IU advances to Elite 8 at Notre Dame Sat 5 pm BTN  

The Notre Dames men’s soccer team (12-2-5) will host Indiana (15-4-4, 4-2-2 Big Ten) in the Quarterfinal round of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship on Sat Dec 2 . Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at Alumni Stadium. Unseeded Indiana advanced to the Elite 8 after wins over Lipscomb, and 10^th-seeded Wake Forest and Virginia. Tix are on sale now for just $10.   The winner will advance to Louisville next weekend for the College Cup Final 4 – an event IU has been to a record 22 times. 

Indy 11 Coach Mark Lowry Steps Down  

Indy Eleven announced today that it has parted ways with Head Coach Mark Lowry, who is stepping down after two seasons at the helm of the Boys in Blue. Lowry became the fourth permanent head coach in club history on Nov. 16, 2021, and led Indy Eleven to its best season since 2019 with a 12-17-5 record in 2022. The club returned to the playoffs in 2023 for the first time since the 2019 season, as a sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, after finishing the regular-season campaign with a 13-11-10 record. The Boys in Blue have previously announced the initial nine players from the 2023 squad who will return for the 2024 season, as well as additional roster moves, and will continue to announce updates in the weeks ahead.

US Ladies play China Sat 2:30 pm TNT & Tues 7:30 pm

So a new younger roster has been chosen for these 2 games with China this Sat and Tues on TNT.  New Manager Emma Hayes has been in Florida training with the new group as she looks for players for the Olympics and beyond – notable absences include Alex Morgan, Sauerbram and longtime GK Alysa Neyher as Hayes looks to the youth from around the world and in NWSL to round out this roster.  Will be interesting to see how things look – even though Hayes will only be watching from afar – as she will return to Chelsea to her day job for the weekend.  I will sit back and watch rather than predict a starting line-up for Saturday’s game.  Hopefully we can be a little more attack minded moving forward – we’ll see.  (Ton’s of stories below)

HELL IS REAL – MLS Conference Finals are Saturday on Apple TV Cincy vs Columbus

Not sure how many are watching – I am honestly not watching these all Apple TV playoffs and I am not sure anyone else is either – but this weekend is worth trying to tune in as our 2 closest MLS cities Cincy and Columbus battle it out in Cincy for the Easter Conference Finals Sat at 6 pm on Apple TV. (stories below )

DECEMBER FRIENDLIES VS. CHINA PR

GOALKEEPERS (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 7), Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit; 1), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 16)

DEFENDERS (7): Alana Cook (OL Reign; 29/1), Abby Dahlkemper (San Diego Wave FC; 79/0), Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars; 50/1), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage; 37/1), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 24/0), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars; 41/0), M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC; 1/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 0/0), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 5/0), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC; 6/0), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 137/30), Rose Lavelle (OL Reign; 91/24), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 0/0), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign; 81/2)

FORWARDS (8): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG; 2/1), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 21/5), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 24/4), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 26/6), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 2/1), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 36/14), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 8/0), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 58/17)

Champs League Unkind to American’s Except Pepi who scored It was sad to see Pulisic put in a Man of the Match performance for AC Milan and still have them lose 3-1 to his former club Dortmund basically eliminating AC from moving to the next round.  Pulisic started on the left wing and had multiple services in that simply could not be cashed – he even took a few shots himself to no avail.  American Teammates Yanus Musah sat because of yellow card accumulation and Dortmund’s Reyna never sniffed the field – man he has got to get out of Dortmund and soon.  In other games Celtic and American Carter Vickers is out after losing 2-0.  Only PSV advanced on a spectacular night for American Ricardo Pepi who scored this late winner to advance the Dutch team to the next round.  Midfielder Tilman and defender Dest also started and played all game in the victory. 

One of our top Soccer Pubs around –Union Jacks Pub in Broad Ripple is struggling with all the road closures over the past 2 years – they host the American Outlaws Indy, EPL games on Weekends, Champions League on Weekdays, and of course the EUROS, & World Cups.  If you get a chance to swing by and grab a bite and a pint – rather its on gameday or not – I am a sure that would help. 

GAMES ON TV

Sat, Dec 2

9:30 am ESPN+            Hoffenhiem vs Mgladbach (Scally)

10 am USA                  Arsenal vs Wolverhampton  

12:30 pm NBC             Nottingham Forest vs Everton  

2:30 pm TNT, Max,      USWNT vs China

3 om USA                    NewCastle United vs Man United

5 pm ??                       Indiana U Men vs Notre Dame – Elite 8

6 pm Apple TV           Cincy vs Columbus Crew East Finals

9:30 pm Apple TV      LAFC vs Houston   West Finals

Sun, Dec 3

9 am USA                    Chelsea vs Brighton

9 am Cock                   Liverpool  vs  Fulham (Ream, Robinson)

11:30 am Cock            Man City vs Tottenham

12 noon CBSSN            Roma vs Sassuolo

2:45 pm Para+            Napoli vs Inter Milan

Tues, Dec 5

7:30 pm TNT, Max      USWNT vs China

MLS Conference Finals Sat/Sun

Wilfried Nancy’s lineup choices paying off for Crew, will that continue vs. FC Cincinnati?
FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta celebrates 2023 MLS MVP award in style at local restaurant
MLS, EPL could introduce ‘sin bins’ to punish players, extend VAR involvement
FC Cincinnati’s Matt Miazga suspended 3 games for ‘misconduct’ after allegedly confronting officials in locker room
Cincinnati’s defender Miazga suspended for rest of MLS playoffs

Reigning MLS champs move a step closer to repeat title

MLS Cincy gets thru Philly on questionable VAR Call – what is a handball anyway

Analysis: Behind big games from Crepeau, Chiellini, and Bouanga, LAFC downs Seattle

Houston Beats KC Again

US Ladies play Sat 2:30 pm TNT

USWNT head coach Emma Hayes meets with players for first time

Three bold ideas for the USWNT in their final games of 2023

USWNT’s Trinity Rodman: Emma Hayes has been ‘amazing so far’

SSFC Spotlight: Korbin Albert gets chance at senior international level By Brendan Joseph Stars & Stripes  

USWNT roster: Who is the future at goalkeeper?

USWNT will honor retired defender Ali Krieger at Dec. 5 game

U.S. still in race to host 2027 World Cup after South Africa withdraws

Scouting China – Stars & Stripes                                                                                                 

USWNT player compares World Cup to ‘Hunger Games’ in new Netflix trailer

Trinity Rodman ‘will be watching’ USWNT World Cup docuseries

Sophia Smith, Angel Reese make Forbes’ ‘30 under 30’ list
Racing Louisville FC names Beverly Goebel Yanez, former assistant for club, new head coach
Women’s Nations League: Belgium v Scotland: Scots ‘ready to put things right’, says Howard

US Men

 USMNT to play Slovenia in January Camp friendly By Donald Wine II Stars and Stripes  

Copa América 2024 opener, final venues announced
‘To see that people really hate us just because of the color of our skin’: Why Juventus duo are talking about mental health

Champions League

Champions League grades: Arsenal earn high marks, Celtic woes drag on
Arsenal attack cuts loose against Lens
Jude Bellingham makes Real history with yet another Champions League goal

Garnacho makes epic bicycle kick goal look easy
Arsenal show how the Champions League should be done – Man Utd and Newcastle take note…
Manchester United on the brink of an early Champions League exit after chaotic draw against Galatasaray
Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd are utterly chaotic – they cannot return to top like this
Madrid finish first after entertaining win over Napoli
Copenhagen grab crucial Champions League point after more VAR drama
Bayern Munich 0-0 FC Copenhagen: Visitors grind out draw to keep last-16 hopes alive

 Reffing

Jammy Jean and Jeff Perry and Shane reffing Boys College Showcase games at Grand Park today.

For Christian Pulisic, this hurt. Despite his best efforts, Milan are on the brink

By Greg O’Keeffe The Athletic Nov 29, 20237

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At the final whistle, he stood with hands on his hips, head bowed in quiet contemplation.Then, after five seconds, there was a trudge to the centre circle to offer handshakes to the victorious Borussia Dortmund players. For a couple of former colleagues, there was a brief embrace, before an equally slow plod to applaud the AC Milan diehards in the Curva Sud.

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After all that was done, he was the last player to depart the San Siro pitch.Maybe he was walking so slowly because his legs were sapped after 96 hard-running minutes. Perhaps he was carrying a heavier heart than usual too. For Christian Pulisic, this hurt.The 3-1 loss in Tuesday’s Champions League group game against his former club Borussia Dortmund left Pulisic’s side closer to sliding out of the competition.Champions League Group F

POS	TEAM	GP	GD	PTS
1	Borussia Dortmund	5	3	10
2	Paris Saint-Germain	5	1	7
3	Newcastle United	5	0	5
4	Milan	5	-4	5

Milan’s fate is out of their hands; three points against Newcastle United at St James’ Park in their final Group F match next month would only be enough for a Europa League consolidation prize if Paris Saint-Germain avoid defeat against Dortmund, who are already into the round of 16.On Pulisic’s part, it was not through a lack of trying.He had been one of Milan’s top performers on a night that arrived on the back of worrying league form. They have won just once in their past five Serie A games — last Saturday’s underwhelming victory against Fiorentina — and murmurs about manager Stefano Pioli’s future are growing.Pulisic certainly seemed to carry that load on his shoulders afterwards. He left the stadium grim-faced after declining to stop when asked to discuss the game by journalists.https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/6FHLmgsgq93G7CfO2ZMrk3?utm_source=generator

Earlier, he had tried to offer a semi-upbeat assessment to ex-New York Red Bulls and Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch, now a pundit for CBS. “We had some really good moments in the game but even after they went and scored we came back, got one back and were really pushing,” said Pulisic.“We had good momentum at the end of the first half going into the second half. There were a few opportunities at the beginning of that second but just couldn’t take advantage. It wasn’t our day.“It’s disappointing. There are some positives we can take out of it but all we can do is focus on winning the last game.”Pulisic, 25, was involved in most of the upsides for a Milan team that has been depleted by injuries to key men, such as forward Rafael Leao. They were already struggling for numbers in defence, with Simon Kjaer out, and lost centre-back Malick Thiaw to injury in the second half. Thiaw later left the stadium on crutches.Tough times call for cool heads and leadership by example, and the U.S. captain offered both.He was deployed on the left of Milan’s front three but, as the hosts started boldly, Pulisic often drifted inside looking for the ball while left-back Theo Hernandez went outside him and remained high up the field.

Christian Pulisic takes on Marius Wolf, left, and Niclas Fullkrug (Jari Pestelacci/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

In a chaotic opening period, Olivier Giroud’s penalty for Milan was saved by Dortmund ’keeper Gregor Kobel, before Marco Reus converted one for the visitors.Pulisic tried to restore some calm, helping the hosts keep the ball and regain some momentum. He was composed and near-immaculate in possession all night, completing 94 per cent of his passes (more than any other forward player who started the game).Dortmund were keenly aware of the threat he brought. Whenever he stretched his legs, there was a yellow shirt close to him, with Mats Hummels skilfully shutting him out as he tried to lead Milan back into the game as the half wore on.But the men in yellow couldn’t always thwart him. There was a roar of appreciation from the Curva Sud on 42 minutes when Pulisic received the ball on his right foot, feinted to go inside and then chopped it onto his left before darting past a stumbling and wrong-footed Julian Ryerson to whip in a cross.Four minutes later, he should have had the first of two assists his creativity warranted, when a superb teasing cross to the back post was headed wide by Davide Calabria.There might have been a spectacular goal of his own in that phase after the break when Milan still threatened a comeback: a superbly executed scissor-kick was diverted behind for a corner.But for Pulisic, there was often frustration — take the 77th minute, when he deftly played the ball to Calabria in Dortmund’s half and burst forward expecting the return pass but the captain lost possession.By then, Dortmund’s clinical counter-attacking had given Milan a mountain to climb. But while some heads dropped, Pulisic tried to keep making things happen.There was another dangerous right-footed cross with seven minutes of normal time left that led to a Milan corner.Then he almost created a late goal with a cross, from which Luka Jovic hit the post.

Pulisic’s final meaningful contribution was to link smartly with fellow former Chelsea team-mate Ruben Loftus-Cheek in a move that forced a strong save from Kobel.If he cut a forlorn figure at the end, his international team-mates Yunus Musah and Giovanni Reyna were not skipping out of the San Siro either. Musah was suspended and watched from the stands; a presumably even more frustrated Reyna was an unused substitute for Dortmund.Musah will resume his influential role in the team after having to sit this out, but the question marks over what Reyna must do to play remain. It did not help his cause that 34-year-old Reus, who plays in the central attacking midfield role Reyna covets, produced a vintage display.

REUS SCORES FROM THE SPOT! 🟡

A CRAZY start at the San Siro, TWO penalties have been taken, Giroud misses for Milan and Reus scores for Dortmund! 😯🙌 pic.twitter.com/blM00dS9nm

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 28, 2023

Pulisic, at least, was in nobody’s shadow. But even in the place where he has revived his career after the stop-start spell in London, nothing is quite straightforward.

His club and international form is peaking, just as Milan’s season falters.

(Top photo: Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images)

Emma Hayes meets with USWNT players and staff in Florida

By Meg LinehanNov 28, 2023 the Athletic

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U.S. women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes has made the trip from London to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to meet with players and staff in person for the first time since the formal announcement of her hiring. She will not fully start in her role until the conclusion of her current club Chelsea’s season in May.Interim head coach Twila Kilgore, who will remain on as an assistant coach once Hayes takes over, will lead the USWNT through the last two games of the calendar year and into next spring. The USWNT faces China PR on Dec. 2 in Ft. Lauderdale before finishing the year in Frisco, Texas on Dec. 5.“Everyone is really excited,” defender Naomi Girma said after training on Tuesday. “We feel like we have our direction. We know what we’re building towards now, and it’s all very clear. I think overall we’re just excited to hit the ground running with her.”

USWNT’s camp roster has new names, Dahlkemper return

Captain Lindsey Horan echoed that excitement, though she also noted her support of Kilgore’s guidance at this time. Horan was asked about a column written by Hayes during the World Cup, shortly after the USWNT’s exit during the round of 16. Hayes addressed the structural issues around the team in the article published in The Telegraph — one Horan admitted she had not read — but also that the USWNT suffered from a lack of diversity with most players coming through the NCAA system.

Hayes also called out a lack of creative talent in the U.S. “When you’re playing against more well-organized teams, better-coached teams, you have to break them down, and that breaking teams down is a combination of strategy, tactics, and personnel, and I don’t see that they’ve got the personnel to do that,” she wrote.

Horan said that this is exactly what Hayes was hired to do: a deep dive into what went wrong at the World Cup this summer and what needs fixing in the short and long term.

“There’s so much talent in this team, and I don’t think the world has seen enough of it yet just because we need to go out and show it,” Horan replied. “We need to be able to mesh together and show everything that we have, and what we’re all about, and how we can really collaborate and play together — be more of a team and be a powerhouse again. It’s going to be exciting for us to have her and see what she can do with this team and how she can help us moving forward.”

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Hayes will not stay in the U.S. for either of the two upcoming games against China PR. Last week, Hayes said her “full focus” was on Chelsea.

“No, I’m not watching (the USWNT),” she said. “I’m watching my own team. I’m watching our competition. That’s the work of Twila and the full-time staff that are in place. I don’t start working for U.S. Soccer until May.”

After the conclusion of the international break, Chelsea will head to Emirates Stadium on Dec. 10 to face Arsenal in a matchup of the top two teams in the Women’s Super League.

Required reading

• How the USWNT lured Emma Hayes away from Chelsea: Inside the near $2 million deal
• Three things new USWNT head coach Emma Hayes must address in the next cycle

(Photo: Harriet Lander/Getty Images)

Three bold ideas for the USWNT in their final games of 2023

Claire Watkins November 29, 2023 Just Women’s Sports

Lynn Williams is proving herself as a USWNT mainstay through her club and international play. (Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)The U.S. women’s national team will play their final matches of the calendar year in the next week, with the opportunity to place a definitive stamp on a tumultuous 2023. The two friendlies against China PR will be the team’s first games after the hiring of Emma Hayes as head coach, but they also serve as an extension of Twila Kilgore’s interim management, which will continue until May 2024.The USWNT’s December roster follows something of a tradition in major tournament years, giving many veterans the international break off to rest and recuperate, while refreshing the larger player pool with non-World Cup players. But the possibility of any major changes in tactical approach seem slim, with Hayes yet to assert her full influence on the team’s style of play.

In lieu of a wholesale change in philosophy, here are three bold(ish) ideas for the U.S. during this international period beyond basic player evaluation.

Shake things up in the attack

While their actual goal-scoring output has improved in the months since the World Cup, it’s difficult to watch the USWNT without feeling like something is broken in the attack. The team went scoreless in two of their four World Cup matches, and they closed out their most recent friendly series having failed to score in three out of four halves.Many of the issues with the USWNT’s once-vaunted attack go beyond any single player, but the young roster in December has a chance to break free of some of the systemic problems plaguing the front line. The games will provide an opportunity to get more tape on center forward Mia Fishel, who should have a fitness advantage over some of her teammates due to her club team, Chelsea, being in-season.

But shaking the USWNT attack out of its slump isn’t just about slotting in new faces at the No. 9 — the way the rest of the team relates to the center forward position also needs a rethink. Over the summer, the option of moving Sophia Smith to a more central position was presented as a zero-sum substitution of Alex Morgan, who started all of the U.S.’s World Cup matches. But with Morgan sitting the December friendlies out, the reason for moving Smith centrally would be less as a like-for-like replacement and more as a way of replacing her on the wings with a traditional winger.Midge Purce and Lynn Williams are coming off of an excellent NWSL Championship performance. Both Gotham FC players ran the wings with confidence, getting the ball to the endline for low crosses and providing help defense when necessary. Purce found teammates for goals twice in that game, looking dangerous both on the ball and in dead-ball situations.

Having wingers who can cut inside to pull the defense out of shape is a great asset, but the U.S. at times has created a very narrow shape due to individual player tendencies. It could be worthwhile to run the old playbook with new talent in game one, but a total rethink in game two could shake the team out of its old patterns.

Rose Lavelle is one of the most experienced players on the USWNT’s December roster. (Robin Alam/USSF/Getty Images)

Share the armband

With a number of key veterans taking this international break off, the U.S. has an opportunity to share some of the burden of leadership in productive ways. Midfielder Lindsey Horan has been an able captain in 2023, but at times it appeared the team was over-relying on her to galvanize the group, while other experienced players didn’t seem empowered to communicate with clear authority.Horan will likely feature heavily in both December matches since she plays her club football on the European schedule and is currently match-fit. But a bolder idea would be to give the 29-year-old a break, if simply to upend patterns in the USWNT midfield. Kilgore would do well to eventually leave her younger players operating without a safety net, whether that means entrusting Jaedyn Shaw with the No. 10 role or pairing Olivia Moultrie with the newly healthy Rose Lavelle.Outside of giving the midfield an overdue refresh, Kilgore also has the opportunity to prioritize leaders who didn’t get a chance to blossom in Andonovski’s final year.Casey Murphy is the most experienced goalkeeper on the roster and will surely be charged with organizing her backline. Lavelle is coming off a blistering performance in the 2023 NWSL Championship game, showcasing her experience as a player. And Lynn Williams will be the most tenured forward of the group. With communication lagging at times in the past year, a clean slate with new voices in the mix will be key for the team’s mentality going into 2024.

Give the Wave duo the keys to the defense

Abby Dahlkemper’s return to the USWNT is exciting for fans for reasons beyond her play on the pitch. Dahlkemper has recovered from a chronic back injury that greatly hampered the center-back in 2022, resulting in surgery. Making her NWSL return in August 2023, she’s looked as steady as ever, providing confidence in possession and showcasing her abilities off the ball to stunt an opponent’s attack.She’s also settled in with current USWNT mainstay Naomi Girma in their club environment at the San Diego Wave, providing the foundation for the team’s run to the NWSL Shield in 2023. Girma was arguably the USWNT’s MVP in 2023. She both served as the wedge between opponents and her own goal and was relied upon heavily to spring possession forward when the U.S.’s midfield had trouble moving the ball.The upcoming games give Dahlkemper and Girma a chance to test out their on-field chemistry at the international level, providing equal levels of experience and complementary skill sets. Dahlkemper used to be known for the same diagonal balls forward that have become Girma’s calling card for the U.S. With the role of Girma’s center-back partner firmly up for grabs after the retirement of Julie Ertz, Dahlkemper has a chance to make a big impression in her return. For a team looking for consistent starters following Andonovski’s frequent experimentation in defense, her comeback might be happening at exactly the right time.Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

UCL talking points: PSG the biggest letdown; best young player

• ESPN
• Nov 30, 2023, 05:00 AM

Matchday five of the 2023-24 Champions League group stage provided goals galore, comebacks and drama all across Europe. Manchester United have left it all to do on the final matchday when they face Bayern Munich. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid clinched their spot in the round of 16, while Group F’s second spot is for the taking among AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United.

We asked our writers Gab Marcotti, Mark Ogden, Sam Marsden and Julien Laurens to answer some of our burning questions.

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1. PSG, Newcastle and Milan have all struggled during the group stage. Who are you most disappointed with and why?

Mark Ogden: This may be stating the obvious, but the answer is PSG every time. A club with ambitions of winning the Champions League, with a coach (Luis Enrique) who has won the competition and arguably the world’s best player (Kylian Mbappé), PSG have been so bad in Group F and they are by no means guaranteed to get the result they need away to Borussia Dortmund on matchday six to qualify for the round of 16. AC Milan over-performed to reach the semifinals last season and Newcastle are a team of rookies playing in the competition for the first time in 20 years, and both still have a chance of reaching the knockout stages. For PSG to be in this position of needing a win in their last game to qualify is a major failure for all concerned at Parc des Princes.

Group F

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Dortmund	5	3	1	1	+3	10
2 – PSG	5	2	1	2	+1	7
3 – Newcastle	5	1	2	2	0	5
4 – Milan	5	1	2	2	-4	5
1, 2: UCL round of 16; 3: UEL playoff round

Julien Laurens: Unfortunately, it’s my beloved PSG. They have made too many mistakes defensively (the most recent from Gianluigi Donnarumma against Newcastle), have missed too many chances offensively (the most recent ones by Bradley Barcola against Newcastle) and have a manager who makes weird choices at times (4-2-4 at St James’ Park, Goncalo Ramos on the bench until the 85th minute on Tuesday.) And despite some positive things at times in the competition, they have been too disappointing because of their lack of efficiency and consistency in a group that is actually not that strong.

Sam Marsden: PSG, by some distance. There was a lot of upheaval at the club over the summer, both on the bench and on the pitch, but they were still favourites to progress from the group, despite its complexities. Thirteen years into the Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) ownership, they don’t look any closer to winning the competition. The only hope they have is that this is a case of taking one step back to take two steps forward, with Lionel Messi and Neymar making way to allow coach Luis Enrique to build a new, younger side, based on the team rather than superstars. And, they still have qualification in their own hands. If they make it through, not many teams will want to face them.

Gab Marcotti: It has to be PSG. Performances were always going to take some time given the summer overhaul and the arrival of Enrique, but you’d at least expect results. And yet they lost to both Newcastle and Milan. Newcastle and Milan have been hit really hard by injuries and, especially in Milan’s case, an inability to turn the many chances created into goals (they should have won their first two games).

Can Jude Bellingham maintain his blistering to start at Real Madrid?

Craig Burley heaps yet more praise on Jude Bellingham after he scored in Real Madrid’s 4-2 win over Napoli in the Champions League.

2. Which young players (21 or younger) have most impressed you this campaign?

Marcotti: It’s Real Madrid‘s Jude Bellingham for me as well. Had he scored zero goals this season, his contribution in midfield would still have been sensational. Instead, he has scored 15 goals in 16 games in all competitions. That’s the kind of scoring rate we’ve seen from guys named Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the past … and Bellingham is a midfielder. RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons is special too and you feel like there is a ton to come from him. I’d throw in FC Salzburg‘s Oscar Gloukh, Manchester City’s Rico Lewis, Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga and PSG’s Warren Zaïre-Emery as youngsters who impressed, maybe not consistently, but enough to want you wanting more. Rasmus Højlund has been up and down, like his team, but you can’t ignore the sheer number of goals he has scored (five in five games.)

EDITOR’S PICKS

• Ancelotti: Bellingham does things Zidane couldn’t16hAlex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez
• Onana’s nightmare has Man United on Champions League brink16hRob Dawson
• Champions League: Who has qualified, what all teams need16hDale Johnson

Ogden: We have to start with Bellingham. It’s amazing to think that he is still only 20, but he has dominated for Carlo Ancelotti’s team this season and scored again against Napoli this week. But he’s the obvious pick. Away from Bellingham, Roony Bardghji sealed a 4-3 win for FC Copenhagen against Manchester United earlier this month with a stunning late goal to justify the hype surrounding the 18-year-old. And Lewis Miley produced an exceptional performance of maturity and quality for Newcastle against Paris Saint-Germain at just 17 years of age. But nobody has come close to the impact that Bellingham has had at Madrid.

Marsden: Bellingham is so far ahead of the field that it is almost unfair to name him alongside the other youngsters in the competition. Looking elsewhere, Real Sociedad winger Ander Barrenetxea is perhaps one of the names you would not have expected to see on this list. He is a constant threat out wide. They’re out, but Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren has also impressed. The deep-lying midfielder will be at a bigger European club soon. Shoutouts too for PSV Eindhoven‘s Johan Bakayoko and some more familiar names: Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Man City’s Lewis.

Laurens: There is only one answer here, and it’s Bellingham. So, to be different, I will say Pablo Barrios, who has done very well in the three games he has played so far for Atletico Madrid in the competition. He gave a great assist off the bench on Tuesday against Feyenoord in his team’s win. and he scored a big goal away at Lazio to get a draw too. At 20, he is so promising in midfield.

Why Man City’s defending is a real concern

Craig Burley is not convinced by Manchester City’s defending after they conceded seven goals in the last three games.

3. Which of the undefeated teams (Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Real Sociedad, Inter, Atletico Madrid) has been most impressive, and why?

Marcotti: Manchester City have looked head and shoulders above the competition for me. They’ve had their low points, struggling in first halves against Red Star Belgrade and RB Leipzig, but they’ve always come back and looked convincing. They just seem effortless right now. Real Madrid also have five wins in five for a reason, but they haven’t come close to hitting the same heights (injuries haven’t helped, of course.) In terms of the football played, big shout-out to Real Sociedad who maybe have played the second-best football of the group stage, after City.

Laurens: Unlike Gab, I don’t think that City have been that impressive in either game against Leipzig, the only opponents of quality they have faced so far. So I will go for Real Sociedad. I never thought they would top their group with a game to go. They have played some really good football and they are a great club with heritage, identity and history. They were unlucky not to beat Inter Milan, last season’s finalists, and the only reason they didn’t beat Salzburg on Wednesday was because of the heavy rotation made by coach Imanol Alguacil.

Marsden: There are different categories here. City are, for me, the most impressive side in the competition, although they haven’t hit top gear yet. They are in a group of their own out in front, followed by a clutch of clubs in which I would include Bayern and Madrid. Atlético and Inter are probably in the next group. Both have done well to remain undefeated, especially as Inter had to come from 3-0 down against Benfica to preserve that streak and are capable of beating most teams in the competition over two legs on their day. However, the most impressive in many ways has been Real Sociedad. They failed to win a game the last time they were in the Champions League in 2013 and were not fancied to get out of their group this year. And yet, with one game to go, Alguacil’s unbeaten side sit top, ahead of Inter, Benfica and Salzburg, and are already assured of a place in the last 16. They are attractive to watch, built on home-grown talent and boast a crop of talented young players, including Barrenetxea, Take Kubo and Martín Zubimendi.

Ogden: Sorry to go against the grain here, but I don’t think any of them have been super impressive to the point of being the outstanding team of the group stage. City, Real and Bayern have all conceded way too many goals, but their attacking strength has got them out of difficult positions. Let’s see if they can do it against really strong opponents in the knockout phase. Considering Real Sociedad aren’t Champions League regulars, their success in being unbeaten at this stage makes them the most impressive, but I’m not impressed to the extent of predicting them to go beyond the round of 16.

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Champions League: Who has qualified, what all teams need

The UEFA Champions League group stage is reaching its conclusion, with only four places in the knockout rounds still up for grabs on Matchday 6.

This is the final season of the multigroup format, before it becomes a 36-team competition with all clubs in one league table.

We take a look at who is through and how can still seal their places.

The top two teams in each group qualify for the round of 16, the third-placed clubs drop into the Europa League knockout playoff round, and those who finish bottom are eliminated.

Qualified for round of 16 (12/16): Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Real Sociedad, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven

Eliminated (10/16): Union Berlin, FC Salzburg, Benfica, Celtic, Antwerp, Young Boys, Red Star Belgrade, Feyenoord, Sevilla, Lens

Tiebreakers:
1) Points
2) Head-to-head points in games involving the tied teams
3) Goal difference in head-to-head matches involving the tied teams
4) Goals scored in head-to-head matches involving the tied teams
— If the above tiebreaker initially involves 3 or 4 teams, it is reapplied to resolve any remaining tiebreaker among fewer clubs
5) Goal difference in all group matches
6) Goals scored in all group matches
7) Away goals scored in all group matches
8) Wins in all group matches
9) Away wins in all group matches
10) Disciplinary points
11) UEFA club coefficient.

This page will be updated throughout the final rounds of the group stage.

---

Group permutations

Group A

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 12: Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich, FC Copenhagen vs. Galatasaray

Group A

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Bayern	5	4	1	0	+5	13
2 – Copenhagen	5	1	2	2	-1	5
3 – Galatasaray	5	1	2	2	-2	5
4 – Man United	5	1	1	3	-2	4
1, 2: UCL round of 16; 3: UEL playoff round

Bayern Munich have qualified as group winners.

FC Copenhagen are guaranteed to qualify in second with a win, or with a draw if Manchester United draw or lose.

Galatasaray have to beat FC Copenhagen, which will secure second place.

Manchester United have to beat Bayern and hope FC Copenhagen vs. Galatasaray is a draw. However, United are guaranteed at least a place in the Europa League if they win.

Group B

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 12: PSV Eindhoven vs. Arsenal, Lens vs. Sevilla

Group B

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Arsenal	5	4	0	1	+12	12
2 – PSV	5	2	2	1	-2	8
3 – Lens	5	1	2	2	-6	5
4 – Sevilla	5	0	2	3	-4	2
1, 2: UCL round of 16; 3: UEL playoff round

Arsenal went through and sealed first place in the group with a 6-0 win at home to Lens.

Arsenal’s victory also ensured PSV Eindhoven advanced, as the Eredivisie side hold the head to head over Lens.

Lens need a win or draw at home to Sevilla to move into the Europa League.

Sevilla must beat Lens to climb up to third and continue in Europe.

Reacting to Arsenal’s ‘demolishing’ 6-0 win vs. Lens

Craig Burley and the rest of the “ESPN FC” crew react to Arsenal’s 6-0 victory over Lens that sent them into the Champions League Round of 16.

Group C

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 12: Union Berlin vs. Real Madrid, Napoli vs. Braga

Group C

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Real Madrid	5	5	0	0	+8	15
2 – Napoli	5	2	1	2	-1	7
3 – Braga	5	1	1	3	-4	4
4 – Union Berlin	5	0	2	3	-3	2
1, 2: UCL round of 16; 3: UEL playoff round

Real Madrid have qualified for the round of 16 and have topped the group.

Napoli will be through with a win, draw or one-goal defeat at home to Braga.

Braga must win by 2+ goals away to Napoli to finish in second place.

Union Berlin have been eliminated and must win at home to Real Madrid and hope Braga lose to Napoli to make the Europa League.

Can Jude Bellingham maintain his blistering to start at Real Madrid?

Craig Burley heaps yet more praise on Jude Bellingham after he scored in Real Madrid’s 4-2 win over Napoli in the Champions League.

Group D

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 12: Internazionale vs. Real Sociedad, FC Salzburg vs. Benfica

Group D

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Real Sociedad	5	3	2	0	+5	11
2 – Inter	5	3	2	0	+3	11
3 – Salzburg	5	1	1	3	-2	4
4 – Benfica	5	0	1	4	-6	1
1, 2: UCL round of 16; 3: UEL playoff round

Real Sociedad and Inter Milan have both qualified for the round of 16.

Top spot will be decided when the two teams meet in Italy on the final night. Real Sociedad will top the group with a win or draw, Inter require a victory.

FC Salzburg hold the Europa League place, and they will secure it if they win or draw against Benfica, or if they lose by one goal.

Benfica must beat FC Salzburg by 2+ goals to make the Europa League.

Group E

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 13: Atletico Madrid vs. Lazio, Celtic vs. Feyenoord

Group E

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Atletico	5	3	2	0	+9	11
2 – Lazio	5	3	1	1	+2	10
3 – Feyenoord	5	2	0	3	0	6
4 – Celtic	5	0	1	4	-11	1
1, 2: UCL round of 16; 3: UEL playoff round

Atletico Madrid and Lazio have qualified and face each other in Spain on Matchday 6. Atletico will top the group with a win or draw, while Lazio need a victory.

Feyenoord will drop into the Europa League knockout playoff round

Celtic have been eliminated from Europe.

Group F

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 13: Newcastle United vs. AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund vs. Paris Saint-Germain

Group F

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Dortmund	5	3	1	1	+3	10
2 – PSG	5	2	1	2	+1	7
3 – Newcastle	5	1	2	2	0	5
4 – Milan	5	1	2	2	-4	5
1, 2: UCL round of 16; 3: UEL playoff round

Borussia Dortmund have qualified and will top the group with a win or draw at home to PSG.

Paris Saint-Germain must win in Germany to be sure of going through — which will also see them top the group.

PSG can only go through with a draw if AC Milan win or draw.

PSG can only go through with a loss if Newcastle-AC Milan is a draw.

Why VAR was wrong to award PSG a penalty for handball vs. Newcastle

Dale Johnson reacts after VAR Tomasz Kwiatkowski was removed from duty by UEFA for another Champions League game.

Newcastle United must win and hope PSG draw or lose. If the two teams are level, Newcastle will finish second on head to head.

AC Milan must win and hope PSG lose. If the two teams are level, PSG will finish second on head to head.

If Newcastle and Milan draw, Newcastle will drop into the Europa League on goal difference.

How much would Champions League exit hurt Milan?

Nicky Bandini explains how much of a disappointment exiting the Champions League at the group stage would be for AC Milan.

Group G

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 13: RB Leipzig vs. Young Boys, Red Star Belgrade vs. Manchester City

Group G

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Man City	5	5	0	0	+10	15
2 – Leipzig	5	3	0	2	+2	9
3 – Young Boys	5	1	1	3	-5	4
4 – Red Star	5	0	1	4	-7	1
1, 2: UCL round of 16; 3: UEL playoff round

Manchester City have won the group with a 100% record.

RB Leipzig go through in second place.

Young Boys will drop into the Europa League in the New Year.

Red Star Belgrade are out of Europe.

Why Man City’s defending is a real concern

Craig Burley is not convinced by Manchester City’s defending after they conceded seven goals in the last three games.

Group H

Remaining fixtures
Dec. 13: Antwerp vs. Barcelona, FC Porto vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Group H

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Barcelona	5	4	0	1	+7	12
2 – FC Porto	5	3	0	2	+5	9
3 – Shakhtar	5	3	0	2	0	9
4 – Antwerp	5	0	0	5	-12	0
1, 2: UCL round of 16; 3: UEL playoff round

Barcelona sit on top of the group and are through to the round of 16. They will win the group unless they lose in Antwerp, and Shakhtar beat FC Porto while overtaking Barca on goal difference. As Barca hold a goal difference advantage of seven this is unlikely.

FC Porto and Shakhtar meet in Portugal level on points.

FC Porto won the first meeting of the sides so will be through with a win or draw, though they cannot win the group. Shakhtar Donetsk must win to progress.

Antwerp have been eliminated.

Morning update

Pepi’s defining moment could open doors, Miazga suspended, busy Thursday, & more

Ricardo Pepi’s big goal wasn’t just important for PSV, it was what the El Paso native needed to build trust for a bigger role. Meanwhile, Matt Miazga has hurt Cincinnati, and many yanks play on Thursday including George Bello against Liverpool. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks it all down

BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED
NOVEMBER 30, 2023
5:30 AM

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ON WEDNESDAY, U.S. national team forward Ricardo Pepi finally had his first defining moment since moving on from FC Dallas in 2022. Elsewhere, Union Berlin are still in search of a win, Matt Miazga has left FC Cincinnati in a bad spot, and now there are interesting proposed referee rules coming.

But let’s start with the good news

 

PEPI’S BIG MOMENT

It was a wonderful day for PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday and it has been a wonderful start to the season in every regard. In the Eredivisie, they’re at 39 points from 13 games – which is perfect. On Tuesday, they defeated Sevilla in Sevilla 3-2, to sit in second place of Group B of the Champions League by three points (and a nice goal differential too) with just one game remaining. They now look likely to advance to the knockouts.

Perfect league start through 13 and advancing in the Champions League? That’s a home run.

But how PSV won yesterday was for the ages, and Americans were front and center. Trailing 2-0 on the road, PSV was given a lifeline when Sevilla’s Lucas Ocampos was sent of in the 66^th minute. Two minutes later, Saibari pulled one back for PSV on an assist from Sergino Dest.

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Then with the score 2-2 in stoppage time, it was Ricardo Pepi who found the winner after he entered the game in the 82^nd minute.

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This was arguably the biggest moment of Pepi’s career and it carries a lot of importance. Not only was this huge for PSV and their chances of advancing to the knockouts, but it was important for Pepi to build confidence and it was important for PSV and head coach Peter Bosz to gain trust in Pepi.

For most of this season, Pepi has only been seeing limited minutes behind Luuk de Jong. While he is a top player, de Jong is now 33 years old and he had been playing almost at an unsustainable rate. For Pepi to breakthrough and play more than the 5-15 minutes per game (typically when PSV has a comfortable lead) he needed to prove he could help his overachieving team and that there would not be much of a layoff whenever he was on the field in place of de Jong.

This goal goes a long way towards building that trust to show he is ready to contribute to a Champions League-knockout club.

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That was the big story in this game for Americans, but also Sergino Dest played very well again and he is getting everything he wanted out of this season – a chance to reboot, play well, and play in big games. Malik Tillman also came into the game in the 58^th minute and was on the field for the comeback win. His future status at PSV is a little less clear but still being part of a Champions League run and a likely Eredivisie title will boost his resume substantially.

Elsewhere in the Champions League, Brenden Aaronson and Union Berlin continued to have an awful season with a 1-1 away draw with Braga. On paper, it wasn’t so bad. But Union Berlin had a man advantage from the 30^th minute and they even took a lead in the 42^nd minute.

But Union Berlin was outshot 18-6 despite having a man advantage for 2/3 of the game. Aaronson played the last 12 minutes of this. But for Union, it’s just about finding a spark to turn things around. It doesn’t get any easier this weekend with a visit to Bayern Munich, with Union still in the relegation zone.

EUROPEAN PLAY ON THURSDAY

There are a lot of Americans in action on Thursday in the Europa and Conference Leagues.

George Bello will likely get a huge opportunity when LASK visits Liverpool in the Europa League. LASK needs a win to have any hopes of advancing, so it’ll be quite the stage for them at Anfield to go for it.

Djordje Miahailovic should start for AZ due to injury and he could really use a big outing to try to earn regular minutes for AZ. AZ hosts Zrinjski Mostar in the Conference League and AZ needs to win its last two games to have any chance of advancing.

Dante Polvara should start for Aberdeen away at HJK Helsinki in the Conference League. Unfortunately, Aberdeen cannot advance to the knockouts.

Eintracht Frankfurt has already secured a spot in the Conference League knockouts and that might open the door for another start for either Paxten Aaronson and/or Timothy Chandler against PAOK.

Genk desperately needs a win or at least a result to advance to the Conference League knockouts and on Thursday, they have a big chance with a visit to Fiorentina in Tuscany. Mark McKenzie should start. It is games like these which could boost his USMNT stock and put him on the inside of the bubble.

MIAZGA SUSPENDED

Matt Miazga will miss the remainder of the playoffs for Cincinnati after he was suspended by MLS for an incident in the playoffs against the Red Bulls when he reportedly went into the referee’s locker room after the game seeking an explanation for a yellow card.

This is terrible news for Miazga who was recently named the MLS Defender of the Year and will now not be there for his team in their biggest games in club history. Cincinnati will host Columbus in the Eastern Conference Final and Columbus boasts two elite attackers in Diego Rossi and Cucho Hernandez, who is an MLS Best XI.

Miazga has not made a public comment on this suspension, but it puts a dent in his hopes of getting back into the USMNT picture. Will that come in January? That will be a close call.

NEW REFEREE RULE

Speaking of referees, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) is recommending a trial for 10-minute “sin-bins” for cynical fouls and excessive dissent. It will be similar to rules in ruby or even ice hockey where a player must leave for 10 minutes.

The problem is that this introduces even more discretion for referees and many recent attempts to stop out problems in the game have been ineffective and not applied equally. Reviewing diving by video after games and issuing suspensions was supposed to put a dent in diving. It really hasn’t.

Sin-bins would probably be more effective in youth soccer. But for senior soccer, what really needs to be applied is the rule that only captains can approach referees. This would prevent swarming and dissent. If anyone else approaches the referee, he/she is given a yellow and a quick red without promptly leaving the vicinity of the referee.

But it looks like some leagues will be tasked with being trial balloons for the sin-bin rule. We will see if MLS or USL get the nod.  

Morning update: Milan’s bad day, MLS Best XI, Haji scores, Fletcher’s future, and more

ASN’s Brian Sciaretta offers up some morning thoughts to kick off your Wednesday from topics like the Champions League, MLS Best XI, the Championship, and Kristen Fletcher’s future.

BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED
NOVEMBER 29, 2023
5:30 AM

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IT’S WEDNESDAY and we’re already in the middle of the week and we’re almost in December. And as always, there is a lot of news both on and off the field to write about.

In case you were wondering, I missed the Americans abroad weekly column this week. It fell victim to the MLS playoff games and the Thanksgiving holiday, to make writing about 5000 words possible. It turned out to be mostly a quiet week anyway, so it worked out. Anyway, we’ll do it next week.

In the meantime, there are other things planned this week. But here is a Wednesday morning update.

MLS BEST XI

MLS released the league’s Best XI for 2023. For the most part, it is hard to argue with any of it. It was refreshing to see three American defenders make the cut. Walker Zimmerman made it for the third year in a row Han Mukhtar made it for the second year.

Some notable cuts were Daniel Gazdag in Philadelphia or Nkosi Tafari with Dallas.

Four teams have two players in Atlanta, Nashville, Cincinnati, and St. Louis.

Forwards: Dénis Bouanga (LAFC), Giorgos Giakoumakis (ATL), Cucho Hernández (CLB)

Midfielders: Luciano Acosta (CIN), Thiago Almada (ATL), Héctor Herrera (HOU), Hany Mukhtar (NSH)

Defenders: Matt Miazga (CIN), Tim Parker (STL), Walker Zimmerman (NSH)

Goalkeeper: Roman Bürki (STL)

TOUGH DAY IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

It wasn’t a great day for the Americans in the Champions League on Tuesday.

First, AC Milan lost at home to Borussia Dortmund 3-1 to essentially ruin their chances of advancing to the knockouts (and possibly out of the Europa too). The game featured just one American player in Christian Pulisic who started and went the full 90. Yunus Musah was suspended and Gio Reyna went as an unused substitute for Dortmund.

Pulisic was okay in this game. He had some sharp passes in the end of the first half and also was dangerous late after Milan was already down two goals. But surely it was disappointing for him to fall to his former team.

Milan will need a win on the final matchday away at Newcastle to have any hope of even playing in the Europa.

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As for Dortmund, they look great but Reyna continues to be a non-factor who might occasionally start but is typically a decent option off the bench if needed. We’ll see how long he stays.

Also in Italy, Lazio defeated Celtic 2-0 which meant the Scottish champions will finish in last place in the group with just one point from five games before the group finale. Cameron Carter-Vickers was decent for Celtic in the loss but it was par for the course. Celtic is a team that dominates in the Premiership, gets outclassed in Europe, and faces just a few important games all season (Old Firm, and a few in Europe before they’re eliminated).

At some point, Carter-Vickers might consider a return to England or somewhere where the big games happen frequently.

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On Wednesday, the Yank Trio of Sergino Dest, Malik Tillman, and Ricardo Pepi at PSV will take on Sevilla in Spain. A win would continue what has been a dream season for PSV. They are perfect in the Eredivisie (39 points form 13 games) and are second in their Champions League group. Now they have a big chance to take a step towards the knockouts.  For Dest, he might be a hot head (as we’ve just seen) but he’s one of the most in-form American players right now.

On the flip side, Brenden Aaronson and Union Berlin head to Braga. It has been a nightmare of a season for Union which are in last of the Champions League group and sit in the Bundesliga relegation zone. In all competitions, they are winless in 15 games. The priority for Union right now is simply to learn to compete again and not be their own worst enemy.

YANKS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP

In England’s second tier, it was a busy day for Americans.

The best moment was by Haji Wright who scored the match-winner for Coventry in a 1-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle. It was the second win in a row for Coventry which moved to 15^th with the win. It was also the fifth goal of the season for Wright. His goals typically haven’t been of impressive quality, but there is a huge skill towards being in the right place at the right time. If anyone could do it, they would.

Wright has fallen out of the USMNT picture and he just needs to keep scoring to get back there. He doesn’t seem like the striker who fits Berhalter’s style, but goals are goals. Wright can force his way back into the squad.

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Preston North End dropped a terrible 4-0 decision away to Middlesbrough. Duane Holmes was fortunate to go as an unused substitute for PNE, which fell to seventh.

Queen Park Rangers started to climb towards safety with a 4-2 win over Stoke City thanks to two late goals (89^th and 90+4) to win it. Reggie Cannon came into the game in the 63^rd minute and Charlie Kelman came into the game in the 73^rd as QPR was chasing. Cannon took advantage of a lot of space left by Stoke City who were reduced to 10 men in the 53^rd when the score was 1-1.  QPR is now just three points from clawing out of relegation.

Lynden Gooch went 90 minutes in the Stoke City loss.

Finally, Norwich lost to Watford 3-2 and former USMNT forward David Wagner’s side fell to 13^th in the Championship.

Finally, DC United forward Kristen Fletcher continues to score goals in droves for Swansea City’s U-21 team where he is on loan. He scored another three goals for Swansea City in a 4-0 win over Ipswich Town’s U-21 team. Don’t be surprised if he gets called up to the first team soon.

Charles Bohem reported on this matter for MLS Soccer and DC United right now expects that he’ll be back perhaps to take on a big role with DC United next year (along with the U.S. U-20 team).

“I think it’s fantastic that Kristian is having the success he’s having and the experience he’s having,” D.C. co-chairman and CEO Jason Levien told Boehm on Tuesday. “We want him playing first-team soccer or football to get that experience as well. So right now we expect that he’ll be back with D.C. United.

“We’re going to talk to him and both clubs about that, figure out what’s the best path for his development. But I think with a new coach coming into D.C. and new leadership in soccer operations, I think it’s a great opportunity for Kristian.”Fletcher wants to play in the top leagues in Europe. But what is the best way for him to get there? Through DC United or Swansea. The two clubs have links with common owners, so it should be a decision made by people with the same interest.

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IU advances to Sweet 16 Sun 1 pm BTN  

The Virginia men’s soccer team (11-3-4, 5-2-1 ACC) will host Indiana (14-4-4, 4-2-2 Big Ten) in the third round of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship on Sunday (Nov. 26). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium. Unseeded Indiana advanced to the third round after wins over Lipscomb, and 10^th-seeded Wake Forest. Virginia is the No. 7 seed in the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship and advanced to the third round after a 2-1 overtime win over FIU. Indiana (8) and Virginia (7) rank second and third among NCAA Division I programs with the most NCAA titles—only Saint Louis (10) has won more.

US loses to T&T

US loses to Trinidad & Tobago 2-1 again.  The last time the US traveled to Port a Prince their 2 -1 loss cost them a World Cup place – this time the 2-1 merely means the US advances to the Copa America this summer and the Nations League final 4 in March. Amazing that this US simply cannot win under GB on the road in CONCACAF – of course this game loss stands on the shoulders of Serginio Dest who blew a gasket and got red carded off midway thru the first half after being an absolute idiot.  Listen Dest is a good winger and questionable defender at best – this is now the 2^nd game he has lost his mind and been kicked out – which will force him to miss the first game in the Nations League Semis – I for one would simply leave him off the roster until COPA to see if he can straighten his crap out.  No wonder no real club keeps him as Barcelona, AC Milan and others have all cut ties with the Dutch right back. Either way the US advances –but lets be real if they play the way they have played since the World Cup – they won’t win 2 games in the COPA this summer.  

Games to watch  

Saturday gives us a doosie in the EPL at 7:30 am Saturday as Liverpool hosts Man City on Peacock of course. Newcastle will host Chelsea  at 10 am – again on Peacock before MLS playoffs get underway @ 5:30 pm on Apple Orlando City vs Columbus & 8 pm Cincy vs Philly.  Sunday IU plays Virginia at 1 pm on BTN, then Inter Milan travels to face McKinney & Weah for Juvuentus at 2:45 pm on Paramount plus.  Finally the final MLS Semi’s at 7 pm on FS1 Houston vs Sporting KC & Seattle hosting LAFC at 9:30 pm on Apple.  Champions League next week Tues/Wed has PSG hosting New Castle United at 3 pm Tues along with Dortmund traveling to AC Milan and Pulisic & Musah also at 3 pm both on Para+.

One of our top Soccer Pubs around –Union Jacks Pub in Broadripple is struggling with all the road closures over the past 2 years – they host the American Outlaws Indy, EPL games on Weekends, Champions League on Weekdays, and of course the EUROS, & World Cups.  If you get a chance to swing by and grab a bite and a pint – rather its on gameday or not – I am a sure that would help. 

Indiana Referee in need

Our community has been given the heart-breaking news that one of our very own referees, Brian Mitchell, has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Please read the message below and consider donating to the Mitchell family as they will need our help during this very difficult journey. https://www.gofundme.com/f/friendsofbrianmitchell

Catch Champions League Tues/Wed or EPL Sat/Sun at Union Jacks Pub in Broadripple

GAMES ON TV

Sat, Nov 25

7:30 am Peacock        Man City vs Liverpool

9:30 am ESPN+            Dortmund (Reyna) vs Mgladbach (Scally)

10 am Peacock           Newcastle United vs Chelsea

10 am USA                  Nottingham Forest (Turner) vs Brighton

12:30 pm USA             Brentford vs Arsenal

5:30 pm Apple TV       Orlando City vs Columbus Crew

8 pm Apple TV            Cincy vs Philly

Sun, Nov 26

9 am USA                    Tottenham vs Aston Villa

11:30 am USA             Everton vs Man U

12 noon CBSSN            Roma vs Udinese

1 pm big 10?               Indiana U @ Virgina  Sweet 16

2:45 pm Para+            Juventus (Weah, McKinney) vs Inter Milan

7 pm FS1, Apple TV     Houston Dynamo vs Sporting KC 

9:30 pm Apple TV       Seattle Sounders vs LAFC 

Mon, Nov 27

3 pm USA                    Fulham (Ream, Robinson) vs Wolverhampton

Tues, Nov 28 – Champions League

12:45 pm Para+          Lazio vs Celtic

3 pm Para+                 PSG vs New Castle United

3 pm Para+                 AC Milan (Musah, Pulisic) vs Dortmund (Reyna)

3 pm Para+                 Man City vs RB Liepzig

3 pm CBS SN               Feyenoord vs Atletico Madrid

3 pm Para+                 Barca vs Porto

Wed, Nov 29 – Champions League

12:45 pm Para+          Galatasaray vs Man United 

12:45 pm Para+          Sevilla vs PSV (Tillman, Dest)

3 pm Para+                 Real Madrid vs Napoli

3 pm CBS SN               Benifica vs Inter Milan

Sat, Dec 2

2:30 pm TNT, Max      USWNT vs China

Tues, Dec 5

7:30 pm TNT, Max      USWNT vs China

IU Advances to Sweet 16

IU defeats Wake Forest to Advance to Sweet 16

‘I never felt worried tonight’: IU soccer’s resiliency shines as Hoosiers advance to 9th-straight Sweet 16

IU Digs Deep to Down Deacs, Advance to Ninth Straight Sweet 16

IU Wins in OT @ Wake Forest

DiPrimio: Mihalic a Catalyst in IU’s Latest Surge

Highlights  

US Men

Hayes’ appointment shows US Soccer’s ambition. So why keep Gregg Berhalter?

US coach Berhalter slams ‘inexcusable’ Dest after Trinidad defeat

Sergiño Dest’s meltdown gives USMNT night to forget in Trinidad and Tobago ESPN

Player Ratings T&T  ASN  

USA U17s & U23s

USA exits U-17 World Cup after five-goal thriller with …

 US exits U17 World Cup after Round of 16 loss to Germany

U.S. Men’s Olympic Soccer Team Draws Iraq 1-1 in First Match of November International Window

USA U17s & U23s
USA exits U-17 World Cup after five-goal thriller with Germany

US Women

U.S. Soccer embracing Hayes’ ‘bold, brave’ vision ESPN Jeff Carlisle

USWNT roster: NWSL champion Jenna Nighswonger receives first call-up Emma HrubyNov 20, 2023

USWNT schedule: U.S. to host China in December friendlies   JWS StaffNov 20, 2023

USWNT roster: Rose Lavelle returns for first time since World Cup Emma HrubyNov 20, 2023

USWNT players: Megan Rapinoe’s ‘devastating’ ending doesn’t tarnish career

Copa America in US

Mexico saves itself from free fall, and saves CONCACAF, with a stirring Nations League comeback

Canada Soccer crashes out of CONCACAF Nations League after shocking loss to Jamaica

Mexico pulls off stirring Nations League comeback Despite Nations League turnaround, lackluster Mexico must speed up improvements ESPN Cesar Hernandez   GK

MLS

Predictions in Semi-Finals

How to Watch the MLS Semi-Finals

Euro’s

Euro 2024 power rankings: Why England are not No 1… yet
Euro 2024: Erling Haaland, Victor Lindelof, Stefan Savic – which stars will not be at the tournament?
Euro 2024 play-offs: Guide to Wales’ potential semi-final and final opponents
Who has qualified for Euro 2024 – and which nations still could?

World

Brazil vs. Argentina: Historic World Cup qualifier is overshadowed by violence and chaos at the Maracanã stadium
Lionel Messi warns Argentina-Brazil fan trouble ‘could have been a tragedy’
Brazil 0-1 Argentina: Lionel Messi after fans and police clash in stands
CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifying schedule, results, table: Argentina flying, Brazil in a rut

Goalkeeping

Great Saves at Champions League Matchday 3  

UECL Great Saves Matchday 4

Sacramento Republic FC’s Danny Vitiello is the USL …

2023 USL League One Goalkeeper of the Year Finalists 🧤

Reffing

‘Why did the VAR keep silent?’ Ukrainian media slams ‘scandalous’ decision in Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy

Great day of Reffing with Ernesto Ruiz at the Girls College Showcase at Grand Parks Sunday (despite his El Tri hat)

With Copa America qualification set, the USMNT must identify players beyond nucleus

By Paul Tenorio Nov 21, 2023 The Athletic

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The U.S. men’s national team went into this November window knowing, above all else, it needed to qualify for the Copa America. It would have to do so without key starters Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah, both out with muscle injuries, and World Cup captain Tyler Adams, who is out for the long term after a second hamstring surgery. And while injuries to key starters are never a good thing for a team, the silver lining can be the opportunity they bring to learn more about the overall roster. The U.S. did indeed qualify for the Copa America. But nothing else about the window played out as one might hope in order to get a true evaluation of the team’s depth.In the first leg, the U.S. played against a 10-man Trinidad and Tobago team sitting deep inside its own half for most of Thursday night’s 3-0 win. But even that game yielded more opportunity to learn about the pool than Monday night’s away leg in Port of Spain. The U.S. — now also without starting midfielder Weston McKennie, who left camp due to a knee injury — held a 1-0 lead until right back Sergiño Dest melted down on the field in the 39th minute, picking up two yellow cards inside of a minute to leave his teammates a man down for more than 50 minutes in difficult conditions. Playing with 10 men, the U.S. had to try to grind out a result and lost, 2-1 — the same scoreline as the last time they visited Trinidad, the 2017 loss in Couva that knocked them out of the World Cup. It was enough to qualify for the summer Copa with a 4-2 aggregate win over the two-leg series, but any “plans” for the window felt lost.“I think according to our plan, there were going to be a lot of different things happening, right,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said, cracking a rare smile in the postgame press conference. “And the plan gets thrown out the window a little bit when you’re down to 10 men.”The U.S. is clearly trying to evolve the group. After playing out of a base 4-3-3 formation in the last cycle, they’ve utilized more of a 4-2-3-1 this time around, with Gio Reyna a central figure as the No. 10. And as the playing style changes, the pool is constantly being evaluated, too. The nucleus of this U.S. team is not going to change over the course of the 2026 cycle, nor will the starting lineup when and if everyone is available. Pulisic, Weah, Adams, McKennie, Reyna, Yunus Musah, Matt Turner, Antonee Robinson and Dest are basically locks as starters. (Obviously, Dest’s red card may impact his next few windows, but in the long term, it’s tough to argue he isn’t one of the 11 best players for the U.S.) Chris Richards, Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi are going to be in every camp and in the mix to start. Luca de la Torre, Joe Scally and Brenden Aaronson are locks on the depth chart. Tim Ream is 36 years old, but as long as he’s performing at a high level with Fulham, he will be in the team. That’s a solid core of 16 players to build the roster around. But the depth — the next 14 men who make up the 30-man preliminary rosters around which teams are built — still needs to be built out.

In the 2022 cycle, Berhalter found players he could trust for key minutes during qualifiers. Kellyn Acosta, Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola played important roles both as starters and off the bench, and others like De la Torre, Jordan Morris, Aaron Long, Reggie Cannon and Josh Sargent were regulars.This time around, there are spots on the depth chart up for grabs. The U.S. is looking for a left back behind Robinson and a No. 6 who can fill the role Acosta did in the last cycle as the backup to Adams. They need wingers on each side of the formation and likely one more central midfield option. The backup goalkeeper job behind Matt Turner remains unsettled. The competition at center back is very real.As part of the turnover in this cycle, Berhalter is clearly giving players opportunities to grab those roles. Call-ups in the last three months have included newcomers like Lennard Maloney, Kristoffer Lund, Kevin Paredes, Drake Callender and Benjamin Cremaschi, as well as players who have fewer than 10 caps like Malik Tillman, DeJuan Jones, Tanner Tessman, Alex Zendejas, Gaga Slonina and Johnny Cardoso. In the first leg, Tillman and Paredes got starts on the wing in place of Pulisic and Weah, but neither overwhelmed with their performances. In the end, it was Pepi off the bench who changed the game, with Robinson and Reyna sealing the outcome.After McKennie departed camp with his knee injury, Monday’s game saw the U.S. try a new formation, one they came up with the day before the game and had not trained at all. Berhalter said the team talked through the formation, but didn’t even walk through it as they were concerned it might be scouted in Trinidad.“In general, for the first 35 minutes, it was working as planned,” Berhalter said. “One (forward) was coming, one was going, nice interactions with the 10s in the pocket, fullbacks getting forward. Our goal was actually (attacking) fullback (matching up) to (opposing) fullback, which we always like, which showed that the guys were getting nice and aggressive. We’d had a number of chances with Brendan Aaronson, with (Balogun), with (Pepi), so overall pleased with it. But, I wish we would have had a bigger body of work to go on because after the red card it was more challenging.”

The plan was to substitute Zendejas for Reyna at halftime, a planned sub after Reyna had gone 90 minutes on Thursday in Austin — his first 90-minute outing for the U.S. since Sept. 2021 and his first for club or country since March 2022. Joe Scally was a planned substitution for Dest. Zendejas never got in the game. When Dest was red-carded, Scally subbed in for Reyna, who was set to come off three minutes later, at halftime. Tillman entered in the 65th minute for Pepi and Maloney entered in extra time to see out the game. There wasn’t much to be learned about any of the subs, or really too much to go off of on the performance or the two-striker formation itself.“Overall (the red card is) a complete lack of respect for the guys that are playing, for the guys that are on the bench,” Ream said. “A lack of respect for the game itself, for the referees. … For me, just a feeling of disrespect to be completely honest with you, and that’s something that he needs to understand. Because it completely changes the game, but then it completely changes any type of potential plan of guys coming in and subs off the bench, throws that completely out of whack. So yeah, just disrespectful overall.”This window felt a bit like a lost opportunity to gather more information, but there will be more chances to evaluate the pool. The U.S. typically has a January camp for MLS-based players. It will be a good chance for players like Jones, John Tolkin, Eryk Williamson, Cade Cowell and others to try to prove themselves. That this is an Olympic cycle, too, means those camps give windows for players like Tanner Tessmann, Jack McGlynn, Booth, Cremaschi and Gianluca Busio, among others.The hope is that some of those players emerge as bigger contributors for the senior team in the coming months. And while the U.S. will hope they can rely on their nucleus in next summer’s Copa America, the process of building out the depth chart will extend out two years beyond that to the ultimate goal: a 2026 World Cup on home soil. (Photo: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

USMNT qualify for 2024 Copa America despite Sergiño Dest red card vs. Trinidad

By Paul TenorioNov 20, 2023 THe Athletic

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The U.S. qualified for the 2024 Copa America on Monday night despite a 2-1 loss to Trinidad and Tobago.

The Americans held an early one-goal advantage in the first half in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and seemed firmly in control of the game before Sergiño Dest was red-carded inhe 39th minute after picking up two yellow cards inside of a minute in a bizarre sequence.Dest was yellow carded for picking up the ball and drop-kicking it away after the ball was called out of bounds by the linesman. Dest then turned and started talking to the center referee, covering his mouth as he did so and gesturing toward the linesman. Dest seemed to be upset that an earlier foul committed on him was not called.Multiple teammates, including Gio Reyna, Yunus Musah and Tim Ream, tried to pull Dest away, but he continued talking to the referee and eventually blew a kiss. At that point, he was shown a second yellow card, and therefore the red, and was ejected.Both Ream and goalkeeper Matt Turner yelled at Dest as he walked off the field and eventually into the locker room. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter immediately subbed right back Joe Scally into the game for Reyna, but four minutes after Dest was sent off, Trinidad equalized the game on a goal from Reon Moore.

