Wed, USWNT vs Portugal Thur 7 pm, High School teams advance to Semi-State, MLS Playoffs Start

October 19, 2025October 24, 2025 gatorbest carmel-fc, carmel-high-school-soccer, hayes, liverpool, mls, pulisic, soccer, soccer-tv-must-watch-games, soccer-tv-schedule, sports, us-men, us-women, usmnt, uswnt

US Women face Portugal Brace Thur 7 pm, Sun 4 pm & NZ Wed 10/29 8 pm on TNT, HBO, Peacock

U.S. soccer legend Alex Morgan will have a full-circle moment this week. The 2012 Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup champion will be honored Pregame Thursday at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania – the same stadium where Morgan scored the first of her 123 international goals for Team USA back in 2010. The US will then honor GK Alyssa Naeher before Sunday’s game in Conn. Of course the huge news is US Forward Trinity Rodman who has been on a tear for Washington and was set to return to the Roster was injured last weekend with an MCL & will miss the US games. Mainstays Lindsey Heaps, Lily Yohannes, Caterina Macario & Alyssa Thompson should all be on hand along with some new faces as Hayes slowly looks to add more players to the player pool for the 2027 World Cup.

The 26-player USWNT roster:
Goalkeepers (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United)
Defenders (8): Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave)
Midfielders (8): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), , Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes), Lo’eauLaBonta (KC Current)
Forwards (7): Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea FC)

#2 Carmel Boys & #2 Carmel Girls Soccer Advance to Semi-States in Martinsville Sat

The Carmel Girls (18-2-1) used a 2-0 win over East Central after a 2 day rain delay to advance to Semi-states in Martinsville this Sat at 2:30 pm where they will face Center Grove (19-2) at 2:30 pm. The other bracket has #1 HSE playing Crownpoint up North in Chesterton. The winners will meet next weekend at the Mike in Indy for the State Finals. https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/girls/soccer/2025-26-tournament?round=sectionals
On the boys side – (from CHS site) The IHSAA Regional Championship game saw the top two teams in the country, according to MaxPreps, the #2-ranked Greyhounds versus the #1-ranked Brownsburg Bulldogs battle to a 2-0 win by Carmel at Murray Stadium Sat. The Hounds got off to a quick start, scoring in the first ten minutes, when junior Mikey Kubek made a nice run down the wing and played the ball across to senior Curtis Droste, who slotted the ball into the back of the net to put them up 1-0. The score remained the same for the remainder of the first half. The score was 1-0 at halftime. The Greyhounds came out and struck about four minutes into the half, when Droste played a nice long ball into the channel and senior Troy Enslin chased and fought for the ball, ultimately finding the opportunity to hit a lovely shot to the far post, to make the score 2-0. The end-to-end action continued, with the final score being 2-0. Junior Gray Morgan recorded the shutout in goal. The win moves the team’s season record to 16-1-3. The Greyhounds return to action Saturday, October 25th 12 noon vs Bloomington South 17-1-3, in Martinsville. https://www.ihsaa.org/sports/boys/soccer/2025-26-tournament?round=sectionals

Champions League Returns Tues/Wed – El Classico Sun

Champions League is back with huge games Tues like Arsenal vs Athletico Madrid, PSV and American Sergino Dest vs Napoli, & Bayer Leverkusen with Reyna & Scally hosting the holders PSG. Wed gives us Juventus & Weston Mckennie traveling to Real Madrid, Folarin Balogun and Monaco host Tottenham, while Liverpool looks to change their losing ways on the road in Frankfurt all at 3 pm on Paramount plus.
Barca missing tons of players for their visit to Real Madrid for El Classico Sun & Rashford making noise read that and more below.

MLS Playoffs Start – Messi wins Golden Ball

Lionel Messi scored a hat trick with an assist to help Inter Miami beat Nashville SC 5-2. He finishes with 29 goals and 19 assists to finish with 48 goal contributions in 2025 to finish with the Golden Ball for most goals and will be probably win the MVP. The playoffs start this week on Wed with Chicago hosting Orlando City @ 8:30 pm and Portland hosting Real Salt Lake & Diego Luna at 10:30 pm ET on Apple TV.

MLS Playoffs start Wed night with Wild Card Games then full scale Fri/Sat/Sun on Apple TV

#2 Ranked Carmel Girls are headed to Semi-States in Martinsville after 2-0 win vs East Central

Congrats to #2 Ranked Carmel High Boys for winning the Regional Championship vs #1 Brownsburg

TV Game Schedule

Tues/Wed Oct 21-22 Champions League
Tues, 10/21 – Champs League
12:45 pm Unimas, Para+ Barcelona vs Olympiakos
3 pm CBSSN, Para+ New Castle vs Benefica
3 pm Para+ Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid
3 pm Para+ PSV (Dest) vs Napoli
3 pm Para+ Leverkusen (Reyna, Scally) vs PSG
3 pm Para+, Prime Villareal vs Man City
3 pm Para+ Kobenhaven vs Dortmund
Weds, 10/22 – Champs League
3 pm CBSSN, Para+ Bayern Munich vs Club Brugge
3 pm Para+, Prime Real Madrid vs Juventus (McKennie)
3 pm Para+ Monaco (Balogun) vs Tottenham
3 pm Para+ Chelsea vs Ajax
3 pm Para+ Frankfurt vs Liverpool
8:30 pm Apple TV Chicago Fire vs Orlando City Wild Card MLS
10:30 pm Apple TV Portland Timbers vs Real Salt Lake Wild Card
Thurs, Oct 23 Europa League
12:45 pm Para+, Prime Eagles vs Aston Villa
12:45 pm Para+ Brann vs Rangers (Sands)
3 pm para+ Celtic (CVB) vs Sturm Graz
3 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Porto
3 pm Para+ Crystal Palace (Richards) vs AEK Larnaca
7 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Chester PA
Fri, Oct 24
9 am FS2 Norway vs USA U17WC
3 pm USA Leeds United (Aaronson) vs West Ham
3 pm Para+ AC Milan vs Pisa
Sat, Oct 25
7:30 am CBSSN Coventry City (Haji Wright) vs Watford
9 am FS2 Ivory Coast vs Spain (U17 WWC)
9:30 am ESPN+ MGladbach (Reyna, Scally) vs Wolfsburg
10 am USA New Castle vs Fulham (Jedi)
10 am Peacock Chelsea vs Brighton
10 am CBSSN Middlesborough vs Wrexham
12 noon Para+ Napoli vs Inter Milan
12:30 pm Man City vs Brighton NBC
12:30 pm ESPN+ Dortmund vs Koln
3 pm ESPN+ Valencia vs Villarreal
8 pm Univision Leon vs Pumas (Mex)
11 pm CBSSN Cruz Azul vs Monterrey Mex
Sun, Oct 26
10 am USA Aston Villa vs Man City
10 am Peacock? Arsenal vs Crystal Palace (Richards)
10:30 am ESPN+ Leverkusen (Tilman) vs Freiberg
11:15 ESPN+ am Real Madrid vs Barcelona (Derby)
3:45 pm Para+ Lazio vs Juventus (McKennie)
4 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Hartford CT
Wed, Oct 29
8 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs New Zealand

Sat, Nov 15
5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA
Tues, Nov 18
7 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL

====RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===

Coming home from Practice or Games at Badger Field? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/ Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

Nice Way for Indy 11 to end the Season with a 2-1 Win at home at the Mike

US Women

KC Current midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta called up to US Women’s National TeamKansas City Current midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta joins the US Women’s National Team for upcoming FIFA matches
Former USWNT star Press announces retirement

How Jaedyn Shaw Represents USWNT, Emma Hayes’ Commitment to the U-23 Program
USA Defeats Ecuador 3-0 in Opening Match of 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World

MLS

Lionel Messi wraps up MLS Golden Boot, MVP race with hat trick during Inter Miami’s win over Nashville
MLS Cup Playoffs: Schedule, dates as Lionel Messi, Inter Miami chase MLS Cup
FC Cincinnati will host Columbus Crew in MLS playoff opener October 27
Columbus Crew’s Hell is Real playoff series vs FC Cincinnati schedule announced
2025 MLS Cup Playoffs set US Players in playoffs
With Son Heung-min on board, red-hot LAFC among the favorites to win MLS
Atlanta United fires coach Ronny Deila following 5-16-3 record in his only season

World

What is wrong with Liverpool and how can Arne Slot fix things?
United wins at Anfield for first time in a decade
Slot admits ‘challenge’ to end Liverpool’s losing run
Premier League’s race for UEFA Champions League is wide open and as deep as ever

US Men

Cristian Roldan has grown into the player the USMNT needs
Bayer says USMNT’s Tillman out 2 more weeks

https://www.achievetestprep.com/career-paths/highschool-clep

Proud Member of American Outlaws http://www.facebook.com/IndyAOUnite

Looking to Get a Professional Company Headshot? Check out https://capturely.com/ Tell Rob The Ole Ballcoach sent you and he’ll give you a deal.

DISCOUNT SMALL ENGINE & BIG ENGINE REPAIRS IN CARMEL

Need your Riding Mower, Push Mower or any small engine or Car Engine Work Done by Carmel High Junior Mechanical Wizard for a bargain basement Price? Email my buddy Marc Sultanov at marc.sultanov@gmail.com

Who’s in MLS Cup playoffs? MLS playoff bracket, schedule

Safid Deen, USA TODAY Sun, October 19, 2025 at 12:17 AM EDT·

MLS players gathered around each other, watching iPhones and stadium scoreboards, waiting for final whistles to blow on Decision Day, Oct. 18. Some were celebrating with pride. Others left the pitch disappointed as their seasons came to an end.The Philadelphia Union won the 2025 Supporters’ Shield. They’ve clinched home-pitch advantage in the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs. FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami each finished one point behind them in the standings. All three clubs finished with higher point totals than any of their counterparts in the West. The East well could host the West in the MLS Cup final on Dec. 6. Expansion side San Diego FC won the Western Conference ahead of Vancouver. They’ve secured the most points by any expansion club in MLS history. Watch MLS playoffs on Season Pass via Apple TV

Messi wins MLS Golden Boot, could win MVP

Lionel Messi scored a hat trick with an assist to help Inter Miami beat Nashville SC 5-2. He finishes with 29 goals and 19 assists to finish with 48 goal contributions in 2025.
Anders Dreyer had two goals and an assist in a 3-0 win at Portland, finishing with 19 goals and 19 assists.
Denis Bouanga was held scoreless, finishing the season with 24 goals and nine assists.
Nashville’s Sam Surridge scored against Inter Miami, finishing with 24 goals and five assists.
Cincinnati’s Evander had a goal and assist against Montreal, finishing with 18 goals and 15 assists.

Final Eastern Conference standings

Philadelphia Union (66 points)
FC Cincinnati (65)
Inter Miami CF (65)
Charlotte FC (59)
New York City FC (56)
Nashville SC (54)
Columbus Crew (54)
Chicago Fire (53)
Orlando City SC (53)

Eastern Conference playoff matchups

Wild-card matchup:

Chicago Fire (No. 8) vs. Orlando City (9)

Round 1 (best-of-three series):

Philadelphia Union (1) vs. Chicago Fire-Orlando City (8/9 winner)
FC Cincinnati (2) vs. Columbus Crew (7)
Inter Miami CF (3) vs. Nashville SC (6)
Charlotte FC (4) vs. New York City FC (5)

Final Western Conference standings

San Diego FC (63 points)
Vancouver Whitecaps (63)
Los Angeles FC (60)
Minnesota United (58)
Seattle Sounders (55)
Austin FC (47)
FC Dallas (44)
Portland Timbers (44)
Real Salt Lake (41)

Western Conference playoff matchups

Wild-card matchup:

Portland Timbers (No. 8) vs. Real Salt Lake (No. 9)

Round 1 (best-of-three series):

San Diego FC (1) vs. Portland Timbers/Real Salt Lake (8/9 winner)
Vancouver Whitecaps (2) vs. FC Dallas (7)
LAFC (3) vs. Austin FC (6)
Minnesota United (4) vs. Seattle Sounders (5)

When do the MLS playoffs start?

Here is the playoff schedule:

Oct. 22: Wild-card matches (single-elimination matches)
- Chicago Fire vs. Orlando City (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass)
- Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass)
Oct. 24-Nov. 9: Round 1 (best-of-three series)
Nov. 22-23: Conference semifinals (single-elimination matches)
Nov. 29-30: Conference finals (single-elimination matches)
Dec. 6: MLS Cup (single winner-take-all match)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who’s in MLS Cup playoffs? MLS playoff bracket and schedule

26 for 2026: USMNT World Cup roster projection after October friendlies

Paul Tenorio and Henry Bushnell Oct. 16, 2025 The Athletic

Ever since his very first day as U.S. men’s national team head coach, Mauricio Pochettino has assured American players that his USMNT’s door is “open.” Nobody, not even Christian Pulisic, has a guaranteed place in the team, Pochettino has said. He reiterated that message this month, and argued that it has gotten through to his players.“Now, I promise you, no one is sure that [they are] going to be on the roster in the World Cup 2026,” Pochettino said last week.And so, he would probably dispute the very premise of a World Cup roster projection. He would certainly push back on the idea that any individual player is a “lock.”But, over the past two weeks, his World Cup squad has started to come into focus. He called many of his best available players into an October training camp, for last week’s 1-1 draw with Ecuador and Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Australia.Coming out of that camp, the following is a position-by-position breakdown of what the 2026 World Cup roster could look like, and our best guess for what it will look like.As always, “lock” status assumes sufficient health. And the depth chart will surely change over the coming months, depending on club form, injuries and performance in November friendlies against Paraguay and Uruguay.Players not mentioned below could also play their way into the picture. But for now, here is a look at things with roughly seven months to go until the World Cup squad is picked.

USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese

Matt Freese has continued to operate as Mauricio Pochettino’s No. 1 goalkeeper, starting both games of the October windowScott Coleman / Imagn Images

Goalkeepers

Locks: (None)

Confident: Matt Freese, Matt Turner

In consideration: Chris Brady, Roman Celentano, Diego Kochen, Patrick Schulte, Zack Steffen, Jonathan Klinsmann

TENORIO: It looks more and more like Freese, the NYCFC goalkeeper who got his first caps this summer, could be the starter for the U.S. at the World Cup. But this position, a historic area of strength for Americans, might be the most unstable in the whole squad. It’s a wide-open competition. Pochettino even name-dropped Kochen, the 19-year-old FC Barcelona B keeper, during Tuesday night’s press conference. Every American goalkeeper should feel they have a chance.

BUSHNELL: I think Turner and especially Freese are closer to locks than we realize. Even if they’re not starting, Freese is the penalty specialist, and Turner is the only goalkeeper in the pool with World Cup experience. Surely they’ll be in the squad, whether as the No. 1, 2 or 3. But I agree, in general, that the position is as open as any right now.

USMNT center backs Chris Richards and Tim Ream

USMNT center backs Chris Richards (3) and Tim Ream (13) have been constants under Mauricio PochettinoOmar Vega / Getty Images

Center backs

Locks: Chris Richards, Tim Ream

Confident: (None)

In consideration: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Walker Zimmerman

TENORIO: Ream and Richards have been constants for this U.S. team, but Pochettino seems unsettled on what he’ll do behind them — an issue that has become a bit more interesting considering the move toward a formation built around three center backs. Robinson has always felt like the most likely to emerge, and he got starts in October to back that up. Don’t sleep on Zimmerman as a player who the staff brings to do what he did against Iran in 2022 and at the Gold Cup this summer: Come in late to games where the U.S. is protecting a lead and win every header.

