US Women Reach Gold Medal Final vs Brazil Sat 11 am USA
So coaching does make a difference as new Coach Emma Hayes has molded this young US team and has them on the brink of Olympic gold for the first time since 2016. Their foe – Brazil and the legendary Marta – who made her debut Olympic debut 20 years ago as she faced the US in the Olympic Gold Medal game. After being knocked out in the round of 16 in last year’s World Cup – the change of coaching finally came. I said all last summer – the US players have not fallen behind the rest of the world – the coaching had. Spain and France and England don’t have better female players than the US does. These new leagues are not better than the NWSL – not yet. But the US has not had the right coach for a while – now with the US trained English coach Emma Hayes in charge – the US has turned the team over to the youngsters and they have responded. The Holy Trinity/Trident/Triple Expresso up front with Smith/Swanson/Rodman has 3 goals each and 10 of the 12 goals or assists have come thru them (Check this goal in the semi-final.) The back line anchored by the US best player Centerback Girma and of course goalkeeper Elysa Naeher has really stepped up. Now there are things I think can be improved upon -aka more subs, overall you can’t argue with the results so far. If Hayes can bring home the gold after only 2 months in charge of this team – maybe we should give her the Men’s job next. 🙂
Surprised to see Brazil beat Spain 4-2 – honestly Spain had an own goal and a stupid back pass – along with the Brazilian GK Lorena making save after save. She could have a real role vs US Sat. But I like the US 2-1. Unbelievable saves Germany vs USA
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),
US Boys Bow Out – Spain faces France in the Final Friday at noon on USA
The US U23 team bowed out to Morocco last weekend with a pathetic 4-0 shellacking. Amazing just how bad our defense was with 2 veteran overage Centerbacks added to this team. If there is any doubt that the US men’s side is broken – the Olympic showing didn’t help things. Combine that with the U20 loss to Mexico and the men’s side of US soccer is — ah broke. Will be interesting to see Spain vs France on Friday on USA — can coach Henri bring home a goal for his country – could that lead to an offer of the head job from the US. I still prefer Mauricio Pochettino formerly of Spurs and Chelsea- but Henri would be better than LA’s Steve Cherundelo in my mind.
Fri, Aug 9
9 am USA, Tele, Peacock Spain Women vs Germany 3rd place game
12 noon USA, Tele, Peacock France U23 Men vs Spain Gold Medal Men
7:30 pm Apple TV Cincy vs Santos Laguna
10 pm FS1 America vs Atlas – Leagues Cup
Sat Aug 10
7:30 am CBS SN QPR vs West Brom Championship
7:30 am CBS Golazo Leeds United (Aronson) vs Portsmith
10 am ESPN+ Community Shield Man City vs Man United
11 am. ET – Telemundo, Peacock, USA Gold Medal Game USA Women vs Brazil
12 noon CBSSN Wrexham vs Wycombe League 1 England
7 pm CBS Galazo Pittsburg Riverhounds (GK Dick) vs San Antonio
9 pm ESPN2 Louisville City vs Sacramento USL
Sun Aug 11
11 am CBS Golazo Sheffield Wed vs Plymouth League 1
5 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 vs New Mexico United – Beat Cancer Day @ the Mike
Fri, Aug 16 EPL Starts
3 pm USA Man United vs Fulham (Robinson)
US Ladies
USA women’s soccer vs Brazil: How to watch, stream link, team news, prediction for Olympic gold-medal match
USWNT faces pressure of history in Olympic final Sam Borden
Rodman on Marta: ‘I love her’ but we want gold
Smith, Girma dazzle in new-look USWNT as Olympic gold medal awaits
USWNT’s Triple Espresso brings Triple Trouble to Olympic opponents S&S
Albert: Hayes’ ‘tough love’ repaired USWNT bond Sam Borden
Emma Hayes reveals motivation techniques after taking USA to Olympic football final
Moving on from Alex Morgan was key for USWNT
No pain, no gain: USWNT coach wants team ‘to suffer’
Will Marta win her first Olympic title with Brazil or will USA reclaim gold? | The Cooligans
Women’s soccer recap, Aug. 6: Brazil shocks Spain, will …
US Men
Mauricio Pochettino a ”top target” for USMNT (report)
USMNT begin conversations with ‘top target’ Mauricio Pochettino
Recent USMNT managers have promised the world and forgotten the basics
USMNT defender Tim Ream returning to MLS, signs with Charlotte FC
Analysis: U.S. team’s Olympic campaign a mixed bag after Morocco loss
USMNT search continues, U-20’s qualify, transfer talk, Leagues Cup, and Yanks Abroad rundown
U.S. Olympic Men’s Soccer Team vs. Morocco: Match Recap
EPL
Manchester City vs Manchester United: How to watch live, stream, team news, prediction for Community Shield
Manchester United already facing new season injury headaches ahead of Community Shield
Premier League teams touring USA for summer 2024 preseason: Results, recaps, highlights
Championship hopefuls try to ‘do an Ipswich’ but who will be this year’s saviours of the EFL?
