US Women Dominate Colombia 3-0 setting up showdown with Canada in Semis Wed 10 pm ESPN+, Paramount plus.
The US Women pounded Colombia 3-0 with a very direct approach which had them absolutely dominating the first half especially where they scored all 3 of their goals. The US started with Alex Morgan up top with Shaw and Rodman on the edges. The result was shot after shot – including a PK by Horan after Morgan drew the foul. The US was rough and tumble and looked mad after the surprising upset to Mexico. Now the US must get by Canada to face the winner between Mexico and Brazil (tonight 7 pm) on Sunday night in San Diego. The U.S. will play two friendlies against South Korea on June 1 and 4, the team announced Tuesday, kicking off the official Emma Hayes head coaching era.
Here’s the full Gold Cup roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars).
DEFENDERS: Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC), Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NY/NJ Gotham FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns)
MIDFIELDERS: Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
FORWARDS: Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
Indy 11 Open Season on Sat night 10 pm on ESPN plus
Indy opens the 2024 slate on a two-match road swing beginning at non-conference foe Oakland Roots SC on March 9 before returning home to host 2023 Western Conference Champion Sacramento Republic FC at Michael A. Carroll Stadium on March 23. Single-game tickets are available now for all matches via Ticketmaster. Season Ticket Packages can also be purchased, as well as tickets for groups and hospitality areas. For more information on these options click here. The Defending USL WLeague Champion Indy 11 Women announced their summer schedule this week with 5 matches at Grand Park.
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How USWNT’s direct approach exposed Colombia, and what it means going forward
After allowing Mexico to dictate the terms of its final group stage match of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, the United States issued a stark reminder of their potential in their 3-0 quarterfinal win over Colombia on Sunday night. The key, as usual, is controlling the tempo.
The USWNT opted for a much more direct approach on Sunday, which played a role in all three goals and helped the team endure the physicality and chippiness that disrupted any attempts at building a rhythm.“Overall it was a very professional performance from the team,” forward Alex Morgan said after the quarterfinal win. “Getting those goals just took the air out of Colombia, especially in the second half.”The tactical approach from interim head coach Twila Kilgore and the USWNT against Colombia proved that even during this time of transition, playing direct — or, as Kilgore said multiple times in her postgame press conference, “on the front foot” — is not just a powerful weapon in the USWNT’s arsenal, but maybe still their best one even as personnel changes.In fact, that changing of the guard may make it absolutely vital to making that approach work.
First, it’s worth considering why going direct worked so well against Colombia.“(It) nullifies a lot of what they do,” Kilgore said on Sunday night. “Some of those direct balls weren’t meant just to play direct, but to allow us to get into an area of the field where we could potentially settle the ball and play and move the ball higher up the pitch.”Take, for example, a sequence that took place eight minutes after Lindsey Horan’s opening goal from the penalty spot. Colombia had been relentless with its press through the opening 20 minutes in all phases — even as the United States set up a seemingly mundane restart at the edge of its defensive half.
Over the past couple of years, the USWNT has been steadfast in its commitment to possession-based soccer. At last summer’s World Cup, seemingly mindless recirculation (branded by Kim McCauley as the ‘Prayer Circle Formation’) made it easy for opponents to pick their moments to converge with peace of mind that the United States would look for an ideal passing lane rather than any lane on offer. With that in mind, the obvious recipient of Naomi Girma’s free kick would be midfielders Korbin Albert (3a in the graphic above) or Sam Coffey (5). As Girma (4) surveys her options, Albert is fastened to the center circle and taking note of the trio of converging defenders — four, if you count the most advanced defender who’s roaming between Albert and Tierna Davidson (1). Closer to the touchline, Coffey is between the ball and a lurking Linda Caicedo, eager to pick off a ball to the Portland midfielder to start a breakneck counter to pull a goal back. Half of the Colombian defense is in close proximity to Girma, and an aerial ball can eliminate all five players while getting the ball in a more dangerous area. She does exactly that.
At worst, this ball doubles as a low-risk clearance to force Colombia to recollect in a far less dangerous area than the shorter alternative. However, the pass instead helps justify Morgan’s selection as that night’s starting striker over Sophia Smith.At 34, Morgan is one of the pool’s most veteran players, a goal-scoring icon who fought into the starting lineup by putting her body on the line for aerial duels and aggressive ball recoveries.On this play, she needed every bit of that guile against Colombia defender Jorelyn Carabali, who leapt into Morgan to try and make contact on Girma’s service. Morgan stood her ground, allowing her greater control as she tried to either find a teammate or draw a foul. It might be thankless, but it’s honest work.
