Champions League Tues/Wed Knockout Stage Begins on CBS
There is a real David and Goliath feel to Wednesday’s 3 pm battle on CBS featuring Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain — the Basque team based around youngsters developed in their Zubieta academy against the Parisians, a side full of expensive individuals signed by the club’s Qatari owners — and David has a real chance of winning, too. Of course Copenhagen surprised Man United to make this round of 16 can they do similar things to Man City Tuesday on CBS at 3 pm? It all starts with Champions League today at 2 pm.
Tues, Feb 13: FC Copenhagen vs Manchester City 3 pm CBS, RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid 3 pm TUDN Para+ (return legs: Wednesday, March 6). Wed, Feb14: Lazio vs Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad CBSSN 3 pm (return legs: Tuesday, March 5). Tues, Feb 20: Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund (return legs: Wednesday, March 13). Wed, Feb 21: Porto vs Arsenal, Napoli vs Barcelona (return legs: Tuesday, March 12).
Indy Eleven continued preseason action with a 2-0 victory over Chicago Fire FC II at the Grand Park Events Center on Saturday evening.The teams traded chances in a physical first half, but it was Indy that struck first in the 28th minute. Augi Williams found himself on the end of a cross from Cam Lindley, took a touch around the Chicago Fire keeper and put the Boys in Blue up, 1-0. Lindley was the team’s assist leader and ranked seventh in the USL Championship in 2023, registering eight helpers.It didn’t take Indy long to double the score as Sebastian Guenzatti connected with Jack Blake for the insurance tally. Yannik Oettl and Cayden Crawford split time in goal for the Boys in Blue, helping the squad post its second shutout in as many games.
Complete Preseason Schedule Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | D, 0-0 Saturday, Feb. 10 vs Chicago Fire FC II | W, 2-0 Tuesday, Feb. 13 vs. Indiana Wesleyan University | Closed to the public Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. Columbus Crew2 | 3 p.m. | Open to the public Saturday, Feb. 24 at Lexington SC Thursday, Feb. 29 vs. Detroit City FC | Closed to the public Friday, March 1 vs. Forward Madison FC | Closed to the public
Indy opens the 2024 slate on a two-match road swing beginning at non-conference foe Oakland Roots SC on March 9 before returning home to host 2023 Western Conference Champion Sacramento Republic FC at Michael A. Carroll Stadium on March 23. Single-game tickets are available now for all matches via Ticketmaster. Season Ticket Packages can also be purchased, as well as tickets for groups and hospitality areas. For more information on these options click here.
Also the USL Super League for Women has received Division 1 Sanctioning from US Soccer – and will begin play in August head to head with NWSL. The Indy 11 Women will join the league when Indy 11 Park is completed.
Games on TV –
Concacaf Champions Cup for MLS, the best teams in Mexico and the top teams from Central American, and is back – full schedule. Europa League Round of 32 on Thursday gives us American’s Pulisic & Musah and AC Milan hosting French club Rennes at 3 pm on CBSSN & TUDN, & Unimas. While also at 3 pm American Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis host Zagreb on Paramount+. Pregame show starts at 2 pm. (see full Europa League schedule below)
Champions League is back Tues/Wed – this the official ball.
2024 Summer Olympics – Men & Women, July 24 – August 10
Champions League last-16: Predictions, best ties, players to watch and what’s changed
By The Athletic UK Staff and more the Athletic
The Champions League is back on Tuesday with 16 teams still in contention for a place in the final at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday, June 1.
The clubs to have made it into the knockout phase include the holders Manchester City and 14-time European Cup/Champions League winners Real Madrid, along with less familiar contenders such as Real Sociedad and FC Copenhagen.
Here, a group of The Athletic writers analyse the eight two-leg ties that will be played out over the next month, pick out the key players and storylines to follow and make their predictions on who will be in the quarter-final draw on March 15.
Which is the most intriguing of the eight ties?
Carl Anka:Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid should be a fun match-up between two clubs who think Johan Cruyff was important but believe there are also other ways to play football. Styles makes fights, goes the boxing adage. It’ll be interesting to watch two brilliant teams who use wing-backs go head-to-head.
Dermot Corrigan: There is a real David and Goliath feel to Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain — the Basque team based around youngsters developed in their Zubieta academy against the Parisians, a side full of expensive individuals signed by the club’s Qatari owners — and David has a real chance of winning again, too.
Mark Carey: PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund looks like a great tie, with both sides built upon principles of intensity and verticality. Peter Bosz’s side are flying in the Eredivisie with their high-octane style in and out of possession, while Dortmund are no strangers to punishing teams in transitional moments. Expect this one to be an entertaining slugging match.
Will things get any better at Barcelona for the exiting Xavi? (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Stuart James: Inter-Atletico is the box-office tie. PSV-Dortmund has the potential to be a wild ride. Porto vs Arsenal will have the celebration police out in force if Mikel Arteta and his players dare to do anything other than walk straight down the tunnel after getting through. But La Real-PSG is the one that intrigues: can a team of largely homegrown players give one of European football’s superpowers a bloody nose?
Sarah Shephard: Napoli vs Barcelona, simply because I’m not entirely sure what to expect from either side. Xavi’s announcement that he will step down as Barcelona coach at the end of the season revealed a man with little left to give, which could have a myriad of effects on his players, while Napoli are far from the team that invigorated Europe last season while winning the Serie A title. This one’s intriguing, but perhaps for all the worst reasons.
Round of 16 fixtures
Tuesday, February 13: FC Copenhagen vs Manchester City, RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid (return legs: Wednesday, March 6). Wednesday, February 14: Lazio vs Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad (return legs: Tuesday, March 5). Tuesday, February 20: Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund (return legs: Wednesday, March 13). Wednesday, February 21: Porto vs Arsenal, Napoli vs Barcelona (return legs: Tuesday, March 12).
Which player are you most looking forward to watching?
Anka: Martin Zubimendi has been talked up as a potential successor to Barcelona and Spain stalwart Sergio Busquets and as a possible replacement for Thomas Partey at Arsenal. In the here and now, the defensive midfielder is one part of a delightful Real Sociedad side taking on Paris Saint-Germain. The 25-year-old will be key to any success they have in that tie.
Corrigan: As Kylian Mbappe’s future remains such an open question, most La Liga watchers will take any chance to see the French forward playing in a big, competitive game. A match-winning performance against Real Sociedad will increase the expectation at Real Madrid that club president Florentino Perez should do everything possible to finally sign him. Multi-million euro decisions should not be made on two 40/html/container.html
Carey: Strikers are always exciting, but it will be interesting to see if RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda can punish Real Madrid. The 23-year-old Belgian has bagged 14 goals in the Bundesliga (behind only Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane) and has been in great individual form since the turn of the year, despite some poor results from Marco Rose’s side.
Openda has been in fine form for a struggling Leipzig team (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
James: I’ve seen a pass. You must have seen it too. Hakan Calhanoglu, reborn as a deep-lying playmaker these days, pinging a sublime 60-yard diagonal, complete with fade, to take two Juventus defenders out of the game during Inter’s 1-0 win the Sunday before last. Calhanoglu is a joy. Oh, and Xavi Simons, on loan at Leipzig from PSG, is a lot of fun to watch, too.
Anka: My answer to this will be Luis Enrique, at every single round of the tournament. Any season in which PSG don’t win is considered a failure, but misbehave in this one and you may find yourself being linked to the Chelsea job in the summer.
Corrigan: Xavi has claimed that his decision to leave this summer will take some pressure off his Barca team and give them the best chance of success over the remainder of the season. That theory could well be tested against Napoli, and I wonder if a defeat there could mean the former Camp Nou playmaker leaves the job even quicker than he has laid out.
Carey: Thomas Tuchel has had his fair share of criticism in Germany already this season, with Bayern Munich stuttering badly behind a Bundesliga-leading Bayer Leverkusen. A meeting with Lazio is among the easiest of these last-16 ties, so if they don’t win either of the legs convincingly, the heat will truly be on for the manager.
James: The simple answer is Pep Guardiola, given the trophy belongs to City at the moment and they have the easiest last-16 tie. But in the real world, City are already through to the quarter-finals. Defeat for Tuchel would surely be extremely damaging, given that the annual formality of another Bundesliga title for Bayern is, well, anything but a formality this season.
Shephard: Dortmund’s Edin Terzic faces the unenviable task of taking on a man who once sat in his chair (for half a season, at least) and is now thriving elsewhere. Given the way things ended for Bosz in Dortmund, he will be keen to prove a point, and this season has already seen Terzic under pressure thanks to a run of poor form pre-Christmas and an early exit from the DFB-Pokal (Germany’s FA Cup).
Whose fortunes have changed most since the draw in December?
Anka: Xavi sounded weary and burnt out when he announced he’d be leaving Barcelona at the end of the season. Injuries have decimated his playing options and his top striker Robert Lewandowski is 35 years old and entering a physical and goalscoring decline. This isn’t the free-wheeling Napoli of last season (they really should have found a way to beat AC Milan in the quarter-finals) but Barca are far from the favourites for this tournament right now.
Corrigan: Leipzig’s group performances — they won four games and competed admirably against City in the other two — suggested they could be tricky opponents for Madrid. But three straight Bundesliga defeats last month on returning from the winter break led to Spanish media headlines of “Leipzig in ruins”.
Carey: It’s hardly the case that City’s fortunes have “changed”, considering they are the competition’s champions and took maximum points from the group stage. It is more a case that the start of a new year often sees Guardiola’s side find another gear — and after coasting for the first half of the season, they are in serious mode now. The recent returns of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland from injuries have restored them to title-favourite status in the Premier League. In Europe, you just have to feel sorry for FC Copenhagen.
City are motoring at full speed with Haaland and De Bruyne back (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
James: Not ignoring the fact that Barcelona were in a mess even before the draw was made, it’s been quite a story since. By my GCSE Grade C-Maths calculations, Their next 12 matches after they were paired with Napoli on December 18 produced 55 goals: five of them scored by Villarreal on their league visit, four by Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final in Saudi Arabia and another four by hosts Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. On top of that, Xavi has announced he’s stepping down as coach. That apart, it’s been quiet.
Shephard: When the draw was made, Arsenal topped the Premier League table, a point clear of Liverpool and five ahead of City. Now they sit third, two points behind leaders Liverpool and level with City (who have a game in hand). Nobody believed Arsenal had the title sewn up before Christmas, but they seemed much more in control of the situation than they do today.
Who should the neutrals be supporting?
Anka: If you’re the sort of person who likes discovering bands before they start selling our arenas, pay attention to Real Sociedad. They have a squad of talented players on the verge of being snapped up by bigger clubs. Now’s the time to learn about Zubimendi, Kubo and more.
Corrigan: Most of these teams are so well known at this point that we’ve made up our minds whether we like them or not. Atletico could perhaps buck this trend; coach Diego Simeone keeps trying to evolve their style to play more joined-up attacking football, knowing his current squad has a lot more quality in attack than defence. But will many non-Atletico fans really be rooting for them?
Carey: It was the 2018-19 season when Ajax caught the hearts and minds of the neutral fans when they charged to the semi-finals of this tournament before somehow getting knocked out by Tottenham. This season, it’s another Dutch side who could be the dark horses, with PSV not to be underestimated thanks to their exciting attacking unit.
James: “Many would have liked to see us dead. But we are very much alive.” That was Luis Enrique talking in the wake of PSG scrambling through their group (of death) in second place, behind Dortmund and after seeing off Milan and Newcastle. Nothing personal, mate, but plenty of football fans probably feel the same about your Real Sociedad tie. What a story it would be if the Basques, playing their first Champions League campaign since 2013-14 and second in 20 years, made it to the last eight. Get on the San Sebastian bandwagon.
Shephard: Not many people outside of the blue half of Manchester really want to see another City clean-sweep of the major trophies, do they? In which case, you’d have to say FC Copenhagen should be the neutrals’ choice. They were beaten 5-0 by City in Manchester in the group stage of last season’s competition so an upset feels pretty unlikely, but it wouldn’t be an upset if that weren’t the case, right?
Who do you expect the quarter-finalists to be?
Anka: Let’s follow the law of parsimony here: the simplest explanation is most likely the right one. Arsenal, Barcelona, Dortmund, PSG, Inter, Bayern, City and Madrid. The most monied tournament in club football will likely favour the richest teams in it.
Corrigan: Inter-Atletico and Napoli-Barcelona look more evenly balanced, and Atletico seem a lot better positioned than Barca to come through a tight tie at this point.
Carey: It would be great to see some surprises, but the safest bet would be the obvious ones. Arsenal, PSG, Inter, Bayern, City and Madrid look pretty nailed-on, but the games that could throw some doubt would be Napoli vs Barcelona and PSV vs Dortmund.
James: A lot of the usual suspects: City, Madrid, PSG, Bayern, PSV, Atletico, Arsenal, Napoli. Arguably, the two surprises in there are PSV and Atletico. In the case of PSV, they’re unbeaten in the Eredivisie and Sergino Dest could nutmeg a mer… no, I’m not going to say it. Anyway, there’s a lot to like about Bosz’s football ideology. As for Atletico’s progress, Inter are a terrific side but I sense a rejuvenated Alvaro Morata and some classic Simeone s***housery causing them problems.
Shephard: Arsenal, Barcelona, PSG, Atletico, PSV, Bayern, City, Madrid. Sorry, Dortmund fans, but let’s at least try to keep things interesting. (Top photos: Getty Images)
Indy 11 Beat Chicago Fire II
Indy Eleven continued preseason action with a 2-0 victory over Chicago Fire FC II at the Grand Park Events Center on Saturday evening. The teams traded chances in a physical first half, but it was Indy that struck first in the 28th minute. Augi Williams found himself on the end of a cross from Cam Lindley, took a touch around the Chicago Fire keeper and put the Boys in Blue up, 1-0. Lindley was the team’s assist leader and ranked seventh in the USL Championship in 2023, registering eight helpers.It didn’t take Indy long to double the score as Sebastian Guenzatti connected with Jack Blake for the insurance tally. Yannik Oettl and Cayden Crawford split time in goal for the Boys in Blue, helping the squad post its second shutout in as many games.
Complete Preseason Schedule Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | D, 0-0 Saturday, Feb. 10 vs Chicago Fire FC II | W, 2-0 Tuesday, Feb. 13 vs. Indiana Wesleyan University | Closed to the public Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. Columbus Crew2 | 3 p.m. | Open to the public Saturday, Feb. 24 at Lexington SC Thursday, Feb. 29 vs. Detroit City FC | Closed to the public Friday, March 1 vs. Forward Madison FC | Closed to the public
USMNT midweek viewing guide: Picking up steam
Americans look to continue their momentum all across the globe in this week’s matches.
Chivas vs Forge FC, 10p on FS2, TUDN, Fubo, Sling: Cade Cowell’s 2 goals and 1 assist powered Chivas past Forge in the away leg of Concacaf Champions Cup. Cowell and Chivas hold a 3-1 aggregate lead going into the home leg, as the Canadian club makes the trip to Guadalajara.
Also in action:
Gil Vicente vs Vizela, 10:30a: Alex Méndez and Vizela visit Gil Vicente in Liga Portugal.
Norwich City vs Watford, 2:45p: Josh Sargent and the Canaries host Watford in the Championship.
West Brom vs Cardiff, 3p: Daryl Dike suffered an injury with West Brom at the weekend; Ethan Horvath joined Cardiff just recently from Nottingham Forest.
Gimnasia LP vs Hurácan, 5:15p on Paramount+, Fubo, Fanatiz, AFA Play: Alan Soñora and Hurácan are on the road in Copa de la Liga Profesional play.
Wednesday
Plymouth Argyle vs Coventry, 2:45p: Haji Wright and Coventry visit Plymouth in the Championship.
América vs Real Estelí, 10:15p on FS2, Fubo, Sling, ViX: Alejandro Zendejas and América host Nicaraguan club Real Estelí, having lost the away leg, 1-2. Las Águilas will need to make a comeback at home to advance in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Also in action:
Preston vs Middlesbrough, 2:45p: Matthew Hoppe and Boro visit Preston (Duane Holmes is injured) in the Championship.
Stoke City vs QPR, 2:45p: Reggie Cannon and QPR visit Geoff Cameron’s old club in the Championship.
Tigres vs Vancouver Whitecaps, 8p on FS2, Fubo, Sling: Brian White and the ‘Caps visit Tigres in Concacaf Champions Cup. The Whitecaps drew 1-1 at home in the first leg.
Thursday
AC Milan vs Rennes, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN, CBS Sports Network, UniMás, Fubo (free trial), ViX: Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and Milan begin their Europa League campaign at home against French opposition in the round of 32.
Real Betis vs Dinamo Zagreb, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Johnny Cardoso and Betis host Croatian powerhouse Zagreb in the Europa Conference League round of 32.
Also in action:
Inter Miami vs Newell’s Old Boys, 7:30p on MLS Season Pass: Drake Callender, Julian Gressel, Noah Allen, DeAndre Yedlin, and Inter Miami continue their preseason world tour, this time hosting Messi’s childhood club Newell’s in a Miami friendly.
Monterrey vs Comunicaciones, 10:15p on FS2, Fubo, Sling: Brandon Vázquez and Rayados dominated Comunicaciones 4-1 in the first leg of this Concacaf Champions Cup tie. The scoreline could be even more dramatic with Monterrey at home for the second leg.
Friday
PSV vs Heracles, 2p on ESPN+ (free trial): Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and PSV host Heracles in the Eredivisie.
Also in action:
Hannover vs Greuther Fürth, 12:30p on ESPN+: US U23 defender Maxi Dietz, Julian Green, and Fürth visit Hannover in the 2. Bundesliga.
Westerlo vs Standard Liège, 2:45p: Bryan Reynolds, Griffin Yow, and Westerlo face off with Marlon Fossey and Standard in Belgium’s top division.
Mazatlán vs Chivas, 10p: Cade Cowell and Chivas visit Mazatlán in Liga MX.
Comparing the Super Bowl to the men’s World Cup final and Champions League final
Last Sunday, after a made-for-TV event revealed the 2026 World Cup match schedule, FIFA president Gianni Infantino took a subtle shot at the NFL’s Super Bowl. The next men’s World Cup will be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, featuring an expanded field of 48 teams and 104 total games. “This will be 104 Super Bowls being played in North America,” Infantino said on Instagram. It was no coincidence that Infantino’s claim came at the start of Super Bowl week in Las Vegas. It was also a reminder that the worlds of soccer and American football both have an eye on each other as they each try to grow their operations. While the World Cup enjoys far greater popularity worldwide, the Super Bowl has cornered the U.S. market — an area of particular focus for global soccer powers over the last several decades. Which may be why some of soccer’s most influential officials are irked by the notion that the Super Bowl could be perceived as a bigger event than the World Cup. Three years ago, CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani was asked by a local television reporter in Atlanta why the city, which has hosted the Summer Olympics, would be interested in “an international event.” Montagliani recalled an anecdote about an unnamed NFL owner who told him that 100 million people around the world watch the Super Bowl. “I said, when we have the draw for the World Cup, which is ping-pong balls in a glass bowl, and some legend of the game pulls out a ball and says ‘USA versus Poland in Group A,’ that’s two to three times (the viewership of) a Super Bowl,” Montagliani said. “That’s just to pull balls out of a glass bowl, so that’s not even for the games of the World Cup… I’m not sure how else to answer that question, I think it answers itself.”uper Bowl viewership smashes that of the World Cup final within the U.S. However, if you broaden it to the global numbers for both, it flips far in the other direction. The World Cup final is an unbeatable global behemoth and that’s the problem when comparing the men’s World Cup final with the Super Bowl. You simply cannot get past the numbers.Take last year’s Super Bowl versus the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. The 2023 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles set a domestic viewership record with 115.1 million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes and other digital streams. Another 56 million people outside the U.S. watched the game. Those numbers are impressive, but they’re just a spec in comparison to the “global reach” of 1.5 billion FIFA reported to have for Lionel Messi and Argentina’s defeat of defending champions France in the 2022 World Cup final. Whether that’s a massive exaggeration by FIFA or an accurate viewership figure is debatable, and something The Athletic covered in greater depth here.
A record 18,000 media credentials were issued for the World Cup in Qatar, according to FIFA. This weekend’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas will host over 6,000 credentialed members of the press. It’s the 57th edition of the Super Bowl, and because it’s in Vegas for the first time, it feels like one of the bigger NFL title games in recent memory.It features the league’s two best teams, a potential G.O.A.T. candidate in Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, against San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, an unlikely hero who was the last player taken in the 2022 draft (a position dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant”). It’ll be a storybook ending in Sin City, no matter who wins the game. And yet, most of the world’s population won’t be watching. That’s why comparing the Super Bowl, a yearly title game between club teams, with the World Cup final, which is played every four years by national teams, misses the mark. The World Cup is a month-long tournament that since 1998, has featured 32 countries from around the world. The 2026 World Cup in North America will be the biggest World Cup ever in the most commercialized country on the planet. Despite Infantino’s dig and Montagliani’s ping-pong ball anecdote, FIFA can take some cues from the NFL, which has mastered the art of merging sports and entertainment. Think about why so many Americans and NFL fans around the world watch the Super Bowl. It’s a spectacle celebrated by parties and calls for it to be made an official national holiday. If the game itself falls flat, the millions watching from home (in the U.S. at least) can still debate whether the commercials were funny or innovative and watch the broadcast for the halftime show. A normal Super Bowl halftime break can run up to 30 minutes — twice as long as any other NFL halftime break — in order to allow organizers to set up and tear down an elaborate concert stage for superstar performers on the field. It’s hard to imagine FIFA extending halftime of a World Cup final for the same reason, but the tournament’s opening and closing ceremonies seem like a compromise. A Super Bowl halftime is also prime ad space, which is why advertising agencies and corporate sponsors will once again put all their eggs in one basket this Sunday, spending $7 million dollars for a 30-second chance to become part of American pop culture. Messi will star in a Super Bowl commercial for the first time this year, cementing his place in the American consciousness.Clearly FIFA hears the noise regarding the Super Bowl-World Cup comparison. The World Cup is a monster on its own, but the Super Bowl has a cool factor that any sporting event would envy. It’s the blue collar mentality of Rocky mixed with the multi-billion-dollar NFL machine. The countless celebrities that attend a Super Bowl, the national anthem before kickoff. It’s simply unique. It’s Apple pie and heavy metal. It’s American exceptionalism. The Super Bowl is Americana at its finest. World soccer’s chief decision makers would love nothing more than to emulate that appeal.Instead of the World Cup final, a fairer comparison would be to set the Super Bowl against the UEFA Champions League final. It’s by far the biggest game of the club soccer calendar. Both the Super Bowl and the Champions League final occur annually and both pit professional organizations against each other, rather than national teams. But yet again, the comparison ends with the viewership numbers. In 2023, UEFA estimated that a global audience of 450 million people would watch at least a portion of the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan. That’s still more than the Super Bowl’s viewership record. In this case, however, numbers don’t always tell the whole story. A feeling of grandeur is what has traditionally defined the Super Bowl. The build-up to Super Bowl Sunday is a week-long content circus. Nearly 24,000 fans attended this week’s media day event earlier this week at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the site of Sunday’s Super Bowl. Players from both teams walked onto the stadium’s artificial turf like prize fighters before a heavyweight fight, only to take a seat at a podium and answer questions, with pop star Taylor Swift a particular point of emphasis.
“The (Champions League) final should be bigger,” said Paris Saint Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in 2022. “I can’t understand how the Super Bowl can feel bigger than the Champions League final. The Super Bowl, and the U.S. generally, have this mindset, creativity and entertainment. That’s what I have suggested, to have an opening ceremony to the Champions League, to have one match on the opening night where the winners take on a big team — maybe it is not a good idea, but at least let’s challenge the status quo. Each match needs to be an event and entertainment.”In 2015, Pepsi saw an opportunity to change the tone of the UEFA Champions League final by sponsoring the final’s Kickoff Show entertainment. Since then, international artists like Dua Lipa, Black Eyed Peas, and Camila Cabello have all featured at the start of the global broadcast. But does anyone remember those performances? Comparing the Super Bowl with soccer’s two biggest matches has become an endless debate. What should take precedence, though, are the many ways that FIFA, UEFA and the NFL are moving closer to one another. The three organizations are also gradually moving in on each other’s territories. The NFL continues to expand its brand globally, with the possibility of playing a Super Bowl in London becoming closer to reality. “It is not impossible, and it is something that has been discussed before,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in 2023. Meanwhile, European soccer’s governing body has discussed holding its showpiece event in the United States.So, while the numbers tell a good portion of the story when it comes to differences in popularity and appeal, the Super Bowl, World Cup and Champions League final all have elements envied and emulated by each other.
(Top image: Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images; Kohjiro Kinno/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images; Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES; Sportfoto/Getty Images; Design: Eamonn Dalton)
The Concacaf Champions Cup is back!
Maybe you didn’t know it had gone anywhere or maybe you’re asking “What’s the Concacaf Champions Cup?” The governing body in North America, Central America and the Caribbean opted for a name change ahead of a revamped tournament.FotMob – 3 days ago
It’s the same name the continental club championship carried for many years, evoking memories of the glory days of club soccer in the Concacaf region, well before MLS existed or Liga MX clubs had started to exert their power.
What’s different besides the name?
This tournament is going to be big. Like, really big. There are 27 teams competing to be the club champion of the region and things will run from today until June 2.
After teams from outside North America played the Central American Cup and Caribbean Cup, and North American teams qualified through league play or cup competitions, the field is full of squads looking to nab Concacaf’s fourth and final place at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup – plus secure bragging rights and start the new format off right.
Isn’t Lionel Messi in this?
Yes, Inter Miami qualified to the tournament by virtue of winning the Leagues Cup, but that also grants Miami a first-round bye.
So, will Messi play in Suriname?
Sadly, no. Well, not unless Caribbean champion Robinhood (yes, you read that right) gets to the final and so does Inter Miami. While Tata Martino’s men qualifying for the CCC sent thoughts of Messi globetrotting dancing through the heads of international soccer lovers, the most likely first game for the Herons is a Leagues Cup final rematch against Nashville SC. Win that, and it could be a trip to northern Mexico to meet Monterrey – or a U.S. Open Cup semifinal rematch against FC Cincinnati.
Of course, anything could happen. Moca, of the Dominican Republic, could spring a surprise on Nashville in the opening round, which might see Messi turn up to the DR. Stranger things –
Ivory Coast are AFCON champions: From sacking manager to lifting trophy, this is their story
Children were dancing on the pitch, kissing the turf and throwing confetti in the air while a security guard chased after them.Three hours after Ivory Coast beat Nigeria 2-1 to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the third time, hundreds of people were still inside the Alassane Ouattara Stadium. Volunteers wanted to go home, but supporters wanted to cling to this magical moment for as long as possible.They gatecrashed the mixed zone, where players speak to reporters, and grabbed selfies with Max Gradel or asked him to sign their shirts. Sebastien Haller and Odilon Kossounou flashed their medals for the cameras. Oumar Diakite, Christian Kouame and Jean-Philippe Krasso walked through with a speaker blasting music. The group of children running around the centre circle briefly disappeared to follow the team bus but came charging back minutes later.At the same venue three weeks ago, Ivory Coast fans were crying in the stands following a humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea. It was the biggest defeat they have ever suffered at home and they were dangerously close to being eliminated from the competition. With a little bit of luck and help from Morocco, the Ivory Coast survived. Now they are champions for the first time since 2015.“It’s more than a fairytale,” said Emerse Fae, who is still officially only the interim head coach. “It’s difficult for me to realise what I’m going through. When I think about all the hard times we went through, it’s great and we are lucky. We have enjoyed miracles.”Diakite had a different view of their incredible achievement.“We were like ghosts in this tournament, but it’s not possible to die twice.”
During the journey to Ebimpe, which is where the final was held, there was a van tilted sideways and stuck in a ditch with five people trying to push it out. Cars were gridlocked on the main motorway leading to the ground, forcing drivers to seek alternative routes, and the tricky terrain had claimed a victim. These tight back roads, which weaved through market stalls, were uneven, rocky and littered with large wooden logs. Kids ran around screaming and two goats appeared in the street while men smoking shisha pipes watched on nearby, unmoved.The chaotic scenes neatly mirrored Ivory Coast’s path to the final. They beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0 in their opening game but lost their next two matches. Jean-Louis Gasset was sacked as head coach before they qualified for the round of 16 as one of the best third-placed sides. Fae took charge but the Ivorian Football Federation attempted, and failed, to lure Herve Renard from France’s women’s team for the rest of the competition. Renard led the Ivory Coast to glory in the 2015 AFCON final when they beat Ghana on penalties.
Emerse Fae, middle, interim head coach and AFCON champion (Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images)
Fae had never taken charge of a senior side before and his first game was against the defending champions Senegal. When Habib Diallo converted Sadio Mane’s cross in the fourth minute, it appeared Fae was out of his depth. However, the former Reading and Nantes midfielder, who celebrated his 40th birthday on the day he replaced Gasset, tweaked his tactics and inspired a memorable victory.What happened in the quarter-final against Mali defied belief. They played the majority of the game with 10 men after Kossounou was sent off and went 1-0 down. Simon Adingra equalised before Diakite scored the winner in the 122nd minute. The 20-year-old picked up a second yellow card for over-celebrating and was suspended for the semi-final. In that game, they dominated DR Congo but only secured a 1-0 victory.
Ivory Coast smothered Nigeria during the first 30 minutes of the final only to concede first when William Troost-Ekong headed the ball past Yahia Fofana. This side does not wake up until they are faced with some kind of adversity and love the thrill of a dramatic comeback.Franck Kessie equalised and Haller, 18 months after undergoing surgery and multiple rounds of chemotherapy to remove a testicular tumour, poked Adingra’s cross past Stanley Nwabali to put Ivory Coast ahead. Apart from Kelechi Iheanacho’s shot, which was blocked, Nigeria never looked capable of pulling off the kind of freak comeback Ivory Coast have trademarked.Nigeria’s head coach Jose Peseiro said his team were “nervous”.“Our team had a fantastic tournament, but today we didn’t show our level,” Peseiro said. “It is the truth. It was not the same collective performance as we did up until now. You lose many balls, it’s not a tactical problem. I don’t know why, but I didn’t feel my players were comfortable today.Orange and green flares were popping up in different sections of the crowd as full time approached while 57,000 people started chanting Victor Osimhen’s name — Nigeria’s forward was being taunted for failing to make an impact. Osimhen played an important role for Nigeria as they reached the final, but one goal in seven appearances is a disappointing return for the men’s African Footballer of the Year.
Everybody, apart from a small pocket of Nigeria fans, danced to Coup du Marteau by Tam Sir — Ivory Coast’s unofficial anthem — when the game finished.
Haller squeezed his wife and three young children. Seko Fofana consoled his former Udinese team-mate Troost-Ekong. Diakite ran around the pitch while a group of photographers tried to keep up with him. The former Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba and ex-Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony joined the celebrations too. Gradel lifted the trophy with the country’s 82-year-old president Alassane Ouattara, who was jumped on by all of the players.“I cannot tell you my joy,” Fae said. “I’m so happy. I’m overwhelmed. I was dreaming of winning AFCON as a player but I could not do it. Now I’ve had the opportunity to do it as a coach.“The entire competition was extraordinary. There was a lot of suspense and spectacle. Ivory Coast should be proud of its AFCON.”It is a fitting end to a thrilling tournament that the host nation, who flirted with disaster, won. The party in Abidjan is just getting started.(Top photo: Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
What Asian Cup and AFCON tell us about the 2026 World Cup By Michael Cox Feb 12, 2024
On paper, the identity of the finalists for the Africa Cup of Nations and the Asian Cup points to very different competitions.In the Asian Cup, Qatar’s 3-1 victory over Jordan was a meeting of two underdogs, even if Qatar were the hosts and defending champions. To put things in perspective, those two nations have a combined population of 14million; around 10 per cent of the population of Japan and one per cent of the population of China.
On the other hand, Nigeria versus Ivory Coast was a meeting between two countries that have produced as many great footballers as any other African nation this century.
But look beyond the finalists and the competitions had a similar theme: a lack of truly dominant superpowers. That pattern was certainly more pronounced in the Asian Cup, where South Korea lost to Jordan, and Japan were eliminated by Iran. But the Africa Cup of Nations was highly unusual, in that it provided eight different quarter-finalists from the eight who reached that stage two years ago.
Jordan celebrate beating South Korea (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) That can be considered in positive and negative ways.
Unpredictability is good. That’s the beauty of a knockout tournament: shocks are more likely to happen. And, on a wider note, it points to a recurring pattern from recent international tournaments, which was particularly pronounced at last year’s Women’s World Cup: what could broadly be considered international football’s middling nations have reduced the gap to the relatively strong nations, in part because they now have scouting tools to prepare for their upcoming challenge.
Huge thrashings barely happen at tournaments these days. The highest victory at the Asian Cup was merely 4-0, on two occasions. It was also 4-0 (twice) in the Africa Cup of Nations. The expansion of both tournaments to 24 teams brings an unsatisfactory structure, but there have been few issues in terms of minnows being out of their depth. Similarly, the European Championship could expand to 32 teams and would not noticeably drop in quality — Sweden, Norway and the Republic of Ireland haven’t even qualified for the play-offs, and would hardly be no-hopers.
But the flip side is about the ability of these continent’s top sides to challenge at the World Cup.
The bigger sides from the Asian Football Confederation have, if anything, regressed over the last 15 years. At World Cup 2006, for example, Australia travelled to Germany with a very strong XI and were unlucky to be defeated by eventual champions Italy in the round of 16. It felt as if Australia had made a significant leap forward, but what appeared the start of a period of competing with the world’s top nations was merely one golden generation. They impressively battled through to the last 16 in 2022, where they were again narrowly defeated by the eventual champions, Argentina. But it was an against-the-odds underdog success.
Australia’s Asian Cup squad didn’t feature any Premier League players, aside from goalkeeper Joe Gauci, recently signed as a backup by Aston Villa. That would have seemed unlikely in the days of Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka and Tim Cahill.
Australia’s players after exiting the Asian Cup (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images) Japan and South Korea, meanwhile, both looked seriously good at World Cup 2010 — again, both were eliminated at the last-16 stage, but they appeared the emerging forces, enjoying the World Cup 2002 legacy. But again, that seems to have faded away. Their generation of players is no better; an eight-year-old who fell in love with football in 2002 would be a veteran of 30 now.
ADVERTISEMENT
Japan made a decent run to the round of 16 of the World Cup again in 2022, defeating Germany and Spain in the group stage. But, surprisingly, they haven’t won the Asian Cup since 2011 and were deservedly beaten by Iran this time around. South Korea continue to produce a handful of players good enough for elite European competition, but nothing more. The appointment of Jurgen Klinsmann was ill-advised, and they played poorly throughout the competition, relying on four goals in second-half stoppage time to reach the semis.
go-deeper GO DEEPER
Too many smiles – and South Korea’s other issues with Klinsmann’s awful Asian Cup
In truth, the standard of play in the knockout stage of the Asian Cup has been poor, characterised by a lack of faith in technical quality, a lot of overly cautious play and a sluggish tempo. Things were better over in the Ivory Coast, although the hosts fluked their way through to the final after a group stage so dreadful that they parted company with their manager Jean-Louis Gasset. That doesn’t reflect well on everyone else.
All this means, with the next World Cup only two years away, it’s the same old nations likely to triumph. The bookmakers’ favourites are the three traditional giants from South America (Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay) and the usual western European nations (France, England, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Italy and Belgium). Then come the United States and Mexico, their chances boosted due to hosting the tournament. African and Asian sides are way down the list — as, for that matter, are a couple of South American sides who were on the rise a decade ago, but have since declined, such as Chile and Colombia.
And while Morocco made history by becoming the first African side to reach the semi-finals in 2022, at the end of a positive tournament overall for African nations, it’s worth remembering that the majority of their side were born in Europe, and effectively deemed not good enough to represent stronger nations. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, and credit to Walid Regragui for turning them into a resilient team. But if others are looking for inspiration, it’s not the most easily replicable model for most.
It’s also worth considering each continent’s allocation for World Cup 2026, the first tournament to feature 48 nations. Africa are guaranteed nine places, and Asia eight — these may rise to 10 and nine because of inter-continental play-offs. There are various factors to take into account in terms of how many places each confederation should be entitled to: overall quality, breadth of quality, number of entrants, and perhaps total population.
Uzbekistan celebrate during the Asian Cup (Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images) On the evidence of the last couple of weeks, Africa probably deserves more than nine places, and Asia fewer than eight. The competition’s serious minnows will likely come from the Asian confederation. If the qualifiers were the same eight that reached the quarter-finals this month, it would be the relatively established quartet of Japan, South Korea, Australia and Iran, plus the two finalists Qatar and Jordan, and rank outsiders Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
ADVERTISEMENT
To see nations such as the latter two in a World Cup tournament would feel surreal. But then look at their results against the finalists: Uzbekistan were only eliminated by Qatar on penalties, and Tajikistan only lost 1-0 to Jordan courtesy of an unfortunate own goal.
So here’s a World Cup prediction, two years out. The real outsiders, those who wouldn’t have been at the tournament if it hadn’t expanded to 48 sides, will fare much better than expected — perhaps not progressing from the groups, but not embarrassing themselves.
But the sides who should now be true continental giants from Asia and Africa — and probably North America too — won’t rival the European and South American powers any more than they did in, say, 2010. In many ways, football has become more global over the last 15 years, but not in terms of who might actually win the World Cup. (Top photo: Getty Images)
Qatar retain Asian Cup title with final victory over Jordan
Akram Afif’s hat-trick of penalties ensured Qatar have retained their Asian Cup title with victory over Jordan in the final.Qatar won the trophy for the first time in their history in 2019 and retained their title thanks to a trio of spot kicks against Jordan, who were appearing in their first ever final.Qatar — who were hosting the final in Lusail — took the lead after 22 minutes, with Al Sadd striker Afif winning and then converting a penalty after he was brought down by Abdallah Nasib.Jordan levelled after 67 minute through a powerful Yazan Al-Naimat finish after the striker found time and space inside the area.
However, six minutes later Qatar restored their lead as Afif once again netted from the penalty spot following a VAR review.
Afif completed his hat-trick in the fourth minute of added time to seal the victory.
Qatar become the first nation to win consecutive Asian Cups since Japan in 2000 and 2004.
Jordan had embarked on an unlikely route to the final after finishing third in Group E, qualifying for the knockout stages as one of four best third-place sides. They scored twice in second-half stoppage time to secure a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Iraq in the last-16, before edging past Tajikistan in the quarter-finals.
Jordan then stunned South Korea, a side ranked 64 places above them in the FIFA world rankings, with a 2-0 victory in the semi-finals to book their place in Saturday’s final.
It marked the first time they had reached the Asian Cup final, having only made their tournament debut in 2004 and never previously progressing past the quarter-final stage.
Hosts Qatar finished top of Group A after finishing the group stages with a 100 per cent record. They beat the Palestine national team in the last-16 and progressed past Uzbekistan on penalties in the quarter-finals before a 3-2 semi-final victory over Iran.
Qatar were crowned Asian Cup champions for the first time in 2019 after victory over Japan in the final. Prior to their 2019 victory, they had only twice made it out of the group stages in five attempts.
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to the Badger Field for Training? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
Save 20% on these Succulent Ribs at Rackz BarBQ when you mention the Ole Ballcoach – Corner of 131 & Hazelldell. – Call 317-688-7290.
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
Champions League Tues/Wed Knockout Stage Begins on CBS
There is a real David and Goliath feel to Wednesday’s 3 pm battle on CBS featuring Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain — the Basque team based around youngsters developed in their Zubieta academy against the Parisians, a side full of expensive individuals signed by the club’s Qatari owners — and David has a real chance of winning, too. Of course Copenhagen surprised Man United to make this round of 16 can they do similar things to Man City Tuesday on CBS at 3 pm? It all starts with Champions League today at 2 pm.
Tues, Feb 13: FC Copenhagen vs Manchester City 3 pm CBS, RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid 3 pm TUDN Para+ (return legs: Wednesday, March 6). Wed, Feb14: Lazio vs Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad CBSSN 3 pm (return legs: Tuesday, March 5). Tues, Feb 20: Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund (return legs: Wednesday, March 13). Wed, Feb 21: Porto vs Arsenal, Napoli vs Barcelona (return legs: Tuesday, March 12).
USWNT GOLD CUP ROSTER ANNOUNCED – No Alex Morgan
Very interesting to see all the youngsters on this roster and again no Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn or Andi Sullivan. The Gold Cup begins Feb. 17 and runs through March 10. The USWNT opens the group stage Tues, Feb. 20 against either Guyana or the Dominican Republic, then plays Argentina Fri, Feb. 23 and Mexico Mon, Feb. 26. All three games are in Carson, California. Now these are blow off games that the US youngsters should dominate – NWSL is in off-season anyway – so why not wait until April to call in the veterans when the She Believes Cup comes to Columbus, OH on Apr 9th.
Here’s the full Gold Cup roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars).
DEFENDERS: Alana Cook (Seattle Reign FC), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC), Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (NY/NJ Gotham FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
FORWARDS: Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
Sites Announced for US World Cup 2026 NJ Gets Final
The sites for the World Cup 2026 in the US – the biggest World Cup ever – have been announced with the US starting group play in LA and Seattle and Finals being hosted in New York/New Jersey. I for one am glad to see Dallas & Texas – not get the final. No way they could handle the crowds of a World Cup of foreigners in their state. Of course our closest games in the Midwest will be Kansas City or maybe Atlanta I guess. I will find a way out to LA & hopefully Seattle – I just hope I can get tix somehow.
Games on TV –
So Champions League is back – starting next Tues and Wed on Para+ and CBS Sports Network (see schedule below). Huge games on ESPN+ on Saturday as the top 2 teams in the German league Bayer Leverkusen hosts Bayern Munich at 12:30 pm while Real Madrid host Genoa at 12:30 in La Liga. Concacaf Champions Cup for MLS, the best teams in Mexico and the top teams from Central American, and is back – full schedule.
Champions League is back Tues/Wed – this the official ball.
10 am CBS Galazo Jordan vs Qatar (3rd place African Cup)
12 noon Para+, Roma vs Inter Milan
12:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen vs Bayern Munich
12:30 pm Peacock Nottingham Forest (Turner, Reyna) vs New Castle
12:30 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Girona
3pm beIN sport South Africa vs Congo African Cup Semi Final
6:30 pm Grand Park Indy 11 (H) vs Chicago Fire II
10:10 pm FS2 Santos Laguna vs Tigres UANL
Sun, Feb 11
9 am USA West Ham vs Arsenal
11:30 am USA Aston Villa vs Man United
12:30 pm ESPN+ Sevilla vs Athletico Madrid
12:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Napoli
3 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Granada
3 pm Be In Sport Nigeria vs Ivory Coast African Cup Final
Mon, Feb 12
2:45 pm Para+ Juventus (Mckinney) vs Udinese
3 pm USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Chelsea
Tues, Feb 13
2:45 pm Para+,TUDN RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid
3 pm CBS Para+ Kabenhavn vs Manchester City
WEds, Feb 14
3 pm CBS PSG vs Real Sociedad
3 pm Para+ TUDN Lazio vs Bayern Munich
8 pm Fox Sport 2 Tigres UNAL vs Vancouver CONCACAF
10:15 pm TUDN America vs Real Estelli
2024 W Gold Cup, Feb. 20 – March 10
Concacaf Nations League Finals, March 21 – 24
2024 Copa America, June 20 – July 10
2024 Summer Olympics – Men & Women, July 24 – August 10
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to Badger at the Fieldhouse for Training or Friday night or Sunday games? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ. Lets start with the BEST Brunswick Stew in Indiana — I am here to tell you my buddy Ryan has it – perfect for this cold whether during the winter. Come by or get it to go on the way home. I went for lunch today and stew was fantastic !
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach or the soccer guy)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice or Games this winter – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
Former Indy 11 GK and Carmel FC GK coach Jordan Farr headed to Tampa Bay
Champions League last-16: Predictions, best ties, players to watch and what’s changed
By The Athletic UK Staff and more the Athletic
The Champions League is back on Tuesday with 16 teams still in contention for a place in the final at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday, June 1.
The clubs to have made it into the knockout phase include the holders Manchester City and 14-time European Cup/Champions League winners Real Madrid, along with less familiar contenders such as Real Sociedad and FC Copenhagen.
Here, a group of The Athletic writers analyse the eight two-leg ties that will be played out over the next month, pick out the key players and storylines to follow and make their predictions on who will be in the quarter-final draw on March 15.
Which is the most intriguing of the eight ties?
Carl Anka:Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid should be a fun match-up between two clubs who think Johan Cruyff was important but believe there are also other ways to play football. Styles makes fights, goes the boxing adage. It’ll be interesting to watch two brilliant teams who use wing-backs go head-to-head.
Dermot Corrigan: There is a real David and Goliath feel to Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain — the Basque team based around youngsters developed in their Zubieta academy against the Parisians, a side full of expensive individuals signed by the club’s Qatari owners — and David has a real chance of winning again, too.
Mark Carey: PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund looks like a great tie, with both sides built upon principles of intensity and verticality. Peter Bosz’s side are flying in the Eredivisie with their high-octane style in and out of possession, while Dortmund are no strangers to punishing teams in transitional moments. Expect this one to be an entertaining slugging match.
Will things get any better at Barcelona for the exiting Xavi? (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Stuart James: Inter-Atletico is the box-office tie. PSV-Dortmund has the potential to be a wild ride. Porto vs Arsenal will have the celebration police out in force if Mikel Arteta and his players dare to do anything other than walk straight down the tunnel after getting through. But La Real-PSG is the one that intrigues: can a team of largely homegrown players give one of European football’s superpowers a bloody nose?
Sarah Shephard: Napoli vs Barcelona, simply because I’m not entirely sure what to expect from either side. Xavi’s announcement that he will step down as Barcelona coach at the end of the season revealed a man with little left to give, which could have a myriad of effects on his players, while Napoli are far from the team that invigorated Europe last season while winning the Serie A title. This one’s intriguing, but perhaps for all the worst reasons.
Round of 16 fixtures
Tuesday, February 13: FC Copenhagen vs Manchester City, RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid (return legs: Wednesday, March 6). Wednesday, February 14: Lazio vs Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain vs Real Sociedad (return legs: Tuesday, March 5). Tuesday, February 20: Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund (return legs: Wednesday, March 13). Wednesday, February 21: Porto vs Arsenal, Napoli vs Barcelona (return legs: Tuesday, March 12).
Which player are you most looking forward to watching?
Anka: Martin Zubimendi has been talked up as a potential successor to Barcelona and Spain stalwart Sergio Busquets and as a possible replacement for Thomas Partey at Arsenal. In the here and now, the defensive midfielder is one part of a delightful Real Sociedad side taking on Paris Saint-Germain. The 25-year-old will be key to any success they have in that tie.
Corrigan: As Kylian Mbappe’s future remains such an open question, most La Liga watchers will take any chance to see the French forward playing in a big, competitive game. A match-winning performance against Real Sociedad will increase the expectation at Real Madrid that club president Florentino Perez should do everything possible to finally sign him. Multi-million euro decisions should not be made on two 40/html/container.html
Carey: Strikers are always exciting, but it will be interesting to see if RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda can punish Real Madrid. The 23-year-old Belgian has bagged 14 goals in the Bundesliga (behind only Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane) and has been in great individual form since the turn of the year, despite some poor results from Marco Rose’s side.
Openda has been in fine form for a struggling Leipzig team (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
James: I’ve seen a pass. You must have seen it too. Hakan Calhanoglu, reborn as a deep-lying playmaker these days, pinging a sublime 60-yard diagonal, complete with fade, to take two Juventus defenders out of the game during Inter’s 1-0 win the Sunday before last. Calhanoglu is a joy. Oh, and Xavi Simons, on loan at Leipzig from PSG, is a lot of fun to watch, too.
Anka: My answer to this will be Luis Enrique, at every single round of the tournament. Any season in which PSG don’t win is considered a failure, but misbehave in this one and you may find yourself being linked to the Chelsea job in the summer.
Corrigan: Xavi has claimed that his decision to leave this summer will take some pressure off his Barca team and give them the best chance of success over the remainder of the season. That theory could well be tested against Napoli, and I wonder if a defeat there could mean the former Camp Nou playmaker leaves the job even quicker than he has laid out.
Carey: Thomas Tuchel has had his fair share of criticism in Germany already this season, with Bayern Munich stuttering badly behind a Bundesliga-leading Bayer Leverkusen. A meeting with Lazio is among the easiest of these last-16 ties, so if they don’t win either of the legs convincingly, the heat will truly be on for the manager.
James: The simple answer is Pep Guardiola, given the trophy belongs to City at the moment and they have the easiest last-16 tie. But in the real world, City are already through to the quarter-finals. Defeat for Tuchel would surely be extremely damaging, given that the annual formality of another Bundesliga title for Bayern is, well, anything but a formality this season.
Shephard: Dortmund’s Edin Terzic faces the unenviable task of taking on a man who once sat in his chair (for half a season, at least) and is now thriving elsewhere. Given the way things ended for Bosz in Dortmund, he will be keen to prove a point, and this season has already seen Terzic under pressure thanks to a run of poor form pre-Christmas and an early exit from the DFB-Pokal (Germany’s FA Cup).
Whose fortunes have changed most since the draw in December?
Anka: Xavi sounded weary and burnt out when he announced he’d be leaving Barcelona at the end of the season. Injuries have decimated his playing options and his top striker Robert Lewandowski is 35 years old and entering a physical and goalscoring decline. This isn’t the free-wheeling Napoli of last season (they really should have found a way to beat AC Milan in the quarter-finals) but Barca are far from the favourites for this tournament right now.
Corrigan: Leipzig’s group performances — they won four games and competed admirably against City in the other two — suggested they could be tricky opponents for Madrid. But three straight Bundesliga defeats last month on returning from the winter break led to Spanish media headlines of “Leipzig in ruins”.
Carey: It’s hardly the case that City’s fortunes have “changed”, considering they are the competition’s champions and took maximum points from the group stage. It is more a case that the start of a new year often sees Guardiola’s side find another gear — and after coasting for the first half of the season, they are in serious mode now. The recent returns of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland from injuries have restored them to title-favourite status in the Premier League. In Europe, you just have to feel sorry for FC Copenhagen.
City are motoring at full speed with Haaland and De Bruyne back (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)
James: Not ignoring the fact that Barcelona were in a mess even before the draw was made, it’s been quite a story since. By my GCSE Grade C-Maths calculations, Their next 12 matches after they were paired with Napoli on December 18 produced 55 goals: five of them scored by Villarreal on their league visit, four by Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final in Saudi Arabia and another four by hosts Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. On top of that, Xavi has announced he’s stepping down as coach. That apart, it’s been quiet.
Shephard: When the draw was made, Arsenal topped the Premier League table, a point clear of Liverpool and five ahead of City. Now they sit third, two points behind leaders Liverpool and level with City (who have a game in hand). Nobody believed Arsenal had the title sewn up before Christmas, but they seemed much more in control of the situation than they do today.
Who should the neutrals be supporting?
Anka: If you’re the sort of person who likes discovering bands before they start selling our arenas, pay attention to Real Sociedad. They have a squad of talented players on the verge of being snapped up by bigger clubs. Now’s the time to learn about Zubimendi, Kubo and more.
Corrigan: Most of these teams are so well known at this point that we’ve made up our minds whether we like them or not. Atletico could perhaps buck this trend; coach Diego Simeone keeps trying to evolve their style to play more joined-up attacking football, knowing his current squad has a lot more quality in attack than defence. But will many non-Atletico fans really be rooting for them?
Carey: It was the 2018-19 season when Ajax caught the hearts and minds of the neutral fans when they charged to the semi-finals of this tournament before somehow getting knocked out by Tottenham. This season, it’s another Dutch side who could be the dark horses, with PSV not to be underestimated thanks to their exciting attacking unit.
James: “Many would have liked to see us dead. But we are very much alive.” That was Luis Enrique talking in the wake of PSG scrambling through their group (of death) in second place, behind Dortmund and after seeing off Milan and Newcastle. Nothing personal, mate, but plenty of football fans probably feel the same about your Real Sociedad tie. What a story it would be if the Basques, playing their first Champions League campaign since 2013-14 and second in 20 years, made it to the last eight. Get on the San Sebastian bandwagon.
Shephard: Not many people outside of the blue half of Manchester really want to see another City clean-sweep of the major trophies, do they? In which case, you’d have to say FC Copenhagen should be the neutrals’ choice. They were beaten 5-0 by City in Manchester in the group stage of last season’s competition so an upset feels pretty unlikely, but it wouldn’t be an upset if that weren’t the case, right?
Who do you expect the quarter-finalists to be?
Anka: Let’s follow the law of parsimony here: the simplest explanation is most likely the right one. Arsenal, Barcelona, Dortmund, PSG, Inter, Bayern, City and Madrid. The most monied tournament in club football will likely favour the richest teams in it.
Corrigan: Inter-Atletico and Napoli-Barcelona look more evenly balanced, and Atletico seem a lot better positioned than Barca to come through a tight tie at this point.
Carey: It would be great to see some surprises, but the safest bet would be the obvious ones. Arsenal, PSG, Inter, Bayern, City and Madrid look pretty nailed-on, but the games that could throw some doubt would be Napoli vs Barcelona and PSV vs Dortmund.
James: A lot of the usual suspects: City, Madrid, PSG, Bayern, PSV, Atletico, Arsenal, Napoli. Arguably, the two surprises in there are PSV and Atletico. In the case of PSV, they’re unbeaten in the Eredivisie and Sergino Dest could nutmeg a mer… no, I’m not going to say it. Anyway, there’s a lot to like about Bosz’s football ideology. As for Atletico’s progress, Inter are a terrific side but I sense a rejuvenated Alvaro Morata and some classic Simeone s***housery causing them problems.
Shephard: Arsenal, Barcelona, PSG, Atletico, PSV, Bayern, City, Madrid. Sorry, Dortmund fans, but let’s at least try to keep things interesting. (Top photos: Getty Images)
Boys in Blue Open Preseason Action with 0-0 Draw at Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (Tuesday, February 6, 2024) – Indy Eleven opened 2024 preseason action on Tuesday afternoon with a 0-0 draw on the road against 2023 USL Championship Eastern Conference regular-season champion Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. The match proved to be a solid defensive battle with Indy coming away with its first shutout of preseason. Both teams thought they had found themselves a match winner, but saw goals called back for as offside. Indy’s opportunity came early in the 19th minute from Augustine Williams, while Pittsburgh’s chance came with less than 10 minutes to play. Indy is coming of a 13-11-10 season and a trip to the USL Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since the 2019 season, posting a franchise-record eight road wins during the campaign. The Boys in Blue also had their first pair of all-league selections since the 2020 season.Preseason action continues Saturday with a home match against Chicago Fire FC II. Kick is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Park Events Center and is open to the public.
Complete Preseason Schedule Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | D, 0-0 Saturday, Feb. 10 vs Chicago Fire FC II | 6:30 p.m. | Open to the public Tuesday, Feb. 13 vs. Indiana Wesleyan University | Closed to the public Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. Columbus Crew2 | 3 p.m. | Open to the public Saturday, Feb. 24 at Lexington SC Thursday, Feb. 29 vs. Detroit City FC | Closed to the public Friday, March 1 vs. Forward Madison FC | Closed to the public
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Center of attention
Is a historically strong position becoming an area of weakness?
In an unusual turn of events, it seems that just as fans of the USMNT are seeing offensive output in Europe’s top leagues reach new levels, the center of the defense is taking some hits. It’s a real mixed bag for USMNT players in Europe, as some of our best offensive and midfield players are playing high impact soccer in the top leagues, scoring goals and making an impact. Meanwhile, some of the top centerbacks for the national team are making their way in the top league in the world, but that doesn’t mean the results are all positive. Tim Ream got beat for a tying goal last weekend, Chris Richards is being played all around the back with mixed results, and Auston Trusty’s Sheffield United are on a historically bad pace. There’s quite a bit to keep track of this weekend, so let’s get to it.
Friday
Cadiz v Real Betis – 3p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Johnny Cardoso has started three straight league matches for Real Betis and went 90 minutes the previous two weeks, but he did miss the team’s Copa Del Ray loss to Deportivo Alavés on Tuesday due to an ongoing ankle injury. He has been included in the initial squad list for Friday’s matchup with 18th place Cadiz, who are three points from relegation safety. Betis are currently in 8th place, just two points back of Real Sociedad for a top six finish that would qualify them for Europa Conference League play next season.
Saturday
Union Berlin v Wolfsburg – 9:30a on ESPN+
Brendan Aaronson played just eight minutes for Union Berlin on Wednesday as the team drew 1-1 with Mainz and remained in 15th place in the Bundesliga standings, three points out of relegation. Aaronson’s Union side will be taking on Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg, who have drawn four straight matches. Paredes has started the past two matches and gone the full 90 for Wolfsburg, who are currently in 11th place, just five points ahead of Berlin.
Borussia Mönchengladbach v Darmstadt – 9:30a on ESPN+
Joe Scally is once again on pace to play over 2,000 minutes in a season for Borussia Mönchengladbach, a mark he will have achieved in each of his three seasons since joining the club. Still just 21 (and having only turned that on New Years Eve), it’s remarkable that Scally has already played over 5,500 Bundesliga minutes in his young career. Scally has started twelve straight for ‘Gladbach, while his USMNT teammate Jordan Pefok has started three straight and has goal contributions in three of the last four matches. The club needs to get back on the winning track, as they have just one win in their past seven matches and are coming off a 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich. This weekend, they will face a Darmstadt team that is bottom of the table with just 11 points in 20 matches.
Werder Bremen v Heidenheim – 9:30a on ESPN+
Lennard Maloney has started every match for Heidenheim this season, and the club is currently in 10th place on a seven game unbeaten streak, though the past four have all been draws. The team has been playing stout defense as of late but have lacked a goal scoring threat.
Fulham v Bournemouth – 10a on Peacock
Antonee Robinson, Tim Ream and Fulham will look to bounce back against Bournemouth on Saturday after giving up a stoppage time goal to Burnley last week that saw the chance for a win slip away. Robinson picked up an assist in the draw while Tim Ream got his first start in two months but was beaten on the final goal as Burnley drew level. 13th place Fulham, who are just seven points clear of the relegation zone, will face a Bournemouth side that are just ahead of them in the table and coming off back to back 1-1 draws.
Luton Town v Sheffield United – 10a on Peacock
Auston Trusty continues to get EPL starts with Sheffield United, but the team has been incredibly leaky at the back, giving up 59 goals through 23 matches, including five last weekend to Aston Villa. The 2.56 goals per game has them on pace to give up 97 goals which would smash the previous high (low?) in a 38 match season, a mark which was set by Derby County in the 2007-08 season when they gave up 89 goals. Perhaps not all hope is lost for USMNT fans, who may remember the 2018-19 Fulham team featuring Tim Ream at centerback. That team gave up 81 goals on their way to relegation, with Ream starting in 24 of those matches. That team was also on pace to break the goals allowed mark before shutting out their opponents in three of their last five matches, though the 81 goals still put them in pretty dubious territory. Sheffield are going to need to find a similar streak if they are to avoid infamy on their way to relegation this season. They face a Luton Town side that is very close to the relegation zone themselves, though they have scored 32 goals this season, a mark which puts them close to the top 10. The teams just played on Boxing Day with Luton Town picking up a 3-2 win.
Nottingham Forest v Newcastle United – 12:30p on NBC
Gio Reyna saw twelve minutes off the bench last weekend in his Nottingham Forest debut, a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth. As expected, Matt Turner was benched in favor of newcomer Matz Sels. Turner was back between the sticks on Wednesday as Sels and Reyna were both ineligible for the FA Cup replay. Turner stopped six shots, plus a penalty during the shootout as his team advanced over Bristol City. It seems unlikely that was enough to return to his starting spot for league play, but Sels was not rock solid last weekend either so the opportunity could return for Turner at some point if he’s able to stay sharp. Callum Hudson-Odoi was injured last weekend, which could accelerate the team’s plans for getting Reyna minutes as well.
LATEST VIDEO FROM SB NATION
Marta never won a World Cup. Here’s what left her empty-handed.
Sunday
Getafe v Celta Vigo – 8a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Luca de la Torre notched a goal and an assist last weekend as Celta Vigo picked up three crucial points against Osasuna last weekend and moved three points out of the relegation zone. It was de la Torre’s third straight start and the team’s third win in seven matches as they look to claw themselves to middle of the table. They will face 10th place Getafe this weekend, who are coming off a 1-1 draw with Real Betis.
Volendam v PSV Eindhoven – 10:45a on ESPN+
Sergiño Dest and PSV Eindhoven came back from a goal down against Ajax last weekend to maintain their unbeaten season in Eredivise play, though it was the second time in three matches that the team has settled for a 1-1 draw. Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman both missed the match but are expected to return soon.
Hoffenheim v Koln – 11:30a on ESPN+
John Brooks started his second straight match for Hoffenheim last weekend in a 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg, but picked up another late yellow card and is suspended for this weekend’s matchup with Köln.
Nice v Monaco – 2:45p on beIN Sports
Folarin Balogun broke his scoreless streak as he drew and converted a penalty on Thursday in Monaco’s Coupe de France match with FC Rouen. Unfortunately, the match went to a penalty shootout after ending regulation tied 1-1 and Balogun missed his kick as Monaco lost 5-6. The goal that Balogun scored did break a scoreless drought that has lasted over two months, with his last goal coming in a late November loss to PSG. Despite Balogun’s struggles, Monaco have scored the second most goals in league play but are currently in fifth place as defending has let them down. They take on second place Nice this weekend, a team they trail by just four points.
AC Milan v Napoli – 2:45p on Paramount+
Christian Pulisic and AC Milan defeated Frosinone 3-2 last weekend and remain in third place, though well behind league-leading Inter Milan. Pulisic and AC Milan will have a tough matchup this weekend against seventh place Napoli. Yunus Musah saw just four minutes off the bench last weekend and hasn’t started a match since early December.
Monday
Juventus v Udinese – 2:45p on Paramount+
Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Juventus will need to keep the disappointment of last weekend’s 1-0 loss to Inter from building into a losing streak as they face Udinese this weekend. The loss saw Inter take a commanding four point lead for the league title with a game in hand. With Inter having lost just one match so far this season, it seems unlikely that they will slip up. Juventus will have to keep the pressure on, which can start by picking up all three points against 16th place Udinese this weekend.
Crystal Palace v Chelsea FC – 3p on USA Network
Chris Richards and Crystal Palace suffered an ugly 4-1 loss to Brighton last weekend and have given up 11 goals in their past three matches. They face a Chelsea side that defeated Aston Villa 3-1 midweek in FA Cup play but has lost their last two league matches while giving up four goals in each.
