US Men Dominate Paraguay 4-1, play Aussies in Seattle on Fri 3 pm on Fox (coverage starts 1 pm)
Wow – What a Win. I have been watching US Soccer since 1989 – that’s 37 years – and never have I seen the US offense look like that. It was truly amazing. Let’s see how Australia in Seattle goes first – but another show like that and I will gladly eat my words on Pochitino. Whatever he did – it worked when we slaughtered a really good Paraguay team. Listen folks this Paraguay team gave up 6 goals in qualifying – did not lose to Argentina (with Messi), Brazil and Uruguay. So when I said I was scared vs Paraguay I meant it. In fact you heard it here first – Paraguay will win a game against either Turkey or Australia.
Back to the US – that pentagon approach employed by Poch – had Paraguay confused with its high press. Paraguay literally didn’t pass midfield more than a handful of times and should have had a clean sheet. With Pulisic on fire in the 1st half – the US team looked as good as anyone in the first round of play. Balogun was on point up front – (I am sorry for saying perhaps Pepi should get the start – boy was I wrong!) McKinney, Tilman and Pulisic were in-synch and along with Balogun check these goals were simply unstoppable. It could have been 5-0 at the half. Overall the US simply dominated a very good opponent unlike anything we have seen before in World Cup play. Everyone played well – the D was solid with the Crystal Palace man Chris Richards stepping in from injury to the middle where he worked with Ream and Freeman to nearly shut Paraguay out. Its going to take a better effort vs a motivated Australia – who is feeling disrespected by the US press. Of course all eyes on our talisman Pulisic who sustained a calf injury in the first half and sat out the 2nd. He’s been training alone this week trying to get ready. Hard to think he won’t start however. Here’s who I see taking the field – (if Pulisic is out) – I think Tim Weah comes on right and Tillman goes left. Much like my daughter Courtney are going to find a way into this game – I think the US will find a way to win a really hard fought – rough and tumble battle against Australia – 2-1.
World Cup Notes
So I have been going to US games since 1992, close to 30 caps total and this was the most emotional National Anthem I have EVER seen. Dan & Shea crushed it as we all sang along with tears in our eyes – American Outlaw Indy Scarf over my head. The National Anthem made Lallas cry tooReaction to the Win Rich Eisen. Folks have asked me to share some images as my daughter Courtney (Carmel FC GK 2008) and I follow the US. Here we are in So-Fi great seats for $1100 (cheapest category), US post game -1 section from AO. Post Game Celebration on the way out -love our diversity. Here was our Pregame at the AO Celebration. The scenes around LA & the fan celebrations have been fantastic. More pix below in the OBC. Now we are off to Seattle for Fri’s 12N game. (still looking for tix)
Our Seats at So-Fi Win #1 over Turkey 4-1 (more pics below)
If you are like me you haven’t slept much – 8 hours of soccer a day is glorious but exhausting! I will try to update more often at least with pics – as we follow the US on this trek.
Indy 11 win 2-0, travel to Lexington Sat
Indy Eleven is 4-0-1 in its last five matches in all competitions after a 2-0 win vs. Forward Madison FC in the Prinx Tires USL Cup.Rendón, who was a finalist for USL-C’s May “Player of the Month” award, was threatening all night long and recorded the game’s only assist. Although his four-game goal-scoring streak ended, he nearly scored midway through the first half. Fifteen year-old forward Tyler Lowden made his Indy Eleven debut with four minutes to go, becoming the youngest player to play for the First Team in franchise history. The Greenwood native signed a USL Academy contract on May 29. The Boys in Blue are 1-1-1 in USL Cup Group 4 play with one group game remaining at Lexington SC on June 20 7 pm on ESPN+.
Looking for a Place to Watch in Carmel – here’s the schedule = GOAT is Great too
TV Schedule – Games on TV
Thurs, June 19 9 am Fox Czech Republic vs South Africa 12 noon Fox Switzerland vs Bosnia 3 pm FS1 Canada vs Qatar 6 pm Fox Mexico vs Korea Fri, June 19 3 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Australia World Cup 6 pm Fox Scotland vs Moracco 8:30 pm Fox Brazil vs Haiti 11 pm FS1 Turkey vs Paraguay Sat, June 20 10 am Fox Netherlands vs Sweden 1 pm Fox Germany vs Cote dIvore 5 pm FS1 Ecuador vs Curacao 9 pm Fs1 Japan vs Tunisia Sun, June 21 9 am Fox Spain vs Saudi Arabia 12 noon FS1 Belgium vs Iran 3 pm FS1 Uraguay vs Cape Verde 6 pm FS1 New Zealand vs Egypt Mon, June 22 10 am Fox Argentina vs Austria 2 pm Fox France vs Iraq 5 pm Fox Norway vs Senagal 8 pm FS1 Algeria vs Jordan
Thur, June 25 10 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Australia World Cup
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Adventures of the Old Ballcoach Following the US Men in the World Cup
Courtney and I arriving at our seats at So-Fi for our first WC Win in 2026 This old hat has won like 25 plus games – had to bring my Bruz Cable (was the Best soccer player in our family-RIP) Outside So-Fi 3 hrs before the game
Here at the US Soccer House for the Brazil Game – with Courtney’s friends – Good times Confused Netherlands / Japan fan at the Official WC Fan Fest at the Coliseum.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It began with thunderous chants of “U-S-A” and climaxed with the best 45 minutes in U.S. men’s World Cup history.It was seven years and 364 days in the making, and it was worth every day, hour, second of waiting.U.S. soccer fans and players had, for years, dreamed of this moment, a glitzy World Cup opener on home soil, an unparalleled stage for their sport. They had dreamed of meeting it, of igniting America, of elevating soccer.But no one could have realistically envisioned this — a rousing 4-1 win over Paraguay, patriotic glee on the field and in the stands, silky soccer and eruptions of noise.“I mean, my whole life I feel like I’ve envisioned it,” U.S. defender Chris Richards said. “But tonight was way better than what I could’ve envisioned. It was surreal.”In front of 70,492 fans at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, it was more than a near-perfect start to this home World Cup.It was, as Sebastian Berhalter said while recalling the victory lap to thank the fans, “what U.S. soccer should be.”It was a launchpad into a new U.S. men’s national team era.
Antonee Robinson (5) lets out a roar during a USMNT goal celebrationKeith Birmingham / MediaNews Group / Pasadena Star-News / Getty Images
Eight years ago, when this World Cup was awarded to North America, the U.S. men’s soccer program was at a nadir. It was absent from the 2018 World Cup, starving for stability and talent. And that’s when the “golden generation” first began to appear. Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams joined Christian Pulisic on the scene. Promise and potential began to surface.
And for eight years, in many ways, it remained just that.
Talented players appeared, and won some regional trophies, but as a U.S. team, they never rose beyond that.
In Qatar, they played to their level, winning one game, scoring three goals, conceding four. On Friday, in 90-plus minutes, on one remarkable night, they surpassed that scoring haul.
They seized a World Cup game in a way U.S. men never previously had. They scored four goals in a World Cup game for the first time in program history.
For years, there were intermittent hints that they were capable. Pulisic would score a brilliant goal or light up Italy’s Serie A. Adams would look like a world-class defensive midfielder. At their best, many agreed, this group of U.S. players could be better than ever before, but there always remained one problem: they never actually were at their best simultaneously.
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Some were always injured. Some were always absent. Some, perhaps, slumbered through repetitive regional games and inconsequential friendlies. In 2025, a malaise seemed to set in. Questions swirled about whether this generation would ever reach its potential. Did they have the heart? Was their talent overblown? Fans grumbled and became apathetic.
But their head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, told us all to be patient.
The most important thing — no, the only important thing — was to arrive at the World Cup in prime condition, he’d constantly remind us.
Mauricio Pochettino joins the USMNT goal celebration after Gio Reyna’s exclamation point in a win over ParaguayShaun Clark / ISI Photos / Getty Images
Pochettino, an accomplished European club coach, was brought in to elevate the players. He was handed the fattest contract in U.S. Soccer history, with some help from deep-pocketed donors and corporate sponsors, to help them meet this moment.
Players, too, structured their careers around the summer of 2026. Pulisic took last summer off, with an eye on managing his body for the big year ahead.
Even fans laid low, saving their money and energy for the one moment that mattered.
On Friday, the moment arrived. And everyone met it.
Fans met it from the time they first arrived well over four hours before kickoff. They came in star-spangled overalls and facepaint, with Pulisic jerseys and posters, with plans for Instagrammable photos, yes, but also with genuine, take-in-the-moment, awestruck excitement.
They roared when 26 U.S. players first took the field. The players inhaled all the enthusiasm and channeled it. All 10, minus goalkeeper Matt Freese, buzzed around SoFi Stadium’s temporary grass.
The partisan U.S. crowd was in full force from start to finish of the USMNT’s World Cup openerAlex Livesey / FIFA / Getty Images
“Being in America, having this crowd around us, seeing the red, white and blue, all our red and white striped shirts in the crowd, it’s awesome,” Pulisic said. “I mean, hearing the ‘U-S-A’ chants, it’s really pushing us forward. So we just hope it continues like that, and I’m sure it will.”
Pulisic, before exiting at halftime with a calf injury, darted between defenders, like the player everyone one knows he can be. McKennie ran the game from midfield. Richards made World Cup history with an 83-for-83 passing performance, the best at this storied tournament in at least 60 years. Malik Tillman helped the U.S. boss the proceedings. And Folarin Balogun showed why he’s the best USMNT striker in a decade.
“It’s a dream,” Balogun, who became the first U.S. man to score twice in a World Cup game since Bert Patenaude’s hat trick vs. Paraguay in the inaugural 1930 World Cup, said afterward. “It’s a dream.”
The players fed off the fans, and the fans fed off the players, and together, they soared into a new stratosphere.
American fans watching nationwide surely began to let themselves wonder: Could they do it? Could the U.S. win the World Cup?
The pragmatic answer is: Slow down. It’s still only one game. Pochettino will drive home that message over the coming days. Players will stay level-headed.
But the era of potential is over. On this near-ideal night, all the ills of the past few years faded away, and an era — or at least a month — of real ambition began. Fan support is booming. Players are jelling. Paraguay was suffocating. The Americans are flying, and there’s no telling how high they can fly over the coming weeks.
Henry Bushnell is a senior writer for The Athletic covering soccer. He previously covered a variety of sports and events, including World Cups and Olympics, for Yahoo Sports. He is based in Washington, D.C.
Why Adidas has embraced Trinity Rodman as the U.S. face of its men’s World Cup marketing
I love a good World Cup commercial.Who can forget Nike’s 2002 Secret Tournament commercial? Or this year’s Rip the Script? Stacked with soccer stars from the past and present, and handful of Hollywood heavy-hitters to make it relevant for casual fans. Bingo.When Adidas unveiled its flagship World Cup commercial a few weeks ago, the creative team similarly packed it with soccer royalty, including England’s Jude Bellingham and Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, two players expected to help define this World Cup. In the spot, Timothée Chalamet assembles a three-a-side team to take on a mythical street-soccer trio in a fictional city.His first two picks make perfect sense.The third is Trinity Rodman.
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Not Christian Pulisic. Not Weston McKennie. Not Gio Reyna. Rodman, the U.S women’s national team and Washington Spirit winger.
Adidas’s choice was no coincidence. Nor is it a slight against the U.S. men’s national team. Rather, it speaks to Rodman’s place in American soccer today and highlights the unique position women’s soccer occupies here.
Rodman and her “Triple Espresso” teammates (Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson) perform in front of American audiences every week with their NWSL clubs. Their success happens in stadiums across the country, creating a level of connection and familiarity with fans. (Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna was featured heavily in commercials leading up to the World Cup, but was not selected to Mauricio Pochettino’s final roster.)“The players are legitimate global stars,” Kyle Sheldon, chief operating officer of Name & Number, a soccer-specific creative and marketing agency, told The Athletic. “The domestic league (NWSL) is arguably the strongest in the world, top to bottom. Unquestionably, the fact that those players are in the U.S. backyard constantly has a significant impact.”Sheldon attended a Spirit match earlier this season when Rodman scored her first goal of the season after almost a year hiatus from the league. “It was sold out,” he said. “The pop in the stadium when she was introduced was, from my experience, second only to David Beckham and Lionel Messi where I have seen them play.”That is a remarkable comparison for any American soccer player, let alone a 24-year-old still entering her prime, working to make her own way on a U.S. team that has won four of nine Women’s World Cup titles.
“There really is this love for her and for what she represents,” Sheldon added. “For how she handles herself, that really is amongst the best in U.S. soccer history. She still has a long career to go, but I think it speaks to the impact of having that player playing domestically versus abroad.”
Trinity Rodman is one of the NWSL’s most marketable players.Claudio Villa / Getty Images
During the men’s World Cup on U.S. soil, Adidas is not the only company that tapped Rodman. She appears in marketing for State Farm, Sam’s Club, Dick’s Sporting Goods and even Dove Men+Care. Yes, Dove Men+Care.
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While Rodman has fewer than one million Instagram followers, a platform where she regularly shares these partnerships, marketers say follower counts alone do not determine influence.
“When Trinity drops something or goes on Instagram Live, the ripple effect captures attention,” Laura Correnti, CEO and founder of Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment told The Athletic. “Brands are so pressed for stopping people in the feed.”
The modern sports economy is no longer driven primarily by audience size. It is driven by attention. Everything Rodman does becomes news. From her injuries to her fashion choices, she generates headlines. Her relationships attract coverage. She possesses something marketers covet but few athletes achieve: cultural gravitas, paired with authenticity.
And if Rodman’s commercial value still needed validation, the NWSL essentially provided it. Last year, the league created its “High Impact Player” mechanism, a roster-building rule designed to help clubs retain transformational stars by allowing teams to spend beyond traditional salary restrictions. Around soccer circles, many simply call it the “Rodman Rule.” The comparison Sheldon immediately thought of was another player whose value extended beyond wins and losses.
“The only other time you’ve really seen something similar in American soccer was David Beckham,” Sheldon said. “The league created a mechanism to bring Beckham to MLS. There are parallels there.”
The NWSL created the High Impact Player rule, in part, to keep Trinity Rodman in the league.Scott Taetsch / Getty Images
Rodman is not Beckham. Not yet. But the fact that league executives felt compelled to create greater roster flexibility to retain a player of her stature in the face of lucrative opportunities in Europe and would-be domestic rivals speaks to her importance. (Beckham, by the way, is also massively capitalizing on this World Cup with a handful of near-ubiquitous national TV ad campaigns, including Adidas, Home Depot, Lay’s, Stella Artois and McDonald’s.)
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“I think we’ll look back and understand that it was one of the most consequential rulings that had to happen to preserve the longevity of women’s soccer in this country,” Correnti said. If Rodman had left for Europe, the NWSL would not only have lost one of its best players, but it would have lost one of its most valuable commercial upsides. “I truly believe it would have been detrimental to the future commercial success of women’s soccer in this country.”
The phenomenon reflects years of groundwork laid by women athletes who were forced to become marketers long before most male athletes needed to. For much of the modern era, U.S. women’s national team players earned a fraction of what their male counterparts made in playing salary. To close that gap, the women embraced the opportunities presented by social media, built quantifiable personal brands, cultivated sponsorships, created content and learned how to remain relevant between matches.
Think Alex Morgan, who realized and capitalized on her on-the-pitch success for commercial gains very early in her career and, even in retirement, remains active in nationally televised brand campaigns and as the founder of an investment fund, backing an array of businesses focused on women’s sports and its audiences.
“Women inherently have done these brand deals and capitalized on these opportunities out of necessity,” Correnti said. “Now that’s changing.” According to Correnti, social media, athlete-owned media and NIL have accelerated a trend that favors athletes capable of building direct relationships with fans. The next generation increasingly follows people rather than institutions.
“We’re entering the individual-over-institution era,” Correnti said. “People aren’t asking, ‘Am I a fan of the men’s national team or the women’s national team?’ They’re saying, ‘I’m a fan of Trinity Rodman.’”
That may be the most important business lesson of this World Cup.
US Ladies Lose 2-1 @ Brazil play again tonight, 8 pm on TNT & HBO
The US Ladies got on the board first with a Sophia Wilson (Smith) Goal less than 5 minutes in as the forward returns to form after 18 months out on maternity leave. The lead was short lived however as the US gave up 2 goals in 5 minutes just 10 minutes later. Highlights The US backline was missing Naomi Girma (out with injury) and the foursome of Sonnet, Thompson, Fox & playing together for the first time – looked disorganized early before settling down in front of a hostile Brazil venue much like the US will face next summer in the World Cup in Brazil. The US showed its depth bringing Rose Lavell & Murge Pierce off the bench in the 2nd half as the US took control of the match. Despite our possessing nearly 2 to 1 and outshooting Brazil 8-2 in the 2nd half however – the US could not find the equalizer. As I mentioned last week – this is probably good for the US as most of this young team has not faced this kind of atmosphere before. I look for the US ladies to bounce back with a 2-1 win tonight and lets hope we get a dose of Triple Expresso this time.
US Men lose 2-1 in World Cup Sendoff game to Germany in Chicago -play Paraguay Fri 9 pm Fox (coverage starts 6 pm)
The US got off to a shaky start giving up a goal 3 minutes into the game on a free kick just outside the box. The Germans behind Chelsea’s Kia Havertz looked scary early before the US defense finally settled in and the offense got rolling. The US out-possessed and outshot the Germans in the first half and scored behind this banger from Antonee Robinson StunnerSpanish US Highlights. So lets start with the good – the US offense was on fire in this game – as Pulisic was on fire again. I still the like Pepi up front with Pulisic more than Balogun but we’ll see. Dest and Robinson were dangerous down the wings in the 3-5 alignment that we have settled into. The biggest issue I see is Poch is going to have to put McKennie beside Adams to protect a backline that is as weak as any the US has carried into a World Cup. Tillman has to be further upfield as he can’t play the Dmid 6 slot for this team which limits how much Adams can get forward. The Backline as discussed here before with Tim Ream (grandpa) on the left, a solid speedy Freeman on the right and hopefully Crystal Palace man Chris Richards (if he recovers from angle ligaments) in the middle. I still prefer Matt Turner in goal – but he will probably go with Freese. Here’s my starters for what i pray will be a 1-0 victory for the US in LA. My daughter Courtney and I will be in the stands – so keep an eye out for us! Go USA! (PS) I will have my World Cup Winners later in the Week hopefully before the Friday game.
The Ole Ballcoach WORLD CUP POOL
Ok folks its time for the Ole Ballcoach World Cup pool. Simply pick the positions each team will finish in the group stages in their group. (Rank them 1 thru 4) and get points for each correct pick. Then you play the Sweet 16 – knockout round by picking the games and who will advance just like a NCAA hoops pool -You can change you picks on the Knockout Rounds until the day they play.
Indy 11 wins 2-0 play @ Pittsburgh Sat at 7 pm on ESPN+, Ladies play Wed 7 pm
Indianapolis – When halftime ended at Carroll Stadium, the floodgates opened, both for Indy Eleven and the sky. As heavy rain began to fall upon downtown, the Boys in Blue scored two goals in the first ten minutes of the second half to earn a 2-0 win over Forward Madison FC in Prinx Tires USL Cup play.For much of the first half, Indy Eleven peppered Forward Madison FC’s goal, taking 12 shots and putting five on target under cloudy skies. The final statistics revealed just how dominant the hosts were. Indy Eleven finished with 23 shots, 14 on target, and eight corners.15-year-old forward Tyler Lowden made his Indy Eleven debut with four minutes to go, becoming the youngest player to take the pitch with the first-team in franchise history. The Greenwood, Ind., native who attends Center Grove High School was signed to an academy contract just eight days ago.The final statistics revealed just how dominant the hosts were. Indy Eleven finished with 23 shots, 14 on target, and eight corners.The Boys in Blue are 1-1-1 in USL Cup Group 4 play with one group game remaining at Lexington SC on June 20. Indy Eleven resumes USL Championship action at Eastern Conference opponent Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC next Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. The next home game for the Boys in Blue is on Wednesday, June 17 at 7 p.m. vs. Brooklyn FC. It is a 317 Night, so fans can purchase $11 tickets online. Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck(sold out for this match), Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans.
Westfield, Ind. – Indy Eleven secured its second win this week in a commanding 6-0 fashion versus USL W League Valley Division leader Dayton Dutch Lions FC Sunday night. The Girls in Blue will continue their four-match homestand Wednesday evening at 7:00 pm, hosting division leader and rival Racing Louisville FC indoors at the Community Health Network Events Center on the Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield. Tickets are under $12 and they can be purchased online or after doors open at 6:00 pm.
Carmel FC Director Juergen Sumner (right) being honored as 1994 US World Cup Goalkeeper in Chicago Sat. US 1994 WC Team
The 1994 US World Cup Team with current US Men’s Team at Pregame of the US Sendoff game in Chicago last Saturday. Congrats to The Carmel FC U13G – Coach Tracey (L), Coach Matt (R). Good luck in Girls Nationals in Tenn
TV Schedule – Games on TV
Tues, June 9 8:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Ladies @ Brazil Thur, June, 11 World Cup 3 pm Fox Mexico vs South Africa 10 pm FS1 Korea vs Czech Republic Fri, June 12 WORLD CUP 7 pm ESPN+ Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs Indy 11 3 pm Fox, Tele Canada vs Boznia/Hertz 9 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Paraguay World Cup Sat, June 13 3 pm Fox Qatar vs Switzerland 6 pm Fox Brazil vs Morocco 9 pm FS1 Haiti vs Scotland 12 Mid pm FS1 Australia vs Turkey Sun, June 15 12N Fox Spain vs Cape Verde 3 pm Fox Belgium vs Egypt 6 pm FS1 Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay 9 pm FS1 Iran vs New Zealand Mon, June 16 3 pm Fox France vs Senagal 6 pm Fox Iraq vs Norway 9 pm FS1 Argentina vs Algeria 12Mid FS1 Austria vs Jordan Tues, June 17 1 pm Fox Portugal (Ronaldo) vs Congo 4 pm Fox England vs Croatia 7 pm FS1 Ghana vs Panama 10 pm FS1 Uzbekistan vs Colombia Wed, June 18 12N Fox Czechia vs South Africa 3 pm Fox Switzerland vs Bosnia & Hertz 6 pm FS1 Qatar vs Canada 9 pm FS1 Mexico vs South Korea Fri, June 19 3 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Australia World Cup 6 pm Fox Scotland vs Moracco 8:30 pm Fox Brazil vs Haiti 11 pm FS1 Turkey vs Paraguay Thur, June 25 10 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Australia World Cup
Coming home from Practice or Games at Badger Fieldhouse? Need food for a Graduation, end of school party, World Cup or July 4th party? Call Ryan now to ask about catering options at 317-688-7290. 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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Denmark’s National Team Doctor Morten Boesen said that Christian Eriksen is “doing well” after collapsing on the pitch and that “the expectation is that he will be discharged soon and can return home” (More); dive deeper into how Eriksen’s heart device saved him (More)
Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was elected as Africa’s best referee by CAF in 2025 and chosen by Fifa for the World Cup, was denied entry to the United States (More)
Final Travel game of the Season at Trinity Park with Landon & Augustus.
Looking to Get a Professional Company Headshot? Check out https://capturely.com/ Tell Rob The Ole Ballcoach sent you and he’ll give you a deal.
In his 20 months in charge of the U.S. men’s national team, Mauricio Pochettino has won 15 matches, lost 10 and tied one. He has taken a look at 67 different players and whittled that down to a 26-man squad. He has overseen a pair of inspiring performances over the past 10 days, a 3-2 win over Senegal and a 2-1 defeat to Germany. And now, on Friday, he takes the USMNT into the FIFA World Cup.
It’s a moment that really has no parallel in program history. Sure, the U.S. has hosted this tournament before, and the 1994 edition was a magical, transformative moment for the game in this country, but that team was playing with house money.
“Not getting embarrassed” was the goal 32 years ago. But now? With a manager as recognizable as Pochettino, with players scattered across Europe’s most storied clubs, the bar is set significantly higher.
Is this team ready for that? Just what is the ceiling for this group? To answer those questions and more, ESPN turned to those who’ve been covering the USMNT throughout this World Cup cycle and will continue spending every day of this tournament following the team: Jeff Carlisle, Herculez Gomez, Sam Borden, Cesar Hernandez and Ryan Clark.
Did Pochettino get his squad selection right?
Carlisle: I think he got things right for the most part. Injuries meant he could avoid some prickly questions, such as Patrick Agyemang vs. Haji Wright at center forward. The heart of the team’s defense looks a bit suspect, but I think Pochettino picked the best options available.
I, for one, wasn’t surprised by the exclusion of Diego Luna. He’s a talented player, but I think the other options in attack are a shade more proven. A player like Alejandro Zendejas is 100% deserving of his spot.
Gomez: Essentially yes, given it’s been 20 months since Pochettino took over, finally we see something that resembles a starting XI. You have to imagine that if Chris Richards is healthy, Miles Robinson is out and Richards is in the middle and finally you have the potential starting XI that we want to see against Paraguay. Yes, he got it right, but it took 20 long months to get here, and that is concerning.
Borden: On balance, yes. All the most meaningful pieces are here, although I suppose that’s the easy part. Taking Gio Reyna was the right decision, in my opinion — his talent is undeniable. Leaving off Tanner Tessmann was a surprise to me, as he impressed at the Paris Olympics and only continued to rise after that. If there’s a weak point here, it’s definitely in midfield depth. If anyone picks up an injury or yellow-card suspension, it could be glaring, and that seemed avoidable.
Hernandez: I’m sure I won’t be the only person bringing up the midfield. I get wanting to have a more forward-thinking option next to Tyler Adams for a group stage that will need you to break down some defensive opponents, but I don’t see this as a recipe for success for a deep run in the knockout stages.
Clark: Maybe? Some options were taken away because of how many players are injured. That’s not to say there aren’t questions about who didn’t make the final roster. Luna and Tessmann stand out the most, especially with Tessmann playing an important role for a Lyon side that finished fourth in Ligue 1.
Where does this team look most vulnerable?
Gomez: In the transition phase, when they lose the ball. This is a team that commits a lot of numbers going forward, and when you do that and lose that ball, you leave vulnerable a lot of players at the back in one-on-one positions. That’s when mistakes happen.
Borden: Beyond that midfield question, the concern with the U.S. is always around scoring. Folarin Balogun is as good a striker option as the Americans have had and is coming off a productive season (19 goals, four assists for AS Monaco), but the historic question hanging over the American team — can they score enough? — is hard to shake. Add in Christian Pulisic‘s months-long goal drought that finally ended against Senegal, and offense is something that any American fan will always have on their mind.
Hernandez: Related to the previous question, I think this team is one injury/red card away from a crisis if Adams is unavailable. Pochettino has noted that there are plenty of options who could play in that central midfield role, but there isn’t someone who can do it at the same level as Adams. Not enough defensive midfield coverage.
Clark: Defense, with the notion that it’s not so much for the structure, but the personnel. It wasn’t like the German team the U.S. faced in the final warmup game is one of the strongest German sides we’ve seen entering a World Cup. Couple that with the performance they had against Senegal, and it left Antonee Robinson as the U.S.’s most consistent performer at the back.
Carlisle: The one nit I have with Pochettino’s selections is bringing in a fifth outside back in Joe Scally and not another central midfielder such as Aidan Morris. Adams has a history of picking up injuries. Yellow cards are likely to be a factor as well, especially in a part of the field where physicality will be required.
Pochettino looks like he has settled on having more of a playmaker type, such as Malik Tillman, alongside Adams than a destroyer, such as Cristian Roldan. We’ll see if the U.S. pays for not having more steel in the middle.
How heavily will the distraction of Pochettino’s future weigh on the team?
Borden: The short answer: not much. I don’t think it’s a terrific look from an optics standpoint, but this is professional sports and however much we bang the drum about team and family, everyone is always looking out for themselves. The players are trying to win World Cup games; where their coach goes after it’s over isn’t going to be front of mind for them in any meaningful way.
Hernandez: I’m going to file this under “big deal for fans and media, but not much of a thought for the players.” Maybe they know something otherwise, but all signs from the outside pointed to Pochettino heading out after the World Cup. The latest reporting is not much of a shock.
Clark: Probably not at all. Appointing Pochettino always seemed like one of those moves that was going to last until it wasn’t. That’s what makes his future with the USMNT discussion fodder at this stage. Besides, we’re in the silly season, when managers and players are always rumored to head elsewhere.
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Carlisle: I don’t think it will have much of a bearing on how the team performs. These players are used to having coaches come and go. That’s just the nature of the beast of being a professional soccer player. This is especially true for the guys in Europe, but coaches are fired with increasing regularity even in MLS. I think it’s a fairly professional group as well, able to tune out the noise that comes around transfers or coaches moving.
Gomez: I don’t think it’s going to weigh on this team at all. I think everybody here knew Pochettino was here for what was left of this World Cup cycle and then would most likely leave. It was for this World Cup only. So the fact that he has potential suitors I don’t think in any way, shape or form is on the minds of the players.
Who is the player you think will surprise everyone (in a good way) this summer?
Hernandez: Reyna will have something to prove this summer. He obviously hasn’t lived up to his once-lofty expectations, but he has enough talent to have a game-changing moment or two off the bench. We’ll see how much of an opportunity Pochettino gives him.
Clark: It could be Sergiño Dest. This World Cup offers him a chance to display a level of versatility that might be crucial. He has shown that he can get into dangerous positions in attack while getting back to help when the U.S. needs to press. Some club is going to see that and present an offer to PSV Eindhoven for his services.
Carlisle: I think Dest and Zendejas are the attacking wild cards in the group who could do some real damage. Dest showed how effective he can be on the wing against Senegal. He has always been capable of delivering the unexpected, and playing further upfield plays to his strengths while lessening his defensive responsibilities.
Zendejas is another player I think will surprise people. The spectacular goal he scored last September against Japan was a glimpse of what he can do. I just hope he gets the chance in this tournament to show off his skill.
Gomez:Weston McKennie has to be that player; he is the one player on this team who has true star power. He is a star player on the field, for the goals he can score and the plays he can make, and also off the field for how charismatic he can be.
There are millions and millions of casual soccer fans who don’t know who McKennie is — if he has a big World Cup, they’re going to find out.
Borden: If I can borrow a hockey cliché, the U.S. is going to need a hot goalkeeper to make the kind of run that it’s hoping to achieve this summer. For that reason, I’ll go with Matt Freese as the most likely — and needed — player to surprise. Freese isn’t playing in Europe, the way Tim Howard and Matt Turner did going into their World Cups with the U.S., but his ability is legitimate. Can he do it on the biggest stage? If he can, it’ll give the U.S. a great chance to go deep.
How far will the U.S. go in this World Cup?
What would make a good World Cup for the USMNT?
Clark: Reaching the round of 16 seems like a realistic destination. Beyond that is when it gets complicated because of what has happened since March. How the U.S. performed against Belgium, Portugal and Germany — all games it lost — means it would need a significant turnaround to go beyond the last 16.
Carlisle: I still think the round of 16 is where this team will exit. The U.S. is likely to play Belgium in that round if form holds, and we all saw what happened when the teams met in March. Yes, that was a friendly, but I can’t think of anyone on the U.S. roster who can stop Jérémy Doku. That’s not to say the U.S. has no chance. The team is playing at home after all, and can certainly ride the support of the crowd. The Americans are also going to need some good fortune to progress.
Gomez: The USMNT is going to go as far as the draw will take it. If it ends up as a first-place team in this group, the road into the knockout rounds is easy. Second place? A bit harder. Third place? It will be scrambling. But all roads eventually lead the U.S. to the round of 16.
Borden: The “good” draw that the U.S. supposedly got in this tournament cuts both ways; no juggernaut dominates the group, but there are no minnows, either, which raises the possibility for all types of outcomes. I tend to be optimistic here: I think the U.S. wins the group (beating Paraguay and Australia, losing to Türkiye), and gets one step farther than Qatar before bowing out in the quarterfinals.
Hernandez: An exit in the round of 16 seems like the right balance of not being a letdown but also not being a massive step forward either. Assuming the U.S. tops its group or finishes in second, a possible loss to Belgium or Argentina appears to be the expected outcome in the round of 16.
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The year was 1992, and “everybody” at then-Bundesliga side FC Saarbrucken, including Wynalda’s teammates, had regaled him with taunts of “scheiss Ami” or German for “s— American.” After six weeks of hearing this, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
“It resulted in me finally having enough and throwing one of my teammates to the ground and telling him that if he calls me that one more time, he’s going to the dentist,” Wynalda told ESPN. “And then everybody kind of backed off and said, ‘Right, let’s stop calling him that.'”
They quickly did, though what helped Wynalda’s cause even more was scoring both of Saarbrucken’s goals in a 2-0 win over local rivals Kaiserslautern.
Was the treatment Wynalda received simple banter, or did it speak to the stigma that American players have found themselves subjected to when they try to compete in the upper echelons of soccer abroad?
Ultimately, it’s probably a bit of both. Although Wynalda’s recollection falls at the extreme end of the spectrum, it wasn’t unusual for Americans making their initial forays into Europe to endure such treatment, be it from teammates, coaches, fans or media.
Former Hannover 96 and U.S. men’s national team defender Steve Cherundolo said once he arrived at the German club in 1999, he was treated equally by players and staff, but he noticed a difference in the media. This was particularly evident in the dreaded player ratings, especially if he was playing more defensively from his outside back position.
“I don’t think there was ever a period where I didn’t” feel that stigma, Cherundolo told ESPN. This from a man who was dubbed “The Mayor of Hannover” and made over 400 appearances for the club.
USMNT great Landon Donovan felt the same during his days at Bayer Leverkusen, which signed him in 1999.
“This was not a personal thing against me or anyone else, but in the early days, you didn’t have to be as good as the player you were competing with. You didn’t even have to be a little better. You had to be significantly better,” he said. “If you were competing with a Turkish guy or a Brazilian guy or a German guy, you just had to [be much better] because they just assumed that Americans didn’t know how to play soccer.”
Not everyone buys the stigma argument. Current Chicago Fire manager Gregg Berhalter, who managed the U.S. from 2018 to 2024, spent time as a player in Europe in the Netherlands, England and Germany. To him, it was less of a stigma than it was ignorance — there was just a lack of awareness that Americans even played soccer.
“We’d just come off the [1994] World Cup, so everyone recognized Alexi Lalas and Tony Meola,” Berhalter said. “But other than that, they had no idea that the U.S. was even playing soccer. So, it was like, this is just a total new frontier. But it wasn’t like fans or coaches really held it against you.”
Red, White & Clueless
In the past, there was some justification for the skepticism of American players. The sport in the U.S. has gone through some excruciatingly lean periods. For huge swaths of the 20th century, soccer barely existed at a semiprofessional level. The U.S. endured a 40-year period between appearances at the World Cup. Between 1985 and 1995, the U.S. was without what would be considered a topflight domestic league.
Even following the advent of MLS in 1996, although the U.S. men’s national team has won seven Concacaf Gold Cups and reached the final of the 2009 Confederations Cup, the U.S. has never come close to winning a World Cup. The quarterfinal run in 2002 remains the furthest the U.S. has progressed in that tournament during the modern era. As a result, it was down to the likes of Wynalda, Kasey Keller, Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey to break down the doors, perform on the field and gradually improve the reputation of American players.
Solid performances at World Cups — the U.S. reached at least in the second round in the 2002, 2010, 2014, and 2022 tournaments — have helped raise that perception further. But other players toiled in relative obscurity, their presence helping to make incremental — but still important — gains.
“People forget how good Tony Sanneh was. They just do,” said Wynalda about the former Nuremburg and Hertha Berlin defender. “So, I mean, I think all those guys, I salute all of them. It used to be the one thing that they could say about America, ‘You might be good at everything, but you’re not good at this game. This is our game.’ And we’ve finally proven that we deserve to be in that conversation.”Thanks to the current group of American players performing overseas, the assessment of American players has never been higher. Players such as AC Milan attacker Christian Pulisic and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie have proved themselves with big clubs in Europe. The Premier League is dotted with steady performers such as Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards, AFC Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams and Leeds United attacker Brenden Aaronson.
But the stigma has been difficult to shake. In talking to current players on the U.S. team, they believe there is still judgment and skepticism about American players although it’s less severe than it used to be. Nonetheless, the players aren’t playing the victim card and say they’re being judged fairly on their contributions. They carry with them a belief that their quality will see them rise to the top.
“Maybe I had some thoughts at the beginning that some teammates don’t view me the same because I’m American in the youth teams at Dortmund,” Pulisic told ESPN at a promotional event for Degree. “Maybe I had some of those thoughts, but I don’t know — I always believed and told myself that if you’re good enough, the coach is going to put the best players on the field. And I just always took that mentality.
“Is there a little bit of that stigma? Maybe there was. I think it’s definitely getting better with all the amazing talent that we’re producing now.”
For Toulouse FC defender Mark McKenzie, the stigma scale veers more toward banter, an arena in which he’s able to more than hold his own. Lately, the conversations have gone in some strange directions.
“With teammates, we go back and forth,” McKenzie told ESPN. “We poke and prod each other because it’s like, ‘Oh, America, you come over here, you talk about our food. Oh, you come over here, you talk about, Why don’t you do it this way? Or, Oh, facility’s not the way it would be back in the States.’ And for me, I try not to get into these debates. It’s subjective. It’s all about what you grew up in.
“Now the big thing is long throw-ins. Now I’ve destroyed the game with my American philosophy of using my hands and throwing the ball as far as possible. So, I got all my teammates talking about, ‘Oh, you destroyed the game now.’ Blah, blah, blah. So that’s the new dig.”
Former U.S. international and longtime Premier League goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who has also worked as a club executive with the likes of Besiktas in Turkey, believes that whatever stigma is attached to American players has become more subtle. For the bulk of American players, there isn’t a negative connotation — but they’re also not viewed as being capable of being the top player on a team.
“I think they look at American players [and decide] that, No. 1, the salaries are going to be a little lower at first, which is true,” Friedel said in reference to decision-makers at European clubs. “That their transfer fees could potentially be lower at first, which is true. And then they’re going to get a really honest, good professional that is going to possibly be able to start in the starting XI all the time but is not necessarily going to be the main reason they win every game.”
Pulisic is probably the lone exception to that statement, given he commanded a $73 million transfer fee when he moved to Chelsea in 2019. But until another player reaches those heights, that is one aspect of how American players are viewed that won’t change.
Even with all this progress, both on the field and with hearts and minds, there is still a way to go, with the stigma popping up in odd ways at strange moments. Current Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream spent over a decade in England with Bolton Wanderers and Fulham FC, and says he benefited from playing for two clubs that had previously had Americans on their books.
He says he never encountered a manager who held him in less regard because of where he was from. But at times, the perception of U.S. players among some teammates harked back to a previous era.
“Yeah, you would hear it. ‘Oh, really? You’re American. Do you actually know football?’ And you’re like, ‘Well, I’m playing in the same team that you are, so you tell me who knows and who doesn’t know, because we’re in the same boat here.’ So there was a little bit of that,” he said.
But nothing alters perceptions like a World Cup, especially if it involves iconic moments or an impressive performance against one of the presumed favorites. Ream found that to be the case after the U.S. tied England 0-0 at the 2022 World Cup, a match that on another day the Americans might have won. For some of his club teammates, it was almost like an epiphany.
“When we went back from that, guys were like, ‘Holy s—.’ They’re like, ‘You guys are a really good team, very good team,'” Ream said. “I think that’s when it clicked for a lot of people.”
The upcoming World Cup is another opportunity to alter perceptions and potentially inspire the next generation of players and the public at large. At present, the U.S. is viewed still as outsiders in soccer, but being one of the three host countries has upped the stakes of what can be achieved in both the near and long term.
“For me, it’s a lot bigger than just ourselves and our performance,” Adams said. “It’s about how can the next kid that’s looking up to us be inspired and want to play soccer instead of basketball, football, whatever it is. So for me, yeah, it’s a huge opportunity.”
Ream feels that any progress needs to be viewed with a longer time horizon. The quarterfinal run at the 2002 World Cup got people’s attention, but as Ream says the U.S. program has been on “a little bit of a slow burn” since that time.
The U.S. men’s national team is still waiting for its next breakthrough. There have been some humbling moments too, the failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup among them. A deep run, building on the round of 16 performance in 2022, would project more consistency.
“If you can sustain a national team and the development and the players within that, and they’re playing at big clubs around the world, which a lot of our guys are, then you start to change that perception,” Ream said. “And now that the thought of, ‘OK, they do produce good players. They do produce players that can play with other top players that are from all over the world, that are from your traditional powerhouses, Brazil, your Frances, your Englands.’ But you have to sustain that. You can’t just be a flash in the pan.”If the U.S. can find that big moment — and consistency — perceptions could rise, and the last vestiges of any stigma might finally start to subside.
Is the USMNT ready for the World Cup? After loss to Germany, the jury’s still out
Bill ConnellyJun 6, 2026, 07:32 PM ET
CHICAGO — Results matter most, and the United States men’s national team didn’t get what it hoped for in that regard in its pre-World Cup sendoff game, a 2-1 loss to Germany in Chicago on Saturday. But the Americans dictated the tenor of the match for much of the 90 minutes.
As has been the case for many recent matches, finishing made the difference — the U.S. didn’t do quite enough of it, and opponents did plenty.
After an early glitch led to a free Kai Havertz header and goal for the visitors, the U.S. established control around the 10th minute and rode it out for the rest of the first half. Antonee Robinson‘s wonder strike tied the match in the 37th minute, and the U.S. continued to create more dangerous opportunities (and earn plenty of corners).
But in the 57th minute, just as a number of stars were getting ready to leave the pitch, a long sequence of passes resulted in Havertz finding a surprisingly open Leroy Sané at the top of the box. The Galatasaray veteran gave Germany a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Backups for both teams created some late chances, and Giovanni Reyna, Joe Scally and Brenden Aaronson forced late saves from Germany’s Oliver Baumann.
“I think it was an even game,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said afterward. “If you see the stats, some of the stats [were] for us. I am so happy with the commitment and … how the reaction was [after the early goal].”
