US Men win 4-0
Quite a performance for the USMNT in 4-0 win over Oman. Yes Oman is 74th in the world – but this was the type of dominance expected by a young but talented US team. Plenty of goals – as Balogun scored early on a follow, Aaronson scored on a free kick, an Pepi scored his 6th goal in 6 US games with this beauty. (full highlights). I thought the centerback play was exceptional – Miles Robinson definitely threw his name back into the mix here as he teamed with Chris Richards in a darn near perfect performance albeit against lower ranked competition. I thought Kristoffer Lund was also super steady on the left outside back spot where he might have just secured the #2 spot behind Jedi Robinson. Dest was strong again as normal and his ability to get into the attack – man he’s the perfect Barcelona player – I wish he could have made that go. Musah was also super strong in the back – man you could argue he actually controls the Dmid better than Captain Adams back there. He is just so smooth in moving the ball forward. Of course on this night it was the Weston McKennie show – he was electric with his pinpoint passing and complete control of the middle of the field. Moving forward I thought Pepi honestly outplayed Balogun again in this game – for the 2nd straight game – he got off 3 really good shots and I thought was the better target than Balogun most of the night. Listen Christian Pulisic needs to stop taking corner kicks – period – I have 13 year olds that consistently serve better balls in that he does. PLEASE STOP NOW! Speaking of Stop Now – Another half empty stadium when the US Men’s A team is playing at 7:30 pm. Listen bring these games back to the TRUE Heartland. If St Louis and Minnesota can’t fill MLS stadiums for these games. No problem – we’ll take the games to real soccer cities like Cincy and Columbus. Funny Mexico filed 75K into Atlanta last night to tie the team we beat 3-0 , 3 to 1. Is disgust me that Mexico is the True home team in America for Soccer. The US plays within 3 hours of me – I am there. PERIOD!
Sorry to see that American Goalkeeper Ethan Horvath has been left out to dry again – this time by Nottingham Forest. They have cut him from their EPL roster behind the Starter Matt Turner and now 2 other new guys. All he did was get them to the EPL – same for Luton Town and they didn’t want to keep him either. I feel like he is really getting the shaft. Hopefully he lands a last second trade out somewhere.
US Women Set to Face WC QF South Africa next Thur/Sun on TNT
The US ladies return to action with a new interim coach, old asst coach Twila Kilgore She chose a pretty familiar squad adding just 2 player from the squad that had the worse ever showing for a women’s US team in a World Cup. Replacing Sophia Smith with uncapped forwards Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw
I will say anyone who can should head on over and pay their respects and watch American superstar Midfielder/Defender Julie Johnston Ertz in her last game in the Red, White and Blue – heck her last game playing professionally at all. Read below about all the accolades she has accomplished included player of the year, 2 World Cups and an Olympic Gold Medal. Tickets are as low as $25 and available here for Cincy’s TQL Stadium- which is a great place to watch a game with ample parking and lots of restaurants and bars near by. Same goes for Megan Rapinoe’s last game next Sunday at 5:30 pm in Chicago. Both of the ladies were instrumental in both the Championships and the Growth of women’s soccer in the US. The US will look to regain their footing as they prepare for the Olympics in France next summer.
US Ladies Roster for South Africa Series
GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
DEFENDERS (9): Alana Cook (OL Reign), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars), Kelley O’Hara (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Julie Ertz (Unattached), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
FORWARDS (8): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
Champions League Tues/Wed
Sure is nice to see American’s in Champions League next week as Pulisic & Musah face New Castle on Tuesday on Paramount plus at 12:45 followed by Union Berlin with Jordan Pfuk + Brendan Aaronson traveling to Real Madrid Wed at 12:45 pm on para+.
GAMES ON TV SCHEDULE
Fri, Sept 15
2:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen
3 pm ESPN+ Champ Southampton vs Leicester city
7:30 pm Para+ Racing Louisville vs Houston Dash NWSL
9 pm ESPN+ New Mexico vs Indy 11
Sat, Sept 16
7:30 am USA Wolverhampton vs Liverpool
9 am CBSSN Juve (Weah, McKinney) vs Lazio
9:30 am ESPN+ Wolfsburg vs Union Berlin (Pfuk, Aaronson)
10 am USA West Ham United vs Man City
10 am Peacock Fullham (Ream, Jedi) vs Luton Town
12 noon Para+ Inter Milan vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
12:30 pm NBC New Castle vs Brentford
7:30 pm Apple MLS Philly Union vs Cincy
10 pm Apple free LAFC vs LA Galaxy (el Trafico)
Sun, Sept 17
9 am USA Bournemouth vs Chelsea
11:30 am NBC Everton vs Arsenal
245 pm Para+ Roma vs Empoli
8:30 pm FS1 Austin vs Portland
Mon, Sept 18
2:45 USA Nottingham Forest (Turner) vs Burnley
Tues Sept 19 – Champions League
12:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) vs New Castle United
3 pm Para+ PSG vs Dortmund
3 pm Para+ Man City vs Crvena Zvezda
3 pm para+ Lazio vs Atletico Madrid
Weds Sept 20 – Champions League
12:45 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs Union Berlin (Pfuk, Aaronson)
3 pm Para+ Bayern Munic vs Man United
3 pm Para+ real Sociadad vs Inter Milan
3 pm para+ Arsenal vs PSV
7”30 pm Apple MLS Miami (Messi) vs Toronto
7:30 pm Apple Montreal vs Cincy
Thur, Sept 21
12:45 pm para+ Lask Linz vs Liverpool
12:45 pm Lergia vs Aston villa
3 pm Para+ West Ham United vs Backa Topolo
3:30 pm Para+ Brighton vs AEL Athens
7:30 pm TNT, Uni, Cock USWNT vs South Africa Cincy Ertz Last Game
Sun, Sept 24
5:30 pm TNT, Uni, Cock USWNT vs South Africa Chicago Rapinoe last game
US Men
USMNT player ratings: Weston McKennie 8/10 in win over Oman Kyle Bonagura
US Wins with Goals from Balogun and Pepi
Gregg Berhalter credits his center backs in USMNT’s 4-0 win
3 Take Aways from the Game – the 18
Berhalter talks USMNT strikers after Balogun, Pepi both score in Oman rout
USA vs. Oman, 2023 Friendly – More excitement and more goals in a dominant USMNT victory
USA vs. Oman, 2023 Friendly: Man of the MatchAnalysis, thoughts, & player ratings: The USMNT caps September with 4-0 win over Oman
Horvath out, Steffen in as Premier League squads announced
USMNT left back Vines left off Antwerp Champions League roster — by mistake
US Women
U.S. Soccer names 27-player USWNT roster
Crocker: Kilgore to coach USWNT in October, U.S. Soccer aiming for December permanent hire
WORLD
Southgate blasts ‘ridiculous treatment’ of Maguire
Deschamps: We’re not used to losing
Joao Palhinha & Harrison Reed sign new Fulham deals
Analysis, thoughts, & player ratings: The USMNT caps September with 4-0 win over Oman
As he does after every game, ASN’s Brian Sciaretta rewatches the performance and offers up his thougths, analysis, and player ratings. For this game, the U.S. received an improved performance to end its September window with a 4-0 win over Oman.
BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTEDSEPTEMBER 13, 2023 9:05 AM
THE UNITED STATES national team defeated Oman 4-0 in Minnesota to complete its September international window with two friendly wins over Asian opponents. For 90 minutes, the outing was a significant improvement from the 3-0 win over Uzbekistan on Saturday.
The U.S. took control of the game early and immediately began to create chances. In the 13th minute, the team broke through with some excellent ball-movement. Weston McKennie recovered the ball after Christian Pulisic slipped. McKennie sent a long and accurate pass into the box on the right side to Tim Weah. With his first touch, he teed up Sergino Dest for a shot. His shot was saved by Ibrahim Almukhaini, but the rebound fell to Folarin Balogun for a tap-in.
For the remainder of the half, the U.S. team controlled the game but couldn’t find a second. Eventually the goals started to come. In the second half, the U.S. team put the game with three goals in 21 minutes via the substitutes. It started with a Brenden Aaronson free-kick that featured a number of mistakes from Oman – from the wall to the goalkeeper. Then Ricardo Pepi had the goal of the night in the 79th minute when he took a pass from DeJuan Jones and hit a low driving shot from just outside the box that found the back of the net. The final goal was an own goal when Kevin Pardes broke down the right side and sent a low cross towards Pepi. Before Pepi could tap it in, Oman’s Khalid Al Braiki turned it into his own net.
The U.S. team finished the window with two wins and a combined 7-0 scoreline. Meanwhile, Mexico struggled against Uzbekistan in Atlanta and conceded a late equalizer in a 3-3 draw.
Here are some thoughts on the win.
VERY FEW MISTAKES
Following the U.S. team’s 3-0 win over Uzbekistan that left many underwhelmed, Gregg Berhalter said that the biggest area of concern for him was the careless turnovers. Those turnovers sprung many counter attacks for Uzbekistan which were only bailed out by either missed shots, blocked shots, or saves.
In this game, the U.S. team made a complete reversal and made no dangerous turnovers. Oman had very few chances to spring counter attacks. In particular, the midfield trio of Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, and Malik Tillman moved the ball around with easy and any missed passes were not costly in terms of gifting Oman anything the other way.
In terms of improvement, this was huge.
CENTRAL DEFENSE IN TRANSITION
Berhalter said after the game that he gave the “game ball” (equivalent of the team’s MOTM) to both central defender – Miles Robinson and Chris Richards – because he felt the defended very well whenever Oman would try to aggressively attack or counterattack. He believed they helped eliminate Oman’s possessions early, and long before they ever amounted to anything dangerous. But there was a lot of talk about transitional defense in this window – both in how it wasn’t great against Uzbekistan and how it was improved against Oman. But moving forward, this will continue to be an important topic and next month the quality of opponents will be significantly raised in Germany and Ghana, so it will be important that positive momentum from this game continue.
Central defense is completely up in the air with this team right now and the truth is that there really aren’t many young options knocking at the door (that’s the topic of a separate article but there is a huge generational gap developing at that position with few 2001-born and younger options). The pool of players in central defense is set but there is a lot of parity and some concerns with this group which include Richards, Robinson, Tim Ream, Mark McKenzie, Walker Zimmerman, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, Matt Miazga, and Erik Palmer-Brown. Those players comprise of the player pool for central defense. There are opportunities and concerns over each of them.
Our guys. pic.twitter.com/1toJR61MyZ— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) September 13, 2023
In this game, Richards played well and had a nice window. But the concern will be over his lack of minutes at Crystal Palace. Good outings for the national team are certainly possible if a player is on the bench for the club, but consistency is another issue.
Similarly, Robinson had a nice game as well, but he looks set to leave Atlanta United after the season. Mark McKenzie replaced Richards and he is in a good situation at Genk for his minutes, but can he transition that over to consistently playing well for the national team? Then you have Tim Ream. He will soon turn 36 but has been playing incredible soccer over the past year. At some point, his level will drop. He’s doing a great job staying at a top level, but it’s always “proceed with caution” with him.
Leaving this camp, we still don’t have a set order with central defenders.
WEARING OMAN OUT
Another factor that went into the U.S. team winning this game was simply wearing Oman out. The team’s passing was so efficient, and it was equally distributed from the right and left sides of the field.
