Champions League
Man I missed Champions League – So excited to have it back this week. Huge upsets yesterday at Arsenal and Man United lose on Tuesday. Here are the Standings as we head to the Wednesday games. Of course Wed it’s the ALL-AMERICAN game as Dortmund and Gio Reyna host AC Milan and Christian Pulisic and Musah at 3 pm on Paramount plus. Unimas has Atletico Madrid vs Feyenoord at 12:45 pm Wed while Porto vs Barcelona will be on Univision at 3 pm. The biggest game is probably New Castle United hosting PSG as the 2 Oil Money teams go head to head at 3 pm on Paramount plus. CBS Sports Network has the Pregame at 2 pm and post game shows at 5 pm – while they will have Celtic hosting Lazio at 3 pm.
MLS
Miami plays at Chicago tonight with 60K on hand – but no one knows if Messi will play or not – as he has been out basically since he got injured with Argentina 2 weeks ago. Miami needs wins tonight and Saturday if they hope to slip in as the last place team in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs.
Indy 11
Indy Eleven scored three goals at The Mike to defeat Detroit City FC 3-0, and clinched a USL Championship Playoff spot. This will be the third appearance in the USL Championship Playoffs and the first since 2019 for the Boys in Blue. Indy Eleven now sits at 12-11-9 Next up, The Boys in Blue will travel to FC Tulsa on Saturday, October 7, 2023. Kickoff is primed for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ before wrapping up the season at San Antonio and former GK Jordan Farr next Saturday 8:30 pm on MyIndyTV 23 & ESPN+.
High School Playoffs
At 13-1-2 the Carmel High School Boys are still #1 in the Nation on Max Preps and tops in the state with defending champs Noblesville just behind in 3rd. The Boys are in regional play this week in as they face Zionsville 12-4-1 at Zionsville this afternoon at 5:30 pm. The Carmel ladies are #1 in the state at 13-0-3 with Fishers and Noblesville right behind as Carmel is hosting sectionals this week at Murray Stadium. They beat Attucks 9-0. Carmel plays Westfield Thurs night at 5:30 pm before possibly facing Zionsville for the Championship on Sat night at 7 pm. Get out and catch some high school soccer playoffs this week – we have two of the very best teams in the country right here in Carmel.
Champions League
Man Utd, Arsenal rocked in Champions League as Real Madrid edge Napoli
Arsenal’s over-reliance on Saka exposed in Lens loss as Man City clash looms James Olley
Madrid rally for win in thrilling match with Napoli
Thuram goal hands Inter Milan win over Benfica
Muller turns back clock as Bayern rally for win
Braga stun Union Berlin with last-gasp winner
Oyarzabal and Mendez on target as Real Sociedad win 2-0 at Salzburg
Jude Bellingham stars as Real Madrid defeats Napoli in the Champions League
Galatasaray piles more misery on Erik ten Hag with stunning Champions League win over Manchester United
‘This campaign nosedived from the moment it started’
Manchester United are in crisis and Erik ten Hag is right about only one thing
Man United player ratings: Hojlund 9/10, Onana 3/10 in shock home defeat
‘Improving poor home record is pivotal to Celtic’s Champions League ambitions’
Newcastle’s transformation in two years is extraordinary – now they can shock PSG
‘Electric’ St James’ Park a ‘special place on Champions League nights’
USA
A Standout Week for USMN Players Stars and Stripes
Analysis, thoughts, & player ratings: The USMNT caps September with 4-0 win over Oman
EPL
Man City’s perfect start to EPL season is over
Liverpool v Spurs VAR: PGMOL releases audio of Luis Diaz’s controversial disallowed goal
Liverpool vs Tottenham VAR Q&A: What do the Reds want? What happens now?
Erik ten Hag and Man United fall deeper into a desperate, dismal mess of their very own making
Arteta: Saka injury a ‘worry’ ahead of City clash
MLS
Fallen star: What’s going on with Lionel Messi?
The Fire hoping to use the “Messi effect” to their advantage
Lionel Messi doubtful to play, so Chicago Fire offer credit to fans for sold-out game
MLS Preview: Before FC Cincinnati lifts the Supporters Shield, it faces New York Red Bulls
Winners and Losers: Vibes reamain high in Cincy
MLS Power Rankings: Cincy clinch Supporters’ Shield Ryan Rosenblatt
MLS thoughts as regular season nears end, Cincy wins Shield, St. Louis wins West
Reffing
VAR proved it isn’t corrupt, but exposed its fatal flaw
VAR transcript of Luis Díaz’s incorrectly disallowed goal 8hDale Johnson
Jurgen Klopp wants Tottenham-Liverpool replay after VAR error
The VAR Review: What went wrong for Luis Diaz’s offside goal Dale Johnson
Guardiola: Refs, VARs should be more ‘humble’
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Expanded MLS playoff format puts the league at risk of complacency: MLS Weekly
The Athletic Soccer staffct 2, 2023
Welcome to Week 27 of our staff column collecting news, insights, and highlights from around Major League Soccer.
Major League Soccer executives are getting what they wanted.
With just a few weeks left in the regular season, all but two teams remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. By choosing to expand its postseason this year so that 18 of 29 teams make the playoffs — 62% of the league — MLS hoped to engage more of its fan bases for longer. Never mind that the majority of teams were in the playoff picture late into last season, too. The hope was that maybe they could squeeze a few more teams into the picture and, more importantly, a few more games into the playoffs.
MLS has a new playoff format: our writers offer their thoughts
Is this really what a league should want, though?Playoffs are supposed to be a reward. It’s validation that a team is headed in the right direction, or that it put together a solid roster. The idea is that you earn a chance to win a championship. That is not what MLS is giving us. More importantly, failing to make the playoffs is crucial to increasing competitiveness on the field. It increases the intensity of games and pushes owners to invest more in their teams to ensure they have a playoff-worthy squad.If you went to fans of teams fighting for the eighth and ninth playoff spots, I wonder how many of them would want their teams to sneak into the playoffs rather than face the consequences of poor seasons? How many owners are going to use back-dooring into the eighth or ninth seed as a reason for not changing their investment approach, or for not making needed changes to a front office? How many sporting directors or coaches are going to use finishing in 18th place — or even 19th or 20th place — in a 29-team league as justification for a “satisfactory” approach to the season?“We made the playoffs. We were right there in the end.”The Chicago Fire lost five of seven games since returning from the Leagues Cup break. It is a reflection of the roster it built. The Fire beat a similarly bad New York Red Bulls team, 1-0, on Saturday night and suddenly it’s one point out of a playoff spot.New York City FC went from late April until mid-August winning just one MLS game. A record of 1-8-8 in that stretch. They are seven points out of what would have been the playoffs last season, a reflection of that horrid run of form. But right now they’re the eighth seed and we’re being asked to get excited to watch them in the postseason later this month.Minnesota United has won one of its last eight games. In last season’s format, Minnesota would be five points out of a playoff spot, evidence of an already-forgiving format that would have given the club plenty to play for into the final weeks, even if it still missed the postseason. This year? Minnesota is just one win away from a playoff spot.
The silver lining for MLS is that Inter Miami and Lionel Messi are alive because of the expanded format. But even that spotlights how easy it is to get into the postseason. Inter Miami was in last place before Messi arrived. He played in four MLS games and Miami went 3-0-1 in those games. Now, with its star out due to injury, Miami has been able to stay alive in the race with two draws in its last two games. They are four points out of the playoffs with four games remaining.
There is no doubt that the play-in game will be competitive and fun to watch. Knockout games bring a different sort of energy, as was evidenced at MLS is Back and the Leagues Cup. And we know the knockout games in the MLS playoffs are almost always entertaining. But it seems MLS keeps inventing ways to create do-or-die games without giving enough consideration to how a smaller playoff pool might up the intensity of the bulk of its product: the MLS regular season.ADVERTISEMENT
Are the two knockout games worth decreasing the value of the regular season so much that the 26th and 27th-ranked teams in MLS are still alive for the playoffs with just a couple of games left on the schedule?
MLS execs claim that when you look back on a season, every game matters. Sure. That’s fine. But we don’t watch sports in hindsight. Sporting Kansas City failed to win in its first 10 games of the season. Anywhere else in the world, that form is fatal. In MLS, it’s shrug-worthy. If a fan knows their team can fail to register its first win until May, like SKC, or can win one game from July 8 through Oct. 1, like D.C. United, and still have a playoff shot, why should they bother tuning in or showing up until those final weeks?