Comparing the Super Bowl to the men’s World Cup final and Champions League final
Last Sunday, after a made-for-TV event revealed the 2026 World Cup match schedule, FIFA president Gianni Infantino took a subtle shot at the NFL’s Super Bowl. The next men’s World Cup will be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, featuring an expanded field of 48 teams and 104 total games. “This will be 104 Super Bowls being played in North America,” Infantino said on Instagram. It was no coincidence that Infantino’s claim came at the start of Super Bowl week in Las Vegas. It was also a reminder that the worlds of soccer and American football both have an eye on each other as they each try to grow their operations. While the World Cup enjoys far greater popularity worldwide, the Super Bowl has cornered the U.S. market — an area of particular focus for global soccer powers over the last several decades. Which may be why some of soccer’s most influential officials are irked by the notion that the Super Bowl could be perceived as a bigger event than the World Cup. Three years ago, CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani was asked by a local television reporter in Atlanta why the city, which has hosted the Summer Olympics, would be interested in “an international event.” Montagliani recalled an anecdote about an unnamed NFL owner who told him that 100 million people around the world watch the Super Bowl. “I said, when we have the draw for the World Cup, which is ping-pong balls in a glass bowl, and some legend of the game pulls out a ball and says ‘USA versus Poland in Group A,’ that’s two to three times (the viewership of) a Super Bowl,” Montagliani said. “That’s just to pull balls out of a glass bowl, so that’s not even for the games of the World Cup… I’m not sure how else to answer that question, I think it answers itself.”uper Bowl viewership smashes that of the World Cup final within the U.S. However, if you broaden it to the global numbers for both, it flips far in the other direction. The World Cup final is an unbeatable global behemoth and that’s the problem when comparing the men’s World Cup final with the Super Bowl. You simply cannot get past the numbers.Take last year’s Super Bowl versus the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. The 2023 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles set a domestic viewership record with 115.1 million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes and other digital streams. Another 56 million people outside the U.S. watched the game. Those numbers are impressive, but they’re just a spec in comparison to the “global reach” of 1.5 billion FIFA reported to have for Lionel Messi and Argentina’s defeat of defending champions France in the 2022 World Cup final. Whether that’s a massive exaggeration by FIFA or an accurate viewership figure is debatable, and something The Athletic covered in greater depth here.
A record 18,000 media credentials were issued for the World Cup in Qatar, according to FIFA. This weekend’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas will host over 6,000 credentialed members of the press. It’s the 57th edition of the Super Bowl, and because it’s in Vegas for the first time, it feels like one of the bigger NFL title games in recent memory.It features the league’s two best teams, a potential G.O.A.T. candidate in Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, against San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, an unlikely hero who was the last player taken in the 2022 draft (a position dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant”). It’ll be a storybook ending in Sin City, no matter who wins the game. And yet, most of the world’s population won’t be watching. That’s why comparing the Super Bowl, a yearly title game between club teams, with the World Cup final, which is played every four years by national teams, misses the mark. The World Cup is a month-long tournament that since 1998, has featured 32 countries from around the world. The 2026 World Cup in North America will be the biggest World Cup ever in the most commercialized country on the planet. Despite Infantino’s dig and Montagliani’s ping-pong ball anecdote, FIFA can take some cues from the NFL, which has mastered the art of merging sports and entertainment. Think about why so many Americans and NFL fans around the world watch the Super Bowl. It’s a spectacle celebrated by parties and calls for it to be made an official national holiday. If the game itself falls flat, the millions watching from home (in the U.S. at least) can still debate whether the commercials were funny or innovative and watch the broadcast for the halftime show. A normal Super Bowl halftime break can run up to 30 minutes — twice as long as any other NFL halftime break — in order to allow organizers to set up and tear down an elaborate concert stage for superstar performers on the field. It’s hard to imagine FIFA extending halftime of a World Cup final for the same reason, but the tournament’s opening and closing ceremonies seem like a compromise. A Super Bowl halftime is also prime ad space, which is why advertising agencies and corporate sponsors will once again put all their eggs in one basket this Sunday, spending $7 million dollars for a 30-second chance to become part of American pop culture. Messi will star in a Super Bowl commercial for the first time this year, cementing his place in the American consciousness.Clearly FIFA hears the noise regarding the Super Bowl-World Cup comparison. The World Cup is a monster on its own, but the Super Bowl has a cool factor that any sporting event would envy. It’s the blue collar mentality of Rocky mixed with the multi-billion-dollar NFL machine. The countless celebrities that attend a Super Bowl, the national anthem before kickoff. It’s simply unique. It’s Apple pie and heavy metal. It’s American exceptionalism. The Super Bowl is Americana at its finest. World soccer’s chief decision makers would love nothing more than to emulate that appeal.Instead of the World Cup final, a fairer comparison would be to set the Super Bowl against the UEFA Champions League final. It’s by far the biggest game of the club soccer calendar. Both the Super Bowl and the Champions League final occur annually and both pit professional organizations against each other, rather than national teams. But yet again, the comparison ends with the viewership numbers. In 2023, UEFA estimated that a global audience of 450 million people would watch at least a portion of the Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan. That’s still more than the Super Bowl’s viewership record. In this case, however, numbers don’t always tell the whole story. A feeling of grandeur is what has traditionally defined the Super Bowl. The build-up to Super Bowl Sunday is a week-long content circus. Nearly 24,000 fans attended this week’s media day event earlier this week at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the site of Sunday’s Super Bowl. Players from both teams walked onto the stadium’s artificial turf like prize fighters before a heavyweight fight, only to take a seat at a podium and answer questions, with pop star Taylor Swift a particular point of emphasis.
“The (Champions League) final should be bigger,” said Paris Saint Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in 2022. “I can’t understand how the Super Bowl can feel bigger than the Champions League final. The Super Bowl, and the U.S. generally, have this mindset, creativity and entertainment. That’s what I have suggested, to have an opening ceremony to the Champions League, to have one match on the opening night where the winners take on a big team — maybe it is not a good idea, but at least let’s challenge the status quo. Each match needs to be an event and entertainment.”In 2015, Pepsi saw an opportunity to change the tone of the UEFA Champions League final by sponsoring the final’s Kickoff Show entertainment. Since then, international artists like Dua Lipa, Black Eyed Peas, and Camila Cabello have all featured at the start of the global broadcast. But does anyone remember those performances? Comparing the Super Bowl with soccer’s two biggest matches has become an endless debate. What should take precedence, though, are the many ways that FIFA, UEFA and the NFL are moving closer to one another. The three organizations are also gradually moving in on each other’s territories. The NFL continues to expand its brand globally, with the possibility of playing a Super Bowl in London becoming closer to reality. “It is not impossible, and it is something that has been discussed before,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in 2023. Meanwhile, European soccer’s governing body has discussed holding its showpiece event in the United States.So, while the numbers tell a good portion of the story when it comes to differences in popularity and appeal, the Super Bowl, World Cup and Champions League final all have elements envied and emulated by each other.
(Top image: Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images; Kohjiro Kinno/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images; Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES; Sportfoto/Getty Images; Design: Eamonn Dalton)
The Concacaf Champions Cup is back!
Share
Maybe you didn’t know it had gone anywhere or maybe you’re asking “What’s the Concacaf Champions Cup?” The governing body in North America, Central America and the Caribbean opted for a name change ahead of a revamped tournament.FotMob – 3 days ago
It’s the same name the continental club championship carried for many years, evoking memories of the glory days of club soccer in the Concacaf region, well before MLS existed or Liga MX clubs had started to exert their power.
What’s different besides the name?
This tournament is going to be big. Like, really big. There are 27 teams competing to be the club champion of the region and things will run from today until June 2.
After teams from outside North America played the Central American Cup and Caribbean Cup, and North American teams qualified through league play or cup competitions, the field is full of squads looking to nab Concacaf’s fourth and final place at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup – plus secure bragging rights and start the new format off right.
Isn’t Lionel Messi in this?
Yes, Inter Miami qualified to the tournament by virtue of winning the Leagues Cup, but that also grants Miami a first-round bye.
So, will Messi play in Suriname?
Sadly, no. Well, not unless Caribbean champion Robinhood (yes, you read that right) gets to the final and so does Inter Miami. While Tata Martino’s men qualifying for the CCC sent thoughts of Messi globetrotting dancing through the heads of international soccer lovers, the most likely first game for the Herons is a Leagues Cup final rematch against Nashville SC. Win that, and it could be a trip to northern Mexico to meet Monterrey – or a U.S. Open Cup semifinal rematch against FC Cincinnati.
Of course, anything could happen. Moca, of the Dominican Republic, could spring a surprise on Nashville in the opening round, which might see Messi turn up to the DR. Stranger things – like Austin FC’s loss to Violette of Haiti last year – have happened in the CCC.
Strange things happen, eh? Is there a dark horse to back?
While the CCL was ripe for weird first-round upsets, it was like the old bit about the Germans always winning at the end, except it was Mexican teams. Just once in the Concacaf Champions League era did a team from outside Liga MX lift the trophy, with the Seattle Sounders toppling Pumas to win the 2022 edition.
The change back to the historic name recalls a time when teams from Suriname, Guatemala or Haiti could lift the trophy, but that feels extremely difficult this time around. With a first-round bye and a number of strong acquisitions, including bringing former Arsenal forward Joel Campbell back in the summer, Liga Deportivo Alajuelense, known as “Liga” looks to have the best path to be a non-power team in the late stages.
Within those ‘power’ teams, Liga MX squad Toluca takes on Herediano in the first round for the right to play Suriname’s Robinhood. A semi-final run looks totally possible for the Red Devils, especially with Mexico attacker Alexis Vega back at the club.
And the matchups to root for?
It feels like all the region is looking at the Round of 16 when there could be a Clásico Nacional in Mexico pitting Club América against Chivas de Guadalajara.
Chivas has to weather a trip to frigid Hamilton, Ontario and get past Concacaf veterans Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League, while América must keep its head against Real Estelí of Nicaragua.
Clásicos are always intense and always to be celebrated. One with a quarter-final spot on the line as both clubs look to clinch the region’s final berth to the 2025 Club World Cup would be electric.
Beyond that there’s the rematch potential for Inter Miami against Nashville, Orlando City and the Tigres potentially meeting again after last year’s series and – if things get really wild – all three Costa Rican giants on the same half of the bracket. They’d have to get past tough opposition to get to the quarter-finals but Saprissa squaring off with Herediano in that round or Liga in the semifinals would be some of the biggest matches in Central America in quite some time.
Oh, and a past version of Philadelphia Union against Saprissa brought us one of the most Concacaf moments ever. We’ll see if this year’s Round One clash brings the same intensity.
This week has some of the power Mexican clubs flying all over the region. Tuesday night Monterrey is in Guatemala City while América is in Estelí, Nicaragua – a town of fewer than 200,000. Chivas and Tigres both are packing their coats to square off with Canadian Premier League opposition.
And that’s all before someone travels to Paramaribo, Suriname next round.
Whether it’s familiar faces in exotic locales, Lionel Messi popping up in places you didn’t ever think you’d see him or renewed rivalry between teams in MLS and Liga MX, the CCC should have something for everyone. Sit back and enjoy the big, expanded ride.
NJ gets the final, Taylor wins Booth Bowl, LDLT & Sargent surge, McGuire in limbo, and more
ASN’s Brian Sciaretta writes up his kickoff to the week with thoughts on New Jersey getting awarded the big game, Taylor wins the Booth Bowl, Gio Reyna makes his NFFC debut, Duncan McGuire in limbo, and more
BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED FEBRUARY 05, 202412:05 PM
THE WEEKEND IN American soccer started off slowly. Friday and Saturday gave us very little positive news except for Josh Sargent scoring an important goal. But then came a big Sunday when the U.S. national team learned their World Cup venues for 2026, the battle of the Booths in the Eredivisie was a huge hit, and there were big outings from Luca de la Torre, Johnny Cardoso, and a club debut for Gio Reyna.
Let’s start at the top.
WORLD CUP 2026 TAKES SHAPE
The World Cup 2026 has taken shape, and we now know the locations where the three hosting countries will play their group stage games. And we also know the location of the final.
Like 1994, the USMNT will play two group stage games in Los Angeles. Unlike 1994, they will be on the west coast for all three games (in 1994 they had a game in Michigan).
Los Angeles is great for the USMNT, perfect weather and very easy to get to. It’s not ideal for the U.S. team when it comes to World Cup qualifiers or Gold Cup games where the opposing teams gets more support. But for the World Cup, it’s great.s for Canada’s team, Toronto and Vancouver will get their games.eanwhile, Mexico will open the tournament at Azteca which will be a venue for a third World Cup.
Meanwhile, the final will be in New Jersey at Metlife Stadium which give the Northeast a chance to crown the World Champion. It’s an upset over Dallas, but it FIFA couldn’t resist giving the final to one of the two biggest metropolitan areas of the United States and the Rose Bowl hosted the final in 1994.
BOOTH BOWL
The biggest story from Americans abroad was Booth Bowl 2024 when FC Utrecht hosted Volendam in the Eredivisie. Normally, a matchup between two bottom half Dutch teams wouldn’t register much attention. But on Sunday, Zach Booth started for relegation dwelling Volendam while his older brother Taylor Booth got the start for Utrecht.Zach Booth opened the scoring with his first first-team goal. But then Taylor Booth scored the next two for Utrecht while also scoring the last en route to a 4-2 Utrecht win.
Booth, 21, becomes the third USMNT player to score an Eredivisie hat trick after Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore (who once had three in one season for AZ Alkmaar).This was a massively important game for Taylor Booth who hasn’t had a great season entering into this game. Utrecht was reportedly willing to listen to offers over a potential transfer in January, but nothing materialized. Prior to this, he had not had a goal all season although had been trending upward with a good showing in a draw against PSV.
In this game, the elder Booth brother went off and raised his stock. Perhaps he was motivated by facing off against his brother. Will it keep him at Utrecht, or will he make a move upward? That depends on him continuing to play well. One big outing against a bad Volendam team can serve as a spark, but it’s not going to define anything.
It might change things internationally as he is in the Olympic U-23 team picture and that team is very deep in the wing and attacking midfield positions. This will keep him at the top of the list heading into the big March camp while also potentially having him in the USMNT discussions. For now, the U-23 team is a more likely call-up.
As for Zach Booth, he’s probably not in the Olympic picture and ha a tough birth year in 2004 as he’s too old for the U-20 team but extremely young for his only U-23 cycle. Right now, he’s playing for his next loan as his parent club, Leicester City, looks set for Premier League promotion while Volendam seem likely to be relegated.
DE LA TORRE CONTINUES RISE
It’s hard to say why, but over the past two months Luca de la Torre has taken his game to another level. He is now playing with offensive bite and is scoring and creating with regularity. On top of that, his defense is also first-rate.
This was on display on Sunday when the San Diego native was the MOTM for Celta Vigo in a big 3-0 win over Osasuna which moved it three points clear of the relegation zone.
His 25th minute goal gave Celta a 2-0 lead and de la Torre scored the goal with a great run into the middle where he changed directions to get in front of his defender for a clear shot from close range.
De la Torre has always had skill but the issue has always been about his final ball, his ability to produce goals and assists. This went back to his days at Fulham and Heracles too. But now at 25, he’s playing his best soccer in relation to production.e is a lock to get called up to the national team, but this will give him a case to play more in a crowded midfield.
JUVE FALL FARTHER BEHIND INTER
Any chances of Juventus catching Inter Milan for the Scudetto took a devastating blow on Sunday with Inter Milan posting a 1-0 win over Juve. That move puts Inter Milan up four points in the race while also having a game in hand. Juve is comfortably in second place and has an overwhelming spot for a Champions League berth.
Weston Mckennie started and played until stoppage time. He was maybe the best Juventus midfielder on the day. He created three chances and was a tireless worker on both sides of the ball. Tim Weah played the final 24 minutes at right wingback but was mostly invisible.
SARGENT SCORES IN NORWICH WIN
On Saturday, Norwich and Coventry in a matchup in the Championships between two teams that started USMNT 2022 World Cup forwards. Josh Sargent for Norwich and Haji Wright for Coventry. In the end, Sargent had the better day and the better result, a 2-1 win for Norwich.
Coventry scored first but it was Sargent who equalized in the 66th minute before Norwich found a winner in the 88th. Wright’s performance wasn’t very effective.
In addition to a big outing for Sargent, what was also important is that he played until stoppage time. This is a signal that he is at or close to full strength/health.
A 6??th goal for Sarge and a huge one at that ????
Watch the match highlights in full ????— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) February 4, 2024
Sargent is having a good season, despite missing over three months. He has six goals in under 700 minutes and Norwich (like Coventry) is only a point out of the promotional playoffs. But with Sargent now hitting his stride, I like Norwich’s chances of getting into the playoffs. From there, anything is possible.
Sargent is also in a good position with the U.S. national team. While it has mostly been Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi in 2023, Sargent is playing and playing well. Pepi has played well this season, but in a very limited role. Balogun has been hit or miss. Sargent and Vazquez might be the next group pushing, even over Wright or Jordan Pefok.
REYNA MAKES NFFC DEBUT
Gio Reyna made his Premier League debut when he went the final 12 minutes for Nottingham Forest in a 1-1 draw away at Bournemouth. Four minutes after he came on, Bournemouth was reduced to 10 players after a Phillip Billing red card.
Overall, Reyna was nice and tidy in possession. It helped that Bournemouth was bunkering the game out It wasn’t anything dramatically good, but it was a positive first step for Reyna in his club debut. Callum Hudson-Odoi scored a nice goal in this game and he is one of Reyna’s competitors for minutes. But Hudson-Odoi was also on the wrong end of Billing’s red card and we will have to see how healthy he is.
Reyna came to Forest on loan to play and it looks like that will happen. The concern is staying healthy in this physical league when Reyna likes to be on the ball a lot and to take defenders on.
One more note is that Reyna won’t be in action midweek for Forest’s FA Cup replay against Bristol City since he was not registered for the first game. On the other hand, Matt Turner probably will be back for Forest as his replacement, Matz Sels was also not registered at the appropriate time.
It could be the last time Turner is sought out to contribute to Forest.
Go Reyna & Matz Sels were not registered in time for this game. So while Reyna won’t play, Matt Turner probably will #USMNThttps://t.co/rXWKvCDL5M— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) February 5, 2024
PAREDES SHARP FOR WOLFSBURG
Kevin Paredes, 20, has started for Wolfsburg, but the issue for him has always been keeping his form at a consistently high level to lock the starting job down for a stretch. Last weekend, he got a rare start for Wolfsburg and scored in a 2-2 draw with Cologne. On Saturday, Paredes didn’t score but was sharp again in a 2-2 draw against Hoffenheim.
The winger was credited with creating four chances in the game while he also won 6/7 of his ground duels. He also played the complete game and was easily one of Wolfsburg’s best players in the game. This was an important step towards that consistency as he should remain in the team’s starting lineup.
For Wolfsburg, it was the team’s fourth draw in a row and they are winless in five. They are midtable team this year and shouldn’t have much to play for down the stretch. That actually bodes well for Paredes and his minutes in the months ahead.
Paredes is on the cusp of the USMNT and these outings will help. He’s also an Olympic option as well if Wolfsburg would consider releasing him (which seems unlikely) and if he doesn’t go to the Copa America.
With the result, Pellegrino Matarazzo and Hoffenheim skidded to eighth place and is winless in six Bundesliga games. John Brooks went the distance in this game and didn’t really stand out much.
CARDOSO CONTINUES STRONG START WITH BETIS
Johnny Cardoso, 21, made his third straight start since joining Real Betis in January and he is playing very well. That continued in Sunday’s otherwise disappointing 1-1 away draw with Getafe.
In the game, Cardoso was decent with his passing and had 67 touches. He only attempted one long ball. But defensively, he had five interceptions, seven recoveries, and was an extremely impressive 10/12 in winning his ground duels.
Betis now sits in eighth place and is only two points out of sixth place for a Conference League spot. But Cardoso is hitting the ground running and should continue to start.
There is a high degree of likelihood that Cardoso will take a bigger role with the national team until Tyler Adams gets back on the field and gets his form back. That could take awhile since Adams has missed almost a year (not including the 20 minutes he played in the one game where he reinjured himself).
MCGUIRE IN LIMBO
A paperwork issue might have botched the Duncan McGuire loan to Blackburn. Following Blackburn’s dismal 2-0 loss at home to Queens Park Rangers, manager Jon Dahl Tomasson told the media he wasn’t allowed to comment on McGuire’s situation to the media at the request/demand of ownership.
As of now, the club is holding talks with the governing body, but what happens is unclear.
Here are the options per Blackburn beat reporter Elliot Jackson.
Per Jackson when comparing it with a similar and successful appeal last year with a player: “From my understand, this is down to the submission of certain documents whereas last year was more about the time certain documents were submitted.”
If the club accepts the decision, McGuire will probably return to Orlando and reconsider all options this summer. It might not make any sense for him to bind himself to Blackburn for next season given that the club is in a terrible place now.
Think about how bad this day is for Blackburn – lost at home to QPR, now just 5 points clear of relegation & sinking – last 8 Championship games: winless w/ 2points – the McGuire move is on life support – Sammie Szmodic is the best forward in the Championship- now injured https://t.co/nGdEFQm3QP— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) February 3, 2024
The only thing good that can be said about this day is that Reggie Cannon played well for QPR and he’s been one of their better players.
MILJEVIC TO SIGN WITH NEWELL’S OLD BOYS
Matko Miljevic, 22, has not had a good start to his professional career. Born in Miami and raised in Argentina, he started his career with Argentinos Juniors but eventually there were problems with him and his representation (reportedly his family). It got so bad, the club refused to let him train and he went over a year without playing.
Then Miljevic made the move to Montreal and it had a disastrous ending last season when Miljevic was disappointed with his playing time under fellow Argentine Hernan Losada that he registered to play in a Quebec amateur league under an assumed identity without the knowledge of Montreal. This identity was discovered when he was investigated after punching an opposing player in the face. He was banned for life by the Quebec league and Montreal terminated his contract last September.Now Miljevic will return to Argentina (where inflation is north of 200%) and sign for Newell’s Old Boys, the childhood club of Lionel Messi.Miljevic has talent and has played for the U-20 teams of both Argentina an the United States. But he needs to get his act together in order to reach that potential. Will that happen at Newell’s Old Boys?
After bombing out with Montreal and having his contract terminated for playing in an amateur Quebec league under an assumed name where his identity was discovered after fighting with an opponent, American-born attacking midfielder Matko Miljevic, 22, signs with Newell’s Old oys https://t.co/doW805wYo1— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) February 3, 2024
CORONA RETURNS TO TIJUANA
After a few weeks as an unused substitute, Joe Corona returned to the field for Tijuana. It’s not always when an American is a legend for a foreign club, but Corona fits that description. It was his goal in 2011 that sent Tijuana to promotion to Liga MX for the first time. Then the following year, he started for the club in their first Liga MX title.
Sobran las palabras para describir este sentimiento. Volver a casa donde todo comenzo siempre fue un sueño. Con la misma ilusion y motivacion del primer dia que portamos estos colores. Vamos carajo! A poner a @xolos donde se merece???????? Siempre un honor representar esta camiseta. pic.twitter.com/LvEsGUjeGz— Joe Corona (@JoeCorona15) January 12, 2024
After stops in elsewhere Liga MX followed by MLS and then Sweden, Corona, 33, returned to where he is still loved. On Saturday, he started and played 75 minutes in a 3-2 away loss to Pachuca. It wasn’t an ideal return, but Corona was decent and it sets the stage for him returning to the field for the first time in Tijuana.
YANKS IN ITALY
AC Milan needed to come from behind to beat Frosinone 3-2 away on Saturday. Christian Pulisic went 80 minutes and left with the score 2-2. Yunus Musah played the final five minutes. It was an unconvincing performance from Milan and Pulisic was okay, but nothing great. It would be harsh to call this a rough patch, but Pulisic was sharper earlier in the season. He’ll get through it. The same with Musah, too.
In Serie B, it was a heartbreaking day on Saturday for Venezia who saw their hopes for automatic promotion take a hit with a 2-1 loss to first place Parma. Parma found a late winner 10 minutes into stoppage time and with the loss, Venezia fell to fourth place and three points out of second (where the top two are promoted and spots three through eight are into the playoffs for one spot). Gianluca Busio played into stoppage time just before the winner while Tanner Tessmann went the distance.
Both players played relatively well and fit in well at this high level of Serie B. But it was a tough, tough loss against a good Parma team.
Kristoffer Lund went the distance for Palermo in a comfortable 3-0 win over Bari in a win that moved Palermo back into fifth place. The USMNT left back was steady in the win and remains a competent presence in their backline.
Nicholas Gioacchini is still looking for his club debut with Como after going as an unused substitute in a 1-0 away win over Ternana. Como moved into third place with the win.
Andrija Novakovich played the final 33 minutes for Lecco in a 1-0 loss to second place Cremonese. It was the fourth straight loss for Lecco, who are in the basement of Serie B.
YANKS IN ENGLAND
Fulham squandered a 2-0 lead into the 70th minute and had to settle for a 2-2 draw with relegation battling Burnley. Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson both went 90 minutes. Check out this assist from Robinson that I choose to believe against the evidence that it was intentional.
Auston Trusty unfortunately went the distance for last-place Sheffield United which dropped a 5-0 decision at home to Aston Villa. Hopefully he has some confidence next year heading into the Championship. Sheffield United has a -40 goal-differential.
In the Championship, Duane Holmes did not play for Preston North end in a 3-2 win over Ipswich Town. Daryl Dike played the final seven minutes for West Brom in a 1-0 win over Birmingham City. The goal was scored two minutes after Dike came into the game.
Lynden Gooch started and played 58 minutes for Stoke City in a disastrous 5-0 loss at home to runaway leaders Leicester. Gooch left with his team down 2-0.
YANKS IN BELGIUM
It was a near complete wipeout for the Yanks in Belgium.
The loan Yank who did not lose was Marlon Fossey. But even Fossey left his game for Standard Liege in the 85th minute trailing Molenbeek 2-1. He was not on the field for his team’s late equalizer.
Neither Griffin Yow nor Bryan Reynolds played well for Westerlo in a 3-0 loss at home OH Leuven. Reynolds was replaced at the half and Yow came out of the game in the 65th minute.
Gaga Slonina and Eupen dropped another 1-0 decision, this time at home to Mechelen. Slonina did not make any big saves in the game.
Mark McKenzie and Genk dropped a 1-0 decision at home to leaders Union SG. It was a decent but not a standout performance from McKenzie.
Kehveh Zahiroleslam started and played 75 ineffective minutes for St. Truiden in a 4-1 loss to Cercle Brugge. After a two goal performance midweek, Zahiroleslam didn’t have a shot in this game.
YANKS IN GERMANY
In the Bundesliga, Joe Scally and Jordan Pefok both started for Borussia Monchengladbach in a 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich. It was a lackluster performances from M’Gladbach but Pefok assisted on their goal.
Lennard Maloney started and played a solid 90 minutes for Heidenheim in his very defensive midfield-minded role in a 0-0 draw with his former club Borussia Dortmund. Heidenheim isn’t a fun team to watch, but their goal from the onset of the season was just to pick off points to survive. Now in 10th place, they’re doing that. Maloney has a limited role, but he does it well. It remains to be seen if he can play a different role for the USMNT.
Brenden Aaronson played the last 14 minutes for Union Berlin in a 2-0 win over RB Leipzig.
In the 2.Bundesliga, Johan Gomez started and played 67 minutes for Eintracht Braunschweig who had their four game winning streak snapped in a 1-0 loss to Schalke. Braunschweig still sits in the relegation zone.
In a big game in the promotion race, leaders St. Pauli and their American-born manager Fabian Hurzeler posted a big 3-2 win over Greuther Furth. Both Julian Green and U.S. U-23 central defender Maximillian Dietz went 90 minutes in a tough loss.
YANKS IN THE NETHERLANDS
PSV played Ajax to a 1-1 draw with rivals Ajax and are still without a defeat on the season. Sergino Dest was decent against his former club and went 89 minutes. Malik Tillman did not play in this game as he is still injured, and Ricardo Pepi also did not play.
Anthony Fontana was an unused substitute for PEC Zwolle in a 2-0 win over Sparta Rotterdam.
Frensh off his loan to Vitesse, Paxten Aaronson was not in the squad on Sunday in a 2-0 loss at home to Go Ahead Eagles. Vitesse remain in last place, three points from the relegation playoff and seven points from automatic safety.
YANKS IN SPAIN AND FRANCE
In France’s Ligue 1, Monaco and Le Havre played to a 1-1 draw. Folarin Balogun was injured for Monaco while Emmanuel Sabbi started and played 87 minutes for Le Havre. Sabbi drew four fouls but had no shots and was just 3/6 in passing.
In Spain’s Segunda, Jonathan Gomez had a strong outing for Mirandes in a 3-0 win over Villarreal B. Gomez was coming off a tough performance but overall has been trending up in recent months. Konrad de la Fuente played the last eight minutes in a 1-1 draw with Racing Ferrol.
YANKS ELSEWHERE
In Scotland, Dante Polvara started had an assist for Aberdeen in a nice 1-1 draw with Celtic, where Cameron Carter-Vickers did not play.
Scott Pittman started for last place Livingston in a 3-0 loss away to Rangers.
In Portugal, Alex Mendez was unused for last place Vizela in a 1-0 loss at home to Vitoria de Guimaraes. The same was true for Benji Michel for Aroua in a in a 2-1 away win over Portimonense.
In Greece’s Super League, Caleb Stanko went 90 minutes for Lamia in a 4-1 away in over PAS Giannina.
In Hungary’s NB I, Henry Wingo went 90 minutes for Ferencvaros in a 3-1 win over Kisvarda. Ferencvaros are in second, one point behind Paks.
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to the Badger Field for Training? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
Save 20% on these Succulent Ribs at Rackz BarBQ when you mention the Ole Ballcoach – Corner of 131 & Hazelldell. – Call 317-688-7290.
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
So the Superbowl Commercials are starting to leak out and of course Messi is in them here he is with Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) & Dan Marino for Michelob. Oh and speaking of Messi – people are freaking out that Miami is losing in pre-season – its preseason and Messi is barely playing. The whole Messi vs Renaldo was hilarious as neither of them played basically – so yes Miami loss 6-0 but none of the Barca guys played. Not sure that counts.
Some big moves by US Players in Transfer Window
Of course the biggest news is US Mid Gio Reyna going on loan to Nottingham Forest joining fellow US player Matt Turner. Unfortunately for Turner they also brought in a keeper who presumably will take the #1 slot after Turner has struggled of late. Fellow American backstop Ethan Horvath – one of my favorites – did get his release to go to Coventry City where he should become the Championship team’s starting goalie. Horvath has helped 2 straight teams advance from the Championship to the EPL- Nottingham Forest & then Luton Town last season. Not sure he’s EPL material – but game-time should help him. Stories about all the American Transfers and where all the American’s abroad play this weekend below along with some great saves and questionable calls in the GK and Ref sections.
World Cup Tournament Schedule Announcement 3 pm Fox & Telemundo
The journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup will see some long-awaited major progress on Sunday, when FIFA announces a framework of the tournament schedule. FIFA has also said we’ll learn where the U.S. and fellow home teams Canada and Mexico will play their group games, and where the final will be. The U.S. is expected to start out west and move east, while the final is expected to go to either East Rutherford, N.J., or Arlington, Texas. But all we really know right now is that the announcement will be made on a TV show at 3 p.m., with a national broadcast on Fox and Telemundo.
Huge Games this Weekend – Sunday
Some huge games on the docket this weekend – especially Sunday as Arsenal will host league leader Liverpool at 11:30 am on Peacock in a top 3 battle and the first big game since Liverpool’s Manager Klopp announced he would step down at season’s end. 12:45 has Juventus and American’s Mckinney & Weah headed to league leader Inter Milan on Paramount plus in a 1 vs 2 battle for Italian Supremacy. 3 pm gives us the Madrid Derby as Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid on ESPN+. Earlier on Sunday – Nottingham Forest will face Bournemouth at 9 am on Peacock with Reyna’s first chance to play and will Turner be between the pipes in Goal or do they start their new signing? Oh Chelsea will host Wolverhampton on USA 9 am too while Man U hosts West Ham at 9 on Peacock. (I can honestly say I am watching much less EPL now that all the good games are Peacock Streaming only – if I can watch I watch – but I used to tape the games and go back and watch many more games – now not really – stupid NBC!)
12:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen s MGladbach (Scally)
12:30 pm Peacock Sheffield United (Trusty) vs Aston Villa
12:50 pm ESPN+ Alavez vs Barcelona
1:55 pm ESPN+ Ajax vs PSV
Sun, Feb 4
9 am USA Chelsea vs Woverhampton
9 am peacock Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest (Turner, Reyna) EAr
9 am peacock Man United vs West Ham United
11:30 am Peacock Arsenal vs Liverpool
12:45 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Juventus (Mckinney)
3 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
3 pm Fox 2026 World Cup Schedule Announcement
Mon, Feb 5
3 pm USA Brentford vs Man City
Tues, Feb 6
2:45 pm ESPN+ Plymouth Arglyle vs Leeds United FA Cup
2:45 pm ESPN+ Coventry City vs Sheffield Wed FA Cup
3 pm ESPN2 Bayer Leverkusen vs Stuttgart German Cup
WEds, Feb 7
10 am Para + Asian cup Semi Final 2
2:30 pmESPN+ Nottingham Forest (Turner, Reyna) vs Bristol City FA Cup
3 pm ESPN+ Aston Villa vs Chelsea FA Cup
2024 W Gold Cup, Feb. 20 – March 10
Concacaf Nations League Finals, March 21 – 24
2024 Copa America, June 20 – July 10
2024 Summer Olympics – Men & Women, July 24 – August 10
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to Badger at the Fieldhouse for Training or Friday night or Sunday games? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ. Lets start with the BEST Brunswick Stew in Indiana — I am here to tell you my buddy Ryan has it – perfect for this cold whether during the winter. Come by or get it to go on the way home. I went for lunch today and stew was fantastic !
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach or the soccer guy)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice or Games this winter – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
There are players on the move and titles to contend for this weekend.
By jcksnftsn Feb 2, 2024, 9:12am PST Stars & Stripes
There have been some significant shifts in the USMNT landscape leading into what could be a big weekend for club matchups as well. Paxten Aaronson has departed Eintracht Frankfurt and Gio Reyna is leaving behind the Bundesliga as well (at least for now). Meanwhile, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah need a result against league leading Inter Milan this weekend for Juventus to keep pace atop Serie A. Here’s where you can watch it all this weekend.
Saturday
Bayern Munich v Borussia Mönchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN+
Joe Scally, Jordan Pefok and Borussia Mönchengladbach will take on second place Bayern Munich, who trail Beyer Levekusen by two points in the Bundesliga standings and are coming off a 3-2 win over Augsburg. ‘Gladbach held Leverkusen to a scoreless draw last weekend, allowing Bayern to close ground. They will now look for a result in their second straight match against a title contender.
Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace – 10a on USA Network
Chris Richards started at right back on Tuesday in Crystal Palace’s 3-2 win over Sheffield United and Auston Trusty, who started left back in a battle of American centerbacks playing out of position. With the result, Palace are in 14th place heading into their matchup with Brighton this weekend, who sit in 9th place, eight points ahead of Palace in the table.
Burnley v Fulham – 10a on Peacock
Just a point ahead of Crystal Palace sit Fulham, who have just one win and one draw in their past six matches. Antonee Robinson continues to go the full 90 minutes in nearly every match for Fulham, while Tim Ream started for the first time in nearly two months in last weekend’s FA Cup loss to Newcastle United and then came on for the final 15 minutes of Fulham’s midweek scoreless draw with Everton. Fulham’s opponent this weekend are relegation-threatened Burnley, who have just 12 points through 22 matches and sit 7 points back of safety.
Frosinone v AC Milan – Noon on Paramount+
Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan drew 2-2 with Bologna to fall back to eight points behind league-leading Inter Milan who also have a game in hand. Pulisic is on a three match stretch where he hasn’t recorded a goal scoring contribution. That’s notable because it’s tied for his longest period of the season, as he has six goals and five assists on the year. Yunus Musah has seen a dip in his playing time, as he’s yet to start a match since returning from injury at the start of the year. He has appeared in four straight, with his 31 minutes last weekend against Bologna being his longest outing since his return. Milan are safely in the Champions League positions as they have a 10 point lead on 4th place Atalanta, but the league title is also looking out of the picture as they would need both Inter and Juventus to suffer significant setbacks through the final three months of the season.
Sheffield United v Aston Villa – 12:30p on Peacock
Auston Trusty has started the last two matches, and three of the last four, at left back for Sheffield United as the last place team looks to find something positive from a season that will certainly end in relegation. Their opponent this weekend is fifth place Aston Villa, who are tied with Spurs on 43 points. They are coming off a 3-1 home loss to Newcastle United.
Ajax v PSV Eindhoven – 2p on ESPN+
Sergiño Dest and PSV Eindhoven bounced back from their Dutch Cup loss to pick up a 2-0 win over Almere City last weekend to keep their undefeated run in the Eredivisie alive. Dest picked up an assist on the opening goal in the match, while Malik Tillman was not in the squad due to illness and Ricardo Pepi came in for the final seven minutes to see out the victory. PSV’s opponent this weekend is league rival Ajax, who stumbled early in the season, losing five of their first ten matches in league play, culminating in a 5-2 loss to PSV the first time the teams played. Since then, Ajax have gone on a nine match undefeated streak of their own, including winning seven of the matches to pull themselves back up to fifth place. However, they are still 21 points behind PSV. Still, Ajax would love to put PSV’s run to an end to ensure that they remain the only team to win the Eredivisie in undefeated fashion.
Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest – 9a on Peacock
Nottingham Forest were quite busy during the winter transfer window in what looks likely to have mixed effects on USMNT players. The club signed a third keeper, which seems to indicate that Matt Turner’s days of starting are numbered if not over already. On the flip side, the club also made a move to bring in Gio Reyna from Borussia Dortmund. It’s going to be a big shift moving from a club that generally plays on the front foot in the Bundesliga to one which is more reactionary and a bottom quarter of the table in EPL, but if it means more consistent playing time for Reyna it should be a positive step. Forest are just two points clear of the relegation zone, with a looming Financial Fair Play ruling that could see them docked significant points. They face a Bournemouth team that are six points ahead of them in 12th place.
Wolfsburg v Hoffenheim – 9:30a on ESPN+
Kevin Paredes received his first start in over two months and rewarded his manager with a goal in Wolfsburg’s 1-1 draw with Köln last weekend. It was Paredes’s second goal of the season and the first time all year he has played the full 90. John Brooks also went the full 90 minutes last weekend for Hoffenheim, who played Heidenheim to a 1-1 draw as well.
Osasuna v Celta Vigo – 10:15a on ESPN+
Luca de la Torre has started two straight for Celta Vigo as they’ve lost a pair of tight matches 1-0 and now sit just a point out of the relegation zone. The team will face 12th place Osasuna on Saturday morning looking to pick up some vital points.
RB Leipzig v Union Berlin – 11:30a on ESPN+
Brenden Aaronson saw just seven minutes off the bench last weekend as Union Berlin defeated Darmstadt 1-0 to pick up their third win in six matches. The points pulled Union five clear of relegation as they look to continue to crawl out of the ridiculous hole they dug for themselves through the first half of the season.
Real Betis v Getafe – 12:30p on EPSN+
Johnny Cardoso has started two straight for Real Betis since settling in after joining the club in January. He played the full 90 minutes last weekend as Betis defeated Mallorca 1-0, a week after coming off with his team tied against Barcelona only to see them give up two more goals to fall 4-2. Betis are just two points behind Sociedad for Europa League Conference qualifying and this weekend they will face a Getafe side five points back in tenth place.
Inter Milan v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+
Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Juventus dropped two crucial points last weekend to relegation-threatened Empoli in a 1-1 draw when they were forced to play three quarters of the match down a man after Arkadiusz Milik was shown a straight red 16 minutes into the match. McKennie started and went the full 90 minutes while Weah came on in the 60th minute. The dropped points saw Juventus fall a point behind this weekend’s opponent, Inter Milan, in the Serie A table with Milan also having the advantage of a game in hand. The teams played to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting this season and Juventus need to do no worse than that on the road to stay within striking distance of the league leaders.
Why Reyna chose Forest, whether he has a future in Dortmund
There’s no option to make the move permanent, and in fact, Dortmund have extended Reyna’s contract through the end of the 2025-26 season in the process, so there’s every chance he could return to the Westfalenstadion. But there’s no doubting that his past six months in Germany have been underwhelming, and a change in scenery might be just the tonic Reyna needs to jump-start his career.
How, and why, Reyna ended up at Nottingham Forest
Heading into the January transfer window amid the uncertainty of which clubs would lead the race for Reyna, there was one constant thread: Reyna wanted and needed to leave Dortmund for first-team football. Agent Jorge Mendes and father Claudio Reyna — the ex-USMNT captain and Premier League midfielder — took the lead in these discussions and looked at multiple options for Gio including, according to sources: Marseille, AS Monaco and Lyon in France; Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Villarreal in Spain; as well as Portugal’s Benfica and then Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Of those, Forest, Marseille and Sevilla were the most eager.
Heading into the final days of the window, there was also interest from Italy’s Fiorentina, but it ended up either Marseille or Forest as the places Reyna would go. Marseille were in a strong position: Reyna could learn from the demanding Gennaro Gattuso and the French league suited his game, but Reyna had his heart set on a move to the Premier League. His father Claudio watched Forest’s matches to see how Gio would fit in, while Mendes’ good relationship with the club also helped. (He is also the agent for Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo.) The lack of a language barrier also contributed to the decision, and late on Jan. 31, Forest announced the loan agreement move through to the end of the 2023-24 season.
At the same time as they confirmed the move, Dortmund announced they had extended Reyna’s contract through to 2026. They emphasised there wasn’t an option to make the move permanent, but also that it was Reyna’s wish to move on loan and try to get some more minutes, with Forest his chosen destination.
“We are happy that we have been able to extend the contract with Gio for a further year,” said Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl. “He is a player who has enormous skill and in whom we still see a lot of potential.”It won’t be an easy ride for Reyna at his new club. Nottingham Forest have a lot to juggle: they are 16th in the Premier League and Nuno has been there eight matches after being parachuted in to help stave off relegation. Then there are the potential sanctions hovering above their heads, with the Premier League charging the club — alongside Everton — for breaching the Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR).
It’s hardly a soft landing, but Reyna is committed and feels this is where he can get some much-needed game time.How and where will Reyna fit into Forest’s team? His versatility across the forward line will be a huge asset to Forest, but as Dortmund boss Edin Terzic said last month, Reyna wants to be regarded long term as a No. 10 or No. 8 option, which could be a problem if Nuno sticks with the current 4-2-3-1 formation. Forest’s typical front three (Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga, Nicolás Domínguez) are largely interchangeable, but getting the starting No. 10 spot at Forest will be tricky. It’s a position held down by the club’s record signing and outstanding player Morgan Gibbs-White, who captained the team against Arsenal last time out in the Premier League.
Gibbs-White has featured in every league match this term except their 3-2 defeat to Brentford on Jan. 20, which he missed through an abdominal injury. If they stick with this 4-2-3-1, then Reyna will likely start on the flanks. A switch in formation could work in Reyna’s favour. Forest have had a host of players on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations — Ibrahim Sangaré (Ivory Coast), Willy Boly (Ivory Coast), Ola Aina (Nigeria), Sèrge Aurier (Ivory Coast), Cheikhou Kouyaté (Senegal) and Moussa Niakhaté (Senegal) — while the impressive Elanga has been out injured. Once they return, it could see Nuno switch to formations he favoured during his Wolves tenure, where he preferred the 3-4-3, which switched to a 4-5-1, or the 3-4-2-1. Both could see Reyna deployed as one of a pair of No. 10s alongside Gibbs-White, the two working in tandem running off and with striker Taiwo Awoniyi.If Nuno opts for a midfield three, then Reyna could be their new No. 8. His versatility is king here, but the hope is he’ll get his time in his preferred No. 10 spot.If Reyna’s loan spell goes well, it could turn into a permanent move, but this is where things could get tricky. With no option in the deal, Reyna’s prospects of a long-term stay at Forest are already somewhat out of his hands. Failing to survive the drop would mean a summer of overhaul in order to reduce their wage bill. Even if they stay in the Premier League, and given their dalliances with PSR this season, signing Reyna to a full-time deal will not be cheap. Equally, Dortmund are under no pressure to move on from the player given they have that extra year’s buffer with his contract.If Reyna impresses, it’s a win-win for all involved. Dortmund would have a player back in form, and with Marco Reus‘s contract expiring in Germany in the summer, the U.S. international could yet be their next long-term No. 10. If he’s kept on the periphery, Reyna would be on the market, and aged just 21, he’d be viewed as a safe investment, with clubs knowing they could recruit a player whose value could skyrocket in coming years.Reyna’s debut could come as soon as Sunday at AFC Bournemouth. He’ll wear the No. 20 shirt, and judging by the message he sent to the Forest fans upon signing, he already feels at home in the Premier League.”I’m ready to work hard, I’m really for the challenge and I can’t wait to attack the Premier League with this amazing club. I’m Gio Reyna, and I’m a Red.” — Tom Hamilton
The Dortmund view: They’re not giving up on U.S. star
Late last year, Reyna, father Claudio, his new agency Gestifute and Dortmund’s sporting director Kehl met to discuss the 21-year-old American’s once-bright future at Borussia Dortmund. Not long before that meeting, Reyna had departed American agency Wasserman to join the Jorge Mendes-led Gestifute, believing that new representation was needed to bolster his options on the market.
After a disappointing spell in early 2023-24, Reyna wanted Dortmund’s opinion of him and his immediate future. Terzic wasn’t happy with Reyna’s defensive work rate; the manager expected his attacking midfielders to track back and aggressively block passing lanes in order to improve Dortmund’s questionable defensive stability. What also hurt Reyna’s standing in the team was that in their mind, he was showing limited improvement. All the while, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, an emerging 19-year-old English talent, took the spotlight with his one-on-one skills and entertaining style of play on the wing.Kehl assured Reyna that Dortmund wouldn’t prevent him from going elsewhere for more game time, while at the same time working to bring Jadon Sancho back from Manchester United for a six-month loan spell. Sources have confirmed that Reyna was then offered to Premier League clubs, but interest in England was initially lacking.As Dortmund toyed with the idea of parting ways with Reyna — either through a permanent transfer or a loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent — they made a pivotal decision. Rather than severing ties, ending a chapter that commenced in 2019 when the teenage prodigy made the transatlantic leap from the New York City FC academy to the Bundesliga powerhouse at the age of 16, BVB opted for an alternate course of action: extending Reyna’s contract until 2026 and orchestrating a loan arrangement with Nottingham Forest.
This January transfer is not a farewell from Dortmund. The club seemingly refuse to relinquish the hope that Reyna could blossom into the next American soccer star and develop substantial value in the years to come. It’s a vision reminiscent of Christian Pulisic, whose talents garnered a €64 million transfer to Chelsea in January 2019. Even though Terzic was to an extent dissatisfied with Reyna’s performances last term and early on this season, he praised Reyna’s showing in Dortmund’s 3-1 win over VfL Bochum last Saturday. “You could see that Gio is capable of influencing the game from the bench,” Terzic said after bringing him on for Youssoufa Moukoko after 66 minutes. “He was very confident on the ball, managed to create a few dangerous situations, but was a bit unlucky with his finishing in one or two situations.” After Reyna had established himself in Dortmund’s Bundesliga team, he carried himself like someone who was capable of leading the team at some point in the future. One of his best friends in that team was Jude Bellingham, who did exactly that at a young age. Injuries and lacklustre performances have derailed Reyna’s career to a degree, though, and trying to prove himself in a new environment while still staying connected to Dortmund might be the best move possible. — Constantin Eckner
Gio Reyna to Nottingham Forest isn’t an ideal transfer — it’s a superagent’s stopgap
Senior soccer reporter Wed, Jan 31, 2024, 11:35 AM EST·5 min read
Gio Reyna fell out of favor with Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic, and angled for a move away from the German club. (Photo by Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Gio Reyna has signed with Nottingham Forest on loan through the end of the English Premier League season. It’s the first step toward a potential transfer away from Borussia Dortmund, a transfer that Reyna has been angling for as his playing time waned at the German club. And it’s a necessary change, one that could reboot Reyna’s still-promising career.
But it’s not an ideal fit.
It is, rather, a stopgap solution engineered by a superagent, Jorge Mendes.
Reyna, 21 and long viewed as perhaps the most talented player the United States has ever produced, hired Mendes in December for this very reason. He’d previously been represented by a U.S.-based agency, Wasserman. But with his future at Dortmund increasingly dim, Reyna knew he’d soon need a new home — and Mendes, arguably European soccer’s most well-connected agent, was the perfect person to find him one.
But some of those clubs reportedly weren’t interested. Some were, but never agreed to terms of a potential deal with Dortmund. Reyna, once valued well over $40 million at the height of his teenage stardom, is apparently no longer viewed as a can’t-miss prospect. Dortmund reportedly wanted around $15-20 million for a permanent transfer. None materialized.
So Mendes turned to an old reliable, Nottingham Forest, a volatile English club that currently sits two points above the Premier League’s relegation zone.
Mendes has used his connections and power to establish significant sway at Forest. The club’s Greek owner, Evangelos Marinakis, reportedly sought out Mendes around the time he bought Forest in 2016, and they’ve maintained an on-and-off working relationship ever since. And they are currently “on.” In December, Forest fired their coach and hired a Mendes client, Nuno Espirito Santo. The Athletic reported at the time that Mendes and Marinakis “are working closer together than ever before, practically as business partners.”
It’s unclear how, exactly, this relationship influenced Reyna’s impending move to Forest. The key questions, of course, are whether Espirito Santo truly wants Reyna and how much he’ll play.
Morgan Gibbs-White, a ball-carrying central midfielder, has established himself as Forest’s No. 10 — in Reyna’s preferred position. A rotating cast of wingers have completed the line of three in Forest’s 4-2-3-1, so perhaps Reyna could seize a role out wide. But he will have to compete for it, just as he had to at Dortmund. He will also have to prove that he can withstand the pace and physical brutality of the Premier League. Health and competition are what ultimately derailed Reyna’s burgeoning career at Dortmund. He was rising, rapidly, until a 2021 hamstring injury interrupted his ascent. As a 17- and 18-year-old in 2020-21, he played 46 games (30 starts) in the Bundesliga, Champions League and German cups. He has only started 17 games since.
He re-injured the hamstring shortly after returning in 2022. He reestablished himself in a substitute role throughout the following season. But in June 2023, while starring for the U.S. men’s national team in the CONCACAF Nations League final, a fluky tackle fractured his fibula. That latest injury kept him out until October. In his absence, at least four attacking midfielders or wingers solidified themselves on Dortmund’s depth chart ahead of him. Earlier this month, Dortmund brought in a fifth, Jadon Sancho — the very player Reyna was supposed to replace three years ago, when Dortmund sold Sancho to Manchester United. Sancho’s return was the clearest indicator yet that Reyna had to leave.
He remained a key figure for the USMNT even as he rode the bench, goalless and frustrated, at Dortmund. But he is still remarkably young, just two months past his 21st birthday. To grow, and to resume his rise to the top of the U.S. player pool, he has to play.He may or may not play extensively at Forest. He may or may not succeed in the heat of a high-stakes relegation battle. He may or may not adapt to the speed of the Premier League. All of those are reasons that this move is something less than optimal. But it’s better than a few spare minutes per week at Dortmund. And it isn’t permanent. After rumors and reports that the deal would include an option for Forest to buy Reyna outright, the latest reports from Englandand Germany suggest that there is not a purchase clause. Forest will simply pay his salary and a small loan fee. Reyna will extend his Dortmund contract through June 2026. So he will get a chance to prove his worth. Then he’ll either go back into Dortmund’s long-term plans or, more likely, back onto the market this summer. That will be the time to find a new home, a new hub to jumpstart his career.
Gio Reyna: What kind of player can he become? It’s time to find out
Gio Reyna’s story wasn’t supposed to go like this.The kid was American soccer royalty, the son of USMNT great Claudio Reyna, born with a ball duct-taped to his feet and top clubs’ scouts peeking over the backyard fence. Against all odds, he didn’t turn out to be as good as everyone expected — he was better.
While his friends were studying for the SAT, a teenage Reyna was snaking through Bundesliga defenders and curling home his first worldie for Borussia Dortmund. Some 18-year-olds are voted most likely to succeed in their high school’s yearbook; at the same age, in his first full professional season, Reyna made the Golden Boy shortlist — the award for the best young footballer in the world.You probably know how it’s gone wrong for him since: injuries, more injuries, then that whole World Cup melodrama between his parents and the USMNT coach, followed by — no points for guessing this one — another injury. For the past three seasons, Reyna has never been a consistent starter for club or country.
This week’s loan move to Nottingham Forest of the Premier League from Dortmund, where he once ranked among football’s best prospects, is a chance to get the fairytale back on track.But before he can write his next chapter, Reyna has to grapple with a question he still hasn’t played regularly enough to answer: what kind of great player could he become?
Reyna in the early days with Dortmund in February 2020 (Max Maiwald/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
“I love him,” are the first words Rene Maric texts me when I ask about Reyna. Maric, now the head of coaching and playing style for Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich, was an assistant coach at Dortmund under Marco Rose in 2021-22, the season Reyna turned 19. He spent his days working with the player we’ve only gotten to see in glimpses. “He was considered our biggest talent besides Jude (Bellingham),” Maric says, “and ‘a taller version of (Andres) Iniesta’.”
(Edith Geuppert – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Comparing a young player to Iniesta, even in scare quotes, is like comparing an art school student to Michelangelo. It’s just not done. That’s how far you have to reach sometimes, though, to describe the kind of things Reyna is capable of on the ball. Consider the dribble he pulled off for the U.S. against Mexico two years ago — 15 seconds of controlled demolition, one of the most preposterous runs you’ll ever see.
For a lot of young attackers, dribbling is destiny: if you can tie defenders in cherry-stem knots like that, chances are you’ll wind up playing on the wing, where there’s more room to go one-v-one.
That’s how Christian Pulisic blazed a path from American youth leagues to Dortmund’s first team and beyond, and for a while it looked like Reyna might follow in his countryman’s footsteps, right down to the position. By the spring of Edin Terzic’s first stint as Dortmund manager, in 2020-21, Reyna was the team’s starting right-winger — the same job Pulisic had held two years earlier.
Stylistically, though, they aren’t very similar. Reyna isn’t fast. He doesn’t knock the ball up the sideline to skip past a defender or stretch the game with off-ball runs into the box. He can put in a good cross when called upon but he’d rather not play that wide, nor is he really the inverted cut-and-shoot type, even when he lines up on the left. Long story short: your dad would absolutely refuse to recognise this guy as a winger.Reyna’s talent is more about weaving the attack together, or what one Dortmund scout called his ability to “play with many contacts”. His awareness of space and movement can sometimes verge on the uncanny.One of his favourite tricks is to receive a pass with one barely perceptible touch, almost but not quite a dummy, that redirects the ball past pressure and into the path of a team-mate behind him. No ordinary winger has eyes in the back of his head like that.
(Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
Even Terzic, who for the last couple of seasons has persisted in playing Reyna on both wings as well as in midfield, knows he’s a winger in name only. “Like (Bundesliga team-mate Julian) Brandt, Gio is rarely found on the wings when he plays there,” the Dortmund coach explained in October last year. “They open the wings and always move into the half-spaces. Gio is definitely the most dangerous and can pose the most goal threat (inside).”On the rare occasions Reyna was fit enough to play for the USMNT in the last World Cup cycle, that’s how coach Gregg Berhalter used him, starting on the right wing but tucking inside when Sergino Dest pushed up from right-back to join the attack. The idea was to get Reyna on the ball between the lines, somewhere around the corner of the box, where he can create like very few players in the world his age.“He has quality,” Berhalter told The Athletic a few months before the 2022 World Cup finals. “The timing of his passing is very good, the weight of his passing is very good and he can receive the ball in any type of conditions. He can get it with his back to the goal, he can get it on the run, he can get it under tight pressure. That’s not a problem for him because of his quality. And then, when he gets faced up, he’s really good at making a final pass.”Most of these strengths — receiving in tight spaces, playing back-to-goal, combining with team-mates and facing goal to unlock the final pass — are things attacking midfielders do. Reyna ultimately proved to be an awkward fit on the wings, where he found himself slipping down the depth chart for club and country behind more conventional wide, vertical attackers.“I would deem his position on the wing as his worst,” says Maric. In his view, Reyna has the potential to become world-class in the “pocket position” — an attacking midfielder in the half-spaces, along the lines of Martin Odegaard of Arsenal or Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.Like Odegaard, Reyna has the shiftiness and close control to turn in the pocket and slip a ball into the box, but he’s got De Bruyne’s restless sense of adventure, rarely staying in one place for long.A typical Reyna sequence starts with him dropping down the half-space in the build-up, then pulling wide to receive so he can face the defence and look to play a team-mate in behind with a through ball. He’ll often finish the move by returning to the top of the box to hunt for cutbacks or loose balls, arriving in space rather than holding his position.Not every system allows him that much freedom, though.“Tactically, there’s so much more structure here,” Reyna told The Athletic shortly after he got to Dortmund from New York City FC’s academy. “In New York, I was playing as a No 10 and could go wherever I wanted, but here in Germany, I learned how to cut down the (passing) angles here, see the link-up there.”
(John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
He still says his best position is “kind of a free-roaming No 10,” and he shone in that role for the USMNT when he finally got a chance towards the end of 2023. Berhalter appreciated Reyna’s attacking creativity but also made a point to praise his effort “off the ball, the relentless work rate defensively.”If he’s going to earn a licence to roam instead of being stuck on the wing, Reyna will have to keep showing coaches that he’s attentive to team structure, especially out of possession. He’s not a lazy defender — his ball-winning stats are better than you might expect and Maric is upbeat about his willingness to go into duels — but his timing and angles can be lax, opening holes in midfield that Germany gleefully exploited in their 3-1 friendly win in October.Terzic, who has rarely trusted Reyna in his preferred role, put it bluntly in December: “Gio still has many aspects to work on to become a more complete player.”
(Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images)
A four-month loan to the Premier League isn’t much time for Reyna to prove himself. It’s not even clear where he’ll get on the pitch in Forest’s crowded squad. Coach Nuno Spirito Santos’s 4-2-3-1 offers a chance for him to earn playing time as a No 10 but that spot currently belongs to Forest’s best player, Morgan Gibbs-White. The good news for Reyna, maybe, is that he and Gibbs-White have very different profiles. In Forest’s counter-attacking game, Gibbs-White likes to run ahead of the play, often pulling wide to receive on the right wing. Reyna, who doesn’t have that kind of pace, would rather drop to the ball in transition and turn to look for runners. If you squint a little, you can see them complementing each other: Reyna pulling the strings from midfield, Gibbs-White leading the attack from the right. It’s a far cry from the possession game Reyna was used to at Dortmund, true, but his dribbling and vision can be lethal in transition.It’s also possible, though, that Reyna just won’t fit: not quick enough to play in Forest’s front line, not defensive or tactically disciplined enough for their midfield. It would be a shame if he finally managed to stay healthy only to see his enormous potential wasted out on loan, especially with the USMNT’s high-profile Copa America on home turf coming up in the summer.“He is so young and so talented in the right role,” Maric says, “that I hope his body and his choice of club won’t stop him from reaching what he could.”For a player who once looked like a prince, the long road back to a happy ending starts with figuring out who he is now.(Top photo: Howard Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Making sense of Pulisic’s stellar stats at AC Milan, USMNT
Ryan O’Hanlon, ESPN.com writerFeb 2, 2024, 09:21 AM ET
There are only three players in Serie A this season who have scored at least five non-penalty goals and created at least five assists. The first two: Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram and Roma’s Paulo Dybala.You know the third player because he is the most famous American soccer player of all time, and he’s playing for the club with the second-most Champions League titles of all time.Everyone is talking about Christian Pulisic. You can’t walk down the street without a random stranger bursting out of a door, grabbing you by the arm, and forcing you to watch grainy video of Pulisic’s assist to Ruben Loftus-Cheek against Bologna, or his goal against Sassuolo.Delis are naming sandwiches after him. Tattoo artists across the United States are quitting in protest over having to spend their days iterating on some version of a “CP10” design. Your grandmother figured out how to not only use her television, but how to download, sign up for and then navigate the Paramount+ app in order to watch Christian Pulisic play in Serie A.I kid, so as not to cry. Somehow, Pulisic is in the midst of the best season of his professional career, for one of the biggest clubs in the world, and it feels like it’s going under the radar. So, what has driven Pulisic’s reinvigoration? And, more importantly for Milan and U.S. men’s national team fans alike, will he be able to keep it up?Pulisic, the most productive winger in ItalyPut simply, Pulisic has been one of the most productive, ever-present attackers in Serie A so far this season. Among players to appear in at least 1,200 minutes of game time, he ranks fifth in the league in per-90-minute attacking contribution (non-penalty goals and assists):
1) Lautaro Martínez, Inter Milan: 1.07 2) Dusan Vlahovic, Juventus: 0.95 3) Marcus Thuram, Inter Milan: 0.84 4) Olivier Giroud, AC Milan: 0.82 5) Christian Pulisic, AC Milan: 0.68
Inside of Italy, he’s been more productive than the both of star duo — Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — that drove Napoli to a Serie A title just a year ago. Plus, unlike the four players ahead of him on the Serie A list, Pulisic is not a striker. Given that he’s starting deeper on the field and theoretically required to do more than just assist and score goals, those numbers look even more impressive.If we take a step back in the possession chain, Pulisic’s impact doesn’t dissipate, either. The site FBref created a stat called “goal-creating actions” that they define as such as the two offensive actions that lead to a goal, and “this includes live-ball passes, dead-ball passes, successful dribbles, shots which lead to another shot, and being fouled.” In other words, it’s a way of awarding players who were involved in a goal but might not have played the pass that led directly to the goal. The only Serie A players with more goal-creating actions than Pulisic’s 12 this season are Thuram (15) and his Inter Milan teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan (13).To tie it all together, there are only 10 players across Europe’s “Big Five” top leagues so far this season who’ve scored at least six non-penalty goals and generated at least 12 goal-creating actions.In the Premier League, it’s Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Darwin Núñez, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, and Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon. There’s no one in Ligue 1, and just one in LaLiga: Villarreal’s Alexander Sorloth. In Germany, there are three: Bayern Munch’s Leroy Sané and the Bayer Leverkusen duo of Alex Grimaldo and Victor Boniface. In Serie A, there are only two: Thuram and Pulisic.
Pulisic’s goals and assists are up, but everything else is down
In soccer today, the modern winger needs to do two things: score goals and help his team generate the capacity to score goals. Each specific winger is tilted toward one pole or the other. Kylian Mbappé is on one end — mostly goals, goals, and more goals — while Bukayo Saka sits at the other. The best version of Pulisic is right around the middle: roughly equal parts goal-scoring and helping his teammates score goals. We’ve seen that version of Pulisic so far this season, but it’s unlikely to continue in this same form.
On the goal-scoring side, Pulisic has scored six goals from 3.7 expected goals, or xG. Despite his efficiency in front of goal this season, he’s scored 1.7 goals fewer than expected since the start of the 2017-18 season. He’s never been a standout finisher, and there’s little reason to believe he’s suddenly become one. This year, he’s attempted seven shots with an xG value of 0.14 or better, and he’s scored four of them.ere is a map of all of his shots this season — the larger the circle, the higher the xG the shot generated:
Not only has Pulisic turned his own shots into goals at a super high rate, but his teammates have converted his passes into goals just as efficiently. He’s generated 3.0 expected goals assisted, but his teammates have turned them into five goals.
As you can see, just two of his assists came from passes completed inside the penalty area:
The same thinking applies to his goal-creating actions. If we look at all shot-creating actions, Pulisic has helped generate 50 attempts for his teammates. That’s tied for 34th-most in the league despite those actions leading to 12 goals, third-most in the league. Pulisic’s involvement in play, then, has led to an unusually high number of goals this season. Otherwise, his general involvement in the game is down in just about every major way.