Here is an interesting statistic. Left back Kristoffer Lund had 85 touches over 90 minutes. The two right backs (Sergino Dest and DeJuan Jones) combined for 88 touches. That presents a clear picture that the U.S. team was comfortable going down either side of the field. Top teams will still defend that well, but against opponents where the U.S. team has a big edge in talent, it will help the U.S. team pick opponents apart throughout the 90 minutes.
It also shouldn’t be discounted that this was a big reason why the U.S. team was so strong in the second half and why the substitutes performed so well. The U.S. was moving the ball from side to side and Oman was chasing. When the fresh legs came into the game, Oman had been chasing for a long time and was both tired, and thrown off its game.
MCKENNIE’S DISTRIBUTION
While Berhalter gave the team ball to central defense, there was a great case that Weston McKennie was the MOTM. His diagonal passing was deadly accurate and he was a huge reason why the U.S. team was able to get the ball from side to side. In total, he was 15/18 in his long range passing (35+ yards) and that was how the U.S. was able to go from side to side.
Weston McKennie was 15/18 in long balls tonight #USMNT— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) September 13, 2023
That passing clearly gave the U.S. an edge and it directly resulted in the opening goal in the 13th minute.
McKennie was the best U.S. player over the entire window. Against Uzbekistan, he made some turnovers but was also creating chances. In this game, he was putting it all together.
GETTING BALOGUN ON THE SAME PAGE
The center forward hierarchy has always been a big question mark for this team. Every window, there is serious discussion over it. Heading into the World Cup, it was always talked about.
Now there is a little more comfort in the position. Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi are good options for now, but nothing is written in stone either. Pepi has delivered for the team in 2023 but he is likely only going to see limited minutes at PSV if Luuk de Jong is fit.
For Balogun, the issue with this team is chemistry. Most of this core group of the national team has been together for so long that the chemistry is steady. But Balogun is still a step behind in being on the same page as his teammates – or visa versa. As Berhalter noted in the press conference, Balogun made several important runs that were not picked up. It’s still a work in progress but having Balogun fully integrated will stabilize the front six of the national team’s starting XI.
WINDOW’S WINNERS
This is not the same thing as saying who were the team’s best players. McKennie was the best player for the U.S. team this window. But McKennie is a starter for the team as long as he’s healthy.
The winners of the window were those who improved their standing within the team.
Ricardo Pepi: Was the team’s most effective forward this window beyond Balogun. But Pepi will not be playing much at PSV and he will have national team competition inside of the coming year when Sargent and Dike are healthy, or if Haji Wright or Jesus Ferreira get hot, or if Brandon Vazquez continues his form now and after he moves, or if Jordan Pefok finds his groove again. But if Pepi continues to produce for the national team, he’s going to continue to get the call.
???????????????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/PTS6GQ0TxB— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) September 13, 2023
Brenden Aaronson: hybrid attacking player might have had some luck in his free kick goal against Oman, but he was very good off the bench in both games. There will be young players pushing for him, including his brother, in the years ahead. But he has a big edge.
Kristoffer Lund: The team’s new left back from Palermo made a “good first step” (according to Berhalter) in claiming the role as the team’s backup left back spot behind Antonee Robinson. In this window he played over 100 minutes and showed some qualities while also making few mistakes.
Miles Robinson and Chris Richards: When there is not a lot of clarity in central defense, these two played well together using their athleticism. Both missed the World Cup due to injury and both are in the team now. But when the central defense pool has a lot of parity, good performances are always important. Richards needed this because there were so many questions about his lack of playing time at Crystal Palace.
PLAYER RATINGS
THE STARTING XI
Ethan Horvath: Horvath had very little to do in this game. What he did do, he did well enough: Rating 5.5
Kristoffer Lund: It was a decent first start for Lund who was eager to get forward, although he wasn’t very successful. Defensively, he did his part and limited his mistakes in possession: Rating 5.5
Miles Robinson: Aside from an early foul which gave Oman a free kick from 30 yards, Robinson did well defensively and stopped Oman when it attempted to push forward. He won 10/14 of his aerials, 4/7 of his ground duels, and 3/4 of his tackles as evidence of his strong defense: Rating 7.0
Chris Richards: like Robinson, he was effective in the backline to break up Oman’s plays before they became dangerous. In his 71 minutes, he won 8/9 of his aerials to limit Oman’s ability to create with balls into the box. Rating 7.0
Sergino Dest: the PSV right back was effective in the attack in the first half. His shot created the first goal. Unfortunately for Dest, in the second half he missed two very good chances. But overall, he was tough for Oman to stop. Rating 6.5
Yunus Musah: Playing a deeper position, Musah was very comfortable on both sides of the ball – winning possession, dribbling, getting the ball forward. He helped the U.S. command possession and the pace of play: Rating 6.5
Weston McKennie: The Juventus man was the best player on the field. His long-ball accuracy gave the U.S. team multiple points of attack, and he made Oman chase the game for long stretches. He opened up the game for his teammates in an impressive outing: Rating: 8.0
Malik Tillman: Getting the opportunity to start in place of Luca de la Torre, Tillman was smooth with the ball in the attack and helped to facilitate for others: Rating 6.0
Christian Pulisic: It was forgettable game for the U.S. team’s best player, who is reliably good in big games but hit or miss in friendlies. Nothing much came from Pulisic from the run of play and he was taken out at the half ahead of the big Milan derby: Rating 5.0
Tim Weah: The Juventus wingback was at his usual wing position for the U.S. team and he had a good game. He set up Dest’s shot on the first goal. He played the ball to Jones on Pepi’s goal. He set up a chance for Dest, who simply missed. But Weah had a good game and a good window: Rating 7.5
Folarin Balogun: Playing just the first half, Balogun was in the right place at the right time to score the opener. He also was dangerous with his runs, many of which were not picked up by his teammates: Rating 6.5
THE SUBSTITUTES
Ricardo Pepi: The PSV forward missed two chances soon after coming on, but grew into the game nicely. He scored a very nice goal in the 73rd minute and he certainly would have scored the team’s fourth goal had it not been turned into the goal by a defender for an own goal: Rating 7.0
Brenden Aaronson: The Union Berlin winger was a step up from Pulisic in this game. Sure, his free kick was lucky but Aaronson brought intensity to the attack and allowed the U.S. team to pull away: Rating 7.0
Benja Cremaschi: The Inter Miami teenager looked a little nervous initially in his first cap but he nearly picked up an assist when he set up Dest, whose shot in the box went wide to the left. He then played a nice ball to Kevin Paredes on the fourth goal, an own goal. Rating 6.0
Mark McKenzie: When McKenzie came into the game in the 71st minute, Oman was tired and chasing leaving McKenzie with little to do defensively. He completed 8/10 of his passes: Rating 5.5
DeJuan Jones: The New England Revolution fullback played the final 14 minutes, completed 16/17 of his passes, with one being an assist on Pepi’s goal: Rating 6.5
Mark McKenzie: When McKenzie came into the game in the 76th minute, Oman was tired and chasing leaving McKenzie with little to do defensively. He completed 8/10 of his passes: Rating 5.5
Kevin Pardes: The Wolfsburg winger made the most of his debut when his attacking run set him up for a final ball in the box that was either going to be an assist to Pepi or an own goal, and it was an own goal: Rating 6.0
USMNT player ratings: Weston McKennie 8/10 in win over Oman
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff WriterSep 12, 2023, 11:25 PM ET
The United States wrapped up coach Gregg Berhalter’s first window back as head coach with a dominant 4-0 win against Oman at Allianz Field in Minnesota on Tuesday.Folarin Balogun got the U.S. off to a flying start with a 13th minute goal, before Brenden Aaronson (who replaced Christian Pulisic at half-time), Ricardo Pepi and an Oman own goal rounded out the scoring in the second half.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga & more (U.S.)
It was clear early on that Oman, ranked No. 73 in the FIFA world rankings, would be completely overmatched by the U.S., which came in at No. 11 in the last version released in July.
Manager rating (scale of 1-10)
Gregg Berhalter, 7 — There’s not much to be overly critical of here. The U.S. won comfortably and mixed in some new faces. It was a good night for the team. From a pure results standpoint, a pair of wins by a combined 7-0 score made this a successful first window back for Berhalter, but considering the level of competition this was, more or less, expected. A much more interesting test will come next month against Germany and Ghana.
USMNT Player ratings (0-10; 10 = best; 5 = average)
GK Ethan Horvath, 6 — Was required to make just one save.
DF Kristoffer Lund, 4 — After making his U.S. debut on Saturday, Lund got his first start and, at times, his lack of familiarity with his teammates showed. He didn’t have to do much defending with the U.S. dominant in possession.
EDITOR’S PICKS
DF Miles Robinson, 7 — It was a quiet night for Robinson, who was largely untested.
DF Chris Richards, 7 — As was the case with Robinson, there was not much defending to do in this game.
DF Sergiño Dest, 7 — A ripped shot led to the first goal and he was consistently involved in the attack until getting subbed off late.
MF Weston McKennie 8 — A fully engaged McKennie is a difference-maker for the U.S. and that’s the version that showed up Tuesday night. A missed chance late was just about all that went wrong.
MF Malik Tillman, 5 — Without Tyler Adams and Gio Reyna involved this window, it opened up an opportunity for him to start in central midfield, but he didn’t threaten in the attacking third like might have been expected against a team of Oman’s caliber.
MF Yunus Musah, 7 — Sat much deeper than he usually does for the U.S. and looked comfortable in the role.
FW Christian Pulisic, 6 — It wasn’t a memorable game — or window — for Pulisic, who didn’t come close to impacting the game like he’s able to. Came off for Aaronson at the half, by design.
FW Folarin Balogun 7 — Right place, right time for Balogun in the 13th minute, when he calmly hammered home a rebound off a strike from Dest to make it 1-0. Was also a planned half-time sub.
FW Tim Weah, 7 — Pushed the game forward and was generally good in possession.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
FW Ricardo Pepi, 7 — Another goal off the bench for Pepi, who seems destined to make it an interesting competition with Balogun for the starting striker role.
MF Brenden Aaronson, 6 — Good things can happen when you put the ball on frame. Aaronson’s free-kick goal should have been easily stopped by the Oman wall, but it parted just after the ball was delivered and snuck by the goalkeeper.
DF Mark McKenzie — Not much was required of him after coming on the 71st minute,
MF Benjamin Cremaschi — From playing with Lionel Messi in Miami to making his U.S. national team debut. What a year for the 18-year-old. He nearly got an assist after coming on in the 71st minute.
DF DeJuan Jones — Jones assisted on Pepi’s goal shortly after coming on.
FW Kevin Paredes — Straight after coming on in his debut, his cross came off an Oman player for an own goal.
Ricardo Pepi continues hot streak as USMNT routs Oman: What we learned in this international window
By Tom Bogert and The Athletic Staff Sep 12, 2023
The United States men’s national team defeated Oman 4-0 in a friendly Tuesday at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn. Here’s what you need to know:
- U.S. striker Folarin Balogun opened the scoring in the 13th minute, marking his second international goal for the Americans since switching allegiances from England earlier this year.
- Brenden Aaronson and Ricardo Pepi replaced Balogun and Christian Pulisic at the half, with both subs later scoring. Aaronson’s goal came off a free kick in the 60th minute while Pepi’s was his sixth goal in his last six international games.
