Nice to see some American’s do well last week overseas — Josh Sargent has scored 3 in his first 2 games back for Norwich City – and looks to be in line for challenging for the #9 shirt in March for the US in Nations League. Fulham’s Jedi’s had his 10th assist of the season just 2 off the record for a left back and good for Top 8 overall in the EPL. Love these saves on corner kicks last week – Why Someone should ALWAYS be on the back post on corners. Yes my pet peeve when coaching Goalkeepers always have a back post on corners. ALWAYS. Interesting New Ref Abuse Prevention Policy just released this week. Can’t wait to see the Wrexham Super Bowl Commercial on Sunday.
Games to Watch
Pulisic, Musah and AC Milan will travel to @ Empoli Sat 12 noon on para+. Milan did win on Wed and can move up to 7th with a win on Saturday though I am not thrilled about AC Milan adding Joao Felix and Sottil -as both players are basically Pulisic’s position on the field. Felix is basically the same player as Pulisic – thankfully he’s just on loan. But this is sad to see as Pulisic – it could be argued has been Milan’s best player this year. Hopefully Pulisic will hold his spot. He’s still starting – expect him to be on the field Sat at 12 noon and for Champions League Wed @ 3 pm @ Feynord. Dortmund will host 3rd place Stuttgart on Sat at 9:30 am on ESPN+ as Reyna has been getting more time under the new coach. Of course lots of games on ESPN+ all weekend long for Round 4 of the FA Cup with lots of small clubs hosting EPL teams – always fun to watch (full schedule below) – the biggest is Aston Villa hosting Tottenham Sun at 12:35 pm. The Biggest game of the weekend has to be the Madrid Derby with Real Madrid hosting Atletico Madrid at 3 pm on ESPN+ in a battle of the top 2 teams in La Liga.
Champions League Knock-out Round Tues/Thurs
Man City vs Real Madrid leads off the first round of huge games for the knock out rounds over the next 2 weeks. Of course the most American’s ever have advanced to the knockout rounds as no fewer than 9 American’s should play and that’s with 3 American’s on PSV out with injury. Hopefully they will show one of the US player games on CBS Sports Network – I will update if they do. I still miss Fox when all 3 games were on different stations and they played them all night long. Oh well. Pay up if want to watch soccer I guess.
Tues, Feb 11 Champions League
12:45 pm Par+ Brest vs PSG
3 pm Para+ Man City vs Real Madrid
3 pm Para+ Juventus (Weah, McKinney) vs PSV (Ledezma)
3 pm Para+ Sporting vs Dortmund (Reyna)
Weds, Feb 12
12:45 pm Para+ Club Brugge vs Atalanta
3 pm Para+ Bayern Munich vs Celtic (CCV + Trusty)
3 pm Para+ Feyenoord vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
3 pm Para + Monaco vs Benefica
Jedi’s 10th assist of the season for Fulham who plays Wigan at 10 am
I guess I need to thank both of my kids for putting up with an over talkative
coach for over 20 years of coaching. Thanks youth coaches !
GAMES ON TV
Sat, Feb 8
7:30 am ESPN+ Leeds United (Aronson) vs Plymouth
9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Stuttgart
9:30 am ESPN+ Wolfsburg vs Levekusen
12 pm Para+ Empoli vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
3 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
Sun, Feb 9
9:30 am CBSSN Valencia vs Roma
10 am ESPN+ Plymouth Argyle vs Liverpool FA Cup
12:30 pm ESPN+ Aston Villa vs Tottenham FA Cup
2:45 pm CBSSN Napoli vs Udenese
3 pm ESPN+ Sevilla vs Barcelona
Tues, Feb 11 Champions League
12:45 pm Par+ Brest vs PSG
3 pm Para+ Man City vs Real Madrid
3 pm Para+ Juventus (Weah, McKinney) vs PSV (Ledezma)
3 pm Para+ Sporting vs Dortmund (Reyna)
Weds, Feb 12
12:45 pm Para+ Club Brugge vs Atalanta
3 pm Para+ Bayern Munich vs Celtic (CCV + Trusty)
3 pm Para+ Feyenoord vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
3 pm Para + Monaco vs Benefica
Thurs – 2/13 Europa League
12 noon CBSSN Midtylland vs Real Sociedad
3 pm CBSSN FC Porto vs AS Roma
FA Cup 4th Round Play
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USA
Pepi injured, wild Champions League week for Yanks, Tessmann’s award, Miggy returns, and more
US soccer Players Overseas
PSV rule out Pepi for season after knee surgery
USMNT’s Pepi pens new PSV deal until 2030
Tanner Tessmann named Young Male Player of the Year
Jury sides with MLS, USSF in NASL anti-trust suit ESPN FC Jeff Carlisle
Vote for USMNT January goal of the month
Vote for USMNT January assist of the month Stars & Stripes
Hayes on USWNT aims: Want to do more than win
How Chelsea broke the women’s transfer record to sign USWNT star Girma
USWNT’s Dunn joins PSG after Gotham departure
Hope Solo to lead team in million-dollar TST
Black History Month: Kim Crabbe becomes first black woman called into USWNT
Champions League
After a woeful start at Real Madrid, is Kylian Mbappé back?
Madrid in CB crisis as Alaba suffers fresh injury
Injured Rüdiger likely out for Madrid-City tie
Who has won Champions League? All-time winners and facts
The battle for extra Champions League places: Premier League now firm favourites
Vinicius’ increasing discipline problem at Real Madrid: Modric row raises questions about his future amid
Joao Felix: Wake-up call or game-changer for Rafael Leao’s future at Milan?
