Around the World of Soccer
Interesting week of soccer I’ll start with Sad to see Wrexham’s Ollie Palmer’s farewell for those who watch We are Wrexham on FX or Disney+ Ollie was a big part of their multiple promotions – but his time with the club has come to and end. Also in the Championship American forward Josh Sargent Can’t Keep from Scoring as he notched a brace last weekend on his way to league leading 5 goals so far. Cool to see Pochitino Take in Ohio State College Football last weekend on Fox’s Texas vs OSU pregame show. Messi’s last home WC Qualifier at Argentina was last night. Another record signing on the ladies side as American & Angel City star Alyssa Thompson goes to Chelsea for $1.3 million-sad for my daughter who has season tix for Angel City FC. World Cup Tix Go on Sale starting next week unfortunately our closest locations are Atlanta & Kansas City. If you haven’t seen the Pulisic special series on Paramount plus its 8 episodes and worth the watch.
USA faces Korea Sat 5 pm then Japan Tues at 7:30 pm in Columbus on TNT, HBO, Peacock
So lets put it out there – I said it last week that Men’s Coach Bochitino has no clue what he is doing after again seeing what a pathetic roster he called in for this one of the last 10 games we will play before the World Cup. Now the media is finally starting to agree with me –ESPNFC Agrees Poch is Clueless. How he could leave home our starting GKs, starting 8, backup 6s, and outside backs is just beyond me. He should be getting this squad ready for battle against top 20 competition and instead he brought questionable MLS players in for their first camps. At least Pulisic is back and Dest and Weah. But there is still a lot of the core of this squad missing. I may be the one holding up the Go Back Home BOCHITINO POSTER in Columbus on Tuesday night. Clueless is all I can say at this point. I honestly think this guy is mailing this $6 million a year job in and laughing in our US faces. So what do I see this weekend? 1 loss and 1 tie. We’ll lose the first one to Korea and Son as he’ll torch our backline and its lack of speed. While Japan will match us in possession but will not beat us in the fortress that is Columbus with the American Outlaws in Full Voice. I hope we have a good crowd – though US soccer and Boch have given us NOTHING to get excited about. I truly thought Poch was gonna bring our A team and we would win both of these games this weekend. I guarantee if Nashville Headman BJ Callaghan who won a nations league and Gold cup with this team was in charge that is what would happen. But with Boch calling the shots its a lost and tie and him saying we need to play em better with more hart. Since I would have NEVER picked this US Roster– I have no clue who might start this weekend but lets try this.
Leagues Cup – Seattle Dominates Miami – Miami Fights Post-Game Disgusting
Seattle was truly spectacular last Sunday Full house in Seattle – as they destroyed Messi and Inter Miami 3-0 Hi-Lights on the night. After such a fantastic Leagues Cup that the MLS dominated – it was sad to see Miami players Suarez and Busquets just absolutely lose it after the game as the post game broke out into an all-out brawl. I am not sure MLS has punished Miami’s punks enough as Suarez (6 games) and (Busquets 2 games) were only kicked out of Leagues Cup games. Suarez spit on coach or security guard from Seattle he has to be suspended from MLS games too.
More USA Friendlies this Weekend and Tues in Columbus
USA v. South Korea (Saturday, 5 p.m. ET, TNT/Peacock) 
USA v. Japan (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT/Peacock) 
If the U.S. men’s national team World Cup squad was one of those reality cooking challenge shows, we are at the stage where the clock is running down but the raw ingredients are still spread out all over the prep table, and it remains to be seen if we can combine them into any kind of competitive recipe. South Korea and Japan will be testing mid-tier opponents. Win one game, get Pulisic firing, and we can all feel so much better. Lose both and it is going to feel very, very dark. Two very different paths lie ahead. Here are the headlines to prepare you for all that is to come:
Christian Pulisic, Our Lord and Savior, Is Back 
When the roster for the upcoming friendlies was announced last week, Pochettino said he hadn’t spoken with Pulisic since the Gold Cup, adding, “I think everything is behind us, all that happened in summer, and I think now we need to look forward.” We will find out the truth of that the moment Christian takes the field for his first appearance since that Nations League disaster back in March. He has looked spritely for Milan with a goal in his first two games, but must now play for the U.S. with the same dominance as he did in the commercials which were omnipresent this summer. Knowing Christian, he will be highly motivated to score. He knows one electric moment of football can change everything in the blink of an eye. I would settle for another goal testicled over the line. When I spoke to Tyler Adams, he told me the difference between the U.S. with and without Pulisic is that Christian is the one American player who can make something out of nothing. I both pray and expect that to happen tomorrow.
The Focus is Going to Shift Immediately from the Big Names Who Are Not There, to the Glut of New Ones Who Are ️
So much focus over the past weeks has been spent on the vast number of big-name players who were not called up. Make no mistake: this is an MLS-heavy, raw squad with some mighty omissions—not just reputationally in terms of the more familiar names like Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna, but also from a footballing perspective. Aidan Morris, who has been balling out for top-of-the-Championship Middlesborough, is outside looking in.
