The Summer of Soccer Continues — after a fantastic European Cup with Spain defeating England 2-1 late just like I picked. No it didn’t come home England – (the misery continues) and equally enthralling Copa America Final where Argentina defeated Colombia with a late winner 1-0 as an injured Messi looked on crying from the bench – man this final was dripping with Drama. I had picked Colombia but was happy to see Messi and Argentina win a 3rd straight tourney – not sure Messi will be healthy for the World Cup in 2 years – but man the excitement both teams brought around the country for 3 weeks was electrifying. Now if we can just make sure a pregame scene like what took place in Miami never happens again – no way this happens in the World Cup in 2 years – good wake up call for the US stadiums however – regarding all the issues from horrific fields to lack of security – should help come World Cup time in 2026. Now on to the last half of the Summer of Soccer – the Olympic games with the US Women and Men looking to make a splash in France.

US Men play host France Wed 3 pm on USA

The USA men will play their first Olympic game in 16 years when they open their tournament against home nation France in Group A at Marseille. The US Olympic team will presumably be led by Venezia teammates Tanner Tessmann and Gianluca Busio in the midfield, USMNT veterans and over-age callups Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman on the back line, and some combination of Kevin Paredes, Paxten Aaronson, Taylor Booth, Griffin Yow, and Duncan McGuire up top. It sure would be nice to get a draw in the opener – but with Guinea and New Zealand in our group – we should advance even with a close loss – I see 2-1 France in this first one -but 2-0 over NZ and 3-0 over Guinea in the others. It looks like the US games will all be on USA network as will some others. All games will be on Peacock & Telemundo with some on USA and many games replayed late night on USA. Full Olympic Soccer TV Schedule

US Men’s Olympic Team  

Goalkeepers (2): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; St. Charles, Mo.), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea FC; Addison, Ill.) Defenders (6): Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Fürth; Frankfurt, Germany), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; Oldsmar, Fla.), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; Arlington, Mass.), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; Chatham, N.J.), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United; Atlanta, Ga.), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; Lawrenceville, Ga.)Midfielders (5): Gianluca Busio (Venezia; Greensboro, N.C.), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami; Key Biscayne, Fla.), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union; Queens, N.Y.), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids; Jacksonville, Fla.), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia; Birmingham, Ala.) Forwards (5): Paxten Aaronson (Utrecht; Medford, NJ), Taylor Booth (Utrecht; Eden, Utah), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City; Omaha, Neb.), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg; South Riding, Va.), Griffin Yow (Westerlo/BEL; Clifton, Va.)

US Women face Zambia Thurs 3 pm on USA

So after 2 lackluster pre-Olympic games its time to see if New USA Women’s Coach – Emma Hayes can pull of a miracle and bring home the gold. The US have not won it since 2012 and flamed out of the last World Cup in the Round of 16 and currently stand at 5th in the World – the lowest we have EVER been ranked. To say the rest of the World thinks they have passed us by would be an understatement. Now despite our struggles against teams packing it in pre-tourney – I think the US has the pace up front to scare some folks. In fact I like the US to make the Semi’s – but no promises beyond that. Lets hope we can hang on vs Zambia who has one of the most electric players in NWSL in KC’s Barbara Banda – I see this being a 3-2 win for the US – I hope. The US would like to win the group over Germany and Australia – and an opening win vs Zambia must happen for that to take place.

2024 U.S. Olympic women’s soccer roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars) DEFENDERS (6): Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC) MIDFIELDERS (5): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Catarina Macario (Chelsea) Lynn Williams NY Gothem FORWARDS (5): Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars) ALTERNATES (4): Jane Campbell (goalkeeper, Houston Dash), Hal Hershfelt (midfielder, Washington Spirit), Croix Bethune (midfielder, Washington Spirit),

MLS All-Star Game vs Liga MX Wed/MLS Skills Competition Tues on Apple TV from Columbus

My favorite thing the Goalkeeper Wars – is back at the MLS Skills Competition at the MLS All Star game tonight at 7:30 pm on Apple TV – no additional charge. Shooting other skills will follow – if I had my act together I would have gone to Columbus for this – tix still available. (if you missed it — its on for FREE on Apple TV worth checking out some. Wed night gives us the MLS All Stars vs Liga MX AllStars at 8 pm on Free Apple TV. (wish this thing was on FS 1 at least.) Goofy MLS.

TV GAMES SCHEDULE

Tues, July 23

7:30 pm Apple TV Free MLS Skills competition from Columbus, OH

7:30 pm ESPN2 Man City vs Celtic (CCV)

Full Olympic Soccer TV Schedule

Wed, July 24

9 am USA Argentina Men 2 vs Morocco Olympics 2

11 am USA Spain vs Uzbekistan Olympics

1 pm Tele, Peacock Japan vs U23 vs Paraguay

3 pm USA US Men Olympics vs France

5 pm USA Replay Spain vs Uzbekistan Olympics

8 pm Apple TV MLS Allstars vs Liga MX All Stars

8 pm USA replay US Men Olympics vs France

10 pm USA replay Japan vs U23 vs Paraguay

12 Mid USA Replay Iraq vs Ukraine

Thurs, July 25

11 am Peacock, Uni Canada Women vs New Zealand Olympics

11 am USA Japan Women vs Spain Olympics

1 pm Peacock Germany WNT vs Australia Olympics

1 pm Peacock Nigeria vs Brazil WNT

3 pm USA, Univ USWNT Olympics vs Zambia

3 pm Tele, Peacock France WNT vs Colombia Olympics

8 pm USA replay Germany WNT vs Australia Olympics

9 pm USA Relay USWNT Olympics vs Zambia

12M USA replay France WNT vs Colombia Olympics

July 26, Friday

8:30 pm ESPN+, Indy 11 @ Tulsa

July 27 Sat

9 am Peacock Spain U23 vs Dominican Republic

11 am Peacock Ukraine U23 v Morrocco

1 pm USA US Men U23 vs New Zealand

1 pm Peacock Israel U23 vs Paraguay

3 pm Peacock France U23 vs Guinea

7 pm ESPN AC Milan vs Man City Yankee Stadium

7 pm Para+ Orlando Pride vs Monterrey NWSL

10 pm CBSSN Utah Royals vs Portland Thorns NWSL

July 28 Sun

11 am Peacock, Univer Brazil Women vs Japan

1 pm Tele, PC Spain Women vs Nigeria

3 pm USA, Tele USWNT vs Germany

3 pm Peacock, Univer France vs Canada

8 pm FS1 NYCFC vs Queretaro

8 pm CBSSN Houston Dash vs Tigres NWSL

10 pm FS1 Leon vs Portland Timbers

July 30 Tues

9 am USA Spain U23 vs Egypt

11 am USA Ukraine U23 vs Argentina

3 pm USA US Men U23 vs Guinee

3 pm Peacock New Zealand U23 vs France

July 31 Wed

9 am USA Brazil W vs Spain W

11 am Peacock Japan W vs Nigeria

1 pm USA USWNT vs Australia

1 pm Peacock Zambia W vs Germany W

3pm USA New Zealand vs France Women

3 pm Peacock Colombia vs Canada W

7 pm CBS Galazo NC Courage vs Monterrey NWSL

8 pm FS1 Santos Laguna vs DC United

10 pm CBSSN Portland Thorns vs Seattle Reign NWSL

Sat Aug 3

Quarterfinals Women

1B vs. 2C: 9 a.m. ET – Telemundo, Peacock

1C vs. 3A/B: 11 a.m. ET – Universo, Peacock

2A vs. 2B: 1 p.m. ET – Telemundo, Peacock

1A vs. 3B/C: 3 p.m. ET – Universo, Peacock

Full Olympic Soccer TV Schedule

August 6

Semifinals Women

12 p.m. ET – Telemundo, Peacock, USA WQF USA vs Germany

3 p.m. ET – Universo, Peacock, E! Entertainment, WQF Brazil vs Spain

7 pm ET ESPN2 Real Madrid vs Chelsea

7:30 pm ESPN+ AC Milan vs Barcelona

• France U-23 vs USA U-23, 3p on USA, Telemundo, Peacock, FuboTV (free trial), Sling TV: The USA men will play their first Olympic game in 16 years when they open their tournament against home nation France in Group A at Marseille. The US Olympic team will presumably be led by Venezia teammates Tanner Tessmann and Gianluca Busio in the midfield, USMNT veterans and over-age callups Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman on the back line, and some combination of Kevin Paredes, Paxten Aaronson, Taylor Booth, Griffin Yow, and Duncan McGuire up top. France’s three over-age players are forwards Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), and central defender Loïc Badé (Sevilla). Mateta’s former Palace teammate Michael Olise is the headline name among the French U-23 players. Olise joined Bayern Munich two weeks ago.

The 16 teams in the Men’s U23 Olympics will be divided into four groups of four, which are as follows:

Group A: France, USA, New Zealand, Guinea

Group B: Argentina, Morocco, Iraq, Ukraine

Group C: Uzbekistan, Spain, Egypt, Dominican Republic

Group D: Japan, Paraguay, Mali, Israel

The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals after round-robin play.

US Women Olympics

USWNT looked awful at the World Cup. Is gold at the Olympics still in play?  ESPN Jeff Kassouf
USWNT head for Paris Olympics with question marks in attack Soccer players at the Olympics, from Messi to Marta

US Olympics USA Men  

France vs USMNT: How to watch live, stream link, team news, prediction for Olympic opener

USMNT midweek viewing guide: Olympic kickoff, friendlies, Leagues Cup S&S By Justin Moran

Choose the Olympic starting XI against France

2024 Olympic Men’s Tournament: Group A Preview S&S – US Group

2024 Olympic Men’s Tournament: Scouting France

2024 Olympic Men’s Tournament: Group C Preview  By Donald Wine II

USMNT hopefuls see Summer Olympics as a chance to make history,

France vs. USA: How to watch, stream Summer Olympics men’s soccer
Ten footballers to watch out for at Paris Olympics
US Olympic men’s soccer history: Tournament history, medals, top performances
Men’s Olympic soccer remains stuck in the game’s second tier

US Men’s National Team

US Soccer screwed up its last USMNT coach search. How should it be different this time? ESPN O’Hanlon

The United States must prepare now to host a secure 2026 World Cup

USMNT drops to 16th in FIFA world rankings

Tyler Adams to miss start of Bournemouth season due to back surgery  
Chelsea sign USMNT left-back Caleb Wiley from Atlanta United for reported £8.5m fee

Reffing

Handball one time – not the next?  