MLS
🖐 things we learned from the Leagues Cup group stage
🔬 The Debrief as Leagues Cup knockouts begin with two MLS exits
Seven goals and a red card! Chaos erupts in Miami’s clash with Toronto
Messi’s ankle ‘better every day,’ but Inter Miami star has yet to play Leagues Cup
Tigres edges Inter Miami 2-1 to win Leagues Cup group
🎥 Pumas goalkeeper makes spectacular diving save to deny
CF Montréal confirm arrival of midfielder Caden Clark
Goalkeeping
Unbelievable saves Germany vs USA
Brazil Lorena GK PK Save vs France
Ex-Man Utd keeper De Gea in talks with Fiorentina
Reffing
Bad Decision Does Not Mean you’re a Bad Ref
Become a Licensed High School Ref
Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over 13
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Sophia Smith: ‘This team has a standard of winning on the biggest stage’ as USWNT eyes Olympic gold
By Meg Linehan Aug 8, 2024
PARIS — Twelve years ago, the last time the U.S. women’s national team won a gold medal at the Olympics, Mallory Swanson was watching the game at a Buffalo Wild Wings. Trinity Rodman joked that she was five years old (she was 10, actually). Sophia Smith added she had been watching the very team she stars for today for as long as she could remember.
On Thursday, the three starting forwards for the USWNT — now having dubbed themselves “Triple Espresso” (or at least, they’re throwing it out there for workshopping purposes) — spoke to reporters at the Olympics’ press center. In two days’ time, they’ll have their chance to truly stamp their mark on this program with a major tournament victory.
“This team has always had a standard of winning, and winning on the biggest stage,” Smith said Thursday. “We take so much pride in that, and want to uphold that in everything that we do to pay our respects to the players that have come before us.”
For all the worries about the USWNT’s inability to score in the send-off games last month, and as tight as the knock-outs have been against Japan and Germany, all three of the forward line have scored three goals so far this tournament. Swanson has also added two assists, and Smith and Rodman one.
There’s no secret recipe for their success. All three have talked about not playing selfishly, and knowing one of them will step up — it’s just a matter of which one and when. The other part is even more simple: they actively like each other. They’re best friends off the field. The chemistry between them, their trust, all of that came together so quickly for a reason.
“We hang out every second that we can,” Rodman said, laughing. “Which is crazy because we’re stuck together.”
(Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
As Smith pointed out following the U.S.’s statement win over Germany in the group stage, they had only had six or seven games (at that point) with the three of them as the starting forward line. “We’re clicking really well, really fast,” she said that night in Marseille. “I think this is only like 70 percent of what we can do.”
For Rodman though, it’s the off-field stuff that has made a massive difference to their communication in game. “We know how we take certain tones. It’s the littlest things. We just know each other so well, and we can then translate that on the field. If we miss a pass, there’s already a look of, ‘Oh no, she was mad. We got the next one.’”
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Trinity Rodman was the extra time hero in Paris against Japan. On Tuesday, it was Sophia Smith against Germany (via a Swanson assist) — who had so little left in the tank at that point in extra time that she opted to just drop to the ground and let her teammates pile on top of her, so she didn’t have to run any more than she had to.
Head coach Emma Hayes in the mixed zone later couldn’t help but drop a couple of f-bombs in disbelief after the match on Smith’s performance, stating the forward had “f****** gone on another level.”
The front line has earned their reputation as a group at the Olympics, but each player offers something unique — playing off each other doesn’t work nearly as well if all three of them are not fully embracing what they do best.
In almost every postgame mixed zone during this tournament, either one of the three of them or one of their teammates has referenced the idea of “just Mal being Mal,” “Trin being Trin”, or “Soph being Soph.”
Smith celebrates her winner against Germany (John Todd/ISI/Getty Images)
On Thursday, Rodman gave her version of what those three shorthand comments stood in for. For herself, it was “smiling, creativity, trying new things, and being one-on-one.” She does after all, she added smiling, really enjoy a good one-on-one. That’s probably why the ‘Trin Spin’ got it’s Olympic debut so early.
