Indy Mayor Pitches MLS and appears to cut out Indy 11 in the process. Interesting press conference by the Mayor. https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2024/04/25/indianapolis-plans-to-bid-for-mls-expansion-team/73458916007/ No idea what this means for Indy 11 Park and the downtown stadium? Is there a mystery potential new owner for an Indy MLS team – Confusion sets in ? I have long said the Indy 11 owner does not have MLS money and I am not sure we have the corporate support to field an MLS team along with NFL and NBA teams.
FA Cup Semi-Final leaves American offsides
Got a chance to watch the FA Cup Semi’s this weekend while in Cincy for a tourney – and man did Coventry City get robbed in their PK loss to Man United. American winger Haji Wright was dangerous all day and was (Not offsides) on the would be winning goal in ET – at Wembley Sunday. Man U won in PKs though US #9 Wright did score his PK. It will be Man U vs Man City in the FA Cup Finals again in May. Meanwhile Liverpool and Arsenal both lost last weekend leaving the door open for Man City to win the EPL again – games continue this weekend as just 1 pt separates Arsenal & Man City.
MLS – Big Win for Columbus + Big News for LAFC
The Columbus Crew took a huge home 2-1 win over Liga MX power Monterrey for the first leg in the Champions Cup. The return round is Tues night on FS1 10:15 pm on FS1. Big news for LAFC as they announced that French & AC Milan forward Olivier Giroud will be coming to LAFC after the Serie A season ends. Giroud, 37, has scored 13 goals and 8 assist this season while often starting for AC Milan.
Big Games on TV
Of course Champions League is back next week with no English teams left as Germany’s Bayern Munich will host Real Madrid Tuesday on CBS at 3 pm, while Dortmund will host PSG and Mbappe on Wed 3 pm on CBS. Sat gives us some battles of American’s with Fulham and Jedi Robinson hosting Crystal Palace and Centerback Chris Richards at 10 am on Peacock, followed by Juventus (Weah, McKinney) hosting AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) at 12 noon on Para+. (Man this game on CBS would be cool). Sunday at 12:30 Bayern Leverkusen (German Champ) continues its quest for an unbeaten season as they host top 5 foe Stuttgart on ESPN+. (I watched their amazing comeback in stoppage time at Dortmund last Sunday). Tues night on FS 1 at 10 pm the Columbus Crew carry a 2-1 lead to Monterrey as they look to advance to the finals of the CONCACAF Championship.
Carmel FC 2010 Boys Gold Wins Kolping Cup Championship last weekend in Cincy, Ohio with a 3-0-1 mark. Head Coach Mark Stumpf (left) and Asst Shane Best (right).
Reffing done Right – always a pleasure to ref for ref assignor Nate Sinders & Dave – especially on a Bar BQ Weekend – like the Boys Showcase last weekend and Girls Showcase this weekend. Nate makes some of the best Beef Brisket in the state of Indiana. Good Eatin — thanks Nate !!
GAMES ON TV
Fri, 4/26
3 pm ESPN+ Real Sociadad vs Real Madrid
3 pm ESPN+ QPR vs Leeds United Championship
10 pm Amazon Prime Angel City vs KC Current NWSL
Sat, Apr 27
7:30 am USA West Ham vs Liverpool
9:30 am EPSN+ Bayern Munich vs Frankfurt
10 am USA Wolverhampton vs Luton Town
10 am Peacock Fulham (Jedi, Ream) vs Crystal Palace (Richards)
10 am Peacock Man United vs Burnley (adams)
10 am ESPN+ Blackburn vs Coventry City (HAji Wright) Championship
12 noon Para+ Juventus (Weah, McKinney) vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
12:30 pm NBC Everton vs Brentford
12:30 pm ESPN+ Leverkusen vs Stuttgart
1:45 pm Fox Austin vs LA Galaxy MLS
3 pm Peacock Aston Villa vs Chelsea
3 pm ESPN+ Atletico Madrid vs Athletic Club Spain
7:30 pm Ion Chicago Starts vs Portland Thorns NWSL
7 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 vs North Carolina
7:30 pm CBSSN Tampa Bay Rowdies (Jordan Farr) vs NM United USL
Sun, Apr 28
9 am USA Tottenham vs Arsenal
11:30 am USA Nottingham Forest (Reyna, Turner) vs Man City
12 noon Para+ Napoli vs Roma
Tues, Apr 30
3 pm CBS Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid UCL
Weds, May 1 Champions League
3 pm CBS Dortmund vs PSG
10:15 pm FS1 Monterrey 1 vs Columbus Crew 2 CONCACAF Champs Cup
10 pm CBSSN Bay FC vs Portland Thorns (Smith) NWSL
Thurs, May 2 Europa
3 pm CBSSN Roma vs Leverkusen Europa
3 pm Para+ Marseille vs Atalanta
3 pm Para+ Aston Villa vs Olympiakos Pireaus
June 27 Copa America US Men Play Panama
July 24 starts US U23 Men & US Women In Olympics
(American’s in Parenthesis)
How to Watch Indy Eleven USL Championship Action
https://www.uslchampionship.com/cbs CBS Schedule
https://www.uslchampionship.com/espn ESPN
US Men
USMNT has no proven replacement for Dest, says Lalas
No Serg, big problem? Assessing the USMNT’s right back options with Dest out
Pulisic admits he’s been surprised by Serie A difficulty
Late Weah assist sends Juventus to Coppa Italia final at Lazio’s expense
Pulisic includes McKennie when building dream player — for his banter, of course
Report: McKennie has Saudi Arabia, MLS offers as Juventus contract talks continue
Is Weston McKennie dating an Inter player’s sister?
PSV boss Bosz wants to sign Dest permanently despite serious injury
Tebas: LaLiga could play in U.S. as soon as ’25 Sam Marsden
Weah lifts Juve – Adams Still out & American’s Update
US Women
USWNT star Horan named player of the season finalist in France
Lavelle: USWNT will enter Olympics with chip on shoulder after World Cup failure
Press on comeback: The only promise I’ll make is that I’ll try
USWNT learns Zambia will be final Olympic group stage opponent
USWNT player ratings: Smith, Naeher decisive in SheBelieves Cup triumph over Canada
EPL
‘With title prize in sight, Man City rarely show any weakness’
Kevin De Bruyne is still the Premier League’s true Grandmaster
Why so many goals in this season’s Premier League?
