US wins 3-0, plays @ T&T tonight 7 pm on TNT

Not sure what the heck GB was thinking when he opened up in a 4-2-2-2 that had like 5 shots – none on goal in the first 60 minutes of our home battle with T&T. Credit to the T&T goalkeeper – who stood on his head – but it was the 66th minute subs (finally) of Pepi and Aaronson that opened things up. Aaronson shot twice within minutes of coming on the field – while Pepi finally got our first goal in the 82nd minute before Robinson and Reyna scored in the next 10 minutes to all but assure the US should advance to the Quarterfinals of the and more importantly the Copa American next summer in the US after a 3-0 win over T&T Highlights. The US dominated possession but looked as though they had no clue how to open up the T&T defense without Pulisic and Weah. Mark Tillman and Peredes filling in for the US injured paid failed to connect with teammates time and time again and should have been yanked at halftime. The D held steady however against the non-existent attack from T&T. Now on to Port of Prince as the US looks to quiet the demon’s of their lost to knock them out of the 2018 World Cup. The US would have to lay a major egg to blow a 3-0 1st leg lead – (even Berhalter can’t do that). In other Concacaf comp Mexico trails Honduras heading back to Azteca down 0-2 on Tues night while Canada delayed till Sat to beat Jamaica 2-1 heading to Jamaica Tues. Panama pounded Costa Rica 3-0 and will look to wrap things up Monday night at Costa Rica.

Shane’s Starters tonight 7 pm TNT

Turner

Scalley — Carter-Vickers — Ream — A. Robinson

De la Torre — Musah

Zendejas  — Reyna – Aaronson

Balogun or Pepi

 United States Men’s roster (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 9/0), Gaga Slonina (KAS Eupen; 1/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 35/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 14/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 30/2), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 3/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 53/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 14/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 37/2), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 27/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 7/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; 1/0),  Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 19/0), Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim/GER; 1/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 48/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 31/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 22/6), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 6/0)

FORWARDS (5): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin/GER; 36/8), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 6/3), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; 2/0), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 20/9), Alex Zendejas (Club América/MEX; 7/1).

Final Euro Spots Up for Grabs

Ukraine faces Italy in a winner advances to the Euro’s loser goes home match as Ukraine will host in Germany at 2:45 pm on FS2 Monday.

US Boys (U17 WC) Advance to Next Round Despite getting bombed by France

Got up early to watch the US boys U17s Sat morning –what a mistake.  The US got slammed 3-0 by France despite having 65% possession.  Even worse was 2 of US best players getting tossed out of the next round with 2^nd yellows and a STUPID last defender Challenge by our Captain Centerback.  Funny how watching the US play in World Cups at ALL LEVELS is so disappointing.  THE US CAN’T SCORE.  We simply can’t score.  The stupidity of the players missing the next round just sums up US Soccer.  When we play the World’s Best teams – We ALWAYS LOSE because WE CAN’T SCORE.  The US will get destroyed by Germany in the knockout rounds on Tuesday 4 am on FS1 I’m sure.  Two hours of my life I can’t get back. US Soccer – disappointing at all levels. PS I have enjoyed watching the U17 World Cup overall. 

Indiana Referee in need

Our community has been given the heart-breaking news that one of our very own referees, Brian Mitchell, has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Please read the message below and consider donating to the Mitchell family as they will need our help during this very difficult journey. https://www.gofundme.com/f/friendsofbrianmitchell

Watch the US Games with The American Outlaws –Indy  at Union Jack Pub in Broadripple Tonight 7 pm

GAMES ON TV

Mon, Nov 20  

2:45 pm FS2                Ukraine vs Italy

2:45 pm FS1?                       North Macedonia vs England

7 pm TNT, Para+        US Men vs T&T  (Copa Qualifying)

9 pm Para+                         Panama vs Costa Rica

Tues, Nov 21  

2:45 pm FS2                        Wales vs Turkey (Euro Quals)

7:30 pm Para+                   Canada 2 vs Jamaica 1 (Copa Qualifying)

9:30 pm Para+, TUDN     Mexico 0 vs Honduras 2 (Copa Qualifying)

Sat, Nov 25

7:30 am Peacock        Man City vs Liverpool

9:30 am ESPN+            Dortmund (Reyna) vs Mgladbach (Scally)

10 am Peacock            Newcastle United vs Chelsea

10 am USA                  Nottingham Forest (Turner) vs Brighton

12:30 pm USA             Brentford vs Arsenal

5:30 pm Apple TV       Orlando City vs Columbus Crew

8 pm Apple TV            Cincy vs Philly

Sun, Nov 26

9 am USA                    Tottenham vs Aston Villa

11:30 am USA             Everton vs Man U

12 noon CBSSN            Roma vs Udinese

2:45 pm Para+            Juventus (Weah, McKinney) vs Inter Milan

7 pm FS1, Apple TV     Houston Dynamo vs Sporting KC  

9:30 pm Apple TV       Seattle Sounders vs LAFC  

Mon, Nov 27

3 pm USA                    Fulham (Ream, Robinson) vs Wolverhampton

Tues, Nov 28 – Champions League

12:45 pm Para+          Lazio vs Celtic

3 pm Para+                 PSG vs New Castle United

3 pm Para+                 AC Milan (Musah, Pulisic) vs Dortmund (Reyna)

3 pm Para+                 Man City vs RB Liepzig

3 pm CBS SN               Feyenoord vs Atletico Madrid

3 pm Para+                 Barca vs Porto

Wed, Nov 29 – Champions League

12:45 pm Para+          Galatasaray vs Man United  

12:45 pm Para+          Sevilla vs PSV (Tillman, Dest)

3 pm Para+                 Real Madrid vs Napoli

3 pm CBS SN               Beneifica vs Inter Milan

Sat, Dec 2

2:30 pm TNT, Max      USWNT vs China

Tues, Dec 5

7:30 pm TNT, Max      USWNT vs China

US Men

How will the USMNT line up versus Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain?

‘Determined’ USMNT earn Berhalter plaudits Jeff Carlisle

USMNT player ratings: Robinson, McKennie central to late 3-0 win Cesar Hernandez

Player ratings from USMNT 3-0 T&T

USMNT Player Ratings vs Trinidad & Tobago: Ricardo …

USMNT comes alive late in important 3-0 win over T&T  

Player ratings & analysis: USMNT’s late rally downs T&T 3-0
No experiments says Berhalter as US bid to seal semi berth

From USA’s McGlynn to Argentina’s Soule, the in-form players ready for a national team debut Connelly

US Women

U.S. Soccer puts money where its mouth is with splashy Hayes hire

Hayes secured, but U.S. must play nice with Chelsea

Emma Hayes hired as USWNT head coach

MLS

Predictions in Semi-Finals

How to Watch the MLS Semi-Finals

Reffing

Great day of Reffing with Ernesto Ruiz at the Girls College Showcase at Grand Parks Sunday (despite his El Tri hat)

IU men’s soccer battles back twice, beats No. 10 Wake Forest for spot in NCAA Sweet 16

