Indy 11 host US Open Cup Game Wed 7 pm vs San Antonio @ Butler Bowl

The Boys in Blue return to action Saturday at Western Conference opponent Monterey Bay F.C. Sat at 10 pm on CBS Galazo Network. Indy is coming off a 2-1 home win over North Carolina FC to move to 2-4-2 on the season and sit at eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Indy 11 will host San Antonio in a huge midweek US Open Cup Sweet 16  game this Wed, May 8^th at 7 pm at the Butler Bowl.  Tix are just $10 each and can be ordered here.  

Columbus Crew on to Finals of CONCACAF Champions Cup

What a huge 3-1 win at Monterrey in the Semi-Final (5-2 Aggregate) for the Columbus Crew as they will advance on to the Finals where they will play Liga MX powerhouse Pachuca – winner over Club America 2-1. Probably the biggest win in Franchise history for the defending MLS Champs.  They will play for the Championship Sat June 1 in Pachuca on FS1. 

Champions League Semi’s Wrap up Tues/Wed 3 pm CBS

Lets start with Champions League – man the games since the knockout stages have just been fantastic – so great that CBS has shown games from the Sweet 16 on – this week Real Madrid @ Bayern Munich was fantastic – as Bayern with Harry Kane up front scored 2 goals at home but of course Real has this magical way in Champions League to find a way and they also scored 2 goals (highlights) – the 2^nd leg in Madrid promises to be a great one on Wed 3 pm on CBS. As a longtime Dortmund fan – because they are the German squad who had American’s – first Pulisic then Reyna – I couldn’t help but root for the team with the best stands (the big Yellow Wall) and their 1-0 win over PSG and Mbappe was impressive (highlights).  PGS hosts the final Tues 3 pm at CBS – pregame starts at 2 pm.

News

Indiana Pacer Pascal Siakam from Cameroon has some mad soccer skills during his hoops pregame warm-ups before a recent home playoff game. Really cool story from ESPN about how Juve’s American midfielder, who some consider the best mid in Italy this season, McKinney below.

Huge news that USWNT long time right back Kelley Ohare has announced she will retire at the end of her NWSL Season. (Story below). Also in Women’s Soccer news – The US & Mexico officially dropped out of the bid to host the 2027 World Cup in favor of the 2031 one instead. (Story below and smart thinking).  The biggest story in European Soccer: Bayern Levekusen has taken Germany by storm with an amazing 47 wins without a loss since the season 23-24 season started.  Already securing the Bundesliga Championship over Bayern Munich by 7 pts – Javi Alonso’s squad look well on their way to a Europa League Championship as well after scoring 2 in Roma to take a commanding lead back home Thurs at 3 pm on Para+. I have watched them comeback 3 times now down in the 90^th minute to win or tie the game- simply amazing the belief they have.  The play Sunday 11:30 am @ 6^th place Frankfort on ESPN+.

Good luck to all our Carmel FC teams playing in State, President’s & Challenge Cup games this weekend at Grand Park. A reminder my CFC GK Training for U12 & below will move from Wed to Thurs at Badger 5:15 pm. The older group will be at 5:45 pm Wed at River Road still.

GAMES ON TV

Sat, May 4

7:30 am USA                       Arsenal vs Bournmouth  

10 am USA                          Shefield United (Trusty) vs Nottingham Forest (Reyna)  

10 am Peacock                  Fulham (Jedi, Ream) vs Brentford

10 am Peacock                  New Castle vs Burnley (adams)

12:30 pm NBC                    Manchester City vs Wolbverhampton  

3 pm Peacock                    Aston Villa vs Chelsea 

3 pm ESPN+                        Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Club  Spain

7:30 pm Ion                        NY Gotham (Williams, Ohara, Mewis) vs NC Courage (Murphy, Fox) NWSL  

10 pm CBS Galazo Net   Indy 11 @ Monterey Bay Cal

10 pm Ion                            Portland Thorns (Smith) vs Washington Spirit (Rodman, Hatch, Sullivan) NWSL

Sun, Apr 28

9 am USA                             Brighton vs Aston Villa  

11:30 am ESPN+                Frankfurt vs Bayer Leverkusen

11:30 am Tele/Peacock Liverpool vs Tottenham  

12 noon Para+                   AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) vs Genoa

1 pm CBS                             Houston Dash (Campbell) vs KC Current NWSL

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

6:45 pm FS1                        Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy

Tues, May7

3 pm CBS                             Dortmund 1 vs PSG 0 UCL

7 pm                                      US Open Cup Games

Weds, May 8                   

3 pm CBS                             Bayern Munich 2  vs Real Madrid 2 UCL

7 pm  USSoccer.com       Indy 11 vs San Antonio @ Butler Field

Thurs, May 9                   

3 pm CBSSN                        Leverkusen 2 vs Roma 0  Europa

3 pm Para+                         Marseille vs Atalanta

3 pm Para+                         Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Pireaus 

June 27 Copa America US Men Play Panama

July 24 starts US U23 Men & US Women In Olympics

(American’s in Parenthesis)

How to Watch Indy Eleven USL Championship Action

https://www.uslchampionship.com/cbs   CBS Schedule

https://www.uslchampionship.com/espn  ESPN

Champions League & Europa League Semi’s

May viewing guide: Champions League final, title chases, relegation fights and more

Terzic unsurprised as Sancho dazzles for Dortmund

Superstars often leave Dortmund, but BVB inch toward Champions League final anyway

Madrid showcase to Bayern their mythical Champions League status

Tuchel’s tactics give Bayern hope of ousting Real Madrid at Bernabéu

Vini raves about Kroos pass: ‘Makes things easy’

Roma 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen: Bundesliga champions in command of Europa League

Leverkusen in Charge after first leg

The battle for extra Champions League places: Germany, Italy clinch spots

USA

U.S. vet, WWC winner O’Hara retiring end of ’24 ESPN Jeff Kassouf

How USMNT’s McKennie emerged from Premier League disaster to be among Serie A’s best ESPN

Why Pulisic is a must starter at AC Milan

MLS

Crew take down Monterrey, advance to CCC final

MLS Power Rankings: Messi takes Miami to top, Chicago Fire languish

Messi wins MLS Player of the Month for first time

Messi teammate: Everyone plays Leo like a final

Sources: Austin finalizing plan to host ’25 MLS ASG

Messi stars with 2 goals before record Revs crowd

GK

The man with the 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 🧤🔒@jordanfarr0 of the @TampaBayRowdies has won the @Terminix Save of the Week! pic.twitter.com/qRBBoOagrU

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) May 3, 2024

Champions League Great Saves QF

UCL Sweet 16 top saves

One of the Greatest Saves in FA Cup History David Seaman 39 YO Arsenal GK

Reffing

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USMNT weekend viewing guide: Clinching time

Clinching titles, qualification, and safety.

Saturday

Arsenal v Bournemouth – 7:30a on USA Network

With three matches to play, Bournemouth still have a mathematical shot at a top six finish, though it would require a result with title-contending Arsenal this weekend and a collapse of beautiful proportions from Manchester United and Newcastle. With little to play for the rest of the way, it seems likely the team could shut down Tyler Adams for the remainder of the season and hope he’s able to return in the fall free from injury after what has been a lost 2023-24 season.

Birmingham City v Norwich City – 7:30a on ESPN+

Josh Sargent and Norwich City close out the regular season needing just a point to guarantee a spot in the promotion playoffs and facing a Birmingham City side that need a win to pull out of the relegation zone. Norwich could also advance with a loss if Hull City fail to win and make up a seven goal differential.

Wolfsburg v Darmstadt – 9:30a on ESPN+

Kevin Paredes was a halftime substitute last weekend as Wolfsburg overcame a one goal deficit to come back and defeat Freiburg 2-1. The win pulled Wolfsburg six points clear of the relegation zone, nearly guaranteeing their safety with three matches to play. This weekend, they will face a Darmstadt side who are sitting dead last and will be headed back to the 2. Bundesliga next season.

Werder Bremen v Borussia Mönchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN+

Joe Scally started on the left side and played 90 minutes last weekend and Jordan Pefok came on in the final minutes as Borussia Mönchengladbach played Brenden Aaronson and Union Berlin to a scoreless draw last weekend. The point left ‘Gladbach four points out of the relegation positions with two additional teams cushioning them as they sit in 13th place. Their opponent this weekend is Werder Bremen, who are two spots and five points ahead of them in the table.