Morgan ultimately has optimal positioning to win the ball, and she has a few options for directing this header. The most obvious would be to knock it straight in front of her to either Horan or Jaedyn Shaw, both of whom are lurking just outside the eighteen-yard box, but defended by Colombia midfielder Lorena Bedoya.Morgan’s positioning also allows her to pick up an alternative that Colombia has not: an onrushing Jenna Nighswonger, unmarked and in a prime position to take a first-time shot.
Four seconds after Girma hit the long ball, the United States has doubled its lead. Another element of this goal was an intentional tactical decision from the USWNT technical staff: Nighswonger’s positioning on set pieces.“We asked her to get higher up the field, and actually, the goal she scored is indicative of that,” Kilgore said, noting that Nighswonger also stayed high up the field when the team was in possession.Of course, a team can’t win games on set pieces alone. The USWNT technical staff flagged Colombia’s tendency to press back passes, catering to their ability to attack in transition thanks to Caicedo’s exceptional ability on the break. Having now conceded twice, every Colombian challenge carries a little extra juice. Every decision skews a little more aggressively in hopes of pulling back a goal before halftime.
In first half stoppage time, Nighswonger collects a loose ball. Immediately, she’s converged from her left and straight-on by a pair of opponents. Coffey picks up the defending and points towards Davidson (out of picture) — a call to recirculate possession.Sending the ball backward plays right into Colombia’s hands – these backpasses actually help them progress the ball if they get their pressing right.Davidson is forced to narrowly prod the ball toward Coffey between two defenders. The ball again changes hands in Colombia’s favor, but is now much further from Alyssa Naeher’s goal. Rather than trying to get Caicedo the ball in open terrain, she’s come far deeper into Colombia’s defensive half to try building up more gradually.
At this point, most of the players on the field still anticipate that Caicedo will win the ball back. For the visitors to have a chance of coming back in this game, they need her to. However, Emily Fox is quicker to it, able to round Caicedo and turn a simple pass into a turnover.
Colombia has now over-committed to the attack, and five of their defenders are on the back foot scrambling to get back into their base shape. Fox isn’t giving them that time, opting to take the space available in front of her and setting the tempo for a short-field break toward goal.
Left with little help, defender Daniela Arias is forced into a decision: help Carabali with containing Morgan’s run, or to stick with Trinity Rodman.
That two-minded moment is all that Rodman needs to create ample separation, especially as left back Manuela Vanegas is behind the play. Fox plays a great ball into Rodman’s path, and Morgan begins another scrap with Carabali as she ventures toward the heart of the box.
Almost completely unmarked, Rodman bends a low cross beyond a sliding Arias and just in front of the six-yard box. It’s easy to say that Jaedyn Shaw “wanted” this more, but this goes back to catering to the players’s strengths. Shaw is a great reader of space, nimble with her movement and good at holding off defenders amidst contact.Thanks to Fox’s aggressive defending and a direct mentality, Morgan’s off-ball work and the speed and first-touch technical abilities of Rodman and Shaw, the USWNT has slammed the door on a potential Colombian comeback before the whistle blows for halftime.“She’s just a special player that sees the game,” Morgan said of Shaw, her teammate with the San Diego Wave. “It feels like, with Jae, the game slows down. With her touch, she can anticipate pressure. She can turn in the pocket. She has a wicked shot. There’s really not much lacking in Jae’s game, and you’re seeing that at the international level.”
Playing directly almost seems like too easy of a fix after how plodding the U.S. looked at times over the last few years. Surely, there must be more to remedy than just keeping the ball moving toward goal?Simply: yes. The push for a more direct approach on Sunday was a bit of sharp gameplanning by the technical staff. It was also a needed adjustment in response to one of the biggest issues that’s limited the USWNT’s upside dating back to last summer.In order to play a possession-oriented style that embraces controlling the ball in the defensive half, a team needs a few things. One of them is a stay-at-home facilitator at the base of midfield who can link the defense to the rest of the team. With Coffey, Andi Sullivan and Horan (at times), that profile of player is present.What’s lacking, however, is an even more fundamental bedrock. Playing out of the back requires a goalkeeper and their center backs to operate with one shared brain, knowing where each other will be at all times to ensure that an eagerly pressing opponent can’t throw off their best intentions with one prod of the ball or one closed passing lane.Naeher had an exceptional game against Colombia, possibly her best performance for the national team since the Tokyo Olympics. However, she spent the group stage alternating starts with Casey Murphy; either that’s an open competition moving forward, or the team is seeing a need to ease Naeher’s workload for an inevitable succession plan as Naeher turns 36 this year.Girma has quickly cemented herself a place among the world’s best center backs, an incredible boost for the program as she’ll only turn 24 in June. However, she does not have an equally established partner at the heart of defense. Going into the World Cup last summer, it seemed certain that Alana Cook would be ready to step in for the injured Becky Sauerbrunn. Once the tournament began, however, Cook was bypassed by a recently recovered Julie Ertz for what proved to be the latter player’s final professional games.