For Swanson, Rodman said she is a selfless player. “She makes a lot of selfless runs to open up space. She’s explosive. She’s a perfectionist. She wants to get the perfect shot, the perfect touch, the perfect angle. But it’s in a healthy and good way.”
And for Smith, Rodman wanted to remind everyone how good she is with her feet. “She’s so good at holding defenders off, when she’s back to goal. She’s good at it in a weird way. She’s gonna be sneaky; you don’t think she’s gonna get there and then she’ll change her speed at the perfect time to get a toe in or get a touch. Her body control is really good, and it sets her up for success.”
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Rodman added that having all those different skill sets on the field at the same time and knowing any one of the front three could step up meant that if one of them didn’t have a big game, it wasn’t the end of the world. Everyone was still trusted to contribute. If things aren’t working for her offensively, that’s her sign to make sure she puts in a big shift defensively.
The details may have been tweaked this tournament match-by-match, but Emma Hayes’s approach and starting XI has remained the same. She hasn’t changed it due to the threat of yellow card accumulation, or tired legs, or any whiff of outside pressure to rotate.
So on Saturday, it will be Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman up top, hunting goals against Brazil at Parc des Princes. And all three trust one of them will get the job done. They don’t care who, just that it ends in gold.
USWNT has suffered at the Olympics. Its perseverance is rewarded with a chance for gold
(Top photo: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
USWNT vs. Brazil Olympics gold medal game odds: Americans enter as favorites in Paris
By Dan Santaromita Aug 7, 2024
It took two extra-time matches, but the United States women’s national team is back in a gold medal match at the Olympics. The Americans will face Brazil on Saturday in the final in Paris.he U.S. enters the match as the favorite after the Brazilians upset reigning World Cup champion Spain in a semifinal. The Americans have -250 odds on BetMGM to win the gold medal after opening at -275.
The USWNT has won four of the seven golds at the Olympics. Regardless of what happens in the final, the U.S. will have made six of the eight finals and won medals in seven of the eight women’s soccer tournaments.Meanwhile, Brazil is looking for its first-ever gold medal in women’s soccer. The Brazilians took silver in 2004 and 2008.The gold medal game will take place Saturday at 11 a.m. ET at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
USWNT vs. Brazil odds
Odds are for result after 90 minutes and from BetMGM.
| Odds | |
|---|---|
| US win | +100 |
| Draw | +220 |
| Brazil win | +280 |
The paths to the final for these two teams have been a bit reversed.The Americans mostly cruised through group play, winning all three matches with a plus-seven goal differential. The two knockout matches were both tense affairs that went to extra time after 90 scoreless minutes. The U.S. survived past Japan in the quarterfinals and Germany in the semifinals with 1-0 victories after two hours of play in each match.Brazil barely made it to the knockout stage. After beating Nigeria 1-0 in the opener, Brazil gave up two goals in added time to lose 2-1 to Japan and then lost 2-0 to Spain. Brazil was the last team to get into the quarterfinals, edging out Australia in goal differential by one goal among teams that finished third in their groups.In the quarterfinals, Brazil shocked host France 1-0 with a late goal and then blew away Spain in a big upset in the semifinals. Brazil beat Spain 4-2, but it could have, and probably should have, been much worse. Spain was a mess defensively against Brazil and the first goal was truly embarrassing.So how do these two teams match up? The Americans are undefeated and have survived some close tests, but will that extra hour of play affect the Americans in the final? These teams have been playing every three or four days for the duration of the two-and-a-half-week tournament, and USWNT coach Emma Hayes has received criticism for not rotating players or using subs earlier in matches. Nine Americans have started every match and that number might have been 10 if not for Tierna Davidson getting injured in the second group game against Germany.Of course, that’s all there is to complain about when Hayes is undefeated since taking charge of the team in June. The U.S. has eight wins and a draw under Hayes.Brazil also gets a boost in the form of Marta’s return. The legendary forward was suspended for both knockout games after getting a red card in the previous meeting with Spain in group play. This is Marta’s final year before retiring from international play so her team will be plenty motivated to send one of the all-time greats out with a gold medal. isn’t even the first final these teams have met in this year. In March, the U.S. beat Brazil 1-0 in the final of the W Gold Cup in San Diego. The USWNT has won the last seven meetings against Brazil and has gone nine straight without a loss. Brazil last beat the Americans in 2014.