Yes, paring back the postseason means you would be forced to sacrifice inventory from the playoffs. But the hope is that in doing so you increase the importance of the entire regular season.The league wants to increase national interest in the product. It needs to find a way to get Portland fans to care about Austin-Real Salt Lake games, or Red Bulls fans to tune in to Orlando City–Charlotte FC games. It has to entice sports fans in Chicago to watch a Fire game in the summer, or New York fans to skip a Mets game to watch NYCFC. Exactly what kind of narrative are they selling that compels those fans to care? The on-field product is behind the top leagues in the world and the stakes don’t feel real until the final few weeks of the regular season.Instead of putting so much focus into developing the Leagues Cup, MLS would be smart to study whether slimming the playoffs down would help the competitiveness of its product by increasing the value of every win and thus enticing owners to invest more in the product to give their teams a better chance of making the cut. — Paul Tenorio
Celebrations for Cincinnati
On Saturday, FC Cincinnati completed a remarkable turnaround that seemed unfathomable two seasons ago. Upon entering the league as an expansion side in 2019, Cincinnati quickly became an MLS laughing stock. In its first three years in MLS, Cincinnati managed just 14 wins from 91 matches. There was consistent turnover within the front office and on the touchline. Instability and a lack of vision left the club languishing in last place.But Cincinnati is now the best team in MLS. They’ve claimed their first Supporters’ Shield and first-ever MLS trophy (that isn’t wooden) after defeating Toronto FC 3-2. Under head coach Pat Noonan and general manager Chris Albright, Cincinnati has erased its previous losing mentality and replaced it with a championship culture. Even with a postseason spot locked up, the team is still chasing records. Cincinnati could overtake New England Revolution’s 2021 points record by winning its final three games and reaching 74 points. In February during the MLS preseason, Noonan spoke with The Athletic and explained why he took the job in the first place.“If you can look past (the previous seasons) you see the infrastructure, and after meeting with ownership you see the ambition,” he said. “You have a great training facility, a world-class stadium and you have the resources. At that point, it’s just a matter of getting the right people in the building to move it in the right direction.”Cincinnati is now headed toward the playoffs as the number one overall seed. They have a league MVP candidate in Lucho Acosta, a reliable center forward in Brandon Vazquez and a balanced style of play that’s perfectly suited for success in MLS. After the win in Toronto, Noonan referred to the Supporters’ Shield conquest as “a special moment for the club.” Asked if he thought it was possible when he took over last season, Noonan flashed a rare smile and revealed what is perhaps the secret to Cincinnati’s change in fortune: confidence.“You think it’s possible,” said Noonan. “Your ego, the belief always has you thinking big. Our entire technical staff, the front office, everybody. Over the two years, we’ve become so strong as a group that this was a possibility. Hopefully, it’s the beginning of more success and more trophies for this club.” — Felipe Cardenas
Sorry, St. Louis. We were wrong.
With a 4-1 win over rival Sporting KC on Saturday, St. Louis City SC broke LAFC’s record for most wins in an expansion season and became the first expansion team to win a conference crown.
With 56 points, St. Louis is just two points away from surpassing the 2018 LAFC team for most points in an expansion season. It’s a remarkable achievement for a team many picked to finish last in MLS in its first year in the league.
“You can check these boxes now, you can check a few things off the list,” head coach Bradley Carnell told reporters after Saturday’s win. “But we wanna keep on going now. We need a couple of more points to make 58 points, I believe, to make our own.”St. Louis started off the year with five wins in its first five games, and that success proved to not be an anomaly. They’ve continued to find ways to win despite having a roster that lacks a bonafide star. João Klauss and Nico Gioacchini have 10 goals apiece, while Eduard Lowen has 14 assists. A huge amount of credit goes to Carnell, who had success as an interim manager with the New York Red Bulls and has shown his high-pressing system translates to St. Louis, as well.It will be interesting to see how St. Louis can continue to push through in the playoffs. Since the midway point of the season, They are 0-4-2 against teams in the top-7 in their respective conference, with wins over San Jose (8th), Colorado (14th), Toronto (14th), Miami (13th), Austin (12th), Dallas (9th), Minnesota (11th) and Sporting KC (10th). In fact, just five of their 17 wins have come against top-7 teams this year — none since June 4. They have taken care of business against other teams, though, at a better pace than any other rival in the West, and they will enjoy home-field advantage in the playoffs. St. Louis is 11-3-2 at home.
History shows that even the best expansion teams haven’t been guaranteed anything once the playoffs start. LAFC went in as a No. 3 seed in the playoffs in that 2018 expansion season but lost to sixth-seeded RSL in the knockout round. Atlanta United was also eliminated in the knockout rounds of its successful expansion season in penalties to Columbus. Will St. Louis City be able to surpass those teams as the most successful expansion team of the modern era? — Tenorio
Galaxy vs. Timbers worthy of #MLSAfterDark
The newly bloated playoff picture has kept several teams in the hunt during the season’s final weeks, as Paul has already mentioned, whether they look like a team deserving of playing into November or not.
This weekend had a few high-stakes games featuring flawed playoff contenders, but LA Galaxy’s match against the Portland Timbers sums the state of the homestretch up nicely. You could forgive the home support congregated in Carson, California if they were surprised to still have a chance at a postseason berth given the team’s maddening form, the number of injuries to key players (including, at present, Riqui Puig) and the summer transfer ban. You could also forgive supporters of visiting Portland for a similar level of shock after a woeful summer swoon led to Giovanni Savarese’s dismissal.
Why the Timbers fired Gio Savarese, and what comes next for both
And yet, the fact that Portland entered Saturday ranked sixth in the West while the Galaxy was only seven points out of the final play-in spot led to a wildly entertaining affair. LA center back Eriq Zavaleta was at the heart of an exciting 3-3 draw. Despite last scoring an MLS goal on April 21, 2017, the El Salvador international managed to net a brace for his team while gifting the Timbers with an own goal in between his intentional tallies. The matchup between Dairon Asprilla and Raheem Edwards featured plenty of technical tricks and back-and-forth springs, with each man netting an assist for their efforts.A tie was ultimately a fair result as neither team looked demonstrably better than the other. The point will be worth far more for Portland’s playoff hopes than the Galaxy’s, who may now need to win three of its last four games to have a hope of surpassing Dallas for ninth place. It also extended the Timbers’ strong response since Savarese’s departure, having won five and drawn two in eight games under interim coach Miles Joseph. In the end, it was another worthy installment of #MLSAfterDark. — Jeff Rueter
Trouble in Austin?
When Rodolfo Borrell left Manchester City to become Austin FC’s sporting director over the summer, head coach Josh Wolff was a big reason why. Speaking to The Athletic’s Pablo Maurer in July, Borrell, who most recently was an assistant under Pep Guardiola, believed Wolff and the positional style of play he has tried to incorporate at the club were ideal fits with his own sporting background.
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“If Josh wouldn’t have been the head coach right now I would not be joining Austin FC,” Borrell said. “If I thought the style of play at Austin was too far from what I believe in, I would not have joined. That’s the reality. I am not just trying to play nice with Josh.”
Wolff on the sideline during a game between FC Dallas and Austin FC. (Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
There’s a new reality, however. Austin has not won a match since July 15th. Last week, the hashtag “Wolff Out” was circulating on social media platform X (formally Twitter). Austin’s current winless streak stretched to 10 games after Saturday’s loss to the Colorado Rapids. Their football has become uninspiring after expectations skyrocketed with last season’s success.
Austin was poor in its inaugural season in 2021 but improved radically in 2022. They finished second in the Western Conference and battled for the Supporters’ Shield. Star attacker Sebastián Driussi finished second in the MVP race after scoring 22 goals. Driussi’s output in 2023 exemplifies Austin’s struggles. The Argentine has had a quiet season, scoring 10 goals and adding just three assists.
From the outside, one would assume that Borrell’s confidence in Wolff has been shaken. Borrell comes from Barcelona’s school of football, so anyone who coaches in Austin will have to be a very specific fit. On the other hand, Borrell may view Austin’s talent on the pitch as a bigger problem, and continue to have faith in Wolff. How Borrell chooses to fix Austin will be one of the bigger stories of the MLS offseason. – Cardenas
MLS music to your ears
In September, we ran a survey to see how viewers are consuming MLS Season Pass’ debut campaign. Over 4,000 people took time to answer questions about the new platform, spanning topics from the glossy new visuals to how Messi’s arrival has impacted coverage of their favorite teams. While the full results are still to come, here’s a preview of who viewers’ favorite play-by-play announcers and color commentators were.
Provided a list of the 19 most commonly deployed play-by-play voices, fans deemed Adrian Healey to be their favorite in a fairly balanced contest. Healey was the main voice of ESPN’s MLS coverage from 2011 to 2018 before becoming the voice of Austin FC for the club’s first two seasons. The other seven commentators to garner at least 5% of the vote mainly worked on local, club-specific broadcasts before the Apple deal: Kevin Egan (Atlanta), Callum Williams (Kansas City and Minnesota), Max Bretos (LAFC), Jake Zivin (Portland), Keith Costigan (Seattle), Steve Cangialosi (New York Red Bulls) and Chris Wittyngham (Miami).
The competition was less balanced when it came to color commentators, with the platform’s lead analyst Taylor Twellman commanding 28.6% of the vote. Fellow former United States international Maurice Edu was next, while a quartet of former team-specific analysts rounded out the pack with at least 5% of votes: Danny Higginbotham (Philadelphia), Kyndra de St. Aubin (Minnesota), Brian Dunseth (Real Salt Lake) and Lloyd Sam (Charlotte).
For all the fresh faces and innovation on offer, it turns out that fans may just want to run back ESPN’s main MLS partnership from 2012 through 2018. — Rueter
Three good reads
- FC Cincinnati has finally captured an MLS trophy, celebrating its Supporters’ Shield victory on Saturday. But the success shouldn’t come as a surprise as Felipe Cardenas and Pablo Maurer found out during the preseason.
- Once again, Messi watched Inter Miami from the sideline. The international superstar has sat four of the Florida team’s last five matches. It begs the question: As Miami’s MLS season hangs in the balance, when will Messi play again?
- Miami has managed two draws without Messi in MLS, but fell to the Houston Dynamo midweek in the U.S Open Cup final. Pablo shared a behind-the-scenes look at the Dynamo’s triumphant U.S. Open Cup campaign. (Ed. Note: His next assignment is finding out if Héctor Herrera successfully pressured Houston owner Ted Segal into buying each player a Rolex.)