Here’s a selection of some of his top-line metrics at Chelsea, per 90 minutes, compared to his first season in Milan:
• Non-penalty xG+xA: 0.48 at Chelsea, 0.41 at Milan • Shots: 2.5 at Chelsea, 1.9 at Milan • Progressive passes: 3.5 at Chelsea, 2.8 at Milan • Shot-creating actions: 3.5 at Chelsea, 3.1 at Milan • Touches in the penalty area: 5.7 at Chelsea, 3.6 at Milan • Successful take-ons: 3.3 at Chelsea, 2.7 at Milan
His overall number of touches is about the same as they were at Chelsea — just slightly down from 50-per-90 minutes to 48.3-per-90 at Milan — but he just hasn’t been as involved in the most dangerous area of the field as often. He’s not pushing the ball forward as much, he’s not taking as many players on, and he’s not shooting as much as he used to.
In a backward way, Pulisic’s season has gone under the radar because all of the shots are going in. If his chances and his teammates’ chances were being converted at a normal rate, USMNT fans would be able to have their favorite kind of conversation: Do we need to worry about this American soccer star?
So, do we need to worry about Pulisic?
Normally, I’d say “yes.” Pulisic’s underlying production — the 0.41 non-penalty xG+xA per 90 — ranks tied for 198th among all players in Europe’s “Big Five” leagues who have appeared in at least one-third of their team’s minutes. In Serie A, he’s tied for 25th.
That’s… fine? But when you consider that he’s an attacker on one of the best teams in Italy, 25th feels like the bare minimum for a starter in his position.
Plus, it’s not like he’s seen a ton of touches around the goal that haven’t turned into shots or chances created. Twenty-six other players in Serie A have registered more touches inside the penalty area. And on top of all that, he’s 24. He’s supposed to be entering his prime, and he’s moved to a less competitive league — both factors that should theoretically boost his performance. Instead, it’s mostly gone in the opposite direction.
And yet, I don’t think it’s time to freak out. At Milan, he is receiving more progressive passes than he did at Chelsea (9.3 per 90 minutes, up from 8.6). That’s a signal that he’s still able to find dangerous space — windows for players to pass him the ball — even if it hasn’t been inside the penalty area as often as in the past.
On top of that, his general contribution to Milan’s possession play is being undersold by some of these more basic numbers. Back in December, I wrote about a statistic called “Expected Possession Value” or EPV. Essentially, it looks at every on-ball action over the course of a match and calculates how much it increases or decreases a team’s chances of scoring a goal within the next 10 seconds.
For Milan, Rafael Leão leads the way in EPV at 0.21 per 90 minutes. In other words, his actions are adding 21% goal probability across a 90-minute match. Pulisic isn’t far behind, ranking second on the team at 0.18 EPV per 90.
These are all of Pulisic’s open-play passes that have increased Milan’s goal probability by at least 5%:
Along with Leao and midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, Pulisic is one of Milan’s three most-important players in terms of generating dangerous possession. And this is for a team that’s second in the league in both non-penalty goals and expected goals. Plus, playing time was more important for Pulisic this season than performance. He hasn’t played more than 1,800 minutes in a league season since he was an 18-year-old with Borussia Dortmund in the 2017-18 season. He played 75% of the minutes that year, and he’s at 74% for Milan this season. In the five years in between, though, he never got beyond 51% of the minutes. Pulisic simply hasn’t been a full-time starter in European soccer in six years. For now, re-establishing himself as such matters more than his underlying output. And then, for USMNT fans in particular, Pulisic’s performances with the national team don’t really seem to have any kind of connection with his club form. In an up-and-mostly-down 2023 with his club situation, Pulisic scored six goals and added three assists in eight caps for his country. The year before that, 2022, was probably the worst single year of his professional career — and yet, at the World Cup, he was fantastic.
Based on a handful of advanced and basic stats, FBref calculates the 10 most similar players within a competition for every player. For Pulisic, at the World Cup, the third-most-similar player was Germany’s uber-prospect Jamal Musiala. Second was Brazil’s Vinicius Junior, perhaps the best left-winger in the world. And first? Kylian Mbappe, perhaps the best player in the world.After that, well… I guess I wouldn’t get too excited about a few goals and a few assists in Serie A, either.
USWNT captain Lindsey Horan says most American fans ‘aren’t smart’ about soccer
Steve Gardner, USA TODAY Thu, February 1, 2024 at 1:43 PM EST·2 min read
he U.S. Women’s National Soccer team is accustomed to being in the spotlight. And its players are no strangers to controversy.So it should come as no surprise that team captain Lindsey Horan could be in line for some criticism after her comments to The Athletic in a recent interview about American soccer fans.”Most of them aren’t smart,” Horan said. “They don’t know the game. They don’t understand. (But) it’s getting better and better.”The point she was trying to make was that soccer commentators on TV tend to shape public perception, especially of the USWNT.”We’re always in the magnifying glass on every single thing we do or anything we say,” Horan said.The U.S. team took plenty of heat for its poor showing at the 2023 Women’s World Cup − where Horan and Co. were bounced in the Round of 16 in a penalty-kick shootout against Sweden. The loss cost coach Vlatko Andonovski his job and put the USWNT into scramble mode in the run-up to the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer.”We need to get back to the football. The football is the most important thing,” Horan said in the December interview. “We need to focus on the game. We need to focus on being the absolute best we can be.”
USWNT midfielder Lindsey Horan dribbles the ball during a friendly match between the United States and China in December.
New coach Emma Hayes won’t take over officially until the European season ends in May, though she did meet with the team in December to help ease the transition.With the Olympics getting underway in late July, Horan, 29, will have a lot of responsibility on her shoulders in the meantime.”We need to change every bit of culture that we had prior to the last World Cup and going into this Olympics,” she said, “because we need to win.”This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USWNT’s Lindsey Horan: Most American fans ‘aren’t smart’ about soccer
2026 World Cup final: The pros and cons of Texas’ AT&T and New Jersey’s MetLife
On Sunday from 3pm EST (8pm GMT, 1pm PT), the world will finally know the location of the 2026 World Cup final.Will it be played in Texas or New Jersey? Or will Los Angeles’ So-Fi Stadium be the dark horse that tops both favorites?The decision has been fiercely guarded. Officials in Texas and New Jersey declined to comment on reports last month that Dallas had secured the grand finale on Sunday, July 19, 2026. On Thursday, sources in host cities said FIFA, world soccer’s governing body, had yet to relay any information regarding venue selections. It seems they will find out with the rest of the world.The AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, offer very different experiences for the showpiece event in men’s global soccer and the location of the final will dictate so much about where the group and knockout matches are held, too.
World Cup venues — as with the Olympics — are not allowed to use branded names as it is viewed as a type of ambush marketing, but we will use MetLife and AT&T for now as these are the names with which fans are most familiar.With so much riding on landing the coveted fixture, here’s a closer look at the pros and cons of each venue…
Open-air or covered?
MetLife Stadium and AT&T Stadium offer two very different stadium experiences.
The New Jersey venue opened in 2009. Though World Cup games have been played in the Meadowlands, those matches were hosted at Giants Stadium, which was torn down to make way for MetLife next door. MetLife successfully hosted the Copa America final between Chile and Argentina in 2016, a precursor to Messi Mania when tickets for a match were far more attainable than they likely will be this summer.
Messi’s Argentina were beaten 4-2 on penalties by Chile in 2016 (Xinhua/Qin Lang via Getty Images)
MetLife has a capacity of 82,500 and is an open-air stadium. It usually has a turf pitch for NFL matches but will be converted to grass for World Cup games to meet FIFA’s standards. For this summer’s Copa America games, the stadium will utilize $400,000 (£313,000) in funds from the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA), which holds the land lease where MetLife stands, to turn the field over to grass, an agency spokesperson told The Athletic.
In September, the venue hit the headlines when Aaron Rodgers tore an Achilles tendon in his debut for the Jets just moments into their opening game, reigniting a debate on player safety.AT&T Stadium also has a similar base capacity of 80,000 but can be expanded to host up to 105,000 with standing room. Final capacity for a World Cup game is likely to sit somewhere between those figures, according to Dan Hunt, chairman of Dallas’ World Cup bid and FC Dallas president.“We’ll lose some seats at AT&T Stadium, but I envision it still being in the 90,000-seat range for World Cup matches there,” Hunt said in January. AT&T Stadium also features one of the largest video displays in the world, weighing 1.2 million pounds and measuring roughly 72 feet high and 160 feet wide.
The stadium’s retractable roof, though, is probably its most important accessory – especially when considering a final in Texas means players and supporters will face intense heat. The average temperature on July 19, 2023, in the Dallas Fort Worth region was 94F (34.4C), according to the National Weather Service. In September, England’s Rachel Daly, who played for the Houston Dash, said the heat and humidity could make it “unsafe” for players in the summer.
The LED scoreboard hanging from the stadium’s roof during the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal (Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
If you ask The Athletic’sNFL writers, AT&T Stadium offers a far better stadium experience than MetLife, which has far fewer bells and whistles and offers less to do in the immediate surrounding area — unless you consider the American Dream mega-mall next door. AT&T is only likely to get better in Arlington, with $350 million in renovations expected at the stadium in time for the World Cup, as reported by the Dallas Morning News.
All stadiums will likely have to undergo renovations before the tournament, especially to meet FIFA’s pitch requirements, which call for a wider field than NFL-regulated fields and essentially require that any turf pitches be converted to grass. But few may have access to the resources the Dallas Cowboys’ venue has with an owner like Jerry Jones, whose estimated net worth is $12.4 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.
The World Cup epicenter or the center of the western world?
Both stadiums are just a short drive from their Big City neighbors, Dallas and New York City. Supporters of the New York/New Jersey bid have long argued New York City is the obvious choice because of the city’s global heritage, with landmarks like Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty nearby, as well as the city’s relative importance in the global market. New York City, which to some is still considered the financial capital of the world, offers fans a built-in tourist attraction and the final will take place just a few weeks after the country’s 250th celebration of July 4.
(Elsa/Getty Images)
Dallas is much smaller than New York City, with a population of 1.3 million versus 8.5 million. With Dallas, though, fans also have other Texan cities to travel to in the Mid-Cities region from Fort Worth to Dallas, which Arlington sits between. It’s also near Houston, which hopes to host several World Cup matches, although Jerry World, what some call AT&T Stadium, can be considered its own attraction in the heart of Arlington’s entertainment district. If you look at a map of the 16 host cities for 2026, Dallas is at the center of them all. New York is one of the cities furthest east – although it is arguably in the most important media market in the world. Both cities are also a roughly three-hour flight from Miami, where FIFA’s headquarters in 2026 will be.
Getting there… and getting away
One of the biggest priorities for organizers has been preparing for avoidable transportation woes. Shuffling millions of people in and out of a region is no easy feat and local authorities have already started planning for ways to be best prepared.
If the assumption is that most fans will stay in Dallas or New York City and travel to games, like millions do every week for work in those areas, that means both cities need to set up a system that allows them to travel seamlessly. Though FIFA is tightlipped about what its agreements with host cities require, at past men’s World Cups, ticketed fans were offered free public transport to games. It’s safe to assume FIFA expects the same in 2026.Both Dallas and New York City are accustomed to temporarily increasing transport options at AT&T and MetLife stadiums for major events. Officials in both regions have also publicly backed plans for more buses, with other major infrastructure projects ongoing at various levels. (Though, if you’ve ever followed along with a major transportation initiative, they can be expensive and delays are common.)
In Dallas, some basic transit plans include increasing the Trinity Railway Express rail service during the tournament at an improved CentrePort Station, which is eight miles from AT&T Stadium, and adding dedicated bus lanes on area highways, as reported by Fort Worth Report. That hinges on pending funding and transit needs may increase depending on what FIFA announces this weekend. In July, Globe Life Field will host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, providing a test run for some of these World Cup-related plans.In New Jersey, there are also calls for increased bus routes to the region, with officials in New Jersey racing to build a Transitway in time for the 2026 tournament. In July, the board of NJ Transit, the state’s public transportation system, approved $35million in spending to fully design a new corridor from Secaucus, where there is a regional transit hub called Secaucus Junction, to MetLife Stadium.During large events at MetLife, a special train service connects Secaucus Junction with the Meadowlands Rail Station at the stadium. Though easy to use, the service hasn’t always been perfect. Locals may remember some high-profile transit flops: during the 2014 Super Bowl, for instance, thousands of fans were stranded for hours trying to get home from the big game. A similar mess happened in 2019 with WrestleMania.
(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
More recently, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour went off without a hitch for three performances over one holiday weekend. That may have been because the tour took place on a weekend in the summer, when most people in the New York metro area flock either to Long Island or the Jersey Shore to avoid the city heat – and, potentially, the expected traffic.
Who is paying for it?
Hosting a World Cup is not cheap and tensions usually rise when it comes down to who will cover that bill. Organizers can tap into public funding, set up sponsorships, or rely on fundraising to get by. In the case of New Jersey and New York, this becomes even more complicated when deciphering whether one state is on the hook for more than the other.In Texas, organizers have what’s called the Major Events Reimbursement Program, or MERP — a resource likened to a Texas Trust Fund that provides reimbursement for major events brought to the state. It’s an incentive program, its supporters say, that uses taxpayers’ dollars to cover the costs of hosting major events. In 2017, the fund covered $25.4million in costs associated with holding the Super Bowl in Houston. Chris Canetti, who is leading World Cup 2026 planning in Houston, said the fund is a “huge advantage” for cities in Texas.“We all have significant financial risks that we’re taking in hosting these events and need to have a pathway for funding it,” Canetti told The Athletic. “To be able to say that we have this mechanism in place to be able to do it, I think was positive (in the bid process). We have huge costs that we have to cover through our contracts with FIFA and to know that we have this fund in place through this legislation that’s going to help us cover some of these costs is very helpful.”
(Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
For MetLife Stadium, organizers can request funding distributed by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. The money is allocated from $7.5million in funding appropriated from the state budget “for international events, improvements and sporting attractions,” according to a resolution approving the spending. The agency also recently approved $1.65million in funding for hosting the NHL Stadium Series, an outdoor hockey tournament, at MetLife.One potential benefit for New Jersey could also be the ability to work closely with other host cities along the East Coast. Meg Kane, the host city executive for Philadelphia 2026, told The Athletic that Philadelphia, New Jersey/New York, Boston and even Toronto have aligned to explore options around transportation, security and even cost sharing.“We view ourselves as a working group because there are such similarities in terms of location, as well as some of the additional events that each of the cities is managing and balancing,” Kane said in January.
Opposite ends of the political spectrum
One topic that can’t be ignored is the varying political climates in New Jersey, New York and Texas. In short, two sides could not be more ideologically different or on opposite ends of the political spectrum.
In recent months, one of the biggest political tensions between New York and Texas has been the ongoing migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. Political tensions hit a high when Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, began bussing migrants to cities like New York, angering Democratic officials. By December and early January, about 1,000 migrants passed through New Jersey on their way to New York City to circumvent new city rules, as reported by New Jersey Monitor, prompting calls last week from Gov. Phil Murphy and other Democratic governors urging President Joe Biden to solve this “humanitarian crisis.”There are also differences when it comes to gun reform, reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ rights. New Jersey has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. Texas is the largest state to ban nearly all abortions after the 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade. There’s also the question of LGBTQ+ rights, with the Human Rights Campaign saying Texas is responsible for more than 20 percent of the more than 500 anti-LGTBQ+ bills last year across the country.
These issues may seem far removed from soccer, but human rights issues were widely debated and reported on during the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar and continue to be contentious topics as global investment in soccer continues to grow.Will these issues be a deal breaker for FIFA? Most likely not, but they surely will become topics for debate if Dallas does secure the final – and with it, the eyes of the world.(Top photos: Getty Images; design: John Bradford)
Champions League, Premier League, more: February viewing guide
Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff WriterJan 31, 2024, 09:11 AM ET
Now is when the rubber meets the road. After a January loaded with (often delightful) cup ties, endless transfer rumors (most of which went nowhere), and lots of cold rain, February raises the stakes pretty significantly in Europe. The UEFA competitions return — the respective first legs of the Champions League round of 16 come in the middle of the month — and from England (first-place Liverpool at third-place Arsenal) to Germany (second-place Bayern Munich at first-place Bayer Leverkusen) to Spain (first-place Girona at second-place Real Madrid) to Italy (second-place Juventus at first-place Inter), we’ve got a lot of enormous league matches popping up in a short amount of time. And if that’s not enough, the chaotic-as-ever Africa Cup of Nations is reaching the final rounds as well.
It’s a lot, so let’s walk through five(ish) matches to track in each major country/competition.
The Champions League indeed returns, and the round of 24 for the Europa League and the Europa Conference League get underway on Feb. 15 as well. Obviously, you should pay attention to all eight UCL round-of-16 matches, but some might be more interesting than others.
Manchester City are the overall tournament favorites and should handle Copenhagen with relative ease, but two secondary favorites — Real Madrid and Bayern — could find things awkward with road tests. RB Leipzig have been all over the map in 2023-24 and need to recover from some dismal recent form but boast plenty of upside; Lazio, meanwhile, have taken 13 points from their past five league matches to rise to within two points of a top-four spot. Bayern haven’t really seen fifth gear in a while either.
The second set of Champions League matches, on Feb. 20 and 21, features maybe the most fascinating R16 ties — Atletico-Inter and Barca-Napoli — plus, in Porto, another chance for an underdog to make an early home statement. There’s plenty to track here, but you probably didn’t need me to tell you that.
This coming Sunday comes one of the biggest remaining matches of the Premier League campaign. The computers and oddsmakers consider the EPL title race a two-teamer between Manchester City and Liverpool — Opta’s power ratings give the former a 59% chance at the title, the latter a 37% chance, and the other 18 teams in the league a combined 5% chance. Arsenal’s odds took a major nosedive with the Gunners’ back-to-back December losses to West Ham and Fulham, but they still trail Liverpool by only five points and have time to either insert themselves back into the race or, with matches against Liverpool and City (Mar. 30) remaining, decide who gets to win.
Liverpool enter February with a shot at lifting four trophies in Jürgen Klopp’s final four months as manager, but the picture could change significantly by March. The Feb. 4 trip to the Emirates Stadium will have a huge impact on the Reds’ EPL title odds, and in four days late in the month they’ll play in the EFL Cup final against Chelsea and in the FA Cup fifth round against Watford or Southampton. They’ll be favored in both matches, but this will be a pretty defining month in the final chapter of the Klopp-Liverpool story.
And of course, let’s not forget everyone’s new favorite club, Maidstone United. The Stones took down second-division Ipswich Townlast weekend to become the first sixth-division club to reach the fifth round since the 1970s, and they’ll face another second-division side, either Wednesday or Coventry, at the end of the month.
The first 10 days of the month are enormous in Deutschland. First, we’ve got the last two quarterfinals of what has been a truly chaotic DFB-Pokal. Two second-division teams – Fortuna Dusseldorf (which defeated St. Pauli via penalties on Tuesday) and either Kaiserslautern or Hertha Berlin (they play Wednesday, live on ESPN+) — are already guaranteed semifinal bids, and the only two top-of-the-first-division teams left in the field, first-place Leverkusen and third-place Stuttgart, play each other next week.
Meanwhile, third-division Saarbrucken, who have already taken down Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt, try to keep their miraculous run going against a Gladbach team that is worse than Bayern and Eintracht. Major “magic of the cup” vibes in Germany.
Just four days after hosting Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen will play an even bigger match, and it honestly might be the biggest remaining match of the Bundesliga campaign. Bayern come to town currently trailing the Werkself by just two points, and although the German giants do have to face bogey team Gladbach this coming weekend, it’s fair to say that if Leverkusen want to remain on the front foot in the title race, they need a result in this one pretty badly.
That means they’ll have to play better than they have since the league’s restart — they needed late magic to secure tight wins over Augsburg and RB Leipzig, and they came up empty in the magic department in a 0-0 draw with Gladbach last weekend. They’ve been just scraping by with several key players participating in the Africa Cup of Nations, and although that’s wrapping up, star scorer Victor Boniface is out for a few more weeks with injury. They missed him greatly last weekend.
Spain
Feb. 4: Atletico Madrid at Real Madrid (Live on ESPN+)
Granted, Barcelona and Real Madrid are always the primary focuses of attention in Spain, but February belongs to Girona and Atletico Madrid. Including a Feb. 3 match against Real Sociedad, Girona will face three of the top six teams in the LaLiga table this month. They are currently in first, a point ahead of Real Madrid (who have a game in hand), but Opta’s power ratings aren’t yet buying what the Gironistes are selling. They give Real Madrid a 93% chance of taking the title. But if Girona come up big this month, the odds will have no choice but to shift a decent amount toward the underdogs.
Atleti, meanwhile, are in an interesting spot. They have lost to Barcelona, Athletic Club and Girona over the past two months, which has left them in a precarious position, clinging to a top-four position by just two points over Athletic (and tied with a flailing Barca). But a Copa del Rey win over Real Madrid has positioned them as the favorites in that competition — they have lifted that trophy just once since 1996, taking down Real Madrid in extra time in the 2013 final — and while they’re the underdogs in the Champions League round of 16 against Inter, it’s not the least manageable draw imaginable.
By the end of February, this season could be putting off either precarious or triumphant vibes.
Liverpool vs. Arsenal is huge, but it might not even be the biggest match this coming Sunday. Juventus, unbeaten since September and unburdened by European play, have climbed to within one point of Inter in the Serie A race, even though Inter also haven’t lost in league play since September. The Nerazzurri do have a game in hand, but a loss on Sunday could significantly change the calculus.
Meanwhile, the race for fourth place is almost equally gripping. Granted, Italy has solid odds of claiming a fifth bid in next year’s Champions League, but it’s still only four for now, and the gap between fourth-place Atalanta and 10th-placeTorino is just five points. Lazio and Roma are both rebounding from poor starts; Fiorentina and Bologna still have time to bounce back after a poor January for both; and somehow Napoli, stuck in hangover mode for months, remain only five points outside the top four.
Look at it this way: Serie A might have more plot twists remaining than any other major European league.
We’re lacking for gripping title races outside of Europe’s four biggest leagues. PSG lead Nice by six points in France; PSV lead Feyenoord by 12 in the Netherlands; and, although they’ve failed to seal the deal before, Union Saint-Gilloise currently boast an eight-point lead over Anderlecht in Belgium.
Granted, PSG’s form remains an interesting topic because of how it might translate to Champions League play — a test against fifth-place Lille could be telling ahead of the round of 16 — but the most interesting February match in France might be between seventh-place Marseille and 16th-place Lyon. It’s one of the most heated derbies in Europe (too heated, actually), and it means even more than usual for both teams. Lyon are still struggling to get their head above water in their relegation scrap; after winning three straight in league play, they allowed three goals in losses to Le Havre and to Rennes. Marseille, meanwhile, sit five points outside of the top four after three consecutive league draws.
PSV play their own always-heated rivalry match this Saturday, visiting the Johan Cruyff Arena to face an Ajax team that finally has its act together. After a dreadful start, they’ve taken 29 points from their past 11 league matches to rise back to fifth in the Eredivisie, just four points behind third-place Twente. PSV’s league lead is safe, but they could hand Ajax a huge setback on Saturday.
We do have a couple of interesting league races to follow. Sporting CP lead Benfica by just one point in Portugal (and Porto by four), although none of the top three play each other in February. And in Austria, three-time defending champion RB Salzburg lead Sturm Graz by only two points. A loss on Feb. 9 would make things awfully interesting.
USMNT analysis
A look at the USMNT goalkeeping situation as questions surround the top choices
As everyone knows, the USMNT goalkeeping situation isn’t great as we approach two major tournaments in the Nations League final stages and the Copa America. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta looks at all the options and how things could shape up
BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTEDEBRUARY 01, 20242:05 PM
IT’S THE TOUGHEST position right now to analyze on the U.S. national team because there are no easy answers, but goalkeeping is of critical importance as the depth chart is unstable at a point when the Nations League finals and Copa America are quickly approaching. Things can, and often do, change quickly but right now none of the options inspire a lot of confidence.
On thing we are seeing is that there is a lot of player movement and that always brings uncertainty about playing time and the ability to adjust into a new setting. We also have a time where others haven’t played in a long time while other options are very young. Both of these issues also create uncertainty about the immediate future.
Long term, it will probably sort itself out, but there are pressing demands in the short term and there are no good answers. Goalkeeping is important not simply for the demands of stopping shots, but goalkeeping also affects the confidence level of the entire team. When a team lacks confidence in its goalkeeper, it throws everything and everyone else off.
But let’s look at where things stand.
THE CURRENT GROUP
Matt Turner: Things have not gone well for Turner since he arrived in England in the summer of 2022. It was expected he would be Arsenal’s backup but also that he would be given cup games. But eventually he lost his starting cup game role and then was glued to the bench. After a move to Nottingham Forest, he continued to struggle. The team initially brought in Odysseas Vlachodimos from Benfica and the Greek No. 1 replaced Turner. But after Vlachodimos had a terrible run, Turner regained the job. In January, Turner continued to not play well and on deadline day, the club acquired Matz Sels from Strasbourg.
What this means is that Turner is now either the No. 2 or No. 3 (which carries the risk of not being registered) depending on how Forest sees him compared with Vlachodimos. How long will Turner remain at the club if he is the backup?
For the U.S. national team, Turner will not be in a position to regain confidence heading into any of the upcoming tournaments.
Ethan Horvath: After leading Luton Town to promotion last season while on loan from Nottingham Forest, Horvath was given a raw deal. He was told he was in Luton Town’s plans but the club changed its mind late in the game and declined the option to buy on his loan. Upon returning to Forest, he fell to the No. 3 keeper and wasn’t even registered for the first half of the season.
At the end of the January window, Horvath sealed a move to Cardiff City which sits midtable at 14th place in the Championship. There he should be able to push Jak Alnwick for the starting job as Alnwick has not been great this season. But how long will it take Horvath to compete? That remains to be seen.
The good news is that he’s done well in the Championship before – with Luton. But it’s hard to be completely optimistic as Horvath has seen all his recent clubs pass on him to be their No. 1. Club Brugge felt the need to spend a fortune on Mignolet. Then he lost his starting job at Forest to Brice Samba. Then at Luton, the club eventually passed on him after promotion. After returning to Forest, he lost his No. 2 job.
Will this be the time a club decides that Horvath is the No. 1 for good? Maybe, but that won’t be an immediate decision. Horvath will have to play well and it is unclear how rusty he will be after not even suiting up for a game since August.
This makes him an uncertain bet for the USMNT too. It’s clear that Gregg Berhalter likes Horvath as he was called-up throughout the fall despite not playing. Berhalter was clearly betting that Horvath’s problems were short term. But Horvath’s leash is not infinite either and if Horvath doesn’t fix his career at Cardiff, he’s in trouble.
Zack Steffen: The former USMNT No. 1 moved to Colorado and this needed to happen after Middlesbrough passed on Steffen after his loan from Manchester City. But Steffen has been injured in his return to Manchester City and has not played. He now returns to Colorado as the team’s number one. But there are two issues for Steffen. He is coming off a very long layoff and it’s unclear how he’ll respond. The second is that injuries (mostly his knee) have been bothering him for years. Will that continue to be an issue?
If Steffen returns to top form, plays well in Colorado, and if has no problems with his injury, then he is in a good position. But those are big “ifs.”
Sean Johnson: Is mostly an afterthought, and that is fair. But he did go to the World Cup after Steffen was dropped and he has the benefit of being healthy, having a starting job, having familiarity with the team, and being a known commodity. But Toronto is a bad team and Johnson wasn’t solid in 2023, but to be fair, it’s hard to play well on a dysfunctional team.
THE YOUNG/EMERGING OPTIONS
Gaga Slonina: Still just 19, Gaga Slonina is starting for Eupen in a relegation battle in Belgium. At times he has looked very good. At times, he looks very shaky and mistake prone. This is to be expected for a teenage goalkeeper. Between Chicago and now Eupen, he’s made nearly 60 first-team appearances. For the USMNT, it’s hard to see him as a current option to start no matter how high his ceiling is. He’s still a teenager and needs time to refine his skills and his consistency. For 2024, the Olympics should be his priority internationally.
Drake Callender: The Sacramento native has emerged as a good MLS goalkeeper with Inter Miami. With his size and athleticism, he can make tough game-changing saves. He’s been around the national team in 2023 but has yet to make his debut. He’s not perfect, but with his age, athleticism, and the uncertainty of the pool, he should stay around the program in 2024.
Patrick Schulte: While more mature at 22, Schulte has still only had a first team starting job for one season. It was a very good season and he won MLS Cup with Columbus. He’s an Olympic option and another player who needs time to develop without the rush.
Roman Celentano: A bit under the radar internationally, Celentano has the starting job for a good Cincinnati team and has steadily improved. He has been part of the last two January camps where the staff have had the chance to evaluate him. He’s not flashy, but he is generally consistent and steady. He should have a long career ahead of him at just age 23.
Chris Brady: has the benefit of having the starting job at Chicago at just 19 years old. For now, he’s probably behind Schulte and Slonina for an Olympic spot, but things can change very quickly for young goalkeepers. He’s probably not close to the USMNT right now, but Brady could have a high ceiling and is in a good position to develop.
Diego Kochen: at just 17, he has a long way to go. But he’s making the bench for Barcelona and should be one of the U.S. U-20 goalkeepers this cycle. He’s one for the long-term future, but certainly worth keeping an eye on for the U-20 cycle and the following Olympic cycle.
NATIONS LEAGUE/COPA AMERICA
But how about the team’s more pressing needs for the big tournaments inside the next five-six months? That is going to be a big challenge for Berhalter.
My guess is that it will be Turner, Steffen, Horvath for the Nations League. If the tournament were starting today, Turner would still be the No. 1, but there are so many moving parts that things will change quickly. Turner is still the incumbent.
If Steffen and Horvath play well out of the gate, Turner’s leash could be very short. It’s not inconceivable that Turner might not start the Nations League games depending on the other players.
If Horvath or Steffen don’t play well inside of the next month, it’s possible that Berhalter then dips into other options after Turner. But that will also likely be dictated by form.
Berhalter might feel the need to have a more stable backup option around the team in Callender or Celentano who are always healthy and who always start. He also might let Schulte and Slonina work with the Olympic team through the summer.
There are so many moving parts and the next six weeks will tell us a lot. Then with the Copa America, there will be a lot more known about each of the options by that point.
MOVING FORWARD
Over the long-term beyond the Copa America, things will probably be okay. There are enough options where some players will rise, others will fall, others will sort of stagnate. Most importantly, there will be clarity.
One thing that the team misses desperately from its goalkeeping pool is a No. 3 option who is older, better than average, a lock starter for years with his club, and is known/trusted by the entire pool. Nick Rimando was perfect for this role.
There are different philosophies on how to handle the third goalkeeping spot. One is to have the third best goalkeeper in the pool. The second is to have a young and experimental keeper to prepare for the future. The third is to have an older veteran who might not be the third best goalkeeper in the pool, but who is known and trusted by the entire pool of players, always has a starting job at his club, is competent, is a regular call-up to the USMNT, can be a calming presence in a tough situation if he is forced to play, and who is not a malcontent if he sits the bench for long stretches.
A keeper like that sets the floor of how bad things can get with a goalkeeping pool. It is good to have a several young and prime age goalkeepers pushing themselves, but behind them, it is reassuring to have a reliable and familiar hand in case of tough times. These players can then start for stretches as the rest of the pool works itself out.
We will see how the goalkeeper pool sorts itself out, but if the No. 3 goalkeeper was viewed this way, it would prevent a situation like now when every option has more questions than answers.
Apple is still keeping secret how many — or few — people watch its MLS telecasts
No matter how often fans and media complain, the league and its big-money broadcast partner still won’t reveal specific numbers. And unlike with traditional TV, there’s no independent way to get them.
Apple and Major League Soccer’s main studio for broadcasts in New York.Jonathan Tannenwald / Staff
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — The people in power at Major League Soccer and Apple will try to tell you that all was sunshine and roses in the TV partnership’s first year. “Every metric that we’ve had, we exceeded,” Seth Bacon, MLS’s executive vice president of media, said at the league’s media day festival on Thursday. “From a subscription standpoint, we blew by, more than doubled, what we thought would happen. And we met a lot of those goals even before [Lionel] Messi got here.”But ask how many roses there are in the garden, and the tune changes. MLS and Apple remain as stingy as ever about revealing any specifics about how many people watched games on their platform last year.“It’s something that we continue to work with Apple and all our partners [on], to make sure we understand them,” Bacon said. “But it’s a different language that we have to speak now than when you’re dealing with linear [TV] and Nielsen.”
That last sentence actually did reveal something, even if the language was industry-speak. Nielsen is the longstanding measurer of TV viewership, collecting data independently of the networks. But there’s no independent measurer of streaming viewership. Some platforms publish audience data themes, as NBC and ESPN long have. Amazon hired Nielsen to measure its Thursday night NFL audiences on Prime Video. Apple has kept silent.So it’s not possible for an outsider to prove Bacon’s assertions that “we got way younger as an audience,” and “we had people watching longer than they did on linear television.”The only thing resembling data that anyone had given out before Thursday came from Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services. Cue said at last November’s Soccerex business conference that “we’ve had more than a million viewers to watch the biggest games this season.” Cue also notably said “nobody expected that,” which raised some eyebrows. The last MLS Cup final before Apple’s deal started, 2022′s Union-LAFC epic, drew 2.155 million viewers just in the United States. So one million viewers seems like a low bar for a global telecast on a big brand’s platform, even if it’s a subscription streaming package.
The 2022 MLS Cup final was the league’s last game before Apple’s 10-year streaming deal started.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Bacon said something related to that Thursday that was accurate, even if it still came without any numbers attached.“It’s actual people that we know are watching, and have taken actions to be very deliberate with the way that they engage with our sport,” he said. “d that’s encouraging.”Now if someone would just say how many of those people there are.
TV updates
MLS hired a new executive producer, Ignacio Garcia, a former general manager of ESPN Deportes’ studio shows. Multiple sources also said that Shaw Brown, whom production giant IMG hired to be the Apple/MLS coordinating producer last year, is out of that job.Brown has long been one of the top soccer broadcast producers in the United States, with many years of experience at ESPN, NBC, Fox, and Telemundo. He’s the lead producer of U.S. men’s and women’s national team games on TNT and its sibling channels.Garcia is not a direct replacement for Brown, and IMG is still involved with much of the on-site production work for MLS games. But Brown’s absence will be noticed in the soccer media world.
Shaw Brown (left) with Fox soccer broadcasters John Strong (right) and Stuart Holden (center) at the 2018 men’s World Cup final.Courtesy of Fox Sports
As for on-camera matters, expect this year’s roster of telecasters to be announced in a few weeks. Bacon offered good news that all the English and Spanish crews will call games from stadiums this year, after rumors last year that some would work off monitors in studios.
“We have a huge production infrastructure and strategy that we put together, and we are not looking at how we scale back on that plan or investment,” he said. “We’re looking at how we make things better and build upon what we had in 2023.”There might be a scaling-back of French telecasts, though. Last year, MLS offered them for all three Canadian teams, and this year it might be for just CF Montréal. That was first reported Tuesday by Montreal-based outlet Dans Les Coulisses, and Bacon didn’t deny it.“We’re working through all the plans, we’re going to give you guys updates on all that, but Montreal for sure is going to have no change to the way that they’re covered,” he said.
New behind-the-scenes series
There was one other piece of concrete Apple news Thursday, and it was well-received. Box to Box, the production company that created Netflix’s big hit Drive to Survive series on Formula 1 racing, will spend this year doing an eight-part, behind-the-scenes series on MLS.
Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris blows a kiss toward a TV camera after scoring a goal last year.Lindsey Wasson / AP
Even better, it won’t just be about Lionel Messi.“I think people really want to know more of the stories, and get to know the coaches, the players, the crop of young American players that’s coming through and going on to the world stage,” Box to Box co-founder Paul Martin said. “I think that there’s a real curiosity about the league and the sport here from the rest of the world. And I think our show can help take people on the inside, into the dressing rooms, into the airplanes as they go and travel around the country.”With the number of young Americans coming through the Union’s ranks, fans should hope the series visits Chester for a while.Fans should also hope Box to Box can keep up its track record of not shying away from tough coverage. Though MLS has editorial oversight of Apple’s game telecasts and studio shows, Bacon hinted — though he didn’t say outright — that Box to Box will have free reign.“Box to Box has had some of the most successful sports docuseries in the world, and our intention is not to mess with the formula that’s made those shows successful,” he said.
Downingtown’s Zack Steffen opens up about why he returned to MLS
Steffen recently signed to be the starting goalkeeper for the Colorado Rapids.
Downingtown’s Zack Steffen is back in MLS after 4½ years in Europe.Stu Forster / Getty Images
As he began the fourth year of his second stint in Europe, Zack Steffen decided that he’d had enough of the instability that defined his time abroad.The goalkeeper from Downingtown still hadn’t made it with Manchester City, the English powerhouse that paid $7 million to buy him from the Columbus Crew in 2019. Though Steffen won two Premier League titles and a League Cup with City, he played just 21 games for the club, mostly in domestic cups. His actual playing time overseas came during loans to the German Bundesliga’s Fortuna Düsseldorf and the English second division’s Middlesbrough.Steffen dealt with a series of brutal injuries along the way, the latest being a major knee issue that’s had him out of action since May. He also became a father, welcoming a daughter in October.So it was time to return, he decided. When the Colorado Rapids offered him a cornerstone place with a team under new management, he said yes.“Just to be back in the States, closer to family, closer to friends, have them part of my career, just gives me a lot of energy and passion and motivation to come back here,” Steffen said at a news conference Monday.“And now I’m 28, getting up there a little bit, so I want some stability. … And to win some games, lift some trophies, and just bring this club to a winning culture, a winning mentality. And I think we can do that.”Steffen said he liked the Rapids’ sales pitch, especially from goalkeeper coach Chris Sharpe and new manager Chris Armas.“The situation, the city, the people, the club, the new coaches, and then Chris Sharpe,” Steffen said. The conversations that we’ve had really excited me and gave me motivation, gave me confidence that we’re all on the same page on where we want to go individually and then collectively.”
He made it clear that being a new father matters, too, not surprising for a player who has long been close with his family. “Fatherhood is amazing,” he said. “Wanting to be closer to family and be part of her life as well, and her journey. Yeah, man, fatherhood is the best thing ever.”
Steffen found some familiar faces when he arrived in Denver, especially veteran Rapids right back Keegan Rosenberry. The Ronks, Pa., native played with Steffen on Union-run youth teams in the club’s early years, before the academy was fully built out. Rosenberry played his first three years as a pro with the Union. He could have been teammates with Steffen in MLS back then, had the Union signed Steffen to a homegrown player contract while he was at the University of Maryland. But when Germany’s Freiburg offered Steffen his first chance to go to Europe, he took it, with the Union unable to match the money involved. (Whether they tried to has been lost to history.) Nine years later, they will line up together again.
Keegan Rosenberry (center) playing for the Colorado Rapids last season.David Zalubowski / AP
“We’ve always gotten along really well, kind of stayed in touch through all the moves in our career,” Rosenberry said. “There’s always a little bit more of a close relationship with defenders and goalkeepers, so I’m hoping we can build each other up and help each other succeed.”Armas might be the happiest of anyone outside the Steffen family. His hiring wasn’t entirely well-received, because previous jobs were underwhelming spells with the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC, and disastrously short times as an assistant at England’s Manchester United and Leeds United. (His bosses there were close friends, Red Bull global veteran Ralf Rangnick in Manchester and American Jesse Marsch in Leeds.)Armas has now started his Rapids tenure with the arrivals of Steffen and Djordje Mihailovic, a 25-year-old playmaker who not long ago was a U.S. national team prospect. They reportedly will soon add left back Sam Vines, a former Rapids player who’s been at Belgium’s Royal Antwerp for 2½ years.That’s a good helping of talent and stability, with Steffen at the root of it all in net.“He’s been part of major success, big experiences … but most importantly has been part of good, strong cultures, winning cultures,” Armas said. “We expect him to be one of the leaders, one of the driving forces behind our push, and we’re delighted to have Zack.”
I’m the Inquirer’s soccer reporter, covering the Union, MLS, the NWSL, the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams, and Philadelphia’s place in the world’s game. I also pitch in with coverage of college basketball and the WNBA.
Copa America 2024 tickets to go on sale by end of February through stadium partners
Tickets for this summer’s men’s Copa América in the United States should be available to the public by the end of February, a CONMEBOL spokesperson told The Athletic on Tuesday. An exact date for when tickets for the tournament will be on sale is yet to be determined, but it could also extend into early March.
CONMEBOL has also been finalizing how tickets will be sold. Two sources briefed on the tournament’s plans said that each Copa América venue will sell match tickets via their preferred ticket partners, rather than all tickets for the tournament going up for sale through a single system, as they do for FIFA World Cups. In effect, tickets for games would be available for purchase via either Ticketmaster or SeatGeek, depending on where the game is being held.
Where to buy Copa America 2024 tickets
CITY
STADIUM
TICKETING PARTNER
Arlington
AT&T Stadium
SeatGeek
Atlanta
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Ticketmaster
Austin
Q2 Stadium
SeatGeek
Charlotte
Bank of America Stadium
Ticketmaster
NY/NJ area
MetLife Stadium
Ticketmaster
Houston
NRG Stadium
Ticketmaster
LA area
SoFi Stadium
Ticketmaster
Bay Area
Levi’s Stadium
Ticketmaster
Phoenix
State Farm Stadium
SeatGeek
Las Vegas
Allegiant Stadium
Ticketmaster
Kansas City, Mo.
Arrowhead Stadium
Ticketmaster
Kansas City, Kan.
Children’s Mercy Park
SeatGeek
Miami
Hard Rock Stadium
Ticketmaster
Orlando
Exploria Stadium
Ticketmaster
An official statement from CONMEBOL regarding ticket access is expected in the coming weeks.
Even though tickets are not yet available for purchase, they have already appeared on the secondary market. A search on StubHub for tickets to the Copa América opener in Atlanta between Argentina and either Canada or Trinidad & Tobago ranged from $563 to $66,537 at time of writing. On its checkout page, Stubhub lists the demand for Copa América tickets as “high.” With no official tickets available to anyone yet, these listings have been posted by third-party brokers, at prices that are likely to be significantly elevated from face value. These brokers do not have any match tickets in hand. After a consumer purchases tickets, the brokers would have to then acquire match tickets once they officially go on sale.
That said, securing tickets to see Copa America games this summer will likely be expensive no matter what, and a relatively short runway for fans to book hotels and make travel arrangements will only increase those costs. If tickets go on sale the day after the Super Bowl, for example, there will be just 130 days between then and the opening game.
A source briefed on CONMEBOL’s plans said the federation is in the process of evaluating its own market research and purchasing behaviors in order to target the U.S. consumer better, given that most of its operations have been in South America up to this point.
The 48th edition of the Copa América begins on June 20 and will feature all 10 CONMEBOL countries and six nations from CONCACAF. The tournament will be played in 14 U.S. cities, with the final coming on July 14 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. 2022 World Cup winner Argentina, led by Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, is the defending champion.
The Copa América Centenario in 2016 was also held in the U.S. That tournament was a rousing success on the pitch and commercially. A total of 1.5 million people attended matches in 2016, with average attendance hovering around 46,000, per reports. The competition was televised in more than 160 countries, with television viewership for the Centenario in the U.S. surpassing 100 million.
(Photo: CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images)
USMNT ambitions, learning from Vieira, and downtime with Reyna – Joe Scally exclusive
It is a good thing Joe Scally is used to dealing with high expectations.The defender became the second-youngest professional ever in Major League Soccer when he signed with NYCFC at age 15. Ever since, he has been no stranger to being flung in at the deep end – even after his transfer to Borussia Monchengladbach, where the right-footer’s full debut came against Bayern Munich as a left-back.This season, he is adjusting to the dual demands of being an attacking fullback capable of keeping up with international teammates like Sergino Dest — who has contributed five assists and counting so far for PSV Eindhoven — while helping his club keep clean sheets as a right-sided center back.
Football can be complicated, so when it all comes together, as it did for Scally in one moment in October, you can forgive him for his reaction.
Benched for two games after a defeat against RB Leipzig the previous month, he came on against Mainz with Monchengladbach trailing 2-1 to the Bundesliga’s bottom club. The club looked destined for its fourth consecutive loss, with disquiet mounting among the vast majority of the 51,000 fans present at Stadion Borussia-Park.
That was until Scally pushed forward and hit a thunderous strike to save the day.
Scally pummels his equaliser in from distance against Mainz (Christian Verheyen/Borussia Moenchengladbach via Getty Images)
“It was a special goal,” recalls Scally, who celebrated by putting his fingers to his lips as the home fans went wild. “I had been starting every game and then there’d been a few beforehand when I hadn’t. I read some things with people saying all this stuff about me not having a good season.“So just to score this goal to show them I still have this attacking spirit was important. I have tried to do it in training since and I’m like: ‘How did I get it to dip perfectly?’.“It was one of those moments when you’re not thinking.”The 21-year-old has remained a first-team regular in the period since, getting an assist in a 4-0 win against Wolfsburg as well. Scally is adjusting to life under Gerardo Seoane, his fourth manager in three seasons at Monchengladbach.The days of filling in as an emergency left back are behind him, but Scally learned a lot from his Bundesliga baptism of fire in that 1-1 draw with Bayern back in August 2021.“I had actually played left back the game before in the cup against Kaiserslautern when we were expected to win,” he explains. “But the next week our normal starting left back was still injured, so I knew (it was coming). I was nervous the whole week.“But when the whistle goes and you’re not thinking of anything, it is easier. That game was crazy. I had a moment when (Robert) Lewandowski was dribbling at me. I got the ball and he stepped on my foot and I was thinking: ‘S—, this is Lewandowski’. You never think you’ll be playing against him.
Scally, on Bundesliga debut, challenges Lewandowski (Federico Gambarini/picture alliance via Getty Images)
“It’s weird because sometimes playing on the wrong side isn’t too bad: you can go inside on your right foot and you see the whole field a bit easier. The pitch can open up. With the ball, you can be quite confident.
“The defending is the main difference because you’re used to your feet always facing one way. Then, suddenly, you’re facing the other. It’s that positioning that takes a bit of getting used to.”
Scally is thoughtful and relaxed company — very different from the combative, fiery presence on the field; a youngster who has been toughened up by playing against men since his mid-teens.
He is also relishing the challenge of his differing responsibilities under Seoane.
“I only started playing (at right-sided center back in a defensive three) this season,” he says. “It’s different because the shaping is different and you’re not that last man in the back line on the right side, always checking your shoulder. You have more people around you and more help.
“But it’s something I need to get used to. I like bombing forward and that’s limited when you’re playing center back, even if it opens up different sides to my game.
“When you can play multiple positions, more teams like you and you get more playing time.”
Scally takes instruction from Seoane (Christian Verheyen/Borussia Moenchengladbach via Getty Images)
Game time is something he is looking forward to with the USMNT, too, even if he admits the competition at right-back, where Dest has become first choice, is tough.
Does the feeling that he needs to showcase similar flair to the PSV player, who is on loan from Barcelona, explain his desire to score and assist more?
“He’s probably the most attacking full-back we have,” he says. “The modern-day full-back has to do both — attack and defense — and I’m still young, so I have things to learn. If you look at my first season (at Monchengladbach) I was playing right wing-back and it was very attacking.
“Then, second year, it was more defensive and now it’s both; trying to recognize the right moment to get forward because it’s not every time. It’s about knowing when you might get caught out and have to sit and save your energy for the next time you bomb forward.
“That’s something I’m trying this year — picking my moments. It’s reading the situation before it happens, so if the ball is on the left side, I have to hold because you can’t have both full-backs bombing on. But when you see that ball is switching, it’s about that feeling: ‘OK, now I can go and catch them out of position.’”
Scally said he enjoyed the ultimate experience in international football when he was part of the USMNT squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Although he did not get on to the pitch during the tournament, it left him desperate for more involvement at this summer’s Copa America before the focus turns to a World Cup on home soil.
“I still remember when I got the call (about his Qatar 2022 selection),” he says. “I was alone in my apartment. My mom and dad had been over to Germany visiting, but they’d flown back that day so they were in the air and I couldn’t call them. My brother and sister were at home, though, so I had someone to share it with.
“Being over there was special and a different type of feeling. It’s hard to explain, but going to the stadium and seeing the American flags, singing the national anthem… Then, even on your off days, watching every single game from the game room in our hotel.
Scally, No 26, joins Tim Weah, Shaq Moore and Josh Sargent ahead of the group game against Wales (Maja Hitij – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
“If you can hold your own against teams like England, then you know one day you can do something special. With the group of guys we have — we were one of the youngest teams in Qatar — that experience will be really helpful. Given the next one is actually in the U.S., the team will have a lot of confidence.
“We had a really good half against Germany (in a friendly) two months ago. We were tied 1-1 and then made some changes and it didn’t work for us in the end, but we showed up.
“We’re all excited about the Copa America this summer. We have such a big opportunity before the World Cup to send a statement to the fans.”
Scally has learned plenty over the past couple of years but, even from his formative spell at New York City FC, he has had top mentors: none more so than former manager Patrick Vieira.
The Arsenal and France legend was a big influence on Scally’s early career, signing him as a teenager before handing him his MLS debut. “I like his engine going forward and I like his strong personality,” Vieira said in a club statement announcing Scally’s signing.
The admiration was mutual.
“I’ve had seven different coaches in my career and, every year I’ve been in Europe, I’ve had a different coach,” Scally says. “But Vieira had a different respect from the players because he was the best. Every player in our team, even our best, was still not better than him.
ADVERTISEMENT
“He knew the feeling of being a player. In training, if someone was having a bad session, he would know if there was something else behind it just because he’d been there. He intuitively knew our feelings and he was a good tactician, too.
“When he came, we all watched YouTube clips in pre-season and were like: ‘We could never do the things he did’. He would join in training sometimes and he was still the best.”
Scally, in New York City colours, tracks Gustavo Bou of New England Revolution in September 2020 (Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
Scally grew up enjoying basketball and soccer, but his talent was quickly recognized in the latter. An early growth spurt helped his progress into the NYCFC senior ranks.
“At 15, you’re still a kid but I was ready. Physically I was grown up already. I was tall. That definitely helped and was a big reason why I was ready to play. You’re still learning at that age, but I was able to train and keep up with them.
“At the time it wasn’t normal to be that young (he was second youngest only to Freddy Adu in breaking into MLS), but now it’s becoming more normal. I’m not even in the top 10 youngest anymore. They might sign now and then play in the academy for two more years but, for me, it was signing at 15 and straight into the first team.”
He was spotted by Monchengladbach scouts playing for U.S. youth sides at a Nike Friendlies tournament in Florida, alongside players who have gone on to become close friends, particularly Giovanni Reyna.
The pair have a special bond and Scally will miss him following the Borussia Dortmund midfielder as he heads on loan to Nottingham Forest.
“He lives 45 minutes away from my apartment in Dusseldorf,” he says. “We talk every day. I’ve started streaming on Twitch and, last night, it was me, Gio, Brendan and Paxten (the Aaronson brothers who play for Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively) playing Xbox.
“We were playing Fortnite. That’s mainly what the viewers like to watch, so we have a two versus two. It’s always me and Paxten versus Gio and Brenden, whether it’s Mario Kart or Fortnite.”
Scally and Brenden Aaronson ahead of Gladbach’s game against Union in December (Christian Verheyen/Borussia Moenchengladbach via Getty Images)
Does he feel frustrated on Reyna’s behalf at his lack of game time this season? “He’s my friend, so of course I think he should play,” he says. “I don’t want to get into any complex things, but when he plays for the national team he does good.
“Even when you see him get on as sub he shows his ability, so I agree, the more game time the better.”
The only area he does not necessarily want Reyna to thrive is on the golf course, where their rivalry has occupied another major part of his downtime.
“We hope we’re playing for our clubs on Saturdays, so then on Sunday or Monday we can play together,” he says. “At the moment I’m playing off an 18 (handicap), but when I’m playing every day in the off-season, it’s between eight and 12.
“We’re both pretty even. It’s a fun match-up as I win one time and him the next, or we’ll even play a scramble and try to see what we can shoot together.”
Reyna and Scally confront each other on the pitch, as well as on the golf course (Christian Verheyen/Borussia Moenchengladbach via Getty Images)
Scally is loving life at Monchengladbach, especially playing at their impressive home stadium. “In warm-ups, you glance up and it’s like: ‘Holy crap, this is awesome’,” he says. “But then when the game starts, you switch off until maybe a goal happens and the place erupts.
“Even when the coach is talking, most of the time you can’t hear him.”
Eventually, though, he would like to follow Reyna’s path to the Premier League. “From a language and cultural side it’s probably most similar to the U.S.,” he says. “Right now it’s a level above every other league, so it’s the place I’d like to play one day at the right time.”
As a sports fan, Scally is not a glory hunter. In the NBA, he’s a Brooklyn Nets fan — “They’re not doing too well and my NFL team is the Giants, who have been bad this year, too” — but, in English football, the team he watches most closely, in part owing to his NYCFC roots, is their parent club Manchester City.
But for now, as he prepares to face Bayern Munich once again on Saturday, his sights are firmly on contributing in every way for Monchengladbach.
“My aim this season is to keep being stable defensively,” he says. “I’d also like maybe two more assists and another goal to beat my record from the first season.
“I think I can achieve it.”
(Top photo: Christian Verheyen/Borussia Moenchengladbach via Getty Images)
Greg O’Keeffe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering US soccer players in the UK & Europe. Previously he spent a decade at the Liverpool Echo covering news and features before an eight-year stint as the paper’s Everton correspondent; giving readers the inside track on Goodison Park, a remit he later reprised at The Athletic. He has also worked as a news and sport journalist for the BBC and hosts a podcast in his spare time.
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to the Badger Field for Training? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
Save 20% on these Succulent Ribs at Rackz BarBQ when you mention the Ole Ballcoach – Corner of 131 & Hazelldell. – Call 317-688-7290.
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
So the Superbowl Commercials are starting to leak out and of course Messi is in them here he is with Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis & Dan Marino for Michelob. Oh and speaking of Messi – people are freaking out that Miami is losing in pre-season – its preseason and Messi is barely playing. The whole Messi vs Renaldo was hiliarious as neither of them played basically – so yes Miami loss 6-0 but none of the Barca guys played. Not sure that counts.
World Cup Tournament Schedule Announcement 3 pm Fox & Telemundo
The journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup will see some long-awaited major progress on Sunday, when FIFA announces a framework of the tournament schedule. In theory, the announcement will include which of the tournament’s 104 games Philadelphia will host, including rounds and dates, and which will go to the 15 other cities involved. FIFA has also said we’ll learn where the U.S. and fellow home teams Canada and Mexico will play their group games, and where the final will be. The U.S. is expected to start out west and move east, while the final is expected to go to either East Rutherford, N.J., or Arlington, Texas. But all we really know right now is that the announcement will be made on a TV show at 3 p.m., with a national broadcast on Fox and Telemundo.
Huge Games this Weekend – Sunday
Some huge games on the docket this weekend – especially Sunday as Arsenal will host league leader Liverpool at 11:30 am on Peacock in a top 3 battle and the first big game since Liverpool’s Manager Klopp announced he would step down at season’s end. 12:45 has Juventus and American’s Mckinney & Weah headed to league leader Inter Milan on Paramount plus in a 1 vs 2 battle for Italian Supremacy. 3 pm gives us the Madrid Derby as Real Madrid host Atletico Madrid on ESPN+. Earlier on Sunday – Nottingham Forest will face Bournmouth at 9 am on Peacock with Reyna’s first chance to play and will Turner be between the pipes in Goal or do they start their new signing? Oh Chelsea will host Wolverhampton on USA 9 am too while Man U hosts West Ham at 9 on Peacock. (I can honestly say I am watching much less EPL now that all the good games are Peacock Streaming only – if I can watch I watch – but I used to tape the games and go back and watch – now not really – stupid NBC!)
12:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen s MGladbach (Scally)
12:30 pm Peacock Sheffield United (Trusty) vs Aston Villa
12:50 pm ESPN+ Alavez vs Barcelona
1:55 pm ESPN+ Ajax vs PSV
Sun, Feb 4
9 am USA Chelsea vs Woverhampton
9 am peacock Bournemouth vs Nottingham Forest (Turner, Reyna) EAr
9 am peacock Man United vs West Ham United
11:30 am Peacock Arsenal vs Liverpool
12:45 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Juventus (Mckinney)
3 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid
3 pm Fox 2026 World Cup Schedule Announcement
Mon, Feb 5
3 pm USA Brentford vs Man City
Tues, Feb 6
2:45 pm ESPN+ Plymouth Arglyle vs Leeds United FA Cup
2:45 pm ESPN+ Coventry City vs Sheffield Wed FA Cup
3 pm ESPN2 Bayer Leverkusen vs Stuttgart German Cup
WEds, Feb 7
10 am Para + Asian cup Semi Final 2
2:30 pmESPN+ Nottingham Forest (Turner, Reyna) vs Bristol City FA Cup
3 pm ESPN+ Aston Villa vs Chelsea FA Cup
2024 W Gold Cup, Feb. 20 – March 10
Concacaf Nations League Finals, March 21 – 24
2024 Copa America, June 20 – July 10
2024 Summer Olympics – Men & Women, July 24 – August 10
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to Badger at the Fieldhouse for Training or Friday night or Sunday games? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ. Lets start with the BEST Brunswick Stew in Indiana — I am here to tell you my buddy Ryan has it – perfect for this cold whether during the winter. Come by or get it to go on the way home.
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice or Games this winter – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
There are players on the move and titles to contend for this weekend.
By jcksnftsn Feb 2, 2024, 9:12am PST Stars & Stripes
There have been some significant shifts in the USMNT landscape leading into what could be a big weekend for club matchups as well. Paxten Aaronson has departed Eintracht Frankfurt and Gio Reyna is leaving behind the Bundesliga as well (at least for now). Meanwhile, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah need a result against league leading Inter Milan this weekend for Juventus to keep pace atop Serie A. Here’s where you can watch it all this weekend.
Friday
Heidenheim v Borussia Dortmund – 2:30p on ESPN+
Lennard Maloney and Heidenheim have drawn three straight matches and sit in 10th place, a strong position for a club newly promoted from 2 .Bundesliga. Their opponent this weekend is 4th place Borussia Dortmund, who suddenly, and for the first time in a long time, don’t have an American playing for them. More on that in a bit.
Saturday
Bayern Munich v Borussia Mönchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN+
Joe Scally, Jordan Pefok and Borussia Mönchengladbach will take on second place Bayern Munich, who trail Beyer Levekusen by two points in the Bundesliga standings and are coming off a 3-2 win over Augsburg. ‘Gladbach held Leverkusen to a scoreless draw last weekend, allowing Bayern to close ground. They will now look for a result in their second straight match against a title contender.
Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace – 10a on USA Network
Chris Richards started at right back on Tuesday in Crystal Palace’s 3-2 win over Sheffield United and Auston Trusty, who started left back in a battle of American centerbacks playing out of position. With the result, Palace are in 14th place heading into their matchup with Brighton this weekend, who sit in 9th place, eight points ahead of Palace in the table.
Burnley v Fulham – 10a on Peacock
Just a point ahead of Crystal Palace sit Fulham, who have just one win and one draw in their past six matches. Antonee Robinson continues to go the full 90 minutes in nearly every match for Fulham, while Tim Ream started for the first time in nearly two months in last weekend’s FA Cup loss to Newcastle United and then came on for the final 15 minutes of Fulham’s midweek scoreless draw with Everton. Fulham’s opponent this weekend are relegation-threatened Burnley, who have just 12 points through 22 matches and sit 7 points back of safety.
Frosinone v AC Milan – Noon on Paramount+
Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan drew 2-2 with Bologna to fall back to eight points behind league-leading Inter Milan who also have a game in hand. Pulisic is on a three match stretch where he hasn’t recorded a goal scoring contribution. That’s notable because it’s tied for his longest period of the season, as he has six goals and five assists on the year. Yunus Musah has seen a dip in his playing time, as he’s yet to start a match since returning from injury at the start of the year. He has appeared in four straight, with his 31 minutes last weekend against Bologna being his longest outing since his return. Milan are safely in the Champions League positions as they have a 10 point lead on 4th place Atalanta, but the league title is also looking out of the picture as they would need both Inter and Juventus to suffer significant setbacks through the final three months of the season.
Sheffield United v Aston Villa – 12:30p on Peacock
Auston Trusty has started the last two matches, and three of the last four, at left back for Sheffield United as the last place team looks to find something positive from a season that will certainly end in relegation. Their opponent this weekend is fifth place Aston Villa, who are tied with Spurs on 43 points. They are coming off a 3-1 home loss to Newcastle United.
Ajax v PSV Eindhoven – 2p on ESPN+
Sergiño Dest and PSV Eindhoven bounced back from their Dutch Cup loss to pick up a 2-0 win over Almere City last weekend to keep their undefeated run in the Eredivisie alive. Dest picked up an assist on the opening goal in the match, while Malik Tillman was not in the squad due to illness and Ricardo Pepi came in for the final seven minutes to see out the victory. PSV’s opponent this weekend is league rival Ajax, who stumbled early in the season, losing five of their first ten matches in league play, culminating in a 5-2 loss to PSV the first time the teams played. Since then, Ajax have gone on a nine match undefeated streak of their own, including winning seven of the matches to pull themselves back up to fifth place. However, they are still 21 points behind PSV. Still, Ajax would love to put PSV’s run to an end to ensure that they remain the only team to win the Eredivisie in undefeated fashion.
Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest – 9a on Peacock
Nottingham Forest were quite busy during the winter transfer window in what looks likely to have mixed effects on USMNT players. The club signed a third keeper, which seems to indicate that Matt Turner’s days of starting are numbered if not over already. On the flip side, the club also made a move to bring in Gio Reyna from Borussia Dortmund. It’s going to be a big shift moving from a club that generally plays on the front foot in the Bundesliga to one which is more reactionary and a bottom quarter of the table in EPL, but if it means more consistent playing time for Reyna it should be a positive step. Forest are just two points clear of the relegation zone, with a looming Financial Fair Play ruling that could see them docked significant points. They face a Bournemouth team that are six points ahead of them in 12th place.
Wolfsburg v Hoffenheim – 9:30a on ESPN+
Kevin Paredes received his first start in over two months and rewarded his manager with a goal in Wolfsburg’s 1-1 draw with Köln last weekend. It was Paredes’s second goal of the season and the first time all year he has played the full 90. John Brooks also went the full 90 minutes last weekend for Hoffenheim, who played Heidenheim to a 1-1 draw as well.
Osasuna v Celta Vigo – 10:15a on ESPN+
Luca de la Torre has started two straight for Celta Vigo as they’ve lost a pair of tight matches 1-0 and now sit just a point out of the relegation zone. The team will face 12th place Osasuna on Saturday morning looking to pick up some vital points.
RB Leipzig v Union Berlin – 11:30a on ESPN+
Brenden Aaronson saw just seven minutes off the bench last weekend as Union Berlin defeated Darmstadt 1-0 to pick up their third win in six matches. The points pulled Union five clear of relegation as they look to continue to crawl out of the ridiculous hole they dug for themselves through the first half of the season.
Real Betis v Getafe – 12:30p on EPSN+
Johnny Cardoso has started two straight for Real Betis since settling in after joining the club in January. He played the full 90 minutes last weekend as Betis defeated Mallorca 1-0, a week after coming off with his team tied against Barcelona only to see them give up two more goals to fall 4-2. Betis are just two points behind Sociedad for Europa League Conference qualifying and this weekend they will face a Getafe side five points back in tenth place.
