Champions League Tues/Wed, Europa Thurs
Its the Final game of the Round of 8 in the Champions League today and Wed at 3 pm on Paramount+ as Aston Villa is just 2 goals down to PSG in their home tally 1-3, while Barcelona will travel to the Big Yellow wall – Dortmund (we’ll see if Reyna gets time after being told he can look for a new club this summer) with a 4-0 lead. Meanwhile Arsenal take a 3-0 lead to Real Madrid on Wednesday, while Bayern Munich travels to Milan down 2-1 to Inter – both games at 3 pm.
Tues Champions League
Dortmund vs Barcelona & Aston Villa vs PSG on Para+
Wed
Arsenal vs Real Madrid & Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan on Para+
Thurs 3 pm Europa League on Para+
Man United vs Lyonnais & Frankfurt vs Tottenham & Chelsea vs Warszawa & Athletic Club vs Rangers
Around the World – Messi signs 2 more yrs w/Miami, Reyna free to go, US hosts 2031 WWC
Great news hearing that Messi has signed on to continue playing 2 more years with Inter Miami. In fact I am heading to Cleveland this weekend to see him play Sat vs Columbus at 4:30 pm. That means he will be there when Miami opens its new stadium next year and will be in Miami after the World Cup wraps up in the summer of 2026. Does this mean he’ll play 1 more World Cup for Argentina? Interesting to see what happens there – as Argentina qualified for the World Cup and pounded Brazil without Messi in the team. In other interesting news- Dortmund has given Gio Reyna permission to look for another team this summer. He’s gotten playing time but has not performed that well over the past few weeks. The US will need him in top form for the Gold Cup this summer. A must win event after getting pounded in Nations League.
Indy 11 host US Open Cup Game vs Miami FC Wed Apr 16 7:30 pm @ the Mike & on Paramount+
Indy Eleven: 1-1-2 (+1), 5 pts; 7th in Eastern Conference had their game at Hartford canceled on Saturday and will return home to face Miami FC in the US Open Cup 3rd round Wed night @ the Mike. Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster. Season, Flex Plan, Group, and Hospitality tickets are available here. For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com.
GoalKeeper Training for Carmel FC Is outdoors starts next week
Coach James Pilkington will run sessions on Monday at Shelbourne 6-9 pm and Wed at Badger 6-9 pm
TV GAMES
Tues – Champions League
Dortmund vs Barcelona & Aston Villa vs PSG on Para+ 3 pm
Louisville City FC vs. Loudon United FC on CBS Sports Network 7 pm US Open Cup
Wed
Arsenal vs Real Madrid & Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan on Para+
Indy 11 vs Miami FC 7:30 pm @ the Mike & Para+ US Open Cup
Thurs 3 pm Europa League on Para+
Man United vs Lyonnais & Frankfurt vs Tottenham & Chelsea vs Warszawa & Athletic Club vs Rangers
USMNT midweek viewing guide:
Plus Johnny, Tessmann, and Brown in Europa and Conference Leagues on Thursday.
Tuesday
- Borussia Dortmund vs FC Barcelona, 3p on Paramount+, FuboTV, TUDN USA, Univision USA, ViX: Gio Reyna and Dortmund host Barcelona in the second leg of this UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. Barça are up 4-0 on aggregate after the first leg in Spain last week. Diego Kochen is often in Barça’s squad. Cole Campbell has played with Dortmund’s first team this season, but not recently, and he’s currently out with a minor injury.
- Chivas vs Puebla, 9:05p on Peacock, UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV: Cade Cowell and Chivas de Guadalajara host Puebla in Liga MX.
Wednesday
- Newcastle vs Crystal Palace, 2:30p on USA, UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV, Sling TV: Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace visit Newcastle United in Premier League action.
- Monterrey vs Club América, 9p on TUDN USA, Univision USA, FuboTV, ViX: Alex Zendejas and América visit Rayados in Liga MX.
Thursday
- Jagiellonia Białystok vs Real Betis, 12:45p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV, ViX: Johnny Cardoso and Betis visit Jagiellonia Białystok in the second leg of this Conference League quarterfinal. Leon Flach has been a regular starter for Jagiellonia Białystok since joining from the Philadelphia Union in January, but Flach was subbed off due to injury only 5 minutes into Jagiellonia’s game on Sunday. Betis are up 2-0 on aggregate.
- Frankfurt vs Tottenham, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Nathaniel Brown and Eintracht Frankfurt are all even 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur after the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal.
- Manchester United vs Lyon, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, FuboTV, ViX: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon visit Manchester United in the second leg of their Europa League quarterfinal, all tied 2-2 on aggregate.
Friday
- Norwich vs Portsmouth, 10a: Josh Sargent and the Canaries host Portsmouth in the Championship.
- Coventry vs West Brom, 10a on Paramount+: It’s a meeting of American forwards as Haji Wright and Coventry host Daryl Dike and Albion in the Championship.
- Watford vs Burnley, 10a on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV: Caleb Wiley and Watford host Luca Koleosho and Burnley in the Championship.
- Oxford United vs Leeds United, 3p on Paramount+: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds visit Oxford United in the Championship.
Also in action:
- Middlesbrough vs Plymouth, 10a: Aidan Morris and Boro host Plymouth Argle in the Championship.
- Sheffield United vs Cardiff, 12:30p on Paramount+: Ethan Horvath and Cardiff City visit Sheffield United in the Championship.
- NK Varaždin vs Hajduk Split, 12:45p: Rokas Pukštas and Split visit Varaždin in Croatia’s top tier.
- LASK Linz vs WSG Tirol, 1:30p on Onefootball: George Bello and LASK host Tirol in Austria’s top tier relegation group.
NWSL Schedule
MLS Schedule
USL Schedule
— US OPEN CUP ON TV —
Atlanta (April 14, 2025) – Paramount+ and CBS Sports are set to kick off their partnership as the exclusive English-language broadcast home of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer’s National Championship, with unprecedented tournament coverage, beginning with the competition’s Third Round this Tuesday, April 15, and Wednesday, April 16. The entire 16-game Third Round slate – and every match onward to the tournament Final – will stream live on Paramount+. Six of those Third Round contests will also be simulcast via additional platforms; fans can watch four matches for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network, while two more contests will air on CBS Sports Network. The full broadcast schedule for the Third Round can be found below.