One weird thing
Fans of teams in England’s pyramid system have been adjusting to a new rule this season which bans the use of towels before a player executes a throw-in. The idea is simple: full minutes were wasted as teams prepared their heaves, and fans seldom buy tickets to check on which linens each team prefers. However, Seattle Sounders midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro showed off the entertainment potential that the FA has cast aside.The Uruguayan was allowed to retake his attempt instead of being charged with a foul throw. His redo’s eventual target? The side netting of Nashville’s goal. — Rueter
(Top photos: Nick Turchiaro and Ron Chenoy, USA Today Sports)
When will Messi play again? Inter Miami’s MLS season hangs in the balance
By Paul TenorioSep 28, 2023
As the Inter Miami players filtered off the team bus and out to the field at DRV PNK Stadium on Wednesday night and Lionel Messi was not among those to disembark, the reality started to hit: If Miami wanted to win its second trophy of the year, it would have to do so without its biggest star.
Messi, wearing a black, short-sleeved button-down shirt and black jeans, arrived with his family 20 minutes later. But even with the star in the building, Inter Miami fans were left to wonder: Just how long will his absence continue, and exactly how much will the Herons have to accomplish without the transcendent player that turned around the season?
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Inter Miami clearly missed Messi on the field in the U.S. Open Cup final against the Houston Dynamo. They lacked bite in the final third for much of the game, and without having to worry about Messi — or left back Jordi Alba, who sat near Messi in a pitchside suite — the Dynamo controlled much of the first hour of the game before surviving Miami’s late push and taking the Open Cup trophy with a 2-1 win.
Dynamo best Inter Miami in U.S. Open Cup final
“It was not prudent for him to play,” Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said of Messi after the loss. “Too risky, even for a few minutes. He will play in league games going forward, but will go game-by-game based on what the medical team tells us.”
That Miami played for two trophies this season and won one — the club’s first in its short history — most definitely is a huge accomplishment and speaks to Messi’s impact. But now, the final and most difficult task lies ahead. Inter Miami must continue its climb from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings if it wants to make the playoffs. Inter Miami currently sits in 14th place in MLS’ Eastern Conference, 10 points ahead of woeful Toronto FC, but still five points shy of ninth place and a spot in the postseason play-in game, albeit with games in hand on most of the teams ahead of them.
For now, there’s not much information to go off of when it comes to Messi’s health. The team has repeatedly referred to the issue as “muscle fatigue” without ever calling it an injury or indicating the specific muscle that is giving Messi trouble. But Martino said earlier this week that the team was very much focused on fighting its way to the postseason.
“Obviously the league objective was the most difficult one,” Martino said on Tuesday ahead of the Open Cup final. “But where we are right now, we’re going to keep trying (to make the playoffs).”
Inter Miami playoffs tracker: Will Messi play in MLS’s postseason?
Inter Miami has five games remaining in the regular season, including three over the next 10 days, all against Eastern Conference foes. They host NYCFC on Sept. 30, travel to Chicago to play in front of a massive crowd at Soldier Field on Oct. 4 and then host first-place FC Cincinnati on Oct. 7.
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The team will then get a welcome break for the October international window, though as the September break showed, multiple Inter Miami players could be away with their respective national teams. Argentina plays Paraguay and Peru in its qualifiers, though it would be unlikely that they would call Messi if he is unable to play for Inter in those three league games leading into the window.
Miami then closes the season with what is essentially a home-and-home with Charlotte FC: a rescheduled game on Oct. 18 in Fort Lauderdale followed by the season-ending game in Charlotte on Decision Day, the last day of MLS’ regular season, on Oct. 21.
Notably, Miami sits just one point behind Charlotte in the Eastern Conference standings, which means those final two games could determine whether or not Miami makes the playoffs. Adding another layer of intrigue is the fact that Charlotte plays on artificial turf, which means Messi might be forced to play on that surface if Miami needs the points to get into the postseason. (Messi said last month that he would have no issues playing on an artificial surface, but did not play in Atlanta due to the aforementioned muscle fatigue.)
When Messi returns to the field will hold huge sway over the playoff picture.
On Tuesday, Messi’s longtime teammate Sergio Busquets said that every day ahead of the final gave more of a chance for Messi to recover and play a role. That, like Martino’s comments post-match, seemed to indicate that Messi’s injury is not severe enough to limit him long-term. But with the October international break two weeks away, Inter Miami may be tempted to shut Messi down until those final two games of the season to see if they can get a full-strength Messi back for the two Charlotte games, and then potentially a playoff run.
At the bare minimum, Martino said on both Tuesday and Wednesday that the team wasn’t yet contemplating shutting Messi down for the season.
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“In reality, it doesn’t occur to us that he wouldn’t play the rest of the year,” Martino said on Tuesday. “If we’re here evaluating whether he can play tomorrow or not, in no way are we thinking that he might miss the rest of the league’s games. Of course, the possibility exists that the medical department tells us that we’d be running a risk, we’d eventually decide not to run those risks. But as of today, we don’t consider that possibility of him missing those games.”
That decision becomes a bit more complicated, though, depending on Miami’s results over the next 10 days. If Miami does opt to shut Messi down until after the October international window, Miami could find itself out of the playoff picture by the time those final two games of the season roll around. And if the playoffs are out of the question, it might not be worth it to risk Messi playing in two meaningless games.
It’s worth noting that Argentina plays two crucial World Cup qualifiers in the November international window, however, visiting Brazil on Nov. 20 and then hosting Chile on Nov. 24. Messi will likely be motivated to get fit and return to the field for those games.
The start of Messi’s time in MLS was a dream: 10 goals in his first seven games to win the inaugural Leagues Cup trophy. That run of so many games in a short amount of time, however, caught up to the 36-year-old.
The hope, now, is that the end doesn’t feel more like a nightmare: the loss in the Open Cup final, Messi potentially missing the majority of the remainder of the season and Inter Miami falling short of the playoffs.
Americans Abroad
Adams suffers reinjury, Pulisic & Balogun enjoy big days, Maloney & Paredes impress
Yes, it was a big weekend for a number of American players including Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Lennard Maloney, Malik Tillman, and Kevin Paredes. But the latest news on Tyler Adams set a negative tone around everything. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta digs deep for all the news & games involving Americans abroad this weekend and breaks it all down for you.
BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED OCTOBER 01, 2023 10:05 PM
THE WEEKEND FOR Americans abroad had a lot of ups and downs. Yes, the big games from Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, and a few others were very good. But there is no getting past the reinjury to Tyler Adams, which left a cloud over everything this weekend. Even as he beings rehabbing, there are now lingering questions moving forward why he can’t stay healthy.
Overall, there are more positive stories to start this season. Pulisic is finally doing well and at a place where he is appreciated. The same is the case for Sergino Dest (who is getting over an illness). But if you go through many of the key players, there is still a lack of playing time. Players like Ricardo Pepi, Brenden Aaronson, Tim Weah, Joe Scally, Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, and Josh Sargent are either injured or struggling to see the field.
Unfortunately, that was a big theme this weekend.
Here are my thoughts on it all.
ADAMS SUFFERS REINJURY
Big story this weekend was the unfortunate news that Tyler Adams has suffered a reinjury following his 20-minute midweek shift for AFC Bournemouth in a 2-0 win over Stoke City in the Carabao Cup. That was his club debut for Bournemouth and his first performance since his initial hamstring injury in March.
Following Bournemouth’s 4-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, manager
Andoni Iraola spoke to the Bournemouth Echo about Adams, who was not on the matchday roster.
“I don’t know what to call it, a setback, but he is not feeling well,” Iraola said. “He has been out for a lot of time, so we have to reassess, to reset, to take the good decisions, thinking in everything. It is true that he is going to be out for some time, for sure. I think it’s the same area. I couldn’t tell you if it’s exactly the same point, but it’s true that it’s his hamstring that he is not feeling well.”
This is terrible news as Adams had been rehabbing his hamstring for months and there were reports of a setback earlier the summer. Now, following just 20 minutes, he is back on the sidelines for another extended period.
For Bournemouth, this is terrible news because the club could very easily find itself in a relegation battle and Adams is the type of player they need to push towards midtable. His absence at Leeds was a huge reason for the club’s downfall in the final months. But with a reinjury, how cautious will Bournemouth be with him once he is ready?
For the U.S. national team, it is not quite as bad. Yes, the club has Nations League games in November, but the next time the team truly needs Adams will be next summer for the Copa America. There is plenty of time for him to return for that. He is also so familiar with his team that he can walk back into the team after an absence of over a year.
Now the U.S. will be forced to address the always lingering question over who is the backup for Adams? Last cycle it was Kellyn Acosta with Johnny Cardoso in consideration. Recently it has been shifting Yunus Musah deeper. Likely for the remainder of 2023, Gregg Berhalter will need to explore this.
But the long-term worry over Adams is very real. When he first moved to Leipzig, he missed several months with an injury. Then there have been other minor absences. Now there is a hamstring pull and an immediate reinjury. It does hurt his reputation as being unreliable. The worst news would be if Bournemouth goes down after this season. Adams might have to go down with them.
PULISIC ENJOYS BIG OUTING
On Saturday in Serie A, AC Milan cruised to a 2-0 win over Lazio to move to 18 points from seven games (six wins and a loss). Christian Pulisic started and played 82 minutes while Yunus Musah came off the bench in the 29th minute to replace an injured Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Pulisic scored the opening goal in the 60th minute on a play that was an excellent finish but also an even better reading of the defense.
Especially, look at the moment when Pulisic is just outside the penalty area. Lazio left back Elseid Hysaj (#23) clearly thought he had Pulisic figured out. He assumed Pulisic was going to make a direct run to the far post and Hysaj was content he could win that race to the back post and cut off a cross. But that thinking turned into ball watching and Hysaj didn’t bother to pick up Pulisic’s other option to the middle. Pulisic rand towards the middle of the box, behind the defense, near the penalty spot and was wide open for a shot.
It was an excellent read by Pulisic and another big impact game for him at Milan. He started the season very strong in the first three games, was quiet for a few games, and now has had two more big games in a row. In his first two months at the club, AC Milan are surely happy with their purchase.
