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CARMEL FC PLAYERS : Winter Players League (WPL) – Badger Indoor Fieldhouse
As the fall season comes to a close over the next month, we wanted to let you know that we will be launching an indoor soccer league over two six week sessions within our new Badger Fieldhouse. Games will be played on either Friday night ( 6pm to 10pm) or Sunday afternoon (1pm-5pm) depending on age groups: U8s, U9&U10, U11&U12, U13-U15 and U16+ (Coed Teams allowed). Referees for each game, 50 minute games, 5v5, 7v7 and 9v9 matches.
Session One (6 weeks): Jan 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th / Feb: 3rd, 10th
Session Two (6 weeks): Feb 17th, 24th / Mar 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th
Registration Information coming shortly, gather teammates and be ready to play!

Also get your Game Picking Skills sharpened as Carmel FC might have an official World Cup Pool.

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10 big questions ahead of MLS Cup 2022

Bandwagon guide to MLS Cup: To root for Philadelphia Union or LAFC?

How LAFC & Philadephia Union built MLS Cup-Rosters

Final Bracket MLS

Power Rankings: Where did your team end the 2022 regular season?
LA Galaxy defender Julián Araujo talks World Cup, humble beginnings
Another El Tráfico? USC football blocks parking for LAFC fans attending MLS Cup
MLS Cup: Ranking every Major League Soccer championship game

MLS Cup playoffs: Philly, LAFC advance to championship game as top seeds prevail 23hJeff Carlisle

– Report: LAFC reach first MLS Cup after thrashing Austin

– Report: Philly come back to defeat NYCFC, win Eastern Conference title

Top Seed Philly Advances to Finals – Yahoo Sports

What’s driving MLS’ reported playoff revamp? 4dESPN

2022 MLS Cup playoffs: Fixtures, results and more 7dESPN
LAFC vs Philadelphia Union set for MLS Cup Final

Three big questions following Austin FC’s 2022 season

Playoff X Factors with 4 teams left – Backheeled.com

Congrats and Good Luck Sunday 8:30 pm ESPN+ Former Carmel FC GK Coach and Indy 11 Goalkeeper Jordan Farr

USMNT Injuries Mount as WC Nears Henry Bushnell

great saves by Leed’s GK Illan Meslier to be Liverpool at Anfield

MLS GK of the year Andre Blake working out in LA before Sat’s Championship game

Chelsea’s GK Kepa is Player of Month

GKE in NSWL Champ Game as US Backup AD Franch Gives up an Easy

Portland Thorns ride the rise of Sophia Smith to an NWSL title Yahoo Soccer Henry Bushnell

GKE in NSWL Champ Game as Franch Gives up an Easy

Portland’s success built around Smith and adaptability 2dJeff Kassouf

Champions League last-16 Power Rankings: Can anyone stop Man City, Bayern? ESPNFC Bill Connelly
AC Milan, Leipzig take final last-16 places as PSG lose top spot
Spurs, Eintracht into Champions League last 16 as Liverpool beat Napoli
PSG pipped to top spot in Champions League group by rampant Benfica
Giroud fires AC Milan past Salzburg and into Champions League knockouts
Chelsea erase early deficit to beat Dinamo Zagreb in UCL finale
Chilwell’s World Cup in severe doubt after injury
Man City conclude UCL group with win over Sevilla (video)
Five-star Real Madrid seal top spot with Celtic drubbing
Leipzig thrash Shakhtar to reach knockout stage
Tottenham, Frankfurt advance in CL; Bayern stays perfect
‘Fantastic’ comeback takes Tottenham into Champions League last 16 as group winners
Porto seal top spot, dump miserable Atletico out of Europe

By J. Sam Jones @J_SamJones ESPNFC Wednesday, Nov 2, 2022, 03:52 PM

first time in 19 years, the top teams in each of Major League Soccer‘s conferences have reached the MLS Cup final. Both teams are aiming for their first league title, and the respective paths the organizations took couldn’t have been more different.Philadelphia Union‘s arrival to the final has been a long, steady climb. The Union qualified for the playoffs just twice in their first eight years. But starting in 2018, the club hit upon a formula of heavy reliance on its academy — Jack McGlynn is the latest to pass through and make an impact — combined with astute mining of the transfer market, picking up the likes of left back Kai Wagner and holding midfielder Jose Martinez, to become one of the most consistent performers in the league. The last three seasons have seen the Union finish no lower than third in the Eastern Conference, with the Supporters Shield being claimed in 2020.This season saw Philadelphia claim another Eastern Conference regular-season title, but with a twist. The Union’s defensive backbone remained in place, setting an MLS record with just 26 goals conceded. But added to it was an attack that scored a league-best 72 goals, with Daniel Gazdag bagging 22 goals to go along 10 assists. EDITOR’S PICKS

By comparison, LAFC‘s march to the final has been more caffeine-infused. The Black-and-Gold were competitive from the moment they started play in 2018, winning the Supporters Shield a year later. A year after that, LAFC nearly claimed the CONCACAF Champions League in 2020, squandering a second-half lead against Tigres. There was the bump in the road that saw the team miss the postseason in 2021, but LAFC retooled with some astute pickups of their own, like holding midfielder Ilie Sanchez and right back Ryan Hollingshead.

There is a tendency to think this matchup boils down to whether LAFC can break down Philly’s defense, and that will certainly be a factor. Philadelphia had the third-lowest possession percentage in the league at 43.6%, while LAFC had the 10th best at 51.1%, so this is a match where the Black-and-Gold figure to have more of the ball. LAFC’s attacking trident of Cristian Arango, Denis Bouanga and Carlos Vela has shown it is adept at wearing opponents down, especially in the postseason.

But Philadelphia is plenty comfortable playing without the ball, and the fact that it still had the third-highest xG mark at 63.72 points shows how the Union are adept at creating — and exploiting — transition moments. That will be a huge challenge for LAFC, though their defense put up some impressive numbers as well. LAFC allowed the fewest shots on goal per game in the league at 3.4.Perhaps the more important factor will be if LAFC can find a way past Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake. Blake won his third MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award last month, and ranked second in goals prevented (a measure of goals allowed vs. expected goals allowed) with a mark of 11.4. In terms of the eye test, Blake was brilliant against both FC Cincinnati and NYCFC.

Then there is home-field advantage. It’s worth noting that the two teams finished level on points, but since LAFC had two more wins, they claimed the Shield — and home field for Saturday’s final — instead of Philly, despite the Union’s vastly superior goal differential.Since MLS went away from neutral venues starting in 2012, the home side has prevailed in seven of the 10 ensuing MLS Cup finals, though two of the defeats were via penalties. Banc of California Stadium figures to be an absolute cauldron, even with the 1 p.m. Pacific time kickoff.

Playing at home on such an occasion can create its own special kind of pressure, but LAFC is likely to embrace that tension, cheered on by the partisan crowd. That makes them a narrow favorite to prevail.

Ahead of the MLS Cup, ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, Kyle Bonagura, Dan Hajducky, and Austin Lindberg predict which of the two final teams will lift the trophy.

LAFC's logo LAFC has a smidgen more quality in attack and, as impressive as Philly’s defense is, that should carry the day. — Carlisle

LAFC's logo First, let’s acknowledge that this should be viewed as possibly the best MLS Cup final matchup of all time. It’s rare for the two top seeds — let alone teams tied for Supporters’ Shield on points — meet in the final and, the last time it happened in 2003, the quality of MLS wasn’t nearly what it is today. Anyone who feels strongly about who will win has misplaced confidence, and with that understood, LAFC is the pick. Banc of California Stadium provides an incredible home field advantage and the Black-and-Gold’s attacking talent is superior. — Bonagura

the Philadelphia Union's logo There seems to be something spooky-good happening for Philadelphia’s sports franchises of late — and I’m not betting against that good juju. The best offensive firepower in MLS in LAFC’s Carlos Vela and Cristian Arango will fall short against the second-best defensive squad in league history and 2022 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (a league-record third award) Andre Blake. Two-time MLS Coach of the Year and Union gaffer Jim Curtin finally gets his hardware. — Hajducky

the Philadelphia Union's logo Regardless of the outcome, this stands to be one of the most memorable MLS Cups in years. These have been the two best teams in the league all season, so it’s going to be a real treat to watch them square off with everything on the line. LAFC may have the edge in talent and star power, but I like the depth and cohesion of Philadelphia, and their defending and goalkeeping that threaten to nullify the Black-and-Gold’s homefield advantage. — Lindberg

Thursday, Nov 3, 2022, 02:07 PM

MLS Cup!!! Time for questions!!!

Here are 10 big ones, in no particular order, that could define LAFC vs. Philadelphia Union on Saturday afternoon at Banc of California Stadium (4 pm ET | FOX, Univision in US; TSN, TVA Sports in Canada).

How much of a tilt will homefield advantage be?

Of the last five MLS Cups, just one road team had a trophy celebration. That was NYCFC (2021), who won after penalties. The previous road team that won MLS Cup was also after penalties (2016 Seattle).

Since MLS switched to hosting priorities going to the higher seed in 2011, just one road team has won without penalties (2015 Portland). Three of 11 visitors have won at all (penalties count, you know).

Home field (and the Supporters’ Shield) in this matchup was decided on a tiebreaker. The regular season matters.

The year of Goalkeeper Andre Blake?

Speaking of penalties… well, the longer the game stays close, the more it suits Philly. Home teams have the impetus to push in these scenarios anyway, but particularly so when Andre Blake is between the posts on the other end.

Blake has been awesome this year and spectacular in the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs. He made a handful of great saves against FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, then a stunning reaction save against NYCFC right after Philly went 1-0 down in the Eastern Conference Final.

We often talk about match-winners in the attack. Blake is a match-winner in goal and can completely change a game.

Big-game Vela?

Carlos Vela has gotten some criticism for disappearing in big games, but that’s always been a little odd to me, for his time with LAFC at least.In 2019, he had 2g/1a in two playoff games. This year he has 0g/2a in two games (155 minutes). He was awesome in their 2020 CCL run.Maybe he hasn’t gone supernova in the playoffs yet, sure. There’s another chance Saturday.

Who will win transition moments?

For the first 60 minutes against NYCFC, Philly were uncharacteristically pensive and wasteful in moments of attacking transition. That changed dramatically over the final 30 minutes, and it tends to get better as they wear teams down. But LAFC absolutely suffocated Austin FC’s transition opportunities over the first 60 minutes of the Western Conference Final and put the game out of reach en route to a 3-0 win.

This, for me, is the biggest tactical question/X-factor.

Who will win on set pieces?

In knockout competitions, the variance of set pieces plays an outsized role. It’s so key for good tournament teams to be excellent on set pieces. Both of the teams are on the attacking side, Philly more so on the defensive side.

Matt Doyle wrote about this and instead of just stealing his stats, I’m going to let him take it from here:

Both of these teams are elite on restarts. LAFC’s 17 goals scored across the regular season and playoffs is third behind Nashville and Austin, while Philly led the league in xG off of dead-ball situations this year (and scored 13).

Philly conceded just five off of restarts all year, while LAFC were a little looser with eight goals allowed in those situations.

What role can Bedoya or Bale play?

These two players are not equal in their importance to their team; I want to point that out on the front end.

Alejandro Bedoya has played at a Best XI-ish clip for half a decade with Philly and was elite once again this year at age 35. He’s their captain, culture-setter and emotional leader. Gareth Bale has played around 350 minutes in four months since signing for LAFC, after he left Real Madrid.Their impacts are not equal, that’s not why they’re grouped together. But they are two injury question marks, that’s why they’re grouped together.Bedoya started his first game in more than a month in the ECF and was clearly hampered. He lasted 45 minutes, at least 15 of which came as a very muted version of his normal self. Will he be able to give any minutes?Bale, meanwhile, made the bench against Austin but was an unused sub, in large part due to an injury. Will he actually be available off the bench on Saturday?

What to expect from Jose Martinez?

This dude is an absolute showman. Watching him off the ball is an experience in and of itself. He’s one of the best defensive mids in the league, a crucial part of any title-contending team (like Ilie Sánchez for LAFC), but he can be chaotic.Whether that’s discipline or otherwise, what kind of performance will Philly get from their midfield dynamo?For all the talk about him being a walking yellow card (fair), Martinez has just one straight red card in his Philly career, and only one other time has he been sent off for two yellows. It’s not as much as you think.The best version of Martinez is (semi-) controlled chaos.

Will Giorgio Chiellini start? How would that impact the game?

LAFC’s legendary central defender was on the bench for their first playoff game and then started against Austin, but was subbed out at halftime.ESPN’s Taylor Twellman said that change was tactical, not injury-related. It’s a curious decision… What was the tactical change? More pace?Austin sought out to try and not let Chiellini’s passing open them up. His passing would be very useful against Philly’s compact structure, but is Steve Cherundolo concerned about Philly’s ability to get out in transition against a 38-year-old center back?

High-scoring affair?

The last three games between these two teams have ended in draws with high scoring. One was a hugely memorable 3-3 draw, the last game before the league shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league was introduced to Jakob Glesnes and Jose Martinez that day, and Brenden Aaronson took another step forward. Vela was at the peak of his powers, and LAFC were coming off their historic 2019 season.

This year, it was a thrilling 2-2 draw in May. Both teams have changed since May even, but the vibes seem the same when they play.One of the last nine MLS Cup finals has had more than three goals. This feels as good a bet as any to break that threshold.

Who gets the Hollywood sendoff?

There are numerous players (and staff) at both clubs who seem very likely to depart this winter. Philly left back Kai Wagner and LAFC midfielder Jose Cifuentes are the two most likely who come to mind, both expected to depart in big-money transfers abroad.To win MLS Cup would be a Hollywood ending to their stories.

Additionally: If Jim Curtin accomplishes his goal of winning an MLS Cup at Philly, will he stay or consider options? His contract is up after 2023. What other players could be playing their final club games?

The US Plays Nov 21, November 25 an November 29th all on Fox.

Oct 9, 2022; Frisco, Texas, USA; FC Dallas forward Jesus Ferreira (10) in action during the game between FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

By Jeff Rueter5h ago

In most World Cup years, much of the United States men’s player pool would have made their case for tournament inclusion well before the provisional roster is due. Those in Europe would have had at least a couple of weeks of ice baths and beach walks to rejuvenate themselves. And while MLS has often slated games up until the start of the group stage, players have been able to treat the start of the year as a tune-up to arrive to national team camp in midseason form. That general approach went out the window (like many normalities) when FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and switched to a November kickoff. The European leagues have a greater urgency to front-load their schedule to make up for the lost month of matches, leaving players open to missing the tournament due to simple one-to-two week knocks. MLS will have its season settled by week’s end, but any U.S. roster hopefuls who missed the playoffs will have gone without a game since October 9 — 43 days before the opener against Wales. No matter how the schedule sits, those final league matches before a roster is finalized bring some of the greatest scrutiny and internal pressure a player will face in their career. Every performance carries extra weight as players attempt to make their closing arguments for inclusion. Fair or otherwise, a team’s struggles could color how a player is perceived as the roster is drawn up. And, as is often the case in soccer, arguably no position comes with greater pressure in the stretch run than striker — an area viewed with an obsessive focus on goal totals, which has seldom been the U.S.’s strong suit.

Throughout the first months of 2010, Herculez Gomez felt like he could play without pressure.

In January of that year, the striker left the Kansas City Wizards after they didn’t offer him a contract to get his career back on track in Liga MX. He couldn’t have made a stronger first impression, scoring 10 goals in 15 matches with Puebla to tie Javier Hernández and Johan Fano for the Clausura golden boot. Unlike Chicharito, however, Gomez had little reason to believe he was in contention for a World Cup roster. Not only had Gomez failed to feature in CONCACAF qualifying — he hadn’t suited up for the United States since their 2007 Copa América appearance.

Ultimately, a host of factors left the final tune-up friendlies before the 2010 World Cup as an open competition for the pool’s strikers. Jozy Altidore and Charlie Davies had entered qualifying as Bob Bradley’s first-choice center forwards, but the latter was involved in a career-altering car crash in October 2009. Eddie Johnson had done well in Greece with Aris, but was injured as the tournament neared. It re-opened the door for an in-form goalscorer like Gomez, who made the provisional 30-man roster as Bradley weighed his final decisions.

Gomez was one of six forwards called into that final camp before Bradley crystalized his 23-man squad for South Africa. Along with Altidore, Johnson and hold-up specialist Brian Ching, he was joined by fellow fringe hopefuls Edson Buddle and Robbie Findley. Gomez arrived for camp in East Hartford without any misconceptions about his longshot odds, but he still felt the pressure.

“I just remember thinking to myself, I’m not part of this team,” Gomez told The Athletic. “Any fitness drill, any shooting drill, finishing drill, whatever the case may be, I have to be top three. I have to be a guy that stood out because if not, I wasn’t going to make the World Cup. I got to the stadium and I got into the locker room and the numbers went one through 30. I’m looking for my name, I’m looking for my number, and as I keep going down, it’s like further down. Twenty five. Twenty six. Twenty seven. Twenty eight. Twenty nine…

“There I am: 30. Thirty of 30. That’s when the reality hit me: if I want to go, it’s now 30 of 30. The pressure for the roster really hit me. That was the only time I really felt it.”

As you’d expect, Gomez began the opening match of the camp against the Czech Republic from the bench. He checked in at halftime, with 45 minutes to make his case against one the world’s best goalkeepers of all-time, Petr Cech. Ives Galarcep’s live blog of the friendly serves as a good encapsulation of his shift, tracking just about every involvement Gomez had.

“Gomez with 45 minutes to state his case for a spot. Neither Johnson or Buddle were all that stellar in the first half,” Galarcep wrote as the second half started. Then in the 64th minute, “GOMEZ WITH A BLAST right at Cech” after a back heel from Ching. And two minutes later… “GOAL USA!!! And it’s Herculez Gomez with the FINISH!”

It was Gomez’s first goal for the United States — and it couldn’t have come at a more pivotal time, as his elation made clear. After the camp, Gomez joined Altidore, Buddle and Findley on the World Cup roster. Even with the inescapable pressure in Connecticut, his determination paid off.

“It’s a very difficult moment not just for a striker, but for any player thinking every single day is that day where you have to stand out… but even more so for a goalscorer,” Gomez said. “We live and die by the amount of goals we score. You could be very good in combination play, help the team with the little things defensively, tactically, everything as far as being a team player, but at the end of the day, you’re there to score goals. I guarantee you if I don’t come off the bench against the Czech Republic and score a goal, I don’t go to the World Cup.”

Fast forward a dozen years to Gomez now working for ESPN as one of the U.S.’s most prominent soccer pundits. In October, he was in Austin to cover second-year MLS side Austin FC’s match against FC Dallas. There, he had a first-hand look at possibly this cycle’s most scrutinized U.S. striker: Jesús Ferreira.This is the first year in which Ferreira has played as an out-and-out striker. Last year, he was the deep-lying deputy for Ricardo Pepi, as his teammate was anointed the U.S. national team’s successor to Altidore and earned a move to FC Augsburg. After that transfer, Ferreira signed a big extension to stay in Dallas as a designated player for years to come. He’s rewarded the club for their confidence, winning MLS’ young player of the year award after scoring 18 goals and adding six assists.With the U.S. team, however, his misses have garnered far more attention than his goals. He missed several chances against Panama and El Salvador late in World Cup qualifying, and while his club form helped rebuild fans’ confidence, he sent a close-range header over the bar in a friendly against Uruguay. His performances in September were largely forgiven, as the entire U.S. squad looked outmatched against Japan and languid against Saudi Arabia. It put even more pressure on his league form, though, which was enough to vault FC Dallas to third place in the West at regular season’s end.

Ferreira had another crucial miss in the playoff opener against Minnesota United, flubbing his first touch and negating any chance at a shot as the ball thunked into Sebastian Lletget’s path. While he made his penalty in the ensuing shootout, he wasn’t able to make much of an impact as Austin took a 2-0 lead into halftime a week later. All season, Dallas head coach Nico Estévez — in his first year with the team after working under Gregg Berhalter with the USMNT — had trusted Ferreira up top. As Ferreira struggled to finish and the scrutiny around him from fans and media alike reached a crescendo, the coach made a dramatic change.“Fairly or unfairly, that’s another discussion, but yeah, absolutely,” Gomez said of the scrutiny’s impact on a striker — something which Inter Miami’s Gonzalo Higuain also highlighted before his retirement.

“There will be that scrutiny and that pressure,” Gomez added. “As soon as Franco Jara came on (against Austin) — 34 years old, an Argentine who scored three goals all season — what was Nico Estévez’s move? He dropped Jesús Ferreira into an attacking midfielder role. When they needed a goal, the head coach who was with Gregg Berhalter, who knows the system in and out, dropped him into an attacking midfielder role so a guy who scored three goals all season could be the guy up top. Those are things that’re gonna affect any player.”

After Jara checked in, Ferreira logged just 0.12 xG across three shots. The last — a skied free kick at the start of stoppage time — elicited sarcastic “USA! USA!” chants from the Austin faithful.

Throughout the playoffs, Ferreira appeared to play with the pressure of a young striker who’s expected to lead the line in a World Cup.

While MLS is still a lower level than the top leagues of Europe, it isn’t as far off as it used to be. Simply scoring in Europe isn’t enough to become a guaranteed inclusion on a U.S. roster — just ask Jordan Pefok, who has three goals and three assists in his first 10 Bundesliga games but appears to be a World Cup longshot.

In the past, finding the hottest U.S. goalscorer often meant scanning the MLS golden boot race. That method helped Chris Wondolowski go from a surprise breakout goalscorer in 2010 to earning his first senior callup the following January as he neared age 28. By the end of 2014 World Cup qualifying, he was a likely-but-not-guaranteed option in Jürgen Klinsmann’s roster for Brazil. Gomez was a regular starter that cycle, but suffered a knee injury in the run-up. Altidore was a lock, which left Wondolowski competing against the likes of Áron Johannsson, Terrence Boyd and Landon Donovan for roster spots.

“It’s weird because it’s a friendly rivalry, but you know these are your teammates and friends,” Wondolowski said. “I look at Jozy, and that’s a good friend of mine, but we were still competing for minutes and for positions and being able to do that. It’s definitely a weird thing because sometimes you get fixated on what the other person is doing. What’s Aron Johannsson doing? He scored that goal? Oh, now I better score this one. The hardest thing is to worry about yourself and try to bring the best out of yourself each day and each play, each minute. That’s not always the easiest thing to do.”

Of course, Wondolowski’s 2014 World Cup became impossibly tangled with a high profile miss that, five years later, he told The Athletic was “one of the biggest mistakes of my life.”

He had fared better in the 2014 MLS season than the year before, scoring 14 goals to top the previous season’s 11. However, the position’s obsessive focus on scoring goals can become a striker’s downfall if they can’t get out of their own way.

“I mean, it’s not do or die but I just remember trying to give every single thing I had, whether it was in camp, a league game or the 30 man a couple of weeks before (the final roster),” Wondolowski said. “It was a very trying time. I wish I could go back and just tell myself to relax. Just let it come to you. It will happen; the chances will come. Sometimes, especially as a striker when you press so much, that’s when it doesn’t happen. I think that sometimes that happens, but it’s never an easy thing and to try to just let it come to you.”

It’s a feeling that Gomez knows well, particularly given his experience in that 2010 moment before the final list went out.

“I literally felt like I had to be the best or among the best at everything we did,” Gomez said. “It’s an immense sense of pressure. You can do whatever mental exercise you want with psychologists, sports psychologists, mental health gurus, whatever you want, but it’s through action. It’s through putting the ball in the back of the net and not having to think about it, having it be instinctual. The moment you get inside your head as a forward, It’s over. You start doubting yourself and the moment you doubt yourself, you have no business being on the field.”

In many ways, there are two profiles of strikers who benefit from the home stretch before what’s often a career-defining tournament. The first category is the no-doubt inclusions: Altidore in past U.S. cycles, or generational greats like Robert Lewandowski and Luis Suarez, who each made moves to different clubs this summer without much worry over how it would impact their World Cup chances.

The second, as Gomez embodied, is the “house money” approach. As Buddle began the 2010 season in top form, he similarly tried to downplay the potential for inclusion on Bradley’s roster.

“At this point, for me to put my attention to that… kind of defeats the purpose of me being here with the Galaxy,” Buddle said a month before the East Hartford camp. “I want to focus on what I have been doing with the Galaxy. (The World Cup) is a long shot in my mind. But it’s definitely something that I would like to be a part of.”

Being a longshot sounds damning at the outset, but it can serve the lesser-heralded options in the pool well. To Gomez, one striker in contention for Qatar appears similarly poised to turn time out of the spotlight into a World Cup roster spot.

“Maybe Josh Sargent, because we only saw him in the opening (international) window,” Gomez said. “We saw him open the window against El Salvador and that was pretty much it. Since then, many didn’t have him on their list to make the World Cup; he was out of sight, out of mind. He was playing in the Premier League as a winger on a very bad team, and here we are now. He’s in the Championship and he’s lighting it up. He’s doing everything in his power and, right now, he’s just playing with nothing to lose. He was on nobody’s radar, he’s playing freely, he’s playing with a sense of enjoyment and he’s getting the most of it.”

Whether you’re unable to escape the pressure like Ferreira or blissfully proving doubters wrong like Sargent, it’s undeniable that making a World Cup roster would fulfill nearly any player’s lifelong dreams. The calculus for inclusion can seem a bit less rigid for midfielders and defenders, and even goalkeepers, at times.

In order to be a top striker, however, there needs to be a requisite obsession with scoring goals. When that obsession overlaps with meeting a career objective that is largely met or failed by someone else’s decision, it can be hard to escape the pressure. Whether or not that’ll aid whoever Berhalter calls in for the 2022 World Cup will be among the most important factors in how the U.S. fares in Group B and, hopefully, the knockout stages.

By Ed MackeyNov 2, 202222

After an unusually short nine-week Champions League group stage, we have learned which teams will be progressing to the knockouts.Those sides will find out their fate on Monday November 7 when the last-16 draw takes place at the European House of Football in Nyom, Switzerland.But it is not quite as simple as just drawing teams from pots. There are still a few rules, some more complex than others, which prevent certain teams from meeting. Here is the full lowdown on which teams each side could be drawn against.

The draw for the last-16 will take place at 11am GMT (12pm CET, 6am EST) on Monday, November 7.

The last-16 draw is the last of the competition that includes a couple of limitations and rules:

The 16 teams will be split into two pots; the eight group winners (seeded) and the eight runners-up (unseeded).
Clubs cannot be drawn against a team that was in their group or a team that is part of the same association/country.
Seeded teams will play the first leg away before playing the second leg at home.

Following the final Champions League gameweek, we know all 16 teams that will make up Monday’s draw.

Those teams already through are:

Napoli*
Liverpool
Porto*
Club Bruges
Bayern*
Inter Milan
Tottenham*
Eintracht Frankfurt
Chelsea*
AC Milan
Real Madrid*
Red Bull Leipzig
Manchester City*
Borussia Dortmund
Benfica*
PSG

*Confirmed as group winners and seeded in the draw

Graham Potter’s side secured top spot in Group E. As they can only draw non-English runners-up from other groups, that leaves a handful of clubs for them to be pitted against.

Club Bruges
Inter
Eintracht Frankfurt
RB Leipzig
Borussia Dortmund
PSG

The path to the quarter-final is potentially much tougher for the current FA Cup and Carabao Cup holders as they were unable to leapfrog Napoli at the top of Group A on Tuesday evening. Because the other three English clubs have finished top of their groups, Jurgen Klopp’s men have a limited list of potential next-round opponents.

Porto
Bayern
Real Madrid
Benfica

The Premier League champions made relatively light work of finishing top of Group G. That leaves them with a similar group of potential last-16 opponents to Chelsea.

Club Bruges
Inter
Eintracht Frankfurt
AC Milan
RB Leipzig
PSG

Antonio Conte watched from the stands at the Velodrome as his side secured top spot with a last-minute winner against Marseille. Because of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s goal, Tottenham’s quarter-final route is likely to be significantly easier than it would have been had they finished as runners-up.

Club Bruges
Inter
AC Milan
RB Leipzig
Borussia Dortmund
PSG

The current holders of the Champions League are the only Spanish team to have progressed from the group stage and they secured top spot with an emphatic win against Celtic in gameweek six. Here are their potential last-16 opponents.

Liverpool
Club Bruges
Inter
Eintracht Frankfurt
Milan
Borussia Dortmund
PSG

There are four German teams and three Italian teams who have booked safe passage into the knockout stage. They cannot be drawn against clubs from the same league but do still have plenty of options.

The German champions are the only club to have won each of their Champions League group stage fixtures and, as they are every year, are a real threat to any club they are pitted against. Having finished top of Group C, here are their potential last-16 opponents.

Liverpool
Club Bruges
AC Milan
Real Madrid
PSG

Edin Terzic’s side confirmed their place as runners-up in Group G behind Manchester City. This is the list of teams they could face in the last 16.

Napoli
Porto
Tottenham
Chelsea
Real Madrid
Benfica

The Europa League holders came from behind against Sporting to book their place in the last 16 and, had it not been for Tottenham’s late winner, they would have progressed as group winners. However, they had to settle for second place so they will face one of the winners of the other groups.

Napoli
Porto
Chelsea
Real Madrid
Manchester City
Benfica

Having beaten Barcelona to second place in Group C, the Serie A giants face the prospect of a group winner in the last 16.

Porto
Tottenham
Chelsea
Real Madrid
Manchester City
Benfica

Having stunned much of Europe with their start to the 2022-23 campaign, Luciano Spalletti’s side progressed to the last-16 as winners of Group A ahead of Liverpool. Their potential opponents are as follows.

Club Bruges
Eintracht Frankfurt
RB Leipzig
Borussia Dortmund
PSG

The French champions were left frustrated in Group H as Benfica’s 6-1 win against Maccabi Haifa knocked them out of top spot in stoppage time. That means they will face a group winner in the last 16.

Napoli
Porto
Bayern
Tottenham
Chelsea
Real Madrid
Manchester City

Having topped the group ahead of PSG, here is how Benfica’s potential last-16 opponents look.

Liverpool
Club Bruges
Inter
Eintracht Frankfurt
AC Milan
RB Leipzig
Borussia Dortmund

The Belgian underdogs were unable to hold onto their place as Group B leaders on Tuesday evening but they will still be playing Champions League knockout football in the new year. They will be handed a tough task however the draw shapes up as they will be face one of the group winners.

Napoli
Bayern
Tottenham
Chelsea
Real Madrid
Manchester City
Benfica

Sergio Conceicao’s side pipped Club Brugge to top spot and, in turn, will be assigned an easier last-16 opponent. Here are the teams that could be drawn against them.

Liverpool
Inter
Eintracht Frankfurt
AC Milan
RB Leipzig
Borussia Dortmund
PSG

The first legs will be played across four dates in February: 14, 15, 21 and 22, while the four dates for the second legs fall on March 7, 8, 14 and 15.

Seeded group winners will play away in the round of 16 first legs and are at home in the return matches.

Round of 16 first legs: February 14/15/21/22
Round of 16 second legs: March 7/8/14/15
Quarter-final and semi-final draw: March 17, 2023
Quarter-finals: April 11/12 & 18/19, 2023
Semi-finals: May 9/10 & 16/17, 2023
Final: June 10, 2023 (Istanbul)

Oct 31, 2022 ESPNCFC Jeff CarlisleU.S. soccer correspondent

San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan, the Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Pugh and NWSL MVP Sophia Smith of the Portland Thorns headline United States national team 24-player roster for a pair of friendlies against Germany next month.Morgan, who missed last month’s European tour alongside Pugh, has 198 international caps and is on the verge of becoming just the 13th player in USWNT history to amass 200 caps.The U.S. is looking to rebound from defeats against Spain and England earlier this month, with its first opportunity to do so when the team hosts Germany in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on Nov. 10, and then again in Harrison, N.J., three days later — the last two matches of 2022 for the top-ranked U.S. side.”These are the kinds of games that help our World Cup preparation in many ways and these 180 minutes to end our schedule this year are going to be extremely valuable for the players and coaches,” U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski said.”It will be good to get some players back on the roster and we’re all expecting these games to be very competitive and entertaining for fans.”Kansas City Current goalkeeper Adrianna Franch also returns for her first call-up since October 2021, as does San Diego Wave attacker Taylor Kornieck.The roster includes three NWSL end-of-season award winners in Golden Boot winner Morgan, MVP Smith and Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year Naomi Girma. Smith also won the MVP of the NWSL Championship Game after scoring to help lead the Thorns to their third NWSL title.Germany, which is ranked No. 3 in the world, reached the final of the 2022 Women’s Euro, falling to a 2-1 extra-time defeat to England. November’s meeting will be the USWNT’s first clash with Germany since a narrow victory at the SheBelives Cup in 2018.

Earlier this month, the U.S. learned its group opponents and path through the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The U.S. was drawn into Group E where it will face Vietnam, Netherlands and the Group A Playoff Winner. Germany was drawn into Group H where it will face Morocco, Colombia and Korea Republic.

Goalkeepers: Adrianna Franch (Kansas City Current), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars).

October 31, 2022 3:51 pm ET

The U.S. women’s national team is currently dealing with a lot of injuries.Some are long term and others are more minor, but many of the USWNT’s most important players over the past several years are presently sidelined.On Monday after announcing his roster for November friendlies against Germany, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski offered updates on no less than 10 players who are currently out: eight who are injured and two coming back after giving birth.Here is a list of the players Andonovski spoke about on a conference call.

Macario is working her way back from a torn ACL suffered in June.

Andonovski said the attacker “has been recovering very well” but also cautioned: “It’s hard for her to predict exactly when she’s going to be back.”

“If she doesn’t have any setbacks, we can see Cat back on the field in late February,” Andonovski added.

Ertz hasn’t played for the USWNT since the Olympics in 2021, and gave birth to her son Madden this August.

“She’s enjoying motherhood, she’s very happy and doing a great job at it,” Andonovski said. “Now we want to give Julie time to get back slowly. [Returning to the USWNT] is not something that we want even to discuss. This is a time for Julie to enjoy her time with her family and when the time comes, if she’s prepared and she’s anywhere near her best, I know this team will welcome her back.”

Dahlkemper has been struggling with a back injury that limited her to just eight games with the San Diego Wave this season.

Andovovski said the defender is set to go under the knife.

“She’s going to have a surgery,” the coach said. “She’s gone through some tough times unfortunately with three consecutive injuries. We’re just hoping that everything goes well once she has the surgery.”

Davidson looks to be on track to return soon after tearing her ACL in March.

“Tierna is looking really good,” Andonovski said. “She’s actually started training a little bit and we expect her to be [ready] in full by the middle of November and then obviously she will be available for the January roster.”

Krueger is working her way back after giving birth in July.

“She’s doing really good,” Andonovski said. “She actually did some training with the Chicago Red Stars before they got eliminated [from the playoffs], and she is in training with a group of players from Chicago even after the season. Looking forward to see her in camp as well.”

Sonnett hasn’t played since June after picking up a foot injury with the USWNT in the CONCACAF W Championship.

“Sonnett is recovering well,” Andonovski said. “She just started a little ball work and we expect her to be available for selection in January.”

O’Hara sounds like she is getting close to a return from a lingering hip injury that has seen her sidelined since August.

“Kelley is recovering well and doing some PT, and will also be expected to be back for January,” Andonovski said of the right back.

Mewis missed the entirely of the 2022 season with a lingering knee issue, which still seems to be troubling her.

“Sam is going to take a little bit longer and right now we’re just giving her a little bit of time to see how she’s going to approach her PT,” Andonovski said of the midfielder.

Like Mewis, Williams missed all of the 2022 season for the Kansas City Current.

Williams is almost back from a serious hip and hamstring injury, though Andonovski said she did experience a small setback.

“Lynn Williams is training in full,” Andonovski said. “She just had a little setback but we expect her to be back and available for selection in January.”

Press suffered a torn ACL in June. Andonovski said after a setback, she is likely to be working around the same timeline as Macario.

“Christen had just a slight setback but she’ll be probably in line, or just a little bit behind Cat,” the coach said.

MARSEILLE, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 01: Son Heung-Min of Tottenham Hotspur goes down with an injury during the UEFA Champions League group D match between Olympique Marseille and Tottenham Hotspur at Orange Velodrome on November 01, 2022 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

By Anthony HayNov 2, 2022

A leading brain injury charity has questioned football’s reluctance to introduce concussion substitutes following Tuesday night’s incidents involving Son Heung-min and James Milner.Tottenham Hotspur forward Son was forced off against Champions League opponents Marseille in the 30th minute after a collision with defender Chancel Mbemba.Liverpool’s Milner had to be substituted early in the second half of his side’s win over Napoli after being involved in a clash of heads in the first half.Milner carried on playing after receiving medical treatment but then went down off the ball within the opening minute of the second half.Both players were taken off as regular substitutes as there are currently no concussion substitutes in any UEFA competitions, unlike the Premier League.Luke Griggs, interim chief executive of brain injury charity Headway, said: “The assessment of players for potential concussion remains extremely challenging for medics.“They are not helped by football’s continued and unjustifiable reluctance to introduce temporary concussion substitutes that would enable extended assessments in the quiet confines of a dressing room, away from the intense atmosphere of the pitch.“We have repeatedly warned football of the risk it is taking with the short and long-term health of players. This should be a concern not only for elite-level players who are being allowed to return to the field of play potentially concussed, but we should all be concerned by the impact this is having on grassroots and youth players who follow examples they see on their screens.

Why Martinez incident has led to calls for concussion rules to change

“’If in doubt, sit it out!’ is supposedly at the heart of concussion protocols in all sports. And yet too often we see teams fail to take that approach. Instead, the approach seems to be ‘let’s see how they get on for the next 15 minutes’, during which time they risk exacerbating the effect of the initial injury.“Football’s stubbornness to accept the clear evidence that has emerged in recent years can no longer be tolerated.“We need the introduction of temporary concussion subs in all competitions but more importantly we need to see a change in attitude from IFAB, UEFA, FIFA when it comes to brain injury in football.”UEFA trialled concussion substitutes at the 2021 European Under-21 Championship finals in Hungary and Slovenia. They also planned on using it for the under-17 and under-19 finals in 2020-21, but the tournaments were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.Concussion replacements are currently an option in the Premier League and the WSL. It was also trialled at the Club World Cup in Qatar last year.

LISBON, PORTUGAL - OCTOBER 05: Lionel Messi of Paris Saint-Germain looks on during the UEFA Champions League group H match between SL Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain at Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on October 05, 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

The Athletic Soccer staffNov 1, 2022

After David Beckham and his Inter Miami partners were awarded MLS’ 25th franchise in late January 2018, the man who revolutionized the league as a player for LA Galaxy shared a video message from Lionel Messi on his Instagram account. “Who knows, maybe in a few years you will give me a call,” Messi concluded after congratulating Beckham on the new project. As The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported on Monday, that call eventually came, and Inter Miami is now confident in Messi’s eventual arrival. Four-year-old social media posts aside, the potential for Messi to move to Miami has only increased with time. In 2020, he told Spanish network La Sexta, “I would like to play in the United States one day, it’s always been one of my dreams.” Messi and his family have made numerous visits to the Miami area, last year staying in nearby Key Biscayne. The appeal of South Florida to someone like Messi is clear: the sun, the lifestyle, the lack of a state income tax in Florida, perhaps slightly less scrutiny than he’s faced in Europe and his native Argentina, plus the presence of large, Spanish-speaking South American communities.

And as much as Messi likes the area, Inter Miami has long been just as interested in him. In June 2021, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas told The Athletic, “It’s not out of the question that Lionel Messi will wear an Inter Miami uniform at some point in time. David and I are working very hard at making something like that happen, which I think is not only transformational for Miami, but I think for the league. That will propel a very important discussion among us and the league because I think we have to do everything in our power to facilitate Lionel Messi coming to Miami and coming to the MLS. I will push as hard as I can, personally, in making that happen.”Messi’s current contract with PSG is set to expire at the end of the 2022-23 season, so the soonest he could arrive in Miami is the summer of 2023, likely after taking some time to rest and recover following a long season that includes the unusual interruption of this month’s World Cup. It would mean jumping into MLS in the middle of its season, which Beckham did with LA Galaxy in the summer of 2007 and Gareth Bale did with LAFC this year. But regardless of when it comes, Messi’s arrival in the US would be the latest in what has been a trend of transformational footballers advancing American soccer with their presence, starting with Pele in the 1970s and continuing with Beckham in the 2000s.No single player in the history of American men’s soccer has had as seismic an effect on the trajectory of the game in this country as Pele. The Brazilian legend famously joined the New York Cosmos of the nascent North American Soccer League in 1975. The Cosmos, backed by the corporate might of media empire Warner Communications, were seeking to do what no other soccer club in American history has ever done: make soccer truly, deeply relevant in this country. For a brief time, it appeared as though they might succeed.

Pele acknowledges the crowd in Giants Stadium (Photo: George Tiedemann /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Pele’s mere presence with the Cosmos certainly had some short-term benefits: the club’s average home attendance increased from around 3,500 fans in 1975 to around 45,000 by the time of his departure after the 1977 season. Three times, the Cosmos drew over 70,000 fans to watch Pele at Giants Stadium, an unheard of feat in that era. Away matches featuring the Cosmos became featured attractions; his presence attracted other giants of the game to the NASL — George Best, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and more. What Pele could not do, however, was save the NASL. His outsized impact on the Cosmos inspired an upward trend in spending that would eventually contribute to the demise of the league in 1984. Pele’s impact, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was generational. In the 1970s, when Cosmos president Clive Toye approached the Brazilian in an attempt to lure him to the States, he made a fairly simple pitch — you’ve won many games and many trophies. In the United States, you have a chance to win an entire country over and be a soccer missionary.In a way, it worked. Though the NASL collapsed, the kids who watched Pele during his three-year stay in the United States became the US’s first great generation of soccer players, the pioneers who qualified for the 1990 World Cup and featured four years later in the 1994 edition of the tournament on home soil. From the wreckage of the NASL, the founders of Major League Soccer — some of whom had also owned NASL clubs — learned their own lessons. They chose a more reasonable path of financial prudence, one that has kept the league alive for nearly twice as long as the NASL ever existed. So when Beckham arrived in MLS in 2007, the league was better equipped to make the most of their new global superstar than the NASL ever was. That season, the league had 13 teams, just three more than its inaugural season in 1996 — including newcomers Toronto FC, who paid a $10million (£8.7m) expansion fee to join MLS — and an average league-wide attendance of 16,770 (over three million in total). In 2022, MLS has 28 teams — including newcomers Charlotte FC, who paid a $325million expansion fee to join the league — and a league-wide average attendance of 21,033 (more than 10 million total). Next season, a 29th club, St. Louis City SC, will join the league. That supercharged growth is largely thanks to Beckham. “Without doubt, MLS has more global awareness than at any other time in our history and has more legitimacy in the United States because of David,” MLS commissioner Don Garber told the New York Times in November 2007. “Every measure of our business has grown because of him. We have sold more than 300,000 Beckham Los Angeles Galaxy jerseys, which was 700 times the number of Galaxy jerseys sold in 2006. Merchandise sales overall have gone up two or three times. International TV sales have gone up from next to nothing to distribution in 100 countries, with live games in Asia and Mexico.”Messi’s presence in MLS would have a similar effect on league-wide attendance, international exposure, merchandise sales and in attracting other talented players as Pele and Beckham before him, even though he is joining a league that’s in a stronger position than either of his predecessors. It is difficult to imagine that any MLS stadium would not be full to watch a man that many peg as the greatest player in the history of the game. If anything, MLS’ soccer-specific stadiums, many of which hold 18,000 to 30,000 people, might not be big enough to maximize gate revenue when Messi comes to town, given that crowds of 60,000 to 80,000 turned out to see Messi on a Barcelona pre-season tour in 2017.

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring at Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium in 2017 (Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

The economic impact Messi would have on Inter Miami alone is its own story. If the numbers PSG have reported since Messi’s arrival in Paris are any indication, Inter Miami will become among the most popular brands in American sports. According to a report from Marca, PSG generated €700million in revenue over the course of one year after his arrival. The report cites an investigation by Argentine outlet El Economista, which reported that since Messi joined the club, PSG had added 10 new sponsorship deals ranging from €3m to €8m each. Image rights and match day sales also skyrocketed, as has demand for Messi’s No 30 PSG shirt. In July, Diario Ole in Argentina revealed that only Real Madrid had sold more shirts than PSG since Messi’s arrival in France, with 60 per cent of PSG shirts sold being Messi’s. On social media, PSG has seen its following increase astronomically. PSG gained 5.6 million followers the week after announcing Messi’s signing and have since added 15 million new followers across its social media platforms. PSG also became the most followed French company on Instagram. Messi’s personal Instagram following of 370 million dwarfs LeBron James’ 137 million and Tom Brady’s 12.8 million. “He is the most impactful player on the planet. Moving to any MLS club would fundamentally change the fabric of the league,” AJ Swoboda, managing director for the Americas at sports consultancy Twenty First Group, told The Athletic’s Matt Slater last year.

Messi is a marketer’s dream. Not only would he significantly alter the brand equity of both Inter Miami and MLS, but he would also boost his personal interests, as well. Particularly as North America prepares to host the 2026 World Cup and more money than ever before is poured into the game by businesses operating in the US. The group that put together North America’s 2026 hosting bid projects the newly expanded, 48-team event will make $14 billion in revenue for FIFA — a massive increase on the $235 million in rebuke generated by the last World Cup hosted in the US in 1994.By establishing a more substantial presence in the US, Messi would become an even greater focus for sponsorship dollars. He could even follow in Beckham’s footsteps further by owning an MLS club himself one day — perhaps one in Las Vegas.

And the timing of his potential arrival could be perfect for the league.

2023 will mark the beginning of what the league is billing as a groundbreaking 10-year deal in which Apple will show every MLS match on its Apple TV streaming service.

While we don’t yet know exactly what the broadcasts will look like, we do know that the foundation of the $2.5billion agreement rests on Apple selling subscriptions. Apple will make slightly more than 40 per cent of its MLS inventory available for free to anyone with an internet connection next year, but the remaining nearly 60 per cent of MLS games will only be available on the to-be-named MLS subscription service that will live within Apple TV. The exact price of that channel has not yet been announced, but revenue from it is how Apple will make back its average annual payout of $250million to MLS.

MLS has long had poor viewership for its nationally broadcast matches, a trend that continued in 2022. According to Sports Business Journal, average MLS regular season viewership fell six per cent on the Fox family of networks to 198,000 per game this year. Spanish-language telecasts on the Univision networks dipped 14 per cent to 244,0000 from 2021. Average viewership for MLS matches on ESPN’s English-language networks grew by 12 per cent, but that figure was driven by a doubling of the number of matches shown on the ABC broadcast network. The average viewership for matches on ABC actually went down by seven per cent to 469,000 this season, while average viewership on ESPN fell two per cent to 252,000 in 2022.

That’s a small potential domestic audience for Apple, though it should be noted that the company will be selling MLS subscriptions all over the world, not just in the US.

When one accounts for the fact that every MLS season ticket account will get one free subscription to Apple’s MLS streaming service in 2023, and for the idea that the league is looking to simulcast select matches on linear TV in the US and Canada, that slice of potential subscribers gets even smaller.

Given all that, it’s clear that MLS and Apple could use a bit of a boost to help sell subscriptions in 2023. Messi would provide that and then some. No matter where he’s playing, his matches are appointment viewing for a significant subset of global soccer fans. Not all of them would buy the MLS subscription service within Apple TV, of course, but some surely would. Others who may be on the fence about purchasing the MLS package in Apple TV could be pushed to buy it should Inter Miami sign Messi.

Would that alone result in millions of new subscribers? That seems very unlikely. But it’d no doubt get a decent amount through the door.

And then there are on-field matters. To put it lightly, Inter Miami won’t have the supporting cast that Messi enjoys with his national team or PSG, or anything like the assembly line of quality young players he elevated at Barcelona. In fact, following the imposed sanctions for breaking the league’s budget rules and assessments that Inter Miami “launched a brand, not a team,” Miami remains a mid-table MLS side at best, despite qualifying for the 2022 playoffs.

Would Lionel Messi be happy to work under Phil Neville? (Photo: Ira L. Black – Corbis/Getty Images)

Who would coach Messi in Miami is another interesting storyline. Phil Neville has led the quick turnaround on the pitch, but is he the type of coach who would appeal to Messi? Current Paraguay national team coach and former Galaxy boss Guillermo Barros Schelotto, a Messi family friend, set a unique set of parameters that an MLS side would have to meet in order to lure the Argentine to the league.

“(In MLS) I’d expect him to play for one of the teams in Los Angeles, Miami or on a team with an Argentine influence — someone who can work closely with him, whether that’s a coach or an executive,” Barros Schelotto told The Athletic last summer, before Messi signed with PSG.

Neville’s contract expires at the end of this year, but Inter Miami is expected to re-sign the former Manchester United, Everton and England defender. From a squad construction perspective, Inter Miami has the available designated player spots to add Messi. Thanks to Gonzalo Higuain’s recent retirement, Miami could add Messi and still have an available DP spot to add another star signing. Currently, Miami’s other DP is midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo.

So does Messi make Miami instant MLS Cup favorites?

Vegas will likely say so, but the realistic answer is no.

Those sanctions against Inter Miami extend into 2023, leaving the club hamstrung to retool the squad in certain ways. That, more than anything else, will likely keep them from being MLS Cup favorites until 2024 at the soonest. Miami finished sixth in the Eastern Conference in 2022, good for 11th in the broader MLS table.

“But it’s Messi!” some will say. However, history has shown that one individual alone can’t conquer MLS like an NBA superstar might.

Take Beckham as an example. He joined LA Galaxy at a time when an MLS team’s best path to contention was to build through the American college soccer system. He had a worthy attacking ace in Landon Donovan at the height of his powers — and he still didn’t win the MLS Cup until his fifth season with the team. Thierry Henry joined a perennial contender in the New York Red Bulls and didn’t even make it to the MLS Cup final. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was irresistibly prolific in front of goal during his two seasons with the Galaxy, but MLS remains the only league in which he’s played without winning a major trophy.

The best comparison to Messi joining Miami in the summer window would be one from the most recent regular season. Toronto FC made Lorenzo Insigne the highest-paid player in league history when he left Napoli to collect $14million per season. The Euro 2020-winning winger was joined by Italy team-mate Federico Bernardeschi and former international left-back Domenico Criscito, but after starting the season so poorly before the Italian cavalry arrived, Bob Bradley’s side finished as the league’s second-worst in 2022.

Like Insigne and Bernardeschi found in Toronto, being a high-level MLS attacker doesn’t fix most teams’ fatal flaws. The league is known for a poorer standard of defending than the quality of midfield and attacking play. Miami allowed 56 goals this year — tied for the most among postseason qualifiers and a total eclipsed by only five teams league-wide. You don’t need a Wyscout subscription to know that Messi isn’t going to help with pressing from the front, and if anything, his presence will put even more pressure on the team-mates behind him to fortify in the middle and defensive thirds. He will likely score a lot of goals in MLS, even aged 36, as he currently has 12 in 17 appearances across all competitions with PSG, but Miami will likely be conceding a lot of goals, too.

Simply having the best player in the league isn’t a guarantee of success on the pitch. In fact, only two of the last 14 MVP winners played for the eventual MLS Cup winner (Robbie Keane of LA Galaxy in 2014, Josef Martinez of Atlanta United in 2018). Messi will instantly make Miami appointment viewing, fill the club and league’s coffers and influence a new generation of American fans and players, but don’t think his presence alone will turn Miami into an MLS Cup winner.

Sam Stejskal, Pablo Maurer, Jeff Rueter, Felipe Cardenas and Brooks Peck contributed to this piece.

On August 23, 1997, Uriah Rennie became the first black man to referee a Premier League match. Rennie, who made his bow overseeing a game between Leeds United and Crystal Palace, had a career that lasted 11 seasons and more than 170 games, until his final game on May 11, 2008, where he officiated a 2-0 victory for Liverpool over Tottenham. Rennie’s final appearance remains the last time a black man was the lead match official in a Premier League fixture.Rennie was a trailblazer in English football but his status as the first and last black referee in Premier League football is a source of debate. Why have there been no black referees in the English top flight for 14 years?“The first thing that I should acknowledge is I don’t think it’s good enough, for a game that is as colourful and as seemingly diverse as it is currently, that there has been one notable black referee in the middle,” says Ashley Hickson-Lovence, a former semi-professional referee and author of Your Show, a novel written in collaboration with Rennie, fictionalising the match official’s life story.There were no non-white referees in the Championship or Premier League across the 2021-22 season, and out of the 200 referees that officiate in the top seven leagues in England, only four (two per cent) are black or Asian: Sam Allison, Joel Mannix, Aji Ajibola and Sunny Gill.

Sam Allison before a League Two match between Crawley Town and Port Vale in 2020 (Photo: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

“There have been issues in the past with the systems in place to get referees of colour — but also referees of certain marginalised communities — through the system because of the quite subjective observation and assessment system that you need to get promoted,” explains Hickson-Lovence.“Referees are always going to make mistakes. You can’t get everything right. When you are a referee of colour, you will stand out even more and I feel that’s been to the detriment of many very talented semi-professional referees who are trying to climb that ladder.”One person who helps semi-professional referees trying to rise through the ranks is Russell Hoyte, who works within the Lancashire & Cheshire Amateur Football League.Hoyte came into his refereeing career in his late thirties, taking a free course with the Cheshire FA with 16 other players from his local league as part of a three-weekend programme. Several years later, Hoyte combines many roles for the Cheshire FA, serving as a referee, referee coordinator, and referee secretary. On an average week, he is responsible for 70 people, checking if they are available to referee a game of football. Hoyte says there are “four or five” non-white referees in the leagues he is responsible for (and no women of colour), and has a straightforward view on how to assign the right match official to a fixture.“At a certain grassroots level,” says Hoyte, “the steps beyond a grassroots level are dependent on several circumstances: 1) is that person able to move above that standard? 2) Are the reports coming in about that person of a positive nature? If they’re not, why aren’t they of a positive nature?

“I’m sure, yes, there will have been circumstances where an individual’s colour has mattered, an individual’s sex has mattered, but in general, I would say it has been totally dependent on the abilities of the individual to officiate the game. You see where Ashley and I come from (in the football pyramid) and you go right to the top of the pyramid in this country, and there are not enough officials of colour. You have to look at why that is.“Right at the bottom, there are not enough officials of colour at the bottom, and that’s a problem. If there’s more at the bottom level, by a natural process, they will push up and progress.”

Uriah Rennie, Premier League Rennie books Fernando Torres during a Premier League game between Manchester City and Liverpool in 2007 (Photo: Mike Egerton – PA Images via Getty Images)

The “bottom level” that Hoyte describes comprises the majority of referees in the country. Figures taken last year saw the Football Association estimate that of the 24,500 active referees in England, 2,000 of those match officials identify themselves as being from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds. The majority of these officials are seen at amateur to semi-professional level, fficiating Sunday league games.For several years, Hickson-Lovence was one of those referees, officiating games at Hackney Marshes in east London. Hickson-Lovence came to refereeing aged 16, taking care of adult fixtures in 2007. He spent several years officiating Sunday league games but explains that, in 2010, referees from minority backgrounds were discouraged from progressing further up the pyramid, a sentiment shared by The Black, Asian and Mixed heritage Ethnicity Referee Support Group.In English football, referees are categorised into 13 levels: Levels 10 to 3, 2b and 2a cover everything from amateur to semi-professional and National League level. A further four elite criteria — Level 1, Select Group 2, Select Group and FIFA List/International — cover the Football League up to the Premier League and beyond.Promotion to Level 4 — where one can be refereeing a senior amateur league game at the county level, or be an assistant referee at semi-professional (or contributory) league level — is described as one of the more difficult progressions, requiring one to have high marks in referee assessments across a full season where they have refereed a minimum of 20 matches and served as an assistant referee for five matches. On top of that, the FA require a mandatory fitness test and only a fixed number of referees can be promoted to Level 4 each season, depending on referees who are promoted to Level 3, demoted to Level 5, or retire or leave the game.

The jump from Level 5 to Level 4 is, essentially, the jump from refereeing as a hobby to a realistic future profession. Hoyte, who prefers to be the man in the middle over being an assistant referee, has chosen to stay at Level 5. Though he was initially hesitant to apply for promotion to Level 4, Hickson-Lovence did referee at that level for five years.“As much as I enjoyed the process, I did have some dodgy observations,” he says. “Observations from FA observers who I felt weren’t judging me purely on my refereeing abilities.“They were judging me on a number of factors. Those factors are not necessarily just race. The fact I was a London FA referee. The London FA didn’t have a good reputation for referees climbing the ladder. Even now, look at the top level and the south of England is harder (to break through from). (Although) Surrey FA has a decent reputation.“I had a Fresh Prince-esque high top (haircut). Observers would comment on my hair. I had an earring that I would always take out and they would comment on my earrings. For many, I wasn’t in the mould of a traditional, conventional referee that could make it to the top. Sometimes that gets to you.“I would have a good game, 22 handshakes at the end of the game, but the observer would have an issue with something and I didn’t think that was fair. I don’t think that’s a purely subjective experience. I’ve had friends — very good referees — who have been unfairly criticised because of the subjective observations and weighting criteria for them to get promoted.”

Referee, Sam Allison Sam Allison became only the second black referee in EFL history – behind Rennie – in the 2020-21 season (Photo: Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Difficulties at Level 4 led Hickson-Lovence to leave officiating after a decade.“I will go back to a match where I feel I had a really great game,” he says. “I had been five years as a semi-pro referee at this time. I had a really good game but I missed one yellow card in 90 minutes — it’s always good to recognise your own mistakes.

“Twenty-two handshakes, the assistant was pleased, fans were pleased. You know when it’s a bit awkward and the home team loses, and you’ve got to go into the boardroom, but they were all in good spirit — and then the observations in the assessment were very unfair. And it was at that moment I decided, ‘That’s it, I’ve had enough. It’s not my refereeing ability. It’s something else’.”Despite walking away from officiating, Hickson-Lovence continues to be a referee observer himself.“I’m on the other side and thankfully, the systems have changed for the better and we have necessary bias training,” he adds. “A lot of those issues I experienced going up through the system have been eradicated and it wasn’t pleasant.“For five years, I wanted to be a Premier League referee because my hero, Uriah Rennie, was a Premier League referee, but as time went on, I thought, ‘That’s not going to happen. I don’t fit the mould’. It was demoralising at times, I have to say, but I do think it’s changing. I mean that sincerely. There are great people doing great things now.”This February, the Premier League launched the Elite Referee Development Plan in the hopes of improving the standard and diversity of referees in the country. The scheme has been worked on alongside the FA, EFL and Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). The FA has also set a target of 2024 to “grow the pipeline of a high-performing refereeing workforce across both grassroots and elite football, which is representative of females, black, Asian, mixed or other ethnic groups, and disabled people”.Any such pipeline will need to consider the economic difficulties that need to be overcome to make it as a referee.“At the bottom level, once they’ve passed their exams, they have to then go out and buy a shirt, a pair of shorts,” says Hoyte. “You also need flags, a watch, a pair of football boots — normally black at the moment, so you don’t stand out and look like you’re a showcase pony. A tracksuit to keep yourself warm, a bag to carry stuff.“You can do referee courses, ranging from £100 to £150 depending on which postcode you happen to live in and which FA you do your course with. Before you’ve handed in your money, done the course, you have to get the equipment to be able to get about on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning.”

Ashley Hickson-Lovence, centre, pictured during his refereeing days (Photo: Canvey Island FC)

Hoyte estimates a person can spend “anything from £250 to £400” before they can even begin to start a refereeing career, and further promotion up the levels would see a person purchasing additional equipment, including buzzer flags and body cameras. While a referee would recoup some costs through part of the match subscription fees many Sunday league teams pay each week, it is a fine economic line that sees many decide against pursuing it as an occupation.

“You don’t want to do too many games to earn that money back,” adds Hickson-Lovence. “Your body needs rest between games. You can do three games on a Sunday but you’ll be knackered, and you’ll make mistakes. It’s probably disproportionately more expensive for black people but generally, people in lower socioeconomic backgrounds, working-class people, we could do better to get them into refereeing.”

A difficult job with unclear progression and varying pay is made even more challenging by the abuse that match officials suffer up and down the pyramid.

“I referee to the best of my ability,” says Hoyte, speaking with a veteran’s experience. “I’d rather just go, drive in my car, get there, do my game. If they want to pay me there and then, great. If I don’t get paid, then I’m not bothered. I drive home and get on with my life. That’s the easiest way for me to handle any situation I’m dealing with in terms of being a referee.

“It’s glorified playground football and the higher you get, it’s more glorified playground football. Yes, some of them are very lucky to be paid to do it. But it’s no different than when I played the game in my schoolyard 30 or 40 years ago. The rules are the same and it’s how people want to behave themselves that’s the problem.”

So why be a referee at all, no matter your skin colour? Hoyte and Hickson-Lovence describe refereeing as something that might appear thankless and not worth the stress to the outsider, yet nourishing to those who don the black shirt and blow the whistle.“I would not be the person I am today — confident; I’m never fazed by anything — without being a referee at Hackney Marshes. I owe refereeing everything,” says Hickson-Lovence, who has been involved in refereeing since he was 17.“Yes, there’s been some real concerning elements to it, however, the positives far outweigh the negatives. In relation to specific comments about me and my skin colour, I’ve never actually encountered any explicit overt racism at all in my various roles within refereeing circles. The only occasion that I did hear something I shouldn’t have was when I was 17 and I refereed a vets game, and someone was calling someone on his team something they shouldn’t.“It’s been really positive, but I can’t escape those micro-aggressive, reading-between-the-lines, inferring things that have occurred.”The next step for Hoyte is to create more opportunities in the game for those interested. From all walks of life.“Could you have done a good job at a higher level?” Hoyte asks Hickson-Lovence. “We can’t say whether he would have done a great job and been the best Premier League match official going because he never got the opportunity to do so.“I’m lucky. I’m in an area where there were a number of top-quality match officials who reached the top of their profession in this country. Anthony Taylor is from Cheshire. Chris Kavanagh. David Coote — not from Manchester but was Manchester FA referee development officer. There are others in the area who have gone through the systems in their local area, whether it be this particular area, and have been able to progress. I would like to see more.”In the present day, Rennie now contributes to Sheffield FA as a referee observer. The “next Rennie” may not yet be in immediate sight but many remain hopeful for the future.“We need to be there, giving people the opportunity to do so,” says Hoyte. “It’s like Ashley was saying before; I’m doing it because I love football. Yes, I could go and do a vets game of football. It’s probably been four or five years since I last kicked a football in anger. It doesn’t interest me. I’ve played too many games. I enjoy refereeing and I enjoy co-ordinating it.“I don’t want to have referees who just referee at the level I got to. I want them to go beyond what I was doing. If they’re seeing me and my level, and that’s their ultimate goal, that’s fine, but I don’t want that. I want to find somebody who passes me by very quickly. I see them for one week and the week after, you can’t use that person because they’re too good.”

Tom Kludt Tue, November 1, 2022 at 1:00 AM·8 min read

Ray Hudson will always be a Geordie, but America claimed his heart long ago.

As a kid growing up in Tyneside, Hudson, was drawn to the pop culture of the United States, its movies and television. He loved Motown, but he also loved listening to his father, who worked for Ford Motor Company, share stories about Michigan and the Great Lakes region.“I was in love with America before I even came to the United States,” Hudson said. “It was otherworldly. It wasn’t just a skip across the ocean like it is now. It was a different world. It was the Emerald City, where you wanted to be.”Hudson’s maiden voyage came in 1977, when a scout approached him with an offer to join the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League on loan from his hometown Newcastle United.

“I had never heard of Fort Lauderdale,” Hudson said. “The scout says, ‘It’s just outside of Miami.’ I says, ‘OK, that’s good. I like that.’”Arriving in the country for the first time at the age of 22, Hudson was immediately smitten by the Florida sunshine. He was also swept up in the excitement surrounding a league that had hit its apex in the late 1970s. Hudson joined a squad anchored by Gordon Banks in goal. In Hudson’s first season in Fort Lauderdale, the Strikers lost in the playoffs to a Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer-led New York Cosmos side in front of more than 77,000 fans at Giants Stadium.The loan spell turned permanent. Hudson played another six seasons for the Strikers in the NASL, and spent the better portion of his playing career in the United States. Fort Lauderdale has been his home ever since.“I had no desire to go back to Newcastle,” Hudson said. “It was just completely seductive here in every way – the lifestyle, the wonderful competition on the field. It was the most incredible time in my life.”It was the start of a life steeped in soccer, with Hudson playing first-hand witness to a number of inflection points in the sport’s evolution in the US. After playing in the NASL during the peak of its popularity, Hudson later held a pair of coaching positions in what was a still-fledgling MLS, first with the now-defunct Miami Fusion and then with DC United.“This is a different landscape than anywhere else in the world because America has its own wonderful, massively popular games,” he said. “But every rung of the ladder in soccer is only going one way. It’s not going down.”It was the job he took after his managerial stints that turned him into a seminal figure in the American soccer scene.After parting ways with DC in late 2003, Hudson was approached about taking a job as a commentator for GolTV, a Florida-based broadcaster that had just acquired the U.S. broadcasting rights to La Liga. Hudson was known for his gift of gab. He dabbled in commentary for ESPN’s coverage of the 2002 World Cup, and earned a reputation for his colorful post-match interviews as a coach in Miami and DC, but few were prepared for what the self-described “verbal gymnast” brought to the broadcast booth.A match called by Hudson is a cascade of metaphors, analogies and pop culture references, punctuated by frequent audible gasps and 10-dollar words. In Hudson’s telling, a goal is never merely “beautiful”; it is “sweeter than a mother’s kiss at bed time,” “cool as Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock,” or – the ultimate Hudson-ism – ”magisterial”.“Where does that come from?” said Roger Bennett, founder of the Men In Blazers Media Network. “Is it Ray, speaking in tongues, or the footballing gods speaking through him as some kind of commentating prophet?”Hudson credits his verbal prowess not to divine intervention, but to an English teacher he had as a kid back in England. “She would always tell the class, ‘Don’t be afraid of the English language, children. It won’t break. You have to stretch it,’” he recalled.He took that lesson to heart. As a commentator, Hudson said he is constantly expanding his “mental rolodex”, collecting phrases and descriptions to brandish on future broadcasts.“I’ve always done this, where I think of a descriptive that would be wonderful to use in a situation that is deserving of it,” Hudson told me. “I’m always aware of anything that comes along in my day-to-day life. You can get something from the guy who cuts the lawn. You can get something from watching a cartoon, the old ‘Tom and Jerry’ or something like that.”Hudson’s on-air rhapsodies have inspired YouTube compilations and various online tribute pages. That style has brought him a side gig on Cameo, where he has fielded nearly 800 requests for personalized greetings to fans.“They all want to hear me wish them a ‘magisterial birthday,’” he said.Even Hudson himself has his own favorite Ray Hudson Moments.There was Lionel Messi’s 92nd-minute winner against Real Madrid in 2017, which prompted a piercing shriek out of Hudson before he offered up this instant-classic: “Messi, you could drop a tarantula into his shorts and he’ll still be cool.”Or there was Ronaldinho’s sensational overhead kick against Villarreal in 2006, which Hudson described as “electrifying as a hair dryer thrown into a hot tub”.