Brentford v Fulham – 10a on Peacock

Antonee Robinson continues to start, but Tim Ream hasn’t seen the field in over two months for Fulham. The team is coming off a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace and currently sit squarely in the middle of the EPL pack heading into their match with Brentford.

Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest – 10a on USA Network

Nottingham Forest will look to fend off relegation when they take on already-relegated Sheffield United Saturday morning. Gio Reyna saw just 16 minutes off the bench last weekend in Forest’s 2-0 lost to Manchester City after having started their two previous matches. They face Sheffield United and Auston Trusty, who played every minute of last weekends 5-1 loss to Newcastle. Sheffield’s relegation has been guaranteed and they have already given up more goals than any side in a 38 match season. They are just three goals away from the 100 goals conceded record, which was set by Swindon Town in a 42 match season, with three matches to play.

Monaco v Clermont – 11a on beIN Sports

Folarin Balogun picked up an assist in the first minute, but was pulled at the half with Monaco down 2-1 in what would be an eventual 3-2 loss to Lyon. Despite the loss, Monaco remain in second place with three matches to play and a three point advantage over fourth place Lille for Champions League qualification. Monaco’s opponent this weekend is last place Clermont, who are dead last in the Ligue 1 table.

Sunday

PSV v Sparta Rotterdam – 6:15a on ESPN+

Sergiño Dest’s ACL tear has been confirmed and he will be out for the remainder of the year, but Malik Tillman continues to start and was named to the Eredivisie Team of the Month in April. Tillman had a goal and two assists last weekend in the opening 12 minutes of the win over Heerenveen. Ricardo Pepi saw 12 minutes off the bench last weekend, but was not credited with a goal contribution on any of the eight goals that were scored in the match (he came on with the team up 7-0). With a nine point advantage and three matches to play, PSV can officially clinch the Eredivisie title this weekend when they face eighth place Sparta Rotterdam.

Osasuna v Real Betis – 8a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+

Johnny played 90 minutes last weekend as Real Betis and Sevilla played to a draw. Betis pulled within two points of Real Sociedad, who fell to Real Madrid. If Betis can close the two point gap on Sociedad over the final five matches, they will earn the Europa Conference League qualifying position. Betis face 11th place Osasuna this weekend who are comfortably middle of the pack.

Union Berlin v Bochum – 9:30a on ESPN+

Brenden Aaronson started and played 74 minutes last weekend as Union Berlin were held to a scoreless draw with Borussia Mönchengladbach to remain just two points out of the relegation playoff position. They are tied with this weekend’s opponent, Bochum, on 30 points and a win by either side would help them to draw clear of the relegation zone with three matches to play.

Celta Vigo v Villarreal – 10:15a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+

Celta Vigo fell to Deportivo Alaves 3-0 last weekend with Luca de la Torre coming on for the final 36 minutes with his team already down 2-0. Celta are five points out of the relegation positions with five matches to play heading into their match with ninth place Villarreal.

AC Milan v Genoa – Noon on Paramount+

Christian Pulisic started yet again and Yunus Musah also got the starting nod, this time at right back, as AC Milan played Juventus to a scoreless draw last weekend. Milan remain solidly in second place heading into their match against Genoa and with four matches yet to play this season.

Roma v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+

Tim Weah started as the right wingback (and put the clamps on Rafael Leao) with Weston McKennie coming on as his replacement with 20 minutes to play last weekend for Juventus. The team will play a Coppa Italia final against Atalanta on Wednesday, so we may see a rotated side again this weekend for Juventus, who are looking like a look to qualify for Champions League play with a eight point advantage and four matches to play.

After Leeds disaster, USMNT’s McKennie is back to his best at Juventus

• Bruce Schoenfeld

May 2, 2024, 08:41 AM ET

TURIN, Italy — One recent afternoon, Weston McKennie walked into a pizza parlor.In this part of the world, where he has emerged as one of the top midfielders in Serie A and perhaps Juventus‘ most consistent player, McKennie can rarely go out in public. La Lampara, a restaurant run by the cousin of his personal chef, is a safe haven. He even stores a bottle of Hidden Valley ranch dressing, his favorite condiment, in the refrigerator to swirl on his pizza. But in Leeds, where McKennie was chastised by fans for looking overweight, it all sounds like the start of a bad joke. McKennie spent the second half of last season on loan at Leeds United with the expectation of staying longer. Instead, his introduction to the Premier League was a disaster, marred by accusations by fans that he wasn’t fit and wasn’t making an effort. Suddenly, ranch dressing was no longer just a personality quirk. It was a symptom of the problem that was dragging down the club. “I feel like I let people down,” he says now. At the time, Leeds appeared to be building America’s Team. The investment arm of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers was set to complete a purchase of the historic club and market it across the Atlantic. Manager Jesse Marsch — of Racine, Wisconsin, and D.C. United — had signed two of McKennie’s U.S. teammates, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson. (They joined Englishman Jack Harrison, who attended high school in Massachusetts and played college soccer at Wake Forest.)

McKennie, who started his career at Schalke 04 and moved to Juventus in 2020, was seen as the missing piece, a tireless box-to-box midfielder who would provide a touch of Champions League quality.

Except … none of it happened. Marsch was fired in February 2023, after McKennie had played one game for him. The sale was postponed, though the 49ers eventually acquired the team at a reduced price. After three seasons in the Premier League, Leeds was relegated. “Because they signed half the U.S. national team, who weren’t very good,” Darragh MacAnthony, the owner of Peterborough, said in a radio interview.

Fairly or not, McKennie bore much of the blame. A player who prides himself on his work rate, he appeared sluggish. In more than 1,400 minutes over 20 games, he managed just one assist. He had broken a foot the previous February. That healed, but his form hadn’t recovered. “He wasn’t playing like himself,” Aaronson says. “He had a lot of expectations coming in, and that just took its toll on the pitch.”

When McKennie was substituted out an hour into the season’s final game, a 4-1 loss to Spurs at Elland Road that sealed the club’s return to the second division Championship, the home fans chanted at him, “You fat bastard!” Leeds’ option to make McKennie’s transfer permanent for a $38 million fee had seemed like a bargain in January 2023. Not surprisingly, the club declined to activate it. “I felt like it was the first time that I had failed,” McKennie says now. “It knocked me down completely. It put me in the situation of having to prove myself all over again.” Then, McKennie returned to Turin in July and discovered that Juventus didn’t seem to want him back. “The situation that he described to me was horrible,” USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter says. “He went from a bad situation at Leeds to going back to Juventus, and all of a sudden you don’t have a parking spot or a locker.” At 25, McKennie’s future as an elite player was far from certain. Now, somehow, he is finishing one of the finest seasons of any American in Europe. A playmaker who can score goals, he’s also a ball-winner who is rarely dispossessed. If he maintains his form, he will greatly enhance the U.S. team’s chances of winning the Copa América this summer in its only meaningful games before the 2026 World Cup. “He’s a difference-maker in the final third, and he can also be a difference-maker in the middle third,” Adams says. “He can do so many things that other players can’t do. I think people are only beginning to see what a difference he can make when he’s playing at his best.” They’re seeing it now in Turin, where he ranks among Juventus’s most popular players. He sits in a private room at La Lampara, waiting for his pizza, both literally and figuratively in a place where not many people thought he’d be. “It was difficult for me, honestly,” he says. “But I did it to myself. And my time at Leeds, as bad as it did go, was very important. It was a big moment in my career as far as my development. I am where I am today because of everything I’ve been through. And I’m happy about it. I wouldn’t change any of it.”

---

During the mostly turgid “Juventus: All or Nothing” documentary series released in 2021, one of the few entertaining scenes shows McKennie with two of his teammates, club legends Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon, discussing food over lunch at the club’s training ground. “If I don’t eat well, it’s impossible to play,” Chiellini says, in what is probably the most Italian comment ever. McKennie urges Chiellini to consider smothering his pizza in ranch, that uniquely American, buttermilk-based invention. “What are you saying to me?” Chiellini responds in mock horror. He then asks about McKennie’s taste in coffee. McKennie makes a face and reveals, in graphic terms, that espresso sends him directly to the bathroom. Laughter ensues. Hanging out with these guys seems like fun.