Inter Milan v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+
Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Juventus dropped two crucial points last weekend to relegation-threatened Empoli in a 1-1 draw when they were forced to play three quarters of the match down a man after Arkadiusz Milik was shown a straight red 16 minutes into the match. McKennie started and went the full 90 minutes while Weah came on in the 60th minute. The dropped points saw Juventus fall a point behind this weekend’s opponent, Inter Milan, in the Serie A table with Milan also having the advantage of a game in hand. The teams played to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting this season and Juventus need to do no worse than that on the road to stay within striking distance of the league leaders.
Why Reyna chose Forest, whether he has a future in Dortmund
ESPN
Feb 1, 2024, 11:16 AM ETShareLikeOpen Extended Reactions115
There’s no option to make the move permanent, and in fact, Dortmund have extended Reyna’s contract through the end of the 2025-26 season in the process, so there’s every chance he could return to the Westfalenstadion. But there’s no doubting that his past six months in Germany have been underwhelming, and a change in scenery might be just the tonic Reyna needs to jump-start his career.
ADVERTISING
How did this move came to pass in the final days of the January window? And what does it mean for Reyna, Forest and Dortmund?
Heading into the January transfer window amid the uncertainty of which clubs would lead the race for Reyna, there was one constant thread: Reyna wanted and needed to leave Dortmund for first-team football. Agent Jorge Mendes and father Claudio Reyna — the ex-USMNT captain and Premier League midfielder — took the lead in these discussions and looked at multiple options for Gio including, according to sources: Marseille, AS Monaco and Lyon in France; Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Villarreal in Spain; as well as Portugal’s Benfica and then Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Of those, Forest, Marseille and Sevilla were the most eager.
Heading into the final days of the window, there was also interest from Italy’s Fiorentina, but it ended up either Marseille or Forest as the places Reyna would go.
Marseille were in a strong position: Reyna could learn from the demanding Gennaro Gattuso and the French league suited his game, but Reyna had his heart set on a move to the Premier League. His father Claudio watched Forest’s matches to see how Gio would fit in, while Mendes’ good relationship with the club also helped. (He is also the agent for Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo.)
The lack of a language barrier also contributed to the decision, and late on Jan. 31, Forest announced the loan agreement move through to the end of the 2023-24 season.
At the same time as they confirmed the move, Dortmund announced they had extended Reyna’s contract through to 2026. They emphasised there wasn’t an option to make the move permanent, but also that it was Reyna’s wish to move on loan and try to get some more minutes, with Forest his chosen destination.
“We are happy that we have been able to extend the contract with Gio for a further year,” said Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl. “He is a player who has enormous skill and in whom we still see a lot of potential.”It won’t be an easy ride for Reyna at his new club. Nottingham Forest have a lot to juggle: they are 16th in the Premier League and Nuno has been there eight matches after being parachuted in to help stave off relegation. Then there are the potential sanctions hovering above their heads, with the Premier League charging the club — alongside Everton — for breaching the Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR).
It’s hardly a soft landing, but Reyna is committed and feels this is where he can get some much-needed game time.How and where will Reyna fit into Forest’s team? His versatility across the forward line will be a huge asset to Forest, but as Dortmund boss Edin Terzic said last month, Reyna wants to be regarded long term as a No. 10 or No. 8 option, which could be a problem if Nuno sticks with the current 4-2-3-1 formation. Forest’s typical front three (Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga, Nicolás Domínguez) are largely interchangeable, but getting the starting No. 10 spot at Forest will be tricky. It’s a position held down by the club’s record signing and outstanding player Morgan Gibbs-White, who captained the team against Arsenal last time out in the Premier League.
Gibbs-White has featured in every league match this term except their 3-2 defeat to Brentford on Jan. 20, which he missed through an abdominal injury. If they stick with this 4-2-3-1, then Reyna will likely start on the flanks.
A switch in formation could work in Reyna’s favour. Forest have had a host of players on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations — Ibrahim Sangaré (Ivory Coast), Willy Boly (Ivory Coast), Ola Aina (Nigeria), Sèrge Aurier (Ivory Coast), Cheikhou Kouyaté (Senegal) and Moussa Niakhaté (Senegal) — while the impressive Elanga has been out injured. Once they return, it could see Nuno switch to formations he favoured during his Wolves tenure, where he preferred the 3-4-3, which switched to a 4-5-1, or the 3-4-2-1. Both could see Reyna deployed as one of a pair of No. 10s alongside Gibbs-White, the two working in tandem running off and with striker Taiwo Awoniyi.If Nuno opts for a midfield three, then Reyna could be their new No. 8. His versatility is king here, but the hope is he’ll get his time in his preferred No. 10 spot.If Reyna’s loan spell goes well, it could turn into a permanent move, but this is where things could get tricky. With no option in the deal, Reyna’s prospects of a long-term stay at Forest are already somewhat out of his hands. Failing to survive the drop would mean a summer of overhaul in order to reduce their wage bill. Even if they stay in the Premier League, and given their dalliances with PSR this season, signing Reyna to a full-time deal will not be cheap. Equally, Dortmund are under no pressure to move on from the player given they have that extra year’s buffer with his contract.If Reyna impresses, it’s a win-win for all involved. Dortmund would have a player back in form, and with Marco Reus‘s contract expiring in Germany in the summer, the U.S. international could yet be their next long-term No. 10. If he’s kept on the periphery, Reyna would be on the market, and aged just 21, he’d be viewed as a safe investment, with clubs knowing they could recruit a player whose value could skyrocket in coming years.Reyna’s debut could come as soon as Sunday at AFC Bournemouth. He’ll wear the No. 20 shirt, and judging by the message he sent to the Forest fans upon signing, he already feels at home in the Premier League.”I’m ready to work hard, I’m really for the challenge and I can’t wait to attack the Premier League with this amazing club. I’m Gio Reyna, and I’m a Red.” — Tom Hamilton
The Dortmund view: They’re not giving up on U.S. star
Late last year, Reyna, father Claudio, his new agency Gestifute and Dortmund’s sporting director Kehl met to discuss the 21-year-old American’s once-bright future at Borussia Dortmund. Not long before that meeting, Reyna had departed American agency Wasserman to join the Jorge Mendes-led Gestifute, believing that new representation was needed to bolster his options on the market.
After a disappointing spell in early 2023-24, Reyna wanted Dortmund’s opinion of him and his immediate future. Terzic wasn’t happy with Reyna’s defensive work rate; the manager expected his attacking midfielders to track back and aggressively block passing lanes in order to improve Dortmund’s questionable defensive stability. What also hurt Reyna’s standing in the team was that in their mind, he was showing limited improvement. All the while, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, an emerging 19-year-old English talent, took the spotlight with his one-on-one skills and entertaining style of play on the wing.Kehl assured Reyna that Dortmund wouldn’t prevent him from going elsewhere for more game time, while at the same time working to bring Jadon Sancho back from Manchester United for a six-month loan spell. Sources have confirmed that Reyna was then offered to Premier League clubs, but interest in England was initially lacking.As Dortmund toyed with the idea of parting ways with Reyna — either through a permanent transfer or a loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent — they made a pivotal decision. Rather than severing ties, ending a chapter that commenced in 2019 when the teenage prodigy made the transatlantic leap from the New York City FC academy to the Bundesliga powerhouse at the age of 16, BVB opted for an alternate course of action: extending Reyna’s contract until 2026 and orchestrating a loan arrangement with Nottingham Forest.
This January transfer is not a farewell from Dortmund. The club seemingly refuse to relinquish the hope that Reyna could blossom into the next American soccer star and develop substantial value in the years to come. It’s a vision reminiscent of Christian Pulisic, whose talents garnered a €64 million transfer to Chelsea in January 2019. Even though Terzic was to an extent dissatisfied with Reyna’s performances last term and early on this season, he praised Reyna’s showing in Dortmund’s 3-1 win over VfL Bochum last Saturday. “You could see that Gio is capable of influencing the game from the bench,” Terzic said after bringing him on for Youssoufa Moukoko after 66 minutes. “He was very confident on the ball, managed to create a few dangerous situations, but was a bit unlucky with his finishing in one or two situations.” After Reyna had established himself in Dortmund’s Bundesliga team, he carried himself like someone who was capable of leading the team at some point in the future. One of his best friends in that team was Jude Bellingham, who did exactly that at a young age. Injuries and lacklustre performances have derailed Reyna’s career to a degree, though, and trying to prove himself in a new environment while still staying connected to Dortmund might be the best move possible. — Constantin Eckner
Gio Reyna to Nottingham Forest isn’t an ideal transfer — it’s a superagent’s stopgap
Senior soccer reporter Wed, Jan 31, 2024, 11:35 AM EST·5 min read
Gio Reyna fell out of favor with Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic, and angled for a move away from the German club. (Photo by Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Gio Reyna has signed with Nottingham Forest on loan through the end of the English Premier League season. It’s the first step toward a potential transfer away from Borussia Dortmund, a transfer that Reyna has been angling for as his playing time waned at the German club. And it’s a necessary change, one that could reboot Reyna’s still-promising career.
But it’s not an ideal fit.
It is, rather, a stopgap solution engineered by a superagent, Jorge Mendes.
Reyna, 21 and long viewed as perhaps the most talented player the United States has ever produced, hired Mendes in December for this very reason. He’d previously been represented by a U.S.-based agency, Wasserman. But with his future at Dortmund increasingly dim, Reyna knew he’d soon need a new home — and Mendes, arguably European soccer’s most well-connected agent, was the perfect person to find him one.
But some of those clubs reportedly weren’t interested. Some were, but never agreed to terms of a potential deal with Dortmund. Reyna, once valued well over $40 million at the height of his teenage stardom, is apparently no longer viewed as a can’t-miss prospect. Dortmund reportedly wanted around $15-20 million for a permanent transfer. None materialized.
So Mendes turned to an old reliable, Nottingham Forest, a volatile English club that currently sits two points above the Premier League’s relegation zone.
Mendes has used his connections and power to establish significant sway at Forest. The club’s Greek owner, Evangelos Marinakis, reportedly sought out Mendes around the time he bought Forest in 2016, and they’ve maintained an on-and-off working relationship ever since. And they are currently “on.” In December, Forest fired their coach and hired a Mendes client, Nuno Espirito Santo. The Athletic reported at the time that Mendes and Marinakis “are working closer together than ever before, practically as business partners.”
It’s unclear how, exactly, this relationship influenced Reyna’s impending move to Forest. The key questions, of course, are whether Espirito Santo truly wants Reyna and how much he’ll play.
Morgan Gibbs-White, a ball-carrying central midfielder, has established himself as Forest’s No. 10 — in Reyna’s preferred position. A rotating cast of wingers have completed the line of three in Forest’s 4-2-3-1, so perhaps Reyna could seize a role out wide. But he will have to compete for it, just as he had to at Dortmund. He will also have to prove that he can withstand the pace and physical brutality of the Premier League.
Health and competition are what ultimately derailed Reyna’s burgeoning career at Dortmund. He was rising, rapidly, until a 2021 hamstring injury interrupted his ascent. As a 17- and 18-year-old in 2020-21, he played 46 games (30 starts) in the Bundesliga, Champions League and German cups. He has only started 17 games since.
He re-injured the hamstring shortly after returning in 2022. He reestablished himself in a substitute role throughout the following season. But in June 2023, while starring for the U.S. men’s national team in the CONCACAF Nations League final, a fluky tackle fractured his fibula. That latest injury kept him out until October. In his absence, at least four attacking midfielders or wingers solidified themselves on Dortmund’s depth chart ahead of him.
Earlier this month, Dortmund brought in a fifth, Jadon Sancho — the very player Reyna was supposed to replace three years ago, when Dortmund sold Sancho to Manchester United. Sancho’s return was the clearest indicator yet that Reyna had to leave.
He remained a key figure for the USMNT even as he rode the bench, goalless and frustrated, at Dortmund. But he is still remarkably young, just two months past his 21st birthday. To grow, and to resume his rise to the top of the U.S. player pool, he has to play.
He may or may not play extensively at Forest. He may or may not succeed in the heat of a high-stakes relegation battle. He may or may not adapt to the speed of the Premier League. All of those are reasons that this move is something less than optimal.
But it’s better than a few spare minutes per week at Dortmund. And it isn’t permanent. After rumors and reports that the deal would include an option for Forest to buy Reyna outright, the latest reports from Englandand Germany suggest that there is not a purchase clause. Forest will simply pay his salary and a small loan fee. Reyna will extend his Dortmund contract through June 2026.
So he will get a chance to prove his worth. Then he’ll either go back into Dortmund’s long-term plans or, more likely, back onto the market this summer. That will be the time to find a new home, a new hub to jumpstart his career.
Gio Reyna: What kind of player can he become? It’s time to find out
Gio Reyna’s story wasn’t supposed to go like this.
The kid was American soccer royalty, the son of USMNT great Claudio Reyna, born with a ball duct-taped to his feet and top clubs’ scouts peeking over the backyard fence. Against all odds, he didn’t turn out to be as good as everyone expected — he was better.
While his friends were studying for the SAT, a teenage Reyna was snaking through Bundesliga defenders and curling home his first worldie for Borussia Dortmund. Some 18-year-olds are voted most likely to succeed in their high school’s yearbook; at the same age, in his first full professional season, Reyna made the Golden Boy shortlist — the award for the best young footballer in the world.
You probably know how it’s gone wrong for him since: injuries, more injuries, then that whole World Cup melodrama between his parents and the USMNT coach, followed by — no points for guessing this one — another injury. For the past three seasons, Reyna has never been a consistent starter for club or country.
This week’s loan move to Nottingham Forest of the Premier League from Dortmund, where he once ranked among football’s best prospects, is a chance to get the fairytale back on track.
But before he can write his next chapter, Reyna has to grapple with a question he still hasn’t played regularly enough to answer: what kind of great player could he become?
Reyna in the early days with Dortmund in February 2020 (Max Maiwald/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
“I love him,” are the first words Rene Maric texts me when I ask about Reyna.
Maric, now the head of coaching and playing style for Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich, was an assistant coach at Dortmund under Marco Rose in 2021-22, the season Reyna turned 19. He spent his days working with the player we’ve only gotten to see in glimpses.
Comparing a young player to Iniesta, even in scare quotes, is like comparing an art school student to Michelangelo. It’s just not done. That’s how far you have to reach sometimes, though, to describe the kind of things Reyna is capable of on the ball.
Consider the dribble he pulled off for the U.S. against Mexico two years ago — 15 seconds of controlled demolition, one of the most preposterous runs you’ll ever see.
For a lot of young attackers, dribbling is destiny: if you can tie defenders in cherry-stem knots like that, chances are you’ll wind up playing on the wing, where there’s more room to go one-v-one.
That’s how Christian Pulisic blazed a path from American youth leagues to Dortmund’s first team and beyond, and for a while it looked like Reyna might follow in his countryman’s footsteps, right down to the position. By the spring of Edin Terzic’s first stint as Dortmund manager, in 2020-21, Reyna was the team’s starting right-winger — the same job Pulisic had held two years earlier.
Stylistically, though, they aren’t very similar. Reyna isn’t fast. He doesn’t knock the ball up the sideline to skip past a defender or stretch the game with off-ball runs into the box. He can put in a good cross when called upon but he’d rather not play that wide, nor is he really the inverted cut-and-shoot type, even when he lines up on the left. Long story short: your dad would absolutely refuse to recognise this guy as a winger.
Reyna’s talent is more about weaving the attack together, or what one Dortmund scout called his ability to “play with many contacts”. His awareness of space and movement can sometimes verge on the uncanny.
One of his favourite tricks is to receive a pass with one barely perceptible touch, almost but not quite a dummy, that redirects the ball past pressure and into the path of a team-mate behind him. No ordinary winger has eyes in the back of his head like that.
(Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
Even Terzic, who for the last couple of seasons has persisted in playing Reyna on both wings as well as in midfield, knows he’s a winger in name only. “Like (Bundesliga team-mate Julian) Brandt, Gio is rarely found on the wings when he plays there,” the Dortmund coach explained in October last year. “They open the wings and always move into the half-spaces. Gio is definitely the most dangerous and can pose the most goal threat (inside).”
On the rare occasions Reyna was fit enough to play for the USMNT in the last World Cup cycle, that’s how coach Gregg Berhalter used him, starting on the right wing but tucking inside when Sergino Dest pushed up from right-back to join the attack. The idea was to get Reyna on the ball between the lines, somewhere around the corner of the box, where he can create like very few players in the world his age.
“He has quality,” Berhalter told The Athletic a few months before the 2022 World Cup finals. “The timing of his passing is very good, the weight of his passing is very good and he can receive the ball in any type of conditions. He can get it with his back to the goal, he can get it on the run, he can get it under tight pressure. That’s not a problem for him because of his quality. And then, when he gets faced up, he’s really good at making a final pass.”
Most of these strengths — receiving in tight spaces, playing back-to-goal, combining with team-mates and facing goal to unlock the final pass — are things attacking midfielders do. Reyna ultimately proved to be an awkward fit on the wings, where he found himself slipping down the depth chart for club and country behind more conventional wide, vertical attackers.
“I would deem his position on the wing as his worst,” says Maric. In his view, Reyna has the potential to become world-class in the “pocket position” — an attacking midfielder in the half-spaces, along the lines of Martin Odegaard of Arsenal or Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.
Like Odegaard, Reyna has the shiftiness and close control to turn in the pocket and slip a ball into the box, but he’s got De Bruyne’s restless sense of adventure, rarely staying in one place for long.
A typical Reyna sequence starts with him dropping down the half-space in the build-up, then pulling wide to receive so he can face the defence and look to play a team-mate in behind with a through ball. He’ll often finish the move by returning to the top of the box to hunt for cutbacks or loose balls, arriving in space rather than holding his position.
Not every system allows him that much freedom, though.
“Tactically, there’s so much more structure here,” Reyna told The Athletic shortly after he got to Dortmund from New York City FC’s academy. “In New York, I was playing as a No 10 and could go wherever I wanted, but here in Germany, I learned how to cut down the (passing) angles here, see the link-up there.”
(John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
He still says his best position is “kind of a free-roaming No 10,” and he shone in that role for the USMNT when he finally got a chance towards the end of 2023. Berhalter appreciated Reyna’s attacking creativity but also made a point to praise his effort “off the ball, the relentless work rate defensively.”
If he’s going to earn a licence to roam instead of being stuck on the wing, Reyna will have to keep showing coaches that he’s attentive to team structure, especially out of possession. He’s not a lazy defender — his ball-winning stats are better than you might expect and Maric is upbeat about his willingness to go into duels — but his timing and angles can be lax, opening holes in midfield that Germany gleefully exploited in their 3-1 friendly win in October.
Terzic, who has rarely trusted Reyna in his preferred role, put it bluntly in December: “Gio still has many aspects to work on to become a more complete player.”
(Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images)
A four-month loan to the Premier League isn’t much time for Reyna to prove himself. It’s not even clear where he’ll get on the pitch in Forest’s crowded squad. Coach Nuno Spirito Santos’s 4-2-3-1 offers a chance for him to earn playing time as a No 10 but that spot currently belongs to Forest’s best player, Morgan Gibbs-White.
The good news for Reyna, maybe, is that he and Gibbs-White have very different profiles. In Forest’s counter-attacking game, Gibbs-White likes to run ahead of the play, often pulling wide to receive on the right wing. Reyna, who doesn’t have that kind of pace, would rather drop to the ball in transition and turn to look for runners.
If you squint a little, you can see them complementing each other: Reyna pulling the strings from midfield, Gibbs-White leading the attack from the right. It’s a far cry from the possession game Reyna was used to at Dortmund, true, but his dribbling and vision can be lethal in transition.
It’s also possible, though, that Reyna just won’t fit: not quick enough to play in Forest’s front line, not defensive or tactically disciplined enough for their midfield. It would be a shame if he finally managed to stay healthy only to see his enormous potential wasted out on loan, especially with the USMNT’s high-profile Copa America on home turf coming up in the summer.
“He is so young and so talented in the right role,” Maric says, “that I hope his body and his choice of club won’t stop him from reaching what he could.”
For a player who once looked like a prince, the long road back to a happy ending starts with figuring out who he is now.
(Top photo: Howard Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Making sense of Pulisic’s stellar stats at AC Milan, USMNT
Ryan O’Hanlon, ESPN.com writerFeb 2, 2024, 09:21 AM ET
There are only three players in Serie A this season who have scored at least five non-penalty goals and created at least five assists. The first two: Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram and Roma’s Paulo Dybala.You know the third player because he is the most famous American soccer player of all time, and he’s playing for the club with the second-most Champions League titles of all time.Everyone is talking about Christian Pulisic. You can’t walk down the street without a random stranger bursting out of a door, grabbing you by the arm, and forcing you to watch grainy video of Pulisic’s assist to Ruben Loftus-Cheek against Bologna, or his goal against Sassuolo.Delis are naming sandwiches after him. Tattoo artists across the United States are quitting in protest over having to spend their days iterating on some version of a “CP10” design. Your grandmother figured out how to not only use her television, but how to download, sign up for and then navigate the Paramount+ app in order to watch Christian Pulisic play in Serie A.I kid, so as not to cry. Somehow, Pulisic is in the midst of the best season of his professional career, for one of the biggest clubs in the world, and it feels like it’s going under the radar. So, what has driven Pulisic’s reinvigoration? And, more importantly for Milan and U.S. men’s national team fans alike, will he be able to keep it up?Pulisic, the most productive winger in ItalyPut simply, Pulisic has been one of the most productive, ever-present attackers in Serie A so far this season. Among players to appear in at least 1,200 minutes of game time, he ranks fifth in the league in per-90-minute attacking contribution (non-penalty goals and assists):
1) Lautaro Martínez, Inter Milan: 1.07 2) Dusan Vlahovic, Juventus: 0.95 3) Marcus Thuram, Inter Milan: 0.84 4) Olivier Giroud, AC Milan: 0.82 5) Christian Pulisic, AC Milan: 0.68
Inside of Italy, he’s been more productive than the both of star duo — Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — that drove Napoli to a Serie A title just a year ago. Plus, unlike the four players ahead of him on the Serie A list, Pulisic is not a striker. Given that he’s starting deeper on the field and theoretically required to do more than just assist and score goals, those numbers look even more impressive.
If we take a step back in the possession chain, Pulisic’s impact doesn’t dissipate, either. The site FBref created a stat called “goal-creating actions” that they define as such as the two offensive actions that lead to a goal, and “this includes live-ball passes, dead-ball passes, successful dribbles, shots which lead to another shot, and being fouled.” In other words, it’s a way of awarding players who were involved in a goal but might not have played the pass that led directly to the goal. The only Serie A players with more goal-creating actions than Pulisic’s 12 this season are Thuram (15) and his Inter Milan teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan (13).
To tie it all together, there are only 10 players across Europe’s “Big Five” top leagues so far this season who’ve scored at least six non-penalty goals and generated at least 12 goal-creating actions.
Pulisic’s goals and assists are up, but everything else is down
In soccer today, the modern winger needs to do two things: score goals and help his team generate the capacity to score goals. Each specific winger is tilted toward one pole or the other. Kylian Mbappé is on one end — mostly goals, goals, and more goals — while Bukayo Saka sits at the other. The best version of Pulisic is right around the middle: roughly equal parts goal-scoring and helping his teammates score goals. We’ve seen that version of Pulisic so far this season, but it’s unlikely to continue in this same form.
On the goal-scoring side, Pulisic has scored six goals from 3.7 expected goals, or xG. Despite his efficiency in front of goal this season, he’s scored 1.7 goals fewer than expected since the start of the 2017-18 season. He’s never been a standout finisher, and there’s little reason to believe he’s suddenly become one. This year, he’s attempted seven shots with an xG value of 0.14 or better, and he’s scored four of them.
Here is a map of all of his shots this season — the larger the circle, the higher the xG the shot generated:
Not only has Pulisic turned his own shots into goals at a super high rate, but his teammates have converted his passes into goals just as efficiently. He’s generated 3.0 expected goals assisted, but his teammates have turned them into five goals.
As you can see, just two of his assists came from passes completed inside the penalty area:
The same thinking applies to his goal-creating actions. If we look at all shot-creating actions, Pulisic has helped generate 50 attempts for his teammates. That’s tied for 34th-most in the league despite those actions leading to 12 goals, third-most in the league. Pulisic’s involvement in play, then, has led to an unusually high number of goals this season. Otherwise, his general involvement in the game is down in just about every major way.
Here’s a selection of some of his top-line metrics at Chelsea, per 90 minutes, compared to his first season in Milan:
• Non-penalty xG+xA: 0.48 at Chelsea, 0.41 at Milan • Shots: 2.5 at Chelsea, 1.9 at Milan • Progressive passes: 3.5 at Chelsea, 2.8 at Milan • Shot-creating actions: 3.5 at Chelsea, 3.1 at Milan • Touches in the penalty area: 5.7 at Chelsea, 3.6 at Milan • Successful take-ons: 3.3 at Chelsea, 2.7 at Milan
His overall number of touches is about the same as they were at Chelsea — just slightly down from 50-per-90 minutes to 48.3-per-90 at Milan — but he just hasn’t been as involved in the most dangerous area of the field as often. He’s not pushing the ball forward as much, he’s not taking as many players on, and he’s not shooting as much as he used to.
In a backward way, Pulisic’s season has gone under the radar because all of the shots are going in. If his chances and his teammates’ chances were being converted at a normal rate, USMNT fans would be able to have their favorite kind of conversation: Do we need to worry about this American soccer star?
So, do we need to worry about Pulisic?
Normally, I’d say “yes.” Pulisic’s underlying production — the 0.41 non-penalty xG+xA per 90 — ranks tied for 198th among all players in Europe’s “Big Five” leagues who have appeared in at least one-third of their team’s minutes. In Serie A, he’s tied for 25th.
That’s… fine? But when you consider that he’s an attacker on one of the best teams in Italy, 25th feels like the bare minimum for a starter in his position.
Plus, it’s not like he’s seen a ton of touches around the goal that haven’t turned into shots or chances created. Twenty-six other players in Serie A have registered more touches inside the penalty area. And on top of all that, he’s 24. He’s supposed to be entering his prime, and he’s moved to a less competitive league — both factors that should theoretically boost his performance. Instead, it’s mostly gone in the opposite direction.
And yet, I don’t think it’s time to freak out. At Milan, he is receiving more progressive passes than he did at Chelsea (9.3 per 90 minutes, up from 8.6). That’s a signal that he’s still able to find dangerous space — windows for players to pass him the ball — even if it hasn’t been inside the penalty area as often as in the past.
On top of that, his general contribution to Milan’s possession play is being undersold by some of these more basic numbers. Back in December, I wrote about a statistic called “Expected Possession Value” or EPV. Essentially, it looks at every on-ball action over the course of a match and calculates how much it increases or decreases a team’s chances of scoring a goal within the next 10 seconds.
For Milan, Rafael Leão leads the way in EPV at 0.21 per 90 minutes. In other words, his actions are adding 21% goal probability across a 90-minute match. Pulisic isn’t far behind, ranking second on the team at 0.18 EPV per 90.
These are all of Pulisic’s open-play passes that have increased Milan’s goal probability by at least 5%:
Along with Leao and midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, Pulisic is one of Milan’s three most-important players in terms of generating dangerous possession. And this is for a team that’s second in the league in both non-penalty goals and expected goals. Plus, playing time was more important for Pulisic this season than performance. He hasn’t played more than 1,800 minutes in a league season since he was an 18-year-old with Borussia Dortmund in the 2017-18 season. He played 75% of the minutes that year, and he’s at 74% for Milan this season. In the five years in between, though, he never got beyond 51% of the minutes. Pulisic simply hasn’t been a full-time starter in European soccer in six years. For now, re-establishing himself as such matters more than his underlying output. And then, for USMNT fans in particular, Pulisic’s performances with the national team don’t really seem to have any kind of connection with his club form. In an up-and-mostly-down 2023 with his club situation, Pulisic scored six goals and added three assists in eight caps for his country. The year before that, 2022, was probably the worst single year of his professional career — and yet, at the World Cup, he was fantastic.
Based on a handful of advanced and basic stats, FBref calculates the 10 most similar players within a competition for every player. For Pulisic, at the World Cup, the third-most-similar player was Germany’s uber-prospect Jamal Musiala. Second was Brazil’s Vinicius Junior, perhaps the best left-winger in the world. And first? Kylian Mbappe, perhaps the best player in the world.After that, well… I guess I wouldn’t get too excited about a few goals and a few assists in Serie A, either.
USWNT captain Lindsey Horan says most American fans ‘aren’t smart’ about soccer
Steve Gardner, USA TODAY Thu, February 1, 2024 at 1:43 PM EST·2 min read
he U.S. Women’s National Soccer team is accustomed to being in the spotlight. And its players are no strangers to controversy.So it should come as no surprise that team captain Lindsey Horan could be in line for some criticism after her comments to The Athletic in a recent interview about American soccer fans.”Most of them aren’t smart,” Horan said. “They don’t know the game. They don’t understand. (But) it’s getting better and better.”The point she was trying to make was that soccer commentators on TV tend to shape public perception, especially of the USWNT.”We’re always in the magnifying glass on every single thing we do or anything we say,” Horan said.The U.S. team took plenty of heat for its poor showing at the 2023 Women’s World Cup − where Horan and Co. were bounced in the Round of 16 in a penalty-kick shootout against Sweden. The loss cost coach Vlatko Andonovski his job and put the USWNT into scramble mode in the run-up to the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer.”We need to get back to the football. The football is the most important thing,” Horan said in the December interview. “We need to focus on the game. We need to focus on being the absolute best we can be.”
USWNT midfielder Lindsey Horan dribbles the ball during a friendly match between the United States and China in December.
New coach Emma Hayes won’t take over officially until the European season ends in May, though she did meet with the team in December to help ease the transition.With the Olympics getting underway in late July, Horan, 29, will have a lot of responsibility on her shoulders in the meantime.”We need to change every bit of culture that we had prior to the last World Cup and going into this Olympics,” she said, “because we need to win.”This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USWNT’s Lindsey Horan: Most American fans ‘aren’t smart’ about soccer
Champions League, Premier League, more: February viewing guide
Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff WriterJan 31, 2024, 09:11 AM ET
Now is when the rubber meets the road. After a January loaded with (often delightful) cup ties, endless transfer rumors (most of which went nowhere), and lots of cold rain, February raises the stakes pretty significantly in Europe. The UEFA competitions return — the respective first legs of the Champions League round of 16 come in the middle of the month — and from England (first-place Liverpool at third-place Arsenal) to Germany (second-place Bayern Munich at first-place Bayer Leverkusen) to Spain (first-place Girona at second-place Real Madrid) to Italy (second-place Juventus at first-place Inter), we’ve got a lot of enormous league matches popping up in a short amount of time. And if that’s not enough, the chaotic-as-ever Africa Cup of Nations is reaching the final rounds as well.
It’s a lot, so let’s walk through five(ish) matches to track in each major country/competition.
The Champions League indeed returns, and the round of 24 for the Europa League and the Europa Conference League get underway on Feb. 15 as well. Obviously, you should pay attention to all eight UCL round-of-16 matches, but some might be more interesting than others.
Manchester City are the overall tournament favorites and should handle Copenhagen with relative ease, but two secondary favorites — Real Madrid and Bayern — could find things awkward with road tests. RB Leipzig have been all over the map in 2023-24 and need to recover from some dismal recent form but boast plenty of upside; Lazio, meanwhile, have taken 13 points from their past five league matches to rise to within two points of a top-four spot. Bayern haven’t really seen fifth gear in a while either.
The second set of Champions League matches, on Feb. 20 and 21, features maybe the most fascinating R16 ties — Atletico-Inter and Barca-Napoli — plus, in Porto, another chance for an underdog to make an early home statement. There’s plenty to track here, but you probably didn’t need me to tell you that.
This coming Sunday comes one of the biggest remaining matches of the Premier League campaign. The computers and oddsmakers consider the EPL title race a two-teamer between Manchester City and Liverpool — Opta’s power ratings give the former a 59% chance at the title, the latter a 37% chance, and the other 18 teams in the league a combined 5% chance. Arsenal’s odds took a major nosedive with the Gunners’ back-to-back December losses to West Ham and Fulham, but they still trail Liverpool by only five points and have time to either insert themselves back into the race or, with matches against Liverpool and City (Mar. 30) remaining, decide who gets to win.
Liverpool enter February with a shot at lifting four trophies in Jürgen Klopp’s final four months as manager, but the picture could change significantly by March. The Feb. 4 trip to the Emirates Stadium will have a huge impact on the Reds’ EPL title odds, and in four days late in the month they’ll play in the EFL Cup final against Chelsea and in the FA Cup fifth round against Watford or Southampton. They’ll be favored in both matches, but this will be a pretty defining month in the final chapter of the Klopp-Liverpool story.
And of course, let’s not forget everyone’s new favorite club, Maidstone United. The Stones took down second-division Ipswich Townlast weekend to become the first sixth-division club to reach the fifth round since the 1970s, and they’ll face another second-division side, either Wednesday or Coventry, at the end of the month.
The first 10 days of the month are enormous in Deutschland. First, we’ve got the last two quarterfinals of what has been a truly chaotic DFB-Pokal. Two second-division teams – Fortuna Dusseldorf (which defeated St. Pauli via penalties on Tuesday) and either Kaiserslautern or Hertha Berlin (they play Wednesday, live on ESPN+) — are already guaranteed semifinal bids, and the only two top-of-the-first-division teams left in the field, first-place Leverkusen and third-place Stuttgart, play each other next week.
Meanwhile, third-division Saarbrucken, who have already taken down Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt, try to keep their miraculous run going against a Gladbach team that is worse than Bayern and Eintracht. Major “magic of the cup” vibes in Germany.
Just four days after hosting Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen will play an even bigger match, and it honestly might be the biggest remaining match of the Bundesliga campaign. Bayern come to town currently trailing the Werkself by just two points, and although the German giants do have to face bogey team Gladbach this coming weekend, it’s fair to say that if Leverkusen want to remain on the front foot in the title race, they need a result in this one pretty badly.
That means they’ll have to play better than they have since the league’s restart — they needed late magic to secure tight wins over Augsburg and RB Leipzig, and they came up empty in the magic department in a 0-0 draw with Gladbach last weekend. They’ve been just scraping by with several key players participating in the Africa Cup of Nations, and although that’s wrapping up, star scorer Victor Boniface is out for a few more weeks with injury. They missed him greatly last weekend.
Spain
Feb. 4: Atletico Madrid at Real Madrid (Live on ESPN+)
Granted, Barcelona and Real Madrid are always the primary focuses of attention in Spain, but February belongs to Girona and Atletico Madrid. Including a Feb. 3 match against Real Sociedad, Girona will face three of the top six teams in the LaLiga table this month. They are currently in first, a point ahead of Real Madrid (who have a game in hand), but Opta’s power ratings aren’t yet buying what the Gironistes are selling. They give Real Madrid a 93% chance of taking the title. But if Girona come up big this month, the odds will have no choice but to shift a decent amount toward the underdogs.
Atleti, meanwhile, are in an interesting spot. They have lost to Barcelona, Athletic Club and Girona over the past two months, which has left them in a precarious position, clinging to a top-four position by just two points over Athletic (and tied with a flailing Barca). But a Copa del Rey win over Real Madrid has positioned them as the favorites in that competition — they have lifted that trophy just once since 1996, taking down Real Madrid in extra time in the 2013 final — and while they’re the underdogs in the Champions League round of 16 against Inter, it’s not the least manageable draw imaginable.
By the end of February, this season could be putting off either precarious or triumphant vibes.
Liverpool vs. Arsenal is huge, but it might not even be the biggest match this coming Sunday. Juventus, unbeaten since September and unburdened by European play, have climbed to within one point of Inter in the Serie A race, even though Inter also haven’t lost in league play since September. The Nerazzurri do have a game in hand, but a loss on Sunday could significantly change the calculus.
Meanwhile, the race for fourth place is almost equally gripping. Granted, Italy has solid odds of claiming a fifth bid in next year’s Champions League, but it’s still only four for now, and the gap between fourth-place Atalanta and 10th-placeTorino is just five points. Lazio and Roma are both rebounding from poor starts; Fiorentina and Bologna still have time to bounce back after a poor January for both; and somehow Napoli, stuck in hangover mode for months, remain only five points outside the top four.
Look at it this way: Serie A might have more plot twists remaining than any other major European league.
We’re lacking for gripping title races outside of Europe’s four biggest leagues. PSG lead Nice by six points in France; PSV lead Feyenoord by 12 in the Netherlands; and, although they’ve failed to seal the deal before, Union Saint-Gilloise currently boast an eight-point lead over Anderlecht in Belgium.
Granted, PSG’s form remains an interesting topic because of how it might translate to Champions League play — a test against fifth-place Lille could be telling ahead of the round of 16 — but the most interesting February match in France might be between seventh-place Marseille and 16th-place Lyon. It’s one of the most heated derbies in Europe (too heated, actually), and it means even more than usual for both teams. Lyon are still struggling to get their head above water in their relegation scrap; after winning three straight in league play, they allowed three goals in losses to Le Havre and to Rennes. Marseille, meanwhile, sit five points outside of the top four after three consecutive league draws.
PSV play their own always-heated rivalry match this Saturday, visiting the Johan Cruyff Arena to face an Ajax team that finally has its act together. After a dreadful start, they’ve taken 29 points from their past 11 league matches to rise back to fifth in the Eredivisie, just four points behind third-place Twente. PSV’s league lead is safe, but they could hand Ajax a huge setback on Saturday.
We do have a couple of interesting league races to follow. Sporting CP lead Benfica by just one point in Portugal (and Porto by four), although none of the top three play each other in February. And in Austria, three-time defending champion RB Salzburg lead Sturm Graz by only two points. A loss on Feb. 9 would make things awfully interesting.
USMNT analysis
A look at the USMNT goalkeeping situation as questions surround the top choices
As everyone knows, the USMNT goalkeeping situation isn’t great as we approach two major tournaments in the Nations League final stages and the Copa America. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta looks at all the options and how things could shape up
BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTEDEBRUARY 01, 20242:05 PM
IT’S THE TOUGHEST position right now to analyze on the U.S. national team because there are no easy answers, but goalkeeping is of critical importance as the depth chart is unstable at a point when the Nations League finals and Copa America are quickly approaching. Things can, and often do, change quickly but right now none of the options inspire a lot of confidence.
On thing we are seeing is that there is a lot of player movement and that always brings uncertainty about playing time and the ability to adjust into a new setting. We also have a time where others haven’t played in a long time while other options are very young. Both of these issues also create uncertainty about the immediate future.
Long term, it will probably sort itself out, but there are pressing demands in the short term and there are no good answers. Goalkeeping is important not simply for the demands of stopping shots, but goalkeeping also affects the confidence level of the entire team. When a team lacks confidence in its goalkeeper, it throws everything and everyone else off.
But let’s look at where things stand.
THE CURRENT GROUP
Matt Turner: Things have not gone well for Turner since he arrived in England in the summer of 2022. It was expected he would be Arsenal’s backup but also that he would be given cup games. But eventually he lost his starting cup game role and then was glued to the bench. After a move to Nottingham Forest, he continued to struggle. The team initially brought in Odysseas Vlachodimos from Benfica and the Greek No. 1 replaced Turner. But after Vlachodimos had a terrible run, Turner regained the job. In January, Turner continued to not play well and on deadline day, the club acquired Matz Sels from Strasbourg.
What this means is that Turner is now either the No. 2 or No. 3 (which carries the risk of not being registered) depending on how Forest sees him compared with Vlachodimos. How long will Turner remain at the club if he is the backup?
For the U.S. national team, Turner will not be in a position to regain confidence heading into any of the upcoming tournaments.
Ethan Horvath: After leading Luton Town to promotion last season while on loan from Nottingham Forest, Horvath was given a raw deal. He was told he was in Luton Town’s plans but the club changed its mind late in the game and declined the option to buy on his loan. Upon returning to Forest, he fell to the No. 3 keeper and wasn’t even registered for the first half of the season.
At the end of the January window, Horvath sealed a move to Cardiff City which sits midtable at 14th place in the Championship. There he should be able to push Jak Alnwick for the starting job as Alnwick has not been great this season. But how long will it take Horvath to compete? That remains to be seen.
The good news is that he’s done well in the Championship before – with Luton. But it’s hard to be completely optimistic as Horvath has seen all his recent clubs pass on him to be their No. 1. Club Brugge felt the need to spend a fortune on Mignolet. Then he lost his starting job at Forest to Brice Samba. Then at Luton, the club eventually passed on him after promotion. After returning to Forest, he lost his No. 2 job.
Will this be the time a club decides that Horvath is the No. 1 for good? Maybe, but that won’t be an immediate decision. Horvath will have to play well and it is unclear how rusty he will be after not even suiting up for a game since August.
This makes him an uncertain bet for the USMNT too. It’s clear that Gregg Berhalter likes Horvath as he was called-up throughout the fall despite not playing. Berhalter was clearly betting that Horvath’s problems were short term. But Horvath’s leash is not infinite either and if Horvath doesn’t fix his career at Cardiff, he’s in trouble.
Zack Steffen: The former USMNT No. 1 moved to Colorado and this needed to happen after Middlesbrough passed on Steffen after his loan from Manchester City. But Steffen has been injured in his return to Manchester City and has not played. He now returns to Colorado as the team’s number one. But there are two issues for Steffen. He is coming off a very long layoff and it’s unclear how he’ll respond. The second is that injuries (mostly his knee) have been bothering him for years. Will that continue to be an issue?
If Steffen returns to top form, plays well in Colorado, and if has no problems with his injury, then he is in a good position. But those are big “ifs.”
Sean Johnson: Is mostly an afterthought, and that is fair. But he did go to the World Cup after Steffen was dropped and he has the benefit of being healthy, having a starting job, having familiarity with the team, and being a known commodity. But Toronto is a bad team and Johnson wasn’t solid in 2023, but to be fair, it’s hard to play well on a dysfunctional team.
THE YOUNG/EMERGING OPTIONS
Gaga Slonina: Still just 19, Gaga Slonina is starting for Eupen in a relegation battle in Belgium. At times he has looked very good. At times, he looks very shaky and mistake prone. This is to be expected for a teenage goalkeeper. Between Chicago and now Eupen, he’s made nearly 60 first-team appearances. For the USMNT, it’s hard to see him as a current option to start no matter how high his ceiling is. He’s still a teenager and needs time to refine his skills and his consistency. For 2024, the Olympics should be his priority internationally.
Drake Callender: The Sacramento native has emerged as a good MLS goalkeeper with Inter Miami. With his size and athleticism, he can make tough game-changing saves. He’s been around the national team in 2023 but has yet to make his debut. He’s not perfect, but with his age, athleticism, and the uncertainty of the pool, he should stay around the program in 2024.
Patrick Schulte: While more mature at 22, Schulte has still only had a first team starting job for one season. It was a very good season and he won MLS Cup with Columbus. He’s an Olympic option and another player who needs time to develop without the rush.
Roman Celentano: A bit under the radar internationally, Celentano has the starting job for a good Cincinnati team and has steadily improved. He has been part of the last two January camps where the staff have had the chance to evaluate him. He’s not flashy, but he is generally consistent and steady. He should have a long career ahead of him at just age 23.
Chris Brady: has the benefit of having the starting job at Chicago at just 19 years old. For now, he’s probably behind Schulte and Slonina for an Olympic spot, but things can change very quickly for young goalkeepers. He’s probably not close to the USMNT right now, but Brady could have a high ceiling and is in a good position to develop.
Diego Kochen: at just 17, he has a long way to go. But he’s making the bench for Barcelona and should be one of the U.S. U-20 goalkeepers this cycle. He’s one for the long-term future, but certainly worth keeping an eye on for the U-20 cycle and the following Olympic cycle.
NATIONS LEAGUE/COPA AMERICA
But how about the team’s more pressing needs for the big tournaments inside the next five-six months? That is going to be a big challenge for Berhalter.
My guess is that it will be Turner, Steffen, Horvath for the Nations League. If the tournament were starting today, Turner would still be the No. 1, but there are so many moving parts that things will change quickly. Turner is still the incumbent.
If Steffen and Horvath play well out of the gate, Turner’s leash could be very short. It’s not inconceivable that Turner might not start the Nations League games depending on the other players.
If Horvath or Steffen don’t play well inside of the next month, it’s possible that Berhalter then dips into other options after Turner. But that will also likely be dictated by form.
Berhalter might feel the need to have a more stable backup option around the team in Callender or Celentano who are always healthy and who always start. He also might let Schulte and Slonina work with the Olympic team through the summer.
There are so many moving parts and the next six weeks will tell us a lot. Then with the Copa America, there will be a lot more known about each of the options by that point.
MOVING FORWARD
Over the long-term beyond the Copa America, things will probably be okay. There are enough options where some players will rise, others will fall, others will sort of stagnate. Most importantly, there will be clarity.
One thing that the team misses desperately from its goalkeeping pool is a No. 3 option who is older, better than average, a lock starter for years with his club, and is known/trusted by the entire pool. Nick Rimando was perfect for this role.
There are different philosophies on how to handle the third goalkeeping spot. One is to have the third best goalkeeper in the pool. The second is to have a young and experimental keeper to prepare for the future. The third is to have an older veteran who might not be the third best goalkeeper in the pool, but who is known and trusted by the entire pool of players, always has a starting job at his club, is competent, is a regular call-up to the USMNT, can be a calming presence in a tough situation if he is forced to play, and who is not a malcontent if he sits the bench for long stretches.
A keeper like that sets the floor of how bad things can get with a goalkeeping pool. It is good to have a several young and prime age goalkeepers pushing themselves, but behind them, it is reassuring to have a reliable and familiar hand in case of tough times. These players can then start for stretches as the rest of the pool works itself out.
We will see how the goalkeeper pool sorts itself out, but if the No. 3 goalkeeper was viewed this way, it would prevent a situation like now when every option has more questions than answers.
Apple is still keeping secret how many — or few — people watch its MLS telecasts
No matter how often fans and media complain, the league and its big-money broadcast partner still won’t reveal specific numbers. And unlike with traditional TV, there’s no independent way to get them.
Apple and Major League Soccer’s main studio for broadcasts in New York.Jonathan Tannenwald / Staff
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — The people in power at Major League Soccer and Apple will try to tell you that all was sunshine and roses in the TV partnership’s first year. “Every metric that we’ve had, we exceeded,” Seth Bacon, MLS’s executive vice president of media, said at the league’s media day festival on Thursday. “From a subscription standpoint, we blew by, more than doubled, what we thought would happen. And we met a lot of those goals even before [Lionel] Messi got here.”But ask how many roses there are in the garden, and the tune changes. MLS and Apple remain as stingy as ever about revealing any specifics about how many people watched games on their platform last year.“It’s something that we continue to work with Apple and all our partners [on], to make sure we understand them,” Bacon said. “But it’s a different language that we have to speak now than when you’re dealing with linear [TV] and Nielsen.”
That last sentence actually did reveal something, even if the language was industry-speak. Nielsen is the longstanding measurer of TV viewership, collecting data independently of the networks. But there’s no independent measurer of streaming viewership. Some platforms publish audience data themes, as NBC and ESPN long have. Amazon hired Nielsen to measure its Thursday night NFL audiences on Prime Video. Apple has kept silent.So it’s not possible for an outsider to prove Bacon’s assertions that “we got way younger as an audience,” and “we had people watching longer than they did on linear television.”The only thing resembling data that anyone had given out before Thursday came from Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services. Cue said at last November’s Soccerex business conference that “we’ve had more than a million viewers to watch the biggest games this season.” Cue also notably said “nobody expected that,” which raised some eyebrows. The last MLS Cup final before Apple’s deal started, 2022′s Union-LAFC epic, drew 2.155 million viewers just in the United States. So one million viewers seems like a low bar for a global telecast on a big brand’s platform, even if it’s a subscription streaming package.
The 2022 MLS Cup final was the league’s last game before Apple’s 10-year streaming deal started.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Bacon said something related to that Thursday that was accurate, even if it still came without any numbers attached.“It’s actual people that we know are watching, and have taken actions to be very deliberate with the way that they engage with our sport,” he said. “d that’s encouraging.”Now if someone would just say how many of those people there are.
TV updates
MLS hired a new executive producer, Ignacio Garcia, a former general manager of ESPN Deportes’ studio shows. Multiple sources also said that Shaw Brown, whom production giant IMG hired to be the Apple/MLS coordinating producer last year, is out of that job.Brown has long been one of the top soccer broadcast producers in the United States, with many years of experience at ESPN, NBC, Fox, and Telemundo. He’s the lead producer of U.S. men’s and women’s national team games on TNT and its sibling channels.Garcia is not a direct replacement for Brown, and IMG is still involved with much of the on-site production work for MLS games. But Brown’s absence will be noticed in the soccer media world.
Shaw Brown (left) with Fox soccer broadcasters John Strong (right) and Stuart Holden (center) at the 2018 men’s World Cup final.Courtesy of Fox Sports
As for on-camera matters, expect this year’s roster of telecasters to be announced in a few weeks. Bacon offered good news that all the English and Spanish crews will call games from stadiums this year, after rumors last year that some would work off monitors in studios.
“We have a huge production infrastructure and strategy that we put together, and we are not looking at how we scale back on that plan or investment,” he said. “We’re looking at how we make things better and build upon what we had in 2023.”There might be a scaling-back of French telecasts, though. Last year, MLS offered them for all three Canadian teams, and this year it might be for just CF Montréal. That was first reported Tuesday by Montreal-based outlet Dans Les Coulisses, and Bacon didn’t deny it.“We’re working through all the plans, we’re going to give you guys updates on all that, but Montreal for sure is going to have no change to the way that they’re covered,” he said.
New behind-the-scenes series
There was one other piece of concrete Apple news Thursday, and it was well-received. Box to Box, the production company that created Netflix’s big hit Drive to Survive series on Formula 1 racing, will spend this year doing an eight-part, behind-the-scenes series on MLS.
Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris blows a kiss toward a TV camera after scoring a goal last year.Lindsey Wasson / AP
Even better, it won’t just be about Lionel Messi.“I think people really want to know more of the stories, and get to know the coaches, the players, the crop of young American players that’s coming through and going on to the world stage,” Box to Box co-founder Paul Martin said. “I think that there’s a real curiosity about the league and the sport here from the rest of the world. And I think our show can help take people on the inside, into the dressing rooms, into the airplanes as they go and travel around the country.”With the number of young Americans coming through the Union’s ranks, fans should hope the series visits Chester for a while.Fans should also hope Box to Box can keep up its track record of not shying away from tough coverage. Though MLS has editorial oversight of Apple’s game telecasts and studio shows, Bacon hinted — though he didn’t say outright — that Box to Box will have free reign.“Box to Box has had some of the most successful sports docuseries in the world, and our intention is not to mess with the formula that’s made those shows successful,” he said.
Downingtown’s Zack Steffen opens up about why he returned to MLS
Steffen recently signed to be the starting goalkeeper for the Colorado Rapids.
Downingtown’s Zack Steffen is back in MLS after 4½ years in Europe.Stu Forster / Getty Images
As he began the fourth year of his second stint in Europe, Zack Steffen decided that he’d had enough of the instability that defined his time abroad.The goalkeeper from Downingtown still hadn’t made it with Manchester City, the English powerhouse that paid $7 million to buy him from the Columbus Crew in 2019. Though Steffen won two Premier League titles and a League Cup with City, he played just 21 games for the club, mostly in domestic cups. His actual playing time overseas came during loans to the German Bundesliga’s Fortuna Düsseldorf and the English second division’s Middlesbrough.Steffen dealt with a series of brutal injuries along the way, the latest being a major knee issue that’s had him out of action since May. He also became a father, welcoming a daughter in October.So it was time to return, he decided. When the Colorado Rapids offered him a cornerstone place with a team under new management, he said yes.“Just to be back in the States, closer to family, closer to friends, have them part of my career, just gives me a lot of energy and passion and motivation to come back here,” Steffen said at a news conference Monday.“And now I’m 28, getting up there a little bit, so I want some stability. … And to win some games, lift some trophies, and just bring this club to a winning culture, a winning mentality. And I think we can do that.”Steffen said he liked the Rapids’ sales pitch, especially from goalkeeper coach Chris Sharpe and new manager Chris Armas.“The situation, the city, the people, the club, the new coaches, and then Chris Sharpe,” Steffen said. The conversations that we’ve had really excited me and gave me motivation, gave me confidence that we’re all on the same page on where we want to go individually and then collectively.”
He made it clear that being a new father matters, too, not surprising for a player who has long been close with his family. “Fatherhood is amazing,” he said. “Wanting to be closer to family and be part of her life as well, and her journey. Yeah, man, fatherhood is the best thing ever.”
Steffen found some familiar faces when he arrived in Denver, especially veteran Rapids right back Keegan Rosenberry. The Ronks, Pa., native played with Steffen on Union-run youth teams in the club’s early years, before the academy was fully built out. Rosenberry played his first three years as a pro with the Union. He could have been teammates with Steffen in MLS back then, had the Union signed Steffen to a homegrown player contract while he was at the University of Maryland. But when Germany’s Freiburg offered Steffen his first chance to go to Europe, he took it, with the Union unable to match the money involved. (Whether they tried to has been lost to history.) Nine years later, they will line up together again.
Keegan Rosenberry (center) playing for the Colorado Rapids last season.David Zalubowski / AP
“We’ve always gotten along really well, kind of stayed in touch through all the moves in our career,” Rosenberry said. “There’s always a little bit more of a close relationship with defenders and goalkeepers, so I’m hoping we can build each other up and help each other succeed.”Armas might be the happiest of anyone outside the Steffen family. His hiring wasn’t entirely well-received, because previous jobs were underwhelming spells with the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC, and disastrously short times as an assistant at England’s Manchester United and Leeds United. (His bosses there were close friends, Red Bull global veteran Ralf Rangnick in Manchester and American Jesse Marsch in Leeds.)Armas has now started his Rapids tenure with the arrivals of Steffen and Djordje Mihailovic, a 25-year-old playmaker who not long ago was a U.S. national team prospect. They reportedly will soon add left back Sam Vines, a former Rapids player who’s been at Belgium’s Royal Antwerp for 2½ years.That’s a good helping of talent and stability, with Steffen at the root of it all in net.“He’s been part of major success, big experiences … but most importantly has been part of good, strong cultures, winning cultures,” Armas said. “We expect him to be one of the leaders, one of the driving forces behind our push, and we’re delighted to have Zack.”
I’m the Inquirer’s soccer reporter, covering the Union, MLS, the NWSL, the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams, and Philadelphia’s place in the world’s game. I also pitch in with coverage of college basketball and the WNBA.
Copa America 2024 tickets to go on sale by end of February through stadium partners
Tickets for this summer’s men’s Copa América in the United States should be available to the public by the end of February, a CONMEBOL spokesperson told The Athletic on Tuesday. An exact date for when tickets for the tournament will be on sale is yet to be determined, but it could also extend into early March.
CONMEBOL has also been finalizing how tickets will be sold. Two sources briefed on the tournament’s plans said that each Copa América venue will sell match tickets via their preferred ticket partners, rather than all tickets for the tournament going up for sale through a single system, as they do for FIFA World Cups. In effect, tickets for games would be available for purchase via either Ticketmaster or SeatGeek, depending on where the game is being held.
Where to buy Copa America 2024 tickets
CITY
STADIUM
TICKETING PARTNER
Arlington
AT&T Stadium
SeatGeek
Atlanta
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Ticketmaster
Austin
Q2 Stadium
SeatGeek
Charlotte
Bank of America Stadium
Ticketmaster
NY/NJ area
MetLife Stadium
Ticketmaster
Houston
NRG Stadium
Ticketmaster
LA area
SoFi Stadium
Ticketmaster
Bay Area
Levi’s Stadium
Ticketmaster
Phoenix
State Farm Stadium
SeatGeek
Las Vegas
Allegiant Stadium
Ticketmaster
Kansas City, Mo.
Arrowhead Stadium
Ticketmaster
Kansas City, Kan.
Children’s Mercy Park
SeatGeek
Miami
Hard Rock Stadium
Ticketmaster
Orlando
Exploria Stadium
Ticketmaster
An official statement from CONMEBOL regarding ticket access is expected in the coming weeks.
Even though tickets are not yet available for purchase, they have already appeared on the secondary market. A search on StubHub for tickets to the Copa América opener in Atlanta between Argentina and either Canada or Trinidad & Tobago ranged from $563 to $66,537 at time of writing. On its checkout page, Stubhub lists the demand for Copa América tickets as “high.” With no official tickets available to anyone yet, these listings have been posted by third-party brokers, at prices that are likely to be significantly elevated from face value. These brokers do not have any match tickets in hand. After a consumer purchases tickets, the brokers would have to then acquire match tickets once they officially go on sale.
That said, securing tickets to see Copa America games this summer will likely be expensive no matter what, and a relatively short runway for fans to book hotels and make travel arrangements will only increase those costs. If tickets go on sale the day after the Super Bowl, for example, there will be just 130 days between then and the opening game.
A source briefed on CONMEBOL’s plans said the federation is in the process of evaluating its own market research and purchasing behaviors in order to target the U.S. consumer better, given that most of its operations have been in South America up to this point.
The 48th edition of the Copa América begins on June 20 and will feature all 10 CONMEBOL countries and six nations from CONCACAF. The tournament will be played in 14 U.S. cities, with the final coming on July 14 at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. 2022 World Cup winner Argentina, led by Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, is the defending champion.
The Copa América Centenario in 2016 was also held in the U.S. That tournament was a rousing success on the pitch and commercially. A total of 1.5 million people attended matches in 2016, with average attendance hovering around 46,000, per reports. The competition was televised in more than 160 countries, with television viewership for the Centenario in the U.S. surpassing 100 million.
(Photo: CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images)
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to the Badger Field for Training? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
Save 20% on these Succulent Ribs at Rackz BarBQ when you mention the Ole Ballcoach – Corner of 131 & Hazelldell. – Call 317-688-7290.
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
So if you missed the US 1-0 vs Slovenia – don’t waste your time. Not much happened – how did we lose? It was our C team – mostly U23s playing – a bunch of guys up front that even I don’t know. Honestly this we was partly an interview to play in the Olympics with Miles Robinson and Shaq more as the only older players on the roster. The goal was a bad giveaway at midfield by our 8 that broke past and beat Columbus keeper Schulte. The US basically dominated the rest of the game with 70-30 possession and like 20 shots to 3 – 10 of them in the last 30 minutes when somehow we managed to miss wide open goals over and over again. Up front Diego Luna was a beast on the right wing and was definitely the engine most of the game – kid has got game and should be on the Olympic team. The most exciting guy was the 18 year old Esmir Bajraktarevic who came on in the 61st minute and was the most exciting player on the field immediately. Time to lock him up and add him to the Olympic U23 team right now!! Stories Below.
Huge news that Klopp is stepping down from Liverpool at the end of the season. He has his team in first place however -and they are still alive in Champions League and the FA cup – so perhaps he can grab another trophy on the way out. More on this next week.
CFC GK Coach Carla Baker, Professional GK Eric Dick & our U13-U17 GKs
It was great to have former Carmel Dads Club and Carmel High/Butler Goalkeeper Eric Dick out at our Carmel FC GK practice last week at Atletto Field House. He helped in training and spoke to the kids about what it takes to make it to the next level. After playing at KC & Minn United along with Columbus in MLS – Dick is headed to Pittsburgh to join the Riverhounds in USL this season. CFC GK is 5-6:30 on Thurs at Atletto Fieldhouse @ Badger.
Eric Dick with our U12, U11 and U10 GKs at Atletto Field House
GAMES ON TV
Sat, Jan 27
7:30 am ESPN+ Ipwich Town vs Maidstone United FA Cup
10 am ESPN+ Sheffield United vs Brighton FA Cup
12 noon Para+, Galazo Juventus (Mckinney) vs Empoli
2 pm ESPN_ Fulham (Robiinson) vs New Castle
12:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen s MGladbach (Scally)
2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Bologna
Sun, Jan
9;30 am ESPN+ Liverpool vs Norwich (Stewart) FA Cup
11:30 am ESPN+ Watford vs Southampton
12 noon CBSSN Lazio vs Napoli
3 pm ESPN+ Atletico Madrid vs Valencia
Mon, Jan 29
2:30 pm ESPN+ Blackburn vs Wrexham vs FA Cup
Tues, Jan 30
2:30 pm Peacock Nottingham Forest (Turner) vs Arsenal
2:30 pm Peacock Fulham (Jedi) vs Everton
3 pm Peaocok Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Sheffield United (Trusty)
WEds, Jan 31
2:30 pm Peacock Tottenham vs Brentford
3:15 pm Peacock Liverpool vs Chelsea
2024 W Gold Cup, Feb. 20 – March 10
Concacaf Nations League Finals, March 21 – 24
2024 Copa America, June 20 – July 10
2024 Summer Olympics – Men & Women, July 24 – August 10
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to Badger at the Fieldhouse for Training or Friday night or Sunday games? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ. Lets start with the BEST Brunswick Stew in Indiana — I am here to tell you my buddy Ryan has it – perfect for this cold whether during the winter. Come by or get it to go on the way home.
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice or Games this winter – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
USMNT weekend viewing guide: A Plus weekend
FA Cup and Serie A action make this an excellent weekend to make use of the Plus networks
FA Cup action joins the ESPN+ parade this weekend that normally features Bundesliga and Eredivisie action. In addition, the USMNT quartet making their way in Serie A will feature on Paramount+ this weekend. If you’re without either streaming platform, it will be a rough weekend, though in the guide you’ll see that there are a couple of La Liga matches being simulcast on ESPN Deportes as well. Here’s where you can catch those matches as well as the rest of this weekend’s slate:
Saturday
Hoffenheim v Heidenheim – 9:30a on ESPN+
John Brooks was on the bench for a second straight week as Hoffenheim fell 3-2 at the hands of Freiburg last weekend. Meanwhile, Lennard Maloney has started every match this season for Heidenheim and is coming off a 1-1 draw with Wolfsburg. The club remains in ninth place in the league.
Wolfsburg v Koln – 9:30a on ESPN+
Kevin Paredes played 30 minutes for Wolfsburg last weekend in the team’s 1-1 draw with Heidenheim. It was the seventh straight match for Wolfsburg in which they have scored one or fewer goals this season. They remain in 11th place and will need to figure out how to score more consistently if they are to move into the top 10.
Sheffield United v Brighton & Hove Albion – 10a on ESPN+
Auston Trusty has been starting Premier League matches for Sheffield United since late September, but was not included in the squad for their last FA Cup match, a 4-0 drubbing of League Two side Gillingham FC. Things will be considerably tougher for the team this weekend as they take on Brighton, who are seventh in the Premier League standings.
Juventus v Empoli – Noon on Paramount+
Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Juventus continue to keep pace with Inter Milan near the top of the Serie A table, currently leading by one point but with Inter having a game in hand advantage. Juventus take on relegation-threatened Empoli this weekend and will have to avoid looking past them to next weekend’s top of the table clash with Inter.
Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Mönchengladbach – 12:30p on ESPN+
Jordan Pefok scored in his second straight match since returning from injury, but Borussia Mönchengladbach’s fell last weekend 2-1 to Augsburg. Joe Scally also started and played 90’ as ‘Gladbach stayed on 20 points in 12th place on the season. They face league-leading Bayer Leverkusen this weekend, who are leading the league by four points and have yet to suffer their first loss of the season.