Hudson was with GolTV until 2012, when the upstart Qatari-funded beIN Sports obtained the rights to La Liga and hired Hudson to lead its coverage. In his more than 15 years with the two networks, Hudson emerged as the defining voice for a generation of American soccer fans, providing the soundtrack to a halcyon era in Spain’s top division headlined by Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.More than just a cult hero, Hudson’s broadcasting career has made him a sort of footballing ambassador to a country where the NFL reigns supreme.“Few have done more to grow global football in this nation,” said Bennett.Hudson, 67, left beIN last year after the network lost the rights to La Liga to ESPN. In September, CBS announced that it hired Hudson as lead color commentator for its broadcasts of Champions League in the US, marking the first time he’s provided match commentary for Europe’s signature club competition. Two months in, Hudson has already produced some vintage calls. After Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sané sliced through the middle of Barcelona’s defense for a dazzling run and goal in a match last month, Hudson exclaimed that the German winger was “attached to the ball like a teenager to a cell phone”.As for the competition itself, Hudson sees three early favorites with the group stage nearly complete: Real Madrid (“Can they produce the miracle string of results that they got last year?”), Manchester City (“I’ve picked them the last two seasons and been severely disappointed, but I would put them again near the top.”) and Napoli (“They’re anybody’s box of toys, and a wonderful one at that.”)Hudson has called all of this season’s Champions League matches from a studio in Florida, just as he did during his time with GolTV and beIN. When he was approached by CBS Sports about the job, Hudson was flattered, but also wary of the travel commitment. The network had initially suggested that he call the matches, which are carried on Paramount+ and CBS, from its studio in New York City.

CBS eventually agreed to accommodate Hudson with its studio space in Fort Lauderdale, where he has worked alongside play-by-play announcer Andrés Cordero.“I’ve just had enough of the traveling,” Hudson said.Hudson doesn’t make it back to Newcastle much these days either. He said the city “doesn’t have the same pull” since his father, Wilfred, passed away five years ago. But Hudson remains loyal to his boyhood club, which signed him to a contract when he was 17. He has been delighted by Newcastle United’s start to the Premier League season – even while acknowledging the “problematic” nature of the new Saudi Arabian ownership.“It’s my football club. These are still our black-and-white colors. You can criticize the human rights record of Saudi Arabia. That is one aspect that unfortunately cannot be separated from our love of the club. It just cannot,” Hudson said. “But what are we supposed to do? Just say, ‘Well, there goes our team’? It takes a brave man, and a morally high man, to do that. But this is our game. This is our team, our sport. We were there before we had even heard of Saudi Arabia, and we’ll be there forever after.”Hudson shares a similar kinship with Inter Miami, which just completed its third season in MLS. He has been the club’s lead color commentator since it began play in 2020, a job that he said represents a “completion of the circle”. Since he moved there in 1977, Hudson has never lived farther than seven miles away from where he used to play for the Strikers, now the location of Inter Miami’s home ground, DRV PNK Stadium.“This is my town,” Hudson said.

Qatar orchestrated a large-scale and long-standing intelligence operation against FIFA officials with the help of former CIA operatives. Switzerland was a key theatre of operations. The highest echelons of the Qatari government were involved. This content was published on November 2, 2022 – 11:07November 2, 2022 – 11:07 Leo Eiholzer and Andreas Schmid, SRF Investigativ

An espionage network working in secret. Intelligence agents planning on swaying world events in a covert operation. Hackers stealing controversial information. And an obscure client funding the entire project with hundreds of millions of dollars.This is the story of a global secret operation.An investigation by Swiss media SRF’s investigative team, “SRF Investigativ”, shows the details of how the state of Qatar had officials of world football spied on. And how critics of the upcoming World Cup outside of FIFA were targeted as well.The ultimate goal of those efforts: to prevent Qatar from losing the World Cup bid after massive criticism was raised, when FIFA awarded the tournament to the authoritarian country in 2010.The scale of the espionage activities is considerable. One sub-operation alone involved the planned deployment of at least 66 operatives over nine years. The budget amounted to $387 million. And the activities spanned five continents.The highest echelons of the Qatari government were involved in the espionage activities, including the current head of state, the Emir of Qatar.The documents show that the desert country wanted to make sure that no change of position within FIFA, no new friendship, no potentially dangerous alliance, nothing that could jeopardise Qatar’s holding the 2022 World Cup could slip their attention. The goal was to gain absolute control. Or “worldwide penetration”, as it is referred to in a document of the espionage operation. GRA propses... zVg To do this, Qatar hired American private firm: Global Risk Advisors (GRA). The company’s staff consists of former members of US intelligence agencies; its founder is former CIA operative Kevin Chalker.Switzerland was a key venue in the operation. The chief spy and his Qatari clients met in Zurich. And Switzerland is where they spied on various individuals. Thus, presumably, crimes were committed by order of Qatar.Chalker denies all allegations. The state of Qatar did not respond to questions. Shortly after SRF had contacted them, the Emir of Qatar complained about a “campaign” against his country in a public speech.The SRF investigation found that victims were at the mercy of the agents spying on them. Their email accounts, computers, phones, friends, and even family members became targets of Qatar’s shadow warriors.The operation aimed at more than obtaining intelligence. The investigation concludes there was an invisible hand trying to pull the strings of FIFA policies during the past ten years. The spies claim to have penetrated the highest FIFA board, the FIFA Executive Committee. This is the story of ‘Project Merciless’. The story is set in a demi-monde. Spies are invisible. Their activities, however, have real-life consequences. In real places.On 5 January 2012, a cyberattack on a Swiss citizen is launched.A former advisor to FIFA President Sepp Blatter receives strange emails. Their senders seem to want to get him to open the attachments to the messages by all means. They try again and again.Had he clicked on the files, a software secretly would have been installed on his computer. Without him noticing, the software would copy all data on its hard drive and send it to the hackers.The man sitting behind the computer is Peter Hargitay. Officially, he acts as an advisor, but within FIFA, he is considered a spin doctor, an influential power broker behind the scenes. He had been close to the then omnipotent president Sepp Blatter. Later, he was a consultant for the Australian football association and its chairman Frank Lowy, a billionaire. Hargitay was meant to help Australia host the 2022 World Cup, and therefore worked closely with Lowy. Hargitay’s computer no doubt held valuable information. A treasure trove for anyone who would like a good grasp of the real goings-on at FIFA.Who could want such information so desperately that he or she was prepared to be liable to prosecution? Indian lead Hargitay is a Swiss citizen; his company had an office in Zurich at the time. He filed charges, and the attack on the FIFA insider became a case for the Swiss authorities.Evidence quickly pointed to the infrastructure of an IT company based in India, Appin Security. SRF obtained records of the Zurich criminal proceedings. The hackers seem to have been careless in their work. The server they used for the attack holds many pieces of evidence indicating the involvement of Appin.Appin is an elusive company. At the time, it was controlled by Rajat Khare, an Indian entrepreneur. Officially, Appin offered legal services only, including the protection against hacker attacks.A legal representative for Rajat Khare told SRF that his client was “a successful international entrepreneur with a good standing. He has never been questioned by law enforcement authorities in any country. He clearly denies all connections with any illegal activities whatsoever.”However, attacks that bore the fingerprint of Appin started to attract attention around the globe. They seemingly followed no pattern, as if the Indian company was attacking at random.According to the investigation by SRF and international media reports, a relatively new business model is behind the method: A company attacks targets for a fee and provides the information to a client. It is called “hacking for hire”.The attack on FIFA insider Peter Hargitay was just contract work. But who is the client? Documents show that Peter Hargitay was the target of a secret spy network that worked for the government of Qatar. A highly confidential Global Risk Advisors planning document reveals what presumably happened in the hacking case. And it shows that Swiss citizens were apparently attacked on behalf of the Qatari government.The documents reveal a plan for a global smear campaign, a cynical manipulation of the FIFA power base. The idea presented in the document was to collect incriminating information on FIFA insiders Hargitay and Lowy and leak them to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI.The paper is entitled «Project Clockwork: Concept of Operations» and is dated from December 2011 – just one month before Peter Hargitay received the first contaminated emails.The real target was Lowy, not Hargitay, as documents shows. Lowy had been working closely with Hargitay for the Australian World Cup bid. The reason for the spies’ efforts against Lowy seems obvious: The Australian was a bitter opponent of the World Cup being held in Qatar, and he had said publicly that the desert country may lose the tournament.The planning document says under the title “what we must accomplish”: “9-month-plan to neutralize the role and influence of […] Frank Lowy”. It also mentions that Lowy was a difficult target. His wealth and network gave him access to considerable means in the area of counterintelligence. This risk for Global Risk Advisors’ officers, in the event that anything went wrong, was considered high. The document also specifies that the «Deadline demands brute force attack.». In addition, the document features a picture of Peter Hargitay.In the section entitled «Walking the tightrope», the operatives lay out how they intended to neutralise Lowy and Hargitay. They apparently had inside knowledge of an investigation by US law enforcement agencies, and they planned to use that investigation for their own purposes.The document alleges connections between Hargitay, Lowy and the Russian bid for the 2018 World Cup, and includes highly incriminating lines: «Can we help connect the dots?». And: «Provide supporting evidence to relevant law enforcement agencies” An investigation by the FBI would have destroyed both Lowy’s and Hargitay’s reputation on a global level. They would have been effectively “neutralised”.According to documents, Qatar approved “Project Clockwork“. And within one month of the drawing up of the planning document, Hargitay’s computer was hacked. That the attack was carried out by another company is not unusual. Global Risk Advisors frequently draws on the services of subcontractors to carry out operations, the SRF investigation shows. This approach makes ascribing the attack to Chalker’s company difficult. And identifying Qatar as the client even more so. In one document, the company explicitly promised to provide “patsies” and “lightning rods” to deflect suspicion on.Chalker had identified Hargitay as an important target long before the cyberattack on him. He had said so to associates at the time. Chalker even had a code name for Hargitay: “Broken Arrow”. Tip of a massive iceberg The plan to compromise Lowy and Hargitay, however, represents the tip of a massive iceberg. In the years following the decision regarding the World Cup at the end of 2010, an undetected espionage and manipulation operation no one could have imagined unfolded behind the scenes of FIFA.SRF obtained a range of documents that describe the operation. The reporters received the information from multiple sources who had authorised access to them.The brains behind the espionage activities is Kevin Chalker, a former member of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the foreign intelligence service of the USA. Chalker – brown-haired and wearing an auburn beard – had been working for the CIA during at least five years. And he did not work as an analyst in some office, he acted as an “operations officer” and thus in an area of the intelligence service that is carrying out undercover activities. A real spy.Chalker left the CIA several years ago. Subsequently, he was first in talks to work for Diligence, a British private intelligence company. But he ended up founding his own firm, Global Risk Advisors. His team mainly consists of former members of US intelligence services. Eventually, Global Risk Advisors was working for Qatar. A lawyer for Chalker denied all allegations when reached for comment by SRF: “Global Risk Advisors and Mr. Chalker know nothing about these purported new hacks or the other misconduct suggested in your inquiry, and certainly did not participate in them in any way.” Further, “You claim to have documents from GRA to support some of the false accusations. To the extent you actually have any documents, as a journalist you should challenge their authenticity”.SRF employed a number of measures to verify the authenticity of the documents. Chalker offered no comment on specific questions regarding the nature of the role he played in Qatar.The SRF investigation shows that initially, prior to the awarding of the World Cup in December 2010, Chalker spied on the various bids. But upon the criticism raised with regard to corruption and human rights violations in Qatar after the World Cup was awarded, the target changed. Now, the task was to prevent FIFA, at all costs, from taking the World Cup from Qatar.Chalker and his company developed the plan that would leave nothing to chance.“Project Clockwork” and the activities against Lowy and Hargitay were just part of that plan.The next part was “Project Merciless”. Its project description reveals just how elaborate the intelligence service gimmickry was going to be, and how ambitious the project was.“Qatar must attain predictive intelligence to achieve total informational awareness”, the document reads. The plan was to know the plans and intentions of various targets in advance, including those of “critical elements within FIFA”, of “FIFA President Sepp Blatter”, and of “key FIFA ExCo members – present and future”. The abbreviation stands for the FIFA Executive Committee.
“The ultimate goal is to achieve worldwide penetration,” the document specifies. Global Risk Advisors intended to miss nothing. No changes to any plans, no changes in positions within FIFA. The goal was to gain absolute control.IT specialists and experts for “technical collection” were to be deployed for the project.According to internal company documents, “Project Merciless” was approved by Qatar, with a budget of $387 million.This was just the “low” option out of three presented. But apparently, it did make an impact. One document reads: “The greatest achievement to date of Project Merciless […] have come from successful penetration operations targeting vocal critics inside the FIFA organization.”Another document describes the activities as follows: “[The project] is designed to hide Qatar’s role in operations, while utilizing technology and human intelligence to […] manipulate public sentiment.” The highest echelons of the Qatari government were involved in Chalker’s activities, “SRF Investigativ” found. According to documents reviewed by SRF, the then heir to the throne and current Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani personally ordered the obtainment of detailed phone and SMS records of several members of the FIFA Executive Committee prior to the awarding of the World Cup.How exactly the Emir was involved after the World Cup was awarded to Qatar remains unclear. The operation still had a code name for him – “Apex” – years later.Clearly, however, Chalker and Qatar were more than ready to take risks, and they did not shy away from targeting prominent figures. A document obtained by SRF indicates that Michael Garcia, the lead investigator of the FIFA Ethics Committee, may have become a target for operations. The document entitled “Target Profile” contains several pages describing Michael Garcia.According to the news agency Associated Press, the FBI has been investigating Chalker for several months. In addition to potential violations of the law in the area of lobbying and exporting sensitive technology, prosecutors are focusing on Chalker’s surveillance activities on behalf of Qatar. The Associated Press published reports on Chalker’s operations for the desert country in connection with the world cup last yearExternal link already.Neither the Qatari embassy in Bern nor the Government Communications Office in Doha responded to various information requests by SRF. Shortly after the requests, the Emir held a speech in the Consultative Assembly of Qatar, a kind of parliament without power, in which he mentioned that Qatar had become the victim of an “unprecedented campaign” after the country was picked as host for the World Cup. He said: “It soon became clear to us that the campaign continues, expands and includes fabrications and double standards, until it reached an amount of ferocity that made many wonder, unfortunately, about the real reasons and motives behind this campaign.” Surveillance operation in Switzerland The SRF investigation shows that Switzerland was key to the Qatari intelligence operation.According to the investigation, Chalker, at the behest of Qatar, travelled to Zurich for the purpose of bugging the hotel rooms of members of the Executive Committee and of journalists.One document includes photos obviously taken secretly as part a surveillance operation. They were taken at Zurich’s plush Baur au Lac hotel. And they show individuals connected to FIFA meeting with officials and journalists.The operatives apparently felt at ease in Switzerland. According to the investigation, Chalker met his Qatari clients in Zurich to discuss operations. At least one member of Global Risk Advisors had his permanent base in Switzerland after Qatar was picked as the host of the 2022 World Cup.That is a problem. Spying on behalf of a third country on Swiss soil is prohibited. Such activities may be indictable as espionage.Nevertheless, Chalker met one of his closest contacts, a high-ranking Qatari official named Ali Al-Thawadi, in Zurich. His code name was “Shepherd”. He is the chief of staff of the current Emir’s brother, Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, also known as MBH.In addition, two young men had close ties to Chalker in the espionage operation on behalf of Qatar: Ahmad Nimeh, officially a consultant for the Qatari bid, and a Qatari named Ahmed Rashad. Both men have connections to a mysterious Doha-based company called Bluefort Public Relations. Nimeh was connected to so called “black operations” related to the World Cup by British newspaper The Sunday Times in 2018. Nimeh is the son-in-law of Patrick Theros, the former US ambassador to Qatar. Another close partner of Nimeh, Nikos Kourkoulakos, was officially working for the Qatar World Cup bid.According to the register of companies, Nimeh’s colleague Ahmad Rashad is the majority shareholder of Bluefort Public Relations.The investigation by SRF found that a key person for the upcoming World Cup, Hassan Al Thawadi, oversaw the spy operation on behalf of Qatar. He was the CEO of the successful World Cup bid and is the current general secretary of the Supreme Committee, a body that organises the World Cup in Qatar.FIFA apparently remained largely oblivious to the spy operation. The organisation’s former President, Sepp Blatter, said in an interview with SRF: “That there was an organized espionage affair in FIFA, that surprised me. And it’s alarming”. Several documents show that Blatter was of great interest to the spies. They mention, for instance, that Blatter’s “plans and intentions” ought to be known in advance.Chalker and Global Risk Advisors are currently facing a civil lawsuit in connection with similar alleged activities. The suit was filed by former US president Donald Trump ally Elliott Broidy. Private data of Broidy were leaked to newspapers in 2018, and he is accusing Chalker and his company of a hacking attack on behalf of Qatar. Chalker denies all allegations. The lawsuit is still pending. ‘Cancer of world football’ There was a figure in world football who seemed important enough to Qatari spies that they dedicated an entire project to him: “Project Riverbed”. The code name was used for the German football official Theo Zwanziger.According to documents obtained by SRF, Qatar invested $10 million in the spying on and influencing of Zwanziger. The Associated Press reported the same number this spring.Zwanziger had served as president of the DFB, the German Football Association, until 2012. And as a member of the FIFA Executive Committee until 2015 and thus an enormously influential football official associating with powerful figures in world politics, he was a critical and provocative voice against Qatar. At one point, he called Qatar the “cancer of world football”.Qatar wanted to stop this. According to documents, a network was built around Zwanziger, consisting of people who were to influence him to the benefit of Qatar.In order to neutralise Zwanziger, the spies relied on intelligence methods, as documents specify.They mention “black ops”. Also in their sights was “Riverbed Family” – that is Zwanziger’s family. The Global Risk Advisors attackers apparently built relationships with individuals who were close to Zwanziger. They created a network of “assets, sources, and contacts” who were active on five continents, working on influencing Zwanziger.Zwanziger was to be persistently presented with one message: “The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is good for the world”.In order to salvage the World Cup, Qatar wanted silent critics. The efforts of the operation did not completely fail to have an effect on Zwanziger. He was brought into line within FIFA, as he says today. He led a working group that pushed for more human rights and less criticism of Qatar. In an interview with SRF, he said, “There were a number of people who steered me in that direction. Of course, that was in Qatar’s interest. To bring about precisely this change in thinking.”But the efforts did not have the intended effect on his views, according to Zwanziger. In the interview, he said: “What they underestimated, however, is that I did not give up my opinion in the process. This award was – as I once put it – a cancer of world football. From there came many currents that have damaged world football. I still have that opinion today.”As far as the espionage operation against him is concerned, Zwanziger thinks that FIFA was obligated to act. He said: “This is such a scandal. It should be taken up by those who are in charge. FIFA President Infantino would be the very first. But he won’t do that, of course, because he is a vassal of Qatar.” FIFA and Gianni Infantino declined to comment. Targeting unions The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) presented another problem for Qatar. For years, the trade union federation, which includes 200 million members, had repeatedly raised questions with regard to the World Cup in Qatar. And it worked to make sure that the suffering of workers in Qatar was brought to the attention of the world and moved people.The union became a victim of a cyberattack at the end of 2015. Someone had copied the email account of the then media spokeswoman for the general secretary. And the emails soon appeared – in an altered version, according to the union – in the media.The attack bore the fingerprints of Global Risk Advisors. SRF obtained a document, in which Global Risk Advisors identifies the union as an equally serious problem for Qatar as FIFA or the Gulf Cooperation Council – a major group of countries on a diplomatic level.The spies also drew up a detailed network of relationships of people who work for the union and in what way they were connected to FIFA. This document mentions the media spokeswoman, who was hacked. FBI attention Even though he never played a professional football match in his life, Sunil Gulati is one of the most important figures in US football. He started out by carrying the towels for the members of the junior national team, before he advanced to the position of president of the United States Soccer Federation. For decades, he was the most influential individual in North American football. Pictures taken in those days show him with Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, or Joe Biden.At the height of his power, Gulati was spied on, his computer was hacked, apparently without being noticed. The evidence for the attack on Gulati seems unimpressive at first: an ordinary digital folderHowever, the folder contains approximately 800 files, all of them stolen from Gulati’s computer. The hacker seems to have copied all PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel files on that computer. And these copies found their way to SRF.The files include confidential documents, such as the employment contract of the then US national coach Bob Bradley, as well as letters to and from Gulati and other FIFA officials. The hack did not spare Gulati’s private life. There is a photo book in the files, for instance, documenting Gulati’s childhood years, and there are health data. The draft contract with new US national coach Bob Bradley contains every employment detail. SRFGulati was a direct competitor of Qatar two years earlier, during the World Cup bidding process. He was president of the American bid for the 2022 World Cup, during which time Global Risk Advisors took an interest in him and prepared a multi-page personal dossier on him.The metadata show that the last of Gulati’s files were edited in spring 2012. The hack therefore presumably occurred just weeks after the attack on Hargitay. FIFA insiders SRF talked to consider Gulati a Qatar critic. There is no doubt that someone whose identity is still not clear wanted to know what was on Gulati’s computer. And that they were not reluctant to launch a cyberattack on a US citizen, even though the FBI strictly prosecutes cybercrime. The inactivity of Swiss authorities Agents have spied on the world of football on behalf of Qatar for ten years. SRF found that Zurich’s public prosecution department knew about one alleged activity of the spy network early on. They were aware of the hack on Peter Hargitay’s computer since 2012 – when the attackers first launched their operations. And it was obvious that the Hargitay case was a big deal.However, nothing much happened with regard to investigations by the public prosecution department. Prosecutors omitted obvious investigative actions. The most striking example for this concerns Rajat Khare, the CEO of the Indian company Appin Security which had been considered suspicious in the case. The prosecutor initially asked Khare whether he would be willing to answer questions regarding the case. A lawyer informed the prosecutor that Khare would be willing to do this in writing. But then the prosecutor simply did not send any questions. It remains unclear why.Eventually, the public prosecution department closed the case eight years later for lack of suitable investigative avenues. The Zurich public prosecution department said in a statement to SRF that, for legal reasons, they were unable to comment on their own activities in the proceedings. A spokesperson wrote that there had been comprehensive efforts for the investigation on file that had been carried out within legal provisions. The spokesperson further said: “There was no exertion of influence on any members of the public prosecution department.” Khare lives in Switzerland today. In autumn 2020, just after the investigation was closed, he purchased an impressive villa on Lake Geneva. According to the land registry office, he paid CHF13.5 million to the daughter of a Ukrainian oligarch in the transaction. He now presents himself as a renowned start-up investor and had his picture taken for the French edition of Swiss magazine Bilanz.What would he have testified had he been asked to in 2013? Would the story have taken another course? Would the Qatari spies have scaled back their efforts for fear of being exposed? There will be no answer to such questions.Less than three weeks to go until the starting whistle is blown for the first match in Doha. Millions will set their eyes on Qatar. But maybe they will not view things in the way the Emir had always wished them to. If the 2022 World Cup turns out to be a celebration of football, it will be one that is tarnished by intelligence agents, lies and manipulation.

November 1, 2022November 1, 2022 gatorbest

Champions League Tues/Wed

We are down to the final games of the Group Stage in Champions League (Europe’s best teams) and Europa League with some big games this week featuring Americans this week on Paramount plus with Wrap-Around shows on at 3 pm on CBS Sports Network.

Already through to round of 16
(*confirmed group winners): Bayern Munich*, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund,
Chelsea*, Club Bruges, Inter Milan, Liverpool,
Manchester City*, Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Real Madrid

Could progress to knockout round on
matchday 6: Tottenham,
Sporting Lisbon, Eintracht
Frankfurt, Marseille, AC Milan, Red Bull
Salzburg, RB
Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk

Confirmed to finish third and enter
Europa League knockout round play-offs: Barcelona, Sevilla

Cannot reach Champions League last
16 but could get Europa League chance via third-placed finish: Ajax,
Atletico Madrid, Dinamo Zagreb, Juventus, Leverkusen,
Maccabi Haifa, Rangers

MLS Finals LAFC vs Philly Union Sat 4 pm FOX

The participants in the 2022 MLS Cup final are set, and for the first time since 2003, the top seed in each conference — the Philadelphia Union in the East and LAFC in the West — will square off.

Portland Wins NWSL Title 2-0 on Sophia Smith’s Goal

NWSL League MVP Sophia Smith lands the Winner for Portland as they beat Kansas City 2-0 on CBS Sat night to win the NWSL Championship in front of nearly 18K in Washington DC. GKE in NSWL Champ Game as Franch Gives up an Easy

Indy
11 & USL

High
School – Carmel loses to Noblesville in State Finals 1-0

The Carmel High Girls lost a heartbreaker 1-0 to Noblesville Sat in the state Finals. Noblesville wins their 2^nd straight State Championship and third in 4 years. While Carmel has made it to the Championship Title game 4 of the last 5 seasons.

Brian Haenchen Indianapolis Star

INDIANAPOLIS — Ava Bramblett did the deed. Because of course she did. Who else would it be?The Noblesville senior lifted the Millers to one final win Saturday evening, scoring the decisive goal in the 37th minute of a 1-0 win over Carmel in the Class 3A state championship game at Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium. In four varsity seasons, Bramblett recorded 47 goals, 23 assists and guided the Millers to a record of 70-2-5 with championships in three of her four seasons. Simply incredible.”Ava wasn’t going to be denied a state championship today. She’s a special, special player,” Noblesville coach Mike Brady said. “Many of them are, but Ava’s unique. One of a kind. It’s been my pleasure to coach her these four years.”

Bramblett’s goal showcased what makes her so lethal. The Ohio State commit picked up a pass from Atley Pittman along the right side of the box and deftly carried the ball towards the penalty mark. She recognized a lane through the maze of white jerseys and took her shot, ripping a left-footer back across her body that skipped through, untouched, into the right side of the net. “Honestly, that was the first time in the game I felt we were calm and actually built up an attack,” Bramblett said. “I got a touch across the box, the two Carmel girls collided and there was the goal. … At the end of the day, that’s all it took to beat them. That’s all we needed to make the end of our careers picture perfect.””She always puts 100% effort in and when she (attacks), you just know,” senior defender Lauren Adam added. “That goal, you could see her going and her body movement, and you could tell she was going to score that goal. You have complete trust knowing she’s going to do everything she can to put that ball in the net.”Though outshot 15-3 in the half, the Greyhounds did a good job forcing Noblesville’s attackers to the outside and limiting their shots to the low-danger areas. Coach Frank Dixon was also pleased with their defense of Bramblett, forcing her to go sideways and backwards. But one momentary lapse, a decision to step in and try to win a ball by the Greyhounds, threw the defenders off and left them scrambling to switch someone onto No. 10.Bramblett made them pay. “We lost to a kid who’s going to be Miss Soccer, I think,” Dixon said of Bramblett, describing her as an all-around player. “Superstars win games, and she got the goal when they needed it.”

Bramblett was excellent, but so too was the Noblesville defense. An effort spearheaded by Adam, a Purdue commit, the Millers allowed just six shots, and goalkeeper Bella Wyatt was required to make three saves. “We’re tough to score on,” Brady said. “From my goalkeeper to my back line to Marit (McLaughlin) playing in front of them, that’s one of the best defenses in the state and I think that was proven tonight.” Carmel generated some quality chances in the second half, including one by Sophie Shepherd who broke in one-on-one, but Wyatt made the save. Adam on what it’s meant to be part of the Noblesville soccer program: “It’s not only that the skill is so high, but the people you actually play with and the bonds you create are just so amazing. I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else.” Noblesville won three state championships Saturday with the boys soccer and girls cross country teams joining the girls soccer team.

Tues, Nov 1 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

12:45 Para+, TUDN Porto vs Atletico Madrid

12:45 Para+ Bayer Leverkusen vs Club Brugge

4 pm Para+, TUDN Liverpool vs Napoli

4 pm Para+ Tottenham vs Marseille

4 pm Para+ Bayern Munich vs Inter

Wed, Nov 2

1:45 pm Para+, TUDN Real Madrid vs Celtic ( )

1:45 pm Para+ Shaktar Donetsk vs RB Leipzig

4 pm Para+ Milan vs Salzburg

4 pm Para+ Juventus vs PSG

4 pm Para+ Chelsea (Pulisic) vs Dinamo Zagreb

3 pm Para+ Kabenhaven vs Dortmund (Reyna)

Thur, Nov 3 EUROPA

1:45 pm Para+ Real Sociedad vs Man United

4 pm Para+ Arsenal (Turner) vs Zurich

4pm Para+ Union Berlin (Pefuk) vs Union Saint Gilloise

4 pm Para+ Sheriff vs Omonia Nicosia

4 pm Para+ West Ham vs FSCB

Sat, Nov 5

9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Muchen vs Mainz

10:30 am ESPN+ Dortmun (Reyna) vs Bochum

11 am USA Man Cty vs Fulham (Robinson, Ream)

11 am Peacock Leeds United vs AFC Bournemouth

4 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Almeria

4 pm FOX LAFC vs Philly Union MLS Finals

7:30 pm ESPN+ Louisville City vs Tampa Bay Rowdies

Sun, Nov 6

7 am USA Chelsea (Pulisic) vs Arsenal

8 am ESPN+ Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol

10:30 am ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen vs Union Berlin (Pefuk)

11:30 am USA Tottenham vs Liverpool

2:45 pm Para + Juventus vs Inter

8:30 pm ESPN+ San Antonio (Jordan Farr GK) vs Colorado Springs

Sun, Nov 10

7 pm FS1 USWNT vs Germany

Thur, Nov 13

5 pm ESPN USWNT vs Germany

8 pm ESPN2 USL Finals

Sun, Nov 20

11 am Fox World Cup Starts

Mon, Nov 21

8 am FS1 England vs Iran

2 pm Fox USA vs Wales

Mon, Nov 22

11 am Fox Mexico vs Poland

Soccer Saturday’s are every Sat 9-10 am on 93.5 and 107.5 FM with Greg Rakestraw

Champions League: How every team can qualify for the knockout rounds Dale Johnson

Best Champions League and Europa League tifos, from astronauts to leprechauns Chris Wright

MLS Cup playoffs: Philly, LAFC advance to championship game as top seeds prevail 23hJeff Carlisle

– Report: LAFC reach first MLS Cup after thrashing Austin

– Report: Philly come back to defeat NYCFC, win Eastern Conference title

Top Seed Philly Advances to Finals – Yahoo Sports

What’s driving MLS’ reported playoff revamp? 4dESPN

2022 MLS Cup playoffs: Fixtures, results and more 7dESPN
LAFC vs Philadelphia Union set for MLS Cup Final

Portland Thorns ride the rise of Sophia Smith to an NWSL title Yahoo Soccer Henry Bushnell

GKE in NSWL Champ Game as Franch Gives up an Easy

Portland’s success built around Smith and adaptability 2dJeff Kassouf

USMNT Injuries Mount as WC Nears Henry Bushnell

Weston McKennie out two weeks with a hamstring injury and other USMNT health updates

USMNT midfielder Luca de la Torre to be out for three weeks with muscle injury

USWNT getting some of its familiar names back, starting with Alex Morgan and Mallory Pugh
Harvard-Westlake senior Alyssa Thompson, Alex Morgan highlight USWNT roster
Morgan eyes 200th USWNT cap vs. Germany Jeff Carlisle /ESPN FC
Key figure in NWSL abuse investigation, Mana Shim, named chair of US Soccer’s safety taskforce

GKE in NSWL Champ Game as Franch Gives up an Easy

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Oct 26, 2022

We’re into the closing matches of the Champions League group stage, and many teams have booked their places in the round of 16.Here we take a look at the state of play across all eight groups.The group winners and runners-up will go into the Champions League round of 16; third place drops into the Europa League knockout round to face group runners-up from that competition; and fourth is knocked out completely.

QUALIFIED AS GROUP WINNERS: Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City
QUALIFIED AS GROUP RUNNERS-UP: Borussia Dortmund
QUALIFIED, POSITION TBC: Benfica, Club Brugge, FC Porto, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid

ELIMINATED, COULD MAKE UEL: Ajax, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Dinamo Zagreb, Juventus, Maccabi Haifa, Rangers
ELIMINATED FROM EUROPE: Celtic, Viktoria Plzen

TIEBREAKERS:
– points in head-to-head matches among the tied teams
– goal difference in head-to-head matches among the tied teams
– goals scored in head-to-head matches among the tied teams
– overall goal difference
– overall goals scored
– overall away goals scored
– overall wins
– overall away wins
– disciplinary points
– UEFA club coefficient

Next fixtures, Nov. 1: Liverpool vs. Napoli, Rangers vs. Ajax

Napoli: Have qualified and will win the group with a win/draw against Liverpool, or if they lose by no more than three goals.

Liverpool: Have qualified but must beat Napoli by 4+ goals to top the group.

Ajax Amsterdam: Will qualify for the Europa League as long as they don’t lose to Rangers by 5+ goals.

Rangers: Have been eliminated and must beat Ajax by 5+ goals to reach the Europa League.

Next fixtures, Nov. 1: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Club Brugge, FC Porto vs. Atletico Madrid

Club Brugge: Have qualified and will top the group with a win away to Leverkusen, or a draw if FC Porto draw/lose vs. Atletico, or with a defeat if FC Porto lose.

FC Porto: Have qualified and will top the group with a win if Club Brugge draw/lose, or with a draw if Club Brugge lose.

Atletico Madrid: Have been eliminated and must beat FC Porto to guarantee a place in the Europa League. Will be in the UEL with a draw if Leverkusen draw/lose, or with a defeat if Leverkusen lose.

Bayer Leverkusen: Have been eliminated and will drop into the Europa League if they win and Atletico Madrid and Atletico draw/lose. A draw will be enough if Atletico lose. Cannot reach the UEL with a defeat.

Next fixtures, Nov. 1: Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzen vs. Barcelona

Bayern Munich: Have qualified as group winners.

Inter Milan: Have qualified as group runners-up.

Barcelona: Have qualified for the Europa League.

Viktoria Plzen: Have been eliminated from Europe.

Next fixtures, Nov. 1: Sporting CP vs. Eintracht Frankfurt, Marseille vs. Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur: Will qualify with a win/draw at Marseille, while a win securing top spot. Cannot qualify with a defeat.

Sporting CP: A draw at home to Sporting guarantees a place in the round of 16, while a win gives them top spot if Spurs draw/lose.

Eintracht Frankfurt: Must win at Sporting CP, which secures a place in the round of 16.

Marseille: Guaranteed to go through win at home to Tottenham, and they will top the group if Sporting-Frankfurt is a draw.

Next fixtures, Nov. 2: AC Milan vs. FC Salzburg, Chelsea vs. Dinamo Zagreb

Chelsea: Have qualified as group winners.

AC Milan: Will go through in second with a win/draw at home to FC Salzburg.

FC Salzburg: Must beat AC Milan to go through in the Champions League.

Dinamo Zagreb: Have been eliminated from the Champions League and can only make it into the Europa League if they win at Chelsea and FC Salzburg lose.

Next fixtures, Nov. 2: Real Madrid vs. Celtic, Shakhtar Donetsk vs. RB Leipzig

Real Madrid: Have qualified for the round of 16 and will win the group with a victory at home to Celtic. A draw/loss will also be enough for top spot if RB Leipzig fail to beat Shakhtar Donetsk.

RB Leipzig: Must avoid defeat away to Shakhtar to qualify, and can top the group with a win if Real Madrid draw/lose.

Shakhtar Donetsk: Victory at home to RB Leipzig will send them through in second on head-to-head record.

Celtic: Have been eliminated from Europe.

Next fixtures, Nov. 2: FC Copenhagen vs. Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City vas Sevilla

Manchester City: Have qualified as group winners.

Borussia Dortmund: Have qualified as group runners-up.

Sevilla: Have qualified for the Europa League.

FC Copenhagen: Have been eliminated from Europe.

Next fixtures, Nov. 2: Juventus vs. Paris Saint-Germain, Maccabi Haifa vs. Benfica

Paris Saint-Germain: Have qualified and are top of the group only on goal difference, so even a win in Turin might not be enough to finished first — but it will leave Benfica needing a big score. The head to head between the two teams at the top is level, with both games finishing 1-1.

Benfica: Have qualified but trail PSG by a goal difference of 4, and have also scored 4 fewer goals. It means they realistically must better PSG’s result on Matchday 6 to finish top — if both teams win then Benfica must do so by at least 4 more goals than PSG win theirs.

Juventus: Have been eliminated from the Champions League. The head to head is level with Maccabi Haifa but Juve have a much better goal difference. It essentially means Juve will be in the Europa League if they match or better Maccabi Haifa’s result.

Maccabi Haifa: As their goal difference is 6 worse than Juve’s they will have to better the Italian side’s result on Matchday 6 to make the Europa League.

Final knockout positions are on the line, as the World Cup draws ever nearer.

By Justin Moran @kickswish Nov 1, 2022, 10:12am PDT

Shakhtar Donetsk v Celtic FC: Group F - UEFA Champions League

It’s a busy week! The Champions League group stage says farewell this week, with less than 3 weeks until the opening match of the World Cup in Qatar. Some USMNT players are in action, so let’s get into it!

Rangers FC v Ajax, 4p on Paramount+, ViX+: Malik Tillman and James Sands are already eliminated from the knockout stage, and are essentially out of Europa contention as well. The only way they can make Europa League is to win this match by 11 goals or more.

Also in action:

Bayer Leverkusen v Club Brugge, 1:45p on Paramount+, ViX, ViX+: Owen Otasowie is unlikely to play for Brugge, who are top of Group B and already qualified for the knockout stage. Leverkusen are fighting for a Europa League spot.
Hull City v Middlesbrough, 3:45p: Zack Steffen and Boro face Hull in the Championship. Boro also includes Matthew Hoppe, and Hull includes 19-year-old American Vaughn Covil.
Luton Town v Reading, 3:45p: Ethan Horvath and Luton host Reading in Championship action.
Sporting CP v Eintracht Frankfurt, 4p on Paramount+, ViX+: Timmy Chandler and Frankfurt are even on points in Group D. Only one of them will advance to the knockout stage. Sporting is +2 on Frankfurt in goal differential.
West Brom v Blackpool, 4p: Daryl Dike has been sidelined with injury much of the time since joining West Brom.

Real Madrid v Celtic, 1:45p on Paramount+, TUDN, UniMás, fuboTV (free trial), ViX+: Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic are going to finish last in Group F regardless of this game. Madrid have clinched knockout stages and may rest some starters at home.
Chelsea v Dinamo Zagreb, 4p on Paramount+, ViX+: Christian Pulisic and Chelsea have already qualified for knockouts, on top of Group E.
AC Milan v RB Salzburg, 4p on Paramount+, ViX+: Sergiño Dest and Milan are one point ahead of Salzburg in Group E. A win would qualify them for the knockout round.
Copenhagen v Borussia Dortmund, 4p on Paramount+, ViX+: Gio Reyna and Dortmund have essentially clinched knockout competition in Group G. For them to miss out, they would have to lose and Sevilla would have to gain 9 goals on them, which seems unlikely as Sevilla is facing Man City in Manchester.
Juventus v PSG, 4p on Paramount+, TUDN, Univision, fuboTV, ViX+: Weston McKennie and Juve will miss Champions League knockouts; they need to get an equal or better result as Haifa gets against Benfica in order to make Europa League (Group H).
Maccabi Haifa v Benfica, 4p on Paramount+, ViX+: Josh Cohen and Maccabi Haifa need to win and hope Juve loses in Group H; John Brooks and Benfica are already through to the knockouts.

Also in action:

América Mineiro v Internacional, 3p on Paramount+, Premiere 2, Fanatiz, Sling TV, ViX+: Johnny Cardoso and Internacional are trying to stay within reach of Palmeiras atop Brazil’s league table; 10 points behind with 4 games left.
Huddersfield Town v Sunderland, 3:45p: Duane Holmes and Lynden Gooch square off in the Championship.
Norwich City v QPR, 3:45p on ESPN+ (free trial): Josh Sargent and Jonathan Tomkinson could see the field for Norwich.

Arsenal v FC Zürich, 4p on Paramount+, TUDN, UniMás, fuboTV, ViX+: Matt Turner may be an option for the Gunners in Group A; he missed their last Europa match with a minor injury. Arsenal will at least advance to knockout round playoffs, and can clinch a round of 16 berth today.
Union St. Gilloise v Union Berlin, 4p on Paramount+, ViX+: Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin could use a point or three in Group D to help them stay above Braga for the knockout round playoffs. It will be a tough test on the road against group leaders St. Gilloise.

Also in action:

Real Sociedad v Manchester United, 1:45p on Paramount+, TUDN, fuboTV, ViX+: Jonathan Gómez could be in the La Real squad as they host the Red Devils in Group E. Sociedad is top of the group and 3 pts ahead of United.
Bodø/Glimt v PSV, 4p on Paramount+, ViX+: Richy Ledezma and PSV are second in Group A. They could leap-frog Arsenal for first if PSV wins and the Gunners lose.

That’s it! Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below. Let’s see who impresses this week!

By The Athletic Staff Oct 31, 2022

The UEFA Champions League group stage is heading towards its conclusion, with only one match left to play.Twelve sides have already sealed progress to the knockout stages with a game to spare but other clubs face crunch final encounters and there is plenty left to settle.Finishing positions will have an impact on the last-16 draw, with group winners seeded, runners-up unseeded and third-place sides dropping down into the Europa League.And if teams are level on points, they will be separated by their head-to-head records, not goal difference.The Athletic guides you through what can still happen on matchweek six and how the last-16 draw will work.

Already through to round of 16 (*confirmed group winners): Bayern Munich*, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea*, Club Bruges, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Manchester City*, Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Real Madrid

Could progress to knockout round on matchday 6: Tottenham, Sporting Lisbon, Eintracht Frankfurt, Marseille, AC Milan, Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk

Confirmed to finish third and enter Europa League knockout round play-offs: Barcelona, Sevilla

Cannot reach Champions League last 16 but could get Europa League chance via third-placed finish: Ajax, Atletico Madrid, Dinamo Zagreb, Juventus, Leverkusen, Maccabi Haifa, Rangers

Group A

	PLAYED	W	L	GD	PTS
Napoli (qualified)	5	5	0	16	15
Liverpool (qualified)	5	4	1	9	12
Ajax	5	1	4	-7	3
Rangers	5	0	5	-18	0

Final group fixtures: Liverpool vs Napoli, Rangers vs Ajax

Napoli: Through. Must avoid losing by more than three goals against Liverpool to finish as group winners.

Liverpool: Through. Must beat Napoli by more than four goals or more to top group.

Ajax: Out of the Champions League but will drop down to Europa League if they avoid thrashing by Rangers.

Rangers: Out of the Champions League and will only drop down to Europa League if they beat Ajax by five goals or more.

Group B

	PLAYED	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Club Bruges (qualified)	5	3	1	1	3	10
Porto (qualified)	5	3	0	2	4	9
Atletico	5	1	2	2	-3	5
Bayer Leverkusen	5	1	1	3	-4	4

Final group fixtures: Porto vs Atletico, Bayer Leverkusen vs Club Bruges

Club Bruges: Through but top spot is all to play for.

Porto: Through but top spot is all to play for.

Atletico: Out but can still reach the Europa League if they match or better Bayer Leverkusen’s result.

Bayer Leverkusen: Must better Atletico’s result on matchday 6 in order to drop down to Europa League.

Group C

	PLAYED	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Bayern (qualified)	5	5	0	0	14	15
Inter (qualified)	5	3	1	1	5	10
Barcelona	5	1	1	3	-2	4
Viktoria Plzen	5	0	0	5	-17	0

Final group fixtures: Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzen vs Barcelona

Bayern Munich: Through as group winners.

Inter: Through as group runners-up.

Barcelona: Confirmed place in Europa League.

Viktoria Plzen: Out of Europe.

Group D

	PLAYED	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Tottenham	5	2	2	1	1	8
Sporting	5	2	1	2	0	7
Eintracht Frankfurt	5	2	1	2	-2	7
Marseille	5	2	0	3	1	6

Final group fixtures: Marseille vs Tottenham, Sporting vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Tottenham: Will progress to last 16 if they claim a point in Marseille.

Sporting Lisbon: Through if they draw with Frankfurt due to their head-to-head record against Sporting.

Eintracht Frankfurt: Must beat Sporting to continue in the Champions League.

Marseille: Must beat Tottenham to progress in Champions League.

Group E

	PLAYED	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Chelsea (qualified)	5	3	1	1	5	10
AC Milan	5	2	1	2	1	7
Red Bull Salzburg	5	1	1	3	0	6
Dinamo Zagreb	5	1	1	3	-6	4

Final group fixtures: Chelsea vs Dinamo Zagreb, Milan vs Red Bull Salzburg

Chelsea: Through as group winners.

AC Milan: Must avoid defeat against Red Bull Salzburg to progress.

Salzburg: Must defeat Milan to progress.

Dinamo Zagreb: Can still finish third in group.

Group F

	PLAYED	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Real Madrid (qualified)	5	3	1	1	5	10
RB Leipzig	5	3	0	2	0	9
Shakhtar	5	1	3	1	2	6
Celtic	5	0	2	3	-7	2

Final group fixtures: Real Madrid vs Celtic, Shakhtar vs RB Leipzig

Real Madrid: Through but must better RB Leipzig’s result to top group.

RB Leipzig: Draw will see RB Leipzig progress.

Shakhtar: Must beat RB Leipzig in final match to qualify for last 16.

Celtic: Out of Europe.

Group G

	PLAYED	W	D	L	GD	PTS
Man City (qualified)	5	3	2	0	10	11
Dortmund (qualified)	5	2	2	1	5	8
Sevilla	5	1	2	2	-4	5
FC Copenhagen	5	0	2	3	-11	2

Final group fixtures: Manchester City vs Sevilla, Copenhagen vs Borussia Dortmund

Manchester City: Through as group winners.

Dortmund: Through as group runners-up.

Sevilla: Guaranteed Europa League place.

FC Copenhagen: Out of Europe.

Group H

	PLAYED	W	D	L	GD	PTS
PSG (qualified)	5	3	2	0	8	11
Benfica (qualified)	5	3	2	0	4	11
Juventus	5	1	0	4	-3	3
Maccabi Haifa	5	1	0	4	-9	3

Next fixtures: Juventus vs PSG, Maccabi Haifa vs Benfica

PSG: Through but yet to secure top spot.

Benfica: Through but in running for top spot.

Juventus: Out but now competing for Europa League place.

Maccabi Haifa: Also out but could pip Juventus to Europa League place.

The draw for the first knockout stage in this season’s competition takes place at 11am (BST) on Monday, November 7.

The draw will feature the eight group winners and eight runners-up.

Seeded group winners will play the return fixtures of the two-legged ties at home.

No team can play a club from their group, or any side from their domestic league at this stage.

Round of 16 draw: November 7
Round of 16: February 14/15/21/22 & March 7/8/14/15, 2023
Quarter-final and semi-final draw: March 17, 2023
Quarter-finals: April 11/12 & 18/19, 2023
Semi-finals: May 9/10 & 16/17, 2023
Final: June 10, 2023 (Istanbul)

9:34 AM ET Jeff Carlisle U.S. soccer correspondent ESPNFC

The participants in the 2022 MLS Cup final are set, and for the first time since 2003, the top seed in each conference — the Philadelphia Union in the East and LAFC in the West — will square off .It will take some doing to reach the drama of that 2003 final, won by the San Jose Earthquakes over the Chicago Fire by a score of 4-2 with some wild changes in momentum. But these two teams have the talent, toughness and cohesiveness to deliver something memorable, and Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles is the perfect venue for a final.Here’s how the two teams got there.

Every championship team has its dragon, that side that they just can’t seem to get past, or inflicts a deep hurt that stifles championship dreams.

For the Philadelphia Union, that is — or it was — New York City FC. Last year, in the Eastern Conference final between these same teams, COVID-19 protocols prevented 11 Union players from even being considered for the starting lineup. Philadelphia’s collective hands couldn’t hold a 1-0 lead, and NYCFC went on to claim that year’s MLS Cup. This time around, Philly slayed the dragon, with the Union coming from behind to claim a 3-1 win over the Blues, scoring three times in 11 second-half minutes in front of a raucous home crowd.

– Report: Philly come back to defeat NYCFC, win Eastern Conference title

And it wasn’t just the goal scorers — Julian Carranza, Daniel Gazdag and Cory Burke — wielding the vorpal swords. Andre Blake’s save from Alex Callens’ header in the 60th minute — with NYCFC up 1-0 — delivered a wound of its own. Had Callens’ effort found the net, a 2-0 lead almost certainly would have been too tall a mountain to climb. Instead it breathed new life into the Union.

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It helped that NYCFC’s defense experienced a collective brain fade that was downright befuddling. The Blues fell asleep on Carranza’s equalizer, which came immediately after their own substitution, allowing him to collect Jakob Glesnes‘ quickly taken free kick and fire past Johnson. Then NYCFC got caught ball-watching on Gazdag’s eventual game-winner, with Carranza nodding down a cross for an easy finish. Burke’s capper came after his mazy run appeared to end with a clearing attempt that ricocheted right back to him, allowing him to fire home. Credit the Union for punishing mistakes, but it was a spell one normally doesn’t associate with the reigning MLS Cup champions. And so, the Union now find themselves in their first MLS Cup. It’s not quite the Island of Misfit Toys, but it seems like every one of their players has an unconventional path that took them to the City of Brotherly Love. Carranza was acquired via Inter Miami’s fire sale after the Herons were found to have violated MLS roster rules. Gazdag arrived from Hungarian side Budapest Honved and proceeded to score 22 goals this season. Jakob Glesnes was acquired from unfancied Norwegian side Stromsgodset IF. Thanks to the team’s academy, which produced Jack McGlynn, the list goes on. Credit GM Ernst Tanner for spotting talent that would work in MLS, as well as manager Jim Curtin who molded it into a team that has been consistently been among the best in MLS over the past three seasons. The Union’s approach reiterates that it’s not enough to spend; an organization must spend wisely too. Now there is just one obstacle — and it’s a real doozy — to overcome.

Remember when Chico Arango was on the trading block? It didn’t matter how many goals he scored: he didn’t help LAFC defend enough from the front, or so the thinking went, and therefore he was surplus to requirements. But as the old adage goes, sometimes the best deals are the ones you don’t make, and so it proved for LAFC in its 3-0 Western Conference victory over Austin FC. It was Arango who provided some reward for LAFC’s first-half dominance, heading home Carlos Vela’s corner in the 29th minute. Given the final margin of victory combined with the Black-and-Gold’s control of the midfield throughout, it’s tempting to think there was an air of inevitability about the win. But there have been plenty of times when a dominant team failed to cash in on its opportunities and then got punished — ultimately, Arango’s tally provided a bit of calm and confidence. The goal also highlighted Arango’s underrated ability in the air. At 5-foot-10, it would be stretch to say Arango is undersized, but he isn’t a giant either. The tally was the fourth with his head this season, a mark bettered only by FC Cincinnati’s Brandon Vazquez (6), Atlanta United’s Juan Jose Purata (6) and the Portland Timbers‘ Bill Tuiloma (5). The fact that Arango has scored 32 goals in 53 games — including two this postseason — makes his contribution priceless.

– Report: LAFC reach first MLS Cup after thrashing Austin

The same could be said about a much less flashy component of LAFC’s lineup: holding midfielder Ilie Sanchez. The Spaniard was a free agent at the end of 2021, and the prevailing thought was that he no longer had the legs to be a mainstay in a team’s lineup. But he’s been just that for LAFC, was a Best XI selection this year, and was part of a defensive effort on Sunday that limited Austin’s Sebastian Driussi to 33 touches, the fewest in a game all season in which the Argentine went 90 minutes. And he has long been the metronome for LAFC’s attack. Now it’s up to LAFC to finish the deal, and fulfill the promise that they have shown since their inaugural season back in 2018. With a home match in front of their raucous fans, the odds that the Black-and-Gold get the job done are excellent indeed.

Henry Bushnell Sat, October 29, 2022 at 2:04 PM YAHOO SOCCER

Three-plus weeks before the U.S. men’s national team opens a long-awaited 2022 World Cup campaign, six likely members of its squad missed games due to injury. And a seventh, Weston McKennie, is reportedly out for at least 15 days after leaving a Juventus game early.

Tyler Adams, Matt Turner, Sergiño Dest and Josh Sargent were held out by their clubs as precautions over the past week; and Adams returned on Saturday. But Luca de la Torre and Chris Richards are sidelined, and the World Cup, for both, appears to be in doubt. McKennie then joined the injured list on Saturday. He left Juventus’ win over Lecce at halftime with what was later reported to be a quadriceps problem. The 15-day timeline would rule him out until the World Cup break. Richards, a potential starter at center back, is the other primary subject of worry. He was initially named in the USMNT’s September squad, then withdrawn due to what U.S. Soccer called a “minor” injury. But a month and a half later, he is still not training with Crystal Palace. “He is still doing some individual work,” Palace coach Patrick Vieira said Friday. In early October, Richards told the “Scuffed” podcast the he was “a week and a half or so away from being fully fit.” But on Friday, Vieira said he was still 7-10 days away from a return to team training. He has just started one first-team game since April, and hasn’t played at all since August. He has long been considered the solution at the USMNT’s position of gravest need, but seems borderline unplayable against Wales on Nov. 21 if he has not gotten back into a game for Palace before the World Cup break.

The freshest worry, meanwhile, surrounds de la Torre and depth. The 24-year-old midfielder has played sparingly at Celta de Vigo, and is now out for “around three weeks” after tearing a thigh muscle, the Spanish club said Friday. De la Torre is not a USMNT starter, but would likely be the first central midfielder off the bench. If he cannot recover in time for Qatar, the U.S. midfield would suddenly look rather thin — especially with McKennie also ailing.

Adams is the most integral name on this injury report, and his return to Leeds United’s starting lineup on Saturday against Liverpool eased concerns. Adams had missed last Sunday’s loss to Fulham with a minor muscle injury. Leeds coach Jesse Marsch had said that Adams was questionable entering Saturday. But he was healthy enough to reclaim his customary place at the base of Leeds’ midfield.

Weston McKennie, Chris Richards, Christian Pulisic and Luca de la Torre, from left, arrive for a training session of the US soccer team in Cologne, Germany, prior to a friendly match against Japan, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. A sign reads in German — Luca de la Torre (right) is out for three weeks. Chris Richards (not pictured) has missed the last two USMNT training camps and still hasn’t returned to the field for Crystal Palace. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Dest has also “recovered,” and is “available” for AC Milan’s Sunday match at Torino, Milan coach Stefano Pioli said. The U.S. fullback had exited last Saturday’s win over Monza at halftime, and did not play midweek in the Champions League.

Turner is another likely USMNT starter. The 28-year-old goalkeeper had, prior to Thursday, played every minute of Arsenal’s 2022-23 Europa League campaign, and hadn’t conceded a single goal from open play. But on Wednesday, as he prepared for the fifth of six group games, “he had some discomfort in his groin,” Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said. Turner “tried” on Thursday, the morning of the match, “but he was not well,” Arteta said. “It did not look like a serious injury,” Arteta concluded. But the club is assessing it. And at the very least, it cost Turner 90 valuable minutes with the World Cup a few weeks away.

And finally there is Sargent, one of two or three candidates to start for the USMNT up front. He’s been excellent for Norwich City in the English Championship this season. He’d recovered from a minor knock to go 90 minutes last Saturday and again on Tuesday. But in Tuesday’s game, “he just felt his calf,” Norwich manager Dean Smith said. It was “too tight to risk it” on Saturday, so Sargent was held out of Norwich’s squad entirely. “He was close,” Smith said. “It’s a calf strain. And he’s got the opportunity to maybe get called up for the World Cup as well. We can’t risk him. And he didn’t feel it was right to go today.”

It is likely that Sargent, Adams, Dest and Turner will all be fit in plenty of time for the World Cup. The U.S. roster will be unveiled on Nov. 9, but isn’t technically due until Nov. 14. The opener is a week later.

But their injuries are harbingers of what is to come. There is no extended runway toward this World Cup. There are European club games the weekend before it begins. There will be further injuries, and little time to recover from them, and more players than ever before who enter soccer’s quadrennial showpiece at something less than 100%.

The USMNT has only definitively lost one player (Miles Robinson) thus far. But fans, and head coach Gregg Berhalter, are bracing themselves.

“Do I think we have the best players in each position identified? Yes,” Berhalter said last month. “Do I think they’re all gonna be available for the start of the World Cup? I don’t know. That’s just what every international manager will be dealing with right now. We’ll be holding our breaths.”

2:00 PM ET

Jeff CarlisleU.S. soccer correspondent

Morgan, who missed last month’s European tour alongside Pugh, has 198 international caps and is on the verge of becoming just the 13th player in USWNT history to amass 200 caps.The U.S. is looking to rebound from defeats against Spain and England earlier this month, with its first opportunity to do so when the team hosts Germany in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on Nov. 10, and then again in Harrison, N.J., three days later — the last two matches of 2022 for the top-ranked U.S. side.”These are the kinds of games that help our World Cup preparation in many ways and these 180 minutes to end our schedule this year are going to be extremely valuable for the players and coaches,” U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski said.”It will be good to get some players back on the roster and we’re all expecting these games to be very competitive and entertaining for fans.”Kansas City Current goalkeeper Adrianna Franch also returns for her first call-up since October 2021, as does San Diego Wave attacker Taylor Kornieck.The roster includes three NWSL end-of-season award winners in Golden Boot winner Morgan, MVP Smith and Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year Naomi Girma. Smith also won the MVP of the NWSL Championship Game after scoring to help lead the Thorns to their third NWSL title.

Germany, which is ranked No. 3 in the world, reached the final of the 2022 Women’s Euro, falling to a 2-1 extra-time defeat to England. November’s meeting will be the USWNT’s first clash with Germany since a narrow victory at the SheBelives Cup in 2018.Earlier this month, the U.S. learned its group opponents and path through the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The U.S. was drawn into Group E where it will face Vietnam, Netherlands and the Group A Playoff Winner. Germany was drawn into Group H where it will face Morocco, Colombia and Korea Republic.

Goalkeepers: Adrianna Franch (Kansas City Current), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars).

Henry BushnellSat, October 29, 2022 at 10:06 PM

Oct 29, 2022; Washington, D.C., USA; Portland Thorns FC forward Sophia Smith (9) celebrates scoring a goal against the Kansas City Current in the NWSL championship game at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports

Sophia Smith has spent roughly half of the NWSL’s entire existence as its prophesied future. She earned the weighty title as a talented teen, and carried it with her through high school, to college. She arrived in the pros just two short seasons ago carrying unprecedented expectations; she would, so many assumed, become a Golden Boot winner and U.S. women’s national team star.

She was the future, future, future, until, in 2022, and specifically on Saturday night, she became the present.She became, at 22 years and two months old, the league’s youngest-ever MVP this week. And then she became a champion. She needed only four minutes to swing Saturday’s title game in Washington, D.C., and win the Portland Thorns their third NWSL title.Smith pounced on a Kansas City mistake, rounded AD Franch, and slid the first goal of a 2-0 triumph into an empty net.And she celebrated, in front of 17,624 awestruck fans, as if she’s been doing this her entire life — because, well, she has.Smith became the future long before she’d even turned 18. She tore up youth tournaments and, at 16, earned her first USWNT call. She went off to Stanford, and scored 17 sophomore-year goals. She bagged an NCAA tournament semifinal hat trick en route to a national championship.She glided past helpless defenders in college, and conjured sorcery even against the world’s best youth national teams. She wriggled in and out of tight spaces. She spanked quick-trigger shots, and showcased vision and spatial awareness well beyond her years. She left Stanford after two seasons, and became a no-brainer No. 1 overall draft pick in 2020. She joined a Portland team with five World Cup winners and the greatest international goalscorer ever. A few of those veterans remained the cornerstones of a 2022 team that endured unfathomable heartache but possessed unbelievable depth. The Thorns regularly brought international stars off the bench. One, Crystal Dunn, won their semifinal with a 93rd-minute banger.Smith, meanwhile, entered the year as a still-very-promising 21-year-old. She was already a national teamer, but five Thorns players had made the NWSL’s 2021 Best XI first or second team, and Smith hadn’t been one of them. She scored seven league goals last year. She was a piece of a superteam, but merely a piece — until, from the outset of the 2022 season, she became something far more. She scored early and often, and especially often in June. She scored in the league and in the NWSL Challenge Cup. She scored for the national team in World Cup qualifying and against England at Wembley. She scored 28 goals in total.

She remains the future, and brighter than ever. But she arrived, definitively, as the now this year. Her presence created Portland’s second goal on Saturday at Audi Field as well. Her quickness and confidence nearly created more.

By Steph YangOct 31, 2022 The Athletic

Congratulations to the 2022 NWSL champion Portland Thorns. In its 2-0 victory over the Kansas City Current at Audi Field, the club added a third star above their crest thanks to a well-executed plan carried out over 90-plus minutes. The plan was so well-executed, in fact, that forward Sophia Smith said “It was honestly just a fun game to play” afterward. All in all, a successful cap to an intense, sometimes painful, season.

One thing that really stood out at this year’s edition of the NWSL Championship was that it had a sense of occasion for the whole weekend. It hasn’t always been so; previous championships might have had a few events like a supporter meetup or a pre-match party, but this championship truly felt like the culmination of 10 years of growth. For starters, it was a primetime game on over-the-air CBS in the U.S., and the pre-game fanfest outside of Audi was loud, crowded, and plastered with sponsorships. There were live broadcasts from both CBS Sports via their Attacking Third show, and from the league’s partner Just Women’s Sports. Players from other teams were everywhere, and there was a particularly special presentation of custom letterman jackets to players who have been in the league since its first season.There was also, crucially, a giant truck parked outside, selling merchandise from every team in the league. That might sound like an extremely low bar to set, and yet it’s been a recurring problem not just in NWSL, but in all of women’s soccer, even at the international level. The line for the merch truck was, at points, nearly the full length of the fan fest itself, with well over a hundred people waiting to make purchases. People spending money on women’s soccer! What a concept!

You’ve seen the goal celebration by now. It’s right there, pictured at the top of this piece. The USWNT forward’s reaction to scoring an early opening goal was also the exclamation mark from Smith on a fantastic year. If fans didn’t think she’d arrived before, she was telling them right then and there that she is here to chew bubblegum and score goals, and she’s all out of bubblegum.“There’s been, you know, a lot of people who don’t think that I deserved to win MVP. So that was a little bit of ‘that’s that’,” said Smith after the game when asked about the celebration. There’s always going to be arguments for or against players for MVP no matter who gets nominated. If you want to say, for example, Alex Morgan or Debinha should have been MVP of 2022, there’s certainly evidence to support that. But there is no denying that Smith should be in the argument. Per FBRef, she led the league in shots on target per 90 with 2.73 (second place was Mal Pugh with 2.1) and her shot creation and shot creation per 90 are among the best in the league, third overall in both categories. Her actual goal creation and goal creation per 90 are also tops, fifth and tenth overall respectively. These stats are heavily dominated by midfielders, understandably so given their roles on the field, so it’s even more special to see a forward like Smith so dominant in creating shots and goals for her team.We have been told that this picture of Smith will now hang in the National Portrait Gallery.The Current isn’t done yet

It doesn’t feel good to lose a championship, no matter how outmatched you might have been at the end, and Current players were understandably glum after the game. Yet there also seemed to be a seed of resolve – this entire season has been the proof of concept that with the right mindset and the right work and the right personnel and the right resources, you can fight your way to the top. You can win vs. teams with superstar names or glitzier rosters, move past teams that have historically done much better than you, outperform teams with longer histories or a more recognizable name. It can be done, because the Current did it, and they’ll be determined to do it again in 2023.“We earned this. I don’t think anything was given to us,” said midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta after the final. “This is why it hurts, because Kansas City showed up for us for sure,” she said, thanking one of the local KC reporters for having made the trip out to Washington, D.C. “And we played for them. You know, the whole time when we didn’t have the support of our city when we were FCKC, we played for each other. And the best thing that we did this year is get the support of the entire city behind us. That’s why it hurts so much.”“We have the city on our back now and the future is so bright for this team for sure,” LaBonta continued. “We were in last (place) last year and we turned it around immediately with investment in people buying in, new staff members. So we can only go up. I have two more years in my contract…so let’s go. I don’t think anybody will sleep on this team anymore.”

It felt notable that, for just a few days, the majority of the conversations in NWSL circles were about…soccer. Just soccer. Sure, the media had some questions for the players about finding joy from these games or coping with a difficult season, but everyone seemed happy to just be able to focus on a soccer game between two good teams, and the battle on the field. The issues that have come to light this season about the extensive abuse and harassment that has pervaded NWSL are critical issues, and discussing them openly and in-depth is absolutely required in order to find justice for victims of abuse and to prevent this from happening to more players in the future. But after weeks of intense questions on the topic after the release of the Yates report just before the USWNT friendlies in Europe, there was certainly a little bit of relief when the conversations could just be about two teams playing a game, and one of them being crowned the winner. In the offseason, there will be more questions and more hard feelings to process, especially with the impending NWSL investigation yet to come. But we can’t forget that the players can’t and shouldn’t have to be constantly advocating for themselves. At some point they need a break too, and a big, exciting game with tons of fans and a primetime spotlight was no less than they deserved.

GRANT WAHLOCT 29

Leeds United’s Crysencio Summerville celebrates his game-winning goal to beat Liverpool at Anfield (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Under-fire coach Jesse Marsch and Leeds United got a huge 2-1 win at Liverpool on Saturday, with the game-winner coming from Crysencio Summerville in the 89th minute to send the Anfield partisans into shock and the visiting Leeds support into ecstasy. Here are my three thoughts on the game:

• It was a deserved win for Leeds—and a phenomenal performance by goalkeeper Illan Meslier. These are the kinds of results that can turn seasons around. Leeds hadn’t won in eight league games and had lost four in a row, sinking into the relegation zone and putting Marsch’s job in serious jeopardy. So what do they do? They go and win at Anfield. Rodrigo’s fourth-minute goal was a gift from Joe Gomez, and it looked like order was being restored when Mohamed Salah equalized 10 minutes later. But Meslier was immense in goal, making nine saves, and Leeds never stopped going toe-to-toe with Liverpool. If anyone wondered whether the Leeds players had stopped playing for Marsch, they answered that today with an enormous effort for every minute of the contest. That paid off in the game’s final stages, when good work by second-half sub Willy Gnonto and Patrick Bamford (who struggled otherwise) put the ball on the foot of Summerville, who stabbed it past Alisson for the match-winner and pulled his shirt off in a wild celebration. The game marked the first defeat ever for Virgil van Dijk in his 70 matches played there.

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• The American players were terrific. Leeds had really missed Tyler Adams when he was out injured in the last game, a 3-2 loss to Fulham, and he came back with authority at Liverpool. Adams did what he does best: cover a lot of space, win balls, pass the ball upfield and harass opponents like Andy Robertson. Adams also has a swagger about him that tells everyone that he belongs here in the biggest games at the most hallowed stadiums. Like Adams, Brenden Aaronson played the entire game, and he had his moments, including hitting the crossbar on a first-half shot attempt. And like Adams, Aaronson brought an energy and commitment that didn’t waver. Even during the toughest moments so far this season, Adams and Aaronson have been two of Leeds’s best players, and if you’re a U.S. fan you have to be happy seeing how well they have performed and how many minutes they have gotten to be ready for the World Cup.