McKennie’s appealingly quirky personality makes him a popular teammate everywhere he goes. “Relaxed, bubbly good vibes,” is how Glasgow Rangers’ Rabbi Matondo, who played with him at Schalke 04, describes him. “He’s just in his own world, doing his own thing.” McKennie’s father, a U.S. Air Force officer, moved his family from one base to another. McKennie learned to make friends easily. “I make myself so open and — I don’t know — goofy because I want people to feel comfortable to come talk to me,” he says. At Schalke, he spent hours mastering magic tricks he found on YouTube so he could entertain his teammates. He also tried to initiate Matondo into the Cult of Ranch. “Have you been in America?” he asked Matondo, who grew up in Wales. When Matondo told him he had, McKennie’s eyes lit up. “Did you try ranch?”McKennie also plays Fortnite relentlessly. He has a Harry Potter fascination that has led to a goal celebration in which he appears to wave a magic wand and, lately, a deal to promote the video game. “I dabble in different things,” McKennie says. “I’m just the guy who loves to be free and do what he wants.”

Even in the changing room before games, McKennie seems carefree — so much so that teammates sometimes wonder if he’s properly focused. “Then he crosses the white line [onto the pitch] and he becomes a different animal,” Matondo says. “And you see him running and running and going after the ball everywhere. It’s amazing to me.””He’s like a child,” says Adams. “Both on and off the field. And that’s what makes him great.”But McKennie’s antics mask a vulnerability. “He has so much feeling inside of him,” says Berhalter. “That’s who he is. And being receptive to that is part of getting the best out of him.”At a USMNT training camp in Orlando, Florida, in 2019, Berhalter found McKennie to be distracted. “He could tell that my head wasn’t there,” said McKennie, who was 21 at the time. “That I was a little bit off. Maybe not my happy self.” It turned out that he was having issues with his girlfriend. “I was young, I was in love,” he says. “I just went to Gregg and talked with him — not at all about soccer, but just about life. I legit cried in front of him. I sat there and cried and he hugged me, like a father who’s not a father.”

McKennie has also had to spend stretches of his career striving to gain acceptance as an elite player. “My whole career has kind of been that path where people have doubted me, labeled me as an underdog,” he says. As a teenager, he was chosen for a U17 national team residency in Florida, which set him on the path to becoming a professional. But in 2015, he was cut from the team. That motivated him to not only succeed in American soccer, but to go up against the world’s best players in Europe, where he’d been introduced to the game while his father was stationed in Germany. He turned down a scholarship offer at the University of Virginia, then declined an offer to play in MLS for FC Dallas, his hometown team. Not yet 18, he went to Schalke, where he set out to show the skeptics that an unknown young American could be a Bundesliga standout.”Weston is at his best when people count him out,” says Berhalter. His evolution came in fits and starts. At times, he questioned his decision. “Somewhere deep down, though, I knew I had the potential,” he says.In November, 2017, McKennie scored against Portugal in his USMNT debut. When Berhalter became the U.S. coach a year later, he established a leadership council, consisting of six or seven players who rotate into the traditional positions of captain and vice captain. From the beginning, McKennie was a fixture. Yet he felt uncomfortable as a role model. “I’m too free-spirited,” he says.

Given the armband for the first time at Chicago’s Soldier Field in the Concacaf Gold Cup final against Mexico in 2019, he suffered through one of his worst games as a U.S. international. Then, though the responsibilities of the captain include representing the team with the media, McKennie refused to give an interview. He still spurns official titles, but if you were a fly on the wall, he says now, you’d be surprised to see how far he has come. Invariably, he’s the USMNT member who welcomes new arrivals. If a group of established players are headed out somewhere, Aaronson says, “he’s always the one to text the new guys and make sure they know about it. I’ve seen him do it again and again. I’m really impressed by that.”McKennie also lets his U.S. teammates know that they can come to him with insecurities, competitive issues or other problems. “Maybe you’re going through the same thing that I went through,” he says, “because I’ve had my share of hiccups.” That includes getting sent home from the final round of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup for spending one night outside the club’s COVID-19 bubble at a Nashville hotel and bringing an unauthorized visitor into his hotel room during another, which earned him the disgust of former USMNT standout Landon Donovan.” And I remember the times when maybe I thought I didn’t belong,” McKennie says. “So I try to tell the players, ‘You belong. You’re here. Trust yourself. Believe in yourself.'”And then, last summer, McKennie had to convince himself of the same.

---

Nobody would have questioned McKennie in August if he had asked to get a fresh start somewhere else, especially when it became clear he wasn’t in Juventus’s plans. “A lot of players would have said, ‘I’m done here. I’m leaving'” Berhalter says. “And he did just the opposite. He said, ‘I’m going to prove them all wrong.'”He was included on Juventus’s preseason tour to California and Florida, both to showcase him and to provide a marquee name for American fans. Still, his determination impressed manager Max Allegri, who saw utility in a player who competed each time he stepped on the field. “Weston has this mentality that he’s able to brush things aside,” Aaronson says. “He went back to Juventus and did what he did because he’s not focused on things like other people are. It’s a source of strength for him.”

Start running now and don’t stop until the end of the season, Allegri told him, and McKennie is still running. He began the season as a substitute at right-back, then stepped in when Tim Weah strained a thigh and couldn’t play. Soon enough, he was back in the midfield, using his skill as a distributor to get the ball forward to Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa.

McKennie has operated from both the right side and in the middle, depending on Allegri’s needs. He hurt a knee in January, which necessitated a trip to see a specialist in France, then separated a shoulder in a collision with a Frosinone player in late February. Yet he still ranks among Serie A leaders this season in clearances, progressive passes and assists, an unusual trifecta that illustrates his varied skills.In late December, when the well-regarded Italian daily Tuttosport published its compilation of Juventus player ratings for the season’s first half, McKennie led the team. “Right now,” Weah says, “he’s top-tier. He’s one of the best midfielders in the world.”

Against Frosinone in February, he played one of the better games in memory by an American in Europe before hurting his shoulder in the 82nd minute. He created Juventus’ first goal by making a run down the right side without the ball, then receiving a pass he controlled with a single touch and sending the ball into the box for Vlahovic, who poked it home. Half an hour later he fed Vlahovic again, a pinpoint delivery from a step inside the box, for a second goal. Later, he moved from the right wing to a role as an inside midfielder, from which he was controlling play. Until he collided awkwardly with Kaio Jorge and was taken off, he was clearly the best player on the field. The next day, Tuttosport dubbed him the “King of Assists.”Within days, the local newspaper in Leeds, the Yorkshire Evening Post, would run a story about the interest McKennie was suddenly generating among England’s biggest clubs. The headline: “Leeds United Flop Linked with Manchester United and Arsenal.”

---

Unlike the vast majority of football professionals, McKennie professes to have no interest in a game unless he’s playing in it. He can’t remember the last time he watched one on television, start to finish. In fact, he may never have done it.”I used to ask him, ‘How do you play football the way you do and have no knowledge of anything going on in the sport?” Matondo says.In summer 2018, while in preseason camp with Schalke 04, McKennie went to Christian Pulisic‘s house in Dortmund with a bunch of other players to see the France-Croatia World Cup final. Except, McKennie didn’t actually see it. “Everyone was on the couch watching the game,” he says. “There were a whole bunch of TVs.” One of them was right in front of McKennie, but he had his head down playing Fortnite.

“They all just laughed at me,” he says. “Like, ‘how can you be playing that right now? This game is so good.’ And I would look up every once in a while. But it just doesn’t interest me. I’ll play soccer and give it everything I have. But that mentality when I’m not playing, I need to switch it off.”

LIVE ON ESPN+ (SELECTED GAMES)

SATURDAY, MAY 4 (all times ET)
• Stuttgart vs. Bayern Munich (9:20 a.m.)
• BVB Dortmund vs. Augsburg (9:20 a.m.)
• Real Madrid vs. Cadiz (10 a.m.)
• Girona vs. Barcelona (12:20 p.m.)
• Mallorca vs. Atletico Madrid (3 p.m.)
• North Carolina FC vs. Rhode Island (7 p.m.)
• Las Vegas Lights vs. New Mexico (10 p.m.)

