US faces Ecuador Tonight at 8:30 pm on TNT, HBO Max, Tues vs
Ah poor Potchitino may not have all of his players healthy this week as he prepares for his next to the last run out before the World Cup – Boo the Flip Hoo. Maybe you should have thought of that when we played really good teams in the last 2 camps man. Five Million Dollars completely wasted on this poor excuse for a soccer coach in my mind – but lets see if this decent club coach can pull it together despite having some of his better players in Pulisic, Zendejas and Robinson nursing injuries. Wow guys were all healthy last run out — and before the Gold Cup back in June when we played really good teams – but hey Botch was touring Europe doing nothing then – spending US money. Anyway back to this weekends games – he’s finally brought in a decent roster FINALLY. Hard to Say who will start with the injuries. I still think the 3 Centerback thing is questionable when we only have 2 decent centerbacks – but what do I know. He’ll run out 3 tonight to see what it looks like I presume – the question is — is it CCV or Miles in the middle of the three with Ream on the left and Richards on the right? Or does Richards move to the center and McKensie slide to the right? I think McKinney & Tessman play the double 6 with Pulisic & Tillman beneath Ballagon and Robinson & Weah on the outside backs. Ecuador is actually decent – has qualified for the World Cup and will give us a game – perhaps we slide thru 2-1 if Pulisic plays – 1-1 if not.
Goalkeepers(4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Matt Turner (New England Revolution). Defenders(8): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati). Midfielders (8): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), James Sands (St. Pauli), Tanner Tessmann (Olympique Lyonnais), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen). Forwards(6): Patrick Agyemang (Derby County), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Tim Weah (Olympique Marseille), Haji Wright (Coventry City), Alex Zendejas (Club América).
US U20s Beat Italy 3-0 to Advance to QFs vs Morocco Sun 4 pm
Awesome to see the US U20’s pound Italy 3-0 (Highlights) just a week after pounding France in the U20 World Cup. Miami’s Ben Cremasche scored the Brace as he now has 5 goals to lead the tourney in goals. The win sends the US to the Quarterfinals where they face Morocco Sun at 4 pm on Telemundo. Not sure why this game is not on FS2 at least as Fox is covering the Tourney?
Indy 11 face Pittsburgh Riverhounds & former Carmel & Butler GK Eric Dick pm Sat 7 pm on ESPN+
The Boys in Blue travel to Pittsburgh tonight with the playoff hopes on a thin line as they face former Carmel Dad’s, Carmel High & Butler GK Eric Dick on ESPN+. They have their final regular season home game with Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, October 18 at 7 p.m. at Carroll Stadium vs. Loudoun United FC.
A Reminder Carmel FC is Looking for High School Players to fill out some teams – including my 2010 Boys Team. Come on out Thurs Oct 16 for Supplemental Tryouts.
The U20 US Boys-are on to the QuarterFinals vs Morocco Sun 4 pm on UnivisionReffing the High School Rec Championship Game at Atleto with these guys always fun. Thanks Tori for all you do for us Carmel Dad’s Cup Refs.
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FULL TV GAME SCHEDULE
Fri, Oct 10 2:45 pm FS2 France vs Azerbaijan 2:45 pm Prime Germany vs Luxenberg 8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador 10:45 pm Seattle Reign vs Bay FC NWSL Sat, Oct 11 9 am FS2 Latvia vs Andorra WCQ 12 noon Prime Norway vs Israel WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Spain vs Georgia WCQ 2:45 pm Prime Portugal vs Ireland WCQ 4 pm FS2, Tele U20 World Cup Quarterfinal 7 pm FS2 U20 World Cup Quarterfinal 7 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 @ Pittsburgh (Carmel’s -Eric Dick) 7:30 pm Para+ North Carolina vs Washington Spirit NWSL 10 pm CBSSN Utah Royals vs San Diego Wave NWSL Sun, Oct 12 9 am FS2 San Marino vs Cypress 12N FS2 Netherland vs Finland WCQ 2:45 pm Lithuania vs Poland WCQ 4 pm FS2, Tele U20 World Cup QF USA vs 5 pm ESPN Angel City vs Houston NWSL 7 pm FS2 U20 World Cup Quarterfinal Mon, Oct 13 2:45pm FS2 Northern Ireland vs Germany WCQ 2:45 pm Prime Iceland vs France WCQ 8 pm PAra+ Honduras vs Haiti WCQ Tues, Oct 14 2:45pm FS2 Latvia vs England WCQ 2:45pm Prime Spain vs Bulgaria WCQ 2:45pm Prime Portugal vs Hungary WCQ 9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia 10:30 pm Prime Mexico vs Ecuador
Thurs, Oct 23 9 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Chester PA Sun, Oct 26 4 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Hartford CT Sat, Nov 15 5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA Tues, Nov 18 7 pmTNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL
Love doing the Adult ladies games down Kuntz on Tuesday nights. Here with
USA vs. Ecuador (TONIGHT, 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT) Roger Bennett & the Boys
Brace yourself, this is going to be some stern test. Ecuador are the footballing equivalent of one of the 12 Labors of Hercules. Fresh off beating Argentina and finishing second in CONMEBOL qualifying, tonight will rank somewhere between slaying the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra and Capturing the Erymanthian Boar. Yes, La Tri will be without Chelsea’s ultimate fighter Moisés Caicedo and Arsenal defender Piero Hincapié, but this team is fast, furious and physical. Mauricio Pochettino has asked us to trust his process. Tonight should be a true test of our progress, identity and collective belief. Here are the questions I am looking forward to seeing real answers to…
i. Can We Set Up Christian Pulisic to Hurt Opponents in a U.S. Jersey as He Has Done for Milan?
Christian Pulisic has been in the form of his life for Milan with a league-leading four goals and two assists. When we spoke this week, he identified the source of his potency: the tactical freedom he’s been given by coach Max Allegri,which reminded me of what Jack Grealish said in this incredible clip about how he plays at his best. Pochettino still must crack the code within his system to set Christian up to do similarly in a U.S. lineup. He has too often cut a frustrated figure, but if we can create the freedom for Pulisic to acquire possession in space to hurt opponents with a striker running ahead of him, we can soar.
ii. To That End, Do We Play Three or Four at the Back?
In our last-game victory against a Japan XI, Poch moved Christian to play under the striker in a 3-4-2-1 lineup, and CP linked up with Balogun for his goal with a flourish. I believe it will be three at the back again. Our nation’s great tactical experiment must continue.
iii. Can Weston McKennie Assert Himself and Win a Place in Poch’s Good Book?
There is the Weston McKennie of our dreams: the Texan bowling ball capable of knocking down all-comers. There is also the McKennie of this cycle—a capricious player whom Poch does not trust to fit into the hard-grind, all-in, always-on culture he expects and demands.
It has incredibly been seven long months since Weston was last in a U.S. national team camp—since the darkness of the Nations League slumping defeats to Panama and Canada. In that spell, he somehow managed to both captain Juventus at the Club World Cup, lose his place in the team, then fight his way back in. At club level, Weston has consistently proved he is never more focussed and effective than when he is on the brink of exile—a truth which is a reflection of his mentality, rather than his potential skill, which is not in doubt. Can he do the same again for us tonight?
iv. How Long Can Antonee Robinson Go?
That electric left-back/footballing can opener Antonee Robinson is back in the squad for the first time in almost a year. The Fulham star is returning from a long-term knee injury and is yet to start a Premier League game this season. He will be on a severe time restraint, yet the U.S. are truly only a three-dimensional team when he is flying down the flank.
Also, who is on the right? Twenty-one-year-old Orlando City speed freak Alex Freeman is the only natural right-back… Does he play or does Tim Weah play wingback?
v. Who’s Up Top: Flo Balogun or Haji Wright?
I hope Haji gets some playing time, gent has been the man for Frank Lampard’s unbeaten Coventry. Here is Herc Gomez explaining what has changed for the Los Angeles striker whose confidence has gone next level.
vi. Who’s in Goal?
Harvard Donnarumma Matt Freese is the heir apparent. Matt Turner is back in the squad. Freese has the form, Matty T. the experience. Can we play them both at the same time?
vii. Where Are We Between Experiment and Reality?
This is one strange cycle. The steady diet of friendlies has offered Poch the chance to experiment and audition with no consequences. He has asked us to trust his process without truly articulating what that is. I asked both Tyler Adams and Christian Pulisic what matters in these games. As highly competitive athletes, they both had the same answer: winning and the results. At what stage will the open auditions and tactical experiments cohere? The World Cup is 244 days away. There are just a handful of games left before we play before the teams, who as in the Ryder Cup, are all going to want to do us. Close by, the train is waiting…
PS – Really lovely piece on the incredibly inspiring Diego Luna.
USMNT injuries complicate Mauricio Pochettino’s October camp and Ecuador friendly
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino has injury concerns to contend with. Robin Alam / ISI Photos
AUSTIN, Texas — U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino indicated Thursday that Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson and Alex Zendejas are all doubts for Friday’s friendly against Ecuador.
Pochettino, speaking at a news conference here ahead of the match at Q2 Stadium, said that Pulisic and Robinson didn’t train Thursday, and Zendejas “(felt) something, and it’s an issue. We don’t believe that Alex will be part of the game tomorrow.”
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Neither Pochettino nor a team spokesman would give more specifics about the “issues” hampering Pulisic and Robinson.
Robinson underwent knee surgery at the start of this past offseason and has been working to regain fitness and playing time at his club, Fulham.
“We need to assess tomorrow (if) they can be available or not,” Pochettino said.
Antonee Robinson (left) and Christian Pulisic are both in doubt for Friday’s USMNT clash.Stephen Nadler / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images for USSF
Their status could complicate Pochettino’s plans for this October international window, the third-to-last before he’ll pick a World Cup squad in the spring. He is already without fullback Sergiño Dest, midfielders Tyler Adams and Johnny Cardoso, and striker Ricardo Pepi. If Pulisic and Robinson are unable to play, or if they are held out of the starting lineup as precautions, the USMNT would be without roughly half of its presumed first-choice starting 11 for what would otherwise be a valuable tune-up for 2026.
Pochettino took a rosier view. The “circumstances,” he said, could “give the opportunity to different, maybe, players to play.”
Many of the players who would naturally step in for Pulisic and Zendejas, including Malik Tillman and Diego Luna, and for Robinson, such as Max Arfsten, are players Pochettino and his staff have already seen often throughout 2025.
One player he hasn’t seen often, Tanner Tessmann, could be pushed into a more advanced role in midfield.
Brenden Aaronson could also get another chance to impress Pochettino, having failed to do so at the CONCACAF Gold Cup this past summer. Haji Wright could, in theory, move up the pecking order for playing time on the wing, though a forward line of him, Tim Weah and Folarin Balogun would lack variety.
Weston McKennie, back with the squad for the first time since March, could also play higher up the field. Pochettino did not name names as potential replacements for Pulisic, Zendejas and Robinson, but later spoke about McKennie as a player who could be an “important” one for both Juventus and the national tea
“He has arrived very well, with very good energy,” Pochettino said of McKennie.
He first mentioned the injury “issues” in response to a question about the importance of these October games — first against Ecuador, then next Tuesday in Colorado against Australia.
Alex Zendejas has been in sparking form in Liga MX.Hector Vivas / Getty Images
“It’s difficult to convince you all, [but] the most important [thing], today, is not really the games,” he said. “The most important is what we are building here in the camp.”
Throughout his 30-minute news conference, he continued to speak at length about his “process.”
“Of course we need to play, and we need to perform, and we need to win, because that is going to give us the credibility in our work,” he said. But there was more value, he insisted, in the precious little time they get to spend together.
He again spoke about March, when the U.S. lost to Panama and Canada, as a “wake-up call” that compelled him to change his approach to the job.
“The moment that we identified the problems, we started to destroy the things that we need to destroy, and start to build the house from the ground up,” Pochettino said. (He did not specify what the “problems,” or the things that needed to be “destroyed,” were.)
Doing so, he continued, “takes time.” It also takes “a lot of problems, because it’s difficult for the people to understand, sometimes, that process,” Pochettino said. “But, I think we are on time.”
After the friendlies against Ecuador and Australia, the USMNT will have two more against Paraguay and Uruguay in November to close out 2025. They’re in advanced discussions to then play Portugal and Belgium in March, in the last two games before the World Cup team gathers in May and June.
“I am so happy, so positive, in the way things are going,” Pochettino said. “I am respecting the plan. It’s on time. It’s true that (there are only) a few camps until the World Cup, but the base is really strong now, after one year of working. It’s not too much time, but it’s time enough to build what we wanted to build.”
Christian Pulisic arrives in form, but status in sudden doubt for USMNT vs. Ecuador
AUSTIN, Texas – U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino said Christian Pulisic did not train on Thursday and is a question mark for Friday’s game against Ecuador.
“I need to communicate that we have some issues in some players, like Christian [Pulisic], who didn’t train today,” Pochettino said, not offering any other further specifics but also indicating that Alejandro Zendejas and Antonee Robinson sat out Thursday as well. “We need to assess tomorrow [if] they can be available or not.”
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Pulisic had spoken to the media earlier in the day but did not mention any issues, injury or otherwise. Instead, he focused on the importance for the U.S. team to come out of this international window with not just good performances, but also good results. After meeting La Tri, the U.S. will host Australia, another World Cup-bound opponent, next Tuesday in Colorado.
“It’s as simple as that,” Pulisic said. “We want to kind of understand and know where our team is at and have a good feeling going forward as we get closer to the summer.”
Pulisic arrived in Austin in strong form with AC Milan. The U.S. No. 10 was named Serie A player of the month and has six goals and two assists for Milan across all competitions. Pulisic missed a penalty kick in Sunday’s draw with Juventus, but he remains one of the most important players for both club and country.
On Thursday, he made sure to point out that he didn’t just spend his summer on the beach.
“I worked really hard this summer,” Pulisic said. “It’s not like I just took a break. I wanted to make sure that my body was in the perfect spot coming into the season, and I wanted to start really strong, and I worked really hard. And it’s just been consistency and the work I’ve put in, and it’s good to see it come to fruition and (to be) playing well. But it’s just the start of the season. I have so much more I want to accomplish.”
The U.S. will need Pulisic to be at his best if it’s to advance in next summer’s World Cup.
“I think I can do well in a lot of the attacking positions, but I’ve always felt comfortable coming off the left side, but also being in sort of pockets in behind the striker,” he said. “I’ve always been pretty comfortable in that position. It allows me to use some of my strengths, get in the box, make runs in behind. So I think it’s a good spot.”
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The key for the U.S. now isn’t just unlocking Pulisic’s club form on the international stage, but continuing to build momentum from the Japan win into this window. While friendlies are a proving ground in which the result isn’t as important, the American team is in need of some validation to the process under Pochettino.
Wins now build trust and momentum, and piling up those results is crucial as the World Cup nears.
“I think we’re settling in well,” Pulisic said. “Now it’s about building good performances one after the other. After last camp feeling good, now it’s a great opportunity.”
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After years of winning back his Juventus place, Weston McKennie aims to do same for USMNT
AUSTIN, Texas — It has been seven months since Weston McKennie was last here in U.S. men’s national team camp, simultaneously competing and joking, building toward a World Cup.
It has been seven months since March, since the Concacaf Nations League losses to Panama and Canada, since a week-long camp that head coach Maurico Pochettino recently described as a “wake-up call.”
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In those seven months, McKennie has captained Juventus at the Club World Cup, then seemingly been pushed out of the Juve starting 11, only to fight his way back in. He’s been left off a USMNT roster and missed 10 national team games for multiple reasons.
So, when he spoke here Thursday, and when a TV reporter asked him, as “a key leader in this group,” what his “message for the younger players” would be, McKennie paused.
“Ah, for the young players coming into this camp?” he said. “I mean, I’ve been gone for seven months, so it feels like I’m a new player.”
He chuckled, then gave his serious answer: “I would say: just put your head down and work, and really immerse yourself into the environment, into the group, into the guys and the ideas.”
That, in a way, is what McKennie has been doing, or must do, this week. He took part in Pochettino’s first three A-team camps, but missed a summer of culture-building that Pochettino and players have hailed as a crucial part of the coach’s “process.”
Weston McKennie last played for the USMNT vs. Canada in the Concacaf Nations League third-place match in March 2025Michael Owens / Getty Images
When asked Thursday about the team’s first year under Pochettino, McKennie said: “I mean, I’ve only spent a couple camps in with the group. So, probably a better question to ask someone else.”
McKennie did start all four Nations League matches in November and March. The latter, though, convinced Pochettino that “we needed to start a different process and different approach.” It wasn’t just the losses to Panama and Canada. “All that happened helped a little bit to realize that the most important thing is the national team; it’s the federation, and [the U.S. Soccer crest,]” Pochettino later said. “This is more important than any single name.”
Over the coming months, he omitted several notable names from rosters, in an apparent attempt to create internal competition, by sending a roster-wide message that nobody’s place in the USMNT is guaranteed.
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McKennie wasn’t one of the discretionary omissions in June; he was, rather, with Juventus at the Club World Cup and unavailable for selection. But he was then left off Pochettino’s roster for September friendlies against South Korea and Japan.
Pochettino, when asked to explain McKennie’s omission at the time, indicated that McKennie’s delayed offseason, and his precarious place in Juventus’ squad, were two factors. “We wanted to give him the possibility to be more settled in his club,” Pochettino said.
But, at the same time, he did call in Tim Weah, who had also been with Juve at the Club World Cup, then transferred to a new club, Marseille, just weeks before the roster was named.
McKennie was asked Thursday about his interpretation of and reaction to the omission. How did it hit him? Did it motivate or inspire him?
“Nah, I just stayed at my club, focused on what I had to do there,” he said. “And, yeah, just waited to have the opportunity to come back in.”
USMNT teammates Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie vie for possession during a recent Serie A match between AC Milan and JuventusMarco Alpozzi / LaPresse / AP
At his club, meanwhile, he was once again battling to prove his worth. Offseason after offseason, he has been pushed “out of the project” at Juventus — and, on at least one occasion, stripped of a locker and parking spot. But he has always played his way back in, and 2025 felt no different.
“The summer is always a roller coaster for me. So, nothing’s really changed,” McKennie said Thursday with a smile. “I’m kind of used to it now.”
When asked about the mentality required to win back his place, again and again, he grinned and said: “It’s year after year, so it’s years of practice.”
He is, it seems, en route to doing that at Juve. After struggling for minutes over the season’s first few weeks, he has now started four games — including two in the Champions League — and played five over the past month.
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The one difference, now, is that his place in the national team seems less secure than ever. The player pool, at least in midfield, is deeper. And the coach has been willing to call upon less-accomplished, less-heralded and arguably less-talented players ahead of established figures if the stars don’t perform.
When asked if, having been away from the team for several months, he now feels like he has to win back a starting spot here, too, McKennie said: “That’s for the outside people to think, and the coaching staff to feel like. I just come in and do my best. If the coach thinks it’s a good fit for the starting 11, it’s a good fit. If it’s not, then it’s not.”
When asked about the March “wake-up call,” and whether he saw it as such, or whether Pochettino has explained that to him, McKennie began with a “nah,” and reiterated that he hasn’t been around the group enough to “know how people are taking what they take, or how they do what they do, or what not.”
“I’m just here to do my job whenever I’m called upon,” he said. “And that’s that.”
USA U-20s book World Cup quarterfinal place, rout Italy behind Cremaschi’s double
The United States advanced to the quarterfinal round of the U-20 men’s World Cup for the fifth straight competition after a comprehensive 3-0 win over Italy on Thursday, with Benjamin Cremaschi’s double sandwiching a free kick from Niko Tsakiris in Chile. The Americans were the better side on the day and were never in any sort of danger against a poor Azzurri team, who had two late shouts for penalties go uncalled, even after VAR review.Cremaschi scored his fourth and fifth goals of the tournament on Thursday to take the competition’s scoring lead. His first came in the 15th minute following a scramble in front of goal from a U.S. corner kick, as he poked the ball into the net from close range. His second goal, in second-half stoppage time, was a lovely dink over the goalkeeper from the center of the box after receiving a cross in stride on a run down the center.
The on-loan Parma midfielder, who earlier in the tournament became the second American to score a hat trick in a U-20 World Cup (Freddy Adu did so in 2007), had his strikes complemented by Tsakiris, who curled in a wonderful free kick from just outside the Italian penalty area to put the U.S. 2-0 up in the 79th minute. Marko Mitrović’s side, which has benefited from playing every match thus far at the Estadio El Teniente in the city of Rancagua, will face Morocco in the quarterfinals on Sunday. The African side topped its group by beating Spain and Brazil before being edged 1-0 by Mexico, and it beat South Korea 2-1 in Thursday’s round finale. It’ll mark the second straight year the two sides will have met on the youth stage, with Morocco knocking the U.S. U-23s out of the 2024 Olympics with a 4-0 quarterfinal thrashing in Paris.
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These U-20 Americans will hope for a better fate and as they seek to advance to the final four of the competition for the second time in program history – and the first since 1989. Norway and France, the latter of whom the U.S. beat in group play, are in the other quarterfinal on the U.S.’s side of the bracket, while Mexico, Argentina, Spain and Colombia make up the other half.
While the football has not always been pleasing on the eye, this U-20 World Cup in Chile has had a vintage feel. At the senior men’s level, World Cups have become opulent global events. There is the rustic feel to this youth tournament that is being played at the aging concrete stadiums in cities like Santiago, Talca and Viña del Mar. Whether it’s a crisp spring night or a breezy sunny afternoon amidst the Andes Mountains, the aesthetics of the tournament lend itself to the nostalgia of past competitions. It’s fitting that the last U-20 World Cup that was played in Chile in 1987 featured Yugoslavia’s Robert Prosinecki, one of the biggest stars of the 1990s and that tournament’s Golden Ball winner that yeaThis year’s tournament has been marked by Brazil’s failure to reach the knockout stage for the first time in their nation’s history. Brazil finished at the bottom of Group C with just one point, which led to the dismissal of head coach Ramon Menezes. Chile’s footballing crisis continues, too.
Chile’s senior side finished last in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, and the host nation’s U-20 squad was jeered off the pitch after losing 4-1 to Mexico in the round of 16. The Mexicans have been one of the most talked about teams. They’ve played well and have been led by young midfield prodigy Gilberto Mora, the tournament’s most highly-touted player.
Mexico’s Gilberto Mora (11) has played as advertised and is a breakout star of the FIFA U-20 World CupRaul Bravo /AFP / Getty Images
Mora, a central midfield playmaker, was part of Mexico’s Gold Cup team that defeated the U.S. in the final in July. The 16-year-old, who plays his club football with Tijuana, is expected to be part of Mexico’s 2026 World Cup squad. Mora’s agent Rafaela Pimenta told TUDN on Wednesday that top European clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona are tracking him, and when discussing a potential transfer fee for Mora, Pimenta said that “$15 million wouldn’t buy one of Mora’s legs.”
The American squad may not have a future global star like Mora, but there is plenty of technical ability on the team. On Thursday, standout performances from Cremaschi and defensive midfielder Brooklyn Raines powered the U.S. toward a potentially historic tournament run.
While past U.S. sides at the U-20 level included future senior national team legends like Michael Bradley, DaMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Kasey Keller, among others — the 2025 team is an understated side that may just be gelling at the right time.
With just 260 days to the World Cup and the 1st round of ticket ordering done (4.5 million entries were submitted -we put in like 15) it will be interesting to see if we get selected this week to buy tix and how much they are – cute World Cup Mascots announced this week. The US should announce our squad for the Oct friendlies sometime this week as well. US players rocked this past weekend and week as Pulisic became the all-time leading goal scorer overseas for an American and led the way with 3 goals and an assist, Chris Richards helped Crystal Palace stay unbeaten in the EPL, while Tanner Tessman scored this banger for Lyon in Europa League. In other news legendary EPL announcer Jon Champion shares his game notes, gotta love the EPL, Inter Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets announced his retirement at the end of the season, and of course Ousmane Dembélé Won the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Enjoy the Madrid Derby Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Sat at 10:15 am on ESPN Desportes or ESPN+, & undefeated’s Liverpool vs American Chris Richard & Crystal Palace (Preview) at 10 am on Peacock and a battle of 2 American’s Juventus’ Mckennie vs Atalanta’s Musah as Juve vs Atalanta plays at noon on CBS.
INDY 11 Indy Eleven scored two second-half goals in a six-minute span to rally to a key 2-1 victory over USL Championship Eastern Conference opponent Birmingham Legion FC in front of 10,375 at Carroll Stadium. The win moves the Boys in Blue to one point out of playoff position behind Rhode Island FC with five games remaining in the regular season. Indy Eleven hosts Western Conference leader FC Tulsa on Saturday at 7 pm on Oktoberfest ($11 tix, Special Indy 11 Beer Stein, Guest Brewers in fun zone starts at 5:30) at Carroll Stadium. Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster.
Beer’s, Brat’s, & Bangers at the Mike for Octoberfest Sat nightGot the Distinct pleasure of reffing with Edwin Schowe who at 80 years old we think is the oldest active ref – reffing high school or middle school games in Indiana. A rainy afternoon at Northview Middle – solid teams. Working with Jakob from Gainesville, FL at Kuntz on a Tues Night. Fellow Gainesville High Soccer player and University of Florida Grad. Beautiful Sat morning at North Central Boys Varsity game with Omar & Alex
First Time reffing at Tipton High Varsity Boys with Jacob and Zach. Beautiful night of soccer.
When you Ref in Broadripple you have to go to La Piedad after right? Here with my longtime buddy Mike Arrington grabbing a bite after our Purdue Polytech Varsity Boys game. Another beautiful night reffing.
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FULL TV GAME SCHEDULE
Fri, Sept 26 2:30 pm ESPN2 Bayern Munich vs Werder Bremen 8 pm Prime KC Current vs Chicago Stars NWSL 10:30 pm Para+/Golazo San Diego Wave vs Orlando Pride NWSL Sat, Sept 27 7:30 am USA Brentford vs Man United 10 am USA Man City vs Burnley 10 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Liverpool 10 am Peacock Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Bournemouth (Adams) 10:15 am ESPND, ESPN+ Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid 12 pm CBS, Para+ Juventus (Mckinnie) vs Atalanta 12:30 pm ESPN+ B Mglabach (Reyna, Scally) vs Frankfurt (Chandler) 12:30 pm USA Nottingham Forest vs Sunderland 3 pm USA Tottenham vs Wolverhampton 7:30 pm Tubi Racing Louisville vs Angel City FC NWSL 10 pm Tubi Bay FC vs Utah Royals NWSL Sun, Sept 28 9 am USA Aston Villa vs Fulham (Robinson) 11:30 am USA Newcastle United vs Arsenal 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Napoli (Musah) 3 pm ESPNd, ESPN+ Barcelona vs Real Sociedad 7 pm Apple TV Cincy vs Orlando City 7 pm FS1 Brazil U20 vs Mexico U20 World Cup 7 pm FS2 Cuba U20 vs Argentina U20 Mon Sep 29 3 pm USA Everton vs West Ham 4 pm FS2 France U20 vs South Africa U20 7 pm FS1 USA U20 vs New Caledonia U20 World Cup 7 pm FS2 Colombia U20 vs Saudi Arabia U20 Tues, Sept 30 Champions League 12:45 pm Para+, Uni Kairat vs Real Madrid 3 pm CBSSN Paphos vs Bayern Munich 3 pm Para+ Galatasaray vs Liverpool 3 pm Para+ Atletico Madrid vs Frankfurt 3 pm Para+ Marseille (_) vs Ajax 3 pm Para+ Chelsea vs Benefica 3 pm Para+ Inter vs Slavia Praha 3 pm Para+ Boda vs Tottenham 4 pm FS2 Panama U20 vs Ukraine U20 WC 7 pm FS1 Chile U20 vs Japan U20 7 pm FS2 Korea U20 vs Paraguay U20 Wed, Oct 1 Champs League 12:45 pm Para, Uni Union Saint Gilloise vs Newcastle United 3 pm CBSSN Dortmund vs Athletic Club 3 pm Para+ Barcelona vs PSG 3 pm para+ Arsenal vs Olympiakos Piraues 3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Sporting CP 3 pm Para+ Bayer Leverkusen vs PSV 3 pm Para+ Villareal vs Juventus (McKinney) 4 pm FS2 Spain U20 vs Mexico U20 7 pm FS1 Brazil U20 vs Morocco U20 7 pm FS2 Argentina U20 vs Australia U20 8 pm CBSSN Austin City vs Nashville SC US Open Cup Thurs, Oct 2 Europa 12:45 pm CBSSN Roma vs Lille 12:45 pm Celtic (Carter Vickers) cs Sporting Braga 12:45 pm Dynamo Kyiv vs Crystal Palace (Chris Richards) 3 pm CBSSN Feyenoord vs Aston Villa 3 pm Para_ Sturm Graz vs Rangers 3 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Middtylland 3 pm Para+ Olympique Lyonnais vs Salzburg Fri, Oct 3 3 pm USA Bournemouth (Adams) vs Fulham (Robinson) 7 pm FS1 Egypt U20 vs Chile U20 WC 7 pm FS2 New Zealand U20 vs Japan U20 Sat, Oct 4 7:30 am USA Leeds United vs Totteham 9:30 am ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) vs Union Berlin 9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund vs RB Leipzig 10 am USA Man United vs Sunderland 10 am Peacock Arsenal vs West Ham 12:30 pm NBC Chelsea vs Liverpool 4 pm Tele Mexico U20 vs Morocco U20 4 pm Univision Spain U20 vs Brazil U20 7 pm FS2 Argentina U20 vs Italy U20 10:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers Sun, Oct 6 4 pm FS2 USA U20 vs South Africa U20 7 pm FS2 Nigeria U20 vs Colombia U20 9 pm Apple LAFC vs Atlanta United MLS Fri, Oct 10 8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador Tues, Oct 14 9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia Thurs, Oct 23 9 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Chester PA Sun, Oct 26 4 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Hartford CT Sat, Nov 15 5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA Tues, Nov 18 7 pmTNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Important impressions
World Cup selections are getting closer every window by jcksnftsn Sep 26, 2025, 1:42 PM EDT
Getty Images
With rumors that Mauricio Pochettino intends to use the October USMNT roster to begin to lock in his intended World Cup call ups, and the announcement for the October roster likely to be made late next week, this weekend likely represents a last chance for players to make their statement about why they should be considered for a callup. To add to it there are head-to-head matchups in the EPL, Bundesliga, and Serie A to watch this weekend. It’s a full weekend of action so let’s get to the matches that we’ll be keeping an eye on:
Friday
Strasbourg v Olympique Marseille – 2:45p on beIN Sports
Tim Weah followed up his Bernabeu Banger with a solid shift against PSG last weekend as Marseille handed the French giants their first loss on the season, dropping them into a four-way tie atop Ligue 1. Marseille are three points back of the league leaders, a group which also includes this weekend’s opponent, Strasbourg, who’s lone loss on the season was a 3-2 defeat to Monaco who are also a part of the four at the top of the table.
Saturday
Coventry City v Birmingham City – 7:30a on Paramount+: Haji Wright and Coventry City tied their third straight game last Saturday, 0-0 with Leicester. Coventry have yet to suffer a loss this season but they have drawn four of their six matches and currently sit in sixth place.
Heidenheim v Augsburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks has appeared in one of Augsburgs four matches to start the season, seeing just one minute. You probably don’t need to work your schedule around this match and we’re going to drop Augsburg from the guide until it looks like he may start getting regular action.
St. Pauli v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: James Sands and Malik Tillman will go head-to-head in the midfield on Saturday morning as St. Pauli face Bayer Leverkusen. Sands and St. Pauli suffered their first loss of the weekend last Friday, falling to Stuttgart 2-0 with Sands playing the full 90’ and picking up a yellow card in the 40th minute. Meanwhile on Sunday, Tillman scored a goal against Borussia Monchengladbach but his team would end up settling for a draw after giving up a tying goal in stoppage time.
Crystal Palace v Liverpool – 10a on Peacock: Chris Richards and Crystal Palace have yet to suffer a loss to start the 2025-26 season though they have drawn three times and sit in fifth place. Their opponent for this weekend is a Liverpool side that has won every match in league play. However, Palace did defeat Liverpool to start the year in the Community Shield match.
Leeds United v AFC Bournemouth – 10a on Peacock: Our EPL head-to-head matchup of the weekend sees Brenden Aaronson’s Leeds side take on Tyler Adams and Bournemouth. Adams has started every match for a Bournemouth side that haven’t lost since their opening match against Liverpool and currently sit in fourth place, they are coming off a scoreless draw with Newcastle. In Leeds, Aaronson has started the last two matches after coming off the bench in the first three, and Leeds’ 3-1 win over Wolverhampton last weekend gave them seven points through five matches this season as they move into 12th place and look to snap the streak of newly promoted sides heading straight back to the English Championship.
Stoke City v Norwich City – 10a on Paramount+: Josh Sargent has cooled off a bit in the Championship, failing to score in his past two matches after starting the season with five goals in his first four. Norwich lost to Wrexham 3-2 last weekend, their third loss early in the season and they currently sit in 15th place in the Championship table.
Southampton v Middlesbrough – 10a on Paramount+: Meanwhile, also in the Championship, Aidan Morris has played every minute for a Middlesbrough side that have five wins and a draw through their first six matches and currently sit atop the Championship standings, four points ahead of Stoke. This weekend Middlesbrough face a Southampton side that were playing in the EPL last season but have only one win in the Championship to start this campaign and currently sit in 19th place, just a point out of a second straight relegation.
Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid – 10:15a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso will miss his first chance at a Madrid derby as he suffered a sprained ankle in training that held him out of Atletico’s Champions League match with Liverpool and has already ruled him out for this weekends match as well.
Lorient v Monaco – 11a on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun was an unused substitute last weekend in Monaco’s 5-2 win over FC Metz. Balogun had started the past three league matches for Monaco as well as the Champions League match just three days prior so it is unsurprising there was some rotation. He’ll hopefully be back in the lineup this weekend as Monaco look to continue their hot form in league play that has them tied for the league lead.
Juventus v Atalanta – Noon on Paramount+: Yunus Musah will face off against his old team including fellow USMNT member Weston McKennie as Atalanta travel to Turin to face Juventus on Saturday. Musah has come off the bench in his first two league matches since joining Atalanta but he did start the teams Champions League class with PSG (albeit an embarrassing 4-0 loss). Weston McKennie did not make it off the bench last weekend as Juventus settled for a 1-1 draw with Hellas Verona who were tied for last place in the league standings. It was Juventus’ first hiccup of the season and they are now two points back of Napoli, and two points ahead of this weekends opponent.
Borussia Monchengladbach v Eintracht Frankfurt – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Joe Scally, Gio Reyna, and Borussia Monchengladbach notched a late goal last weekend to steal a draw with Bayer Leverkusen. It was Gladbach’s first goal of the season and just their second point through four matches. This weekend they will face a Frankfurt side that has a pair of wins to go with a pair of losses.
Toulouse v Nantes – 1p on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie has played every minute of the season for Toulouse thus far. Unfortunately the club have lost three straight and currently sit in ninth place. If you set aside the embarrassing 6-3 loss Toulouse have given up just three goals in their other four matches this year which would be a solid defensive record. This weekend Toulouse host a Nantes side that sit near the bottom of the table with just one win and one draw, but they have been close in every match this season, never loosing by more than a goal, and only once conceding more than one.
Excelsior v PSV – 2p on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest, Ricardo Pepi, and PSV settled for a draw with Ajax last weekend and are now three points back of league leading Feyenoord. PSV now face an Excelsior side that are coming off their second win of the season, a 2-1 win over Volendam.
Club America v Pumas UNAM – 11:05p on CBSSN: Alex Zendejas scored for Club America last weekend after coming on as an injury substitute just before the end of the first half. Zendejas’ late goal was the match winner for America as they defeated San Luis to move within three points of league leading Cruz Azul. America now face a Pumas side who are coming off a 3-1 win over FC Juarez.
Saturday MLS Matches with USMNT flavor – here is when the September MLS call ups are kicking off their matches this weekend, all matches on MLS Season Pass:
Charlotte v Montreal – 7:30p: Tim Ream
DC United v Philadelphia Union – 7:30p: Nathan Harriel
New York Red Bulls v NYCFC – 7:30p: Matt Friese
Nashville SC v Houston Dynamo – 8:30p: Jack McGlynn
Real Salt Lake v Austin FC – 9:30p: Diego Luna
Seattle Sounders v Vancouver Whitecaps – 10:30p: Cristian Roldan
San Diego FC v San Jose Earthquakes – 10:30p: Luca de la Torre
LA Galaxy v Cincinnati – 10:30p: Roman Celetano
Sunday
Aston Villa v Fulham – 9a on USA Network: Antonee Robinson played 90’ minutes midweek in Fulham’s 1-0 EFL Cup win over Cambridge United. Robinson was back on the field after missing Fulham’s past two league matches. On Sunday Fulham will take on Aston Villa who are still looking for their first win of the Premier League season though they did defeat Bologna in Europa League action on Thursday.
Lille v Olympique Lyon – 11:15a on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann is doing everything he can to catch the eye of Mauricio Pochettino. Tessmann scored in his second straight match on Thursday, coming off the bench to lift Lyon to a 1-0 win over FC Utrecht in Europa League action. Tessmann also scored the lone goal last weekend as Lyon defeated Angers 1-0 in league play. Lyon are 4-0-1 to start the season and part of the group at the top of the Ligue 1 table, a group that are two points ahead of this weekend’s opponent, Lille.
AC Milan v Napoli – 2:45p on Paramount+: Perhaps the only USMNT player hotter than Tessmann right now is Christian Pulisic who came off the bench and scored on Tuesday in a Coppa Italia match on Tuesday after starting and contributing to all three goals Milan scored against Udinese last weekend, scoring two and assisting on the third. If Pulisic can keep that form heading into this weekends match against league leading Napoli it would be a huge boost to Milan’s title hopes this season. Napoli are currently three points ahead of Milan and have won every league match that they’ve played.
Sunday MLS Activity:
Cincinnati v Orlando City – 7on MLS Season Pass: Alex Freeman
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Yanks Abroad
Malik Tillman faced off against fellow countrymen, Gio Reyna and Joe Scally, on Sunday as Leverkusen tied Monchengladbach 1-1. Tillman scored the goal, making that 2 goals in his first 3 Bundesliga matches. Good to see the trio linking up after their game as well.
Tanner Tessman scored a game-winner for Lyon in their 1-0 win over Angers on Friday. Chris Richards put together another stellar outing against West Ham. Full highlight clip. He has solidified himself as one of the top defenders in the world’s top league. Crystal Palace and Liverpool are the only remaining undefeated teams in the Premier League. They’ll face off on Saturday.
It’s been a MASSIVE week for Christian Pulisic. He had a brace andan assist in Milan’s 3-0 win over Udinese. It’s early, but he’s tied for first in Serie A for goals and goals per 90. After the game head coach, Massimiliano Allegri, called him the “Michael Jordan of soccer”. While that’s a stretch, his form is elite. With the goals, he passed Clint Dempsey (57) for the most ever by an American in the top 5 European leagues (59). He scored again yesterday in the Coppa Italia after coming on as a sub, making that 5 goals in his last 6 games.
USL Investment for Pro/Rel
The United Soccer League (USL) has attracted a major investor to help develop its football league pyramid system, aiming to rival Major League Soccer (MLS). The investment comes from BellTower Partners, a firm run by former Carlyle Group CEO Kewsong Lee. Earlier this year, the USL announced plans to launch a new US men’s league with first-division sanctioning in 2027, thus becoming the second such league in the country, alongside MLS. The USL already operates three men’s leagues, and the addition of a tier-one league will enable the organisation to become the first sports league of any type in the United States to implement a promotion and relegation system. Dive deeper into how this move will compete against the MLS here. The USL is not disclosing the size of the investment, the size of the equity stake, or the current valuation of the USL used for the purposes of the investment.
Expanded World Cup Considered
FIFA is reportedly open to expanding the men’s World Cup to a 64-team tournament in 2030. It follows a formal pitch made to Fifa by football executives from CONMEBOL, South America’s governing body, to celebrate the centenary of the competition. One source, unverified, claims that Fifa is sceptical about whether expanding the tournament again is a viable proposition. Expansion would represent an increase from the 48 teams competing in next year’s tournament, which is already a rise from the 38-nation format that has been in place since 1998. CONMEBOL is lobbying to further enlarge the tournament in a move that would likely guarantee a qualification spot for all 10 of the continent’s member nations. The proposal has drawn opposition. Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin believes that expansion would be damaging to the tournament and would reduce jeopardy in the qualification stage. If Fifa approves the move, it would create a tournament of 128 matches, double the number that was played from 1998 through 2022. The 2030 edition of the World Cup will be played across six host nations and spread across three continents—read more here.
NUTMEG SOCCER MLS Match Day 34 Recap
Max Palmer & Mason Palmer Read Online Decision day is looming. Here’s what went down over the weekend… Orlando City SC beat Nashville 3-2 behind a brace from Martin Ojeda and a goal from Duncan McGuire. Nashville’s recent league form has been abysmal; they’ve lost 6 out of their last 7 league games and are close to falling into the play-in round. They’ll play Austin FC in the US Open Cup final for maybe their only chance at hardware this season.