• Marsch should get a reprieve now. Is it crazy that Leeds has just three wins, and two of them have come against Liverpool and Chelsea? Yeah. But the truth is that almost all the underlying data has shown that Leeds’s performances have been better than where the team has been in the table. Marsch has been saying he has the board’s support while acknowledging that he needed to get some Ws, and soon. Leeds has three more games before the World Cup break—league matches against Bournemouth and Spurs and a League Cup tie with Wolves—and it seems likely now that Marsch will remain the coach through the World Cup break. It’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of his team’s win at Anfield. Liverpool needed points badly and couldn’t get them. And in one 90-minute game, Leeds may have turned its season around. We’ll know more soon enough, but Leeds players have to know that their ceiling is high. They just need to approach it more often.

October 25, 2022October 26, 2022 gatorbest

Champions League Tues/Wed

We are nearing the final 2 games of the Group Stage in Champions League (Europe’s best teams) and Europa League with some big games this week featuring Americans this week on Paramount plus with Wrap-Around shows on at 3 pm on CBS Sports Network. Tues at 12:45 pm Chelsea and Pulisic (who has started) still need wins to advance as they travel to Salzburg, while Celtic and Carter-Vickers must win vs Shaktar Donetsk at 3 pm. Dortmund and Gio Reyna are 2^nd as they host Man City vs their former Talisman #9 Halland also at 3 pm. Wed Barcelona must win vs Bayern Munich to stay alive at 3 pm on Para+, while Liverpool needs to at least tie Ajax at home at 3 pm to secure advancement. Rangers and Americans James Sands and Malik Tillman must win @ Napoli at 3 pm to stay alive. Watch the Golazo shows on CBSSN at 3 pm on both Tues/Wed to see wrap-around coverage with pregame and postgame as well. Thurs Arsenal’s American Goalie Matt Turner will look for his 3^rd straight shutout vs PSV at 12:45 pm while Jordan Pefok and Union Berlin needs a home win or tie vs Braga to stay in contention at 12:45 pm in Europa League action on Paramount plus. Live Update Pulisic Asst vs Salzburg Goal in Spanish as it should be. UCL Permutations.

MLS Conf Finals Sun + NWSL Final Portland vs KC Sat 8 pm CBS

Again wow – theMLS Playoffs continue to excite as we are down to the final 4 teams this Sunday. The East has the Philly Union facing NYCFC on Sunday at 8 pm Fox Sports 1 Prime time. While the West has Supporter Shield holders LAFC hosting Austin FC at 3 pm on ABC. The NWSL Finals will feature the Portland Thorns (Crystal Dunn, Sophia Rodriguez, Sophia Smith) vs the Kansas City Current at 8 pm on CBS. Portland’s Crystal Dunn a 2^nd half sub scored the game winner vs Seattle 2-1. Listen to that soldout Crowd in Portland – Soccer Capital of the US! KC vs Seattle highlights, Portland vs San Diego highlights.

Indy 11 & USL

Great to see former Carmel FC GK Coach and Indy 11 GK Jordan is headed to the playoffs with his #1 Seed In the Western Division San Antonio vs Colorado Switchbacks Saturday on ESPN+ at 8 pm. Jordan was just edged out for GK of the Year. USL Playoff Bracket

High School – #2 Carmel Girls to the State Finals on Sat 4 pm vs #1 Noblesville@ IUPUI (Indy 11 Michael Carroll Stadium)

The Carmel High Girls defeated Center Grove 1-0 to advance to a DREAM State Final match-up vs #1 Ranked Noblesville Sat at 4 pm. For Carmel and Legendary Coach Frank Dixon its the 4th state title game if 5 years. Noblesville beat Carmel mid-season 3-1 at home but Carmel has certainly found their scoring touch over the last month of the season. Carmel FC has a ton of current and former players on the that Carmel squad, also a player on Park Tudor – best of luck this weekend ladies. Also Carmel FC coach Carla Baker is Asst coach for Park Tudor they play Fort Wayne Canterbury right after the Carmel game (6:30 pm). If you are interested in going down to watch, tickets are $15 and should be purchased prior via GoFan.

A lot of Carmel FC Representation on this Carmel High Squad headed to State Finals vs Noblesville on Sat 4 pm @the Mike. CFC GKU all 3 GKs.

State High School Soccer Finals

Saturday, Oct. 29

Class 1A Boys

Greenwood Christian (11-7-3) vs. Park Tudor (18-2-1) | 6 pm ET / 5 pm CT

#1 – Derek Etherington / #2 – Michael Crump / #3 – Chris Smith

Class 2A Girls

Evansville Memorial (20-0-1) vs. Leo (18-4) | 8:15 pm ET / 7:15 pm CT

#3 – Dottie Outcalt

Saturday, Oct. 29

Class 2A Boys | Brebeuf Jesuit (16-4-1) vs. Mishawaka Marian (17-1-2) | 11 am ET / 10 am CT

Class 3A Boys

Columbus North (18-1-1) vs. Noblesville (14-3-3) | 1:30 pm ET / 12:30 pm CT

#1 – Eric Bozeman

Class 3A Girls

Carmel (18-2-2) vs. Noblesville (19-1) | 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT

#2 – Chris Doerner / #3 – Jerry McClatchey

Class 1A Girls

Park Tudor (20-1-1) vs. Fort Wayne Canterbury (12-8-2) | 6:30 pm ET / 5:30 pm CT

#4 – Chuck Mayfield

If you are interested in going down to watch, tickets are $15 and should be purchased prior via GoFan. The names in Red are local referees who are doing these games – Congrats guys!!

Tues, Oct 24 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

12:45 pm Para+ Salzburg vs Chelsea (Pulisic)

3 pm Para+ Benefica vs Juventus (McKinney)

3 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig

3 pm Para+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Man City

Wed, Oct 25

12:45 Para+ Club Brugge vs Porto

3 pm Para+ Barca vs Bayern Munich

3 pm Para+ Tottenham vs Sporting

3 pm Para+ Ajax vs Liverpool

3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Rangers ()

Thur, Oct 26 EUROPA

12:45 pm Para+ PSV vs Arsenal

12:45 pm Para+ Union Berlin (Pefuk) vs Bragga

3 pm Para+ Man United vs Sheriff

3 pm Para+ West Ham vs Silkeborg

Sat, Oct 29

7:30 am USA Leicester City vs Man City

9 am CBSSN Napoli vs Sassuolo

9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Muchen vs Mainz

10 am USA Chelsea (pulisic) vs Brighton

11 am bein Sport PSG vs Troyes

12:30 NBC Everton vs Fulham (Robinson, Ream)

12:30 ESPN+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Frankfort

2:45 pm USA Liverpool vs Leeds United (Aaronson, Adams)

3 pm ESPN+ Valencia vs Barcelona

8 pm CBS Portland Thorns vs KC Current

Sun, Oct 30

10 am USA Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest

10:30 am ESPN+ MGladbach vs Union Berlin (Pefuk)

12:15 pm USA Man United vs West Ham

1 pm Big 10 Net Indiana U Men vs Maryland

3:45 pm Para + Torino vs Milan

3 pm ABC LAFC vs Ausstin West Con Final

8 pm Fox Sport 1 Philly Union vs NYCFC East Con Final

8:15 pm Univsion Pachuca vs Toluca Mexico playoff

Tues/Wed Nov 8 &9 Champions League

Sat, Nov 5

4 pm Fox MLS Finals

Sun, Nov 10

7 pm FS1 USWNT vs Germany

Thur, Nov 13

5 pm ESPN USWNT vs Germany

8 pm ESPN2 USL Finals

Sun, Nov 20

11 am Fox World Cup Starts

Mon, Nov 21

8 am FS1 England vs Iran

2 pm Fox USA vs Wales

Mon, Nov 22

11 am Fox Mexico vs Poland

Soccer Saturday’s are every Sat 9-10 am on 93.5 and 107.5 FM with Greg Rakestraw

===================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

=====================RackZ BAR BBQ ======Save 20% ======================

CARMEL FC PLAYERS : Winter Players League (WPL) – Badger Indoor Fieldhouse
As the fall season comes to a close over the next month, we wanted to let you know that we will be launching an indoor soccer league over two six week sessions within our new Badger Fieldhouse. Games will be played on either Friday night ( 6pm to 10pm) or Sunday afternoon (1pm-5pm) depending on age groups: U8s, U9&U10, U11&U12, U13-U15 and U16+ (Coed Teams allowed). Referees for each game, 50 minute games, 5v5, 7v7 and 9v9 matches.
Session One (6 weeks): Jan 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th / Feb: 3rd, 10th $100 (includes Tshirt)
Session Two (6 weeks): Feb 17th, 24th / Mar 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th $100
Registration Information coming shortly, gather teammates and be ready to play!

Also CFC Goalkeepers we’ll have Indoor Training at the Fieldhouse on Wed nights – U11 5:30, U13 6:30 and U14/Highschool 8:30 pm starting Dec 3.

Lewis Bagley Special for IndyStar

SEYMOUR — For the fourth time in five years, coach Frank Dixon will take Carmel to the Class 3A girls soccer state finals. This time, however, his team is a bit different. Third-ranked Carmel netted the only goal it would need in the 31^st minute and took down No. 7 Center Grove, 1-0, in the semistate contest at Seymour High School. It’s the 14^th semi-state title for the program.

IHSAA soccer state tournament: Semistate pairings, schedule

Up next: Noblesville leaves no doubt with 7-0 win. Up next? Carmel for a state title.

Carmel (18-2-2) will meet top-ranked Noblesville in the title game at IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium. Date and time to be announced Sunday by the IHSAA. “What’s different with this team?” Dixon asked, pondering the question a second. “Well, what’s the same is that we have a lot of good players, but the difference is I don’t think we have a ‘star’ player. “Look at this game. It was a freshman that got us through. We’re not a star-studded team, but a hard-working team that gets the job done.” The “freshman” Dixon referred to was Adalyn Cameron, who notched the only goal. Cameron camped out to the left of Center Grove goalkeeper Sophia Gorall and picked up a corner kick from junior Megan Hamm and tallied only her second goal of the season. The assist for Hamm was her team-leading ninth of the season. The goal came on the north end of the field with a strong, brisk wind at Carmel’s back. That helped the Greyhounds stymie a Center Grove offense that was a victim of a 2-0 shutout loss to Carmel in their last meeting Sept. 21. Carmel had nine shots on goal in the first half, while CG couldn’t muster any on Greyhounds keeper Aubree Empie. Carmel also had a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks. With the wind at its back in the second half, Center Grove coach Myron Vaughn made an adjustment that helped his team mount more of a challenge, “We added a couple more attackers going with the wind,” Vaughn said. “It helped us get some more set pieces (in our offense) and we’ve been able to score on those all year.” This time, Empie and the Carmel defense stood tall to complete the shutout. The loss ends Center Grove’s season at 17-3-2 and brighter days seem to be ahead for the program. “From August until now, it’s like night and day,” Vaughn said of his team. “This group really came together and bought in and that’s why we were here. We have 16 juniors on our roster and the experience of playing in the semistate will help them. Carmel, meanwhile, will be seeking its 11^th state title (all under Dixon) and the first since 2018. Carmel finished as runner-up in 2019 and last season. “I thought we played Noblesville well last time, until the final minute,” Dixon said, referring to a 3-1 loss to the Millers Sept. 19. “I think we are a better team now, but they probably are, too.” Bishop Chatard girls fall in Evansville No. 1 Memorial scored twice in the second half of a 2-0 win over No. 5 Chatard in the Class 2A girls semistate. Myla Browning opened the scoring with 35 minutes left. An Avarie Zeller cross was saved but Browning poked the loose ball over the line. Zeller netted the final goal, a header over the keeper, with 6:32 remaining. Memorial (21-0-1) will face the Mishawaka Marian-Leo winner in the state championship. Chatard finished with an 18-3-1 record. No. 1 Park Tudor girls advance in Class A No. 1 Park Tudor advanced to the state championship with a 1-0 win over No. 4 Mater Dei.Paige Dill recorded the only goal for the Panthers with 16 minutes left in the first half. The sophomore connected on a 40-yard free kick that hit the crossbar and deflected off the hands of the goalkeeper.Park Tudor (20-1-1) will face the Andrean/Fort Wayne Canterbury winner in the 1A state final. Mater Dei finished with a 14-8 record. Noblesville girls soccer leaves no doubt with 7-0 win. Up next? Carmel for a state title. Richard Torres Special for IndyStar KOKOMO – No. 1 Noblesville wasn’t taking any chances.A year removed from losing a shot at a potential third straight Class 3A girls soccer state championship, Noblesville opened up its offense during the Kokomo semistate and showed why its only lost two games in four seasons.The Millers (19-1) converted four goals in the first 28 minutes against No. 12 Crown Point Saturday and didn’t allow a shot until the 68^th minute to win 7-0 with a chance to claim their third state crown in four years. ‘Always Find a Way.’Noblesville boys soccer does just that on road back to state finals.

Sophomore Meredith Tippner recorded a hat trick to give the Millers a 3-0 lead by the 24^th minute, and she finished with four goals overall with her finale making it 6-0 by halftime. “Honestly, you don’t get four goals unless you have people around you that can put in you that position,” said Tippner, who has 15 goals on the season. “I know at least two or three of those were gimmes based off a teammate and the team working up. Couldn’t ask for a better team to be with right now.”The Millers have won 15 games by shutout, including five consecutive state tournament contests. The only team to score against the Millers this postseason was No. 8 Fishers in the sectional quarterfinals on Oct. 4.“We have set the bar high for ourselves, but that’s what we keep looking to achieve. We knew this wasn’t our last game of our season. We knew we wanted to get another chance,” Noblesville coach Mike Brady said. “To get to the state final the way we’ve played all year, now, again, we’re going to have to play our best game of the season, if we want to bring home the trophy.”Noblesville’s seven-goal performance was its highest output of the season, and it came at the ideal time with No. 3 Carmel (18-2-2) sitting in between the Millers and another state title. “It’s the biggest stage you can be on, and I think we’re ready to compete,” Tippner said. “I’m ready and excited for it.”Tippner unveiled her focus with her first two goals coming off assist from senior Ava Bramblett in the 6th and 18th minutes. Her third goal was assisted by Atley Pittman, a sophomore, and her fourth was a header off a corner-kick pass by senior Victoria Goodwin in the 78th minute.Pittman increased the lead 4-0 in the 28^th minute off an assist from senior Mia Brake. Bramblett made it 5-0 in the 36^th minute on a pass from Tippner, which initiated the mercy-rule running clock in the first half.The Millers’ final goal was a putback by junior Stella Scroggin in the 43^rd minute, wrapping up the program’s third semistate title in four years.“Last year, we lost to a great Homestead team, who ended up winning it all. We were all crushed and felt this was our season,” Tippner said. “I’m just glad that we’ve all come together this season and now get a chance to play a really good Carmel team. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”In 2021, Noblesville lost to eventual state champion Homestead in the regional semifinal, 4-2. Since the loss, the Millers have focused on redemption and will join the Noblesville boys team that will also contend for a state title enxt weekend at IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium.“I still put that Homestead loss on me. For some reason, I feel like we didn’t play the way we were able to, and that’s kind of what we’ve done all year. There was one game earlier this season (against No. 4 Zionsville) we didn’t show up and we lost (2-1), but we learned,” Brady said.“We haven’t lost since. It’s an attitude that’s addictive in this program. And again, we’re all pushing ourselves because when you’re ranked No. 1, there’s only one goal you set for yourself and we have a chance to play for it.”

Austin join holders New York in MLS Cup conference finals

Austin FC Proves Doubters Wrong

Conference Finals Review Show Video Goals from the Conference Semi Finals

Dallas vs Austin Hilights

NYCFC vs Montreal Highlights

LAFC vs La Galaxy Highlights

Portland Thorns defeat San Diego Wave in NWSL playoff after wild final minute of stoppage time
Crystal Dunn sends Portland Thorns to 2022 NWSL Championship with stoppage time goal
Kansas City continues historic NWSL playoff run with 2-0 win over OL Reign USA
US Men Rounding Into Form Just in Time – Henry Bushnell Yahoo

USMNT World Cup preview: 22 questions about the U.S. at Qatar 2022, answered – Bushnell Yahoo MLS Players Gather for US Mens Pre World Cup Training Camp

US Women’s World Cup Draw ‘Signed, sealed, delivered’:

New stamp celebrates U.S. women’s soccer Chris Wright
Women’s World Cup 2023 draw: Group-by-group picks, X factors, must-see games and more ESPN
Inside the United States’ Amputee Soccer World Cup campaign Tony Mabert

Champions League: Barça on brink of exit, Messi powering PSG
Dortmund vs Man City: How to watch live, team news, prediction
Dortmund put faith in teenage trio ahead of Haaland return
RB Salzburg vs Chelsea: How to watch live, team news, prediction
Hart adamant Celtic ‘not far away’ from European joy
Juve crisis continues as Champions League elimination looms

10 things we learned in the Premier League: Week 13
Fulham keeps firing as Leeds fightback falls short at booing Elland Road
Mitrovic continues to prove Premier League quality
Villarreal’s Emery appointed Villa coach
Top PL goals and saves from Matchweek 13
Watch out, Emery: Are Aston Villa a toxic club?
Newcastle into top-four with win at Tottenham
Chelsea still struggling for goals despite Potter’s bright start
Saudi-owned Newcastle into CL positions amid speedy rise
Conte claims Spurs can’t stand the schedule as Newcastle move into
Jesus urges Arsenal to ‘wake up’ after Southampton draw
PL Update: Late drama between Chelsea, Man United
Chelsea vs Manchester United player ratings out of 10

LaLiga’s refereeing hits low point: Ridiculous red cards, confusing calls Graham Hunter

Horrible VAR Decisions cost US Game vs England

Legendary Ref

You Make the Call – MLS

The Ref Didn’t Even Blow his whistle

Saves of the Week MLS Orlando City SC’s Pedro Gallese wins 2022 MLS Save of the Year presented by Allstate fan vote

Oct 20, 2022; Los Angeles, California, US; Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga (99) celebrates with forward Cristian Arango (9) after scoring during the first half of the MLS Cup Playoff semifinal against the Los Angeles Galaxy at Banc Of California Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

By Paul Tenorio Oct 21, 202217

Somehow, someway, El Trafico always delivers.Thursday night’s rivalry game between LAFC and the LA Galaxy in the MLS Cup playoffs delivered plenty of excitement, including three goals in the final 18 minutes of play, as LAFC downed its crosstown rival, 3-2, in a back-and-forth affair.The third goal of that crazy final stretch, scored by LAFC forward Chicho Arango three minutes into second-half injury time, set off the home crowd in a raucous celebration and eventually sent LAFC back to the Western Conference final for the first time since 2019.It was yet another thrilling chapter in this nascent LA derby.Arango’s 93rd-minute goal, scored from the doorstep after Dénis Bouanga’s volley was stopped by Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond, provided an exclamation point on what was a frantic final 20 minutes.Bouanga netted his second goal of the night in the 80th minute after a beautiful sequence from LAFC. Diego Palacios found Arango near the top of the box, and the Colombian laid it off to an overlapping Ryan Hollingshead, whose cross just missed a sliding Kwadwo Opoku only to land on the foot of Bouanga at the far post. The designated player did not miss.Just five minutes later, however, the party at Banc of California Stadium was silenced.Dejan Joveljic was on the field just 86 seconds before adding to what was a legendary super-sub season. The 23-year-old scored his ninth goal as a substitute this year with a brilliant right-footed finish curled to the far post, seemingly saving the Galaxy’s season.Eight minutes later, however, Arango found the game-winner.Bouanga was the hero on the night for LAFC. When the Frenchman joined LAFC as a designated player in August on a reported $5 million transfer fee, there was some question about what type of impact he could make as a late addition to a star-studded squad.Doubts increased about the 27-year-old when he managed just one goal in seven games with LAFC in the regular season. But Bouanga made a huge impact in his first MLS playoff game.Bouanga opened the scoring in the 23rd minute by jumping on LAFC’s first big chance in the game. Carlos Vela dropped into space to get on the ball, then threaded a pass through the Galaxy back line to Bouanga, who showed his strength to stay in front of Douglas Costa, control the ball and finish to the far post.That 1-0 lead surely felt like a huge relief to the home side after the Galaxy had found the better chances through the opening 20 minutes.The Galaxy, though, snagged an equalizer just before halftime when Samuel Grandsir jumped on a poor clearance to power a shot to the far post and past LAFC netminder Maxime Crépeau.Grandsir’s goal set up a fantastic second half, and behind Bouanga and Arango LAFC was able to find its way to the Western Conference final for the first time since 2019. LAFC beat the Galaxy, 5-3, to get to that conference final before bowing out to the eventual MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders.LAFC will now await the winner of Sunday’s FC Dallas-Austin FC semifinal.

By Jeff RueterOct 20, 2022

In one of the most anticipated matchups of the MLS Cup Playoffs quarterfinals, the Philadelphia Union overcame an FC Cincinnati side that was largely rebuilt by sharing its identity. Jim Curtin’s side withstood a worthy challenge by his former assistant and first-year Cincy head coach Pat Noonan, with Leon Flach proving an unlikely hero with his first goal since October 3, 2021.

With captain Alejandro Bedoya absent due to a hip flexor, 19-year-old Jack McGlynn took his place in midfield. McGlynn was part of the U.S. side which won this summer’s CONCACAF U-20 Championship but made just nine starts in the regular season. As for Cincinnati, Geoff Cameron was limited to a bench role due to injury and replaced by rookie Ian Murphy, while Yuya Kubo was omitted for family reasons.

While Cincinnati was the only team to win away from home in the first round, they hardly started the match as a distant underdog. The Orange and Blue were the aggressors for the first five minutes, keeping 70 percent of the ball in the early interval and working to pressure the Union backline. However, they struggled to turn the time into chances, and Philadelphia quickly worked back into the game.Although the match was evenly contested through 30 minutes, Cincinnati talisman and Best XI candidate Luciano Acosta fell to injury in the 34th minute. The playmaker caught his left foot in the grass and had it buckle underneath his weight as he tried to keep a ball in play under minimal defensive contest. Acosta was able to stay in the game but was visibly hobbled for several minutes after his return. Ultimately, the two sides headed to the locker room for halftime in a scoreless deadlock — although the half was anything but dull.The second half started much as the first had, with Cincinnati looking to force the issue. Andre Blake (who was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year earlier on Thursday) was forced into action several times, keeping the stalemate while his defense absorbed pressure. Finally, the Union was able to get the ball into the attacking third with intention in the 59th minute. While the ball bounced through the team’s attacking triumvirate of Mikael Uhre, Julian Carranza and Dániel Gazdag in the box, it spilled out to midfielder Flach.While the midfielder only managed one goal in 2021 and didn’t score during 34 regular season appearances, the former FC St. Pauli man didn’t waste a rare chance despite three Cincinnati defenders converging on him. Flach got his laces through it and sent the ball above a diving Roman Celentano, giving the hosts a breakthrough with half an hour remaining.Once again, Cincinnati was quick to respond with a convincing string of attacks. The visitors kept the possession battle at a near 50/50 split through the 75th minute, regularly moving the ball into the final third. However, the staunch Philadelphia defense kept its shape and ensured that the dangerous trio of Acosta (who appeared less hobbled after halftime treatment), Brenner and Brandon Vazquez was limited to shooting in less threatening areas. Even when they did make attempts, Blake was up to the occasion, with the Union faithful chanting “M-V-P” after his most impressive parries.Center official Timothy Ford let the two sides live up to the moment’s intensity, staying hesitant to show cards and allowing for persistent infringement by some of the matchup’s feistiest players. Philadelphia had a golden chance to put the game away just before stoppage time, but a corner kick bounced off several Union men before Cory Burke’s touch from two yards out went wide of the post.Burke had another chance to ice the game a minute later, but his looping shot went over the far corner of the goal. Cincinnati sent many players forward as they desperately chased an equalizer. A last-gasp shot by Álvaro Barreal was blocked before it could reach the goalmouth, and Ford blew his whistle as the rebound settled back toward the center circle. The Union will host the winner of CF Montréal – New York City on Sunday, Oct. 30.

By Meg Linehan and Steph YangOct 24, 2022

Portland Thorns FC and the Kansas City Current are heading to Washington, D.C. In the first match of Sunday’s duo of semifinals, the Thorns needed all 90 minutes plus stoppage time to dispatch the San Diego Wave, with Crystal Dunn providing the storybook ending. Portland is now back to another final to play for a third star. The Current went into OL Reign’s home stadium and walked away with a 2-0 win, thanks to goals from Alex Loera and Kristen Hamilton, plus yet another clutch performance from Adrianna Franch in goal.There are so many narrative threads to follow leading into next week’s NWSL Championship: two first-year coaches, KC’s worst-to-championship turnaround, Portland’s players banding together for each other as the club faces huge systemic challenges following the Yates report. That’s in addition to more player-focused stories like Dunn’s incredible return to action after giving birth, Franch’s importance on this Current team and the role of rookies like Sam Coffey for Portland and Elyse Bennett for KC. Portland may be heading to the East Coast as the No. 2 seed, but as we’ve seen this season in the NWSL, there’s no such thing as a clear favorite this year. Before we fully turn our attention to next Saturday’s primetime final, let’s savor these two semifinals.

That is not an exaggeration. Both of the goals Portland scored to close out the Wave on Sunday were absolute screamers. Let us relive them together. First: Rocky Rodriguez. After this game, the laces part of that boot should be preserved in a museum.

And then the winner from Dunn, substituted into this game and hitting it sweet from almost the same spot as Rodriguez.The Thorns had about three weeks of rest between the last game of the regular season and Sunday’s semifinal, and they looked pretty good throughout despite going down early. Head coach Rhian Wilkinson hinted before the game that so much rest isn’t necessarily good for a team; too long between games and players can get antsy, go flat, and lose cohesion. But that rest ended up coming in handy as the Wave tired and eventually got pinned in their own box as the Thorns generated ever more chances. Credit to Wilkinson for setting the team up well, and for starting young Yazmeen Ryan with team captain Christine Sinclair on the bench. Wilkinson told the media after the game that she knew the matchup would probably be highly transitional, and she wanted Ryan’s ability to cover the wing.The game also featured a great crowd; something that clearly meant a lot to players at a club where there’s been a lot of understandable tension over attendance, with fans debating whether or not they want to boycott games, while players ask fans for their support. “I think when we heard that there were many, many people showing up today it really allowed us to get hyped for this game,” said Dunn after the game. “Our fans have been through a lot as well this year, along with players, and I think them showing up is exactly what we want for this community. We want everyone to obviously be able to voice their opinion and be able to share their feelings, but at the same time we also understand without the fans, I mean, the game is just not as fun. And being able to deliver that moment today for them was really special because it made me feel like we’re all in this together. It’s a tough year but we have lived and survived to fight for another game.”

The mood in the Wave camp postgame was certainly down, but it was also pretty clear that head coach Casey Stoney — along with Taylor Kornieck and Naomi Girma — still had plenty to be proud of in their 2022 season. Stoney, once again with her kids beside her on the podium, credited the two amazing goals as well as Thorns goalkeeper Bella Bixby’s clutch saves for the end result. “My overriding emotion is huge pride in the team, the players and the club,” she said, “and what we’ve been able to do in a short space of time. Now we need to use this feeling to fuel us to get better.”Kornieck said multiple times how she could not wait for preseason to kick off in February; Girma was also already considering what the team would take away from this result to use in the future. “I think there’s a lot for us to learn as a group and for me individually from my rookie year,” Girma said. “I think the sky’s the limit for this group, so just really excited for next year.”Stoney expanded on a few specific areas where she thinks the Wave can improve. “This team has grown from week to week, strength to strength,” she said. “Now, how can we consistently, when we’re not playing well, get results? I think we struggled with that midseason. We’ll look at how we can be really hard to beat when we’re not necessarily on our game, and then when we are on our game, finishing our chances and being clinical in that final third is something that we’ll look at.”San Diego truly did set a standard for themselves — and the current NWSL teams and any future expansion team — in 2022. Stoney has lived through her first NWSL postseason and now gets a few months to figure out how to take her team to the championship next season. It’s almost a scary thought to think about how there’s still so much room to grow for year two.

Ohhhh, OL Reign. Another NWSL shield win, another defeat at the hands of Kansas City to show for it. This loss was obviously quite different than it was in 2014 and 2015, but this one might hurt even more in many ways. Thinking back to the tail end of the regular season, the three Reign OGs in Megan Rapinoe, Jess Fishlock and Lu Barnes talked about this particular edition of the team — this was supposed to be the year that they broke through to the championship and won it all. There weren’t any excuses after the game. Both head coach Laura Harvey and Rapinoe dismissed any concerns about the bye week playing a role in the loss, especially considering the international travel that impacted so much of the team. “I don’t even really know if we deserved more out of the game. We didn’t really take our chances and impose ourselves on the game,” Rapinoe said. “Tough, tough moment for us, especially playing the way we’ve been playing and having the season that we’ve had.”Mostly, it seemed, it was having to face the fact that they simply had not been anywhere good enough on Sunday. “We lacked quality when we needed it, and that was the game really,” Harvey said. “That was my message at the end of the game. We’re a very honest group with each other, and at the end, I was honest with them to say that I truly believe that over the course of the season, do we deserve to get closer to that championship? Yes. On tonight’s performance, we didn’t show quality when we needed it.”It’s now been two years in a row where the Reign looked like they had the team on paper to win it all. And — to agree with Fishlock once again — winning the Shield does not get enough credit in the NWSL; it is a much harder task, especially this chaotic season. But the Reign showing up and simply not having it on Sunday night has to be one of the most painful ends of the season this team has ever had.

What a statement game for Kansas City. They’ve grown into their roster and their tactics over the course of the season, showing a steadiness both in their gameplay and in their mental resiliency that has brought them to the brink of a championship. From their fourth-minute goal off of Alex Loera – who also had herself a goal-line clearance – to their direct team effort on Kristen Hamilton’s 63rd-minute follow-up, they just never looked rattled.“Alex loves to express herself on the attacking side of the game and she was allowed to do that a little bit more this evening,” said head coach Matt Potter after the game. Hamilton’s goal in particular was a great encapsulation of KC’s desire to always win the ball and the attackers’ ability to be disruptive with their movement It was also the result of a little bit of luck.“I was kind of fortunate enough to be on the sideline talking to Matt at the moment,” said Hamilton after the game, “Where we were talking about the subs coming in and what we were going to do from there. And I just happened to see (Franch) decide to play the ball early and I was like, ‘Well, I gotta go Matt’. Kind of in the perfect spot of the perfect time. So thanks, Matt.”Potter, Hamilton, and Franch expounded further on the way that KC has built a team culture together, something that perhaps carries additional meaning for a club going from last on the table to championship game in one season. “You have to come together to be a championship team,” said Franch after the game. “You have to have some type of togetherness and everybody on the same page and moving to where we want to go and wanting to get better every single day and wanting to achieve the things that we were achieving. And that’s every single person on the team, staff included, putting in the time and the effort to be here.”“The players that were here (last season), I’m so excited for them because they’ve worked hard as professionals in this league for a long time,” said Potter. “Some of the names you’ve talked about, you know, Lo’eau LaBonta, Kristen Edmonds, Desi Scott, Kristen Hamilton, AD, I mean, the list goes on. I’m so, so proud of them in many ways, but also so excited for them because they’re getting to experience something that brings so much joy in anybody’s life and I couldn’t be more delighted for them and for the new players. Hopefully, this becomes the norm for them.”

A note to the moms in the league

A notable moment from the Thorns-Wave postgame was Wilkinson being asked several questions about Dunn’s return to soccer after giving birth to her child in May, questions that both Wilkinson and Dunn have been asked in multiple press conferences. It’s obviously quite an achievement from Dunn and yet further evidence that Dunn is one of her generation’s greatest athletes. But Wilkinson also had a good point with this:

“I’m not a mother and that experience with your body, unless you’ve had a child, I can’t speak to it. What I can say is that I tried my best to make everything possible for her and just see how she adapted, because some women might be like Crystal Dunn, and some might need a year and a half. I don’t know. But what I do know is we never pushed her. We supported her but we never tried to push any limits. And it just turns out that she’s ready for the end of the season. It’s such a unique experience for every mother…. I don’t also want other mothers in the league to now think they’ve got to do what Crystal Dunn did. It is incredible what she did. But it was done very carefully with a lot of very, very skilled people supporting her return to play.”

Goal line technology when?

Let’s revisit that aforementioned goal-line clearance from Loera for a moment. In the end, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome — but once again, we’re all struggling to have a definitive take on if this ball fully crossed the line using broadcast angles that ultimately tell us nothing definitive at all.

VAR is incoming next season (honestly, we’re still undecided on just how to feel about it but mostly think that the league could have prioritized other investments), and goal-line technology is not fully within every team’s control… but if there’s one big splurge in this area the league could choose to focus on, that might be the one.

Let’s talk about attendance for these NWSL playoffs, and why it’s been so important for the continued success of the league — particularly at this complicated moment in time. Every single match surpassed 20K fans — and while that’s the capacity for Audi Field, a league spokesperson confirmed they’re trending well for a sell-out next Saturday at the championship (the stadium is currently around 70% sold).

The Houston Dash drew 21,284 fans for their quarterfinal against Kansas City last week, setting a new record for playoff attendance that was immediately surpassed in San Diego. 26,215 attended their quarterfinal victory against the Red Stars.This weekend, 22,035 fans filled Providence Park for the first semifinal between the Thorns and the Wave, then a new record at Lumen Field was set with 21,491 in the house for the KC upset.The four best NWSL playoff crowds all happened in the last four NWSL playoff games. The 21,144 who attended the 2018 NWSL Championship in Portland are now in 5th place.There is a virtuous cycle at play here. Full, loud stadiums for the biggest games means a better product on TV, which means more viewers, which means more coverage and sponsors. Sponsors and their money can apply pressure on the league and the teams, especially for better player health and safety — consider all those ad boards in Providence Park on Sunday, pleging their support to the players first and foremost.There’s power in showing up. Bella Bixby asked that of fans in Portland before the semifinal, and she got it on Sunday. It happened in Houston, in San Diego, in Portland, in Seattle. There’s energy here that needs to be carried through into DC, into 2023, through all levels of the sport.I (Meg here) can’t stop thinking about something Andrea Brimmer, chief marketing officer of Ally, said about her approach to the brand’s sponsorship of the NWSL, about the role she has to play for the league right now. She said in an interview that the players are “using their power to take their league back. I want ‘em to have a league to take back.” We’ll see you in D.C. next week.

Oct 23, 2022; Portland, Oregon, USA; San Diego Wave FC goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan (1) passes the ball during the second half against the Portland Thorns FC during the semifinals of the 2022 NWSL Playoffs at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

By Leo BaudhuinOct 24, 2022

The afternoon before the Portland Thorns battled the San Diego Wave for a spot in the NWSL championship game, a group of 20 people gathered outside the northeast entrance to Providence Park. They had three main goals: support the players, build community, and pressure Peregrine Sports LLC to sell its two pro soccer teams: The NWSL’s Portland Thorns and MLS’s Portland Timbers.The crowd held signs, declaring that “Thorns belong to us, not ‘good guys’” and “you knew.”The latter is a refrain that has echoed across the league this year, in the wake of allegations of abuse against multiple former NWSL coaches and staff. Portland had its own reckoning when The Athletic published a story on former Thorns head coach Paul Riley’s sexually coercive behavior toward several of his former players in September 2021 and accounts of the Timbers covering up former player Andy Polo’s domestic violence emerged in February.

This week in NWSL chaos: Bangers only in Portland, KC Current upset OL Reign

Last year, the club temporarily suspended general manager Gavin Wilkinson from his Thorns duties, but many fans felt that his stepping away was not close to the restructuring that both PTFC teams needed. A collection of those fans started Soccer City Accountability Now (SCAN) in April. The organization has arranged protests, contacted club sponsors and media and demanded that Timbers and Thorns owner Merritt Paulson sell both teams.“The front office has just continued to give us reasons to keep coming out,” said Amy Cothron, who’s been a fan of both teams since 2018. “They’ve demonstrated time and time again their inability to treat people with respect and really support their employees.”At the start of October, former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates released a U.S. Soccer-commissioned investigation into the allegations of abuse in Portland and a handful of other NWSL teams, detailing the systemic failures to protect players across the league. Both Wilkinson and President of Business Mike Golub stepped away from the teams following the Yates report. Paulson resigned from his role as CEO soon after — though he remains financially involved as an owner of Peregrine Sports.For SCAN and other PTFC fans, Peregrine Sports’ continued ownership of the clubs meant Paulson’s removal wasn’t good enough. Hence, the demonstrations ahead of Portland’s semifinal match — the first Thorns or Timbers home game since the Yates report was published.For fans like Cothron, PTFC games are community events where she gets to spend time with friends who she may not see in other areas of her life. Paulson’s continued silence around abuses has “sullied” the idea of that community, she said, and he’s passed on enough opportunities to address abuse in his club that she thinks him leaving completely is the only way to ensure that those patterns don’t continue.For some fans, the solution is simple: transfer the clubs to the ownership of their supporters. They’ve started the Onward Rose City project, which has seen 65,000 pledged shares totaling around $7.3 million since Friday.SCAN member and Timbers and Thorns supporter Sofia Freja said she’s seen overwhelmingly positive responses to the group’s protests. But, she said, “tomorrow’s going to be about supporting the players” in their semifinal game.rs group, the Rose City Riveters — gathered outside the west side of Providence Park, across the street from the players’ entrance. By noon they’d grown to a crowd of 50, holding signs that read “Sauerbrunn is my hero” and “Christine Sinclair GOAT” and larger two-sticks that said “This club was made for you and me” and “Keep your eyes on the prize” accompanied by an NWSL shield drawing. As players showed up, they erupted into cheers.“We know that there are a lot of emotions and feelings,” Gabby Rosas said of the group gathered outside the stadium. Rosas is a member of the Riveters and board president of the 107ist, a nonprofit for Portland soccer supporters. She said she’s talked to people that don’t feel comfortable going into the stadium — some because they don’t want to give money to PTFC ownership, others because it’s a place of trauma for them — but the Riveters rally is a way “to be able to show the players we love you, we care about you, we want to support you.”It’s also about making sure that the players know that fans have their back, SCAN member Tina Ettlin said. Although SCAN planned a demonstration in the stadium — fans held up red “for sale” and “sell the club” signs in the 10 minutes leading up to kickoff — its members emphasized that once the ref blew the starting whistle, everyone’s attention would be on the players. After goalkeeper Bella Bixby urged fans to come show their support for players by packing the stadium, over 22,000 turned out for the match — the second-largest playoff attendance in league history. Their attention paid off. Despite going down early when an unmarked Taylor Kornieck capitalized on a header opportunity to put the Wave up 1-0, the Thorns were able to secure a victory with two brilliant goals.

Kansas City Current advances to NWSL final

Rocky Rodríguez leveled the play in the game’s 20th minute, getting on the end of the third ball off a Thorns corner just outside the 18 and hitting a rocket volley into the back of the net.

But, despite a handful of strong looks from the Thorns and a brilliant first-half save from Bixby, it would take until second-half stoppage-time for either team to strike again — through none other than 2015 NWSL golden boot-winner, new mom, and second-half substitute Crystal Dunn.In the dying minutes of the game, Dunn got on the end of another poorly-cleared ball from a Thorns corner and — as she put it in the postgame press conference — “literally hit it with all [her] might.” And it was enough to put Portland through to its first NWSL final since 2018.“Our fans have been through a lot this year, as well as the players,” Dunn said in the postgame presser. “I think them showing up is exactly what we want for this community. We want everyone to be able to voice their opinion and share their feelings. But at the same time, we understand that without fans, the game’s just not as fun.”The goal was “an explosion of emotions” for everyone in the stadium, Rodríguez said – a feeling backed up by those in the stands.“I wouldn’t do what I do for a millionaire,” said Ettlin, who also serves as a capo for the Timbers and Thorns. “I’m not doing this for Merritt. These players and non-male-centric sports are super important to me, personally, so making sure that people who are involved in that, centering them is all I want to do.”

By Jacob Whitehead Sep 28, 2022

International football is a strange beast.

Bring together players who are not usually team-mates, ship them thousands of miles around the world, stoke expectations beyond all reasonable measure and let them play.It is little surprise that in such odd circumstances, surprise teams often reach the semi-finals and beyond — hosts South Korea in 2002, unfancied Uruguay in 2010, losing finalists Croatia in 2018.Could the World Cup be understood in isolation? A half-tournament, half-fever dream in which events rely more on randomness than destiny or logic? In short, does form matter?To clarify, this is not referring to individual form — whether a striker is in a purple patch or whether a goalkeeper is filled with confidence — in the days preceding the tournament.This is analysing the form of a team, ie, their collective results in the five games preceding the tournament.It is particularly pressing for sides such as England, the United States, Germany and France. The latter three nations have only won one game in their last five, and England have failed to win in their last six matches.On the other hand, sides such as Brazil, Argentina and the Netherlands — who have not lost between them in their last five matches — will want to ensure the likelihood of their form being rewarded in Qatar.So, what do the results say?

For teams with designs on winning the World Cup, the importance of form is clear. Of the World Cup-winning sides of the 21st century, only one team — France in 2018 — lost a single match in their five games before the tournament.In 2002, Brazil won four and drew one. Italy, a more pragmatic side, won two and drew three. Vicente del Bosque’s Spain had a perfect record before the 2014 Germany side won three and drew two.Even that singular France defeat was followed by three successive wins before a much-changed side drew against the United States.Between them, those sides had a win percentage of 68 per cent. If you were to allocate league points to each team’s build-up, the worst form would be the 2006 Italy side, who still took nine points from a possible 15.The last occasion a team had a truly poor build-up and still won the tournament was in 1986, when a Maradona-inspired Argentina won the 1986 World Cup with a record of one win, two draws and two losses. That single win, however, was a 7-2 thrashing of Israel immediately before the tournament.

The worst pre-tournament record by a winning side? That’s Uruguay, from 1950, who lost four of their five games before the tournament. Two of these, at least, were against Brazil, who they shocked in the final. When England won, in 1966, they won each of their five games before the tournament.

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England, France, and Germany will have to rely on events unprecedented for 72 years if they are to add to their tally in Qatar.

The importance of form is still evident, even for those sides who narrowly missed out on the trophy.

This century’s losing finalists average a pre-tournament win rate of 60 per cent. Croatia — with the worst record — still won twice and drew once in their five preceding matches.

Extend the parameters to semi-finalists and the pattern continues. In a small quirk, losing semi-finalists actually have a slightly better win rate than losing finalists — 62 per cent.

Belgium and England, who reached this stage in 2018, were both undefeated in the lead-up to the tournament.

In total, teams who reach the final four win 63 per cent of their pre-tournament matches. Of the 100 matches analysed, they only lost 12.

What does this mean for the upcoming tournament? The likely contenders can be roughly separated into three groups.Brazil, Argentina and the Netherlands are all unbeaten in their last five games and will enter Qatar in sparkling form. Brazil, in particular, have produced some impressive results, albeit against slightly weaker opponents than several European nations. Nevertheless, 18 goals scored for only three conceded is nothing to be sniffed at.Five teams are in mediocre form, with a loss dotted here and there — Belgium, Spain, Uruguay, Portugal and Denmark.Then, at the bottom, are the aforementioned strugglers, which includes several sides for whom anything but victory will be a disappointment — France, Germany, England, Mexico and the US.Since 2002, no side has reached the semi-finals having lost more than two of their five pre-tournament matches. Turkey’s 2002 side and Croatia’s 2018 team have the poorest record, with two wins, one draw and two losses.Of the groups listed above, none of the struggling sides exceed Turkey and Croatia’s record. Their progression would be a significant outlier.

Looking at potential winners, 21st-century champions average 11.6 points from their five pre-tournament games, if matches were allocated the same points as league matches.

Want to place a bet on a World Cup winner? The only sides who have earned at least 10 points are Brazil (15), Argentina (13), Netherlands (13), Spain (10) and Uruguay (10). Victory for any other side would be unparalleled in modern tournaments.

The words of legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi ring true: it seems winning is a habit.

By The Athletic UK StaffOct 22, 2022

After Jurgen Klopp was sent off in Liverpool’s ill-tempered 1-0 win over Manchester City last weekend, Dr Tom Webb posted an image on Twitter similar to the one above of the Liverpool manager screaming at assistant referee Gary Beswick.“What sort of message does this send to people watching?” wrote Webb, who co-ordinates the Referee and Match Official Research Network. “It’s images like this that make people think #referees are fair game… ‘if coaches and players in the Premier League are doing it, then it must be OK’… it isn’t and it certainly won’t help the trend of referee #abuse.”Klopp’s actions came in the Premier League’s marquee Sunday afternoon game on a weekend where Merseyside Youth League matches were postponed “following multiple incidents of inappropriate and threatening behaviour towards our league and match officials”.Klopp, of course, is not the only manager to lose his cool with an official this season and the abuse of officials is a problem throughout the pyramid — and in children’s football, too. So what responsibility do Premier League managers have to set a good example? Does the fish rot from the head down?“I know about our role in public and how difficult it is to be a ref,” said Klopp two days later. “Oh my god, I know all that. I am a ref five times a week in different situations in training and you can never do it right.

Klopp Klopp on the sideline in Liverpool’s win over Manchester City (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

“But in the end, we are all human beings and you react how you react. For 99 minutes, in this case, it was pretty intense and always being the perfect version of yourself is actually not possible in life and in these moments (it is) more difficult.“I went over the top in the moment but I don’t think I was disrespectful to anyone. I apologised to the assistant, of course.”This is about much more than the Liverpool manager getting upset with referee Anthony Taylor’s decision not to give a foul on Mohamed Salah by Bernardo Silva. It is a problem deep-rooted in the English game and one that shows little sign of getting better any time soon.So, The Athletic asked Premier League managers whether they think they should set a better example and if it is something of which they are conscious.Do they ever look back at footage of themselves on the touchline and feel embarrassed about their ranting and raving? Or is it just part of the game now; the natural consequence of the pressure and scrutiny which managers find themselves under?

And what can be done to improve the situation?

“I think we all do,” said Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers. “That’s always been the notion for every manager. It is a very passionate game and obviously, from time to time, those passions and those pressures will come out on the side of the field. Sometimes that can spill over, but I think we all have that responsibility as managers, coaches and players to uphold the values of the game.“I was over in Belfast during the international break and I was watching a five-a-side tournament. I was laughing to myself because my own nephew was rolling about the floor and holding his knee and he’s only six. So it definitely does (translate from the professional game to grassroots). It follows through and it’s something that we always need to be aware and conscious of.”

Leicester Rodgers thinks what happens in the top flight translates to grassroots (Photo: John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)

“I think we need to be role models,” agreed Brentford manager Thomas Frank. “We need to be very aware of what we are doing out there.“I think it’s important for, especially Sunday league or grassroots football, they play for fun. Here it’s a professional game and there is so much at stake. So much (media) focus, but even with all that said we still need to be calm and be role models.“I have also been on the touchline and watched my son play, but because I have got a professional career I never said anything. I understand it’s difficult out there because you just want your son or daughter to do well. People need to remember it is the most beautiful game, it gives everyone so much joy and we need to remember that when we are a little bit heated.”Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has a unique perspective given his father, Keith, became a Football League linesman in 1975 and went on to referee in the Premier League before his retirement in 1996.“There are a lot of people watching, of course,” said Cooper. “You always want to be the best version of yourself and a good role model. But at the same time, being a good role model can be about showing that you care; showing that you are ready to stand up and be counted, particularly if things go against your team, which you don’t believe are right.“There are ways and means of going about that. That might sometimes mean a bit of animation or aggression and I think that is OK.”“We all have to act as a role model,” said Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira, who was sent off eight times in the Premier League as a player. “When I say all, I’m not just talking about managers, I’m talking about yourself (journalists). We all have an impact on youth so how we conduct ourselves is important.”

“For 90 minutes or a bit longer, it becomes an emotional game and maybe sometimes you can change your character from what your true character is,” said West Ham manager David Moyes. “If you were in Jurgen Klopp’s position you would probably do the same. But we’ve all got great respect for referees and the work they have to do. I hope, in their way, they will understand that for 90 minutes or a bit longer we can sometimes lose our heads here and there a little bit.“But I think if we stood there and did nothing then our supporters, the public, you (the media) would probably be questioning why not?”Everton boss Frank Lampard picked up this theme, highlighting how after former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel and Tottenham manager Antonio Conte had a skirmish in August, a lot of the rhetoric centred on the passion of Premier League football.

Tuchel, Conte Things boiled over between Tuchel and Conte in August (Photo: Getty Images)

“I remember earlier this season when Tuchel and Conte had this,” he said, “and afterwards it was ‘This is great! This is what the Premier League is all about, people showing passion and showing themselves!’ so you can’t have everything in one go.“We have a responsibility I understand that, but there is also a microscope on managers in the modern day where we’re in highly pressurised jobs. It’s easy for me to sit here in a calm moment and say we should be better, but the amount of pressure we’re under and sometimes the decisions that go against you can throw you.”Lampard also argued that it is more about everyone taking personal responsibility for their actions than Premier League managers acting as role models.He said: “If you’re trying to draw a line from (the Premier League) to a Sunday league game or someone going and physically attacking a referee, then that’s just the personal responsibility of someone who did that, as it would be if they did it on the street.“I understand our responsibility but I don’t draw the line directly from that. I don’t see it much. I see managers in our position handle themselves really well for 99.9 per cent (of the time) and sometimes that little bit comes out.”“We have a lot of cameras on us,” said Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola. “It’s happened to me as well many times (getting too emotional). I’d like to control my emotions but during those moments, in certain stadiums, sometimes it can happen. We want to respect the referees and everything involved in the game, but sometimes emotions are there.”

Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp Klopp and Guardiola at Anfield on October 16 (Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

“I am very aware that I am going to be looked at by millions and millions of people, especially children,” said Newcastle boss Eddie Howe. “And I think you have an expectation to make sure the game is upheld in the right way and with the right spirit.“I am certainly aware of my demeanour and behaviour on the touchline. That’s not to say I don’t want to win and I don’t want to win with every fibre of my being, because I do, but I’ve always just had that inside me not to lose my discipline.“Also, my players are looking at me and what are they going to think of me? I’m not going to be able to help them in that moment if I’m not in control of my emotions.”Frank admitted he has reflected on his behaviour “a few times”.“I think in general the fourth official gets too much abuse,” he added. “What can they do? Sometimes it seems like they are only there for us to let the steam out and can say something and I’m definitely doing that myself sometimes. We need to be better in that aspect.”“It has always been my way to be calm,” said Rodgers. “There are obviously games that are more intense but it doesn’t take away your passion for the game. You don’t need to be running up and down the line and shouting, jumping and gesticulating to be passionate, you know. But I think we’re always aware of our conduct.”“I’m certainly conscious of it,” said former Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard earlier this week. “I’ve made mistakes previously on the side and it takes time to calm down. But it’s because we all want to win games and do as best as we can individually for our teams. We want to show our supporters that we’re the leader of those teams. We’re human and mistakes happen.”“We have to show, always, respect,” said Conte. “Sometimes you agree, sometimes you don’t agree with a decision. In the past, I was angry much more with the VAR, not with the referee’s decision, because the decision during a game sometimes is positive and you can take advantage. Sometimes it’s negative and you can argue.”

“Keep talking about it, keep being aware of it, try to create the relationship between each other,” said Frank. “Let’s say you and I went out for a drink every Thursday. We would create a relationship. Then I think that’s better.“If you have a very good relationship with a very good friend, it’s more difficult to be really angry with him. Of course, in the heat of the moment, we are all professionals, but I think it’s about creating a relationship which is most likely difficult because when do we have the time to do it?”“I can always live with good arguments,” said Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, who suggested officials should explain their decisions more to help managers’ understanding. “It is not good when we are always jumping on referees. This is definitely not the way we should do it.“It should be always in a respectful way and the referee should explain what he thinks. The fourth officials should also explain the reasons why and then I can live with it.”“I think it’s constant reminders,” said Rodgers. “Behaviour is very, very important. You can be competitive, you can fight tomorrow, but there always has to be a level of behaviour. It’s sometimes harder to do that because there’s emotion, which at times wants to come out and explode but you try to remain calm and keep it inside but it has to come out somewhere.”“We have to try and use common sense in every moment,” said Conte. “I know it’s not simple — I live the game with a great passion and you’re totally involved in the situation.“The best is to find the right balance, for us to have great respect for the referee, the linesman, the fourth official. At the same time, it’s good (for referees) to understand the moment and to look at what happened and be intelligent.“The respect has to be there for them and the referees have to show respect for us. Honestly, in England, there is great respect, I see that.”“When we have our group chats as managers with the LMA (League Managers’ Association, the managers’ union),” said Gerrard, “and everyone is together with the referees — when we’re in a calmer situation — we make an effort to try and decide how we look as managers.“But we’re not perfect. If you feel hard done by, it hurts. We want to win football matches. We’re also professional as well and we’re aware that sometimes we can overstep the mark and it doesn’t look good. When the dust settles we understand and recognise that we need to stay on the right side of it.”

CHESTER, PA - APRIL 12: Catarina Macario #20 of the United States kicks the ball during a game between Uzbekistan and USWNT at Suburu Park on April 12, 2022 in Chester, Pennsylvania.

By Meg Linehan and Steph Yang Oct 24, 2022 The Athletic

The 2023 World Cup creeps ever closer. We now know the group-stage schedule for the United States, so all that’s really left to find out is what the final roster will be — a process that will be shaped by the seven to eight months of international and club form, and multiple players working their way back from significant injuries. There are two final tests on home soil against Germany that await in this calendar year before the pressure cranks up even higher at the start of 2023.We’ve made an attempt to guess what those rosters will (or should) look like, although there’s a healthy dose of personal wish-fulfillment in here, too. We’ve also assumed these will be 23-player rosters instead of an expanded 26, and that any players we include will be fully healthy and fit for the World Cup.

Goalkeepers (3): Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars), A.D. Franch (KC Current), Bella Bixby (Portland Thorns)

Defenders (8): Kelley O’Hara (Washington Spirit), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Naomi Girma (SD Wave), Alana Cook (OL Reign), Emily Fox (Racing Louisville), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Hailie Mace (KC Current)

Midfielders (6): Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Lindsey Horan (Lyon), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Catarina Macario (Lyon), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit)

Forwards (6): Mal Pugh (Chicago Red Stars), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Alex Morgan (SD Wave), Christen Press (Angel City), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit)

Goalkeepers (3): Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars), A.D. Franch (KC Current), Casey Murphy (NC Courage)

Defenders (8): Becky Saurberunn (Portland Thorns), Alana Cook (OL Reign), Naomi Girma (SD Wave), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Emily Fox (Racing Louisville), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns), Kelley O’Hara (Washington Spirit), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign)

Midfielders (6): Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Lindsey Horan (Lyon), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Jaelin Howell (Racing Louisville)

Forwards (6): Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Mal Pugh (Chicago Red Stars), Catarina Macario (Lyon), Alex Morgan (SD Wave), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign)

Yang: It’s such pressure to put on a young player, but in my mind it’s Naomi Girma. You’ll notice I left Becky Sauerbrunn off my roster just because, with a healthy Davidson, I don’t know that bringing a fourth center back makes sense. I still think Sauerbrunn is absolutely World Cup-caliber and, more than that, she’s a calming veteran presence. So you’d have to maybe displace Cook, or one of the fullbacks, to bring Sauerbrunn. But Girma is a must. If she’s healthy, she’s going to play so, so much of the World Cup. She’s the future of this squad and so far she hasn’t seemed fazed in the slightest by the pressure.

Linehan: It feels a little scary to say, considering the rehab is ongoing, but I still think it’s actually Catarina Macario. I definitely agree with Steph that, defensively, it’s Girma — I was ready to crown her number one on my center back power ranking back in July. Offensively, Macario is the player who feels essential to build around, wherever she’s playing on the field.

Yang: I’ve written about it before, but I think the U.S. needs to focus on its midfield. I think more time has to be given over to developing say, Jaelin Howell, or Coffey, whom I listed above. Maybe even Alex Loera from the Current, although I think part of that is hindsight being 20/20. But that’s also such a difficult question — these are all newer players who haven’t been around for a super long time, so how do you apportion finite resources between working with the players you’ve got and investing in the players who might not even be ready for this cycle, as opposed to the next one?

Linehan: If Sam Mewis’ injury continues to be a problem into 2023, then I think the U.S. does have an issue with options for another box-to-box midfielder. We’re going to get into the midfield (once again) more here in a second, but the USWNT has options to either double-pivot at the 6, or overload a team with two 10s. Providing a look beyond Horan at the 8 does not have an immediate answer as of October.

Yang: The list of injured players right now includes Kelley O’Hara, Tierna Davidson, Catarina Macario, Christen Press, Abby Dahlkemper, Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams. Some of these players are more likely to be included than others. For example, it really looks like Sam Mewis’ injury rehab is going to be a lot longer and more complicated than anyone would want. If she’s not back with the Current by the start of their season, then she may not have the time needed to get World Cup match fit. I think maybe the biggest players returning who could change how the squad looks are Macario and Press, with O’Hara right behind them.

Linehan: The worrisome part is that we’re talking about injuries that have already been sustained and timelines for players to come back. I’m a nervous human being who’s watching all the injuries currently happening on the men’s side ahead of their World Cup, and just wondering what potential fresh hell awaits us between now and next July.

Yang: I would absolutely love to see Trinity Rodman cement a place in this squad. I included her in my World Cup lineup for a reason. If you’re searching for a ruthless 9, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to put more eggs in that basket. I’d also enjoy seeing a Midge Purce resurgence, no matter how slim a chance she has due to the depth of the forward pool. Really, so much of that will rely on her having a good NWSL season, and…well…Gotham.

Linehan: There’s absolutely a battle ahead for the final forward roster spots — Christen Press, Midge Purce and Lynn Williams are leading that charge, but Ashley Hatch, Mia Fishel, Morgan Weaver… I mean, the depth here remains ridiculous. (I also think there should be zero question about Rodman on this roster.)

But the player I’m absolutely watching is outside back Carson Pickett (NC Courage). She’s been rock solid in the league for a long time, but her contributions from the wing are what might finally get her called up more regularly rather than being added to a roster as an injury replacement.

Yang: Why did we include this question? It’s a jinx question. It’s dependent on so many factors that are TBD, like injuries and upcoming friendlies and maybe even NWSL preseason. If everyone is truly healthy and the vibe in camp is good, it’s a squad that reaches the final. If the same weird problems from the Olympics follow them? Quarters.

Linehan: No matter what’s happening in terms of results before the World Cup, the talent is here to make it to the final. But ask me this question again after the two Germany friendlies, and I might have a real answer (I won’t have a real answer, just a better read on what actual level of panic we should maybe be at.)

Oct 22, 2022 ESPN

England, who beat Germany in the final of Euro 2022 at Wembley, could face co-hosts Australia in the round of 16 if they top Group D as expected, after being paired with China, Denmark and the winners of the Chile/Senegal/Haiti playoff path.

– 2023 Women’s World Cup full bracket and fixtures schedule

New Zealand will face 1995 world champions Norway in the opening game of the tournament at Eden Park, Auckland, on July 20, with Australia kicking off their campaign against Republic of Ireland at the Sydney Football Stadium later the same day.In other stand-out pairings, France will meet Brazil in Group F, with Sweden and Italy pitched together in Group G.How will it all play out? ESPN’s Marissa Lordanic (Groups A, B), Mark Ogden (Groups C, D), Sophie Lawson (Groups E, F) and Becky Thompson (Groups G, H) have assessed each group to predict the big games and the teams who will advance.

If ever there was a time for New Zealand to nab their first-ever Women’s World Cup win, 2023 is surely it.

July 20	New Zealand vs. Norway
July 21	Philippines vs. Switzerland
July 25	New Zealand vs. Philippines
July 25	Switzerland vs. Norway
July 30	Switzerland vs. New Zealand
July 30	Norway vs. Philippines

The perks of hosting are such that the Football Ferns may never have a better chance at creating a little bit of Kiwi history. Standing in their way, however, are Norway, Switzerland and the Philippines.

Norway’s Euro 2022 campaign was nothing short of a disaster so redemption will be front of mind for Hege Riise’s side. Switzerland, meanwhile, will be enjoying their return to the world stage for the first time since 2015 but will likely be just as disappointed at their group stage exit from this year’s continental tournament. The Philippines are one of a number of countries who will taste World Cup football for the first time. Alen Stajcic has big-tournament experience, after his stint with Australia, but can he impart that wisdom into his side and get a historic first win as well?

Must-see match: New Zealand vs. Norway

Is it a little bit of a cop out to put the opening game as the must-watch one? Maybe so. But opening matches truly are something special.

In countries like Australia and New Zealand, who don’t get to experience moments like these in football very often, if ever, the enthusiasm of a home crowd will be worth the price of admission.

X factor: Can Hegerberg do it on a cold night in Auckland?

Ada Hegerberg had long been the asterisk when it came to Norway’s chances at big tournaments, but her return to the national team certainly didn’t go to plan in England for the Euros. In what will be her first Women’s World Cup since 2015, Hegerberg will once again be the focus of a Norwegian team which has plenty of big-name players but has yet to put in a big-team performance on the world stage.

Predicted finish: Norway, Switzerland, New Zealand, Philippines

Australia’s hopes of a best-ever result at a Women’s World Cup will be dependent on how Tony Gustavsson’s team navigates Canada, Republic of Ireland and Nigeria.

July 20	Australia vs. Rep. Ireland
July 21	Nigeria vs. Canada
July 26	Canada vs. Rep. Ireland
July 27	Australia vs. Nigeria
July 31	Canada vs. Australia
July 31	Rep. Ireland vs. Nigeria

Canada’s gold medal at the Olympics signified progress from Bev Priestman’s side, though the team will undoubtedly be disappointed that they could not best the United States in the CONCACAF W Championship final this year.

Republic of Ireland’s historic run will see them take part in a Women’s World Cup for the very first time, while Nigeria are a perennial presence at the biggest tournament in women’s football. However, Nigeria will enter this tournament without a WAFCON title behind them, failing to win the competition for only the third time.

Must-see match: Canada vs. Australia

This clash, the final one of Group B, could well determine who finishes top and who finishes second. The teams have a history at major tournaments, most recently at the 2016 Olympics, as well as in friendlies, with Canada earning two wins on Australian shores in the September window. Only six places separate the two sides in the world rankings and this closeness is replicated on the pitch. With Sam Kerr vs. Christine Sinclair, it is sure to be a knockout contest.

X factor: How will Sinclair’s (assumed) swan song play out?

An undisputed GOAT in world football, the all-time leading international goal scorer, Sinclair’s legacy is already secured. The Canadian gold medal in Tokyo ensured that Sinclair would always end her career with some level of international success, but a World Cup is a different beast. A fourth-placed finish is Canada’s best-ever result but there is no doubt they will want to send Sinclair out a little better than that.

Predicted finish: Canada, Australia, Nigeria, Republic of Ireland

Spain had been tipped to win Euro 2022 before losing to hosts England in the quarterfinals, but with 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas likely to be back in action after missing the Euros with a cruciate knee ligament injury, they will be among the favourites at the World Cup.

July 21	Spain vs. Costa Rica
July 22	Zambia vs. Japan
July 26	Spain vs. Zambia
July 26	Japan vs. Costa Rica
July 31	Japan vs. Spain
July 31	Costa Rica vs, Zambia

But an ongoing dispute between several players and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over the management style of coach Jorge Vilda — the RFEF claimed 15 players said they would refuse to play for the team last month unless Vilda was removed — remains unresolved and could yet affect Spain’s prospects.

But with Japan the only likely threat to claim the top spot in Group C — Costa Rica and World Cup debutants Zambia complete the group — Spain should progress comfortably, despite their problems.

With a second-round clash against the winners of Group E — likely to be the U.S. — waiting for the runners-up, the key for Spain and Japan will be to avoid that by topping the group for a more favourable route through the latter stages.

Must-see match: Japan vs. Spain

It’s all about Japan vs. Spain in the final group game on July 31.

If this group goes to form, the two teams are likely to meet at the Wellington Regional Stadium with top spot up for grabs and the need to avoid a possible meeting against the USA.

While both Japan and Spain are capable of testing the world champions, it is a tie that neither would choose, so the stakes will be high when they meet in New Zealand.

Japan, ranked 11th in the FIFA World Ranking, will be outsiders against Spain, but could take advantage of problems within the Spanish camp to win this game.

X factor: How will the group’s minnows perform?

The group lacks the unpredictability and tension that we are likely to see in Group B, F and G, but with the World Cup expanding into a 32-team tournament, the focus will be on how the likes of Costa Rica and Zambia shape up against two heavyweights in Spain and Japan.

During their first World Cup in 2015, Costa Rica claimed surprise draws against South Korea and Spain in the group stage and were only denied a place in the second round by a narrow defeat against Brazil.

Measuring Costa Rica’s progress on the big stage will be fascinating, while Zambia are making their debut in the tournament after finishing third in the Africa Cup of Nations this year.

But having suffered a 10-3 defeat against Netherlands in 2021, the World Cup could be a steep learning curve for Zambia.

Predicted finish: Japan, Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia

While this group looks to be a routine section for European champions England, the Lionesses will be wary of the strength of China, despite their relatively low world ranking of 15 going into the tournament.

July 22	England vs. Playoff
July 22	Denmark vs. China
July 28	England vs. Denmark
July 28	China vs. Playoff
Aug. 1	China vs. England
Aug. 1	Playoff vs. Denmark

The Chinese are seasoned performers at the World Cup, finishing as runners-up in 1999, and will be aiming to qualify for the knockout stages for the eighth successive tournament.With Denmark ending a 16-year absence from the World Cup next year and the final spot in the group to be taken by the winners of the Chile vs. Senegal/Haiti playoff, this section should be a straightforward path for both England and China.But with the group winners and runners-up facing the teams who finish first and second in Group B, there is no clear advantage to topping the section with a likely encounter against either co-hosts Australia or highly rated Canada in the round of 16.

Must-see match: China vs. England

England’s clash with China at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium on Aug. 1 should be the fixture which decides the winners of the group.The two nations have met just four times previously, with China winning 2-1 in their most recent encounter in 2015.Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses will be favourites to top the group and beat China, especially after ending England’s long wait for major tournament success at Euro 2022.But China, nicknamed the Steel Roses, are a well-established power in the women’s game and could pull off a shock win if England aren’t fully focused.

X factor: Can England live up to the hype?

Having won Euro 2022, England have established themselves as one of the box office teams in the women’s game and are arguably the biggest threat to the USA’s hopes of achieving a World Cup “three-peat.” So all eyes will be on how the Lionesses cope with the pressure of being one of the favourites to win the tournament.But they passed a big test of their new status by beating the U.S. at Wembley in October, and Sarina Wiegman’s team will want to build on that during the early stages of the World Cup.

With world-class talents such as Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Lauren Hemp, and emerging youngsters such as Alessia Russo, every game they play in the tournament will attract huge attention.

Predicted finish: England, China, Denmark, playoff winners

Containing both the winners and the runners-up from the last Women’s World Cup, Group E has the scales firmly tipped in favour of the seeded teams; four-time winners, the U.S. are so far ahead of the rest in terms of ranking and women’s football development.

July 22	Vietnam vs. USA
July 23	Netherlands vs. Playoff
July 27	USA vs. Netherlands
July 27	Playoff vs. Vietnam
Aug. 1	Playoff vs. USA
Aug. 1	Vietnam vs. Netherlands

For Vietnam, who will play their first-ever World Cup match against the U.S. in Auckland on July 23, there were certainly kinder draws out there for a team ranked 34th in the world.

Even against the winners from playoff A (Cameroon, Portugal or Thailand), Vietnam might have a mountain to climb — as do the Netherlands, who find themselves in another period of transition having only just brought in a new coach, and would be right to be fearful of a Cameroon or Portugal team who could make it through the playoffs.