Reffing
New Ref Abuse Prevention Policy
Bad Decision Does Not Mean you’re a Bad Ref
Reffing for Carmel Dad’s Club this Spring
Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over 13
Goalkeeping
Champions League: Great saves from the league phase …
Champions League Best Saves: Matchday 8 | Flying Saves
League phase great saves | Best Saves | UEFA Champions …
Mauricio Pochettino and USMNT have a striker injury problem before the Nations League Finals
By Paul Tenorio The Athletic Feb 6, 2025
Josh Sargent played a total of 117 minutes in World Cup qualifying for the United States ahead of the 2022 tournament in Qatar, all of them in the first window in September 2021, including his lone start in the opening qualifier against El Salvador. Fourteen months after that start in El Salvador, Sargent was in the starting lineup when the U.S. kicked off its World Cup campaign in Doha against Wales. Form and fitness can be a funny thing in international soccer. A red-hot striker can suddenly be out for the wrong two weeks of the wrong month and miss out on a window. An ill-timed absence can also open an opportunity for a compatriot who seizes the moment. Sargent was back in form at the right moment, grabbed hold of the job and helped to set up the USMNT’s first goal at the World Cup.As Mauricio Pochettino looks to pick his roster for the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against Panama on Mar. 20 and (hopefully) the final three days later against Canada or Mexico, Sargent once more could have a shot to claim his on-again, off-again starting spot. The reason? The USMNT has an injury problem in attack.
Josh Sargent has a chance to boost his USMNT starting prospects. (Stephen Pond / Getty Images)
Ricardo Pepi, who was in such strong form at PSV that West Ham bid $25million (£20.1m) for him, is out for “a very long time” with a knee injury, according to PSV boss Peter Bosz.Folarin Balogun was the starter for the U.S. at the Copa America, but he has not played since December, when he underwent shoulder surgery, and is unavailable.That leaves Sargent sitting atop the striker depth chart with a real chance to show himself to Pochettino in competitive games at the Nations League.Sargent started Pochettino’s first two games in charge last October, but missed the November window with a groin injury. He returned for Norwich earlier this month and has three goals in his last two games. His ability in and around the box has been a lift for the Canaries.“Josh is a quality striker and we have obviously missed him, you could see what a difference he made today,” Norwich coach Johannes Hoff Thorup said after Sargent’s two-goal performance against Swansea City on Jan. 25. “He is a big voice in the dressing room and a big player on the pitch. They were two quality finishes and he also showed how good he is running behind defenders and finding space.”Sargent’s competition for the starting job is a bigger question.Haji Wright, who has played more as a winger with the U.S. in his recent call-ups, seems to be nearing a return for Coventry after 10 games out with an ankle ligament injury. Wright could be an easy call for Pochettino to provide depth at multiple positions.Pochettino has also had a good look at two domestic options. Austin FC’s Brandon Vazquez, who recently moved back to MLS from Liga MX, had solid showings for the U.S. in the fall. Charlotte FC’s Patrick Agyemang scored twice in two games during January camp, pushing himself into any striker conversation. The 6ft 4ins (193cm) 24-year-old from East Hartford, Conn., has a different profile for the U.S., and if he is able to carry over his form into the start of the MLS season it wouldn’t be a shock to see Pochettino bring him back in.
Patrick Agyemang was the big winner from the USMNT’s January camp. (John Dorton /ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images for USSF)
It’s worth noting that 30 players who have debuted or earned their second cap during the USMNT’s first camp of a calendar year have gone on to make a FIFA World Cup roster, including the likes of Jozy Altidore, DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.“He has a really good profile (as) a striker, and for us, I think can be very, very, very useful,” Pochettino said of Agyemang during the January camp. “So happy, because he’s still young, still has room to improve, but his attitude and his condition are great. I am so happy with him, with the performance, attitude and everything, and his performance was really, really good.“I think he’s capable to add a different condition to the team that sometimes we were missing a little bit. Yes, I think it’s a very good alternative on the front for us.”
The striker position has been very much in flux over the last two cycles. It opened the door for the recruitment of a player like Balogun to commit to the U.S., which he did in 2023. The strong play of the Monaco striker, and the continued improvement and maturation of Pepi, the biggest 2022 World Cup snub, buffered the top end of the position. Now, the depth will be tested once more.The hope is that Sargent, Agyemang, Vazquez and others will seize the opportunity in March and make the most of it.(Top photo: Agustin Cuevas Cornejo / USSF / Getty Images for USSF)
President Trump has the FIFA World Cup trophy in the Oval Office. Or does he?
By Melanie Anzidei The Atletic Feb 5, 2025
Since taking office, a recurring image of President Donald Trump seated at his desk inside the Oval Office has flooded American television screens. With each new executive order signed comes another image of Trump with a black permanent marker in hand.It didn’t take long for eagle-eyed viewers to notice the shiny object behind him: a replica of the World Cup trophy. He is expected to hand the real thing to the tournament’s winner next summer.It’s no secret Trump is an ardent supporter of FIFA, soccer’s world governing body. Trump is considered a close friend of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, whose fervor for him has been in the public eye since Trump won the United States presidential election in November. Infantino was one of the first to congratulate Trump on social media.However, that closeness does not extend to the original trophy finding an unexpected new home, with a FIFA spokesman confirming that what rests in Trump’s office is not the real World Cup. Zoomed-in images of the trophy have popped up on social media, restarting a conversation that began during Trump’s first term, when the trophy first appeared behind him among his other prized possessions, like photos of his parents. Displaying the hardware inside his office is not new and it shouldn’t come as a surprise, either. On the day of Trump’s inauguration, FIFA issued a press release mentioning how Infantino “thanked” the billionaire for referencing FIFA and Infantino “by name” during a victory rally the night before. The two have “a great friendship,” Infantino has said.