- All Third Round matches stream live on Paramount+
- Fans can watch select matches for for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network
CBS Sports’ Open Cup presence will be bolstered across both days with studio shows featuring host Nate Bukaty and analysts Charlie Davies and Tony Meola, along with Mike Grella (Tuesday) and Michael Lahoud (Wednesday). Coverage from the studio will begin with Tuesday evening’s U.S. Open Cup Preview, a 30-minute look-ahead to the Third Round airing on CBS Sports Network at 6:30 p.m. ET. The studio crew will also take fans around the country with live analysis and previews on the Golazo Matchday show, airing between games on CBS Sports Golazo Network both Tuesday (9-10 p.m. ET) and Wednesday (9-9:30 p.m. ET) nights – pending the finish of the network’s early-window match. In all Third Round contests, 16 clubs from the Division II USL Championship will enter the tournament against a Second Round victor. That latter group includes 15 professional teams spanning the USL Championship (4), USL League One (9), and MLS NEXT Pro (2), in addition to El Farolito, which for the second year in a row is the last club standing from the amateur Open Division.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Broadcast Schedule – Third Round
Tuesday, April 15 (all times ET)
| Columbus Crew 2 vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 6:00 PM | Paramount+ |
| U.S. Open Cup Preview | 6:30 PM | CBS Sports Network |
| Louisville City FC vs. Loudon United FC | 7:00 PM | Paramount+ & CBS Sports Network |
| Charlotte Independence vs. North Carolina FC | 7:00 PM | Paramount+ |
| Portland Hearts of Pine vs. Rhode Island FC | 7:00 PM | Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network |
| Charleston Battery vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC | 7:30 PM | Paramount+ |
| Union Omaha vs. San Antonio FC | 8:00 PM | Paramount+ |
| CBS Sports Golazo Matchday | 9:00 PM | CBS Sports Golazo Network |
| AV ALTA FC vs. Orange County SC | 10:00 PM | Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network |
| Tacoma Defiance vs. Oakland Roots SC | 10:30 PM | Paramount+ |
Wednesday, April 16 (all times ET)
| Detroit City FC vs. Westchester SC | 7:00 PM | Paramount+ |
| FC Naples vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies | 7:00 PM | Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network |
| Indy Eleven vs. Miami FC | 7:30 PM | Paramount+ |
| FC Tulsa vs. Phoenix Rising FC | 8:00 PM | Paramount+ |
| Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. One Knoxville SC | 9:00 PM | Paramount+ |
| CBS Sports Golazo Matchday | 9:00 PM | CBS Sports Golazo Network |
| New Mexico United vs. El Paso Locomotive | 9:30 PM | Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network |
| Sacramento Republic FC vs. El Farolito | 10:00 PM | Paramount+ & CBS Sports Network |
| Las Vegas Lights FC vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC | 10:30 PM | Paramount+ |
A red-hot Third Round will have barely cooled off before the focus turns to the Round of 32/Round of 16 Draw, to be held this Thursday, April 17, as part of CBS Sports Golazo Network’s flagship program, Morning Footy, at 9:15 a.m. ET. Thursday’s Draw will combine a pair of Third Round winners with another pair of clubs entering the tournament from Division I Major League Soccer, all drawn from eight groups of four teams. In addition to full matches and highlights, CBS Sports’ coverage will include studio programming on CBS Sports Golazo Network and the creation of ancillary content beyond games which will focus on markets and clubs in the competition, as well as the tournament’s rich history as the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States. CBS Sports will also provide additional Open Cup editorial coverage on CBSSports.com, the Golazo Starting XI newsletter and across its @GolazoAmerica and @CBSSportsGolazo social accounts.
About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Now in its 110th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has crowned U.S. Soccer’s national champion since 1914. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and is open to professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the U.S. was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt. The 2025 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The 2025 tournament features a total purse worth $1 million that includes a $600,000 award for the champion. Los Angeles Football Club of MLS is the defending Champion. The 109th edition of the tournament concluded on September 25, 2024, with LAFC beating four-time Champions Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles to become Open Cup Champions for the first time.
The official website of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is ussoccer.com/us-open-cup. Fans can also follow the competition on X/Twitter and Instagram @OpenCup and Facebook @OfficialOpenCup.
Champions League
Real Madrid’s greatest UEFA Champions League comebacks
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Champions League projections: How Arsenal steadily became 2024-25 tournament favourites
By Anantaajith Raghuraman 70 ril 15, 2025Updated 10:33 am EDT
Time can make fools of us all. Even supercomputers.
Barring some sensational results in the quarter-final second legs this week, there are probably only five teams left who can win this season’s Champions League (Arsenal, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Bayern Munich). That’s a significant shift from the start of the season when, before a ball was kicked in the new-look format, The Athletic’s Opta-powered projections had Manchester City (25 per cent) and Real Madrid (18 per cent) as the most likely sides to lift the trophy. How are those projections calculated, you ask. Well, Opta’s win prediction model estimates the probability of each match’s outcome (win, draw or loss) by using a combination of betting market odds and Opta’s team power rankings. The odds and rankings are based on historical and recent team performances and the competition in its entirety is simulated 10,000 times to produce a final projection for each side.But not even models can anticipate things such as Rodri’s season-altering injury for City or Declan Rice suddenly discovering he can take direct free kicks like a Brazilian.
If slow and steady really does win the race, then Arsenal’s progression to tournament favourites, per our projections, looks to be well-timed. Here’s how the fortunes of the remaining eight clubs have fluctuated throughout the season.
Arsenal
Arsenal began the Champions League campaign behind Manchester City, Real Madrid and Inter with a six per cent chance of winning the competition for the first time. A 0-0 draw at Atalanta on matchday one, combined with other results, saw Bayer Leverkusen (who beat Feyenoord 4-0) overtake them. The next three weeks brought a 2-0 win over PSG and a 1-0 loss at Inter. Few were thinking of Arsenal as tournament favourites at this point.
But they won their final four league games 13-1 on aggregate to boost their title odds to 17 per cent, tied with Inter and behind only Liverpool (24 per cent) before the playoff round.
PSG’s elimination of Liverpool in the round of 16 and Arsenal’s convincing 3-0 win in Madrid last week mean they are now the (narrow) favourites to win it all, with a 27 per cent chance.
Whisper it quietly, but Arsenal could go all the way (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
It’s been a frustrating, injury-hit season for Mikel Arteta’s side, but after enduring a six-season absence from European football’s leading competition, they could — and should — follow up last season’s quarter-final appearance with their first trip to the semi-finals since 2008-09.What You Should Read NextArsenal are forging ‘football heritage’ in both the men’s and women’s Champions LeaguesBoth Arsenal’s men’s and women’s teams are marching on in the Champions League, laying the foundations for sustained success along the way
Real Madrid
Despite starting the season as the reigning champions and second favourites in our projections, Real Madrid stuttered and stumbled through the league phase in uncharacteristic fashion after winning 15 of their 18 group stage matches in the previous three seasons.
They needed late heroics to beat Stuttgart on matchday one before losing 1-0 to Lille in France and 3-1 at home to Milan either side of a 5-2 comeback win against Borussia Dortmund.
A chastening 2-0 loss at Liverpool on matchday five reduced Madrid’s title chances to six per cent, with a seven per cent chance of league-phase elimination.