The U.S. has played four consecutive matches against teams in the top 15 of FIFA’s rankings, winning one and losing three. In terms of chance creation, the team fared well, attempting shots worth 5.6 expected goals (xG) to opponents’ 6.2. But opponents finished their chances at a far higher level and scored 11 goals to the USMNT’s six. There’s perhaps some poor fortune in there for the Americans, but there’s no questioning that moments of defensive inattention have proved terribly costly.
When the results and the advanced stats disagree, you can basically see whatever you want to see. But the U.S. certainly provided reasons for both encouragement and frustration before the team’s first World Cup game Friday against Paraguay.
Antonee Robinson steals the show
In the first half, Germany attempted to attack quite often through Sané on the right wing, but Robinson mostly stonewalled him; he was one of the best players in the match even before his incredible equalizer. In 63 minutes, he led the team with 12 defensive interventions and six ball recoveries while also creating three chances (tied for the most on the team with Malik Tillman) and scoring the only goal.
“He was unreal,” midfielder Tyler Adams said after the match. “I told him after he scored, I was like, ‘Can you save that for next weekend?'” It was Robinson’s second national-team goal from more than 20 meters out and third goal scored off a volley.
Robinson appeared to be cramping at the end of his shift, but there shouldn’t be any longer-term concerns. “He’ll be fine,” Adams said. “I was like, ‘Bro, you’ve been in England too long. You’re [playing] in the MLS heat.'”
Defensive breakdowns continue
For the fourth straight match, U.S. opponents finished at a higher level than xG suggested they should have, but there’s no question that poor defensive execution has been hurting the cause, especially in the absence of center back Chris Richards. On Germany’s first goal, Adams committed an unnecessary foul to give Joshua Kimmich a very good free-kick opportunity, and Miles Robinson lost Havertz, Germany’s most dangerous attacker on set pieces, in the box for a free header.
On the second goal, Germany unleashed a lovely passing sequence, but the Americans were a step slow for the first time in nearly an hour. They were punished for it.
A good response to (self-created) adversity
Against a high-caliber team, giving up an early goal can lead to a landslide effect. But the U.S. established its footing and created most of the chances for the rest of the first half.
Christian Pulisic completed a pair of aggressive send-off performances, attempting a team-high 18 ground duels and pushing the ball relentlessly: He finished with a team-high six progressive carries and a total carry distance of 217 meters.
Meanwhile, three bench players tested Baumann, and another substitute, wingback Max Arfsten, completed four progressive carries with a total carry distance of 106 meters in just 18 minutes.
In all, Pochettino was satisfied with the team’s fight.
“Here we are not talking about the quality of the coaching staff, the quality of the strategy, the plan, the tactics, it’s about culture,” he said after the match. “If you don’t have the energy, you have the commitment, you don’t have the trust, the confidence, all the values that are really important in that sport, it’s impossible to play.”
Red, white and hell yeah: How the American Outlaws became the heartbeat of U.S. Soccer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Elvis Presley lives, and right now he’s talking to Wonder Woman and a bald eagle in a gravel parking lot in North Carolina. All around Elvis, hundreds of American soccer fans of all ages, demographics and blood alcohol levels are snacking on hot dogs. Over near one fence, a drum circle is warming up, rat-a-tat-tats filling the sunny afternoon air. Red, white and blue is everywhere, from innumerable Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie jerseys, to dyed beards and wigs, to a T-shirt that simply reads, “WTF IS A KILOMETER?”Welcome to the land of the American Outlaws. America is co-hosting this year’s World Cup, but the Outlaws are the ones who are bringing the party to every stadium, festival, bar and brewery they possibly can, from sea to shining sea.httpsMuch like the Avengers, the American Outlaws began with an idea — an idea for a place that American soccer fans, and would-be soccer-fans, could gather, a place where they could enjoy their love of the beautiful game, a place where they could say the word “soccer” and not be exiled, a place where they could navigate the intricacies of international football systems.That idea, born in a basement in Lincoln, Nebraska, now literally spans the entire country, with more than 30,000 Outlaws and 200 chapters dedicated to spreading the word and the love about American soccer. Look in the stands of any U.S. team match, men and women alike, and you’ll see them, standing, chanting, celebrating with constant exuberance.In a time of American division, they’re a symbol of unity, a celebration of all things red, white and blue, from the noble to the ridiculous.
“There’s no way everyone here voted the same way,” says Bryan Friers, one of hundreds of American Outlaws supporters in the Charlotte parking lot, “but we can all be here together today.”
He’s standing with high school friend River Young amid a fantastic cross-section of American humanity, from families with young kids to bands of Gen Z soccer fanatics to boomers still wearing American-flag headbands. The camaraderie is instant, the joy is evident, and the Americana is everywhere, from overalls to capes to tattoos to wigs.
Anthony Williamson, who regularly drums with the Orlando FC drum corps, is checking his equipment preparing to lead a pre-match hype circle. “This is the best,” he says as a chant leader who goes by the nom de soccer of “Ulysses S. Chant” begins teaching the assembled crowd the new chants of the day. In a few minutes, they’ll gather the Outlaws for a gloriously noisy march to the stadium.
The American Outlaws party is just getting started today, but there’s always room for more.
Chris Brady of the United States and the American outlaws during the international friendly match between United States and Senegal. (John Dorton/USSF via Getty Images)
American Outlaws: The origin of a movement
The Outlaws came to life in the early 2000s, when founders Korey Donahoo, Justin Brunken and Ben Cohoon bonded over their love of soccer, and their realization that America had no true supporters’ group to welcome and energize fans of national soccer. (The men’s national team itself was struggling through one of its many well-documented identity crises, so this was not exactly a shock.) The three friends adopted some iconic American imagery, a classic cowboy bandanna, and the Outlaws were born.
The Outlaws debuted with that most American of traditions: a road trip. A busload of roughly 60 fans traveled from Nebraska to Chicago to watch the United States challenge Brazil in 2007. That kicked off a traveling party that now encompasses not just the game itself but a pregame gathering, a night-before party, and year-round friendship and camaraderie.
Starting with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 installment in Brazil, where the Outlaws arrived en masse, the group has traveled in massive packs that make Steelers and Cowboys fans look like homebodies. The cost, both financially and logistically, is considerable, and the USMNT players have long supported their own supporters.
“When the team comes over and claps and thanks our section at the end of a match, that’s huge,” says American Outlaws operations manager Whitney Zaleski, “to see that they recognize what we’re putting in and the energy that we’re putting in.”
Run almost entirely by volunteers, the American Outlaws are open to anyone with a love of soccer and a willingness to send in $30. The Outlaws now boast chapters from Anchorage to Miami, from Honolulu to Maine. Some chapters are massive and well-organized, others are small gatherings at a local watering hole, but all share a love of soccer in general and the United States teams in particular. It’s a love that’s taken on new resonance now that the World Cup is once again coming to American shores.
“When we go to these World Cups, these nations, leagues, friendlies abroad, we’re welcomed with open arms. The locals there are showing us a good time,” says D.C.-based American Outlaws member Donald Wine. “It’s our turn. … This World Cup is about showcasing our culture and we have this great opportunity to welcome fans from all around the country, that’s what we feel our duty is. And we’re ready to accept it.”
In a very real sense, then, the Outlaws represent the United States, and it’s a responsibility the group takes seriously. In a sport where racist, homophobic chants and hooligan-style lawbreaking make headlines, the Outlaws strive to promote inclusivity, so much so that they have a specified Code of Conduct page on their site.
“The American Outlaws will not tolerate any sort of hatred or attacks on other people for who they are, whether in the form of physical or verbal assault, clothing or signage,” the Outlaws’ conduct credo reads. “It is of the utmost importance that people can cheer, sing and exist as they are in our section, around the stadium, in chapter bars and anywhere in the world with comfort and free of threat.”
The Outlaws are now large enough that they’ve built their own charitable arm, AO Impact. Focused on the No. 11 — the number of players on the pitch — AO Impact asks for just $11, to start, to help spread the word of soccer to local communities across the country. AO Impact works with local nonprofits around the country to build and maintain soccer facilities with the goal of exposing kids to the beautiful game, with the hope and expectation that they’ll continue to love it when they grow up.
It’s all part of the supporter-centric focus that the Outlaws espouse, with the guiding philosophy of giving the players on the pitch the best possible foundation for success, while at the same time making sure fans can appreciate all that soccer has to offer.
“One of our biggest [philosophies] is accessibility to fans,” says Zaleski. “Accessibility on the financial front (for ticket prices), but also accessibility for members. We try to educate. A lot of people don’t know how the ticketing process works for the World Cup or for international games.”
Plus, she adds, there’s always one overarching Outlaws goal: “Helping members and fans alike get the chance to have a good time in the stadium.”
She concedes that’s gotten tougher in recent years as the cost of travel and, particularly, tickets has escalated beyond all reasonable expectations. The Outlaws have worked with U.S. Soccer to keep prices for United States-run games at $45 apiece or lower, which allows for some cost certainty in an often unreasonably costly sport.
Naturally, that approach isn’t working with FIFA. It turns out that there was quite the catch to the $60 tickets FIFA offered to the Outlaws: for the USMNT’s first three group stage matches, the Outlaws — typically seated directly behind one goal — will be in the 300- and 400-level sections of the stadiums. “These are the worst tickets that I’ve ever seen out of the five World Cups I’ve been to,” American Outlaws president Brian Hexsel told NBC last week.
That’s classic FIFA, though, putting even the boundless faith of the American Outlaws to the test.
The American Outlaws have grown from a small club of about 60 people to having membership chapters across the country, including Kansas City. (Doug Zimmerman/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
The beat goes on
About 45 minutes before the USMNT-Senegal friendly match begins in Charlotte, a circle forms around several drummers, including Williamson. Somehow the drum corps has come up one snare player short, so a young man — who clearly had some kind of high school marching band training — steps up and joins the group. He’ll spend the rest of the game right there next to them, drumming away, a perfect embodiment of the Outlaws’ all-are-welcome ethos.
In a nice bit of cross-sport solidarity, members of the Carolina Panthers’ PurrCussion drum corps join the party, adding heft and weight to the procession, along with some Panther-specific “Keep Pounding” riffs. Ulysses S. Chant and other leaders teach the gathered crowd some new chants built on the Terminator rhythm and “Crocodile Rock,” among other familiar tunes. Do the chants stick in the crowd’s memory? Not really, but the enthusiasm does, and that’s what’s important.
And then they’re off, marching down McNinch Street toward Bank of America Stadium. They’ll fill Section 121, and they’ll stand, chant and cheer for two-plus hours as Pulisic and the rest of the United States outlast Senegal 3-2. Then they’ll disperse into the North Carolina evening, the sounds of drums undoubtedly echoing in their ears for days.
Wherever the USMNT plays this summer, the Outlaws will gather, in person or around screens. They’ll drum, and chant, and cheer, and celebrate the very best parts of what it means to be American. And they’ll be open to everyone, including you. All you have to do to join the Outlaws is start clapping to the beat.
How a fiery friendly against Paraguay helped forge the USMNT’s World Cup identity
Paraguay and U.S. players fought during a friendly match in November Vincent Carchietta / Getty Images
IRVINE, Calif. — When the United States opens its World Cup campaign against Paraguay on Friday, it will do so against an opponent that helped shape a defining characteristic of Mauricio Pochettino’s team.The last time the sides matched up, it could only technically be described as a “friendly.”A tense, physical game in Philadelphia in November erupted into a fracas in stoppage time. USMNT’s Alex Freeman and Paraguay’s Gustavo Gomez wrestled over a throw-in, with Gomez aggressively trying to take the ball away.AdvertisementThat moment — and the reflexive, visceral reaction for all American players who rushed towards danger to defend their brothers — served as a tangible moment of bonding. It showed every person in that locker room had each other’s back.“We got a lot of dogs on the team,” defender Miles Robinson told The Athletic recently. “It’s about letting ‘em out the cage.”Robinson swiftly was put in a headlock by a Paraguayan player during the melee. Pochettino ran over, slipped and was helped back up by Paraguay head coach Gustavo Alfaro.“It was a spark for the group and for the fans,” Robinson said. “It was a moment we needed as a group to recognize, like, hey, we’re not to be messed with or taken lightly. We’re in it for the long haul and in it for each other.”
The U.S. won 2-1 and had a strong performance beyond the kerfuffle, but it’s the fight that lingers more than the final scoreline.
It was the type of moment that the team needed as it ramped up preparations for the World Cup. The type that won’t soon be forgotten by either side, as the USMNT faces Paraguay to open up World Cup Group D on Friday outside Los Angeles.
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Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter was the first person to jump to Freeman’s defense, as he was closest to the incident. Robinson wasn’t far behind. Neither was captain Tim Ream. Even goalkeeper Matt Freese made his way from his own 18-yard box to midfield.
“When you have a group of guys who fights for each other and dies for each other on the field, anything can happen,” Freese said Monday.
Pochettino took charge of his first match as USMNT head coach in October of 2024, 13 months before the Paraguay game. Leading into the fall, there had been some highs, but more lows than the group had hoped for.
There were heavy defeats to two European opponents before the Gold Cup in the summer of 2025, when star attacker Christian Pulisic was not part of the squad. Pulisic told Pochettino he needed a break in the summer as he felt it was best for his body, a decision that led to a public spat between coach and star player. That Gold Cup had the potential to be a fraught time, but the group used it as an opportunity to pull closer together instead.
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“The spark actually started at the Gold Cup,” Ream said. “There were a few get-togethers in those games as well. The Paraguay game was a little bit extra. It had a feel that the game meant something more and now you look at it and it was a perfect test for us in that moment.
”So it’s good that we had that experience, but you come to this point and it is a World Cup and while you learn from it, it is in the rear-view mirror.
“For the guys in that camp it was a good learning experience.“
The U.S. will see familiar opponents at the World Cup, having faced all three group foes — wins over Paraguay and Australia, defeat to Turkey — under Pochettino.
As if World Cups aren’t intense enough, those matches were hotly contested. With some battle scars and bonding moments behind them, USMNT players are ready for whatever physical challenge comes their way.
“It’s just guys sticking up for each other,” said Robinson, speaking in association with Bounty. “Especially playing on your home soil, you got no time for any of that.”
Tom Bogert is a Senior Writer for The Athletic, providing exclusive, original and unique insights on MLS and the U.S. national team. He has previously written for MLSsoccer.com, The Guardian, and more.
Never know whose life you’re changing’: USMNT World Cup team can make 1994-like mark
Players from the 1994 U.S. World Cup team had an outsized impact on the sport — and this writer’s life Getty Images / Stephen Dunn
The players from the 1994 U.S. men’s national team quite literally inspired me to follow in their footsteps.
I was only 7 when the World Cup came to America, and I didn’t know much about the game. I wasn’t studying tactics or paying attention to FIFA rankings. I’d never even seen the game played until my dad took me to a tryout. I was just a kid trying to understand this sport that had suddenly captured my attention.
I remember watching them upset Colombia with a 2-1 win in front of more than 93,000 fans. Colombia were one of the best teams in the world at the time, but I was completely drawn in by the passion, courage and personality of that U.S. team.
The Americans made the most of Andrés Escobar’s infamous own goal, with Earnie Stewart scoring the winner in the second half. For them to grind out that result was inspiring, and it left its mark on me. They weren’t just soccer players, they were heroes.
More than 30 years later, what amazes me isn’t just what that team accomplished on the field. It’s that many of the same players who inspired me as a kid would later help me as a professional, a broadcaster and a person. That’s the real legacy of the 1994 team. They didn’t just grow the game in America. They helped shape the generation that followed.
I was this young kid learning about soccer on the fly. I would watch as many games as I could and was introduced to these stars. Naturally, I gravitated towards certain players – the ones who looked like me, played like me or players with the biggest personalities.
When I think of that group stage game against Colombia, I remember Eric Wynalda. He was a striker, like me. I also loved Cobi Jones. We had the same skin color and he was fast, like me. Then you had Tony Meola, who rocked that iconic mullet-ponytail look and came up with some big saves. Marcelo Balboa had this long hair and style about him that drew me in.
I was hooked by these guys. I wanted to follow them at every turn and, thankfully, Major League Soccer was just getting started. I had never seen club football before in my life. I didn’t know about the English Premier League or Serie A. I went from that World Cup to, ‘OK, what’s next?’
In 1997, I stood outside Foxboro stadium holding my 1994 World Cup ball, hoping U.S. men’s national team players would stop and sign it. They all did and I still have that ball today. It was an incredible moment – and little did they know they were inspiring a future U.S. national team striker. I couldn’t have imagined that one day I’d work alongside many of them, learn from them, and call some of them friends.
Charlie Davies runs towards Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan.Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Looking back, that team had some of the same appeal that the early WWF had for kids of my generation. The players weren’t just athletes, they were characters. Meola had the presence of a Hulk Hogan, while Alexi Lalas carried the unmistakable aura of the Ultimate Warrior. In a country where soccer was fighting for attention, those personalities helped draw people in. They certainly drew me in.
First as a fan, and later as a player fortunate enough to learn from many of the same men who inspired me. I’m always thankful for them helping me fall in love with the game – and even more with their help along the way. Even so, I don’t think that generation receives the appreciation it deserves.
Watching the 2023 CBS Sports documentary “The Billion Dollar Goal” taught me things I didn’t even know about the origins of soccer in this country. I knew the U.S. had qualified for the 1990 World Cup, but I didn’t fully appreciate what it took to get there or how much those players sacrificed to move the game forward.
The players of 1994 inherited a sport that still sat on the margins of American culture. The NASL had come and gone. The U.S. had missed four decades of World Cups before qualifying in 1990. The foundation wasn’t there and they had to help build it. But what has always stood out to me most isn’t what they accomplished on the field. It’s how they’ve treated the generations that followed.
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Every interaction I’ve had with members of that team has been defined by generosity. I’ve never sensed jealousy. I’ve never felt like they viewed younger players as competition. They wanted us to succeed.
One of my ’94 childhood heroes helped me navigate the transition from player to broadcaster. I work closely with Meola now for CBS, and I’ll always be grateful for the way he helped me when I first entered media through SiriusXM. It would’ve been easy for him to think, “I’m not helping this guy take my spot.” Instead, he and Brian Dunseth welcomed me, guided me and helped find my voice. That’s not something they had to do.
Mike Sorber coached me under Bob Bradley and pushed me because he wanted the best from me. Balboa worked with me at the U-20 level and was always someone I could reach out to. Lalas has been helpful whenever I’ve needed advice on camera. Tab Ramos has always been generous with his time.
Then there’s Stewart. He was my sporting director at the Philadelphia Union. When I was traded from New England to Philadelphia, he picked me up at the airport himself.
Things didn’t always go smoothly for me there, but my respect for Earnie never changed. He always treated people the right way and was always willing to help. The same was true of so many players from that team.
I’ve had the chance to tell Cobi what he meant to me. I told him how much I admired him growing up and how much he influenced the player I became. Not everybody gets the chance to thank their heroes. But I did and it’s something I’ll always cherish.
U.S. star Earnie Stewart was a 1994 inspiration to Charlie DaviesChris WIlkins / AFP via Getty Images
What makes that generation special is that they never stopped giving back to the game. They inspired us as players, then stayed involved as coaches, executives, broadcasters, and mentors. They opened doors and held them open, more than three decades later.
Whenever I’m around those guys, I still find myself listening more than talking. Each of them has stories that feel like chapters from a book. They’ve seen the game grow from something that barely registered in the American sports landscape, to a sport preparing for another World Cup on home soil. When I look back on my own journey — the highs, the lows, everything in between — it’s hard not to feel grateful. None of it happens if I’m not that 7-year-old kid watching the 1994 U.S. men’s national team.
As the World Cup returns home and my own twins prepare to experience it for the first time, I hope this generation of U.S. players can do for them what Jones, Meola, Balboa, Stewart and the rest of that team did for me.
Because you never know which kid in the crowd is watching. And you never know whose life you’re changing.
Charlie Davies Former US men’s national team forward Charlie Davies is a contributor at The Athletic delivering hard-hitting opinion columns, straight-talking podcast appearances, and insightful explainer videos. Charlie made 17 appearances for the USMNT between 2007-09 and was pivotal in helping the team qualify for the 2010 World Cup, before his career was impacted by a serious car accident. He has remained firmly in the soccer spotlight with his TV contributions for CBS Sports and is one of the most prominent former USMNT voices in the country.
The last time a team other than Rangers or Celtic won the Scottish league was 1984. Chasing a first Scottish title since 1960, Hearts really want to compete. Worth waking up to watch at 7:30 am on CBS Sports Network Saturday to see if Hearts can pull the upset at Celtic. Of Sat at 10:30 am gives us FA Cup Final with Chelsea playing Man City at Wembley on ESPN2. (Stories below).
Indy 11 win 2-1 Travel to Ft Wayne FC Sat 7:30 pm on ESPN+
Indianapolis – Indy Eleven used two second-half goals to rally from a halftime deficit to extend their USL Championship home unbeaten streak to seven (6-0-1) dating back to last season with a 2-1 win over Sporting JAX at Carroll Stadium. Indy Eleven resumes USL Cup play Saturday in their first-ever meeting at USL League One expansion side Fort Wayne FC at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+. Saturday, May 23 is “Pups at the Pitch” at Carroll Stadium when Indy Eleven returns to USL Championship play vs. Lexington SC at 7 p.m. Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck, Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans. The Girls in Blue opened their 2026 USL W League season with a hard-fought 1-1 draw vs. rival Racing Louisville FC, they travel to new Valley Division member Toledo Villa FC on Saturday at 3 pm on SportsEnginePlay.
Less than 1 month away !!!
Proud to see my Friend and Ref Assignor David Howard honored as Official of the Year by CYO! The CYO awards ceremony at Saints Peter & Paul Cathedral where Dave received the Edward J. Tinder Officials of the Year award.
Fun reffing last weekend with Larry and Yousseff at Grand Park. Ready for State and President Cup games this weekend. Good Luck All!
TV Schedule – Games on TV
Sat, May 16 7:30 am CBSSN Celtic vs Hearts Scottish Championship 9:30 am ESPN+ Leverkusen vs Hamburger 9:30 am ESPN+ MGladbach (Reyna, Scally) vs Hoffenheim 10:30 am ESPN2 Chelsea vs Man City FA Cup Final 6″30 pm Tubi, Ion NC Courage vs Chicago Stars NWSL 7:30 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 @ Ft Wayne 7:30 pm Apple NYCFC vs NY REd Bulls 7:30 pm Apple Philly vs Columbus Crew 8:45 pm Tubi, Ion Denver Summit vs Orlando Pride NWSL 9:15 pm FS1 Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy 9:30 pm Apple San Diego vs Cincy 10:30 pm Apple San Jose vs Dallas Sun, May 17 6:45 am Para+ Genoa vs AC Milan (Pulisic) 6:45 am Para+ Juventus (McKennie) vs Florentina 7:30 am USA Man United vs Nottingham Forest 9 am Para+ Inter Milan vs Verona 10 am USA Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Brighton 10 am Peacock Brentford vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10 am NBCSN Everton vs Sunderland 12:30 pm USA New Castle United vs West Ham 1 pm ESPN+ Sevillia vs Real MAdrid 3:15 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Real Betis 6 pm ESPN2 Portland Thorns vs Angel City FC 9 pm Univision Pumas vs Pachuca Mon, May 18 3pm USA Arsenal vs Burnley Tues May 19 2:30 pm USA Bournmouth (adams) vs Man City 3:15 pm USA Chelsea vs Tottenham 7:30 pm Para+ Orlando vs Atlanta United US OPen Cup 8 pm CBSCN St Louis City vs Houston US Open Cup Weds May 20 3 pm CBSSN Freiburg vs Aston Villa Europa League Finals 7:30 pm Para+ Columbus Crew vs NYCFC US OPen Cup 8 pm CBSSN Houston Dash vs SD Wave NWSL 10 pm CBSCN Colorado Rapids vs San Jose US Open Cup Fri, May 22 3 pm Para+ Hull City vs Southampton Champ Playoff 10 pm TUDN Mexico vs Ghana sAT May 23 12 Noon CBSSN Barcelona vs OL Lyonnes (Heeps/Horan) Womens’ UCL 2:30 pm Fox St Louis City vs Austin MLS 7 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 vs Lexington Sun, May 31 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Senegal Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Germany in Chicago Tix Sat, June 12 WORLD CUP 9 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Paraguay World Cup Fri, June 19 3 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Australia World Cup Thur, June 25 10 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Australia World Cup
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Run into Lionel Messi at a soccer stadium or randomly on the street, and he might feel larger than life despite only standing 5 feet 7. But soon you can have your own version of Messi at almost twice the size for less than $100.Lowe’s will begin selling limited-edition, 10-foot Messi lighted yard inflatables for $99, which will be available through the Lowe’s website starting May 18 for members of the company’s rewards program as part of its “Epically More Messi” campaign. Those living in the 11 U.S. World Cup host cities will be able to purchase a giant Messi inflatable in stores starting May 20.
With the World Cup in sight, we discuss what FIFA needs to do (and stop doing) to get ready.
by Donald Wine II May 11, 2026, 11:08 AM EDT Stars & Stripes
New York New Jersey Stadium (temporarily renamed from MetLife stadium) is seen from the inside ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 7, 2026. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
One month away. The sporting event that has been on the dawn of the horizon for four years is now almost here. The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11th from Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and the pressure to perform is starting to reach its peak. It’s not just for the teams that are starting to assemble their final rosters in the coming weeks, but also for the tournament at large. For years, we have heard that this World Cup is going to be the biggest, the best, the most memorable. Now, the powers that be must follow through on that promise.
But, are we ready for the World Cup to kick off in a month? Are the United States, Canada, and Mexico? Is FIFA? Is the World Cup committee? Are we as fans? All of those questions likely have different answers and the level of readiness will vary. But in short, as the time ticks dow to kickoff, there is still a lot that needs to be done for North America to put on the greatest sporting event ever.
It starts with the overall excitement for the tournament, and for a lot of soccer fanatics, that’s not a problem. Even if their team is not in the tournament, life around the world will slow to a snail’s pace when the ball is rolled out to be kicked and the matches begin. But, some of that excitement has been dulled by money and politics, two things that the World Cup was always supposed to set aside for the greater cause of uniting the world to celebrate its favorite game.
The biggest thing that has lowered excitement and deterred many fans of the game, particularly here in North America from being all in for the World Cup has been the incredibly high costs to attend a match: the tickets, the travel, the hotels and home rentals, the public transit. Everyone seems to want to take financial advantage of the World Cup coming here with astronomical pricing. Even fan festivals in some cities are charging for entry with premium add-ons and many won’t even be open for all the matches of the tournament. FIFA vastly overestimated the premium American fans especially would pay to see a tournament match just a few miles from their home.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been on record as saying that the 2026 World Cup would be like “104 Super Bowls in a month,” and recently said that they priced the game tickets accordingly because they felt American fans were used to paying a premium for sports. Infantino also went so far as to say, “You cannot go to watch in the U.S. a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300. And this is the World Cup.” And that shows a fundamental lack of knowledge on what American sports fans routinely pay for games. Anecdotally, it’s much easier to pay less than $100 to get into almost any sporting event except for the Super Bowl than it is to exceed $300 to get into the same game unless you are opting for premium seat locations or amenities. With those statements, Infantino not only showed a lack of knowledge on what Americans will pay for a sporting event, but he also showed a wanton disrespect of how well educated the American soccer fan is on the game.
The United States has been the nation that leads all others outside of the home nation in tickets sold to every World Cup since we hosted for the first time in 1994. American fans routinely are relied upon to purchase tickets to big events that come to our shores. But because of this, American fans understand what World Cups usually cost. They immediately knew that an $1200 ticket for the USMNT’s opening match against Paraguay was over 3 times what people paid for the opening match 4 years ago in Qatar. They knew that a Cat 3 ticket to the USMNT match against Australia this year was twice as much as a Cat 1 ticket to see the USMNT play England in 2022. We’re the nation that has more access to soccer than any other, and because American fans travel for these games, they know what pricing is like everywhere. That was the biggest miss, and it’s costing them with all the reports of tickets going unsold because of the high prices. Hotels, flights, and public transit authorities jacking up the price of getting to and from the games in several cities has also put a damper on fan enthusiasm, and people are now just planning to wait and see if prices drop as inventory continues to remain unfilled.
So, what does FIFA and the World Cup committee need to do, besides consider drastically lower pricing? The biggest gap to fill is educating fans not familiar with attending World Cup on what to expect when the games begin. The education should have already begun months ago, but now is the second best time. Fans need to understand what it will be like attending the game, the security procedures, where people will access the stadium, how they can get there and the costs. There are many chances for people to get frustrated with the process, and lack of information should not be the reason for those chokepoints.
Let them know that the security perimeters are going to be vastly different from attending these stadiums for a NFL game or another soccer game. Let them know that they can’t bring in what they normally would for a routine sporting event at the same stadium. The last thing FIFA needs are entrances to be jammed by people who bring in items that normally are allowed in the stadium that are banned at the World Cup. Get them in the stadiums early by letting them know what will be there for entertainment prior to the match. Will they have screens to watch other games there? Other activations? Some of these stadiums are not close to anything else, so to not create a situation where tens of thousands of people try to enter the stadium at the last minute, bogging down security checkpoints, let them know the process and how long it can take so that people won’t miss the action on the field.
Finally, FIFA needs to get out of its own way. The World Cup is the uniter, the games on the field being the olive branches. The focus shouldn’t be on the revenue, but the action on the field. That’s what will carry in the minds of people long after the tournament is wrapped up. Lowering prices to get fans that generational moment inside the stadium is what’s necessary, but the focus shifted away from the game when the decision was made to price gouge at every turn. Get it back to the games, the teams, the players. We’ll do our part as fans, but as we tick down the days before kickoff on June 11th, soccer’s world governing body needs to do more. This is a pivotal moment in world sports history, and there’s a long way to go to ensure the moment is not fumbled.
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Break out the bubble wrap
Battling but hoping there’s no breaking by jcksnftsn S & S May 8, 2026, 10:31 AM EDT
OVIEDO, SPAIN – APRIL 23: (L-R) Alex Freeman of Villarreal , Javi Lopez of Real Oviedo during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Oviedo v Villarreal at the Estadio Municipal NMR Carlos Tartiere on April 23, 2026 in Oviedo Spain (Photo by Cesar Ortiz Gonzalez/Soccrates/Getty Images)Getty Images
With World Cup roster announcements coming up in just a few weeks and players already dealing with injury (we’ll get to those below) we’ll be watching through squinted eyes the last couple weeks of the season hoping that the injury bug doesn’t further derail World Cup hopes and dreams. While injury is definitely a concern there are still significant things to play for as well including promotion, relegation, and Champions League positioning. We’re covering it all in this weekend’s edition of the viewing guide:
Saturday
Middlesbrough v Southampton – 7:30a on CBSSN: Aidan Morris and Middlesbrough drew with Wrexham last weekend, dropping Middlesbrough to fifth place while Wrexham were eliminated from the playoff race. Middlesbrough will now host Southampton in the first leg of the promotion playoff semifinals. Middlesbrough defeated Southampton 4-0 at home back in early January while the two teams played to a 1-1 draw in Southampton early in the season.
Augsburg v Borussia Monchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai is apparently already on ice, he hasn’t appeared in five straight matches and just one of the last seven for Augsburg who undefeated in their last five. Augsburg will be hosting Joe Scally, Gio Reyna and Borussia Monchengladbach who are mathematically safe from relegation and in eleventh place following their 1-0 win over Dortmund, a match which Scally once again started and went 90’ while Reyna came on for the final 20’, he has appeared in three straight matches.
Stuttgart v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman saw just a handful of minutes off the bench in Leverkusen’s 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig last weekend and actually has fewer minutes since the start of April than Gio Reyna. Leverkusen have won four of their last five and have pulled into a three way tie for fourth place with two matches remaining, a grouping that includes this weekend’s host Stuttgart who are coming off a draw with the third team, Hoffenheim.
Fulham v Bournemouth – 10a on USA Network: Antonee Robinson started for Fulham against Arsenal last weekend but Fulham fell 3-0 to the league leaders. Robinson had appeared as a substitute in the prior two matches and looks to be in a rotation with Ryan Sessegnon. Fulham are in eleventh place and will host Tyler Adams and Bournemouth who moved into sixth last weekend following their 3-0 win over Crystal Palace with Tyler Adams getting his first start since early March.
Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich – 12:30p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Kevin Paredes was on the bench for Wolfsburg as they fell to Freiburg last weekend. He had made a brief substitute appearance the the prior week in his clubs scoreless draw with Gladbach. Wolfsburg are currently in the relegation playoff spot, tied with St. Pauli for direct relegation. Those two teams will meet next weekend to decide the fates of Paredes and James Sands but first Wolfsburg must stay within shooting distance as they host Bayern Munich who are coming off a disappointing Champions League semifinal matchup with PSG midweek but have lost just once and drawn five times in their dominating Bundesliga campaign.
Atletico Madrid v Celta Vigo – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid were also eliminated in Champions League action midweek and adding injury to insult Cardoso was injured in training in the following days and his World Cup hopes are now in doubt as he deals with a high ankle sprain that will keep him out the remainder of the La Liga season. Atleti are in fourth place and can lock up next seasons Champions League spot with with a win over sixth place Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Lecce v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie and Juventus hold a one point lead over Roma for fourth place and the final Champions League spot from Serie A after their 1-1 draw with Serie B bound Hellas Verona. They will need to bounce back quickly as the travel to Lecce to face the seventeenth place side that can secure their safety with a win.
Real Sociedad v Real Betis – 3p on ESPN Select: Pellegrino Matarazzo and Real Sociedad are suffering from a bit of a cup hangover as they have lost twice and drawn once in their three matches since winning the Copa del Rey. Sociedad are in ninth place four points back of the top six with four matches to play. They host fifth place Real Betis on Saturday afternoon.
Sunday
Celtic v Rangers – 7a on CBSSN: Auston Trusty has started the last two for Celtic after missing four straight. Celtic are in second place, trailing Hearts by three points with three matches to play in the Scottish Premiership and they will have an Old Firm Derby to contend with on Sunday morning.
Mallorca v Villarreal – 8a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Alex Freeman has started two straight matches for third place Villarreal who defeated Levante 5-1 last weekend. Villareal will now travel to Mallorca to take on the fifteenth place side that are just two points removed from the final relegation spot. As an aside the La Liga relegation battle could be quite something down the stretch. Deportivo Alaves currently sit in 18th place, the final relegation spot with 36 points (just three points ahead of Levante). There are six teams within three points of them, including a logjam of three on 38 points, a group that includes Mallorca.
Crystal Palace v Everton – 9a on Peacock: Chris Richards and Crystal Palace completed their semi-final victory over Shaktar Donetsk on Thursday, winning 2-1 on the day and 5-2 on aggregate. Palace advanced to the UEFA Conference League final where they will face Rayo Vallecano near the end of May. With the extra cup schedule and not much to play for in terms of the EPL standings Richards saw a rare rest last weekend in Palace’s 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, coming off the bench for the final 14’. Prior to last weekend Richards had played nearly every minute for Palace outside of the four match stretch where he dealt with a foot injury at the turn of the year.
Koln v Heidenheim – 11:30a on ESPN Select: Kristoffer Lund picked up his second assist of the season as Koln drew with Union Berlin last weekend a result that guarantees their safety with two matches to play. Koln will host Heidenheim on Sunday, a team that could technically still pull into the relegation playoff position over the last two weeks, though no higher.
AC Milan v Atalanta – 2:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic and AC Milan are limping into the end of the year, falling 2-0 to Sassuolo last weekend with Pulisic appearing as a substitute. Milan have scored just one goal as a team in their last five matches and as you’ve likely heard Pulisic himself hasn’t found the back of the next this calendar year. Milan are in third place, just three points ahead of Roma and in danger of missing Champions League qualification again if they cannot find some goals over the final three matchdays of the season. On Sunday they will host Atalanta who are in seventh place, ten points back of Juventus and the top four. Yunus Musah saw five minutes off the bench last weekend in Atalanta’s scoreless draw with Genoa, it was his first appearance in the last four matches.
Le Havre v Olympique Marseille – 3p on beIN Sports: Tim Weah was serving a yellow card suspension last weekend as Marseille fell to relegation threatened Nantes 3-0. Marseille dropped to seventh place and their slide to end the season, with just one win in their last six matches, has dropped them out of contention for Champions League qualification. Marseille still have a chance to make Europa League or Conference League but will need a result as they travel to take on a Le Havre side that are looking to secure their safety.
Monaco v Lille – 3p on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun was back on the scoresheet last weekend, scoring the first of Monaco’s two goals in a 2-1 win over Metz, a week after seeing his eight match scoring streak snapped. The win also snapped Monaco’s three match winless streak and moved them to sixth place. They will host fourth place Lille who they trail by four points with two matches remaining.
Toulouse v Olympique Lyon – 3p on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie and Tanner Tessmann’s teams will face off in Ligue 1 play on Sunday and while McKenzie and Toulouse don’t have much to play for Lyon are currently in third place, the final Champions League spot in Ligue 1, and leading Lille by just two points. Unfortunately, Tessmann was not included in the squad last weekend when Lyon defeated Stade Rennais 4-2 as he is apparently dealing with an injury that will now sideline him for the final matches of the season.
🇺🇸 Americans Abroad roundup 🇺🇸
Christian Pulisic’s rough stretch continued as he missed AC Milan’s 3-2 loss to Atalanta with a glute injury. Milan’s slide is becoming a real concern, with the club now barely hanging onto a Champions League spot and questions starting to swirl around both the team and Pulisic’s form heading into the World Cup.
Sergiño Dest reminded everyone exactly what he brings to the USMNT setup. The PSV fullback delivered a brilliant cross from the left side for Ricardo Pepi to head home in PSV’s 4-1 win, showing both his creativity and versatility after recently returning from injury.
Ricardo Pepi kept his strong season rolling with another goal for PSV, his 14th of the campaign. With Balogun also red hot, the USMNT striker competition heading into the World Cup is getting very interesting.
Gio Reyna finally had a breakthrough moment, scoring his first Bundesliga goal in nearly a year and a half for Borussia Mönchengladbach. It may not completely change his World Cup outlook, but it was a much-needed reminder of the quality he still possesses.
Auston Trusty played a key role in Celtic’s huge 3-1 Old Firm comeback win over Rangers. The USMNT defender was strong defensively and helped keep Celtic’s title hopes alive heading into a dramatic finish in Scotland.
Other notes:
Alex Freeman made the bench for Villarreal but did not feature.
FA Cup Final betting preview: Man City favourites to beat Chelsea
Folarin Balogun’s hot streak cooled off in Monaco’s tough 1-0 loss to Lille, though he still has 8 goals in his last 10 Ligue 1 matches.
In other Ligue 1 news, Mark McKenzie’s Toulouse pushed past Lyon in a 2-1 victory — Tanner Tessmann did not play due to a minor injury (he is out for the club season but reports have him available for the World Cup squad… whew)
Tyler Adams came off the bench early in Bournemouth’s 1-0 win over Fulham, while Antonee Robinson played 90 minutes for the other side.
Weston McKennie put in another solid shift, this time in the number 10 position, as Juventus beat Lecce 1-0.
Chris Richards went the distance in Crystal Palace’s 2-2 draw with Everton.
Aidan Morris played all 90 minutes in Middlesbrough’s Championship playoff draw with Southampton.
Malik Tillman featured for about half an hourin Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-1 loss to Stuttgart.
Yunus Musah was an unused substitute in Atalanta’s win over Milan.
Rayan Cherki celebrates scoring for Manchester City Gareth Copley/Getty Images
FA Cup final day is one of the most cherished on the English football calendar. While the Wembley showpiece might not have the luster it did in past decades, Chelsea and Manchester City would relish getting their hands on the oldest trophy in club football.
This might be particularly true for Chelsea, who need to salvage something from a season that has quickly slipped through their fingers.Indeed, the Blues are on to their third manager of the campaign, with interim boss Calum McFarlane in charge for Saturday’s final. Chelsea’s only two wins in their past 11 games both came in the FA Cup, against Port Vale and Leeds United.
Chelsea are 21/10 to lift the trophy, reflecting how they are widely seen as underdogs against a Manchester City side that, in contrast, has improved over the course of the season.
Jeremy Doku could be City’s primary difference-maker, having scored four goals in his past four appearances. The Belgian is 11/4 to score at any time against Chelsea.
Doku is the most prolific dribbler in the Premier League and could give Chelsea all kinds of problems, no matter if Malo Gusto or Reece James start at right-back. Doku has the one-on-one ability to embarrass any defender in world football.
Rayan Cherki was in sparkling form the last time City met Chelsea, contributing two assists in a comfortable 3-0 win for Pep Guardiola’s title-chasers.
The way Chelsea have fared under Liam Rosenior and McFarlane, there is frequently space in front of the defensive line to exploit — see Ryan Gravenberch’s strike for Liverpool at Anfield last weekend.
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This could be where Cherki does the most damage, with the French playmaker 13/5 to find the back of the net at any point at Wembley. Chelsea might have to man-mark him to stand any chance of keeping him quiet.
Then there is Erling Haaland. It says a lot about the Norwegian’s goalscoring ability that many believe he has endured an underwhelming season, despite notching 37 goals in all competitions for City – including three in this competition.
City are 4/11 to lift the FA Cup this weekend and have not lost to Chelsea in their past 14 meetings, winning 11 and drawing three. The omens are not great for McFarlane and his players heading into the encounter.
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Nonetheless, Chelsea can take some encouragement from the way they controlled large portions of Saturday’s match away to Liverpool, when most had predicted another loss.
On their day, Chelsea’s midfield trio of Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer are capable of controlling any match against any opponent, including Manchester City.
Their best chance of stopping Guardiola’s side might be to control as much possession as possible, meaning McFarlane could once again deploy a box midfield of Caicedo, Fernandez, Palmer and Andrey Santos like he did at Anfield.
Marc Cucurella’s mobility down the left wing will be key for Chelsea. They need the Spaniard to exploit the space behind Matheus Nunes in order to impose themselves as an attacking force.