BUSHNELL: One interesting question here is whether Pochettino will take four or five center backs. Given the varied skill sets of the four “in consideration,” and the recent use of systems with three at the back, he’ll presumably lean toward five.

USMNT right back Sergino Dest

Sergiño Dest has rarely been fully fit over the last year, but he’s a first-choice starter when in campVincent Carchietta / Imagn Images

Fullbacks/wingbacks

Locks: Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson

Confident: (None)

In consideration: Max Arfsten, Alex Freeman, Joe Scally

TENORIO: Robinson was once considered one of the most irreplaceable players on the U.S. squad because of the distance between him and the next man on the depth chart. There is real concern around a knee injury that kept him out of the Gold Cup this summer and also out of the friendlies in October. Dest, too, has not featured much under Pochettino due to injury.

If healthy, those two players are going to be at the World Cup, but there is a lot more intrigue now behind them. Tim Weah played as a wingback on both the left and right side in October, so he should be considered a part of this equation. Arfsten and Freeman won Pochettino’s trust during the Gold Cup. Scally very much looks the odd man out despite his flexibility to play as both a right-sided center back and a right back.

BUSHNELL: Based on soccer alone, Scally belongs in the 26. He’s already started over 100 games at a level that Freeman and Arfsten have never really touched. As promising as Freeman is, he looked a bit out of his depth in the Gold Cup final; I think it’s sometimes easy (for us, and maybe even for coaches) to forget that the games these players could be thrown into next June are a world apart from what they experience weekly in MLS.

But Scally is clearly out of favor with the national team right now, and it’s unclear if or when he’ll get an opportunity to earn his way back in.

USMNT's Tyler Adams facing South Korea

Tyler Adams brings leadership and tenacity to the U.S. midfieldVincent Carchietta / Imagn Images

Central midfielders

Locks: Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie

Confident: Tanner Tessmann

In consideration: Sebastian Berhalter, Johnny Cardoso, Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah, Cristian Roldan

TENORIO: Adams and McKennie have been two of the program’s most important players over the past six years, and we expect that to continue next year into the World Cup. The battle behind them has been interesting. Tessmann had a bumpy March window, but has performed well at Lyon and proved his worth in October. Roldan was a late addition in September, but Pochettino has done nothing but praise the Seattle Sounders veteran since he got back into the picture.

What will Pochettino look for in the depth chart at this position? If Musah plays consistently at Atalanta, his upside and versatility outranks others in the pool. But Pochettino left him out completely this fall after Musah skipped the Gold Cup this summer. The door is definitely open for someone like Morris or Berhalter.

BUSHNELL: The wild card is Johnny. To many in the U.S., he’s such an enigma. On paper, a 24-year-old who just went to Atlético Madrid for around $35 million, and almost immediately went into the Atleti starting lineup, should be a lock. But whenever he’s played for the national team, he’s been somewhere between underwhelming and calamitous. He has also struggled with injuries. He’s currently working his way back from an ankle ailment. Unless he makes an impression in November or March, it’s tough to see him getting into the World Cup squad — in part because Tessmann has seemingly rendered him unnecessary.

USMNT's Christian Pulisic surges down the sideline against Ecuador

USMNT’s Christian Pulisic surges down the sideline in a draw vs. EcuadorScott Coleman / Imagn Images

Attacking midfielders/wingers

Locks: Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah

Confident: Diego Luna

In consideration: Brenden Aaronson, Luca de la Torre, Jack McGlynn, Gio Reyna, Alejandro Zendejas

TENORIO: This is maybe the hardest part of the depth chart to predict beyond the three locks. Pochettino loves what Luna brings to the team in terms of his fight, but at the World Cup he’ll need quality that can change games. Are there clear answers behind this trio and McKennie? While goalkeeper and center back may be higher-profile position battles, the spots on the bench at this position could end up having a bigger impact — and I don’t feel confident at all in predicting what exactly Pochettino is thinking behind the big names.

BUSHNELL: I feel confident predicting that De la Torre and McGlynn won’t be in the 26. But between Luna, Aaronson and Zendejas, it’s tricky — and will probably depend on how Pochettino views them as situational players. For example, Aaronson can be useful as a defensive winger when leading late in a game.

Reyna, meanwhile, is a complete wild card. He’ll need to get multiple months of consistent minutes, and performances, at Borussia Mönchengladbach to have any hope.

USMNT striker Folarin Balogun facing Ecuador

USMNT striker Folarin Balogun has looked like the most effective option up topOmar Vega / Getty Images

Strikers

Locks: Folarin Balogun

Confident: (None)

In consideration: Patrick Agyemang, Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Brian White, Haji Wright

BUSHNELL: Balogun needed only two full games under Pochettino to establish himself as the seemingly unquestioned starter. Then, on Tuesday night, Wright needed only one full game to pose a new question: Might the USMNT suddenly have two decent options up top?

There could even be three if and when Pepi returns to form and full fitness.

At the moment, those are almost certainly Pochettino’s top three. Sargent underwhelmed in March and September and hasn’t scored for the national team in six years. Agyemang is physically useful but technically raw. Others don’t meet the international standard.

If Pochettino opts to take four strikers to the World Cup — something the expansion of rosters to 26 allows for — Agyemang might actually be a better bet for the fourth spot than Sargent, even if Sargent outscores him by a wide margin in the English Championship. For all his limitations, he offers a physical presence that no other striker in the U.S. pool does.

TENORIO: It’s definitely been frustrating that Sargent hasn’t been able to translate his club form over to country, but Balogun’s strong play and Wright’s goals in October at least provide a dose of confidence around this position. We haven’t seen Pepi since November 2024. He’s going to have to get back into form and eventually get back into a U.S. camp in order to secure a spot at the World Cup.

Our 26-man World Cup roster projection (as of Oct. 2025)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Matt Freese, Patrick Schulte, Matt Turner

CENTER BACKS (5): Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson, Walker Zimmerman

FULLBACKS/WINGBACKS (4): Max Arfsten, Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Antonee Robinson

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS (5): Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Cristian Roldan, Tanner Tessmann

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS/WINGERS (5): Brenden Aaronson, Diego Luna, Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, Tim Weah

STRIKERS (4): Patrick Agyemang, Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Haji Wright

Inside Real Madrid: Will Endrick leave on loan? Who will miss El Clasico?

Xabi Alonso gestures to his players during Real Madrid's match at Getafe

Alonso has some big choices to make for El Clasico Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images

By Guillermo Rai and Mario Cortegana

Oct. 20, 2025Updated 9:06 am EDT

Welcome to the latest edition of Inside Real Madrid, our weekly series to follow throughout La Liga’s 2025-26 season.

Every week, we will bring you key information and analysis on the biggest talking points, cutting through the noisy world of all things Madridista with reporting you can trust.

What’s the biggest talking point at Real Madrid right now?

Xabi Alonso’s team are two points clear at the top of La Liga after Sunday night’s 1-0 win at Getafe — secured thanks to another goal from Kylian Mbappe, his 15th from 11 games in all competitions this term.

https://93b6f941af7ce08868e0f90852403ffb.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

Second-placed Barcelona are Madrid’s next opponents on the domestic front (Hansi Flick’s team won 2-1 at home to Girona on Saturday), and Juventus also visit the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League on Wednesday.

In contrast to the rather desperate mood following the 5-2 defeat by Atletico Madrid in September, things are pretty calm and positive at Madrid at the moment. Right now, the biggest talking point is around who should start in El Clasico this coming Sunday.

Alonso has not repeated a single starting XI so far this season, favouring a policy of rotation that marks a significant break from what senior players such as Vinicius Junior have been used to.

With Jude Bellingham now fully recovered following his shoulder surgery, and each of Rodrygo, Mbappe, Franco Mastantuono and Vinicius Jr all fit for the first time this term, it is unclear who the Basque coach will favour for the big game.

But it can be considered a good sign of the team’s strength in depth that Arda Guler and Vinicius Jr both made a positive impact against Getafe from the bench, with Guler again combining with Mbappe for the Frenchman’s goal.

Beyond the sporting side of things, there has also been growing debate in recent weeks about possible changes in Madrid’s ownership model. Last week, The Athletic’s Dermot Corrigan reported the latest on this, with a historic move towards external investment potentially to be discussed at the club’s general assembly.Catch Up On The StoryReal Madrid are exploring historic, controversial change in their ownership modelBig change could be on the way to the Spanish giants, whose ownership model has not changed in 123 years

No official date has been set for that yet, but it is likely to happen in November. Before then, we might see some key developments around Endrick, however…

What’s going on with Endrick?

Sunday’s match was Madrid’s sixth in a row in which 19-year-old Brazilian forward Endrick has been an unused substitute. On October 10, we reported on the various factors behind his intriguing situation for club and country, with his last appearance coming back in May.

https://93b6f941af7ce08868e0f90852403ffb.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

That piece was informed by several sources close to Endrick, and those same sources told The Athletic’s Mario Cortegana on Sunday night that, despite his lack of playing time, he is still very reluctant to leave.

Endrick and Vinicius Jr on the bench on SundayDiego Souto/Getty Images

Their own view, however, was that Endrick should consider making a loan move in January because Alonso’s selection choices so far did not leave them with much hope of his situation substantially changing. They said clubs were already making concrete moves to sign him on loan.

They felt that if he did not receive regular playing time (something he does not seem close to achieving at Madrid, given the intense competition for an attacking spot), then he might risk missing out on a World Cup place.Catch Up On The StoryReal Madrid’s Endrick has not played in five months. What’s going on?It has been a whirlwind year for the 19-year-old Brazilian. Now he hopes he can get the gametime necessary to go to the World Cup

How important is this next run of games for Alonso?

Madrid sources — speaking anonymously as they did not have permission to comment, like several others The Athletic approached for this article — consider this coming week as crucial for the season and for Alonso’s project at the club.

El Clasico is always important, and not just because of the history of that rivalry, or that matches between Madrid and Barca often tend to settle the league winner. This coming edition is even more crucial given the context of the criticism Alonso’s team faced after losing to Atletico — and to Paris Saint-Germain (4-0) at the Club World Cup.

Alonso and Madrid faced criticism after the Atletico defeatMaria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

After the defeat by Diego Simeone’s side, a narrative developed that this Madrid team perhaps suffers from a lack of leadership now, especially as they are transitioning away from the days of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and others who helped inspire so much success.

A big performance in their biggest game of the season so far could help respond to this, while giving younger elements of the team the confidence to grow further into their new roles.

How is the squad looking for El Clasico?

Alonso has plenty of tough choices to make selection-wise — one of those good problems to have — but there were a couple of injury scares at Getafe on Sunday night.

https://93b6f941af7ce08868e0f90852403ffb.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

Thibaut Courtois took a knock to his right knee, where he underwent arthroscopic surgery a year ago (he also suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in August 2023). However, according to sources at the club and his camp, it does not appear to be serious and he is expected to be fit to play against Juventus on Wednesday.

Similarly, David Alaba started for the second time this season as he continued his path towards becoming a regular again for Madrid, following a recent history of serious injury problems.

Alaba played 153 minutes as a starter for Austria over the international break, but he was substituted at half-time on Sunday with some discomfort in his right calf, a muscle overload. He is expected to undergo tests to assess the extent of the injury.

Alaba during Sunday’s game at GetafeJose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Dani Ceballos is expected to rejoin the squad this week after suffering a bruise to his left hamstring, which caused a hematoma. This complicated his recovery as the bruise was close to his sciatic nerve, and Madrid’s medics are keen to proceed carefully. His case will be assessed day by day, but on Monday, sources were not optimistic he would be back in time to face Juve.

There have been rumours that Dean Huijsen will not be available against Barcelona (he suffered hamstring discomfort during the international break), but various sources close to his recovery process remain optimistic that he can make it back.

There is also optimism surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal, both of whom are in the final stages of recovering from thigh muscle injuries. That said, it remains to be seen whether Alonso will risk playing either in El Clasico, given neither has played a match since September.

What’s more, after the controversy over Federico Valverde publicly stating that he did not see himself as a right-back, the reality is that he has performed remarkably well in that position in the past two La Liga games.

Ferland Mendy has a more complicated path to recovery. He is already training with the group but still has work to do before he can return to the starting XI after six months out with injury. Rudiger, meanwhile, is not expected to be back until after the international break in November.

How Man United’s Rashford revitalized career at Barcelona

Sam Marsden Moises Llorens ESPN

Oct 20, 2025, 04:11 AM ET

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has followed Marcus Rashford‘s career closely, dating way back to his emergence as a teenager at Manchester United. When the chance to sign the England forward on loan was put on the table this past summer, Flick’s message to sporting director Deco was a simple one: “I told him we have to do it. Marcus is an outstanding player, exactly what we needed.”The plan was to ease Rashford in slowly, let him settle into life in a new country and slowly learn the mechanisms of what the Barça coach wants from him, but a series of injuries across the attacking positions have instead thrust him into a major role for the Spanish champions.With 11 games played in all competitions, Rashford is one of just four players to have featured in every match — the other three are Pedri, Eric García and Jules Koundé. With three goals and four assists, he leads Barça in goal contributions heading into the team’s biggest week of the season so far.Barça welcome Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, needing a win to bounce back from defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last time out; Rashford will then get his first taste of El Clásico when Barça travel to Real Madrid next Sunday two points adrift of the early LaLiga leaders.ESPN spoke to people connected to Barça’s first team and Rashford ahead of those two huge games about how his move to Catalonia has seemingly, for now at least, reinvigorated his career.

– Barcelona boss Flick disputes red card in dramatic win
– Barça-Girona paused in protest against match in Miami
– Will Real Madrid’s Mbappé, Barcelona’s Yamal be fit for the Clásico?

How Rashford ended up at Barcelona

Barça have scouting reports on Rashford dating back years, but sources say the foundations for his loan move from United were laid around a year ago. It was then that talks between the club and the player’s agent, his brother, Dwaine Maynard, first progressed.Those negotiations were regarding a January deal, but with Barça fighting to confirm Dani Olmo‘s registration at the time, finances did not allow for any other additions. Rashford eventually joined Aston Villa on a loan deal after being frozen out by the new United coach Ruben Amorim.Barça’s interest remained, sources add, but by the summer there were other options. Deco was keen to sign Liverpool‘s Luis Díaz, who eventually joined Bayern Munich, while Athletic Club‘s Nico Williams was also a target before he extended his contract in Bilbao.

Sources detail two key reasons behind Barça turning their attention back to Rashford. Firstly, despite commanding a massive salary — even while taking a 15% cut on his sizeable United paycheck — it was the most financially viable option. Secondly, Flick pushed hard for the club to do the deal.

That did not make it easy. And it took many hands to get the signing done. Spanish agents Arturo Canales and Fernando Solanas were drafted in as intermediaries, while a law firm who, curiously, do a lot of work for United’s rivals Manchester City, were also hired to help iron out the final details of the various agreements.

Nicol: Rashford needs to take more responsibility

Steve Nicol and Craig Burley react to Marcus Rashford’s comments about his time at Manchester United.

Rashford had been waiting patiently. Sources say club officials were impressed with how steadfast he was in his desire to play for Barça, alluding to club legend Johan Cruyff’s famous comment: “If you have second thoughts on playing for Barcelona, you are no longer of service to us.”