Zach Osterman, Indianapolis Star Sun, Nov 19, 2023, 8:40 PM EST·2 min read

IU men’s soccer advanced to the NCAA round of 16 on Sunday night, thanks to an extra-time victory away to national-seed Wake Forest in a five-goal thriller.Hugo Bacharach’s brace moved the Hoosiers (14-4-4) past Wake Forest in a game that saw Indiana equalize not once but twice, before the second of Bacharach’s goals proved the decider in an eventful second-round NCAA tournament meeting between two of college soccer’s most-successful programs. The hosts, this year’s No. 10 overall seed, took the lead twice Sunday night, first through a deflected Jahlane Forbes goal in the 21^st minute and then through a Vlad Walent 67^th-minute penalty. Each time, Indiana found an answer. The Hoosiers’ first came via Bacharach’s towering header, the midfielder rising to meet a Patrick McDonald corner and redirect it past Wake Forest goalkeeper Trace Alphin. Karsen Henderlong fired home a second equalizer in the 73^rd minute after the Demon Deacons failed to clear a goalmouth scramble. Wake Forest defenders called for offside but Henderlong was well on, his goal prompting extra time.nter Bacharach, a defender-turned-midfielder who does his best work at the other end of the pitch most of the time but has been amongst the goals lately for the Hoosiers. His pair Sunday makes four in six games — the balance of his account this season — the last perhaps the pick of the bunch.94′ | IU won a free kick in Wake Forest’s half, McDonald driving an outswinging ball into the area. It swerved just behind Bacharach who, back to goal, threw a leg at the ball to deflect it goal-ward. Alphin couldn’t move quickly enough to his left, and Bacharach’s brace confirmed a victory and a place in the third round of the tournament for the double Big Ten champions. Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana men’s soccer beats Wake Forest in OT, heads to Sweet 16

USMNT returns to Trinidad and Tobago with Copa America berth in sight

Published Nov. 19, 2023 4:52 p.m. ET

Doug McIntyre SOCCER JOURNALIST

For the only man on the current United States national team roster who was also on the American squad when it last visited Trinidad and Tobago, the painful memories of Oct. 10, 2017 — when the U.S. was stunned by the Soca Warriors and failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup — have long since lost their sting.”I’d say, 2019 Gold Cup,” defender Tim Ream said Sunday when asked when he finally got over a defeat that marked the lowest moment in USMNT history. “We played Trinidad, if I recall correctly. That was kind of the moment for me.”Ream and the U.S. returned to the twin island Caribbean country for the first time Saturday ahead of Monday’s CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg in Port of Spain. And once again, the Americans will have the chance to qualify for a major international tournament, in this case next summer’s Copa América. The circumstances going into this match are far different, though. After eventually finding the net three times in last Thursday’s first leg in Austin, Texas, even a two-goal loss would be enough for the USMNT to advance from the home-and home, aggregate-goals series.

Still, coach Gregg Berhalter and his players aren’t taking any chances. They’re approaching Monday’s match as if it’s a must-win.”Now we have another half of this 180-minute game,” Berhalter said. “We want to see it out the right way.”They also want to improve on Thursday’s performance. Despite having a man advantage for most of the game, the contest was still scoreless in the 80th minute. It won’t get easier for the Americans at Hasely Crawford Stadium. Temperatures will be in the high 80s when the match kicks off at 7 p.m. ET. The field won’t remotely resemble the pristine carpet of grass the teams played on at Q2 Stadium last week in the Texas capital.  And of course, another first half red card for T&T is unlikely. 

The difficult conditions absolutely came into play on that faithful night six years ago. Using the same lineup that routed Panama three days earlier, the Americans looked like they were playing in concrete cleats. The travel is notoriously grueling to get to Port of Spain, which sits farther south than Barranquilla, Colombia.Berhlater will be forced to make at least one change from a lineup that was already missing injured starters Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah; Weston McKennie, another lock, returned to his Italian club Juventus over the weekend to recover from what U.S. Soccer called “aggravated left knee tendinopathy.”Asked if he might rotate his XI to ensure his starters’ legs are fresh, Berhalter suggested he won’t make many other tweaks.”It’s not time to experiment,” he said. “We’re focused on the best possible lineup we can play. It’s not about rotation at this point. It’s about who can fit the roles that we need to win this game.”This game is where all the focus is, not on what happened in 2017. If the Americans are thinking about any of the program’s  previous trips to T&T this camp, it’s one that happened all the way back in 1989. Sunday marked the 34th anniversary of “The shot heard ‘round the world,” — Paul Caligiuri game-winning goal at Hasely Crawford that qualified the U.S. men for the World Cup after a 40-year absence from the global stage. Last week, Berhalter showed the team footage of the famous strike and invited Caligiuri to address the current team.”Being able to connect the past with the present during this camp has been nice,” Ream said.  “It is something that we’ve discussed.”Before heading home from Trinidad, Ream and the rest of the USMNT are looking forward to making more of the sort of history they’ll want to remember.”There’s no point in taking your foot off and saying ‘OK, we’re there.'” Ream added. “As soon as you get complacent, you start to do things that you wouldn’t normally do. So now we’re going to approach this game the same way as if it was 0-0.”Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United Statesmen’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

USMNT rides late flurry to 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in Nations League

By Paul Tenorio Nov 16, 2023 The Athletic

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The U.S. men’s national team needed 82 minutes to break through, but once they finally found the back of the net the goals poured out from there as the U.S. secured a crucial 3-0 home win over Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday night in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals.hat it took that long to score a goal was indicative of a frustrating night for the U.S., which struggled to break down Trinidad’s low block despite playing with a man advantage for nearly an hour. Finally, a cross from Antonee Robinson was flicked in at the near post by Ricardo Pepi right on the 82nd minute mark to give the U.S. a one-goal lead.That opened Trinidad up a bit and the U.S. continued to push for more goals. Robinson hit a screamer in the 86th minute to double the advantage, and Reyna added a third on a combination with Balogun in the 89th.The win was especially important not just because it gave the U.S. a three-goal lead going into Monday’s away leg in Port of Spain, Trinidad, but it also put the U.S. a bit closer to qualifying for next summer’s Copa America.

The U.S. dominated possession throughout the game even before the red card as T&T sat deep in its own half and defended out of a low block. Trinidad’s Noah Powder picked up his second yellow card for a reckless tackle from behind on Weston McKennie in the 37th minute, and that only pushed Trinidad into a more defensive posture.Despite the man advantage, the U.S. managed no shots on goal in the first half. The first effort on target didn’t come until the 54th minute — a weak header from Malik Tillman — and while the U.S. put far more pressure on the goal in the second half it looked like Trinidad might pull off a shocking nil-nil draw.Finally, though, Pepi found the back of the net and the U.S. was able to take a deep breath. The two goals that followed also eased the job for the visit to Trinidad on Monday, which will be the first time the U.S. is back in the country where their World Cup dreams ended in 2017.

Main takeaways

The U.S. played too slowly at times against T&T’s low block, recycling the ball around the top of the box looking for the perfect entry into the box and allowing Trinidad to shift and keep good defensive shape too often. When the U.S. started to push faster later in the second half and pepper Trinidad’s goal with shots and headers, it started to feel like a goal was coming.

This U.S. team is going to have to find ways to score without doing so in transition — it’s an issue that has existed going back to the last cycle.

Who stood out?