FC Dallas beat Colorado 3-1 and have now gone 6 straight unbeaten, all since selling Lucho Acosta. Logan Farrington and Petar Musa linked up once again for the game’s first goal. For the first time since early May, Dallas is back in a playoff position, one point ahead of Houston with a game in hand.
Austin FC beat the Seattle Sounders 2-1 behind Myrto Uzuni’s last-second goal. Brad Stuver was phenomenal in this one, preventing 1.81 expected goals. It’s Austin’s 3rd win in their last 4 league games. Meanwhile, Seattle is winless in their last three games and now gets Vancouver.
The Chicago Fire blanked Minnesota 3-0 on the road for one of their best performances of the season. Their 8th road win ties their club record in a season. The last wild card spot in the East is between them and the NY Red Bulls. The Fire are two points ahead and have a game in hand. They’ll try to end the Red Bulls historic 15-year playoff streak and join the dance for the first time since 2017. Inter Miami beat DC United 3-2 on Saturday. Messi had two goals and an assist to become the fastest player in league history to reach 70 goal contributions, doing so in just 46 games. His second goal was spectacular. That’s 22 goals and 12 assists in 22 games played, utterly insane stuff. Miami has three more consecutive weeks of two games per week. If they win out, they’ll win the Shield and he’ll win MVP again. But that’s far from a sure thing.
The Best Attacking Duo in MLS
What a week for LAFC. They beat Real Salt Lake twice in the span of four days by the same score of 4-1 each time. They now have three straight league wins, scoring 12 goals in that span. Led by the best attacking duo in MLS, they can score in bunches and are peaking at the right time.Denis Bouanga (8) and Son Heung-min (6) have scored all 14 of their goals in the last 5 games. It didn’t take the two stars long to start clicking. Bouanga has two hat-tricks in the last three games to put him even in the Golden Boot race with Messi at 22 goals. He became the first player in league history to score 20+ goals in three straight seasons. He’s quickly becoming one of the best players in league history. As for Son, he scored a hat trick mid-week in their first match-up against Salt Lake. He now has 6 goals and 2 assists in just 550 minutes played. His presence has taken much of the opposing defense’s attention away from Bouanga, who has 9 goals in the 7 games since Son made his debut. They complement each other perfectly. Per Tom Bogert, before Son’s debut, LAFC ranked 12th in goals, 10th in expected goals, and 20th in chances. Since his debut, they’re 1st in goals, 4th in expected goals, and 4th in chances. This attack is scary good. If I were a betting man, my money would be on LAFC coming out of the Western Conference.
Will Tessmann leapfrog McKennie, Musah to start World Cup for U.S.?
Jeff CarlisleSep 25, 2025, 10:05 AM ET ESPNFC
The European club season has been in full swing for over a month now, giving those U.S. men’s national team players plying their trade overseas the chance to establish themselves. Some have gotten off to uneven starts, with the opening round of UEFA Champions League fixtures proving to be especially difficult. Others have hit the ground running. Those in MLS have been in rhythm for a while now.Then there’s Christian Pulisic, who has been leading the U.S. charge in Europe for nine years now and already has five goals in all competitions this season. Fortunately for the USMNT, Pulisic is one of several players who have been hitting their stride in recent weeks.Throughout the season, ESPN will be monitoring the progress of the U.S. player pool, delivering insights into those whose form or fitness has made them particularly intriguing. We call it the USMNT’s countdown to the World Cup.ESPN will count down to June 11 every week so that way, when the U.S. team is announced for this highly anticipated World Cup on home soil, no names on that 26-man roster will come as a surprise. Only 260 days to go.
Tessmann had already enjoyed a solid start to the season, but last weekend he kicked his campaign into overdrive, scoring the lone goal in Lyon’s 1-0 victory over Angers, a result that put the club in a tie atop the Ligue 1 table, behind AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain on goal differential. Not bad for a team that was threatened with relegation due to financial irregularities before the start of the season.
As for Tessmann, the question remains: Will these performances be enough to get him back in the U.S. squad? He hasn’t been called up since the Concacaf Nations League in March. To be clear, they should be, but the mind of U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino works in mysterious ways. At minimum, Tessmann should be in contention to provide cover for Tyler Adams, or even crack the starting lineup.
USMNT could do with a dose of Tillman’s perseverance
Credit Tillman for showing a strong mentality, bouncing back from a dreadful match in midweek against F.C. København in the Champions League to deliver a man of the match performance against Borussia Mönchengladbach in which he scored his second league goal of the season. A tactical tweak from manager Kasper Hjulmand might have helped.
Against Copenhagen, Tillman was operating as one of the dual No. 10s and struggled mightily to get on the ball. Against Gladbach, he was deployed deeper in midfield and had a much stronger impact on the game, even beyond his 70th-minute goal. Hjulmand afterward continued to preach patience, as Tillman is one of many new arrivals to the squad, but the player’s ability to shake off a poor performance will serve him well for both club and country.
This was an impressive week for Pulisic, even by his lofty standards. After scoring two goals and helping set the table for a third in last weekend’s 3-0 win over Udinese, Pulisic maintained his fine form by scoring the final goal — on the half-volley, no less — in a 3-0 Coppa Italia win over Lecce.There’s not much more to be said about Pulisic that hasn’t been already. He remains the USMNT’s most important attacking player, and he now holds the mark for most goals by an American in Europe’s top five leagues with 59. As long as he can stay healthy, he’s a lock to be in the U.S. lineup.He’ll try to keep the momentum going in this weekend’s momentous clash with top-of-the table Napoli.
The in-form XI
When Pochettino switched to a three-man back line during the September international window, it was a move that didn’t appear to benefit Gladbach’s Joe Scally. The wing back position favors the mobility and attacking instincts demonstrated by the likes of Sergiño Dest and Alex Freeman over the defending of Scally, but then Gladbach interim manager Eugen Polanski trotted out a 3-4-3 with Scally as the right wing back, and the American delivered an impressive performance. Scally showed an ability to get forward that was unexpected given that he recorded no goals and no assists this past season — his xG of 0.26 is already on its way to eclipsing last year’s 0.38. Granted, who knows what formation the permanent Gladbach coach will prefer once he’s hired, but the performance should help keep Scally in the lineup. Given his performance last weekend, why isn’t he in this week’s in-form XI? It’s a fair question, especially when you consider Dest conceded a penalty that was converted in PSV Eindhoven‘s 2-2 draw with Ajax. Combined with some defensively shaky moments during the September international window, it’s worth weighing whether Dest is enough of a defensive liability that he loses his spot in the starting lineup. That said, Dest’s value in attack is still high enough given his ability to deliver the unexpected, though Scally has given Pochettino something to think about in terms of who his starting wing backs should be. Meanwhile, the relative stock of the U.S. corps of forwards continues to go through some wild swings in form. Folarin Balogun looked to have gained some separation from the chasing pack after a great performance against Japan, but that was before his tepid effort in a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Club Brugge landed him on the bench for last week’s league encounter against Metz. Even worse for Balogun, his replacement, Mika Biereth, scored the opener in a 5-2 win, while Ansu Fati scored two off the bench and George Ilenikhena also got on the score sheet.
The silver lining for Balogun is that no other U.S. center forwards scored last weekend, although Ricardo Pepi‘s selfless run to the near post allowed Ismael Saibari to score PSV’s first, so he’ll remain the starter in this week’s lineup. Also, Balogun’s skill set is unique within the USMNT player pool, given his ability to make runs in behind the opposition defense, and this should mean his spot in the U.S. squad is still secure. He’ll need to work his way back into the Monaco lineup, though, and this week’s match at Lorient will reveal the extent to which his spot in the club hierarchy has fallen.
Big Board 2.0 update
ESPN’s USMNT Big Board 2.0 went live earlier this month, and each Big Board will provide the foundation for weekly player updates. Below are the minutes and player ratings for each of those 37 players.
Robinson’s recovery from offseason knee surgery took way longer than expected, but he finally played a full 90 minutes for the Cottagers in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup victory over fourth-tier side Cambridge United. Now let’s see if he can reclaim his spot in league play.
Joe Scally, fullback, Borussia Mönchengladbach: 355 minutes in 2025-26; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Weah has been Marseille’s Mr. Fixit, lining up as a right wing back in OM’s 1-0 win over previously unbeaten PSG. Will that help him or hurt him when the next USMNT camp opens? Either way, his versatility remains impressive.
Malik Tillman, attacker, Bayer Leverkusen: 264 minutes in 2025-26; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025-26.
Inter Miami star Lionel Messi took a comfortable lead for this year’s Golden Boot by scoring two goals in Miami’s dramatic win over New York City FC on Wednesday night.Beneath the Citi Field lights and in the pouring rain, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami clinched a spot in the MLS playoffs. The South Florida club downed New York 4-0, carried by the Argentine striker’s late-game heroics and fueled by a pro-Miami crowd in New York. Messi opened the night with an assist to Baltasar Rodríguez in the 43rd minute, giving Inter Miami its first lead of the night.The team later rallied in the second half, scoring three goals in 12 minutes. Messi scored a brace, first in the 74th minute off a stunning pass from Sergio Busquets, and then again in the 86th. In between both goals, Luis Suárez scored off a penalty Messi’s pair of goals brings his tally to 24 scored this season, while LAFC’s Denis Bouanga trails with 22. Inter Miami sits third in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 55 points, behind the Philadelphia Union (60 points) and FC Cincinnati (58 points). Miami heads to BMO Field, where they will face Toronto FC on Saturday. Inter Miami has its eyes set on reclaiming the Supporters’ Shield, which the club won in 2024. “We know how difficult Saturday will be because we have less than 72 hours to play, but we will try to play our best and try to win the game and try to qualify as high as possible,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. “If we can win the next five games, we’ll be great and we’ll have (a) chance to fight for the Supporters’ Shield.” While Inter Miami were more than 1,000 miles from home, the near sellout crowd in Queens was unmistakably there for Messi. The crowd of 40,085 cheered after every play made by the striker and roared whenever the 38-year-old appeared on the Jumbotron. After each goal, the stadium filled with chants of “Messi, Messi!” Still, NYCFC tried its best to take advantage of the unusually large crowd that came out to Queens on Wednesday night, with messaging throughout the night reminding fans of their future stadium slowly taking shape next door. (Photo: Mark Smith / Imagn Images)
As Atlanta United flounders, would a Tata Martino reunion be the right play?
It has been a difficult summer for Atlanta United. In July, president and CEO Garth Lagerwey stepped away from his role after a cancer diagnosis. Well-liked around the building and highly respected across MLS, Lagerwey had publicly lauded the current squad entering the 2025 season. Ronny Deila, Atlanta’s first-year head coach, was the candidate that he fought for internally. Deila has led Atlanta to just five wins in 29 matches, though, and Lagerwey’s continued absence heading into the fall could alter the direction of the club.Deila may not be working out as Lagerwey hoped, but he did also hire Chris Henderson, Atlanta’s chief soccer officer and sporting director, last December. Talks with Deila were already at an advanced stage when Henderson joined the club from Inter Miami. He replaced Carlos Bocanegra and is now a leading decision maker on Atlanta’s future, which is under great focus considering the ongoing struggles. And that’s where the avenues the club can take in an effort to return to MLS’s elite could get interesting.Henderson came to Atlanta after helping Tata Martino build a Miami squad that broke MLS’s regular-season points record and won the Supporters’ Shield in 2024. Having Lionel Messi certainly helped, too. For his part, Martino led Atlanta to an MLS Cup victory in 2018 and he remains a well-regarded figure inside the club. His title-winning team and a near-perfect club launch unexpectedly brought the eyes of the football world to the city. Seven years later, Martino is available again, and it’s only natural to consider whether a reunion might make sense.Speaking exclusively to The Athletic last week, Martino touched on the emotional attachment some managers have after they depart a job. Inter Miami, he said, remains unfinished business. However, there’s nothing pending for Martino in Atlanta. He won a final then accepted the Mexico national team job in 2019 after two seasons.“I think at that time, the Atlanta project, for various reasons, had more room to grow, but not with me in charge,” Martino said. “The Miami project, yes, because I compare it to the Argentina national team project. There was more ahead, more to do. It wasn’t something already finished. Today I understand that some projects start and finish, and that’s that.”Asked if he maintains contact with Henderson, Martino smiled.“Yes, I care about him a lot,” he said. “Honestly, he’s someone I’ve had a really good working relationship with. First, because he’s a great professional, and second, because he’s an extraordinary person. I’ve really enjoyed working with him. Every now and then we exchange messages and say hello. I have a lot of affection for him.”The 62-year-old Argentine is among the top available coaches for MLS teams that are looking for a new manager. New England, St. Louis City, and Sporting Kansas City all have vacancies, and Steve Cherundolo will depart LAFC at the end of this season.
Atlanta United has struggled in Ronny Deila’s first season at the helm (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Atlanta could potentially become an option, too, although Lagerwey has made a concerted effort to turn the page on the club’s successful past. Deila, whom Lagerwey touted as a serial winner, was supposed to end the club’s crisis with a firm European hand. Despite his best efforts and the millions of dollars spent on players, though, few improvements – if any – materialized.
On the other side, if Martino were to consider a highly-publicized reunion in Atlanta, he would put his legacy at the club at stake. The squad has not been well built, with high-priced players failing to deliver, while the shortcomings of long-standing members of the team have held the club back. Secondly, Atlanta’s player profiles don’t align with what Martino would prefer. There is no discernible identity under Deila, so another major evaluation of the roster would be necessary. Even so, Martino offered his thoughts on the state of his former team.
“I try to be careful because I don’t see the day-to-day,” he said. “From the outside, you look at the squad and think, ‘It’s strange to see them in that position in the standings,’ but there are different circumstances, so maybe a season doesn’t turn out the way you expect. In MLS, this happens a lot: players come from different places, and you have to see how the ideas come together, how the players click with each other, with the coaching staff, with the club and with the city.“Sometimes everything clicks perfectly, and it works spectacularly,” Martino continued. “Other times, just as you can’t always explain why everything went so well, you can’t always explain why nothing worked out as expected. Looking at the squad from a distance, you might’ve expected a different outcome for the season.”The same can be said about Miguel Almirón. The Paraguayan international was widely considered the best player in MLS when he wore Atlanta’s black and red kit under Martino. Now 31, Almirón rejoined Atlanta in January after six seasons in the Premier League with Newcastle United. He was celebrated by Atlanta’s fans upon his return, but that euphoria has since subsided. Like Atlanta as a whole, Almirón has struggled to have the same impact as he once had in MLS. He has four goals and seven assists on the year, and at times has either been misused as a traditional winger by Deila, or hasn’t been decisive enough in the middle of the field to make a difference.
Josef Martínez was prolific under Tata Martino in Atlanta (Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports)
In his final year in Atlanta, prior to becoming MLS’s highest outgoing transfer at the time, Almirón teamed with 2018 MLS MVP Josef Martínez to the tune of 12 goals and 14 assists in the regular season. Martino may be watching from afar, but his assessment of Almirón 2.0, an experiment that hasn’t been an immediate success, rings true.“The main difference for Miguel is that the (2018) team had a solid base,” Martino said. “We kept a strong American core through Brad (Guzan), Parky (Michael Parkhurst), (Jeff) Larentowicz and even Greg Garza, who was Mexican-American but very connected to American soccer. At the same time, the team had a very strong Latin side. So obviously, Miguel felt much more supported.“On top of that, Miguel had that partnership with Josef. That’s how all the pieces come together for a season to go well. Today’s team, the nationalities and customs are very different, and Miguel arrived at a tricky moment. When the tournament is already underway, it can be hard to achieve that same unity of ideas.”After Atlanta’s 5-4 loss to the Columbus Crew on Saturday, a game in which Atlanta was down 5-0 at home after 39 minutes, Deila defiantly fought for his job. The defeat was Atlanta’s 13th of the regular season, which eliminated the club from the MLS playoffs.Deila, 49, insisted afterwards that Atlanta is in good hands. The Norwegian’s first year in Atlanta has been mired in uncertain tactics and a glaring lack of pride from Atlanta’s players week-to-week. Deila admitted on Saturday to relaying inconsistent messages to his players after trying different formations throughout the year. Still, the former Celtic manager believes he’s the right man to turn this into something positive in 2026.“We’re going to be competitive next season. I’m 100 percent sure,” Deila said. “If not I wouldn’t sit here. I’ve done this for 20 years. I’ve had success with almost every team I’ve had. I’ve made improvements everywhere. I won almost everywhere I’ve been.”Perhaps Deila hasn’t completely thrown his players under the bus, but he has questioned their professional character and mentality. It was evident on Saturday that he has lost faith in some of his players, despite stating adamantly that he hasn’t lost the locker room.“I want to improve things, but we have to change a lot of the personnel this season because some (players) didn’t have the opportunity to get better and some of them aren’t interested in getting better,” Deila said. “I believe and I feel I have the boys with me. And I feel that I have the staff with me, and I feel that we’re on the start of something.”Whatever Deila believes hasn’t been up to standard. Atlanta invested over $50 million in new player acquisitions last season. The objective was to provide Deila with a squad capable of challenging for the top four in the Eastern Conference. Instead, the club was struggling through its worst start in franchise history in May. The momentum that Atlanta garnered at the end of the 2024 season under interim manager Rob Valentino sputtered almost immediately in 2025. Atlanta’s shocking first-round defeat of Martino’s heavily-favored Inter Miami during the 2024 playoffs was supposed to inspire a now-apathetic fanbase and position Atlanta with the right building blocks moving forward.
Atlanta has just five wins through 29 games, tied for second-fewest in MLS (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
But there is nothing inspirational about this Atlanta side. It has conceded 54 goals and scored just 36 times in 29 matches. There are 11 teams in the East that have scored more goals than Atlanta this season. Deila, who won an MLS Cup final with New York City FC in 2021, has been unable to manufacture solutions both in-game and mid-week to improve the team.On Saturday, Columbus was surgical in how it attacked Atlanta’s woeful midfield and backline, while Deila’s men delivered another display of football malpractice. Deila called it the “the strangest game I’ve seen in my life,” but in reality, it was a representation of his tenure in Atlanta. The four-goal comeback did not mask his team’s permanent flaws, which go far beyond a tactics board.Deila and his staff have succumbed to the culture of defeat in Atlanta rather than turn it around. Losing has become normalized within Atlanta’s training facility in Marietta, Ga., which later this month will be newly unveiled following a $23 million investment from owner Arthur Blank. Yet, Deila stressed on Saturday that a coaching change wasn’t necessary.“I’m the guy who can make this team successful,” he said. “I cannot handle what the board is thinking. If peopl don’t believe in me, then of course we have a challenge.”“Right now we’re struggling,” he continued. “We’re eating a lot of s***, but that creates unbelievable power and energy to go forward and prove everybody wrong. It’s easy to sit on the outside and have opinions now, but get in the ring and we’ll see how it is and who ends up on the right side. That’s going to be us.”
It very well could be – unless Atlanta believes that revisiting its past can finally awaken the club’s future.
US Men Roster Drop for Sept 6 & 9 Games – No McKennie, Musah, Wright, Turner, Scally
There are 12 players on the roster who competed in the Gold Cup this summer. However, there are some notable absences from players who were excluded due to recovering from injury, as Pochettino opted to have them remain with their teams to continue building up full fitness, even as some recently returned to the field. Those players include Antonee Robinson, Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman, and Patrick Agyemang.
Several regulars were not selected for the September roster, including Weston McKennie, Matt Turner, Yunus Musah, Haji Wright, Brenden Aaronson, Gio Reyna, Joe Scally, and Johnny Cardoso. Meanwhile, Alex Zendejas gets his first USMNT camp of 2025 after playing well for Club América. Making the roster is dual national Tristan Blackmon, whose call-up was accidentally leaked by new Vancouver Whitecaps teammate Thomas Müller during a press conference over the weekend. Blackmon was reportedly contacted by Canada head coach Jesse Marsch in the spring to gauge his interest in playing for Canada at the international level. He instead accepts the call-up to join the USMNT for this camp. Four other players are looking to earn their first cap for the USMNT. Dual national Noahkai Banks makes his USMNT camp debut, while Blackmon, Roman Celenatano, and Jonathan Klinsmann are in search of their first cap after returning to the national team. The USMNT take on South Korea on September 6th at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. They then complete the international window with a friendly against Japan on September 9th at Lower.com Field in Columbus. USMNT ROSTER GOALKEEPERS (3): Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena) DEFENDERS (8): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Noahkai Banks (FC Augsburg), Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) MIDFIELDERS (6): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 50/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew) FORWARDS (5): Damion Downs (Southampton), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan) Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Tim Weah (Marseille), Alex Zendejas (Club América), Folarin Balogun
So I have NO IDEA what Bochitino is Doing here? Now is not the time to be testing new Goalkeepers – these are real teams we are playing! And why so many MLS players? Are you kidding me Boch! HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE IS DOING. At this rate we may not make it out of the Group stage. How the heck are McKennie, Haji Wright and Joe Scally not here at least. Aaronson is also a bit of a headscratcher. I am ok with Berhalter he showed well last time – lets see if he can play now that we have REAL competition. I am hope so because I do like his grit. We’ll see on all these others.
Leagues Cup Final Dream Match-Up Messi’s Miami vs Seattle Sounders this Sun 8 pm on Apple, Univision
Miami came from behind in dramatic fashion to beat Orlando in Miami as Messi and the Suarez spurred Miami on to victory. In the late game Seattle Dominated the first half then held on for the 2-0 win over the LA Galaxy setting up the Wednesday night Leagues Cup Final on their home field Sunday at 8 pm on TUDN, Univision & Apple TV free.
Indy 11 Host Louisville City Sat 7 pm @ The Mike
Indy Eleven midfielder Jack Blake recorded his sixth career brace to lead the Boys in Blue to a 3-2 victory over Miami FC at Carroll Stadium.The victory moved the Boys in Blue into a playoff position at the 2/3 point of the 30-game regular season schedule. The Boys in Blue host Eastern Conference leader Louisville City FC next Saturday at 7 pm at Carroll Stadium for “Mystery at the Mike”. Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster. Flex Plan, Group, and Hospitality tickets are available here. For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com.
Carmel FC Goalkeeper Coach Erin Baker
So excited to welcome former Carmel FC & All State Carmel High School Goalkeeper Erin Baker as Carmel FC Goalkeeper Coach this fall. The former Wright State College Goalkeeper, daughter of Carmel FC Coach Tom Baker and former CFC Coach and legendary Canadian Team Goalkeeper Carla Baker (now Carmel High Asst Coach). Erin will handle coaching duties on Mon nights at Shelbourne Fields and Wednesdays at Badger Fields. Your’s truly will be on hand when I can to help (around high school reffing duties).
Carmel FC GK Coach Erin Baker was a 2 time All-State Selection at Carmel High School and State Champion before playing college ball at Wright State in Ohio. Coaching now on Mon & Wed nights. Congrats to our Carmel FC squads on a jam-packed weekend across the Midwest and a special mention to our 3 teams that picked up silverware in their respective events. Huge thanks to our players, coaches, and the parents who make the miles and memories possible. • 2012 Girls Gold — Premier Cup (Bronze) Champions • 2013 Boys Blue — Puma Cup Finalists • 2014 Girls Gold — Chicago Development ShowcaseT Ray, Mike A and Shane reffing tourney at Grand Park Sunday with Coms — aren’t we cool looking! Apple TV & Univision & TUDN Sunday 8 pm
GAMES ON TV
Fri, Aug 29 2:45 pm Para+ Lecce vs AC Milan (Pulisic) 3 pm CBSSN Leicester City vs Birmingham City Championship 8 pm Prime Orlando Pride (Marta) vs NY/NJ Gothem NWSL 10:30 pm Para+, Prime Seattle Reign vs San Diego Wave NWSL 10:30 pm Para+, Prime, Golazo Portland Thorns vs Utah Sat, Aug 30 7:30 am USA Chelsea vs Fulham (Jedi) 9:30 am ESPN+ Werder Bremen vs Leverkusen (Tillman) 9:30 am ESPN+ Stuttgart vs B M’Gladbach (Scally, Reyna) 10 am USA Sunderland vs Brentford 10 am Peacock Tottenham vs Bournemouth (Adams) 12:30 pm NBC Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Newcastle United 12:30 pm ESPN+ Ausberg vs Bayern Munich 7 pm TV 6, ESPN+ Indy 11 vs Louisville 7:30 pm Tubi KC Current vs NC Courage NWSL Sun Aug 31 7:30 am USA Nottingham Forest vs West Ham 11:30 am USA Liverpool vs Arsenal 12:30 pm CBSSN Genoa vs Juventus (McKennie) 2 pm USA Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 3:30 pm ESPNd+, Rayo Vallencano vs Barcelona 4 pm CBS NWSL Washington Spirit vs Chicago Red Stars 8 pm Apple, Univision Seattle Sounders vs Inter Miami Leagues Cup Final 10:30 pm FS1?, Apple Free – LAFC vs San Diego Mon, Sept 1 9 pm CBSSN Angel City (Thompson) vs Bay FC NWSL Wed, Sept 3 7 pm CBSSN Washington Spirit vs Vancouver Rise W Concacaf Cup 7:30 pm ESPN+ Hartford vs Indy 11 Thurs, Aug 4 WCQ 2:45 pm Fox Sport 2 Bulgaria vs Spain 7:30 pm Peacock Argentina vs Venezuela 8:30 pm Peacock Brazil vs Chile Fri, Aug 5 WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Ukraine vs France 8 pm Amazon Prime Racing Louisville vs Portland NWSL
Sat, Sept 6 5 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Korea Tues, Sept 9 7:30 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Japan in Columbus, Ohio Fri, Oct 10 8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador Tues, Oct 14 9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Summer Olympiques
Some of our most watched leagues embark on a new season. The Transfer window is nearly closed as teams and players settle in to what their club’s will look like for at least the next several months. A US player or two could still be on the move this Fall (we’re keeping our eye on you Yunus Musah) but we’re pretty close to locked in. We’re also locked in on some great matches this weekend that could see more debut’s as well as some head to head action in France. It start’s on Friday with a couple of matches:
Friday
Lecce v Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+: AC Milan opened their season with a home loss to newly promoted Cremonese with Christian Pulisic starting the match and playing the full 90’ but Yunus Musah not making it off the bench amid ongoing rumors that he is being pursued by Napoli and Atalanta. Milan dominated possession and allowed just four shot attempts by Cremonese but were unable to convert more than one of their own twenty-four shot attempts. Milan will look to bounce back against Lecce who settled for a scoreless draw with Genoa last weekend.
Saturday
Chelsea v Fulham – 7:30a on USA Network: Antonne Robinson returned from injury and played 28’ minutes off the bench last weekend as Fulham drew with Manchester United 1-1. That makes a pair of 1-1 draws to open the season for Fulham who will now face a Chelsea side who are coming off a 5-1 thumping of West Ham last weekend after opening their season with a scoreless draw against Crystal Palace.
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN+: Malik Tillman missed Bayer Leverkusen’s season opening loss to Hoffenheim last weekend but is reportedly available this weekend heading into their match with Werder Bremen who fell 4-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt. Tillman will be making his debut for his new club as they look to bounce back and get on track to challenge Bayern Munich for the league title.
Stuttgart v Borussia Monchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN+: Gio Reyna has joined good friend Joe Scally at Borussia Monchengladbach and will look to get his career back on track. Reyna, Scally and Gladbach will face Stuttgart this weekend looking for Gladbach’s first win of the season, following a 0-0 draw last weekend with Hamburg.
Tottenham v AFC Bournemouth – 10a on Peacock: Tyler Adams and Bournemouth defeated Wolverhampton last weekend, bouncing back from a season opening loss to Liverpool, but then fell to Brentford 2-0 in Carabao Cup second round action midweek with Tyler getting the match off. This weekend Bournemouth will take on a Tottenham side that have won their first two matches to start the season, including a 2-0 win over Manchester City last weekend.
Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City – 10a on Paramount+: Josh Sargent has opened the season by scoring a goal in each of Norwich’s four matches that he has appeared in (he missed Norwich’s EFL Cup match against Southampton midweek) but Norwich have won just one of their three league matches, with all ending with an identical 2-1 score line. This weekend Norwich will face a Blackburn Rovers side that just missed out on the promotion playoffs last season but have also won just one of their opening three matches this year as well.
Deportivo Alaves v Atletico Madrid – 11a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+: Johnny Cardoso might not be in the US squad but he’s made the starting 11 for Atletico Madrid the first two matches of their season. Atletico will be looking for their first win of the season this weekend as they take on Deportivo Alaves, who fell to Real Betis 1-0 last weekend.
Leeds United v Newcastle United – 12:30p on NBC and Peacock: Brenden Aaronson has come off the bench to play roughly 25’ in each of Leeds United’s first two matches of the season. Leeds won their opener but were thumped by Arsenal last weekend 5-0 with the team already down 4-0 when Aaronson came into the match.
Augsburg v Bayern Munich – 12:30p on ESPN+: Noakhai Banks has pulled the reverse Johnny Cardoso, the 18-year-old center back has made Mauricio Pochettino’s September callup list though he has not made it off the bench for Augsburg yet this season. Unfortunately, that might say as much about the differences in depth at the midfield and center back positions for the USMNT as it does about Pochettino’s puzzling decisions. Augsburg defeated Freiburg 3-1 in their opener last weekend and will now face Bayern Munich who opened their Bundesliga campaign with 6-0 drubbing of RB Leipzig.
PSV v Telstar – 2p on ESPN+: Ricardo Pepi saw his first minutes of the Eredivisie season last Saturday, coming off the bench for the final minutes of PSV’s 4-2 win over Groningen. Sergino Dest started the match at left back, played the full 90’, and picked up his second assist of the season. Dest has had a goal contribution in each of PSV’s first three matches. PSV will face a Telstar side that are looking for their first win of the season, they snapped a two match losing streak last weekend in drawing 2-2 with FC Volendam.
Toulouse v PSG – 3:05p on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie and Toulouse will take on perennial league favorites PSG on Sunday. Both teams have won their first two matches of the season and are tied, along with Lyon and Strasbourg, at the top of the table early in the season. McKenzie has started and gone the full 90’ in each of Toulouse’s two matches.
Sunday
Rangers v Celtic – 7a on CBSSN and Paramount+: Rangers and Celtic were both dumped from Champions League qualifying midweek in embarrassing fashion and will now look to bounce back in the latest edition of the Old Firm derby. Cameron Carter-Vickers started and played the full match plus extra time midweek as Celtic eventually fell to Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty in penalties after playing a home and away series, including a full 120’ in the second match, without either team scoring a goal. Celtic have won each of their first three matches though CCV was rested last weekend. Auston Trusty had come off the bench in Celtic’s first three matches of the season but was not included in the squad last weekend or midweek. Celtic’s opponent this weekend is their arch-rival Rangers who have drawn each of their first three league matches and also fell midweek in Champions League qualifying 6-0 (and 9-1 on aggregate) to Club Brugge.
Monaco v Strasbourg – 11:15a on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun returned from injury last weekend to get the start and go the full 90’ in Monaco’s 1-0 loss to Lille. Balogun and Monaco will now face Strasbourg who have won their first to Ligue 1 matches of the season.
Genoa v Juventus – 12:30p on CBSSN and Paramount+: Weston McKennie was used as a time wasting substitute last weekend as Juventus saw out a 2-0 win over Parma to open their Serie A season. McKennie appears to once again be at an interesting point in his career as the midfielder was left out of the September window and is looking to work his way back into the squad with his club as well. It’s a bit startling but it is not the first, or second, time that McKennie has found himself in a similar position and he has bounced back well each time prior.
Aston Villa v Crystal Palace – 2p on USA Network: Chris Richards and Crystal Palace have opened their Premier League season with a pair of draws against Chelsea and Nottingham Forest with Richards playing the full 90’ in both matches. Richards also went 90 on Thursday as Palace played Norwegian side Fredrikstad FK to a scoreless draw in see out their 1-0 aggregate win in UEFA Conference League qualifiers. Palace have allowed just four goals across five matches in all competitions to start the season, including two in their win over Liverpool in the Community Shield match, and Richards is a key figure in what appears to be a solid defense. Palace will face an Aston Villa side this weekend that are looking for their first win, and first goal of the season.
Olympique Lyon v Olympique Marseille – 2:45p on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann and Tim Weah will face off in Ligue 1 action on Sunday afternoon before Weah heads to the States for the September window while Tessmann remains in France as he missed out on a callup. Tessmann has started and gone the full 90’ in Lyon’s first two matches while Weah came off the bench in Marseille’s first match, a 1-0 loss to Stade Rennais, but started on the left-wing in the teams 5-2 drubbing of Paris FC last weekend.
Always fun to ref games @ Carmel High – Carmel Freshman boys then girls with Omar Mon night. Good crew Sat @ Park Tudor
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It’s time for Mauricio Pochettino to stop tinkering and build a World Cup team
I spent the earlier part of this week living under the stars, in a tent deep inside Yellowstone National Park, with only a patchy cellphone signal, no internet or television. It wasn’t quite an Aaron Rodgers retreat but it was an amazing experience.
Anyone who has ever ‘disconnected’ in that manner, understands the value that it brings. You have time to break free from the constant demands of everyday life, to refocus and renew before re-emerging with fresh energy.
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But when I came out of the retreat and saw Mauricio Pochettino’s roster for the upcoming games against South Korea and Japan, I wondered for half a second if I wasn’t now living in an alternative reality.
Almost half of Pochettino’s 23-man squad is made up of players from Major League Soccer ,as he continues to experiment with new players while the likes of Weston McKennie at Juventus, Johnny Cardoso of Atlético Madrid, Yunus Musah at AC Milan and Tanner Tessmann at Lyon have been left out.
Weston McKennie was among those left out of Mauricio Pochettino’s latest USMNT squad. (Marco Canoniero / LightRocket via Getty Images)
We are nine months away from the start of the World Cup on home soil and the coach is still experimenting, still familiarizing himself with the player pool and still ‘sending messages’ to players? Really?
At this stage, I would expect the national team coach to be focused on his core starting team and supporting cast, getting players familiar with their roles, the partnerships that are so vital across the field and the group dynamics that need to be fine tuned before competing with the world’s elite.
Of course, there is always room for bringing in a form player or two or trying out alternative options and testing the depth of his roster. And there is some validity in Pochettino’s likely goals here – broadening the pool, lighting a fire under those excluded and perhaps giving European-based players the chance to focus on their club situations for now.
But the benefits of a player being allowed to stay with a European club are limited when you remember that during the international break, large numbers of the first-team squad at clubs like Milan, Juve and Atlético, are away with their national teams anyway, weakening the significance of those training sessions, which are mainly for reserves and other non-internationals. Two things really concern me about this roster. Firstly, the U.S. is playing against Japan and South Korea, two teams with quality players and top-tier experience, who are exactly the kind of opponents that might be waiting in the World Cup itself, especially in the knockout phase.With no qualifying games, these friendlies should be treated as seriously as possible, to get the squad truly competitive encounters – to test them and help them grow. As we saw with the debacle of June’s 4-0 crushing by Switzerland in Nashville, if the opposition is high-level and comes in motivated, the outcome for an experimental team can be ugly.
There is already a worrying lack of enthusiasm bordering on apathy in the USMNT’s fan base at a time when positivity and optimism should be growing in anticipation of this huge moment in American soccer. I don’t even want to think about what the impact would be of another heavy loss at home.
Secondly, while the time for ‘sending messages’ should be over by now, I also worry about exactly what kind of message Pochettino is sending by his selection of MLS players who few people, if any, were clamoring for.
Under former USMNT coach Bob Bradley, players like Charlie Davies were incentivized to prove themselves overseas. (Chris Williams /Icon SMI / Corbis / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
When I played for the national team under Bob Bradley, there was an unwritten rule for emerging American MLS talent. If you want to be a national team player, you earn yourself a move abroad, you fight for your place at your club, you perform week-in, week-out and then you get your chance.
It was highly motivating. It led people like me to turn down, after college, a Generation Adidas contract with MLS and head to Europe. It was why I battled for a starting place at Hammarby in Sweden, moved to Sochaux in France and played for Randers in Denmark.Jurgen Klinsmann was another national team coach who was keen to see Americans move to Europe, pushing players to get as close to the highest level as possible. It’s why so many of our players over the last 25 years improved, became more professional and more steeled. It’s not easy as an American walking into a European locker-room, proving yourself, earning a starting place and keeping it. It’s a grind every single day. It meant the national team coach got players who had been forged by that experience, hardened and sharpened.
It also gave players in MLS something to aim for. You might be performing well enough for your club, but were you playing well enough to attract the attention of European scouts?
So what is the message the players receive when they see Pochettino’s roster?
With all due respect, have the likes of Roman Celentano, Tristan Blackmon, Nathan Harriel and Sean Zawadzki really been performing at such a consistently high-level in MLS that they simply could not be ignored? Have they really thrust themselves into contention for World Cup places?Even if you were looking to MLS-based players, it is surprising that some of these new faces are being picked ahead of the likes of Djordje Mihailovic (11 caps), DeJuan Jones (10 caps) and Chicago’s exciting talent Brian Gutierrez (two caps).But the message sent is even worse. When I see a player like Paxton Aaronson, who after trying to make it at Eintracht Frankfurt took on the challenge of a loan spell at Utrecht and earned a starting place at a top-four club in the Dutch league, take a move back to MLS, it leaves me thinking the players have understood that under Pochettino you’d actually be better off in MLS.
Paxten Aaronson made a recent return to Major League Soccer from Europe. (Seth Herald / AFP via Getty Images)That is a crazy situation. But what other conclusion could we draw from the fact that a promising player like Aidan Morris, who was rightly called up due to his excellent form with the Columbus Crew, is now ignored despite being a regular in the highly competitive Championship with Middlesbrough?
Morris won two MLS Cups with the Crew before, at the age of 22, going to play for then-Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick, a great coach to learn from, given he played in Morris’s midfield role. That’s the kind of initiative that I would lean towards rewarding.Morris could now be forgiven for thinking that he would have been better off, from a national team perspective, staying with the Crew, never having to worry about losing his place, never having to push himself, under pressure, every week in the grind of that league. He’d probably be in this roster if he was playing in MLS – which is absurd.
There are contradictions in Pochettino’s approach, too. If the aim is to give players in new club environments space to settle, then why call up Tim Weah? He is in his first season with Marseille, adapting to a new system under Roberto De Zerbi and new teammates, and yet he is (deservedly) included in the roster.And he should be, because Weah is a vital piece of the U.S. puzzle. His speed, quickness, timing, 1-v-1 ability, two-way commitment and World Cup experience (including scoring against Wales in Qatar) make him unique in this group.The reality is that outside of him, the USMNT simply doesn’t have another wide player with that blend of qualities. His inclusion underscores just how inconsistent the logic is when other Europe-based players in similar or even stronger club situations are left behind.
At least Pochettino says this is the last window before the experimenting stops in October. That is a relief, but I think not going with a full-strength squad for these games is another missed opportunity for the coach and the team.
Hopefully the approach to the games will be less experimental than the roster call-ups suggests. If the U.S. wants to inspire belief heading into the home World Cup, now is the time to sharpen, not experiment.
The September friendlies will mark Christian Pulisic’s return to the squad. (Logan Riely / USSF / Getty Images for USSF)
Thankfully, Christian Pulisic is on the roster, and I really hope that he and everyone else can now put this summer’s unpleasant conflict behind them. The whole saga was the result of poor communication. No one blinked an eye when it was announced that Musah was missing the Gold Cup for ‘personal reasons,’ and few would have objected if Christian’s absence was put down to muscle fatigue or a minor injury.
I’ll never understand why it was instead described by U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker as the player asking to “step back” this summer due to the volume of games. The whole thing could have been avoided with different language.Christian had a new coach coming in at AC Milan and it was important for him to be at the Milanello training ground fresh and ready to go on day one of preseason and not coming in late or tired from the Gold Cup and playing catch-up ahead of the new season.The U.S. needs Pulisic to have a great season with Milan and to return in style to the national team. He’s central to World Cup hopes, and whatever people think of his decision this summer, it is time to put it behind us and get behind our best player. Just as it’s time for Pochettino to get behind his best players, period.(Top photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
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Mauricio Pochettino wants trust in his process but his USMNT is short on time
The U.S. men’s national team has 10 games until the World Cup.
The journey to that point is going to be one hell of a ride. The question for U.S. fans is whether they believe in the process.
Mauricio Pochettino’s 22-man squad for the September window included Christian Pulisic — another player will be added at a later date — but was most certainly impacted by the start of the European season. The roster is missing players still working back from injury and others who aren’t in form at their clubs or were given time to integrate into new teams or fight for a place. Based on Pochettino’s answers at his press conference on Tuesday, we will likely see names like Ricardo Pepi, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Antonee Robinson and Malik Tillman, if healthy, in October and November.
Even then, Pochettino’s search for his best U.S. team still feels very much like a work in progress.
