Club World Cup Presents Surprises in the 1st Round
So I have to admit I did not think the Club World Cup would we be worth watching but boy was I wrong. Some of the games have been competitive – especially the South American teams. Of course awesome to see at least 1 MSL team Miami of course going thru to the Semi’s thanks to this sublime Messi free-kick . If you haven’t watched yet – check out the games on TBS/TNT/Univision.
US Men face Haiti Sun 7 pm Advance to Quarter Finals of Gold Cup
The US men – I think the US men look like an un-organized pathetic shell of its former self. A 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia on this Chris Richards Goal yes a set-piece k No cohesive plan – no organized attack, no finishing and just average defense at best. Of course despite what the Fox pundits Lexi, Landon and Edu are forced to say – honestly we have 2 starters on this team – Adams & Centerback Chris Richards – I think Ream of course will make the team along with 3 or 4 more of these guys on this roster at the most. I think Tillman has shown some good things against these pathetic teams lets see how he does against top 50 competition if we get to Canada or Mexico. Man I would love to have to play both of them. Jesse Marsch beating the US would be a nice slap in the face to US Soccer. I assume Poch will play the kids vs Haiti (aka Carmel High Varsity) on Sunday. (lots of stories below)
USMNT GOLD CUP DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (club/country; caps/goals):
GOALKEEPERS (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 0/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 51/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 3/0), Alex Freeman (Orlando City; 0/0), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 19/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 68/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 24/1), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 32/3), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel/GER; 4/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 43/3)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 47/8); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 44/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 0/0), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 18/0), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC; 24/1), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 4/0), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo; 4/1), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; 0/0); Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 17/0)
FORWARDS (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/NED; 1/0), Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 4/3), Damion Downs (FC Köln/GER; 0/0), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 4/1), Haji Wright INJURED -(Coventry City/ENG; 15/4)
Camps to Check out This Summer
Carmel High School Soccer Camp- Boys – Murray Stadium 6:30-8:30 pm
June 23-25 (grades 5-8th) $125
July 21-23 $125
Questions? Please contact Coach Shane Schmidt at sschmidt@ccs.k12.in.us
Greyhound Girls Soccer Camp – Murray Stadium
Girls Jul 07 – Jul 09, 2025 at 9:00-10:30 $95 (5th-8th Grade) Register
Indy 11 Host Las Vegas Lights During Pride Night at the Mike Tonight 7 pm
Midfielder Jack Blake netted the game-winning goal in first half stoppage time off a smooth sequence from midfielder Aodhan Quinn to give Indy Eleven a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds & Carmel Goalkeeper Eric Dick last week. Defender Ben Ofeimu has been selected to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 15 after leading his team to its second consecutive clean sheet in a 1-0 win vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday. The Boys in Blue have had nine different players named to the Team of the Week in 2025! It is the sixth time that the 24-year-old Ofeimu has earned this recognition since he was acquired by Indy Eleven on April 11, 2024, and his third first-team selection.Indy Eleven hosts Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday at 7 pm ET on WISH-TV and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
TV GAME SCHEDULE
GC=Gold Cup, WCC = World Club Cup in US
Fri, June 20
9 pm TBS Bayern Munich vs Boca Juniors WCC
10 pm FS1 Guatemala vs Panama GC
Sat, June 21
7 pm TV8, Golazo Indy 11 vs Las Vegas Lights FC
7 pm FS1 Curacao vs Canada GC
9 pm TBS River Plate vs Monterrey WC
10 pm FS1 Honduras vs El Salvador GC
Sun, June 22
12 noon Danz Juventus vs Wydad Casablanca WCC
3 pm univision Real Madrid vs Pachuca WCC
7 pm Fox US Men vs Haiti Gold Cup
7 pm FS1 Saudi Arabia vs T&T GC
9 pm TNT Man City vs Al Ain WCC
10 pm FS1 Mexico vs Costa Rica GC
Mon, June 23
3 pm ?? Athletico Madrid vs Botafogo WCC
3 pm ?? PSG vs Seattle Sounders WCC
9 pm TBS Inter Miami (Messi) vs Palmeiras
9 pm Porto vs Al Ahly
Tues, June 24
3 pm Univision Bayern Munich vs Benfica
3 pm ?? Boca Juniors vs Aukland City
7 pm FS2 Guadaloupe vs Guatemala
7 pm FS1 Panama vs Jamaica GC
10 PM danz Chelsea vs ES Tunis
10 PM LAFC vs Flamengo
10 pm FS1 Canada vs El Salvador GC
10 pm FS2 Honduras vs Curacao GC
Wed, June 25
3 pm Danz Dortmund bs Ulsan
3 pm Fluminese vs Sundowns
Thur, June 26
3 pm Uni/TNT Juventus vs Man City
9 pm Pachuca vs Al Hitlal
9 pm TNT Salzburg vs Real Madrid