President Trump welcomed the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, to the White House during his first term, in 2018. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)
FIFA’s statement linked to Infantino’s Instagram account, which showed one image of Trump and Infantino smiling side-by-side with their thumbs up, as well as other releases tied to Trump over the years. Infantino wrote on Instagram how he was “honoured” to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida before his inauguration. Days later, Infantino was among Trump’s invitees at the U.S. Capitol, sandwiched between the families of billionaires as Trump was sworn in as the country’s 47th president.It’s unclear whether the replica trophy seen inside the Oval Office this week and still on display on Tuesday is the same one that surfaced on social media in 2018. In photos, the current trophy seems larger than the one seen there years prior. It is also unclear if the trophy was a gift, or if Trump acquired it on his own. FIFA declined to comment further on Tuesday. Some have speculated the trophy is a subtle message for those watching — a reminder that the world’s largest sporting event is coming to the U.S. next year. While the tournament is being co-hosted with Canada and Mexico, the U.S. will host a majority of the tournament’s 104 games. Eleven of the 16 host cities are in the U.S.
Trump’s replica trophy resurfaced online just as trade wars between the co-hosts began. Over the weekend, Trump had directed 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, with another 10 percent tariff on Canadian oil, natural, gas and electricity. But he agreed to a 30-day pause on the tariffs after meeting with leaders from both nations. Though Trump’s ties to FIFA seem more pronounced these days, his relationship with Infantino has existed for years. Trump played a pivotal role in support of the United States’ World Cup bid for 2026, even writing convincing letters to Infantino directly. Trump’s family, particularly Jared Kushner, also played a key role last year in securing the tournament’s final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.It remains to be seen how the trade wars between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, or how Trump’s immigration policies, will affect the 2026 World Cup. So far, FIFA has not publicly commented on the political issues between the 2026 co-hosts.It’s certainly a unique position for FIFA to be in. The World Cup had more than one host only once before when Japan and South Korea shared duties in 2002. The 2030 World Cup will be hosted across six nations, from three continents.
USMNT Player Tracker: Robinson irrepressible, Pepi extends and Pochettino to lean on Celtic duo?
By Jeff Rueter Feb 3, 2025 The Athletic
In this week’s USMNT tracker, the sport’s load management movement strikes… Greg O’Keeffe! Our usual writer is away on holiday, being rotated out to keep him fresh for the season’s business end. I’m here instead to help guide you through a busy weekend that saw more than 20 Americans ply their trades in Europe’s top leagues. Among the topics this week: Milan is unable to make up for a well-contained Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson racks up more superlatives, a couple of Championship goalscorers, and much more. Tracker? I hardly know her!
Issue of the weekend
Given how little wiggle room Celtic affords opponents in the Scottish Premiership, any mistake made by one of Scotland’s giants is a rare gift indeed. Motherwell thought they’d done just enough in the 23rd minute as they welcomed Celtic to Fir Park. Trailing from the first minute, Motherwell worked up the field and sent a cross into the heart of the box. Auston Trusty was well-positioned to clear it, but a scuffed first touch fell right to Luke Armstrong, who smashed the second chance past Kasper Schmeichel to level the score.Celtic had an answer, as they so often do. The visitors regained the lead seven minutes later, protected that one-goal lead valiantly before adding a third for good measure deep into second-half stoppage time. The 3-1 win left them 10 points clear of second-placed Rangers despite having played one game fewer.“I liked how we controlled it at 2-1, because sometimes at 2-1 it only takes a long throw or a corner, but we controlled all those moments really well,” Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said after the game. “So (I’m) really pleased with everything that gave to the game.”
Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty (Craig Foy/SNS Group via Getty Images)
While Trusty’s inability to quickly clear that cross cost his team a clean sheet, it was another otherwise dominant showing for Celtic. Motherwell managed just one additional shot across the match, making this the fifth league game where Celtic’s opponent offered only two attempts or fewer. It was also their 11th game (from 24) allowing five shots or fewer across two halves.
In the first year of this all-American partnership with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Trusty serves as the primary point-person in possession as Rodgers’ attack skews to the left through Daizen Maeda and Greg Taylor.
Trusty led all players on Sunday with 144 touches. Carter-Vickers was fourth with “just” 124 touches. The duo completed 210 of 225 pass attempts, while Trusty was also more proactive in defending on the front foot.
While the inability to find a consistent striker plagued the USMNT throughout the 2022 World Cup cycle, the run-up to next year’s version sees the anxiety shift to the opposite end of the field. At present, there is no clear pecking order at center-back. Chris Richards is back in Crystal Palace’s line-up, while Tim Ream, Walker Zimmerman and Miles Robinson are all nearing the start of the season in MLS.When Celtic signed Trusty this summer, USMNT fans had ample reason for optimism about his consistent partnership with Carter-Vickers. While individual talent is obviously of paramount importance, having a well-established duo can help a national team navigate a tournament with some vital continuity in the back. The question is whether or not this pair is getting enough of a test at Celtic, where only a few games of the league season pose a serious test.Combine that with Matt Turner’s inability to secure action this season — he is Dean Henderson’s backup at Palace — and three vital roles at the back of Mauricio Pochettino’s team are entirely up for grabs with just 16 months remaining before the World Cup. Time will tell if the pair will get a runout in tandem under Pochettino when the Nations League resumes in March.
Celtic USMNT duo star in Champions League, may solve Pochettino issue
Player of the weekend
Antonee Robinson, the best left-back in the Premier League, was his typically impactful self on Saturday as Fulham visited Newcastle. Donning the captain’s armband, as is increasingly common for him these days, Robinson logged an assist with a deft lobbed first touch in a transition sequence to bring the game level in the 61st minute. Fulham completed their comeback win 21 minutes later, leaving St James’ Park with all three points and finishing the weekend ninth in the Premier League. Robinson has accrued quite the list of superlatives in recent months, from his top-tier status in the league to being U.S. Soccer’s male player of the year for 2024. His helper on Raul Jimenez’s equalizer carved him a place in Fulham history, too. That was his 10th league assist, tying Steed Malbranque’s club record set back in 2003-04 with 14 games still to play, and left him trailing only Mohamed Salah (13) in the current season’s assist leaderboard.