Chelsea have kept just one clean sheet in their past 15 games in all competitions, and so there could be value in backing over 2.5 goals by Manchester City at 12/5.
Upsets can happen, especially in this cup, where the fabled magic of the competition frequently compels underdogs to perform above their usual standards.
Fatigue could be a factor. While Manchester City rested some players as they took on Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening in the Premier League, Chelsea have had a week off entirely since drawing away to Liverpool.
If Chelsea can somehow extend Saturday’s match into extra time, perhaps they could have the edge on a Man City side that is still in hope of snatching the Premier League title away from Arsenal.
Chelsea are 14/1 to win the FA Cup final in extra time, and the same price to win the match on penalties. The Blues have won four of their past six penalty shootouts, stretching back to the 2022 UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal.
Having already won the Carabao Cup, a domestic double is a very realistic possibility for Manchester City. Everything points to another trophy being lifted by Guardiola and his players at Wembley.
USMNT Tracker: Reyna finally off the mark, Trusty’s derby delight but more worries for Pulisic
Gio Reyna is finally off the mark this season Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images
Gio Reyna is finally off the mark for Borussia Monchengladbach this season but there was a worrying new injury for Christian Pulisic — while Auston Trusty helped Celtic win in the Od Firm derby against Rangers and keep the stage set for a nail-biting Scottish title race thriller.
Welcome to this week’s USMNT Player Tracker.
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Reyna finally scores
It was a consolation goal for his team, and the simple finish that Gio Reyna rolled into the net on Saturday could help sooth his personal frustrations.
Reyna scored his first of the season for Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of a 3-1 defeat at Augsburg, his first domestic goal since January 2025.
Gio Reyna scoring his first of the season for Borussia MonchengladbachLeonhard Simon/Getty Images
The 23-year-old forward had started the contest, as usual, on the bench. But although it made no difference to the result, the American was in the right place at the right time to score a right-footed shot from the middle of the box into the bottom-right of the net and take a symbolic step forward.Could that moment have come just at the right time to move the dial in his favour when it comes to World Cup selection?
Well, Reyna is certainly in that category. He has started only four Bundesliga games for Gladbach this term, often used as a substitute by coach Eugen Polanski. In total, he has played 486 minutes in the league.Against Portugal and Belgium, he got a total of 31 minutes from the bench, and failed to do much of note in disappointing games that his team were already losing.That’s why moments like Saturday could still count. If they are indicative of a sharpness and prowess that remains ready when unleashed, they are much-needed positive optics for Pochettino to keep in mind as he begins to finalise his plans for the summer.Reyna could do with another moment in Gladbach’s last game of a disjointed campaign — they are currently 13th and finish against Hoffenheim on Saturday.
It didn’t improve yesterday, when he missed out on selection because of a muscle injury reported in training in the days prior.
The mood music around the American suggests it is not a serious problem. It is not something that should have Pochettino sweating. But the 27-year-old, who last week was on the cover of Time magazine, has dismissed any talk about his goal drought as “bad questions”.He prefers, he said in the article, to shut down the doubters by scoring. Missing another chance altogether on Sunday is not going to ease his frustration, or fourth-placed Milan’s worries, as their loss allowed Roma (on a three-game winning run) to move level with them on points.
Trusty’s Old Firm success
Things are shaping up nicely for a thrilling conclusion in Scotland, and USMNT defender Auston Trusty is going to play his part.
The 27-year-old centre-back and his Celtic team-mates came from behind to beat Rangers and win a pulsating Old Firm clash 3-1 on Sunday.
Auston Trusty and Celtic are involved in a thrilling title chaseIan MacNicol/Getty Images
Neutral romantics will probably still root for first-placed Hearts in the Scottish Premiership title race, but as Celtic moved within a point of them (and will face them in the final game of the season on Saturday), nobody will be taking their eyes off the drama.
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For Trusty, who had a game-long battle with Rangers’ attacker Youssef Chermiti but came out on top in the end, it will mean he is at full sharpness going into June.
What’s coming up this week?
This weekend marks the end of the domestic season for Americans in the Bundesliga. See if Gio Reyna can produce another positive reminder of what he’s about against Hoffenheim (Saturday, 9:30am, ESPN+) or whether Malik Tillman can sign off on a positive note for Bayer Leverkusen in their last match with Hamburg (Saturday, 9:30am, ESPN+).
Watch
How USMNT players influenced the design of their World Cup jerseys
Henry Bushnell and Reuben Pinder
Chris Richards and Crystal Palace kept their own momentum going on Sunday. They’re already in the Europa Conference League final later this month, but they didn’t take their foot off the gas in the Premier League, coming from behind twice to get a 2-2 draw with Everton. See how Richards & Co can do in a big title-reckoning game against Manchester City (3pm, Wednesday, Peacock Premium) before they take on fellow Londoners Brentford on the weekend (10am, Sunday, Peacock Premium).
Finally, Milan have to start winning again against Genoa on Sunday. See if Christian Pulisic can recover and help them (Sunday, 9am, Paramount +).
Greg O’Keeffe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering US soccer players in the UK & Europe. Previously he spent a decade at the Liverpool Echo covering news and features before an eight-year stint as the paper’s Everton correspondent; giving readers the inside track on Goodison Park, a remit he later reprised at The Athletic. He has also worked as a news and sport journalist for the BBC and hosts a podcast in his spare time.
Who will Mauricio Pochettino pick for the USMNT World Cup roster?
Time to predict who Poch will bring in. by Donald Wine II Stars & Stripes May 12, 2026, 8:59 AM EDT
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MARCH 28: Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States runs the pitch during the International Friendly match between United States and Belgium at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on March 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)Getty Images
We’re a month away from the United States Men’s National Team stepping onto the field at SoFi Stadium for their opening match of the 2026 World Cup. In a couple of weeks, we will know who will be some of those guys that step out onto that field. On May 26th, U.S. Soccer will announce the USMNT World Cup roster, and 26 players will see their dreams realized of making a World Cup on home soil.
But, who will make the roster? Who will USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino call upon to represent the United States at the world’s tournament? There are probably 35 players who could conceivably have a shot at one of the 26 roster spots. Ultimately, it’s up to Pochettino to decide who those guys will be that he thinks can advance far and try to become the first team to win a World Cup on home soil since France in 1998.
So, who will Mauricio Pochettino choose for his 26-man roster? Let’s predict who will receive the coveted tickets to the World Cup.
Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
Matt Freese is the starter for the USMNT, and Matt Turner will be the main backup. Those two things seem to be givens at this point. The real question will be who will be selected as the third goalkeeper. Chris Brady has the leg up as he was named to the roster in March over Patrick Schulte, who was added as an injury replacement for Roman Celentano. In the end, Chris Brady edges out Schulte due to his form on the club level.
Misses cut: Patrick Schultz (Columbus Crew), Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati)
Defenders (8): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Auston Trusty (Celtic)
Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, and Tim Ream are the locks of the defensive unit to make the team. After that, there are guys that have clearly played their way into Poch’s plans. Alex Freeman, Max Arfsten, Mark McKenzie, and Auston Trusty are guys that Pochettino trusts and will get the call. Sergiño Dest, who returned to action with PSV recently, shows he’s fit enough to make the team and it’s welcome news for the USMNT.
Misses cut: Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Midfielders (9): Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Aidan Morris (Middlesbrough), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Tanner Tessmann (Lyon), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)
There are some guys who are locks for the midfield: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, and Malik Tillman. The rest could change around depending on form down the stretch or, in the case of Johnny Cardoso, injury likely ruling him out of the World Cup. With Johnny likely sidelined this summer (and he was still a question mark to make the roster despite his form for Atlético Madrid), Aidan Morris gets onto the roster. Tanner Tessmann, Diego Luna, and Sebastian Berhalter feel like they will be solidly on the roster. Cristian Roldan will also be a guy on the roster as Pochettino finds him dependable and able to be versatile and provide cover for many midfield positions.
The final player, and the most controversial, is Gio Reyna, who Pochettino has said in no uncertain terms that his form for the national team is outweighing his lack of form and minutes in 2026 on the club level. He’s started to play better for Borussia Mönchengladbach recently, but Reyna will be included on the roster for what Poch believes he can do in that national team jersey.
Misses cut: Johnny Cardoso (Atlético Madrid), Yunus Musah (Atalanta)
Forwards (6): Brendan Aaronson (Leeds United), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Tim Weah (Marseille), Haji Wright (Coventry City)
The forward group might be the one that is in the best form, with the exception of the face of the team: Christian Pulisic. He’s been in a slump lately and hasn’t scored for the USMNT since November 2024. The USMNT will need one of the faces of the World Cup to deliver this summer. Tim Weah is a lock for the roster, and Brendan Aaronson makes it as a forward, but will also have an opportunity to provide relief in the midfield. Because of Patrick Agyemang’s terrible Achilles injury that has sidelined him for the year, Mauricio Pochettino avoids his biggest obstacle: choosing between several center forwards that are in peak form and scoring goals. Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Haji Wright (who can also play out on the wing) will all make the team convincingly.
Misses cut: Alex Zendejas (Club América), Josh Sargent (Toronto FC)
The World Cup will be here shortly, and we’ll know the roster shortly. For 26 guys, a dream comes true. For others, that dream is shattered if they don’t hear their name called on May 26th.
It’s Gozo time: Why USMNT should turn to uncapped teen for the World Cup
When Mauricio Pochettino names his final U.S. World Cup roster in less than two weeks, he should make room for at least one surprise.Yet it will only truly be a shock for those who haven’t been paying attention.Real Salt Lake’s Zavier Gozo, an uncapped 19-year-old winger, scored twice on Wednesday night in a 3-0 win over the Houston Dynamo. It was a performance that only added to what has been a breakout season, a continuation of the promise he showed last year when his overhead kick against LAFC put him on the map.AdvertisementThat highlight-reel finish was a preview of the dynamic and creative presence Gozo has in front of goal. He only reinforced that on Wednesday with his eighth and ninth goal contributions (five goals, four assists) of the season.Is there risk in introducing any new player to a core group this late in the World Cup process? Sure. But simply put: Gozo would undoubtedly make the U.S. World Cup team better.Pochettino’s preferred group lacks true game-changers. It’s why he has called in Gio Reyna despite the player’s continued struggles to stay healthy, effective and on the field. The U.S. coach understands there will be moments in this World Cup where he will look down the bench in search of someone who can add a spark — someone whose energy and presence alone boosts the team because it knows the player can pull out something different when the moment calls for it.The search should be over. Gozo is that player.
Zavier Gozo has given RSL fans plenty to cheer this seasonJamie Sabau / Imagn Images
And it’s not just about what he brings on the field, though certainly we can start there.Gozo has the physical profile to compete at the highest levels of the game. It’s why he has drawn interest from the likes of Atlético Madrid and Aston Villa, per The Athletic’s Tom Bogert — and why multiple sources around him and around the league expect the Utah native to be sold for eight figures this summer. He can run by defenders with pace. He can body up in the box when needed. He never plays afraid.
And that’s where what he does around the box becomes an important part of the conversation. Gozo triesthings. He tests goalkeepers. He creates opportunities for himself — and for others.His finish earlier this month against the Portland Timbers was a good example of his savvy in front of the net. Gozo was a late runner in a counterattack. As he approached a rolling pass near the top of the box, he moved his eyes central, to where Diego Luna was lurking. It was enough to get the goalkeeper to lean to his right just a touch, and Gozo laced a shot inside the near post.His feel and creativity around goal were even better a month earlier against Sporting Kansas City, when he received a pass at the top corner of the box, flicked it up to himself and snapped a volley inside the upper corner of the far post, a brilliant finish that doubled RSL’s lead.Against Atlanta United in March, he showed another layer to his game, bringing the ball down out of the air in stride, dribbling at and then past a defender and onto his left foot, where he curled a shot to the far post.Time and time again, Gozo does stuff in games that makes you stand up. It has a similar feel to other top young players who have come before in MLS, guys like Alphonso Davies and Tyler Adams, who simply seemed as though they were too good for this league.Gozo is clearly ready for more, and Pochettino has a chance to give him the ultimate stage to prove it.As his profile has grown, so has his place on the U.S. radar. Pochettino’s right-hand man, assistant coach Jesús Pérez, hinted as much last weekend.“(Watching a) few players, young players on both sides today,” Pérez said when asked on Apple TV why he was scouting FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake. “Very important for us to keep an eye on some of them. Obviously Luna is the one that has been more games with us, but there are a few other players that caught our eye and it’s important to be here today.”It’s not a stretch to conclude that Gozo is among that cohort, nor would it be unprecedented to call in a teenager without any senior caps to a World Cup squad.
Zavier Gozo, center, and Diego Luna, right, have teamed to great effect at the club level. Is country next?Rob Gray / Imagn Images
At the 2022 World Cup, 10 players made appearances aged 20 or younger with two or fewer pre-World Cup caps, according to TruMedia. That includes the Netherlands’ Xavi Simons, who made his debut in the knockout stage against the U.S. at 19.
Trent Alexander-Arnold had one cap when he made his World Cup debut in 2018 at age 19. Thomas Müller had two caps when he made his World Cup debut in 2010 at 20 (and scored five goals to win the Golden Boot). Christian Eriksen had three caps when he made his World Cup debut in 2010 at 18.
Experience is not an excuse when a player is both the right fit and ready for the moment.
It’s not even a unique scenario for the U.S.
Joe Scally made the World Cup squad in 2022 at 19 despite having just three senior caps. Julian Green (19, two caps) and DeAndre Yedlin (20, four caps) made the U.S. team in 2014, with Green scoring a knockout-stage goal and Yedlin emerging as a breakout player for the U.S. at the tournament.
Yedlin, now Gozo’s RSL teammate, is a great example of what the U.S. might be able to get from the young winger at the tournament. This U.S. team is not the young group of Qatar anymore. It could benefit from a wide-eyed youngster who comes in and injects a sort of awe, excitement and determination into the group. Yedlin’s supersub role added a different element for the U.S. in Brazil, and he impacted the game by helping set up the Americans’ second goal in a 2-2 draw with Portugal.
The most international experience Zavier Gozo, right, has came at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World CupJavier Torres / AFP / Getty Images
It was perhaps symbolic that Yedlin is the one who assisted Gozo’s first goal on Wednesday, which further reinforced his World Cup case. The U.S. has spent this last cycle searching for something different for a team that went into Qatar with such promise, but came out clearly needing more to truly make a run.
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The U.S. has been practically begging for a player like Gozo to bolster the attack. Close your eyes and imagine that scenario late in the game: it’s the 75th minute against Turkey, and the U.S. needs a goal to secure a result. It may be crazy to consider given the extent of Gozo’s high-pressure international experience is last fall’s FIFA U-20 World Cup, but there are few players in the current pool that would instill more belief coming off the bench to make something happen than him.
When Pochettino took over the U.S., he insisted that he was always watching everyone. He has proved in his time here that he has no fear about shaking things up. In fact, that’s exactly what he has set out to do. His message has been clear and consistent: Every player in the pool has a chance, they just have to show they deserve it on the field.
Taking Gozo to the World Cup would show just how serious Pochettino is about that message. But beyond that, the teenager deserves to be at the World Cup. And he has a manager brave enough to make it a reality.
It might just be the biggest payoff of Pochettino’s earn-it approach with this group.
US Ladies Win Handily 2-1 – face Japan Tues 10 pm in Seattle, Fri 9 pm in Denver
The US ladies returned to form with a solid 2-1 win over Japan Saturday afternoon. Highlights The 2-1 margin could have been more as the US outpossessed Japan 62-38% and outshot Japan with impressive goals from Rose Levelle and Lindsey Horan (Heaps). For the US it is 10 straight wins, and paid them back for the 2-1 loss in the She Believe’s Cup. The two top 5 powerhouses face off again Tuesday in Seattle at 10 pm then Fri at 9 pm from Denver.
U.S. Women’s National Team Roster by Position (Club; Caps/Goals)2026 April Matches vs. Japan GOALKEEPERS (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash, 10),Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 8), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 6) DEFENDERS (9): Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC; 67/3), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 74/1), Naomi Girma (Chelsea FC, ENG; 52/2), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 10/1), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC; 7/0), Emily Sams (Angel City FC: 9/1), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 115/2), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 7/0), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC; 4/0) MIDFIELDERS (7): Sam Coffey (Manchester City, ENG; 44/5), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 173/39), Claire Hutton (Bay FC; 15/1), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC; 118/27), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 15/5),Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC; 34/10), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 16/1) FORWARDS (7): Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 10/1),Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars FC; 4/1),Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 52/13), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 17/6), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current; 18/7), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea FC, ENG; 29/4), Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns FC; 58/24)
Champions League – Quarterfinals 2nd leg Tues/Wed 3 pm Para +
Wow – my Atletico really put a spanking on Barcelona at the Camp Nou 2-0 – setting up a classic battle back in Madrid at the Metropolitano and will test what Atletico do best for their head man in Black Diego Simeone (El Cholo). Liverpool heads home down 2 goals to zero to PSG Tuesday at 3 pm on Paramount+ – with little hope of surpassing the Holders. Wed 3 pm on Para+ gives us the Classic as Bayern Munich returns home up 2-1 vs Real Madrid while Arsenal will try to buck form and hold on to their 1-0 lead over Sporting and their Talisman Jose Mourino. It drives me nuts that European Soccer is Too STUPID to put the top 8 teams in the World on in back to back games – say 1 pm and 3 pm – rather than playing simultaneously. But that’s Champions League so 2 TVs it is tomorrow for a late lunch.
Tues 3 pm Para+ Barcelona 0 vs Atletico Madrid 2 & Liverpool 0 vs PSG 2 Wed 3 pm Para+ Real Madrid 0 vs Bayern Munich 1 & Sporting CP 0 vs Arsenal 1
Indy 11 Wins 3-1 @ Birmingham Legion Sun 5 pm on ESPN+
Indianapolis – Indy Eleven extended its current USL Championship unbeaten streak to four (2-0-2) and its unbeaten run at home to six (5-0-1) dating back to last season with a 3-1 victory over Monterey Bay FC in front of 9,101 fans at Carroll Stadium. Boys in Blue midfielder Jack Blake became the club’s all-time leader in goals with his 28th on a bicycle kick in the 55th minute with the goal that put his team ahead 2-1. Indy Eleven travels to Eastern Conference opponent Birmingham Legion FC on Sunday, April 19 at 5:00 pm ET on ESPN+. The next Boys in Blue home game at Carroll Stadium is “Retro Night” and the opening of Prinx Tires USL Cup play vs. Union Omaha on Sat. Apr. 25 at 7 p.m.
Former Carmel FC 07 players Maverick McCoy & Evan Muckridge now playing College Soccer for Notre Dame & Butler. Maverick will play Fri eve 7:30 pm as Notre Dame faces IU at Grand Park as part of The Boys College Showcase.
What a pleasure it was to get to Ref The ENCL Boys Game Weekend at Grand Park this past Weekend. All the top Refs in the State were there.
The Ole Ballcoach (right) with Chris Smith in the middle and Olusina on the Left (L to R) Todd M with Bailey and myself running the middle at Grand Park ENCL Weekend. The Ole Ballcoach with Todd C running the middle and Efren Ramos
TV Schedule – Games on TV
Tues, Apr 14 3 pm Para+ Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid 3 pm PAra+ PSG vs Liverpool 7 pm CBSSN Louisville City vs Austin US Open Cup 7:30 pm CBS Golazo Detroit City vs Chicago Fire US Open Cup 10pm TNT, HBO US Women vs Japan 9 pm FS2 LAFC vs Cruz Azul CCC 11:30 pm FS2 America vs Nashville SC CCC Wed, Apr 14 3 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich 3 pm Para+ Sporting CP vs Arsenal 7 pm CBSSN Naples vs Orlando City US Open 9 pm FS2 Toluca vs LA Galaxy CCC 11:30 pm FS2 Seattle Sounders vs Tigres CCC Thurs, Apr 15 Europa League 3 pm Para+ Bologna vs Aston Villa 3 pm PAra+ Porto vs Nottingham Forest 3 pm Para+ Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Fiorentina Fri, Apr 17 2:45 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Caglairi Fri. Apr. 17, 7:30 pm | IU vs. Notre Dame GRAND PARK 9 pm TNT, HBO US Women vs Japan Sat, Apr 18 7;30 am USA Fulham (Jedi) vs Brentford 10 am USA Newcastle vs Bournemouth (Adams) 9:30 am ESPN2 Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) 12:30 pm NBC Tottenham vs Brighton 3 pm ESPN+ Athletico Madrid vs Real Sociedad 4:30 pm Apple Inter Miami vs Colorado Rapids 5 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 @ Birmingham Sat. Apr. 18, 6:00 pm | Saint Louis vs. Xavier GRAND PARK 7:30 pm Apple Atlanta United vs Nashville SC 7:30 pm Apple Cincy vs Chicago 9:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs St Louis City 11 pm CBSSN America vs Toluca Mex Sun, Apr 19 9 am USA Everton vs Liverpool 9 am Para+ Verona vs AC Milan (Pulisic) 9 am Peacock Nothingham Forest vs Burnley (Adams) 11:15 am NBC Man City vs Arsenal 11:30 am ESPN2 Bayern Munich vs Stuttgart 12 noon Real Bettis vs Real Madrid 1:30 pm ESPN+ M’Gladbach (Reyna, Salley) vs Mainz 2:45 pm Para+ Juventus (Mckennie) vs Bologna 7 pm Apple LAFC vs San Jose MLS Sun, May 31 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Senegal
Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Germany in Chicago Tix Sat, June 12 WORLD CUP 9 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Paraguay World Cup Fri, June 19 3 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Australia World Cup Thur, June 25 10 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Australia World Cup
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USMNT midweek viewing guide: To Old Trafford we go
Follow along with all the USMNT action this week. by Justin Moran Apr 13, 2026, 8:31 AM EDT
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 05: Brenden Aaronson of Leeds United is fouled by Max Kilman of West Ham United resulting in a penalty kick being awarded following a VAR review during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between West Ham United and Leeds United at London Stadium on April 05, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)Getty Images
Midweek action is here. All kickoff times are in EST. Let’s get into it!
Monday
Manchester United vs Leeds, 3p on USA, UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United visit Man U in the Premier League.
Also in action:
Tondela vs Gil Vicente, 3:15p: Jordan Pefok and Tondela host Gil Vicente in Liga Portugal.
Tuesday
Atlético Madrid vs Barcelona, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN, DAZN, Univision, ViX: Johnny Cardoso (out injured since March 28) and Atlético hold a 2-0 aggregate lead over Barcelona going into the second leg of this Champions League quarterfinal.
New England Revolution vs Rhode Island FC, 7p on Paramount+: Matt Turner, Peyton Miller, Griffin Yow, and the Revs host USL Championship club Rhode Island in the US Open Cup round of 32.
Westchester SC vs NYCFC, 7:30p on Paramount+: Matt Freese and the Pigeons visit USL League One (third division) club Westchester SC in the US Open Cup.
Club América vs Nashville SC, 11:30p on FS1, TUDN, Fubo, ViX: Alex Zendejas and América are tied 0-0 on aggregate with Matthew Corcoran and Nashville going into the second leg of this Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal.
Also in action:
Detroit City vs Chicago Fire, 7:30p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo: Chris Brady and the Fire visit USL Championship club Detroit City FC in the US Open Cup.
Cruz Azul vs LAFC, 9p on FS1, TUDN, Fubo, ViX: Timothy Tillman and LAFC are up 3-0 over Cruz Azul on aggregate. Now they make the trip to Mexico City for the second leg of this Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal.
Colorado Rapids vs Union Omaha, 9:30p on Paramount+: Paxten Aaronson, Zack Steffen, Reggie Cannon (ankle injury), and the Rapids host USL League One (third division) club Union Omaha in the US Open Cup.
Wednesday
Charlotte FC vs Charlotte Independence, 7:30p on Paramount+: Tim Ream, Luca de la Torre, and Charlotte FC have an Open Cup match against the club they supplanted when they joined MLS four years ago. Charlotte Independence were playing in the USL Championship back then, but they’re down in League One now (third-division).
Richmond Kickers vs Columbus Crew, 7:30p on Paramount+: Patrick Schulte, Max Arfsten, and the Crew visit USL League One club Richmond Kickers in the Open Cup.
Seattle Sounders vs Tigres, 11:30p on FS1, TUDN, ViX, Fubo (free trial): Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan, Jesús Ferreira, and the Sounders are down 0-2 to Tigres UANL going into the second leg of this Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal.
Also in action:
FC Naples vs Orlando, 7p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, Fubo: Duncan McGuire and Orlando City visit USL League One club FC Naples in the Open Cup.
NY Red Bulls vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Paramount+: Cade Cowell, Ethan Horvath, Julian Hall, and the Red Bulls host reigning USLC champions Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Open Cup.
LA Galaxy vs Toluca, 9p on FS1, TUDN, Fubo, ViX: Harbor Miller and the Galaxy are down 2-4 to Toluca going into the second leg of this Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal.
San Jose Earthquakes vs Phoenix Rising, 10p: Niko Tsakiris and the Quakes host USL Championship club Phoenix Rising in the US Open Cup.
Thursday
Fiorentina vs Crystal Palace, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Chris Richards and Palace are up 3-0 over Fiorentina going into the second leg of this Conference League quarterfinal.
Also in action:
Strasbourg vs Mainz, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Lennard Maloney and Mainz are up 2-0 over Strasbourg going into the second leg of this Conference League quarterfinal.
Friday
St. Pauli vs Köln, 2:30p on ESPN Select, Fubo: James Sands and St. Pauli host Kristoffer Lund and Köln in the Bundesliga.
Lens vs Toulouse, 2:45p: Mark McKenzie picked up a straight red card on Sunday and is suspended, unavailable for this Ligue 1 game.
Blackburn vs Coventry, 3p on Paramount+: Haji Wright and Coventry City visit Blackburn Rovers in the EFL Championship.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs Sporting KC, 10:30p on MLS Season Pass: Sebastian Berhalter, Brian White, and the ’Caps host Kansas City in MLS action.
Also in action:
Slaven vs Hajduk Split, 11:45a on ESPN Select, Fubo: Rokas Pukštas and Hajduk Split visit Slaven Belupo in the HNL (Croatia’s top tier).
Holstein Kiel vs Kaiserslautern, 12:30p on ESPN Select, Fubo: John Tolkin (knee injury) and Holstein Kiel host Kaiserslautern in the 2. Bundesliga.
That’s it! Did I miss anything that matters? Let me know in the comments below. Let’s see who stands out this week!
Man the play at the ENCL Boys Weekend was solid at Grand Park this past weekend
Americans Abroad Weekend Update
🔥 The USMNT No. 9 race is heating up, but otherwise not a ton of performances to highlight.
Folarin Balogun Balogun stayed red-hot, scoring for the sixth straight match — matching a record set by Neymar for consecutive goals scored. Even in defeat, his form is undeniable, and he’s peaking at exactly the right time in the striker race.
Ricardo Pepi Pepi added another goal in PSV’s win, bringing his tally to 11 goals in just over 1,000 minutes — an elite scoring rate. With clubs circling and the World Cup approaching, he’s making a strong case to climb the depth chart despite his apparent lack of standing in Pochettino’s pecking order.
Christian Pulisic Pulisic didn’t score, but was still Milan’s brightest spot in a tough 3-0 loss, earning a 7.5 rating from WhoScored, the highest on the team. Despite his goal drought, his overall play continues to improve even as Milan struggles.
Elsewhere around Europe:
Weston McKennie missed Juventus’ match due to suspension.
US Thoughts after Portugal – left the US with more questions than answers.
Auston Trusty went 90 minutes as Celtic F.C. earned a crucial 1-0 win to keep their Scottish Premiership title hopes alive.
Haji Wright and Coventry inched closer to promotion with a 0-0 draw, now on the verge of the Premier League.
Chris Richards featured in Crystal Palace’s 2-1 win over Newcastle.
Mark McKenzie was sent off in Toulouse’s heavy defeat to Lille.
Malik Tillman saw limited minutes off the bench in Leverkusen’s win over Dortmund.
Tyler Adams made a solid impact off the bench in Bournemouth’s 2-1 upset win over Arsenal.
Tim Weah played 90 minutes in Marseille’s 3-1 victory.
Antonee Robinson battled for an hour before being subbed in Fulham’s loss to Liverpool.
Gio Reyna stayed on the bench while Joe Scally went 90 for Gladbach.
John Tolkin suffered a serious knee injury for Holstein Kiel.
US thoughts after Portugal
Would certainly like to have seen better results against top quality opposition, and hopefully these losses turn into lessons rather than a preview of this summer. Some thoughts on the Portugal game
Our pressure created enough danger/opportunities, but we couldn’t capitalize on their mistakes. Our key players couldn’t make Portugal pay, and ultimately this was the difference on the night. If an early goal goes in for us, the complexion of the game changes.
If we are to upset anyone this summer (and we’ll need to if we want to make any sort of run), our final ball and finishing have to be of the quality we know our top players can deliver. Otherwise we will fall at the first major hurdle (aka a top 10 opponent). Fernandes on the other side showed what a moment of quality can do to change the game.
Pulisic was not at his best and was the main culprit of the first two talking points. We know he has the quality – he needs to find his groove in the last part of this season. Also don’t love him as a false 9, he tends to be better moving forward into space and arriving in the box rather than dropping back. Don’t mind the experiment at this point.
This looked and played more like a conventional 4-2-3-1 and less like the hybrid 3-4-2-1 Pochettino was using last year. The back three and wingbacks has looked better with this personnel.
Hopefully Trusty is not seriously injured. I thought he looked the best of all the CBs in this window. Probably should start next to Richards this summer, since no one else has really taken the chance.
Shocked that Berhalter got the start and lasted 75 mins. Didn’t put in a terrible performance, but he is clearly a level below.
Freese was busier than he has been in a US shirt, and he looked pretty solid. I think he locked down the #1 shirt this summer, barring a run of poor form in MLS.
This group is dying for Gio Reyna’s skillset. Any time he comes on, he brings a level of calm and technical quality we need to knit the attack together. We really need him to find some type of playing time at the club level so he can be the best version of himself. Otherwise, he is on the bubble.
Would like to have seen more of Aaronson.
Terrible set piece goal to give up. It felt like an eternity before the team realized what was happening and then closing it down. Not a new corner routine either.
Overall, I wouldn’t expect us to beat Portugal, as they are a more talented side. But we could have if we capitalized on our pressure. So that’s encouraging. But we need more than “encouraging” at this point – we need results.
I’ve flip-flopped on Pochettino and have liked his methods to get the group more motivated. It didn’t seem to pay off as much in this window. Hopefully he can show us why he’s such a highly regarded coach when the World Cup starts. Ultimately, that’s all that matters.
📺 USWNT vs. Japan, twice Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET and Friday at 9 p.m. on TNT and truTV The U.S. will likely roll out a similar lineup in the second match against Japan tomorrow, with a few minor changes, while the XI on Friday is anyone’s guess. Let’s just hope there’s a little more excitement in the follow-up matches. The good news for tomorrow: More than 35,000 tickets have been sold — putting the game on pace for a local record.
Get to know the USWNT’s keystone midfielder U.S. women’s national team and Bay FC midfielder Claire Hutton is a student of the game. The 20-year-old, who is crucial for both her club and country, has always been that way. Growing up, she would spend hours studying her favorite players like any Gen Zer — on Youtube. Initially, her favorite players were Brazilians, the likes of Marta and Ronaldinho. You’ll want to listen to this interview before game.
USWNT Watch: U.S. good but not great vs. Japan, Round 1
The U.S. women’s national team defeated Japan 2-1 on Saturday. Next up … Japan. The teams face off for the second of three matches this window tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET in Seattle.
Head coach Emma Hayes has plenty of new talent at her disposal to tinker with her lineup, players she’s given first caps to and developed in the last two years. But over the weekend, it was two veterans who steadied the team against a fierce opponent.
Midfielder Rose Lavelle, 30, opened the scoring in the ninth minute of her 100th career start with the U.S.
Lavelle later provided an assist to captain Lindsey Heaps, 31, in the 48th minute.
Sophia Wilson also made her long-awaited return, earning her first start and minutes since 2024 and becoming a mom.
This match was about the small details, things that might not be flashy to the casual viewer. So here’s Tamerra Griffin’s take:
💬 “The USWNT versus Japan isn’t a traditional rivalry, yet something about the first of the three-part series between the first- and fifth-ranked women’s teams in the world carried shades of a derby, as in: The anticipation was so high that it may have dampened the product, which was good but not always quality.
“It’s important — poetic, even — that the U.S. won by the same scoreline by which it lost to Japan at the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, and perhaps even more so that the match included prime-time experience for Gisele Thompson. “Just like at last month’s SheBelieves Cup, the younger Thompson sister delivered, covering acres of space behind when Japan launched its attacking threats and exploiting the space ahead of her, which on one occasion led to the U.S.’s go-ahead goal.” There was one moment Thompson may want to erase from her otherwise strong performance: In the 61st minute, Thompson’s position kept Riko Ueki onside, allowing her to convert Japan’s only goal. Still, Thompson is officially on our World Cup bubble watch list.
Gisele and Alyssa Thompson made their fourth starting lineup together for the U.S., a record for sisters. Ever since Alyssa left the NWSL for Chelsea in England, national team camp has been one of the few times we get updated dancing TikToks from the pair. Anyway, in today’s Full Time:
Emma Hayes hails USWNT’s evolution after 10th straight win
eff KassoufApr 11, 2026, 09:31 PM ET
The United States women’s national team defeated Japan 2-1 on Saturday at Paypal Park in San Jose, California, to win a 10th straight match, and head coach Emma Hayes said the team’s evolution was evident in how it managed late pressure.”I think 12 months ago, we might have drawn this game,” Hayes said in her postgame news conference. “I think the progress is in staying in the game and not conceding a second goal.”Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Heaps gave the United States a 2-0 lead, but Riko Ueki cut the deficit in the second half and nearly scored an equalizer moments later amid defensive lapses for the Americans. Saturday was the first of three meetings in a week between the United States and Japan.
Hayes said she wanted an experienced lineup in the first match against Japan, and it was the USWNT’s two most-capped players who scored. Lavelle also assisted Heaps’ goal.”I think when you play top teams, you need calm heads, and Rose has that in abundance,” Hayes said. “It’s why she’s one of the best players in the world.”Sophia Wilson added further experience with her much anticipated return to the international stage. She started on Saturday and played for 67 minutes in her first international match in 17 months after giving birth to her daughter in September.”I’m proud of her to come into that,” Hayes said. “And it takes a bit of time to find that rhythm and I think she gave it everything she could. One of the things I said to her is she’s gotta build her way back to it, but I’m really pleased with her. It’s a great, great start for her and something for her to build on.”Lavelle opened the scoring nine minutes into the match when she glided through the penalty area to volley a ball that Trinity Rodman sent back across the face of the goal after Sam Coffey hit a free kick to the back post. Lavelle was making her 100th start for the team, the 31st player in program history to reach the feat.
The United States knocked on the door for a second goal as the team broke Japan’s pressure from deep areas.An unmarked Alyssa Thompson missed the frame from a tight angle at the back post in the 21st minute. After a quick combination for the Americans down the right side, Heaps found Wilson in behind, who hit a ball toward the back post and Thompson, who flashed her shot wide.”You have to be really clinical at this level,” Hayes said. “We score off a set piece, boom, one-nil. We need to go two-nil up. [Alyssa’s] chance at the back post, that’s the top level.”The United States jumped on Japan at the start of the second half. Three minutes after halftime, Lavelle played a deft ball to Heaps, who patiently waited to slot her left-footed shot into the net from 12 yards out. The play began with United States full-back Gisele Thompson applying pressure high on the left side to force a turnover in Japan’s defensive zone.The Thompson sisters started together for the fourth time, a program record (they are the third pair of sisters to represent the USWNT). Hayes said Gisele Thompson had a “fantastic performance” on the left side in an attacking full-back role behind her sister, who started up top.”How nice is that, you’ve got your sister playing in front of you? They’re gonna die for each other on the field,” Hayes said.Heaps, the team’s captain, now has 40 international goals. She is the 16th player to reach that mark and the third oldest to reach it behind Megan Rapinoe and Julie Foudy.Heaps’ goal turned out to be the winner after Ueki pulled a goal back in the 61st minute.Ueki nearly had the equalizer nine minutes later when she found herself free in the middle of the box again, but she placed her shot right at United States goalkeeper Claudia Dickey.The United States controlled 61% possession in the match, in stark contrast to their 2-1 loss to Japan last year during the SheBelieves Cup.”Where we’ve come from that last time that we played them in SheBelieves,” Heaps said. “We’ve come a very long way, and that’s credit to this team, credit to the staff, the way that we want to control the game, where we want to control the game and the chances that we want to create.
The U.S. and Japan will play again on Tuesday in Seattle before wrapping the three-game series on Friday outside Denver.Japan had won eight straight matches coming into Saturday’s game, six of which came at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. The Nadeshiko won that tournament last month, but the federation parted ways with head coach Nils Nielsen shortly after the tournament.
Champions League
Bayern Munich vs.Real Madrid : Agg. 2-1 (Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+)
The Bavarian giants have a one-goal lead heading into this second leg in Munich, but all eyes are on Álvaro Arbeloa and Real Madrid. With Jude Bellingham coming off his first start since January on Friday, the England ace will look to land his first UCL goal contribution since December, while Kylian Mbappé will have his eyes on history. The Frenchman has 14 Champions League goals this campaign, and if he wants to break Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-standing record of 17, he’ll need to lace up his shooting boots against a Bayern side that have not conceded more than one goal in a UCL match since November. As for the hosts, with a healthy Harry Kane, their menacing trio of their star forward, Luis Díaz and Michael Olise will look to lock this up early and book their spot in the next round.
Arsenal vs. Sporting : Agg. 1-0(Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+)
With Anne Hathaway in their corner already, one would assume Arsenal are the clear favorites heading into this bout, but with three losses in their last four across all comps, Sporting have a chance to storm the Emirates and steal a result. The Gunners currently have the advantage, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner in leg one from Kai Havertz, but Portugal’s brightest prospect, Geovany Quenda, returned from injury at the weekend, giving Sporting a forward who has shown a knack for scoring in the competition when available. Still, the Gunners have only lost one of their last 12 UEFA matches against Portuguese teams and are unbeaten in their last eight at home to them, while Sporting have won nine of their last 10 two-legged UEFA matches against English opposition. Also, this:
Notre Dame vs Butler – as former Carmel FC Players Maverick McCoy & Evan Muckridge faced off. Notre Dame plays Indiana University Fri at 7:30 pm at Grand Park as part of The Boys College Showcase.
FIFA creates new World Cup ticket category, deepening suspicions of deception
FIFA has created a new category of 2026 World Cup tickets two months before the tournament in an apparent attempt to milk more money out of prime seats.
Throughout the fall and winter, the global soccer governing body sold millions of World Cup tickets in four categories. Category 1, the most expensive tier, seemed to encompass all seats and sections in a stadium’s lower bowl, per color-coded maps embedded in the ticketing portal. Fans paid hundreds or thousands of dollars for these tickets, then awaited seat assignments.Last week, FIFA delivered those assignments. It converted categorized tickets into specific rows and sections — and left many buyers disappointed with seats in corners, behind goals or farther away from the field.Then, a week later, FIFA began selling seats in the first several rows of lower-level sections for higher prices — in some cases triple the price of a standard Category 1 ticket.
Frustrated fans, in interviews with and messages to The Athletic last week, suspected that FIFA had given them lesser seats so that it could sell the better ones at elevated prices. But at the time, they had no firm evidence.The new category essentially confirms their suspicions.“This is just another example of how deceptive the original maps were,” one fan, Ben Kurzman, wrote in a Wednesday email. “[FIFA] let people believe that by buying Category 1 seats, they might end up in a lower sideline section close to the field, when that was never going to happen.”The new “Front Category 1” had not been previously advertised or mentioned. From an initial “presale” phase in October through last week, the normal “Category 1” had been sold as the top tier of ticket, with prices now ranging from $10,990 for the World Cup final to $450 for some group-stage games. The maps shown to buyers suggested that these tickets could yield seats anywhere in any 100-level section or, at most stadiums, in mid-level sections with good views.
Separately, though, FIFA has been selling hospitality packages at even higher prices. And its hospitality “seating example” illustrations suggest that many of the lower-level sideline sections supposedly within Category 1 are actually being reserved for hospitality buyers.
Over the past week, as fans realized that hardly any Category 1 ticket holders had been placed in those coveted sideline sections, many fumed.“A lot of people feel misled, or confused, or maybe just generally let down about the way seats were assigned,” Jordan Likover, one of the aggrieved fans, told The Athletic.Top League Content
Then, on Wednesday, as The Athletic publicized the saga and outrage spread, FIFA went a step further.It released new batches of tickets and, for dozens of games, it listed these new “Front Category 1” and/or “Front Category 2” seats in the first several rows of certain sections.For Algeria vs. Austria at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., for example, dozens of seats in the second row at the four corners of the stadium were priced at $900 apiece — twice as much as a standard Category 1 ticket that, if bought this winter, seemingly should have been eligible for placement in those exact same rows and sections.
Listings were similar for other matches. For Canada’s opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, a “Front Category 1” seat — in row 5 of a sideline section near the corner of Toronto’s BMO Field — cost $3,360, up from $2,240 for a regular Category 1 ticket.
For U.S. vs. Paraguay at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles that same day, a “Front Category 1” seat in Row 7 of a corner section is $4,105 — up from the standard Category 1 price that has already turned off many avid fans, $2,730.
For more than a dozen games, the “Front Category 1” price was exactly double the standard Category 1 price.
For Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia in Miami, that meant an increase from $600 to $1,200 for a low seat behind one of the goals.
For Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia in Houston, Uzbekistan vs. the Democratic Republic of Congo in Atlanta, and other less-glamorous matchups, the “Front” price was $900, up from $450.
For other matches, the mark-up was even greater. For the likes of Australia vs. Turkey, Germany vs. Curaçao, Iraq vs. Norway, Belgium vs. Iran, South Korea vs. Czechia and Switzerland vs. Canada, a “Front Category 1” seat was listed Friday at 2.5 times the normal Category 1 price.