8 pm TBS, Peacock US Women vs Ireland
Fri, June 28th
12 noon ?? Club WC QF 1A vs 2 B
4 pm :?? Club WC QF 1C vs 2D
7:15 pm FS1 Gold Cup QF
10 pm FS1 Gold Cup QF
Sun, June 29th
TNT, Peacock US Women vs Ireland in Cincy
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USA
The USMNT is a mess. That’s the price of the U.S. becoming a ‘soccer country’
Concacaf Gold Cup: How every team can qualify for quarterfinals
Poch hails ‘humble’ Richards, expects decisive play
Richards saves the day for the USMNT on a night when the front line couldn’t
USMNT squeak past Saudi Arabia to book Gold Cup knockout round spot: What we learned
USMNT beats Saudi Arabia to clinch Gold Cup knockouts spot
Poch: USMNT not playing to get revenge on critics
Chris Richards’ goal sends USMNT through to Gold Cup knockout stage
2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup: Scouting Haiti
Is getting out of the Group Stage Enough for Poch? Stadium Rant
No Winners in the Pulisic Drama
More Poch Shots at Pulisic
USA vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 2025 Gold Cup: Man of the Match
Should these USMNT stars stay or leave their current clubs? | The Cooligans
Is the panic meter rising for USMNT ahead of World Cup? | The Cooligans
“It’s now or never”: How Malik Tillman’s winding USMNT road took him from Bavaria to America
Transfer talk – US players – Pepi to Fulham, Musah, Downs?
‘Secret love for soccer’ put Freeman on U.S. path
USMNT outclassed by Switzerland in final Gold Cup tuneup: Did we learn anything?
US Women
Lavelle, Bethune, 4 newcomers in USWNT roster
European-based stars get summer rest as Emma Hayes calls in summer USWNT roster
Hayes giving overworked U.S. stars summer break
Club World Cup
🌎 Club World Cup: How teams can reach last 16
Club World Cup: Is European soccer’s superiority being exposed as a myth?
Is the Club World Cup important? Yes, just ask the South American teams
Bayern use late goal to top Boca, advance at CWC
LAFC out of Club World Cup after late penalty miss
Chelsea’s Jackson sorry for red: ‘I let you down’
Flamengo stun Chelsea in another big Club World Cup upset
Messi doesn’t play for Inter Miami as much as he could. Here’s why (and how Club World Cup fits in)
Club World Cup updates, odds: Real Madrid draw shows scale of Alonso’s task
MLS & USL
The making of Diego Luna, as seen through the eyes of his coaches
LAFC look ahead after “disappointing” Club World Cup elimination
USMNT aim to “change the narrative” with Gold Cup run
Goalkeeping
Real Madrid prepared to finalise veteran superstar’s contract in July –
Monaco target André Onana but goalkeeper is keen to stay at Manchester United
Gk repalces Turner at palace
Reffing
Goalkeeper 8 Second Rule – FIFA Rule Change
FIFA Rule Change – PK GK Jump
Referees at this month’s FIFA Club World Cup will wear ‘body cams’ with the footage used in broadcasts of the game – but only if the images are of non-controversial incidents, FIFA refereeing officials said on Wednesday. The match referees in the tournament will wear a small camera protruding from their earpiece which will be able to generate video from the referee’s point of view. But while broadcasters will be able to offer unique angles on goals and saves – as well as close-up live video and sound from the pre-match coin toss – viewers won’t get to see penalty decisions or other disputable moments from the new camera angle.
“The objective is to offer the TV viewers a new experience,” said Pierluigi Collina, the Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. Collina said that IFAB, which sets the Laws of the Game, had allowed a trial of the technology and suggested that footage of controversies might be part of a later phase in the future. “Let’s do things step by step. At the moment… this is a trial. We need to do something new and the simpler the better. So we fixed some rules within a protocol. We will offer these images in the future? Maybe when we learn to run, maybe not, maybe we will do,” he said. The live images will be broadcast via a private 5G network from the ref to the match production team, said FIFA Director of Innovation, Johannes Holzmuller, who said the live aspect would only be available in the six NFL stadiums being used for the tournament. What Club World Cup fans will be able to see are the VAR reviews, as seen by referees on the pitchside monitor, which will be broadcast on giant screens in the stadium. That video will then be followed by the referee announcing the final decision over the public address system and the television broadcast.
The tournament will also see the use of ‘enhanced semi-automatic offside’ technology which will use 16 cameras linked to AI technology and algorithms which will send an audio message to the assistant referee when an offside player touches the ball. The system will likely see the flag raised earlier for offside and reduce cases of play continuing after a clear offside until a later VAR review. The tournament will also be an early introduction of the new law that goalkeepers have eight seconds to release the ball after picking it up – or be punished with a corner. It replaces the previous law that keepers had six seconds to release the ball or give up an indirect free kick. The goalkeepers will be shown a five second warning by the referee who will count down showing the fingers of one hand.