- Ethan Horvath started in goal for the USMNT in place of Matt Turner. Ben Cremaschi, the 18-year-old Inter Miami midfielder, and 20-year-old forward Kevin Paredes made their U.S. debuts; the latter sent in a cross that Oman knocked in as an own goal.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
The first window back under Berhalter
After last coaching the team at the 2022 World Cup before being rehired by new sporting director Matt Crocker after his contract expired, Gregg Berhalter completed his first window back in charge of the national team. It was a pair of overmatched opponents, but with a 4-0 win over Oman following the 3-0 win over Uzbekistan, the road to the 2026 World Cup is underway.
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The USMNT dominated Oman and didn’t let up after scoring the first goal early, a critique of their performance against Uzbekistan. Balogun opened the scoring in the 13th minute and the U.S. kept attacking with urgency, finding joy particularly via big switches from Weston McKennie on the left to Tim Weah and the right flank. Kristoffer Lund provided balance on the left, constantly overlapping and allowing Pulisic to drift centrally. Balogun and Pulisic subbed off at halftime to return to their clubs in the best possible fitness.
The Americans added to the lead with three goals in the second half, a better reflection on the scoreline to their dominance.
Cremaschi’s debut in the 71st minute was also a notable moment.
Oman and Uzbekistan are ranked 73rd and 74th, respectively, in the latest FIFA world rankings. The Americans dominated weaker opponents and did their job, but the task wasn’t arduous. More can be learned and analyzed against Germany and Ghana in October. — Bogert
Standouts
McKennie: A stellar performance for McKennie, particularly encouraging in how he dictated the game with passing. That’s not typically the recipe for McKennie’s big impact on games.
Lund: A name few national team fans had on their radar before his surprise inclusion in the camp, Lund had a consistent and strong night at left back. A like-for-like replacement for Antonee Robinson — that is, a left-footed, athletic, overlapping left back — has failed to establish over the last few years, with natural right backs Sergiño Dest and Joe Scally the de facto backup left backs. Lund has firmly entered his name in the conversation now.
Pepi: Another goal off the bench for Pepi, who now has nine goals in 18 caps. Great return for the 20-year-old, including six goals in six appearances this year — all but two of those goals off the bench. — Bogert
Highlight of the game
Key stat
Pepi has scored four goals off the bench for the USMNT this year, equaling the most substitute goals by a player in a single year in team history, per OptaJack.
Why did the U.S. play Uzbekistan and Oman in this window?
As The Athletic first reported back in February, U.S. Soccer was looking to line up friendlies against teams like Argentina and Brazil for the final three international windows of 2023, but when it was announced at the FIFA Congress in March that CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers would be played at these times, the U.S. federation had to change course and find other opponents. With European teams engaged in Euro 2024 qualifiers and African teams doing Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, that essentially left Asian sides among the few remaining.
The USWNT’s first roster after the World Cup ends two eras and starts a new one
Jonathan Tannenwald https://www.inquirer.com/soccer/jaedyn-shaw-mia-fishel-uswnt-megan-rapinoe-julie-ertz-20230912.html
I’m the Inquirer’s soccer reporter, covering the Union, MLS, the NWSL, the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams, and Philadelphia’s place in the world’s game. I also pitch in with coverage of college basketball and the WNBA.
As Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe depart, young phenoms Jaedyn Shaw and Mia Fishel could make their top-level national team debuts this month. Sam Coffey and Tierna Davidson also return.
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When the U.S. women’s soccer team gathers next week for its first games since its disappointing exit from the World Cup, many eyes will be on retiring stars Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe as they play their final games for their country.
But a lot of people also will be paying attention to the players set to take over the mantle going forward — especially two youngsters with the potential to become superstars soon.
Forwards Jaedyn Shaw, 18, and Mia Fishel, 22, stand out on interim U.S. manager Twila Kilgore’s 27-player roster just as much as the big-name veterans. Fans, scouts, and media have been waiting to see the duo reach the big stage, and here they are.
» READ MORE: Julie Ertz retires from playing soccer after 10 years as a pro and two World Cup titles
𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲! 🇺🇸
Full Roster Details » https://t.co/aR7rNnmo73 pic.twitter.com/L5sGFSogFy— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) September 12, 2023
Big-time prospects
“We’re really excited to have both Jaedyn and Mia in the squad,” Kilgore said in a news conference Tuesday. “They have a lot of talent. We view them as high potentials, but the idea with bringing them into the environment — Mia for her just her second camp and Jaedyn for her first — is just to expose them to the current environment. Help with their onboarding, get them used to what the expectations are, and make sure they have a pathway for the future.”
It’s Fishel’s second career senior-team call-up, the first having come in October 2020, and Shaw’s first. Fishel was a prolific scorer for U.S. youth teams and turned heads when she turned down being drafted by the NWSL’s Orlando Pride to go pro in Mexico at the start of 2022.
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Fishel signed with Tigres UANL, and scored 38 goals in 48 games in a year and a half. Though the Mexican women’s league isn’t as good as the NWSL or top European leagues, former U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski drew heat for not inviting her to a U.S. camp to see how she’d stack up. She moved to English power Chelsea this summer for a reported $250,000 transfer fee.
» READ MORE: The USWNT’s salvation lies in youth development. Will the status quo stop it?
Shaw has turned heads repeatedly since turning pro as a 17-year-old with the San Diego Wave last summer, a move that forced the NWSL to change its rules to accommodate a minor. She wasn’t the first player under 18 to join the league, but her arrival launched a leaguewide youth movement. Wave president Jill Ellis, previously a two-time World Cup-winning U.S. coach, led the charge for change and continues to lead it.
Twenty-one of the Americans’ 23 World Cup players will reunite in Cincinnati, Rose Lavelle’s hometown, where the Americans will start a two-game friendly series against South Africa on Sept. 21 (7:30 p.m., TNT, Universo, Peacock). That game will serve as Ertz’s finale. Then it will be off to Chicago for Rapinoe’s finale on Sept. 24 (5:30 p.m., TNT, Universo, Peacock).
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The two World Cup squad absentees, midfielder Kristie Mewis and forward Sophia Smith, are injured. Mewis has a seemingly minor leg injury that hasn’t been detailed yet, while Smith suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament on Aug. 27 — on a play that left everyone fearing much worse.
» READ MORE: Megan Rapinoe’s USWNT finale is set for September
45′: Jaedyn Shaw & Makenzy Doniak get subbed on 🔛
47′: Jaedyn Shaw & Makenzy Doniak connect to give San Diego Wave the lead ⚽️
Stream the game for FREE on CBS Sports Golazo Network available on the @CBSSports App and @PlutoTV. 📺 pic.twitter.com/L5NvZwfF78— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) June 4, 2023
Race for the Olympic team
Also on this squad are four players who effectively were the last cuts from the plane to New Zealand: centerback Tierna Davidson, outside back Casey Krueger, midfielder Sam Coffey, and striker Ashley Hatch. All four join the race to make next year’s Olympic team, and there will be extra attention on Davidson and Coffey.
Davidson perhaps was the most notable omission from the World Cup, and 38-year-old Becky Sauerbrunn is still sidelined by a foot injury. Coffey, a Penn State grad, is a leading candidate to Ertz’s throne in defensive midfield. She has strong passing skills to complement her tackling, with seven assists and 38 chances created in 22 games this year for the Portland Thorns.
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» READ MORE: Crystal Dunn looks forward to the USWNT’s next chapter as she returns to the NWSL
Unlike past eras, there was no collectively bargained obligation to call in the World Cup squad for the first games after the tournament. There’s little time before next summer, though, and urgency to redeem the round-of-16 departure from Australia. And no one believes the players are individually as bad as one World Cup showed. So it’s no surprise that the door remains open for the incumbents while new challengers arrive.
South Africa should provide good tests — in fact, better tests than some fans might have expected when the series was set up. Banyana Banyana, as the team is nicknamed, reached the World Cup’s round of 16 this year for the first time. The again team will be led by forward Thembi Kgatlana of Racing Louisville, whose two goals in the World Cup included a 92nd-minute group stage finale game-winner vs. Italy.
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» READ MORE: The USWNT’s long era of success is over, but a new one could be on the horizon
USWNT roster for South Africa series
Goalkeepers (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
Defenders 9): Alana Cook (OL Reign), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars), Kelley O’Hara (Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign)
Midfielders (7): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville), Julie Ertz (unattached), Lindsey Horan (Lyon, France), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
Forwards (8): Mia Fishel (Chelsea, England), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), Lynn Williams (Gotham FC)
Tierna Davidson, Casey Krueger, more return to USWNT after being left off World Cup roster
By Steph Yang and The Athletic Staffep 12, 2023
The latest U.S. women’s national team training camp roster marked the return of Tierna Davidson, Casey Krueger, Ashley Hatch and Sam Coffey after they were left off the 2023 World Cup squad. Interim coach Twila Kilgore announced the 27-player roster ahead of this month’s friendlies against South Africa. Here’s what you need to know:
- This will be the first camp for Kilgore after the resignation of Vlatko Andonovski.
- Midfielder Kristie Mewis and forward Sophia Smith were the only members of the World Cup roster not called in for the games against South Africa as they recover from injuries.
- This roster included two uncapped players, Jaedyn Shaw and Mia Fishel, who recently transferred from Tigres to Chelsea
- The USWNT will play against South Africa twice — on Sept. 21 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati and on Sept. 24 at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Full USWNT roster vs. South Africa
Goalkeepers (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
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Defenders (9): Alana Cook (OL Reign), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars), Kelley O’Hara (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign)
Midfielders (7): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Julie Ertz (Unattached), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
Forwards (8): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Are there any roster surprises?
While this isn’t a total “wave of the future” roster, one eyebrow-raiser is Fishel, a player who had a hard time getting a look under Andonovski. Fishel has also taken a slightly unconventional route, declining to play in NWSL after the Orlando Pride drafted her in 2022, plying her trade at Liga MX club Tigres for about a year and a half, and then leveraging a move to Chelsea, all the while making it clear that her ambitions are aimed at the U.S. national team.
Kilgore may feel more free to start tweaking the player pool in advance of the next four years now that the World Cup is past, a sentiment that could also encompass Shaw, who at 18 years old has been more than ready for primetime at the San Diego Wave. — Yang
What does this roster mean for the Olympics?
While a lot of focus in these two friendlies will, of course, be on saying goodbye to Ertz and Rapinoe, there are also some good indicators that Kilgore has begun the process of evaluating her options, or at least leaving more data in place for her eventual successor.
The returns of Davidson, Krueger, Coffey and Hatch, and even the continued appearance of DeMelo, say that we could see quite a different Olympic roster from the World Cup as the women’s national team tries to truly transition away from the last generation of stalwarts. — Yang
Julie Ertz to play final USWNT match Sept. 21 vs. South Africa: What’s her legacy?
By Meg Linehan and The Athletic StaffSep 7, 2023
U.S. women’s national team legend Julie Ertz will play her final international match with the squad against South Africa on Sept. 21 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, U.S. Soccer announced Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Ertz, a two-time Women’s World Cup winner and two-time U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year, announced her retirement from professional soccer on Aug. 31.
- She will be honored before the match, her final and 123rd career international appearance for the U.S.
- The USWNT will play a second match against South Africa on Sept. 24 at Soldier Field in Chicago, where Megan Rapinoe will cap her legendary career with the team.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What’s Ertz’s legacy?
Defensive midfielders don’t always get a lot of credit, but Ertz made sure everyone realized how important the role was during the 2019 World Cup. Her shift from center back to DM to center back again for this World Cup showed just how crucial she was to this era of the USWNT, and provided one of the bright spots for the team in New Zealand and Australia alongside Naomi Girma.