There are honestly so many questions all over the field. Who is the No. 1 striker? Who is our goalkeeper, out of a very raw group? Who are our leaders? The midfield group looks very green aside from Tyler Adams. There is always a sense with our squad, that the big names—McKennie, Reyna, Brendan Aaronson, Yunus Musah—will come back and save us. We often tell ourselves this team is just a placeholder and that the cavalry is coming. What if it is not coming? And this is it?
The U.S. are playing South Korea and Japan. Two teams who are well-drilled, intelligent collectives, primed to punish any mistake we make at high pace. They will be stern tests. The kind of quality we could expect to face if we make the knockout phase of the World Cup. This is a moment for the USMNT to prove themselves to themselves against teams at the level of Türkiye and Switzerland, the two sides who outclassed them in friendlies ahead of the Gold Cup.
One Thing Not to Worry About
Finally, don’t stress the noise from outside pundits. Their voices and opinions and insights are actually what you want. I laughed with Tyler Adams that the volume of noise we currently have in the United States is a tiny squeak compared to the booming torrent of punditry in England or Italy. Think about how many former NFL or NBA stars have platforms to make their opinions known.
A vast layer of pundits is ultimately a sign of a healthy football-sphere. Indeed, it will hopefully grow and grow as the profile of the game grows, and the U.S. men, please god, begin to capture the interest of the nation. That is the real story of the moment. This team needs to start winning. The empty seats at Gold Cup stadia spoke volumes about where this team is right now. Charlie Davies wrote this week: “There is already a worrying lack of enthusiasm bordering on apathy in the USMNT’s fan base at a time when positivity and optimism should be growing in anticipation of this huge moment in American soccer. I don’t even want to think about what the impact would be of another heavy loss at home.” It is hard to live out this team playing in the shadows like this. The truth is, we are in danger of becoming a club football country now. Liverpool-Arsenal felt like a massive rumble that captured the interest of American sports fans. The lack of casual chatter going into this U.S. game is deafening. This is the moment to change everything.
TV GAME SCHEDULE
Sat, Sept 6
9 am Fox Sport 2 Latvia vs Serbia WCQ
10 am CBSSN,Para+ Bolton vs AFC Wimbledon
12 noon FS2 England vs Andorra WCQ
2:45 pm FS2 Ireland vs Hungary WCQ
5 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Korea
7:30 pm ESPN+ Charleston vs Indy 11
7:40 pm Tubi NC Courage vs Utah Royals NWSL
10 pm Tubi Bay FC vs KC Current NWSL
Sun, Sept 7
9 am FS1 Georgia vs Bulgaria WCQ
12 noon FS1 Lithuania vs Netherlands WCQ
2:45 pm FS1 Germany vs Northern Ireland WCQ
2:45 pm FS2 Poland vs Finland WCQ
2:45 pm ?? Turkey vs Spain WCQ
3 pm Para+, Prime Chicago Red Stars vs Orlando Pride NWSL
4 pm CBSSN, Para, Prime, Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Seattle Reign NWSL
5 pm ESPN NY/NJ Gotham vs Angel City NWSL
7 pm Apple free Sporting KC vs Austin MLS
8:30 pm ESPN San Diego Wave vs Houston Dash NWSL
Mon, Sept 8
2:45 pm FS2 Israel vs Italy WCQ
8:30 pm Para+, Peacock El Salvador vs Suriname WCQ
9:30 pm CBSSN, Para Panama vs Guatamala WCQ
Tues, Sept 9
12 noon ESPNDes South Africa vs Nigeria WCQ
2:45 pm FS2 France vs Iceland WCQ
2:45 pm ?? Serbia vs England WCQ
3 pm ?? Wales vs Canada
7:30 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Japan in Columbus, Ohio
9 pm Uni, TUDN Mexico vs Korea
Fri, Sept 12
2:30 pm ESPN2 Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) vs Frankfurt
Sat, Sept 13
7:30 am USA Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest
10 am USA? Fulham (Robinson) vs Leeds United (Aaronson)
12 noon Para+ Juventus vs Inter
12:30 pm CBS NC Courage vs Angel City NWSL
5 pm Tubi Orlando Pride vs Bay FC NWSL
7:30 pm Tubi KC City vs Washington Spirit NWSL
7:30 pm Apple Cincy vs Nashville
8:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy
Sun, Sept 14
9 am USA Burnley vs Liverpool
11:30 am USA Man City vs Man United
11:30 am ESPN+ M’Gladbach (Reyna, Scally) vs Werder Bremen
2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Bologna
3 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Valencia
3 pm ESPN Chicago Red Stars vs Portland Thorns NWSL
6 pm Golazo, Para Utah Royals vs Houston Dash NWSL
8 pm Golazo, Para Seattle Reign vs Racing Louisville NWSL
Fri, Oct 10
8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador
Tues, Oct 14
9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia
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US MEN
USMNT September 2025 friendlies USA vs. South Korea: what to watch for
Pochettino, Pulisic must reconcile for USMNT to be at its best going into World Cup
USMNT roster omissions might hamper World Cup preparations
2025 USMNT Friendly: Scouting South Korea
USMNT players on risks, rewards of World Cup year transfers
How Columbus became a Fortress for the USMNT
Yanks abroad: Pulisic, Adams, Morris, Balogun stand out, Cremsaschi to Parma, and more
Mitrovic discusses U.S. U-20 team’s progress as World Cup nears
USMNT transfer grades: Analyzing every American move in the summer window
USMNT Embracing Competition to Impress Pochettino