Can the GK Catch it after a fluff ?

Handballs Not Called ?  Why ? 

Become a Licensed High School Ref

Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over 13

Bad Decision Does Not Mean you’re a Bad Ref

Goalkeeping

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After a terrible World Cup, is USWNT ready for the Olympics?

• Jeff Kassouf ESPN Jul 22, 2024, 08:00 AM ET

At each opportunity to repeat the old company line that the standard for the U.S. women’s national team is gold medal or bust, new head coach Emma Hayes has instead paused and offered a more calculated, nuanced answer.

Hayes has not said that the goal is anything short of a gold medal, and she also has not committed to that being the only acceptable outcome for a USWNT in the middle of a rebuild. She continues to navigate a culture around the USWNT where the expectation is to win everything when she knows they can’t win everything anymore.

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“I’m never going to tell anyone to not dream about winning,” Hayes told a small group of reporters at her introduction in New York City in late May. “So, go for it — it’s important for us to have that.

“But as I said before, we have to go step by step and focus on all the little processes that have to happen so we can perform at our best level. If we can perform at our best level, then we have a chance of doing things. But we’ve got work to do. The realities are that the world game is where it is, and the rest of the world do not fear the USA in the way that they once did — and that’s valid.”

The USWNT enters the 2024 Olympics with four World Cup titles and four Olympic gold medals, each of which are records. The Americans have never failed to win either a World Cup or subsequent Olympics since the tournaments began running in back-to-back years in 1995 and 1996.

That record is in a precarious position in France this summer.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• Women’s Olympic soccer group-by-group preview: Predictions, must-see games, more1dESPN
• USWNT head for Paris Olympics with question marks in attack6dJeff Kassouf

The USWNT endured its worst finish at a major tournament in history last summer, losing a penalty shootout to Sweden — an old foe, adding salt to the wound — in the round of 16, marking the first time the program had finished worse than third place at a World Cup.

It wasn’t just that the result was bad in a vacuum, either: The Americans played so unimaginatively that they managed only the narrowest of escapes out of the group stage by way of a scoreless draw with Portugal, saved by mere few inches as a late Portugal shot clattered the post. It was the clearest evidence yet that this was no longer the mighty American world power, the team that had won back-to-back World Cups in 2015 and 2019. The world hadn’t just caught up — other top teams had surpassed the United States.

Former head coach Vlatko Andonovski shouldered much of the public scrutiny, but players nearly unanimously struggled to adjust to opponents in real time. It was clear the issues ran deeper than could be fixed by parting ways with a coach. Now, as the Olympics loom, questions leftover from the World Cup linger: Are players prepared to compete in a modern landscape with teams more competitive than ever?

During the World Cup, Hayes herself publicly questioned the USWNT’s capabilities as a distant observer and part-time pundit, pointing to a lack of creativity among the Americans. She was also ultimately hired as an answer to such questions. Her hiring was widely lauded as the best possible outcome of the new manager search, a level of ambition and reform that stood in stark contrast to U.S. Soccer’s decision to go with the status quo on the men’s side, the results of which bore out at this year’s Copa America.Now, the Olympics have arrived, and Americans, as impatient as they are, want immediate answers and returns. The last Olympic gold medal for the USWNT came in 2012. High-level sources across the sport in the time since the USWNT’s 2023 World Cup exit have expressed concern that a second straight poor showing at a major tournament could set back the program for years and further embolden the rest of the world.The reality, however, is that Hayes’ primary remit is to win the 2027 World Cup. While the Olympics will always have some cachet, the Women’s World Cup — a singular spotlight for teams to take over — is the most impactful podium. It’s also one far enough away to allow for a realistic amount of preparation time.Neither Hayes nor U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker would admit it, but Hayes’ hire was clearly one focused long term on the next World Cup — not short term on the Olympics. Hayes and U.S. Soccer agreed to allow Hayes to finish the European season with Chelsea, meaning she would be left with four friendlies and less than two months on the sidelines before the Olympics.

Nobody, even someone with the lauded coaching acumen of Hayes, could be expected to develop a gold-medal-winning team in that time, especially not a team that has been overhauled following such recent disappointment. Hayes has said as much, perhaps most recently with a tinge of frustration after Tuesday’s frustrating 0-0 draw with Costa Rica in the team’s sendoff game.

Hayes paused for 10 seconds in the middle of her first answer to a question that alluded to disappointment in the scoreless draw, before saying: “[Trinity Rodman] might score a worldie in the last minute, but the goalkeeper’s had an outstanding game. Yes, we need to be more clinical. I don’t need to state the obvious. But I think that when you’ve had maybe half a dozen training sessions in total since I’ve been the coach, I think it’s a pretty good return so far.”

Emma Hayes not focused on outside noise ahead of USWNT’s Olympic Games

USWNT manager Emma Hayes explains that the team is solely focused on the games ahead at the 2024 Olympics.Hayes is a realist, and the reality of this Olympics is an uncomfortable one for a USWNT program that, with only minimal hyperbole, won everything all the time in the past: These days, gold is not the make-or-break standard — not at this tournament.A harsher, objective view might be that gold would be an overachievement at this point in the U.S. program’s trajectory. The U.S. is now ranked fifth in the world, the team’s worst FIFA ranking in history. Before last year’s World Cup, the U.S. was ranked first or second for all 20 years of the ranking’s existence.The Americans are not remotely the favorites at the 2024 Olympics. A bronze medal, which the U.S. won three years ago in Tokyo, would be a significant achievement. And in a group with Zambia — whom Hayes rightfully noted shouldn’t be overlooked — Germany and Australia, the range of realistic outcomes for the USWNT at the 2024 Olympics runs the gamut from a group-stage catastrophe to a gold medal. Anything including and between those outcomes is realistic in today’s landscape.Despite the USWNT’s recent woes, a gold medal is possible for several reasons: This U.S. team has plenty of talent on the field and in the coaching box, and its competitors have their own injuries, and recent ebbs and flows to form. Hayes is among the best coaches in the world, and the USWNT has a world-class front line in Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson, and one of the best central defenders in the world in Naomi Girma.

Yet, this USWNT squad is also not that different from the one that struggled at last year’s World Cup. Ten of the 18 players on the roster were part of the 2023 World Cup, with veteran forward Alex Morgan‘s omission marking the most high-profile change. Hayes’ preferred starting lineup — the one that defeated Mexico 1-0 on July 13 — features eight players who prominently featured in and started at the 2023 World Cup. The USWNT’s overhaul is not specifically about personnel but evolving and sophisticating ideas and principles.Still, the historical reliance on transitional play remains the USWNT’s most effective approach, one that Hayes explicitly says she wants to evolve. Tuesday’s scoreless draw with Costa Rica seemed eerily like one of the USWNT’s poor performances from last year’s World Cup, where a disciplined defensive scheme from an opponent left the Americans without enough ideas or, more simply, incapable or unlucky in front of net.It was an anticlimactic sendoff game that overshadowed some of the progress made over the past eight months since Hayes was hired, including her involvement from afar alongside interim coach Twila Kilgore. There has been talent identification and development, like the emergence of Sam Coffey as the teams’ defensive midfielder and Jenna Nighswonger as a modern, attacking left full-back. Each of those have been areas of need for the USWNT.Tactically, the USWNT has been nimbler over the past nine months, rotating midfield configurations between a double pivot — the solution that the team needed but turned to too late at the 2023 World Cup — and a more aggressive midfield trio. Hayes and Kilgore have experimented with a three-back in different phases of games, as well as different cadences of pressure on opponents.In those ways, progress has been clear. There’s a new coach with a decent amount of new personnel. Without doubt, there are fresh ideas being experimented with and implanted. Realistically, though, that entire algorithm requires time to run to its conclusion. Major tournaments are about timing as much as they are talent, and this is a U.S. squad at the beginning of a takeoff process that will incur more turbulence along the way.”Where are we compared to our best version of ourselves?” Hayes rhetorically asked reporters at her introductory briefing. That is the gap she is focused on closing: the one between the USWNT that wins tournaments and the one that crashed out. Only then can that be followed by catching up to the rest of the world — or, to “beat the f—ing Spanish,” the reigning world and European champions, as Hayes cheekily joked recently.Dreaming of the gold medal makes sense for the USWNT. It’s in the American DNA, Hayes has said, and she won’t change that. But as Hayes has also said, there’s a lot of work to get there.

Bookmark this USWNT roster guide for the Olympics. Plus, a Summer Cup recap

By Emily Olsen, Meg Linehan and more

Full Time Newsletter ⚽| This is The Athletic’s weekly women’s soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive Full Time directly in your inbox.

Welcome to the last pre-Olympics installment of Full Time! We’ll be in your inbox the day after every USWNT appearance during the Paris Games. As you pass the time before the tournament kicks off later this week(!), be sure to listen to today’s “Full Time with Meg Linehan” podcast, which previews all three groups. During the Olympics, new episodes hosted by Tamerra Griffin and Steph Yang — featuring Meg in France — will drop after every game, too. Let’s go!

Bookmark This: A guide to every USWNT player

Perhaps the nicest thing a neutral observer could say about the USWNT’s recent friendlies against Mexico and Costa Rica is that they’re over now.  It’s clear that these 180 minutes were used as a quasi-competitive training drill, refining patterns of play ahead of the real competition.

Now, Emma Hayes’ side is out of dress rehearsals, with the 2024 Olympics set to commence this week. The United States’ first game is against Zambia on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET (again, we’ll have a newsletter after each U.S. game!).