Defeat at Lille is one of several Champions League low points for Real Madrid this season (Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images)
But Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat Atalanta, Red Bull Salzburg, and Brest in their final three matches to make the playoff round, where they thrashed Manchester City 6-3 on aggregate. That boosted their title chances to 11 per cent, behind only Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal and Inter.
But a poor display in north London last week has seen that drop to less than one per cent. There have been Bernabeu turnaround miracles in the past, but Madrid have just a three per cent chance of making it into the last four as it stands.
Barcelona
Barcelona were level with Arsenal with a six per cent chance of winning the title before the season began. A surprise 2-1 loss at Monaco set them back, but a statement win over Bayern on matchday three, combined with comfortable victories against Young Boys (5-0) and Red Star Belgrade (5-2) meant that figure jumped to nine per cent — just ahead of Arsenal’s eight per cent — at the halfway point.Relive a statement winBarcelona 4 Bayern Munich 1: Raphinha hat-trick gives Hansi Flick a triumphant night against his former clubWe analyse the key talking points from one of the most enticing matches from the initial stage of this season’s Champions League
They ended the league phase with three wins and a draw to finish second, but Barcelona’s title chances remained the same before rising to 20 per cent — the best of the teams left in the competition — after their 4-1 aggregate win over Benfica in the round of 16. Despite beating Dortmund 4-0 last week, they are now narrow second-favourites to win the title (26 per cent) behind Arsenal, who they could meet in the final in what would be a repeat of the 2006 edition.
Raphinha and Yamal have Barcelona flying high again (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund scored 10 goals in their first two Champions League matches this season, prompting early optimism and doubling their title chances to four per cent from two before matchday one. It was false hope, though, as losses to Real Madrid (5-2), Barcelona at home (3-2) and Bologna (2-1) in the next five games saw them fall out of the top eight.
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They beat Sporting CP 3-0 in the play-off round but were given just a 38 per cent chance of beating Lille after the first leg of their round-of-16 tie ended 1-1. Even so, they came from behind to win the second leg 2-1 but saw title chances boosted to only one per cent after they drew Barcelona in the quarter-finals (with Bayern Munich or Inter in the semis, were they to progress). A 4-0 first-leg defeat suggests the projection model was spot-on about Dortmund.
Dortmund’s chances of turning over a four-goal deficit are reflected in The Athletic’s projections (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Inter
Having started the competition with an 11 per cent chance of winning it (behind only Real Madrid and Manchester City), the only blemish on Inter’s league phase was a 1-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen on matchday six. They conceded just one goal in eight matches and recorded impressive wins over Arsenal and Monaco, which boosted their title chances to 17 per cent (tied with Arsenal for second) after the league phase was completed.
Feyenoord were a mere formality in the round of 16 and while their last-eight tie with Bayern is the closest on paper at 2-1, Inter have every reason to be confident, with an 85 per cent chance of progression to the last four. Can the 2023 runners-up go one better two years on?
Inter’s late win in Munich has boosted their chances of overall victory (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Bayern Munich
Bayern began the league phase with only a four per cent chance of winning the title, tied for sixth overall. That instantly improved (albeit only by one percentage point) after they thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 on matchday one, the second-highest number of goals in a single Champions League game behind Dortmund’s 8-4 win against Legia Warsaw in 2016.
Defeats to Aston Villa and Barcelona then dropped their chances to three per cent and increased the probability of a league-stage elimination to six per cent.
A run of four wins in their final five matches saw them finish 12th. They required a last-ditch Alphonso Davies winner to get past Celtic in the playoff round but comfortably trounced domestic rivals Leverkusen 5-0 in the round of 16.
Even so, last week’s home loss to Inter has left them with just a two per cent chance of winning the title in Vincent Kompany’s first season in charge.
Can Bayern turn around their tie in San Siro? (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain
If Arsenal’s projections have shown steady progress, PSG have experienced a huge surge. Having started the season with a four per cent chance of winning the tournament, they won just one of their first five matches, losing to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern while drawing with PSV. That left them with a 42 per cent chance of league-phase elimination and dropped their title chances to two per cent. It looked all but over for Luis Enrique’s side.
But a 4-2 comeback win against Manchester City breathed life into their European season, before a 10-2 aggregate destruction of Brest in the playoffs boosted their title chances to nine per cent. Defeating long-time favourites Liverpool on penalties in the round of 16 more than doubled it to 19 per cent and the 3-1 lead over Villa means they now have a 23 per cent chance of winning the competition for the first time.
If momentum wins you titles, then this season’s Champions League is surely PSG’s to lose.
Momentum is with PSG, but can they maintain it? (Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images)
Aston Villa
Aston Villa have enjoyed their Champions League adventure, which understandably began with a less than one per cent chance of winning the title. They had memorable results against Bayern (1-0), Juventus (0-0), Bologna (2-0), RB Leipzig (3-2) and Celtic (4-2) to finish eighth and avoid the playoff round.
Their chances of winning the title ‘improved’ to one per cent after matchday eight and peaked at three per cent before the quarter-finals got underway. But a 3-1 defeat in Paris has seen that return to less than one per cent, with just a nine per cent chance of even making it into the semis.
(Top photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
Jude Bellingham: Champions League comeback challenge ‘tailor-made’ for Real Madrid
By Mario Cortegana April 15, 2025 11:16 am EDT
Jude Bellingham says the possibility of a historic Champions League comeback against Arsenal is a challenge ‘tailor-made’ for Real Madrid.The Spanish side trail 3-0 following last week’s first leg defeat in London but will still believe they can progress to the semi-final stage, having enjoyed multiple comebacks in the knockout stages in recent seasons.In 2021-22, Madrid came from 2-0 down on aggregate to eliminate Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 and defeated Manchester City in the last four, despite trailing 5-3 on aggregate going into the final minute of the second leg.Bellingham, who was part of the Madrid squad that won the 2023-24 Champions League following two late goals to eliminate Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, was asked ahead of Arsenal’s visit what the most-repeated word in the dressing room was this week.“‘Remontada’ (Spanish for comeback),” Bellingham said. “Honestly, I’ve heard it a million times this week, I’ve seen a lot of videos on social media, and I’ve also heard it from you, the press.“It’s a night tailor-made for Madrid.”
Bellingham was then asked at what point Madrid’s players began believing in the possibility of a comeback.What You Should Read NextReal Madrid’s board must shoulder some blame for Arsenal thrashing – it’s not all on Carlo AncelottiIt is easy to single out the manager for Tuesday’s collapse, but he has been calling for reinforcements since the middle of last season
“Honestly, after the game it’s complicated because you have that difficult moment, analysing what you haven’t done well,” the England international said.“But as you talk about it and you see the confidence you get into all that. We have had previous experiences. These feelings are contagious. It was almost immediate, on the bus, even though we weren’t like we are now.”
Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti called on his side to play “with our heads, with heart and with guts”, while also speaking of the importance of using a “cool head”.“Madrid have all the resources to turn this tie around: quality, commitment, experience, the fans,” Ancelotti said.“We have to get the best out of each and every one of us. In previous years it’s not that people said we played spectacularly, and maybe that’s true because we want to be effective rather than spectacular.”Madrid will return to La Liga action four days after the Arsenal visit as they host Athletic Club of Bilbao.What You Sh
USMNT Player Tracker: Carter-Vickers’ piledriver, Pulisic the assist king and Richards’ consolation
By Greg O’Keeffe April 14, 2025
It was another busy weekend for the United States’ contingent of players across Europe’s major leagues, as Cameron Carter-Vickers moved tantalisingly close to becoming the season’s first American title winner, Christian Pulisic got back to business and Malik Tillman’s comeback continued apace.Jump into this week’s analysis of how the USMNT emigres are faring as we run the rule over their fortunes ahead of a key summer.
Carter-Vickers unleashes hell
In another memorable season for Celtic, Cameron-Carter Vickers created one for the highlights reel on Saturday.The centre-back is on the brink of a fourth title winner’s medal in as many years in Scotland, and it is now a matter of when, not if, Brendan Rodgers’ side are crowned champions. That would have happened already had 10-man Rangers not mounted an unlikely recovery to secure a 2-2 away draw against Aberdeen on Sunday. Their 97th-minute equaliser is merely delaying the inevitable, though.During Celtic’s 5-1 demolition of Kilmarnock the previous day, Carter-Vickers scored a goal that he — or any of his team-mates — will do well to better before the end of the campaign.It was his first of the season and he did it in style: carrying the ball forward unchecked before unleashing an unstoppable long-range strike into the top right of the goal.t’s not the sort of thing you’d associate with the 27-year-old — as demonstrated by team-mate Alistair Johnston’s priceless reaction, looking completely stunned with his hands on his head.It had to be good simply to be considered the best finish of the game, as Celtic’s Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate had earlier scored his own contender for goal of the season from a similar range. But given Hatate is more of an attacking player with nine goals and four assists to his name already in the current campaign, we’re inclined to give the American’s stunner the edge.
Carter-Vickers celebrates with his Celtic team-mates (Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)
From a USMNT point of view, it can only be a positive that a defender who appears to be part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans — he featured in both of March’s Concacaf Nations League finals matches — is developing a consistent winning mentality with his club.“Before I came here, I played five seasons in the Championship down in England and that league is a lot more win, win, lose, lose,” he told the Daily Record, recalling his previous spells at Bournemouth, Luton Town, Stoke City, Swansea City, Ipswich Town and Sheffield United in England’s second tier while on Tottenham Hotspur’s books.“As a player, I’m used to not necessarily winning all the time and I understand that it’s actually very hard to win all the time, no matter who you’re playing. It’s definitely something we’ve done well over the last few years and something we want to continue to do.
“We’ve got one cup (the Scottish League Cup) in the bag so far, and are in a good position to get two more trophies domestically. Our Champions League campaign was a decent one and we showed we could compete at that level. Now you want to finish it in style.”It might be that winning the Scottish Premiership is less difficult than securing the title in some other top-flight leagues — Celtic have been its champions in 10 of the past 11 seasons — but for Carter-Vickers and U.S. team-mate, new father Auston Trusty, a regular who was on the bench at the weekend, it will be a first title with a predominantly American central defence.What You Should Read NextForty years of dominance and a 55th title on ice, but Scottish football is more than just Rangers and CelticCeltic will have to wait a little longer to draw level with Rangers on 55 league titles after late drama at Aberdeen delayed the inevitable
Pulisic and Leao’s creative tete-a-tete
In Italy, Milan’s season continues with more ups and downs than recently endured by the stock exchange.They may still be outsiders to qualify for next season’s Champions League, but Milan can at least continue to rely on Christian Pulisic. The USMNT star created his side’s second goal, with a dangerous corner kick, during a 4-0 away win against Udinese on Friday.It was Pulisic’s 10th league assist of the season (he has 11 in all competitions) and continues a friendly competition with influential team-mate Rafael Leao over which of them can emerge this season as the Milan squad’s most prolific provider.
Pulisic prepares to take a corner at Udinese (Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
“We have a good competition between the two of us,” Pulisic told DAZN after Portugal international Leao also grabbed a goal and assist against Udinese. “He’s fantastic when he plays like that.”
Milan are in ninth, eight points behind Weston McKennie and Tim Weah’s Juventus, the team currently occupying fourth spot, which is the last place in Serie A that brings Champions League qualification.
Chris Richards’ silver lining
It may not have been as spectacular as another U.S. defender’s goal at the weekend but, in the Premier League, Chris Richards was in on the act, too.The Crystal Palace centre-half was in the right place to guide in Adam Wharton’s corner from close range to put his team 2-0 up at Manchester City on Saturday.It was his first Premier League goal of the season and the highlight of a solid performance — for the 25-year-old at least. That 21st-minute header was about as good as it got for the Londoners, with City turning it around thereafter and going on to win 5-2, a rare setback in recent weeks for Oliver Glasner’s otherwise upwardly mobile outfit.“We just didn’t do everything to the highest level,” he told TNT Sports after the game. “That is what we’ve done so well, for the last probably two or three months. We’ve been really strong defensively and we’ve taken our chances up front.“We definitely want to be fighting for one of those (European) spots. We still can do it in the league and we can also do it in the cup. We just want to take them one game at a time. But I think everybody can see the European spots are up for grabs right now.“So we can’t let it dent our confidence. We have four or five more games in the next two weeks. We are disappointed with today, but we have a chance to get a little bit of retribution on Wednesday.”
As he says, Palace can make amends in midweek, albeit they face another difficult away game — against Champions League-chasing Newcastle United.
Richards nods in Palace’s second at the Etihad Stadium (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Jeff Rueter’s graphic of the weekend
How did other U.S. players get on?
Name: Josh Wynder
Club: Benfica
Position: Defender
Appearances (all competitions): 1
The 19-year-old celebrated a landmark in his promising Benfica career by making his senior bow for the Portuguese giants in the nation’s top knockout cup competition last week.