SUNDAY, MAY 5 (all times ET)
• PSV vs. Sparta Rotterdam (6 a.m.)
• Osasuna vs. Real Betis (7:50 a.m.)
• Celta Vigo vs. Villarreal (10 a.m.)
• Eintracht vs. Bayer Leverkusen (11 a.m.)
• Feyenoord vs. PEC Zwolle (2 p.m.)

McKennie is deeply involved in fashion and music. He has a real estate business with his brother in Dallas. When his career ends, he says, he could imagine doing something in one of those areas, or maybe becoming an agent, or even a broadcaster, though in that case he’d probably have to watch games. “I enjoy playing football. I want to go as far as I can,” he says. “But honestly, if my career ended tomorrow, I would be happy. And I wouldn’t have regrets for anything that I’ve done.”

At 25, McKennie believes he has plenty of football ahead of him. First comes this summer’s Copa América, which he believes the U.S. can win. “Maybe people don’t look at us against Argentina or Brazil and say, ‘Wow, look at the USA,'” he says. “But that’s why Gregg is so important. Because, yeah, a team can have a lot of individual talent, but when you have a team that has quality and potential and will sacrifice everything for each other, that will make a difference.”

He even fantasizes about that happening at the next level. “Do I believe that we can win the World Cup? Very slim chances,” he admits. “But it’s, what, eight games? If you can catch fire for those eight games, it can happen. The grit, the desire, a little bit of luck as well — that’s what it takes in a football game. That’s the beauty about it. Anybody can be beaten on any given day.”

McKennie’s contract with Juventus is up after next season. Negotiations are ongoing, but his constant yearning for the next challenge may lead him to agree to a transfer, especially if it involves the unfinished business of proving himself in the Premier League. At the same time, he’s more than content in Turin. He lives in a house on a hill outside the city that he rents from a wealthy doctor. He eats at La Lampara, where they nod when he covers his pizza with creamy dressing. And inside and outside the club, his stock keeps rising. The food has just arrived when a young woman approaches his table and begs for a picture. Peeking out from behind her is the manager, Fabrizio. He has a guilty look, as if he knows he should be letting McKennie eat in peace. But what can he do? She won’t be denied. Fabrizio shrugs. “Her favorite player,” he says.

USWNT two-time World Cup winner Kelley O’Hara set to retire at the end of 2024 NWSL season

By Meg Linehan May 2, 2024 THe Athletic

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U.S. women’s national team and Gotham FC defender Kelley O’Hara announced she plans to retire from soccer following the conclusion of the 2024 NWSL season. A stalwart for more than a decade, O’Hara played in four World Cups (winning two in 2015 and 2019) and three Olympics with the national team, as well as adding a WPS championship and two NWSL championships in her professional career.She announced the decision in a video created for Just Women’s Sports as part of her series Kelley on the Street.

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O’Hara has played limited minutes for Gotham FC so far this season and has struggled with ankle and knee injuries. “To get injured and come back, and get injured and come back, and just keep doing it, it really takes a toll on you,” she told Claire Watkins in an interview for JWS.

O’Hara’s first cap for the USWNT came in March 2010, and, while she was named to the 2011 World Cup roster, broke out for the USWNT during the team’s gold medal run in the 2012 London Olympics, playing every minute as an outside back. She previously won the 2009 MAC Hermann Trophy as a forward at Stanford (scoring 26 goals and adding 13 assists), but it was the conversion to outside back that cemented her place on the national team for years.

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(Notably, the 2012 Olympics were also the source of one of the greatest pieces of old-school USWNT content featuring O’Hara — in which she reports she “got sniped” after wiping out in the grass at a Scottish castle pretending to ride brooms).

O’Hara’s final match for the national team was against Sweden during the team’s exit from last summer’s World Cup in the round of 16. Due to injury concerns, there were doubts that O’Hara would be named to the final 23-player roster for the tournament, and when she received the call from former head coach Vlatko Andonovski, the emotions were clear.

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She played over 10,000 minutes for the national team, sitting at 160 appearances, three goals and 21 assists. One of her most famous USWNT goals was the one she scored against Germany during the 2015 World Cup semifinal. It was also her first international goal.

O’Hara’s club career was also successful, starting with her rookie season in WPS with FC Gold Pride, winning the 2010 championship. When FC Gold Pride folded, O’Hara was signed by the Boston Breakers. She intended to play for the Atlanta Beat, her hometown WPS team, but the league folded. O’Hara has been with the NWSL since the beginning, starting her NWSL career with Sky Blue FC, before a stint with the first version of Utah Royals FC, then heading to the Washington Spirit — where she finally won her first NWSL championship in 2021. In January 2023, she signed with Gotham, who won last year’s final.

“It has been one of the greatest joys to represent my country and to wear the U.S. Soccer crest,” O’Hara said in the USWNT press release on Thursday. “As I close this chapter of my life, I am filled with gratitude. Looking back on my career I am so thankful for all the things I was able to accomplish but most importantly the people I was able to accomplish them with.”

As of now, neither U.S. Soccer nor Gotham has shared any intended plans to celebrate O’Hara ahead of her retirement before the end of the 2024 season, though U.S. Soccer could choose to take advantage of their July match at Red Bull Arena for a send-off. (Photo: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Women’s World Cup: Why U.S./Mexico pivoted from 2027 to ‘record-breaking’ bid for 2031

By Adam Crafton May 2, 2024

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In February, executives from the United States Soccer Federation and their Mexican counterparts welcomed FIFA delegates to Atlanta as official inspections began before the vote this month to decide who will host the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

The U.S. and Mexico submitted their joint bid in December, rivalling a proposal from Brazil and a combined European bid from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The U.S. has hosted the tournament twice before — in 1999 and 2003 — but it would have been a first for Mexico.

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“We are a very strong and compelling proposition,” said Juan Carlos Rodriguez, president of the Mexican Football Federation, in late February. “We are gonna make a good run of it.”

Behind the scenes, however, doubts had already surfaced. Was 2027 the right time for the U.S. and Mexico to host a World Cup? Would it suit football’s world governing body FIFA to take the tournament elsewhere?

The bid team had previously discussed pivoting to 2031 and, on Monday evening, a statement landed to formalise the U.S. and Mexico’s decision to do just that — only three weeks before the vote was scheduled to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, at the FIFA Congress.

“The revised bid will allow us to build on the learnings and success of the 2026 World Cup (in the U.S., Mexico and Canada), better support our host cities, expand our partnerships and media deals, and further engage with our fans so we can host a record-breaking tournament in 2031,” a joint statement read.

So why the change of heart?

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How to follow the Copa America on The Athletic…

• Copa America news and features
• Copa America fixtures and schedule
• How the USMNT could replace Sergino Dest

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A pledge for equal investment

The U.S./Mexico revised World Cup bid has called for “equal investment” with the men’s tournament, “eliminating investment disparities to fully maximize the commercial potential of the women’s tournament”.

The bid is seeking to bring the organisation, promotion and funding for the Women’s World Cup fully in line with its male counterparts.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino claimed that the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand had broken even, generating more than $570million in revenue, even with the prize pool being 10 times higher than the 2015 edition. The 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar, however, generated $686million in ticket sales and $243million through hospitality rights alone, with global TV rights from 2019-22 — the bulk of which was for the 2022 tournament — bringing in $3.4billion according to FIFA. The $440million prize pot for the men’s 2022 World Cup was also far more than the $152million shared by women last year.

Aitana Bonmati celebrates winning the 2023 World Cup with Spain (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Infantino has already provided his answer to those who question the disparity, saying: “I say to all the women, you have the power to change. Pick the right battles. Pick the right fights.”

The U.S./Mexico bid for 2031, though, would like FIFA to set out a timeline towards equal prize money and its vision is set out in the bid book submitted to FIFA for 2027.

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The hope is not that FIFA should simply pluck the money out of is reserves but rather that genuine investment into the development, promotion and organisation of the tournament will bring about the revenue which may enable the governing body to eventually level up the prize money.

Now the bid has been pushed back, FIFA has four more years to bridge the gap.

GO DEEPER

Thanks Gianni, now we know – all we had to do was ‘pick the right fights’

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Increase the golden period for international soccer in the U.S.

The 2027 bid book was, in many ways, a copied and pasted version of the men’s edition in 2026. The U.S. submitted the same host cities, while Mexico added a few additional options to Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City.