Playing without stars Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah on the wings, it was an opportunity for players like Kevin Paredes, Malik Tillman and Brenden Aaronson to make an impression. Paredes got his first start with the U.S. and had some good moments in the first half, and Aaronson definitely made an impact when he entered the game in the second half. Tillman left more to be desired, frankly, though he was not alone among the U.S. players who could have been better against Trinidad’s low block.Pepi’s goal was his seventh of 2023 and his fifth off the bench, the most ever by a USMNT player in a calendar year. The 20-year-old continues to impress after the disappointment of missing out on the 2022 World Cup and his goal tonight was a crucial one.

What’s next

The U.S. will play Trinidad and Tobago on Monday in the away leg, and Thursday’s 3-0 win gave them plenty of breathing room to qualify for the Nations League semifinal and the Copa America. A win or draw sees them through, and a goal in Port of Spain would be plenty considering the current three-goal advantage — away goals are a tiebreaker.

USMNT power works after precision fails vs. Trinidad and Tobago

• Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentNov 17, 2023, 05:00 AM ET

AUSTIN, Texas — Eighty-one minutes into Thursday’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal first leg against Trinidad and Tobago, the misery index for the United States men’s national team was redlining.The U.S. had been playing with a man advantage for more than 43 minutes, had dominated possession to the tune of 75% and had nothing to show for their efforts on the scoreboard. The attack was basically unwatchable for much of that time. Even VAR seemed to working against the USMNT, denying it what was initially given as a 60th-minute penalty when Weston McKennie was felled in the box by T&T’s Daniel Phillips. The U.S.’s night seemed to be summed up in the 75th minute, when two T&T defenders went down with injuries — essentially giving the home side an 11-on-8 advantage — and they still didn’t come close to creating a chance on goal.So, with nine minutes to play, the U.S. was staring at the real possibility of heading into Monday’s second leg in Port of Spain with the aggregate score 0-0. Given that the Soca Warriors dumped the U.S. out of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup the last time the two teams met up in Trinidad, it was enough to rattle U.S. fans.Fortunately for the U.S., a combination of T&T fatigue and some more brute-force attacking methods allowed the home side to kick into gear. Ricardo Pepi, Antonee Robinson and Giovanni Reyna each scored in a seven-minute span to clinch a 3-0 victory, giving the U.S. some breathing room heading into the second leg. “I felt like we didn’t panic at any point,” Robinson said postmatch. “We just knew that we had to keep going, and I feel like this team’s really good at that.”There’s cause for optimism and concern in that. This match was yet another instance of the U.S. struggling to get past an overmatched opponent that was employing a low defensive block. The USMNT followed a similar script in a September match against Uzbekistan, when a pair of late goals (while a man up) clinched a 3-0 victory. While a penchant for late goals is admirable, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the success against the Soca Warriors was down more to the visitors’ resilience than U.S. brilliance.The home side certainly made life difficult for itself, especially in the first half. Manager Gregg Berhalter chalked it up to a “lack of precision” in the final third. But the U.S. seemed almost too comfortable in possession and was intent on trying to score the perfect goal. “We were just trying to walk the ball across the line, really,” defender Tim Ream said.Reyna seemed determined to take as many touches as possible rather than playing quickly. Malik Tillman was just lackadaisical at times, lulled into a false sense of security by the easy possession the U.S. was maintaining. The PSV Eindhoven man didn’t seem to recognize that this was a match that was going to be more akin to a street fight, and he needed to adapt. He never did.What the U.S. really needed was to mix up the attack more with some muscular methods like additional shots from outside the box. More direct play, in the right moments, could have allowed striker Folarin Balogun to get behind the T&T defense more easily. In the second half, the former approach worked, increasing the pressure on the visitors, and even resulting in a goal courtesy of Robinson’s long-range strike.

EDITOR’S PICKS

It’s an approach that creates some inner conflict for Berhalter. He’s a man who has long preferred a possession game, sometimes to the detriment of the team he was coaching. When the topic of hitting more long-range shots came up, he said: “It’s not something that we love, but I think the opportunity was there and we didn’t often take advantage of that.”It’s certainly not the highest-percentage play that a team can trot out. But the reality is that the U.S. needs both approaches, the leather and the lace. Hitting some longer shots can have the effect of drawing a bunkering team like T&T a little further out of their shell, which has the knock-on effect of creating a bit more space for the intricate patterns that Berhalter loves. Afterward, there was general recognition that the home side was too slow to recognize that this is what the game was demanding.”We have the players to be intricate. We know that. It’s doing the other side,” Ream said. “Can we cause problems by taking shots from outside the box? Surprise; we scored one with ‘Jedi’ [Robinson.] So yeah, it’s something that we need to do more often, not rely on one way or the other.”Of course, it helps that Pepi keeps coming off the bench with his hair on fire. His goal was the seventh he’s scored for the U.S. this calendar year, with five of those as a substitute. No forward worth his salt wants to begin the game on the bench. But right now, Pepi as super-sub isn’t a bad card to play, and the player seems willing to accept that this may be his role going forward, at least for the time being.”I’ve worked really hard for this opportunity and for these moments,” Pepi said. “My mentality is what’s fueled me so far, and I just got to assume my role. If off the bench is my role, then I’m going to assume it.”The U.S. realizes that it is halfway toward its goal of reaching the CNL semifinals. Taking care of business Monday will have the added benefit of clinching qualification for next summer’s Copa America, which remains the best competition the U.S. will take part in ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which it is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. Still, the experience in 2018 World Cup qualifying leaves an undercurrent of disquiet, even with a three-goal lead.”I wouldn’t say it’s relaxing and cigars are out and we’re through,” Ream said. “We still have to go down there and do a job, and we want to win. I think that’s the ultimate goal is that you win as many games as possible, and so that’s our mindset.”

USMNT labors to 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal opener

Ricardo Pepi, Antonee Robinson, and Gio Reyna scored the Americans’ goals, but none came until the 81st minute. by Jonathan Tannenwald Philly Inquirer https://www.inquirer.com/soccer/usmnt-trinidad-score-concacaf-nations-league-20231116.html

AUSTIN, Texas — By now, many U.S. men’s soccer team fans have learned what many players have long known: games against Concacaf opponents are more often ugly than pretty.So it was again Thursday night in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, which double as qualifying for next year’s Copa América. An American squad with two big injury absences but still plenty of firepower beat Trinidad & Tobago 3-0 in the first game of the series, but all three goals came in the last 10 minutes.Ricardo Pepi broke through in the 82nd minute, Antonee Robinson delivered the second five minutes later, and Gio Reyna provided polish in the 89th. That gives the U.S. an aggregate-scoring cushion heading down to Trinidad for Monday’s series finale (7 p.m., TNT, Universo, Max, Peacock).

Knowing that the Soca Warriors would bunker defensively, U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter experimented with an attacker-filled 4-2-2-2 formation instead of the usual 4-3-3.

Kevin Paredes, normally a winger or outside back, started in the forward pairing with usual striker Folarin Balogun. Malik Tillman and Gio Reyna lined up behind them in intriguingly free attacking roles, and Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah were the backstops.The defense was more traditional: Antonee Robinson, captain Tim Ream, Cameron-Carter Vickers, and Sergiño Dest from left to right, with Matt Turner in net.