Coming into January, Robinson seemed like an obvious target for a mid-season transfer as multiple clubs in and about the European places needed an upgrade at left-back. But with the deadline set to pass in the hours following this piece’s publication, it’s looking increasingly likely that Fulham will keep their main man through the end of the season, which would only bolster their hopes of a top-half finish.It would hardly be a bad thing for Robinson’s career on the surface, though his window for playing in continental competition would diminish as a result.
Quote of the weekend
Not too long ago, it seemed inevitable that the last week of January 2025 would be eventful for Ricardo Pepi.At the time, that was due to the open transfer window, with Pepi filling a need for several clubs lacking quality and depth at striker. Instead, it was notable for a host of different reasons, but none that’ll see Pepi packing his bags and leaving Eindhoven — not this week, nor any time soon.Pepi scored in PSV’s 3-2 win over a heavily-rotated Liverpool side as the Champions League’s league phase closed, but then left the game late with an injury. The club ultimately announced it was a knee problem that will require surgery. His status will be closely monitored, and he could now miss March’s Nations League semifinal against Panama.
Pepi has made a real impact at PSV this season (Maurice van Steen/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
There was one more bright spot to sandwich that injury setback, however, as PSV signed 22-year-old Pepi to an extension that could keep him at the Dutch club through 2030.“Thanks to the enormous amount of love and opportunities PSV gives me and the special club that PSV is, I had no doubts about extending my contract,” Pepi said in the club’s announcement. “We have already experienced many unforgettable moments together and hopefully many special milestones will follow.”PSV is playing the long game here, and the market for young backup strikers has never been hotter. Pepi’s path to his present standing is very similar to that of Jhon Duran, as both left MLS and became a super-sub in a bigger league, but have yet to be the main man for a European club. With Aston Villa now having sold Duran, 21, to Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr for nearly $80 million, PSV tacking years onto Pepi’s deal is smart business.It’s also a vote of confidence that someday, maybe, Pepi will regularly lead the line at the Philips Stadion.
How did other U.S. players get on?
Name: Christian Pulisic
Club: Milan
Position: Right-winger
Appearances (all competitions): 28
Goals: 12
After scoring the sole goal in Milan’s midweek 2-1 Champions League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb, Pulisic logged 86 minutes in his club’s fiercely contested Derby della Madonnina. Milan tied 1-1 with their San Siro co-tenants, with a late Inter equalizer coming after Pulisic exited the match late in the second half.
Pulisic created three chances and had his sole shot blocked.
Milan’s Pulisic endured a frustrating derby against Inter (Luca Rossini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Name: Yunus Musah
Club: Milan
Position: Central midfielder
Appearances: 26
Goals: 0
It was Musah who was sent off midweek against Dinamo Zagreb after drawing a costly second yellow card in the 39th minute. He was back in the line-up for Sunday’s Derby della Madonnina, completing 26 of 27 pass attempts in a 78-minute shift.
The draw saw Milan fall to eighth in Serie A — four points behind sixth-ranked Lazio for the final European place.
Name: Mark McKenzie
Club: Toulouse
Position: Center-back
Appearances: 20
Goals: 1
The Philadelphia Union homegrown scored his first goal for Toulouse on Sunday, helping his club notch a useful 1-1 draw against OGC Nice. It’s just deserts for over half a year of dependable play in Ligue 1, where he’s now started 18 league games for the 10th-ranked side.
Name: Josh Sargent
Club: Norwich City
Position: Striker
Appearances: 17
Goals: 7
That groin injury which forced Sargent to miss 14 Championship matches sure seems to have healed well.
The Missourian is up to three goals in his first two starts post-recovery, rippling the net with a classic poacher’s tap-in to give the Canaries a 1-0 win at Watford. The result sent Norwich above Watford and two other teams in the standings in the English second tier, now perched in eighth place through 30 matches.
Name: Chris Richards
Club: Crystal Palace
Position: Center-back
Appearances: 16
Goals: 0
Richards went a full 90 in a terrific 2-0 victory at Old Trafford. He did well to contain Alejandro Garnacho out wide, while his four aerial duel wins (from six attempts) tied him for the team lead.
Perhaps most encouraging for his hopes of staying in the line-up, Palace has won four times in Richards’ current run of six consecutive starts along the back.
Richards holds off Garnacho (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Name: Noahkai Banks
Club: Augsburg
Position: Center-back
Appearances: 5
Goals: 0
The 18-year-old made a second consecutive start in the Bundesliga, lasting 79 minutes in a 1-1 draw at St Pauli. Unfortunately, Banks swung the result against his side’s interests as a sliding effort to clear a bouncing ball from the goal line instead pushed it into the goalmouth to open the scoring.Consider it a tough lesson for a young defender who still showed plenty of promise across the rest of his shift.
Name: James Sands
Club: St Pauli
Position: Central midfielder
Appearances: 5
Goals: 0
On the reverse side of the fixture, Sands played in a slightly more advanced role of St Pauli’s midfield. While his 64 per cent pass accuracy is concerningly low, he did complete three of his four attempts in the final third. Sands has yet to log a minute at center-back during his loan spell.
Name: Tanner Tessmann
Club: Lyon
Position: Central midfielder
Appearances: 18
Goals: 0
U.S. Soccer’s newly minted Young Player of the Year came off the bench in the 86th minute of Lyon’s 3-2 defeat at Marseille, with the club falling to seventh in Ligue 1. Worryingly, Lyon is winless in its last six matches across all competitions, with Tessmann logging just 135 minutes across those fixtures.
Name: Brenden Aaronson
Club: Leeds United
Position: Attacking midfielder
Appearances: 31
Goals: 8
Aaronson scored the opener in Leeds’ 7-0 thrashing of poor Cardiff City, hustling to reward Daniel James’ rounding of the goalkeeper by meeting his cutback cross for a tap-in.