The 2027 bid wanted to use 2026 as an asset; in essence replicating the relationships between cities, local government, security, transportation infrastructure and stadiums to create a back-to-back bonanza of premium international football that would then roll over into an Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, cementing the United States as the global hub for major sporting events over three years. In bid talk, this was described as “leveraging the efficiencies” of 2026, and big promises were made.

The U.S./Mexico bid claimed the commercial possibilities in the two countries “will accelerate the growth of women’s football unlike any tournament before”. They pledged to bring 4.5million fans into the stadium, capture the highest TV audience for any sporting event in history and generate more than $3 billion in total revenue. For FIFA, which has established offices in Miami and is also launching a revamped men’s Club World Cup in the U.S. in 2025, the temptation was obvious.

And yet, as conversations developed, it became clear that this idea did not make much sense for anyone.

From a FIFA perspective, the imagined boom for soccer in the U.S. is better served by a six-year run-up, stretching from the Club World Cup in 2025 (there may also be a women’s edition in 2026) through to the men’s World Cup in 2026, football within the Olympic Games in 2028 and then capped off with a Women’s World Cup in 2031. This provides more space for soccer to gain further popularity and, in turn, drive up demand and revenue for the competition.

Infantino announces the venues for the 2026 men’s World Cup (Brennan Asplen – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

And while the idea of back-to-back World Cups is tantalising, there were plenty of sectors that were not overly enamoured with the idea. For some host cities and stadiums, it would have meant three consecutive years satisfying FIFA’s very specific criteria for hosting soccer matches and revenue-sharing. Concerns also developed that the potential to maximise the Women’s World Cup commercially, both among broadcasters and sponsors, would be limited by sandwiching the tournament between a men’s World Cup and the Olympic Games.

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FIFA is also seeking to drive sponsorship agreements for its expanded men’s Club World Cup — launching across the east coast of the U.S. in the summer of 2025 — but the tournament is struggling to hit the hugely ambitious targets set out by Infantino when the concept was devised. As such, freeing up commercial space for soccer in a saturated market within the next few years may be useful for everyone involved.

FIFA does not comment on commercially-sensitive matters but would point to a recent lucrative partnership with Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company Aramco as evidence of its ability to strike deals.

GO DEEPER

Why are Napoli – and other teams – now so keen to qualify for the men’s Club World Cup?

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Put U.S./Mexico in the driving seat for 2031

There is another reality to bidding processes that is usually not said aloud: sometimes, you only say you are bidding to put yourself in pole position before the next tournament — and that, increasingly, appears to be an element of the strategy here.

Brazil is a case in point, having lost out on the 2023 tournament but now primed for a coronation in Thailand in mid-May. The European bid remains on the table but multiple sources, spoken to by The Athletic this week on condition of anonymity to protect their roles, have presented Brazil’s success as a fait accompli.

For FIFA, there are plenty of reasons to run with Brazil in 2027. The planet’s most famous soccer nation has never hosted a Women’s World Cup and FIFA is obliged grow football internationally.

It has become anachronistic to think about World Cup bidding processes as a traditional vote where nations submit their bids and every member weighs up the pros and the cons before casting their votes. This is how it is supposed to work but the pattern more recently is to see a contest, a reasonable amount of lobbying, and then everyone appears to agree that bid X is most-suited and bid Y may get something else as consolation, or be rewarded down the line.

This is what happened for the 2030 men’s World Cup selection. FIFA found a way to just about please everybody by awarding it to six countries in one go.

GO DEEPER

Why 2030 World Cup is split across six countries – and all roads lead to Saudi Arabia 2034

FIFA president Infantino confirmed the opening game would be played at Estadio Centenario in Uruguay, while Argentina and Paraguay would each host a game before the tournament and then move to Morocco, Spain and Portugal. This left Saudi Arabia out in the cold — except, not really, because FIFA has something called the “confederation rotation principle” and by grouping three confederations together in 2030 — Africa, Europe and South America — it left the path clear for Asia and Oceania to host the 2034 tournament.

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Once Australia’s executives dropped their interest in the 2030 World Cup, Saudi Arabia was the only bidder. They have already been congratulated by Infantino on Instagram, although FIFA insists the Saudis are undergoing a very intensive bid process — albeit one in which they are the only competitors.

What’s this all got to do with 2027? Well, FIFA would say nothing at all and every bid is considered on its merits, but there is a school of thought that CONMEBOL felt a little short-changed by the 2030 palaver. It had also been particularly kind to FIFA when Argentina stepped in to host the Under-20 World Cup in 2023 at short notice. A first Women’s World Cup for CONMEBOL would be a useful reconciliation.

None of this is to say that everyone was pretending all along for 2027. Nor is it inevitable that the US/Mexico bid will win next year.

Yet by 2031, it will have been 16 years since a Women’s World Cup in a CONCACAF country (when Canada hosted the tournament in 2015) and UEFA nation France hosted the tournament more recently in 2019. England, which had already been looking at 2035 and 2039 as options, as well as a possible joint bid with the other Home Nations, may pivot away from 2031.

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Later, bigger and better?

Should the U.S. and Mexico be awarded the 2031 tournament, ambitious plans will take shape. The bid wants fan festivals of equivalent size to the men’s World Cup, promising beach football tournaments on the shores of Miami and Cancun, and watchalong parties in New York City’s Times Square. Most boldly, within the U.S., the bid wants to solely use multi-purpose NFL stadiums with at least 65,000 seats, rather than be more cautious with smaller soccer-specific stadiums.

Expect this to become part of the conversation, too: should the Women’s World Cup mirror the men’s by expanding to a 48-team edition? The 2023 World Cup features 32 teams instead of 24 and the competitive balance did not suffer in a way some had worried beforehand. A six-year runway between the announcement of a potential 48-team tournament and the competition itself would allow time for more nations to invest resources into their women’s games and enter the fray in 2031.

As for broadcasters, there is quiet relief at FIFA and in the U.S./Mexico bid because we are now only three years out from the 2027 tournament and FIFA would have been behind in maximising its true broadcasting potential. Some breathing space from the men’s World Cup and Olympics, it is hoped, will further free up the necessary dollars for the 2031 tournament to hit record numbers.

The US-Mexican bid may have said ‘goodbye’ to 2027, but it is ‘see you soon’ for 2031.

(Top photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Bayern Munich 2 Real Madrid 2: Advantage Ancelotti – and Kroos for Ballon d’Or?

By Dermot Corrigan, John Muller and more

Apr 30, 2024

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A bout between two of Europe’s genuine heavyweights in a Champions League semi-final was never likely to disappoint – and so it proved.

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid played out an enthralling first leg in Bavaria, with the teams locked at 2-2 thanks to Vincius Junior’s late penalty ahead of next week’s second leg in Spain.

Our experts analyse the talking points.

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How do Real Madrid do it?

This was another European knockout tie that appeared to be teetering on the brink of disaster for Real Madrid before they delivered another of their trademark comebacks.

When Bayern’s quickfire brace of second-half goals had swung this game in their favour, Madrid had to take stock. For a while, it seemed that 2-1 was not such a bad result ahead of the second leg at the Bernabeu.

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Ancelotti’s tactical switch to 4-3-3 helped provide more cover, especially for stand-in right-back Lucas Vazquez, who was suffering badly against an inspired Jamal Musiala, and also gave his team another chance to take a breath.

The element of phoney war ended when Madrid went for a last push, with substitutes Luka Modric and Brahim Diaz adding energy and ideas. Vinicius Jr’s flick to Rodrygo then tempted Kim Min-jae into a foolish penalty concession and Vinicius Jr again showed his big-game mentality to convert from the spot.

Ancelotti’s changes worked and, as so often in recent years, Madrid had rode out the storm and found a way to turn things to their advantage. At 2-2, with the return at a fired-up Bernabeu, Los Blancos will be confident of making yet another Champions League final.

But neither of these teams are perfect and both have mixed real power with dodgy moments through the competition this season. It is all set up tantalisingly for the second leg next Wednesday.

Dermot Corrigan

GO DEEPER

What these two pictures tell us about Jude Bellingham’s attitude to football

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How did Sane wreak havoc?

Leroy Sane was a doubt for tonight’s game due to a pubic bone injury and when the German international was named in the starting line-up, the anticipation was that he would be on the right flank — as he has been for the majority of the season.