Pochettino said he is using this September window as a judging ground for players he hasn’t seen, like Sean Zawadzki, Noahkai Banks, Jonathan Klinsmann and Tristan Blackmon.
“For us, this is the last camp that we are going to add some new faces,” he said.
Fulham’s Antonee Robinson was among the high-profile absentees from the USMNT squad. (Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
It’s also one more chance for players he saw at the Gold Cup, but would like to test in a more competitive setting, like Sebastian Berhalter, Jack McGlynn, Nathan Harriel, Damion Downs and Max Arfsten.
“We really believe that is the right decision,” he said. “To bring the right balance to the squad.”
Whether those auditions should still be happening at this point is a fair question.
The former Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea manager was only hired last September. The last year was spent familiarizing himself with the entirety of the pool. That evaluation process has now run right up against the final months of World Cup prep. There isn’t much time to start to put a group together that can compete next summer on the sport’s biggest stage.
Pochettino clearly still wants to see a few more options before he moves into the next phase. I don’t agree with a good chunk of the decisions on this roster. Quality-wise, there are players left out of this squad that shouldn’t have been.
But it’s clear that Pochettino is doing so with intent.
He wants to send a message — for longtime starters like McKennie, Musah and Matt Turner, but also those who are trying to fight into the picture in Europe, like Aidan Morris and Tanner Tessmann. No one’s job is guaranteed.
“I think all (players) need to feel the possibility of fighting for a place,” Pochettino said. “If we want to be a really competitive team, we cannot nominate 13, 14, 15 players (and say): ‘These guys for sure are going to arrive to the World Cup. And the rest, they need a few places to fight.’ Come on, that is not the real sport…
“When you see different national teams, national teams that won World Cups, I think you really understand what (real competition) means. Players need to feel that threat from (their) teammate, and they need to defend the place in every single (camp) that you join the national team, but also when you perform in your (club) team.”
Pochettino (left) and captain Tim Ream (center) suffered summer disappointment with a Concacaf Gold Cup final defeat. (Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images)
It’s a valid message from Pochettino. There was too much of a sense of comfort in this U.S. group when he took over after the 2024 Copa América failure. There was a subset of players who believed they were, essentially, untouchable. There was a need to fight back against that mentality within the group, not just to motivate those players to work harder, but to build belief throughout the pool that every player had a chance to make the team and to compete.
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But that task — building that competitiveness within the group, creating more of an edge — also has to be balanced against quality.
Building a team is not always about picking the best 23 or 26 players for a roster. It’s important to have the right chemistry and the right mentality top to bottom. You need glue guys. But you also need to remember that, at some point in the tournament, you might have to turn down the bench and summon the 21st or 23rd or 25th guy and put them in the game. And you better be sure that they can deliver better than the player you left at home.
Past U.S. coaches have learned that lesson the hard way before. (See: Landon Donovan in Brazil.)
It’s fine to disagree completely with the call-ups in this roster and also to give Pochettino some grace in this window. To let him try to foster a more competitive spirit within the team now in the name of a better team next summer. And to believe that the team that is summoned next June will have more than enough time to bond and build the right spirit ahead of the home tournament.
It’s fine as long as you trust that the process will land you with the best possible team in 10 months — and that Pochettino and his staff won’t get the mix of motivation, mentality and quality wrong. There has to be belief that, as Pochettino said, he’ll find the players that give the U.S. the best chance to win when the first game kicks off at SoFi Stadium.“It’s up to us to select the best players to play in the World Cup,” he said. “We have experience. We have the quality and the capacity to see and to detect and to analyze … and to create the best plan to arrive in the best condition. Now it’s up to the players. We want to have the best players to compete in the best way in the World Cup. And for sure we are going to arrive with the best roster to compete.” (Top photo: Robbie Jay Barratt / AMA / Getty Images)
Pochettino confirms no contact with Pulisic, addresses McKennie’s omission
Mauricio Pochettino said Tuesday that he “didn’t talk with” Christian Pulisic this summer, but said that the public back-and-forth between the two in June is “behind us.”Pochettino, speaking to reporters via Zoom after naming Pulisic to the U.S. men’s national team roster for September friendlies against South Korea and Japan, added: “We need to look forward. We have a plan for every single player, and the plan for Christian now is to call and to see him in this camp.”Pochettino said he hoped that Pulisic would “arrive in a good condition, fresh, [coming off a] good preseason with Milan, with his team, and ready to compete — that is the most important thing.”Pulisic will rejoin the team for the first time since March, when the U.S. lost to Panamaand Canada. In that Concacaf Nations League third-place match against Canada, Pulisic appeared to wave away a substitution, delaying Pochettino’s attempt to replace him midway through the second half.Then, in May, Pulisic chose to skip the summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. When U.S. Soccer announced the roster, it released a statement from sporting director Matt Crocker making clear that Pulisic had initiated what was ultimately a “collective decision” after “thoughtful discussions and careful consideration.”
Pochettino, speaking to reporters that same day, called it “the best decision” for Pulisic and for the USMNT. But, in subsequent media appearances, he didn’t sound thrilled about it. Pulisic, meanwhile, drew fierce criticism from some fans and pundits, including former players. Landon Donovan said on a Fox Sports broadcast that USMNT players being “on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup,” was “pissing me off.”
That drew a response from Pulisic’s father, Mark, who implicitly told Donovan in an Instagram post to “look in the mirror + grow a pair.” A week later, Christian Pulisic went on a CBS Sports podcast to defend himself, and argued that questions about “my commitment, especially towards the national team,” were “way out of line.”
Pulisic also made the point that he “did want to be a part of at least the two friendlies” prior to the Gold Cup, against Turkey and Switzerland. “I did speak with the coaches, and I asked, and I wanted to be a part of the team in whatever capacity I could,” Pulisic said. “And they said no, they only wanted one roster [for the friendlies and the Gold Cup]. And that’s coach’s decision, I fully respect that. I didn’t understand it, but it is what it is.”
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Pochettino, speaking two days later at a press conference on the eve of the Gold Cup, responded. Players could not pick and choose when they play for the national team, he said. “I think when I signed my contract [with] the federation,” he added, “[it said] I am the head coach. I am not a mannequin.”Pulisic also revealed that he’d only had one conversation with Pochettino about the decision. On Tuesday, Pochettino seemed to confirm, as Fox Sports reported, that the two haven’t spoken since May. There was “nothing to talk [about],” Pochettino said.Later, when asked whether he considered not calling Pulisic into the September camp, Pochettino said: “Christian had the possibility to have a good rest in the summer, and then start the season. … He’s in a condition to come. … He can add his freshness, and, of course, his quality.”
USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie won’t take part in friendlies vs. South Korea and Japan (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Where’s Weston?
The rest of Pochettino’s September roster, though, was headlined by omissions. When asked why he left off midfielder Weston McKennie, Pochettino indicated that McKennie’s delayed offseason, and his precarious place in Juventus’ squad, were two factors.“We already know Weston,” Pochettino said. “It’s not necessary to call him to know.”McKennie’s involvement in the Club World Cup left him with a truncated preseason at the Italian club. And as the Serie A season started last weekend, he found himself on the outside looking in at the Juve starting lineup. He entered the team’s opener, a 2-0 win over Parma, in the 89th minute.“We wanted to give him the possibility to be more settled in his club,” Pochettino said of McKennie, “and the possibility to be in his best form.”Pochettino indicated that the reasoning for Johnny Cardoso’s omission was similar. Cardoso moved to Atlético Madrid last month from Real Betis. The thinking, Pochettino said, was to “give time to them to adapt in the new environment.”Pochettino also said, though, that “no one has their place sure.” That, he said, was his broader message: “everyone needs to fight.”But when asked if already had in mind the players who would return in October, he nodded his head and said, “Yes.” Later, when asked specifically about McKennie, he said that September will be “the last camp that we are going to bring some new faces.” And he hinted that McKennie will be back in October.“Weston [needs] time to prepare himself with [Juventus], and it’s important to be with his team fighting for a place,” Pochettino said. He added that he wants to give McKennie “all the tools to fight for a place to be every week, on the pitch, competing. Because that is going to put him in his best form. … We know his talent.” (Top photo: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
The Champions League draw’s impact on USMNT stars’ all-important season
Over the past decade, U.S. players have become increasingly relevant to the competition. Last year featured a new record for involvement, with USMNT-eligible players eclipsing 5,000 combined minutes in the 2024-25 Champions League. What looked to be a promising business end for a few of the teams with Americans involved quickly went south in the playoff round, though, with little presence in the final three rounds of the competition.
Will it be another year with many missing out on the tournament’s biggest games? Or is anyone, during this all-important season leading into a home World Cup, poised to become the second U.S. player to take the field in a Champions League final?
Let’s make sense of the draw, through an American lens:
Who are the headliners involved?
While the transfer window remains open in most of Europe’s top leagues for a few more days, there are currently seven members of the USMNT who project to prominently feature in this year’s tournament. It’s a healthy portion, enough to comprise over half of a starting XI, but down from 13 players who saw the field last season.
Four are entering the Champions League as returning members of qualifying teams. Folarin Balogun will hope the third year’s the charm, having struggled in his first two seasons since AS Monaco signed him from Arsenal for a lavish $43.4 million fee. Balogun now finds himself battling for starts with a player whom he rose through the Arsenal youth ranks, Mika Biereth, with each ex-Gunner starting one of Monaco’s first two Ligue 1 fixtures. It’s a pivotal season for the 24-year-old, who has struggled for consistency but whose commitment with the USMNT was supposed to solve the program’s striker headaches.
Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest should play major roles for PSV, who fell in last year’s round of 16 in a 9-3 aggregate smashing by Arsenal. Dest is now fully recovered from his 2024 knee injury, while Pepi is recovering from his own season-ending operation. PSV has put a lot of trust in the 22-year-old striker, signing him to a fresh pact last winter amid transfer interest and handing him the No. 9 shirt following Luuk de Jong’s departure.
For now, at least, Weston McKennie remains with Juventus despite yet another window of speculation that the Serie A side is ready to let him leave if there’s credible interest. The club lists the midfielder as its vice-captain, and he donned the armband on a few occasions in last year’s Champions League. He’s the sole American on the squad, as Tim Weah joined fellow qualifier Marseille on a year-long loan this summer. Weah’s first league start came as an inverting left winger, and he could pop up with far more goals than he did as a wingback with Juventus.
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Two players who moved for some of the largest transfer fees spent on an American player will hope to back that investment with strong Champions League showings. Malik Tillman was vital as PSV shocked Holland by snatching the Eredivisie title on the final day, and he also putting in leading shifts for Mauricio Pochettino at this summer’s Gold Cup. He’s part of a radically transformed Bayer Leverkusen, helping make up for the recent exodus of talent from the since-dismantled 2023-24 Bundesliga champion.
Johnny Cardoso will also feature in Atlético Madrid’s midfield, having started for Real Betis in last year’s UEFA Europa Conference League final. While he’s been dependable in La Liga, his USMNT performances have left much to be desired. Perhaps Diego Simeone can help provide the right tutelage to help round out his game.
A few other Americans will hope to see the field as their teams’ schedules get congested or after their advancement fates have been determined. Three U.S. eligible players serve as backup goalkeepers or youthful netminding prospects: Brandon Austin (Tottenham), Gabriel Slonina (Chelsea) and Diego Kochen (FC Barcelona).
Eintracht Frankfurt has two players who may be far from Pochettino’s pool: veteran fullback Timothy Chandler and 18-year-old attacking midfielder Marvin Dills, a promising playmaker worth tracking for the future. Borussia Dortmund may have sold Giovanni Reyna, but Cole Campbell and Mathis Albert will hope to inherit some of his (and others’) late-game cameos to impress Niko Kovač.
Christian Pulisic and AC Milan will be sitting out European competition this season (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Wait … where’s Christian Pulisic?
While several crucial options for Pochettino will play in the pinnacle of the club game, the program’s most important player is entirely absent.
Last season was difficult for AC Milan, which aspired to contend on all fronts despite Stefano Pioli’s departure in the summer. Poor form necessitated another midseason coaching change, and the team struggled for consistency as well as to reach its previous heights from recent memory. Milan slumped to an eighth-place finish in Serie A, below the positions necessary to reach any of the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League.
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Their other campaigns suffered dramatic faceplants after Sérgio Conceição took the helm in midwinter. Milan entered the final day of the UCL league phase in prime position to avoid the knockout playoff round, but a defeat against Dinamo Zagreb forced them into the extra set of games, where they were binned by Feyenoord and failed to reach the round of 16. The Rossoneri’s final hope was to reach the Europa League by winning the Coppa Italia, and they did well to overcome rival Inter in a two-leg semifinal. However, Bologna pipped them in the final 1-0, slamming the door to Europe shut.
It’s the first time since 2016 where Milan has failed to qualify for European competition. Max Allegri will hope to get the club back in short order. Barring an unexpected departure in this or the winter window, Pulisic (and fellow U.S. international Yunus Musah) will play all of his club matches this season against Italian opposition.
UCL draws for teams with USMNT players
PSV
Ricardo Pepi, Sergiño Dest
FC Bayern
Liverpool
Atlético Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen
napoli
Olympiacos
Union Saint-Gilloise
Newcastle
78.3
Bayer Leverkusen
Malik Tillman
PSG
Man City
Villarreal
Benfica
PSV
Olympiacos
Newcastle
Copenhagen
77.5
Marseille
Tim Weah
Liverpool
Real Madrid
Atlalanta
Club Brugge
Ajax
Sporting CP
Newcastle
Union Saint-Gilloise
76
Atlético Madrid
Johnny Cardoso
Inter Milan
Liverpool
Eintracht Frankfurt
Arsenal
Bodø/Glimt
PSV
Union Saint-Gilloise
Galatasaray
75.8
AS Monaco
Folarin Balogun
Man City
Real Madrid
Juventus
Club Brugge
Tottenham
Bodø/Glimt
Galatasaray
Pafos
74.5
Juventus
Weston McKennie
Borussia Dortmund
Real Madrid
Benfica
Villarreal
Sporting CP
Bodø/Glimt
Pafos
AS Monaco
72.5
So what did the draw yield?
Of the headlining U.S. lot, it’s McKennie’s Juventus that may have received the most favorable draw. The Italians managed to avoid all of the record-setting six qualifiers from the Premier League, although away days against Villarreal and Monaco could prove tricky.
According to the UEFA coefficient, which awards points based on club performances in the last five years of continental play, Pepi, Dest and PSV received the most difficult draw of any qualifier. The two-time reigning Dutch champion will have to run a difficult gauntlet, facing Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Napoli, Atlético Madrid, Leverkusen and Newcastle. That will provide the striker and fullback with some considerable challenges.
Leverkusen finds itself with a tough octet of fixtures, including perennial European powers PSG, Manchester City and Benfica, while Atlético Madrid will take on Inter, Liverpool and Arsenal as part of its league phase. Balogun will hope to spark wins for Monaco against City, Real Madrid, Juventus and Tottenham among others. Marseille has the projected toughest draw of the Ligue 1 entrants, with its list of opponents topped by Liverpool, Real Madrid and Atalanta.
While dates and times for each match won’t be sorted until Saturday, Aug. 30, we’re guaranteed a few matchups pitting two of the more marquee Americans against one another. Those matchups are (with the drawn hosts listed first):
PSV (Pepi, Dest) vs. Atlético Madrid (Cardoso)
AS Monaco (Balogun) vs. Juventus (McKennie)
Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) vs. PSV (Pepi, Dest)
(Top photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Premier League Predictions: Liverpool vs Arsenal, Leeds vs Newcastle and the rest of Matchday 3
More than 3,000 miles away in the U.S. state of Rhode Island, Sunderland fan Derek was punching the air. As well as condemning Newcastle, Sunderland’s arch-rivals, to an agonising 3-2 home defeat, Ngumoha’s goal extended the subscribers’ lead at the top of our Premier League predictions table.
“When Liverpool were up 2-0 against 10 men, I thought it was a done deal,” Derek says. “How wrong I was — as was the case with my Sunderland pick.”
Wrong in the moment… and yet right when it mattered.
Each week, a different Athletic subscriber is chosen to join an algorithm, six-year-old Wilfred and me, Oli Kay, in predicting the Premier League results. We’re awarding three points for a correct scoreline and one point for getting the result right.
There’s also a bonus point for any correct “unique” prediction, so Derek got two points for being the only one to call Liverpool’s victory in Newcastle.
He got one scoreline right (Crystal Palace 1-1 Nottingham Forest) and called another five results correctly. That bonus point, thanks to Ngumoha’s stoppage-time winner, meant he equalled Vaageesh’s nine-point haul in week one, taking the subscribers three points clear at the top after two rounds.
There were two other bonus points awarded last weekend: one for me for calling Burnley’s victory over Sunderland (sorry, Derek) and one for the algorithm for being spot-on with Fulham 1-1 Manchester United.
Spare a thought for Wilf, who was on course for a massive four-pointer after 99 minutes with Newcastle and Liverpool locked at 2-2 — only to be denied by Ngumoha’s goal. A bit mean to pick on the younger kids like that, Rio.
“So close to glory,” Wilf’s dad tells us. “Gutted.”
This week’s subscriber is Katherine, a 43-year-old Chelsea fan from London, who, after Vaageesh’s and Derek’s efforts, has a lot to live up to.
Our subscriber’s match of the week
Chelsea vs Fulham, Saturday, 12.30pm UK/7.30am ET
Katherine says: “The feeling of optimism going into this season has been through the roof and scoring five goals without Cole Palmer last weekend only adds fuel to that fire. Fulham are a solid team and are difficult to beat (which we found out last season), but I’m confident we’ll have too much for them.”
Chelsea 3-1 Fulham
Oli says: Remarkably, Chelsea are starting their season with four consecutive London derbies. In fact, only one of their first eight Premier League games is outside the capital’s M25 orbital motorway. It must all feel rather parochial for the new world champions, but they seemed to enjoy themselves out east at West Ham last weekend. This might be more of a battle — like their opening game, a goalless draw at home to Crystal Palace — but although I never feel totally confident in backing this Chelsea team, I fancy a home win, even if they are again without the injured Palmer.
Chelsea 2-1 Fulham
Chelsea beat West Ham 5-1 away last week (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Oli’s other predictions
Manchester United vs Burnley
Oli says: For all the excitement surrounding their new additions, it’s only one point from two games for Manchester United this season, plus that shock Carabao Cup loss to fourth-tier Grimsby Town in midweek. More glaringly, it’s just 28 points from 29 games under Ruben Amorim since his appointment last November. That early-season optimism is going to give way to gloom if they can’t get some wins on the board very quickly. With Manchester City away and Chelsea at home straight after the international break that begins on Monday, victory in this game seems essential.
Oli says: As nice as it is to see Sunderland enjoying their return to the top flight after eight years away, wouldn’t it have been nicer still if Jordan Henderson was back at his hometown club rather than potentially lining up against them this weekend? His best years are behind him, but he would have been ideal for the Granit Xhaka role — as indeed is Granit Xhaka. Henderson made a real difference to Brentford’s midfield last weekend on his first start for them, so Keith Andrews’ team shouldn’t be the soft touch they looked like in week one away to Nottingham Forest.
Sunderland 1-1 Brentford
Tottenham Hotspur vs Bournemouth
Oli says: This is all feeling quite August 2023 for Tottenham, isn’t it? New manager, new optimism, strong start and a sudden sense of: “Hey, these players are actually pretty good, you know?” Those feelings quickly faded under predecessor Ange Postecoglou — unbeaten in his first 10 Premier League games, then 34 defeats in the next 66 — but I do feel an upturn could prove more sustainable this time under Thomas Frank.
Oli says: I’m struggling to find cause for optimism for Wolves at the moment. Vitor Pereira did such a good job when he came in midway through last season, but a difficult summer has left the squad looking well short, whereas Everton will be energised by last week’s lift-off at their new home and by the additions of Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling.
Wolves 0-1 Everton
Leeds United vs Newcastle United
Oli says: My historic references last week led subscriber Sam K to accuse me of living in the 1950s. Come on, Sam. Let’s get this right: 1980s, 1990s, even early 2000s, but not 1950s. Anyway, for me, this fixture evokes the turn-of-the-century feeling that anything was possible. (Spoiler: it wasn’t, particularly for these two clubs.) It’s Lee Bowyer, it’s Jonathan Woodgate, it’s Mark Viduka, it’s James Milner, it’s Alan Smith. It’s a Kevin Keegan meltdown in front of the TV cameras at Elland Road and it’s chairman Peter Ridsdale living the dream while feeding his tropical fish in the executive suite. It’s two clubs who, after a miserable period, are now in a happier place again. And it’s… very hard to call actually, but I’m going to go for a depleted Newcastle battling to their first win of the season.
Oli says: We all overestimated City last week. If this transition to a new-look team is going to work, it needs more of a balance between freshness and familiarity. I expect a more recognisable line-up from Pep Guardiola at Brighton — and possibly a more recognisable performance.
Brighton 1-2 City
Nottingham Forest vs West Ham United
Oli says: I really like this Forest team. I don’t like this West Ham team. I’m not talking about the club, the fans, the manager or individual players, some of whom I like; I mean the team. It lacks speed, it lacks heart and it lacks identity. I’m not sure what it’s meant to be. Their first two performances of the season have been really poor. It might get worse before it gets better.
Forest 3-0 West Ham
Liverpool vs Arsenal
Oli says: Isn’t it a bit early to have the two title favourites facing each other? I don’t like it. The transfer window is still open and teams are still finding their rhythm. Having this match now also means the return fixture is in the first week of January, right at the end of the hectic festive programme when players are running on fumes. I don’t like that either. Anyway, if I’m filibustering, it’s because I have no idea which way this is going to go — and I’m determined not to say a draw, even though I want to.
(Deep breath)… I’m going for an Arsenal win. I just don’t think Liverpool have settled yet — two wins, but two shaky performances. And if they prove me wrong, as they did by winning at Newcastle, I will absolutely reinstate them as my title favourites.
Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
Oli says: Villa have been surprisingly slow out of the blocks — no goals scored yet, and just one point from their first two games. Palace haven’t exactly hit the ground running either, but their two draws seem more justifiable given their European commitments and an ongoing sense of disruption in the transfer market. This is a chance for Villa to kick-start their season. If they don’t, manager Unai Emery will be concerned, with PSR calculations still a concern as Monday’s transfer deadline looms.
Three of Europe’s top five leagues return on Friday, with the Premier League, La Liga, and Ligue 1 kicking off for Matchday 1; the German Bundesliga and Italian Serie A will start a week later on Aug 22/23 they both have League cup games this weekend. See La Liga (Spain) games (More) and Ligue 1 (France) fixtures (More) – full season previews below for all 3 leagues. In the EPL my Final 4 are Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea – hoping Crystal Palace or Fulham can make a top 6 run. Premier League Fri 3 pm USA Network Liverpool vs. Bournemouth, Liverpool haven’t lost their opening league game in any of the last 12 seasons, winning nine of them. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah is the Premier League’s top goal scorer and leading player for goal contributions on Matchday 1. Adding to this, Bournemouth and American midfielder Tyler Adams have just one point from their eight Premier League visits to Anfield. See the full list of Premier League fixtures here.
Notes
Chelsea players will give an equal portion of their $15.5M Club World Cup bonus to the family of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, equating to around $500,000 (More). Cute look at new Everton Stadium. Funny Wrexham Fans left too early – I have to admit I am watching these games on Para+ now that they are in the Championship – Ollie with the brace.
US Players Abroad Begins Seasons this Week – Richards Palace Wins Community Shield What a thrill to see Chris Richards and Crystal Palace win the Community Shield 3-2 in PKs over Liverpool on Sunday (Palace Hi-lights), just months after winning the FA Cup at Wembley over Man City – Crystal Palace looked the better squad vs the defending EPL Champs. Palace plays at Chelsea at 9 am on Sunday on USA, while Fulham hosts – while Complete rundown on American’s Abroad below. Man I am not sure who is advising Christian Pulisic but I wish he would just leave well enough alone on the criticism from Landon Donovan & Tim Howard here’s what was said. Not sure if he’s doing it to get more people to watch his Series on Golazo Network (see Pulisic Docuseries Trailer) or what. Tim Weah, speaking on the CBS Sports series Pulisic about criticism by former USMNT stars now working as television and podcast commentators of Christian Pulisic‘s decision not to play in the 2025 Gold Cup. (Golazo Network). At this point lets just get to early September play our friendlies – Pulisic can come score a couple of goals and we can put this all behind us. Oh by the way the US men are coming to Columbus, Ohio Lower.com Field on Tuesday night Sept 9th for a 7:30 pm match up with #17 ranked Japan. The Ole Ballcoach is going along with some buddies to the game sitting in section 129 ($50) – close to the American Outlaws who will be in the Nordic Section 127. Visit http://ussoccer.spinzo.com/CarmelFC this special link to get discounted tickets. Let me know if you plan to join – feel free to send on to friends.
LEAGUES CUPfour MLS vs. LIGA MX quarterfinals Wed Aug 20.
Quarterfinal matchups
Inter Miami CF (MLS 2) vs. Tigres UANL (LIGA MX 3) 8 pm on FS1, Apple TV Free Seattle Sounders FC (MLS 1) vs. Club Puebla (LIGA MX 4) 11 pm FS1, Apple TV Free
LA Galaxy (MLS 3) vs. CF Pachuca (LIGA MX 2) 11:45 Apple TV Free
Orlando City (MLS 4) vs. Toluca FC (LIGA MX 1) 9 pm Apple TV Free
High School Soccer Season Kicks Off!
High school soccer officially starts this weekend across the state, and Carmel FC wants to send a huge congratulations and good luck to all our current players representing their schools this season. We’re proud to see you take the field, wear your school colors, and continue to showcase the skills, hard work, and sportsmanship you’ve developed here at Carmel FC. The Carmel High Girls Come in Ranked 3rd with new head coach John Simmons and Asst Coach and former Carmel FC Coach Carla Baker in charge replacing long time coach Frank Dixon at the helm. The CHS Boys are unranked after a 7-8-3 record but reached the Regional Semi’s last year.
ISCA Class 3A girls soccer poll
Hamilton Southeastern
Noblesville
Carmel
Crown Point
Evansville Memorial
Brownsburg
Cathedral
Castle
Center Grove
Homestead
Penn
East Central
Westfield
Zionsville
FW Carroll
Northridge
Fishers
Bloomington South
Lake Central
Mt. Vernon
ISCA Class 2A girls soccer poll
Lawrenceburg
Brebeuf Jesuit
Mishawaka Marian
FW Bishop Dwenger
SB Saint Joseph
Bishop Chatard
Guerin Catholic
Evansville Mater Dei
Bellmont
Hanover Central
Heritage Hills
Highland
Washington
FW Concordia Lutheran
West Lafayette
Hamilton Heights
Roncalli
Park Tudor
Gibson Southern
Madison
ISCA Class 3A boys soccer poll
Harrison (West Lafayette)
Hamilton Southeastern
Center Grove
FW Carroll
Zionsville
Fishers
Bloomington South
Noblesville
Concord
Evansville Memorial
Brownsburg
Cathedral
Columbus North
Goshen
Warsaw
Castle
Westfield
Chesterton
Crown Point
Penn
ISCA Class 2A boys soccer poll
FW Concordia Lutheran
Park Tudor
Hammond Bishop Noll
Bishop Chatard
Illiana Christian
Heritage Hills
FW Bishop Luers
Washington
South Bend St. Joseph
West Lafayette
Cascade
Hanover Central
Leo
Bethany Christian
FW Bishop Dwenger
Speedway
Culver Academy
Charleston
Heritage Christian
West Noble
Mike S, Shane & Scott F last preseason High School Scrimmage at Bishop Chatard Thurs Night. Excited to hit the fields Saturday at @ Heritage Christian & Guerin. Had a blast training new Carmel Dad’s Club Refs Ryleigh, Fred, & Noah last weekend at Badger Field.
TV GAME SCHEDULE
Fri, Aug 15 EPL Starts 12 noon ESPN+ Grobaspach vs Bayer Leverkusen German Cup 3 pm USA Liverpool vs Bournemouth (Adams) 8 pm Amazon Prime Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Racing Louisville NWSL 10 pm CBS Golazo Utah Royals vs Angel City (Thompsons) NWSL Sat, Aug 16 7:20 am Para+ Wrexham vs West Brom 7:30 am USA Aston Villa vs New Castle United 10 am USA Brighton vs Fulham (Robinson is hurt) 12:30 pm NBC Wolverhampton vs Man City 1:30 pm ESPN2 Mallorca vs Barcelona 2:30 pm ESPN+ Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich 4 pm CBS KC Current vs Orlando Pride (Marta) NWSL 7 pm TV6, ESPN+ Loundoun United vs Indy 11 7:30 pm Apple TV free Inter Miami (Messi) vs LA Galaxy 7:30 pm ION NC Courage vs Portland Thorns NWSL 8:30 pm FS1 Minn vs Seattle Sounders 9 pm ESPN2 Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Phoenix Rising 10 pm ION Bay FC vs San Diego Wave NWSL Sun, Aug 17 6:50 am Para+ Ipwich Town vs Southampton 9 am USA Chelsea vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 11:30 am NBC Man United vs Arsenal 3 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Bari Copa Italia 3:30 pm ESPN2 Espanyol vs Athletico Madrid (Cardoso) 4 pm Para+? NY Gothem vs Houston Dash NWSL 5 pm Apple TV NYCFC vs Nashville 7 pm Apple TV San Jose vs San Diego 9 pm Apple TV Vancouver (Mueller) vs Houston Mon, Aug, 18 3 pm USA Leeds United vs Everton 10 pm CBSSN Seattle Reign vs Chicago Red Stars NWSL Weds Aug 20 Leagues Cup MLS vs Liga MX Inter Miami CF (MLS 2) vs. Tigres UANL (LIGA MX 3) 8 pm on FS1, Apple TV Free Seattle Sounders FC (MLS 1) vs. Club Puebla (LIGA MX 4) 11 pm FS1, Apple TV Free LA Galaxy (MLS 3) vs. CF Pachuca (LIGA MX 2) 11:45 Apple TV Free Orlando City (MLS 4) vs. Toluca FC (LIGA MX 1) 9 pm Apple TV Free Sat, Sept 6 5 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Korea Tues, Sept 9 7:30 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Japan in Columbus, Ohio Fri, Oct 10 8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador Tues, Oct 14 9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia
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Premier League referees’ chief Howard Webb has suggested that VAR could be expanded to include reviews for yellow cards and corners. The technology is currently only used to review potentially match-changing decisions such as goals, straight red cards, penalties, and mistaken identity. The case in favour argues that second yellow cards, which result in red cards, can significantly influence a match. Webb revealed that the game’s law-making body, the International Football Association Board (Ifab), is considering changes to VAR’s scope, including discussions around possible extensions for the technology. This comes after Uefa recently opposed measures to widen VAR’s powers to intervene in corner kicks and yellow cards, arguing it would increase delays. In related news, Webb said it would be “tough” for David Coote to return to top-level refereeing after being sacked for making derogatory remarks about Liverpool and then manager Jurgen Klopp. “Under the circumstances, it’s difficult [for him to return],” said Webb. “We stay in contact and care about him, but it would be tough.”
Americans abroad
Dest, Morris, Corboz, Pittman stand out, Jedi shelved, & Much More
ASN’s Brian Sciaretta writes up his thoughts from the weeekend amongst Americans abroad. Sergino Dest looked terrific, while Scott Pittman, Aidan Morris, Marlon Fossey, and Mael Corboz are also standout performers. Plenty of good and bad to go through.
BY Brian SciarettaPosted August 11, 2025 9:00 AM
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IT WAS A BUSY weekend for Americans in Europe, despite the top divisions in Germany, England, France, and Italy still at the tail end of preseason. Many U.S. players, in including USMNT hopefuls, were in action in both regular season and preseason games.
For now, let’s just get right into it and we will start with the Eredivisie opening weekend.
Dest shines vs. PSV
One of the big stories this weekend for American in Europe was the big statement made by defending champion PSV, who sold a lot of talent this summer (including USMNT midfielder Malik Tillman) but also spent money on new players.
Despite playing well at times this preseason, Ricardo Pepi was not deemed fit enough to be in the squad for Saturday’s opener against Sparta Rotterdam. But Sergino Dest, who mist most games this calendar year, including the Gold Cup, did start.
The news could not have been any better for Dest, who played in top form and did not show any indication of his ACL tear or subsequent injury at the end of the season. He played like the high level player he is.
Dest scored the third goal in a 6-1 win over Sparta that featured PSV having five different goal scorers. That is what makes this team difficult to beat – numerous scoring options.
Overall, Dest played 82 minutes and had three shots. He was consistently dangerous. This bodes well for both PSV and the USMNT as it heads into the fall.
Rest of Eredivisie
In the rest of the Eredivisie outside of PSV, Taylor Booth started and played all 90 minutes for Twente in a 1-0 loss to PEC Zwolle. It was a disappointing result for Twente, who is expected to be in contention for a top five finish, because Zwolle is typically in relegation battles.
Booth, 24, wasn’t one of Twente’s problems on the day and he did create a few chances. He had his own shot in the box blocked in the first few minutes and then he set up two chances later in the game with crosses.
Booth is still likely a long way off from the USMNT but a good season could put him into the picture next year, likely after the World Cup.
The younger Booth brother, Zack Booth, had a tough game in Excelsior’s opener as he came off the bench in the 71st minute in a 5-0 loss to NEC Nijmegen. The game was 4-0 when he came on. The best news for Booth, 21, is that Excelsior will likely have to make changes after such a poor result.
Championship: Morris impresses for Boro
There are a lot of Americans in the Championship this season and we could see a few involved in the promotion races.
Aidan Morris, 23, was solid in central midfield for Middlesborough in a 1-0 win over Swansea to open the season. He was good at setting the pace and helping Boro win the possession battles.
It wasn’t a flashy performances, but he is very important to the Boro midfield moving forward.
After a big 2024/25 campaign, Josh Sargent scored his first goal of the new season in Norwich’s opening day win. The 55th minute goal was an equalizer in what eventually turned out to be a 2-1 loss at home to Millwall.
The goal was all hustle as Sargent blocked a goalkeeper clearance directly back into the goal. It was more seen as a goalkeeper error, but Sargent hustled on the play.
Sargent remains an interesting player for the rest of the month. Norwich is still hopeful of selling him, as they could use the money. But for Sargent to get interest, he needs to keep scoring in any way possible. But where does Sargent want to go? Turning down Wolfsburg two weeks ago shows signs of a limited options.
Damion Downs played the final 31 minutes for Southampton and was on the field as they scored two very late goals to turn a 1-0 loss into a 2-1 win over Wrexham in the season opener. It was a good shift for Downs as he was involved in the final goal where he slightly touched a pass to Jack Stephens, who smashed in the winner from close range.
Downs, 21, is in a good spot. He will continue to get chances and he will contribute to a team that should be in contention to bounce right back up.
George Campbell came on in the dying minutes for West Brom to help see out a 1-0 victory over Blackburn. It marked his debut for the club after moving from Montreal earlier in the transfer window.
Charlton defeated Watford 1-0 on Saturday. Charlie Kelman, 23, started and played 71 minutes for Charlton. He is coming off a season where he won the third-tier League One scoring title with Leyton Orient. Caleb Wiley was out with a back injury for Watford. Kelman had a good chance to score in the 59th minute but his close-range shot was saved. Charlton found a stoppage time winner to earn all three points.
Scotland: Pittman & CCV stand out
Scott Pittman, 33, has scored goals in Livingston FC’s first two games of the Scottish Premiership season. The latest in a 3-1 win over Falkirk on Saturday.
The all-time appearance leader for Livingston opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a shot from inside the box for a 1-0 lead.
After earning promotion last season, Livingston is looking to pull away from a relegation battle early.
Celtic dominated its way to a 2-0 win over Aberdeen on Saturday. Cameron Carter-Vickers completed 139 passes in the win. Auston Trusty completed 51 passes in just 24 minutes when he came on to see out the win.
Those passing numbers reflect Celtic’s domination in possession which typically began with the central defenders.
Coincidentally enough, Aberdeen’s best chance of the game came from American midfielder Dante Polvara in the 75th minute – two minutes after he subbed on. His right footed shot from close range was saved.
Belgium: Fossey scores in big Standard win
Standard Liege defeated Genk 2-1 on Sunday to move to seven points from three games to start the Belgium First Division season. Standard captain and USMNT hopeful Marlon Fossey scored in the 54th minute to give Standard a 2-1 lead – which he then celebrated with a back flip.
On the play, Fossey, 26, moved into the attack and was able to pounce on a ball from close range and beat the keeper with a shot into the top of the net.
Will Fossey make it back into the USMNT picture? It seems difficult. With Dest now back, Alex Freeman continuing to impress in Orlando, and Joe Scally continuing to be the starter for Borussia Monchengladbach, there is a crowded field. But performances like this don’t hurt.
Also in Belgium, Westerlo dropped a 1-0 loss at home to KV Mechelen at home after conceding a goal in the 84th minute. Griffin Yow started at right wing for Westerlo but was subbed out after the first half as part of a tactical change. Despite the loss, Bryan Reynolds had a strong 90-minute shift at right back. Both Yow and Reynolds could move before the end of the month as they have likely done all they can do for a small club like Westerlo. The club could also use the money but it comes down to offers.
2.Bundesliga: Corboz impresses again
It was the second matchday in the 2.Bundesliga season where several Americans play their trade. This week, there were two games that saw multiple players involved.
Holstein Kiel dropped a 2-0 decision to Arminia Bielefeld and it was a big setback for Holstein Kiel, which has no points from the first two games in a season where they are coming back down from the Bundesliga.
John Tolkin, 23, started for Holstein Kiel but was subbed out at halftime for tactical reasons as both wingbacks were removed. The tactical shift did not help at all. Tolkin was okay in his 45 minutes, but the team overall was very poor and does not want to have a poor start to the season. Such starts only create relegations battles.
On the flip side, Arminia Bielefeld was excellent and now has a perfect six points from two games – immediately coming off promotion last year. Led by American captain Mael Corboz, Arminia Bielefeld is off to a great start. Corboz has done well to add maturity to a team that looks ready for the 2.Bundesliga. Corboz, 30, is one of the best “under the radar” stories in American soccer.
Eintracht Braunschweig defeated Greuther Furth 3-2 and Johan Gomez enjoyed one of his best performances in years when he came off the bench in the 61st minute. He was dangerous, assisted on goal that was called back, won a lot of duels, and built a case to start for the club.
For Eintracht, the club has six points from two games. This is huge after narrowly avoiding relegation last season.
On the flip side, Furth sits on three points from two games after the loss. Both Julian Green and Max Dietz both started. Green was subbed out in the 86th minute while Dietz went the whole game. Neither stood out.
On Friday, Paderborn drew Preussen Munster 1-1. Santiago Castaneda, 20, started in defensive midfield for Paderborn but did not stand out in his 78 minutes. Both of the Tampa native’s first two games have been quiet.
Richards wins Community Shield
Chris Richards can now add a Community Shield to his trophy case as played the entire game at Wembley as his Crystal Palace defeated reigning Premier League champions Liverpool on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Richards had a “hockey assist” on his team’s second goal and saw his header off a corner saved in the 61st minute.
Richards looks to be in great shape to start the Premier League season next week. His great calendar year of 2025.
Elsewhere abroad
In Poland’s Ekstraklassa, Jagiellonia Bialystok defeated Cracovia 5-2 with Aziel Jackson making his first start for Bialystok in the win. Leon Flach also played the final 12 minutes in the win. Kahveh Zahirolelam made his debut for Cracovia when he came on in the 79th minute.
In Croatia’s HNL, Hajduk Split defeated HNK Gorica 2-0. The win was helped by a Gorica red card in the 50th minute when the score was 0-0. Rokas Pukstas returned to the starting lineup after struggling to break in recently and he was helped by injuries that made him needed. He was active in the attack, despite no goal contributions. Was it enough for him to remain in in the starting lineup? That is an open question.
In the Austrian Bundesliga, George Bello scored in the 50th minute for LASK in a 3-1 loss to WSG Tirol. Sam Adeniran started for LASK but was ineffective. It was good news for Bello to have scored but LASK is winless after two games and has work to do in the weeks ahead.
Quincy Butley, 23, meanwhile started and played well for WSG on the right side of the midfield where he won duels and passed effectively. WSG has won its first two games of the season.
In the Swiss Super League, Lausanne dropped a 2-1 decision at home to FC Zurich. Konrad de la Fuente played the final 18 minutes in the loss.
In the Danish Superliga, Matthew Hoppe started for SonderjyskE but was held in check by Viborg in a 1-0 loss. Hoppe was subbed out in the 71st minute.
In Uruguay’s Primera, Agustin Anello played 82 minutes for Boston River in a 1-1 draw with Montevideo City Torque. Anello was subbed out with his team trailing 1-0 and down to 10 men. Boston River now has four points from two games.
Preseason & Transfer updates
Robinson on the shelf
Antonee Robinson has not played at all this preseason and will not be available for Fulham to start the season. Once figured to be the subject of transfer rumors this summer to big clubs, everything with Robinson has been quiet.