Aaronson celebrates his opener (Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)
Name: Tim Weah
Club: Juventus
Position: Right-back
Appearances: 24
Goals: 5
Weah assisted in a 4-1 comeback victory against Empoli. His defensive positioning was also sound, playing as the more withdrawn full-back compared to left-sided counterpart Nicolo Savona.
Name: Weston McKennie
Club: Juventus
Position: Attacking midfielder
Appearances: 26
Goals: 4
Mere days after captaining Juventus for the first time, McKennie was in the starting line-up again against Empoli.He saw a dramatic change in deployment, however, going from a left-back on Wednesday to logging 85 minutes as a central attacking midfielder. His versatility continues to be invaluable for Juventus, who now sits 4th in Serie A having lost just once.
McKennie played as a left-back against Empoli (Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Name: Jordan Pefok
Club: Union Berlin
Position: Striker
Appearances: 20
Goals: 0, still
A quick follow-up from last week’s section on poor Pefok, who was unable to end his scoring slump from the bench in a scoreless draw against RB Leipzig.
The striker did take one shot, having been fed a chance in the 95th minute with a sizable 0.36 xG, but Peter Gulacsi did well to see out a clean sheet for the visitors.
What’s coming up?
(All times ET)
If Robinson stays with Fulham on deadline day, as expected, his next game will be against his previous club, Wigan Athletic, in the FA Cup’s fourth round on Saturday (10am, ESPN+). It would be a bit of poetic justice, as the left-back rebuilt his stock with the EFL side from the outskirts of Manchester, currently 16th out of 24 in the third tier, before moving to Fulham in summer 2020.
Aidan Morris remains a fixture of Middlesbrough’s lineup as north-east neighbours Sunderland visit later today in a Monday special (3pm, Paramount+). Middlesbrough has won just one of its last five games in all competitions, and is outside of the Championship’s promotion play-off places on goal difference entering this fixture.
Pulisic and Musah will hope to stay in the Milan team for Wednesday’s Coppa Italia quarterfinal against Roma (3pm, Paramount+). McKennie and Weah will be spared a midweek fixture as Juventus’ quarterfinal meeting with Empoli isn’t for three weeks, but return to action on Friday with a Serie A trip to Como (2:45pm, Paramount+).
Tyler Adams and Bournemouth will hope to bounce back after their 11-game winless run got snapped by Liverpool this past weekend. They’ll head to Goodison Park to face a revived Everton on Saturday (10am, ESPN+), also in the FA Cup’s fourth round. And while League One is seldom spotlighted in these articles, Leyton Orient will likely have their 23-year-old American striker Charlie Kelman leading the line that same day as Premier League champions Manchester City visit the east Londoners in round four of the cup (7:15am, ESPN+).
Emma Hayes’ plan for USWNT looks to reframe approach through lens of women and girls
By Meg Linehan 8h ago The Athletic
U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes has finally had some time to think about the bigger picture.With the gold-medal win at the Olympics and her whirlwind 2024 behind her, Hayes was able to firm up and present her strategic vision for U.S. Soccer during the team’s January camp. She calls it “The WNT Way,” a plan that builds on technical director Matt Crocker’s vision for the program to grow the sport as a whole in the United States.The short version? Reframe everything through the lens of girls and women in the sport, rather than relying on what has previously been built for men.Hayes gave an overview in a presentation during a virtual round table on Monday. Viewed in its totality, it’s a complete reshaping of how U.S. Soccer has viewed the sport. Previously, the federation operated the women’s game as either an extension or copy of the men’s one, despite the standard of excellence set by the USWNT with its four World Cup final wins and five Olympic titles (the men have got to one World Cup quarterfinal, in 2002, and their only Olympic medals came in 1904).“Fundamentally, everything within our game has been centered through a male bias and a male lens,” Hayes said. “So I’ve challenged everybody across the federation internally to look at how they’ve been viewing the women’s game.”This exercise was for everyone, from the technical staff to marketing to human resources. Throughout the conversation, Hayes pointed to things like women playing in white shorts, the impact of a poorly-taken photograph on self-esteem and even more insidious issues such as body image and weight disorders.Hayes has big goals associated with the WNT way: becoming a global leader in this approach, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration from the technical staff to the marketing department to scientific studies and beyond, pushing boundaries through innovation, and creating inclusive environments where people and players are developed and valued.She has geared the work toward the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil and the Los Angeles-hosted 2028 Olympics, but there are also immediate priorities.First and foremost, though, she has to get people on board with her vision.
Hayes’ plan looks ahead to the 2027 and 2031 World Cups and 2028 Olympics. (Stephen McCarthy / Getty Images)
Hayes wants to set up an advisory board with representatives from the NWSL, the top club league in the U.S., and the smaller USL Super League, and possibly the NCAA (college) and youth soccer systems.“We want to put together a group that is talking at a high level, and advising around the most important things that will be required within our game,” she said. There are already research projects underway concerning performance, technical and medical analysis.In addition to domestic leagues and youth systems, Hayes wants to align the senior and youth women’s national team programs. This work has already started, with the return of the January camp for the national team and a Futures Camp running simultaneously in the same location. That integration goes beyond those get-togethers to the entire methodology of how the federation approaches women’s soccer. Standards will have to be created to raise the bar and keep people accountable for this vision.The planning also includes looking beyond the immediate international competitions to 2031. U.S. Soccer and Mexico withdrew their joint bid to host the 2027 World Cup, and have planned to bid for the next edition four years later. “I can’t control that,” Hayes said, “but we want to work to influence that.”Such a bid may be heavily complicated by the political relationship between the United States and Mexico under President Donald Trump, with ongoing political discussions over trade and the shared border. However, neither federation has made any official statements concerning potential impacts on the 2027 World Cup or any 2031 bid.
But it wasn’t all about the players. Coaching education was a clear sticking point for Hayes.