USMN-B-T 1-0 Saudi Arabia. Remember People! It’s a Results Bizness  Before an agonizingly empty stadium, our U.S. boys did just enough to overcome a weak Saudi Arabian squad who have been here for about five minutes but already seem to be the epitome of CONCACAF. The game itself felt like a chore to watch. The U.S. had 72% possession in the first half but conjured zero shots on goal against a physical opponent. The football was sparkless, tepid and lacking in ambition and ideas. To progress from the group will be a relief for Mauricio Pochettino but it is a bare minimum for a program who has won its first two games in this tournament 15 out of 18 times.Chris Richards Is a Great American  The Crystal Palace giant out of Birmingham, Ala. was a man amongst boys in this game. That a pair of his blocks were two of the best three highlights on the night tells you all you need to know about the quality of the game. The other, of course, was his goal. A moment of stand alone quality, from the wicked Sebastian Berhalter set piece to the finish, first-time off a difficult bounce, which Clint called an elite striker’s technique. I am so happy for Chris. He is a lovely, thoughtful, sensitive human being who has had to grind his way out of Alabama, and summon a true tenacity to establish himself in the Premier League. He has a massive opportunity in this moment to become one of the true faces of the team. Watching him seize it is really edifying. Give that man all the commercial deals.Who Will Step Up, Fight, and Seize Their Chance to Make Themselves Undeniable?  How was this performance so plodding? Pochettino has made it utterly explicit he wants players who will fight for him. So many of these boys have been gifted an unexpected opportunity they could never have dreamed of: To make themselves unignorable for that World Cup squad on home turf. Yet, the performance was flatter than the Texas Panhandle. The football was so deferential. No one seized their chance to grab a drowsy game by the throat and enforce their will upon it. Working out why that is will be the key for Pochettino. Malik Tillman has the skills and the club form to do that. Patrick Agyemang has the hype and the plaudits but was unable to summon the touch or the balance. All of these players have sacrificed so much to make it to this stage. One transcendent moment could change their lives. If only the football reflected that…I Do Love Me Some Diego Luna    The one player who is running off the ball and trying to create a spark with his flicks and tricks. I ran into Diego in Austin and told him just how much we are hearing from so many of you about his fight, hustle, and mustache-tinged singular swagger. I asked him what goes through his mind when he gets on the ball, and he told me he tries to “be happy” and summon “the joy he felt playing as a kid.” I said that to Clint on last night’s show, and he said that when he was young his brother used to tell him, he “had to be serious about having fun.” A phrase I love and will think of whenever Diego is in possession. Even Spinal Tap Drummers Think Our No 9 Position Is Doomed  Haji Wright’s injury is a real concern for our boys. With Agyemang crying out for competition, Haji did not dress, left out of the squad with an Achilles issue. Kyle Bonn reported, “After a big sigh, Mauricio Pochettino on Haji Wright‘s injury: “We will communicate something on his injury in the next few days.”” It does not sound good. His absence will be painful. Twenty-year-old German-American Damion Downs, this could be your time… Matt Freese Has Two Clean Sheets By Making Just One More Save Than You  The goalkeeper battle between two Matts is psychologically intriguing. Matt Turner was the No 1 and has battled his way to a Premier League crevice, albeit with precious little playing time. For a player shorn of match practice, it must be an agony to have had a watching brief. NYCFC’s Harvard grad Matt Freese has been wicked smart in goal — two clean sheets off ONE SAVE TOTAL IN THOSE TWO GAMES. Guzan has to be watching and thinking that if he started smoking ciggies, he could maybe be the American version of Wojciech Szczęsny and make an unexpected return from exile. It Is Painful to See These Stadia so Empty for a United States Game On Home Turf a Year Out from the World Cup  Watching the United States walk out to gapingly empty terraces is an agony for all those who love the game in this nation. You have all made it clear as to the reasons—the unfathomable cost of tickets, the political climate, the absence of the big-named players, and the mediocre run of form. Make no mistake, there is an inertia around this program and even its most diehard fans at the worst possible time. The comment which hurts the most to read is: “If the players don’t care, then why should we?” The media drumbeat going into this game was crickets. The only news stories gaining traction were those surrounding Tim Weah and Weston McKennie’s surreal White House visit. But the empty stadium spoke its own message so loudly and agonizingly. Something profound has broken between this team and its core fanbase and it cries out for a sincere and speedy effort to rebuild that trust and connection again. Anyone who followed them in the 2010 and 2014 cycles knows just how singular and beautiful that connection can be. We head to 80,000-capacity AT&T Stadium on Sunday night to play Haiti. (Chuckles “I’m in danger.”) If you’re in the Dallas area and considering going to the game, use this link to get 10% off tickets to USA vs. Haiti.   The Knockout Rounds Will Be Moment Of Truth Time  We may play Costa Rica or Mexico. To better days ahead for all of us. We need to make noise. We need to be able to dream. Our gents will next play against the NBA Finals Game 7. We cannot catch a break… |
The Club World Cup Is Going to Be Some Turbulent Journey  What a surreal sight this tournament has been. Hastily thrown together from an organization perspective and even more shoddily marketed. Having Gianni Infantino be the face of his own creation was an almost vanity marketing campaign, with iShowSpeed bolted on for clout. The oft-shockingly empty stadia have been a startling humiliation. The action has been a slow boil. With shattered players battling dry pitches and blazing conditions in unbearable heat, Barney Ronay called it, “almost-football.” Action has been a slow boil. The only heat has mostly been of the brain-twisting, weather-induced kind. I will talk more about this surreal reality with Rory Smith on Monday in a Do It Live! after Seattle Sounders play PSG (kick-off @ 3 p.m. ET), but for now, congratulations to Inter Miami. They should not be in this tournament, as they were only jammed in for Messi marketing purposes, but they seized their chance, clipping a physically shattered Porto off this sublime Messi free-kick to become the first MLS team to beat a European opponent in competitive play. No small achievement. |
Concacaf Gold Cup: How every team can qualify for quarterfinals
Dale JohnsonJun 21, 2025, 06:13 AM ET
The group stage at the Concacaf Gold Cup is well underway, and we’ll soon start to find out the first qualifiers for the quarterfinals.