Must-see match: United States vs. Netherlands

It’s the obvious one, with the top two seeds clashing midway through the group stage in Wellington on July 27.

These two teams didn’t just meet in the World Cup final in Lyon back in 2019, they also played out a memorable quarterfinal tie at the 2020 Olympics. With both teams struggling to put their best football on the pitch, anything could happen when they meet in New Zealand next summer.

X factor: Which U.S. will turn up?

The back-to-back champions, who are going for a “three-peat,” have been far from convincing in recent years and when many expected them to switch into tournament mode at the Olympics, they did just the opposite, looking a shadow of themselves. With the weight of expectation on their shoulders, the U.S. may well sink rather than swim; yet in a group that should be navigable, there is still the chance to tread water.

Predicted finish: U.S., Netherlands, playoff winners, Vietnam

It’s very easy to call Group F on paper, but when you actually get to a tournament, things don’t always go to plan — as Jamaica could tell you, with the Reggae Girlz being without key player Bunny Shaw for their debut four years ago.

July 23	France vs. Jamaica
July 24	Brazil vs. Playoff
July 29	France vs. Brazil
July 29	Playoff vs. Jamaica
Aug 2	Playoff vs. France
Aug 2	Jamaica vs. Brazil

France, who have a history of peaking too early at major tournaments, will like their chances of having a strong group stage, wrapping up with a match against one of Chinese Taipei, Panama, Papa New Guinea or Paraguay — all four nations potential debutantes.

But Brazil are not to be taken lightly by anyone, the ever-presents with a glut of young talent coming through.

Must-see match: France vs. Brazil

It’s the obvious one, the clash of the top two seeds in Brisbane on July 29, and it should be a litmus test for where both nations are at and just how likely either are to go the long yards at the World Cup.But it is worth noting that should a team such as Panama qualify for the World Cup through the playoffs, the clash with Jamaica could be one to watch for sheer fun on the pitch.

X factor: Will the real France please stand up?

We have long talked about France as a dark horse or even one of the favourites to win major silverware. Yet, for a multitude of reasons, it has yet to happen. Les Bleues started so well at the Euros and there was a rising belief that it was finally their time to shine, but the team looked less assured with each passing match.Even without a banana-peel draw, it’s hard to know just which France will turn up and whilst they have the ranking to best anyone they face in the group stage, there are pitfalls everywhere for a team that have historically shown a mental fragility.

Predicted finish: Brazil, France, Jamaica, playoff winners

Sweden have played in every edition of the tournament and have made the semifinals on four occasions. The Olympic silver medallists will be hard to match in this group with their experience in major competitions.

July 23	Sweden vs. South Africa
July 24	Italy vs. Argentina
July 28	Argentina vs. South Africa
July 29	Sweden vs. Italy
Aug 2	Argentina vs. Sweden
Aug 2	South Africa vs. Italy

Sweden’s biggest challenge will undoubtedly be in fellow European nation Italy, who are playing in their third World Cup and have been building momentum in recent years. The Italians topped their group in 2019 and will be looking to replicate that success.

South Africa are playing in only their second World Cup, while Argentina have played in three — and neither have registered a win. They face what seems to be a nearly insurmountable task against Sweden and Italy to get out of the group. However, a Cinderella story for either of these nations cannot be completely ruled out.

Must-see match: Sweden vs. Italy

Who will take the top spot in Group G? It’s a rematch from the Euro 2022 group stage, which saw Italy win in a five-goal thriller 3-2.

Italy had a dominant qualifying campaign, only conceding one goal, to Switzerland. Meanwhile, Sweden, who finished third in 2019, boast experience and will be looking for revenge after their Euros defeat this year.

Sweden have one of the best defenses in the world, led by Chelsea star Magda Eriksson, while Italy’s attacking power is equally exciting with players such as Cristiana Girelli.

X factor: Can Argentina find their first win at the World Cup?

In 2019, Argentina had their best-ever performance at the World Cup. Despite not making it to the knockout rounds, they notched two exciting draws — a 0-0 against Japan and a thrilling 3-3 with Scotland; their only loss was a narrow 1-0 defeat to England.

Four years later, the youth in the squad from 2019 have gained tremendous experience and will be ready to take on the challenges in front of them. While it is hard to imagine Argentina making it out of the group, a win would mark continued growth and success for this team.

Predicted finish: Italy, Sweden, Argentina, South Africa

Germany will be hard to match in this group. The depth and talent of this squad carried them all the way to the final of Euro 2022, falling just short to England. Germany have qualified for all eight editions of the Women’s World Cup and have topped their group in every appearance. Their route to the top spot here seems locked in; barring any major breakdowns, they should wrap this one up easily.

July 24	Germany vs. Morocco
July 25	Colombia vs. South Korea
July 30	Germany vs. Colombia
July 30	South Korea vs. Morocco
Aug 3	South Korea vs. Germany
Aug 3	Morocco vs. Colombia

Colombia’s best World Cup performance was in 2015 when they qualified for the knockout phase, but they failed to make it out of the group in 2019. Group H is well-poised for them to make another run into the elimination rounds, with a key game against South Korea in their way.

South Korea follow the same history as Colombia in the last two editions, making it to the round of 16 in Canada but failing to get out of the group in France.

Morocco will be making their first appearance in the Women’s World Cup. When they take the field in Melbourne, they will make history as the first Arab nation to compete in the tournament. While it’s next to impossible to see a way out of the group, this history-making moment will be another mark of growth for the women’s game and the success of African women’s football.

Must-see match: Colombia vs. South Korea

It’s simple. This match will decide who will progress and who will go home. Both nations will be battling hard with something to prove after not qualifying for the elimination rounds in France. South Korea, led by former Chelsea player Ji So-Yun, boast the depth and experience, while Colombia are full of energy and creativity.

These sides have only met a few times in history, with South Korea beating the Colombians in the Olympic group stages in 2016. However, It has been many years since their last meeting and with everything on the line, this match is an unmissable watch for the tournament.

X factor: Lena Oberdorf

One of the most exciting players at only 20-years-old, Oberdorf is ahead of her time and has been nominated for countless awards this year after marshalling Germany’s midfield at the Euros.

Oberdorf’s expansive and creative play kick-starts Germany’s attack and is a pleasure for any football fan to watch. This young star will be one to watch throughout the tournament next year.

Predicted finish: Germany, Colombia, South Korea, Morocco

Grant Wahl Oct 22

At the World Cup 2023 draw in Auckland, New Zealand, on Saturday, the U.S. drew Vietnam (July 22 in Auckland), the Netherlands (July 27 in Wellington) and the winner of an upcoming playoff (Portugal, Cameroon or Thailand; August 1 in Auckland) in Group E. Here are my three thoughts on the draw:

• There are plenty of reminders of recent tournaments for the U.S. here. USA-Netherlands is a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final (won by the U.S.) and the 2021 Olympic quarterfinals (also won by the U.S.). Both teams will be heavy favorites to be the two to advance from the group, though the Netherlands will have a relatively new coach in Andries Jonker (who has replaced Mark Parsons). Opening with Vietnam, a first-time World Cup team from Asia, has several similar characteristics to opening against Thailand in that infamous 13-0 game from 2019. And look, there are the Thais again as a possibility from the playoff (though Portugal will be the favorite). If the U.S. advances from its group, its Round of 16 opponent would come from Group G (Sweden, Italy, South Africa and Argentina) and take place in Australia (Sydney or Melbourne).

• In most groups, there are two clear favorites on paper to advance. The women’s World Cup is a 32-team tournament for the first time, which is a good thing overall with more countries getting opportunities and thus the chance to grow the women’s game globally. But there will be more mismatches in the group stage and likely a significant gap between the top two teams in most groups and the rest. That would include Group B (Australia and Canada), Group C (Spain and Japan), Group E (USA and the Netherlands), Group F (France and Brazil) and Group G (Sweden and Italy). However, that’s not the case in other groups like Group A (New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland), Group D (England, Denmark and China) and Group H (Germany, South Korea, Colombia and Morocco).

• There are nine teams capable of winning this World Cup. For me, those are USA, Australia, Canada, Spain, England, the Netherlands, France, Sweden and Germany. (I’m not including Japan, Brazil or Norway.) Australia wouldn’t be on that list if it wasn’t hosting the tournament. But nine is a reflection of how much the women’s game has gotten better in more countries, as well as the growth in Europe in particular. Spain, the Netherlands and France have significant coaching issues that may put their campaigns in peril, but what are likely to be unsurprising group stages will be rewarded with knockout rounds that should have some phenomenal matchups. I’m fired up to be in Australia and New Zealand for this tournament next year.

Grant WahlOct 21

May 13, 1986: The power of imminent possibility (Photo by RENZO GOSTOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

I love this photograph.

It captures the sense of possibility in the month before a World Cup. The image was taken by Renzo Gostoli of Diego Maradona in the Argentine training camp at Mexico’s Club América on May 13, 1986, 18 days before the start of the World Cup that transformed the sport of soccer itself.

Was Maradona, then 25, globally famous at the time? Of course. He had just finished his second season at Napoli and was the most expensive player in the world. But truth be told, at this point he had been something of a disappointment compared to the enormous expectations placed on himMaradona’s first World Cup, in 1982, had been a disaster, with defeats to Belgium, Italy and Brazil, the last of which saw Maradona sent off for a kick to the groin of Brazil’s João Batista. Nor had Maradona’s tenure at Barcelona (1982-84) gone well, which led to him being sold to Napoli.By the time Argentina arrived in Mexico for the World Cup, expectations for the national team were so low that Maradona made sure to point out the negative things that had been said when their fortunes changed. We all know what happened in that tournament: Maradona dominated a World Cup like no other player in history and cemented his legacy, becoming a mythical figure in the game.But this photograph catches something special: The player at the moment when he is on the verge of something magical, something that will change his life forever and alter how the world perceives him. When limitless talent meets a global launchpad possibility: That is an intoxicating moment. That is the power of the World Cup. We are in those last days before a World Cup again.It is possible that no player ever again will lord over a World Cup in the way that Maradona did in 1986. But there are a few players out there who could break out in a big way: Either to help win the tournament or to take their careers to the next level in front of billions watching on TV. Here are some possibilities from my perspective:

TEAMS THAT COULD WIN THE WORLD CUP

England: Phil Foden (22), Bukayo Saka (21). Foden has become one of the most potent attacking threats for perhaps the world’s best club team (Man City) and a reliable choice for England boss Gareth Southgate. Saka is heating up at the right time and could become the same for the Three Lions.

Germany: Jamal Musiala (19). Hansi Flick already trusts the Bayern Munich attacking midfielder, and why shouldn’t he? He’s ready to become a global household name.

Netherlands: Jurrien Timber (21), Cody Gakpo (23). Louis van Gaal has no problem going with youngsters, and he’s already choosing Timber to start on his back line ahead of Matthijs de Ligt. Meanwhile, PSV’s Gakpo, an attacking central mid, is on the purchase list of all the top clubs and will get the chance to shine in Qatar.

Portugal: Rafael Leão (23). He’s already the best player on reigning Italian champion AC Milan. The question is how much he gets to show as long as Cristiano Ronaldo is on the field.

Spain: Pedri (19). Wise and talented beyond his years, Pedri made a significant impact on Euro 2020 and should again at the World Cup.

Argentina: Julián Álvarez (22). There’s a reason the Man City player didn’t get loaned out by Pep Guardiola—and a reason he’s getting starts for Argentina as Lionel Messi prepares for one last ride at a World Cup.

Brazil: Vinícius Júnior (22). We’ve been watching Vini Jr. for so long at Real Madrid that it’s easy to forget he’s still just 22. But he could be the difference-maker as Brazil tries to win its first World Cup since 2002.

PLAYERS WHO COULD BREAK OUT WITHOUT WINNING THE WORLD CUP

Ecuador: Moisés Caicedo (20). The Brighton midfielder is already making waves in the Premier League, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he did so at the World Cup.

Uruguay: Darwin Núñez (23). Yes, the Liverpool striker can be “agricultural,” but he’s also a chaotic force of nature.

USA: Yunus Musah (19). The Valencia central midfielder creates all sorts of danger carrying the ball up the gut, and he’s the most likely U.S. player to break out in Qatar.

Canada: Jonathan David (22). We all know who Alphonso Davies is, but if David lights up the scoring chart the way he’s done at Lille, he’ll do even more to set up the big transfer that’s inevitable.

Ghana: Mohammed Kudus (22). The Ajax forward has been tearing it up at club level, and Ghana would be smart to ride him as far as it can.

What do you think is the best way to move the needle on the abuses in Qatar? I don’t know if I’m strong enough to boycott watching the World Cup—when it comes to the USMNT, I’m a good example of why fan is short for fanatic. But I’m seriously considering it. If fans don’t act, FIFA will have no motivation to change, and I can’t think of anything that will get their attention other than the bottom line.

SoccerJohn

I have no issues with anyone who wants to boycott watching this World Cup, but honestly I don’t with anyone who decides to watch it either. When it comes down to it, I have a deep understanding of anyone who has conflicting emotions about this particular tournament. I do too. As I reported in my recent story, public pressure has already caused some change in Qatar, which adopted new worker laws in 2019 that haven’t been adopted in other Gulf states. The big questions are whether those laws are being observed on the ground and whether there will be a rollback after the Qatar World Cup. But there has been some much-needed progress. I certainly hope there will be more.

What’s wrong with Leeds: America’s team in the EPL?

richard greene

I watch every Leeds game, so I have some thoughts. The club knew it needed to buy a striker and left back in the transfer window, and it didn’t end up pulling the trigger. Those two spots have been a real issue. The central defense hasn’t been good enough, the cutting edge to score goals hasn’t been there often enough, and there hasn’t been as much advantage on set-pieces (attacking and defending) as I would have expected from a Jesse Marsch team. The Americans, Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams, have actually been among Leeds’s best players, so it’s not their fault. But I do feel a lot is riding on this weekend’s game at home against Fulham. LUFC needs a win.

What group stage games at the World Cup not involving the U.S. are you most looking forward to?

Doug Steiger

Senegal-Netherlands. The Dutch are good enough to win the tournament, and Senegal has a chance to go deeper than we’ve ever seen an African team go at a World Cup. Plus one of these teams could be the U.S.’s opponent in the Round of 16.

Belgium-Canada. The Belgians will be favored, obviously, but we’ll get a sense early in the tournament if the young Canadians will be able to hang with an older heavyweight. (Chance No. 2 comes against Croatia.)

Portugal-Uruguay. A rematch of the 2018 elimination game won by Uruguay. Lots of big names on the field for two soccer nations that punch way above their weight.

France-Denmark. Four of the last five defending men’s World Cup champions have gone out in the group stage of the subsequent tournament. If France does a pratfall, this game will likely have something to do with it.

Argentina-Mexico. We’ve seen plenty of Argentina-Mexico matchups in the World Cup over the years, so why not one more?

Spain-Germany. The 2010 and 2014 champions will want to make a statement here.

What role will fatigue and rest play in the World Cup? Both for the USA and for all teams? I’m thinking of the Soccernomics chapter that explains how much fatigue plays a role in the World Cup because teams like England whose players play in the Premier League and have many more games do worse than teams that don’t have so many fatigued players. That comes even with one month off before the start and in a longer tournament.

Joseph Radosevich

Well, you could say that players won’t have a full club season, so it may not be as big of an issue this time around. The main thing to be concerned is injuries, especially of the kind that don’t heal in the week off between club and World Cup games that might heal in the three weeks we usually see between the club season and World Cups. I will say that important U.S. players like Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson have incredible stamina from their typical Leeds workload, so those guys are not to be worried about.

Will you put out your projected USMNT lineup (aka, what lineup do you think Berhalter will go with, at least for the first match) and your preferred USMNT lineup (if you were the manager/coach)?

Chris Stowell

Me: Turner; Dest, Zimmerman, Carter-Vickers, Robinson; Adams, McKennie, Musah; Pulisic, Pefok, Aaronson.

Berhalter: Steffen; Dest, Zimmerman, Long, Robinson; Adams, McKennie, Musah; Pulisic, Ferreira, Reyna.

Who do you like for the MLS playoffs? LAFC seem bound for the final, but Supporters Shield winners rarely make it to (let alone win) the final. Philadelphia has been on the bubble for years and probably would’ve made the final last year had half the starting lineup not been out of the conference final because of COVID protocols. What are the odds this is their year? Or do you see someone else lifting the cup in the end?

Aaron

I actually think we’re going to see a No. 1 vs No. 1 matchup with LAFC and Philadelphia in L.A. for the final. Which would be a great occasion. And I’ve seen Philadelphia impress me enough over the last couple seasons that I’d like the Union to win it.

An unexciting game for neutrals heats up in the final minutes. my thoughts on Pulisic.Grant WahlOct 22

Casemiro was a difference-maker in the end for Man United (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Manchester United got a 94th-minute equalizer on a header from Casemiro that barely got over the line and came away with a 1-1 draw in Saturday’s marquee match. Here are my three thoughts on the game:

• This was a deserved point for United to cap off a really good week overall. In a game that only got exciting in the final minutes, Casemiro’s equalizer was a just reward for a United team created more non-penalty chances over the course of the match. Chelsea looked like it was heading for three points against the run of play after Armando Broja essentially baited Scott McTominay into wrestling him down in the penalty box on a corner kick. But after Jorginho converted the penalty, United threw everything it had forward in the final minutes and was rewarded by Casemiro’s first goal with the club, which ended Kepa Arrizabalaga and Chelsea’s remarkable 623-minute scoreless streak. This has been a big week for United coach Erik ten Hag, who got four points from games against Spurs and Chelsea (taking United to within one point of the Premier League top four) and established new levels of control with his suspension of Cristiano Ronaldo. United did just fine without Ronaldo this week, which sets a tone that Ten Hag needs in his dressing room. After a miserable start to the season, United has a better tone these days.

• Christian Pulisic didn’t start, but he did play a role. The American came on in the 74th minute and had some solid moments on the ball, including doing good work to earn the corner kick that Chelsea got its penalty on. If you’re looking at things purely from a USMNT perspective, I would have thought Pulisic would get more starts during Chelsea’s extremely busy seven-game schedule since the international break. Instead, Pulisic had had just one start (a game in which he scored) and his minutes since the break have been (starting most recently): 16, 29, 0, 0, 72, 0, 6. I still think it’s possible to be 1) surprised Pulisic hasn’t played a bit more, and 2) not buying the Twitter conspiracy theory that coach Graham Potter’s choices are somehow anti-American. In fact, there’s a wide gulf between those two things. But Potter doesn’t operate from a purely USMNT perspective, obviously, and the fact is Potter hasn’t lost yet in eight games, five of them wins, as Chelsea has completely turned things around in the Champions League. That said, this Chelsea performance at home wasn’t great (the Blues now have two points from their last two league games), and maybe that will open the door to some extent for Pulisic.

• Injuries in the final days before the World Cup are just gutting to see. United centerback Raphaël Varane looked to be in tears after pulling up and coming off with a non-contact injury in the 60th minute. We’ll have to wait and see if Varane’s situation is serious enough to put his World Cup hopes in danger, but it could be yet another blow for defending champion France—which is already without N’Golo Kanté and likely Paul Pogba in Qatar due to injuries. The unique timing of this World Cup in November and December during the middle of the club season means that injuries that could have been overcome during the two to three weeks between the club season and the World Cup in the past won’t have that opportunity this time when there are just seven days between the end of club games and the start of the World Cup. What’s more, there is an absolute glut of games during this month before the World Cup as the top clubs are playing on weekends in the league and in mid-week Champions League games as that tournament completes its six-matchday group stage in just nine weeks before the World Cup. Sadly, Varane will hardly be the last image we’ll see like that. Which is why I can put in perspective that while it’s a bummer for U.S. fans that Pulisic hasn’t been playing as much as expected, at least he’s not injured ahead of the biggest tournament of his career (knocking on wood heavily).

October 21, 2022October 21, 2022 gatorbest

MLS Playoffs

Wow what a first round of knockout games in playoff action this past weekend – as NYCFC, Cincy, Austin and Dallas all won home games to advance. For Dallas former Carmel Dads Club and Carmel High School star Matt Hedges scored on his PK to help Dallas advance. Sunday we get Montreal hosting defending champs NYCFC at 1 pm on ESPN while 2^nd year squad Austin FC hosts Dallas and Matt Hedges at 8 pm (see Austin story below). Playoff Conference Semi’s Preview. El Traffico Playoffo did not disappoint Thurs night – the 3-2 instant classic won in the 94th minute by LAFC in front of the 3252 as a packed house looked on. Here are the Hi-lights. Spectacular Save by the Galaxy keeper (see GK Saves below). Cincy’s 2nd season ends in Philly 90 second hi-lights,

NWSL Semi’s Are Sunday on CBS Sports Network (not streaming 😊) starting 5 pm with Portland Thorns hosting Alex Morgan and the San Diego Wave followed by Seattle Reign vs KC Current at 7:30 pm. NWSL Preview

Indy 11

Great to see former Carmel FC GK Coach and Indy 11 GK Jordan Farr win the Player of the Month award for his new team San Antonio – they are headed to the playoffs as the #1 Seed In the Western Division next week as they got a first round bye. The USL Playoffs start Sat/Sun of this week on ESPN+. Jordan is up for USL GK of the Year. BYB announces year end awards for Indy 11.

Games to Watch

Big games this weekend include Saturday’s Man United traveling to Chelsea and Pulisic on Sat at 12:30 pm on NBC I suspect Pulisic might get the start after his good showing midweek in 30 minutes. While Christiano Renaldo stormed off (full story below) after being unused Sub in huge Man U win over Tottenham earning him a suspension for this weekend’s game. Sunday at 9 am if you have CNBC (can’t believe USA network isn’t showing this ALL-AMERICAN Game) you can watch Leeds United States of America managed by American Jesse Marsch and Adams and Aaronson running the midfield hosting Fulham America with what should be the left side of the US defense Jedi Robinson and Tim Ream. (See Fulhams win highlights) vs Aston Villa leading to Aston Villa’s Steven Gerard being fired. Champions and Europa League action will return on Tues/Wed/Thurs with Chelsea and Pulisic facing Salzburg Tues at 12:45 pm on Para+, Dortmund and American Gio Reyna will host Man City and their former striking superstar Halland (the leading scorer in the world for Man City) Tuesday at 3 pm on Para+. Wed we get Barcelona in a must win game vs Bayern Munich at 3 pm while Liverpool will travel to Ajax at the same time on Para+. Thurs Arsenal will travel to PSV at 12:45 pm, while American #9 Pefuk and German Leaders Union Berlin vs Bragga at the same time all on Para+. Was listening to Rocky Ray Hudson announcing the Arsenal game today and reminded me of some of his great Messi calls – magisterial.

High School – Carmel Girls 17-2-2 travel to Semi-State on Sat 1 pm vs Center Grove 17-2-2 @ Seymore

The Carmel High Girls defeated Cathedral 4-2 at home to advance to a Semi-State match-up vs Center Grove in Seymore Sat at 1 pm. Good luck to our former and current CFC’ers still alive in playoff action! The Carmel High School boys lost a heartbreaker – the year after they reached the finals as they fell in a shootout after a 1-1 tie at home to Cathedral last weekend.

Carmel High Girls defeat Cathedral 4-2 advance to Semi State vs Center Grove Sat 1 pm @ Seymore

Brian Haenchen Indianapolis Star

CARMEL — The Carmel Greyhounds have discovered their scoring touch and in junior striker Megan Hamm, they seemingly have a go-to attacker for their well-balanced (and suddenly, very potent) offense. Hamm scored twice and added one (potentially two) assists Saturday afternoon, leading Carmel to a 4-2 victory over Cathedral in the Class 3A regional championship game. The Greyhounds scored 30 goals in 16 regular-season games, and were limited to a goal or less in five of their final seven regular-season games. They have 19 since the start of sectionals and have tallied multiple goals in all five games, including three against Zionsville (a season-worst for the Eagles) and four against a Cathedral outfit that had allowed just 14 goals all year. IHSAA girls soccer regionals: Scores, schedule, updated pairings

“We watched a lot of tape and we saw the mistakes we were making,” Carmel coach Frank Dixon said. “We were creating stuff and then we wouldn’t make the extra pass or settle for a bad shot. Even at the end there, Megan could have taken the shot there and instead she laid the ball across to the other player to take the shot. It’s just that one more pass so you can get that free player to take the shot.” We’re finding players to-feet more and playing together as a team more,” Hamm added. “Today we focused on breaking (the Fighting Irish) down, like splitting them, and going through gaps and just playing the ball to get them unorganized.” Hamm was the catalyst vs. Cathedral. She opened the scoring midway through the first half, deftly dribbling around her defender near midfield and into the box, where she held off another incoming player before blasting a shot past a diving Kate Phillips from a few yards out. Hamm helped double the lead with seven minutes remaining with a corner kick into the box that was eventually headed in by Adalyn Cameron, then made it 3-0 in the final minute, dribbling the length of Cathedral’s side, before sliding a pass to Greta Heyl for the finish. “She’s just a very dynamic player on the ball and technically she’s very good,” Cathedral coach Marc Behringer said of Hamm. “She has what I consider a rare characteristic of really looking to take people on with the ball and she showed in this match that she’s confident and able to take people on and beat people. And that’s going to create a lot of problems for anybody they face.” No. 20 in blue added another goal in the second half to negate Cathedral’s first score, giving her two on the day, four for the tournament and 12 on the year. Hamm has looked unstoppable and her well-time emergence has coincided with the entire Carmel attack catching fire. Yeah, last year’s Class 3A runner-up has something cooking. “She’s just been on fire and she’s just made up her mind that she’s not going to lose,” Dixon said. “Obviously everyone’s playing well right now, but she’s carried us a lot of times. We struggled all through the year scoring goals but eventually it’s worked itself out — and she’s taken charge of that, too.” Follow Indy Star Brian Haenchen on Twitter

This one should be a doozy. Center Grove had not allowed a goal in seven straight matches prior to last weekend’s 4-1 win over Evansville Reitz, while Carmel is averaging nearly four goals over its past five games after struggling offensively through most of the year. The Greyhounds’ attack has been led by Megan Hamm and a fully healthy Olivia Cebalo; the Trojans have been bolstered by the return of senior Kayli Farmer, and bring a similarly potent attack led by Emily Karr, Ali Wiesmann, Taylor Wert and Molly Tapak. Carmel beat CG, 2-0, on Sept. 21 — and I guess that gives them a slight edge entering the rematch? — but after watching both teams in regionals last week (Center Grove vs. Roncalli; Carmel vs. Cathedral), this game feels way too close to call. The Noblesville girls, ranked No. 1 nationally by MaxPreps, have not allowed a goal since the opening round of sectionals. They play Crown Point at 6 p.m. at Kokomo.

Carmel FC Home Grown Sophomore Olivia Cebalo will hope to help lead The Carmel High School Girls to the State Finals Sat.

Thur, Oct 20

1 pm Para + Arsenal vs PSV Europa

2:30 pm USA Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs Aston Villa

3 pm ESPNd + Barcelona vs Villareal

3:15 pm Peacock Leicester City vs Leeds United (Aaronson, Adams)

8 pm FS1 Philly vs Cincy MLS Playoffs

10 pm FS1 LAFC vs LA Galaxy

Sat, Oct 21

7:30 am USA Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool

9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Stuttgart

10 am USA Everton vs Crystal Palace

12:30 NBC Chelsea (pulisic) vs Man United

3 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Sevilla

7 pm Univision Club American vs Toluca Liga MX Playoffs

Sun, Oct 22

9 am USA Leicster City vs Wolverhampton

9 am Peacock Leeds United (Aaronson, Adams) vs Fulham (Ream, Jedi)

9:30 am ESPN+ Bochum vs Union Berlin (Pefuk)

11:30 am NBC Tottenham vs New Castle United

2:45 pm CBS Sportsnet Roma vs Napoli

1 pm ESPN CF Montreal vs NYCFC PLAYOFFS

5pm ET: CBSSN Portland Thorns (Sophia Smith) vs. San Diego Wave (Alex Morgan)

7:30pm ET CBSSN Seattle Reign (Rapinoe, Huerta) vs. Kansas City Current (CBS Sports Network)

8 pm ESPN Austin vs Dallas (Matt Hedges) PLAYOFFS

9 pm FS1 Monterrey vs Pachuca Liga MX Playoffs

Mon, Oct 23

3 pm USA West Ham vs Bournmouth

Tues, Oct 24 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

12:45 pm Para+ Salzburg vs Chelsea (Pulisic)

3 pm Para+ Benefica vs Juventus (McKinney)

3 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig

3 pm Para+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Man City

Wed, Oct 25

12:45 Para+ Club Brugge vs Porto

3 pm Para+ Barca vs Bayern Munich

3 pm Para+ Tottenham vs Sporting

3 pm Para+ Ajax vs Liverpool

3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Rangers ()

Thur, Oct 26 EUROPA

12:45 pm Para+ PSV vs Arsenal

12:45 pm Para+ Union Berlin (Pefuk) vs Bragga

3 pm Para+ Man United vs Sheriff

3 pm Para+ West Ham vs Silkeborg

Sat, Oct 29

8 pm CBS NWSL Championship Game

Sun, Nov 10

7 pm FS1 USWNT vs Germany

Thur, Nov 13

5 pm ESPN USWNT vs Germany

Sun, Nov 20

11 am Fox World Cup Starts

Mon, Nov 21

8 am FS1 England vs Iran

2 pm Fox USA vs Wales

Mon, Nov 22

11 am Fox Mexico vs Poland

Soccer Saturday’s are every Sat 9-10 am on 93.5 and 107.5 FM with Greg Rakestraw

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MLS PLAYOFF ANALYSIS: BREAKING DOWN EVERY GAME FROM ROUND ONE

DRIP RANKINGS: WHAT EACH MLS COACH’S STYLE SAYS ABOUT THEIR TEAM’S PLAYOFF CHANCES
MLS Cup Playoffs 2022: Live stream, game times and dates, odds, how
LAFC’s transformation into MLS Cup title contenders comes with a $10-million price tag
“The dream is over” says Higuain after final match
NYCFC knock out Miami, Dallas edge Minnesota

Tonight’s El Tráfico feels like the biggest MLS rivalry game ever

Arsenal dominate Europa League, but American Matt Turner has little to do in final pre-World Cup reps
USMNT’s Ferreira wins MLS best young player ESPN
Christian Pulisic ‘to earn my position’ under Graham Potter at Chelsea
Tottenham report: Juventus will listen to Spurs offer for Weston McKennie

Ronaldo ruining his Man United legacy with walk-off from bench before match was over EPSN FC ark Ogden
Gerrard out as Villa boss after 3-0 loss to Fulham ESPN
Christian Pulisic ‘to earn my position’ under Graham Potter at Chelsea
Tottenham report: Juventus will listen to Spurs offer for Weston McKennie
Manchester United report: Erik ten Hag says David De Gea’s future is undecided
PL RAW: Salah lifts Liverpool to massive victory
Aston Villa report: Mauricio Pochettino tops list of potential Steven Gerrard replacements
Jurgen Klopp explains what made him ‘snap’ for red card: ‘I lost it, I’m not proud’

Liverpool-Man City has become England’s ugliest rivalry
Man City stumble gives Spurs, Chelsea hope of Premier League title fight
Aston Villa fires Steven Gerrard

Benzema wins Ballon d’Or as Putellas retains women’s prize
Every Ballon d’Or winner: A complete list of every men’s player to have won the award
Ballon d’Or 2022 rankings: The full men’s and women’s lists revealed
Barcelona’s Gavi wins Kopa Trophy for best youngster at Ballon d’Or gala
Ballon d’Or winner Benzema is ‘more of a leader’, says Ancelotti

El Clasico: Real Madrid bosses Barca, propelled by an age-old rivalry’s new stars
Manchester United report: Diego Simeone says Cristiano Ronaldo has never been close to Atletico Madrid – and never will be

Ballon d’Or-elect Karim Benzema leads Real Madrid to El Clásico win over Barcelona

World Cup 2022 rankings: Who are the favorites?
World Cup 2022 Group D: France, Denmark, Australia, Tunisia schedule, fixtures, rankings
World Cup 2022 Group B: England, USA, Iran, Wales schedule,
Portugal forward Jota ruled out of World Cup with calf injury
Kante to miss France’s World Cup defence after hamstring surgery
Qatar’s glitzy World Cup is ready and expensive
Qatar’s eight World Cup stadiums
Euro kings Italy nursing World Cup wound as another rebuild begins

Mexico’s World Cup fans told to leave tequila at home

Women’s World Cup Draw next Summer on Saturday

Fallout from Yates report as NWSL playoffs begin: How are the players feeling?

2022 NWSL Playoffs: Schedule, how to watch, results

Here’s why England and Spain made the USWNT look so bad, and how the USWNT can respond

San Diego Wave clinch first-ever club win in playoffs on Sunday
Hope Solo Fights USWNT Settlement Over Lawyers’ Fees, Payout Details

LA Galaxy Goalkeeper with a fantastic save in El Traffico

Andre Blake Great MLS Saves for Philly Union

Best Saves of the Year MLS

Best Saves Oct Week 2

Gigi Donnarumma’s Miracle Triple Save

NWSL Saves of the Year

Oct 19, 2022 ESPN

The opening round of the 2022 MLS Cup playoffs lacked some of the drama we’ve come to expect from the postseason; after all, there was only one upset. Nevertheless, we were still treated to two penalty shootouts, some raucous crowds in Austin and Montreal and a table set for an appetizing final four.

So, with the conference semifinals kicking off on Thursday, ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, Kyle Bonagura, Dan Hajducky and Austin Lindberg preview the matchups, predicting which clubs will be moving on to the final four and which players will join the league’s other 20 clubs already watching the playoff drama unfold from the comfort of their living rooms.

Jump to: Philadelphia-Cincinnati | Montreal-NYCFC | LAFC-Galaxy | Austin-Dallas

FC Cincinnati weren’t just bad during their first three years of existence in Major League Soccer. They almost redefined how spectacular a team can get everything wrong, from an on-field perspective, as it entered the league. It came at a time when first-year success had become common and several, replicable blueprints for success had been established around the league. So when things spiraled out of control, the club took a step back, looked around and finally decided to ask itself: What has worked?And there it was, one state over: the Philadelphia Union. Cincinnati appointed longtime Union executive Chris Albright as their general manager, he hired Union assistant coach Pat Noonan as head coach and … voila, here are Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference semifinals (after beating the New York Red Bulls in the first round), ready to play spoiler to the Union after their historically dominant 2022 season.That’s an oversimplification, of course, but the speed in which Cincinnati turned things around speaks to the importance of a front office and coaching staff that has experience in the league. Only the wins tiebreaker prevented Philadelphia from winning the Supporters’ Shield during a season in which they were the best team by almost every way to measure it. With the league’s best defense, the Union should be considered heavy favorites Thursday night at home, where they didn’t lose during the regular season. However, there is something to be said about familiarity as an equalizer, so it will be interesting to see what tactical wrinkles Noonan rolls out. — Bonagura

Predictions:

FCC have done well to change the trajectory of the organization, but the Union seem to be a bridge too far, and should prevail over their former apprentices in Cincinnati GM Chris Albright and manager Pat Noonan. — Carlisle

The Union were the best team in the league during the regular season (certainly during the second half), have a historically dominant defense and were undefeated at home. There is no logic in picking against them. — Bonagura

Sure, I’ve said I was a sucker for an underdog, but that Pollyanna notion has an expiration date when Philadelphia is on the opposing half. The Union allowed only 26 goals all season. Twenty-six! Their plus-46 goal differential was the second-best tally in a decade. Andre Blake, who’ll win his record third MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award, is an MVP finalist. The Union and Blake’s storybook season doesn’t end with the Orange and Blue. — Hajducky

The most prolific attack in MLS, the stingiest defense in the league, an MLS-best goal differential nearly twice as good as their nearest rivals, Philadelphia just have too many ways in which they can beat opponents. — Lindberg

NYCFC are the defending champions, they’ve won five in a row, and they looked back to their best in their Round One win over Inter Miami CF at Citi Field on Monday night. And yet, they still look like a long shot to beat Montreal at Stade Saputo on Sunday.

CFM have lost just once in their past 16 games, dating to the middle of July. In that stretch, they’ve earned 36 points (plus a playoff win) from 45 available. For context, Supporters’ Shield winners LAFC and level-on-points Philadelphia took 27 and 34 points, respectively, over the same stretch.

In the two meetings between the Bronx Blues and Montreal this season, it’s the former who took four points but the latter who outplayed their opponents in each game. The Quebecois won the xG battle, 3.2 to 1.99 — despite the aggregate scoreline reading 4-1 in favor of NYCFC — they outshot their rivals 26-15 and outchanced them 16-13.

This is a Montreal team that, if not for the glitz and glamor of LAFC or the model-franchise designation of Philadelphia, would be the talk of MLS in these playoffs. — Lindberg

Predictions:

The Blues seemed to regain some of their championship swagger in eliminating Inter Miami, but Montreal’s consistency means they rarely get flustered, and with Ismael Kone, Djordje Mihailovic and the ageless Kei Kamara clicking, CFM should get the win. — Carlisle

Neither team has lost in more than a month and both looked the part in decisive first-round wins, but Montreal get the edge playing at home. — Bonagura

Round One underdelivered on MLS Cup playoffs’ usual chaos2dJeff Carlisle
2022 MLS Cup playoffs: Fixtures, results and more3dESPN
Is it a failure for Toronto, with Insigne and Bernardeschi, to miss the playoffs?3dNoah Davis

It’s a testament to how good NYCFC are, top to bottom, that they lost 2021 Golden Boot winner Valentin Castellanos to Girona and still made the conference semis. But New York stumbled to the playoffs, winning only four MLS matches from Aug. 6 to season’s end. The offensive trio of Montreal’s Romell Quioto, Kamara and Mihailovic — each with at least nine goals and six assists — will be too much for the Bronx Blues. — Hajducky

Since the middle of July, Montreal have lost just once, demonstrating consistently impressive play, contrasted against NYCFC’s stretch of one win in ten that preceded their current five-game winning streak. CFM may lack the pedigree and glamor signings, but it’s been one of the best teams — in the truest sense of the word — in MLS all season. — Lindberg

Plenty has changed since LAFC defeated the LA Galaxy 3-2 on July 8. The Galaxy’s midfield has been completely revamped with the additions of Ricard Puig and Gaston Brugman, and Martin Caceres has been brought in to stabilize the back. LAFC haven’t been idle either, bringing in six new players, including Gareth Bale, Giorgio Chiellini and Denis Bouanga.

The new arrivals didn’t quite have the desired effect for LAFC, who endured a 1-4-1 stretch before righting themselves late in the campaign. But while the Black and Gold are largely playing the same, the Galaxy look a different outfit, with the additions of Puig and Brugman having a ripple effect on the rest of the lineup. Douglas Costa can stick to the wing instead of shouldering the creative burden that now belongs to Puig. As a result, the Galaxy’s possession and passing have improved, as has their finishing.

So what does this all mean for Thursday’s Western Conference semifinal? It means a battle royale in the center of the park, with LAFC’s Ilie Sanchez, along with Jose Cifuentes and Kellyn Acosta, tasked with stopping Puig, Brugman and Marky Delgado. Whichever team prevails in that area will then be able to feed their potent frontline, that being Bouanga, Carlos Vela and Cristian Arango for LAFC with Costa, Samuel Grandsir and Javier Hernandez for the Galaxy. — Carlisle

Predictions:

The Galaxy seem to be jelling at the right time, especially with Puig and Brugman operating in midfield. That makes for another Supporters’ Shield winner to fall short of an MLS Cup double. — Carlisle

Sebastian Salazar and Herculez Gomez predict the winner of LAFC vs. LA Galaxy in the MLS Cup playoffs.

The Black and Gold fixed something that wasn’t broken by adding Bale, Chiellini and DPs Bouanga and Cristian Tello during the regular season. The moves all made sense on paper, but it hasn’t worked out according to plan. Meanwhile, the Galaxy turned things around in the second half and appear to be peaking at the right time. LAFC are on notice, but talent should still win the day. — Bonagura

Another conference semifinals El Trafico, the first since 2019. Does the Supporters’ Shield curse — only seven winners have also won an MLS Cup — rear its ugly head? Or do LAFC finally hoist the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy? It’s LAFC’s — and Carlos Vela’s — year. — Hajducky

In the 11 games since Puig’s arrival, the Galaxy have been playing at a 1.81 points-per-game pace, a level of play that extrapolated across a full season would’ve made them a No. 2 seed in the West. Meanwhile, LAFC have lost five of their past nine. — Lindberg

Only two teams in MLS scored more goals than Austin in 2022. Only one conceded fewer than Dallas. This is a classic power-vs.-power matchup, and it’s going to be interesting to see how Nico Estevez organizes his FCD side to try to contain the Texas capital club.

In the Round One shootout win over RSL, Austin got little in the way of chance creation from attackers Maximiliano Urruti, Ethan Finlay, Diego Fagundez, Moussa Djitte and Emiliano Rigoni, which suggests that Dallas could match up favorably. However, that would ignore MVP candidate Sebastian Driussi, who scored both the Verde‘s goals in that win, on top of the 22 he netted in the regular season, and has a knack for running into pockets of space and conjuring opportunities from deeper starting positions.
SUNDAY, OCT. 23
• Montreal vs. NYCFC (1 p.m. ET)
• Austin vs. Dallas (8 p.m. ET)

No one in MLS has figured out Driussi. Whoever lines up at the base of midfield for Dallas, be it Facundo Quignon or Edwin Cerrillo, they’re going to have their hands full shadowing the 26-year-old River Plate academy graduate.To sweeten an already appetizing pot is the atmosphere in Q2 Stadium. It was loud and rowdy in the city’s first-ever professional playoff game, now add the tension that will arise from Dallas supporters driving 200 miles to the south for a postseason Texan derby. And with Formula One in town for the U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday (1:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ABC), fan excitement won’t be higher anywhere in the world than it will be in Austin. — Lindberg

Predictions:

There isn’t much separating the two teams in this all-Texas matchup, but in Driussi, the Verde have just a smidgen more quality, and that should prove to be enough to get Austin the victory. — Carlisle

This should be an incredible atmosphere at Q2. In fact, maybe one of the best MLS has ever had in the state for this Texas derby. Austin is the pick based on their explosive offense, despite FC Dallas owning the best defensive goal-scoring record in Western Conference this season. — Bonagura

Last time, I said the MLS Cup playoffs might be a fitting farewell to Jesus Ferreira before he gets poached by a European club. Well, Ferreira won the Young Player of the Year award on Tuesday, and everything seems to be bouncing right just weeks from Qatar. Austin beat LAFC 4-1 in late August and then won only once the rest of the season, allowing twice as many as they scored in that span. The ingredients are there for something spectacular for Dallas. — Hajducky

As hypnotic as Driussi’s play is, Dallas’ organization and their deep and variable attack will present Austin with problems that Josh Wolff will struggle to solve. — Lindberg

9:39 AM ET

Sam Marsden Barcelona correspondent

As a player, Valencia coach Gennaro Gattuso, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, was tenacious and fiery. He was once sent off for slapping Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the face with the back of his hand. Then there was the time he squared up to Tottenham Hotspur coach Joe Jordan, pushing him in the throat and later admitting he “lost control” after being provoked.Gattuso was also a talented player. He added bite to an exquisite AC Milan midfield that boasted Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Kaka, three of the best of their generation. As a coach, Gattuso has had spells with Milan and Napoli and is now in charge of developing an exciting crop of players at Valencia, including the young United States midfielder Yunus Musah, who insists Gattuso is calmer than he was as a player.”He’s not like on the field when you saw him,” Musah told ESPN’s Alexis Nunes in an exclusive interview. “When he played [the idea was] he was always angry and stuff, you know. With us, he gets angry as well, but you see that he’s just trying to help you, encourage you, so you take it in a good way. He is great to work with. He’s a good person, a friend.”

If Gattuso has been good for Valencia since taking over in the summer — they have 15 points from 10 games — he has been especially good for Musah.

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Born in New York to Ghanaian parents, Musah was raised in Castelfranco Veneto near Venice, Italy, before moving to London, where he spend seven years at Arsenal‘s academy. He joined Valencia in 2019 at age 16, and after a season with the B-team is now in his third season in the first team.

It is only this season, however, that he has become a regular. He was in and out of the starting lineup in his first two seasons, often playing out of position on the wing. Under Gattuso, who knows a thing or two about playing as a central midfielder, Musah is back in the middle — and it helps that the two have a language in common.

“When he was first appointed, he actually called me a few times to tell me how he works,” says Musah, who speaks Italian, English and Spanish. “We spoke in Italian. Obviously, that connection helps sometimes because we communicate easier and things like that.

– Stream LIVE: Valencia vs. Mallorca, Sat. 10/22, 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (U.S.)

“When he came in, I did think this is an ex-midfielder coming in to help us, so it has been a natural transition [back to central midfield] because I spent my whole youth playing in the middle. Obviously, whenever I go to the [U.S.] national team I play in the middle as well, so it’s been a good transition and it helps the style of play in the team as well.”

The focal point of the Valencia side is veteran Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani — “Just get the ball to him in the box, man, and he’ll do the magic,” Musah says — but in general, this is a young Valencia side looking to get the stories club back into European competitions for the first time in three seasons.

Musah, who will turn 20 during the World Cup in Qatar, is competing for a spot in Valencia’s midfield with Nico Gonzalez (20), Ilaix Moriba (19), Hugo Guillamon (22) and Andre Almeida (22). The team’s young core also includes Samuel Lino (22) and Justin Kluivert (23), among the options to flank Cavani.

“We’re a young group that just wants to do well,” Musah says. “That’s why we try to play every match without thinking about expectations. We know the stakes, but we have the same mindset all the time and we’re always driven to keep going.”As a team, we’re really confident right now. We’re in a good mood. We’re enjoying the way we’re playing, we have a lot of the ball with the way the coach wants us to play and we enjoy that. It’s still early days, but even the matches we’ve lost, we’ve still been in the game. And the fans are loving it as well. I’m feeling positive.”

It is not just Valencia that Musah’s feeling positive about. He also has high hopes for the U.S. men’s national team in Qatar. Since making his USMNT debut in November 2020 and then officially switching in March 2021 after representing England at the youth level, Musah has become an increasingly important part of Gregg Berhalter’s side. He helped the U.S. win the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League title over Mexico in June 2021, and then played a key role during the World Cup qualifying campaign.

Under Berhalter’s watch, there has been an emergence of a so-called golden generation. Along with Musah, the U.S. count on several Europe-based youngsters such as Chelsea‘s Christian Pulisic, Juventus‘ Weston McKennie, Lille‘s Timothy Weah, AC Milan’s Sergino Dest, Borussia Dortmund‘s Giovanni Reyna, and Leeds United duo Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson.

“It basically is a brotherhood. When I had my first camp [in November 2020], things just clicked,” Musah said. “It’s just a thing that — I don’t know — something about the group that is right. Whenever we are on the pitch, we click. When we are off the pitch, we’re great friends, and as Weston said, we’re a brotherhood.”Musah adds that the team can live up to lofty expectations set upon a side that’s returning to the World Cup after missing the 2018 edition in Russia.”I feel like being [called the golden generation] is a compliment because [the USMNT has] a lot of players in the top teams in [Major League Soccer]. … There are a lot of players in Europe right now, and young players that are playing week in, week out at the top level, playing Champions League, playing in the top five leagues.”In Qatar, the USMNT’s group-stage opponents will be Iran, England, and Wales. But it is that match against the Three Lions that Musah is most looking forward to.”This game is going to be really special for me,” he says with his London accent. “I played for England and I lived there. So that match is special because I have to win that match, you know.”Musah believes work still needs to be done in the final third for the team to come together — “When we get there, sometimes we get stuck,” he says — but he is already looking forward to facing some familiar faces.”I know some people from the team, [Bukayo] Saka and [Jude] Bellingham, so I am going to have to go toe-to-toe with them in that match and smash them, really, because it’s pride, you know! I told some of my friends back home as well that if we win that match, they have to celebrate, in the English pubs and everything they have to celebrate, that would be nice.”

A minor injury kept Musah out of friendlies in Spain last month — a defeat to Japan and the draw with Saudi Arabia — but there is a case that Musah will be the U.S. player in the best form heading into the World Cup. As his fortunes at Valencia under Gattuso have improved, the same can’t be said about some of his U.S. teammates: Pulisic has had limited game time at Chelsea, Dest has failed to make his mark at Milan after being pushed out by Barcelona, and Reyna is still making his way back from injury problems at Dortmund.

Gab Marcotti doesn’t understand why USMNT and Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah is not on ESPN FC’s list of the top players under the age of 21.Despite those concerns, Musah believes the USMNT — who have not reached the quarterfinals since 2002 — can make a run in Qatar.”Just getting out of the group isn’t good enough,” he says. “I feel like we’ll be quite disappointed if we don’t get out the group, but if we just get out of the group and then get knocked out, I feel like it would be disappointing.”We’re a team that can go to the latter stages. We have to be on our game all the time. You can’t slack, basically, and that’s hard to do, but we’re capable of doing it. I really believe we can. We have to get to the latter stages of the competition to feel like we’ve achieved something. If we go out earlier, it will feel disappointing for sure.”

– World Cup stock watch: Tim Weah rising for USMNT?

With lofty ambitions in the camp perhaps not reflected across the world, is it fair to say the USMNT still aren’t given due respect?”I would say they’re respecting [us] a bit more, but still not where I think it should be,” he adds. “I feel like we deserve more respect, but we have to go out there and earn it this time because this is the stage to show it and to change the way the world views it.”And having that in your team in the U.S. is huge. Gregg has put together that young group and to be able to perform the way we do in the World Cup qualifiers, in a Gold Cup, CONCACAF Nations League, we’ve been doing some big things, and the group is so mature and they’re willing to go that step ahead all the time. The ambitions and the drive that we have is so high. And should the USMNT advance far into the tournament, there is a remote chance of them facing Ghana, the country where Musah’s parents were born.”My mum could do something like that, but my dad would just be like, ‘Nah, don’t do that, come on,'” he smiles when asked if his family would split their allegiances in that scenario. “They will probably have U.S. shirts on or something.”

Grant Wahl Oct 19

Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and I go back a long ways. We did a series of long interviews in 2016 and 2017 that formed the chapter for my last book. He has gone into minute detail explaining to me how he plays the game. And on Tuesday we had another long one-on-one interview, which is below. Paid subscribers to GrantWahl.com can read all of it today, and the audio version will be on the Fútbol with Grant Wahl Podcast on Thursday.

The entirety of the written interview below is reserved for paid subscribers. As always, you can still get the entire free audio version of my podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you like to go for your pods.

Grant Wahl:

The LA Galaxy meets crosstown rival LAFC in an MLS quarterfinal on Thursday night at 10:25 PM Eastern on FS1 and Fox Deportes. Our guest now is Javier Chicharito Hernández of the LA Galaxy. Javier, it’s great to speak to you again. Thanks for coming on the show.

Javier Hernández:

Thank you, Grant.

Grant Wahl:

So I am legit excited about this game on Thursday. I was at the U.S. Open Cup game earlier this year between your two teams, LA Galaxy and LAFC. It got really nasty during the game and after the final whistle when your team won. How much do your two teams dislike each other?

“I haven’t retired from the national team. I will see in the future.”

Javier Hernández

I mean, it’s a way of putting the question, but I don’t care how much we dislike or not. We just want to win. They are in our way to the sixth [title]. So it doesn’t matter who’s going to be in front of us, we want to go in and try to win. Fortunately we’re going to play in LA. It’s not in our home. It’s not in our stadium. But we’re going to play in our city. So we’re glad about that. But yeah, the rivalry, you know how intense it is, so we’re very happy that everyone, same as us, we’re going to live that experience.

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Grant Wahl:

So there is a famous photograph of you and LAFC’s Carlos Vela together at the Chivas academy in 2003. You are 15 years old in the photograph. He is 14. What do you remember first thinking about Carlos Vela in those days when you were 15 years old?

Javier Hernández:

Yeah, he was going to be one of the greatest for sure. The way that he was playing, he was playing with all these players like myself and against other teams. And his talent and everything was just amazing. And even difficult to describe that he was with so much composure, so much talent. The IQ about the game that he had since then, it’s been amazing. That’s why the career that he had already and why he’s, from my point of view, one of the greatest Mexican players ever.

Grant Wahl:

Now that you and Carlos Vela have played in World Cups together, now that you are the two biggest soccer stars in Los Angeles, how would you describe your relationship these days?

Javier Hernández:

Great. Same. Good. I think it’s been a little bit complicated because of Covid. Because when I arrived over here, all the Covid situation, then he has his kids, or his son and his daughter. Then yeah, we haven’t spent that much time that we would love to, but we’ve been in contact so much time. And then in the last three games that we played against each other, after the game, we catch up over here like 10, 20 minutes just chatting after the games.

And that relationship is going to last forever, because we admire each other. We love each other. And we know how much we both experience in our own careers and as well together. But you said it, in the World Cups and then in the national team and then as well here. Even though we are rivals, the admiration, the respect is going to be there always.

Grant Wahl:

I always like asking this question: In your opinion, what is the identity of this LA Galaxy team?

Javier Hernández:

I think the identity of this team is resilience, for sure. I want to use that word because it’s one of our most important values inside our team. Because last season we couldn’t draw so many games because, as you see as an example only, because we didn’t have that resilience. That maturity of when someone’s comes first, it’s still as much time as is left in the club to try to maintain our style of play, maintain our mindset, maintain our focus, to try to come back from those games. You can see in the last run of the 11 or 12 games that we had in this season with a lot of draws, with a lot of victories, and just one very difficult and painful loss in Vancouver.

So yeah, that’s what I think the identities are there. And I think as well, a lot of teams see us like that, because they all know that we have a lot of talent. They all know that we can have a good day. But yeah, last season, in the beginning of this season, they knew that if they didn’t score first, probably they will win the games. But now it’s completely the opposite. Now we can come back, as you can see in Houston and the last games that I mentioned before. So yeah, I think that the identity is about resilience, about that character and consistency we want to show.

Grant Wahl:

It really seems like Riqui Puig in particular has made a big impact on this Galaxy team since arriving this summer. What have you learned about Riqui so far?

Javier Hernández:

Sure, and Gastón [Brugman] and Martín [Cáceres], I think that center line that we said in Mexico, that we spoke before the World Cup. How do you say it in English?

Grant Wahl:

The spine.

Javier Hernández:

Yeah, the spine, exactly, of soccer. With the goalkeeper, central defender, central midfielder or number 10, or just a striker or strikers. So those are very important ones. And I think these guys came to glue us inside and outside the field as well because the character that they brought with them. It’s amazing. We have so much fun. Even though they don’t speak so much English yet. But with the Spanish speakers over here, we joke a lot.

We take accountability in a better way. Their European experience as well. And international as well is very big. So yeah, same as Riqui, Martín, and Gastón, and as well, someone that I mentioned as well before the other game in Nashville that I wanted to mention is Douglas Costa. The way that he’s been improving, the way that he’s committing to the cause because people think that it’s very easy to come here and just start scoring and making it is very easy. And we all realize that it’s not that easy as a lot of people want to portray it. So yeah, I think Douglas Costa has been improving a lot and he’s giving us a lot of his talent and working.

Grant Wahl:

Now, as someone who played for Manchester United and Real Madrid, the world’s two biggest clubs, during the satellite television era, you are, I would argue, the most recognizable Mexican person in the history of the world to more human beings. What is it like for you?

Javier Hernández:

I don’t know about that, but thank you.

Grant Wahl:

Think about it. Who else would be? I mean, these are the two biggest clubs in the world. What is that like for you to live that? Being the most recognizable Mexican person basically in the history of the world?

Javier Hernández:

With a lot of calm, with a lot of humbleness. Not fake humbleness. What I mean with humbleness is like I don’t feel that I have more value or less value than any other human being. I don’t care. Fame, I realize, thankfully with my grandfather and with my dad, that fame is a tool. Fame is something that you can utilize with good causes. Create good impact. It’s only about that because then in the end, you need to be yourself. You need to be authentic. You need to live your life in the way that you want to live it, regardless if people like what you do, what you decide or not. So yeah, speaking about my profession and my job, I think I had a lot of very solid foundations from my family that they teach me all the things that a lot of soccer players don’t learn. That is more in the outside of the game.

A part of my grandfather and my father that they were very focused on the inside of the field, but as well outside of the field. Those two and then the feminine side of my family, they were crucial. They were crucial to just make me feel that it doesn’t matter how many goals I scored, it doesn’t matter how many people know me, like you mentioned, I’m still Javier Hernández, Chicharito, whatever you want to call me. And this realization that I got after I played with those teams and stuff, it’s like, yeah, what’s next? It’s just what’s next. Because after those teams, even when you retire, what’s next, you know? You are a soccer player for just a period of time. So yeah, we need to be very focused, and don’t forget that we’re human beings. That we play soccer. Not the other way around.

Grant Wahl:

So how is the human being Javier enjoying Los Angeles? You’ve been there for almost three years. Are there some things that you do in Los Angeles that you maybe didn’t do when you lived in Europe?

Javier Hernández:

No, it’s not about doing things. It’s the consciousness that I realize this city brought me my daughter as well. She was born over here two years ago. I had the opportunity to be in the biggest organization in the MLS, in the way the MLS trust in me as well as does this organization. The way that they want to make this league more exposed internationally. And they want to grow a lot. So man, I’ve been just enjoying a lot of my life. It’s not about how much I do, how much I don’t do, because honestly the price is to try to be one of the best players over here.

It’s my dedication and the professionalism. It is the time that I spend apart after trainings over here in the way that I have to take care of my body, in the way that I train double sessions in the afternoons, in the way that I try to organize my life so the main focus is just soccer. My mental training, my emotional training as well. So yeah, I mean this city brought me a lot of consciousness about myself, what I want to do with my life. And that’s the same that I’ve been doing just with all the maturity and with all the decisions and with more self-esteem, I can say that, yeah, I want to enjoy. I want to give all every single day. I want to push myself beyond those limits that my mind sometimes tells me, to just keep growing and to try to be the best version of myself every single day.

Grant Wahl:

You’ve had a great season, 18 goals in MLS this season. You’re Mexico’s all-time leading goal score. Mexico needs goals. Tata Martino says he will not bring you to the World Cup next month. What is the feeling that you have because of this?

Javier Hernández:

I mean, the feeling is like I wish them the best. I hope we as a country can break that taboo kind of thing about the fifth game. So they can just go through that and then they can qualify, they can go as far as they can. And yes, as a soccer player, obviously you always want to play World Cup, you always want to be involved with the national team, but as well you need to respect it when you are not taken in consideration. So we need to move on. I need to be focused on myself, and I need to keep playing in the best way possible if I want to be calling up in the future.

Grant Wahl:

I guess that was one question I have. You have not retired from the Mexican national team. And I figured that’s for a reason. So where do you stand on that?

Javier Hernández:

Same, that I haven’t retired from the national team. I will see in the future. Yeah.

Grant Wahl:

Okay. Moving on here. In terms of if this game against LAFC, which is going to be watched by many people, if this game goes to penalty kicks, would you consider taking a Panenka?

Javier Hernández:

Taking a Panenka?

Grant Wahl:

Yeah.

Javier Hernández:

We’ll see as well. We’ll see. [laughs]

Grant Wahl:

I guess my question for you is you’ve had so much success in your career, but in soccer itself, the sport itself is about so many little failures by everybody, right?

Javier Hernández:

Life is about that. Life is about what do you do with your mistakes? And you can see the Mamba mentality. You can speak with LeBron James. You can speak with Derek Jeter that I’m watching his documentary now, with Tom Brady. With a lot of people that are just the greatest of the greatest in their sports. It’s what do you do with the mistakes. That’s the thing. It’s not about what you do with the success, because success is not infinite, as well as the mistakes. You’re going to keep making mistakes. The problem is how you learn from them.

And another thing that I learned a lot since I was a kid that my family, I think it’s a very good way as well to see about mistakes and stuff is: Try to make different mistakes. What does that mean in the context? If I don’t repeat the same mistakes. Because if not, you are not growing. At least in that mistake, try to learn as possible. Don’t make that mistake and learn different mistakes. Do different mistakes. So I think mistakes aren’t failures, that’s a word that people are very scared to say it. And for me it’s very dramatic because there’s no failures. For me it’s just mistakes, mistakes, and mistakes. And as well, you can see, I’m going to use one of the greatest of all time in my sport, a lesson that sometimes soccer or football is like that. Remember the 2008 Champions League final, it was Chelsea against Manchester United. Who scored the first goal? Cristiano Ronaldo? Who was the MVP? Who was the golden ball, and I think golden boot as well of that year? Cristiano Ronaldo. He misses a penalty, and they still won.

Soccer is like that. Soccer is not about, again, heroes and stuff. We need to learn that this sport the same as others, it’s about grace areas. Grace, grace, grace. We’ll like in this society and then make those systems to just be polarized. You are green, or you are blue. You are completely just to mention the other color, but it’s like that. You need to be on the left or in the right, like man, you can take good things from each side and each side has their flaws. Like all of us.

There’s even Lionel Messi, he is the GOAT of the GOATs of the GOATs. And then he has things that he needs to improve, but he knows. He hasn’t won the World Cup, for example. So there’s going to be always something, nothing is enough. So I’m very tired of listening to those words about failure and success and stuff. Even though competition brings that because, of course, if I do an interview after Thursday and I’m eliminated, I’m going to be completely frustrated, sad, angry, and I’m going to tell you that it was a complete failure for this organization and next year we need to bounce back. But that’s what competition gives you, is how much you can grow.

Grant Wahl:

You’ve informed us that you are coming back to the Galaxy in 2023. How much longer do you want to keep playing this sport? And do you want the Galaxy to be your last team?

Javier Hernández:

As long as my body answers to my mind, that’s something as well that I learned from my father and my grandfather, is as long as your body still reacts in the correct way, when the mind tells the orders, the commands, you can keep playing of course in a very high level. So yeah, we’ll see. And of course, being here in this organization, I’m completely happy. I’m very committed to the cause. I’m very grateful. I’m very responsible about my situation. Then we’ll see. We’ll see. Of course, I want to maintain my relationship with this organization as long as we can.

Grant Wahl:

I want to finish up here the last couple of minutes with something I call the Rapid-Fire Quiz. And I only do this with the very best players I have ever interviewed. So I’ve done this with Ronaldo Fenómeno, with Zlatan, with Paolo Maldini, and I love doing this. So I hope you enjoy this as much as I will.

Javier Hernández:

Thank you for considering me one of the best.

Grant Wahl:

First off, what have you achieved in soccer that you are most proud of and why?

Javier Hernández:

Showing that you don’t have to be the most talented to be in the top of the top of the top.

Grant Wahl:

Who is the player that you have most admired in your career and why?

Javier Hernández:

That’s a very good question because my favorite player ever was Ronaldo Fenómeno, but in admiration, I’ll say Cristiano Ronaldo, for sure.

Grant Wahl:

Why?

Javier Hernández:

Because in the way that he has pushed himself to be on the top, and still people don’t want to give him credit because he’s not the most talented. There’s another one that is more talented in certain ways, in different ways. But for me, talented is not only what you do with the ball, it’s what do you do with this [points to his head] and with this [points to his heart]. And people don’t want to recognize that because yeah, if Cristiano shows you that he can be on the top and there’s a lot of people they don’t want to push themselves to be that great.

It’s like pointing out the failures that Cristiano did. Another example, like Roger Federer is my favorite tennis player ever. But someone that I admire a part of both difference more is Rafael Nadal as well, in the way that he has competed, in the way that they create that legacy between each other. It’s like they live from each other. That’s why you saw when Roger Federer retired how Rafael was very devastated because they feed from each other. So yeah, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Grant Wahl:

What is your favorite goal that you have ever scored in your career and why?

Javier Hernández:

I always answer to that question the debut, because without the debut none of this wouldn’t happen. And not everyone can say that in their professional debut they score a goal. It’s not normal. It’s not common. And the other one that I’m going to mention for sure is the goal that I scored in my first World Cup against France, because of my family history that my granddad scored a goal against France as well in the World Cup.

Grant Wahl:

Who is the best defender you have ever faced and why?

Javier Hernández:

I’ll say Thiago Silva.

Grant Wahl:

Why?

Javier Hernández:

Because of the intelligence that he shows. He has the aggressiveness and the defensive skills, don’t get me wrong. But the intelligence about reading the game, he’s one step in front of you. And that’s one of my skills as well because I’m not the quickest, I’m not the strongest, I’m not the fastest. I try to be always one step in front of someone to try to score, but he was like in the same way or even ahead of me. So that intelligence, it was the toughest for me. Because then you can face very tough and strong defenders, but they’re not as intelligent, so you can just take an advantage. But for him, in the few times I played against him in Brazil, he was very, very difficult.

Grant Wahl:

Who is the best teammate you have ever had and why?

Javier Hernández:

It’s very difficult. It’s very difficult. But names that come to my mind, I will just throw names. It’s Ramón Morales, Patrice Evra, Miguel Layún, Keylor Navas, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Pepe, Iker Casillas. Yeah, I think with those.

Grant Wahl:

Is there any particular common thread in those players that you say them?

Javier Hernández:

Yeah, because all of them, they all had a very big influence. Personal. They took their time, and even though probably with some of them it wasn’t like a long relationship, but they took their time to try to help me in certain ways, in certain moments in my life, those players in particular.

Grant Wahl:

Who’s your favorite player in the world today and why?

Javier Hernández:

Today? My favorite player today. My top three will be Luka Modric, Kylian Mbappé and Kevin De Bruyne.

Grant Wahl:

Any particular reason?

Javier Hernández:

Because I like watching them play. They play very good. I will buy a ticket to go and watch them play, for sure.

Grant Wahl:

Javier Hernández and the LA Galaxy meet crosstown rival LAFC in the MLS quarterfinal Thursday night, 10:25 PM Eastern on FS1 and Fox Deportes. Javier, thank you as always. That was a really enjoyable conversation.

Javier Hernández: Thank you very much, Grant. Take care.

Mar 6, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Austin FC midfielder Ethan Finlay (13) celebrates with Austin FC forward Diego Fagundez (14) and Austin FC forward Sebastian Driussi (7) after scoring a goal against Inter Miami in the second half of a MLS game at Q2 Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

By Jeff RueterOct 15, 2022 The Athletic

Austin FC wasn’t a disaster in 2021. While they finished second to last in the West and had the conference’s worst goal differential (-21), it was far from as porous a defensive showing as Minnesota and Cincinnati made in their debut seasons. Still, it may have been difficult for head coach Josh Wolff to pinpoint a time when his team delivered an ideal performance in that inaugural campaign. Fast-forward to October 2022, and Wolff has an answer ready as soon as the question is finished.“I think the LAFC game was a fairly complete game,” Wolff told The Athletic last week. “I think from the offensive side and the defensive side, it was a very strong performance. Consistency is always something that you’re looking for. Having clear ideas of how you can hurt the opponents is something that we talk about a lot. You know, between lines, around them and over them are things that we talk about a lot. You also have to defend; eliminate some of the options for the opposition..”Hold on… LAFC? The side that won the Supporters Shield, that managed to fold Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini into their salary budget after firmly gaining control over MLS? That LAFC?