And for some headliners, FIFA had raised the price threefold.
For Argentina’s group-stage matches against Algeria and Austria, the “Front” price was $2,295 and $2,325, respectively, up from $765 and $775.
For the U.S. matches against Australia (in Seattle, pictured below) and Turkey (near Los Angeles), “front” seats were $2,325 and $2,970, respectively, up from less than $1,000.
Uruguay vs. Spain in Guadalajara; Scotland vs. Morocco in Foxborough, Mass.; Brazil vs. Haiti in Philadelphia; and other matches also had “Front” seats listed for triple the Category 1 price — in some cases over $2,000.
“Front Category 2” seats, at the front of less desirable sections, were also being offered at smaller mark-ups.
The Athletic asked FIFA on Wednesday why these “front” seats weren’t simply allocated to fans who’d applied for Category 1 or 2 tickets in the “Random Selection Draw” this winter — when FIFA supposedly received more than 500 million ticket requests. As of Friday afternoon, FIFA had not responded.
It also has not said why the new category was created, nor why it was appropriate to previously advertise Category 1 as if it gave buyers a chance at any seat in any coveted section.
In an emailed statement Tuesday in response to another set of questions last week, a FIFA spokesperson said that the “indicative category maps” were “to help fans understand where their seats could be located within a stadium. These maps were designed to provide guidance rather than the exact seat layout, and reflect the general extent of each ticket category within the stadium.”
FIFA has not said how many of these “front” seats it plans to sell, nor how many tickets generally are still available for the 2026 World Cup. It seems to be releasing new batches unannounced on a rolling basis.
Fans, in interviews late last week, blasted the governing body for its opacity and for other aspects of the ticketing process.
Advertisement“FIFA doesn’t have any goodwill with fans,” said Andrew Swart, a New York-based fan who said his Category 1 ticket — purchased for $862.50 on FIFA’s resale site — had yielded him a seat in a section once earmarked for Category 2. “Our default assumption is that they’re doing something to be either underhanded or maximize profit.”IFA has consistently defended its pricing and approach as a reflection of North American norms and “extraordinary” demand, and noted that, as a non-profit, it reinvests much of the World Cup’s revenue in the development of soccer globally.
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USWNT 2, Japan 1: Rose Lavelle scores in 100th start, Sophia Wilson returns
Rose Lavelle scored the opening goal of Saturday’s win over Japan, which was her 100th career start for the U.S. Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images
The U.S. women’s national team passed its first test against Japan in San Jose, Calif. on Saturday, topping the 2026 Asian Cup champions in a 2-1 victory for the first of three matches between the longtime rivals.Midfielder Rose Lavelle opened the scoring in the ninth minute, finding the ball off a cheeky volley from forward Trinity Rodman in the goalie’s box. Scoring in her 100th career start for the U.S., Lavelle only needed one touch to finesse the ball as it fell before her. The 30-year-old carried this momentum into the second half, contributing to the U.S.’s second goal when she found captain Lindsey Heaps wide open in the center of the box in the 48th minute.Japan responded in the second half with a goal from Riko Ueki in the 61st minute, taking advantage of a flat-footed U.S. backline. Ueki nearly equalized in the 79th minute, but was unable to get around goalkeeper Clauda Dickey, who had a standout performance.What You Should Read NextUSWNT’s next test: Japan, champions of Asia, with a roster of international stars in the makingU.S. head coach Emma Hayes said Japan is “without question” a favorite for the 2027 Women’s World Cup“Anytime you can play a team of this caliber, it’s going to be a great learning experience,” Lavelle, who played a full 90 minutes, said after the match. “I can’t say it enough, like, they are such a good team, so to be able to have the opportunity to play them 3 times in one window, I think we can take it and it’s really going to help.”The match was a promising start for the Americans, whose last match against Japan ended in heartbreak during the 2025 SheBelieves Cup. During that match last year, it was Japan who started each half with two quick goals in the fifth and 50th minutes, with that momentum helping them lift their first-ever SheBelieves Cup title. The U.S. spent the last year regrouping.The night was a promising start for the U.S. women’s national team, who will face Japan two more times over the coming days. The Athletic analyzes the key takeaways from Saturday’s match …
Forward Sophia Wilson controls the ball during the international friendly match against Japan in her return to the USWNT.Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images
Sophia Wilson’s long-awaited return
After a promising return to the Portland Thorns in NWSL, Wilson has returned with the USWNT.
The 25-year-old started for the U.S. for the first time since giving birth to her daughter in early September. It was her first game for the team in 17 months. She played 67 minutes and earned her first start since the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Games.
The new mom was all smiles as she walked onto the pitch alongside teammates Rodman and Naomi Girma. Wilson started alongside Lavelle as the two lone forwards in the U.S.’s attack against Japan. Her high pressure in the attack created opportunities for the U.S., as she slowly builds her minutes in camp.
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“Any time you can get a result (like this) against a team like Japan, we’ll take it. I think we put out a solid performance. There were definitely moments within the game that we maybe dipped a little bit, but that’s something that we’ll work on,” Wilson said. “We’ll go back and look through everything and make sure that the next game we fix those things, and I’m sure the next game, more things will come up, but that’s just the sport, and we just continue to grow.”
Saturday’s match was the first time that two-thirds of the ‘Triple Espresso’ trio were on the same pitch playing for the same side since the Olympics. As Wilson exited the pitch, replaced by Ally Sentnor, the broadcast panned to her daughter, Gigi, in one of the stadium boxes, watching her mother return to the pitch.
“It was good for me to get this game out of the way, the first game back with the national team, and now my feet are wet,” Wilson said. “I feel confident going into the next few games.” — Melanie Anzidei
USWNT center back Kennedy Wesley and full back Giselle Thompson battle to stop Japan’s offense.Nic Coury / Getty Images
Last-minute change to evolving center back pairing
Ever since Tierna Davidson’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last year, there’s been an open-ended question about which center back would replace her to slot in alongside Girma — and a revolving door of auditions to find out. For the majority of 2025, the answer appeared to be Emily Sonnet, whether Girma was on the pitch; her appearances on the national team were sporadic due to injury. But in the build-up to Saturday’s match, Sonnet sustained an injury during training that forced Hayes to make a last-minute decision about her starting XI. Hayes said Davidson’s return to the team was a little further back from full fitness.
Kennedy Wesley, who plays for the San Diego Wave, earned her fifth international cap when she lined up beside Girma. The two were flanked by Gisele Thompson and Emily Fox with Seattle Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey behind them. The backline’s mandate to play out of the back was clear in the first half and was largely successful apart from a few nervy moments. But Wesley’s aerial dominance and physicality with her press allowed Girma to keep the group organized. The security provided by the two Stanford alumni in the middle also freed Fox and Thompson to exploit the flanks and involve themselves in the attack.
Dickey recorded three key saves in the first half and one in the second, including a close-range shot from a corner kick. Her performance tightened the competition between her and Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce for the U.S. No. 1 role. — Tamerra Griffin
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Japan midfielder Remina Chiba runs by U.S. forward Trinity Rodman and midfielder Rose Lavelle.Nic Coury / Getty Images
What’s next?
This was just the first of three matches the U.S. will play against Japan. The back-to-back-to-back fixtures offer head coach Emma Hayes a unique opportunity to test her players in real time against one of the most technical opponents in the world — an opponent who Hayes described as a contender to win next summer’s World Cup and one she is a “secret fan of.”
“I think 12 months ago, we might have drawn this game. The progress is in staying in the game and not conceding a second goal,” Hayes said after the match. “They created chances. It was a pretty even game with regards to that.
“It’s given me some things that I’ll sit on the plane now and watch to sort of add for our next level. But it’s the test we want, and I’m so happy to have it, because they’re an unbelievable team.”
Hayes has told reporters that her plans for this camp were to field two different teams for the first two matches against Japan. This roster may feature an entirely different look — with regulars like Davidson and Sonnett potentially back in the mix, as well as players like Gotham FC’s Jaedyn Shaw or 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale.
“I want to see a different side to us in the second game, with a less experienced group, and see the progress that we have made in the last 12 months,” Hayes said. “Knowing it’s not going to be the first time they’ve faced Japan, but I want to see the progress since the last time.”
Whatever Hayes does for their next fixture on Tuesday in Seattle will offer a rare glimpse into the head coach’s thinking for what this player pool has to offer, especially as more experienced players return to the fold with younger players who have risen through the USWNT ranks over the last year. “We have to prepare ourselves for qualifying,” Hayes said. “We don’t have a lot of windows left, so we need to get some of these players playing back together again. It’s important.”
As for the third match, Hayes has left that open. She suggested that her choices on Friday could be an assessment of how these first two games go, or they could be designed around player availability and managed minutes as some key figures continue to build up their minutes with the national team. — Anzidei
Before the U.S. women’s national team’s first of three games against Japan on Saturday, head coach Emma Hayes played “Back Together Again” by Roberta Flack featuring Donny Hathaway for Alyssa and Gisele Thompson.It was an ode to the sisters’ reunion. Ever since the elder Alyssa split from their hometown team, Angel City FC in Los Angeles, to sign with Chelsea last year, the Thompsons, separated by 13 months, now only compete together when they’re in national team camp.In the chorus of the duet is the line: “‘Cause you, you and I back together again // got the world in a spin.”The USWNT claimed the first match of the three-part series with a 2-1 win at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif. Neither the Thompson sisters nor the U.S. put Japan in a spin, per se. The champions of Asia demanded a full 90-minute performance from their opponents and came close to equalizing late in the game.But at just 20 years old, with eight caps on the national team, Gisele is steadily proving herself worthy of a spot on the 2027 World Cup roster and a chance to be back together again with her sister on football’s biggest stage.
Sisters Gisele Thompson and Alyssa Thompson hold the record for most starts by sisters on the USWNT.Brad Smith / Getty Images
“I mean, how nice is that?” Hayes said. “You’ve got your sister playing in front of you, and they’re going to die for each other on the field.”
For this week’s “Three Words” …
Younger Thompson rising
Gisele earned her first call-up to senior national team camp in November 2024, but her first cap didn’t come until February 2025 at the SheBelieves Cup. As tempting as the storyline has always been to thrust the Thompson sisters into the spotlight as the faces and futures of the USWNT, once Hayes took charge, she set all players on developmental paths that haven’t always aligned with marketable narratives.
Gisele, now 20, wove in and out of senior camps last year, at times spending the international window with the under-23 squad. Even so, Hayes has been keen to bring her into the USWNT. When center-back Tierna Davidson sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in March 2025, Gisele was plucked from the younger team.
“Giselle knows that my goal with her is that I need her to be more durable,” Hayes said after the USWNT’s 1-0 victory over Canada in March. “So I told her, ‘You’re playing 90 minutes. Don’t look at me. You’re not coming off.’”
Japan is an even bigger test.
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The U.S. relies on its full backs to have the pace and discernment to propel themselves into the attack without sacrificing their defensive responsibilities. Adding to the challenge of playing Japan was the fact that U.S. center-back Emily Sonnett was pulled from the lineup at the last minute due to an injury from the previous day’s training. Considering Hayes’ plan to utilize two primary rosters across the three fixtures — let’s call them Team A (which will play twice) and Team B — it’s telling that Gisele earned the start on Saturday in a lineup that looked mostly like Team A.
If you look at the Japan match as a continuation of Gisele’s growth from the SheBelieves Cup, her performance was a natural and positive progression. She has figured out how to account for her slight physical size when matching up against opponents, becoming an expert in spatial awareness. Captain Lindsey Heaps had the game-winning goal and Rose Lavelle the assist, but the counterattack that generated the play came from Gisele’s high press that forced a turnover for her sister Alyssa to pick up.
Gisele Thompson and Alyssa Thompson maintain a close bond despite the latter’s move to England to play for Chelsea.Brad Smith / Getty Images
That’s the other factor. The Thompson sisters’ intuitive understanding of each other on the pitch can’t be taught.
At best, it can be manufactured from years of repetition, but with just four starts together (the most of any sister duo in the U.S. program’s history), Gisele and Alyssa already match and elevate each other’s shine. It’s only a matter of time before they are consistently putting the world in a spin like Flack and Hathaway sang about.
But Gisele’s game isn’t without its flaws.
“I think she’s got to develop a couple of things defensively,” Hayes said. “Like second half, she stepped out in situations where she’s got to stay in the back line, otherwise it’s a lot of running for Kennedy (Wesley), which it was.”
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There was also an error (apparently due to a lapse in concentration) in the 61st minute when Gisele’s positioning during a Japanese counterattack kept striker (and Asian Cup Golden Boot winner) Riko Ueki onside as she dinked a header past U.S. goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, sullying their clean sheet.
“From a defensive perspective at the highest level, these are details that are going to really, really matter,” Hayes said. “I say that because I know she is not only capable of it, but she has to learn these things because when you play an opponent like Japan, if you watch the goal back, not getting pressure on the service is what’s required at the highest level.”
Japan midfielder Manaka Matsukubo shoots, challenged by US defenders Gisele Thompson and Kennedy Wesley.Nic Coury / Getty Images
With two matches against Japan remaining, the competition for a starting left full-back spot has taken on a new complexion. Defenders Avery Patterson and Lilly Reale have been in and out of recent national team camps due to illness and injury, respectively. They will likely get minutes in this window, and Emily Fox’s starting status at right back is essentially secured. Hayes’ assessment on the opposite side has become even tougher, courtesy of Gisele.
Of the three, Patterson has the most comprehensive attacking qualities as a full back. Reale’s delivery into the box is exceptional. And Gisele, for all of her own skills, also knows exactly how to unlock Alyssa, an edge that no other defender — or player — could come close to. The Thompson sisters have lost just once in the four matches they’ve started together: a 2-1 friendly against Brazil that also took place at PayPal Park last April.
Singers Flack and Hathaway are not siblings, but they were both Howard University students when they met on the historically black college campus in the late 1960s. They became creative co-conspirators and have featured on several of each other’s projects, as well as an eponymous collaboration in 1972.
One of the tracks on that album is a cover of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.” Hayes didn’t play that one for the Thompson sisters, but it could also hint at the potential for their partnership on the USWNT.
“You just call out my name // And you know wherever I am // I’ll come running, running, running // To see you again.”
Before the U.S. women’s national team’s first of three games against Japan on Saturday, head coach Emma Hayes played “Back Together Again” by Roberta Flack featuring Donny Hathaway for Alyssa and Gisele Thompson.
It was an ode to the sisters’ reunion. Ever since the elder Alyssa split from their hometown team, Angel City FC in Los Angeles, to sign with Chelsea last year, the Thompsons, separated by 13 months, now only compete together when they’re in national team camp.
AdvertisementIn the chorus of the duet is the line: “‘Cause you, you and I back together again // got the world in a spin.”
But at just 20 years old, with eight caps on the national team, Gisele is steadily proving herself worthy of a spot on the 2027 World Cup roster and a chance to be back together again with her sister on football’s biggest stage.
Sisters Gisele Thompson and Alyssa Thompson hold the record for most starts by sisters on the USWNT.Brad Smith / Getty Images
“I mean, how nice is that?” Hayes said. “You’ve got your sister playing in front of you, and they’re going to die for each other on the field.”
For this week’s “Three Words” …
Younger Thompson rising
Gisele earned her first call-up to senior national team camp in November 2024, but her first cap didn’t come until February 2025 at the SheBelieves Cup. As tempting as the storyline has always been to thrust the Thompson sisters into the spotlight as the faces and futures of the USWNT, once Hayes took charge, she set all players on developmental paths that haven’t always aligned with marketable narratives.
Gisele, now 20, wove in and out of senior camps last year, at times spending the international window with the under-23 squad. Even so, Hayes has been keen to bring her into the USWNT. When center-back Tierna Davidson sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in March 2025, Gisele was plucked from the younger team.
“Giselle knows that my goal with her is that I need her to be more durable,” Hayes said after the USWNT’s 1-0 victory over Canada in March. “So I told her, ‘You’re playing 90 minutes. Don’t look at me. You’re not coming off.’”apan is an even bigger test.
The U.S. relies on its full backs to have the pace and discernment to propel themselves into the attack without sacrificing their defensive responsibilities. Adding to the challenge of playing Japan was the fact that U.S. center-back Emily Sonnett was pulled from the lineup at the last minute due to an injury from the previous day’s training. Considering Hayes’ plan to utilize two primary rosters across the three fixtures — let’s call them Team A (which will play twice) and Team B — it’s telling that Gisele earned the start on Saturday in a lineup that looked mostly like Team A.
If you look at the Japan match as a continuation of Gisele’s growth from the SheBelieves Cup, her performance was a natural and positive progression. She has figured out how to account for her slight physical size when matching up against opponents, becoming an expert in spatial awareness. Captain Lindsey Heaps had the game-winning goal and Rose Lavelle the assist, but the counterattack that generated the play came from Gisele’s high press that forced a turnover for her sister Alyssa to pick up.
Gisele Thompson and Alyssa Thompson maintain a close bond despite the latter’s move to England to play for Chelsea.Brad Smith / Getty Images
That’s the other factor. The Thompson sisters’ intuitive understanding of each other on the pitch can’t be taught.
At best, it can be manufactured from years of repetition, but with just four starts together (the most of any sister duo in the U.S. program’s history), Gisele and Alyssa already match and elevate each other’s shine. It’s only a matter of time before they are consistently putting the world in a spin like Flack and Hathaway sang about.
But Gisele’s game isn’t without its flaws.
“I think she’s got to develop a couple of things defensively,” Hayes said. “Like second half, she stepped out in situations where she’s got to stay in the back line, otherwise it’s a lot of running for Kennedy (Wesley), which it was.”
There was also an error (apparently due to a lapse in concentration) in the 61st minute when Gisele’s positioning during a Japanese counterattack kept striker (and Asian Cup Golden Boot winner) Riko Ueki onside as she dinked a header past U.S. goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, sullying their clean sheet.
“From a defensive perspective at the highest level, these are details that are going to really, really matter,” Hayes said. “I say that because I know she is not only capable of it, but she has to learn these things because when you play an opponent like Japan, if you watch the goal back, not getting pressure on the service is what’s required at the highest level.”
Japan midfielder Manaka Matsukubo shoots, challenged by US defenders Gisele Thompson and Kennedy Wesley.Nic Coury / Getty Images
With two matches against Japan remaining, the competition for a starting left full-back spot has taken on a new complexion. Defenders Avery Patterson and Lilly Reale have been in and out of recent national team camps due to illness and injury, respectively. They will likely get minutes in this window, and Emily Fox’s starting status at right back is essentially secured. Hayes’ assessment on the opposite side has become even tougher, courtesy of Gisele.
Of the three, Patterson has the most comprehensive attacking qualities as a full back. Reale’s delivery into the box is exceptional. And Gisele, for all of her own skills, also knows exactly how to unlock Alyssa, an edge that no other defender — or player — could come close to. The Thompson sisters have lost just once in the four matches they’ve started together: a 2-1 friendly against Brazil that also took place at PayPal Park last April.
Singers Flack and Hathaway are not siblings, but they were both Howard University students when they met on the historically black college campus in the late 1960s. They became creative co-conspirators and have featured on several of each other’s projects, as well as an eponymous collaboration in 1972.
One of the tracks on that album is a cover of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.” Hayes didn’t play that one for the Thompson sisters, but it could also hint at the potential for their partnership on the USWNT.
“You just call out my name // And you know wherever I am // I’ll come running, running, running // To see you again.”
Champions League Sweet 16 2nd leg Tues/Wed on Para+ & CBSSN
Champions League Sweet 16 action is here with some powerhouse games on hand in defending Champs PSG facing World Club Champ Chelsea up 5-2 head to London Tues, while powerhouses Real Madrid & Man City will once host Madrid down 3-0 Tues – sound familianr? A couple of American’s are still alive as Atletico’s Johnny Cardosa willtravel to Tottenham on Wed 4 pm on Para+ up 5-2, while Yanus Musah & the only Italian side left Atalanta will travel to Bayern Munich down 6-1 at 4 pm on CBSSN & Para where an American Born GK just 16 ____ might have to play for the Germans. Wed gives us Bayer Leverkusen and American Midfielder Malik Tillman hosting Arsenal at 1:45 pm on Para+.
Last 16 fixtures in full.
PSG 5 vs Chelsea 2 Galatasaray 1 vs Liverpool 0 Real Madrid 3 vs Man City 0 Atalanta 1 vs Bayern Munich 6 Barcelona 1 vs Newcastle 1 Bodo/Glimt 3 vs Sporting 0 Leverkusen 1 vs Arsenal 1 Atletico MAdrid 5 vs Tottenham 2
US Officially Releases New Jersey Look
If you read this blog – I released this a month ago -but its official now — Where’s Waldo Stripes is Back for the World Cup
Indy 11 Open Season Sat night at the Mike – US Open Cup on Tues, 8 pm Para+
Indy Eleven begins Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play on Tuesday, March 17 at 8 p.m. vs. Des Moines Menace indoors at the Community Health Network Events Center on the Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus. The Boys in Blue open their regular-season home schedule at Carroll Stadium on Sat. Mar. 21 vs. Eastern Conference rival Detroit City FC. Ticket options available are Season Tickets, Flex Mini Plans, and Home Opener Packs. Season Ticket Benefits (starting at $13.50 per game) include Season Parking Pass, unlimited ticket exchanges, and a 20% discount on all Indy Eleven merchandise. Flex Mini Plans include vouchers to be redeemed for any 2026 regular season home match. The 2026 Home Opener Pack includes two tickets to the home opener, two flex tickets to be redeemed to any 2026 home match, two Indy Eleven pennants, two posters, and access for two to a post-match autograph session for just $44. Carmel native and former Carmel Dad’s Club player and 2025 USL Championship MVP and Prinx Playoff MVP GK Eric Dick will start in the goal this season for Indy after winning the Cup with Pittsburg last season.
The 2026 Season Opens Saturday night at 7 pm at the Mike vs Detroit City – Special Tix Prices Available
NWSL Opening Weekend to Remember
Collectively, players scored 19 goals across the eight matches. All but the final match of the weekend between Angel City and Chicago Stars was decided by a single goal. While some teams welcomed back familiar faces, others embraced their new sparks. The league made history with 129,202 fans in attendance across eight matches, with an average of 16,150 per match. You can read an in-depth look at the weekend here.
Sophia Wilson’s return to the soccer field after more than a year away, Olivia Moultrie continuing to establish herself as a game changer and the Portland Thorns getting their playoff revenge on the Spirit; Seattle Reign also avenging their playoff loss in Orlando in the same place that their 2025 season came to an end; Banda getting back to her epic scoring ways; conversely, seeing Kennedy Fuller and Angel City completely dominate Chicago (sorry Alyssa Naeher, but what were you doing?). Dash forward Makenzy Robbe, Reign forward Brittany Ratcliffe, Angel City midfielder Ary Borges and Bay FC’s Alex Pfeiffer scoring for their new teams. Croix Bethune scoring for her new club, Kansas City Current, after her $1 million transfer, and on her birthday no less; Canadian players Janine Sonis and Bianca St-Georges receiving the first red cards in Denver Summit and Boston Legacy’s history. The very special return of Savy King to the NWSL after her cardiac incident last May. Seeing a record-breaking crowd of 30,000+ watch professional soccer return to Boston with the debut of the Legacy, knowing Denver has sold more than 50,000+ for their home opener on March 28. bonus)Rodman running herself right out of her cleat.
Man it was Great being back on the soccer fields this weekend doing a little reffing at Grand Park
Always a blast reffing with Mike A and Dan D at the Event Center Friday Night It was actually Warm Enough Sunday afternoon to go shorts – with Jakob and Ricardo in the Championship Game
TV Schedule – Games on TV
Tues, March 17 1:45 pm CBSSN, PAra+, Uni Sporting CP vs Bodo/Glint 4 pm Para+ Man City vs Real Madrid 4 pm Para+ Chelseavs PSG 4 pm Para+ Arsenal vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) 8 pm CBS Galazom PAra+ Indy 11 vs Des Moines Menace 11 pm FS1 Monterey vs Cruz azul CCC Wed, March 18 1:45 pm Para+ Barcelona vs Newcastle United 4 pm PAra, CBSSN Bayern Munich ( ) vs Atalanta (Musah) vs 4 pm Para+ Atletico Madrid (Johnny) vs Tottenham 4 pm Para+ Liverpool vs Galatasaray 7 pm FS2 Inter Miami 0 vs Nashville 0 CC Cup 9 pm FS1 Club America vs Philly Union CCC 11 pm FS2 Toluca San Diego vs Cup 11 pm FS1 Seattle Sounders 4 vs Vancouver 0 CCup Thurs, March 18 1:45 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Midtylland 1:45 pm Para+ Crystal Palace (Richards) vs AEK Lanarca 4 pm Para+, CBSSN Lille vs Aston Villa 9 pm FS1 Cincy vs Tigres UNAL CUP Fri, March 19 4 pm USA Bournemouth vs Man United 8 pm Victory+ Racing Louisville vs Washington Spirit (Rodman) NWSL 10 pm Amazon Prime Portland Thorns (Sophia Smith) @ Seattle Reign Sat Mar 20 8:30 am USA Brighton vs Liverpool 10:30 am ESPN+ Heidenheim vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) 11 am USA Fulham (Jedi) vs Burnley 1 pm PAra+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Torino 1 pm Apple free Toronto FC vs Columbus Crew MLS 1:30 pm USA Everton vs Chelsea 3:45 pm Para+ Juventus (McKennie) vs Sassuolo 4 pm Ion Houston Dash vs Boston Legacy NWSL 4 pm USA Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Brentford 6:15 pm FS1 Nashville FC vs Orlando City 6:30 pm Ion NY/NJ Gothem FC vs NC Courage NWSL 8:30 pm Apple St Louis City vs New England 8:45 pm FOX Austin FC vs LAFC 8:35 pm ION Bay FC vs Angel City NWSL Sun Mar 21 8 am USA Newcastle United vs Sunderland 8 am ESPN+ Barcelona vs Rayo Vallencano 10:!5 am USA Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest 12:30 pm Para+ ARSENAL vs MAN CITY CUP 1 pm Apple Free NYCFC vs Miami (Messi) 1 pm Apple Cincy vs Montreal 2:30 pm FOX Minn United vs Seattle Sounders 4 pm ESPND, ESPN+ REAL MADRID vs ATLETICO MADRID 4:45 pm FOX Portland Timbers vs LA Galaxy 7 pm Victory+ Utah Royals vs San Diego Wave NWSL
Sat, Mar 28 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Belgium Tues, Mar 31 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Portugal Sun, May 31 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Senegal Fri. Apr. 17, 7:30 pm | IU vs. Notre Dame GRAND PARK Sat. Apr. 18, 6:00 pm | Saint Louis vs. Xavier GRAND PARK
Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Germany in Chicago Sat, June 12 WORLD CUP 9 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Paraguay World Cup NWSL Schedule
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USMNT midweek viewing guide: Staying alive
Follow along with all the USMNT action this week.
by Justin Moran Mar 16, 2026, 12:59 PM EDT Stars & STripes
BERGAMO, ITALY – MARCH 10: Michael Olise of FC Bayern Muenchen competes for the ball with Yunus Musah of Atalanta BC during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Atalanta BC and FC Bayern München at Stadio di Bergamo on March 10, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Luca Amedeo Bizzarri/Getty Images)Getty Images
Midweek action is here. All kickoff times are in EST. Let’s get into it!
Monday
Portsmouth vs Derby, 4p on Paramount+: Patrick Agyemang and Derby County visit Portsmouth in the EFL Championship.
Also in action:
Albacete vs Las Palmas, 3:30p: Jonathan Gómez and Albacete visit Las Palmas in La Liga 2.
Racing Club vs Estudiantes de Río Cuarto, 7p on Fanatiz: Matko Miljevic and Racing Club go on the road in Argentina’s Liga Profesional.
Tuesday
Arsenal vs Leverkusen, 4p on Paramount+, ViX: Malik Tillman, Monty Culbreath, and Bayer Leverkusen are even 1-1 with Arsenal after the home leg in Champions League. They will need to win at the Emirates to advance.
Also in action:
Mantova vs Cesena, 3p: Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena visit Mantova in Serie B.
Venezia vs Padova, 3p on DCTV: Gianluca Busio and Venezia host Padova in Serie B.
Alajuelense vs LAFC, 9p on FS1, TUDN, Fubo, ViX: Timothy Tillman and LAFC only managed a 1-1 draw in the first leg at home, so they’ll need to win in Costa Rica to advance in Concacaf Champions Cup.
Wednesday
Bayern Munich vs Atalanta, 4p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, Fubo, ViX: Yunus Musah and Atalanta trail Bayern 1-6 after getting demolished at home in the first leg of this Champions League matchup.
Tottenham vs Atlético Madrid, 4p on Paramount+, DAZN: Johnny Cardoso and Atléti are up 5-2 on Spurs as they go into the away leg in Champions League.
You know that expression “a picture is worth a thousand words”? That started because of Brandi Chastain. Probably. You know the picture I’m talking about. She had just won the ’99 World Cup with a penalty kick, and in a moment of unfiltered elation fell to her knees, ripped her shirt off, and screamed with a joy most of us can only hope to one day feel. Today, it’s universally regarded as a symbol of women’s strength, and fearlessness, and ability. And while some saw it that way at the time… many, very loud people, did not. Let’s view this photo, and Chastain herself, through the prism.
View MoreView Less
Also in action:
Ried vs LASK Linz, 1p: George Bello and LASK are on the road in a cup semifinal in Austria.
Inter Miami vs Nashville SC, 7p on FS1, TUDN, UniMás, Fubo, ViX, Univision NOW: Matthew Corcoran, Thomas Williams, Reed Baker-Whiting, and Nashville are still even 0-0 with Noah Allen, Ian Fray, and Miami in this Concacaf Champions Cup showdown.
Club América vs Philadelphia Union, 9p on FS1, TUDN, Fubo, UniMás, ViX, Univision NOW: Alex Zendejas and América are up 1-0 over Quinn Sullivan, Frankie Westfield, Cavan Sullivan, and the Union in this Concacaf Champions Cup clash.
Seattle Sounders vs Vancouver Whitecaps, 11p on FS1, Fubo, ViX: Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan, Jesús Ferreira, Jackson Ragen, and the Sounders are up 3-0 over Sebastian Berhalter, Brian White, and the ’Caps in this Concacaf Champions Cup matchup.
Toluca vs San Diego FC, 11p on FS2, TUDN, Fubo, ViX: Luca Bombino, Pedro Soma, Duran Ferree, and San Diego hold a 3-2 lead over Toluca going into the Concacaf Champions Cup second leg.
Thursday
Lyon vs Celta Vigo, 1:45p on Paramount+, DAZN: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon are in a strong position, tied 1-1 going into the second leg at home in this Europa League fixture.
AEK Larnaca vs Crystal Palace, 1:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Chris Richards and Palace didn’t manage a goal at home in Conference League, leaving it 0-0 as they travel to Cyprus for the second leg.
Also in action:
Mainz vs Sigma Olomouc, 1:45p on Paramount+, ViX: Lennard Maloney and Mainz are still at 0-0 in their Conference League tie with Sigma Olomouc.
Real Betis vs Panathinaikos, 4p on Paramount+, DAZN: Erik Palmer-Brown and Panathinaikos hold a thin 1-0 lead over Betis going into the Europa League second leg on the road.
Mount Pleasant vs LA Galaxy, 7p on FS1, TUDN, Fubo, ViX: Edwin Cerrillo, Elijah Wynder, and the Galaxy are up 3-0 from the home leg in Concacaf Champions Cup.
Tigres vs FC Cincinnati, 9p on FS1, TUDN, Fubo, ViX: Miles Robinson, Roman Celentano, Matt Miazga, and Cincy are winning 3-0, and will advance in Concacaf Champions Cup unless they collapse in Monterrey.
Villarreal vs Real Sociedad, 4p on ESPN Select, ESPN Deportes, Fubo (free trial): Alex Freeman and Villarreal host Real Sociedad in La Liga.
Also in action:
RB Leipzig vs Hoffenheim, 3:30p on ESPN Select, Fubo: Cole Campbell played 45 minutes with Hoffenheim’s reserves on Sunday, so he may not be with the senior squad for this Bundesliga match.
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USMNT Player Tracker: Tessmann experiment, Balogun work pays off, and is Pulisic in need of a reset?
Folarin Balogun and Tanner Tessmann Valery Hache/AFP via Getty Images; Sebastien Bozon/AFP via Getty Images
Experimental positions, goal-scoring consistency and, perhaps, is it time for a reset? It was another busy weekend for Americans in Europe. Welcome to this week’s USMNT Player Tracker.
In France on Sunday, Lyon conducted an experiment which may have interesting implications for the USMNT. Tanner Tessmann, the 24-year-old midfielder, played at centre-back for the third time this season and produced another assured performance in a goalless draw at Le Havre. On each occasion the Alabama-native has been moved into the back-line by coach Paulo Fonseca, Lyon have kept a clean sheet. His flourishing comfort in the role could give Mauricio Pochettino pause for thought. Is it too late now, with the World Cup only three months away, for the national team to conduct their own experiment given their defence has been relatively settled? Only Pochettino can answer that, but Tessmann’s growing versatility will do his own cause for a place on the roster no harm. And given there are forthcoming friendlies against Belgium and Portugal, Tessmann’s performance on Sunday might be perfectly timed to allow the USMNT manager to at least try it.
Tanner Tessmann has played more recently as a centre-half for LyonOlivier Chassignole/AFP via Getty Images
At 6ft 2in (188cm), the former Venezia player has the physical stature to play as a centre-back, and his eye for a progressive pass may offer the USMNT another dimension to their defence as they seek to break opposition pressing.
Against Le Havre, Tessmann was the most accurate passer of any of the starting Lyon team at 92 per cent accuracy, according Opta, and he made more passes into the final third (17) than any other player on the pitch. He also made more ball recoveries (eight) of any defender on either team.
Tessmann is a defensive midfielder with growing potential, a player who already boasts top-level experience in the Champions League and Ligue 1. Now he has demonstrated the ability to influence games from the back, having previously played at centre-back in a top-flight win over Nantes and a 6-0 thrashing of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League.
His latest cameo in defence may yet tempt Pochettino to try him there. He may have far more experienced and tested options in Chris Richards, Auston Trusty and Tim Ream, but in tournament football, multi-positional players are a compelling option.
Tessmann scored the last goal of the USMNT’s last impressive game, that 5-1 win against Uruguay in November, from midfield. His credentials in the middle of the park are still strong.His credentials in the middle of defence, though, are intriguing.
Balogun timing his scoring run
Another week, another positive sign for Pochettino’s front line.
Folarin Balogun now has six goals in six games for Monaco. His response to an injury-hit and underwhelming last season, when he managed only four goals in 13 Ligue 1 games, has so far been emphatic. His timing might be in when it comes to the World Cup, too.
Balogun scored the first in a 2-0 Monaco win over Brest with a left-footed effort on 19 minutes on Saturday. His coach Sebastien Pocognoli credited Balogun’s streak to hard work on and off the field.
Folarin Balogun celebrates scoring against BrestValery Hache/AFP via Getty Images
“It is quite simply the fruit of his labour,” the Belgian said after the game. “He invests a tremendous amount of effort to achieve this level of consistency. His performance level also elevates the other players in the attacking third.
“Today, he is reaping the rewards of his efforts. He is an ambitious player, highly focused on his objectives.
“He knows that he still has plenty of opportunities to shine this season — and even beyond his time at AS Monaco, with his national team. His professionalism is exemplary.”
Pulisic reset?
It is getting to the point where the imminent international breaks might be helpful for Christian Pulisic to reset his club form.
It is not that the USMNT star is playing badly for Milan. He isn’t. It’s only that, after such a strong start to the season, his numbers have ground to a halt.
The 27-year-old has still not registered a goal or assist in Serie A in 2026, and that continued on Sunday as his side let slip a chance to make ground on table-topping rivals Inter by losing 1-0 at Lazio.
Christian Pulisic fires off a shot against LazioAlberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images
Pulisic created two big chances, per Opta, but his partnership in attack with Rafael Leao failed to spark.
The American rarely fails to deliver for the national team. Maybe he could use the games against Belgium and Portugal to sharpen his attacking edge.
What’s coming up this week?
The second leg of the Champions League last 16 round beckons with some interesting U.S. sub-plots.
On Tuesday (4pm, Paramount +) Malik Tillman, fresh from helping Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-1 draw with table-topping Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga at the weekend, goes into his team’s finely-poised tie at Arsenal after they drew the first leg 1-1 in Germany.
Tillman missed a big chance against Bayern, but was back in the starting line-up — a sign he is getting over over the ankle problem he picked up against Mainz in February.
On Wednesday (4pm, Paramount +) Johnny Cardoso, an unused substitute in Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 win against Getafe in La Liga on Saturday, will hope to be involved for the Spaniards at struggling Tottenham Hotspur. Atletico lead 5-2 after the first leg in Madrid.
Finally, Yunus Musah did not feature for Atalanta in their draw with Inter on Saturday. But the midfielder may get the chance to assist his team’s daunting assignment in overhauling their first-leg 6-1 hammering by Bayern in Munich.
The hosts have some injury problems, particularly in goal where first-choice Manuel Neuer is out and there are concerns over the fitness of other senior shot-stoppers Sven Ulreich and Jonas Urbig. If none are passed fit it could mean an extraordinary senior debut for 16-year-old American goalkeeper Leonard Prescott, who was on the bench for the last two fixtures.
Prescott, who was born in New York, is eligible for both the USMNT and Germany, but appears to be leaning towards the country where he plays his football with six under-17 caps for Germany and three under-16 appearances.
He started at Union Berlin’s youth system before joining Bayern’s academy in 2023.
A 16-year-old German-American goalkeeper could potentially find himself playing in the Champions League this week. Leonard Prescott, who was born in New York, but who has never made a senior appearance in his career, might be the beneficiary of unprecedented injury crisis at Bayern Munich that thrusts him into the limelight.
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Bayern’s first choice is legendary goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Now 39, Neuer suffered the latest in a succession of muscular injuries at the beginning of March and has not played since. Jonas Urbig is Bayern’s second choice — and most likely Neuer’s eventual successor — but he might be unavailable, too. While deputizing for Neuer in last week’s Champions League last-16 first leg against Atalanta, Urbig was involved in a collision at the end of the game. He missed this weekend’s 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen with a suspected concussion.
And Urbig’s deputy, Sven Ulreich, is also unavailable. Ulreich, 37, has been at Bayern for 11 years, barring one season spent at Hamburg, and was Neuer’s long-term backup prior to Urbig’s arrival in 2025.
He was called into action for the game at the BayArena and, despite not having played a competitive minute since September 2024, performed extremely well, making a couple of crucial saves. But the cost of that appearance was a torn adductor muscle, which Bayern estimate will keep Ulreich sidelined for the next six weeks.
Bayern are due to face Atalanta again on Wednesday night, carrying a 6-1 aggregate lead from the first leg into a game carries little jeopardy; barring anything except a historic collapse, Bayern are assured of a place in the Champions League quarterfinal.
Yet they do still need a goalkeeper, which leaves head coach Vincent Kompany scrambling for options. Bayern have a second team, a side built from U-19 players and amateur veterans, that competes at Regionalliga level —the fourth tier of German football — but its first-choice goalkeeper Leon Klanac, 19, is, remarkably, also injured. He has a hamstring problem and will not be fit in time for Wednesday.
That leaves 19-year-old Jannis Bartl, Klanac’s backup, as an option, or Prescott, who was on the substitutes’ bench for Bayern’s Bundesliga game against Leverkusen on Saturday. He joined Bayern from Union Berlin in 2023, having grown up in the German capital, and, still 16, has never made a senior appearance anywhere, even for Bayern II.
He is extremely well regarded by the club, though, and seen as the most talented goalkeeping prospect within the youth campus. Prescott has represented Germany’s U-17 team internationally, and has also played for Bayern’s U-19 team at UEFA Youth level.
is German and father is American, were to play on Wednesday, he would break a record. The youngest starting goalkeeper in Bayern’s history so far is Sven Scheuer, who made his debut at 18 years and 237 days back in 1989, before embarking on a nomadic career in Turkey and Austria (and growing an outstandingly 1990s hairstyle).
If Prescott is to break his record, he will have to navigate some red tape. The Youth Employment Protection Act prevents under-18s from working after 8 p.m. Athletes do enjoy an exemption from that under special circumstances, but only up to 11 p.m.
That means that with the game due to kick off at 9 p.m. CEST, he would need further dispensation to take part in extra-time and penalties, were they to take place.
The chances of that are extremely slim, with Bayern are expected to cruise through. And the chances of Prescott taking part at all, beyond the substitutes’ bench, may also be diminishing. On Monday, Urbig took part in some aspects of first-team training, with Bayern expected to make a decision about his involvement closer to game time.Prescott is seen as a great prospect. Well-built at 6-foot-4 (1.96m), technical, modern and brave, he seems likely to have a future in the professional game. It’s just that nobody expected that moment to arrive this week.
If it was to happen, it would also present a moment of symmetry. Prescott was once a ballboy at Allianz Arena. In March 2024, he was working behind Neuer’s goal when Bayern played Lazio in the Champions League and was pictured celebrating with him at full time. Almost exactly two years later, he could be about to replace him.
Champions League 2025-26 Projections: Who will lift the trophy in Budapest on May 30?
Design: The Athletic; Photo: Getty Images
By The Athletic UK Staff
March 12, 2026
Which club will win the 2025-26 Champions League?
Paris Saint-Germain are the holders after their stunning 5-0 win against Inter in last season’s final, the biggest margin of victory in the competition’s history. The Premier League, meanwhile, has six entrants in this season’s edition, and several of those will fancy their chances of lifting the trophy in Budapest on May 30, 2026.
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Throughout the season, we will publish projections — powered by Opta data — to show how teams are expected to perform. These will update after each matchday, so check in each time to see how the latest results have impacted your team’s chances.
