 D4 L2), the joint-best win rate of any manager with 10+ such games. Both of his defeats have come in home games, however (1-3 v Wolves in December 2018, 0-1 v Cardiff in April 2014).
Bournemouth vs Tottenham Hotspur
Saturday, August 26 (12.30pm BST)
Bournemouth team news: Head coach Andoni Iraola said on Friday that neither of his new summer signings, Alex Scott and Tyler Adams, were “close” to playing, but the latter should return earlier than the former. Lewis Cook will not be available against Spurs but could return next week. Marcus Tavernier, Adam Smith, Ryan Fredericks and Dango Outtara are all nursing injuries.
Tottenham team news: James Maddison is available for selection after doubts over his fitness last weekend when he left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on crutches. But Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou told reporters on Friday that the England international trained fully and “looks like he will be available”. “His ankle was a bit sore after that but the medical team looked after him,” he said. “People would have seen him in a moon boot but it was more precautionary. He has felt good and probably could have trained yesterday.” Rodrigo Bentancur, Ryan Sessegnon and Bryan Gil remain out.
Referee: Tim Robinson
ADVERTISEMENT
Opta omen: Early days, but under Postecoglou, Tottenham are averaging 63 per cent possession, 18 shots, 533 successful passes (174 ending in the final third), 18 sequences of 10+ passes, and 18 pressed sequences per game, all increases on their Premier League game averages under Antonio Conte (51 per cent possession, 14 shots, 425 successful passes – 91 ending in the final third – 12 sequences of 10+ passes, and 12 pressed sequences per game).
Arsenal vs Fulham
Saturday, August 26 (3pm BST)
Arsenal team news: Takehiro Tomiyasu is suspended after being sent off in the win over Crystal Palace. Oleksandar Zinchenko made a late cameo in that game after returning to the bench following a calf issue. Jurrien Timber (ACL) is a long-term absentee. Gabriel Jesus, who was ruled out for a “few weeks” at the beginning of August, returned to full training on Thursday.
Fulham team news: Willian is a doubt for the visitors, but the biggest miss in their squad is how they cope with life after Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serbia international departed west London for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal last week, leaving Marco Silva’s side with less than two weeks to find a replacement up front before the summer transfer window closes.
Referee: Paul Tierney
Opta omen: Arsenal have never lost a home league game against Fulham, winning 24 and drawing six of their 30 such meetings. It’s the most one team has faced another at home without ever losing in English league history.
Brentford vs Crystal Palace
Saturday, August 26 (3pm BST)
Brentford team news: Josh Dasilva (hamstring) is still sidelined, while Ben Mee was deemed still not ready last time out against Fulham due to a calf injury. Striker Ivan Toney is banned.
Crystal Palace team news: Roy Hodgson has reported no fresh concerns but Michael Olise is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Hodgson also said that Jean-Philippe Mateta will be part of the Palace squad, with the French striker linked with a move away from Selhurst Park. Will Hughes could return from injury next week but new signing Matheus Franca requires another scan on a back problem that will happen “hopefully before the end of the month”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Referee: Peter Bankes
Opta omen: All four Premier League meetings between Brentford and Crystal Palace have been draws – no pair of sides has ever drawn each of their first five meetings in the competition before.
Everton vs Wolves
Saturday, August 26 (3pm BST)
Everton team news: Everton manager Sean Dyche confirmed that striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin will miss out after suffering a facial injury, while midfielder Alex Iwobi will be out for “a few weeks” with a hamstring issue. New signing Jack Harrison has not trained with the group since joining on loan from Leeds but is “back out on the grass”.
Wolves team news: Matheus Nunes — subject of Manchester City interest — is suspended.
Referee: Craig Pawson
Opta omen: Despite losing their opening two games, only Brighton (43) have attempted more shots across the opening two Premier League matchdays than Wolves (39), netting just a single goal from an xG of 4.48 (-3.48, the biggest negative differential in the division so far).
Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest
Saturday, August 26 (3pm BST)
Man Utd team news: Left-back Luke Shaw is expected to be sidelined for an extended period after sustaining a muscle injury. Midfielder Mason Mount could be out until after the September international break due to an injury picked up against Tottenham. Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay could step in. Harry Maguire missed the defeat to Spurs with a knock, while fellow defender Tyrell Malacia is still out. Rasmus Hojlund has been building up his fitness after a back injury but remains unavailable for this weekend’s fixture, although he is expected to return to full training next week.