PSV v Almere City – 12:45p on ESPN+
PSV were eliminated from the KNVB Cup on Wednesday as they suffered just their second loss across all competitions this season, falling to Feyenoord 1-0. It was the second time in a week that PSV dropped points as they also drew with Utrecht last weekend. They will look to bounce back immediately and keep their undefeated Eredivisie season rolling as they face Almere City on Saturday afternoon.
Fulham v Newcastle United – 2p on ESPN+
Antonee Robinson continues to start but Tim Ream has yet to regain his role after coming back from injury as the club heads into an FA Cup match against Newcastle United. Newcastle are having a disappointing follow up season to their fourth place finish last year and currently sit in 10th place in the EPL, three spots ahead of Fulham.
AC Milan v Bologna – 2:45p on ESPN+
Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan have won four straight matches and currently sit seven points back of league-leading Juventus. They face a Bologna side this weekend who currently sit in seventh place but trail Milan by 13 points, as there is a sharp drop from Milan in third to a cluster of teams separated by just three points in positions 4-9.
Olympique Marseille v Monaco – 3p on beIN Sports
Folarin Balogun is still looking to break his scoreless streak as fourth place Monaco take on seventh place Marseille on Saturday afternoon. It’s been over two months since Balogun last scored for his club, and he has just four goals in twenty matches this season.
Mallorca v Real Betis – 3p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Johnny Cardoso stepped right into the starting lineup and didn’t look out of place in his 73 minutes against Barcelona. Real Betis were tied 2-2 when Johnny left the match, but ended up falling 2-4. Betis remain just inside the top ten of La Liga and within four points of sixth place Real Sociedad and qualification for European competitions next season.
Sunday
Celta Vigo v Girona – 8a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Luca de la Torre was back in the starting lineup for Celta Vigo last weekend, but the team fell 1-0 to Real Sociedad to remain just two points out of the relegation positions in La Liga. They face a shocking Girona side this weekend who currently have a one point lead for the league title, though they also have played one additional match compared to the other top four teams.
Liverpool v Norwich City – 9:30a on ESPN+
Josh Sargent will get a chance to play against top flight competition as Norwich City take on Liverpool and their outgoing coach Jurgen Klopp in FA Cup action on Sunday morning.
Union Berlin v Darmstadt – 9:30a on ESPN+
Brenden Aaronson and Union Berlin continue to scuffle dangerously close to the relegation zone, falling again last weekend 1-0 to Bayern Munich. Berlin are just three points ahead of a cluster of teams that are tied for last place in the league, a group which includes their opponent this weekend.
Borussia Dortmund v Bochum – 11:30a on ESPN+
Rumors continue to swirl that Gio Reyna will be headed to England or France this transfer window. However, as of the writing of this article, he remains with Dortmund and continues to come off the bench, most recently in their 4-0 win over Köln last weekend. Dortmund currently sit in fifth place, just out of Champions League qualification, though tied on 33 points with RB Leipzig.
Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at the end of the season.Klopp, 56, made his announcement in a video on Liverpool’s social media channels on Friday morning. In an interview with club media, he says he told the club of his decision in November.“I will not manage a club or a country at least for a year, that’s not possible, I cannot do that and I don’t want to,” Klopp added.The German head coach joined Liverpool in 2015 and has won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup with the Merseyside club. He last signed a contract extension at Liverpool in 2022, a deal that was due to run until June 2026.
“I can understand that it’s a shock for a lot of people in this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it – or at least try to explain it,” Klopp said.
“I love absolutely everything about this club, I love everything about the city, I love everything about our supporters, I love the team, I love the staff. I love everything. But that I still take this decision shows you that I am convinced it is the one I have to take.“It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.“After the years we had together and after all the time we spent together and after all the things we went through together, the respect grew for you, the love grew for you and the least I owe you is the truth – and that is the truth.”
Liverpool fans knew this day would come eventually, but not now, not like this.
Klopp announcing he will step down at the end of the season is an absolute bombshell, especially in the context of the club being such a resurgent force – top of the Premier League, in the Carabao Cup final, the last 16 of the Europa League and still in the FA Cup.Klopp’s contract runs until 2026 and the belief was that he would walk away after his current deal expired. Instead, two years earlier than planned, he’s decided he no longer has the energy to keep going beyond May.It will be the end of an era as Liverpool wave goodbye to one of the most inspirational figures in the club’s history. Klopp has vowed to take a year off to recharge and he has promised he will never manage another English club.The search for a successor starts now. There are some huge boots to fill.
Liverpool announced later on Friday that sporting director Jorg Schmadtke will leave at the end of the January transfer window. Meanwhile, Klopp’s assistant managers Pepijn Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, as well as development coach Vitor Matos, will also depart at the end of the season. Liverpool said in a statement that Lijnders is “keen to pursue his own career in management”.“I told the club already in November,” Klopp said. “I have to explain a little bit that maybe the job I do people see from the outside, I’m on the touchline and in training sessions and stuff like this, but the majority of all the things happen around these kind of things. That means a season starts and you plan pretty much the next season already.“When we sat there together talking about potential signings, the next summer camp and can we go wherever the thought came up, ‘I am not sure I am here then anymore’ and I was surprised myself by that.“I am OK. I am healthy, as much as you can (be) at my age. Little bits and bobs, stuff like that, but nothing anybody has to be concerned about, so that’s absolutely fine.”
Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders will also leave the club at the end of the season (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Klopp plans to continue on the sideline, whether that be domestically or at international level, but says he will not do so in England.“If you ask me, ‘Will you ever work as a manager again?’ I would say now no,” he said. “But I don’t know obviously how that will feel because I never had the situation. What I know definitely – I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100 per cent. That’s not possible.“My love for this club, my respect for the people is too big. I couldn’t. I couldn’t for a second think about it. There’s no chance. This is part of my life, we are part of the family, we feel home here.“There’s no chance to do that. But all the rest, will I ever work again? Of course, I know myself, I cannot just sit around. I will find something else maybe to do. But I will not manage a club or a country at least for a year, that’s not possible, I cannot do that and I don’t want to.”
‘It probably inspires players to give him a great send-off’
Analysis from Premier League legend and The Athletic columnist Alan Shearer
It is very surprising, absolutely. No one was expecting it. It’s done in the right and professional way. Liverpool fans and their football club deserve that, without it getting out.t probably inspires the players to give him a great send-off between now and the end of the season. They’re still in all of their competitions — they could give him a great send-off.ig news and a big, big surprise.
Klopp was appointed to replace Brendan Rodgers in October 2015. Liverpool finished eighth in the 2015-16 Premier League season, losing 3-1 to Sevilla in the Europa League final.
Klopp then guided Liverpool to back-to-back fourth-placed finishes, reaching the Champions League final in 2017-18 only to be defeated by Real Madrid. The following campaign saw Liverpool finish second in the Premier League and go one better in the Champions League, beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0.Liverpool then won their first-ever Premier League title in the 2019-20 season — their first league win since the 1989-90 First Division.Klopp coached Borussia Dortmund from 2008-2015, where he won consecutive Bundesliga titles in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. His Dortmund side also reached the Champions League final the following year, where they lost to rivals Bayern Munich.Liverpool’s first game following Klopp’s announcement comes at Anfield in an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Norwich City on Sunday. Their final game of the Premier League season — potentially Klopp’s last game as Liverpool manager if they do not reach the FA Cup or Europa League finals — is also at home, against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
(Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
James Pearce joins the Athletic after 14 years working for the Liverpool Echo. The dad-of-two has spent the past decade covering the fortunes of Liverpool FC across the globe to give fans the inside track on the Reds from the dressing room to the boardroom. Follow James on Twitter @JamesPearceLFC
USMNT loses to Slovenia: Takeaways from the first friendly of 2024
The U.S. men’s national team endured a disappointing start to 2024, with a 1-0 loss to Slovenia in San Antonio, Texas.
Slovenia’s Nejc Gradišar scored the lone goal, with the U.S. shutout despite holding 69% possession and outshooting Slovenia 15-9.
What did we learn?
Well, with a roster filled with players who have minimal realistic chance of becoming regulars in the first-choice pool facing a similarly watered down Slovenian side on a less-than-ideal pitch in January, how much could we really learn?
Structurally, the U.S. played as Berhalter has prefered during his reign as head coach (for better and worse).
The U.S. controlled play but didn’t create a ton through plodding possession ,and conceded a goal in transition. One interesting note is that they didn’t play with a more defined No. 10, as the first team has in recent times with Gio Reyna in the role, instead opting for three traditional central midfielders in a 4-3-3. Diego Luna played as an inverted left winger with license to drift inside to create, but wasn’t an out-and-out No. 10.
Another disappointment is the starting XI wasn’t as heavy with Olympic-eligible players as it could have been. Five starters (Patrick Schulte, Diego Luna, Josh Atencio, Bernard Kamungo and Aidan Morris) were age-eligible, while the likes of Duncan McGuire, John Tolkin, Jack McGlynn and more were left on the bench to start. All in all, 11 players made their senior USMNT debut on Saturday. The performance was disappointing, but there was minimal overlap with the first (and even second) group for the USMNT here.
Which players helped their case for future tournaments
DeJuan Jonesstarted the game at left back, constantly getting forward to overlap Luna, and finished it at right back — getting forward to overlap Esmir Bajraktarevic. He was steady and consistent, with the work rate, stamina and athleticism necessary to fill the endline-to-endline duties asked of a fullback in Berhalter’s system. Being able to play both right and left back is very useful to building a tournament roster.
Unfortunately for him, the Olympic squad seems set at fullback with Tolkin and Wiley on the left then potentially Bryan Reynolds and Joe Scally on the right. It wouldn’t make a ton of sense to use one of the three overage exceptions on another fullback.
Esmir Bajraktarevicprovided an immediate spark after entering the match in the second half. His first involvement of his senior national team debut was nutmegging a Slovenia defender. He was one of the few attackers for Berhalter’s side who was unafraid to take chances and take players on. Bajraktarevic boosted his chances to make the Olympic squad.
Bernard Kamungowas a positive influence for the USMNT before he was replaced by Bajraktarevic. He was lively, dynamic and made an impact, though it didn’t result in creating a goal and made one fatal mistake that sparked the counterattack for Slovenia’s goal. Still, he could be a valuable addition to the Olympic squad even if he doesn’t win a starting spot, because those qualities lend well to an impact substitute.
Which players may have hurt their case for future tournaments
Shaq Moore hasn’t been in his best form since joining Nashville SC and didn’t do himself any favors in limited minutes at the World Cup. He didn’t impress again on Saturday. With so many options at right back — Sergiño Dest, Scally, DeAndre Yedlin, Reynolds plus if any players from the current U-20/U-23 cycles reveal themselves — Moore is likely to be on the outside looking in for the near future.
Tim Tillman, making his USMNT debut, did little to warrant another call-up anytime soon. He filed a one-time switch from Germany last year and became eligible for the USMNT, but at 25-years-old, he isn’t age-eligible for the Olympics and doesn’t seem likely to be within the conversation for Copa America.
Brian Whiteis another overage player who always had an uphill battle of becoming a regular, didn’t get much of any service to work with and thus was restricted in the impact he could deliver. (Photo: Omar Vega/Getty Images)
USA vs. Slovenia, 2024 Friendly: Man of the Match
Not a great outing for the team, but one guy’s debut stood out among the rest.
The United States Men’s National Team fell in their January Camp match over the weekend to Slovenia by a 1-0 score. Nejc Gradišar’s goal in the 26th minute proved to be the difference as a very young USMNT squad struggled to put anything together and failed to grab the equalizer.
With so many young players in their first camp, it was the first time for the SSFC community to rate many of these players, and with a listless performance from the team, the ratings were quite low for the most part. However, one player’s debut stood out as a good one. Esmir Bajraktarevic came on as a substitute in the 61st minute and did well in his debut, despite not being able to score. The community gave him an average rating of 7.15, which was enough to give him SSFC Man of the Match. Only Esmir and Diego Luna (6.55) had average ratings over 6 from the match, while 7 players and head coach Gregg Berhalter had an average rating below 5.
Here are the full SSFC ratings:
Esmir Bajraktarevic – 7.15
Diego Luna – 6.55
Jack McGlynn – 5.73
Miles Robinson – 5.54
DeJuan Jones – 5.53
Timmy Tillman – 5.44
Josh Atencio – 5.20
Aidan Morris – 5.14
Duncan McGuire – 5.04
Caleb Wiley – 4.91
Patrick Schulte – 4.81
Brian White – 4.60
Bernard Kamungo – 4.58
John Tolkin – 4.55
Sean Zawadzki – 4.48
Shaq Moore – 4.48
—Gregg Berhalter – 3.90
Referee Pierre Luc Lauziere (CAN) – 5.63
Do January camps still benefit the USMNT?
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff WriterJan 20, 2024, 06:50 PM ET
Someday, with the benefit of hindsight, Saturday’s United States men’s national team game against Slovenia could turn out to be the day several mainstays got their first chance.There are enough examples from January camp games the past two decades to allow for as much, and 11 players received their debut in San Antonio — the most in a single game since 1988.If that does end up being the case, though, it will be a major surprise considering the team’s mostly dull performance in a 1-0 loss against a Slovenian side also made up of players predominantly from its domestic league.”It wasn’t always perfect, but the will was there, the desire was there, the competitiveness was there, and we kept going to the last whistle trying to get the equalizer,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said after the match.
Times have changed for the United States. The path from January camp to the A-squad isn’t the straightforward promotion it has been at times. Now, with the team’s best players in their early-to-mid-20s playing at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, none of the players who featured against Slovenia are being counted on to play any role — let alone a significant one — when Berhalter has his full complement of players to choose from.With so few national team games in any given year, it’s tempting to read into each one, but what took place before 9,191 fans in San Antonio is worth an exception. It’s hard to imagine much that transpired will do anything to inform the future of the program. The entire exercise boiled down to nothing more than a glorified scrimmage, even though it represented a record-tying fourth straight loss against a European opponent.In a roundabout way, that signifies progress.With only months before the U.S. hosts the Copa America, and just over two years before the World Cup comes to North America, it wouldn’t bode well for the team if there were holes that needed to be filled by unproven MLS players. But that’s not the state of the U.S. talent pool.This game was more geared toward prepping the age-eligible players for this summer’s under-23 Olympic tournament.
Who is the USMNT player to watch from the January roster?
Herculez Gomez explains who he is most interested to watch from the USMNT’s January roster.”I think this is a great opportunity to learn and if you think about 11 guys got their debut tonight, five of the guys who started are Olympic-age eligible,” Berhalter said. “So this is going to be a great learning experience for this group, and I’m really happy with the opportunity to do this camp and think we definitely got something out of it looking forward.”Berhalter highlighted the play of New England Revolution midfielder Esmir Bajraktarevic and Real Salt Lake forward Diego Luna, as two who left an impression.”Looking at some individual performances, specifically with the Olympic guys, we knew they were playing senior international, and we wanted to give them that experience and also see how they would do,” Berhalter said. “And I think when you look at guys like Esmir and Diego, they certainly came in and showed that they have a lot of individual ability, but they’re also hardworking.”Berhalter can now shift his attention to March, when the team tries to win the Nations League for the third straight time, before the Copa America.”It’s competition time,” Berhalter said. “We have trophies on the line this summer with [the] Copa America in this spring with [the] Nations League, and we’re looking forward to getting the entire group together and trying to win our third consecutive Nations League and then have a great showing at the Copa America.”So it’s an exciting six months of soccer coming up for the USMNT.”
Nottingham Forest in Gio Reyna loan talks with Borussia Dortmund
Nottingham Forest are in talks with Borussia Dortmund to sign USMNT international Gio Reyna on loan until the end of the season, according to sources with knowledge of the deal.Forest are aiming to include a purchase option and are pushing hard to get the deal done. An agreement is not far off but there are still elements that need to be sorted.Reyna’s Dortmund contract expires in June 2025 and the versatile attacker signed with super agent Jorge Mendes in December, shortly before the transfer window opened.
Reyna has started just twice for the German club this season, making 11 further appearances as a substitute.The 21-year-old missed the opening month of the season through injury and has featured just 13 times in all competitions since his return in September.Reyna returned to the USMNT set-up during October’s international break following his run of injuries and falling out with head coach Gregg Berhalter. The U.S. has two major tournaments on the horizon in the next three years, with 2024 Copa America taking place this summer before the U.S. co-hosts the 2026 World Cup.Reyna moved to Dortmund’s academy from New York City in 2019 and broke into the senior side the following year. He was part of the Dortmund side that won the 2020-21 DFB-Pokal.Forest are 16th in the Premier League but earlier this month were referred to an independent commission over a breach of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability regulations (PSR). That is the start of the process to decide what punishment the club will face, which could include a points deduction and/or fines.
Why Reyna needs a move away
Analysis by Paul Tenorio, USMNT correspondent
A move to Forest will be a welcome one for Reyna, who is in desperate need of more playing time. Through much of his young career, injuries have been what has limited Reyna’s time on the field and his impact at Dortmund. He has long been considered a rising star, otherwise.But after fracturing his leg during the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final against Canada last June and returning to training in late August, Reyna has struggled to carve out much of a role with Dortmund. He has made just 10 appearances this season in the Bundesliga with one start, one appearance in the DFB-Pokal and two in the Champions League. This comes after playing in 22 Bundesliga games last year, with seven goals and two assists.Reyna moved on from his agency, Wasserman, and made it clear he was open to a move away from Dortmund in this window. He hired Mendes as he looked to find more consistent time on the field as he looks to grow in his career — and into a bigger role with the national team.
What can Forest expect from him?
Analysis by Paul Tenorio, USMNT correspondent
Reyna’s role on the field has been changing, at least with the U.S., over the last year.
In the previous World Cup qualifying cycle, Reyna played exclusively as a winger, albeit one who came into the pockets to find the ball and try to create opportunities in and around the box. After the World Cup controversy in 2022 in Qatar, Reyna has found a new role with this U.S. team, playing as a No 10 in more of a 4-2-3-1 formation.Reyna has long said he feels most comfortable in a central role, and from that attacking midfield spot he’s more able to play to his strengths, which is playmaking and making dangerous passes in the final third. He has shown he’s a strong finisher, as well, but often seems as if he prefers to be a facilitator looking to make the final pass.Reyna has been asked to work more defensively, and he’s seemed eager to prove he can do just that when with the U.S. The biggest challenge has been finding consistent playing time, and the hope is that he can shake the injury issues and now find a team where he can feature.
Why are Forest going for Reyna?
Analysis by Paul Taylor, Nottingham Forest correspondent
The signing of Reyna would make perfect sense, as he would strengthen in two areas of the pitch where Forest have been short of options.
Anthony Elanga has made a hugely positive impact since joining from Manchester United and Callum Hudson-Odoi, a summer arrival from Chelsea, has also had plenty of promising moments. But Forest do lack cover for the duo in wide positions.
But, as well as being able to operate as a winger, Reyna can also operate in a central attacking role. Morgan Gibbs-White has established himself as one of Forest’s most influential players in that No 10 role. But the Englishman’s absence has also been keenly felt during times when he has been sidelined with injury.
If a deal can be agreed to make Reyna’s loan move permanent further down the line, at 21 years old — and armed with a reputation as one of the most promising players to play for the USMNT in some time — he would also fit into Forest’s desire to sign young players who will only improve, with the benefit of game time with them in the Premier League.
The numbers that show Sam Mewis’ sometimes overlooked greatness on the pitch
So often when we think of an era’s greatest players, we’re fixated on the spectacle of their game. Ada Hegerberg’s other-worldly reading of space, Sam Kerr’s unconsciously clinical finishing, Marta’s mazing weaves up the field, Wendie Renard’s unparalleled aerial prowess, Katie McCabe’s tenacity across every blade of grass. The panache with which these artists carry themselves also shapes legacies, from Megan Rapinoe’s transcendent 2019 World Cup to Linda Caicedo’s goal against Germany last summer, which was her statement of arrival on the world’s stage.
As a result, true two-way midfielders don’t always get the plaudits their play deserves. Their position on the field — that is, in the part of the pitch without a goalmouth in proximity — can keep them out of year-end highlight reels, while the thankless tasks they execute to progress the ball in their favor or stifle opponents the other way at times look more procedural than anything else. Compared to goal-obsessed strikers, tireless wingers and wing backs, chance-creating playmakers and towering center backs, the hard yards between the boxes are the moments that viewers feel free to run to their fridge or check their phones before the next “big” happening near goal.
So while Rapinoe’s clutch penalties, crosses and The Pose helped her win the Golden Ball in 2019 while Lucy Bronze and Rose Lavelle’s work in the final third landed them Silver and Bronze, there’s a very viable case that none were the best player at that World Cup.
Further afield from the tea-time celebrations was Sam Mewis, a do-everything midfielder who put in a nearly faultless 467 minutes as the United States left France with its fourth Women’s World Cup title. She didn’t make the “Players who Dared to Shine,” FIFA’s needlessly garish term for that event’s 10 best players that took the place of most tournaments’ best XI. That wasn’t for a lack of statline contributions: her two goals were as many as Eugénie Le Sommer, Marta, Sofia Jakobsson or Lieke Martens tallied, for example.
Nevertheless, anybody who watched the U.S. that summer was inevitably wowed by Mewis’ midfield work. The number of things she did at a world-class level made it impossible for viewers not to notice.
Simply, she was at the heart of nearly every good thing that the U.S. did. Mewis started in five of their seven games, being rotated out for the second group-stage match against Chile and coming off the bench in the semifinal as Jill Ellis opted to start Lindsey Horan (talk about champagne selection issues).
In that famous (or infamous, depending who you ask) 13-0 drubbing of Thailand in the opener, Mewis had two goals and two assists. She later assisted Horan on the opener in a gut-check group-stage win against Sweden. Then came the final, where a Rapinoe penalty opened the scoring before an incisive run from midfield by Lavelle led to the tournament’s iconic goal that finished off the USWNT’s quest for a repeat.
The highlights seldom show it, but Lavelle’s goal was not unassisted. It started with a pass from Mewis, who collected the ball just inside the U.S.’s attacking half after a tackle by Crystal Dunn.
At this stage, we’re a mere seven minutes removed from Rapinoe’s penalty kick. The Dutch know they need to equalize in a hurry and have committed more players to the attack, leaving Sherida Spitse as the only defensive midfielder while Jackie Groenen took a more advanced role.
Mewis’ first touch is one to redirect the ball’s lateral progress and redirect its roll in the U.S.’s favor. Lavelle has already noticed the colossal plot of AirFibr hybrid grass made available by the Netherlands’ change in approach and is charging into it. With Spitse’s determined sprint to get the ball, her body position leaves her able to simultaneously close the angle on Mewis while being well-oriented to follow any possible pass and obstruct Lavelle’s run into the final third.
Mewis needs to ensure this golden opportunity doesn’t escape, so she does something that separates the truly great midfielders from their incredibly talented peers. Rather than reacting to the game she’s playing in, she takes control over it.
Even with a potentially glorious ball available to her, she eliminates one of the sequence’s final remaining obstacles. It’s a simple touch with the outside of her right boot to kill the ball’s momentum a bit, which accomplishes two things. First, she’s able to better control the weight of a pass into Lavelle’s path. Second, and more critically (since, let’s be honest, Mewis probably would’ve gotten the weight of the pass right on the fly): she’s forced Spitse to stop in her tracks in hopes of winning the ball further up the pitch to spring a Dutch fast break.
It’s nice to want things, but that won’t jive with Mewis’ plans. Now that Spitse has fully committed to the ball, the time is right to reward Lavelle’s run.
With just two seconds of possession, Mewis is able to take the final defensive midfielder off of Lavelle’s radar. Whether or not Spitse would have been able to leg back and impede Lavelle’s progress isn’t the point — it’s the fact that she no longer could attempt to do so.
You may not have realized it, but you’ve likely had a favorite Sam Mewis highlight for over four years. Here’s the rest of the sequence, since it’s always a delight to take in if you’re a USWNT fan.
“But lo,” I hear some of you thinking as you read this. “Mewis had a great World Cup, but that tournament is notorious for eliciting overreactions to small sample sizes of soccer that’s more emotional than almost any other game. It’s easy for a midfielder to play that well when they’re on an all-time great team at the apex of its authority over the competition. Surely, she’d look more like her peers across a full club season.”
But lo, I retort while wondering if your internal narrative is always so Shakespearean. After five NWSL seasons in which she won four regular season titles and three NWSL Championships, Mewis moved to Manchester City on August 10, 2020. She spent just one season in the Women’s Super League, as City finished second in the table behind Emma Hayes’ Chelsea. She made 32 appearances in all competitions, scoring 16 goals. Among those strikes were the game-winner in the FA Cup semifinal against Arsenal and in extra-time of their 3-1 triumph over Everton in the final.
It was the one chance to assess Mewis away from her nation’s domestic league — and, on the whole, it reinforced what many stateside had believed: she was one of the best midfielders in the world, if not one of the game’s very best players of any role.
Using the exact same statistics as above, the only that saw any notable regression from her World Cup performance was in terms of clearances, which speaks to the role she played for City as well as her team’s status as a league heavyweight. Still, her ball progression, ability to get on the ball in the mixer and her shooting volume were all at the top of the pops in the FA WSL. A full season of work still proved her to be elite in all the same ways that stood out in the summer of 2019, deservedly earning a place on the league’s team of the year.
Of course, her time in England was brief. Mewis returned to the North Carolina Courage in May of 2021, making five appearances in the league before joining her national team in the Tokyo Olympics. She never fully recovered from the associated arthroscopic procedure, playing just 90 minutes for the KC Current in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup and 45 minutes in a single international friendly that year.
Unfortunately, Mewis’ career is now being revisited in light of its abrupt end. However, the years immediately before that knee injury saw her playing at a level that every player in the world envies but few ever achieve. She wasn’t the most famous player on her national team, an understandable plight as part of one of the sport’s greatest juggernauts.
Nevertheless, for at least two years, Sam Mewis was arguably the best player in the world at any position. Although we’re all left wishing we could have watched her play for longer, her legacy in the game is unquestionable.
Sorry folks having computer issues this week – so abbreviated version of the Ole BallCoach on this cold Friday. Of course the US C team with take the field this Saturday 3 pm on TNT vs Slovenia in a friendly. It will be good to see Miles Robinson on the backline as he looks to make a statement he belongs on the squad this summer for Copa. With Ream having lost his starting gig at Fulham the door is open to join probably Chris Richards or Celtic’s Carter Vickers in the middle but we will see. Sands will probably get the nod at the Dmid 6 slot with Tillman and Morris along side. I would be happy to see Miami’s Callender in between the pipes with Moore and Jones on the outside back slots. No idea who starts up front from this mostly MLS squad. I will be interesting to see if our C team can hang with a European squad at home in San Antonio. (see stories below)
Pulisic ties Donovan with his 4th U.S. male POTY award at just 25 years old. This week Pulisic was given his award as Series A’s player of the month for Dec after he scored six goals and recorded five assists to help AC Milan (13-3-4) to third in the standings. Cool stories below about Pulisic, and American keepers Matt Turner & Zach Steffan below along with the story on USWNT star Sam Mewis retiring from soccer. Also interesting to see Reyna is trying to get out of Dortmund in the Jan window – he needs to get playing time somewhere new.
USMNT ROSTER for SAT Game 3 pm on TNT GOALKEEPERS (3): Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew)
DEFENDERS (10): Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC), Ian Murphy (FC Cincinnati), Jackson Ragen (Seattle Sounders), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), James Sands (New York City FC), Nkosi Tafari (FC Dallas), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Joshua Atencio (Seattle Sounders), Aziel Jackson (St. Louis City), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew), Timmy Tillman (LAFC), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew)
FORWARDS (6): Esmir Bajraktarevic (New England Revolution), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes), Bernard Kamungo (FC Dallas), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN)
I will attempt to add the weekly viewing calendar thru next weekend — sometime tomorrow or Sun. Most of the big games this weekend involve American’s and are below. Also this reminder Carmel FC Goalkeepers we are back to training indoors on Thursdays 5 to 6:30 pm at Atletto Fieldhouse at Badger Field come join Coach Carla Baker and I in some training.
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to Badger at the Fieldhouse for Training or Friday night or Sunday games? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ. Lets start with the BEST Brunswick Stew in Indiana — I am here to tell you my buddy Ryan has it – perfect for this cold whether during the winter. Come by or get it to go on the way home.
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice or Games this winter – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
Save 20% on these Succulent Ribs and more at Rackz BarBQ when you mention the Ole Ballcoach – Corner of 131 & Hazelldell. – Call 317-688-7290.
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Appreciate the view
Folarin Balogun and Matt Turner lead the way on network television this weekend.
Unique opportunity sounds like a bad sales pitch or the start to some spam emails, but there really is another rare chance to watch Folarin Balogun in action on network television this weekend. You can also catch Matt Turner over the air, as well as a plethora of the usual streaming options to see some of your favorite USMNT players. Here’s what we are watching this weekend:
Friday
Mainz v Union Berlin – 2:30p on ESPN+
Brenden Aaronson received his first start in over two months last weekend as Union Berlin visited seventh place SC Freiburg and held them to a scoreless draw. The result leaves Union Berlin in fifteenth place heading into this weekends match against sixteenth place Mainz, again on the road. Mainz is just three points behind Berlin so this is a vital six point match in the race to avoid relegation.
Saturday
Arsenal v Crystal Palace – 7:30a on USA Network
Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will have their hands full with Arsenal this weekend. Richards played 90 minutes again last weekend in Palace’s 3-1 win over Brentford to snap an eight match winless streak but midweek the team fell 1-0 to Everton in FA Cup action. They’ll now face an Arsenal side that are in fourth place, just five points back of league leading Liverpool.
Freiburg v Hoffenheim – 9:30a on ESPN+
John Brooks did not appear for Hoffenheim last weekend in the teams 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich. Brooks had started three straight matches for his club heading into the Winter break but was unused in their return. The team is now in eighth place and face a Freiburg side just one points ahead of them in the table.
Koln v Borussia Dortmund – 9:30a on ESPN+
Giovanni Reyna saw just two minutes off the bench last weekend in Borussia Dortmund’s 3-0 win over Darmstadt, though it was enough time to pick up a yellow card. Amidst growing rumors that Reyna will be departing Dortmund, perhaps as soon as this January, it seems like Reyna’s minutes will continue to be limited while he remains with the club.
Heidenheim v Wolfsburg – 9:30a on ESPN+
Lennard Maloney has started every match this season for a Heidenheim side that has ten points from their last four matches and have played themselves into ninth place in the Bundesliga table. Meanwhile, Kevin Paredes is struggling with a thigh injury that kept him out of the squad last weekend for eleventh place Wolfsburg.
Darmstadt v Eintracht Frankfurt – 9:30a on ESPN+
Paxten Aaronson was an unused substitute last weekend and has not appeared in Eintracht Frankfurt’s last four matches. The team currently sits in sixth place heading into their matchup against last place Darmstadt.
Rodez v Monaco – 11:30a on FS2
Folarin Balogun and Monaco will take on second tier Rodez AF on Saturday morning in a rare opportunity for most fans to watch the American forward. The match will be aired on FS2 in America as Balogun looks to break a scoreless drought dating back to late November.
Brentford v Nottingham Forest – 12:30p on NBC
Fans will also have a potential opportunity to watch Matt Turner on broadcast television as Nottingham Forest’s match with Brentford will be aired on NBC. Turner was an unused substitute in Forest’s midweek 3-2 win over Blackpool but he has started his teams last five league matches including two straight wins over Newcastle and Manchester United. The six points have pulled Forest out of the relegation zone and into fifteenth place but a pending Financial Fair Play investigation could see them docked points that will drop them right back into the relegation zone. They face a Brentford side this weekend that currently sit one point behind them in the table.
Udinese v AC Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+
Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan handled AS Roma 3-1 last weekend as Pulisic started the match and went eighty minutes while Musah came on late and helped his side see out the victory. Milan remain in third place, nine points back of league leading Inter Milan, heading into this weekends matchup with 16th place Udinese.
Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad – 3p on ESPN+
Luca de la Torre was a substitute again last weekend as Celta Vigo drew 1-1 with Mallorca but he got the start midweek in Copa del Ray round of sixteen play and picked up an assist and a stunning backheel goal in the clubs 3-1 win over Valencia. It was Luca’s first goal across all competitions this season and his fourth assist. Perhaps the result will get him a boost of confidence or eyed for additional playing time as Celta Vigo look to separate themselves from the relegation pack. Currently the team are just two points out of the relegation zone and they face sixth place Real Sociedad this weekend.
Sunday
Utrecht v PSV – 6:15a on ESPN+
Sergino Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi look to continue PSV’s perfect run through the Eredivisie as they visit Utrecht early Sunday. Dest picked up an assist last weekend in the team’s 3-1 win over Excelsior, Tillman also started and played the first 76’, while Pepi came on for the final 14’ in relief of hat-trick scoring Luuk de Jong to help his side see out the win.
Sheffield United v West Ham United – 9a on USA Network
Auston Trusty hast started 13 straight matches for Sheffield United though the team has just eight points over that period and currently sit bottom of the table with nine points total. They face sixth place West Ham this weekend.
Borussia Monchengladbach v Augsburg – 11:30a on ESPN+
Jordan Pefok returned from injury to see 24 minutes off the bench and pick up a goal in Borussia Monchengladbach’s 3-1 win over third place Stuttgart last weekend. Joe Scally started the match for Gladbach and went the full 90 at right back. Gladbach currently sit in tenth place and face an Augsburg side just two points below them in the table.
Real Betis v Barcelona – 12:30p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
Johnny Cardoso is apparently dealing with an ankle injury but did make the bench for Real Betis for the first time last weekend in the teams 1-0 win over Granada though he didn’t see the field. Seventh place Betis will now face Barcelona who are currently in fourth place, eight points behind league leading Girona, and seven back of Real Madrid.
Lecce v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+
Weston McKennie missed Juventus’ 3-0 win over Sassuolo on Tuesday as he was serving a yellow card suspension but Timothy Weah came on and played 33 minutes in the second half for the club as they maintained their second place position, two points back of Inter Milan. They will face thirteenth place Lecce this weekend who have just 21 points on the season and though they are currently in thirteenth place they are just four points ahead of Hellas Verona in eighteenth, the final relegation position.
USA vs. Slovenia, 2024 Friendly: What to watch for
The United States Men’s National Team begin their 2024 slate when they take on Slovenia tomorrow afternoon in San Antonio. The USMNT enter this year with the Concacaf Nations League Finals and 2024 Copa América, while the U-23s will compete in the 2024 Olympics. As this January Camp is comprised of several Olympic-eligible players, the theme has been getting them integrated into the national team system while they compete for a chance to be on the squad that heads to Paris.
January Camp also marks the start of a new year, a fresh reboot for the program as they get ready for another busy 12 months. They take on Slovenia, the 54th ranked team in the world that is bringing squad mostly based in their domestic league. However, Slovenia has been a formidable opponent for the USMNT the other times they have played. The USMNT hope to earn a win to set the tone for the year.
Latest Form
USA
L (1-2) – Trinidad & Tobago – Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals
W (3-0) – Trinidad & Tobago – Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals
W (4-0) – Ghana – Friendly
L (1-3) – Germany – Friendly
W (4-0) – Oman – Friendly
Slovenia
W (2-1) – Kazakhstan – Euro 2024 Qualifying
L (1-2) – Denmark – Euro 2024 Qualifying
W (1-0) – Northern Ireland – Euro 2024 Qualifying
W (3-0) – Finland – Euro 2024 Qualifying
W (4-0) – San Marino – Euro 2024 Qualifying
What To Watch For
Set the tone. The team doesn’t need to do everything right, and there will be some nerves. But, they have the task of setting the tone for the year. They should come out with fight and bring the game to Slovenia instead of playing on their heels.
Lead by example. There are some veterans in this camp that have seen action before, like Miles Robinson and Shaq Moore. They both have experience in major tournaments, with Shaq Moore playing in a couple of World Cup matches. They need to lead by example in a match with a group that largely is in their first national team camp.
Don’t try to do too much. For much of this roster, it’s the first chance to leave a lasting impression upon Gregg Berhalter and the rest of the coaching staff. However, while it’s important to stand out, they need to do that while not trying to do too much. They should remember what got them to this point and lean on that training and get into the flow of the match.
Lineup Prediction
The USMNT have a ton of new faces, but we’ll see some familiar ones in the starting XI:
Drake Callender gets the start in goal, while the back line is DeJuan Jones, Miles Robinson, Ian Murphy, and Shaq Moore. James Sands slots in at defensive midfielder, with Aidan Morris and Timmy Tillman in central midfield.
Diego Luna will operate as an attacking midfielder, with Duncan McGuire and Esmir Bajraktarević starting as the forwards.
Prediction
The USMNT get a late goal to win their first match of 2024 by a 1-0 score.
Revs teenager Bajraktarevic pushing for USMNT debut and Olympic spot
Esmir Bajraktarevic is the youngest player in the current USMNT camp and has featured in the first two U-23 camps in the lead up to the Olympics. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta has spoken with the Wisconsin-born teenager about his camp, the New England Revolution changes, and his future goals.
BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED JANUARY 19, 20241:05 PM
SHARE THIS STORY
THE USMNT January camp is often a time to give young players an opportunity and for the program to build depth. But 2024 is an Olympic year and getting young players involved becomes especially important. On the current roster, Esmir Bajraktarevic stands out because he is the team’s youngest player who is not only eligible for the Olympics this summer, but he’s also eligible for the U-20 World Cup in 2025, and the U.S. U-23 Olympic team in 2028 as well.
Bajraktarevic, 18, has been rated highly by U.S. youth coaches for several years. While he did not make the U-20 World Cup team last summer, he was involved with the team throughout the cycle while playing up an age group. He would then go on to thrive with the U.S. U-19 team. In October and November, Bajraktarevic was involved with the first two U-23 Olympic camps playing up a cycle. In the U.S. U-23 team’s first friendly, Bajraktarevic scored a wonderful goal in a 2-1 victory over Mexico.
With U.S. U-23 head coach Marko Mitrovic on Gregg Berhalter’s staff for January camp, it wasn’t surprising to see Bajraktarevic get call-up.
“Everybody kind of looks at that – being the youngest guy,” Bajraktarevic told American Soccer Now from January camp. “But talking to Gregg and Marko, they’ve been telling me this – if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. I try not to really think about my age that much. I still have a lot of growing to do, but I think that I can compete no matter what. It doesn’t matter how young I am.”
But just like the U-23 team, Bajraktarevic is making the most of his chances this camp and last weekend he was one of the goal scorers in a 2-2 friendly draw with River Plate. Naturally a left footer, Bajraktarevic has been playing on the right wing where he can effectively cut centrally. In the goal against River Plate, he got behind the backline with a through-ball and beat the keeper with his right foot.
“Obviously, River plate is a very big club,” Bajraktarevic said. “A lot of great players have come from River Plate. So, I think it was good. And they’re obviously a very physical team. The Argentinian league is like that. I think it was a good test for us. I think it was a really good experience.”
Camp will conclude on Saturday with a friendly against Slovenia and Bajraktarevic will hope to earn his first cap in the game. But overall, the experience has been a positive one for Bajraktarevic.
“It’s been going really well so far,” Bajraktarevic said. “The group is really coming together well. The coaching staff have been doing a really good job guiding me and giving me feedback. It’s been good so far. It’s been good playing around players who are at a high level and everything. It’s been making me better. Obviously, we’re all here, they’re all very good players and they’re all really nice guys.”
But Bajraktarevic has also made a positive impression on his USMNT teammates as well.
“This is the first time I got to meet him and play with him,” said veteran USMNT defender Miles Robinson. “He’s a great player, very dynamic. He likes to get forward. He’s also mature and seems wise beyond his years.”
“I’ve really enjoyed seeing Esmir play up close,” added forward Brian White. “His dribbling is actually really fun to watch. I can see he’s got a really bright future. It’s been awesome watching him up close and personal.”
Following this tournament, Bajraktarevic will join the New England Revolution for preseason. Last season was a tumultuous period for the organization which saw the team never regain its footing after parting ways with head coach Bruce Arena. Last season, Bajraktarevic made 13 appearances and five starts for the Revolution with his highlight coming in a goal against Queretaro in the Leagues Cup. He also made nine appearances for the Revolution II in MLS Next Pro and scored eight goals.
Earlier this month, the Revolution announced Caleb Porter as the new head coach and Porter arrives having won MLS Cup with the Portland Timbers and the Columbus Crew. For Bajraktarevic, he knows that much of his future is predicated on him succeeding in New England.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about him,” Bajraktarevic said. “He gave me a call a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to meet him in person yet because obviously I went straight to camp from off season. But I’m really looking forward to getting back to the club and preseason and I’ve heard a lot of good things about him, especially from players that played at the clubs he used to be at. I’m excited for the next season.”
Of course, internationally, the short-term goal for Bajraktarevic is his push to make the Olympic team this summer. Even with him being eligible for the U-20 World Cup and the following Olympics, Bajraktarevic says he is focused on the short term to “avoid being so overwhelmed.” But the 2024 Olympics remain a distinct possibility given his involvement the first two camps and now January camp.
“Obviously the Olympics are a huge thing,” Bajraktarevic said. “So many people watch it. It’s a big platform. I was very I’m very happy to be a part of that group for the last two camps… I think we can go very far. I think we have a really good group. Obviously, the style, as we can see from the games against Mexico and Japan, Iraq and Morocco, I think it was the four friendlies that we had. You can tell that we like to play a very, very attacking style. We like to play forward. Marko encourages, especially players like me, to be creative and to let loose and play our game.”
“Marko’s a great coach. I like the style that he likes to play with. With the U-23s. I, I really enjoy it. Obviously, kind of coming from the same background – he’s Serbian, I’m Bosnian and so I can kind of understand the mindset and everything that he has. I enjoy playing under him a lot. He’s a great coach, great person.”
For Bajraktarevic, another big question for his international future is whether he will represent the United States or Bosnia and he does have options. In addition to playing for the U.S. U-23, U.S. U-20, and even possibly the USMNT this weekend, he is also on the radar for Bosnia’s U-21 team. Bajraktarevic was born in Appleton, Wisconsin and his parents moved there during amid the Bosnian war and the breakup of Yugoslavia. But his and his family’s ties to Bosnia are strong and he is still uncertain where his future will be.
“I haven’t made my final decision yet on who I want to play for,” Bajraktarevic said. “I’m obviously still young. I want to keep my options open. But right now, I’m just focused on this camp and focused on playing with the U.S right now. But no final decision has been made for who I want to play for.”
For now, Bajraktarevic is playing for the United States and his experiences with the USMNT at this camp and the U.S. U-23 team have been positive. Ahead of Saturday’s game against Slovenia, Berhalter acknowledged that Bajraktarevic has had a very good first camp and was not lost in the moment despite being the youngest player in camp.
“In terms of Esmir, the coaching staff has been really impressed with him,” Berhalter said. “We’re impressed with his skillset. He’s 18 years old, but he’s got a strong mentality, very competitive, very aggressive on the ball, willing to do the work defensively, and had just really coped well with the environment. You would think that a young player, 18 years old, comes in shy and is afraid to impose himself on the field. But it is the exact opposite with Esmir. He’s got a great future ahead of him.”
Christian Pulisic interview: ‘I want to show the world what the U.S. can do’
Christian Pulisic is perched on a bar stool in the old clubhouse overlooking the first-team training pitch at Milanello, AC Milan’s training ground.
He makes a hand gesture, one he didn’t need the past six months living in Italy to learn. Pulisic is talking about himself as one of the “older guys” on the USMNT and, as he does so, he is sure to put air quotes around it.Nearby is a portrait of Milan legend Paolo Maldini lifting a trophy, a player who retired in his forties. Pulisic isn’t that age yet. He turned 25 shortly after joining Milan from Chelsea in August. But as the United States get ready to host the Copa America as a guest competing nation this summer, the first newly-expanded 32-team Club World Cup the following year and then the biggest men’s World Cup finals yet, with 48 countries taking part, in 2026, he is already beginning to think about his legacy.
“I remember watching World Cups as a kid and watching (Clint) Dempsey scoring goals in the World Cup,” he says, “(Landon) Donovan scoring the winning goal (against Algeria in South Africa in 2010). It’s moments like that, that stick in kids’ minds and can really inspire a generation, which is what those moments did for me.”
Pulisic, though, is hoping to provide some of his own.
There’s a monotone zeal when he speaks. For all the curiosity about his hobbies outside of football, notably golf and chess — the board game with which Italy’s top-flight Serie A, a league renowned for its tactics and strategy, often gets compared — his focus on his own game is unflinching; his self-awareness of his influence acute.
“Watching someone that’s from where you’re from and playing at the highest level and showing the world we can compete and be the best; you know, compete with the best,” he explains. “For me, that’s what it’s all about. If I can inspire kids, especially back home in the U.S. but hopefully all over the world. There’s nothing… there’s no greater prize for me.”
Pulisic recognises he has a platform. He is the most expensive American player of all time. He captained his country for the first time at 20 and was the first American to play in the Champions League final. A decade since he moved to Europe, he has only played for big clubs — Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and now Milan. This is what, relatively speaking, makes him a veteran in football terms. Through the experience he has accumulated he hopes to emerge as a leader who is authentic to himself.
Pulisic celebrates winning the Champions League with Chelsea, alongside father Mark and mother Kelley in 2021 (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Publicly, he lacks the loquaciousness and affability of current national-team skipper Tyler Adams — “I’m not the most vocal person,” Pulisic concedes — but there are other ways to affect a group and a country.
To Pulisic, that means action as much as words and being an example “in just doing what I do every day”. It means “when I’m with the (national) team, when I’m at club level, I’m just continuing to show people, like, ‘OK, he’s pushing the boundaries. He’s performing to a high level.’ Hopefully, I can lead that way as well.”
The player who, in a meme, was framed as the LeBron James of soccer, is quite the introvert. He is the polar opposite, for instance, of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the transcendent Milan icon, who has returned to Milanello very quickly after his retirement as a player to take up a new role created by Milan’s owners RedBird Capital Partners as an operating partner for the group’s media and entertainment portfolio and as a senior adviser to Milan’s ownership and senior management. How then does Pulisic square his self-effacing character with the expectation his profile and ability generates?
“I’ve had my difficulties with it,” he accepts. “It’s not something that affects my day-to-day life. I think I’m quite a simple guy. I’m not out in public all the time, so it doesn’t affect me. I’m in training every day. I come home and I can relax and speak to the people close to me and the people that I love, so it’s not something that bothers me in any way. It’s just some getting used to and I’m really grateful I have the platform to do what I want to do.”
(Sportinfoto/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Our interview takes place by the exit of the clubhouse at Milanello, where a member of Milan’s backroom team sits at a desk waiting to catch the players as they leave training to sign jerseys for one of the club’s commercial partners. Pulisic’s shirt instantly became the best seller following his move from Chelsea for €20million (now $21.9m, £17.2m).
There was a 75 per cent increase in the number of Milan jerseys sold compared to a standard equivalent period. In the U.S. the sales uplift was 713 per cent, and Milan shirt sales in the U.S. increased from nine per cent of the total sold to 43 per cent. Personalised Pulisic jerseys represented 45 per cent of all match jerseys sold in his first month with them, according to the club.
Americans are flocking to San Siro, the iconic stadium Milan share with city rivals Inter, like never before. The number is up 148 per cent on this stage last season.
Pulisic is performing well in Milan (Alessandro Belussi and Pietro Vai)
A commercial phenomenon, Pulisic is helping Milan, and Serie A, build their profiles in North America. The club made sure to sign him in time to participate to make full use of his pull and draw fans to games against Real Madrid at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and Juventus at MLS side LA Galaxy’s Dignity Health Sports Park.
“I think that’s just a win-win. That’s an extra thing,” Pulisic says of his impact off the pitch. “That’s not what I focus on. I focus on the sporting aspect, performing and winning games.”
The old clubhouse at Milanello, arguably the most bucolic training facility in European football, was, in harder financial times, rented out as a wedding venue. Pulisic and his new team are still in the honeymoon stage. “I’m enjoying it a lot,” he smiles. “I’ve been given a great opportunity here.” That’s all he was looking for after Chelsea, where he became surplus to requirements: “A fair opportunity.”
Did he feel he was no longer getting one at the London club? “I’m not here to talk about whether it was fair or not back then. I’m just happy to be where I am now, for sure. The first couple of years (at Chelsea) were fantastic,” he reflects. Pulisic was a member of their Champions League-winning squad in May 2021. “The last couple of years… I think a lot of things in the club changed. A lot of people also left this summer, got new opportunities and have done well.”
Some of them are now at Milan, too. Pulisic followed Ruben Loftus-Cheek to San Siro and the pair of them have reconnected with former Chelsea team-mates Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud, who had already made the move. “That made it a lot easier,” Pulisic says.
ADVERTISEMENT
His debut goal against Bologna in August, a screamer from outside of the box, came from a neat one-two with striker Giroud. “I know a lot of his tendencies, he knows mine. It’s been great to play off him. Things like that are only going to help with the chemistry within the team and get me accustomed to a new team, a new league.”
The same goes for Yunus Musah, the USMNT midfielder, whom Milan signed from Spain’s Valencia in the same transfer window they acquired Pulisic.
Pulisic and Musah at the 2022 World Cup (Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Musah was born in New York City but raised in Castelfranco Veneto near Venice and speaks fluent Italian. “He’s an incredible kid,” Pulisic beams. “I love playing with him in the national team. It’s great now to see him day-to-day. If I don’t understand something, he’s there to help me out. He’s teaching me a bit of everything. Mostly the footballing stuff I need to know.”
Pulisic’s debut away to Bologna could not have gone better. In addition to scoring himself, he was instrumental to the other goal in a 2-0 Milan win, picking out Tijjani Reijnders at the far post to cut the ball back for a Giroud tap-in. A week later, in his first appearance at San Siro, he scored again. Milan won seven of their first eight games in the league.
Playing in a different position from the one he tends to occupy for the USMNT, Pulisic believes the experience of playing on the right rather than the left has made him a better player.
“I’ve learned a lot, especially playing off the right side. I’ve learned a lot about finding the right times to come inside. I’ve improved with my weaker foot as well and in finding the right solutions, the right times to run in behind, when to show to feet. I’ve really improved tactically about the game in that sense.
“From a defensive point of view as well, I think I’ve improved and I feel good about helping the team defensively whether it’s pressing or covering the right spaces. Some things I’ve definitely seen a change in in coming to Italy.”
It gives Gregg Berhalter, the USMNT coach and a frequent visitor to Italy this season, a more complete player ahead of the Copa America, where the hosts face group games against Bolivia, Panama and Uruguay.
Pulisic finished 2023 strongly. He is already in double figures for combined goals and assists and is set to have the most prolific campaign of his career.
Before Sunday’s 3-1 home win against Roma, Pulisic was presented with the Serie A Player of the Month award for December. A quiet confidence simmers within.
Celebrating a goal for Milan against Sassuolo last month (Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images)
Milan are out of this season’s Champions League, finishing third in their group to drop down into the second-tier Europa League’s straight-knockout phase, and were eliminated from the Coppa Italia by Atalanta last week. They are third in Serie A, nine points behind first-placed rivals Inter who beat them four times in 2023, including in both legs of last season’s Champions League semi-final and, infamously, 5-1 in September in Pulisic’s first Derby della Madonnina in the league. But he does not accept Milan are out of the title race. That’s not in his mentality.
“There’s still half a season to go, so that doesn’t seem fair,” he bites back. “We’re still going to push on and do our best. We still have lots to play for. We’re still in the Europa League (they have a two-leg play-off next month against French club Rennes over a place in that competition’s last 16). There are many games left in the league this season, so we’re not at all discouraged by what’s going on. We’re going to continue to push and win games and hopefully make our fans proud.”
Injury-resistant at a club mired in an injury crisis and consistently decisive on the pitch, he has proved some of the Puli-sceptics wrong and hopes to take his form into the Copa America.
Pulisic was still a teenager when he played in the centenary edition of that tournament eight years ago. The U.S., playing then as they will this year as hosts and invited guests in what is the South American championship, made the semi-finals on that occasion before losing to Argentina. Can they do even better this time?
ADVERTISEMENT
“There’s no measure to say exactly, ‘If we get this far, that’s success’,” Pulisic muses. “We’re going in with the mentality (of) taking it game by game and, of course, the goal is to win the tournament — always when you go into a tournament — so that’s how we look at things. We have a good young team and this is a great opportunity for us to play against the world’s best and hopefully show the world what we can do.”
“I can’t say it’s not expected,” Pulisic says. “He (Messi) is, of course, the best to really ever do it. After having the (2022) World Cup he did and then obviously being back in MLS, it’s been fantastic for the league. The buzz around the league, around Miami whenever they play… it seems like a big televised game. Players like that are going to bring in fans, new fans to watch the league, and for me it’s only a positive thing.”
Would it bring Pulisic back to the U.S. in the future? An old head on a 25-year-old’s body still feels he has much more to give Milan before then.
“Obviously, I’m not an old player,” he says. “I hopefully have some great years in Europe ahead of me. I’m loving my time here, so of course MLS is not in my head at the moment. But, yeah. At the end of my career? Absolutely.
“I will say, it’s come a long, long way from when I first started even… almost, what, 10 years (ago) when I moved to Europe. Where the game has come in the US from then, even MLS to where it is now, I’ve seen a massive change just as far as the support in the US; you know, getting behind the national team and even the clubs now seeing Messi in Miami, things like that.
“There’s just so much buzz around the sport and I think it’s only going to get better in the next few years.”
Analysing the USMNT’s Matt Turner: ‘Useless with his feet’ or unfairly maligned?
It had not been Turner’s first unconvincing moment when it came to his passing in that game against Manchester United, or the preceding fixtures; something UK broadcaster Sky Sports’ commentary team, the world of social media and perhaps his new head coach noted in different ways.
“Useless with his feet,” was former United and England defender Gary Neville’s brutal assessment on Sky.
Turner, though, is nothing if not resilient. While his error saw United score to make it 1-1 just over a week ago, a subsequent strong save he made was the catalyst for an attack that helped Forest recapture their lead. Like the USMNT international in their goal, Forest did not wilt from there and saw out a 2-1 win in Nuno Espirito Santo’s third game in charge.
It meant they finished a tumultuous 2023 on a high and five points clear of the Premier League’s three relegation places, but the happy ending did not completely dim the noise about Turner’s suitability for a move towards the possession football both his previous and new manager at the club want them to play.
It also ensured the contest between Turner and fellow summer signing Odysseas Vlachodimos to retain Forest’s goalkeeper jersey continues.
Turner and Vlachodimos are competing to be Forest’s first-choice goalkeeper (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
But how do the pair match up when it comes to those key metrics? And how has Turner — who has started 15 of Forest’s Premier League games this season, to five for the Greece international — performed in comparison to the rest of the top flight’s goalkeepers?
The first thing to note is that, despite the attention and strong criticism of his recent errors, Turner is not among the worst Premier League goalkeepers this season when ranked on failed passes in their own half per 90 minutes. Indeed, among the players to have appeared in goal for the 20 top-flight sides so far in 2023-24, he is as close to first place as to last — 12th of 24, with his rate of 1.93 matching the league average.
His fiercest critics may imagine him among the worst offenders, but the top three on that failed pass metric are Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez, Guglielmo Vicario of Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley’s James Trafford. Instead, Turner is nestled around many mid-table teams’ distributive goalkeepers. Vlachodimos, albeit based on a much smaller sample size of only five games, fares better in 24th — playing fewer failed passes in his own half than any other top-flight keeper.
On a separate note, Turner has made four mistakes in possession that have led to opposition shots in the next 12 seconds of play, with those attempts worth 0.62 xG — the eighth-highest among Premier League goalkeepers this season.
It has not helped Turner that his errors have happened in quick succession, drawing more attention to the issue.
While that mistake against United did not ultimately prove too costly, three matches earlier, in the home game against Tottenham, he had also been left looking to the heavens with frustration following his own mishap. In what proved the final game before Steve Cooper was sacked and replaced with Nuno, the American cost his side a goal with another rushed, sloppy pass.
First, Neco Williams over-elaborates in possession and, under pressure, passes back to Turner. The goalkeeper’s hurried clearance is a) short and b) straight to Dejan Kulusevski.
The Spurs forward bears down on goal and, to compound his initial mistake, Turner is then beaten at his near post by the resulting shot.
Vlachodimos certainly fares better in any comparison with the ball at his feet.
But it is Turner’s superior shot-stopping that presumably prompted Cooper and Nuno to select him ahead of the Greek in recent weeks despite those passing errors.
Against Bournemouth on December 23, in Nuno’s first game in charge, Forest — having been reduced to 10 men after defender Willy Boly’s first-half red card — suffered a 3-2 home defeat but none of the goals were the result of a glaring howler from Turner. Nuno then stuck with him for the next game against Newcastle United, and was rewarded with an improved performance that saw Turner complete five of seven attempted saves and record an 80 per cent passing completion in Forest’s 3-1 away win.
ADVERTISEMENT
As detailed above, his copybook was mixed in the next victory, over Manchester United, but, unless Forest move to sign another goalkeeper in the currently open winter transfer window, they may look to alter the way they build play from the back to limit the requirement for Turner to do something he is not adept at.
Whether he can improve his passing remains to be seen but it is not a new problem, according to The Athletic’s goalkeeping analyst, and former professional keeper, Matt Pyzdrowski.
“I recall wondering if his (Turner’s) issues with distribution with his feet were affecting his chances of overhauling Zack Steffen to become No 1 with the national team,” Pyzdrowski says. “But then, Zach had his own period of low form and Matt got in.
“At Arsenal (Turner’s club last season, before his summer move to Forest), if you look at the games he played, they tended to be when the opponents didn’t press high. Dealing with the ball at his feet when under pressure is definitely an area he can improve. When he has time, he can actually play a nice range of short and long passes.”
Pyzdrowski believes there are various stressors that might be undermining his compatriot’s recent form, stretching back to the summer signing of Vlachodimos for £7.7million ($9.8m) three weeks after Turner had arrived in Nottingham hoping finally to secure regular Premier League football following his season as second-string to Aaron Ramsdale at Arsenal.
“With Forest bringing in another goalkeeper who is also seen as a number one, it has added a psychological element to it as well,” Pyzdrowski says. “The team has been up and down, which doesn’t help.
“I think Gary Neville was harsh in commentary (during the United match). Matt is certainly not ‘awful’ with the ball at his feet, but clearly he can be better. One thing that might help is being more proactive and knowing what he is going to do with the ball before he gets it. The longer he gets to work with the new manager, that could improve.
“It will be interesting to see how both of them (Turner and Vlachodimos) adapt to the demand to pass it more, because it’s probably not a strength for either of them.
“With a new demand like that, you can overthink it and try too much to impress, which can lead to mistakes. As a former keeper, Nuno may have more sympathy to the pressures of being the goalie, but he will be under pressure himself to get results, and that often leads to scrutiny on key positions like goalkeeper.
“I can imagine there are some people at Forest who value Matt, and others who value Vlachodimos.”
On the international front, the 37-cap Turner has more job security than at club level. He has become coach Gregg Berhalter’s obvious No 1, playing in all four games in the World Cup finals just over a year ago, and being selected for all the USMNT’s important fixtures.
“In some of the national team’s fixtures, like the CONCACAF Nations League and World Cup qualifiers, the opposition are probably not going to press them high and aggressively, so he won’t be under as much pressure,” says Pyzdrowski. “It is usually only Mexico or Canada who will challenge them consistently and press.
“Against traditionally better national teams, Berhalter tends to simplify it, and that’s suited Matt. They will adapt and mix it from playing short or long, or just go direct.
“Matt also seems to have more confidence with the USMNT because he is the clear first choice.”
Turner is the established first choice for the USA (Howard Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
The resilience which saw Turner rise from being the third keeper at New England Revolution in MLS to playing for one of the Premier League’s top clubs will stand him in good stead to respond to his latest setbacks.“He has had a lot going on lately,” Pyzdrowski says. “Matt’s been adapting to a new club, living in a new area, and has just become a father. If you’re at a stable club that may be easier, but Forest have sacked the manager who signed him. I understand fans mainly think about results and, after the mistake against United looked like it may cost them, there was a lot of social-media criticism. But he actually responded well, made some strong saves and was confident in the air.
“One thing you can’t deny is the odds he has overcome to get where he is. He started late in football (at age 14) and has always had people who doubted whether he was good enough to play at the highest level. I had my own concerns. But every time he has had his back against the wall, he has built himself back.”
“Learning so much week in and week out about life on and off the pitch,” he wrote on Instagram. “New city, new team, new member of the family all at once! Looking forward to more memories in 2024, maybe a bit less chaotic eh?”till finding his feet then, in every sense.
Additional reporting: John Muller
(Top photo: Ami Ford/NFFC via Getty Images)
Downingtown’s Zack Steffen opens up about why he returned to MLS
Steffen recently signed to be the starting goalkeeper for the Colorado Rapids.
Downingtown’s Zack Steffen is back in MLS after 4½ years in Europe.Stu Forster / Getty Images
As he began the fourth year of his second stint in Europe, Zack Steffen decided that he’d had enough of the instability that defined his time abroad.
The goalkeeper from Downingtown still hadn’t made it with Manchester City, the English powerhouse that paid $7 million to buy him from the Columbus Crew in 2019. Though Steffen won two Premier League titles and a League Cup with City, he played just 21 games for the club, mostly in domestic cups. His actual playing time overseas came during loans to the German Bundesliga’s Fortuna Düsseldorf and the English second division’s Middlesbrough.
Steffen dealt with a series of brutal injuries along the way, the latest being a major knee issue that’s had him out of action since May. He also became a father, welcoming a daughter in October.
So it was time to return, he decided. When the Colorado Rapids offered him a cornerstone place with a team under new management, he said yes.
“Just to be back in the States, closer to family, closer to friends, have them part of my career, just gives me a lot of energy and passion and motivation to come back here,” Steffen said at a news conference Monday.
ADVERTISEMENT
“And now I’m 28, getting up there a little bit, so I want some stability. … And to win some games, lift some trophies, and just bring this club to a winning culture, a winning mentality. And I think we can do that.”
Steffen said he liked the Rapids’ sales pitch, especially from goalkeeper coach Chris Sharpe and new manager Chris Armas.
“The situation, the city, the people, the club, the new coaches, and then Chris Sharpe,” Steffen said. The conversations that we’ve had really excited me and gave me motivation, gave me confidence that we’re all on the same page on where we want to go individually and then collectively.”
He made it clear that being a new father matters, too, not surprising for a player who has long been close with his family.
“Fatherhood is amazing,” he said. “Wanting to be closer to family and be part of her life as well, and her journey. Yeah, man, fatherhood is the best thing ever.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Steffen found some familiar faces when he arrived in Denver, especially veteran Rapids right back Keegan Rosenberry. The Ronks, Pa., native played with Steffen on Union-run youth teams in the club’s early years, before the academy was fully built out.
Rosenberry played his first three years as a pro with the Union. He could have been teammates with Steffen in MLS back then, had the Union signed Steffen to a homegrown player contract while he was at the University of Maryland. But when Germany’s Freiburg offered Steffen his first chance to go to Europe, he took it, with the Union unable to match the money involved. (Whether they tried to has been lost to history.)
Nine years later, they will line up together again.
Keegan Rosenberry (center) playing for the Colorado Rapids last season.David Zalubowski / AP
“We’ve always gotten along really well, kind of stayed in touch through all the moves in our career,” Rosenberry said. “There’s always a little bit more of a close relationship with defenders and goalkeepers, so I’m hoping we can build each other up and help each other succeed.”