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https://3ce352dfb7a700fac376d4761ea84338.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

With the Games finally upon us, Jeff Rueter pulled together a comprehensive guide to every player on the USWNT roster. He said the exercise also helped drive home just how rapidly the player pool has turned over since the last World Cup, when he last undertook making one of these. This squad has lost a lot of collective experience and guile, but there’s something exciting about watching a new generation of players working to establish themselves on the game’s grandest stages. Keep this squad guide bookmarked to revisit throughout the tournament — it may just come in handy!

Later, we’ll have an update on Hayes’ efforts to build out her staff.

Meg’s Corner: Ready to roll in France

After a solid 24 hours of travel from Vermont to Nice, I’m installed in the south of France ahead of the group stage kicking off. While the USWNT is still a couple of hours by train away in Marseille, I’m heading to Stade de Nice tomorrow to take a look and pick up my credential.

In the meantime, the first baguette has been purchased and I got in some quick exploration to boot. We’ll hear from Hayes and two players tomorrow, so it’s going to gear up before we know it. Talk to you all soon — or, à bientôt!

Fresh Eyes: USWNT’s big-name scout

Hayes continues to assemble her team, adding Carla Ward as a USWNT scout in France for the Olympics. BBC first reported that Ward is headed to France after stepping down in May from her role as head coach at Aston Villa. While the BBC called it a “flexible role,” a USWNT spokesperson said simply that Ward would be a scout. Some takeaways on the hire:

• Ward and Hayes both made names for themselves as coaches in the WSL, Hayes at Chelsea and Ward with her years at Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Sheffield United.
• As with any coach in a new environment, Hayes is circling support around herself with those she trusts, including bringing assistant coach Denise Reddy with her from Chelsea. Reddy was Hayes’ assistant for four years there, and was also her assistant during the WPS era of the Chicago Red Stars from 2008 to 2010.
• Ward’s addition is another glimpse at how Hayes prefers to run her staff, and perhaps how much she values loyalty. Reddy came on at Chelsea after she was fired in 2019 for a disheartening 1-24-8 run as head coach of the, at the time, admittedly dysfunctional Sky Blue FC.

Ward cited the need to spend more time with her daughter when she stepped down from Aston Villa. Hayes has been vocal about her admiration for working mothers in soccer and recognizing the difficulties of being a primary parent in camp, complimenting team parents like Crystal Dunn and Casey Krueger during the two friendlies leading into the USWNT’s departure for France. Ward’s reputation as a players’ coach also aligns with Hayes’ stated ethos of approaching players as people first.

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Ward’s first job as an opposition scout will be to help the U.S. navigate Zambia, Germany and Australia in Group B. Earlier this month, Hayes called Zambia striker Barbra Banda the “most in-form striker in world football.” Germany is in a state of upheaval after losing midfielder Lena Oberdorf, and Australia is still working on fine-tuning its roster without Sam Kerr, losing a July friendly against Canada 2-1.

Women’s Olympic soccer 2024: Group previews and predictions

• ESPN

Jul 19, 2024, 07:00 AM ET

The United States women’s national soccer team is in action at the 2024 Olympic soccer tournament in Paris, the team’s first competitive games with Emma Hayes at the helm as head coach. She takes over following USWNT’s worst finish in World Cup history last year, when it was eliminated by Sweden in the round of 16.

The USWNT won four of the first five Olympics to feature women’s soccer, but it is in search of a first gold medal since the 2012 London Games, having earned a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

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World champions Spain are one of the favorites, while defending gold medalists Canada could also be in the mix. Unlike the men’s Olympic soccer tournament, there are no U23 age restrictions, so a host of top talent will be on show.

The top two teams from each group and the two best third-place teams reach the knockout rounds. So here’s what you can expect as the tournament begins on July 25 and finishes Aug. 10.

GROUP A

France, Colombia, Canada, New Zealand

Group A is one of the toughest to predict. There are no debutants — each team have featured in the tournament at least twice, bringing a degree of familiarity to proceedings — but it is a fascinating and competitive field.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• Soccer players at the Olympics, from Messi to Marta8dKeith Jenkins
• Predicting the USWNT’s Olympic roster: Will Alex Morgan make it? Who else?41dJeff Kassouf
• The last hurrah? One final chance at honours for this Matildas generation47dMarissa Lordanic

Reigning champions Canada are aiming to defend their title but have to do so without the retired Christine Sinclair. Hosts France, still seeking their first piece of major silverware, bring a heightened level of intensity and their home advantage and recent success of making the Euro 2022 semifinals should make them contenders. Meanwhile, Colombia’s run to the World Cup quarterfinals demonstrated their prowess last summer, and they are sure to challenge for a place in the knockout rounds again.

Even New Zealand, though historically lagging behind, are beginning to show promise and could surprise the more established teams, which adds an unpredictable element. With quality players such as Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Linda Caicedo, Ali Riley and Jordyn Huitema on show, Group A may well have some twists and turns in it.

Player to watch: Linda Caicedo

After dazzling at the 2023 World Cup aged just 18, Real Madrid and Colombia forward Caicedo is poised capture the fans’ attention at this Olympics as well. Her exceptional vision, skill and finishing make her one to watch in this group. We’ve seen the best defences in the world struggle to contain the youngster and we can expect no less in this tournament.

Must-see match

Despite the France-Canada rivalry, Colombia vs. France could be the most exciting matchup between two ruthless and physical attacks. The pair boast incredible talent across the pitch and while France will be confident, Colombia have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with after knocking Germany out of the World Cup last year. Prepare for fireworks when these two meet in Lyon on July 25.

Prediction: 1. France, 2. Canada, 3. Colombia, 4. New Zealand

France’s talented and experienced squad is likely to top the group. The battle for second will be fierce, with Canada likely to edge out Colombia, although the South Americans could cause a potential surprise. New Zealand just lack the depth and clinical edge to finish above fourth. — Emily Keogh

GROUP B

United States, Zambia, Germany, Australia

We won’t be accepting any group of death cliché here, but suffice to say this group could go any number of ways. Casual fans might dismiss Zambia given the pedigree of the United States, Germany and (to an extent more recently) Australia, but they would do so at their own peril. Zambia might have the best player in the tournament in forward Barbra Banda, who is lighting up the NWSL, and Germany just lost star midfielder Lena Oberdorf to injury. Add in U.S. and Australia teams that have shown some inconsistencies, and this group really is a toss-up.

The USWNT will garner the most global attention after its fall from grace at the 2023 World Cup and the recent arrival of new head coach Emma Hayes. Failing to win a gold medal an achievement that feels like a longshot considering the team’s state of transition would mark the first time since the Olympics began including women’s soccer in 1996 that the Americans didn’t win either a World Cup or the Olympics the following year.

Germany, the 2016 gold medalists, are back in the Olympics after missing the previous edition entirely because of Europe’s previous double jeopardy qualifying system based around World Cup placement.

Australia, meanwhile, must navigate the Olympics without star striker Sam Kerr, who tore her ACL in January. Australia finished fourth at the 2021 Olympics and last year’s World Cup, which the country co-hosted.

Player to watch: Barbra Banda

Three years ago, the Zambia forward became the first player in Olympic history to score hat tricks in back-to-back games. Today, she is the co-leading scorer in the NWSL with 12 goals in 12 games. Hayes called Banda “the most in-form striker in world football,” and few would argue.

Must-see match

Even without Kerr, the July 31 group finale between Australia and the United States could be a doozy. These teams have played some wild games in their recent history, including a rollercoaster of a bronze-medal match three years ago that the Americans won, 4-3 after leading 4-1 at one point. Both teams could enter this match in need of a result to guarantee advancement.

Prediction: 1. Germany, 2. USA, 3. Zambia, 4. Australia

This is the Root for Chaos group. I see the USWNT and Zambia getting into an open-ended transition game in the opener that ends as a high-scoring draw. Germany beats Australia in the other opener then picks up a point against the Americans, as Zambia and Australia also draw on matchday two. That leaves the final matchday looking like Germany (4), U.S. (2), Zambia (2), Australia (2). Zambia then gets a point off Germany, learning from that pre-2023 World Cup friendly they played, and the U.S. narrowly edges Australia to go through as well. Zambia then hopes to advance as a third-place team. — Jeff Kassouf

What can the USWNT take away from 1-0 win vs. Mexico?

Herculez Gomez and Kasey Keller discuss the USWNT’s 1-0 win over Mexico.

GROUP C

Spain, Japan, Nigeria, Brazil

There is nowhere for teams to hide when it comes to women’s Olympic soccer, but Group C is incredibly tough for the talent and experience it packs even by the tournament’s standards.

World champions Spain are the headliners, having picked up their first piece of silverware at the 2023 World Cup, and have continued to flex their muscles in recent months despite upheaval off the pitch. La Roja will be favourites to go all the way in France, but history is not on their side, as no team has ever won the World Cup and Olympic gold in successive years.

Japan come into the Olympics in good form and could surprise a few, as they did at the World Cup, but their place in the knockouts could come down to their match against Brazil. The two sides have met for three friendlies over the past nine months, with each claiming a win before a draw at the SheBelieves Cup in April.

Africa’s most successful women’s team, Nigeria, round out the quartet. Although their record at Olympic tournaments isn’t glittering, the Super Falcons turned heads at the World Cup and played smart football to shock multiple teams en route to a penalty shootout loss to England in the round of 16. Nigeria are not a team to take lightly, but they haven’t been setting the world alight in recent games and could be viewed as fodder for the other three nations.

Player to watch: Aitana Bonmatí

It’s hard to pick just one, given the group is so heavily loaded with talent. But, as it has been so often of late, the one to watch is current Ballon d’Or holder Bonmatí. The Barcelona midfielder is the chief architect for Spain and conducts the team’s moves with sublime vision and exceptional passing range.

Also, in what could be Brazil legend Marta‘s last tournament, certainly her last Olympics, everyone should pay attention to what the 38-year-old is doing as well.