The Group is Looking Lovely’: USMNT Looks to Build on Standard Set in Gold Cup
How the Legacy of Michael Bradley Remains with the USMNT
Cristian Roldan Added to USMNT Roster for September Matches against Korea Republic and Japan
USMNT Needs Momentum
Goalkeeping
Top Premier League saves from Matchweek 2 (2024-25) | NBC Sports
Top Premier League saves from Matchweek 3 (2024-25) | NBC Sports
Top Saves Leagues Cup
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 26
NWSL
Chelsea breaks transfer record to sign USWNT’s Alyssa Thompson
Women’s transfer record broken again: Here’s what happened on WSL deadline day
Chelsea sign USWNT’s Alyssa Thompson from Angel City
Alyssa Thompson joins Chelsea: What to know about forward’s NWSL departure
Roundabouts, sheepherding, hot sauce: How USWNT stars adapt to life in England
MLS
Seattle Sounders humiliate Inter Miami: Leagues Cup title, trophy grand slam, and a night for the history books
Miami fight with Seattle after loss embarrassing
Shameful Miami after Leagues Cup loss to Seattle
WORLD
Lionel Messi on future with Argentina and 2026 World Cup: ‘I haven’t made a decision’
Lionel Messi gives frank assessment of 2026 World Cup hopes after Venezuela win
Lionel Messi says presence at 2026 World Cup is unlikely – ‘The logical conclusion is…’
Daniel Levy steps down as Spurs chairman after more than 2 decades with the club
Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe: ‘I don’t know if we’re ready for a 60-game
Reffing
Offsides?
8 Second GK Rule
Interesting Var Review Audio Fulham game Shame
Head EPL Ref Howard Webb Says Var Missed it Fulham Game
Pochettino, Pulisic must fix rift as USMNT prep for World Cup
Jeff CarlisleSep 4, 2025, 09:56 AM ET
Mauricio Pochettino and Christian Pulisic are back together, with head coach and player taking part in the U.S. men’s national team training camp ahead of this month’s friendlies against South Korea and Japan.
Just how “together” they are will be revealed over the next week and beyond, but make no mistake: they need to be on the same page if the U.S. is to reach its stated aim of making a deep run at next summer’s World Cup.This isn’t to say that the two have had a falling out, nor do they need to be best friends and have regular dinners together. But there has been a disconnect.
– USMNT transfer grades: Analyzing every American move in the summer window
– USMNT players on risks, rewards of World Cup year transfers
– USMNT roster omissions might hamper World Cup preparations
Pulisic waved off an attempt by Pochettino to sub him out of the third-place game at the Concacaf Nations League last March. He missed out on the recent Gold Cup two months later, and while USSF sporting director Matt Crocker said at the time, “We made the collective decision that this is the right moment for [Pulisic] to get the rest he needs,” the public backlash was intense, with former USMNT players, among them Landon Donovan, questioning the player’s commitment.
Pulisic’s response, in part, was to state in an interview with CBS Sports that he had offered to play in two pre-Gold Cup friendlies, but that Pochettino had turned him down. Pulisic later said in the interview that he didn’t understand the decision even as the manager explained he wanted just one roster for the entire Gold Cup program. While Pulisic’s impulse to defend himself is understandable, divulging some of the deliberations about his Gold Cup participation was a mistake and only served to annoy Pochettino. The U.S. manager responded, stating that he is “not a mannequin” and that he alone would decide who plays for the USMNT and when. When the roster for the upcoming friendlies was announced last week, Pochettino said he hadn’t spoken with Pulisic since the Gold Cup, adding, “I think everything is behind us, all that happened in summer, and I think now we need to look forward.”Left unsaid is how effective that approach will be if there hasn’t been any communication. To be clear, success at the World Cup doesn’t rest solely on Pulisic, as numerous moving parts need to align for a deep run to occur. The U.S. needs to sort out its goalkeeping situation. Right back Sergiño Dest has to be healthy, the better to augment the attack with his ability to deliver the unexpected. The same is true for Antonee Robinson on the opposite flank. Holding midfielder Tyler Adams needs to be at his ball-hawking best. One of the available strikers — be it Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Haji Wright, etc. — needs to hit top form ahead of the tournament.But Pulisic’s combination of talent, creativity and experience remains a critical piece of the attack. When Pulisic plays well and is in full flow, the team usually follows suit. Scoring goals is the most difficult part of the game, and Pulisic remains a vital contributor to that aspect of the cause. Pochettino and Pulisic need each other for the team to succeed. Part of what’s at issue between Pulisic and Pochettino is that the U.S. manager is in the middle of attempting a cultural reset. That goes for everyone, from the biggest stars down to uncapped players who get called in. Pochettino is demanding total commitment, at least as he defines it. As fatigued as Pulisic was after playing over 50 games a season at AC Milan the last two years, his decision to sit out the Gold Cup, while offering to play in the two friendlies before the tournament, sent Pochettino a different kind of message.