Those same sources say Rashford was certainly not in that bracket. They acknowledged a move to Barça after his ups and downs at United may represent a move some felt he didn’t deserve, but claimed it would have been less stressful and more financially rewarding for him to pursue other opportunities.They viewed an interview he did with xBuyer, a YouTube channel well-known in Spain but not in English language markets, as a modern day come-and-get-me plea as he spoke about a desire to play for Barça and offered praise for teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.Eventually, with Flick wanting the deal done as early as possible in preseason, Canales and Solanas offering a hand and United accepting a loan deal with a €30 million option to make the move permanent, Rashford became the first Englishman since Gary Lineker to sign for the Barça men’s first team.

Rashford hits the ground running

Rashford is enjoying his first months in Spain. He has taken up residence in an urbanization in the mountains, just north of the seaside town of Castelldefels but technically belonging to Gavà. In 10 minutes, he can be down on the beach, while he has been spotted regularly playing pàdel with friends and even fishing.But it’s 20 minutes up the C-32 motorway where he’s happiest, at Barça’s Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training base. Sources say teammates were surprised by his humility and timidness at first, given his standing in the game, but he has quickly found his place inside the dressing room.He is learning Spanish, but it is not as essential to a quick acclimatization as it would have been at Barça a decade ago. There are now many English speakers in the squad — including Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen — and Flick and his predomnantly German coaching staff offer instructions in English.

Sources say Rashford, who turns 28 next week and should be in the peak years of his career, has been able to gel with veterans Lewandowski and Wojciech Szczesny at the same time as relating with the pack of young players, led by Yamal, quickly picking up some of the local lingo to avoid being left out of the banter.He told newspaper Diario Sport one of the first words he learned was chuche, meaning sweet or candy. “Soy tu papa, chuche,” — “I’m your daddy, sweetie” — is one of Yamal’s favorite friendly taunts after humiliating teammates on the training ground with Spain and Barça.”Rashford is a spectacular player,” defender Ronald Araújo told ESPN. “He’s happy. We’ve spoken before about that, the confidence, the happiness [players need] and he’s happy here in Barcelona.”The team took to him really quickly when he arrived. You can see that on the pitch. He has quality, skills, he’s quick, so explosive … he gives us a lot. We’re happy he’s here with us.”

Injuries have accelerated the showcasing of those attributes. With Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski, Ferran Torres, Fermín López and Olmo all missing stretches of the campaign so far, Rashford, initially expected to be a backup player, has been Barça’s only ever-present forward in their 11 games this season.

All of ESPN. All in one place.

Primarily playing on the left, where he says he prefers to play, he has also featured through the middle, where some sources speculate his long-term future at the club could be if he wants to stay beyond this year — if not, he may find himself competing with Raphinha for a left-wing berth rather than a 37-year-old Lewandowski who is out of contract next summer.

Sources say Rashford was a little “lost” tactically at first, but that he is a quick learner. He has taken on board what Flick wants from him, benefiting from the coach’s direct and succinct instructions. Flick doesn’t like to confuse players with too much information; he wants Rashford to be direct and run at players. The England international is averaging 5.97 take-ons per 90 minutes this season, but the Barça boss would like to see that increase if possible — it is higher than Raphinha’s 3.61, but a long way short of the 13.22 Yamal averages per 90 on the other flank.

Rashford’s best night came in Newcastle, when he scored two stunning goals in the 2-1 Champions League win, but if there is one complaint it is that he could score more — the only other goal he scored was in this month’s 4-1 defeat to Sevilla.There have been other times when he has come close, denied by good saves or the woodwork, but it is an area where sources say Barça want to see an improvement. He smashed the bar with a free kick in last weekend’s 2-1 win against Girona; it was one of three free kicks he took in the Catalan derby and sources pointed out the significance in him being handed the responsibility of taking set plays so soon by the coaching staff and how it has been accepted by his peers.He has also taken more corners than any other Barça player this season — 37, ahead of Raphinha’s 13 in second — with Flick banking on his quality to set up goals. And he has created eight chances from dead-ball situations so far.Marcus Rashford hits the frame

However, Rashford’s quality with the ball is not where the work on the training ground has been centered. Flick called his Newcastle brace the “first step” and said that the next step would see him evolve off the ball.”Our style, how we want to play, is focused on high intensity and this is what I want to see also from him,” he said.Rashford has shown improvements in that sense when compared to last season. Across games with United and Villa in the Premier League, he was averaging 18.9 sprints per game, according to Stats Perform. This season, in the Spanish top flight, per LaLiga Football Intelligence, that figure has increased to 34.9. He is also covering over 630 meters at a speed north of 21km/h per 90 minutes, up from 122 meters in the Premier League last term.However, those numbers are still a long way short of Raphinha, who Flick considers the flagbearer for Barça’s pressing game, which is essential if the team’s high line is to avoid being picked off. This season the Brazilian is averaging 45.3 sprints per 90 and covering over 810 meters at a speed greater than 21km/h. Torres’ numbers are also slightly higher than Rashford’s, while Yamal’s are lower.

It is unfair to read too much into that just yet, though. Barça are struggling to match the pressing energy they had in Flick’s first season. Raphinha’s numbers were much higher — 59.4 sprints per game and 1.1km covered per 90 minutes at over 21km/h — while Torres and Yamal’s numbers are also significantly down.

Sources say the data paints a picture of a Barça team still striving to find its best level. With the change in personnel week after week due to injuries, it has made it hard to completely gauge Rashford’s fit in this side. The signs are promising, though. He looks dangerous with the ball, although he could add more goals, and has improved without it, even if there is still considered to be a long way to go.

“I think it’s been good, it’s been smooth,” Rashford told ESPN. “For sure in the future we will of course improve. I am looking forward to this. My focus is on the pitch, to match well with the team and to improve my individual performance.

“We have to show [intensity] going forward and continue to prove to the coach that we are a team that wants to win and wants to be successful. I want to win as much as possible, hopefully lift trophies with this club and add to the history that they already have.”

What’s next for Rashford? Could he stay beyond this summer?

Rashford’s Barça future will not be decided against Olympiacos or even against Madrid. It will be decided over the course of the season. It will be decided by how much he can offer in the spring when Barça hope to be competing for every major trophy. This past season, they won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and Spanish Supercopa, falling only in the Champions League semifinal. There is only one way they can go better this time round.

From there, a decision will be made on Rashford. But, as is the case at Barça in most situations, it will not be straightforward. Firstly, because there will be a presidential election next year. Current president Joan Laporta is expected to run again and is the early favorite to remain in charge. However, he will face competition, and candidates often run on promises of big signings; Laporta himself might even make claims of new arrivals next summer.

https://4f72e3188b3aded7035d0470be98c642.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

If wannabe presidents are pledging to spend €100 million on Player X, where would that leave the €30 million needed to land Rashford given Barça’s delicate relationship with LaLiga’s financial fair play rules?

Some sources inside the club, though, are already sold on the fee, classifying €30 million needed to sign Rashford as a “no-brainer.” The reality is it will depend on performances, finances, elections and many other factors, such as what other options come up and who the coach and sporting director are — nothing is guaranteed in soccer. The only thing for certain is that if Barça don’t end up signing him, they will not have to pay United any fine, as Chelsea did with Jadon Sancho.

“There’s no penalty clause in the loan agreement if we don’t sign him,” Deco confirmed earlier this year. “We do have an option to make it permanent if we want to. It’s too early to talk about decisions for next season; what matters is that we’re happy with him.”

9/30/25 Champions League Today-Wed, Europa Thurs, US wins 1st game in U20 World Cup, US Open Cup Wed night 8 pm CBSSN

September 30, 2025September 30, 2025 gatorbest arsenal, champions-league, champions-league-in-indiana, crystal-palace, europa-league, football, indy-11, liverpool, premier-league, soccer

Kind of gives me chill-bumps when you hear an American being cheered like this in Italy – Pulisic in Milan. Wonder why the EPL is so popular Worldwide – games like this – Arsenal wins in Extra Time. When you are at the fields this weekend – think about this before you yell at the ref.

Champions League & Europa League this Week

Champions League Action is back today and Wednesday with some big games like Barcelona hosting PSG & Villareal vs Juventus & American McKinney, and the battle of American’s Pepe & Dest for PSV traveling to Bayer Leverkusen and Tillman on Wednesday at 3 pm. Tuesday we get the return of Jose Mourino to Chelsea as he brings Portugal’s Benefica into town at 3 pm on Para+. (Full schedule & coverage below)

US U20 Boys in World Cup – Sun 4 pm FS2

The US U20’s got over to great start with a 9-0 win (US Goals) in game 1 of their World Cup start. Games continue on Fox Sports 1, 2 and Desportes all week and weekend long. Spain vs Mexico Wed at 4 pm on FS2, Spain vs Brazil Sat 4 pm on Univision & USA vs South Africa on Sunday at 4 pm on Fox Sports 2. (Full schedule & Stories below)

US Open Cup Wed Night CBS Sports Network, Para+

The US Open Cup finals are Wed night with Austin City hosting BJ Callahan and Nashville SC at 8 pm on CBSSN. This is a historic moment for both teams, as it’s the first time Austin FC has hosted a major tournament final and the first Open Cup final appearance for Nashville SC. (Stories below)

Indy 11 Win Again – @ Louisville on WNDY 23 7:30 pm Sat

Indy Eleven midfielder Jack Blake scored his USL Championship era (2018-) franchise record 25th Boys in Blue goal for the game-winner in a huge 2-1 victory over Western Conference leader FC Tulsa at Carroll Stadium. The win moves Indy Eleven into a playoff position one point ahead of Rhode Island FC with four games left in the regular season. Indy Eleven will take their two-game winning streak to USL Championship Eastern Conference leader Louisville City FC next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on WNDY 23 and CBS Sports Golazo Network. The Boys in Blue have their final regular season home game with Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, October 18 at 7 p.m. at Carroll Stadium vs. Loudoun United FC.

Purpose: fill remaining roster spots Not adding new teams
Register: scan the QR on the graphic or use the
link https://system.gotsport.com/programs/4M9139916…

Brett Y, Will F and me reffing at Purdue Polytech High in Broadripple Monday.

====RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===

Coming home from Practice or Games at Badger Field? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

FULL TV GAME SCHEDULE

Tues, Sept 30 Champions League
12:45 pm Para+, Uni Kairat vs Real Madrid
3 pm CBSSN Paphos vs Bayern Munich
3 pm Para+ Galatasaray vs Liverpool
3 pm Para+ Atletico Madrid vs Frankfurt
3 pm Para+ Marseille (_) vs Ajax
3 pm Para+ Chelsea vs Benefica
3 pm Para+ Inter vs Slavia Praha
3 pm Para+ Boda vs Tottenham
4 pm FS2 Panama U20 vs Ukraine U20 WC
7 pm FS1 Chile U20 vs Japan U20
7 pm FS2 Korea U20 vs Paraguay U20
Wed, Oct 1 Champs League
12:45 pm Para, Uni Union Saint Gilloise vs Newcastle United
3 pm CBSSN Dortmund vs Athletic Club
3 pm Para+ Barcelona vs PSG
3 pm para+ Arsenal vs Olympiakos Piraues
3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Sporting CP
3 pm Para+ Bayer Leverkusen vs PSV (Pepe)
3 pm Para+ Villareal vs Juventus (McKinney)
4 pm FS2 Spain U20 vs Mexico U20
7 pm FS1 Brazil U20 vs Morocco U20
7 pm FS2 Argentina U20 vs Australia U20
8 pm CBSSN Austin City vs Nashville SC US Open Cup
Thurs, Oct 2 Europa
12:45 pm CBSSN Roma vs Lille
12:45 pm Celtic (Carter Vickers) cs Sporting Braga
12:45 pm Dynamo Kyiv vs Crystal Palace (Chris Richards)
3 pm CBSSN Feyenoord vs Aston Villa
3 pm Para_ Sturm Graz vs Rangers
3 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Middtylland
3 pm Para+ Olympique Lyonnais vs Salzburg
Fri, Oct 3
3 pm USA Bournemouth (Adams) vs Fulham (Robinson)
7 pm FS1 Egypt U20 vs Chile U20 WC
7 pm FS2 New Zealand U20 vs Japan U20
Sat, Oct 4
7:30 am USA Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Tottenham
9:30 am ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) vs Union Berlin
9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund vs RB Leipzig
10 am USA Man United vs Sunderland
10 am Peacock Arsenal vs West Ham
12:30 pm NBC Chelsea vs Liverpool
4 pm Tele Mexico U20 vs Morocco U20
4 pm Univision Spain U20 vs Brazil U20
7 pm FS2 Argentina U20 vs Italy U20
10:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers
Sun, Oct 6
4 pm FS2 USA U20 vs South Africa U20
7 pm FS2 Nigeria U20 vs Colombia U20
9 pm Apple LAFC vs Atlanta United MLS

Fri, Oct 10
8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador
Tues, Oct 14
9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia
Thurs, Oct 23
9 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Chester PA
Sun, Oct 26
4 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Hartford CT
Sat, Nov 15
5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA
Tues, Nov 18
7 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL

USMNT midweek viewing guide: Champions League, Championship

Follow along with all the USMNT action this week. by Justin Moran Stars & Stripes

Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Borussia Mönchengladbach - Bundesliga

Midweek USMNT action is here. All kickoff times are in EST. All MLS games are available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and EA Sports FC, as well as any other networks listed. Let’s get into it!

Tuesday

Atalanta vs Club Brugge, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Yunus Musah and Atalanta host Brugge in Champions League.
Atlético Madrid vs Frankfurt, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Johnny Cardoso and Atléti host Nathaniel Brown and Frankfurt in Champions League.
Marseille vs Ajax, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Tim Weah and OM welcome Ajax into town for this Champions League match.

Also in action:

Frosinone vs Cesena, 2:30p on Onefootball: Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena visit Frosinone in Serie B.
Palermo vs Venezia, 2:30p on Onefootball, DCTV: Gianluca Busio and Venezia visit Palermo in Serie B.
Birmingham vs Sheffield Wednesday, 2:45p: Ethan Horvath and Sheffield United visit Birmingham City in the Championship.
Middlesbrough vs Stoke, 2:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video: Aidan Morris and Boro host Stoke City in the Championship.
Sheffield United vs Southampton, 2:45p: Damion Downs and Southampton visit Sheffield United in the Championship.
Derby vs Charlton, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video: Charlie Kelman and Charlton Athletic visit Derby County in the Championship.
Inter Miami vs Chicago Fire, 7:30p: Chris Brady, Brian Gutiérrez, and the Fire visit Inter Miami in MLS action.

Wednesday

Leverkusen vs PSV, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Malik Tillman will face his former team as he and Leverkusen host, Sergiño Dest, Ricardo Pepi and PSV in Champions League.
Monaco vs Manchester City, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, TUDN USA, UniMás, Univision NOW, FuboTV (free trial), ViX: Folarin Balogun and Monaco host Man City in Champions League.
Villarreal vs Juventus, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, DAZN USA, CBS Sports Golazo: Weston McKennie and Juve visit Villarreal in Champions League.

Also in action:

Millwall vs Coventry, 2:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video: Haji Wright and Coventry City visit Millwall in the Championship.
Norwich vs West Brom, 2:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video: Josh Sargent and Norwich City welcome George Campbell and West Brom for this Championship match.
Portsmouth vs Watford, 2:45p: Caleb Wiley and Watford visit Portsmouth in the Championship.
Austin FC vs Nashville SC, 8p on Paramount+, Prime Video, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV: Walker Zimmerman and Nashville visit Owen Wolff and Austin for a chance to hoist a trophy in the US Open Cup final.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs Vancouver FC, 10p: Sebastian Berhalter, Brian White, and the Whitecaps meet Vancouver FC in the Canadian Championship final.