Trinidad’s game strategy was certainly no surprise. As soon as Reyna gave the kickoff pass to Balogun, all 11 Soca Warriors retreated behind the ball in a 5-4-1 setup, and did their best to stay there.In the first half-hour, the U.S. out-passed Trinidad 226-57 and out-shot them 5-0, but none of the shots were on target. Paredes wasn’t really getting through as a forwrd, and Tillman wasn’t doing all that much to break the opposing defense opened.Brenden Aaronson, who watched from the bench, might have brought a different spark to Tillman’s spot on the field. He, brother Paxten, Pepi, and Alejandro Zendejas were the backup attacking options.A potential spark arrived in the 38th when Trinidad midfielder Noah Powder earned his second yellow card of the night. The northern New Jersey-born journeyman of MLS and lower leagues was booked first in the 18th, and while that one was soft, this one wasn’t. So off he went.But the U.S. couldn’t take advantage, as Trinidad backed up further and goalkeeper Denzil Smith made some gritty stops.Tillman finally produced his team’s first shot on target in the 53rd with a header at Smith. Two more followed suddenly, then in the 57th Musah forced Smith into a full-stretch dive with a long-range blast.It looked like the breakthrough would come in the 60th, when Daniel Phillips felled McKennie from behind in the box. Jamaican referee Oshane Nation quickly blew his whistle, but was then summoned to the replay monitor. Phillips got some of the ball with a lot of McKennie. Nation reversed his call, to the annoyance of the 19,850 fans in the stands.

» READ MORE: Emma Hayes’ hiring by the USWNT is official, as is how much she wanted the job

So the U.S. labored on. Berhalter finally made two substitutions in the 66th, sending in Brenden Aaronson and Pepi for Tillman and Paredes. They raised the pace.Still, though, there was no goal. Not even when Smith hesitated near the goal line in the 78th with Pepi and Balogun right in front of him, but recovered to grab a shockingly loose ball. The shots were 17-0 to the U.S. at that point, for the record.Pepi finally delivered by redirecting Robinson’s cross from the left wing. Robinson’s goal was

Ricardo Pepi’s latest goal is a reminder of his talent, and the USMNT’s striker depth

by Jonathan Tannenwald Phily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.com/soccer/ricardo-pepi-usmnt-concacaf-nations-league-trinidad-20231117.html

Published Nov. 17, 2023, 9:02 a.m. ET

A year after narrowly missing out on the World Cup, Pepi has stepped up with five goals in his last seven U.S. games. His latest score sparked Thursday’s 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago.

AUSTIN, Texas — For much of this year, the chattering classes around the U.S. men’s soccer team have flocked to Folarin Balogun as the team’s next savior at striker. Understandably so, given his pedigree and potential as an attacking star.But Balogun isn’t the only good striker on the depth chart, and Thursday’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal opener against Trinidad and Tobago was a reminder. Ricardo Pepi delivered the breakthrough in the Americans’ 3-0 win, striking in the 82nd minute to end the Soca Warriors’ resistance.It was Pepi’s 10th goal in 21 games for his country, and his seventh of the year — and, notably, his fifth off the bench. The last of those stats set a new U.S. men’s program record for a single calendar year.It also came not long after the one-year anniversary of the most infamous low point of Pepi’s rise to prominence: his omission from last year’s World Cup squad.

“To be honest, I’ve worked really hard for this opportunity and for these moments,” Pepi said. “The mentality is what’s fueled me so far, and I’ve just got to assume my role. And if coming off the bench is my role, then I’m going to assume it.”You can rehash U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter’s choice not to take Pepi to Qatar as much as you want. From here, it’s a waste of time at this point, and not just because it’s in the past. What matters more now is how Pepi has come back from it.The El Paso, Texas, native has worked his tail off to regain playing time under Berhalter while making a new club home at the Netherlands’ PSV Eindhoven. And he’s still just 20 years old.

‘The disappointment is in the past’

“I talked to Gregg before subbing on, and he was just like, ‘Yo, just get in the box; get in good positions to score,’” Pepi said. “And my mentality coming off the bench was being able to help the team and scoring a goal.”There’s no more straightforward mission than that, but there’s also none more difficult.“He’s shown it early and often this year that the disappointment is in the past,” Berhalter said. “All he’s doing is everything he can do. All he does is when he gets the opportunity, he takes advantage of it. … For us, he’s established himself as a guy that’s hard to take out because he keeps performing.”

» READ MORE: Brenden and Paxten Aaronson celebrate being on the USMNT together for the first time

It was notable that Pepi played in a two-striker setup with Balogun, instead of the lone striker role he usually plays. With star wingers Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah injured, and knowing that Trinidad would bunker in defensively, Berhalter deployed a 4-2-2-2 formation instead of his usual 4-3-3, with a lot of firepower in that front six.Balogun and Kevin Paredes were the starting front pair, with Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman in free attacking roles behind them and Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah as backstops.

Did it work? Not really, if we’re honest. At least not for a long while.Even with a man advantage after Trinidad midfielder Noah Powder’s 38th-minute red card, the U.S. squad produced a lot of shots, but none on target until the 53rd minute. Tillman in particular didn’t seem suited for the setup.

Only in the second half did the U.S. really step on the gas pedal harder. More improvement came when Berhalter made his only substitutions of the night, sending in Brenden Aaronson and Pepi for Tillman and Paredes in the 66th minute.

A little heat is a good thing

“There were a few clips at halftime that we saw where we just had no occupation in the penalty box — it was only ‘Balo’ against three guys,” Berhalter said. “There were spaces on the side of their three [midfielders] that we’d be free to cross the ball, but we had a ring of players outside the penalty box and none of them inside.”You don’t have to be a tactics savant to know that’s not how to play winning soccer.That said, credit is due for trying a different tactical setup for once, in a game where the U.S. reasonably felt coming in it could get away with doing so.“I feel like as a team we have a lot of flexibility,” Pepi said. “We have a lot of talent in the group, and I feel like that’s most important — we’re able to adapt to a lot of the situations, and that’s the most important thing.”How much does one goal against a lowly regional opponent matter? In the moment, it mattered quite a bit, since a game the U.S. had no business losing was scoreless. In the longer term, it mattered because the Nations League quarterfinals double as qualifying for next year’s Copa América, which the U.S. is guest-hosting but not getting an automatic berth for.

It would be nice if the U.S. didn’t have to qualify, but there’s a benefit to having to do so. Because the Americans do qualify automatically for the 2026 men’s World Cup they’re co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, there aren’t many games with real stakes until then.Nor are there many chances for high-profile friendlies like last month’s hosting of Germany and Ghana, because the rest of the world has its own business to tend to.On those grounds, a little heat was welcome. So was a sign that for the first time in years, the U.S. program has serious striker depth. Balogun and Pepi are on this squad, Jordan Pefok has found form in Europe again but missed this squad because of injury, and Brandon Vazquez could cross the pond this winter after another strong season with FC Cincinnati — as Union fans know too well.That’s the best kind of problem to have as the Copa América’s big stage draws closer on the horizon.