Those selection decisions were made in part out of necessity after Sauerbrunn’s injury, but the long-term cost was a failure to establish a new defensive hierarchy.One of the few admissions from Kilgore after the loss to Mexico in the group stage was that she felt the center backs had lacked “a bit of bravery” in their willingness to play forward, despite the expectations from the technical staff that it’s a fundamental responsibility of the position.
“The message to the team is, even if we’re getting jumped, we will have the opportunities to play forward and we missed some of those moments tonight,” Kilgore said after the loss. “But these things happen, and this is a process. The message to the group is when faced with those challenges, we’re gonna keep playing and we need to continue to try and find those passes.”That progressive play is a hallmark of Davidson’s game. After a strong showing against Colombia, she could easily be that no-doubt partner for Girma now that she’s fully recovered from her pre-World Cup ACL injury. If not, the spot alongside Girma will be one of the biggest open competitions in the lineup between now and this summer’s Olympics. While the direct approach on Sunday was in part informed by the opponent’s style of play, it may need to be more common given that uncertainty at the back. Thankfully, a player pool as deep as the USWNT’s can allow a coach to modify their strategy with some level of confidence. Given the fact that we’re well past the so-called “U.S. vs. the World” era of women’s international soccer, anything short of tactical flexibility will continue to keep this team from underperforming as they did throughout the 2023 World Cup cycle.
“The ultimate goal is to take what the opponent gives us,” Kilgore said. “We’re not limited to just one way of doing things, and I think that’s one of the keys that we identified against Mexico. Of course, we want to build and we can continue to try and do things, but if they give us an opportunity to play in behind and aren’t prepared to deal with that, we’re going to take that and wait for them to adjust. We’re capable of doing both, and that’s a big key.” (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
WNT beats Colombia 3-0 in grueling match to advance to Gold Cup semifinal
The U.S. women’s national team survived a grueling test against Colombia in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup on Sunday, winning 3-0 with goals from Lindsey Horan, Jenna Nighswonger and Jaedyn Shaw.While both teams tried to make their mark early, the USWNT was able to weather both Colombia’s attacks, which often relied solely on Linda Caicedo, and a bevy of yellow cards from physical challenges. The result was also further evidence that Naomi Girma and Shaw are must-have USWNT starters.
Early penalty sets the tone
In the 11th minute, Colombia center back Jorelyn Carabali shoulder-checked Alex Morgan, resulting in a penalty kick for the U.S. and a yellow card for Carabali. The foul was only the beginning of the spiciness. If nothing else, it was a reminder that Morgan has had her body on the line for this team for a long while.In the box, Morgan claimed the ball, and for a long two minutes, withstood most of the attempts from Colombia to delay the penalty kick before Trinity Rodman and Sam Coffey eventually headed over as well.The USWNT favored the usual handoff for this one. As Horan got the ball from Morgan, there was one last-ditch attempt from Colombia for a little PK distraction (which did not result in a card). Horan cleanly converted the penalty to give the USWNT the 1-0 lead, a big moment from the team’s captain to set the tone on Sunday night in Los Angeles. It also provided to be a bit of a buffer from what would ensue over the next phase of the match.
Mind games
The U.S. responded after the penalty chaos with its own specific brand of mind games with intense counter-pressing high on the field and forcing turnovers around the box, perhaps trying to take advantage of the moment tactically and emotionally.Morgan earned a yellow card in the 18th minute for some posturing in Colombia’s box, and Rodman followed suit in the 20th minute as she had some choice words after being vigorously defended. Horan could be seen trying to impose herself between the feuding players; with four cumulative yellow cards out already and a referee who was prone to missing or simply refusing to notice calls, it was incumbent on her to keep everyone levelheaded. Horan herself got a yellow in the 67th minute for raising her leg in the path of a player who had just pushed her down.Honestly, it was the kind of tension that midfielder Emily Sonnett could have flipped into Colombia getting the yellows. If the ability to troll other teams were the only consideration, Sonnett would be an unquestioned starter.Jenna Nighswonger’s goal in the 22nd minute calmed things down, but it remained a highly contentious and physical game. It was a strong test of the team’s ability to keep executing against an opponent that could not only provoke them but had the technical ability to instantly punish any slip in focus. The astute, firmly upright response from Shaw on the third goal in particular was a fantastic example of the kind of ruthless mentality that can help carry this team forward.U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher noted the mental aspect when asked what she thought had stood out for the team: “I think just the intensity that we started from minute one, all the way through the 90th minute,” she said.