Thursday

Celtic vs Braga, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Cameron Carter-Vickers and Celtic host Braga in Europa League.
Dynamo Kyiv vs Crystal Palace, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Chris Richards and Palace visit Dynamo Kyiv in Conference League.
Lyon vs RB Salzburg, 3p on Paramount+, Prime Video, DAZN USA: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon host Anrie Chase and Salzbug in Europa League.
USA U20 vs France U20, 4p on FS2, UNIVERSO, Prime Video, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV, Sling TV: Benja Cremaschi, Niko Tsakiris, Frankie Westfield, Nolan Norris, Taha Habroune, and Cole Campbell were the scorers in the USA U20’s 9-1 win over New Caledonia to open the U20 World Cup. France will be a much tougher test.

Also in action:

Panathinaikos vs Go Ahead Eagles, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Erik Palmer-Brown and Panathinaikos face Go Ahead Eagles in this Europa League battle to see which club can have the longest name.
Lausanne vs Breidablik, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Bryan Okoh and Lausanne host Breidablik in Conference League.
Omonio Nicosia vs Mainz, 12:45p on Paramount+, Prime Video, ViX: Lennard Maloney and Mainz visit Mix Diskerud’s old club Omonio Nicosia in Conference League.

Friday

Bournemouth vs Fulham, 3p on USA, UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV, Sling TV, TeleXitos: Antonee Robinson and the Cottagers visit Tyler Adams and Bournemouth in Premier League action.

Champions League

Mourinho defends Chelsea, says he is the ‘biggest one’ ahead of Benfica visit
Champions League: Real Madrid’s incredible journey
Galatasaray vs Liverpool match preview and team news
|The greatest shocks in Champions League history
Barcelona-PSG rematch will thrill the world, but take a heavy toll on Luis Enrique
Uncharted territory: Real Madrid travel 4,000 miles east to Asia for historic Champions League trip
Pedri: Barça want to ‘avenge’ 2024 PSG QF loss
Mourinho’s homecoming at Chelsea serves as a reminder of his impact
Ekitike happy to partner Isak in Liverpool attack

USA

U.S. sets team record in dominant 9-1 U20 WC win
Benjamin Cremaschi Hat Trick Highlights Record-Setting 9-1 Win vs. New Caledonia in FIFA U-20 World Cup Opener
USMNT weekend clips: Pulisic blazing, Pepi hurt, Zendejas golazo
B.J. Callaghan – USMNT Hero to Nashville’s USOC Dream Weaver
President’s suggestion to take World Cup out of blue cities with crime is rage bait at its finest

US U20 ROSTER
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Gavin Beavers* (Brøndby), 12-Adam Beaudry (Colorado Rapids), 21-Duran Ferree (San Diego FC)
DEFENDERS (7): 2-Reed Baker-Whiting (Seattle Sounders), 18-Luca Bombino (San Diego FC), 5-Noah Cobb (Colorado Rapids), 16-Ethan Kohler (SC Verl), 3-Nolan Norris (FC Dallas), 17-Francis Westfield (Philadelphia Union), 4-Joshua Wynder (Benfica) 
MIDFIELDERS (6): 19-Matthew Corcoran (Nashville SC), 8-Benjamin Cremaschi (Parma), 14-Taha Habroune  (Columbus Crew), 6-Brooklyn Raines (Houston Dynamo), 15-Pedro Soma (San Diego FC), 10-Niko Tsakiris (San Jose Earthquakes)
FORWARDS (5): 11-Luke Brennan (Atlanta United), 7-Cole Campbell (Borussia Dortmund), 20-Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake City), 13-Peyton Miller (New England Revolution), 9-Marcos Zambrano (Real Salt Lake)
*Diego Kochen was initially called in, but FC Barcelona recalled him on Saturday.

US Open Cup

What Nashville SC’s first-ever trophy in US Open Cup final would mean to team and city
Can Nashville SC break down tough Austin FC defense? Scouting US Open Cup final
U.S. Open Cup Finalist Spotlight: Austin FC’s Hard Road to Date with Destiny
U.S. Open Cup Finalist Spotlight: High Hopes for Callaghan’s Tight-knit Nashville SC
U.S. Open Cup Final Preview: History on Offer for Austin FC or Nashville SC
How Austin FC Reached the 2025 U.S. Open Cup Final
B.J. Callaghan – USMNT Hero to Nashville’s USOC Dream Weaver
Recap: Nashville Soccer Club Advances to Its First-ever Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final with 3-1 Win over Philadelphia Union

Reffing

Arsenal vs NC Can’t be Handball
UCL Real Madrid Handball Marseille?
When you are at the fields this weekend – think about this before you yell at the ref.

HT Pham, Joe D and yours truly on a hot Saturday at University High Varsity Boys

Kamryn, Yves & I running a U15 Boys game at Indy Premier Sunday

USMNT player tracker: Pulisic’s brilliance, October roster statements, injury concerns

By Henry Bushnell Sept. 29, 2025 The Athletic

Until 2:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, the last weekend of September was a quiet one for U.S. men’s national team players in Europe. Several USMNT regulars had been relegated to the bench for their clubs. None had scored. Then, in the third minute of a showdown with the reigning Serie A champions, Christian Pulisic changed everything. He burst down San Siro’s left wing for a world-class assist. Later, he scored his league-leading fourth goal, and sixth in all competitions this season.He propelled Milan to a 2-1 win against Napoli, and to the top of Serie A. So, of course, that’s where we’ll begin our weekly roundup of USMNT players.

Pulisic’s red-hot form and vindication

Pulisic opting out of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup left him facing weeks of criticism and questions. But when he finally explained himself, on a CBS Sports podcast in June, his reasoning was clear: He needed a break. He needed a proper offseason to rest and recharge, so that he could be at his best for Milan and the USMNT throughout the 2025-26 season and 2026 World Cup.“This is the right decision for myself, and for the team, at the end of the day,” Pulisic said at the time. “And people will see that. You guys will see, man. I’m hungrier than ever — truly. I’m really looking forward for big things to come.”And over the past few weeks in Italy, with four goals and two assists in three games, he has proven his point.He is playing with a lethal combination of explosiveness and calm. Despite a preseason ankle knock, and despite a not-quite-defined place in manager Massimiliano Allegri’s lineup, he is averaging more than two goal contributions per 90 minutes. He is skipping past defenders, and threading through balls. He is looking focused and fit. He is making lots of critics look silly.

Injuries, playing time concerns

Among U.S. players in Europe, Pulisic is something of an outlier.Before his man-of-the-match performance on Sunday, the stories of the weekend were starting lineup absences and injury concerns.In the Netherlands, Ricardo Pepi left PSV’s 2-1 win against Excelsior in the 32nd minute with apparent discomfort. PSV coach Peter Bosz indicated the injury was “minor,” and said he simply didn’t want to “take a risk” at this stage of the season. But Pepi’s status for the USMNT’s October camp is now in doubt.Stay in the know by selecting your interests on The Athletic:In Spain, Johnny Cardoso has not played at all in the month of September due to an ankle injury suffered in training.

In Germany, Gio Reyna, after one start and one substitute appearance for Borussia Mönchengladbach, missed Saturday’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt with a thigh injury. (Joe Scally, who has been playing as an attack-minded right wingback, registered two assists in Gladbach’s 6-4 loss.)In England, Antonee Robinson got his first start of the season midweek in a Carabao Cup win over Cambridge United, but he played those 90 minutes alongside a mixture of regulars and reserves. On Sunday, he was back on the Fulham bench, and played only 11 minutes in a 3-1 Premier League loss at Aston Villa. After offseason knee surgery, he is healthy enough to play, but nowhere near his 2024-25 best. And it’s not quite clear what he’ll have to do to reclaim his starting spot ahead of Ryan Sessegnon.In New Jersey, meanwhile, Matt Freese, who’s been the USMNT’s No. 1 goalkeeper since June, left Saturday’s 3-2 win over the New York Red Bulls with a head injury. “He’s being checked by the doctors, and we’ll wait and see,” NYCFC coach Pascal Jansen said after the match.And elsewhere, there are non-injury concerns. In Italy, Weston McKennie was back on the Juventus bench for a 1-1 draw with Atalanta, playing 32 minutes as a sub. Yunus Musah, after one start for Atalanta (in a 4-0 Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain), has been a sparsely used reserve. He played 14 minutes off the bench against Juve.In France, Folarin Balogun — who seemed to cement himself as the U.S. No. 9 this month — was out of Monaco’s starting 11 for a second consecutive Ligue 1 game.Like in 2024 before the Copa América, club playing time could be developing into a broad worry for the national team. In September, it isn’t cause for alarm. In April, it would be.

Zendejas, Tessmann, others make statements

On the fringe of the U.S. roster, a few players have stated their case.Alex Zendejas has followed up his volley for the national team against Japan with four goals in four games for Club América. The third of four, on Saturday against Pumas, was an audacious, confidence-oozing chip over legendary goalkeeper Keylor Navas.Tanner Tessmann, who has been on the outside looking in at the USMNT since the March Nations League debacle, also scored a worldie Thursday for Lyon to beat Utrecht in the Europa League. He followed it up with a strong 90-minute shift in a 1-0 win at Lille on Sunday.Tessmann, perhaps more so than any other American player, has made a statement over the first two months of the 2025-26 season. He has been one of the best and most consistent players for a team that’s now won five of six Ligue 1 games, and currently sits tied atop the table with PSG.Aidan Morris, at a slightly lower level, has also been making noise at Middlesbrough. After three consecutive man of the match awards in August, he has continued apace in September and helped lead Boro to the top of the English Championship. They remain unbeaten after Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Southampton.Haji Wright and Coventry City are also unbeaten, having trounced Birmingham City 3-0 this weekend.Especially with Johnny and Pepi likely sidelined, Morris and Wright seem like strong candidates for the USMNT’s October roster, which will be released early this week. Tessmann, meanwhile, seems like a no-brainer inclusion.

How did other USMNT players perform?

Brenden Aaronson is battling at Leeds United. Amid relentless criticism from fans, and despite his lack of production in the final third, he has played in all six Premier League games for Leeds this season, including starts in the past three. He received a standing ovation from the home crowd when substituted late in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. During the Gold Cup, he seemed to be drifting out of the USMNT picture, but with his work rate and fortitude, he is keeping himself in World Cup contention.In that same Leeds-Bournemouth game, Tyler Adams — who was booed by the Leeds fans throughout — was his usual pugnacious self for 81 minutes.Also in the Prem, Chris Richards was arguably culpable on Liverpool’s late equalizer, but was then spared by Eddie Nketiah’s dramatic 97th-minute winner. Richards took to social media afterward to amplify claims that the Liverpool goal should have been disallowed for a Mohamed Salah handball, which might have put Richards off as he tried to clear a cross with his head.Elsewhere in England, down in the Championship, Patrick Agyemang notched an assist for Derby County. Josh Sargent has cooled down for Norwich City. Damion Downs is struggling badly at Southampton.Agyemang and Sargent are right on the World Cup roster bubble. Their inclusions or omissions in October could say a lot about U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s preferences.(Top photos: Matt Freese, left; Christian Pulisic; Getty Images)

Champions League Standings after 1 game

Five talking points ahead of the Champions League action

Story by

The Football Faithful

Tue, September 30, 2025 at 6:56 AM EDT·

4 min read

The Champions League returns for matchday two this week, as Liverpool, Barcelona, PSG, and Spurs all face key clashes on the European stage.

Five talking points ahead of the Champions League action:

Jose Mourinho returns to Chelsea

Chelsea welcome a familiar figure back to Stamford Bridge as Jose Mourinho’s Benfica take on Enzo Maresca’s side on Tuesday night.

The Special One’s shadow looms large over the club this week amid a run of poor form. The Blues are looking for their first win this month, against the manager who guided them to three Premier League titles across two stints.

The days when Chelsea played like true world beaters feels a long time ago now. They may be world champions, for whatever that is worth, but after losing consecutive league games it looks like this will be another year in which they don’t challenge for the title, despite their massive spending in recent years.

Chelsea came out 4-1 winners from their meeting Benfica in the Club World Cup this past summer, although the Portuguese giants did take them to extra time. They are favoured to win this tie, but could the Mourinho factor give the visitors an edge?

The west London outfit hope not; Maresca can’t really afford to lose this one after falling to a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich on the opening week of this year’s competition.

Read – Chelsea star admits players, not Maresca at fault for poor form

A clash of contenders

On Wednesday we will finally get the matchup that we should have seen in last season’s final as Barcelona host PSG at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

Barça’s defensive frailties ultimately cost them in the semi-final defeat to Inter Milan, and given how the Italians fared in the decider, Hansi Flick’s men may have avoided a drubbing of their own in Munich.

They could be facing Paris at a good time, though. The reigning champions recently lost to Marseille and have not been their typically dominant selves against Ligue 1 opposition, despite topping the table.

Barcelona, meanwhile, are in scorching hot form; unbeaten in all competitions, they have scored 23 goals in eight matches. This will be a very early test for Flick’s side and a measure of their credentials for the ultimate glory.

Read – The quickest players to 100 goals for one club as Kane overtakes Ronaldo

David vs Goliath

All eyes will be on that titanic clash, but elsewhere two giants of the European game will travel to face the tournament’s supposed whipping boys.

Real Madrid make the arduous trip to Kazakhstan to take on Kairat Almaty, while Bayern Munich head to Cyprus for a meeting with Pafos FC.

Real and Bayern have 21 Champions League titles between them, while Kairat and Pafos are competing at this level for the first time ever.

These matches are expected to only go one way, but it has only been four years since Real were shocked by Moldovan outfit FC Sheriff Tiraspol in the group stage. Bayern are only two years removed from an embarrassing defeat to third-tier Saarbrucken in the German Cup, so neither club is a stranger to unlikely upsets.

Read – The greatest shocks in Champions League history

Welcome to Hell, Liverpool

Liverpool make the trip to Galatasaray for just the third time in Champions League history this Tuesday as they look to bounce back from defeat to Crystal Palace at the weekend.

The Turkish outfit’s fans have become known for creating a febrile atmosphere on these European nights ever since their famous win over Manchester United in 1993.

The Gala fans welcomed the United players at the airport with banners reading “Welcome to Hell”, and they certainly delivered on that front.

A win here would be another shock on that scale. Liverpool are prohibitive favourites, despite their unconvincing performances this season. Galatasaray may be dominating the Super Lig after signing Leroy Sane and Victor Osimhen, but they were trounced 5-1 by Eintracht Frankfurt on the opening week.

The Champions League might quickly become a hellscape for Okan Buruk’s team if Liverpool find their scoring touch.

Read – Galatasaray vs Liverpool match preview and team news

Spurs head back to the Arctic Circle

On their way to Europa League glory last season, Tottenham Hotspur had to go through Bodo/Glimt. It was a tricky tie against the Norwegian upstarts who have taken many scalps in Europe in recent years.

Spurs won the quarter-final clash 5-1 on aggregate, ensuring Glimt have never beaten an English side, losing all five of their encounters.

Thomas Frank should guide his side to another victory here, although he would probably prefer not to have to travel to the Arctic Circle this week. His squad will make a 6,200km round trip, before heading to Leeds this Saturday.

Jose Mourinho: He meant everything to Chelsea fans in his heyday, but what about now?