Her legacy goes beyond the senior team though, as one of a few players who also won a youth World Cup with the under-20s in 2012. Best known for her physicality, her ability to shut down opposing players with a perfect tackle and her raging competitiveness, Ertz reflects this closing era of the USWNT’s dominance and ruthlessness — in all the best ways. While her return for the 2023 World Cup was a surprise one, her retirement had felt more imminent than most following the last Olympics. — Linehan
What Ertz said
“I expected to just walk away after retirement, but to have the opportunity to say goodbye to my teammates and the fans one last time is something special that many players dream of,” Ertz said in a statement. “I wasn’t expecting this honor so I’m very thankful to (interim head coach) Twila (Kilgore) and to U.S. Soccer for giving me the chance to close this chapter of my life with those who have made this journey so memorable.”
Backstory
Ertz, 31, has recorded 20 goals in her career with Team USA. She was named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year in 2017 and 2019, and helped lead the USWNT to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019. She also spent eight seasons in the NWSL, playing seven years with the Chicago Red Stars and most recently appearing with Angel City FC in 2023.
Ertz was sidelined for 18 months following the 2021 Olympics due to injuries and the birth of her son, but came back in time to play in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. She was named to the USWNT roster for April camp, less than a year after giving birth, and played every minute of the Americans’ four matches in New Zealand and Australia over the summer.
Following captain Becky Sauerbrunn’s injury that kept her off the World Cup squad, Ertz, known as a world-class midfielder, was tasked with playing center back for the Americans. After the team’s loss to Sweden in the round of 16, Ertz alluded to her impending retirement.
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“I think for me it’s just emotional because it’s probably my last game ever being to able to have the honor to wear this crest, so I think it’s just … it’s just tough,” Ertz said. “I feel like it’s just an emotional time. It absolutely sucks. Penalties are the worst. But it’s an honor to represent this team, and I’m excited for the future of the girls.”
U.S. Soccer hopes to have new USWNT coach in place by December camp, Matt Crocker says
By The Athletic StaffSep 12, 202
U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker shed light on the U.S. women’s national team coaching search Tuesday night, saying “in an ideal world” the federation hopes to have the position filled by the start of December camp. Here’s what you need to know:
- In an interview with TNT following the USMNT’s 4-0 friendly win over Oman, Crocker said USWNT interim coach Twila Kilgore will remain in the role through the team’s October friendlies.
- Crocker added that the federation is looking to hire a coach who “has got the ability to make in-game changes in key moments to improve the performance of the team.”
- Vlatko Andonovski resigned as USWNT coach last month after a disappointing 2023 World Cup campaign.
Crocker expands on USWNT hiring plans
Asked what attributes he’s looking for in the next USWNT coach, Crocker said: “If you look tactically, we already know that we’ve got a great group of athletic women and a huge pool to pick from, so things like our ability to transition quickly is a key strength, defensively we’ve been really strong.
“I guess what we’d like to do is maybe develop more in a possession-based style and to have maybe a Plan B and a coach that has got the ability to make in-game changes in key moments to improve the performance of the team is going to be key, and obviously a coach that is a development coach, so a coach that can integrate young players into the team is going to be important. But then probably the final attribute is going to be the human skills, the leadership skills, so a strong communicator, someone that can build fantastic relationships, someone that can drive the program forward is all gonna be key.”
Crocker added that the role will be based in Chicago.
“(USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter) views his (role) in terms of supporting the overall pathway in the style of play, supporting the youth national coaches. And we want to do exactly the same on the women’s side,” Crocker said. “This is very much a Chicago-based role, someone that’s in and around the office environment 365. We want the men’s teams, the youth teams, the women’s teams and the youth and extended national teams. It’s 27 national teams. You want all of them to feel part of something special.”
U.S. Soccer clarified that there is no requirement for a potential USWNT head coach to live in Chicago. Crocker and the federation are looking for someone who will take a full-time approach to the role, which means they are expecting that person would spend a considerable amount of time in the federation’s offices located in Chicago. A federation employee also clarified that U.S. Soccer has, in general, shifted to a more flexible model on staff members’ locations.
Backstory
Andonovski’s resignation came less than two weeks after the U.S. was knocked out of the World Cup at the last-16 stage by Sweden with a 5-4 defeat on penalties. It was the earliest the USWNT had ever been knocked out of a World Cup and Andonovski’s decisions throughout the tournament had been called into question.Former U.S. women’s national team general manager Kate Markgraf — who oversaw the head-coaching search that brought on Andonovski — also left her role after her contract expired last month.
Kilgore’s first matches as interim coach will come later this month when the U.S. women have two friendlies against South Africa on Sept. 21 and 24. The team is also slated for a pair of friendlies against Colombia on Oct. 26 and 29.
Earlier this year, former U.S. Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart, as well as men’s national team general manager Brian McBride, departed the federation. U.S. Soccer hired Crocker, the former Southampton director of football operations, to replace Stewart in April, and he oversaw the search for the next USMNT coach that ultimately brought Berhalter back to the team.
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?
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SYDNEY, 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?he 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
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.
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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
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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 go anywhere else. And we’ve got to also commit to the development process.”
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.
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“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?”
She 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.
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“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.”
» READ MORE: As the NWSL keeps growing, its draft could become a barrier to progress
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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.)
How 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.
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“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
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“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
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Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle and City Champions League draw takeaways
By The Athletic Staff
Aug 31, 2023
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The Premier League quartet of Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United now know their Champions League group stage fates.
There’s a dream tour of Europe’s elite for Newcastle, an easier return to the competition for Arsenal after six years away, a mixed group for United involving difficult away games and holders City were handed a section they should progress from.
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But what do The Athletic’s experts think? We’ve asked Laurie Whitwell, Sam Lee, Art de Roche and George Caulkin for their takes on the group draw.
Manchester United
Opposition: Bayern Munich, FC Copenhagen, Galatasaray
What looks like the key game and why?
Bayern Munich loom above the others. Top spot in this group really should come down to a shootout between two of European football’s biggest beasts. There is so much history too. Bayern knocked United out of the competition at the quarter-finals in 2000-01, 2009-10 and 2013-14, and drew both games when they met at this stage in 2001-02. Their only other meetings came in 1998-99, when they couldn’t be separated in the group, and it required Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s toe to do so very late on in the final.
Which opposition player are you most looking forward to seeing?
It might seem strange to suggest someone whose whole career previously has been in the Premier League, but seeing how Harry Kane fares against United for new club Bayern will be fascinating. Kane was Erik ten Hag’s No 1 choice as a centre-forward recruit this summer before changing to pursue (and sign) Rasmus Hojlund — in part due to that deal’s greater feasibility. Seeing Kane performing for one of the competition’s favourites will be fascinating. Hojlund, you imagine, will look forward to facing Copenhagen, the club where he came through and made his senior debut.
Which game are you most looking forward to?
The famous “Welcome to Hell” banner draped by Galatasaray fans as a greeting to United in Istanbul 30 years ago is part of Old Trafford folklore, and though they have been back twice since there remains a mysticism about that fixture. United are yet to score in three away meetings, so seeing if they can break that streak will be interesting. Istanbul is a brilliant city too, so vibrant and cultural, a real treat to visit.
What should the rest of the group expect from your club?
After a slow start, Ten Hag turned United into a solid team in last season’s Europa League, and Barcelona were vanquished in the first knockout round on a special night at Old Trafford. That should give United confidence against Bayern, but they can have a soft underbelly and unravelled badly away to Sevilla in the second leg of their quarter-final. Those trips to Copenhagen and Istanbul could prove tricky.
Laurie Whitwell
Manchester City
Opposition: RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys
First impressions of the draw
City would have expected to get through pretty much any group they were drawn in, even a group of death, so obviously this one does not look especially taxing. Guardiola will be especially concerned by Leipzig’s counter-attacks, but an 8-1 aggregate scoreline against them in the round of 16 last season suggests City should be alright.
What looks like the key game and why?
There is not really one that should stand out more than the others because City will be expected to win all six matches, although it is more likely that they will win their games at the Etihad and keep things tight away from home. If there is a key one then it will probably be Leipzig away, as a victory there could help set them up for an early qualification providing everything else goes as planned at home (and as long as Leipzig away is not the group finale!).
(Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
Which opposition player are you most looking forward to seeing?
Given Matheus Nunes and Josko Gvardiol are joining or have joined City this summer having played against them in the Champions League, there is a decent chance that somebody else will be a member of that club soon. It is not a very adventurous suggestion but they might be a couple of midfield injuries away from signing Dani Olmo from Leipzig in January!
Which game are you most looking forward to?
The game in Belgrade, purely for the opportunity to see a new place and for the fan culture. City were in Leipzig earlier this year and have also played in Switzerland during the Guardiola era so a trip to Serbia is something new for fans and players (and journalists).
What should the rest of the group expect from your club?
Possession and goals. More of the latter at the Etihad and more of the former away. That’s been their blueprint for a few years now and was certainly the winning formula last season, so it would take some wild swings in form for something different.
Sam Lee
Arsenal
Opposition: Sevilla, PSV Eindhoven, Lens
First impressions of the draw?
Arsenal have a very decent group. It is by no means an easy draw, but considering the teams who were in Pot 1, Sevilla are fairly favourable. There should be a fair amount of confidence in north London ahead of the group stage now.
What looks like the key game and why?
The meetings with PSV seem like they will be the deciders, but also matches to gauge how far Arsenal have come. When they faced the Dutch side in the Europe League groups last season, particularly away, it demonstrated just how far a gap there was between their first-choice starting XI and their second string. This will be a good opportunity to test the squad as a whole and understand how good their depth really is.
Which opposition player are you most looking forward to seeing?
From an attacking standpoint, it will be interesting to see how electric Noa Lang is. The winger was highly rated as a youngster at Ajax and is now back in his native Netherlands at age 24 after three years with Belgium’s Club Bruges. Whether or not PSV are the right fit is the most intriguing thing about him. Wuilker Farinez of Lens has also been well-regarded for some time. The goalkeeper will now have a chance to prove himself among Europe’s elite, which could put him in the spotlight before the 25-year-old reaches his prime years.
Which game are you most looking forward to?
The trip to Seville may be the one Arsenal are anticipating most as they will truly be back in historic European stadia. Before we find out when the fixtures will be played, however, that first home matchday will be something to behold. It will be a moment Arsenal have been waiting for since last kicking a ball in the competition in the 2016-17 season’s round of 16, and there will definitely be a moment taken to bask in the Champions League glory back at the Emirates Stadium.
What should the rest of the group expect from your club?
Mikel Arteta has purposely muddied what teams will expect when facing Arsenal this season. Last term, they quickly settled into a way of playing and looked to perfect it. Many of the themes from that campaign have continued into this year, but the Spaniard has aimed to make his side more flexible.
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Their Community Shield win over Manchester City at the start of this month may be a good barometer for what to expect from them against Europe’s elite, however. Arsenal’s approach was more combative than usual, with a midfield of Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey and Declan Rice.
Asked whether that setup may be replicated in the tougher Champions League fixtures, Arteta said: “Yes, for sure. Every game is going to have different demands and require different things from us. That’s why we have top players, to try to accommodate them in the right roles and spaces in relation to the game we play.”