‘Structured, determined’ USMNT earn Berhalter plaudits

• Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentNov 17, 2023, 02:49 AM ET

AUSTIN, Texas — United States men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter praised his side for sticking to its task, and delivering a late flurry of goals in a 3-0 win over 10-man Trinidad and Tobago in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Nations League.The U.S. dominated possession, and were given a significant advantage in the 37th minute when T&T defender Noah Powder was ejected for a second yellow card after hauling down U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie.But the Soca Warriors proved difficult to break down, and when a 64th-minute penalty was overturned by VAR, it didn’t seem to be the USMNT’s night. But substitute Ricardo Pepi put the U.S. in front in the 82nd minute, turning home Antonee Robinson‘s centering feed, and that opened the floodgates. Robinson added a second four minutes later when his long-range strike found the net, with the help of a deflection. Gio Reyna rounded out the scoring with a tally in the 89th minute. Now the U.S. will attempt to finish the job in Monday’s second leg in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

“I think that the easy thing to do is credit Trinidad and say how much they fought and how they weren’t giving up, and how compact they were and I told the guys, ‘Listen, they played great. They really did, gave everything, but I think our guys matched that and then even exceeded it,” said Berhalter.

The U.S. manager added that his team. didn’t panic, and persevered in a bid to find a breakthrough.”We didn’t lose structure. We didn’t lose determination to try to get the goals and then when we did, you see we kept going and were able to get three, which puts us in a very good position to advance,” he said. “We know we still have work to do. We know there’s 90 minutes left, we’re not done. But big credit to the guys.”The match will still raise questions about the effectiveness of the U.S. attack, given how long it took to get the first goal of the match, as well as the fact that it had a man advantage for over 53 minutes.”We lacked a little bit of precision and you see there was a lot of moves in the first half that were pretty good moves that just the final pass was missing or the first touch was missing,” he said.Berhalter admitted that his side was “maybe a little bit too intricate, where you could have probably gotten the ball in the box a little bit more” instead of mixing things up and taking more shots from distance.It helped that Pepi continues to deliver in a super-sub role. His goal was his seventh for the U.S. in 2023, and his fifth off the bench, the most ever for a USMNT player in a calendar year.”All he does is when he gets the opportunity, takes advantage of it,” said Berhalter about Pepi. “And he’s in a great spot. If you think about his situation, his [club] team in the league is undefeated, doing well in the Champions League. Compared to last year, his team was relegated.The year before he wasn’t playing at Augsburg. So he’s significantly increased his situation. He’s gotten much better for us. He’s established himself as a guy that’s hard to take out because he keeps performing and I think he’s in a great spot.”

USMNT player ratings: Robinson, McKennie shine in 3-0 win

• Cesar Hernandez

Nov 16, 2023, 11:49 PM ETShareLikeOpen Extended Reactions108

The U.S. men’s national team kicked off their two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series against Trinidad and Tobago with a 3-0 win in Austin, Texas.

Despite having a wealth of possession in their home leg on Thursday, the USMNT at first struggled with breaking down the visitors that fielded a defensive-minded 4-5-1 formation. Even with a one-man advantage after a red card was shown to Trinidad and Tobago’s Noah Powder in the first half, the USMNT didn’t take the lead until substitute Ricardo Pepi found the back of the net in the 82nd minute.

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Reinvigorated by breaking the deadlock, the USMNT then ramped up their pressure in the final stages. After doubling their lead in the 86th minute with a well-placed shot from Antonee Robinson, the U.S. then cemented their 3-0 result after a goal from Gio Reyna in the 89th minute.

Both sides will now meet for the second leg in Trinidad and Tobago on Nov. 20. The winners, determined by aggregate goals and with away-goals as a possible tiebreaker, will qualify for the next round of the Concacaf Nations League and for the 2024 Copa America. The losing quarterfinalists will have another opportunity to qualify for the Copa America through a single-elimination play-in match next March.

Manager rating (scale of 1-10)

Gregg Berhalter, 5 — Was it an experimental 4-2-2-2 formation? More of an unrestrained 4-2-3-1? In either situation, one can’t help but wonder if the USMNT players were asking themselves the same question in what was an unnecessarily complicated strategy to start the game. The USMNT looked far too ponderous and at times narrow in their approach, with no goals to show for the first 81 minutes.

Berhalter eventually got things right in the second half, but the improvements remained far too close to the final whistle.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

USMNT Player ratings (0-10; 10 = best; 5 = average)

GK Matt Turner, 6 — Didn’t need to do much in a game that required no saves.

DF Sergiño Dest, 6 — The PSV Eindhoven right-back provided a handful of decent crosses going forward but also had issues with winning his ground duels. That said, he improved as the game progressed.

DF Cameron Carter-Vickers, 7 — Few complaints about the central defender that worked well with Tim Ream while providing crucial defensive interventions.

DF Tim Ream, 7 — Credit to the captain that was great in the air and confident with his distribution going forward. A reliable presence alongside Carter-Vickers.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• USMNT power works after precision fails vs. Trinidad and Tobago9hJeff Carlisle
• ‘Determined’ USMNT earn Berhalter plaudits11hJeff Carlisle
• Will rebirth of Pulisic, Musah make AC Milan America’s team?11dBruce Schoenfeld

DF Antonee Robinson, 9 — Robinson was a much-needed source of energy going forward, eventually stepping up with a goal and assist in the final minutes. The most proactive player of the evening.

MF Yunus Musah, 6 — An average night for the AC Milan player that dished out a long list of passes, but not much else worth highlighting in the win.

MF Weston McKennie, 8 — Although he suffered a few hits early on in the first half, McKennie was able to maintain his composure through his decisive passes. The midfielder forced the red for Trinidad and Tobago and nearly won a penalty.

MF Malik Tillman, 5 — A lackluster performance from the player who often lost possession and had issues with his decision-making in the final third.

MF Gio Reyna, 8 — Needing time to warm up, Reyna began to pull more strings after Berhalter eventually switched him to a more central role. The goal was the icing on a cake for a much-improved second half.

MF Kevin Paredes, 6 — A quiet first USMNT start for the 20-year-old. He’ll need to have more of an influence in the attack if he wants to earn more places in the XI.

FW Folarin Balogun, 7 — Like others, Balogun didn’t seem to truly wake up until the 45 minutes. The forward did well to link-up with Reyna for his assist late into the game.

Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

FW Ricardo Pepi, 7 — Thanks to his goal, the floodgates were able to open for a USMNT side that weren’t too far from a disappointing draw.

MF Brenden Aaronson, 6 — Aaronson couldn’t seem to capitalize on his chances that immediately emerged for him shortly after subbing on. Despite this, he had brief flashes of impressive play with his dribbling and distribution.