Perhaps even more surprising to an hypothetical (and, frankly, unambitious) time traveler from late 2021 would be the follow-up that Wolff’s answer required: which win over LAFC this year? The 2-1 win from May in California, or the 4-1 September showing on home soil? “Oh, sorry,” Wolff said with a chuckle. “The one at home. The one there had a different approach. You respect opponents, you really do, and they are loaded with talent. I think (we used) two different approaches given the location and the game, but the good thing is we showed we could win in two different ways. That also shows the character and certainly the resilience in our group.”A casual MLS fan would be forgiven for wondering how Austin got there so quickly. But in a league with a myriad of roster mechanisms to make acquisitions and a host of players with option years to allow teams greater flexibility when things to south, it really didn’t take much for Austin to rise up the charts in its second year — and they’ve loved every minute of the task at hand, too.

Despite their initial difficulties, Austin finished their first season with several players who could be part of a winning core. In Brad Stuver, they’d acquired a domestic goalkeeper who had been stuck on other teams’ bench, but was a dependable shot-stopper (and a great human being). Even if the defense needed a rework, Julio Cascante looked the part and was worthy of another year in the lineup. The first pick of the 2021 SuperDraft, Daniel Pereira, quickly looked like a tidy addition to the midfield alongside club captain Alexander Ring. Perhaps the two most promising holdovers were in the forward line. The first, Sebastian Driussi, is one of two bonafide MVP candidates this season. With 22 goals and 7 assists, Driussi earned the endorsements of past MLS MVPs and fellow Argentine greats Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Diego Valeri. Even more impressive is his all-around game. While a player with those attacking credentials could be forgiven for being allergic to defensive responsibility, Driussi makes a regular point of tracking back and helping fortify the midfield. “I think the first thing with Sebastian is his work ethic,” Wolff said. “I mean, it’s not hard to motivate Sebastian Driussi, which is an incredible quality. The reality is teams are gonna key in on you and want to take you away; let’s have some other ways of getting you involved directly or indirectly.”Many of the scoring chances he converted were dished out by the second holdover attacking standout: Diego Fagúndez.Fagúndez will forever live in league lore as one of the first MLS homegrown players to become a regular in the league. He debuted for the New England Revolution at age 16, and by 2020, Fagúndez had spent a decade playing on the turf in Foxborough. Though he only turned 26 months before the 2021 season kicked off, he felt his team had decided he was on the decline.

“I think sometimes people think that your career is over,” Fagúndez said this week, “and then you go somewhere else and you pop off and you have good years. I think for me, that’s what they thought of me. I think people thought that I was done and I wasn’t gonna be the same Diego I was in 2013, 2014 and stuff, but I wanted to come here and prove everybody wrong. Having the confidence, playing my position, scoring goals, assists, having fun — that’s what it’s all about.”

The change of scenery has done wonders. He followed a seven goal, five assist debut in 2021 with a career year in 2022. His 15 assists were tied for second best in MLS, while he added six goals to set a new career high for combined goal contributions. The Driussi effect here is undeniable, but it goes beyond Fagúndez being the right guy at the right time.

“I think having a player like Sebastian who makes me a better player, and I can make him a better player, I think it’s awesome,” Fagúndez said.

Indeed, what may have looked this offseason like Austin running a rag and bone wagon ended up being the secret to flip their fates from second-worst in the conference to second-best. Like Fagúndez before them, several MLS veterans headed to Texas over the past year. Ethan Finlay had worked with Wolff in Columbus and was a rotational figure with Minnesota in 2021. Felipe Martins played for four sides in his first decade playing in MLS, most recently languishing with a poor D.C. United team. Maxi Urruti was even more nomadic (five MLS clubs in nine years), often miscast as a deep-lying forward or a pressing striker due to his passing ability and athleticism. The process of bringing more out of players who other teams felt were past their best is something that Wolff enjoys tremendously.“The players that you have need to believe that you can make them better,” Wolff said. “That’s a real piece of what we do as a coach — I’m a teacher. I think there’s always satisfaction in helping players achieve more than they did previously, but much more about them getting better and achieving what they truly believe they can achieve. Whether you’re 20 or 30, being coachable, having a growth mindset, isn’t a given. Those are things that we really talk about a lot and our guys really responded to that, and they’re gonna need to continue to do that next year. We’re gonna have new ideas, subtle things, but maintaining hunger and maintaining an open mindset to learn is important.”Rounding out the fresh faces are Ruben Gabrielsen, a Norwegian center back who’s become a beloved figure in the locker room, and Emiliano Rigoni, a designated player and former teammate of Driussi’s at Zenit. Each had to learn the intricacies of Wolff’s system of positional play, which increasingly looked like a well-oiled machine during the dog days of summer.“We just tweaked a few things positionally to give us a little more balance,” Wolff said of changes made from year one to year two. “Really specified a little bit more (about) how we want to attack while being able to capture second balls or score goals, but they weren’t significant changes. It was a number of things that really helped us and at the end of the day: winning games, scoring goals, that’s what’s going to validate all the players. You have to validate the work. Last year, there wasn’t enough validation. Some of that lack of quality. Some of that’s just the lack of performance and we were able to correct some of those things early this year and it really, really kicked in for our guys as the season went on.”

Along the way, the players found outlets to get closer off the field. Cookouts became a regular occurrence, with Felipe and Urruti finding another way to become indispensable at their new club by manning the grill. Steaks and sausages are the main course, Fagúndez said, supplemented by various side dishes and small bites.

The good vibes have spilled onto the club’s social platforms. Driussi, Fagúndez and Urruti launched a series called “Maté Con Vos,” a discussion show where the trio banter while enjoying the caffeine-heavy South American staple beverage.To Wolff, that level of camaraderie doesn’t just make away days a little more enjoyable — it helps improve the on-field product to a great extent.“I think it’s more self-evident in our country and our league — probably with our national team — than probably anywhere else in the world, the chemistry and camaraderie,” Wolff said. “We’re a welcoming community, a welcoming society, as Americans. It’s different going abroad. It can be cold, it can be a little standoffish, and you got to prove your value and your worth when you’re stepping inside of a European locker room. It’s a little different, I think, in Austin. We typically bring guys in pretty freely. I mean, you really got to screw up in order to get kicked out of the circle of trust, so to speak.”

Both tactically and in terms of culture-building, Driussi had plenty of praise for Wolff, who was hired by Austin ahead of their launch for his first head coaching role.

“Each one of us knows what we have to do, and that we have to always perform at our best, which is a very good thing,” Driussi said. “He’s a great coach, he’s making his first steps and he’s on a good path.”

The Argentine is also loving his time in Austin, and has deservedly become a favorite among fans. Understandably, he isn’t in a rush to leave — though he does hope to return to Europe someday.

“I hope so,” Driussi said. “It’s still one of my dreams. Obviously Zenit was in Europe, but I’d like to play in one of the five most-known leagues in Europe. I’d like to take that step, it’s a dream that I have.”

The regular season couldn’t have gone much better for Driussi and Austin alike. Up next is the team’s postseason debut at the friendly confines of Q2 Stadium (Sunday, October 16, and 2:00 p.m. Central on ESPN), pitting the hosts against Real Salt Lake. While Austin won at home against RSL in September, the latter club also famously advanced in last year’s postseason against Seattle without taking a single shot. If any team can revel in crashing a good party, it may be Pablo Mastroeni’s side.

Maybe the occasion will require a special cookout on Saturday. Maybe it’ll take an extra cup of maté. Expansion teams haven’t historically fared well in their playoff debuts. Of the five teams which have played postseason soccer and debuted in 2017 or later (Atlanta, Minnesota, Los Angeles FC, Nashville, Miami), only Nashville won its first playoff match — and that was against Miami, a matchup which guaranteed a trend-busting result.

Whatever the case, the moment won’t faze Gabrielsen. After overperforming compared to preseason expectations, it’s safe to guess that his peers in the locker room will share a similar mentality.

“It’s not that new,” Gabrielsen said. “There are sort of playoffs in Europe. Whether that’s Champions League or Europa League or World Cup or European Cup, it’s just a playoff game. Either you win or you go home. This is the passion that we like to have as a football player.

“It’s the same no matter where you do it: when you lose, you go home and you’re sad and you want to start the season all over again. So we just want to win, of course.

Oliver KayOct 20, 2022 The Athletic

Cristiano Ronaldo is the one Manchester United player who knows how it looks and how it feels inside the dressing room when a legendary player burns his bridges.He was there, as a 20-year-old, when Roy Keane eviscerated several of his team-mates, assistant manager Carlos Queiroz and, finally, Sir Alex Ferguson before the captain’s contract was terminated in November 2005. He was there six months later, when Ruud van Nistelrooy clashed with Ferguson once too often and stormed out of the Old Trafford dressing room, never to return.And, on both occasions, the young Ronaldo breathed a huge sigh of relief — just as several of his team-mates will, along with Erik ten Hag, when the Portugal forward’s unhappy second spell in Manchester comes to end.It is less than 14 months since Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford in a blaze of glory, scoring two goals against Newcastle United in his first game back, but the feelgood factor faded within weeks as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure unravelled.Barely a year on, Ronaldo finds himself banished from United’s first-team squad following another show of dissent. He will train on his own for three days and will not be part of United’s squad to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.Perhaps the most damning thing about Ronaldo’s miserable trudge down the touchline on Wednesday evening is that the Old Trafford crowd barely noticed.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure on Wednesday night (Photo: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

The majority of the 73,677 in attendance were far too wrapped up in United’s performance, the best they had witnessed for a long time, to see Ronaldo slipping away into the night as his relationship with the club moved towards breaking point.

The exception was a gaggle of wide-eyed youngsters sitting on the front row next to the tunnel, holding their hands in the hope of a high-five. But Ronaldo walked straight past them. By the time the final whistle was blown a few minutes later and the crowd erupted in celebration of a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, he was on his way to his car.

Ronaldo looked stony-faced as he walked down the touchline and into the tunnel, as if insulted by the thought of spending another second watching from the bench, seeing Marcus Rashford starting ahead of him and Anthony Elanga preferred as a substitute.He can always count on the sympathy of his enormous fan club, who will feel that the disrespect he showed to his team-mates and to Ten Hag was more than justified by the lack of respect shown to a player of his status. But there was precious little sympathy elsewhere — even before it emerged on Thursday evening that he had refused to come on as a substitute in the closing stages of the game.

One pundit after another lined up to say it was disrespectful to his team-mates, his manager and the club. Ten Hag told Ronaldo as much when, having been substituted, the forward left the stadium during a pre-season game against Rayo Vallecano in July. On that occasion, Ten Hag described the player’s behaviour as “unacceptable”. In defiance of that, Ronaldo walked off again on Wednesday night.

But this time, Ronaldo’s team-mates didn’t seem to notice. Or if they did notice, they didn’t care. The post-match mood in the United dressing room was buoyant, such was the players’ exuberance at the display against Tottenham. They didn’t miss him on the pitch and they didn’t miss him afterwards.

Ronaldo cast a shadow over United during the first weeks of Ten Hag’s tenure: agitating for a transfer in the summer, missing the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia (after being given time off for personal reasons), walking out on that friendly game against Rayo and then performing dismally (along with everyone else, it must be said) in that abject 4-0 defeat at Brentford before losing his place.

Ronaldo was not the only one to perform poorly against Brentford (Photo: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

His United career has not recovered from that show of dissent. Indeed, it has not recovered from his lost summer of disillusionment and solo training.

He has started just two Premier League matches under Ten Hag. The first was away to Brentford in August, when the coach was so appalled by the team’s lack of spirit and work rate that he ordered them all to report the next day and complete the 13.8km they had been outrun by their west London opponents. The manager joined in for good measure, too. The second was the 0-0 draw with Newcastle on Sunday, in which United looked short of ideas until Ronaldo, shaking his head, made way for Rashford in the closing stages.Ronaldo has started games in the Europa League, converting a penalty against FC Sheriff, and has at times looked lively as a substitute, coming off the bench to score the winning goal at Everton recently. But he looks increasingly like an uncomfortable bit-part player in a team where the centre-forward — as Ten Hag explained with reference to Rashford both before and after Wednesday’s game — is required to bring dynamism, speed, energy and work ethic as well as a goalscoring threat.United, by contrast, have slowly but surely begun to recover under Ten Hag. Their supporters have seen enough false dawns in the post-Ferguson years to exercise caution — and there hasn’t yet been a great deal of the fast-paced, free-flowing football Ten Hag wants them to play — but in terms of organisation, resilience, spirit, energy and attacking verve, the performance against Tottenham was a real step forward.

And here we come back to Van Nistelrooy. United fans still revere the Dutch forward, lauding him from the terraces more than 16 years after he left the club, but the point here is less about the goalscoring phenomenon he was and more about the sullen, divisive, fractious figure he became during his unhappy final months in Manchester.

Van Nistelrooy was still a prolific centre-forward, scoring 21 Premier League goals in that 2005-06 that season, but he had become a problem. The team was in a state of transition and, rather than inspire his younger team-mates, he was felt to be undermining them. His attitude towards Ronaldo, in particular, was troubling.

United’s supporters caught glimpses of it on matchdays. They would see Van Nistelrooy vent his frustration when Ronaldo dallied too long on the ball or tried one trick too many rather than delivering the crosses. Many of those fans shared that frustration, as did some of his team-mates. The young Ronaldo, all fancy footwork and stepovers, had that effect on most people in those days, but Ferguson felt that Van Nistelrooy, in particular, inhibited him.

The tensions between Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo bubbled over on the training ground and in the dressing room. The pair traded insults and very nearly exchanged blows in training in January 2006 in the unhappy aftermath of a derby defeat by Manchester City, in which Ronaldo was sent off. Van Nistelrooy thought his young team-mate was all style and no substance. And he wasn’t afraid of letting him know.

Eventually, it became untenable. Ferguson felt Van Nistelrooy slowed the team down and had begun to have an adverse effect on team spirit, so he sold him to Real Madrid and built a new forward line around Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Louis Saha. Almost overnight, Ronaldo began to blossom into a world-class forward and, ultimately, one of the greatest players to play the game.

Even now, in the twilight years of his career, Ronaldo can do things that Rashford cannot dream of. But even at the peak of his powers, he was not the high-pressing, defence-stretching, all-action centre-forward that this United manager requires. And he certainly isn’t at the age of 37, discontented, without a proper pre-season behind him and struggling to build up any kind of rhythm or match-fitness.

Disrespectful as it was, Ronaldo’s petulance on Wednesday night didn’t hurt United. It overshadowed the victory to a degree but, if anything, it underlined how, having been terribly reliant on his goals last season, they are finally beginning to look like a football team without him.

If it was intended as a challenge to Ten Hag’s authority, it looked like pretty ill-conceived. The manager’s authority has never looked stronger.

This was a point Rio Ferdinand missed in a post-match debrief on his YouTube channel Five. Ferdinand seemed bewildered that his former team-mate had been left out — “My only thought could be that Cristiano is being saved for the weekend against Chelsea” — and suggested Ten Hag had given himself a problem by keeping Ronaldo against his wishes in the summer and then failing to pick him regularly.

Ferdinand’s interpretation overlooked one inconvenient truth: Ten Hag was willing to let Ronaldo go in August, once he had begun to appreciate the tactical and man-management challenges of trying to reintegrate a fading superstar who appeared either unwilling or unable to grasp what Ten Hag (like Ralf Rangnick previously) was telling him about counter-pressing. This view solidified with Ronaldo’s performance in the 4-0 defeat at Brentford on August 13.

The timing didn’t help, late in the transfer window, and neither did the United hierarchy’s concern about losing such a high-profile player and commercial asset, particularly as they were struggling to land their own top targets in the transfer market. But by mid-August, they were open to offers.

Long before the Brentford tipping point, Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes had been offering him to leading clubs across Europe. The Athletic revealed a meeting with Chelsea owner Todd Boehly in Portugal in June. As well as Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, the agent approached Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and even Sporting Lisbon, where Ronaldo began his career. Some conversations went further than others, but the only firm offer came from Saudi Arabian champions Al-Hilal.

This can be hard to accept for those — which include some of Ronaldo’s former team-mates, like Patrice Evra — who accuse Ten Hag of disrespecting the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Ronaldo was not exactly a player in demand this summer.

The mind goes back to that video of a Real Madrid fan confronting club president Florentino Perez in a hotel lobby in August, urging him to re-sign Ronaldo. “Again?” Perez asked. “Thirty-eight years old.” With that, he raised his hand dismissively as he walked off.

In fact, Ronaldo is 37 — and few elite footballers have appeared more immune to the passing of time — but you could see Perez’s point. Real had just won another Champions League title with Luka Modric (then 36, now 37) in the team, but the Croatia midfielder is high-output, low-maintenance, less likely to be personally affronted if the coach substitutes him or prefers a less established player in the starting line-up.

Ronaldo is different “because of how big he is, how much an icon he is, how much of a superstar he is,” as Ferdinand put it. But that is part of the difficulty. He is no longer the player whose performances won five Ballon d’Or awards, but he still appears to expect the status that those achievements gave him.

Never mind the respect United showed him by presenting him with an award at the weekend for scoring his 700th goal at club level. Ronaldo left Old Trafford that day indignant at being substituted.

Ronaldo Ronaldo and Ferguson celebrate the Portugal striker’s 700 club career goals (Photo: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

It was Ferguson who gave him that award on the pitch, smiling as he did so; no doubt recalling happier times at a club which has endured nine largely miserable years since his retirement.Like many others, Ferguson was seduced by the thought that Ronaldo’s return last year would herald a new golden era, but it hasn’t.If anything, it has underlined another truth from the glory days: that no player is bigger than the club.There were instances when Ferguson would push certain boundaries in support of one star player or another — and that certainly included Keane and Van Nistelrooy at the height of their powers — but as the years passed and their on-pitch contribution faded, their mood darkened, tensions rose and their position became untenable.That seems to be the stage Ronaldo is at now: lobbying for a move, performing indifferently, resorting to petulant behaviour and now banished from a first-team squad that seems ready to leave him behind.His statement on Thursday night evoked his early days at Old Trafford. “I started very young, the older and most experienced players’ examples were always very important to me. Therefore, later on, I’ve always tried to set the example myself for the youngsters that grew in all the teams that I’ve represented. Unfortunately that’s not always possible and sometimes the heat of the moment gets the best of us.”“Giving in to the pressure is not an option. It never was. This is Manchester United, and united we must stand. Soon we’ll be together again.”Ferdinand suggested that Ten Hag would have a big decision to make in January or at the end of the summer but, barring a dramatic change of mood, it appears Ronaldo has made the coach’s mind up for him — just as Van Nistelrooy did for Ferguson with his treatment of a young Ronaldo a generation ago. Maybe it’s all part of the circle of Old Trafford life.

By Jeff RueterSep 29, 2022 The Athletic

In the interest of providing another data point to assess the U.S. men’s national team’s preparations for the 2022 World Cup, The Athletic presents the fifth installment of the USMNT fan confidence index. After the final whistle in Murcia, we asked readers to fill out a form ranking their confidence in each position group over the past two windows, as well as their confidence in the team’s preparedness for the tournament. For each position, we also asked for the name of one player who wasn’t involved in the last six qualifiers that they would like to see in November. Readers were asked to rate their confidence on a 1-to-5 scale, with 1 representing “not at all confident” and 5 meaning “extremely confident.” These totals were converted to corresponding percentages: 1 getting 0.01%, 2 at 25%, 3 at 50%, 4 at 75% and 5 a perfect 100%. The mode will also be highlighted to showcase which rating was most common among the 868 USMNT fans which took the survey. You can revisit the previous edition from April to see just how much the mood has changed after 282 scoreless minutes. Full results at the bottom.

Sean Johnson, Gabriel Slonina, Zack Steffen, Matt Turner

	OCT. ’21	NOV. ’21	JAN. ’22	MARCH ’22	SEPT. ’22
Score	78.60%	78.00%	76.30%	60.70%	66.50%
Mode	4 (566/932)	4 (286/453)	4 (412/637)	4 (277/654)	4 (469/868)

Goalkeeper has been one of the least volatile groups of the entire pool this cycle, both in terms of the players selected in the squad and fans’ assessment of their performance. However, there has been plenty of change with the starting role. The U.S. entered this World Cup qualification cycle with Zack Steffen fastened to the top of the depth chart. However, injuries and form opened the door for Matt Turner, who impressed in his opportunities. Now, even with Steffen unavailable due to injury in September, the fans’ rating of the group seemed unbothered by his absence.

For most of qualifying, it seemed like these finals months would find Steffen and Turner in a dead heat to start in Qatar. Now, the only close shave may be if Turner embraces tradition and shaves his head before the tournament.As for the rest of the depth chart, Ethan Horvath and Sean Johnson figure to be in a dead heat for the third goalkeeper spot if Steffen is healthy in November. Having been sold to Chelsea this summer and remaining with the Chicago Fire on loan this year, Gabriel ‘Gaga’ Slonina led the write-in ballot with 190 votes — with many adding a note that the exposure to a World Cup would be beneficial to the anointed goalkeeper of the future.

Reggie Cannon, Sergiño Dest, Joe Scally, DeAndre Yedlin

	OCT. ’21	NOV. ’21	JAN. ’22	MARCH ’22	SEPT. ’22
Score	72.30%	74.80%	75.30%	73.3%	61.10%
Mode	4 (493/932)	4 (234/453)	4 (329/637)	4 (370/654)	4 (369/868)

There are two ways you can look at the steep drop which this group suffered in the latest poll, and both feel entirely fair.

The first would say that given the team’s poor form in the final matches before the tournament, just about every position group would look worse. The numbers bear this theory out: the only position which didn’t see a significant dip in its confidence rating is the goalkeeper corps.

The second is that all three players who featured prominently in qualifying (Cannon, Dest and Yedlin) have arguably seen their club situations get less favorable over the past twelve months. Dest was essentially forced out of FC Barcelona and is a rotational figure at best with AC Milan. Cannon had a difficult first full year with Boavista and is now playing as a wide center back in a back three. While Yedlin is finally getting regular starts again with Inter Miami, it required him to end an eight-year stay in Europe as he left Galatasaray.

Even overlooking the club situations, this group did little to alleviate the concerns about this team’s chance creation. If Antonee Robinson is ruled out for any reason and Dest is needed to log significant minutes on the left, neither Cannon nor Yedlin has provided a similar forward threat for the national team. Scally represents the relative unknown, as he’s been seldom used under Berhalter despite strong regular play with Borussia Mönchengladbach. Shaq Moore led the write-in ballot with 52 votes, as he made a similar move to Yedlin’s by joining Nashville SC over the summer.

Cameron Carter-Vickers, Aaron Long, Mark McKenzie, Erik Palmer-Brown, Chris Richards, Walker Zimmerman

	OCT. ’21	NOV. ’21	JAN. ’22	MARCH ’22	SEPT. ’22
Score	62.70%	67.60%	66.50%	69.6%	29.50%
Mode	4 (401/932)	4 (222/453)	4 (304/637)	4 (336/654)	2 (371/868)

Woof.While it wasn’t as positive as other position groups, few areas of the pitch received as consistent of marks during qualifying as the center backs. There wasn’t a ton of experimentation throughout the fourteen matches, as Berhalter mostly entrusted a core anchored by Chris Richards, Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman.Since March, Robinson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear. Richards made a move to Crystal Palace, where he’s been out with an injury and wasn’t making starts before his absence. Zimmerman is still at the heart of Nashville’s backline, but has made some crucial mistakes with his passes for club and country alike. As it stands, only Zimmerman is a certainty to make the World Cup roster.

Aaron Long started each of the September friendlies, but experienced issues with his distribution and struggled to cover wider areas of the back line whenever the right back was making a recovery run after a turnover. Mark McKenzie somehow looked even shakier, perhaps desperate to make his case after being left low on the pecking order throughout much of the past year. If Richards isn’t 90-minutes fit by November, Tim Ream would appear to be the top option based on current form and received 186 write-in votes. However, his lack of mobility next to Zimmerman would be a serious liability against nimble opponents.

There are so many questions left unanswered, but unlike most of those, few have arisen so late in the cycle as the United States center back crisis. Perhaps James Sands and Cameron Carter-Vickers will help alleviate concerns with strong play in the Scottish Premiership. However, it’s one of the program’s two biggest problem areas heading into November, and the survey respondents know it.

George Bello, Antonee Robinson, Sam Vines

	OCT. ’21	NOV. ’21	JAN. ’22	MARCH ’22	SEPT. ’22
Score	61.90%	57.80%	68.60%	64.3%	48.20%
Mode	4 (386/932)	3 (198/453)	4 (307/637)	4 (298/654)	3 (378/868)

While most folks left the September window having more questions than answers about this team, one thing was abundantly clear: there isn’t a dependable second option behind Antonee “Jedi” Robinson.

As neither George Bello nor Sam Vines have made convincing cases at the international level after moves abroad, this situation could enhance the odds of Scally making the roster. The former New York City FC academy product can play on either side of the backline and has become a regular starter for Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga. Scally was the only write-in option to get even modest consideration, notching 21 votes. All told, Dest may be the backup option on the left, as Cannon, Scally and Yedlin have all seen more run-out on the right.

To paraphrase Max von Sydow, “Without Jedi, there can be no balance in the defense.”

Kellyn Acosta, Tyler Adams, Johnny Cardoso

	OCT. 21	NOV. ’21	JAN. ’21	MARCH ’21	SEPT. ’21
Score	67.70%	72.40%	78.00%	79.5%	60.10%
Mode	4 (414/932)	4 (233/453)	4 (313/637)	4 (332/654)	4 (365/868)

As was the case throughout qualifying: this group’s rating rises and falls due to Tyler Adams’ performances alone.

This group’s rating rose in each successive window, as Adams stayed healthy and in form while Kellyn Acosta assumed the mantle of capable understudy. Adams played all 180 minutes of the September friendlies; while he proved adept at timing and weighing the through ball over the Saudi Arabian back line, he was also caught out of position far more often than usual against Japan. Having debuted for the U.S. back in 2017, Adams will enter the World Cup with 32 caps to his name. Acosta got his minutes further up in the midfield, while Johnny Cardoso didn’t play up to the level in his cameo against Japan.

James Sands led the write-in ballot with 28 votes. It’s Hhrd to imagine anyone but Adams or Acosta playing the role in the World Cup.

Kellyn Acosta, Luca de la Torre, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Cristian Roldan, Malik Tillman

	OCT. ’21	NOV. ’21	JAN ’22	MARCH ’22	SEPT. ’22
Score	67.40%	76.10%	80.80%	80.5%	61.70%
Mode	4 (428/932)	4 (250/453)	4 (321/637)	4 (370/654)	4 (397/868)

Yunus Musah was certainly missed, with Luca de la Torre trying to emulate his more progressive midfield role in the loss to Japan. While the Celta Vigo midfielder was tidy at times, he did little to create chances or advance the ball to the attackers ahead of him. Acosta started against Saudi Arabia, enabling Weston McKennie to run into the attacking area more often to keep the ball further up the pitch.

As has been the case throughout the past year, Musah and McKennie will start with Adams in the ideal Berhalter midfield. Worryingly, however, few of the auxiliary options have looked as strong over the past few months as they did last year. Leading write-in vote getters Eryk Williamson, Gianluca Busio and Djordje Mihailovic (each between 20 and 25 nominations) have each had success at various points of the past six months, but none are obvious upgrades over de la Torre.

Cristian Roldan is returning from a groin injury at the right time to see the field in Seattle’s final two regular season matches and could return to roster contention for the U.S. Still, what once appeared to be a deep area of the field is worrying thin on impact performers.

Brenden Aaronson, Paul Arriola, Jordan Morris, Christian Pulisic, Giovanni Reyna, Timothy Weah

	OCT. ’21	NOV. ’21	JAN ’22	MARCH ’22	SEPT. ’22
Score	86.30%	88.10%	75.10%	89.1%	70.50%
Mode	5 (504/932)	5 (267/453)	4 (344/637)	5 (396/654)	4 (449/868)

Similarly to the midfield, the USMNT’s wide attackers have had a brighter gleam in past windows. The lone positive here may be Brenden Aaronson, who has handled the transition from RB Salzburg to Leeds better than many could have reasonably expected. He (like the rest of the team) was unable to catalyze much against Japan, but his work rate was a sight for sore eyes in an otherwise languid performance by the U.S. Paul Arriola had some nice interplay with Jesús Ferreira and Ricardo Pepi after coming off the bench against Saudi Arabia, and has had a fine season with FC Dallas.

From there, we’re back to the list of players in difficult club situations. Christian Pulisic didn’t get his desired loan away from Chelsea, and while there’s a clear role for him in Graham Potter’s system, Potter has preferred Raheem Sterling there in his first couple of matches. Gio Reyna was forced to exit the Saudi Arabia match in the 30th minute with a muscle strain. While that injury alone shouldn’t hamper his World Cup hopes, we just haven’t seen enough of him over the past year to know where he’d fit best in Berhalter’s team — or if he starts at all.

Timothy Weah missed this camp with a foot injury, but should return soon for Lille. Jordan Morris struggled to make an impact against Japan (may as well turn that phrase into a drinking game) and was overlooked from the bench when Reyna was injured. It could be reading too much into one change, but it feels as though Arriola has the inside track on a roster spot over the Seattle homegrown.

No alternative received more than Konrad De La Fuente’s 15 votes, despite the winger having been a bit-part player thus far at Olympiacos.

Jesús Ferreira, Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Haji Wright

	OCT. ’21	NOV. ’21	JAN. ’22	MARCH ’22	SEPT. ’22
Score	52.90%	44.40%	30.00%	25.9%	16.10%
Mode	3 (484/932)	3 (223/453)	2 (287/637)	2 (337/654)	1 (460/868)

The trend is, to say the least, not great. While they may not be scoring goals, the strikers have extended their own record for the lowest confidence rating of any group in the exercise’s five installments.

The United States won’t be facing Grenada in this World Cup, which makes it hard to transfer Jesús Ferreira’s four-goal glut against the Spice Boys to the biggest stage. Haji Wright buried a penalty against fellow qualifier Morocco, but wasn’t called in for the September friendlies. Ferreira led forwards with 76 minutes this past window, while Ricardo Pepi had 59 and Josh Sargent played 45 minutes after a year-long absence from the national team. None looked particularly threatening, though Pepi at least kept the Saudi Arabian defense honest as he is less likely to track back and join into the midfield than Ferreira. That spacing may be vital for a U.S. team which looks likely to be dared to beat a low defensive block, as they’ve struggled to break one down for much of the Berhalter era.

Leading all vote-getters by a comfortable margin, Jordan Pefok (a staggering 412 mentions from 868 total ballots) was left on the outside of this camp. This, despite logging three goals and two assists for Bundesliga-leading Union Berlin after making a summer move away from Young Boys. Given the younger trio’s struggles at the international level, it’s hard to grasp just why Pefok wasn’t given another look in the September camp.

At this stage, fans and writers alike can be forgiven for expecting that any goals at the World Cup are likely to come from other areas of the pitch.

Ready or not, here the World Cup comes. The United States doesn’t have another tune-up friendly between now and the opener in Qatar against Wales on November 21, leaving other factors to play a role in deciding Berhalter’s final roster.

Before we look at a pair of “state of the program” questions, it’s worth remembering what the expectations for this World Cup were among the 654 fans surveyed in the immediate aftermath of qualifying.

Expectations for World Cup as of March ’22

OUTCOME	VOTES	% OF 654
Qualifying was enough	3	0.5
Narrowly miss the knockout	21	3.2
Out in Round of 16	352	53.9
Quarterfinalist	269	41.2
Semifinalist	7	1.1
Runners-up	0	0
World Cup champion	1	0.2

Even after a bleak defeat against Costa Rica in what was essentially a dead rubber matchup, 96.3% of readers expected the team to advance. Granted, the poll was conducted before the U.S. was drawn into a balanced group alongside England, Iran and Wales. Still, the talent and performances after the initial window left the fanbase with hope.

Now, let’s look at the current state of things…

Do you think the U.S. is prepared for the World Cup?

Yes	2.70%
Hard to say	19.80%
No	77.50%

Needless to say, the September window left fans with few happy feelings.

There’s been a statistic floating around that the United States had won its three most recent send-off matches before the draw against Saudi Arabia. The unspoken part: the most recent defeat had come in…2002, ahead of the quarter-final run which is the program’s greatest World Cup performance in the modern era. Mere weeks before the tournament kicked off, the United States hosted the Netherlands at Gillette Stadium and were on the wrong side of a 2-0 scoreline. (Another fact from that game: Berhalter came off the bench in the 41st minute, replacing Jeff Agoos.)

Still, it would be a folly to assume that history will repeat itself. At this point, fans are wondering if there will be a knockout round match to stress over at all.

Where will the U.S. finish in Group B?

First	0.80%
Second	24.20%
Third	52.90%
Fourth	22.10%

Say what you will about the importance of friendlies — even after missing the 2018 tournament, there are few fond feelings among the fanbase’s diehards heading into the World Cup.

OCTOBER 19, 2022 BY JOHN MORRISSEY Backheeled.com

It’s time for the postseason in the USL Championship! Not all playoff teams are created equal, though

Ahead of this weekend’s opening round of games, we’re dividing the playoff field into tiers

It’s time for the postseason in the USL Championship, but not all playoff teams are created equal. Who’s for real, who could make a run, and who’s just lucky to have made the cut?Let’s talk about that.

San Antonio FC: Champions of the Western Conference and the overall points leader in the regular season, San Antonio boasts an elite defense a great goalkeeper in Jordan Farr and a deep group of forwards. Their conservative style of soccer is built for a single elimination format. They’re the favorites.

Louisville City FC: Home-field advantage until a potential title game means a lot for Louisville; no club had a better record at home in 2022. Their new back three is sharp, too, and it just might be this team’s year after a title drought that dates back to 2018.

Tampa Bay Rowdies: Last year’s Eastern Conference champions finally have their star striker Sebastian Guenzatti scoring goals again and they’ve settled on a consistent backline. No team in the entire USL had a better goal difference in the regular season than the Rowdies.

Memphis 901 FC: This club nearly nabbed the East’s top seed, finishing four points behind Louisville. They’re well-organized in a 4-2-3-1, underrated forward Phillip Goodrum nearly won the Golden Boot, and the defense has been good even while dealing with injuries. Still, Memphis needs to prove they’re elite.

San Diego Loyal: The Loyal have the most dangerous offense in the USL and their midfield trio of Alejandro Guido, Jack Blake, and Charlie Adams is wildly creative. San Diego’s defense is suspiciously leaky, but they beat San Antonio in the regular season and could repeat the trick.

Sacramento Republic: Having reached the U.S. Open Cup final, Sacramento have proven their tournament mettle. Attacking is a red flag, but a flexible 4-2-3-1 that Mark Briggs debuted in the final week could help the final third play finally match the quality this team has consistently shown in defense.

Birmingham Legion: The Legion have a self-defeating tendency to play elite defensive midfielder Anderson Asiedu out of position as a winger and they’ll often sit back instead of pressing defensively. But when they do go aggressive, they’re a very formidable team. Enzo Martinez is a game-changer; he can win a match in a single moment.

New Mexico United: Head coach Zach Prince regularly changed systems in 2022, but the 4-4-1-1 that he landed on towards the end of the year balances attacking talent and conservative fullback play. The expected goals data hates New Mexico, but their hard-nosed style leaves the door open for a playoff run.

Rio Grande Valley FC: No team in the USL earned more points than RGV in the last ten games of the season. Midseason pickups like forwards Christian Pinzon and Jonas Fjeldberg and fullback Akeem Ward add electricity in front of a stingy defense, and H-E-B Park is a fortress.

Detroit City FC: Le Rouge allowed the second fewest goals in the East, and Antoine Hoppenot can be the man for a team making a playoff run. Defensive injuries and general offensive inconsistency hold Detroit back, though.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds: The Riverhounds have struggled against elite competition this year and regularly underperform with the most talented roster in the East. Bob Lilley has a sterling reputation, but he needs to prove his tactical chops in 2022.

Miami FC: Anthony Pulis has done a great job to get Miami in the playoffs in his first season, but the offense is lacking with just 47 goals in the regular season. Their defense is strong, but a first round Rowdies matchup is brutal.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks: The Switchbacks’ defense is the worst in the playoff field by a distance and their offense has been gutted since Hadji Barry’s transfer to Egypt.

Oakland Roots: Noah Delgado taking charge in the middle of the season and taking the Roots to the playoffs is a lovely story, but Oakland doesn’t have the balance to make a run. The midfield is dangerously thin.

October 14, 2022October 19, 2022 gatorbest

US Women lose to England then Spain 2-0.

Just in case we thought it was an accident – the USMNT put a bow on their European trip with an EMBARASSING 2-0 loss to Spain’s B-team. Now the US is without some key starters and contributors as Coach A gave the ball to the kids and well they dropped it – big time. This as a B team – depleted by Spanish player defections due to complaints about the coaching and federation of Spain from the Spanish starters – most of which start in Champions League on strong European teams. The US of course was missing our top 2 #9s I Alex Morgan, along with our top defenders. But the team they put out managed to get blown out by this depleted Spanish squad – putting into question just what the heck is the US and Coach A doing? Is he setting up for next summer’s World Cup by making the US ladies – #1 in the World despite playing absolutely NO ONE of quality since the Olympics? To say the rest of the world has caught up is one thing – the get blanked by the #10 team in the World missing 9 of 11 starters is another. Is it time to panic – oh I think so.

Indy 11

Great to see former Carmel FC GK Coach and Indy 11 GK Jordan Farr win the Player of the Month award for his new team San Antonio – they are headed to playoffs as the #1 Seed In the Western Division they play this Saturday? Also huge congrats on a personal level as he and his lovely wife Ale welcomed their first child into the world this week. A healthy baby girl named Ivy Jean. Oh the Indy 11 lost their last game of the season to finish 8^th in the East.

Games to Watch

Big games this weekend at El Classico with Barcelona fresh off near elimination in Champions League this week will travel to Real Madrid trying to right the ship at Sat at 10:15 am on ESPN+. Sunday gives us Liverpool hosting Man City at 11:30 am on USA. That’s right after Leeds United and the American’s travel to top seated Arsenal at 9 am on Peacock., while Man United host New Castle on USA at 9 am. Sun at 11:30 US players in Germany’s top 4 Union Berlin (Jordan Pefok) and Dortmund (Gio Reyna) battle on ESPN+. While MLS and NWSL Playoff action gets underway this weekend.

High School Local back to back games Sat at Murray – #2 CHS Boys host Regional Final 4:30 pm, #3 CHS Girls host Regional Final at 2 pm Sat

The Carmel High School boys host the Sectional Finals tonight at 7 pm at Murray Stadium. Here’s the shootout from Thursday night where long time Carmel FC forward Will Latham hit the winner.

Goals from former Carmel FC players Olivia Cebalo and Claire Swigart carried the CHS Lady hounds to the Sectional Championship last week. They defeated Brownsburg 3-0 and host the Regional finals Sat at 2 pm at Murray vs Cathedral. The Carmel High Boys won 1-0 win over Pike to advance to the Sectional Finals at home vs Cathedral at 4:30 pm at Murray Stadium.

Sat, Oct 15

7:30 am USA Leicester City vs Crystal Palace

10 am USA Wolverhampton vs Nottingham Forrest

10 am Peacock Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs Bourmouth

10:15 am ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Barcelona EL CLASSICO

12 noon unimas Cincy vs NY Red Bulls – PLAYOFFS

12 noon Paramount+ Torino vs Juventus (Mckinney)

12:30 NBC Tottenham vs Everton

Sun, Oct 16

9 am USA Man United vs New Castle

9 am Peacock Arsenal vs Leeds United (Aaronson, Adams)

11:30 am USA Liverspool vs Man City

11;30 ESPN+ Union Berlin (Pefuk) vs Dortmund (Reyna)

12 noon CBS Sportsnet Napoli vs Bolonga

3 pm ABC Austin vs Real Salt Lake PLAYOFFS

5 pm Para+ Houston vs KC Current NWSL Playoffs

8 pm ESPN Montreal vs Orlando City PLAYOFFS

10 pm CBS SN San Diego Wave (Morgan) vs Chicago Red Stars (Saubraun) NWSL Playoffs

Mon, Oct 17

7 pm FS1 NYCFC vs Inter Miami MLS Playoffs

9:30 pm FS1 Dallas (Matt Hedges) vs Minn United

Wed, Oct 19

2:30 pm USA Brentford vs Chelsea (pulisic)

3:15 pm Peacock Man United vs Tottenham

Thur, Oct 20

1 pm Para + Arsenal vs PSV Europa

2:30 pm USA Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs Aston Villa

3 pm ESPNd + Barcelona vs Villareal

3:15 pm Peacock Leicester City vs Leeds United (Aaronson, Adams)

8 pm FS1 Philly vs Cincy MLS Playoffs

10 pm FS1 LAFC vs LA Galaxy

Sat, Oct 21

7:30 am USA Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool

9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Stuttgart

10 am USA Everton vs Crystal Palace

12 noon unimas Cincy vs NY Red Bulls – PLAYOFFS

12:30 NBC Chelsea (pulisic) vs Man United

3 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Sevilla

Sun, Oct 22

9 am USA Leicster City vs Wolverhampton

9 am Peacock Leeds United (Aaronson, Adams) vs Fulham (Ream, Jedi)

9:30 am ESPN+ Bochum vs Union Berlin (Pefuk)

11:30 am NBC Tottenham vs New Castle United

2:45 pm CBS Sportsnet Roma vs Napoli

1 pm ESPN CF Montreal vs NYCFC PLAYOFFS

8 pm ESPN Austin vs Dallas (Matt Hedges) PLAYOFFS

Mon, Oct 23

3 pm USA West Ham vs Bournmouth

Tues, Oct 24 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

12:45 pm Para+ Salzburg vs Chelsea (Pulisic)

3 pm Para+ Benefica vs Juventus (McKinney)

3 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig

3 pm Para+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Man City

Wed, Oct 25

12:45 Para+ Club Brugge vs Porto

3 pm Para+ Barca vs Bayern Munich

3 pm Para+ Tottenham vs Sporting

3 pm Para+ Ajax vs Liverpool

3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Rangers ()

Thur, Oct 26

12:45 pm Para+ PSV vs Arsenal

12:45 pm Para+ Union Berlin (Pefuk) vs Bragga

3 pm Para+ Man United vs Sheriff

3 pm Para+ West Ham vs Silkeborg

Sat, Oct 29

8 pm CBS NWSL Championship Game

Soccer Saturday’s are every Sat 9-10 am on 93.5 and 107.5 FM with Greg Rakestraw

US Women lose 2 in a row – should we be worried ? Yahoo Sports – Bushnell

US women stunk

What the US Ladies Need to Do next

Barca to wear Drake Jersey in El Classico

EPL betting preview: Liverpool needs a win at home against Manchester City

Box office Erling Haaland’s persuasive power stretches far beyond pitch for Man City

By NICHOLAS MURRAY – nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 10/14/22, 12:51PM EDT

San Antonio FC’s Jordan Farr and Louisville City FC’s Kyle Morton are separated by 0.001 in goals-against average going into the final game of the regular season on Saturday for their respective clubs.

San Antonio FC’s Jordan Farr and Louisville City FC’s Kyle Morton have been two of the best offseason acquisitions of the 2022 USL Championship season.

Now, they’ve got 90 minutes – and a margin of 0.001 in goals-against average – separating them from the USL Championship’s Golden Glove on Saturday night in one of the major storylines on the final day of the regular season.

Farr currently sits with a goals-against average of 0.737 in 30 appearances this season for San Antonio, having played a key role for the side that could claim single-season records for wins, points and shutouts this weekend. Narrowly behind him is Morton, who is at a goals-against average of 0.738 in 28 appearances for the two-time USL Championship title winners and No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

It’s a margin that even in the closest races in past Championship seasons is unprecedented.

Because make no mistake, there have been narrowly decided Golden Glove honors in the past. The closest of all came two years ago in the abbreviated 2020 regular season when Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s Danny Vitiello edged out San Diego Loyal SC’s Jon Kempin by a margin of 0.004 for the award. The closest full-season race? That was in 2018 when FC Cincinnati’s Evan Newton defeated Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s Dan Lynd by 0.005 for the award.

And yet, there’s a strong argument that this is the best race for the Golden Glove we’ve ever seen in the Championship’s history. For one, both Farr and Morton have been at the top of their games for a full season and are almost certainly sitting 1-2 in most people’s minds when it comes to this year’s Goalkeeper of the Year award. More importantly, they’re both currently leading their sides on the field.

(The irony of Newton’s Golden Glove in 2018 is by the end of the season, he was no longer FC Cincinnati’s starter, replaced by Spencer Richey. He won the award after Lynd conceded in second-half stoppage-time of Pittsburgh’s final game of the regular season against the New York Red Bulls II, qualifying for the award having previously started 20 of FCC’s 34 regular season games, above the 50 percent of a team’s minutes threshold.)

As slim as the margin is between the two going into LouCity’s game against Hartford Athletic at 7:30 p.m. ET and San Antonio FC’s clash with Orange County SC an hour later, one goal – especially that of the kind conceded by Lynd and Pittsburgh four years ago – could make all the difference.

A shutout by Farr – which would clinch the Championship’s single-season record as well – would end the race.

If Morton posts his 14th clean sheet in a campaign that has seen him yet to concede more than two goals in a game, then the second half at Toyota Field will have even greater intrigue.

On a night where there’s plenty at stake for teams and individuals, this duel across time zones and venues should have your close attention.

Photo courtesy Darren Abate / San Antonio FC

30 appearances
2,686 minutes
22 goals conceded
0.737 goals-against average
15 shutouts
72 saves
76.6 save percentage
-1.41 G-minus-xG

Photo courtesy Em-Dash Photography / Louisville City FC

28 appearances
2,439 minutes
20 goals conceded
0.738 goals-against average
13 shutouts
52 saves
72.2 save percentage
-2.85 G-minus-xG

Grant Wahl

Oct 14

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Why do I love the MLS and NWSL playoffs? Because we get moments like Orlando defender Rodrigo Schlegel putting on the goalie gloves and leading his team to a shootout victory (Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

This is a huge weekend in the soccer world, with the planet’s most storied club rivalry game (Real Madrid-Barcelona), the most compelling club rivalry in recent years (Liverpool-Manchester City) and three other dynamite matchups in Europe (Leeds-Arsenal, Union Berlin-Dortmund, Bayern Munich-Freiburg). If it feels like club soccer is trying to get everything done in October ahead of next month’s World Cup, including the Champions League group stage, that’s because it is.

But I want to save some love for the MLS and NWSL playoffs, which are also taking place starting this weekend (earlier in the calendar than usual due to the World Cup). Say what you will about the not-always-high-stakes regular seasons in both leagues, but all that goes out the window once the single-elimination playoffs get going. From Saturday to Monday, I will be watching eight playoff games: six in MLS and two in the NWSL.

Why do I love the MLS and NWSL playoffs? Let’s break it down:

Subscribed

World Cup broadcaster Fox Sports says it won’t cover Qatar’s migrant workers, LGBTQ concerns, etc. Not surprising given how much money Fox is making from state-owned sponsor Qatar Airways, but still embarrassing sportswashing. I wrote about it recently: grantwahl.substack.com/p/friday-newsl…

• Desperation soccer is compelling soccer. Too often regular-season games don’t feel like the stakes are very high. That’s not the case in the playoffs. In fact, things can get downright wild when teams know their season is over if they lose the game. And crazy things can happen, like Roy Miller taking a decisive free kick instead of Thierry Henry or teams melting down once they realize things aren’t going to go their way.

• The games are more appealing to a national audience. MLS and the NWSL have had success building local interest, but they have yet to become attractive to national audiences, at least in the regular season. The playoffs are different; it’s all one national tournament, so MLS fans in, say, Orlando should have more interest in LA Galaxy-Nashville than they might during the regular season.

• Dumb little storylines get magnified into big deals. Which, frankly, is always kind of hilarious. My favorite this week is everyone at Inter Miami getting so worked up about New York City switching the location of their playoff game to Citi Field.

• You never know who might become a playoff hero. Also known as the Rodrigo Schlegel/Trinity Rodman Rule.

The latest pod discussion with Chris Wittyngham mentioned that it is unlikely that Julie Ertz and Sam Mewis will return to the national team. I’ve heard that hinted at elsewhere, but there never are any details provided. Ertz is now a mom and Mewis has an injury that doesn’t seem to be improving. Are you hearing that neither is ever going to play soccer again at all—club or national team? Can you provide any more details on either of them?

Jo Wilhelm

I totally understand the importance of your question: Ertz and Mewis were integral parts of the World Cup run in 2019—and, in Ertz’s case, 2015. It’s kind of crazy that in ESPN’s Top 50 global players list just 19 months ago Ertz was No. 8 and Mewis was No. 1.

I tend to err on the side of caution, so what I would say is that it is impossible that 2019-quality Ertz and Mewis will be part of the U.S. World Cup campaign in 2023, and right now I do not expect they will be on the U.S. World Cup team. With Ertz, I wonder if her situation might be similar to the players from Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning team, so many of whom retired from the sport at an unexpectedly young age. Did that career triumph change your goals and how you saw the end of your career playing out? In Mewis’s case, there are real questions now being asked whether her playing career is in jeopardy due to her injuries. I’d love to see them dominating on the field again, but I don’t really expect it at this point.

What’s holding up more info on the 2023 MLS/Apple+ deal? The price point is critical to success. When is the optimal time for the league to announce the package specifics?

Dan Skinner

I don’t have any inside information on this, but I wouldn’t expect there to be much coming out until after the men’s World Cup and the winter holiday season are over. The focus for MLS right now is the playoffs, and then everything is about the World Cup, and then people will be busy with Christmas and New Year’s. So I’d look for something in January as the ramp-up to the new season starts.

It seems very optimistic to imagine the Paulsons selling the Portland Timbers and Thorns during this offseason. But what are the odds of a sale happening in the next 365 days?

From what we’ve seen, it’s very clear that Merritt Paulson does not want to sell either team. And from what we know about MLS rules, it does not look like the framework or support from fellow owners is in place for the league to force a Timbers sale like we saw with Dell Loy Hansen and Real Salt Lake. The questions from my perspective are: 1) Would public and sponsor pressure force the Paulsons to sell the Thorns or both teams? 2) Would NWSL owners push them to sell?

Any chance Vlatko Andonovski will be replaced before the World Cup?

Abby Howe-Heyman

I don’t think it’s impossible, but I do think it’s highly unlikely. My sense is it would require shambolic USWNT performances against Germany next month, which I don’t think will happen at home. If Andonovski wasn’t going to be let go after the disappointing Olympic performance, then U.S. Soccer was basically saying: We’re giving him the World Cup and will make a decision on his future after that.

Of the Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and the EPL, which do you think is the most likely to end up with a surprise winner this season?

Willie

It depends what you mean by “surprise winner,” because I’m inclined to say Serie A based on the view that Napoli would have been seen as a “surprise winner” before the season. Obviously, there’s still a long way to go in all these countries, and current Bundesliga leader Union Berlin would certainly be viewed as a surprise after Bayern Munich has won the last 10 league titles. That said, I’m still convinced Bayern will win in Germany, PSG will take France and Man City will win the Premier League. That leaves Serie A, where the two teams that wouldn’t be surprises are Milan (currently fifth) and Inter (currently seventh). Can they rebound? Of course. But the way first-place Napoli is playing is absolutely glorious right now.

With the controversial World Cup approaching, how have you found your more “independent” journalistic status changes your ability to cover it? Have you spoken to other journalists (off the record) about hurdles they are encountering that you have not (or vice versa)? Is there a big change in the broader approach after lessons were learned (rather late) about how sportswashing helped Putin maintain control and advance his violent and dangerous goals after the 2018 World Cup?

professorllanas

Great questions. I’m definitely independent on the writing side now compared to when I was at Sports Illustrated. But I would also say that in my years at SI (when it was under prior ownership) I was never prevented from doing any journalism for political reasons, not wanting to offend an advertiser, etc. Where things are different is I’m my own assigning editor now, so I don’t have story pitches turned down. I’m not sure that today’s Sports Illustrated—whose current owners are literally running the brand of David Beckham, who has a lucrative deal with Qatar—would have approved my story about going to Qatar and interviewing migrant workers about the new laws there.

One thing I never had to worry about at SI was being credentialed by FIFA to cover the World Cup. It’s a little more up in the air when you’re independent like I am now, but I got confirmation of my World Cup credential this week. U.S. Soccer recommended me to FIFA for a credential in large part because I spent the money to report on the ground for all 14 U.S. World Cup qualifying games.

I don’t know of other U.S. journalists who are facing any particular hurdles covering Qatar. However, we did get confirmation on Thursday that Fox Sports, the U.S. English-language broadcaster for the World Cup, says it will not be covering anything connected to Qatar’s migrant workers, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, etc.

Grant Wahl @GrantWahl

10:26 PM ∙ Oct 13, 2022

897Likes271Retweets

It’s not surprising that Fox is ignoring the elephant in the room, but it’s also one of the reasons I chose not to extend my contract with Fox in 2019 after what I had seen at Russia 2018 and at other points in my time there. That company is just not a good fit with journalism.

Some great games to see this weekend. Enjoy!

MLS Playoff action starts and several players have returned from injury across the ocean

By jcksnftsn Oct 14, 2022, 8:46am PDT

CA Osasuna v Valencia CF - LaLiga Santander

We’re making a slight modification to the viewing guide over the next month or so as we’ll try to expand coverage a bit to include matches outside of the Top Five and MLS where there are streaming options available that allow you to watch a match of a player who seems like they have a solid chance to make the World Cup roster, you can call it the Josh Sargent exception (though perhaps more importantly it applies to a couple goalkeepers as well). In addition this weekend in Europe we have some players returning to health and stateside we have the MLS playoffs starting this weekend with two matches a piece Saturday through Monday. It should be a full weekend so let’s get to it.

Yunus Musah also returned from injury last weekend to get 28’ off the bench as Valencia secured a 2-1 win in their midtable clash with Osasuana. The club face an Elche side this weekend that has managed just two points through eight matches and currently sit solidly at the bottom of the table. Valencia are in seventh place, just three points back of Atletico Madrid for fourth and Champions League qualification though it looks like it’s already a two horse race for the La Liga title with Barcelona and Real Madrid tied on 22 points, five points ahead of the next closest competitor.

Chris Richards has yet to return from injury with reports that he has yet to return to group training. Crystal Palace face Leicester at 7:30a on USA Network
The New York Red Bulls and Cincinnati kick off the MLS Playoffs at Noon on UniMas and TUDN. Aaron Long and John Tolkien will start for the Red Bulls while Brandon Vasquez will lead the attack for Cincinnati.
Walker Zimermann and Nashville SC travel to Los Angeles to take on the Galaxy at 3p on Univision and TUDN.

Timothy Chandler’s Eintracht Frankfurt face Bayer Leverkusen at 9:30a on ESPN+.
Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg host Joe Scally and Borussia Monchengladbach at 9:30a on ESPN+.
Pellegrino Matarazzo has been dismissed from Stuttgart so we won’t be tracking the club moving forward. They do face Bochum at 9:30a on ESPN+ this weekend.

Weston McKennie and Juventus continue to flounder, their most recent dissapointing result being a 2-0 loss to Josh Cohen and Maccabi Haifa in Champions League play midweek with McKennie getting pulled at half-time. Juventus will now face Torino at Noon on Paramount+.
Some of that bonus Championship action as Josh Sargent’s Norwich side will face Watford at 2:45p on ESPN+.

Jesse Marsch, Tyler Adams, and Brendon Aaronson need to get things back on track as they have just two points from their past five matches but they’ll have their work cut out for them as they face first place Arsenal. Leeds have fallen to fourteenth in the league standings just three points out of the relegation zone. It’s not a terrible position for a team that narrowly avoided relegation last season but it is a bit disappointing after their hot start to the season that included a 3-0 win over Chelsea. Unfortunately, that defeat of Chelsea was the sides last real positive result.

Austin FC host Real Salt Lake in a first round playoff matchup at 3p on ABC and ESPN Deportes.
Djordje Mihailovic and Montreal take on Orlando City SC at 8p on ESPN.

Celta Vigo and Luca de la Torre face Real Sociedad at 8a on ESPN+.
Christian Pulisic got the start and scored a nice goal last weekend but didn’t see time off the bench midweek for Chelsea. They face Aston Villa at 9a on Peacock.
Erik Palmer Brown and Troyes face Ajacio at 9a on beIN Sports.
Jordan Pefok and Bundeslgia leading Union Berlin take on a Borussia Dortmund side that scored in the dying minutes to draw with Bayern Munich last weekend. Giovanni Reyna made his return from injury on Tuesday, playing 30 sharp minutes in BVB’s 1-1 draw with Sevilla.
Sergino Dest is looking to break his way back into the starting lineup for an AC Milan team that face Hellas Verona at 2:45p on Paramount+. Dest came on as a first half substitute in Milan’s 2-0 loss to Chelsea with his team already down by two and playing with 10 men.

NYCFC host Inter Miami and DeAndre Yedlin at 7p on FS1.
Jesus Ferreira, Paul Arriola and FC Dallas take on Minnesota United at 9:30p on FS1.

What will you be watching this weekend? Let us know in the comments section below.

Henry Bushnell Tue, October 11, 2022 at 4:28 PM

Three days after the U.S. women’s national team lost to England, and as it readied to meet a Spanish team devoid of 17 top players, U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski came to a pre-match news conference prepared with some basic math.He knew he’d be asked about those missing Spanish players, who’d temporarily resigned in a dispute over working conditions; and about the Roja remnants that, surely, we all assumed, the U.S. would beat. And he repeatedly made a point that the American narrative seemed to be missing.”They can say the same thing about us,” Andonovski argued, almost preemptively. Unprompted, he rattled off the names of 15 players whom his team was missing, and whose absences severely weakened the USWNT on their European tour.Without them, the U.S. lost 2-0 to Spain on Tuesday. The Americans put zero shots on goal until late in the game, and looked disjointed going forward. They were physically superior to a Spanish side missing roughly nine of 11 starters, but tactically and technically inferior. They conceded a sloppy first-half goal, and never recovered.They dropped a second consecutive game for the first time since 2017, and naturally, worries spiked. The World Cup is nine months away. The team’s only major tournament so far under Andonovski ended in disappointment. Preparations for the next one are going far worse. As Esther Gonzalez volleyed home Spain’s second goal, a fan base wondered in unison: Is it time to panic?But the answer, according to Andonovski and to common sense, is an emphatic no. Among the names that Andonovski rattled off on Monday were Alex Morgan, Mallory Pugh, Sam Mewis, Julie Ertz, Kelley O’Hara, Emily Fox and Tierna Davidson. He initially forgot to mention Catarina Macario, arguably his best player. All of them are currently injured or otherwise absent. All should be in Australia and New Zealand next summer.Without them, the USWNT still should have been better than a Spanish B-team. That they weren’t was less a cause for alarm, and more a reminder of longstanding flaws. Even with Pugh and Morgan present, their attack has often been inefficient. Its structure and rhythms don’t generate the type of chances that such a talented front six should.

But without half of those six — and especially in the context of a “heartbreaking,” emotionally draining week after the release of the Yates report — the USWNT’s performance really isn’t worth overanalyzing.”There’s no excuse with the team that we have, because I think we have incredible players,” Andonovski clarified Monday. “And I think every single one of them has earned the spot on the team.”But he knows that half of his starting lineup is missing. He knows that he could’ve added Crystal Dunn, who remains on a minutes restriction five months after giving birth, to his list. He knows that they all have the better part of a year to get healthy, and that he and the entire team have the better part of a year to fix their flaws.And there are flaws, certainly, even beyond the incoherence of the attack. The defensive personnel is unsettled. Given the spate of injuries and pregnancies, on-field chemistry is lacking. The USWNT is very much not a finished product.But the one certainty is that it will be far more of a finished product at next summer’s World Cup.The last time it lost two consecutive games, in 2017, it went on to lose only two of its next 78. Among the dozens of wins was a 2019 world championship.The loss to Spain will give renewed rise to the narrative that Europe has “caught up.” But that was the narrative four years ago. “The rest of the world caught up 15 years ago,” Andonovski said. “But the U.S. always figured out a way to stay a little bit ahead, or find a way to get on top.”And it can do so once again in 2023. Two tight losses away from home, with its roster and emotions both tattered, aren’t reasons for doubt.

The U.S. women’s national team lost to Spain 2-0 on Tuesday in Pamplona, Spain. It marks the first two-game losing streak for the USWNT since 2017. Here are my three thoughts on the game:

• The U.S. midfield is a huge concern and needs a formation change now. You can say all you want about the missing U.S. players from this game, but if we’re being honest 2015-era Julie Ertz and Sam Mewis aren’t walking through that door ever again, and Vlatko Andonovski needs to change his midfield set-up ASAP. Specifically: He has to go to a double-pivot, at least against top competition, because a single D-mid in Andi Sullivan just isn’t going to work. No single D-mid can do what Ertz used to do, including Ertz herself. The U.S. needs to switch to a 4-2-3-1 and use the added stability to help create the conditions for Rose Lavelle to do what she does best as a No. 10 in a central role. Right now the U.S. midfield isn’t controlling possession and isn’t creating the chances for whomever is on the front line to score goals. Spain’s B-team midfield outplayed the U.S., which can’t rely on forcing turnovers as the only way to create scoring chances. It’s that simple. Time for a change now.

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• There is time for the U.S. to right the ship, but not much. Several players missing from these losses to Spain and England should be back in the picture as we get closer to the World Cup, including Catarina Macario, Mal Pugh, Alex Morgan, Tierna Davidson and perhaps Kelley O’Hara, Emily Sonnett and Midge Purce. And it’s unlikely that future U.S. games will have the debilitating emotional context that surrounded the team over the past week in the wake of the Yates Report release. I’m glad the U.S. scheduled two away games in Europe against difficult opponents—although a Spain team missing 15 striking players was obviously far from full strength—in part because it shows us exactly how much the U.S. needs to improve in the coming months. Playing Germany twice in November will help as well. But the vibe around the USWNT right now feels a lot like it did during the disappointing Olympics run, and recognizing that is necessary if things are going to get better.

• This result won’t help the cause of progress with the Spanish team. Beating the World Cup champion 2-0 (after tying Sweden 1-1) without the 15 prominent players who refuse to play for Jorge Vilda will only give Vilda and the Spanish federation more ammo in their refusal to listen to the concerns of those players. Obviously, there’s a giant problem there, and the Spanish federation’s strategy of infantilizing the players and refusing to meet with them is of a piece with the unwillingness to engage serious matters that we saw from American soccer officials in the Yates Report. This has to stop. Spain got a good result today, but it’s remarkable to me how much turmoil several European World Cup contenders are in just a few months before the tournament, whether it’s Spain, France (which has somehow retained coach Corinne Diacre), the Netherlands (which just fired coach Mark Parsons) or Norway (which replaced its coach after the Euros). That may be a saving grace for this U.S. team: things aren’t quite as bad for the Americans as they are for several other contenders.

JULY 12, 2022 BY JOSEPH LOWERY

The USWNT beat Mexico 1-0 on Monday night, finishing the group stage at the Concacaf W Championship

With a semifinal game against Costa Rica coming up later this week, let’s talk about what the U.S. still needs to accomplish in this tournament

It wasn’t pretty, but the U.S. finished the group stage at the Concacaf W Championship with a 1-0 win over Mexico on Monday night. That result helped the USWNT secure the top spot in Group A and set up a semifinal match against Costa Rica on Thursday.Now that the group stage is over, what does the United States still need to do at the W Championship?Let’s talk about that.

Simple, right?

Qualifying for the Olympics was always one of the two results-based goals for the USWNT heading into this tournament down in Mexico. The other goal was to qualify for the World Cup, which the United States did after two games. To qualify for the 2024 Olympics, the U.S. needs to make it past Costa Rica in the semis and then take down their next opponent, likely Canada, in the final.With all of the USWNT’s quality players, they’re more than capable of winning the W Championship and earning that auto-qualification spot for 2024. But being capable of winning this tournament isn’t enough. Making it to the final – and then winning it – is a must for the United States. After finishing third at the Olympics last summer, these next two games are two of the biggest of Vlatko Andonovski’s tenure. Because the U.S. underperformed in Tokyo, it’s critical that they improve and get results over this next week. Unfortunately for the U.S., Monday’s game against Mexico doesn’t give them much momentum. It was the worst of their three group stage games by some distance: there were far too many sloppy touches, poor passes, and questionable tactical choices. The United States’ only goal came late in the game once Mexico had already gone down to 10 players.Overall, the game felt eerily similar to the USWNT’s matches at last year’s Olympics, albeit with much lower stakes. The U.S will need to be sharper and more consistent in the knockout rounds if they want to win this tournament.

TRUST THE NEW GUARD

It’s becoming increasingly clear that the United States’ new guard is ready to change games. That new guard includes an immensely talented group of young forwards (see: Mallory Pugh and Sophia Smith). It also includes creative midfielder Ashley Sanchez and up-and-coming center back Naomi Girma.

At least one, if not both, of the USWNT’s young wingers is going to start however many games the U.S. has left in Mexico. But setting the forward group aside, I think Andonovski should continue to start Sanchez in the midfield and Grima in the back in the knockout rounds.

Girma was strong defensively in both of her group stage starts, one against Jamaica and one against Mexico. Her patience and quick reads help her elevate the United States’ backline. More than that, she looks like an upgrade over Becky Sauerbrunn in pretty much every phase of play. I’m not sure if Andonovski would be willing to start Girma over Sauerbrunn, a U.S. legend, in big games at this tournament, but I think he should consider it.

And then there’s Sanchez. Sanchez tries stuff, people. Her ambition on the ball, creativity in the attack, and defensive mobility make her an extremely valuable presence for the USWNT. She’s appeared in all three games for the U.S. so far, mostly playing as a No. 8, but also playing some as a No. 10 in a 4-2-3-1 against Mexico (more on that later). I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the U.S. had their best attacking performance against Jamaica when Sanchez and Rose Lavelle started together in central midfield. At this point, Sanchez has shown that she should be starting as one of the No. 8s.

Before this tournament, Andonovski mentioned that the United States might play with a “double six”. They did just that for long stretches against Mexico on Monday, with Andi Sullivan and Lindsey Horan sitting deeper in midfield.The U.S. had the edge on Mexico, but they didn’t play well. The 4-2-3-1 shape (or, at the very least, a super lopsided 4-3-3 with Horan playing lower on the left and Sanchez playing higher on the right) and the USWNT’s execution in that shape was poor, to say the least. With both Sullivan and Horan sitting deep, there was a massive gap between the back four/double pivot and the front three/No. 10. That gap forced Sullivan into too much distribution. In general, she struggled to control the game and her errant passing hurt the USWNT. As the game wore on, the U.S. primarily advanced the ball through long balls over the top from Sullivan and Horan, which didn’t lead to many meaningful chances. You can see that gap in midfield in this image, with Horan setting up for a ball over the top.Looking a little higher up the field, Sanchez didn’t get enough touches playing as a No. 10 or even as a second forward next to Alex Morgan. Finally, because Andonovski flipped the central midfield shape and because the fullbacks were very reserved, there weren’t as many FB-CM-W combinations. As the clock ticked towards 90 minutes, the U.S. reverted to hopeful long balls and scattered play even against a 10-player defense.With all of those attacking issues in mind, the United States should stay away from the 4-2-3-1 and go back to the 4-3-3 against Costa Rica.If the U.S. can find their attacking rhythm and create consistent chances with the possession that most opposing teams give them, they’ll be in great shape. If not…we’ll all be reliving last summer’s Olympics.