Who can qualify on matchday 2, who has work to do, and what are the results to look out for?
Here’s how it’s all shaping up.
Qualified for quarterfinals (3/8): Mexico, Costa Rica, United States
Tiebreakers
1. Group points
2. Group goal difference
3. Group goals scored
4. Head-to-head in the game(s) between the teams in question
5. Goal difference in the game(s) between the teams in question
6. Goals scored in the game(s) between the teams in question
7. Disciplinary points (yellow and red cards)
8. Drawing of lots
*Kick off times show in ET (and in local time)
GROUP A
Group A
| GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – Mexico (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +3 | 6 |
| 2 – Costa Rica (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 6 |
| 3 – Dominican Republic | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| 4 – Suriname | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 0 |
| Top two countries qualify for quarterfinals | ||||||
Saturday, June 14, 2025
Mexico 3-2 Dominican Republic
Sunday, June 15, 2025
Costa Rica 4-3 Suriname
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Costa Rica 2-1 Dominican Republic
Suriname 0-2 Mexico
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Dominican Republic vs. Suriname, 10 p.m. (9 p.m.) – AT&T Stadium
Mexico vs. Costa Rica, 10 p.m. (7 p.m.) – Allegiant Stadium
The group was all wrapped up on Wednesday with Mexico and Costa Rica having both won their two fixtures.
It means that all that’s left to be decided when the two meet on Sunday is who wins the group.
Mexico have the better goal difference so will finish in first place with a win or a draw.
Costa Rica need a victory to climb into top spot.
GROUP B
Group B
| GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – Canada | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +6 | 3 |
| 2 – El Salvador | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 – Curaçao | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 – Honduras | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -6 | 0 |
| Top two countries qualify for quarterfinals | ||||||
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Curaçao 0-0 El Salvador
Canada 6-0 Honduras
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Curaçao vs. Canada, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.) – Shell Energy Stadium
Honduras vs. El Salvador, 10 p.m. (9 p.m.) – Shell Energy Stadium
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Guadeloupe vs. Guatemala, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.) – Shell Energy Stadium
Panama vs. Jamaica, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.) – Q2 Stadium
Canada are in control of the group, as the only nation to pick up three points from the opening round, and they will be through to the quarterfinals with a win over Curaçao.
No other team can advance on matchday 2.
GROUP C
Group C
| GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – Panama | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +4 | 6 |
| 2 – Guatemala | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 – Jamaica | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 – Guadeloupe | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -4 | 0 |
| Top two countries qualify for quarterfinals | ||||||
Monday, June 16, 2025
Panama 5-2 Guadeloupe
Jamaica 0-1 Guatemala
Friday, June 20, 2025
Jamaica 2-1 Guadeloupe
Guatemala 0-1 Panama
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Guadeloupe vs. Guatemala, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.) – Shell Energy Stadium
Panama vs. Jamaica, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.) – Q2 Stadium
PANAMA
Win or draw: Qualify as group winners
Lose: Will definitely still qualify if Guatemala draw or lose.
If Guatemala win, three teams will have six points and it will go down to group goal difference. Panama (+4) look quite safe, however, as they would have to lose by 3 or more goals to go out behind Jamaica (0) and Guatemala (0).
JAMAICA
Win: Qualify if Guatemala draw or lose. If Guatemala win, three teams will have six points and it will go down to group goal difference. If Guatemala do win, Jamaica would need a victory by three or more goals to guarantee qualification — though they would also be through by winning by a greater margin than Guatemala.