Last updated March 12, 2026 at 9:20 AM
Before round of 16 second leg
The state of play after the Round of 16 first leg as teams aim to win the 2025-26 Champions League in BudapestCHANGE PROJECTIONS:Before round of 16 2nd leg (Mar. 17-18)Before K.O. playoff 1st leg (Feb. 17-18)Before Matchday 8 (Jan. 28)Before Matchday 7 (Jan. 20-21)Before Matchday 6 (Dec. 9-10)Before Matchday 5 (Nov. 25-26)Before Matchday 4 (Nov. 4-5)Before Matchday 3 (Oct. 21-22)Before Matchday 2 (Sept. 30-Oct. 1)Before Matchday 1 (Sept. 16-18)
The knock out Stage is here with teams 8-24 battling it our to see who will face the top 8 teams in the next round. Powerhouses Real Madrid, PSG and Juventus all fell out of the top 8 setting up playoff time for them to advance. Tues gives us a beaut with the Special one Jose Mournino and Benefica hosting the club he once coached to a UCL trophy Real Madrid at home. AS Monaco and American Balogan has his chance vs defending champs PSG and Weston McKinney and his Juve will travel to Galatasaray.
After a Full weekend of FA Cup Play the fifth round draw has been made
Some interesting games ahead. Perhaps the just juiciest non all-EPL match-ups are We are Wrexham (owners Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney & their FX TV Show hosting Chelsea, League 1 foe Mansfield Town hosting EPL leaders Arsenal and perhaps Bristol City hosting Sunderland. Love it when the little guys get to host the big guys.
Home teams listed first
Fulham vs. Southampton
Port Vale or Bristol City vs. Sunderland
Newcastle vs. Manchester City
Leeds vs. Norwich City
Mansfield Town vs. Arsenal
Wolves vs. Liverpool
Wrexham vs. Chelsea
West Ham vs. Macclesfield or Brentford
MLS Kicks off this Weekend
The 2026 MLS season runs from this Saturday February 21 to early November, featuring 30 teams playing 34 regular-season matches, with a significant break from May 25 to July 16 for the FIFA World Cup. The season includes Eastern and Western Conferences, culminating in the MLS Cup Playoffs in November/December. Defending Champions are Miami and Lionel Messi who was League MVP. He will be missing many of his Barcelona buddies who all retired at the end of last season however. Read all about Miami in the Season Preview below. The games will all be broadcast on FREE APPLE TV. So if you have APPLE TV you get MLS with no additional charge like the last few seasons. (Awesome news) I still hate that more games are not on linear TV like Fox, FS1 and perhaps ESPN – because I am 100% sure NO ONE KNOWS MLS starts this weekend do you? Don’t lie – NOPE. Well you heard it here first and the first game on FOX is the Cincy vs Atlanta United game at 4:45 pm Saturday. Other notables have have Columbus traveling to Porland 10:30 pm on Apple, LAFC hosting Messi & Miami 9:30 pm on Apple, and my Seattle Sounders hosting Colorado Sunday at 9:15 pm right after LA vs NYCFC at 7 pm.
Key Details for the 2026 Season:
Duration: February 21 – November 7, 2026 (Regular Season).
Format: 30 teams; 34 games per team (17 home, 17 away).
2026 FIFA World Cup Pause: May 25 – July 16, 2026.
All-Star Game: July 29, 2026.
Decision Day: November 7, 2026.
Broadcast: All matches are available on Apple TV.
Future Changes: Starting in 2027, MLS will shift to a summer-to-spring calendar (similar to European leagues), running from July to May, with a winter break.
TV Schedule
Tues, Feb 17 12:45 pm Para+ TUDN Galatasaray vs Juventus (McKinney) 3 pm Para+ TUDN Benefica vs REal Madrid 3 pm CBSSN, Para+ Dortmund vs Atalanta 3 pm Para+_ Monaco (Balogan vs PSG 8 pm FS2 Atletico Ottawa vs NAshville SC CCC 10 pm FS2 Real Espana vs LAFC CCC Wed, FEb 18 12:45 pm Para+ Qarabag vs Newcastle United 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulilsc) cs Como 3 pm CBSSN, PAra+ Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid 3 pm Para+ Olympicakos vs Bayer LEverkus (Tilman) 3 pm PAra+ Inter Milan vs Bodo Glimt 6 pm FS2 Defense Force vs Philly Union CCC 8 pm FS2 Universidad vs Cincy UCC 10 pm FS2 Cartagines vs Vancouver UCC Thurs, Feb 18 12:45 pm Para_ Fenerbache vs Nottinham Forest 12:45 pm Para+ Zninsjki vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 3 pm Para+ Celtic vs Stuttgart Sat, Feb 21 MLS Season Starts 4:45 pm FOX Cincy FC vs Atlanta United MLS 9:30 pm Apple Free LAFC vs Miami *Messi MLS 10:30 Apple Free Portland vs Columbus Crew MLS
Sun, Mar 1 She Believes Cup Starts 5 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Argentina Wed, Mar 4 She Believes Cup 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Canada (Columbus, OH) Sat, Mar 7 She Believes Cup 3:30 pm TBS, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Colombia Sat, Mar 28 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Belgium Tues, Mar 31 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Portugal Sun, May 31 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Senegal Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Germany in Chicago Sat, June 12 WORLD CUP 9 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Paraguay World Cup
USMNT midweek viewing guide: Pushing forward
Follow along with all the USMNT action this week.
Tuesday
Galatasaray vs Juventus, 12:45p: Weston McKennie – Champions League round of 32 first leg
Dortmund vs Atalanta, 3p: Yunus Musah – Champions League round of 32 first leg
Monaco vs PSG, 3p: Folarin Balogun – Champions League round of 32 first leg
Also in action:
Charlton vs Portsmouth, 2:45p: Charlie Kelman – EFL Championship
Atlético Ottawa vs Nashville SC, 8p: Matthew Corcoran, Jack Maher, Thomas Williams – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg
Real España vs LAFC, 10p: Timothy Tillman – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg
Wednesday
Levante vs Villarreal, 2p: Alex Freeman – La Liga
AC Milan vs Como, 2:45p: Christian Pulisic – Serie A
Club Brugge vs Atlético Madrid, 3p: Johnny Cardoso – Champions League round of 32 first leg
Olympiacos vs Leverkusen, 3p: Malik Tillman, Monty Culbreath – Champions League round of 32 first leg
Also in action:
Defence Force vs Philadelphia Union, 6p: Quinn Sullivan, Frankie Westfield, Cavan Sullivan, CJ Olney, Nathan Harriel, Andrew Rick – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg
O&M FC vs FC Cincinnati, 8p: Miles Robinson, Roman Celentano, Matt Miazga – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg. Kristian Fletcher is expected back from an ACL injury in early March.
Cartaginés vs Vancouver Whitecaps, 10p: Sebastian Berhalter, Brian White, Tate Johnson, Emmanuel Sabbi – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg
Thursday
Zrinjski Mostar vs Crystal Palace, 12:45p: Chris Richards – Conference League round of 32 first leg
Celtic vs VfB Stuttgart, 3p: Auston Trusty – Europa League round of 32 first leg. Cameron Carter-Vickers is out for the season with an Achilles injury.
Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzeň, 3p: Erik Palmer-Brown – Europa League round of 32 first leg
Also in action:
Sporting San Miguelito vs LA Galaxy, 8p: Harbor Miller, Ruben Ramos, Elijah Wynder – Concacaf Champions Cup first leg
Friday
Mainz vs Hamburg, 2:30p: Lennard Maloney, Damion Downs – Bundesliga
Brest vs Marseille, 2:45p: Tim Weah – Ligue 1
Puebla vs América, 10:06p: Alex Zendejas – Liga MX
In case you think American football is that big a deal ? More people watched a regular season EPL game earlier that day.
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Champions League knockout rounds: Bracket, key dates, more
Nicholas Som
Feb 16, 2026, 02:44 AM ETe draw for the knockout playoff round of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League featured some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Now that it’s complete, we know who the likes of Real Madrid and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain will be facing with a spot in the round of 16 on the line.
But which teams look to have the best path through the knockout rounds? How is the rest of the bracket shaping up?
Here’s everything you need to know about Champions League knockouts.
Which clubs are in the knockout playoff round?
Only the 16 teams that finished ninth through 24th in the league phase will compete in this round.
The top eight teams in the league phase advanced directly to the round of 16, and clubs finishing 25th to 36th were eliminated.
When is the knockout playoff round?
The first legs of each matchup will be held Feb. 17-18. The second legs will be contested the following week, on Feb. 24-25.
What are the knockout playoff round fixtures?
The teams that placed ninth to 16th are listed second, and they will have the advantage of playing at home in the second leg.
After the playoff round draw, the teams who finished inside the top eight in the league phase still have four possible opponents in the round of 16.
The knockout playoff round will whittle the number of potential opponents to two. But the exact matchups won’t be known until the round-of-16 draw.
Possible round-of-16 ties:
Arsenal or Bayern Munich will play one of the winners of: Atalanta vs. Borussia Dortmund Bayer Leverkusen vs. Olympiacos
Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur will play one of the winners of: Club Brugge vs. Atletico Madrid Galatasaray vs. Juventus
Barcelona or Chelsea will play one of the winners of: AS Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain FK Qarabag vs. Newcastle United
Sporting CP or Manchester City will play one of the winners of: Benfica vs. Real Madrid Bodo/Glimt vs. Internazionale
Is there any country protection?
No — clubs from the same country can play each other throughout the rest of the competition. If Borussia Dortmund defeat Atalanta, for example, they can still be drawn against fellow German club Bayern Munich in the round of 16.
What happens next?
After teams compete in the two-legged knockout playoff round in February, the draw for the round of 16 will be held Feb. 27. That draw will determine the round-of-16 matchups and finalize the bracket for the remainder of the knockout rounds.
What are the other important Champions League dates to remember?
Round of 16/quarterfinal/semifinal draw: Feb. 27 Round of 16: March 10-11, March 17-18 Quarterfinals: April 7-8, April 14-15 Semifinals: April 28-29, May 5-6 Final: May 30 (Budapest, Hungary)
Why did it matter where teams finished in the league phase table?
Last season provided a notable example of how the new system can make a huge impact. Manchester City didn’t qualify for the knockouts until the final day of the league phase, and their 22nd-place finish meant they had to compete in the knockout playoff round. As an unseeded team, they were drawn against seeded Real Madrid, who won 6-3 over two legs.
On the flip side, PSG seemed unaffected by the extra round of matches, rolling past Brest in the playoffs and all the way to the title.
This year, top finishers such as Arsenal and Bayern Munich will benefit by avoiding fellow European giants Real Madrid and PSG in the round of 16.
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USMNT Players Abroad: McKennie with two assists, goal for Busio
The weekend roundup of USMNT players abroad has Weston McKennie recording two assists in Serie A and a goal for Gianluca Busio in Serie B. In the Championship, Patrick Agyemang once again scored for Derby County. Leeds and Fulham advanced in the FA Cup.
Serie A
Christian Pulisic subbed on in the 78th for AC Milan’s 2-1 win at Pisa. Ruben Loftus-Cheek put AC Milan up in the 39th with Pisa equalizing in the 71st. Luka Modic returned AC Milan’s lead in the 85th. AC Milan’s Adrien Rabiot saw red two minutes into stoppage time. Weston McKennie’s Juventus lost 3-2 at Inter Milan. Juventus gave up an own-goal in the 17th and Andrea Cambiaso equalized in the 26th. Juventus’s Pierre Kalulu saw red in the 42nd. Inter retook the lead in the 76th and Manuel Locatelli equalized for Juventus in the 83rd with McKennie assisting. Inter Milan scored again in the 90th minute.
Andrija Novakovich subbed out five minutes into stoppage time for Reggiana’s 1-1 draw at Empoli in Serie B. Natan Girma converted a Reggiana penalty in the 26th and Empoli equalized in the 72nd minute. Gianluca Busio’s Venezia won 4-0 at Cesena. Busio opened the scoring for Venezia in the 38th, Andrea Adorante doubled the lead a minute into stoppage time, and Antoine Hainaut scored in the 62nd. Lion Lauberbach converted a Venezia penalty two minutes into stoppage time.
FA Cup – Fourth Round
Antonee Robinson’s Fulham won 2-1 at Stoke City. Trailing from the 19th, Kevin equalized for Fulham in the 55th and Harrison Reed scored in the 84th minute. Brenden Aaronson subbed on in the 68th for Leeds United’s 1-1 draw at Birmingham City. Leeds advanced 4-2 on penalties. Lukas Nmecha put Leeds up in the 49th and Birmingham equalized in the 89th minute. Birmingham City failed to convert in rounds two and three of penalties while Leeds converted on all four of their attempts. Aaronson scored in round three.
Championship
Patrick Agyemang subbed out in the 89th for Derby County’s 2-0 home win over Swansea City. Rhian Brewster opened the scoring for Derby County in the 47th and Agyemang doubled the lead in the 67th. Agyemang saw yellow in the 27th minute.
Bundesliga
Malik Tillman subbed on at halftime for Bayer Leverkusen’s 4-0 home win over James Sands’s St Pauli. Sands subbed out in the 68th. Jarrell Quansah put Leverkusen up in the 13th, Patrik Schick scored in the 14th, and Edmond Tabsoba made it 3-0 in the 52nd. Ernest Poku finished off the Leverkusen scoring in the 78th minute.
Joe Scally subbed on in the 65th for Gladbach’s 3-0 loss at Eintracht to goals in the 24th, 34th, and 75th minutes. Kristoffer Lund’s FC Koln lost 3-1 at Stuttgart, trailing from the 15th. Ragnar Ache equalized for Koln in the 79th, but Stuttgart retook the lead in the 84th and scored again two minutes into stoppage time.
In the 2.Bundesliga, John Tolkin’s Holstein Kiel lost 2-1 at home to Schalke. Trailing from goals in the 16th and 29th, David Zec converted a Holstein Kiel penalty in the 55th minute. Terrence Boyd subbed on in the 62nd for SV Waldhof’s 1-1 draw at Energie Cottbus in the 3.Liga. Down a goal from the 10th, Sanoussy Ba equalized for Waldhof in the 64th. Waldhof’s Janne Sietan saw red a minute into stoppage time. Boyd saw yellow four minutes into stoppage time.
La Liga
Johnny Cardoso subbed out in the 63rd for Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 loss at Rayo Vallecano. Atletico fell behind in the 40th and Rayo Vallecano added goals in the 45th and 76th. Cardoso saw yellow in the 29th minute. Alex Freeman subbed on in the 78th for Villarreal’s 2-1 home loss at Getafe. Trailing from a penalty in the 41st and a goal in the 53rd, Georges Mikautadze scored for Villarreal in the 76th minute.
Jonathan Gomez’s Albacete drew 1-1 at home with Sporting Gijon in the Segunda Division. Jefte Betancor converted an Albacete penalty four minutes into stoppage time and Gijon equalized from the penalty spot in the 78th minute.
Ligue 1
Folarin Balogun subbed out in the 76th for AS Monaco’s 3-1 home win over Nantes. Simon Adingra scored for Monaco in the 25th and 28th and Denis Zakaria made it 3-0 in the 30th. Nantes pulled a goal back a minute into first-half stoppage time. Monaci’s Aleksandr Golovin saw red in the 65th minute. Tim Weah’s Marseille drew 2-2 at home with Strasbourg. Mason Greenwood put Marseille up in the 14th and Amine Gouiri scored in the 47th. Strasbourg pulled a goal back in the 73rd and converted a penalty seven minutes into stoppage time. Weah saw yellow eight minutes into stoppage time.
Tanner Tessmann’s Lyon shutout Nice 2-0 at home, going ahead from a Corentin Tolisso goal a minute into first-half stoppage time. Noah Nartey doubled the Lille lead in the 64th. Tessmann saw yellow in the 52nd minute. Mark McKenzie’s Toulouse lost 2-1 at LeHavre. Playing a man down from the 2nd, LeHavre took the lead in the 43rd. Toulouse’s Djibril Sidibe equalized three minutes into first-half stoppage time. Le Havre went ahead for good in the 53rd minute.
Elsewhere in Europe
Sergino Dest’s PSV lost 2-1 at Volendam in the Eredivisie. Dennis Man scored PSV’s goal in the 82nd. Volendam equalized in the 67th and scored again in the 87th minute.
Auston Trusty’s Celtic won 3-2 at Kilmarnock. Trailing 2-0 from goals in the 21st and 28th, Celtic’s Sebastian Tounekto pulled a goal back in the 56th and Benjamin Nygren equalized in the 64th. Julian Araujo scored Celtic’s winner seven minutes into stoppage time.
Champions League Power Rankings: Real Madrid rounding into form as the playoffs for the knockout stage begin
The Champions League playoffs will be back this week around Europe
The 2025-26 edition of the Champions League will be back this week when the 16 teams involved in the playoffs take the stage across Europe, competing for the remaining eight spots left in next month’s knockout. There are some big teams around Europe that are currently shiniing, such as Arsenal and Bayern Munich, while others will try to get involved in the race to win one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world of soccer. Let’s take a look at our weekly power rankings:
1. Arsenal (–)
Week after week there is an increasing feeling Arsenal will win the Premier League this season, not only because of the advantage they have on Manchester City in the table, but also because the team coached by Pep Guardiola doesn’t look as solid as in the past years. There is still time and the Champions League will also be back soon for them and Arsenal also are among the leading candidates to win the European tournament as well. Clearly the class of Europe at the moment.
2. Bayern Munich (–)
A six points advantage on Borussia Dortmund is definitely enough for them to hope for another Bundesliga win and this is something than can help them in the last weeks of European soccer when they will also try to win the Champions League under Vincent Kompany. They’ve also got Harry Kane who is in incredible form this season.
3. PSG (–)
They are finally back on the right track. After a predictable slower start after the highly successful 2024-25 season they are now fully in the right place, both domestically and in Europe. The fact they will face AS Monaco in the playoffs shouldn’t threaten them and won’t change the fact they are still the team to beat in the knockouts.
4. Barcelona (–)
Hansi Flick’s team is among the best teams around Europe, but the 4-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid last week will definitely put more pressure on the Blaugrana in the coming weeks. The Copa del Rey defeat doesn’t really change their status, but it’s now what Flick’s men needed ahead of the crucial stint of the season.
5. Inter (–)
The Nerazzurri finally won a matchup against a big team over the weekend against Juventus. Even if the result was widely overshadowed by a controversial red card, the win against Luciano Spalletti’s team will give more self confidence to the Nerazzurri, who desperately needed a win against one of the top teams before meeting Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday for the first leg of the playoffs.
Alvaro Arbeloa has done a pretty good job so far, but the key match will be the one against Benfica that will take place this week in Lisbon. Real Madrid will be back facing Jose Mourinho’s team in the same stadium where Benfica managed to win an incredible game that led them to the playoffs thanks to the late goal scored by their goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin in January.
7. Manchester City (-1)
We were all expecting more from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City this season but there is still in time to win trophies. There are increasing doubts on the future of the Spanish coach who might leave at the end of the current season, and this is not helping the team, even if they can still potentially win at least one trophy.
8. Chelsea (–)
The impact of new head coach Liam Rosenior is already proving significant for Chelsea, who now sit just one point off the top four in England. The renewed energy and tactical clarity he has brought to the side have revitalized their push up the table. With momentum on their side, Chelsea can aim for a top-four finish and even set their sights on a trophy.
9. Liverpool (+1)
Too many ups and downs this season for Arne Slot’s team. In just the last few weeks they’ve lost at Anfield against Manchester City after winning 4-1 in the same stadium against Newcastle. Their lack of continuity is affecting their position in the Premier League standings.
10. Atletico Madrid (-1)
What can you say to a team that won 4-0 against Barcelona? A lot, because it’s the same team that three days later lost 3-0 to Rayo Vallecano in the league. It’s the perfect representation of their season and the reason why I don’t expect them to win a major trophy in the upcoming months.
11. Juventus (+1)
Despite losing to Inter at San Siro, Juventus are in great shape. Under Spalletti’s management, the Bianconeri have improved a lot and are now in the race both in the Serie A standings and in the Champions League where they will meet Galatasaray in the playoffs this week.
12. Atalanta (-1)
Since Raffaele Palladino took over the club, things have drastically improved. Atalanta needed a change after a disappointing start under Ivan Juric who replaced Gian Piero Gasperini in the summer 2025. They will now face a playoff tie against Borussia Dortmund, not the easiest opponent but at least the second leg will be in Bergamo.
13. Newcastle (–)
The 2-1 win against Tottenham slightly improved their position in the Premier League standings, but they are definitely not where they should be and the playoffs against Qarabag will tell us more about their European ambitions.
14. Borussia Dortmund (–)
Despite the six-point gap with Bayern Munich they are they only team that is at least trying to keep pace with the German leaders, but this is probably not enough.
15. Sporting CP (–)
What they are doing is impressive because staying close to Porto wasn’t an easy job to do this season, as the team coached by Francesco Farioli won 19 games, drew twice and only lost one while Sporting CP are sitting in second place four points behind the leaders.
16. Tottenham (–)
What a week it was for them. Thomas Frank was sacked after the defeat against Newcastle and they hired former Juventus coach Igor Tudor as caretaker manager until the end of the season. We could predict this scenario, especially considering Frank only won two of the last 17 Premier League games he coached.
17. Galatasaray (–)
I was definitely expecting more from this team that will now face Juventus in the playoffs. I see the Italians as favorites but the Turkish side has players to believe in.
18. Bayer Leverkusen (–)
They are in a similar spot as Borussia Dortmund, even if they also have to perform domestically to qualify again for the Champions League next season. Facing Olympiacos in the playoffs can guarantee them a spot in the knockouts.
19. AS Monaco (–)
They don’t really have much chance to qualify against their French rivals PSG.
20. Benfica (–)
Drawing Real Madrid in the playoff round was likely not what Jose Mourinho had hoped for with his Benfica side. But being among the top 24 teams in the Champions League already feels like an achievement in itself, showing again the status of the Portuguese coach.
21. Qarabag (–)
The biggest surprise of the league phase will meet Newcastle in the two legged playoffs. Will they do it again?
22. Club Brugge (–)
It feels like Atletico Madrid can potentially become a manageable opponent to face this week in the playoffs, but they need to perform much better than the league phase if they want to have a chance.
23. Olympiacos (–)
The Bayer Leverkusen playoffs are not a bad outcome for them, even if they could have done much better in the league phase.
24. Bodo/Glimt (–)
If you’ve followed them over the past few years, it should come as little surprise to see them reach this stage. However, drawing Inter in the playoffs is probably the toughest opponent they could have faced.
After 2 goals in Champions League last week American Malik Tillman can’t stop scoring as he notched this one on Saturday for Leverkusen. Weston McKinney also stayed hot with this stunner on Sunday in Juve’s 4-1 win. McKinney is legit playing the best ball of his life right now and is THE BEST player for Juventus right now – and a huge reason they are back in the top 4 in Italy. (Great story about him below). Stunning Goal by Tottenham as they tie Man City late man the EPL is something – every weekend. Reminder looking for EPL games this weekend – they will NOT be on USA or NBCSN or NBC – the Olympics is on everywhere – Its Peacock for all the games except Man U vs Tottenham on Sat 7:30 am. Liverpool’s huge 11:30 am game with Man City will be on Peacock. Came across this fascinating story about Pele and Diego Maradona beefed over who was the GOAT …
As Milan prepares to welcome the world tonight for the Winter Olympics – Pulisic in on board. Click to see – Pulisic Welcomes Winter Olympics
Huge News that the US World Away Kit has perhaps been leaked.
So what do you think? It should be noted that the logos will feature a metallic silver effect, rather than the plain white color shown in this mock-up.Obviously that’s a Women’s Jersey with the 4 stars on it. But not bad I guess. I little too dark for me.
Columbus & Nashville to Host Olympic Soccer in 2028
We might have gotten shut out for the World Cup but Awesome News that both Columbus, Ohio and Nashville, TN will be host sites for Soccer for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The Soccer games are always played around the nation – there will be 12 men’s teams and 8 women’s teams competing (the US is in for both of course). New York City, St. Louis, San Diego, San Jose will join in hosting games along with LA. Nashville & Columbus among 6 cities to host Olympic soccer. Speaking of tickets — anyone get World Cup Tickets? We are still trying to get tix – no word yet – still planning to head to LA June 13th and stay out west until we lose. Anybody got a line on US Tickets reach-out at shanebestsoccer@gmail.com.
So I guess I missed Girls in Sports Week this Week – so for all our Girls playing Soccer @ Carmel FC & Everywhere Here’s to You! – Thanks Abby!
GAMES ON TV
Fri, Feb 6 2:30 pm ESPN+ Union Berlin vs Frankfurt 3 pm USA Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Nottingham Forest Sat, Feb 7 7:30 am USA Man United vs Tottenham 9:30 am ESPN+ Freiburg vs Dortmund 10 am USA Fulham (Jedi) vs Everton 10 am Peacock Wolverhampton vs Chelsea 10 am Peacock Arsenal vs Sunderland 10:15 am ESPN+ Barcelona vs Mallorca 12 noon Para+ Genoa vs Napoli 12:30 pm Peacock Newcastle vs Brentford 12:30 pm ESPN+ MGladbach (Scaly, Reyna) vs Leverkusen (Tillman) 10:10 pm Uni America vs Monterrey (Mex) Sun Feb 8 9 am Telemundo Brighton vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 11:30 am Peacock Liverpool vs Man City 11:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Hoffenheim 12 noon Para+ Sassuolo vs Inter Milan 12:30 pm ESPN+ Athletico Madrid (Cardoso) vs Real Betis 2:45 pm Para+ Juventus (McKennie) vs Lazio 3 pm ESPN2 Valencia vs Real Madrid Mon, Feb 9 2:45 pm Para+ Roma vs Cagliari Tues, Feb 10 2:30 pm Peacock Everton vs Bournemouth 2:30 pm Peacock Chelsea vs Leeds United (Aaronson) 2:30 pm PC Tottenham vs NewCastle 3:15 pm Peacock West Ham vs Man U 8 pm FS 2 Pumas vs San Diego (1-4 CCCL 2nd leg) Weds, Feb 11 2:30 pm Peacock Man City vs Fulham (Jedi) 2:30 pm Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Burnley (Adams) 2:30 pm PC Aston Villa vs Brighton 2:30 pm Peacock Nottingham Forest vs Wolverhampton 2:45 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig 3:15 pm Peacock Sunderland vs Liverpool 8 pm FS2 America vs Olimpia CCL 2nd leg 10 pm FS2 Monterrey vs Xelaju CCL 2nd leg Thurs, Feb 12 2:30 pm Peacock Brentford vs Arsenal 8 pm FS 2 Cruz Azul vs Vancouver (CCCL) Fri , Feb 13 2:45 pm Para+ Pisa vs AC Milan (Pulisic) 2:45 pm ESPN2 Hull City vs Chelsea 2:45 pm ESPN+ Wrexham vs Ipswich Town 8 pm FS 2 Cruz Azul vs Vancouver (CCCL) Sat, Feb 14 2:45 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Juventus (McKennie) 3 pm ESPN+ Liverpool vs Brighton 3 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad
Sun, Mar 1 She Believes Cup Starts 5 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Argentina Wed, Mar 4 She Believes Cup 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Canada (Columbus, OH) Sat, Mar 7 She Believes Cup 3:30 pm TBS, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Colombia Sat, Mar 28 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Belgium Tues, Mar 31 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Portugal Sun, May 31 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Senegal Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Germany in Chicago Sat, June 12 WORLD CUP 9 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Paraguay World Cup
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Fully loaded
A huge slate of matches this weekend by jcksnftsn Feb 6, 2026, 12:18 PM EST Stars & Stripes
There is a huge slate of matches this weekend, despite AC Milan and Christian Pulisic having the weekend off, and includes matches across the top and bottom of all the major European leagues as well as some head-to-head matches. In addition to Milan being off there are some injury watch areas that will impact viewing opportunities so keep an eye out for those. The action starts on Friday afternoon with a matchup between a couple teams looking to distance themselves from the relegation fray.
Friday
Leeds United v Nottingham Forest – 3p on USA Network: Brenden Aaronson started and went 71’ in Leeds 4-0 defeat to league leading Arsenal last weekend. Leeds are now level with this weekend’s opponent, Nottingham Forest, who picked up a point in their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace last weekend. Leeds and Forest both have 26 points, which give them a six point lead over West Ham United who are currently in the final relegation spot. Friday’s match is a true relegation zone six pointer and Leeds will be looking to avenge their September loss as they host Forest.
Saturday
St. Pauli v Stuttgart – 9:30a on ESPN Select: James Sands and St. Pauli fell to Augsburg 2-1 last weekend and are now five points back of Werder Bremen for safety, four back of Mainz for the relegation playoff spot. Sands did start and go the full 90’ picking up his fourth yellow card of the season in stoppage time. St. Pauli have just three wins through twenty matches with only one of those victories coming in the last four and a half months.
Heidenheim v Hamburger – 9:30a on ESPN Select: After starting his first three matches with Hamburger Damion Downs was unavailable last weekend due to a calf injury as his team played Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw. Hamburger face a Heidenheim side who are dead last and have given up a league leading 45 goals but it’s uncertain if Downs will be available to try to take advantage of the matchup.
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Kevin Paredes missed last weekends match though he had been reported to be “back in full swing” the day prior to the match after also missing out two weeks ago due to illness. There were transfer rumors around the player whose contract expires in June so perhaps it was a precaution. Wolfsburg fell to Koln 1-0 and are now just one point clear of Mainz in the relegation playoff position. They host second place Borussia Dortmund who trail Bayern Munich by six points after gaining five points on them over the past two weekends.
Mainz v Augsburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Lennard Maloney and Mainz will host Noahkai Banks and Augsburg on Saturday morning. Maloney played nearly 20’ off the bench last weekend in Mainz’s 2-1 win over fourth place Leipzig. The win was Mainz’s third in four matches as the nine points doubled what they had picked up in their first sixteen matches of the season. They remain in sixteenth place, the relegation playoff position, a point back of a trio of teams for safety. Augsburg is also headed in the right direction over the last couple weeks with back-to-back wins over Bayern Munich and St. Pauli to pick up six points and move four points clear of Mainz in the relegation playoff spot. A week after serving a yellow card accumulation suspension and missing Augsburg’s 2-1 over Bayern, Banks was back in the starting lineup and picking up yet another yellow.
Fulham v Everton – 10a on Peacock: Antonee Robinson remains with Fulham, and Ricardo Pepi was not brought in after a curious decision to PSV not to let the injured player go because they couldn’t line up a replacement. Robinson and Fulham fell to suddenly hot Manchester United 3-2 last weekend with Robinson getting the start and playing 71’. Fulham dropped to ninth place with the loss and will take on an Everton side that are in tenth and tied with them on 34 points.
Coventry City v Oxford United – 9:01a on CBSSN: Haji Wright came off the bench last Saturday as Coventry City fell to QPR 2-1, it was their second straight loss this season and fourth in seven matches as they are now tied with Middlesbrough for the top spot in the league. The two teams with Americans are four points ahead of Hull City for automatic promotion to the EPL. Coventry will take on an Oxford United side that are ahead of only Sheffield Wednesday in the table. If you haven’t been following along Sheffield Wednesday are at negative seven points through thirty matches thanks to a pair of points deduction rulings totaling 18 points. That doesn’t have a direct impact on any USMNT players but what an odd table it makes.
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Joe Scally and Borussia Monchengladbach played Werder Bremen to a 1-1 draw last weekend while Gio Reyna watched from the sidelines as he suffers through injury yet again. Reyna has missed the past two matches due to another muscle strain and it’s unclear when he will be available again. Scally and Gladbach will host Bayer Leverkusen and fellow American Malik Tillman. Tillman scored the second of Leverkusen’s three goals last weekend in the team’s 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. Leverkusen are in sixth place in the league standings, four points back of fourth place Stuttgart with a game in hand.
Real Sociedad v Elche – 3:00p on ESPN Select: Pellegrino Matarazzo’s Real Sociedad played Atheltic Club to a 1-1 draw last weekend and defeated Deportivo Alaves in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals on Wednesday as Sociedad remains undefeated since Matarazzo took the helm. Eighth place Sociedad will host thirteenth place Elche who are just two points out of the relegation zone in a very crowded lower half of the La Liga table. just four points separate the ten teams from 9th to 18th place with 18th representing the final relegation spot. Sociedad are themselves just two points ahead of that group and six points out of 18th themselves despite the recent run of success since Matarazzo took over.
Nantes v Olympique Lyon – 3:05p on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon defeated fifth place Lille to pull seven points ahead of them and level with Marseille in the Ligue 1 standings. It was the fifth straight league victory for Lyon who now travel to face sixteenth place Nantes who have just 14 points through their first 20 matches of the season and have lost three straight matches.
Sunday
Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace – 9a on Telemundo: Chris Richards and Crystal Palace were unable to stop their winless streak on Monday as they settled for a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest. It has been ten matches for Palace since their last win as they have slid to fifteenth place in the league standings though they are still nine points clear of 18th place West Ham.
Nice v Monaco – 9a on beIN sports: Folarin Balogun picked up an assist in Monaco’s 4-0 win over Stade Rennais last weekend. Balogun still hasn’t scored since November and has just four goals on the season but it was his second assist in the past four matches. The win also snapped a five match winless streak for Monaco and kept them in the top ten of the league standings. The team will travel to Nice on Sunday to take on the 13th place side who
Koln v RB Leipzig – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Kristoffer Lund started again for Koln on Friday as they defeated Wolfsburg 1-0. Koln have won two of three and are in tenth place as they prepare to host fifth place RB Leipzig who are looking to bounce back after a 2-1 loss to Mainz.
Groningen v PSV – 10:45a on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest and PSV solidified their hold on the Eredivisie title race with a decisive 3-0 win over second place Feyenoord to increase their league lead to seventeen points with thirteen matches to go in the season. The seventeen point lead is what makes Ricardo Pepi’s abandoned transfer to Fulham even more curious though there are rumors that he could be returning more quickly than originally thought. PSV’s opponent this weekend is 8th place Groningen who have lost their past two matches.
Angers v Toulouse – 11:15a on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie and Toulouse were held to a scoreless draw by 17th place Auxerre last weekend and remain in eighth place as they visit 11th place Angers this weekend. McKenzie has started all but three matches for Toulouse this season who have given up 23 goals through 20 matches which is the fifth best scoring defense in the league.
Atletico Madrid v Real Betis – 12:30p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso picked up a minor knock in training and missed out on Atletico Madrid’s 5-0 beat down of his old team, Real Betis, in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals on Thursday. Atletico will now face Betis in a league match on Sunday though Cardoso will likely miss out yet again though his injury isn’t expected to keep him out for an extended period.
PSG v Olympique Marseille – 2:45p on beIN Sports: Tim Weah has started eight straight matches for Marseille who drew with Paris FC 2-2 last weekend. The draw dropped Marseille into a draw with Lyon which is significant as the top three in Ligue 1 automatically qualify for the Champions League. Marseille will take on league leading Paris Saint-Germain this weekend who have won six straight league matches. PSG hold a two point lead over Lens for the league lead and have a nine point advantage over Marseille.
Juventus v Lazio – 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie scored again for Juventus on Monday in the teams 4-1 win over Parma. It was the third goal of the calendar year for McKennie who was playing as the 10 for Juve who moved into the top four in the Serie A standings. They will take on eighth place Lazio who are coming off a 3-2 win over Genoa.
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How injury concerns have interrupted Christian Pulisic’s dream pre-World Cup season
Nicolò Campo / LightRocket / Getty Images By Henry Bushnell Feb. 2, 2026 The Athletic
Christian Pulisic is not in AC Milan’s squad for a Tuesday trip to Bologna, and with every passing week, his dream pre-World Cup season looks more and more like another campaign hampered by unfortunate health.Milan manager Max Allegri said Monday that Pulisic has “bursitis that’s bothering him.” Bursitis is inflammation of fluid-filled sacs near joints, and Pulisic’s is reportedly near his hip.Allegri seemed to indicate that Pulisic’s condition wasn’t serious. The experienced Italian coach said that he and his staff hoped to get the American forward “back on track in the coming days.” In fact, Pulisic was in contention to travel and play Tuesday. “If he’s better today,” Allegri said early Monday, “we’ll take him.”But Pulisic wasn’t better enough. And he’s now gone more than a month without scoring or assisting a goal. And, all of a sudden, his career-best form this past fall feels like a distant memory.Pulisic could, of course, be fine and back to his best by the end of February. He could be better than ever by June, when he’ll be the face of the U.S. men’s national team at a home World Cup.But his trajectory is no longer demonstrably upward. Since September, he has tallied four goals and zero assists for club and country. After propelling Milan to the top of Serie A, and announcing himself as a bonafide star, injuries, yet again, have interrupted his desire and talent.For a while, that was the story of Pulisic’s young career. In his teens and early 20s, a variety of knocks and muscle strains — plus a variety of coaches with fluctuating opinions of him — complicated his development. He learned, however, to harden and manage his body, and by 2024, he seemed to have entered an uninterrupted prime. He contributed to 25 goals in his first season at Milan, and 27 in his second, the 2024-25 campaign.tsToward the tail end of that season, he heard his body and mind saying they needed a rest; so he took one. He used this past offseason to recharge, and returned from the break better than ever. When he was named Serie A’s September player of the month, he seemed to be exactly where every U.S. fan, teammate and coach wanted him to be — building toward the biggest tournament of his life.Then came the physical ailments. There was the swelling in his ankle ahead of a U.S. friendly against Ecuador. Four days later, against Australia, there were two crunching tackles and a hamstring tear.
Injuries have limited Christian Pulisic’s recent availability under Milan coach Max Allegri.Pier Marco Tacca / Getty Images
Pulisic recovered from that setback, and resumed his sterling season. In his first start back, he scored the only goal of a derby victory over Inter Milan. As 2026 neared, he was leading Serie A in goals plus assists per 90 minutes; and across all of Europe’s Big Five leagues, he was second to only Harry Kane.He was, in other words, playing soccer at a level that no American man had previously reached. And he was doing it, seemingly, at the perfect time.But the succession of injuries never relented.Pulisic felt muscular discomfort in late November and missed a match against Lazio. A week later, he fell ill, felt “truly dead,” and had to settle for a place on the bench. He entered that game as a substitute and scored twice to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 win over Torino. But he never fully re-found his prolific early-season rhythm.Then, after Christmas, he felt some more discomfort, and Allegri held him out of another starting 11 in Milan’s first game of 2026. Three scoreless weeks later, he was back on the bench for a massive match at Roma.And now, he’s out of the squad altogether.The hope, for all involved, is that his absence this week is largely precautionary. Milan, in general, has taken a cautious approach to Pulisic’s fitness and workload this year after he played over 7,000 minutes the previous two seasons combined. In fact, there’s a chance that his stop-start season — he’s on pace to play less than 2,500 minutes in 2025-26 — could be a blessing in disguise, especially for the U.S., whose priority is full health by May.
But it is, bluntly, a bummer for Pulisic. A few short months ago, he was rising toward the biggest tournament of his life in the form of his life. He was a candidate for Serie A player of the year.Now, at the very least, there’s uncertainty, or perhaps even concern, about how he’ll be feeling when he arrives in Atlanta on May 27 for the start of World Cup camp. The answer seems to depend on the roller coaster ride that his body has been on for much of his decade in pro soccer.By Henry BushnellSenior Writer, U.S. Soccer
Weston McKennie’s form makes him seem undroppable. Will Mauricio Pochettino agree?
If you’d like to know why Weston McKennie belongs at the heart of the U.S. men’s national team, all you really have to do is watch his latest Serie A masterpiece.Watch, in the sixth minute, as he runs the length of the field in transition, stays composed after a 50-yard sprint, and picks out a near-assist.Or watch the 11th minute, when he connects a Juventus possession on the edge of the box, then darts into it and creates another chance.You could also watch the goal, McKennie’s fourth in a month, an acrobatic, off-balance side volley. But it was his full body of work for Juve against Parma on Sunday — and against reigning champ Napoli the Sunday before, and throughout the month of January — that shows why he must be a USMNT catalyst at the World Cup this summer.The open question, however, is whether Mauricio Pochettino agrees with that assessment.McKennie, 27, might be the best American soccer player in the world at the moment. But Pochettino, the U.S. coach, has said: “The national team needs the right players; not the best players, the right players.”And with the World Cup four months away, it’s unclear whether he considers McKennie right for the USMNT’s starting 11.
An emphatic return to form
What’s clear is that McKennie is talented and influential. He has been for years, and over the past few months, he’s raised his level. “He’s an incredible guy,” his Juventus coach, Luciano Spalletti, said in December. “He always wins individual duels with his opponent. You can put him in multiple positions, and his skills allow us to change the formation. He has all the qualities to do well anywhere.” McKennie’s versatility has long been a blessing and a curse; a valuable asset that earned him playing time at five or six positions, but hindered his development at any single spot. That trend, to some extent, has continued under Spalletti. But recently, he has found a groove in an attacking midfield role — one that would, in theory, translate well to the U.S. national team. He has played as something of a second striker, whether on the right or directly underneath Juve’s No. 9, Jonathan David. He sometimes defends alongside David at the head of a 4-4-2, and in possession, he attacks space wherever he sees it. He’s a box-to-box midfielder, an inventive attacker and a goalscoring forward all at once, and “he is one of the best there is in this role because he’s always where the ball is,” Spalletti said.
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The experienced Italian boss, speaking after a 3-0 win over Napoli, even suggested that McKennie would be the “perfect center forward.” And a week later, he clarified: “I wasn’t joking last time, I was serious.”He raved about McKennie’s ability in the “real situations” that decide games, when they get “hectic” or “turbulent” — the unscripted moments that often get lost in debates over where McKennie fits in the USMNT.