“I want to apologize to my teammates, staff, fans and whole nation for my behavior,” Dest said in an Instagram post after the game. “It was unacceptable, selfish and immature. I let my team down! It’s something I have to learn from and it won’t happen again!”The U.S. held a three-goal lead entering the away leg and after Antonee Robinson’s diving header opened the scoring Monday. They held a four-goal advantage with an away goal, which meant Trinidad and Tobago would need to score five unanswered goals to knock the U.S. out of the Nations League.T&T took the 2-1 lead on Alvin Jones’ knuckling free kick in the 57th minute that somehow found its way through Turner’s hands. It was a familiar scoreline for the U.S. in Trinidad. They lost 2-1 in Couva, Trinidad, in 2017, their last visit to the island nation, in the game that knocked them out of the 2018 World Cup. The U.S. was able to limit the damage at that point, however, and held on to secure their spot in the Copa America.With the win, the U.S. also advances to the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals in March. The U.S. won the first two editions of the Nations League and has the opportunity to make it three straight.

What they’re saying

“It’s crazy, it’s unacceptable,” former USMNT star DaMarcus Beasley said on the TNT broadcast at halftime. “This is unacceptable. What he did just now to put his team, put the U.S. team under that kind of pressure going into the second half, going into a real game that matters. And now he misses the semifinal. I would love to know what made him that upset for him to kick a ball out of the stadium and then start yelling at his teammates as you’re going off the field.”Beasley was asked what Dest’s teammates would say to him at halftime.“I’m just going to my O.G.s. If this was Gregg Berhalter when he was a player and he was going to meet Sergiño Dest in the locker room, all hell would break loose,” Beasley said. “Same thing with Clint Dempsey. Same thing with Carlos Bocanegra. The captains of the national team. They are not going to let this slide.”“I understand kicking the ball out of the stadium, you’re upset, but then you keep going and then you keep going, you blow kisses at the referee,” Beasley said. “For what? Because you didn’t get (a foul called on you). That’s baby behavior. I don’t understand that and I’m still upset about that.”After the game, Berhalter spoke about Dest’s red card.“He apologized to the group; he said it’s not going to happen again,” Berhalter said. “As a team, the players, the staff, we need to hold him accountable, because it’s inexcusable, it really is. We were very firm with our words after the game. He put a number of guys in jeopardy, made a number of guys do a lot of extra work in this weather. And it’s inexcusable.”Berhalter faced several questions about Dest before saying he did not want it to be a “witch hunt” and said that the team would work to move forward from Monday’s red card.“Serge has done a great job of maturing and growing over the years that he’s been with the group and, for him, this has to be a learning experience,” Berhalter said. “It will be a learning experience. How we work, we give people second chances, we work with people, we help them overcome instances like this. So, we’ll do the same with Sergiño. He’s a talented player, an important part of our team. And we need to have good conversations with him (and) make sure we get him on the right track.”Ream called Dest’s actions a “complete lack of respect for the guys that are playing, for the guys that are on the bench.”“A lack of respect for the game itself, for the referees,” the veteran back said. “For me, just a feeling of disrespect to be completely honest with you, and that’s something that he needs to understand. Because it completely changes the game, but then it completely changes any type of potential plan of guys coming in and subs off the bench, throws that completely out of whack. So yeah, just disrespectful overall.”

What’s next?

The U.S. ‘A’ team won’t be together again until March, when they meet for the Nations League semifinal on March 21. The teams joining them in those games are yet to be determined.Panama beat Costa Rica later Monday night to advance with a 6-1 aggregate lead. Canada holds a 2-1 lead over Jamaica, and Honduras has a 2-0 advantage over Mexico. Those games are scheduled to be played on Tuesday.The U.S. traditionally holds a January camp for MLS-based players, though that camp has not yet been announced. It could be a prime opportunity, however, to bring in Olympic-eligible players and, as it traditionally does, build out the depth of the pool.

USMNT analysis

Analysis and Player ratings: A Dest meltdown sees the USMNT lose to T&T but still advance

The 2023 year is over for the USMNT and it ends with a disappointing loss to Trinidad & Tobago that saw Sergino Dest meltdown, get sent off, and the U.S. team never recover. The U.S. team still qualified for the Nations League and Copa America, but not in the way it wanted. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks it down

BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED NOVEMBER 20, 2023 9:10 AM

THE UNITED STATES national team concluded its 2023 calender year in disappointing fashion with a 2-1 loss to Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain on Monday night. The result was enough for the team to advance 4-2 on aggregate to qualify for both the Nations League semifinal and the 2023 Copa America, but the performance left a lot to be desired – specifically with Sergino Dest who was sent off in the 39th minute.The United States opened the scoring in the 25^th minute off a nice diving header from Antonee Robinson who got on the end of a well-delivered cross from Dest.

But the game became unglued in the 39^th minute when Dest was sent off following an call from the officials and afterward the PSV fullback punted the ball into the crowd and continued to argue. A yellow card was followed by a red card. Dest’s U.S. teammates including Gio Reyna and Yunus Musah were trying to calm Dest down. Captain Tim Ream then proceeded to yell at Dest on the field as he slowly left. Matt Turner was also harsh with Dest.Once Dest left the field, Trinidad & Tobago almost immediately equalized when former Forward Madison fullback Alvin Jones played Reon Moore into the box in transition. Moore was able to beat Cameron Carter-Vickers on speed. Turner lost his footing on Moore’s shot from a tight angle which found the back of the net.Then in the 57^th minute, Jones put T&T in front with a well-struck free kick that was savable but dipped and swerved off the fingertips of Turner for a 2-1 lead.

From there, T&T continued to have the better of chances but the U.S. team was able to  settle down and see out what was a one-goal loss but an overall aggregate win.Some thoughts.

DEST’S MELTDOWN

Sergino Dest’s behavior in the events which saw him sent off was baffling. There is a lot of talk on this team about second chances and maturing. But lost in this red card is the note that it was his second red card for the national team of 2023 after he was sent off late in the team’s 3-0 win over Mexico in the Nation’s League semifinal in June. Dest might be young. But this is a player who has played in Champions League games for Ajax, Barcelona, AC Milan, and now PSV Eindhoven. He’s also played in the World Cup. This was not a “heat of the moment” reaction. He punted the ball away and contnued to argue with the officials despite pleas from his teammates. It’s not a matter of apologizing and moving beyond it. Dest apologized and that’s fine. But there are now “trust issues” with him. Does he run the risk of putting his team in bad situations again? This wasn’t strike one. This was strike two. Afterward, Berhalter admitted it “was a concern” given that this wasn’t a first-time incident for Dest. Berhalter said it was inexcusable but also shot down hints of an extended absence from the team.  After the third question about Dest, Berhalter said he doesn’t want to turn it into a “witch hunt.””Sergino has done a great job of maturing and growing over the years that he’s been with the group,” Berhalter said. “For him, this has to be a learning experience. It will be a learning experience. We give people second chances. We work with people, we help them overcome instances like this. We’ll do the same with Sergino. He’s a talented player, an important part of our team, and we need to have good conversations with him to make sure we get him on the right track.”

Ream chimed in and spoke of the disappointment in Dest but also said he will need to show improvement beyond words.”Words with him would be putting it nicely, to be completely honest with you,” Ream said. “And there were a lot of choice words at halftime.””We are a pretty forgiving group,” Ream added. “We understand that we’re a young group. People can make mistakes and it’s just a big mistake. There’s not really any excuse for it. The only thing I think Sergino can do is hold his hand up, hold himself accountable, and when he is inevitably called upon again to be a part of this group, he has got to show with not just words saying sorry, but show with his actions that we can trust him to be someone we can rely on and off the pitch.”Of course, this is not the first time the U.S. team has had to deal with a lack of maturity and decision-making. There obviously was the Gio Reyna incident at the World Cup and then there was Weston McKennie’s incident in qualifying.

But both of those incidents were off the field. Dest now has two ugly incidents on the field in competitive games.“I want to apologize to my teammates, staff, fans, and whole nation for my behavior,” Dest wrote on Instagram after the game. “It was unacceptable, selfish, and immature. I let my team down! It’s something I have to learn from, and it won’t happen again.”As Ream said, it’s more than words. Dest will eventually be put in a frustrating moment on the field when emotions will be strong. Only by keeping his cool in those situations will this be put behind him.Dest is now suspended for the Champions League semifinal. It remains to be seen if Berhalter will call him up in March or whether the next time we see Dest is in the summer.

THE PERFORMANCE

As for the team’s performance, the team started off well and was dominant for at least the first 30 minutes, and probably until Dest’s red card. The only thing that was missing was finishing. But the chances were there and the U.S. team started off the game well. But the team did not respond well after the red card. The backline became a mess and T&T started to generate real chances quickly.Matt Turner could have prevented both goals, with the second goal having been more savable. In the second half, the U.S. team needed players to step up with big individual efforts since they were down a man. But unfortunately, no one rose to the occasion. It was a tough game for Luca de la Torre and Brenden Aaronson, Yunus Musah, and Malik Tillman who couldn’t feed the attack much in the second half.Even down to 10 players, the U.S. still had a lot of talent on the field but they weren’t able to do much with it.

A NEW FORMATION

One of the more interesting takeaways from this game that is lost in the discussion due to Dest was the return of the 4-4-2 formation. This is a formation that used to be preferred years ago under Bob Bradley and the first Bruce Arena tenure but hasn’t been tried since.There is plenty of reason to think it would be useful in certain situations for the U.S. team when it is short on wingers – like this camp. Balogun and Ricardo Pepi could benefit from being on the field together.

Apparently Berhalter agreed and he was willing to try this formation despite never having practiced with it (something he admitted after the game in the press conference). In reality, it looked more like a 4-2-2-2 with Musah and de la Torre behind Aaronson and ReynaThe U.S. team was very dangerous and was on the front foot the first 30 minutes. The team benefitted from having an extra midfielder and the fullbacks were able carry the attack from the wide positions. It was working well but Dest’s red card really made relearning this formation on the fly an impossibility.It raises the question whether the 4-4-2 is still optimal when Weah and/or Pulisic are healthy. Then the U.S. team would have wingers for a 4-3-3. The answer is probably no. But it’s very good for the U.S. team to be able to have different formations it is comfortable with.

PLAYER RATINGS

Matt Turner: The U.S. goalkeeper could have done better on both goals. Rating: 4.0

Antonee Robinson: scored the only goal and was by far the best U.S. player over both games this camp. Rating: 7.0

Tim Ream: Was exposed for pace a little bit when the game was open in the first half and when T&T had more space in the second half. Still, he wasn’t at fault for either goal. Rating: 5.0

Cameron Carter-Vickers: Was beaten for pace on Moore’s first goal. Rating: 4.5

Sergino Dest: Nice assist but clearly put the U.S. team in a game-changing and bad spot with his tantrum. Rating: 3.0

Yunus Musah: The AC Milan midfielder couldn’t break down T&T’s defense and create much. T&T did a good job containing him. Rating: 5.0

Luca de la Torre: Was slightly more effective than Musah, but not by much in terms of creating dangerous chances – which is what this team needed with two forwards up top. Rating: 5.5

Gio Reyna: He was moving the ball well and was a boost to the attack before being sacrificed for a defender after Dest’s meltdown. Rating: 6.0

Brenden Aaronson: Worked hard, drew four fouls, but was also 0/5 in his tackles – one of which gave T&T the free kick on the winning goal. He had two shots saved and was effective early in creating chances before the team went down a man. Rating: 5.5

Ricardo Pepi: It was a tough game for Pepi, even when the teams were even 11v11. Pepi didn’t have a shot and had just one touch in the T&T box. He had a few nice moments in hold-up play and some good passes, but it wasn’t what he wanted or what the team needed. Rating: 5.0

Folarin Balogun: Forced a big save early in the game and narrowly missed two other times. It was frustrating for him, but at least he was in a dangerous position multiple times. Rating: 5.5

SUBSTITUTES

Joe Scally: Came into the game earlier than expected for Dest and never seemed at ease – caught out of position a few times. Rating: 4.5

Malik Tillman: A few nice moments here and there came up empty. Rating: 5.0

Lennard Maloney: an uneventful outing cap-tied him to the U.S. program. Rating: NR

USMNT advances to Concacaf Nations League Semifinals after battle with Trinidad

PORT-OF-SPAIN, TRINIDAD – The U.S. Men’s National Team lost to Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 in the second leg of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinal at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, advancing to the tournament’s semifinals with a 4-2 aggregate win over two legs. It also earned the USMNT a place in next summer’s Copa America, which will be played in the United States.The U.S. now moves on to contest the Semifinal Round of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League on March 21 in Arlington, Texas against one of the following regional rivals: Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica, Canada, Honduras or Mexico.Hosts Trinidad and Tobago – down 3-0 after the USA’s first leg win in Austin, Texas on Nov. 16 – were pinned back in their own defensive third early in the second leg. An early spinning shot from midfielder Brenden Aaronson from close range in just the third minute was followed a minute later by another good effort from forward Folarin Balogun – both of which forced T&T goalkeeper Denzil Smith into awkward saves. Those chances were a hint of things to come as the USMNT took a lead in the 25th minute via the head of defender Antonee Robinson who scored in back-to-back games for the first time in a USA shirt.

With a 4-0 lead on the aggregate, it should have been clear sailing for the U.S., but a self-inflicted wound in the 39th minute complicated matters. Dest, whose pinpoint cross set the table for the opening goal, picked up the ball and punted it away after the referee blew his whistle to call a throw-in for the hosts. That earned the U.S. defender a yellow card. His continued arguments earned him a second yellow, from Guatemalan referee Walter Lopez as the U.S. were reduced to 10 men for the rest of the game. Dest will also be suspended for March’s Nations League Semifinal.

With confidence bolstered by the man advantage, Trinidad & Tobago pulled level just before halftime after a long ball from Alvin Jones ball sent Reon Moore into the right side of the penalty area in the 43rd minute. The Trinidadian striker shrugged off a challenge from center back Cameron Carter-Vickers before hitting the ball past U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner inside the near post for his eighth goal in 25 caps. It was the host side’s first shot on goal.

Tension continued to ramp up for the U.S. after the interval. Jones went from provider to scorer in the 57th minute when his knuckling free kick from 25 yards screamed past the U.S. defensive wall and off Turner’s fingertips before nestling in the back of the net. That put the hosts into the lead 2-1 on the night, but still down 4-2 on the aggregate. It was a lead Trinidad and Tobago held – but could not increase — until the final whistle as the U.S. dropped a result to the Soca Warriors for only the fourth time in history.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:

USA – Antonee Robinson (Sergiño Dest), 25th minute: Dest collected the ball on the right side after a sequence of sharp U.S. passes carved open a gap in the hosts’ midfield. Robinson – lurking at the back post – slipped in front of his marker to meet Dest’s accurate cross with a diving header from eight yards out. The Fulham defender drove his shot off the slick surface and inside of Denzil Smith’s near post. TRI 0, USA 1

TRI – Reon Moore (Alvin Jones), 43rd minute: Domestic-based defender Alvin Jones hit a long, searching ball up the right side from deep in the Trinidad & Tobago defensive third. It picked out Rean Moore – an unused sub in the first leg – who muscled the inside track on U.S. center back Cameron Carter-Vickers before hitting his shot from the right side of the penalty area just inside the near post. TRI 1, USA 1

TRI – Alvin Jones, 57th minute: While the direct free kick initially looked to be outside shooting distance, Alvin Jones decided to have a go anyway. His powerful free kick swerved and spun in the heavy Port of Spain air before dipping dramatically and going off the fingertips of a diving Matt Turner and into the U.S. net. TRI 2, USA 1

– U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT –

Match: Trinidad and Tobago vs. United States Men’s National Team
Date: November 20, 2023
Competition: 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League – Quarterfinal, Leg Two
Venue: Hasely Crawford Stadium; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Kickoff: 7:07 p.m. ET (8:07 local)
Weather: 82 degrees, clear

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F
USA                              1          0          1
TRI                               1          1          2

USA – Antonee Robinson (Sergiño Dest)                  25^th minute
TRI – Reon Moore (Alvin Jones)                                  43
TRI – Alvin Jones                                                            57

Lineups:
USA: 1-Matt Turner; 2-Sergiño Dest (39, Ejected), 3-Cameron Carter-Vickers, 13-Tim Ream (Capt.) 5-Antonee Robinson; 7-Gio Reyna (19-Joe Scally, 42), 6-Yunus Musah, 14-Luca de la Torre (22-Lennard Maloney, 91), 11-Brenden Aaronson; 9-Ricardo Pepi (17-Malik Tillman, 65), 20-Folarin Balogun
Substitutes not used: 18-Ethan Horvath, 21-Gaga Slonina, 4-Chris Richards, 10-Alex Zendejas, 12-Miles Robinson, 15-Paxten Aaronson, 16-Kevin Paredes, 23-Kristoffer Lund
Head coach: Gregg Berhalter

TRI: 22-Denzil Smith; 14-Shannon Gomez, 16-Alvin Jones, 2-Aubrey David (Capt.), 17-Justin Garcia, 6-Andre Raymond; 13-Reon Moore (19-Malcolm Shaw, 77), 12-Daniel Phillips (23-Kristian Lee-Him, 77), 18-Andre Rampersad, 10-Real Gill (7-Ryan Telfer, 61); 9-Nathaniel James (8-Duane Muckette, 77)
Substitutes not used: 1-Christopher Biggette, 21-Jabari St. Hillaire, 3-Ross Russell, 4-Jesse Williams, 5-Michel Poon-Angeron, 15-Kevon Goddard, 20-Kaile Auvray
Head coach: Angus Eve

Stats Summary: USA / TRI
Shots: 10 / 10
Shots on Goal: 5 / 5
Saves: 3 / 4
Corner Kicks: 6 / 2
Fouls: 14 / 19
Offside: 1 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Sergiño Dest (Caution)                       39^th minute
USA – Sergiño Dest (Ejection)                      39
USA – Joe Scally (Caution)                            79
TRI – Duane Muckette (Caution)                  80

Officials:
Referee: Walter Gomez (GUA)
Assistant Referee 1: Keytzel Corrales (NCA)
Assistant Referee 2: Raymundo Feliz (DOM)
4th Official: Oliver Vergara (PAN)
VAR: Guillermo Pacheco (MEX)
AVAR: Erick Miranda (MEX)

Man of the Match: Antonee Robinson

USA vs. Trinidad & Tobago, Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals: Staff Man of the Match

While we wait for the community, we give our picks.

By Donald Wine II@blazindw  Nov 22, 2023, 12:30pm PST  

The United States Men’s National Team once again fell to Trinidad & Tobago on the road Monday night, this time a familiar 2-1 loss in the second leg of the Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals. Despite the loss, the USMNT won the aggregate 4-2, advancing to the Concacaf Nations League Finals as well as qualifying for the 2024 Copa América.

Normally, we would have the SSFC community rate each player to see who they thought played the best on the evening and would earn the community’s Man of the Match award. However, due to a mixup, the wrong form was originally placed into the Community Ratings article on Monday night. That form has been corrected, and now you have the chance to vote below.

Meanwhile, the SSFC staff cast their vote for one player that they thought was the Man of the Match for the USMNT. Antonee Robinson, who scored the lone goal for the United States, received 3 votes to win the Staff Man of the Match award. Yunus Musah received 1 vote as well.

The staff votes:

Donald – Antonee Robinson

Rob – Antonee Robinson

Justin – Yunus Musah

Adnan – Antonee Robinson

Now, you’ll have your chance to rate each of the players from Monday’s match, as well as Gregg Berhalter and the referee. We’ll post the results on Friday. In the meantime, hit the comments to discuss the staff votes for Man of the Match.

USMNT’s Weston McKennie says Leeds loan failure spurred him on at Juventus

By The Athletic Staff5m ago

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USMNT and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie believes he has emerged stronger from a loan spell at Leeds United during which he felt he “let people down”.McKennie spent the second half of last term in England, but registered just one assist in 19 Premier League appearances in a campaign that ended with Leeds being relegated.The 25-year-old has become increasingly important this season for Juventus under Massimiliano Allegri and thinks the experience meant he returned to Italy with fresh intent to prove himself.

He told Sky in Italy of his time at Leeds: “I didn’t have the best performances. I felt I let certain people down.“But at the end of the day, when I came back, I think it was important for me in general to have an experience like that, to have that happen to me at this moment of my career, because when I came back it felt like I was coming back here for the first time again.“When I first came to Juventus, nobody knew who I was, everybody doubted me, everybody was against me, and I think it was important for me because it put chips back on my shoulder. That’s when I perform best and prove that I can do it and that I belong, so it was nice to come back and have that feeling again.”McKennie — who had to pull out of international duty with what the U.S. said was an “aggravated” knee issue — has made 10 starts in 12 Serie A games so far in 2023-24, and drew praise from Allegri after Juventus maintained the pressure on league leaders Inter Milan with a 2-1 home win over Caligari before the international break.“Wes is having a good season,” Allegri said. “He is maturing.”The top two meet on Sunday, with visiting Inter two points ahead, and McKennie is eyeing an opportunity to put the “Scudetto in our sights”.“It’s too early to say at this point in the season,” he said of the game’s significance, but added: “Juventus is ready for this challenge, to try and win”.

Keyrol Figueroa: The Liverpool and U.S. starlet with the world at his feet

By Andy JonesNov 20, 2023

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Keyrol Figueroa only turned 17 at the end of August but he is used to the spotlight.Already in his nascent career, Figueroa has coped with the pressure of being the son of a famous footballing father and uprooting his life in the United States following a move to Liverpool. By contrast, his current mission of helping the U.S. progress in the Under-17 World Cup — which continues with a last-16 game against Germany tomorrow — probably seems simple.Figueroa has always been the subject of scrutiny. In 2017, as part of the FC Dallas under-12 squad, the striker took part in the Prospects Cup in Florida alongside teams such as Real Madrid, Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.The tournament was hosted by Univision, a Spanish-speaking media outlet in the U.S. and South America. As the son of former Premier League defender and Honduras international Maynor Figueroa, he got plenty of attention.

“He took it all in his stride. He was getting a lot of interviews, but he was never saying, ‘This is all about me’,” says former FC Dallas under-12s manager John Gall. “He was always talking about his team-mates, his club, the situation that he was in. But he scored some incredible goals in that tournament. He had something a little bit different.”Keyrol Figueroa has made a big impression with the U.S. (Christian Hofer/Getty Images)

Born in Honduras but raised in England — he qualifies to represent those countries as well as the U.S. — Figueroa has no shortage of admirers. One of the more renowned ones is France international and Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann, who has offered words of encouragement via WhatsApp messages and Instagram

Before he arrived at Liverpool in 2018, Figueroa was part of the FC Dallas Academy, joining after his father signed for the senior team in January 2016. It was an odd scenario as he was not a player on the FC Dallas academy radar, or someone they had been scouting. His talent, though, was quickly evident.

He began in the shadow squad to develop his game understanding and learn standards and expectations, but he made it impossible for Gall to ignore him.

“It was clear from day one, he was a super competitive kid,” says Gall. “I remember many times when my under-12 team would play friendlies against the team he was on and he was always the kid that you didn’t want to play against. He was always dangerous.

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“He was always trying to push and to be the best that he could be so he was constantly knocking on the door. We moved him up and he blossomed into the group I was working with and it was a pretty quick transition.”

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Nicknamed ‘Young Figgy’, Figueroa was a big personality but Gall insists he was polite, hard-working and humble — albeit ferociously competitive.

“He wanted to be the best player that he could be and he wasn’t afraid to voice opinions,” says Gall. “There were times when we lost games and his shirt was over his head, upset and frustrated. Losing wasn’t in his repertoire.”

There was no ego because his father was in the first team. Maynor was a regular watcher of Keyrol’s training sessions and matches and offered advice to his son on areas to improve such as composure, beating players one-on-one and shot placement.

“Maynor was absolutely fantastic, always supportive,” says Gall. “His dad had an incredible technique for striking the ball — Figgy inherited the same power, same quality. There are not many kids that strike the ball like that.”

Keyrol Figueroa moved to Liverpool in 2018 (Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Blessed with natural speed, Figueroa scored every type of goal, and did so with regularity. He arrived as an individual player, trying to prove he deserved to be there, but learned to be his team’s focal point, holding up the ball, linking play and making good decisions in possession.

He featured in an under-13s tournament at St George’s Park against teams including Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest and Derby County. He continued to stand out in friendlies against Manchester United and Aston Villa.

“You could tell that was his element, he wanted to be in professional environments,” says Gall. “He didn’t care who he was playing, his mentality was the same.”

Liverpool’s attention was alerted and they moved quickly to bring him to Merseyside as an under-14 player and he excelled. In an interview with Honduran newspaper La Prensa, his mother Sandra Norales said he had scored 90 goals in his first season.

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He earned his first appearance with the under-18s aged just 15, coming off the bench in a 4-0 mini Merseyside derby against Everton in October 2021.

There were three brief appearances during the 2021-22 season before he stepped up to become a more prominent figure in Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s under-18s setup as a first-year scholar last season.

His breakout came not at the academy, but at this February’s CONCACAF Under-17 Championship. Figueroa scored seven goals in seven games as he spearheaded the U.S.’ run to the final, where they lost 3-1 to Mexico.

He returned to Liverpool with confidence high and began to earn himself a place in the starting XI, operating as a striker or right-winger. It was from the latter position where he netted a 13-minute hat-trick for the under-18s against Wolverhampton Wanderers in April.

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Gall remains in contact with Figueroa and his family, exchanging the occasional text message and has been watching him in the World Cup, where he is Liverpool’s only representative.

“It’s great. You always want to see your former players do well,” says Gall. “We’re just delighted he’s doing well and hopefully it continues and we will be watching in the Premier League one day.”

That may still be a distant dream for Figueroa, but for now, his focus is simply on the Under-17 World Cup in Indonesia and tomorrow’s meeting with Germany.

The U.S. progressed comfortably out of their group, winning their opening two games, with Figueroa scoring the first goal in the second game — a 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso — but Germany will pose a stronger test

Whenever he arrives back in Merseyside, he’ll be aiming to make himself impossible to ignore again.

(Top photo: Alex Caparros – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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US wins 3-0, plays @ T&T tonight 7 pm on TNT

Not sure what the heck GB was thinking when he opened up in a 4-2-2-2 that had like 5 shots – none on goal in the first 60 minutes of our home battle with T&T. Credit to the T&T goalkeeper – who stood on his head – but it was the 66th minute subs (finally) of Pepi and Aaronson that opened things up. Aaronson shot twice within minutes of coming on the field – while Pepi finally got our first goal in the 82nd minute before Robinson and Reyna scored in the next 10 minutes to all but assure the US should advance to the Quarterfinals of the and more importantly the Copa American next summer in the US after a 3-0 win over T&T Highlights. The US dominated possession but looked as though they had no clue how to open up the T&T defense without Pulisic and Weah. Mark Tillman and Peredes filling in for the US injured paid failed to connect with teammates time and time again and should have been yanked at halftime. The D held steady however against the non-existent attack from T&T. Now on to Port of Prince as the US looks to quiet the demon’s of their lost to knock them out of the 2018 World Cup. The US would have to lay a major egg to blow a 3-0 1st leg lead – (even Berhalter can’t do that). In other Concacaf comp Mexico trails Honduras heading back to Azteca down 0-2 on Tues night while Canada delayed till Sat to beat Jamaica 2-1 heading to Jamaica Tues. Panama pounded Costa Rica 3-0 and will look to wrap things up Monday night at Costa Rica.

Shane’s Starters tonight 7 pm TNT

Turner

Scalley — Carter-Vickers — Ream — A. Robinson

De la Torre — Musah

Zendejas  — Reyna – Aaronson

Balogun or Pepi

 United States Men’s roster (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 9/0), Gaga Slonina (KAS Eupen; 1/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 35/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 14/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 30/2), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 3/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 53/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 14/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 37/2), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 27/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 7/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; 1/0),  Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 19/0), Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim/GER; 1/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 48/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 31/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 22/6), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 6/0)

FORWARDS (5): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin/GER; 36/8), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 6/3), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; 2/0), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 20/9), Alex Zendejas (Club América/MEX; 7/1).

Final Euro Spots Up for Grabs

Ukraine faces Italy in a winner advances to the Euro’s loser goes home match as Ukraine will host in Germany at 2:45 pm on FS2 Monday.

US Boys (U17 WC) Advance to Next Round Despite getting bombed by France

Got up early to watch the US boys U17s Sat morning –what a mistake.  The US got slammed 3-0 by France despite having 65% possession.  Even worse was 2 of US best players getting tossed out of the next round with 2^nd yellows and a STUPID last defender Challenge by our Captain Centerback.  Funny how watching the US play in World Cups at ALL LEVELS is so disappointing.  THE US CAN’T SCORE.  We simply can’t score.  The stupidity of the players missing the next round just sums up US Soccer.  When we play the World’s Best teams – We ALWAYS LOSE because WE CAN’T SCORE.  The US will get destroyed by Germany in the knockout rounds on Tuesday 4 am on FS1 I’m sure.  Two hours of my life I can’t get back. US Soccer – disappointing at all levels. PS I have enjoyed watching the U17 World Cup overall. 

Indiana Referee in need

Our community has been given the heart-breaking news that one of our very own referees, Brian Mitchell, has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Please read the message below and consider donating to the Mitchell family as they will need our help during this very difficult journey. https://www.gofundme.com/f/friendsofbrianmitchell

Watch the US Games with The American Outlaws –Indy  at Union Jack Pub in Broadripple Tonight 7 pm

GAMES ON TV

Mon, Nov 20  

2:45 pm FS2                Ukraine vs Italy

2:45 pm FS1?                       North Macedonia vs England

7 pm TNT, Para+        US Men vs T&T  (Copa Qualifying)

9 pm Para+                         Panama vs Costa Rica

Tues, Nov 21  

2:45 pm FS2                        Wales vs Turkey (Euro Quals)

7:30 pm Para+                   Canada 2 vs Jamaica 1 (Copa Qualifying)

9:30 pm Para+, TUDN     Mexico 0 vs Honduras 2 (Copa Qualifying)

Sat, Nov 25

7:30 am Peacock        Man City vs Liverpool

9:30 am ESPN+            Dortmund (Reyna) vs Mgladbach (Scally)

10 am Peacock            Newcastle United vs Chelsea

10 am USA                  Nottingham Forest (Turner) vs Brighton

12:30 pm USA             Brentford vs Arsenal

5:30 pm Apple TV       Orlando City vs Columbus Crew

8 pm Apple TV            Cincy vs Philly

Sun, Nov 26

9 am USA                    Tottenham vs Aston Villa

11:30 am USA             Everton vs Man U

12 noon CBSSN            Roma vs Udinese

2:45 pm Para+            Juventus (Weah, McKinney) vs Inter Milan

7 pm FS1, Apple TV     Houston Dynamo vs Sporting KC  

9:30 pm Apple TV       Seattle Sounders vs LAFC  

Mon, Nov 27

3 pm USA                    Fulham (Ream, Robinson) vs Wolverhampton

Tues, Nov 28 – Champions League

12:45 pm Para+          Lazio vs Celtic

3 pm Para+                 PSG vs New Castle United

3 pm Para+                 AC Milan (Musah, Pulisic) vs Dortmund (Reyna)

3 pm Para+                 Man City vs RB Liepzig

3 pm CBS SN               Feyenoord vs Atletico Madrid

3 pm Para+                 Barca vs Porto

Wed, Nov 29 – Champions League

12:45 pm Para+          Galatasaray vs Man United  

12:45 pm Para+          Sevilla vs PSV (Tillman, Dest)

3 pm Para+                 Real Madrid vs Napoli

3 pm CBS SN               Beneifica vs Inter Milan

Sat, Dec 2

2:30 pm TNT, Max      USWNT vs China

Tues, Dec 5

7:30 pm TNT, Max      USWNT vs China

US Men

How will the USMNT line up versus Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain?

‘Determined’ USMNT earn Berhalter plaudits Jeff Carlisle

USMNT player ratings: Robinson, McKennie central to late 3-0 win Cesar Hernandez

Player ratings from USMNT 3-0 T&T

USMNT Player Ratings vs Trinidad & Tobago: Ricardo …

USMNT comes alive late in important 3-0 win over T&T  

Player ratings & analysis: USMNT’s late rally downs T&T 3-0
No experiments says Berhalter as US bid to seal semi berth

From USA’s McGlynn to Argentina’s Soule, the in-form players ready for a national team debut Connelly

US Women

U.S. Soccer puts money where its mouth is with splashy Hayes hire

Hayes secured, but U.S. must play nice with Chelsea

Emma Hayes hired as USWNT head coach

MLS

Predictions in Semi-Finals

How to Watch the MLS Semi-Finals

Reffing

Great day of Reffing with Ernesto Ruiz at the Girls College Showcase at Grand Parks Sunday (despite his El Tri hat)

IU men’s soccer battles back twice, beats No. 10 Wake Forest for spot in NCAA Sweet 16

Zach Osterman, Indianapolis Star Sun, Nov 19, 2023, 8:40 PM EST·2 min read

IU men’s soccer advanced to the NCAA round of 16 on Sunday night, thanks to an extra-time victory away to national-seed Wake Forest in a five-goal thriller.Hugo Bacharach’s brace moved the Hoosiers (14-4-4) past Wake Forest in a game that saw Indiana equalize not once but twice, before the second of Bacharach’s goals proved the decider in an eventful second-round NCAA tournament meeting between two of college soccer’s most-successful programs. The hosts, this year’s No. 10 overall seed, took the lead twice Sunday night, first through a deflected Jahlane Forbes goal in the 21^st minute and then through a Vlad Walent 67^th-minute penalty. Each time, Indiana found an answer. The Hoosiers’ first came via Bacharach’s towering header, the midfielder rising to meet a Patrick McDonald corner and redirect it past Wake Forest goalkeeper Trace Alphin. Karsen Henderlong fired home a second equalizer in the 73^rd minute after the Demon Deacons failed to clear a goalmouth scramble. Wake Forest defenders called for offside but Henderlong was well on, his goal prompting extra time.nter Bacharach, a defender-turned-midfielder who does his best work at the other end of the pitch most of the time but has been amongst the goals lately for the Hoosiers. His pair Sunday makes four in six games — the balance of his account this season — the last perhaps the pick of the bunch.94′ | IU won a free kick in Wake Forest’s half, McDonald driving an outswinging ball into the area. It swerved just behind Bacharach who, back to goal, threw a leg at the ball to deflect it goal-ward. Alphin couldn’t move quickly enough to his left, and Bacharach’s brace confirmed a victory and a place in the third round of the tournament for the double Big Ten champions. Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana men’s soccer beats Wake Forest in OT, heads to Sweet 16

USMNT returns to Trinidad and Tobago with Copa America berth in sight

Published Nov. 19, 2023 4:52 p.m. ET

Doug McIntyre SOCCER JOURNALIST

For the only man on the current United States national team roster who was also on the American squad when it last visited Trinidad and Tobago, the painful memories of Oct. 10, 2017 — when the U.S. was stunned by the Soca Warriors and failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup — have long since lost their sting.”I’d say, 2019 Gold Cup,” defender Tim Ream said Sunday when asked when he finally got over a defeat that marked the lowest moment in USMNT history. “We played Trinidad, if I recall correctly. That was kind of the moment for me.”Ream and the U.S. returned to the twin island Caribbean country for the first time Saturday ahead of Monday’s CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal second leg in Port of Spain. And once again, the Americans will have the chance to qualify for a major international tournament, in this case next summer’s Copa América. The circumstances going into this match are far different, though. After eventually finding the net three times in last Thursday’s first leg in Austin, Texas, even a two-goal loss would be enough for the USMNT to advance from the home-and home, aggregate-goals series.

Still, coach Gregg Berhalter and his players aren’t taking any chances. They’re approaching Monday’s match as if it’s a must-win.”Now we have another half of this 180-minute game,” Berhalter said. “We want to see it out the right way.”They also want to improve on Thursday’s performance. Despite having a man advantage for most of the game, the contest was still scoreless in the 80th minute. It won’t get easier for the Americans at Hasely Crawford Stadium. Temperatures will be in the high 80s when the match kicks off at 7 p.m. ET. The field won’t remotely resemble the pristine carpet of grass the teams played on at Q2 Stadium last week in the Texas capital.  And of course, another first half red card for T&T is unlikely. 

The difficult conditions absolutely came into play on that faithful night six years ago. Using the same lineup that routed Panama three days earlier, the Americans looked like they were playing in concrete cleats. The travel is notoriously grueling to get to Port of Spain, which sits farther south than Barranquilla, Colombia.Berhlater will be forced to make at least one change from a lineup that was already missing injured starters Tyler Adams, Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah; Weston McKennie, another lock, returned to his Italian club Juventus over the weekend to recover from what U.S. Soccer called “aggravated left knee tendinopathy.”Asked if he might rotate his XI to ensure his starters’ legs are fresh, Berhalter suggested he won’t make many other tweaks.”It’s not time to experiment,” he said. “We’re focused on the best possible lineup we can play. It’s not about rotation at this point. It’s about who can fit the roles that we need to win this game.”This game is where all the focus is, not on what happened in 2017. If the Americans are thinking about any of the program’s  previous trips to T&T this camp, it’s one that happened all the way back in 1989. Sunday marked the 34th anniversary of “The shot heard ‘round the world,” — Paul Caligiuri game-winning goal at Hasely Crawford that qualified the U.S. men for the World Cup after a 40-year absence from the global stage. Last week, Berhalter showed the team footage of the famous strike and invited Caligiuri to address the current team.”Being able to connect the past with the present during this camp has been nice,” Ream said.  “It is something that we’ve discussed.”Before heading home from Trinidad, Ream and the rest of the USMNT are looking forward to making more of the sort of history they’ll want to remember.”There’s no point in taking your foot off and saying ‘OK, we’re there.'” Ream added. “As soon as you get complacent, you start to do things that you wouldn’t normally do. So now we’re going to approach this game the same way as if it was 0-0.”Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports and he has covered United Statesmen’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

USMNT rides late flurry to 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in Nations League

By Paul Tenorio Nov 16, 2023 The Athletic

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The U.S. men’s national team needed 82 minutes to break through, but once they finally found the back of the net the goals poured out from there as the U.S. secured a crucial 3-0 home win over Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday night in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals.hat it took that long to score a goal was indicative of a frustrating night for the U.S., which struggled to break down Trinidad’s low block despite playing with a man advantage for nearly an hour. Finally, a cross from Antonee Robinson was flicked in at the near post by Ricardo Pepi right on the 82nd minute mark to give the U.S. a one-goal lead.That opened Trinidad up a bit and the U.S. continued to push for more goals. Robinson hit a screamer in the 86th minute to double the advantage, and Reyna added a third on a combination with Balogun in the 89th.The win was especially important not just because it gave the U.S. a three-goal lead going into Monday’s away leg in Port of Spain, Trinidad, but it also put the U.S. a bit closer to qualifying for next summer’s Copa America.

The U.S. dominated possession throughout the game even before the red card as T&T sat deep in its own half and defended out of a low block. Trinidad’s Noah Powder picked up his second yellow card for a reckless tackle from behind on Weston McKennie in the 37th minute, and that only pushed Trinidad into a more defensive posture.Despite the man advantage, the U.S. managed no shots on goal in the first half. The first effort on target didn’t come until the 54th minute — a weak header from Malik Tillman — and while the U.S. put far more pressure on the goal in the second half it looked like Trinidad might pull off a shocking nil-nil draw.Finally, though, Pepi found the back of the net and the U.S. was able to take a deep breath. The two goals that followed also eased the job for the visit to Trinidad on Monday, which will be the first time the U.S. is back in the country where their World Cup dreams ended in 2017.

Main takeaways

The U.S. played too slowly at times against T&T’s low block, recycling the ball around the top of the box looking for the perfect entry into the box and allowing Trinidad to shift and keep good defensive shape too often. When the U.S. started to push faster later in the second half and pepper Trinidad’s goal with shots and headers, it started to feel like a goal was coming.

This U.S. team is going to have to find ways to score without doing so in transition — it’s an issue that has existed going back to the last cycle.

Who stood out?

Playing without stars Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah on the wings, it was an opportunity for players like Kevin Paredes, Malik Tillman and Brenden Aaronson to make an impression. Paredes got his first start with the U.S. and had some good moments in the first half, and Aaronson definitely made an impact when he entered the game in the second half. Tillman left more to be desired, frankly, though he was not alone among the U.S. players who could have been better against Trinidad’s low block.Pepi’s goal was his seventh of 2023 and his fifth off the bench, the most ever by a USMNT player in a calendar year. The 20-year-old continues to impress after the disappointment of missing out on the 2022 World Cup and his goal tonight was a crucial one.

What’s next

The U.S. will play Trinidad and Tobago on Monday in the away leg, and Thursday’s 3-0 win gave them plenty of breathing room to qualify for the Nations League semifinal and the Copa America. A win or draw sees them through, and a goal in Port of Spain would be plenty considering the current three-goal advantage — away goals are a tiebreaker.

USMNT power works after precision fails vs. Trinidad and Tobago

• Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentNov 17, 2023, 05:00 AM ET

AUSTIN, Texas — Eighty-one minutes into Thursday’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal first leg against Trinidad and Tobago, the misery index for the United States men’s national team was redlining.The U.S. had been playing with a man advantage for more than 43 minutes, had dominated possession to the tune of 75% and had nothing to show for their efforts on the scoreboard. The attack was basically unwatchable for much of that time. Even VAR seemed to working against the USMNT, denying it what was initially given as a 60th-minute penalty when Weston McKennie was felled in the box by T&T’s Daniel Phillips. The U.S.’s night seemed to be summed up in the 75th minute, when two T&T defenders went down with injuries — essentially giving the home side an 11-on-8 advantage — and they still didn’t come close to creating a chance on goal.So, with nine minutes to play, the U.S. was staring at the real possibility of heading into Monday’s second leg in Port of Spain with the aggregate score 0-0. Given that the Soca Warriors dumped the U.S. out of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup the last time the two teams met up in Trinidad, it was enough to rattle U.S. fans.Fortunately for the U.S., a combination of T&T fatigue and some more brute-force attacking methods allowed the home side to kick into gear. Ricardo Pepi, Antonee Robinson and Giovanni Reyna each scored in a seven-minute span to clinch a 3-0 victory, giving the U.S. some breathing room heading into the second leg. “I felt like we didn’t panic at any point,” Robinson said postmatch. “We just knew that we had to keep going, and I feel like this team’s really good at that.”There’s cause for optimism and concern in that. This match was yet another instance of the U.S. struggling to get past an overmatched opponent that was employing a low defensive block. The USMNT followed a similar script in a September match against Uzbekistan, when a pair of late goals (while a man up) clinched a 3-0 victory. While a penchant for late goals is admirable, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the success against the Soca Warriors was down more to the visitors’ resilience than U.S. brilliance.The home side certainly made life difficult for itself, especially in the first half. Manager Gregg Berhalter chalked it up to a “lack of precision” in the final third. But the U.S. seemed almost too comfortable in possession and was intent on trying to score the perfect goal. “We were just trying to walk the ball across the line, really,” defender Tim Ream said.Reyna seemed determined to take as many touches as possible rather than playing quickly. Malik Tillman was just lackadaisical at times, lulled into a false sense of security by the easy possession the U.S. was maintaining. The PSV Eindhoven man didn’t seem to recognize that this was a match that was going to be more akin to a street fight, and he needed to adapt. He never did.What the U.S. really needed was to mix up the attack more with some muscular methods like additional shots from outside the box. More direct play, in the right moments, could have allowed striker Folarin Balogun to get behind the T&T defense more easily. In the second half, the former approach worked, increasing the pressure on the visitors, and even resulting in a goal courtesy of Robinson’s long-range strike.

EDITOR’S PICKS

It’s an approach that creates some inner conflict for Berhalter. He’s a man who has long preferred a possession game, sometimes to the detriment of the team he was coaching. When the topic of hitting more long-range shots came up, he said: “It’s not something that we love, but I think the opportunity was there and we didn’t often take advantage of that.”It’s certainly not the highest-percentage play that a team can trot out. But the reality is that the U.S. needs both approaches, the leather and the lace. Hitting some longer shots can have the effect of drawing a bunkering team like T&T a little further out of their shell, which has the knock-on effect of creating a bit more space for the intricate patterns that Berhalter loves. Afterward, there was general recognition that the home side was too slow to recognize that this is what the game was demanding.”We have the players to be intricate. We know that. It’s doing the other side,” Ream said. “Can we cause problems by taking shots from outside the box? Surprise; we scored one with ‘Jedi’ [Robinson.] So yeah, it’s something that we need to do more often, not rely on one way or the other.”Of course, it helps that Pepi keeps coming off the bench with his hair on fire. His goal was the seventh he’s scored for the U.S. this calendar year, with five of those as a substitute. No forward worth his salt wants to begin the game on the bench. But right now, Pepi as super-sub isn’t a bad card to play, and the player seems willing to accept that this may be his role going forward, at least for the time being.”I’ve worked really hard for this opportunity and for these moments,” Pepi said. “My mentality is what’s fueled me so far, and I just got to assume my role. If off the bench is my role, then I’m going to assume it.”The U.S. realizes that it is halfway toward its goal of reaching the CNL semifinals. Taking care of business Monday will have the added benefit of clinching qualification for next summer’s Copa America, which remains the best competition the U.S. will take part in ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which it is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico. Still, the experience in 2018 World Cup qualifying leaves an undercurrent of disquiet, even with a three-goal lead.”I wouldn’t say it’s relaxing and cigars are out and we’re through,” Ream said. “We still have to go down there and do a job, and we want to win. I think that’s the ultimate goal is that you win as many games as possible, and so that’s our mindset.”

USMNT labors to 3-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal opener

Ricardo Pepi, Antonee Robinson, and Gio Reyna scored the Americans’ goals, but none came until the 81st minute. by Jonathan Tannenwald Philly Inquirer https://www.inquirer.com/soccer/usmnt-trinidad-score-concacaf-nations-league-20231116.html

AUSTIN, Texas — By now, many U.S. men’s soccer team fans have learned what many players have long known: games against Concacaf opponents are more often ugly than pretty.So it was again Thursday night in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, which double as qualifying for next year’s Copa América. An American squad with two big injury absences but still plenty of firepower beat Trinidad & Tobago 3-0 in the first game of the series, but all three goals came in the last 10 minutes.Ricardo Pepi broke through in the 82nd minute, Antonee Robinson delivered the second five minutes later, and Gio Reyna provided polish in the 89th. That gives the U.S. an aggregate-scoring cushion heading down to Trinidad for Monday’s series finale (7 p.m., TNT, Universo, Max, Peacock).

Knowing that the Soca Warriors would bunker defensively, U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter experimented with an attacker-filled 4-2-2-2 formation instead of the usual 4-3-3.

Kevin Paredes, normally a winger or outside back, started in the forward pairing with usual striker Folarin Balogun. Malik Tillman and Gio Reyna lined up behind them in intriguingly free attacking roles, and Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah were the backstops.The defense was more traditional: Antonee Robinson, captain Tim Ream, Cameron-Carter Vickers, and Sergiño Dest from left to right, with Matt Turner in net.

Trinidad’s game strategy was certainly no surprise. As soon as Reyna gave the kickoff pass to Balogun, all 11 Soca Warriors retreated behind the ball in a 5-4-1 setup, and did their best to stay there.In the first half-hour, the U.S. out-passed Trinidad 226-57 and out-shot them 5-0, but none of the shots were on target. Paredes wasn’t really getting through as a forwrd, and Tillman wasn’t doing all that much to break the opposing defense opened.Brenden Aaronson, who watched from the bench, might have brought a different spark to Tillman’s spot on the field. He, brother Paxten, Pepi, and Alejandro Zendejas were the backup attacking options.A potential spark arrived in the 38th when Trinidad midfielder Noah Powder earned his second yellow card of the night. The northern New Jersey-born journeyman of MLS and lower leagues was booked first in the 18th, and while that one was soft, this one wasn’t. So off he went.But the U.S. couldn’t take advantage, as Trinidad backed up further and goalkeeper Denzil Smith made some gritty stops.Tillman finally produced his team’s first shot on target in the 53rd with a header at Smith. Two more followed suddenly, then in the 57th Musah forced Smith into a full-stretch dive with a long-range blast.It looked like the breakthrough would come in the 60th, when Daniel Phillips felled McKennie from behind in the box. Jamaican referee Oshane Nation quickly blew his whistle, but was then summoned to the replay monitor. Phillips got some of the ball with a lot of McKennie. Nation reversed his call, to the annoyance of the 19,850 fans in the stands.

» READ MORE: Emma Hayes’ hiring by the USWNT is official, as is how much she wanted the job

So the U.S. labored on. Berhalter finally made two substitutions in the 66th, sending in Brenden Aaronson and Pepi for Tillman and Paredes. They raised the pace.Still, though, there was no goal. Not even when Smith hesitated near the goal line in the 78th with Pepi and Balogun right in front of him, but recovered to grab a shockingly loose ball. The shots were 17-0 to the U.S. at that point, for the record.Pepi finally delivered by redirecting Robinson’s cross from the left wing. Robinson’s goal was

Ricardo Pepi’s latest goal is a reminder of his talent, and the USMNT’s striker depth

by Jonathan Tannenwald Phily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.com/soccer/ricardo-pepi-usmnt-concacaf-nations-league-trinidad-20231117.html

Published Nov. 17, 2023, 9:02 a.m. ET

A year after narrowly missing out on the World Cup, Pepi has stepped up with five goals in his last seven U.S. games. His latest score sparked Thursday’s 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago.

AUSTIN, Texas — For much of this year, the chattering classes around the U.S. men’s soccer team have flocked to Folarin Balogun as the team’s next savior at striker. Understandably so, given his pedigree and potential as an attacking star.But Balogun isn’t the only good striker on the depth chart, and Thursday’s Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal opener against Trinidad and Tobago was a reminder. Ricardo Pepi delivered the breakthrough in the Americans’ 3-0 win, striking in the 82nd minute to end the Soca Warriors’ resistance.It was Pepi’s 10th goal in 21 games for his country, and his seventh of the year — and, notably, his fifth off the bench. The last of those stats set a new U.S. men’s program record for a single calendar year.It also came not long after the one-year anniversary of the most infamous low point of Pepi’s rise to prominence: his omission from last year’s World Cup squad.

“To be honest, I’ve worked really hard for this opportunity and for these moments,” Pepi said. “The mentality is what’s fueled me so far, and I’ve just got to assume my role. And if coming off the bench is my role, then I’m going to assume it.”You can rehash U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter’s choice not to take Pepi to Qatar as much as you want. From here, it’s a waste of time at this point, and not just because it’s in the past. What matters more now is how Pepi has come back from it.The El Paso, Texas, native has worked his tail off to regain playing time under Berhalter while making a new club home at the Netherlands’ PSV Eindhoven. And he’s still just 20 years old.

‘The disappointment is in the past’

“I talked to Gregg before subbing on, and he was just like, ‘Yo, just get in the box; get in good positions to score,’” Pepi said. “And my mentality coming off the bench was being able to help the team and scoring a goal.”There’s no more straightforward mission than that, but there’s also none more difficult.“He’s shown it early and often this year that the disappointment is in the past,” Berhalter said. “All he’s doing is everything he can do. All he does is when he gets the opportunity, he takes advantage of it. … For us, he’s established himself as a guy that’s hard to take out because he keeps performing.”

» READ MORE: Brenden and Paxten Aaronson celebrate being on the USMNT together for the first time

It was notable that Pepi played in a two-striker setup with Balogun, instead of the lone striker role he usually plays. With star wingers Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah injured, and knowing that Trinidad would bunker in defensively, Berhalter deployed a 4-2-2-2 formation instead of his usual 4-3-3, with a lot of firepower in that front six.Balogun and Kevin Paredes were the starting front pair, with Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman in free attacking roles behind them and Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah as backstops.

Did it work? Not really, if we’re honest. At least not for a long while.Even with a man advantage after Trinidad midfielder Noah Powder’s 38th-minute red card, the U.S. squad produced a lot of shots, but none on target until the 53rd minute. Tillman in particular didn’t seem suited for the setup.

Only in the second half did the U.S. really step on the gas pedal harder. More improvement came when Berhalter made his only substitutions of the night, sending in Brenden Aaronson and Pepi for Tillman and Paredes in the 66th minute.

A little heat is a good thing

“There were a few clips at halftime that we saw where we just had no occupation in the penalty box — it was only ‘Balo’ against three guys,” Berhalter said. “There were spaces on the side of their three [midfielders] that we’d be free to cross the ball, but we had a ring of players outside the penalty box and none of them inside.”You don’t have to be a tactics savant to know that’s not how to play winning soccer.That said, credit is due for trying a different tactical setup for once, in a game where the U.S. reasonably felt coming in it could get away with doing so.“I feel like as a team we have a lot of flexibility,” Pepi said. “We have a lot of talent in the group, and I feel like that’s most important — we’re able to adapt to a lot of the situations, and that’s the most important thing.”How much does one goal against a lowly regional opponent matter? In the moment, it mattered quite a bit, since a game the U.S. had no business losing was scoreless. In the longer term, it mattered because the Nations League quarterfinals double as qualifying for next year’s Copa América, which the U.S. is guest-hosting but not getting an automatic berth for.

It would be nice if the U.S. didn’t have to qualify, but there’s a benefit to having to do so. Because the Americans do qualify automatically for the 2026 men’s World Cup they’re co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, there aren’t many games with real stakes until then.Nor are there many chances for high-profile friendlies like last month’s hosting of Germany and Ghana, because the rest of the world has its own business to tend to.On those grounds, a little heat was welcome. So was a sign that for the first time in years, the U.S. program has serious striker depth. Balogun and Pepi are on this squad, Jordan Pefok has found form in Europe again but missed this squad because of injury, and Brandon Vazquez could cross the pond this winter after another strong season with FC Cincinnati — as Union fans know too well.That’s the best kind of problem to have as the Copa América’s big stage draws closer on the horizon.

‘Structured, determined’ USMNT earn Berhalter plaudits

• Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentNov 17, 2023, 02:49 AM ET

AUSTIN, Texas — United States men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter praised his side for sticking to its task, and delivering a late flurry of goals in a 3-0 win over 10-man Trinidad and Tobago in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Nations League.The U.S. dominated possession, and were given a significant advantage in the 37th minute when T&T defender Noah Powder was ejected for a second yellow card after hauling down U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie.But the Soca Warriors proved difficult to break down, and when a 64th-minute penalty was overturned by VAR, it didn’t seem to be the USMNT’s night. But substitute Ricardo Pepi put the U.S. in front in the 82nd minute, turning home Antonee Robinson‘s centering feed, and that opened the floodgates. Robinson added a second four minutes later when his long-range strike found the net, with the help of a deflection. Gio Reyna rounded out the scoring with a tally in the 89th minute. Now the U.S. will attempt to finish the job in Monday’s second leg in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

“I think that the easy thing to do is credit Trinidad and say how much they fought and how they weren’t giving up, and how compact they were and I told the guys, ‘Listen, they played great. They really did, gave everything, but I think our guys matched that and then even exceeded it,” said Berhalter.

The U.S. manager added that his team. didn’t panic, and persevered in a bid to find a breakthrough.”We didn’t lose structure. We didn’t lose determination to try to get the goals and then when we did, you see we kept going and were able to get three, which puts us in a very good position to advance,” he said. “We know we still have work to do. We know there’s 90 minutes left, we’re not done. But big credit to the guys.”The match will still raise questions about the effectiveness of the U.S. attack, given how long it took to get the first goal of the match, as well as the fact that it had a man advantage for over 53 minutes.”We lacked a little bit of precision and you see there was a lot of moves in the first half that were pretty good moves that just the final pass was missing or the first touch was missing,” he said.Berhalter admitted that his side was “maybe a little bit too intricate, where you could have probably gotten the ball in the box a little bit more” instead of mixing things up and taking more shots from distance.It helped that Pepi continues to deliver in a super-sub role. His goal was his seventh for the U.S. in 2023, and his fifth off the bench, the most ever for a USMNT player in a calendar year.”All he does is when he gets the opportunity, takes advantage of it,” said Berhalter about Pepi. “And he’s in a great spot. If you think about his situation, his [club] team in the league is undefeated, doing well in the Champions League. Compared to last year, his team was relegated.The year before he wasn’t playing at Augsburg. So he’s significantly increased his situation. He’s gotten much better for us. He’s established himself as a guy that’s hard to take out because he keeps performing and I think he’s in a great spot.”

USMNT player ratings: Robinson, McKennie shine in 3-0 win

• Cesar Hernandez

Nov 16, 2023, 11:49 PM ETShareLikeOpen Extended Reactions108

The U.S. men’s national team kicked off their two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series against Trinidad and Tobago with a 3-0 win in Austin, Texas.

Despite having a wealth of possession in their home leg on Thursday, the USMNT at first struggled with breaking down the visitors that fielded a defensive-minded 4-5-1 formation. Even with a one-man advantage after a red card was shown to Trinidad and Tobago’s Noah Powder in the first half, the USMNT didn’t take the lead until substitute Ricardo Pepi found the back of the net in the 82nd minute.

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Reinvigorated by breaking the deadlock, the USMNT then ramped up their pressure in the final stages. After doubling their lead in the 86th minute with a well-placed shot from Antonee Robinson, the U.S. then cemented their 3-0 result after a goal from Gio Reyna in the 89th minute.

Both sides will now meet for the second leg in Trinidad and Tobago on Nov. 20. The winners, determined by aggregate goals and with away-goals as a possible tiebreaker, will qualify for the next round of the Concacaf Nations League and for the 2024 Copa America. The losing quarterfinalists will have another opportunity to qualify for the Copa America through a single-elimination play-in match next March.

Manager rating (scale of 1-10)

Gregg Berhalter, 5 — Was it an experimental 4-2-2-2 formation? More of an unrestrained 4-2-3-1? In either situation, one can’t help but wonder if the USMNT players were asking themselves the same question in what was an unnecessarily complicated strategy to start the game. The USMNT looked far too ponderous and at times narrow in their approach, with no goals to show for the first 81 minutes.

Berhalter eventually got things right in the second half, but the improvements remained far too close to the final whistle.

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USMNT Player ratings (0-10; 10 = best; 5 = average)

GK Matt Turner, 6 — Didn’t need to do much in a game that required no saves.

DF Sergiño Dest, 6 — The PSV Eindhoven right-back provided a handful of decent crosses going forward but also had issues with winning his ground duels. That said, he improved as the game progressed.

DF Cameron Carter-Vickers, 7 — Few complaints about the central defender that worked well with Tim Ream while providing crucial defensive interventions.

DF Tim Ream, 7 — Credit to the captain that was great in the air and confident with his distribution going forward. A reliable presence alongside Carter-Vickers.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• USMNT power works after precision fails vs. Trinidad and Tobago9hJeff Carlisle
• ‘Determined’ USMNT earn Berhalter plaudits11hJeff Carlisle
• Will rebirth of Pulisic, Musah make AC Milan America’s team?11dBruce Schoenfeld

DF Antonee Robinson, 9 — Robinson was a much-needed source of energy going forward, eventually stepping up with a goal and assist in the final minutes. The most proactive player of the evening.

MF Yunus Musah, 6 — An average night for the AC Milan player that dished out a long list of passes, but not much else worth highlighting in the win.

MF Weston McKennie, 8 — Although he suffered a few hits early on in the first half, McKennie was able to maintain his composure through his decisive passes. The midfielder forced the red for Trinidad and Tobago and nearly won a penalty.

MF Malik Tillman, 5 — A lackluster performance from the player who often lost possession and had issues with his decision-making in the final third.

MF Gio Reyna, 8 — Needing time to warm up, Reyna began to pull more strings after Berhalter eventually switched him to a more central role. The goal was the icing on a cake for a much-improved second half.

MF Kevin Paredes, 6 — A quiet first USMNT start for the 20-year-old. He’ll need to have more of an influence in the attack if he wants to earn more places in the XI.

FW Folarin Balogun, 7 — Like others, Balogun didn’t seem to truly wake up until the 45 minutes. The forward did well to link-up with Reyna for his assist late into the game.

Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

FW Ricardo Pepi, 7 — Thanks to his goal, the floodgates were able to open for a USMNT side that weren’t too far from a disappointing draw.

MF Brenden Aaronson, 6 — Aaronson couldn’t seem to capitalize on his chances that immediately emerged for him shortly after subbing on. Despite this, he had brief flashes of impressive play with his dribbling and distribution.

U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM EARNS CRUCIAL 3-0 WIN AGAINST TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO IN FIRST LEG OF CONCACAF NATIONS LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL ROUND

GOALS FROM RICARDO PEPI, ANTONEE ROBINSON AND GIO REYNA GIVE TEAM THREE-GOAL ADVANTAGE; THE USA WILL FACE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO IN THE QUARTERFINAL SECOND LEG ON NOV. 20 AT 7 P.M. ET WITH A BERTH TO THE 2024 COPA AMERICA ON THE LINE

NOVEMBER 16 2023

AUSTIN, Texas (Nov. 16, 2023) – The U.S. Men’s National Team earned a crucial 3-0 win against Trinidad and Tobago in the first leg of the 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinal Round, which also serves as qualifying for the prestigious 2024 Copa America in the United States. Goals from forward Ricardo Pepi, midfielder Gio Reyna and defender Antonee Robinson, who was involved in all three goals, earned the team an important victory after a resilient performance in front of an electric crowd of almost 20,000 fans.The USMNT will now face Trinidad and Tobago in the away leg of the quarterfinals on Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. ET at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The match will be broadcast live on TNT, Universo, MAX and Peacock. Live Spanish-language audio for the match will be available on Fútbol de Primera radio.The USA dominated the match with a whopping 75 percent possession and limited the opponents to a single shot and none on target. The tone for the night was set from the jump as the U.S. was aggressive in the attack while Trinidad and Tobago sat back with 11 players deep in their defensive third and invited the pressure, showing admirable discipline for most of the match to deny a breakthrough goal.