Draw: Qualify if Guatemala lose. If Guatemala draw, places will first be decided on group goals scored, which Jamaica lead by one goal.
Lose: Can only qualify if Guatemala also lose, and it will again come down to goal difference, this time between Jamaica (0), Guatemala (0) and Guadeloupe (-4). Effectively, the team that loses by the lowest margin between Jamaica and Guatemala would be second (see Guadeloupe section).
If in each scenario goal difference finishes level between Jamaica and Guatemala (e.g. scorelines of 0-0 and 1-1 producing match goal difference of 2-2) then Guatemala are second on head to head.
GUATEMALA
Win: Qualify in second if Jamaica draw or lose. If Jamaica win, three teams will have six points and it will go down to group goal difference. As above, Guatemala would likely need to win by a bigger margin than Jamaica, though goal difference could still finish level.
Draw: Qualify if Jamaica lose. If Jamaica draw, places will first be decided on group goals scored, which Jamaica lead by one goal.
Lose: Can only qualify if Jamaica also lose, and it will again come down to goal difference, as above.
GUADELOUPE
Must beat Guatemala by at least two goals and hope Jamaica lose. If Jamaica lose by one goal, they finish second; if Jamaica lose by two or more goals, Guatemala will likely finish second having scored more goals.
If Guadeloupe win by three or more goals and Jamaica lose, Guadeloupe are sure to be second.
GROUP D
Group D
| GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – United States | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | +6 | 6 |
| 2 – Saudi Arabia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 – Haiti | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 |
| 4 – Trinidad and Tobago | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -5 | 1 |
| Top two countries qualify for quarterfinals | ||||||
Sunday, June 15, 2025
United States 5-0 Trinidad and Tobago
Haiti 0-1 Saudi Arabia
Thursday, June 19, 2025
Trinidad and Tobago 1-1 Haiti
Saudi Arabia 0-1 United States
Sunday, June 22, 2025
Saudi Arabia vs. Trinidad and Tobago, 7 p.m. (4 p.m.) – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
United States vs. Haiti, 7 p.m. (4 p.m.) – AT&T Stadium
UNITED STATES
Have qualified and will top the group with a win or draw against Haiti.
If the U.S. lose, Saudi Arabia would need to win with a goal-difference swing of seven goals to steal first place.
SAUDI ARABIA
Win: Qualify, almost certainly in second place
Draw: Qualify, as long as Haiti do not win (see Haiti section)
Lose: Cannot qualify
HAITI
Win: They have a couple of routes. Haiti qualify as long as Saudi Arabia do not lose to Trinidad and Tobago by five or more goals (which puts Trinidad and Tobago through). If Saudi Arabia draw, it comes down to goal difference and goals scored, and Haiti are through if they win by two or more goals. If Haiti win by one goal and goal difference is identical (e.g. 1-0, 1-1) then Saudi Arabia are second on head to head.
Cannot qualify with a draw or loss.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Win: Have to get the victory over Saudi Arabia, and they will be through if Haiti draw or lose. If Haiti win, Trinidad and Tobago must win by five or more goals to finish second on goal difference.
Cannot qualify with a draw or loss.
Club World Cup: Is European soccer’s superiority being exposed as a myth?
Henry BushnellSenior reporter
June 21, 2025 at 12:02 AM EDT·
7 min read7
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — European soccer’s superiority had, throughout the 21st century, become self-evident; inescapable and irreversible; extreme and presumed. It was apparent in the salaries and prices of players, in the exodus of talent from the Americas and Africa, in the prestige of the UEFA Champions League and, twice per year, on the field. At the former Club World Cup, the seven-team version played each winter, since 2007, European teams played 34 games. They lost once.
So they strolled into this expanded version, the 2025 Club World Cup, as heavy favorites. They negotiated outsize appearance fees. Their supporters assumed they’d waltz to the latter stages, untouched.
Instead, halfway through the group stage, they’ve been humbled.
In six games so far against South American opposition, they’ve lost two, drawn three, won one (finally, on Friday, thanks to Bayern Munich).
They have also dropped seven points to the Saudi Pro League, MLS and Liga MX.
Their early stumbles have delighted fans from other continents. They’ve surprised Western pundits. And they’ve ignited provocative debate around a simple question: Is the supposed supremacy of European clubs a myth?
‘They are good teams too’
On one side, there are the raw results and the performances here over the past week. Flamengo didn’t just beat Chelsea 3-1 on Friday in Philadelphia; at times, it pummeled the free-spending English Premier League giants. And Fluminense — Brazil’s 13th best team last year — didn’t just hold Borussia Dortmund to a 0-0 draw; it outplayed what was, a month ago, the hottest team in Germany.