Must-see match: Spain vs. Japan

A rerun of a Group C game from the 2023 World Cup, Spain vs. Japan will kick off the first Olympic matchday on July 25. Last year, Japan routed Spain 4-0 but the result snapped the eventual winners into action for the rest of the tournament. This time around the game should be an indication of just how far both nations can go in France and, regardless of the result, should provide plenty of entertainment for the purists.

Prediction: 1. Spain, 2. Japan, 3. Brazil, 4. Nigeria

Spain have become good at navigating their way through tough games and will look to take the momentum of their World Cup win into this tournament. They will likely top the group, but with Japan hot on their heels. Brazil will be looking for an upset but, as of yet, have been unconvincing under coach Arthur Elias. They will need to hit the ground running in their first outing against a Nigeria team that have struggled a bit in recent games. — Sophie Lawson

Here are the Women’s Olympic group stage matches you must watch

The tournament is going to be incredible, and there are a lot of options.

By Donald Wine II@blazindw  Jul 22, 2024, 5:00am PDT  

The 2024 Olympic Women’s Football Tournament kicks off on Thursday, and the United States Women’s National Team joins 11 other teams in a fight for a gold medal. Unlike the Men’s Football Tournament, this tournament is one of the major tournaments on the women’s international calendar. Bringing the senior national team rosters, it’s a chance for teams to assess where they are in relation to some of the other top teams in the world at the beginning of a new World Cup cycle that culminates with the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Spain enters the tournament as the current Women’s World Cup champions, and they will attempt to become the first team to win the Women’s World Cup and Olympics in consecutive years. Canada returns as the reigning gold medalists from Tokyo 2020, and they seek to defend their title in this tournament. The USWNT hope to return to their glory that saw them win a gold medal in 2012 and Women’s World Cups in 2015 and 2019.

With 12 strong teams in the field, each matchday will have multiple strong matchups. Taking a look at each matchday, picking one match from each of the three groups, we give you some matches that you will want to ensure is on your TV screen.

Thursday, July 25th

France vs. Colombia – Hosts France face a Colombia team that kicked down the doors of the elite tier last summer during the Women’s World Cup. Linda Caicedo is poised to become a star and they will go up against one of the main favorites to win on home soil.

USA vs. Zambia – The USWNT play their first match, but it will certainly be a better matchup than the rankings let on. Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji both have been lighting up the NWSL and are the two most in-form strikers on the planet, and they could pose problems for the USWNT.

Spain vs. Japan – The reigning world champions look to get off to a great start, but they meet a sound team in Japan that is good enough where a win won’t be a shock to anyone. Japan smoked Spain 4-0 in the group stage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, so they will be looking to once again leave with the win.

Sunday, July 28th

France vs. Canada – Canada gets their shot at the hosts in the second matchday, and this match could very well determine who is in the driver’s seat to win Group A.

Australia vs. Zambia – Australia and Zambia could be fighting to have the leg up on getting out of the group, which will make this match a wide open affair where both teams will be trying to light up the scoreboard.

Brazil vs. Japan – Two very different styles hit the field together as Brazil try to open up the attack against Japan’s compact defense.

Wednesday, July 31st

Colombia vs. Canada – Who gets second place in Group A? That could very well be decided in this match. Both teams have some stars that can excite fans with their play, and one of them could be the difference.

Australia vs. USA – When Australia and the USWNT face each other, it’s always an electric match. In Tokyo 2020, the USWNT won the bronze medal match against the Aussies 4-3. We could see something similar here.

Brazil vs. Spain – This might be the most intriguing matchup of the group stage, as Brazil can rise to the occasion against Spain. Spain will be looking to capture the group and show they can embrace the pressure that comes with being the defending world champions and the #1 team in the world.

Crisis, controversy and chaos – yet Spain’s national teams rule football

Dermot Corrigan Jul 16, 2024 The Athletic –
Sunday’s European Championship final saw Spain beat England 2-1 thanks to goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal to crown a tournament in which they were by far the best team.

Luis de la Fuente’s side had an outstanding month, playing some thrilling football while beating heavyweights Italy, Germany and France to reach the final, with new superstars Williams, Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo emerging along the way.It comes 11 months after Spain also beat England, 1-0, to win the Women’s World Cup — having also been the best team in the tournament.That triumph was, however, immediately marred by then Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales’ post-match behaviour, including kissing one of the players, Jenni Hermoso, on the lips during the on-pitch trophy presentation ceremony. Two months later, football’s worldwide governing body FIFA banned Rubiales from the sport for three years, and he is due to go on trial in Spain for alleged sexual assault and coercion, both of which charges he denies.

Rubiales’ shadow still hangs over all of Spanish football. He had appointed De la Fuente as men’s coach following the 2022 World Cup, and his hand-picked successor as RFEF president Pedro Rocha is being investigated in the same alleged corruption case as Rubiales — which saw the federation’s offices raided by police in March. Both have denied wrongdoing.

Rubiales provoked outrage with his actions at the 2023 Women’s World Cup (Thomas COEX/AFP)

Spanish football has plenty of other ongoing issues. Barcelona have serious financial problems their president Joan Laporta is keen to publicly downplay. Real Madrid are La Liga and Champions League holders, yet their president, Florentino Perez, is still trying to push through a Super League project to rival the latter competition.In March last year, after it was discovered Barcelona made payments totalling €7.3million (£6.1m; $7.9m at current rates) to former referees’ body chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira between 2001 and 2018, Barca, various ex-club officials and Negreira were indicted for “corruption”, “breach of trust” and “false business records”. All parties have denied wrongdoing.Racism has been a grave problem in Spanish football, and wider society, for years, and Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid has continued to receive abuse since his actions during a match at Valencia last year — when he confronted fans in the stands — helped bring a global spotlight to the situation.

Three people were sentenced to eight months in prison after being found guilty of racially abusing Vinicius Jr (Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Sexism has also been a serious issue. Many of the country’s best players were not even at last year’s Women’s World Cup after making themselves unavailable for selection in protest over their treatment by the Spanish football authorities.

These shocking stories explain why Spain’s women’s team want systemic change

How can Spanish national teams be having such success on the pitch while the game’s governance and administration lurches from crisis to crisis?The Athletic raised this with a dozen leading figures within the game in Spain, including former national-team players and coaches, La Liga club executives and figures closely connected to members of the victorious men’s and women’s sides.They preferred to speak anonymously so they could give their honest opinions, knowing that these might not be welcomed by everyone, especially those in power. The Athletic also shared their opinions with the Spanish FA, which declined to comment.

“In Spain, we spend the whole day criticising our political leaders, but the country works well, more or less,” says a Spanish sporting director with experience working in other countries.“The same in football. The governance within the (Spanish) FA is absolutely lamentable. But the average Spanish person on the street does not really care, and I don’t believe the players do either. They are used to living in a society with very few leaders. So it makes little difference.”“The key is the talent,” says one person who has worked with current and former Spanish internationals. “The problems in the RFEF do not really complicate things, because the link between the federation and the talent of its players is little or zero. Talent is forged in the small clubs, in the neighbourhoods, and is then exported to the big clubs, or worked on very early at others like Athletic Bilbao or Barcelona, allowing us to see players like Nico, Lamine, Olmo…”

Yamal and Williams were key players as Spain won Euro 2024 (Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)

It isn’t just senior level either. Spain’s age-group national teams have enjoyed unprecedented success at international tournaments since an under-23s team including Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique won gold at the 1992 Olympic Games on home turf in Barcelona.Future Spain first-team stars Xavi and Iker Casillas won FIFA’s World Youth Championship (later rebranded as the Under-20 World Cup) in 1999. Spain won eight European Under-19 Championships between 2002 and 2019, with players including Fernando Torres, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, David Silva, Alvaro Morata, Unai Simon and Olmo being involved in different ‘golden generations’.Spain’s women won the Under-17 World Cup in 2018 and the Under-20 World Cup four years later, with Salma Paralluelo helping secure both trophies, then adding the senior World Cup in 2023. They also won five European Under-17 titles between 2010 and 2024, with Alexia Putellas, Ona Batlle, Teresa Abelleira, Ivana Andres and Aitana Bonmati among those to have at least one medal from that time.This has built up a lot of collective and institutional experience within Spanish football, and at the federation. Even disgraced leaders such as Rubiales cannot really mess up a system that works mainly due to the number and quality of qualified coaches and administrators in a country that truly values developing young footballers as a profession.

Spain beat England 1-0 to win the Women’s World Cup last year (Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“Rubiales is nothing new, there have always been problems off the pitch, at the federation, at the clubs, controversies,” says a former Spain international youth coach. “But Spanish football has improved a lot. So much good work is done within the football ecosystem, from the underage ranks up to senior level, from the more modest clubs up to the biggest. You can see that reflected in the level of the players, and the FA has taken advantage of that.”“Spain has an excellent structure of small clubs, with many excellent coaches, male and female, where boys and girls can learn how to understand the game and grow,” says an ex-Spain international, who is now a sporting director. “And as we (as a people) are not generally so big and strong, we have to be able to manage the play, understand tactics, and work within collective structures.”The game in Spain has also been open to influences from beyond its borders, with Dutch coaches, most famously Johan Cruyff at Barcelona, bringing new and important ideas in the 1980s and 1990s.“During the 1980s, we picked up things from all over the world — the Argentine school with Cesar Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo, Serbian school with Radomir Antic, Dutch school with Guus Hiddink and Cruyff, British school with John Toshack, Italian school with Fabio Capello and Arrigo Sacchi,” says the sporting director of one club in La Liga, Spanish football’s top division.

Cruyff pictured during his time as Barcelona coach (Gary M Prior/Allsport/Getty Images)

“We had the humility to take the best from each; with the ball, without the ball, physical preparation. Between 2008 and 2012, there was a phase of explosion, now we are in a second stage of confirmation. When you do good work, good players emerge.”