Nighswonger goal, press and reward
Since the Tokyo Olympics, many have been waiting for the next wave of young players to have chances to establish themselves in the USWNT picture. That process may not have happened soon enough to help the team’s chances in last summer’s World Cup, but Sunday’s lineup gave plenty of these rising talents a test in a tournament knockout match.Throughout the first half, Shaw was dangerous with her front-line defending and had a very well-taken shot narrowly fly over the crossbar in the opening 20 minutes. On the right wing, Rodman recognized the stakes of the game and made her presence known to Colombia. However, it was a veteran’s flick-on pass by Morgan that provided another top prospect, Nighswonger, with her second senior international goal.Last year was a banner year for Nighswonger, winning NWSL rookie of the year as part of Gotham’s run to the NWSL title. She’s already provided a couple of highlights to her follow-up, including her first international goal via a penalty against the Dominican Republic in the group stage. Sunday gave her a chance to score during the run of play, as she crashed the box perfectly to glide onto Morgan’s headed ball and place a shot off the far post and into the net.The USWNT’s youth and determination helped keep Colombia from regaining a foothold as it relied on its chippy defending. Rather than unsettling the U.S., the constant attempts at mind games seemed to light the more productive kind of spark in the team’s younger players. That proved particularly vital in stifling Colombia’s build-up out of the back, forcing sloppy touches out of opponents and rushed passes that lead to promising turnovers.It was the kind of drive that so often seemed missing in this team over the last two years of Vlatko Andonovski’s tenure.
Shaw shines again
Heading into this summer’s Olympics, one of the biggest early decisions future U.S. coach Emma Hayes will have to make is which players from a promising group of attackers will make the trip to Paris. Some seem locked in, while others will depend on form and health: a seemingly revitalized Morgan and a returning Mallory Swanson. The Gotham duo of Lynn Williams and Midge Purce will have plenty to say in their cases for inclusion, too.Don’t forget to count San Diego Wave’s Shaw among the contenders. In truth, she may be closer to joining the “sure thing” crowd than some estimate.The winner of U.S. Soccer’s young female player of the year award in 2022, Shaw has been nothing short of electric with San Diego. Having only just turned 19 in November, she was ever-present in all phases as the starting left winger on Sunday. Her pressing was instrumental to unsettling the Colombian defense, while her movement in sync with Morgan and Rodman was rewarded with a well-placed finish at the end of the first half.
Of particular help for her Olympic case is her versatility, capable of lining up on either wing as well as in a central attacking midfield role. That latter feature could come in handy depending on Catarina Macario and Rose Lavelle’s health as the summer approaches, particularly after a lackluster shift by Korbin Albert on Sunday. Each fan will have their own hierarchy of preference, but the totality of Shaw’s game would make her a major snub if she missed the Olympic squad.
Naeher’s momentum swing
In her 100th U.S. appearance, Naeher made two massive saves that helped preserve the team’s clean sheet against Colombia, but more importantly, helped settle down the rest of her team and provided an emotional momentum swing. While the first (above) was already an impressive reminder of Naeher’s abilities, the second on Ilana Izquierda’s shot required a diving save to cover the far corner of the goal.