“If you arrive to the camp and you want to spend a nice time, play golf, go for a dinner, visit my family, visit my friend, that is the culture that we want to create?” Pochettino said last May. “No, no, no, no, no. What we want to do is to go to the national team, arrive and be focused and spend all my focus and energy in the national team. If we want to be good in one year’s time, we need to think that today is the most important day.”The adjustment from the players — including Pulisic — to Pochettino’s approach has taken some time. Defender Tim Ream admitted after the Gold Cup that it had taken too long. At Tuesday’s media availability, Ream said that with players just arriving, there hadn’t been a team-wide meeting yet to discuss expectations, though coaches had been pulling players in for individual meetings.”We’ll sit down I’m sure [Tuesday] and have a discussion,” he said.”But for us, it is just the guys who were here during the Gold Cup … We kind of know what the standard needs to be and what it is going forward and just making sure that everybody’s being held accountable, pushing each other, helping each other, and making sure that we all know that we’re on the same page, we’re on the same team.”Pochettino was a top-flight manager for 15 years — with stops at Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea — before taking up with the USMNT. If there is to be movement in any direction, that will fall on Pulisic, because Pochettino won’t be changing his ways. The U.S. manager has made it clear that no one’s spot is secure. Weston McKennie was left off the current roster, and while Pochettino blamed his absence on a lack of rest due to participation in the Club World Cup, Tim Weah had a similar workload, yet was included in this camp. Relationships between players and coaches can be fluid, going through difficulties. Pulisic’s rapport with former U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter experienced some rough patches before the two found alignment ahead of the 2022 World Cup, in which Pulisic played a critical role in the U.S. reaching the round of 16. That could very well be the case with Pochettino and Pulisic. However, Pulisic and the rest of the team will need to adapt to Pochettino’s ways.
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USMNT’s home crowd dilemma is US Soccer’s age-old problem
By Paul Tenorio Sept. 5, 2025 10:00 am EDT
Since taking over as coach of the U.S. men’s national team last fall, Mauricio Pochettino has had a jarring introduction to some aspects of American soccer culture. He has felt it most acutely standing on the sideline and looking into the stands around him.Pochettino’s first competitive games in charge of the U.S. were opening acts in doubleheaders staged by Concacaf, meaning swathes of ticket holders for the late games, which featured Mexico, didn’t show up for the U.S. contests. Then, during the Gold Cup, Pochettino experienced the power of the immigrant communities in the U.S. as Guatemala fans far outnumbered Americans in St. Louis for the semifinal and Mexico supporters created a home-field advantage for El Tri in Houston in the final.Other games highlighted a lack of interest. Six games between September 2024 and July 2025 had 18,008 or fewer fans in attendance.For an Argentine used to diehard fans packing home stadiums, the huge numbers supporting visiting teams and the lack of U.S. fan support seemed to catch Pochettino off guard. After the final, he implored U.S. soccer fans to come out and support the team. “I would love to see my players playing with 70,000 people cheering,” Pochettino said in the postgame press conference in Houston. “We need the people. We need the fans. The fans have one year to realize how important are the fans in soccer.
“I think that today (against Mexico), like with Guatemala, it’s a scene in our country to see how important are the fans – to be in the stadium, to stay with the team, to support, not only through Instagram, social media or behind the TV. It’s (important) to be here and translate the energy.
“Football without fans? It’s impossible.
Mauricio Pochettino ha expressed his wish for packed home crowds – full of USMNT fans. (Robbie Jay Barratt / AMA/ Getty Images)
“Here, I think that it’s time to realize that we need the fans. … I think, I hope, and I wish, next time to play with full stadium, with our fans there cheering for the team and helping to achieve a good performance and good result.”The U.S. coach was wading into an attendance issue that has ensnared the program for more than a decade now. It traces back to a ticketing strategy built around revenue rather than accessibility, a team that has struggled on the field and the realities of playing a global sport in a country defined by its diversity.On Saturday, the U.S. will play South Korea in front of a 25,000 sold-out crowd at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. Tuesday’s friendly against Japan at Columbus’ 20,000-capacity Lower.com Field is trending toward a sellout as well. Fewer than 600 tickets were available, including suites and premium options, as of Thursday night.The crowds are indicative of U.S. Soccer’s efforts to alter the equation and find the right mix of market, price point and opponent to balance sporting goals, fan engagement and revenue-driven realities. With what has long been expected to be a transformative home World Cup approaching, the efforts to reach new fans and bring them into the gates are as critical as ever to the short- and long-term growth of the sport. As the men’s team struggles to get results, making the games more accessible will be a vital part of any attempt to build excitement in the run-up to the tournament.