Premier League Picks: PST’s predictions for Week 35 of 2023-24 season
Who is Arne Slot? Feyenoord boss acknowledges he wants Liverpool job
Everton have miles to go despite derby win – Dyche
WORLD
Barcelona president confirms Xavi will stay on as manager in press conference
Why Inzaghi deserves some love after Inter Milan cruise to Serie A title Gabriele Marcotti
Mbappe, Dembele leave PSG poised to celebrate Ligue 1 title
Season finale a ‘celebration’ for Wrexham & Stockport – Parkinson
Wrexham to play Premier League pair on tour
The state of Barcelona’s finances: How bad are they? Can they be fixed?
Tebas: LaLiga could play in U.S. as soon as ’25 Sam Marsden
MLS
French forward Olivier Giroud set for Los Angeles FC move
Columbus Crew take crucial 2-1 advantage over CF Monterrey in Champions Cup: 2 takeaways
Crew’s Championship Cup win will reverberate well beyond Columbus and Monterrey: Arace
MLS Power Rankings: Whitecaps continue strong start, Revs remain dismal Ryan Rosenblatt
Lionel Messi tracker: All goals, assists, key moments for Inter Miami in 2024 ESPN
Goalkeeping
How former Carmel FC GK Coach & Indy 11 GK became the #1 at Tampa Bay
Courtois can return next week: Madrid coach Ancelotti
Soccer world reacts as Alyssa Naeher proves she is the One True Penalty God
USL Saves of the Week – Jordan Farr for Tampa Bay Rowdies
How to Throw the Ball Properly
6 exercises to protect your Ankles
Reffing
American Haji Wright was not offsides
Did Reyna get fouled on this play?
Shane, Daekh Seyid and Matt Von Duhn Friday at the Showcase at Grand Park
USMNT Player Tracker: Dest disaster, Wright’s toenail and Richards thriving
By Greg O’KeeffeApr 22, 2024
Heartache for Sergino Dest, Haji Wright’s Wembley star turn and Chris Richards’ happy comeback play a part in this week’s USMNT player tracker.
Each Monday, we update you on how American players in leagues around Europe fared over the weekend.
With a Copa America to host this year and the 2026 World Cup, also partially on home soil, looming ever larger on the horizon, we are keeping tabs on how they are performing.
How to follow the Copa America on The Athletic…
Issue of the weekend
Dest will almost certainly endure a deeply disappointing end to a wonderful season.
His misfortune on Saturday morning, suffering a knee injury that may sideline him until next year, could barely have come at a worse time.
The USMNT defender had become a mainstay of the national team while enjoying one of the best campaigns of his club career at PSV Eindhoven on loan from Barcelona.
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Now he will be forced to watch from the stands as what he helped create — an almost unbeaten league season, with PSV on course to become champions in May — unfolds without one of its main protagonists.
But even worse for the 23-year-old will be missing out on his second major tournament for the national team.
Dest has been a key performer in PSV’s outstanding campaign (ANP via Getty Images)
Dest played in each of the USMNT’s four games at the Qatar 2022 World Cup and was likely to remain one of the first names on Gregg Berhalter’s team sheet at this summer’s Copa America. Now the USMNT manager has some thinking to do.
Joe Scally, the team’s other bespoke right-back, has put together a decent season at Borussia Monchengladbach. He is 21 and, although his starting place has looked less certain in recent weeks, Scally has been in the starting XI for the Bundesliga outfit on 22 occasions, garnering big-game experience. On Saturday, he was named on the bench but contributed an assist during his 21 minutes on the pitch during Gladbach’s 4-3 defeat at Hoffenheim.
He will be in the mix to step into Dest’s boots this summer, but if Berhalter wants to try to emulate the attacking threat Dest brings, he might need to get creative — perhaps using Juventus’ Timothy Weah as a wing-back or even his club team-mate Weston McKennie.
AC Milan’s Yunus Musah could perform there and Westerlo’s 22-year-old full-back Bryan Reynolds offers another solution if Berhalter does not want to diminish his central midfield options by dragging a key man out wide.
Whatever the fix, it is a headache the national team coach could do without.
Dest competes with Mexico’s Gerardo Arteaga during the CONCACAF Nations League final in March (Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Player of the weekend
Ever the man for the big stage, Sunday brought another show-stopping moment Haji Wright will never forget.
In late 2022, he scored for the USMNT against the Netherlands in Qatar, and this weekend saw him almost help create one of the FA Cup’s great fairy tales. Wright’s penalty meant Coventry City, from England’s second tier, recovered from 3-0 down to force Manchester United into extra time in a thrilling semi-final at Wembley.
Wright scores from the spot (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
City pushed the Premier League giants to the brink and almost made it to the final, only for Victor Torp’s stoppage-time strike to be ruled out for a negligible VAR offside call, made against Wright.
In the end, a penalty shootout decided the pulsating tie and Wright confidently netted his side’s first after United’s Casemiro saw his effort saved.
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Yet it was not to be for the Californian and his plucky team-mates as United eventually prevailed and reached the final next month against rivals Manchester City.
Wright has been a goalscoring threat for Coventry all season, as can be seen from the variety of his shot map below.
“We get the equaliser from the penalty spot and it’s brilliantly dispatched from Wright,” said proud manager Mark Robins afterwards. “(Then) we’re back in it and, 20 seconds from the end of extra time, we get what feels like to be the winner, but it’s a toenail offside. I don’t know how unlucky we can be.
“They’ve written themselves into the history of this football club with the way they’ve come back in this football game, they have to be proud of themselves. It’s just really sad we couldn’t see it through.”
Coventry’s nervous support wait for Wright to find the back of the net (Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images)
Quote of the weekend
Dest’s immediate future may be shrouded in doubt, but he can take solace that PSV remain keen to keep him permanently.