USWNT advances to the Olympic final. Plus: Vote on what to call this front line
By Emily Olsen Aug 7, 2024
Full Time Newsletter ⚽| This is The Athletic’s weekly women’s soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive Full Time directly in your inbox.
What is the meaning of suffering? Emma Hayes might just have the answer. I’m Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan, Steph Yang and Jeff Rueter to bring you an Olympic edition of Full Time!
Want more? Steph and Tamerra Griffin break down how the USWNT advanced to its first gold medal match in 12 years on the “Full Time” podcast — a special Olympic episode is being released after every U.S. game during the tournament.
Olympic Final Set: USWNT advances to gold medal match
I was picturing this Michael Scott meme while writing the following:
“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” – Friedrich Nietzsche, but also Emma Hayes
With a win against Germany in extra time yesterday, the U.S. women’s national team guaranteed either a silver or gold medal at the Paris Games. The Americans will face Brazil on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET in the Olympic final, the USWNT’s first since 2012.
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“I could see today that players were having to dig to the deepest place within them,” Hayes actually said after the win. “I want them to suffer. I want them to have that moment because I do not believe you can win without it.”
The U.S. boss is still new to the international game, but the players have fully bought in. For now, they are pushing through fatigue, injuries and suspensions to prove a point and in doing so, have outperformed expectations. This is not the same team that won bronze at the Tokyo Games or the one that lost in penalties to Sweden exactly a year ago yesterday at the World Cup.
“We’re a different team since she’s come in. She’s so hilarious and chill and funny, and I feel like that’s exactly what we needed. We have the players, we have the talent, we just needed someone to come in and believe in us,” Sophia Smith said. “Emma’s doing exactly that.”
I mean how could you not be totally in when playing for a coach that uses gummy bears to describe tactics?
The U.S. played 90 minutes of scoreless soccer again yesterday before Smith broke the stalemate five minutes into stoppage time. Her goal adds to a very familiar trend this tournament: the USWNT’s big three showing up — we’ll come back to them later.
Collectively, Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson have contributed to 10 of the team’s 11 goals during this Olympics.
Midfielder Sam Coffey said it best this week in training: “They’re like the Big Three, but they’re all Michael Jordan.”
While it’s refreshing to see the team find the back of the net, the defense also deserves plenty of credit for its efforts in keeping two consecutive clean sheets against Japan and Germany. Speaking of …
Claudio Villa / Getty Images
Hi, My Name Is: The best defender Hayes has ever seen
Since Becky Sauerbrunn was ruled out for the 2023 World Cup, the U.S. back line has been Naomi Girma’s to lead. Heck, she can command the entire team, as highlighted by the armband she wore yesterday after Lindsey Horan left the pitch. A quick stage-setter:
- Girma, 24, made her professional debut in 2022 with the San Diego Wave after being picked at No. 1 in the NWSL Draft.
- But she patrols the defensive third with the kind of composure that’s more commonly expected from a seasoned veteran.
- She’s bailed the U.S. out on multiple occasions with her ability on the ground and in the air, even as her central partner has alternated between Tierna Davidson and Emily Sonnett due to injury concerns.
“She is the best defender I’ve ever seen. Ever,” Hayes said. “I’ve never seen a player as good as her in the back.”
And Hayes has worked with her fair share of solid defenders: Millie Bright, Kadeisha Buchanan, Niamh Charles and Magda Eriksson, to name a few from her time at Chelsea.
The Stanford grad put up serious numbers against Germany:
- Carried the ball for 687 meters — 24 percent of the entire USWNT’s dribbling distance.
- Completed 125 passes from 132 attempts in the game.
- Led the team in ball recoveries (13), clearances (5) and interceptions (3).
But Girma’s impact doesn’t stop there. She has also been a staunch advocate for mental health, sharing her story of personal loss after her best friend and college teammate Katie Meyer died by suicide. She continues to do work to promote mental health, especially among athletes, in Meyer’s memory.
Moment of the Match: Tournament-mode Naeher strikes again
While Rodman, Smith, Swanson and Girma are having an impressive tournament, there’s one person who can’t be outdone when the right combination of tournament play and clutch moments overlap.
Tournament Alyssa Naeher is a different beast. The goalkeeper hits a level not seen elsewhere in her play when she’s on the big stage. She was one of the few USWNT players to convert a penalty kick against Sweden in the World Cup last year and did it again to greater success in the W Gold Cup semifinal earlier this year.