Wynder came on in the 76th minute of a 5-0 victory at fourth-division Tirsense, and gave a good account of himself. The Kentucky-born centre-back, who has had one senior USMNT call-up so far, is said by Portuguese media to be in contention for more regular first-team football at the Estadio da Luz next season.Name: Gio Reyna
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Midfielder
Appearances: 22
How Reyna must pine for the days of youthful potential being enjoyed by Wynder in Lisbon. While he’s not exactly long in the tooth at 22, it does seem a while ago that we spoke of the USMNT playmaker in those terms — in European football at least. The promise of Reyna’s time in the Bundesliga has flatlined this season and he was an unused sub again on Saturday, as Dortmund got a 2-2 away draw against league leaders Bayern Munich. He hasn’t played in the league now since March 1 and three different managers, in a turbulent season for the club, have yet to consider him a regular. Reyna does tend to get more action in the Champions League, and played 22 minutes of Dortmund’s 4-0 quarter-final first-leg thumping at Barcelona last week. There might be another runout in the second leg at home on Tuesday with the tie surely already over, but the noise about him needing to move on in the summer if he wants regular football is only increasing.
Reyna, centre, in training at Dortmund (Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images)
Name: Malik Tillman
Club: PSV
Position: Midfielder
Appearances: 29
Goals: 13
Having scored on his first start in almost three months against Groningen, Tillman continued his encouraging comeback from an ankle injury with another goal — this time it was a tap-in, but they all count — in Saturday’s 5-0 thrashing of Almere City. It may be too late to help PSV retain their Dutch league title, with Ajax nine points ahead of them in first place and only five games to go, but Tillman’s impressive return will be good news for Pochettino.he goal aside, there was plenty to like in his performance against Almere: backheels, smart interventions and two almost-assists.
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He may have been frustrated again at the weekend, but Reyna might get another chance to impress new coach Niko Kovac and show what he can do on the biggest stage when Barcelona come to town on Tuesday (3pm, Paramount +). It’s hard to see Dortmund overturning a 4-0 first-leg deficit in the second leg of this Champions League quarter-final, even with home advantage, but Kovac was buoyed by the weekend’s draw with Bayern and wants to see his players continuing to perform as they did in Munich. “We have to do more. Against top teams, you have to push yourself to the limit, which we didn’t do in Barcelona,” he said.Speaking of tough tasks, that daunting trip to Newcastle we mentioned for Palace and Richards is on Wednesday (2.30pm, USA/Universo). Despite the eventual scoreline, there were flashes of promise in Palace’s loss at outgoing champions City, and Richards and company have shown the sort of spirit this season which suggests they won’t let that result get them down for too long.Manchester United’s blundering campaign continues to implode and it’ll be interesting to see if Tanner Tessmann gets the chance to make things worse for the Premier League giants in the finely-balanced second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Lyon at Old Trafford on Thursday. It finished 2-2 in the first leg in France and, while Tessmann wasn’t involved, he came off the bench in Sunday’s 3-1 Ligue 1 defeat of Auxerre and will hope for more minutes against Ruben Amorim’s men.It should be a simpler Thursday evening for Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis in their UEFA Conference League quarter-final’s second leg. They beat Jagiellonia Bialystok 2-0 in the first game and head to Poland for the decider smarting from a 2-1 loss against Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday, when Cardoso was taken off after 71 minutes.(Top photos: Getty Images)
For Pochettino and USMNT, Gold Cup is a time to reboot, not experiment
By Felipe Cardenas April 11, 2025Updated April 14, 2025 The Athletic
When Gregg Berhalter took a largely MLS-based squad to the 2021 Gold Cup, the decision was part of Berhalter’s grand plan to expand the U.S. player pool ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Momentum was on his side. Berhalter had celebrated a Concacaf Nations League title over Mexico (a 3-2 extra-time win in Denver) with his full senior roster, and the young Americans were viewed as a promising generation of European-based players ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.The nominal U.S. B-team reached that Gold Cup final and handed a veteran Mexico side a second consecutive final defeat to lift the continental trophy. It was arguably the highest point of Berhalter’s tenure. The squad’s depth was celebrated, and the U.S. was hands down the strongest team in the region.Four years later, the tides have turned against the Americans. The U.S. is drowning in a sea of heightened expectations ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which it will co-host with Mexico and Canada. Manager Mauricio Pochettino, after just eight games in charge, is in need of a signature win after the U.S. finished fourth in the Nations League finals.The Europe-based players, led by Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Tim Weah and Weston McKennie, are under increased pressure after their poor performances in Los Angeles in March. The unheralded U.S. team at the 2021 Gold Cup showed fight and grit in their defeat of Mexico, something that has been lacking ever since Pochettino replaced Berhalter last fall.It will all come to a head in June when the U.S. faces Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti and guest nation Saudi Arabia in Concacaf’s premier tournament, with the groups confirmed in Thursday night’s draw.
Make no mistake: the U.S. has to win this Gold Cup. And Pochettino has to take his strongest-possible squad, not an experimental one. He is in dire need of positive energy and will have no excuses as the U.S. will once again play a tournament comfortably held on U.S. soil. The Americans won’t face hostile crowds unless a matchup against Mexico materializes in the knockout rounds. But they wouldn’t face Mexico in Guadalajara or in Mexico City. The U.S. will still be at home – not that it was much of a help in last summer’s pre-Pochettino Copa América or last month’s Nations League finals.
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Nevertheless, the group is beyond manageable. If an overconfident or uninterested U.S. team flops this summer, the pitchforks won’t necessarily be out for Pochettino, but his reputation, and that of the players, will take another hit. No matter how secure his job is, or how large his contract buyout may be, Pochettino must lead the U.S. to a trophy. Not to save his job, but, rather, to fend off the growing sense of negativity around the senior national team – at a time when galvanizing the country around this team is paramount.His previous record as a manager who punched above his weight in Europe made for a nice story when he was hired by U.S. Soccer. Right now, however, his inexperience at the international level, and his lack of knowledge of American soccer and the types of players the country produces, is shining far brighter than his résumé.Pochettino looked befuddled at his players’ casual approach in losses to Panama and Canada last month. He was at a loss of words and asked the American soccer public to have patience just 426 days before the 2026 World Cup.“I don’t want the people to feel pessimistic,” Pochettino said after the 2-1 loss to Canada in the Nations League third-place game at SoFi Stadium. “Disappointed? Disappointed, we are all. And the fans need to feel the disappointment that we didn’t win. But I don’t want to allow (them) to feel pessimistic, because I think we have good players. We are going to find a way to perform. And for sure we are going to compete in a different way. And (at) the end, we are going to get different results than Thursday and today.”
Christian Pulisic and the USMNT struggled in the Nations League finals. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Because Borussia Dortmund and Juventus will participate in the Club World Cup this summer, Pochettino will be without playmaker Gio Reyna, who plays sparingly for the German club, and McKennie and Weah, who are key players for the Serie A giant. FIFA has given participating clubs player priority over national teams, so barring any transfers, they won’t be available. Pulisic, however, will be, as AC Milan is not in the Club World Cup. If Pochettino is thinking about giving Pulisic the summer off, he should reconsider.Pulisic didn’t end the Nations League unscathed. His performances were muted as team captain. His messaging, though, was on point, albeit it painfully obvious after a tremendously disappointing tournament. Pulisic should not be given a pass this summer.