In almost every single match between South American and European foes, there was evidence that the gap is slimmer than most Europeans (and non-Hispanic Americans) realize. Botafogo’s upset of PSG was a so-called “smash-and-grab,” but even smash-and-grabs require a certain level of physical, technical and tactical quality. Boca Juniors, similarly, bellied up to Bayern Munich on Friday and snatched a second-half equalizer, before conceding late. It was a “really tough game,” Bayern’s Harry Kane said postgame.
There was also Monterrey 1, Inter Milan 1; and Al Hilal 1, Real Madrid 1, “a very balanced match,” as Al Hilal fullback João Cancelo said afterward.
On paper, per Opta, these were games between the 9th best team in the world and the 81st; between No. 15 and No. 238; No. 4 and 132; No. 7 and 131; No. 6 and 130; No. 8 and 77. On the field, though, they looked very different, and begged the question: Is Opta wrong?Are the assumptions of European preeminence wrong?Were we all wrong?
For four-and-a-half decades, after all, from 1960 until 2004, when the champions of South America and Europe met in the now-defunct Intercontinental Cup, the South Americans won 22; the Europeans won 21. Europe’s subsequent commercialization of the sport has seemingly shifted the balance of power, or at least wealth, but … perhaps the on-field gap never really widened?At this new-look Club World Cup, which everyone agrees is a better indicator than the old one, “the South American teams have caused big problems for some of the European teams,” Kane said, and perhaps the explanation is simple. As Kane’s teammate, Konrad Laimer, said: “Because they are good teams, too. Football is football.”
The European excuses
On the other side of the debate, however, there are excuses — or at least other explanations, some legitimate.There is the timing of this tournament, which falls at the end of 10-month European seasons, but mid-campaign for clubs from Brazil, Argentina and MLS. Whereas South American teams built up to the Club World Cup, weary European bodies and minds were ready to wind down. Most got a couple weeks off before reconvening with teammates 7-10 days before their Club World Cup openers, or after an international window. “There are many tournaments that they’ve had to play, and perhaps they’ll arrive with some fatigue,” Inter Miami forward Luis Suarez predicted before the competition began. “I think there will be some surprise results.”There is also the suffocating U.S. summer heat, which has seemed to affect European teams more than others.“We are used to the heat,” Al Hilal’s Brazilian winger Malcom said after his team hung with Real Madrid on a humid 90-degree afternoon in suburban Miami. Atlético Madrid’s Spanish midfielder Marcos Llorente, on the other hand, called an 88-degree afternoon in Southern California “impossible.”
There is travel to which the Europeans aren’t accustomed. There are distant time zones, and games that kick off after all their friends and family back home are asleep. There are all sorts of confounding variables that preclude the Club World Cup from being an accurate point of comparison.And most of all, there is the unavoidable sense, or narrative, that the European teams just don’t really care.Many players do, to be clear. But do they care, with every last ounce of their being, like some of their South American counterparts do?There has undoubtedly been an intensity gap that has neutralized the quality gap, and helped some South American sides show well. To them, these games are among the most significant in recent club history. To the Europeans, the Champions League and, in some cases, their domestic leagues were and are more prestigious.Public attitudes toward the Club World Cup have also colored this excuse. While European fans have stayed home, and in some cases slept through games, supporters of South American and North African clubs have filled stadiums with balloons, flags, banners and unceasing noise.
“We’ve all been a part of big moments; this is still something totally different,” Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany said Friday after experiencing the locura of Boca fans.
Kane confirmed: “It felt like an away game out there.”
That, too, is an equalizing factor.
The conclusion
None of that entirely explains the upsets. But there is nuance in the conclusion that the gap between Europe and the rest of the world is somewhat narrower than many thought — because there are also gaps within Europe and within that other broad category.There is a massive gulf, for example, between Bayern Munich, which ultimately outclassed Boca here on Friday night; and Porto, which finished third in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, closer to fourth-place Braga than to the top two.There is also a sizable gulf between Palmeiras or Flamengo, the two most powerful teams in South America’s richest league, and most of the other non-European challengers at this Club World Cup.
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What we probably overestimated was the distance between the Portos and the Inter Miamis; between the Dortmunds and the Fluminenses; between the Benficas and Bocas; between the Chelseas and the Flamengos. Most of the teams Porto and Benfica play, weekend after weekend, are probably worse than the best of MLS — and certainly worse than Boca, River Plate and much of the Brasileirão. Some of the Brasileirão, and certainly the top two, meanwhile, could compete with the top halves of the top flights in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. They have enough money, enough intelligence, enough homegrown talent.There is still, though, a distance to the tippy-top.“There is an elite in football that is superior,” Flamengo coach Filipe Luis, who played for Atlético Madrid and Chelsea, admitted Friday. “Brazilian clubs are competitive at the second level of European football. Flamengo will not devalue themselves against any opponent. But the squads of the elite are better. That’s a fact.”What we underestimated, though, was how streetwise grit and pure desire and all the aforementioned variables could close the gap between those squads for 90 minutes. We underestimated how much a $100 million squad could trouble a $1 billion squad when it plays as an impassioned unit that’s “really emotional in some situations,” as Laimer said of Boca.South American teams have bumped and bruised and disrupted the sometimes-coddled Europeans here in Miami and Los Angeles, in New Jersey and Philly. They haven’t proven that they are better, but that they’re good enough to be better on a given day.