His Barcelona contract runs until June 2025, but with uncertainty over whether the wing-back will be part of the club’s plans next season, PSV president Marcel Brands has made it clear the Dutch club want to sign him regardless of his injury.
“We were in negotiations with him (Dest) and his agent last week,” Brands told Voetbal International. “Yes, that’s going in the right direction. We have to wait and see how or what, but we believe in Sergino and he will get fit again. We would love to keep him with PSV.
“’We had to convince him, but he became more and more enthusiastic and is having a good time. That’s why he wanted to talk to PSV about staying longer.”
Dest, Tillman, Pepi interview: The quest to become ‘invincible’ at PSV and hopes for World Cup
How did other U.S. players get on?
Name: Zyen Jones
Club: Kosice
Position: Right midfield
Appearances (all competitions): 11
Goals: Two
The 23-year-old created his side’s winning goal in a key fixture of the Slovakian top flight’s relegation battle on Friday. Kosice are three points clear of the drop and Jones, who joined in January, has one goal and two assists in six league appearances.
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Name: Josh Sargent
Club: Norwich City
Position: Striker
Appearances: 26
Goals: 15
Sargent was the provider for team-mate Borja Sainz on Saturday as Norwich drew 1-1 with Bristol City to retain their position in the Championship’s final play-off place with two games remaining.
Sainz and Sargent celebrate Norwich’s equaliser (MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Name: Gianluca Busio
Club: Venezia
Position: Midfield
Appearances: 34
Goals: Seven
The 21-year-old was the star man with his side’s second goal in their 2-1 win at Leco on Saturday, a result that kept Venezia third in Serie B and in contention for promotion. It was his seventh goal of the season.
Name: Chris Richards
Club: Defender
Position: Crystal Palace
Appearances: 26
Goals: One
It was a hugely successful return from injury for the USMNT international as he completed the 90 minutes of Palace’s emphatic 5-2 win against West Ham United, playing a significant role in winning back the ball in the build-up to the hosts’ second goal.
Richards had missed his side’s previous three games with a hamstring problem but slotted back into Oliver Glasner’s three-man defence as Palace edged further clear of trouble.
The Athletic FC: ‘Last Dance’ over for Klopp at Liverpool? Plus: Outrageous Mbappe nutmeg
By Phil Hay The Athletic Apr 25, 2024
The Athletic FC ⚽ This is The Athletic’s daily football/soccer newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox.
Hello! You know what they say. Don’t cry because it’s ending. Smile because it happened.
On the way today:
😔 Liverpool and Klopp. Game over?
👀 Mbappe ending careers before they begin
💰 Who lives in an £800m ($1bn) home like this? NYCFC…
🏡 Xavi staying at Barcelona
Klopp’s ‘Last Dance’ looking unlikely at Liverpool
All good things are destined to end. Like Jurgen Klopp’s record at Goodison Park. Like Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool.
True, Liverpool aren’t finished. Not mathematically. It’s three points to the top of the Premier League table, or four if we factor in Arsenal’s goal difference.
But losing away at Everton — their Merseyside rivals who took a step closer to survival — last night, the derby Klopp had never lost at Goodison in all his time, is probably the end for him. He knows it, and so do Liverpool.
Klopp consoles Diaz (Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Were the title a two-horse race, he could pray for salvation. But Arsenal and Manchester City — who are a point behind Klopp’s side with two games in hand — both imploding in the few games that are left? We’re somewhere between no chance and none.
How quickly this turned — from a near-flawless run of results to a chaotic FA Cup defeat to Manchester United in mid-March which provoked a chain of negative reactions.
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Klopp said he was resigning because he was weary. Liverpool, in tandem and as a project, have begun to look weary too. And suddenly in need of the reset that’s coming their way.
Do players ‘really want to win the league’?
Two post-match comments at Goodison jumped out at me. The first was Klopp describing Liverpool’s counter-pressing as “horrible”. That’s an indictment of one of their biggest strengths under him.
The second was Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk questioning whether they “really want to win the league”. Which was him on the verge of saying no — and conceding that they won’t.
From the moment Klopp announced he would resign at the end of the season, this became his version of ‘The Last Dance’, that immense documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The month behind Klopp has been more like Netflix’s Tour De France series: an elite rider broken by a Hors Categorie climb.
Klopp’s record as he prepares to bow out: seven major trophies in just under nine years, including a Premier League and a Champions League. Understanding him as we do, he’d have wanted more.
But he had the misfortune of coming up against a Manchester City team beyond compare and despite that, he took Liverpool back to the top table. Anfield’s love has been well-earned.
Klopp and Van Dijk (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
How to Slot in?
Perhaps there is an upside to Liverpool’s downturn.
Klopp no longer looks like an impossible void to fill. Liverpool no longer look like they are losing a coach at his absolute peak. His expressions of fatigue sound honest, and are reflected in his body language.
Perhaps, on reflection, a new broom is just the ticket.
Liverpool are fishing for Feyenoord’s Arne Slot. They got nowhere with a first offer of just under £8million ($10m) but last night’s defeat will only deepen their resolve in negotiations.
Until very recently, replacing Klopp resembled a hospital pass. As it is, and as James Pearce writes, a rebuild is now much easier to embrace. It’s been some ride for Liverpool. But nothing lasts forever.
- WATCH: Brighton and Hove Albion vs Manchester City, 3pm ET / 8pm UK. Premier League. USA Network, Sky Sports
Mbappe’s masterful ‘megs + assist
Thoughts and prayers with Nathaniel Adjei. There he was, minding his own business with Lorient in France, when Kylian Mbappe made his name go viral.
You might remember the piece we did recently on the Chigwada spin: a mad bit of skill by Manchester City youngster David Chigwada. Watch it 10 times and you still won’t be sure exactly how he pulled it off.
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Mbappe does tricks like that in his sleep and here he is destroying Adjei with a brutal nutmeg (more on the art of the nutmeg here) in Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-1 away win last night. I hate to say it but Adjei, who’s only 21, might just have experienced the most high-profile moment of his career.