AC Milan are likely very happy with the purchase of Musah as well. He’s a bit more raw than Pulisic and it is a process getting him towards extended minutes, but he’s getting there. His minutes are gradually increasing and the team is playing better when he’s on the field. His dribble is particularly useful in opening up the games for others as he draws defenders towards him to create space which he can either exploit or it gives him more room to find teammates in more dangerous areas.
BALOGUN’S BIG REBOUND
I said last week that we were going to learn a lot about Folarin Balogun in the weeks ahead. Last weekend in Monaco’s 1-0 loss to Nice, Balogun missed two penalties and was visibly frustrated. It was the worst game of his young professional career, and we hadn’t seen him tested like this mentally.
On Saturday at home against Marseille, he responded with one of his best performances, so far. The New York-born Balogun, 21, ended up scoring a goal and adding an assist in a big 3-2 win. He was the best player on the field this day.
With Monaco trailing 2-1 in the 23rd minute, Balogun found an equalizer on a fantastic run, move, and finish where he beat three Marseille defenders.
Then in the 52nd minute, he assisted on the winning goal with perhaps an even better effort where he used fantastic control in tight space.
3-2 Monaco ????
Het doelpuntenfestijn in Monaco duurt voort: Akliouche brengt de thuisploeg weer op voorsprong ????#ZiggoSport #Ligue1 #ASMOM pic.twitter.com/nmwpwv59h7— Ziggo Sport Voetbal (@ZS_Voetbal) September 30, 2023
Overall, the talent and the skill Balogun showed in this game was extremely impressive. But the mentality to quickly move beyond a terrible game and then play at your best was even more important. It is a skill that the best forwards have. They don’t let a bad game put them into a funk.
BROOKS STRUGGLES, GIO UNUSED ON FRIDAY
On Friday in the Bundesliga, Hoffenheim dropped a 3-1 decision at home to Borussia Dortmund. Both teams were high in the table entering the day with Hoffenheim in sixth and Dortmund in fifth. In the end, this turned out to be a tough day at the office for three Americans.
First for Hoffenheim’s American manager Pellegrino Matarazzo, this was a winnable game. After starting the season so well, there were hopes Hoffenheim could prevail against a top Bundesliga team at tome.
Second, for John Brooks, he was completely at fault for the opening goal in the 18th minute. The second Dortmund goal was due to confusion among Hoffenheim defenders and Brooks was in position to make a clearance but may have been called off by a goalkeeper. In the end, he went 84 minutes in the loss. Brooks is on the outside of the national team and this won’t help him.
Then there is Gio Reyna who was an unused substitute again for the third straight game and he is yet to play for Dortmund this season. Dortmund wasn’t great in this game, but thanks to Hoffenheim mistakes, it was a great result and that makes it harder for Reyna to play. Manager Edin Terzic seems unlikely to change a winning formula.
TILLMAN’S NICE DAY AT THE OFFICE
It was expected that Eredivisie-leading PSV Eindhoven would have an easy time on Saturday against last-place and winless Volendam. In the end, that happened as PSV won 3-1 to remain perfect with 21 points from seven games, while Volendam now has just one point from seven games.
What was a bit surprising was that American Malik Tillman was the man of the match in this game for PSV with an impressive goal and an assist. It was even more surprising because just last week, he was dropped from the matchday roster due to oversleeping. But Peter Bosz decided not for an extended punishment for Tillman and gave him a surprising start.
In the 47th minute, Tillman delivered a fantastic assist to Guus Til with a lovely chip over the defense for a 2-0 PSV lead.
Then in the last minute of stoppage time with Volendam down to 10 players, Tillman added a goal when he moved into the box and fired a shot past a frozen goalkeeper.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/jZUyyWkG4d4?si=86tYHrPUHAj-S9Nt&start=324
But this was a great outing for Tillman to establish a role at PSV that will include more playing time. Yes, Volendam is bad, but this was a starting point and Tillman showed up.
Sergino Dest returned from missing a midweek game due to illness to make the bench but he did not play. Ricardo Pepi played the final 20 minutes for PSV and it was uneventful for him. Eventually he will play more, but that will only come when Bosz realizes there is a need to rotate Luuk de Jong. That point will eventually come and Pepi has done enough to at least start building positive trust with Bosz.
Another bit of good news on the American front in this game is that Zach Booth was strong for Volendam when he played the final 18 months off the bench. He only had two completed passes ( but was 2/2) but he was also 2/2 in his dribbles, 2/2 in his tackles, and was 6/7 in his ground duels.
With Volendam struggling so badly, it’s only a matter of time before they give Booth a shot to try something different. He’s at the club on loan from Leicester but if the club wants to make a battle to avoid relegation, they need to mix things up.
Booth, along with his older brother Zach, are eligible for the U.S. Olympic team. Zach is injured at the moment but it will be interesting to see if Zach gets a look with the team in the upcoming camps.
PAREDES SHARP OFF THE BENCH
On Saturday, Wolfsburg defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 and two members of the 2003-born American class came off the bench.
With the score 1-0, Kevin Paredes came off the bench for Wolfsburg in the 79th minute and Paxten Aaronson came off the bench in the 82nd minute.
In the 84th minute, Paredes made a move into the box and drew a penalty which was converted by Jonas Wind for his second of the game and a 2-0 lead.
Paredes has had some very good moments off the bench over the past year and a half but has been unable to earn many starting opportunities. What is going to get him to that point? Will it take a loan, will it just take reps? At what point, what is the plan for Wolfsburg to help Paredes with the next step?
For Aaronson, his eight minutes off the bench were relatively uneventful but he has at least been earning the occasional start. Again, is a loan in the cards for him?
Internationally, both of these players have the talent to be on the U.S. national team but both would benefit tremendously from leading the Olympic team. But the big question is whether their clubs would entertain a release.
MALONEY & HEIDENHEIM STUN UNION BERLIN
On Saturday in the Bundesliga, FC Heidenheim stunned Union Berlin 1-0 to move to ninth place with seven points from six games. Entering into this season, few gave Heidenheim a chance to survive in its first ever season in the top flight (and was an amateur club into the mid 90’s). While in some games, the club struggles, it is also managing to pick off some big wins here and there. Saturday against Union Berlin was one of those days.
In the 1-0 win over Union Berlin, American defensive midfielder Lennard Maloney, 23, went a full 90. It turned out to be one of the best performances of his career because he played to his strengths of winning duels, aerials, and shielding the backline.
Maloney was 37/45 in passing over 64 touches with 4/7 in long balls and 2 hots. But his biggest contributions were defensive. He had 13 clearances, covered a ton of ground, and was 7/12 in his aerial duels.
Maloney is getting close to his first USMNT call-up and his first appearance for the United States since a U-20 call-up in 2018. It would make sense to give a look to him given the continued Tyler Adams absence and the lack of options at No. 6.
But it is another question of how he would fit into the team? His runs a lot, he isn’t that fast, it remains to be seen if he has the passing range Gregg Berhalter would want. But Maloney works extremely hard, fights for everything, and is a great teammate by all reports. He is a great fit for Heidenheim, but the U.S. team has a very different approach.
On another note, Brenden Aaronson did not get off the bench for Union Berlin. Union outshot Heidenheim 20-10 but couldn’t hit the back of the net. The team had its most disappointing result of the season without Aaronson, which probably helps his case.
WINGO GOALAZO
There isn’t much to add about Ferencvaros and its 6-1 away win over MTK Budapest other than this spectacular 63rd minute goal from Seattle’s own Henry Wingo to make it 4-1.
Wingo is back to starting at right back for the perennial Hungarian champions and is doing his part. This goal was unreal.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/c-i2D4Hmpsw?si=551w4D0UUOG2heFc&start=203
I am curious to see if an team in MLS tries to make a move for Wingo this winter. The former Seattle Sounder turns 28 this week.
YANKS IN ITALY
On Sunday in Serie A, Juventus visited Atalanta and played to a 0-0 draw. As has been the norm, Weston McKennie started at right wingback and was replaced late, this time in the 84th minute, by Tim Weah who helped see out the result. At the end, Juventus seemed happy with a draw after being outshot 15-5 (while Juve had the edge in shots on target, 3-2). That is something that you would not have seen with the older Juve teams that won the scudetto nine straight times. Those teams had a mindset to win every game.
This game was very boring. McKennie got on the ball plenty, 54 touches in 84 minutes but had no shots, two passes into the final third, and really wasn’t part of anything dangerous.
There are a lot of questions about Juve’s plans for their American players.
First, when will McKennie get a chance in the middle of the field. McKennie is not perfect, but he is very energetic and the team needs that.
Second, what does the team see in Tim Weah? If McKennie is what the team wants from a right wingback, why did they purchase Tim Weah? Weah is very, very different from McKennie at that position. What were they expecting of Weah?
It’s good that McKennie is a regular starter for such a legendary club. But the entire situation is different for him and for Weah.
In Serie B, Palermo defeated Sudtirol 2-1 thanks to a late winner from Giuseppe Aurelio. U.S. national team left back Kristoffer Lund, 21, started for the City Football Group owned Palermo and played a 60-minute shift. Despite the limited minutes, Lund had a good outing with 36 touches and 17/19 passing. He was 2/2 in his dribbles and was 2/3 with his crosses – one of which created a dangerous chance. He was 5/6 in his ground duels and won his only aerial duel. He also drew three fouls and did not commit a single foul.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/m6iOKZLCOzk?si=UbKPx5Jvdq9JQL4a&start=41
Gradually, Lund has been taking on a bigger role at Palermo. It was always going to take some time given that he missed preseason, but he is getting closer. The next step will be longer outings as Palermo looks for promotion with its CFG backing.