Every year, McKennie is on the brink of falling out of favor with Juventus and has always pulled himself back into the mix. But eventually this will end. Perhaps now is a good time for him to make a break and Roma is still a very high landing spot. McKennie knows Serie A well and likely wouldn’t need as much adjustment.
Also in this game was Cole Campbell, who played the last 15 minutes for Borussia Dortmund. This comes after interest from VfB Stuttgart was shelved – at least temporarily as Dortmund assess its winger situation. The speedy U.S. U-20 attacker has been on the edge of BVB’s first team and has made his debut. But works remains for him to be a consistent presence.
As expected, there was no Gio Reyna for BVB and there has been no breakthrough on the transfer front.
Captain McKenzie
Toulouse played Sevilla to a 1-1 draw in a preseason friendly and the big takeaway is that USMNT central defender Mark McKenzie wore the captain’s armband for Toulouse – a sign of his growing importance to the Ligue 1 club.
Chelsea smashed AC Milan 4-1 over the weekend with Yunus Musah starting and playing 73 minutes for Milan. It was 3-1 when Musah departed the game. Musah remains a player to watch in the weeks ahead as his preseason has not gone well. Milan might opt to drop their asking price and move on.
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Antonee Robinson’s injury timetable underscores his importance to USMNT
By Jeff RueterAug. 14, 2025Updated 12:47 pm EDT The Athletic
No doubt, Fulham will feel a bit up against it heading into the club’s Premier League opener, away at Brighton.The 2024-25 season saw Antonee Robinson cement his place as one of Marco Silva’s most vital charges, arguably the best pure left back in the Premier League. Nicknamed “Jedi,” he’s proven capable of containing Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah on one end before dependably squaring crosses right into his striker’s stride. He gutted out an injury to his right knee until season’s end, finishing third in the fan-voted Player of the Season pageant after a 10-assist campaign.On Thursday, 48 hours before a trip to the AmEx, Silva confirmed that Robinson would not be available for selection as he works back from an offseason surgery on that vital plant-leg knee. So, too, would Ryan Sessegnon, leaving the Portuguese manager without his two top options at left back.Mauricio Pochettino may still be envying Silva’s situation. At least the Fulham boss has a viable alternative in the role to Robinson.It’s hardly a new phenomenon that the U.S. men’s national team is dangerously thin at left back. In fact, the program went over a decade with makeshift solutions, forcing players like DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson to own the role despite spending their careers up until that point further afield. While U.S. Soccer can’t take credit for Robinson’s development, his commitment was a clear end to holding the left side of the back line together with duct tape and chewing gum.While Robinson has amassed a tidy 50 caps to date, he’s been absent for the last four camps under Pochettino, a 12-game sample from which the coach has learned plenty about his player pool. He’s had his initial trust in Diego Luna validated by a star-making turn at the Gold Cup. That same tournament gave reason to think Matt Freese could be a shot-stopping alternative to Matt Turner in goal.There have been frustrating realizations, too. Mexico is back on the ascent, although that’s a bit more of a subplot than usual as both nations will abstain from World Cup qualifying this cycle. His faith in the core that helped qualify for the 2022 installment has potentially been rocked by Christian Pulisic and others opting out or missing out on the Gold Cup. And, more relevant to today’s news via Silva: he doesn’t have a clear alternative to Robinson at left back.
USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t have many options behind Antonee Robinson at left back (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Unlike other USMNT mainstays like Gio Reyna, Pochettino and Robinson have already logged a bit of collaboration. The left back was on Pochettino’s first squad last October, and started both legs of the Concacaf Nations Leg quarterfinal against Jamaica the following month. In the second, Robinson assisted on the second goal of a 4-2 win that sent the U.S. through to the final four. Since then, however, Pochettino has had to play alternatives to Robinson. When an ailment kept Robinson out for the Nations League’s business end in March, it became a calamity: Panama targeted out-of-position Max Arfsten and, later, Joe Scally, exploiting the latter’s lack of awareness to score a last gasp winner in a 1-0 semifinal upset. Scally went on to start the third-place game, putting in such a poor shift that he got a halftime hook.In the 12 games that have passed since Robinson’s last U.S. appearance, four players have been called upon in his absence. Arfsten has been Pochettino’s most relied-upon alternative, appearing in nine of that dozen, most often as starter. John Tolkin, of recently relegated Holstein Kiel in Germany, has made five appearances, while Scally and DeJuan Jones have each appeared twice in the role. None have made a terribly compelling case for further looks.Throughout the Gold Cup, Arfsten and Tolkin — as indicated by their higher utilization — were the two options on Pochettino’s squad.Arfsten, a winger with the possession-dominant Columbus Crew, has fared about as you’d expect for a player who usually sees the game from a vastly different perspective. His attacking contributions were that of an ideal wingback, logging assists and chipping in goals as an auxiliary threat from wide. His defensive performances were riddled with the kinds of mistakes coaches have to drill out of defenders in the youth ranks, taking the bait and making needless fouls (like one just inside the box against Costa Rica that resulted in a penalty).Tolkin, largely as a substitute, has at least spent his career in the role since debuting with his boyhood New York Red Bulls. His issues more closely mirror the struggles recently seen from young left backs George Bello, Kris Lund and Sam Vines: bona fide left backs, but unable to prove themselves at the international level.There’s a paucity of alternatives, too. Unlike other spots, there’s no alternative who hasn’t been tested and is flying under the radar. The closest to matching that mold is Caleb Wiley, the Chelsea prospect who earned three caps in 2023 and 2024 but hasn’t been in a national team camp since Pochettino took charge. While it’s impressive for a 20-year-old to have amassed 135 club appearances, mostly with Atlanta United before the club from London came calling, his first loan with Strasbourg was inconclusive. He’s at Watford now, and could very easily work into the fold in the months to come. The other alternatives to Scally are, in the program’s grand tradition, playing out of position. There’s Arfsten, still tapping into his winger’s instincts at the expense of his team’s defending. There’s Scally shifting over from right back (and Sergiño Dest before him, the first-choice option in that spot), who fancy themselves to put in a shift on the left. Even then, it weakens the right back contingent that is seemingly three players deep: Dest, Scally, Alex Freeman. If Robinson’s recovery timetable will keep him out of the next international camp spanning from Sept. 1-9 (the fifth-to-last camp before the 2026 World Cup), those speculative alternatives may get another chance to log starts and fortify their cases for inclusion. Pochettino and a fanbase starved for optimism will rightfully hope for a pleasant surprise. As it stands right now, it’s a bleak reality for the USMNT: against ideal operational standards, this is a Jedi without a worthy padawan. (Top photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
La Liga season preview: Our predictions on Barcelona, Real Madrid and much more
The new La Liga season gets started later on Friday, with defending champions Barcelona opening at Real Mallorca tomorrow and Real Madrid welcoming Osasuna on Tuesday.
As usual, there is no shortage of storylines, including Barca again struggling to register their new signings, Madrid once more battling against La Liga’s authorities and Atletico Madrid spending big to try to challenge the Clasico duo for the title. There’s also plenty of political intrigue, controversy, figures under pressure and the possibility for history to be made on and off the pitch.
The Athletic has taken its annual stab at predicting how things will go (which will hopefully turn out better than last year, when we predicted Barcelona would sack new manager Hansi Flick by Christmas)…
Who will win La Liga and why?
Flick had a phenomenal first season in charge at Barcelona, winning the domestic treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Supercopa.
His squad is arguably stronger this year. Defender Inigo Martinez has left, but on-loan Marcus Rashford brings another option in attack, and most importantly, the team’s young core should be even better — centre-back Pau Cubarsi, midfielders Pedri and Gavi, and especially emerging-superstar attacker Lamine Yamal.
Can Flick’s Barca build further on last season’s success? (Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)
Madrid also look to have significantly improved, with a rebuilt defence and fresh energy and impetus under new coach Xabi Alonso. Atletico have spent a lot again to try to mount a challenge, and Diego Simeone arguably now has the deepest squad of his 14 seasons in charge. But Alonso’s impact across the capital could be hampered by minimal pre-season preparation time after going to the final four of the Club World Cup last month, while Simeone’s new signings might take a while to settle in.
Barcelona, Madrid and Atletico have finished among the top four in Spain every year since 2012-13, and they will again this time. But the race for the fourth Champions League qualification spot looks wide open.
Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal are playing in that competition this season, so their domestic form could suffer as they juggle the extra eight games. That might open up an opportunity for Real Betis, who continue to make progress year on year under veteran coach Manuel Pellegrini. Betis’ top-four challenge will be especially strong if they can secure the return of Brazilian attacker Antony from Manchester United after his impressive loan spell in the second half of last season.
Mallorca could potentially challenge for a European spot, while Valencia improved tremendously after Carlos Corberan took over as coach in January.
Who will be the biggest underperformers?
One of the biggest questions is how Madrid’s Club World Cup exertions, tacked onto the end of last season, will affect how they start this new campaign.
Madrid’s players finally got to go on holiday on July 10, after losing 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals in the United States. They then returned for pre-season training on August 4, just 15 days before they welcome Osasuna to the Bernabeu for both sides’ opening La Liga fixture.
Managing that situation is a huge challenge for new coach Alonso, who also has to integrate three new defenders in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras.
Alonso was appointed as Madrid coach back in May (Sara Gordon/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
Their games at the Club World Cup suggested that Alonso’s biggest issue will be how to fit both Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior into his XI while implementing a version of the high-energy, high-pressing style he used at previous club Bayer Leverkusen.
Midfielder Jude Bellingham will be missing until mid-October at least, following a summer operation to fix a long-running shoulder issue, and players could also still leave in the summer transfer window, including Brazilian attacker Rodrygo.
Alonso could well end up being a success at the Bernabeu – he has the experience and nous to deal with the challenge of the job – but there might be some bumps along the way, and Madrid could be playing catch-up in the 2025-26 title race from early on.
How do you expect the promoted clubs to do?
Levante, Elche and Real Oviedo would all see a 17th-place finish in the 20-club table, so avoiding an immediate return to the second tier, as success.
The three promoted clubs are working with limited finances, having spent around €10million (£8.6m; $11.7m) between them so far on new players (for comparison, the three teams promoted to the Premier League this summer have spent over €300m combined).
Levante’s players, coach and staff played a big role in providing crucial supplies and support when the team’s home city of Valencia was badly flooded last October. Elche owner Christian Bragarnik’s CV includes experience as a striker in fifth-tier Argentine football, time spent as a video-store assistant, and working as an agent to Diego Maradona.
Who will be the best young player this season?
Yamal only turned 18 in mid-July and could already be the best player in Spain, if not the world, so he’s a good candidate for this section.
Already a senior Argentina international, Mastantuono is used to dealing with pressure and expectation. He has already played 64 senior games for River, scoring 10 goals and providing seven assists. Some of those goals were spectacular, especially the tremendous free kick scored in a 2-1 derby victory against fierce local rivals Boca Juniors in April.
Many kids have arrived at Madrid with big hype and have taken a long time to settle, or just never made it at all. But people who know Mastantuono reckon he can hit the ground running and quickly rival Yamal as the hottest teenager in La Liga.
Which under-the-radar figure have the big clubs been sleeping on?
Athletic Club’s Mikel Jauregizar had a real breakout season in 2024-25 and is fast developing into one of the top defensive midfielders in La Liga. Only 18 months on from his senior debut, the super-combative and mobile 21-year-old has established himself as a key member of coach Ernesto Valverde’s team.
Jauregizar, pictured in pre-season for Athletic (Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
He is not the biggest at 177cm (5ft 10in), but Jauregizar ranked third-highest among all midfielders for tackles in La Liga last season. That ability to regain possession and then launch attackers such as brothers Inaki and Nico Williams was key to Valverde’s team’s success in finishing fourth.
Jauregizar did not help himself with his performance in Athletic Club’s biggest game of the season, being embarrassingly dribbled past by Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire in the Europa League semi-final first leg at San Mames. But his career so far suggests he is a very quick learner, and playing in the Champions League this season should bring plenty more experience and exposure.
For much of last season, Atletico appeared set to seriously compete on all fronts, but their season shuddered to a stop in March with a series of disappointing defeats by Barcelona and Madrid across La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
Atletico’s subsequent summer spending of around €150million looks directly aimed at fixing issues in the squad highlighted during that tough spell. Slovakia defender David Hancko and United States international midfielder Johnny Cardoso bring more physicality, while Italian Matteo Ruggeri and Spain’s Alex Baena form an all-new left flank.
United States international Cardoso in action for Atletico in pre-season against Newcastle (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)
On paper, they all look like excellent acquisitions. The question now is how Simeone integrates all his new players and whether he can get them to buy quickly into his trademark super-intense style of play.
If it all clicks, Atletico’s challenge could go a lot further this season.
Which club have had the worst transfer window?
Villarreal supporters had known that Spain international Baena was set to leave, and the club banking €42million from Atletico and signing Las Palmas’ Alberto Moleiro as a replacement for €16m was not such bad business. Similarly, selling inconsistent forward Thierno Barry to Everton for €30m and getting Spain Under-21 international centre-back Rafa Marin on loan from Napoli look like smart moves.
Less easy to understand is bringing in former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey on a free transfer.
Partey’s experience and ability could be useful on the pitch as Villarreal return to the Champions League this season, but for many, it is just unacceptable to sign a player who has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in England. Partey denies the charges, and club president Fernando Roig said on Tuesday: “We respect the presumption of innocence and of course we condemn any kind of violence, inside or outside football.”
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Tell us one great storyline we might have missed…
Barcelona’s issues around registering their summer signings with La Liga are eye-catching due to the size of the club and the regular drama involved, but they are far from the only ones struggling in this area ahead of the new season.
Just days before the games kick off this weekend, more than 50 new arrivals had yet to be officially registered with La Liga. Clubs still looking to make room within their budget included the three promoted clubs, as well as Sevilla, Celta Vigo, Espanyol, Getafe, Real Sociedad, Betis and Alaves.
So some well-known names are likely to watch their new team’s opening game from the stands, while a frantic couple of weeks of wheeling and dealing are likely until the end of the transfer window.
What will be making headlines as the season progresses?
La Liga president Javier Tebas has been openly trying to stage official Spanish top-flight games in the United States since 2018, but until now has always been denied by a mix of political and practical factors.
Tebas is nothing if not dogged, however, and many of the big hurdles have now been removed — including the settlement of a U.S. legal case between world football’s governing body FIFA and promoters Relevent, and improved relations with the Spanish FA in the post-Luis Rubiales era.
The biggest opposition domestically comes from Madrid president Florentino Perez, while green lights are still required from the European game’s rulers UEFA, Concacaf (the regional federation that includes the U.S.) and the United States Soccer Federation.
Though it’s not yet fully sorted, sooner or later, Tebas’ signature project looks certain to happen.
(Top photos of Rashford, left, and Alexander-Arnold: Getty Images)
FourFourTwo Premier League Season Previews 2025-26
Our legendary previews on all 20 teams set to grace the Premier League this season is here, brought to you by expert journalists and hardcore fans at the heart of each club
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool, lifts the Premier League trophy after his team’s victory in the 2024/25 Premier League (Image credit: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
We’re not far away from the start of the 2025/26 Premier League and all the twists, turns and drama that comes with it.
The transfer market has been going into overdrive as teams look to do battle once again, with some mouthwatering spectacles set to light up the pitch again from August to May.
Read on for FourFourTwo’s preview on all 20 Premier League teams in the 2025/26 season…You may like
Bukayo Saka celebrates with Gabriel Martinelli after scoring for Arsenal against Real Madrid (Image credit: Getty Images)
After finishing second for a third season in a row last year, Arsenal are looking to go one better and finally lift the Premier League title. Preseason has been strong, with several new signings through the door, and now, Mikel Arteta is ready to take his side over the line and lift silverware this season.
FourFourTwo has your complete season preview ahead of the new campaign, with the lowdown on star players, what to expect and predictions of what’s to come over the next few months, along with Arsenal’s full fixture list, too.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa celebrate (Image credit: Getty Images)
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa missed out on Champions League football on the final day of last season. After another impressive campaign, in which they qualified for European football, reached the quarter-final of the Champions League, and the semi-final of the FA Cup, they will be looking to continue finishing inside the top six and make a serious play for one of the cups.
FourFourTwo has everything you need for the new term with our season preview. Get the inside scoop on star players, what to look forward to, and our predictions for the coming months, along with Aston Villa’s fixtures.
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Brentford
Nathan Collins of Brentford (Image credit: Getty Images)
Brentford are entering uncharted waters. For the first time in the Premier League they will not be led by Thomas Frank, and Bryan Mbeumo will not be in the squad. They have attempted to negate too much disruption by appointing former set-piece coach Keith Andrews, while they’ve brought in Caoimhin Kelleher and Jordan Henderson as they look to solidify their mid-table status.
Your essential guide to the new season is here. FourFourTwo brings you the full preview, including key players, team expectations, our final predictions and Brentford’s fixtures.
This will be Brighton’s eighth season in the Premier League and they enter with significant expectations. 18-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas has become their third highest transfer of all-time as they look to push for European football for the second-time in their history.
Ahead of the new campaign, FourFourTwo offers your complete season preview. We’ve got the lowdown on the biggest stars, what to expect, and a glimpse into our predictions for the next few months – plus Brighton’s full fixture list.
Burnley
Josh Brownhill of Burnley (Image credit: Getty Images)
Burnley finished second in the Championship last season with 100 points, the most ever for a team in second place, only beaten to the title on goal difference. Across the 46 games, they conceded just 16 goals, but shot-stopper James Trafford has returned to Manchester City. Scott Parker will be hoping they can build on their strong defensive performance and stay up this season.
Fresh off the back of their record points tally, Bournemouth will be looking to go one further and reach European football for the first time. Adoni Iroala’s side however, will be without much of their defence from last season, including Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez making their task slightly more difficult.
FourFourTwo’snew season preview is out now. Dive into our analysis of key players and our predictions for what’s to come over the next few months – and check out Bournemouth’s fixture list, too.
Chelsea
Chelsea star Cole Palmer (Image credit: David Ramos/Getty Images)
Club World Cup champions Chelsea head into the season with lofty expectations. Their impressive performance in America this summer shows their scatter-gun transfer approach has worked and after spending north of £250 million again this summer, the Blues fans will be hoping they can make a serious bid for the title.
And the new season is almost here: FourFourTwo has your complete preview, covering everything from top players to our final predictions, and even Chelsea’s fixtures.
The mood is mixed at Selhurst Park. On the one hand, Oliver Glasner has delivered nothing that any Eagles manager has ever done before and won a trophy: the good feeling isn’t going to disappear any time soon, and Crystal Palace fans are hoping to push on up the league – but on the other, the cloud of the European football debacle and what competition they’ll be dropped into still lingers.
We’ve got everything you need to know ahead of the start of a new campaign with our comprehensive season preview, delving into what to look forward to and where Palace will be in another year’s time – plus, see Crystal Palace’s fixture list.
Everton
Everton manager David Moyes (Image credit: Alamy)
David Moyes is back at the wheel at Everton and the Toffees are under new ownership, as they look to buck the recent trend of fighting the drop and push on up the league: it’s arguably the most exciting time to be on the blue side of Merseyside for quite some time – and that’s before you factor in the small matter of a new home.
Find out what to expect from the new campaign: FourFourTwo provides a full season preview, including insights on star players and our predictions for the months ahead, along with Everton’s fixture list.
Fulham
Alex Iwobi of Fulham battles with Yegor Yarmolyuk of Brentford (Image credit: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Fulham are looking up in the table. Marco Silva has been in charge since 2021 now and with the Cottagers having kept key stars over the summer, now could be the time to mount a serious charge up the Premier League.
Leeds United are back in the big time – but can they remain there? Things are going to be tough for the Championship winners but after strengthening this summer, they’re in a good position to give it a whirl.
Be prepared for what’s to come: FourFourTwo offers you a full preview with the lowdown on star players and our predictions for the months to come, plus Leeds’ complete fixtures.
Liverpool
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (Image credit: Pic Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Liverpool have refused to stand still. After winning the title last term, big money has been spent on improving Arne Slot’s side, as Florian Wirtz joins for a British record fee and two new full-backs join the side.
Are the Reds set for the new season? FourFourTwo has you covered with our complete preview, featuring key players, what’s expected, and our predictions, along with Liverpool’s fixture list.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola instructs his players (Image credit: David Ramos/Getty Images)
Manchester City failed to win the title last year for the first time in five seasons. Now, armed with new recruits across the pitch and newfound fire to get back on top, Pep Guardiola is looking to wrestle back his crown.
FourFourTwo’scomplete season preview is here to get you hyped for the new campaign. We break down the star players, what you can expect, and our predictions for the campaign, ahead of Manchester City’s full fixtures.
Manchester United
Bryan Mbeumo trains with Manchester United (Image credit: Getty Images)
Last season was a generational low for a Manchester United side that finished 15th and lost the Europa League final. There’s certainly hope, however, that complete with a new-look frontline, the Red Devils can go again and that boss Ruben Amorim can start to get this side clicking under his system.
Before the new campaign kicks off, check out our full season preview from FourFourTwo. You’ll get the inside scoop on top players, what to anticipate, and what we think will happen over the next few months – and check out Manchester United’s complete fixture list.
Newcastle United
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe (Image credit: Getty Images)
Newcastle United may have had a tough summer but they go into the new season having lifted a trophy last term and with Champions League to look forward to. Despite the struggles in the transfer market, Eddie Howe has built a side to be feared on the pitch: and this is a club that will be looking to go even further in their ambitions.
Ready for the new season? FourFourTwo has you covered with our in-depth preview. We give you the lowdown on the players to watch and share our predictions for the coming months, ahead of Newcastle’s fixtures.
Nottingham Forest bucked all expectations last term with a finish in the European places – and after the unexpected bonus of Europa League football to look forward to, the Tricky Trees are welcoming European football back for the first time in a generation. There’s plenty to be excited by.
The new season is just around the corner, and our complete preview is finally here. FourFourTwo gives you the essential details on star players, a rundown of expectations, and a look at our predictions, plus Forest’s fixture list.
Sunderland
Sunderland fans (Image credit: Getty Images)
Sunderland’s dramatic promotion in the play-offs sees the Black Cats returning to the Premier League and wanting to do far more than make up the numbers: if summer business has anything to go by, they could be about to spring a few surprises, too.
What’s in store for the new season? Find out with our complete preview from FourFourTwo. We’ve got the scoop on key players, what to expect, and our predictions for the months to come – and we’ve even got Sunderland’s complete fixture schedule.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank (Image credit: Copyright (c) 2025 Shutterstock Editorial. No use without permission.)
Optimism at Tottenham Hotspur is unusually high for a team that only scraped 17th in the table last season: that will be because Thomas Frank has arrived, preseason has been positive and the Europa League triumph last season means that the trophy curse has finally been banished. Now, Spurs can start looking upwards again.
The wait is over: FourFourTwo presents our comprehensive season preview, complete with a close look at the most exciting players and our predictions for the next few months., along with Tottenham’s fixture lists.
West Ham United
West Ham man Tomas Soucek (Image credit: Getty Images)
West Ham United are quietly going about their business this summer and with a highly-rated coach in Graham Potter, they’ll be hoping to cause some upsets and return to battling for Europe.
Anticipation is building, and so is our new season preview: FourFourTwo brings you all the essential info on players to watch and our bold predictions for the season – plus, West Ham’s fixtures.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira (Image credit: Getty Images)
Wolverhampton Wanderers enjoyed a remarkable turnaround under Vitor Pereira last season – but having lost star players Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha, can the Old Gold expect another campaign like last, or can they push on up the Premier League?
Get a head start on the new campaign with the FourFourTwoseason preview: we’ll give you a full rundown on the top stars and offer our predictions for the season ahead, along with Wolves’ complete fixtures.
Premier League Predictions: Liverpool vs Bournemouth, Man Utd vs Arsenal and the rest of Matchday 1
Welcome to the first edition of The Athletic’s new Premier League Predictions game.
This is where you (our lovely subscribers) have the opportunity to join a data algorithm, a six-year-old boy, and me in putting our credibility on the line on a weekly basis.
Every week, we will give score predictions for each of the 10 Premier League games, with a correct scoreline gaining three points and a correct result gaining one point. To make things more interesting, there will be a bonus point if a player is the only one to get a scoreline or result correct. You’ll be able to see the standings from next week.
We will have a different subscriber each week, chosen from those who have replied with their interest (see here for how to get involved and for other general information), but I will be a constant throughout the season until May, along with the algorithm and, of course, six-year-old Wilfred.The more I talk about this, the more convinced I am that The Athletic are setting me up for a fall here, exposing not only my inability to predict the outcome of football matches but, even worse, my blatant bias against your team.Ah, let’s brush away these pangs of insecurity. Three hundred and eighty Premier League matches lie ahead of us from now to May 24, so let’s get cracking.For the opening weekend, the subscribers will be represented by Vaageesh, a Manchester United supporter who hails from Chennai, India. Will he tip his beloved team to hit the ground running against Arsenal? Will any of us? This is already causing me more stress than I thought it would…
Our subscriber’s match of the week
Manchester United vs Arsenal, Sunday 4.30pm BST/11.30am ET
Vaageesh says: “I don’t have much time; I’m writing this moments after entrapping my battling optimistic and pessimistic selves in a bunker. Here’s the rationale: Manchester United’s ability in transition will cancel out Arsenal’s confidence when in possession and neither will quite have the fluidity required to pull ahead despite the fact that both teams seem to have improved over the summer.”
Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal
Oli says: I’m old enough to remember Arsenal, as champions, being obliterated on the opening day in 1989-90 by a new-look Manchester United team, for whom it proved a classic false dawn. United’s prospective new owner, Michael Knighton, was on the pitch beforehand, ball-juggling and blowing kisses to the crowd, and Neil Webb smashed one in from 25 yards on his debut — wild stuff, honestly (yeah, get on with it, Grandad).If I close my eyes, I can imagine a scenario where something similar happens — this new United front line looks perfect for a balmy Sunday afternoon in August — but… no, not quite. This Arsenal team strike me as too serious to be rolled over on day one. I’ll try not to sit on the fence too often, but I’m going to have to go for a very lively draw here.
Manchester United 2-2 Arsenal
Bryan Mbeumo (left), Benjamin Sesko (middle) and Matheus Cunha (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Oli’s other predictions
Liverpool vs Bournemouth
Oli says: If I describe this as an awkward start for Liverpool, it’s in part because Bournemouth are unconventional opponents. Nobody seems to have it easy against them. I’ll go for a home win, but not a comfortable one. It might be a tight, nervous one, requiring a lively cameo from Rio Ngumoha and a late winner from Mohamed Salah, that kind of thing.
Liverpool 2-1 Bournemouth
Aston Villa vs Newcastle
Oli says: They have both had challenging summers, but stylistically this is one of my favourite match-ups in the league. The past six meetings have seen four wins for Newcastle (4-0, 5-1, 3-1, 3-0) and two for Villa (3-0 and 4-1), and I could see this one swinging violently one way or the other. Which way? I’ll say Villa this time.
Aston Villa 3-1 Newcastle
Brighton vs Fulham
Oli says: Another nice match-up, another that could certainly go either way. Why am I going with Fulham to hit the ground running against a Brighton team I rate? Not sure, but perhaps because of their quiet summer in the transfer market, rather than despite it.
Brighton 1-2 Fulham
Sunderland vs West Ham
Oli says: I’ve missed having Sunderland in the Premier League — or certainly the notion of what Sunderland should or could be. The place will be rocking on Saturday and even though I like the look of a couple of West Ham’s signings, it’s a winnable opening game for Sunderland.
Sunderland 1-0 West Ham
Tottenham vs Burnley
Oli says: I don’t know what to expect from Tottenham this season, but I will at least predict a winning start. Burnley had an outstanding defensive record last season, but facing Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus, etc, represents a step up in class for Scott Parker’s team.
Tottenham 2-1 Burnley
Wolves vs Man City
Oli says: The Wolves fans I know are all worried after another summer dominated by departures. As opening games go, this looks more likely to intensify the gloom rather than lift it. Manchester City always seem to hit the ground running — Erling Haaland in particular — and I expect that to continue.
Wolves 0-2 Manchester City
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace
Oli says: I don’t know how Chelsea’s Club World Cup exertions will affect them in the long run, but I fancy them to start well. Palace, incidentally, have been slow starters and excellent finishers over the past few seasons. There’s no reason to expect that pattern to continue, but Chelsea away on the opening weekend is tough.
Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace
Nottingham Forest vs Brentford
Oli says: Looking at how the fixtures have fallen, Forest are another team I fancy to start well — at least until the European commitments kick in, which will test their squad depth — whereas I’m slightly concerned for Brentford. I’m expecting a home win and a Morgan Gibbs-White goal, followed by a flamboyant kiss of the badge.
Nottingham Forest 2-0 Brentford
Leeds vs Everton
Oli says: For Leeds and their fans, this is the perfect opening game, particularly under the floodlights on a Monday night. They didn’t get to enjoy an occasion like this after promotion during the Covid pandemic in 2020, so I’m predicting an utterly wild atmosphere, an exuberant performance, a refereeing controversy, and, ultimately, a Leeds win to round off a lively opening weekend.
How players force a transfer, Pulisic and Weah hit back at ‘evil’ ex-USMNT stars NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – MAY 25: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United applauds the fans as he warms up prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Everton FC at St James’ Park on May 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) By Phil Hay Aug. 14, 2025 1
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Hello! Feigning injury, missing pre-season, downing tools. We’re covering the dark arts involved in convincing a club to sell you. Just don’t bother with an actual transfer request.
On the way:
How footballers force a move Pulisic beef intensifies Rooney fires back at Brady A stone-cold 50-metre lob Exit strategy: Isak wants to leave Newcastle… but how do players get their way?
Alexander Isak during pre-season training in July (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images) I once asked a footballer (best left nameless) why, at one of his previous clubs, he upset all and sundry by submitting a transfer request. “It wasn’t a transfer request,” he replied. “It was a perceived transfer request.”
You can guess the follow-up question: what on earth is a perceived transfer request? “They took it to be an official request, when it wasn’t,” he explained, which sounded suspiciously like semantics to me; a player actively plotting to leave, without saying so formally or quite so explicitly.
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Written transfer requests — the unequivocal, black-and-white means by which restless pros can manipulate a move — are less common than you might think. For one thing, submitting a demand in writing risks forfeiting future bonuses or loyalty payments. For two, they’re regarded as small-time. As one agent tells The Athletic’s Stu James: “You’re handing in a letter saying you want to leave. What the hell does that do?”
Stu wrote about the art of manufacturing a transfer in 2021 but he updated his piece when trouble brewed between Newcastle United and Alexander Isak (above), and it’s relevant again in light of the sorry deterioration of that relationship. The Swedish striker has no intention of making another appearance for the Tyneside club. He would sooner sign for Liverpool. But how does he force his way out the door if Newcastle aren’t minded to trade him?
This isn’t new ground, or even close. Cerys Jones went back through the Premier League archives to analyse other high-profile names — Harry Kane, Luis Suarez and others — who effectively went on strike, hoping to be sold. Some who stamp their feet get their way. Others don’t. Stu’s feature is a window into Newcastle’s reality.
Top Stories The biggest issues facing youth sports? Greg Olsen has strong opinions NBA 2025-26 schedule release: 40 games I’m looking forward to next season The epicenter of stalking in sports? Why tennis stands apart Never get an owner angry Isak hasn’t done a bad job in employing the tactics suggested by different agents Stu talked to (all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity). Complain of minor injuries? Check. Refuse to travel on a pre-season tour? Check. Down tools, or cast doubt over your commitment to your existing employers? Check. Textbook stuff.
Here’s what those who know the drill had to say about facilitating a contentious exit from a club:
One agent warned: “What you must never do is get an owner angry. Once a billionaire says, ‘He’s not for sale’, you’re dead. You’re ain’t going nowhere because their credibility is on the line.” A manager with Premier League experience talked about trying to drop a wantaway star down to work with the club’s under-23s: “Then you’ll have the club push back on you and say, ‘He’s an asset, he needs to be involved’. You end up having friction with the club. It’s an absolute nightmare.” Another high-profile representative said, “Some agents try to force things through that are just ridiculous. And all that happens is that it causes a load of bad feeling, nobody wins. Try to find a solution for everybody.” But by far the most revealing quote came from David Sullivan, the co-owner of West Ham United. Generally speaking, Sullivan said, coaches want disruptive players out of the building because they “create a terrible atmosphere”. A sulking asset is essentially a bad apple. And in the case of Isak, it might be that fact that grants him his wish.
‘I feel like they’re evil’: Pulisic and Weah bite back on criticism of ex-USMNT players. Again. USMNT’s Tim Weah and Christian Pulisic Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah celebrate against Germany in 2023 (Alex Grimm/Getty Images) To say that current USMNT stars are at odds with certain retired U.S. internationals would be the understatement of the day. Tyler Adams tried to be diplomatic about criticism from Landon Donovan and others in an interview with The Athletic this week, but yesterday’s episode of the ‘Pulisic’ series on Paramount+ took the beef up a notch.
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One thing to point out first: by any objective measure, the USMNT have done nothing to shield themselves from ex-pro scrutiny. The past couple of years have been miserable, and Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah (above) choosing to miss this summer’s Gold Cup wasn’t going to pass without comment. But blimey, they’re taking it all to heart. Here’s what was said on ‘Pulisic’:
Weah: “Those guys are chasing cheques. And for me, I just feel like they’re really evil. Because they’ve been players, and they know what it’s like when you’re getting bashed. Those are the same guys that’ll turn around and shake your hand, and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day.” Pulisic: “The most annoying thing, and the biggest cop-out of all time, is when all pundits want to say, ‘They didn’t want it, they didn’t have the heart. Back in our day, we would fight and die on that field’. It’s frustrating.” Pulisic’s father, Mark: “These guys want clicks. It’s social media, it’s, ‘Subscribe to my channel, listen to my podcasts’, or whatever.” Quote three is a little ironic coming from someone talking in a docuseries, but here we are. The thing is, I don’t see the former USMNT corps backing down tamely, so where this goes from here is anybody’s guess. National unity with less than a year to a home World Cup? If only.
News Round-Up A tasty spat has broken out between Birmingham City shareholder Tom Brady and the club’s former head coach, Wayne Rooney. Brady was filmed raising doubts about Rooney’s work ethic in a recent documentary. Rooney hit back on his new podcast, saying the comments were “very unfair” and that Brady didn’t “really understand football that well”. Barcelona’s board are putting millions of their own money on the line in an effort to get Marcus Rashford and others registered with La Liga. Their salary-cap stress has reached crisis point, again. The Daily Liverpool: they’re closing in on the signing of 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma in Italy. He’ll set them back £26m ($35.2m). The Club World Cup was a nice little earner for the squad at Chelsea. After winning the tournament, their players will share bonuses worth more than £10m. But, bless them, a portion is to be donated to the family of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva. Gimnastic de Tarragona, a Catalan club who play in Spain’s third division, have cancelled the signing of Jose Manuel Calderon…after the defender was caught on camera saying: “I sh** on all dead Catalans.” Calderon apologised, albeit too little too late. An under-21s match involving Manchester United had to be abandoned after midfielder Sekou Kone suffered a bad head injury. The 19-year-old was taken to hospital but appears to be OK. Keeping it together: Chevalier and PSG come back from 2-0 down to beat Spurs in Super Cup
TNT Sports Well, colour us shocked. Paris Saint-Germain ostracise Gianluigi Donnarumma and the first thing the goalkeeper’s replacement, Lucas Chevalier, does is mark his debut in last night’s UEFA Super Cup match by throwing one in this goal, above. That’s football being football.
The evening got better for Chevalier, who saved a penalty in a shootout as PSG picked up their fourth trophy of 2025. They were on the ropes in normal time, trailing 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur with five minutes to go, but something woke them from their slumber.
I’d caution against reading too much into Tottenham’s display because PSG were rusty, as if they were psychologically tearing themselves away from the beaches of Saint-Tropez. That said, for much of the game, there was decent structure to Spurs and their set pieces worked. It was only as they dropped deep in defence of their lead that PSG got a sniff. No early silverware for Thomas Frank, but green shoots all the same.
It didn’t stop Sheffield United sliding out of the Carabao Cup, but I wouldn’t have you missing Gustavo Hamer’s glorious 50-yard finish against Birmingham City last night. Nottingham Forest’s Murillo should sign him up for lessons.
ITV Sport Around TAFC On the eve of the Premier League season, I’ll point you towards a rundown of all the coverage you can expect from The Athletic. It’s here and it’s epic. I like the sound of the alternative league table. There can’t have been many summers in which top-flight English teams threw more money at attacking signings, including Viktor Gyokeres and Florian Wirtz. Mark Carey and Thom Harris have taken a closer look at an expensive trend. Gyokeres, in theory, should enhance Arsenal’s chances of winning the title. Amy Lawrence sat down for an exclusive chat with their manager, Mikel Arteta. James Milner is a machine: 39 years old and still at it in the Premier League. This interview with him by Oli Kay is ace. Fantasy Premier League: once more, the code to our TAFC league for any readers who wish to be part of it. Enter using 30j0f7. We’ve got a few more last-minute tips for you. Most clicked in Wednesday’s TAFC: the PSG-Donnarumma rift. And finally…
X / @sportsru How we chuckled a few weeks back at the footballer in Brazil who re-enacted the Cristiano Ronaldo ‘Siu’ celebration routine and gave himself a gammy leg in the process.
But that self-inflicted wound looks fairly pedestrian when set aside the post-goal backflip attempted by Dynamo Barnaul’s Kirill Mogel in a Russian lower-league match at the weekend. To cut him some slack, the striker hadn’t scored for months but if the crunch was as nasty as it looked, he might not be scoring again for a good while either.
“The acrobatic trick didn’t work out for him,” lamented Dynamo Barnaul’s official website. I’ll say.
(Top photo: George Wood/Getty Images)
How players force a transfer, Pulisic and Weah hit back at ‘evil’ ex-USMNT stars
Hello! Feigning injury, missing pre-season, downing tools. We’re covering the dark arts involved in convincing a club to sell you. Just don’t bother with an actual transfer request.
Exit strategy: Isak wants to leave Newcastle… but how do players get their way?
Alexander Isak during pre-season training in July (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
I once asked a footballer (best left nameless) why, at one of his previous clubs, he upset all and sundry by submitting a transfer request. “It wasn’t a transfer request,” he replied. “It was a perceived transfer request.”
You can guess the follow-up question: what on earth is a perceived transfer request? “They took it to be an official request, when it wasn’t,” he explained, which sounded suspiciously like semantics to me; a player actively plotting to leave, without saying so formally or quite so explicitly.
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Written transfer requests — the unequivocal, black-and-white means by which restless pros can manipulate a move — are less common than you might think. For one thing, submitting a demand in writing risks forfeiting future bonuses or loyalty payments. For two, they’re regarded as small-time. As one agent tells The Athletic’s Stu James: “You’re handing in a letter saying you want to leave. What the hell does that do?”
Stu wrote about the art of manufacturing a transfer in 2021 but he updated his piece when trouble brewed between Newcastle United and Alexander Isak (above), and it’s relevant again in light of the sorry deterioration of that relationship. The Swedish striker has no intention of making another appearance for the Tyneside club. He would sooner sign for Liverpool. But how does he force his way out the door if Newcastle aren’t minded to trade him?
This isn’t new ground, or even close. Cerys Jones went back through the Premier League archives to analyse other high-profile names — Harry Kane, Luis Suarez and others — who effectively went on strike, hoping to be sold. Some who stamp their feet get their way. Others don’t. Stu’s feature is a window into Newcastle’s reality.
Never get an owner angry
Isak hasn’t done a bad job in employing the tactics suggested by different agents Stu talked to (all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity). Complain of minor injuries? Check. Refuse to travel on a pre-season tour? Check. Down tools, or cast doubt over your commitment to your existing employers? Check. Textbook stuff.
Here’s what those who know the drill had to say about facilitating a contentious exit from a club:
One agent warned: “What you must never do is get an owner angry. Once a billionaire says, ‘He’s not for sale’, you’re dead. You’re ain’t going nowhere because their credibility is on the line.”
A manager with Premier League experience talked about trying to drop a wantaway star down to work with the club’s under-23s: “Then you’ll have the club push back on you and say, ‘He’s an asset, he needs to be involved’. You end up having friction with the club. It’s an absolute nightmare.”
Another high-profile representative said, “Some agents try to force things through that are just ridiculous. And all that happens is that it causes a load of bad feeling, nobody wins. Try to find a solution for everybody.”
But by far the most revealing quote came from David Sullivan, the co-owner of West Ham United. Generally speaking, Sullivan said, coaches want disruptive players out of the building because they “create a terrible atmosphere”. A sulking asset is essentially a bad apple. And in the case of Isak, it might be that fact that grants him his wish.
‘I feel like they’re evil’: Pulisic and Weah bite back on criticism of ex-USMNT players. Again.
Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah celebrate against Germany in 2023 (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
To say that current USMNT stars are at odds with certain retired U.S. internationals would be the understatement of the day. Tyler Adams tried to be diplomatic about criticism from Landon Donovan and others in an interview with The Athletic this week, but yesterday’s episode of the ‘Pulisic’ series on Paramount+ took the beef up a notch.