October 8, 2022October 8, 2022 gatorbest

US Women lose to England, play Spain Tues 2:30 pm

The US ladies lost a heartbreaker to England on Friday 2-1 after some questionable calls which included a PK for England and a US goal called back by VAR. Coach V – took a young squad to Europe, with Alex Morgan and Becky Sauerbrunn among others missing due to injury. Sophia Smith was sensational along with Trinity Rodman and Megan Rapinoe up front. Alana Cook playing centerback for the injured Sauerbrunn – gave up the pretty bad 2^nd goal. The US pushed down the stretch but couldn’t find the net in front of a sold out Wembley Stadium in England. The #2 team in the world played well at home over our #1 US squad. The US will travel to Pamplona to run with the Bulls vs #9 Spain on ESPN2 at 2:30 pm on Tuesday. Hey Refs – What do you think of this offsides call that cost the US a great goal? More Ref stuff below.

Indy 11 Last Home game Sat 7 pm

The Indy 11 wrap up the home season tonight at 7 pm at the Mike, An 8W-6L-2D overall record at home this season has put off mostly good vibes, and the impetus this weekend for the squad falls on leaving the Eleven faithful with a good impression of what could come at Carroll Stadium in 2023. Tickets start at $15 at indyeleven.com/tickets or watch MyINDY-TV 23, ESPN+. Be Sure to Vote for former CFC GK Coach and Indy 11 GK Jordan Farr Player of the Month in the USL. His San Antonio team is first seed in the USL West. More GK stuff below.

High School – #1 CHS Boys Sectionals Final 6 pm at Murray, #3 CHS in final vs North Central @ Westfield 2 pm

The Carmel High School boys host regionals tonight at The Carmel High School boys host the Sectional Finals tonight at 6 pm at Murray Stadium. Here’s the shootout from Thursday night’s 4-4 (5-4) win where long time Carmel FC forward Will Latham hit the game winner. The #3 CHS ladies knocked off Zionsville 3-1 and now play North Central in the Finals at 2 pm at Westfield. Best of wishes to former Carmel FC GK Bethany Ducat who injured her kneecap and will miss the playoffs – fortunately another CFC GKU former keeper Aubrey Empie is there.

U13 Gold Boys went 4-0 – with 3 4-0 wins in Group play at a 2-0 win in the final. Coach Mark Stumpf (right) Asst Coach Shane Best (left)

Sat, Oct 8

10 am USA Wolverhampton vs Chelsea (Pulisic)

10 am Peacock Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs New Castle United

12 noon Paramount+ AC Milan vs Juventus (McKinney)

12:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich @ Dortmund (Reyna)

12:30 NBC Brighton vs Tottenham

Sun, Oct 9

9 am USA Crystal Palace vs Leeds United (Aaronson, Adams)

11:30 am USA Arsenal vs Liverpool

12 noon Big 10 Net Rutgers vs Indiana

1:30 pm ESPN+ Stutgart vs Union Berlin (Pefok)

2:30 pm FS1 Orlando City vs Columbus Crew

5 pm ESPN2 Real Salt Lake vs Portland Timbers

Mon, Oct 10

3 pm USA Nottingham’s Forest vs Aston Villa

Tues, Oct 11 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

12:45 pm Para+ Maccabi vs Juventus (McKinney)

2:30 pm ESPN2 US Women vs Spain (Pamplona)

3 pm Para+ Chelsea (Pulisic) vs AC Milan

3 pm Para+ PSG vs Benifica

3 pm Para+ Celtic vs RB Leipzig

3 pm Para+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Sevilla (Musah)

Wed, Oct 12

12:45 Para+ Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid

3 pm Para+, TUDN Barca vs Intermilan

3 pm Para+ Tottenham vs Frankfurt

Thur, Oct 13

12:45 pm Para+ Bode vs Arsenal

3 pm Para+ Union Berlin (Pefuk) vs Malmo

3 pm Para+ West Ham vs Anderlecht

Sat, Oct 29

8 pm CBS NWSL Championship Game

Soccer Saturday’s are every Sat 9-10 am on 93.5 and 107.5 FM with Greg Rakestraw

US loses to England 2-1

US Loses @ Wembley

England’s Hemp bosses US

Be Sure to Vote for former CFC GK Coach and Indy 11 GK Jordan Farr

Best Goalkeeper Saves this Past Week

Be Sure to Vote for former CFC GK Coach and Indy 11 GK Jordan Farr

MLS Saves of the Week

Can a Keeper be MVP

What do you think of this offsides call that cost the US a great goal?

Was absolutely thrilled to do Girls Academy Games last weekend with these fine refs.

Oct 7, 2022; London, ENG; United states forward Sofia Smith (11) scores a goal against England at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports

By The Athletic StaffOct 7, 2022

The U.S. women’s national soccer team fell 2-1 to England on Friday in a packed Wembley Stadium in London, snapping a 13-game winning streak by the U.S. The result of the friendly between two top-four teams in FIFA’s world rankings didn’t end in the Americans’ favor, but it provided a chance for younger players to test themselves against a formidable English side.

Forward Sophia Smith provided the only goal for the top-ranked U.S. in the 28th minute on a play set up by veteran Lindsey Horan, who muscled the ball away from England as they played out the back. Smith finished with a hard shot to the lower left corner past England’s goalkeeper Mary Earps.

Lauren Hemp opened the scoring in the 10th minute for the Lionesses, ranked fourth in FIFA standings heading into the match, who took the 2-1 lead with a penalty kick netted by Georgia Stanway in the 33rd minute.

The U.S. nearly leveled the score minutes later when Trinity Rodman sent a ball into the net off a pass by Smith, but it was overturned with Rodman called offside.The match also saw defender Crystal Dunn return to action for the national team after the birth of her son in May. The absence of star forward Alex Morgan, who was ruled out of the trip due to a knee injury, was notable, but 17-year-old forward Alyssa Thompson saw her first minutes on the senior squad.“I can literally be her mom and like not her team mom,” forward Megan Rapinoe said. “I asked her a couple times: are you just like, What the fuck is going on? You’re playing in this massive game. It’s such a young age.”The USWNT is set to play in a friendly against Spain on Oct. 11 in Pamplona.

Meg Linehan

Oct 8, 2022

Last summer, one of the main themes of the U.S. women’s national team’s performance at the Olympics centered around joy. Or rather, the apparent lack of it. Whether it was the strangeness of lockdowns and empty stadiums, or the lack of time to build chemistry, or the adjustment period with head coach Vlatko Andonovski at his first major tournament, or some other reason or a combination of all of them, the USWNT looked flat and uninspired for significant spells of their time in Tokyo. The door opened significantly to the creeping fear that the world was catching up ahead of the 2023 World Cup and an attempted three-peat.On Friday night, four days after the release of the full findings from U.S. Soccer’s independent investigation led by former deputy attorney general Sally Q. Yates, joy wasn’t just an important ingredient for the potential success of the team; it became a concept to cling to, to find a moment’s respite from an extraordinarily heavy week.“I’d be lying if I said we were doing well,” Crystal Dunn told assembled reporters on Wednesday before training. “We’re getting through it. I think a lot of us are trying to find joy in playing this game.”

England and the USA sent out a message that can’t be ignored

Every player on the team was navigating it differently, she said — some were able to separate the work from the news, to focus on one training at a time. Dunn said she personally tried to navigate everything at once. “I find joy in playing the game, but I also know that there are things bigger than training and this game coming up, that really matter and they deserve our attention as well.”

Friday’s 2-1 loss to England was supposed to be one of the major tests of the calendar year for the USWNT, after the CONCACAF W Championship final against Canada, and followed by another away match against Spain, before a double test against Germany in November. The narrative was simple, and billed like a heavyweight title fight on the half-and-half scarves sold outside Wembley at the bootleg merch stands: the world champions vs. the European champions.

Emerging from the Jubilee line outside Wembley on Friday night, fans were greeted by banners honoring every single player on the Euros roster (and, of course, head coach Sarina Wiegman), changed over at some point between Thursday’s pregame press conference and Friday’s match. A sea of ecstatic England fans flowed and crested below, before orderly filing into Wembley where the final count would prove to be less than the expected full capacity, but impressive nonetheless: 76,893 strong and loud.

England defender Lucy Bronze promised a moment of solidarity with the USWNT ahead of the match. “Every single one of us is in solidarity with all of those players,” she said on Wednesday. “Particularly the ones who have spoken out and told their truths because I can imagine — well, I can’t even imagine — how hard it must be to have gone through it, and then to speak out.”

On Friday night, players from both teams wore teal armbands in solidarity with sexual violence survivors. The lights of Wembley stadium also became a wash of teal. The two teams gathered for a pre-match photo behind a banner reading “Protect the Players.”

Moments like these are not the true work, but there can still be power in a symbol if that solidarity continues and builds.

“Any time teams come together like that, any time any team, really, takes a stand, I think it galvanizes everybody,” Megan Rapinoe said after the match.

England 2 – 1 USWNT: Hemp’s No 9 audition, Sophia Smith and players stand together

She mentioned the team’s next opponent, Spain, where 15 of the team’s most prominent players are embroiled in their own battle against their federation; Rapinoe said the USWNT was behind those players “100%.” While there are other, bigger reasons for the Spanish players to essentially boycott their own national team, consider this smaller detail: until 2019, they could not lock their own hotel room doors at night while traveling with the team. They had to wait for manager Jorge Vilda to check on them at night and meet his standards. Only then could they close their door and go to bed.

“Without the players, you don’t have anything,” Rapinoe said. “You don’t have a game, you don’t have a sport at all. If we’re not protected in the right ways, then nothing really else matters. For us to come together, and take a moment on a night like this, I think is really important and powerful.”

This week has largely been an exercise in still trying to comprehend the scale of the problem, the depth of the systemic abuse: sexual, emotional, verbal, racial, and homophobic. How those intersect with each other, how they extend with many tendrils to other parts of the game and other parts of the globe. There has been some progress on the accountability front in certain markets, even greater pressure from the public, media and sponsors, but we are just scratching the surface — even with a 171-page report. The true work still lies ahead.

Investigation: U.S. Soccer, NWSL didn’t provide safe player environment

“The scope of (the NWSL and NWSLPA) joint investigation includes every instance of inappropriate conduct towards players by individuals in positions of power at every existing NWSL club since 2013 and seeks to trace it back to its origins,” a statement from the players’ association (issued on Wednesday) reads. “While the findings of and recommendations in the Yates report are significant and disturbing, it is not the end of the story.”

There is still yet more light that needs to shine brightly into every corner of the sport. As much as the Yates report has been painful, the account is not yet complete. We may now have a much better sense of the scale, but we are still waiting to see the true extent. We have not yet seen the bottom of this hole.

On Friday night, though, the match provided a moment to hold all of this at once, to grapple with the highs of a massive crowd at Wembley with two top teams battling it out, existing right alongside the sobering context of the last week, the last year, the ten-year history of the NWSL. It was an opportunity to see everything that this game could be, but also to know the cost of reaching this moment, to feel a twinge of guilt for enjoying a world-class football match but to embrace that inner conflict, or even recharge thanks to the electric atmosphere.

England vs. USA was a time to hope that there is not just a way out of the darkness, but a way that reimagines a night like Friday as the norm, rather than the remarkable outlier.

Charlotte Harpur Oct 8, 2022

Fireworks flew and lights flashed as the pre-match show to England against the USA foreshadowed the lightning talent on the pitch.It was a fitting celebratory atmosphere as the European champions looked to make a statement against the champions of the world in front of a 76,893-strong Wembley crowd. England did just that, defeating the icons of women’s football for the first time in five and a half years and the first time on home soil since 2011.Juxtaposed with that carnivalesque feel, however, was an important message. Before kick-off, every player, wearing teal blue armbands, stood behind a banner which read “PROTECT THE PLAYERS” while the Wembley arch also shone in the same colour.It was a show of solidarity from the two squads after the report published on Monday — commissioned by US Soccer and led by former deputy attorney general Sally Q. Yates — that found allegations of abusive behaviour and sexual misconduct in America’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

Investigation: U.S. Soccer, NWSL didn’t provide safe player environment

There is a tension between the joy of playing on the pitch and the “horrible situations”, in Sarina Wiegman’s words, that many players experience off it. Both exist side by side, a reflection of the state of the women’s game.“We celebrated lots of things but also when this happens, you can’t let it go,” said Wiegman after the match“The timing is now. We used this momentum to spread the word that this is unacceptable. We are all behind it and supportive, but then we can play a very intense game. You could see lots of respect.”

So what does this victory mean for England? A 2-1 friendly win over the USWNT — “a good measure” and a “test”, according to their manager Wiegman — extends England’s winning streak to 15 games, a run which includes victories over the world’s top three ranked sides, plus the Netherlands and Spain. They are undefeated in 23 games and have never lost under Wiegman. The World Cup is 10 months away and this was another step in the right direction.“We took this moment to take another starting point to see where we are and we will take it from there,” said Wiegman.Since her appointment in September last year, the England manager has cultivated an unshakeable self-belief. The focus is not on their opponents’ strengths but their own.“As English people, we are the first to point out opposition and say, ‘They’re unbelievable’,” said Georgia Stanway. “Whereas now, we look in the room and we think we’re unbelievable.“This is us — this is what we’re here to do, that is how we play, this is our crowd, this is our home.”Before kick-off, captain Millie Bright, in the absence of the injured Leah Williamson, said she told her team “to put the stamp on our game”. The US are quick, physical, and make darting runs in behind. England didn’t choose to sit back, though, and restrict the space behind the defence. They set out with a high press and went at their opponents; a team they, and the world, had once feared.England reaped the rewards with Lauren Hemp, filling in for Alessia Russo at No 9, poking home from close range in the 10th minute.England’s performance, in the first half in particular, was dominant. They reduced the US’s possession to 31 per cent, the lowest number recorded since 2016. Of course, it’s not all about possession but it’s what you do with it, but England looked strong offensively, despite Russo’s absence, registering an expected goals (xG) total of 1.89.The all-conquering US put England under pressure, however; a much-needed test to see if they could adapt.“There were moments that were challenging, especially when we’re trying to build up and play out from the back,” said Stanway, who, hassled by Lindsey Horan, conceded possession in front of goal. Sophia Smith found the equaliser with a razor-sharp finish.In previous times, England may have crumbled but this summer’s triumph has established an unwavering confidence. For Stanway to step up and convert a penalty five minutes after five minutes after she was dispossessed, leading to the US’s equaliser, is symbolic of this side’s resilience.“We had already overcome that (mental) barrier before this game,” said Bright. “The summer proved to ourselves the level that we can play. Winning a major trophy, you’re on an equal ground almost; two top teams coming together.”“We proved to ourselves that we can beat anyone,” added Wiegman. “We just have to do what we can control and stick together, communicate with each other at all times. We need to have the freedom to make our own choices. We are doing well in that.”

Banned, ignored… adored: How England’s women fought to became champions of Europe

There are “extra gears”, in Stanway’s words, to be found and that counts for both sides. Of course, the caveat is the US squad is missing key players and come the new year, their team will look very different. Wiegman, as is her trademark, made few substitutions compared to her US counterpart, Vlatko Andonovski. Lauren James’ 91st-minute appearance is a nod to her progress so far.Just as this is not cause for panic for the US, Wiegman is not getting carried away. “It’s now October and not July yet,” she said. “You are the best team in the world when you have won the World Cup. We didn’t.”It was a display of two of the top teams on the biggest stage but Megan Rapinoe wrapped it up best.“Without the players, you don’t have anything. You don’t have a game, you don’t have a sport at all,” she said.“If we’re not protected in the right ways, then nothing else really matters. So for us to come together and take a moment on a night like this, it is really important and powerful.”

By Phil HayOct 7, 2022

The first episode of Leeds United’s Academy Dreams documentary starts with a question-and-answer session for their under-21s. Sam Greenwood is the best finisher in the squad, or so says Nohan Kenneh. Charlie Cresswell is the player who cannot keep out of the gym. Sean McGurk is most in need of a haircut and Crysencio Summerville is promising (or threatening) to drag McGurk to his barber.Lewis Bate gets onto talking about Joe Gelhardt and cuts to the chase, saying Gelhardt has it in him to be an England international, to go to the top, to be whatever he wants to be. Gelhardt hears that said about him a lot and he is one of those footballers who will end his career with his reputation lying one of two ways: either promise fulfilled or promise which should have been. No one could look at him and pretend that the faculties were not there in the first place, ready to be mined.

So sold are Leeds on him that he was used as part of the justification for the club’s inclination to let the last transfer window close without signing a forward. To quote their chief executive, Leeds — prior to hastily summoning Wilfried Gnonto from FC Zurich at the last minute — were content with their choices up front because those choices included someone “widely regarded as the best young striking talent in the league” and it is hard to be any more effusive than that. Gelhardt, for a snip from Wigan, was the sort of signing which could hardly go wrong; the sort of signing which could, quite easily, earn a club a killing competitively or financially.

Leeds Gelhardt was signed from Wigan in 2020 and has already made an impression in the Premier League (Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

They talk constantly about pathways at Leeds because pathways are essential bargaining chips in negotiations with any young footballer of any real value who is not simply chasing the dollar. Academy players with a brain and a clue want to know that the first team exists as an entity they have a reasonable chance of reaching. Clubs in the market want to be able to show that they do. Gnonto is a thinker, an intelligent cove, and it is almost inconceivable given his previous career choices that he did not ask that question or do some homework on what academy dreams at Leeds actually entail.He must have thought about Gelhardt because, to some extent, they are in direct competition: emerging, admired, looking to push themselves and working on establishing the exact type of forward they are. Gnonto likes to play a little deeper than a No 9 and moves into wider roles with Italy’s national side. Gelhardt can be highly effective off a striker too, but compared to Gnonto, looks more vibrant and more of a handful in central areas, congested or otherwise. Moving at speed, his touch and balance makes him difficult to contain but Gnonto has that air about him too, a player who wants the ball at his feet.In analysing strikers in the transfer market this summer, Leeds said more than once that they were mindful of avoiding any signing that, in style or ability, would cramp Gelhardt’s pathway. Despite everything, Gelhardt was able to turn last year into something of a break-out season, which made him a focal part of selection discussions.

It invited Leeds to push him further again. But on Sunday he was the spare part at Elland Road, the player omitted as Jesse Marsch picked his 20 for a goalless draw with Aston Villa. The fitness routine Gelhardt went through before the warm-up told the crowd he was available, simply because it was obvious from the running drills that he was fit. This is what players sometimes do when they are about to watch from the stands.Marsch and Leeds have options up front which, in the context of the year behind them, is a welcome and necessary novelty. What is yet to establish itself on his watch, though, is a clear or complete pecking order in which people know their place.There is a sense that if Marsch had all of his cards to play, Patrick Bamford would start up front but Bamford suffered another knock last week so the game of persistence continued with Rodrigo. Marsch doubted at first that Gnonto would be primed for the Premier League straight away but it turns out that he is, to some degree anyway, and a seat for him on the bench meant no seat for Gelhardt.

“It’s not based on performance because I think (Gelhardt) is playing well,” Marsch said. “We have a lot of other guys performing well right now. Please don’t take that as a negative on Joffy.” Which is fair enough and Gelhardt knocked in two goals for the under-21s two days later. But omitting Gelhardt on Sunday touched on something Marsch found himself discussing 48 hours earlier: how best to manage those players who are caught in the grey area where under-21s football is easy bread and butter but first-team football is not fully in their grasp? How to keep pathways open when the laws of choosing a squad dictate that a coach cannot maintain pathways for everyone? Who has to suck up the reality of hard numbers?Those numbers ebb and flow, dictated by some things Marsch cannot control. Luis Sinisterra’s impending one-match ban will open up a space in the squad for Sunday’s game at Crystal Palace. Gelhardt, in any case, is good enough to prove the theory of cream always rising to the top. But it is not a secret that he would have liked more minutes last season and that certain occasions when he wasn’t used, particularly as a substitute, confused him as much as others watching. Every appearance he makes in Academy Dreams says the same thing: that he wants to play, any time, anywhere.That the door is not open quite so wide is not inherently a bad thing for the club. It was incumbent on Leeds over the summer to move beyond the stage where players were in the squad by default or where naming a squad meant making up the numbers. Whereas last season Gelhardt had no guarantee of starting, now there is no guarantee of who will make the bench.It is on him to take up the challenge and on Marsch to keep the pathway clear.

September 30, 2022October 2, 2022 gatorbest

US Men

Wow and we thought Japan on Thurs was bad – now we couldn’t beat a Saudi Arabia teamed ranked 69^th in the world. Things are falling apart quick for a US team with so much hope just a few months ago. Now we were still missing key guys as Winger Tim Weah and Mid Yanus Musah showed how much we really miss him with his absence. Any thoughts that MMA (Mckinney/Musah/Adams) works without Musah has been negated this week. With Musah – balls move out of pressure as he does the work to connect our D to our offense as he drives forward with abandon. NO ONE else except perhaps Aaronson in the mid has show this ability. Overall while we were better in the mid vs the Saudi’s than we were vs Japan – we still didn’t look good. And Pepi and Pulisic up top ? Well they barely touched the ball at all? I thought Dest looked ok on the left – and serves as a serviceable left back if Jedi goes down. I thought Scally also looked good on the right – but it seems he doesn’t drink the Berhalter Kool-Aide – (he’s just a starter for a Bundesliga team (the what 3^rd bet league in the world? Why would GB like him. Much like Tim Ream (who 100% sure be on the plane to Qatar – he starts in the EPL for heaven’s sake). I have defended Berhalter for years now – give him time – look at the results I have said. See him trying to change our culture to a team that possesses instead of counter attacks and buckles down to play tough American defense. Now we play no defense at all – play out of the back with horrific results – and basically look like one of THE WORST TEAMS IN THE WORLD coming off this international break. Maybe he’s setting us up for a 3-0 sweep with the final nail coming on the Day After Thanksgiving when the largest Ever US Audience can watch us get drummed by England 4-1 or something. I mean if not for the spectacular shot stopping of Matt Turner (who by the way Berhalter won’t start if he has his way – he loves our 3^rd best GK right now Zach Steffan instead). At this point the defense looks slow and clueless, the midfield disjointed and the offense non existent. Pulisic pouted his way thru 75 lackluster minutes before stomping off in the 76^th minute – throwing his captain band to Adams. Adams who by the way should be the captain. Gio Reyna – perhaps our best actual player if he ever gets healthy again – left unexpectedly in the 30^th minute with tightness in his leg. Do we really think Reyna who hasn’t played ALL YEAR is going to have an impact on the World Cup in less than 60 days? Doubtful. And up front – well besides Aaronson trying to do it all himself – we had little to nothing. No shots by Pepi the all world 19 year-old who is continuing his disappearing act while Berhalter strokes his back and begs him to score – a goal – any goal for the first time in over a year. If he leaves the only #9 in the World actually playing well Jordan Pefok from Union Berlin (3 goals, 3 assists leads the Bundesliga) at home – well he may well have his Donovan moment. That moment where the entire team knows he’s clueless and won’t be able to even coax a win out of the most talented group of American’s to ever wear the Stars and Stripes at the same time. GK Matt Turner was the one bright spot this window. Speaking of Goalkeepers – check out the GK section Below.

Indy 11 Home Sat – Breast Cancer Awareness Night 7 pm

Indy Eleven used a 2^nd half penalty kick conversion from its captain Ayoze and a dominant defensive performance to capture a hard-fought 1-0 home win. The victory marked the Eleven’s 4 straight home win. They return home Saturday, Oct. 1, when they host FC Tulsa for Breast Cancer Awareness Night Tickets start at $15 at indyeleven.com/tickets or watch MyINDY-TV 23, ESPN+.

Big Games

The end of the international break is highlighted by some huge games this weekend and this week. Sat league leading Arsenal hosts Tottenham at 7:30 am on USA, while at 9:30 am league leading Union Berlin and Jordan Pefok travel to top 6 foe Frankfurt and fellow American Timmy Chandler. 10 am on USA gives us Pulisic sitting the bench I am sure for Chelsea vs Crystal Palace while #6 Fulham along with Jedi and Tim Ream will host New Castle in a surprising top 10 battle. Sunday gives us the Manchester Derby at 9 am on Peacock while Leeds United States of America with Coach, and Aaronson and Adams host Aston Villa looking to move back into the top10. Sunday also gives us huge MLS playoff battles as Portland fights for their playoff lives hosting league leading LAFC on ABC at 3 pm followed by Sporting KC vs Seattle – both still mathematically alive at 5 pm on Fox Sports 1. Of course ladies NWSL has battles royal Sat and Sun as well. Oh and Champions League is back Tues/Wed next week with Inter vs Barca and Chelsea vs AC Milan (see full schedule on the obc)

CFC GKU – GK Coach Noelle Rolfsen Named All Conference Player of the Week

Carmel FC GK coach Noelle Rolfsen was named all Conference Player of the Week for her 3rd ranked Marian University Knights. Noelle Rolfsen was voted the Crossroads League Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the league office earlier this afternoon. The honor marks the first time in her career as a keeper for the Knights. The senior goalkeeper played the full 90 minutes and recorded a shutout in a win against No. 18 Grace, posting four saves to help the Knights to a 2-0 win over the Lancers. Rolfsen has played in every game this season, notching 28 saves with 0.67 goals against average, helping Marian towards an 9-0-1 record. Rolfsen and the Knights knocked off #2 Ranked Spring Arbor Wed night and return home Saturday at 7:30 PM to host Bethel for senior day with hopes that a #1 Ranking may follow.

High School Local – #1 CHS Boys host Regionals, #3 CHS Girls travel to Westfield

The Carmel High School boys host regionals next week. The #3 CHS ladies tied #4 Zionsville 0-0 as 5 former or current Carmel FC Goalkeepers saw action between the pipes in JV and Varsity action. They close out the year at #15 Westfield tonight. Carmel Men’s highlights in win over Guerin. The Carmel Girls head into regionals next week ranked 3^rd in the US and Indiana according to Max Preps – who also has Noblesville (2^nd), and Zionsville (21) in the top 25 nationally.

US Women’s Roster Set

The USWNT will face European champion England at a sold-out Wembley Stadium on October 7, before taking on Spain in Pamplona four days later. “These are big tests for our team in front of crowds cheering against us and after long travel, but our players absolutely love games like these,” said Andonovski. “The group we are bringing to Europe includes players who have a lot of experience against top European teams and some that don’t, so these games are even more critical for our growth as our team. Our whole squad needs to get a clear picture of what these games are like as we continue to prepare for the World Cup.”

GOALKEEPERS (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (Racing Louisville FC), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Hailie Mace (Kansas City Current), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Taylor Kornieck (San Diego Wave FC), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

FORWARDS (6): Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Mallory Pugh (Chicago Red Stars), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Alyssa Thompson (Total Futbol Academy)

Good Luck to our Carmel FC teams playing in Soctoberfest in Zionsville this weekend – I will be out there coaching and reffing – be sure to post your pics to our Twitter and FB pages !

Also if looking to watch some solid soccer this weekend – the GA Girls Academy teams from all over the US are playing at Grand Park this weekend – I will be reffing on Friday/Sunday.

Was privileged to ref my first Girls Academy games this weekend with Marco from Indy left and Steve from North Carolina right.

Fri, Sept 30

2:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen

Sat, Oct 1

7:30 am USA Arsenal vs Tottenham

9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Koln

9:30 am ESPN+ Frankfurt vs Union Berlin (Pefok)

10 am USA Crystal Palace vs Chelsea (Pulisic)

10 am Peacock Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs New Castle United

12 noon ESPN+ Roma vs Inter Milan

6 pm Para + NY Gothem vs Portland Thorns NWSL

7:30 pm ESPN+ Chicago Fire vs Cincy

10 pm Para+ Seattle Reign vs Orlando Pride NWSL

Sun, Oct 2

9 am USA Man City vs Man United

10 am USA Leeds United (Aaronson, Adams) vs Aston Villa

2:$5 pm ESPN+ Juve vs Bologna

3 pm ABC Portland Timbers vs LAFC

5 pm FS1 Sporting KC vs Seattle Sounders

6 pm Para + Chicago Red Stars vs Angel City NWSL

Mon, Oct 3

3 pm USA Leicester City vs Nottingham’s Forest

Tues, Oct 4 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

3 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Barcelona

3 pm Para+ Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid

Wed, Oct 5

3 pm Para+ Chelsea (Pulisic) vs AC Milan

3 pm Para+ Sevilla (Musah) vs Dortmund (Reyna)

Fri, Oct 7

3 pm FOX US Women vs England in London

Tues, Oct 11

2:30 pm ESPN2 US Women vs Spain (Pamplona)

Sat, Oct 29

8 pm CBS NWSL Championship Game

Soccer Saturday’s are every Sat 9-10 am on 93.5 and 107.5 FM with Greg Rakestraw

As Qatar 2022 looms the US look like who they are: Concacaf’s third best team
USMNT player ratings vs Saudi Arabia
US need to improve at World Cup says Berhalter
Giovanni Reyna exits USMNT friendly vs Saudi Arabia with apparent injury
USMNT vs. Saudi Arabia result: Final pre-World Cup friendly ends in scoreless draw
5 takeaways from U.S. men’s soccer team’s friendly loss to Japan

European giants struggle for form as World Cup looms

World Cup 2022 rankings: Who are the favorites?
Mbappe revels in greater ‘freedom’ with France
Nick Pope’s fumble squanders three-goal fightback but England take heart from Germany draw
England in ‘good place’ for World Cup, says Kane
England player ratings vs Germany: Declan Rice in driving seat with man-of-the-match performance
Bellingham gives England cause for hope at World Cup
Spain snare Nations League semis spot from Portugal
Italy beat Hungary for consolation of Nations League final-four
Do not worry, England fans – the rest of Europe are just as bad
Croatia, Netherlands into Nations League semi-finals
Wílmar Barrios’ stunner highlights Colombia’s 3-2 comeback vs. Mexico at Levi’s Stadium
Lozano lifts Mexico to 1-0 win over Peru in World Cup warm-up

World Cup Send-off Not Good for Mexico either
Messi scores two beauties, accosted twice as Argentina tops Jamaica 3-0
Messi in the 100 club as Argentina streak continues with Jamaica defeat
Scaloni to remain as Argentina coach through 2026 World Cup
Banana thrown at Richarlison as Brazil thrash Tunisia
Son’s header gives South Korea win over Cameroon in World Cup

Report: Christian Pulisic ‘in talks’ over move to Juventus

Premier League betting: The EPL returns with a couple of mammoth fixtures

Are Man United playing Man City at the right time?

Arsenal, Spurs both peaking entering derby clash

Galaxy and LAFC to open 2023 season against each other at Rose Bowl
MLS Franchise Valuations Ranking List: From LAFC to CF Montreal

Angel City loses control of their playoff fate after falling to Racing Louisville
Q+A: Diana Ordóñez on her prolific NWSL rookie season, tattoos and
NWSL Boom, Global Growth Usher in New Goals for Women’s Soccer

GK Matt Turner Man of the Match vs Japan

Best Saves Week 3 Sept

Best Saves Week 2 Sept

Best Saves Week 1 Sept

Gigi Dondarumma Saves

The American Gigi – Slonina of Chicago/Chelsea

Goalkeeper Training with the US

NWSL Saves of the Season

The injured Yunus Musah was in attendance and saw that the U.S. needs Yunus Musah in a 0-0 tie against the World Cup-bound Saudis.
MURCIA, Spain — The U.S. men’s national team tied Saudi Arabia 0-0 on Tuesday in the last game before the World Cup starts in November. Here are my three thoughts on the game:
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• This was better than the ugly Japan loss, but the U.S. still isn’t where it should be so close to the World Cup. The U.S. had to make an improvement over that performance against the Japanese, and they did, showing more poise and a bit more energy against a not-full-strength Saudi Arabia starting 11. Weston McKennie and especially Tyler Adams had better performances over Friday in the midfield, and central defenders Aaron Long and Walker Zimmerman didn’t lose their composure this time. (They even looked for some line-breaking passes over the top.) It was good to see Christian Pulisic back on the field, and the U.S. looked decent on the handful of occasions when Pulisic showed flashes of creativity on the ball in the attack. But Pulisic still didn’t have a signature moment that could have really gotten him going again amid his club issues. Meanwhile, the U.S. still didn’t create many scoring chances and had just two shots on goal against a Saudi team that was well-organized by the veteran coach Hervé Renard. The Saudis don’t concede many goals (they tied fellow World Cup entrant Ecuador 0-0 here on Friday), and the U.S. didn’t do enough to find holes in the defense. Playing at left back, Sergiño Dest remains an enigma, a player capable on this night of some brutal unforced errors but also of a couple piercing runs forward. Simply put: It has to getter from the U.S. before the World Cup opener against Wales if the Americans are going to put three points on the board in that game.
• The U.S. really needs Yunus Musah. The 19-year-old Valencia midfielder could have made a huge difference in this game had he been on the field instead of missing with an injury. Musah actually came down the coast and watched the game in the stadium, and what he saw was a U.S. team that doesn’t have anyone quite like him who can carry the ball forward on the dribble in the midfield and threaten opposing defenses. Musah has a real chance to be the breakout player of the World Cup for the United States. Give Gregg Berhalter credit for recognizing early that Musah can be dangerous in a central role instead of the wide role that his club played him at until Rino Gattuso decided to do so this season. But is it a concern that the U.S. doesn’t seem to have anyone else who can do what Musah does? You bet it is. Which is why it’s so important that Musah gets healthy and stays that way through November.
• Gio Reyna can’t buy a break health-wise. The 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund attacker has been plagued by injuries for the past year, and he recreated an all-too-familiar scene in the 30th minute when he touched the ball out of play and walked off the field through the tunnel (with Gregg Berhalter following behind). U.S. Soccer said Reyna had muscle tightness and came out as a precaution. Reyna, who still seems better-suited to a central midfield than a winger spot with the U.S., hadn’t made a major mark in these two international games, but it was good just to see him start two games in a row as he tries to get back to full fitness for club and country. It has almost become a meme at this point to see a distressed Reyna walking off the field through the tunnel, and you have to hope that it isn’t an injury that will set him back as he tries to become a regular contributor for the U.S. and for Dortmund. There’s a psychological element to how Reyna processes his injuries, and it’s something you never want a player so young to have to deal with on a regular basis.
USMNT winger Gio Reyna will return from injury ahead of World Cup
Sep 29, 202215

U.S. men’s national team winger Giovanni Reyna “has a strain and will be out for seven to 10 days,” Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzić said Thursday.Reyna, who also plays for the German club, sustained the injury during a friendly against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. The 19-year-old exited the World Cup tune-up match after just 30 minutes and headed right to the tunnel after leaving the field. He was replaced by Paul Arriola, and the match ended in a scoreless draw.Reyna has struggled with hamstring injuries in the past, most recently missing the bulk of the European domestic season due to a torn tendon sustained while playing for Borussia Dortmund in April. That injury required four full months of recovery and followed another hamstring problem that prevented him from playing for five months.The Americans begin World Cup play with a Group B match against Wales on Nov. 21. Given Reyna’s estimated recovery timeline, he should be available to play.
World Cup state of play: Dismal form, injuries and lack of striker impairing USMNT
Sam Stejskal and Paul Tenorio
Sep 29, 2022
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The U.S. men’s national team’s final two matches before the World Cup — a 2-0 loss to Japan in Dusseldorf, Germany, last Friday and a scoreless draw against Saudi Arabia in Murcia, Spain, four days later — raised some serious concerns.
What went wrong in the buildup? What problems does head coach Gregg Berhalter face?
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Here, Paul Tenorio and Sam Stejskal answer the big questions.

What is the team’s form like and how have they performed during this break?
This was perhaps the most disheartening international window for the U.S. since the one in October 2019 when they suffered a shock defeat on the road to Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League.
That loss served as a turning point for this national team — a reminder that their intensity and energy are still critical to their success. This latest window reinforced that notion.
There are still some very big weaknesses in this young team. The two big areas of concern — center-back and forward — flared up in the defeat to Japan and draw with Saudi Arabia. Just as concerning, though, was the midfield’s inability to play through the opposition. The U.S. certainly felt the absence of 19-year-old Yunus Musah and they’ll hope his return in November will help settle the midfield.

Which players are in or out of form? Are there any that the fans/the manager will be worried about?
Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams are starting every week for Leeds United, Weston McKennie is getting healthy minutes with Juventus and Walker Zimmerman is having another fine season for Nashville. But those four aside, there are legitimate form concerns for most of the U.S.’s main players.
Christian Pulisic has had a rough start to the season at Chelsea. His playing time under new head coach Graham Potter will be a major focal point for U.S. fans in the coming weeks. Giovanni Reyna had not made a league start for Borussia Dortmund before this month’s international break as he continued to work his way back to fitness and his injury on Tuesday will likely delay that further. Sergino Dest didn’t play at all for Barcelona in the three games between the start of the season and his deadline-day loan move to AC Milan, where he’s been used in a reserve role so far, making three substitute appearances.
It’s conceivable that none of those three will have a consistent run of starts between now and kick-off in Qatar.
Striker may be the most confounding position. Jesus Ferreira is in good form in MLS but he has yet to translate any success he’s had with FC Dallas to a match against a difficult opponent on the international level. Ricardo Pepi is off to a fine start to his loan at Dutch top-flight club Groningen but it’s only been two solid games after a rut that lasted nearly a year.
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Josh Sargent and Jordan Pefok are performing well at their clubs, but Sargent played the fewest minutes of any of the three strikers called into the September camp while Pefok was left off the roster entirely.
Aaron Long is starting at center-back for the U.S. but he isn’t having his best year for the New York Red Bulls. Mark McKenzie entered September in good form at Genk in Belgium but he then struggled mightily for the U.S. This position will remain a huge concern up to, and likely throughout, the World Cup.
Then there are the injuries. Lots and lots of injuries.
Are there worries over the fitness of, or injuries to, certain players?
The U.S. went into the September window missing several starters due to injury: Musah, left-back Antonee Robinson, center-back Chris Richards and winger Tim Weah. It then got worse.Robinson emerged as one of the most influential players in this U.S. team due to his attacking abilities but missed out on this window with an ankle injury. There has been no indication of just how bad the ailment is. If he misses the World Cup, his absence would likely force Dest to the left side and shake up the back line.Richards has struggled to stay healthy and his injuries have limited his availability and playing time with the national team. Center-back is the thinnest spot on the roster and Richards’ passing ability is especially missed. If he can get healthy and play a stretch of games with Crystal Palace, the U.S. will be much better for it. Another center-back, Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers, also pulled out of this camp due to an injury, forcing the U.S. further down the depth chart for the September games.Musah was a late exclusion due to a muscle injury but his issues seem like a shorter-term problem. Weah, meanwhile, remains out for Lille due to a foot injury and is yet to play this season. As mentioned above, Reyna left Tuesday’s draw as a precautionary measure due to some hamstring tightness. The injury is not expected to be serious, according to Berhalter, but it’s a reminder that over the past year, Reyna has been unable to stay on the field for long stretches. Right-back Reggie Cannon picked up a groin injury in this September camp and is expected to miss a few weeks.Cristian Roldan missed camp due to a groin injury suffered in August but he returned to the field for Seattle on Tuesday. He could be back with the U.S. squad in November — he’s seen as an important presence within the locker room.

What is the squad’s depth like? Are there any problem positions?
There’s good depth at winger, where Pulisic, Reyna, Aaronson and Weah are competing for two starting spots, and Paul Arriola and Jordan Morris are fighting for a reserve role. The U.S. is pretty thin just about everywhere else, however. We saw that in the September window. Luca de la Torre, who started against Japan, and Kellyn Acosta, who went the full 90 minutes against Saudi Arabia, didn’t come close to replacing Musah’s ability to break pressure and assist Adams in buildout play. At center-back, injuries to Richards and Carter-Vickers prompted Berhalter to start Long in both matches.The absence of Robinson and the tough outing that Sam Vines had against Japan led to Dest flipping from the right to the left on Tuesday. It worked fine but it was a case of hurting one side of the back four to fix the other. Berhalter likely only felt comfortable trying the flip because the U.S. has somewhat decent depth on the right with DeAndre Yedlin, Joe Scally and Cannon, though the latter is now out for the next few weeks due to his injury.Again, the main problem positions are center-back and striker. Zimmerman has been solid defensively but he’s limited in possession. Long hasn’t been up to par while McKenzie was poor in September. The U.S. need Richards to get healthy and onto the field for Palace, but given his lack of playing time before his recent injury, the latter outcome seems unlikely. Carter-Vickers returning to the field at Celtic could provide a boost, too. It’s a similar picture at striker.None of the options have done anything of note at the international level. Ferreira has finished poorly with the U.S. and hasn’t done a good job of threatening opposition back lines with runs in behind. Sargent didn’t get much of a chance in this window. Pepi is a total wild card, given his prolonged struggles over the last year. Union Berlin’s Pefok is the option du jour but Berhalter seems to have decided his limitations in possession preclude him from starting in Qatar.Simply put, the U.S. is several cuts below the top international teams at both these positions.That won’t change between now and the World Cup.

Are there any issues to fix before the World Cup?
There are a couple of major aspects to address. The U.S. must be better at handling a team’s press and they have to figure out how to unlock teams who sit in a low block. Both areas have given this team problems and they should expect to see both tactics employed against them at the World Cup.
As mentioned above, the issues at center-back and striker aren’t “fixable”, per se. Players need to step up but there are tactical tweaks that could help in handling the press better and the U.S. need to figure out what to do to unlock the attacking strength of their team: the wingers. Dropping Musah closer to Adams, shifting McKennie a bit to the right, and opening space on the left so that they can play through Pulisic could be key.

What are the expectations of the fanbase for the World Cup?
Before these last two matches, they seemed relatively high. The minimum expectation was to emerge out of group B, which also includes England, Wales and Iran. After the September window, that may have changed a bit.
Most fans will likely still expect the U.S. to advance to the 16-team knockout stage but most certainly feel a lot less confident in that happening than they did just one week ago.
U.S. Soccer’s 30-year run on ESPN has come to an end

Jon Heath followSeptember 28, 2022 5:13 pm ET
The U.S. men’s national soccer team’s 2-0 loss to Japan in a friendly last week marked the end of U.S. Soccer’s 30-year partnership with ESPN.
In the final minute of the game, former USMNT player and current ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman put a bow on a long era of Disney-owned coverage of the national team.
“For so many of us, it was [growing up with] the ABC games, the ESPN family of networks — just watching the games,” Twellman said. “Way before I even got here, they just did such a good job of helping this national team — both the women’s and the men’s — grow. It’s remarkable to think that at the end of 2022, it’s all done.”
Twellman followed up his on-air remarks with a tweet thanking those “behind the scenes” who made the network’s coverage possible.
What networks will broadcast U.S. Soccer games now?
ESPN did not renew its deal with U.S. Soccer that’s set to expire at the end of 2022, so where can fans watch going forward?
First, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will air on Fox Sports networks this fall, and the 2023 Women’s World Cup will be on Fox next summer. Fox also owns the rights to the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Nations League matches will remain with CBS (likely on Paramount+) through next year and then the rights will become available.
After the World Cup, Turner Sports will take over most non-World Cup matches beginning in 2023. Turner Sports reached an eight-year agreement with U.S. Soccer in March that will pay the federation between $25 million and $27 million per year for English-language rights to USMNT and USWNT games, according to The Athletic.
Turner will have the rights to USMNT and USWNT friendlies, the SheBelieves Cup, as well as USWNT and USMNT World Cup qualifiers among other properties. The USMNT is expected to automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup at home, so qualifiers (for the men’s team) might not come into play before the 2030 World Cup cycle.
As part of the deal, Turner also acquired U.S. Open Cup rights.
According to U.S. Soccer, TNT or TBS will televise approximately half of the more than 20 matches Turner Sports carries annually. All games will also be available to stream on HBO Max, and it remains to be seen if Turner will opt to make any games exclusively available on the streaming service.
Meanwhile, Spanish-language rights remain available, and newly merged TelevisaUnivision appears to be a major contender to acquire that package.
Is this really the end of ESPN’s coverage?
The rights to some USMNT games — such as Gold Cup matches — are held by CONCACAF, so it’s possible that ESPN might acquire select games going forward, but their current agreement with U.S. Soccer is coming to an end.

Henry BushnellTue, September 27, 2022 at 8:03 PM Yahoo Soccer
Gregg Berhalter has 11 players in mind who, “ideally, in a perfect world,” would start for the U.S. men’s national team in its 2022 World Cup opener.The USMNT coach knows, of course, that “that’s not international soccer”; that this world is far from perfect and that injuries will surely disrupt his plans. But he has been concocting them, gradually, for years now. On what is effectively World Cup Eve, with his final warmup friendlies played, he has just about all the information he needs to pick a starting lineup — and, for that matter, a roster.Berhalter has not yet settled on a 26-man squad for Qatar 2022, but he is close. The roster, he indicated, was 80-85% set prior to a September training camp. A 2-0 loss to Japan last week and a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday provided further clues — and for Berhalter, “some clarity.” He and U.S. Soccer will reveal the World Cup roster on Nov. 9. He’ll then sweat through one last weekend of club games before submitting his final list of 26 players to FIFA by Monday, Nov. 14. By then, the entire USMNT will have gathered in Qatar, at their luxurious hotel on The Pearl, and at their Al-Gharafa training base.And by then, barring any last-minute fitness doubts, the starting 11 will also be decided. Here, with less than two months to go, is what we think it will be.
USMNT projected starting lineup for 2022 World Cup
Over the past 12 months, Berhalter’s ideal starting 11 has crystallized. Assuming full health, with the exception of Miles Robinson, it appears to be this — with a few caveats below:
Goalkeeper: Matt Turner
Right back: Sergiño Dest
Center back: Walker Zimmerman
Center back: Chris Richards
Left back: Antonee Robinson
Defensive midfield: Tyler Adams
Central midfield: Yunus Musah
Central midfield: Weston McKennie
Right wing: Tim Weah
Striker: Jesús Ferreira
Left wing: Christian Pulisic
Caveat No. 1: In his “perfect world,” Berhalter would love to start Zack Steffen, who’s more capable than Turner with the ball at his feet. But Steffen’s form and fitness have been unstable. He would need to get back onto the field and into a groove for Middlesbrough, his English Championship club, if he is going to start at the World Cup ahead of Turner — who played all 180 minutes (and played well) in the September friendlies.Caveat No. 2: Same goes for Chris Richards. He is the most talented center back in the U.S. pool, but missed all six World Cup tuneups due to injury. In his place, Aaron Long was the only USMNT player, regardless of position, to start all six. If Richards isn’t ready to play 90 minutes — and given that he has no clear path to regular playing time at Crystal Palace, he might not be — Long appears to be the deputy, no matter how uncomfortable he has looked. (Long might also be the best matchup for 6-foot-5 Welsh striker Kieffer Moore.)The only other slight question mark is at striker. Josh Sargent and Ricardo Pepi remain in contention to start up top. But Berhalter heaps praise on Jesús Ferreira whenever he can, and said this month that Ferreira “checks all [the] boxes.” If Weah and Pulisic are both in the lineup against Wales, Ferreira should also be in it — with some rotation possible further into the tournament.
USMNT 2022 World Cup roster prediction
The roster is a tad more complicated. But 20 outfield players and one goalkeeper appear to be locks or near-locks. Before we get to position-by-position analysis, and identify those locks, here’s our best guess at the 26:
Goalkeepers: Zack Steffen, Matt Turner, Sean Johnson
Fullbacks: Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson, DeAndre Yedlin, Reggie Cannon
Center backs: Walker Zimmerman, Chris Richards, Aaron Long, Cameron Carter-Vickers
Central midfielders: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Luca de la Torre, Kellyn Acosta
Attacking midfielders/wingers: Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Brenden Aaronson, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman, Paul Arriola
Strikers: Jesús Ferreira, Josh Sargent, Jordan Pefok, Ricardo Pepi
GOALKEEPERS
Locks: Matt Turner
Likely: Zack Steffen
Bubble: Sean Johnson, Ethan Horvath, Gaga Slonina
Turner will be either the starter or the No. 2.
Steffen could be the starter. If not, he could be the No. 2, or he could be off the roster altogether.
For the remaining one or two slots, Berhalter has two options: pick a “locker-room guy,” or peer into the future.
In the first scenario, Johnson versus Horvath is a coin flip. In the second, the 18-year-old Slonina is an obvious choice. He’s the best goalkeeper prospect the U.S. has produced in some time, and the early favorite to start in 2026. He hasn’t played for the national team yet, but could be brought to Qatar for the experience.
FULLBACKS
Locks: Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson
Likely: DeAndre Yedlin, Reggie Cannon
Bubble: Joe Scally, Sam Vines
Berhalter dropped a massive hint on Tuesday when he started Dest at left back and Yedlin at right back, rather than giving Scally a legitimate look on the left. Scally was somewhat impressive off the bench — but on the right, which is telling.
The takeaway is that Dest, in addition to his role as the starting right back, is the backup left back. If Antonee Robinson were to go down in Qatar, Dest would switch flanks, and either Yedlin or Cannon would slot in at right back, depending on situation and opponent. (Cannon is valued for his ability to play on the right side of a back three in possession.)
So, Scally would, in theory, be the third-string left back and fourth-string right back. Vines, who looked a bit out of his depth against Japan, would be the third-string left back. Both seem unnecessary.
With Robinson injured, Berhalter brought only one left-footed fullback to September camp, and his reasoning — “we didn’t feel like we had enough depth on the left side to go with two left-footers” — could probably apply in November as well.
CENTER BACKS
Locks: Walker Zimmerman, Chris Richards, Aaron Long
Likely: Cameron Carter-Vickers
Bubble: Mark McKenzie
Longshot: Tim Ream, James Sands
Zimmerman and his two potential partners are on the plane. Carter-Vickers is the clear favorite to join them. Those were the four on this September roster until Richards and Carter-Vickers pulled out with minor injuries. In their absence, Berhalter called in McKenzie and Erik Palmer-Brown, but, rather than give them real opportunities, he kept trying to forge a viable Long-Zimmerman partnership.
The question is whether he’ll take a fifth center back. The extremely logical option would be Ream, who A) is currently captaining a Premier League club, B) has all sorts of experience, C) would be the left-footed ball-playing center back that the U.S. so sorely lacked against Japan and D) could serve as the third-string, in-case-of-emergency left back.
But Berhalter’s September decisions and words suggest that Ream is, at best, seventh on the depth chart and out of the picture.
“Some of the things that we’re looking for in our center backs is to play a high line, cover a lot of space behind them, be dominant in the air, dominant on offensive and defensive set pieces,” Berhalter said after naming the roster. “And that’s not Tim’s strength.”
(McKenzie played in the second halves of both September games, and, although he’d seem redundant if the top four options are all available, he could be the fifth choice.)
CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS
Locks: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Luca de la Torre, Kellyn Acosta
Longshots: Cristian Roldan
Can play here too: Gio Reyna, Brenden Aaronson, Malik Tillman
The midfield seems simple. The three starters — Adams, Musah and McKennie — are obvious. Acosta is the backup to Adams. De la Torre is a backup at either of the other two positions. So are Tillman, Reyna and Aaronson, who, as a trio, give Berhalter enough flexibility to feel comfortable taking only five true central midfielders.
There remains an outside chance, though, that he could use the 26th roster spot on a sixth, which could be Roldan, a well-liked and versatile veteran who’s currently injured — and whose stock might have risen in absentia.
WINGERS/ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS
Locks: Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Brenden Aaronson
Likely: Malik Tillman
Bubble: Paul Arriola, Jordan Morris
We’re hesitant to lock in Tillman only because his USMNT track record is so short. But Berhalter clearly rates him. Speaking prior to camp, he essentially challenged the 20-year-old attacking midfielder to “increase his level,” then said: “He can help this group, but he needs to pick it up a little. He’s a guy that the coaching staff was highly impressed with, and think he’s got a huge ceiling.”
Berhalter then used Tillman in both September games off the bench, once in midfield and once on the left wing. That he didn’t stand out isn’t all that relevant, because nobody did.
With creativity more than accounted for, then, by that locked-in group of four or five, the conventional wisdom is that Berhalter will take a more direct winger as the sixth player in this category. It’ll likely be whoever between Arriola and Morris concludes the MLS season in better form.
STRIKERS
Locks: Jesús Ferreira
Likely: Josh Sargent
Bubble: Ricardo Pepi, Jordan Pefok
Ferreira will be on the plane, even if he doesn’t start. Sargent should be, unless he falls back into a rut at Norwich. And then we arrive at the most controversial decision of all.
Berhalter would do anything to reincarnate 2021 Ricardo Pepi. He called the 19-year-old into September camp despite 11-plus months without a goal. (Pepi finally scored one the following weekend.) He praised him effusively in news conferences, and handed him a start against Saudi Arabia. He desperately wants Pepi to make this 26-man squad, and to be his third striker — or something more.
Whether Pepi ultimately does will depend on his performances for his new club, FC Groningen; but also on Berhalter’s answer to an infrequently discussed question: Might he take four strikers to Qatar?
He certainly does not need four. But he doesn’t need a fifth fullback, a fifth center back or a sixth central midfielder either. The separate scenarios that call Pepi and Pefok into action are far more plausible than the ones that summon Scally, or Vines, or McKenzie, or Roldan.
Pefok, as the third striker, would serve a very specific role. He’d never start, because his profile doesn’t jibe with Berhalter’s system; but he’d be the penalty-box target that Berhalter would turn to when systems fly out the window, with 15 minutes remaining and in need of a goal.
Pepi would then be the fourth striker who could deputize in any of the three roles, and who, in the absolute worst-case scenario, would soak up the experience and store it away for 2026.

Jason Anderson

September 29, 2022 8:00 am ET

The 2022 NWSL regular season is down to its final six matches, but we still have plenty of drama in store.

Four teams have a shot at finishing at the top of the standings when all is said and done (alright, really only three, but our playoff scenario pieces have been about extremes, and technically there are four), while we could very well see the final game of the entire season become a one-game playoff elimination game.

Follow along as we detail all the possibilities for each of the eight teams that are still alive!

This section hasn’t expanded despite two playoff bubble teams both losing last weekend, which is wild, but also shouldn’t be a surprise by now given the territory we’ve covered. We’re in a definitively weird space, you just have to embrace the oddity.

There’s little to play for for this group. Gotham cannot escape the cellar, and while Orlando, Louisville, and Washington all have to balance analyzing their squads for next year against opponents that all have something on the line in the final weekend. Every game on the docket has meaning, which might make for some rough sledding for this quartet.

Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports ORG

One last reminder on the tiebreakers

For 2022, NWSL is applying the following list of tiebreakers to sort out the regular season standings:

Goal differential
Most total wins
Most goals scored
Head-to-head results
Head-to-head most goals scored
Fewest disciplinary points (with points assigned for yellow cards and red cards picked up by an entire team over the year)
If two teams are still tied, the tie is broken by a coin toss. If the tie involves more than two teams, it will be broken by a drawing of lots.

Final game: at Chicago Red Stars (Sunday 10/2, 8:00pm ET, Paramount+)

Angel City has made a tremendous impact on the NWSL in its first year, but to carry that statement to the on-field side, they’re going to need a lot of things to go right this weekend. There’s no dodging that their 3-1 home loss to Louisville this past Sunday is a huge slip-up, and now even a final-day win over Chicago doesn’t do the job for them.

Angel City needs to go to Chicago and win (note: the Red Stars only have two home losses all season), and they also effectively need San Diego to win Friday night’s clash against North Carolina.

Technically a draw in that game would keep the door open for Angel City, but they’d step onto the field in Bridgeview with a 15-goal gap to make up for the tiebreaker, and with all due respect, a team with 23 goals in 21 matches is not likely to score 15 goals, even against a depleted Chicago side.

Playoff chances: Wearing navy blue and pink on Friday while watching every sports underdog movie

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Final game: vs. Angel City FC (Sunday 10/2, 8:00pm ET, Paramount+)

Chicago and Angel City are in the same boat in terms of still being alive amid some very bad vibes from their penultimate game. While Angel City will rue losing at home to an eliminated team, Chicago will instead look to the gritty details of their 3-0 defeat at Portland.

Namely, the Red Stars melted down in a way that will definitely impact their chances on Sunday. Bianca St-Georges — who is on this writer’s shortlist for a Best XI spot — was sent off for choosing to dispute a throw-in call with the suddenly popular double birds, while Zoe Morse (who was on track to be an NWSL “iron woman”) picked up a second yellow card well after the game was dead and buried.

Because they’re 11 goals behind the Courage on the goal difference tiebreaker, Chicago is effectively in must-win mode just like Angel City. The only difference is that they have a few more paths to the postseason. If San Diego avoids defeat against North Carolina, Chicago can get into sixth place with a win on Sunday.

Additionally, if Houston loses at Washington on Saturday night, the goal difference tiebreaker might let the Red Stars sneak past the Dash. Houston is only three goals clear of Chicago at the moment, and a loss necessarily means they’d be no better than two goals clear when Red Stars-ACFC kicks off.

Of course, this potentially huge game could end up meaning nothing, as wins for the Courage and Dash would shut the door on both Chicago and Angel City.

Playoff chances: Down bad, but not down and out

Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

Final game: at San Diego Wave (Friday 9/30, 10:00pm ET, Paramount+)

On August 13, the Courage lost a 4-3 thriller to Kansas City that seemed at the time like the end of any NC playoff hopes. By the end of the night, they were alone at the bottom of the NWSL table on 10 points. OL Reign were in sixth place on 21 points, meaning that North Carolina had more points to make up on the playoff pack than they’d collected on the season.

It’s 47 days later, and look at the Courage, sitting in sixth and holding their destiny in their own hands. Much like last year’s Spirit, they’ve successfully run the gauntlet, winning seven times in nine games. While there’s no hiding the fact that things have been rocky off the field, North Carolina have managed something really special on it.

But the job isn’t done yet. They have a tough assignment in their final game, a road trip to San Diego against a Wave team aiming for a first-round bye (or, at the very least, the guarantee of a home playoff game). A loss means they’re out of the playoffs if either Chicago or Angel City wins on Sunday, and a draw would leave them vulnerable to elimination if the Red Stars won the next day.

North Carolina can’t climb higher than fifth place, so their best-case scenario is still a road playoff game, but remember where they were a few weeks ago.

Playoff chances: The epic comeback is one step from reality

Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Final game: at Washington Spirit (Saturday 10/1, 7:00pm ET, Paramount+)

Houston saw a chance to clinch their first-ever playoff spot slip through their grasp, as they fell 2-0 to OL Reign at home. Making matters worse, they’ll be without Shea Groom for their regular season finale, as the attacking midfielder picked up a yellow card accumulation suspension despite the very best efforts of her teammate Katie Naughton.

The Dash also have to deal with their recent history against the Spirit, which is quite bad. They haven’t beaten Washington since July 20, 2019, even after having a Spirit home game end up being played in Houston (which saw Washington score their game-winner with only 10 players on the field after an earlier red card).This year, just as was the case last year, they only need a draw at Audi Field in their final game to secure a playoff spot. In 2021, they had that point in hand, only for a tactical blunder from then-coach James Clarkson to hand Washington the time to find a late game-winner, eliminating the Dash in heartbreaking fashion.But still, the Houston of 2022 seems to be made of sterner stuff, and they really do just need a single point, or a non-win from either the Courage or Red Stars, to finally get into the playoffs. A win opens the door to a possible home playoff game, though they’d need help in the form of either San Diego or Kansas City losing.

Playoff chances: One last ghost to fight off

Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

4. San Diego Wave FC (35 points, 10W-5D-6L, +11 GD, 32 GF/21 GA)

Final game: vs. NC Courage (Friday 9/30, 10:00pm ET, Paramount+)

San Diego’s late two-goal comeback at Orlando was just enough to assure themselves of a place in the NWSL postseason. While they have some concerns — Abby Dahlkemper appeared to suffer a fairly serious injury, while Taylor Kornieck also left that last game after rolling her ankle — they don’t have any must-win or must-not-lose scenarios approaching.

However, they’ve still got a good shot at bringing a playoff game to Snapdragon Stadium, and could even seal a first-round bye. They’re even technically in the NWSL Shield race, but with a 14-goal deficit to cover with Portland, we can put that topic to the side.

If San Diego picks up a draw, Houston would have to win in Washington by at least four goals for the Wave to fall out of the top four, which would guarantee at least one playoff game in SoCal. A loss, combined with the Dash not winning their finale, would also lock in a fourth-place finish.

With a win and some help, the Wave can finish as high as second. They’d need the Reign to tie or lose to Orlando, as well as Kansas City to do something other than win at Louisville (both games are on Saturday).

Playoff chances: In, and possibly (probably?) hosting3. Kansas City Current (36 points, 10W-6D-5L, +1 GD, 29 GF/28 GA)

Final game: at Racing Louisville (Saturday 10/1, 7:30pm ET, Twitch)

After watching the Spirit hit the post early, Kansas City wasted no time in making sure they weren’t going to suffer a fate like Houston’s. The Current scored three goals in a 23-minute span, putting the game away by halftime to clinch their place in the postseason.

They’re in a great position to host a game as well. The only way they can fall out of the top four would be to lose in Kentucky while San Diego takes at least one point on Friday and Houston wins in D.C. on Saturday.

The Current still have a shot at the NWSL Shield, but even with a win, it’s not likely. They’d need the Reign to fail to beat Orlando at home, which feels like a stretch, but they’d also need Gotham to end the NWSL’s all-time record losing streak by beating Portland on Saturday. On the plus side, a win and a Reign draw gets KC into second place, and they get a first-round bye as a result.

Playoff chances: They’re in, and they’re the team no one wants to play

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Final game: vs. Orlando Pride (Saturday 10/1, 10:00pm ET, Twitch)

The Reign have really shown their mettle down the stretch, taking nine points from a three-game road trip over just one week that included victories at Houston and North Carolina.

As the team in the best form in the entire league, they’ve marched up to second, and have a real shot at winning the Shield. Still, it’ll take some help that’s unlikely to come: if Portland wins at Gotham, the Thorns will get the silverware instead. A Reign win is a prerequisite, unless Portland loses by 15 (that’s fifteen) goals at Red Bull Arena, which would also open the door to a Reign draw being enough. It’d probably also signal the end of days, so don’t worry too much about that scenario.

The Reign have guaranteed themselves a home playoff game, but they can get a bye their veteran-laden squad would probably appreciate if they can beat the Pride. They could also get there with a draw if Kansas City and San Diego stumble.

Playoff chances: The vibes are immaculate

Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

1. Portland Thorns FC (38 points, 10W-8D-3L, +25 GD, 46 GF/21 GA)

Final game: at Gotham FC (Saturday 10/1, 6:00pm ET, Paramount+)

A win gets the Thorns another NWSL Shield, but that’s the only way it’s guaranteed. If they slip up in their cross-country trek to face Gotham, the door is open for them to fall to third (or, if you want to pretend there’s any chance that their loss and San Diego’s win wipes out Portland’s plus-14 goal difference edge, then fourth).

If the Thorns only get one point in New Jersey, OL Reign can leap over them at the last gasp. With a loss, wins for the Reign and Kansas City would oblige Portland to host a playoff game without the benefit of a bye.

But let’s be real here: the chances of each of these things happening are remote. Portland will be richly favored to further Gotham’s misery for good reason, and if they do it, they’re your regular season champs, and all paths to the championship go through them.

Playoff chances: The likely No. 1 seed for a reason

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September 27, 2022September 27, 2022 gatorbest

US Men

Wow – what a horrific showing by our boys and our coach vs Japan. Japan’s high press absolutely EXPOSED both our defense and the pathetic plans of Berhalter as the build out of the back BS was destroyed. Right CB Aaron Long was exposed and should be replaced IMMEDIATELY by Fulham’s Tim Ream. Zimmerman also struggled – but when paired with a slow CB like Long who can’t pass for $hit what is the guy to do? McKinney was Equally bad – as we can see now why he can’t get off the bench on a bad Juventus team. Musah was certainly missed in the MMA midfield as there was NO ONE who could maneuver out of pressure – McKinney can’t do it and De La Torre was WAY over his head. I think we saw in the middle today without Musah there to connect between the offense and defense – Adams can’t do it all alone. Adams too was not his normal destroyer in the middle that he is at Leeds. Obviously a 2-0 win loss to a good Japan team that could have easily been 4-0 if not for Matt Turner’s POG performance. We were missing 5 starters and realistically we aren’t deep enough to do that against non CONCACAF competition. Pulisic, Musah, Richards, Jedi and Tim Weah would have made a difference today and will have to make a difference in the World Cup or my prediction of getting to the Round of 16 will look ridiculous – much like Berhalter’s tactics and personnel decisions.

Forward Jesus Ferreira whiffed on his only chance to put us up 1-0 when a perfect ball delivered by Dest was horrifically headed over -even though he was wide open. (Listen I would be upset if our U11 boys missed that header – and they aren’t allowed to head) He blew it and if he’s on the plane – it dang well better not be as a starter. We have a guy who’s got 3 goals and 3 assist in the Bundesliga for league-leading Union Berlin named Jordan Pefok who Berhalter left home. Hopefully Josh Sargent gets the chance to start at the #9 Tues and see how he plays with Pulisic and Reyna in the game. Also hopefully we see Pepi in the 2^nd half to see if he deserves a spot on the plane to Qatar. This game tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm is HUGE. Our defense needs to show it can fix things. That and we need to show if Berhalter can change plans a little and stop forcing us to play out of the back when it isn’t working. We need to see Sargent or Pepi do something up top along with hopefully a fitter Pulisic and Reyna. These guys need to play and play well together. I would move Aaronson into the center midfield with McKinney and Adams and see if that can work.

Here’s my line-up Tues

Pulisic, Pep, Reyna

Adams, Aaronson, McKinney

Scally, McKinsie, Zimmerman, Yedlin

Horvath or Turner

USMNT September roster (caps/goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Luton Town/ENG; 8/0), Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 10/0), Matt Turner (Arsenal/ENG; 18/0)

DEFENDERS (9): Reggie Cannon (Boavista/POR; 27/1), ~~Cameron Carter-Vickers~~ (Celtic/SCO; 11/0), Sergiño Dest (AC Milan/ITA; 17/2), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 27/3), ~~Chris Richards~~ (Crystal Palace/ENG; 8/0), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 2/0), Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp/BEL; 8/1), DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami; 74/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 31/3)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Kellyn Acosta (LAFC; 52/2), Tyler Adams (Leeds United/ENG; 30/1), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 11/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 35/9), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 19/0), Malik Tillman (Rangers/SCO; 2/0)

FORWARDS (8): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 22/6), Paul Arriola (FC Dallas; 47/10), Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; 13/7), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; 48/11), Ricardo Pepi (Groningen/NED; 11/3), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 51/21), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 12/4), Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 19/3)

Indy 11 Home Sat – Breast Cancer Awareness Night 7 pm

Indy Eleven used a 2^nd half penalty kick conversion from its captain Ayoze and a dominant defensive performance to capture a hard-fought 1-0 home win.The victory marked the Eleven’s 4 straight home win. They return home Saturday, Oct. 1, when they host FC Tulsa for Breast Cancer Awareness Night Tickets start at $15 at indyeleven.com/tickets or watch MyINDY-TV 23, ESPN+.

High School Local – #1 CHS Boys host Harrison Mon night, #3 CHS Girls travel to Westfield

The Carmel High School boys host their finale tonight vs Harrison at Murray at 7 pm before hosting regionals next week. The #3 CHS ladies tied #4 Zionsville 0-0 as 5 former or current Carmel FC Goalkeepers saw action between the pipes in JV and Varsity action. They close out the year at #15 Westfield tonight. Carmel Men’s highlights in win over Guerin. The Carmel Girls head into regionals next week ranked 3^rd in the US and Indiana according to Max Preps – who also has Noblesville (2^nd), and Zionsville (21) in the top 25 nationally.