(Video is here for readers in U.S)
Xavi U-turn
From the vaults of the unexpected — Xavi is staying on as Barcelona manager next season.
Why unexpected? Because he announced that he was quitting a while back and has given the impression of being thoroughly sick of life at Camp Nou, calling it a ‘cruel job’. Ever heard of the Barca entorno?
Not only that, in the past week Barca have dropped out of the running in La Liga and the Champions League. But an emergency meeting with president Joan Laporta turned everything on its head. We’re expecting a formal announcement today.
This got me thinking. If U-turns are in vogue, any chance that Bayern Munich go into reverse gear with Thomas Tuchel?
How the USMNT could replace Sergiño Dest for the Copa America
By Jeff Rueter
Sergiño Dest put together the best season of his young career in 2023-24.
On loan at PSV Eindhoven from Barcelona, he eclipsed 2,000 league minutes — a clear breakthrough after a few nomadic seasons in Spain and on another loan to AC Milan. He was a fixture of PSV’s ongoing quest for an Eredivisie title, starting in all 25 of his league appearances while making another 12 appearances (11 starts) in the UEFA Champions League and the KNVB Beker.
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Monday brought sobering news: The full back had suffered a knee injury in training on Saturday, with an early prognosis ruling him out for up to nine months.
That’s a big loss for PSV’s final four games, and arguably an even bigger one for the USMNT as it seeks to make a run in this summer’s Copa America. Ever since 2022 World Cup qualifying, he’s owned the right back position like few others have in any role under Gregg Berhalter.
USMNT Player Tracker: Dest disaster, Wright’s toenail and Richards thriving
Of course, time only moves forward. The Copa América will kick off on June 20, with the USMNT first taking the field on June 23 against Bolivia. Only two months remain for players to firm up their cases for inclusion — and, in the wake of Dest’s injury, for someone else to step up as the team’s first-choice right back.
Whoever steps up, though, the U.S. won’t find another player like Dest. His commitment to ball progression, chance creation (‘SCA’ in the table below means ‘shot-creating actions’) and the audacity to set up his shot comprise a rare blend for a fullback. Add in Dest’s press-resistant dribbling, and the USMNT has a way to break lines even when opponents are adequately stifling primary passing lanes.
How to follow the Copa America on The Athletic…
- USMNT’s Dest set to miss Copa America
- Copa America news and features
- Copa America fixtures and schedule
The U.S. pool simply doesn’t offer a like-for-like replacement. As such, most viable alternatives will require reconfiguring how the U.S. center backs and midfielders patrol space in all phases of play.
Among those alternatives, one option immediately figures to have an inside track on the role.
Joe Scally
A member of Berhalter’s squad for the 2022 World Cup, Scally has now cemented himself as a fixture of Borussia Mönchengladbach’s defense in the German Bundesliga. Although Gladbach’s season hasn’t gone as hoped, sitting 12th in the Bundesliga and four points above the relegation playoff place, Scally has now started 20+ games for them in three consecutive campaigns.
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On the same day that Dest injured his knee, Scally came off the bench away at Hoffenheim. He provided an assist — his third of the year, a new career high — but was unable to catalyze a full comeback as Mönchengladbach lost 4-3.
Regardless of the results, though, Scally cuts an entirely different figure as a defender than Dest.
The Bundesliga’s playstyle is generally less free-flowing than the Eredivisie, which does cut into his ability to progress the ball to some extent. So too does Scally’s versatility – he is occasionally used as a left back, right midfielder and even center back.
Still, Scally doesn’t carry that same upfield compass that guides Dest’s every decision. Instead, he’s a more traditional full back. USMNT fans of a certain vintage might compare him to Steve Cherundolo: prone to slinging effective short passes and prioritizing his defensive responsibilities over the attacking stuff.
All said, his regular involvement in a league that is among the world’s best sets him apart from the rest of the pool.
The rest of the pool
Scally and Dest were two of four right backs to make Berhalter’s 26-man roster for the World Cup in Qatar. In the ensuing year and a half, however, both Shaq Moore and DeAndre Yedlin have faded from consideration for a full-strength USMNT compared to Dest and Scally.
Moore has had a rough start to the 2024 MLS season, although the same can be said for the entire team around him. Nashville’s system utilizes his long distribution frequently, but this season he’s performed just below league average in terms of tackling and allowing opposing dribblers to bypass him. Still, he’s a known entity in Berhalter’s planning and could allow for steady progress with his passing.
Yedlin has benefited greatly since being traded to FC Cincinnati from Inter Miami in March. The move from one of MLS’s most porous defenses to one of its best has allowed him to be a bit more aggressive with peace of mind that his teammates will be up to bail out any miscue. Although he’ll turn 31 in July, he’s also displayed an uptick in his upfield carrying volume, albeit not quite at the same rapid rate as when he broke out a decade ago. His crossing isn’t quite up to positional standard, but the 81-cap veteran could be a viable alternative to Scally in big games.
MLS Takeaways: Vancouver Whitecaps early dominance; Inter Miami’s squad depth support
Reggie Cannon has been a steady on-ball defender since joining Queens Park Rangers this September. In his first season in the EFL Championship, he’s let opponents dribble past him just 15.2% of the time – one of the best marks in the league. The problem? Despite this strong run of form, manager Martí Cifuentes (appointed a month after Cannon signed) dropped the former FC Dallas defender from his lineup in February, opting to start center back Jimmy Dunne in a wide role. That lack of minutes could cost Cannon a chance at the Copa América roster, as he’ll struggle to return to peak form in time for the tournament.
The final pair of right backs who may be in contention seemed destined to make the Olympic roster before Dest’s injury. Bryan Reynolds has been a fixture of the U-23 side throughout its preparations, benefitting from earning regular starts in the Belgian Pro League with Westerlo.
Reynolds also started regularly at last summer’s Gold Cup under interim B.J. Callaghan, which could give him a leg up over Nathan Harriel. The Philadelphia Union homegrown is untested at the senior international level but is among MLS’s best one-on-one defenders. If either is picked for the Copa América, it could open the door for Jake Davis (another strong tackler who developed in central midfield) to crack the Olympic roster.