GO DEEPER

Decisive De la Fuente, Morata’s leadership, Yamal and Williams’ bond – how Spain won Euro 2024

Another Spanish sporting director, now working outside the country, says: “Spain made a big change from its historic ‘La Furia’ style to relying on quality. For many years now, a style of play, an idea, has been implanted that is very identified with the country, the methodology and how all the clubs work day to day. There is a good level of coaches, culture, staff, methodology and technical quality.

“We still have that ‘furia’ but we have added a really high level of quality. That makes us different, and players keep coming through, now with Lamine Yamal, and more will continue to come through, thanks to the way of working and the culture of the country.”

More on Lamine Yamal, the teenager who took Euro 2024 by storm

• The story behind the viral baby photo with Lionel Messi
• In Yamal’s hometown, Spain’s heroics stop everything
• How history-maker Yamal embodies a new-look Spain team
• What makes Yamal such a special footballer?
• The 17 defining moments to celebrate his 17th birthday

Despite producing so many good players and coaches, there are financial problems throughout men’s and women’s football in the country.

La Liga president Javier Tebas is proud of strict financial fair play rules that (mostly) force clubs to live within their means, but most top sides in England and across Europe can easily swoop in to take any male or female player from any Spanish team other than Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Rodri celebrating after Spain beat France in the Euro 2024 semi-finals (Nicolo Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“Barca’s finances, or players or coaches leaving for foreign clubs, is not really a problem,” says an agent of current and former Spain internationals.“Maybe it’s a blessing. Thanks to Barca’s financial problems, players like Lamine, Gavi and Fermin (Lopez) have had a chance to play (for the first team), otherwise they would still be in the youth team behind players who cost €100million, like before.And players moving to Saudi has not been a problem, (Aymeric) Laporte has played well (at Euro 2024). While players who go to the Premier League — say, Rodri (who moved from Atletico Madrid to Manchester City five years ago) — become better and more competitive.”“The key for the success is all the talent there is in Spain,” says one person close to the national team. “There might be talent flight from La Liga, and teams like Barca and Atletico below their usual level, but the ‘middle class’, like Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, have many good players who bring a lot. Club teams have to keep reinventing themselves as many players are taken away, which means they keep putting in players from their youth systems.”“The outflow of talent has also strengthened Spanish football,” says a football development expert. “Leaving the shell is good for many players, assuming they can adapt to living outside Spain. Some left very early, such as Olmo (to Croatia and now Germany) and Fabian Ruiz (to Italy, then France), who finished their development elsewhere. Laporte has also worked with coaches like Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic Bilbao, and Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.”

Spanish coaches and executives are now in demand all over the world.Guardiola heads an ex-Barcelona leadership group at City, while another is being built around Barca icon Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in MLS. Other top clubs around Europe have also hired Spanish expertise — Aston Villa in England qualifying for the European Cup/Champions League for the first time in 41 years, new German champions Bayer Leverkusen ending a run of 11 straight Bayern Munich titles, France’s Marseille — mostly with success. Spanish coaches and administrators were crucial to Qatar’s planning before it hosted World Cup 2022.“Look at the Spanish coaches in the Premier League, it is not a coincidence,” says a top agent. “The level of coaches in Spain is very, very high. From that very good base, you can build a very competitive national team. Before the tournament (Euro 2024), we did not think this (Spain) team would be as good as we have seen, but De la Fuente and his staff have got top performances from the talent he has.”Another Spanish sporting director says: “In the world of football, there is so much noise around everything that happens, many circumstances off the pitch that generate a lot of media attention. But the marvellous thing is that the game is about 90 minutes, 11 versus 11, on the pitch.“Out there, everything that is written or experienced off the pitch can be stopped and changed, as victories transform everything.”

Wow – all I can say about the Euro’s this summer is wow. 3 of the 4 Quarterfinal games came down to overtime or shootouts as the teams battled tooth and nail for every shot, every save, every attack. The great thing it has been spectacular football. The Copa’s haven’t been quite as exciting with the grass issues and tiny fields shoe-horned into American football stadiums making the soccer almost unwatchable at times. None the less – we are to the Semis in the Copa too with the expected – Uruguay vs Colombia on one side and the unexpected Canada (with their jilted American coach Jesse Marsch) leading them against Argentina Tues night. Man I would love to see Canada put a scare into Argentina – but I think the mounties lose a respectable 3-1 looking like the US teams of old. While I like Colombia with a rejuvenated James outlasting Uruguay in PKs 1-1 at 8 pm on FS1 Wed night.

Indy 11 beats Atlanta Tues night 2-1 – Advance to US Open Cup Semis

Euro Blue Bloods face off Tues/Wed

Its Spain vs France on Tuesday — Spain who had to go to ET to beat the home-team Germany in my favorite game to watch this Euros – vs France who has yet to have a player of theirs score a goal in open play. Unbelievable that owngoal leads the scoring in this Euro Cup thus far. I like Spain here – 1-0. While England who had to score late in each of its knockout games faces the big Orange Machine – the Dutch on Wed at 3 pm on Fox. Sorry blokes – but I like the Dutch in this one. Afraid it’s not coming home.

US Men – Time for a New Coach

So I have been critical in the past of Berhalter – but I have always liked the way he has a family atmosphere around the team and have defended him until now- but I am now 100% on board with the fire Greg Berhalter group. Even The American Outlaws came out saying its time to pack his bags. Say what you want but since he has come back as head coach – the US has gone backwards. Our assistant coach BJ won the Nation League last spring and faired well in the Gold Cup with a B team playing. This summer under Berhalter 5-0 loss to Colombia, 1-1 lucky tie with a bad Brazil, horrific 3-0 win over, 2-1 loss to Panama (again) and finally the 1-0 loss to Uruguay. Was the US unlucky to go down a man vs Panama yes – (but good teams hold the tie). After watching the Euro’s this summer – its hard to believe the US would have won 1 game against that competition – just like like lost 2 of 3 in Copa. I think this is the golden generation but I question their heart under Berhalter. The US men certainly don’t seem to play with the edge we used to play with – are we more talented (in many positions – yes). In goal – certainly not. On defense – not really – with Ream aging out and Richards still learning – we are still a centerback short. PS – CCV ain’t the guy. I am hoping Miles Robinson proves in the Olympics he is. We’ll see. The question now becomes who’s the new coach? (next week I will dive into options).

Carmel High Girls Soccer Camp July 22-25

2-4:30 pm @ Murray Stadium Register Here contact fdixon@ccs.k1.in.us for more info

TV GAMES SCHEDULE

Tues July 9

3 pm Fox Euro Semi’s Spain vs France

7 pm Apple TV Atlanta United vs Indy 11 US Open Cup

8 pm FS1 Copa Semis Argentina vs Canada

11 pm Apple TV US Open Cup Sacramento Republic vs Seattle Sounders

Wed, July 10

3 pm Fox Euro Semi’s Netherlands vs England

8 pm FS1 Copa Semis Uruguay vs Colombia

11 pm Apple TV US Open Cup LAFC vs New Mexico United

Sat, July 13

3:30 pm TNT, Max, Peacock US Women vs Mexico

7 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 vs Loudon United

8 pm FS 1 Copa 3rd place Game

Sun, July 14

3 pm Fox Euro Finals

8 pm Fox Copa Finals

Tues, July 16

7:30 pm TNT, Max, Peacock US Women vs Costa Rica

July 24 starts US U23 Men & US Women In Olympics

EURO Semis Tues/Wed 3 pm Fox

Will England make it? Sutton’s semi-final predictions 4 questions ahead of Euro 2024 semis: England’s scheme?
What to look out for on EURO 2024 day 2️⃣2️⃣
Netherlands v England team news and predicted line-ups ahead of semi-final clash at Euro 2024
Phil Foden hails ‘improvement’ in England attack with new role in formation reshuffle
In defence of Foden – ‘this is a tactical issue, not a player problem’
Shaw or Trippier for Euro semi-final?
Gareth Southgate’s England revolution shouldn’t be overlooked just because it’s dull
Why ‘luck of the draw’ is a lazy phrase to throw at Gareth Southgate’s England
France’s ‘tournament ball’ or Spain’s ideology – how do you actually win the Euros?
Training in sandals & injuries – Spain’s unlikely turning point
Spain v France referee: Who is Euro 2024 official Slavko Vincic?
Dani Olmo is Spain’s antidote to France’s anti-football at Euro 2024

COPA Semis Tues/Wed 8 pm FS1

4️⃣ big questions ahead of the Copa América semi-finals 🇦🇷🇨🇦🇨🇴
Brazil at rock bottom: how the Seleção lost their way
Copa América: are Canada now the best team in North America?

Uruguay brutally beats Brazil to reach Copa semis

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U.S. names men’s soccer team for Paris Olympics; first squad to play in Games since 2008

By Jenna West, Paul Tenorio and more Jul 8, 2024

Coach Marko Mitrović revealed Monday the 18-player roster for the U.S. men’s soccer team heading to the Paris Olympics. This summer marks the first time the U.S. men will compete in the Games since 2008 after failing to qualify for the previous three cycles.

The Americans’ first match will be against host France on July 24 — two days before the Opening Ceremony — at Stade de Marseille in Marseille at 3 p.m. ET. The U.S. men have never faced France at the Olympics.

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The U.S. will then take on New Zealand on July 27 in Marseille at 1 p.m. ET and finish the group stage against Guinea on July 30 at 1 p.m. ET.

Men’s Olympic soccer is restricted to players under the age of 23, with an allowance for three overage players. Defender Walker Zimmerman, who joined the team’s June camp as its first overage player, defender Miles Robinson and midfielder Djordje Mihailovic were selected for the overage spots.

At just 19 years old, midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi is the youngest player on the roster and also age-eligible for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Analyzing the overage player picks

Inevitably, the squad for a major youth tournament like the Olympics or a U-20 World Cup provides an opportunity to assess the state of the player pool at different stages of development. The fact that two of three overage picks were used on center backs is a cause for concern.

Perhaps if Jalen Neal hadn’t missed the first few months of the 2024 MLS season, it would have been a different story.