Armas might be the happiest of anyone outside the Steffen family. His hiring wasn’t entirely well-received, because previous jobs were underwhelming spells with the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC, and disastrously short times as an assistant at England’s Manchester United and Leeds United. (His bosses there were close friends, Red Bull global veteran Ralf Rangnick in Manchester and American Jesse Marsch in Leeds.)
ADVERTISEMENT
Armas has now started his Rapids tenure with the arrivals of Steffen and Djordje Mihailovic, a 25-year-old playmaker who not long ago was a U.S. national team prospect. They reportedly will soon add left back Sam Vines, a former Rapids player who’s been at Belgium’s Royal Antwerp for 2½ years.
That’s a good helping of talent and stability, with Steffen at the root of it all in net.
“He’s been part of major success, big experiences … but most importantly has been part of good, strong cultures, winning cultures,” Armas said. “We expect him to be one of the leaders, one of the driving forces behind our push, and we’re delighted to have Zack.”
Former U.S. women’s national team midfielder Sam Mewis — a key fixture on the team that won the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup — is retiring from professional soccer, she announced Friday.
Through her eight years with the USWNT, she earned 83 caps and scored 24 goals. During the 2019 World Cup win, Mewis played in six of the seven matches, starting in five, en route to the U.S.’s fourth victory in the tournament. She scored two goals in the team’s opening win against Thailand, including her debut World Cup goal.“Unfortunately, my knee can no longer tolerate the impact that elite soccer requires,” Mewis, 31, said in a statement. “Though this isn’t what I wanted, this is the only path forward for me.“I want to thank everyone who has been on my team throughout this journey. Soccer has put so many wonderful things in my life, but the most wonderful thing has been the people. To all my family, friends, teammates, and fans, I truly feel that we did this together and I’m extremely grateful.” Twelve of her caps came alongside her sister, Kristie, and they were the first sisters to feature on an Olympic USWNT together. Sam’s USWNT debut in 2014 at the Algarve Cup was alongside Kristie, when they both entered a match against Sweden as substitutes. Before going pro, she helped guide the UCLA Bruins to their first NCAA championship in 2013, and was part of the U-20 youth national team that won gold at the 2012 World Cup as well.
With Mewis’ lengthy battle with injuries keeping her off the field for months before Friday’s retirement announcement, it’s easy to forget how much of a role she played in the team’s success in 2019 — but also how she could dominate the field at her peak. Nicknamed “The Tower of Power” for her height, she was an obvious target for set pieces for club and country, but her skills went far beyond being in the right place at the right time for a goal.
B.J. Snow, formerly the talent identification director of U.S. Soccer, said in 2018 that Sam Mewis had taken a written soccer intelligence test, taken by thousands of pro players, men and women. Of all that had taken it, Mewis placed in the top one percent when she got her results. That IQ showed in craftiness and awareness on the field, both offensively and defensively. In 2019, it was Mewis’ two goals and four assists that helped the USWNT reach the podium; she was second on the team in defensive recoveries too (outside back Crystal Dunn was first, having played 74 more minutes than Mewis in the tournament).
Mewis’ NWSL accomplishments cannot be overlooked either. She won three NWSL championships, first with the Western New York Flash as underdogs in 2016, before the team relocated to North Carolina and the Courage became one of the league’s most dominant teams. The Courage won the NWSL Shield for three straight years in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and added championships in 2018 and 2019. Mewis made the NWSL Best XI in 2017.
In 2020, she headed to Manchester City — and had a stellar run there too, scoring goals in league play, helping the team win the FA Cup, and netting a Champions League goal as well. Before the start of the pandemic, she had also proved a pivotal factor in CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers, and her performances throughout the year earned her the Player of the Year award for U.S. Soccer.
Mewis featured in the delayed Olympics for the USWNT, playing in all six matches and starting four. She also returned to the Courage in 2021, but the bronze medal match with the U.S. was her final one with the national team — as this is where her ongoing knee and ankle injuries took a much worse turn. Over the past couple of years, Mewis had multiple surgeries and posted clips from her rehab attempts
On Friday, she made her decision to retire public. She also announced her next step: serving as editor-in-chief for a new women’s soccer vertical at Men in Blazers.
“My goal started being: I want to walk my dog and not limp for a while,” she told the Wall Street Journal. “I recognized that I had other things to live for besides being good at soccer.”
FIFA Club World Cup 2025 set for U.S. east coast with Gold Cup on west
The expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the U.S. will be played primarily on the country’s east coast, multiple sources briefed on the tournament’s planning told The Athletic.
Putting Club World Cup games in the eastern time zone will benefit television audiences in Europe, home to many of the clubs that stand a good chance of winning the trophy.
Organizers’ reasoning for limiting the tournament’s matches to the east coast was also influenced by the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will take place simultaneously in the U.S. To avoid stadium and logistical issues between the two competitions, sources said that FIFA and CONCACAF have agreed to stage the Gold Cup on the U.S.’s west coast.
The Gold Cup, North America and the Caribbean’s biannual continental competition, will overlap with the Club World Cup from June 14 to July 6, 2025. One source said that CONCACAF and FIFA are collaborating to create “smart schedules” so that fans can easily enjoy both tournaments. The Club World Cup, meanwhile, will begin on June 15, and finish on July 13.
In July, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani told reporters that the two tournaments could overlap, but that Club World Cup and Gold Cup matches would not share kick-off times.
“You might have some overlaps in the group stage,” Montagliani said. “(We have to) make sure our kickoff times are coordinated. If you do it right, it’ll work. It’s up to us and FIFA to make sure it works and our teams work well together and I have no issues. We’re in those discussions already.”
With regard to the Club World Cup, some exceptions could be made. For example, it would make sense for MLS side Seattle Sounders, winners of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2022, to play at least one match at home. Additionally, cities in Texas, which is located in the U.S.’ central time zone, could be named Gold Cup host cities.
As of now, 19 of 32 teams have already qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup, which will feature eight four-team groups. Each club will play each other once and the top two teams will advance to the knockout stages, which will be single-legged. In a December announcement, FIFA stated that the revamped Club World Cup will be held every four years.
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to the Badger Field for Training? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
Save 20% on these Succulent Ribs at Rackz BarBQ when you mention the Ole Ballcoach – Corner of 131 & Hazelldell. – Call 317-688-7290.
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
Pulisic has been on fire at AC Milan Goal, the story GK Matt Turner has returned in goal for Nottingham Forest and made some mistakes but also some huge saves. Nice to see American forward Josh Sargent back on the field for Norwich as he returns from injury and scores in his 1st game back. For Cincy I am glad to see Miles Robinson was signed but I have to admit its past time for him to go to Europe to see if he has what it takes to play at the next level – at 26 this year was really his chance to give it a go in my mind. Seem’s Jessie Marsch concurs.
Regarding Reffing news – over the holiday break congrats to Rebecca Welsh – the first woman to ever Ref an EPL Game at Craven Cottage of Fulham. Also MLS Refs have not agreed to a new deal with MLS and may be forced to strike – see reffing section below.
The US Men will hold their annual Jan Camp of all MLS players as they prepare to play Slovania on Sat Jan 20th in San Antonio. 17 players are uncapped on this roster, including 15 receiving their first call-up to the USMNT. 13 players are age-eligible for inclusion on the Olympic roster, and Berhalter said it was a great opportunity to get them experience with the senior team ahead of an important summer. “This is an opportunity to identify and work with the next generation of players who have the potential to make an impact on our program,” Berhalter said in a statement. “We appreciate the support from MLS and all their clubs so that we can utilize this platform. Our priority is on getting as many players as possible experience in important competitions, and this camp and the match against Slovenia will be extremely valuable in the evaluation process.” The team will convene in Orlando from January 8-16 to begin the 2 week training camp. They will then travel to San Antonio to finish preparations for the match. The match against Slovenia will take place on January 20th at Toyota Field, the home of San Antonio FC.
USMNT JAN CAMP – DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)
January camps traditionally are just a chance for players to get on the national team radar. In past cycles, they’ve played an important role in identifying MLS-based players who are ready to take the next step in their careers. Nine players from the 2022 World Cup squad earned their first or second cap during a January camp match, including Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson, Walker Zimmerman, Tim Ream and Matt Turner. But times are changing, and so is the national team picture. With more and more players leaving MLS sooner to play in Europe, the pool is thinning out in the domestic league. While there are some veteran USMNT players who no doubt would be starters in this camp — Paul Arriola, Jordan Morris and Kellyn Acosta, among them — the purpose of this camp is more to identify players for the pool than anything else. That’s especially true this year, with the Olympics set to be played this summer and the U.S. required to bring a mostly under-23 roster for that competition.That being said, there are some names in this camp that are familiar to USMNT fans, including one who played at the 2022 World Cup (Shaq Moore) and through most of qualifying (Miles Robinson), who no doubt are trying to stay in the national team picture for the Copa America and the 2026 World Cup.
Below is the full roster and what you need to know about this year’s January camp squad.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew)
DEFENDERS (10): Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC), Ian Murphy (FC Cincinnati), Jackson Ragen (Seattle Sounders), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), James Sands (New York City FC), Nkosi Tafari (FC Dallas), John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls), Caleb Wiley (Atlanta United)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Joshua Atencio (Seattle Sounders), Aziel Jackson (St. Louis City), Jack McGlynn (Philadelphia Union), Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew), Timmy Tillman (LAFC), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew)
FORWARDS (6): Esmir Bajraktarevic (New England Revolution), Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes), Bernard Kamungo (FC Dallas), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Duncan McGuire (Orlando City), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN)
Is the January camp as useful as it once was for U.S. Soccer?
The point of this camp is to identify players who are on the fringes of the national team and could develop into useful pieces. For that reason, the practicality of the January camp probably won’t ever go away. That being said, it’s value to the national team is probably at an all-time low — and that’s a good thing!More U.S. men’s national team players are being identified at younger ages and moving abroad to Europe. More players in Europe are moving up to bigger clubs and competing for titles and playing in the Champions League. The relative youth of the national team pool and the increase in players moving to Europe means the U.S. has to rely much less on something like January camp to find players for the senior team. This camp can now function more as a chance to find players for the Olympic squad.Ultimately, U.S. Soccer wants MLS to continue to produce talented young American players who can eventually help the national team. The January camp has always been a way to identify those players and introduce them to the national team infrastructure. The short-term value of those camps will fluctuate, but the long-term value persists.
Who are some players you might not know much about, and why you should know them?
By nature, the USMNT January camp is typically experimental and inexperienced. Even grading on that curve, this squad is particularly experimental and inexperienced.Seventeen of the 25 players called up are yet to debut for the senior national team. Another five have single-digit caps. Even to a devoted MLS fan there’s a lot of mystery here.The call-ups include New England Revolution winger Esmir Bajraktarevic, an 18-year-old with 613 MLS minutes. Another is Columbus Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki, a 23-year-old with less than 2,000 career MLS minutes. He was a squad player for the Crew this year as they won MLS Cup. Philadelphia Union fullback Nathan Harriel is another name that hasn’t been on the USMNT radar, ditto for Seattle Sounders midfielder Josh Atencio.
Some more well known MLSers like Brian White, Diego Luna, Duncan McGuire, Drake Callender and more will be looking for their senior USMNT debut.
The clear goal for this camp is to evaluate all options for the Olympic squad this summer. Many won’t stick — there aren’t a ton of roster spots realistically available — but every decision is framed through that lens.
Which players have the best chance to crack the Olympic roster?
Though it’s already crowded with Gaga Slonina and Chris Brady as age-eligible options, all three goalkeepers in the January camp could play their way into contention. All three were key to their teams winning trophies — Patrick Schulte won MLS Cup, Drake Callender the Leagues Cup and Roman Celentano the Supporters’ Shield.
It will be fascinating to see which goalkeeper gets the start against Slovenia and, potentially, the inside track at a spot on the Olympic squad. McGuire is very likely to win a spot at the Olympics, if not a starting role. The breakout Orlando City forward had 15 goals in his first professional season. It’s a bit trickier for White, who would have to be one of the USMNT’s three overage exemptions to make that squad.U-20 World Cup standouts Luna, Jack McGlynn and Cade Cowell are all very likely to be part of that squad, as well.
Center back is a weak position in this Olympic pool. Jackson Ragen and Nkosi Tafari, like White, would have to be an overage exemption to be part of the squad, but each were considered among the top center backs in MLS last year.
Center back and forward are two prime opportunities for overage call-ups, with players like Walker Zimmerman and Josh Sargent contenders for an Olympic call.
John Tolkin and Caleb Wiley are virtual locks for the Olympics, unless either gets elevated into the Copa America squad. The same goes for Aidan Morris.
Who are the players who have the most to gain in this January camp?
The core of the senior team is basically set for Berhalter already. We know that, when healthy, the U.S. team is going to include Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Sergiño Dest, Matt Turner, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and most likely will also include Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Joe Scally, Brenden Aaronson and Luca de la Torre. That’s 17 players out of 23 and 16 out of 20 outfield player spots. That doesn’t factor in bubble players based in Europe, including Kevin Paredes, Ethan Horvath, Auston Trusty, Tanner Tessmann, Johnny Cardoso and others.It is getting tougher and tougher for MLS-based players to break into the roster. With the competition at center back, Miles Robinson’s decision to stay in MLS is one to keep an eye on. Robinson has to impress in every national team camp in which he gets a chance to prove himself. Once considered a shoo-in starter, Robinson now has to beat out Ream, Carter-Vickers, Richards, Trusty and other European-based center backs, including Mark McKenzie and Erik Palmer-Brown. That he signed a one-year deal with FC Cincinnati that includes an option is intriguing because it potentially gives him wiggle room to jump to Europe if he has a strong Copa America. But first he needs to fight his way into the U.S. lineup.There are some clear areas of need for the U.S. senior team, including depth at left back, winger and at the No. 6 position. That means this is an important camp for DeJuan Jones, John Tolkin and Caleb Wiley, as well as for Cade Cowell and Aidan Morris — all players who could have a legitimate shot to break into the first-team roster if they can continue to develop and play well. Notably, many of those players have been linked with moves abroad and could be the next Americans we see jump to European sides. (Photo of Cade Cowell: Mike Janosz/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Three talking points from the USMNT’s all-MLS January roster
U.S. men’s national team head coach Gregg Berhalter has called in 25 MLS-based players for the team’s annual January training camp.The camp, which falls outside a FIFA window, is typically a chance for inexperienced players to catch the coaching staff’s eye and this year will be no different: Of the 25 players called in, 17 are uncapped and 15 are receiving their first call-up.The USMNT will hold camp from January 8-16 in Orlando, and will then head to San Antonio for a friendly against Slovenia on January 20 at Toyota Field.“This is an opportunity to identify and work with the next generation of players who have the potential to make an impact on our program,” Berhalter said.
“We appreciate the support from MLS and all their clubs so that we can utilize this platform. Our priority is on getting as many players as possible experience in important competitions, and this camp and the match against Slovenia will be extremely valuable in the evaluation process.”
Here are three observations from the USMNT’s January roster.
Plenty of new faces
Like any January camp, there will be a host of players involved who have never been with the senior national team.
Most of the 15 new faces are in their early 20s, with FC Dallas defender Nkosi Tafari (26) and Vancouver Whitecaps striker Brian White (27) the two oldest. On the other end of the spectrum, New England Revolution attacker Esmir Bajraktarevic (18) is the youngest player in camp.
Credit: Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports
Aside from that trio, the other 12 players receiving their first USMNT calls are: Josh Atencio, Nathan Harriel, Aziel Jackson, Bernard Kamungo, Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Duncan McGuire, Ian Murphy, Jackson Ragen, Patrick Schulte, Timmy Tillman, and Sean Zawadzki.
Only three players on the roster have double-digit caps: Miles Robinson, Shaq Moore, and James Sands. Nashville SC right back Moore is the only player in camp who was on the 2022 World Cup roster.
Olympics on USMNT’s mind
Though this is a senior national team camp, it’s probably useful to think of it more as a joint senior team/U-23 camp with the Olympics now on the horizon.
As the USMNT gets ready to compete in the Paris games this summer, 13 players called into camp are age-eligible for the U-23 tournament. Theoretically, any player at this camp could go to the Olympics as well, with head coach Marko Mitrović able to select three overage players for his roster.
Speaking of Mitrović, he will be on the technical staff for this camp as he looks to get an up-close look at several players he’ll likely name to his Olympic squad.
(Photo by John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Reassuring the dual nationals
Berhalter has brought in several players who will eventually have a decision to make over their national team future. The USMNT coach will hope that this month’s call will help sway their decisions toward the country in which they play professionally.
Bajraktarevic is very much on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s radar, while Luna said in November that he was still open to representing Mexico. Like the Real Salt Lake star, Atencio is also eligible for El Tri.
Kamungo, meanwhile, was handed his first senior Tanzania call-up last summer, though he’s yet to be capped. McGlynn is also still eligible for Ireland.
(AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) ORG XMIT: XNP110
We should also mention two dual nationals who somewhat surprisingly weren’t called in: Chicago Fire midfielder Brian Gutiérrez (Mexico) and Inter Miami midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi (Argentina).
Wrexham’s Hollywood owners revel in latest FA Cup win
ByESPN Updated: Jan 7, 2024, 01:19 pm
Wrexham defeated local rivals Shrewsbury at New Meadow to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the second season in a row, much to the delight of their Hollywood owners and famous friends.Ryan Reynold’s and Rob McElhenney’s side defeated Shrewsbury, who play in the division above Wrexham, in a tense affair via a 72nd-minute goal from Thomas O’Connor. The game marked the first time the teams — barely separated by the England-Wales border — have met in almost 16 years.The buzz around Wrexham and its celebrity owners reached new levels during a run un the FA Cup last year when the team beat one Championship side Coventry and then took another, Premier League-bound Sheffield United, to a replay.On Sunday, responding to a video of the goal shared by the FA Cup’s official account on X, McElhenney posted: “You should’ve seen my living room.”Co-owner Reynolds, who watched the game alongside Hugh Jackman, was pictured by the X-Men star celebrating the goal with the caption: “HUGE! ROUND 4.”
Wrexham succumbed to Sheffield United over two games in last year’s invigorating FA Cup run to the fourth round.
Shrewsbury enjoyed the better of the play in the games early stages on Sunday, with Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson noting after the game the difference in physicality between the teams “caught out” his side in the opening exchanges.Tunmise Sobowale missed the most gilt-edged chance for the home team, meeting Jordan Shipley’s cross unmarked at the back post only to blaze his close-range effort way over the bar.Wrexham grew into the game as it went on — though Shrewsbury continued to enjoy the better of the chances — and the Welsh side punished their opponent’s wastefulness as O’Connor’s deflected strike bounced past Marko Marosi in goal to spark wild scenes in the away end.Stout rearguard action from Wrexham saw out the match and the League 2 team now await Monday’s draw to see who they will play in the fourth round.”The FA Cup is a bonus for us, we know that, but we’re representing the club which has great tradition in this competition and every time we go into a game I always remind the lads of that,” Parkinson added after the game.
Ranking the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League favorites
Ryan O’Hanlon, ESPN.com writerDec 19, 2023, 11:34 AM ET
81That was … underwhelming, huh? With the potential for a bunch of blockbuster matchups ahead of the Champions League draw, we got almost nothing of note. According to ESPN BET’s odds, Monday’s draw didn’t shift any team’s championship probability by even a full percentage point in either direction.
However, the path toward the final has at least started to take shape — across all levels of European competition. Is Manchester City a bigger favorite to win the Champions League than Liverpool is to win the Europa League than Aston Villa is to win the Conference League? Is Bayern Munich or Bayer Leverkusen more likely to lift a continental prize? Does David Moyes have a better chance of making the Champions League next year than Xavi does of winning it this year?
Based on the odds from ESPN BET, we’ve ranked the 20 most likely Lifters of European Hardware (LoEH): eight Champions League teams, and six apiece from the Leagues Europa and Conference. All ties have been broken by yours truly, and all stats come from Stats Perform, unless otherwise noted.
1. Manchester City: Champions League, +200
Consider this a big ol’ bucket of cold water for all the “City are as vulnerable as ever” takes out there. Despite playing against (theoretically) all of the best clubs in the world, Pep Guardiola’s team are bigger favorites to win their competition than Liverpool or Aston Villa, both four points ahead of City in the Premier League table, are to win theirs.
In fact, according to data from the site Sports Odds History, City have only had better odds to win the Champions League ahead of the Round of 16 once in the Guardiola era: last season, when they took down the treble. While all of the dropped points make City much less likely to win the Premier League all of a sudden, these odds show that the market isn’t too concerned with City’s quality of play from here on out.
2. Liverpool: Europa League, +225
Here is the expected-goal map of Liverpool’s 7-0 win against Manchester United at Anfield last season:
And here is the expected-goal map of Liverpool’s 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday:
That scoreless draw was sort of a microcosm of where Liverpool currently are: disjointed, unbalanced but frequently still dominant.
3. Aston Villa: Europa League, +275
On the one hand, two of England‘s four Champions League teams finished last in their groups and were dumped out of Europe. Best league in the world, huh?On the other hand, English teams are significant favorites to win all three European tournaments. That’s why, despite the Newcastle and Manchester United exits, the Premier League is still very likely to earn one of the extra Champions League places next season:
The battle for the *bonus* UCL ticket!
🏴 England fumbles and loses 2 teams (ManU, Newcastle) ➡️ a FULL point drop in the expected end-of-season coefficient points!
This is a tricky one. Despite easily winning the group, Bayern weren’t particularly impressive in the Champions League. They produced the 10th-best non-penalty xG differential in the group stages — even in what ultimately amounted to one of the weakest groups in the competition. Plus, they’re not even first in the Bundesliga table.
And yet, they’re currently sporting a truly absurd plus-2.13 non-penalty xG differential (per game). That’s more than twice as good as any other team in Germany, and it’s a better mark than anything produced by any team in any Big Five League in any season since 2011.
5. Bayer Leverkusen: Europa League, +500
This is one of the best teams in Europe. Like Liverpool, they should be in the Champions League right now — not the Europa League. Like Liverpool, they’re also probably not quite as good as the defending domestic champ that they’re currently ahead of in the league table.
Leverkusen’s non-penalty xG differential is fantastic, but it’s way below Bayern and even slightly below Stuttgart’s. Among all teams in the Bundesliga, Xabi Alonso’s side have overperformed their nonpenalty goal differential (when compared to their xG differential) by the biggest margin: about 14 goals. Expect some regression in the second half of the season.
6. Fiorentina: Europa Conference League, +525
What happens when you drop a league-average team from one of Europe’s biggest leagues into the third-tier continental competition? The answer is that the market will give them about a 16% chance of winning the thing.
Domestically, Fiorentina have a negative nonpenalty xG differential so far this season — and so, too, do fellow “Big Fivers” in the Europa Conference League, Real Betis and Eintracht Frankfurt. The big difference: Fiorentina have a ticket straight to the Round of 16, while the other two still have to win their qualifying-round matchups to even get there.
7. Arsenal: Champions League, +575
Don’t look now, but Arsenal have the best nonpenalty xG differential in the Premier League through 17 games:
When you’re that good more than halfway through December? You can absolutely win the Champions League.
8. Real Madrid: Champions League, +600
Real Madrid‘s defense was already suspect before this weekend. Although they’ve conceded the fewest non-penalty goals in LaLiga (11), they’re only fourth in xG conceded (17.49). Both Kepa and Andriy Lunin — neither of whom would be confused with the injured Thibaut Courtois when it comes to being a world-class shot-stopper — have saved 2.5 goals more than expected, per Stats Perform’s model.
That seems unlikely to continue, and it might be paired with an even higher quality and quantity of opposition shots allowed. On Sunday, Madrid lost center-back David Alaba to a torn ACL, and they’ve already lost Courtois and center-back Éder Militão to torn ACLs, too. As of now, the center-back options are: Antonio Rüdiger and then either Aurélien Tchouaméni, who is a midfielder, or Nacho, who will be 34 come the first leg against RB Leipzig and who has only played about 500 minutes so far this season.
If Madrid somehow pull this one off, it might be their most impressive Champions League run yet.
9. AC Milan: Europa League, +900
Christian Pulisic is in the form of his life with AC Milan
Herculez Gomez believes you’re seeing the best version of Christian Pulisic, after the American helped AC Milan to the Europa League knockout stages.
The American has converted 2.4 xG into five goals, and his teammates have converted 1.8 xG from his passes into four goals. Among all players to feature in at least half of the available minutes in Serie A this season, Pulisic ranks sixth in nonpenalty goals+assists per 90 minutes (0.84). Flip that to expected goals and assists? He’s sitting in 31st, a 0.39. [stops whispering]
10. Eintracht Frankfurt: Europa Conference League, +900
They did beat Bayern Munich, 5-1, just a week ago They’ve since followed that up with a pair of losses by a 5-0 combined scoreline to Aberdeen and Bayer Leverkusen. They lost three games in the Europa Conference League group stages and they have a negative nonpenalty xG differential in the Bundesliga. Even with a not-so-easy qualifying round tie against Belgium‘s Union Saint Gilloise, they’re still third-favorites to win the Europa Conference League.
11. Lille: Europa Conference League, +1200
And so we enter the Glut of Twelve Hundred; there are eight teams stuck at +1200 odds across the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
This is not betting advice, but I’m a little confused as to why Lille don’t have better odds — especially when compared to Frankfurt, who have to play an extra round of games. They’ve hung on to Jonathan David, they won their Europa Conference League group, and they’re a top four or five team in France. We also have close to a half-decade of this team being good enough to challenge for Champions League places.
Why can’t they win it all?
12. Brighton: Europa League, +1200
It’s been something of a down year for the Seagulls; it turns out not even the savviest recruitment in the world can overcome the departure of nearly $200 million of midfield transfers and injuries to a number of key young players. They’re ninth in the Premier League, and they have the ninth-best nonpenalty xG differential in the league.
That said, they’re better than West Ham, while all of the other not-yet-mentioned-non-Champions League teams at +1200 are stuck in the qualifying rounds right now. PSG and Barcelona could both win the Champions League, but they’ll be underdogs against all of the teams listed ahead of them here. Outside of Liverpool and Leverkusen, I’m not sure I’d favor anyone else in the Europa League over Brighton at this point.
13. Paris Saint-Germain: Champions League, +1200
Laurens not confident PSG will take down Real Sociedad
Julien Laurens says he doesn’t like PSG’s chances of progressing past Real Sociedad in the Champions League.
Despite finishing second in their group, Paris Saint-Germain drew the easiest first-place team in Real Sociedad for the Round of 16. That’s after playing Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, at the same stage, in the past two seasons. And despite playing in the toughest group, they had a better nonpenalty xG differential than every team other than Arsenal, Real Madrid and Manchester City through the group stages.
At the same time, the issue with PSG is typically that they look — easily — like the most statistically dominant team in Europe. We just don’t really know how to weigh that dominance compared to the other top teams because their wage bill is four times the size of any other team in France. Except, this season they’re just barely the best team in France, by the underlying numbers, with a plus-0.8 nonpenalty xG differential slightly edging out Marseille‘s second-best mark of plus-0.76.
Maybe they’ve built a team that’s not as able to dominate Ligue 1 but that’s better equipped to manage matches against the best team in the world. Or maybe, without Lionel Messi, Neymar and Marco Verratti, they’re just not as good as they used to be.
14. Barcelona: Champions League, +1200
Laurens picks Barcelona vs. Napoli as the best of the UCL draw
Gab & Juls react to the Champions League round of 16 draw, as Barcelona are handed a tough tie with Napoli.After Saturday’s draw with Valencia, Xavi said, “We have to be one of the least-effective teams in Europe, even though we’re one of the teams that create the most chances.” In other words, we stink at turning shots into goals.Is he right? Here’s a chart:
The farther above the line, the more goals you’re scoring relative to your xG — and vice versa. As you’ll see, Barca are well below the line. Only Manchester United and Koln are underperforming their nonpenalty xG by a bigger degree than Xavi’s team: 29 goals on 36.27 xG. That’s unlikely to continue, but that also doesn’t make their Round of 16 matchup with Napoli any easier.
15. West Ham: Europa League, +1200
This isn’t a particularly good West Ham side. They’ve scored one more nonpenalty goal than they’ve conceded this season, and they’re sporting a slightly negative xG differential through 17 games. They’re basically the definition of an average Premier League team.And well, here’s something of a level-setter for you: An average Premier League team is one of the five favorites to win the Europa League.
16. Real Betis: Europa Conference League, +1200
I’m really interested in Betis’ qualifying-round tie against Dinamo Zagreb … for science. Betis, like many of the other teams mentioned, are an average LaLiga team: slightly positive goal differential, slightly negative xG differential. Although they’re currently in third, Dinamo Zagreb are the dominant team in Croatia, winning 15 of the past 16 league titles. How does Croatia’s super-club compare to a mid-tier team in Spain?
17. Ajax: Europa Conference League, +1200
Through 16 matches, PSV Eindhoven have a plus-50 goal differential in the Eredivisie. Ajax, meanwhile, are at plus-5 — and with a plus-6.8 xG differential, it’s not backed up by much better underlying numbers. This is the worst Ajax team we’ve seen in a while.
18. Roma: Europa League, +1500
There are 14 Jose Mourinho-managed domestic seasons in the Stats Perform database. Overall, his teams have outperformed their non-penalty xG differential by 102 goals — and they’ve done it in 11 of the individual seasons.
The three years they haven’t? The disaster campaign with Chelsea in 2015-16 when he was let go midyear, just a season after winning the league, and then the past two seasons with AS Roma, where his teams have produced a plus-20 nonpenalty goal differential from a plus-41.8 xG differential.
Yes, you have permission to find this to be very funny.
19. Inter Milan: Champions League, +1800
All things considered, Inter’s draw turned out pretty well. Last season’s Champions League runners-up are clearly the best team in Italy this season, and they’re probably one of the best teams in Europe, too.
The main reason they didn’t win their group is that they only turned 10.19 nonpenalty xG into five nonpenalty goals from their six matches. Bad in the short term, yes, but also unlikely to continue in the long term.
Since they finished second to the weakest first-place team, Real Sociedad, they weren’t able to draw Sociedad in the knockouts. Coming into the draw, they had about a 70% chance of drawing one of Manchester City, Bayern, Arsenal, Real Madrid or Barcelona. Dortmund would’ve been the cushiest draw, but Atletico Madrid is the second-best outcome. Simone Inzaghi’s team is flying right now, and they’ll be favored to advance to the quarters, thanks to Monday’s draw.
20. Atletico Madrid: Champions League, +1900
As much as you can, Atleti lost the draw. They’ve been quite good this season — this is Diego Simeone’s best team since the one that won La Liga in 2021 — and they dominated (a relatively easy) Champions League group. Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata are the latest dynamic duo that turns all that defensive solidity into just-enough goal scoring. For all their good work, they earned a pair of dates with a team that’s lost just one of the 23 matches they’ve played so far this season.
MLS referees work stoppage ‘imminent’ amid ongoing CBA negotiations: Sources
Negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement between the Professional Referees Organization (PRO) and the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) have not resulted in a new deal and, barring changes over the next 10 days, a work stoppage feels “imminent,” said once source briefed on the negotiations. Another source characterizes the negotiations between the two sides as being “a very discouraging process so far.”If it drags on, a work stoppage could leave MLS needing to find replacement officials at the start of its season and preseason. The current CBA between the PSRA and PRO, which has been in place since early 2019, expires on Jan. 15. The MLS season begins on Feb. 21 when Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami hosts Real Salt Lake.
The PSRA is the union that represents professional referees across Major League Soccer, the second and third-tier United Soccer Leagues and the National Women’s Soccer League. PRO, founded in 2012 by MLS and the U.S. Soccer Federation, oversees the professional officiating landscape in the United States, including assigning games, assessing and educating officials, and identifying new talent. An associated organization, PRO2, oversees officiating in the NWSL, USL, and MLS Next Pro. The PSRA and PRO2 ratified a CBA of their own last year.
“We are bargaining for a contract with the same intensity, focus and dedication we bring to every game as highly trained officials who live for this sport,” PSRA president Peter Manikowski said in a statement to The Athletic. “Right now the parties remain far apart on matters of great importance to our members’ lives and livelihoods. We are frustrated, but remain committed.”
PRO will soon face an additional challenge, as the U.S. Soccer Federation will withdraw its financial support for the organization in the near future, multiple sources briefed on that decision said on Friday. The federation provided nearly $2 million in funding for PRO in 2022, according to its most recent publicly available financial statements.A PRO spokesperson declined to comment to The Athletic except to confirm that CBA conversations are ongoing. MLS and the USSF declined to comment.Multiple sources said this week that the PSRA has a work stoppage fund, with one source characterizing it as “sizable enough for an extended stoppage.” That source described PSRA’s membership as being largely aligned in their unhappiness with PRO’s current offer in CBA negotiations.“Together with others in this league, we have a large role in the gaining popularity and success of this sport,” read PSRA’s statement. “Now, it is time for the Professional Referee Organization and Major League Soccer and to show officials that they, too, value the contributions our members bring to the game.”Multiple sources familiar with the still-ongoing talks described the back-and-forth between PRO and the PSRA over the last month. In December, those sources said, PRO offered an overall 3% pay increase to its referees, while the PSRA had demanded an increase of up to 90%, said once source, with the largest of the increases reserved for its lowest-paid officials, like assistant referees and fourth officials. Earlier this week, PRO increased its offer “marginally,” said one source, offering an overall raise of 4-5%, according to another source briefed on the talks.
If the referees voted to strike, or if PRO locked them out, MLS would be forced to use replacement referees in preseason and potentially when its regular season kicks off on February 21. The crisis would be averted, obviously, if the two sides reached a permanent agreement or even arrived at a temporary extension of the current CBA, something similar to what MLS and the MLS Players Association did during negotiations for the league’s most recent labor agreement with its players.
Though PRO and PSRA deal with professional referees in multiple leagues across U.S. soccer, the pay range in MLS can be instructive on how the scale can vary widely based on experience and position. According to the previous CBA, a copy of which was obtained by The Athletic, so-called “probationary” center referees — refs with less than two years of service — make a base salary of $50,647.90 for their work in MLS, which is supplemented by a match fee of $1,350.61 per regular season match they call. More experienced referees make anywhere from $95,000-$108,000 per year based on the number of matches they’ve called in addition to that same per-match fee. Assistant referees also receive that same $1350.61 per match but their base pay is far less, falling between $16,038-$21,384 depending on experience. A sticking point in the way assistant referees are currently paid under the current CBA, though, is that they do not receive a match fee until the 10th regular season match they’ve called in a season. The per-game rates for all officials slide upwards during the playoffs and for the All-Star game. For his work in this year’s MLS Cup, for example, center referee Armando Villarreal made $6,916.57, around five times higher than the amount he’d get during a regular season match. Video Assistant Referees and Assistant VARs have their own pay range, which is even smaller than the rest of the crew.?
The previous CBA also outlines a handful of other benefits for MLS officials — standard offerings like retirement and health insurance, along with reimbursements for travel, cell phone use, a gym membership and other perks.
This is not the first time PRO and the PSRA have entered a labor dispute. In 2014, after negotiations between PRO and the PSRA soured — with both sides filing complaints against each other with the National Labor Relations Board — PRO locked the referees out, instead choosing to start the season with a collection of former MLS refs and a handful of other FIFA-certified refs. That lockout lasted three weeks, at which point the two sides agreed on a new, five-year-long CBA, the first-ever between PRO and its referees. Things also turned sour in 2019, when the two sides met to hash out the current CBA, with the PSRA again filing an unfair practices complaint with the NLRB and accusing PRO of delaying negotiations for months as the CBA deadline approached. The PSRA eventually voted to authorize a strike, though it never came to that, with the two sides eventually reaching an agreement in February of that year.(Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
‘I have to set the tone’: Behind the scenes with the MLS Cup officiating crew
“Two minutes!” The call comes from a matchday assistant, letting everyone in the locker room know when they’re expected on the field. Deep inside the bowels of Lower.com field, the home of Columbus Crew, you can feel the dull thud of the public address system and hear the muffled chants and stomps from supporters above. We’re moments away from MLS Cup 2023, and the locker room denizens are pacing around, performing gameday rituals while a boombox in the corner blares. At the moment, it’s “Lose Yourself,” by Eminem.The captain offers final instructions to his teammates.“If we don’t work as a team,” he belts out, “we won’t succeed. So this is it, boys, there’s no tomorrow.”The group huddles together, arms slung over each other’s shoulders in a circle. You can almost smell the nervous energy. Or maybe it’s just the Bengay, or the Tiger Balm.You see, this isn’t the Crew’s locker room, nor does it belong to LAFC, their opponents in this edition of MLS Cup, the final match of the league’s longest-ever season. To arrive at this place, you’ll walk much further down the hall, past the kitchen, the utility room and the small changing area for Crew Cat, Columbus’ feline mascot. Swing the door open, walk past the pile of match balls, the table full of commemorative coins, and the stack of yellow and red cards and you’ll arrive at the changing area for the game’s officials.The league’s championship match is a pivotal moment for every person here. For some, it may be the apex of an often thankless career. The game’s players earned their spot in the championship match via their performances on the field and so has this crew, hand-selected to represent the best American officiating has to offer.Among them is 37-year-old Armando Villarreal, a first-generation Mexican-American who started refereeing four- and five-year-old kids in his father’s rec league in Brownsville, Texas, in the early 2000s. Two decades years later, Villarreal is among the American game’s most distinguished officials, one of the few to earn the right to call FIFA international matches and one of the tiny group to have officiated at a men’s World Cup. Villarreal refereed the very first game of the 2023 MLS season on Feb. 25. Now, nine months and 521 matches later, he will be the center referee for its last.
“Today,” Villarreal says to his crew just before they take the field, “we will have the best game of our lives.”
(Pablo Maurer)
About 24 hours before the opening kickoff, Alan Kelly walks the pitch at Lower.com Field in a peacoat and slacks. A three-time MLS referee of the year, Kelly has taken part in multiple MLS Cups and a laundry list of other important matches. In other years, he would probably be out here in athletic gear, but he retired two years ago.It’s not the easiest exercise for him. Kelly is a third-generation referee and he confesses that he’ll still call the occasional college match just to get his fix. The Irish-born 48-year-old now serves as the director of senior referees for the Professional Referee Organization (PRO) and he was largely responsible for selecting the crew who will call tomorrow’s title match.“Every single referee starts the season looking to get that phone call,” says Kelly. “The call where someone tells them they’ve been assigned to MLS Cup.”
This will be Villarreal’s second MLS Cup. He will be joined by a distinguished crew: assistant referees Cameron Blanchard and Ian McKay, fourth official Jon Freemon, video assistant referee (VAR) Kevin Stott and assistant VAR TJ Zablocki. Kelly and others at PRO used a fairly straightforward set of principles to select the crew, with a special focus on playoff form.“If you don’t have a good game in the playoffs, you will not advance to the next round,” Villarreal says. “A player misses a penalty, now they’re out. Same for referees. We have to make good decisions to keep on going, and I think I’ve gotten the big decisions right.”This year’s edition of the MLS postseason has not been without its share of referee-related controversy. There have been on-field incidents — razor-thin offside calls, debatable yellow and red cards and a missed handball that may have fundamentally changed the outcome of a conference semifinal — but also plenty of chatter about what’s transpired off the pitch.
n the playoffs’ opening round, Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini was ejected in the dying moments of his team’s matchup against LAFC for arguing with center referee Tim Ford. In his postgame remarks, Sartini said jokingly that if Ford were to be found dead in a local creek, Sartini would be the prime suspect. The coach later apologized and was eventually issued a five-match ban.Perhaps the most impactful playoff officiating moment concerned FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga, who entered the referee’s locker room after his side’s opening-round match against the New York Red Bulls. Accounts vary of what transpired after Miazga entered the changing area, with the Professional Soccer Referees Association suggesting that the player was “forcibly removed” and others suggesting that Miazga’s behavior was more tempered. All sides, though, seem to agree that he had no real business being there, and Miazga was issued a three-match suspension.
Earlier on MLS Cup day, MLS commissioner Don Garber offered his thoughts at his annual state of the league address, suggesting referee safety was a “massive priority” for the league. Kelly, for his part, seems exhausted by the still-ongoing discourse surrounding Miazga’s behavior.
“In-stadium security is something that we shouldn’t be overly concerned about,” Kelly says. “But we are.”
There are other concerns, as well. Like MLS players, PRO referees operate under a collective bargaining agreement. The current version of that agreement is set to expire this coming January and negotiations for a new one are ongoing. The terms of the current edition, a copy of which was obtained by The Athletic, lay bare some of the challenges faced by professional referees in addition to abuse from fans, players and coaches. Center referees in MLS make a base pay of anywhere from about $50,000 to a little over $100,000, depending on the number of matches they’ve called. Assistants and VARs have their own pay scale. This is supplemented by pay for individual matches, which varies. A fourth official can make as little as $600 for a regular-season match, whereas the center ref can make $1350. That pay scale slides upwards as the postseason progresses. The crew at MLS Cup, for example, will make nearly five times that amount.
Higher-end officials in PROs pool of about 120 referees make a comfortable enough living, but things are particularly meager for referees during their “probationary” period, in their first two-years of full-time service. They can face many of the same challenges senior referees do — the constant travel and criticism — for comparative peanuts. The advent of video review, where plays are picked apart in granular detail, has only added to the pressure.You truly have to wonder — what sort of person even wants to start doing this job?
Villarreal says that after he started calling youth matches, his sporting heroes changed from superstar players to the region’s more notable referees: Baldomero Toledo, Ricardo Salazar and Jair Marrufo among them. Meeting Toledo, Villarreal says, “was like meeting a rockstar, for me.”“Growing up, everyone wants to play,” Villarreal continues. “Everyone wants to be a professional player. But as soon as you start refereeing, you get into this passion. It is a challenge at every level, from little kids all the way up to the professionals. But I do think we are programmed differently. As referees we need a strong personality, sometimes we have to change our personality. Sometimes we have to be the good cop, other times we have to be the bad cop. We do have to have very thick skin, especially at the professional level. Because the hatred is out there.”
(Pablo Maurer)
It’s Saturday, about two hours before the opening kick of MLS Cup, Villarreal and the rest of his crew load onto a bus headed for the stadium.
Stott, tonight’s VAR, sits at the back. He’s spent the morning mentally preparing by going on a long run with his two young sons. At 56, Stott is the eldest of the group by far, and his teammates hold him in a sort of reverence. A California native, this trip out to Columbus has given Stott a bit of a break from his day job as a middle-school math teacher, something he’s done for nearly three decades. He’s also easily the longest-tenured continuously-serving pro referee in U.S. Soccer history.Stott retired from center refereeing duties last year after calling 382 MLS matches during his career. That number grows to nearly 600 games when you add in his assignments as a fourth official, VAR and AVAR, and his statistics become even more impressive when you factor in the fact that he spent much of his career calling matches during a time when assignment opportunities were limited by the tiny number of teams in MLS, sometimes as few as 10.His presence here keeps another streak alive: Stott has taken part in a playoff match in every year of the league’s existence. This is his seventh MLS Cup.“I still have the same excitement as back in my first one,” Stott says. “The excitement is still there, the nerves in the stomach are still there. I’m just looking forward to the experience. The feelings haven’t changed much over the 28 years.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Earlier in the day, Stott and others convened in a small meeting room at their hotel and received their match shirts and shorts, all emblazoned with commemorative lettering celebrating the occasion.Quickly, that get-together turned into a roast of Villarreal, the shortest member of the crew. “We got you some youth shorts,” said Kelly, “and your shirts are tailored just the way you like them.” Just like players, many referees have special requests when it comes to equipment. Villarreal likes his sleeves a little tighter than most, in case you’re wondering, and he seems to take special interest in his on-field appearance: hair perfectly coiffed, uniform neatly-pressed.Their bus to the match hurtles through downtown Columbus accompanied by a police escort. The sidewalks are lined with Crew fans, all decked out in the team’s iconic black-and-gold colors, and a few of them seem to have spotted the placard on the windshield of the vehicle that reads “MLS OFFICIALS.” Those fans raise their voices, and their middle fingers as well. There’s very little conversation on the ride over, and for the first time all weekend, you feel the big-game nerves creeping in.
“I’m still going to approach this game like any other game,” says Villarreal. “It’s 90 minutes, overtime if needed. But you can’t deny that it’s the championship. The focus, the concentration is maybe even a little bit higher than normal because one decision can determine the champion of the entire league.
“I know all of these players. I’ve already reffed them throughout the season, and last year and the year before, you name it. We have a reputation with them. The most important thing, for me, is that I want to let them know what they are going to get today. When they see me warming up, I want them to say ‘ok, it’s Armando, I know he’s going to call the game this particular way’ or ‘we cannot speak to him in a certain way.’ I have to set the tone.”It’s clear that the officials have done their research on both teams. Villarreal knows that Columbus midfielder Darlington Nagbe, for example, was fouled a game-high seven times during the Crew’s conference final against Cincinnati. He isn’t seeking to protect that player in particular, but knows to look for persistent infringement and to keep the game moving.“Be ready for the fans, be ready for everything,” Villarreal says to his crew as the match approaches. “If we don’t talk to each other (over our earpieces) for 10 minutes, and nothing is happening? No worries. That’s fine. But if something happens, then we communicate. We have to communicate.”Villarreal turns to Freemon, his fourth official.“Your number one priority is not the benches. It’s the field. Always have your eyes on the field, as much as you f—ing can. It could be you making that big decision tonight. One team gets a quick counterattack? Then boom, I’m out. Maybe I won’t have the best angle. So be read. You’ll talk to the benches but the priority tonight is on the field.”The crew walks down the hall and joins the players for the pregame walkout. Nagbe is at the head of Columbus’ line and he greets Villarreal warmly. LAFC captain Carlos Vela offers his own embrace. The group walks through the stadium’s field-level fan lounge, through the tunnel and out onto the field. After pre-match fireworks and a screeching flyover by a pair of fighter jets, Villarreal raises his whistle to his lips and gets things underway.
(Pablo Maurer)
The opening moments of the match feel like they almost always do when a championship is on the line: nervy and a little disjointed.
Villarreal involves himself almost immediately in the fourth minute when LAFC defender Diego Palacios commits a tactical foul against Columbus attacker Diego Rossi near the center stripe. It’s a possible yellow card, but Palacios escapes with a stern warning. The home crowd explodes six minutes later, when Crew midfielder Aiden Morris goes down at the edge of the penalty area, his teammates raising their arms and pleading for a penalty. Without hesitation, Villarreal tells Morris to get off the ground and continue playing. No call.
As he said he’d do a day earlier, Villarreal is setting the tone early on and things are moving smoothly. Half an hour into the match, though, he faces his first massive decision of the evening.
Columbus winger Yaw Yeboah swings a dangerous cross into the area, which Rossi gets his boot on. The ball deflects up and towards Palacios and seemingly hits his chest, and then his arm. Villarreal, who has himself positioned about 10 yards away, has a perfect angle on the play and immdiately calls for a penalty. Several LAFC players attempt to dissuade him but Villarreal holds firm, motioning to his arm and going to his earpiece to communicate with Stott and others in the VAR booth.Villarreal’s attention to detail in terms of his appearance comes to the forefront here. Much of his job is about projecting an image of confidence and authority and his body language and demeanor goes a long way towards doing that here. In the end, replays show that he undoubtedly made the right call, as Palacios’ arm was extended far from his body and changed the trajectory of a dangerous ball. LAFC’s protests don’t last long.
Villarreal saw a clear penalty for handball (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Columbus nets that PK and adds another goal by the halftime whistle. As they re-enter the locker room for halftime, Villarreal and his crew debrief and prepare for the second half.“Great work, boys,” says Villarreal, seated at his locker in the corner. “Things have been fast paced, let’s keep it up. I think the first couple of fouls were key, we set the tone.” Nagbe does not seem to be a target, Villarreal says, as he’s only been fouled twice in the opening 45.Quickly, the conversation turns to the pivotal moment of the half: the penalty call.“His arm was clearly extended,” Villarreal says. “It was in an unnatural position. Had I been positioned a little more to the right, it would’ve been a tougher call but I had a great view. There was just no doubt about it, it was clear.”
In most ways, the first half could not have gone better for this crew. They’re potentially 45 minutes away from success, but Villarreal knows that every second of the match that presents itself is another chance for error, another chance to be written into the history books for the wrong reasons.
“Whatever happened in the first half is in the past,” he says to his crew as they re-enter the tunnel and walk towards the field. “The second half is an entirely different game.”It does not take long for LAFC to present Villarreal with another key decision. Crew attacker Cucho Hernandez receives a pass on the far sideline and starts a counterattack. As he crosses midfield, LAFC forward Carlos Vela — likely playing in his final match ever for the club — lunges out at him desperately, his studs up on one foot. There’s contact, and Hernandez goes to ground, rolling around in an attempt to sell a red card.On the surface, it does seem like a clear red. But Villarreal, again, is well-positioned. McKay is on the same side as the action and has his own angle as he runs upfield with Columbus’ backline. Villarreal goes to his earpiece to see if the play will be recommended for review, but it isn’t.
“We did talk about it,” Villarreal will say later about the challenge. “But it was a fairly clear yellow card.”
On replay, it becomes apparent why: Vela did not make contact with his studs, instead fouling Hernandez with the laces of his other boot, which trailed behind. Villarreal’s call feels correct, if only by inches, and the match proceeds.LAFC pulls within one about 10 minutes from the final whistle and the flow of the match changes entirely. Things get frantic as full-time approaches and Villarreal is again called into action when Italian legend Giorgio Chiellini, playing in the final game of his career, clatters awkwardly into Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. There’s not much in the challenge at all, and Schulte makes a meal of it.
Chiellini, who is no stranger to simulation, taunts his opponent and motions for him to get up and get things moving again. Villarreal, a full five years younger than Chiellini and about six inches shorter, positions himself between the two players and sternly tells the Italian to walk away, pointing upfield. “When I have players like that and situations like that, I have to be smart, because of my height” Villarreal later says, laughing. “If I have two big players, and I put myself between them, I might be on the floor a few seconds later. If it’s one, two, three players, I try to manage. If it’s four, five, six seven players, I’m out of there.”
(Pablo Maurer)
Villarreal blows the final whistle and his crew assembles near midfield, forming a bit of a welcoming line. It feels obvious enough that they’ve called a fair match, one without incident, as only a smattering of LAFC players show up to complain, and they do so half-heartedly. LA manager Steve Cherundolo asks about an offside call but mostly shows up as a display of sportsmanship, greeting each official. Italian legend Chiellini, just moments after drawing Villarreal’s ire, finds him and offers him a warm embrace and a few kind words.
In the days leading up to the match, every member of the staff has been open and welcoming but also maybe a bit reserved. Now, their guard falls a bit. McKay, the AR who was participating in his first MLS Cup, grows emotional.
“This is not one game of release, now that it’s over,” he says. “For me this is 21 years of release. This is a whole career of release. All I can do is think of the 21 years of grinding that led up to this.”
McKay is holding his tears back, but as the rest of the crew stand in line to receive their post-match medals, Villarreal breaks down entirely. Tears roll down his face as he’s comforted by his teammates and by ex-referee Mark Geiger, PRO’s general manager.“I’m thinking about my family,” says Villarreal. “About everything we went through. All the ups and downs, you know? Especially my wife, you know? She has been there since day one. We had a lot of downs.”Villarreal cuts himself off, unable to complete his thought. He winds his way back through the tunnels under the stadium and arrives back at the locker room with the rest of his staff. He finds Stott, and wraps his arms around him. “You are the GOAT,” Villarreal says. Stott, who seems like a generally reserved guy, tries his hand at comforting Villarreal, who is still overcome by the gravity of the moment.The crew gets changed and unpacks the game, from the handball to Vela’s yellow. You get the feeling that the tone would’ve been very different had there been more controversy. Tonight, there is a sense of satisfaction, of a job well done.
Things are a little wilder in Columbus’ locker room, where the champagne has already been uncorked and the music is blasting. In their own way, though, the officials down the hall have also contributed to the grand nature of this match, mostly by staying out of the way.And you can very much feel that in this moment. Even at the apex of their careers, the most a referee can really hope for is to not be perceived as part of a match. When they do their job correctly, they are largely invisible. By definition, it is very much a thankless job.It does not seem to matter to Villarreal. The tears are gone now. He laughs when he thinks back to his humble origins. When he first started, he recalls, they made him wear a massive, neon-green shirt. On the back, it read “REFEREE IN TRAINING,” a student driver bumper sticker come to life. Things are a little different now.“I have a wife and two kids, a six-year-old daughter and a three-year-old boy,” says Villarreal. “We miss birthdays, anniversaries, you name it. But this job comes with perks as well, I have gotten to see all kinds of places. From where I was born at, in Brownsville? I never thought I was going to leave Brownsville. And now I’m here, and working all over the world. It’s amazing.”(Top photo: Pablo Maurer)
Pablo Maurer is a staff writer for The Athletic who covers soccer, with a particular focus on the history and culture of the game. His writing and photography have been featured in National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Gothamist and a variety of other outlets. Follow Pablo on Twitter @MLSist
12:45 pm Para+, TUDN PSV (Tillman,Pepi, Dest) vs Arsenal
12:45 pm CBSSN Lens vs Sevilla
3 pm Para+ Man U vs Bayern Munich
3 pm Para+ Union Berlin (Aaronson) vs Real Madrid
3 pm CBS SN Inter vs Real Sociedad
Wed, Dec 13 – Champions League
12:45 pm Para+ Leipzig vs Young Boys
3 pm Para+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs PSG
3 pm Para+ New Castle vs AC Milan(Musah, Pulisic)
3 pm CBS SN Atletico Madrid vs Lazio
3 pm Para+ Celtic (Carter-Vickers) vs Feyenord
3 pm Para+ Antwerp vs Barcelona
Thurs Dec 14 Europa League
12:45 pm CBSSN Rennes vs Villareal
12:45 pm Para+ Union Saint vs Liverpool
12”45 pm Para+ Roma vs Sheriff
12:45 pm Para+ Zrinjski vs Aston Villa
3 pm CBSSN, Para Real Betis vs Rangers ( )
3 pm Para+ Brighton vs Olympique Marsielle
Fri, Dec 15
2:30 pm ESPN+ Gladbach (Pefok, Scally) vs Werder Bremen
2:45 pm Para+ Genoa vs Juventus (McKennie, Musah)
3 pm USA Nottingham Forest (Turner) vs Tottenham
Sat, Dec 17
10 am USA Man City vs Crystal Palace (Richards)
10 am peacock New Castle United vs Fulham (Reem, Jedi)
12 noon CBSSN Napoli vs Caglairi
12:30 pm NBC Burnley vs Everton
Sun, Dec 18
9 am USA Arsenal vs Brighton
9 am peacock West Ham vs Wolverhampton
11:30 am CBSSN Balongna vs Roma
11:30 am NBC Liverpool vs Man United
1:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Stutgart
3 pm ESPND + Real Madrid vs Villareal
8:30 pm univsion America vs Tigres UANL
Tues, Dec 19
2:45 pm USA Everton vs Fulham (Reem, Jedi) (League Cup)
3 pm Peacock Chelsea vs New Castle (league cup)
Weds, Dec 20
2:30 pm ESPN+ Frankfurt (Aaronson) vs MGladbach (Pefok, Scally)
2:45 pm USA Liverpool vs West Ham (League Cup)
Thurs, Dec 21
9 pm TUDN America vs Barcelona Friendly
Fri, Dec 22
3 pm USA Aston Villa vs Sheffield United
Sat, Dec 17
12:30 NBC Liverpool vs Arsenal
2:45 pm Para+ Roma vs Napoli
Reffing
Boys Showcase at Grand Park last tourney of the season with Jimmy Jean and Jeff Perry Friday Dang Cold
Saturday Showcase with Brent Myers & Harry Rybolt not quite so cold today.
Casey Dodd & William Finch with yours truly – Sunday – Boys Showcase – dang cold again.
Champions League: Who has qualified, what all teams need
Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FCNov 29, 2023, 05:08 PM ET
The UEFA Champions League group stage is reaching its conclusion, with only four places in the knockout rounds still up for grabs on Matchday 6. This is the final season of the multigroup format, before it becomes a 36-team competition with all clubs in one league table. We take a look at who is through and how can still seal their places. The top two teams in each group qualify for the round of 16, the third-placed clubs drop into the Europa League knockout playoff round, and those who finish bottom are eliminated.
Qualified for round of 16 (12/16): Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Real Sociedad, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven
Eliminated (10/16): Union Berlin, FC Salzburg, Benfica, Celtic, Antwerp, Young Boys, Red Star Belgrade, Feyenoord, Sevilla, Lens
Tiebreakers: 1) Points 2) Head-to-head points in games involving the tied teams 3) Goal difference in head-to-head matches involving the tied teams 4) Goals scored in head-to-head matches involving the tied teams — If the above tiebreaker initially involves 3 or 4 teams, it is reapplied to resolve any remaining tiebreaker among fewer clubs 5) Goal difference in all group matches 6) Goals scored in all group matches 7) Away goals scored in all group matches 8) Wins in all group matches 9) Away wins in all group matches 10) Disciplinary points 11) UEFA club coefficient.
This page will be updated throughout the final rounds of the group stage.
FC Copenhagen are guaranteed to qualify in second with a win, or with a draw if Manchester United draw or lose.
Galatasaray have to beat FC Copenhagen, which will secure second place.
Manchester United have to beat Bayern and hope FC Copenhagen vs. Galatasaray is a draw. However, United are guaranteed at least a place in the Europa League if they win.
Real Sociedad and Inter Milan have both qualified for the round of 16.
Top spot will be decided when the two teams meet in Italy on the final night. Real Sociedad will top the group with a win or draw, Inter require a victory.
FC Salzburg hold the Europa League place, and they will secure it if they win or draw against Benfica, or if they lose by one goal.
Benfica must beat FC Salzburg by 2+ goals to make the Europa League.
Atletico Madrid and Lazio have qualified and face each other in Spain on Matchday 6. Atletico will top the group with a win or draw, while Lazio need a victory.
Feyenoord will drop into the Europa League knockout playoff round
Barcelona sit on top of the group and are through to the round of 16. They will win the group unless they lose in Antwerp, and Shakhtar beat FC Porto while overtaking Barca on goal difference. As Barca hold a goal difference advantage of seven this is unlikely.
FC Porto and Shakhtar meet in Portugal level on points.
FC Porto won the first meeting of the sides so will be through with a win or draw, though they cannot win the group. Shakhtar Donetsk must win to progress.
Antwerp have been eliminated.
USMNT midweek viewing guide: Everything to play for
This week will determine whether Pulisic and Musah advance in Champions League, Europa League, or drop out of European competition altogether. Stars and Stripes
Tuesday
PSV vs Arsenal, 12:45p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, Fubo (free trial), Univision NOW, ViX: Ricardo Pepi, Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman, and PSV have already clinched a spot in the Champions League knockout round, thanks in large part to Pepi’s game-winner against Sevilla. Arsenal have clinched the top spot in the group. PSV boss Peter Bosz has already confirmed Tillman will start.
Union Berlin vs Real Madrid, 3p on Paramount+, Galavision, Fubo, Univision NOW, ViX: Brenden Aaronson and Union Berlin are last in Champions League Group C, but if they somehow beat Real Madrid, they could potentially make it into Europa League. Madrid have already clinched top of the group.
Also in action:
Huddersfield vs Preston, 2:45p: Duane Holmes and Preston play Holmes’ old club Huddersfield away in the Championship.
Wednesday
Borussia Dortmund vs PSG, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, Fubo, Univision USA, ViX: Gio Reyna and BVB are 3 points clear atop Champions League Group F, and a win or draw over PSG would secure first place in the group.
Newcastle United vs AC Milan, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and Milan are last in a very tight Group F. A win will get them into Europa League. A win and a PSG loss would see them through to the Champions League knockout rounds.
Also in action:
Coventry vs Southampton, 2:45p: Haji Wright and Coventry are at home in Championship action.
QPR vs Plymouth Argyle, 2:45p: Reggie Cannon and QPR host Plymouth Argyle in the Championship.
Celtic vs Feyenoord, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic have already been eliminated, even from Europa League contention. This will be the best club opponent CCV faces for 9 months unless he leaves Celtic.
Antwerp vs Barcelona, 3p: Sam Vines is not eligible for Champions League due to a clerical error (he also hasn’t played for the club since September 3 due to injury).
Thursday
Legia Warsaw vs AZ, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Djordje Mihailovic and AZ need to beat Legia on the road to advance out of Conference League Group E.
Aberdeen vs Eintracht Frankfurt, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Paxten Aaronson and Frankfurt have already clinched second in the Conference League group (knockout round playoffs) and cannot improve their position. Dante Polvara and Aberdeen are already eliminated.
Tigres vs América, 4p: Alex Zendejas and Club América play in the first leg (away) in the Liga MX Apertura final. TV details not available at time of publishing.
Also in action:
LASK Linz vs Toulouse, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: George Bello and LASK Linz are last in Europa League Group E. A win and a Union St-Gilloise loss would get them into Conference League.
Genk vs Čukarički, 12:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Mark McKenzie and Genk need a win and a Ferencváros loss to emerge from Conference League Group F.
Friday
Mönchengladbach vs Werder Bremen, 2:30p on ESPN+: Jordan Pefok, Joe Scally, and Gladbach host Bremen in the Bundesliga.
Genoa vs Juventus, 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie and Juve travel to Genoa in Serie A.
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham, 3p on USA, Universo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, Fubo, Sling: Matt Turner has regained his starting spot with Forest, and will face Spurs in Premier League action.
Monaco vs Lyon, 3p on beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español, Fubo, Sling, Fanatiz: Folarin Balogun and Monaco host Lyon in Ligue 1.
Also in action:
Schalke vs Greuther Fürth, 12:30p on ESPN+: Julian Green, Maxi Dietz, and Fürth go on the road vs Schalke in the 2. Bundesliga.
Westerlo vs Eupen, 2:45p: Bryan Reynolds, Griffin Yow, and Westerlo welcome Gaga Slonina and Eupen for this Belgium first division match.
USMNT player tracker: Matt Turner back in favour and Ricardo Pepi’s patience pays off
Every Monday this season, we will be bringing you updates on the USMNT players plying their trade in various leagues around Europe, ahead of a huge summer that includes the Copa America and with a World Cup on home soil on the horizon.This week, we are covering hope for goalkeepers, patience paying off and lessons learned in Italy.
Issue of the weekend
What’s that flickering faintly in Nottingham? Is it a light at the end of the tunnel for Matt Turner?The USMNT first-choice ’keeper was back in the starting line-up for his embattled team at the weekend after being benched for Nottingham Forest’s previous five games.He may not have kept a clean sheet in the 1-1 draw with Wolves at Molineux, but Steve Cooper’s strugglers avoided defeat and that, at least, was a start.Coming after Odysseas Vlachodimos — Turner’s rival for the No 1 spot — conceded 12 goals in the last four consecutive defeats for Forest, the point on Saturday will have been a relief for both club and ’keeper.The chance to get back on the field will have provided much-needed respite for the 29-year-old, who would have been forgiven for wondering whether his summer switch to the City Ground had backfired dismally.