Tim Weah has been used as a right wingback with Juventus (Click Thompson/Getty Images)
The curveballs
If one of the above options doesn’t cut it for Gregg Berhalter, he may be able to find a solution by moving a versatile starter to the back four. Each has viable alternatives who could fill their place if they need to be relocated for the good of their country.
Tyler Adams’ return from a lengthy injury layoff was a sight for sore eyes at the Nations League. The Bournemouth midfielder has played just 211 minutes for club and country since his hamstring tear in March 2023, but he looked like his typically vital self during his two Nations League appearances last month. There’s some precedent for Adams at right back – he played there for the U.S. occasionally in the 2022 World Cup cycle. However, it’s a physically demanding role, and his recent injury history might not allow for it.
Weston McKennie’s best shift at the 2022 World Cup came as something of a right wingback. Against England, the midfielder lived in the right half-space to create a numerical overload that helped the United States in possession and frustrated the Three Lions’ build-up when the ball changed hands. However, he’s had a truly resurgent season for Juventus as a box-to-box midfielder, doing his usual all-around stuff while adding better pass selection and creativity in the heart of the park. While Luca de la Torre (or Gio Reyna, if he isn’t used on the wing) could take his place were he to move to right back, it may create more midfield imbalance than ideal.
Instead, the best bet among projected USMNT starters may be a few lockers down in the Juventus dressing room. This year, Massimiliano Allegri has utilized Tim Weah as a right wingback. The gambit worked wonders until recent weeks, where a poor run of form has Allegri shuffling his lineup on a weekly basis in hopes of keeping his job. At the club’s heights this fall and winter, however, Weah brought his usual direct speed into the role with great success, also showcasing impressive tackling acumen for a career forward.
Although he plays slightly more advanced for his club than he would for the U.S., his movement patterns are closer to Dest’s than a lot of the aforementioned alternatives. Weah has had a full season to get used to making downhill runs against more congested defenses than he finds on the wing, which would cut down on his learning curve tremendously. He would also benefit from having McKennie play in a similar spot as he does for Juventus, allowing for second-nature interplay between the pair as Weah builds a rapport with the center backs.
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Moving Weah off of the right wing would also open that role up for Christian Pulisic. The USMNT star has been among the best wide attackers in Europe, enjoying an emphatic bounce-back campaign with AC Milan after some lean years at Chelsea. That uptick has coincided with a shift from his previous role on the left to playing on the right – the same role he played during his breakout with Borussia Dortmund.
The 25-year-old has more than held his own while sharing a forward line with Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud, with 13 goals and 8 assists across 3,169 minutes in all competitions.
Compared to his form with Milan, Pulisic seemed to play less freely in the Nations League. At times against Jamaica and Mexico, he was caught in two minds as he navigated the final third in a role that has never quite brought out his best.
If Pulisic were to shift, the left wing has capable alternatives: Reyna for a creative spark and Haji Wright as an in-form wide forward, to name two.
If there’s a silver lining to be found around Dest’s injury, perhaps it’s the potential for a shake-up that keeps the USMNT from replicating the worryingly stale first 90 minutes against Jamaica. Not only would it put the team’s best player into his best role, but it would also make the USMNT harder to gameplan for due to a lack of previous utilization. Sometimes, those tweaks can make a major difference in a knockout format.
(Top photos: David Jensen/Getty Images; John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
USWNT Olympic roster prediction 2.0: How things look after the SheBelieves Cup
By Meg Linehan, Steph Yang, and Jeff Rueter THe Athletic Apr 20, 2024
As the interim head coach era of the U.S. women’s national team comes to a close, it’s time for a fresh round of evaluating who’s in and who’s out of Olympic roster contention. In less than four months, new head coach Emma Hayes will have to select just 18 players to take to France. Former USWNT midfielder Sam Mewis recently described the math equation she used when she was trying to figure out if she was in contention for a roster. Mewis would make her own depth chart, writing out the defenders, midfielders, and forwards in her hotel room. It’s likely the current U.S. group is doing the math now after two SheBelieves games, with both requiring comeback victories and the team needing penalties – again – to dispatch Canada.In Columbus, defender Tierna Davidson hinted at balancing the anxiety that leads to hotel room math with every athlete’s mantra about controlling the controllable. “I think for all of us, it’s just taking everything with a grain of salt and to just give everybody a little bit of space to be making the decision that they’re making, and to see different pictures on the field,” Davidson said. “We all know that nothing is guaranteed as a new coach comes in. So I think everyone (is) trying to put their best foot forward but also understanding that it is an unorthodox time for both us as players and the coaching staff, the technical staff as a whole.”As we guess at our Olympic roster 2.0 (see our first edition here), interim head coach Twila Kilgore’s summary of any roster construction provides good context.
“It’s not about young or old or less experienced or more experienced. It’s about getting the right combinations of players with the right amount of experience and different strengths and weaknesses where they can cover each other in different areas and also have some chemistry and make sure that they’re all able to highlight their strengths,” she said.
Now that SheBelieves is over, and Zambia has officially completed the USWNT’s Olympic group, it’s up to Hayes to determine the final roster — with just two international windows to do so.
The Athletic’s Olympic squad right now:
Goalkeepers (2): Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars), Casey Murphy (NC Courage)
Defenders (6): Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Abby Dahlkemper (SD Wave), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Crystal Dunn (Gotham FC), Jenna Nighswonger (Gotham FC),
Midfielders (5): Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Lindsey Horan (Lyon), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Catarina Macario (Chelsea), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC)
Forwards (5): Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars), Alex Morgan (SD Wave), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jaedyn Shaw (SD Wave)
Goalkeepers
Meg: I don’t think this combo will surprise anyone. Alyssa Naeher should have done a bit better on that super-quick Japan goal in Atlanta, but it was Canada’s opening goal that’s more troublesome when you’re thinking about your starting goalkeeper. Her form so far this year has been very solid — vintage, in many ways — and she reminded everyone to settle down with another absurd penalty shootout performance against Canada: three saves and a converted spot kick.