These picks are still wise, mind you: Zimmerman and Robinson partnered often during the 2022 World Cup qualification, which provides a stable bedrock for Mitrović’s side. Still, it’s an admittance that there isn’t a healthy number of young central defenders rising through the ranks — but that’s a headache to address in later years. — Jeff Rueter, soccer staff writer

Most surprising roster omission

It’s a bit of a surprise to see Mitrović use his third overage pick on an attacking midfielder rather than a striker. Djordje Mihailovic has been back to his best since signing with the Colorado Rapids this winter. However, his involvement coincides with the roster’s most surprising omission: Diego Luna, the dynamic attacking midfielder for Real Salt Lake. Luna seemed destined to not just make this squad, but be among its most important players given his chance creation prowess and eye for a long shot.

Further up the pitch, Duncan McGuire projects to lead the line without an obvious alternative, with Aaronson having only minimally logged time at striker. — Rueter

Euro-based forms offers encouragement

The roster contains a clutch of players who will arrive in Paris on the back of hugely promising seasons at their European clubs.

Kevin Paredes made 26 appearances in Bundesliga for Wolfsburg, and along the way was named 2023 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year.

A tactically astute left-footed midfielder, he operated across six positions for the German club, including left-back, and the 21-year-old scored three goals.

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In Italy, Venezia’s Tanner Tessmann and team-mate Gianluca Busio helped the club win promotion to Serie A, while putting themselves on the radar of bigger clubs across the continent. Tessmann made 42 appearances for Venezia, scored in their play-off semi-final win, and is regarded as one of the division’s most-coveted young defensive midfielders.

Busio, 22, created the solitary goal that clinched promotion, and was another near ever-present during the campaign with 42 appearances, seven goals and five assists from midfield.

Paxten Aaronson will link-up with international team-mate Taylor Booth at FC Utrecht next season, hoping to flourish in the same style Booth managed in the Netherlands.

Despite injury problems Booth made 21 appearances and scored six goals. Aaronson struggled for game time in Bundesliga at Eintracht Frankfurt, but the 20-year-old’s January loan to struggling Vitesse Arnhem saw him gain vital top-flight experience. He started all but one of the club’s 15 games during his time in Holland and scored four goals in the pressure of a relegation battle.

Collectively their experience in different but equally challenging environments across Europe should put them in good stead to make an impact at the games. – Greg O’Keefe

U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Gaga Slonina (Chelsea)

DEFENDERS (6): Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Furth), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United FC), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Gianluca Busio (Venezia), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids), Tanner Tessmann (Venezia)

FORWARDS (5): Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt), Taylor Booth (Utrecht), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City SC), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Griffin Yow (KVC Westerlo)

ALTERNATES (4): Josh Atencio (Midfielder, Seattle Sounders FC), Jacob Davis (Defender, Sporting Kansas City), Johan Gomez (Forward, Eintracht Braunschweig), John Pulskamp (Goalkeeper, Sporting Kansas City)

Why Alex Morgan missing the USWNT Olympic roster isn’t as drastic as it looks

Meg Linehan and Jeff Rueter The Athletic Jun 26, 2024

For the first time in 16 years, forward Alex Morgan will not feature on a major tournament roster for the U.S. women’s national soccer team.On Wednesday, coach Emma Hayes left Morgan off the 18-player roster for the Olympics this summer in Paris. In her absence, the U.S. will be without a previous gold medal winner, with the team’s last win from the London Games in 2012.

“It was a tough decision, of course, especially considering Alex’s history and record with this team,” Hayes said, “but I felt that I wanted to go in another direction and selected other players.”

Morgan’s absence can be considered in several ways. It is the end of an era for the USWNT. Some will see it as an overdue move to balance younger players alongside veterans. Others will argue that Hayes made a simple soccer decision. Above all, Wednesday’s move reminded us that no spot on any U.S. roster is guaranteed.“Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage,” Morgan posted on social media following the announcement. “This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest.”ayes declined to get into her reasons for leaving Morgan off the roster and a list of four alternates, which included Gotham FC forward Lynn Williams. Instead, she highlighted “what an amazing player and human that Alex Morgan has been” through her brief window of working with her at this month’s camp for two friendlies against South Korea.“I saw firsthand not just her qualities, but her professionalism. Her record speaks for itself,” Hayes said. At the same time, she acknowledged the constraints of the 18-player roster, with spots for only 16 field players.Morgan has leadership, having captained the Americans on the biggest stage at the World Cup. Her experience outranks every other player on the roster in terms of appearances and goals. So what kept her off the Olympic team?It had been clear since the South Korea friendlies that the best forward starting line involved Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, yet Morgan was still in contention for a roster spot. But her club performance may have hurt her campaign for a role.

“I’ve come from a club level and what I have learned is the best development is done at club level,” Hayes said at her first media availability last month in New York City, essentially directly addressing players through the media. “So go back to your clubs, play, compete, get healthy, and put yourself in the best possible place.”

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Hayes has been consistent since taking over the job that performance and form matter in her assessment, particularly on the club side.

“There are players on the roster that are performing well, and the decision to take those players was one that we certainly deliberated over, but I think it’s a balanced roster,” Hayes said. “I’ve considered all the factors that we’re going to need throughout the Olympics, and (this roster is) one that I’m really happy with.”

After a few years with limited club involvement — she only played 10 league games across the Orlando Pride and Tottenham from 2019-2021, including a break while she was pregnant with daughter Charlie — Morgan had a resurgent 2022 season for the newly launched San Diego Wave. She won the Golden Boot by leading the NWSL with 15 goals, including 11 from the run of play. It was Morgan at her best — consistently setting up shots on her left foot while finding plenty of space inside the six-yard box to convert dangerous chances.

Morgan, who turns 35 on Tuesday, has also missed time due to a lingering ankle injury.

Her form wasn’t quite as robust at the start of 2023, but her place on Vlatko Andonovski’s World Cup roster was assured. She was a fixture in his lineups throughout the run-up to the tournament, and the hope was that she could do some thankless line-leading work even if her scoring touch wasn’t quite in vintage form.

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Since the USWNT’s elimination in the World Cup round of 16, however, Morgan has struggled to score for club and country alike. San Diego has not hit form this season and dismissed head coach Casey Stoney this week. Still, a player of Morgan’s pedigree is expected to score even when the going gets rough. Instead, she has yet to find the back of the net in 2024, midway through the season.

Given the Wave’s struggles to advance possession this year, Morgan has had to drop deeper than usual to get on the ball. That’s illustrated by how much more frequently she’s having to direct her passes upfield — 16.2% of her distribution advances at least 5 yards toward goal, a rate more commonly seen from a midfielder than a striker and well above her 12.1% in 2022. She has looked less inclined to take an opponent on with her dribble, making just three take-ons in 542 minutes this season after logging 35 in 1,630 minutes last year.

Even more concerning is the 0 in her goals scored column this season despite logging nearly 600 minutes.

Morgan’s lack of versatility could have also factored into Hayes’ decision. Morgan has long been an expert striker, scoring 123 goals as the USWNT’s fifth-all-time leading goalscorer. But with that specialization comes a lack of experience at other positions, like some of the players called up for the tournament.

Hindered in part by her club team’s stagnating approach in possession, Morgan hasn’t been able to enjoy a similarly bountiful amount of service in the box. She has yet to take a single shot inside the six-yard box in the 2024 season, leading to a steep regression in her expected goals per shot, and only six of her 20 shot attempts this season have been taken on her stronger left foot.

Wave teammate Jaedyn Shaw was able to do just enough despite the team’s floundering form to remain in Hayes’ plans for the Olympics. Unfortunately, Morgan didn’t have the same bulk of strong USWNT performances that helped anchor Shaw’s case for inclusion, with Hayes calling her national team goal involvements “significant” on Wednesday.

Morgan’s greatest case for making another Olympic appearance had more to do with the intangibles, whether that was her presence as a veteran leader alongside captain Lindsey Horan, or the kind of presence she could offer at the late stages of a knockout match considering her major tournament track record. With an 18-player roster, it’s clear Hayes could not justify those intangibles over more basic roster needs.

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“There’s no denying the history of this program has been hugely successful, but the reality is that it’s going to take a lot of work for us to get to that top level again,” Hayes said.

Youth is part of that process. Hayes has named the youngest Olympic roster for the USWNT since 2008, when the team won gold in Beijing. The current roster has an average age of 26.8, four years younger than the team that went to Tokyo in 2021 and settled for a bronze medal. But even more stark is the difference in the number of appearances from the last Olympics. The average caps per player in 2021 was 111; for this team the average is only 58.

“Looking through the cap accumulation of the team, there’s been a lack of development, of putting some of the less experienced players in positions where they can develop that experience,” Hayes said. “I think it’s important that we have to do that to take the next step. So I’m not looking backwards.”

Morgan’s 224 appearances for the U.S. far surpasses any player on the Olympic squad. (Photo by Brad Smith, Getty Images for USSF)

Hayes pointed to Shaw’s inclusion on the roster to support this idea, focusing on younger players and their development at major tournaments to gain experience that would benefit the USWNT immediately and in the longer term. Hayes avoided questions about where the team might finish or what its goals would be for the Olympics, stressing that her mission was getting the team as close as possible to its best level and best version.

Morgan, for all the history and legacy she will leave in her absence, might have provided a short-term boost. She also might not have. It’s impossible to predict what an individual player might contribute in the run of a major tournament. Ultimately, Hayes is focusing on something larger, building on the changes that have already been made following the early exit from last summer’s World Cup.“For us, this is an opportunity to show those learnings will take us much further than it did last time,” she said. “But there is no guarantee in anything in life.”

This USMNT isn’t a ‘golden generation’ – the data shows it lacks top-end talent

By Paul Tenorio and Thom HarrisJul 7, 2024

In any era, the failure of the U.S. men’s national team to advance out of the group stage at a home Copa America would be disappointing. In the context of this particular set of players, it feels particularly egregious.