However, injuries elsewhere meant Thomas Tuchel shuffled the pack slightly, placing Sane on the left and Jamal Musiala on the right, with Thomas Muller playing alongside Harry Kane in a 4-2-2-2.

For long periods of the first half, the plan looked effective. Sane was put through in a one-on-one within the first minute and was regularly looking to stretch the Madrid back line with runs to receive first-time on his natural left foot.

Sane and Musiala would frequently roll inside into the respective half spaces and leave Bayern’s full-backs to keep the width. In the second half, as Bayern switched more to a 4-2-3-1, Sane assumed his typical position on the right flank and restored parity within 10 minutes.

A driving run, drop of the shoulder and a thundered finish at the near post reignited the clash — his first goal since October 28.

Sane fires in Bayern’s equaliser (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

It was a superb performance and a reminder of Sane’s versatility to play on either flank on the biggest European stage.

Mark Carey

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Is Kroos a Ballon d’Or contender?

Madrid were struggling a quarter of an hour into the game as Bayern had six shots while no visiting player had come anywhere close to a chance.

Toni Kroos decided something had to be done, first with a super aggressive challenge on his old team-mate Thomas Muller, which was more about showing an example to his team-mates than actually winning the ball back.

Kroos began to get on the ball, move it around, giving his team-mates time and space to regain their composure. Then came his phenomenal assist for the opening goal, splitting the Bayern defence open completely, giving Vinicius Jr the chance to finish first time.

Kroos sees Vinicius Jr starting to make his run…

… and angles a pass between the two Bayern players in front of him…

… leaving Vinicius Jr free to break clear…

(TNT Sport)

… and score with ease.

Replays showed how he conceived the goal in his head in advance, pointing with his finger for Vinicius Jr to run behind Bayern’s out-of-position centre-back Kim Min-jae, then delaying the pass to allow the Brazilian to sprint into the space before perfectly timing and weighting the assist.

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From being under the cosh due to Bayern’s fast start, Madrid were suddenly in full control of the tie. Confidence flowed through the visiting players, while belief seemed to ebb from the home side. Few individual performances have had such an effect on such a huge game.

Kroos completed all 36 of the passes he played in the first 30 minutes, making it a pretty special return to his old club, who must so rue letting him leave for Madrid on a cut-price €25m deal back in 2014. A decade later, the 34-year-old is out of contract in June but will surely renew with Madrid.

He has also recently returned to the Germany national squad in time for the Euros in his home country. Many more performances like this – he also saw a curling shot saved in the second half – and he’ll be a leading Ballon D’Or candidate. And a hugely deserving one.

Dermot Corrigan

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How was Kane subdued… but still a scorer?

For a minute there, early on, it looked like tonight might be all about Harry Kane.

Just seconds into the match, Bayern ran a simple little pattern down the left-hand side that ended with Kane pulling toward the ball and redirecting it into the channel to put Leroy Sane in on goal. It was a perfect illustration of his gifts as not only Europe’s leading goalscorer but also perhaps its most creative striker.

A few minutes later, Kane did it again, this time from deeper: he received the ball in midfield and played another perfectly weighted through ball that Sane couldn’t quite figure out how to turn into a goal. Kane’s constant movement posed a problem for Real Madrid’s right centre-back, Antonio Rudiger: how far could he track the dropping striker without letting Sane slip behind him?

Yet for most of the rest of the match, Kane went strangely quiet. Lucas Vazquez stayed deep as Madrid’s right-back to help Rudiger in the Kane-Sane dilemma and Kane started drifting into other channels to look for service. When he finally got through on goal himself, in the 66th minute, Rudiger was there to knock him down with a powerful and well-timed shoulder.

Kane slams home his penalty (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

In the end, Kane turned out to be almost a non-factor, managing just two shots on target from open play and not much creativity after those opening minutes. Chalk up another victory for Rudiger, who had shut down Erling Haaland in the previous round.

But when Jamal Musiala went down for a penalty in the second half, it was Kane who stepped up to the spot, broadcast his chosen side with a deliberate glance that made Andre Lunin second-guess himself, and rolled a simple shot home for Bayern’s first goal of the tie. Even when Kane stumbles — as he did on his way to celebrate the penalty — he’s still the surest thing in Europe.

John Muller

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Should Ancelotti send for Courtois?

Andriy Lunin has made some unexpected leaps forward since Madrid’s No 1 goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage in training in August.

He first overcame the challenge of Kepa Arrizabalaga to become first choice and was then a hero of the penalty shootout win over Manchester City in the quarter-final.

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However, Lunin has not always looked like a top-class goalkeeper. He was caught out by Bernardo Silva’s long-range free kick in the first leg against City and suffered when targeted with inswinging corners by Barcelona in the recent Clasico.

It might be harsh to blame the Ukrainian for Sane’s goal given both Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo should have got closer, the shot was unexpected, and it was hit with superb power and precision, but there is a rule that goalkeepers should not be beaten at their near post and it was a huge moment in the tie.

Courtois was a welcome presence on the Real bench (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Courtois had a setback in mid-March but has been back training with the team for a few weeks. Ancelotti has already said he will start Saturday’s La Liga game at home to Cadiz at the Bernabeu, a 90-minute test to see how his knee has recovered.

All being well, there will be a heavy temptation to bring Courtois back in for next Wednesday’s second leg against Bayern given how important the Belgian has been for Madrid in the Champions League in the past.

Dermot Corrigan

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What happened to Kim Min-jae?

How did Bayern’s defence leave Vinicius Jr that open for Real Madrid’s first-half goal?

The most obvious culprit was Kim Min-Jae, who bit too hard on a double move and left an ocean of space behind him. When Vinicius Jr abruptly switched gears and sprinted for goal, Kim just didn’t have the wheels to catch up.

Speaking of a lack of speed, it didn’t help Kim’s cause that his centre-back partner was Eric Dier, who had wandered too far from goal to keep an eye on Jude Bellingham and made only a half-hearted, plodding recovery run to try to cover for Kim when he saw he was beaten.

Nor was Manuel Neuer particularly quick off his line to block the shot, but these sorts of things happen when you’re 38 years old and still starting Champions League semi-finals.

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The real mystery is how, with so many players lacking pace at the back, Bayern allowed Kroos enough time in possession to not only pick his pass behind their back line but to point out to Vinicius where to go and then wait for the run to materialise. What happened to a team that used to have one of Europe’s most fierce high presses?

Bayern were oddly passive here, allowing Real Madrid to complete 90 per cent of their passes in the first half at the Allianz, and when you give Kroos and Vinicius Jr an inch, they’ll take a mile.

Sadly for Kim, his suffering did not end there. He was caught out by another swift Real Madrid passing exchange in the second half, only for Neuer to save well from Vinicius Jr’s shot, but had no safety net when he hauled down Rodrygo for a penalty in the 83rd minute. A night to forget.

John Muller

UK readers can view Real Madrid’s first goal here:

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US readers can view Real’s first goal here:

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The Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid match dashboard, showing the threat timeline, territory, match stats, shot maps and pass networks

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What was said afterwards?

Harry Kane was frustrated at Bayern’s inability to hold on to their 2-1 lead after coming back strongly in the second half.

“Once we got 2-1 ahead, we had two or three good chances,” he told TNT Sport. “This is the Champions League semi-final. We expected a tough game. Real are one of the best teams in Europe who can punish you.

“We started on the front foot and their goal came against the run of play. Second half we played with a higher intensity. We deserved our two goals and it’s a shame we couldn’t get a third.”

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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti – who said he had taken off Jude Bellingham as the midfielder was suffering with cramp – was satisfied with his side’s fightback but acknowledged there was scope for improvement.

“We could play better,” he said. “We had problems in the first half with a low block, too deep. We started to put pressure and it was much better. We tried to change something in the second half. We started really well and conceded two goals when our moment was good.”

Borussia Dortmund 1 Paris Saint-Germain 0: Sancho’s starring role, in-form Fullkrug, wasteful Dembele

By Sebastian Stafford-Bloor and more May 1, 2024

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This was meant to be Kylian Mbappe’s stage. Instead it was journeyman striker Niclas Fullkrug who proved the difference to give Borussia Dortmund a slender advantage in their semi-final with Paris Saint-Germain.

The 31-year-old is in the form of his life after spending the majority of it in the second tier in Germany and is now a regular scorer for the national team.