Jeff: I think we’ve all shared similar concerns about Naeher’s agility when converging on an open ball or reacting to a powerful shot. The former scenario played out Tuesday night and it cost the U.S. the opening goal. Unfortunately, there’s been very little rotation in net since the CONCACAF W Gold Cup group stage, and any alternative would need to start at least twice in June’s friendlies against South Korea to have any familiarity with the defenders. This is one area where Kilgore could have better prepared some viable alternatives in 2024.It’s also worth stressing that the chance for a player to parlay a really strong stretch with their club into a backup role — “pulling an Aubrey Kingsbury,” if you will — is lessened when the team will only bring two goalkeepers instead of three. Casey Murphy has been Naeher’s main alternative for the better part of four years, and I’d expect that to remain the case unless Hayes rates someone else.
Defenders
Here’s where we had the most debate this time around: do you bring three center backs and three outside backs? Two straight-up center backs and then maybe a defender who can slot centrally if you need them in a pinch? On the outside back front, do we need one of each, or better to have someone who can half-credibly cover both? Is it better to prioritize pure defense on these depth picks, or someone who can slot into the U.S.’s attacking patterns?
Girma is one of the few defenders from the USWNT’s World Cup roster who is still receiving regular starts. (Photo by Brad Smith, Getty Images for USSF)
Center backs
Meg: Everyone watching the opening SheBelieves Cup match was both praying and believing in the healthiest possible vibes for Naomi Girma after she was forced to exit the match in the 18th minute with what turned out to be a day-to-day thigh injury. It seems like the team is being super precautionary and not pushing it. As we discussed last time, Girma is name number one on the S-Tier mission-critical players for the Olympics. Davidson has inched closer to being that primary partner for her, but she might have some rough video review after this tournament going over two of the goals allowed.
Here’s our one shift of this Olympic roster as we move from 1.0 to 2.0: we’ve opted to add Abby Dahlkemper to the mix.
Steph: I think SheBelieves illustrated pretty neatly that you need a third center back as opposed to someone who can shift inside in a pinch. A dedicated center back is perhaps the one area where you don’t want versatility. You want a specialist who can do a few other things but is devoted primarily to being a center back. As we saw against Canada at SheBelieves, you lose a lot with Girma if you’re facing a team trying to play over your backline. Girma is exceptional in her ability to cover the long ball and to control the space to deny runners the ability to look at goal in the first place.
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Jeff: Another factor playing in Dahlkemper’s favor is her familiarity with the two other center backs. Tuesday marked the 15th time that she’s partnered with Davidson, albeit the first in nearly three years. She also plays alongside Girma for San Diego, ensuring that any pairing from that trio will have established familiarity at a time when so much of the squad will be acclimating on the fly.
Meg: There is still a chance for Alana Cook to sneak in for one final look, finally returning to the Reign as a sub in an NWSL match last month, but that feels more like a chance than a definite right now.
Nighswonger earned her first USWNT cap in December 2023 (Photo by Andrea Vilchez, Getty Images for USSF)
Outside backs
Steph: Jenna Nighswonger has moved up to at least A-Tier for me, which we described last time as someone around whom to build the roster. I think Nighswonger has shown she’s a big piece of the USWNT’s ability to press, especially enabling Mal Swanson to go full Mal Swanson in their left-side progression.
Jeff: Nighswonger has provided width that was sorely lacking during the Vlatko Andonovski era, where both fullbacks tucked into the midfield rather than running the flank. While Fox is still doing that inverted wingback work on the right, having Nighswonger offer width and progression on the left gives a different element in the build-up — the U.S. sorely missed this in the first half against Canada, and moving upfield along the left was a slog.
Do we think Crystal Dunn knows what her role is moving forward? I wouldn’t be surprised if she is preferred to Nighswonger in the short term, but I still want to know if Hayes will keep her at left back or finally, mercifully, unleash her in midfield.
Meg: I really rate Casey Krueger, and think she should be on the USWNT. This 18-player roster is a killer.
Jeff: Kilgore did opt to bring Krueger in to replace Dunn on Tuesday rather than Nighswonger. It may have just been minute management at Gotham’s request, but we’ve also seen Krueger play right, center, and left in the past few months. If we’re highlighting versatility within the pool, she’s checked all the boxes.
Midfielders
Meg: Somehow, the one from the midfield I’m most on the fence about right now is Rose Lavelle, which isn’t anything Lavelle has done. She missed out on this camp due to injury. Assuming she’s healthy this summer (which, to be fair, sometimes is a greater assumption than anyone would prefer), she still has to make the trip. The USWNT has some different looks at the No. 10 now though, with Jaedyn Shaw getting the nod against Brazil. Catarina Macario could also slot there (or, as always: Dunn).
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Steph: I think Olivia Moultrie is a little extraneous if a roster has to get trimmed to 18, and I say that only in the context of that trimming and not at all as a referendum on her talent or ability to play at this level. It’s just that with Macario and Shaw in the mix, and especially if Lavelle gets healthy in time, I think it pushes her down the list a bit. Even though I think she’s on track to eventually work her way deeper into this team.
Lavelle was left off the SheBelieves roster due to injury. (Photo by Omar Vega, Getty Images)
Jeff: If you were listing the 18 most talented players in the pool, or the 18 most important, I wouldn’t spare a thought at listing all three of Lavelle, Macario and Shaw before I even get to the difficult decisions. But with so many high-caliber forwards and wingers, and Horan being a two-way threat, can you afford to take three attacking midfielders and punt on depth elsewhere?
If there’s one thing I’m confident about, it’s that the roster’s biggest snub will either be an attacking midfielder (Lavelle seems most tenuous given her struggles to stay healthy since 2022) or a winger.
Meg: It feels safe enough to note that we know what we’re getting with Horan in this midfield, so let’s move to the No. 6. Sam Coffey has had a very strong start to her 2024. At this point, do we think she’s done enough to cement not just a spot on the 18-player roster for France, but as the team’s starting defensive midfielder?