U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM EARNS CRUCIAL 3-0 WIN AGAINST TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO IN FIRST LEG OF CONCACAF NATIONS LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL ROUND

GOALS FROM RICARDO PEPI, ANTONEE ROBINSON AND GIO REYNA GIVE TEAM THREE-GOAL ADVANTAGE; THE USA WILL FACE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO IN THE QUARTERFINAL SECOND LEG ON NOV. 20 AT 7 P.M. ET WITH A BERTH TO THE 2024 COPA AMERICA ON THE LINE

NOVEMBER 16 2023

AUSTIN, Texas (Nov. 16, 2023) – The U.S. Men’s National Team earned a crucial 3-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago in the first leg of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinal Round, which also serves as qualifying for the prestigious 2024 Copa America in the United States. Goals from forward Ricardo Pepi, midfielder Gio Reyna and defender Antonee Robinson, who was involved in all three goals, earned the team an important victory after a resilient performance in front of an electric crowd of almost 20,000 fans.The USMNT will now face Trinidad and Tobago in the away leg of the quarterfinals on Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. ET at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The match will be broadcast live on TNT, Universo, MAX and Peacock. Live Spanish-language audio for the match will be available on Fútbol de Primera radio.The USA dominated the match with a whopping 75 percent possession and limited the opponents to a single shot and none on target. The tone for the night was set from the jump as the U.S. was aggressive in the attack while Trinidad and Tobago sat back with 11 players deep in their defensive third and invited the pressure, showing admirable discipline for most of the match to deny a breakthrough goal.

The hurdle for the visitors got taller in the 38^th minute when midfielder Noah Powder, who was already on a yellow card after a reckless tackle in the 18^th minute, brought down midfielder Weston McKennie aggressively from behind, earning his second caution of the night and leaving the Soca Warriors with 10 men going into the break.The U.S. came out determined in the second half, stringing together chance after chance, each time looking more likely to score. The hosts almost earned a penalty kick in the 60^th minute after an apparent foul on McKennie inside the box, but a VAR review overturned the decision.

The Americans found a fresh rhythm after Pepi and forward Brenden Aaronson came off the bench in the 66^th minute, leading to more numbers in the box and more looks on goal. The team finally found its break in the 82^nd minute as Pepi came up with a brilliant flick with the outside of his foot to finish a cross from Robinson from the left side to break the deadlock. The goal was the striker’s seventh of 2023 and fifth off the bench, extending his record of most goals by a USMNT substitute in a calendar year.The floodgates opened from there as Robinson, who assisted the opening goal minutes earlier, came up with a brilliant strike of his own as he pounced on a rebound and buried a shot from 20 yards out. The USA put its final touch on the night in the 89^th minute as Robinson played the ball to Reyna near the top of the box and he combined cleverly with forward Folarin Balogun for a one-two pass that freed Reyna of his mark for a well-placed finish from close range. 

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:

USA – Ricardo Pepi (Antonee Robinson), 82^nd minute: Robinson dribbled up the left wing and sent in a cross that was deflected by a defender and landed at the feet of Gio Reyna. The attacker played it back out to the left for Robinson to send a driven cross into the box which Pepi met with a clever flick outside of the foot flick to beat the goalkeeper at the near post. USA 1, TRI 0

USA – Antonee Robinson, 86^th minute: Reyna dribbled into the box on the right side and sent a cross in which was cleared out. Robinson collected the rebound at the top of the box and fired a curling shot from 20 yards toward the left post, earning a favorable deflection off a defender before it tucked into the top corner. USA 2, TRI 0

USA – Gio Reyna (Folarin Balogun) 89^th minute: Robinson played a ball to Reyna near the top of the box and he flicked it to Balogun with clever footwork. Balogun returned the pass on his first touch, leaving Reyna unmarked to finish from the left corner of the six-yard box. USA 3, TRI 0 FINAL.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• With the win, the USA takes a 3-0 lead aggregate goals lead going into the CNL Quarterfinal Second Leg on Monday night at Trinidad at Tobago.
• The USMNT improves to 22-3-4 in 29 previous matches against Trinidad and Tobago, and 11-1-1 all-time in Concacaf Nations League play. The USMNT also moves to 10-2-5 in 2023, marking the 14^th year the team has reached double-digit victories.
• The USMNT now holds a perfect 4-0-0 record at Q2 Stadium in Austin, with all four victories coming by shutout.
• Ricardo Pepi’s 82^nd minute game-winner was his 10th career goal and seventh of 2023. The 20-year-old forward has scored five of his seven goals off the bench this year, the most by a USMNT player in a calendar year.
• Pepi (21 caps; 20 years, 311 days) becomes the second fastest USMNT player to reach double-digit goals both by caps and age. He trails Jesús Ferreira (20 caps) and Christian Pulisic (20 years, 189 days).
• Antonee Robinson provided his sixth career assist on Pepi’s goal before hitting home his third career international goal to make it 2-0 in the 86^th minute.
• Gio Reyna’s 89^th minute goal was the seventh of his international career and marked the second time he has scored in back-to-back international matches, following his brace in last month’s 4-0 win vs. Ghana.
• Starting his seventh consecutive match for the USMNT, Folarin Balogun collected his second career assist on Reyna’s goal. Balogun has three goals and two assists since debuting for the USA in June.
• The Starting XI had an average age of 24 years, 275 days. The lineup also averages 26 caps and 14 in official competition.
• With eight players under the age of 23 appearing for the USA tonight, Gregg Berhalter moved into second all-time among USMNT head coaches in terms of caps awarded to players 23 and younger with 482 in 64 matches. Bora Milutinovic holds the record, with 502 U-23 caps in his 96 matches as USMNT manager. Berhalter also improved to 41-12-12 in 65 matches as head coach.
• Twenty-year-old midfielder Yunus Musah earned his 32^nd cap, tying Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan and Christian Pulisic for the most appearances by a USMNT player before their 21^st birthday. Musah also made his 30^th start, extending his record of starts by a USMNT player before turning 21 – Donovan is second with 27 starts before his 21^st birthday.
• Full back Sergiño Dest joined Musah in making his 30^th start for the USMNT.
• Weston McKennie made his USMNT-leading 12^th Concacaf Nations League appearance. The midfielder has missed only one CNL match since the competition began in 2019, serving a one-game suspension in the 2022-23 CNL Final earlier this year against Canada.
• Forward Kevin Paredes made his first start, earned his first cap in official competition and played his first match against Concacaf opposition tonight against Trinidad and Tobago.
• Veteran defender Tim Ream captained the side one day short of the 13-year anniversary of his first cap, a 1-0 win at South Africa on Nov. 17, 2010. The USMNT is 7-1-1 in the nine matches Ream has served as captain.
• Ream anchored the same backline that worked together in the 1-0 win against IR Iran at last year’s FIFA World Cup. The veteran partnered with Cameron Carter-Vickers in central defense for the second time, while his Fulham teammate Antonee Robinson and Sergiño Dest were deployed in the full back positions.
• Tonight’s match was also Carter-Vickers’ first start since last year’s win against Iran.
• Matt Turner made his team-leading 12^th appearance of 2023 and moved past Arnie Mausser for sole possession of sixth all-time in caps among USMNT goalkeepers with 36 appearance. Tonight’s match was also Turner’s 17^th cap in 19 USMNT matches during FIFA international windows dating back to last September against Japan.