Art de Roche
Newcastle United
Opposition: Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan
First impressions of the draw
BLOODY HELL! I think that probably sums it up, doesn’t it? After 20 years away from the Champions League, this could hardly be a more scintillating, high-profile, glamorous, demanding set of fixtures. Tough yes, but wow, just wow. This is a club that expects to be dining at the top table for years to come — and what a feast to kick things off with.
What looks like the key game and why?
Where to start? Perhaps other teams in other groups could look at individual fixtures and hope to attack a weaker link, but come on. Look at who they’re playing. PSG, whose superstars yearn to win the thing. Dortmund, who should have ended Bayern Munich’s 10-year run of Bundesliga titles in May. AC Milan, fresh from making last season’s semi-finals. Sandro Tonali immediately returning to his old club? Sign me up.
Which opposition player are you most looking forward to seeing?
I could be smart-arse and hipster here, but truly the thought of seeing Kylian Mbappe being shut out by Dan Burn, who watched Newcastle play in this competition as a kid, over two titanic matches is too much to bear. And to be honest, don’t we want all opposition players to have stinkers anyway?
(Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Which game are you most looking forward to?
That first one at St James’ Park. Yes, there are some incredible trips in the offing, but whoever they got in the draw and whatever the circumstances, Tyneside will be alive and abuzz for that opening match on home territory. There isn’t a better atmosphere anywhere in Europe than at Newcastle on matchdays right now — tell me I’m wrong, I dare you.
What should the rest of the group expect from your club?
Black and white mayhem. Geordies travelling in their thousands upon thousands to be part of something special. On the pitch? A front-footed, adventurous and aggressive team who will press and press, who will keep on running, who have guile and cunning in Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes and who are desperate to make their mark. Newcastle may have been among the fourth seeds, but everybody would have wanted to avoid them.
George Caulkin
Mark Carey’s data takeaways
How good was Onana in last season’s Champions League?
To succeed in any cup competition, you need a degree of overperformance along the way, and Andre Onana’s “goals prevented” rate for eventual runners-up Inter Milan was the highest of any goalkeeper in the 2022-23 Champions League, saving 7.8 goals above expectation based on the quality of shots he faced.
As shown by the graphic above, Onana was particularly strong with reaching low to his right side — most memorably making a crucial double save during the last-16 tie with Porto, keeping a clean sheet to help his side progress when the margins were tight.
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Inter had a lot to thank Onana for as they came so close to landing their first Champions League title in over a decade. If Manchester United are to have a strong campaign in Europe themselves this season, they will be hoping that new signing Onana can have an equally exceptional campaign in 2023-24.
What is Haaland’s trajectory towards the Champions League goal record?
Quite simply, Erling Haaland has been an absolute machine on Europe’s biggest stage. The Manchester City striker currently holds the Champions League records for being the quickest to 15 (12 games), 20 (14), 30 (25) and 35 goals (27).
By contrast, overall top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo had to wait until his 27th game until he netted his first goal in the competition, although he did not waste any time from there with a final (unless he comes back from Saudi Arabia to get some more) all-time leading tally of 140.
The nearest player to his record who is currently competing in the Champions League is Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski with 91 — so it’s safe to say the record won’t be broken anytime soon. Nevertheless, if you look at the sharp trajectory that Haaland is on, it won’t be too long until Ronaldo starts to look over his shoulder.
Who will be Newcastle’s most important player?
Within a squad that doesn’t have too much Champions League experience, you naturally look towards those who have been there and done it before. Kieran Trippier is one with Tottenham Hotspur and then Atletico Madrid, and a more notable example is Sandro Tonali, who helped Milan to the semi-finals as recently as last season.
Not only that but Tonali was the most creative player for that Milan team, with his 22 chances created being comfortably more than anyone else in Stefan Pioli’s squad.
Sure, there were some set pieces thrown in there, but Tonali’s delivery must not be underestimated as Newcastle return to Europe’s top competition after two decades.
Champions League fixtures
(All games kick-off at 8pm GMT unless otherwise stated)
Tuesday, September 19
AC Milan vs Newcastle (5:45pm)
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Young Boys vs RB Leipzig (5:45pm)
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Porto
Feyenoord vs Celtic
Lazio vs Atletico Madrid
Barcelona vs Royal Antwerp
Manchester City vs Red Star Belgrade
PSG vs Borussia Dortmund
Wednesday, September 20
Real Madrid vs Union Berlin (5:45pm)
Galatasaray vs FC Copenhagen (5:45pm)
Sevilla vs Lens
Arsenal vs PSV Eindhoven
Braga vs Napoli
Benfica vs Red Bull Salzburg
Bayern Munich vs Manchester United
Real Sociedad vs Inter Milan
Tuesday, October 3
Union Berlin vs Braga (5:45pm)
Red Bull Salzburg vs Real Sociedad (5:45pm)
FC Copenhagen vs Bayern Munich
Lens vs Arsenal
Napoli vs Real Madrid
Inter Milan vs Benfica
Manchester United vs Galatasaray
PSV Eindhoven vs Sevilla
Wednesday, October 4
Royal Antwerp vs Shakhtar Donetsk (5:45pm)
Atletico Madrid vs Feyenoord (5:45pm)
RB Leipzig vs Manchester City
Celtic vs Lazio
Porto vs Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund vs AC Milan
Newcastle United vs PSG
Red Star Belgrade vs Young Boys
Tuesday, October 24
Galatasaray vs Bayern Munich (5:45pm)
Inter Milan vs Red Bull Salzburg (5:45pm)
Union Berlin vs Napoli
Manchester United vs FC Copenhagen
Braga vs Real Madrid
Sevilla vs Arsenal
Lens vs PSV Eindhoven
Benfica vs Real Sociedad
Wednesday, October 25
Feyenoord vs Lazio (5:45pm)
Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk (5:45pm)
Young Boys vs Manchester City
Newcastle vs Borussia Dortmund
Royal Antwerp vs Porto
RB Leipzig vs Red Star Belgrade
PSG vs AC Milan
Celtic vs Atletico Madrid
Tuesday, November 7
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Barcelona (5:45pm)
Borussia Dortmund vs Newcastle (5:45pm)
Manchester City vs Young Boys
Lazio vs Feyenoord
Porto vs Royal Antwerp
Atletico Madrid vs Celtic
AC Milan vs PSG
Red Star Belgrade vs RB Leipzig
Wednesday, November 8
Real Sociedad vs Benfica (5:45pm)
Napoli vs Union Berlin (5:45pm)
FC Copenhagen vs Manchester United
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Bayern Munich vs Galatasaray
Real Madrid vs Braga
PSV Eindhoven vs Lens
Red Bull Salzburg vs Inter Milan
Arsenal vs Sevilla
Tuesday, November 28
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Royal Antwerp (5:45pm)
Lazio vs Celtic (5:45pm)
PSG vs Newcastle
AC Milan vs Borussia Dortmund
Feyenoord vs Atletico Madrid
Barcelona vs Porto
Young Boys vs Red Star Belgrade
Manchester City vs RB Leipzig
Wednesday, November 29
Sevilla vs PSV Eindhoven (5:45pm)
Galatasaray vs Manchester United (5:45pm)
Real Madrid vs Napoli
Arsenal vs Lens
Benfica vs Inter Milan
Braga vs Union Berlin
Real Sociedad vs Red Bull Salzburg
Bayern Munich vs FC Copenhagen
Tuesday, December 12
Lens vs Sevilla (5:45pm)
PSV vs Arsenal (5:45pm)
Union Berlin vs Real Madrid
FC Copenhagen vs Galatasaray
Inter Milan vs Real Sociedad
Red Bull Salzburg vs Benfica
Manchester United vs Bayern Munich
Napoli vs Braga
Wednesday, December 13
Red Star Belgrade vs Manchester City (5:45pm)
RB Leipzig vs Young Boys (5:45pm)
Celtic vs Feyenoord
Atletico Madrid vs Lazio
Porto vs Shakhtar Donetsk
Royal Antwerp vs Barcelona
Newcastle vs AC Milan
Borussia Dortmund vs PSG
What Arsenal can expect from Lens, PSV and Sevilla in Champions League Group B
Aug 31, 2023
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After six seasons without Champions League football, there are only two types of draw that Arsenal fans would have been longing for this afternoon: a group full of legacy clubs and mega-rich teams (the kind Newcastle got) or a favourable one that positions you as one of the favourites to progress into the knockout phase early next year.
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Arsenal landed very much the latter by drawing Lens, PSV Eindhoven and Sevilla. On paper, it looks more like a Europa League group, but there are fewer pushovers in UEFA’s elite club competition, and Arsenal are unlikely to rotate as much as they did in its second-tier cousin last season.
Under Arsene Wenger, Arsenal qualified for the Champions League for 17 years in a row between 2000 and 2017. The closest they came to winning it was in 2005-06 when they lost 2-1 to Barcelona in the final, after an early red card for goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. In the last seven years of that run of getting to the party, they failed to get beyond the last 16.
That was a period when Arsenal were fading. Mikel Arteta’s current side, on the other hand, are building, and they will fancy their chances of not just making it through from Group B but finishing top of it.
This is what to expect from the teams Arsenal will face…
Lens
Arsenal are going back to the start when they travel to northern France to face Lens. In 1998, their very first Champions League match was away to the French club, a 1-1 draw in which a Marc Overmars goal was cancelled out by an equaliser in the final minute. Arsenal lost the home game, 1-0. Two years later it was a bigger occasion when they met in a UEFA Cup semi-final. Arsenal won both legs, but were then beaten by Galatasaray as the final went to penalties.Having spent five years in Ligue 2, Lens won promotion in 2019-20 under current manager Frank Haise. The Frenchman, who had only been a youth coach at Rennes and Lorient before being promoted from Lens B to their senior side, oversaw two seventh-place finishes and then last season’s runners-up spot, a single point behind a team boasting Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Lens’ head coach Franck Haise giving instructions this season (Francois Lo Presti/AFP via Getty Images)
Since then, however, they have lost two key players in striker Lois Openda, who has joined RB Leipzig, and midfielder Seko Fofana, who joined the Saudi Arabian exodus with a move to Al Nassr. Openda scored 20 league goals last term to equal Roger Boli’s record goal tally in a season so he is a miss, but Lens have reinvested the money in quality young players, spending around €40million on 20-year-old Elye Wahi from Montpellier and Andy Diouf, also 20, from Switzerland’s Basel.This may be Lens’ first appearance in the competition in 21 years, but their 3-4-2-1 formation provided them with the best defence in Ligue 1 last season.
Elye Wahi is presented to Lens fans earlier this season (Francois Lo Presti/AFP via Getty Images)
PSV Eindhoven
Arsenal do not need much introduction to the Dutch side, having met them in the Europa League group stage last season. PSV proved that they were a force at home by beating visitors Arsenal 2-0 in October. It made the head-to-head one apiece as Granit Xhaka had got the only goal a week earlier at the Emirates, but just as Arsenal have changed, including Xhaka no longer being at the club, the PSV team that Arteta’s men take on will also look different.
Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy led PSV to a second-place finish in the Eredivisie but then stepped down and was replaced by ex-Ajax and Borussia Dortmund boss Peter Bosz this summer. There has also been a sizeable squad turnover, with potentially more outgoings coming on deadline day tomorrow, too.