Simon JohnsonSept. 30, 2025Updated 5:39 am EDT

On Tuesday night, Jose Mourinho will get to discover if he is still seen as special among Chelsea fans.You would think the answer would be a categorical ‘yes’, right? This is the man who ended the club’s 50-year wait for a league title in 2005. The Portuguese won seven major trophies (three Premier Leagues, an FA Cup and three League Cups) during two spells at Stamford Bridge (2004-7, 2013-15) and boasted extraordinary statistics like not losing any of his first 77 home Premier League games (a run finally ended by Sunderland in 2014). Pictures of him posing with the Premier League trophy are still on the walls inside the Drake Suite at the ground.He returns this week as Benfica’s head coach but this will not be the first occasion Chelsea fans have had a chance to show what they think of him. Mourinho was booed following one game as Manchester United manager after Chelsea beat them in an FA Cup quarter-final. His popularity sank to a deeper low after taking charge of bitter rivals Tottenham (2019-21).So how is he viewed now? “Time is a healer,” veteran season ticket holder Tim Rolls tells The Athletic. “If you look at what Chelsea are now and where the club were under him 20 years ago, people will look back so much more fondly to what we had. We had an air of invincibility. You knew if Chelsea went 1-0 up, that was it. That does not happen now. People appreciate Mourinho’s record even more.”

Mourinho in November 2004, his first season at ChelseaRichard Heathcote/Getty Images

Another season ticket holder Rafael Alleyne, who has supported the club for over 40 years, agrees. “I know there can be mixed feelings. There was a funny spell in terms of how he was perceived during his time at Manchester United. But he will always be top for me.

“Why did his popularity dip? Going to a rival like Manchester United was one thing. There were also some digs he made at Chelsea. I didn’t have a problem with it because that’s just Jose but others did.”Claudia Coulter was just a young child during Mourinho’s first tenure and only really got to appreciate what he brought to Chelsea between 2013-15. But that is what made seeing him then take charge of two Premier League sides tougher to bear.“I found it particularly hard to see him in the Tottenham dugout, it just felt so wrong,” she says. “My dad (also a Chelsea fan) felt the same, we could not believe it. Seeing him at another Premier League team was always going to be weird and we had that first with Manchester United. But seeing him at Tottenham was a real kick in the gut because we obviously hate them. It was a real shock.d“He knew what the Chelsea fans thought about Spurs so it was not great at that moment. But you kind of have to move on. It is not a case of forgetting it, it is still a sore point, but you have to concentrate on all the good things that he did.“I will be there at the game and I can’t wait to see him back. I think he is going to get a good reception. There will always be some people who are not happy but I will give him a good reception. I just hope we beat him!”

Mourinho prepares to manage Tottenham against Chelsea in 2019Michael Regan/Getty Images

Since being fired by Tottenham four years ago, Mourinho has gone on to coach Roma and Fenerbahce before taking over at Benfica two weeks ago. In terms of his standing at Chelsea, Mourinho once said, “Until the moment they have a manager that wins four Premier Leagues for them, I’m the No 1.”

No one has got close. Antonio Conte is the only other coach to guide Chelsea to top spot (in 2016-17) following Mourinho’s last triumph in 2014-15. Under the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium, who bought the club three years ago, Chelsea have not even challenged, although they did claim a unique double of the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Conference League last season.

Stay in the know by selecting your interests on The Athletic:

Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and incumbent Enzo Maresca are the three managers hired by the current regime. None of them forged a bond akin to the one Mourinho enjoyed. The latter goes into the game under increasing scrutiny from many in the stands because Chelsea have lost three of their last four games.Another season ticket holder Dave Chidgey says: “Chelsea were a top club under Mourinho, not this state we are in at the moment. I go back to the recent hires. We have had Potter, Pochettino and Maresca. They are not at his level.“Would I have him back for a third time? I don’t know, to be honest. It is a head-vs-heart situation. I know deep down it will never work under this ownership. He would see holes in the squad and want world-class guys to fill them, not caring how old they are or how much they cost. That mantra is a thing of the past at Chelsea and will never happen as long as these guys are in charge.”

Mourinho’s commitment to the cause made him very popular with the Chelsea faithfulClive Brunskill/Getty ImagesDan Silver believes the 3-1 loss to Brighton three days ago has improved Mourinho’s chances of being greeted warmly. The season ticket holder explained: “There could be a lot more vocal support for Mourinho because of the Brighton result. Maresca is still very much a Marmite figure.”There were other factors that made Chelsea fans lose a bit of their admiration for Mourinho while he was at the helm. For example, he criticised fans for the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge in 2014, saying that it was like playing in an empty stadium. Opposition fans have been chanting, “Mourinho’s right, your fans are sh*te,” ever since.Chidgey says: “I didn’t like it when he dug the fans out. It was just unfair because, if you have an understanding of what’s been going on at Premier League clubs for the last 20 years, the way people have been priced out, the sport being gentrified, that all plays a part. It felt like kicking a dog when they’re down. That’s what ground my gears. That, for me, is deliberately not understanding what supporters have to go through.”Mourinho was often on the back pages of newspapers and leading sports broadcast bulletins for things he did and said. Former head of UEFA’s referees committee Volker Roth labelled Mourinho an “enemy of football” after he had wrongly accused then Barcelona head coach Frank Rijkaard of visiting referee Anders Frisk at half-time during a 2-1 Champions League defeat in 2005.

Mourinho called much-respected Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger a “voyeur” and “a specialist in failure”. In June 2005, he was fined £75,000 (then $135,000) for meeting then Arsenal player Ashley Cole, without the north London club’s consent. Cole joined Chelsea the following year.

ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

Perhaps the most damning incident was reaching a discrimination settlement with former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro in 2016. Carneiro was demoted soon after a game against Swansea in August 2015. Mourinho was furious that she and first-team physio Jon Fearn ran on to the pitch late on to treat Eden Hazard. Carneiro accused Mourinho of shouting “filha da puta” at her, which means ‘daughter of a whore’. Carneiro brought a case against Chelsea too for constructive dismissal after leaving in September 2015 and both the club and Mourinho ended up paying an undisclosed sum to resolve the case.Speaking generally about Mourinho’s antics, Silver says: “Some of his behaviour was not a good look for him or the club. It left a bad taste. But no one acts perfectly. Wenger was seen in a different, positive light and yet he pushed Mourinho in a game and kicked water bottles in another. You think of Sir Alex Ferguson shouting in referees’ faces. It felt like Mourinho was singled out for criticism. Mourinho fought the club’s corner. He was the master of the siege mentality, us against the world.”

Alleyne continues: “At the time, I may have been more like, ‘Did we have to do this, do we have to be public enemy No 1?’ There were times when I would think, ‘Jose, don’t do that,’ because he was either putting himself in a negative light or the club. But it was never to the degree of not wanting to have him, this is the kind of heat that comes with a guy like Mourinho. We had a target on our back.“I know people had a problem with his playing style too, that the result was king. But I was always about that. Perhaps he brainwashed me completely but it was all about the result and not being there to just mess around.”

Phil Cole/Getty Images

Chidgey is another who felt living with Mourinho’s flaws was a price worth paying: “He is not a saint and that is the brilliant and beautiful thing about him,” he explains. “Mourinho says and does stupid things, he annoys people. We have all done that. But at the same time, he won loads of trophies and put Chelsea on the top table of Europe. You cannot airbrush that from history just because he has done a few daft things over time.”Another possible criticism is that he did not win a Champions League with Chelsea despite having one of the best squads in Europe to work with. He lost two semi-finals against Liverpool (2005, 2007) and Atletico Madrid in 2014. It was Roberto Di Matteo (2012) and Thomas Tuchel (2021) who wrote their names into Chelsea folklore by winning Europe’s most prestigious competition. Mourinho did lift the trophy with Porto in 2004 and, six years later, with Inter Milan, having beaten Chelsea at the last-16 stage.

“I do not see it as a mark against him,” Alleyne insists. “It’s knockout football, it happens. He got to three semi-finals in the five full seasons he had, that’s still very good. He proved himself by winning three league titles. I would say it just highlights the bit of luck you need, which we clearly had in 2012.“I don’t think Mourinho is given enough credit for the winning DNA that was instilled in the club. The way that we talk about winning silverware now, the expectation, has come from him. It wasn’t there before he turned up.”Mourinho is 62 now and the grey hair betrays the reality he has aged quite a bit since walking into Chelsea for the first time 21 years ago.“The reality is you have to say he is a fading force,” Rolls concludes. “He is no longer in the conversation for a job at the top clubs and that says it all. But I go into the Benfica match with a lot more trepidation than I had before. That says a lot about him. He is so astute tactically, you never lose that.”(Top photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Atletico dominated the derby by exposing Real Madrid in the channels

By Michael Cox

Sept. 29, 2025 12:00 pm EDT

It is rare to see such a basic approach working in a high-level football match, but Atletico Madrid’s style in their 5-2 thrashing of Real Madrid felt like old-school Atleti: 4-4-2, and lots of balls into the channels.

Diego Simeone’s approach has evolved across his 14-year spell as head coach, introducing more attacking flair. For the ‘derbi’, though, Atletico often go back to basics. And it worked on Saturday, with Atleti putting five goals past their city rivals for the first time in nearly 75 years.

“We knew where we could do damage, with breaks on the outside with Nicolas Gonzalez, Pablo Barrios, Julian Alvarez and Giuliano Simeone,” said Simeone after the game. “Taking the centre-backs out and leaving Alexander Sorloth inside to get chances. Beyond their two goals, the team did well. I liked everything. The team always knew what they had to do.”

That summarised it neatly. Atletico were particularly good at attacking down the flanks, most decisively with crosses — but their approach was about running the channels and dragging out the centre-backs.

This was how Real Madrid lined up. Xabi Alonso’s system was roughly 4-2-3-1, but with Arda Guler playing very narrow from the right, and Vinicius Junior offering little support to Alvaro Carreras at left-back.

It left Carreras badly exposed, with and without possession. Here, despite being in a decent position to track the run of Simeone Jr, a simple ball behind him causes all sorts of problems, with centre-back Dean Huijsen having to sprint across in an attempt to close down. This left central defensive partner Eder Militao isolated against Sorloth for the cross, although Militao dealt with this well.

Carreras was also caught out on the ball here, taking too long and allowing Barrios to pounce and slide a pass for Sorloth to go through on goal, although the Norway striker lacked the acceleration to get there before goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Down the other flank, Madrid had slightly different problems. Because Guler was playing so narrow, Dani Carvajal was tasked with providing right-sided width, and he also pressed high.

Here, three minutes in, the right-back is dragged out from defence to close down Gonzalez, and Clement Lenglet has the fairly simple task of knocking the ball in behind for Sorloth’s run. Again, Sorloth lacked the speed to ensure this was a clear goalscoring chance, and Militao recovered to make an excellent tackle.

Here is a more extreme example, when a pass is lobbed out to David Hancko at left-back. Carvajal is never going to get this ball, but he presses anyway, which makes it easy for Hancko to knock the ball past him. This time, it is Alvarez working the left channel, although the pass forces him wide and Militao shadows him well.

The problems continued after the break, particularly as Militao was forced off injured and replaced by Raul Asencio.

The below example was unfortunate, as Carvajal went in for a tackle and the ball deflected straight to Alvarez. But again, centre-back Asencio was forced out wide into an uncomfortable position, and ended up hacking down Alvarez just outside the box.

Carvajal was then replaced, which initially seemed a mere tactical change considering how badly Madrid were struggling down that side, although it later emerged the captain had picked up a calf injury. This meant Asencio going to right-back, with midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni dropping to centre-back.

This first frame shows the tactical battle perfectly: Real Madrid’s full-backs are always significantly ahead of the centre-backs, and Atletico’s two strikers in the channels are waiting for a forward pass. Here, another simple pass from Hancko finds Alvarez, and Tchouamani decides to hold his position, allowing Alvarez to assess his options.

The strange thing is that none of these situations actually led to a goal.

Atletico’s first four goals came from set pieces, in different ways: a Robin Le Normand header in the aftermath of a free kick, a Sorloth header after a throw-in, an Alvarez penalty after Guler was penalised for a high boot at a corner, and then a whipped Alvarez direct free kick. In stoppage time, Antoine Griezmann rounded things off with a goal on the break, his first in La Liga since February. The highlights alone would suggest that Real Madrid’s problem was defending dead-ball situations.

But it clearly was about more than that. Madrid’s shape looked disjoined, their individual defending in wide areas was poor, and the injury to Carvajal — alongside the continued absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold — leaves them seriously lacking full-back options. Atletico are often dominant in home derbies, but rarely have they wreaked havoc quite so easily.What You Should Read NextReal Madrid’s youthful rebuild is a work in progress under Xabi Alonso – it showed against AtleticoAlonso and his new-look side will have to learn from their historic 5-2 thrashing by their city rivals

(Top photo: Wyscout)

9/26/25 Champions League Tu/We/Th, Madrid Derby, Liverpool vs Crystal Palace, Indy 11 host Oktoberfest Sat vs Tulsa, Pulisic on fire, Full TV Game Schedule

September 26, 2025September 28, 2025 gatorbest champion-league-soccer, epl, indy-11, liverpool, messi, mls, pulisic, soccer, us-ladies, usmnt

With just 260 days to the World Cup and the 1st round of ticket ordering done (4.5 million entries were submitted -we put in like 15) it will be interesting to see if we get selected this week to buy tix and how much they are – cute World Cup Mascots announced this week. The US should announce our squad for the Oct friendlies sometime this week as well. US players rocked this past weekend and week as Pulisic became the all-time leading goal scorer overseas for an American and led the way with 3 goals and an assist, Chris Richards helped Crystal Palace stay unbeaten in the EPL, while Tanner Tessman scored this banger for Lyon in Europa League. In other news legendary EPL announcer Jon Champion shares his game notes, gotta love the EPL, Inter Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets announced his retirement at the end of the season, and of course Ousmane Dembélé Won the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Enjoy the Madrid Derby Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Sat at 10:15 am on ESPN Desportes or ESPN+, & undefeated’s Liverpool vs American Chris Richard & Crystal Palace (Preview) at 10 am on Peacock and a battle of 2 American’s Juventus’ Mckennie vs Atalanta’s Musah as Juve vs Atalanta plays at noon on CBS.

INDY 11
Indy Eleven scored two second-half goals in a six-minute span to rally to a key 2-1 victory over USL Championship Eastern Conference opponent Birmingham Legion FC in front of 10,375 at Carroll Stadium. The win moves the Boys in Blue to one point out of playoff position behind Rhode Island FC with five games remaining in the regular season. Indy Eleven hosts Western Conference leader FC Tulsa on Saturday at 7 pm on Oktoberfest ($11 tix, Special Indy 11 Beer Stein, Guest Brewers in fun zone starts at 5:30) at Carroll Stadium. Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster.

Beer’s, Brat’s, & Bangers at the Mike for Octoberfest Sat night

Got the Distinct pleasure of reffing with Edwin Schowe who at 80 years old we think is the oldest active ref – reffing high school or middle school games in Indiana. A rainy afternoon at Northview Middle – solid teams.

Working with Jakob from Gainesville, FL at Kuntz on a Tues Night. Fellow Gainesville
High Soccer player and University of Florida Grad.