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After Bayern Munich’s thrilling 2-2 draw with Real Madrid on Tuesday night, this was a much tighter first leg, particularly in the first period. That was until Dortmund went direct to Fullkrug, who produced a brilliant first touch before firing low beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 36th minute.

PSG improved after the break, with Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi hitting the post within the space of 10 seconds and Ousmane Dembele blazing over in the final 10 minutes. Fullkrug should have added a second too but it is Dortmund who will head to Paris with a vital goal.

The Athletic’s Peter Rutzler, Seb Stafford-Bloor, Thom Harris and Elias Burke analyse the action.

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Functional Fullkrug is flying in Champions League

Just under two years ago, Niclas Fullkrug poked home his 19th goal of the season to spark wild celebrations in Bremen. It sealed a crucial final-day win, and moved the 29-year-old up to fourth place in the goalscoring standings — in the German second tier.

He has always been a proficient striker through the divisions, a functional target man and battering ram at the top of five different teams. But since Fullkrug has turned 30, he has won a Bundesliga Golden Boot, made his international debut, scored 11 international goals — including two at the World Cup — and put his new side in the driving seat for a Champions League semi-final.

Fullkrug hammers home the opening goal (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

Fullkrug is unfashionable, but undoubtedly effective. He can sometimes struggle to get into games — he touched the ball just nine times in a cagey opening half an hour here — but his emphatic ability to smash the ball on either foot can blow games apart. It was a crisp left-footed strike to open the scoring, but as his shot map below illustrates, he is a striker who can make the most of any penalty-box situation.

He should have added a second after the break but it was heartening to see a distinctly normal footballer take centre stage.

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Thom Harris 

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Why do PSG struggle with long balls?

Across both legs of PSG’s quarter-final victory over Barcelona, they struggled with the long ball. PSG are one of the most aggressive pressers in this year’s Champions League — no team has regained the ball quicker (judged by the opposition passes per defensive action) — but that can leave space in behind if their first press, from those forward line, is not sharp or precise.

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Xavi recognised this and used Robert Lewandowski as his out ball. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, the Barcelona goalkeeper, played the majority of his passes up the field to the Poland striker, and he in turn was able to bring his wide players into play. PSG defender Lucas Beraldo had a particularly difficult game, losing five duels.

Dortmund clearly learned from those matches. Edin Terzic, the Dortmund coach, was able to use Fullkrug in a similar manner. There were early warning signs; Marcel Sabitzer made a curved run from the right to reach a long pass from Ian Maatsen, but the pass was misplaced.

Dortmund were not as precise as Barcelona in the opening stages, often wayward in their attempts to pick out Fullkrug, who in turn could not contest the aerial duel against the PSG defence. But then, Dortmund got one right. Nico Schlotterbeck sold Mbappe a dummy, and used that extra second of space to arrow a ball over the top of the PSG back line.

It was an incredibly simple goal to concede but one that proves PSG are vulnerable. They struggled with their first pressure, allowing Dortmund to play out through Julian Ryerson or allowing the time to arrow a direct pass accurately, which is exactly what happened with the opening goal.

The back line switched off and were caught flat-footed; they were not set to deal with a run in behind, expecting a pass to instead be played onto Fullkrug’s head — normally his main strength. PSG may be better pressers, but simple mistakes are still undermining that.

Peter Rutzler

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Is Sancho back to his best?

Sancho’s performance was a reminder of how important environment is for footballers. He has not blazed through the Bundesliga since returning but he has seemed far less inhibited in Germany. Far away from the stifling commentary surrounding his Manchester United career, the expression has returned to his game and the timing and smart decisions that once accented his talent have returned.

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They were prominent again. At his best, there is a waspishness to Sancho’s attacking play, which sees him flutter in and out of the attack and influence the game with little touches and tricks across the width of the pitch.

In the first half, he touched the ball more than any other Dortmund player, which described his appetite for the occasion and how difficult PSG found it to keep hold of him.

Sancho’s dribbling came to the fore in the first period (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

He completed seven dribbles in the first 45 minutes, too. More than any player in any Champions League game this season. More than he managed in any Manchester United game he took part in.

But on a night when Dortmund needed their crowd, the Westfalenstadion responded to his confidence and his little moments of flare. This was Sancho at his very best. It was him as a spectacle again and after what seems like a very long time, it’s nice to be able to write that again.

Seb Stafford-Bloor

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How costly will PSG’s misses prove?

When Mbappe faced up his full-back a few minutes into the second half, it looked as though he would put PSG back on level terms from an acute angle.

As it transpired, his right-footed curling effort towards Gregor Kobel’s left-hand post did not curl enough and hit the post. Minutes later, Marquinhos curled a cross that dropped perfectly between Kobel and the Dortmund defensive line, with Marco Fabian ghosting in. Six yards from goal, it seemed certain he would head in from close range and put PSG on level terms. Somehow, he missed. And missed chances proved to be the story of PSG’s second half.

Mbappe was involved again in the 70th minute, receiving the ball in the same top right-hand corner of the Dortmund box that he almost scored from 20 minutes earlier. This time, he slipped in Dembele, whose tame effort was saved by Kobel. Ten minutes later, he would have the chance to redeem himself after Achraf Hakimi spotted his deep run into the box and played a pass across the box, but his right-footed shot ballooned over the crossbar.

Dembele after his miss (Oliver Hardt – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

“How the French haven’t scored, I can’t believe, frankly,” said Ally McCoist, the co-commentator for TNT Sports, the UK broadcaster of the Champions League.

Fortunately for Luis Enrique, Dortmund could not make the most of several excellent second-half goalscoring opportunities. Shooting practice will surely be on the agenda ahead of next week’s second leg.

Elias Burke

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Did hard-working Adeyemi silence critics?

Of all the factors expected to influence this game, Karim Adeyemi’s work without the ball was not among them. Adeyemi has suffered a bad month. From the high of his goal against Bayern Munich in March, his form has plateaued. A silly red card against Borussia Monchengladbach rightly provoked criticism and drew mutterings about his attitude. His stock has not been high.

But what a response this was. Adeyemi’s speed is typically an asset in attack. This evening it was virtue in defence, as he worked as hard as he probably ever has in Dortmund yellow to protect Ian Maatsen, his full-back, from the menacing Dembele-Hakimi threat down the PSG right.

Adeyemi was effective in defence as well as attack (ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)

The 70 yards he ran in the first half to chase down Hakimi and end a counter-attack was particularly stirring. He did exactly the same thing in the second half and that was typical of Adeyemi’s night. It was also emblematic of an astute and tactically aware performance in which he gave absolutely everything to prevent Dortmund’s cracks from showing.

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Praise is due for Terzic, too. Adeyemi was part of a gameplan in that part of the pitch that worked really well.

Sebastian Stafford-Bloor

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What did Terzic say?

“It was a well-deserved win, a good team performance,” he told DAZN. “We could have scored more goals, but so could they. That’s why the result is OK from my point of view.

“We ran a lot, but that’s necessary in a game like this. You have to earn your way to Wembley. All we need now is a draw in the second leg, but we also want to win next week. We have a small lead and a good opportunity. We don’t have fear. We know the quality of Paris.

“Sancho was extraordinary but we have seen it often training. He translates it onto the pitch. He has quality, we know his quality. It wasn’t just him, and it was important for a good match.”

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What did Luis Enrique say?

“Everybody knew that this wasn’t going to be easy. This is the semi-final of the Champions League. The dressing room is a bit down, especially after hitting the post twice. But we had our supporters pushing us on throughout the match. We must recognise that this is an exceptional stadium, with fans who know how to support their team.

“We lacked incision in the final third. We didn’t create a lot more than the opponent, we looked for transitions and counter attacks. The mindset was better in the second half. It’s an opponent at a very good level and we created good chances.

“Both teams created a lot of opportunities. But they scored, and we didn’t. The result reflects how close the game was. It’s a new situation for both teams. In the last two rounds, they had the home game as their second game, whereas it was the other way round for us. We’ll now have the crowd on our side in the second leg. We’ll have to be more effective there.”