On Tuesday, it was her acrobatic save and laser-focused reflexes that earned her the moment of the match:
I’ll let Steph describe it:
“Naeher’s last-minute block to preserve the U.S. lead and avoid penalties was the stuff of legend. Perhaps Laura Freigang’s header wasn’t well-placed, and perhaps it was a bit of luck. Perhaps Naeher was playing the odds by simply making herself as big as possible and her leg happened to be in the way. In replays, you can see Naeher tracking the ball in and looking down at her foot, even though it’s all taking place in about a second flat. Regardless of intent, the effect was undeniable: a shot at the gold medal.”
Looking Ahead: Brazil playing one more for Marta
Brazil beat Spain 4-2 in the other semifinal to earn a ticket to the Olympic final. It’s one more chance for Marta to make her mark on the international stage after the completion of her two-game red card suspension.
The game was anything but expected from the opening goal — which came off a poor clearance by Spain’s goalkeeper Cata Coll, causing a ball to hit off her teammate Irene Paredes and into the goal — to Brazil taking control with goals from Gabi Portilho, Adriana and Kerolin. With the reigning World Cup winners bounced to the bronze game, there has still yet to be a World Cup-Olympic double.
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Meanwhile, this will be the third time the U.S. and Brazil meet in an Olympic final. It is also a rematch of the W Gold Cup final. The Americans won each of those previous meetings.
Schedule for the medal matches (USA Network, streaming on Peacock):
- Bronze: Spain vs. Germany – Friday at 9 a.m. ET in Lyon
- Gold: USWNT vs. Brazil – Saturday at 11 a.m. ET in Paris
Name Games: What are we calling this front line?
The front three of Rodman, Smith and Swanson has taken this Olympics by storm. In addition to capturing eyes, they’ve also gotten everyone to discuss what they should collectively be nicknamed.
NBC commentators Jon Champion and Julie Foudy have had their fair share of suggestions during broadcasts.
🗣️“Germany speared by the trident,” Champion said after Smith’s goal in the semifinal.
But with the team on the cusp of history, is “trident” what we’re sticking with for this front three forever?
The options:
- 🔱 Trident
- 👑 The Triple Crown
- 😈 Triple Trouble
- Write-in
While I’m of the opinion the trio should name themselves, as the women’s gymnastics team did with “Golden Girls” this year, it’s still fun to brainstorm. Cast your vote for what you think befits the forwards.
While Smith and Swanson liked Christen Press’ suggestion of “Triple Trouble,” we can rule out the “Holy Trinity.” Rodman didn’t like that one: “I don’t want it to be just, like, my name,” she said after the Australia game in the group stage. “So, we’ll try something else.”
USWNT’s Rodman, Smith, Swanson having fun as fearsome front three
Sam Borden, ESPN Senior WriterAug 5, 2024, 07:00 AM ET
LYON, France — When Trinity Rodman came into the locker room after the U.S. women’s national team victory over Australia last week at the Paris Olympics, she was carrying a piece of paper that a fan thrust at her as she’d walked off the field. The paper had printed on it the names of the three starting American forwards — Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson — and then, in big, colorful letters, the words: “THE HOLY TRINITY.”
Rodman was torn. While very much appreciative of the sentiment behind the sign, she remained optimistic (hopeful, even?) that a different nickname for the trio could be found. “I don’t want it to be just, like, my name,” she said. “So, we’ll try something else.”
That lack of an obvious (and catchy) moniker for the USWNT’s front three is perhaps the only issue they’ve had over the past four games. As the U.S. prepares for its Olympic soccer semifinal here Tuesday against Germany, the Americans can take comfort in knowing that their primary scorers have been doing exactly that: scoring.
After Rodman’s outrageous, extra-time game winner into the upper corner in the 1-0 quarterfinal victory against Japan, she and Swanson share the team’s scoring lead with three goals apiece while Smith has added two goals of her own. Between them, they’ve scored eight of the team’s 10 goals at the Paris Games.
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“I feel like we’re clicking really well, really fast,” Smith said. “This is only like 70% of what we can do. The more games we get together, the more we’re going to be playing off each other and just learning each other’s tendencies. It’s so much fun playing with them.”
That level of comfort is clearly something new coach Emma Hayes has prioritized. Despite the compressed nature of the Olympic tournament, Hayes has been adamant about keeping her preferred lineup together — even doing so in an all-but-dead-match against the Matildas in the group stage finale. While that decision is one that inspired some debate among observers who wonder about fatigue, the minutes the U.S. players are getting on the field — especially among the front three — have led to valuable understanding.