– U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT –

Match: United States Men’s National Team vs. Trinidad and Tobago
Date: November 16, 2023
Competition: 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League – Quarterfinal, Leg One
Venue: Q2 Stadium; Austin, Texas
Attendance: 19,850
Kickoff: 9:07 p.m. ET (8:07 local)
Weather: 57 degrees, clear

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F         
USA                            0          3          3         
TRI                              0          0          0

USA – Ricardo Pepi (Antonee Robinson)      82^nd minute
USA – Antonee Robinson                                 86
USA – Gio Reyna (Folarin Balogun)                89

Lineups:
USA: 1-Matt Turner; 2-Sergiño Dest, 3-Cameron Carter-Vickers, 13-Tim Ream (Capt.), 5-Antonee Robinson; 8-Weston McKennie, 6-Yunus Musah, 7-Gio Reyna; 17-Malik Tillman (9-Ricardo Pepi, 66) 20-Folarin Balogun, 16-Kevin Paredes (11-Brenden Aaronson, 66)
Substitutes not used: 18-Ethan Horvath, 21-Gaga Slonina, 4-Chris Richards, 10-Alex Zendejas, 12-Miles Robinson, 14-Luca de la Torre, 15-Paxten Aaronson, 19-Joe Scally, 22-Lennard Maloney, 23-Kristoffer Lund
Head coach: Gregg Berhalter

TRI: 22-Denzil Smith; 14-Shannon Gomez, 16-Alvin Jones, 2-Aubrey David (Capt.), 17-Justin Garcia, 6–Andre Raymond; 7-Ryan Telfer (15-Neveal Hackshaw, 46), 12-Daniel Phillips (23-Kristian Lee-Him, 66) 18-Andre Rampersad (4-Jesse Williams, 66) 8-Noah Powder; 19-Malcolm Shaw (11-Levi Garcia, 66)
Substitutes not used: 1-Christopher Biggette, 21-Rushon Sandy, 3-Ross Russell, 5–Michel Poon-Angeron, 9-Nathaniel James, 10-Real Gill, 13-Reon Moore, 20-Kaile Auvray
Head coach: Angus Eve

Stats Summary: USA / TRI
Shots: 26 / 1
Shots on Goal: 8 / 0
Saves: 0 / 5
Corner Kicks: 10 / 0
Fouls: 14 / 9
Offside: 2 / 3

Misconduct Summary:
TRI – Noah Powder (Caution)             18^th minute
TRI – Noah Powder (Caution)             38
TRI – Noah Powder (Ejection)            38
TRI – Neveal Hackshaw (Caution)     90+1

Officials:
Referee: Oshane Nation (JAM)                                                                                           
Assistant Referee 1: Stephanie-Dale Yee Sing (JAM)                                                         
Assistant Referee 2: Ojay Duhaney (JAM)                                                                           
4th Official: Christopher Mason (JAM)                                                                                 
VAR: Drew Fischer (CAN)                                                                                       
AVAR: Benjamin Pineda (CRC)Bud Light Man of the Match:  Antonee Robinson

Euro 2024: How teams can qualify, playoff system, draw seeds

• Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FCNov 19, 2023, 04:36 PM ET
• The last round of qualifiers on the road to Euro 2024 will see the final automatic places secured, while we’ll find out the 12 countries that face playoffs in March to complete the 24-team lineup
• Twenty countries qualify, plus the hosts (Germany). That leaves three up for grabs through those playoffs — with paths created via the final positions of the 2022 UEFA Nations League.And there’s more to play for this week. The pots for the finals draw on Saturday, Dec. 2 are based upon performances in the Euro 2024 qualifying programme, so every win will be crucial.We take a look at what’s at stake in each group, how the playoffs are going to work and what the draw pots may look like.

This page will be updated throughout the final days of qualifying.

---

Who has qualified for the finals?

Sixteen teams have already secured safe passage to join Germany in the finals.

Qualified automatically: Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Scotland, Turkey, Austria, England, Hungary, Slovakia, Albania, Denmark, Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland, Serbia

That leaves four automatic places still to be won across the final round.

There are three playoff paths through the UEFA Nations League — A, B and C.

Group A

Group A

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Spain	8	7	0	1	+20	21
2 – Scotland	8	5	2	1	+9	17
3 – Norway	8	3	2	3	+2	11
4 – Georgia	8	2	2	4	-6	8
5 – Cyprus	8	0	0	8	-25	0
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Spain secured a place in Pot 1 with victory over Georgia on Sunday.

Scotland couldn’t get the win they needed over Austria to take a place in Pot 2, so they slot into Pot 3.

Playoffs:

Georgia are guaranteed to take part in the UEFA Nations League C playoff path.

Cyprus and Norway have been eliminated.

Group B

Remaining fixtures
Tuesday: Gibraltar vs. Netherlands, Greece vs. France

Group B

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – France	7	7	0	0	+26	21
2 – Netherlands	7	5	0	2	+4	15
3 – Greece	7	4	0	3	+6	12
4 – Rep of Ireland	8	2	0	6	-1	6
5 – Gibraltar	7	0	0	7	-35	0
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

France have already won the group with a 100% record and will be in Pot 1 for the finals draw.

Netherlands finished second and they will almost certainly be in Pot 3.

Playoffs:

Greece will be seeded in the UEFA Nations League C playoffs.

Gibraltar and Republic of Ireland have been eliminated.

Group C

Remaining fixtures
Monday: North Macedonia vs. England, Ukraine vs. Italy

Group C

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – England	7	6	1	0	+18	19
2 – Italy	7	4	1	2	+7	13
3 – Ukraine	7	4	1	2	+3	13
4 – N Macedonia	7	2	1	4	-10	7
5 – Malta	8	0	0	8	-18	0
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

England have qualified as group winners and need a point vs. North Macedonia to be sure of being in Pot 1 — though their superior goal difference really means it’s going to be confirmed.

Italy will qualify with a win or draw against Ukraine (the game is being played in Germany.) So that means Ukraine need to win to qualify automatically.

Playoffs:

If Italy fail to finish in the top two, they are assured of a UEFA Nations League A playoff spot. Ukraine are now certain of a playoff, in UEFA Nations League path A or B.

North Macedonia and Malta have both been eliminated.

Group D

Remaining fixtures
Tuesday: Croatia vs. Armenia, Wales vs. Turkey

Group D

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Turkey	7	5	1	1	+7	16
2 – Croatia	7	4	1	2	+8	13
3 – Wales	7	3	2	2	0	11
4 – Armenia	7	2	2	3	-1	8
5 – Latvia	8	1	0	7	-14	3
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Turkey have qualified, though are not yet assured of first place — they need a win or a draw vs. Wales to secure it. If Turkey lose to Wales and Croatia beat Armenia, it will be Croatia who take top spot on head-to-head record.

With Wales drawing in Armenia on Saturday, Croatia are back in pole position after their win over Latvia. Croatia know they will avoid the playoffs if they beat Armenia.

Wales must beat Turkey and hope Croatia draw or lose. Wales hold the better head-to-head record if they finish level on points with Croatia.

Playoffs:

Croatia and Wales would both be guaranteed a UEFA Nations League A playoff.

Armenia and Latvia have been eliminated.

Group E

Remaining fixtures
Monday: Albania vs. Faroe Islands, Czechia vs. Moldova

Group E

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Albania	7	4	2	1	+8	14
2 – Czechia	7	3	3	1	+3	12
3 – Poland	8	3	2	3	0	11
4 – Moldova	7	2	4	1	0	10
5 – Faroes	7	0	1	6	-11	1
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Albania qualified with a draw against Moldova on Friday and will be in Pot 2 if they draw or win vs. Faroe Islands.