Priorities are still being worked out, but the double FIFA Best Coach of the Year (in 2021 with English club Chelsea and last year combining her work in London and with the USWNT) said she wants a coaching education director dedicated to the women’s game. That way, course content from the B license through the pro license can be cohesively linked, “whether it’s physiologically, anatomically, technically, tactically, psychologically, socially, emotionally”.
Hayes won the FIFA Best Coach of the Year award in 2024 for the second time in four years. (Claudio Villa / Getty Images)
The education of coaches is especially key for Hayes because it’s a direct reflection of having different, specific standards for the women’s game.
“We always do this constant comparing to the men’s game,” she said. “I really don’t care what they’re doing, what works for us? It’s about creating that more than anything else, and becoming more armed with the knowledge and having the right research.”
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All of these things combined allow Hayes and U.S. Soccer to think about how to influence the global ecosystem of the sport, beyond the USWNT and NWSL.
“We have to impact FIFA (the game’s global governing body). We have to impact UEFA (the European federation). We have to impact the government level across the world, which isn’t going to be easy,” she said.
Hayes still has her responsibilities to the senior national team.
The SheBelieves Cup starts in a couple of weeks, with the team’s first games of the year against Colombia, Australia and Japan. Hayes said she wants to focus on developing the team over the next two and a half years to prepare for that World Cup in Brazil, but she’s spent the past six months working in the background to get these new systems built and ready to go.
While Hayes doesn’t think this massive project will happen quickly, she is confident it will get done. She said she was “poking the bear” to make it happen. “I’ve had to put the framework in place, and now it’s the work of a lot of people within the federation to hold each and every one accountable to those steps,” she said.
And at the end of the day, Hayes thinks all of this work will help the United States to keep winning in women’s soccer, though it was not a word that came up until near the end of her presentation, during the question and answer portion.
“If we keep more girls in the game at the highest possible level, and we create the best possible environments for us, then the U.S. will win anyway,” she said.
“If we create the best environments for (players) in everything that we’re doing, how we support them, how we coach them, then we’re winning.”
(Top photo: Hayes and USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino; Brad Smith / Getty Images for USSF)
The revamped Champions League: A success or a Super League devoid of jeopardy?
| RK. | TEAM | MAKE ROUND OF 16 | MAKE QUARTER FINALS | MAKE SEMI FINALS | MAKE FINAL | WIN UCL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Liverpool | ✓ | 76% | 61% | 38% | 24% |
| T2 | Inter Milan | ✓ | 78% | 51% | 32% | 17% |
| T2 | Arsenal | ✓ | 78% | 51% | 31% | 17% |
| #4 | Barcelona | ✓ | 64% | 42% | 20% | 9% |
| #5 | PSG | 86% | 38% | 25% | 12% | 6% |
| T6 | Bayer Leverkusen | ✓ | 51% | 21% | 10% | 4% |
| T6 | Real Madrid | 53% | 31% | 16% | 8% | 4% |
| T8 | Atletico Madrid | ✓ | 49% | 19% | 8% | 3% |
| T8 | Atalanta | 75% | 48% | 19% | 8% | 3% |
| T8 | Manchester City | 47% | 27% | 13% | 6% | 3% |
| T11 | Bayern Munich | 75% | 36% | 13% | 6% | 2% |
| T11 | Sporting CP | 65% | 37% | 12% | 4% | 2% |
| T13 | Aston Villa | ✓ | 45% | 14% | 4% | 1% |
| T13 | Lille | ✓ | 45% | 12% | 3% | 1% |
| T15 | Juventus | 54% | 14% | 6% | 2% | <1% |
| T15 | AC Milan | 63% | 14% | 6% | 2% | <1% |
| T15 | PSV | 46% | 11% | 4% | 1% | <1% |
| T15 | Benfica | 53% | 11% | 5% | 2% | <1% |
| T15 | Borussia Dortmund | 35% | 15% | 3% | <1% | <1% |
| T15 | Monaco | 47% | 9% | 4% | <1% | <1% |
| T15 | Feyenoord | 37% | 5% | 1% | <1% | <1% |
| T15 | Club Bruges | 25% | 10% | 2% | <1% | <1% |
| T15 | Celtic | 25% | 6% | <1% | <1% | <1% |
| T15 | Brest | 14% | 2% | <1% | <1% | <1% |
| Dinamo Zagreb | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Stuttgart | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Bologna | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Red Star Belgrade | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Sturm Graz | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Sparta Prague | — | — | — | — | — | |
| RB Leipzig | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Girona | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Red Bull Salzburg | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Slovan Bratislava | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Young Boys | — | — | — | — | — |
By James Horncastle Feb 1, 2025 The Athletic NY Times
At a time when some events are banning phones to ensure the audience is properly engaged in the experience, the perceived success of the new Champions League format was instead captured by the image of Aston Villa and Club Brugge players huddled around various devices anxiously checking the scores in Barcelona and Zagreb to see if they’d made the top eight and play-offs respectively.Wednesday’s scenes at Villa Park and the Etihad Stadium had a palpable charm to them. Here was a modern twist on transistor radios being held to one ear, game-states being passed by word of mouth followed by cheers or curses, progress or elimination. This was presented as a welcome novelty, something that didn’t used to happen in the group stage the league phase has replaced. All hail the league phase!The broadly positive reception to the new formula called to mind Harry Lime’s immortal line in The Third Man. “In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.” Lime perhaps wouldn’t have been so disdainful if he’d known about the Swiss model, as the new Champions League format is known.But aside from delivering more money to the clubs, more games to the broadcasters and more revenue to itself, did UEFA’s overhaul work?There were some great stories during the league phase, from Lille and Brest over-performing to Manchester City’s unexpected psychodrama. Lille, for instance, lost their coach Paulo Fonseca to Milan in the summer and sold their best young player, Leny Yoro, to Manchester United. They needed to go through two preliminary rounds, where they eliminated Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, just to make the league phase.