Beautiful Sat morning at North Central Boys Varsity game with Omar & Alex

Purpose: fill remaining roster spots Not adding new teams
Register: scan the QR on the graphic or use the
link https://system.gotsport.com/programs/4M9139916…

Goalkeeping

Europa League Matchday 1 great saves: Wednesday’s best stops
Europa League Matchday 1 saves: Thursday’s best stops

USA

Pulisic continues scorching-hot form with goal off the bench
American’s Abroad – Pulisic in Class of his own
Will Tessmann leapfrog McKennie, Musah to start for USMNT at 2026 World Cup? Jeff Carlisle
Americans Abroad: Christian Pulisic aims to extend dominance for Milan, Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards to be tested by Liverpool
Christian Pulisic and Max Allegri are an odd stylistic match at Milan, but partnership has Rossoneri rolling – and Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT could benefit
USMNT 2026 World Cup Big Board 2.0: Balogun, Zendejas rise
Pulisic told Gimenez to stay patient amid goal drought
U.S.’s Pulisic nets third goal of week for Milan
Pulisic Turned 27 last week top 5 goals for Milan
Leeds boss Farke tells fans to lay off Aaronson
Rae: Will Gladbach instability be a blessing or a curse for Reyna?
US Women’s Soccer Coach Emma Hayes speaks on new US Facilities in Atlanta
Zendajas coming-out Party in Columbus vs Japan

MLS

Lionel Messi takes lead in Golden Boot race as Inter Miami thrashes NYCFC
Lionel Messi just showed why he will win a second straight MLS MVP
Messi 2 goals 1 Assist vs NYCFC
Is LAFC the team to beat in MLS?
MLS Power Rankings: How high can LAFC climb with Son leading a dynamic attack?
Messi, Ramos lead tributes to retiring Busquets

NWSL / Ladies

NWSL Take-Off: KC Current claim Shield, Pride struggles continue
Shaw dazzles Gotham crowd in home debut victory
Becky Sauerbrunn adds new role to ever-expanding portfolio
‘Absolute farce’ – Bonmati’s third Ballon d’Or generates controversy

Champions & Europa League & EPL

UEFA Europa League, League Stage (All Results)
A New San Siro
UN panel urges Israel suspension from FIFA, UEFA competition
A World Cup with 64 teams explained – how would it work, what needs to be discussed, who wants it?
Margin of Ousmane Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or triumph revealed

EPL

Premier League talking points ahead of the weekend
Ogden: From Liverpool to Wrexham, are U.S. owners taking over?
Liverpool can’t keep winning games like this — or can they?
Liverpool’s Chiesa is ‘here to win’ and now has the chance
Lindop: Isak’s first Liverpool goal could be the start of something special to prove it
Onuoha: Why clubs shouldn’t freeze players out, like Chelsea with Sterling

Reffing

Understanding offsides
Ref Saved from Heart Attack on Field
Legendary Mexican Goalkeeper Memo Ochoa Joins Mexican team

When you Ref in Broadripple you have to go to La Piedad after right? Here with my longtime buddy Mike Arrington grabbing a bite after our Purdue Polytech Varsity Boys game. Another beautiful night reffing.

=====RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===

Got some Good BarBQ for your Summer Plans ? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

FULL TV GAME SCHEDULE

Fri, Sept 26
2:30 pm ESPN2 Bayern Munich vs Werder Bremen
8 pm Prime KC Current vs Chicago Stars NWSL
10:30 pm Para+/Golazo San Diego Wave vs Orlando Pride NWSL
Sat, Sept 27
7:30 am USA Brentford vs Man United
10 am USA Man City vs Burnley
10 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Liverpool
10 am Peacock Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Bournemouth (Adams)
10:15 am ESPND, ESPN+ Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid
12 pm CBS, Para+ Juventus (Mckinnie) vs Atalanta
12:30 pm ESPN+ B Mglabach (Reyna, Scally) vs Frankfurt (Chandler)
12:30 pm USA Nottingham Forest vs Sunderland
3 pm USA Tottenham vs Wolverhampton
7:30 pm Tubi Racing Louisville vs Angel City FC NWSL
10 pm Tubi Bay FC vs Utah Royals NWSL
Sun, Sept 28
9 am USA Aston Villa vs Fulham (Robinson)
11:30 am USA Newcastle United vs Arsenal
2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Napoli (Musah)
3 pm ESPNd, ESPN+ Barcelona vs Real Sociedad
7 pm Apple TV Cincy vs Orlando City
7 pm FS1 Brazil U20 vs Mexico U20 World Cup
7 pm FS2 Cuba U20 vs Argentina U20
Mon Sep 29
3 pm USA Everton vs West Ham
4 pm FS2 France U20 vs South Africa U20
7 pm FS1 USA U20 vs New Caledonia U20 World Cup
7 pm FS2 Colombia U20 vs Saudi Arabia U20
Tues, Sept 30 Champions League
12:45 pm Para+, Uni Kairat vs Real Madrid
3 pm CBSSN Paphos vs Bayern Munich
3 pm Para+ Galatasaray vs Liverpool
3 pm Para+ Atletico Madrid vs Frankfurt
3 pm Para+ Marseille (_) vs Ajax
3 pm Para+ Chelsea vs Benefica
3 pm Para+ Inter vs Slavia Praha
3 pm Para+ Boda vs Tottenham
4 pm FS2 Panama U20 vs Ukraine U20 WC
7 pm FS1 Chile U20 vs Japan U20
7 pm FS2 Korea U20 vs Paraguay U20
Wed, Oct 1 Champs League
12:45 pm Para, Uni Union Saint Gilloise vs Newcastle United
3 pm CBSSN Dortmund vs Athletic Club
3 pm Para+ Barcelona vs PSG
3 pm para+ Arsenal vs Olympiakos Piraues
3 pm Para+ Napoli vs Sporting CP
3 pm Para+ Bayer Leverkusen vs PSV
3 pm Para+ Villareal vs Juventus (McKinney)
4 pm FS2 Spain U20 vs Mexico U20
7 pm FS1 Brazil U20 vs Morocco U20
7 pm FS2 Argentina U20 vs Australia U20
8 pm CBSSN Austin City vs Nashville SC US Open Cup
Thurs, Oct 2 Europa
12:45 pm CBSSN Roma vs Lille
12:45 pm Celtic (Carter Vickers) cs Sporting Braga
12:45 pm Dynamo Kyiv vs Crystal Palace (Chris Richards)
3 pm CBSSN Feyenoord vs Aston Villa
3 pm Para_ Sturm Graz vs Rangers
3 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Middtylland
3 pm Para+ Olympique Lyonnais vs Salzburg
Fri, Oct 3
3 pm USA Bournemouth (Adams) vs Fulham (Robinson)
7 pm FS1 Egypt U20 vs Chile U20 WC
7 pm FS2 New Zealand U20 vs Japan U20
Sat, Oct 4
7:30 am USA Leeds United vs Totteham
9:30 am ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) vs Union Berlin
9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund vs RB Leipzig
10 am USA Man United vs Sunderland
10 am Peacock Arsenal vs West Ham
12:30 pm NBC Chelsea vs Liverpool
4 pm Tele Mexico U20 vs Morocco U20
4 pm Univision Spain U20 vs Brazil U20
7 pm FS2 Argentina U20 vs Italy U20
10:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers
Sun, Oct 6
4 pm FS2 USA U20 vs South Africa U20
7 pm FS2 Nigeria U20 vs Colombia U20
9 pm Apple LAFC vs Atlanta United MLS
Fri, Oct 10
8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador
Tues, Oct 14
9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia
Thurs, Oct 23
9 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Chester PA
Sun, Oct 26
4 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Hartford CT
Sat, Nov 15
5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA
Tues, Nov 18
7 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL

USMNT weekend viewing guide: Important impressions

World Cup selections are getting closer every window by jcksnftsn Sep 26, 2025, 1:42 PM EDT

Getty Images

With rumors that Mauricio Pochettino intends to use the October USMNT roster to begin to lock in his intended World Cup call ups, and the announcement for the October roster likely to be made late next week, this weekend likely represents a last chance for players to make their statement about why they should be considered for a callup. To add to it there are head-to-head matchups in the EPL, Bundesliga, and Serie A to watch this weekend. It’s a full weekend of action so let’s get to the matches that we’ll be keeping an eye on:

Friday

Strasbourg v Olympique Marseille – 2:45p on beIN Sports

Tim Weah followed up his Bernabeu Banger with a solid shift against PSG last weekend as Marseille handed the French giants their first loss on the season, dropping them into a four-way tie atop Ligue 1. Marseille are three points back of the league leaders, a group which also includes this weekend’s opponent, Strasbourg, who’s lone loss on the season was a 3-2 defeat to Monaco who are also a part of the four at the top of the table.

Saturday

Coventry City v Birmingham City – 7:30a on Paramount+: Haji Wright and Coventry City tied their third straight game last Saturday, 0-0 with Leicester. Coventry have yet to suffer a loss this season but they have drawn four of their six matches and currently sit in sixth place.

Heidenheim v Augsburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks has appeared in one of Augsburgs four matches to start the season, seeing just one minute. You probably don’t need to work your schedule around this match and we’re going to drop Augsburg from the guide until it looks like he may start getting regular action.

St. Pauli v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: James Sands and Malik Tillman will go head-to-head in the midfield on Saturday morning as St. Pauli face Bayer Leverkusen. Sands and St. Pauli suffered their first loss of the weekend last Friday, falling to Stuttgart 2-0 with Sands playing the full 90’ and picking up a yellow card in the 40th minute. Meanwhile on Sunday, Tillman scored a goal against Borussia Monchengladbach but his team would end up settling for a draw after giving up a tying goal in stoppage time.

Crystal Palace v Liverpool – 10a on Peacock: Chris Richards and Crystal Palace have yet to suffer a loss to start the 2025-26 season though they have drawn three times and sit in fifth place. Their opponent for this weekend is a Liverpool side that has won every match in league play. However, Palace did defeat Liverpool to start the year in the Community Shield match.

Leeds United v AFC Bournemouth – 10a on Peacock: Our EPL head-to-head matchup of the weekend sees Brenden Aaronson’s Leeds side take on Tyler Adams and Bournemouth. Adams has started every match for a Bournemouth side that haven’t lost since their opening match against Liverpool and currently sit in fourth place, they are coming off a scoreless draw with Newcastle. In Leeds, Aaronson has started the last two matches after coming off the bench in the first three, and Leeds’ 3-1 win over Wolverhampton last weekend gave them seven points through five matches this season as they move into 12th place and look to snap the streak of newly promoted sides heading straight back to the English Championship.

Stoke City v Norwich City – 10a on Paramount+: Josh Sargent has cooled off a bit in the Championship, failing to score in his past two matches after starting the season with five goals in his first four. Norwich lost to Wrexham 3-2 last weekend, their third loss early in the season and they currently sit in 15th place in the Championship table.

Southampton v Middlesbrough – 10a on Paramount+: Meanwhile, also in the Championship, Aidan Morris has played every minute for a Middlesbrough side that have five wins and a draw through their first six matches and currently sit atop the Championship standings, four points ahead of Stoke. This weekend Middlesbrough face a Southampton side that were playing in the EPL last season but have only one win in the Championship to start this campaign and currently sit in 19th place, just a point out of a second straight relegation.

Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid – 10:15a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso will miss his first chance at a Madrid derby as he suffered a sprained ankle in training that held him out of Atletico’s Champions League match with Liverpool and has already ruled him out for this weekends match as well.

Lorient v Monaco – 11a on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun was an unused substitute last weekend in Monaco’s 5-2 win over FC Metz. Balogun had started the past three league matches for Monaco as well as the Champions League match just three days prior so it is unsurprising there was some rotation. He’ll hopefully be back in the lineup this weekend as Monaco look to continue their hot form in league play that has them tied for the league lead.

Juventus v Atalanta – Noon on Paramount+: Yunus Musah will face off against his old team including fellow USMNT member Weston McKennie as Atalanta travel to Turin to face Juventus on Saturday. Musah has come off the bench in his first two league matches since joining Atalanta but he did start the teams Champions League class with PSG (albeit an embarrassing 4-0 loss). Weston McKennie did not make it off the bench last weekend as Juventus settled for a 1-1 draw with Hellas Verona who were tied for last place in the league standings. It was Juventus’ first hiccup of the season and they are now two points back of Napoli, and two points ahead of this weekends opponent.

Borussia Monchengladbach v Eintracht Frankfurt – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Joe Scally, Gio Reyna, and Borussia Monchengladbach notched a late goal last weekend to steal a draw with Bayer Leverkusen. It was Gladbach’s first goal of the season and just their second point through four matches. This weekend they will face a Frankfurt side that has a pair of wins to go with a pair of losses.

Toulouse v Nantes – 1p on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie has played every minute of the season for Toulouse thus far. Unfortunately the club have lost three straight and currently sit in ninth place. If you set aside the embarrassing 6-3 loss Toulouse have given up just three goals in their other four matches this year which would be a solid defensive record. This weekend Toulouse host a Nantes side that sit near the bottom of the table with just one win and one draw, but they have been close in every match this season, never loosing by more than a goal, and only once conceding more than one.

Excelsior v PSV – 2p on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest, Ricardo Pepi, and PSV settled for a draw with Ajax last weekend and are now three points back of league leading Feyenoord. PSV now face an Excelsior side that are coming off their second win of the season, a 2-1 win over Volendam.

Club America v Pumas UNAM – 11:05p on CBSSN: Alex Zendejas scored for Club America last weekend after coming on as an injury substitute just before the end of the first half. Zendejas’ late goal was the match winner for America as they defeated San Luis to move within three points of league leading Cruz Azul. America now face a Pumas side who are coming off a 3-1 win over FC Juarez.

Saturday MLS Matches with USMNT flavor – here is when the September MLS call ups are kicking off their matches this weekend, all matches on MLS Season Pass:

Charlotte v Montreal – 7:30p: Tim Ream
DC United v Philadelphia Union – 7:30p: Nathan Harriel
New York Red Bulls v NYCFC – 7:30p: Matt Friese
Nashville SC v Houston Dynamo – 8:30p: Jack McGlynn
Real Salt Lake v Austin FC – 9:30p: Diego Luna
Seattle Sounders v Vancouver Whitecaps – 10:30p: Cristian Roldan
San Diego FC v San Jose Earthquakes – 10:30p: Luca de la Torre
LA Galaxy v Cincinnati – 10:30p: Roman Celetano

Sunday

Aston Villa v Fulham – 9a on USA Network: Antonee Robinson played 90’ minutes midweek in Fulham’s 1-0 EFL Cup win over Cambridge United. Robinson was back on the field after missing Fulham’s past two league matches. On Sunday Fulham will take on Aston Villa who are still looking for their first win of the Premier League season though they did defeat Bologna in Europa League action on Thursday.

Lille v Olympique Lyon – 11:15a on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann is doing everything he can to catch the eye of Mauricio Pochettino. Tessmann scored in his second straight match on Thursday, coming off the bench to lift Lyon to a 1-0 win over FC Utrecht in Europa League action. Tessmann also scored the lone goal last weekend as Lyon defeated Angers 1-0 in league play. Lyon are 4-0-1 to start the season and part of the group at the top of the Ligue 1 table, a group that are two points ahead of this weekend’s opponent, Lille.

AC Milan v Napoli – 2:45p on Paramount+: Perhaps the only USMNT player hotter than Tessmann right now is Christian Pulisic who came off the bench and scored on Tuesday in a Coppa Italia match on Tuesday after starting and contributing to all three goals Milan scored against Udinese last weekend, scoring two and assisting on the third. If Pulisic can keep that form heading into this weekends match against league leading Napoli it would be a huge boost to Milan’s title hopes this season. Napoli are currently three points ahead of Milan and have won every league match that they’ve played.