Jeff: I think so. I’m not an NWSL awards voter, but I would’ve had Coffey as my MVP last season for her work with Portland. She plays with a willingness to advance into the final third only when necessary, which keeps a midfield safety net to stifle a counterattack if the U.S. turns the ball over. Her long distribution can also help unlock the team’s wingers in all phases, and she’s looked the part against high-caliber opponents.
We’ve already rattled off a lot of names we’d want to bring, but we should probably address what the past couple of weeks could mean for Korbin Albert’s hopes of inclusion. The midfield is incredibly crowded right now; we haven’t even brought up World Cup call-ups like Savannah DeMelo, Ashley Sanchez or Andi Sullivan, or the long-awaited inclusion of Jaelin Howell. Hayes’ Chelsea often plays with two midfield pivots in front of the back line, so there could be room for a non-attacking inclusion at the expense of a playmaker.
Still, Albert’s overcommitment against Brazil made her easy to bypass in the Gold Cup final, and the very real locker room chemistry concerns could make this a tournament roster too soon.
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Meg: We’re not in that locker room, but those concerns are definitely heightened for an 18-player roster. I think the federation is largely satisfied with her public apology over her social media activity, but I also think that the USWNT technical staff have better options right now for soccer reasons, too.
Morgan has adapted to a new role with the young USWNT. (Photo by Carmen Mandato, Getty Images for USSF)
Forwards
Jeff: This is another area where the only real change from a month ago is an unfortunate injury. Midge Purce was at the top of my “tough omission” list after the Gold Cup, but an ACL tear has ruled her out for the Olympics and all of 2024. A player like Macario or Lavelle could be moved into a new role under Hayes and play as more of a winger, but beyond that, we’re likely talking about the same group of players with similar feelings about each.
Meg: For all the discourse on Alex Morgan, I think she’s going — and it feels like the players agree, based on this quote from Trinity Rodman in Columbus: “Alex is just a voice that we need with the experience. Being in the center, being the person that’s initiating press and attack, I think to have that voice, have that experience, have that veteran status is really good for us to build off of. And also just energy-wise, I think she sets the tone really well.” For as much as we talked about all those options at the No. 10, this team also has plenty at striker, but Morgan’s once again pulled off the return to the USWNT.
Steph: The forward group has been a historically delightful problem for coaches to solve. This team has never lacked scoring talent.
(Photo: Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
U.S. Soccer took a gamble waiting for Emma Hayes, leaving USWNT’s style of play in limbo
By Jeff Rueter The Athletic – Apr 12, 2024
In November, U.S. Soccer gambled that it was worth sacrificing a year of continuous preparation under a permanent manager to hire Emma Hayes. For eight months following the 2023 World Cup, interim management has overseen the U.S. women’s national team. To her credit, Twila Kilgore’s tenure as placeholder helped turn over the player pool and saw her team win a pair of tune-up competitions this spring.Still, it’s been a lost year for the program at a time when it was in sore need of a clear new vision. Hayes’ first games as USWNT manager in June are still two months away, bringing the post-World Cup interlude to 10 months — and a full seven months from her appointment in November.With the CONCACAF W Gold Cup and SheBelieves Cup in the rearview, it’s time to take stock. Is the program any better prepared to contend at the Paris Olympics than it was when Sweden knocked it out of the World Cup?
The 2023 World Cup cycle (and, by association, the Vlatko Andonovski era) stands out as the low point for the USWNT on the field.The belated 2020 Olympics was a warning sign, as an aging core entered with varying levels of fitness amidst the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team played every game in empty stadia, a far cry from the raucous support it so often enjoys in major tournaments, and the team was ultimately eliminated by Canada in the semifinal.Rather than heeding lessons from that tournament, Andonovski largely ran it back for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The team’s style of play often looked languid as it failed to breach the final third. Multiple players failed to see the field for a single minute as the U.S. advanced from its group thanks in part to a friendly goalpost against Portugal. The relief was short-lived as the U.S. fell to another longtime rival, Sweden, in a round of 16 penalty shootout.Advanced metrics show that the U.S. did do some good things in its four games at the tournament. No team allowed fewer shots per 90 than the squad’s 4.6, and its average xG per 90 advantage of 2.14-0.32 certainly screams “contender” in isolation. However, the issues with build-up and chance creation were clear.The team progressed up the field quickly enough, ranking 11th in the tournament field with a direct speed of 1.71 meters advanced upfield per second of possession.
Speed isn’t everything. Tournaments are notorious for eliciting small sample size judgments, and the trendline is far from definitive. Nevertheless, none of the 10 teams that ranked higher in direct speed advanced any further in the tournament than the round of 16.Progressing the ball upfield with pace is a helpful tool in transition, but the USWNT seemed devoid of ideas once it met the opposing defense in the final third. All four teams that had a more rapid direct speed also bowed out in the round of 16. Unsurprisingly, all five teams that averaged fewer goals per 90 than the U.S. also failed to reach the quarterfinal or further.Playing direct and sharp final third decision-making shouldn’t be treated as a mutually exclusive proposition, mind you. Given the talent at the USWNT’s disposal, there’s the potential to create a near unstoppable balance in attack. With the benefit of hindsight, the federation wanted to ensure the team was better equipped to make smart decisions to score with dependability.
“There was definitely a sense that we need to be better with the ball and have more solutions,” U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said in September. The federation polled players during the coaching search and much of the focus from the tactical feedback involved building the attack, playing through the midfield and having “creative solutions in tight spaces, having the players and the tactics to beat the low block.”After spending an entire cycle moving the ball despite its midfield — the Prayer Circle Formation, as Kim McCauley so brilliantly branded it — they wanted to make use of their engine room.Enter Hayes, a tactical chameleon who’s well-versed in the art of breaking down low blocks at the helm of her Chelsea juggernaut. She plans for the opponent rather than coaching from dogmatic principles. Each game’s instructions are curated with one aim in mind: winning, above all else.You can see the appeal at surface level, hiring a coach who habitually works to overcome the type of cynical tactics that sunk the team last summer. The catch: the team would have to wait while Hayes admitted her “full focus and attention is on what I do for Chelsea” until that season’s end.