Matt Turner is back for Nottingham Forest (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
Turner left Arsenal to seek first-team football, feeling it was important for him to be in peak condition for this summer’s Copa America. At first, it seemed to be going well as he started the first 10 Premier League games of the season, but the late arrival of Greece international Vlachodimos in the summer transfer window raised questions over Turner’s long-term job security.Those fears were clear when Cooper dropped the former New England Revolution player in October after he was adjudged to have been at fault for Mohamed Salah’s goal in Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Anfield.Turner had two clean sheets in the league from those 10 games, but his successor has not fared much better. Vlachodimos has one from five and Cooper is desperately seeking solutions as he battles to save his job.Whether Turner can now keep his spot remains to be seen, but a scenario that looked difficult when he was dropped and raised the issue of whether a loan exit was required in January looks a bit brighter for now.
It’s worth examining the Forest goalkeeper situation in a bit more depth, as their quest to avoid a relegation battle will have an outsized impact on the USMNT goalkeeper’s readiness for the Copa América next summer. Turner has conceded 16 goals while facing 53 shots, a far better rate of prevention than Odysseas Vlachodimos’ 12 allowed from 23 shots.
In fact, only Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone has a worse goals prevented rate when comparing the goals they’ve conceded to the expected goal rate.We’ve sorted the table above by shot prevented rate, which adjusts for the volume of shots to analyse the degree to which a keeper concedes at a rate above or below expectation.In that sense, Vlachodimos has been one of the league’s poorest shot-stoppers among goalkeepers who have played at least 450 minutes to date. And while Turner’s 0.9 rate is just below what you’d hope for from a starting Premier League goalkeeper, it’s in line with positional peers who are in far less danger over losing their place atop the depth chart.Forest have plenty to stress over as Steve Cooper’s future hangs in the balance with every result. However, Turner has been, at worse, a dependable starter whose gloves should keep his team in games.Turner has also proven better than Vlachodimos in a couple of pre-shot metrics. Currently, Turner is stopping 8.4 per cent of opponents’ crosses into the mixer (1.45 stops per 90), while the Greece international is only stopping 3.3 per cent of crosses. Additionally, Turner averages 1.36 sweeper actions beyond the box per 90, well above Vlachodimos’ 0.4 per 90. In short, the U.S. international isn’t just preventing more goals than his rival — he’s doing his team a favour by cutting down on their opponents’ dangerous chances before they even get to shooting.
Jeff Rueter
Player of the weekend
Patience is a virtue for Ricardo Pepi. The USMNT forward may not have started a single Eredivisie fixture for all-conquering PSV Eindhoven yet this term, but last week he enhanced his super-sub status with his fourth goal of the campaign.Pepi faces the unenviable task of getting into the starting XI ahead of team captain Luuk De Jong, who has 10 goals and six assists in PSV’s 15 league games.
His club are flying high. They have taken maximum points from every league game so far and booked their place in the Champions League knockout stage last month when Pepi scored again in their 3-2 win at Sevilla.
Ricardo Pepi (left) has impressed for PSV (Erwin Scheriau/APA/AFP via Getty Images)
So even though the 20-year-old might be a touch frustrated at not getting more starts, he will be encouraged to be playing in what might be a special season for his team, alongside USMNT team-mates Sergino Dest and Malik Tillman. The latter pair both started in the 2-0 win over Herenveen, sealed by Pepi’s goal scored just 60 seconds after coming on last Thursday.Tillman has five goals and two assists in 11 league appearances for PSV and Dest is flourishing after his difficult spell on loan at AC Milan last season.
Quote of the weekend
“The things I’ve learned here are definitely tactical. Playing in Germany it was more back and forth, the same in England, lots of running, but here it is very tactical, all about the position. That is something I needed to improve in my game instead of running around like a headless chicken.”
This was what Weston McKennie told DAZN after he started in Juventus’ 1-0 win over Napoli, helping to keep his side’s Serie A title race alive and pressure on leaders Inter.
How did other U.S. players get on?
Name: Christian Pulisic Club: AC Milan Position: Forward
According to Opta, only Marcus Thuram (12) has more goal contributions among Serie A newcomers this year than Pulisic (8: 5 goals, 3 assists). Pulisic created his latest in Milan’s 3-2 defeat against Atalanta on Saturday.
Pulisic was on form against Atalanta (Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)
Name: Rokas Pukstas Club: Hajduk Split Position: Midfielder
The Oklahoma-born U.S. under-20 international is having an impressive season for his Croatian club despite a knee-ligament injury that caused him to miss eight games. He has three goals from 10 league appearances for Hajduk and has proved very capable in a variety of roles: from defensive midfield and right-winger to a more attacking remit. Pukstas, who joined the club aged 16, will be hoping for a special season, with Hajduk top of the SuperSport HNL, seven points ahead of rivals Dinamo Zagreb.
It was a worrying moment for the USMNT international during his side’s game against Darmstadt on Saturday. His unfortunate 60th-minute deflected own goal left the hosts 2-1 down. Seven minutes later, he was subbed off. Fortunately, Heidenheim came back to win 3-2 and Maloney’s strong season to date will not be blemished by his slice of misfortune.
What’s coming up?
This week sees the final group games of this season’s Champions League and all eyes will be on Pulisic’s AC Milan to see if they can make it out of Group F. They will need to beat Newcastle at St James’ Park and hope Dortmund beat Paris Saint-Germain in Germany (Wednesday, 2pm, Paramount +).
Pulisic will be wanting international team-mate Gio Reyna, of the already qualified Dortmund, to do him a favour (and get himself some rare minutes) against PSG the same evening (Paramount +, TUDN, Univision).Brenden Aaronson has a big game too. His Union Berlin side face Real Madrid on Tuesday, although the German side cannot qualify for the knockout stages (Tuesday, 2pm, Paramount +).
Greg O’Keeffe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering US soccer players in the UK & Europe. Previously he spent a decade at the Liverpool Echo covering news and features before an eight-year stint as the paper’s Everton correspondent; giving readers the inside track on Goodison Park, a remit he later reprised at The Athletic. He has also worked as a news and sport journalist for the BBC and hosts a podcast in his spare time.
PSG’s crucial Champions League game will define their season
Julien Laurens, CorrespondentDec 12, 2023, 04:00 AM ET
Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani maybe went a little too far. “The game against Dortmund? Our lives are at stake,” he said after Saturday’s 2-1 win against Nantes. He certainly didn’t mean it literally, but the basic idea is clear: Borussia Dortmund vs. PSG is huge for the Parisians.Their final Champions League Group F fixture on Wednesday is the game that will define their season, which is saying something considering it’s the second week of December.PSG’s German opponents have already booked their place in the round of 16 but are not guaranteed to top the group. Meanwhile, PSG need a win to make sure they are through; if they do win away from home, they would finish first instead. A draw could be enough to advance to the knockout phase next February, but only if AC Milan win or draw in Newcastle United; defeat in Germany could still see PSG go through, but only if Newcastle vs. Milan ends in a draw. Another combination of results would see PSG suffer an ignominious drop into the Europa League.
“It is like a final,” added Kolo Muani, who has just celebrated his 25th birthday with a party in the French capital. There could be no better belated present for him and his teammates than a place in the next round. Despite the clear importance of Wednesday’s game and the pressure that comes with it, the camp is pretty calm and composed. On Saturday, the players clearly had their minds on Dortmund instead of focusing on Nantes, their opponents at the Parc des Princes. It was an inspiring performance and victory — Muani scored the winner seven minutes from time in a game PSG had largely dominated — and they probably celebrated his birthday more than they did the win over the Canaries.The only thing of note, perhaps, is Luis Campos’ consistent presence around the squad. The PSG sporting director did an interview before the Nantes game to remind everyone that his team “is not scared, and that it is an exciting game to play.” He was in the tunnel at half-time to congratulate the players for leading at the break, and he was there again after the victory. He is always hands-on when it comes to his role, but has been even more visible around the team these past few days.Wednesday’s game is massive for Campos as well, because it would be his failure to share if this team didn’t make it to the round of 16. PSG have done it every year since 2011-12, and missing out would make him the first sporting director of the club’s Qatar era to oversee such a embarrassment. He would not be able to explain his way out of it, either; he built this team in the summer, adding the likes of Kolo Muani, Manuel Ugarte, Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola at great expense. If they aren’t good enough to qualify, he would be to blame.Luis Enrique would also bear responsibility should the worst-case scenario come to pass. In a group that did not appear to be that tough for PSG when the draw was made — given the uneven domestic form of Newcastle, Dortmund and Milan this season — it would be seen as a disgrace if coach Luis Enrique didn’t get his team over this hurdle. There have been a lot of positives since he joined the club this past summer, and his team plays with a clear identity, but his tactics have been baffling at times. Take the 4-2-4 formation that failed at Newcastle, or keeping Goncalo Ramos on the bench until the 85th minute at home against the Magpies in the return fixture. Despite the pressure, the Spaniard is keeping cool; he’s not showing any signs of nervousness or tension to his players or his staff. The 53-year-old is experienced at the top level and is always confident in both his abilities and his team, regardless of the opposition. On Sunday morning, he was relaxed at the training session, laughing and joking with the players, switching to full preparation mode on Monday. On Sunday, Luis Enrique spoke to Lee Kang-In, who should replace Dembélé on the right wing against Dortmund. Dembélé’s suspension is a massive blow, as a lot of PSG’s build-up depends upon his partnership with Achraf Hakimi. A lot of the passing circuits go through him, making him their main creator. We saw it against Nantes, as PSG woke up when he came on with 25 minutes to go. Before that, the pace and rhythm of every PSG attack was a lot slower. Lee is a different type of player than the France international he’s replacing. He doesn’t have the same pace, but he can be a difference-maker with his dribbling precision and technical ability. Another reason Luis Enrique might be quite relaxed at the moment is because he knows he can count on Marquinhos and Warren Zaïre-Emery in midweek, as both successfully returned from injury on Saturday. The Brazilian defender played 60 good minutes, while the Paris-born prodigy came on for the last half-hour and looked as though he’d never been out of the team. Both of them will start in Germany, and PSG will be a better team for it. Like Luis Enrique said to his players, it is time for PSG to be a real team and take control of their destiny. It is all in Paris’ hands, and they simply can’t afford to buckle under the pressure on Wednesday like they have done in European campaigns of the past. Just as Kolo Muani claimed, their lives in the Champions League are at stake.
Newcastle v Milan in the Champions League is a huge game for both struggling teams
The so-called “Group of Death” has certainly lived up to its moniker so far — and, for Newcastle United and AC Milan, there is one last opportunity to progress to the Champions League knockout stages by claiming victory at St James’ Park on Wednesday night.For both, the ramifications of qualification would be huge, although failure to advance may have even further-reaching consequences.Neither, however, have their fate in their own hands.Both must win to have any chance of reaching the last 16 and they are also relying on already-qualified Borussia Dortmund doing them a favour at home against Paris Saint-Germain. Milan require a Dortmund victory, while Newcastle merely need the German side, who will finish as Group F winners with a draw, to avoid defeat. For Newcastle, a point will secure third place and Europa League football in 2024, while Milan must triumph to remain in continental competition beyond Christmas.
Group F standings
POSITION
TEAM
PLAYED
GOAL DIFFERENCE
POINTS
1
Borussia Dortmund (Q)
5
3
10
2
Paris Saint-Germain
5
1
7
3
Newcastle United
5
0
5
4
AC Milan
5
-4
5
With all Champions League eventualities still possible for both clubs, The Athletic’s Newcastle United correspondent Chris Waugh and Serie A writer James Horncastle outline how the two sides are shaping up heading into an enormously significant clash on Tyneside…
Why is this a big game for Newcastle?
Chris Waugh: The obvious answer is that, for just the second time in their history and for the first time since 2002-03, Newcastle have the opportunity to advance out of the Champions League group stages.In fact, qualification would mark Newcastle’s first journey into the knockout stages of Europe’s premier competition given there was a second pool stage when they progressed out of the first group 21 years ago.But, beyond that, the financial ramifications of going deeper into the tournament would be significant. Newcastle would receive an additional £10million to £15million ($12.6m to $18.9m) in revenue, as a minimum conservative estimate, and that will help slacken their financial fair play (FFP) limitations, potentially permitting Eddie Howe greater spending power in the January market and in subsequent windows. Quality players may also be more inclined to join a Newcastle side that progresses in the Champions League rather than one who are knocked out early.What’s more, following deflating back-to-back defeats against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, when Newcastle conceded a combined seven goals, this feels like a potentially season-defining fixture in a campaign that is close to teetering.
Newcastle’s recent defeats have been concerning (Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images)
Progress and the positive momentum could reignite Newcastle’s Premier League top-four push. Lose and exit Europe entirely and the deflation could have the opposite effect.
Why is this a big game for Milan?
James Horncastle: Milan are seven-time winners of this competition. It’s what the club built its reputation on and while Serie A has been left behind financially by the Premier League, forcing a change of model, expectations were raised last season when Milan made it to the semi-finals for the first time in 16 years.
Backing it up was always going to be tough, particularly as they entered the draw in pot four after a fourth-place finish in Serie A, which would have been fifth had Juventus not been deducted 10 points.
If Milan’s project is to maintain momentum, it needs Champions League revenue. The club made €80m from the competition last year and Sandro Tonali’s record sale to Newcastle was helped by the exposure he received by going deep in the tournament.
Dropping into the Europa League would be humbling. Finishing bottom would be humiliating.
Add to that Newcastle’s worrying away form — they have won only twice on the road all season and have not triumphed away from St James’ Park in the Champions League — and the premise is not entirely invalid.
Essentially, the root of Newcastle’s issues has been their absentee crisis. Their injury list has been so bloated — and has been exacerbated further by Tonali’s 10-month suspension, which rules the midfielder out of facing his former side — that Howe has regularly had 10 to 12 players unavailable in recent weeks. The same 10 outfield players have started the last five matches in the past 15 days and appear mentally and physically fatigued, though Howe has been reluctant to turn to his threadbare bench to lessen the workload.
Why are Milan struggling so much of late?
Horncastle: Milan won seven of their first eight games in the league and should have been in a commanding position in the Champions League. Unfortunately, back-to-back 0-0 results against Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund meant they obtained less than their 39 shots and 3.07 expected goals (xG) deserved from the opening couple of game weeks.
Since then, an injury crisis has mounted just as the fixture list has ratcheted up in difficulty. Milan’s defence has been ravaged. Fikayo Tomori is the only fit centre-half available and Theo Hernandez, the marauding full-back, has been forced to partner him in the middle. It has disarmed Milan’s uncontainable left-hand side, which has also been without game-changer and one-man tactic Rafael Leao.
The absence of Leao has been a big loss to Milan (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Silly red cards, the likes of which forced striker Olivier Giroud to finish the match in Genoa in goal, have also put stress on coach Stefano Pioli’s ability to rotate, a weakness of his at the best of times. The crisis got so bad that the debut of wonderkid Francesco Camarda was fast-tracked and, at 15, he became the youngest player ever to make an appearance in Serie A in the lucky win over Fiorentina.
Pioli is in his fifth season at Milan. Only Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini has been longer in his job in Serie A. The 58-year-old retains the club’s gratitude for delivering the Scudetto in 2022 and a Champions League semi-final last season, but there is concern an irreversible staleness is setting in. The club sold Tonali to completely overhaul the attack and avoid an anxious fourth-place finish. Earlier in the season, it looked to have worked. Alas, Milan are currently closer to 10th than top-of-the-table Inter.
What are the reasons for Newcastle’s injury issues?
Newcastle fought last season to qualify for the Champions League and have embraced the challenge, but, ironically, the additional high-intensity matches it brings have heightened the workload and compounded their injury problems.
Their determination to end the club’s 54-year trophy drought, which has seen Newcastle progress to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the second season in a row, has bloated the fixture list further. It is not something the club are complaining about as they want to be competitive on all fronts, but it means Newcastle have had midweek and weekend matches in every gameweek since the start of September and will do so until Boxing Day.
While Tonali’s absence has placed greater strain on other players — the presence of a Champions League-quality midfielder on the training field who cannot be used has been galling for Howe — so has the unfortunate nature of Newcastle’s cup draws. Alongside their so-called “Group of Death” in the Champions League, Newcastle have faced Manchester City (home) and Manchester United (away) in the Carabao Cup, with a trip to Chelsea to come in that competition, and have a first Wear-Tyne derby since 2016 at the Stadium of Light to navigate in the FA Cup. There have been no “easy” fixtures and there has been no respite.
What are the reasons for Milan’s injury issues?
Horncastle: Other coaches in Serie A, notably Lazio’s Maurizio Sarri, have complained about fixture congestion and how players are being “sent to slaughter” by playing so many games. But even within this context, Milan’s crisis is extreme.
Pioli has not changed his staff and the squad is deeper than last season, which makes the crisis even more confounding. It has led to scrutiny of recruitment. Players like Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, for instance, have a track record of spending chunks of the season on the treatment table. Pioli also picked the same XI for the first month of the campaign to settle in the Chelsea duo and fellow recruit, Tijjani Reijnders.
Since then, the player’s pre-game activation, load management and his aforementioned rotation strategy have come in for flak. It has been weird to see backup goalkeepers pick up muscle injuries in training. Pioli has been forced to use a substitution in the first half of four games, notably against Lazio, Juventus and Napoli, either to deal with one of his players tweaking a muscle or a sending-off.
Unlike Howe, who has given teenagers Lewis Miley and Lewis Hall Champions League minutes, Pioli has been reluctant to lean more on his youth team in the league. Camarda aside, it’s a mystery why talented kids like Jan-Carlo Simic and Clinton Nsiala haven’t been looked at in Serie A to help out a casualty-hit defence.
How are Newcastle supporters feeling?
Waugh: It is difficult to accurately gauge the overall mood given Newcastle are a heap of contradictions right now.
On the evidence of the last two performances, some Newcastle fans are undoubtedly feeling trepidation ahead of this massive fixture. Yet both of those defeats came on the road and the reality is that at St James’, they are a completely different outfit, particularly in the Premier League, where they have won seven of their eight fixtures. In the Champions League, Newcastle supporters can also conjure positive memories of that historic 4-1 hammering of PSG in October, even if their most recent European outing on Tyneside was a subdued 1-0 loss to Dortmund.
With Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson returning off the bench at Spurs and others such as Sven Botman and Joe Willock having an outside chance of coming back imminently, Newcastle’s injury picture is gradually improving, which is a real boost.
Undoubtedly, Newcastle supporters, led by Wor Flags’ pre-match display, will ensure a special, unforgettable atmosphere at St James’ and that should lift and inspire their fatigued players. Even if qualification is not in their own hands, Newcastle fans are determined to ensure their team delivers at their end — and then hope it is enough.
How are Milan supporters feeling?
Horncastle: The team was whistled after the 1-0 defeat to Udinese at San Siro last month and the mood wasn’t much better when Dortmund beat them in their own backyard a fortnight ago. Paolo Maldini, the club legend scorned by his dismissal as an executive in the summer, has not helped by accusing owners RedBird Capital of showing “no real respect for Milan’s identity and history”.
Maldini’s interview came in the same week Camarda broke his record as Milan’s youngest-ever player and the loss to Dortmund. For someone who claims to care about the club, it was a curious time to put the boot in.
Ordinarily, one might expect the ultras to rally behind him, but Maldini’s relationship with the Curva Sud is complicated. He was booed in his last appearance as a player for the club in 2009 because of his criticism of them. Pointedly the Sud, at the time, identified Franco Baresi as Milan’s true captain. Nevertheless, this is a critical period of the season for Milan. They are practically out of the title race and almost out of the Champions League and it’s not even 2024.If things deteriorate further, a repeat of the scenes in La Spezia in May when the ultras publicly dressed down the players probably isn’t far away.(Top image: Getty Images)
The race for five places in next season’s Champions League
Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FCDec 12, 2023, 04:00 AM ET
Two leagues will be rewarded with extra places in next season’s Champions League as part of the revamp to expand it to a 36-team competition — but who is likely to benefit?Four additional clubs will qualify compared to the current format. And two of those places will go to the leagues which perform best across all three European competitions this season.With the group stages of the Champions League (UCL), Europa League (UEL) and Europa Conference League (UECL) drawing to a close this week, we’ll start to get a clear picture of which leagues could get the two places.
How does it work?
It’s about the best average coefficient of all teams taking part in Europe for each country. Each win is worth two coefficient points, a draw gets you one, and you get nothing for a defeat. There are also bonus points for getting to certain stages, which helps gives extra prominence to those teams who do well in the higher-profile competitions.
Champions League bonus points 4 – Group stage participation 5 – Round of 16 1 – QF, SF, final
Europa League bonus points 4 – Group winners 2 – Group runners-up 1 – Round of 16, QF, SF, final
Europa Conference League bonus points 2 – Group winners 1 – Group runners-up 1 – SF, final
The points gained by all clubs are added together, and that total score is divided by the number of clubs a country has in Europe. That gives the coefficient average.How much would Champions League exit hurt Milan?Nicky Bandini explains how much of a disappointment exiting the Champions League at the group stage would be for AC Milan.
So wins aren’t worth more in the Champions League?
No, the coefficient system is designed to assess the overall strength of leagues. Wins are the same in all competitions, otherwise it would be impossible for those leagues with few or no teams in the UCL group stage to move up the coefficient ranking.The bonus points serve two purposes. Firstly, to give weight to the strength of the competitions on a sliding scale, and second to provide points to those teams taking part in the UCL who might get few positive results.In fact, it could be argued that it’s better for leagues to have some teams drop down into the UEL for the knockout rounds. Bonus points might be lower in the UEL, but each two-legged tie has five points up for grabs (four for the result and one for progressing to the next round.) If a team stay in the UCL, they might not get past the round of 16 and have little chance of adding to the country’s coefficient through wins.
Won’t this just turn out to be extra places for two top leagues?
If we look back at the previous five seasons, England and Spain take seven of the 10 slots, with Italy and Germany one each. Only in 2021-22 did one of the countries with fewer than four teams in the Champions League (the Netherlands) finish in the top two of average co-efficient. So yes, history tells us that it’s highly likely two of the top leagues will have five places in next season’s Champions League.
2022-23: England and Italy 2021-22: England and the Netherlands 2020-21: England, Spain 2019-20: Spain, Germany 2018-19: England, Spain
Right, so who’s in contention this season?
Going into the final round of group-stage games, and taking into account bonus points for those clubs who have already booked places in the round of 16, this is the top 10.
Realistically, the race for two extra places is going to be between the top four — Germany, England, Italy and Spain … the four leagues which already get four places in the competition.
What’s the state of play?
A league needs to keep as many teams as possible still active in the knockout rounds. By then, results are harder to come by as the fixtures become more difficult. The fewer teams in European competition, the less chance there is to compete for the top two. It’s even more important for England and Spain, who started with eight teams in Europe so each win is worth slightly less to the coefficient (as it gets divided by eight rather than seven.)
Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig have already secured safe passage and bonus points for progressing in the UCL. Union Berlin, meanwhile, have to beat Real Madrid to stand even a chance of playing in the UEL, so the probability is Germany will lose a team here. Bayer Leverkusen are straight through to the round of 16 of the UEL, though SC Freiburg may have to play in the knockout playoff round (another name for the round of 32) if they don’t win their group. Eintracht Frankfurt will be in the knockout playoff round of the UECL.
Advanced to round of 16: 4 Advanced, stage TBC: 2 TBC: 1
The Bundesliga is well out in front and clear favourites to get one of the extra places. It’s guaranteed to have six of its seven clubs still in European competition next year, so it could be that the other three league could be battling for one spot.
2. ENGLAND, 11.75
Arsenal and Manchester City are both through as group winners in the UCL, but the Premier League‘s other two teams are in peril. Manchester United are sure to continue in Europe if they beat Bayern Munich, but could tumble out of Europe by finishing bottom of their group. Newcastle United, meanwhile, need a point at home to AC Milan to at least be in the UEL, but all options are open — including being knocked out. Brighton, Liverpool and West Ham United are all through in the UEL, though only Jurgen Klopp’s men are certain of avoiding the playoff round. In the UECL, Aston Villa are through and must avoid defeat away to Zrinjski Mostar to be sure of topping the group.
Advanced to round of 16: 3 Advanced, stage TBC: 3 TBC: 2
The Premier League might be in second place right now, but it’s by fractions of a point. Lose two teams and the chances of that extra UCL place will be dramatically reduced.
3. ITALY, 11.71
Internazionale and Lazio have booked their place in the UCL round of 16, while Napoli are guaranteed at least the Europa League. AC Milan will have to win away to Newcastle to continue in Europe.
AS Roma and Atalanta are both through in the UEL, though the former could face the playoff round.
Fiorentina are also through in the UECL and need a point away to Ferencváros to top the group.
Advanced to round of 16: 3 Advanced, stage TBC: 3 TBC: 1
Serie A could yet have all seven clubs through, which would come at the expense of a Premier League team. The game between Newcastle and AC Milan could be very important in the race for five places.
4. SPAIN, 11.31
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad are all through in the UCL, but Sevilla must win at Lens to drop into the UEL. In the UEL, Real Betis could win the group or drop into the UECL but are sure of continuing, while Villarreal must win away to Stade Rennais to avoid the playoff round. sasuna failed to qualify for the Europa Conference League group stage.
Advanced to round of 16: 4 Advanced, stage TBC: 2 TBC: 1 Out: 1
Even though LaLiga has four teams through in the Champions League, armed with 16 points bonus points, Osasuna’s failure in qualifying has severely affected their hopes of making the top two. That said, they are going to have a guaranteed six clubs still in action in the New Year which means they cannot be ruled out.
So what’s important this week?
The direct league head to heads could prove crucial, especially Newcastle United vs. AC Milan and Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich. England could lose two teams to the benefit of Italy and Germany … or England could keep a full house of eight teams into 2024.Watch out for those bonus points too, as final league positions are going to be important. Winning a Europa League group gets two bonus points, plus an additional one for taking part of the round of 16, and it could make a big difference — especially as group runners-up must face a team that has dropped down from the Champions League in the UEL knockout playoff round. West Ham host Freiburg with top spot at stake, both are through but the Hammers need at least a draw to claim the extra bonus points.So, if one league manages to get several teams winning their UEL and UECL groups, it could create a crucial buffer.
Anything else?
Yes! The draw for the round of 16 of the UCL and the knockout playoff rounds of the UEL and UECL take place on Monday. The draw will no doubt throw up some head-to-head ties among the top four nations which will prove crucial, and the strength of opponents will also be important going forward.
Who gets the extra place?
If we assume the extra spots will go to one of the top leagues, it means fifth place will enter the Champions League and it will have eight (rather than seven) places in Europe. Other European berths drop down a place.If the Premier League gets it, the access will be:
Champions League: 1-5 Europa League: 6, FA Cup winners Europa Conference League: Carabao Cup winners
If the cup winners finish in the top 6, the European places could drop to 7th and 8th in the table.As Germany, Italy and Spain only have one cup competition, seventh would enter the UECL. If a team wins the UEL but doesn’t qualify for the UCL domestically, that league could have six places in the UCL — the five places to the leagues plus the UEL titleholders as an additional.
Columbus Crew stay true to their identity to win 3rd MLS Cup
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff WriterDec 9, 2023, 08:20 PM ET
COLUMBUS, Ohio – For Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, the most important thing going into Saturday’s MLS Cup was for the team to stick to its identity. If that were to happen, he believed, the rest would take care of itself.He was right.
Columbus recorded a convincing 2-1 victory against LAFC on Saturday night, delivering the club’s third MLS Cup and second since 2020.”That’s why we had the possibility and that’s why we won,” Nancy said. “I’m really proud of that as a coach. Yes, we can talk about that tactics and talk about a lot of things, but the performance that we had tonight was spot on.”As expected, the Crew were on the front foot to begin the game and after waves of consistent pressure, they were rewarded in the 30th minute.That’s when a touch from Diego Rossi in the top of the penalty area deflected off LAFC defender Diego Palacios‘ right shoulder area, then his outstretched hand and was called for a handball. The decision held up on video assisted review, after which Cucho Hernández calmly slotted the opening goal to the lower left side, away from the diving Maxime Crépeau.The already electric atmosphere inside Lower.com Field reached a fever pitch and had not fully subsided before the Crew doubled their lead four minutes later. A brilliant through ball from center back Malte Amundsen put Yaw Yeboah in on goal and he finished with confidence.It wasn’t just a win for the Crew, but an emphatic display of Nancy’s vision for long stretches against an LAFC side that was attempting to cement its status as the preeminent power in MLS.In their first year under Nancy, the former CF Montréal manager, the Crew led MLS with 67 goals and finished the regular season in third place in the Eastern Conference standings — 12 points back of Supporters’ Shield winner FC Cincinnati. The Crew reached the final after defeating Atlanta United, two games to one, in the first round, and road victories against Orlando City (2-0) and Cincinnati (3-2).Nancy is also the first Black coach to lead a team to an MLS Cup.”Obviously, I’m happy. So proud of that because there is a lot of work behind that,” Nancy said. “There is a lot of courage for being that, but I’m also not happy at the same time because this is not normal. Simple as that.”So, I’m proud to represent, yes, to be the only Black [coach], but I’m not happy with that. So, this is something that he has to change and I know that MLS is trying to do that, but this is not only in MLS, this is everywhere.”
One of the leagues original 10 teams, Columbus won its first MLS Cup in 2008, defeating the New York Red Bulls at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Its next Cup win came at home in 2020, however only 1,500 fans were allowed in the stadium due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.As a result, Saturday’s win at Lower.com Field — the team’s $314 million stadium that opened in 2021 — will be remembered as one of the most iconic days in Columbus’ storied soccer history. The club is just five years removed from a controversial attempt to relocate to Austin, Texas, which was staved off by the fan-driven “Save The Crew” campaign that ultimately led to the Haslam Sports Group taking ownership.Speaking in the annual state of the league address Friday, MLS commissioner Don Garber reflected on that dark time for Columbus.”Going through that process is not one that I would hope to ever have to go through again, but when I look at where we are today, we have a stadium that’s one of the best soccer stadiums in our league, if not the best small soccer stadium in the world,” Garber said.”We have a team that’s performed incredibly well. We have a bunch of fans who now have more to engage with and cheer for. We have more sponsors for the team than we have before.
“We have more political and municipal support than we’ve had before. We have an ownership commitment that is at the highest level. So, if we had to go through that again and end where we are today, we’d go through it again.”Crew fans haven’t completely forgiven Garber for their team’s near exit. The commissioner’s introduction during the trophy presentation ceremony drew a rousing round of boos.Under the new ownership group, the Crew set their single-season attendance record (22,111 fans per game), operated in the top half of the league in player salaries this season and were led by an MVP-caliber player in Cucho, who was acquired from English club Watford for a club-record fee of $10 million last summer. The Colombia forward was named the MLS Cup MVP.”It was an incredible feeling, you know?” Hernández said. “I cried like a baby when the final whistle blew. But now it’s all about enjoying the moment. Enjoying the moment for the rest of the week and weekend … and just enjoying it.”In July, Columbus transferred club legend Lucas Zelarayán to the Saudi Pro League and, just before the secondary transfer window closed, replaced him with Rossi, a former MLS golden boot award winner with LAFC.LAFC’s attempt to become the fourth team in league history to win back-to-back MLS Cups fell short.”Did Columbus deserve to win tonight? Yes, they did,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. “They played a fantastic game. Do I think they’re better than us? No, I think they were better than us tonight and we made a couple of errors defensively that led to their two goals. And that’s pretty much it. And that’s how these games are decided.” After being soundly outplayed in the first half, LAFC was much better after halftime. LAFC cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 74th minute on a goal from Dénis Bouanga, but — unlike last year’s MLS Cup, when Gareth Bale rescued the game late in extra time — the equalizer never came.
Biggest changes in the USWNT’s games since hiring Emma Hayes
Joseph Lowery Dec 6, 2023, 01:15 PM
Things are changing for the U.S. women’s national team. With new manager Emma Hayes still coaching Chelsea until the end of the WSL season in England, things might not be changing quite as fast as some would like ahead of the 2024 Olympics. But make no mistake: they are changing. Hayes hasn’t officially begun coaching the USWNT. Still, although she wasn’t on the sideline yelling out instructions or making key substitutions for either of the team’s final games of 2023 — 3-0 and 2-1 friendly wins over China — her influence is starting to show itself within team.
When it came time to choose players for the USWNT’s December camp, Hayes and interim manager Twila Kilgore “picked this roster collaboratively,” Kilgore said in a news conference. Closer to the games themselves, the English coach flew from London to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to meet U.S. players and staff ahead of Saturday’s 3-0 win. Hayes is starting to make player decisions and put faces to names. Judging by the USWNT’s tactical approach in these friendlies against China, she’s calling some of the on-field shots, too, even from afar. Here’s what has changed for the USWNT with Hayes lurking in the shadows.
A clearer, more fluid approach than the USWNT’s World Cup style
Under previous coach Vlatko Andonovski, and even under Kilgore in the post-World Cup friendlies, the USWNT lacked attacking structure.Far too often, players didn’t know where to position themselves or where their teammates would be at any given moment. It sounds basic (and it is!), but without a clear structure, the USWNT struggled to work together to move the ball upfield and create chances. Attacks turned into individual U.S. players trying to charge their way through a defense rather than 11 U.S. players combining to play their way through a defense.You can get a sense of the lack of cohesion in this screenshot from the USWNT’s 0-0 draw with Portugal at the World Cup:
In their recent games against China, the USWNT had a clear, observable, and even fluid structure. Defensively, the U.S. used a 4-4-2 shape before shifting into a 3-2-5 in possession. Here’s a look at that attacking shape:
Just so we don’t miss anything, there are a few notable things here:
The U.S. having any attacking structure where players know where to be and where their teammates will be.
The U.S. using noticeably different shapes in possession and defensive phases.
The U.S. consistently possessing in a back three.
Sure, there have been flashes of structure, fluidity, and three-woman backlines from the USWNT in the past. But compared with, say, the World Cup, those three things are refreshing. Players seemed to have a solid grasp of their roles in each phase of the game, which gave them the freedom to interchange off the ball and combine while on it. Clarity, then, led to creativity for the United States.
There’s still plenty of damage to be undone in the attack from the last tournament cycle — one camp isn’t enough to fix that. But for a team that already has excellent defensive bones, even small gains in possession are hugely valuable.
Sophia Smith moved from the wing to striker
For two years now, Sophia Smith has been the best striker in the NWSL. With great off-ball movement, speed and the ability to create her own shot, she scores goals for fun at the top of the Portland Thorns’ attack. With the national team, though, Smith has almost exclusively been used on the wing, with Alex Morgan eating up minutes through the middle.That wasn’t the case in this window against China. Smith played 45 minutes in both games as the USWNT’s center-forward, leading the line, breaking in behind the opposing defense and scoring in the first match. Few players in the world make this classic goal scoring run better than Smith as she latched onto the end of Trinity Rodman‘s assist over the weekend.
Smith wasn’t especially efficient in front of goal as she started the first match. “I need to put away my chances… I have to put away my chances,” she repeated on the broadcast during halftime of Saturday’s game against China. But consistently finding dangerous opportunities in the box is the mark of an elite striker. Smith checks that box with a bright neon yellow highlighter.
With Morgan heading into the final stages of her career, now is the time for the U.S. to take full advantage of Smith’s ability to be an ever-threatening scorer in her best position.
Gomez not convinced Rodman is the player to build the USWNT around
Herculez Gomez says there are better candidates than Trinity Rodman for Emma Hayes to make the linchpin of her USWNT team.
Emily Fox thrives at… center-back?
Emily Fox has never been your standard, run-of-the-mill fullback. The 25-year-old doesn’t love getting up and down the field. She’s a solid athlete, but lacks the elite speed and one-on-one dribbling chops to overlap and cause real problems for opposing backlines. Instead, Fox thrives as a simple, effective ball progresser. She’s clean in possession and makes quick decisions, creating a stable foundation for her more advanced teammates.
She was a key part of the North Carolina Courage‘s possession approach in 2023, moving the ball upfield as a fullback/central midfielder hybrid for coach Sean Nahas. Fox finished in the 98th percentile for progressive passes per 90 minutes and the 95th percentile for progressive carries per 90 among NWSL fullbacks, per FBref.com. Even before she was traded to the possession-heavy Courage, Fox put up well-above-average progression numbers for Racing Louisville.
In the USWNT’s latest games, Fox continued her trend of doing something different from the fullback spot.In Tuesday’s 2-1 win, she was tasked with getting up and down the right side. She didn’t have a huge impact on the game before coming off at halftime as a concussion substitution. That could well be because of the potential head injury, or it could be that Fox is more comfortable playing deeper downfield (or some combination of the two).In Saturday’s 3-0 win, though, she defended as a left-back and stayed deeper in possession as a left-sided center-back, looking much more comfortable along the way. Within the solid U.S. framework, Fox even reprised part of her club role by swapping with Lindsey Horan to move into midfield.
Without a ton of obvious center-back options demanding minutes next to Naomi Girma, and with the extra flexibility Fox (or Jenna Nighswonger, who played the same role) brings to the backline, expect to see more of her flexible positioning in the future.
19-year-old Jaedyn Shaw earns a bigger role
She’s only four appearances into her national team career, but Jaedyn Shaw looks ready to take the USWNT’s creative reins. During the most recent international break back in October, Shaw played 48 minutes across two games against Colombia. In this December window, the 19-year-old earned 131 minutes. Tasked with playing in the right half-space in the USWNT’s attack, Shaw found the back of the net on Tuesday and pulled so many of the strings in the final third.She used her off-ball movement to crash China’s box and find gaps in their defense. On the ball, Shaw turned her great vision and right foot into five key passes over the two games.Now, it’s difficult to tie Shaw’s specific involvement back to Hayes — there’s every possibility that Kilgore already had plans to ease Shaw into action at the national team level during these post-World Cup friendlies. Back in September, Shaw was called into camp but didn’t see the field. In the October camp, she made her debut. In the December camp, then, maybe the plan was always to push Shaw into a larger role.Or maybe not. Maybe Hayes pushed for Shaw to see more of the action. Regardless of where the motivation to expand Shaw’s responsibilities came from, it’s paying early dividends for the USWNT. The young playmaker was more involved and more impactful against China than any of her teammates vying for minutes in those attacking midfield and half-space roles.
With Shaw stepping up and debuts for Nighswonger, Olivia Moultrie and Korbin Albert, Hayes now has more data on players who could occupy key roles for her team at next summer’s Olympics and beyond. That was surely a goal for the new manager when she helped select this December roster, even from across the Atlantic.
USMNT’s Copa America hurdles; players to watch in MLS Cup
Luis Miguel Echegaray, ESPNDec 8, 2023, 12:48 PM ET
Welcome to Onside/Offside! Each week, Luis Miguel Echegaray discusses the latest from the soccer world, including standout performances, games you might have missed, what to keep an eye on in the coming days and of course, certain things that probably deserved extra love and criticism.This week, a personal and professional look at Unai Emery’s incredible work with Aston Villa, Lionel Scaloni’s uncertainty and why it could be a problem for Argentina in 2024, an MLS Cup to celebrate and much more!
Hosting Copa America in the U.S comes with a wonderful conundrum because even though the USMNT is the geographical host, the support for other nations is going to be intoxicating. I witnessed this sentiment at Copa America Centenario in 2016.Mexico, for example, is the most popular team in North America. Miami, the Latin American capital of the world, will have a heavy dose of South and Central American fans, while Lionel Messi has galvanized the community that goes beyond Argentina. So unless you’re Mexico in Texas or California, throw “home” advantage out the window.
From a matchup perspective, I think Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay is the last opponent Gregg Berhalter’s side needed in its group, and La Celeste — second in World Cup qualifiers — are favorites to top it, but that will be America’s last game. So really, Panama is the USMNT’s most important hurdle to overcome in order to advance as Bolívia, with all due respect, will bow out.The biggest issue for me, however, lies in Group B. Mexico has the support and talent, and it’s definitely the favorite on paper, but it has not looked as good as we once remembered it. Ecuador‘s ongoing project with its tremendously dynamic team will be a problem, as will Venezuela, currently fourth in World Cup qualifiers. Then there’s Jamaica, which fought hard to get here; yes, it is least favored to get out of the group, but the talent, which includes Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Michail Antonio and Andre Blake, might not be as easy to deal with.
As for my Peru, don’t even get me started. Not only do we have to face Argentina, but bitter rival Chile is also in the group. If Canada makes it through, then the mountain becomes that much steeper. Never mind the fact that manager Juan Reynoso is on his way out after a disastrous start to World Cup qualifiers that have seen Peru score just one goal and get zero wins after six matches.
MLS Cup: a final that exemplifies the best of the league
The Columbus Crew are the original gangsters of MLS. Their former stadium was the first soccer-specific ground built by an MLS club, which set off a benchmark for others to follow. They are the representatives of Ohio soccer culture, which is a major component inside America’s soccer fandom. Columbus has always been seen as a “small market club” because it is not a New York or LA, but make no mistake about it, the Crew are a huge reason for the sport’s growth in the United States.Columbus is making its fourth MLS Cup appearance after winning it twice before (2008 and 2020) and just like its last title, the team is at home again, which makes the club favored to win on Saturday. This is a statistical advantage, not an opinion, as the only time the visiting team has come out victorious in a final hosted by the team with the better regular-season record was in 2021, when NYCFC defeated Portland Timbers on penalties. But here comes LAFC, the present-day kings of the league, looking to win back-to-back championships for the first time since its neighbors and local rivals LA Galaxy did it in 2011 and 2012. LAFC is a tremendous story, not even 10 years old and already looking like a dynasty in the making. If the West Coast club wins on Saturday, it would be an incredible achievement, especially as more and more teams continue to bring star power to their clubs. But LAFC (like Columbus) has a strong sense of identity and its supporters are the undoubted, proverbial fire in every game.On the pitch, it will also be a fun watch as the Crew love to have the ball, while LAFC loves to let you have it before hitting you in transition. Tremendous talent everywhere. In one Columbus corner you have Cucho Hernández, Diego Rossi (formerly at LAFC) and the man everyone loves in Darlington Nagbe, while L.A. possesses MLS’ goal-scoring machine in Dénis Bouanga, the Serie A, Champions League, Euro winner Giorgio Chiellini and of course, Carlos Vela — who is literally the face of the franchise. This could be his last ever game for LAFC as his contract runs out at the end of this month, with no talks of an extension upon the writing of the article.Nagbe reflects on Columbus Crew’s journey to MLS Cup finalColumbus Crew captain Darlington Nagbe speaks about what it means to reach the MLS Cup final.
Unai Emery’s quiet revolution at Aston Villa host league-leaders Arsenal
After Aston Villa’s magnificent, overwhelming victory against Man City on Wednesday, it’s fair to say that I haven’t quite calmed down yet, nor descended from the clouds. It is not an exaggeration to state that it was the best performance I have ever seen from my club in the Premier League. Unai Emery finally defeated Pep Guardiola, but it wasn’t just a win, it was a knockout punch as the home side outclassed City in almost every department.
Villa’s 22 shots was the most Pep Guardiola’s side has conceded in the league while the treble winners only managed two shots against Villa — the fewest ever against a Guardiola team from a run of 535 matches. The biggest favor Villa did to City that night was allowing it to stay 1-0.
Numbers aside, this journey under Emery is a renaissance for Villa fans. Villa, who were relegated in 2016, nearly faced the reality of liquidation and have never truly received the respect they often ache for, are a totally different club under the Basque manager.
As someone who started following this club upon immigrating to England from Peru in the early ’90s, helping me create a bridge to acclimatize to my new home, I can’t help but romanticize the whole thing. At the final whistle on Wednesday, I cried. It means that much to me and many other Villains who share my sentiment. This sport can bring out the cynic in all of us, but at the core of it all, it’s about passion and an emotion that can only happen inside a prosperous football community.
But that was Wednesday, and make no mistake about it, Emery has forgotten all about it. In fact, it might as well not exist because Arsenal are coming to town and that is the only thing that matters now. Arsenal, the leaders of the table — also managed by a Basque man obsessed with perfection and a will to learn — are a totally different animal. Given City’s recent struggles, they are a much harder test.
For one, the battle will be in the midfield, and this is the advantage Villa had over City on Wednesday. But Arsenal have Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard to worry about. It’s been 25 years since Villa fans saw their club face-to-face and win against the Gunners (two wins in 2020 and 2021 with no fans inside stadiums during COVID) at Villa Park but if this season has taught us anything, it’s that anything is possible.
OFFSIDE
Copa America: Argentina are favorites, but Scaloni’s future is worrying
When Argentina won Copa America in 2021, it was significant for many reasons. To begin with, it was the end of their 28-year drought without a major trophy. It was also Messi’s first ever major title with the senior national team, thus generating a new relationship and sense of trust and belief with national team fans, notably after losing two prior Copa America finals against Chile in 2015 and 2016.
Most importantly, however, it was also manager Lionel Scaloni’s first commemorative chapter since he took on the role of rebirthing La Albiceleste in 2018, a move that was questioned by many, including Diego Maradona. After coming third in the 2019 tournament, there was an even bigger call to fire Scaloni, but the federation stuck with him. Two years later, they were champions, and as we look ahead to next summer’s Copa America edition, Argentina will enter it as World Cup champions and the best team in the world.
Scaloni has been completely vindicated and once again, his team will arrive in the U.S next summer as the undoubted favorites. This could also have a poetic narrative as this might just be Messi’s final one. The group (Peru, Chile and Canada or Trinidad and Tobago) is relatively easy for them, and the bracket’s format points to the fact that — if everything goes to plan — they wouldn’t even have to face Brazil or Uruguay in the final, which consequently is in Miami — Messi’s home and a cultural haven for Argentinians in the U.S.
Scaloni says he’s still considering his future with Argentina ahead of the Copa America
Lionel Scaloni talks about his future as Argentina manager and looks ahead to the 2024 Copa America.
But at this point, Argentina doesn’t even know if Scaloni will be there. After last month’s win against Brazil in World Cup qualifiers, the 45-year-old manager added doubt in the postgame presser. “Argentina needs a coach who has all the energy possible and who is well,” he said. “I have a lot of things to think about during this time.”
Then, on Thursday night after the draw, he once again stated an air of uncertainty to Tyc Sports. “I am here because I am still the coach, but I’m still thinking about my decision. I said after the Brazil game that it is a moment to think and I am still in that instance. I am calmly thinking, how everything goes, whether to restart or what,” said Scaloni.
This has to be rectified sooner rather than later because the last thing Argentin want is to enter this competition with little time to prepare. Yes, they are a formidable force, but what’s made them so electric is twofold: the talent and Scaloni’s management. It’s obviously a monumental task that comes with so much pressure, that’s why Scaloni keeps referring to “energy,” because to be Argentina’s head coach means to deal with an avalanche of expectation as well as earning the trust of the greatest player the game has ever seen.
When it comes to sexism: Don’t give this any attention, just keep rising
I read an outstandingly good quote from Taylor Swift recently, as she commented on haters and those who have criticized her throughout the years. “There’s no point in actively trying to quote-unquote defeat your enemies,” said the music icon to Time magazine, as she was named 2023 Person of the Year. “Trash takes itself out every single time.”
This line should be echoed by all of us, including supporters of women’s football. I mention this because of the words from Joey Bartom, a controversial former player and manager who recently came out with one of the most misogynistic comments I’ve read in a while.
Since then, he has doubled and tripled down, including an appearance on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” to defend his laughable point. “You have to be there on merit, not to fit this woke agenda that is going on in society,” he said, when discussing female pundits in men’s football and going as far as comparing them to him talking about “knitting.” “You don’t have to have played the game, a lot of managers haven’t, a lot of commentators haven’t. But they’ve earned the right with hard work over a prolonged period of time to get into that space.”
Barton was saying this as images of Alex Scott MBE (Champions League, WSL, FA Cup champion, World Cup runner-up and 140 appearances for England), Karen Carney (four World Cups, four Euros, third-most appearances for England) and Eniola Aluko (Serie A, WSL champion, former sporting director) appeared on the screen.
What makes this type of person so angry at seeing a woman in the men’s game? I’ll tell you the answer: it’s jealousy. It’s fear. It’s ignorance. And sadly, women in football will never stop fighting this battle. Barton represents millions of others who think like this, not because it has any merit, but because the merit lies in their anger, it justifies their agenda. It has nothing to do with “wokeness.”
I can only imagine how devastating it must be for women all over the globe reading and seeing comments such as Barton’s and having to fight 10 times harder than men for their quality to be recognized, never mind accepted. And I’m not even talking about the football industry anymore.
So in general, there are a few ways we all can react to Barton’s comments. One of them is anger; another is frustration. While understandable, it seems like nothing will change Barton’s mind, so in the end, I think the best strategy is self-preservation. Ignorance can’t be reversed unless the person committing the act is willing to change, and this is not the case here, so comments like Barton’s need to be combated with a collective desire to grow. Collective is the operative word here, and as the fight continues, remember the words of Taylor Swift: In the end, trash takes itself out.
Final word
Congrats to Lionel Messi for winning Time magazine’s Athlete of the Year, becoming the first male soccer player to win the award. I was lucky enough to cover his arrival to South Florida, which included a one-on-one with the man himself, and this isn’t hyperbole: The summer completely changed the cultural landscape of sports in America.
In fact, the shift of sporting attention in the country is fast gearing towards soccer and Messi’s role with Inter Miami and MLS plays the biggest factor. With competitions such as Copa America, Club World Cup and the World Cup in 2026, the train keeps moving and La Pulga acts as conductor.
Copa America 2024 fixtures and schedule: Dates, draw, bracket, kick-off times and final venue
Argentina will kick off the 2024 Copa America against one of Canada or Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday, June 20.
The holders — and 2022 World Cup winners — will open the tournament in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta against the winner of a qualifying play-off in March.
The draw for the tournament, which will take place between June 20 and July 14, took place on Thursday.
Nine-time winners Brazil will take on Colombia, Paraguay and one of Costa Rica or Honduras, who meet in the other qualifying play-off, in Group D.
What are the groups?
Group A: Argentina, Peru, Chile, Canada or Trinidad & Tobago Group B: Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Jamaica Group C: United States, Uruguay, Panama, Bolivia Group D: Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica or Honduras
What is the tournament format?
With the 16 teams split into four groups of four, the top two sides in each group will progress to the knockout stages, starting with the quarter-finals. Each group winner will face a runner-up.
The four winners of those games will advance to the semi-finals, and the winners of the two semi-finals will meet in the final at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday, July 14.
The Notre Dames men’s soccer team (12-2-5) will host Indiana (15-4-4, 4-2-2 Big Ten) in the Quarterfinal round of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship on Sat Dec 2 . Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at Alumni Stadium. Unseeded Indiana advanced to the Elite 8 after wins over Lipscomb, and 10th-seeded Wake Forest and Virginia. Tix are on sale now for just $10. The winner will advance to Louisville next weekend for the College Cup Final 4 – an event IU has been to a record 22 times.
Indy 11 Coach Mark Lowry Steps Down
Indy Eleven announced today that it has parted ways with Head Coach Mark Lowry, who is stepping down after two seasons at the helm of the Boys in Blue. Lowry became the fourth permanent head coach in club history on Nov. 16, 2021, and led Indy Eleven to its best season since 2019 with a 12-17-5 record in 2022. The club returned to the playoffs in 2023 for the first time since the 2019 season, as a sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, after finishing the regular-season campaign with a 13-11-10 record. The Boys in Blue have previously announced the initial nine players from the 2023 squad who will return for the 2024 season, as well as additional roster moves, and will continue to announce updates in the weeks ahead.
US Ladies play China Sat 2:30 pm TNT & Tues 7:30 pm
So a new younger roster has been chosen for these 2 games with China this Sat and Tues on TNT. New Manager Emma Hayes has been in Florida training with the new group as she looks for players for the Olympics and beyond – notable absences include Alex Morgan, Sauerbram and longtime GK Alysa Neyher as Hayes looks to the youth from around the world and in NWSL to round out this roster. Will be interesting to see how things look – even though Hayes will only be watching from afar – as she will return to Chelsea to her day job for the weekend. I will sit back and watch rather than predict a starting line-up for Saturday’s game. Hopefully we can be a little more attack minded moving forward – we’ll see. (Ton’s of stories below)
HELL IS REAL – MLS Conference Finals are Saturday on Apple TV Cincy vs Columbus
Not sure how many are watching – I am honestly not watching these all Apple TV playoffs and I am not sure anyone else is either – but this weekend is worth trying to tune in as our 2 closest MLS cities Cincy and Columbus battle it out in Cincy for the Easter Conference Finals Sat at 6 pm on Apple TV. (stories below )
DECEMBER FRIENDLIES VS. CHINA PR
GOALKEEPERS (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 7), Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit; 1), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 16)
DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook (OL Reign; 29/1), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC; 79/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 50/1), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage; 37/1), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 24/0), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars; 41/0), M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC; 1/0)
FORWARDS (8): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG; 2/1), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 21/5), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 24/4), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 26/6), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 2/1), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 36/14), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 8/0), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 58/17)
Champs League Unkind to American’s Except Pepi who scored It was sad to see Pulisic put in a Man of the Match performance for AC Milan and still have them lose 3-1 to his former club Dortmund basically eliminating AC from moving to the next round. Pulisic started on the left wing and had multiple services in that simply could not be cashed – he even took a few shots himself to no avail. American Teammates Yanus Musah sat because of yellow card accumulation and Dortmund’s Reyna never sniffed the field – man he has got to get out of Dortmund and soon. In other games Celtic and American Carter Vickers is out after losing 2-0. Only PSV advanced on a spectacular night for American Ricardo Pepi who scored this late winner to advance the Dutch team to the next round. Midfielder Tilman and defender Dest also started and played all game in the victory.
One of our top Soccer Pubs around –Union Jacks Pub in Broad Ripple is struggling with all the road closures over the past 2 years – they host the American Outlaws Indy, EPL games on Weekends, Champions League on Weekdays, and of course the EUROS, & World Cups. If you get a chance to swing by and grab a bite and a pint – rather its on gameday or not – I am a sure that would help.
At the final whistle, he stood with hands on his hips, head bowed in quiet contemplation.Then, after five seconds, there was a trudge to the centre circle to offer handshakes to the victorious Borussia Dortmund players. For a couple of former colleagues, there was a brief embrace, before an equally slow plod to applaud the AC Milan diehards in the Curva Sud.
After all that was done, he was the last player to depart the San Siro pitch.Maybe he was walking so slowly because his legs were sapped after 96 hard-running minutes. Perhaps he was carrying a heavier heart than usual too. For Christian Pulisic, this hurt.The 3-1 loss in Tuesday’s Champions League group game against his former club Borussia Dortmund left Pulisic’s side closer to sliding out of the competition.Champions League Group F
POS
TEAM
GP
GD
PTS
1
Borussia Dortmund
5
3
10
2
Paris Saint-Germain
5
1
7
3
Newcastle United
5
0
5
4
Milan
5
-4
5
Milan’s fate is out of their hands; three points against Newcastle United at St James’ Park in their final Group F match next month would only be enough for a Europa League consolidation prize if Paris Saint-Germain avoid defeat against Dortmund, who are already into the round of 16.On Pulisic’s part, it was not through a lack of trying.He had been one of Milan’s top performers on a night that arrived on the back of worrying league form. They have won just once in their past five Serie A games — last Saturday’s underwhelming victory against Fiorentina — and murmurs about manager Stefano Pioli’s future are growing.Pulisic certainly seemed to carry that load on his shoulders afterwards. He left the stadium grim-faced after declining to stop when asked to discuss the game by journalists.https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/6FHLmgsgq93G7CfO2ZMrk3?utm_source=generator
Earlier, he had tried to offer a semi-upbeat assessment to ex-New York Red Bulls and Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch, now a pundit for CBS. “We had some really good moments in the game but even after they went and scored we came back, got one back and were really pushing,” said Pulisic.“We had good momentum at the end of the first half going into the second half. There were a few opportunities at the beginning of that second but just couldn’t take advantage. It wasn’t our day.“It’s disappointing. There are some positives we can take out of it but all we can do is focus on winning the last game.”Pulisic, 25, was involved in most of the upsides for a Milan team that has been depleted by injuries to key men, such as forward Rafael Leao. They were already struggling for numbers in defence, with Simon Kjaer out, and lost centre-back Malick Thiaw to injury in the second half. Thiaw later left the stadium on crutches.Tough times call for cool heads and leadership by example, and the U.S. captain offered both.He was deployed on the left of Milan’s front three but, as the hosts started boldly, Pulisic often drifted inside looking for the ball while left-back Theo Hernandez went outside him and remained high up the field.
Christian Pulisic takes on Marius Wolf, left, and Niclas Fullkrug (Jari Pestelacci/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
In a chaotic opening period, Olivier Giroud’s penalty for Milan was saved by Dortmund ’keeper Gregor Kobel, before Marco Reus converted one for the visitors.Pulisic tried to restore some calm, helping the hosts keep the ball and regain some momentum. He was composed and near-immaculate in possession all night, completing 94 per cent of his passes (more than any other forward player who started the game).Dortmund were keenly aware of the threat he brought. Whenever he stretched his legs, there was a yellow shirt close to him, with Mats Hummels skilfully shutting him out as he tried to lead Milan back into the game as the half wore on.But the men in yellow couldn’t always thwart him. There was a roar of appreciation from the Curva Sud on 42 minutes when Pulisic received the ball on his right foot, feinted to go inside and then chopped it onto his left before darting past a stumbling and wrong-footed Julian Ryerson to whip in a cross.Four minutes later, he should have had the first of two assists his creativity warranted, when a superb teasing cross to the back post was headed wide by Davide Calabria.There might have been a spectacular goal of his own in that phase after the break when Milan still threatened a comeback: a superbly executed scissor-kick was diverted behind for a corner.But for Pulisic, there was often frustration — take the 77th minute, when he deftly played the ball to Calabria in Dortmund’s half and burst forward expecting the return pass but the captain lost possession.By then, Dortmund’s clinical counter-attacking had given Milan a mountain to climb. But while some heads dropped, Pulisic tried to keep making things happen.There was another dangerous right-footed cross with seven minutes of normal time left that led to a Milan corner.Then he almost created a late goal with a cross, from which Luka Jovic hit the post.
Pulisic’s final meaningful contribution was to link smartly with fellow former Chelsea team-mate Ruben Loftus-Cheek in a move that forced a strong save from Kobel.If he cut a forlorn figure at the end, his international team-mates Yunus Musah and Giovanni Reyna were not skipping out of the San Siro either. Musah was suspended and watched from the stands; a presumably even more frustrated Reyna was an unused substitute for Dortmund.Musah will resume his influential role in the team after having to sit this out, but the question marks over what Reyna must do to play remain. It did not help his cause that 34-year-old Reus, who plays in the central attacking midfield role Reyna covets, produced a vintage display.
REUS SCORES FROM THE SPOT! 🟡
A CRAZY start at the San Siro, TWO penalties have been taken, Giroud misses for Milan and Reus scores for Dortmund! 😯🙌 pic.twitter.com/blM00dS9nm
Pulisic, at least, was in nobody’s shadow. But even in the place where he has revived his career after the stop-start spell in London, nothing is quite straightforward.
His club and international form is peaking, just as Milan’s season falters.
U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes has made the trip from London to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to meet with players and staff in person for the first time since the formal announcement of her hiring. She will not fully start in her role until the conclusion of her current club Chelsea’s season in May.Interim head coach Twila Kilgore, who will remain on as an assistant coach once Hayes takes over, will lead the USWNT through the last two games of the calendar year and into next spring. The USWNT faces China PR on Dec. 2 in Ft. Lauderdale before finishing the year in Frisco, Texas on Dec. 5.“Everyone is really excited,” defender Naomi Girma said after training on Tuesday. “We feel like we have our direction. We know what we’re building towards now, and it’s all very clear. I think overall we’re just excited to hit the ground running with her.”
Captain Lindsey Horan echoed that excitement, though she also noted her support of Kilgore’s guidance at this time. Horan was asked about a column written by Hayes during the World Cup, shortly after the USWNT’s exit during the round of 16. Hayes addressed the structural issues around the team in the article published in The Telegraph — one Horan admitted she had not read — but also that the USWNT suffered from a lack of diversity with most players coming through the NCAA system.
Hayes also called out a lack of creative talent in the U.S. “When you’re playing against more well-organized teams, better-coached teams, you have to break them down, and that breaking teams down is a combination of strategy, tactics, and personnel, and I don’t see that they’ve got the personnel to do that,” she wrote.
Horan said that this is exactly what Hayes was hired to do: a deep dive into what went wrong at the World Cup this summer and what needs fixing in the short and long term.
“There’s so much talent in this team, and I don’t think the world has seen enough of it yet just because we need to go out and show it,” Horan replied. “We need to be able to mesh together and show everything that we have, and what we’re all about, and how we can really collaborate and play together — be more of a team and be a powerhouse again. It’s going to be exciting for us to have her and see what she can do with this team and how she can help us moving forward.”
Hayes will not stay in the U.S. for either of the two upcoming games against China PR. Last week, Hayes said her “full focus” was on Chelsea.
“No, I’m not watching (the USWNT),” she said. “I’m watching my own team. I’m watching our competition. That’s the work of Twila and the full-time staff that are in place. I don’t start working for U.S. Soccer until May.”
After the conclusion of the international break, Chelsea will head to Emirates Stadium on Dec. 10 to face Arsenal in a matchup of the top two teams in the Women’s Super League.
Three bold ideas for the USWNT in their final games of 2023
Claire Watkins November 29, 2023 Just Women’s Sports
Lynn Williams is proving herself as a USWNT mainstay through her club and international play. (Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)The U.S. women’s national team will play their final matches of the calendar year in the next week, with the opportunity to place a definitive stamp on a tumultuous 2023. The two friendlies against China PR will be the team’s first games after the hiring of Emma Hayes as head coach, but they also serve as an extension of Twila Kilgore’s interim management, which will continue until May 2024.The USWNT’s December roster follows something of a tradition in major tournament years, giving many veterans the international break off to rest and recuperate, while refreshing the larger player pool with non-World Cup players. But the possibility of any major changes in tactical approach seem slim, with Hayes yet to assert her full influence on the team’s style of play.
In lieu of a wholesale change in philosophy, here are three bold(ish) ideas for the U.S. during this international period beyond basic player evaluation.
Shake things up in the attack
While their actual goal-scoring output has improved in the months since the World Cup, it’s difficult to watch the USWNT without feeling like something is broken in the attack. The team went scoreless in two of their four World Cup matches, and they closed out their most recent friendly series having failed to score in three out of four halves.Many of the issues with the USWNT’s once-vaunted attack go beyond any single player, but the young roster in December has a chance to break free of some of the systemic problems plaguing the front line. The games will provide an opportunity to get more tape on center forward Mia Fishel, who should have a fitness advantage over some of her teammates due to her club team, Chelsea, being in-season.
But shaking the USWNT attack out of its slump isn’t just about slotting in new faces at the No. 9 — the way the rest of the team relates to the center forward position also needs a rethink. Over the summer, the option of moving Sophia Smith to a more central position was presented as a zero-sum substitution of Alex Morgan, who started all of the U.S.’s World Cup matches. But with Morgan sitting the December friendlies out, the reason for moving Smith centrally would be less as a like-for-like replacement and more as a way of replacing her on the wings with a traditional winger.Midge Purce and Lynn Williams are coming off of an excellent NWSL Championship performance. Both Gotham FC players ran the wings with confidence, getting the ball to the endline for low crosses and providing help defense when necessary. Purce found teammates for goals twice in that game, looking dangerous both on the ball and in dead-ball situations.
Having wingers who can cut inside to pull the defense out of shape is a great asset, but the U.S. at times has created a very narrow shape due to individual player tendencies. It could be worthwhile to run the old playbook with new talent in game one, but a total rethink in game two could shake the team out of its old patterns.