The hurdle for the visitors got taller in the 38^th minute when midfielder Noah Powder, who was already on a yellow card after a reckless tackle in the 18^th minute, brought down midfielder Weston McKennie aggressively from behind, earning his second caution of the night and leaving the Soca Warriors with 10 men going into the break.The U.S. came out determined in the second half, stringing together chance after chance, each time looking more likely to score. The hosts almost earned a penalty kick in the 60^th minute after an apparent foul on McKennie inside the box, but a VAR review overturned the decision.

The Americans found a fresh rhythm after Pepi and forward Brenden Aaronson came off the bench in the 66^th minute, leading to more numbers in the box and more looks on goal. The team finally found its break in the 82^nd minute as Pepi came up with a brilliant flick with the outside of his foot to finish a cross from Robinson from the left side to break the deadlock. The goal was the striker’s seventh of 2023 and fifth off the bench, extending his record of most goals by a USMNT substitute in a calendar year.The floodgates opened from there as Robinson, who assisted the opening goal minutes earlier, came up with a brilliant strike of his own as he pounced on a rebound and buried a shot from 20 yards out. The USA put its final touch on the night in the 89^th minute as Robinson played the ball to Reyna near the top of the box and he combined cleverly with forward Folarin Balogun for a one-two pass that freed Reyna of his mark for a well-placed finish from close range. 

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:

USA – Ricardo Pepi (Antonee Robinson), 82^nd minute: Robinson dribbled up the left wing and sent in a cross that was deflected by a defender and landed at the feet of Gio Reyna. The attacker played it back out to the left for Robinson to send a driven cross into the box which Pepi met with a clever flick outside of the foot flick to beat the goalkeeper at the near post. USA 1, TRI 0

USA – Antonee Robinson, 86^th minute: Reyna dribbled into the box on the right side and sent a cross in which was cleared out. Robinson collected the rebound at the top of the box and fired a curling shot from 20 yards toward the left post, earning a favorable deflection off a defender before it tucked into the top corner. USA 2, TRI 0

USA – Gio Reyna (Folarin Balogun) 89^th minute: Robinson played a ball to Reyna near the top of the box and he flicked it to Balogun with clever footwork. Balogun returned the pass on his first touch, leaving Reyna unmarked to finish from the left corner of the six-yard box. USA 3, TRI 0 FINAL.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• With the win, the USA takes a 3-0 lead aggregate goals lead going into the CNL Quarterfinal Second Leg on Monday night at Trinidad at Tobago.
• The USMNT improves to 22-3-4 in 29 previous matches against Trinidad and Tobago, and 11-1-1 all-time in Concacaf Nations League play. The USMNT also moves to 10-2-5 in 2023, marking the 14^th year the team has reached double-digit victories.
• The USMNT now holds a perfect 4-0-0 record at Q2 Stadium in Austin, with all four victories coming by shutout.
• Ricardo Pepi’s 82^nd minute game-winner was his 10th career goal and seventh of 2023. The 20-year-old forward has scored five of his seven goals off the bench this year, the most by a USMNT player in a calendar year.
• Pepi (21 caps; 20 years, 311 days) becomes the second fastest USMNT player to reach double-digit goals both by caps and age. He trails Jesús Ferreira (20 caps) and Christian Pulisic (20 years, 189 days).
• Antonee Robinson provided his sixth career assist on Pepi’s goal before hitting home his third career international goal to make it 2-0 in the 86^th minute.
• Gio Reyna’s 89^th minute goal was the seventh of his international career and marked the second time he has scored in back-to-back international matches, following his brace in last month’s 4-0 win vs. Ghana.
• Starting his seventh consecutive match for the USMNT, Folarin Balogun collected his second career assist on Reyna’s goal. Balogun has three goals and two assists since debuting for the USA in June.
• The Starting XI had an average age of 24 years, 275 days. The lineup also averages 26 caps and 14 in official competition.
• With eight players under the age of 23 appearing for the USA tonight, Gregg Berhalter moved into second all-time among USMNT head coaches in terms of caps awarded to players 23 and younger with 482 in 64 matches. Bora Milutinovic holds the record, with 502 U-23 caps in his 96 matches as USMNT manager. Berhalter also improved to 41-12-12 in 65 matches as head coach.
• Twenty-year-old midfielder Yunus Musah earned his 32^nd cap, tying Jozy Altidore, Landon Donovan and Christian Pulisic for the most appearances by a USMNT player before their 21^st birthday. Musah also made his 30^th start, extending his record of starts by a USMNT player before turning 21 – Donovan is second with 27 starts before his 21^st birthday.
• Full back Sergiño Dest joined Musah in making his 30^th start for the USMNT.
• Weston McKennie made his USMNT-leading 12^th Concacaf Nations League appearance. The midfielder has missed only one CNL match since the competition began in 2019, serving a one-game suspension in the 2022-23 CNL Final earlier this year against Canada.
• Forward Kevin Paredes made his first start, earned his first cap in official competition and played his first match against Concacaf opposition tonight against Trinidad and Tobago.
• Veteran defender Tim Ream captained the side one day short of the 13-year anniversary of his first cap, a 1-0 win at South Africa on Nov. 17, 2010. The USMNT is 7-1-1 in the nine matches Ream has served as captain.
• Ream anchored the same backline that worked together in the 1-0 win against IR Iran at last year’s FIFA World Cup. The veteran partnered with Cameron Carter-Vickers in central defense for the second time, while his Fulham teammate Antonee Robinson and Sergiño Dest were deployed in the full back positions.
• Tonight’s match was also Carter-Vickers’ first start since last year’s win against Iran.
• Matt Turner made his team-leading 12^th appearance of 2023 and moved past Arnie Mausser for sole possession of sixth all-time in caps among USMNT goalkeepers with 36 appearance. Tonight’s match was also Turner’s 17^th cap in 19 USMNT matches during FIFA international windows dating back to last September against Japan.

– U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT –

Match: United States Men’s National Team vs. Trinidad and Tobago
Date: November 16, 2023
Competition: 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League – Quarterfinal, Leg One
Venue: Q2 Stadium; Austin, Texas
Attendance: 19,850
Kickoff: 9:07 p.m. ET (8:07 local)
Weather: 57 degrees, clear

Scoring Summary:   1          2          F         
USA                            0          3          3         
TRI                              0          0          0

USA – Ricardo Pepi (Antonee Robinson)      82^nd minute
USA – Antonee Robinson                                 86
USA – Gio Reyna (Folarin Balogun)                89

Lineups:
USA: 1-Matt Turner; 2-Sergiño Dest, 3-Cameron Carter-Vickers, 13-Tim Ream (Capt.), 5-Antonee Robinson; 8-Weston McKennie, 6-Yunus Musah, 7-Gio Reyna; 17-Malik Tillman (9-Ricardo Pepi, 66) 20-Folarin Balogun, 16-Kevin Paredes (11-Brenden Aaronson, 66)
Substitutes not used: 18-Ethan Horvath, 21-Gaga Slonina, 4-Chris Richards, 10-Alex Zendejas, 12-Miles Robinson, 14-Luca de la Torre, 15-Paxten Aaronson, 19-Joe Scally, 22-Lennard Maloney, 23-Kristoffer Lund
Head coach: Gregg Berhalter

TRI: 22-Denzil Smith; 14-Shannon Gomez, 16-Alvin Jones, 2-Aubrey David (Capt.), 17-Justin Garcia, 6–Andre Raymond; 7-Ryan Telfer (15-Neveal Hackshaw, 46), 12-Daniel Phillips (23-Kristian Lee-Him, 66) 18-Andre Rampersad (4-Jesse Williams, 66) 8-Noah Powder; 19-Malcolm Shaw (11-Levi Garcia, 66)
Substitutes not used: 1-Christopher Biggette, 21-Rushon Sandy, 3-Ross Russell, 5–Michel Poon-Angeron, 9-Nathaniel James, 10-Real Gill, 13-Reon Moore, 20-Kaile Auvray
Head coach: Angus Eve

Stats Summary: USA / TRI
Shots: 26 / 1
Shots on Goal: 8 / 0
Saves: 0 / 5
Corner Kicks: 10 / 0
Fouls: 14 / 9
Offside: 2 / 3

Misconduct Summary:
TRI – Noah Powder (Caution)             18^th minute
TRI – Noah Powder (Caution)             38
TRI – Noah Powder (Ejection)            38
TRI – Neveal Hackshaw (Caution)     90+1

Officials:
Referee: Oshane Nation (JAM)                                                                                           
Assistant Referee 1: Stephanie-Dale Yee Sing (JAM)                                                         
Assistant Referee 2: Ojay Duhaney (JAM)                                                                           
4th Official: Christopher Mason (JAM)                                                                                 
VAR: Drew Fischer (CAN)                                                                                       
AVAR: Benjamin Pineda (CRC)Bud Light Man of the Match:  Antonee Robinson

Euro 2024: How teams can qualify, playoff system, draw seeds

• Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FCNov 19, 2023, 04:36 PM ET
• The last round of qualifiers on the road to Euro 2024 will see the final automatic places secured, while we’ll find out the 12 countries that face playoffs in March to complete the 24-team lineup
• Twenty countries qualify, plus the hosts (Germany). That leaves three up for grabs through those playoffs — with paths created via the final positions of the 2022 UEFA Nations League.And there’s more to play for this week. The pots for the finals draw on Saturday, Dec. 2 are based upon performances in the Euro 2024 qualifying programme, so every win will be crucial.We take a look at what’s at stake in each group, how the playoffs are going to work and what the draw pots may look like.

This page will be updated throughout the final days of qualifying.

---

Who has qualified for the finals?

Sixteen teams have already secured safe passage to join Germany in the finals.

Qualified automatically: Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Scotland, Turkey, Austria, England, Hungary, Slovakia, Albania, Denmark, Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland, Serbia

That leaves four automatic places still to be won across the final round.

There are three playoff paths through the UEFA Nations League — A, B and C.

Group A

Group A

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Spain	8	7	0	1	+20	21
2 – Scotland	8	5	2	1	+9	17
3 – Norway	8	3	2	3	+2	11
4 – Georgia	8	2	2	4	-6	8
5 – Cyprus	8	0	0	8	-25	0
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Spain secured a place in Pot 1 with victory over Georgia on Sunday.

Scotland couldn’t get the win they needed over Austria to take a place in Pot 2, so they slot into Pot 3.

Playoffs:

Georgia are guaranteed to take part in the UEFA Nations League C playoff path.

Cyprus and Norway have been eliminated.

Group B

Remaining fixtures
Tuesday: Gibraltar vs. Netherlands, Greece vs. France

Group B

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – France	7	7	0	0	+26	21
2 – Netherlands	7	5	0	2	+4	15
3 – Greece	7	4	0	3	+6	12
4 – Rep of Ireland	8	2	0	6	-1	6
5 – Gibraltar	7	0	0	7	-35	0
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

France have already won the group with a 100% record and will be in Pot 1 for the finals draw.

Netherlands finished second and they will almost certainly be in Pot 3.

Playoffs:

Greece will be seeded in the UEFA Nations League C playoffs.

Gibraltar and Republic of Ireland have been eliminated.

Group C

Remaining fixtures
Monday: North Macedonia vs. England, Ukraine vs. Italy

Group C

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – England	7	6	1	0	+18	19
2 – Italy	7	4	1	2	+7	13
3 – Ukraine	7	4	1	2	+3	13
4 – N Macedonia	7	2	1	4	-10	7
5 – Malta	8	0	0	8	-18	0
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

England have qualified as group winners and need a point vs. North Macedonia to be sure of being in Pot 1 — though their superior goal difference really means it’s going to be confirmed.

Italy will qualify with a win or draw against Ukraine (the game is being played in Germany.) So that means Ukraine need to win to qualify automatically.

Playoffs:

If Italy fail to finish in the top two, they are assured of a UEFA Nations League A playoff spot. Ukraine are now certain of a playoff, in UEFA Nations League path A or B.

North Macedonia and Malta have both been eliminated.

Group D

Remaining fixtures
Tuesday: Croatia vs. Armenia, Wales vs. Turkey

Group D

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Turkey	7	5	1	1	+7	16
2 – Croatia	7	4	1	2	+8	13
3 – Wales	7	3	2	2	0	11
4 – Armenia	7	2	2	3	-1	8
5 – Latvia	8	1	0	7	-14	3
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Turkey have qualified, though are not yet assured of first place — they need a win or a draw vs. Wales to secure it. If Turkey lose to Wales and Croatia beat Armenia, it will be Croatia who take top spot on head-to-head record.

With Wales drawing in Armenia on Saturday, Croatia are back in pole position after their win over Latvia. Croatia know they will avoid the playoffs if they beat Armenia.

Wales must beat Turkey and hope Croatia draw or lose. Wales hold the better head-to-head record if they finish level on points with Croatia.

Playoffs:

Croatia and Wales would both be guaranteed a UEFA Nations League A playoff.

Armenia and Latvia have been eliminated.

Group E

Remaining fixtures
Monday: Albania vs. Faroe Islands, Czechia vs. Moldova

Group E

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Albania	7	4	2	1	+8	14
2 – Czechia	7	3	3	1	+3	12
3 – Poland	8	3	2	3	0	11
4 – Moldova	7	2	4	1	0	10
5 – Faroes	7	0	1	6	-11	1
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Albania qualified with a draw against Moldova on Friday and will be in Pot 2 if they draw or win vs. Faroe Islands.

The Czechia–Moldova game is a straight battle for qualification. Moldova must win to reach the finals, while Czechia will make it with a draw or a win.

Czechia can still win the group if the beat Moldova and Albania lose to Faroe Islands.

Playoffs:

Poland are guaranteed a playoff in UEFA Nations League A.

Moldova cannot get a playoff path and must qualify automatically.

Faroe Islands have been eliminated.

Group F

Group F

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Austria	8	6	1	1	+10	19
2 – Belgium	7	5	2	0	+13	17
3 – Sweden	7	2	1	4	0	7
4 – Azerbaijan	7	2	1	4	-5	7
5 – Estonia	7	0	1	6	-18	1
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Belgium won the group with their win over Azerbaijan on Sunday, and will be seeded in Pot 1.

Austria finished in second place and take the final place in Pot 2.

Playoffs:

Azerbaijan have a chance of a playoff in UEFA Nations League C.

Estonia, the top-ranked group winners from UEFA Nations League D, will get a place in the UEFA Nations League A path if fewer than four teams from that path require a playoff.

Sweden have been eliminated.

Group G

Group G

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Hungary	8	5	3	0	+9	18
2 – Serbia	8	4	2	2	+6	14
3 – Montenegro	8	3	2	3	-2	11
4 – Lithuania	8	1	3	4	-6	6
5 – Bulgaria	8	0	4	4	-7	4
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Hungary crawled over the line on Thursday with a 97th-minute equaliser giving them a 2-2 draw away to rock-bottom Bulgaria and seal their place at Euro 2024. They will be in Pot 2.

Serbia also qualified with a draw at home to Bulgaria on Sunday. They have finished second and must wait to see if they slot into Pot 3 or Pot 4.

Playoffs:

Bulgaria, Lithuania and Montenegro have been eliminated.

Group H

Remaining fixtures
Monday: Northern Ireland vs. Denmark, San Marino vs. Finland, Slovenia vs. Kazakhstan

Group H

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Denmark	9	7	1	1	+11	22
2 – Slovenia	9	6	1	2	+10	19
3 – Kazakhstan	9	6	0	3	+5	18
4 – Finland	9	5	0	4	+7	15
5 – N Ireland	9	2	0	7	-6	6
6 – San Marino	9	0	0	9	-27	0
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Denmark booked their place with a win over Slovenia on Friday, have won the group and they are almost certain to be in Pot 2 in the finals draw.

Kazakhstan‘s win against San Marino on Friday means they will take automatic qualification down to the final game. Their match is away Slovenia, which is a direct battle for a place in the top two. Kazakhstan must win to qualify automatically, Slovenia will do so with a win or draw.

Playoffs:

Kazakhstan are guaranteed a UEFA Nations League C playoff.

Slovenia do not have a playoff route.

Finland will definitely take part in the playoffs, which may be in UEFA Nations League A or B.

Northern Ireland and San Marino have been eliminated.

Group I

Remaining fixtures
Tuesday: Andorra vs. Israel, Kosovo vs. Belarus, Romania vs. Switzerland

Group I

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Romania	9	5	4	0	+10	19
2 – Switzerland	9	4	5	0	+12	17
3 – Israel	9	3	3	3	-2	12
4 – Kosovo	9	2	5	2	+1	11
5 – Belarus	9	2	3	4	-6	9
6 – Andorra	9	0	2	7	-15	2
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Romania and Switzerland have both qualified.

Romania need a point at home to Switzerland to secure top spot in the group and a place in Pot 2. Switzerland must win the game to take first place and get Pot 2.

If Romania-Switzerland is a draw, Romania will be in Pot 2 and Switzerland Pot 4.

If Romania win, they will be in Pot 2 and Switzerland Pot 4.

If Switzerland win, they will be in Pot 2 and Romania Pot 3 or 4.

Playoffs:

Israel will be seeded in the UEFA Nations League B playoffs.

Andorra, Belarus and Kosovo have been eliminated.

Group J

Group J

	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1 – Portugal	10	10	0	0	+34	30
2 – Slovakia	10	7	1	2	+9	22
3 – Luxembourg	10	5	2	3	-6	17
4 – Iceland	10	3	1	6	+1	10
5 – Bosnia	10	3	0	7	-11	9
6 – Liechtenstein	10	0	0	10	-27	0
1, 2: Qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically

Portugal have qualified and are guaranteed to be in Pot 1 for the finals draw.

Slovakia have confirmed their place finishing second and will be in Pot 3.

Playoffs:

Luxembourg will be in the UEFA Nations League C playoffs.

Iceland have a chance of a place in the UEFA Nations League B playoff path.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will take part in the UEFA Nations League B path.

Liechtenstein have been eliminated.

Playoff system

How does it work?

There are three playoff paths to the finals, based upon the final ranking of the 2022 UEFA Nations League group stage in Leagues A, B and C.

The winners of the groups in UEFA Nations Leagues A, B and C are guaranteed a playoff, should they need it.

If a UEFA Nations League group winner qualifies for Euro 2024 automatically, the next best-ranked country in that UEFA Nations League gets a playoff.

Essentially, the four best-ranked countries in UEFA Nations Leagues A, B and C who do not qualify automatically get a playoff.

What if fewer than four teams need a playoff from one of the paths?

This is only possible for League A. If the path cannot be filled by countries from League A, the best-ranked country from League D, which is Estonia, will join the League A path. It is the only way Estonia can take part in the playoffs.

If the League path A still isn’t full, the next-best ranked team in League B will get a playoff.

Anything else?

There will be a path containing only UEFA Nations League B teams. However, if more five or more teams from League B qualify for a playoff (because of a space in League A) there will be a draw between League B non-group winners to decide which teams stay in that path, and who makes the step up to the League A playoff path.

If Italy and Croatia fail to qualify automatically they will both be in the League A path, which means one of them will miss out on Euro 2024.

Who has qualified for the playoffs?

At present, seven nations are certain to be in the playoffs.

Path A: Poland

Path B: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel

Path A or B: Finland

Path C: Georgia, Greece, Luxembourg

What is the playoff format?

They are one-legged ties, a semifinal and a final, to be played in March 2024.

The two best-ranked teams will be at home in the semifinals, and we know for sure that Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel (B) and Georgia, Greece (C) will have home ties, while Luxembourg (C) will be away. The best-ranked will play the fourth-ranked, and the second against the third.

A draw will take place on Dec. 2 to decide the winners of which semifinal will be at home in the final.

Finals draw pots

The draw for Euro 2024 will take place at 12 pm. ET / 5 p.m. UK on Saturday, Dec. 2.

There will be four pots of six teams.

Germany will be in Pot 1 as hosts, joined by the five group winners with the best record in qualifying

Pot 2 will have the other group winners, plus the runners-up with the best record.

Pots 3 and 4 will be filled with the other group runners up, in order of points.

The three playoff winners will be in Pot 4. As the playoffs are not played until March, they will appear in the draw as Playoff A, Playoff B and Playoff C.

The teams shown below have their pot position confirmed. Other places have yet to be confirmed.

Pot 1: Germany, Portugal, France, Belgium, Spain

Pot 2: Hungary, Austria

Pot 3: Scotland, Slovakia

Pot 4: Playoff A, Playoff B, Playoff C

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Earn Your College Degree at ½ the Cost and Time of Traditional Schools  www.achievetestprep.com/shaneLeave a comment

US Men Face Copa America Qualifiers vs T&T on TNT tonight 11/16 9 pm & Monday 9 pm

The US men will go into their Nations League battles tonight w/o Pulisic and Weah as the US team will look to book their place in the Copa America.  Still plenty of firepower for the US as forward Balogun and the Aaronson brothers take centerstage with 2 key wingers missing.  Still T&T is terrible and anything short of a 3-0 and maybe 2-1 result on the road would be disappointing.  Again the US MUST WIN this 2 leg battle to qualify for both the next round of Nations League and the ever important Copa America which the US host’s this summer.   

 United States Men’s roster (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 9/0), Gaga Slonina (KAS Eupen; 1/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 35/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 14/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 30/2), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 3/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 53/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 14/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 37/2), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 27/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 7/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; 1/0),  Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 19/0), Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim/GER; 1/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 48/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 31/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 22/6), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 6/0)

FORWARDS (5): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin/GER; 36/8), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 6/3), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; 2/0), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 20/9), Alex Zendejas (Club América/MEX; 7/1).

Shane’s Starters tonight

Women’s Soccer is hot!

So the NWSL Final between Seattle OL Reign and NY/NJ Gothem was a fantastic show on CBS Saturday night on Big CBS – the 2-1 game (hi-lites) was a thriller,  Megan Rapinoe’s day unfortunately came to an end just 5 minutes in as she ruptured her Achilles in her last ever game.  The game went on however with the Reign scoring first before Gothem came back with 2 goals before the half.  Gothem held on despite the late game heroics needed when the Gothem GK Mandy Haught was red carded off and midfielder Nealy Martin had to dawn the gloves for the last few minutes. Just over 800K watched on CBS primetime as they battled college football at night – but still had the 2^nd largest audience to watch a NWSL game. NWSL inked a new TV deal with games on ESPN, CBS, Prime, Paramount+ and more and two new expansion teams join next year in San Fran & Utah with 2 more coming after that.

US Boys (U17 WC) Advance to Next Round Despite getting bombed by France

Got up early to watch the US boys U17s Sat morning –what a mistake.  The US got slammed 3-0 by France despite having 65% possession.  Even worse was 2 of US best players getting tossed out of the next round with 2^nd yellows and a STUPID last defender Challenge by our Captain Centerback.  Funny how watching the US play in World Cups at ALL LEVELS is so disappointing.  THE US CAN’T SCORE.  We simply can’t score.  The stupidity of the players missing the next round just sums up US Soccer.  When we play the World’s Best teams – We ALWAYS LOSE because WE CAN’T SCORE.  The US will get destroyed by Germany in the knockout rounds on Wednesday I’m sure.  Two hours of my life I can’t get back. US Soccer – disappointing at all levels. PS I have enjoyed watching the U17 World Cup overall. 

Indiana Referee in need

Our community has been given the heart-breaking news that one of our very own referees, Brian Mitchell, has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Please read the message below and consider donating to the Mitchell family as they will need our help during this very difficult journey. https://www.gofundme.com/f/friendsofbrianmitchell

Watch the US Games with The American Outlaws –Indy  at Union Jack Pub in Broadripple

GAMES ON TV

Thurs, Nov 16

2:45 pm FS1                        Liechenstien vs Portugal (Euro Quals)

7 pm                                      Colombia vs Brazil (Copa Quals)

 7 pm Telemundo         Argentina vs Uruguay (Copa Quals)

8 pm TNT, Para+        US Men vs T&T  (Copa Qualifying)

9 pm Para+                         Costa Rica vs Panama

Fri, Nov 17

1 am FS2                              Euro Qualifiers Matchnight highlights show

4 am FS2                              U17 Boys WC Senegal vs Japan

7 am FS2                              U17 Boys WC England vs Brazil

2:45 pm FS1                        England vs Malta (Euro Quals)

2:45 pm fuboTV                Poland vs Czech Republic

7 pm Para+                         Jamaica vs Canada (Copa Qualifying)

9 ppm Para+, TUDN        Honduras vs Mexico (Copa Qualifying)

Sat, Nov 18  

4 am FS2                              Mexico  vs New Zealand U17 Boys WC

4 am FS2                              Germany vs Venezuela U17 Boys WC

7 am FS1, Tele                   USA Boys vs France (U17 WC)

9 am FS1                              Armenia vs Wales (Euro Quals)

12 noon FS2                        Latvia vs Croatia

2:45 pm FS2                        Netherlands vs Ireland

Sun, Nov 19

8 am FS1                              Euro Qualifiers Matchnight highlights show

9 am FS1                              Hungary vs Montenegro (Euro Quals)

12 noon FS1                        Belgium vs Azerbaijan (Euro Quals)

3 pm FS1                              Scotland vs Norway (Euro Quals)

Mon, Nov 20  

2:45 pm fuboTV                Ukraine vs Italy

2:45 pm ?                             North Macedonia vs England

7 pm TNT, Para+        US Men vs T&T  (Copa Qualifying)

9 pm Para+                         Panama vs Costa Rica

Tues, Nov 21  

2:45 pm FS2                        Wales vs Turkey (Euro Quals)

7:30 pm Para+                   Canada vs Jamaica (Copa Qualifying)

9:30 pm Para+, TUDN     Mexico vs Honduras (Copa Qualifying)

US Men

2023 CONCACAF Nations League Quarterfinal: Scouting Trinidad and Tobago Stars and Stripes By  Brendan Joseph

USMNT Faces T&T looking ahead – Doug McIntyre Fox

Dallas-Fort Worth area to host Concacaf Nations League Finals, Copa América playoff

US Boys  U17 World Cup

Berchimas! Charlotte FC youngster vaults US into U-17 World Cup knockouts 

USYNT analysis: U-23 roster announced, U.S U-17s strong start

U.S. U-17s advance, Berchimas scores again, USMNT prepare for T&T, RBNY & Fire make news

How to Watch the U17 World Cup on Fox

US Team U17

Qualifying Europa & South America

Euro 2024: How teams can qualify, playoff system, draw seeds Dale Johnson ESPN

Brazil’s next generation not expected to fill Neymar’s role
Argentina vs. Uruguay: How much will Lionel Messi play in World Cup qualifying match?

Why Brazil’s Endrick is the ‘special one’
Trent Alexander-Arnold sets sights on Euro 2024 midfield role for England
Gareth Southgate: A lot of players are taking snus – I do not see how it can be good for you
Euro 2024 qualifiers: George Saville will carry hurt of past disappointments as he captains NI
Hungary reach Euro 2024 and starlet Yamal scores again for Spain
Hungary qualifies for Euro 2024 with own-goal in stoppage time in match marred by violence
Georgia 2-2 Scotland: Analysis
Salah scores four, Lesotho shock Nigeria in World Cup qualifying
Stubborn Palestine hold Lebanon at bay in World Cup qualifier

US Women

U.S. Soccer puts money where its mouth is with splashy Hayes hire

Hayes secured, but U.S. must play nice with Chelsea

Emma Hayes hired as USWNT head coach

NWSL expansion teams Bay FC, Utah Royals make first signings

Rapinoes final time on the field a disappointment

MLS

Analysis: Seattle, Houston, and Columbus deserving Game 3 winners

Predictions in Semi-Finals

MLS Cup – Crew ride highs and lows into Conference Semi-Finals

How to Watch the MLS Semi-Finals

Reffing

Become a Licensed High School Ref

Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over 13

Arsenal’s Arteta charged by FA over ref rant s
FA to punish clubs over managers attacking referees after Mikel Arteta charged

Goalkeeping

Gothem Goalie Mandy Haught Sent off late in Champ Game

Naeher Broke NSWL Record with this save

Great Women Goalkeepers 2023

Distance on Goal Kicks Training 

PK Tips

USMNT PREPARES FOR TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

 

The United States will host Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday night in Austin. The game is more than just typical Nations League stuff because it does serve as qualification for the Copa America – which the U.S. team still needs to qualify despite hosting. It’s not a great opportunity to learn about players as Trinidad & Tobago are struggling. Rather, this is just about securing results and then regrouping in March for the Nations League semifinal round which will be held in Dallas. “November turns the page and now it’s about competing,” Gregg Berhalter said. “We want to win the Nations League again, this will set us up to do this. We want to play in the Copa America, this will set us up to do this… It’s easy for us to sit here on this side and say we want to change soccer in America forever, but the real meat of it is that we have to win games like this. We have to position ourselves to win trophies in the Nations League and to compete in the Copa America.”

The big question, of course, will be the wing players given that both Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah are out. Alejando Zendejas, Kevin Paredes, Brenden Aaronson, and his younger brother Paxten Aaronson are the most likely options. There are questions about each of these players. Zendejas hasn’t had a good first ear with the U.S. team but has been playing better for Club America. The elder Aaronson is stuck with a Union Berlin team where no one is playing well. Paxten Aaronson is still young and isn’t playing regularly. Kevin Paredes has only just recently become a starter for Wolfsburg.

“Obviously, I can agree that my Gold Cup wasn’t the best, but you’ve just gotta look at the next opportunity you have,” Zendejas said. “As they say in Mexico, ‘de menos a más’. I’m looking forward to taking advantage of this opportunity. To play with my teammates and let them know what I bring to the table.” The other big question is the fitness level of Gio Reyna and how many minutes he can play. With top wing options out, he could be a useful playmaker. Berhalter said on Wednesday that there was no restriction on minutes for Reyna and there is no preplanned substitution for him. The rest of the team is mostly known. With Tyler Adams out, Yunus Musah could slide deeper into the midfield behind Weston Mckennie and likely either Reyna or Luca de la Torre. Fullbacks Sergino Dest and Antonee Robinson should be able to push forward a lot and provide service to the forward, likely Folarin Balogun. If all goes according to plan, it should be an easy day for the centerbacks and Matt Turner in goal. “It was an interesting transition they have had,” Berhalter said of Trinidad & Tobago. “After the Gold Cup, they shed half their roster, basically, and said – ok, we’re starting over. You can see the hunger in this new group.”

“The feelings and connection I have for this team and for this country run deep. I’ve dreamed about coaching the USA for a long time so to get this opportunity is a dream come true. I know there is work to do to achieve our goals of winning consistently at the highest levels. To get there, it will require dedication, devotion and collaboration from the players, staff and everyone at the U.S. Soccer Federation.”

—Newest member of the U.S. Soccer Family, and Englander Abroad, Emma Hayes, on what it means to her to become USWNT head coach. For more on Hayes’ coaching journey and her thoughts on the U.S. program, watch Rog’s interview with her from 2022.

USMNT Gears Up to Face Trinidad AND Tobago:

Another international break upon us. Another chance for our boys to play two teams at once, as we prepare to face Trinidad AND Tobago in the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals on Thursday in Austin, Texas (9 p.m. EST, TNT) and on Monday in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (7 p.m. EST, TNT). A chance at a CNL threepeat on the line. And another chance to exorcise the ghosts of non-qualifying demons past.

As for the squad to face T&T, Gregg’s roster for this window is 95.8333% Americans Abroad (Miles Robinson being the only MLS player), which is quite incredible. Consider that the 25-player roster that fell to the Soca Warriors on Oct. 10, 2017 had 17 MLS players on it. Making it just 32% Americans Abroad. An astounding overhaul in the six years since.

While we come into this two-legged quarterfinal on the month-old heels of a 4-0 win over Ghana, we’re going to look a bit different from the side that scored at will against the Black Stars, as three starters from that match — Christian Pulisic (25; Hershey, PA), Tim Weah  (23; Rosedale, NY) and Johnny Cardoso  (22; Denville, NJ) — are all absent from this window. The attacking formation in particular will need an overhaul, as Puli and Weah are generally locked-in starters as our wingers.

So does Gregg stay rigid, and rely on a “system” here? Or does he craft a strategy based on the players he has available? Well …

PROGRAMMING ALERT: Just moments ago, Rog dropped a special Podcast with VAMOS host Herc Gomez previewing this pair of games. LISTEN HERE. The gents talk who will step up in Puli/Timo Weah’s absence and ID the players to watch on this Soca Warriors team. And Rog will Do it Live! after tomorrow night’s game. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch it all live, and have a chance to ask your question on the Podcast.

Sergino’s Attacking Dest-iny?

With Pulisic and Weah out, one wild idea would be to move PSV’s Sergino Dest  (23; Almere, NED) up to an attacking role on Thursday. Normally a right back for the USMNT, he filled in as an attacker on occasion with AC Milan last season, and has been an absolute handful for Dutch defenses this season. Need proof? Watch this mixtape from Sunday’s 4-0 thumping of Zwolle.

Gregg could even consider starting Dest’s club mate Malik Tillman  (21; Nürnberg, GER) in the front four as well. The Bayern loanee has been sweeter than a crate of Stroopwafels this season, with five goals and two assists in all comps for PSV. And playing them together would give the pair a chance to recreate this bit of Absolute Campine Wizard Filth from the weekend. Janet Jackson levels of Nasty. Dag levels of Nasty, even.

(Note: If Ricardo Pepi  gets on the pitch with Dest and Tillman, and the PSV trio combines for a goal, last one to shout “Holland Tunnel!” at the TV has to pound a beer. We don’t make the rules. But we do abide by them.)

USMNT ‘focused’ ahead of Nations League title defense

• Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff Writer Nov 15, 2023, 03:34 PM ET

After two windows of international friendlies, the United States men’s team shifts attention back to competitive matches this week to defend its Concacaf Nations League title and attempt to qualify for next year’s Copa America. “November turns the page and now it’s about competing,” coach Gregg Berhalter said Wednesday. “We want to win the Nations League again. This will set us up to do this. We want to play in the Copa America. This will set us up to do that. So the guys are focused.”

The U.S. hosts Trinidad and Tobago Thursday in Austin, Texas (9 p.m. ET, TNT), before the teams play again Monday in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The winner of the aggregate series qualifies for the 2024 Copa America in the U.S., while the loser will drop down and play a second home-and-away series against another Concacaf team to be determined to qualify for the 16-team tournament.All 10 CONMEBOL teams will participate, with the other six other teams coming from Concacaf. Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Timothy Weah (Juventus) and Tyler Adams (Bournemouth) will all be unavailable due to injury, with Adams the only of those three expected to be out long term. Monday’s return trip to Trinidad and Tobago will be the team’s first visit to the Caribbean nation since losing in 2017 to miss out on the 2018 World Cup. While the team has almost completely turned over since then, Berhalter said the defeat is “always still in our minds.” “Just like we can embrace the good stuff, we also have to embrace the bad stuff and it was a great learning moment for us collectively,” Berhalter said of the 2-1 loss in Couva that saw the Americans fail to make the finals in Russia. “The coaches involved, the players involved and, in my opinion, it’s not about ignoring that, it’s about embracing it and leaning into it.”And we talk about preparation in this camp, some of it stems from lessons learned in that camp as well.”

The U.S. has won all three matches against Trinidad and Tobago since 2017 by a combined score of 19-0, including a 6-0 win this summer in the Gold Cup, as Jesús Ferreira scored a first-half hat trick.Trinidad and Tobago qualified for this quarterfinal round of the Nations League after finishing second in its group behind Panama. The U.S., Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica all bypassed the prior round directly to the quarterfinals.Berhalter also addressed U.S. Soccer’s official announcement that it had hired Emma Hayes as the women’s national team coach, with a reported salary that will make her the highest-paid women’s coach in the world.”Everything you hear about her is how thorough she is, how process-oriented [she is], it’s how bright she is, how she’s so focused on team culture and teamwork,” Berhalter said. “And I think it’s an exciting step for the women’s team, which has already been a groundbreaking team and already been a team that has been — performance on the field, breaking down barriers off the field, you name it, they’ve done it.”

Emma Hayes deserves equal pay with Gregg Berhalter – this is why

By Nancy Froston Nov 15, 2023

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If you do not think that Emma Hayes deserves to be paid the same as Gregg Berhalter in their roles as the head coaches of the U.S. women’s and U.S. men’s national teams respectively, then this article probably will not change your mind. In fact, you may as well dive straight into the comments.

Writing this is actually quite tedious because it is, effectively, just stating the blindingly obvious. Hayes deserves to be the highest-paid coach in women’s football because she is one of the best in the business, taking on the biggest job at the most successful national team in the women’s game.

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Hayes was announced as USWNT coach on Tuesday after the news in early November that this would be her final season at Women’s Super League side Chelsea, where she has been manager for 11 years and has won 15 trophies. The line in the club’s statement that the 47-year-old would be leaving “to pursue a new opportunity outside of the WSL and club football” did not need much decoding to work out that she was bound for the U.S.Now official, the intriguing details of her pay — and the fact that it is commensurate with USMNT head coach Berhalter — reveal this to be a landmark moment in the sport.

Hayes and Berhalter are effectively doing the same job and so deserve similar pay, with the added context being the fact that Hayes will manage a far more successful team. She has higher status within the women’s game than Berhalter has within the men’s and, as such, equal pay becomes difficult for even staunch opponents to argue against.

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It is a move that matters in the same way that the men’s and women’s players achieving equal pay to represent their country does — it is symbolic but reflective of one national team being four World Cup wins better than their male counterparts.But do not expect this to mean there will always be equal pay between the two positions. It would be naive to think that the same terms would apply if Berhalter left in a year’s time and the U.S. Soccer Federation, in purely hypothetical terms, managed to hire Pep Guardiola for the USMNT position. In that case, Guardiola’s market value would be such that his salary would, by necessity, be higher than Hayes’.

These are specific and unique circumstances based on the status of Hayes and Berhalter and their two national teams, which is why there has been a salary jump for the USWNT role since Vlatko Andonovski was in post.National team football is not like club football, either, so it would be optimistic to expect to see equal pay between managers or players sweeping through the game from now on. And broadly speaking, that is OK, given the disparity in finances between men’s and women’s football.There is also a recognition that the USWNT remains something of an outlier within the sport.

“The U.S. are in a special situation because the women’s team have been much more successful than the men’s team,” Lise Klaveness, the president of the Norway Football Association, told The Athletic. “They have been more successful commercially, and also filled the stadiums. And so they have to pay their way. The rest of us, like Norway, we haven’t qualified with the men’s team. So we don’t have that money. Very few countries can, in the way the U.S. have done it. It’s very unusual.”Klaveness believes the terms offered to Hayes are “very important and timely”, but is also conscious that some of the repercussions may not be helpful.“The problem for other federations would be the inflation,” she said. “Because what about the assistant coach, for example? It will push some of the rest of us to lift, maybe, to the same or escalate. It has to be some of the big, big flagships doing it, because they have the investments to do it.”In the meantime, what players and managers would most often like when it comes to equality is fair access to resources, facilities and the bonuses or pay they were promised.It is why the Jamaica women’s national team did not report for their Gold Cup qualifiers against Panama and Guatemala last month despite reaching the World Cup round of 16 against the odds after crowdfunding their way to the tournament in Australia and New Zealand. They did so because they were waiting for their bonuses from the tournament, as well as clarity about the coaching staff, medical staff and more.

As always in women’s football, the situation is more complex than a simple headline about equal pay would have you believe. No two managers, no two clubs and no two national federations are the same and so, as she has been many times before in her career, Hayes is an outlier.She deserves equal pay, as do women in millions of jobs around the world, but all too often sport has a different standard that requires us to excel just to be considered equal. One day, the gap will close in all roles on the men’s and women’s sides of the game but, for now, Hayes’ appointment is the next baby-step towards that future.Nancy Froston is a n EFL Correspondent for The Athletic who covers the EFL. She previously reported on Sheffield Wednesday for the city’s newspaper, The Star, and is a keen follower of women’s football. Follow Nancy on Twitter @nancyfroston

Brenden and Paxten Aaronson celebrate being on the USMNT together for the first time

The Medford-born brothers and Union alumni have waited a long time to be on the same soccer team. Now, they’re teammates on the United States’ biggest team of all.

AUSTIN, Texas — It’s far enough here from Medford, N.J., where Brenden and Paxten Aaronson grew up; and from Berlin and Frankfurt, Germany, the cities they currently call home.But in the soccer world, you take moments whenever — and wherever — they come. So here they were, a long way from a lot of places but sharing the same table at their first U.S. men’s soccer team camp together.As soccer’s growth in Philadelphia hits even more milestones, put this down as one of them — and know they feel it as much as everyone back home who’s cheered them on.Because both brothers are in Germany now, they see each other often enough instead of only being able to talk via video chat. They got to play against each other for the first time earlier this month when Brenden’s Union Berlin hosted Paxten’s Eintracht Frankfurt, both second-half substitutes in Frankfurt’s 3-0 win.

» READ MORE: Brothers Brenden and Paxten Aaronson called up by USMNT together for first time

They’ve played against each other often, in fact, going back to their childhood clattering around the family home’s basement. But they’ve rarely gotten to play with each other. Though both players grew up in the Union’s ranks and played for the club in MLS, now-23-year-old Brenden moved on to Europe just before 20-year-old Paxten reached the first team.“The first thing that comes to mind is that it’s really cool, it’s amazing — but it’s also sometimes weird really seeing him,” Brenden said, with Paxten across that table and this reporter at the end.“We trained together in Philly,” he continued, “but now it’s the first time, really, that we’ve been training at the national team [level], and that’s the highest thing.”A moment later, Paxten amended the record on the old days: “We trained together for, like, a week.”

Growing into the big time

They’ve so rarely been teammates that Paxten noticed when he and Brenden were on the same side in an intrasquad scrimmage session Tuesday morning.“I played him through three times,” he said. “Like he said, it’s just weird when I am driving at the back line and I see him on the left, trying to slip him through.”

» READ MORE: Brenden Aaronson talks about life at Union Berlin

It’s also worth reflecting on one notable way where their paths differed. When Brenden turned pro with the Union in 2018, he backed out of a college commitment to the University of Indiana to do it. Everyone knew at the time it was the right move, but it still was a choice.By the time Paxten turned pro two summers later, there was no question about college. He went straight up from the Union’s academy, no questions asked.“I think the Union were just ahead of [their] time,” Brenden said. “Now you’re seeing the whole country kind of catching up to the Union and the academy and the way it works. Now you’re seeing so many young players playing in MLS and seeing the thing that I did, that they’re trying to push to go to Europe. And some guys are staying here and making a big name here.”It would be another sight if they share the field during the United States’ Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series against Trinidad and Tobago. It starts Thursday at Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium (9 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62, Universo, Max, Peacock), then finishes Monday with the Soca Warriors’ home game (7 p.m., TNT, Universo, Max, Peacock).But this is a business trip, since the series doubles as qualifying for next summer’s big Copa América tournament that the U.S. is guest-hosting. So results come first, then style.

» READ MORE: Brenden Aaronson on playing against Paxten in Germany

Olympics coming, too

Brenden could have a big role in the series since star wingers Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah are out injured. His ability to play on either wing or centrally means he’s a natural pick to fill in for one of the absentees.Paxten’s role might not be big because he’s down the depth chart. His ticket for next summer is likely to be the Olympics with the under-23 squad, a group that could include former Union teammates Jack McGlynn and Nathan Harriel.He admitted he was “a little bit surprised” to be called up to the big squad, but he’s going to try to make the most of it before going back to the under-23s.“Hopefully, I can make the Olympic team at the end of the day,” Paxten said. “I think it’d be really cool to go to the Olympics.”The rest of the U.S. team knows how special this moment is, as the Aaronsons are just the ninth set of brothers to play for the senior U.S. men’s team. Veteran centerback Chris Richards relayed that striker Folarin Balogun didn’t know they were related, which led to a polite roasting.“He just thought they had the same last name,” Richards said. “I was like, ‘Bro, they look exactly the same, sound the same, play the exact same.’”

» READ MORE: Jack McGlynn has hit the heights he and the Union hoped for, and now can rise even higher

To a veteran eye, they don’t look exactly the same anymore. (For one thing, Brenden got a haircut recently.) But Richards, an Alabama native, certainly got the rest right.

Planning a homecoming

The brothers haven’t been back to Medford since last summer, though their wait will end next month when the Bundesliga takes its winter break. They’ve seen their family some along the way, including father Rusty last month when he watched Brenden play for the senior U.S. men vs. Germany in Connecticut, then flew to Arizona watch Paxten play for the under-23s vs. Japan. It’s a family business now, literally and figuratively. Rusty runs soccer facilities in and around Medford, and his youngest child, daughter Jaden, is a junior at Shawnee High who has orally committed to Villanova. Rusty and his wife, Janell, will be in the stands at Thursday’s game, along with Brenden and Paxten’s girlfriends. Jaden, unfortunately, has to miss out for school.

» READ MORE: Brenden Aaronson’s girlfriend, Milana D’Ambra, is Kixx legend Don D’Ambra’s daughter and a former player at Temple

WHAT IS IN THE AARONSON BLOOD??!!

Incredible goal, Jaden!!! https://t.co/chq89EPLS2— X – Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) October 6, 2022

The brothers know they play not just for themselves and their family, but for the city they call theirs — and that has embraced them in turn. They’ll be back home soon enough, and not just to visit the Shore and bang the Union’s pregame drum at Subaru Park. Someday, they’ll get the biggest homecoming of all, a U.S. game at Lincoln Financial Field. “I think it’s really unique, especially when I was back in the summer and I got to go to the Union game, just seeing all the fans embrace [his return] and just seeing how cool it is that they still follow the journey,” Paxten said of his turn on the drum this past June. Brenden’s turn came the June before. (The Union’s record in those games: 2-0.) “I think humbling is the first thing that comes to mind for the both of us,” Paxten added. “Just being two kids that grew up in New Jersey, but had the opportunity to go play for Philadelphia in the academy, and just worked our way up through everything — through Bethlehem Steel [the Union’s former reserve team], through Union II, then through the first team. The club and the city kind of guided us and helped us with everything.”

USMNT Player Tracker: Dest irrepressible, solid Trusty and Reynolds eyes Olympics

By Greg O’KeeffeNov 13, 2023

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From the supremely confident revival of Sergino Dest and Weston McKennie’s glowing report card to another unbeaten weekend for Auston Trusty — welcome to this week’s instalment of the USMNT Player Tracker.Each week, we will be bringing you updates on the United States players plying their trade in various leagues around Europe. With the Copa America next year, and a World Cup on home soil on the horizon, we’re keeping tabs on how they perform every weekend.

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Issue of the weekend

The maelstrom of rumour that perpetually rages around Barcelona produced a curious one back in August. The Catalan club, so the gossip went, were considering terminating Dest’s contract.The suggestion was that, with their complex financial headache still throbbing, Barcelona felt that removing the full-back’s wages off their books made sense after his failure to impress on loan in AC Milan last term.Taking a step back, that rumour always felt dubious. Would they have entertained bids for him? Probably. But even a dearth of clubs willing to put money on the table for a permanent move was not realistically enough for Barcelona to stomach paying off the final year of his contract while taking a hit on a chunk of the £18million ($22m) they paid to sign him from Ajax in 2020.Even if Xavi just did not spy enough growth in a player who managed 14 appearances in all competitions for the Rossoneri, releasing him from his contract did not make much sense.he solution was to find another loan that could revive the 23-year-old’s fortunes and inflate his value. Fast forward a few months and the plan looks like it is coming together nicely.Also progressing nicely is the renewed belief, form and experience of a player to whom Gregg Berhalter can look as an important mainstay in his young, attacking team.Before getting too carried away, even the player’s biggest supporters can acknowledge that his supercharged loan at PSV Eindhoven comes in a league ranked two places below Italy’s Serie A in UEFA’s rankingsBut there is no denying the quality of his play for a team who have won all 12 of their Eredivisie games this term and sit comfortably top of the table.In their latest victory, the 4-0 win against PEC Zwolle on Sunday, Dest ran riot causing the opposition constant problems with his pace, energy and invention from left-back — he has started there in the league more than his traditional right-back berth.The highlight, especially for a player who idolised Brazil playmaker Ronaldinho as a child, was a deft no-look pass to set up USMNT team-mate Malik Tillman’s goal.His 100 per cent successful dribble rate (three out of three) stood out and defensively, Dest was on point: he won 86 per cent of his ground duels.Manager Peter Bosz was impressed. “He has extraordinary qualities when he has the ball,” he said. “Just look at the no-look assist. He is a versatile player who can occupy both the full-back spots. We help him improve as a defender.”

Dest is thriving on loan at PSV (NESimages/Raymond Smit/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

It might be easier to shine in an all-conquering team than in the pressure of San Siro, but Dest’s consistency and flexibility can only be positives for club(s) and country. To top it all off, PSV’s chances of progressing from the Champions League group stages remain decent.Dest has started each of those European games, including last week’s 1-0 win against Lens, notching more top-level experience along the way and restoring his self-belief after that difficult season on the fringes.

Player of the weekend

Hot on the heels of helping Sheffield United to their first win of the season, Auston Trusty ensured the green shoots of recovery underwent another growth spurt with a commendable point at Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.The 25-year-old defender dealt with most of what the hosts’ formidable attack could throw at him and his team-mates in the 1-1 draw.Trusty had to face Barcelona prodigy Ansu Fati, Karou Mitoma and the pace and energy of Joao Pedro, but managed to contain Brighton — in truth, partly down to their own wastefulness and a red card for the hosts’ midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud.

Trusty has played a part in Sheffield United’s mini revival (David Horton – CameraSport via Getty Images)

His defensive stats were solid — he won both of his two tackles, made four ball recoveries and won three of four aerial duels — and on the ball, he linked up smoothly with left wing-back Luke Thomas.

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With fellow strugglers Bournemouth and Burnley next up for Sheffield United, dependable Trusty could help his side move away from the relegation zone if they can maintain their newfound resilience.

Quote of the weekend

“Wes is having a good season,” said Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri after yet another impressive performance from McKennie for the Serie A giants as they maintained the pressure on league leaders Inter Milan with a 2-1 home win over Caligari on Sunday. “He is maturing, too, after the experience on loan (at Leeds).

“He has physical strength that helps cover for a few technical errors, but when running into space, he can be devastating. I told him at the start of the season that this was a very important year for him. He would be a wing-back and so he had to run back and forth. He put himself at our disposal.”

McKennie has learned from a difficult stint at Elland Road (Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images)

There is undoubtedly more to McKennie’s tactical remit this term than running back and forth, but the dynamo certainly does a lot of that in his selfless performances.

The manager’s honesty over areas where McKennie can improve technically bodes well, too. After the disappointment of his Premier League spell with Leeds last term, he is learning fast at a high level under an exacting coach.

Graphic of the weekend

On Monday morning, U.S. Soccer announced the roster for its November pre-Olympics training camp. The under-23s squad comprises 20 players, eight of whom are with European clubs. A few of that octet have already appeared for the senior national team, including right-back Bryan Reynolds.

Nearly three years have passed since Reynolds left boyhood club FC Dallas to join Roma. He made just six Serie A appearances for the club, however, and instead spent 18 months loaned out to Belgium, first at Kortrijk and then Westerlo, whom he joined for £3m over the summer.

He was a regular starter as Westerlo finished seventh, their first campaign back in the top flight since 2017, and this year, his form indicates a wide defender who is doing more to progress play down the flank. He notched his second assist of the league campaign last Friday, supplying Westerlo’s first goal in a hard-fought 3-3 draw against Sint-Truiden.

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The uptick in progressive passes and progressive receptions (balls that travel at least 10 yards closer to the opponent’s goal) is indicative of a shift from playing as a full-back to more of a wing-back role, taking greater initiative in build-up play and working to get the ball closer to the goal when dribbling.

He isn’t limited to crossing, either, as he has nearly doubled his box entries with the ball at his feet. With seven senior caps to his name already, he would be among the headliners if he’s part of the final Olympic roster.

The other squad members playing abroad are defenders Jonathan Tomkinson (Bradford City, on loan from Norwich City) and Maximilian Dietz (Greuther Furth); midfielders Gianluca Busio and Tanner Tessmann (both Venezia); and forwards Agustin Anello (Sparta Rotterdam), Taylor Booth (Utrecht) and Johan Gomez (Eintracht Braunschweig).

Jeff Rueter

How did other U.S. players get on?

Name: Joe Scally
Club: Borussia Monchengladbach
Position: Centre-back
League appearances: 11
Goals: One

There was an exceptional performance from Scally as his side bagged an emphatic 4-0 win against Wolfsburg on Friday.

He contributed an assist for Alassane Plea to score the hosts’ fourth of the day, made four passes into the final third from defence and put in a near-flawless defensive shift with six ball recoveries and seven successful duels.

Scally competes for possession with Wolfsburg’s Jakub Kaminski (Ulrich Hufnagel/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Name: Giovanni Reyna
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Midfielder
League appearances: Four

Another week without a start, but there were 30 minutes in the bank for Reyna in Dortmund’s 2-1 defeat away at Stuttgart at the weekend.

It was a difficult afternoon for the visitors, but Reyna did not lack application or spirit with three passes into the final third and three ball recoveries as he tried to make his mark.

Name: Brenden Aaronson
Club: Union Berlin
Position: Midfield
League appearances: Eight

A tough game on the road for Aaronson as Union were beaten comprehensively 4-0 at Bayer Leverkusen.

His side only had 31 per cent possession and it tells in the individual numbers. In his 26 minutes from the bench, the USMNT player managed just 11 touches and six passes (which were, at least, all accurate).

What’s coming up?

Scally and Jordan Pefok are back out for Gladbach on November 25, after the international window, in a big game against Reyna’s Dortmund (9:30am ET, ESPN+).

Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic could return for Milan alongside Yunus Musah as they face Fiorentina on that same Saturday (2:45pm ET, Paramount+).

The following day, McKennie and, if he recovers from a hamstring problem, Timothy Weah will try to help Juventus topple Inter and take top spot in Serie A’s game of the weekend (2:45pm ET, Paramount+). (Top photos: Getty Images)

Emma Hayes’ hiring by the USWNT is official, as is how much she wanted the job

Jonathan Tannenwald

I’m the Inquirer’s soccer reporter, covering the Union, MLS, the NWSL, the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams, and Philadelphia’s place in the world’s game. I also pitch in with coverage of college basketball and the WNBA.

“The feelings and connection I have for this team and for this country run deep,” said the England native who made her coaching name in the United States in the 2000s.

The U.S. women’s soccer team’s hiring of Emma Hayes as its next manager became official on Tuesday, and while not every factor in the move is settled yet, one big one is.For the last few months, there was much behind-the-scenes chatter that Hayes wanted to return to the country where she made her coaching name. Now she has said it aloud and with gusto.“This is a huge honor to be given the opportunity to coach the most incredible team in world football history,” Hayes said in remarks to the U.S. Soccer Federation’s website. “No one ever knows what the right time is in life for anything, but it’s the feeling I have for this team and for a country that I have a great connection with and a history with. I’ve dreamed about doing this job from my days as a coach in my early [20s].”And she added for emphasis: “You can’t turn the U.S. women’s national team down.”Her connection with this country indeed is that deep. Hayes moved from her native England to the United States in 2001 to begin her coaching career with the amateur Long Island Lady Riders from 2001 to 2003. She then took over the Iona College women’s program from 2003 to 2006.After a two-year return to England to serve as an Arsenal assistant, Hayes crossed the pond again to become the manager of the Chicago Red Stars in Women’s Professional Soccer, which preceded the National Women’s Soccer League. In 1½ seasons there, her players included Carli Lloyd, Kate Markgraf, a rookie Megan Rapinoe, Brazil’s Formiga, and Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani.

» READ MORE: Why the USWNT hiring Emma Hayes is good news.

Following her exit in Chicago, Hayes did consulting work for the former Western New York Flash and Washington Freedom, then got the Chelsea job in 2012. She has held it ever since. But she has remained connected to the American scene, regularly visiting these shores for games and the annual United Soccer Coaches convention.“I’ve got so many fond memories of turning up in Long Island with a backpack and a thousand dollars and working for clubs across the whole of Long Island and Westchester and New York City,” Hayes said.Now age 47, Hayes also has brought three marquee American players to Chelsea over the years: Crystal Dunn in 2017 and Mia Fishel and Catarina Macario this year.

» READ MORE: The USWNT’s long era of success is over, but a new one could be on the horizon

An open secret

It’s worth looking back to the moment a few months ago when word started going around that Hayes wanted the job — though not until she’d won the Champions League with Chelsea. The grandest prize in European club soccer is the only major title she hasn’t yet brought to the blue quarter of London.When Vlatko Andonovski departed after the U.S. crashed out of the World Cup in August, Hayes was in Australia as a studio analyst for England’s ITV. A few days before the final, she was a speaker at FIFA’s Women’s Football Convention. After her session, she met with a pack of English and American reporters — and an elephant in the room.“I suspected that question would come up,” Hayes said. “I’m very happy here at Chelsea, I’ve made that clear. I’ve been there for 11 years; it’s my home. I think the U.S. has wonderful players and perhaps the tournament didn’t go the way they wanted, but my focus is on getting home and preparing Chelsea for the start of the season.”It didn’t feel like a flat-out “no” at the time, and it feels like even less of one now.Still, there was genuine belief that she’d stay at Chelsea. So it was surprising when the club announced earlier this month that she’d leave after the season.It took barely an hour to connect the dots.“Her passion for the game, her coaching acumen, her ability to galvanize players and staff, her dedication to continue to evolve as a coach and her qualities as a person are all incredibly impressive,” U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said Tuesday in a statement. “She has a great appreciation for the legacy of this program and embraces the big challenges ahead.”Hayes praised Crocker in turn for the rigor of his work.“It was an extraordinary interview process that made me really think hard about who I am, what my teams are about, and the importance of the things that really, really matter if you’re going to compete at the highest level,” Hayes said. “Most importantly, it showed how serious the U.S. [is] in getting things right both on and off the pitch so that the team can compete on all fronts for every trophy.”

» READ MORE: The USWNT’s salvation lies in youth development. Will the status quo stop it?

Equal pay with Berhalter could happen

It helped that Crocker had U.S. Soccer’s backing to go to a place it and much of the sport have never gone to before. Hayes “will become the highest-paid women’s soccer coach in the world,” the announcement said, and that could mean pay equity with U.S. men’s manager Gregg Berhalter.A source with knowledge of the matter told The Inquirer earlier this month that plans are in the works to make that happen, though it’s not known exactly what the number will be. And it won’t be known for a while because the salaries are only disclosed retroactively in U.S. Soccer’s annual tax documents. (They become public because U.S. Soccer is a nonprofit entity.)

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It also matters that Hayes isn’t going to take the job full time until May. Current interim manager Twila Kilgore will continue in that role until then, a span that includes a two-game friendly series against China next month, the Concacaf women’s Gold Cup in February and March, and another friendly window in April.Hayes will have four games on the bench before the U.S. heads to Paris for next summer’s Olympics, two games in June and two games in July. The Athletic reported that Hayes will not work with the Americans in the interim national team windows.“This is a unique situation, but the team is in safe hands with Twila,” Crocker said. “Her stewardship will be crucial during this period as we are focused on success at the Olympics. Emma has endorsed Twila, she will be a key part of Emma’s staff when she arrives and moving forward, and we are excited for what’s to come with our USWNT program.”The U.S. women’s team isn’t used to waiting for a manager it wants. Nor is it used to playing second fiddle to anyone, whether another national team or a club.But it believes the wait will be worth it for someone whose coaching resumé is as good as it gets: five English women’s Super League titles, five FA Cups, and reaching the 2021 Champions League final amid three semifinals. Hayes also won FIFA’s best women’s coach of the year award in 2021.Now to see if the personal touch of her past American experience will be the final puzzle piece.“I understand how important this team is to the people and culture of the United States, not just the soccer community,” Hayes said. “I fully understand the place this team has in U.S. society. I’ve lived it.”

Copa America 2024: Everything we (don’t) know

Max Mathews and Ed Mackey Nov 16, 2023

As of Monday, November 20, it will be exactly seven months — 213 days — until the 2024 Copa America.Next summer’s tournament is the latest iteration of the quadrennial competition that usually sees the likes of Brazil and Argentina go head-to-head in South America for a prestigious trophy, while displaying the continent’s richness and depth of talent.This time around, things are slightly different, and the build-up has been marred by so many basic questions remaining unanswered: What stadiums will host matches? How much will tickets cost for fans? And why the delay?The Athletic is on hand to explain what we know and what we don’t ahead of next year.

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When will the tournament be?

The only dates to have been announced are those of the first game and the final.The 2024 Copa America kicks off with the opening match on Thursday, June 20 and it concludes 25 days later on Sunday, July 14.Other than that? It’s a mystery for now.

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Which country is hosting it?

Perhaps surprisingly, the United States is the host country, despite the tournament typically being made up of South American sides and hosted on the continent.The USMNT, however, are one of six teams from CONCACAF (the governing body for Central American, North American and Caribbean football) who can qualify for the 16-team tournament via the 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League. Despite being hosts, they do not qualify automatically, unlike they did at the U.S.-hosted Copa America Centenario — a special edition in 2016 that marked 100 years of the tournament. That was also the first and only previous time a non-South American country hosted the tournament.The other 10 sides will be the 10 represented by CONMEBOL (South American football’s governing body). They are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela.*Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana are in South America but are affiliated with CONCACAF.

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Why is the U.S. hosting a tournament for South American teams?

From 1916 to 1975, the Copa America was known as the Campeonato Sudamericano de Futbol (South American Football Championship) and is a tournament organised by CONMEBOL.Why can North America’s most populous country host and play in that tournament, I hear you ask. And it’s a valid question. The answer is best broken down into a few parts.Despite one of CONMEBOL’s member federations, Argentina, being World Cup holders, off-field governance in South America has caused problems. A myriad of political issues across the continent makes it a challenge to select a suitable host.

South America has the world champions, but competent Copa America hosts are not forthcoming (Photo: ANP via Getty Images)

The Copa America has been rotated across its 10 member federations since 1984 and it was identified that next year’s tournament would be in Ecuador. But, last November, they declined the option.The U.S. and Peru were the two nations to express interest in replacing them and, in January, CONMEBOL announced that the U.S. would host it as part of the freshly signed strategic collaboration between them and CONCACAF.The ability to host a major tournament at short notice and the responsibilities of co-hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico were key considerations. Fortunately, the U.S. is starting from a stronger base than most other countries as they have known for five years that they will be co-hosting the 2026 World Cup and have an array of large-capacity stadiums to choose from.