Also in Serie B, Venezia defeated Modena 3-1 away on Saturday to move into third place of Serie B. Tanner Tessmann had a big game where he had 62 touches, was 38/46 in passing, created two chances with 10 passes played into the final third. He was 2/2 on the dribble, was 2/3 on his crosses, was 6/9 in his long balls, was successful in 3/3 of his tackles, won 6/9 of his ground duels, and won 1/3 of his aerials. He also did not commit a single foul.
Gianluca Busio also started and played 80 minutes in central midfield.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/FDi-c2TNifo?si=kc8BM-cqOguNTzpB&start=41
It’s a good experience for both Americans to be part of a promotional race in a tricky Serie B. Internationally, both have spent time with the U.S. national team but are probably strong candidates for the Olympic team where they can start and be difference makers. For Busio, however, the competition to make the Olympic team will be very challenging.
Finally in Serie B, Andrija Novakovich started for Lecco and was effective in his hold-up play during a 66-minute shift away at Cittadella. He left with his team winning 1-0. Unfortunately, he watched his team collapse late, squandering goals in the 87th minute and 89th minute to fall 2-1. Lecco sits last in Serie B with just one point from five games.
YANKS IN ENGLAND
On Sunday, Nottingham Forest played to a 1-1 draw with Brentford at home. Matt Turner made three saves on the day and afterward said he felt like the team squandered two points. A win would have pushed them inside the top 10 but now they sit 11th with eight points from seven games.
For Turner, he is on constant pressure to continue to play at a high level given that sitting behind him is Odisseas Vlachodimos, the Greek national team’s starter who was acquired from Benfica just before the deadline. This effort probably still keeps him in the starting lineup. The goal he conceded was probably savable, but it would have been a huge save.
On Saturday, Crystal Palace travelled to Old Trafford and came away with a big 1-0 upset win against a struggling Manchester United team that is now in 10th place. Chris Richards came into the game in the 88th minute to see out the win, which he did. He only had two touches but managed to make a nice clearance. He didn’t have to complete a single pass. Overall, this is going to be the norm for him unless there are injuries at the club. He needs to make a move in the winter.
Sheffield United are still without a win following a 2-0 away loss to West Ham on Sunday. Auston Trusty played the final 11 minutes for Sheffield United but didn’t have to do much. At some point, he will probably get chances to start as he has now been with the club for two months and is integrated (after he missed preseason). With the club sitting on just one point, they’ll probably want to try something different.
On Monday, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, and 15th place Fulham host their closest geographic rival in Chelsea, which sits in 15th place.
It was an especially tough weekend for Americans in the Championship.
Stoke City rallied for a 3-2 away win over Bristol City. Lynden Gooch started at right back for Stoke but was pulled at halftime when they were trailing 3-2.
Preston North End fell from first to third following a brutal 4-0 loss at home West Bromwich Albian (with Daryl Dike likely out until December or January. Duane Holmes, who has been having a solid start to the season, started for Preston North End and was subbed out in the 64th minute with PNE trialing 3-0.
Coventry defeated Queens Park Rangers 3-1 away in London on Saturday. Reggie Cannon is still not on the roster year for QPR. U.S. national team forward Haji Wright has been seeing his minutes decrease at Coventry recently and he only played the final 11 minutes in this game (he entered with Coventry up 3-0). He is under a lot of pressure as the club’s record signing. For QPR, American forward Charlie Kelman went as an unused substitute.
Norwich City, managed by former U.S. international David Wagner, defeated Birmingham City 2-0 to end a two-game skid. They moved into seventh place with the result. Josh Sargent remains out for Norwich.
YANKS IN GERMANY
Borussia Monchengladbach won their first Bundesliga game this season on Saturday with a 3-1 road win over winless Bochum. Joe Scally was dropped from the starting lineup after a tough start to the season. He came on in the 72nd minute with all the scoring finished. He ended up with 16 touches and was just 2/5 in passing.
Jordan Pefok started and played 64 minutes in the win. He picked up a generous assist on the team’s third and final goal but was a workhorse up top in his hold up play. He won 5/8 of his ground duels and won 3/10 of his aerials. He connected on 14/16 of his passes. He is slowly getting better after a tough season. But to get back into the national team picture, he needs goals. The forward position on the national team is improving and he needs to score to stand out.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/91SBC71NHQY?si=RmHAlBINpttt0YXS&start=41
Also in the Bundesliga, FC Koln dropped a 2-0 decision at home to VfB Stuttgart to remain with just one point from five games. One week after making his professional debut, Damion Downs made another appearance for Koln – this time playing the final 14 minutes in the loss. Unlike last game, Downs wasn’t dangerous in this one, as Stuttgart held him in check.
Still, Downs is 19 and is slowly getting integrated into a Bundesliga team, albeit a bad one. He should continue to get chances. If they get relegated, he should figure into their plans to get promoted. A German-American, Downs has played for U.S. youth national teams in the past. It will be interesting if he can sneak into a U.S. U-23 team cam to compete for a spot against players like Duncan McGuire or Matthew Hoppe.
In the 2.Bundesliga, it was mostly struggles for Americans.
Hansa Rostock defeated Eintracht Braunschweig 1-0 on Saturday. Johan Gomez started as second striker and went 82 in the loss. Overall, he wasn’t able to generate much offense and Braunschweig has fallen to 17th in the 18-team league to me.
St. Pauli defeated Hertha BSC 2-1 away on Saturday and moved to the top of the table of the 2.Bundesliga. Houston-born head coach Fabian Hurzeler has been a revelation since taking the job last December at the age of 29. Last year, he took them from the brink of the relegation zone and almost had them qualify for the promotional playoffs. Now they are leading the way in the 2.Bundesliga.
On Sunday, Greuther Furth played Elversberg to a 1-1 draw away. Julian Green was suspended for this game for Furth while fellow German-American Maximillian Dietz was subbed into the game in the 82nd minute for Furth – which sits in 13th place.
Also on Sunday, Terrence Boyd was subbed into Kaiserslautern’s 2-2 away draw with Osnabruck in the 76th minute. With Kaiserslautern trailing 2-1, Boyd missed a penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time but saw his team equalize two minutes later.
YANKS IN SPAIN
In La Liga, Celta Vigo visit Las Palmas on Monday but Luca de la Torre will not play as he is suspended for being sent off (for his second yellow card) last Thursday in Celta’s 1-1 draw with Deportivo Alaves. Celta Vigo sits on the edge of the relegation zone with just five points from seven games.
On Saturday in the Segunda, Eibar defeated Tenerife 3-0 but American winger Konrad de la Fuente missed out on the win as he remains out injured with a muscle injury.
On Sunday in the Segunda, Mirandes defeated Real Zaragoza 1-0 on the road, aided by the fact Zaragoza had to play the second half down a man. Jonathan Gomez played the final 23 minutes for Mirandes and was on the field for his team’s winning goal, an own goal.
YANKS IN THE NETHERLANDS
On Sunday Agustin Anello, 21, made his first start for Sparta Rotterdam after his first four appearances were all coming off the bench. The winger from Florida ended up going 74 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Excelsior and left shortly after Excelsior equalized the game 1-1. It was a quiet day for him as he only had 33 touches and 11 completed passes in the defeat. Sparta remained in sixth place after the loss.
Still, Anello is eligible for the U.S. Olympic team and might be seen as a potential option for an upcoming camp to give him a chance to compete for a spot on the U-23 team next summer. 
Also in the Eredivisie, Anthony Fontana as an unused substitute for PEC Zwolle in a 2-1 loss to Heracles and he is still looking for his club debut. Taylor Booth remained out injured for Utrecht and missed the club’s ugly 2-0 loss at home to Almere City. Utrecht sits 17th in the 18-team Eredivisie.
On Sunday, AZ Alkmaar defeated Fortuna Sittard 4-0 on Sunday and Djordje Mihailovic played the final seven minutes in the win and he was the fifth and final substitution. Mihailovic was decent in his limited minutes, creating a decent chance, going 6/7 in passing, and being on the field for the final goal. It’s been tough for him, but AZ has been flying with 19 points from seven games. They’re in second, just two points behind a perfect AZ.
In the second tier Eerste Divisie, John Hilton went 90 minutes for Dordrecht in a 1-1 draw with FC Eindhoven. Justin Che played the final two minutes for second-place ADO Den Haag to see out a 3-0 win over MVV Maastricht. Gedion Zelalem played 90 minutes for Den Bosch in a 3-0 away win over Groningen.
YANKS IN BELGIUM
On Saturday, Gaga Slonina started for Eupen on Saturday in a 3-1 loss at home to Anderlecht. After a strong start to the season, this was the fourth loss in a row for Eupen as they fell to 11th place in the 16 team First Division A. One of the goals he conceded was an own goal from his right back.
Slonina is doing okay. He occasionally lets in goals he should save, but he’s also letting in some bad goals too. But things are going to get more serious for him soon as the second half of the season will likely be a relegation battle and Slonina will be under pressure to keep his team up.
On Sunday, Genk hosted Westerlo and the two teams played to a wild 3-3 draw. Regarding Americans, Mark McKenzie’s toe injury continues to keep him out of action, and he again had to sit a game out. Griffin Yow also is yet to make his season debut he was out for Westerlo. The one American to play was Bryan Reynolds who played the complete game for Westerlo.
Reynolds has been playing very well defensively in recent games and in this game, he was again very important on that side of the ball. He won 5/7 of his ground duels and was 2/2 in his aerials. He had 10 recoveries and was 3/4 in his tackles. He also created one very dangerous chance for Westerlo in the first half.