Weston McKennie has a grand admirer in Juventus manager Luciano SpallettiGrzegorz Wajda / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty Images
As Pochettino drifted this fall toward a system with wingbacks, two central midfielders and two attackers in pockets behind a striker, questions arose surrounding McKennie’s place in it. A central midfield role is too restrictive. One of the advanced roles, though, will surely be Christian Pulisic’s, and another seems ripe for Malik Tillman.Tillman, who’s starting and occasionally scoring for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, appeared to win Pochettino over at the Concacaf Gold Cup last summer. McKennie, on the other hand, has been largely uninvolved in Pochettino’s rebuild.He has only been in one camp since the Concacaf Nations League debacle last March — a week that Pochettino has since described as a “wake-up call” that inspired him “to destroy the things that we need to destroy, and start to build the house from the ground up” with a better, more committed, team-first culture. McKennie missed the first stage of the rebuild, that Gold Cup, while on Club World Cup duty with Juventus. He was then omitted from rosters in Septemberand November as the new culture and on-field identity crystallized.Pochettino’s stated reasons for the omissions were, first, to “give [McKennie] the possibility to be more settled in his club”; and then, two months later, to give McKennie time to win over Spalletti, who took charge in late October. That, Pochettino said, was “more important than maybe being with us, because we already know what he can provide the team.”But as the U.S. pounded Uruguay 5-1 without him — and as Pochettino attacked the concept of “regulars,” continuing his assault on any entitlement that some players might have felt — it was difficult to escape the sense that McKennie no longer felt necessaryAnd when, a few weeks later, Pochettino spoke about “right players, not best players,” it was fair to wonder how he’d categorize McKennie.
McKennie’s many ways to make an impact
Over the past few months, though, McKennie has reinforced his indispensability. He’s offered reminder after reminder, week after week, that no matter his role or surroundings, he can — and often will — impact a game.In 73 minutes against Parma, for example, he fueled counterattacks and prevented them; offered outlets as a target man and as a channel-runner; played one-touch passes on the edge of the penalty area; and created and finished chances.
At one end of the pitch, he was clearing Parma crosses; at the other, his aerial presence contributed to Juve’s first and third goals on set pieces.Over the game’s first 40 minutes, he covered more ground than any other player. He was everywhere. And that, precisely, is why he surely has to be in the USMNT’s 11 whenever possible. Even if his role is tough to define, he has to have one. McKennie is a playmaker. Not in the traditional sense — he is neither a visionary No. 10 nor a flashy winger — but in his own unique way. He drives a team forward with his running. He pulls opponents out of their preferred shapes. He makes them uncomfortable, either with his off-ball movement or strength in duels, in a way that very few American players can. He is not the cleanest with the ball at his feet. He can’t play on the half-turn like Tillman and other technicians can. But he can link an attack with his back to goal…
… and sniff out space that nobody else smells…
… all while tracking runners and coping with back-post crosses.
Pochettino and his assistants, two of whom have scouted McKennie in person this winter, surely see all of that.They have indicated that they understand McKennie’s value. They started him twice in October, when Pochettino said: “What I want to provide him is the freedom. He’s a player that needs freedom.”Last week, though, when asked about McKennie’s Juve form, Pochettino’s answer, while positive, wasn’t exactly effusive.“It’s very good that he is playing in a regular way, being very consistent now in Juventus,” Pochettino said. “Yes, we are happy that our player performs and plays in a very consistent and very regular way. … Now, it’s about assessing all the players, the players that we already know, how to mix the 26 players — thinking, of course, always, [about] the World Cup.” By Henry Bushnell Senior Writer, U.S. Soccer
Why Ricardo Pepi’s Fulham transfer collapse can help his U.S., World Cup outlook
The enticement of a big transfer at the club level and all that a big move represents — growth, a new challenge, a bigger stage and (of course) more money — can sometimes be at conflict with the realities on the international stage. It’s an imbalance with which Ricardo Pepi is already intimately familiar. But this time around, fate may fall on his side when it comes to making the U.S. World Cup team. When Pepi made a $20 million move from FC Dallas to Augsburg in the German Bundesliga in January 2022, he looked like the striker of the future for the U.S. men’s national team. At just 18, Pepi was tapped for his international debut in a game with huge stakes: on the road in Honduras in the opening window of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.After two draws to open qualifying, the U.S. needed a result in San Pedro Sula. The teenager delivered with a 75th-minute goal that gave the Americans a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, and he assisted on two others in a 4-1 win. He scored twice more the next month in a win over Jamaica, and his form in MLS combined with his national team breakout led to the big-money move to Germany.But Pepi struggled for playing time at Augsburg, ultimately going nearly a year without a goal. The teenage phenom who seemed bound to start at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar instead fell down the depth chart. Pepi looked to salvage his chances at making the team with a loan to Groningen in September 2022. But even after scoring five goals and adding two assists in his first eight Eredivisie games, Gregg Berhalter left him off the U.S. roster — a controversial decision, but one that left Pepi watching the tournament from afar.Pepi hung up on Berhalter when told the news. The snub, of course, stuck with him.“It was difficult, you know, but it’s part of life,” Pepi told The Athletic in 2023. “I feel like ever since that moment, I’ve grown as a player and I’ve grown as a person. … (These moments) make you strong mentally. I’ve been through a lot, having to go on loan, having to miss out on the World Cup, and things like this, these are things that build character. And I feel like I’m a strong person.”Now, with another World Cup coming up, Pepi’s purported move from PSV to Fulham fell apart on deadline day as the Dutch powerhouse couldn’t find a replacement for its American striker. And this winter transfer situation could wind up helping Pepi avoid another disappointing moment on World Cup roster decision day.
Ricardo Pepi is hoping for another chance to face Paraguay, the USMNT’s opening opponent at the 2026 World CupOmar Vega / Getty Images
Pepi, who remains sidelined with a broken forearm and isn’t expected to return for another month and a half, has 11 goals and three assists across all competitions this season. He remains one of the most efficient goalscorers in Europe. Fulham put forth a bid in the region of €35 million to bring that track record to the Premier League.t all sounds nice in theory, but there was genuine risk involved.The path to regular playing time at a new club and in a new league would have been more difficult for Pepi, especially as he worked back from injury only to return with roughly two months left in the season. At Fulham, he would have been competing with veteran Mexico international Raúl Jiménez — who is out of contract at the end of the season, hence Fulham’s push to sign a new striker — for playing time. Rodrigo Muniz could be back from a hamstring injury later this month, and also served as competition.If he had failed to get consistent playing time and was again lacking for goals, it would have been easy for Pepi to fall back on the U.S. depth chart, especially if Patrick Agyemang and Haji Wright were to keep on firing in the EFL Championship. That’s introducing a lot of unpredictability and potential for volatility at a time when Pepi needs to be at his sharpest.Instead, he’ll stay at the club where he has scored 24 goals with six assists in the Eredivisie and Champions League over the past two seasons. Remaining gives Pepi a much more solid chance to get back on the field — and back to scoring goals — on an accelerated timeline, which should keep him top of mind for Mauricio Pochettino as he picks a World Cup squad.USMNT and the Winter Transfer WindowMauricio Pochettino backs USMNT players seeking January moves as World Cup loomsAlex Freeman has completed a big January move, while Ricardo Pepi could also make a switch before the transfer deadlineThat’s especially important since it seems Pochettino will look at the March window as an extension of camp for the team he’ll take to the tournament in the summer.Folarin Balogun looks set to be the starter up top for the Argentine manager. He’s been a difference-maker at the No. 9 for the U.S. in the last few windows. But behind him, the competition is still very much wide open. In Qatar, the U.S. learned how important depth was at the forward position. Wright had an inconsistent tournament, while Jesus Ferreira was ineffective in the knockout stage after Josh Sargent got hurt.Last week, Pochettino said he hopes to see Pepi fit again soon.“We’ll see how he is going to come back and start to play and to perform,” Pochettino said. “Of course he’s a player in our radar. [I] hope that he can be fit and I think we have time to assess and of course we are going to make the best decision for him and for us.”Pochettino made it clear that he likes to see his players make moves, even with the risk involved. They are betting on themselves and seeing chances to grow and improve. He doesn’t want players staying in their comfort zone.But for the U.S. and for Pepi, staying at PSV for the next few months might give them both the best chance at maximizing their World Cup summer. And if they do, then Fulham — and others — will be lining up for another shot to sign him. By Paul Tenorio Senior Writer, MLS
Josh Sargent’s Norwich status unchanged with one transfer deadline down, another to go
Despite the English transfer window closing on Monday, there remains no update in Toronto FC’s pursuit of Norwich City and U.S. men’s national team forward Josh Sargent.Sargent’s future is not necessarily bound to the window abroad, as the MLS winter window is open until March 26, so Toronto has plenty of time to sign and register the player if a deal can be struck. Sources remain confident an agreement with Norwich can happen, especially after the English Championship club signed another forward ahead of deadline day, 21-year-old Australia and Randers striker Mohamed Touré.Norwich, though, insists Toronto’s opening $18 million bid is insufficient to sanction a departure, even as the forward trains with the U-21s. The saga stems from Sargent submitting a transfer request to the club and refusing to play in an FA Cup match vs. Walsall on Jan. 11. Sargent, who is under contract through 2028, hasn’t played for the club since.Update your feed. Follow new interests below for the latest stories.Toronto would like a deal to be reached sooner rather than later, with the opening match of the 2026 MLS season looming on Feb. 21.The club’s offer for Sargent is also hurt by the weakening value of the American dollar (despite TFC being a Canadian club, MLS teams conduct business in U.S. dollars). Norwich accepted a £21 million offer from Wolfsburg in July 2025, which at the exchange rate in the summer was valued at about $28 million. Toronto’s offer of $18 million currently checks in at just £13 million, which is why Norwich is so reluctant to sell at that price.In a market where players like fellow U.S. forward Ricardo Pepi are commanding fees of around £30 million (from Fulham to PSV), which ultimately was not accepted, there is belief that Sargent’s value won’t drop much less than £13 million even if he spent the rest of the season playing with Norwich’s under-21s.There is no rush to make a decision, as MLS’s window remains open for more than a month. But the belief is that Toronto is going to have to up its offer to get Norwich to budge on its stance.
USMNT Tracker: Champions League progress for McKennie and Balogun but late elimination for Weah
Monaco’s Folarin Balogun had a goal disallowed against Juventus Frederic Dides/Getty Images
For some it was a chance to reassert their value with timely goals, for others it was a missed opportunity — or even last-ditch heartbreak.The league phase of the Champions League drew to a dramatic close yesterday, with progress secured for most of the USMNT contingent in Europe.Weston McKennie, Folarin Balogun, Malik Tillman, Johnny Cardoso and Yunus Musah all featured as their teams finished in the table’s play-off positions, ensuring another chance to clinch their place in the last-16 phase through next month’s play-offs.
Weah’s late heartbreak
Despite a memorable debut for his new club in this season’s competition, when he scored against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in September, Tim Weah of Marseille was left forlorn on Wednesday.Just when Marseille thought they had scraped through to the play-off round, they were eliminated.Despite losing 3-0 in Belgium to Club Brugge, the French outfit headed into added time in 24th position, narrowly above the elimination zone. Only goal difference kept them above Benfica, who are managed by two-time Champions League winner Jose Mourinho, before a staggering finale in Lisbon.The Portuguese side’s goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored a sensational 98th-minute header that changed everything. It sealed a 4-2 win over nine-man Real Madrid, who dropped from the automatic qualification places into the play-offs, and moved Benfica above Marseille at the last gasp.At least when he recovers from his disappointment, he will not forget the earlier part of this season’s Champions League, especially that fine goal against Real Madrid.
Less dramatically, McKennie’s Juventus and Balogun’s Monaco played out a cagey stalemate that meant both teams head into the play-offs.
It may ultimately have been a quiet last league-stage fixture for McKennie but he had already made his mark on this competition. His previous three goals in three Champions League games were a streak timed as perfectly as his finishing, coming in the context of talks to extend his Juventus contract beyond this summer.
The Texan was not the only American who enjoyed an important scoring streak. Balogun notched in three consecutive Champions League games in November and December, including the only goal in wins against Bodo/Glimt and Galatasaray, which helped Monaco progress.
Weston McKennie warms up for Juventus ahead of facing MonacoValery Hache / AFP via Getty Images
Balogun thought he had scored another vital strike during the first half against Juventus at Stade Louis II in a game Monaco could not afford to lose.But a well-taken finish was ruled out for his foul on Pierre Kalulu in the build-up, and the Ligue 1 side’s nerves remained on edge until the end, even if Juventus struggled to create anything.
Injured Pepi watches as PSV eliminated
Ricardo Pepi also scored three times for PSV in the Champions League this season. The 23-year-old seized the opportunity of becoming his Dutch club’s first-choice centre-forward, after previously playing understudy to veteran Luuk de Jong.A broken arm earlier this month may have curtailed Pepi’s involvement in the league phase, but his performances prompted clubs who have been monitoring him, such as Premier League side Fulham, to step up their interest.Whether he leaves the Netherlands remains to be seen, but Pepi and his compatriot Sergino Dest won’t be going any further in this season’s Champions League. The defending Eredivisie champions lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich, meaning they were knocked out.Pepi and Balogun will compete to lead the line for the USMNT in the World Cup, but Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield is another area with strong options.
Cardoso struggles continue
In that respect, Johnny Cardoso will have hoped for better exposure in Europe’s elite cup competition so far this term. The 24-year-old has struggled to break into Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side, and started only one of their eight league-phase games. He came on in the second half of their 2-1 loss to Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday.ardoso will at least get the chance to feature in the play-offs.
Tillman at the double
Another gifted young USMNT star carved out his own notable record. Malik Tillman repeated the trick of doing what no other American has done before, by scoring twice in a Champions League tie on Wednesday.His double against Villarreal helped Bayer Leverkusen to a 3-0 win and with that progress into the play-offs. They will now play either Borussia Dortmund or Olympiacos for a place in the last 16.
It echoed his record-breaking brace in the competition for his previous team PSV, against Shakhtar Donetsk in 2024.
Musah makes rare start
Yunus Musah will compete with Tillman for a midfield slot in Mauricio Pochettino’s side this summer, and he will also get at least one more chance to shine in the Champions League beforehand.Musah made his second start in the league phase for his Italian side Atalanta in a 1-0 defeat at Union Saint-Gilloise, but that did not prevent them making the play-off stage.The 23-year-old had a quiet game, and with only two Serie A starts so far this season, he might be concerned by his lack of minutes thus far in an important season. By Greg O’Keeffe Senior Writer
How NFL stadiums are transforming for the 2026 World Cup
SoFi Stadium in California will host World Cup games Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images
In the seven months between one American football season and the next, NFL stadiums are typically busy. They host concerts and other sports, monster truck tours and more, adapting for each event one week at a time. But in 2026, a handful have cleared their summer calendars, and will transform for two full months to welcome a tournament of peerless proportion: the World Cup.
“Transform” is the operative word because many of the 11 U.S. stadiums set to host World Cup games were built primarily for gridiron football. They were built for a sport commonly played on artificial turf; and for NFL fields that are 53.3 yards (48.7 meters) wide, almost 20 meters narrower than a World Cup soccer pitch. So, they have undergone construction above and below ground. They will carve out space for wider fields. All 11 stadiums — even the four that play NFL football on natural grass — will bring in special sod carefully crafted by agronomists and approved by FIFA. They will also change their names to “Los Angeles Stadium” and “New York New Jersey Stadium” rather than SoFi and MetLife. By FIFA decree, they will “debrand” by covering or scrubbing thousands of logos and signage from their premises — everywhere from the walls of suites to the top of their retractable roofs. The following is a rundown of their makeover plans, which have been in development for years; and which, now, with the NFL season coming to a close with the Super Bowl this Sunday, are nearly ready for action.
Grass replacing artificial turf
Seven of the 11 U.S. stadiums — plus an eighth World Cup venue in Canada, Vancouver’s BC Place — have synthetic surfaces. Those stadiums are:
Lumen Field in Seattle
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. (near Los Angeles)
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (near Dallas)
NRG Stadium in Houston
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (near New York)
Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. (near Boston)
All have hosted soccer matches on natural grass over the years. But in most of those instances, the grass was laid, strip by strip, over artificial turf or directly on the stadium’s floor. Some pitches played fine, but others felt spongy or jumpy and drew criticism from players. Plus, if they were pieced together only a few days before a game, they’d be patchy. But, on the other hand, if they were laid too early, the grass would start to die after multiple weeks without proper nourishment and air flow.
Grass laid over a non-grass surface at Minnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium at the 2025 Concacaf Gold CupHenry Bushnell
So, years ago, experts concluded that the plan for 2026 would have to be different.The solution was for stadiums to install irrigation and ventilation systems. Those will allow artificial-turf venues to build a more “conventional” grass field atop 10-plus inches of sand, and to maintain the field for two months as if it were a permanent playing surface. (They will then remove it and return to artificial turf before the 2026 NFL season, largely because artificial turf allows them to accommodate more non-sporting events in their downtime.)
Over the past few years, researchers, FIFA’s experts and stadium managers also explored an innovative plan for stadiums that wouldn’t install necessary infrastructure below ground. They developed a “shallow pitch profile,” featuring sod and a thinner layer of sand atop a permeable black drainage module. SoFi Stadium piloted the system at last year’s Concacaf Nations League finals, and MetLife Stadium, among others, used it for the Club World Cup. At some stadiums, a version of the “shallow pitch” concept will be used again in 2026, though the base layers of sand will be deeper than last summer — at least 10 inches deep, a FIFA spokesman told The Athletic. Exact specifications and modifications will vary from stadium to stadium. The other barriers, literally, are roofs. Three U.S. stadiums — Mercedes-Benz Stadium, NRG Stadium and AT&T Stadium — are indoor venues with retractable roofs. A fourth, SoFi, is technically open-air but with a translucent roof that blocks about 65 percent of the sun’s rays, according to Otto Benedict, the stadium’s SVP in charge of facilities. Grass, of course, feeds on sunlight, so maintaining it indoors has been a challenge. But the solution has become relatively commonplace: LED “grow lights” that replicate sunlight.In fact, the technology has become so advanced that stadiums will keep their retractable roofs closed for the duration of the World Cup. The venues in Atlanta and Houston, for example, will ship in a cool-season grass grown at a turf farm in Colorado, keep their buildings air conditioned at around 72 degrees Fahrenheit and trust that the grow lights will give the grass what it needs.The grass will also be reinforced by synthetic fibers, which will be stitched into the sod, making it a “hybrid” surface — around 90-95 percent natural grass and 5-10 percent artificial.ost pitches will be installed in May, weeks before the start of the tournament, which kicks off June 11.
Widening the fields, at the expense of seats
The other main structural incongruence of NFL stadiums as World Cup venues was their narrowness.They were built to get fans close to American football action, with concrete stands featuring built-in seats that curve from sideline to endline. There is space, of course, between the playing field’s boundary and the first row of seats, but not quite enough space for a World Cup.FIFA requires a pitch that’s 68 meters by 105 meters (74.4 by 114.8 yards); and, more importantly, a total field area that’s at least 85 meters by 125 meters (93 by 136.7 yards), according to contractual agreements with stadiums signed last decade. Those requirements clashed with the corners of NFL fields, where the edges of end zones are often not far from the facing of the stadium’s lower bowl. When these stadiums previously hosted soccer, pitches were often narrower than what FIFA requires. At least a few of the 11 U.S. stadiums have never hosted an event that required a field this wide.So, during NFL offseasons in 2024 and 2025, in addition to installing grass-related infrastructure, some stadiums have cut into their concrete structures and essentially replaced permanent stands with demountable bleachers. Those bleachers were in place for the 2025 NFL season but will be removed over the coming months for the World Cup. (At MetLife Stadium during last summer’s Club World Cup, for example, dozens of sections and rows of bleachers and seats were perched on trucks in adjacent parking lots; and inside the stadium, the front row of some sections was Row 5 or Row 11.)
Removable bleachers sit on flatbeds outside MetLife Stadium, site of the 2026 World Cup finalHenry Bushnell
The capacity of most or all U.S. stadiums will therefore be less than it is for NFL games, with the exact difference often in the thousands but varying from stadium to stadium.Some field-side suites, such as the ones at SoFi Stadium, will also be impacted — though in some cases, FIFA and stadiums have negotiated compromises, and total field area requirements have been reduced. (All pitches will still be 68 meters by 105 meters; the surrounding areas, though, which are largely for photographers, broadcasters and advertising, offer wiggle room.)And at some venues, the entire floor and field will be raised to accommodate the modifications.There will also be less-visible work done to reformat VIP areas as FIFA desires.All in all, according to contracts and people with direct knowledge of preparations, the pitch work, construction and other items will cost some stadiums more than $10 million apiece.
Strict signage
The final core component of the transformations will be “debranding.”When the stadiums signed up to host this World Cup, they agreed to FIFA’s “clean site” policy, which is stricter than that of any other event organizer.FIFA demands that the stadiums remove or obscure all advertising. The requirement protects the exclusivity that FIFA offers to its sponsors, including Coca-Cola, Visa and Aramco. It has also given headaches to stadium operators. Adam Fullerton, the VP of operations at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, said that he and his team must handle “somewhere over 2,000 cover-ups across the stadium, both inside and outside.”For some venues, including Mercedes-Benz, this includes hiding giant logos or lettering on the stadium’s roof. In Houston, for example, there is giant “NRG Stadium” signage high above a main entrance and also on the roof’s sky-facing eyelids. It is all visible when the stadium hosts College Football Playoff games or Super Bowls, but must be covered prior to the World Cup.FIFA, meanwhile, will dress up the stadiums with its own branding and signage.It will also refer to the venues as “Atlanta Stadium” and “Houston Stadium,” for the same reason. Even the famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico will be “Mexico City Stadium.” Only BC Place — which is named after the Canadian province in which it sits, British Columbia, rather than a commercial entity — will get to keep its name in some form. By Henry Bushnell Senior Writer, U.S. Soccer
After five years of Reynolds and Mac, Wrexham are on cusp of Premier League
Mark OgdenFeb 5, 2026, 08:56 AM ET ESPNFC
WREXHAM, Wales — Mickey Thomas still holds the distinction of scoring the most famous goal in Wrexham‘s history, even after five years of the Rob Mac-Ryan Reynolds dream factory that has taken the club to the brink of the Premier League.
Nothing yet has topped Thomas’s free-kick goal in a 2-1 FA Cup win over Arsenal in January 1992, when Wrexham — who finished bottom of the Football League, in 92nd position, six months earlier — eliminated the reigning league champions at the Racecourse Ground. But Thomas admits his historic goal may soon be eclipsed by even greater moments, following Wrexham’s incredible rise from the fifth-tier National League to the EFL Championship playoff positions since Mac and Reynolds completed their £2 million takeover on Feb. 9, 2021.
“Wrexham have become a runaway train since Rob and Ryan arrived,” Thomas told ESPN. “I’ve been in football a long time, I’ve seen everything, but the rise has taken my breath away. And the crazy thing about it all is that Wrexham could be playing Arsenal in the Premier League next season.
“When you think about that cup tie in 1992 and everything that has happened to Wrexham since then, the ups and downs, that prospect is absolutely amazing. It would be the greatest football story ever.”
On the day the takeover was confirmed five years ago, after the pair received a green light to complete the deal in November 2020, Wrexham secured a 2-1 away win against Altrincham to climb to seventh in the National League. Today, they are 73 places higher in the English soccer pyramid and will move up to fifth position, three places behind the automatic promotion spots, with a win at home to Millwall on Saturday.
Following three successive promotions, beginning with their elevation from the National League to the EFL in 2023, the Wrexham story may just be weeks away from another incredible chapter.
“Listen, is the structure of this club behind the scenes ready for the Premier League and would there be an immense amount of work to take place [if we get there]?” Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson told ESPN. “Of course, but wouldn’t it be great to have that chance? You’d probably say we weren’t ready for Division One, certainly not the Championship, but I think in football, you just keep evolving as you go along.”
When Wrexham announced their most recent annual financial results in March 2025, which reported a 155% rise in yearly revenue to £26.7 million during their first year back in the EFL after 15 years in the National League, the accounts included a statement of intent from the directors. “The goal of the owners is to grow the team and establish Wrexham AFC as a Premier League club in front of increased attendances and in an improved stadium,” the statement said.
Five years on from day one, the journey from Altrincham to Arsenal is almost complete, with Mac and Reynolds zooming toward each of those ambitions at breakneck speed.
Parkinson was Wrexham’s first game changer. His appointment as manager in July 2021 gave the Mac-Reynolds project instant credibility and offered proof of their determination to revive the club.
Parkinson was an established EFL manager with promotions on his record at Colchester and Bolton. In 2013, he achieved the unthinkable by guiding League Two’s Bradford City to the EFL Cup final, beating Premier League sides Arsenal and Aston Villa on the way. Those results meant he already had “miracle worker” on his résumé, but joining Wrexham was a gamble for Parkinson.
“It’s always an element of risk because if you drop into the National League as a manager and it doesn’t go well, where do you go from there?” Parkinson said. “But the more I looked into it and spoke to the owners myself, I realized how serious they were.
“Sometimes when you get a manager’s job, you look at what could be achieved — the potential here is huge. Since coming here, it’s been a roller coaster really. I don’t think you can describe it any other way. It’s just been incredible to see the club go from the National League to the Championship, but I think what Rob and Ryan have done, in everything they’ve said to anybody, they’ve delivered.”
The headline of Mac and Reynolds’ five years at the club is unquestionably the three promotions. No club had ever achieved three straight promotions in the history of English football, dating back to its very first season in 1888, but those successes have coincided with rapid change on and off the pitch.
Since February of 2021, 66 new players have arrived at Stok Cae Ras, at a total cost of £38.8 million, while 76 have left the club for a sum total of nothing as free transfers or loans — including Paul Mullin, the goalscoring hero of the first two promotions, who joined Bradford City last week after spending the first half of this season on loan at Wigan. Ollie Palmer, another key figure in the early promotions, was a £300,000 club record signing from AFC Wimbledon in January 2022, but he’s now playing in League Two for Swindon Town.
Wrexham’s squad evolution has seen their transfer outlay rise exponentially. Sam Smith eclipsed Palmer as the record signing when arriving for £2 million from Reading last January, but Smith was then overtaken by Nathan Broadhead when the Wales forward completed a £7.5 million transfer from Ipswich Town in August. Change has become a constant, and on an accelerated scale. Parkinson admits that while it is an essential part of the team’s growth, Wrexham have been determined to ensure that those heroes who played a role in those early promotions are treated with respect.
“It’s been a challenge,” Parkinson said. “We look to sign players that, if we stepped up, would continue with us and we’ve tried to bring that quality in, but then there’s always those players you need to bring better quality in each level, so there are players who have been incredible for us who have moved on. We’ve had to make some tough decisions and let players go — players who have been absolute legends for us at this club.
“But equally, when you step up as quickly as we’ve done, that change has got to happen quicker than we normally expect. That is a tough part of the job, but all you can do in those circumstances is sit down, speak to people respectfully and make sure when they’re leaving that it’s done the right way.
“But you’ve got to keep evolving as a squad because if you stand still, people go past you.”
For those players coming in, though, the attraction of Wrexham — a club on the up with Hollywood glamour sprinkled on top — is clear.
“The immediate attraction was obviously everything on the field, success with promotions, being a winning culture and a team that had stepped up to the Championship for the first time,” George Thomason, a £1.2 million signing from Bolton last summer, told ESPN. “But everyone knows the outside noise of the owners and things like that. Just to see the buy-in and the spirit and the culture around the club was something really special.
“I was really delighted when I heard about the interest from Wrexham. They want to keep going right to the top and that’s something that’s very exciting for every footballer.”
The “Welcome to Wrexham” documentary series that has chronicled the team’s rise through the divisions since Season 1, first airing in 2022, helped bring worldwide recognition to the club by showcasing the sporting drama as well as the off-field stories of supporters and the local community. But while Wrexham have become a global brand, their stadium remains an outdated lower-league venue.
When ESPN met Parkinson and Thomason at the ground, a lack of facilities meant that interviews were staged in a staff kitchen in the bowels of one of the stands and the stadium, which first staged football in 1864, would require a multimillion-pound upgrade just to make it fit for the Premier League. While teams need only a minimum capacity of 5,000, with 2,000 seats, to meet minimum Premier League requirements, they must also have high-intensity floodlights for broadcasting purposes, designated areas for cameras and media and secure segregation of supporters.
When Luton Town were promoted to the Premier League in 2023, the club spent £8 million on ground improvements to make their Kenilworth Road stadium — which included an entrance nestled between houses, and a footbridge over a garden — comply with top-flight demands. At Wrexham, work has started on a new 7,500-capacity Kop Stand, which will take the ground’s capacity to 18,000, but it is not due to be ready for months.
“The delivery date is early 2027,” Wrexham CEO Michael Williamson told ESPN. “But the reality is that the completed version of the new stand will probably not be available until the 2027-28 season, so we could be in the Premier League next season with just 10,500 seats.”
Still, when it is completed, the new stand will be in keeping with the glitz and glamour of Wrexham’s Hollywood owners having been designed by Populous, the stadium architects responsible for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Lusail Stadium, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final, and The Sphere in Las Vegas.
“The connection with The Sphere was definitely a cool selling point for Rob and Ryan,” a source told ESPN. “They are both totally across the detail and even the choice of the Ruabon red brick for the stand was made with them wanting to acknowledge local tradition.” (Ruabon is a small town 10 miles from Wrexham, which is famous for the production of a terra-cotta-colored brick from local clay.)
But despite the challenges ahead off the pitch, Wrexham are ready to meet them full on. “There is no road map for this,” Williamson said. “To go from the National League all the way to the Premier League in successive promotions is something that no other club in the history of English soccer has done.
“When we were in League One I said to Rob and Ryan, ‘Hey, let’s try to get the Championship as quickly as possible because otherwise you risk getting stuck in League One.’ They bought into that. We invested in a squad and were able to get that promotion. We were sprinting all of last season off the pitch, and around all the other areas of the organization, and we’re sprinting to be able to survive in the Championship to build to a level where we could survive in a Championship.
“Ultimately, if we get to the Premier League, we are sprinting again to be ready to be Premier League-ready.”
So where do Wrexham go from here? Is it a case of when, rather than if, they reach the Premier League?
On the pitch, Parkinson’s team is in the heart of the playoff race, meaning Wrexham are well-placed to achieve their latest dream this season. Off it, the workforce and personnel hired by Mac and Reynolds point to the clear ambition of joining the sport’s elite. Williamson was recruited as CEO two years ago having previously worked at D.C. United, Inter Milan and Inter Miami, while chief business and communications officer Rob Faulkner arrived in December 2024 following roles at UEFA, Inter Milan and the European Club Association.
“I think Rob and Ryan made pretty clear their ambitions from their very first interviews, stating that they wanted to take Wrexham to the Premier League,” Williamson said. “I think at the time everyone kind of laughed at them, but here we are, six places away from being a Premier League club. What we have to look at is how do we make sure that once we arrive there [PL], we can stay there. And that includes growing in a lot of different areas. It means growing in the staffing, so we’ve gone from 40 permanent employees to over 140 in under 20 months.
“It is a sprint, it’s not a marathon. I would like to get to the marathon at some point to be honest, but it is a constant sprint. But the thing that I’ll say about us as a club is that we’ve been sprinting since Rob and Ryan have come in and so we’re pretty good at it.”
Impressively, Wrexham have become a global brand despite never having previously played in the top flight. Prior to the Mac-Reynolds takeover, their only real claim to fame was a run to the quarterfinals of the European Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1975-76. But they have become a phenomenon over the past five years, something that former player Thomas admits surprises him every day.
“I played for Manchester United and still work for the club on matchdays at Old Trafford, but wherever I go, people only ever want to talk to me about Wrexham,” Thomas said. “I just think people have embraced the story so much that the club is now as big as any Premier League team in the United States.”
Wrexham’s commercial power is also likely to appeal to the Premier League too, with the prospect of Hollywood celebrities soon sitting at the top table.
“Most international fans wouldn’t know the difference between a Fulham, a Bournemouth, even a West Ham maybe,” Omar Chaudhuri, chief intelligence officer of Twenty First Group, London-based commercial brand advisers, told ESPN. “But if you’ve suddenly got a team coming up that has an actual narrative attached to them, you’re drawing viewers to those games that you might not otherwise get in an average season.
“Particularly in the U.S., you’re going to have a big audience there that understands it has suddenly a connection with this team, so whenever Wrexham are on TV, you’re going to have an uplift of viewers and that definitely has value to the league. If you’re a Premier League club owner, you’re going to be welcoming that kind of thing.”
When Mac and Reynolds arrived at Wrexham, the club relied on local sponsors and partners not just for commercial revenue, but financial survival. They have since moved on from the likes of Ifor Williams Trailers to global corporations like United Airlines and Meta Quest, securing multimillion-pound deals that are likely to only grow if Wrexham make it to the Premier League. Their commercial power now underpins both their present successes and future ambitions.
“There are top-six clubs in the Premier League who would love the brand connection that we have in North America,” Williamson said. “So the possibilities are unlimited on what we can continue to do, but the key to the success has been, and will need to continue to be, that we stay rooted to our local community values.
“Some Championship clubs go into the playoffs and suddenly find themselves, ‘Oh wow, we got promoted and we’re in the Premier League and haven’t actually planned to be in the Premier League.’ That’s probably the biggest difference here. Even though we are infrastructure-wise challenged compared to some of the historic Championship clubs, our mentality is that we’re preparing ourselves to arrive there because that’s our expectation.”
It has taken five years to get to this point, but Wrexham might now reach their ultimate destination in less than five months.
US Women vs Paraguay 5:30 pm Saturday TNT, HBO vs Chile 10 pm Tuesday TBS, HBO
A young USWNT will kick off in California on Saturday, as the world No. 2 takes on No. 46 Paraguay in the first of two January friendlies to open the 2027 World Cup qualifying year. “It’s really exciting to see the opportunity presented to a lot of players in this camp,” said midfielder Olivia Moultrie prior to Saturday’s match, which will pull from a 26-player USWNT January lineup that boasts an average age of just 24.1 years old. “It’s players that I’ve played with on youth teams, and just seeing kind of start coming into the league.” This month’s camp falls outside an official FIFA window, leaving the US without both European club players and Gotham FC’s squad as the 2025 NWSL champs prepare to contend in the first-ever FIFA Women’s Champions Cup in London next week. “There is no question we will keep — I hope — improving what we’re doing,” said USWNT manager Emma Hayes. “You don’t do that gradually, you don’t do that by changing things all of the time.” Additionally, Saturday’s match will honor two-time World Cup champion Christen Press with a pregame ceremony, after the star forward announced her pro soccer retirement at the end of last season. Really awesome to see Rodman will be on hand after signing her record breaking 2 million dollar deal with the Washington Spirit – great to see her stay home in the US for NWSL!
2026 January Training Camp Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 6) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 4), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC; 0) DEFENDERS (8): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; 5/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 9/1), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current; 1/1), Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit; 9/0), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 7/0), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 4/0), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC; 2/0), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit; 2/0) MIDFIELDERS (8): Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit; 5/0), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit; 3/0), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 11/1), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage; 0/0), Lo’eau LaBonta (Kansas City Current; 4/0), Sally Menti (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign FC; 2/0), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 11/5) FORWARDS (7): Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars FC; 1/0), Trinity Rodman (Unattached; 47/11), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 15/2), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 12/4), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current; 13/4), Reilyn Turner (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0)
USMNT’s Pulisic welcomes world to Milan for Winter Olympics
The video kicks off with Zlatan singing Milan’s praises, before Pulisic gives Olympic attendees a quick guide to Milanese coffee etiquette. Modric is charged with capturing the San Siro stadium in oil paints (just before they go and knock it down) while Adrien Rabiot indulges in a fitting for a razor-sharp suit. Soo-Jeong Park from AC Milan’s women’s team also introduces a few local landmarks, notably the gothic splendor of the Duomo cathedral, before Ibra returns to sign off with a hearty “Benvenuti a casa nostra.”
Champions League Final Group Stage Games Wednesday 3 pm on Paramount Plus –
Wow some huge upsets last week as Man City was sliced and diced by Bodo/Glint in the Arctic Circle, Tottenham who is dismal in the EPL dominated Dortmund to move to 5th, Sporting scored twice to beat PSG in the last 20 minutes and Copenhagen puts Napoli on the edge of elimination with a 10 man win vs the Italians. Only Arsenal 1st and Bayern Munich 2nd are guaranteed in the Top 8 and a buy in the round of 16. 30 teams still have a chance at making the knockout stages. Here’s How Teams Can Advance. Grab your popcorn and 30 tv’s for Wed! Mckinney Scores Winner for Juventus again That’s 10 Champs League Goals -3 in his last 5 games. With his goal, McKennie now has 10 career Champions League finishes, putting him two behind USMNT teammate Christian Pulisic for most ever by an American player.
GAMES ON TV
Sat, Jan 24 7:30 am USA West Ham United vs Sunderland 9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Ausburg 9:30 am ESPN+ Leverkusen vs Werder Bremen 10 am USA Burnley vs Tottenham 10 am NBCSN Man City vs Wolverhampton 10 am Peacock Fulham (Jedi) vs Brighton 12:30 pm USA Bournemouth vs Liverpool 12:30 pm ESPN+ Union Berlin vs Athletic Club 3 pm ESPN+ Villarreal vs Real Madrid 5:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Paraguay Sun, Jan 25 8 am ESPNd,+ Atletico Madrid (Cardoso) vs Mallorca 9 am USA Chelsea vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 9 am peacock New Castle vs Aston Villa 9:30 am ESPN+ MGladbach (Scalley, Reyna) vs Stuttgart 10:15 am ESPN+,D Barcelona vs Real Oviedo 11:30 am Peacock, Serius Arsenal vs Man United 12 pm Para + Juventus (Mckinney) vs Napoli 2″45 pm Para+ Roma vs AC Milan (Pulisic) Mon, Jan 26 2:45 pm USA Everton vs Leeds United (Aaronson) Tues, Jan 27 10 pm TBS, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Chile Wed, Jan 28 — Champs League EVERYONE 3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Chelsea 3pm Para+, CBSSN Dortmand vs Inter Milan 3 pm Para+ Monaco (Weah) vs Juventus (Mckinney) 3 pm Para+ PSG vs Newcastle Frankfurt vs Tottenham Atletico (Cardosa) vs Glint Man City vs Galatasaray PSV vs Bayern Munich Athletic Club s Sporting CP Ajax vs Olympiakos P Arsenal vs Qarabag Barcelona vs Kobenhavn Benefica vs Real Madrid Club Brugge vs Marseille Thurs, 1/29 EuropaPara+ 3 pm 3 pm Para+ Celtic (Trusty) Aston Villa vs Salzburg Young Boys vs Lyonnais (Tessman) Roma vs Stuttgart Lille vs Freiburg Nottingham Forest vs Ferencvaros Porto vs Rangers
Sun, Mar 1 She Believes Cup Starts 5 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Argentina Wed, Mar 4 She Believes Cup 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Canada (Columbus, OH) Sat, Mar 7 She Believes Cup 3:30 pm TBS, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Colombia Sat, Mar 28 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Belgium Tues, Mar 31 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Portugal Sun, May 31 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Senegal Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Germany in Chicago Sat, June 12 WORLD CUP 9 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Paraguay World Cup
We have more head-to-head matchups this weekend, an American coach making his presence known in Spain, and stars in Italy vying for the top of the Serie A table. There’s all that and more in a packed USMNT weekend, so let’s get to it.
Friday
St. Pauli v Hamburg – 2:30p on ESPN Select: James Sands and St Pauli host Hamburg and Damion Downs on Friday afternoon. Sands scored his first Bundesliga goal for St. Pauli last weekend but they fell to Borussia Dortmund 3-2 while Downs has started his first two matches with Hamburg but has not yet found the scoresheet and his club is coming off a scoreless draw with Borussia Monchengladbach.
Saturday
Middlesbrough v Preston North End – 7:30a on CBSSN: Aidan Morris has started four straight matches for Middlesbrough who have won three straight and are in second place in the Championship, two points ahead of Ipswich town for direct promotion to the EPL. Middlesbrough host sixth place Preston North End who have a one point lead for the final promotion playoff spot.
Bayern Munich v Augsburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks will be serving a one match suspension this weekend due to yellow card accumulation and will miss Augsburg’s matchup with Bayern Munich. Banks has been a starter for Augsburg since October but will miss the teams rematch with Bayern. Banks saw just a minute off the bench in the first matchup of the season, which Augsburg dropped 3-2.
Mainz v Wolfsburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Lennard Maloney and Mainz will host Kevin Paredes and Wolfsburg on Saturday. Maloney has come off the bench in three straight matches, seeing just spot minutes for 17th place Mainz. Meanwhile, Paredes is being worked back to fitness for twelfth place Wolfsburg, getting 45 min as a halftime substitute for the team last weekend in their 1-1 draw with Heidenheim.
Bayer Leverkusen v Werder Bremen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman and Leverkusen fell to Hoffenheim last weekend, their second straight loss to an opponent competing for a top four finish in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen are in sixth place and will be facing a Werder Bremen side that is five points out of the relegation playoff position but played Leverkusen to a 3-3 draw in their first meeting of the season.
Fulham v Brighton and Hove Albion – 10a on Peacock: Antonee Robinson went the full 90’ last weekend as Fulham fell to Leeds 1-0, their first loss since Robinson returned to the lineup in December. Fulham are in eleventh place now, one point ahead of this weekend’s opponent, Brighton & Hove Albion who are coming off a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.
Le Havre v Monaco – 1p on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun and Monaco have dropped four straight matches, and seven of eight to fall from second place in Ligue 1 to ninth place, a nineteen point gap to their prior position, now held by PSG. They will be facing fourteenth place Le Havere, who are just four points behind them at this point. Monaco was also embarassed 6-1 by Real Madrid on Tuesday in Champions League play and need to find their confidence again.
PSV v NAC Breda – 2p on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest missed the past two matches for PSV, including Wednesday’s Champions League match against Newcastle which PSV lost 3-0. The Dutch side look to continue their march through the Eredivisie when they face seventeenth place NAC Breda who are looking like a relegation candidate though they played PSV close in their first matchup, falling 1-0.
Olympique Marseille v Lens – 3:05p on beIN Sports: Tim Weah scored for Marseille last weekend in the team’s 5-2 win over Angers in league play and went the full 90’ midweek in Champions League action though the team fell to Liverpool 3-0. They remain in third place in league play, eight points back of their opponent this weekend, league leading Lens.