The biggest exits from last season’s team are Cody Gakpo, who signed for Liverpool in January, PSG loanee Xavi Simons, who moved on to Leipzig this term, and Thorgan Hazard, who returned to his parent club, Dortmund. Six other 2022-23 first-team players are no longer there. They could also be without two of their star players in playmaker Ibrahim Sangare and right winger Johan Bakayoko, who are in talks over last-minute moves to Nottingham Forest and Brentford respectively at time of writing.
PSV are not without other attacking talent, though. In 33-year-old Luuk de Jong, they have a throwback striker who gives them immense physicality and aerial ability. When they overcame Scotland’s Rangers 7-3 on aggregate in the play-off round to decide who qualified for the group stage, they were a force from set plays, scoring two across both legs.Bosz is known for a fluid, possession-based style, which is pleasing to the eye but has faced the common criticism at all his most recent clubs (also including Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon) that it can leave his defence exposed. Against Rangers, it was clear that elite opponents can get at the heart of PSV’s defence and that pace will cause them problems on the break.Offensively, 22-year-old midfielder Ismael Saibari was the standout. He has just received his first call-up to the senior Morocco squad and it looks inevitable that he will go on to play at a bigger club than PSV, given he combines a stocky build and powerful running with tremendous dribbling ability.
Ismael Saibari earlier this season (Maurice van Steen/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
Sevilla
If Real Madrid are Europe’s Champions League specialists with a record 14 titles then fellow Spaniards Sevilla are their little sister, with seven UEFA Cup/Europa League trophies under their belt since 2006, the latest coming in May when they beat Jose Mourinho’s Roma on penalties.This won’t be a knockout tie, though, and the last two times Sevilla have been in the Champions League group stage they have failed to progress to the round of 16.Manager Jose Luis Mendilibar replaced Jorge Sampaoli in March when the team were flirting with La Liga’s relegation zone. He immediately improved results, losing only one of his first 10 league games. In Europe, they defeated PSV, Fenerbache, Manchester United and Juventus on the road to the final.They showed again how resilient a team they can be when they took treble winners Manchester City to penalties in this month’s Super Cup, on a night when the aerial ability of striker Youssef En-Nesyri was a major threat.
Youssef En-Nesyri scores against Manchester City in the Super Cup (Photo: Milos Bicanski via Getty Images)
Elsewhere, there are some names that will be familiar to Arsenal fans, with a 37-year-old Jesus Navas at right-back, fellow veteran Ivan Rakitic, 35, in midfield and Tottenham old boy Erik Lamela on the wing.However, Morocco international goalkeeper Yassine Bounou moved to Saudi’s Al Hilal this summer and they have started their domestic season poorly, losing all three games at a cost of eight goals (though they scored five in reply) to sit bottom of La Liga.
Jordan Campbell reports on Arsenal and the Scotland national team for The Athletic. He spent four seasons covering Rangers where he was twice nominated for Young Journalist of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards. He previously worked at Sky Sports News and has experience in performance analysis. Follow Jordan on Twitter @JordanC1107
USMNT goalkeeper Ethan Horvath left out of Nottingham Forest’s 25-man Premier League squad
By Omar Garrick Sep 13, 2023
USMNT goalkeeper Ethan Horvath has been left out of Nottingham Forest’s 25-man Premier League squad.England’s top-flight clubs are required to submit their squad lists for the first half of the season following the end of the summer transfer window. Each team is allowed no more than 17 players who do not fulfil the homegrown category. Under-21 players do not count towards the total.Horvath’s exclusion from Forest’s list means that he is ineligible to play in the Premier League for Steve Cooper’s side until at least the January transfer window.His absence now ensures that he faces several months without domestic football, unless a late transfer to another club materialises.Horvath joined Forest in 2021 from Club Brugge but has only made 11 appearances. He spent last season on loan at Luton Town, featuring 44 times in the Championship as they secured promotion to the Premier League. The Athletic reported in July that Luton declined their option to sign Horvath permanently following his spell on loan with them.The 28-year-old is a regular in the USMNT squad, although more often than not as a reserve goalkeeper. He has only played nine times for his country since making his senior debut in 2016.Forest, meanwhile, are next in action on Monday, September 18 when they face Burnley at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest 25-man Premier League squad
Goalkeepers: Matt Turner, Odysseas Vlachodimos, Wayne Hennessey.
Noel Buck: The American in the England U-19 team who may still have a USMNT future
By Tom Bogert and Greg O’Keeffeep 13, 2023
Noel Buck is the new kid in the England U-19 locker room. As is typically the language of love in these environments, he’s been welcomed into the group with jokes aplenty. Born and raised just outside of Boston, with a soft accent to constantly remind you of that, Buck knew he was going to be ribbed for sounding different.
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“Obviously they make fun of me for being American. It’s been good,” Buck told The Athletic with a laugh. “We play some games, eat meals together. A lot of good lads there. I knew I was going to be made fun of for being American and my American lingo, even though I’ve been trying to not say too much of it.”
Buck is one of only two players in the group not currently based in England. The other, Adrian Blake, only left England this summer to sign for Utrecht in the Netherlands. The squad is filled with players from Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham, and now… the New England Revolution.
It didn’t take long to fit into the England group and it didn’t take long for him to stand out on the pitch. Buck started and scored in England’s 4-2 over Switzerland on Saturday after debuting with 24 minutes off the bench in a loss to Germany on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old breakout midfielder is eligible for England through his father, who was born in London and raised in Cambridgeshire. He moved to the United States a couple years before Noel’s older brother was born. Noel is also eligible for Wales through his grandmother. Buck and his family routinely return to England and the family are well immersed in English culture, even in Massachusetts.
“I feel connected (to England),” Buck said. “I have family over there I visit very frequently and my dad brings the culture in the house. Though I grew up in America, I still have parts of English culture.”
Buck was identified by English scouts this spring, who came to visit with him and his family during the summer. Although Buck was left out of the current USMNT senior squad, he had been part of the U.S. youth national teams recently. Buck was last involved with the U.S. youth national team via a U-19 camp in the summer of 2022 and wasn’t included in the U.S. squad at the U-20 World Cup this spring, though Buck is eligible for the next U-20 World Cup in 2025.
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“It was great, a nice bit of support and confidence boost,” Buck said of England taking an interest in him. “It means a lot to me. To put in the effort and show I’m valued is an important thing, it really helps.”
Buck made waves last weekend by wearing a retro England kit to the stadium ahead of his final club game with New England before joining up with the England U-19 squad.I didn’t mean to throw off the U.S., it’s just that I was proud to be called into England,” Buck said. “England is a football nation, it’s a big honor to play for the national team. This is a great experience for me, it’s different. Change of pace, change of culture, change of people. I can use all of these experiences to grow as a player. Obviously I didn’t get called into the (U.S.) senior team. Maybe I should have, maybe I shouldn’t have. I don’t know. I’m just here trying to get better.”
USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter recently said Buck is still very much in the picture for the U.S. long-term, though.
“He’s been great. He’s been really strong,” said Berhalter. “I have spoken to him. There has been interest from England, which I think is great. Great achievement, when you have a country like England looking at you.
“I’ve communicated with him, told him that we see him as a player that can compete to make the World Cup team in 2026, based on what he’s doing now.”
With England, Buck linked up with a group of players that boasts a wealth of midfield talent, most notably 17-year-old Jobe Bellingham, the younger brother of England and Real Madrid sensation Jude Bellingham.
The younger Bellingham followed his brother’s career path by leaving boyhood club Birmingham City this summer, although instead of moving abroad — Jude honed his immense talent in the Bundesliga at Borussia Dortmund — Jobe joined English second-tier outfit Sunderland.
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Like Buck, Bellingham is flexible and can play a conventional midfield role or further forward; the latter played up front in Sunderland’s 5-0 thrashing of Southampton on September 2. On his debut for England U-19 earlier this month, he was in a three man midfield for a 1-0 defeat by Germany.
If edging into the England U-19 team ahead of Bellingham proves difficult, Buck can try to supplant either Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood, who made his first Premier League appearance last season in a brief cameo against Aston Villa on the final day of the campaign, or Southampton’s Kamari Doyle, who also made one Premier League appearance last season and is adept at taking free kicks with either foot. He can play as a No. 6, No. 8 or behind a striker.
Bellingham, Hinshelwood, and Doyle started against Germany, but with three games in six days next month (England U-19 play Montenegro on October 10, Wales on October 13 and Austria on October 16), manager Simon Rusk may shuffle his midfield pack to give everyone minutes.
Buck is one of nine players capable of operating in central midfield, making it a well-stocked position for the team — other talents include Liverpool’s Bobby Clark and Newcastle’s Lewis Miley — but the boy with the Boston accent is likely to get a chance to show he can mix it.
Buck is calm and confident on the ball — qualities in demand in the England youth setup, as exemplified by the U-21s European Championship success in July.
Buck looked comfortable in the games, even though his introduction to training wasn’t easy.
“Well, I was severely jet-lagged with no sleep for the first session,” Buck said. “It was a bit rough, to be honest. But on Tuesday, without jet lag, I had a hold of the timing. It’s intense and competitive. Being able to integrate into this group, it’s been really good.”
Buck’s international future is still very much undecided. The United States made it clear he’s still in their plans and he is likely to receive more calls from them. Now integrated with England, he’ll firmly be on their radar, as well. Buck is eligible for the 2024 Summer Olympics, a U-23 national tournament, and may have a decision to make by then.
“I’m just taking it as it comes,” Buck said. “I just don’t know. Who knows what I will get called into, who knows what I won’t get called into. I’ll have to make these decisions when they come.”
Tata Martino on what he tells Lionel Messi, working for David Beckham and his love for Atlanta
4h ago
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“I’m watching Argentina on mute,” Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino said over the phone on Tuesday afternoon. “There’s no need to hear the broadcast to enjoy it.”
Martino lived at a hotel near Inter Miami’s training complex in Fort Lauderdale for over a month after joining the club in late June and stayed there at the start of their remarkable 11-game unbeaten run. The move to a new apartment has been a welcome change. Martino is now more settled in the city, living with his wife and son Gerardo, 27, who’s also an assistant on the Inter Miami coaching staff.
Before Argentina kicked off their World Cup qualifier against Bolivia, Martino and his son watched Inter Miami central defender Sergii Kryvtsov start against Italy in a Euro 2024 qualifier. They then became fans and turned their attention to the current world champions as they outclassed a listless Bolivia side in La Paz.
Lionel Messi, Argentina and Inter Miami’s captain, was on the bench for the Albiceleste, but not part of the match-day squad. The 36-year-old was a game-time decision leading up to the game after admitting that he was fatigued after Argentina’s 1-0 win over Ecuador on September 7. He’s been very busy since he started playing for Miami in late July.
Messi and Martino will travel together to Atlanta this Saturday for a pivotal Eastern Conference clash with Martino’s former club, Atlanta United. It’s been a year of reunions for Martino. In Miami, he was reunited with Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, three players who he managed at FC Barcelona from 2013-2014. He last worked with Messi in 2016 as Argentina manager during the Copa América Centenario that was held in the United States.
Martino also reconnected with former MLS MVP and Atlanta United star Josef Martínez at Miami, and now the two leaders of Atlanta United’s 2018 MLS Cup success will return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in rival colors.
Martino spoke to The Athletic about his emotions ahead of the match, Messi’s availability against Atlanta United, the stadium’s artificial turf field, and what Messi, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and other sporting greats have in common.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Did you have a conversation with (Argentina manager) Lionel Scaloni about Messi’s fitness? Was there a plan in place for him during this FIFA window?