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Has the U.S. competed in the tournament before?

Yes, they have experience of playing in, and hosting, Copa America.They have competed in four editions: 1993, 1995, 2007 and 2016, hosting the latter and finishing fourth.The involvement of guest countries has been a common theme of the last 30 years, with only 10 member nations making up CONMEBOL. Mexico has been invited to participate the most, with 10 Copa America appearances under their belts, then Costa Rica (5), the U.S. (4), Jamaica and Japan (twice each), then Honduras, Haiti, Panama and Qatar (all once each).

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In which cities will matches be played?

Who knows? The host cities and venues have not been announced despite the above dates being publicly confirmed more than three months ago. At the time, CONCACAF president and FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani outlined plans for more information, including host cities, to be announced this fall. Technically, it’s not winter until December 21, but time is ticking.That said, there is likely to be significant crossover with the stadiums being used for the 2026 World Cup.The 11 U.S. venues announced for that are:

• AT&T Stadium (Dallas)
• MetLife Stadium (New York/New Jersey)
• Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City)
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
• NRG Stadium (Houston)
• Levi’s Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area)
• SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles)
• Gillette Stadium (Boston)
• Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
• Lumen Field (Seattle)
• Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)

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How will the tournament work?

All we have at the moment are broad brushstrokes rather than specifics. The 16 teams will be split into four groups of four, with one team from each of the four pots in each group.The top two sides in each group will then progress to the knockout stages, starting with the quarter-finals.

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When are we going to find out more?

That is the million-dollar question as fans wanting to go to matches and sort their travel arrangements lose patience.The group-stage draw is currently set to happen at the James L. Knight Center in Miami on Thursday, December 7, at 7.30pm ET/4.30pm PT/12.30am GMT in the early hours of Friday morning for those in the UK.Teams will be seeded according to the FIFA rankings as of November/December 2023.

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How does qualification work?

The six CONCACAF teams will have to earn their place.The 2023-24 CONCACAF Nations League has reached the quarter-final stage with two teams left to be confirmed.Due to their ranking positions, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico and the U.S. were given byes to the last eight where they have been joined by Jamaica, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.The four quarter-final winners will secure qualification to Copa America. The four losing teams will drop into a play-in round which will follow the knockout format. The winners of the two play-off ties will qualify for Copa America.

The quarter-finals are:

• Costa Rica vs Panama (first leg Nov. 16, second leg Nov. 20)
• Jamaica vs Canada (first leg Nov. 17, second leg Nov. 21)
• United States vs Trinidad and Tobago (first leg Nov. 16, second leg Nov. 20)
• Honduras vs Mexico (first leg Nov. 17, second leg Nov. 21)

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So why the delay?

It’s a good question without a clear answer. The World Cup may be diverting attention, but that tournament is two and a half years away, so planning is surely not yet in the urgent stages or requiring a huge amount of resources or attention at the moment.The fact the footballing infrastructure is already in place also means it is puzzling why things have taken so long so far.

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What about the women’s competition?

There will be a new tournament, called the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, the inaugural 2024 version played from February 20-March 10 next year.12 teams will contest the competition, with eight from CONCACAF and the top four from CONMEBOL invited to join them. Again, the United States will host it. The two CONCACAF teams who will compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris (USWNT and Canada or Jamaica) qualify for the W Gold Cup, with the other six CONCACAF teams decided via the 2023 Road to CONCACAF W Gold Cup.And the four guest CONMEBOL teams have already been chosen according to the 2022 Women’s Copa America results: champions Brazil, runner-up Colombia, plus Argentina and Paraguay, who finished third and fourth respectively.

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Anything else?

Yes. The winners of the men’s Copa America tournament will face the winners of the 2024 European Championship in the 2025 CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions.Intriguingly, it has also been reported that the two federations are organising a ‘final four’-type tournament with two clubs from each federation, qualifying via existing CONCACAF and CONMEBOL competitions.That could see sides like Inter Miami, Los Angeles FC, Boca Juniors and Palmeiras facing off for the (unofficial) title ‘King of the Americas’.The first such competition could be played in 2024, though probably in the latter stages of the calendar year.

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Who are the most recent winners of the Copa America?

Argentina are the reigning Copa America champions – having won the tournament in 2021 before then going on to World Cup glory in Qatar at the 2022 World Cup.Led by Lionel Messi, they beat Brazil 1-0 in the Copa America final thanks to a brilliant goal from Angel Di Maria, ending their 28-year wait for a major trophy.As a result of winning Copa America, they faced European champions Italy in the 2022 Finalissima at Wembley and won 3-0; Lautaro Martinez, Di Maria and Paulo Dybala were the scorers.

Here are the teams that have won Copa America most:

• Argentina – 15 (1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021)
• Uruguay – 15 (1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1956, 1959, 1967, 1983, 1987, 1995, 2011)
• Brazil – 9 (1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2019)
• Paraguay – 2 (1953, 1979)
• Chile – 2 (2015, 2016)
• Peru – 2 (1939, 1975)
• Bolivia – 1 (1963)
• Colombia – 1 (2001)

(Top photo: Gustavo Ortiz/Jam Media/Getty Images)

Next up: Conference Semifinals in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Round One Best-of-3 series winners have their matchup locked in – Eastern Conference Semifinals are played on Saturday, Nov. 25, while Western Conference Semifinals are played on Sunday, Nov. 26. When matches resume following the FIFA international break, single-elimination returns and there’s extra-time/PKs (if needed). The four winners reach the Conference Finals on Dec. 2-3, building towards MLS Cup presented by Audi on Dec. 9. As always, matches can be viewed via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

• Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs bracket
• Playoffs 101: What should you know?
• MLS Cup 2023 hosting scenarios

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Orlando City SC (2) vs. Columbus Crew (3)

• When: Saturday, Nov. 25 | 5:30 pm ET
• Watch: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass
• Where: Exploria Stadium | Orlando, Florida

Orlando completed a Round One sweep of Nashville SC (No. 7), as goals from Wilder Cartagena and Iván Angulo powered two separate 1-0 victories and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese posted back-to-back shutouts. The Lions also made the Conference Semifinals in 2020, starting their rise under head coach Óscar Pareja.

Columbus outlasted Atlanta in their Round One series, cruising to a 4-2 home victory in Match 3. With Diego Rossi and Cucho Hernández the focal points, the Crew boast a high-flying attack in their first year under head coach Wilfried Nancy. They do have backline vulnerabilities, though.

FC Cincinnati (1) vs. Philadelphia Union (4)

• When: Saturday, Nov. 25 | 8 pm ET
• Watch: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass
• Where: TQL Stadium | Cincinnati, Ohio

FC Cincinnati, after sweeping New York Red Bulls (No. 8) in Round One, are three games away from becoming the league’s ninth Supporters’ Shield-MLS Cup double-winning team. Luciano Acosta, the 2023 Landon Donovan MLS MVP frontrunner, has 1g/2a in the postseason, but Cincy will be without center back Matt Miazga due to yellow-card accumulation.

Philadelphia needed only two games to surpass the New England Revolution (No. 5) in Round One, closing out Match 2 on the road despite missing defenders Kai Wagner (suspension) and Jakob Glesnes (injury), as well as striker Julián Carranza (injury). In 2022, the Union won this Conference Semifinal matchup at Subaru Park en route to making the MLS Cup final.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Houston Dynamo FC (4) vs. Sporting Kansas City (8)

• When: Sunday, Nov. 26 | 7 pm ET
• Watch: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass | FS1, FOX Deportes | TSN, RDS
• Where: Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas

Houston, after lifting the US Open Cup in late September, dream of adding a second trophy during head coach Ben Olsen’s first year at the helm. They squeaked past Real Salt Lake (No. 5) in Match 3, turning to fullback Griffin Dorsey and goalkeeper Steve Clark as their PK heroes. Star midfielder Héctor Herrera has 1g/1a in the playoffs.

Sporting KC swept St. Louis CITY SC (No. 1) in Round One, upsetting their Midwest rival and ending a dream expansion season. Peter Vermes’ group, led by striker Alan Pulido, has been the West’s best team since May. But their depth will be tested after left back Logan Ndenbe tore his ACL in Match 2.

Seattle Sounders FC (2) vs. LAFC (3)

• When: Sunday, Nov. 26 | 9:30 pm ET
• Watch: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass
• Where: Lumen Field | Seattle, Washington

Seattle were pushed to Match 3 by FC Dallas (No. 7), yet won their Round One series thanks to Albert Rusnák‘s first-half goal. Veteran goalkeeper Stefan Frei has posted two shutouts this postseason, and the Rave Green’s veteran know-how has shined even as Nicolás Lodeiro and Raúl Ruidíaz shift to super-sub roles.

LAFC swept Vancouver Whitecaps FC (No. 6) in Round One, largely thanks to Dénis Bouanga‘s red-hot form. The Golden Boot presented by Audi winner, who had 20g/7a in the regular season, tallied three times to help the Black & Gold inch closer towards possibly being the first MLS Cup repeat winner since the 2011-12 LA Galaxy.

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NWSL Playoff Finals –  Sat night 8 pm CBS – Rapinoe last game  Seattle OL Reign vs NY Gothem

Retiring legends Megan Rapinoe will face off against Ali Krieger in the finals of the NWSL at Snap Dragon Stadium in San Diego as a national audience watches OL Reign (Seattle) face NY/NJ Gothem.  Both teams were founding members of the NWSL but neither has ever won a title – so one of these teams will bring home their first hardware.  Coverage start at 7 pm with a 8 pm kickoff on CBS. Retiring legends Megan Rapinoe will face off against Ali Krieger in the finals of the NWSL at Snap Dragon Stadium in San Diego as a national audience watches OL Reign (Seattle) face NY/NJ Gothem.  Both teams were founding members of the NWSL but neither has ever won a title – so one of these teams will bring home their first hardware. Also huge news that the NWSL has signed a record breaking deal with CBS/Paramount+, ESPN/ABC & Prime Video & Ion Network giving them oh double the coverage that MLS got.  The important thing here is unlike the MLS which is out of sight and out of mind – (with Messi out of the playoffs) – the NWSL was smart enough to get their games on Network TV and streaming.  Combine that with the huge signing of New US Women’s coach Emma Hayes from Chelsea (the most successful women’s coach in the game) who reportedly will make what Berhalter makes – about $1.5 million a year  – and women’s soccer is really trending in 2023. (lots of stories below)

US Men Face Copa America Qualifiers vs T&T w/o Pulisic & Weah next week

The US men will go into their Nations League battles next Thurs & Sun w/o Pulisic and Weah as the US team was announced today.  Still plenty of firepower for the US as forward Balogun and the Aasronson brothers take centerstage with 2 key wingers missing.  Still T&T is terrible and anyting short of a 3-0 and maybe 2-1 result on the road would be disappointing.  Again the US must win to qualify for both the next round of Nations League and the ever important Copa America which the US host’s this summer.   

 United States Men’s roster (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 9/0), Gaga Slonina (KAS Eupen; 1/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 35/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 14/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 30/2), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 3/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 53/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 14/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 37/2), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 27/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 7/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; 1/0), Johnny Cardoso (Internacional/BRA; 9/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 19/0), Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim/GER; 1/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 48/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 31/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 22/6), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 6/0)

FORWARDS (5): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin/GER; 36/8), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 6/3), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; 2/0), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 20/9), Alex Zendejas (Club América/MEX; 7/1).

Indiana University hosts Penn State in Big 10 Final Sun 12 noon @ IU

I had the distinct pleasure to join 2 Indiana University soccer legends to the Big 10 Semi-Final Wed night for their thrilling 4-3 win over Michigan.  The atmosphere in Bill Armstrong stadium with an overflowing student section and IU Band was unrivalled at the College Level. IU is the most successful men’s soccer program of all time and it shows with the excitement conveyed in the stadium.  We watched from the Former Players VIP section and the feeling of family and friendship was unbelievable.  Mrs Yegley welcomed 1 and all warmly.  What a special place!  Oh and IU won a hard fought, somewhat disjointed game with interesting reffing decisions but the Hoosiers deserved the win and will now host the #2 seed Penn State at home on Sunday at noon (Big 10 Network) as they make their record 7^th straight Big Ten Final appearance looking for their 34^th conference title.  The Hoosiers (11-4-4, 4-2-2) have won 8 of their last 9 games having beat Penn State earlier in the year.  Its worth the little over an hour drive to enjoy some solid college soccer if you don’t have plans for Sunday.  Tix are just $10, $5 for youth (3-18) and its well worth the visit – oh and the drive is still spectacular with the leaves changing.

GAMES ON TV

Thurs, Nov 9  — Europa League

12:45 pm                              Liverpool vs Maccabi Haifa

12:45 pm Para+                 Ajax  vs Brighton  

3 pm Para+                         West Ham vs Olympiakos

3 pm para+                         Panathinaikos vs Rennes (Balogen)

Fri, Nov 10 –

7 am FS2 Spain vs Canada U17 WC

2:30 pm EPSN+                  B Mgladbach (Scaley) vs Wolfsburg

8 pm Apple TV Miami FC vs NYCFC Messi Celebration Friendly

10 pm Apple TV                Seattle vs Dallas (Playoffs)

 Sat, Nov 11  

7:30am USA                        Wolverhampton vs Tottenham

9 am para+                          Lecce vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)

9:30 am ESPN+                  Bayern Munich vs Heidenheim  

9:30 am ESPN+                  MGladbach (Scally) vs Heidenheim  

10 am Peacock                  Arsenal vs Burnley

10 am USA                          Man United vs Luton Town  

12 pm Para+                       Juventus (McKennie) vs Cagliari

 12:30 pm NBC                   Bournemouth vs New Castle United

3pm ESPN+                         Real Madrid vs Valencia

6 pm  Apple TV                 Houston vs Real Salt Lake

8 pm CBS                    NWSL Champ Game OL Reign (Rapinoe) vs NY Gothem (Mewis, Kreiger)

Sun, Nov 12

7 am FS1                              USA Boys vs Korea (U17 WC)

9 am USA                             West Ham s Nothingham Forest

9 am Peacock                     Aston Villa vs Fulham (Ream, Robinson)

9:30 am ESPN+                  Leverkusen vs Union Berlin

10 am Peacock                  Liverpool vs Brentford

11:30 am USA                    Chelsea vs Man City

1 pm Para+                         Lazio vs Roma

3 pm Apple TV                 Philly Union vs New England  ??

6 pm Apple TV                   Orlando City vs Nashville ?? 

7 pm FS1/Apple TV          Columbus Crew vs Atlanta United  ??

7 pm ESPN2 Charleston vs Phoenix USL Champ Game

Wed, Nov 15

9 am FS1                              USA Boys vs Burkina(U17 WC)

Thurs, Nov 16

8 pm TNT, Para+        US Men vs T&T  (Copa Qualifying)

9 pm Para+                         Costa Rica vs Panama

Fri, Nov 17

2:45 pm FS1                        England vs Malta (Euro Quals)

2:45 pm fuboTV                Poland vs Czech Republic

7 pm Para+                         Jaimaica vs Canada (Copa Qualifying)

9 ppm Para+, TUDN        Honduras vs Mexico (Copa Qualifying)

Sat, Nov 18  

7 am FS1, Tele                   USA Boys vs France (U17 WC)

9 am FS1                              Armenia vs Wales (Euro Quals)

12 noon FS2                        Latvia vs Croatia

2:45 pm FS2                        Netherlands vs Ireland

Mon, Nov 20  

2:45 pm fuboTV                 Ukraine vs Italy

2:45 pm ?                             North Madedonia vs England

7 pm TNT, Para+        US Men vs T&T  (Copa Qualifying)

9 pm Para+                         Panama vs Costa Rica

Tues, Nov 21  

7:30 pm Para+                   Canada vs Jamaica (Copa Qualifying)

9:30 pm Para+, TUDN     Mexico vs Honduras (Copa Qualifying)

NWSL Finals – Sat 8 pm CBS

Megan Rapinoe’s last chapter was destined to be with OL Reign

Ali Krieger’s soccer journey fittingly ends in NWSL Championship
After hitting rock bottom, Gotham FC now 1 win away from NWSL championship trophy

Ali Krieger and Megan Rapinoe predicted their NWSL Championship clash JWS StaffNov 6, 2023

Rose Lavelle caps ‘frustrating year’ with ‘exceptional’ run for OL Reign
How to watch the 2023 NWSL Championship — Megan Rapinoe’s last game
Naomi Girma wins NWSL Defender of the Year in back-to-back seasons

Juan Carlos Amorós wins NWSL Coach of the Year for Gotham turnaround

Christen Press: NWSL playoff format ‘needs to be changed’

US Men

USMNT squad: Pulisic, Weah out with injuries  Jeff Carlisle

Berhalter names 24 players for November; Weah & Pulisic are out, Aaronson brothers are in ASN
Christian Pulisic once again gets some good injury news

How hard would a Pulisic injury hit the USMNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago?

Pulisic subbed off after injury in AC Milan win

Will rebirth of Pulisic, Musah make AC Milan America’s team?

USMNT stock watch: Why Pulisic and McKennie are thriving, but Reyna and Turner are stuck ESPN   

Analysis ASN – Where are the young American centerbacks? A look at the ongoing development gap in the back

Champs League, EPL  Wrap up Americans
Gregg Berhalter calls up 24 men for USMNT’s Copa America qualification deciders vs Trinidad and Tobago

US Boys  U17 World Cup

How to Watch the U17 World Cup on Fox

US Team U17

US Women

How will an Emma Hayes-led USWNT play?

From style to tactics, what USWNT can expect from Emma Hayes as manager

 England coach Wiegman: USWNT hiring Hayes ‘good for the women’s game’

Hayes Called out US in World Cup

Euros & Champions/Europa League

Champions League grades: top marks for Shakhtar, United sink to new low
Toulouse 3-2 Liverpool: Lacklustre Reds suffer controversial defeat to Ligue 1 side
Luis Diaz’s father released by kidnappers in Colombia
Beware Erik ten Hag, the last time Manchester United were this bad they were relegated
Man Utd miss yet another crucial turning point and lurch to new crisis levels
Marseille v Lyon: Postponed game rescheduled for 6 December following bus attack
Diego Simeone: Atletico Madrid manager signs new deal until 2027
England vs Malta, Euro 2024 qualifier: When is it and how can I watch it on TV?
England squad announcement LIVE: Gareth Southgate reveals Raheem Sterling and Bukayo Saka decisions

Reffing

Soccer has refereeing ‘epidemic’ on its hands
Joe Cole splits opinion after VAR denies Liverpool late equaliser: ‘The ref got it right’
Var comes to West Ham’s rescue in victory over Olympiacos
Jurgen Klopp confronts referee after Var ruling on Alexis Mac Allister handball
Premier League players annoyed at ‘constant standing around’ waiting for VAR, says Tim Ream
What is VAR, how does it work and what are the biggest problems?

Goalkeeping

Houston Dash’s Jane Campbell wins NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year

MLS Goalkeeper of the Year

MLS Save of the Year

Racing’s Lund a finalist for NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year

EMMA HAYES – Chelsea Coach – Set to Take the Reigns of the US Women’s National Team

JULIAN FINNEY – UEFA/UEFA VIA GETTY IMAGES Big soccer news broke on Saturday, after Chelsea announced that longtime coach Emma Hayes would be leaving the club at the end of the WSL season.Hayes has since been linked with the open USWNT head coaching job, which she would assume in May 2024.Long resume: Hayes is a well-respected figure in English women’s soccer, having won six WSL titles, five FA Cups, two League Cups and one Community Shield.She’s known for her eye for talent, bringing in players like Sam Kerr and Pernille Harder while also developing English talent like Fran Kirby.As part of her contract negotiations, Hayes will reportedly be in contact with interim management while she finishes out the season with Chelsea.With the 2024 Olympics around the corner, she’ll have a short runway to help the team move past a disappointing World Cup.Read more: What the USWNT can expect from next head coach Emma Hayes

USA TODAY SPORTS Since the NWSL expanded the playoffs to six teams in 2021, five of the last six finalists have been teams that began the postseason in the quarterfinals. The top two seeds coming off a bye round are 1-5 in three years of semifinals, including San Diego and Portland going 0-2 in 2023. Rest or rust: No. 4 OL Reign and No. 6 Gotham FC are the lowest collective seeds ever to reach the NWSL Championship. This year marks the first time since playoff expansion that none of the top three seeds have reached a final. The bye for top seeds was compounded by the international break that took place between the quarterfinal and the semifinal rounds. Bottom line: When top teams struggle this mightily after being awarded time off, one has to wonder if it’s actually an advantage.

Krieger and Rapinoe aren’t done yet

BRIAN ROTHMULLER/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGESThe NWSL Championship will also give fans one more chance to say goodbye to retiring legends Ali Krieger and Megan Rapinoe.The longtime USWNT teammates will go head-to-head for a chance to walk away from the game with one final win.Part of the team: Rapinoe and Krieger are intrinsic parts of Seattle and Gotham’s respective game plans.Rapinoe played all 90 minutes against San Diego on Sunday, while Krieger went the distance for 120 minutes against Portland.“I feel like it seems a bit poetic that the championship game is ending with Krieger and Pinoe’s last game,” Seattle midfielder Rose Lavelle said on Sunday.Read more: Retiring stars Rapinoe and Krieger meet in ‘fairytale’ NWSL final

VINCENT CARCHIETTA/USA TODAY SPORTS Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós has earned 2023 NWSL Coach of the Year honors, the league announced on Tuesday. Amorós oversaw a stunning turnaround for Gotham, leading them to sixth in the regular season after a last-place finish in 2022.The team will also contend for their first NWSL Championship on Sunday.

NWSL announces 4-year TV deals with ESPN, CBS, Prime Video: Why it’s a win for the league

By Meg Linehan and The Athletic Staff

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The NWSL will reach more viewers in 2024 with its new broadcast deals with ESPN, CBS Sports, Prime Video and Scripps Sports, the league announced Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:

• The NWSL agreed to four-year deals with each partner, who will show at least 20 games apiece on their platforms next season.
• Fans will be able to stream regular-season matches on Friday nights on Prime Video and watch two prime-time matches on Saturdays on Scripps’ ION network.
• A package of regular-season matches will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+, with CBS Sports showing additional matches.
• ESPN will show matches across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, as well as stream them on ESPN+ in English and Spanish.

More about the deals

• The agreements will double the number of cameras for matches, which will also help with video replay review efforts.
• The remainder of the regular-season schedule will be part of a direct-to-consumer package produced and distributed by the NWSL.
• ION will air the 2024 NWSL Draft in January. A date for the draft has yet to be announced.
• ION will also lead off its Saturday doubleheaders with a studio show at 7 p.m. ET. The games will start at 7:30 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET.

Where can I watch the playoffs?

• Prime Video and CBS will broadcast one quarterfinal each, while ESPN/ABC will air the other two quarterfinals.
• ESPN/ABC and CBS will each have a semifinal game.
• CBS will continue to air the championship game in prime time and make it available to stream on Paramount+. (The league’s three-year media rights deal with CBS wraps up at the end of this year.)

The deals are a win for NWSL

Considering the media rights landscape, $60 million a year combined across all the new partnerships for the four-year deal has to be considered a major win and improvement for the NWSL — while not getting trapped in super long terms (compare it to MLS’s 10-year term with Apple, or U.S. Soccer’s eight-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports).

NWSL Championship tactics: How OL Reign, Gotham can win

• Joseph Lowery

No matter what happens in NWSL final on Saturday, there will be a new NWSL champion.OL Reign, who took down the top-seeded San Diego Wave last weekend, and NJ/NY Gotham FC, who pushed past the Portland Thorns in extra time, will battle for a first NWSL Championship win in club history. Neither team entered the playoffs as favorites, though in the parity-filled NWSL, sometimes there simply aren’t any favorites. Gotham snuck into sixth and final spot in the playoff bracket, while OL Reign finished fourth.

Now all that’s left standing between each of these teams and the trophy is the other.

To help get you ready for Saturday’s matchup, we’re digging into each team’s title hopes and giving you a few things to watch out for during the game. How did they make it this far, and will what worked for them all season be enough to win the NWSL Championship?

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How OL Reign reached the final

It’s been a season of consistency for Laura Harvey’s OL Reign squad. They finished eight points off their Shield-winning pace from 2022, but stayed above the playoff line for 21-consecutive weeks after a 1-0 loss to the Washington Spirit to start the year.

Following up their fourth-place finish in the regular season, OL Reign snuck past Angel City by a 1-0 scoreline in the first round of the playoffs. A strong header from winger Veronica Latsko in the 87th minute sealed the game for the Reign, pushing them in a semifinal meeting with the San Diego Wave.

That matchup between the two best NWSL defenses in the regular season — based on expected goals allowed, per Fbref — looked an awful lot like what you’d expect a matchup between the two best NWSL defenses to look like. Neither team gave an inch, with just as many shots coming from outside the box as from inside the box. To break the deadlock and book their spot in the final, OL Reign needed one of, uh… they needed one of whatever this is:

How OL Reign plays

OL Reign — named for their affiliation with Olympique Lyonnais — don’t feel the need to dominate control of the ball. This year, they averaged 48.5% possession, which put them seventh in the 12-team NWSL.

Instead of prioritizing the ball, Harvey prioritizes defensive compactness and quick attacking transitions in her team. The Reign typically play out of a 4-2-3-1 shape, defending in a mid-block to frustrate opposing teams and limit their space in the attacking half. They’re not opposed to pressing high up the field, but it’s not their go-to, either. OL Reign finished 10th in the NWSL in PPDA (passes allowed per defensive action) with 11.5 in the regular season, according to Opta.

In possession, the Reign tend to look for the home run more often than they look for the base hit, to borrow baseball terms. According to FBref, the Reign played more long balls than any team in the league during the regular season (78.4 per 90 minutes) and crossed the ball more than all but two teams (18.7 per 90). In the final third, Megan Rapinoe runs the show out on the left wing, with her 33.2 touches in the attacking third per 90 a full 14 more than the next closest teammate.

How the Reign can win the NWSL Championship

The short answer? By staying the course.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• From ‘mess’ to NWSL Championship contender: how Gotham FC’s nightmare ended7dJeff Kassouf
• Source: USWNT set to appoint Chelsea’s Hayes5dJeff Carlisle
• From style to tactics, what USWNT can expect from Emma Hayes as manager4dSophie Lawson

During their two playoff games so far, the Reign showed they can get results by grinding defensively and producing a moment of magic in the final third. Against a Gotham team that likes to spread the field and use the ball, defensive discipline will be key. If they maintain their shape and Emily Sonnett has a strong performance in her defensive midfield role, it will be a long night for Gotham — just like it was during the playoffs for Angel City and then the San Diego Wave.

After winning the ball inside their own half, there will be opportunities for the Reign to stream forward on the counter. Gotham have defended well this year, but they let their opponents shoot closer to goal (16.4 yards, on average) than every team in the NWSL not named the Chicago Red Stars, who finished last in the league standings.

With Rose Lavelle expected to start as the No. 10 in the central midfield, OL Reign will have a conductor in central areas. She’ll help balance all of the crosses from Rapinoe on the left and Sofia Huerta on the right. With quick, efficient touches from their creators and sharp off-ball movement from their forwards inside the box, the Reign can find one more magical moment to finish off their playoff journey.

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How NJ/NY Gotham reach the final

It’s been a wild turnaround for NJ/NY Gotham. After finishing last in the league in 2022, they’re now playing for a trophy in the NWSL Championship this weekend on the back of a sixth-place finish in the regular season. Gotham never came close to repeating their lows from last year, staying above the playoff line for the entire season and even sitting in first for two weeks.

In the first round of the playoffs, Gotham traveled to North Carolina to take on the Courage, winning 2-0 in the process. Juan Carlos Amorós’ Gotham team didn’t have Kerolin to deal with due to an injury, but they still did an admirable job of wrestling control and chances away from the Courage. In the semifinals, NJ/NY Gotham faced a tougher task: beating the Portland Thorns at Providence Park. Amorós’ squad was unfazed, however, and controlled the game in regulation before finding a 107th minute winner.

How Gotham FC play

Gotham — nicknamed the Bats by the team’s players — seem to never run out of energy. They press. Then they press a little bit more. And then, for fun, they press just a little bit more. According to Opta, Gotham pressed more than any team in the NWSL during the regular season.

Gotham allowed just 8.8 passes per defensive action and forced 367 high turnovers — those numbers both led the league. A big chunk of those pressures come right after they lose the ball in the final third. Gotham finished with more possession than every team outside of North Carolina in the regular season, averaging 54.1%.

Under Amorós, Gotham typically play out of a 4-3-3 shape. He wants his team to spread the field in possession to create as many one-v-ones as possible all over the field. With Lynn Williams and Midge Purce lurking in the attack, a lot of those one-v-ones tend to go Gotham’s way.

Williams, in particular, is a major threat in the frontline as a winger or a striker. She finished fifth in the regular season in non-penalty goals (6) and is one of the NWSL’s most versatile attackers. Per FBref, she also finished fifth in non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists (9.4).

How Gotham FC can win the NWSL Championship

Two things will define NJ/NY Gotham’s success on Saturday: what they do with the ball against OL Reign’s compact defense and how they defend right after losing possession. We’ve already covered the Reign’s defensive solidity — Harvey’s team is incredibly difficult to break down — but Gotham, as the much more ball-dominant and expansive team, will have to find a way through.

Gotham have been good, but not great at turning possession into chances this year: They finished fourth in the NWSL in expected goals in the regular season (30.7), per FBref. In the final, if they can stretch OL Reign horizontally with the threat of their wingers, Gotham will create space for midseason striker signing Esther González to exploit. González, who started as a free No. 8 in the semifinals, will crash the box regardless of where she starts in possession.

Keeping the tempo high and switching the ball from side-to-side to force the defense to shift will be non-negotiable for NJ/NY Gotham this weekend. But Gotham have to be purposeful in possession — and they have to be sharp after losing the ball, too. With the Reign ready to attack on the break, Gotham’s counter pressing will be tested. They’ve been sharp in defensive transition this year, allowing fewer progressive passes and recording more tackles in the final third than any team in the league.

If Gotham maintain their usual energy levels and react quickly after the ball turns over, they’ll sniff out most of OL Reign’s attacks before they even start. Then they can clean up the rest with sharp defending in their box on the Reign’s crosses.

Berhalter names 24 players for November; Weah & Pulisic are out, Aaronson brothers are in

Gregg Berhalter’s roster for November has a lot of continuity from October but the big story is that Tim Weah and Christian Pulisic are missing due to injuries. But that will open the door for others to fill the void, including youngsters Paxten Aaronson and Kevin Paredes. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta breaks down the roster with his thoughts.  USMNT analysis BY BRIAN SCIARETTA NOVEMBER 09, 2023 11:30 AM

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ON THURSDAY, United States national team manager Gregg Berhalter announced his 24-player roster for the upcoming Nations League quarterfinal against Trinidad & Tobago which will be played over two legs this window. Should the U.S. team advance, it will play in the tournament’s semifinal and qualify for 2024 Copa America.

Here is the roster along with some thoughts.

ROSTER BY POSITION

(CLUB/COUNTRY; CAPS/GOALS)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 9/0), Gaga Slonina (KAS Eupen; 1/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 35/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 14/0), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 30/2), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 3/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 53/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 14/1), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 37/2), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 27/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 7/0)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Paxten Aaronson (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; 1/0), Johnny Cardoso (Internacional/BRA; 9/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 19/0), Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim/GER; 1/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 48/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 31/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 22/6), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 6/0)

FORWARDS (5): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin/GER; 36/8), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 6/3), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; 2/0), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 20/9), Alex Zendejas (Club América/MEX; 7/1)

WEAH AND PULISIC ARE OUT

Tim Weah and Christian Pulisic are not included in this roster. Tim Weah was subbed out of Juventus’ win over Verona at halftime on October 28 due to hip-flexor issue. It was later announced that the club expected him back towards the end of November.

Pulisic’s recent injuries are not as clear. He left AC Milan’s 2-2 draw with Napoli at halftime due to muscle “fatigue” and then did not suit up over the weekend in a loss to Udinese. Then Tuesday in a Champions League win over PSG, he left the game in second half stoppage time grabbing his hamstring. It was reported on Wednesday that there was no muscle tear, but rather a strain and he would miss the upcoming game this weekend for Milan. Given the ongoing nature of this injury, he was left off U.S. national team roster.

YOUNGER AARONSON ARRIVES

Paxten Aaronson is most likely a U-23 option given that he still does not get regular minutes for Eintracht Frankfurt yet. But his versatility to play on the wing or in the middle opens the door for him at this camp. With Weah and Pulisic out and Reyna likely to have his minutes heavily managed again, there is a huge void to fill in several different positions including both wing positions and in central midfield.

Aaronson will now get the chance to fill those voids. Once these key players return to full fitness, Aaronson could shift back to the U-23 team, but if he does well, perhaps he is here to stay. On another note, this call-up marks the first time both Aaronson brothers have been called up together for a U.S. team. Brenden Aaronson has been a mainstay for years, but now he will join his brother. The two recently played against each other as late substitutes when Eintracht Frankfurt defeated struggling Union Berlin 3-0.

HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR PAREDES

For me, Kevin Paredes is the most important player to watch on the roster for three reasons: 1) he is now playing well and starting for Wolfsburg, 2) he will likely get a big opportunity to fill the void left by Weah and Pulisic because he now has spent time with the team and should know what is asked and 3) he remains one of the more talented young players in the system.



The question is now whether he can contiue his recent surge with the national team.

SLONINA GETS THE NOD

Gaga Slonina also has an opportunity in this camp given that he has had a few good games recently for Eupen. The fact that he is playing is also huge because Matt Turner appears to have lost his starting spot with Nottingham Forest and Ethan Horvath is not even registered to play league games for Forest. Slonina is in a great position simply because he is a young goalkeeper who is playing.

Slonina is also another player who could shift to the Olympics next year but is still on the bubble of the full team now.

ROSTER CONTINUITY INTO 2024

We are starting to see right now that Berhalter is moving forward with rosters that don’t change very much from camp to camp. Of the 24 players on this roster, 20 were on the roster for the October camp. If Weah and Pulisic were healthy, it would have been 22 players. Then whenever Tyler Adams returns, he is likely to be a constant with the group.

It doesn’t mean Berhalter is set on his team. There are still some players who are in vulnerable positions. Lennard Maloney still has much to prove. Alex Zendejas has not made the most of the opportunities yet that have come his way. Ricardo Pepi’s minutes are limited and there could be more competition for him as the season progresses. Tim Ream is playing well but he is also older and at some point Father Time will win the battle. Kristoffer Lund will also face competition from a deeper American left back player pool. But Berhalter also must play the short game too. The Copa America is only seven months away. That is a huge tournament and an important barometer for this team and for Berhalter. After that, there is the Olympics and many of those players will have taken big strides in their game. Some will impress at the Olympics and as Berhalter said, after next summer, he expects the U-23 pool to merge into the full national team pool. Then at that point, it will open the doors for even more competition.

Pulisic, McKennie up; Reyna, Turner down: USMNT stock watch

• Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentNov 1, 2023, 09:29 AM ET

The current European league season is about two months old, depending on the league in question. As such, a fair bit of data is now available in terms of American players performing overseas, Some have established themselves in new clubs. Others have found the going a bit tougher, though the season is long, leaving plenty of time to turn things around. All of them continue to look to use their club form as a spring board for the U.S. men’s national team.

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With that in mind, here is ESPN’s stock watch for those USMNT players abroad. This isn’t an assessment of every American abroad — just those that have caught the eye and have had a noteworthy couple months, for good or for ill.

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⇑ Stock up: Christian Pulisic, forward, AC Milan

Christian Pulisic has encountered some tough sledding in the Champions League, but there can be no complaints about his league form for AC Milan. He contributed his second assist of the season over the weekend on Olivier Giroud‘s opener against Napoli as Milan held on for a 2-2 draw. He’s also chipped in with four goals in league play.

The biggest worry for Pulisic right now is that he had to come off at halftime with a tight adductor muscle, but the injury isn’t expected to be serious. So far Pulisic’s summer move to Milan has been a huge positive — he immediately became a starter, and he continues to have the trust of manager Stefano Pioli.

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⇑ Stock up: Weston McKennie, midfielder, Juventus

EDITOR’S PICKS

• Explaining Gio Reyna’s potential vs. his lack of USMNT, Dortmund success23dRyan O’Hanlon
• The USMNT’s struggle to play well without Tyler Adams is a problem23dJeff Carlisle
• USWNT’s next generation of stars show the way vs. Colombia10dCesar Hernandez

Weston McKennie has seemingly proved his worth to Juventus manager Max Allegri. It’s helped his case that two Juve midfielders, Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli, have been suspended for allegations of doping and gambling, respectively, but it’s still a positive that McKennie is starting and playing regular minutes.

His versatility in playing as a wing back or as a central midfielder has served him in good stead, too. He played in both roles in Juve’s 1-0 win over Verona over the weekend, creating a team-high three chances, and McKennie looks set to get consistent playing time going forward.

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⇑ Stock up: Luca de la Torre, midfielder, Celta Vigo

Luca de la Torre has long had a habit of betting on himself, with positive results. His move back in 2022 to Celta Vigo from Dutch side Heracles Almelo is a case in point. While injuries slowed his progress initially, he’s gradually taken on a bigger role.

This season, De la Torre has been a consistent presence in manager Rafa Benitez’s lineup — even as the team has struggled, De la Torre has not been the one to get the hook. The question now is to what extent can he parlay his club form into more playing time with the USMNT.

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⇑ Stock up: Yunus Musah, midfielder, AC Milan

After looking like he would have a hard time cracking Milan’s lineup, Yunus Musah has gradually proved himself to manager Stefan Pioli. It has helped that Musah has been able to play in a variety of midfield roles.He played as a defensive midfielder in the Champions League outing against Borussia Dortmund, but was pushed a bit further forward last weekend against Napoli. He still needs to play a bit quicker when in his own half, but overall he’s made a positive impression with the Rossoneri.How concerning are AC Milan’s UCL struggles for Pulisic and Musah?

Herc Gomez debates whether or not USMNT fans should be worried by Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah’s struggles in the Champions League with AC Milan.

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⇑ Stock up: Johnny Cardoso, midfielder, Internacional

Johnny Cardoso has made steady progress since locking down a starting spot in Internacional’s midfield in 2020. This year he helped the club to the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores, and he’s gotten steady playing time, playing more than 2,000 minutes so far this season, earning two goals and two assists.

Now he’s poised to take his talents to a bigger stage, reportedly securing a move to LaLiga’s Real Betis. If the reports are true, that would represent an important step up in the 22-year-old’s development.

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⇑ Stock up: Sergiño Dest, defender, PSV Eindhoven

Last season’s nightmare — in which Sergiño Dest played just 626 minutes in all competitions while on loan at AC Milan from Barcelona — is now firmly behind him. In its place is a loan move to PSV, and while the level might not be the same as LaLiga or Serie A, at least Dest is back on the field again.

Are there still questions about Dest’s overall defending? Indeed, but at least there is now an opportunity for that aspect of his game to improve and get sharpened. Between the Eredivisie and Champions League, he’s featured in 678 minutes this season, which is already an improvement from last season.

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⇑ Stock up: Ricardo Pepi, forward, PSV Eindhoven

Ricardo Pepi is off to a solid start after securing a summer move from Bundesliga side FC Augsburg, having spent the previous campaign on loan with Eredivisie side Groningen after struggling at Augsburg. Pepi has taken on the role of supersub, and scored twice in 151 minutes of play this season.

The challenge for Pepi is to try and displace Luuk de Jong in the starting line-up. It’s no easy task given that de Jong has eight goals and six assists so far, but Pepi has at least put the frustrations of his time at Augsburg in the past.

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⇑ Stock up: Malik Tillman, midfielder, PSV Eindhoven

Malik Tillman is another player making his way at a new club and, despite a brief setback, it’s been going well. He was making steady progress with three goals and an assist before sustaining an injury that prevented him from joining up with the USMNT for the October international window. But Tillman is now recovered and has started PSV’s last two league games.

If Tillman continues to get playing time at PSV — and is effective with the time he gets — a bigger role with the USMNT could be there for the taking, especially given Weah’s injury and Brenden Aaronson’s lack of offensive production.

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⇔ Stock even: Tim Weah, midfielder, Juventus

Timothy Weah had been making inroads at Juventus as well, often playing in a right wing back role that plays to his ability to contribute on both sides of the ball. But he’s played an entire match just once so far for Juventus, and the sight of him hobbling off with a hip flexor issue last weekend could see him forced to the sidelines, and may cause him to miss the Concacaf Nations League matches in mid-November.

Given that Weah has been one of the most consistent U.S. men’s national team players, Weah’s injury is a potential blow to manager Gregg Berhalter. For Weah, though, it could be a big setback in his trajectory at Juve.

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⇔ Stock even: Folarin Balogun, forward, Monaco

Folarin Balogun‘s first season with Monaco following a summer move from Arsenal, has been whiplash-inducing. He missed two penalties in a game against Nice, followed that up with goals in each of his next two matches, only to be subbed at halftime of last week’s 2-0 loss against Lille.

Balogun still figures to continue to get playing time, despite his up-and-down journey so far, but he’ll need to find consistency if he’s to remain in Monaco’s starting line-up as a first-choice player.

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⇓ Stock down: Gio Reyna, midfielder, Borussia Dortmund

Giovanni Reyna‘s recovery from a lower leg fracture sustained in the Concacaf Nations League last June has been slow. Yes, he dazzled while on international duty with the U.S., but his time on the field at club level has been limited.Reyna did make his first start of the season for Dortmund last weekend — but was subbed out after 45 quiet minutes, leading him to be rated the second-worst of Dortmund’s players by German outlet Kicker. The good news is that he’s still regaining his fitness, but with rumors of an impending move circulating, time may be running out for Reyna at Dortmund.Herc thinks Gio Reyna is ‘done’ at Dortmund. Herc Gomez thinks it is a case of when, rather than if, Gio Reyna leaves Borussia Dortmund

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⇓ Stock down: Tyler Adams, midfield, Bournemouth

This assessment has nothing to do with Tyler Adams‘ play, and everything to do with his lack of fitness.Since Adams sustained a hamstring injury in March of 2022, he has struggled to get back. He signed with AFC Bournemouth in August, reinjured his hamstring again and has seen the field exactly one time this season. He needed surgery again, and now this latest one will have him likely out until February.USMNT fans can only have their fingers crossed that Adams can make it back in time for the Copa America this summer.

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⇓ Stock down: Matt Turner, goalkeeper, Nottingham Forest

Matt Turner has been the first-choice goalkeeper for Nottingham Forest so far this season, but the season has been something of a struggle.Out of all Premier League goalkeepers with at least 200 minutes this season, Turner ranks 17th out of 22 in terms of goals prevented with -1.15. (“Goals prevented” is a measure of xG conceded from shots on target minus goals allowed.) The miscommunication with teammate Harry Toffolo that led to Liverpool‘s third goal last weekend wasn’t a good look either.Greek international goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, who Forest signed in September for a reported fee of more than €5 million, is waiting in the wings. Can Turner hold him off?

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⇓ Stock down: Chris Richards, defender, Crystal Palace

As solid as Chris Richards has been for the USMNT of late, he’s struggled for playing time with Crystal Palace, logging just 109 minutes in league play this season.Given that Richards encountered similar difficulties last season, it may be time for the former Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim defender to look for other options come January. Otherwise, he’ll continue to be on the outside looking in for the USMNT.

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⇓ Stock down: Brenden Aaronson, midfielder, Union Berlin

Brenden Aaronson finds himself in a tough spot, playing on loan for a team with the fourth-worst attack in the Bundesliga, with a total xG of 11.5 through nine league games. Union Berlin isn’t a team that likes to have the ball either, with just 43.8% possession on average, and that shows with how little Aaronson has gotten on the ball.Style of play aside, Aaronson has yet to make much of an impact, failing to record any goals or assists. And while he’s started the last two league matches for Union Berlin, he’s been subbed out both times. There’s still time to turn things around, but after last year’s disappointing campaign with Leeds United, his career seems to have stalled.

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⇓ Stock down: Ethan Horvath, goalkeeper, Nottingham Forest

Ethan Horvath was left off Forest’s Premier League roster this season, meaning he won’t see the field again until the January transfer window. That is a massive blow considering that Horvath helped Luton Town gain promotion to the Premier League last season while on loan. The situation won’t help Horvath’s international prospects either as he looks firmly outside the preferred pecking order of goalkeepers at the USMNT.

After going from last place to NWSL finalist, Go FC adds key new investor

By Meg Linehan nov 8, 20239

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Nothing about Gotham FC’s playoff run has come easily.On October 15, the players and staff of Gotham FC waited for a few agonizing moments to find out if they’d squeak into the playoffs. It was Decision Day, and they had just wrapped up a 2-2 draw with the Kansas City Current — not good enough to control their destiny. As the final whistles blew for North Carolina and Houston, the celebration could finally begin. They started their playoff run as the six-seed against the Courage on the road in the quarterfinals, before making the trip out to the West Coast to square off against the defending champions, Portland Thorns FC. On Sunday night in the pouring rain, Gotham had to wait a little longer for their first shot at a NWSL Championship, needing extra time and a superb goal from substitute Katie Stengel to advance again. “The weather, the elements, it didn’t matter,” owner and club chair Tammy Murphy told The Athletic on Monday. “We were determined, and we played like pros. I could not have been more excited.”For Murphy, who has been a part of Gotham’s ownership from the beginning, when the team was still Sky Blue FC, the semifinal win represented years of work and progress that had been anything but smooth (“turbulence” was Murphy’s word choice). NJ/NY Gotham FC is a team a long way off from the Sky Blue FC of 2018, which made headlines for poor training conditions, including a lack of running water and even actual toilets at the training site.“We’ve just all been working so hard to make sure that we are as excellent on the field as we are off the field, in every space. It’s a work in progress, but we have made incredible strides,” she said.Last season, Gotham finished dead last on the NWSL table, picking up only four wins, a draw, and 17 losses. They were 20 points off the playoff pace; the club finished with a shocking -30 goal differential.“Last year, we were really focused on the soccer side of the organization. Look at where we are now,” Murphy said.

Gotham hired head coach Juan Carlos Amorós on a three-year deal, acquired forward Lynn Williams via trade and signed World Cup winner Esther González, amongst other moves led by general manager Yael Averbuch West. On Tuesday, Amorós was announced as the 2023 NWSL coach of the year.This year, Murphy said, the focus has been on ownership and the business side. “We can go wherever we want to go, and I am super enthusiastic,” she said. “I’m always the one who says, ‘Let’s just put our heads down and get it done.’ That’s exactly what we’re doing. We’re just getting it done. There’s so much opportunity now that we have Carolyn coming in. It’s fantastic.”That Carolyn is Carolyn Tisch Blodgett, announced on Wednesday as Gotham FC’s new minority owner and strategic investor, as well as the club’s new alternate governor on the NWSL board. Tisch Blodgett is the founder of Next 3. She oversees the firm’s investments and serves as a strategic advisor for her family’s ownership group of the New York Giants. Tisch Blodgett is leading the investment into Gotham, backed by Laurie, Jon and Steve Tisch. She also has an extensive background in marketing, having led global marketing at Peloton — helping to bring not just money but valuable skills to her new NWSL role.Tisch Blodgett told The Athletic that she and her family had started Next 3 as a sports investment platform to ensure they were at the forefront of the changing nature of sports. When the company started, they went into research and listening mode: “Where do we think sports is? What do we think sports is going to look like in the next 30 years? And sign after sign pointed to women’s soccer, and specifically the NWSL.”

When she started considering potential investments, Gotham wasn’t the only team she was looking into. She kept coming back to the story of her grandfather buying into the NFL, though. Before Preston Robert Tisch became 50% owner of the Giants, he had the opportunity to buy the full shares of other teams. But h was a New Yorker. “We are the third generation now,” Tisch Blodgett said. “We couldn’t write a better script than coming into the New Jersey/New York women’s soccer team.”The Giants connection is certainly one that could help boost the profile of Gotham FC — but it’s really Tisch Blodgett’s experience that Murphy referred to time and time again. To be fair, Gotham had some links to the nearby NFL team before Tisch Blodgett entered into the picture, thanks to both former Giants quarterback Eli Manning and the team’s CBO, Pete Guelli, already present in Gotham’s collection of minority investors.“We aren’t as big as the Giants,” Murphy said. “We don’t have as many people in the marketing, the sales, the ticketing area as they do. But I think just having that somebody who has a little bit more experience than we do, who has been there and done it, this is going to be a home run for us.”AD Tisch Blodgett called the merging of her two worlds of sports investment/operation and her background in marketing in this new role with Gotham her “perfect dream all coming together.” When she considers the opportunity ahead, there are three areas she wants to focus on: turning their players into true stars; the fan experience side — whether that’s in stadium, watching the game at home, or engaging with the team; and building upon the community aspect of women’s soccer.

“There was a watch party (on Sunday) in Jersey City; there were about 200 rabid fans, dressed in all the gear, screaming, cheering,” Tisch Blodgett said. “Our opportunity coming in as owners and operators is really to help tell that story to the rest of New York City, the rest of the tri-state area, and then hopefully globally.”Unlike a deeply entrenched NFL team like the Giants, who have existed since 1925, Gotham’s relatively young history — again, full of its share of “turbulence” — still means the team has plenty of work ahead to grow its profile, particularly in finding greater consistency and growth in attendance and other metrics.According to the latest figures from Sportico, Gotham is currently valued at around $48 million, bringing in a little over $5 million in annual revenue. That’s far off the top of the league, but considering the market, aiming for $10 million doesn’t feel like an impossible task. Gotham will have to wait for generational fandom to truly kick in the way that it has for older men’s sports leagues, but there are many other avenues for growth in the meantime.Building the consistency of their attendance numbers during the regular season has to be at the top of the list for Gotham. They set a new attendance record of 15,058 this summer in a match against the San Diego Wave, but Gotham struggles to keep the lower bowl of Red Bull Arena full week in and week out (the stadium’s total capacity is 25,000).“We grew 42 percent year over year in the season that just ended, but the base is lower. If our average is 6,300 or so, the average in San Diego is about 20,000 and about the same in Los Angeles,” Gotham president Mary Wittenberg told the New York Times last month.They also can’t take their foot off the gas in making improvements on the sporting side, especially now that they’ve reached the Championship. The investments the ownership group made over the past year have proven their worth — and there are plans for more.

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“We are absolutely looking at training facilities,” Murphy said.

Currently, the team trains at a facility owned by the New York Red Bulls and has a temporary solution for their own dedicated spaces for staff to work. The trend in the NWSL, however, is investment into facilities, with teams like the Kansas City Current opening a $19 million training space for the team, and multiple others either actively in the works or looking for land.

“We’re looking at everything, anything. Everything is on the table,” Murphy continued. A Gotham FC training facility has been on the list for a while though. “We’ve scoured the market and I can tell you, we’ve been having weekly meetings about various opportunities and what’s best for us in the here and how, and what’s best for us in the long run. And part of that depends on where the league goes.”

With details of the league’s new media deal expected this week during the NWSL Championship festivities, two more expansion teams coming into the league in Utah and the Bay Area — and a $53 million expansion fee for Bay FC, another waiting on deck in Boston for 2026, the NWSL’s days of worrying about its basic existence feel like an increasingly distant memory. Gone are Gotham’s days of hoping a thousand people would cross through the gates at Yurcak Field out in Piscataway, NJ, too.

“There’s a fan movement happening, there’s the cusp of a new media deal, so there’s about to be a visibility moment. There’s a sponsorship moment, thinking about what Angel City has done in getting multiple millions of dollars in their jersey sponsor,” Tisch Blodgett said. “There’s all these signs pointing that the world is starting to wake up to women’s soccer. And we sat here for a long time, as professional owners, saying, ‘What do we want our role to be? Do we want to be watching from the sidelines or do we want to go help write that story?’”“I always felt that we should be the gold standard. We should be the club in the league that everybody looks to,” Murphy said. There’s history here for Gotham, even if some of it is painful, and the team’s rebranding gave them both a fresh start and a more appealing identity to draw in fans. “We are in the number one market in the world. We have enormous potential.”On Sunday, Gotham FC will have a chance to write another chapter of the team’s story with a shot to win their first NWSL championship and make team captain Ali Krieger’s final game one to remember. But no matter the result, the work for 2024 and beyond continues on.

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Keep an eye on the Champions League where Tillman, Ricardo Pepi and Sergino Dest could all figure for high-flying PSV against Lens (Tuesday 2pm EST, Paramount+). That day, then on Wednesday, Reyna will hope to feature for Dortmund in the same competition against Newcastle United (2pm EST, Paramount+), and Pulisic and Yunus Musah will also be in Champions League action away to Paris Saint-Germain in Paris (also 2pm EST, Paramount+).

GAMES ON TV

Tues, Oct 24  — Champs League

12:46 pm Para+, TUDN   Galatasary vs Bayern Munich

12:45 pm Para+                 Inter Milan vs Salzburg

3 pm CBSSN                        Union Berlin vs Napoli

3 pm para+                         PVS (Dest, Tilman) vs Lens

3 pm Para+, Gala              Man United vs Kebenhavn

3 pm para+                         Sevilla vs Arsenal

3 pm para+                         Sporting Braga vs Real Madrid

Weds, Oct 25  — Champs League

12:46 pm Para+, TUDN   Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk 

3 pm CBSSN                        Celtic (Carter Vickers) vs Atletico Madrid 

3 pm Para+, Gala              PSG vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) 

3 pm para+                         New Castle vs Dortmund (Reyna) 

3 pm para+                         Young Boys vs Man City 

7:30 pm Apple TV             NY Red Bulls vs Charlotte FC Playoffs

9:30 pm Apple TV             Sporting KC vs San Jose Earthquakes  Playoffs

9 pm FS2                              Monterrey vs Tijuana

11 pm FS1                            Juerez vs Atletico San Luis

Thurs, Oct 26  — Europa League

12:45 pm Para+                 Olympiakos vs West Ham

3 pm                                      Liverpool vs Maccabi Haifa

3 pm para+                         Panathinaikos vs Rennes (Balogen)

3 pm Para+                         Brighton vs Ajax

9 pm TBS, Peacock           USA Women vs Colombia

Fri, Oct 27 –

3:30 pm USA                      Crystal Palace vs Tottenham

 Sat, Oct  28

7:30am USA                        Chelsea vs Brentfort

9:30 am ESPN+                  Werder Bremen vs Union Berlin

9:30 am ESPN+                  MGladbach (Scally) vs Heidenheim  

10 am USA                          Arsenal vs Sheffield

10:15 am ESPN+                Barcelona vs Real Madrid- El Classico

5 pm  FS1/Apple TV         NE Revs vs Philly Union Playoffs

8 pm FS1/Apple TV          LAFC vs Vancouver

Sun, Oct 29

9 am USA                             West Ham vs Everton

10 am Peacock                  Aston Villa vs Luton

10 am USA ?                       Brighton vs Fulham (Ream, Robinson)

10 am 😕                               Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest (Matt Turner)

1030 am ESPN2                 Dortmund (Reyna) vs Franfurt

11:30 am USA??         Man United vs Man City

1 pm Para+                         Inter vs Roma

3:45 pm Para+                   AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)  vs Napoli

5:30 pm TNT Tele       USA Women vs Colombia

6 pm Apple TV                   Houston dynamo vs Real Salt Lake

8 pm FS1/Apple TV          Cincy vs (eastern Wildcard)

Mon, Oct  30

7 pm FS1/Apple TV          Nashville vs Orlando City  Playoffs  

9 pm FS1/Apple TV          Seattle Suonders vs FC Dallas

Wed, Nov 1

7:30 pm FS1/Apple TV    Columbus vs Atlanta United

MLS playoffs 2023: Schedule, TV channel and streaming

Pro Soccer Wire Staff  October 22, 2023 11:26 am ET

The 2023 MLS playoffs are here, with 18 teams vying to lift MLS Cup on December 9.MLS has introduced a new playoff format this year, with five separate stages taking place: the wild-card round, a best-of-three round one, conference semifinals, conference finals, and finally MLS Cup.Two teams in each conference will kick off the playoffs in the wild-card round, with both of those matches set to go straight to a penalty kick tiebreaker if the teams are level after 90 minutes.After the wild-card round, eight teams in each each conference will partake in round one, which will see a best-of-three series with the higher seed hosting games one and (if necessary) three.Like the wild-card round, games in round one will go straight to penalties if tied after 90 minutes.From there, the conference semifinals, conference finals, and MLS Cup will be one-off matches that do include the possibility of extra time if the teams are tied after 90 minutes.Below is a schedule of all the games for the 2023 MLS postseason. In all instances, the home team is listed first.

Wild card round

Wednesday, Oct. 25

Eastern Conference

New York Red Bulls vs. Charlotte FC — Red Bull Arena, Harrison, N.J. 7:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV (Watch now).Watch NY Red Bulls vs. Charlotte FC

Western Conference

Sporting Kansas City vs. San Jose Earthquakes — Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kan. 9:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV (Watch now).Watch Sporting KC vs. San Jose Earthquakes

Round One

Eastern Conference

FC Cincinnati (1) vs. East Wild Card winner

Sunday, Oct. 29

Game one: FC Cincinnati vs. East Wild Card winner — TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio. 8 p.m. ET, Apple TV/FS1/FOX Deportes

Saturday, Nov. 4

Game two: East Wild Card winner vs. FC Cincinnati. 7 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Saturday, Nov. 11

Game three (if necessary): FC Cincinnati vs. East Wild Card winner — TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio. 2 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Orlando City (2) vs. Nashville SC (7)

Monday, Oct. 30

Game one: Orlando City vs. Nashville SC — Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Fla. 7 p.m. ET, Exploria Stadium, Apple TV/FS1/ FOX Deportes

Tuesday, Nov. 7

Game two: Nashville SC vs. Orlando City — Geodis Park, Nashville, Tenn. 9 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Sunday, Nov. 12

Game three (if necessary): Orlando City vs. Nashville SC — Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Fla. 5 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Columbus Crew (3) vs. Atlanta United (6)

Wednesday, Nov. 1

Game one: Columbus Crew vs. Atlanta United — Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio. 7:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV/FS1/ FS2 (Spanish)

Tuesday, Nov. 7

Game two: Atlanta United vs. Columbus Crew — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga. 7 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Sunday, Nov. 12

Game three (if necessary): Columbus Crew vs. Atlanta United — Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio. 7 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Philadelphia Union (4) vs. New England Revolution (5)

Saturday, Oct. 28

Game one: Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution — Subaru Park, Chester, Pa. 5 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Wednesday, Nov. 8

Game two: New England Revolution vs. Philadelphia Union — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass. 7 p.m. ET, Apple TV/FS1/ FOX Deportes

Sunday, Nov. 12

Game three (if necessary): Philadelphia Union vs. New England Revolution — Subaru Park, Chester, Pa. 3 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Western Conference

St. Louis City (1) vs. West Wild Card winner

Sunday, Oct. 29

Game one: St. Louis City vs. West Wild Card winner — CityPark, St. Louis, Mo. 10 p.m. ET, Apple TV/FS1/ FOX Deportes

Sunday, Nov. 5

Game two: West Wild Card winner vs. St. Louis City. 5 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Saturday, Nov. 11

Game three (if necessary): St. Louis City SC vs. West Wild Card winner — CityPark, St. Louis, Mo. 6 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Seattle Sounders (2) vs. FC Dallas (7)

Monday, Oct. 30

Game one: Seattle Sounders vs. FC Dallas — Lumen Field, Seattle, Wash. 9 p.m. ET, Apple TV/FS1/ FS2 (Spanish)

Saturday, Nov. 4

Game two: FC Dallas vs. Seattle Sounders — Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas. 9 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Friday, Nov. 10

Game three (if necessary): Seattle Sounders vs. FC Dallas — Lumen Field, Seattle, Wash. 10 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Los Angeles FC (3) vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (6)

Saturday, Oct. 28

Game one: LAFC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps — BMO Stadium, Los Angeles, Calif. 8 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Sunday, Nov. 5

Game two: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. LAFC — BC Place, Vancouver, B.C. 7:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV/FS1/ FS2 (Spanish)

Thursday, Nov. 9

Game three (if necessary): LAFC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps — BMO Stadium, Los Angeles, Calif. 10 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Houston Dynamo (4) vs. Real Salt Lake (5)

Sunday, Oct. 29

Game one: Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake — Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas. 6 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Monday, Nov. 6

Game two: Real Salt Lake vs. Houston Dynamo — America First Field, Sandy, Utah. 9 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Saturday, Nov. 11

Game three (if necessary): Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake — Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas. 4 p.m. ET, Apple TV

Conference semifinals (Nov. 25-26)

Eastern Conference

Matchups and schedule TBD.

Western Conference

Matchups and schedule TBD.

Conference finals (Dec. 2-3)

Eastern Conference

Matchups and schedule TBD.

Western Conference

Matchups and schedule TBD.

MLS Cup

Saturday, Dec. 9, 4 p.m. ET

Eastern Conference winner vs. Western Conference winner.

NWSL playoffs 2023: Schedule, TV and streaming

The NWSL playoffs have arrived, as six teams aim to lift the league title on November 11 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.After winning the NWSL Shield, the San Diego Wave will be one of the favorites to lift the title and become just the second team to do so at its home stadium.Last season’s champion, the Portland Thorns, stumbled on the final day of the season to lose the Shield, but still finished second and clinched a bye to the semifinal round. The Thorns will be aiming to become the third NWSL team to repeat as champions.Only two clubs in the playoffs, the Thorns and the North Carolina Courage, have won the NWSL title before, with four teams vying for their first title.Two of those teams, OL Reign and NJ/NY Gotham FC, will be looking to send two legends of the game (Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger, respectively) into retirement with a championship.Below is a schedule of all the games for the 2023 NWSL postseason. Outside of the United States, every game will be available to stream on Watch.NWSLSoccer.com.