Sunday MLS Activity:

Cincinnati v Orlando City – 7on MLS Season Pass: Alex Freeman

LAFC v Real Salt Lake – 9p on FS1: Diego Luna

Proud Member of American Outlaws http://www.facebook.com/IndyAOUnite

Looking to Get a Professional Company Headshot? Check out https://capturely.com/ Tell Rob The Ole Ballcoach sent you and he’ll give you a deal.

DISCOUNT SMALL ENGINE & BIG ENGINE REPAIRS IN CARMEL

Yanks Abroad

Malik Tillman faced off against fellow countrymen, Gio Reyna and Joe Scally, on Sunday as Leverkusen tied Monchengladbach 1-1. Tillman scored the goal, making that 2 goals in his first 3 Bundesliga matches. Good to see the trio linking up after their game as well.

Tanner Tessman scored a game-winner for Lyon in their 1-0 win over Angers on Friday.
Chris Richards put together another stellar outing against West Ham. Full highlight clip. He has solidified himself as one of the top defenders in the world’s top league. Crystal Palace and Liverpool are the only remaining undefeated teams in the Premier League. They’ll face off on Saturday.

It’s been a MASSIVE week for Christian Pulisic. He had a brace andan assist in Milan’s 3-0 win over Udinese. It’s early, but he’s tied for first in Serie A for goals and goals per 90. After the game head coach, Massimiliano Allegri, called him the “Michael Jordan of soccer”. While that’s a stretch, his form is elite. With the goals, he passed Clint Dempsey (57) for the most ever by an American in the top 5 European leagues (59). He scored again yesterday in the Coppa Italia after coming on as a sub, making that 5 goals in his last 6 games.

USL Investment for Pro/Rel

The United Soccer League (USL) has attracted a major investor to help develop its football league pyramid system, aiming to rival Major League Soccer (MLS). The investment comes from BellTower Partners, a firm run by former Carlyle Group CEO Kewsong Lee. Earlier this year, the USL announced plans to launch a new US men’s league with first-division sanctioning in 2027, thus becoming the second such league in the country, alongside MLS. The USL already operates three men’s leagues, and the addition of a tier-one league will enable the organisation to become the first sports league of any type in the United States to implement a promotion and relegation system. Dive deeper into how this move will compete against the MLS here. The USL is not disclosing the size of the investment, the size of the equity stake, or the current valuation of the USL used for the purposes of the investment.

Expanded World Cup Considered

FIFA is reportedly open to expanding the men’s World Cup to a 64-team tournament in 2030. It follows a formal pitch made to Fifa by football executives from CONMEBOL, South America’s governing body, to celebrate the centenary of the competition. One source, unverified, claims that Fifa is sceptical about whether expanding the tournament again is a viable proposition. Expansion would represent an increase from the 48 teams competing in next year’s tournament, which is already a rise from the 38-nation format that has been in place since 1998. CONMEBOL is lobbying to further enlarge the tournament in a move that would likely guarantee a qualification spot for all 10 of the continent’s member nations. The proposal has drawn opposition. Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin believes that expansion would be damaging to the tournament and would reduce jeopardy in the qualification stage. If Fifa approves the move, it would create a tournament of 128 matches, double the number that was played from 1998 through 2022. The 2030 edition of the World Cup will be played across six host nations and spread across three continents—read more here.

NUTMEG SOCCER MLS Match Day 34 Recap

Max Palmer & Mason Palmer Read Online
Decision day is looming. Here’s what went down over the weekend…
Orlando City SC beat Nashville 3-2 behind a brace from Martin Ojeda and a goal from Duncan McGuire. Nashville’s recent league form has been abysmal; they’ve lost 6 out of their last 7 league games and are close to falling into the play-in round. They’ll play Austin FC in the US Open Cup final for maybe their only chance at hardware this season.

FC Dallas beat Colorado 3-1 and have now gone 6 straight unbeaten, all since selling Lucho Acosta. Logan Farrington and Petar Musa linked up once again for the game’s first goal. For the first time since early May, Dallas is back in a playoff position, one point ahead of Houston with a game in hand.

Austin FC beat the Seattle Sounders 2-1 behind Myrto Uzuni’s last-second goal. Brad Stuver was phenomenal in this one, preventing 1.81 expected goals. It’s Austin’s 3rd win in their last 4 league games. Meanwhile, Seattle is winless in their last three games and now gets Vancouver.

The Chicago Fire blanked Minnesota 3-0 on the road for one of their best performances of the season. Their 8th road win ties their club record in a season. The last wild card spot in the East is between them and the NY Red Bulls. The Fire are two points ahead and have a game in hand. They’ll try to end the Red Bulls historic 15-year playoff streak and join the dance for the first time since 2017.
Inter Miami beat DC United 3-2 on Saturday. Messi had two goals and an assist to become the fastest player in league history to reach 70 goal contributions, doing so in just 46 games. His second goal was spectacular. That’s 22 goals and 12 assists in 22 games played, utterly insane stuff. Miami has three more consecutive weeks of two games per week. If they win out, they’ll win the Shield and he’ll win MVP again. But that’s far from a sure thing.

The Best Attacking Duo in MLS

What a week for LAFC. They beat Real Salt Lake twice in the span of four days by the same score of 4-1 each time. They now have three straight league wins, scoring 12 goals in that span. Led by the best attacking duo in MLS, they can score in bunches and are peaking at the right time.Denis Bouanga (8) and Son Heung-min (6) have scored all 14 of their goals in the last 5 games. It didn’t take the two stars long to start clicking. Bouanga has two hat-tricks in the last three games to put him even in the Golden Boot race with Messi at 22 goals. He became the first player in league history to score 20+ goals in three straight seasons. He’s quickly becoming one of the best players in league history. As for Son, he scored a hat trick mid-week in their first match-up against Salt Lake. He now has 6 goals and 2 assists in just 550 minutes played. His presence has taken much of the opposing defense’s attention away from Bouanga, who has 9 goals in the 7 games since Son made his debut. They complement each other perfectly. Per Tom Bogert, before Son’s debut, LAFC ranked 12th in goals, 10th in expected goals, and 20th in chances. Since his debut, they’re 1st in goals, 4th in expected goals, and 4th in chances. This attack is scary good. If I were a betting man, my money would be on LAFC coming out of the Western Conference.

Will Tessmann leapfrog McKennie, Musah to start World Cup for U.S.?

Jeff CarlisleSep 25, 2025, 10:05 AM ET ESPNFC

The European club season has been in full swing for over a month now, giving those U.S. men’s national team players plying their trade overseas the chance to establish themselves. Some have gotten off to uneven starts, with the opening round of UEFA Champions League fixtures proving to be especially difficult. Others have hit the ground running. Those in MLS have been in rhythm for a while now.Then there’s Christian Pulisic, who has been leading the U.S. charge in Europe for nine years now and already has five goals in all competitions this season. Fortunately for the USMNT, Pulisic is one of several players who have been hitting their stride in recent weeks.Throughout the season, ESPN will be monitoring the progress of the U.S. player pool, delivering insights into those whose form or fitness has made them particularly intriguing. We call it the USMNT’s countdown to the World Cup.ESPN will count down to June 11 every week so that way, when the U.S. team is announced for this highly anticipated World Cup on home soil, no names on that 26-man roster will come as a surprise. Only 260 days to go.

– Rae: Will Gladbach instability be a blessing or a curse for Reyna?
– USMNT 2026 World Cup Big Board 2.0: Balogun, Zendejas rise
– Carlisle: Zendejas’ starring role has come at the right time for USMNT

Tanner Tessmann | Midfielder | Lyon

2025-26 minutes: 450
2025-26 FotMob rating: 7.5

Tessmann proving he deserves to start in midfield

Tessmann had already enjoyed a solid start to the season, but last weekend he kicked his campaign into overdrive, scoring the lone goal in Lyon’s 1-0 victory over Angers, a result that put the club in a tie atop the Ligue 1 table, behind AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain on goal differential. Not bad for a team that was threatened with relegation due to financial irregularities before the start of the season.

As for Tessmann, the question remains: Will these performances be enough to get him back in the U.S. squad? He hasn’t been called up since the Concacaf Nations League in March. To be clear, they should be, but the mind of U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino works in mysterious ways. At minimum, Tessmann should be in contention to provide cover for Tyler Adams, or even crack the starting lineup.

Malik Tillman | Attacker | Bayer Leverkusen

2025-26 minutes: 264
2025-26 FotMob rating: 7.1

USMNT could do with a dose of Tillman’s perseverance

Credit Tillman for showing a strong mentality, bouncing back from a dreadful match in midweek against F.C. København in the Champions League to deliver a man of the match performance against Borussia Mönchengladbach in which he scored his second league goal of the season. A tactical tweak from manager Kasper Hjulmand might have helped.

Against Copenhagen, Tillman was operating as one of the dual No. 10s and struggled mightily to get on the ball. Against Gladbach, he was deployed deeper in midfield and had a much stronger impact on the game, even beyond his 70th-minute goal. Hjulmand afterward continued to preach patience, as Tillman is one of many new arrivals to the squad, but the player’s ability to shake off a poor performance will serve him well for both club and country.

Christian Pulisic | Attacker | AC Milan

2025-26 minutes: 286
2025-26 FotMob rating: 7.9

Italy can’t stop Pulisic

This was an impressive week for Pulisic, even by his lofty standards. After scoring two goals and helping set the table for a third in last weekend’s 3-0 win over Udinese, Pulisic maintained his fine form by scoring the final goal — on the half-volley, no less — in a 3-0 Coppa Italia win over Lecce.There’s not much more to be said about Pulisic that hasn’t been already. He remains the USMNT’s most important attacking player, and he now holds the mark for most goals by an American in Europe’s top five leagues with 59. As long as he can stay healthy, he’s a lock to be in the U.S. lineup.He’ll try to keep the momentum going in this weekend’s momentous clash with top-of-the table Napoli.

The in-form XI

When Pochettino switched to a three-man back line during the September international window, it was a move that didn’t appear to benefit Gladbach’s Joe Scally. The wing back position favors the mobility and attacking instincts demonstrated by the likes of Sergiño Dest and Alex Freeman over the defending of Scally, but then Gladbach interim manager Eugen Polanski trotted out a 3-4-3 with Scally as the right wing back, and the American delivered an impressive performance. Scally showed an ability to get forward that was unexpected given that he recorded no goals and no assists this past season — his xG of 0.26 is already on its way to eclipsing last year’s 0.38. Granted, who knows what formation the permanent Gladbach coach will prefer once he’s hired, but the performance should help keep Scally in the lineup. Given his performance last weekend, why isn’t he in this week’s in-form XI? It’s a fair question, especially when you consider Dest conceded a penalty that was converted in PSV Eindhoven‘s 2-2 draw with Ajax. Combined with some defensively shaky moments during the September international window, it’s worth weighing whether Dest is enough of a defensive liability that he loses his spot in the starting lineup. That said, Dest’s value in attack is still high enough given his ability to deliver the unexpected, though Scally has given Pochettino something to think about in terms of who his starting wing backs should be. Meanwhile, the relative stock of the U.S. corps of forwards continues to go through some wild swings in form. Folarin Balogun looked to have gained some separation from the chasing pack after a great performance against Japan, but that was before his tepid effort in a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Club Brugge landed him on the bench for last week’s league encounter against Metz. Even worse for Balogun, his replacement, Mika Biereth, scored the opener in a 5-2 win, while Ansu Fati scored two off the bench and George Ilenikhena also got on the score sheet.

The silver lining for Balogun is that no other U.S. center forwards scored last weekend, although Ricardo Pepi‘s selfless run to the near post allowed Ismael Saibari to score PSV’s first, so he’ll remain the starter in this week’s lineup. Also, Balogun’s skill set is unique within the USMNT player pool, given his ability to make runs in behind the opposition defense, and this should mean his spot in the U.S. squad is still secure. He’ll need to work his way back into the Monaco lineup, though, and this week’s match at Lorient will reveal the extent to which his spot in the club hierarchy has fallen.

Big Board 2.0 update

ESPN’s USMNT Big Board 2.0 went live earlier this month, and each Big Board will provide the foundation for weekly player updates. Below are the minutes and player ratings for each of those 37 players.

Matt Turner, goalkeeper, New England Revolution: 630 minutes in 2025; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025.

Matt Freese goalkeeper, New York City FC: 2,790 minutes in 2025; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025.

Zack Steffen, goalkeeper, Colorado Rapids: 2,160 minutes in 2025; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025.

Patrick Schulte, goalkeeper, Columbus Crew: 2,430 minutes in 2025; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025.

Chris Richards, center back, Crystal Palace: 659 minutes in 2025-26; 7.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Richards continues to deliver for Palace, completing 86.7% of his passes and winning 87.5% of his duels in a 2-1 win over West Ham United.

Tim Ream, center back, Charlotte FC: 2,147 minutes in 2025; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025.

Mark McKenzie, center back, Toulouse: 450 minutes in 2025-26; 6.6 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Cameron Carter-Vickers, center back, Celtic: 750 minutes in 2025-26; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Miles Robinson, center back, FC Cincinnati: 2,438 minutes in 2025; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025.

Auston Trusty, center back, Celtic: 152 minutes in 2025-26; 6.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Tristan Blackmon, center back, Vancouver Whitecaps: 2,962 minutes in 2025; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025.

Sergiño Dest, fullback, PSV Eindhoven: 691 minutes in 2025-26; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Antonee Robinson, fullback, Fulham: 141 minutes in 2025-26; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Robinson’s recovery from offseason knee surgery took way longer than expected, but he finally played a full 90 minutes for the Cottagers in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup victory over fourth-tier side Cambridge United. Now let’s see if he can reclaim his spot in league play.

Joe Scally, fullback, Borussia Mönchengladbach: 355 minutes in 2025-26; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Caleb Wiley, fullback, Watford: 18 minutes in 2025-26; 6.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Max Arfsten, fullback, Columbus Crew: 2,682 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.

Alex Freeman, fullback, Orlando City SC: 2,802 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.

Tyler Adams, midfielder, AFC Bournemouth: 464 minutes in 2025-26; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Weston McKennie, midfielder, Juventus: 141 minutes in 2025-26; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Johnny Cardoso, midfielder, Atlético Madrid: 185 minutes in 2025-26; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Cardoso has been dealing with an ankle injury, hence his omission from the game-day roster in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Mallorca.

Luca de la Torre, midfielder, San Diego FC: 2,299 minutes in 2025; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025.

Tanner Tessmann, midfielder, Lyon: 450 minutes in 2025-26; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Yunus Musah, midfielder, Atalanta: 206 minutes in 2025-26; 6.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Sebastian Berhalter, midfielder, Vancouver Whitecaps: 2,906 minutes in 2025; 7.6 FotMob rating in 2025.

Cristian Roldan, midfielder, Seattle Sounders FC: 3,425 minutes in 2025; 7.4 FotMob rating in 2025.

Christian Pulisic, attacker, AC Milan: 286 minutes in 2025-26; 7.9 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Tim Weah, attacker, Marseille: 397 minutes in 2025-26; 7.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Weah has been Marseille’s Mr. Fixit, lining up as a right wing back in OM’s 1-0 win over previously unbeaten PSG. Will that help him or hurt him when the next USMNT camp opens? Either way, his versatility remains impressive.