When Ruben Amorim’s Sporting beat them on the Swiss model’s opening night, most people would have tipped the Lisbon side, not Lille to be the gatecrashers into the top eight. But, no. Lille bounced back to beat champions Real Madrid, then neighbours Atletico. They drew with Juventus and only lost to Liverpool after going down to 10 men.
Remy Cabella celebrates with Ngal’ayel Mukau as Lille thump Feyenoord 6-1 on Wednesday (Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)
But past editions of the Champions League did not lack storylines like Lille’s, so it is hard to attribute theirs to the new format.
Brest, perhaps, benefited from playing eight games and eight different opponents instead of six against three other clubs, as was the case in previous seasons. It feels a long time ago now but the momentum for their qualification to the upcoming play-off round came from a light introduction to Europe’s elite club competition.To the neutral, their fixtures felt less Champions League and more Austrian Bundesliga or Mitropa Cup in the early months as they beat Sturm Graz and RB Salzburg, then creditably held Bayer Leverkusen to a draw before overcoming Sparta in Prague. It was a heartwarming tale, even if Brest’s Cinderella story was a bit like giving Cinders a dating app with the best possible algorithm to help her find her happy-ever-after.
The miracle of Brest, a club a world apart from Champions League opponents Real Madrid
They were trumpeted as the second-best new addition to the Champions League. The other was the buzzword of the final night simulcast.As the competition clashed for the first time with the winter transfer window, the notion of jeopardy was roundly heralded as the Champions League’s best new signing, hyped as a prospect capable of drawing more attention than the usual cast of stars. But, make no mistake, a lot of smoke and mirrors were in use here.Part of the jeopardy came from missing out on the top eight.Atalanta and Milan fell out of it on Wednesday. Their punishment? Two more games on their schedule in the play-offs. Is that a penalty? Fans of clubs tend to want to see them in action as much as possible, particularly in the Champions League, so this did not seem much of a penalty. On the contrary, it could be interpreted as a bonus by anyone apart from the coach and the players who have to factor in more effort, preparation and fixture congestion.
Yunus Musah sees red in Zagreb and Milan are beaten – and condemned to play two more games (Marko Lukunic/Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images)
At one end of the standings, Liverpool could send the kids to play PSV in Eindhoven. At the other, nine teams had already been eliminated before the final gameweek. The bulk of the remainder were either sure of qualification or almost sure of it, which meant the jeopardy was jostling for position in a table so large it felt like watching midfield overtakes in the Indy 500.
As a viewer, it was hard to keep up and stay on track.
The real drama came from the random coincidence of the new format’s introduction with the one season in Pep Guardiola’s 17-year coaching career when his team are spluttering. In the end, though, the extension of the opening phase from six games to eight allowed big clubs like City, who left it last-minute compared with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, enough rope to pull themselves out of trouble.
It used to be that 10 or 11 points was the benchmark for qualification from a six-game group. Though in 2013, 12 points weren’t enough for Napoli. This time round, in the inaugural league phase, City, Sporting and Club Brugge reached the play-offs with 11 points from two extra matches. Less from more somehow represented progress.
City diced with disaster, left it late, and still reached the play-offs (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
The tie-breakers were unsatisfactory, too.While Brugge celebrated in defeat in Manchester, Dinamo Zagreb were downcast in victory at the Maksimir. They had beaten Milan but missed the play-offs on goal difference. It raised the question: is goal difference a fair differentiator when you’ve played a different set of fixtures to, in Dinamo’s case, City, Sporting and Brugge?Away goals would not represent a perfect solution either, as you don’t play every team home and away.
Eighteen Champions League games, one unusual assignment: watch every match (in five-minute segments)
By playing eight different teams, there is more variety, more curiosity and less sameness. However, the new format throws up another conundrum: when is a league not a league? By not playing everyone, your club’s fixtures can feel abstract and that abstraction could be like lifting the lid on Pandora’s box. Because if home and away isn’t a thing, does it matter where these games are played? Might it open the door to UEFA Champions League fixtures in New York and Riyadh?
We should never forget the original sin of this format change was the challenge posed to UEFA by a Super League. The Swiss model is an open model. It isn’t closed to entry. But it does secure clubs more revenue — albeit not as much as some think they would make in a new competition — and the 16-team play-off round works like a safety net from elimination that keeps the under-performing elite in the competition instead of sending them down to the less lucrative, more tiring Europa League as in previous years.So as with the illusion of jeopardy, the other trick here — a compromise, really — is that this is a Super League approximating format under UEFA branding.“Are you not entertained?”I’ll leave you with the image of Aleksander Ceferin, bloodied by the Super League insurrectionists, throwing his sword onto the Colosseum gravel.Is it a thumb-up, a thumb-down, or is your fist still hovering uncertainly in the air?
Inside Naomi Girma’s move to Chelsea: From early success to breaking transfer records
Meg Linehan an 31, 2025 Shortly after Naomi Girma’s first links to Chelsea appeared, a video from the match between the United States and England resurfaced. Following the final whistle of a scoreless draw at Wembley Stadium last November, cameras caught Chelsea defenders Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze wrapping Girma up in hugs, Bright prodding playfully at the U.S. badge on Girma’s jersey, covering her mouth as she talked. Months later, while officially wearing Chelsea blue, Girma laughed when shown the video, admitting the two had been asking if she was coming to London. Calling the moment intriguing or even an inflection point is a bit of a reach, but it helped rev up speculation over Girma’s future in the NWSL and her eventual destination in the transfer window. However, her journey to a record-breaking $1.1million (£890,000) transfer started nearly a year earlier when Girma requested to go on loan from the San Diego Wave in January 2024. She was ready for Europe.