Nottingham Forest team news: Gonzalo Montiel could make his debut after signing from Sevilla.
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Opta omen: Manchester United have won their last 10 meetings with Nottingham Forest in all competitions by an aggregate score of 36-3. They won all four meetings last season without conceding a single goal.
Brighton vs West Ham
Saturday, August 26 (5.30pm BST)
ADVERTISEMENT
Brighton team news: Roberto De Zerbi is expected to provide an update on Julio Enciso on Friday, after reports from Paraguay said the player had suffered a knee injury.
West Ham team news: Nayef Aguerd is suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the win over Chelsea. New signing Konstantinos Mavropanos was pictured in training on Thursday. Fellow newcomer Edson Alvarez will be pushing for his first Hammers start after coming off the bench.
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Opta omen: Having netted four goals in each of their first two Premier League games this season, Brighton are looking to become only the fourth side in English top-flight history to score 4+ goals in their first three games of a season, after Everton in 1890-91, Sheffield Wednesday in 1931-32 and Blackburn in 1958-59.
Burnley vs Aston Villa
Sunday, August 27 (2pm BST)
Burnley team news: Anass Zaroury is suspended, while Michael Obafemi is sidelined after hamstring surgery. Jordan Beyer could return after a knock. New signings Hannes Delcroix and Aaron Ramsey may be involved.
Aston Villa team news: Unai Emery made only one midweek change in the Europa Conference League, with Diego Carlos replacing Matty Cash in the 5-0 win over Hibernian, but goalkeeper Emi Martinez was substituted at half-time and is a doubt. Àlex Moreno (hamstring) and Jacob Ramsey (ankle) are likely to miss out again, as are Philippe Coutinho and Leander Dendoncker. Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia are longer-term absentees but Nicolo Zaniolo could be involved for the first time.
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Opta omen: The two longest total match times in the Premier League this season have both involved Aston Villa (108:03 vs Everton on MD2 & 107:39 vs Newcastle on MD1). Indeed, their average game length of 107:51 is 3 minutes & 26 seconds longer than any other side (Chelsea, 104:25).
Sheffield United vs Manchester City
Sunday, August 27 (2pm BST)
ADVERTISEMENT
Sheffield United team news: Gustavo Hamer is set for his home debut. Striker Oli McBurnie and right wing-back George Baldock missed out through injury in the narrow defeat to Nottingham Forest, as did midfielder Anis Slimane.
Man City team news: Pep Guardiola will watch on from Spain after undergoing back surgery in Barcelona, with assistant Juanma Lillo taking charge. John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne are sidelined but Bernardo Silva — fresh from signing a new contract — should return.
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Opta omen: Sheffield United are winless in their last eight league games against Manchester City (D2 L6) since a 1–0 home win in January 2000 while in the second tier.
Newcastle United vs Liverpool
Sunday, August 27 (4.30pm BST)
Newcastle team news: Eddie Howe has confirmed that Joelinton is fit, despite limping off against Manchester City last time out and missing training in the early part of the week. New signing Lewis Hall could be involved in some capacity.
Liverpool team news: Ibrahima Konate is a fitness doubt. The France international has not trained this week due to a muscle problem he suffered in last weekend’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth. Joel Matip is on standby to deputise at centre-back alongside captain Virgil van Dijk.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been passed fit but Thiago (hip) and Curtis Jones (ankle) will not return to full training until Monday. Alexis Mac Allister is available after his red card against Bournemouth was overturned.
Referee: John Brooks
Opta omen: In his top-flight league managerial career, Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp has beaten Eddie Howe more times than he has any other manager (11), winning each of his last 10 Premier League games against him. No manager has ever registered 11 consecutive Premier League wins against another, with Klopp’s 10 against Howe the joint-longest, along with Alex Ferguson against Gordon Strachan and Pep Guardiola also against Howe.