Things are not great for Westerlo. They are dead last with three points from nine games. But if they can put forth an effort like this game, they should be able to make a climb soon. As for Reynolds, he’s also improving after a very slow start to the season. He should be in with the U.S. U-23 team in October to begin to make a case to be the team’s starting right back heading into Paris.
Marlon Fossey started and went 70 minutes for Standard Liege in a 2-1 win away at OH Leuven. He left the game when the score was 1-1. Standard Liege is slowly getting their act together with two wins over the last three games. Fossey hasn’t been the explosive contributor that he was last season but with Standard’s gradual improvement, Fossey seems likely to improve as well.
Sam Vines was still injured and did not play for Royal Antwerp in their 0-0 draw at Mechelen. Antwerp remained in fifth place with the result.
Alex Mighten remained injured and did not suit up for Kortrijk in a 2-1 win over Cercle Brugge on Friday. Kortrijk moved out of last place with their first win of the year.
YANKS ELSEWHERE
In France’s Ligue 1, Le Havre fell to Lille at home 2-0. Emmanuel Sabbi, 25, came into the game in the 70th minute with his team trailing by two. He made a limited impact with only nine touches over his 20 minutes and was 2/3 in passing.
In Scotland, there was a huge upset as Aberdeen defeated Rangers 3-1 at Ibrox. American midfielder Dante Polvara, 23, started and went 80 minutes for Aberdeen. He left with the score 2-1. Rangers had a 71/29 possession edge and Polvara was chasing the game, along with his teammates. But he still was good enough on both sides of the ball to lift Aberdeen in to seventh place while sinking Rangers into third, seven points from leaders Celtic. Polvara is having a good month as he also scored two weeks ago in the Conference League in an away trip against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Meanwhile in the Premiership, Scott Pittman played the last 21 minutes for Livingston in a 1-1 away draw against St. Johnstone. Pittman is Livingston’s all-time leader in appearances. Finally, Cameron Carter-Vickers remained out for Celtic and missed the 2-1 win over Motherwell.
In the Austrian Bundesliga, George Bello started for LASK against Wolfsberger, but the former Atlanta United left back was pulled at halftime. Overall, that is not a good sign for Bello who is fighting for minutes and is not considered a first-choice starter. LASK remain in third place in the league but are six points behind second place Sturm Graz.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Soto remains out following back surgery and he was not part of Austria Klagenfurt’s 0-0 draw away at BW Linz.
In the Portuguese top tier, Vizela dropped a 3-2 loss at home to Portimonense. Last week, Alex Mendez came off the bench for his season debut and delivered a late equalizing assist off a corner. In this game, he was the fifth and final sub for Vizela in the 69th minute when his team trailed 2-1. With Mendez on the field, Vizela equalized in the 85th via an own goal but squandered the winning goal two minutes later.
Mendez was busy in this game, going 21/24 in passing in his 24 minutes. He had 27 touches and was good in possession, but only managed to create a half-chance for Vizela towards the end. Still, he should continue to get rotational minutes moving forward. Vizela sits 14th in the 18-team league with five points from seven games.
In Norway’s Eliteserien, Bob Bradley and Stabaek dropped a painful 1-0 loss at home to remain four points deep in the relegation battle. This team needs a win – badly. On Wednesday, they host HamKam and it is almost a must-win.
Also in Norway, Sam Rogers was subbed out just the 34th minute for Lillestrom in a 2-0 loss at home to Brann. Given it was a double substitution, it was likely a major tactical adjustment after Lillestrom fell behind 1-0 and Rogers was already on a yellow card.
Finally in Norway, Christian Cappis made his club debut for Molde on Sunday when he played the final 10 minutes in a 4-0 win over Viking. Cappis is at Molde, on loan from Brondby, for the remainder of the Norwegian season. Molde sit fifth in the Elitserien.
In Sweden, Joe Gyau did not play for Degerfors in its 3-2 loss to Sirius. It’s a good thing he didn’t as Degerfors had a 2-0 lead into stoppage time when the conceded three goals to lose and sink four points deep into the relegation hole.
In the Greek Super League, Caleb Stanko came off the bench in the 70th minute to help preserve a 1-0 lead over Panaitolikos. The American defensive midfielder idd his job and the club held on for a 1-0 win. Lamia sits midtable in seventh place in the 14-team league.
Joe Efford recently joined PAS Giannina after his contract with Motherwell was terminated by mutual consent. On Sunday, the 27-year-old from Georgia made his debut in Greece’s top tier when he played the final 29 minutes in Giannina’s 3-0 loss at home to leaders Olympiakos. PAS Giannina have lost three in a row and are in 11th place.
Finally, Erik Palmer-Brown was injured and missed Panathinaikos’ 2-2 draw with PAOK. Midweek, he was forced out of his club’s 4-1 win over Asteras Tripolis at halftime.
In Croatia, Rokas Pukstas remains injured, and he missed out on Hajduk Split’s huge 1-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Eternal Derby. Hajduk remains in first with 21 points through nine games.
In Iceland’s top tier Besta Deild Karla, second place Valur defeated FH Hafnarfjordur 4-1. Former USMNT forward Aron Johannsson, who plays as a midfielder now, scored Valur’s third goal in the 66th minute. He was subbed out in the 76th minute.
In Argentina’s Copa de la Liga Profesional, Huracan played San Lorenzo to a 1-1 away draw. Alan Sonora played 89 minutes for Huracan and was not on the field for San Lorenzo’s late equalizer. Sonora nearly scored on a 55th minute shot that went just wide. But he has found footing with his career back with Huracan after a very difficult move to Club Juarez. His younger brother, Joel Sonora, did not get off the bench for Huracan.
In Mexico’s Liga MX, Club America defeated Pumas 1-0 on Saturday night. Alex Zendejas came into the game in the 65th minute but didn’t contribute much in the win. Through 10 games, Club America sits atop the table with 21 points, one point ahead of Tigres.
After a strong start to the season, Club Juarez is starting to fade and has lost two in a row. On Friday, they dropped a particularly ugly 5-1 loss away to Tijuana. Sebastian Saucedo was subbed into the game for Juarez in the 58th minute with his team down 3-1.
In Brazil, Johnny Cardoso did not suit up for Internacional in a 2-0 loss at home to Atletico MG.
Fan of a Premier League club? Stop laughing at Arsenal and Manchester United…
By Luke Brown
It was a thoroughly miserable evening for English clubs in European competition on Tuesday.
At Old Trafford, Turkish side Galatasaray took advantage of some truly disastrous Manchester United defending to seal an improbable 3-2 comeback victory.
The result means Manchester United have opened a Champions League campaign with consecutive defeats for the first time in the history of the tournament, after their earlier loss to Bayern Munich.
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Meanwhile, some 300 miles away in northern France, Arsenal slipped to an unexpected 2-1 defeat at Lens, the side currently 15th in Ligue 1.
Those results mean that none of the Champions League groups are currently topped by an English team.
Manchester City came from behind to beat Red Star Belgrade 3-1 three weeks ago but are behind RB Leipzig on away goals scored, while Newcastle United drew their opening match 0-0 with AC Milan. They next face Paris Saint-Germain, who saw off Borussia Dortmund in the opening round of fixtures.
Fans of other Premier League teams will no doubt have enjoyed Tuesday’s unexpected results in particular — but there’s a catch.
There are potentially five Champions League spots up for grabs this season for the English top flight, but the fifth and final place is entirely dependent on how sides perform in Europe this season.
The key words in that above paragraph are this season — previous triumphs of Premier League sides, such as Manchester City’s Champions League win last season and Chelsea’s in 2021, count for nothing.
That means rival Premier League supporters would do well to put down their PSG and Leipzig scarves and pull out a St. George’s flag for Wednesday night’s games. Here’s what you need to know.
What’s this new rule I need to know about?
We’ve covered this previously but there was so much mickey-taking in our discussion tabs and on social media on Tuesday night that we thought it was worth recapping.
The Champions League is expanding from 32 to 36 teams next season and one of those additional spots could potentially go to the Premier League side that finishes fifth.
Two of those additional four extra places will be awarded to the two best-performing countries in European competitions, with ranking points are awarded for every match — group-stage and knockout — in UEFA’s three club competitions. The collective performance of all competing nations in this season’s tournaments will be determined by the total number of ranking points obtained by their clubs, divided by the number of participating clubs.
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UEFA calls these places the ‘European Performance Spots’. Catchy, we know.
Had the change been made at the start of last season, Liverpool (who finished fifth in the Premier League) and Atalanta (who finished fifth in Serie A) would have made it into the Champions League as teams from England and Italy performed best in European competition.
But the fact that there are eight English clubs playing in Europe this season already makes things more difficult for Premier League clubs — and that was before Manchester United shot themselves in the foot against Galatasaray.
Manchester United have lost both their European games this season (Getty Images)
How are Premier League clubs currently doing?
It’s been a mixed bag to say the least.
Liverpool and West Ham United both won their opening Europa League fixtures. But Brighton & Hove Albion fell to a surprise 3-2 defeat at home to AEK Athens, and in the Conference League, Aston Villa — who beat Brighton 6-1 last time out — lost 3-2 at Legia Warsaw.
It means England is currently sat, wait for it, 16th in UEFA’s seasonal rankings, behind member associations including Greece, Iceland and Israel.