Rose Lavelle is one of the most experienced players on the USWNT’s December roster. (Robin Alam/USSF/Getty Images)
Share the armband
With a number of key veterans taking this international break off, the U.S. has an opportunity to share some of the burden of leadership in productive ways. Midfielder Lindsey Horan has been an able captain in 2023, but at times it appeared the team was over-relying on her to galvanize the group, while other experienced players didn’t seem empowered to communicate with clear authority.Horan will likely feature heavily in both December matches since she plays her club football on the European schedule and is currently match-fit. But a bolder idea would be to give the 29-year-old a break, if simply to upend patterns in the USWNT midfield. Kilgore would do well to eventually leave her younger players operating without a safety net, whether that means entrusting Jaedyn Shaw with the No. 10 role or pairing Olivia Moultrie with the newly healthy Rose Lavelle.Outside of giving the midfield an overdue refresh, Kilgore also has the opportunity to prioritize leaders who didn’t get a chance to blossom in Andonovski’s final year.Casey Murphy is the most experienced goalkeeper on the roster and will surely be charged with organizing her backline. Lavelle is coming off a blistering performance in the 2023 NWSL Championship game, showcasing her experience as a player. And Lynn Williams will be the most tenured forward of the group. With communication lagging at times in the past year, a clean slate with new voices in the mix will be key for the team’s mentality going into 2024.
Give the Wave duo the keys to the defense
Abby Dahlkemper’s return to the USWNT is exciting for fans for reasons beyond her play on the pitch. Dahlkemper has recovered from a chronic back injury that greatly hampered the center-back in 2022, resulting in surgery. Making her NWSL return in August 2023, she’s looked as steady as ever, providing confidence in possession and showcasing her abilities off the ball to stunt an opponent’s attack.She’s also settled in with current USWNT mainstay Naomi Girma in their club environment at the San Diego Wave, providing the foundation for the team’s run to the NWSL Shield in 2023. Girma was arguably the USWNT’s MVP in 2023. She both served as the wedge between opponents and her own goal and was relied upon heavily to spring possession forward when the U.S.’s midfield had trouble moving the ball.The upcoming games give Dahlkemper and Girma a chance to test out their on-field chemistry at the international level, providing equal levels of experience and complementary skill sets. Dahlkemper used to be known for the same diagonal balls forward that have become Girma’s calling card for the U.S. With the role of Girma’s center-back partner firmly up for grabs after the retirement of Julie Ertz, Dahlkemper has a chance to make a big impression in her return. For a team looking for consistent starters following Andonovski’s frequent experimentation in defense, her comeback might be happening at exactly the right time.Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.
UCL talking points: PSG the biggest letdown; best young player
1. PSG, Newcastle and Milan have all struggled during the group stage. Who are you most disappointed with and why?
Mark Ogden: This may be stating the obvious, but the answer is PSG every time. A club with ambitions of winning the Champions League, with a coach (Luis Enrique) who has won the competition and arguably the world’s best player (Kylian Mbappé), PSG have been so bad in Group F and they are by no means guaranteed to get the result they need away to Borussia Dortmund on matchday six to qualify for the round of 16. AC Milan over-performed to reach the semifinals last season and Newcastle are a team of rookies playing in the competition for the first time in 20 years, and both still have a chance of reaching the knockout stages. For PSG to be in this position of needing a win in their last game to qualify is a major failure for all concerned at Parc des Princes.
Group F
GP
W
D
L
GD
PTS
1 – Dortmund
5
3
1
1
+3
10
2 – PSG
5
2
1
2
+1
7
3 – Newcastle
5
1
2
2
0
5
4 – Milan
5
1
2
2
-4
5
1, 2: UCL round of 16; 3: UEL playoff round
Julien Laurens: Unfortunately, it’s my beloved PSG. They have made too many mistakes defensively (the most recent from Gianluigi Donnarumma against Newcastle), have missed too many chances offensively (the most recent ones by Bradley Barcola against Newcastle) and have a manager who makes weird choices at times (4-2-4 at St James’ Park, Goncalo Ramos on the bench until the 85th minute on Tuesday.) And despite some positive things at times in the competition, they have been too disappointing because of their lack of efficiency and consistency in a group that is actually not that strong.
Sam Marsden: PSG, by some distance. There was a lot of upheaval at the club over the summer, both on the bench and on the pitch, but they were still favourites to progress from the group, despite its complexities. Thirteen years into the Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) ownership, they don’t look any closer to winning the competition. The only hope they have is that this is a case of taking one step back to take two steps forward, with Lionel Messi and Neymar making way to allow coach Luis Enrique to build a new, younger side, based on the team rather than superstars. And, they still have qualification in their own hands. If they make it through, not many teams will want to face them.
Gab Marcotti: It has to be PSG. Performances were always going to take some time given the summer overhaul and the arrival of Enrique, but you’d at least expect results. And yet they lost to both Newcastle and Milan. Newcastle and Milan have been hit really hard by injuries and, especially in Milan’s case, an inability to turn the many chances created into goals (they should have won their first two games).
Can Jude Bellingham maintain his blistering to start at Real Madrid?
Craig Burley heaps yet more praise on Jude Bellingham after he scored in Real Madrid’s 4-2 win over Napoli in the Champions League.
2. Which young players (21 or younger) have most impressed you this campaign?
Marcotti: It’s Real Madrid‘s Jude Bellingham for me as well. Had he scored zero goals this season, his contribution in midfield would still have been sensational. Instead, he has scored 15 goals in 16 games in all competitions. That’s the kind of scoring rate we’ve seen from guys named Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the past … and Bellingham is a midfielder. RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons is special too and you feel like there is a ton to come from him. I’d throw in FC Salzburg‘s Oscar Gloukh, Manchester City’s Rico Lewis, Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga and PSG’s Warren Zaïre-Emery as youngsters who impressed, maybe not consistently, but enough to want you wanting more. Rasmus Højlund has been up and down, like his team, but you can’t ignore the sheer number of goals he has scored (five in five games.)
Ogden: We have to start with Bellingham. It’s amazing to think that he is still only 20, but he has dominated for Carlo Ancelotti’s team this season and scored again against Napoli this week. But he’s the obvious pick. Away from Bellingham, Roony Bardghji sealed a 4-3 win for FC Copenhagen against Manchester United earlier this month with a stunning late goal to justify the hype surrounding the 18-year-old. And Lewis Miley produced an exceptional performance of maturity and quality for Newcastle against Paris Saint-Germain at just 17 years of age. But nobody has come close to the impact that Bellingham has had at Madrid.
Marsden: Bellingham is so far ahead of the field that it is almost unfair to name him alongside the other youngsters in the competition. Looking elsewhere, Real Sociedad winger Ander Barrenetxea is perhaps one of the names you would not have expected to see on this list. He is a constant threat out wide. They’re out, but Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren has also impressed. The deep-lying midfielder will be at a bigger European club soon. Shoutouts too for PSV Eindhoven‘s Johan Bakayoko and some more familiar names: Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Man City’s Lewis.
Laurens: There is only one answer here, and it’s Bellingham. So, to be different, I will say Pablo Barrios, who has done very well in the three games he has played so far for Atletico Madrid in the competition. He gave a great assist off the bench on Tuesday against Feyenoord in his team’s win. and he scored a big goal away at Lazio to get a draw too. At 20, he is so promising in midfield.
Why Man City’s defending is a real concern
Craig Burley is not convinced by Manchester City’s defending after they conceded seven goals in the last three games.
3. Which of the undefeated teams (Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Real Sociedad, Inter, Atletico Madrid) has been most impressive, and why?
Marcotti:Manchester City have looked head and shoulders above the competition for me. They’ve had their low points, struggling in first halves against Red Star Belgrade and RB Leipzig, but they’ve always come back and looked convincing. They just seem effortless right now. Real Madrid also have five wins in five for a reason, but they haven’t come close to hitting the same heights (injuries haven’t helped, of course.) In terms of the football played, big shout-out to Real Sociedad who maybe have played the second-best football of the group stage, after City.
Laurens: Unlike Gab, I don’t think that City have been that impressive in either game against Leipzig, the only opponents of quality they have faced so far. So I will go for Real Sociedad. I never thought they would top their group with a game to go. They have played some really good football and they are a great club with heritage, identity and history. They were unlucky not to beat Inter Milan, last season’s finalists, and the only reason they didn’t beat Salzburg on Wednesday was because of the heavy rotation made by coach Imanol Alguacil.
Marsden: There are different categories here. City are, for me, the most impressive side in the competition, although they haven’t hit top gear yet. They are in a group of their own out in front, followed by a clutch of clubs in which I would include Bayern and Madrid. Atlético and Inter are probably in the next group. Both have done well to remain undefeated, especially as Inter had to come from 3-0 down against Benfica to preserve that streak and are capable of beating most teams in the competition over two legs on their day. However, the most impressive in many ways has been Real Sociedad. They failed to win a game the last time they were in the Champions League in 2013 and were not fancied to get out of their group this year. And yet, with one game to go, Alguacil’s unbeaten side sit top, ahead of Inter, Benfica and Salzburg, and are already assured of a place in the last 16. They are attractive to watch, built on home-grown talent and boast a crop of talented young players, including Barrenetxea, Take Kubo and Martín Zubimendi.
Ogden: Sorry to go against the grain here, but I don’t think any of them have been super impressive to the point of being the outstanding team of the group stage. City, Real and Bayern have all conceded way too many goals, but their attacking strength has got them out of difficult positions. Let’s see if they can do it against really strong opponents in the knockout phase. Considering Real Sociedad aren’t Champions League regulars, their success in being unbeaten at this stage makes them the most impressive, but I’m not impressed to the extent of predicting them to go beyond the round of 16.
We take a look at who is through and how can still seal their places.
The top two teams in each group qualify for the round of 16, the third-placed clubs drop into the Europa League knockout playoff round, and those who finish bottom are eliminated.
Qualified for round of 16 (12/16): Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Real Sociedad, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven
Eliminated (10/16): Union Berlin, FC Salzburg, Benfica, Celtic, Antwerp, Young Boys, Red Star Belgrade, Feyenoord, Sevilla, Lens
Tiebreakers: 1) Points 2) Head-to-head points in games involving the tied teams 3) Goal difference in head-to-head matches involving the tied teams 4) Goals scored in head-to-head matches involving the tied teams — If the above tiebreaker initially involves 3 or 4 teams, it is reapplied to resolve any remaining tiebreaker among fewer clubs 5) Goal difference in all group matches 6) Goals scored in all group matches 7) Away goals scored in all group matches 8) Wins in all group matches 9) Away wins in all group matches 10) Disciplinary points 11) UEFA club coefficient.
This page will be updated throughout the final rounds of the group stage.
FC Copenhagen are guaranteed to qualify in second with a win, or with a draw if Manchester United draw or lose.
Galatasaray have to beat FC Copenhagen, which will secure second place.
Manchester United have to beat Bayern and hope FC Copenhagen vs. Galatasaray is a draw. However, United are guaranteed at least a place in the Europa League if they win.
Real Sociedad and Inter Milan have both qualified for the round of 16.
Top spot will be decided when the two teams meet in Italy on the final night. Real Sociedad will top the group with a win or draw, Inter require a victory.
FC Salzburg hold the Europa League place, and they will secure it if they win or draw against Benfica, or if they lose by one goal.
Benfica must beat FC Salzburg by 2+ goals to make the Europa League.
Atletico Madrid and Lazio have qualified and face each other in Spain on Matchday 6. Atletico will top the group with a win or draw, while Lazio need a victory.
Feyenoord will drop into the Europa League knockout playoff round
Barcelona sit on top of the group and are through to the round of 16. They will win the group unless they lose in Antwerp, and Shakhtar beat FC Porto while overtaking Barca on goal difference. As Barca hold a goal difference advantage of seven this is unlikely.
FC Porto and Shakhtar meet in Portugal level on points.
FC Porto won the first meeting of the sides so will be through with a win or draw, though they cannot win the group. Shakhtar Donetsk must win to progress.
Antwerp have been eliminated.
Morning update
Pepi’s defining moment could open doors, Miazga suspended, busy Thursday, & more
Ricardo Pepi’s big goal wasn’t just important for PSV, it was what the El Paso native needed to build trust for a bigger role. Meanwhile, Matt Miazga has hurt Cincinnati, and many yanks play on Thursday including George Bello against Liverpool. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks it all down
BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED NOVEMBER 30, 2023 5:30 AM
SHARE THIS STORY
ON WEDNESDAY, U.S. national team forward Ricardo Pepi finally had his first defining moment since moving on from FC Dallas in 2022. Elsewhere, Union Berlin are still in search of a win, Matt Miazga has left FC Cincinnati in a bad spot, and now there are interesting proposed referee rules coming.
But let’s start with the good news
PEPI’S BIG MOMENT
It was a wonderful day for PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday and it has been a wonderful start to the season in every regard. In the Eredivisie, they’re at 39 points from 13 games – which is perfect. On Tuesday, they defeated Sevilla in Sevilla 3-2, to sit in second place of Group B of the Champions League by three points (and a nice goal differential too) with just one game remaining. They now look likely to advance to the knockouts.
Perfect league start through 13 and advancing in the Champions League? That’s a home run.
But how PSV won yesterday was for the ages, and Americans were front and center. Trailing 2-0 on the road, PSV was given a lifeline when Sevilla’s Lucas Ocampos was sent of in the 66th minute. Two minutes later, Saibari pulled one back for PSV on an assist from Sergino Dest.
This was arguably the biggest moment of Pepi’s career and it carries a lot of importance. Not only was this huge for PSV and their chances of advancing to the knockouts, but it was important for Pepi to build confidence and it was important for PSV and head coach Peter Bosz to gain trust in Pepi.
For most of this season, Pepi has only been seeing limited minutes behind Luuk de Jong. While he is a top player, de Jong is now 33 years old and he had been playing almost at an unsustainable rate. For Pepi to breakthrough and play more than the 5-15 minutes per game (typically when PSV has a comfortable lead) he needed to prove he could help his overachieving team and that there would not be much of a layoff whenever he was on the field in place of de Jong.
This goal goes a long way towards building that trust to show he is ready to contribute to a Champions League-knockout club.
That was the big story in this game for Americans, but also Sergino Dest played very well again and he is getting everything he wanted out of this season – a chance to reboot, play well, and play in big games. Malik Tillman also came into the game in the 58th minute and was on the field for the comeback win. His future status at PSV is a little less clear but still being part of a Champions League run and a likely Eredivisie title will boost his resume substantially.
Elsewhere in the Champions League, Brenden Aaronson and Union Berlin continued to have an awful season with a 1-1 away draw with Braga. On paper, it wasn’t so bad. But Union Berlin had a man advantage from the 30th minute and they even took a lead in the 42nd minute.
But Union Berlin was outshot 18-6 despite having a man advantage for 2/3 of the game. Aaronson played the last 12 minutes of this. But for Union, it’s just about finding a spark to turn things around. It doesn’t get any easier this weekend with a visit to Bayern Munich, with Union still in the relegation zone.
EUROPEAN PLAY ON THURSDAY
There are a lot of Americans in action on Thursday in the Europa and Conference Leagues.
George Bello will likely get a huge opportunity when LASK visits Liverpool in the Europa League. LASK needs a win to have any hopes of advancing, so it’ll be quite the stage for them at Anfield to go for it.
Djordje Miahailovic should start for AZ due to injury and he could really use a big outing to try to earn regular minutes for AZ. AZ hosts Zrinjski Mostar in the Conference League and AZ needs to win its last two games to have any chance of advancing.
Dante Polvara should start for Aberdeen away at HJK Helsinki in the Conference League. Unfortunately, Aberdeen cannot advance to the knockouts.
Eintracht Frankfurt has already secured a spot in the Conference League knockouts and that might open the door for another start for either Paxten Aaronson and/or Timothy Chandler against PAOK.
Genk desperately needs a win or at least a result to advance to the Conference League knockouts and on Thursday, they have a big chance with a visit to Fiorentina in Tuscany. Mark McKenzie should start. It is games like these which could boost his USMNT stock and put him on the inside of the bubble.
MIAZGA SUSPENDED
Matt Miazga will miss the remainder of the playoffs for Cincinnati after he was suspended by MLS for an incident in the playoffs against the Red Bulls when he reportedly went into the referee’s locker room after the game seeking an explanation for a yellow card.
This is terrible news for Miazga who was recently named the MLS Defender of the Year and will now not be there for his team in their biggest games in club history. Cincinnati will host Columbus in the Eastern Conference Final and Columbus boasts two elite attackers in Diego Rossi and Cucho Hernandez, who is an MLS Best XI.
Miazga has not made a public comment on this suspension, but it puts a dent in his hopes of getting back into the USMNT picture. Will that come in January? That will be a close call.
NEW REFEREE RULE
Speaking of referees, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) is recommending a trial for 10-minute “sin-bins” for cynical fouls and excessive dissent. It will be similar to rules in ruby or even ice hockey where a player must leave for 10 minutes.
The problem is that this introduces even more discretion for referees and many recent attempts to stop out problems in the game have been ineffective and not applied equally. Reviewing diving by video after games and issuing suspensions was supposed to put a dent in diving. It really hasn’t.
Sin-bins would probably be more effective in youth soccer. But for senior soccer, what really needs to be applied is the rule that only captains can approach referees. This would prevent swarming and dissent. If anyone else approaches the referee, he/she is given a yellow and a quick red without promptly leaving the vicinity of the referee.
But it looks like some leagues will be tasked with being trial balloons for the sin-bin rule. We will see if MLS or USL get the nod.
Morning update: Milan’s bad day, MLS Best XI, Haji scores, Fletcher’s future, and more
ASN’s Brian Sciaretta offers up some morning thoughts to kick off your Wednesday from topics like the Champions League, MLS Best XI, the Championship, and Kristen Fletcher’s future.
BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED NOVEMBER 29, 2023 5:30 AM
SHARE THIS STORY
IT’S WEDNESDAY and we’re already in the middle of the week and we’re almost in December. And as always, there is a lot of news both on and off the field to write about.
In case you were wondering, I missed the Americans abroad weekly column this week. It fell victim to the MLS playoff games and the Thanksgiving holiday, to make writing about 5000 words possible. It turned out to be mostly a quiet week anyway, so it worked out. Anyway, we’ll do it next week.
In the meantime, there are other things planned this week. But here is a Wednesday morning update.
MLS BEST XI
MLS released the league’s Best XI for 2023. For the most part, it is hard to argue with any of it. It was refreshing to see three American defenders make the cut. Walker Zimmerman made it for the third year in a row Han Mukhtar made it for the second year.
Some notable cuts were Daniel Gazdag in Philadelphia or Nkosi Tafari with Dallas.
Four teams have two players in Atlanta, Nashville, Cincinnati, and St. Louis.
Defenders: Matt Miazga (CIN), Tim Parker (STL), Walker Zimmerman (NSH)
Goalkeeper: Roman Bürki (STL)
TOUGH DAY IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
It wasn’t a great day for the Americans in the Champions League on Tuesday.
First, AC Milan lost at home to Borussia Dortmund 3-1 to essentially ruin their chances of advancing to the knockouts (and possibly out of the Europa too). The game featured just one American player in Christian Pulisic who started and went the full 90. Yunus Musah was suspended and Gio Reyna went as an unused substitute for Dortmund.
Pulisic was okay in this game. He had some sharp passes in the end of the first half and also was dangerous late after Milan was already down two goals. But surely it was disappointing for him to fall to his former team.
Milan will need a win on the final matchday away at Newcastle to have any hope of even playing in the Europa.
As for Dortmund, they look great but Reyna continues to be a non-factor who might occasionally start but is typically a decent option off the bench if needed. We’ll see how long he stays.
Also in Italy, Lazio defeated Celtic 2-0 which meant the Scottish champions will finish in last place in the group with just one point from five games before the group finale. Cameron Carter-Vickers was decent for Celtic in the loss but it was par for the course. Celtic is a team that dominates in the Premiership, gets outclassed in Europe, and faces just a few important games all season (Old Firm, and a few in Europe before they’re eliminated).
At some point, Carter-Vickers might consider a return to England or somewhere where the big games happen frequently.
On Wednesday, the Yank Trio of Sergino Dest, Malik Tillman, and Ricardo Pepi at PSV will take on Sevilla in Spain. A win would continue what has been a dream season for PSV. They are perfect in the Eredivisie (39 points form 13 games) and are second in their Champions League group. Now they have a big chance to take a step towards the knockouts. For Dest, he might be a hot head (as we’ve just seen) but he’s one of the most in-form American players right now.
On the flip side, Brenden Aaronson and Union Berlin head to Braga. It has been a nightmare of a season for Union which are in last of the Champions League group and sit in the Bundesliga relegation zone. In all competitions, they are winless in 15 games. The priority for Union right now is simply to learn to compete again and not be their own worst enemy.
YANKS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
In England’s second tier, it was a busy day for Americans.
The best moment was by Haji Wright who scored the match-winner for Coventry in a 1-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle. It was the second win in a row for Coventry which moved to 15th with the win. It was also the fifth goal of the season for Wright. His goals typically haven’t been of impressive quality, but there is a huge skill towards being in the right place at the right time. If anyone could do it, they would.
Wright has fallen out of the USMNT picture and he just needs to keep scoring to get back there. He doesn’t seem like the striker who fits Berhalter’s style, but goals are goals. Wright can force his way back into the squad.
Preston North End dropped a terrible 4-0 decision away to Middlesbrough. Duane Holmes was fortunate to go as an unused substitute for PNE, which fell to seventh.
Queen Park Rangers started to climb towards safety with a 4-2 win over Stoke City thanks to two late goals (89th and 90+4) to win it. Reggie Cannon came into the game in the 63rd minute and Charlie Kelman came into the game in the 73rd as QPR was chasing. Cannon took advantage of a lot of space left by Stoke City who were reduced to 10 men in the 53rd when the score was 1-1. QPR is now just three points from clawing out of relegation.
Lynden Gooch went 90 minutes in the Stoke City loss.
Finally, Norwich lost to Watford 3-2 and former USMNT forward David Wagner’s side fell to 13th in the Championship.
Finally, DC United forward Kristen Fletcher continues to score goals in droves for Swansea City’s U-21 team where he is on loan. He scored another three goals for Swansea City in a 4-0 win over Ipswich Town’s U-21 team. Don’t be surprised if he gets called up to the first team soon.
Charles Bohem reported on this matter for MLS Soccer and DC United right now expects that he’ll be back perhaps to take on a big role with DC United next year (along with the U.S. U-20 team).
“I think it’s fantastic that Kristian is having the success he’s having and the experience he’s having,” D.C. co-chairman and CEO Jason Levien told Boehm on Tuesday. “We want him playing first-team soccer or football to get that experience as well. So right now we expect that he’ll be back with D.C. United.
“We’re going to talk to him and both clubs about that, figure out what’s the best path for his development. But I think with a new coach coming into D.C. and new leadership in soccer operations, I think it’s a great opportunity for Kristian.”Fletcher wants to play in the top leagues in Europe. But what is the best way for him to get there? Through DC United or Swansea. The two clubs have links with common owners, so it should be a decision made by people with the same interest.
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to the Badger Field for Training? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
Save 20% on these Succulent Ribs at Rackz BarBQ when you mention the Ole Ballcoach – Corner of 131 & Hazelldell. – Call 317-688-7290.
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
The Virginia men’s soccer team (11-3-4, 5-2-1 ACC) will host Indiana (14-4-4, 4-2-2 Big Ten) in the third round of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship on Sunday (Nov. 26). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium. Unseeded Indiana advanced to the third round after wins over Lipscomb, and 10th-seeded Wake Forest. Virginia is the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship and advanced to the third round after a 2-1 overtime win over FIU. Indiana (8) and Virginia (7) rank second and third among NCAA Division I programs with the most NCAA titles—only Saint Louis (10) has won more.
US loses to T&T
US loses to Trinidad & Tobago 2-1 again. The last time the US traveled to Port a Prince their 2 -1 loss cost them a World Cup place – this time the 2-1 merely means the US advances to the Copa America this summer and the Nations League final 4 in March. Amazing that this US simply cannot win under GB on the road in CONCACAF – of course this game loss stands on the shoulders of Serginio Dest who blew a gasket and got red carded off midway thru the first half after being an absolute idiot. Listen Dest is a good winger and questionable defender at best – this is now the 2nd game he has lost his mind and been kicked out – which will force him to miss the first game in the Nations League Semis – I for one would simply leave him off the roster until COPA to see if he can straighten his crap out. No wonder no real club keeps him as Barcelona, AC Milan and others have all cut ties with the Dutch right back. Either way the US advances –but lets be real if they play the way they have played since the World Cup – they won’t win 2 games in the COPA this summer.
Games to watch
Saturday gives us a doosie in the EPL at 7:30 am Saturday as Liverpool hosts Man City on Peacock of course. Newcastle will host Chelsea at 10 am – again on Peacock before MLS playoffs get underway @ 5:30 pm on Apple Orlando City vs Columbus & 8 pm Cincy vs Philly. Sunday IU plays Virginia at 1 pm on BTN, then Inter Milan travels to face McKinney & Weah for Juvuentus at 2:45 pm on Paramount plus. Finally the final MLS Semi’s at 7 pm on FS1 Houston vs Sporting KC & Seattle hosting LAFC at 9:30 pm on Apple. Champions League next week Tues/Wed has PSG hosting New Castle United at 3 pm Tues along with Dortmund traveling to AC Milan and Pulisic & Musah also at 3 pm both on Para+.
One of our top Soccer Pubs around –Union Jacks Pub in Broadripple is struggling with all the road closures over the past 2 years – they host the American Outlaws Indy, EPL games on Weekends, Champions League on Weekdays, and of course the EUROS, & World Cups. If you get a chance to swing by and grab a bite and a pint – rather its on gameday or not – I am a sure that would help.
Indiana Referee in need
Our community has been given the heart-breaking news that one of our very own referees, Brian Mitchell, has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Please read the message below and consider donating to the Mitchell family as they will need our help during this very difficult journey. https://www.gofundme.com/f/friendsofbrianmitchell
Catch Champions League Tues/Wed or EPL Sat/Sun atUnion Jacks Pubin Broadripple
GAMES ON TV
Sat, Nov 25
7:30 am Peacock Man City vs Liverpool
9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Mgladbach (Scally)
10 am Peacock Newcastle United vs Chelsea
10 am USA Nottingham Forest (Turner) vs Brighton
12:30 pm USA Brentford vs Arsenal
5:30 pm Apple TV Orlando City vs Columbus Crew
8 pm Apple TV Cincy vs Philly
Sun, Nov 26
9 am USA Tottenham vs Aston Villa
11:30 am USA Everton vs Man U
12 noon CBSSN Roma vs Udinese
1 pm big 10? Indiana U @ Virgina Sweet 16
2:45 pm Para+ Juventus (Weah, McKinney) vs Inter Milan
7 pm FS1, Apple TV Houston Dynamo vs Sporting KC
9:30 pm Apple TV Seattle Sounders vs LAFC
Mon, Nov 27
3 pm USA Fulham (Ream, Robinson) vs Wolverhampton
Tues, Nov 28 – Champions League
12:45 pm Para+ Lazio vs Celtic
3 pm Para+ PSG vs New Castle United
3 pm Para+ AC Milan (Musah, Pulisic) vs Dortmund (Reyna)
The U.S. men’s national team went into this November window knowing, above all else, it needed to qualify for the Copa America. It would have to do so without key starters Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah, both out with muscle injuries, and World Cup captain Tyler Adams, who is out for the long term after a second hamstring surgery. And while injuries to key starters are never a good thing for a team, the silver lining can be the opportunity they bring to learn more about the overall roster. The U.S. did indeed qualify for the Copa America. But nothing else about the window played out as one might hope in order to get a true evaluation of the team’s depth.In the first leg, the U.S. played against a 10-man Trinidad and Tobago team sitting deep inside its own half for most of Thursday night’s 3-0 win. But even that game yielded more opportunity to learn about the pool than Monday night’s away leg in Port of Spain. The U.S. — now also without starting midfielder Weston McKennie, who left camp due to a knee injury — held a 1-0 lead until right back Sergiño Dest melted down on the field in the 39th minute, picking up two yellow cards inside of a minute to leave his teammates a man down for more than 50 minutes in difficult conditions. Playing with 10 men, the U.S. had to try to grind out a result and lost, 2-1 — the same scoreline as the last time they visited Trinidad, the 2017 loss in Couva that knocked them out of the World Cup. It was enough to qualify for the summer Copa with a 4-2 aggregate win over the two-leg series, but any “plans” for the window felt lost.“I think according to our plan, there were going to be a lot of different things happening, right,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said, cracking a rare smile in the postgame press conference. “And the plan gets thrown out the window a little bit when you’re down to 10 men.”The U.S. is clearly trying to evolve the group. After playing out of a base 4-3-3 formation in the last cycle, they’ve utilized more of a 4-2-3-1 this time around, with Gio Reyna a central figure as the No. 10. And as the playing style changes, the pool is constantly being evaluated, too. The nucleus of this U.S. team is not going to change over the course of the 2026 cycle, nor will the starting lineup when and if everyone is available. Pulisic, Weah, Adams, McKennie, Reyna, Yunus Musah, Matt Turner, Antonee Robinson and Dest are basically locks as starters. (Obviously, Dest’s red card may impact his next few windows, but in the long term, it’s tough to argue he isn’t one of the 11 best players for the U.S.) Chris Richards, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi are going to be in every camp and in the mix to start. Luca de la Torre, Joe Scally and Brenden Aaronson are locks on the depth chart. Tim Ream is 36 years old, but as long as he’s performing at a high level with Fulham, he will be in the team. That’s a solid core of 16 players to build the roster around. But the depth — the next 14 men who make up the 30-man preliminary rosters around which teams are built — still needs to be built out.
In the 2022 cycle, Berhalter found players he could trust for key minutes during qualifiers. Kellyn Acosta, Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola played important roles both as starters and off the bench, and others like De la Torre, Jordan Morris, Aaron Long, Reggie Cannon and Josh Sargent were regulars.This time around, there are spots on the depth chart up for grabs. The U.S. is looking for a left back behind Robinson and a No. 6 who can fill the role Acosta did in the last cycle as the backup to Adams. They need wingers on each side of the formation and likely one more central midfield option. The backup goalkeeper job behind Matt Turner remains unsettled. The competition at center back is very real.As part of the turnover in this cycle, Berhalter is clearly giving players opportunities to grab those roles. Call-ups in the last three months have included newcomers like Lennard Maloney, Kristoffer Lund, Kevin Paredes, Drake Callender and Benjamin Cremaschi, as well as players who have fewer than 10 caps like Malik Tillman, DeJuan Jones, Tanner Tessman, Alex Zendejas, Gaga Slonina and Johnny Cardoso. In the first leg, Tillman and Paredes got starts on the wing in place of Pulisic and Weah, but neither overwhelmed with their performances. In the end, it was Pepi off the bench who changed the game, with Robinson and Reyna sealing the outcome.After McKennie departed camp with his knee injury, Monday’s game saw the U.S. try a new formation, one they came up with the day before the game and had not trained at all. Berhalter said the team talked through the formation, but didn’t even walk through it as they were concerned it might be scouted in Trinidad.“In general, for the first 35 minutes, it was working as planned,” Berhalter said. “One (forward) was coming, one was going, nice interactions with the 10s in the pocket, fullbacks getting forward. Our goal was actually (attacking) fullback (matching up) to (opposing) fullback, which we always like, which showed that the guys were getting nice and aggressive. We’d had a number of chances with Brendan Aaronson, with (Balogun), with (Pepi), so overall pleased with it. But, I wish we would have had a bigger body of work to go on because after the red card it was more challenging.”
The plan was to substitute Zendejas for Reyna at halftime, a planned sub after Reyna had gone 90 minutes on Thursday in Austin — his first 90-minute outing for the U.S. since Sept. 2021 and his first for club or country since March 2022. Joe Scally was a planned substitution for Dest. Zendejas never got in the game. When Dest was red-carded, Scally subbed in for Reyna, who was set to come off three minutes later, at halftime. Tillman entered in the 65th minute for Pepi and Maloney entered in extra time to see out the game. There wasn’t much to be learned about any of the subs, or really too much to go off of on the performance or the two-striker formation itself.“Overall (the red card is) a complete lack of respect for the guys that are playing, for the guys that are on the bench,” Ream said. “A lack of respect for the game itself, for the referees. … For me, just a feeling of disrespect to be completely honest with you, and that’s something that he needs to understand. Because it completely changes the game, but then it completely changes any type of potential plan of guys coming in and subs off the bench, throws that completely out of whack. So yeah, just disrespectful overall.”This window felt a bit like a lost opportunity to gather more information, but there will be more chances to evaluate the pool. The U.S. typically has a January camp for MLS-based players. It will be a good chance for players like Jones, John Tolkin, Eryk Williamson, Cade Cowell and others to try to prove themselves. That this is an Olympic cycle, too, means those camps give windows for players like Tanner Tessmann, Jack McGlynn, Booth, Cremaschi and Gianluca Busio, among others.The hope is that some of those players emerge as bigger contributors for the senior team in the coming months. And while the U.S. will hope they can rely on their nucleus in next summer’s Copa America, the process of building out the depth chart will extend out two years beyond that to the ultimate goal: a 2026 World Cup on home soil. (Photo: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
USMNT qualify for 2024 Copa America despite Sergiño Dest red card vs. Trinidad
The U.S. qualified for the 2024 Copa America on Monday night despite a 2-1 loss to Trinidad and Tobago.
The Americans held an early one-goal advantage in the first half in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and seemed firmly in control of the game before Sergiño Dest was red-carded inhe 39th minute after picking up two yellow cards inside of a minute in a bizarre sequence.Dest was yellow carded for picking up the ball and drop-kicking it away after the ball was called out of bounds by the linesman. Dest then turned and started talking to the center referee, covering his mouth as he did so and gesturing toward the linesman. Dest seemed to be upset that an earlier foul committed on him was not called.Multiple teammates, including Gio Reyna, Yunus Musah and Tim Ream, tried to pull Dest away, but he continued talking to the referee and eventually blew a kiss. At that point, he was shown a second yellow card, and therefore the red, and was ejected.Both Ream and goalkeeper Matt Turner yelled at Dest as he walked off the field and eventually into the locker room. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter immediately subbed right back Joe Scally into the game for Reyna, but four minutes after Dest was sent off, Trinidad equalized the game on a goal from Reon Moore.
“I want to apologize to my teammates, staff, fans and whole nation for my behavior,” Dest said in an Instagram post after the game. “It was unacceptable, selfish and immature. I let my team down! It’s something I have to learn from and it won’t happen again!”The U.S. held a three-goal lead entering the away leg and after Antonee Robinson’s diving header opened the scoring Monday. They held a four-goal advantage with an away goal, which meant Trinidad and Tobago would need to score five unanswered goals to knock the U.S. out of the Nations League.T&T took the 2-1 lead on Alvin Jones’ knuckling free kick in the 57th minute that somehow found its way through Turner’s hands. It was a familiar scoreline for the U.S. in Trinidad. They lost 2-1 in Couva, Trinidad, in 2017, their last visit to the island nation, in the game that knocked them out of the 2018 World Cup. The U.S. was able to limit the damage at that point, however, and held on to secure their spot in the Copa America.With the win, the U.S. also advances to the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals in March. The U.S. won the first two editions of the Nations League and has the opportunity to make it three straight.
What they’re saying
“It’s crazy, it’s unacceptable,” former USMNT star DaMarcus Beasley said on the TNT broadcast at halftime. “This is unacceptable. What he did just now to put his team, put the U.S. team under that kind of pressure going into the second half, going into a real game that matters. And now he misses the semifinal. I would love to know what made him that upset for him to kick a ball out of the stadium and then start yelling at his teammates as you’re going off the field.”Beasley was asked what Dest’s teammates would say to him at halftime.“I’m just going to my O.G.s. If this was Gregg Berhalter when he was a player and he was going to meet Sergiño Dest in the locker room, all hell would break loose,” Beasley said. “Same thing with Clint Dempsey. Same thing with Carlos Bocanegra. The captains of the national team. They are not going to let this slide.”“I understand kicking the ball out of the stadium, you’re upset, but then you keep going and then you keep going, you blow kisses at the referee,” Beasley said. “For what? Because you didn’t get (a foul called on you). That’s baby behavior. I don’t understand that and I’m still upset about that.”After the game, Berhalter spoke about Dest’s red card.“He apologized to the group; he said it’s not going to happen again,” Berhalter said. “As a team, the players, the staff, we need to hold him accountable, because it’s inexcusable, it really is. We were very firm with our words after the game. He put a number of guys in jeopardy, made a number of guys do a lot of extra work in this weather. And it’s inexcusable.”Berhalter faced several questions about Dest before saying he did not want it to be a “witch hunt” and said that the team would work to move forward from Monday’s red card.“Serge has done a great job of maturing and growing over the years that he’s been with the group and, for him, this has to be a learning experience,” Berhalter said. “It will be a learning experience. How we work, we give people second chances, we work with people, we help them overcome instances like this. So, we’ll do the same with Sergiño. He’s a talented player, an important part of our team. And we need to have good conversations with him (and) make sure we get him on the right track.”Ream called Dest’s actions a “complete lack of respect for the guys that are playing, for the guys that are on the bench.”“A lack of respect for the game itself, for the referees,” the veteran back said. “For me, just a feeling of disrespect to be completely honest with you, and that’s something that he needs to understand. Because it completely changes the game, but then it completely changes any type of potential plan of guys coming in and subs off the bench, throws that completely out of whack. So yeah, just disrespectful overall.”
What’s next?
The U.S. ‘A’ team won’t be together again until March, when they meet for the Nations League semifinal on March 21. The teams joining them in those games are yet to be determined.Panama beat Costa Rica later Monday night to advance with a 6-1 aggregate lead. Canada holds a 2-1 lead over Jamaica, and Honduras has a 2-0 advantage over Mexico. Those games are scheduled to be played on Tuesday.The U.S. traditionally holds a January camp for MLS-based players, though that camp has not yet been announced. It could be a prime opportunity, however, to bring in Olympic-eligible players and, as it traditionally does, build out the depth of the pool.
USMNT analysis
Analysis and Player ratings: A Dest meltdown sees the USMNT lose to T&T but still advance
The 2023 year is over for the USMNT and it ends with a disappointing loss to Trinidad & Tobago that saw Sergino Dest meltdown, get sent off, and the U.S. team never recover. The U.S. team still qualified for the Nations League and Copa America, but not in the way it wanted. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks it down
BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED NOVEMBER 20, 2023 9:10 AM
THE UNITED STATES national team concluded its 2023 calender year in disappointing fashion with a 2-1 loss to Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain on Monday night. The result was enough for the team to advance 4-2 on aggregate to qualify for both the Nations League semifinal and the 2023 Copa America, but the performance left a lot to be desired – specifically with Sergino Dest who was sent off in the 39th minute.The United States opened the scoring in the 25th minute off a nice diving header from Antonee Robinson who got on the end of a well-delivered cross from Dest.
But the game became unglued in the 39th minute when Dest was sent off following an call from the officials and afterward the PSV fullback punted the ball into the crowd and continued to argue. A yellow card was followed by a red card. Dest’s U.S. teammates including Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah were trying to calm Dest down. Captain Tim Ream then proceeded to yell at Dest on the field as he slowly left. Matt Turner was also harsh with Dest.Once Dest left the field, Trinidad & Tobago almost immediately equalized when former Forward Madison fullback Alvin Jones played Reon Moore into the box in transition. Moore was able to beat Cameron Carter-Vickers on speed. Turner lost his footing on Moore’s shot from a tight angle which found the back of the net.Then in the 57th minute, Jones put T&T in front with a well-struck free kick that was savable but dipped and swerved off the fingertips of Turner for a 2-1 lead.
From there, T&T continued to have the better of chances but the U.S. team was able to settle down and see out what was a one-goal loss but an overall aggregate win.Some thoughts.
DEST’S MELTDOWN
Sergino Dest’s behavior in the events which saw him sent off was baffling. There is a lot of talk on this team about second chances and maturing. But lost in this red card is the note that it was his second red card for the national team of 2023 after he was sent off late in the team’s 3-0 win over Mexico in the Nation’s League semifinal in June. Dest might be young. But this is a player who has played in Champions League games for Ajax, Barcelona, AC Milan, and now PSV Eindhoven. He’s also played in the World Cup. This was not a “heat of the moment” reaction. He punted the ball away and contnued to argue with the officials despite pleas from his teammates. It’s not a matter of apologizing and moving beyond it. Dest apologized and that’s fine. But there are now “trust issues” with him. Does he run the risk of putting his team in bad situations again? This wasn’t strike one. This was strike two. Afterward, Berhalter admitted it “was a concern” given that this wasn’t a first-time incident for Dest. Berhalter said it was inexcusable but also shot down hints of an extended absence from the team. After the third question about Dest, Berhalter said he doesn’t want to turn it into a “witch hunt.””Sergino has done a great job of maturing and growing over the years that he’s been with the group,” Berhalter said. “For him, this has to be a learning experience. It will be a learning experience. We give people second chances. We work with people, we help them overcome instances like this. We’ll do the same with Sergino. He’s a talented player, an important part of our team, and we need to have good conversations with him to make sure we get him on the right track.”
Ream chimed in and spoke of the disappointment in Dest but also said he will need to show improvement beyond words.”Words with him would be putting it nicely, to be completely honest with you,” Ream said. “And there were a lot of choice words at halftime.””We are a pretty forgiving group,” Ream added. “We understand that we’re a young group. People can make mistakes and it’s just a big mistake. There’s not really any excuse for it. The only thing I think Sergino can do is hold his hand up, hold himself accountable, and when he is inevitably called upon again to be a part of this group, he has got to show with not just words saying sorry, but show with his actions that we can trust him to be someone we can rely on and off the pitch.”Of course, this is not the first time the U.S. team has had to deal with a lack of maturity and decision-making. There obviously was the Gio Reyna incident at the World Cup and then there was Weston McKennie’s incident in qualifying.
But both of those incidents were off the field. Dest now has two ugly incidents on the field in competitive games.“I want to apologize to my teammates, staff, fans, and whole nation for my behavior,” Dest wrote on Instagram after the game. “It was unacceptable, selfish, and immature. I let my team down! It’s something I have to learn from, and it won’t happen again.”As Ream said, it’s more than words. Dest will eventually be put in a frustrating moment on the field when emotions will be strong. Only by keeping his cool in those situations will this be put behind him.Dest is now suspended for the Champions League semifinal. It remains to be seen if Berhalter will call him up in March or whether the next time we see Dest is in the summer.
THE PERFORMANCE
As for the team’s performance, the team started off well and was dominant for at least the first 30 minutes, and probably until Dest’s red card. The only thing that was missing was finishing. But the chances were there and the U.S. team started off the game well. But the team did not respond well after the red card. The backline became a mess and T&T started to generate real chances quickly.Matt Turner could have prevented both goals, with the second goal having been more savable. In the second half, the U.S. team needed players to step up with big individual efforts since they were down a man. But unfortunately, no one rose to the occasion. It was a tough game for Luca de la Torre and Brenden Aaronson, Yunus Musah, and Malik Tillman who couldn’t feed the attack much in the second half.Even down to 10 players, the U.S. still had a lot of talent on the field but they weren’t able to do much with it.
A NEW FORMATION
One of the more interesting takeaways from this game that is lost in the discussion due to Dest was the return of the 4-4-2 formation. This is a formation that used to be preferred years ago under Bob Bradley and the first Bruce Arena tenure but hasn’t been tried since.There is plenty of reason to think it would be useful in certain situations for the U.S. team when it is short on wingers – like this camp. Balogun and Ricardo Pepi could benefit from being on the field together.
Apparently Berhalter agreed and he was willing to try this formation despite never having practiced with it (something he admitted after the game in the press conference). In reality, it looked more like a 4-2-2-2 with Musah and de la Torre behind Aaronson and ReynaThe U.S. team was very dangerous and was on the front foot the first 30 minutes. The team benefitted from having an extra midfielder and the fullbacks were able carry the attack from the wide positions. It was working well but Dest’s red card really made relearning this formation on the fly an impossibility.It raises the question whether the 4-4-2 is still optimal when Weah and/or Pulisic are healthy. Then the U.S. team would have wingers for a 4-3-3. The answer is probably no. But it’s very good for the U.S. team to be able to have different formations it is comfortable with.
PLAYER RATINGS
Matt Turner: The U.S. goalkeeper could have done better on both goals. Rating: 4.0
Antonee Robinson: scored the only goal and was by far the best U.S. player over both games this camp. Rating: 7.0
Tim Ream: Was exposed for pace a little bit when the game was open in the first half and when T&T had more space in the second half. Still, he wasn’t at fault for either goal. Rating: 5.0
Cameron Carter-Vickers: Was beaten for pace on Moore’s first goal. Rating: 4.5
Sergino Dest: Nice assist but clearly put the U.S. team in a game-changing and bad spot with his tantrum. Rating: 3.0
Yunus Musah: The AC Milan midfielder couldn’t break down T&T’s defense and create much. T&T did a good job containing him. Rating: 5.0
Luca de la Torre: Was slightly more effective than Musah, but not by much in terms of creating dangerous chances – which is what this team needed with two forwards up top. Rating: 5.5
Gio Reyna: He was moving the ball well and was a boost to the attack before being sacrificed for a defender after Dest’s meltdown. Rating: 6.0
Brenden Aaronson: Worked hard, drew four fouls, but was also 0/5 in his tackles – one of which gave T&T the free kick on the winning goal. He had two shots saved and was effective early in creating chances before the team went down a man. Rating: 5.5
Ricardo Pepi: It was a tough game for Pepi, even when the teams were even 11v11. Pepi didn’t have a shot and had just one touch in the T&T box. He had a few nice moments in hold-up play and some good passes, but it wasn’t what he wanted or what the team needed. Rating: 5.0
Folarin Balogun: Forced a big save early in the game and narrowly missed two other times. It was frustrating for him, but at least he was in a dangerous position multiple times. Rating: 5.5
SUBSTITUTES
Joe Scally: Came into the game earlier than expected for Dest and never seemed at ease – caught out of position a few times. Rating: 4.5
Malik Tillman: A few nice moments here and there came up empty. Rating: 5.0
Lennard Maloney: an uneventful outing cap-tied him to the U.S. program. Rating: NR
USMNT advances to Concacaf Nations League Semifinals after battle with Trinidad
PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD – The U.S. Men’s National Team lost to Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 in the second leg of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinal at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, advancing to the tournament’s semifinals with a 4-2 aggregate win over two legs. It also earned the USMNT a place in next summer’s Copa America, which will be played in the United States.The U.S. now moves on to contest the Semifinal Round of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League on March 21 in Arlington, Texas against one of the following regional rivals: Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica, Canada, Honduras or Mexico.Hosts Trinidad and Tobago – down 3-0 after the USA’s first leg win in Austin, Texas on Nov. 16 – were pinned back in their own defensive third early in the second leg. An early spinning shot from midfielder Brenden Aaronson from close range in just the third minute was followed a minute later by another good effort from forward Folarin Balogun – both of which forced T&T goalkeeper Denzil Smith into awkward saves. Those chances were a hint of things to come as the USMNT took a lead in the 25th minute via the head of defender Antonee Robinson who scored in back-to-back games for the first time in a USA shirt.
With a 4-0 lead on the aggregate, it should have been clear sailing for the U.S., but a self-inflicted wound in the 39th minute complicated matters. Dest, whose pinpoint cross set the table for the opening goal, picked up the ball and punted it away after the referee blew his whistle to call a throw-in for the hosts. That earned the U.S. defender a yellow card. His continued arguments earned him a second yellow, from Guatemalan referee Walter Lopez as the U.S. were reduced to 10 men for the rest of the game. Dest will also be suspended for March’s Nations League Semifinal.
With confidence bolstered by the man advantage, Trinidad & Tobago pulled level just before halftime after a long ball from Alvin Jones ball sent Reon Mooreinto the right side of the penalty area in the 43rd minute. The Trinidadian striker shrugged off a challenge from center back Cameron Carter-Vickers before hitting the ball past U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner inside the near post for his eighth goal in 25 caps. It was the host side’s first shot on goal.
Tension continued to ramp up for the U.S. after the interval. Jones went from provider to scorer in the 57th minute when his knuckling free kick from 25 yards screamed past the U.S. defensive wall and off Turner’s fingertips before nestling in the back of the net. That put the hosts into the lead 2-1 on the night, but still down 4-2 on the aggregate. It was a lead Trinidad and Tobago held – but could not increase — until the final whistle as the U.S. dropped a result to the Soca Warriors for only the fourth time in history.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:
USA – Antonee Robinson (Sergiño Dest), 25th minute: Dest collected the ball on the right side after a sequence of sharp U.S. passes carved open a gap in the hosts’ midfield. Robinson – lurking at the back post – slipped in front of his marker to meet Dest’s accurate cross with a diving header from eight yards out. The Fulham defender drove his shot off the slick surface and inside of Denzil Smith’s near post. TRI 0, USA 1
TRI – Reon Moore (Alvin Jones), 43rd minute: Domestic-based defender Alvin Jones hit a long, searching ball up the right side from deep in the Trinidad & Tobago defensive third. It picked out Rean Moore – an unused sub in the first leg – who muscled the inside track on U.S. center back Cameron Carter-Vickers before hitting his shot from the right side of the penalty area just inside the near post. TRI 1, USA 1
TRI – Alvin Jones, 57th minute: While the direct free kick initially looked to be outside shooting distance, Alvin Jones decided to have a go anyway. His powerful free kick swerved and spun in the heavy Port of Spain air before dipping dramatically and going off the fingertips of a diving Matt Turner and into the U.S. net. TRI 2, USA 1
– U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT –
Match: Trinidad and Tobago vs. United States Men’s National Team Date: November 20, 2023 Competition: 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League – Quarterfinal, Leg Two Venue: Hasely Crawford Stadium; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Kickoff: 7:07 p.m. ET (8:07 local) Weather: 82 degrees, clear
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F USA 1 0 1 TRI 1 1 2
USA – Antonee Robinson (Sergiño Dest) 25th minute TRI – Reon Moore (Alvin Jones) 43 TRI – Alvin Jones 57
Misconduct Summary: USA – Sergiño Dest (Caution) 39th minute USA – Sergiño Dest (Ejection) 39 USA – Joe Scally (Caution) 79 TRI – Duane Muckette (Caution) 80
Officials: Referee: Walter Gomez (GUA) Assistant Referee 1: Keytzel Corrales (NCA) Assistant Referee 2: Raymundo Feliz (DOM) 4th Official: Oliver Vergara (PAN) VAR: Guillermo Pacheco (MEX) AVAR: Erick Miranda (MEX)
Man of the Match: Antonee Robinson
USA vs. Trinidad & Tobago, Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals: Staff Man of the Match
While we wait for the community, we give our picks.
The United States Men’s National Team once again fell to Trinidad & Tobago on the road Monday night, this time a familiar 2-1 loss in the second leg of the Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals. Despite the loss, the USMNT won the aggregate 4-2, advancing to the Concacaf Nations League Finals as well as qualifying for the 2024 Copa América.
Normally, we would have the SSFC community rate each player to see who they thought played the best on the evening and would earn the community’s Man of the Match award. However, due to a mixup, the wrong form was originally placed into the Community Ratings article on Monday night. That form has been corrected, and now you have the chance to vote below.
Meanwhile, the SSFC staff cast their vote for one player that they thought was the Man of the Match for the USMNT. Antonee Robinson, who scored the lone goal for the United States, received 3 votes to win the Staff Man of the Match award. Yunus Musah received 1 vote as well.
The staff votes:
Donald – Antonee Robinson
Rob – Antonee Robinson
Justin – Yunus Musah
Adnan – Antonee Robinson
Now, you’ll have your chance to rate each of the players from Monday’s match, as well as Gregg Berhalter and the referee. We’ll post the results on Friday. In the meantime, hit the comments to discuss the staff votes for Man of the Match.
USMNT’s Weston McKennie says Leeds loan failure spurred him on at Juventus
By The Athletic Staff5m ago
USMNT and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie believes he has emerged stronger from a loan spell at Leeds United during which he felt he “let people down”.McKennie spent the second half of last term in England, but registered just one assist in 19 Premier League appearances in a campaign that ended with Leeds being relegated.The 25-year-old has become increasingly important this season for Juventus under Massimiliano Allegri and thinks the experience meant he returned to Italy with fresh intent to prove himself.
He told Sky in Italy of his time at Leeds: “I didn’t have the best performances. I felt I let certain people down.“But at the end of the day, when I came back, I think it was important for me in general to have an experience like that, to have that happen to me at this moment of my career, because when I came back it felt like I was coming back here for the first time again.“When I first came to Juventus, nobody knew who I was, everybody doubted me, everybody was against me, and I think it was important for me because it put chips back on my shoulder. That’s when I perform best and prove that I can do it and that I belong, so it was nice to come back and have that feeling again.”McKennie — who had to pull out of international duty with what the U.S. said was an “aggravated” knee issue — has made 10 starts in 12 Serie A games so far in 2023-24, and drew praise from Allegri after Juventus maintained the pressure on league leaders Inter Milan with a 2-1 home win over Caligari before the international break.“Wes is having a good season,” Allegri said. “He is maturing.”The top two meet on Sunday, with visiting Inter two points ahead, and McKennie is eyeing an opportunity to put the “Scudetto in our sights”.“It’s too early to say at this point in the season,” he said of the game’s significance, but added: “Juventus is ready for this challenge, to try and win”.
Keyrol Figueroa: The Liverpool and U.S. starlet with the world at his feet
Keyrol Figueroa only turned 17 at the end of August but he is used to the spotlight.Already in his nascent career, Figueroa has coped with the pressure of being the son of a famous footballing father and uprooting his life in the United States following a move to Liverpool. By contrast, his current mission of helping the U.S. progress in the Under-17 World Cup — which continues with a last-16 game against Germany tomorrow — probably seems simple.Figueroa has always been the subject of scrutiny. In 2017, as part of the FC Dallas under-12 squad, the striker took part in the Prospects Cup in Florida alongside teams such as Real Madrid, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.The tournament was hosted by Univision, a Spanish-speaking media outlet in the U.S. and South America. As the son of former Premier League defender and Honduras international Maynor Figueroa, he got plenty of attention.
“He took it all in his stride. He was getting a lot of interviews, but he was never saying, ‘This is all about me’,” says former FC Dallas under-12s manager John Gall. “He was always talking about his team-mates, his club, the situation that he was in. But he scored some incredible goals in that tournament. He had something a little bit different.”Keyrol Figueroa has made a big impression with the U.S. (Christian Hofer/Getty Images)
Born in Honduras but raised in England — he qualifies to represent those countries as well as the U.S. — Figueroa has no shortage of admirers. One of the more renowned ones is France international and Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann, who has offered words of encouragement via WhatsApp messages and Instagram
Before he arrived at Liverpool in 2018, Figueroa was part of the FC Dallas Academy, joining after his father signed for the senior team in January 2016. It was an odd scenario as he was not a player on the FC Dallas academy radar, or someone they had been scouting. His talent, though, was quickly evident.
He began in the shadow squad to develop his game understanding and learn standards and expectations, but he made it impossible for Gall to ignore him.
“It was clear from day one, he was a super competitive kid,” says Gall. “I remember many times when my under-12 team would play friendlies against the team he was on and he was always the kid that you didn’t want to play against. He was always dangerous.
“He was always trying to push and to be the best that he could be so he was constantly knocking on the door. We moved him up and he blossomed into the group I was working with and it was a pretty quick transition.”
Nicknamed ‘Young Figgy’, Figueroa was a big personality but Gall insists he was polite, hard-working and humble — albeit ferociously competitive.
“He wanted to be the best player that he could be and he wasn’t afraid to voice opinions,” says Gall. “There were times when we lost games and his shirt was over his head, upset and frustrated. Losing wasn’t in his repertoire.”
There was no ego because his father was in the first team. Maynor was a regular watcher of Keyrol’s training sessions and matches and offered advice to his son on areas to improve such as composure, beating players one-on-one and shot placement.
“Maynor was absolutely fantastic, always supportive,” says Gall. “His dad had an incredible technique for striking the ball — Figgy inherited the same power, same quality. There are not many kids that strike the ball like that.”
Keyrol Figueroa moved to Liverpool in 2018 (Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Blessed with natural speed, Figueroa scored every type of goal, and did so with regularity. He arrived as an individual player, trying to prove he deserved to be there, but learned to be his team’s focal point, holding up the ball, linking play and making good decisions in possession.
“You could tell that was his element, he wanted to be in professional environments,” says Gall. “He didn’t care who he was playing, his mentality was the same.”
Liverpool’s attention was alerted and they moved quickly to bring him to Merseyside as an under-14 player and he excelled. In an interview with Honduran newspaper La Prensa, his mother Sandra Norales said he had scored 90 goals in his first season.
He earned his first appearance with the under-18s aged just 15, coming off the bench in a 4-0 mini Merseyside derby against Everton in October 2021.
There were three brief appearances during the 2021-22 season before he stepped up to become a more prominent figure in Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s under-18s setup as a first-year scholar last season.
His breakout came not at the academy, but at this February’s CONCACAF Under-17 Championship. Figueroa scored seven goals in seven games as he spearheaded the U.S.’ run to the final, where they lost 3-1 to Mexico.
He returned to Liverpool with confidence high and began to earn himself a place in the starting XI, operating as a striker or right-winger. It was from the latter position where he netted a 13-minute hat-trick for the under-18s against Wolverhampton Wanderers in April.
Gall remains in contact with Figueroa and his family, exchanging the occasional text message and has been watching him in the World Cup, where he is Liverpool’s only representative.
“It’s great. You always want to see your former players do well,” says Gall. “We’re just delighted he’s doing well and hopefully it continues and we will be watching in the Premier League one day.”
That may still be a distant dream for Figueroa, but for now, his focus is simply on the Under-17 World Cup in Indonesia and tomorrow’s meeting with Germany.
The U.S. progressed comfortably out of their group, winning their opening two games, with Figueroa scoring the first goal in the second game — a 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso — but Germany will pose a stronger test
Whenever he arrives back in Merseyside, he’ll be aiming to make himself impossible to ignore again.
(Top photo: Alex Caparros – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===========
Heading over to the Badger Field for Training? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
Save 20% on these Succulent Ribs at Rackz BarBQ when you mention the Ole Ballcoach – Corner of 131 & Hazelldell. – Call 317-688-7290.
======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================
Feyenoord
Roma
Young Boys
Sporting CP
Galatasaray
Sparta Praha
Shakhtar Donetsk
Olympique Marseille
AC Milan
Rennes
Lens
Freiburg
Sporting Braga
Qarabag
Benfica
Toulouse
Will things get any better at Barcelona for the exiting Xavi? (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Openda has been in fine form for a struggling Leipzig team (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
City are motoring at full speed with Haaland and De Bruyne back (Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73133065/1980693388.0.jpg)
Emerse Fae, middle, interim head coach and AFCON champion (Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty Images)
Sebastien Haller scored Ivory Coast’s winner (Sia Kambou/AFP via Getty Images)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73126562/1976049687.0.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73107031/1968509192.0.jpg)
Reyna in the early days with Dortmund in February 2020 (Max Maiwald/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
(Edith Geuppert – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
(Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
(John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
(Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images)
Ryan O’Hanlon, ESPN.com writerFeb 2, 2024, 09:21 AM ET
Messi’s Argentina were beaten 4-2 on penalties by Chile in 2016 (Xinhua/Qin Lang via Getty Images)
The LED scoreboard hanging from the stadium’s roof during the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal (Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
(Elsa/Getty Images)
(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
Bill Connelly, ESPN Staff WriterJan 31, 2024, 09:11 AM ET
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/IMG5KJHRJBDCTOM7IPURNFR5BQ.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/POUYB54JIFHH7JLQNTW4EUCB44.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/KCWNK5AWD5HOFP4AYEA72HL62I.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/FURJ5VHOXNE47MHIOOAEVR2G3A.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/2WYLGOGI35ECTG5P7PH5UVTEAU.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/YQOU4UHJMBDZ5GDSKQ2SGBRFNA.jpg)
Scally pummels his equaliser in from distance against Mainz (Christian Verheyen/Borussia Moenchengladbach via Getty Images)
Scally, on Bundesliga debut, challenges Lewandowski (Federico Gambarini/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Scally takes instruction from Seoane (Christian Verheyen/Borussia Moenchengladbach via Getty Images)
Scally, No 26, joins Tim Weah, Shaq Moore and Josh Sargent ahead of the group game against Wales (Maja Hitij – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Scally, in New York City colours, tracks Gustavo Bou of New England Revolution in September 2020 (Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
Scally and Brenden Aaronson ahead of Gladbach’s game against Union in December (Christian Verheyen/Borussia Moenchengladbach via Getty Images)
Reyna and Scally confront each other on the pitch, as well as on the golf course (Christian Verheyen/Borussia Moenchengladbach via Getty Images)
Share
LikeOpen Extended Reactions
115
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73087728/1958743303.0.jpg)
Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders will also leave the club at the end of the season (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73075511/usa_today_22337563.0.jpg)
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff WriterJan 20, 2024, 06:50 PM ET
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73069358/1877251966.0.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73068557/1921110717.0.jpg)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25235732/IMG_2661.jpeg)
Pulisic celebrates winning the Champions League with Chelsea, alongside father Mark and mother Kelley in 2021 (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
(Sportinfoto/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Pulisic is performing well in Milan (Alessandro Belussi and Pietro Vai)
Pulisic and Musah at the 2022 World Cup (Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Celebrating a goal for Milan against Sassuolo last month (Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images)
Turner and Vlachodimos are competing to be Forest’s first-choice goalkeeper (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
Turner is the established first choice for the USA (Howard Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
1. Manchester City: Champions League, +200
2. Liverpool: Europa League, +225
3. Aston Villa: Europa League, +275
4. Bayern Munich: Champions League, +425
5. Bayer Leverkusen: Europa League, +500
6. Fiorentina: Europa Conference League, +525
7. Arsenal: Champions League, +575
8. Real Madrid: Champions League, +600
9. AC Milan: Europa League, +900
10. Eintracht Frankfurt: Europa Conference League, +900
11. Lille: Europa Conference League, +1200
12. Brighton: Europa League, +1200
13. Paris Saint-Germain: Champions League, +1200
14. Barcelona: Champions League, +1200
15. West Ham: Europa League, +1200
16. Real Betis: Europa Conference League, +1200
17. Ajax: Europa Conference League, +1200
18. Roma: Europa League, +1500
19. Inter Milan: Champions League, +1800
20. Atletico Madrid: Champions League, +1900
(Pablo Maurer)
(Pablo Maurer)
(Pablo Maurer)
Villarreal saw a clear penalty for handball (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
(Pablo Maurer)
Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FCNov 29, 2023, 05:08 PM ET
Matt Turner is back for Nottingham Forest (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
Ricardo Pepi (left) has impressed for PSV (Erwin Scheriau/APA/AFP via Getty Images)
Pulisic was on form against Atalanta (Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)
Julien Laurens, CorrespondentDec 12, 2023, 04:00 AM ET
Newcastle’s recent defeats have been concerning (Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images)
The absence of Leao has been a big loss to Milan (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Christian Pulisic takes on Marius Wolf, left, and Niclas Fullkrug (Jari Pestelacci/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72893447/1804874256.0.jpg)
Keyrol Figueroa has made a big impression with the U.S. (Christian Hofer/Getty Images)
Keyrol Figueroa moved to Liverpool in 2018 (Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
The Ole BallCoach 