The discussion around the current U.S. team has centered on the idea it is better than any that came before it. That is a notion based largely on the fact more Americans are playing in Europe than ever before, and that those players are going to Europe earlier and playing for bigger clubs. In 2022, the USMNT played a World Cup finals game without a single MLS-based starter for the first time in that domestic competition’s history. Recently, its starting XI was made up of players from teams in Europe’s big five leagues (England’s Premier League, the German Bundesliga, La Liga in Spain, Italy’s Serie A and Ligue 1 in France — another first.

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It is what has led to a “golden generation” label for this group, though whether it is deserved has been debated since before that World Cup coming up to two years ago. This Copa failure should reframe those discussions.

Yes, coaching will take on some of the blame for the disappointing results. Gregg Berhalter’s performance is being evaluated by the U.S. Soccer Federation with many fans, sections of the media and former players calling for him to be fired. But the players, too, failed to live up to expectations.

The results across both the 2022 World Cup, where the U.S. competed but ultimately fell in the 16-team first knockout round to the Netherlands, and now the 2024 Copa America as hosts, where their lone win came against Bolivia (84th in FIFA’s world rankings), have added further context to the debate. While the U.S. has a strong roster, its place in the global football landscape hasn’t shifted that much. It is 11th in the FIFA world rankings but the 14th-place overall finish in Qatar is probably about right.

Here, The Athletic digs into the data to explain where the USMNT really sits in terms of global soccer…

The U.S. Copa squad had 10 players at clubs ranked in the top 50 worldwide by data provider Opta.

Across the 40 nations competing in this Copa America and the European Championship happening in parallel in Germany, that ranked 15th, more than Serbia, Austria (both nine) and even Uruguay (eight), but behind Poland (11), Denmark (12), Switzerland (13) and Turkiye (16).

But while the U.S. has more players at top clubs, it appears to lack players who play vital roles for those same teams.

Insight from Twenty First Group — a sports intelligence firm which advises clubs, leagues and investors — allows us to drill a little deeper. Its player model generates ratings for more than 145,000 players worldwide, using factors such as the strength of a player’s team, their position, their playing time, and their contribution to the team’s attack or defense.

This data suggests that, on average, the U.S. has a strong group of players in comparison to the rest of Copa America, ranking fifth of the 16 nations for average player quality (indicated by the gold line).

Significantly, though, it also shows that the USMNT lacks players at the very top of Twenty First Group’s rating system, as shown by the extension of the black line after the maroon box. Seven different Copa America teams have players who ranked above Antonee Robinson, of Fulham in the Premier League, who is the highest-rated U.S. player per these rankings.

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The issue is made even clearer when comparing Berhalter’s side to the eight teams who made the Euro 2024 quarterfinalists, where Robinson’s rating of 800 is beaten by 103 players from those nations.

While there is a tight concentration of high-quality players, the U.S. does not have as many difference-makers ranked at the top end of the model.

In Copa America, for example, game-changing talents such as Uruguay’s Darwin Nuñez, Luis Diaz of Colombia, Argentina’s star-laden front line and Brazil’s Vinicius Junior dwarf Robinson’s high score. But the list of higher-ranked players also includes Canadian pair Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies, Paraguay’s Gustavo Gomez and Piero Hincapié of Ecuador.

Of course, player quality is difficult to measure objectively, but even if you disagree with individual players on that list, the overarching conclusion of this model is clear.

The hopes around this American team have been built on exactly that: hope. The U.S. side that qualified for the most recent World Cup fielded 10 of the 11 youngest teams globally during qualifying, per U.S. Soccer. The USMNT starting XI during qualifying had an average of 23.82, almost two years younger than the next closest team — Ghana, 25.67.

Excitement around the potential of those young players built. Events at the World Cup may have even bolstered those expectations. The U.S. ranked eighth in field tilt, a metric which measures one team’s share of both sides’ touches in the attacking third; fourth in possessions reaching the final third, behind Germany, Brazil and Portugal; and fifth in successful counter-pressing rate. Statistically, the U.S. was better in Qatar than in its previous three World Cups.

But since then, progress has slowed — and maybe even stagnated.

The U.S. lost games in this cycle at Trinidad and Tobago and in the Gold Cup, with a ‘B’ squad, to Panama. They needed a late goal against Jamaica to escape with a win in the Nations League semifinal in March. They were beaten 3-1 by Germany in a friendly in October and 5-1 by Colombia ahead of Copa America. The group-stage losses to Panama and Uruguay were their fourth and fifth defeats in the past nine games.

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There is a lack of progress, too, at club level.

Of this bright “golden generation,” it could be argued that just four players had significant roles at big clubs last season.

Robinson established himself as a top Premier League left-back at Fulham, Christian Pulisic is coming off a career year at AC Milan in Serie A with 15 goals and 10 assists across all competitions, Weston McKennie fought his way into the lineup at Juventus and started 29 games in Italy’s top division (although he appears on his way out of the club, potentially home to MLS), and Sergiño Dest started 25 games for a dominant, league-winning PSV Eindhoven team in the Netherlands before tearing an ACL in April and missing this tournament.

Gio Reyna, once considered the nation’s next big star after Pulisic, has played just 2,284 minutes across all competitions in the past three seasons combined, fewer than he played in his first full season at Germany’s Borussia Dortmund as a 17-year-old in 2020-21. That is due partly to injury but Reyna, now 21, is coming off of a year in which he struggled to get on the field at both Dortmund and Nottingham Forest, of the Premier League, where he was on loan from January.

Tyler Adams, 25, who once looked like he might develop into a regular starter for a Champions League challenger at RB Leipzig, was transferred to then Premier League Leeds United in 2022 and then played just three games at Bournemouth, in that same competition, last season due to injury.

Ricardo Pepi, 21, played a supersub role for PSV, starting just one game as they became Dutch champions. Tim Ream went from Fulham regular to a player who made just one appearance over the final three months of the season and now seems bound for a move to MLS. Goalkeeper Matt Turner played just 1,530 minutes at Forest, and none at all after February. Tim Weah (1,258 minutes at Juventus, mostly at right wing-back) and Yunus Musah (1,478 minutes for Milan) had only rotational roles at big clubs.

There is still hope for growth throughout the roster, of course, and your optimism around this group hinges on whether you think this pool is near its peak or still on the ascent.

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Folarin Balogun, 23, had an up-and-down first season at Ligue 1’s Monaco in 2023-24, with seven goals and five assists, but is being counted on to produce at a big club. Chris Richards, 24, earned a starting role as a center back at Crystal Palace of the Premier League in February, and logged more than 2,000 minutes at a top-level club for the first time in his career. Malik Tillman started 17 games for PSV and ranked in the 90th percentile or better in eight different categories for his position in the Eredivisie, per fbref.com.

And while the USMNT is not the inexperienced, youthful group it was going into Qatar 2022, it was still the second-youngest team across Copa America and Euro 2024 with an average age of 25.2 years, only behind Costa Rica.

It is clear then that this team isn’t a golden generation, at least not in the way we think about teams given that label in the past (such as Luis Figo’s Portugal, Wayne Rooney’s England and Thierry Henry’s France). The U.S. just doesn’t have that top-end talent.

As they regroup from the setback of Copa America, the hope will be that American players can push forward at club level in Europe and try to raise their ceiling.

The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted with neighbors Canada and Mexico, is a massive opportunity. They can’t afford a repeat of this summer’s failure.

 (Top photo: Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Colombia have spent far too long in the shadows. They are the team to watch at Copa America

By Stuart Jamesul 7, 2024

We need to talk about Colombia.We need to talk about a team now unbeaten in 27 matches, a run stretching back more than two years.We need to talk about a side who finished a Copa America quarter-final last night like it was an exhibition match.We need to talk about James Rodriguez, who is playing in 2024 like it’s 2014.ADVERTISEMENT

After spending far too long in the shadows of fellow South American nations Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay – the Colombians didn’t even qualify for the most recent World Cup finals 18 months ago – supporters of this proud football country are having a lot of fun right now, watching their fast, free-flowing team play with confidence and, at times, a swagger.

There was a moment in the second half of their 5-0 win against Panama on Saturday when Luis Diaz was ball-juggling. There were olés from the crowd even before that and you couldn’t help but wonder how those same supporters would have reacted if a breathtaking one-touch passing move later in the game had finished with a fifth Colombia goal. Instead, it was left to Miguel Borja to sign off on that number and complete the rout from the penalty spot with the last kick of the game.

“But it was only Panama,” some will say. Yeah. Just like it was only Spain in March, only Brazil last November, and only Germany a few months before that. Colombia have beaten them all.Nestor Lorenzo, their humble and easy-going manager, was asked after the Panama result about the level of morale in the camp. The best place to look for the answer to that question was at the corner flag where every Colombia player, including all the substitutes, joined Borja to celebrate his first goal for the national team in more than two years.Rodriguez was in the middle of it all, just like he’s in the middle of everything good that happens to this Colombia side right now. A misfit at club level, where he has drifted for the last few seasons and is currently up for sale at Brazil’s Sao Paulo, the man who was top scorer at the 2014 World Cup finals continues to roll back the years in a Colombia shirt.Now 32 – he turns 33 on Friday – he has five assists and one goal to his name across their four matches here in the United States, and there’s no question whatsoever he’s been the standout player in the tournament. The pass from a free kick that set Diaz free for the third goal against Panama was a beauty – a product of his football intelligence as much as his technique, both of which tend to work well for Rodriguez these days.

“He runs less and thinks more,” Lorenzo said, when asked how Colombia’s No 10 has changed his game since he burst onto the global scene at that World Cup in Brazil a decade ago.

There are plenty of others in the Colombia team willing to put in the hard yards for Rodriguez, which is a point that Lorenzo made afterwards when he was quizzed about the way that some of them are unrecognisable from how they perform at club level.

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“Football is 11 players,” Lorenzo said. “But sometimes 10 have to play for that one player.”

Diaz – “Lucho” (a common South American nickname for those called Luis) to the supporters who chanted his name when he was withdrawn to a huge ovation in the second half – runs like he would play for everyone in this Colombia team. An indefatigable presence up front alongside the powerful figure of Jhon Cordoba, the Liverpool forward covers every blade of grass for his country. And still had the energy to sprint down the touchline, swinging a towel around his head and wearing a smile from ear to ear, when Borja scored.