We’ve seen both Naeher and Casey Murphy so far in this tournament for the USWNT, but on Sunday night, Naeher reminded everyone of her shot-stopping capabilities. She had other aggressive moments, willing to play outside of the box to shut down single runners from Colombia as well. As the team moves into the semifinals against Canada on Wednesday, it might be hard to go back to any planned rotation in the goalkeeper position to keep Naeher’s momentum rolling through the rest of the Gold Cup.(Photo: Brad Smith/Getty Images for USSF))
We’ve seen both Naeher and Casey Murphy so far in this tournament for the USWNT, but on Sunday night, Naeher reminded everyone of her shot-stopping capabilities. She had other aggressive moments, willing to play outside of the box to shut down single runners from Colombia as well. As the team moves into the semifinals against Canada on Wednesday, it might be hard to go back to any planned rotation in the goalkeeper position to keep Naeher’s momentum rolling through the rest of the Gold Cup.(Photo: Brad Smith/Getty Images for USSF))
USWNT expecting ‘physical’ Canada semifinal – Alex Morgan
ESPN
Mar 5, 2024, 05:24 AM ET
The United States women’s national team are preparing for a “physical” matchup when it faces Canada in the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup semifinals on Wednesday, forward Alex Morgan has told ESPN.The USWNT bounced back from a shock defeat to Mexico and earned a 3-0 victory in a fiery contest with Colombia in the quarterfinals on Sunday, setting up the semifinal clash against Canada.”You guys saw that, right? It was very chippy. We expected it,” Morgan told ESPN’s Fútbol Americas on Monday.”I would say that Colombia is a very aggressive, very physical team. They’re always trying to slow the play down, foul, and we were ready to play. We stepped up to the challenge. Obviously after that defeat to Mexico, we were just ready for the battle, so I think you guys saw a pretty good professional win from this team.”She added: “It’s going to be a physical match [against Canada]…They had a tough test against Costa Rica, having played them in the group stage and pretty much dominating, and then Costa Rica coming to play and them having a tougher time trying to finish some chances. So for us, it’s just getting our bodies ready for this next game.”
Morgan was a last-minute call-up to the USWNT squad for the tournament after Mia Fishel suffered a torn ACL in training last month.She scored in each of the side’s opening two group games, bringing her to 123 international goals in 219 games, placing her fifth on the U.S. women’s all-time scorers list.”I had just gotten to Coachella tournament for our preseason tournament with San Diego. I literally had been there for an hour, so I had a carry-on suitcase assuming I was going to be gone for three days,” Morgan said.”I got the call and said, ‘Okay, now time to go to LA.’ I was there within two-and-a-half hours and then played the next night. So it was a little bit of a whirlwind, but at the same time, I understood that it was a long lead up to the Gold Cup. A lot of training sessions, anything could happen.”I wanted to stay ready in case of injury or anything, and that’s what I did. I worked hard, dug in with San Diego, did extra with Casey [Stoney], our coach at San Diego, and wanted to just use this preseason as an opportunity for myself to grow as a player and as a teammate, and was fortunate enough to get the call.”
Kane, Mbappe see Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain through to Champions League quarter-finals
Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are through to the Champions League quarter-finals.
Bayern beat Serie A side Lazio 3-0 in Munich to qualify 3-1 on aggregate, having previously lost the first leg of their last-16 tie 1-0 in Italy three weeks ago.Harry Kane opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a flicked header that Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel could only fumble into the net. Lazio captain Ciro Immobile had missed a huge chance for the away side only a few minutes before Kane’s goal.Thomas Muller then put Bayern ahead on aggregate with a clever header, following a fierce volley into the area from defender Matthijs de Ligt. Kane then converted from close range in the 66th minute after Provedel could only parry Leroy Sane’s low shot.Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel revealed he may have suffered a broken toe after giving his pre-match speech ahead of the game. “In my last speech before the match, I kicked the door,” Tuchel told CBS Sports. “It was the wrong technique and I think I broke it.”
Harry Kane now has 33 goals in 33 matches for Bayern Munich this season (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
PSG, meanwhile, were 2-1 winners against Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, meaning they won their tie 4-1 on aggregate following last month’s 2-0 win in Paris. After being played in down the left by Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe whipped a shot into the far corner to open the scoring in the 15th minute of the match, his shot causing a minor delay to the game after it damaged the net, which came loose from the pole attachment and had to be repaired by the ground staff.Mbappe, captain in the absence of Marquinhos, scored his and PSG’s second of the night after being played through by Lee Kang-in, finishing at the near post past Real Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro. Mikel Merino then grabbed a late consolation goal for La Real, who were much improved in the second half.
PSG impressive on the road
Analysis by PSG correspondent Peter Rutzler
This was PSG’s most impressive away performance of the season. Luis Enrique’s side had not won on the road in the Champions League this season and even domestically, they have often had to rely on some heroics from Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them an edge.But at a point in the season where they normally fall flat — they have been eliminated in the round of 16 in five of the past seven seasons — PSG instead stepped up gear. There would be no unforeseen disasters.A tactical surprise from Luis Enrique, placing Dembele in a central role as part of a midfield diamond, changed the dynamic of this tie and ensured there would be no way back for Real Sociedad. PSG controlled the game, while Mbappe channelled the noise about his future and recent matchday minutes into a top-level performance, with two excellent goals.