(Top photo: Getty Images)
Indy looking to extend four-match unbeaten streak
#INDvLDN Preview
Indy Eleven vs Loudoun United FC
Saturday, August 26, 2023 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Carroll Stadium – Indianapolis
Follow Live
MYINDY-TV
Streaming Video: ESPN+ (click to subscribe)
Spanish Radio: Exitos Radio 94.3 FM & exitos943.com
In-game updates: @IndyElevenLive Twitter feed
Stats: #INDvLDN MatchCenter at USLChampionship.com
2023 USL Championship Records
Indy Eleven: 9W-9L-8D (4), 35 pts; 7th in Eastern Conference
Loudoun United FC: 7W-17L-3D (-16) 24 pts; 11th in Eastern Conference
Community Health Network Sports Medicine Indy Eleven Injury Report
OUT: Y. Oettl (ankle)
QUESTIONABLE: TBD
SETTING THE SCENE
The Boys in Blue return home after a three-match road swing to host Loudoun United FC on Saturday.
The Eleven are coming off a 0-0 draw at Memphis 901 FC and are 3-1-1 in their last five games. With a 9-9-8 record, Indy is seventh in the USLC Eastern Conference. Loudoun is 1-3-1 in its last five matches and is coming off a 3-1 loss to Sacramento Republic. LDN is 11th in the Eastern Conference at 7-17-3.
| IND | LDN | |
| 26 | Games | 27 |
| 32 | Goals | 30 |
| 28 | Goals Conceded | 46 |
| 22 | Assists | 19 |
| 85 | SOT | 115 |
| 99 | Shots Faced | 119 |
| 9 | Clean Sheets | 4 |
SERIES VS. LOUDOUN
Saturday marks the seventh meeting between the two teams, with Indy holding the 4-2-0 all-time advantage in USL Championship action. This is the second match up of the 2023 season with the Boys in Blue coming from behind to take the first meeting 2-1 on the road.
IND leads: 4-2-0 | GF 8, GA 7
Recent Meetings
5.6.23 | at LDN | W, 2-1
9.17.22 | home | W, 1-0
3.12.22 | at LDN | L, 1-0
8.18.23 | at LDN | L, 4-1
7.20.19 | home | W, 2-0
USL Championship Regular Season
Loudoun United FC 1:2 Indy Eleven
Saturday, May 6, 2023
Segra Field – Leesburg, Va.
Scoring Summary
LDN – Kalil ElMedkhar (Santos) 6’
IND – Sebastian Guenzatti (Boudadi) 73’
IND – Juan Tejada (Martinez) 90’
LAST TIME OUT
MEM 0:0 IND
AUGUST 23, 2023
Indy Eleven successfully defended a 0-0 draw at Memphis 901 FC, playing a man down for a half-plus of action.
A scoreless first half saw the teams even with three shots apiece with one on target each. In true form, Indy topped the possession battle at 55%-45%, but perhaps the most significant stat that carried into the second frame was a Harrison Robledo ejection that put the Eleven down a man for the remainder of the match.
The second half saw a brilliant defensive effort from the Boys in Blue, led by Tim Trilk in goal. Trilk registered three saves for his third clean sheet in six games in 2023, and ninth overall for Indy.
Sebastian Guenzatti led the Indy attack with a pair of shots, with Jack Blake having the lone shot on target. Defensively, Robby Dambrot won a team-high three tackles and Mechack Jerome had a match-high seven clearances.
USL Championship Regular Season
Memphis 901 FC 0:0 Indy Eleven
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
AutoZone Park – Memphis, Tenn.
2023 USL Championship Records
Memphis 901 FC: 10W-6L-8D (3) 38 pts Eastern Conference
Indy Eleven: 9W-9L-8D (4), 35 pts Eastern Conference
Scoring Summary
None
Discipline Summary
MEM – Aiden McFaddden (caution) 44’
IND – Harrison Robledo (ejection) 44’
MEM – Carson Vom Steeg (caution) 54’
IND – Callum Chapman-Page (caution) 67’
IND – Douglas Martinez (caution) 67’
MEM – Nighte Pickering (caution) 80’
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 | 20,726 | 1st
Appearances | 249 | 6th
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.
Rent this Beautiful 4 BR Beach house at Myrtle Beach for as low at $250 a night.
Proud Member of the American Outlaws https://www.facebook.com/IndyAOUnite, Brick Yard Battalion – http://brickyardbattalion.com, Sam’s Army-http://sams-army.com
Earn Your College Degree at ½ the Cost and Time of Traditional Schools www.achievetestprep.com/shane
The Ole BallCoach 