If there’s a highlight performance over the last 10 months, it came in the Gold Cup quarterfinal against Colombia. In the preceding group stage, the USWNT was frustrated by opponents like Argentina and Mexico sitting in a low block as Kilgore maintained a possession-oriented structure perhaps too closely akin to Andonovski’s. Patterns of ball circulation slowed the team’s build-up, giving all too much time for defensive-minded opponents to get into their ideal placements.Colombia was a World Cup quarterfinalist last summer, blessed with one of the world’s great young attackers, Linda Caicedo, and a team that suited her skillset on the break. Kilgore strove to exploit those tendencies by letting her team play direct. It achieved two things: greater attacking intensity going forward, and fewer turnovers in the defensive half that would cater to Colombia’s strengths. A 3-0 win was a statement that the USWNT was back with a point to prove.
Direct again: How USWNT’s new old approach lends flexibility going forward
Taking a similar scoring initiative was impossible in a rain-soaked semifinal slog against Canada, and the team opted for a more controlled style of play in the final against Brazil, winning 1-0. It got results, ensuring the team won the inaugural Gold Cup.Still, the team wasn’t showcasing the type of consistent goalscoring necessary to be better prepared for the Olympics than it was in the World Cup. Fortunately, SheBelieves was right around the corner, providing another pair of games against high-level opponents to showcase Crocker’s desired “creative solutions in tight spaces.”Japan had other ideas. Kiko Seike became the first player to score against the USWNT in a game’s opening minute since 2003, putting the hosts at an early 1-0 deficit. With some savvy high-pressing the U.S. equalized 20 minutes later before a 77th-minute penalty kick sealed a 2-1 win for the U.S. It was a professional result, but not a showcase of the principles U.S. Soccer strove to install.Up next came Canada, which saw Kilgore drop one of her usual four attacking players for a second pivot at the base of midfield. Intentional or otherwise, this saw the team revert to their Prayer Circle tendencies.“Our attack is not built around one individual player and that is by design,” Kilgore said ahead of the final. “It’s important that we have the ability to score goals from a variety of different ways. And even though we have these predictable moments for us that we’re looking for, it’s important that different people are filling different roles and able to recognize when they’re the one that needs to maybe make an early run or get out ahead of the opponent for a cross.”Just over five minutes into the final against Canada, the USWNT seemed to look through its variety of chance-creation methods after a Lindsey Horan tackle sprung Sophia Smith on the counter.
Huh, that’s a let-off for Canada. Time to set up for another wave of attack.
Oh no, not the Prayer Circle.
No, no, no , no, no, no —
Over half an hour later, Canada opened the scoring after a miscommunication between goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and her defense. Once again, the United States was forced to react to the game after allowing the opponent to establish its terms.
Ultimately, a fresh batch of Naeher shootout heroics saw the USWNT become SheBelieves champions again. The two conceded goals could be chalked up to individual errors.
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Then again, the same could be said for the USWNT’s showing last summer: a team largely in control of games, but not showing enough bite to convert ball retention into goals — all while being prone to gaffes.
Is this team really better equipped to contend at these Olympics than it was last year?
If we’re looking for evidence of progress since August, we’ll need to start by looking at individual players. Alex Morgan struggled in the World Cup, but her gritty line-leading work was vital to the proactive success against Colombia. Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario returned from injuries that limited their 2023 involvement and largely kept pace with the game around them.
The aftermath of the World Cup was always bound to see some program mainstays give way to the next generation. Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe both had send-off games, while captain Becky Sauerbrunn has faded from involvement. Horan has stepped up as a team leader, while Naomi Girma is already similarly impactful despite being just 23.
Young players benefited from Kilgore’s call-ups. Jenna Nighswonger has been a breath of fresh air at left back, providing sorely needed width in the build-up in a role that was previously instructed to tuck into midfield under Andonovski. Jaedyn Shaw is the latest attacking revelation, showing precocious decision-making in transition while being a capable first-time finisher. Sam Coffey seems poised to be the team’s defensive midfielder of the future, and Korbin Albert’s all-around game makes her seem like a possible successor to Horan in midfield (pending the off-field issues that could impact her locker room standing).
Having promising young players step up is essential to overcoming a bad four-year spell. But how many players like Nighswonger, Shaw and Coffey will need to reassert their readiness once Hayes comes in? It’s remained an open question just how closely Hayes is watching and assessing her upcoming pool of players. If that answer is less than “with a keen eye,” they’ll need to ace their second first impression to stay ahead of more veteran alternatives.
Ultimately, no matter who makes the 18-player Olympic roster, we don’t know how they’ll look to play in Paris. The questions that hung over the program still don’t have definitive answers.
USWNT Olympic roster prediction after the SheBelieves Cup
In appointing a coach who couldn’t start her job for over half a year, the USSF gambled that her quality is so much more irresistible than any alternatives that it was worth spending half a year in purgatory.
The summer’s trio of friendlies come against South Korea and Mexico, both of which won’t partake in the Olympics, but will no doubt want to claim a win over one of the world’s most celebrated teams of any sport. They’ll provide tests at a time when Hayes will still be studying for answers.
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Tuesday also saw the final member of the USWNT’s Olympic group qualify. Zambia joined the U.S., Germany and Australia in Group B. Australia was a semifinalist last summer. Germany has its point to prove after failing to advance from its group, while Zambia is riding high on the back of its first World Cup appearance. It won’t be a given that the U.S. will advance to the knockouts, to say nothing of its medal-winning ambitions.
It will be easy to spin a poor showing in Paris as a short-term sacrifice with a focus on the 2027 World Cup, which could potentially be played on home soil. That said, this isn’t a program that has ever treated any major tournament as a developmental tool. When the United States competes in a women’s soccer tournament, it’s there to win. That’s the benchmark that has been established for generations of players and one that the fans hold to account.
This summer, the players’ every performance will be scrutinized, and their future selections will hang in the balance more than Hayes’ job will (or should). If the program’s decision to spend so many months under interim leadership backfires, the blame will fall on them — and unfairly so.
(Photo: Brad Smith/Getty Images for USSF)
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