CFC GKU – GK Coach Noelle Rolfsen Named All Conference Player of the Week

Carmel FC GK coach Noelle Rolfsen was named all Conference Player of the Week for her 3rd ranked Marian University Knights. Noelle Rolfsen was voted the Crossroads League Women’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the league office earlier this afternoon. The honor marks the first time in her career as a keeper for the Knights. The senior goalkeeper played the full 90 minutes and recorded a shutout in a win against No. 18 Grace, posting four saves to help the Knights to a 2-0 win over the Lancers. Rolfsen has played in every game this season, notching 28 saves with 0.67 goals against average, helping Marian towards an 8-0-1 record. Rolfsen and the Knights will be on the road at #2 Ranked Spring Arbor Wednesday before returning home Saturday at 7:30 PM to host Bethel for senior day.

Mon, Sept 26

2:45 pm FS1 England vs Germany

Tues, Sept 27

2 pm Fox Sports1 USMNT vs Saudi Arabia in Spain

2:45 pm FS2 Switzerland vs Czech Republic

Fri, Sept 30

2:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen

Sat, Oct 1

7:30 am USA Arsenal vs Tottenham

9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Koln

9:30 am ESPN+ Frankfurt vs Union Berlin (Pefok)

10 am USA Crystal Palace vs Chelsea (Pulisic)

10 am Peacock Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs New Castle United

12 noon ESPN+ Roma vs Inter Milan

6 pm Para + NY Gothem vs Portland Thorns NWSL

7:30 pm ESPN+ Chicago Fire vs Cincy

10 pm Para+ Seattle Reign vs Orlando Pride NWSL

Sun, Oct 2

9 am USA Man City vs Man United

10 am USA Leeds United (Aaronson, Adams) vs Aston Villa

10 am Peacock Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs New Castle United

2:$5 pm ESPN+ Juve vs Bologna

3 pm ABC Portland Timbers vs LAFC

5 pm FS1 Sporting KC vs Seattle Sounders

6 pm Para + Chicago Red Stars vs Angel City NWSL

Mon, Oct 3

3 pm USA Leicester City vs Nottingham’s Forest

Tues, Oct 4 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

3 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Barcelona

3 pm Para+ Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid

Wed, Oct 5

3 pm Para+ Chelsea (Pulisic) vs AC Milan

3 pm Para+ Sevilla (Musah) vs Dortmund (Reyna)

Fri, Oct 7

3 pm FOX US Women vs England in London

Tues, Oct 11

2:30 pm ESPN2 US Women vs Spain (Pamplona)

Sat, Oct 29

8 pm CBS NWSL Championship Game

Soccer Saturday’s are every Sat 9-10 am on 93.5 and 107.5 FM with Greg Rakestraw

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Pulisic returns, to start U.S. WC warm-up game 19hJeff Carlisle

· Reyna won’t dwell on injury-hit 2021-22. He’s too focused on the World Cup 3dSam Borden

USMNT players on World Cup bubble aren’t stressing yet ahead of Qatar 2022 2dJeff Carlisle

Player Ratings vs Japan – the 18
Berhalter: USMNT has ‘work to do’ before WC 4dJeff Carlisle

Carlisle: USMNT has no answers to Japan press in friendly defeat
Pulisic returns, to start U.S. WC warm-up game 19hJeff Carlisle

USA vs. Saudi Arabia, 2022 friendly: What to watch for

USA vs. Japan, 2022 friendly; What we learned

USA vs. Japan, 2022 friendly: Man of the Match

2022 USMNT friendly: Scouting Saudi Arabia

Reggie Cannon out of Saudi Arabia friendly with injury

England-Germany was a Nations League classic, but neither proved they’ll contend for the World Cup 15hMark Ogden

Enrique’s Spain squad selection is about players that fit his system, not the big names 4dSid Lowe

Can Barca overcome injury crisis ahead of UCL and Clasico?

Are Gerrard and Lampard the only options for next England manager? 1dMark Ogden

Italy win to book spot in Nations League finals 15h

The final match for the USMNT before the World Cup begins with a lot of questions.

By Donald Wine II @blazindw Sep 26, 2022, 6:47am PDT stars and Stripes

Tomorrow, the United States Men’s National Team will play its final friendly before the 2022 World Cup when they take on Saudi Arabia in Murcia, Spain. It’s the final opportunity for the USMNT to evaluate where they are against another team that will head to Qatar in November.

The USMNT head to Murcia, which has become a home away from home for Saudi Arabia. Tuesday’s friendly will be the 4th straight the Saudis have played in Murcia, so the Americans will take the field against an opponent that understands its surroundings. Still, with World Cup spots on the line, the USMNT need to put on a good show and individual players will want to leave that final positive impression on the mind of head coach Gregg Berhalter, who will name his World Cup roster on November 9th.

Latest Form

USA

L (0-2) – Japan – Friendly

D (1-1) – El Salvador – Concacaf Nations League

W (5-0) – Grenada – Concacaf Nations League

D (0-0) – Uruguay – Friendly

W (3-0) – Morocco – Friendly

Saudi Arabia

D (0-0) – Ecuador – Friendly

L (0-1) – Venezuela – Friendly

L (0-1) – Colombia – Friendly

W (1-0) – Australia – World Cup Qualifying

D (1-1) – China – World Cup Qualifying

Back line needs to be better. The USMNT had several mistakes on defense against Japan, and they cannot duplicate that against a Saudi Arabia team who can take advantage of them. The back line needs to play mistake free, but they also have to play with poise.

Take shots. You can’t win if you don’t shoot. Against Japan, the USMNT did not register a shot on goal, and that doesn’t help you win matches. The team needs to be more creative on offense and more ruthless in the attacking third by putting a ton of shots on net.

Possession doesn’t mean a thing without production. The USMNT had close to 60% possession against Japan, but that didn’t matter because there was no production. The USMNT has to figure out how to turn possession into production, moving the ball forward and creating scoring chances. They have to do that against the Green Falcons.

With Reggie Cannon out for several weeks due to an injury he picked up against Japan, the back line options get a bit thinner. Combined with the other changes that we think are coming, this is what we predict Gregg Berhalter will do tomorrow:

Matt Turner will once again start in goal, while the back line will have a couple of changes. DeAndre Yedlin gets the start at right back with Mark McKenzie lining up alongside Walker Zimmerman as the centerback pairing. Sergiño Dest starts at left back.

In the middle, Kellyn Acosta lines up alongside Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie in the middle, with McKennie being the guy that moves forward on the attack. Up front, Christian Pulisic returns to the lineup at left wing after being held out against Japan, with Brenden Aaronson starting at right wing ahead of Gio Reyna, a player who will likely have his minutes managed by entering as a substitute. Ricardo Pepi gets his opportunity to start at the 9 to see if his recent move to Groningen has helped his confidence.

It turns into another sluggish affair for the USMNT, but they manage to get one on the board. They hang on for a 1-1 draw.

The USMNT took on Japan as preparation for the World Cup, and it didn’t go quite as planned. Here’s what we learned.

By Adnan Ilyas @Adnan7631 Sep 26, 2022, 4:21pm PDT

The United States Men’s National Team took on Japan in Düsseldorf, Germany, and fell 2-0 in what turned out to be a torrid and dispiriting performance.

As a pre-World Cup test, this was a good one. Japan are actually quite a decent team. This particular squad appeared to be a little more experimental than the normal starting XI, but the team overall is pretty good. They were at the 2018 World Cup, where they advanced to the knockout stages (albeit, on the 7th tiebreaker after tying for 2nd place in their group) and very nearly saw off Belgium, one of the darlings for that tournament and a major candidate for the top prize for this year’s tournament.

However, the way that the USMNT played in this one does not inspire confidence. I don’t want to overstate how much it matters to lose a friendly with several months between it and the World Cup, but I do not think this performance was a good sign. To keep things a little more concise — it would take ages to sit and pick apart all the major problems in this match — we will focus on the points of failure on the turn over that led to Japan’s opening goal. From there, we’ll talk about some individual player performances and what that means roster-wise for the World Cup.

Aaron Bears His Doubts
Weston Blesses Empty Space
Blue Samurai Strikes

The opening goal for Japan really highlighted all that was wrong with this match. If you need a second look, you can watch the goal here:

We are going to look at the turn over that preceded the goal. For our purposes here, I’ve illustrated the turnover to show approximately where the outfield players are on the field and to highlight the key actors and decisions.

The play starts out on the USMNT’s right, with the US winning the ball right by the sideline. The ball moves out to Aaron Long towards the middle, who takes a few touches towards the center circle. He passes to Weston McKennie who, in turn, attempts a one-touch pass backwards. That pass is mishit, falling between Long and Sam Vines, the later of whom has moved forward and was no longer a pass option. Japan easily and quickly picks up the ball and, with a 4 vs. 3 on goal, they put a clean finish past Turner.

There are a series of problems that turned a comfortable situation into a one-goal deficit, problems that range from individual errors and moments of unskillfulness, to fundamental tactical problems. To list, we will touch on:

The slow pace at which the USMNT advances up the field.
The disconnect between the backline and the midfield
The fullback and winger decisions sacrificing the left wing
Aaron Long’s mediocre pass
Weston McKennie’s positional and individual mistakes

I will try and go through these sequentially, but each wrinkle is contingent on what else is happening. Each of these problems is contextual and pulling them apart as individual mistakes risks losing the forest for the trees.

To begin with, the US is moving too slowly here. A lot of people will immediately point to Aaron Long’s hesitancy on the ball, but I think that is far too simplistic. On a well-drilled, counter attacking side, as soon as the ball is recovered, you have players moving down the field, presenting possible options to advance towards goal. On the visual, there’s a huge patch of green space on the USMNT’s left side (the top in the picture) that is completely open. With quick play and aggressive movement, there is an opportunity for the US to attack into the space and advance to goal. The fullback can aggressively move into that space. Or the winger can make a run in behind to get onto a long ball (or at least drag the defenders out of their disciplined lines). There’s space for an attacking motion, to advance the ball before Japan can get reorganized or begin aggressively pressing.

However, the USMNT here has a lack of urgency. Rather, it looks like the team looks to establish a stance with clear and comfortable possession. Players do not break towards the space that Japan has left open. They languidly take up central positions. Gio Reyna tucks inside, Sam Vines merely drifts along the wing. Instead of planning and making runs in behind to present a long-ball option, Jesus Ferreira and Brendan Aaronson take up positions where they can receive the ball at their feet during build up.

With nobody taking any aggressive actions, Aaron Long lingers on the ball. Now, would Long have played an aggressive pass? I can’t say. He doesn’t have the reputation for it, but you can’t fault him for not making a pass that wasn’t there. What he does do is look for a passing outlet. And here, there aren’t good options. Sam Vines is open, but he’s not in an advanced enough position to be worth it, especially not with a nearby Japanese player to press him. Gio Reyna is in a Japanese player’s cover shadow, same for Ferreira and Aaronson. Tyler Adams and Luca de la Torre were out wide to recover the ball and they aren’t back in position yet (and shifting the ball right puts it back in danger with so many Japanese players still there). The one straight forward, open option is McKennie. So that’s the pass he makes.

When people say that Aaron Long is not a good passer, I tend to believe they mean he either does not make aggressive forward passes, or he tends to turn the ball over. While Long did, indeed, turn the ball over quite a bit vs Japan, the problem here is more subtle. The pass comfortably reaches its target. But the pass is towards McKennie’s left foot, with him facing goal. This means that McKennie, who is aware that there is a Japanese player who will close down on him, must make a play with his back facing goal. He can either turn and try to dribble out of the pressure and advance up the field (not his strong suit), or he can hit a one-time pass. McKennie chooses to make the one-time pass… and he loses his concentration and hits the ball to no one, allowing Japan to win the ball with a numbers advantage.

Iran, England, Wales
We must return to the world
Demonstrate Talent

On a basic level, if McKennie keeps his concentration up, he doesn’t make this mistake and doesn’t turn the ball over to Japan with the defense in such a vulnerable position. Or, if he were more confident/skillful, he would turn and move up the field. Or, if he were a little more positionally aware, he could have taken a slightly different position a little closer to Long, making it substantially easier for Long to make a pass that McKennie could run onto, while making it more difficult for Japan to close down on him (McKennie overshot that position). And, of course, Long could be a more skillful passer (while that was a big deal in the game, it kind of was the least relevant mistake for this one.)

These fixes would have addressed this particular bad moment. But they would not have addressed the fundamental problems in this game. Everybody is talking about how the USMNT couldn’t deal with Japan’s press. But as this moment shows, the underlying problem is really that the US played too passively. They gave time for Japan to put a press into place, time that they could have used to advance up the field. They need to play quicker.

Player availability was definitely relevant in this game. Antonee Robinson has become such an important player for the USMNT and he was dearly missed for this one. The difference between Robinson’s shaky first few caps under Berhalter and now is that Robinson understands his limitations and plays in a way that minimizes them while highlighting his strengths. Because of that, he’s sufficiently solid on defense and an integral attacker, stretching the field and maintaining width to allow the US to advance. Tim Weah, similarly, helps advance the team by stretching the field both vertically and horizontally, with dangerous runs in behind on the wing. Christian Pulisic is a bit less aggressive with his runs in behind, but, as shown against Morocco, he has the capacity to combine such runs up through the middle with excellent technical skill to break defenses down. On the other side, we missed out on Chris Richards and his more assured passing under pressure. And the team seriously missed the calm presence of Yunus Musah, whose sublime ability on the ball helps the team advance up the field and thwart opposing presses.

All these omissions due to injury were relevant. But the team still had players who would have helped make a difference. A lot of fans detest the inclusion of the likes of Paul Arriola and Jordan Morris with the national program. But one thing those players do consistently that the more-highly regarded players like Reyna and Aaronson do not, is stretch the field vertically. They make runs in behind the backline. And not having them on the field from the start made it too easy for Japan to close space down and shut the US out. While Jesus Ferreira’s ability to combine is often quite useful in and around the final third, the fact that he tucks into midfield instead of making runs in behind did the USMNT no favors. When he came on, Josh Sargent was a marked improvement in this regard. And this is a place where players who weren’t called up, players like Jordan Pefok and Brandon Vazquez, could contribute even more.

These omissions are on Berhalter. I cannot blame him for missing players due to injury, but I can and do blame him for not realizing that the line up he chose was going to be too narrow and too static. I also blame him for failing to instill that sense of dynamism and urgency in his players. I tend to chalk this up to the relative youth of so many of our players and the unfortunate reality that so many key players have had so limited minutes playing together. But this Japan side was also quite young and inexperienced, and they wiped the floor with the US. People are right to raise criticism and questions, what with the World Cup so close at hand.

The good news is that Wales cannot play like this. The Welsh squad has not demonstrated the kind of technical ability nor coordinated press that we saw from Japan. They are a Bunker-&-Counter team and are unlikely to take this approach for the US’s group opener at the World Cup. England and Iran, on the other hand, may approach things differently.

Weston McKennie was outright terrible in this one. He’s been a source of turnovers for a while, but this was just all-around a terrible display. Normally, we get a level of intensity, physicality, and forward thrust from the Juventus man. But for this one, his flaws, his lack of concentration and his limited technical range, were on show. I know he’s been coming back from injury, but he needs to recover that form. Or else, he probably becomes the man that gets dropped from the midfield. Speaking of the midfield…

The USMNT outnumbered Japan in the midfield and STILL got squished there. The US had a midfield trio of Adams, de la Torre, and McKennie, with Reyna and Ferreira tucking in, and they STILL got outrun by Japan’s midfield duo. That’s an effort problem. You need to get more concentration and more intensity there.

The USMNT continues to be weak away from home. Yeah, this was technically a neutral match, but this game continues a long trend where the US is far more limp than they should be while playing on the road. Unless it’s in Mexico’s Estadio Azteca, the US can’t seem to get the intensity and sharpness that they have while playing in the States. And, as it turns out, Doha isn’t in the United States.

There weren’t a lot of good performances in this one, but Matt Turner certainly gave one. There was a bit of concern that Turner, who is the number 2 with Arsenal, wouldn’t be sharp given his lack of playing time. But that wasn’t the case. He made a number of great saves and stood out as the one obvious positive take away from this match. I expect he’s just about gotten that starting spot for the USMNT locked up.

USMNT:

Lowery: What went wrong for the U.S. in possession against Japan (more here)

“We want to use the ball to disorganize the opponent and create goal-scoring opportunities.”

That’s how Gregg Berhalter described his tactical philosophy back in 2019, just weeks into his new job as the manager of the U.S. men’s national team.

But in the United States’ 2-0 loss to Japan on Friday, they failed to truly break down Japan and create chances. Berhalter’s team took just four shots against their very aggressive and well organized opponents. Japan forced the U.S. to play through them and create chances and, after 90 minutes, the USMNT largely failed at both of those things.

So, what went wrong for the United States in possession?

1. Turnovers killed momentum

According to Opta, the U.S. had 20 “high turnovers” (turnovers deep in their own half, which are high up the field for their opponents) against Japan. From those high turnovers, the U.S. allowed six shots and one goal. In all 14 of their World Cup qualifying games, they allowed seven shots and no goals. That absurd increase stemmed from Japan’s decision to press higher up the field in ways that most of the USMNT’s Concacaf opponents avoid. But it also stemmed from some individual and team-wide errors.

Aaron Long struggled with his distribution and had a tone-setting unforced turnover less than 60 seconds into the game. Weston McKennie did… whatever this is in the 24th minute, which created the runway for Japan to break forward for their first goal. Those unforced errors from Long, McKennie, and a host of others killed any brief positive periods that the United States had on Friday.

2. Poor spacing

Sloppy touches weren’t the only thing killing the U.S. on Friday, though. Poor spacing also hurt the USMNT’s ability to play through Japan’s 4-4-2 and exploit the space behind their backline.

Take this sequence in the 13th minute as an example. As Walker Zimmerman looks for a passing option in buildup, Luca de la Torre moves wide to provide width as Sergiño Dest pushes up the right wing. But there’s a problem. De la Torre doesn’t actually move wide enough to get open or to create a passing lane for Zimmerman to find Brenden Aaronson in the right halfspace.

Instead, he clogs up the midfield and doesn’t take Takefusa Kubo out of the play, which lets Kubo intercept Zimmerman’s pass and launch a quick attack for Japan. Two seconds later, Matt Turner is forced into a big save.

3. Not enough direct play

There’s one other thing we have to discuss here when it comes to the USMNT’s attacking issues. It’s this: many of the U.S.’s outfield players on Friday against Japan aren’t very good at using the ball to create chances.

Think about Turner, Long, Zimmerman, Tyler Adams, McKennie, and Aaronson. Are those players comfortable on the ball under pressure? Are they exceptional ball progressers? Or great chance creators? No, not really. Those players will have the occasional good moment in tight spaces. They had a few of those moments even in a messy game on Friday. But they’re not, primarily, players you want building from the back under disciplined pressure.

And yet, Berhalter had the U.S. build attack after attack with passing that started in the back and attempted to bypass Japan’s press. At this point, we know how that story ended.

So what’s one final solution here for Berhalter and the USMNT? Play more direct passes and move in behind. With a starting lineup mostly composed of players who thrive in quick, long passing schemes and second-ball scraps, the United States made life more difficult for themselves by relying so heavily on buildup play and short passing.

For some reason, they chose to lean away from that vertical game and even away from a balanced attack in their most recent game. Given that they have some technically limited players in key positions, the United States can’t afford to forsake that balance.

Time is extremely limited, so finding some sort of attacking balance in what little of it remains before must-win games in November is essential for the USMNT.

Grant Wahl Sep 24

ON BOARD THE USMNT CHARTER FLIGHT TO ALICANTE, Spain — Act like you’ve been here before. That’s my usual mantra when finding myself in unaccustomed situations like sharing a charter flight with the U.S. men’s national team and going through the VIP wing of the airport in Düsseldorf, Germany, the one that actual rock stars pass through when they travel to their next concert. And the fact is, I have been here before. Back in 2013, I flew with a few other journalists on the USMNT charter ferrying the team between World Cup qualifiers in Kingston, Jamaica, and Seattle. When commercial flights between two game locations are a hassle, the added convenience is nice, and we journos pay our own way to prevent any conflict of interest. Media and soccer teams flying together on charters has actually been somewhat common in Europe for travel to Champions League games.The mere fact that there is a charter plane is a sign that U.S. Soccer has come a long way financially over the years. Back when the federation was basically broke, in 2000, I remember flying back with the USMNT on a commercial flight from a World Cup qualifier in Barbados and sitting in economy next to U.S. goalkeeper Zach Thornton. Poor Zach was stuck in a middle seat, and he was a big guy, so he was pushing up against his armrests in a major way.

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CONNOR FLEMING SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

Middle seats in economy class were a way of life for U.S. national teams for a long time (more so in the not–too-distant past for the women’s team). Say what you will about Jürgen Klinsmann’s tenure as the USMNT coach, but he did more than anyone else to pressure U.S. Soccer into spending more on travel accommodations (flights, hotels, etc.), which was possible once the federation started bringing in more revenue. As a result, you couldn’t excuse a bad performance by saying you had been staying in a roach motel in Central America or, for that matter, Florida.We’ll get to the no-excuses bad performance the U.S. delivered in Friday’s 2-0 loss to Japan soon enough here, I promise, but having brought you onto Friday’s charter plane, I feel like I should share some details to answer any questions you might have:• No, the media doesn’t interact with the players onboard. Media and U.S. Soccer staff board first and sit in the back half of the plane. The players and coaches board after that and sit in the front half. It’s not like I’m going to walk up to Christian Pulisic and ask him for an interview. Everyone’s a pro here. (Again: Act like you’ve been here before.) The vibe is a little like the old Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue launch parties that SI writers would be invited to; the models tolerated our presence (kind of like the USMNT players do now), but it’s not like they were overjoyed we were there. (The one exception was Chrissy Teigen. She always liked meeting writers for some reason. Maybe it was because we weren’t the leering mid-level sponsor bros who were also at those events and took pictures with the models, but you’d have to ask her. I have yet to meet Chrissy’s USMNT equivalent. Remind me to tell you the story of when Cristiano Ronaldo came to that SI swimsuit party when his then-girlfriend, Irina Shayk, was on the cover.)

• Times have changed since the 1970s. When I recently re-watched the classic documentary Once in a Lifetime about the New York Cosmos with Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia, someone in the movie was talking about the charter flight the Cosmos took to the 1977 Soccer Bowl in Portland, Ore., and casually dropped the nugget that at least two sex acts took place on the plane. That is, um, not the case on this flight.• The plane itself is totally fine, but it’s not like we’re flying on a PJ with captain’s chairs, leather sofas and a fully-stocked bar or anything. (All those things seemed to be in play when, for example, Leeds United flies in Tyler Adams once his transfer has been arranged.) In fact, this plane is six seats to a row, with about the same amount of legroom as premium economy on a commercial flight. It’s no different for the players and coaches up front. I’m kind of bummed there’s no wifi available on the plane, but it’s only a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Düsseldorf to Alicante, so the time saved is still worth it.• Somewhat scarily, we go through significant turbulence on the flight, including seeing lightning strikes outside the plane. It’s enough that one of my scribe colleagues wonders if, should the flight go down, we journos might be listed as “X number of others on the plane” in news reports. • I can’t help but remember rank-and-file players like Alan Gordon, my favorite MLS player in history, who took his first charter flight from Los Angeles to Toronto when David Beckham joined him on the LA Galaxy in 2007. When the flight attendant came to offer Gordon a pre-takeoff cocktail, he looked around at the first-class leather seating, the lie-flat beds and the fully stocked bar up front. “Let me tell you something, ma’am,” Gordon said, turning on the charm. “This is nicer than my apartment.” The flight attendant laughed. “No,” he replied. “I’m serious.”• The best part of the experience might be the VIP lounge at the airport, where the staff (presumably thinking we’re actual VIPs) constantly brings you drinks, food, wifi passwords and just about anything else you might want. This must be how the other half lives, and it’s kind of nice. When one of the servers says she likes my hat, I consider telling her that my name is Gio Reyna or Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain. I’m the only member of the media/USSF staff contingent who gets a beer, which I’m kind of proud of. I’ve also never flown out of an airport where nobody checked my ID before. They did make us go through security, though.The other reason it’s a subdued flight is that the U.S. basically stunk up the joint on Friday against Japan. We should talk about that, too.Zero shots on goal. Turnovers galore, especially in the first half, mostly by the centerbacks and midfielders. Cool domination by Japan. Let’s be honest: The U.S. looked bad in Friday’s 2-0 loss, and hardly like a team that will advance in the World Cup playing this way.Midfielder Tyler Adams plays for a high-pressure club team at Leeds United, so he knows the ways to solve pressure, too. After the game, he could only shake his head over the U.S.’s inability to get things right. Starting centerbacks Aaron Long and Walker Zimmerman got exposed trying to pass the ball, and Adams, Weston McKennie and Luca de la Torre couldn’t keep possession either.

“I felt like we were just playing into Japan’s hands,” Adams said. “We could have figured out quite easily that they were pressing us high, and the solution I think in the beginning of the game was probably to play a little bit more direct, a little bit in behind to settle that pressure and have them think to drop off a little bit and create more space and calmness on the ball. But it was difficult. We didn’t find solutions early on.”One of the main reasons Zimmerman clawed his way into a lock starting position during World Cup qualifying was his improvement in passing the ball out of the back, a steadiness that eventually won over U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter and helped vault Zimmerman ahead of ball-playing centerbacks Tim Ream and John Brooks. But Zimmerman took a step backward with his passing against Japan.“We were pretty disappointed with how it went, especially the first half,” Zimmerman said afterward. “We played it into their pressure a good bit, and a lot of their chances came from our mistakes. So that’s something we obviously have to look back on and realize we can’t force it so much inside all the time, especially when teams are put in a shape to make us do that. And maybe there are times we can stretch them and get in behind with some runs and be a little more direct.”The U.S. doesn’t have a prototype speedy forward who can run in behind defenses to keep them honest, however, and Jesús Ferreira and Josh Sargent certainly weren’t that on Friday. We could write a whole treatise comparing the 2022 U.S. forward search to 2010, but part of Bob Bradley’s quest in 2010 was to find a defense-stretching striker to replace Charlie Davies after his auto accident. Bradley settled on Robbie Findley, and while you can understand the thought process, it didn’t exactly work out.McKennie in particular had an off game, losing possession frequently (including on the play that led to Japan’s first goal) and sometimes not tracking back quickly enough to put out the fire. His Juventus team has been struggling lately, and U.S. fans will have to hope that form doesn’t carry over to the World Cup.About the only semi-bright spot for the U.S. was goalkeeper Matt Turner, who made some solid saves and kept the scoreline from being even worse. It should be said that Turner wasn’t sending Ederson-style balls deep to solve Japan’s pressure either, but that’s not Turner’s game. Shot-stopping is, but while that’s Job 1 for a keeper and enough for many watchers to lean toward Turner as the No. 1 for the World Cup, you can’t escape the feeling that Berhalter will still favor Zack Steffen if he’s healthy.You can be certain that the U.S.’s World Cup opponents will watch the Japan game and see that the U.S. can be pressured, and the Yanks will have to hope they learn from what happened on Friday—just as they did following a similar performance in a 3-0 friendly loss to Mexico in 2019. The key difference now, though, is that the U.S. has only one more game to play before the World Cup.“We try to use these games to replicate what a World Cup scenario would look like, and for us that would be that we didn’t get three points at the end of the day,” Adams said. “So we need to figure it out. Because we obviously have high standards for ourselves, especially going into a World Cup in two months, so we need a better performance coming out of this camp.”That chance comes on Tuesday in Spain against fellow World Cup entrant Saudi Arabia.

12:46 PM ETJeff CarlisleU.S. soccer correspondent

MURCIA, Spain — U.S. men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter said Chelsea‘s Christian Pulisic and FC Groningen forward Ricardo Pepi will both start in Tuesday’s friendly against Saudi Arabia.

Neither player featured in last Friday’s 2-0 defeat to Japan. Pulisic sat out the match due to a knock picked up in training, while Pepi was an unused substitute. Now, both will get a look against the Saudis.

Pepi was something of a surprise inclusion to the roster for this international window given that FC Union Berlin striker Jordan Pefok has been in excellent form with four goals in eight league and cup appearances. But Berhalter has been keen to get Pepi back on track after the forward completed his loan move to Groningen from FC Augsburg.

“This is a great opportunity to look at Ricardo,” Berhalter told reporters. “Jordan, you know what he’s doing. But Rico, he’s just gotten to Groningen. This is a great opportunity for us to look at him. A guy who scored three goals for us in qualifying, it’s important for us to get him in the group.”Berhalter was asked for further analysis of the Japan defeat, and he didn’t hold back in his criticism of the team or himself.”I’m really glad the game happened when it did,” he said. “I think it was poor coaching, poor execution, poor training beforehand, a lot of everything. It’s just one of those games and we were very bad.”When asked to provide more details on how he erred as a coach, Berhalter said the team’s preparation was off because he and the staff thought the players would be able to take on more tactical details, even though it had been three-and-a-half 3½ months since they were last together.

He added he could sympathize with the stress for some players that comes with trying to clinch a spot on the final World Cup roster. But that still didn’t excuse the performance.”As coaches we took for granted that they understood what we wanted,” he said. “So, when we trained during the week, we were training details. ‘You know this, now we’re going to go into detail.’ And we took for granted that the players were competent in this. But they didn’t understand. They didn’t know it. That’s what it was.”He added, “We thought it was going to be easier to switch gears than it turned out to be.”As a result, the U.S. failed to cope with what Berhalter said “wasn’t a complicated press” by Japan and that “we didn’t solve it at all.” He added that it was on both him and the team to identify solutions quicker during the game and make adjustments from there.Berhalter said he expects his side to get back up to speed against Saudi Arabia. But the Japan match is also a lesson he will factor in when the players arrive in Qatar and begin their final preparations ahead of the 2022 World Cup.”I think it’s the mindset of preparing the guys ahead of time a little bit,” he said. “And then when they’re in camp, right from the beginning, focusing on the big picture rather than details again, which is usually a national team thing anyway.”Berhalter finds himself down several key players in this camp, with Lille forward Tim Weah, Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson, Crystal Palace center-back Chris Richards and Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah all absent due to injury. But Berhalter insisted he wouldn’t be changing his system if a similar scenario plays out in Qatar.

“It doesn’t matter, because [when we arrive on] Nov. 14, guess what? A different five could be missing. So, we need to deal. That’s a great message to the team. ‘Guys, forget about guys that aren’t here. We’ve got to focus on who is here and still try to be successful.’ Because that’s the reality of national team soccer. And we’re going to be anxiously waiting on Nov. 13 to see who actually shows up after the weekend.” In the meantime, Berhalter is hoping that the contingent of injured players gets back to full health.”Fitness is going be a factor,” he said in relation to his final roster selections. “I mean, I would love if you told me Chris Richards is going to be a part of the team right now, he’s going to be fit by November. I would say, ‘You know, he’ll make the team.’ I just don’t know that though. It’s really hard, and it’s frustrating.”

THE IDEA OF THE U.S. GOING AGAINST ENGLAND’S HIGH PRESS IS NOW TERRIFYING

This USMNT team is very young; they’ll be the youngest at Qatar. Sometimes they look like serious 2026 World Cup contenders, sometimes they look lucky to have qualified for the 2022 tournament. Friday’s 2-0 loss to Japan was a look at, as we outlined in our match preview, many of the worst-case scenarios for this team.The philosophy of building from the back couldn’t have gone worse. In the opening 45, according to the ESPN broadcast, the U.S. turned it over 40 (!!!) times in its own third. At the other end of the pitch, the U.S. failed to land a single shot on target over the entire 90 minutes.

The U.S. isn’t as bad as this match. The players aren’t as bad as these ratings. But I’ve got a job to do.

Starting XI

Matt Turner (90 minutes): 8 — The U.S. man of the match with six saves, and the Arsenal backup pulled off a couple stunners to keep it at a respectable 2-0 when it could’ve been four or five for Japan. He’ll be starting at the World Cup, and he’s also going to see a lot of action in the buildup with the Gunners playing in the Europa League and EFL Cup.

Sam Vines (90 minutes): 5 – Vines escapes criticism from the first-half horror show simply because he wasn’t trusted in possession. He very rarely got out of the U.S. half (although he still didn’t manage to win a duel), and his most preferred passing options were a back-pass to Turner or sideways ball to Long.

Aaron Long (45 minutes): 2 – Didn’t win a duel, didn’t win a tackle, didn’t distribute well at all. Rightfully hooked at halftime.

Walker Zimmerman (90 minutes): 4 — He made a couple blocks and challenges defensively that helped repel Japan, but it was also Zimmerman himself who invited Japan forward with poor distribution from the back. This pass was particularly pathetic.

DEST 5 – The classic Dest story. Looked good getting forward and provided the cross that Ferreira should’ve done better with, but frequently overdid it inside his own half and put the team under needless pressure.

Weston McKennie (67 minutes): 3 – It’s difficult to recall a worse game in a U.S. shirt from McKennie. He was at fault for Japan’s opener in the 24th minute with the sort of pass that, if made while playing for Juventus, lands you on the bench for three months. He began play as the team’s midfield operator, and then hit passes at a 69.2% clip. That’s really, really bad, so he was later ostracized up top as an outlet for hopeless punts forward.

Tyler Adams (90 minutes): 6 – Adams wasn’t as godawful in possession as his midfield partners, but he was frequently left without options and occasionally took the wrong one. He also wasn’t at his best as “The Terminator” — his duel success rate (20%) was miles away from what he’s been enjoying with Leeds.

Luca de la Torre (67 minutes): 4 – Is De la Torre cutout for this level of international play? Everything seemed to be passing him by in midfield as he marveled at the speed and quality of Japan. Didn’t seem on the same wavelength as Aaronson in applying the press, and he couldn’t really find his pockets to assert his typical rhythm on the game.

Gio Reyna (45 minutes): 7 – Didn’t do a whole lot, but Reyna was on another level from his teammates with the ball at his feet. He breezed by his marker out wide early, relieved pressure with a skillful flick that drew “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd and hit the target (Zimmerman) with a set piece when everyone else routinely seems to screw up dead balls. Was smartly taken off at half to be wrapped in wool.

Jesús Ferreira (45 minutes): 2 — Not involved at all with very few touches and only 55% pass success, but the one glaring moment was an unmarked header in front of goal that he blooped harmlessly over.

Brenden Aaronson (90 minutes): 6 – Was involved in more duels than any U.S. player, suffered three fouls and was most frequently found in a crumpled heap on the floor, but he kept after it. In the end, it was a lot more effort than effectiveness, as highlighted by a juking, jinking run at Japan’s defense that ended with a shot that went five yards wide.

Subs

Reggie Cannon (45 minutes): 4 – He was doing good! Cannon brought some defensive balance to the side! Then Brighton’s Karou Mitoma squared him up, drove at him, kept going and curled one inside the far post for Japan’s second. Damn.

Jordan Morris (45 minutes): 5 — I don’t really remember tbh. So Berhalter probably saw gold out there.

Mark McKenzie (45 minutes): 6 – Didn’t pass the ball to Japan time after time. I admire that.

Josh Sargent (45 minutes): 5 — Wasn’t much more involved than Ferreira, but he didn’t miss any chances because he didn’t attempt any shots.

Johnny Cardoso (23 minutes): N/A – Not the greatest opportunity to get out there and strut your stuff.

Malik Tillman (23 minutes): N/A – Unable to put the U.S. on the front foot going forward, but he won a couple tackles.

Sep 23, 2022

Jeff CarlisleU.S. soccer correspondent

DUSSELDORF, Germany — United States men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter conceded that his side has “work to do” ahead of the World Cup following a 2-0 friendly defeat to Japan in which the Americans struggled against the Samurai Blue’s press.

Japan applied pressure throughout the opening 45 minutes, limiting the U.S. to just five touches in the opposition penalty area. U.S. keeper Matt Turner was forced to make several saves, including a one-on-one duel with Daichi Kamada in the 13th minute.

– O’Hanlon: Time to worry about USMNT’s World Cup prospects? (ESPN+)
– Carlisle: USMNT has no answer for Japan
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

But the Eintracht Frankfurt striker made a deserved breakthrough in the 24th minute. Japan broke quickly following a U.S. turnover, and Kamada’s first time shot from Hidemasa Morita‘s pass cleanly beat Turner for Japan’s first goal.

The U.S. looked a bit better in the second half following a quartet of substitutes, but never really threatened Japan’s goal except for a late effort from Brenden Aaronson that went wide. Japan substitute Kaoru Mitoma sealed a deserved victory with an 88th-minute tally.

“We’ve got work to do. We clearly need to improve, but overall really good experience for this team,” Berhalter said at his postgame press conference.

“Give Japan a lot of credit. I think they played a good game and they gave us a hard time. I think at times we were well in the match and performing well, but overall, over 90 minutes, we could have been better. [It] wasn’t good enough.”

The manner of the defeat, with the U.S. guilty of numerous turnovers in its own half, will give Berhalter pause. So will the fact that Japan was quicker to 50/50 balls and more aggressive overall, as evidenced by it committing 16 fouls to just three for the U.S.

“I don’t know if the proximity of the World Cup has anything to do with it, but the guys didn’t look fresh, and from a physical output we just looked a step behind,” said Berhalter. “And then it’s difficult, a team like Japan will punish you.

“The adjustment in the second half helped give us more control of the game, gave us more passes between the lines. But in the first half, I think it was just the lack of comfort on the ball, silly giveaways.

“We built the opponent up after a decent start, but then it started snowballing and giving some balls away and it wasn’t what we envisioned.”

The U.S. was without several first choice players, including Chelsea attacker Christian Pulisic, who suffered a minor injury earlier in the week in training, and was kept out of the match as a precaution.

Berhalter said Pulisic’s status would be monitored. The U.S. plays against Saudi Arabia in Murcia, Spain, on Tuesday.

“Christian, his status is day to day,” Berhalter said. “It was knock, and, we’ll see [at Saturday’s practice] if he can get on the field.”

U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams insisted that Japan’s press was a tactic that other teams had used against his side, but in this instance, it took too long to for the Americans to make adjustments.

“I think that some of the teams in CONCACAF, you know, the Mexicos and the Hondurases, they’ve pressed us, and we found solutions,” he said.

“We just needed to find solutions earlier on. I think that we had a match plan and I think it would’ve been effective if we stuck to the game plan. But sometimes I just felt that maybe we just started to search for individual solutions instead of sticking together, sticking to the match plan, staying disciplined in our game plan.

“And you saw Japan, they did that well. They had one game plan and it was effective.”Time’s running out for USMNT’s fringe players hoping for a World Cup call-up, but nobody’s panicking yet

Sep 25, 2022 ESPN

MURCIA, Spain — When the U.S. men’s national team takes the field against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, it will mark 43 days until manager Gregg Berhalter names his 26-player roster for the 2022 World Cup. For the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams — assuming they’re healthy — their spots are secure. There is no drama as it relates to their World Cup fate.

But for those players on the bubble, those final days — as well as Tuesday’s match — will see them engage in an awkward dance. After all, they’re feeling the pressure that comes when lifelong dreams are within touching distance of becoming reality but could just as easily slip away.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

For most of those bubble players, the approach centers on the well-worn player adage of “controlling the controllables,” though there are some different flavors to that strategy. U.S. defender Sam Vines opts for being hyper-focused on the present in the hope that the soccer gods — well, and Berhalter — will bequeath him with a roster spot. “It’s a dream to go to a World Cup. I’ve been dreaming of it since I was born,” Vines told ESPN. “But you can only control so much, and you just have to work as hard as you can and hope that’s enough to get you on the squad.

“I just try and focus on the day-to-day. Today we have training, next day we have training, next day is a game. I just try and take it day by day and not overthink anything.”

Of course, that’s easier said than done. While it might be easy to focus during training or a game, pushing out any negative thoughts when you’re away from the field is tougher, and this is a reality that teammate Mark McKenzie acknowledges.

“Of course it’s always in the back of your head. Every player knows the World Cup is coming,” he said. “So although you can say, like, ‘Yeah, I blocked it out,’ no, you sit and you go home and you’re like, ‘We’re weeks away at this point,’ you know? Before this, you’re like, ‘Oh, it’s ticking down.’ That’s something that everybody is aware of. But you can’t really focus too much on the future because you don’t know what it has in store. So the biggest thing is being present, being in the moment, using this opportunity here in the camp.”

– O’Hanlon: Is it time to worry about the USMNT’s World Cup chances? (E+)

It’s open to debate just how much the Nov. 9 roster announcement is impacting the performances of certain players. In Friday’s 2-0 defeat to Japan, the U.S. was let down the most by players whose roster spots seem most secure. And while Vines struggled as well, he said the overriding vibe he felt was the trust of Berhalter and the rest of the coaching staff.

“Especially if you start the game, [Berhalter] puts trust in you, so you’re not worried about making mistakes,” he said. “You’re just more focused on how you can help the team.”For McKenzie, the fact that he’s even here with the U.S. is a bonus. The KRC Genk defender was initially left off the roster, only to be added when Crystal Palace‘s Chris Richards and Celtic‘s Cameron Carter-Vickers were both forced to withdraw because of injury. He did his prospects no harm in a solid 45-minute stint against Japan.

McKenzie added that the spirit within the team is still positive, regardless of a player’s likelihood of going to Qatar. The focus now is on how to make amends for what was clearly a poor teamwide performance against the Samurai Blue.

“I don’t feel like there’s that tension within the team where you feel like you’re walking on pins and needles, where guys are so edgy to the point of collapse,” he said. “I think it’s the business end of the World Cup buildup and I think everyone realizes that and understands that you need to learn the lessons from Japan and take that forward to Saudi Arabia and end this period together on high.

“The group is still tight-knit, the group is still together. The group is still focused on making sure we prepare all facets of the game.”

There’s another reason to not view the current camp as an all-or-nothing enterprise, too. The fact remains that after Tuesday’s match, players will have around seven matches to play with their clubs before the roster announcement, which amounts to one last-ditch effort to impress Berhalter and prove that they deserve to be on the plane.The weeks might feel like an eternity in terms of waiting for Nov. 9, but they’ll also flash by as each game is played.”You don’t know what’s going to happen in between now and then,” said McKenzie about the roster announcement. “Crazy things happen, where guys who were anticipated to be for-sure locks end up going off form and aren’t really considered anymore. Also, guys who are sleepers end up coming into the tournament. Guys who are expected to be there get injured before — there are all these different factors and variables that play into it.”

The USMNT disappoints in a 2-0 defeat to Japan in preparation for the World Cup.

This brings up another awkward element for players during the run-up to the roster announcement: that of staying healthy and how that affects a player’s level of aggressiveness. There was a notable lack of bite by the U.S. against Japan, as evidenced by the fact that the Americans committed just three fouls to Japan’s 16. One would hope that the U.S. will play with more assertiveness against the Saudis.

– Carlisle: USMNT has no answers to Japan press in friendly defeat

McKenzie, if he sees the field, isn’t one to worry about his health.

“If you think about injury, it’s probably going to hit you,” McKenzie said. “And if you start thinking about how, ‘Well, I’m not going to get into too many tackles here,’ then it may hurt your game in the long run. If you’re only playing at 70% because you’re thinking already about three, four weeks down the line for roster selection, it’s not going to benefit you to start pulling back from your game.”

Granted, a player in McKenzie’s position has no choice but to go full throttle, and given how he has secured a starting spot at club level after some extended periods of struggle, he’s not going to back down now. Tuesday will reveal how the rest of his U.S. teammates manage the moment, as well as the weeks and games that follow.Gio Reyna doesn’t want to dwell on his injury-ravaged 2021-22. He’s too focused on the 2022 World Cup

Sep 24, 2022

Sam BordenESPN Senior Writer

DUSSELDORF, Germany — Giovanni Reyna comes into the room. He sits down. He leans back in his chair and, after maybe 30 seconds of small talk, he says, “Listen, I don’t want to look back in the past. At all.” He smiles.

Reyna isn’t being unreasonable. He has had, by any measure, a brutal year. There was a hamstring. There was a thigh. There was a hamstring. There was a tweak. There was an illness. There was a twinge. Reyna is still only 19, but he has already had a taste of middle age, the injuries seemingly never stopping. Reyna missed 34 of Borussia Dortmund‘s past 45 matches and 15 of the past 19 for the United States in the past 12 months. Watching that much soccer when you should be playing? Reyna withered. He wilted.

So it makes sense that he wants to look ahead. With the World Cup just eight weeks away, Reyna is finally healthy. He and his coaches, including U.S. boss Gregg Berhalter, are being careful not to overdo his workload too soon, but of the very (very) few positives for the United States that came out of Friday’s 2-0 loss to Japan in Dusseldorf, Reyna’s first start for the Americans since last September was significant.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

Reyna was hardly amazing. No one on the U.S., save for goalkeeper Matt Turner, had anything close to an excellent performance against Japan. Any team that fails to register a shot on goal despite having nearly 60% possession deserves the criticism it receives.

Reyna did show flashes, though. The best chance for the U.S. came in the first half, when he pinged a pass to set up Sergino Dest ripping down the edge before crossing to Jesus Ferreira directly in front of goal. That Ferreira weakly headed over was unfortunate, but the passage of play leading up to it was exactly what fans (and Berhalter) have been craving.

USMNT has no answer for Japan in friendly loss3dJeff Carlisle
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So, too, was the sequence when Reyna took the ball in his own half and went on a run, cutting in and out of defenders and moving the U.S., all on his own, into the attacking third. In the past, Berhalter has typically used Reyna out wide, but he acknowledged this week that he sees the value of Reyna’s on-the-ball skill in a more central role. Against Japan, Reyna completed 9 of 11 passes, 3 of 4 within the attacking third, and registered two progressive carries and one progressive pass (events in the opposition half that progress the ball toward goal by five or ten yards, respectively). It seems almost inevitable that Reyna will end up more in the middle in games when the U.S. needs to push the pace.

“You don’t really say it like this in soccer, but I guess my playmaking abilities can hurt the other team,” Reyna says. “Like, in basketball or football, when someone has a ball, you can kind of create something from nothing or create chances. And I think that’s what I can do, whether it’s for a dribble or with a pass or combining — I think I’m able to do a bit of everything. And that’s just what what I love to do.”

It is what his father, Claudio, did, too. On Friday, Gio wore No. 21 instead of No. 7, an homage to his dad, a national team legend who wore 21 for the U.S. at the 1998 World Cup in France.

It was an intriguing choice. Family legacy has been a perpetual question for Gio since he was an academy player (his mother, Danielle Egan, also played for the U.S. on the women’s national team), and it contributes to the heavy expectations that linger over him.

Generally then, Reyna shies away from talking much about his parents or siblings. But earlier this week, when he did — despite his initial vow — allow himself to think more deeply about what he went through in the past 12 months, he shook his head when talking about needing his family to help him through the most difficult moments.

“I had some really, really tough days,” Reyna says. “Some really, really, you know — don’t want to do anything, kind of just sit in my room all day. Don’t want to go outside. Not in the mood to talk to my friends.”

He shrugs. “It’s frustrating, you know? You’re missing games, you’re missing trainings, you’re back in America when you should be in Dortmund playing.”

To their credit, Reyna says, Dortmund allowed him to return to the United States for part of his rehab, which helped, at least from the mental side. Being around positivity from his family — and not having to see, up close, all that was happening without him in Germany — allowed him to focus on what he needed to do instead of what he was missing. Berhalter, who checked in regularly, says he learned very quickly that Reyna had a strong preference about how their conversations should go.

“He was one of those guys who, after a little while, didn’t want to talk about his injury at all,” Berhalter says. “His eyes were forward. That was it.”

Now the question is how Reyna avoids what he (and everyone around the U.S. team) fears: A relapse. Another knock. Another run where he pulls up.

Reyna says he constantly worked to strengthen his legs during his rehab process, but he has no plans to change his style or approach when he’s on the field. He wants to be — and has been waiting to be — the driving force that the U.S. will need in Qatar.

“I’ve played in the Champions League,” Reyna says. “And the only thing that really is kind of on my bucket list as a kid — since I first started watching soccer — is to play in a World Cup with the USA.”

He laughs. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” he says. “I’m sure it will probably closer to the first game but I’m just so excited. It’s going to be a great experience for all of us.”

4:43 PM ET

England rallied from two goals down to take the lead momentarily before drawing 3-3 with Germany in a thrilling UEFA Nations League group stage finale at Wembley Stadium on Monday night.

Second-half goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Kai Havertz looked to have Germany on their way to victory, but Luke Shaw and Mason Mount levelled the score in a span of five minutes. VAR then awarded England a penalty, which Harry Kane converted to give the home side a brief lead, before Havertz tucked away his second of the night to reach the final scoreline.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

Nations League finals spots were off the table for both sides with England already relegated to the competition’s second tier and Germany coming into their last matchday sitting third, but the game had added importance for the Three Lions as it marked their final test ahead of the start of the World Cup on Nov. 20.

England’s Raheem Sterling had the best chance to score for either side midway through the first half, but after his clever cut-back to get a clear look at goal his tame effort was palmed away by an onrushing Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Gareth Southgate’s side continued to look dangerous on the counter, but there was no end result with Sterling once again firing right at Ter Stegen following his full-field run to get onto Kane’s ball into the area.

Gundogan scored Germany’s first from the penalty spot early in the second half after Harry Maguire fouled Jamal Musiala in the area and were two up 15 minutes later when Havertz curled a perfect shot in from distance that left Nick Pope no chance.

– Ogden: How England-Germany turned into Nations League classic

What seemed unlikely as the clock passed 70 minutes soon became reality, as Shaw and substitute Mount struck in quick succession to get the match back on level terms and bring the home support roaring back to life.

Nico Schlotterbeck‘s stamp on Jude Bellingham‘s ankle earned him a yellow card and a chance for England to take the lead from the spot, which Kane did with aplomb to the delight of the Wembley faithful.

However, Pope made a mistake as he spilled a long-range shot back into the path of Havertz to side-foot into the back of the net and end the game 3-3.

Bukayo Saka broke clear on goal in second-half stoppage time with a chance to win it for England only for Ter Stegen to touch his shot past the post.

England will face Iran, the United States and Wales in Group B in Qatar, while Hansi Flick’s Germany side will play Japan, Spain and Costa Rica in Group E.

Flick said he was disappointed to see a 2-0 lead turn into a 3-2 deficit in the space of 13 second-half minutes but focused instead on his own team’s late recovery.

“We were quite stable at 2-0, but England brought on a couple of substitutes that made them better offensively,” Flick said.

“But we have to look at it positively as well. I said to my players that they showed great courage and never gave up so it was great to come back.”

Southgate’s side finished bottom of the group with three points behind Germany on seven, Hungary with 10 and Italy, who topped the group on 11 points to reach the Nations League final four.

It is more than 100 years since England last went six competitive games without a victory, but they at least changed the narrative with this stirring comeback against Germany.

Both sides needed a pre-World Cup tonic after poor Nations League campaigns, with England losing 1-0 away to Italy last Friday, the same night Germany lost by the same scoreline at home to Hungary.

The last time the two heavyweights met at Wembley, in last year’s Euro 2020 finals, England were riding a wave of euphoria and manager Southgate could do no wrong.

But the mood has turned sour mainly because of a woeful lack of goals — Kane’s last-minute penalty in Germany being their only goal in their previous five Nations League games.

12:46 PM ETJeff CarlisleU.S. soccer correspondent

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

Berhalter was asked for further analysis of the Japan defeat, and he didn’t hold back in his criticism of the team or himself.

“I’m really glad the game happened when it did,” he said. “I think it was poor coaching, poor execution, poor training beforehand, a lot of everything. It’s just one of those games and we were very bad.”When asked to provide more details on how he erred as a coach, Berhalter said the team’s preparation was off because he and the staff thought the players would be able to take on more tactical details, even though it had been three-and-a-half 3½ months since they were last together.He added he could sympathize with the stress for some players that comes with trying to clinch a spot on the final World Cup roster. But that still didn’t excuse the performance.”As coaches we took for granted that they understood what we wanted,” he said. “So, when we trained during the week, we were training details. ‘You know this, now we’re going to go into detail.’ And we took for granted that the players were competent in this. But they didn’t understand. They didn’t know it. That’s what it was.”He added, “We thought it was going to be easier to switch gears than it turned out to be.”

Reyna won’t dwell on injury-hit 2021-22. He’s too focused on the World Cup3dSam Borden
USMNT players on World Cup bubble aren’t stressing yet ahead of Qatar 20222dJeff Carlisle

As a result, the U.S. failed to cope with what Berhalter said “wasn’t a complicated press” by Japan and that “we didn’t solve it at all.” He added that it was on both him and the team to identify solutions quicker during the game and make adjustments from there.Berhalter said he expects his side to get back up to speed against Saudi Arabia. But the Japan match is also a lesson he will factor in when the players arrive in Qatar and begin their final preparations ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

“I think it’s the mindset of preparing the guys ahead of time a little bit,” he said. “And then when they’re in camp, right from the beginning, focusing on the big picture rather than details again, which is usually a national team thing anyway.”Berhalter finds himself down several key players in this camp, with Lille forward Tim Weah, Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson, Crystal Palace center-back Chris Richards and Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah all absent due to injury. But Berhalter insisted he wouldn’t be changing his system if a similar scenario plays out in Qatar.

In the meantime, Berhalter is hoping that the contingent of injured players gets back to full health.

“Fitness is going be a factor,” he said in relation to his final roster selections. “I mean, I would love if you told me Chris Richards is going to be a part of the team right now, he’s going to be fit by November. I would say, ‘You know, he’ll make the team.’ I just don’t know that though. It’s really hard, and it’s frustrating.”

Italy clinched a place in the Nations League final four with a 2-0 win away to Hungary thanks to goals by Giacomo Raspadori and Federico Dimarco in their last League A-Group 3 game on Monday.

European champions Italy, who missed out on a place at the World Cup in Qatar, finished top on 11 points from six games, one point above second-placed Hungary who needed to avoid defeat to secure a place in their first Nations League semi-finals.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

Raspadori took advantage of a mistake by the defence in the 27th minute to convert a rebound from the edge of the box.

Hungary then had a great chance to equalise just after the break but goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma kept out a flurry of shots by Loic Nego, Callum Styles and captain Adam Szalai, who on ended his international career after the match.

Midfielder Dimarco made it 2-0 for the visitors in the 52nd minute when he blasted the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

“We were excellent for 70 minutes. The last 20 I didn’t like too much,” Italy coach Roberto Mancini said.

“It’s important to have reached the Nations League final four for the second time, but the previous results unfortunately remain.

“Let’s say that we were good at restarting and setting up a group that has values on which you can work.

“The goal? It’s bypassing the month of December,” he added, with his team sidelined for the World Cup which runs from Nov. 20-Dec. 18.

Italy join Croatia and the Netherlands in next year’s finals tournament, while Spain and Portugal will play in Braga on Tuesday for the last spot available.

September 23, 2022 gatorbest

US Men

So the roster is set and most of the key players will be on hand as the US enters the last phase before the World Cup with the friendlies vs Japan on Friday morning (ESPN2 8 am) and Tuesday afternoon vs Saudi Arabia (Fox Sports 1 2 pm). While I have enjoyed watching Nations League games in Europe – the fact that blocks the US from EVER playing European Teams really stinks. For the US the injuries and those missing might be just as big a thing and those who are playing. Ricardo Pepi at the #9 along with Josh Stewart over the top scoring American Forward Jordan Pfok who has his Union Berlin atop the Bundesliga (above Bayern Munich) is perplexing. Perhaps Berhalter is giving Pepi one last chance to make the plane to Qatar while Pfok has already proved his worth and is in. Not sure – but if GB leaves Pfok off the plane and doesn’t get out of the group stage he’ll be fired before the plane gets home from the World Cup. My hopes are Stewart and Pepi play well – but I doubt Pepi will get it done. I think Pfok is on the plane. As for midfielders – the MMA will perhaps be replaced with the MAA – as Musah is out injured. I think Aaronson fills that #8 slot alongside McKinney and Adams (because Aaronson simply has to start). That’s if Gio Reyna is healthy enough to start on the right wing of course. Turner is the GK of course with Horvath deserving a look perhaps in game 2. Now for defense – I would like to see Joe Scally start on the right with Dest on the left covering for the injured Jedi Robinson along with Walker Zimmerman and Aaron Long (stinks that Richards and CCV are not here to fight for that spot – but they are both on the plane to Qatar if healthy. As for Predictions – listen this Japan team is a good team – I think we are looking at 1-0 US win in a close one. (assuming Turner plays all game). On a lighter note – My goodness these US Uniforms are horrible, of course Alex Morgan makes them look a little better. Also awesome to see Tad Lasso win best comedy again – and AFC Richmond is going to be in FIFA 23 – that’s Lasso’s Team!

Here’s my line-up Friday AM

Pulisic, Sargent, Aaronson

Musah, Adams, De La Tore

Sands, Long, Zimmerman, Dest or Scally

Turner

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Luton Town/ENG; 8/0), Sean Johnson (New York City FC; 10/0), Matt Turner (Arsenal/ENG; 18/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Kellyn Acosta (LAFC; 52/2), Tyler Adams (Leeds United/ENG; 30/1), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 11/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 35/9), Malik Tillman (Rangers/SCO; 2/0),

Indy 11 Home Sun 5 pm Hispanic Heritage Night

Indy Eleven saw its four-game unbeaten streak come to a halt last Sat evening against Monterey Bay F.C. side in a 5-0 defeat to Monterey Bay. The defeat, coupled with other results from around the Eastern Conference, officially eliminated Indiana’s Team from playoff contention. The Boys in Blue return to the Mike on Sun, when they play host to Loudoun United FC for a special 5 pm ET kickoff. Details on the club’s annual Hispanic Heritage Night festivities –can be found at indyeleven.com/promotions, and tickets are just $15 at indyeleven.com/tickets,

NWSL Attendance Record of 32,000 fans Broken

A packed house watched the first-year San Diego Wave defeat Angel City FC on Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium. There’s reason to believe the best may be yet to come –
How San Diego smashed the NWSL attendance record with 32,000 fans. My daughter Courtney was in attendance and said it was awesome !!

High School–CHS Boys Move into 1^st Place host Guerin Fri, #3 CHS Girls host #4 Zionsville Sat 11:30 am

The Carmel High School boys have moved into 1st place in the state heading into their final 2 home games at Murray vs #16 Guerin Catholic Fri at 7 pm and Tues vs Harison at 7 pm. The #3 CHS ladies wrapped up Senior Night last night and host #4 Zionsville on Sat at 11:30 am at Murray before closing out the year at #15 Westfield Mon.

Carmel High Seniors – love those GK’s former FC’ers Aubry Empie and Bethany Ducat. CFC GKU!

Wed, Sept 21

7 pm ESPN2 Cincy vs Guadalajara NA League cup

9 pm ESPN2 Nashville vs America NA League cup

Thur Sept 21

12 noon FS2 Latvia vs Moldova

2:45 pm FS1 Belgium vs Wales

2:45 pm Fox Soccer Poland vs Netherlands

11 pm ESPN+ Real Salt Lake vs Atlas NA League cup

Fri, Sept 23

8 am ESPN2 USMNT vs Japan in Germany

12noon FS2 Georgia vs North Macedonia

2:45 pm FS1 Germany vs Hungary

2:45 pm fubo TV Italy vs England

Sat Sept 24

9 am FS2 Armenia vs Ukraine

12noon FS2 Slovinia vs Norway

2:45 pm FS2 Czech Republic vs Portugal

7 pm Para+ NC Courage vs NY Gotham FC NWSL

8:30 pm Para+ Houston Dash vs Seattle Reign (Lavelle, Rapinoe, Huerta)

10 pm ESPN+ San Jose vs LA Galaxy

Sun, Sept 25

9 am FS2 Armenia vs Ukraine

12noon FS2 Azerbajan vs Kakahstan

2:45 pm FS2 Denmark vs France

2:45 pm ?? Netherlands vs Belgium

5 pm Para+ KC Current vs Washington Spirit

5:30 pm TV 23 Indy 11 vs Loundon United (the Mike)

7 pm Para+ Orlando Pride vs San Diego Wave (Morgan)

8 pm Para+ Angel City vs Racing Louisville

Mon, Sept 26

2:45 pm FS1 England vs Germany

Tues, Sept 27

2 pm Fox Sports1 USMNT vs Saudi Arabia in Spain

2:45 pm FS2 Switzerland vs Czech Republic

Fri, Sept 30

2:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen

Sat, Oct 1

7:30 am USA Arsenal vs Tottenham

9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Koln

9:30 am ESPN+ Frankfurt vs Union Berlin (Pefok)

10 am USA Crystal Palace vs Chelsea (Pulisic)

10 am Peacock Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs New Castle United

12 noon ESPN+ Roma vs Inter Milan

6 pm Para + NY Gothem vs Portland Thorns NWSL

7:30 pm ESPN+ Chicago Fire vs Cincy

10 pm Para+ Seattle Reign vs Orlando Pride NWSL

Sun, Oct 2

9 am USA Man City vs Man United

10 am USA Leeds United (Aaronson, Adams) vs Aston Villa

10 am Peacock Fulham (Ream, Jedi) vs New Castle United

2:$5 pm ESPN+ Juve vs Bologna

3 pm ABC Portland Timbers vs LAFC

5 pm FS1 Sporting KC vs Seattle Sounders

6 pm Para + Chicago Red Stars vs Angel City NWSL

Mon, Oct 3

3 pm USA Leicester City vs Nottingham’s Forest

Tues, Oct 4 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

3 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Barcelona

3 pm Para+ Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid

Wed, Oct 5

3 pm Para+ Chelsea (Pulisic) vs AC Milan

3 pm Para+ Sevilla (Musah) vs Dortmund (Reyna)

Fri, Oct 7

3 pm FOX US Women vs England in London

Tues, Oct 11

2:30 pm ESPN2 US Women vs Spain (Pamplona)

Sat, Oct 29

8 pm CBS NWSL Championship Game

Soccer Saturday’s are every Sat 9-10 am on 93.5 and 107.5 FM with Greg Rakestraw

Great shot at the Carmel High Girls Pack the House night – look at all those Carmel FC jerseys in the house! I even see some CFC GKU members.

Berhalter reveals 4 USMNT starters vs. Japan

Analysis: Thoughts and takeaways from Berhalter’s media call

Creditor: Bracing for Roster Change Is USMNT’s Only Constant

Big questions before USMNT’s pre-World Cup friendlies: Can Pepi nail down spot? Is Turner too rusty?

Sargent riding Norwich confidence to stake claim to USMNT’s No. 9 shirt 1dJeff Carlisle

What the players missing from the USMNT September friendlies roster says about the team

USMNT roster for World Cup tune-ups – Latest injury news, call-ups,
USMNT, European review: Pefok scores for leaders Union Berlin; McKennie’s Juve lose
Siebatcheu, Becker fire ‘dominant’ Union Berlin top of Bundesliga

Walker Zimmerman “eager to prove” USMNT’s qualities despite key absences

Creditor: How the USMNT’s Three World Cup Foes Are Shaping Up

Big questions before Mexico’s pre-World Cup friendlies: Injuries, leadership, and the ‘quinto partido’
Why we need to change the debate over who gets picked for England
Allen injury a worry for Wales ahead of World Cup
Republic of Ireland’s Brady eager to repeat France 2016 heroics

Gabriel Jesus goal celebration ‘for Vinicius Jr’; Racist attacks ‘need to stop’
Real Madrid triumph at rivals Atletico in spiky derby
Racist chants aimed at Vinicius Junior by Atletico Madrid fans
Barcelona climb top in Spain after Lewandowski double
Villarreal battle back to keep pressure on Sevilla and Lopetegui
Napoli make title statement at Milan to hold Serie A lead

How San Diego smashed the NWSL attendance record with 32,000 fans

Angel City loses at San Diego’s new stadium, a venue that’s a sign of hope for NWSL
NWSL Boom, Global Growth Usher in New Goals for Women’s Soccer

15 Spanish Women’s Players Quit blaming the Coach

Funny Alex Morgan wears the new kit fairly well – the 4 stars over the logo does help !

12:24 PM ET Bill Connelly ESPN Staff Writer

In less than two months, the 3,065-day wait between World Cup matches for the United States men’s national team will come to an end. Only tuneups against Japan in Germany (Friday, 8:25 am ET on ESPN2/ESPN+) and Saudi Arabia (on Tuesday in Spain) remain before the Nov. 21 group-stage opener against Wales in Qatar.

hese two friendlies are, for all intents and purposes, the last chance for players to make direct impressions on U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter before he makes his World Cup selections. Berhalter insists other players could still end up on the team beyond those invited to camp this week, and he will prove how true that is when he makes his final 26-man selection in early November.But there are indeed roster spots still to be decided, and we’ll see who takes the greatest advantage of this week’s opportunities. Here are five questions to ask as we, too, get our final pre-Qatar look at the national team.

Figuring out a national team manager’s preferences can be pretty tricky due to the disjointed nature of the international calendar. Who’s healthy and/or in form when the matches show up on the calendar? Who isn’t? It can make a huge difference on selection.

Still, we can make some pretty educated guesses. We know who Berhalter has played the most over the year or so since World Cup qualification began: Timothy Weah, Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson, Jesus Ferreira and Ricardo Pepi in attack; Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie and Kellyn Acosta in midfield; Walker Zimmerman and Miles Robinson in central defense; Antonee Robinson, DeAndre Yedlin and Sergino Dest (when healthy) at fullback; Matt Turner and Zack Steffen in goal.Weah, Musah, Steffen and Antonee Robinson have battled minor injuries of late and are not involved in this window of matches, but one assumes their spots on the plane to Qatar are secure if healthy. Miles Robinson will certainly miss the World Cup due to a long-term Achilles injury suffered in May, and even though he was selected for these two matches, Pepi could also miss out despite being healthy as he has battled major form issues this calendar year.So that’s 15 players we can loosely assume are involved.We know that Giovanni Reyna would have been in heavy rotation had he not been injured for most of 2021-22, and we know that midfielder Luca de la Torre enjoyed some fantastic and super-active moments as he was given more minutes late in qualification and over the summer. That’s probably 17.That still leaves nine spots or so that are undecided — maybe 10 or 11 if Berhalter gives up on Pepi for the time being, or if Steffen’s combination of health and form issues continue. One extra spot will go to a third goalkeeper, and one to two spots will go to backup midfielders. But at least a couple more forwards will come to Qatar, and there are quite a few spots to be decided in defense.

Outside of the names already mentioned above, here are the players in each position group who were invited to camp in this international window:

Goalkeeper: Ethan Horvath (Luton Town), Sean Johnson (NYCFC)
Center back: Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Mark McKenzie (Genk), Erik Palmer-Brown (Troyes)
Fullback: Reggie Cannon (Boavista), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Sam Vines (Royal Antwerp)
Midfield: Johnny Cardoso (Internacional), Malik Tillman (Rangers)
Forwards: Paul Arriola (FC Dallas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders FC), Joshua Sargent (Norwich City)

Those are the players to pay closest attention to against Japan and Saudi Arabia.

With Miles Robinson out, the biggest question for Berhalter to answer regarding the team’s starting XI is who lines up next to Zimmerman in central defense in Qatar. Evidently Aaron Long will get the first crack, as he will start alongside Zimmerman against Japan.