The slide is infamous in American soccer circles. As part of a presentation at a board meeting in 2017, U.S. Soccer executives presented how the federation’s ticketing strategy shifted from the 1998 World Cup cycle through to the 2018 cycle to emphasize smaller venues and higher ticket prices for U.S. games. Ticket prices in the 2002 cycle averaged $28.05. By the 2018 cycle, when the U.S. men missed the World Cup, the average price jumped to $97.06. Revenue more than doubled, from $7 million over eight games in the 2002 cycle to $17.6 million in the 2018 cycle. But it came at a cost of attendance and accessibility. In that same period, attendance dropped from 249,266 fans across eight games to 181,090.What You Should Read NextDoes USMNT have an attendance issue? The answer isn’t simpleThe USMNT’s friendlies against Canada and New Zealand were played with swathes of empty seats in the stadia – but is that cause for concern?
Undoubtedly, the socioeconomic makeup of those in the stadium shifted along with those fast-rising prices.U.S. Soccer chief commercial officer David Wright insists that the federation is “an organization that has evolved dramatically in the last three to five years.” But ticket prices for games can vary dramatically, based both on dynamic pricing and also on the business realities for U.S. Soccer.
“We’re a 501(c)(3), nonprofit, but as many people know, our ability to drive revenue is really important because it funds and candidly accelerates our ability in the sport,” Wright tells The Athletic. “Obviously, we’ve got our women’s and men’s senior national teams, but we have 25 other national teams that are really important to U.S. Soccer and our overall efforts throughout the game. We’re also thinking about coaching, we’re thinking about refereeing, thinking about participation, and have programming against all three to grow. So it takes resources. It’s always a balance between the business side, but then also providing access and accessibility.”
The USMNT takes on Japan, and Yuto Nagatomo, next week. (Koji Watanabe / Getty Images)
Tickets were available for the Japan friendly in Columbus for less than $50. The get-in price for friendlies in Austin and Colorado in October are currently $54 and $75, respectively. Tickets prices in New Jersey were not as friendly. The original get-in price for non-supporters in New Jersey was $50, but a month later that had jumped to $180.There have been at least some steps toward increasing that accessibility.U.S. Soccer recently reached a deal with the American Outlaws, its largest supporters group, in which all tickets for supporters in federation-hosted matches through October 2026 will be capped at $45 (plus fees), and will be sold directly by the Outlaws to members.The aim is not just to drive accessibility, but to bring new fans into the supporters’ culture.“Our supporter groups are the lifeline,” Wright said. “They provide incredible energy and atmosphere. I think it also speaks to our fan-first approach. We’re an evolving organization. We have great relationships with our supporter groups. And I think it’s just an acknowledgement that (they) are really important, and to be able to provide access in a really meaningful way is a win-win.”In a statement, Justin Brunken, co-founder of the American Outlaws said the partnership, “helps eliminate one of the biggest barriers — cost — and makes it possible for more passionate fans to stand, sing, and support together.”“This isn’t just about saving a few bucks,” the statement read. “It’s about keeping soccer grounded in community.”U.S. Soccer has also done more outreach toward college students to bring younger games into the stadium at discounted prices.The business side of U.S. Soccer has changed dramatically since 2017, which has also impacted the reliance on ticket revenue for the federation’s aims. U.S. Soccer brought all commercial work in-house in 2022, ending its longstanding relationship with Soccer United Marketing. Since the federation’s sponsorships have been moved in-house, commercial and event revenue has increased substantially, with projections above $200 million in total revenue.The federation also grew out its “advancement” team, which focuses on donations. Those efforts have brought in enormous donations from Arthur Blank for the new training facility and Michele Kang with a directive to grow women’s and girls’ soccer, as well as many other donations pointed toward everything from hiring Pochettino to growing youth programs or coaching and referee education. In prior years, U.S. Soccer raised between $4 to $6 million annually in contributions. That number jumped to around $70 million under the expanded advancement team.“As a percentage of revenue, (ticker revenue will) come down, but it doesn’t diminish the importance,” Wright said. “Not only is the revenue obviously important to fuel the business and to provide opportunities, but it’s obviously one of the most high-profile opportunities to engage with fans,” Wright said. “So the ability to have 20 to 25 marquee matches a year that provide access and leave an impact in a community, while also engaging millions of fans via social (media) and broadcast is really important. It’s something that we recognize, and obviously we’re leaning in on.”The strong expected crowds in New Jersey and Columbus show that the U.S. men can draw a crowd, but finding the right venue and the right opponent is an increasingly difficult dance.
It’s easy to point to some of the repeat visits to cities — Austin, Columbus, Cincinnati, St. Louis — and wonder how exactly U.S. Soccer makes decisions on where they play games. It’s not an easy process.