One thing to point out first: by any objective measure, the USMNT have done nothing to shield themselves from ex-pro scrutiny. The past couple of years have been miserable, and Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah (above) choosing to miss this summer’s Gold Cup wasn’t going to pass without comment. But blimey, they’re taking it all to heart. Here’s what was said on ‘Pulisic’:
Weah: “Those guys are chasing cheques. And for me, I just feel like they’re really evil. Because they’ve been players, and they know what it’s like when you’re getting bashed. Those are the same guys that’ll turn around and shake your hand, and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day.”
Pulisic: “The most annoying thing, and the biggest cop-out of all time, is when all pundits want to say, ‘They didn’t want it, they didn’t have the heart. Back in our day, we would fight and die on that field’. It’s frustrating.”
Pulisic’s father, Mark: “These guys want clicks. It’s social media, it’s, ‘Subscribe to my channel, listen to my podcasts’, or whatever.”
Quote three is a little ironic coming from someone talking in a docuseries, but here we are. The thing is, I don’t see the former USMNT corps backing down tamely, so where this goes from here is anybody’s guess. National unity with less than a year to a home World Cup? If only.
News Round-Up
A tasty spat has broken out between Birmingham City shareholder Tom Brady and the club’s former head coach, Wayne Rooney. Brady was filmed raising doubts about Rooney’s work ethic in a recent documentary. Rooney hit back on his new podcast, saying the comments were “very unfair” and that Brady didn’t “really understand football that well”.
Barcelona’s board are putting millions of their own money on the line in an effort to get Marcus Rashford and others registered with La Liga. Their salary-cap stress has reached crisis point, again.
The Daily Liverpool: they’re closing in on the signing of 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma in Italy. He’ll set them back £26m ($35.2m).
Gimnastic de Tarragona, a Catalan club who play in Spain’s third division, have cancelled the signing of Jose Manuel Calderon…after the defender was caught on camera saying: “I sh** on all dead Catalans.” Calderon apologised, albeit too little too late.
An under-21s match involving Manchester United had to be abandoned after midfielder Sekou Kone suffered a bad head injury. The 19-year-old was taken to hospital but appears to be OK.
Keeping it together: Chevalier and PSG come back from 2-0 down to beat Spurs in Super Cup
TNT Sports
Well, colour us shocked. Paris Saint-Germain ostracise Gianluigi Donnarumma and the first thing the goalkeeper’s replacement, Lucas Chevalier, does is mark his debut in last night’s UEFA Super Cup match by throwing one in this goal, above. That’s football being football.
The evening got better for Chevalier, who saved a penalty in a shootout as PSG picked up their fourth trophy of 2025. They were on the ropes in normal time, trailing 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur with five minutes to go, but something woke them from their slumber.
I’d caution against reading too much into Tottenham’s display because PSG were rusty, as if they were psychologically tearing themselves away from the beaches of Saint-Tropez. That said, for much of the game, there was decent structure to Spurs and their set pieces worked. It was only as they dropped deep in defence of their lead that PSG got a sniff. No early silverware for Thomas Frank, but green shoots all the same.
On the eve of the Premier League season, I’ll point you towards a rundown of all the coverage you can expect from The Athletic. It’s here and it’s epic. I like the sound of the alternative league table.
There can’t have been many summers in which top-flight English teams threw more money at attacking signings, including Viktor Gyokeres and Florian Wirtz. Mark Carey and Thom Harris have taken a closer look at an expensive trend.
Gyokeres, in theory, should enhance Arsenal’s chances of winning the title. Amy Lawrence sat down for an exclusive chat with their manager, Mikel Arteta.
James Milner is a machine: 39 years old and still at it in the Premier League. This interview with him by Oli Kay is ace.
Fantasy Premier League: once more, the code to our TAFC league for any readers who wish to be part of it. Enter using 30j0f7. We’ve got a few more last-minute tips for you.
How we chuckled a few weeks back at the footballer in Brazil who re-enacted the Cristiano Ronaldo ‘Siu’ celebration routine and gave himself a gammy leg in the process.
But that self-inflicted wound looks fairly pedestrian when set aside the post-goal backflip attempted by Dynamo Barnaul’s Kirill Mogel in a Russian lower-league match at the weekend. To cut him some slack, the striker hadn’t scored for months but if the crunch was as nasty as it looked, he might not be scoring again for a good while either.
“The acrobatic trick didn’t work out for him,” lamented Dynamo Barnaul’s official website. I’ll say.
Probably not, because it never really stopped. But if you were struggling, fear not, because the Premier League is back.
Three hundred and eighty matches, 282 days, 20 teams, endless grumbling about VARs, and almost certainly a new officiating debate that none of us have dreamed up yet are waiting just around the corner, all starting when reigning champions Liverpool host Bournemouth on Friday at 8pm BST/3pm EST.Leeds United, Burnley, and Sunderland are up from the Championship, there are new faces on the pitch and in the technical areas, and, as always, there are a host of minor tweaks, too.his, then, is what you need to know for the new Premier League season.
New laws
The major change (and, whisper it, possibly even a popular one) is the introduction of the eight-second rule, which will already be familiar to those who watched the Club World Cup.If goalkeepers are in control of the ball with their arms/hands for more than eight seconds, they will concede a corner from the side closest to them. This replaces the old law, which was rarely enforced, where goalkeepers could concede an indirect free kick if they held onto the ball for more than six seconds.When the rule was announced by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), it said only four corners were awarded in its trial of the rule, which consisted of hundreds of matches.It is up to the referee to decide when the ’keeper has control of the ball and start the countdown. They will visually count down the last five seconds so it is clear to the goalkeeper what is happening.
There will be no disciplinary action unless the ’keeper repeatedly commits the offence, and they are not penalised if they are starting to or about to release the ball as the countdown ends.
The referee will also not start counting if the goalkeeper is being obstructed by an opposition attacker — if, during the countdown, an opponent pressures the ’keeper, they will concede an indirect free kick.
Teams will be awarded a corner if the opposition goalkeeper holds onto the ball for too long (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
There are also new ‘only the captain’ guidelines on approaching the referee. ‘Normal interactions’ between players and the referee will be allowed, but the guidance is aimed at preventing players from surrounding or mobbing them after big incidents or decisions. Team captains are responsible for helping direct team-mates away from the referee, and anyone who approaches without permission may be booked.The referee may invite the captain over to explain a decision. The hope is that players will know there is an avenue for them to receive engagement with the referee through their captain, but also know they can expect a booking if they approach when they should not.If the captain is the goalkeeper, they can nominate an outfield team-mate before the coin toss to approach the referee instead.Finally, the rules have been tweaked for accidental ‘double-touch’ penalties. If a player scores a penalty kick but accidentally touches the ball twice, they will be allowed to retake it. If they miss, they do not get another chance.
Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez was involved in a double-touch penalty in last season’s Champions League (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
New refereeing tech: semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), announcements, and ‘Ref Cam’
Some might recall that SAOT was on our list last year and was expected to be introduced “from after one of the autumn international breaks”. It actually ended up being introduced to the Premier League in April, so we deem it new enough to make the list again, as this will be the first full season where it is used.
The technology aims to reduce the length of VAR checks by automating parts of the decision-making process. The technology won’t be used for clear offside decisions. However, the old method of ‘drawing lines’ might still be needed in some cases if the technology fails, or if players are blocking the view of the ball or the system’s cameras.
(Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
This happened in March, on the first weekend when the technology was trialled in English football. During Wolverhampton Wanderers’ FA Cup game against Bournemouth, a congested penalty area meant officials could not rely on the technology and there was an eight-minute delay.There will also be more information for fans in stadiums this season. Graphics showing the results of SAOT decisions will be shown on giant screens, and after a trial in the Carabao Cup, referees will make an announcement in the stadium explaining the outcome of all VAR reviews (except for factual offside or onside calls).The league also plans to trial referee-worn cameras, as seen at the Club World Cup. The trial is expected to begin this month and last for around six weeks.The footage can be used as an additional replay angle in broadcasts, allowing fans to see the game from the referee’s perspective. However, no confrontational or controversial moments should be shown.
A new, bigger, UK broadcast deal
More Premier League games will be shown on TV than ever before as the league’s new broadcast deal, agreed back in December 2023 and worth £6.7bn, takes effect.
All games outside the Saturday 3pm blackout will now be broadcast live in the UK. Previously, some Sunday 2pm games were not available to watch live in the UK if they had been moved to that slot due to teams competing in European competition in midweek.
At least 215 matches will be on Sky Sports, and TNT will show 52. Amazon Prime no longer shows any.
Sky will show games on a Saturday at 5:30pm, on a Sunday at 2pm and 4:30pm, Monday and Friday evening games, and the first three rounds of midweek fixtures. Sky’s coverage also includes a new ‘Multiview’ format, which will allow customers to watch up to four games at once on Sunday afternoons.
TNT will show the early kick-off games at 12:30pm on Saturdays, as well as the last two rounds of midweek fixtures.
BBC Sport has highlights rights for all 380 matches.
In the U.S., NBC will show all 380 games, with just under half of them streamed exclusively on Peacock. The remainder will be shown on a main NBC channel or USA Network.
(Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
New broadcast access — including in-game and half-time interviews
Clubs are now obligated to grant more access to broadcasters, including the potential for access to dressing rooms or interviews at half-time or during the match.
Each club will only have to agree to these extra obligations a limited number of times.
At least twice per season, each club must do one of the following:
Allow filming for at least 90 seconds in their dressing room. This could be between the end of the warm-up and start of the match, at half-time, or immediately after the match once the players are back in the dressing room. The club can request that this footage is without audio unless they approve it.
Make a player or manager available for an interview at half-time. This should be no more than three questions, all of which should be positive and related to the match. The interview must be timed so it will not delay the restart.
Make a substituted player, or the manager, available for an interview during the match. This must be by no later than the 85th minute and the interview should be no more than two questions, both of which must be related to the match and positive.
The broadcaster will request this extra access before the fixture and say which of the three options it would prefer, but the club chooses which it plans to provide.
If a club is losing when they were supposed to provide this extra access, they can choose to do it at another match instead.
(Stu Forster/Getty Images)
A new ball — and not a Nike one
Lastly, the official ball has changed. Nike’s 25-year partnership has come to an end and Puma will now supply the match ball.
The German company is already the ball supplier for Serie A, La Liga, the English Football League, and the Carabao Cup. It was in the latter competition that Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta referred to the match ball when dissecting his side’s 2-0 loss to eventual tournament winners Newcastle United in the first leg of their semi-final.
“(The Carabao Cup ball) is very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies differently. When you touch it, the grip is also very different, so you adapt to that.”
(Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Check back for Arteta’s review of Puma’s Orbita Ultimate ball when the season gets underway…
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Wrexham’s revamped home: A (longer) £1.7m pitch, heated dugout seats and goal-line technology
But he’s far from alone at Wrexham in experiencing a hectic close season. Aidan Miller, the club’s strategy and projects director, has overseen a revamp of the SToK Cae Ras designed to nudge the world’s oldest international football ground into the modern era.A new £1.7million ($2.3m) pitch, complete with undersoil heating and new drainage, has been the marquee addition. No one at Wrexham’s Carabao Cup first-round victory over Hull City could have failed to notice just how lush the new surface looked in the August sunshine. Nor how well it played.
The seeding and stitching operation to make Wrexham’s surface compliant with European football’s regulations was only part of an overhaul that included moving both dugouts to the opposite side of the pitch, building a new TV gantry, reconfiguring stands to squeeze in extra seats, erecting two new giant TV screens at one end and taking down the old scoreboard at the other.
Wrexham’s new pitch, as seen before their first home match of the season (Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)
There was also the dismantling of a temporary stand, plus the all-important deactivation of a live electric cable underneath the old Kop, as preparatory work continues ahead of the new 7,500-capacity stand starting to go up, on schedule, in the autumn.To squeeze all this into exactly 100 days between Wrexham staging a promotion party after last season had ended and Tuesday’s cup tie against Hull is impressive. Even more so when you consider the club did not know until beating Charlton Athletic on April 26 when the 20224-25 season would finish — or when their 2025-26 league campaign would start.“We had to do a lot of planning,” explains Miller, who joined Wrexham early in 2025 after almost seven years at Everton, primarily working on the club’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium. “The key thing with the pitch is it would take six weeks to reconstruct it. But two months to grow it.
“If we’d finished third and then not gone up, the window would have been tight. In the end, the opposite happened, where we had an extra three weeks (due to Wrexham clinching automatic promotion). But we’d had to plan for the worst and hope we got the best.”In recent years, Wrexham’s historic home has struggled to keep pace with Parkinson’s upwardly mobile team. Facilities have been improved, such as the installation of new floodlights prior to returning to the EFL in 2023. But, really, it won’t be until the new Kop stand is finished that The Racecourse Ground will truly shine.The changes — which include the installation of goal-line technology — have brought a new sheen to a venue that first hosted a Wales international in 1877.
The newly-installed cameras (Richard Sutcliffe/The Athletic)
“We’ve always said with the sporting side being so successful, then the standards get raised in terms of what is expected,” says Rob Faulkner, Wrexham’s chief business and communications officer, when giving The Athletic a tour of all the changes, including upgraded concourses and hospitality areas.
“A lot of things will go into the new Kop, particularly for the fans and players with top-class facilities, new dressing rooms and so on. But until then, we are trying to catch up as much as we can.”
At one stage this summer, six different projects were being worked on inside The Racecourse at the same time by a small army of workers.
Contractors Cleveland Land Services (CLS) worked around the clock to get the pitch ready, with seeding taking place on June 1 and the stitching in July.
The dugouts were moved across the pitch to the Mold Road Stand, where coaching staff and substitutes will benefit from heated seats in what can be a cold part of the stadium. This has allowed the old dugouts to be converted into fan seating.
Two hundred and 24 seats have been added to the Tech End behind the goal, giving a full extra row at the front of the upper section. The old electronic scoreboard at that end has also gone, so the view of those who stand on the back row will no longer be impeded.
The pitch has been extended in length to allow for rugby matches to be played in the future and also shifted a couple of metres towards the Kop. This meant the new two-level TV gantry had to be situated slightly to the side of its predecessor, to ensure the main camera position remains on halfway.
The new two-level TV gantry (Richard Sutcliffe/The Athletic)
A second gantry has also been built on the opposite side of the ground on halfway, meaning Wrexham now comply with UEFA and Championship (and Premier League) standards regarding a reverse angle camera position.
“It’s a bit like building a house, in that the plumber has to come in before the joiner,” says Miller. “As part of the work, we’ve had all the steelwork in the Wrexham Lager Stand painted. This involved someone abseiling, which meant two blocks of seats had to be taken out each time.
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“It was the same with taking down the temporary stand. We removed one section (containing 558 seats) after the Stockport game last season (on March 22) to help with the pitch project.
“The fan zone also went at the same time, allowing us to create a pathway for the contractors to bring in mountains of gravel, soil and so on. We wanted these onsite, meaning we could start straight away the moment we got the green light.”
This also explains why the remaining blocks of the temporary stand were not taken down until late June, several weeks after the season had ended.
Miller adds: “We had work to do around the outside of the site, tidying up the drainage, laying tarmac and a few other things. Only then did we have the space to take down the temporary stand. Coordination was key, in terms of what is the priority — which for us was getting the pitch work going.”
The summer revamp is only the start. A new Kop stand will soon start to go up, with the intention to be ready for The Racecourse hosting the UEFA Under-19 Championship in June 2026.
Barriers obscure the building of the new Kop stand (Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)
It will be the key building block of a stadium masterplan drawn up by Populous, the same firm that designed Arsenal and Tottenham’s new homes, as well as Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, Wembley and The Sphere in Las Vegas.
The initial plan was to house 5,500 fans with the design, then allow another 2,000 to be added. However, a new planning application went in last month for a 7,500 capacity structure and a decision will be made soon by Wrexham Borough Council.
A new electricity substation on University land adjacent to The Racecourse’s main entrance on Crispin Lane has also been constructed.
This will provide power to the three blocks of student flats that sit behind the main stand, replacing the previous substation located towards the back of The Turf pub on the footprint of where the new Kop will stand. As part of this switch, a live power cable running underneath the area was deactivated.
“Until that was done, you couldn’t even start digging,” says Miller. “So, from a big ticket perspective, that’s probably the biggest thing we did this summer.”
As Miller says proudly, this now feels like “a Championship ground”.
Captain America did it again as his goal vs Inter Milan help AC Milan advance to the Coppa Italia final at the Stadio Olimpico on May 14 where a win would insure a Europa League spot during this disappointing 9th place season. Word is he’ll sign on till 2029 with a new contract and a hefty raise soon. Chris Richards anchored the 3 man defense for Crystal Palace in 3-0 thumping of Aston Villa Highlights in their FA Cup Semi and will face Man City in the FA Cup Finals at Wembley Sat, May 17 with a Champions League spot on the line. Both American’s play Monday. Awesome Call on Wrexham Final Goal as they become 1st team to win back to back to back promotions. Also cool to see Eric Dick a former Carmel High, CDC, & Butler Goalkeeper will be on TV Wed night on CBS Sports Network as his Pittsburgh Riverhounds host MLS NYCFC at 7 pm in US Open Cup play. Sunday we get NWSL action Gotham FC vs Chicago Stars on CBS at 1 pm. Oh and Good Luck everyone playing in the Challenge Cup this weekend at Grand Park – I will be reffing all day Saturday on F12.
Champions League Tues/Wed, Europa Thurs
Wow do I love Champions League football – no my favorite teams are not alive, and there are no American’s in this year’s final 4 – but the excitement of the World’s Top Club competition is exhilarating! Arsenal is down 1-0 to PSG on the way to Paris Wed, while Barcelona and 17 year old Messi like Yamal will host Inter Milan Wed on Para+ after a spectacular 3-3 tie highlights in Milan on Wed. In Europa action the 3 English teams rolled at home looks to be an all English final with a Champions League spot on the line, while the lone American still playing Johnny Cordosa & Real Bettis take a 2-1 lead to Fiorentina. (see some fantastic saves in both Competitions in the GK section below) Buckle up this week folks – gonna be a doozy Tues/Wed.
Tues Champions League
Inter Milan vs Barcelona (3-3) on Para+, Univision Wed Champions League PSG vs Arsenal (1-0) on CBS & Para+ 3 pm Thurs 3 pm Europa League on Para+ Man United vs Athletic Club Bode vs Tottenham CBSSN Djurgarden vs Chelsea Fiorentina vs Real Bettis (Cordosa) (1-2)
MLS Miami falls to Vancouver in Champions Cup to face Mexico’s Cruz Azul in Final
Its was prime time MLS viewing on Wed night as Miami and Messi returned home down 2-0 to the hottest team in MLS the Vancouver Whitecaps. After scoring early everyone of course assumed Miami would come back like always and close out the series – everyone but Vancouver. Behind goals from Brian White and Sebatian Berhalter (yes GB’s son) the Caps – capped Miami 3-1 to win 5-1 on aggregate setting up the final with Mexico’s Cruz Azul on June 1st. On TV Sat struggling Atlanta will host Nashville winners of 2 straight at 2:45 pm on Fox, while you can check out San Diego’s new stadium vs Dallas at 9:15 on FS1 Sat. Meanwhile word is Man City’s Kevin DeBruyne is in talks with Chicago Fire while Paul Pogba seems to be leaning away from DC United.
Indy 11 home vs Detroit City 7 pm Mental Health Awareness Night on TV8.
The Indy Eleven made its USL Jägermeister Cup debut in impressive fashion with a 4-0 victory at Forward Madison FC to take an early lead in the Group 3 standings with three points, followed by One Knoxville SC with two. Those two teams will meet on May 24 at Knoxville in the second of four Group Stage games. Join us for a meaningful and impactful evening as Indy Eleven hosts Mental Health Awareness Night—a special event dedicated to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and supporting mental health initiatives in our community. Together, we’ll shine a light on the importance of mental well-being while the Boys in Blue take on Detroit City FC on the field. Discounted Tickets: For the first 500 fans, tickets start at just $12 exclusively via This Link! They play at the Philly Union Wed night May 7th in US Open Cup on Paramount+.
Congrats to the Carmel FC 2009 Boys Blue & Coaches for win at Terre Haute Tourney!
June 16th: 9-4 / June 17th: 8-3 12383 Cyntheanne Rd, Fishers, IN $595 Register
TV Games
Fr, May 2
2:45 pm Para+ Torino vs Venzia (Busio)
3 pm Peacock Man City vs Wolverhampton
8 pm Amazon Prime Washington Spirit vcs ACFC NWSL
10:30 pm Gola, Para Seattle vs KC NWSL
Sat, May 3
7:30 am USA Villa vs Fulham (Robinson)
10 am Peaccok Everton vs Ipswich Town
12:30 pm NBC Arsenal vs Bournmouth (Tyler Adams)
2:45 pm Golazo, Para Inter Milan vs Hellas Verona
3 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Real Valladolid
2:45 pm Fox Atlanta United vs Nashville SC MLS
7:30 pm Ion Portland Thorns vs Orlando Pride (Marta) NWSL
7:30 pm TV? Indy 11 vs Detroit City @ the Mike
9 pm FS1 San Diego vs Dallas MLS
10 pm Ion Utah Royals vs NC Courage NWSL
Sun, May 4
10 am CBSSN Monza vs Atalanta
11:30 pm Peacock Chelsea vs Liverpool
1 pm CBS Gothan FC vs Chicago Stars (Naher) NWSL
2:45 pm Para+, Juventus (Mckinney, Weah) vs Bologna
7 pm Apple TV Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy
8 pm Golazo, Para+ San Diego Wave vs Bay City NWSL
Mon, May 5
2:45 pm Para+, FoxD Genoa vs AC Milan (Pulisic)
3 pm USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Nottingham Forest
Tues, May 6 Champions League
3 pm CBS, Uni Inter Milan vs Barcelona
Weds, May 7 Champions League
3 pm CBS, Par+ PSG (1-0) vs Arsenal
7 pm CBSSN Pittsburgh Riverhounds (Dick) vs NYC USL
7:30 pm Para+ Philly Union vs Indy 11 US Open Cup
Thurs, May 8 Europa
3 pm CBSSN Bodo vs Tottenham
3 pm Para+, Uni Man United vs Athletic Club
3 pm para+ Real Bettis (Cordosa) vs Fiorentina
3 pm para+ Chelsea vs Djurgarden
Sat, May 17
ESPN+? Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City FA Cup Final Wed, May 21
Paramount Plus Europa League Final in Balboa, Spain
Wed, May 28
Paramount Plus Europa Conference League Final in Poland
Sat, May 31
CBS 3 pm UEFA Champions League Final in Munich, Germany
5 pm TBS US Women vs China
Sun, June 1
Fox Sport 1 Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps CC Champions Cup Final
Tues, June 3
TNT, Max, Peacock US Women vs Jamaica
Wed, June 4
2:45 pm Fox Germany vs Portugal – Nations League Semi
Looking for a good warm meal on the way home from practice at River Road or Badger Field? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ
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This Week in the NWSL Records Fall and Rookies RiseThis past game weekend was perhaps the most action-packed weekend of the season so far, with dramatic comeback winners, rookie breakthroughs, and lots and lots of goals. Week 6 introduced 8 new goal-scorers to the books, with the NWSL now nearing 500 unique goal scorers in league history. The 40 club is also growing with the Spirit’s Aubrey Kingsbury and Houston’s Jane Campbell becoming the fourth and fifth goalies to have 40 career shutouts in the last two game weekends respectively. Casey Murphy needs one more shutout to add this milestone to her career.
The search for record-breaking continues as Lynn Biyendolo is only one assist away from the most regular season assists in league history. Catch Lynn at home with the Reign as the Current joins them in a high-stakes match, where the Current seeks to extend their league record for consecutive multi-goal games.
NC Courage complete historic stoppage-time comeback to beat undefeated KC Current
The North Carolina Courage delivered the upset of last Saturday night, storming back in the final minutes to stun the 5-0-0 Kansas City Current. This made the Courage the first team since 2017 to score both a game-tying and game-winning goal in the 90th minute or later. Read More San Diego Wave’s U-17 players make history
The Wave made history on Saturday night, all coming from their youth. For the first time in NWSL history, three 17-year olds started the same regular season match, and all three were U.S U-17 Youth National Team standouts. Read More Must Watch: Gotham FC vs. Chicago Stars this Sunday
With Esther González leading the Golden Boot race, she will be a force to be reckoned with, although historically Chicago has the edge in this match up. On the Chicago side, Alyssa Naeher needs one more shutout for her 50 career shutout milestone.
Watch this Sunday on CBS at 1PM ET. Read More Esther González scores another brace
Esther González scored a first-half brace shortly after her teammate and rookie Sarah Schupansky scored within 3 minutes of kick off. This proves to be the third brace in her last four matches, making her a forward to fear this season. Read More
USMNT Player Tracker: Pulisic saves Milan (again), Richards gets real, and Paredes setback
Across the Atlantic this week, the USMNT’s overseas contingent has savored titles (and tangerines) in Scotland and enjoyed the magic of the FA Cup at Wembley. But some things don’t change: once again, Christian Pulisic gave Milan something to cling to. Elsewhere, Johnny Cardoso and Paxten Aaronson turned heads in La Liga and the Eredivisie, but Wolfsburg’s Kevin Parades suffered a blow as he continues his return from a foot injury. Read on as this week’s USMNT Player Tracker brings you all the ups and downs of the players national head coach Mauricio Pochettino will turn to this summer.
Pulisic keeps Milan’s fading hopes alive
Pulisic’s nerves of steel meant Milan clung onto their hopes of Champions League football next season.The USMNT star was unflappable when presented with an early unexpected chance to score against Venezia on Sunday, on what manager Sergio Conceicao said was a small, dry pitch that wasn’t easy for his players.An error from the hosts at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, when they gave the ball away cheaply in their own half, allowed Milan’s Youssouf Fofana to seize possession and play in Pulisic at close range. Of course, the 26-year-old stayed cool and put it in the back of the net, giving the Rossoneri a major boost after just five minutes.That was it for another agonizing 91 minutes, as Milan had to fight against the relegation-battling Venetians before Santiago Gimenez made it 2-0 in stoppage time at the end. Pulisic’s big moment earned him the nod from Milan fans as man of the match, and he also put himself in elite statistical company. According to Opta, the goal meant he is now only one of the three Serie A players to have been directly involved in at least 50 goals (31 goals and 19 assists) in the last two seasons in all competitions, alongside Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman (50) and Lautaro Martinez (54) of Inter. In terms of what it means for his club, they are still eight points away from the Champions League qualifying spots with four league games remaining. It will be a tall order to drag themselves ahead of the teams above them, not least Weston McKennie’s Juventus, who are currently fourth and also won on Sunday. But after springing something of a surprise win over rivals Inter last week to reach the final of the Coppa Italia, then winning in Venice, at least Pulisic and co are developing upward momentum in the closing stages of what remains a below-par season.
Jeff Rueter’s graphic of the weekend
Champ Carter-Vickers sets Rangers record straight
It was an altogether more decisive win for Pulisic’s international team-mates in Scotland on Saturday.
But USMNT defender Cameron Carter-Vickers probably did not envisage spending a few minutes picking tangerines off the field before later celebrating his team being crowned champions. Celtic’s 5-0 thrashing of Dundee United earned the 27-year-old a fourth title medal with Celtic in a game that was interrupted during the first half when Celtic fans threw the fruit onto the field as a protest against their opponents’ ticketing prices for the game. Around the 12-minute mark, the supporters in the away section threw the tangerines and unfurled a banner reading “£njoy th£ fruits of our labour”.
Staff clear tangerines from the Tannardice turf (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
That aside, it was easy work for Carter-Vickers and his team, who have now won the Scottish top flight 13 times in the past 14 seasons.
Carter-Vickers was a happy man, then, but he disagreed when asked afterwards whether Celtic had to set the record straight in their next game, which happens to be against rivals Rangers, who have dented an otherwise glittering season by beating them twice.
“Yes. I mean, some people might say set the record (straight),” he told the Daily Record. “I wouldn’t personally use that kind of language because for me, it’s not just like one or two games in the season, but the whole 38.“And I think we’ve shown over the 38 games that we are the best team. But, yeah, we definitely want to win the game next weekend and put in a strong performance because, at the end of the day, we know it’s something that the fans care about and we care about also.“Of course we want to win. We want to win every game we play. And that’s no different for who it is.”It might have been a less perfect afternoon for Carter-Vickers’ U.S. team-mate Auston Trusty, who was benched and did not make it onto the field in the game that confirmed their title. Trusty, who recently became a new father, has not featured in three of his team’s four most recent games. On Saturday, manager Brendan Rodgers preferred Republic of Ireland defender Liam Scales ahead of him. But he did not let that spoil the fun for him and was on the fruit-free pitch to enjoy the post-match celebrations.
Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Jeffrey Schlupp and Arne Engels celebrate on a fruit-free field (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Straight from the horse’s mouth
The Champagne wasn’t quite uncorked yet for another USMNT defender on Saturday, but it could be on ice. Chris Richards took his usual place in Crystal Palace’s indomitable back three at Wembley in their hugely impressive 3-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Aston Villa. The south London club will now face Manchester City in the final on May 17, after Pep Guardiola’s side beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the other semi on Sunday. Before Palace’s big win, Richards did the media rounds and chatted with Men in Blazers, who asked him about the USMNT’s woeful performances in March’s Concacaf Nations League semi-final and third-place games.
“I think the best adjective for what happened in the last camp was we got Concacaf’d,” he said. “We’re going to have to put this show pony-ness away.”
Richards and Ben Chilwell helped Palace shut out Aston Villa (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Then asked why the U.S. players haven’t always been able to translate successful club form onto the international scene, he added: “One of the reasons I think that everyone has been so successful at their clubs is you’re in that environment every day. “I know it’s hard to emulate that when it comes to national team, but I think that’s why guys seemed so much more in tune or sharper — you’re playing with these guys every single day and when you’re coming to national team, these are guys you only train with, depending on flights, depending on times, maybe two days leading up to a game.
Horvath experienced the low of relegation with his Welsh club on Saturday when their 0-0 draw with U.S.-owned West Brom sealed their EFL Championship fate.
It meant Cardiff will be in League One, England’s third-tier, next term, but the 29-year-old, who joined the Bluebirds in the winter transfer window, still made some excellent saves on a difficult afternoon.
Name: Kevin Paredes Club: Wolfsburg Position: Midfielder/wing-back Appearances: 2
Paredes was so impressive on his return from long-term injury last time out, creating a goal in the 2-2 draw with Mainz, that he kept his place for Wolfsburg’s game against Freiburg on Saturday.
However, it was a difficult afternoon for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, who were reduced to 10 men after just 26 minutes and ended up losing 1-0. Despite the result, Paredes looked sharp again until he was forced off just past the hour with a hamstring problem.
That is believed to be a minor strain and while he is likely to miss the next game against Gio Reyna’s Borussia Dortmund, he should be back in contention for Wolfsburg’s final two fixtures of the Bundesliga campaign.
Paredes grabs Freiburg’s Patrick Osterhage (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Perhaps Paredes will have the words of the national coach in his mind after Pochettino said last week that the USMNT needs players to “fight for the people that would love to be in your position” and “the right characters to be really competitive”.
The 21-year-old, who fell to his knees and sobbed when his young U.S. side were knocked out of the men’s soccer tournament during last summer’s Olympics, is hoping that his will to win (and electric talent) catches Pochettino’s eye. Now he must end the season with Wolfsburg strongly and earn a chance to feature in the USMNT’s summer friendlies or Gold Cup campaign.
Name: Paxten Aaronsen Club: FC Utrecht Position: Midfielder Appearances: 35
The 21-year-old is another young prospect hoping to gain more senior USMNT exposure this summer on the back of a strong season.
He grabbed an assist as Utrecht won 4-0 away at RKC Waalwijk in the Eredivisie. They’re now fourth in the table and level on points with Feyenoord in third. Aaronson has been a key part of this push for Champions League football, with seven league goals to his name so far and having created four more.
His success means the Dutch club, who loaned him for the season from Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, want to borrow the American again next season.
“We are in talks with Frankfurt,” said Utrecht coach Ron Jans recently. “We hope we can keep him for another year. It will take a few weeks before it is clear whether it will work.”
Whether Frankfurt are inclined to oblige remains to be seen.
Een jongensdroom die uit is gekomen voor Paxten Aaronson 💭
Johnny Cardoso is having a fine old time with his club Real Betis. They’re sixth in La Liga, on course for Europa League qualification and only six points off the Champions League qualification places.
Last Thursday, they thumped Valladolid 5-1, meaning they head into their Europa Conference League semi-final against Fiorentina on Thursday in fine fettle.
Cardoso’s performances have caught the eye and he has been praised by former USMNT player Charlie Davies.
“Johnny Cardoso: we have to talk about him now, at the moment,” Davies said on CBS Sports Golazo America. “(He’s) 23 years old, killing it at Real Betis, another massive goal for him at the club, and he was near perfect on the ball (in Betis’ previous win over Girona). I think he’s really found a good role within this team and Isco is the guy that makes this team tick, but in terms of being an outlet and being able to shuttle the ball across, he has great positioning.”
Watch them in that semi-final on Thursday (3pm, Paramount+).
Cardoso is enjoying his time with Real Betis (Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
By Saturday, we will know if Antonee Robinson has recovered from the knee pain that has plagued him lately to face Aston Villa in the Premier League (7:30am, Peacock Premium).
Given the load on him this season for club and country and the possibility of further football in the summer’s Gold Cup, it will be vital that the left-back’s minutes are managed carefully to prevent his knee issue becoming worse going into the World Cup year.
Also on Saturday, Bournemouth and Tyler Adams are charged with trying to end their season on a high after their promise stalled, leaving them in mid-table. They travel to second-placed Arsenal (12:30pm, Peacock Premium).
Finally, next Monday, see if Pulisic and Milan’s belated mini-revival can keep going when they take on Genoa (2:45pm, Paramount+).(Top photos: Getty Images)
Barcelona are the world’s most fun team to watch – because they are flawed
Among all the things we learned on Wednesday night was the reassurance that Barcelona are the world’s most entertaining team — which does not mean the best.
How Lamine Yamal carried his team in a mind-blowing exhibition, the fact they scored three goals against a team that had only conceded four in 12 games in the Champions League this season, and the mentality the squad showed in coming back from a two-goal deficit, and then 3-2 down, were a treat to witness. But all of this happened because the Catalans were imperfect, as they have been throughout the whole season.
Since Hansi Flick took charge last summer, Barca’s approach in games has been enthralling but self-destructive. They are defined by a high defensive line, which they combine with a relentless counter-press. Flick’s system has been generally well adjusted during the season, and his squad’s offensive firepower has brought them to where they are right now — in sight of a remarkable treble of La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey (which they won in similarly ridiculous fashion last weekend).
But their football is a high-wire act, and it feels like every play in a game has only two potential outcomes: Barcelona suffocates their opponent and destroys them, or as soon as a team slides through their first line of pressure, they find a vulnerable defence to capitalise on.
That was perfectly exposed in the Inter game. Barca registered 19 shots against Inter. They scored three goals and hit the woodwork two more times. Meanwhile, Inter had seven shots, three of them on target which resulted in goals, and had a fourth one disallowed because Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s toe was somehow in an offside position.
This is the price Flick has to pay in order to play like Barca do. The most extreme example is probably Yamal, a precocious talent who makes the difference like nobody else in the offensive end. However, that attacking output is offset by the knowledge that he will be less active in off-the-ball pressing or defending.
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Frenkie de Jong is similar. He is a luxury of a holding midfielder, a gifted technician that does not lose a ball, can split pressing lines driving the ball and is in the best form of his Barca career. However, as soon as he is not in possession, you will see him struggling to fill the gaps in defence, being as aggressive on duels as he should be and, therefore, making the team more vulnerable.
“We are not going to back down on our plan — in fact, I’d say the opposite,” said a source in Barcelona’s backroom staff — who prefers to remain anonymous in order to protect their position — in the build-up to the Inter game. “We’ll double our trust in the approach we have to the game. We’ll keep playing as radical as you’ve seen.”
Yamal is a genius on the ball but offers little protection (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)
Inter manager Simone Inzaghi went on the same line while speaking to Italian broadcasters after the game. “Barcelona’s strategy is very risky, but it pays off,” he said. “They’ve scored over 150 goals, have already won two titles, and are still competing for two more.”
What happened in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals is not news to Barcelona. They arrived at the game after Saturday’s fascinating Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid, when they won 3-2 with a comeback sealed in extra-time.
A week earlier, they came back from 3-1 down against Celta Vigo to claim another injury-time win in La Liga. Over the last five games Barca played across all competitions, they have conceded 11 goals.
There might be an explanation behind this recent tendency, though: Barca players are exhausted, and some are injured.
Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde were not available for the first leg, with backups Ferran Torres and Gerard Martin replacing them. Jules Kounde is very likely to miss the second leg through a hamstring injury suffered against Inter. Meanwhile, Pedri, arguably their most influential player, has spent so long on the pitch this season that he can hardly complete 90 minutes.
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“It’s not easy, when you play every three days, to train things as you’d want,” said Flick during his post-match media duties. “This is the situation. Kounde’s injury is also about playing every three days. It happens.”
It all comes at a time when Barca are facing some of the best squads in Europe as they pursue the treble. But the dressing room is not worried by that.
“It’s good to see what we do because we like to play attacking football, control the game and score goals,” said De Jong after the game. “We take some risks with that, but I think we also obtain many good things, so we will keep having the same mentality.”
De Jong says Barcelona will not sacrifice their principles (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
“We wanted more,” added Yamal. “I believe we could have won the game. I’m happy to help the team but I always want to win and that’s why I ended the game a bit bitter.
“But we will go again like we did today. We are focused on the second leg, and we’ll go right after them.”
Hold on tight: next Tuesday’s decider in Milan promises to be a must-watch.
(Top photo: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Inter Miami has little to show for Messi, star-studded roster
Lizzy Becherano ESPN May 1, 2025, 01:40 AM ET
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Chase Stadium was vibrating just moments ahead of the first whistle as supporters filled every seat, with chants echoing throughout the stands and pink Inter Miami CF flags waving in the air. By the 72nd minute, however, the Vancouver Whitecaps managed to completely silence the once lively cauldron with a fierce attack as the large scoreboard read MIA: 1, VAN: 3. The life that once coursed through the rows of Chase Stadium in the moments prior to the goals felt like a distant memory as fans succumbed to the disappointment of an elimination in the knockout round of yet another tournament. Once the referee blew the final whistle, those still left in the stands clapped, but the players ignored those efforts, choosing to exit the pitch with haste. Lionel Messi rushed into the tunnel with his head down, stepping into the darkness of Chase Stadium’s infrastructure to leave everything about this series behind him on the pitch.
Inter Miami knew they faced an enormous challenge when entering the match with a 2-0 deficit from the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal first leg, but no one expected the final 5-1 aggregate scoreline.
When signing the Barcelona boys, Inter Miami co-owner Mas vowed continuous success would enthrall spectators at Chase Stadium and fans all over the world. Though the club saw immediate results when winning the inaugural Leagues Cup trophy, in 2023, Inter Miami could not keep up with expectations. With each passing season, the club finds new ways to strengthen the playing squad and provide Messi with the necessary tools to thrive in the final third in a bid to keep that initial promise of trophies. But efforts continue to fall short, paving the way for the same, tired concern: where is the silverware for this star-studded roster?
Just over a year ago, on April 11, Inter Miami fell 5-2 on aggregate to CF Monterrey in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Former head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino blamed MLS roster rules, insisting the constraints of the American system held the team back from competing against Liga MX giants who overspend on every position. Despite the initial declarations, Inter Miami vowed to come back stronger in 2025.This year felt different for supporters as the club made several changes to the roster in hopes of finding success after the 2024 disappointments. The team incorporated players like Telasco Segovia, Tadeo Allende and Maximiliano Falcón into the starting XI, while making necessary additions to the bench for depth. At the helm, Miami found new leadership to steer the club to triumph. Mesmerized by his football philosophy, Mas insisted Javier Mascherano would be the one to untap international stardom and guide the historic leap into the semifinals.”There is pressure here to win, and that pressure is going to continue. We expect it of ourselves, our coaches and players,” Mas said when introducing Mascherano as head coach in November 2024.To which the new coach reaffirmed: “I am convinced I can do it. I have no doubt.”But instead, history repeated itself as the team fell short and Inter Miami was once again eliminated just shy of the final.Inter Miami started the second leg strongly, kicking off the match with the energy of a team that needed a miracle to advance. Players chased every ball, won those 50-50 challenges that felt impossible in Canada, and connected well on the attack.By the ninth minute, Messi danced his way to the final third to find Luis Suárez and initiate the first goal-scoring play of the night. The pass from Messi to his former Barcelona teammate and current attacking partner ignited Suárez to connect with Jordi Alba — another Barça alum — for the left-back to fire truly home.