In the 4-1 group stage win over Germany, Rodman created the opening goal with a move on the edge of the penalty area that she then crossed perfectly to Smith, who finished first-time. It was a goal straight from the practice field, and it highlighted how quickly the U.S. forwards are taking in what Hayes — who called the trio “dynamic as hell” — wants from them.”I think we’re all really starting to come around to the way Emma has wanted us to play,” Swanson said. “It’s been really enjoyable just being able to learn different things and trying to apply them, especially since the group that we have is super special.”
Swanson’s appreciation for her part in this team’s rise is understandable. She has been a part of the USWNT since 2016, when she was just 17, and she worked her way into a main role with the national team as she became a star in the NWSL. But three months before the Women’s World Cup last year, Swanson tore her left patella tendon — a devastating injury that required a full year of recovery.
Missing that much time was costly, both for Swanson’s own confidence as well as her ability to mesh with Smith and Rodman, the other young attackers with whom she’d have to combine. During her time at these Olympics, she’s found herself lingering on the basic premise that she is finally playing again without fear. “I think I’m just grateful,” she said.
One thing that helped Swanson reintegrate so smoothly is her familiarity with Smith. While Smith is two years younger, she and Swanson both grew up playing for the same club near Denver, and they have been familiar with each other’s games for years.Swanson knows, then, the challenge that Smith has faced in playing a different role for the national team than the one she normally fills for her club team. With the Portland Thorns, Smith is often seen dropping back deeper into the field, playing the ball farther away from the goal.With the USWNT, Hayes has been pushing her to get into the penalty area and look to take advantage of crosses, cutbacks and rebounds or unexpected bounces that fall to her there. It’s something Smith is open to doing, but also a change that is requiring her to re-train her brain a bit.”I think Emma’s biggest goal for me is playing this [No. 9] position,” Smith said. “I tend to kind of check into the pockets, get it and turn and go myself. It’s obviously different here. I have players all around me that can do that, and I just need to find myself in the box to put away the chances that they’re putting in there.”Staying more central is critical, too, because it opens space on the edges for Swanson as well as Rodman, who powered the U.S. into the semifinals with her wondrous sequence against Japan that began on the right sideline. That play — where Rodman took down a ball from Crystal Dunn, dribbled toward the goal line before cutting sharply inside and blasting an inch-perfect shot into the upper corner at the far post — was just the latest example of the individual brilliance that the USWNT has come to expect from Rodman.At 22, she is already a mainstay of the U.S. attack and, even more to Hayes’ liking, she is a two-way player with a significant motor, working back to help on defense as much as she surges forward. Despite being the third-youngest player on the Olympic roster, Rodman already has 44 USWNT caps and is the only American to appear in every USWNT game since the start of 2023. But while she was part of the team that crashed out of the Women’s World Cup last summer in the round of 16, her impact there wasn’t anything close to what it has been in France. For Rodman, much of that is due to Hayes’ influence.
“The way that she coaches is she doesn’t want to change anybody’s style,” Rodman said. “She wants everyone to be creative in their own ways and she lets that happen while also trying to put her structure and her principles sprinkled in there. But allowing us to play free I think has been extremely successful.”
That much, certainly, is sure. And as the USWNT recasts itself under Hayes, it’s impossible to overstate how important the three players leading the line are to the new personality of this group. Lindsey Horan, the veteran midfielder and captain of the team, drew a clear line between what Rodman, Smith and Swanson are doing and the emergence of a new feeling around the team as a whole. Even if they don’t have a catchy nickname just yet.
“We keep talking about this new identity, this new style, this new sense of confidence,” Horan said. “I think you see it in our front three. I think you see it in our attack … I think that’s the key for us right now.”
Former Chelsea, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino a top target to become USMNT coach: Sources
By Paul TenorioAug 8, 2024
Former Tottenham and Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino is a top target for the U.S. men’s national team opening, according to multiple sources briefed on the coaching search.The sources said that the federation was still considering multiple candidates as of last week, but Pochettino is seen by some as the favorite in the pool, and U.S. Soccer is engaged in conversations with his camp.U.S. Soccer has declined to comment on any specific candidates for the job.Hiring Pochettino would be seen as a huge splash, especially at a time the U.S. fanbase is looking for a big-name manager. The Argentine has never managed a national team, but has had plenty of success at club level. He guided Southampton to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League in 2013, achieved record league finishes with Spurs, including a Champions League final appearance in 2019, and secured a Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain. Most recently, Pochettino led Chelsea to a sixth-place finish and European qualification before departing at the end of the 2023-24 season.U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker and Pochettino overlapped during the Argentine coach’s year at Southampton. Crocker led Southampton’s academy at the time, and left in November 2013 to join the Football Association.