It starts with finding an opponent, which has been especially difficult in this cycle because the U.S. men are not playing qualifiers, but confederations are still going through their qualification process. That, combined with the Nations League, has decreased available opponents in every window.Once an opponent is found, John Terry, U.S. Soccer’s senior director of events, tries to narrow down markets based on a number of factors.Opponents often have preferences on how far they will travel based on their second opponent in the window and where that game is being staged. Brazil, for example, was willing to play the U.S. ahead of the Copa América, but only if the game was staged in Orlando. U.S. Soccer was willing to make that accommodation, and to play on a temporary surface at Camping World Stadium, in order to get a game against such a high-quality opponent.U.S. Soccer also has to find training facilities for both teams in markets — one reason why it hasn’t frequented the New York market as often, for example, and why Austin and St. Louis have been favorites for the team.The availability of venues in markets isn’t always simple either. In the fall, U.S. Soccer is contending with the NFL, college football, MLS and concerts. It has to think about the cost of playing on grass laid on top of turf — both in terms of dollars and in quality of play. It considers the size of the venue and the ticket demand in the market. And it isn’t picking a city based solely on what is happening in that window. It also has to consider future windows and look at where it can play games in future months. And, of course, it’s weighing those options simultaneously for both the men’s and women’s national teams.
Austin’s Q2 Stadium has become a popular site for the USMNT. (David Buono / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Even then, repeats can happen. U.S. Soccer had its October USMNT friendly scheduled in Austin against Ecuador for months when Concacaf put them in Austin for a Gold Cup group stage game this summer, for example. Meanwhile, travel for a team increasingly based in Europe has made it more difficult to schedule games on the West Coast. (Though the makeup of the roster under Pochettino has been swinging back toward a prominent mix of MLS players.) U.S. Soccer also tries to avoid traveling far distances between games in a window. There has been an effort in recent years to go to new markets, or to get back to cities for the first time in several years. That includes a friendly played in San Antonio, Saturday’s game in New Jersey — the first there since the U.S. lost to Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying in 2017 — and a reported friendly set for Tampa in November. “It’s not just because we’ve got a World Cup (coming), that’s a strategy that I think we’ve employed for a number of years now,” Wright said. “For us, it’s: How do you expose the sport to a variety of different markets, but also partner with local markets that really want you to be there?” In addition to all of those considerations, U.S. Soccer does think about trying to maximize home field advantage. But as the pro-Guatemala crowd in St. Louis showed, sometimes it doesn’t matter where the U.S. plays. The makeup of the country is such that it can lead to crowds that favor the visitors.That may not always be what the coach or team wants, of course. But for U.S. Soccer, there are still gains to be made in those crowds. “The amount of diversity in this country is a really, really powerful thing, and something that, as an organization, I think we’ve really leaned in and embraced,” Wright said. “If you’re a fan of the sport in this country, we believe we’ve got a real opportunity to engage with you. There’s about 130 million fans of the game. We expect that number to drastically increase coming out of the next summer. Not all those 130 million are passionate U.S. soccer fans, but they’re passionate about the game … And I think it is really powerful as we think about the future. It’s a huge area of opportunity.” Those points of connection will be the true measure of success of the World Cup, and that’s a process that has already started. The magnitude of the World Cup’s impact will depend on many things, including the results of the host team. But beyond what happens on the field, U.S. Soccer must find wins off of it, too. Getting the cities, venues and prices right to open the game up to fans can make just as lasting an impact. (Top photo: Joe Puetz / Imagn Images)
USMNT’s Balogun finally has his chance for a late first impression on Pochettino
By Henry Bushnell Sept. 3, 2025
U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, back with the national team for the first time in nearly a year, said Wednesday that the injuries that kept him away from the USMNT are “behind me.” “I’m in a good shape, and in a good way,” Balogun said via Zoom from U.S. camp in Morristown, N.J., ahead of Saturday’s game against South Korea. Those injuries cost him four consecutive U.S. camps, the team’s first four under head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Balogun, after starting or appearing in all nine A-team games for the USMNT in 2024 under former head coach Gregg Berhalter and interim Mikey Varas, missed camps in October, November and this past March due to injury. He was initially named in Pochettino’s pre-Gold Cup squad, but also withdrew from that camp due to an ankle ailment. “It was a tough period, but I think every athlete goes through that at some stage,” Balogun said. Another ankle issue in August cost him a preseason game and Monaco’s Ligue 1 opener. It was presumably part of the reason why the 24-year-old was not on the first version of the USMNT’s September roster, which was revealed last week. But when Brian White withdrew due to injury, U.S. Soccer contacted Balogun, who’d made his 2025-26 debut that past weekend, playing 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Lille. “I got the call — I can’t remember the date, exactly, but it was a bit late,” Balogun acknowledged Wednesday. “I was really happy,” he added. “It was important for me to be back with the team.” Several days later, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3-2 win over Strasbourg. Then he jetted across the Atlantic, to New Jersey, where he was one of the last to arrive at U.S. camp. Now, he will get his chance to make a delayed first impression. He is one of a few players who, at roughly the midway point of Pochettino’s tenure, are meeting and training under the new boss for the first time. “Everyone