UEFA season country coefficients 2022/23
| POSITION | COUNTRY | CLUBS | TOTAL POINTS | AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkey | 3/4 | 31 | 7.75 |
| 2 | Belgium | 5/5 | 24 | 4.8 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 4/5 | 23 | 4.6 |
| 4 | Poland | 2/4 | 17.5 | 4.375 |
| 5 | Italy | 7/7 | 30 | 4.285 |
| 6 | Denmark | 2/4 | 17 | 4.25 |
| 7 | Germany | 7/7 | 29.5 | 4.214 |
| 8 | Greece | 4/5 | 21 | 4.2 |
| 9 | Portugal | 4/6 | 24 | 4 |
| 10 | Czechia | 3/4 | 16 | 4 |
| 11 | Spain | 7/8 | 31.5 | 3.937 |
| 12 | Iceland | 1/3 | 11.5 | 3.833 |
| 13 | Israel | 2/4 | 15 | 3.75 |
| 14 | France | 6/6 | 21.5 | 3.583 |
| 15 | Croatia | 1/4 | 13.5 | 3.375 |
| 16 | England | 8/8 | 27 | 3.375 |
Yes, there is a ridiculously long way to go. It’s only the start of October. And member associations are rewarded with a large number of bonus points if a club from their country goes on to win one of UEFA’s three club tournaments.
But English clubs are already up against it due to the large number of Premier League sides in Europe this season, and clubs crashing out in the group stages will make it far more unlikely that the fifth-place club will be rewarded with a spot in the Champions League come May.
So, if you support a Premier League club who might well finish fifth this season, you’d be wise to stop your sniggering. We’re looking at you, Tottenham fans.
Where can I find out more?
If that put you in the mood for some more UEFA rules and regulations, click here for a far more detailed look at how the Champions League is changing forever at the end of this season.And if you think this article is a load of nonsense and you want to revel in the hilarity of it all, click below.
Newcastle v PSG and the Saudi-Qatar feud that won’t go away
Matt Slater Oct 4, 2023 Press officers normally have to drag the stars of the show to the media waiting for them in the mixed zone and getting them there does not mean they will actually stop and talk.There was no dragging required, though, for Newcastle United’s ambassadors at the Champions League draw in Monaco at the end of August: sporting director Dan Ashworth and chief executive Darren Eales were delighted to be there and, apparently, even happier with the set of fixtures they had just been given.“It’s amazing,” said Ashworth. “It’s been a 20-year wait to play against the top teams in Europe and we’ve certainly got that in our pot, haven’t we? So, it’s very exciting. Brilliant for the fans, brilliant for the players, brilliant for the staff — it’s what the Champions League is all about.”Group F: Ligue 1 winners Paris Saint-Germain, Bundesliga runners-up Borussia Dortmund, seven-time European champions AC Milan, and 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup winner Newcastle United.
“It’s the supergroup of death,” said Eales, with a huge grin on his face, while Ashworth, bouncing with adrenalin, added: “We’ll embrace the challenge.”And so they have. A highly professional 0-0 draw at the San Siro a fortnight ago was a good start, but it will be the nights under the lights at St James’ Park where we will really see the tightness of that embrace. First up, on Wednesday, PSG.When asked by reporters after the draw if the games against PSG would carry a little more weight than the others, Ashworth was momentarily lost for words. He genuinely did not appear to understand the question.
Mohammed bin Salman (far right) at the World Cup talking to FIFA president Gianni Infantino (Amin Mohammad Jamali/Getty Images)
“Qatar versus Saudi Arabia,” we prompted, reminding him that this contest is between two clubs bankrolled by neighbouring Gulf states.“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that,” he said. “I was just thinking about it in a football context.”And that is the only context, isn’t it? Qatar and Saudi Arabia have buried the hatchet after that nasty business with the blockade and are best friends again, right? Weren’t their heads of state (de facto in Saudi Arabia’s case) wearing each other’s football scarves at the World Cup in Qatar last year?“Relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia have repaired further and faster with the Saudis than with the other states that moved against Qatar,” explains Dr Kristian Ulrichsen, the author of Qatar and the Gulf Crisis, the definitive account of the colossal falling-out that erupted in 2017 between Qatar on one side and Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the other.“The image of (Saudi crown prince) Mohammed bin Salman draped in a Qatari scarf during the World Cup sent a powerful visual signal that the bad blood of the blockade era was over, at least at the highest political and diplomatic levels.“The World Cup really brought Qataris and Saudis together at a people-to-people level after the strains of the previous few years and the celebrations after Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina showed that most people have moved on from that period.”
That is certainly what it felt like on the ground.
This writer visited Qatar during the crisis, when “the quartet” had cut all diplomatic and economic ties with the country and the small but very wealthy peninsula in the Persian Gulf felt like a place under siege. Everyone talked about how empty the hotels, malls and restaurants were and there was a heavy security presence outside every public building.But there was also a flourishing of Qatari national pride. There were flags and large pictures of Sheikh Tamim, Qatar’s emir, everywhere and everyone seemed confident the country would keep coming up with solutions to the everyday problems thrown up by the dispute.There was a lot of pride on display during the World Cup, too, but it was different. The tournament was a triumph the majority of Arabs could enjoy.“If this match was being played in 2018, then the nature and tone of it would be very different,” says ProfessorSimon Chadwick, an expert on sport and geopolitics at the SKEMA Business School.“Then, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were amid a fractious diplomatic feud, which was being fuelled by the petulance of an inexperienced, though increasingly powerful, Mohammed Bin Salman, a provocative (U.S. president) Donald Trump and his unpredictable interventions in the Gulf region, and a country focused on projecting itself through football, most notably the 2022 World Cup.
Saudi fans enjoy themselves at the World Cup (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
“Since then, things have changed dramatically and the temperature between the two nations has considerably subsided. Trump is gone, MBS (as Mohammed bin Salman is more commonly known) feels more secure and assured, Qatar has enjoyed its big moment in the spotlight, and diplomatic relations have been re-established.“Nowadays, the two nations are, in general, peacefully co-existing.”James M Dorsey, a senior fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute, agrees with Ulrichsen and Chadwick.“(Qatari-Saudi relations) have gone back to being a friendly rivalry — sport is just another part of the infrastructure of that rivalry,” says Dorsey.Great, we all agree, then: there is no added needle to this contest. All of Newcastle’s new fans in Saudi Arabia — and PSG’s fans there, too — can sit back and enjoy the game on the device of their choice, at home or in a more public space. Just like everybody else.r can they?While Qatar and Saudi Arabia seem to be on the same page with each other when it comes to relations with regional bogeymen Iran, Israel and Turkey, the need to resolve the bitter civil war in Yemen, and keeping tabs on more extreme versions of Islam, there is one area where the Arab brothers are still at loggerheads: who gets to televise or stream elite sport.A full commentary of this dispute would last longer than Wednesday’s game, so here is the edited version.When Saudi Arabia and co declared war on Qatar’s economy in 2017, one of the fronts they opened up was a sophisticated digital piracy operation aimed at beIN Media Group. Based in Qatar’s capital Doha and owned by the state, beIN dominates the sports and entertainment landscape across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as having a significant presence in France, Turkey and a dozen other major markets.The name of this piracy operation was beoutQ and, for more than three years, it stole beIN’s satellite feed and repackaged it, at a fraction of the price, for Saudi customers. Furthermore, beIN was banned in the kingdom, with its staff booted out and equipment pinched.Qatar responded by making a complaint to the World Trade Organisation and also starting arbitration proceedings in London against the Saudi government. In the meantime, beIN’s bosses asked the leagues and governing bodies, to whom they had written large cheques for their media rights, to use their influence in their own countries to force Saudi Arabia to shut down beoutQ.While this was big news in Qatar, as beIN was forced to shed staff and give up some rights, it did not make waves in the United Kingdom until Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) decided it wanted to buy Newcastle United in early 2020. This presented a problem for the Premier League as PIF is the piggy bank MBS is using to modernise Saudi Arabia and diversify its economy, which is fine but not while another arm of the Saudi state is stealing the league’s intellectual property in a proxy battle with Qatar.What followed was months of confusion while beIN stood up for its rights, the Premier League fought its corner, Newcastle United’s past and present owners furiously lobbied the UK government to force the sale of the club through, and the club’s fans wondered what on earth was going on.The Saudis, offended by the suggestion that pirating Premier League content was not very collegiate, stormed off and it looked like the takeover was off.
But, as 2020 ticked over into 2021, the plates were shifting in the Gulf. The blockade had clearly not worked, tempers had cooled, and the problems had subsided. It was time to make up. So the leaders of the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — met in the desert city of Al-Ula in January 2021 and agreed to call it all off, including Qatar’s arbitration cases (there were more than just beIN’s).Ten months later, beIN was unbanned in Saudi Arabia and — in a remarkable coincidence — PIF’s takeover of Newcastle United was approved.Now, we have already told you that this was not the start of a beautiful friendship for beIN and Saudi Arabia, so we have ruined that surprise, but quite how bad things remain between beIN, one of Qatar’s most famous and successful companies, and its largest potential market is really quite remarkable.
Mohammed bin Salman (left) greets Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, ahead of the Arab League Summit in May (Bandar Aljaloud / Royal Court of Saudi Arabia / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
First, there was a long lag between the Al-Ula agreement and beIN being allowed to operate again in Saudi Arabia. Then, in July 2021, The Athletic reported that beIN staff, including its founder and president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, faced “daily cyberattacks”, “malicious hacks” and “commercial sabotage”. BeIN did not point the finger at Saudi Arabia, but it did not need to.Still, things did seem to settle down for a year or so in the run-up to the World Cup, which beIN and Qatar had been building up to for a decade.However, one hour before the opening ceremony on November 20, the same opening ceremony that most experts on the region thought was the clearest signal yet for a return to the natural order in the Gulf, beIN’s new streaming platform, TOD, was blocked in Saudi Arabia.Anyone trying to log on to the service was met with a message that said: “Sorry, the requested page is violating the regulations of the Ministry of Media.
“To unblock the page, you may send an official request to: Ministry of Media — Electronic Publishing. Email: emedia@moci.gov.sa”.