Pochettino managed Chelsea last season (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Argentine outlet Olé previously reported Pochettino was a candidate for the job.
While it is possible that U.S. Soccer could make and announce a hire before the September window, the federation is planning to have former U.S. under-20 men’s national team coach and current USMNT assistant Mikey Varas to lead the senior team in friendlies against Canada and New Zealand on September 7 and September 10, respectively, according to sources briefed on the program’s planning.
The USMNT have been without a coach since firing Gregg Berhalter after a group-stage exit in the Copa América this summer. Berhalter served as the manager from December 2018 through to December 2022, taking the U.S. back to the World Cup after they failed to qualify for the tournament in 2018, and then again from June 2023 until July 2024.
The U.S. fell flat in the Copa, beating Bolivia in their opening group game before losing to Panama after playing a man down for more than an hour following a red card to winger Tim Weah. The U.S. then lost 1-0 in the group finale to Uruguay.
Pochettino would be the highest-profile coach of the U.S. since Jurgen Klinsmann, a World Cup winner. While Klinsmann coached the German national team and Bayern Munich before taking on the U.S. job, his fame came more from his on-field accomplishments as a player. Pochettino has made his name as a manager, with teams that use positional play to try to dominate space, but that also like to press and attack opposition.The 52-year-old will likely command a top-level salary, as reports have indicated he was one of the highest-paid coaches in the world at PSG and Chelsea. However, Crocker has said the federation won’t be limited by financial restrictions.“It’s a really competitive market out there, salary-wise, and we have to be competitive to get the level of coach that I believe can take the program forward in terms of achieving the results that we want on the field,” Crocker said. “It’s a priority. It’s something we’re prepared to invest in and something that we will be investing in.”(Top photo: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
A World Cup in America in the middle of summer? Have they seen the weather?
By Greg O’KeeffeAug 2, 2024
It was the USA’s highly-vaunted summer of soccer, but it was also a stress test for the nation hosting the World Cup.There was certainly plenty of stress to test.Aside from concerns over field conditions, crowd control and security — alarmingly highlighted before the Copa America final in Miami when ticketless fans forced their way into the stadium —Mother Nature ensured plenty of other challenges.Extreme weather, from scorching heat to torrential rain and lightning, caused games across Copa America and various European club tours to be delayed, while supporters, officials and players struggled to contend with the subsequent effects.Some meteorologists believe world soccer’s organizing body FIFA must treat climate change-driven problems as a priority, with questions being asked about the viability of major tournaments taking place during summer.“There needs to be a conversation about having these matches in places that will get 90-degree-plus summer temperatures,” says Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather’s senior director of forecasting operations. “Should games be played in Miami in July? I don’t know the answer, but the question is worth asking.”
Just this week, Barcelona’s high-profile friendly with Manchester City in Orlando was delayed for 80 minutes by storms.Fans had to seek shelter under the stands at the Camping World Stadium before the game eventually started, and afterwards, Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said: “The circumstances have not been the best because of the weather.”City’s first game of their USA tour, the 4-3 defeat by Celtic, was also affected when supporters had to evacuate the Kenan Stadium in North Carolina after a weather warning was issued hours before kick-off, although there was no delay to the match.
Fans in North Carolina were evacuated before Manchester City played Celtic (Peter Zay/AFP/Getty Images)
On Sunday, another game in Florida, between Wolves and West Ham, also saw kick-off delayed by more than two hours with thunderstorms lashing downtown Jacksonville and the city subject to a flash flood warning.The heat was problematic during Copa America. During a group-stage match on June 25 between Canada and Peru at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, one of the assistant referees, Humberto Panjoj, collapsed.The Guatemalan was positioned on the side of the field directly in the sun during the closing stages of the first half, which had kicked off at 5pm, and as temperatures neared 100F (37.8C) with 50 per cent humidity, he fainted and was stretchered off.Panjoj was rushed to hospital and discharged a day later with what tournament organisers CONMEBOL described as dehydration. Even fans who normally pack the Cauldron section of the stadium had moved en masse to shaded stands to avoid the blazing sun, according to the Kansas City Star.Two days earlier, Uruguay defender Ronald Araujo had to leave the field during his team’s 3-1 win over Panama due to heat-related issues. Araujo reported feeling dizzy and his blood pressure had dropped.