McKenzie and Palmer-Brown were last-second additions after both Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic) and Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) had to withdraw with minor injuries. (Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan likely would have been involved here if not for injury, as well.) All of this has further clouded what was already the cloudiest position on the roster.None of the primary options have logged the same amount of time next to Zimmerman as Robinson had. Richards and Zimmerman have played in the same U.S. match four times, Long twice — he’s coming off of his own Achilles recovery — and McKenzie and Palmer-Brown once each. If Carter-Vickers were to end up starting next to Zimmerman against Wales, it would be their first match together. That’s a bad time to get to know each other.Richards started four qualification matches and seemed reasonably likely to be the new first-choice option here, but minor injuries (and the poor timing of said injuries) have limited his time in various camps. So Long gets the first shot.Herculez Gomez gives his opinion on the new USMNT kits for the World Cup in Qatar.Berhalter leaned heavily on the combination of Zimmerman and Robinson in World Cup qualification — they were two of the four players who topped 800 minutes — and the United States‘ defense was rock solid most of the way. In the seven matches in which this duo played, the U.S. allowed just four goals (from shots worth 4.3 xG) and amassed 16 points. In the seven they didn’t: six goals allowed (from 5.6 xG) and nine points. In terms of output, that’s not an enormous difference, but it’s a difference.Neither Japan nor Saudi Arabia is heavy in terms of attack or length-of-the-pitch pressure. We certainly won’t learn everything we need to know in two matches, but if one of either Long, McKenzie or Palmer-Brown were to stand out from the others, it would likely make a strong impression.

Jordan Pefok and his Union Berlin side have been a revelation since the start of the current Bundesliga season. The counter-attacking partnership of Pefok (three goals and two assists from 10 chances created) and club teammate Sheraldo Becker (six goals and three assists from 12 chances) has been a huge reason why Die Eisernen sit top of the German league table.

As for his performance for the USMNT, Pefok hasn’t really done much. The 26-year old has made nine appearances with the national team and has scored once on eight shots worth 1.2 xG in 307 minutes. Granted, no one has really stood out consistently in center-forward, but of those who have played at least 200 minutes for the national team over the last two years, Nicholas Gioacchini (1.23), Ferreira (1.13), Daryl Dike (0.55), Pepi (0.44) and Gyasi Zardes (0.41) have all averaged more xG created per 90 minutes than Pefok’s 0.35, and Sargent (0.34) and Matthew Hoppe (0.30) aren’t exactly far behind.

The U.S. seems to be at its best when it is giving the other team the ball and opening space for counters. That has been true historically, and it still seems true now. In the four World Cup qualification matches in which the U.S. had under 50% possession, they averaged 2.5 points and 2.8 goals scored per match; in 10 matches over 50%, they averaged 1.5 points and 1.0 goals. It’s true that game state had a role to play here — when the U.S. is leading, it is much less likely to be dominating the ball or trying to play with a high defensive line — but one could make a pretty easy case that Pefok (one of the strongest counter-attackers in Europe at the moment) should have a spot on the roster, even if just as a substitute.

Maybe that will come to pass. Maybe Berhalter was serious when he said last week, “We’re pretty confident we know Jordan’s profile, we know what he can do… we didn’t feel like we needed to see him in this camp to determine whether he could be on the [World Cup] roster or not.”left for attackers and now Pepi, Sargent and Arriola get chances to make last-minute impressions, hopefully swaying Berhalter’s thinking. Will they take advantage?Sargent has certainly taken advantage of a drop in competition levels. Still only 22, he spent the last two seasons with moribund teams. Werder Bremen was relegated in 2020-21 after a terrible season in the Bundesliga, and he moved to Norwich City, which finished last in the Premier League in 2021-22.

Over those two seasons, he managed to score just seven goals in 58 matches and while he was in no way the primary reason for those teams’ dreadful performances, he obviously didn’t help that much either. Predictably, his form with the national team suffered, too. After scoring five goals in his first 12 appearances, he failed to score in his last seven matches; in the first three matches of World Cup qualification, he attempted four shots in 116 minutes, put none of them on target, and wasn’t included in further matches.This season in the English Championship, Sargent already has six goals and an assist in 10 matches for Norwich. Because of an injury to veteran Teemu Pukki, he’s put in nearly half of his minutes at center-forward, too, which hasn’t hurt his cause. He’s put 42% of his shots on target, and his body language has improved immensely. He’s doing this in the second division, yes, but he desperately needed confidence and form, and he’s found both.

Pepi… is still searching, as the last year or so has turned him into a prime example of “too much, too soon.”

Still only 19, Pepi rode a hot streak to a 13-goal, two-assist season for FC Dallas in 2021 — he scored three times for the U.S., too — and he parlayed that success into a transfer to the Bundesliga to play for FC Augsburg.

Over the course of about seven months, he made just 16 appearances for 587 minutes (equivalent to just 6.5 full 90s) and scored zero goals with zero assists. He was solid from a ball-pressure perspective, but as a forward, you’re hired to score at least a few goals. He is spending 2022-23 on loan with the Eredivisie’s FC Groningen, and in two matches and 110 minutes he’s already produced a goal and an assist.

Maybe a lower level of competition will coax the same improvement we’ve seen from Sargent, but he’s only just started there.

For obvious reasons, the players themselves — their individual performances and where they fit in the team — are what we will be primarily focused on in these two matches. In fact, we’ll return to that line of thinking shortly. But there’s still something to be gleaned from the team’s play, especially as it pertains to the attack.Berhalter has made clear through the years that he prefers slow buildup and quality possession numbers; this made it kind of awkward when, as mentioned above, the U.S. turned out to be far more potent with less of the ball.Against a set of CONCACAF opponents that were typically happy to play with a low defensive line and give more talented teams all the aimless possession they wanted, the U.S. obliged. They were inconsistent in breaking these defenses down to any major degree, and it created some blemishes.In seven qualification wins, the U.S. averaged 15.3 shots per match, attempted at least 12 in every match and put 40% of shots on goal. In six meaningful qualification draws and losses (not including the final loss to Costa Rica, when they had already clinched qualification), they averaged 10.0 shots per match, managed fewer than 12 in four of six and put just 25% of shots on goal.With Iran in their World Cup group, the U.S. will play at least one match against a low-line, low-possession team — one that is very good at that system, no less. And as preparation, you could do a lot worse than playing Japan and Saudi Arabia. In friendlies and World Cup qualification matches over the last two years, Saudi Arabia has allowed just 8.2 shot attempts per match (37% on target), Japan 6.8 (31%). Was there a lot of weak opposition in that sample? Absolutely. But there was quite a bit of raw quality, too, especially from Japan.When Japan played a loaded Brazil team in a June friendly — one that started Neymar, Vinicius Junior and Raphinha in attack and brought Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison off the bench — they did allow 21 shot attempts. But only two of the shots were worth more than 0.2 xG, only 24% of them were on target and Brazil’s lone goal came from a 77th-minute penalty.Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu has a sound defense to lean on, one that includes veterans like captain Maya Yoshida (Schalke 04) and Hiroki Sakai (formerly of Marseille) and exciting younger players like Hiroki Ito (VfB Stuttgart) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal). Further up the pitch, Japan has both proven players like Takumi Minamino (AS Monaco), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic) and up-and-comers like Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) and Ritsu Doan (SC Freiburg). This squad will test the U.S. from front to back, but how the Americans fare in attack might be the most telling. And against Saudi Arabia in particular, they should get plenty of reps against a packed-in defense.

According to data recorded by StatsPerform, Matt Turner — who will get the start on Friday against Japan — played 43 matches and a total of 3,869 minutes for club and country in 2021.In 2022, he’s played 14 matches and 1,193 minutes. In 2021, he registered an excellent 14.1 goals prevented (a StatsPerform measure comparing the post-shot xG value of shots on goal to actual goals scored or allowed). In 2022, that figure is minus-0.3. It could be a correlation — or merely a coincidence.The 28-year old Turner missed a large portion of the spring to injury, then moved from the New England Revolution to Arsenal over the summer. Professionally, it was an obviously exciting move for him to make. He’s been regarded as the best pure shot-stopper in the U.S. player pool for a while, and now he gets to ply his trade for one of England’s biggest clubs.He did see a little bit of push-back to the move from those thinking more about the national team than about Turner himself. Would his form be affected by the fact that he wouldn’t be playing as much — he’s now Aaron Ramsdale‘s backup — especially after coming off of an injury?

Indeed, he’s played in only one match for the club, along with three recorded friendlies. He was shaky against Germany’s Nurnberg in a July friendly, but the only goal he allowed in his Europa League debut came from a penalty. He has said all the right and predictable things about the move, pointing out that things are so fast in practice that he feels more prepared than ever for a World Cup-level challenge.We’ll get a fleeting glimpse of Turner’s sharpness over the next week, but it will be interesting to see if Berhalter also starts him against Saudi Arabia, knowing that it will be his last chance to get a look at potential backups like Horvath and Johnson as well.

We’re going to get quite a look at how club form affects country form this week and, perhaps, at the World Cup. Turner is one case study, and De la Torre is another.De la Torre, 24, emerged as a bolt of lightning and phenomenal at ball recoveries for the U.S. this spring and summer. Over seven 2022 matches with the U.S., and in just a 275-minute sample, he recorded 38 ball recoveries, completed 90% of his passes and created six chances with two assists. He was a wrecking ball with Heracles Almelo in the Dutch Eredivisie, too: He was one of only three players to combine at least 230 ball recoveries with at least 40 chances created.He moved from Heracles to LaLiga’s Celta Vigo in the offseason, however, and has proceeded to play 17 total minutes in 2022-23. The odds are good that he will land on the 26-man World Cup roster regardless, but now’s a good chance for him to prove his sharpness — to prove he’s rested, not rusty — after sitting the bench for most of the last six to eight weeks.

National Writer: Charles BoehmUS Men’s National TeamWorld Cup

Their hope is that even when key faces are missing or unavailable, or the team finds itself up against a wall, as is quite likely to be the case for significant stretches in Qatar against the likes of Group B foes Wales, England and Iran, that the journey to this point has created a collective much greater than the sum of its parts.

Which would be no small sum, considering that this is widely considered both the youngest and possibly most talented group the United States has ever sent to a men’s World Cup. And several of them have known one another since middle school or thereabouts.

“One of the things, as far as me and Tyler, have learned about each other is that he does all the running and I do all the playing. No, I’m just kidding!” said McKennie, flashing another trademark smile. “But I think just us being together for as long as we have and knowing each other for so long, we’ve, I think, developed a relationship that we know each other’s tendencies, we know each other’s abilities, we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and how to cover for one another.

“Many of the guys that are coming in that may have not been with the group so long, we’ve played with them or against them at some point in our lives, in our careers. Say for instance, Luca de la Torre, [who] maybe came on a little bit later into the national team, me and Tyler have been playing with him since we were 14, 15 years old. So I think whoever comes in, we have some sort of familiarity with each player.”

Understandably, fans and pundits are already debating decisions like leaving out Pefok, or whether to start Jesus Ferreira vs. Josh Sargent up top instead. Or if Brenden Aaronson should be slotted into a No. 8 role alongside McKennie instead of on the right wing, to make sure the Leeds United standout is on the pitch given other flank options like Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman or Paul Arriola. Or whether anyone else in the player pool can replicate what Antonee “Jedi” Robinson has brought to the left back position, with Sam Vines looking to impress.

As important as those finer points of Berhalter’s roster and lineup selection are, Adams suggested that Berhalter’s overarching concepts reduce the extent of adaptation when changes become inevitable, as they already are.

“One of the keys to our team is our depth. You already see, based off of the players that are here, all of them can play at any given moment, they can really offer something different,” said the holding midfielder. “We have a system, and although, yeah, we have individual quality all over the field and [roster spots] one through 26, there’s all different types of qualities, when you come into the system, you have to know your role and you have to know your job on the day and for who we’re playing against.”One of Asia’s elite sides for a quarter-century and counting, Japan have qualified for seven consecutive World Cups and this autumn must chart a course out of a ferocious Group E alongside Germany, Spain and Costa Rica. Their technical, up-tempo blend of possession and pressing will undoubtedly ask difficult questions of the USMNT on both sides of the ball.That leads to useful lessons for the players, and data points for Berhalter as he mulls his final roster decisions.“We’re trying to put together the best possible team that can perform at our best levels at the World Cup. And for that, we pick players that fit the way we want to play and the way we are, and our team culture. And so there’s not one easy answer for that,” said the coach.“We take the decisions very seriously. We deliberate continuously. And we feel bad for guys and happy for other guys. It’s an emotional process where we care for each and every one of our players in our player pool. Every player that’s ever stepped on the field or stepped on a training field for us since we’ve been involved in 2019, we care for. And they’re never easy conversations. But in the end, we’re trying to do what we feel is best for the team – and the team is always going to be the most important thing.”

11:36 AM ET Jeff CarlisleU.S. soccer correspondent

COLOGNE, Germany — United States manager Gregg Berhalter has said Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner will start in Friday’s friendly against Japan, and he will be joined by center backs Aaron Long of the New York Red Bulls and Nashville SC’s Walker Zimmerman.

“Aaron and Walker are going to play, going to start, and we’ll probably make a sub at half-time, or maybe after that and get another center back in. And then next game, take a look at another one,” Berhalter said during a roundtable with reporters.Berhalter later confirmed during a virtual media availability that Antwerp left back Sam Vines would also start against Japan.The center back position has been hit by injuries in recent months. Atlanta United’s Miles Robinson suffered a ruptured achilles tendon back in May, while Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards and Celtic’s Cameron Carter-Vickers were ruled out of this international break due to minor injuries. That left Berhalter to call in RKC Genk’s Mark McKenzie and Troyes’ Erik Palmer-Brown.The absences have led to concerns that some chemistry will be lost, but Berhalter said Long, McKenzie and Zimmerman were all part of his first national team camp back in 2019.”Mark’s played in some big games, Aaron and Walker played together for three and a half years now, so I think there is familiarity with this group,” Berhalter said. “And then for Eric, it’s a good opportunity. He’s playing in Ligue 1. He’s playing against [Kylian] Mbappe and [Lionel] Messi and the quality strikers there.”Berhalter said that he is making some tactical modifications, even at this late stage before the start of the World Cup in November, where the U.S. will square off against Wales, England and Iran. In addition to Japan on Friday, the U.S. will play their final preparation match against Saudi Arabia in Murcia, Spain on Sept. 27.”I think it’s beneficial for us to put tweaks into what we’re doing because opponents come in all shapes and sizes and forms and formations in the World Cup,” Berhalter said. “So I think this will help prepare us. There’s probably a little bit in it over the course of two games, for sure.”Midfielder Weston McKennie said the U.S. will try to handle playing in transition better, which was something the team struggled with in friendlies last June against Morocco and Uruguay.”When the ball gets switched to the other side or our press gets broken down, just to track back and get behind the ball again,” he said.”That’s one of the things that we’re concentrating on in training, and just building out, playing and having a confidence to find those balls that maybe aren’t the easiest to find, but most effective. And in general, just I guess making sure our chemistry is intact, which I don’t think that’s ever been a real problem, but always good to have the guys in.”

Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Jesus Ferreria are the 3 Strikers called in for the final 2 games before the World Cup.

Fit or form? That appears to be the key question up top for the U.S. as it braces for the World Cup. Brian Straus SI

Maybe the Bundesliga just wanted to find a novel way to remind everybody that it has a title race to promote in late September. Union Berlin is, after all, the surprising leader of a league that’s often already in Bayern Munich’s hands by now. But this was an interesting way to do it—essentially criticizing a foreign national team coach for his roster selection.“Jordan [Pefok] has contributed to more goals in the early part of 2022-23 than any U.S. international playing their club football in a top European league,” the Bundesliga website proclaimed, adding that the 26-year-old striker “deserves a USMNT recall in time for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”The German league’s editorial was unorthodox, but it’s an indication of just how contentious and confounding the U.S. striker conversation has become—at least outside the program. The World Cup is two months away, and there’s just one camp and two friendlies left to play before coach Gregg Berhalter has to choose his 26-man team (and then the 11 men who’ll start against Wales in Al Rayyan, Qatar).There are other roster concerns, including at goal and center back. But none is attracting more attention and opinion than the puzzle up front. There, no one but 21-year-old FC Dallas forward Jesús Ferreira, who scored one goal in six World Cup qualifying appearances before netting four against tiny Grenada in June, appears to be a November shoo-in. As of last week, the likes of Pefok, Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Haji Wright and Brandon Vazquez were considered contenders for the remaining two or maybe three slots.Berhalter has said time and again that this month’s camp in western Germany (where the U.S. faces Japan on Friday in Düsseldorf) and Murcia, Spain (where the Americans play Saudi Arabia on Sept. 27) is not a World Cup dress rehearsal. It can’t be. Too many important pieces, such as Antonee Robinson, Tim Weah and Yunus Musah, among others, are missing. Nevertheless, a message has been sent about the race for the No. 9 role: fit may trump form. There’s no other way to reconcile the inclusion of Pepi, who hadn’t found the net in the 11 months that preceded last week’s roster announcement (he then scored for Groningen over the weekend), over Pefok, who’s been the most consistent American scorer in Europe. The Washington, D.C. native had tallied 21 goals between Pepi’s last marker and last week’s unveiling, and now has four in eight games for first-place Union.Ferreira and Sargent, who hasn’t scored for the U.S. in two years, are the other strikers now in camp. Wright, who spent June with the national team and has five goals in seven matches for Turkey’s Antalyaspor, was left out. So was Vazquez, whose bid for an inaugural senior cap has been fueled by a brilliant 16-goal, five-assist campaign for resurgent FC Cincinnati.“I don’t think there’s a case where there’s a huge talent discrepancy, and we went with the guy who has experience or has a body of work over that talent. You’re talking about minor differences,” Berhalter explained.“We’re not going to be the most talented team at the World Cup and we’re going to have to compensate for that by being a cohesive unit, by working for each other, fighting for each other and having a great team spirit,” the coach continued. “So part of it is leaning on guys that have been there before and been around the group before, and understand the team culture and understand their teammates really well.”Form is typically temporary, especially up top. Strikers can be streaky, for better or worse. What seems to matter more to Berhalter is profile—attributes, qualities, abilities and instincts that transcend a given stat. How the player fits into the group tactically, physically and personally is a priority.“It’s no secret. We use [strikers] in a number of different ways,” Berhalter said when asked what he was looking for from his No. 9. “One of them is to drop in and help us give us an extra man in midfield. One of the ways is to run behind the back line and then arriving in the penalty box, making good runs inside the penalty box, and then finally starting our defensive pressure. We want to be a high pressing team. We need forwards that understand the press, know how to use triggers to initiate the press and then actually execute the press well.” https://f458671a9cbecd1c50adad69622ac743.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html That combination of qualities is why Ferreira is atop the U.S. depth chart. “When you look at a guy like Jesús, he checks all those boxes in terms of what his skill set is,” Berhalter said. “So that’s how we’ve been evaluating a lot of these guys, and I think that it’s a complicated position. But there are guys out there, even not in this camp, that we believe can get the job done. We said that all along, that we believe we have forwards that can do the job.”Ferreira is smaller than his compatriots, but he’s mobile, smart and comfortable on both sides of the ball. Speaking from U.S. camp this week, he detailed how focusing on those foundational qualities can help a player produce an end product. He said he’s even been meeting with a sports psychologist to help embrace that cause and effect.“[I’ve been] working with a guy that has helped me understand that in games, I need to focus more on having a good touch, making sure that my press is good, making sure that my runs are good, making sure that I can come down and help with my first touch for buildout, just making sure that I have a good game before I think about the final product,” Ferreira said. “Thinking about having a good game will lead me to having the final product, which is the goal.”Berhalter has expressed confidence in Pepi and Sargent despite their recent struggles. Pepi’s transfer to Augsburg has been a disaster, and he’s now on loan in the Netherlands. Sargent has been revitalized by Norwich’s relegation from the Premier League, a positional adjustment and an offseason weight training program.“Pepi has also had some good history with us. He’s started really important games, and we just weren’t willing to give all that up right now on Pepi. We still think there’s a big upside with him,” Berhalter said. “Let’s not forget in our last qualifying window, he started two of the three games in a crucial qualifying window. So he’s a guy that we’ve counted on in the past, and we want to give him an opportunity in this window.” Berhalter said regarding Sargent, “We wanted to take a look at Josh due to his hot start and he’s been with the [national] team for a while as well.”Norwich uses a 4-3-3 formation that’s similar to the the Berhalter’s, and Sargent earned some time up top in the absence of the injured Teemu Pukki. Sargent then returned to a right-wing role that affords him more opportunity to drift inside, he said. The 22-year-old has six goals in 11 games this season.”I haven’t really had a season like this,” Sargent told media Wednesday in Cologne. “I would say in terms of getting a lot of scoring chances, getting minutes at striker like I have this season so far, confidence is at an all-time high at the moment. I’m just trying to keep that momentum going as long as possible, keep scoring goals.”Wright and Pefok have fewer caps than the men called in (but not by much in Pefok’s case—he’s just two behind Pepi). Pefok also plays in a 3-5-2 at Union that’s quite different from Berhalter’s set-up. Vazquez, meanwhile, has no time with the U.S. at all, and integrating a player into the side this close to the World Cup just doesn’t seem like a task the coaching staff is eager to take on.

Pefok seemed like the bigger snub.“We’re pretty confident we know Jordan’s profile,” Berhalter said last week. “We know what he can do, and we didn’t feel like we needed to see him in this camp to determine whether he could be on the [World Cup] roster or not. … He’s been working hard. He’s been a handful to play against, and he’s doing a lot of things right.“We’ve been consistent in saying it may not be the best forward that is in the group,” he added. “It’s a guy that fits what we’re doing the best and again, we’re pretty confident we know what Jordan can do.”So is Pefok.”In the big competitions you need experience, but you also need desire and to apply yourself,” he said in that Bundesliga piece. ”In a cup competition anything can happen. Why shouldn’t performances at the highest level in club football be reflected in the national team?”Perhaps Pefok already is considered a World Cup squad member unless Pepi and/or Sargent flourish this month. Or maybe his profile just isn’t right. Either way, the scoreboard will tell the story. First up is the 24th-ranked Samurai Blue, who are headed to their seventh straight World Cup following a qualifying campaign in which they won 15 of 18 games, scored 58 goals and yielded just six.”They don’t give much up at all,” Berhalter said of Japan. “They don’t give many goal scoring opportunities up. They play teams very tight—very good work rate. Everyone gets behind the ball when they lose the ball. So I think that’s going be an interesting opponent.”It sounds like a good test for a striker. It’s one that somebody will have to pass, or else questions will continue as time grows short.

Injuries have shaped the makeup of the U.S.’s last squad before the World Cup team is chosen, but in the national team’s universe, that’s par for the course.

AVI CREDITOR SEP 19, 2022 SI

Gregg Berhalter saw it coming. But then again, anyone who has been closely following the U.S. men’s national team for the last few years probably should have, too.“A lot can change,” Berhalter prophetically said regarding his penultimate squad choice before the World Cup begins, specifically about those who were and were not selected. “We have to be monitoring these players, we are monitoring these players, we’re having ongoing conversations with guys in the camp and not in the camp, because we know things can change really quickly.”And so it has. In the time since Berhalter made those comments, last Wednesday, three of his 26 initial choices for the last U.S. camp—Yunus Musah, Chris Richards and Cameron Carter-Vickers—have withdrawn with fresh injuries. Another handful wasn’t available to be called on in the first place due to either lingering or recent injury issues. Such is what resembles “normal” for the USMNT.It bears repeating that the U.S. has never had what most would consider its optimal lineup together for a single game in the four years leading into the 2022 World Cup. Injuries, COVID-19, form, discipline … you name the circumstance, and it has prevented the U.S. from truly being at full strength even once in Berhalter’s time as coach. So it should be no surprise, then, that the U.S., which has commenced its last camp before the World Cup, is again braced for change. It’s been the only real constant for a group that has achieved plenty as an extended unit and goes into its World Cup group against Wales, England and Iran feeling optimistic about its chances, regardless of who makes the final cut. A camp that spans time and a pair of matches against World Cup–bound foes in Germany and Spain, is the next checkpoint on the road to Qatar, but it’s not the end-all for those hoping to reach the World Cup stage. Berhalter made sure to stress that point repeatedly, with it extending both ways—just because someone was called into camp doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a shoo-in for Qatar, and, conversely, just because someone wasn’t included doesn’t mean his World Cup hopes are toast. But there is going to be the expectation for the next men up to rise to the occasion if called upon. In this case, it’s the three replacements: Brazil-based midfielder Johnny Cardoso, and Europe-based center backs Mark McKenzie and Erik Palmer-Brown. “This isn’t something where we need to lock in the [World Cup] roster right now. If we’re 80% done now, or we think we’re 80% done, still things can change from there,” Berhalter said. “They’re playing up until the last weekend before the World Cup. Think about how many guys pulled out of [USMNT World Cup] qualifiers at the last weekend. “It’s important to keep in mind that this is not the final roster. It’s not the final roster for the World Cup. A lot can happen between now and Nov. 9 [when the U.S.’s squad will be revealed]. A lot can happen between the ninth and the 14th [when FIFA’s roster deadline actually is]. So just keep that in mind. That was the conversation I had with the players not selected in this camp, is that a lot can happen in some of the positions where we’re looking to evaluate certain guys that we don’t have enough information on and other players just weren’t selected.”So that’s the position in which the U.S. finds itself with one week and two games left before any undecided places—that 20% or so that Berhalter referenced—come down to remaining club performances (Berhalter did add that a separate, off-calendar camp for MLS-based players whose teams don’t make the playoffs will be held next month). In addition to the three aforementioned injuries, winger Tim Weah, left back Antonee Robinson and goalkeeper Zack Steffen, three players whom most would call core fixtures for a team familiar with flux, all were held out as well. Steffen’s absence is made a bit more confusing considering he returned from a knee injury for Middlesbrough over the weekend, but it opens the door for Matt Turner to make his claim for the No. 1 job.“We’re waiting to see how [Steffen] recovers and gets back on the training field and then a game field,” Berhalter had said last week.Nevertheless, he remains out. Weah is also in a waiting game, with his ankle injury preventing him from playing for Lille at all so far this season. At the very least, Robinson’s injury does not appear to be prohibitive. The instrumental fullback injured his ankle against Tottenham earlier this month, but Berhalter appeared to play down the severity when giving his assessment last week, and that was backed by subsequent words from Fulham manager Marco Silva.“It’s not really serious, and because of that we are testing every day how he feels,” Silva said late last week, before Fulham’s match vs. Nottingham Forest. “It’s something that could be one or two days, [that’s] the feedback that I received from the medical staff. We need to check again, because he doesn’t feel really comfortable yet, but I think soon we will have Robinson again.”

That’s a breath of fresh air for the U.S., which has options, but not ones that would be characterized as fully secure, behind Robinson in the pecking order.The roster churn over the last few days doesn’t account for all of the pressing story lines with the current U.S. squad. The chief focus is on the center forwards, which, at this camp, are Jesús Ferreira, Josh Sargent and Ricardo Pepi. Ferreira’s form with FC Dallas and most recent contributions with the U.S. made him an automatic call, while Sargent has been on a scorching scoring run—at last—for Norwich City and has a deep history with this player pool. Berhalter said he didn’t want to bring four players at the position to camp when getting game time for all would have been a tough task, leaving the final call, presumably, down to Pepi and Jordan Pefok.Whereas Pepi, who finally broke his scoring drought for club and country after more than 11 months with a goal in the Netherlands for Groningen, made the squad, Pefok, who has scored regularly for Bundesliga-leading Union Berlin, including another goal Sunday, did not. Both players’ goals were scored on headers, with Pefok’s of a higher degree of difficulty, in a better league—the same league where Pepi struggled to find a foothold. Even so, the thought process is not that simple. Pepi is getting another look, perhaps owing to what he meant to the group during qualifying, with his three goals last fall helping propel the U.S. during a turning point. Berhalter was also quick to point out that Pepi was a starter in the final qualifying window. It’s not as if he hasn’t been more involved in key moments, and when contemplating what a team will look like in Qatar, more than stats go into it. Pefok’s goals speak for themselves, and he’s done just about everything he can to show he should not only go to Qatar but perhaps play a significant role, but he won’t get that last audition. And he might not need it, anyway.“We’re pretty confident we know Jordan’s profile, we know what he can do,” Berhalter said. “And we didn’t feel like we needed to see him in this camp to determine whether he can be on the roster [for the World Cup] or not.”If there’s one thing that can ease Pefok’s mind, and that of anyone else who is on the fringe but wasn’t called in for this camp and matches against Japan and Saudi Arabia, it’s Berhalter’s four words that represent what’s possible in a small time window.“A lot can change.”

Unless you were in Italy, it was generally a fun weekend for Americans in Europe. Jordan Pefok helped keep Union Berlin atop the Bundesliga with another goal. Tim Ream played out of position and helped Fulham gut out another win. The FC Dallas alumni trio of Bryan Reynolds, Reggie Cannon, and Ricardo Pepi all stood out. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta covers all the good and bad while putting a lot of context with the U.S. national team.

BY BRIAN SCIARETTA SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 11:00 PM

THE WEEKEND FOR Americans abroad is over and that ushers in the final international break before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It was a far better weekend than the previous weekend and there is a lot more to talk about – both good and bad.We had significant news from just about every of the major European countries.So, let’s start with breaking it all down and giving you some of my thoughts

Players who came up through the FC Dallas system, signed homegrown deals, made it to the first team all had good weekends – with the exception of Justin Che who is trapped in the abyss at Hoffenheim. First you had Ricardo Pepi, who was somewhat controversially selected to the national team last week despite not having scored for club or country since last October. His run at Augsburg was poor and he was shipped to the midtable Eredivisie with FC Groningen to jump start his career. He made a strong debut last weekend when he assisted in a 1-0 win over Cambuur. On Saturday, he earned his first start with Groningen against Sparta Rotterdam and initially it went extremely well with Pepi ending his scoreless skid with a very nice header. The magnifying glass will still be on Pepi as he remains the most unconvincing forward right now in the player pool and Jordan Pefok’s surge continues to have many fans asking “why not Pefok? He’s scoring for the Bundesliga’s top team.” It’s a fair question. While Berhalter keeps stressing the style of the team and fitting into the system, for a lot of fans that is overcomplicating things. Mike Tyson once had a famous line: “everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face.” When you get into battle, the style and the system are great but there comes a time when that will break down. When that breaks down, becomes a matter of raw talent.This doesn’t mean that Pepi doesn’t have the talent. But this one Eredivisie goal needs to be the start of a huge upward trend or else it’s going to only raise more questions. One important note here is that Pepi was not having a particularly solid game until his 62^nd minute goal. The goal does distract from everything but maybe it provides a spark. It has to start from somewhere.

Staying with the FC Dallas alumni, Bryan Reynolds has not had a great time since getting sold from FC Dallas to AS Roma in January 2021. He rarely played at Roma and his first loan this past January to Kortrijk wasn’t great. He didn’t standout as that team tanked.

Now at Westerlo, he is on a newly promoted team but one with a little more promise. After weeks of being glued to the bench, Reynolds is now a starter. On Saturday against Sporting Charleroi, he scored his first goal when his 4^th minute strike gave Westerlo 1-0 lead. That proved to be a valuable goal in a 3-2 away win over Sporting.

Reynolds is finally in a place where he can build his game and the club should be a midtable finisher. It’s not glamours, but this is where he should have been at initially. The level of play is the same as Dallas but there he can work free of the hype and get acclimated to a different country and culture.

His national team prospects aren’t great – either now or in the future. If he’s a right back, Sergino Dest and Joe Scally are also young and are clearly ahead of him. With the emergence of other left backs after Antonee Robinson (such as Sam Vines, who is higher up the ladder in Belgium), it doesn’t seem likely Dest or Scally get switched to left back.

Reynolds might in in time find his way into a backup role with the U.S. team but that is a long way off. He should put all his focus into his club career to improve his standing once his Westerlo loan ends and then maybe push for an Olympic team spot. He’s a long term project but is finally showing the possibility of a nice ceiling if he continues to work hard.

Finally, completing the FC Dallas homegrown hat trick of good news this weekend was Reggie Cannon. While he isn’t playing as a right back, he is playing as a right sided central defender for Boavista on a weekly basis. On Saturday, he went the distance in a very good defensive outing as Boavista defeated one of Portugal’s traditional powers in Sporting CP. It was a gritty and hard-fought defensive battle and showed the value for Cannon in being able to help his team defend its way to an upset. Gregg Berhalter surely took note of that too.

Boavista are in a surprising fifth place in Portugal through seven games to start the season. It’s been a steady climb up since Cannon joined and this is their best season with him.

PEFOK & BOYD: CRUSHING IT IN GERMANY

There were some impressive displays from the forward position in Germany – one which is sure to raise the most angst among U.S. national team fans and the other, while no longer in contention for the U.S. team, is just a positive and feel-good story.

Let’s start with the angst.Jordan Pefok scored his third goal of the Bundesliga season on Sunday for Union Berlin when he opened the scoring of what would turn out to be a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg. His 54^th minute header was truly a display of individual class. On top of it all, Union Berlin sits atop the Bundesliga table with 17 points from seven games.We all know the reason why Pefok is not in the U.S.team. He doesn’t fit the profile of how Berhalter wants his forwards to play. But this then draws links with Pepi who broke his 11+ month scoreless drought with a goal that looked like it would have been scored by Pefok. Josh Sargent struggled for years in the Bundesliga trying to do what Pepi did.It doesn’t dismiss Berhalter’s concerns either. I remember the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. As one of the three overage picks, Peter Nowak selected Brian McBride who was coming off another season in the Premier League. Jozy Altidore was still a very young forward on the Red Bulls and Charlie Davies was still in Sweden. McBride, despite having the best resume at the time, looked completely out of step for how the team wanted to play. Altidore and Davies looked better.But as I mentioned above, “everyone has a plan until they’re punched in the face,” and when the system is breaking down, where are the goals going to come from against the run of play? The 2008 U.S. Olympic team over-relied on McBride. I think the concern with leaving Pefok off is that he doesn’t have to start, but it is very easy to see a situation arise where he’d be useful. Yes, he doesn’t get a lot of touches on the ball, he doesn’t press much, he might not get behind the lines very often, and he has yet to show a good working chemistry with the U.S. wingers, but when the U.S. trailing late and looking for an equalizer, he seems like the guy you want to be in the box for crosses.As for the club situation, he’s in a great spot. He has great chemistry with Sheraldo Becker (a chemistry which would be nearly impossible to replicate at on the U.S. team, to be honest). Holding off Bayern Munich is unlikely but they’re a team in transition with Lewandowski gone but Union Berlin looks like the team to really go for it.In this game, Kevin Paredes came off the bench and played the final 11 minutes for Wolfsburg. Once again, he wasn’t a game changer, but he was a positive for Wolfsburg. It seems as if the U.S. U-20 winger is building towards his first ever Bundesliga start.

In the German 2.Bundesliga, Terrence Boyd scored two goals for Kaiserslautern in a 2-2 draw with FC Heidenheim. In this game, his second goal was an equalizer with his team down to 10 men. His first goal, was a very impressive header.

Boyd, 31, now has five goals on the season and is just one off the pace for the 2.Bundesliga scoring lead. That’s not easy on a newly promoted team. Boyd never scored in repeated opportunities with the U.S. team and he never scored in an ill-fated move to Toronto. But he remains one of the most likable and easy to root for American players in the game. Now he is looking to end his career with a string of successful seasons.

Also in this game, Lennard Maloney went 75 minutes for Heidenheim in the draw. It was a tough outing in what has otherwise been a nice start to the season for the German-American central defender who earned two U.S. U-20 caps in 2018. Heidenheim looks like a contender for promotion.

Erik Palmer-Brown once again played the full 90 for Troyes in a 3-1 away win over Clermont Foot on Sunday. After a tough start, Troyes is playing like an upper-mid table Ligue 1 team. Palmer-Brown is in a position where he must battle week-in and week-out and things are starting to really fall into place for him. Here, he had eight clearances, two blocked shots, and won 4/6 of his duels.
Mark McKenzie, meanwhile, had his best outing for Genk since assuming the starting job after the club sold Jhon Lucumi to Bologna. In the weeks since that sale, McKenzie had been performing well against smaller Belgian clubs but in this game he faced a good Gent team and he helped preserve a very nice 1-0 cleansheet victory.

Both players will like where they stand heading into the international break. Both players have a chance to sneak firmly on the inside of the World Cup bubble. Among the central defense pool, I see Walker Zimmerman as the team’s only lock. Aaron Long has had a decent season for the Red Bulls but isn’t spectacular.Then there should also be questions about why Richards is considered a lock as well given 582 minutes of club minutes in 2022 and his last U.S. appearances were in January. Richards has a lot of talent but he’s not at the level of Pulisic where he is an automatic selection if healthy.Carter-Vickers has done very well for Celtic but is not much further ahead of Palmer-Brown or McKenzie on talent. A good camp from McKenzie or Palmer-Brown could swing the balance. Especially for Palmer-Brown who is playing in the challenging Ligue 1.

With the sole exception of Andrija Novakovich, this weekend was a terrible stretch for the Americans in Italy.We will start with Weston McKennie and Juventus who dropped a 1-0 decision on the road to Monza. Not long ago, this would have been an unimaginable upset (as it was Monza’s first Serie A win). But in a sign about how far things have fallen for Juve, no one who has paid attention to the club is surprised by the result.McKennie played the full 90 – which is good. While he didn’t play well, it’s fair to say no one on Juventus played well. It’s also fair to say that the biggest culprit for Juve’s losing effort was Angel Di Mario who was sent off in the 40^th minute.McKennie played on the right side of the midfield and while he worked hard defensively, wasn’t able to provide much to help his team offensively. He did have a very nice cross in the second half that could have been put away, but in terms of how he played the previous two season (when healthy) for Juventus – it is a step down.The team was booed loudly by its own supporters and Max Allegri could be in a position where his hot seat eventually caves. The blame must also shift to the players. Allegri is a successful coach and he has a long history with Juve. If he can’t win with these players, who can?

AC Milan dropped a 2-1 decision to Napoli at home. Of all the Americans in Europe this weekend, Sergino Dest is top of the list of players who had a weekend he’d like to forget.Dest came into the game to start the second half with the score 0-0. He was asked to provide some defense, but instead conceded a 55^th minute penalty. While Milan equalized in the 69^th via a goal Dest was not involved, Giovanni Simeone found a 79^th minute winner for Napoli in a 2-1 victory.Dest is getting criticism from Milan fans, which is to be expected from them, but Dest has been put in a tough situation. He was publicly forced out the door at Barcelona and he rarely played in preseason. Now he is being thrown right into the mix at Milan. The good news for the U.S. team is that he is making his mistakes now, not on international duty.But that raises two concerns. What is his confidence level after getting forced out at Barca and now a mishap in Milan when he is pushing for regular minutes? Second, will this see his minutes reduced?

Unfortunately, we don’t know. Dest won’t arrive into U.S. camp in a confident manner. But can he compartmentalize it and separate himself when he’s with Milan or the U.S team?

In Serie B, Venezia played to a disappointing 1-1 draw with Pisa on Saturday. Andrija Novakovich and Gianluca Busio started for Venezia. Americans Patrick Leal and Jack DeVries were on the bench and did not play. Tanner Tessmann was suspended.
As mentioned earlier, Novakovich was the lone American to play well in Italy and the Wisconsin native scored Venezia’s only goal. It was his first for Venezia. But a 1-1 draw against a newly promoted team from Serie C who went down to 10 men in the 71^st is a very poor result. Busio played a full 90 and played relatively well but this was a game Venezia needs to dominate if it wants to be in contention for another promotion.Finally, in Serie B, Anthony Fontana continues to ride the bench as an unused substitute for Ascoli Calico. He didn’t play again on Saturday in a 3-1 home loss to Parma.Italy was a horrible place for Americans this weekend.

On Friday, Fulham travelled north to face Nottingham Forest in a batle of newly promoted Premier League teams. This was a huge challenge for Fulham captain Tm Ream who was forced to play left back given a wave of injuries at the club, including one to Antonee Robinson.Ream, 34, held his own and helped Fulham to a big 3-2 win which now has them sixth in the Premier League table. While Ream won’t be pushing Robinson for the job, he was quietly competent and made no real mistakes.His effort did not go unnoticed. Fulham head coach Marco Silva does not like to mention players by name in postgame media, but he couldn’t resist talking about his captain – who will do anything for his club.“I don’t like mentioning individual players but I have to mention Tim Ream,” Silva said. “34 years old, he’s probably been our best centerback, so far. And with the problems that we had on our left side without Robinson or Kurzawa, I didn’t have doubts to adapt him there.”It makes you reflect on Ream’s terrific career at the Red Bulls, Bolton, and now Fulham. He’s been part of three promotions and this is the best he’s looked in the Premier League. That much is widely talked about, but consider how many managers he has impressed over the years? Every club manager sees a ton of value in him, both on the field and off the field.This is what Robinson told me just before the start of the season on Ream.“Since Tom Cairney was injured a lot last season, Tim was pretty much the captain most of the season,” Robinson said. “He started every game which – for someone his age to start every game in the Championship and perform as well as he did – it’s nothing short of incredible, to be honest. He has a real calmness on the ball and a warrior spirit. He was fighting, throwing his head into tackles, getting cut every week. To have that as one of your baseline players, it really does lift the team.”
“Off the pitch, he was basically taking on the duties of being co-captain almost with Tom,” he added. “When it came to speaking to the management, staff and things like that, trying to organize stuff off the field and making sure that all the lads were happy and all the coaching staff were happy, and that we were working in unison – he was huge for us.

As everyone knows, Ream is not on the U.S. roster despite two additions to central defense which saw Palmer-Brown and McKenzie added instead. Berhalter said last week that what he’s looking for in central defense doesn’t match Ream’s strengths. Few would expect Ream to start in central defense, but the concern many seem to stress is that Ream’s leadership and veteran calmness seem as if they should count more than ever with a U.S. team which should be the youngest in Qatar.

STEFFEN & HORVATH GET CLEAN SHEETS

Zack Steffen retuned from injury on Saturday to start for Middlesbrough in what turned out to be a 0-0 draw with Rotherham United.

Ethan Horvath, meanwhile, was in net for Luton Town on Saturday in a 2-0 win over Blackburn.

What can be made of these wins? Not much, unfortunately. Neither goalkeeper was forced to make a single save. Horvath in particular has only made 15 saves in 10 games as Luton Town’s defense does not concede many shots.Both goalkeepers are tough to read after mostly sitting on the bench for the past several years. Neither yet this season have been forced into a match where they’ve truly been a difference maker.

Gio Reyna and Joe Scally are long-time friends who grew up in the New York area and came up through the NYCFC academy. Gio bailed before he signed a homegrown deal. Scally signed the homegrown deal but left after his first season when Borussia Monchengladbach made a big offer. Joe Scally has turned into a very consistent performer for Borussia Monchengladbach and has now appeared in 32 Bundesliga games. His effort on Saturday in a 3-0 win over RB Leipzig was one of his best so far. He was so consistently solid at right back and he was instrumental in the build-up to the first goal. On the play he beat his man to the endline with a nice move. His cross was perfect and it forced a shot which was saved, but then hit home from close range. Scally remains a top prospect not because dynamic offensive plays but more because he rarely makes serious mistakes. He doesn’t swing wildly between excellent and bad; he just is consistently good. For a teenager, that is rather remarkable.

As for Gio Reyna, Borussia Dortmund continues to manage his minutes wisely. On Saturday, he was on the bench for the return of the Riverederby against Schalke. But an injury to Marco Reus in just the 32^nd minute brought the American into the game earlier than expected. He played until the 84^th minute, five minutes after Dortmund took a 1-0 lead. That would end up the final score.Reyna was very sharp in his 52 minutes and his substitution reflects the need for managed minutes. After the game, it was also announced that Dortmund would continue to work with the United States national team staff to continue his minute regulation during this window.In his 52 minutes, Reyna had 47 touches and was 26/30 in passing. He created one very dangerous chance in the second half and had two shots inside the box. On the ball he looked very smooth. His consistency might still be lacking, but that’s simply a matter of him needing more reps. Dortmund knows what he can do and the care they are showing him reflects how highly they rate him.As for this window, I doubt he will go a full 90 for the U.S. team in either of these games but he could play a half in either one. Just seeing him on the field will be a big boost for the U.S. team.

Sam Vines and Royal Antwerp defeated RFC Seraing 2-1 on Friday to keep up its perfect 27 points from nine games to start the Belgian season. Vines has been a steady starter for Antwerp but he took on a much bigger role in this one.

Over 90 minutes, Vines had 119 touches which is the most I can ever recall him having. He was also 80/91 in his passing and he won 5/6 of his ground duels. This was a big effort.

Vines will have a big opportunity to prove himself to the U.S team in this camp and a ticket to Qatar is within reach. He is the only true left back on the roster and the other options are right-footed right backs. Vines simply needs to play well.

But even beyond this World Cup, moving forward Vines is in a great position. At the club level, Royal Antwerp’s terrific start now has more scouting eyes upon them. With left backs always in demand, Vines will have opportunities sooner rather than later.

NOTES AROUND EUROPE

Without touching upon every single game, here are some other stories and performances that caught my eye from the weekend.

According to this Dutch report, Cole Bassett has a “minutes threshold” on his loan from Colorado to Fortuna Sittard. If he is not meeting that threshold, Colorado can recall him this January. Even if they recall him, Feyenoord (who originally had him on loan) would continue to hold his option to buy. Even if he continues to play for Colorado, Feyenoord could then buy him.

Will he return to Colorado? Whatever gets him on the field. He was an unused substitute again under the new manager on Sunday for its 1-0 win over Excelsior.

But at least there is a way out for him and a place he can go to play. Things aren’t that great for Taylor Booth who again went as an unused substitute for Utrecht in a 0-0 draw with Nijmegen.

In Portugal, John Brooks made his Benfica debut in a 5-0 win over Maritimo. He came on in the 89^th minute to close out the win. That was his first game (including friendlies) since May 14. Joel Sonora, meanwhile did not get off the bench for a Maritimo team that has lost all of its games to start the season. Once Benfica’s injured centerbacks return, can Brooks be expected to play at all?

Staying in Portugal, it was a tough game for Vizela and both of its American players when they travelled to face Braga on Sunday. Alex Mendez started for Vizela and U.S U-20 midfielder Alejandro Alvarado played the final two minutes. Braga, however, scored in the 85^th and then in stoppage time for a 2-0 win. Vizela is battling hard and is competitive in most games, but they have just five points from seven games.

Rangers defeated Dundee United 1-0 on Sunday and, as expected, James Sands and Malik Tillman were on the bench after lackluster performances. Tillman managed to get off the bench for the final 20 minutes and he forced a nice save. Sands was an unused substitute in the game following his red card to concede a penalty vs. Napoli. Ian Harkes went the distance in the loss and things are ugly right now for Dundee United, sitting in last place without a win.

Matthew Hoppe scored for Middlesbrough’s reserve team in a loss to Norwich’s reserve team on Sunday. He’s done well in his reserve team appearances which should open the door eventually given that the first team is also struggling. But will Chris Wilder’s job be in jeopardy? That could be good or bad for Hoppe but he seems to have moved into an uncertain environment.

Konrad de la Fuente did not make the bench for Olympiacos on Sunday for its 2-1 loss to Aris. After the game manager Carlos Corberan was fired after just 11 games in charge. Assuming that a new manager is going to open the gates to more minutes for de la Fuente doesn’t capture the complexity of the issue.

De la Fuente does not have an EU passport and Greek Super League teams are limited to eight non-EU players on its roster and only five can be on any matchday squad. So de la Fuente has a separate competition just to make the squad. On top of that James Rodriguez signed with Olympiacos last week and while Rodriguez does have a Spanish passport, it still limits the need for de la Fuente to be one of the five non-EU players to suit up.

This makes you wonder if de la Fuente is in the best place right now for his development. Now in his third team in three years, he might need to find a fourth club where he can settle.

Haji Wright has cooled off a bit after his torrid start although his game for Antalyaspor on Sunday was wild. In a 3-0 loss to Adana Demirspor, Antalyaspor was reduced to 10 men in the 40^th minute. Then to start the second half, Adana Demirspor also saw a red. But minutes later, Antalyaspor picked up a second red card. Adana Demirspor then scored twice late to seal the win.

Grant Wahl Free to Read: Josh Sargent Picked a Good Time to Heat Up We’re on the ground in Germany with the USMNT. Grant Wahl Sep 21 OLOGNE, Germany — I always like hitting the ground running when I land in Europe, so it was nice to see U.S. striker Josh Sargent with a small group of reporters at the team hotel just after I arrived in town following an overnight flight and train trip up from Frankfurt. Somehow I’ve never been to Cologne before, even though it was a World Cup 2006 host city and is known as the coolest city in Germany other than Berlin. But we’re here now!Sargent, now 22, went through a rough two years in which he got relegated twice (first at Werder Bremen, then at Norwich City), was moved out from the No. 9 spot to the wing and saw his club production slip enough that he lost his position in the national team. But the red-headed St. Louisan has rebounded so far this season, playing more at center-forward and producing six goals and one assist for Norwich, currently in second place in the Championship.U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter rewarded Sargent with a recall, where he has joined likely starter Jesús Ferreira and Ricardo Pepi as the No. 9s. (Omitted from the roster, somewhat bewilderingly, was Jordan Pefok, who starts for Bundesliga leader Union Berlin.) GrantWahl.com is a reader-supported soccer newsletter, and this is how I make my living. The best way to support me and my work is by taking out a paid subscription now. Subscribed Upgrade to Paid “I spoke with Gregg [last season], and his point was I wasn’t getting many minutes at striker, I was playing on the wing a lot and just wasn’t scoring goals,” Sargent said. “So if I wanted to be called back in, I think the biggest thing was to get minutes at striker and start scoring again, which obviously I have been doing so far this season.”With Norwich’s usual center-forward, Teemu Pukki, sidelined, Sargent got the start there against Millwall on August 19 and took full advantage of it, scoring both goals in a 2-0 win. The forward position is so much about confidence, and Sargent admits he had become more unsure of himself. But he also knew the Millwall game presented a big chance.“In my mind, I wanted to be playing striker, so when I got that opportunity I knew I had to take it,” he said. “And just thinking, you know, do I still have my touch? I don’t know. I haven’t played there in a while. So it felt amazing to score that first game I got the chance. And then it started just coming back to me, the goal-scoring touch.”And even though Pukki has returned to his No. 9 spot at Norwich, Sargent feels like his role has changed too. He’s not entirely back on the wing, where he said he doesn’t feel totally comfortable, but rather playing sort of a hybrid role.“It’s a little bit of a different situation,” he said. “Pukki obviously is a great striker and a legend there. So I think even if I’m playing on the wing now, there’s an understanding between me and the coach and the team also that I’ll be playing a little bit more as a second striker and tucking more on the inside and not playing kind of a true winger role.”With Berhalter’s omission of Pefok, there has naturally been a lot of discussion about what exactly Berhalter wants from his center-forwards. And if Pefok is banging in goals atop the Bundesliga, should it even matter if he’s not a perfect fit for Berhalter’s system? So I wanted to ask Sargent what it is that Berhalter is asking from his No. 9s.“As a striker, you need to be scoring goals, but at the same time I know it’s very important for him that our nines can drop down and get on the ball and connect with the team,” Sargent said. “And defensively also with pressing, I think you need to have a high workrate along with the team and have everybody on the same page. You’re kind of that front-line beginning of the press. So it’s very important for him that you’re switched on in regards to that.”A couple other intriguing things emerged from Sargent’s roundtable session: • He has put on some muscle since the end of last season. “I don’t want to brag or anything,” he said to some laughs. “During my injury at the end of the season in the Prem, I kind of made it a goal for myself and with the athletic department at Norwich that I realize these guys are pretty big and strong in the Prem. So I made it a goal of mine to hit the gym a bit more and try to work on that.”• Being married and having a young child has been good for him to have some time away from focusing on soccer. “It definitely helps you just shut off and forget about football for a little bit,” he said. “As a single guy, when you come home and you’re just stuck in your thoughts, thinking about training or whatever it was, it can benefit you to learn from it. But also it can be damaging for you if you’re thinking too much about it. So it helps me out a lot with kind of just unwinding and forgetting about football for a bit.”Now a World Cup roster spot is there for the taking. “My confidence,” Sargent says, “is at an all-time high at the moment.”

It’s the penultimate match for the USMNT before the World Cup.

By Donald Wine II @blazindw Sep 22, 2022, 7:00am

Tomorrow, the United States Men’s National Team will play its first friendly of the September international window when they take on Japan in Düsseldorf, Germany. It marks the second to last match the USMNT will play before they open up group play at the 2022 World Cup in November.

It’s a chance for the team to test itself against an opponent that will also be in Qatar for the World Cup, a dangerous Japan squad that has the ability to defeat any team. It’s also an opportunity for Gregg Berhalter to test out possible lineup combinations while the players make their final cases for why they should be one of the 26 players that makes the final roster when it’s announced on November 9th. That will be motivation that will help to make this an entertaining match.

Latest Form

USA

D (1-1) – El Salvador – Concacaf Nations League

W (5-0) – Grenada – Concacaf Nations League

D (0-0) – Uruguay – Friendly

W (3-0) – Morocco – Friendly

L (0-2) – Costa Rica – World Cup Qualifying

Japan

W (3-0) – South Korea – EAFF E-1 Football Championship

D (0-0) – China – EAFF E-1 Football Championship

W (6-0) – Hong Kong – EAFF E-1 Football Championship

L (0-3) – Tunisia – Kirin Cup

W (4-1) – Ghana – Kirin Cup

Maintain possession. The USMNT will want to maintain a lot of possession to keep the ball off the feet of Japan’s stars. It will also be a nice chance to test whether possession ball is something that the USMNT can play at the World Cup if needed.

Take chances on offense. If Gregg Berhalter can get many of his creative players on the field, then they should try to take some chances on offense. This is the time to see what works and what doesn’t, and they should take full advantage of that opportunity to see what chemistry they have between players who can push the ball forward.

Play clean soccer. The idea here is no mistakes. Of course, that’s always the goal. But, Japan thrives with players who can turn a mistake into points on the other end. The USMTN won’t give them a chance to do that if they keep Japan in front of them and if they do take shots downfield, that they have the cover to get back should Japan counter.

There are some injuries at a couple of positions, but Gregg Berhalter still has a few options at several spots on the field. So, we’ll likely see this lineup from him tomorrow:

Matt Turner will be the goalkeeper, while Sergiño Dest will return at right back. Walker Zimmerman and Aaron Long will once again be the centerback pairing, with Joe Scally taking Antonee Robinson’s place at left back.It’s an opportunity for Gregg Berhalter to examine what a midfield that produces tons of creativity would look like. Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie are joined by Brenden Aaronson in the middle to see how you get your best players on the field at the same time.Up front, Christian Pulisic will be back in the lineup at left wing, with Gio Reyna making his return at right wing. While Jesus Ferreira has played extremely well this year for club and country, the gut feeling is that Josh Sargent will get the start at the 9 to see if he can seize the moment and fight for a starting role on the World Cup team.

The USMNT will have a difficult time trying to get things together initially. In the end, neither team shows too much and it’s a 1-1 draw.

The Asian power should provide a strong test ahead of the World Cup.

By Brendan Joseph Sep 21, 2022, 6:00am PDT

The United States Men’s National Team has entered the final international window prior to the 2022 World Cup. This is one of the last chances for players to build in-game chemistry while also impressing the manager and booking one of the final spots on the roster. In the first of two friendlies, Gregg Berhalter’s side is taking on Japan, a fellow qualifier for Qatar. The friendly will be played at MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA in Düsseldorf, Germany.his is the third all-time meeting between the two nations, split between a 1-1-0 record. Japan is currently ranked 24^th in the world by FIFA and easily qualified for the World Cup with a second-place finish in Group B of the Asian Football Confederation’s third round. In July’s EAFF E-1 Football Championship, the Samurai Blue claimed the title with wins against Hong Kong and South Korea as well as a draw with China. The program scheduled a challenging slate of friendlies over the past year, which could pay dividends in Qatar.Hajime Moriyasu was appointed to the manager position in July of 2018, taking over in the midst of a stint with the U-23 team. The retired midfielder has compiled a 38-10-7 record from the technical area, registering a runner-up finish at the 2019 AFC Cup and winning the aforementioned East Asian championship. A rough start to qualifying had domestic media questioning whether the federation would be forced to look for a replacement. Instead of his tactics, he credited the players’ “mindset” with riding out the storm.

Moriyasu named a 30-player roster for the friendlies against the USMNT and Ecuador. While there are a few talents missing, this is essentially the A-squad with some extra back-up. The group is composed of 22 call-ups from Europe and eight from the domestic J-League.

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GOALKEEPERS (4): Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg), Shūichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse) Daniel Schmidt (Sint-Truiden), Kosei Tani (Shonan Bellmare)

DEFENDERS (9): Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Ayumu Seko (Grasshoppers), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Red Diamonds), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield Town), Maya Yoshida (Schalke 04), Hiroki Ito (VfB Stuttgart)

MIDFIELDERS (13): Wataru Endo (VfB Stuttgart), Gaku Shibasaki (Leganés), Genki Haraguchi (Union Berlin), Takumi Minamino (Monaco), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP), Junya Ito (Reims), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Düsseldorf), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ritsu Dōan (SC Freiburg), Reo Hatate (Celtic), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus)

FORWARDS (4): Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Brugge), Shuto Machino (Shonan Bellmare)

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Moriyasu typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation with a triangle midfield that swarms when on the defensive. The run-of-play tends to move through the wings, with crossing serving as a key component of the attack. Uncommon at the international level, Japan employs something resembling a high press with central triggers in Zones 12, 13, and 14, which helped tilt the balance in victories over Saudi Arabia and Australia.

Projected Japan Starting XI (via BuildLineup.com)

After starting in nine out of ten fixtures during the final round of qualifying, Shūichi Gonda is the presumed number one. The 33-year-old competes with Shimizu S-Pulse in the domestic J-League and was named to the AFC Asian Cup Team of the Tournament in 2019. He gets to ground quickly and largely chooses to stay on his line, displaying a preference for kick saves. The manager could also opt for the towering Illinois-born Daniel Schmidt, the starter at Belgium’s Sint-Truiden who made his senior international debut in 2018.Japan has what could be considered an embarrassment of riches at the center back position. Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu has the versatility to play on the inside and outside of the back line. He possesses a high level of athleticism and innate understanding of the game, contributing on both sides. There’s also Shogo Taniguchi who picked up three starts during the final round of qualifying. The 6’ defender has spent his entire career with Kawasaki Frontale and displays a penchant for heroic last-second denials and thrives as finisher on set pieces. Perhaps the most important piece is 34-year-old Maya Yoshida who has earned 119 senior international caps. The recent Schalke signing provides a steady veteran presence and is an excellent one-on-one stopper while spraying passes all over the field.No longer the attacking livewire of his youth, Yuto Nagatomo remains a fixture at fullback position since making his debut in 2008. The 36-year-old is back competing with FC Tokyo after a long career in Europe including stops at Inter Milan, Galatasaray, and Marseille. On the other side of the formation is Hiroki Sakai of Urawa Red Diamonds. He’s a physical player who covers the entire length of the field, getting under the skin of opponents with his intense play.Occupying the role of six is Wataru Endo, a 29-year-old with VfB Stuttgart who featured in ten qualifying matches. The native of Yokohama is a true two-way midfielder, winning the ball and serving bellwether in possession. He has formed a quite functional partnership with Hidemasa Morita of Sporting, a highly technical passer who always manages to pick out teammates. His ability to cover the entire field and perform the roles of multiple positions makes him difficult to contain. The trio is completed by Fortuna Düsseldorf’s Ao Tanaka, whose dribbling opens up key space when in sustained possession. The box-to-box is also a source for goals, finding advantageous opportunities at the top of the area.

Monaco attacker Takumi Minamino could almost be described as a “defensive winger” with the amount of pressure he puts on the back line, a true student of the Red Bull finishing school. The combination of his work rate, high technical ability, and occasional goal-scoring prowess could make him a match-up nightmare for the USMNT. On the other side of the formation is Junya Ito, who recently joined Reims after a few successful seasons with Genk. The 29-year-old loves to cut inside from the wing and smash the ball into the far post, having the pace and quickness to get behind the opponent.

With Yuya Osako outside of the roster, the likely starter is striker Ayase Ueda of Cercle Brugge. The 24-year-old appeared in the final two qualification matches but has yet to score for Japan at the senior international level. He is an expert at finding space behind the back line, has the dribbling ability to carve out enough space for his lethal right foot, and can also finish in the air. Domestic competitor Shuto Machina could also lead the formation, finding the back of the net three times during the summer’s East Asian Football Championship.In many ways, Japan and the USMNT are similar programs, thriving outside of UEFA and CONMEBOL. Both countries have relatively new domestic leagues and are viewed as the dominant or second-best teams in their respective regions. This friendly is a solid test ahead of the World Cup, with two successful yet still growing squads mainly composed of European-based players looking to fine-tune and whittle down to a final roster.

September 16, 2022September 17, 2022 gatorbest

Games to Watch – Madrid Derby

With ½ the games in the EPL canceled again this weekend – not much to see in the EPL again this weekend Sat NBC does have Tottenham vs Leicester at 12:30 pm, while MGladbach and American Joe Scally host RB Leipzig and new coach Thomas Tuchel at 12:30 pm on ESPN+. Sat AM’s game to watch is American Gio Reyna who started in Champions League on Wed hosting Schalke on ESPN 2 at 9:30 am. Sat night gives us a huge matchup in NWSL with Alex Morgan and San Diego opening their new stadium on Para+ and hosting Angel City (my daughter is going!) The big game is of course Sunday’s Madrid Derby – with Athletic Madrid hosting Real Madrid at 3 pm on ESPN+. Of course the USA plays next Friday at 8:30 am vs Japan and National team games start Thursday.

US Men

I will have my full reaction to the US Men’s Roster next week in a special mid week USA Breakdown.

Indy 11 @ Monterey Sat – Return next Sun 5 pm

Indy Eleven will make its longest road trip of the 2022 season when it heads to the Pacific Coast for its first meeting against expansion side Monterey Bay F.C. on Saturday evening.The Eleven enter the weekend on a roll, unbeaten in 4 straight games, including 3 wins at home against playoff-bound competition. Postseason participation isn’t the team’s primary motivation at this point, but another win this weekend would stave off mathematical elimination heading into the final four weeks of play. Indy Eleven will carry a three-game unbeaten streak back into Carroll Stadium on Sunday at 5 pm, when it welcomes Loundon United to the Circle City on Hispanic Heritage Night.

High School Local – CHS Boys host Pack the House Night, Friday 9/16

Free admission for all Carmel FC and Carmel Dad’s Club players with their uniforms on. Carmel High School Girls & Boys Varsity Schedules.

Fri, Sept 16

3 pm USA Aston villa vs Southampton

3 pm Peacock Notingham Forest vs Fulham

7:30 pm Para+ Racing Louisville vs Orlando Pride

Sat, Sept 17

7:30 am USA Wolverhampton vs Man City

9:30 am ESPN Dortmund (reyna) vs Schalke

10 am USA New Castle vs Bournemouth

12:30 pm NBC Tottenham vs Leicester

12:30 pm ESPN+ MGladbach vs RB Leipzig

3:30 pm Unimas Atlanta United vs Philly Union

6 pm FS2 Monterrey vs Atlas Mexican

7:30 pm ESPN+ Monterey Bay vs Indy 11

7:30 pm Para+ NC Courage (Murphy) vs Seattle Reign (Lavelle, Rapinoe, Huerta)

9 pm Univision America vs Guadalajara

10 pm Para+ San Diego Wave (Morgan) vs Angel City

Sun, Sept 18

6:30 am para+ Udinese vs Inter Milan

7 am USA Bretford vs Arsenal

9:15 am Peacock Everton vs West Ham

9:30 am ESPN+ Union Berlin (Pefock) vs Wolfsburg

2:45 pm AC Milan vs Napoli

2:$5 pm bein Sport Lyon vs PSG

1 pm ESPN Columbus Crew vs Portland Timbers

3 pm ESPN+ Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid (Madrid Derby)

10 pm FS1 Tijuana vs Necaza

5 pm Para+ KC Current vs Portland Thorns (Smith, Horan, Sauerbrann)NWSL

Fri, Sept 23

8:25 am ESPN USMNT vs Japan in Germany

Tues, Sept 27

2 pm ESPN USMNT vs Saudi Arabia in Spain

Fri, Oct 7

3 pm FOX US Women vs England in London

Tues, Oct 11

2:30 pm ESPN2 US Women vs Spain (Pamplona)

Sat, Oct 29

8 pm CBS NWSL Championship Game

Soccer Saturday’s are every Sat 9-10 am on 93.5 and 107.5 FM with Greg Rakestraw

FC Cincinnati will host Club Deportivo Guadalajara, “Chivas” at TQL Stadium on Wednesday, September 21 as part of the 2022 Leagues Cup Showcase. This friendly match will be the first ever meeting between FC Cincinnati and the historic LIGA MX club. The match kicks off at 7:00 pm. Tickets start at just $20 and are on sale now!

The Leagues Cup Showcase will serve as a preview to the 2023 Leagues Cup, the month-long official tournament between MLS and LIGA MX. All 47 MLS and LIGA MX clubs will participate next summer, with the tournament champion earning automatic qualification for the Concacaf Champions League (CCL) round of 16.

BUY TICKETS MORE INFORMATION

US Roster Announced – Bushnell Yahoo Soccer
U.S. men’s soccer team missing key players to injury ahead of World Cup warmup matches
USMNT keeper Steffen misses fourth-straight Middlesbrough match

US Fans Trash the New USA Kits

Champions League: Bayern Munich punishes Barcelona again; late goals stun Tottenham and save Liverpool

Man City vs Dortmund: Haaland scores winner vs former club (video)
Allegri’s credit runs out as ‘worried’ Juve flounder
Benfica sink dismal Juve to win 12th straight match
Front three all score as PSG fight back to beat Haifa
Rangers defy UEFA, but defeated by Napoli
Inter beat 10-man Plzen in Champions League
Paulinho strikes late as Sporting stun Spurs
Frustrated Celtic settle for draw against Shakhtar
Milan beat Dinamo Zagreb to top Champions League Group E
Chelsea vs Salzburg: Blues cough up late lead in Potter’s debut (video)
Barcelona report: Lionel Messi could make sensational return – but won’t make decision until AFTER World Cup
New-look Barcelona show positive signs in defeat to Bayern

Lew wasteful in Return to Bayern – Barca Reality Check
Abraham fires Roma to win at Empoli
Vinicius and Rodrygo ‘making Real Madrid dream’ says Ancelotti

Champions League: Sporting Lisbon shock Spurs with 2 goals in stoppage time
Liverpool vs Ajax: Matip plays Anfield hero in 89th minute
Late Matip winner gives Liverpool Champions League lift off

Premier League All-Star game: what’s it all about and who would play?
Live at Leeds: how Jesse Marsch brought New York grit to the Premier League fight
Leverkusen’s late goals sink Atletico in Champions League

World Cup Qatar Fails Opening of Lusail Stadium

Grant Wahl Sep 14

USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter released his 26-player roster on Wednesday for upcoming friendlies against fellow World Cup 2022 entrants Japan and Saudi Arabia. The two games are the U.S.’s last ones before the World Cup starts in Qatar.The biggest news is at the center-forward position, where Berhalter called up Josh Sargent, Ricardo Pepi and Jesús Ferreira and omitted Jordan Pefok, Haji Wright and Brandon Vázquez.Injured players who are not included in the call-ups include Zack Steffen, Jedi Robinson and Tim Weah.

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