Luis Enrique said pre-match that he wanted to ensure his team left “nothing to chance” in Spain and his young side, the youngest PSG have ever fielded in the Champions League, ensured that did not happen. A professional night’s work that bodes well for the rest of the campaign.
When is the Champions League quarter-final draw?
The draw for the Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals takes place on Friday, March 15 at 11am GMT (6am ET).
When do the quarter-final and semi-final games take place?
Quarter-final first legs: April 9-10
Quarter-final second legs: April 16-17
Semi-final first legs: April 30-May 1
Semi-final second legs: May 7-8
What is the state of play in the other last-16 ties?
On Wednesday, Real Madrid host RB Leipzig holding a 1-0 lead over their German opposition. Manchester City also host FC Copenhagen and are 3-1 up already.
Next Tuesday, Porto travel to Arsenal with a 1-0 advantage after their first-leg win in Portugal, while Barcelona welcome Napoli to the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium with that tie level at 1-1.
And next Wednesday, Borussia Dortmund then host PSV with those two sides also having played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg, while Inter Milan travel to Atletico Madrid with a 1-0 advantage.
(Top photo: David Ramos/Getty Images)
USMNT midweek viewing guide: Things are heating up
Pulisic and Musah in Europa League; PSV trio; Trusty vs Arsenal; lots of Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16. By Justin Moran@kickswish Mar 4, 2024, 7:58am PST Stars & Stripes
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Middlesbrough vs Norwich, 2:45p: Josh Sargent and 7th-place Norwich visit Middlesbrough, who are 14th in the Championship.
New England Revolution vs Alajuelense, 6p on ViX: DeJuan Jones, Noel Buck, Esmir Bajraktarevic, and the Revs host Costa Rican club Alajuelense in Concacaf Champions Cup.
Chivas vs América, 10p on FS2, FuboTV, Sling: A rare Liga MX showdown with USMNT players on both sides, as Cade Cowell and Chivas host Alejandro Zendejas and América in Concacaf Champions Cup. With 10 games played in the Liga MX season, América are 4th and Chivas 9th.
Also in action:
Cardiff vs Huddersfield, 2:45p: Ethan Horvath and Cardiff (11th) host Huddersfield (21st) in the Championship.
Houston Dynamo vs Columbus Crew, 8p on FS2, FuboTV, Sling, ViX: Aidan Morris, Patrick Schulte (Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16)
Thursday
AC Milan vs Slavia Prague, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, TUDN USA, FuboTV (free trial), ViX: Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and Milan host Slavia Prague in the Europa League round of 16.
FC Cincinnati vs Monterrey, 7p: Brandon Vázquez and Rayados travel to Cincinnati to play in Concacaf Champions Cup, where Vázquez scored 43 goals over the past four seasons. His homecoming will pit him against Miles Robinson, Lucho Acosta, Matt Miazga, and Roman Celentano.
Nashville SC vs Inter Miami, 9p on TUDN USA, FuboTV: Walker Zimmerman, Shaq Moore, Tyler Boyd, and Nashville will look to contain Lionel Messi and American sidekicks Drake Callender, Julian Gressel, Noah Allen, and DeAndre Yedlin as Inter Miami come into town for Concacaf Champions Cup.
Friday
Go Ahead Eagles vs PSV, 2p on ESPN+ (free trial): Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and first-place PSV visit Go Ahead Eagles, who are 6th in the Eredivisie.
Also in action:
Braunschweig vs Hansa Rostock, 12:30p: It’s a 2. Bundesliga relegation battle as Johan Gómez and Braunschweig (16th of 18) host Hansa Rostock (17th).
Roda JC vs ADO Den Haag, 2p: Justin Che and 3rd-place Den Haag are looking for promotion to the Eredivisie, and they face challenger Roda JC, who are second, one point ahead of them.
VfB Stuttgart vs Union Berlin, 2:30p on ESPN+: Brenden Aaronson and 14th-place Union visit Stuttgart, who are third in the Bundesliga (4 points behind Bayern for second).
Mechelen vs Westerlo, 2:45p: Bryan Reynolds, Griffin Yow, and 11th-place Westerlo visit Mechelen, who are 8th in Belgium’s top tier.
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Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
Save 20% on these Succulent Ribs at Rackz BarBQ when you mention the Ole Ballcoach – Corner of 131 & Hazelldell. – Call 317-688-7290.
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The Ole BallCoach 