Quarterfinals

Friday, Oct. 20

OL Reign 1-0 Angel City

Sunday, Oct. 22

North Carolina Courage 0-2 NJ/NY Gotham FC

Semifinals

Sunday, Nov. 5

Portland Thorns vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC — Providence Park, Portland, Oregon. 7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network (Watch FREE on Fubo)

San Diego Wave vs. OL Reign — Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California. 9:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network (Watch FREE on Fubo).Wastch NWSL Semifinals on Fubo

Championship

Saturday, Nov. 11

Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California. 8 p.m. ET, CBS, Paramount+ (Watch now)

USMNT Player Tracker: San Siro turns American and Reyna shines again

By Greg O’KeeffeOct 23, 2023

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There is only one place to start with our weekly look at the fortunes of the U.S. men’s national team players — San Siro and a top-of-the-table meeting between AC Milan and Juventus.But American attention wasn’t just on Serie A. Germany, the Netherlands and Scotland also saw members of Gregg Berhalter’s squad in action on a busy weekend.With next year’s home Copa America and the 2026 World Cup in mind, we’re keeping tabs on how they perform each week on our player tracker.

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Issue of the weekend

Sunday night’s game between Milan and Juventus at San Siro was always going to be a big one as the hosts hoped to go top in Serie A and their rivals looked to claw back ground just behind them.Milan vs Juventus is a game that transfixes Italy but the presence of four USMNT players going gave it a unique twist — and served further proof that the influence of American players in some of Europe’s big leagues is only growing.Milan opted to start with USMNT captain Christian Pulisic and midfielder Yunus Musah in their engine room, while Juventus had Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie in midfield.

Juve’s 1-0 win ensured Weah and McKennie were the ones left smiling but for Pulisic, it was a doubly frustrating evening. He was sacrificed before half time by coach Stefano Pioli after team-mate Malick Thiaw was sent off for a foul that denied Moise Kean a clear goalscoring opportunity.“I removed an attacker to maintain the same defensive structure that we had prepared during the week,” Pioli told DAZN afterwards. “I decided to make Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud work against the three Juve defenders and maintain the defensive setup we had, as there were some good reference points against them.“We believed that the contribution of the midfielders like Musah and Tijjani Reijnders, or Giroud holding up the ball for Leao, could allow us to continue being dangerous in attack.”

Yunus Musah takes on Adrien Rabiot (Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Pulisic looked understandably unhappy at making way, although he kept whatever frustration he was feeling bottled up afterwards, restricting himself to saying the result was a “tough one” on his Instagram feed.As for the Americans of Juve, there were more positives to reflect on. Weah put in an eye-catching and influential shift (none of his team-mates eclipsed his six ball recoveries) and he created the game’s crucial moment: his 63rd-minute pass supplied Manuel Locatelli, whose deflected shot sealed victory. McKennie also had the highest passing accuracy (90 per cent) of any of his midfield colleagues.The former Leeds United midfielder completed the full game, too, which will have pleased his father John, who vented his frustration on Twitter a few weeks ago when McKennie was subbed off during a game and replaced by Weah. Great night at the office for all in white and black then? Well, almost. Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri got so wound up towards the end of the tense match that, incensed his players were not keeping the ball better, he tore off his jacket and tie in frustration and was even yellow-carded for rushing out of his technical area to shout orders. A big three points presumably added more than enough consolation after he cooled down.

Allegri loses his cool (Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images)

Player of the weekend

Giovanni Reyna’s two goals lit up the USMNT’s impressive win over Ghana during the international break, with the 20-year-old stepping up his return to the fold under Berhalter following their high-profile falling-out and subsequent reconciliation. The challenge for the midfielder now is to prove he can be consistently available and influential for his club, Borussia Dortmund, too. A lot will depend on whether the pattern of injuries that have dogged Reyna’s young career can abate, but there were encouraging signs on Friday. He did not make the starting line-up but there was much to admire about his half-hour cameo after replacing Marius Wolf.

Reyna, left, continued his good form (Lars Baron/Getty Images)

He created two chances, completed 96 per cent of his passes, drew four fouls and was involved in the game’s only goal that secured Dortmund’s win, linking up with Emre Can who then played in Julian Brandt for the German to calmly convert.

Graphic of the weekend

Saturday saw Auston Trusty make his second career Premier League start for Sheffield United after previously going the distance on October 7 against Fulham. Both matches ended in defeat, as most have for Sheffield United at this stage of the season. However, the former Philadelphia Union homegrown is continuing his emergence since leaving MLS last summer.

After making his first start on his strong-footed left side of the back line, against United, he was shifted across to right center back in a 4-4-2. The unfamiliar vantage point may have played a part in Scott McTominay’s opener, as Trusty was caught in two minds between helping mark Rasmus Hojlund and converging to close the Scottish midfielder’s shooting angle. Dalot’s match-winner left Trusty with his head hung and his hands planted on his knees in frustration. Still, he finished the day second among Sheffield United players for ‘true’ tackles (five) and was only dribbled past once out of five attempts.Sheffield United are going through an injury crisis, with Trusty being just one of two senior center backs who aren’t actively stricken by an injury. The latest, Anel Ahmedhodzic, damaged a hamstring before the United match. As the team struggles to build momentum to stave off an extended relegation battle, Trusty should have ample opportunity to feature and, if he avoids the injury bug that’s feasting in the Bramall Lane dressing room, could improve his case for USMNT involvement.

Jeff Reuter

Quote of the weekend

With four of his players involved in Milan on Sunday, Berhalter was an interested spectator and spoke beforehand about the quartet’s time in Italy.Naturally, the questioning started about Pulisic and whether he was enjoying life at the San Siro but Berhalter wanted to sing the praises of all four.“Very much so,” he said when asked about Pulisic. “But Musah and McKennie also told me that they’re happy in Italy. Christian is unquestionable in terms of talent, as well as his character and tctical ability. At Milan and with Pioli, he has found the confidence to get to the top.“He defends, attacks, dribbles. He is a top player and I’m sure he will become even more complete in Italy. Tim Weah is everybody’s friend. McKennie is the funniest. And then there’s Musah, the bright light, everyone feels his warmth.“Musah is a very strong character and he never leaves you alone. He is a complete, dynamic and versatile midfielder. Weston will make the most of his opportunity, he seems very determined. He can help the team in lots of different ways.”

How did other U.S. players get on?

Name: Malik Tillman
Club: PSV Eindhoven
Position: Midfield
League appearances: Five

He’s already been dropped from the squad for arriving late for a pre-game team meeting this season. Now in his most recent outing for PSV, Tillman cost his side a goal by conceding a daft penalty. Fortunately for the attacking midfielder, his team still won 3-1 to maintain their unbeaten start to the Eredivisie campaign. Tillman had an otherwise quiet game but has the chance to atone this week when PSV face Lens in the Champions League.

Name: Cameron Carter-Vickers
Club: Celtic
Position: Defence
League appearances: Four

Celtic remained comfortably top of the Scottish Premier League after their win over Hearts on Sunday and Cameron Carter-Vickers played a big part in it. His 13 successful duels, the highest of any other player in the game, caught the eye as the 25-year-old nears his best after a hamstring injury caused him to miss five games earlier in the season.

Name: John Brooks
Club: Hoffenheim
Position: Defence
League appearances: Eight

Brooks has been in fine form for Hoffenheim this season but had a rare off day during his team’s 3-1 defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Withdrawn at half-time, the 30-year-old had struggled to cope with forward Omar Marmoush and was dribbled past three times, while winning just two of his six duels.

What’s coming up?

Keep an eye on the Champions League where Tillman, Ricardo Pepi and Sergino Dest could all figure for high-flying PSV against Lens (Tuesday 2pm EST, Paramount+). That day, then on Wednesday, Reyna will hope to feature for Dortmund in the same competition against Newcastle United (2pm EST, Paramount+), and Pulisic and Yunus Musah will also be in Champions League action away to Paris Saint-Germain in Paris (also 2pm EST, Paramount+).

Indy 11 tie San Antonio – Playoffs Sunday 4 pm @ Charleston on ESPN+, MyIndyTV 23

Indy Eleven (13-11-10) closed out the regular season with a 3-3 tie at San Antonio FC (14-6-14) on the road Saturday night. With the tie, Indy finishes the season as the No. 6 seed in the USL Championship Eastern Conference. As the No. 6 seed, Indy will go on the road to face No. 3 Charleston in the opening round of the USL Championship playoffs on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN+ and MyIndyTV 23 or listened to on Serius XM FC 157. 

US Dominates Ghana 4-0

So the US righted the ship Tuesday vs Ghana with a convincing thrashing of Ghana 4-0 in Nashville (Highlights).  Gio Reyna’s coming back party was highlighted with 2 goals ( 1ST | 2ND)  and an assist as he garnered Man of the Match in just one half of play.  Much like his play against Germany – Reyna was world class in the 10 spot feeding the forward, wingers and scoring on his own.  A healthy Gio Reyna could well be the difference maker in our attack moving forward.  US vs Germany (High-lights).  I thought Miles Robinson looked great in the middle with Chris Richards – would have been interesting to see Robinson with Reem at some point.  Sergio Dest was electric in his move from left to his natural right back spot and his combo play with Tim Weah and Reyna was electric.  Balogun showed his prowess with a wonder goal and Pulisic was dangerous as always. 

England certainly looked good vs Italy in their 3-1 win (high-lights) – as England clinches their spot in the Euro’s next summer while Italy has to win its next 2 to qualify. 

US Ladies play Colombia Thur & Sunday

The US ladies are back in camp as they face Colombia Thursday at 9 pm on TBS as they have called a number of new younger players into camp and welcome back captain Becky Suerbrunn who missed the World Cup with injury.  I will be interested to see if newcomers Olivia Moultrie, Sam Coffey, Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw get any time in these friendlies.

Full USWNT roster vs. Colombia Oct 26 & Oct 29

Goalkeepers (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders (9): Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign), M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC)

Midfielders (6): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

Forwards (9): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)

NWSL Playoffs Start Tonight 10 pm Rapinoe last game? & Sun  

Megan Rapinoe will get one more home game in her legendary career, and it could also be her last game. Rapinoe and OL Reign will host Angel City FC on Friday night (tonight) in the first game of the 2023 NWSL playoffs. at 10 pm on Paramount Plus.  Sunday The NWSL playoffs have arrived, as six teams aim to lift the league title on November 11 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.After winning the NWSL Shield, the San Diego Wave will be one of the favorites to lift the title and become just the second team to do so at its home stadium. Only two clubs in the playoffs, the Thorns and the North Carolina Courage, have won the NWSL title before, with four teams vying for their first title.Two of those teams, OL Reign and NJ/NY Gotham FC, will be looking to send two legends of the game (Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger, respectively) into retirement with a championship.

Games to Watch this Week

AC Milan vs Juventus on Paramount Plus leads the hot games for the week for American fans who hope to see Milan’s leading scorer Christian Pulisic & fellow American midfielder Yanus Musah travel to Juventus and American’s Wes McKinney and Tim Weah Sunday at 2:45 pm.  Saturday Chelsea hosts Arsenal at 12:30 pm on NBC as the league leading Gunners will travel to disappointing Chelsea.  MLS host decision day on Sat @ 6 & 9 pm on Apple TV MLS Season pass as the final teams vie for playoff spots. Champions League returns Tues/Wed with the biggest game being AC Milan traveling to PSG with both teams desperate for the points on Wed at 2:45 pm Paramount plus. El Classico – Barcelona vs Real Madrid – rarely disappoints – and this year expect nothing different check out these threads Barca plans to wear  the Rolling Stone hot lips version.  The game will be on ESPN+ next Sunday at 3 pm.  

Tough Day at Murray as Both Carmel Teams Lose Regionals to Cathedral

The Top Ranked Carmel High boys lost a close one to Cathedral 2-1 for a 2^nd straight year in the Regional Finals.  Carmel finished the season at 17-2-2 with its playoff journey taking it through the daunting road of Westfield, Zionsville, North Central, Pike and Cathedral.  Also a tough end to the season for the two-time State Finalist Carmel High Girls lost to Cathedral 2-1 at home Saturday in the Regional Finals.  Cathedral turned the tide from last year with a PK and a questionable goal In the first half and held on to win despite a Red Card controversy in the 2^nd half.  Still a great season for Carmel and their seniors. 

GAMES ON TV

Fri, Oct  20

 2:30 pm ESPN+                 Dortmund (Reyna) vs Werder Bremen

10 pm Paramount+ OL (Seattle) Reign (Rapinoe, Lavelle, Cook) vs LAFC (LeRoux, Thompson)

Sat, Oct  21

7:30am USA                        Liverpool vs Everton

9:30 am ESPN+                  Hoffenheim vs Frankfort

9:30 am ESPN+                  Union Berlin vs Stuttgart

10 am USA                          Man City vs Brighton

10 am Peacock                  Nottingham Forest (Turner) vs Luton Town

10 am Peacock                  Newcastle vs Crystal Palace  

12 noon CBSSN                 Torino vs Inter

12:30 pm NBC                    Chelsea vs Arsenal

12:30 pm ESPN+               Mainz vs Bayern Munich

12:30 pm ESPN+               Sevilla vs Real Madrid

6 pm Apple TV                  MLS Final Day Decision Day

9 pm Apple TV                  Austin vs LA Galaxy

9 pm Univision                  America vs Santos Laguna

11 pm Univsision              Tigres vs Cruz Azul

Sun, Oct  22

7:30am USA                        Liverpool vs Everton

9:30 am ESPN+                  Koln  vs MGladbach (Scally, Pefok)

11:30 am                              Aston Villa vs West Ham United

12 noon CBS SN                Atalanta vs Genoa

2:45 pm Paramount+      AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) vs Juventus (McKinney, Weah)

3 pm ESPN+                        Barcelona vs Athletic Club

4 pm MyIndy TV 23, ESPN+ Indy 11 @ Charleston – Playoffs

7 pm CBSSN North Carolina Courage (Murphy, Fox) vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC (Williams, Mewis)

Mon, Oct 23 –

3:30 pm USA                      Tottenham vs Fulham (Ream, Robinson)  

Tues, Oct 24  — Champs League

12:46 pm Para+, TUDN   Galatasary vs Bayern Munich

12:45 pm Para+                 Inter Milan vs Salzburg

3 pm CBSSN                        Union Berlin vs Napoli

3 pm Para+, Gala              Man United vs Kebenhavn

3 pm para+                         Sevilla vs Arsenal

3 pm para+                         Sporting Braga vs Real Madrid

Weds, Oct 25  — Champs League

12:46 pm Para+, TUDN   Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk  

3 pm CBSSN                        Celtic (Carter Vickers) vs Atletico Madrid  

3 pm Para+, Gala              PSG vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)  

3 pm para+                         New Castle vs Dortmund (Reyna)  

3 pm para+                         Young Boys vs Man City  

9 pm FS2                              Monterrey vs Tijuana

11 pm FS1                            Juerez vs Atletico San Luis

Thurs, Oct 26  — Europa League

12:45 pm Para+                 Olympiakos vs West Ham

3 pm                                      Liverpool vs Maccabi Haifa

3 pm para+                         Panathinaikos vs Rennes (Balogen)

3 pm Para+                         Brighton vs Ajax

Fri, Oct 27 –

3:30 pm USA                      Crystal Palace vs Tottenham

 Sat, Oct  28

7:30am USA                        Chelsea vs Brentfort

9:30 am ESPN+                  Werder Bremen vs Union Berlin

9:30 am ESPN+                  MGladbach (Scally) vs Heidenheim  

10 am USA                          Arsenal vs Sheffield

10:15 am ESPN+                Barcelona vs Real Madrid- El Classico

12:30 pm NBC                    Chelsea vs Arsenal

US Women

USWNT roster: Sophia Smith returns from injury for October friendlies Emma HrubyOct 18, 2023

Becky Sauerbrunn is back with USWNT after missing 2023 World Cup USWNT youth movement arrives with Olivia Moultrie and Jaedyn Shaw USWNT roster: Meet Olivia Moultrie, the NWSL’s groundbreaking teen   USWNT turns the page from 2023 World Cup with latest roster Carli Lloyd: Megan Rapinoe’s kneeling was ‘distracting’ to USWNT   Alex Morgan ranks among top 3 ‘most marketable’ athletes of 2023 US plays Colombia – Roster Drop US Soccer Trailblazing teen earns first USWNT call-up

US Men  

Reyna has breakout game as USMNT routs Ghana

 October 2023 USMNT Friendlies: USA 4-0 Ghana – The Americans coast to an easy victory                  

Analysis & Player Ratings: Dest, Weah, Reyna, & Balogun impress in 4-0 USMNT win over Ghana

Former USMNT captain Michael Bradley retires leaving a mixed legacy  S&S

USA midfielder Adams out five months with injury: report

Analysis: U.S. U-23 team opens Olympic cycle with win over Mexico

USMNT to face Trinidad & Tobago for Copa America berth

Analysis: U.S. U-23 team defeats Japan to cap a successful first camp

• Cremaschi hopes his amazing journey and growth in 2023 leads to the Olympics in 2024

World
Barcelona reveal special Rolling Stones jersey for El Clasico fixture vs Real Madrid
Leaders Milan face title rivals Juve as betting scandal rocks Italy
First-class Fuellkrug lands for Dortmund ahead of Bremen reunion
Ramos set for Real Madrid reunion as Sevilla start new era
England’s Euro 2024 squad: Who’s on the plane, who’s in contention and who has work to do?

 Goalkeeping

 Great Save Matt Turner vs Ghana

Top Saves MLS August
Losing Arsenal number one spot ‘difficult’ – Ramsdale

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NWSL playoffs 2023: Schedule, TV and streaming

Seth Vertelney  follow October 16, 2023 10:06 am ET Pro Soccer Wire

The NWSL playoffs have arrived, as six teams aim to lift the league title on November 11 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. After winning the NWSL Shield, the San Diego Wave will be one of the favorites to lift the title and become just the second team to do so at its home stadium. Last season’s champion, the Portland Thorns, stumbled on the final day of the season to lose the Shield, but still finished second and clinched a bye to the semifinal round. The Thorns will be aiming to become the third NWSL team to repeat as champions. Only two clubs in the playoffs, the Thorns and the North Carolina Courage, have won the NWSL title before, with four teams vying for their first title. Two of those teams, OL Reign and NJ/NY Gotham FC, will be looking to send two legends of the game (Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger, respectively) into retirement with a championship. Below is a schedule of all the games for the 2023 NWSL postseason.

Quarterfinals

Friday, Oct. 20

OL Reign vs. Angel City — Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington. 10 p.m. ET, Paramount+

Sunday, Oct. 22

North Carolina Courage vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC — WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, North Carolina. 7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network.

Semifinals

Sunday, Nov. 5

Portland Thorns vs. North Carolina Courage or NJ/NY Gotham FC — Providence Park, Portland, Oregon. 7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

San Diego Wave vs. OL Reign or Angel City — Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California. 9:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network.

USWNT’s Becky Sauerbrunn, Sophia Smith return to roster ahead of friendlies vs. Colombia Thur/Sun next week

By Meg Linehan Oct 18, 2023

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United States women’s national team interim coach Twila Kilgore has called up 27 players for the October training camp.Kilgore kept things largely the same as last month’s roster, with 24 returning players from the September session. The U.S. will face Colombia in a pair of friendlies later this month in Utah on Oct. 26 and San Diego on Oct. 29. Center back Becky Sauerbrunn makes her return, having missed the 2023 World Cup with a foot injury. While she did not make the September roster, she attended training in Chicago ahead of Megan Rapinoe’s final USWNT match. Portland Thorns forward Sophia Smith also makes her return to the roster following a knee injury that kept her out of the tail end of the NWSL season — she still secured the league’s Golden Boot thanks to her 11 goals. Keeping with the Thorns theme around the roster, Kilgore has called up 18-year-old midfielder Olivia Moultrie for the first time. Moultrie will have an opportunity to earn her first senior national team appearance this month, along with San Diego Wave’s Jaedyn Shaw, who earned her second USWNT call-up on this roster.

Full USWNT roster vs. Colombia

Goalkeepers (3): Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders (9): Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars), Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign), M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC)

Midfielders (6): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

Forwards (9): Mia Fishel (Chelsea FC, ENG), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC), Midge Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC)

Is this more limbo for USWNT?

Yes and no — the coaching search is still in progress, led by U.S. Soccer’s sporting director Matt Crocker. And while September’s games felt strange, between the retirements of midfielder Julie Ertz and Rapinoe, who were stalwarts on the roster, October is a chance to leave some of that dissonance behind and have the team move forward as much as they can while still waiting for the exact vision to take shape under the new coach. That wait could be over by the end of the year.“I am really happy with where we are with the search,” Crocker said in September. “We have an unbelievably diverse pool of exciting candidates. We are on track to be in a position to have the head coach in place ready to support the team from early December.”Meanwhile, on the pitch, Colombia has been a familiar opponent for the USWNT over the years, but they can’t be overlooked as an easy win by any means. They’re one of the few other teams who have qualified for the 2024 Olympics, and their 2023 World Cup run was one for the history books. It’s good timing for a real test for the USWNT and for players to start making their case in earnest. Certainly, any prospective coach will be watching the film.A different-looking midfield

It’s not just the now-retired Ertz’s being taken off the roster for October. Rose Lavelle was called up in September before eventually being replaced, as she continues to work back from a lower leg injury. OL Reign coach Laura Harvey addressed Lavelle’s status following the Reign’s Decision Day win that sent them into the playoffs.She said Lavelle was on the bench “if we desperately needed her to be there, and thankfully we didn’t.” Harvey mentioned Lavelle was running on the field after the match in an effort to continue her preparation for the Reign’s quarterfinal match, though her status or ability to play significant minutes remains unknown.That leaves Lindsey Horan leading the group of six midfielders. Her 135 appearances for the USWNT is more than the other five combined (85 total). The October games should provide an interesting look at potential new combos on the field, though it feels a safe enough assumption that the starting three will be Andi Sullivan, Horan and Ashley Sanchez as the like-for-like replacement to Lavelle.

What they’re saying

“If we just look at the team right now, we know change is coming,” Kilgore said Wednesday when asked about the USWNT’s biggest challenge right now. “We know that we’re coming out of a moment at the World Cup that we’re not satisfied with … We know we have an amazing opportunity to play against Colombia and come back together and continue to improve our style of play and execution of the game plan.“To continue (to) progress in the change on toward the Olympics, both individually and collectively with so much change on the horizon, is a task that we’re up for, but it’s definitely a challenge.”Kilgore also said arrivals for this camp will be staggered, with some arriving three days before the first game, but everyone should be in by matchday minus two.“There’s an opportunity to build on previous performances and make some changes, but there’s a lot of small steps that we can take to improve the performances, that are realistic within a short timeframe.”When addressing Lavelle and Tierna Davidson’s injuries, Kilgore said they’re not ready for international minutes yet and she’s being “careful with protecting players.” Davidson is recovering after suffering a hit to the face in a Sept. 30 game with the Chicago Red Stars.

MEN IN BLAZERS ROGER BENNETT “So much quality when he’s on the field. He definitely brings it to the game. He’s one of my favorite guys to play with. I’m just happy for him. I’m happy he’s back. Hopefully he can go back to (Dortmund) and get more games. I’m just proud of him. This window for him has been amazing.”

—Tim Weah on Gio Reyna, saying what we’re all thinking: that we’re happy he’s back, and that BVB needs to get him on the pitch more

USMNT Fades Against Germany, Smashes Ghana:

The USMNT’s two “friendlies” against Germany and Ghana — a 3-1 loss and a 4-0 win, respectively — weren’t just a tale of two matches, but more a tale of four halves.

We went toe to toe with Germany in the first half of Saturday’s game in Hartford, the first 45 finishing level at 1-1. But then Die Mannschaft adjusted at halftime, us not so much, and we were left drowning in schnitzel in the second stanza. Hence the loss.

Against Ghana, our first half was all free-flowing, creative football, mixed with clinical finishing. We started out with joy and a hard edge, 11 marauding warrior poets on a cool Nashville night. “The guys really came out flying,” said Christian Pulisic afterwards.

But once again, the second half saw a dip in performance. Not to the degree of the Germany match, but still a case of us taking our foot off the gas. A habit even the players would like to rid themselves of.

“Our concentration went down a little bit,” said Sergino Dest. “We were not as sharp as the first half. And I felt like we wanted it, but not as bad as the first half. So I feel like we should improve that and keep going in the second half as well, to smash teams, you know?”

Perhaps it is just a matter of focus and staying sharp. But perhaps there’s another, more obvious reason why the U.S.’s performances dipped in the second half against both Germany and Ghana.

Gio Reyna was on the pitch for neither.

Gio the Big Winner of the Window:

By far the biggest storyline heading into these two matches for the USMNT was the return of Gio Reyna . Working his way back from an injury suffered this summer, the uber-talented 20-year-old attacking midfielder had but 27 minutes of club ball to his name coming into this window. Plus, the whole Greggate thing. So how would Gio respond? Would he fit back in with the team? And how effective would he be as our number 10 in Hartford and Nashville?

To quote the late, great Nashville musician and poet David Berman from his aptly-named song Tennessee, “You’re the only ten I see.” Which is how we were all left feeling after the two halves Gio partook in. You are now the only 10 we see, Gio.

Gio hit the ground running against some familiar faces in Germany, his 45 minutes in Connecticut a collage of saucy dribbles, incisive passes, and solid defending. But then he found another level entirely against Ghana, banging in two goals (WATCH: 1ST | 2ND) and playing with the elite skill and offensive daring that make him such an absolute joy for USMNT fans to watch.

The lad from Bedford, N.Y. ultimately emerged as the one big winner of the entire window. Literally, if you consider that in the two halves he played, the U.S. won 5-1 on aggregate. His play even left the big boss impressed.

“Besides the goals, it was how (Gio) brings players into the attack, how he is able to be calm on the ball, gives us that calm and the poise that we need at times, but then is decisive when making final passes,” said USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter after the Ghana game. “This performance was just an indicator of his entire camp. He had, as I said before, a very strong camp, great mindset, great training sessions.”

Hopefully Dortmund was watching.

MORE: Reyna & Scally’s American Soccer Bromance

Balo, Dest and the Best of the Rest:

Gio was not the only standout performer over both matches, though he was the most standout-iest. But the boys from France and Italy also made their mark.

Balo did his best Hakeem the Dream impersonation against Ghana (WATCH) … Sergino Dest played like a Dutch-American Devin Hester … Puli had two goals, one an all-time Hartford Heater (WATCH), the other a cool, calm pen (WATCH) … And Timmy Weah was stealth brilliant at times, mind-blowingly brilliant at others (WATCH).

Now it’s back to Europe for the lot of them, with those heading back to Italy set to partake in an absolutely mouth-watering Americans Abroad clash between AC Milan and Juventus on Sunday. Yet another reminder of this golden age of American soccer watching that we are currently living in. May it never end.

MORE: Brenden Aaronson’s amazing words of inspiration to young American footballers

The Great, Great, GREAT Lindsey Horan:

While the USMNT was shipping goals to Julian Nagelsmann’s Flannel Army in Hartford, the USWNT’s Lindsey Horan  (29; Golden, CO) was kicking some ASSE in France. The Great Horan pulled off a hat-trick in Lyon’s 6-0 win over AS Saint-Etienne on Saturday (WATCH: 1ST | 2ND | 3RD). The goals were Horan’s first of the season, and helped keep OL atop France’s Division 1 Féminine. Allez Lindz!!!

MORE: Horan among call-ups for USWNT October friendlies with Colombia

News and Notes:

West Brom boss Carlos Corberan provided an update on Daryl Dike (23; Edmond, OK), confirming that the USMNT striker isn’t likely to return from his ruptured Achilles until after the holiday season.  “He’s very committed with the club. He’s very committed with his recovery, but it’s a very long-term injury, so he’s one player that I cannot expect to play until January.”Josh Sargent  (23; O’Fallon, MO) has signed a contract extension with Norwich City through 2028.  “”I see myself as being a big part of the team moving forward. My family have settled really well here, we’re really happy with our time so far here. It’s a lovely place to live. I really want to get promoted with this club, it’s the biggest thing.” Congrats, O’Fallon d’Or! Congrats are also in order to the US U23s — the true Baby Eagles — who beat Japan 4-1 on Tuesday after topping Mexico 2-1 on Wednesday. Mini Medford Messi Paxten Aaronson  (20; Medford, NJ) was in the goals against Japan (WATCH).

Parting Shots:

A special Parting Shot this week, as Rog provides a tribute to Michael Bradley, the Great American Midfielder and son of former USMNT manager Bob Bradley, who has announced his retirement.

Here’s to Michael Bradley, who announced Tuesday he will retire at the end of this MLS season — his 10th with Toronto FC. The 36-year-old won 151 USMNT caps (third-most all time), went to two World Cups, and had an accomplished European career with Borussia Monchengladbach, Chievo Verona, AS Roma, and others.

His legacy was forever intertwined with the darkness of the failed 2018 World Cup Qualifying cycle, but it should not be. He was a remarkable human being at his peak to witness. Before he returned to MLS, he played with the simmering intensity of Jean-Luc Picard, Yul Brynner, and Jason Statham compressed into a single human being. A ferocious player on the field, and, to be honest, a ferociously guarded interview as well.

In that 2014 cycle it felt like the whole American game depended on the balance between pushing Michael Bradley forward and keeping Michael Bradley back. He was that dominant on both sides of the ball. I interviewed him the night before the Snowmageddon game, and his methodically-selected words emerged with a fierceness that suggested each had been forged in an incandescent foundry burning somewhere deep inside of him. He kept swiping the air with his hotel key card to punctuate his points. I was sure he was going to slice my nose off. We talked for a long time, and he reminded me of his famous quote after the 2009 Confederations Cup when we shocked Spain: “All the [expletive] experts in America, everybody who thinks they know everything about soccer, they can all look at the score tonight, and let’s see what they have to say now.”

That is how he should be remembered. A player constantly written off, yet loved his chances to win, because of it, not in spite of it. And he most often did win.

“

Burke: Don’t judge the USMNT like a club team; international soccer is unpredictable

By Elias Burke Oct 18, 2023

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When Brazil was invited to the Gold Cup ahead of the 1998 World Cup, it was a great chance for CONCACAF to get a genuine World Cup contender on American soil. When the U.S. was drawn against the Samba Kings in the semifinals, most people would have expected Brazil to win comfortably.This was not a vintage Brazil side; Romario headlined a squad made up of fringe players, yet it was still the four-time world champions against a soccer minnow, and it was still Romario, one of the greatest strikers in history, against defenders earning comparative chump change. No amount of plucky underdog American spirit was expected to tame genuine star quality.Things didn’t quite go that way. Inspired by an era-defining performance by goalkeeper Kasey Keller, the only player to wear the stars and stripes that day playing outside of MLS, the USMNT defied the odds to win 1-0 off a goal from Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic in front of a crowd of just under 13,000.

United States men’s soccer was hot. Including that Brazil win, Steve Sampson’s side was on a six-match winning streak, and the future of American soccer had never looked so bright. If you can beat Brazil, you can beat anyone… right? Well, that sense of belief carried into the World Cup that summer and propelled the United States to… a last-placed finish in the tournament.It’s a quintessential example of one of the main differences between international and club soccer: individual results generally don’t mean much in internationals. Most games are not in the competitions that matter (World Cups and qualifiers). Venues are various and players are unavailable for all sorts of reasons completely out of the manager’s control. It’s an unpredictable brand of the sport where success is extraordinarily hard to come by, even for so-called superpowers. A lot about soccer has changed in the near-quarter-century since USA 1, Brazil 0, but that much hasn’t.Yet I get the sense that some U.S. fans (though certainly not all of them) are watching this young, still-developing squad as if it were a club team – a situation where game-to-game results really do have a distinct impact on things. And perhaps no recent international window better encapsulates the fault in that thinking than this last one, which saw the U.S. fall 3-1 to Germany on Saturday in Hartford, Conn. before Tuesday’s dominant 4-0 win over Ghana in Nashville, Tenn.

There will be a wave of positivity after the Ghana game, just like there was marked discontent among many after the Germany game. And perhaps a certain amount of that is good: the fanbase is no longer content with being plucky underdogs against the traditional soccer superpowers. It expects to compete, particularly on home soil. But one must also acknowledge some realities.At the international level, coaches are not afforded the time on the training pitch to develop comprehensive tactical schemes to counterbalance a difference in individual quality. World-class talent often shines through. Germany had a red-hot Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala and Ilkay Gundogan as proven game-changers – the U.S. options are certainly talented and promising but comparatively untested in the biggest games. At the coaching level, small adjustments can make all the difference; in this aspect, Germany’s Julian Nagelsmann is among the world’s upper echelons. As for Berhalter, who is contracted to lead the United States’ “golden generation” through to the home World Cup in 2026, the jury is still out.The U.S. could have held on to win that game in Hartford 1-0, and all those things would still be true.A few days later in Nashville, the U.S. seemed to right its wrongs, blitzing Ghana with three quick goals in the first half and keeping the pressure on them throughout. Gio Reyna looked excellent in his 45-minute appearance, scoring two goals from the No. 10 position he has stated is his preferred spot to play.Yet still there are larger questions: If Reyna is to play at the No. 10, will the midfield unit as a whole be strong enough to control matches against better opponents? And what’s the backup plan if Reyna can’t go amid his continued injury issues? How does Tyler Adams, the U.S. captain at the World Cup who could be out for a significant stretch with his own injury, fit in upon his return?Ghana could have somehow pulled off its own U.S. vs. Brazil result in this one, and those questions would still be relevant to this team in the next World Cup cycle.

Over the next three years, including next year’s Copa America, Berhalter will oversee wins, losses and draws that may seem to be defining for one reason or another. But the journey between international tournaments is long and torturous, and putting too much stock into matches in between is something fans the world over have learned is largely futile. This isn’t a league, where a loss can dent your title hopes, or a win can steer you clear of relegation. Shutout streaks and goal-scoring runs don’t build momentum in the same way. Tactical breakthroughs can be easily abandoned. Nothing matters more than finding balance.

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Still, the opportunity to face the best can be a useful measuring stick, and last year’s draw with England in the group stage of the World Cup acts as a useful blueprint for success for a team capable of hurting opposition of all levels in transition.

The reality is that winning teams at the international level often sacrifice style for substance, favoring a pragmatic approach with a sprinkling of match-winning talent to make the difference against the best. Even the great Spain sides of 2008, 2010 and 2012 prioritized a slow build-up and possession as a method of protection over the more attacking “tiki-taka” style from that era’s all-conquering Barcelona side.

The USMNT has come a hell of a long way since 1998, but the demands are basically the same. Sometimes it takes heroic goalkeeping displays, a water-tight defensive shape and goals against the run of play to find success when it matters most: just ask Morocco, who would not trade their journey to the semi-final of the World Cup for an expansive style that may have caused an earlier exit.

Or ask the 1998 USMNT, whose signature win came within months of its most disappointing performance in the modern era.

USA vs. Ghana, 2023 Friendly: Man of the Match

Gio! Gio! Stars & Stripes

The United States Men’s National Team got back on track Tuesday night in Nashville, defeating Ghana 4-0 in a dazzling first half display of offense. The USMNT looked great in rebounding from their loss to Germany over the weekend, and got some goals from some of their brightest stars.

Gio Reyna’s two goals were the highlights of the night, and the SSFC community thought he was the best player on the field. His 8.76 average rating easily earned him the SSFC Man of the Match. Tim Weah, Sergiño Dest, and fellow goalscorers Folarin Balogun and Christian Pulisic all earned average ratings over 7 from the community.

The full SSFC community ratings:

Gio Reyna – 8.76

Tim Weah – 7.87

Folarin Balogun – 7.86

Sergiño Dest – 7.83

Christian Pulisic – 7.74

Matt Turner – 7.34

Chris Richards – 6.58

Miles Robinson – 6.45

Kristoffer Lund – 6.40

Yunus Musah – 6.38

Weston McKennie – 6.38

Gio Reyna’s first-half brace guides USMNT to 4-0 friendly win over Ghana

By Paul Tenorio and The Athletic StaffOct 17, 2023

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The U.S. men’s national team toppled Ghana 4-0 in Tuesday’s friendly in Nashville, Tenn., behind Gio Reyna’s first career international brace. Here’s what you need to know:

• Reyna opened the scoring in the 10th minute, blasting home a loose ball in the box for his first USMNT goal since June 2021. He added another on a dazzling indirect free kick inside the box in the 39th minute.
• The 20-year-old Reyna returned to the squad in Saturday’s friendly loss to Germany after suffering a leg fracture in the CONCACAF Nations League final in June. That game also marked his first match under coach Gregg Berhalter since their relationship came under the microscope after the 2022 World Cup.
• Christian Pulisic — who assisted on Reyna’s second goal — converted a penalty in the 19th minute and Folarin Balogun made it 3-0 in the 22nd minute on a goal assisted by Tim Weah. All three goalscorers were subbed off at the start of the second half.

How USMNT performed against Ghana

It was everything Berhalter could have asked for. Coming out of the 3-1 loss to Germany, the USMNT coach said the team sat down for a video session to go over where things had gone wrong in their first friendly in this window. The U.S. needed to be more precise, more decisive and more organized in key moments against Germany. The response against Ghana was all over those things.he U.S. needed just 22 minutes to take a three-goal lead, the fastest the U.S. had taken a three-goal lead against a non-CONCACAF opponent since at least 1931, per Opta. How’s that for getting better? Ghana did not look good, and you could argue that three of the four goals came off of big Ghanaian mistakes, but the U.S. took full advantage and held a four-goal lead at the half. It was a wonderful performance that saw Reyna, Balogun, Weah and Pulisic all get involved — which is exactly what the U.S. wants. — Paul Tenorio, senior soccer writer

Evaluating Reyna’s performance

Reyna again played just 45 minutes in the game, but once again put in a very effective shift and this time got on the scoresheet with his first brace in a U.S. crest. Reyna opened the night by volleying home a rebound from a sliding clearance 10 minutes into the game, then scored another goal off of an indirect free kick from inside the Ghanaian 18-yard box. Reyna will be pleased with his output over the first two games and with his role in the team, playing as a No. 10 in midfield, which he prefers over the winger role he played for all of the last qualifying cycle. — Tenorio

Looking ahead to Nations League quarterfinals

The pairings for the Nations League quarterfinal will officially be announced on Wednesday, but results were trending on Tuesday night toward the U.S. facing Trinidad and Tobago in a home-and-home next month. A win over T&T isn’t just about booking a place in the CONCACAF Nations League final four and a chance at a third straight Nations League title, but also a berth in next summer’s Copa America.

The U.S. will go into those games with confidence, for sure, after the result on Tuesday night. — Tenorio

What they’re saying

“We learned a lot of lessons against Germany, for sure,” Balogun said “We had a lot of meetings and we decided we wanted to have a reaction tonight and I felt like we showed that with a good performance, especially in the first half. From this camp, we just learned we have to improve to compete against the top, top teams.”

USMNT analysis  BRIAN SCIARETTA American Soccer Now.com

Analysis & Player Ratings: Dest, Weah, Reyna, & Balogun impress in 4-0 USMNT win over Ghana

The USMNT ended the October window with a convincing 4-0 win over Ghana in Nashville behind two goals from Gio Reyna, and one from Pulisic and and Balogun. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta offers up his thoughts and player ratings. 

HE UNITED STATES national team rebounded from Saturday’s loss to Germany with a convincing 4-0 rout over Ghana on Tuesday night at GEODIS Park in Nashville. The U.S. team scored all of its goals between the 10^th and 39^th minutes in a relentless offensive display before coasting against a Ghana team that was very poor on the night.

For U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter, it was a great way to end camp.

Gio Reyna scored the opening and final U.S. goals. The first came at the end of a furious rush up the field led by Sergino Dest. The PSV right back played Folarin Balogun into the box and his cross was blocked by Ghana’s Nicholas Opoku and fell right to Reyna for a close finish.

The second goal was a penalty after Gideon Mensah tripped Tim Weah in the box. Christian Pulisic took the ensuing penalty and hit it up the middle past Abdul Narudeen.

Three minutes after conceding a penalty, Ghana conceded again. Opoku was stripped of the ball deep in his own third by Weah who then fed Balogun in the middle for a calm but powerful finish from close range.

Then in the 39th, the U.S. team was a awarded an indirect free kick inside its own box on a violation from Opoku. Reyna tapped it to Pulisic, Pulisic tapped it to Reyna who powered it into the top shelf.

In the second half, the U.S. continued to control the game albeit with the intensity notched down a bit. The 4-0 scoreline held, and the U.S. concluded its October window with a win.

Here are some thoughts.

DEST & WEAH LEAD THE RIGHT SIDE

The U.S. team best line of attack was the right side of the field. That is where a majority of the team’s scoring chances came from.

Neither Sergino Dest nor Tim Weah scored or directly assisted in this game, but they were the two best players in the game. Both carved Ghana apart attacking the right side by making effective dribbles, finding spaces for through balls, drawing fouls in the attacking third, and drawing attention from defenders to create space for others.

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Dest has had some quality moments on the left side, but he is far more comfortable on both sides of the ball while playing on the right side. After he struggled against Germany, this game was a good game for him to showcase his ability and head back to PSV more confident.

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As for Weah, he just needs to get on the field for Juventus. It doesn’t matter if he’s a right wingback for his club and a pure winger for the U.S. team. He can adjust fine. The question is just getting on the field.

REYNA CAPS STRONG CAMP

Reyna was very dangerous in this game, and he ended camp in a great position. In total, he played 90 minutes over two games and the U.S. team outscored its opponents 5-1 with him on the field. The U.S. team was outscored 2-0 without him on the field. That’s not by accident.

It’s more than the goals. Both of the goals he scored against Ghana were fairly lucky – a fortuitous bounce off a bad block and an indirect free kick inside the box are not highlight goals. But the revealing nature is what Reyna does for other players. He opens the game up offensively. He is that critical connection between the midfield and the attack that allows Balogun, Pulisic, and Weah to be far more dangerous.

 FINDING BALOGUN

It was critical that the team find ways to make Balogun more dangerous. This was stressed repeatedly in camp. Berhalter said that most of Balogun’s goals at the club level come from great movements in the box that his teammates identify and are able to get him the ball. It’s harder to develop that chemistry at the international level because teams are not together nearly as much, but it can be done. It’s just a longer process.

The Ghana game was a big step in the right direction. Balogun’s goal wasn’t the best indicator of that because that was a bad turnover. But the opening goal was stronger evidence the team is finding out how to pick him up. Dest had a good idea where Balogun was going to be in the box and got it to him for the dangerous cross that was blocked to the feet of Reyna.

But a revealing stat is simply the total number of Balogun shots. In this game he had five shots in just 45 minutes of action. That is indeed a furious pace, made possible by teammates who are getting a better idea of how to get him the ball.

GHANA’S TERRIBLE NIGHT

The U.S. team played well, but it would also be fair to mention that Ghana was simply terrible in this game. It was more than just getting out-played. Ghana was making errors that were almost amateur in nature.

Mensah’s foul on Weah for the penalty showed a complete lack of awareness. It was unnecessary and Weah was in the box but was not in a dangerous position to create a scoring chance. Opoku had a nightmare performance and was at fault for the first, the third, and the fourth goals. Then conceding an indirect free kick from 10 yards was also completely unavoidable.

It wasn’t long into the first half when Ghana looked like they didn’t want to be there. They were fouling carelessly because they didn’t want to defend properly. Their fullbacks were constantly caught up the field and out of possession. And only once could they muster a shot that tested Turner.

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QUESTIONS UNANSWERED

The U.S. team played well against Ghana and made progress in key areas – such as making effective use out of Reyna and developing chemistry with Balogun.

But some key questions were left unanswered. For example, did Berhalter learn enough about central defense combination? The answer is probably not. The Germany game wasn’t great by any means, but central defense was also hung out to dry by the midfield. Against Ghana, Miles Robinson and Chris Richards (followed by Cameron Carter-Vickers) just did not have a lot to do. They were not bad at all. But Ghana’s poor outing left the central defenders with more of an incomplete grade.

There is also the question about playing without Tyler Adams. Adams was sorely missed against Germany as all three German goals came up the middle of the field. Adams likely would have been a huge help.

Johnny Cardoso got an unexpected start against Ghana. His 34/36 passing was a positive for the team, but again defense is the question at this position and Cardoso was untested. Lennard Maloney likewise had a lot of questions about what he could offer the team in terms of his foot speed, his progressive passing, his ability to hold the ball, etc. But the intensity of the game was completely dialed back when he came into the game for Cardoso in the 65^th minute. It was hard to tell either way.

Finally, Kristoffer Lund had a pretty good game as well at left back, but most of the attacking came up the right side. It’s hard to say yet that he is clearly the team’s backup left back behind Antonee Robinson but Berhatler is giving him a solid look.

MOVING FORWARD INTO NOVEMBER

The U.S. team will now only have CONCACAF Nations League games and January camp through the summer. Because of that, players will need to maintain a high level with their clubs. The U.S. team won’t be seriously tested until a possible Mexico game or Canada game in March.

For now, it’s worth keeping an eye on certain players. Can Weah find his way back into the starting XI for Juventus on a regular basis – and by extension can Weston McKennie remain as a central midfielder?

The lack of playing time for Richards is a huge concern and it hurts his ability to play consistently well for the U.S. team. Will he push for a loan or transfer in January? If so, what will be his chances to start with his new club? The same with Robinson who seems very likely to move in January as well. As with any player heading towards a move, there are natural risks associated with playing time.

Tim Ream continues to impressively hold off Father Time, but eventually he will lose that battle – like everyone does. The question is how much longer? He seems to be a player who goes month-by-month.

Then there is the long list of those outside of the team who are pushing to get into the mix. Brandon Vazquez has been great for Cincinnati and is pushing for a move this winter. How does he compete with Ricardo Pepi who plays limited minutes at PSV? The same with Josh Sargent when he returns from injury or Haji Wright.

Mark McKenzie, Auston Trusty, and Walker Zimmerman are still in the central defense pool. Perhaps one or two of them emerge as overage candidates for the Olympic team?

PLAYER RATINGS

THE STARTING XI

Matt Turner: The New Jersey native made a huge save in the 41^st minute on a shot from Mohammed Kudus. But aside from that, it was a relatively easy night. He did everything that was asked of him. Rating: 6.5

Sergino Dest: The PSV right back was one of the best players on the field as his dribbling and passing opened the right side of the field. Defensively, he was sufficient. Rating: 8.5

Chris Richards: Along with Miles Robinson, Richards was in a pairing that didn’t have to do much. But what they did, they did well. Ghana had one shot in this game that tested turner and that was from distance. Rating: 6.5

Miles Robinson: Was the same as Richards, only he went the full 90. He helped contain Ghana, who generated little on the day. Rating: 6.5

Kristoffer Lund: The Palermo left back wasn’t flashy and made no noticeable errors. He attacked well, but wasn’t as explosive as Dest as most of the U.S. team’s best chances came from the right side. Rating: 6.0

Johnny Cardoso: Defensively he was untested but with the ball, Cardoso was effective getting the ball to the attackers and being that link between defense and offense. Rating: 6.5

Yunus Musah: The AC Milan midfielder had a quiet night but he was still useful in his 75 minutes to keep possession and link the defenders to the midfield – something that was a problem Berhalter wanted to fix from the Germany loss. Rating: 6.0

Gio Reyna: It wasn’t either of his fortuitous goals that made Reyna great in this game. It was how he opened the game up for his teammates. 30/31 passing with seven passes into the final third, effective runs. He made the offense run. Rating: 8.0

Tim Weah: Was also one of the best U.S. players on the day as his right side was where almost all of the goals and chances originated. He drew a penalty. He provided the steal and assist on Balogun’s goal. He made runs that put Ghana on their heels. He was instrumental in the winning effort. Rating: 8.0

Christian Pulisic: He wasn’t as active from the run of play over his 45 minutes as the other attackers, but he made the most of his penalty and on the exchange off the indirect free kick. Rating: 6.5

Folarin Balogun: The Monaco forward played to his strengths and made a huge impact in the game. His movements helped create the first goal and score the third. It was a very good 45 minutes for Balogun who continues to grow within this team. Rating: 8.0

THE SUBSTITUTES

Ricardo Pepi: Played the second half but was hardly noticeable with 14 touches, three completed passes, and no shots. Rating: 5.0

Weston McKennie: Played the second half and did well to connect long balls to switch the point of possession. He also defended well to keep Ghana off the board. Rating: 6.0

Brenden Aaronson: Had one dangerous moment, but otherwise was quiet in playing the second half – completing all seven of his passes. Rating: 5.5

Lennard Maloney: The Heidenheim defensive midfielder made his U.S. debut and played conservatively with the ball and sat in front of the backline to help keep the clean sheet. Rating: 5.5

Cameron Carter-Vickers: The Celtic central defender replaced Richards in the 72^nd minute but didn’t have much to do by that point to see out the win. Rating: 5.5

Luca de la Torre: Replaced Musah in the 75^th minute and looked to get the ball forward into the attacking half, but the U.S. team was simply focused on keeping a clean sheet to end the game by that point. Rating: 5.5

MORE STORIES

• Analysis: U.S. U-23 team defeats Japan to cap a successful first camp
• Cremaschi hopes his amazing journey and growth in 2023 leads to the Olympics in 2024
• After a frantic start, USMNT looses control of tempo & focus in “moments” during 3-1 loss to Germany
• Analysis: U.S. U-23 team opens Olympic cycle with win over Mexico
• Thoughts on Mitrovic’s first U-23 roster as the team starts Olympic preparations

Giovanni Reyna’s drought-ending goals could signal a new era

• Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff WriterOct 18, 2023, 12:36 AM ET

fter two more than two years, Giovanni Reyna‘s goalless drought with the United States is over.The 20-year-old attacking midfielder bagged his first-ever international brace as the U.S. overwhelmed Ghana 4-0 on Tuesday at Geodis Park in Nashville. All four goals came in the first half with the three goal scorers — Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun and Reyna — exiting after 45 minutes.For Reyna, the performance represents an important step forward, both for the U.S. and for his prospects at the club level, where he has appeared just once this season for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.Let’s start with what it means for him in a U.S. shirt.The past two years have been close to a worst-case scenario. That’s partly because of the expectations that accompanied his debut in a friendly against Wales as a 17-year-old in 2020. It was hard not to view him as anything other than a superstar-in-waiting. He had already broken through at Dortmund, had made an impact in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League and slotted right into coach Gregg Berhalter’s U.S. starting XI — a place he figured to occupy with the team for the next decade or so.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• Explaining Gio Reyna’s potential vs. his lack of USMNT, Dortmund success3dRyan O’Hanlon
• Ex-USMNT captain Michael Bradley set to retire2dESPN News Services
• The USMNT’s struggle to play well without Tyler Adams is a problem3dJeff Carlisle

That status quo remained right up until the start of World Cup qualifying, when he got injured at El Salvador in the first of the 14-game process. Since then, it has been setback after setback. Injuries have been the primary culprit and, of course, there was the embarrassing family drama that tarnished the World Cup and contributed to Berhalter’s absence from the team for half a year. There will come a time when that saga won’t have to be rehashed but, given this was Reyna’s first camp under Berhalter since their once-close families’ very public falling out, this always figured to serve as a significant milestone.

We aren’t privy to an honest accounting of what the Berhalter-Reyna interactions were like this last week, but the on-field results were encouraging. Against Germany on Saturday, the U.S. was demonstrably better with Reyna on the field, and that was the case again vs. Ghana. With Reyna playing both games in more of a central midfield role underneath Balogun up top, the U.S. is perhaps as dangerous in the attacking third as it has ever been. Reyna’s position with the national team has been a topic of debate since his breakthrough. Prior to the game against Germany, Berhalter had strictly used Reyna as a winger. The logic was easy to follow: It put Reyna in a place to impact the game offensively, while allowing the midfield three of Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Yunus Musah to play together. Except as good as that trio was at times, the combination didn’t lead to much in the attack. The team struggled to consistently create chances throughout World Cup qualifying and at the World Cup.

With Reyna floating in advanced role in midfield, all of a sudden the team has someone who can create, score and dictate the game. That element combined with Balogun’s talent at striker — with Pulisic and Timothy Weah on the wings — should solve a lot of what has plagued the U.S.

Reyna’s first goal illustrated that. Balogun was played into a dangerous area by Sergiño Dest, and his strike across the box rebounded to Reyna, who calmly smashed it home in the 10th minute. It wasn’t precision execution by any means, but the result of good things happening by applying pressure. After a penalty from Pulisic, Balogun showcased an impressive turn and finish after Weah forced a turnover. The rout was on just 22 minutes into the game.

A clever indirect free kick sequence initiated by Balogun and Pulisic from inside the box set up Reyna for his second, despite all 11 Ghanaian players posted up below the penalty spot.

The U.S. was so dominant in the first half Tuesday, it was fair to question the Black Stars’ motivation. A classic chicken-or-egg dilemma to assign credit and blame. The reality, though, was the U.S. fielded a strong, motivated lineup on home soil against a team that has more pressing fixtures ahead on the schedule.

As insightful as Reyna’s 90 minutes this window were for the national team, they also could serve as a springboard to more playing time back in Germany. There were no obvious signs of rust from his return from a foot injury he suffered with the U.S. during the Nations League in June, and the hope for Berhalter was that minutes with the U.S. — his half-time substitutions were planned — would help improve his fitness and show Reyna was again ready to contribute. There’s now hope Reyna can rekindle that trajectory in Dortmund.

Did Neymar have his career derailed… before he was 21?

This was supposed to be one of the greatest players to ever play the game – yet he missed over 100 matches for Paris Saint-Germain. Injury has robbed us of an all-timer in the league of Pele – and it’s ironic, in a way.

Neymar was hailed as the new Pele while coming through at Santos. Incredibly, he played more times for his boyhood side than any other in his career. But what may shock you… is how many times that actually was.

225 – all before the age of 21. That’s an astounding number of senior matches in one of the most physical environments in professional football. Is it possible that Neymar simply burned out over time?

The Brazilian was never the most physical player, anyway. He was slight and wiry, drawing fouls from opponents as his ankles took the brunt. It was brutal in Brazil: it didn’t ease off too much in Europe.

In England, we cite the cases of Jack Wilshere and Michael Owen as wonderkid superstars who were burdened with regular roles at a young age. There’s a parallel with Neymar – and he didn’t exactly get much respite. A talisman for club and country, he was constantly being rushed back to action, whether that’s vital Champions League knockout fixtures every blooming season or World Cup games as recently as last December.

There was those shocked by him moving to Saudi Arabia at 31, yet it’s not too uncommon for many Brazilians to leave Europe at an early age, is it?

The move to Paris Saint-Germain never helped Neymar’s case to be the GOAT… and neither did Brazil

Ultimately, Neymar had a damn fine career – but the 2017 record-breaking move to PSG was the breaking point. He moved to step out of Messi’s shadow and became responsible for pushing a boulder up the hill in France. 

Likewise, Brazil has not been blessed with another generation of the three Rs, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. The 2010s gave them just one man with the talent of all three – and he couldn’t drag them to glory on his own, as he bowed out from the Selecao’s best chance, a home World Cup, with a serious back injury. Neymar may well be remembered for being a disappointment by some. He had the hopes of his country on his shoulders and Messi’s move to PSG was seen as some as proof that Neymar on his own there had failed. But it’s important to note just how big the hype was – and just how big the natural talent was to accompany it. Unfortunately, when you’re just that good… you’re going to play a lot. Seemingly, Neymar’s body couldn’t take the strain.

OL Reign vs. Angel City FC: How to watch NWSL quarterfinal, TV channel, streaming

Megan Rapinoe will get one more home game in her legendary career, and it could also be her last game

Rapinoe and OL Reign will host Angel City FC on Friday night in the first game of the 2023 NWSL playoffs.

Rapinoe, who is retiring at the end of the season, scored a double against Chicago last weekend to ensure OL Reign reached the quarterfinal, while Angel City earned an emphatic 5-1 win over Portland on the season’s final day to clinch the franchise’s first playoff berth.Watch Megan Rapinoe on Paramount+

The biggest question around this game for OL Reign surrounds the health of Rose Lavelle, who has hardly played this season. Head coach Laura Harvey said Lavelle could have played against Chicago, but only if the club “desperately needed her to be there.” The latest is that Lavelle is available, but the USWNT playmaker’s ability to play major minutes is still an unknown.There was better news on fullback Sofia Huerta, who returned from a hamstring injury against the Red Stars.Angel City will look to keep up its surge under interim coach Becki Tweed, who has led the team to just one loss in her 11 league matches in charge.The winner of this match will face the San Diego Wave in the semifinal next weekend.

Here’s everything you need to know to catch the action:

OL Reign vs. Angel City FC (NWSL quarterfinal)

• When: Friday, Oct. 20
• Where: Lumen Field (Seattle)
• Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
• Channel/streaming: Paramount Plus in the United States, internationally at NWSLSoccer.com.

NWSL playoffs starting lineups

OL Reign possible lineup:
Dickey; McClernon, Barnes, Cook, Huerta; Quinn, Sonnett; Rapinoe, Fishlock, Latsko; Huitema

Angel City FC possible lineup:
Anderson; Vignola, Nielsen, Gorden, Riley; Hammond, Henry; Camberos, McCaskill, Emslie; LerouxWatch OL Reign vs Angel City FC

Related

‘She is who she is for a reason’ – Rapinoe staves off retirement with Decision-Day brace

NWSL playoffs 2023: Schedule, TV and streaming

OL Reign sets standalone NWSL attendance record for Rapinoe farewell game

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Earn Your College Degree at ½ the Cost and Time of Traditional Schools  www.achievetestprep.com/shane

The US Men got spanked by Germany 3-1 on Saturday and now will face a Ghana tonight at 8:30 pm on TNT and Peacock. This Ghana team that lost to Mexico 2-0 over the weekend. Watch Christian Pulisic score a worldie against Germany Ok lets start with this is not a good loss to a more talented and better team. Germany sucks right now and has not played well for months – hell years to be honest. This is a poor German side that we should have tied at worst. Richards was exposed AGAIN – Miles Robinson is our best inside back with Ream and Dest is NOT and never will be. Outside back Scally showed me enough to jetison Dest unless we are down 2 at the half. Adding the Robinson’s would have kept this at 1-1. Simple enough. Now let’s see if GB has the brains to at lest put Miles in. Have to have speed next to Ream not cluelessness. Now we see why Richards can’t get time in the EPL – needs more learning. The offense in the first half especially was exciting and we created lots of chances. Pulisic was fouled by Ter Stegan (who played fantastically) should have been 2-0 early. Still we could not feed Balogun but Pulisic and Weah were electric. We lost the Dmid though – Musah can not be that guy to replace Adams against good teams. Now Ghana is not good – but I am going to guess they will slide 1 in somehow – so how about 2-1 USA.

Shane’s Starters for today

Pulisic/Balogun/Reyna

Musah//McKinney

Lennard Maloney

Jones//Ream//Miles Robinson//Scally

US Roster for Ghana Game

GOALKEEPERS (2): Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 9/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 33/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 12/0),Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 28/2), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution; 7/0), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 2/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 52/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 12/1), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 26/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 6/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Johnny Cardoso (Internacional/BRA; 7/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 17/0), Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim/GER; 0/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 46/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 29/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 20/4), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 6/0)

FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin/GER; 34/8), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 4/2), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; 1/0), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 18/9), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 62/26), Tim Weah (Juventus/ITA; 33/5)

Indy 11 Wrap Up Season with 3-3 win @ San Antonio

 Indy Eleven scored a pair of first half goals then held on for a 3-3 win at San Antonio on the road Saturday evening. The win improved the Boys in Blue to 13-12-9 on the season, Indy has already clinched a USL Championship playoff spot, its third since joining the league in 2018.

Tough Day at Murray as Both Carmel Teams Lose Regionals to Cathedral

The Top Ranked Carmel High boys lost a close one to Cathedral 2-1 for a 2^nd straight year in the Regional Finals.  Carmel finished the season at 17-2-2 with its playoff journey taking it through the daunting road of Westfield, Zionsville, North Central, Pike and Cathedral.  Also a tough end to the season for the two-time State Finalist Carmel High Girls lost to Cathedral 2-1 at home Saturday in the Regional Finals.  Cathedral turned the tide from last year with a PK and a questionable goal In the first half and held on to win despite a Red Card controversy in the 2^nd half.  Still a great season for Carmel and their seniors. 

UEFA European Championship TV schedule

• Tuesday, October 17
  • 02:45 PM ET Lithuania vs. Hungary (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ET Malta vs. Ukraine (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ET Northern Ireland vs. Slovenia (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ET San Marino vs. Denmark (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ET England vs. Italy (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • FS1,
    • Replay Midnight on FS1
  • 8:30 pm USA vs Ghana TNT, PEacock
  • 2 am Euro Qualifier Highlights

USA

USMNT has Midfield dilemmas and no simple Solution – yahoo Soccer – Bushnell

USMNT taught tough lessons in attacking precision, defensive shape vs. Germany  2dJeff Carlisle

Pulisic earns 7/10 rating as defense struggles in 3-1 Germany loss 3dCesar Hernandez

Berhalter: Defensive woes cost U.S. vs. Germany

2023 October Friendlies – USA 1-3 Germany: The USMNT wilts despite high expectations

2023 USMNT Friendly: Scouting Ghana

USA vs. Germany, 2023 Friendly: Man of the Match

After a frantic start, USMNT looses control of tempo & focus in “moments” during 3-1 loss to Germany

How a twist of fate, family advice helped Balogun become the USMNT’s next big thing
How will USMNT line up vs Ghana?

Gio looks good – but US loses 3-1  Mike DeCourcy Sporting News

Aaronson: ‘We’ve learned so many things’ from Ger loss

Ranking all USMNT vs. Ghana matchups

USMNT still not ready for the elite of international soccer after getting picked apart by Germany

Gregg Berhalter faults USMNT for not unlocking Folarin Balogun vs. Germany: ‘It’s about just looking for him’

Analysis: U.S. U-23 team opens Olympic cycle with win over Mexico

World

• Can Luciano Spalletti remake his Napoli recipe in charge of Italy?
• England fans may have turned on Jordan Henderson — but he still has Gareth Southgate
  England vs Italy: Will Luciano Spalletti reignite Azzurri after Roberto Mancini walked away?
• Belgium-Sweden match suspended after shooting

USA vs. Ghana, 2023 Friendly: What to watch for

A chance to rebound against a familiar foe.