Sunday
Atletico Madrid v Mallorca – 8a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso got his first start since August last weekend in Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 win over Deportivo Alaves and then played 35’ off the bench midweek in the team’s 1-1 draw with Galatasaray in Champions League group play. Atleti are tied for third, eight points back of league leading Barcelona, heading into their matchup with Mallorca.
Crystal Palace v Chelsea – 9a on USA Network: Chris Richards was back in the starting lineup for Cyrstal Palace last weekend after missing the past four matches. Palace fell to Sunderland 2-1 and have now lost five of their past seven matches and haven’t won since early December, falling from fourth place down to thirteenth place in the table. six points back of their opponent this weekend, sixth place Chelsea.
Atalanta v Parma – 9a on Paramount+: Yunus Musah started last weekend and has played in the past seven league matches for Atalanta though he didn’t come off the bench on Wednesday in their Champions League loss to Athletic Club. Atlanta are in seventh place, ten points back of the top four and a return trip to Champions League action.
Borussia Monchengladbach v Stuttgart – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Joe Scally started and Gio Reyna played 21’ minutes off the bench in Borussia Monchengladbach’s scoreless draw with Hamburg last weekend. Gladbach will host fourth place Stuttgart on Sunday.
Brest v Toulouse – 11:15a on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie was not included in the squad last weekend as eight place Toulouse handled Nice 5-1. The team travels to tenth place Brest this weekend.
Metz v Olympique Lyon – 11:15a on beIN sports: Tanner Tessmann started Lyon’s 2-1 win over Brest last Sunday as well as their midweek 1-0 win over Young Boys in Europa League action. Lyon are within striking distance of a Champions League qualifying spot as they prepare to face last place Metz this Sunday.
Freiburg v Koln – 11:30a on ESPN Select: Kristoffer Lund was a halftime substitute for Koln last weekend as they defeated Mainz 2-1 to move into the top ten in the Bundesliga standings. This weekend they will face eighth place Freiburg who they trail by four points.
Juventus v Napoli – Noon on Paramount+: Weston McKennie scored again for Juventus in Champions League play on Wednesday in the teams 2-0 win over Benfica. It was McKennie’s third straight Champions League match with a goal. McKennie has also scored twice in league play in January for Juve, adding an assist as well. The team did suffer a shock loss to sixteenth place Cagliari last weekend, dropping to fifth place in the standings and four points back of this weekend’s opponent, Napoli.
Real Sociedad v Celta Vigo – 12:30p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Pelegrino Matarazzo has picked up seven points from his first three matches with Real Sociedad, including a 2-1 win over league leading Barcelona last weekend. Sociedad moved into the top ten of the La Liga standings though they are still eight points back of seventh place Celta Vigo, who they face this weekend.
Roma v AC Milan – 2:45p on on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic is in a bit of a dry patch having failed to score in Milan’s past five matches. That doesn’t sound like an incredibly long stretch but it is the first time this season where he has gone more than one match without scoring a goal. Milan has still been able to find results over the period, they remain in second place in the Serie A table. They will have a difficult test this weekend as they visit fourth place Roma who’s twelve goals conceded leads the league through the first twenty-one matches.
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Champions League projections: Arsenal strong favourites for overall win, improving Liverpool up to third
Arsenal celebrate Gabriel Jesus’ second goal in their 3-1 away win against Inter on Tuesday Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
We are down to next Wednesday’s final-day bonanza in the Champions League, with 18 simultaneous games to close out the initial league phase. Seven matchdays in, only Arsenal and Bayern Munich have guaranteed spots in the round of 16 in March. Third-placed Real Madrid and Juventus in 15th are separated by just three points, and with some of the teams in-between them playing each other in the final round of matches, expect the table to undergo a bewildering amount of change during Matchday 8.
Before Matchday 8
How teams stack up in the race for automatic qualification and the playoffs in the Champions LeagueCHANGE PROJECTIONS:Before Matchday 8 (Jan. 28)Before Matchday 7 (Jan. 20-21)Before Matchday 6 (Dec. 9-10)Before Matchday 5 (Nov. 25-26)Before Matchday 4 (Nov. 4-5)Before Matchday 3 (Oct. 21-22)Before Matchday 2 (Sept. 30-Oct. 1)Before Matchday 1 (Sept. 16-18)
TEAM
Arsenal21 pts
24
<1%
<1%
>99%
31%
Bayern Munich18 pts
19
<1%
<1%
>99%
17%
Liverpool15 pts
18
<1%
5%
95%
8%
Barcelona13 pts
16
<1%
20%
80%
8%
Real Madrid15 pts
16
<1%
16%
84%
4%
Atletico Madrid13 pts
15
<1%
51%
49%
2%
Tottenham Hotspur14 pts
15
<1%
49%
51%
1%
Manchester City13 pts
14
<1%
40%
60%
9%
Paris Saint-Germain13 pts
14
<1%
46%
54%
6%
Chelsea13 pts
14
<1%
63%
37%
4%
Newcastle United13 pts
14
<1%
74%
26%
3%
Sporting CP13 pts
14
<1%
63%
37%
1%
Atalanta13 pts
14
<1%
87%
13%
<1%
Internazionale12 pts
13
<1%
94%
6%
2%
Juventus12 pts
13
<1%
93%
7%
<1%
Borussia Dortmund11 pts
12
<1%
99%
1%
1%
Galatasaray10 pts
11
<1%
>99%
<1%
<1%
Bayer Leverkusen9 pts
10
8%
92%
<1%
<1%
Olympique Marseille9 pts
10
5%
95%
<1%
<1%
Monaco9 pts
10
27%
73%
<1%
<1%
Qarabağ10 pts
10
<1%
>99%
<1%
<1%
Napoli8 pts
9
49%
51%
<1%
<1%
PSV8 pts
9
45%
55%
<1%
<1%
Olympiakos Piraeus8 pts
9
43%
57%
<1%
<1%
Athletic Club8 pts
9
49%
51%
<1%
<1%
Club Bruges7 pts
8
58%
42%
<1%
<1%
København8 pts
8
89%
11%
<1%
<1%
Benfica6 pts
7
73%
27%
<1%
<1%
Union Saint-Gilloise6 pts
7
91%
9%
<1%
<1%
Pafos6 pts
7
81%
19%
<1%
<1%
Bodø / Glimt6 pts
7
88%
12%
<1%
<1%
Ajax6 pts
7
92%
8%
<1%
<1%
Eintracht Frankfurt4 pts
5
>99%
<1%
<1%
<1%
Slavia Praha3 pts
4
>99%
<1%
<1%
<1%
Villarreal1 pt
2
>99%
<1%
<1%
<1%
Kairat1 pt
1
>99%
<1%
<1%
<1%
Each team plays eight matches in the new league phase, four at home and four away. They play eight different opponents, rather than facing the same teams home and away, as was the case in the previous format. The top eight sides in the league qualify automatically for the round of 16. Teams finishing from 9th to 24th in the league compete in a two-legged knock-out phase play-off, with the winner of each match-up advancing to the last 16 of the competition. Teams that finished 25th or lower in the league phase are eliminated from the competition. No teams drop down to the Europa League.
Methodology
Opta’s win prediction model estimates the probability of each match’s outcome (win, draw or loss) by using a combination of betting market odds and Opta’s team power rankings. The odds and rankings are based on historical and recent team performances and the competition in its entirety is simulated 10,000 times to produce a final projection for each side.
Credits
Editing: Duncan Alexander, Charlie Scott
Design and Development: Ryan Best, Elliot Jordan | Editing: Skye Gould, Marc Mazzoni, Laura Pelton
Illustration: Eamonn Dalton
Below, we will use our updated projections after Matchday 7 to look at the key teams and fixtures heading into those decisive games.
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Match of the week
Athletic Club’s chances of league-phase elimination stood at 82 per cent ahead of Matchday 7 after just one win in their first six matches. Conceding an opener to Atalanta’s Gianluca Scamacca on 16 minutes in Bergamo on Wednesday would not have helped their odds either.
But a spirited second-half comeback with three goals in 16 minutes from Gorka Guruzeta, Nico Serrano and Robert Navarro put them in control on hostile territory. Nikola Krstovic’s 88th-minute strike for the hosts was a mere consolation.
The win dropped the Bilbao club’s odds of elimination to 49 per cent, while their chances of making the knockout play-offs next month have risen to 51 per cent (from 18). As for Atalanta, they are one of eight teams on 13 points, but their odds of finishing in the top eight dropped drastically from 61 to 13 per cent after this loss.
Athletic host Sporting CP while the Italians travel to Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise on Matchday 8.
Athletic Club’s players celebrate in BergamoPiero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images
The favourites
After the first two rounds of the league phase, our projections hinted at eight contenders for this season’s title. They will all still be fancied in the knockout rounds, but Matchday 7 hurt the chances of three of those sides in particular.
Manchester City had a 13 per cent chance of a second European crown in four years halfway through the opening stage, with 10 points from four matches. However, their 3-1 loss at Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday — and the Norwegian hosts could have scored more — means they are the only one of the five Premier League representatives outside the top eight with a game to go.
City’s overall chances are still rated highly — the third-best at nine per cent — but they have seen their odds of finishing in the top eight drop from 90 per cent before the Glimt game to 60 per cent now. Visitors Galatasaray, who drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid in Istanbul yesterday and defeated Liverpool there on Matchday 2 in September, will not be an easy final game.
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Defending European champions Paris Saint-Germain have once again had a wobbly league phase, after winning one of their first five matches last season and only finishing 15th. This time, they began with nine points out of nine but have had two losses and a draw in the four matches since. Tuesday’s 2-1 away defeat to a Luis Suarez-inspired (not the one you’re thinking of) Sporting CP meant PSG’s title odds dropped from 14 per cent before that trip to Lisbon to just six per cent. Their probability of a top-eight finish dropped from 84 to 54 per cent too, with a home match against Newcastle United, who are one spot behind them in seventh, to come on Matchday 8.
Holders PSG suffered defeat against Sporting in Lisbon on TuesdayOctavio Passos/Getty Images
Inter have never ranked high for title odds, peaking at five per cent after winning their first three matches by a combined score of nine goals to nil. A 3-1 beatdown by visitors Arsenal on Tuesday in a game where they spurned chances but also could not keep up with the Premier League and Champions League leaders has seen that dip to two per cent. A return of three points from their past four matches, including three losses in a row, also means Inter now have a 94 per cent chance of landing in the play-offs, up from 26 per cent before Matchday 4.
Arsenal, who saw Gabriel Jesus (twice) and Viktor Gyokeres get on the scoresheet at San Siro, are now the outright favourites for the title per our projections, which now give them a 31 per cent chance of lifting the European Cup for the first time. That is an eight per cent increase from before Matchday 7 and nearly double the 16 per cent they were given before the competition began in September. Arsenal could become the first team to win all eight league-phase games in the new format introduced last season when they host Kazakhstan’s already-eliminated Kairat next week.
Top League Content
Bayern made a meal of a game they were expected to win comfortably, thanks to Union Saint-Gilloise’s spirited display in Munich. Kim Min-jae got sent off, Manuel Neuer had to make a couple of crucial saves and Harry Kane missed a penalty — though he still scored both goals in a 2-0 win. Our projections have taken notice, with Bayern’s title odds dropping by two percentage points to 17, but they are only behind Arsenal in this regard. A cross-border visit to inconsistent Dutch champions PSV awaits on Matchday 8.
Kane scored both goals as Bayern defeated USG on Wednesday to guarantee a top-two finishAdam Pretty/Getty Images
Alvaro Arbeloa’s Real Madrid tenure got its early statement victory, his side thrashing Monaco 6-1 at the Bernabeu with Kylian Mbappe (two), Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all on the scoresheet. Despite the dysfunction surrounding them, Madrid are third on 15 points with a hop over the border into Portugal to play Benfica, under their iconic former manager Jose Mourinho, rounding out their league-phase schedule next week. Arbeloa played 122 times for Mourinho’s Madrid between 2010 and 2013.
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Despite their emphatic win, Madrid have only a four per cent chance of winning this season’s Champions League, half that of La Liga rivals Barcelona. Hansi Flick’s Catalans made hard work of their visit to Slavia Prague, with four well-taken goals in the icy Czech capital making up for some woeful set-piece defending and the loss of Pedri to a hamstring injury in the second half. Last night’s 4-2 win has led to more optimism in our projections, Barcelona now have an eight per cent chance of winning it all (up from seven per cent before the Slavia game) and an 80 per cent chance of finishing in the top eight, though they are currently ninth and tied on 13 points with seven other teams.
In their defence, a home fixture with FC Copenhagen, who have won twice and conceded 17 goals in their seven games, should be a formality.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Marseille last night saw their title odds improve to eight per cent, third-best, having dropped to just three per cent after five rounds. They are still some distance off the competition-leading 20 per cent they were given after Matchday 1 but this latest success showed growing signs of cohesion and Arne Slot’s side now have a 95 per cent chance of finishing in the top eight, with a visit from Qarabag, upbeat after beating Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 on Wednesday, wrapping things up on Matchday 8.
The contenders
Chelsea huffed and puffed their way to a narrow 1-0 win at home to Pafos of Cyprus last night in new head coach Liam Rosenior’s Champions League debut. The performance could do with improvement, but their top-eight odds have now risen to 37 per cent (from 24 before the match), while their title odds have marginally risen from three per cent to four.
A visit to Napoli will be challenging, given Antonio Conte’s side, after being held to a 1-1 draw at 10-man Copenhagen on Tuesday, have a 49 per cent chance of a humiliating first-phase elimination. A draw could be enough to see the Serie A champions through to the play-offs, but it would require other results to all go their way.
Tottenham Hotspur, for all the negativity around them heading into Matchday 7, are fifth with 14 points after seeing off Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at home. Tuesday’s win nearly doubled their odds of a top-eight finish from 26 to 51 per cent, and they will be confident of securing a round-of-16 spot when they face more German opposition in eliminated Eintracht Frankfurt, who have only one win from their seven matches.
Their Champions League games have been a refuge for Spurs this seasonShaun Botterill/Getty Images
Atletico Madrid missed an opportunity yesterday to leapfrog teams in the table, drawing 1-1 with Galatasaray in Istanbul. Diego Simeone’s side have overcome a sluggish three-points-from-nine start to the league phase for the second season running, though, and have nearly equal chances of making the top eight (49 per cent) and finishing outside those spots (51 per cent). Their final game could prove tricky as they host Glimt fresh off their greatest-ever night in Europe.
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Newcastle United were comfortable 3-0 winners at home against PSV and boast the competition’s second-best defence behind Arsenal (two) with six goals conceded. At the other end, they are averaging more than two goals per game (16), with Anthony Gordon (six) and Harvey Barnes scoring 11 times between them.
Eddie Howe’s side have a 26 per cent chance of finishing in the top eight, though that will almost certainly require them to avoid defeat against PSG in Paris. A play-offs place may not be the worst outcome, though.
Surprise packages
Qarabag headline this group of clubs, with their 3-2 home win against Eintracht Frankfurt this week the latest chapter of a successful league phase which has now brought them 10 points. The Azerbaijani club were given just a 13 per cent chance of reaching the knockout stages before the competition began. That rose to 83 per cent after the first four matches and now, having beaten Frankfurt, they have a less than one per cent chance of league-phase elimination. It is an incredible story which began in the second qualifying round last July and is almost certain to continue beyond the trip to Anfield next week.
Sporting recorded arguably the biggest surprise of this season’s league phase with their win against champions PSG, which they can add to home successes over Marseille and Club Brugge. They are yet to win away from home, though, and Athletic Club in Bilbao will pose a stiff challenge. Coach Rui Borges’ side had just a seven per cent chance of making the top eight after their first four matches, which yielded seven points. Two wins in the three since (with the other match being a loss at Bayern) has seen that rise to 37 per cent.
Galatasaray were given a 45 per cent chance of league-phase elimination heading into the tournament. That dropped to 30 per cent after Matchday 2, when they beat visitors Liverpool 1-0. Following their 1-1 draw with Atletico this week, like Qarabag, the Istanbul side have less than a one per cent chance of elimination, so are virtually guaranteed a spot in next month’s play-offs regardless of what happens against Manchester City at the Etihad on Wednesday. They will be a challenging prospect for anyone in that round, too.
Galatasaray should now make the play-offs, despite a tricky-looking final-day trip to Manchester CityBurak Basturk/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
Finally, our projections were down on Ajax before the season began, giving the Netherlands’ four-time European champions a 58 per cent chance of being eliminated before the knockouts. A run of five losses to begin their campaign, by a combined score of 15 goals to one, saw that figure rise to over 99 per cent.
But this league-phase format always gives you a second (or in their case, sixth) chance.
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Ajax have won their past two, defeating Qarabag 4-2 and Villarreal 2-1 on their own pitches to reduce their odds of an exit, albeit marginally, to 92 per cent. A win against Olympiacos, who are 24th with eight points, in Amsterdam and a series of other results going their way could now see them sneak into the play-offs.
It is a slim possibility but even keeping themselves in the mix via back-to-back away victories deserves credit.
Trinity Rodman’s new Spirit deal and what it means. Plus: Robertson to Tottenham?
Rodman warms up prior to Washington Spirit’s NWSL match against Houston Dash Jamie Sabau/NWSL via Getty Images
Rodman retained: Spirit star brings saga to close with $2m-a-year deal to stay in NWSL
Jeff Dean/NWSL via Getty Images
It would be wrong to say that Trinity Rodman is bigger than the NWSL — but entirely fair to argue that the NWSL has no bigger player in it. Not for anybody would a league go so far in fighting to cling on to an individual footballer.
A competition’s prestige depends on the calibre of athlete in it, which explains why Major League Soccer has bent so far backwards in accommodating Lionel Messi. Messi is box office, the same as Rodman. Recruiting them and retaining them makes total business sense.
The NWSL ran the risk of losing Rodman ahead of the 2026 season and realised its profile would suffer if she upped sticks and continued her club career abroad. It would be worse again if the drain of talent from America to Europe or elsewhere became incessant. And so, concessions were made.
It’s great news for the Spirit and the league, both of whom threw everything at retaining the USWNT forward. It will be a relief for Rodman, who had been stuck in the renewal cycle for longer than she would have liked. This is what she’s negotiated:
The Spirit are handing Rodman a new three-year deal. That takes her through 2028, by which point she should be absolutely in her prime.
According to her agent, the contract is worth in excess of $2m (£1.5m) a year and makes her the highest-paid player in women’s football.
That’s a sharp increase on her previous four-year deal which, in its entirety, was worth $1.1m. She’s one of the world’s best, and she’s been highly valued ever since the Spirit made her the youngest player to be drafted in the NWSL at 18 in 2021.
“The league, all of us, all the governors and the league leadership, work very, very hard to ensure that we not only attract the best talent, but we keep them here,” said Spirit owner Michele Kang. They’ve gone out on a limb in preventing Rodman from slipping through their fingers.
Salary cap dispute
The NWSL’s established salary cap would not have allowed the Spirit to pay Rodman what she thought she was worth. It’s why this process dragged on. So to create some extra wiggle room, the NWSL effectively moved the goalposts.
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It created the High Impact Player rule (already nicknamed the ‘Rodman Rule’) which allowed NWSL teams to pay up to $1m above the wage cap to any footballer who met certain criteria. The league says it is thinking about the future of the competition as a whole — but it’s hardly coincidental that the new mechanism arrived when it did.
The NWSL Players Association isn’t happy. Last week, it filed a grievance over the High Impact Player rule, something the NWSL will have to address, though Rodman will get paid regardless of what happens. The scenario underlines a problem with salary caps: they’re created with the best of intentions, in the interests of financial stability or fair competition, but in the end, and in a sport as global as football, they’re prone to market forces. Last year, Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma left the United States for Chelsea for large fees. The NWSL seems acutely aware of Europe’s growing spending power.
“This is a monumental moment, not only for the Spirit, but for NWSL as well,” Kang said. They’re making no secret of it. The league wants the brightest and the best to be playing there — and while it might not win that war long term, it won the battle with Rodman.
Our head of global women’s soccer, Emily Olsen, gave us her take on yesterday’s big-money resolution:
“Everyone wants to ‘grow the game’, yet few agree how to do that. This contract is an inflection point after a battle between those investing millions to grow the business and those investing their lives and bodies. While many will want to take credit for Rodman staying in NWSL, you can’t overlook the role of the community.
“Her rookie season involved overcoming the challenges of a pandemic, an ugly ownership battle, and a coach being removed over allegations of emotional abuse. That year, the team won a championship. The players and the fans rallied around each other in a way that’s still visible. The end result is what happens when you use investment to pay the players and foster community on and off the field.”
U.S. women’s national team forward Trinity Rodman is staying with the Washington Spirit, signing a new three-year contract to stay with the team through 2028, the team announced on Thursday in a special event at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Rodman’s new deal is set to make her the highest-paid women’s soccer player in the world, worth in excess of $2 million annually, according to her agent, Mike Senkowski of Upper 90 Sports Group.
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The forward’s previous four-year, $1.1 million extension signed in 2022 after her rookie season lapsed on Dec. 31, 2025.
On Thursday, Rodman signed her contract during the live event, flanked by Spirit owner Michele Kang, president of soccer operations Haley Carter and CEO Kim Stone in L.A., where the forward is training with the U.S. ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Paraguay.
“This is one of the biggest moments, for me personally, as well as for the Spirit. I flew all the way from London to be here today,” Kang, who also owns London City Lionesses in England and OL Lyonnes in France, said. “I can’t tell you how excited I am. I had to wait for this for a long time.”
The 23-year-old Rodman has spent her entire professional career with the Spirit. The team selected her second overall in the 2021 NWSL draft and made her the youngest player to be drafted (18) at the time. That same year, Rodman was named Rookie of the Year and the Spirit went on to win the NWSL championship. She provided the assist for Kelley O’Hara’s game-winning goal.
Before this current deal, the club had made Rodman a different multimillion-dollar offer that the NWSL rejected because it failed to honor the “spirit” of the league’s rules, according to sources who spoke with The Athletic at the time.
Rodman’s deal utilizes the new High Impact Player rule, which the league introduced on Dec. 23. The mechanism, colloquially known as the “Rodman Rule,” allows NWSL teams to spend up to $1 million above the salary cap on players who meet certain criteria, including USWNT minutes and appearances on various media lists. The NWSL insists the rule was created with the future of the league in mind, but with its timing — in the midst of the conversation about Rodman, one week before her free agency started — sources have said the player was a key factor in its creation. The rule does not take effect until July 1, but teams can start signing players to deals now.
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“The league, all of us, all the governors and the league leadership, work very, very hard to ensure that we not only attract the best talent, but we keep them here,” Kang said. “Trin’s contract certainly is benefiting from it. But it was not just for Trin. It’s much bigger than (one player). It’s for the league-wide efforts.”
Last week, the NWSL Players Association filed a formal grievance opposing the High Impact Player rule, arguing that it “circumvents the collective bargaining process” and should be rescinded. Players, through the union, also communicated their concern that the criteria “privileges a biased voting system that heavily favors European players” and does not account “for the high impact that Brazilian, African, and Japanese Players (sic) have had and will continue to have on NWSL.”
Rodman’s landmark move to stay narrowly avoids a foray into European soccer after what would have been a short but explosive career in the U.S. that included an NWSL Championship and Rookie of the Year award in 2021 and two finalist appearances. Her signing also concludes more than three months of tense back and forth between the NWSL, the Spirit, the NWSL Players’ Association (NWSLPA) and Rodman’s representation about her future; however, discussions over Rodman’s future at the club started as early as the start of 2025.
“This is a monumental moment, not only for the Spirit, but for NWSL as well. But personally, my involvement with this Spirit literally started with Trinity. I still remember the Draft Day,” Kang said. “I can’t think about Washington Spirit without her, and I hope she can’t think about her career without Washington Spirit.”
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The Spirit reached the NWSL Championship twice more in 2024 and 2025, losing to the Orlando Pride and Gotham FC, respectively. Overall, Rodman proved an irreplaceable force and a highly marketable icon. She amassed a total of 28 goals and 17 assists in 97 appearances across all competitions.
Rodman’s previous season with the Spirit was plagued by injuries: first a persistent back issue that kept her out of action for four months, and then a minor MCL strain that took a month to rehab. Despite her absences, she still scored five goals, including a game-winner in August upon her return from her back injury, and recorded two assists. She returned to the U.S. this week for her first camp under Emma Hayes since April 2025.
“It’s a monumental and game-changing moment right now,” Rodman said. “Everyone’s gonna have their different thoughts and opinions about it, but I’ve never really cared. That doesn’t change anything for me. I think I’ve always had a vision and kind of an idea of what I wanted my legacy to be and continue to be.
“This is just opening opportunities for American girls with dreams, and I am one, and was one of them. I’m just very grateful about that. And it’s perfect timing with the World Cup happening in the U.S., too.”
Hey Soccer Fans – it was a busy holiday season that had me on the road for the better part of 3 weeks so I am just back to getting the Ole Ballcoach in Gear for 2026. I will kick in some end of year stuff as we go over the next few weeks – but in the meantime – here are the games to watch – full TV schedule for the next week and where all the American’s will be playing across the globe. Hope you had a safe holiday and are ready for a Happy New Year!
Around the World of Soccer
Sad to see Ricardo Pepi break his right arm as he looks to be out a spell – hope he gets back in time for the World Cup. Pulisic is still on fire and stands 2nd in Serie A in goals at 8 despite playing just over half the minutes of the leaders. Chris Richards was justifyably named US Player of the Year for his success with Crystal Palace and solidifying a spot in the back with the US team. Now if only Trusty or Robinson or someone will step up alongside. Crazy to see all the firings in Europe first at Man U with Carrick in charge now, Chelsea with Liam Rosenior, Spalleti at Juve, then Real Madrid (Alonso was so hot with Leverkusen) has been replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa – just wow. Speaking of Carrick it would be huge if he could upset Man City in the Manchester Derby Sat 7:30 am at home. Wouldn’t that be great! Switching to the ladies it was great to see Rose Lavelle won the US Women’s Player of the Year (read below)– and also Great to see Lindsay Horan (Heaps now) is coming home to the US from Europe – check out this Video. I promise more content next week.
US Women’s Coach Emma Hayes names Roster for Jan 24 vs Paraguay & Jan 27 vs Chile Games
The roster features the return of forward Trinity Rodman, who played in just one USWNT match in 2025, a 2-0 victory over Brazil at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. In that match, she scored the game-winning goal. Rodman, 23, has the most caps (47) and goals (11) of anyone on the roster. The other 22 field players on the roster have a combined 17 international goals. As the January training camp falls outside a FIFA competition window, Hayes named a roster made up entirely of players from the National Women’s Soccer League, with Rodman currently unattached, including four first-time call-ups in forwards Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC) and Reilyn Turner (Portland Thorns FC) and midfielders Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage) and Sally Menti (Seattle Reign FC). Dahlien and Jackson featured in all five U.S. U-23 WNT events in 2025 and were on the roster for the January 2025 Futures Camp in Florida. 2026 January Training Camp Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 6) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 4), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC; 0) DEFENDERS (8): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; 5/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 9/1), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current; 1/1), Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit; 9/0), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 7/0), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 4/0), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC; 2/0), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit; 2/0) MIDFIELDERS (8): Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit; 5/0), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit; 3/0), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 11/1), Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage; 0/0), Lo’eau LaBonta (Kansas City Current; 4/0), Sally Menti (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Sam Meza (Seattle Reign FC; 2/0), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 11/5) FORWARDS (7): Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC; 0/0), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars FC; 1/0), Trinity Rodman (Unattached; 47/11), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 15/2), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 12/4), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current; 13/4), Reilyn Turner (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0)
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GAMES ON TV
Sat, 1/17 7:30 am Man United vs Man City 8 am ESPN+ REal MAdrid vs Levante 9 am Para+ Udinese vs Inter Milan 9:30 am ESPN+ MGladback (Reyna, Scalley) vs Hamburger 10 am USA Liverpool vs Burnley 10 am Peacock Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Fulham (Jedi) 10 am Peacock Sunderland vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 12:30 pm NBC Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal 12:30 pm ESPN+ RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich 2:45 pm Para+ Cagliari vs Juventus (Mckinney) Sun, Jan 18 9 am USA Wolverhampton vs New Castle 10:15 am ESPN+, Des Athletico (Cardosa) vs Alaves 11:30 am USA Aston Villa vs Everton 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Lecce 3 pm ESPN+, Des Real Sociedad vs Barcelona 8 pm TUDN Pachuca vs America ( ) Mon, 1/19 3 pm USA Brighton vs Bournemouth Tues, Jan 20- CHAMPS LEAGUE 12:45 pm CBSSN, Para+ Glint vs Man City 3 pm Uni, Para+, Real Madrid vs Monaco (Folagon) 3 pm Para+ Sporting CP vs PSG 3 pm Para+ Villarreal vs Ajax Wed, Jan 21 Champs League 12:45 pm CBSSN, Para Galatasaray vs Atletico Madrid (Cardosa) 3 pm Para+ Juventus (Mckinney) vs Benefica 3 pm CBSSN New Castle United vs PSV (Dest) 3 pm Para Atalanta vs Athletic Club 3 pm Chelsea vs Paphos 3 pm Liverpool vs Marseille () Thurs, 1/22 Europa 12:45 pm Bologna vs Celtic (Trusty) 12:45 pm Para+ Fenerbache cs Aston Villa 12:45 pm Para+ Young Boys vs Lyonnais (Tessman) 3 pm CBSSN Roma vs Stuttgart 3 pm Para+ Celta Vigo vs Lille 3 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Braga 3 pm Para+ Rangers vs Lodogorets Sat, Jan 24 5:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Paraguay Tues, Jan 27 10 pm TBS, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Chile Sun, Mar 1 She Believes Cup Starts 5 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Argentina Wed, Mar 4 She Believes Cup 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Canada (Columbus, OH) Sat, Mar 7 She Believes Cup 3:30 pm TBS, HBO, Peacock USA Women vs Colombia Sat, Mar 28 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Belgium Tues, Mar 31 7 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Portugal Sun, May 31 3:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Senegal Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT, HBO, Peacock USA Men vs Germany in Chicago Sat, June 12 WORLD CUP 9 pm Fox, Tele, Peacock USA Men vs Paraguay World Cup
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Full steam ahead
Head to head matchups in the EPL and Bundesliga Stars & Stripes
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There is a wealth of action on Saturday, including several head-to-head matchups.
Saturday
Coventry City v Leicester City – 7:30a on CBSSN: Haji Wright hasn’t scored since October and Coventry City are on a three match winless streak but the team still hold a six point lead in the English Championship heading into their matchup with twelfth place Leicester.
Wolfsburg v Heidenheim – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Kevin Paredes has come off the bench in Wolfsburg’s last two matches as he gets back to game fitness. Wolfsburg fell to Bayern Munich 8-1 in Paredes’s return but defeated St. Pauli 2-1 last weekend to move up to eleventh place in the table. They face last place Heidenheim this weekend.
Borussia Dortmund v St. Pauli – 9:30a on ESPN Select: James Sands and St. Pauli are tied with Mainz and Heidenheim on twelve points at the bottom of the Bundesliga table. They will face second place Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. Sands has started nearly every match for St. Pauli this season, missing just one due to concussion but St. Pauli’s results have been lacking with just three wins on the season and only one since mid-September.
Hamburger v Borussia Monchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Gio Reyna did not make it off the bench midweek in Gladbach’s 5-1 loss to Hoffenheim and played just 5 minutes off the bench last wweekend in their 4-0 win over Augsburg. However, Joe Scally continues to see regular starts for the club who are currently in tenth place heading into their visit to fourteenth place Hamburg.
Hoffenheim v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Cole Campbell was held out last weekend in his first match with Hoffenheim so we may be deprived of a USYNT v USMNT matchup this weekend as Hoffenheim host Malik Tillman and sixth place Leverkusen. Tillman picked up an assist last weekend but Leverkusen fell to Stuttgart 4-1 last Saturday to drop out of the top four.
Koln v Mainz – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Kristoffer Lund and twelfth place Koln face 16th place Mainz and Lennard Maloney on Saturday. Maloney has just six minutes in the last three matches for Mainz who have not been able to pull themselves out of relegation but are coming off a 2-1 win over Heidenheim. Meanwhile, Lund has played in thirteen straight for Koln who are winless in the past eight as they’ve slid down the table.
Sunderland v Crystal Palace – 10a on Peacock: Chris Richards has missed the last four league matches for Palace who are on a six match winless streak but he was on the field last weekend in Palace’s embarrassing 2-1 loss to sixth tier Macclesfield in the FA Cup. Palace have fallen to thirteenth place in the league table with their recent slide and will be facing tenth place Sunderland on Saturday.
Leeds United v Fulham – 10a on Peacock: Brenden Aaronson and sixteenth place will host Antonee Robinson and ninth place Fulham on Saturday. Aaronson has three goals in his last two matches for Leeds though they fell to Newcastle 4-3 despite his Brace ten days ago. On the other side, Robinson returned six matches ago and has started every match since with Fulham undefeated over that span with fourteen points as they’ve risen from fifteenth place to the top ten.
Toulouse v Nice – 1p on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie and Toulouse defeated Angers in penalties to advance in the Coupe de France last weekend with McKenzie wearing the captains armband. McKenzie has started nearly every match for Toulouse who are in eighth place in the league standings.
Fortuna Sittard v PSV – 2p on ESPN Select: Ricardo Pepi broke his arm while scoring last weekend and is expected to miss about two months for recovery but Sergino Dest continues to start week in and week out for PSV who have won twelve straight matches and are now running away with the league title.
Cagliari v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie may be on the move this January as rumors are swirling about interest from the Premier league as well as elsewhere in Italy as reports are that he won’t be resigning with Juventus when his current contract expires in six months. In the meantime of course he continues to start for Juventus and scored and assisted last weekend in Juve’s 5-0 win over Cremonese. Juventus are in fourth place and will face sixteenth place Cagliari on Saturday.
Angers v Olympique Marseille – 3:05p on beIN Sports: Tim Weah has started five straight for Marseille who maintain their third place spot despite falling to Nantes last weekend. They are tied on points at fourth place Lille at this point with the top three automatically qualifying for the Champions League positions.
Sunday
Atletico Madrid v Deportivo Alaves – 10:15a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso saw 30’ off the bench last weekend and got the start midweek in Copa del Ray action but he has just two league appearances since August. Atletico drew with Real Sociedad last weekend and are in fourth place, three points back of third, and eleven back of league leading Barcelona.
Augsburg v Freiburg – 11:30a on ESPN Select: After starting the first five matches of the season on the bench Noahkai Banks has started 12 straight matches for Augsburg. It has not all been smooth sailing as Augsburg have just three wins in that time and are currently only three points ahead of the relegation zone but Banks has been getting key developmental minutes in the Bundesliga was still being just nineteen. Augsburg host ninth place Freiburg this weekend who are coming off a 2-0 loss to RB Leipzig.
Olympique Lyon v Brest – 2:45p on beIN Sports: After missing a few matches due to “dead leg” Tanner Tessmann came in off the bench in Lyon’s 3-1 win over Monaco last weekend and then started midweek in the teams Coupe de France victory over fellow Ligue 1 side Lille. Lyon remain in fifth place as they host eleventh place Brest on Sunday.
AC Milan v Lecce – 2:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic received a rare day off on Thursday as AC Milan defeated Como 3-1 to keep pace with Inter at the top of the table, remaining three points back of the league leaders. On Sunday they will host Lecce who are three points ahead of Fiorentina for the final relegation spot.
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Josh Sargent’s Norwich transfer saga: What we’re hearing about the wantaway USMNT striker
U.S. men’s national team striker Josh Sargent has made it quite clear that he wants out of Norwich City, but the move he desires might not happen as soon as he hopes.MLS side Toronto FC has made an $18 million offer for the striker, who finished in the EFL Championship team of the season last year. But Norwich insists it is not going to part with the team’s starting forward in the middle of the season — and especially not as it attempts to fight its way out of the relegation zone.The transfer saga kicked off last weekend. Sargent messaged Norwich manager Philippe Clement ahead of Norwich’s FA Cup game against Walsall on Sunday to say he was not available for the game. After the game, Clement insisted Sargent would not move in this window.“He sent me a message to say that he was not available today because of transfer things that are in his head,” Clement said. “We need to speak about that this week inside the club.“The club has been really clear about that. We know which situation we are in. Him and his agent know the situation, so he will not leave in this transfer window.”Sources at the club backed their manager’s statement, saying that Sargent is not for sale.The MLS primary transfer window is open through March 26, meaning this saga could in theory extend into the spring. Toronto’s $18 million bid would be the third largest fee in MLS history, trailing Son Heung-min ($26.5 million) and Emmanuel Latte Lath ($22 million plus add-ons). Latte Lath came to Atlanta United from Middlesbrough, also in the Championship.While any potential final fee will be among the highest in MLS history, Norwich views it as below the market rate given the player’s output, pedigree, age and recent transfer interest.
Sargent’s season with Norwich City has been a mix of goals and frustrationStephen Pond / Getty Images
Sargent has scored 51 goals in the Championship over the last three-and-a-half seasons. The 25-year-old initially came to England from Werder Bremen, where the St. Louis native began his professional career.Sargent had the opportunity to return to Germany in the summer. Wolfsburg had a $28 million bid accepted by Norwich and personal terms were generally agreed. At the final stage, Sargent opted to stay at Norwich for personal reasons. Half a year later, with Norwich surprisingly locked in a relegation battle, the situation has changed.It’s not the first time Sargent has been close to a move across the Atlantic. In the summer of 2024, FC Cincinnati pushed hard for the American forward — its bid was north of $20 million — and personal terms would have been no issue, but Norwich demanded more than $25 million to even get its attention in negotiations.Norwich feels confident that it wouldn’t lose too much market value waiting for the summer window and, with the team in a susceptible position in the table and Sargent under contract through 2028, the club is set on avoiding a precedent by allowing a player to force a move. Saturday’s match at Wrexham will indicate whether his stance on playing for the club again has changed over the last week — and it could indicate that the game of chicken is now on between player and club.USMNT’s World Cup Roster PictureUSA World Cup roster battle exposes key questions for Mauricio PochettinoThe fight for World Cup roster spots will continue into 2026 for the USMNT
Norwich has added incentive to keep him as it digs out of a hole in the table. The club fired manager Liam Manning after starting the season with just two wins, two draws and 11 losses in the first 15 games. Clement was hired on Nov. 18, and the team is 4-4-3 since then, but remains in the drop zone with 24 points while having played at least one more match than the clubs it is chasing. (Sargent’s form has been rather the opposite: he started the season with six goals in his first five games in all competitions. Since then, he has scored just twice.)Nevertheless, Toronto has long identified Sargent as a top target this winter in its search for a designated player at the No. 9 position, the potential crown jewel of a rebuild and rebirth back to prominence in MLS after being one of the league’s defining teams in the late 2010s.The Canadian club, finally able to move forward into a new era, has rebuilt a broken locker room and trimmed a lot of fat from a bloated salary cap that included disastrous deals for Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi. The Italians departed in the summer, while several more bad contracts expired this winter to give Toronto further flexibility.The 2026 season was the light at the end of the tunnel after missing the playoffs five straight seasons, cycling through four permanent head coaches and two long stints under interim managers.
Sargent’s goal drought with the USMNT stretches back to 2019Michael Owens / Getty Images
American attacker Djordje Mihailovic arrived in the summer for an $8 million cash trade from the Colorado Rapids. Ecuador international midfielder Jose Cifuentes soon followed. A permanent transfer for Canadian international winger Theo Corbeanu was sealed this winter after a strong debut season on loan, and then TFC added one of the marquee defensive free agents, Walker Zimmerman, to anchor the back line. Brazilian left back Matheus Pereira is the other key offseason signing.Adding a player of Sargent’s quality could build on this solid foundation and once again make TFC a contender in the Eastern Conference – but it’s not going to happen without Norwich’s sign-off, something that as of now is not going to materialize.For Sargent, the hope would be that a move to MLS might reignite his hopes of making the U.S.’s World Cup roster in the summer. Sargent has not scored for the U.S. since 2019. Even during his best runs of form with Norwich, the goals haven’t come. Sargent, in the meantime, has fallen behind Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright and potentially even fellow Championship striker Patrick Agyemang in the pecking order for Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.If Sargent, who started two games at the 2022 World Cup, wants a shot at making the 2026 team, he’ll need to be on the field banging in goals — whether in England with the Canaries or elsewhere.
Chris Richards named U.S. Soccer’s 2025 Male Player of the Year
Chris Richards, who over the last year emerged as a mainstay for both Crystal Palace and the U.S. men’s national team, has been named U.S. Soccer’s 2025 Male Player of the Year. The 25-year-old defender won the annual award over USMNT teammates Malik Tillman, Alex Freeman, Max Arfsten and Matt Freese, the other finalists. Richards earned it based on his play for the national team, but also his achievements in England for Crystal Palace, which he helped to an FA Cup title – the club’s first major trophy in its multi-century history – and August’s Community Shield.Richards started 45 games for Palace in the calendar year, entrenching himself as the right-sided center back in coach Oliver Glasner’s back three. The Birmingham, Ala., native also started 11 games for the national team, captained the U.S. once and was the most consistent player throughout the Concacaf Gold Cup. He started all six games en route to the final, emerged as a leader and scored in that final — which the U.S. ultimately lost to Mexico, 2-1.Richards received 48.6 percent of a weighted vote, quite comfortably beating Tillman (21.7 percent) and Freeman (13), the two next closest in the running. The winner is chosen by a weighted combination of national team members, coaches, fans, media, former players, the U.S. Soccer board of directors, the U.S. Soccer Athletes’ Council, and pro league coaches and sporting directors.Richards was presented with the word of his honor on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show, where he was an unsuspecting guest.“It means the world to me,” said Richards, who joins current U.S. teammates Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Zack Steffen as winners of the award. He’s the second consecutive defender to win it after Robinson, and he’s looking ahead to 2026 and this summer’s World Cup with bigger goals in mind.“As a defender people tend to say it’s a lot of pressure, but I think pressure builds diamonds,” Richards added. “That’s something that with this team, with this country – we’re Americans. We like to win, we like to scrap, we like to fight, and that’s definitely what we’re going to do in the summer and hopefully by the end of it we’re holding a big trophy.”By Henry Bushnell
Manchester United vs Manchester City: Tactical battles? Key players? Impact of derby atmosphere?