wants to make an impression,” Balogun said. “And I think that’s just natural, with such a big competition coming in 10 months, it’s important to leave your mark.” That “big competition,” of course, is the World Cup. The 2026 edition, slated for June and July in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, would be Balogun’s first. For roughly 11 months, the countdown to that milestone coincided with Balogun’s absence from the USMNT. Now, a first opportunity to impress the coach who’ll select the U.S. World Cup roster might lead some players to press, to over-exert, to try to be something other than themselves. “That’s part of the psychology, to not overdo it, because things will just become more complicated,” Balogun said. “The harder you try sometimes, the more difficult it is.” But Balogun is comfortable searching for and finding a middle ground, and pushing for a potential place in the U.S. starting lineup come next June. He’ll compete with EFL Championship leading scorer Josh Sargent and new Southampton signing Damion Downs for the prime minutes at striker in this camp, which also includes a friendly against Japan. “It’s something I’ve been doing all my career, fighting for my position and fighting to get in teams,” the former Arsenal academy product said. “I believe that’s a balance that comes naturally to me.” (Top photo: Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Pochettino, ‘jealous’ of CFB atmospheres, wants Americans to share same passion with soccer
By Henry Bushnell Sept. 5, 2025Updated 2:39 pm EDT
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — For Mauricio Pochettino, the 2025 Gold Cup doubled as a crash course in American soccer culture. First in half-empty stadiums, then in front of hostile crowds on home soil, the Argentine coach of the U.S. men’s national team seemed shocked by the lack of public passion for his team.After a Gold Cup semifinal against Guatemala and a final against Mexico, he spoke about the missing emotional connection between U.S. players and fans. “The fans,” he said, “have one year to realize how important fans are in soccer.”Ahead of his next USMNT camp, though, he learned that such passion exists in the United States — for the other type of football.Last Saturday, Pochettino visited Columbus, Ohio, for the Week 1 college football showdown between the universities of Ohio State and Texas. He stood among a crowd of 107,524 people, nearly all wearing red and silver for the Buckeyes. “It was amazing,” Pochettino said Friday ahead of the USMNT’s first of two September games (Saturday against South Korea).“For me, it was a massive surprise,” Pochettino continued. “I’m 53. It’s difficult to have this type of surprise. But to live the atmosphere that we lived there, three hours before, seeing the passion of the people, the atmosphere … the fans in the stadium, 100,000. I was so jealous.”
He was jealous, of course, because that type of passion often doesn’t follow the USMNT or any U.S. soccer team.“I was so jealous, I said, ‘I want to coach these teams. I want to be next,’” Pochettino said with a wide smile and a laugh.Throughout his three decades in soccer, he has played for and coached teams boosted by similar passion. He has seen it at Newell’s Old Boys and Espanyol, at Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.When he didn’t see it this summer — or when he saw it for Guatemala in St. Louis, and when he saw it for Mexico in Houston — he called it out.“The fans gave to you, to Guatemala, an unbelievable energy,” he said after the U.S. squeaked past Los Chapines in the semis. “That is football. That is football. When we say the connection between the fans and the team, that is the connection that we like to see in the World Cup. That connection that makes you fly. The energy that translates.”He said he saw Guatemala players crying after the loss and noted, “That is the way that we need to feel. And our fans need to feel the same. It’s not to come here to enjoy all the spectacle, and if you lose, nothing happens. … You play for your pride. … When we talk about culture, that is culture. … That is an important thing that we need to learn here in this country.”Pochettino saw an example of that kind of sports culture at 9 a.m. last Saturday, when he appeared on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show in Columbus. He led an “O-H-I-O” chant. “We really feel the passion of the people here in this country,” he said Friday.And he knows that part of his job, as USMNT coach, is to try to create that passion for soccer. He talked Friday about being a “representative or ambassador” for the sport. “I think I feel a little bit of responsibility,” Pochettino said. “It’s our responsibility to translate to all these people that maybe are more focused on another sport like football, American football. It’s to try to convince them (to) share with soccer that passion. “If only a little bit we can translate to our sport, I think our players will appreciate a lot, and for sure (the fans) will help us to achieve or earn what we want.” (Photo: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
USMNT star Tim Weah doubles down on ‘evil’ comment about former players turned pundits
By Henry Bushnell Sept. 4, 2025
U.S. men’s national team forward Tim Weah said Thursday that he doesn’t regret calling former USMNT players turned pundits “evil” for their criticism of the current team.Weah made the comments earlier this summer in an interview for Christian Pulisic’s Paramount+ docuseries. The remarks aired in an episode released last month and reignited the public spat between active USMNT players and alumni.“I think those guys are chasing checks,” Weah said in the docuseries. “And for me, I just feel like they’re really evil. Honestly. Because they’ve been players, and they know what it’s like when you’re getting bashed. Those are the same guys that’ll turn around and shake your hand and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day.”“Don’t get me wrong,” he added, “I respect all of them. They were the players that I looked up to. But quite frankly, the guys before us didn’t win anything, either. Christian himself has had a better career than every single one of the guys who speak negative on us.”On a video call with reporters Thursday from U.S. camp in New Jersey, Weah was asked whether, in retrospect, he felt the term “evil” was accurate and appropriate.“One hundred percent — don’t regret anything I said,” he began. “But I’m fully focused on the positives now. I’m leaving all that negative energy out the window.”