By Donald Wine II@blazindw  Oct 16, 2023, 9:00am PDT   STars and Stripes

The United States Men’s National Team return to action tomorrow when they take on Ghana at GEODIS Park in Nashville. The USMNT are coming off a 3-1 defeat to Germany over the weekend and they hope to get back on track against a Ghana team that has been a real rival over the years.

The two teams have met 4 times previously, with the series split evenly. Both sides have won twice, and each match has ended with a 2-1 score. The last time the two teams faced each other was in July 2017, which was a 2-1 win for the United States. Can history repeat itself with the scoreline? It won’t matter for the United States so long as they get the win.

Latest Form

USA

L (1-3) – Germany – Friendly

W (4-0) – Oman – Friendly

W (3-0) – Uzbekistan – Friendly

D (1-1) – Panama – Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinals**

D (2-2) – Canada – Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinal*

W (6-0) – Trinidad & Tobago – Concacaf Gold Cup Group A

*Advanced on penalties

**Lost on penalties

Ghana

L (0-2) – Mexico – Friendly

W (3-1) – Liberia – Friendly

W (2-1) – Central African Republic – Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying

D (0-0) – Madagascar – Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying

D (1-1) – Angola – Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying

What To Watch For

Get the defense back on track. Germany made the American defense look disorganized for much of the second half, so it’s important for guys to not let Ghana get behind them and create chances. Ghana can get frustrated if their intensity is matched, and on the field the USMNT needs to bring the energy to keep Ghana on their heels.

Who steps up on offense? The offense was stagnant in the 2nd half, and most considered it pretty aggressive for much of the first. They need to finish chances, and that’s going to come in time. The hope is that the attackers can string a couple of plays together to get open shots on goal, or to use our set pieces to create a good scoring chance.

The subs need to make an impact. The substitutes in the past few matches haven’t given us a ton to sing about. They hopefully recognize that they have the chance to make an impact and fans want to see one of them do just that tomorrow.

Lineup Prediction

The USMNT will likely have some changes in their starting XI, but some of the continuity will continue when they take the field against Ghana:

Matt Turner will once again be in goal, with DeJuan Jones, Tim Ream, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Sergiño Dest will make up the back line. In the middle, we will once again see Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, and Yunus Musah, while up top, Ricardo Pepi will get the start alongside Tim Weah and Christian Pulisic.

Prediction

The USMNT get back on track with a 2-1 victory.

In loss to Germany, USMNT shows it has to evolve in Berhalter’s second cycle

By Paul TenorioOct 14, 2023

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Ahead of Saturday afternoon’s friendly against Germany, U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter said games like this were “not about being afraid of the result (or) being afraid of competing, it’s about embracing these moments.”His hope: that in the next three years before the 2026 World Cup, games like this would serve as opportunities to learn what it will take to compete — and beat — the very best in international soccer.

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The 3-1 loss to Germany in front of a sold-out crowd of 37,743 in East Hartford, Connecticut, however, showed the U.S. still has to evolve – from the team that was eliminated by the Netherlands in the knockout round of the 2022 World Cup to one that can make a deep run on home soil.“We still have a lot of work to do,” center back Tim Ream said bluntly when asked what the big takeaway from the game was. The U.S. started the game well, but in the second half Germany seized control of the contest and the Americans never really found their way back into it. The U.S. was at times too stretched in defensive transition after bad turnovers, and in other moments Germany was given too much time and space near the top of the box.“We do need to not give the ball away so quickly in bad areas,” Ream said. “You give the ball away around the 18? OK, fine. In the attacking half? I get it, that’s no problem, you’re trying things. But when you give the ball away too quickly in midfield as we’re trying to get our attacking and build-up shape then it’s going to look A) disjointed, and B) guys are going to look out of position. And when you do that against good players, they punish you.”

Gio Reyna went 45 minutes in a central position (Andrew Katsampes/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Some of the defensive problems highlighted the absence of captain Tyler Adams, who has been a stalwart for the U.S. at defensive midfield and helps to break up passing lanes, make key tackles and set the tone in midfield. The World Cup captain has been out with a hamstring injury since March, and after suffering a setback earlier this month is now expected to miss a significant amount of time more. Berhalter said going into this window that Adams’ absence gave the U.S. a chance to test out some “Plan B” options for playing without him. The Germany game showed that the “Plan B” still isn’t quite clear.But it wasn’t about the absence of one player. There were disconnects that both allowed Germany to get on the ball higher up the field, and then find the small lanes around the box that their world-class players exploited. “When you watch them and what they do and it’s one of those where you break a line and you get down to their box and all of a sudden they’re behind the ball,” Ream said. “And I think that’s kind of where we need to learn, is to get guys behind the ball, get compact, especially in and around our defensive 18. And that’s something that again, it’s a learning process, and it’s something that we need to look at and make sure we do better.”Multiple players said the U.S. needs to find ways to put together more complete performances over the whole 90 minutes. The first half gave the team confidence that they could match Germany — they were able to get in behind Germany’s back line on multiple occasions and seemed to just lack that final action — but there was a drop-off in the second half performance.Yunus Musah started as the deeper midfielder on Saturday, with Weston McKennie ahead of him and Gio Reyna in a No. 10 role.Reyna, who played exclusively as a winger in the last World Cup cycle, looked dangerous and effective centrally under interim managers earlier this year. His return to the team with Berhalter on the sideline was among the headlines of this camp, and how Berhalter would utilize him was the biggest question. Reyna had a solid 45-minute outing on Saturday, and playing him in that central role showed promise. Reyna had to come out at halftime, however, as he ramps up his form and fitness.In the first half, though, the U.S. looked dangerous in attack at times and got behind Germany on several occasions. Early in the game, Pulisic was called offside on what would have been a breakaway; Berhalter felt it should not have been whistled dead. On another attack, Reyna found Balogun to set up Pulisic in alone on Marc-André ter Stegen, but Pulisic went down after taking a touch around the goalkeeper.“I went around him and there’s for sure contact,” Pulisic said.The referee didn’t blow the whistle, but a few minutes later Pulisic scored a fantastic goal, beating four German defenders and blistering a ball into the upper corner.“That’s a world-class goal,” Berhalter said.After Pulisic gave the U.S. an early lead, however, Germany pulled back even. Leroy Sané used a clever double-touch to split Musah and Reyna in the 39th minute at the top of the box, and Ilkay Gündogan played a perfect through ball to Sané to put him through on goal. Goalkeeper Matt Turner made the initial save, but Gündogan was there to tuck home the rebound for the equalizer. In the second half, Germany took further control.In the 58th minute, Germany once again enjoyed too much time and space on the ball in their attacking third, and Jamal Musiala found Robin Gosens, whose stylish one-touch pass played Niclas Füllkrug in on goal. Left back Sergiño Dest was late to step, holding Füllkrug onside, and Germany had the lead. Three minutes later, Germany once again attacked the space right on the top of the box. The U.S. was a bit unfortunate in that Ream’s tackle on Musiala deflected right to Füllkrug, who found Musiala in the box to make it 3-1. But while the lucky bounce may have helped, the goal felt reflective of the spaces Germany attacked regularly.

“It’s these split seconds where you need to be well-positioned,” Berhalter said.

In the end, as Ream said, the result showed how much more the U.S. has to do to catch the world powers. But the group also felt that, like at the World Cup last year, they’re not far off.

“It’s frustrating because it’s just little moments,” Turner said. “I sort of alluded to this recently about how little moments could have made a big difference for us in the World Cup. And it’s kind of like the same story.”

(Photo: Adam Glanzman/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

USMNT learns hard lessons vs. Germany in attack, defense

• Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentOct 15, 2023, 07:11 AM ET

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Prior to the U.S. men’s national team’s match with Germany on Saturday, manager Gregg Berhalter said “we need to learn” from playing such a high-powered opponent. Die Mannschaft certainly dealt out more than a few lessons in beating the United States 3-1 at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.The match saw the U.S. break the tie in the 27th minute thanks to a stunning long-distance goal from Christian Pulisic. But even at that point, Germany had been carving up the U.S. defense, and eventually the goals arrived on the way to a deserved win.Overall, the result felt similar to the 3-1 defeat to Netherlands that knocked the U.S. out of the 2022 World Cup in the round of 16. Granted, the U.S. on that night in Qatar had much better possession — Germany had a 60-40 edge on Saturday — but in critical moments, both the Dutch and the Germans had that extra bit of quality to turn opportunities into goals.More critically, the U.S. defensive performance left plenty to be desired. One of the glaring issues against Germany included how the U.S. struggled to handle the visitors’ press. Germany made 10 recoveries in the U.S’s defensive third — that’s the most by a U.S. opponent since the 2-0 defeat to Japan right before the 2022 World Cup, one that wasn’t as close as the score might indicate.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• Pulisic earns 7/10 rating as defense struggles in 3-1 Germany loss3dCesar Hernandez
• Dempsey, Drogba have high hopes for USMNT and MLS3dRoberto Rojas
• Berhalter: Defensive woes cost U.S. vs. Germany2dJeff Carlisle

The frequency with which the U.S. was coughing up the ball made it difficult to get the entire team pushed up-field into the attack, which left the Americans’ defensive shape vulnerable when the ball turned over. The U.S. got “gapped” — where there was little to no defensive midfield pressure in transition — by smart passes on far too many occasions. Not even a tweak to the team’s defensive shape in the first half, when it moved from a 4-4-2 to more of a 4-3-3, was enough to stem the tide.”When you make those mistakes of giving the ball away in the midfield, then [transition chances] are going to happen,” central defender Tim Ream said. “And that’s kind of what you saw today, the breakdowns with guys being out of position and then there’s an overwhelming desire to try to win the ball back immediately. That complicates things as well. You want to press after the loss and that complicates getting into that defensive shape.”So it’s not for want of trying. I think sometimes, it’s overworking instead of maybe picking and choosing the moments.”With Tyler Adams missing due to an ongoing hamstring injury, Berhalter turned to Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie for some bite and defensive coverage in midfield. Except it didn’t work. Much of this was down to the fact that positionally, the two left too much space in the middle for Germany to exploit, whether it was in the middle third or near the top of the U.S. penalty area.It’s worth emphasizing the fact that Germany’s lineup is brimming with quality, be it Ilkay Gündogan, Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala or Florian Wirtz. And to be fair, the Germans also got some fortuitous bounces. Matt Turner‘s touch from Sane’s dribble fell right Gundogan for Germany’s first. Ream’s tackle deflected to Niclas Füllkrug in the runup to Germany’s third.But too often, the U.S. didn’t help itself, allowing Germany to make the most of its luck. On all three goals, the U.S. pressure just outside the box was lacking. Someone, anyone, needed to deliver a tackle that was going to defuse the situation. All of this left the U.S. back line in difficult situations.”It was kind of like seeing a train wreck coming, but you couldn’t quite move from it,” defender Chris Richards said. “That’s kind of what it felt like at some points.”He added about Germany: “When they’re on the ball and they have 20, 30 yards [of space], it’s a tough team to play against.”All of this pointed to how much the U.S. is missing Adams. Saturday’s game wasn’t the first time that the U.S. has had to do without the AFC Bournemouth midfielder. The Americans claimed the Concacaf Nations League title despite him being absent, but Germany is the kind of opponent to punish mistakes more ruthlessly than Mexico or Canada, and the tenacity in midfield that was missing on Saturday is precisely the kind Adams provides.It seems unlikely Adams would have missed tackles with the same regularity that the U.S. did Saturday. With him on the shelf for the foreseeable future, it’s up to Berhalter to find a way forward. There doesn’t appear to be any easy answers.

Berhalter: Performance vs. Germany should give USMNT confidence

Gregg Berhalter explains what the USMNT can take from their 3-1 loss to Germany.

There were lessons to be had on the attacking side as well, though they were tougher to spot, especially given the wow factor of Pulisic’s goal. The U.S. created some transition opportunities of its own in the first half, with Timothy Weah taking the chance to showcase his speed on more than one occasion. Germany was certainly left to scramble a few times in order to keep the U.S. at bay, and Pulisic had one goal called back for a dubious offside call. (A penalty appeal from Pulisic was also denied.)

The U.S. cause was aided significantly by having Giovanni Reyna back in the lineup. In this calendar year, the U.S. has looked the most fluid when Reyna has been on the field, especially when he plays more centrally. Reyna did float around the field a bit, but he was involved often enough in his 45 minutes of action to give some hope that the U.S. can trouble the world’s better teams.

All that said, the U.S. was still missing some precision in the final third, which remains one of this team’s biggest weaknesses and is a big reason it hasn’t yet moved closer to the world’s elite. Not for the first time, centering passes were just a bit behind their intended targets, or just a bit too high. The USMNT’s out-of-sync attack reflected in its stats: Its xG from open play in Saturday’s match was 0.09, the lowest such mark in any game under Berhalter. As dangerous as the U.S. was at times, it absolutely has to get shots off.

Is Germany an excellent team? You bet. But the chances were there for the U.S., and it didn’t take advantage of its at times excellent approach work.

“[There are] still a lot of things that we can do better. A lot of things we improve on,” Ream added. “A lot of things to work on to be able to compete for 90 minutes, not just for 45.”

The U.S. will get a chance to show that Tuesday against Ghana in Nashville.

Christian Pulisic goal not enough for USMNT in 3-1 loss to Germany in friendly

By The Athletic Staff and more Oct 14, 2023

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By Paul Tenorio and Seb Stafford-Bloor

The U.S. men’s national team fell 3-1 to Germany in a friendly Saturday after a promising first half from the American side. Here’s what you need to know:

• USMNT captain Christian Pulisic opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a blistering shot from outside the box into the upper right corner. But after İlkay Gündoğan tied it up in the 39th minute, Germany dominated the second half and scored in the 58th (by Niclas Füllkrug) and 61st minutes (Jamal Musiala).
• Gio Reyna started for the U.S. in his return to the squad after suffering a leg fracture in the CONCACAF Nations League final in June — it also marked his first match under coach Gregg Berhalter since their relationship came under the microscope after the 2022 World Cup.
• The match was Germany’s first with new coach Julian Nagelsmann, hired in September, at the helm.

How did Reyna look?

Saturday’s game was the first time in which Berhalter and Reyna were back in U.S. men’s national team camp together. Berhalter said ahead of the game he no longer wanted to look back and instead, “it’s about talking about the future.” The Germany game provided a first opportunity to do that.

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One way that happened: Reyna starting as a No. 10.

After playing mostly as a winger who came inside the pocket to find the ball in a 4-3-3 during the last cycle, the 20-year-old played in the No. 10 role in Nations League games under interim managers Anthony Hudson and B.J. Callaghan this spring and summer.

Berhalter clearly liked what he saw in those games. While Reyna was on a minutes limit — he had played just 27 minutes for club or country since injuring his leg on June 18 in the Nations League final — he started in the game in that spot.The new shape allowed Berhalter to test out a formation change when the team is missing captain Tyler Adams, who is out for an extended period of time with a hamstring injury. Yunus Musah dropped into a lower role in midfield, and Weston McKennie played in a No. 8 role behind Reyna. Pulisic and Tim Weah started on the wings.Reyna had some good moments in the first half, at one point playing Folarin Balogun through on a chance where Pulisic was in alone on goal and went down looking for a penalty after taking a touch past Marc-André ter Stegen. It was an overall positive outing for Reyna, who was subbed at halftime as he works back from his injury.The U.S. will likely look to build on it on Tuesday against Ghana. — Paul Tenorio, senior soccer writer

GO DEEPER

USMNT still has room to evolve in Berhalter’s second World Cup cycle

No Adams hurts

With Adams out due to a hamstring injury, the U.S. started with Musah as the No. 6. Germany, though, found far too much space around the edge of the Americans’ penalty box, and Adams’ ability to step in, make tackles and kill off attacks was clearly missed.The outing likely will give Berhalter some headaches as he thinks through how to best set up this team when Adams is out. He could opt for a player who is more of a traditional defensive midfielder, like Johnny Cardoso or Lenny Maloney, or he might be forced to play with two more defensive-minded midfielders in a double pivot. — Tenorio

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An encouraging showing for Germany

Germany’s flaws remain much as they were. Their defense is still porous and continues to look fragile against the counter-attack. A more ruthless opponent might have built a bigger lead than the U.S. managed.Nevertheless, this was still a success. One of the long-term issues that Nagelsmann inherited was an inability to create chances. It was heartening, then, to see the Germans so potent with the ball. Nagelsmann’s gegenpress seemed well-oiled and it created opportunities, but he will also have been pleased by how much movement there was ahead of, and around the ball in the attacking third. Germany manufactured plenty of scoring opportunities through the quick, intricate passing that has been so absent from their games in 2023.Leroy Sané really should have scored at the end of a slick second half move. Füllkrug might have more than just one goal.Germany looked dangerous. More to the point, Germany were actually fun to watch and that has not been the case for a long time.It matters, too. Nagelsmann is facing a technical challenge, because there are areas of his team in which the depth of talent simply is not there, but he is also — in effect — having to remarket this team to its own country. The German public has grown disinterested and disillusioned with the national team, but performances like this, that possess vibrancy and life, will hopefully start to reverse that process.This was a good afternoon for Nagelsmann and for Germany. — Seb Stafford-Bloor, Germany soccer writer

USMNT has Adams-shaped hole in midfield, no one to fill it

• Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentOct 16, 2023, 10:28 AM ET

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EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Saturday’s match against Germany gave U.S. men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter a chance to try out what he calls his “Plan B” in the U.S. midfield. Otherwise known as: Life Without Tyler Adams.

It’s not the first time the U.S. has had to rummage around in its tactical bag to find a way to compensate for the absence of the injured AFC Bournemouth midfielder. Just last June, the U.S. won the Concacaf Nations League without Adams’ influence. The situation was similar two years prior, with Adams reduced to a late, 37-minute stint in the extra-time win over Mexico in that year’s Nations League final.

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But the Americans’ 3-1 defeat to Germany on Saturday gives one pause. Neither Yunus Musah nor Weston McKennie delivered the kind of bite and ground coverage that Adams usually provides in midfield, and the center of the U.S. defense was worse for it. The U.S. was more vulnerable than usual on the counterattack, and there was general ineffectiveness in terms of putting in tackles near the top of the U.S. penalty area.

So a question that has been on the collective mind of the U.S. comes even more into focus: What is the best path forward without the Americans’ World Cup captain?

Adams has spent much of the past seven months on the sideline. A hamstring injury sustained in March of last season with Leeds United first put him out of action, only for him to require surgery in May. Following his offseason move to the Cherries, Adams made his club debut on Sept. 27 in the Carabao Cup match against Stoke City, playing the last 20 minutes. But he suffered a setback in that match, with manager Andoni Iraola telling the Bournemouth Daily Echo that Adams is “going to be out for some time.”

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

That assessment puts Berhalter in a bit of a bind given how Adams’ skill set is nearly impossible to replicate. It also highlights the reality that while the U.S. established a solid foundation at the last World Cup, building on that performance isn’t straightforward. The form of players fluctuates, as does their health. That said, Berhalter prefers to look at the at the situation in a more positive light.

“It gives us an opportunity to have a Plan B when — and if — Tyler isn’t available and we’ll work through this,” he said on a recent conference call with reporters prior to Saturday’s match against Germany.

Easier said than done.

Adams is one of the most important players on the U.S. men’s national team. His aforementioned range and tackling enable the U.S. to play with a single defensive midfielder, allowing the likes of Musah and McKennie to push further forward in a bid to augment the U.S. attack, and his overall prowess helps snuff out opposition counterattacks. That latter trait could have come in especially handy against Germany, as the U.S. was continually overrun in central positions during a 3-1 loss.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• USMNT taught tough lessons in attacking precision, defensive shape vs. Germany2dJeff Carlisle
• Pulisic earns 7/10 rating as defense struggles in 3-1 Germany loss3dCesar Hernandez
• How a twist of fate, family advice helped Balogun become the USMNT’s next big thing5dConnor O’Halloran

Adams’ stats bear this out. Among Concacaf midfielders who logged at least 500 minutes of playing time during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, Adams ranked second in tackles per 90 minutes (including stoppage time) at 3.01, fourth in defensive interventions per 90 minutes at 13.15 and second in duels won at 60.8%. He put up similar numbers in the Premier League with Leeds last season, delivering 3.42 tackles per 90 minutes of actual playing time along with 14.12 defensive interventions and a duel-win rate of 57%.Yes, these numbers are a function of his position, but they also reveal he did his job well. So well, in fact, that his injury is viewed in some quarters as being a primary reason Leeds were relegated to the English Championship. His play at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar drew similar praise.Now Berhalter has to find an alternative. On Saturday, he opted to drop Musah and McKennie deeper in a double pivot. That, however, is a solution that is rife with issues.Berhalter noted how in last week’s UEFA Champions League match between AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund, Musah was deployed deeper in midfield, but Musah’s preference to carry the ball out of trouble resulted in some hair-raising moments in which possession was lost in dangerous areas. He had some similar difficulties on Saturday, although not as often.If Musah really is going to be positioned in a deeper-lying role, he’ll need to come up with a greater variety of solutions than just dribbling out of tough spots. He knows it, too.”I feel like it’s an area of the field where it’s delicate, so you have to be like, try and play simple,” Musah said on a Zoom call with reporters. “So I have to simplify my game and try to play simple one-, two-touch. Obviously, you’re not in the pockets as you are when you’re playing higher.”As for McKennie, giving him more defensive responsibility could blunt some of his better attributes, namely his ability to make late runs into the box. He’s also admitted he prefers a role that’s more expansive than playing as a No. 6.”My favorite role for sure is to play an 8 on both sides of the ball,” he told reporters via Zoom. “I don’t really … I wouldn’t say that I don’t do well, but I am someone that just likes to be free to roam around the field, and I feel like I have a good understanding of the game, a good vision of the game, and I know where I’m needed at certain points and where I’m not.”The problem is that Gio Reyna, who made his first appearance for the U.S. on Saturday since fracturing his right leg last June, also prefers some freedom. At some point, there needs to be a little less freedom and more positional discipline, something that McKennie has at times struggled with. Berhalter recognized this Saturday, eventually moving Reyna further back to help McKennie and Musah, but to no avail. In the second half, Berhalter subbed in Luca de la Torre for Reyna without much impact, but dropping him deeper just might be worth trying again.One criticism of the so-called “MMA midfield” of Musa, McKennie and Adams is a general lack of creativity and precision passing. This is an area where De la Torre’s presence could benefit the U.S. team. The downside, however, is that De la Torre is light in terms of the defensive side of the ball. Over parts of two seasons with LaLiga‘s Celta Vigo, De la Torre’s win percentage in terms of tackles, duels and aerials is 27.3%, 31% and 25%, respectively, far below Adams’ numbers of 39.7%, 57% and 63.4%. In terms of defensive interventions, he averages 5.77 per 90 minutes this season, although it’s worth noting that with Celta he’s usually playing higher up the field.erculez Gomez and Sebastian Salazar debate the biggest storylines and break down the best highlights that soccer in the Americas has to offer. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only)Plenty of eyes will be on Heidenheim midfielder Lennard Maloney, Berhalter’s latest dual-national recruit. His defensive numbers over parts of the past two seasons (33%, 49.4% and 55.4%), which include a title-winning campaign in the 2. Bundesliga, veer closer to Adams, although his passing percentage of just 73.7% will need to improve.The best fit of all might be Internacional midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who has been tidy on the ball in Brazil’s Serie A (86.1% pass completions in the past three seasons) as well as solid in defense (34%, 51.1% and 57%) in the same time span. However, he hasn’t really caught the eye in the few opportunities he’s had for the U.S. (eight appearances since 2020). He’s currently in camp, and might get more of a shot against Ghana on Tuesday.

There are other options. LAFC‘s Kellyn Acosta has filled in for Adams in the past, but his play has been uneven on those occasions. Other possibilities included Venezia‘s Tanner Tessmann and the Columbus Crew‘s Aidan Morris, both of whom could get some looks with the U.S. Olympic team.Complicating matters is the question about where to deploy Reyna. Berhalter hasn’t ruled out playing the Dortmund attacker in any number of spots, be it right wing, attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 or as part of a midfield three. If Reyna is used as an attacking midfielder, that will impact the decision as to who plays behind him.The next opportunity to test out the U.S. team’s midfield options is Tuesday against Ghana, followed by next month’s encounters in the Concacaf Nations League. Based on how the U.S. midfield currently looks, more experimentation is needed.

U.S. men’s soccer falls short in major test against star-studded Germany

After Christian Pulisic’s dazzling opening goal, a defensive collapse in the second half loss showed how far the Americans still have to go before hosting the 2026 World Cup.

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Given a rare chance to play a major European power, the U.S. men’s soccer team’s stars showed at times against Germany that it could rise to the moment. But after playing the first half to a creditable tie, a defensive collapse in the second half of an eventual 3-1 loss showed how far the Americans still have to go before hosting the 2026 World Cup.The packed crowd of 37,743 at Rentschler Field certainly got its money’s worth. Hershey’s Christian Pulisic scored a spectacular opener for the U.S. in the 27th minute, Ilkay Gündoğan answered in the 39th, while Niclas Füllkrug and Jamal Musiala decided the game in the 58th and 61st minutes.“The first half especially, I thought we were really good, and then it came down to some moments,” U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter said. “I think the goals were conceded a little bit too easily. … Good learning experience for the group, and we know we need to get better if we’re going to win these.”Headlining the American starters was Gio Reyna, whose presence helped finally put to bed the scandal that swept up his and Berhalter’s families. Berhalter gave Reyna a further endorsement by starting him in a central attacking midfield role, unlike the right-wing position he’s played for the U.S. in the past. Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah started in the deeper central spots.

» READ MORE: Catching up with Medford’s Brenden Aaronson ahead of the U.S.-Germany game

Germany is not as dominant a force in the soccer world as it used to be, but the Mannschaft’s roster oozes with talent and prestige — and a much-needed dose of youth. Star playmakers Musiala (Bayern Munich) and Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) are just 20 years old.

The highlights

Without the stakes of an official competition, the first half was wonderfully wide-open. Though the U.S. was outshot, 11-4, it gave as good as it got, including a beautiful combination in the 26th minute involving Reyna, right-back Joe Scally, and the starting front line of right winger Tim Weah, striker Folarin Balogun, and Pulisic, who played left wing.

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🔥 ¡Juzga tú mismo! 👇

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#USMNT #USMNTtelemundo #TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/27wG2kivrv— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) October 14, 2023

Pulisic’s goal was one of his finest in a U.S. jersey — or any jersey. He took a layoff pass from Balogun on the left wing, cut to the middle amid two German defenders, and then sent former Chelsea teammate Antonio Rüdiger (now of Real Madrid) backward as he kept going forward. Twenty yards from goal, Pulisic uncorked a dazzling curler of a shot that German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen had no chance to save.

💨 ¡GOLAAAAAAZO DE ESTADOS UNIDOS!

🚨 ¡Oooobra de arte de @pulisic! ¡Espectacular GOLAZO! 😱😱😱

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#USMNT #USMNTtelemundo #TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/RauLhj1zmx— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) October 14, 2023

The lead lasted 12 minutes. Leroy Sané, also of Bayern, shredded the U.S. back line with a run in from the right wing for which eight American players had front-row seats. A quick give-and-go with Gündoğan later, goalie Matt Turner was forced into a dive that pushed the ball right to Gündoğan’s feet on the doorstep.

Gündogan brings Germany back level 👊

Watch USA vs. Germany live on TNT or Max 📺 pic.twitter.com/BHnPnZonxA— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 14, 2023

Reyna departed at halftime in a preplanned move, replaced by Luca de la Torre. That also gave the midfield some defensive reinforcement, as de la Torre played level with McKennie and Musah instead of in front of them.

The lowlights

It didn’t feel like much reinforcement, though, when Füllkrug put Germany ahead. After recovering a Turner goal kick, the Germans built a 14-pass move under relatively little pressure that culminated in an open 12-yard shot.Füllkrug makes no mistake from there 💥

Watch USA vs. Germany live on TNT or Max 📺 pic.twitter.com/bcPyH3wDAP— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 14, 2023

Musiala and Füllkrug teamed up on the third, with the former’s delicate chip to the latter starting the decisive give-and-go. Turner charged for the ball, Füllkrug slipped it behind him, and Musiala did the rest.

”We cost so much energy with our own counterattacks that it’s hard to really stay consistent in all of your actions [and] your defensive shape,” Berhalter said. “The games against opponents like this can’t be that open. It needs to be tighter.”

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Turner concurred.

“They found space in the middle of the field, in the midfield and on top of our [18-yard] box,” he said. “Balls kind of bounced around and our shape was broken, sagging, and keeping guys onside.”

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☝️ El crack de @FCBayern firma el tercero para Alemania 🔥

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📺📱 EN VIVO por @Telemundo y @peacock ➡️ https://t.co/rq6pvJcV77
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Five minutes after Germany’s third goal, Berhalter made a triple-substitution: Cameron Carter-Vickers for Chris Richards at centerback, Medford’s Brenden Aaronson for Weah, and Ricardo Pepi for Balogun. The Americans’ final subs came in the 75th, Johnny Cardoso replacing McKennie and Kevin Paredes for Pulisic.”I came on and just tried to do the best I could, really, and just tried to make some things in the final third happen,” Aaronson said.Aaronson had a highlight in the 78th when he spun around Rüdiger on the right wing, darted into the 18-yard box, then took a shove in the back from Rüdiger. But referee Fernando Guerrero of Mexico didn’t judge it a foul, and, with no video review in use, play went on.

» READ MORE: Expect the 2026 World Cup schedule to be announced by the end of the year, FIFA says

At the start of second-half stoppage time, Aaronson won a free kick atop the 18-yard box with some fancy footwork, and he got to take the shot. But as all 10 German outfield players and eight Americans took their places nearby, Aaronson’s attempt hit Germany’s jumping wall of defenders.“And they were all 6-foot-4, so that didn’t help,” he quipped.That felt like a pretty good metaphor for the task at hand for the U.S. men, in this game and for the next three years. At least it won’t be long until the next chance for a win: Tuesday against perennial World Cup foe Ghana in Nashville (8:30 p.m., TNT, Universo, Max, Peacock).

Why Gio Reyna hasn’t found his USMNT, Borussia Dortmund form

• Ryan O’Hanlon, ESPN.com writerOct 17, 2023, 08:09 AM ET

Who is Gio Reyna?

The answer depends on who’s asking the question. The average American probably knows him as the kid whose parents tried to blackmail U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter out of a job during the World Cup. But I think — I hope? — we can move on from that.

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To many USMNT fans, then, Reyna represents the ceiling of the team’s potential. Imagine what might’ve happened in Qatar had Reyna been healthy and not feuding with the manager?

For all of the success of the current generation — already the most successful generation of American soccer players — the likes of Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams are top players in large part because they’re top athletes who can cover lots of space. While Reyna isn’t lacking in athletic ability or size, he offers a different kind of promise to the other top Americans — one where a playmaker steps on the ball, slows the game down, glides past defenders and slips in a through-ball. It’s a vision of American soccer that we’ve never actually seen in the real world before.When you ask everyone else in the soccer world, including his current club team, who Gio Reyna is, he exists as a projection more so than as an actual player. He’s a promising young talent in a competitive landscape with more of them than ever before. He’s a 20-year-old who has started 10 games for Borussia Dortmund since we started letting fans back in the stands.In reality, none of us really know who Gio Reyna is because none of us ever really get to watch him play.

Injured players keep getting injured, and Reyna is no different

Back in May of 2021, Reyna seemed like he was the next uber-prospect at Borussia Dortmund. We already knew about Erling Haaland by then. Jadon Sancho was pumping out goals and assists at a rate that rivaled Kylian Mbappé. Already Jude Bellingham had his jersey retired by Birmingham City.Reyna was right there with them. In fact, Reyna scored more goals, created more assists, started more matches and played more minutes than Bellingham across the 2020-21 season. At this point, Reyna was keeping elite company.Minutes played is a powerful predictor of future performance, and it’s also a solid indicator of current quality. If you’re doing winning things on a soccer field, chances are you’re going to play. And among players who are currently still in the 20-and-under age group today, Reyna had played the fourth-most total minutes across Europe’s Big Five leagues by the end of the 2020-21 season.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• The USMNT’s struggle to play well without Tyler Adams is a problem11hJeff Carlisle
• Pulisic earns 7/10 rating as defense struggles in 3-1 Germany loss3dCesar Hernandez
• How a twist of fate, family advice helped Balogun become the USMNT’s next big thing5dConnor O’Halloran

Here’s the top five:

1. Eduardo Camavinga: 4,883 minutes
2. Florian Wirtz: 2,595 minutes
3. Pedri: 2,428 minutes
4. Gio Reyna: 2,326 minutes
5. Jude Bellingham: 1,701 minutes

According to the crowd-sourced valuations at the site Transfermarkt, those four other non-Reyna players are, respectively, the 17th-, 23rd-, ninth- and third-most valuable players in the world as of today. At the top, Bellingham is valued at €150 million, while Wirtz marks the low end at €85 million. The average valuation of the four players is right around €105 million.The specific numbers matter less than how they compare to the fourth guy on the minutes list. Reyna’s current valuation sits at €25 million, which puts him in a tie with more than 60 other players for the 307th-most valuable player in the world.What happened is that, well, nothing happened. As of today, Camavinga, Bellingham, Wirtz and Pedri all rank in the top seven for minutes played among players currently age 20 and under. Camavinga is first (8,770 minutes), Bellingham is second (7,865), Wirtz is third (6,087) and Pedri is seventh (5,468). Reyna, meanwhile, has dropped down to 16th, with 3,404 minutes — now behind a pair of other Americans in Yunus Musah and Joe Scally. Put another way, Reyna has played just over 1,000 minutes over the past two-plus seasons.The main reason: injuries. Now, both Pedri and Wirtz have dealt with significant injury problems over the same stretch, and they’ve still each managed to double their minutes-played totals since the end of the ’20-21 season. Reyna, though, is injured so often that he suffers in multiple ways.

Why Gio Reyna is integral to USMNT success

Sebastian Salazar and Herculez Gomez discuss Gio Reyna’s performance on his return to the USMNT vs. Germany.Reyna misses games because he’s simply unavailable for selection. He misses games because he’s always working back from injury, so he’s rarely what any manager would consider fully fit. And he misses games because he’s so frequently out of the picture that even when he is available for selection, other Dortmund players get chosen ahead of him since they’re in front of the coach in training and matches every week.Per Transfermarkt, Reyna has already missed 67 games due to injury across his fledgling pro career. For comparison, Camavinga has missed 13 and Bellingham four. Wirtz is at 71 and Pedri is at 66, so injuries aren’t the only explanation for Reyna’s lack of game time, but all three of them have already missed a ton of matches. Perhaps the most consistently available non-defender-or-goalkeeper of his generation is Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah. He has missed 26 matches due to injury across his entire career. He’s 11 years older than all of these guys.

How does Reyna play when he plays?

Back to that original question: Who is Gio Reyna?In his one season as a consistent starter, Reyna mostly profiled as a “dribbler” according to Michael Imburgio’s DAVIES model, which classifies players into various roles based on their statistical profiles. A dribbler, per the model, is an “attacking player that play[s] relatively high up the pitch, usually linking play between creators and finishers, and often look to beat defenders on the dribble when they receive the ball.”There are “direct dribblers” — guys who beat defenders and either shoot or create chances — and “wide dribblers” — guys who beat defenders and cross the ball — and Reyna looked like a bit of both. In his 600-something minutes from Dortmund last season, Reyna fit into a number of different roles, but he spent the biggest chunks of his time looking like either a direct dribbler or a progressive forward. The definition of the latter, from Imburgio: “Finishers that often drop deep and play progressive passes forward in addition to getting on the end of attacking move.”

Last season, Reyna attempted 3.5 shots per 90 minutes, nearly a two-shot increase on his 2020-21 rate of 1.7. While his goals unsustainably outpaced his expected goals (7 goals vs. 4.2 xG), his rate of non-penalty xG per-90 nearly tripled from his one season as a starter, from 0.18 to 0.51. Per FBref, over the last 365 days his xG-per-90 rate puts him into the 95th percentile among attacking midfielders and wingers across the Big Five leagues.

Except, more than half of all the xG he generated last season came from three shots — two of which were either from rebounds or knockdowns on set plays. While the instinct to crash the goal in these situations is a valuable one, it seems pretty unlikely that Reyna could drive this much proportionate goal-scoring if he were ever to regain a consistent spot in the Dortmund lineup.

The problem with any kind of statistical analysis of Reyna’s performance, then, is the same problem with any kind of analysis of his performance: He doesn’t play consistently enough for anyone to be confident about anything. Reyna’s career is rife with small on-and-off sample sizes.

However, if we look at all of his Bundesliga minutes over the past four seasons together, then we’re at least getting 3,000-plus minutes of game time. Over that stretch, he stands out in three specific areas among all players in Germany’s top tier. Per Soccerment, he’s in the 91st percentile for open-play expected assists. Here are all of his passes worth at least 0.05 expected assists, or xA, during his Dortmund career:

Reyna is also in the 94th percentile for the expected threat created from carries — which looks at where a carry begins and ends and then determines how much it increases a team’s probability of scoring a goal. And he’s in the 96th percentile for one-two passing sequences opened — which just means you’re the player who starts the one-two.That, overall, checks out. As a mostly teenage pro, Reyna has mainly been someone who drives the ball upfield with his feet, combines in tight spaces with teammates, and creates chances for his teammates in and around the box. If you want to take the most optimistic view possible, you can look at last season, squint a little bit, and decide that he has also added goal-scoring to that profile.I, of course, would caution against that because I’d caution against anything with Reyna, right now. At 17, he was so impressive that he looked pretty likely to become a star. In the years since, he has been so injured that it’d be hard to imagine him not continuing to get injured for the rest of his career. However, neither one negates the other. The potential for Reyna to still be a star exists, as does the potential for him to be one of those guys who never develops because he’s never healthy enough to be on the field consistently enough.

The most likely outcome, as ever, exists somewhere in between. Since 2010, 42 players have registered at least 20 non-penalty goals and assists across the Big Five leagues before their 21st birthday. Reyna is one of them. He has one fewer goal contribution than Son Heung-Min, a superstar, and one more than François Kamano, a player currently in the Saudi Pro League who you’ve almost definitely never heard of.

There’s so much that can still happen. Gio Reyna just has to play.

How Christian Pulisic’s offseason training shaped his form with AC Milan, USMNT

By Felipe Cardenas Oct 12, 2023

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Christian Pulisic is a player reborn since signing for AC Milan in July. The former Chelsea winger left behind a frustrating spell in the Premier League for life in Serie A, and thus far, the American has delivered. Pulisic has scored four goals in eight games for the Rossoneri while becoming a key piece to Stefano Pioli’s new-look side.

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Pulisic’s reemergence isn’t a coincidence. While he waited for a new club over the summer, Pulisic traveled to South Florida for a week of individual training with Ethan Sonis, who runs SAT Soccer in Miami. Sonis, 27, leads a five-person team of professional trainers who have amassed an impressive list of global clientele. His location in Miami certainly helps. For years, footballers have flocked to the city during their offseason.

The sessions take place under the hot Florida sun on a private field away from the cameras and scrutiny that his clients, like Pulisic, constantly attract.

“I don’t stargaze,” Sonis said. “(The players) don’t have to be perfect. I treat them like any regular human. I catch them raw. I catch them emotionally. They can get hot-headed with me. They can cry, they can scream, they can mess up.”

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More from The Athletic…

• Why the U.S. will face a challenge finding opponents
• Pulisic scores late winner to send Milan to top of Serie A
• Tyler Adams could face surgery on hamstring injury

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European-based players Paulo Dybala, Andrés Guardado, Moises Kean, Jorge Sánchez and Joaquín Correa have all worked with Sonis in Miami. A longer list of MLS players have relied on Sonis, as well. He trained Austin FC’s Sebastián Driuissi and Julián Carranza of the Philadelphia Union in 2022. Driuissi scored 25 goals and finished runner-up in the MLS MVP race last year, while Carranza had a breakout season with the Union during their MLS Cup run.

But Pulisic was the big get for Sonis. When he launched SAT Soccer four years ago, Sonis trained youth and college players. The pandemic, though, changed his business completely. When football around the world stopped, former Inter Miami winger Rodolfo Pizarro contacted Sonis and asked if he could train with him. The requests from other players continued thereafter, many of whom contacted Sonis via social media.

Pulisic’s camp reached out to Sonis before the United States’ CONCACAF Nations League semifinal versus Mexico. Milan had not yet finalized the deal to sign Pulisic for $24.2 million. French side Lyon had also shown interest. With his future briefly uncertain, Pulisic and Sonis tailored the training sessions around the three positions that Pulisic typically occupies: right wing, left wing and the No. 10.

SAT Soccer trainers Sergio Perdoma (left) and Ethan Sonis (right) with Christian Pulisic. (SAT)

“What can you do better?” Sonis asked Pulisic. “That’s the conversation I had with Christian and with any player that I work with. My goal is to prepare them to be the best. I’m not preparing them to be two or three. I’m preparing them to be number one. That’s my expectation and that’s the demand that I’m putting on them.”

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Then there’s step two.

“I have to get them to believe that what we’re going to do can really work and can really be successful,” said Sonis. He said that professional offseason training regimens remain “old school” with a focus on cardio.

“I’ve seen what the clubs give players,” Sonis said. “It’s just a running packet and that’s not enough.”

Pulisic arrived with his own checklist to work on, and Sonis came prepared having reviewed a number of Pulisic’s past matches with Chelsea and the USMNT. He presented Pulisic with the good and the bad, then customized a program for Pulisic that would maximize their time together – one that honed in on beating defenders off of the first touch, sharpening Pulisic’s touches in tight spaces and finishing. Because Pulisic’s next club destination was not known, Sonis covered a number of tactical scenarios as well.

“We had to be as prepared as possible and open to many different positions to get him ready for whatever league that was going to be,” Sonis said. “He does like the 10. He really enjoys that, but we said as a group, let’s prepare for everything. You’re working with such a high-level elite player, so it’s about adding pieces. Turning off his first touch. That was a big one.”

Pulisic’s injury history was another data point that Sonis had to consider. At Chelsea, Pulisic was plagued by ailments that forced him to miss more than 50 games over five seasons in London. It has become a stigma for the USMNT captain — a seemingly inevitable setback that Pulisic would face every European season.

After he signed with AC Milan, the analysis that followed centered mainly around Pulisic’s last chance to impress at a big club and whether he could stay healthy long enough to help Milan fight for their second Scudetto in three years. Pulisic’s start in Serie A is the byproduct of having had a complete and injury-free preseason under Pioli, who was among the American’s main admirers.

Pulisic takes a shot during a finishing drill in South Florida (SAT)

“For a guy like Christian, with injuries, we needed to work a lot on getting the confidence to pull through sessions without feeling anything and being confident in front of goal,” Sonis said. “That was our biggest thing.”

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Pioli has been measured with Pulisic’s minutes to start the season. Through eight games, Pulisic has had just one 90-minute performance, which came in Milan’s second Serie A match against Torino. Pulisic has started eight of Milan’s 10 games (including in Champions League), often conceding his place to Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze.

Pulisic’s four goals, each one a different type of finish, mirror the work that he did with Sonis. Every session ended with a heavy workload in front of goal that stressed repetition and clean technique. Sonis said that the objective was to increase Pulisic’s goal-scoring production this season “to where he’s an all-around lethal finisher.” Pulisic isn’t known as a prolific goal scorer, but he is expected to be an integral part of Milan’s attack. So far, so good.

Pulisic’s latest goal for Milan was the winner in a 1-0 victory over Genoa on Oct. 7. It was a lovely bit of skill that featured a deft first touch, a turn in a tight space and a clinical finish — everything he worked on rigorously over the summer.

The goal Pulisic scored in his Milan debut against Bologna, however, highlighted his most dominant traits. From the right wing, Pulisic split two defenders with a quick burst then dribbled into the half space where he combined with Olivier Giroud. His former Chelsea teammate’s one-time pass set up Pulisic towards goal. After two close-control touches, he unleashed a shot into the opposite corner of the net.

Scoring again in the next match against Torino, Pulisic picked up the ball in the middle of the park and led a Milan counterattack. He played his other ex-Chelsea teammate, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, into space and then met Loftus-Cheek’s cross for an easy tap-in.

Pulisic’s goal against Lazio on Sept. 30 was a difficult left-footed half-volley from a Rafael Leão cross. But it was his movement that must’ve made Sonis proud. Pulisic came off the right wing and sprinted towards the penalty spot. He recognized his opportunity and took the space that Giroud had left behind. It was a training ground move and finish.

“I’m not the guy that’s teaching Christian something new,” Sonis said. “I’m just giving him another layer to say look, you can do this type of stuff. Go for it. You’re an elite player. No one should be able to touch him with the type of speed that he has.”

Pulisic was a big signing for Milan, but he isn’t the team’s star man. That’s quite the opposite when Pulisic represents his country, where he is relied upon heavily for goals and chance creation. He’ll lead the U.S. in a marquee friendly against Germany on Saturday in Connecticut. Speed and agility training was an important part of Sonis’ sessions with Pulisic, who was fresh off his first round of workouts with Sonis leading up to the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal. An inspired Pulisic was unplayable against Mexico, as he used his pace to overpower his markers and score a brace in the American’s 3-0 win.

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Pulisic continued to work with Sonis up until his transfer to Milan was completed. The results were positive and Pulisic’s start in Italy is further proof.

“He enjoyed it,” said Sonis. “And I give him a lot of credit. This is Florida. It was hot and muggy. He felt in his own heart that he gave himself the best shot.”

Sonis stays in touch with each player and their respective camps and will travel to them if a player requests it. That’s especially true of Pulisic; working with him has been the pinnacle of Sonis’ short career as a professional trainer.

“Christian is the face of U.S. Soccer,” said Sonis. “He’s the guy. He’s the captain. Who would have thought three, four years ago when I started this whole business that I would be training the guy,” he said. “The best marketing for me is when Christian goes and puts two on Mexico. That’s the truth.”

Welcome to The Rondo, our weekly look around the USL Championship and beyond. I’m Nicholas Murray.This Rondo sounds like: Always Ascending by Franz FerdinandBut first…The brackets are set, now you can join more than 2,500 fans who have submitted their picks in the 2023 USL Championship and League One Playoff Bracket Challenge so far. Click the banner below to make your picks and you could win the grand prize of a 65-inch Hisense television.

1. One Big Thing – Meet the Playoff Dark Horses

Before we start, a caution – the winner of the USL Championship Final has never been lower than a No. 4 seed entering the postseason.No. 1 seeds have claimed five of the 11 Championship Finals that have previously been played, with No. 2 seeds accounting for three more.But, as we enter this year’s postseason, here are three teams seeded No. 5 or lower that based on form and squad could do the unthinkable in the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs.Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Head Coach: Stephen Hogan Regular Season: 16-13-5, 53pts – 5th, Western Conference Best Prior Postseason Run: Western Conference Final, 2022Why They’ll Make a RunThe Switchbacks are the hottest team in the Western Conference going into the playoffs, undefeated in their last seven games – their longest run since the 2021 season – while claiming a Western-best 17 points from their last eight outings. The squad has changed substantially from a season ago when the side reached the Western Conference Final, but the quality is still here. Jamaican forward Romario Williams equaled a career-best with 15 goals, while goalkeeper Christian Herrera stepped into the starting role and tied for fifth in the league with 10 shutouts and seventh with 79 saves. Colorado Springs has shown it can measure up to the best in the West. It swept its series with No. 3 seed Orange County SC and defeated No. 1 seed Sacramento Republic FC on home turf. It also took victories against two of the top three in the East in Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and the Charleston Battery in their interconference meetings.Why They Won’tThe first hurdle is the biggest. San Antonio FC has had Colorado Springs’ number over the past four years, going 10 games undefeated in the series between the sides since the Switchbacks won 1-0 early in the 2019 season. The Switchbacks must go to Toyota Field to not only try to advance, but to end a lengthy streak of failure against SAFC.Indy Eleven

Head Coach: Mark Lowry Regular Season: 13-11-10, 49pts – 6th, Eastern Conference Best Prior Postseason Run: Eastern Conference Final, 2019Why They’ll Make a RunAfter a shaky start, Indy’s form has been comparable to the better teams in the Eastern Conference over the final two-thirds of the season. Since June 1, Indy’s 10 wins have only been surpassed by the top two seeds in the conference. Since August 1 the side has gone 7-3-3 to comfortably secure its first trip to the playoffs since 2019. That’s a group that’s figured some things out. If Indy’s going to win it all, it’s almost certainly going to have to do so on the road. The good news? Indy was the second-best road team in the USL Championship in the past regular season, taking 28 points from 17 games. The Boys in Blue won away from home at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and the Charleston Battery and drew with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Memphis 901 FC. Seems good. There might be no better motivation for a group of veterans than adding the one thing that’s eluded them so far. In players like Solomon Asante and Sebastian Guenzatti, Indy has players who’ve been to the Championship Final before only to taste defeat. In Aodhan Quinn, it has a league legend who has never played in the league’s biggest game. Expect the energy to be amped up.Why They Won’tIndy’s defense tied for third-fewest goals allowed in the regular season with 38 allowed in 34 games. It also ranked 18th in Expected Goals Conceded at 44.49xGA. It had better hope the regression that seems ready to show up doesn’t appear in the next month.New Mexico United

Head Coach: Eric Quill Regular Season: 13-14-7, 46pts – 8th, Eastern Conference Best Prior Postseason Run: Western Conference Semifinals, 2020Why They’ll Make a RunYou could say New Mexico United’s playoff run has already begun. With three games to go, the side was in 11th place in the West and rated a 7 percent chance to make the postseason. Since then, it’s reeled off three consecutive wins against Louisville City FC, Phoenix Rising FC, and Memphis 901 FC to get back into the playoffs. Those are no small feats, and this side has positive momentum. New Mexico has shown it’s got enough firepower to hang with anyone. United’s 51 goals tied for sixth-most in the league this season, and they came from a variety of sources. El Salvador international Amando Moreno led the way with 10 goals, but 11 players for New Mexico scored at least twice this season. A different hero for every game? Could be. This group has players who know what it takes to win in the postseason. Both Justin Portillo and Kalen Ryden were on Real Monarchs SLC’s 2019 title-winning squad – at No. 4, the lowest prior seed to win the title. Greg Hurst won a League One title with Union Omaha in 2021. Head Coach Eric Quill has also guided a team to playoff silverware, winning the League One title in 2019 with North Texas SC.Why They Won’tFor all its positives, New Mexico won only four road games in the regular season. To win the title, it will have to match that number in four consecutive weekends.

GET READY: Check out the bracket and schedule for the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs.

The US Men get a golden chance to face the toughest teams they will face other than in Copa American this summer when they face Germany Saturday afternoon at 3 pm on TNT and again Tuesday night at 7 pm vs Ghana on TNT. For the US a chance to see how our inform group of European players can compete against a Germany team who needs to win with new manager Nagelsmann in charge.

Shane’s Starters for Saturday

US Roster for Germany & Ghana Games

GOALKEEPERS (2): Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 9/0), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 33/0)

DEFENDERS (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic/SCO; 12/0),Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 28/2), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution; 7/0), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 2/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 52/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 12/1), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 26/3), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER; 6/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Johnny Cardoso (Internacional/BRA; 7/0), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP; 17/0), Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim/GER; 0/0), Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 46/11), Yunus Musah (AC Milan/ITA; 29/0), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 20/4), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 6/0)

FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin/GER; 34/8), Folarin Balogun (Monaco/FRA; 4/2), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg/GER; 1/0), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 18/9), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 62/26), Tim Weah (Juventus/ITA; 33/5)

Indy 11 Wrap Up Season Sat @ San Antonio & former GK Jordan Farr on WNDY TV

 Indy Eleven scored a pair of second half goals to come from behind and defeat FC Tulsa, 2-1, on the road Saturday evening. The win improved the Boys in Blue to 13-11-9 on the season, while Tulsa fell to 9-15-9 and was officially eliminated from playoff contention. Next up, The Boys in Blue close out the regular season at San Antonio on Oct. 14. Kick is slated for 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT and will air locally on WNDY and on ESPN+. Indy has already clinched a USL Championship playoff spot, its third since joining the league in 2018.

CHS Girls are at Brownsburg Thursday night with the Regional Finals Sat night at Carmel’s Murray Stadium. The #1 Ranked CHS Boys defeated Pike in OT 1-1 (PK 4-1) in OT @ Pike. They play Sat afternoon at Murray Stadium. Head on out to watch some good play.

UEFA European Championship TV schedule

The European Championship TV schedule highlights games throughout qualifying, too. With so many teams fighting for qualification, games happen in bunches during the international breaks, even though most nations only play two or three times during those breaks.

• Thursday, October 12
  • 12:00 PM ETLatvia vs. Armenia (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • FOX Soccer Plus,
    • Fubo
  • 02:30 PM ETCroatia vs. Turkey (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • FS2,
    • Fubo,
    • DirecTV Stream
  • 02:30 PM ETAlbania vs. Czech Republic (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • FOX Soccer Plus,
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETSpain vs. Scotland (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETCyprus vs. Norway (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETFaroe Islands vs. Poland (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETAndorra vs. Kosovo (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETBelarus vs. Romania (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
• Friday, October 13
  • 02:30 PM ET Netherlands vs. France (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • FS2,
  • 02:45 PM ETRepublic of Ireland vs. Greece (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETAustria vs. Belarus (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETIceland vs. Luxembourg (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETLiechtenstein vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETPortugal vs. Slovakia (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
• Saturday, October 14
  • 09:00 AM ET North Macedonia vs. Ukraine (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • FS2,
  • 12:00 PM ET Slovenia vs. Finland (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
  • FS2,
  • 02:30 PM ET Hungary vs. Serbia (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • FS2,
  • 02:45 PM ET Italy vs. Malta (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
• 3 pm TNT USA vs Germany
• • Sunday, October 15
• SUNDAY OCT 16
  • 09:00 AM ET Georgia vs. Cyprus (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • FS2,
  • 12:00 PM ET Switzerland vs. Belarus (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • FS2,
  • 02:45 PM ETTurkey vs. Latvia (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETWales vs. Croatia (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETPoland vs. Moldova (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETKosovo vs. Israel (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETRomania vs. Andorra (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
• Monday, October 16
  • 12:00 PM ET Azerbaijan vs. Austria (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • FS2,
  • 02:30 PM ET Greece vs. Netherlands (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • FS2,
  • 02:45 PM ETGibraltar vs. Republic of Ireland (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETBelgium vs. Sweden (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ETBosnia and Herzegovina vs. Portugal (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
    • Fubo
  • 02:45 PM ET Iceland vs. Liechtenstein (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
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• Tuesday, October 17
  • 02:45 PM ET Lithuania vs. Hungary (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
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  • 02:45 PM ET Malta vs. Ukraine (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
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  • 02:45 PM ET Northern Ireland vs. Slovenia (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
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  • 02:45 PM ET San Marino vs. Denmark (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
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  • 02:45 PM ET England vs. Italy (UEFA Euro Qualifying)
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  • 8:30 pm USA vs Ghana TNT, PEacock

USA

 Confusing? Maybe. But USMNT’s friendly isn’t meaningless
Even with World Cup years away, Germany is a precious test for USMNT

The USMNT needs to start banking quality wins By Parker Cleveland  Stars and Stripes

Thoughts on Berhalter’s 23-player USMNT roster for October friendlies

Pulisic, Scally, and Balogun lead big weekend for Yanks in Europe

Thoughts on Mitrovic’s first U-23 roster as the team starts Olympic preparations Olympic team news

This could be awkward: Reyna, Berhalter to reunite

 USWNT to face China in December friendlies

EUROS

Who has qualified for EURO 2024?

Spain can test De la Fuente project against Scotland

Euro 2028: Michael O’Neill ‘has one eye’ on developing young squad for tournament

Paraguay restart under new coach, but can they succeed against Messi’s Argentina? im Vickery

Blatter: ‘Absurd’ to host World Cup in 6 nations Reuters 

WORLD

‘An absolute baller’: Soccer world reacts to Hazard’s retirement
Tom Brady’s soccer team hires Wayne Rooney as manager
Wayne Rooney appointed new Birmingham boss and teams up with ex-England team-mate

MLS

Why Wayne Rooney’s exit from D.C. United is a wake-up call for the club Jeff Carlisle

MLS Power Rankings: Crew find form as Red Bulls eye late playoff push Ryan Rosenblatt

Power Rankings Going into Decision Day
Report: Lionel Messi will not go on loan from Inter Miami this winter
‘Messi Meets America’ docuseries shows in-depth look at his move to Miami

No magical ending: Messi can’t save Miami Armchair Analyst: Matt Doyle What the 2023 MLS season meant for Inter Miami CF  Which Frontrunners Might Slip up in the Playoffs What now? One big question for teams out of Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs    

Reffing

Referees are blocking live Var in stadiums and on TV despite FA call for transparency
Premier League: Referees’ chief Howard Webb says ‘steps taken’ to avoid repeat of Luis Diaz VAR error
Michael Oliver was wrong not to show Mateo Kovacic a red card, admits referees chief Howard Webb

Goalkeeping

Gio Reyna returns to the USMNT for big October games vs. Germany and Ghana

It’s the first time Reyna is available to play for Gregg Berhalter since the post-World Cup scandal that rocked not just those men, but their families. Brenden Aaronson also is on the squad.

Update: On Oct. 9, Malik Tillman had to withdraw because of an injury. Alejandro Zendejas replaced him.

The U.S. men’s soccer team has played 14 games since departing the World Cup last December. Some of them have been exhibitions; some of them have been official. Some have had the big-name stars; some have had prospects. But none has really mattered all that much.Now that changes, and it will stay changed. The countdown to the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico, officially began Thursday when manager Gregg Berhalter named his squad for marquee friendlies this month against Germany and Ghana.The biggest headline is Gio Reyna’s inclusion for the first time since Berhalter returned to the job last month. Although Reyna took part in U.S. teams earlier this year, this is the first time he’ll be available to play for Berhalter since the post-World Cup scandal that rocked not just those two men, but their families.

erhalter said he and Reyna met over Zoom a few weeks ago to clear the air.“The conversation was positive,” he said, though he didn’t offer much detail. “There is a difference between a Zoom call and being in person, but I think that both intentions are positive. And the idea is that, you know, we work together for the team to be successful. And I think we’re both prepared to do that.”Berhalter further said that “although it may take some time, we’re both aligned with what we want to accomplish.”Though Reyna will command the spotlight, the questions directed at him won’t just be about Berhalter. Reyna, 20, hasn’t played all season for his club team, Germany’s Borussia Dortmund because of the latest in a series of annoying injuries. He’s been on the bench for Dortmund’s last four games amid hints that he’d get on the field, but he did not.“How many minutes can we give him on the field, that he can build up in a safe way, and then go back to Dortmund and really propel him to make a big impact for his club?” Berhalter said. “We’re going to be creative with the minutes — we want to certainly get him on the field.”

» READ MORE: Medford’s Brenden Aaronson is enjoying his new home with Union Berlin

Who’s in and who’s out

As for local representation, Medford’s Brenden Aaronson and Hershey’s Christian Pulisic made the cut, but Bear, Del.’s Mark McKenzie and Media’s Auston Trusty did not. Berhalter noted that McKenzie had a broken toe that cost him four games for his club, Belgium’s Genk, before a return to action Thursday.But even if he was healthy, he might not have made this squad. Cameron Carter-Vickers’ return from a nearly-two-month injury absence allowed him to join a quartet with Chris Richards, Tim Ream, and Miles Robinson that might just be the top of the depth chart. McKenzie, Walker Zimmerman (who likely will visit the Union with Nashville SC on Saturday), Trusty, and veteran John Brooks are in the next “You have four guys that could easily make the case to be on the roster that aren’t on it, and that’s just the depth of our player pool right now,” Berhalter said.The biggest absences overall are midfielder and captain Tyler Adams, who’s got a hamstring injury; and Antonee “Jedi” Robinson, who’s dealing with a groin injury that’s threatening to become a sports hernia.“He got injections before the last national team break, and he’s still struggling with that a little bit, and we want to get ahead of it,” Berhalter said. “I think this was an opportunity where he needs to cool this down because he does have inflammation in that area, and he’s in some pain.”

» READ MORE: Expect the 2026 World Cup schedule to be announced by the end of the year, FIFA says

True tests on deck

Berhalter’s first games back in charge of the program were last month, but a booked-up global calendar left the team only able to schedule relative lightweights Uzbekistan and Oman. Germany’s visit was set a long time ago, and drew headlines as soon as it was announced. The same with Ghana, a longtime nemesis of the Americans at past World Cups and a fine sparring partner anytime.It so happens that Germany and the U.S. are in similar boats right now because Germany is co-hosting next year’s European Championship. So it has room in its calendar that its star-studded continental brethren do not. Die Mannschaft, as the program is nicknamed, will play the Americans on Oct. 14 in East Hartford, Conn. (3 p.m., TNT, Telemundo 62, Universo, Peacock), then travel south to Philadelphia to face Mexico at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 17 (broadcast TBD).Ghana will travel the other way: a meeting with Mexico on Oct. 13 in Charlotte, N.C. (broadcast TBD), then to Nashville to face the U.S. on Oct. 17 (8:30 p.m., TNT, Universo, Peacock).Germany has a local tie: Its new manager, Julian Nagelsmann, is a former protégé of Union sporting director Ernst Tanner. Thirteen years ago, Tanner brought Nagelsmann into the coaching world at TSG Hoffenheim. Nagelsmann, now 36 (and still quite young by coaching standards), has since led Hoffenheim, RB Lepizig, and Germany’s biggest team of all, Bayern Munich.

» READ MORE: Spain, Portugal, and Morocco to host 2030 men’s World Cup

The U.S. team’s next games (and Mexico’s) will be against lesser opponents, but with huge stakes: a home-and-away quarterfinal series in the Concacaf Nations League next month that will double as qualifying for next year’s Copa América. The U.S. is guest-hosting another special expanded version of South America’s continental championship, with that region’s 10 teams plus six from this one. But because the U.S. is a guest host of someone else’s event, it has to qualify.The quarterfinal opponent will be known after a quick group stage featuring lesser Concacaf teams finishes this month. Though the quarterfinal losers get a second chance in subsequent playoffs, the Americans won’t want to suffer that embarrassment.