Girma joined the NWSL as the No. 1 draft pick in the 2022 entry draft, selected by the expansion team in San Diego ahead of their inaugural season. Most NWSL expansion teams don’t immediately make a significant play for the postseason, but the Wave finished in third place that first year and Girma was voted both the league rookie of the year and defender of the year. She would go back-to-back as the league’s top defender in 2023 when the Wave won the NWSL shield as the top team of the regular season.At the same time, Girma was making a name for herself with the U.S. women’s national team, earning her first cap in 2022 under former head coach Vlatko Andonovski. Ahead of the 2023 World Cup, Megan Rapinoe provided her assessment of Girma’s instant-starter status. “I don’t think you can leave her off the field,” Rapinoe told a handful of reporters ahead of a SheBelieves Cup match. “Calm, extremely smart. I don’t think her physicality gets talked about enough, deceptively quick. If you have any kind of quickness and brain, then that’s a wrap. She can play any kind of ball. She’s a great leader. She’s just f***ing good.”
Girma quickly earned her spot with the U.S. women’s national team in 2023. (Brad Smith / Getty Images for USSF)
By the time the 2023 World Cup rolled around, Girma was a locked starter — though alongside Julie Ertz who had unexpectedly returned to the team in time for the tournament, and not Becky Sauerbrunn (who wasn’t selected due to a foot injury). For as much as the USWNT’s earliest exit in a World Cup has been dissected, Girma and Ertz were the clear bright spot, only allowing two shots on goal through the four matches played.Last summer at the Olympics, Girma once again played every minute of a major tournament for the team. This time, it was her coronation, ending with a gold medal.
Naomi Girma’s invaluable defending and leadership for USWNT: ‘It’s an art’
“She’s the best defender I’ve ever seen,” head coach Emma Hayes said after the shutout semifinal victory against Germany. “Ever.”As Girma’s profile rose in the United States and the international game (Ballon d’Or snub aside), the Wave’s technical staff realized they would struggle to afford her. In June 2023, the club signed Girma to a new deal through the 2026 season, the maximum contract length at the time.By the start of 2024, however, Girma had asked the team to consider an overseas loan. Sources briefed on these conversations did not specify which team — only that, because of the short turnaround time, the Wave were unable to honor that request.During the season, the coaching staff and front office (and eventually, ownership) were going through changes of their own. General manager Molly Downtain announced her departure in February, though her final day with the Wave happened in April. By June, the team hired Camille Ashton to serve as the club’s new sporting director and general manager. Head coach Casey Stoney was fired later that month after a seven-game winless streak.
Naomi Girma won rookie and defender of the year in 2022. (Lyndsay Radnedge / Getty Images)
It would fall to Ashton to determine if Girma was still set on Europe. The 2024 summer window was still a theoretical possibility, though at this point — based on the NWSL club’s understanding of the situation — Girma had not yet determined what her preferred destination was.Through the fall and into the winter transfer window, Girma was linked to three of the top European clubs: Arsenal, Lyon, and Chelsea. Arsenal was the first of those clubs to truly fall out of the running, though sources briefed on the team’s conversations with Girma and her agent did say that former Arsenal defender Alex Scott had an “informal” discussion with her over a potential move.
Lyon, as things inched closer to a final deal, was the main challenger to Chelsea, providing the Wave with a $1million offer for a transfer fee of their own. There was no shortage of American teammates to talk to there about their experiences in France, with USWNT captain Lindsey Horan and defender Sofia Huerta, currently on loan from Reign FC, both on the roster.Chelsea, in many ways though, was always the frontrunner, and not just because of their willingness to be aggressive in their transfer window spending.Naomi Girma had always been on Chelsea’s radar and scouts had previously filed reports on her over the past couple of years as Girma settled into the NWSL. Their hand was forced, however, last November after center back Kadeisha Buchanan tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). One source familiar with the deal confirmed that Girma became a primary target that month — and head coach Sonia Bompastor had been pretty clear on the need for depth at center-back across multiple press conferences this winter.
Naomi Girma joins a Chelsea team needing to add depth. (Harriet Lander / Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
The goal for Chelsea remains to win the Champions League, and the team did not feel it could do that with Millie Bright and Nathalie Bjorn alone.
Back in San Diego, the club had to balance two priorities: helping Girma play where she wanted to play, but also ensuring the Wave got a fair shake on the final deal.
At first, there were exploratory conversations about Chelsea sending a player to California along with a transfer fee, but that turned too complicated and the final discussions were solely about the right dollar amount. Sources briefed on these conversations also said that San Diego wasn’t entirely sure it would be wrapped up in time for the window closing on January 30, but they also understood it wouldn’t be beneficial for them or Girma if she didn’t make the move this winter.The Wave had already begun preparing for her absence on the 2025 roster, most crucially signing 17-year-old Trinity Armstrong, convincing her to make the leap to the pros after a successful freshman year at the University of North Carolina which culminated in an NCAA national championship — and a summer with the U.S. under-17s at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in which the team won bronze. Armstrong, not unlike Girma, had played every minute of that tournament for the youth national team.Armstrong may be poised to follow in the footsteps of Girma both in San Diego and her progression to the senior national team, but the Wave also knew that there was no way to replace Girma with a single player. She has always been one of one. Rather than focus on a big signing to compensate, the Wave have opted to focus on the team’s depth and chemistry as a whole under new head coach Jonas Eidevall.
By January 21, the Wave and Chelsea had agreed to the terms of the transfer: a $1.1million fee, which sources said would be split across three years. It was also the first day of San Diego’s preseason — which Girma reported to — and a few days after the U.S. women’s national team announced Girma would miss the January camp due to a minor calf injury.By that Sunday, all the trappings of her announcement were in place, including the hype video, promotional photos, and the customized ‘Girma 16′ jerseys prominently featured on the team’s store website.The moment had finally arrived, and no cold London drizzle could dampen the moment of Girma stepping out from the tunnel at Stamford Bridge in blue, her hand raised in a wave, as the stadium blared the chorus of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Californication.”
(Top photo: Harriet Lander / Getty Images; Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic)
The Ole BallCoach 