The error message Saudi users receive when trying to log on to TOD
If anyone has received an answer from the ministry, can they forward it to beIN, please? Eleven months on, TOD is still blocked, nobody has explained why, and beIN has given up complaining about it, publicly anyway.
When asked for comment about the impasse, which effectively means the only way for anyone in Saudi Arabia to watch the Champions League, Premier League, La Liga, Wimbledon, the NBA and more is through a now very old beIN set-top box or an illegal stream. In fact, after more than six years of watching illegal streams of sport, an entire generation of Saudi sports fans no longer know the difference.
It is hardly surprising, then, that beIN has very quietly resumed its arbitration case against the Saudi government. It was asking for $1billion in damages last time, as that was the claimed cost of beoutQ’s piracy for the first six months of the blockade. At that rate, we are talking about a claim north of $5billion now.
“The Al-Ula agreement was supposed to end all ongoing legal cases initiated during the blockade, but it can be read as referring to state parties rather than private companies,” says Ulrichsen.
“BeIN probably straddles the two, but it may feel the Saudis have broken the spirit of the 2021 agreement to restore beIN by banning the streaming service.”
The obvious question here is what is Saudi Arabia playing at?
On the one hand, we have MBS justifying the country’s extravagant spending on sport as part of a strategic vision to make Saudi Arabia’s economy less dependent on fossil fuels by massively boosting tourism and attracting foreign investment, while also encouraging Saudi Arabia’s young population to be more healthy.
But, on the other hand, we have a nation that still seems to think all intellectual property is theft… and they’re nicking it. This seems like an incredibly counter-productive approach to a country that is desperate to host more major events and build better links with international broadcasters.
Of course, it did appear to have a plan for resolving this in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup. The plan for Saudi Arabia to buy a stake in beIN, thereby avoiding the high cost of trying to build a rival to beIN, was one of the worst-kept secrets in the media industry.
But that secret has been replaced by one of the best-kept secrets in the media industry: why that deal broke down.
Some believe it was a simple disagreement over price. Others say it was more of an age-old dispute between these two parties about control, as in Saudi Arabia finding it very hard to believe that Saudi Arabia should not be in charge of every pan-regional venture.
Either way, everyone agrees that there are really only two ways out of this embarrassing and potentially expensive situation for Saudi Arabia: take on beIN or buy it.
Dorsey believes it will be the former.
“I would expect the Saudis to launch their own thing,” he says.
“Absolutely. And that goes for every sector. As a matter of principle, Saudi Arabia has to be the regional leader in everything. Why would sports broadcasting be any different?”
Chadwick, however, sees a compromise.
“Qatari strategy has moved on from the first-mover advantages it has built after nearly two decades of spending heavily on sport,” he says. “It now faces the challenges of utilising the assets it has created.
“Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has become the archetypal fast follower, spending even more widely and lavishly than its smaller next-door neighbour. In effect, the two countries are playing different games to each other and have therefore found a way to co-exist.
“Saudi Arabia has always been the bigger, bolder, more bellicose of the two, which MBS is learning to filter through soft power strategy and reputation management. Yet its recent sport investments continue to carry the DNA of a nation that believes it plays a crucial role in regional and international affairs.
“Qatar, on the other hand — much smaller, less secure — plays the junior partner who seeks consensus through partnership and diplomacy. This is clearly evident in the activities of Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is a Qatari strategic archetype.”
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain, is Qatari (Gualter Fatia – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
He is also the president of PSG and the chairman of the rich clubs’ club, the European Club Association, so you cannot help thinking that Newcastle United’s owners are going to have to come to some sort of accommodation with him and his company at some point.
Wednesday’s big game takes place two days after the fifth anniversary of the grisly assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and journalist. Intelligence agencies in several countries, including the United States, believe MBS ordered Khashoggi’s death. He denies that but has taken responsibility “because it happened under my watch”.
If MBS truly wants the world to think that buying Newcastle United, men’s golf, Cristiano Ronaldo and Tyson Fury is about putting another one per cent on Saudi’s gross domestic product and not sportswashing, he should probably try to stop his subjects from illegally streaming the world’s best sport and entertainment.
(Top photo: Bertrand Guay/AFP; Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
American soccer was against artificial turf long before it became a big problem in the NFL
“Hopefully they can eliminate turf, especially for the pros, just because of the injury risk,” said Jim Curtin, whose Union squad will play on artificial turf on Wednesday at Charlotte FC.
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The debate over artificial turf fields in the NFL has certainly gotten attention in American soccer circles. But across MLS and the NWSL, there’s no debate. No one likes turf, no one wants it, and there had better be a serious reason why a stadium in either league has it.
Alas, there are serious reasons. The biggest is NFL money at four of the six turf venues. Atlanta, Charlotte (where the Union will play Wednesday), New England, and Seattle host America’s and the world’s football. The NFL and MLS teams share ownership in the first three of those cities, and used to in the fourth.
In the other two turf venues, the stadiums are owned by outside entities. Vancouver’s stadium also hosts a Canadian Football League team (and a slew of non-sports events), while Portland’s has some old infrastructure issues and used to host a college football team.
Every other stadium in MLS and the NWSL uses natural grass.
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» READ MORE: Why worries about forever chemicals and injuries might push the NFL to ditch artificial turf
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While there’s only so much the leagues and teams can do about it, there’s been no need for a new opinion for years. Remember when a group of star women’s soccer players took FIFA to court in Canada over using artificial turf at the 2015 women’s World Cup? It has been nine years since the suit started and a decade since FIFA first said Vancouver would host the final on fake grass.
And it has been just about as long since anyone with common sense could see through FIFA’s ploy: Surely they’d never force a men’s World Cup to be played on artificial turf.
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It would be a while before FIFA proved that right, but the time came last year. When FIFA picked the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as cohosts of the 2026 men’s World Cup, it quickly made clear that like in 1994, real grass would be installed in any stadium that currently lacks it.
» READ MORE: FIFA goes to college to study how to grow grass indoors for the 2026 men’s World Cup
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Nor will they be the kind of short-term grass installations that get used for summer soccer events these days, from Concacaf’s Gold Cup this summer in Charlotte to the many big European clubs that visit the U.S. for friendlies. Most players don’t like those setups, either, because the grass tears up and the ball bounces oddly on seams.
Big soccer cities impacted
It’s no coincidence that U.S. Soccer has deliberately chosen for years now to not play its home games on turf or temporary grass, even if it means staying out of some of the nation’s top soccer hotbeds.
Portland and Seattle have long been deprived of seeing their clubs’ stars play for their country. The men and women have stayed away from Atlanta, even though either could sell out Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The men used to visit New England almost annually but have not since 2015.
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» READ MORE: The Linc might look different during the 2026 World Cup. Here are some examples of how.
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Also, some big stars who’ve come to MLS have refused to play on artificial turf, including Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Newly arrived Lionel Messi has said he will, but Inter Miami manager Tata Martino rested him from Saturday’s visit to Atlanta because of a packed schedule.
Could football and soccer now find common cause over ditching turf? Though the NFL Players Association’s desire to get turf out of the league isn’t new, it got a lot louder after Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles tendon tear last week sent chills through the Jets’ locker room and TV executives’ offices.
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Coincidentally, MetLife Stadium is one of the two leading candidates to host the 2026 World Cup final. The other is the Dallas Cowboys’ home — which FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited this past Sunday. He took in the Jets’ first game since Rodgers’ season ended with Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks, and former U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro.
» READ MORE: The Eagles’ grounds crew chief went to Qatar to prepare for hosting the 2026 World Cup
“I have to say in America you are light years ahead compared to the rest of the world.” FIFA President Gianni Infantino at AT&T Stadium with Jerry Jones before today’s Jets-Cowboys game. @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/5GfKexoEFK— Noah Bullard (@noah_bullard) September 18, 2023
Both venues, and six others that will host in 2026, currently have artificial turf that will have to be removed. If they’re going to do it anyway, might the NFLPA’s campaign help it happen sooner?
One veteran source with connections in both sports said some quiet talks have already started.
The Union’s turn
“Hopefully they can eliminate turf, especially for the pros, just because of the injury risk — and obviously, if there are health risks as well with the ground-up tires [in the turf], that’s a bad thing,” said Union manager Jim Curtin, who played on turf plenty during his nine years in MLS.
“I think everybody would be in agreement that natural grass is the best way to go across all sports,” he added. “Always easy for me to say because I don’t buy the stadiums or do the maintenance or that type of thing. But certainly the sport of soccer, I believe the sport of football as well, is safest played on natural grass.”
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For now, Curtin and players across MLS and the NWSL can only hope. And in the shortest term, the Union have to get ready to play on Charlotte’s turf at Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV, free), in their first visit since last year’s disastrous 4-0 loss that cost the Union a shot at the Supporters’ Shield.
» READ MORE: Union takeaways: Bad defense turns a potential big win vs. Cincinnati into a disappointing tie
“I think the U.S. has enough money to fix the fields and make everything grass or substitute grass for turf,” said veteran Union centerback Damion Lowe, who likely will start Wednesday with Jack Elliott suspended. “I don’t like playing on turf. I’ve had a lot of injuries from playing on turf.”
But he will soldier on, he said, with much at stake in the playoff race.
“We get paid to play regardless of the conditions — rain, snow, hail, whatever,” Lowe said. “So we just have to prepare ourselves for whatever obstacles come our way, try to beat adversity, stick together as a team. We’ll go down to Charlotte, be focused, and be ready for anything.”
For the record, there are no storms in the forecast Wednesday night. At least that will take one burden off a night that will have enough of them.
» READ MORE: Ernst Tanner admits Kai Wagner could leave the Union this winter
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