“Obviously, the feeling is not good right now,” he said after last month’s loss to Canada. “We need to turn it around and we can hopefully build some momentum this summer, because we really do need it and with big, big tournaments ahead.”
For whatever reason, the Gold Cup has gradually lost its prestige. Nations League has soaked up the narratives and is growing in popularity, despite its young history as an official competition. That should not matter. The Gold Cup will be the last opportunity for Pochettino to test his players in a tournament environment before their opening match at the World Cup. Certain places on the squad, namely in midfield, at center forward, at center back and at goalkeeper, should be up for grabs.
That puts Pochettino in a complex position. If he’s going to experiment, he better get it right. If he’s going to demote a player, say like starting goalkeeper Matt Turner, the replacement has to elevate the team. If Real Salt Lake No. 10 Diego Luna is viewed as a viable alternative for a World Cup-bound team, then the 21-year-old must take a major stride as a creative player this summer. In Los Angeles last month, the U.S. side was void of leadership on the pitch.
“The mentality has to change,” Adams said before the Canada game. “We’ve had good talks about where we are and where we need to go, just an honest evaluation and then there needs to be a response.”
There wasn’t a response against Jesse Marsch’s Canadian side. Adams talked like a team leader, but he was among the squad’s most subpar performers. The Gold Cup will be a referendum for the Bournemouth midfielder, as well. The expectation is that he will be joined by fellow Premier League standout Antonee Robinson.
U.S. fullback Antonee Robinson was hailed for his performance against Liverpool and Mohamed Salah. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images)
The 27-year-old missed Nations League through injury, but he has since reclaimed his starting position with Fulham, and is widely considered as one of the best left backs in England. Robinson’s direct play, speed and service were missed last month, and Pochettino will be relieved if Robinson is fit for competition this summer. He has no like-for-like replacement on the U.S., and, along with Pulisic, Robinson will be counted on at the Gold Cup to provide a higher level of play in a key position.
When Pochettino was hired, the Gold Cup was viewed as an important dress rehearsal before the 2026 World Cup. After underperforming at the Nations League, this is no time to experiment with the player pool. The U.S. and Pochettino must now approach the Gold Cup as a test of their dwindling fortitude. Regional foes like Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Canada are eagerly waiting for an opportunity to bury the Americans in their own mediocrity.
If Pochettino and his players don’t punch back this summer, the pessimism that the former Tottenham manager wants to stamp out will further engulf a program that’s swinging and missing more often than expected.What You Should Read NextUSMNT frustrations boiling over as World Cup clock keeps on tickingExpectations of this U.S. group are growing, especially with a World Cup on home soil. So why does it feel like progress has been stunted?
(Top photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)
Emma Hayes is putting her USWNT players in the frying pan. Who can handle the heat?
By Tamerra Griffin 41 ril 9, 2025
Compared to the bright, breezy environment of SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for game one, the United States women’s national team’s (USWNT) swift rematch with Brazil at San Jose’s PayPal Park carried an inverted energy, atmospherically and competitively. The latter ended in a 2-1 defeat for the U.S. before a packed house of 18,000 in California’s Bay Area on Tuesday night, the booming, sold-out crowd competing with the periodic sound of planes touching down at the nearby airport. The first, in the sunshine of Saturday afternoon, brought 32,303 people to a venue that holds 70,000 to see what turned out to be a secure 2-0 win for the hosts.Match two also embodied the classic traits of a return fixture against the same opponent, with noticeable changes to the previous lineup. But as U.S. head coach Emma Hayes has reiterated throughout this window, experimentation was going to be the prevailing theme of these two fixtures. She is working toward identifying a core group of players by the end of June who will eventually compete in the 2027 World Cup.“I wanna put players in the frying pan and I want you to feel the heat,” Hayes said in her post-game news conference late Tuesday night. “This camp was always about expanding and experimenting (with) that player pool. I really feel like that is becoming so clear to me on which players I think are really ready for us right now, which ones are not.”With that mandate, this could, arguably, have been a period better enjoyed behind closed doors for the team.Of the 22 players (including alternates) selected for the 2024 Olympics, headlined by Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman as the Triple Espresso forward line, only 10 made the most recent roster. The starting 11 on Tuesday averaged just 17 caps and formed the youngest USWNT roster in 24 years. It was bound to look as challenging as it felt — especially when that group, unlike Saturday’s squad, was tasked with handling 2023 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) MVP Kerolin Nicoli for 90-plus minutes.
Brazil’s Kerolin Nicoli was a threat all evening. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
When caterpillars retreat to their cocoons, part of the process of transformation can be aesthetically unbecoming and grotesque. For the USWNT, though, that metamorphosis is happening in real-time and out in public view. The revolution is being televised, and Hayes is unconcerned with how it might look to an untrained eye.“We could play 11 relatively experienced players now and build those connections, there’s no problem,” Hayes had told reporters on Friday. “But if we get to a World Cup in two years and all of a sudden, an Ally Sentnor or Lily Yohannes are completely underprepared, then you’re going to say, ‘Well, why didn’t we give them the opportunities in that period?’”Hayes shared that Sentnor — a 21-year-old striker and No. 1 NWSL draft pick of the Utah Royals in 2024 who is known for scoring long-range bangers — had told her that February’s SheBelieves Cup finale, which saw the USWNT fall to Japan 2-1, had been the most difficult game she’d played in her career. The manager also pointed out Yohannes, whose skill and promise as a midfielder became popular knowledge following her Champions League debut at 16 (she is now 17) for Dutch club Ajax, had not been involved in the U.S. youth national team system very long and thus has limited experience with international competition outside of Europe.
“It’s a completely different situation that we have to expose them to,” Hayes continued, “and if I put on the field (a lot of) 17, 18, 19, 20-year-olds, I’m setting them up to fail, in my honest opinion, so we have to drip-feed it in, whether it’s some of them in one game, some of them in another game, (or) some of them from the bench.” The four halves of soccer against Brazil this week have provided that.Saturday’s game kicked off with the five most-capped players on the roster — Lindsey Heaps, Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett, Emily Fox and Rodman — in the starting 11. The second half, however, saw the entries of Yohannes and 20-year-old Jaedyn Shaw, plus a national-team debut for Houston Dash defender Avery Patterson, 22. Last night, by contrast, 31-year-old Sonnett was the most-capped player at kickoff with 106. Next in line? Midfielder Korbin Albert with 25, aged 21.Claire Hutton watched the first match from the bench as an unused substitute, then started the second to double her number of international caps. The 19-year-old, who plays for the Kansas City Current, roamed about central midfield Tuesday night with Albert and distinguished herself with her brave defending and positioning, according to Hayes.“We’ve done a lot of film with her this week, a lot of detailing,” said Hayes. She added that the Americans’ goal, scored by Catarina Macario in the first minute of the game, came as a result of Hutton stepping up further away from the back line, allowing her to intercept the ball and initiate the decisive counter-attack — something Hayes and the coaching staff have been working on with her.Hutton, for her part, spoke with Sentnor, who did play in that first match, on the team’s flight up to the Bay Area from LA. The pair are good friends. She knew what she experienced Tuesday night would be “a whole different beast” compared to Saturday.“It’s international football. You’re gonna get clobbered if you take too many touches on the ball,” Hutton said. “So it’s just a learning moment and a moment to move forward on.”