USMNT roster vs. Germany and Ghana

Goalkeepers (2): Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest, England), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest, England)

Defenders (8): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic, Scotland),Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo, Italy), Tim Ream (Fulham, England), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace, England), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Germany)

Midfielders (7): Johnny Cardoso (Internacional, Brazil), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo, Spain), Lennard Maloney (Heidenheim, Germany), Weston McKennie (Juventus, Italy), Yunus Musah (AC Milan, Italy), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlads)

FORWARDS (6): Brenden Aaronson (Union Berlin, Germany), Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco, France), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg, Germany), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan, Italy), Tim Weah (Juventus, Italy)

» READ MORE: The U.S. men’s futsal team brings the world’s version of indoor soccer to Downingtow

United States have ‘most respect’ for struggling Germany

• Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentOct 9, 2023, 04:56 PM ET

Crystal Palace and United States defender Chris Richards said that the Americans retain the utmost respect for Germany ahead of Saturday’s friendly, despite the Euro 2024 hosts’ recent struggles.Germany has a record of 2-4-1 so far in 2023, with a recent 2-1 friendly victory over France ending a run of three straight losses — including a 4-1 humbling at the hands of Japan. That last defeat cost manager Hansi Flick his job, with Julian Nagelsmann taking his place.ichards, who spent parts of four seasons with Bayern Munich and on loan at TSG Hoffenheim said Germany’s talent requires the U.S. to believe that the four-time World Cup champions will bring their best on Saturday.I think regardless of recent results, we have the most respect for Germany and I don’t think anybody looks at the schedule and sees Germany and thinks it’s going to be an easy win,” Richards said on a conference call with reporters. “I think regardless of what team Germany puts out there, regardless of what’s going on in the background, we know they’re going to field a strong team.”And having played in Germany for four-ish years, you kind of tend to learn the German mentality and they’re all work, no play. So we expect a game like that this weekend and really looking forward to winning.”The match amounts to a rare test for the U.S. against European opposition. The last time the U.S. played a European side with at least most of its first-choice roster was in May of 2021, when the Americans lost 2-1 to Switzerland.With the U.S. co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico, there will be no qualification process to go through. Therefore, it will be important for Gregg Berhalter’s team to get the most out Saturday’s match, as well as a second friendly three days later against Ghana in Nashville, Tennessee.”I think us as a national team, we try not to focus too much on the opponents, but focus on ourselves and getting better leading up to the World Cup,” Richards said. “So we’re really going to use this game to just continue to grow and to continue to push forward.”U.S. assistant coach B.J. Callaghan confirmed that PSV Eindhoven attacker Malik Tillman will miss both matches due to an unspecified injury he picked up in last weekend’s 4-0 win over Sparta Rotterdam, a match in which he scored PSV’s opener.”It’s an unfortunate injury for Malik,” Callaghan said. “He’s been in really good form somebody that we’re looking forward to having in and we certainly wish him a speedy recovery.”

Gio Reyna’s USMNT return raises questions for Berhalter

• Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondentOct 5, 2023, 03:07 PM ET

he rapprochement between U.S. men’s national team manager Gregg Berhalter and talented attacker Gio Reyna has finally taken place.

Now what?

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Reyna is included in the latest U.S. roster, which was announced on Thursday for games against Germany on Oct. 14 and Ghana three days later. The matches will mark Reyna’s first action with the USMNT since fracturing his right leg in the Concacaf Nations League final against Canada last June.More critically, Reyna and Berhalter will be working together for the first time since the 2022 World Cup, when tensions between the pair led to the families of both men being engulfed by a very public feud.There are still plenty of questions about what the future holds for Reyna at international level. Foremost among these is the extent to which Reyna and Berhalter’s relationship is really mended.There was a roughly eight-month period in which the two didn’t talk following a maelstrom of incidents that stemmed from Reyna’s limited playing time at the 2022 World Cup. Berhalter afterward contributed to the subsequent outing of Reyna’s poor attitude, and in response Reyna’s family told U.S. Soccer officials about a decades-old domestic violence incident involving Berhalter.

Suffice it to say, there was considerable healing that needed to take place.

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On a conference call with reporters after Thursday’s roster announcement, Berhalter confirmed that the first step took place “weeks ago” with the two conversing over a Zoom call. He didn’t provide much in the way of details beyond that, except for saying that he and Reyna are in a “good spot” and that it was a “positive conversation.”

Berhalter did acknowledge that the process of mending the relationship is ongoing.

“I think it will take time,” Berhalter said. “It is a difference between a Zoom call and being in person. But I think that both intentions are positive, and the idea is that we work together for the team to be successful, and I think we’re both prepared to do that.”

Time will reveal the extent to which that actually happens. There are ups and downs in any coach-player relationship, and what took place over those eight months isn’t just going to wash away.

But the two have to begin somewhere, and the upcoming camp is the place to start. Reyna’s return to the national team camp raises its own set of on-field questions, though.

Reyna hasn’t played for club or country since sustaining the aforementioned right leg fracture. He has been healthy enough to be on the bench for Borussia Dortmund of late, so how much could he see the field for the U.S. team?

Berhalter indicated his approach to using Reyna in the upcoming games will be similar to his handling of Folarin Balogun during the September window. On that occasion, with Balogun working his way back to full fitness following his move to AS Monaco, Berhalter limited the forward to 45-minute stints against Uzbekistan and Oman.

Does Gio Reyna have a USMNT future after Berhalter talks?

Herc Gomez reacts to U.S. soccer sporting director Matt Crocker saying there’s “a way forward” for Gio Reyna and Gregg Berhalter.

Berhalter said on Thursday that his goal is to build up Reyna’s fitness “in a safe way” and send him back to Dortmund in a position to make a greater impact for his club.

“We’re going to be creative with the minutes,” Berhalter said in relation to Reyna. “We want to certainly get him on the field and work through both the Germany game, and seeing what position he plays. And then in the Ghana game, same thing, seeing how we can get him in different positions throughout the camp on the field.”

Where Reyna is deployed may just be the biggest question of all. During the 2022 cycle, Reyna played almost exclusively on the wing. But against better teams, the U.S. has struggled to create chances on a consistent basis and, in response, Berhalter could look at putting the creative Reyna in a position to get on the ball more.

At the 2022 World Cup — in which Reyna played a mere 52 minutes due in part to disciplinary issues — the USMNT’s xG, or expected goals, per 90 minutes of actual playing time (which includes stoppage time) was 0.91. That xG, which measures chance creation, ranked 22nd in the tournament among all 32 teams, and 12th out of the 16 teams that reached the knockout stages. Yes, that’s a small sample size, but it still points to how the U.S. could use more creativity.

One possible solution was on display last June, when the USMNT, under interim manager B.J. Callaghan, trotted out a 4-2-3-1 with Reyna in a central attacking role. Against World Cup qualifiers Mexico and Canada, the U.S. attack looked much more fluid and the attack also benefited from Reyna handling set piece duties.

STREAM FUTBOL AMERICAS ON ESPN+

Herculez Gomez and Sebastian Salazar debate the biggest storylines and break down the best highlights that soccer in the Americas has to offer. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only)Berhalter didn’t rule out Reyna reprising that central attacking role, but he didn’t completely commit to it either.”In terms of Gio, we see him being able to play three positions: center midfielder, attacking midfielder and winger,” Berhalter said. “And we use wingers in different ways. Sometimes the wingers are wide against the line, and sometimes they’re in between the lines, and we see him as more of an in-between-the-lines winger.”The continued absence of defensive midfielder Tyler Adams due to a hamstring injury means the U.S. manager has some other questions about his midfield to solve. Does he play with a single holding midfielder or resort to a double pivot? But in the past, Berhalter has lauded how the midfield trio of Adams, Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie played togeter, hinting that he would continue with that group if all were healthy.During the Nations League, Callaghan noted that Reyna’s ability to defend is an area where the U.S. coaching staff have asked for improvement, and the 20-year-old responded well to that challenge. If that continues to be the case, the benefits of playing Reyna centrally seem to outweigh his defensive shortcomings, especially if he has two out of Musah, McKennie and (hopefully) Adams playing behind him. It seems the time has arrived to gather more data about Reyna’s ability to operate in that midfield role.Either way, the games against Germany and Ghana will certainly provide a stern test to see if the U.S. attack — as well as Berhalter and Reyna — can move forward.

Gregg Berhalter reveals ‘positive conversation’ with Gio Reyna ahead of USMNT reunion

By Paul Tenorioct 5, 2023

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U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter said he and Gio Reyna spoke over Zoom “weeks ago” and called it a “positive conversation” ahead of Reyna’s return to the U.S. team from injury — and his first camp since Berhalter was re-hired.

It will be the first time the manager and player have been together since controversy unfolded after the World Cup. The issues began with Reyna’s behavior at the tournament in Qatar and Berhalter alluding to those problems during comments at a leadership conference, albeit without mentioning Reyna by name. That eventually led to Reyna’s parents, U.S. Soccer veterans Claudio and Danielle Reyna, providing information to then-U.S. Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart about an incident 30 years ago in which Berhalter kicked his then-girlfriend, now-wife when they were freshmen at the University of North Carolina. That prompted an investigation into Berhalter that stretched for months. Berhalter was cleared for employment at U.S. Soccer in March and eventually re-hired as manager of the national team in June.

GO DEEPER

How did we get here? A timeline of the Berhalter and Reyna family’s rift

“First of all, the conversation was a positive conversation,” Berhalter said. “Appreciative of him taking time and being able to connect and really, for us, it’s about aligning on how we’re moving forward. And I think we did that. The exact contents of the conversation I’m gonna leave private, but we’re in a good spot to prepare for this camp and to really, in my opinion, treating this very similar to how we did with (Folarin Balogun) in last camp, is build him up, build his minutes up so that he goes back to Dortmund in a better place and using him on the field in a way that he can return to Dortmund ready to go. So that’s going to be important for this camp.”

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Berhalter coached his first camp back in the job last month in friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman, but Reyna was out with a hairline fracture in his right leg that he suffered in the CONCACAF Nations League final on June 18. Reyna still has not played for club or country since suffering that injury, however he has been on the bench for Borussia Dortmund.

While he reiterated multiple times that the conversation was positive, Berhalter acknowledged that it “will take time” to mend the relationship.

“There’s a difference between a Zoom call and being in person, but I think that both intentions are positive,” Berhalter said. “And the idea is that we work together for the team to be successful. And I think we’re both prepared to do that. So I think that although it may take some time, we’re both aligned with what we want to accomplish.”

Considering the fact that Reyna has not played any minutes since June, Berhalter reiterated that this camp will be used to find him minutes and “build up in a safe way (so that he can) go back to Dortmund and really propel him to make a big impact for his club.”

The question is what position Reyna plays, though the roster announcement may have hinted at the plans. In the previous cycle, Reyna played as a winger in Berhalter’s 4-3-3 system. He slid inside to a No. 10 role under interim managers Anthony Hudson and B.J. Callaghan, and looked comfortable in that spot. He was listed as a midfielder in this latest roster announcement.

GO DEEPER

Reyna returns to USMNT roster for friendlies

Berhalter said Reyna is capable of playing as, “a midfielder, attacking midfield and winger” and that he can be used in any of those spots with the U.S.

“We’re going to be creative with the minutes we want to certainly get him on the field and work through both the Germany game and seeing what position he plays and then in the Ghana game, same thing, seeing how we can get him in different positions throughout the camp on the field.”

(Photo: ANP via Getty Images)Paul Tenorio is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer. He has previously written for the Washington Post, the Orlando Sentinel, FourFourTwo, ESPN and MLSsoccer.com. Follow Paul on Twitter @PaulTenorio

Tim Ream, the USMNT defender who is relatable, resilient and a rock for Fulham

By Peter RutzlerOct 10, 2023

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In their Premier League years, Fulham have welcomed American representation. From the first in Marcus Hahnemann in 1999 to the exploits of Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey in the Mohamed Al Fayed years, there has been a USMNT connection.Tim Ream stands among the modern greats. The Missouri nativemade his 300th appearance for the club on Saturday, a milestone nine seasons in the making. After taking time to at last celebrate his birthday — he was 36 last week — he will link up with the USMNT for international fixtures, having left the door open for the home World Cup in 2026.You would not bet against him, after becoming a cult hero at Craven Cottage. Ream is the first player to make 300 appearances for the club since Simon Morgan 26 years ago. Morgan played for the club in the 1990s, adapting and thriving to play for the club across difficult years and then kept his place as the team rose through the leagues.Ream typically plays the numbers down. “It’s a great personal achievement but it’s all for nothing if you don’t come away with a good result,” he said after the 3-1 win over Sheffield United. “It just tells me that I’ve been here for a very long time. And still able to play at a good level.”

Ream represented the U.S. at last year’s World Cup (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

This is a milestone that reflects his journey, and the connection he has with Fulham.Ream has spoken about how a player wants to make a mark when they sign for a new club, without necessarily thinking about time or accumulating appearances. The central defender has not always been a first choice but that has not changed his character and that sticks with supporters. He has enjoyed standout moments — the two play-off finals, a Championship title under Marco Silva and then his Premier League rejuvenation.But other things resonate, too. Like his time spent with then 13-year-old Rhys Porter, the supporter with cerebral palsy who raised more than £10,000 ($12,200) for the charity Scope after suffering online abuse. Or moments like on Saturday afternoon when, as opponent Chris Basham lay on the pitch in pain and most looked away from his leg injury, it was Ream who went over to him, held his hand and, in his own words, just told him it will be OK. “My first thought was to go over there and grab his hand so he didn’t try to get up, didn’t try to look at anything,” he says.There was a perfect symmetry to Ream’s 300th appearance. He made his debut for Fulham against Sheffield United in the EFL Cup in 2015. Fulham were coached by Kit Symons and were in the middle of their rudderless Championship years. Ream struggled to retain his place. Yet, eight years on, only he and club captain Tom Cairney remain on the books.

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“A lot has changed, I’ve changed, he’s changed,” says Ream. “There are guys that come and go and somehow Tom and I are still here. It says a lot that we could adapt to different styles and coaches.”

There is something relatable about Ream’s resilience over his time at Fulham too, a story of proving people wrong. It conveys respect and he has done it repeatedly. After the appointment of Slavisa Jokanovic in December 2015, the new coach told him that he had no future. “You can take it one of two ways,” Ream told the Fulham Fix podcast.

“You can move on and run away, or you can face up and make it a challenge. Jokanovic made it a challenge for me. To his credit, after that next pre-season, he stopped me in the airport after the tour and told me that I’m not going anywhere, that I’ll have an impact.”

The same mentality has applied on the international stage. He earned 26 caps between 2010 to 2017, before spending time outside of the squad after the failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. He returned in 2019 but then, during World Cup qualifying, he was omitted once more. Last year, his relentless consistency meant that USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter was left with no choice but to select him for Qatar.

Ream has needed to adapt. For his club, he has served five different managers and partnered more than 20 central defenders. Now, he is admired and respected as a Premier League centre-back, one whose virtues in possession were not properly sung before. With Fulham, he has ridden the waves of Symons and Jokanovic, of Claudio Ranieri and Scott Parker, and has found his best form under Silva. There have been ups and downs but the reality of a footballer is that some coaches and styles fit better.“That’s exactly it,” he says. “There are managers where you think, ‘I’m playing but not enjoying it’, or, ‘I’m playing but not being put in positions of strength’. When you have the flip side of the coin and you get to play for a manager, in Marco, who wants to play a certain style and you fit that style, you want to keep it.” 

At 36, he is still fighting to evolve and that leaves an imprint.

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“I overanalyse the mistakes more than I would have in the past,” he says. “Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, I’ll let everyone else be the judge. It bugs the hell out of me when I make mistakes. That would be the one thing that has changed — before I could just go, ‘There’s tomorrow’. Now, it is, ‘OK, there is tomorrow, but you still have to learn, to adapt, to do well to continue to play’.”Ream comes across as unassuming and polite. His manager says that he is not a vocal leader, but one who leads by example. But you cannot survive at the top level without drive, an inner steel that sits behind his manager’s praise concerning his professionalism and commitment.Regardless of the path he has ahead, Ream has 300 appearances under his belt, and deserves the love he receives at Fulham. He does not need to prove anything to anyone now.

Lennard Maloney’s USMNT call-up inspired by FC Heidenheim’s unlikely success

By Sebastian Stafford-Bloorct 6, 2023

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What a 2023 it has been for Lennard Maloney. On Thursday, the 23-year-old midfield received his first call-up to Gregg Berhalter’s U.S. men’s national team.“Playing for the United States is one of my biggest dreams,” he told AmericanSoccerNow in 2018. “If Germany is possible, I will play for Germany. But somewhere in my heart, I want to play for the United States. I don’t know what it is. It’s just there.”So, an ambition has been realised, but this is just the latest highpoint in a six months full of peaks.Back in June, he was part of FC Heidenheim’s miracle promotion to the German Bundesliga. Since this season began, he has also been ever-present in a team manfully punching above its weight.Heidenheim is just a speck on the map. It is a town deep in south Germany, just north of Munich, that is home to 50,000 people. Its football team is no bigger. They play in a stadium that holds 15,000 and were playing at the fourth level of German football just 15 years ago. To emphasise just how far out of their weight class they currently are, Maloney is actually the first player in club history to be called up to a senior international squad.But this has been a season of firsts. They have never played in the Bundesliga before, but have taken to it well and have begun to bruise some egos. At the beginning of September, Maloney and Heidenheim mounted a stirring comeback against Borussia Dortmund, retrieving a 2-2 draw in the Westfalenstadion. Victory over Werder Bremen followed two weeks later and, most recently, FCH beat Union Berlin 1-0, in a defiant performance against a team who are playing in this season’s Champions League. Union had the better of the chances at Voith Arena, but Maloney was arguably Heidenheim’s best player, as they survived heavy pressure and a siege of crosses.

Maloney’s part in that characterised both who he is as a player and the spirit with which he plays. Nominally a midfielder, he has the build, temperament and awareness to play deeper. As Union attacked the penalty box, he operated as an extra centre-back, dropping into Heidenheim’s defensive line to win header upon header, and help to block up whatever space appeared. The victory was their second of the season and it took them above Werder Bremen, above Borussia Monchengladbach and level on points with Eintracht Frankfurt. It is territory that Heidenheim should not even be in.Maloney has had a circuitous journey to reach this point. He was born in Berlin, to a German mother and a U.S. Air Force veteran father, and joined Union Berlin’s academy when he was 13. He moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2020 but, despite making a Bundesliga appearance — as a substitute for Mats Hummels in the late autumn of 2021 — he would spend those two years with the club’s u23 side, who play in the 3.Liga, Germany’s third tier. Then, in 2022, he joined Heidenheim on a free transfer.Promotion would follow immediately and in scarcely believable fashion. Heidenheim scored a 100th-minute goal in their final game of the 2022-23 season to leapfrog Hamburg and win the 2.Bundesliga. At full time, goalkeeper Kevin Muller held his infant son in his arms and wept. Frank Schmidt, who has coached the team since 2007 and is the longest serving manager in German football history, led a wild and uninhibited celebration as the rest of Germany looked on, rubbing its eyes in disbelief. Almost immediately — universally and not without good cause — they were written off. They would enjoy their time in the top flight, everyone wrote and predicted, but would be no match for the teams within it.That has so far not been the case – and that is the context in which to place Maloney. As a younger player, he was described in progressive terms — as a defensive player who could carry the ball forward and use it well. But he is no artisan at Heidenheim. He is an underdog and a fighter — a fortifying player for whatever needs to be toughened. He does not provide much of an attacking contribution, but that is not his job. Nor will it be why Berhalter has selected him. Instead, he will have watched Maloney function as part of a deep-lying side who defend in numbers, who play quickly and directly up the pitch, and who are developing a reputation for being far harder to beat than they logically should be.Berhalter is seeking players who may be able to fill the shoes of the injured Tyler Adams, who is known for his world-class defensive actions if not for his attacking contributions. Adams, who captained the U.S. in Qatar, did not miss a qualifier in the last World Cup cycle and was considered maybe the most irreplaceable player in the squad, but a hamstring has sidelined him for some time now and a recent setback looks set to keep him out longer.“It gives us an opportunity to have a Plan B when and if Tyler isn’t available,” Berhalter said Thursday.The depth chart behind Adams is hardly set in stone. The only natural No. 6 is  22-year-old Johnny Cardoso, who starts for Internacional in Brazil. Berhalter has deputized Celta de Vigo midfielder Luca de la Torre in the role, but he is more comfortable further up the field. On Thursday, Berhalter acknowledged he may drop Yunus Musah into the deeper No. 6 spot, a role he has played recently at AC Milan, and insert an attacking midfielder like Gio Reyna or Malik Tillman as a more traditional No. 10. But Maloney now gives him another option. Berhalter mentioned that Maloney has the most distance covered in the Bundesliga as a central midfielder, but its the way he embodies Heidenheim’s fight that stuck out.Distilling Maloney’s individual virtues from that team identity is difficult. But that is precisely the point. He is what they need him to be, regardless of what his broader capabilities are. He is a ball-winner and stealer, and a formidable opponent in the air. A brick in their wall.“What really attracted the staff to him is how he plays the game with really a lot of emotion, with a lot of passion,” Berhalter said. “You see him clapping for his teammates, you see him going into tackles, a really committed player, really team-orientated player, and we’re excited to have him into camp and see what he can do.”

USMNT captain Tyler Adams could face surgery on hamstring injury

By Ben Burrows Oct 6, 2023

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Bournemouth and USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams could be set for surgery on a hamstring injury.The 24-year-old only made his debut for the Premier League side late last month following his summer move from Leeds United.A hamstring injury had kept him sidelined since March before he came on for his first appearance from the bench against Stoke City in the Carabao Cup on September 27.However, he missed the Premier League game with Arsenal on Saturday with the fear he will now be absent for an extended period with surgery a possibility.The USMNT are next in action against Germany and Ghana later this month and also have a two-legged CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final in November.“Tyler, we don’t expect him soon again with us,” Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola said on Friday. “I think the medical staff are analysing the situation. They are asking different specialists to take the best route we have.“We still haven’t decided. But whatever the solution he takes or we take, we don’t expect him soon on the pitch. It’s the same hamstring.“He’s not feeling well. He played some minutes because he wanted to give it a try, but he didn’t have good sensations. Now, we stop because something is not going well.“Because you’ve done all the previous things, so you should be ready to perform now and things are not going well. We have to think of another solution yet. I think even surgery is not out of the question.“It’s a possibility because we have to make sure that once we have him, we have him without any issue. 100 per cent. And I think they are analysing everything now. We have to take a decision.”Bournemouth return to action on Saturday when they face Everton in the Premier League.

GO DEEPER

Here’s how Andoni Iraola will use Tyler Adams in the Premier League

U.S. will need to start considering long-term plans without Adams

Analysis from senior soccer writer Paul Tenorio

Losing Tyler Adams is obviously a huge blow for the U.S., which does not have a natural No. 6 behind him on the depth chart capable of anywhere near the sort of contributions that the Bournemouth midfielder brings.U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter prefers the trio of Adams, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah in midfield, but this now opens up the potential for more change in midfield.Berhalter could start Musah as a deeper midfielder and slide Gio Reyna into the starting lineup as a No. 10, but Reyna has also been out for an extended period of time and has yet to play in the Bundesliga this season for Dortmund. Tanner Tessmann and Luca de la Torre are also options to start in midfield, or Malik Tillman could start in an advanced role.Either way, the U.S. will have to start thinking of long-term plans without Adams as they prepare for the 2024 Copa America and 2026 World Cup.(Photo: Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)

Leon Goretzka and Thomas Tuchel question Germany friendlies against USMNT and Mexico

By Sebastian Stafford-Bloor Oct 9, 2023

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Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka and his Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel have criticised the decision for their national side to play international friendlies in North America just days before returning to Bundesliga action.Julian Nagelsmann will take charge of his first games as the Germany men’s national team coach during the upcoming international break and while his appointment promises an upswing in form, the scheduling is controversial in light of concerns about football’s schedule and the risks of player burnout.

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The game against the USMNT will take place in Connecticut on Saturday at 9pm European time (8pm BST, 3pm ET). Nagelsmann’s Germany will then face Mexico in Philadelphia the following Wednesday at 2am European time (1am BST, Tuesday 8pm ET) two days before the Bundesliga is set to resume when Borussia Dortmund play Werder Bremen on Friday evening.Dortmund trio Mats Hummels, Niklas Sule, and Niclas Fullkrug have all been selected by Nagelsmann and all three will likely be involved in that fixture, less than 48 hours after Germany’s return home.The heaviest criticism, though, has come from Bayern, with Tuchel questioning the Deutscher Fussball Bund’s (DFB, German FA) wisdom in scheduling a trip, with Germany preparing for a home European Championship next summer.“I don’t know if I’d be interested in playing against Mexico in America before a (tournament) in Germany,” Tuchel said. “I don’t know if anyone can explain this in a way that I can understand. I don’t know who decided it, but it has been decided.

“There is a difference between a busy schedule and everything away from home and in different time zones. This is at the end of the endurance. No coach in the world at this level will say otherwise.”

Plans for the trip were first reported on in January 2023, in the aftermath of Germany’s group stage elimination from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The two games were then confirmed in July 2023. During that time, Germany have won just two of their seven games, a run which led to the dismissal of Hansi Flick, who was the first manager to be sacked in the DFB’s history.

While Nagelsmann’s arrival marks the beginning of a new era, however, the negativity surrounding these upcoming games has continued. Following his head coach’s lead, Bayern midfielder Goretzka was similarly critical.

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“It’s not optimal in terms of travel and, above all, I personally find it extremely unfortunate that the second game is at 2 a.m. German time. I can’t really understand that,” he told DAZN.

“As players, we are in a situation where we do what we are told. Of course, we can be critical, but at the end of the day, we are there to perform and accept it in the best possible way.”

Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann admitted he would likely have been similarly critical of the tour if he was still in club management, but called on his team to “deal with it in a positive way”.

“From the club coaches’ point of view, since we don’t need to lie around, it’s normal to be critical of the tour,” Nagelsmann said. “I would probably have the same opinion if I was still at the club. It’s a longer flight, but the boys know the stress. Our staff will be determined to ensure that the players come back as fit and healthy as possible. All of us are responsible for the team playing the best football for Germany. So we should use the time we have and deal with it in a positive way.”

GO DEEPER

Nagelsmann is a coup for Germany but Klopp still looms large

(Photo: Getty Images)

World Cup 2026 host cities: Where things stand with all 11 in the U.S.

Melanie Anzidei Oct 6, 2023

It was a curious pairing that raised some eyebrows: FIFA president Gianni Infantino rubbing shoulders with Jerry Jones, the powerful owner of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, on a Sunday afternoon inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.Infantino had been invited by the Texas billionaire to watch his team take on the New York Jets, and it resulted in a rare sighting of the FIFA head in the United States, where 11 cities are preparing to host the World Cup in 2026.It was also a precursor to something more widespread: an operational planning tour to those host cities. The tour was split over two periods, with the first kicking off on Sept. 20 and lasting nine days, during which time a FIFA delegation of “operational experts” visited Miami, Houston, Kansas City, Boston, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia and Toronto. The second leg will begin next month in Dallas, reaching the remaining host cities, and conclude in Vancouver, Canada, by early November, FIFA has said.After initially communicating to local organizers that they should anticipate a September reveal for the sites of the opening match, the final, and other key dates, sources now expect an announcement by FIFA no later than year’s end.The schedule is likely a necessary first step for local organizers, who currently face an impossible task: preparing for the largest World Cup ever, while not knowing how many or which games they’ll be hosting.The 2026 final, which will be played on July 19, remains up for grabs, with several reports alluding to Dallas and New York/New Jersey as favorites to secure the coveted match. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, once a top contender for the final, is apparently at risk of its entire hosting agreement going up in flames.In the interim, here’s a summary on the 11 U.S. host cities and where things may stand with each.Capacity and stadium notes from FIFA.

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New York / New Jersey

Stadium: MetLife Stadium

Capacity: 82,500

Previous World Cups: 1994, 1999

New Jersey is no stranger to hosting World Cups.

The small town of East Rutherford, N.J., where MetLife Stadium sits, has welcomed football greats like Pele and Diego Maradona, and was once the home of the New York Cosmos. It hosted games in 1994 and 1999 at the old Giants Stadium, which was demolished in 2010. MetLife was built on an adjacent lot that same year and has since been the site of some major games, like the Copa America Centenario final in 2016, when Lionel Messi infamously quit his national team after falling to Chile in penalties for a second year in a row.

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This past summer, the stadium broke its attendance record for a soccer match with 82,262 fans at a Manchester United vs. Arsenal friendly in July. There’s support for soccer at the state government level: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and his wife Tammy are longtime part-owners of the NWSL’s Gotham FC.The region has long been expected to be a top contender to host the final given its proximity to New York City and its stadium, which has the third-largest capacity of all 16 venues bookmarked for 2026.

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AT&T Stadium is reportedly a candidate to host the final (Omar Vega/Getty Images)

Dallas

Stadium: AT&T Stadium

Capacity: 94,000

Previous World Cups: 1994

Dallas has one thing that no other host city can offer – the largest capacity for games.

AT&T Stadium has a capacity of 80,000, but can expand to host an estimated 105,000 spectators. This has set the stage for record-setting crowds since it opened in 2009. That year, the stadium set an NFL attendance record with 105,121 fans. In 2010, the venue set an NBA record for the largest All-Star Game attendance with a crowd of 108,713.

Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are planning an estimated $350 million in upgrades over the next several years – a price tag that includes, among other things, converting the world’s largest center-hung HDTV video board to 4K.

Dallas hosted six World Cup games in 1994, but that was at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park. AT&T Stadium has hosted soccer, though, including some Gold Cup games this past summer.

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SoFi Stadium’s status could be in jeopardy (Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Los Angeles

Stadium: So-Fi Stadium

Capacity: 70,000

Previous World Cups: 1994, 1999, 2003

Los Angeles has long been the popular choice for FIFA when it comes to marquee World Cup games in the United States. The iconic Rose Bowl stadium, which seats upwards of 92,000 fans, was the site of the 1994 and 1999 World Cup finals.

In 2026, matches will be played at SoFi Stadium, which opened in September 2020, making it the newest of all the World Cup venues. However, tensions have risen between FIFA and the Kroenke family (the stadium’s owners), over terms of the agreement to be a host venue as recently as September.

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Multiple sources familiar with the discussions have told The Athletic KSE is unhappy with the terms of the deal with respect to how revenue will be shared between FIFA, the cities and the stadiums. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has already been a key fixture of 2026, with FIFA using the City of Angels as the backdrop for the brand reveal for host cities this past May.

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Mercedes-Benz Stadium draws big crowds for Atlanta United and other soccer events (Alex Slitz/Getty Images for Premier League)

Atlanta

Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Capacity: 75,000

Previous World Cups: 0

He may be biased, but Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens calls his city “the capital of soccer in this nation.” That was after U.S. Soccer announced last month plans to build a national training facility and HQ in the Atlanta area funded in part by a $50 million donation from Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank.

The city’s downtown has several major development projects underway as the 2026 World Cup approaches, with local news organizations describing the boom as the largest concentrated investment in Atlanta’s history. The largest project in that wave is closest to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, called Centennial Yards, and will feature a “mini-city” of hotels, offices, retail and apartments across 50 acres, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported.

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NRG Stadium hosting Manchester United (Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Houston

Stadium: NRG Stadium

Capacity: 72,220

Previous World Cups: 0

Houston has become a regular site for international soccer matches, including a friendly between Real Madrid and Manchester United in July and three CONCACAF Gold Cup matches just weeks before that. NRG Stadium was also host to Copa America Centenario games in 2016 and has hosted two Super Bowls in 2004 and 2017.

In December, Houston’s host city committee sent representatives to the World Cup in Qatar, where they took part in an observation program. The goal was to learn more about the operational demands of organizing a World Cup.

Houston is one of the largest cities in America by population – larger than nearby Dallas by about one million. That population is also a diverse one with an appetite for soccer. Census data as of July 1, 2022, estimates the Houston area is 22.6% Black, 6.8% Asian, 44.5% Hispanic or Latino and 24.1% White (alone, not Hispanic or Latino). About 10.8% of the population identified as two or more races. The city’s diverse population has prompted the city to invest in international games, fueling a vibrant soccer culture, organizers said. It’s also why their focus now is on what happens after the World Cup is over.

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Seattle Sounders have called Lumen Field home since joining MLS (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Seattle

Stadium: Lumen Field

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Capacity: 69,000

Previous World Cups: 0

Seattle welcomed fans to a Copa America Centenario match in 2016 and has long had one of the most well-attended and vibrant games in MLS when the Seattle Sounders play at Lumen Field.

The city has been particularly transparent about its actions in preparing for the 2026 World Cup. City officials have posted their agreement with FIFA online, shedding a small light onto the usually obscure negotiations between the governing body and host cities. The city’s organizing committee this week also appointed Lisa Chin as its Chief Legacy Officer –a position that, so far, no other host city has invested in.

When the hire was announced, Chin compared the World Cup’s arrival in Seattle to the historic World’s Fair in 1962. The iconic Space Needle was built in the Seattle Center for the fair and has since become a symbol synonymous with the city. Seattle hopes to replicate a similar impact in 2026 – partly by investing in programs like the RAVE Foundation’s “26 by 2026” initiative, which aims to build 26 fields by 2026 in areas where access to free play may be limited.

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Hard Rock Stadium has hosted many soccer events (Angel Martinez/Real Madrid via Getty Images)

Miami

Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium

Capacity: 65,000

Previous World Cups: 0

Lionel Messi sent shock waves through the international soccer world when he announced plans to play for Inter Miami in MLS, but it was just the latest in a trend that has seen Miami become a hotbed for global soccer.

The Argentine Football Federation (AFA) is preparing to build its own Miami training facility as it targets a major U.S. expansion. FIFA also has its eyes set on South Florida;  the sport’s global governing body had already begun filling its newest U.S. outpost in Coral Gables, near Miami, in preparations for World Cup 2026. Jobs have been posted on LinkedIn at the new location. Then, news broke that FIFA would be relocating more than 100 jobs to Florida from Zurich, mostly its legal department.

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It’s clear that Miami will be a significant stop for FIFA operations in 2026, despite not having the stadium capacity for a final match. The city has bid for the World Cup International Broadcast Center, Media Center and FanFest, according to the Miami Herald.

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“The Linc” hosted the Premier League Summer Series in 2023 (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images for Premier League)

Philadelphia

Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field

Capacity: 69,000

Previous World Cups: 2003

Philadelphia only hosted World Cup games in 2003, when the women’s tournament was relocated to the United States from China at the eleventh hour following a SARS outbreak in the original host nation. Philadelphia hosted that year’s opening game between North Korea and Nigeria, as well as several other matches.

The greater Pennsylvania region lays claim to some big soccer names, like Christian Pulisic of the U.S. men’s national team. Hailing from southern New Jersey, Carli Lloyd played her farewell match as a local inside Subaru Park, where the Philadelphia Union plays.

Local organizers say they are aware their infrastructure is limited compared to larger cities like New Jersey and New York or even Dallas. That’s why, they said, they’ve been working closely with their host city neighbors along the East Coast corridor to ensure a seamless transition of fans between games.

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Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

San Francisco / Bay Area

Stadium: Levi’s Stadium

Capacity: 71,000

Previous World Cups: 1994, 1999

The Bay Area will have a very busy 2026 as Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara will host World Cup games and a Super Bowl that same year. The San Francisco 49ers, who call that venue home, are planning to borrow $120 million from the NFL’s stadium fund to upgrade seating and scoreboards ahead of the World Cup games.

The Bay Area has a rich soccer culture and is currently preparing the launch of Bay FC, an NWSL expansion team slated to begin play in 2024. During the World Cups in 2023 and 2024, city officials organized a World Cup Village in San Francisco’s downtown to host public screenings of tournament matches. The event, according to officials, drew more than 12,000 spectators for the men’s tournament in 2022.

Watch parties and activities, like fan festivals, are common in host cities while games are going on. During the 2023 women’s tournament, watch parties in Australia and New Zealand attracted standing-room-only crowds inside FIFA-designated spaces.

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Gillette Stadium was built adjacent to old Foxboro Stadium (Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports)

Boston

Stadium: Gillette Stadium

Capacity: 65,000

Previous World Cups: 1994, 1999, 2003

Boston is one of two cities – Los Angeles being the other – that has hosted World Cup games each time the tournament has been played on U.S. soil. The now-demolished Foxboro Stadium was the last place Diego Maradona scored a World Cup goal, and the venue where he was infamously walked off the pitch hand-in-hand with a nurse before failing a drug test.

Though most of the focus has been on 2026, there remains an active bid by U.S. Soccer to host the 2027 women’s tournament jointly with Mexico. A successful run-up to 2026 could be enough to convince FIFA to continue investing in the North American game in places like Boston.

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Arrowhead last hosted international soccer in a 2015 Mexico vs. Paraguay friendly (Omar Vega/LatinContent via Getty Images)

Kansas City

Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium

Capacity: 73,000

Previous World Cups: 0

The foundation for soccer in Kansas City is solid. Sporting Kansas City was one of the founding clubs of Major League Soccer and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the local soccer scene since. On the women’s side, the Kansas City Current has pushed the envelope on what a professional women’s club can do. Last year, the franchise opened an $18 million training facility. Next year, they plan to open a $120 million riverfront stadium where the team will play – calling it the first sports stadium in the world dedicated solely to a women’s professional sports team.

The city is also known for its loyal – and loud – fandom. Arrowhead Stadium, where World Cup games will be played, is believed to be one of the loudest stadiums in the entire world.

NWSL seeking new media rights deal: What the league should expect

By Meg Linehanct 3, 202352

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The NWSL is at a crossroads. The league’s three-year media rights deal with CBS wraps up at the end of the year, and commissioner Jessica Berman expects a new deal to be in place by the end of 2023 season.

The stakes of that next deal are significant. Get it right, and the league gets a cash influx, greater connection with fans, and a resulting boost in team valuations and expansion fees. Get it wrong, and not only could games be more inaccessible than they are now, but the NWSL will continue to lag behind other leagues in building a solid financial foundation.

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There are lots of questions to address. What’s a fair valuation for the NWSL to expect, especially when we’ve seen MLS and U.S. Soccer command large fees? Should the league prioritize the financials over exposure, or the other way around? What’s the long-term play here?

With the clock winding down on the league’s self-imposed deadline, here’s what we know so far about the decisions the NWSL and its board of governors will have to make in selecting the right media partner (or partners), and what the league’s history of media deals and the overall landscape could indicate.

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What we know

Potential rightsholders 

CBS, the NWSL’s current English-language partner in the U.S., had an exclusive negotiation period with the league that ended in January, according to NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman. The NWSL has not shared any other rights-holders they may be engaged with.

Sportico reported on Wednesday that ESPN is in the mix for the next deal for the “bulk” of games, with the network’s linear channels and ESPN+ streaming platform as options for distribution, plus the potential of carve-outs for another streaming or linear partner. Sportico didn’t have an estimate of a potential valuation for ESPN or the combination with another broadcast partner, but expected that “the league will likely secure at least 10x its CBS deal,” which would mean at least $15 million a season.

A deal by the end of the season

Earlier this month Berman said the goal was to “be in a position to finalize our media deal in conjunction with the playoffs and the conclusion of our season.” The hope is that viewership numbers spike again for the NWSL Championship — maybe cracking one million for the first time — which would be the league’s best shot to advertise how to watch next season’s games.

Endeavor is involved 

Berman and the NWSL front office are working with Endeavor (and subsidiary IMG), which distributes the league’s global media rights. Endeavor is a major player in the sports world —  the company has partnerships with the NFL and NHL, owns the professional bullriding league and is the majority owner of WWE and UFC under TKO Group Holdings.

Endeavor also signed a deal earlier this year to become the NWSL’s data and streaming provider, which includes running the streaming platform for the league’s international viewers on the NWSL website.

Media industry issues impacting talks

Before the Challenge Cup final, Berman answered a question about how the current state of the media industry could impact the deal

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“It is a tough time for the media industry, it’s extremely fragmented, and there’s cost-cutting measures happening in almost every media property,” Berman said. “That being said, although that dynamic exists and we’re certainly aware of it, we feel really proud of how far we’ve come in the negotiations and we expect to have a great deal that isn’t really inhibited by those external factors.”

Players could benefit 

The league’s collective bargaining agreement with the NWSL Players Association says that, if the league becomes profitable for the final three years of the CBA’s term, 10% of any media rights deals will go to player compensation (detailed more thoroughly in section 8.13). That’s a big “if” right now, but it remains a solid win for the PA from a long-term perspective.

Current numbers

The league has shared some viewership metrics updates throughout the year with the public, but they don’t reveal anything about the actual quantity of regular viewership. The latest one of these came in June, stating that “regular season viewers on CBS have increased 21 percent, total unique viewers on Paramount+ has increased more than 50 percent.”

Without the full context, it’s hard to know if this will be enough to truly vault the NWSL into a more financially lucrative media rights deal moving forward.

GO DEEPER

Full Time: NWSL playoff race pandemonium

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NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman (Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports)

What the NWSL should expect

There’s no true standard for a men’s or women’s sports media rights deal — each is structured differently. The split between linear and streaming broadcasts, which entity covers production costs, editorial support, ad sales…all these and more are up for negotiation.

John Kosner, president of Kosner Media, and Ed Desser, president of Desser Media, are two industry veterans — both worked on the review of the NCAA’s media and sponsorship rights as part of the overall gender equity review of women’s college basketball. They spoke with The Athletic about what, in their view, the NWSL can expect from its next deal.

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“You have to be a property that can generate, on average, a million people watching a broadcast if you want to be a true rights-fee sport,” Kosner said. “The traditional big-time deal that everybody wants would be a rights fee, with the (media) entity paying for production. For a variety of reasons having nothing to do with the NWSL, there are fewer and fewer of those to go around now.”

Right now, he said, there’s likely no network that considers the NWSL a “need to have,” but closer to a “nice to have,” and that’s entirely related to its audience size.

There is the reality, too, of a media ecosystem that has historically undervalued women’s sports.

“This traditional model relies on spreadsheets, and there’s circular logic in these spreadsheets right now,” said Colie Edison, the WNBA’s chief growth officer. She presented a hypothetical: a potential TV partner says they won’t give a women’s sports league broadcast windows because the league lacks advertisers. The advertisers won’t partner with the league without broadcast windows. Buyers tell the league that without the advertisers, they don’t get the windows. The cycle can be hard to escape (the good news here for the NWSL is that Ally has been a brand partner willing to step in on the league’s behalf with networks).

“We have to break the mold and introduce a new way to value women’s sports,” Edison continued. “That means pulling on levers around non-traditional aspects, such as who our audiences are, the diversity of our women who are playing, the strong stances they take on social justice, the community activism within our diverse audience spaces. That’s just a little bit of how we need to flip this narrative.”

In addition to the potential path the WNBA offers, there’s another sports property that could offer the NWSL a growth model according to Kosner: Formula 1.

When Liberty Media purchased F1 in 2017, the sport wasn’t pulling in a ton of U.S. viewers on a regular basis, and ESPN showed races without a traditional rights fee in their deal in 2018. However, Liberty was able to leverage the success of Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” series to increase viewership. When ESPN re-upped last year, they signed a three-year term that is worth $75-90 million annually.

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F1 and the NWSL aren’t a one-to-one comparison by any stretch, but there is certainly a lesson there — namely, that building an audience in creative ways might mean a bigger payday the next time the NWSL shops around.

“I would argue that the dollar number is less important,” Desser said. “I mean, it’s easy for me to say that getting money isn’t important to your business — of course it is.”

For Desser though, the NWSL is still in its infancy, and just putting games on TV doesn’t guarantee viewers.

“It’s a multi-pronged effort,” he said. “Just getting the shelf space alone doesn’t get it done.”

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A cameraperson at an OL Reign game in 2019 (Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The history of NWSL media rights deals

The NWSL’s current $4.5 million deal with CBS was signed ahead of the pandemic (and extended an extra year after COVID-19 upended the season). The league has lost money on this deal because it bears the costs of production for matches.

The league simultaneously signed an agreement with Twitch for their international rights, though that deal ended as originally scheduled following the 2022 season. Both deals were negotiated with the help of sports marketing behemoth Octagon, via a partnership agreement that included media rights consulting and marketing strategy before the league started working with Endeavor.

The CBS deal calls for six games to air on the main linear channel, including the Challenge Cup final and the championship game in primetime. CBS Sports Network airs another 23, including the playoffs, but CBSSN isn’t Nielsen-rated. By 2019, it was available in about 50 million households, but that number has likely decreased since then following a greater trend of cord-cutting. The rest of the matches are on the CBS-owned Paramount+ streaming service, though some also air on CBS’s Golazo network, which is free to watch online.

With the conclusion of the Twitch deal, the league put together some smaller deals with Tigo Sports for free-to-watch Spanish language broadcasts, TSN for distribution of the league in Canada, and DAZN for “non-exclusive broadcasting rights” for some international markets including the UK, Brazil and Spain. In 2023, Endeavor has run free streams for international viewers on the league’s website.

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History will likely judge the Twitch partnership to be a bust, especially when the platform stopped promoting the league on its homepage.

CBS has had its pros and cons, but overall has felt underwhelming. If not for league sponsor Ally stepping in to force the issue, the NWSL never would have swung a primetime slot for the Championship. CBS has collected plenty of soccer rights, and they have built out some programming around the league (such as Attacking Third), but the NWSL has never been its marquee property by any stretch.

Before CBS, the NWSL had only managed a short-term deal with ESPN for the back half of its 2019 season. The league needed that short-term deal after ending its partnership with A+E, which included an equity stake, a year early (disclosure: I worked for A&E and the NWSL’s joint media venture during this partnership).

Before that partnership, which ran from 2017 to 2019, the NWSL had one-year agreements since the inaugural season of the league in 2013, either with FOX Sports or ESPN.

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ESPN’s deal for the WNBA comes in addition to a deal with Ion Network (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

The sports landscape

The MLS deal with Apple is huge ($2.5 billion, for 10 years), but it should not set expectations for the NWSL.

“It gave (MLS) an opportunity to leapfrog on revenues,” Desser said. “But they had to trade off exposure in the process.” Both experts said the NWSL still has to do the opposite in the interest of its long-term trajectory.

The NWSL could look to the WNBA as a benchmark, though Desser notes that “it’s been a long, hard road” for that league. Only after over 25 years has it reached a level where it’s “accepted in the pantheon of significant properties,” as Desser said.

Earlier this year, the WNBA signed a multi-year deal to air games on Ion Network for $13 million a year. Ratings have been up for the WNBA across the ESPN/ABC platforms, but Ion Network allows the league to build appointment viewership with its fans — and it will help the WNBA be in a stronger position to negotiate with ESPN when their current deal ends after the 2025 season.

“We understand that cable models are breaking down from declining subscribers,” Edison said about the Ion deal. “We took a bold move to go back to an over-the-air model with Ion. We’re in over 110 million homes on the fifth-largest network in the country. We’re seeing those numbers in viewership prove the point that you must reach your audience and your fans where they are.”

There are other women’s sports properties currently looking to upgrade or start their media rights deals, too, from the LPGA to the PWHL, the new women’s hockey league. Across the board though, the theme is that women’s sports viewers can be left frustrated by cost-cutting measures.

And above all of this? The NFL still rules all.

“Budgets are shrinking,” Desser said. “You’re trying to get a bigger drink of water out of a slowing flow. This is the reality, and this is at a time when the NFL just got a 40% raise. So talk about taking the water out of the pond.”

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The NWSL will have to earn it

Viewership of women’s sports is on the rise across the board. According to Nielsen, the demand is there — the larger challenges are still access and lack of information. “To satisfy this demand, broadcasters need to prioritize women’s sports, make them more discoverable and promote them enthusiastically,” a 2023 report concludes.

“People look at the growth of women’s soccer, the excitement about the World Cup, and say, ‘Okay, it’s just gonna happen now for us.’ Our experience is that’s not the case,” Kosner said. “It doesn’t mean that it can’t be built, that it can’t be successful, but there’s a ton of hard work to do.”

That 915,000 viewer mark for last year’s Championship — up against the World Series and college football, to boot — is a strong data point for the NWSL, but it’s only a single data point. The NWSL does have to make some sort of financial jump in their rights fee, while hopefully keeping the term fairly short so they can go back out to the marketplace again in the next few years with an even stronger audience.

The NWSL is going to have to break through existing biases around women’s sports to show potential partners that there is a waiting, untapped market to watch the NWSL — and that they can be a part of growing that audience.

(Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Spo

Champions League

Man I missed Champions League – So excited to have it back this week.  Huge upsets yesterday at Arsenal and Man United lose on Tuesday.  Here are the Standings as we head to the Wednesday games.  Of course Wed it’s the ALL-AMERICAN game as Dortmund and Gio Reyna host AC Milan and Christian Pulisic and Musah at 3 pm on Paramount plus.  Unimas has Atletico Madrid vs Feyenoord at 12:45 pm Wed while Porto vs Barcelona will be on Univision at 3 pm.  The biggest game is probably New Castle United hosting PSG as the 2 Oil Money teams go head to head at 3 pm on Paramount plus.  CBS Sports Network has the Pregame at 2 pm and post game shows at 5 pm – while they will have Celtic hosting Lazio at 3 pm. 

MLS  

Miami plays at Chicago tonight with 60K on hand – but no one knows if Messi will play or not – as he has been out basically since he got injured with Argentina 2 weeks ago.  Miami needs wins tonight and Saturday if they hope to slip in as the last place team in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs.

Indy 11

Indy Eleven scored three goals at The Mike to defeat Detroit City FC 3-0, and clinched a USL Championship Playoff spot. This will be the third appearance in the USL Championship Playoffs and the first since 2019 for the Boys in Blue. Indy Eleven now sits at 12-11-9 Next up, The Boys in Blue will travel to FC Tulsa on Saturday, October 7, 2023. Kickoff is primed for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ before wrapping up the season at San Antonio and former GK Jordan Farr next Saturday 8:30 pm on MyIndyTV 23 & ESPN+.

High School Playoffs

At 13-1-2 the Carmel High School Boys are still  #1 in the Nation  on Max Preps and tops in the state with defending champs Noblesville just behind in 3^rd.  The Boys are in regional play this week in as they face Zionsville 12-4-1 at Zionsville this afternoon at 5:30 pm. The Carmel ladies are #1 in the state at 13-0-3 with Fishers and Noblesville right behind as Carmel is hosting sectionals this week at Murray Stadium. They beat Attucks 9-0.  Carmel plays Westfield Thurs night at 5:30 pm before possibly facing Zionsville for the Championship on Sat night at 7 pm.  Get out and catch some high school soccer playoffs this week – we have two of the very best teams in the country right here in Carmel.

Champions League

Man Utd, Arsenal rocked in Champions League as Real Madrid edge Napoli

Arsenal’s over-reliance on Saka exposed in Lens loss as Man City clash looms  James Olley

Madrid rally for win in thrilling match with Napoli

Thuram goal hands Inter Milan win over Benfica

Muller turns back clock as Bayern rally for win

Braga stun Union Berlin with last-gasp winner

Oyarzabal and Mendez on target as Real Sociedad win 2-0 at Salzburg
Jude Bellingham stars as Real Madrid defeats Napoli in the Champions League
Galatasaray piles more misery on Erik ten Hag with stunning Champions League win over Manchester United
‘This campaign nosedived from the moment it started’
Manchester United are in crisis and Erik ten Hag is right about only one thing

Man United player ratings: Hojlund 9/10, Onana 3/10 in shock home defeat
‘Improving poor home record is pivotal to Celtic’s Champions League ambitions’
Newcastle’s transformation in two years is extraordinary – now they can shock PSG
‘Electric’ St James’ Park a ‘special place on Champions League nights’

USA

A Standout Week for USMN Players  Stars and Stripes

Analysis, thoughts, & player ratings: The USMNT caps September with 4-0 win over Oman

EPL

Man City’s perfect start to EPL season is over
Liverpool v Spurs VAR: PGMOL releases audio of Luis Diaz’s controversial disallowed goal
Liverpool vs Tottenham VAR Q&A: What do the Reds want? What happens now?
Erik ten Hag and Man United fall deeper into a desperate, dismal mess of their very own making

Arteta: Saka injury a ‘worry’ ahead of City clash

MLS

Fallen star: What’s going on with Lionel Messi?
The Fire hoping to use the “Messi effect” to their advantage
Lionel Messi doubtful to play, so Chicago Fire offer credit to fans for sold-out game
MLS Preview: Before FC Cincinnati lifts the Supporters Shield, it faces New York Red Bulls

Winners and Losers: Vibes reamain high in Cincy

MLS Power Rankings: Cincy clinch Supporters’ Shield Ryan Rosenblatt

MLS thoughts as regular season nears end, Cincy wins Shield, St. Louis wins West

Reffing

VAR proved it isn’t corrupt, but exposed its fatal flaw

VAR transcript of Luis Díaz’s incorrectly disallowed goal  8hDale Johnson
Jurgen Klopp wants Tottenham-Liverpool replay after VAR error

The VAR Review: What went wrong for Luis Diaz’s offside goal  Dale Johnson

Guardiola: Refs, VARs should be more ‘humble’

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Expanded MLS playoff format puts the league at risk of complacency: MLS Weekly

The Athletic Soccer staffct 2, 2023

Welcome to Week 27 of our staff column collecting news, insights, and highlights from around Major League Soccer. 

Major League Soccer executives are getting what they wanted.

With just a few weeks left in the regular season, all but two teams remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. By choosing to expand its postseason this year so that 18 of 29 teams make the playoffs — 62% of the league — MLS hoped to engage more of its fan bases for longer. Never mind that the majority of teams were in the playoff picture late into last season, too. The hope was that maybe they could squeeze a few more teams into the picture and, more importantly, a few more games into the playoffs.

GO DEEPER

MLS has a new playoff format: our writers offer their thoughts

Is this really what a league should want, though?Playoffs are supposed to be a reward. It’s validation that a team is headed in the right direction, or that it put together a solid roster. The idea is that you earn a chance to win a championship. That is not what MLS is giving us. More importantly, failing to make the playoffs is crucial to increasing competitiveness on the field. It increases the intensity of games and pushes owners to invest more in their teams to ensure they have a playoff-worthy squad.If you went to fans of teams fighting for the eighth and ninth playoff spots, I wonder how many of them would want their teams to sneak into the playoffs rather than face the consequences of poor seasons? How many owners are going to use back-dooring into the eighth or ninth seed as a reason for not changing their investment approach, or for not making needed changes to a front office? How many sporting directors or coaches are going to use finishing in 18th place — or even 19th or 20th place — in a 29-team league as justification for a “satisfactory” approach to the season?“We made the playoffs. We were right there in the end.”The Chicago Fire lost five of seven games since returning from the Leagues Cup break. It is a reflection of the roster it built. The Fire beat a similarly bad New York Red Bulls team, 1-0, on Saturday night and suddenly it’s one point out of a playoff spot.New York City FC went from late April until mid-August winning just one MLS game. A record of 1-8-8 in that stretch. They are seven points out of what would have been the playoffs last season, a reflection of that horrid run of form. But right now they’re the eighth seed and we’re being asked to get excited to watch them in the postseason later this month.Minnesota United has won one of its last eight games. In last season’s format, Minnesota would be five points out of a playoff spot, evidence of an already-forgiving format that would have given the club plenty to play for into the final weeks, even if it still missed the postseason. This year? Minnesota is just one win away from a playoff spot.

The silver lining for MLS is that Inter Miami and Lionel Messi are alive because of the expanded format. But even that spotlights how easy it is to get into the postseason. Inter Miami was in last place before Messi arrived. He played in four MLS games and Miami went 3-0-1 in those games. Now, with its star out due to injury, Miami has been able to stay alive in the race with two draws in its last two games. They are four points out of the playoffs with four games remaining.

There is no doubt that the play-in game will be competitive and fun to watch. Knockout games bring a different sort of energy, as was evidenced at MLS is Back and the Leagues Cup. And we know the knockout games in the MLS playoffs are almost always entertaining. But it seems MLS keeps inventing ways to create do-or-die games without giving enough consideration to how a smaller playoff pool might up the intensity of the bulk of its product: the MLS regular season.ADVERTISEMENT

Are the two knockout games worth decreasing the value of the regular season so much that the 26th and 27th-ranked teams in MLS are still alive for the playoffs with just a couple of games left on the schedule?

MLS execs claim that when you look back on a season, every game matters. Sure. That’s fine. But we don’t watch sports in hindsight. Sporting Kansas City failed to win in its first 10 games of the season. Anywhere else in the world, that form is fatal. In MLS, it’s shrug-worthy. If a fan knows their team can fail to register its first win until May, like SKC, or can win one game from July 8 through Oct. 1, like D.C. United, and still have a playoff shot, why should they bother tuning in or showing up until those final weeks?

Yes, paring back the postseason means you would be forced to sacrifice inventory from the playoffs. But the hope is that in doing so you increase the importance of the entire regular season.The league wants to increase national interest in the product. It needs to find a way to get Portland fans to care about Austin-Real Salt Lake games, or Red Bulls fans to tune in to Orlando City–Charlotte FC games. It has to entice sports fans in Chicago to watch a Fire game in the summer, or New York fans to skip a Mets game to watch NYCFC. Exactly what kind of narrative are they selling that compels those fans to care? The on-field product is behind the top leagues in the world and the stakes don’t feel real until the final few weeks of the regular season.Instead of putting so much focus into developing the Leagues Cup, MLS would be smart to study whether slimming the playoffs down would help the competitiveness of its product by increasing the value of every win and thus enticing owners to invest more in the product to give their teams a better chance of making the cut. — Paul Tenorio

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Celebrations for Cincinnati

On Saturday, FC Cincinnati completed a remarkable turnaround that seemed unfathomable two seasons ago. Upon entering the league as an expansion side in 2019, Cincinnati quickly became an MLS laughing stock. In its first three years in MLS, Cincinnati managed just 14 wins from 91 matches. There was consistent turnover within the front office and on the touchline. Instability and a lack of vision left the club languishing in last place.But Cincinnati is now the best team in MLS. They’ve claimed their first Supporters’ Shield and first-ever MLS trophy (that isn’t wooden) after defeating Toronto FC 3-2. Under head coach Pat Noonan and general manager Chris Albright, Cincinnati has erased its previous losing mentality and replaced it with a championship culture. Even with a postseason spot locked up, the team is still chasing records. Cincinnati could overtake New England Revolution’s 2021 points record by winning its final three games and reaching 74 points. In February during the MLS preseason, Noonan spoke with The Athletic and explained why he took the job in the first place.“If you can look past (the previous seasons) you see the infrastructure, and after meeting with ownership you see the ambition,” he said. “You have a great training facility, a world-class stadium and you have the resources. At that point, it’s just a matter of getting the right people in the building to move it in the right direction.”Cincinnati is now headed toward the playoffs as the number one overall seed. They have a league MVP candidate in Lucho Acosta, a reliable center forward in Brandon Vazquez and a balanced style of play that’s perfectly suited for success in MLS. After the win in Toronto, Noonan referred to the Supporters’ Shield conquest as “a special moment for the club.” Asked if he thought it was possible when he took over last season, Noonan flashed a rare smile and revealed what is perhaps the secret to Cincinnati’s change in fortune: confidence.“You think it’s possible,” said Noonan. “Your ego, the belief always has you thinking big. Our entire technical staff, the front office, everybody. Over the two years, we’ve become so strong as a group that this was a possibility. Hopefully, it’s the beginning of more success and more trophies for this club.” — Felipe Cardenas

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Sorry, St. Louis. We were wrong.

With a 4-1 win over rival Sporting KC on Saturday, St. Louis City SC broke LAFC’s record for most wins in an expansion season and became the first expansion team to win a conference crown.

With 56 points, St. Louis is just two points away from surpassing the 2018 LAFC team for most points in an expansion season. It’s a remarkable achievement for a team many picked to finish last in MLS in its first year in the league.

“You can check these boxes now, you can check a few things off the list,” head coach Bradley Carnell told reporters after Saturday’s win. “But we wanna keep on going now. We need a couple of more points to make 58 points, I believe, to make our own.”St. Louis started off the year with five wins in its first five games, and that success proved to not be an anomaly. They’ve continued to find ways to win despite having a roster that lacks a bonafide star. João Klauss and Nico Gioacchini have 10 goals apiece, while Eduard Lowen has 14 assists. A huge amount of credit goes to Carnell, who had success as an interim manager with the New York Red Bulls and has shown his high-pressing system translates to St. Louis, as well.It will be interesting to see how St. Louis can continue to push through in the playoffs. Since the midway point of the season, They are 0-4-2 against teams in the top-7 in their respective conference, with wins over San Jose (8th), Colorado (14th), Toronto (14th), Miami (13th), Austin (12th), Dallas (9th), Minnesota (11th) and Sporting KC (10th). In fact, just five of their 17 wins have come against top-7 teams this year — none since June 4. They have taken care of business against other teams, though, at a better pace than any other rival in the West, and they will enjoy home-field advantage in the playoffs. St. Louis is 11-3-2 at home.

History shows that even the best expansion teams haven’t been guaranteed anything once the playoffs start. LAFC went in as a No. 3 seed in the playoffs in that 2018 expansion season but lost to sixth-seeded RSL in the knockout round. Atlanta United was also eliminated in the knockout rounds of its successful expansion season in penalties to Columbus. Will St. Louis City be able to surpass those teams as the most successful expansion team of the modern era? — Tenorio

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Galaxy vs. Timbers worthy of #MLSAfterDark

The newly bloated playoff picture has kept several teams in the hunt during the season’s final weeks, as Paul has already mentioned, whether they look like a team deserving of playing into November or not.

This weekend had a few high-stakes games featuring flawed playoff contenders, but LA Galaxy’s match against the Portland Timbers sums the state of the homestretch up nicely. You could forgive the home support congregated in Carson, California if they were surprised to still have a chance at a postseason berth given the team’s maddening form, the number of injuries to key players (including, at present, Riqui Puig) and the summer transfer ban. You could also forgive supporters of visiting Portland for a similar level of shock after a woeful summer swoon led to Giovanni Savarese’s dismissal.