The goal made its way through the fantastic four, starting from Sergio Busquets, coming through Messi and Suarez before Alba found the net. But the magic fizzled out in the second half, after suddenly two defensive errors cost Miami two goals in the span of three minutes and ultimately the series. Those two goals dismantled the hope of a comeback for Inter Miami and, with that, the game plan Mascherano set out to complete through his players vanished.Instead, flashbacks of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals match against Monterrey began to crop up. On April 11, 2024, the team entered the second leg at a disadvantage, needing two goals or more to secure a positive result. Though players arrived at the BBVA Stadium in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, anxious to live up to the expectations that the coach, squad and team executives set for fans, efforts disappointed. When Monterrey gained the lead, the Herons took an anemic hit and began unraveling.
Herculez Gomez and Cristina Alexander debate the biggest storylines and break down the best highlights that soccer in the Americas has to offer. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
This time around, the game felt no different.
After the 53rd minute, when Brian White and Pedro Vite scored within four minutes of each other, desperation became the leading contributor to decision-making. The deep concentration and man-to-man marking that defender Maximiliano Falcon discussed during the pre-match conference could no longer be seen on the field.Players resulted to shoving and physical tactics over technique, while Mascherano made rash decisions from the sidelines. The two goals forced the Miami boss to make key changes to the line-up, incorporating Allen Obando for Segovia, and Gonzalo Luján to replace Falcon for the first time since signing those players in pre-season.On the field, those in the attack began to sporadically shoot in the direction of the goal in hope of finding the back of the net. Even Messi, who knows how to read the field with precision to perfectly plan his next move, began involving himself in every aspect of the game with angst. The player who naturally prioritizes calculated plays over impulsive actions could not hold back from attacking every opportunity with frustration. He didn’t wait for players to find him in the final third for the determining goal-scoring opportunity, instead he went out of his way to find the ball himself across the entire pitch.
With patience, smarter decisions could’ve been made to connect passes and dance through defenders to beat the goalkeeper, as the team has done countless times this season.
Gomez: More important Inter Miami win Champions Cup than MLS
Herculez Gomez speaks ahead of Inter Miami’s Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal second leg vs. Vancouver.”In the span of three to four minutes they decided the series. We wanted to play a longer game, without rushing and with calm,” said Mascherano after the match. “We were one goal away from tying the series and what we pretended to do is have a long game.”The hardest part was done, which was to score the first goal. But this is football, especially in a semifinal. Two or three errors against a good opponent, obviously good because they reached the semifinal, but they end up hurting you and end up sentencing with the series.”The game plan dissipated and no amount of star power on the roster could save the club from elimination. Inter Miami have come to know this reality all too well. Mascherano couldn’t even rely on Tata Martino’s former excuse as the team played against three MLS teams and stood as one of the highest-valued rosters on this side of the bracket.After Wednesday’s match, Busquets vowed that Miami would come back stronger, like the team did in 2024.”We keep getting further and further every year,” he said. “But with that consolation although today it’s not much. We think ahead.”The difference this time around, however, is that time is running out, and the clock continues to wind down on the careers of Miami’s fantastic four. By 2026, the Herons may look wildly different as the contracts of Suárez, Messi, Alba and Busquets run through the end of the 2025 MLS campaign.Rumors continue to swirl, and talks remain ongoing about extending the contract of Messi, but his supporting cast may choose to retire come December, or play somewhere else, and Inter Miami will have little to show for their time in South Florida.One Leagues Cup trophy and a Supporters’ Shield is not the decorated silverware that Mas promised at the presentation of these players in 2023. Breaking the MLS record for most points scored in single season will not be enough for Inter Miami at the end of this star-studded chapter.Inter Miami still have three opportunities to win a trophy this season: MLS, the Leagues Cup and the Club World Cup. Wednesday night’s elimination has never made it more clear: this side has precious few chances left to win the silverware it so desperately craves.
Sebastian Berhalter’s arrival makes for a unique North American soccer plot twist
Study Sebastian Berhalter’s rapidly burgeoning goal catalog, and the majority of any clip’s duration leaves him out of the frame entirely.A breakout star on the Vancouver Whitecaps, currently the hottest team in North America, Berhalter is a regular starter as a right-sided central midfielder. He’s a vital part of the Whitecaps’ build-up, an increasingly expert progressive passer who rates among MLS’s best in the current season. Once the ball is among the forwards, he carefully picks his moment to arrive near the box. It’s a facet of his game that he’s been relishing in this year.Minnesota United was just the latest to learn about Berhalter’s late-arriving quality to open the scoring in their Sunday matinee.It’s perhaps a fitting calling card given Berhalter’s gradual rise as a player. Just shy of his 24th birthday, he was touted as a player to watch as a future MLS contributor but was often overshadowed. He didn’t break out before turning 20, as peers like Aidan Morris and Caden Clark may have, and he wasn’t a regular starter until landing with his third team in the league, joining Vancouver ahead of the 2022 season.These days, the son of former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter is making a name all his own, among the headliners of a Whitecaps side entering the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal second leg against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in pole position.
“It’s kind of been a steady incline, and I think that’s something that’s kind of been consistent in my life,” Berhalter told The Athletic. “It’s never come for me all at once. I’ve had to work really hard to be where I’m at, so it’s kind of like — I don’t want to say it’s what I’m expecting, but it’s something that I have the confidence that if I just keep doing what I’m going to do, then eventually it’s going to come.”
The 2020 season was poised to be the dawn of Berhalter’s MLS career. He had just signed a homegrown contract with the Columbus Crew and was projected to earn MLS minutes. When the COVID-19 pandemic put the country into lockdown, however, his development went in an entirely different direction.
With the world displaying an abundance of caution, the sport stood still for clubs and countries alike. There were no games, no training sessions for young players to get their reps and be ready for a return to play. Sebastian headed to Chicago, joining his father and working under Gregg to refine his game as his professional career was just kicking off.Look beyond the family ties, and this was a rare chance for a still-developing young midfielder to get one-on-one guidance from an active national team coach. Throughout his upbringing, Sebastian had been told he’d need to forge his own path to reach his professional dreams.“That’s probably, when I look back at it, one of the most important times in my life, in terms of as a soccer player and as a person,” the younger Berhalter said of those sessions at a field beside Lane Tech High School.“He knows how to kind of keep me in check, how to push my buttons. It was fun, man. Looking back on it, that’s exactly what I needed. I needed to kind of be broken down a little bit, and that’s what he did.”Admittedly, Sebastian didn’t always “love it all the time.” There was no corner to cut, no eased expectations to keep the peace at that night’s dinner. These sessions were tailored specifically to bolster the young player’s chances of enjoying a successful career.
Former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter now runs the Chicago Fire in MLS. (Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images)
Among the most important takeaways from these sessions was helping Sebastian adjust his game to “physically, actually just grow into my body.” Speed was at the top of the list, recalibrating his stride and explosiveness to get as much from him as he could.“He did a great job, and I’m thankful for that,” Sebastian said, “because it was one of the only times in my life he’s really trained with me. He was super hands off (when I was) growing up. It was always, like, ‘You’ve got to do it by yourself.’ It kind of instilled that into me, my work ethic — ‘OK, if I want this, I’m gonna have to go get it.’”While he didn’t immediately parlay those lessons into a starting role, making nine league appearances as the Crew went on to win MLS Cup 2020, it was a vital crash course that provided a sturdy bedrock upon which to build out his technical skillset and mental acumen.When talking about those training sessions, Berhalter calls himself “one of the luckiest guys in the world.” If he feels he needs a keen observer to provide a tip or some advice, he’s able to pick the brain of the USMNT coach with the best winning percentage of anyone who has held the job on a permanent basis.There were times, however, when that status as a national team manager put Gregg and his family in a bright, if unwanted, spotlight — perhaps at no time more than after the 2022 World Cup.
Sebastian was in Qatar throughout the USMNT’s run, seeing his dad’s team advance from its group before falling to the Netherlands in the round of 16. Soon after, news broke that midfield star Gio Reyna — whose lack of utilization was a common talking point during the team’s run — had frustrated his teammates with a lack of effort in training before the opening match against Wales. Reyna apologized to the team later during the group stage, and the matter seemed resolved.
Public interest around Reyna’s situation sustained into early 2023, when Gregg Berhalter’s comments at a leadership symposium went public. He referenced the situation (omitting any player’s name) in what he said was supposed to be an off-record session. News also broke that Reyna’s parents, Claudio and Danielle, had called U.S. Soccer to bring up a domestic incident between Gregg and his now-wife, Rosalind, while the two were in college — a perceived attempt at blackmail against a coach who didn’t start their child at a World Cup.That the two families were close and had shared deep ties with each other made for, without a doubt, one of the ugliest off-field scandals in program history. Berhalter was ultimately re-hired for a second tenure after an independent investigation, and his dynamic with Gio Reyna was a frequent point of discussion through the rest of his tenure, which ended after the 2024 Copa América. While it was undeniably a difficult moment, Sebastian felt it ultimately strengthened the Berhalters’ bond.“I think it definitely brought our family closer together, everyone,” Sebastian said. “Because of that, we’re closer together than we were before, which is cool, just to see everyone have each other’s backs. Now we know that we’re a tight-knit family.”Berhalter unequivocally said he’s proud of his father’s work with the USMNT, adding that he took cues from how Gregg handled media scrutiny.“It just never affected him. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, you’re doing your job. It’s something that I definitely take with me,” he said.Given their similar ages and parents’ friendship, Sebastian and Gio (who is roughly 18 months younger) grew up as friends. When asked if he and Gio have spoken about the saga, or if their relationship is in a better place, Sebastian simply said “no,” not displaying a desire to elaborate.
Sebastian Berhalter has had plenty to celebrate in 2025. (Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images)
To further Berhalter’s development after its 2020 MLS Cup title, Columbus sent him on loan to Austin FC for their inaugural season in 2021. Coached by Josh Wolff, a former assistant of Gregg’s with the Crew and USMNT, Sebastian Berhalter admitted he “got beat down a little bit,” but quickly assessed that it was what he needed to make it at the game’s highest level.
When Austin, whose sporting director at the time was Claudio Reyna, turned down the purchase option at the end of his loan, Berhalter was traded by Columbus to Vancouver for just $50,000 of allocation money — the lowest amount MLS allows teams to trade — with an additional $50,000 of performance metrics. Even when assuming he cleared those benchmarks, it’s among the best bargain acquisitions in recent memory.
Since joining the Whitecaps, Berhalter’s minutes have increased with each successive season, and he’s on track to eclipse his 2024 ledger of 2,021 in MLS competition. He has evolved into the archetypal box-to-box midfielder, a late-arriving number 8 who can keep the team moving towards goal while having an eagerness to track back and defend if possession changes hands. He’s part of an established core that have been together for multiple seasons, making movement patterns easier as many starters can dependably trust each other’s instincts.
“I think you see that when we play,” Berhalter said. “You can see it’s a group that’s been together for three to four years, and everyone trusts each other. Everyone believes in each other. We know each other so well. It’s nice to see that everything’s coming together.”
Goals like the opener on Sunday are also a byproduct of how the Whitecaps have had to adjust in the young season. Since 2021, Scotland international Ryan Gauld has been at the heart of Vancouver’s attack, among the best playmakers in MLS. However, Gauld picked up a knee injury in the team’s third game of the regular season, leaving reason to wonder if the club could maintain its form without its most important facilitator.Berhalter has picked up some of that responsibility, also benefitting from new coach Jesper Sørensen’s field-tilt machine that keeps more of Vancouver’s touches in the final third. As of April 29, he averages 37.4 pass attempts in the opponent’s half per 90 minutes, up from roughly 26 per 90 in each of the last three seasons. Despite the massive uptick in volume, he’s also displayed career-best accuracy, completing 87.9% of his attacking half passes and 79% of those attempted in the final third.
“It’s something I think I can do as a player, and it’s been fun,” Berhalter said of his increased utilization near the box. “I like arriving. I feel like when I arrive, I can still get back, so it’s not a big issue for me. I want to score, I want to assist, I want to help the team win games. I think that’s the most important thing, whatever role it is.”
“Arriving” is a word Berhalter uses often when talking about his progression over the past year or two, using movement to unsettle a defense as it establishes itself against an attack. Two players he studies closely in regards to arriving are Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali and Barcelona attacking midfielder Pedri.
“I think those two are ones that are a little bit different in ways,” Berhalter said. “But they both have that almost defining characteristic of having their specialties. With Tonali, it’s just powerful, being able to arrive (despite contact). Pedri, it’s the way he can take the ball anywhere and also still being able to arrive.”
He’s also a key figure on a team that’s often overlooked in the broader MLS landscape. Vancouver props up the upper-left corner of the league’s geography, some distance from other Canadian clubs in Toronto and Montreal while being overshadowed in the Pacific Northwest by a historic rivalry between the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers. This year has even more weight to it for Vancouver, as the club is actively up for sale.
Berhalter stops short of branding his team an underdog, even as it squares off with the superteam on the opposite corner of MLS’s map. He said Vancouver “doesn’t need the media attention,” and has gotten used to not getting much over the past three seasons. When bringing a 2-0 advantage from the first leg to Miami, it’s highly unlikely that the moment will phase the Whitecaps.
“Yeah, it’s one game at a time,” Berhalter said. “That’s probably been the biggest thing, because when you have that many games, you can’t look too far ahead. Especially with opponents like Miami, you can tend to look ahead and be like, ‘Oh, we’re playing this guy, playing that guy.’ It’s been good. It’s honestly been impressive with this group, how we’ve handled this. I think just internally, everyone’s been really driven, really focused, and everyone knows what they need to do to get the job done.”
Sebastian Berhalter marks Lionel Messi in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. (Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images)
The Berhalter family has never been more present in MLS, with Sebastian starring for an MLS Cup contender and Gregg attempting to rebuild the Chicago Fire as head coach and director of football. And we may again see a member of the family back with the USMNT given Sebastian’s play. Few midfielders in the U.S. pool are in as fine of form, and his two-way play and emergence stand in sharp contrast to the criticism U.S. players received after a shocking showing in March’s Nations League finals.
As of April 28, Berhalter said he hasn’t heard from manager Mauricio Pochettino or his staff about whether he’s being eyed for a possible call-up at this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. Then again, these things move quickly — Charlotte FC striker Patrick Agyemang hadn’t heard from the federation either until just before his debut in January. While Berhalter is level-headed as always with his answer, it’s clear how much it would mean for him to represent his country.
“It’s been my dream since I’ve been a kid, but I think it’s something that I’m just taking one game at a time,” Berhalter said. “Being around the national team so much — I think I’ve watched every recent game more than probably anyone else has (laughing) — but yeah, it’s not something I’m thinking about. I just worry about winning games here and performing well.”
Those wins keep coming for Vancouver, which sits atop the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings at the end of April. Goal contributions and good team results are providing plenty of highlights and moments to bookmark. So, too, did the team’s sole defeat to date in league play.
On March 22, with the Whitecaps among many teams carrying depleted rosters during the international window, Vancouver welcomed Chicago to BC Place. For the first time, Sebastian lined up against a team coached by his father. The Fire won 3-1.
Nevertheless, it was an unforgettable instance for a player who has earned his starting spot. Regardless of whether he breaks through with the U.S. before the World Cup, or at all, his form since becoming a regular in the Whitecaps’ lineup last year has cemented his arrival.
“I went to him before the game,” Sebastian said of Gregg, “and right after everyone shook hands, he just came over and said he’s proud of me. That was probably one of the coolest moments in my career, where you have your dad on the sideline telling you he’s proud of you.
“It was a cool moment. That gave me the confidence to just go have fun and enjoy it; you know, you’ve earned this.”
The prospect of a Man Utd vs Spurs Europa League final feels wrong – but is it really a shock?
n the other side of the bracket, Tottenham Hotspur took care of business in north London, beating Norway’s Bodo/Glimt 3-1. Glimt are excellent at home, and the Arctic conditions and plastic pitch at the Aspmyra Stadion will act as a leveller in the second leg, but Spurs’ two-goal advantage makes them firm favourites to reach the final.
It won’t be the first time a Premier League club has come close to European glory in unusual circumstances — England has produced a few unlikely Europa League finalists over the years. In 2005-06, when the tournament was named the UEFA Cup, Middlesbrough reached the final while toiling in the league’s bottom half, finishing 14th. They knocked out Roma and Basel, among others, before losing 4-0 to Sevilla in the final.
Fulham’s run to the final in 2009-10 was arguably even more impressive, eliminating Italian giants Juventus 5-4 on aggregate in the last 16 despite only finishing 12th in the league.
United and Tottenham’s status and financial strength meant they were both among the strong favourites to win the tournament before it started, but if they both make it to Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium on May 21, given their domestic struggles, it will rank among the Premier League’s most prominent displays of strength on the European stage.
Ruben Amorim’s domestic struggles have been forgotten in Europe (Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images)
Both sides are on course for historically poor Premier League seasons. After taking a 5-1 battering away to Liverpool on Sunday, Tottenham can no longer mathematically finish in the top half — the first time they’ll finish outside the top 10 since 2008 (also, coincidentally, the last year they won a major trophy, the League Cup).
Since breaking the top four in 2009-10, Spurs have established themselves as a near-perennial top-six club, but having already lost 19 times in the league (a club Premier League record), the prospect of restoring pride in the league is gone and winning the Europa League is the only way to save their season.Much of this narrative also applies to United, perhaps even unlikelier Europa League finalists. After a second-half collapse at Old Trafford in the quarter-final against Lyon, allowing the French club to come back from 2-0 down to lead 4-2 in extra time, United produced a fightback that was improbable even by their illustrious standards, scoring three times in seven minutes to win 5-4 on aggregate. Against all logic, both clubs, under the guidance of under-pressure head coaches, have displayed an ability to leave their weekend woes behind to step up on Thursday nights.
Should we be that surprised, though? The obvious caveat to any narrative regarding the “magic” of their European journeys, and the shock at seeing two teams who have struggled so badly in the Premier League stand on the cusp of a major trophy, is that Tottenham and United were the obvious favourites to reach this point given their financial strength.
The figures show that English top-flight clubs, particularly those in the ‘Big Six’, operate far above their Europa League competitors in terms of their transfer kitty and salary budget. Indeed, their resources dwarf many of the continent’s most prominent “legacy clubs”.
Tottenham have a vast stadium – and resources (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
According to the Deloitte Money League, United’s revenue in the 2023-24 season of £655million (€770million; £$870m) made them the fourth richest club in the world. Tottenham, whose revenues totalled £523m are ninth. The next club from this season’s Europa League in this table are 20th-placed Lyon, with revenues of £224m.
This is also the first season under the new 36-club format where third-placed clubs from the Champions League have not dropped to UEFA’s secondary tournament, eliminating the chance of facing clubs who started in Europe’s premier club competition and may come closer to financial parity.
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None of that will matter to the players or their coaches, both of whom have been under intense scrutiny given their Premier League records. The prospect of reaching a European final will also not be lost on the supporters, many of whom have travelled the country watching their clubs fail on a weekly basis. Irrespective of how likely their chances of reaching the final were before the first ball was kicked in September, the fact they’re on their way to one is remarkable given the wider context of their seasons.
Those at Old Trafford for the quarter-final second leg will be reluctant to assume the final is a formality, as will the Spurs fans who watched Glimt beat Lazio 2-0 in the quarter-final first leg in freezing temperatures Ange Postecoglou’s players are not accustomed to.
But if they meet in Spain on May 21 and Chelsea join one of them in lifting a European trophy in Poland a week later, this unlikely-ish meeting will perhaps be the most convincing display yet of the depth of quality in England’s top tier.
(Top photos: Casemiro, left, and James Maddison; Getty Images)
Is Lamine Yamal already the best footballer in Europe? And if not, who is?
“Lamine is the kind of talent that comes along every 50 years,” said Simone Inzaghi after watching the 17-year-old Yamal shine against his Inter team during a breathless 3-3 Champions League semi-final first leg draw in Barcelona.
“One thing that amazes me in football is you always think that there is nobody better than Ronaldo and Messi, (Ruud) Gullit, (Diego) Maradona, a lot of people, and then Lamine Yamal arrives,” said Thierry Henry, the former Arsenal and Barcelona forward working for U.S. broadcaster CBS.
In the afterglow of a wonderful performance, in which he scored one beautiful goal, glided across the pitch, turned defenders inside out and showed off his range of tricks, there was no shortage of praise for Yamal.
Yamal bends in a beautiful Champions League goal against Inter (Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The draw with Inter was his 100th appearance and brought his 22nd goal (along with 33 assists). At the same age, Cristiano Ronaldo had made 19 appearances (featuring five goals and four assists) and Lionel Messi had made nine, scoring once.
All of which makes it easy to conclude that he is already the best player in Europe. Or as the former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand put it: “As a pure football talent, I’m going as far as to say I think Lamine Yamal is on another level to any player playing the game in the top five leagues in world football.”
But is he already the best footballer in Europe? And if he isn’t, who is?
We asked our writers.
‘It is when, not if, he wins the Ballon d’Or’
If I could watch anyone play right now, it would be Lamine Yamal. Every time Yamal got the ball against Inter, you expected something to happen — and that something could be anything because of his incredible talent and the fact that he plays with so much freedom. His goal was breathtaking — a sinuous run and then a shot that was not just beautifully placed but executed in a way (taken early, minimal backlift) that left Yann Sommer, the Inter goalkeeper, rooted.
I actually enjoyed Yamal’s run a few minutes later even more. Poor Federico Dimcarco, who went sliding on by (totally off the pitch) as Yamal, the master of the chop, expertly dragged the ball back inside the wing-back. But for Sommer’s fingertips, we would be talking about another exceptional goal.
To say that Yamal is the best in the world right now, at the age of 17, feels like a big claim. There’s an argument that he needs to score more prolifically – he’s averaging close to one every three this season in all competitions (six goals in 30 appearances in La Liga), and for that reason, I’d put him behind someone like Mohamed Salah, whose numbers are astonishing. But Yamal is a genius and it’s a matter of when, not if, he wins the Ballon d’Or.
Stuart James
‘I’ve never seen a better 17-year-old footballer… but…’
He’s phenomenal and I love watching him. I would go so far as to say — with caveats to follow — that I’ve never seen a better 17-year-old footballer.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were incredibly talented, but they were not influencing games at the highest level at 17. What Yamal is doing is almost unheard of, but a word of caution: what Ansu Fati was doing at 17 was also extraordinary. Progression is rarely linear.
The Messi/Ronaldo period has created what is an unrealistic perception of what greatness is. In the 1990s and 2000s, “best in the world” was always a fairly fluid debate; back then, it was arguably Rivaldo or (original) Ronaldo or Zinedine Zidane or Paolo Maldini or Luis Figo or Ronaldinho or Kaka or, indeed, Thierry Henry at various points.
Messi and Ronaldo shifted expectations, but Yamal is doing things beyond them at 17 (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)
I expect the post-Messi era will be similar, with “best in the world” status more transient. This season has brought arguments, at various points, for Mohamed Salah, Raphinha, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior — not forgetting Rodri, the deserving winner of last year’s Ballon d’Or. It’s wonderful to think a 17-year-old might be part of that conversation for years to come if he continues to develop.
Oliver Kay
‘I’d still put Salah ahead of him’
He’s the player I most enjoy watching at the moment and to turn a Champions League semi-final in the way that he did, against players of that calibre, clearly describes ability that should terrify everyone.
But the best? I would still put Mohamed Salah ahead of him, just on numbers and the consistency of his output. And longevity. Salah is still dominating opponents at 32, having been studied and strategised against for years, which is a hard value to quantify but clearly worth something.
It’s extremely close, though, and if you ask me again in a year, I will probably have changed my mind.
Seb Stafford-Bloor
‘Yamal is uniting generations’
My 10-year-old nephew Flynn is in his football mad era. Last year, he asked me who Steven Gerrard was, which made me feel extremely old. He never needed to ask me who Lamine Yamal was, though. If anything, he’s the one telling me all about him. This 17-year-old kid is uniting generations with his talent.
On Saturday, my nephew, who spent the afternoon watching his beloved Tranmere Rovers secure League Two status after a dismal season, asked if we could watch the Copa del Rey final. Who was the player he most wanted to watch? You guessed it. The magic.
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When we grow up, the vividness of imagination that we enjoy during childhood fades, but when watching a player like Yamal, we are all back in time and feel capable of anything. He’s the best right now and will be high up on that list for a long time to come.
Caoimhe O’Neill
‘Mbappe is still the man’
At the top of his game, there’s no better footballer in Europe than Kylian Mbappe.
Not since Cristiano Ronaldo’s early days in Madrid have we seen a player more capable of dominating defences with an equally potent blend of skill and physicality. Whether it’s done by a shifty stepover or brute force and world-class pace, he has more tools to find a yard of space in a crowded box than anyone. Twenty-two goals in 29 league appearances in his debut La Liga season is an excellent return, but such is his quality that we expect much more in the future.
Mbappe has done it on the biggest stages (David Ramos/Getty Images)
When he inspired France to World Cup glory as a teenager, it appeared he was the immediate successor to Messi at the top. At 26, he’s yet to win a Ballon D’Or. Still, while the crown is not undisputed, Mbappe is the man in European football in my eyes.
Elias Burke
‘Clearly Barcelona’s most important player’
Yamal’s tremendous solo goal in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg between Barcelona and Inter showcased the teenager’s tremendous dribbling ability and outstanding shooting prowess.
Barca’s youngest player is already their on-pitch leader — his goal against Inter was the game’s key moment, coming with his team reeling at 2-0 down.
Over the 90 minutes, he had the most shots (6), most crosses (10), and most dribbles (6) of any player on the pitch. Only midfield colleagues Pedri and Frenkie De Jong had more interventions than his 102.
A superb fingertip save from Sommer denied him a second wonder-goal. He set up chances for team-mates Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo, his dummy distracted the defence for Raphinha’s 3-3 goal, and he hit the crossbar with a late cross-shot.
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You keep having to remind yourself that he does not turn 18 for another few months. But he is already clearly Barcelona’s most important player, nothing seems to faze him at all, and the really scary part is that he can still get a lot better.
Dermot Corrigan
‘Let’s not forget Rodri’
Please, let’s not allow injury to make us forget Rodri’s existence. The Manchester City midfielder was Spain’s key player in their European Championship win last summer and is the reigning Ballon d’Or winner.
If we’re talking about right now with the blinkered definition of a player who has literally kicked a ball in the last 48 hours, then it’s Yamal, sure. If we extend it to a player who has graced the pitch in the past week, it’s Salah.
Rodri has been absent from the pitch and maybe our minds? (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
But if we take a step back and ask who the best player currently operating is, the understated Rodri is that man. He may not play in the most heralded of positions, slaloming through and curving shots off the post, but his job is to play the position of two men. He does that at an elite level.
Only this week, he returned to Manchester City training and could return before the end of the season. Rodri, I remember you, and look forward to seeing you soon.
Jacob Whitehead
‘Is he better than Vinicius Jr at full tilt?’
In the maelstrom around Real Madrid’s Ballon d’Or no-show and banners mocking him this season, it seems we might all have forgotten just how good Vinicius Jr really is.
When he is on top form, nobody comes close — in a very literal sense. Just look at the host of right-backs the winger has left in his wake while racking up 105 goals for Madrid.
That puts him ahead of Ronaldo Nazario as the top-scoring Brazilian in Madrid’s history and is even more impressive given how much he struggled to find the target at the start of his time in the Spanish capital.
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Vinicius Jr was unplayable in the first half of this campaign, best summed up by his devastating hat-trick in a 5-2 Champions League comeback win against Borussia Dortmund.
It seemed the 24-year-old was on a mission to claim the Ballon d’Or, so perhaps it is no surprise he has failed to hit those heights since missing out on football’s most prestigious individual award to Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri in October (although he did win FIFA’s The Best award in December). The fallout did him and Madrid no favours.
Having another galactico alongside him in Mbappe has also taken some of the shine off his role for his club. Even so, there are few other players who can terrify an opposition defence in the way he does. When Vinicius Jr is at full tilt, you know something special is about to happen.
So I saw an interview where Don Garber said the Apple TV deal has introduced American’s to soccer. Boy is that guy delusional. That being said I did watch some MLS this weekend – yes a game was on Fox and a few games were also on just normal Apple TV without having to buy the season pass. In fact Sunday nights are gonna have Sunday night futbol with a 7 pm Apple TV MLS game – wish it was on Fox or FS1 but most people have normal Apple TV even if we don’t have the Season pass – so that’s a start. Oh and the games on FS2 during the week with Champions Cup have been worth the watch as well.
Champions League Leg 1 Knock out Round
So the Sweet 16 of Champions League was spectacular for some games and blowout city on others. Benefica gave Barcelona all they could handle at the Camp Nou. Liverpool survived at PSG thanks to these spectacular saves by GK Alisson (who had perhaps his best day ever in goal with 9 saves. Alisson’s Master Class) Not sure anyone expected Bayern Munich to slap down Leverkusen 3-0 or Arsenal to kill an injury plagued PSV 7-1. Of course the game of the week was the Madrid Derby a 2-1 escape at home by the holders Real Madrid over Atletico. Sets up some interesting games in leg 2 of the tourney this week.
Tues, March 11 Champions League
12:45 pm Para+TUDN Benefica 0 vs Barcelona 1
4 pm Para+ Bayer Leverkusen 0 vs Bayern Munich 3
4 pm Para+ Liverpool 1 vs PSG 0
4 pm Para+, CBSSN Ferynoord 0 vs Inter Milan 2
8:30 pm FS2 LAFC vs Columbus Champs Cup
8:30 pm TUDN Cruz Azul vs Seattle Sounders
Weds, Mar 12
1:45 pm Par+, CBSSNLille 1 vs 3 Dortmund (Reyna)
4 pm Para+, TUDN Atletico Madrid 1 vs Real Madrid 2
4 pm Para+ Aston Villa 3 vs Club Brugge 1
4 pm Para+ Arsenal 7 vs PSV (Ledezma) 1
A little warmer for the Boys Showcase last weekend with Thom Parks and Eric & man the food was good again – thanks Nate !!
GAMES ON TV
Fr, Mar 7
8 pm Amazon Prime Orlando Pride (Marta) vs Washington Spirit
Sat, Mar 8
10 am USA Brighton vs Fulham (Robinson)
10 am Peacok,Sirius Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Ipwich
12 noon Para+ Lecce vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
12:30 pm NBC Brentford vs Aston Villa
2:30 pm Apple TV Columbus vs Houston
3 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Osasuna
4:45 pm Fox Seattle Sounders vs LAFC MLS
7:30 pm Apple Dallas vs Chicago
8 pm Univision Cruz Asul vs Monterrey
10:30 pm Apple San Jose vs Minnesota
Sun, March 9
10 am CBSSN Napoli ivs Fiorentina
11”15 am ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Rayo Callencano
12:30 pm NBC Man United vs Arsenal
3:45 pm Para+, Sirius Juventus (Mckinney, Weah) vs Atalanta
7 pm Apple TV LA Galaxy vs St Louis City
Mon, March 10
4 pm USA West Ham United vs New Castle United
Tues, March 11 Champions League
12:45 pm Para+TUDN Benefica 0 vs Barcelona 1
4 pm Para+ Bayer Leverkusen 0 vs Bayern Munich 3
4 pm Para+ Liverpool 1 vs PSG 0
4 pm Para+, CBSSN Ferynoord 0 vs Inter Milan 2
8:30 pm FS2 LAFC vs Columbus Champs Cup
8:30 pm TUDN Cruz Azul vs Seattle Sounders
Weds, Mar 12
1:45 pm Par+, CBSSNLille vs Dortmund (Reyna
4 pm Para+, TUDN Atletico Madrid 1 vs Real Madrid 2
4 pm Para+ Aston Villa 3 vs Club Brugge 1
4 pm Para+ Arsenal 7 vs PSV (Ledezma) 1
8:30 pm FS2 Monterrey vs Vancouver
10:30 pm FS2 LA Galaxy vs Herediano
Thur, Mar 13 Europa League
1:45 pm Para+, CBSSN Roma 2 vs Athletic Club 1
4 pm Para+ Chelsea vs Kobenhavn
4 pm Para+, Fenerbahce 1 vs Rangers 3
4 pm Para+ Sociadad 1 vs Man United 1
8 pm Fox Sports 2 Cavalier 0 vs 2 Inter Miami (Messi)
(American’s in Parenthesis)
Saturday US Players are Playing in these Games
Coventry City v Stoke City – 7:30a on CBSSN
Haji Wright saw his first action since early November with 16’ minutes off the bench in Coventry City’s 3-2 win over Oxford United last weekend. Coventry have won four straight and are in fifth place as they prepare to face 20th place Stoke City who are just five points out of the relegation zone.
Como v Venezia – 9a on Paramount+
Gianluca Busio was back in the starting lineup last weekend after two weeks coming off the bench. Venezia played Atalanta to a scoreless draw, their second straight point against a top five team, excellent results if you are considering them in a bubble but the team is going to need to start finding ways to win matches and pull the three points if they are going to avoid relegation at the end of the season, they remain five points back of Parma in their pursuit of safety. Venezia’s opponent this weekend is 13th place Como who fell to Roma last weekend but also defeated second place Napoli recently.
Borussia Dortmund v Augsburg – 9:30a on ESPN+
Gio Reyna got his second straight league start last weekend as Borussia Dortmund defeated St. Pauli 2-0. Dortmund settled for a home draw with Lille midweek in Champions League play to put themselves into a tight spot heading into Wednesday’s return leg in Lille, Reyna came off the bench for a handful of minutes in the draw though afterwards Niko Kovac praised the midfielders defensive effort (which might be a first). With the quick turnaround it would not be surprising to see Reyne get the start again this weekend as Dortmund face an Augsburg side that sit just back of them in the Bundesliga table. After a run of appearances to start the year Noahkai banks has not seen the field in the past three matches and has just 12’ minutes in the last five so it seems unlikely he would play a significant role this weekend for an Augsburg side that are undefeated in their past eight league matches.
Wolfsburg v St Pauli – 9:30a on ESPN+
Kevin Paredes has also reportedly returned to training though the club describes it as being “partially” reintegrated so he is presumably at least a few weeks from returning to game action for Wolfsburg who are in seventh place, and just a point back from RB Leipzig for qualifying for next seasons European competitions. They face a St. Pauli side that have lost four straight and continue to flirt with relegation.
Brighton and Hove Albion v Fulham – 10a on USA Network
Antonee Robinson and Fulham travel to Brighton on Saturday to face a hot Albion side that have won five straight across all competitions. The streak have the Seagulls a point of ahead of Fulham who defeated Wolves in their last league match and Manchester United last weekend in penalties to advance in the FA Cup. Both teams are within striking distance of the top four spots and this should be a tightly contested match.
Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town – 10a on Peacock
Chris Richards, Matt Turner and Crystal Palace defeated Millwall in FA Cup action last weekend while also neatly avoiding having any teammates killed on the pitch. Turner is presumably back to the bench but Richards is likely to start again this weekend as Palace face an Ipswich side that are facing relegation but took Nottingham Forest to penalties in FA Cup action last weekend.
Lecce v AC Milan – Noon on Paramount+
AC Milan have lost three straight league matches as they have fallen to ninth place in Serie A. Yunus Musah was subbed off in the first half last week and Christian Pulisic hasn’t had a goal contribution in four whole matches, the former of which seems a fair bit more significant than the latter. It’s been a rough few weeks for Milan though as they have been bounced from Champions League play and fallen out of contention for next seasons competition as well.
PSV Eindhoven v Heerenveen – 2p on ESPN+
PSV also had a rough week, suffering a humiliating 7-1 loss to Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League round of sixteen matchup. The team also lost again in league play last weekend and haven’t won a league match since January, falling eight points back of league leading Ajax. On the more positive side of things Sergino Dest is reportedly going to be included in this weekend’s matchday squad though presumably he will be reintegrated slowly.
Sunday
Tottenham Hotspur v AFC Bournemouth – 10a on Peacock
Tyler Adams and Bournemouth travel to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. Bournemouth defeated Wolves in FA Cup action last weekend, also in penalties, but fell to Brighton in their last league match and remain in seventh place in the league standings. Tottenham fell to AZ Alkmaar in midweek Europa League action and lost to Manchester City 1-0 last weekend in league play. Tyler Adams started last weekend and played the full match including extra time to put in 120’. Adams did rest two weeks ago but has started 9 of the past ten matches for Bournemouth across all competitions and is approaching 1,400’ minutes on the season.
Real Betis v Las Palmas – 1:30p on ESPN+
Johnny Cardoso went the full 90’ and scored the opener last weekend in Real Betis’ 2-1 win over Real Madrid. The loss dropped Madrid out of a tie for first place and moved Betis into sixth place in the table. Betis will face Las Palmas this weekend who are tied with Valencia on 24 points for the final relegation spot.
Nice v Olympique Lyon – 3:45p on beIN Sports
Tanner Tessmann started again last weekend in Lyon’s 2-1 win over Brest, a match in which manager Paulo Fonseca lost his mind, picking up a red card and later receiving a 30 match suspension meaning Tessmann will certainly be working under yet another manager in the short term and likely on a more permanent basis as well. Tessmann did retain his starting position midweek as Lyon defeated 3-1 in the first leg of their Europa League match. Lyon will now face third place Nice who are holding on to the final Ligue 1 Champions League qualification position by three points.
Juventus v Atalanta – 3:45p on Paramount+
Tim Weah and Weston McKennie continue to start regularly for Juventus who have found a way to start actually winning matches rather than settling for draws, the team has won five straight, suffered just one loss on the season, and have moved into fourth place, just six points back of Inter Milan for the league lead. This weekend they face an Atalanta side that are three points ahead of them in third place and Juventus can pull even with a win. The two teams drew in their previous meeting, which is certainly not shocking given Juventus’ record this season, but it was just six weeks ago and was actually the most recent time that Juve settled for the draw. Atalanta have also been eliminated from Champions League competition and are coming off a scoreless draw with relegation threatened Venezia.
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USMNT Player Tracker: Reyna misses his chance, Turner seizes his and Wright bolsters Coventry
Gio Reyna’s struggles, Matt Turner’s FA Cup dream and a tough outing for Christian Pulisic all play part of this week’s USMNT Player Tracker.
Throughout the season, we will bring you updates on the USMNT players plying their trade in various leagues around Europe.
With a home-soil World Cup on the horizon, and Mauricio Pochettino preparing to announce his squad for the forthcoming Nations League semi-final against Panama, we’re keeping tabs on how they perform every weekend.
Issue of the weekend
Opportunity has knocked for Gio Reyna lately, but his answer has been less than emphatic.
In truth, it has been more of a whisper than a resounding declaration that he’s ready to revive his prospects at Borussia Dortmund.
With previous first-choice attacking midfielder Julian Brandt injured, Reyna was given a chance to start more games by head coach Niko Kovac. It was needed. Before the last two Bundesliga games, the 22-year-old USMNT international had started only one top-flight game this season, even if that inactivity was largely born of all-too familiar injury misfortune.
It feels like a long time since his name was spoken of in excited terms as a youngster with the potential to follow Christian Pulisic in taking European football by storm.
Last season’s loan to Premier League side Nottingham Forest, where he only made 10 appearances, was unconvincing. That was why the last two games, the club’s welcome wins over Union Berlin and St Pauli, represented a chance for Reyna to show Kovac that he can be counted on to make an impact in the No 10 role behind Serhou Guirassy.
The results have been negligible. On Saturday, in the 2-0 triumph at St Pauli, Reyna mustered an underwhelming 73 minutes. Dortmund won, but he left little impression on the game before being replaced by Carney Chukwuemeka.
Reyna challenges St Pauli’s Siebe Van Der Heyden in the air on Saturday (Selim Sudheimer/Getty Images)
“Reyna’s flurry of recent starts is misleading; it’s not indicative of him having found new favour under head coach Kovac,” writes The Athletic’s German football correspondent Seb Stafford-Bloor. “Instead, with Brandt recently returning from injury and Chukwuemeka only fit enough for brief involvement, Reyna finds himself in the team almost by default, with a return to the bench likely for the Champions League game against Lille on Tuesday.
“He took up some good positions against St Pauli, finding space between the lines and dropping off the play to provide a useful receiving option, but he struggled to do anything penetrative or effective with the ball, seeming to want more time than was on offer against a tough, hard-working opponent.”
Perhaps Reyna can find the spark if he is involved for his country against Panama in the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final later this month. But he has plenty to do if he is to play a greater part in the rest of Dortmund’s season.
For now, question marks will remain over his future and whether the American requires a move to resurrect his career and find a team where he can become a regular.
Another USMNT star trying to make his mark when the chance comes is Matt Turner. For the goalkeeper’s part, at least, the evidence is a bit more compelling.
Turner is second choice at Crystal Palace, but he is making an impression as the club’s ‘cup keeper’ this season. He played in a Carabao Cup win at Aston Villa back in October, and has started all three of Palace’s FA Cup fixtures to date, keeping two clean sheets. Manager Oliver Glasner clearly trusts him to deputise for Dean Henderson.
On Saturday the 30-year-old helped Palace reach the quarter-final of the competition courtesy of a 3-1 win over local rivals Millwall.