It’s no secret that the state of the USWNT’s midfield has for years been shrouded in concern, but the teenager’s aggression toward an opposing team that relishes one-versus-one duels demonstrated for Hayes that she is suited for this level.
“For a 19-year-old to play like that against Brazil is a superb performance from her. One in which I know she is ready to progress with us,” Hayes said.
The USWNT fell to a defeat against Brazil in San Jose. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
And while the second half of Tuesday’s game saw the return of more veteran players — Heaps, Sam Coffey, Dunn and Alana Cook, and even Shaw, subbed on for her 25th cap — Hayes found the group’s performance flat. The USWNT’s expected goals figure for the second half was zero, and Hayes said only one player broke into the top 10 for pass completion.
Patterson’s determined performance as a left back crackled with possibility, but concerns remain in the middle defensively — both in terms of the ongoing audition to be Naomi Girma’s co-conspirator and the ability of both goalkeepers who played in this window, Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Mandy McGlynn, to distribute the ball with precision.nt“I think both her (McGlynn) and Phallon have had the opportunity to play against a top opponent, just like Jane (Campbell) had the opportunity to play against a top opponent with Japan, and I think it’s fair to say I’m a lot clearer,” Hayes said Tuesday night.It’s hard to imagine these players returning to their clubs after these two games without stacks of notes and feedback from Hayes and, for the younger set, the veteran teammates around them.“Every time I go into camp, it’s definitely a learning experience and developing as a player,” 19-year-old defender Gisele Thompson told reporters in the mixed zone. “I think I can learn so much from all of these players, especially Crystal, (and) Emily Fox. They’ve helped me so much along the way. Just being in these camps helps me as a player, even (at) club.”Thompson and Hutton both spoke of confidence in their reflections on camp, how the experience and what they learned from it bolstered their toolbox as players, imbuing them with excitement about how they’ll integrate their notes.“That was a battle. I’ve never played a game like that before,” Hutton said of last night’s game, the beginnings of a laugh escaping from her response in the mixed zone. “So knowing that I had that, I can do anything now.”(Top photo: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson’s resurgence on the field is a lesson in resilience
By Tamerra Griffin ril 7, 2025Updated April 8, 2025
This is Alyssa Thompson’s moment.
That much was palpable when she received the ball left of the center circle from defender Crystal Dunn during the U.S. women’s national team’s 2-0 win over Brazil on Saturday in front of 32,303 people in her home city of Los Angeles.
For anyone who has watched the 20-year-old attacking player during her three seasons across town with Angel City FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), her path might as well have been cut into the field at SoFi Stadium with a lawn mower: straight to goal.
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One feint sent a Brazilian defender sliding out of the play and Thompson exploited the space left behind. By the time she reached the top of the 18-yard box, the moment had begun to feel like what could one day be considered vintage Thompson, much like the goal she scored for Angel City before the international break. But rather than aim for the goal, Thompson delivered an assist that split two more defenders to reach an oncoming Trinity Rodman, who knocked the ball past Brazilian and Kansas City Current goalkeeper Lorena in the sixth minute.
“That was the perfect ball to a perfect finish. I think we read each other’s minds in that moment,” Rodman said after the match.
Trinity Rodman and Alyssa Thompson celebrate the opening goal against Brazil at SoFi Stadium. (Bailey Holiver / Imagn Images)
Her direct attacking style aside, Thompson’s short journey from being voted Gatorade Player of the Year at high school level in 2021 to this moment has been anything but linear.
She was the first overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft and the youngest player on the USWNT’s World Cup roster in a matter of months. Her standout rookie season rolled into her first senior call-up, however, and things quickly changed.
Thompson made just two appearances off the bench in the defending champion United States’ ill-fated run to the round of 16 at that World Cup, playing just 17 minutes in a tournament that saw very little squad rotation by coach Vlatko Andonovski. The World Cup crash led to Andonovski resigning and the youngest member of the squad getting left out of the roster to regain form, with mixed results, for her club.
After new coach Emma Hayes took the reins midway through 2024, Thompson watched the USWNT’s Olympic gold medal run from home. Instead of a summer in France, she worked to hone her skills, and after five goals and two assists in seven NWSL games, Thompson got the call from Hayes in October. And she didn’t waste her shot.
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The then-19-year-old scored her first senior international goal 39 minutes into a friendly against Iceland in Austin. The joy was apparent on her face as she leaped into the arms of substitute Sophia Wilson on the sideline.
“I feel like last year, and the last couple of years, I put a lot of pressure on myself,” Thompson told reporters last week. “I think just coming in this year, I just wanted to be confident in my abilities and know what I bring as a player, and not compare myself to other people. I think that has helped me a lot, just knowing that if I’m playing like Alyssa Thompson then I’ll be able to put a good foot forward for my team.”ach month since, Thompson has been finding and learning ways to sharpen her craft. And, with the marquee front three of Wilson, Rodman and Mallory Swanson, who headlined that Olympic triumph, down to just Rodman for now, Thompson found another moment to make her case on Saturday.Hayes acknowledged Thompson’s journey ahead of the match as a cautionary tale of how a mistimed moment can obscure a player’s potential, especially from an outsider’s perspective.“I hope that we can look at someone like Alyssa Thompson’s situation, i.e. a 17-year-old coming into the program probably underprepared for that because the level is so much higher, to then have a journey which is pretty normal for a young player. But I think she’s in the best place she has been in terms of her start to the season,” Hayes said.But the former Chelsea manager also expressed her intention to continue elevating the characteristics that make Thompson an attacking threat as she progresses through national team camps and racks up minutes on the field.“Since October we’ve been working so hard positionally with her to get her to have a better understanding of what to do and when, and saying, ‘Listen, at the top level, you’re a great one-v-one specialist, but when you’re playing the top players in the world, they know how to drop off of you in a certain way where they don’t give you a one-v-one opportunity, so how do you link with others?’,” Hayes said.There were glimpses of those areas of growth in Saturday’s match, particularly in some of Thompson’s unsuccessful attempts to take on the well-read Brazilian and Olympique Lyonnais central defender Tarciane. Still, she created dangerous scoring opportunities that contributed to the team’s 2.72 expected goals (xG) figure.