“The truth is I’m still a bit dizzy now,” said the 25-year-old afterwards. “My (blood) pressure went down. When the first half finished, I was a bit dizzy and when I reached the dressing room, my pressure went down. The doctor said it was a bit of dehydration and I couldn’t continue for the second half.”It impacted teams’ preparation, too. Paraguay manager Daniel Garnero described the heat during training as “oppressive”, adding: “The sun is really intense and it sets really late, so we have had to modify our training schedule. The demands at these temperatures are not helping us.”Ahead of Brazil’s 4-1 win over Paraguay at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the squad were due to train at Bettye Wilson Soccer Complex at 5pm. It was so hot that they delayed it for two hours, having contemplated cancelling the session altogether in favour of the players working in the gym instead. When training did start, the sprinklers on the grass were kept on throughout.“We went from the parking lot into the stadium and the change in temperature was incredible,” said centre-back Marquinhos. “Having an air-conditioned stadium will really help the match because it’s very hot here. It might be a factor in our favour, being a little fresher.”“It’s really hot,” added left-back Guilherme Arana. “I stepped off the plane and it was that sultry heat. We’re following the recommendations of the nutritionists and physios, hydrating a lot.”
Canada’s Maxime Crepeau helps assistant referee Humberto Panjoj in Kansas (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
CONMEBOL described the impact of global warming on athletes’ health as “a critical issue”, saying “rising temperatures because of climate change pose significant threats to players”.The organising body issued a set of directives to address exertional heat stroke in soccer. They included medical screenings to identify players at risk of heat stroke, a recommendation that players are allowed to adapt gradually to the heat for 10-14 days, and emphasising the importance of hydration and sleep.
“There is a reason they play American football in the fall,” says DePodwin, who leads a team of 45 AccuWeather meteorologists from the firm’s headquarters in Pennsylvania. The organisation advises half of Fortune 500 businesses and provides forecasts to millions of people via its website and app.“It has been a very hot summer in the U.S. and I think it will rank among the hottest ever,” he says. “It’s certainly a global trend for much hotter periods, but the Copa America will have increased visibility of how we are affected in the U.S. A lot of the places where they played games get extremely hot and while many of the stadiums had retractable roofs, not all did.”
High humidity, DePodwin says, has compounded the effect of those soaring temperatures. It is one of the elements AccuWeather uses in their ‘Real Feel’ ranking, which also includes temperature, wind speed and sun angle to give a more comprehensive forecast of how the weather actually feels.
“There are plenty of afternoons in Miami, where they had the final, where the Real Feel is 100 degrees,” he says.
DePodwin says starting games in the morning or late evening would help. “But we know that in the group stages of a tournament like the World Cup, that might not always be possible.”
Regardless, he says lessons should be learned from this summer, particularly by those venues that hosted matches and will host again for next summer’s Club World Cup or the 2026 World Cup. “It’s important these venues have a plan to deal with heat and thunderstorms, which bring lightning, damaging winds and rain as well.
“There are certainly risks of further delays or postponements. FIFA must think about the exertions on athletes in those conditions, but also other places, such as how fans in fan parks and gatherings before games are vulnerable to the elements.”
Rain delayed Manchester City against Barcelona in Orlando (Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Another potential hazard could be poor air quality. “There have been many occasions in the last few years where wildfire smoke has caused dangerous air quality across parts of the United States,” he adds. “For instance, in June 2023, there were several days of hazardous air quality in the north-east U.S. which cancelled many sporting events and other outdoor activities.
“If a similar situation were to occur during the World Cup, delays or cancellations might result.”
Does he think, then, that major tournaments should increasingly be held at times of the year other than summer — such as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?
“It’s an interesting topic of discussion,” he says. “Even having something like the World Cup start in September would help, but there’s obviously then an impact on all the domestic seasons for each nation.”
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Asked about the impact of weather ahead of the World Cup, a FIFA spokesperson told The Athletic: “We have studied extensive historical weather data throughout our planning efforts and continue to monitor the weather trends ahead of 2026.
“As noted during the schedule announcement earlier this year, FIFA will seek to increase the prospect of favorable playing and spectating conditions for teams and fans (considering such factors like heat forecasts, for example) via kick-off times, which will be added following the final draw near the end of 2025.”
Even their detractors would concede that FIFA cannot control the weather. But, along with every other stakeholder who wants the 2026 World Cup to be a resounding success, a lot of planning will be needed.
(Top photo: The scoreboard at Camping World Stadium before Manchester City played Barcelona in Orlando, Florida; by Rich Storry via Getty Images)
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