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There wasn’t a plan for Leo. The last time Scaloni and I spoke was after we won (Leagues Cup). This is the start of Argentina’s World Cup qualifying campaign and we had a series of important games to play and I didn’t think it was wise to have any type of conversations (with Scaloni). It was best to let Argentina begin qualifying calmly. Surely Leo and (Scaloni) have spoken about the situations that they were in and what’s the most convenient outcome. We’ll do the same thing once (Messi) is back here, but obviously with all of the information about what occurred over the week.
So you’ll wait before deciding how much Messi plays against Atlanta United and whether he starts the match?
Yes because regardless of anything, there’s nothing more important than the health of the players. In this case it’s Leo. It could be another player, too. Regardless of how important a match is, we have to make sure that all of the players are fit, not take risks with them or make an injury worse. We’ll evaluate him as soon as he arrives and decide what is the best course of action for our upcoming games.
You’re obviously familiar with the turf at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Knowing the surface is usually a competitive advantage for Atlanta United. But surely you saw NFL star Aaron Rodgers tear his Achilles tendon playing on turf on Monday night. Are you concerned about risking Messi’s health on Saturday?
Yes, (Rodgers) suffered that Achilles injury. My experience with Atlanta’s turf has always been positive. From the time that we made our debut with Atlanta (United) on that field, the way our players adapted to the surface. They adapted immediately and we didn’t have to continue to train on grass. And the same thing happened when we played in Atlanta with Mexico. The players adapted quickly.
It’s a very cushioned type of artificial surface. Up until now I haven’t heard any negative opinions about the surface from players that I’ve coached. That doesn’t mean that we’re not addressing the fact that we’ll play on artificial turf but it isn’t anything that’s driving us crazy. We hope to play a good game no matter what.
What’s it been like for you to have your son Gerardo as part of your Inter Miami staff?
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He left home just six months ago so it hasn’t been too long since we’ve lived under the same roof. Because of the nature of our job now we spend a lot more time together talking about football, our training sessions and our opponents. It’s been good. I’m very happy to be able to work with him and share this experience together.
What’s Gerardo’s role on the staff? During games the camera often catches him next to you with a tablet in front of him.
He’s our third assistant behind me and Jorge (Theiler). He provides scouting on our opponents and compiles reports on our squad. We take advantage of his language skills during training sessions whether he runs the session himself or as a translator. Every staff member has a corresponding role to play.
A lot has been said about Messi finding happiness in MLS and in Miami, but you look a lot happier these days, as well.
Yes, yes. Six years ago I confirmed what it was like to work in MLS. I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed that project. It was different (than Inter Miami) because in Atlanta we had to build an entire squad and we started with plenty of lead time. That dynamic of building a team, from talking and convincing players to come, leaning on (former Atlanta United vice president) Paul (McDonough) for knowledge about the American players. He knew them much better than me. In that sense, we really enjoyed all of that. We enjoyed the process once we began competing and we liked living in Atlanta. Those were two wonderful years. With the opportunity to come to Miami, yes it’s a different city, and the exposure is greater now with Leo, Busquets, Jordi and the tremendous careers that they’ve had.
It’s a league that we like and we like living in the United States. We adapt right away. And now the results have come right away. That always helps. We work calmly here. The players’ reception towards us was positive and we have a very good relationship with the club’s owners and front office. There’s no reason why this moment shouldn’t be one that we enjoy.
I ask because we saw images of you and Messi embrace rather emotionally after some of Inter Miami’s cup victories. What does that say about your relationship with him after reuniting, and about the culture of the club?
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I like that he’s enjoying himself. But more so that he hasn’t lost that will to compete. That’s the most important aspect. There are many ways that one can enjoy playing. But without a doubt, when there’s a will to compete, when there’s a will to continue to prove that he’s the best in the world, to help the team and earn results, well, it’s all much more valuable. His happiness is contagious and we end up demonstrating that. His will to work, to improve and to have a closer relationship with his teammates… that says everything about his state of mind.
Martino and Messi embrace after winning Leagues Cup on August 19. (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)
The impact of Messi, Busquets and Alba on this team has been incredible. The players are much more confident and the 11-game unbeaten streak proves that. But Messi has also said that your philosophy of play has been a big part of the turnaround. How would you describe the team’s evolution?
Something that’s very important to note is how the team has responded to the arrival of these three players. Because the outcome could’ve been completely different. It could’ve become an enormous responsibility for the other players and affected their production. Or they could’ve felt supported and confident enough to show the best versions of themselves, which is what I believe has happened. That makes all of us better. The group understands that the more experienced players, and those with longer career paths, take on more responsibility. They’ve understood their role and how to move forward. They’ve all adapted very well.
And from my position, I have three exceptional footballers. We’ve added pieces around them sensibly and based on a way of playing. We’ve realized that our style of play is still a work in progress. There’s a lot that we can improve. We needed results. That’s what this moment in time demanded from us.
Right now we’re not training our way of playing and then going home to rest. Training isn’t the only thing that we’re doing. We have to play games and we have to win. That requires a greater commitment from everyone because if the results aren’t there, there’s a risk that people will lose confidence in the tactics. We’re getting results so it’s been easier to refine our tactics.
There are eight games to play and clearly qualifying for the playoffs is the priority. But ahead of 2024 you’ll have a full offseason with this team. You must be thinking about making improvements.
We knew that our first task was to solve what was in front of us and to compete well in the tournaments that were upcoming. Even though our immediate priorities are short term, it’s also true that we cannot forget what’s coming in the mid-term. We have ideas. When these players arrived we had conversations with (Miami sporting director) Chris (Henderson) and (director of soccer operations) Niki (Budalic) about the future, and the future is next season. Now that this season’s transfer windows are closed, we’re focused on playing with an eye on next season. Everything falls within the scope of the league’s (roster) rules and how we can continue to improve our team.
Player recruitment and finding the right talent for your system was a big part of your success at Atlanta United. What has working with Chris Henderson and his team been like?
I have to say that it’s been very, very good. Like I’ve said before, and I’m not talking about Leo, Busquets and Jordi, but Diego (Gómez), Tomás (Avilés) and Facundo (Farías) are players who we wanted to sign. They were our names that we put on the table from the beginning. There’s a lot of communication (with the sporting office) and we all participate. That’s the best way to work. There’s a lot of respect. We listen to each other. No one is the owner of the truth. And we’re all responsible for the good and the bad.
After Diego Alonso was fired as Inter Miami coach in 2021, David Beckham told reporters that he would oversee every single player acquisition. That came during a time of turmoil at the club. What’s Beckham’s involvement now?
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In our first month at the club, David was at our side the entire time. He was at every training session. He was at every game. He was very close to the team. He’s very friendly and respectful. And there’s a really nice dynamic between him, the players and the staff. I can’t comment on his involvement regarding player signings because I typically had those conversations with Chris and Niki. They kept David abreast of those conversations. But because of who he is and what he represents, he commands a lot of respect, he’s approachable and polite with the entire group.
Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas is hands on, too.
Jorge and Jose (Mas) are different from one another, but they’re both very involved. They’re always supporting us. They embody the commitment and hope that runs through the club. They’re very happy with everything that’s occurred thus far. They’ve backed us. That’s why I’ve said that we work calmly here. We all listen to each other. It’s a very pleasant place to work. It’s not just about the results and whether the team is playing well or not. In the day to day, they make it all worthwhile.
I’ve seen you have a word or two with Messi mid-game or off to the side during a stoppage in play. What does a coach say to the best player in the world?
The types of conversations we have center on the opponent and their characteristics. And how we’re going to approach a match. The aspects of the game in which we’d like to be more polished, the way we’ll try to get him the ball. But we never talk about his individual role. What I believe we need is for him to have the freedom to move into the spaces where he can find the right conditions to play. What we have to do as a team is adapt to his movements, not limit his movements. I think that’s been part of Argentina’s secret to success. Have the right pieces in place as he moves about the pitch. That’s what a lot of our conversations focus on.
When we were in Rosario we spoke extensively about the league and the types of situations I faced in Atlanta, the league’s characteristics, the teams we’d face, the cities we’d visit, the amount of travel, the cold, the heat, the snow, storms and matches that are postponed until the weather clears. Flights that may or may not get off the ground, the physicality of the opponents. That’s what we discussed at that time and now it’s much more specific about who we’re playing and how we’ll approach the game.
The greatest players across sports mature and change their game later in their careers. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Zinedine Zidane all remained top players into their 30s. Would you say that Messi has evolved similarly?
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I think so because all of those athletes have a similar mentality. It’s a mentality that he hasn’t changed since he was 17 years old up to this stage of his sporting career. So in that sense that’s what these athletes all have in common. The way they compete. The way that they’re always trying to be the best. In some cases it’s individual sports and also team sports. But they’re always trying to be the best, to make their teams better and to make their teammates better.
Then there’s their intellectual capacity to interpret each stage of their life and give their best in those moments. They notice how they can maximize those facets because one isn’t the same player at 20, 25, 30 or 35 years of age. No one reaches these privileged heights without having top-level intellectual capacities. They realize on their own where they are, how they can contribute, what they need to do to be the best. They do that easily throughout their careers.
Those types of athletes, like Messi, also have an unquenchable thirst for winning.
Leo was visibly frustrated after our scoreless draw against Nashville. I had to tell him “relax, we’re not going to win every game. We can’t allow draws but we have to continue to find ways to grow.” He was very bitter. It was as if we had lost the game. We’re still trying to find ourselves (as a team), but he’s on a permanent quest to win and it’s very difficult to change that mentality. I would never want to change that mentality either. That’s what makes him better.
You’ll return to Atlanta for the first time this weekend as an MLS head coach. You’ll likely receive a warm welcome from the fans. Describe your emotions.
I spent two great years of my life in Atlanta. We all enjoyed it. I felt comfortable at the club and I had a group of players that I truly valued, and I still do in a very special way. I have a different type of relationship with them.
The Latino players, the American players, the players from other nationalities. When I run into Jeff (Larentowicz), when Parky (Michael Parkhurst) texts me, when Kevin Kratz updates us on his career as a youth coach in Atlanta. Leandro (González Pírez), Tito (Villalba), Miguel (Almirón), Josef (Martínez), all of them. That marked an important part of my life. I’m very grateful for it.
No matter what happens on Saturday, Atlanta will want to continue to win. And all of our games are important for our playoff qualification, but that won’t diminish the love that I have for the club, for the city and for those two wonderful years.
It’s a completely different Atlanta United team from when you were the manager in 2017 and 2018. What do you like about Gonzalo Pineda’s side?
I’ve noticed that this Atlanta team is evolving. The new players are adapting well. I may mispronounce their names, but the French player (Tristan Muyumba) in the middle has settled in well. (Luis) Abram is now more comfortable as a center back. The Greek center forward (Giorgos Giakoumakis) is very dangerous as is the Portuguese winger (Xande Silva), the new signing who typically plays on the left.
Thiago (Almada) remains their star player and their creator. Miles Robinson’s abilities, their fullbacks… honestly it’s a team that I really like. I see them as a team that’s going to make a run during the playoffs. I have a lot of respect for their continued evolution.
Will Sancho return? Are Spurs the real deal? Key questions as Premier League starts again
By The Athletic UK Staff Sep 14, 2023
When the Premier League resumes on Saturday after a two-week international break, there will be lots of fascinating stories to look out for.