USMNT grinds way by Saudi Arabia into Gold Cup knockout stage
By Paul Tenorio
125
June 19, 2025
AUSTIN, Texas — Center back Chris Richards made two sliding plays on either side of halftime — the first stopped a shot on a dangerous transition to keep the game scoreless and the second finished off an inch-perfect free kick – to lift the U.S. to a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Thursday night in the Concacaf Gold Cup.
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The result sent the U.S. through to the tournament quarterfinals, though the group finale vs. Haiti on Sunday will determine if the Americans go through in first or second place in the group.
Richards’ finish saved the U.S. in what was otherwise a listless appearance in front of a barren home crowd at Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium. The lackluster environment is only the latest instance of what seems to be a real apathy around a team that will host the World Cup in less than a year. The U.S. played in front of empty crowds at the Concacaf Nations League in Los Angeles in March. The group opener on Sunday in San Jose was not a sellout either.
It is a lack of excitement caused as much by high ticket prices as the general performance of the team.
On the field, Thursday’s win gave the U.S. back-to-back victories for the first time since January camp. Results otherwise have left plenty to be desired. The American team has failed to excited fans or generate much enthusiasm or momentum.
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This Gold Cup is a chance to reverse that. But Mauricio Pochettino’s side needed to get results to start to build belief that it was headed in the right direction. The one-goal win over the Saudi did provide the result, if not necessarily the style points.
The U.S. tilted play through the left side and Max Arfsten in the first half, but the Columbus Crew wingback struggled to do much with his opportunities. The U.S. lost possession 60 times in the first half, per TruMedia, and Arfsten was responsible for 15 of those changeovers.
Saudi Arabia, a guest nation in Concacaf’s championship, had the best chances of the first stanza. Richards made a fantastic tackle in the 31s minute, sprinting back and making a last-ditch slide tackle to block Abdulrahman Al-Obood’s effort and keep the game scoreless.
The U.S. worked possession looking for ways to break Saudi down, but created very little of note through the first hour of the game. Then right back Alex Freeman earned a free kick when he was fouled cutting centrally with the ball in the 62nd minute.
Sebastian Berhalter, the son of former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter, who once spent a season on loan with Austin FC, stood over the free kick and served a low curling ball into the box, where Richards slid with his leg outstretched to direct the ball home.
It was an important moment from the Crystal Palace veteran, who has been charged with being one of the leaders on this younger, inexperienced U.S. team.
The U.S. will close out group play on Sunday against Haiti at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with that result, coupled with Mexico and Costa Rica’s Group A finale, determining the quarterfinal matchups. A draw will be sufficient for the U.S. to top the group. The U.S. hasn’t lost to Haiti in their last nine meetings, a streak that dates back to 1973.
(Top photo: Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Winning fosters USMNT belief at a time when fans need a team they can trust
By Paul Tenorio
74
June 20, 2025
AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. men’s national team is just a few weeks removed from the bitterness of two friendly defeats, the second of which was particularly ugly. Not nearly enough time has passed to have forgotten completely the feeling those results wrought on the group.
That made it easier for Mauricio Pochettino to deliver his postgame message after the U.S. gutted out a not-so-perfect 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Thursday night to secure a spot in the Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals.
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“Enjoy that feeling,” Pochettino told the group. “Understand what that feeling is like and what you just had to do, all that emotion you put out on the field, because it doesn’t come easy. So you know what you have to do now. You need to continue to do and replicate that.”
It is one thing to believe that you have a process and that the process is working. It is harder to transmit that belief when the results are not going your way. That’s why the one-goal victory over Saudi Arabia was so important, even if it wasn’t pretty. The U.S. has now won back-to-back games. The confidence and belief in the group grows a bit more as a result. And Pochettino’s message resonates more, too.
“One of the important things to survive in this business … is to see things that maybe sometimes people cannot see,” Pochettino said. “And I think our point is not the knowledge about the game, is not about in the way that we want to approach the game, if we use different systems or not. It is to anticipate situations that people sometimes, like in all the business [don’t have] the possibility to see. That’s important. When everyone wants to destroy everything, sometimes you say, ‘No, we are [OK.]’ Because it’s difficult to defend when you don’t win. It’s difficult to say, ‘No, but we are in a good way.’ …
“I think [those bad results are part of] a process that is going to provide us the possibility to be more solid and bring the victories that we want.”