The Czechia–Moldova game is a straight battle for qualification. Moldova must win to reach the finals, while Czechia will make it with a draw or a win.

Czechia can still win the group if the beat Moldova and Albania lose to Faroe Islands.

Playoffs:

Poland are guaranteed a playoff in UEFA Nations League A.

Moldova cannot get a playoff path and must qualify automatically.

Faroe Islands have been eliminated.

Group F

Group F

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Austria	8	6	1	1	+10	19
2 – Belgium	7	5	2	0	+13	17
3 – Sweden	7	2	1	4	0	7
4 – Azerbaijan	7	2	1	4	-5	7
5 – Estonia	7	0	1	6	-18	1
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Belgium won the group with their win over Azerbaijan on Sunday, and will be seeded in Pot 1.

Austria finished in second place and take the final place in Pot 2.

Playoffs:

Azerbaijan have a chance of a playoff in UEFA Nations League C.

Estonia, the top-ranked group winners from UEFA Nations League D, will get a place in the UEFA Nations League A path if fewer than four teams from that path require a playoff.

Sweden have been eliminated.

Group G

Group G

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Hungary	8	5	3	0	+9	18
2 – Serbia	8	4	2	2	+6	14
3 – Montenegro	8	3	2	3	-2	11
4 – Lithuania	8	1	3	4	-6	6
5 – Bulgaria	8	0	4	4	-7	4
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Hungary crawled over the line on Thursday with a 97th-minute equaliser giving them a 2-2 draw away to rock-bottom Bulgaria and seal their place at Euro 2024. They will be in Pot 2.

Serbia also qualified with a draw at home to Bulgaria on Sunday. They have finished second and must wait to see if they slot into Pot 3 or Pot 4.

Playoffs:

Bulgaria, Lithuania and Montenegro have been eliminated.

Group H

Remaining fixtures
Monday: Northern Ireland vs. Denmark, San Marino vs. Finland, Slovenia vs. Kazakhstan

Group H

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Denmark	9	7	1	1	+11	22
2 – Slovenia	9	6	1	2	+10	19
3 – Kazakhstan	9	6	0	3	+5	18
4 – Finland	9	5	0	4	+7	15
5 – N Ireland	9	2	0	7	-6	6
6 – San Marino	9	0	0	9	-27	0
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Denmark booked their place with a win over Slovenia on Friday, have won the group and they are almost certain to be in Pot 2 in the finals draw.

Kazakhstan‘s win against San Marino on Friday means they will take automatic qualification down to the final game. Their match is away Slovenia, which is a direct battle for a place in the top two. Kazakhstan must win to qualify automatically, Slovenia will do so with a win or draw.

Playoffs:

Kazakhstan are guaranteed a UEFA Nations League C playoff.

Slovenia do not have a playoff route.

Finland will definitely take part in the playoffs, which may be in UEFA Nations League A or B.

Northern Ireland and San Marino have been eliminated.

Group I

Remaining fixtures
Tuesday: Andorra vs. Israel, Kosovo vs. Belarus, Romania vs. Switzerland

Group I

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Romania	9	5	4	0	+10	19
2 – Switzerland	9	4	5	0	+12	17
3 – Israel	9	3	3	3	-2	12
4 – Kosovo	9	2	5	2	+1	11
5 – Belarus	9	2	3	4	-6	9
6 – Andorra	9	0	2	7	-15	2
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Romania and Switzerland have both qualified.

Romania need a point at home to Switzerland to secure top spot in the group and a place in Pot 2. Switzerland must win the game to take first place and get Pot 2.

If Romania-Switzerland is a draw, Romania will be in Pot 2 and Switzerland Pot 4.

If Romania win, they will be in Pot 2 and Switzerland Pot 4.

If Switzerland win, they will be in Pot 2 and Romania Pot 3 or 4.

Playoffs:

Israel will be seeded in the UEFA Nations League B playoffs.

Andorra, Belarus and Kosovo have been eliminated.

Group J

Group J

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Portugal	10	10	0	0	+34	30
2 – Slovakia	10	7	1	2	+9	22
3 – Luxembourg	10	5	2	3	-6	17
4 – Iceland	10	3	1	6	+1	10
5 – Bosnia	10	3	0	7	-11	9
6 – Liechtenstein	10	0	0	10	-27	0
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Portugal have qualified and are guaranteed to be in Pot 1 for the finals draw.

Slovakia have confirmed their place finishing second and will be in Pot 3.

Playoffs:

Luxembourg will be in the UEFA Nations League C playoffs.

Iceland have a chance of a place in the UEFA Nations League B playoff path.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will take part in the UEFA Nations League B path.

Liechtenstein have been eliminated.

Playoff system

How does it work?

There are three playoff paths to the finals, based upon the final ranking of the 2022 UEFA Nations League group stage in Leagues A, B and C.

The winners of the groups in UEFA Nations Leagues A, B and C are guaranteed a playoff, should they need it.

If a UEFA Nations League group winner qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically, the next best-ranked country in that UEFA Nations League gets a playoff.

Essentially, the four best-ranked countries in UEFA Nations Leagues A, B and C who do not qualify automatically get a playoff.

What if fewer than four teams need a playoff from one of the paths?

This is only possible for League A. If the path cannot be filled by countries from League A, the best-ranked country from League D, which is Estonia, will join the League A path. It is the only way Estonia can take part in the playoffs.

If the League path A still isn’t full, the next-best ranked team in League B will get a playoff.

Anything else?

There will be a path containing only UEFA Nations League B teams. However, if more five or more teams from League B qualify for a playoff (because of a space in League A) there will be a draw between League B non-group winners to decide which teams stay in that path, and who makes the step up to the League A playoff path.

If Italy and Croatia fail to qualify automatically they will both be in the League A path, which means one of them will miss out on Euro 2024.

Who has qualified for the playoffs?

At present, seven nations are certain to be in the playoffs.

Path A: Poland

Path B: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel

Path A or B: Finland

Path C: Georgia, Greece, Luxembourg

What is the playoff format?

They are one-legged ties, a semifinal and a final, to be played in March 2024.

The two best-ranked teams will be at home in the semifinals, and we know for sure that Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel (B) and Georgia, Greece (C) will have home ties, while Luxembourg (C) will be away. The best-ranked will play the fourth-ranked, and the second against the third.

A draw will take place on Dec. 2 to decide the winners of which semifinal will be at home in the final.

Finals draw pots

The draw for Euro 2024 will take place at 12 pm. ET / 5 p.m. UK on Saturday, Dec. 2.

There will be four pots of six teams.

Germany will be in Pot 1 as hosts, joined by the five group winners with the best record in qualifying

Pot 2 will have the other group winners, plus the runners-up with the best record.

Pots 3 and 4 will be filled with the other group runners up, in order of points.

The three playoff winners will be in Pot 4. As the playoffs are not played until March, they will appear in the draw as Playoff A, Playoff B and Playoff C.

The teams shown below have their pot position confirmed. Other places have yet to be confirmed.

Pot 1: Germany, Portugal, France, Belgium, Spain

Pot 2: Hungary, Austria

Pot 3: Scotland, Slovakia

Pot 4: Playoff A, Playoff B, Playoff C

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