Alyssa Thompson has worked herself back into the U.S. team after a long absence in 2024. (Bailey Holiver / Imagn Images)
Hayes has seen the gap close between where Thompson was six months ago and where she is now, and part of that comes through in her instinctive thinking.“When you play for me, I will overload you to take a player to another level tactically, but that means for a period of time, there’s a lot of thinking going on, a lot of processing,” Hayes said. “There’s a lot of conscious thinking, whereas I feel like with Alyssa now, she understands that, so she’s able to do it more naturally.”Thompson is still at the beginning of her professional career and it’s important to consider: managing internal pressure, brewing confidence and resisting the urge to compare herself to others. These are all tall orders for most teens (and adults) even when they haven’t faced the challenges she has. But they, too, have led to the moment Thompson is now enjoying, and she credits her teammates with supporting her through it.“They believe in me so much and I attribute a lot of my success to them because their help and reassurance has really helped me become the player that I am right now,” Thompson said.Angel City captain and defender Ali Riley has viewed Thompson’s journey from a unique vantage point.The 37-year-old Los Angeles native attended Harvard-Westlake, the same high school Thompson and her younger sister and Angel City teammate Gisele did, and experienced that same World Cup in 2023, though Riley played for co-host New Zealand (she was born in LA but her father is from New Zealand). Riley was quick to refuse credit for any guidance she’s given the elder Thompson and made clear her progress is just as promising as her ceiling — as a player and as a face of the sport.
Angel City teammate Riley has had a front-row seat to Alyssa Thompson’s rise. (Kiyoshi Mio / Imagn Images)
“Even when we look at how much she’s grown, her performances on the field, what’s so special about her is that this is the beginning,” Riley told The Athletic. “I think she has the personality and the eloquence to be someone who can speak about being a woman in sport, being a woman of color in sport. She’s so good about speaking about her experience growing up, the value of representation.”
Riley, who hasn’t played since last season because of nerve damage in her left leg, added that Thompson was voted into the team’s leadership group this year.
When Thompson went through a bit of a scoring drought during that 2024 season, Riley said she faced criticism from “keyboard warriors” on social media who picked through her stats and body language with a fine-tooth comb. Now, Riley said, “when she scores, she doesn’t seem relieved, she’s genuinely happy.”
So far, that happiness has shown up as cheeky TikTok goal celebrations with her sister Gisele and fellow Angel City striker Casey Phair on the sidelines. Other times, it’s a full-throated rebel yell.
For Thompson to enjoy another stellar performance in her hometown on Saturday only sweetened the moment — topped off with one of those yells after assisting fellow Southern California native Rodman.
“I love playing in LA,” Thompson said in the mixed zone following the match. “Being here is amazing for the club, and I’ve never played in LA with the national team, so being able to feel that comfort from my city and my family and friends, I just felt like I could be more like me, and I knew what I could do.”
(Top photo: Imagn Images)
U.S. Soccer, NWSL see 2031 Women’s World Cup as ‘catalyst’ for growth and league expansion
By Meg Linehan April 5, 2025Updated April 8, 2025
LOS ANGELES — The United States has not yet formally won the bid to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup but various figures from the U.S. Soccer Federation and the NWSL are already looking six years ahead to harness the power of hosting the tournament.
“It gives us something to work towards that we know from history can change the interest level in women’s soccer,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman told The Athletic before the U.S. women’s national team face Brazil on Saturday, a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal match.
AdvertisementFIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that the U.S. submitted the only “valid bid” to host the 2031 tournament before the governing body’s deadline. FIFA later announced that the U.S. submitted a joint bid with “other member associations from Concacaf (to be confirmed in due course).”
The longer runway allows for significant planning time, especially with the potential to build upon hosting the 2026 men’s World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson stressed that the bid includes growing the game across the region through Concacaf participation, and pointed to Friday’s announcement of Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang doubling down on her investment in U.S. Soccer with a $25 million contribution. Batson said this will allow the federation to be better prepared for 2031.
“Your ability to use the World Cup as a catalyst is before, not after,” Batson said. “So starting way early on, that is something that we’re really excited about.”
Michele Kang with U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson. (Mike Lawrence / Getty Images for USSF)
Details about what the bid includes are thin, with Mexico absent on paper after their previous co-host billing from the 2027 bidding process. However, Batson called the U.S. a “co-host” rather than a host. Many of the details, he said, depend on the tournament potentially expanding to a 48-team endeavor, which he said is something U.S. Soccer has been “passionate supporters for.”
“We think it would be incredible for growing the women’s game,” Batson told reporters on Friday.
“One of the things we hear from folks who lead federations around the world is they view the Women’s World Cup as an opportunity for them to 1. make a World Cup, and 2., really go compete in a way they wouldn’t be able to on the men’s side,” Batson said. With U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone now a member of the FIFA Council, it’s another chance for the federation to advocate for tournament expansion.
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Beyond U.S. Soccer, the NWSL stands to benefit from the third Women’s World Cup on home soil — and the first with a professional league in a position to take advantage of the tournament bump.
“Hopefully, this will be a catalyst for a lot of cities,” Kang, whose Washington Spirit was a beaten finalist in the NWSL last year, said following the SheBelieves Summit at a small media roundtable. “Even from an infrastructure perspective, I’m trying to convince our area that the World Cup is coming and Washington, D.C. could be the center of women’s football, not just government and political power. We’re trying to use that as an opportunity to expand the presence and get women’s football squarely in the mainstream.”What You Should Read NextEmma Hayes: USWNT in ‘dreamland’ as United States set to co-host 2031 Women’s World CupFIFA confirmed that a joint bid from U.S. Soccer and other Concacaf member associations was the sole expression of interest for 2031.
Angel City CEO and co-founder Julie Uhrman was enthusiastic about what hosting the World Cup could offer all levels of the sport.
“It’s more visibility for women’s football, it’s more access to see incredible athletes,” Uhrman said. “Then the idea that most of them play in the NWSL, and you can continue to see them every single month following the World Cup, it’s a huge opportunity, not only for the league but to grow the sport from the grassroots level all the way to the professional level.”
Existing and potential NWSL markets stand to benefit six years down the line, a landscape that Berman has aspirations to expand as large as the NFL.
With Denver and Boston entering the league in 2026 before the men’s World Cup, there are no signs that the NWSL will stop there. Berman said that while expansion plans have been based on the league’s business, a 2031 World Cup in the U.S. could provide an additional filter for the league to consider.
“I’m very confident that our expansion will continue between now and then, so this will certainly give us even more reason to be bullish on our expansion plan,” Berman said. “Seeing how the country reacts to the men’s World Cup next year will be really important. We’re already working closely with FIFA and the host committees, even though it’s the men’s World Cup, to capitalize on it being here. Through that, we can formulate a plan that will take us through 2031.”
(Top photo: Alex Grimm / Getty Images)
The Ole BallCoach 