Mauricio Pochettino has the USMNT into the Gold Cup knockout stage (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Pochettino clearly came into this summer with ideas he wanted to transmit through his decisions — on whom to bring, on what to say publicly, on how the team sets up and who is starting. The results didn’t happen right away. Pochettino said he was calm. He told the group to keep trusting.
So Gold Cup wins over Trinidad and Tobago and Saudi Arabia matter. Not because of the quality of the opponent or even the level of the team. But because results are what help foster buy-in.
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“We lost two games, and then we lost another two games after. I was really, really relaxed. And you can ask the players after Switzerland, [I was] saying, ‘Hey, look guys, relax. Now it’s time to rest. Is to analyze the situation.’ And sometimes you need to be honest. And I think it was my mistake or our mistake, and [so I said], ‘Hey, calm, we are going to prepare, and for sure, we are going to arrive in a very good condition.’ And maybe these few words … when you tell [players] something and that [happens], then that is going to be a very good group, very united and [they are going to] trust each other and go and fight. Because we know that we are all [in it] together.”
Pochettino said his staff can sense it coming together. They can “smell it,” he said.
They have to hope that the positivity continues to permeate, because it was clear in Austin that the apathy around this program is very real. The results haven’t been good, and the vibes have been worse. Attendance at Q2 Stadium was just 11,727. That follows just 12,610 in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday against T&T. The optics probably won’t be any better vs. Haiti this Sunday at the cavernous AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
USMNT fans were conspicuously absent for Thursday’s Gold Cup match vs. Saudi Arabia (Photo by Noah Goldberg/Getty Images)
Fans are opting out of paying high ticket prices to watch a team that hasn’t been performing, which should be a glaring signal for U.S. Soccer. There is less than a year until the 2026 World Cup begins. The priority needs to be on getting full stadiums and generating momentum around the team. It puts enormous pressure on U.S. Soccer to set its ticket prices appropriately for its slate of friendlies in September, October, November, March and next June.
Price points haven’t been the only issue, though. The U.S. men need to get people to start believing that they’re worth coming out to watch.
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There wasn’t a ton on Thursday that fulfilled that narrative. The Americans had the ball for most of the game, generating 67 percent possession and 469 passes. And yet they mustered just five shots and 0.70 expected goals.
It was an imperfect performance. But Pochettino is more worried about finding the moments he can pull from the game that underline his message.
It was Chris Richards sprinting back and sliding to block a shot on a clear Saudi transition attack that could have led to a goal. It was Sebastian Berhalter mixing it up with the Saudi team. Most importantly, it was the final scoreline.
USMNT GK Matt Freese embraces Chris Richards after the latter’s hustle and tackle prevented a great Saudi Arabia chance (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
The simplest way to relay what Pochettino said is this: In this business, it’s the results that matter. That’s it. And that’s what the U.S. has been lacking over the last 18 months. They need to start winning games. The style points are just a bonus.
This U.S. group has holes. Of course it does. We know about the guys missing from this tournament. We know about the weaknesses that exist even when many of those players are present. That was on display against Panama in the Nations League in March.
With time ticking down toward the summer of 2026, it’s about finding the right mentality and the right combinations and the right belief to start winning again.
Pochettino was asked about that goal – about how to coach it into a team.
“It’s the hardest part of coaching, it is difficult because it takes time, because it’s a process,” Pochettino said. “Coaching the offensive, defensive, tactical, and game aspects is something any coach or every coach has sufficient knowledge to do. After that, it’s the values you transmit as a coaching staff. Not just me, but my entire coaching staff. That’s what we want to create, that environment or that relationship that has to exist. The habits. The habits we think should exist in a team that wants to compete for big things, which have to be fundamental. … Culture is created through the habits you have. Culture isn’t created by talking, culture isn’t created by giving theoretical lessons, it’s created with decisions, with actions. We often talk now with the players, about not talking on the field, but rather speaking with actions, because we can all communicate well, and all of us in a football environment have that ability to communicate. …
“It can be very nice to say things, but then you have to translate it onto the field. … That’s what truly dictates what we are. And that requires, as I was saying before, actions. Creating good habits, the habits that we think are fundamental to being competitive in any team. Because otherwise we would be a group of players who don’t come together. We wouldn’t be a team. We would be a group of players who play together, and nothing more. And to achieve a team, you need a foundation of values that we all agree to respect and follow.”
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Pochettino was then asked whether his team was there yet.
“We are currently under construction,” he said.
The 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia showed that. It was far from perfect. But it was a win. For a group that’s trying to become a team and craft its values, finding a way to get the three points was important.
The hope is that it now builds a little bit more. For the players in the locker room, for the players watching at home and for the fans who want to know whether they can start to believe again that this group of players can be the team they want it to be.
It will take a lot more — and there will most definitely be more setbacks. For now, this U.S. group will have to settle for a slight spark of belief that this can get back on track.
“It’s just that,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “It’s belief.”
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