He did not manage to secure a shutout as in the previous two rounds, conceding a goal to the second-tier side when he pushed away a low drive from Femi Azeez and Wes Harding’s follow-up shot deflected off Ben Chilwell and into the net.
But, beyond that, Turner commanded his area well enough, with his distribution largely accurate and assured.
Turner catches a Millwall cross (Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
He is only on loan at the south London club, having moved after losing his place at Nottingham Forest, and he has had to be patient at Palace, too, with no starts in the Premier League to date. Henderson has been outstanding this season, leaving Turner watching on from the bench.
Speaking to the media before the win on Saturday, Glasner reminded everyone that Turner knew his remit when he agreed to join the club in the summer, but said he has been impressed with his contribution when called upon.
“It’s not a gift — he’s just deserving (of his place against Millwall),” Glasner said in the pre-game press conference. “I can see his ambition in training. He’s always giving 100 per cent in every single training (session). He also deserves some games.”
Pressed on how content Turner is with his role as Henderson’s back-up, Glasner added: “He knew it when he arrived. We were always pretty clear. He always knew that Dean is the No 1 because he is doing an amazing job for us.”
Whatever his long-term future holds, in the short term Turner has helped his club earn a quarter-final trip to Fulham, where he will face compatriot Antonee Robinson later this month.
Quote of the weekend
Last week, this column pondered the pressing question of who leads the line for Mauricio Pochettino given Ricardo Pepi’s season has been ended early by injury at PSV and Folarin Balogun is similarly struggling at Monaco.
The latter is at least hoping to return before the Ligue 1 campaign ends, but he will not have recovered from his shoulder problems by the Panama game later this month. Pochettino, therefore, might look instead for options in England’s Championship, their second-tier.
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Josh Sargent, who has had his own injury travails this season, is fit and featuring regularly once more for Norwich City. He has scored 11 goals this season, with seven of them coming in the six matches before Saturday’s draw at Blackburn Rovers, where he drew a blank.
Meanwhile, at Coventry City, manager Frank Lampard continues to give positive updates on his U.S. forward Haji Wright.
Wright injured his ankle in the closing stages of a 2-2 draw away to Sunderland in early November having scored earlier in the game. That was back when Coventry were between the sacking of Mark Robins and the appointment of Lampard.
Wright returned at Oxford on Saturday (Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
Four months on, he came off the bench in the second half of Saturday’s 3-2 win away to Oxford, a victory which took Coventry up to fifth in the Championship. It was his first appearance since Lampard took over and, the manager was encouraged by the American’s 16-minute cameo, even if Wright was understandably rusty. The 26-year-old only touched the ball five times.
“Haji comes on and we know he’s a big player for us,” Lampard said afterwards. “He needs more minutes to get to that 100 per cent. Getting fit and working in training is one thing, but when you’re coming back into games that are fast, you have to be robust.
“So those will be good minutes for him today and it gives us more power in the squad where we’ve been lacking when players were out.“
More power for Lampard, then, and more much-needed potential options for Pochettino.
Name: Christian Pulisic Club: Milan Position: Forward Appearances (all competitions): 36 Goals: 12
Before starting him for Milan against Lazio in what turned out to be their third consecutive Serie A defeat, head coach Sergio Conceicao revealed that Pulisic had been playing with a slight injury over recent weeks which has limited his game time.
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“On the morning of the match against Bologna, the doctor told me he couldn’t play and I had prepared the game with him on the pitch,” he said. “I had to find a solution, but he’s been playing for a month with a small physical problem.”
The issue did not prevent under-pressure Conceicao selecting one of his star men to start against Lazio on Sunday, but Pulisic could not check his side’s alarming slump.
Pulisic attempts to evade Lazio’s Nuno Tavares and Mario Gila Fuentes (Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images)
Now ninth in the table, their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are receding and it would be a blow for Pulisic not to feature in Europe’s elite club competition next term, especially given his exciting displays in Milan’s group stage this time around, when he scored four goals and provided an assist in nine matches.
But those heady days seem a long time ago after Milan were knocked out in the play-off stage by Feyenoord last month.
On Sunday, Conceicao admitted everyone is “feeling the tension” after a section of fans protested by leaving the iconic Curva Sud stand empty for the first 15 minutes of the game. Upon their return some chanted that the players were “shameful” and demanded American owners RedBird sell the club.
Against that tumultuous backdrop, Pulisic endured an underwhelming game by his standards. He was replaced on 70 minutes by Samuel Chukueweze and, prior to that managed, only to steer Joao Felix’s low cross off target and behind for a goal kick as Milan chased a way back into the game.
Name: Johnny Cardoso Club: Real Betis Position: Midfield Appearances: 31 Goals: 2
The 23-year-old was celebrating on Saturday night after he scored in Real Betis’ memorable 2-1 win over La Liga giants Real Madrid at Estadio Benito Villamarin.
Cardoso joined an exclusive list along the way. He is now only the second American to score against Real Madrid in 20 years, following Pulisic’s goal in the 2021 Champions League semi-final for Chelsea.
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His header on 34 minutes brought the hosts level, and they went on to seize a mammoth scalp when former Madrid man Isco scored a penalty to make it 2-1.
Cardoso had a mightily impressive game and, although he has his work cut-out to break up the USMNT central midfield axis of Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie, he is helping his chances with a series of assured displays lately.
But speculation remains that he could still be set for a summer move. The Athletic reported in December that, as part of the negotiations with Betis over selling Giovani Lo Celso last summer, Spurs included a clause relating to Cardoso. Spurs had a first refusal option on the central midfielder but this would only become active in the summer.
Betis say that the clause is unaffected by Cardoso’s new terms.
Johnny Cardoso celebrates scoring Real Betis’ equaliser (DAX Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Adams helped Bournemouth into the FA Cup quarter-finals after they beat Wolves on penalties at the Vitality Stadium in the fifth round of the competition on Saturday.
The American didn’t take one of the spot kicks, but he was influential in the preceding 120 minutes as the sides fought out a 1-1 stalemate, maintaining his impressive recent form in the process. Bournemouth must now face Manchester City in the next stage.
Name: Ethan Horvath Club: Cardiff City Position: Goalkeeper Appearances: 8
Horvath was praised as “superb” by Cardiff coach Omer Riza after his display in the Welsh club’s FA Cup fifth-round defeat by Premier League Aston Villa on Friday.
The 29-year-old made seven saves before Villa’s superior firepower eventually broke the deadlock. And even though Cardiff went on to lose 2-0, Riza was impressed by the American keeper’s display.
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“He’s (Horvath) had to be really patient,” he told Optus Sport. “Jak’s (Alnwick) been playing a lot this season and Ethan’s had to be really patient and he’s worked really hard, showed great character and attitude constantly.
“His opportunity came around last week and his performance today was superb. Some of the saves he pulled off… the quality with his feet playing around the back. So (I’m) really pleased for him. Really important player for us moving forward in the league.”
Horvath denies Ollie Watkins at Villa Park (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
What’s coming up?
(All Eastern Time)
See if Horvath’s impressive display against Premier League opposition earns him another start in the league for Cardiff on Tuesday when they face U.S.-owned Burnley (Paramount+, 2:45pm).
Burnley, who feature exciting American attacker Luca Koleosho in their ranks, are looking to respond to a 3-0 FA Cup defeat by Preston North End on Saturday, but they still sit third in the table, while Horvath’s Cardiff are 20th and just five points clear of the drop zone.
At 3pm (CBSSN/Paramount+) on the same afternoon, we will see if Reyna gets a chance to build on his recent Bundesliga starts for Dortmund when they take on Lille in the Champions League. His rival for a starting berth, Brandt, appears to have recovered from a muscle problem and is breathing down Reyna’s neck.
With Cardoso still on a high following his exploits against Real Madrid, he is in Europa Conference League action on Thursday when Real Betis take on Vitoria Guimaraes (12:45pm, Paramount+).
(Top photos: Getty Images)
NWSL’s new docuseries focuses on players’ competitiveness and passion on the field
The first docuseries about the NWSL playoffs is here just in time for the 2025 season.
The new four-part series, For the Win: NWSL, green-lit by the league’s organisers in February, was released in full on Amazon’s Prime Video on Thursday. The series promised an immersive, behind-the-scenes look at teams’ playoff runs during the 2024 postseason. The series did exactly what it set out to do. However, it now begs the question: what’s next?
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For longtime fans of the NWSL, the series relives some of the most thrilling highlights of the postseason. For new fans, it’s a crash course on some must-know narratives heading into the upcoming campaign. It is especially prevalent on the eve of Friday’s Challenge Cup, a rematch of last year’s championship game between the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit with a trophy on the line.
The series is a promising start but it caters more to the uninitiated.
Following a private viewing of the film at the Paley Center for Media in New York City on Tuesday, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said that reaching new fans will be “the theme of 2025.”
“You’re going to see a lot of initiatives to give not just our current core fans but future fans, too, an opportunity to discover us,” Berman said during a Q&A moderated by former NFL quarterback Eli Manning, a Gotham FC minority owner, with Gotham defender Nealy Martin and the film’s director, Marie Margolius. “That was the whole strategy behind our media deal, and that is going to be what you’re going to see manifest throughout this year, which is to see the NWSL and our players showing up in unsuspecting places.”
One of those initiatives includes the league’s “Just Watch” marketing campaign launching next week.
The idea for the docuseries came together last year, Berman said. At the time, the league was pitched by “all of the top producers and directors” for projects about the NWSL, she said. The league realized the opportunity it had and eventually partnered with the production studio Words + Pictures for the series. Prime Video, one of the league’s media rights holders, later agreed to carry the series.
“Telling (players’) stories, both on and off the pitch, is the best way for us to make sure everybody knows who we are,” Berman said, “and hopefully then drive them towards watching the games, because that’s how we’re going to grow the business and get these players paid what they’re worth.”
The docuseries is just one ingredient in a larger recipe to grow exposure for the NWSL. The hope is that the docuseries will pick up on the successful momentum from the first year of the league’s historic four-year media rights deal, which includes ESPN, CBS, Prime Video and Scripps Sports.
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Margolius, the series’ director, was also a producer on Netflix’s Under Pressure docuseries, which followed the U.S. women’s national team during their World Cup run in 2023. In an interview with The Athletic before the premiere, Margolius described the new docuseries as a dream project, especially as someone who played collegiately at Harvard University and later professionally in Sweden.
“I played soccer my whole life. It was and is a huge part of my identity,” Margolius said. “Getting to direct this project was, first of all, in so many ways, like a dream come true, but also really easy, because I’ve been a fan of the NWSL for so long.”
Margolius even played against some of the players highlighted in the film, like Orlando’s co-captain, Kylie Strom. The two crossed paths when Margolius was at Harvard and Strom at Boston University. While Margolius’ background was valuable for the process, her goal was to make the players relatable to a wider audience, so she found ways to connect with them on a more personal level while leading the project.
Marie Margolius, second right, directed the series. (Valerie Terranova / Getty Images)
“The thing that allowed me to lead the storytelling process was the ability to connect with the players on a human level,” Margolius said. “We do a lot of sports storytelling. But we always say, it’s actually not about the sport at all. The sport is the vehicle that moves the thing forward. But the reason these stories are so fun to tell and hear and see is the human stuff.”
The series begins in Orlando five weeks before playoffs and concludes with highlights from this year’s busy offseason and expectations heading into 2025. The series is, essentially, a snapshot of the highs and lows of last year’s postseason, walking through the rivalries that were formed, including the Gotham-Spirit battle at Audi Field during the semifinals, and introducing the audience to a wide range of players, from Spirit’s rising star Trinity Rodman and Orlando defender Strom to then-Gotham forward Lynn Williams, who has since joined Seattle Reign.
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The series also explores the many retirements that happened in 2024, as many question who the next faces of the NWSL will be. Rodman was heavily featured throughout the series as one of those fresh faces. There is an awkward moment with Amazon product placement when showing that Rodman was named to the NWSL’s Best XI of the month presented, of course, by Amazon Prime.
Trinity Rodman was heavily featured in the docuseries. (Roger Wimmer / Getty Images)
For fans who followed the playoffs closely, the series can feel repetitive. That’s where the unprecedented access behind the scenes comes into play, offering longtime fans little nuggets to hold onto.
There are the constant jumps to interviews with soccer analyst Heather O’Reilly or Bay FC co-founder Brandi Chastain, who need no introduction. There are also glimpses into private moments, such as when the North Carolina Courage squad watched Orlando topple the Chicago Red Stars (now Chicago Stars), 4-1, in the quarterfinals. A player is overheard jokingly asking, “Did Chicago not scout them?”
There’s also a scene where veteran players O’Reilly and Alex Morgan chat at Kelley O’Hara’s retirement game at Red Bull Arena. Discussing retirement, they declared the eight-hour workday as way too long. (Relatable.)
The series, however, only scratches the surface and leaves out the kind of context fans of the league are drawn to. There is a brief mention of disgraced ex-coach Paul Riley, for example, when the series delves into the Portland Thorns’ historic dominance. While there is mention of the Sally Yates report and images shown from the player protests that followed reports published by The Athletic and Washington Post that exposed widespread abuse in the NWSL in 2021, not much else was mentioned about that period for the league.
It seems that was on purpose, as Margolius said the series’ creators made a conscious effort to keep the narrative strictly focused on the playoffs.
“While I certainly had an urge to be original and make this stand out in some way, I was even more conscientious of making sure that I was not changing the storytelling tactics just because it was women at the center of it,” Margolius said during the Q&A on Tuesday. “So often when we cover women’s sports, we tend to water down the competitiveness or the passion or the failure in lieu of very worthy stories, but stories of advocacy and family and the trials and tribulations of being a female athlete.”
Orlando Pride won the NWSL Championship in 2024, defeating the Washington Spirit. (Bill Barrett / Getty Images)
That’s why, Margolius said, they leaned heavily into the grit and tenacity of the playoffs. That was potentially at the risk of being too linear for some fans.
“In this league, there are stakes and there are heroes and there are underdogs,” Margolius said. “All the things you need for a great story.”
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The series will certainly leave the viewers wanting more — either more access, more stories, or more narratives — but it also leaves room for there to be more. It’s an interesting place for the NWSL, as it grapples with what the league’s future will look like as it grows through more media exposure, high-profile investors and expansion.
For Margolius, the hope is more stories will follow.
“Series like this will inspire more of this type of storytelling and in doing so, we’ll grow the sport,” she said. “That’s the beauty of these types of series.”
(Top photo: Valerie Terranova / Getty Images)
What is a ‘smash and grab’ win in soccer – and which ones did our writers most enjoy?
But what precisely is a ‘smash and grab’ and which ones rank as their most memorable? Here, The Athletic‘s Adam Hurrey offers his definition, and our writers choose their favourites — please add your own in the comments below.
[Team X] 0-1 [Team Y]
Now, this smash-and-grab affair may never have happened, but this is how it should happen.
By heavy implication, only away teams are eligible to smash and grab (at a push, we could allow it to happen at a neutral ground, but other cup-final narratives would likely take over in that situation.)
Their goal has to “live a charmed life”, thanks to the woodwork (struck at least once) and/or the relative heroics of their goalkeeper (the more saves they make, the more straightforward they are allowed to be, history won’t remember them individually). It is mandatory for media reports to observe that the smash-and-grabbers “rode their luck” (ideally “at times”, a clarification that serves very little purpose other than, if anything, to dilute the smash-and-grab credentials) and there is an option to retrospectively declare their display as some sort of “gameplan”, no matter their manager’s tactical ethos.
Smashing and grabbing, in football terms, should be as concise an act as possible, which is why 1-0 wins are the most common result (although a second goal, scored as the other team desperately try to salvage a situation they shouldn’t be in, can be accommodated quite comfortably, although does run a slight risk of the game being framed as the counter-attackers having “picked off” their opponents, which implies a far higher level of tactical shrewdness over sheer, in-the-moment opportunism.)
The goal itself should be scored on the counter-attack (set-piece goals are still eligible to be called “a sucker punch”), a scenario which accentuates the one-sidedness of the game up to that crucial moment. This provides the bonus flourish of a gathering sense of dread amongst the home fans as the attack develops.
The finish shouldn’t be too sumptuous — ideally slid home beyond a full-stretch goalkeeper, not unlike Harvey Elliott’s in Paris.
Late goals are best, but not compulsory, and should ideally leave at least three opposition players prone on the turf in shattered resignation.
Adam Hurrey
May 2012: Bayern Munich 1 Chelsea 1 (AET, Chelsea win 4-3 on pens)
One of the greatest nights in Chelsea’s history was also one of their greatest rearguard displays, perhaps only rivalled by the two legs in the semi-final against Barcelona which preceded it.
Being outplayed by Bayern was inevitable. Chelsea were facing the Bundesliga side on their own pitch and without key players John Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles through suspension. Centre-back duo David Luiz and Gary Cahill had been rushed back from hamstring injuries to start their first game in weeks, while academy graduate Ryan Bertrand made his Champions League debut in the final.
Bayern dominated the shot count 23-6, with a further 11 efforts blocked by the desperate actions of Chelsea’s back line. The corner count read 20-1 and yet it was from that solitary Chelsea corner, won in the 88th minute, that Didier Drogba headed the crucial equaliser to take the tie into extra time.
Drogba scored Chelsea’s equaliser against Bayern in 2012 (Patrik Stollarz/AFP/GettyImages)
Then it was all about goalkeeper Petr Cech. He saved an extra-time penalty from Arjen Robben before stopping another two in the shootout, ensuring Chelsea triumphed despite Juan Mata’s early miss.
No one connected to the club cared that they rode their luck to win the European Cup for the first time.
Simon Johnson
May 2001: Arsenal 1 Liverpool 2
Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium, the first FA Cup final while Wembley Stadium was being redeveloped, and a dominant Arsenal threatened to run riot against Gerard Houllier’s Liverpool.
Stephane Henchoz somehow escaped conceding an early penalty, and a red card, after blocking a goal-bound Thierry Henry shot with his left arm (a happy knack of his at the time). The referee ignored the block entirely and gave a goal kick.
Unperturbed, Arsenal poured forward. Sami Hyypia was forced into a flurry of last-ditch clearances, while Sander Westerveld excelled. Yes, really. Freddie Ljungberg eventually forced Arsene Wenger’s team ahead 19 minutes from time, but Westerveld thwarted their attempts to add a second for reassurance. And how they regretted that.
Liverpool, one Emile Heskey header aside, had offered precious little. Then, eight minutes from the end, Arsenal laboured to clear a Gary McAllister free kick and watched aghast as Michael Owen converted beyond David Seaman. The England striker ensured there was no need for extra time, too, by scuttling on to a Patrik Berger pass to pilfer a winner in what little time remained.
“When you’ve got Michael Owen in your team,” offered McAllister, “that’s what can happen.”
Dominic Fifield
Michael Owen was the difference for Liverpool against Arsenal (Ben Radford/ALLSPORT)
August 2017: Billericay 0 Kingstonian 1
When Essex millionaire Glenn Tamplin bought Isthmian Premier League side Billericay Town in 2017, he did precisely what you’d expect. He sacked experienced manager Craig Edwards, appointed himself the manager, and spent big money on former Premier League stars Jermaine Pennant, Jamie O’Hara and Paul Konchesky.
This benefited my team, Kingstonian, who picked up Edwards as their manager. And, football being football, the opening fixture of the following season was inevitably Billericay against Kingstonian. The owner-manager against the manager he’d sacked. And an England international (Konchesky) and a Champions League finalist (Pennant) against, for example, a bloke who had done the roofing on my house a couple of years beforehand.
This played out exactly as you’d expect. Billericay had all the pressure, all the ball, all the shots… and absolutely nothing to show for it.
And then, after a previous Kingstonian counter-attack had got a Billericay defender sent off, Ks midfielder Lewis Taylor drove through midfield, got a lucky bounce, found himself through on goal and blasted home with the clock showing 89:58. 0-1.
If you watch the video carefully, you can see me behind the goal, running the wrong way in celebration having momentarily lost the plot.
Michael Cox
May 2014: Derby County 0 QPR 1
Harry Redknapp had lost faith.
“I’d be a liar if I said I could see us scoring. We were hanging on.”
To say Redknapp’s Queens Park Rangers team didn’t have the best of the 2014 Championship play-off final against Derby is to offer one of the great understatements. Midfielder Gary O’Neil had been sent off just after the hour mark, but even before that Derby were the better team. They ended the game with 68 per cent possession and as the clock ticked into the 90th minute, QPR hadn’t managed a shot on target. What’s more, their ’keeper Rob Green had dislocated his thumb. Things looked bleak.
The game looked like such a foregone conclusion that Redknapp had already decided he was going to retire, unable to muster the enthusiasm for another season in the Championship. “With 10 minutes to go, I was thinking, ‘Which golf club should I join this year?’” he said later that summer. “Then, suddenly, Bobby ruined it all.”
‘Bobby’ was Bobby Zamora. In the 90th minute, QPR made a rare foray into the Derby half, winger Junior Hoilett put a cross into the box, Richard Keogh scuffed a clearance and Zamora lashed an instinctive finish into the corner of the net.
There was neither enough time, nor emotional energy after such a crushing moment, for Derby to respond.
“It was the cruellest game ever,” Derby manager Steve McClaren told the BBC afterwards. It’s tricky to disagree.
Nick Miller
June 1988: England 0 Republic of Ireland 1
Was this game quite as one-sided as legend — or at least my memory — suggests? Probably not. But I remember watching as a 13-year-old and finding it truly unbelievable that England had so many chances but Ireland won it 1-0.
England went into Euro 88 as one of the favourites — almost justifiable for once, after a highly impressive qualifying campaign — and Ireland, having qualified for their first major tournament, were perceived as plucky underdogs who were just there to enjoy the ride.
But what transpired in Stuttgart was one of the greatest days in Irish football history as Ray Houghton’s sixth-minute goal was followed by an astonishing rearguard action from Jack Charlton’s team.
Ireland celebrate Ray Houghton’s goal (Peter Robinson – PA Images via Getty Images)
It is best remembered for the performance of Ireland goalkeeper Pat Bonner, who made a series of brilliant saves to deny Gary Lineker and his much-vaunted England team-mates. English TV commentators inevitably talked about “the luck of the Irish” but Bonner was outstanding that day.
Incidentally, I did debate whether the term “smash and grab” can apply when the only goal of the game comes early, rather than late. Adam Hurrey, of the Football Cliches podcast, says it can. And Adam’s word on such matters is final.
Oliver Kay
February 2021: Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Crystal Palace 2
Sometimes a commentator just captures the moment.
“They couldn’t, could they?” intoned Sky Sports’ Bill Leslie, after Crystal Palace engineered the ball down their left wing and Andros Townsend slung over a hopeful ball towards the back post.
Some context. To say that Palace had been second-best in this Premier League game against Brighton, the club’s greatest rivals, would be to underplay their inadequacy to an almost criminal degree. Brighton had enjoyed 75 per cent of possession; they had fired off 25 shots to Palace’s two; and had taken 52 touches in their opponents’ area. Yet somehow the score was tied at 1-1.
Hence Leslie’s incredulity when, in the fifth minute of added time, Townsend’s pass looped towards Christian Benteke at the back post. But this is where things got silly: Benteke, keeping his eye fixed on the cross, peeled off Dan Burn and swung his right boot at the dropping ball. The connection was clean and his shot found the far corner of Robert Sanchez’s net.
Look away now Brighton fans…! 🙈#OnThisDay last year, Christian Benteke struck this superb volley in the dying minutes to win the M23 derby! 💥 pic.twitter.com/JIUNoU8YL8
It was the second time that Palace had touched the ball in the Brighton box — the first had been Jean-Philippe Mateta’s ridiculous back-heeled opening goal, at a time when Mateta was very much not the Mohamed Salah-esque attacker of 2025 — and completed the single most outrageous piece of footballing larceny I have ever witnessed. It was also probably the funniest.
Its status in Palace folklore even prompted the club’s website to ask Leslie about his commentary three months later. “It was impossible that they didn’t lose that game,” he reflected.
And yet they won it.
Andrew Fifield
March 1996: Newcastle United 0 Manchester United 1
It’s hard to remember, so many years and disappointments later, what optimism felt like. Kevin Keegan had been stoking it on Tyneside for a while by then, giving a city that had lost its way something it hadn’t felt for years: belief.
Newcastle were top of the league, four points ahead of Manchester United with a game in hand. The title, incredibly, was a possibility, if they could just keep Alex Ferguson’s team at bay, if they could just keep notching up points, if they could just win this next match… against Manchester United.
It was at St James’ Park and Keegan’s ‘entertainers’ – Ginola, Beardsley, Asprilla, Ferdinand – were at their peak. For 45 minutes Newcastle battered their guests, a word Ferguson later used himself. Except for one thing. Newcastle were unable to do what they were known for: score.
At half-time it was still 0-0, Peter Schmeichel having kept his team in it with some astonishing saves. Ferguson got the hairdryer out and Keegan told his players they were fantastic, but they weren’t fantastic enough. In the 51st minute, Eric Cantona scored a volley to make it 1-0. Dreams crushed.
That season scarred a generation of Newcastle fans. We really started to think we could be somebody, but reality returned with that 1-0 loss and the 4-3 defeat to Liverpool shortly afterward.
Sadly, that season calcified in many of us, such that young fans who, for example, think we could win at Wembley in 11 days’ time, seem almost alien in their hope.
Andrew Hankinson
April 2021: Manchester City 1 Leeds United 2
Manchester City, en route to being crowned Premier League champions, had won 27 of their 28 previous fixtures, in all competitions, when Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United arrived in town. Pep Guardiola’s side had lost only three of their previous 48 games, running back to the start of that season.
Leeds started well, opening the scoring through Stuart Dallas before half-time, but that was swiftly undone by his best friend, Liam Cooper, getting sent off moments later.
Everyone justifiably expected a second-half rout: Leeds had barely created a chance with 11 players, let alone 10, but they somehow held on until the 76th minute when Ferran Torres broke through to equalise.
Dallas played his part in what became a rearguard action, but then arguably his crowning moment as a Leeds footballer arrived. Exhausted by the mental toil of keeping this elite team out at the other end, Dallas, as he always did, found it within himself to dig out one last raid.
He would outrun both John Stones and Fernandinho, hold off the former and then stick the ball through Ederson’s legs in injury time to seal one of the unlikeliest results of that, or any other, season.
Beren Cross
Stuart Dallas was Leeds’ unlikely hero at Manchester City (Michael Regan/AFP via Getty Images)
December 2019: Wolves 1 Tottenham Hotspur 2
It was the first month of Jose Mourinho’s time at Tottenham Hotspur. He had taken over an experienced squad, but one that had run out of physical and mental energy and needed a lift. They needed to find a new way to win. Especially away from home.
On a rainy Sunday in December, they went to Molineux to face a Wolverhampton Wanderers side unbeaten in 11 in the league. Lucas Moura put Spurs ahead but Wolves dominated the whole game. Every time Adama Traore ran at Tottenham, he had them panicking. He scored the equaliser and Wolves looked like the only team who could win. Even Spurs’ tactical fouling struggled to stop him.
But in added time, Christian Eriksen curled a corner kick towards the penalty spot and Jan Vertonghen was unmarked to head past Rui Patricio. Vertonghen, like the whole Spurs team, had had a very difficult afternoon. But he ended up a winner in the end.
Jack Pitt-Brooke
(Top photo: Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images
U.S. Soccer president Parlow Cone seeks another term with more backing than ever
When Cindy Parlow Cone took over as president of U.S. Soccer in 2020, the federation and the sport in the country felt as fractured as it ever had.
The next five years under Parlow Cone’s leadership — which included a tight re-election campaign in 2022 — presented numerous challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic, an equal pay lawsuit, two collective bargaining agreement negotiations and the Sally Yates report. Somehow, U.S. Soccer emerged from it all looking like a more united organization, and one with real momentum heading into the 2026 World Cup.
For Parlow Cone, who has spent her life in the sport, the work started with one idea: building trust.
“You can’t build it overnight,” Cone told The Athletic in a phone interview from Atlanta, where U.S. Soccer held its annual general meeting this week. “When I won the last election, there were many who still didn’t really know me, didn’t know what I was all about. And I’ve been trying to be as transparent as I can be and as consistent, and I think we’ve built trust through saying what we’re going to do and then actually following through on that. It sounds simple, but it’s really important. If you want to build trust, you have to build it slowly. I couldn’t change everything overnight. I had to share my vision and share what we were as a federation at the time, what we were capable of doing, and (saying) ‘this is the vision of where we’re trying to go.’ And so I think just setting the expectations and then following through on the things that I said we were going to do has really helped to build the trust.”
Parlow Cone, the first woman to win a full U.S. Soccer presidential election since the federation’s founding in 1913, told The Athletic she will seek re-election for a second full term as U.S. Soccer president.
She does so with the endorsement of numerous stakeholders in the game that backed her bid in 2022, including prominent members of the pro and athlete’s council like MLS commissioner Don Garber, USL CEO Alec Papadakis and former USWNT player Danielle Slaton.
She also goes into this re-election bid with verbal commitments of support from other key constituents, including the NWSL, as well as several youth and adult amateur organizations and state associations that did not necessarily support her in 2022, when her margin of victory—52.9% to 47.1% in a weighted vote—was the smallest in a contested election since at least 1990, according to Soccer America.
She came into the role in 2020, rising from her position as vice president upon former president Carlos Cordeiro’s resignation amid the fallout of a misogynistic legal filing in a gender discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. women’s national team. She finished out Cordeiro’s term, then fended him off to remain president in 2022.
Whether she will face another challenge in 2026 remains to be seen, but Parlow Cone seems to have high levels of support to continue on in her role. Her ability to win over grassroots stakeholders over the course of this term makes the path for a challenger more difficult.
“I am happy to endorse Cindy Cone for re-election for the Presidency of U.S. Soccer,” said John Motta, president of the United States Adult Soccer Association in a statement. “Having been on the board for many years, I have seen Cindy bring U.S. Soccer to levels that we could not have imagined 10 years ago. Her vision to bring in the right people to lead U.S. Soccer has shown great results. We are on the right path, and I support her bid for re-election to bring U.S. Soccer to its greater potential.”
Said Garber in a statement: “I am proud to support Cindy Parlow Cone’s re-election as US Soccer president. Over the last five years, Cindy has been an excellent leader for the organization, helping revitalize the Federation, expand the game at every skill level, and excite even more Americans about the beautiful game. With the preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup ahead of us, her work isn’t finished, and I can’t think of a better person to grow the game and partner with every stakeholder in the U.S. Soccer family.”
U.S. Soccer’s accomplishments and successes under Parlow Cone are numerous. She guided the federation through the equal pay lawsuit and a $24 million settlement. She successfully negotiated CBAs that included equalizing pay and World Cup prize money. She committed to transparency around the Yates report, which investigated allegations of abuse and misconduct in women’s soccer, and published it in full. She also spearheaded efforts for a national training center outside of Atlanta and helped to negotiate record sponsorship and media rights deals.
Parlow Cone, 46, said she takes pride in how she has challenged the federation to accomplish things beyond what was previously thought possible, pointing to skepticism about equal pay and equal CBAs that included shared World Cup prize money.
“The thing that I love the most is being in a position to impact change,” Parlow Cone said. “And also just being able to bring a different perspective of what is possible versus what we’ve all always done, and really challenging our organization and our ecosystem to think bigger and think about what is possible. Let’s take away all the barriers that we all have to doing one thing or another. If we just think big and think about what is possible in this country for us to do — and then how do we create a timeline to go and do it.”
Parlow Cone said when she started the job, it took her time to gain confidence in the role. She questioned her own credentials and compared herself to her predecessors.
“It was really easy to kind of go into that hole and think about everything I wasn’t,” she said.
Parlow Cone likened it to her days on the national team, when she would compare herself to Mia Hamm and Michelle Akers, arguably the two greatest players in women’s national team history. It took time for her to learn that she brought value to the team, and to lean into those qualities. Similarly, Parlow Cone said she committed as president to building out a team that included experts in fields where she lacked experience. As she put it, she is happy to not be front and center and is “big on enabling people and empowering people to go and do their jobs.”
Parlow Cone oversaw the hiring of Mauricio Pochettino as USMNT manager in 2024. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)
Under Parlow Cone’s leadership, U.S. Soccer hired J.T. Batson as CEO and secretary general, and also brought in sporting director Matt Crocker and senior national team coaches Emma Hayes and Mauricio Pochettino. The federation moved sponsorships in-house and increased revenues from $97 million in 2024 to a projected $112 million in 2025 and an expected $141 million in the 2026 budget. U.S. Soccer’s operating revenues are also expected to increase from $192.19 million in 2024 to $294.01 million in 2026.
Mike Cullina, CEO of U.S. Club Soccer and a youth council rep on U.S. Soccer’s board, called Parlow Cone’s leadership style, “flexible,” adjusting from a “de-facto CEO” role she first stepped into to a more traditional role now in supporting U.S. Soccer staff and leadership. Along the way, Cullina said Parlow Cone got to know membership better and built relationships. He praised her process for hiring the CEO position and said her work with Batson has helped to move the organization forward.
“Now as a team they’ve transformed the organization,” Cullina said. “And her role in that was no longer as an operational leader or as a de-facto CEO, it was as a true president, as ‘How do we support you in this way?’ How do we remove barriers to let the staff hire the best people and build this organization in a way that she didn’t need to be — and was more than happy, by the way — to take a step back and allow the staff to do that work. … I hope she’s extremely proud of what she’s done and how she’s leaned into getting it done and adjusted her involvement along the way to be what was needed in the moment.”
It has not always been an easy path. The early days of Parlow Cone’s time as president were hugely tumultuous. The federation’s move from Chicago to Atlanta has meant layoffs and staff turnover. But Parlow Cone said she is motivated to continue as president because of how much more work there is to be done ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Olympics and a bid to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup.
“These tournaments just present a massive opportunity to grow the game at every single level and increase investment in the game at every level,” Parlow Cone said. “So my dream is that the legacy of 2026 is that every kid can walk, ride their bike or take public transportation to a safe place to play soccer, which is not true today. How do we transform our landscape to make sure that every kid has the same opportunity that I did as a child? And then, from the youth level to the professional levels, this moment will bring millions more Americans into the fold, but we can’t just sit by and watch it happen. We have to be proactive and strategic and leverage these moments, which our team is working really hard on.
“I do believe that we are a soccer country already, but I also believe that we have a lot of work to do in terms of making sure everyone feels that the sport is for them and there’s a place for them to play.”
The Athletic senior writer Felipe Cardenas contributed to this report.
The clear winner in MLS Soccer this week was Raccoon Messi at the Red Bulls vs Philly game see. Pulisic scores a Brace on Mom’s Day weekend and celebrates with his mom as he wear’s her maiden name on his back. Disappointing week as Tottenham blew their chances to knock off Man City at home when Son was smothered on this play by City’s backup goalie Ortega (love Pep’s response) – leaving the EPL race all but over to the Blues. Arsenal will fall just short again unless West Ham can upset Man City at City – fat chance. The only thing up for grabs is 6th place and a Europa league place. The complete and utter lack of drama in the EPL final weekend proves once again why American sports are superior to Europe.
Man City has only beaten 2 of the top 10 teams this season – but have the best overall record by beating the crap teams. The US has playoffs. No offense but when a team wins the Super Bowl –they have to beat the best teams – same in the NBA, same in Hockey and at the end of the season when it counts – not some early or midseason – no one cares game. Championship games to win it all. While the European leagues have no one cares blasé games down the stretch except perhaps relegation – – imagine what even a top 4 playoff would look like in the EPL – the interest and excitement darn near challenging Champions League in popularity. But alas the Europeans know best. Enjoy this weekend’s games where the only real drama is will Germany’s Bayern Leverkusen extend Europe’s longest unbeaten streak EVER to 51 games by becoming the first German team to finish undefeated in a season?
Indy 11 host Hartford Sat & Detroit City Wed in US Open Cup
Indy Eleven won 3-1 at Miami FC Saturday night and is now unbeaten in six straight across all competitions, including four in USL Championship action. The four matches are the most since a stretch of six from August 9-Sept 2 last year. The win improves Indy to 4-4-2 in league action, and moves them up to 4th in the East. The Boys in Blue return to action Saturday when they host Hartford Athletic for Hometown Heroes Night. Action begins at 7 p.m. ET and will air locally on WNDY & ESPN+. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster. The 11 will host Detroit City Wed in US Open Cup Sweet 16 action at the Mike.
Games on TV
Sat, May 18 – Final Day Germany
9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund vs Darmstadt
9:30 am EPSN+ Union Berlin (Aaronson, Pefok) vs Freiburg
9:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen vs Ausburg
9:30 am ESPN+ Stuttgart vs Mgladbach (Scalley)
12 noon CBSSN Lecce vs Atalanta ITALY
1:45 pm Fox Nashville SC vs Atlanta United
2:45 pm Para+ Torino vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
7 pm ESPN+, TV8 Indy 11 vs Hartford @ the Mike
7:30 pm CBS Galazo Tampa Bay Rowdies (Jordan Farr GK) vs FC Tulsa
7:30 pm Ion Washington Spirit (Rodman, Hatch, Sullivan) vs Angel City FC NWSL
9:30 pm Ion TV KC Current vs Racing Louisville (Demelo) NWSL
9:30 pm Univision America vs Guardlajara
Sun, May 19 Final Day EPL
11 am USA Arsenal vs Everton
11 am NBC Man City vs West Ham
11 am CNBC Brighton vs Man United
11 am Golf Channel Chelsea vs Bournemouth
11 am Peacock Shefield United (Trusty) vs Nottingham Forest (Reyna)
11 am Peacock Fulham (Jedi, Ream) vs Luton Town
11 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Aston Villa
12 noon Para+ Inter Milan vs Lazio
1 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano
5 pm Para+ NY Gothem (Williams, Ohara, Mewis) vs Chicago
6 pm Para+ Orlando Pride vs Seattle Reign (Lavelle, Huerta, Cook) NWSL
Wed, May 22 Europa League Finals
3 pm Para+ Bayer Leverkusen vs Atalanta
Sat, May 25
3 pm ESPN+ FA Cup Final Man City vs Man United
Sat, June 1
3 pm CBS Champ League Final Real Madrid vs Dortmund
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The last matchday of the 2023-24 season in the Bundesliga means things get started with a fury on Saturday morning with all 18 clubs kicking off simultaneously at 9:30a. Then on Sunday morning the Eredivise completes there season with kickoffs at 8:30a, the EPL kicks off at 11a, and in France they will be kicking off at 3p. La Liga and Serie A still have one more weekend left so will have games scattered across this weekend before wrapping up their season next week Sunday. There’s quite a bit of action including some significant situations still to be settled so let’s get to it.
Saturday
Union Berlin v Freiburg – 8:30a on ESPN+
Brenden Aaronson started last weekend and Union Berlin were leading 2-1 against 17th place Koln but two late goals would see Berlin drop three points and fall into the relegation playoff spot. Now Berlin, who started the season in the Champions League need a win on Saturday against 8th place Freiburg (who are still within striking distance of Europa Conference League) and a loss by Mainz to Wolfsburg or they will finish no better than the relegation playoff spot. If Berlin were to lose and Koln can win again, this time against Wolfsburg, while making up a three goal differential it would be a straight and stunning drop for Berlin to the 2 Bundesliga. Berlin have lost five of their last six and have just one win since mid-February. Rumors this week suggest that Aaronson will not be back in Berlin next season regardless of the outcome on Saturday but also that Leeds do not plan to keep him for next season so it seems as though he will be on the move this summer.
Wolfsburg v Mainz – 9:30a on ESPN+
Kevin Paredes has started two straight for Wolfsburg and will finish the season just under 1,500 minutes across all competitions for his club who head into the final weekend in 12th place. It’s been a solid, if not spectacular, season for Paredes as he builds on the 500 minutes he saw in the 2022-23 campaign. Wolfsburg are comfortably middle of the table in 12th place but can play spoiler to Mainz who are holding on to hopes of safety.
Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich – 9:30a on ESPN+
John Brooks has not appeared in three straight matches and has not started a game since he picked up a red card in early March and served a two match suspension. Hoffenheim are in seventh place, one point ahead of Freiburg for Europa Conference League qualifying and three points (and a three goal differential) behind Eintracht Frankfurt for sixth place and Europa League qualification. Hoffenheim’s opponent this weekend are Bayern Munich who’s fate has been settled in an unusual way as they are currently in second place, fifteen points behind first place Bayer Leverkusen (who will look to complete their unbeaten run through the Bundesliga when they face Augsburg).
Stuttgart v Borussia Monchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN+
Joe Scally, Jordan Pefok and Borussia Monchengladbach go into the final weekend clear of relegation thanks to a draw against Frankfurt last weekend with Scally picking up the assist on Gladbach’s only goal. Scally has started all but a handful of matches for Gladbach this season and has racked up more Bundesliga minutes this season than any other American, still just 21 years old. Pefok did not appear last weekend and has not started a match since March, he has also been in a goal drought with his last goal coming in late February. Gladbach’s opponent this weekend is third place Stuttgart who technically don’t have much to play for this weekend but could pass Bayern in the standings with a win and a Bayern loss.