GO DEEPER

Why the Timbers fired Gio Savarese, and what comes next for both

And yet, the fact that Portland entered Saturday ranked sixth in the West while the Galaxy was only seven points out of the final play-in spot led to a wildly entertaining affair. LA center back Eriq Zavaleta was at the heart of an exciting 3-3 draw. Despite last scoring an MLS goal on April 21, 2017, the El Salvador international managed to net a brace for his team while gifting the Timbers with an own goal in between his intentional tallies. The matchup between Dairon Asprilla and Raheem Edwards featured plenty of technical tricks and back-and-forth springs, with each man netting an assist for their efforts.A tie was ultimately a fair result as neither team looked demonstrably better than the other. The point will be worth far more for Portland’s playoff hopes than the Galaxy’s, who may now need to win three of its last four games to have a hope of surpassing Dallas for ninth place. It also extended the Timbers’ strong response since Savarese’s departure, having won five and drawn two in eight games under interim coach Miles Joseph. In the end, it was another worthy installment of #MLSAfterDark. — Jeff Rueter

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Trouble in Austin?

When Rodolfo Borrell left Manchester City to become Austin FC’s sporting director over the summer, head coach Josh Wolff was a big reason why. Speaking to The Athletic’s Pablo Maurer in July, Borrell, who most recently was an assistant under Pep Guardiola, believed Wolff and the positional style of play he has tried to incorporate at the club were ideal fits with his own sporting background.

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“If Josh wouldn’t have been the head coach right now I would not be joining Austin FC,” Borrell said. “If I thought the style of play at Austin was too far from what I believe in, I would not have joined. That’s the reality. I am not just trying to play nice with Josh.”

Wolff on the sideline during a game between FC Dallas and Austin FC. (Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

There’s a new reality, however. Austin has not won a match since July 15th. Last week, the hashtag “Wolff Out” was circulating on social media platform X (formally Twitter). Austin’s current winless streak stretched to 10 games after Saturday’s loss to the Colorado Rapids. Their football has become uninspiring after expectations skyrocketed with last season’s success.

Austin was poor in its inaugural season in 2021 but improved radically in 2022. They finished second in the Western Conference and battled for the Supporters’ Shield. Star attacker Sebastián Driussi finished second in the MVP race after scoring 22 goals. Driussi’s output in 2023 exemplifies Austin’s struggles. The Argentine has had a quiet season, scoring 10 goals and adding just three assists.

From the outside, one would assume that Borrell’s confidence in Wolff has been shaken. Borrell comes from Barcelona’s school of football, so anyone who coaches in Austin will have to be a very specific fit. On the other hand, Borrell may view Austin’s talent on the pitch as a bigger problem, and continue to have faith in Wolff. How Borrell chooses to fix Austin will be one of the bigger stories of the MLS offseason. – Cardenas

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MLS music to your ears

In September, we ran a survey to see how viewers are consuming MLS Season Pass’ debut campaign. Over 4,000 people took time to answer questions about the new platform, spanning topics from the glossy new visuals to how Messi’s arrival has impacted coverage of their favorite teams. While the full results are still to come, here’s a preview of who viewers’ favorite play-by-play announcers and color commentators were.

Provided a list of the 19 most commonly deployed play-by-play voices, fans deemed Adrian Healey to be their favorite in a fairly balanced contest. Healey was the main voice of ESPN’s MLS coverage from 2011 to 2018 before becoming the voice of Austin FC for the club’s first two seasons. The other seven commentators to garner at least 5% of the vote mainly worked on local, club-specific broadcasts before the Apple deal: Kevin Egan (Atlanta), Callum Williams (Kansas City and Minnesota), Max Bretos (LAFC), Jake Zivin (Portland), Keith Costigan (Seattle), Steve Cangialosi (New York Red Bulls) and Chris Wittyngham (Miami).

The competition was less balanced when it came to color commentators, with the platform’s lead analyst Taylor Twellman commanding 28.6% of the vote. Fellow former United States international Maurice Edu was next, while a quartet of former team-specific analysts rounded out the pack with at least 5% of votes: Danny Higginbotham (Philadelphia), Kyndra de St. Aubin (Minnesota), Brian Dunseth (Real Salt Lake) and Lloyd Sam (Charlotte).

For all the fresh faces and innovation on offer, it turns out that fans may just want to run back ESPN’s main MLS partnership from 2012 through 2018. — Rueter

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Three good reads

• FC Cincinnati has finally captured an MLS trophy, celebrating its Supporters’ Shield victory on Saturday. But the success shouldn’t come as a surprise as Felipe Cardenas and Pablo Maurer found out during the preseason.
• Once again, Messi watched Inter Miami from the sideline. The international superstar has sat four of the Florida team’s last five matches. It begs the question: As Miami’s MLS season hangs in the balance, when will Messi play again?
• Miami has managed two draws without Messi in MLS, but fell to the Houston Dynamo midweek in the U.S Open Cup final. Pablo shared a behind-the-scenes look at the Dynamo’s triumphant U.S. Open Cup campaign. (Ed. Note: His next assignment is finding out if Héctor Herrera successfully pressured Houston owner Ted Segal into buying each player a Rolex.)

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One weird thing

Fans of teams in England’s pyramid system have been adjusting to a new rule this season which bans the use of towels before a player executes a throw-in. The idea is simple: full minutes were wasted as teams prepared their heaves, and fans seldom buy tickets to check on which linens each team prefers. However, Seattle Sounders midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro showed off the entertainment potential that the FA has cast aside.The Uruguayan was allowed to retake his attempt instead of being charged with a foul throw. His redo’s eventual target? The side netting of Nashville’s goal. — Rueter

(Top photos: Nick Turchiaro and Ron Chenoy, USA Today Sports)

When will Messi play again? Inter Miami’s MLS season hangs in the balance

By Paul TenorioSep 28, 2023

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As the Inter Miami players filtered off the team bus and out to the field at DRV PNK Stadium on Wednesday night and Lionel Messi was not among those to disembark, the reality started to hit: If Miami wanted to win its second trophy of the year, it would have to do so without its biggest star.

Messi, wearing a black, short-sleeved button-down shirt and black jeans, arrived with his family 20 minutes later. But even with the star in the building, Inter Miami fans were left to wonder: Just how long will his absence continue, and exactly how much will the Herons have to accomplish without the transcendent player that turned around the season?

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Inter Miami clearly missed Messi on the field in the U.S. Open Cup final against the Houston Dynamo. They lacked bite in the final third for much of the game, and without having to worry about Messi — or left back Jordi Alba, who sat near Messi in a pitchside suite — the Dynamo controlled much of the first hour of the game before surviving Miami’s late push and taking the Open Cup trophy with a 2-1 win.

GO DEEPER

Dynamo best Inter Miami in U.S. Open Cup final

“It was not prudent for him to play,” Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said of Messi after the loss. “Too risky, even for a few minutes. He will play in league games going forward, but will go game-by-game based on what the medical team tells us.”

That Miami played for two trophies this season and won one — the club’s first in its short history — most definitely is a huge accomplishment and speaks to Messi’s impact. But now, the final and most difficult task lies ahead. Inter Miami must continue its climb from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings if it wants to make the playoffs. Inter Miami currently sits in 14th place in MLS’ Eastern Conference, 10 points ahead of woeful Toronto FC, but still five points shy of ninth place and a spot in the postseason play-in game, albeit with games in hand on most of the teams ahead of them.

For now, there’s not much information to go off of when it comes to Messi’s health. The team has repeatedly referred to the issue as “muscle fatigue” without ever calling it an injury or indicating the specific muscle that is giving Messi trouble. But Martino said earlier this week that the team was very much focused on fighting its way to the postseason.

“Obviously the league objective was the most difficult one,” Martino said on Tuesday ahead of the Open Cup final. “But where we are right now, we’re going to keep trying (to make the playoffs).”

GO DEEPER

Inter Miami playoffs tracker: Will Messi play in MLS’s postseason?

Inter Miami has five games remaining in the regular season, including three over the next 10 days, all against Eastern Conference foes. They host NYCFC on Sept. 30, travel to Chicago to play in front of a massive crowd at Soldier Field on Oct. 4 and then host first-place FC Cincinnati on Oct. 7.

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The team will then get a welcome break for the October international window, though as the September break showed, multiple Inter Miami players could be away with their respective national teams. Argentina plays Paraguay and Peru in its qualifiers, though it would be unlikely that they would call Messi if he is unable to play for Inter in those three league games leading into the window.

Miami then closes the season with what is essentially a home-and-home with Charlotte FC: a rescheduled game on Oct. 18 in Fort Lauderdale followed by the season-ending game in Charlotte on Decision Day, the last day of MLS’ regular season, on Oct. 21.

Notably, Miami sits just one point behind Charlotte in the Eastern Conference standings, which means those final two games could determine whether or not Miami makes the playoffs. Adding another layer of intrigue is the fact that Charlotte plays on artificial turf, which means Messi might be forced to play on that surface if Miami needs the points to get into the postseason. (Messi said last month that he would have no issues playing on an artificial surface, but did not play in Atlanta due to the aforementioned muscle fatigue.)

When Messi returns to the field will hold huge sway over the playoff picture.

On Tuesday, Messi’s longtime teammate Sergio Busquets said that every day ahead of the final gave more of a chance for Messi to recover and play a role. That, like Martino’s comments post-match, seemed to indicate that Messi’s injury is not severe enough to limit him long-term. But with the October international break two weeks away, Inter Miami may be tempted to shut Messi down until those final two games of the season to see if they can get a full-strength Messi back for the two Charlotte games, and then potentially a playoff run.

At the bare minimum, Martino said on both Tuesday and Wednesday that the team wasn’t yet contemplating shutting Messi down for the season.

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“In reality, it doesn’t occur to us that he wouldn’t play the rest of the year,” Martino said on Tuesday. “If we’re here evaluating whether he can play tomorrow or not, in no way are we thinking that he might miss the rest of the league’s games. Of course, the possibility exists that the medical department tells us that we’d be running a risk, we’d eventually decide not to run those risks. But as of today, we don’t consider that possibility of him missing those games.”

That decision becomes a bit more complicated, though, depending on Miami’s results over the next 10 days. If Miami does opt to shut Messi down until after the October international window, Miami could find itself out of the playoff picture by the time those final two games of the season roll around. And if the playoffs are out of the question, it might not be worth it to risk Messi playing in two meaningless games.

It’s worth noting that Argentina plays two crucial World Cup qualifiers in the November international window, however, visiting Brazil on Nov. 20 and then hosting Chile on Nov. 24. Messi will likely be motivated to get fit and return to the field for those games.

The start of Messi’s time in MLS was a dream: 10 goals in his first seven games to win the inaugural Leagues Cup trophy. That run of so many games in a short amount of time, however, caught up to the 36-year-old.

The hope, now, is that the end doesn’t feel more like a nightmare: the loss in the Open Cup final, Messi potentially missing the majority of the remainder of the season and Inter Miami falling short of the playoffs.

Americans Abroad

Adams suffers reinjury, Pulisic & Balogun enjoy big days, Maloney & Paredes impress

Yes, it was a big weekend for a number of American players including Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, Lennard Maloney, Malik Tillman, and Kevin Paredes. But the latest news on Tyler Adams set a negative tone around everything. ASN’s Brian Sciaretta digs deep for all the news & games involving Americans abroad this weekend and breaks it all down for you. 

BY BRIAN SCIARETTAPOSTED OCTOBER 01, 2023 10:05 PM

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THE WEEKEND FOR Americans abroad had a lot of ups and downs. Yes, the big games from Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, and a few others were very good. But there is no getting past the reinjury to Tyler Adams, which left a cloud over everything this weekend. Even as he beings rehabbing, there are now lingering questions moving forward why he can’t stay healthy.

Overall, there are more positive stories to start this season. Pulisic is finally doing well and at a place where he is appreciated. The same is the case for Sergino Dest (who is getting over an illness). But if you go through many of the key players, there is still a lack of playing time. Players like Ricardo Pepi, Brenden Aaronson, Tim Weah, Joe Scally, Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, and Josh Sargent are either injured or struggling to see the field.

Unfortunately, that was a big theme this weekend.

Here are my thoughts on it all.

ADAMS SUFFERS REINJURY

Big story this weekend was the unfortunate news that Tyler Adams has suffered a reinjury following his 20-minute midweek shift for AFC Bournemouth in a 2-0 win over Stoke City in the Carabao Cup. That was his club debut for Bournemouth and his first performance since his initial hamstring injury in March.

Following Bournemouth’s 4-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, manager

Andoni Iraola spoke to the Bournemouth Echo about Adams, who was not on the matchday roster.

“I don’t know what to call it, a setback, but he is not feeling well,” Iraola said. “He has been out for a lot of time, so we have to reassess, to reset, to take the good decisions, thinking in everything. It is true that he is going to be out for some time, for sure. I think it’s the same area. I couldn’t tell you if it’s exactly the same point, but it’s true that it’s his hamstring that he is not feeling well.”

This is terrible news as Adams had been rehabbing his hamstring for months and there were reports of a setback earlier the summer. Now, following just 20 minutes, he is back on the sidelines for another extended period.

For Bournemouth, this is terrible news because the club could very easily find itself in a relegation battle and Adams is the type of player they need to push towards midtable. His absence at Leeds was a huge reason for the club’s downfall in the final months. But with a reinjury, how cautious will Bournemouth be with him once he is ready?

For the U.S. national team, it is not quite as bad. Yes, the club has Nations League games in November, but the next time the team truly needs Adams will be next summer for the Copa America. There is plenty of time for him to return for that. He is also so familiar with his team that he can walk back into the team after an absence of over a year.

Now the U.S. will be forced to address the always lingering question over who is the backup for Adams? Last cycle it was Kellyn Acosta with Johnny Cardoso in consideration. Recently it has been shifting Yunus Musah deeper. Likely for the remainder of 2023, Gregg Berhalter will need to explore this.

But the long-term worry over Adams is very real. When he first moved to Leipzig, he missed several months with an injury. Then there have been other minor absences. Now there is a hamstring pull and an immediate reinjury. It does hurt his reputation as being unreliable. The worst news would be if Bournemouth goes down after this season. Adams might have to go down with them.

PULISIC ENJOYS BIG OUTING

On Saturday in Serie A, AC Milan cruised to a 2-0 win over Lazio to move to 18 points from seven games (six wins and a loss). Christian Pulisic started and played 82 minutes while Yunus Musah came off the bench in the 29^th minute to replace an injured Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Pulisic scored the opening goal in the 60^th minute on a play that was an excellent finish but also an even better reading of the defense.

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Especially, look at the moment when Pulisic is just outside the penalty area. Lazio left back Elseid Hysaj (#23) clearly thought he had Pulisic figured out. He assumed Pulisic was going to make a direct run to the far post and Hysaj was content he could win that race to the back post and cut off a cross. But that thinking turned into ball watching and Hysaj didn’t bother to pick up Pulisic’s other option to the middle. Pulisic rand towards the middle of the box, behind the defense, near the penalty spot and was wide open for a shot.

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It was an excellent read by Pulisic and another big impact game for him at Milan. He started the season very strong in the first three games, was quiet for a few games, and now has had two more big games in a row. In his first two months at the club, AC Milan are surely happy with their purchase.

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AC Milan are likely very happy with the purchase of Musah as well. He’s a bit more raw than Pulisic and it is a process getting him towards extended minutes, but he’s getting there. His minutes are gradually increasing and the team is playing better when he’s on the field. His dribble is particularly useful in opening up the games for others as he draws defenders towards him to create space which he can either exploit or it gives him more room to find teammates in more dangerous areas.

BALOGUN’S BIG REBOUND

 

I said last week that we were going to learn a lot about Folarin Balogun in the weeks ahead. Last weekend in Monaco’s 1-0 loss to Nice, Balogun missed two penalties and was visibly frustrated. It was the worst game of his young professional career, and we hadn’t seen him tested like this mentally.

On Saturday at home against Marseille, he responded with one of his best performances, so far. The New York-born Balogun, 21, ended up scoring a goal and adding an assist in a big 3-2 win. He was the best player on the field this day.

With Monaco trailing 2-1 in the 23^rd minute, Balogun found an equalizer on a fantastic run, move, and finish where he beat three Marseille defenders.

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Then in the 52^nd minute, he assisted on the winning goal with perhaps an even better effort where he used fantastic control in tight space.

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3-2 Monaco ????

Het doelpuntenfestijn in Monaco duurt voort: Akliouche brengt de thuisploeg weer op voorsprong ????#ZiggoSport #Ligue1 #ASMOM pic.twitter.com/nmwpwv59h7— Ziggo Sport Voetbal (@ZS_Voetbal) September 30, 2023

Overall, the talent and the skill Balogun showed in this game was extremely impressive. But the mentality to quickly move beyond a terrible game and then play at your best was even more important. It is a skill that the best forwards have. They don’t let a bad game put them into a funk.

BROOKS STRUGGLES, GIO UNUSED ON FRIDAY

 

On Friday in the Bundesliga, Hoffenheim dropped a 3-1 decision at home to Borussia Dortmund. Both teams were high in the table entering the day with Hoffenheim in sixth and Dortmund in fifth. In the end, this turned out to be a tough day at the office for three Americans.

First for Hoffenheim’s American manager Pellegrino Matarazzo, this was a winnable game. After starting the season so well, there were hopes Hoffenheim could prevail against a top Bundesliga team at tome.

Second, for John Brooks, he was completely at fault for the opening goal in the 18^th minute. The second Dortmund goal was due to confusion among Hoffenheim defenders and Brooks was in position to make a clearance but may have been called off by a goalkeeper. In the end, he went 84 minutes in the loss. Brooks is on the outside of the national team and this won’t help him.

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Then there is Gio Reyna who was an unused substitute again for the third straight game and he is yet to play for Dortmund this season. Dortmund wasn’t great in this game, but thanks to Hoffenheim mistakes, it was a great result and that makes it harder for Reyna to play. Manager Edin Terzic seems unlikely to change a winning formula.

TILLMAN’S NICE DAY AT THE OFFICE

 

It was expected that Eredivisie-leading PSV Eindhoven would have an easy time on Saturday against last-place and winless Volendam. In the end, that happened as PSV won 3-1 to remain perfect with 21 points from seven games, while Volendam now has just one point from seven games.

What was a bit surprising was that American Malik Tillman was the man of the match in this game for PSV with an impressive goal and an assist. It was even more surprising because just last week, he was dropped from the matchday roster due to oversleeping. But Peter Bosz decided not for an extended punishment for Tillman and gave him a surprising start.

In the 47^th minute, Tillman delivered a fantastic assist to Guus Til with a lovely chip over the defense for a 2-0 PSV lead.

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Then in the last minute of stoppage time with Volendam down to 10 players, Tillman added a goal when he moved into the box and fired a shot past a frozen goalkeeper.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/jZUyyWkG4d4?si=86tYHrPUHAj-S9Nt&start=324

But this was a great outing for Tillman to establish a role at PSV that will include more playing time. Yes, Volendam is bad, but this was a starting point and Tillman showed up.

Sergino Dest returned from missing a midweek game due to illness to make the bench but he did not play. Ricardo Pepi played the final 20 minutes for PSV and it was uneventful for him. Eventually he will play more, but that will only come when Bosz realizes there is a need to rotate Luuk de Jong. That point will eventually come and Pepi has done enough to at least start building positive trust with Bosz.

Another bit of good news on the American front in this game is that Zach Booth was strong for Volendam when he played the final 18 months off the bench. He only had two completed passes ( but was 2/2) but he was also 2/2 in his dribbles, 2/2 in his tackles, and was 6/7 in his ground duels.

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With Volendam struggling so badly, it’s only a matter of time before they give Booth a shot to try something different. He’s at the club on loan from Leicester but if the club wants to make a battle to avoid relegation, they need to mix things up.

Booth, along with his older brother Zach, are eligible for the U.S. Olympic team. Zach is injured at the moment but it will be interesting to see if Zach gets a look with the team in the upcoming camps.

PAREDES SHARP OFF THE BENCH

 

On Saturday, Wolfsburg defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 and two members of the 2003-born American class came off the bench.

With the score 1-0, Kevin Paredes came off the bench for Wolfsburg in the 79^th minute and Paxten Aaronson came off the bench in the 82^nd minute.

In the 84^th minute, Paredes made a move into the box and drew a penalty which was converted by Jonas Wind for his second of the game and a 2-0 lead.

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Paredes has had some very good moments off the bench over the past year and a half but has been unable to earn many starting opportunities. What is going to get him to that point? Will it take a loan, will it just take reps? At what point, what is the plan for Wolfsburg to help Paredes with the next step?

For Aaronson, his eight minutes off the bench were relatively uneventful but he has at least been earning the occasional start. Again, is a loan in the cards for him?

Internationally, both of these players have the talent to be on the U.S. national team but both would benefit tremendously from leading the Olympic team. But the big question is whether their clubs would entertain a release.

MALONEY & HEIDENHEIM STUN UNION BERLIN

 

On Saturday in the Bundesliga, FC Heidenheim stunned Union Berlin 1-0 to move to ninth place with seven points from six games. Entering into this season, few gave Heidenheim a chance to survive in its first ever season in the top flight (and was an amateur club into the mid 90’s). While in some games, the club struggles, it is also managing to pick off some big wins here and there. Saturday against Union Berlin was one of those days.

In the 1-0 win over Union Berlin, American defensive midfielder Lennard Maloney, 23, went a full 90. It turned out to be one of the best performances of his career because he played to his strengths of winning duels, aerials, and shielding the backline.

Maloney was 37/45 in passing over 64 touches with 4/7 in long balls and 2 hots. But his biggest contributions were defensive. He had 13 clearances, covered a ton of ground, and was 7/12 in his aerial duels.

Maloney is getting close to his first USMNT call-up and his first appearance for the United States since a U-20 call-up in 2018. It would make sense to give a look to him given the continued Tyler Adams absence and the lack of options at No. 6.

But it is another question of how he would fit into the team? His runs a lot, he isn’t that fast, it remains to be seen if he has the passing range Gregg Berhalter would want. But Maloney works extremely hard, fights for everything, and is a great teammate by all reports. He is a great fit for Heidenheim, but the U.S. team has a very different approach.

On another note, Brenden Aaronson did not get off the bench for Union Berlin. Union outshot Heidenheim 20-10 but couldn’t hit the back of the net. The team had its most disappointing result of the season without Aaronson, which probably helps his case.

WINGO GOALAZO

 

There isn’t much to add about Ferencvaros and its 6-1 away win over MTK Budapest other than this spectacular 63rd minute goal from Seattle’s own Henry Wingo to make it 4-1.

Wingo is back to starting at right back for the perennial Hungarian champions and is doing his part. This goal was unreal.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/c-i2D4Hmpsw?si=551w4D0UUOG2heFc&start=203

I am curious to see if an team in MLS tries to make a move for Wingo this winter. The former Seattle Sounder turns 28 this week.

YANKS IN ITALY

 

On Sunday in Serie A, Juventus visited Atalanta and played to a 0-0 draw. As has been the norm, Weston McKennie started at right wingback and was replaced late, this time in the 84th minute, by Tim Weah who helped see out the result. At the end, Juventus seemed happy with a draw after being outshot 15-5 (while Juve had the edge in shots on target, 3-2). That is something that you would not have seen with the older Juve teams that won the scudetto nine straight times. Those teams had a mindset to win every game.

This game was very boring. McKennie got on the ball plenty, 54 touches in 84 minutes but had no shots, two passes into the final third, and really wasn’t part of anything dangerous.

There are a lot of questions about Juve’s plans for their American players.

First, when will McKennie get a chance in the middle of the field. McKennie is not perfect, but he is very energetic and the team needs that.

Second, what does the team see in Tim Weah? If McKennie is what the team wants from a right wingback, why did they purchase Tim Weah? Weah is very, very different from McKennie at that position. What were they expecting of Weah?

It’s good that McKennie is a regular starter for such a legendary club. But the entire situation is different for him and for Weah.

In Serie B, Palermo defeated Sudtirol 2-1 thanks to a late winner from Giuseppe Aurelio. U.S. national team left back Kristoffer Lund, 21, started for the City Football Group owned Palermo and played a 60-minute shift. Despite the limited minutes, Lund had a good outing with 36 touches and 17/19 passing. He was 2/2 in his dribbles and was 2/3 with his crosses – one of which created a dangerous chance. He was 5/6 in his ground duels and won his only aerial duel. He also drew three fouls and did not commit a single foul.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/m6iOKZLCOzk?si=UbKPx5Jvdq9JQL4a&start=41

Gradually, Lund has been taking on a bigger role at Palermo. It was always going to take some time given that he missed preseason, but he is getting closer. The next step will be longer outings as Palermo looks for promotion with its CFG backing.

Also in Serie B, Venezia defeated Modena 3-1 away on Saturday to move into third place of Serie B. Tanner Tessmann had a big game where he had 62 touches, was 38/46 in passing, created two chances with 10 passes played into the final third. He was 2/2 on the dribble, was 2/3 on his crosses, was 6/9 in his long balls, was successful in 3/3 of his tackles, won 6/9 of his ground duels, and won 1/3 of his aerials. He also did not commit a single foul.

Gianluca Busio also started and played 80 minutes in central midfield.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/FDi-c2TNifo?si=kc8BM-cqOguNTzpB&start=41

It’s a good experience for both Americans to be part of a promotional race in a tricky Serie B. Internationally, both have spent time with the U.S. national team but are probably strong candidates for the Olympic team where they can start and be difference makers. For Busio, however, the competition to make the Olympic team will be very challenging.

Finally in Serie B, Andrija Novakovich started for Lecco and was effective in his hold-up play during a 66-minute shift away at Cittadella. He left with his team winning 1-0. Unfortunately, he watched his team collapse late, squandering goals in the 87th minute and 89th minute to fall 2-1. Lecco sits last in Serie B with just one point from five games.

YANKS IN ENGLAND

 

On Sunday, Nottingham Forest played to a 1-1 draw with Brentford at home. Matt Turner made three saves on the day and afterward said he felt like the team squandered two points. A win would have pushed them inside the top 10 but now they sit 11^th with eight points from seven games.

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For Turner, he is on constant pressure to continue to play at a high level given that sitting behind him is Odisseas Vlachodimos, the Greek national team’s starter who was acquired from Benfica just before the deadline. This effort probably still keeps him in the starting lineup. The goal he conceded was probably savable, but it would have been a huge save.

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On Saturday, Crystal Palace travelled to Old Trafford and came away with a big 1-0 upset win against a struggling Manchester United team that is now in 10^th place. Chris Richards came into the game in the 88^th minute to see out the win, which he did. He only had two touches but managed to make a nice clearance. He didn’t have to complete a single pass. Overall, this is going to be the norm for him unless there are injuries at the club. He needs to make a move in the winter.

Sheffield United are still without a win following a 2-0 away loss to West Ham on Sunday. Auston Trusty played the final 11 minutes for Sheffield United but didn’t have to do much. At some point, he will probably get chances to start as he has now been with the club for two months and is integrated (after he missed preseason). With the club sitting on just one point, they’ll probably want to try something different.

On Monday, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, and 15^th place Fulham host their closest geographic rival in Chelsea, which sits in 15^th place.

It was an especially tough weekend  for Americans in the Championship.

Stoke City rallied for a 3-2 away win over Bristol City. Lynden Gooch started at right back for Stoke but was pulled at halftime when they were trailing 3-2.

Preston North End fell from first to third following a brutal 4-0 loss at home West Bromwich Albian (with Daryl Dike likely out until December or January. Duane Holmes, who has been having a solid start to the season, started for Preston North End and was subbed out in the 64^th minute with PNE trialing 3-0.

Coventry defeated Queens Park Rangers 3-1 away in London on Saturday. Reggie Cannon is still not on the roster year for QPR. U.S. national team forward Haji Wright has been seeing his minutes decrease at Coventry recently and he only played the final 11 minutes in this game (he entered with Coventry up 3-0). He is under a lot of pressure as the club’s record signing. For QPR, American forward Charlie Kelman went as an unused substitute.

Norwich City, managed by former U.S. international David Wagner, defeated Birmingham City 2-0 to end a two-game skid. They moved into seventh place with the result. Josh Sargent remains out for Norwich.

YANKS IN GERMANY

 

Borussia Monchengladbach won their first Bundesliga game this season on Saturday with a 3-1 road win over winless Bochum. Joe Scally was dropped from the starting lineup after a tough start to the season.  He came on in the 72nd minute with all the scoring finished. He ended up with 16 touches and was just 2/5 in passing.

Jordan Pefok started and played 64 minutes in the win. He picked up a generous assist on the team’s third and final goal but was a workhorse up top in his hold up play. He won 5/8 of his ground duels and won 3/10 of his aerials. He connected on 14/16 of his passes. He is slowly getting better after a tough season. But to get back into the national team picture, he needs goals. The forward position on the national team is improving and he needs to score to stand out.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/91SBC71NHQY?si=RmHAlBINpttt0YXS&start=41

Also in the Bundesliga, FC Koln dropped a 2-0 decision at home to VfB Stuttgart to remain with just one point from five games. One week after making his professional debut, Damion Downs made another appearance for Koln – this time playing the final 14 minutes in the loss. Unlike last game, Downs wasn’t dangerous in this one, as Stuttgart held him in check.

Still, Downs is 19 and is slowly getting integrated into a Bundesliga team, albeit a bad one. He should continue to get chances. If they get relegated, he should figure into their plans to get promoted. A German-American, Downs has played for U.S. youth national teams in the past. It will be interesting if he can sneak into a U.S. U-23 team cam to compete for a spot against players like Duncan McGuire or Matthew Hoppe.

In the 2.Bundesliga, it was mostly struggles for Americans.

Hansa Rostock defeated Eintracht Braunschweig 1-0 on Saturday. Johan Gomez started as second striker and went 82 in the loss. Overall, he wasn’t able to generate much offense and Braunschweig has fallen to 17^th in the 18-team league to me.

St. Pauli defeated Hertha BSC 2-1 away on Saturday and moved to the top of the table of the 2.Bundesliga. Houston-born head coach Fabian Hurzeler has been a revelation since taking the job last December at the age of 29. Last year, he took them from the brink of the relegation zone and almost had them qualify for the promotional playoffs. Now they are leading the way in the 2.Bundesliga.

On Sunday, Greuther Furth played Elversberg to a 1-1 draw away. Julian Green was suspended for this game for Furth while fellow German-American Maximillian Dietz was subbed into the game in the 82nd minute for Furth – which sits in 13^th place.

Also on Sunday, Terrence Boyd was subbed into Kaiserslautern’s 2-2 away draw with Osnabruck in the 76^th minute. With Kaiserslautern trailing 2-1, Boyd missed a penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time but saw his team equalize two minutes later.

YANKS IN SPAIN

 

In La Liga, Celta Vigo visit Las Palmas on Monday but Luca de la Torre will not play as he is suspended for being sent off (for his second yellow card) last Thursday in Celta’s 1-1 draw with Deportivo Alaves. Celta Vigo sits on the edge of the relegation zone with just five points from seven games.

On Saturday in the Segunda, Eibar defeated Tenerife 3-0 but American winger Konrad de la Fuente missed out on the win as he remains out injured with a muscle injury.

On Sunday in the Segunda, Mirandes defeated Real Zaragoza 1-0 on the road, aided by the fact Zaragoza had to play the second half down a man. Jonathan Gomez played the final 23 minutes for Mirandes and was on the field for his team’s winning goal, an own goal.

YANKS IN THE NETHERLANDS

 

On Sunday Agustin Anello, 21, made his first start for Sparta Rotterdam after his first four appearances were all coming off the bench. The winger from Florida ended up going 74 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Excelsior and left shortly after Excelsior equalized the game 1-1. It was a quiet day for him as he only had 33 touches and 11 completed passes in the defeat. Sparta remained in sixth place after the loss.

Still, Anello is eligible for the U.S. Olympic team and might be seen as a potential option for an upcoming camp to give him a chance to compete for a spot on the U-23 team next summer.  

Also in the Eredivisie, Anthony Fontana as an unused substitute for PEC Zwolle in a 2-1 loss to Heracles and he is still looking for his club debut. Taylor Booth remained out injured for Utrecht and missed the club’s ugly 2-0 loss at home to Almere City. Utrecht sits 17^th in the 18-team Eredivisie.

On Sunday, AZ Alkmaar defeated Fortuna Sittard 4-0 on Sunday and Djordje Mihailovic played the final seven minutes in the win and he was the fifth and final substitution. Mihailovic was decent in his limited minutes, creating a decent chance, going 6/7 in passing, and being on the field for the final goal. It’s been tough for him, but AZ has been flying with 19 points from seven games. They’re in second, just two points behind a perfect AZ.

In the second tier Eerste Divisie, John Hilton went 90 minutes for Dordrecht in a 1-1 draw with FC Eindhoven. Justin Che played the final two minutes for second-place ADO Den Haag to see out a 3-0 win over MVV Maastricht. Gedion Zelalem played 90 minutes for Den Bosch in a 3-0 away win over Groningen.

YANKS IN BELGIUM

 

On Saturday, Gaga Slonina started for Eupen on Saturday in a 3-1 loss at home to Anderlecht. After a strong start to the season, this was the fourth loss in a row for Eupen as they fell to 11^th place in the 16 team First Division A. One of the goals he conceded was an own goal from his right back.

Slonina is doing okay. He occasionally lets in goals he should save, but he’s also letting in some bad goals too. But things are going to get more serious for him soon as the second half of the season will likely be a relegation battle and Slonina will be under pressure to keep his team up.

On Sunday, Genk hosted Westerlo and the two teams played to a wild 3-3 draw. Regarding Americans, Mark McKenzie’s toe injury continues to keep him out of action, and he again had to sit a game out. Griffin Yow also is yet to make his season debut he was out for Westerlo. The one American to play was Bryan Reynolds who played the complete game for Westerlo.

Reynolds has been playing very well defensively in recent games and in this game, he was again very important on that side of the ball. He won 5/7 of his ground duels and was 2/2 in his aerials. He had 10 recoveries and was 3/4 in his tackles. He also created one very dangerous chance for Westerlo in the first half.

Things are not great for Westerlo. They are dead last with three points from nine games. But if they can put forth an effort like this game, they should be able to make a climb soon. As for Reynolds, he’s also improving after a very slow start to the season. He should be in with the U.S. U-23 team in October to begin to make a case to be the team’s starting right back heading into Paris.

Marlon Fossey started and went 70 minutes for Standard Liege in a 2-1 win away at OH Leuven. He left the game when the score was 1-1. Standard Liege is slowly getting their act together with two wins over the last three games. Fossey hasn’t been the explosive contributor that he was last season but with Standard’s gradual improvement, Fossey seems likely to improve as well.

Sam Vines was still injured and did not play for Royal Antwerp in their 0-0 draw at Mechelen. Antwerp remained in fifth place with the result.

Alex Mighten remained injured and did not suit up for Kortrijk in a 2-1 win over Cercle Brugge on Friday. Kortrijk moved out of last place with their first win of the year.

YANKS ELSEWHERE

 

In France’s Ligue 1, Le Havre fell to Lille at home 2-0. Emmanuel Sabbi, 25, came into the game in the 70th minute with his team trailing by two. He made a limited impact with only nine touches over his 20 minutes and was 2/3 in passing.

In Scotland, there was a huge upset as Aberdeen defeated Rangers 3-1 at Ibrox. American midfielder Dante Polvara, 23, started and went 80 minutes for Aberdeen. He left with the score 2-1. Rangers had a 71/29 possession edge and Polvara was chasing the game, along with his teammates. But he still was good enough on both sides of the ball to lift Aberdeen in to seventh place while sinking Rangers into third, seven points from leaders Celtic. Polvara is having a good month as he also scored two weeks ago in the Conference League in an away trip against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Meanwhile in the Premiership, Scott Pittman played the last 21 minutes for Livingston in a 1-1 away draw against St. Johnstone. Pittman is Livingston’s all-time leader in appearances. Finally, Cameron Carter-Vickers remained out for Celtic and missed the 2-1 win over Motherwell.

In the Austrian Bundesliga, George Bello started for LASK against Wolfsberger, but the former Atlanta United left back was pulled at halftime. Overall, that is not a good sign for Bello who is fighting for minutes and is not considered a first-choice starter. LASK remain in third place in the league but are six points behind second place Sturm Graz.

Meanwhile, Sebastian Soto remains out following back surgery and he was not part of Austria Klagenfurt’s 0-0 draw away at BW Linz.

In the Portuguese top tier, Vizela dropped a 3-2 loss at home to Portimonense. Last week, Alex Mendez came off the bench for his season debut and delivered a late equalizing assist off a corner. In this game, he was the fifth and final sub for Vizela in the 69^th minute when his team trailed 2-1. With Mendez on the field, Vizela equalized in the 85^th via an own goal but squandered the winning goal two minutes later.

Mendez was busy in this game, going 21/24 in passing in his 24 minutes. He had 27 touches and was good in possession, but only managed to create a half-chance for Vizela towards the end. Still, he should continue to get rotational minutes moving forward. Vizela sits 14^th in the 18-team league with five points from seven games.

In Norway’s Eliteserien, Bob Bradley and Stabaek dropped a painful 1-0 loss at home to remain four points deep in the relegation battle. This team needs a win – badly.  On Wednesday, they host HamKam and it is almost a must-win.

Also in Norway, Sam Rogers was subbed out just the 34^th minute for Lillestrom in a 2-0 loss at home to Brann. Given it was a double substitution, it was likely a major tactical adjustment after Lillestrom fell behind 1-0 and Rogers was already on a yellow card.

Finally in Norway, Christian Cappis made his club debut for Molde on Sunday when he played the final 10 minutes in a 4-0 win over Viking. Cappis is at Molde, on loan from Brondby, for the remainder of the Norwegian season. Molde sit fifth in the Elitserien.

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In Sweden, Joe Gyau did not play for Degerfors in its 3-2 loss to Sirius. It’s a good thing he didn’t as Degerfors had a 2-0 lead into stoppage time when the conceded three goals to lose and sink four points deep into the relegation hole.

In the Greek Super League, Caleb Stanko came off the bench in the 70th minute to help preserve a 1-0 lead over Panaitolikos. The American defensive midfielder idd his job and the club held on for a 1-0 win. Lamia sits midtable in seventh place in the 14-team league.

Joe Efford recently joined PAS Giannina after his contract with Motherwell was terminated by mutual consent. On Sunday, the 27-year-old from Georgia made his debut in Greece’s top tier when he played the final 29 minutes in Giannina’s 3-0 loss at home to leaders Olympiakos. PAS Giannina have lost three in a row and are in 11th place.

Finally, Erik Palmer-Brown was injured and missed Panathinaikos’ 2-2 draw with PAOK. Midweek, he was forced out of his club’s 4-1 win over Asteras Tripolis at halftime.

In Croatia, Rokas Pukstas remains injured, and he missed out on Hajduk Split’s huge 1-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Eternal Derby. Hajduk remains in first with 21 points through nine games.

In Iceland’s top tier Besta Deild Karla, second place Valur defeated FH Hafnarfjordur 4-1. Former USMNT forward Aron Johannsson, who plays as a midfielder now, scored Valur’s third goal in the 66th minute. He was subbed out in the 76th minute.



In Argentina’s Copa de la Liga Profesional, Huracan played San Lorenzo to a 1-1 away draw. Alan Sonora played 89 minutes for Huracan and was not on the field for San Lorenzo’s late equalizer. Sonora nearly scored on a 55th minute shot that went just wide. But he has found footing with his career back with Huracan after a very difficult move to Club Juarez. His younger brother, Joel Sonora, did not get off the bench for Huracan.

In Mexico’s Liga MX, Club America defeated Pumas 1-0 on Saturday night. Alex Zendejas came into the game in the 65th minute but didn’t contribute much in the win. Through 10 games, Club America sits atop the table with 21 points, one point ahead of Tigres.

After a strong start to the season, Club Juarez is starting to fade and has lost two in a row. On Friday, they dropped a particularly ugly 5-1 loss away to Tijuana. Sebastian Saucedo was subbed into the game for Juarez in the 58th minute with his team down 3-1.

In Brazil, Johnny Cardoso did not suit up for Internacional in a 2-0 loss at home to Atletico MG.

Fan of a Premier League club? Stop laughing at Arsenal and Manchester United…

By Luke Brown

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It was a thoroughly miserable evening for English clubs in European competition on Tuesday.

At Old Trafford, Turkish side Galatasaray took advantage of some truly disastrous Manchester United defending to seal an improbable 3-2 comeback victory.

The result means Manchester United have opened a Champions League campaign with consecutive defeats for the first time in the history of the tournament, after their earlier loss to Bayern Munich.

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Meanwhile, some 300 miles away in northern France, Arsenal slipped to an unexpected 2-1 defeat at Lens, the side currently 15th in Ligue 1. 

Those results mean that none of the Champions League groups are currently topped by an English team.

Manchester City came from behind to beat Red Star Belgrade 3-1 three weeks ago but are behind RB Leipzig on away goals scored, while Newcastle United drew their opening match 0-0 with AC Milan. They next face Paris Saint-Germain, who saw off Borussia Dortmund in the opening round of fixtures.

Fans of other Premier League teams will no doubt have enjoyed Tuesday’s unexpected results in particular — but there’s a catch.

There are potentially five Champions League spots up for grabs this season for the English top flight, but the fifth and final place is entirely dependent on how sides perform in Europe this season.

The key words in that above paragraph are this season — previous triumphs of Premier League sides, such as Manchester City’s Champions League win last season and Chelsea’s in 2021, count for nothing.

That means rival Premier League supporters would do well to put down their PSG and Leipzig scarves and pull out a St. George’s flag for Wednesday night’s games. Here’s what you need to know.

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What’s this new rule I need to know about?

We’ve covered this previously but there was so much mickey-taking in our discussion tabs and on social media on Tuesday night that we thought it was worth recapping.

The Champions League is expanding from 32 to 36 teams next season and one of those additional spots could potentially go to the Premier League side that finishes fifth.

Two of those additional four extra places will be awarded to the two best-performing countries in European competitions, with ranking points are awarded for every match — group-stage and knockout — in UEFA’s three club competitions. The collective performance of all competing nations in this season’s tournaments will be determined by the total number of ranking points obtained by their clubs, divided by the number of participating clubs.

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UEFA calls these places the ‘European Performance Spots’. Catchy, we know.

Had the change been made at the start of last season, Liverpool (who finished fifth in the Premier League) and Atalanta (who finished fifth in Serie A) would have made it into the Champions League as teams from England and Italy performed best in European competition.

But the fact that there are eight English clubs playing in Europe this season already makes things more difficult for Premier League clubs — and that was before Manchester United shot themselves in the foot against Galatasaray.

Manchester United have lost both their European games this season (Getty Images)

How are Premier League clubs currently doing?

It’s been a mixed bag to say the least.

Liverpool and West Ham United both won their opening Europa League fixtures. But Brighton & Hove Albion fell to a surprise 3-2 defeat at home to AEK Athens, and in the Conference League, Aston Villa — who beat Brighton 6-1 last time out — lost 3-2 at Legia Warsaw. 

It means England is currently sat, wait for it, 16th in UEFA’s seasonal rankings, behind member associations including Greece, Iceland and Israel.

UEFA season country coefficients 2022/23

POSITION	COUNTRY	CLUBS	TOTAL POINTS	AVERAGE
1	Turkey	3/4	31	7.75
2	Belgium	5/5	24	4.8
3	Netherlands	4/5	23	4.6
4	Poland	2/4	17.5	4.375
5	Italy	7/7	30	4.285
6	Denmark	2/4	17	4.25
7	Germany	7/7	29.5	4.214
8	Greece	4/5	21	4.2
9	Portugal	4/6	24	4
10	Czechia	3/4	16	4
11	Spain	7/8	31.5	3.937
12	Iceland	1/3	11.5	3.833
13	Israel	2/4	15	3.75
14	France	6/6	21.5	3.583
15	Croatia	1/4	13.5	3.375
16	England	8/8	27	3.375

Yes, there is a ridiculously long way to go. It’s only the start of October. And member associations are rewarded with a large number of bonus points if a club from their country goes on to win one of UEFA’s three club tournaments.

But English clubs are already up against it due to the large number of Premier League sides in Europe this season, and clubs crashing out in the group stages will make it far more unlikely that the fifth-place club will be rewarded with a spot in the Champions League come May.

So, if you support a Premier League club who might well finish fifth this season, you’d be wise to stop your sniggering. We’re looking at you, Tottenham fans.  

Where can I find out more?

If that put you in the mood for some more UEFA rules and regulations, click here for a far more detailed look at how the Champions League is changing forever at the end of this season.And if you think this article is a load of nonsense and you want to revel in the hilarity of it all, click below.

Newcastle v PSG and the Saudi-Qatar feud that won’t go away

Matt Slater Oct 4, 2023 Press officers normally have to drag the stars of the show to the media waiting for them in the mixed zone and getting them there does not mean they will actually stop and talk.There was no dragging required, though, for Newcastle United’s ambassadors at the Champions League draw in Monaco at the end of August: sporting director Dan Ashworth and chief executive Darren Eales were delighted to be there and, apparently, even happier with the set of fixtures they had just been given.“It’s amazing,” said Ashworth. “It’s been a 20-year wait to play against the top teams in Europe and we’ve certainly got that in our pot, haven’t we? So, it’s very exciting. Brilliant for the fans, brilliant for the players, brilliant for the staff — it’s what the Champions League is all about.”Group F: Ligue 1 winners Paris Saint-Germain, Bundesliga runners-up Borussia Dortmund, seven-time European champions AC Milan, and 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup winner Newcastle United.

“It’s the supergroup of death,” said Eales, with a huge grin on his face, while Ashworth, bouncing with adrenalin, added: “We’ll embrace the challenge.”And so they have. A highly professional 0-0 draw at the San Siro a fortnight ago was a good start, but it will be the nights under the lights at St James’ Park where we will really see the tightness of that embrace. First up, on Wednesday, PSG.When asked by reporters after the draw if the games against PSG would carry a little more weight than the others, Ashworth was momentarily lost for words. He genuinely did not appear to understand the question.

Mohammed bin Salman (far right) at the World Cup talking to FIFA president Gianni Infantino (Amin Mohammad Jamali/Getty Images)

“Qatar versus Saudi Arabia,” we prompted, reminding him that this contest is between two clubs bankrolled by neighbouring Gulf states.“Oh, I hadn’t thought about that,” he said. “I was just thinking about it in a football context.”And that is the only context, isn’t it? Qatar and Saudi Arabia have buried the hatchet after that nasty business with the blockade and are best friends again, right? Weren’t their heads of state (de facto in Saudi Arabia’s case) wearing each other’s football scarves at the World Cup in Qatar last year?“Relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia have repaired further and faster with the Saudis than with the other states that moved against Qatar,” explains Dr Kristian Ulrichsen, the author of Qatar and the Gulf Crisis, the definitive account of the colossal falling-out that erupted in 2017 between Qatar on one side and Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the other.“The image of (Saudi crown prince) Mohammed bin Salman draped in a Qatari scarf during the World Cup sent a powerful visual signal that the bad blood of the blockade era was over, at least at the highest political and diplomatic levels.“The World Cup really brought Qataris and Saudis together at a people-to-people level after the strains of the previous few years and the celebrations after Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina showed that most people have moved on from that period.”

https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/1Qjm9TfWj9jojv3sRpaGHi?utm_source=generator&theme=0

That is certainly what it felt like on the ground.

This writer visited Qatar during the crisis, when “the quartet” had cut all diplomatic and economic ties with the country and the small but very wealthy peninsula in the Persian Gulf felt like a place under siege. Everyone talked about how empty the hotels, malls and restaurants were and there was a heavy security presence outside every public building.But there was also a flourishing of Qatari national pride. There were flags and large pictures of Sheikh Tamim, Qatar’s emir, everywhere and everyone seemed confident the country would keep coming up with solutions to the everyday problems thrown up by the dispute.There was a lot of pride on display during the World Cup, too, but it was different. The tournament was a triumph the majority of Arabs could enjoy.“If this match was being played in 2018, then the nature and tone of it would be very different,” says ProfessorSimon Chadwick, an expert on sport and geopolitics at the SKEMA Business School.“Then, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were amid a fractious diplomatic feud, which was being fuelled by the petulance of an inexperienced, though increasingly powerful, Mohammed Bin Salman, a provocative (U.S. president) Donald Trump and his unpredictable interventions in the Gulf region, and a country focused on projecting itself through football, most notably the 2022 World Cup.

Saudi fans enjoy themselves at the World Cup (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

“Since then, things have changed dramatically and the temperature between the two nations has considerably subsided. Trump is gone, MBS (as Mohammed bin Salman is more commonly known) feels more secure and assured, Qatar has enjoyed its big moment in the spotlight, and diplomatic relations have been re-established.“Nowadays, the two nations are, in general, peacefully co-existing.”James M Dorsey, a senior fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute, agrees with Ulrichsen and Chadwick.“(Qatari-Saudi relations) have gone back to being a friendly rivalry — sport is just another part of the infrastructure of that rivalry,” says Dorsey.Great, we all agree, then: there is no added needle to this contest. All of Newcastle’s new fans in Saudi Arabia — and PSG’s fans there, too — can sit back and enjoy the game on the device of their choice, at home or in a more public space. Just like everybody else.r can they?While Qatar and Saudi Arabia seem to be on the same page with each other when it comes to relations with regional bogeymen Iran, Israel and Turkey, the need to resolve the bitter civil war in Yemen, and keeping tabs on more extreme versions of Islam, there is one area where the Arab brothers are still at loggerheads: who gets to televise or stream elite sport.A full commentary of this dispute would last longer than Wednesday’s game, so here is the edited version.When Saudi Arabia and co declared war on Qatar’s economy in 2017, one of the fronts they opened up was a sophisticated digital piracy operation aimed at beIN Media Group. Based in Qatar’s capital Doha and owned by the state, beIN dominates the sports and entertainment landscape across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as having a significant presence in France, Turkey and a dozen other major markets.The name of this piracy operation was beoutQ and, for more than three years, it stole beIN’s satellite feed and repackaged it, at a fraction of the price, for Saudi customers. Furthermore, beIN was banned in the kingdom, with its staff booted out and equipment pinched.Qatar responded by making a complaint to the World Trade Organisation and also starting arbitration proceedings in London against the Saudi government. In the meantime, beIN’s bosses asked the leagues and governing bodies, to whom they had written large cheques for their media rights, to use their influence in their own countries to force Saudi Arabia to shut down beoutQ.While this was big news in Qatar, as beIN was forced to shed staff and give up some rights, it did not make waves in the United Kingdom until Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) decided it wanted to buy Newcastle United in early 2020. This presented a problem for the Premier League as PIF is the piggy bank MBS is using to modernise Saudi Arabia and diversify its economy, which is fine but not while another arm of the Saudi state is stealing the league’s intellectual property in a proxy battle with Qatar.What followed was months of confusion while beIN stood up for its rights, the Premier League fought its corner, Newcastle United’s past and present owners furiously lobbied the UK government to force the sale of the club through, and the club’s fans wondered what on earth was going on.The Saudis, offended by the suggestion that pirating Premier League content was not very collegiate, stormed off and it looked like the takeover was off.

But, as 2020 ticked over into 2021, the plates were shifting in the Gulf. The blockade had clearly not worked, tempers had cooled, and the problems had subsided. It was time to make up. So the leaders of the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — met in the desert city of Al-Ula in January 2021 and agreed to call it all off, including Qatar’s arbitration cases (there were more than just beIN’s).Ten months later, beIN was unbanned in Saudi Arabia and — in a remarkable coincidence — PIF’s takeover of Newcastle United was approved.Now, we have already told you that this was not the start of a beautiful friendship for beIN and Saudi Arabia, so we have ruined that surprise, but quite how bad things remain between beIN, one of Qatar’s most famous and successful companies, and its largest potential market is really quite remarkable.

Mohammed bin Salman (left) greets Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, ahead of the Arab League Summit in May (Bandar Aljaloud / Royal Court of Saudi Arabia / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

First, there was a long lag between the Al-Ula agreement and beIN being allowed to operate again in Saudi Arabia. Then, in July 2021, The Athletic reported that beIN staff, including its founder and president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, faced “daily cyberattacks”, “malicious hacks” and “commercial sabotage”. BeIN did not point the finger at Saudi Arabia, but it did not need to.Still, things did seem to settle down for a year or so in the run-up to the World Cup, which beIN and Qatar had been building up to for a decade.However, one hour before the opening ceremony on November 20, the same opening ceremony that most experts on the region thought was the clearest signal yet for a return to the natural order in the Gulf, beIN’s new streaming platform, TOD, was blocked in Saudi Arabia.Anyone trying to log on to the service was met with a message that said: “Sorry, the requested page is violating the regulations of the Ministry of Media.

“To unblock the page, you may send an official request to: Ministry of Media — Electronic Publishing. Email: emedia@moci.gov.sa”.

The error message Saudi users receive when trying to log on to TOD

If anyone has received an answer from the ministry, can they forward it to beIN, please? Eleven months on, TOD is still blocked, nobody has explained why, and beIN has given up complaining about it, publicly anyway.

When asked for comment about the impasse, which effectively means the only way for anyone in Saudi Arabia to watch the Champions League, Premier League, La Liga, Wimbledon, the NBA and more is through a now very old beIN set-top box or an illegal stream. In fact, after more than six years of watching illegal streams of sport, an entire generation of Saudi sports fans no longer know the difference.

It is hardly surprising, then, that beIN has very quietly resumed its arbitration case against the Saudi government. It was asking for $1billion in damages last time, as that was the claimed cost of beoutQ’s piracy for the first six months of the blockade. At that rate, we are talking about a claim north of $5billion now.

“The Al-Ula agreement was supposed to end all ongoing legal cases initiated during the blockade, but it can be read as referring to state parties rather than private companies,” says Ulrichsen.

“BeIN probably straddles the two, but it may feel the Saudis have broken the spirit of the 2021 agreement to restore beIN by banning the streaming service.”

The obvious question here is what is Saudi Arabia playing at?

On the one hand, we have MBS justifying the country’s extravagant spending on sport as part of a strategic vision to make Saudi Arabia’s economy less dependent on fossil fuels by massively boosting tourism and attracting foreign investment, while also encouraging Saudi Arabia’s young population to be more healthy.

But, on the other hand, we have a nation that still seems to think all intellectual property is theft… and they’re nicking it. This seems like an incredibly counter-productive approach to a country that is desperate to host more major events and build better links with international broadcasters.

Of course, it did appear to have a plan for resolving this in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup. The plan for Saudi Arabia to buy a stake in beIN, thereby avoiding the high cost of trying to build a rival to beIN, was one of the worst-kept secrets in the media industry.

But that secret has been replaced by one of the best-kept secrets in the media industry: why that deal broke down.

Some believe it was a simple disagreement over price. Others say it was more of an age-old dispute between these two parties about control, as in Saudi Arabia finding it very hard to believe that Saudi Arabia should not be in charge of every pan-regional venture.

Either way, everyone agrees that there are really only two ways out of this embarrassing and potentially expensive situation for Saudi Arabia: take on beIN or buy it.

Dorsey believes it will be the former.

“I would expect the Saudis to launch their own thing,” he says.

“Absolutely. And that goes for every sector. As a matter of principle, Saudi Arabia has to be the regional leader in everything. Why would sports broadcasting be any different?”

Chadwick, however, sees a compromise.

“Qatari strategy has moved on from the first-mover advantages it has built after nearly two decades of spending heavily on sport,” he says. “It now faces the challenges of utilising the assets it has created.

“Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has become the archetypal fast follower, spending even more widely and lavishly than its smaller next-door neighbour. In effect, the two countries are playing different games to each other and have therefore found a way to co-exist.

“Saudi Arabia has always been the bigger, bolder, more bellicose of the two, which MBS is learning to filter through soft power strategy and reputation management. Yet its recent sport investments continue to carry the DNA of a nation that believes it plays a crucial role in regional and international affairs.

“Qatar, on the other hand — much smaller, less secure — plays the junior partner who seeks consensus through partnership and diplomacy. This is clearly evident in the activities of Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is a Qatari strategic archetype.”

Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain, is Qatari (Gualter Fatia – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

He is also the president of PSG and the chairman of the rich clubs’ club, the European Club Association, so you cannot help thinking that Newcastle United’s owners are going to have to come to some sort of accommodation with him and his company at some point.

Wednesday’s big game takes place two days after the fifth anniversary of the grisly assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and journalist. Intelligence agencies in several countries, including the United States, believe MBS ordered Khashoggi’s death. He denies that but has taken responsibility “because it happened under my watch”.

If MBS truly wants the world to think that buying Newcastle United, men’s golf, Cristiano Ronaldo and Tyson Fury is about putting another one per cent on Saudi’s gross domestic product and not sportswashing, he should probably try to stop his subjects from illegally streaming the world’s best sport and entertainment.

(Top photo: Bertrand Guay/AFP; Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

American soccer was against artificial turf long before it became a big problem in the NFL

“Hopefully they can eliminate turf, especially for the pros, just because of the injury risk,” said Jim Curtin, whose Union squad will play on artificial turf on Wednesday at Charlotte FC.

The debate over artificial turf fields in the NFL has certainly gotten attention in American soccer circles. But across MLS and the NWSL, there’s no debate. No one likes turf, no one wants it, and there had better be a serious reason why a stadium in either league has it.

Alas, there are serious reasons. The biggest is NFL money at four of the six turf venues. Atlanta, Charlotte (where the Union will play Wednesday), New England, and Seattle host America’s and the world’s football. The NFL and MLS teams share ownership in the first three of those cities, and used to in the fourth.

In the other two turf venues, the stadiums are owned by outside entities. Vancouver’s stadium also hosts a Canadian Football League team (and a slew of non-sports events), while Portland’s has some old infrastructure issues and used to host a college football team.

Every other stadium in MLS and the NWSL uses natural grass.

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» READ MORE: Why worries about forever chemicals and injuries might push the NFL to ditch artificial turf

While there’s only so much the leagues and teams can do about it, there’s been no need for a new opinion for years. Remember when a group of star women’s soccer players took FIFA to court in Canada over using artificial turf at the 2015 women’s World Cup? It has been nine years since the suit started and a decade since FIFA first said Vancouver would host the final on fake grass.

And it has been just about as long since anyone with common sense could see through FIFA’s ploy: Surely they’d never force a men’s World Cup to be played on artificial turf.

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It would be a while before FIFA proved that right, but the time came last year. When FIFA picked the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as cohosts of the 2026 men’s World Cup, it quickly made clear that like in 1994, real grass would be installed in any stadium that currently lacks it.

» READ MORE: FIFA goes to college to study how to grow grass indoors for the 2026 men’s World Cup

Nor will they be the kind of short-term grass installations that get used for summer soccer events these days, from Concacaf’s Gold Cup this summer in Charlotte to the many big European clubs that visit the U.S. for friendlies. Most players don’t like those setups, either, because the grass tears up and the ball bounces oddly on seams.

Big soccer cities impacted

It’s no coincidence that U.S. Soccer has deliberately chosen for years now to not play its home games on turf or temporary grass, even if it means staying out of some of the nation’s top soccer hotbeds.

Portland and Seattle have long been deprived of seeing their clubs’ stars play for their country. The men and women have stayed away from Atlanta, even though either could sell out Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The men used to visit New England almost annually but have not since 2015.

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» READ MORE: The Linc might look different during the 2026 World Cup. Here are some examples of how.

Also, some big stars who’ve come to MLS have refused to play on artificial turf, including Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Newly arrived Lionel Messi has said he will, but Inter Miami manager Tata Martino rested him from Saturday’s visit to Atlanta because of a packed schedule.

Could football and soccer now find common cause over ditching turf? Though the NFL Players Association’s desire to get turf out of the league isn’t new, it got a lot louder after Aaron Rodgers’ Achilles tendon tear last week sent chills through the Jets’ locker room and TV executives’ offices.

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Coincidentally, MetLife Stadium is one of the two leading candidates to host the 2026 World Cup final. The other is the Dallas Cowboys’ home — which FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited this past Sunday. He took in the Jets’ first game since Rodgers’ season ended with Concacaf president Victor Montagliani, Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks, and former U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro.

» READ MORE: The Eagles’ grounds crew chief went to Qatar to prepare for hosting the 2026 World Cup

“I have to say in America you are light years ahead compared to the rest of the world.” FIFA President Gianni Infantino at AT&T Stadium with Jerry Jones before today’s Jets-Cowboys game. @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/5GfKexoEFK— Noah Bullard (@noah_bullard) September 18, 2023

Both venues, and six others that will host in 2026, currently have artificial turf that will have to be removed. If they’re going to do it anyway, might the NFLPA’s campaign help it happen sooner?

One veteran source with connections in both sports said some quiet talks have already started.

The Union’s turn

“Hopefully they can eliminate turf, especially for the pros, just because of the injury risk — and obviously, if there are health risks as well with the ground-up tires [in the turf], that’s a bad thing,” said Union manager Jim Curtin, who played on turf plenty during his nine years in MLS.

“I think everybody would be in agreement that natural grass is the best way to go across all sports,” he added. “Always easy for me to say because I don’t buy the stadiums or do the maintenance or that type of thing. But certainly the sport of soccer, I believe the sport of football as well, is safest played on natural grass.”

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For now, Curtin and players across MLS and the NWSL can only hope. And in the shortest term, the Union have to get ready to play on Charlotte’s turf at Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV, free), in their first visit since last year’s disastrous 4-0 loss that cost the Union a shot at the Supporters’ Shield.

» READ MORE: Union takeaways: Bad defense turns a potential big win vs. Cincinnati into a disappointing tie

“I think the U.S. has enough money to fix the fields and make everything grass or substitute grass for turf,” said veteran Union centerback Damion Lowe, who likely will start Wednesday with Jack Elliott suspended. “I don’t like playing on turf. I’ve had a lot of injuries from playing on turf.”

But he will soldier on, he said, with much at stake in the playoff race.

“We get paid to play regardless of the conditions — rain, snow, hail, whatever,” Lowe said. “So we just have to prepare ourselves for whatever obstacles come our way, try to beat adversity, stick together as a team. We’ll go down to Charlotte, be focused, and be ready for anything.”

For the record, there are no storms in the forecast Wednesday night. At least that will take one burden off a night that will have enough of them.

» READ MORE: Ernst Tanner admits Kai Wagner could leave the Union this winter

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