Bruno Fernandes and Antoine Semenyo are likely to be key figures in this weekend’s Manchester derby Carl Recine, Stu Forster/Getty Images
It is straight into the thick of it for Michael Carrick as Manchester United’s new interim head coach, as he finds himself charged with the task of besting Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on Saturday.
On top of the removal of head coach Ruben Amorim, three underwhelming Premier League draws in a row and elimination from the FA Cup at the first hurdle leave United in desperate need of a performance to lift fans’ spirits. For City, a win at Old Trafford is necessary to keep the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal, before their trip to Nottingham Forest later in the day. Their own run of three consecutive league draws has cost them momentum (and points) in the title race.
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Ahead of the 198th Manchester derby, our United writer Carl Anka and City counterpart Sam Lee preview some of the big talking points.
How will your club handle the derby atmosphere?
Carl Anka: These are troubled times for Manchester United. This derby is the first of Michael Carrick’s 17 matches as interim head coach over the remainder of the season, as co-owner INEOS’ staff attempt a reboot following Ruben Amorim’s turbulent 14 months in charge. A divided fanbase alternates between apathy and anger, but it was interesting to hear that a protest is planned for the next home game, against Fulham on February 1, rather than this one.
This derby will bring many disparate sections of the fanbase together, if only to combat a familiar and common foe. Winning is the best cure for any ailing football club, and if Carrick can deliver a positive result and performance, then this four-month interregnum will be off to a good start.
This will be Michael Carrick’s first game in his new jobGeorge Wood/Getty Images
Sam Lee: The blueprint for these matches has always been ‘one thousand million passes’ from Pep Guardiola’s men, but the interesting thing about this season is that City do not really have players whose first thought is to keep the ball — or perhaps they try to, but not quite as well as required.
However, by looking at their intentions away to Real Madrid in December and against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup, they are clearly still trying to dominate the ball — you can tell by the number of times they pass backwards rather than bursting forwards.
That said, there is huge potential for wingers — presumably Jeremy Doku on the left and Antoine Semenyo on the right — to burst forward into the box and try to make something happen, and whoever else plays in midfield — Phil Foden, Tijjani Reijnders or Rayan Cherki — will have big roles in helping to tie everything together.
Carrick likes his team to build possession steadily from the back, but also gives licence for his attacking players to express themselves in the final third. When it worked well for Middlesbrough in the second-tier Championship, it was thrilling. When the club lost their best players, though, it became slow and methodical to watch.
Recent Manchester derbies have seen City dominate possession and United try to win on the counter-attack. Carrick’s managerial career so far suggests he might want this team to play in a more expansive manner eventually, but this weekend he may stick with the blueprints that delivered derby success to more than one of his predecessors.
Which player is key for your club in this game?
Anka: Here, I typically write 150 words explaining the importance of Bruno Fernandes. Or 150 words explaining how I’ve grown tired of answering ‘Bruno Fernandes’ to this question, so instead will spotlight someone else.
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Let’s try to do both today. Fernandes remains the critical player around whom United’s many attackers orbit, but Saturday’s match may be defined by Casemiro. United’s standard of play has a nasty habit of cratering when the 33-year-old is unavailable. He’s their best defensive midfielder, able to turn defence into attack with a smart tackle and even smarter switch-pass out wide. The Brazilian is also one of the team’s top aerial options in both boxes during set pieces, too.
The remainder of United’s season will rest on how many minutes Casemiro and Fernandes manage in the remaining 17 games.
Lee: It is hard to choose between Rodri and Bernardo.
Bernardo understands what games like this need, Rodri is a top-level player and his physicality and ability to pick out the right vertical pass would be an amazing boost to a team who have learnt to play pretty well without him over the 16 months since that ACL knee injury against Arsenal.
Rodri will be integral to City if he playsShaun Botterill/Getty Images
You could look at Erling Haaland as the obvious goal threat, or young Max Alleyne, who has done brilliantly in defence and is facing another big test, and there could be a moment from any of them that decides the result.
But those two in the middle will have the biggest say on how the game itself looks.
Which opposing player is the biggest threat?
Anka: City’s victory over Newcastle in that Carabao Cup semi-final first leg earlier this week contained some ominous signs. The idea of Semenyo and Doku running at Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu at Old Trafford on Saturday is frightening.
Lee: Marcus Rashford has been one of the most obvious thorns in City’s side whenever United have got a result in the derby recently, thanks to his pace on the break and finishing, but it is usually Fernandes who fires off those passes in behind.
Anka: I choose to believe United will do it. Carrick’s plucky side shock the league with an unexpected counter-attacking win. So, 2-1 to the home side. One goal from a set piece, one from a moment of quality against an unsettled City back line.
Lee: You can never be quite sure how these bigger away games will go this season, with them generally being more open and end-to-end than in recent years. Add in the change of manager at United, and things seem even more unpredictable. But City were impressive against Newcastle in midweek, and if they can add Rodri back into the mix, I think they have a great chance of winning — especially if Semenyo keeps adding an extra goal threat.
Manchester United are without a permanent manager, so they need a comfort blanket. And as we know, the only thing that seems to comfort Manchester United is someone with some connection to Sir Alex Ferguson taking over in some form of interim and/or caretaker fashion.
Since Ferguson retired, Ryan Giggs, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Darren Fletcher have all fulfilled the role as the man to make United feel safe again, for varying amounts of time and to varying degrees of success.
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Now it’s Carrick (again), who begins his second interim spell in the big chair — this time as the permanent interim rather than the interim-interim Fletcher. This actually mirrors the situation he was in the first time around, taking over after Solskjaer was sacked and before Ralf Rangnick arrived to complete the 2021-22 season. So this is technically a promotion for him.
Carrick will be introduced as Ruben Amorim’s temporary successor tomorrow (Friday), and certain words, phrases or themes are surely going to come up. Here are a few to listen out for…
‘The Manchester United way’
Is this the most talked about ‘way’ in football? And yet, it’s always been slightly tricky to pin down exactly what this idea means. A cynic might suggest it’s just ‘win games of football’, but listen out for talk of this fabled philosophy.
In fairness, the club’s caretaker managers of yore have tried to explain it. “It’s going to be a Manchester United philosophy,” roared Giggs, when he took over from David Moyes for the death rattle of the 2013-14 season. “Passion, speed, tempo, be brave, imagination. Work hard but, most of all, enjoy it. If you enjoy it, you can express yourself more.”
Ryan Giggs is a big proponent of the ‘Manchester United way’Andrew Yates/AFP via Getty Images
Solskjaer echoed this by saying he wanted his team to “play with courage, go out there and express your skills, take risks” and “when you’re at Manchester United, there are a set of demands”, while Van Nistelrooy said that his first team talk involved “telling them about what Manchester United is about and what it is to play at Old Trafford”.
Now, this is something of a red herring. You could easily get sucked into the idea that the candidate will say variants of the immortal words “this is Manchester United Football Club we’re talking about”, usually delivered in that sort of incredulous tone which is intended to convey the full weight and significance of this august institution, which is so significant and august that you shouldn’t need to say anything else.
However, this is not generally the remit of the ex-player turned caretaker boss, and rather something that is usually confined to pundits on radio or TV, largely because there’s an element of exasperation to the words that emphasise what a mess United are in and how badly things have been managed. All of that said, it’s possible this phrase will make an appearance when Carrick sits down with the media on Friday, so keep an ear open for it.
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There is, however, always a quasi-religious element to how former players-turned-interims speak about Manchester United: it’s like the club is God, Ferguson is the Pope and they are the cardinals. So be alert for some reference to the club being all-consuming, an entity that is now a fundamental part of their being.
At Carrick’s first unveiling, he said “this club has been my life for a long time” and spoke about the “sacrifice” required to do the job, while Giggs said United “has been the biggest part of my life since I was 14”, which in fairness was less him bowing to the majesty of the place as a football institution and more a statement of fact.
‘A dream come true’
Forget their weddings or the birth of their kids, there’s no topping being appointed United manager.
“It’s an amazing honour to be able to lead a Manchester United team,” said Fletcher. “I don’t even think it’s in my wildest dreams that it was something that could potentially happen.” Giggs described it as “the proudest moment of my life”, while Solskjaer, upon getting the job permanently after doing so well as the interim, said: “You know when people say they’re taking their dream job — that’s more true for me than anyone.”
‘I’ve not thought about the permanent job’
It’s important to recognise that this is a short-term gig and you shouldn’t be presumptuous. At some point, you will be asked if you want to stay for longer than the initial proposed time period, but these questions must be played with a straight bat.
Hopefully, someone tomorrow asks Carrick if he’s going to use the manager’s parking space, something that Solskjaer reportedly didn’t do because he believed it still belonged to Ferguson. This was the peak of the Fergie deference scale — almost topped by Fletcher revealing he had asked for his former manager’s “blessing” to take caretaker control for two games — something all former United players (barring Roy Keane) are obliged to do.
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On the one hand, you get it: we might not have heard of most of these guys had it not been for Ferguson; he is their primary influence, their model of what a manager is. Why would you not lean on him for advice? On the other hand, it does become slightly embarrassing to watch these grown men essentially turn into small boys who have to ask Daddy for permission.
Darren Fletcher sought Sir Alex Ferguson’s ‘blessing’ ahead of his two-game spell in chargeOli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images
Anyway, speaking to him will almost certainly come up: Van Nistelrooy did so when he was asked to hold the fort post-Erik ten Hag; Solskjaer called Ferguson his “mentor”, who had “influenced me on everything” and that there was “no one to get better advice from”; Carrick was actually quite interesting on the Scot, saying he spoke to him “several times” before taking the job first time around, and that he deliberately tried not to get too close to his old boss during his playing days.
And then there was Fletcher, who said, remarkably: “I don’t like to make any major decisions without speaking to Sir Alex.”
‘I’m my own man’
While Ferguson will always be the United godhead, these are still men with pride and ego, so there also must be some attempt to make clear that they are an autonomous being; a real boy with his own mind.
“It’s going to be my philosophy,” declared Giggs, undermining himself slightly by describing that as a “Manchester United philosophy”, while Solskjaer referred to his “philosophy, principles, how we want to play,” and Carrick the first time round said, “I have it very clear in my mind how I want the team to play.”
Fletcher, who admittedly didn’t have a lot of scope to put his stamp on things because he only had two games, nevertheless said he hoped they looked “like a Manchester United team that represents a bit of me”.
Champions & Europa League Play Returns Tues/Wed/Thurs Match Day 6
Awesome to see the top clubs in the World battle it out – thru 5 rounds Arsenal, Bayern, Atalanta, PSG & Inter stand in the Top 5, while my Juventus with McKinney & Leverkusen with Tillman are just above the cut line. American’s Ricardo Pepi scored late for PSV in a 3-2 loss, and Foralin Balogon scored the winner for Monico over Galatasaray for his 3rd straight Champions League game with a Goal. McKinney’s stunner the winner for Juve in Champs league. Not UCL but Pulisic has been deadly in front of net this season for AC Milan as he’s tied for Serie A lead for scoring despite only playing 9 games. Pulisic ties it up 30 seconds after coming on then Supersub Scores a Brace as Milan wins it. See all the US players playing below.
US Draw Includes Australia, Paraguay, (Euro Winner Turkey?)
So the US got a decent draw – no reason the US can’t get out of this group – honestly in the #1 slot. The US has recently beaten both Australia and Paraguay in the past few months often without our team. The draw looks like we could make a run to Sweet 16 where we would face Belgium – again. But lets not count our chickens yet. Also exciting to see the US has signed to play Germany in Chicago June 6, and Portugal and Belgium in Atlanta in late March.
Inter Miami & Messi Win MLS Cup over Vancouver
Messi continued his mastery over MLS – with a goal and an Assist in the 3-1 win over a game Vancouver at home in Miami. MLS Final Highlights The win finally justifies the extreme amount of money Miami has spent in signing the trifecta of Messi, Jordi Alba & Sergio Busquets (both of who are retiring). Fun game to watch as Vancouver made a game of it before Messi helped Miami pull away late.
Former Carmel GK Eric Dick Signs with Indy 11 after winning USL Championship for Pittsburgh
Awesome to see former Carmel Dad’s Club/Carmel High/Butler GK Eric Dick is coming home to Indy as he will return to the Indy 11 this upcoming season — fresh off a Player of the USL Championship performance for Pittsburgh.
Notes
Thrilled for Wilfried Nancy, who has just moved from Columbus to manage Celtic. We’ve had him on a number of times. He is such a soulful, inspirational leader. I can’t wait to watch him learn and grow in Scotland. I want to send huge love to the great Shaka Hislop (ESPN Analyst), who revealed he is battling prostate cancer and urged Caribbean men to get tested. His message is a crucial one. I wish Shaka and his family strength and health at this moment.
Mohomed, Margaret, and Shane reffing indoors at the Grand Park Tourney Sunday – last 1 of the year.
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GAMES ON TV
Wed, 12/9 Champs League 12:45 pm Para+ Villareal vs Kebenhavn 2:45 pm Para+ Hull City vs Wrexham 3 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs Man City 3 pm CBSSN Bayern Leverkusen (Tilman) vs New Castle United 3 pm Para+ Juventus (McKennie) vs Paphos 3 pm Para+ Arsenal vs Club Brugge 3 pm Para+ Athletic Club vs PSG 3 pm Para+ Dortmund vs Boda Glimt Thurs, 12/10 Europa 12:45 pm Para+ Rangers vs Ferencvaros 12:45 pm Para+ Young Boys vs Lille 12:45 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Utrecht 3 pm Para+ Lyonnais (Tessman) vs Go Ahead Eagles 3 pm Para+ Celtic (Trusty) vs AS Roma 3 pm Para+ Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace (Richards) Fri, 12/12 2:30 pm ESPN+ Union Berlin vs RB Leipzig 3 pm Para+ West Brom (Dike) vs Sheffield United Sat, 12/13 8 am ESPN+ Atletico MAdrid vs Valencia 9:30 am ESPN+ MGladback (Reyna, Scalley) vs Wolfsburg 10 am USA Chelsea vs Everton 10 am USA Livepool vs Brighton 12:30 pm NBC Burnley vs Fulham (Jedi) 3 pm USA Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Sun, 12/14 6:30 am Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Sassuolo 9 am USA Sunderland vs New Castle 9 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City 9 am PEacock Nottingham Forest vs Brighton 9 am Pea West Ham vs Liverpool 11:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Mainz 11:30 am USA Brentford vs Leeds United (Aaronson) 3 pm ESPN+ Alavez vs Real Madrid 8 pm CBSSN Toluca vs Tigres UANL Mon, 12/15 3 pm USA Man United vs Bournemouth (Adams) Wed, Dec 17 2:30 pm Para+ New Castle vs Fulham (Jedi) 2:30 pm Para+ Man City vs Brentford Fri, Dec 19 2:30 pm ESPN+ Dortmund vs MGladbach (Reyna, Scalley) 4 pm CBSSN Bologna vs Inter Milan Jan 24 5:30 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Paraguay Jan 27 10 pm TBS, HBO USWNT vs Chile Sat, March 28 3:30 TNT, Max USA Men vs Belgium in Atlanta Tue, Mar 31 7:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Portugal in Atlanta Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT. Max US Men vs Germany in Chicago June 12 9 pm Fox US Men vs Paraguay World Cup June 19 3 pm FOX US Men vs Australia World Cup June 25 10 pm FOX US Men vs European Team World Cup
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Scoring Champions
League play continues ahead of the winter break
Burnley v Fulham – 9:30a on 12:30p on NBC: Antonee Robinson has been progressing well in training and reportedly could return to the field on Saturday as Fulham face Burnley. Fulham are in fifteenth place and have lost their past two matches. They will look to get back on track against a Burnley side that is second worst thus far and have lost six straight matches.
Bayer Leverkusen v Koln – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman and Bayer Leverkusen will look to bounce back from their loss to Augsburg last weekend as they take on Kristoffer Lund and his Koln team that are in ninth place but coming off a disappointing draw with St. Pauli.
PSV v Heracles – 2p on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest has started 14 of 15 league matches for PSV this season and Ricardo Pepi has joined him in the past two as PSV maintain their league lead. Pepi also scored in each of the last two league matches and has an assist as well as he looks to make his case for additional minutes moving forward. He also was one of several American’s to score midweek and he notched a goal for PSV in their 3-2 loss to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. On Saturday PSV will face 16th place Heracles who after a particularly rough start to the season are actually undefeated in their past six matches across all competitions.
Atalanta v Cagliari – 2:45p on Paramount+: Yunus Musah saw three minutes off the bench on Tuesday in Atalanta’s 2-1 win over Chelsea in Champions League play. Unfortunately, Musah still hasn’t appeared in a league match since October and he has just 80’ across all competitions since late September. The loan at Atalanta does not seem to be going well and Musah is at real risk of missing out on next summers World Cup if he isn’t able to turn things around or find another move.
Paris v Toulouse – 3:05p on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie started again for Toulouse last weekend as they snapped their six match winless streak by defeating Strasbourg 1-0. Toulouse now face Paris FC who are in fourteenth place and are winless in their last four matches.
Sunday
AC Milan v Sassuolo – 6:30a on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic came on as a second half substitute on Monday as AC Milan came from behind to defeat Torino 3-2 after falling behind 2-0 in the opening 20 minutes of the match. Pulisic’s goals were his six and seventh of the Serie A season and he has eleven goals and assists in the twelve matches be has played across all competitions this season. With the win Milan remain tied with Napoli for first place in Serie A.
Crystal Palace v Manchester City – 9a on NBCSN and Peacock: Chris Richard, the best player in the USMNT pool (which I’m sure itself will cause some debate), started yet again for fourth place Crystal Palace as they defeated Fulham 2-1 last weekend. Palace haven’t had a lot of tough matchups this season but they have been in every match they have played, with just three losses on their record, all of which were by a single goal.
Olympique Lyon v Le Havre – 9a on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann has been sidelined for Lyon’s past two matches and will reportedly be out again this weekend as fifth place Lyon face a Le Havre side that are just three points out of the relegation playoff spot.
Brentford v Leeds United – 11:30a on USA Network: Brenden Aaronson came off the bench for 25’ and notched an assist as Leeds drew with Liverpool 3-3 after initially falling behind 2-0. Leeds have four points from their last two matches but still are just two points out of the relegations spots.
Olympique Marseille v Monaco – 2:45p on beIN Sports: The second USMNT matchup of the weekend sees Tim Weah and third place Marseille facing off against Folarin Balogun and seventh place Monaco on Sunday afternoon. Weah has started three straight league matches for Marseille since returning from injury while Balogun missed last weekends league match but started and scored for Monaco midweek in their 1-0 win over Galatasaray in Champions League play.
Bologna v Juventus – 2:45p on CBS SS and Paramount+: Weston McKennie also scored in Champions League action this week, notching the opener for Juventus as they defeated Pafos 2-0 on Wednesday. McKennie also started against Napoli last weekend and notched an assist but Juve fell to the second place team and remain in seventh place in the league standings. They could move past fifth place Bologna who they face on Sunday as they trail their opponents by two points.
USMNT midweek viewing guide: Rounding into form
Follow along with all the USMNT action this week. Wednesday
Leverkusen vs Newcastle, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV, ViX: Malik Tillman and Leverkusen host Newcastle United in Champions League.
Juventus vs Pafos, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Weston McKennie and Juve host Cyprus-based club Pafos in Champions League.
Thursday
Lyon vs Go Ahead Eagles, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Tanner Tessmann and OL host Dutch club Go Ahead Eagles in Europa League.
Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Chris Richards and Palace visit Irish club Shelbourne in Conference League.
Also in action:
Celtic vs Roma, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, TUDN USA, UniMás, FuboTV, ViX: Auston Trusty and Celtic host AS Roma in Europa League. Cameron Carter-Vickers is out for the season with an Achilles tendon injury.
Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzeň, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Erik Palmer-Brown and Panathinaikos host Viktoria Plzeň in Europa League.
KuPS vs Lausanne, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Swiss-American center-back Bryan Okoh and Lausanne Sport visit Finnish club KuPS in Conference League.
Lech Poznań vs Mainz, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Lennard Maloney and Mainz visit Lech Poznań in Conference League.
Friday
Greuther Fürth vs Hertha Berlin, 12:30p on ESPN Select, FuboTV: Julian Green, Maxi Dietz, and Fürth host Hertha BSC in the 2. Bundesliga. John Brooks (on Hertha’s books) hasn’t played since May 2024, missing time due to multiple separate injuries.
Standard Liège vs OH Leuven, 2:45p: Marlon Fossey and Standard host Leuven in Belgium’s top tier.
West Brom vs Sheffield United, 3p on Paramount+: Daryl Dike, George Campbell, and West Brom host Sheffield United in the Championship.
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Messi wins MLS MVP for second straight season, makes more league history
Maddie Meyer / Getty Images By Felipe Cardenas Dec. 9, 2025Updated 11:46 am EST
Days after becoming an MLS Cup champion, Lionel Messi has etched out even more of a place in league history. Messi was officially announced as the 2025 Landon Donovan MLS MVP on Tuesday, becoming the first player to win back-to-back MVP awards in league history. He’s just the second to win multiple MVP honors, joining former Kansas City great Preki, who won it in 1997 and 2003. It’s hardly a surprise: Messi, even at 38, finished the regular season with 29 goals and 19 assists, leading the league in both categories.He added six goals and nine more assists during Miami’s playoff run – a playoff-record 15 goal contributions in a single season. Messi narrowly missed breaking Carlos Valderrama’s 25-year-old assists record, with the Colombian legend tallying 22 assists in 2000 with the since-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny. If the evidence of his play on a game-by-game basis – and his commitment to a new three-year deal – weren’t enough, Messi’s numbers this season are unequivocal proof that the Argentine has taken his MLS era seriously.Messi received over 70% of the total vote, which was conducted by media, players and club personnel, to claim his latest individual prize in a career full of them. San Diego FC winger Anders Dreyer, who tied for the league lead in assists and added 19 goals, finished second with just over 11%. He was followed by LAFC’s Denis Bouanga (7.27%), FC Cincinnati’s Evander (4.78%) and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge (2.42%). Interestingly, Messi received just 55.17% of the player vote.
“First of all, I’m thankful for this recognition,” Messi said in a statement. “It’s always nice to receive individual awards but I want to share it with my teammates. I was also fortunate to win the MLS Golden Boot thanks to the help of my teammates. I’m happy to receive this award and be the first in the history of this league to win it in two consecutive years. I’m very thankful.”As for more context regarding his eye-opening stats: His 48 total goal contributions were the second highest single-season total in MLS history (Carlos Vela; 49 in 2019). It’s an impressive statistic considering Messi played in 28 of 34 regular season games. When factoring in the playoffs (63 goal contributions), his production is second-to-none.He is the only player in league history to record at least 36 goal contributions in a season multiple times (2024, 2025) and is the second player in MLS history to lead the league in both goals scored and assists. In 2015, former Toronto FC playmaker Sebastian Giovinco led the league with 22 goals and 16 assists. Messi is only the fourth player in the last decade to be named MVP and win the MLS Golden Boot in the same season.
Messi wins MLS Cup MVP honors after Inter Miami’s 3-1 win over VancouverElsa / Getty Images
He was dominant throughout the year, and even though Saturday’s 3-1 win over Vancouver in the MLS Cup final was devoid of a magical Messi goal, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker finished the game with two decisive assists.His second was a beauty to Tadeo Allende, who iced the game and title for the home side. It capped a remarkable year for Messi, who continues to perform at a level that keeps him relevant just months away from the 2026 World Cup – even though he has resisted publicly committing to playing in the competition so far.Messi’s 10 multi-goal games in a single season marked a new MLS record, breaking the previous record of eight shared by Stern John (Columbus Crew, 1998), Mamadou Diallo (Tampa Bay Mutiny, 2000), and Zlatan Ibrahimović (LA Galaxy, 2019). During one of Messi’s most dominant stretches this season, he scored multiple goals in five consecutive games from May 28 to July 12 – another record. No other player in MLS history has had a multi-goal run of more than four matches.To cap it all off, Messi is also just the sixth player in MLS’s 30 seasons to win both the regular season MVP and the MLS Cup final MVP in the same season. Messi joins Tony Meola (2000), Carlos Ruiz (2002), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (2008), Robbie Keane (2014), and Josef Martínez (2018) in that select group.
As it relates to MLS MVPs and hitting new ground, there’s one more frontier to conquer, and it’s a term with which Messi has plenty of familiarity: the hat trick.
Christian Pulisic can use USMNT World Cup draw to launch himself as an American icon
Christian Pulisic is targeting World Cup success with the USMNT John McGloughlin / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
After the Village People had shuffled off stage, Donald Trump had put his FIFA Peace Prize on the shelf in the Oval Office, and Gianni Infantino had starting scrolling his Instagram notifications, I imagine that Christian Pulisic, sat in his apartment in Italy, took another glance at the outcome of the draw for the 2026 World Cup and let out a little sigh of relief.
Group D: the United States, Paraguay, Australia and a European playoff winner, most likely Turkey. Not bad. Not bad at all.Pulisic certainly would have known it could have been much, much worse.And as he reflected a little on what awaits him in June (and hopefully July) next year, the Milan winger would have surely felt that tingling in his stomach.Because that draw, with no major obstacle likely until a possible meeting with Belgium in the round of 16, sets the stage perfectly for Pulisic for what could be the summer of his life. It creates the ideal stage for him to make the defining run of his career and transition from being merely a U.S. soccer star to a true, mainstream American sports superstar.The stakes are absolutely colossal for him in 2026. If Milan manages to win Serie A and he maintains his current form – two more goals Monday have him atop the league’s scoring chart – it’s near-certain he would be named Serie A Player of the Year. Carrying that momentum into a World Cup on home soil, the expectations would be that he would take his team on a thrilling adventure.
Christian Pulisic struck twice in Milan’s Monday victory over Torino.Image Photo Agency / Getty Images
This is the tournament that could absolutely change his life and his legacy in the United States. If he can be the hero for the USMNT on home soil, in a World Cup, the opportunities that will open up for him in terms of his reputation, commercial appeal and marketability will be enormous.American sports fans, the kind who only tune in to soccer once every four years, will judge Pulisic in the same way they judge NFL and NBA stars — on whether he can deliver on the biggest stage when the stakes are highest. In this sport, that means the World Cup. Soccer fans know winning Serie A would earn Pulisic respect throughout the game and adoration in Italy, but it still wouldn’t make him a household name in America.Bringing people to their feet in stadiums, fan zones and bars across America next summer? That would catapult Pulisic to true Captain America status.We know that World Cups are unpredictable, however, and the first random element is the draw. Traps can be set and challenges get tougher just from those plastic balls pulled out on stage.Group D isn’t easy – almost no group that could be imagined for a team like the USMNT in the modern game can truly be considered that way. Yet when you compare it with, say, 2014, when the USA was dealt a group stage with Germany, Portugal and Ghana (and no progression for third place in that edition) and was written off by many international commentators, you realize that it is a setting that offers Mauricio Pochettino’s team every chance of advancing.What makes me excited for Pulisic and the team as a whole is the way that Pochettino is setting up the USMNT, with his tactical restructuring and overall approach, with the focus taken off Pulisic and put squarely on the team. In the past, he felt pressure, having to do too much and dropping into parts of the field he didn’t need to, which took away from his game.
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Pochettino has changed the dynamic. He has made it clear that this is not a squad with a Messi-like player and he is setting up the system so that there are several attacking players with responsibility to be creative forces. There is Malik Tillman, Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and, in the right circumstances, Gio Reyna. Folarin Balogun is expected to deliver goals and Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright will be waiting for the chance if he doesn’t deliver. It’s not all on Pulisic.
Players such as Malik Tillman have helped share the USMNT’s attacking burden.David Buono / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
But make no mistake, the USMNT still needs Pulisic to be the ‘Messi’ figurehead in some ways, providing that high-level creativity, without the crushing weight of having to solve all the questions himself. He can now play his game exactly as he would at Milan, saving his energy for those one-v-one moments and open spaces where he can produce the magic.On paper, this is the best World Cup group draw the program has had in a long time. Crucially, the U.S. got the absolute weakest team in Pot 2 with Australia — that’s a dream outcome. But let’s be clear: there’s a big difference between paper and performance. People confuse “best outcome” with “easiest,” a concept that doesn’t exist at a World Cup.There isn’t an absolute minnow in the group, the kind of opponent that teams look to boost their goal difference. Every game will be competitive, featuring teams that are cut from the same cloth as Wales and Iran from four years ago — tough, resilient, and hard to break down. But none of these three opponents possesses the game-breaking individual brilliance of a Kylian Mbappé, a Lamine Yamal, or an Erling Haaland, who can ruin your perfect game plan by beating three guys and scoring out of nowhere. In terms of individual star power, even if Turkey and exciting Real Madrid rising force Arda Güler make it through the playoff, Pulisic is top of the tree in this group.Still, the team’s tactical planning must be spot on for each opponent.Paraguay is a side that is defensively stout, resilient and comfortable sitting deep in a mid-block and playing on the counter. What is needed are players who can break down that deep block. This is where a number of players, such as a healthy Reyna or Tillman, are vital, as they are creative, can force defenses out, and open up space for runners like Balogun or Pulisic in behind.Australia, who will perhaps be feeling disrespected, are capable on the counter and will be playing with immense self-belief. What hurts Australia is pace, exploiting the space they leave when they throw their outside players forward. Players such as Balogun, Weah, and hopefully a healthy Antonee Robinson, who thrive in transition, will be absolutely necessary in that game. Australia relies on work rate, physicality and set pieces to make up for any difference in quality, which reminds me a little bit of how the U.S. team used to play.If Turkey makes it out of the UEFA Path C playoff and into the tournament, they will be a tough team to beat, but their defense can be vulnerable to pace and there are ways to get past them. The U.S. has pace in the roster and options available to Pochettino to exploit identified weaknesses.
One factor not to be discounted is home-field advantage. If the U.S. is playing its best, and with full stadiums of American supporters pushing them on, they will feel that they can run through walls. After Friday’s draw, I fully expect that the U.S. tops the group.If that task is navigated, the pathway opens up beautifully. Next would be a third-place team in the round of 32. Then, the likely round-of-16 opponent, if paper form is followed, is Belgium.They are a good team, but you would still take Belgium 10 times out of 10 over facing alternatives such as France, England, Spain, or Portugal. While they are not the “golden generation” anymore, they still have quality players such as Youri Tielemans, Jeremy Doku, and Amadou Onana, but I still feel the USMNT has the tools to get the job done.If you’ll indulge the dream and look ahead, beating Belgium would push the U.S. into the quarterfinals – and I believe that is realistic if the team executes Pochettino’s plans and plays to its very best. Morocco showed in 2022 that a team can go deep by being cohesive, and the U.S. now has the quality and a world-class coach to deliver something special.
Turkey must make it through a UEFA playoff if Real Madrid youngster Arda Guler is to make his first World Cup appearance next summer.Alberto Gardin / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Pochettino has taken a massive step by setting the team’s mentality and unity, reminding the players that there are no guarantees for anyone. But now, the focus has to shift to tactical management.The Argentine must now start to deal with ideas for different opponents and game situations, focusing on whether the plan is high-pressing, playing on the front foot, or dropping deep to protect a lead. He needs to finalize the blueprint of how the team operates, which, frankly, took until mid-October to figure out.The U.S. will be in possession more often in the group stage than in previous World Cups. Pochettino has to deliver top game plans that expose opponents, similar to how Bob Bradley was able to neutralize the midfield source of Xavi and Xabi Alonso against Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup. He needs soldiers who can play short-impact roles effectively, and he needs to ensure the team utilizes the scoring options he’s found.here are four friendlies scheduled before the opening game against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles. The March 28 game against Belgium in Atlanta takes on a new tone given the draw, and it will be interesting to see if the two coaches are wary of showing their hand against potential World Cup opponents.Portugal and Germany are also on the docket, and these games will offer real tests of just how close the squad is to the level needed for the latter stages of the tournament.The USMNT has been dealt a good hand by the draw, but as any poker player knows, it’s how you play ’em that counts.You need something special to go far at a World Cup, and watching Pulisic add to his tremendous season with two more goals on Monday gave me that feeling that we have an ace in hand.
USA coach Mauricio Pochettino says patriotic ‘emotion of the people’ can inspire World Cup run
Mauricio Pochettino hopes soccer fans will feel intense passion and non-soccer fans will get swept up by patriotism during the World Cup run. Jamie Sabau / Getty Images
As the 2026 World Cup came into focus after Friday’s draw, U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino reiterated his call for the entire country to get behind his players — and for those players to fight for their country.
The national team, he said, is “not a normal team,” and the World Cup is not a normal event.“Did you see today?” Pochettino rhetorically asked reporters a few hours after the draw, which doubled as a bizarre, patriotic show described by others in attendance as “very American.”
“We are going to have a country behind us,” Pochettino said. “We are going to play with the emotion of the people.”
He then sent a message to his players: “People need to feel proud about you, but not because you are going to win — we cannot promise that we are going to win — but in the way that you are going to defend your shirt, your flag, your culture, your philosophy. How we are, how the people are here, how the society is, how you think, in a cultural way.
“Every time that we are going to play a game, the World Cup is this.”
Pochettino, an Argentine coach who took charge of the USMNT last year, has spoken frequently about the need for the American public to get behind his team. He began delivering passionate monologues during and after this past summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, when Guatemala and Mexico fans outnumbered U.S. fans at the semifinal and final in St. Louis and Houston.
Mauricio Pochettino wants stadiums for USMNT World Cup games to be filled with red, white and blue.Matthew Visinsky / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“The fans,” he said in July, “have one year to realize how important fans are in soccer.”
He now assumes the World Cup will be different. Soccer fans will feel intense passion; non-soccer fans will get swept up by patriotism. SoFi Stadium in Southern California and Lumen Field in Seattle, the USMNT’s two group stage venues, will fill with red, white and blue.
For a while, there were questions about public support, as even USMNT die-hards were frustrated by losses and overcome by apathy. The team’s second-to-last game of 2025, a 2-1 win over Paraguay — the opponent it will face in its World Cup opener — did not fill an 18,500-seat stadium.
“The last few games, the last few windows, I think the team (showed) a very good thing to the fans,” Pochettino said Friday. “To attract, to say, ‘C’mon, guys, you need to support us,’ that is how we feel, how we are. We need your energy, your support. And I think the fans are there, behind the team. And I think it’s going to be exciting. We are building a very good relationship. I think we start to show that we are USA.”
With the positive results, the dream of a World Cup run has been rekindled. And the vision of American flags flying, of millions of people inspired, has returned.
That’s what people at U.S. Soccer and around the team have envisioned for years. Gregg Berhalter, Pochettino’s predecessor, recalled being in Germany during the 2006 World Cup. “Just to see how the fans got behind the country — and it just pivoted, it changed, it became a wave,” Berhalter said in 2024. “And that’s what I’d say to fans: This is your opportunity. … The team is trying to do something that’s never been done before. So, be part of that.”
Over the nine-decade history of the men’s World Cup, there is solid evidence to suggest home advantage can be a powerful force. Six hosts have won the tournament: Uruguay in 1930, Italy in 1934, England in 1966, West Germany in 1974, Argentina in 1978 and France in 1998. In 2002, co-host South Korea embarked upon a stunning run that saw its group of domestic-based players make it all the way to the semifinals, collecting famous victories over Spain and Italy along the way.
South Korea’s squad and head coach Guus Hiddink were honored with a ticker-tape parade after their 2002 semifinal run.Emmanuel Dunand / AFP via Getty Images
Four years later, as Berhalter referenced, Jurgen Klinsmann united Germany behind a young team that had been written off before the tournament and took it to the brink of the final, before an extra-time defeat to eventual victor Italy. And eight years ago, while the U.S. was licking its wounds from a humiliating and doomed qualifying campaign, Russia’s squad quickly drew nationalistic support behind it, ousting heavily-favored Spain in the round of 16 before being squeezed out by Croatia on penalties.
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The U.S., which advanced to the round of 16 in 1994, probably belongs in the category of hosts who outperformed their talent as well, a group stage victory over Colombia being the highlight.
Some others have struggled, either unable to lift their standard despite the home support or perhaps overwhelmed by it. Qatar was the first team eliminated from the 2022 World Cup without a single point. South Africa was valiant in 2010 but ultimately exited in the group stage. Brazil crumbled under the unimaginable pressure of hosting the 2014 tournament and infamously lost to Germany in the semifinals 7-1.
Pochettino is wary of that pressure but said, “I think it’s good pressure.”
“We need to be careful (with) the message we are going to send,” he continued. “Because every time we are here talking, the players are listening.” But pressure, he said, is OK as long as it’s not pressure to win. What it should be is pressure that pushes him and his team to “try to be better.”
Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool downfall was inevitable – and it stems from Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving
Liverpool’s post-Mohamed Salah era might have begun, with a strange twist in the way that the Egyptian King has lost his team
Mohamed Salah looks on ahead of the Champions League group game against Eintracht Frankfurt (Image credit: Getty Images)
What may be Liverpool’s first post-Mohamed Salah win didn’t introduce a shred of irony. It was just as we all expected, in the shadow of the monarch. Salah would have ordinarily taken the penalty that won the Reds the game; ordinarily, he’d be far and away their best player this season.But he wasn’t, and he isn’t. That’s Dominik Szoboszlai on both counts, who buried the spot kick late into the Lombardian twilight. It’s safe to assume that if anyone’s picking up the dropped baton, it’s Szoboszlai – at least for now.
That’s the opposite of ironic – the next guy assumes the reins, who’d have guessed? – but nevertheless, it’s a weird feeling. Liverpool have been far from a one-man team over the past eight years: they’ve had one of the greatest centre-backs in Premier League history, a right-back and a goalkeeper to a similar level and Salah himself was only 33 per cent of a world-class frontline, with plenty still surely debating that Sadio Mane, at his peak, was a better footballer. The red side of Merseyside has been blessed with one of its greatest-ever eras for talent.
Yet, the ‘Egyptian King’ nickname rings true. For the past eight years, Salah has been watching the throne. For all the leaders (Van Dijk and Henderson), the local lads (Trent and Jones), the superstars (Alisson and Mane) and the next generation (Wirtz and Isak), this has always been his team. Salah first: everyone else later.He is the last surviving starter from his debut against Watford in August 2017, with substitute Joe Gomez the only other in that matchday squad still kicking about at the training ground (though it’s so long ago that it’s a different training ground). That afternoon, Salah scored his third Premier League goal, following two in a spell at Chelsea. Now, he has more strikes in the competition than anyone else from overseas ever. And 190 more than Gomez, coincidentally (though this may be misattributed as ironic, it’s not).They’ve had their differences since – but in 2022, Carragher told FourFourTwo that Salah’s future was abundantly clear from that afternoon at Vicarage Road.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.“I’ll always remember that first game, away at Watford,” he said. “He only got the one goal that day but the actual runs he made, you could tell that this fella was going to score goals.“You could tell right away what kind of player he was, he was a goalscorer, he wasn’t a winger. He wasn’t going to be whipping crosses in at all – the goals were going to become a big part of his game.” Eight years later and no one has so much as challenged that right-wing spot. Salah has helped change the perception of wide players in England.But the fact of the matter is that wide players do not score that many goals without the team being theirs. From the minute he signed, Liverpool’s then-best player, Mane, moved from his customary right-wing berth. From then on, Salah’s place in the side has been a non-negotiable. Roberto Firmino got a little older and Diego Jota came along. Mane moved out for Luis Diaz; Darwin Nunez came along and Cody Gakpo signed. Salah remained – signing two huge contracts, too.So he should have: he won back-to-back Golden Boots in his first two seasons and never let up. But perhaps underrated in the years since, is the strength of that right-hand side. In Liverpool’s prime, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah were on a telepathic wavelength with one another: one holding width, one dropping deep, one pushing on, in perfect unison.
Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold were key to Salah’s success (Image credit: Getty Images)
It was all done to get Salah into the areas where he was most dangerous. It’s an oversimplification to point out that after Henderson left in the summer of 2023, Salah had his worst campaign in terms of goals… but it’s worth mentioning.It makes the present all the more fascinating.When Arne Slot arrived, he followed Jurgen Klopp’s playbook: Liverpool exerted a little more composure, but with no major signing aside from Federico Chiesa, everything remained the same: the first-choice XI, with everything in its right place. Alexander-Arnold, tasked once more, with overlapping. And this season, there is too much chaos – too many deck chairs and wheelie bins in the tornado – to point out exactly where it’s going wrong.
But the mayhem and Slot’s suggested solution is at least reminiscent of Andoni Iraola’s first few weeks at Bournemouth. The Basque, too, unleashed a high press with little to no synchronicity and tanked the first two months of his tenure. Full-backs can’t maraud that high without protection further back: something that Slot has realised, too, with the gradual phasing out of all those shiny new parts.
Slot has struggled to find answers with this side (Image credit: Getty Images)
Wirtz has been dropped, Ekitike and Isak have rotated and new combinations are emerging in midfield. But perhaps most intriguingly, Gomez is back in the fold. The defender had one foot out of the door on deadline day: now he’s seemingly the only right-back in the squad with his head screwed on. Cause and effect. It has a kick-on with the right-winger.It marks the first time in almost a decade that the side is no longer geared towards Mohamed Salah. Some may say this was always going to happen anyway – if not this way, than with an influx of superstar arrivals. Others will claim it’s about time – and no shame – when your talisman is 33.True irony is difficult to find with coincidence a more likely substitute: but whatever you’d describe it as, it’s decidedly bizarre that Joe Gomez – the only man there before him – perhaps signals the end of Salah’s time at the club.All good things come to an end: Trent knew that all too well. Now it seems the pair were linked closer telepathically than we cared to credit. The Egyptian King could outlast almost everyone at Anfield.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn’t receive a winners’ medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson’s season at Barcelona to Robinho’s career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
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