Heidenheim v Koln – 9:30a on ESPN+
The second leading minutes man for American’s in Germany is Lennard Maloney who returned from injury last weekend to see 24’ minutes off the bench in Heidenheim’s 1-1 draw with Freiburg. Maloney has missed five matches due to injury and came off the bench in two other matches immediately after his return from said injuries but has otherwise started every match for a Heidenheim side who came into the season as an odds on favorite to return to 2 Bundesliga but have had a solid season and are currently in 9th place, tied with Augsburg and Werder Bremen. Heidenheims opponent this weekend are Koln who need a win, a loss by Union Berlin, and to make up a three goal differential in order to crawl into the relegation playoff spot for one final chance to maintain their Bundesliga standing for next season.
Torino v AC Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+
Christian Pulisic had a pair of goals last weekend in AC Milan’s 5-1 romp over Cagliari to bring his season total to 12 goals and 7 assists in league plan and 15 goals and 9 assists across all competitions. It has been a fantastic individual year for Pulisic though without any team awards to show for his accomplishments as Inter Milan have won the league title going away. Yunus Musah also started and went the full 90’ last weekend in the win, returning from his one game yellow card suspension. It’s been a quieter year for Musah but he’s started the last four games he’s been eligible for and with two more strong appearances to close the season could finish with over 1,500 league minutes and 2,300 minutes across all competitions. Milan face tenth place Torino in their penultimate match with Milan having already sealed second place and Torino out of the European competition running.
Sunday
PSV Eindhoven v RKC Waalwijk – 8:30a on ESPN+
Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi close out their season with league champion PSV Eindhoven Sunday morning with a match against RKC Waalwijk who are tied with Excelsior for the relegation playoff spot. Tillman started and went the full 90’ last weekend in PSV’s draw with Fortuna Sittard while Pepi came on for the final 20’ but neither player made the scoresheet as the match finished 1-1.
Burnley v Nottingham Forest – 11a on Peacock
Gio Reyna was strikingly absent from the matchday squad for Forest last weekend as they fell to Chelsea 3-2 to remain three points ahead of Luton Town for the final relegation spot heading into the final matchday. It’s been a bust of a transfer for Reyna who will return to Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund this summer with an uncertain future ahead of him. It looks as though Matt Turner may also need a move this summer as he hasn’t appeared for Forest since late January, shortly after the team brought in Matz Sels, though frankly Sels has not preformed any better than Turner in his spell.
Chelsea v Bournemouth – 11a on Peacock
In a bit of more positive news Tyler Adams returned to the field for Bournemouth last weekend getting ten minutes off the bench in their 2-1 loss to Brentford. It was just Adams third appearance in what has been a lost season but it is good to see him back on the field heading into the Summer and the USMNT’s upcoming involvement in the Copa America. Bournemouth are solidly middle of the EPL table in eleventh place. They are facing a hot Chelsea side that have won four straight and are making a late push currently three points ahead of Newcastle United and Manchester United for Conference League play and looking to overtake Tottenham for Europa League qualification.
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa – 11a on Peacock
Chris Richards looks to have secured a spot with Crystal Palace moving forward. Richards made the starting lineup in December and hasn’t looked back, starting and going the full 90’ in all but three matches in which he was left out due to injury in early April. Richards will finish the season with over 2,000 minutes in EPL play and 2,500 minutes over all competitions. Palace enter the final week in twelfth place and are facing fourth place Aston Villa who can’t move up or down on the final weekend.
Luton Town v Fulham – 11a on Peacock
Tim Ream faces a more uncertain future though he recently signed an extension with Fulham. Ream signed a one year extension that would take him through the 2024-25 season but he hasn’t seen the field for Fulham since mid February. Antonee Robinson on the other hand has played nearly every minute for Fulham this year, missing one match due to muscular problems back in September and just an additional 58 minutes across the remainder of the season, he’ll finish with over 3,200 minutes in league play. Fulham are in fourteenth place, easily safe from relegation and face a Luton Town side that are all but mathematically eliminated. Luton would need a win, a Forest loss and to make up the 12 goal difference in order to avoid the drop.
Sheffield United v Tottenham Hotspur – 11a on Peacock
Sheffield’s disastrous EPL campaign comes to a merciful close this weekend with the only outstanding question being just how many goals will they allow in their record setting season. Sheffield have allowed 101 goals and will face a Tottenham side that need a result this weekend to ensure they hold off Chelsea for fifth place and Europa League qualification. Auston Trusty has started the past eight for Sheffield and looks set for a return to the Championship as he is signed with the club through the end of the 2026-27 season.
Real Betis v Real Sociedad – 1p on ESPN+
Real Betis pulled ahead of Real Sociedad last weekend with a win over Almeria but fell back to seventh place midweek when they settled for a draw with Las Palmas while Sociedad was beating Valencia. Sociedad now holds a one point lead for sixth place and Europa Conference League qualifying heading into their head-to-head matchup. Betis need at least a draw to keep their hopes alive as a win would seal sixth place for Sociedad. Johnny started again last week and has over 1,100 minutes since joining Betis in January.
Granada v Celta Vigo – 1p on ESPN+
Luca de la Torre was an unused substitute last weekend and hasn’t started a match since he was injured in early March. Celta Vigo have four wins over that time and with a five point lead over Cadiz a result of any kind this weekend against relegated Granada would guarantee they are safe heading into the final weekend.
Monaco v Nantes – 3p on beIN Sports
Folarin Balogun came off the bench late in the first half last weekend to replace the injured Breel Embolo and picked up an assist on the opening goal as Monaco would go on to win 2-0. With the result his side are guaranteed to finish in second place heading into the final weekend as they take on a Nantes side that are just guaranteed safety. The assist was Balogun’s second in three weeks and his seventh of the season giving him fifteen goal contributions across all competitions.
Monday
Bologna v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+
Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah lifted the Copa Italia trophy on Wednesday but saw their manager dismissed on Friday in what has been a turbulent week. McKennie started the match while Weah came on in the final minutes to put in a defensive effort and see out the 1-0 victory. Juventus have had a disappointing league season including a draw to last place Salernitana last weekend, though the point was enough to ensure that they will qualify for Champions League play next season. They face third place Bologna on Monday who are tied with Juventus on points and lead them in goal differential by +3.
USMNT’s core is moving away from MLS and that’s fine for now
In one respect, however, the match was unlike any other in history. For the first time since Major League Soccer’s launch in 1996, the red, white, and blue game-day roster did not feature a single player from the U.S. first division. Atlanta United‘s Miles Robinson, the only MLS player to even make the training camp roster for those games, was left off the 23-man matchday squad because of injury and looking at where American players play, it’s unlikely this will be the last time such an occurrence happens.In a sense, the impact of current MLS players on the U.S. national team is waning. At the 1998 World Cup, 16 of the 22 players came from MLS. In 2002 and 2006, that number was 11 out of 23. In Qatar? Just nine of 26 players came from the first division, with only Nashville SC‘s Walker Zimmerman playing more than 45 minutes.Now, this isn’t to say that MLS (and USL Championship) aren’t having an effect on the senior national team. They clearly are, especially as the majority of those called up started their careers in MLS or the development academies. U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter pointed to the growth of the league as a key element in the development of the player pool.
“MLS is a critical step in everything that we’re doing in U.S. Soccer,” Berhalter said in a November interview with Telemundo. “When you see the amount of investment that the owners have made in Major League Soccer, and actually soccer in America, it’s a great thing. The reason why we are where we are is because of the investment from MLS,””We don’t get hung up on where the players are coming from. We’re looking at how we grow this team, grow the player pool, and give experience to a broad selection of players.”Consider this: 17 of the 26 players on the 2022 World Cup roster played for an MLS NEXT academy, while 20 of the 21 men on the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup roster were, or had been, in an MLS academy. Additionally, 14 players with USL or League One experience made that U-20 roster including Joshua Wynder, who has since moved to Portuguese side Benfica in the USL’s first seven-figure transfer.It’s a strange spot for MLS and, to a lesser extent, USL. The league needs to move its best young players along to other clubs and reinvest the money in player development, a virtuous cycle that also means talented young Americans will end up playing overseas. While 2023 saw homegrown players set a record, with 174 playing 168,163 minutes across 2,829 games, three aging defenders — Matt Miazga, Tim Parker, and Zimmerman — were the only Americans on the Best XI team. The top three MVP candidates — FC Cincinnati playmaker Luciano Acosta, LAFC winger Dénis Bouanga and Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada — came from abroad, with no American winning the league’s MVP since Mike Magee in 2013.
An emerging league is, almost by definition, a place where the most talented young players leave and that is, for now at least, a feature not a bug.”All of the work that we do day to day is focused on giving opportunities for our players to reach their full potential, whether it’s in the academy or the first team, so that eventually some of them become high-level players in MLS,” Charles Altchek, president of MLS NEXT Pro, said in an interview with ESPN. “Whether they stay in MLS or end up moving around the world depends on where they are in their lifecycle as a player, what they want to achieve and where they want to be.”USL is adopting this same philosophy: they want to be a place where Americans start a career, not finish it.”I feel very strongly that the most valuable currency in soccer for player development is firstly in playing minutes, especially meaningful and competitive games in front of thousands of fans,” USL head of global football development and sporting director Oliver Wyss said during a phone call with ESPN.”Our clubs are ideally positioned to provide this environment and the full pathway that already has and will have an even bigger direct impact on developing the next generation of U.S. national team players and also allow the USL to become a bigger player in the global transfer market.””I encourage all of our teams to look at our top players as assets, and not as expenses. Ultimately, if these assets can be transferred to Europe, and you get a six- or seven-figure transfer amount plus a future sell-on percentage, the return of investment on these players is going to be significant for a club.”The growth of domestic leagues means there’s more opportunity than ever before for Americans to see the field, but there’s also more competition. The trend for MLS clubs seeking quality is to target players in their mid-20s. In other words, men in their prime who are also depreciating assets in a sport that prioritizes youth and potential.While this is good for the level of play, it’s not great for younger Americans trying to break through who can see opportunities to get on the field blocked by these expensive acquisitions. As a result, the percentage of minutes played by Americans in MLS has decreased even though available minutes have increased because of league expansion. One worthwhile comparison is Japan, a footballing country in a similar place to the U.S. in this regard.
Tom Byer, a man who has had a significant impact on the development of soccer in the Asian nation, offered an observation during an interview. “With Japan, the majority of the national team players play in Europe, but the gap between those best players in Europe and the players in the J.League is tiny,” he said. “Almost no Japanese player makes it over to Europe to play until they’ve played about 150 professional games in the J.League.”Closing the gap should, and is, a goal of MLS, and one that it’s slowly achieving. But the truth is, at the end of the day, it’s neither MLS nor the USL’s job to make the U.S. men’s national team better. They are three separate and distinct entities with their own goals and metrics for success. Still, there’s the reality that what’s good for one is good for the other — a strong tide raises all boats, or something like that — and there’s a World Cup not too far away across all of North America.”When the national team is successful, it’s good for soccer fans in this country and for MLS,” Altchek said. “That’s why we’ve worked really closely with the Federation for decades now on providing those opportunities for players and working with them on call-ups and releasing players for different competitions.””We want the U.S. to win the 2026 World Cup or at least go farther than they’ve ever gone before. Having the men’s national team there with a bunch of players who played or are playing in MLS will be icing on the cake.”
Europe’s top soccer leagues: Title fights, UCL, relegation
Dale Johnson, General Editor, ESPN FC May 14, 2024, 04:56 PM ET
Manchester City will seal the title with a victory at home to West Ham on Sunday. For Arsenal to win the title, they must win at home to Everton and Man City lose or draw. If Arsenal win and Man City draw, the Gunners would win the title on goal difference.
As it stands, only fifth gets a Europa League place with the other slot, by right, going to the FA Cup winners.
Man United take on Man City in the FA Cup final on May 25 (stream live on ESPN+, U.S. only). If Erik ten Hag’s team lift the trophy then they will be in the Europa League (UEL). If Man City win the cup, then the UEL position transfers to the sixth place in the Premier League
Despite poor results, Spurs are in a strong position to finish fifth with a six-point lead over Newcastle and Chelsea. Spurs still need a point away to Sheffield United on Sunday to be absolutely sure.
Spurs could also be confirmed in the Europa League on Wednesday if both Chelsea (go to Brighton) and Newcastle (visit Man United) drop points.
Man United can now finish no higher than sixth but, because of their vastly inferior goal difference, that will become seventh at best if they don’t beat Newcastle.
Europa Conference League (1)
Pending the FA Cup final, sixth will go into the Europa Conference League. Newcastle hold it, with Chelsea and Man United close behind. The UECL place will drop to seventh if Man City win the FA Cup or if Man United win the FA Cup and finish fifth or sixth. It would still be one of Man United, Newcastle and Chelsea — one of them will miss out on Europe completely. If Man United win the FA Cup and finish seventh or eighth, the UECL place goes to sixth.
Luton are effectively relegated due to their vastly inferior goal difference to fourth-bottom Forest. On the final day, Luton would need to beat Fulham and Forest lose to Burnley with a goal difference swing of 12.
Leicester City and Ipswich Town have been automatically promoted to the Premier League. Leeds United, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City compete in the playoffs for one more place.
LaLiga – three rounds to go final weekend May 25-26
Atletico are almost certain to take the fourth place, holding an eight-point lead over Athletic Club
It will be sealed on Wednesday if Atleti get a victory at Getafe, or if Athletic fail to win at Celta Vigo.
Real Madrid winning the Champions League cannot benefit another team in LaLiga. The team with the highest UEFA coefficient in UCL qualifying will be promoted direct to the group stage.
Europa League (2)
Athletic won the Copa del Rey and are almost certain to finish in the top six, so we can safely say the place for the cup moves over to the league — fifth and sixth will enter the UEL.
Either Atlético or Athletic will take one of the places, with Betis and Real Sociedad battling it out for the other.
Valencia and Villarreal have slim hope. Villarreal go to Genoa on Tuesday. Then on Thursday, Real Sociedad host Valencia (who really must win) and Betis are at Las Palmas.
Europa Conference League (1)
This will go to seventh in the league, probably between Real Sociedad and Real Betis, while Valencia and Villarreal require a mini-miracle from here.
One relegation spot is to be decided, with Cádiz giving themselves hope by beating Getafe on Sunday. They still have a lot to do to catch Celta Vigo, Rayo Vallecano or Mallorca. On Wednesday, Cádiz are at Sevilla, Celta Vigo are at home to Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano host Granada
Bundesliga – one round to go final day May 18
Title
Bayer Leverkusenare still unbeaten and have already secured the first championship in their history.
Dortmund are in the UCL final, and if they win it a UCL place will be given to sixth in the Bundesliga. The European Performance Slot is a league benefit, so it will be an additional place to Dortmund’s as titleholders. Eintracht Frankfurt, who are guaranteed a place in the UECL at worst, are in sixth but could be overtaken by Hoffenheim on the final day. One of those two teams will be fully backing Dortmund against Real Madrid on June 1. Frankfurt need a point at home to RB Leipzig to secure sixth. If they lose, then Hoffenheim can climb above them with a victory at home to Bayern. A small goal difference swing of three is also required.
Europa League (2)
There are a few complicating factors to the UEL places, which right now go to sixth in the league (Frankfurt) and the winners of the DFB Pokal. The final of the DFB Pokal on May 25 (stream live on ESPN+, U.S. only) sees Leverkusen take on Kaiserslautern who, incredibly, could win the cup despite almost being relegated to the third division, as they sit four points above the 2. Bundesliga relegation zone with one game to be played. If Kaiserslautern pull off an almighty shock and do what no other team has done all season (beat Leverkusen), the league slots will be unaltered: sixth into the UEL and seventh into the UECL. If Leverkusen win the final, sixth and seventh will get a place in the UEL.
If Dortmund win the UCL, Germany would surrender the place in the UEL earned by Dortmund in the league. So, Dortmund would qualify as UCL titleholders in fifth, with sixth getting the European Performance position. The only way seventh can get a UEL place is if Leverkusen win the cup.
Europa Conference League (1)
If Kaiserslautern win the cup, then it will be Frankfurt, Hoffenheim or Freiburg who enter the UECL in seventh. If Leverkusen win the cup then eighth gets the UECL place, and it opens up.
Hoffenheim will definitely finish in the top eight so, like with Frankfurt, it might just be a question of which competition they play in — UCL, UEL or UECL.Freiburg sit in eighth with a three-point gap to Heidenheim, Augsburg and Werder Bremen. On the last day, Freiburg travel to relegation-threatened Union Berlin knowing victory, if Hoffenheim draw or lose, could see them finish seventh; a draw would guarantee they finish eighth. But if they lose, they can be overtaken as they have worse goal difference than the three teams below them. Heidenheim are at home to Cologne, who have to win to have any chance of staying in the top flight, Augsburg travel to Leverkusen, who haven’t lost to anyone all season, and Bremen host Bochum, who could still be relegated.
Relegation (2+1)
Two teams are relegated, while third-bottom takes on third place in the 2. Bundesliga (Fortuna Düsseldorf) in a playoff for the right to play in the top flight.
The best Cologne can hope for is 16th and the relegation playoff spot … by overtaking Union Berlin. To go up to the playoff place, Cologne must win at Heidenheim on Saturday, hope Union lose at home to Freiburg, and there be a goal difference swing of four. To avoid the playoff Union must win and, due to goal difference, hope Mainz lose at Wolfsburg or VfL Bochum are beaten at Bremen. St. Pauliand Holstein Kiel have been automatically promoted into the Bundesliga.
Serie A – two rounds to go, final day May 26
Title
Internazionalehave wrapped up the Scudetto as runaway champions.
There’s one place up for grabs, which is held by Atalanta in fifth and they have a game in hand and a three-point advantage so are in a very strong position. That extra match is against Fiorentina and both teams are in European finals; the only possible date to play the game is Sunday, June 2 — a week after the final round of Serie A games is played. Atalanta and Fiorentina will therefore go into the “extra” game in full knowledge of the final position a result will earn.
AS Roma and Lazio are still in contention, but it’s a big ask with two games remaining.
Atalanta, who can finish no lower than seventh so are guaranteed at least UEL football, can seal their place in the UCL if they better Roma’s result at the weekend and at least match Lazio’s. Atalanta go to Lecce on Saturday, and on Sunday it’s Roma vs. Genoa and Lazio are at Inter.
If Atalanta win the UEL (they face Leverkusen in the final on May 22) then Italy will have six clubs in the UCL — the top four, Atalanta as UEL titleholders and the European Performance Spot. If Atalanta finish fifth and win the UEL, sixth will play in the UCL too — meaning Roma and Lazio will be cheering on Atalanta when they face Leverkusen.
Europa League (2)
Atalanta face Juventus in the final of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday, so it’s certain that sixth and seventh will qualify for the UEL.
Atalanta, Roma and Lazio are the main contenders, but there’s a small amount of hope for eighth-placed Fiorentina with that game in hand.
If Atalanta win the UEL to qualify for the UCL and finish fifth, sixth or seventh, Italy will surrender one place in the UEL for the league which Atalanta would have earned.
Eighth place will enter the UECL, which is currently held by Fiorentina but the place could yet be filled Roma, Lazio, or more likely Napoli or Torino .
On Friday, Napoli are away to Fiorentina and must win that to give themselves a real chance of being in Europe next season. Torino face a tough game at home to AC Milan.
If Fiorentina win the UECL to qualify for the UEL and finish eighth, Italy will surrender its place in the UECL.
It’s exceptionally tight, with Empoli level on points with Frosinone and within touching distance of Cagliari, Udinese and Hellas Verona.
Sassuolo are three points from safety and on Sunday host Cagliari in a big relegation showdown. They could pull Cagliari right into it, or be doomed.Also on Sunday, Udinese are at home to Empoli in another huge six-pointer, and Frosinone go to Monza. Then on Monday, Hellas Verona are at Salernitana.Parma and Cesc Fàbregas’ Como have been promoted to Serie A. Venezia. Cremonese, Catanzaro, Palermo, Sampdoria and Bresica take part in the playoffs.
MLS Power Rankings: Messi’s Miami stay top, Timbers struggle
Ryan Rosenblatt May 13, 2024, 12:28 PM
It’s Monday and another week of MLS action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings. Our Power Rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and the observations of our writers.Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? We’ve ranked all 29 clubs in the league after Matchday 12. Let’s dive in.
Inter fell behind 2-0 before roaring back to win in Montréal. It wasn’t Lionel Messi leading the way either. Matías Rojas was the man with the magical left foot, scoring a sublime free kick and feeding Benjamin Cremaschi for the winner as the Paraguayan made sure Miami left Canada with three points.
In FCC’s biggest game of the young season, they had the best player and that made all the difference. Lucho Acosta was sensational against Columbus, setting up the first goal and scoring the second to paint Ohio blue and orange.
RSL will be disappointed to have conceded a stoppage time equalizer to the Galaxy, but it’s not like they have much to complain about. They were the inferior team in L.A. and still walked away with a point, even with Zac MacMath having a rough one in goal. Take it and get back to Utah.
Cristian Olivera scored twice as LAFC trounced the Whitecaps 3-0. The Uruguayan has scored five goals in his past three matches across all competitions, and the Black and Gold are doing a better job turning their possessions into chances. This is the growth LAFC needed to show as this season has gone on, which is why they are moving closer to the league’s top teams.
Nobody is going to question this Crew team that has rolled into the Concacaf Champions Cup final, but losing to Cincy at home is going to sting anyway. The Crew have been treading water while they focus on continental competition all season, but treading water is about to get a lot more difficult as they embark on a five-match road trip.
Miguel Berry scoring a stoppage time equalizer? The Galaxy’s 2-2 draw with RSL might seem a little flukey because of the tying goal, but they were the better team for long stretches of this one. A point was the least they deserved.
The unthinkable happened when Dan Gazdag missed a penalty for the first time in his MLS career. And to make matters worse, it would have been an equalizer on a night in which the Union celebrated him becoming their all-time leading goal scorer. Instead, Philly lost to Orlando 3-2.
The Pigeons beat Toronto 3-2 for their first away win of 2024, then they got into a postgame skirmish with the Reds. It was a bizarre scene and one that might cost Sean Johnson a game or two.
The Five Stripes have not won a game since March and, for some of that stretch, they have been able to say, “We were the better team tonight, the ball just didn’t bounce our way.” That wasn’t the case against D.C., as they were soundly beaten at home, turning up the heat on manager Gonzalo Pineda’s seat to scorching.
The Crown have spent a lot of time trying to find a striker since they entered the league and they might have their answer in 23-year-old former first round pick Patrick Agyemang. He has been really good and added the lone goal in Charlotte’s 1-0 win over Nashville to his resume. If he keeps it up, he’s going to be the man in Charlotte for a long time.
With the way Seattle’s season has gone, it wouldn’t have been shocking to see the team fold once it gave up an early goal to Portland. Brian Schmetzer teams don’t make a habit of folding, though, and Seattle stormed back for a win. Don’t look now, but the Sounders are starting to rack up points.
Just when you want to believe in the Rapids, they blow a 2-0 lead and lose. At home. To the Earthquakes. Yikes.
NWSL Power Rankings: KC Current undefeated, Bay FC drop
Megan Swanick ESPNFC May 13, 2024, 03:20 PM
It’s Monday, and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.Our rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and the observations of our writers.Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? Our writers and statistical models have ranked all 14 clubs in the league after matchday nine. Let’s dive in.
Next match: Saturday vs. Racing Louisville, 9:30 p.m. ET
The still-undefeated Kansas City Current took a nil-nil draw from Seattle Reign in the midweek (hammering out 19 shots in a game they controlled, though Lauren Ivory’s six saves stymied them), before overcoming North Carolina 1-0 at home Sunday night. With a wicked attack that should scare all opposition this year, Brazil‘s Debinha made her first start since returning from injury and clocked the difference-making goal to become the 12th goalscorer for the Current this season.
Portland’s remarkable season turnaround continues to catch fire as the Thorns beat regional rivals Seattle Reign 4-0 at home Saturday night. Portland’s form is a club-wide accomplishment, but Sophia Smith has been immense in their five-match winning run. After notching one goal and three assists against Seattle, Smith leads both the NWSL goals and assists tallies with eight goals and six assists this season. And across Portland’s five-game unbeaten streak, Smith has accrued a record-setting 11 goal contributions, the most goal contributions in a five game span in NWSL history, per Opta.
Alongside Kansas City, the Pride are one of just two teams still undefeated in 2024. Now sitting second in the standings, Kansas City reclaimed the top spot solely on goal differential this weekend. With a midweek 1-0 victory over Racing Louisville, the Pride handed Louisville their first loss of the year before taking another 1-0 victory from Bay FC Saturday evening. They came into the season humble but with a third of the year wrapped up and newly accrued Barbra Banda clocking her fourth goal in five games (the highest goals per 90 in NWSL) in the midweek, I think it’s safe to say the Pride are the real deal this season.
Next match: Saturday vs. Angel City FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Spirit recovered from a loss to ascendant Portland by handing Racing Louisville their second loss of the season. Friday’s 2-1 victory on the road started strong thanks to rookie sensation Croix Bethune‘s fourth goal of the year, which she sent to the back of the net with a cool strike in the fifth minute to capitalize on a corner, bringing her contribution tally to four goals and four assists in nine games for her debut season.
North Carolina picked up a worrying third loss in a row against league-leaders Kansas City Current this Sunday. The streak is concerning, though falling 1-0 to Kansas City isn’t the end of the world, especially considering they held among the league’s most formidable attacks to just one goal (though they have Casey Murphy‘s seven saves to thank for this). Still, they’ve struggled to produce sufficient quality chances in their recent form, scoring only one goal in their past three games and unfurling just seven shots and two on target against the Current.
Next match: Sunday vs. Chicago Red Stars, 5 p.m. ET
Gotham picked up a 1-0 win over Houston Dash in the midweek as Lynn Williams equalled Sam Kerr‘s most goals all time record in NWSL in her sixth match of the year. Still recovering from early season injuries, Gotham then took a respectable 1-1 draw on the road against San Diego Wave Sunday evening. As we head into matchday 10, the reigning champs have picked up respectable wins on slim margins while significantly underperforming their xG, still looking like they have a lot left to give this season.
Sitting mid-table with a game in hand, San Diego are nursing a sizable number of knocks from their starting lineup. Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Gotham saw Alex Morgan, Naomi Girma, Abby Dahlkemper, Sofia Jakobsson, and Melanie Barcenas all sidelined with injury. Concerningly, 19-year-old phenom Jaedyn Shaw left the draw with a stoppage time injury as well. They look like a team still looking for their form, but first priority will be getting everybody healthy.
When it rains it pours. Soon to be US manager Emma Hayes may be looking across the sea with mounting concern, as the USWNT’s starting keeper Alyssa Naeher also left the pitch injured in Chicago’s 3-1 victory over bottom of the table Utah Royals. On the bright side for Chicago, the Red Stars continued their efficient goal scoring operation, as they accrued three goals with just 38% of possession, finishing the weekend as the fifth-highest scoring team in the league.
Next match: Saturday at Kansas City Current, 9:30 p.m. ET
Savannah DeMelo‘s freekick golazo to bring Louisville level wasn’t enough to overcome their visitors, Washington Spirit, as Racing picked up their second straight loss after starting the season unbeaten.
After holding the league-leaders (Kansas City) to a respectable 0-0 draw in the midweek, Seattle took a beating in Portland as they fell 4-0 to their Cascadian rivals Saturday night. Holding Sophia Smith and company at bay is a tall order these days, but Seattle will head home to a tough match with unbeaten Orlando Pride next weekend while nursing their egos from this rivalry rout.
Next match: Saturday at Washington Spirit, 7:30 p.m. ET
Despite Claire Emslie‘s five goals and serious talent in their attacking ranks, Angel City underwhelmed offensively again this weekend, as they produced just three shots on target with 58% of the ball in a 1-0 loss to Houston Dash.
Houston picked up just their second win of the year with a 1-0 victory over Angel City FC on Sunday thanks to Paige Nielsen‘s goal in the eight minute of stoppage time. With that, the Dash have picked up five points from their past four games (one win, one loss, two draws), though they face a formidable five-match unbeaten Portland Thorns in Houston this Friday.
Next match: Friday vs. San Diego Wave FC, 10:30 p.m. ET
Nobody has allowed more goals than Bay FC this season, with 20 goals put past them at the close of week nine. Their 1-0 loss to unbeaten Orlando Pride on Friday required nine saves from Bay FC’s keeper Kateyln Rowland to keep the margin of loss to one goal. It’s hard to find optimism for Bay FC’s dynamic attack until they get their defensive lapses in line.
Next match: Friday at North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. ET
Expansion side woes continue for Utah Royals, who’ve struggled in their first season back in NWSL. Still, moments of individual brilliance have broken through, including this weekend’s 81st minute strike from 24-year-old Utah-native Cameron Tucker to mark her first-ever NWSL goal. The lone goal came in Utah’s 3-1 loss to Chicago, their seventh of the season (tied with Bay FC for most in the league).
VAR explained: What is it? Why is it controversial? How might the Premier League ditch it?
Here The Athletic looks back at the history of its introduction in England, examines what it was supposed to achieve, why it has fallen so flat, and what would need to happen for it to be dropped.
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is an official, or team of officials, who help the referee during a game by using video footage and technology to review key incidents and provide advice on the correct decisions.
After watching replays, the VAR gives their opinion to the referee at the stadium via an earpiece worn by the on-field official. The referee will then signal as usual to confirm the original decision or make a rectangle shape with their hands either to indicate an on-field review or that the original decision has been changed.
Usually, the outcome is then shown on screens around the ground to inform supporters.
The VAR decision is shown to supporters at Stamford Bridge (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
IFAB (International Football Association Board), the independent body responsible for the laws of the game, states that VARs can only assist a match official in the event of a “clear and obvious error” or “serious missed incident”.
They can step in on decisions over goals, no goals, penalties, direct red cards or cases of mistaken identity.
The process was first proposed by the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) in 2010, along with goal-line technology. The latter was adopted into the professional game two years later, but VAR took longer to be implemented.
The first live trial was conducted in a friendly match between Dutch clubs PSV and FC Eindhoven in July 2016. Australia’s A-League was the first top-flight league to adopt a VAR system in 2017 and was soon followed by Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.
England’s Premier League was one of the last high-profile competitions to use the technology, adopting it for the 2019-20 campaign, after it had also been used in the Champions League from 2017-18, the 2018 World Cup in Russia and 2019’s Women’s World Cup in France.
The feeling at the Premier League was that spending two years monitoring VAR elsewhere would help it be more effective when it was embraced.
How was it first introduced into the Premier League?
After being given updates on various top-flight trials and reviews of its formal use in Carabao and FA Cup matches, a meeting of Premier League shareholders in November 2018 voted unanimously to introduce VAR for the 2019-20 campaign.
The clubs had voted to delay its implementation seven months previously following a debate over its use in some of those cup games, but smoother VAR performance during the 2018 World Cup allayed fears from some supporters and decision-makers.
English football was duly introduced to the VAR hub in Stockley Park, west London, and the concept of each Premier League game having a set of officials based in an office on an industrial estate just outside the capital as well as on the pitch.
The VAR hub at Stockley Park in the summer of 2019 (Chris Radburn/PA Images via Getty Images)
On the first weekend of VAR being introduced, the Premier League said around 70 incidents were VAR checked. Manchester City’s 5-0 win at West Ham saw seven checks and two decisions overturned. A Gabriel Jesus goal was ruled out, with provider Raheem Sterling’s shoulder deemed offside, and a Sergio Aguero penalty was retaken (and scored the second time around) after Declan Rice encroached into the area.
The former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher called it a “great start” and said the overturned decisions “could not have been clear with the naked eye”.
Gallagher added: “It will get better, they will get faster and it will become more commonplace. People will grow into it.”
So why has it proved so controversial?
There was a steady flow of contentious decisions from the outset.
Each of the past four seasons has featured VAR controversies. In February 2021, the VAR invited the referee Mike Dean to consult the pitch-side monitor after West Ham’s Tomas Soucek accidentally made slight contact with the Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic with his elbow. Dean watched the footage on the pitchside monitor and then showed the Czech midfielder a red card — which was subsequently rescinded by a Football Association Independent Regulatory Commission.
A year later, in a game against Manchester City, Everton’s appeals for a penalty for a Rodri handball were dismissed. Despite TV replays showing that the City midfielder misjudged the bounce of the ball and used his upper arm to control it, VAR official Chris Kavanagh did not question Paul Tierney’s decision not to award a penalty.
Then Everton manager Frank Lampard called VAR official Kavanagh a “professional who cannot do his job right”, and the head of referees at the time, Mike Riley, later apologised to the Merseyside club.
Just looking at this season alone, VAR has been at the centre of multiple high-profile flashpoints.
Liverpool’s Luis Diaz saw a goal wrongly disallowed for offside against Tottenham Hotspur in September, while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was angered by the decision to allow Anthony Gordon’s winning goal to stand — when it was unclear whether the ball went out of play before the goal — for Newcastle United against his team in November.
Both the Merseyside and London clubs went on to make public statements criticising the decisions. Nottingham Forest have written letters of complaint to the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) and even considered suing.
Supporters have grown fed up, too. The long delays and lack of communication with fans in the stadium have chipped away at the spontaneity and joy of watching a game. Players, too, have admitted the emotion of celebrating a goal has been diminished in case it gets disallowed by VAR.
It was Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of the Premier League teams most heavily impacted by bad calls, who acted first and publicly called for VAR to be scrapped this summer. That triggered a vote which will take place when representatives of the 20 clubs assemble for their annual gathering in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on June 6.
A Wolves statement said that “after five seasons of VAR in the Premier League, it is time for a constructive and critical debate on its future. Our position is that the price we are paying for a small increase in accuracy is at odds with the spirit of our game, and as a result we should remove it from the 2024-25 season onwards”.
They also listed a host of the repercussions, including:
Frustration and confusion inside stadiums due to lengthy VAR checks and poor communication
A more hostile atmosphere with protests, booing of the Premier League anthem and chants against VAR
Overreach of VAR’s original purpose to correct clear and obvious mistakes as it now overanalyses subjective decisions and compromises the game’s fluidity and integrity
Diminished accountability of on-field officials due to the safety net provided by VAR, leading to an erosion of authority on the pitch
Continued errors despite VAR, with fans unable to accept human error after multiple views and replays, damaging confidence in officiating standards
That is difficult to know with any certainty, at least until the vote next month, but there is a sense that opinion is split.
Some, with Wolves obviously among them, have had enough while others feel there is a risk that ending VAR would undermine the Premier League’s reputation.
At the same time, there is a sentiment at some clubs that one of the main issues remains one of perception: that the initial idea of a perfect system that eradicated any inaccurate decisions was never realistic.
Dean shows Soucek the red card in February 2021 after an on-field VAR check (Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
What has to happen for it to be abolished?
For a motion to be passed, 14 Premier League clubs need to vote in favour of it.
So is there a chance that will happen?
Behind the scenes, there is scepticism among top-flight executives over whether that number will be reached, with a majority seeking improvements rather than simply washing their hands of VAR.
For their part, the top-flight’s board of directors believes removing VAR is not the correct path forward, suggesting that doing so would increase wrong calls and adversely impact the Premier League’s reputation among Europe’s leading divisions.
It also thinks the void left, having removed VAR, would potentially place even greater criticism on on-field decisions made by match officials and, as a result, increase frustration for supporters.
The league points to innovations such as semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) — which was voted through unanimously in April — and in-stadium VAR announcements as evidence of the efforts being made to improve the system.
The PGMOL remain an advocate of VAR and believes it is a tool that has helped reduce errors.
In December, referees chief Howard Webb said it would “be foolish to take away a tool that can remove clear errors from the game”. They are committed to making it better but will not bow to pressure to speed up decisions at the expense of accuracy. They believe delays are an inevitable part of the process, although they are keen to make improvements to its efficiency.
As well as automated offsides due to be adopted in the next 12 months, the PGMOL want to improve communication of in-stadium decisions when IFAB laws allow for it.
Webb, the chief refereeing officer for PGMOL, attends the women’s League Cup final in March (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
The PGMOL are working at establishing more dedicated VAR officials (rather than using referees who regularly officiate matches) and there is already an unofficial group who are regularly selected as VARs because of their consistency. Of those, Stuart Attwell and David Coote have been selected as VARs for this summer’s European Championships.
They believe the inevitable capacity for human error means VAR will never be perfect, but an independent panel’s assessment that 96 per cent of decisions over the last five years have been correct suggests that, overall, it works.
Webb, who regularly attends shareholders meetings to hear views of clubs, is expected to be at June’s meeting.
What would getting rid of VAR mean for other refereeing technology in the Premier League?
Goal-line technology would likely remain but, when it comes to VAR, the understanding is that the top flight could not cherry-pick some elements and dispense with others. It either continues with all of it or without any of Stockley Park’s reviews.
Have any other countries scrapped the VAR system?
Last month, Sweden became the first country to reject implementing VAR after a fan backlash.
Supporters from clubs — where there must be a minimum of 51 per cent fan ownership — prompted the climbdown after the president of the Swedish Football Federation, Fredrik Reinfeldt, had previously backed the idea. Reinfeldt had approved trials later this year, but those will not now go ahead.
“Sweden is currently the only country among Europe’s 30 highest-ranked leagues that has not decided to introduce VAR,” said Johan Lindvall, general secretary of the Swedish Professional Football Leagues. “The fact that we have not done so is largely due to our democratic model.”
Reinfeldt, president of the Swedish Football Federation (Michael Campanella/Getty Images)
Is video technology equally controversial in other sports?
The replay review process in NFL games involves the ultimate team-oriented system. NFL officials conduct reviews — which, in 2022, lasted on average two minutes and 19 seconds — but not without the support of replay officials stationed in New York at the NFL’s Art McNally GameDay Central (AMGC).
Head coaches can use two game challenges during games (if successful on both challenges, they receive a third). But, in the final two minutes of each half, all challenges or play reviews are initiated only by the replay official.
The process itself has become pretty smooth. Once a challenge or play review is initiated, replay technicians at AMGC use technology to pinpoint the best camera angles for the game referee to review in consultation with replay officials.
An ‘instant replay field operator’ then brings a Microsoft Surface tablet to the referee so he can review the play while consulting with the replay official stationed in New York. The final decision on the review (whether it should be overturned, or whether the on-field call should be upheld) is then made and the referee announces it.
Cricket’s Decision Review System (DRS) assesses a review for a leg before wicket (LBW) appeal (Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Like football, rugby union features split-second decisions and high levels of physical force, and no two challenges look the same.
For a video referee, the potential for inconsistency is high. Yet they have always been more accepted in rugby — even when introducing controversial new high-tackle laws or when making high-pressure calls in the sport’s biggest games.
Cricket’s version of VARs — the Decision Review System (DRS) — largely operates on a review basis. If a team disagrees with a decision, they can refer it to an off-field umpire to watch the incident back and use various forms of technology to determine whether the on-field umpire’s decision was correct.
If the team’s review is correct, they keep their review to possibly use later in the game; if wrong, they lose it.
What about the women’s game in England?
VAR was first rolled out at the Women’s World Cup in 2019. It was subsequently used at the European Championship in 2022 and a 19-strong video refereeing team — which included six women — were sent to Australia and New Zealand in the summer to cover the 2023 World Cup.
But even as VAR was being castigated in the opening months of this Premier League season, a different debate was taking place in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
In October, during Chelsea’s home match against Tottenham, officials failed to spot the ball had crossed the line when Guro Reiten looked to have put Chelsea 2-0 up. With no goal-line technology or VAR in the WSL, the goal was not given.
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes was incandescent, saying it is “ludicrous” and “embarrassing” that there is no VAR in women’s football.
Reiten celebrates, believing she has scored for Chelsea against Spurs (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
The previous month, Chelsea had run a VAR test at Kingsmeadow for their friendly against Roma — it was the first of its kind at a WSL ground. Baroness Sue Campbell, the director of women’s football for the FA, subsequently admitted that VAR “has to come in”.
It may not be long before VAR arrives in the English women’s game. NewCo, poised to take charge over the running of the WSL from the FA next season, intend to prioritise the improvement of officiating.
“The better the refereeing, the better the product itself — it’s one of the priorities, for sure,” Nikki Doucet, the CEO of NewCo told reporters in January. “From a VAR perspective, it’s something we need to figure out. Is that the right thing for our game, based on what’s been done in the men’s game? Is there a new alternative?
“A lot of the stadiums themselves just aren’t ready for that (technology) and so it will require an amount of investment. As we go on this journey, it’s prioritising what has to be done first based on the resources and the investment that we have. It’s definitely something that’s a priority.”
Additional reporting: Phil Buckingham
(Top photo: Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)
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Greg O’Keeffe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering US soccer players in the UK & Europe. Previously he spent a decade at the Liverpool Echo covering news and features before an eight-year stint as the paper’s Everton correspondent; giving readers the inside track on Goodison Park, a remit he later reprised at The Athletic. He has also worked as a news and sport journalist for the BBC and hosts a podcast in his spare time.
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The VAR decision is shown to supporters at Stamford Bridge (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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