Tim Weah, left, trains with USMNT teammate Folarin Balogun. (John Dorton / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images)
Weah continued: “I think right now it’s important to kind of shift the focus to what we’re doing as a group, and what this team is doing, and how we can execute performances and kinda take our game to the next level in order to be prepared for the World Cup. I’m 100 percent focused on that. And if that means blocking out all the noise, that’s what we’re gonna have to do. We’re just focused on what our main goal is. We’re, each camp, trying to build. I’m so happy to be back with the boys.”
Weah missed this summer’s Gold Cup while with Juventus at the Club World Cup. Then, last month, he completed a roughly $17 million transfer from Juve to Marseille — a club with whom his father, George, played for six months at the end of his career. The move begins as a loan deal but includes an obligation to buy after the current season. “The move to Marseille was a fun one, obviously, with my family history,” Weah said Thursday. “Joining the club, for me, was a no-brainer. I know the history of Marseille, how passionate that city is and how fans are and the team is. I knew it was the right place for me to be before the World Cup and building up to one of the biggest tournaments of our lives.” U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino left other regulars who’d recently moved to new clubs off his September roster. Pochettino said last week that the reason for omitting Johnny Cardoso, for example, was to allow Cardoso to settle at Atlético Madrid.Weah completed his transfer more recently and has played fewer games for Marseille than Cardoso has for Atleti. But when asked if missing this U.S. camp was ever a consideration, Weah said, “No, I never thought about not coming into camp.”“As Marseille’s a priority, the national team is also a priority to me as well,” he continued. “Coming here, and being with the group, and building on what we already have, and fine-tuning a lot of things, for me, is important. Because at the end of the day, the goal is nine months away. We have to perform and be on top of our game. So, any chance I get to come in and kinda build with these guys, I’m 100 percent for it. I’m always here.”He also spoke about Marseille — the city and club — as the ideal place for him as he and the USMNT build toward next summer.
“The club is everything to the city, everything to the fans. I mean, they eat, sleep, breathe football; eat, sleep, breathe Marseille,” Weah said. “You know what it means to them, it’s their heart and soul, so you have to give 100%. If we lose a game, they’re on us. It’s super intense. Just the group alone, we get into so [many] fights together, in trainings, in the locker rooms, that people think we’re crazy at times. But it’s just because everyone is so passionate, everyone has the same goal, everyone wants to win. “And I think being at a club like that before the World Cup, and before going into something so big, I think it’s super important for me. Because I get to build that mindset of being a warrior, I get to build on that. I think that’ll be super positive for me going into the World Cup — and also for the [national] team, because I get to bring that kind of vibe into camps when I come back.”(Top photo: Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)
Ryan O’HanlonAug 8, 2025, 04:30 AM ET ESPN
A Birmingham City mural at St Andrew’s featuring minority owner Tom Brady (Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Could Parkinson hit his ceiling in the Championship? (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Barry celebrates scoring for Stockport in League One last season (MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Wright of Coventry could be a contender for top scorer (Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)
Downs made the switch from German football to the Championship this summer (Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Images)
Agyemang moved to Derby this summer (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Sargent in action for Norwich against Northampton Town in pre-season (Pete Norton/Getty Images)
Matarazzo offers his Hoffenheim players encouragement during a Europa League game against Lyon last November (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Fluminense’s Thiago Silva instructs his players during their Club World Cup semi-final against Chelsea (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Joao Pedro, left, could bring more out of Palmer, right, at Chelsea (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
Pochettino and the USMNT were runners-up at the summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Tillman took his chance at the Gold Cup this summer (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Matarazzo is still smarting from his sacking at Hoffenheim (Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
Nagelsmann speaks with Matarazzo before a Bayern vs Stuttgart game in 2021 (Thomas Kienzle/AFP via Getty Images)
Judging distances is a key part of being a goalkeeper (Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images)
Aitana Bonmati won the award for the tournament’s best player, but she and her Spain team-mates had to watch on as England lifted the trophy (Maryam Majd/Getty Images)
Lucy Bronze and her England team-mates celebrate winning the European Championship again (Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
Bronze gets up to challenge Spain’s Mariona Caldentey (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
England celebrate beating Spain in the final (Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
England’s players react after the opening loss to France (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
Michelle Agyemang celebrates scoring against Italy in the semi-finals (Marco Iacobucci/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The Lionesses celebrate retaining the trophy they won in 2022 (Maja Hitij – UEFA via Getty Images)
The Ole BallCoach 