Diaz and Rodriguez are the A-listers and get the headlines, but there are plenty of unsung heroes in this side. Jhon Arias, who plays his club football for Fluminense in Brazil and must surely be on the radar of top European teams, has emerged as a key player under Lorenzo, operating as an intelligent left-sided No 8. It was Arias’ driving run that led to the first of the night’s two penalties awarded against Panama.

On the opposite side is Richard Rios, who scored Colombia’s fourth with a terrific shot and has shades of Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul about him with his all-action style, while in the middle of the two of them is that walking yellow card by the name of Jefferson Lerma. Suspended last night, Lerma will surely be back for Wednesday’s semi-final against Uruguay, snapping into tackles and making a contribution nobody in the Colombia camp underestimates.

Throw in the attacking intent Daniel Munoz and Johan Mojica provide at full-back – the latter played a gorgeous ball with the outside of his left foot after straying over to the right side against Panama, while the former claimed an assist to go with his goal against Brazil in the group stage – and you can start to see why all the pieces fit together.

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Greater than the sum of their parts? Maybe.

Copa America contenders? Definitely.

Either way, Lorenzo sees a bigger picture than this Copa America and one that has brought a lot of enjoyment to the Colombian people.

“Much has been achieved,” he said, when asked about success or failure in the semi-finals. “And we do not depend on a result to value what we have done so far.”

Are Copa America’s $200 tickets and empty seats a missed opportunity ahead of the World Cup?

By Melanie Anzidei Jul 8, 2024

When Argentina returns to MetLife Stadium to face Canada on Tuesday, they will likely do so before a soldout crowd. When they faced Chile in East Rutherford, it was the highest-attended match this Copa America so far.

It’s the norm at major tournaments: wherever the Argentina national team goes, fans follow.

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This summer, they have gone from Atlanta to New Jersey to Miami to Houston and now back to New Jersey. The demand to catch Argentina and captain Lionel Messi has meant tickets to watch the world champions have been the most expensive. Yet fans have shown their willingness to pay hundreds of dollars for a single match ticket, if not more.

The average cost per ticket at Copa America is high anyway, however; estimated at more than $200 (£160), per multiple accounts. As we enter the final stages of the tournament, ticket prices are only getting higher.

Argentina fans at Hard Rock Stadium (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

For organizers CONMEBOL, attendance at this year’s Copa America may be considered a resounding success. Eight days before the tournament, officials boasted how more than one million tickets had already sold for the first 32 games. Alejandro Domínguez, president of South American football’s governing body, said officials were “filled with excitement and enthusiasm”.

Yet there have also been less-than-spectacular crowds at several group-stage matches, with every empty seat in cavernous NFL stadiums representing a missed opportunity to attract a fan who could have been enthralled by the growth of soccer in the United States. Never mind the impact on players or how poor those empty seats look to those watching at home on television.

While Copa America began with a reported sellout of just over 70,000 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta when Argentina were in town, the following five fixtures drew crowds that were tens of thousands of fans below each stadium’s capacity.

It wasn’t until the fifth day of competition, Colombia-Paraguay at NRG Stadium in Houston on June 24, that we saw another full stadium, as the table below shows. (Green indicates matches which were considered sold out, while red was below 66 per cent of capacity — and note that Levi’s Stadium has an expandable capacity.)

CONMEBOL said it consider nine of the 24 group-stage matches as sellouts. Copa America Centenario in 2016 — which also took place in the United States — sold more than 1.5 million tickets and has served as a benchmark for organizers this summers. By the conclusion of the group stage, sales were on track to reach similar figures to 2016, according to Ruben Olavarrieta, CONMEBOL’s commercial manager in charge of ticketing.

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Before the tournament, Nery Pumpido, CONMEBOL’s deputy secretary general of soccer, told The Athletic that tickets were “set at a price that I think has been important, because people have come to buy a lot”.

Overpriced tickets were out of the confederation’s control, he continued, because the dynamic ticket pricing that determines those figures is handled by the ticketing partners at each stadium.

“From what has been demonstrated so far,” Pumpido said last month, “the price has been correct.”

Dynamic pricing has the potential to price out fans from some nations competing in the tournament. Not only are tickets costly, but any tourist attending matches would also have to account for hotels and flights in the United States — and also the travel between stadiums if they want to catch multiple matches.

Average net salaries in many of the competing Latin American nations fall below $900 (£700) per month. In Argentina, where inflation is among the highest in the world, the average monthly net salary was estimated at $423.32 last year, per Statista.

In many ways, dynamic ticketing favors American buyers with higher incomes and lower travel costs. The large diasporas of Latino communities across the U.S, coupled with the popularity of some tournament favorites, means Argentina, Brazil and Colombia have drawn the biggest crowds, but not in every market. When Colombia and Costa Rica battled it out in Glendale, Arizona, only 27,386 filled the 63,400-capacity State Farm Stadium.

For the July 4 quarterfinal match at NRG Stadium, where Argentina ousted Ecuador after a painstaking penalty shootout, the cost for a single resale ticket on Ticketmaster started at $176 on match day. Even eight minutes into play, tickets on StubHub were still going for $120.

Panama vs Bolivia in Orlando drew a crowd of 12,933, when the stadium capacity is 25,500 (Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images)

Tickets for the remaining quarterfinals were still pricey, by soccer’s standards, but lower than Argentina-Ecuador. On Thursday, a single ticket for Venezuela-Canada at AT&T Stadium was $107, $132 for Brazil-Uruguay at Allegiant Stadium, and $70 for Colombia-Panama at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. That is likely due to the low turnout for Colombia in that market during the group stage.

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All these prices do not include the service and processing fees, taxes and public transportation or parking that might be needed to get to a match. Parking cost up to $132 for Argentina’s quarterfinal in Houston.

But prices alone are not solely to blame for lackluster crowds at some of the tournament’s group-stage fixtures. Better marketing around matches could have raised the profile of some matches, especially those that included the United States. The team’s tournament opener against Bolivia at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, only drew 47,873 fans to the 80,000-capacity stadium.

GO DEEPER

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UMSNT’s second match against Panama in Atlanta only featured 59,145 fans in a 71,000-capacity venue. And when the U.S. fell to Uruguay 1-0 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and exited the competition, only 55,460 fans filled the 76,400-capacity venue, with half of the upper bowl appearing empty on television. Blistering temperatures, and the team’s shocking fall to Panama the match prior, could have also been a deterrent.

Originally, the tournament was set to be played in Ecuador, but almost everyone involved considered the relocation to the United States last year as a win — except those in Latin America who considered it an unpopular decision. For CONCACAF (the confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean), it gave its member nations a chance to shine on South America’s biggest stage.

It also gave the United States, Mexico and Canada, co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, a chance to capture fans’ interest ahead of the main event. Few South American nations have venues with such large capacities as the U.S, which is filled with massive NFL stadiums at the ready (even if that has brought its own issues with some of the fields), which was a prospective win for CONMEBOL. Would it have been prudent, however, to host games at smaller Major League Soccer stadiums with bigger pitches in more established markets for soccer fans?

While unsold tickets mean missed revenue for the South American federation and other stakeholders, the missed opportunity is more of an issue for those who want to grow the game in North America. Mexico and the United States failing to advance beyond the group stage has been viewed as an utter failure for both nations. Instead of captivating audiences with deep runs in the tournament and preparing markets for 2026, the conversation is squarely focused on the crisis each nation’s men’s soccer team now finds itself in.

GO DEEPER

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While Canada’s run to the semifinals no doubt helps, the CONCACAF nation has played in front of some of the smallest crowds in the tournament, such as the 11,622 fans who braved the heat to watch their 1-0 win against Peru at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. That match, in which an assistant referee collapsed from heat exhaustion due to the high temperatures, was the lowest-attended fixture all summer.

Canada has also had the misfortune of playing against teams with clear home-field advantages in every match.

“With how our fanbase works, and how diverse Canada is, even our home games (in Canada) have been really difficult,” said defender Alistair Johnston.

“And so I think that most of our matches with the national team have always been in these kinds of environments, and I think that has helped us in the long run so that when you do come and play the Argentinas, Peru, Chile, whoever it is, and probably again here against Venezuela as well, we are ready for that because it’s almost become the norm to us.”

Empty seats at the quarterfinal between Colombia and Panama at State Farm Stadium, Arizona (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The real crown jewel of the competition remains the final game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Its more limited capacity of 65,300 only pushes demand even higher. Tickets for sporting events and other entertainment in Florida as of July 1 are, however, tax-exempt through the end of the month thanks to local law.

As of Friday morning, a single resale ticket in the upper bowl at Hard Rock started at $1,369. That drops to $1,292 each when you buy two tickets together. That number will continue to rise and fall, with those same tickets going for $1,350 each just an hour earlier. The service fee for these tickets (an additional cost) was an estimated $271 each.

It’s why there will likely be several fans sprinkled around the outskirts of the stadiums hosting these last few rounds of Copa America, hoping to catch a glimpse of the madness while watching the match from the comfort of their phones or tablets. Of course, tickets for the remaining matches will continue to fluctuate depending on demand. So, one fan seated in the same section who purchased tickets weeks prior may end up paying hundreds more than a fan who bought a ticket hours before kick-off.

While the forensic accounting over the attendance and ticket sales will continue after the tournament’s final whistle, CONMEBOL has made one thing clear: the U.S. market is one it wants to continue exploring.

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“It’s a place to look at, especially as hosts of the World Cup in 2026. That’s important to take into account,” Pumpido said.

“We believe the United States has also made great progress at the soccer level… (and) it has advanced a lot with the arrival of Messi. Of course, CONMEBOL will always have the United States in mind for tournaments in the future.”

GO DEEPER

USMNT had questions before its Copa America exit. Now those get even louder

(Top photo: Empty seats for Costa Rica v Paraguay in Texas; by Buda Mendes via Getty Images)