Will Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag put their public dispute behind them? Can Tottenham, who are unbeaten and second in the table, cement their exciting start and show they have the capacity to flourish this season as they adapt well to life without Harry Kane? There are subplots to watch at lots of the other clubs aspiring to qualify for the Champions League, too, with Liverpool appearing revitalised but Chelsea still searching for a winning formula under Mauricio Pochettino.Our writers address the key issues heading into the weekend.
Is there a way back for Sancho at Manchester United?
Sancho has struggled to reproduce his Dortmund form for United (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
In the aftermath of Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat by Arsenal in their final game before this international break, manager Erik ten Hag said Jadon Sancho had been left out of the squad owing to “his performances in training”. That Sunday evening, Sancho hit back.Posting on Twitter, he said: “Please don’t believe everything you read! I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter that I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair!”This public falling-out raised questions about the player’s long-term future at the club, as well as the shorter-term issue of what happens next. Will he feature when Brighton & Hove Albion go to Old Trafford on Saturday?
Sancho, Ten Hag and a relationship breakdown that left Man Utd prepared to sell
Ten Hag’s current shortage of options in wide attacking areas means it is unlikely a door will be shut on Sancho returning to the matchday squad.United’s current manager has shown, most obviously with Cristiano Ronaldo, that you should cross him at your peril. But nearly a year on from the Ronaldo episode, the picture is somewhat different.Antony, the manager’s preferred option to play on the right, will not return to work “until further notice” as he continues to address allegations of assault, which he denies.
Antony allegations and leave of absence: What happened, what’s been said, what next?Ten Hag could opt to shoehorn Bruno Fernandes into the right-wing position, although Facundo Pellistri will be hoping for a chance to feature. Alejandro Garnacho could also be used on the right.If there is to be a way back for Sancho, you would expect it to involve an apology to Ten Hag and then a significant improvement on his performance in training. Deleting his pinned Twitter post on Tuesday was surely a step in the right direction.
Dan Sheldon
Are Tottenham the real deal?
Spurs may be second in the table but after a couple of years of watching them play mostly pragmatic, underwhelming football, their fans are just delighted for the time being to “have our Tottenham back”, as they keep singing. Any apathy that developed under previous managers has gone.
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They certainly look the part — Tottenham are vibrant, clinical and fun going forward and new signing James Maddison has been a creative revelation. But they’re also better at the back. This isn’t just gung-ho football. Summer appointment Ange Postecoglou is an attack-minded head coach but he’s also a winning one, steering South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Australia, Yokohama F Marinos and Celtic to titles, and there is a defensive plan to complement the forward forays.
The squad looks a little light in parts, left-back Destiny Udogie and midfielder Pape Matar Sarr have made exceptional starts but are very young and will have dips in form for sure, plus Richarlison can’t score for toffee at the moment.
Richarlison to see psychologist after emotional Brazil camp
The much more evident deficiencies of some of their anticipated rivals for a top-six finish, though, offer hope that Spurs are in this season’s European spots to stay. Anything higher remains to be seen, but serial winner Postecoglou is their trump card.
Either way, expect it to be fun finding out.
‘The mood has been transformed’ – what Postecoglou changed in first 100 days at Spurs
Tim Spiers
Have Liverpool solved their midfield problems?
The early form of Alexis Mac Allister suggests so, but it would be too soon to answer with a definitive “yes” or “no”.
Only Liverpool’s final Premier League standing next May 19 will tell us whether the decision to recruit multi-functional midfielders this summer rather than specific experts in individual roles has paid off.
With no Champions League football to divert attention and energy after last season’s fifth-place finish, the focus for the months ahead is very much on chasing the title.
Traps, Salah and substitutes: Liverpool’s 2019-level pressing intensity might well be back
Can that be achieved with the midfield players Liverpool have at their disposal?
Mac Allister has certainly impressed in the handful of games so far following his transfer from Brighton, showing both maturity and versatility. There was a clear need for a new No 6 following the exits of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita from midfield over the close-season, and Argentina’s 2022 World Cup winner already looks the part. He may be used in a deeper role more often than first expected.
Mac Allister has joined on a five-year deal (Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
The surprise signing of Wataru Endo will also bring some resilience in games where Liverpool need to sit deeper and soak up pressure. Whether the Japan captain is good enough for the games that really matter will only be revealed in time.
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Liverpool have plenty of other options and look well-equipped to create and cause problems going forward. Young players Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott have talent in abundance, while Dominik Szoboszlai is already turning into a star following his big-money move from RB Leipzig. The late addition of Ryan Gravenberch, a player Jurgen Klopp has tracked for some time, will bring both guts and guile to a midfield blessed with so many qualities.
Liverpool Reloaded: How an Ironman, Alisson deal and triple sessions sparked flying start
A quick, tough-tackling, tall midfielder who can sit and protect the defence while also playing out comfortably from the back may still be missing, but those players are few and far between, and very expensive.
Liverpool might not even need one, though. They already looked well stocked.
Gregg Evans
Do Newcastle have issues or was it just a particularly tough start?
All looked rosy for Newcastle after the opening weekend’s 5-1 win over Aston Villa. The subsequent three games have quelled that optimism — but this is not a case of them turning bad again overnight after finishing fourth in May. Their start to the season was more difficult than any other side in the league — facing Villa (seventh last season), Manchester City (champions), Liverpool (fifth) and Brighton (sixth).
A new-look midfield is still gelling as head coach Eddie Howe attempts to tweak his style of play. Summer signing Sandro Tonali has been asked to subtly change his role in each game, but with team-mates Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton out of form, there has been plenty of space left in midfield. Given the quality of Newcastle’s opposition in the fixtures so far, this is asking for trouble.
- What’s wrong with Newcastle? Part one: New midfield and intensity issues
- What’s wrong with Newcastle? Part two: Transfer strategy, Pope’s struggles, and pressure on Howe
They were also without centre-back Sven Botman for the 3-1 defeat in Brighton — the poorest performance of the campaign so far — while goalkeeper Nick Pope is going through a slump of his own. When Botman returns, Pope gets back to his usual standards and the midfield begins to hum, this is still a side who should be able to compete for European football again come the spring.
Gregg Evans
How long will it take Pochettino to turn Chelsea into a winning team?
There are signs that Chelsea 2023-24 should be a winning team already; according to FBref.com data, they have the fourth-best expected goal difference in the Premier League after their first four matches, rank fifth in the division for expected goals (xG) and are third behind only Manchester City and Arsenal, last season’s title winners and runners-up, in expected goals against (xGA).
Chelsea and Everton might be better than you think
Chelsea have been failing to take their chances but their expected goal difference is among the best in the league
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The problem is they have scored 3.3 fewer goals than expected, while conceding one more than the analytics suggest they should have. Enzo Fernandez’s saved penalty away to West Ham United contributes to that, as well as Nicolas Jackson’s gilt-edged miss at home to Nottingham Forest — Chelsea lost both games.
It may be tempting to look at last season’s scoring problems and conclude this is simply who Chelsea are, but summer appointment Mauricio Pochettino is building his team from virtually a brand-new squad. His attacking options do look a little thin without injured forwards Christopher Nkunku and Armando Broja but newcomer Jackson is a livewire presence and Raheem Sterling has started the season well.
Why Pochettino thinks Jackson ‘can be one of the greatest strikers in the Premier League’
Despite the injury issues, there does appear to be scope for Chelsea’s finishing to improve enough for Pochettino to make them a winning team soon.
Liam Twomey
Can anyone stop Manchester City?
Teams can definitely beat Manchester City this season, but it’s probably not advisable to play them at their own game in trying to do so.
Sheffield United showed it is possible to bunker in and hang on, even if they did need seven saves from Wes Foderingham to keep them in the game, and ultimately lost out to a thumping finish from Rodri. City will struggle to break down low blocks if they are solid enough, particularly without the incision of the departed Ilkay Gundogan and injury victim Kevin De Bruyne in these early months.
Are Manchester City stronger or weaker this season?
Teams such as Brentford and West Ham — so geared towards efficient, counter-attacking play and able to squeeze every last drop out of set pieces — can certainly cause a threat if they hold out for long enough.
In terms of the title, it’s more a question of another side keeping up an 85-point pace. Only three other teams have broken that threshold since Pep Guardiola came to Manchester in the summer of 2016 — City have done it in all but one of his past six seasons in charge.
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Barring a disaster, City will end up there again.
Contenders almost have to ignore the Guardiola juggernaut, and focus on picking up the points for themselves.
Manchester City know what they’re doing – it can just take a little time to get there
Thom Harris
Are Everton better than their results suggest?
Marginally, yes. Against Fulham and Wolves, two home fixtures where they lost 1-0, Everton should have taken more.
Despite injuries and (before signing Beto three games into the season) having no proven striker, they managed to create enough chances to win those matches.
Ifs and buts will not prevent another dismal season of looking over their shoulders at the trapdoor to the Championship, yet the Portuguese striker’s arrival from Udinese has had a galvanising effect.
Chelsea and Everton might be better than you think
At Sheffield United, the only league game Beto has been involved in so far, Everton took their first point of the campaign, scoring their first league goals too, and the big centre-forward’s presence was pivotal in that 2-2 draw.
They must still erase the flashes of defensive fragility that let opponents such as Wolves take full advantage and, against better teams, as seen away to Aston Villa, there is still a tendency to implode. But Sean Dyche and the long-suffering fanbase will cling to the dual positives of a return to fitness of last season’s top scorer Dwight McNeil, along with Beto’s bright start.
If another new signing, Jack Harrison, can hit the ground running when he is fit, they can claim their poor start was not reflective of their overall quality.
Greg O’Keeffe
Played 10, won none — are the promoted clubs out of their depth?
It has been an ominous start for the three newcomers, with Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton Town all yet to win.
There are extenuating circumstances for Luton, with work on Kenilworth Road meaning they have only played three games and just one at home.
After losing 4-1 to Brighton and 3-0 away to Chelsea — there were glimpses of hope at Stamford Bridge, particularly in the performance of former Manchester United midfielder Tahith Chong — manager Rob Edwards then watched his side put in their best shift to date, against West Ham. Their 2-1 loss felt inevitable, which is problematic, but when Mads Andersen brought it back to 2-1 with four minutes of stoppage time to play, there was a mood shift. Maybe Luton can pick up points. Had James Ward-Prowse’s late handball given them a penalty, they might have got off the ground. It does feel like their biggest chance of picking up points will be at home.
Given the fashion in which Burnley stomped back into the Premier League at the first time of asking, it seemed like they would have the best chance of staying up of the three promoted teams. But a tough start, with games against champions Manchester City, European qualifiers Aston Villa and second-placed Tottenham, has left them pointless and looking vulnerable at the back.
Burnley have already lost as many times in the league this season as they did across the 46 games of the previous one, but manager Vincent Kompany is sticking to his principles.
As for Sheffield United, they at least have something to show for their return to the top flight, a single point earned in their most recent game against Everton. It could, and probably should, have been more but they came up against some Jordan Pickford heroism in the dying seconds.
United have come close to more too. After a narrow 1-0 opening-weekend defeat to Crystal Palace, the unlucky theme of losing by a single goal continued. Chris Wood scored a Nottingham Forest winner in the last minute of normal time and then, just as United clutched at a point against imperious Manchester City, Rodri struck in the 88th minute to quickly cancel out Jayden Bogle’s equaliser.
They are getting closer and will hope for an upturn in fortunes at Spurs on Saturday. No easy feat.
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