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Recommended reading

• Bradley Barcola – ‘An evolution like his, at a level like this… I’ve never seen it’
• Paris Saint-Germain are ahead of schedule under Luis Enrique. The treble is on
• Vinicius Junior is Real Madrid’s transformative big-stage star – with a twist
• Against Madrid, Bayern remind everyone – including themselves – who they are

(ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images))

Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin: The shy goalkeeper who seized his moment – and surprised everyone

Mario Cortegana May 2, 2024

A year ago, decision-makers at Real Madrid explored the possibility of Andriy Lunin’s departure as they searched for a reinforcement in goal.The club considered signing David Soria from Getafe in June, although they preferred not to make a permanent investment in that position. When Thibaut Courtois picked up an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in August, they did not hesitate in bringing in Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan without an option to buy from Chelsea.

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But Arrizabalaga failed to impress after returning from an injury he suffered in November, while Lunin has emerged one of the heroes of the season. The 25-year-old produced a fine performance in the second leg of Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City, keeping Pep Guardiola’s side at bay in normal time before saving two penalties in the subsequent shootout.

Nobody would have expected that when Lunin started the campaign behind Arrizabalaga, knowing he could find himself as third choice when Courtois returned. He went out on three separate loans after joining Madrid in 2018 but is now close to agreeing a new deal until 2028, as reported by The Athletic on Wednesday.

GO DEEPER

The Ukrainian barely smiled in his post-match interviews after that performance against City, which gave an indication of his steely personality.So, who is Lunin? And what does the future hold for him, after stepping in so brilliantly for Courtois?

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Born to a father in banking and a mother who worked as a civil servant, Lunin grew up in Krasnohrad, a town of around 20,000 inhabitants in eastern Ukraine.He started out playing futsal and excelled as a striker. His first shirt was that of Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo and it was only aged eight that he began to play as a seven-a-side goalkeeper in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city in the country’s northeast. Iker Casillas was his new idol.Lunin had trials with three different teams — Ukrainian sides Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalist Kharkiv, along with a football school in Kharkiv. He chose Metalist as his destination, living and studying at their academy from under-12 to under-18 level.

Lunin was Madrid’s hero against City (Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)

From there, Lunin moved to Dnipro in 2016 and Zorya Luhansk a year later. Then, in 2018, he learned that Madrid wanted to sign him one day after training. Those close to him — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — say he felt a mixture of happiness and vertigo. He knew the scale of the challenge ahead.

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He received interest from other teams but told his club he only wanted to join Madrid. The deal was done quickly, for around €8.5million ($9.1m; £7.3m at current exchange rates) plus about €4m in variables, with Lunin signing a contract until 2024.

Lunin’s arrival, like those of many other youngsters at Madrid, bore the stamp of their chief scout Juni Calafat and his staff. Calafat, who is a Brazilian-Spanish national, has helped Madrid sign South American talents including Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde in recent years. He has been one of Lunin’s key backers, too. He has always had confidence in the Ukrainian’s potential and believed he deserved a chance as No 1 after Courtois’ injury in August.

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Lunin got the chance to meet Madrid president Florentino Perez on his first visit to the Spanish capital in 2018. Those close to the goalkeeper say he was impressed by Perez, who made him feel like a son.

Those sources describe Lunin as a quiet individual who rarely smiles. But, at Madrid’s Valdebebas headquarters, they have always said he is humble, polite, hard-working and methodical — sometimes even too much so.

An early example of that was when he decided to speak in Spanish at his Madrid presentation in July 2018, despite not knowing the language. He spent hours rehearsing a speech from memory, in which he thanked Madrid for “giving me the opportunity to fulfil a dream” and said he was signing for “the best club in the world”.

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But his path to the starting XI was unclear. When Lunin joined, Keylor Navas was Zinedine Zidane’s first-choice goalkeeper after helping Real Madrid win three Champions League titles in a row. Courtois had also arrived from Chelsea that summer, having been named the best goalkeeper of the 2018 World Cup with Belgium.

Madrid sent Lunin on loan to Leganes, a club on the outskirts of the city who were then in La Liga. He was second-choice there and returned to the Bernabeu in the summer of 2019, expecting Navas to leave. But the Costa Rican stayed put until September, when he joined Paris Saint-Germain and Alphonse Areola went the other way on loan as a backup for Courtois. By then, Lunin had already joined another La Liga side, Real Valladolid.

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That spell did not go to plan either: he was a backup to Jordi Masip and the loan was cut short in January after just two appearances in the Copa del Rey. A spell at second-division Real Oviedo in the second half of that season proved more fruitful, as he helped the team stay up in 15th place with six clean sheets.

Even so, Lunin has happy memories from Valladolid’s Estadio Jose Zorrilla — it was where he proposed to his then-girlfriend Anastasia in 2019. The couple married in March 2021. Some were struck by the comparatively low-key ceremony.https://www.instagram.com/p/CMmXWiRJ-wn/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=540&rd=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com&rp=%2F5463727%2F2024%2F05%2F02%2Freal-madrid-andriy-lunin-keeper%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A2076.5999999046326%2C%22ls%22%3A266.59999990463257%2C%22le%22%3A584.3999999761581%7D

Anastasia has often made the headlines in Spain. On several occasions, she has posted on social media or conducted interviews to warn that Lunin would look for another destination if he continued on Madrid’s bench. In February, she told a YouTube show that it would be “difficult for Courtois to return from injury and take the top spot” if her husband continued to play.

Lunin has always stayed patient and insisted on staying at Madrid even when he wasn’t trusted in goal. His contract was extended for a further season that summer until 2025 — but this was not announced publicly and only came to light in 2024. Meanwhile, he also became part of Jorge Mendes’ Gestifute agency. His father had been his agent.

Lunin believes those three loans away improved him and made him mentally stronger, which was key to his return to Madrid. He also had the support of Ukraine coach and legendary forward Andriy Shevchenko during this time, who called him up for 29 games from 2017-2020, giving him six appearances.

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Ukraine qualify for Euro 2024: ‘The world is going to watch and see we never give up’

In July 2020, Madrid told Lunin he would be part of the squad for the following season as a reserve option, as they did not want to bring in Areola on loan again or sign another ‘keeper. But he fell out of favour with Ukraine, with Shevchenko’s successor, Oleksandr Petrakov, not selecting him from 2021-2022.

Lunin has been active in public and private in showing his support for his home country since the Russian invasion in February 2022. He has kept himself informed of the situation, donated money to the war effort and participated in initiatives to collect and send food and supplies there.

Madrid have also helped him during the conflict, giving him moral and logistical support to assist his relatives still in Ukraine. On the first day of the war, Perez went to see him in person at the club’s Valdebebas training ground to speak with him.

Lunin helped Ukraine qualify for this summer’s Euros (Mateusz Slodkowski/Getty Images)

Lunin helped Ukraine qualify for this summer’s European Championship and he started in their play-off semi-final and final against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland in March — his 10th and 11th caps for the national team.

“The only difficulty is the war in my country,” he said after Madrid’s penalty win against City. “It’s not easy to go to training every day when the worst news is coming out. There is my family, my friends, all my people, my city, my school. I try to help.”

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He has barely put a foot wrong this season, playing 29 times — more than the sum of his three full campaigns at Madrid before this term. But at first, he was left frustrated with Carlo Ancelotti’s rotation between him and Arrizabalaga. He felt there was a lack of communication from the coaching staff and he and the Spaniard often found out who Ancelotti had selected through what he told the press.

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Errors from Arrizabalaga in the games he started allowed Lunin to take advantage and become Madrid’s undisputed first choice from mid-January. He has conceded 27 goals in 29 games and kept 12 clean sheets. The club opened talks with his agent in March over his renewal.

Ancelotti still believes Lunin has plenty of room for improvement, especially in terms of his aerial presence and footwork. But both he and his staff value the goalkeeper’s professionalism, resilience and growth, which they put down to being released from the pressure of living in Courtois’ shadow. In the dressing room, he is closest to young players such as Brahim Diaz, Valverde and summer signing Fran Gracia.

Despite his improvement, everyone at Valdebebas expects Courtois to return as Madrid’s first-choice ‘keeper once he is fully recovered. The Belgian was on the bench for the Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich on Tuesday after a separate meniscus injury suffered during his ACL recovery. He could play in Madrid’s potentially decisive La Liga game against Cadiz on Saturday, although a final choice will be made today or tomorrow.

But, for now, Lunin is the man of the moment — to the surprise of almost everyone.

(Top photo: Maria de Gracias Jimenez/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

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