Malik Tillman, attacker, Bayer Leverkusen: 264 minutes in 2025-26; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Diego Luna, attacker, Real Salt Lake: 2,255 minutes in 2025; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025.

Alejandro Zendejas, attacker, América: 777 minutes in 2025-26; 7.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Gio Reyna, attacker, Borussia Mönchengladbach: 84 minutes in 2025-26; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Folarin Balogun, forward, AS Monaco: 306 minutes in 2025-26; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Ricardo Pepi, forward, PSV Eindhoven: 306 minutes in 2025-26; 7.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Josh Sargent, forward, Norwich City: 581 minutes in 2025-26; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Patrick Agyemang, forward, Derby County: 66 minutes in 2025-26; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Haji Wright, forward, Coventry City: 542 minutes in 2025-26; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Damion Downs, forward, Southampton: 271 minutes in 2025-26; 6.3 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Lionel Messi takes lead in Golden Boot race as Inter Miami thrashes NYCFC

Sep 24, 2025; New York, NY, New York, NY, USA; Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) runs with the ball chased by New York City FC midfielder Aiden O'Neill (21) during the second half at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images

By Melanie Anzidei Sept. 25, 2025 12:41 am EDT

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi took a comfortable lead for this year’s Golden Boot by scoring two goals in Miami’s dramatic win over New York City FC on Wednesday night.Beneath the Citi Field lights and in the pouring rain, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami clinched a spot in the MLS playoffs. The South Florida club downed New York 4-0, carried by the Argentine striker’s late-game heroics and fueled by a pro-Miami crowd in New York. Messi opened the night with an assist to Baltasar Rodríguez in the 43rd minute, giving Inter Miami its first lead of the night.The team later rallied in the second half, scoring three goals in 12 minutes. Messi scored a brace, first in the 74th minute off a stunning pass from Sergio Busquets, and then again in the 86th. In between both goals, Luis Suárez scored off a penalty Messi’s pair of goals brings his tally to 24 scored this season, while LAFC’s Denis Bouanga trails with 22. Inter Miami sits third in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 55 points, behind the Philadelphia Union (60 points) and FC Cincinnati (58 points). Miami heads to BMO Field, where they will face Toronto FC on Saturday. Inter Miami has its eyes set on reclaiming the Supporters’ Shield, which the club won in 2024. “We know how difficult Saturday will be because we have less than 72 hours to play, but we will try to play our best and try to win the game and try to qualify as high as possible,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. “If we can win the next five games, we’ll be great and we’ll have (a) chance to fight for the Supporters’ Shield.” While Inter Miami were more than 1,000 miles from home, the near sellout crowd in Queens was unmistakably there for Messi. The crowd of 40,085 cheered after every play made by the striker and roared whenever the 38-year-old appeared on the Jumbotron. After each goal, the stadium filled with chants of “Messi, Messi!” Still, NYCFC tried its best to take advantage of the unusually large crowd that came out to Queens on Wednesday night, with messaging throughout the night reminding fans of their future stadium slowly taking shape next door. (Photo: Mark Smith / Imagn Images)

As Atlanta United flounders, would a Tata Martino reunion be the right play?

Former Atlanta United manager Tata Martino

By Felipe Cardenas Sept. 19, 2025

It has been a difficult summer for Atlanta United. In July, president and CEO Garth Lagerwey stepped away from his role after a cancer diagnosis. Well-liked around the building and highly respected across MLS, Lagerwey had publicly lauded the current squad entering the 2025 season. Ronny Deila, Atlanta’s first-year head coach, was the candidate that he fought for internally. Deila has led Atlanta to just five wins in 29 matches, though, and Lagerwey’s continued absence heading into the fall could alter the direction of the club.Deila may not be working out as Lagerwey hoped, but he did also hire Chris Henderson, Atlanta’s chief soccer officer and sporting director, last December. Talks with Deila were already at an advanced stage when Henderson joined the club from Inter Miami. He replaced Carlos Bocanegra and is now a leading decision maker on Atlanta’s future, which is under great focus considering the ongoing struggles. And that’s where the avenues the club can take in an effort to return to MLS’s elite could get interesting.Henderson came to Atlanta after helping Tata Martino build a Miami squad that broke MLS’s regular-season points record and won the Supporters’ Shield in 2024. Having Lionel Messi certainly helped, too. For his part, Martino led Atlanta to an MLS Cup victory in 2018 and he remains a well-regarded figure inside the club. His title-winning team and a near-perfect club launch unexpectedly brought the eyes of the football world to the city. Seven years later, Martino is available again, and it’s only natural to consider whether a reunion might make sense.Speaking exclusively to The Athletic last week, Martino touched on the emotional attachment some managers have after they depart a job. Inter Miami, he said, remains unfinished business. However, there’s nothing pending for Martino in Atlanta. He won a final then accepted the Mexico national team job in 2019 after two seasons.“I think at that time, the Atlanta project, for various reasons, had more room to grow, but not with me in charge,” Martino said. “The Miami project, yes, because I compare it to the Argentina national team project. There was more ahead, more to do. It wasn’t something already finished. Today I understand that some projects start and finish, and that’s that.”Asked if he maintains contact with Henderson, Martino smiled.“Yes, I care about him a lot,” he said. “Honestly, he’s someone I’ve had a really good working relationship with. First, because he’s a great professional, and second, because he’s an extraordinary person. I’ve really enjoyed working with him. Every now and then we exchange messages and say hello. I have a lot of affection for him.”The 62-year-old Argentine is among the top available coaches for MLS teams that are looking for a new manager. New England, St. Louis City, and Sporting Kansas City all have vacancies, and Steve Cherundolo will depart LAFC at the end of this season.

Atlanta United manager Ronny Deila Atlanta United has struggled in Ronny Deila’s first season at the helm (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

Atlanta could potentially become an option, too, although Lagerwey has made a concerted effort to turn the page on the club’s successful past. Deila, whom Lagerwey touted as a serial winner, was supposed to end the club’s crisis with a firm European hand. Despite his best efforts and the millions of dollars spent on players, though, few improvements – if any – materialized.

On the other side, if Martino were to consider a highly-publicized reunion in Atlanta, he would put his legacy at the club at stake. The squad has not been well built, with high-priced players failing to deliver, while the shortcomings of long-standing members of the team have held the club back. Secondly, Atlanta’s player profiles don’t align with what Martino would prefer. There is no discernible identity under Deila, so another major evaluation of the roster would be necessary. Even so, Martino offered his thoughts on the state of his former team.

“I try to be careful because I don’t see the day-to-day,” he said. “From the outside, you look at the squad and think, ‘It’s strange to see them in that position in the standings,’ but there are different circumstances, so maybe a season doesn’t turn out the way you expect. In MLS, this happens a lot: players come from different places, and you have to see how the ideas come together, how the players click with each other, with the coaching staff, with the club and with the city.“Sometimes everything clicks perfectly, and it works spectacularly,” Martino continued. “Other times, just as you can’t always explain why everything went so well, you can’t always explain why nothing worked out as expected. Looking at the squad from a distance, you might’ve expected a different outcome for the season.”The same can be said about Miguel Almirón. The Paraguayan international was widely considered the best player in MLS when he wore Atlanta’s black and red kit under Martino. Now 31, Almirón rejoined Atlanta in January after six seasons in the Premier League with Newcastle United. He was celebrated by Atlanta’s fans upon his return, but that euphoria has since subsided. Like Atlanta as a whole, Almirón has struggled to have the same impact as he once had in MLS. He has four goals and seven assists on the year, and at times has either been misused as a traditional winger by Deila, or hasn’t been decisive enough in the middle of the field to make a difference.

Tata Martino and Josef Martinez with Atlanta United Josef Martínez was prolific under Tata Martino in Atlanta (Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports)

In his final year in Atlanta, prior to becoming MLS’s highest outgoing transfer at the time, Almirón teamed with 2018 MLS MVP Josef Martínez to the tune of 12 goals and 14 assists in the regular season. Martino may be watching from afar, but his assessment of Almirón 2.0, an experiment that hasn’t been an immediate success, rings true.“The main difference for Miguel is that the (2018) team had a solid base,” Martino said. “We kept a strong American core through Brad (Guzan), Parky (Michael Parkhurst), (Jeff) Larentowicz and even Greg Garza, who was Mexican-American but very connected to American soccer. At the same time, the team had a very strong Latin side. So obviously, Miguel felt much more supported.“On top of that, Miguel had that partnership with Josef. That’s how all the pieces come together for a season to go well. Today’s team, the nationalities and customs are very different, and Miguel arrived at a tricky moment. When the tournament is already underway, it can be hard to achieve that same unity of ideas.”After Atlanta’s 5-4 loss to the Columbus Crew on Saturday, a game in which Atlanta was down 5-0 at home after 39 minutes, Deila defiantly fought for his job. The defeat was Atlanta’s 13th of the regular season, which eliminated the club from the MLS playoffs.Deila, 49, insisted afterwards that Atlanta is in good hands. The Norwegian’s first year in Atlanta has been mired in uncertain tactics and a glaring lack of pride from Atlanta’s players week-to-week. Deila admitted on Saturday to relaying inconsistent messages to his players after trying different formations throughout the year. Still, the former Celtic manager believes he’s the right man to turn this into something positive in 2026.“We’re going to be competitive next season. I’m 100 percent sure,” Deila said. “If not I wouldn’t sit here. I’ve done this for 20 years. I’ve had success with almost every team I’ve had. I’ve made improvements everywhere. I won almost everywhere I’ve been.”Perhaps Deila hasn’t completely thrown his players under the bus, but he has questioned their professional character and mentality. It was evident on Saturday that he has lost faith in some of his players, despite stating adamantly that he hasn’t lost the locker room.“I want to improve things, but we have to change a lot of the personnel this season because some (players) didn’t have the opportunity to get better and some of them aren’t interested in getting better,” Deila said. “I believe and I feel I have the boys with me. And I feel that I have the staff with me, and I feel that we’re on the start of something.”Whatever Deila believes hasn’t been up to standard. Atlanta invested over $50 million in new player acquisitions last season. The objective was to provide Deila with a squad capable of challenging for the top four in the Eastern Conference. Instead, the club was struggling through its worst start in franchise history in May. The momentum that Atlanta garnered at the end of the 2024 season under interim manager Rob Valentino sputtered almost immediately in 2025. Atlanta’s shocking first-round defeat of Martino’s heavily-favored Inter Miami during the 2024 playoffs was supposed to inspire a now-apathetic fanbase and position Atlanta with the right building blocks moving forward.

Atlanta United manager Ronny Deila Atlanta has just five wins through 29 games, tied for second-fewest in MLS (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

But there is nothing inspirational about this Atlanta side. It has conceded 54 goals and scored just 36 times in 29 matches. There are 11 teams in the East that have scored more goals than Atlanta this season. Deila, who won an MLS Cup final with New York City FC in 2021, has been unable to manufacture solutions both in-game and mid-week to improve the team.On Saturday, Columbus was surgical in how it attacked Atlanta’s woeful midfield and backline, while Deila’s men delivered another display of football malpractice. Deila called it the “the strangest game I’ve seen in my life,” but in reality, it was a representation of his tenure in Atlanta. The four-goal comeback did not mask his team’s permanent flaws, which go far beyond a tactics board.Deila and his staff have succumbed to the culture of defeat in Atlanta rather than turn it around. Losing has become normalized within Atlanta’s training facility in Marietta, Ga., which later this month will be newly unveiled following a $23 million investment from owner Arthur Blank. Yet, Deila stressed on Saturday that a coaching change wasn’t necessary.“I’m the guy who can make this team successful,” he said. “I cannot handle what the board is thinking. If peopl don’t believe in me, then of course we have a challenge.”“Right now we’re struggling,” he continued. “We’re eating a lot of s***, but that creates unbelievable power and energy to go forward and prove everybody wrong. It’s easy to sit on the outside and have opinions now, but get in the ring and we’ll see how it is and who ends up on the right side. That’s going to be us.”

It very well could be – unless Atlanta believes that revisiting its past can finally awaken the club’s future.

(Top photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

9/19/25 Champs League Thrillers, CHS #2 Girls/#3 Boys, Europa League W,Th, Full TV Game Schedule

September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 gatorbest carmel-fc, high-school-soccer, indy-11, liverpool, premier-league, reffing, soccer, usmnt

Really cool to see the impact Son is having on MLS for LAFC – Son’s 1st Hat Trick. Staying in MLS – here’s Messi’s Goal 20 in game 21, LA GK Hugo Loris Sits on Save. One of my favorite soccer announcer’s Rocky Ray Hudson THE MAGISTERIAL ONE is hanging up the mic this season here’s His story Some of Hudson’s Messi Calls – his other Great Calls another story. Gonna miss his sweet calls!

Champions League Match-Day 1

Wow the world’s best competition is back with a vengance – we had a 4-4 thriller at Juventus as Juve and American Weston McKinney came back from 0-2, then 2-4 down to tie it in extra time. Marcus Rashford returned to London in Barca colors and helped Barcelona win 2-0 with a Brace vs Tottenham. Awesome as Tim Weah Becomes 1st American to Score at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu as Mareille took a 1-0 lead on Real before the Galictico’s got a questionable PK late to secure the 2-1 win. Matchday 1 Scores Matchday 1 great saves | Best Saves | UEFA Champions … (see GK section below). Games return Sept 30th with Matchday 2.

INDY 11 hosts Birmingham Sun 5 pm Hispanic Heritage Night
The two teams battling for the final playoff position in the USL Championship Eastern Conference faced off Saturday night, with host Rhode Island FC scoring a second-half goal and surviving a frantic finish for a 1-0 win. With six games left in the regular season, Indy Eleven trails Rhode Island by one point. Indy Eleven hosts Birmingham Legion FC this Sunday, September 21 at 5 pm on Hispanic Heritage Night at Carroll Stadium with $11 tickets & an $11 scarf special.

Shane, Nick H and Ted Howlet enjoying Gene’s Rootbeer in Anderson after an Indiana Christian game. Fried Cheeseburger baby!!

Rachel and Jason M at Covenant Christian High Thursday night – this D1 team is really good.

2025 ISCA Boys & Girls September 15th State Rankings

3A ISCA Girls Poll

1. Hamilton Southeastern @ Zville Wed 7:45 pm

2. Carmel hosts Noblesville Mon 7 pm

3. Homestead

4. Westfield

5. Cathedral

6. Zionsville

7. Crown Point

8. FW Carroll

9. Bloomington South

10. Center Grove

11. Castle

12. Penn

13. Lake Central

14. Evansville North

15. Evansville Memorial

16. Noblesville

17. East Central

18. Lawrence North

19. Columbus North

20. Northridge

ISCA Class 3A boys soccer poll As of Sept. 15.

Harrison (West Lafayette)
Brownsburg hosts Cathedral Sat 11:30 am
Carmel hosts Noblesville Tues 7 pm
Fishers travels to Avon Tues 7:30 pm
Bloomington South
FW Carroll
Goshen
Evansville Memorial
Concord
Penn
Hamilton Southeastern
Castle
Noblesville
Valparaiso
North Central
Lake Central
Elkhart
Warsaw
Cathedral
Columbus North

Purpose: fill remaining roster spots Not adding new teams
Register: scan the QR on the graphic or use the
link https://system.gotsport.com/programs/4M9139916…

No. 1 Hoosiers Suffer First Defeat
Big Ten Network On the Pitch: Jerry Yeagley
Hoosiers Home Schedule

Goalkeeping

Champions League Matchday 1 saves: Wednesday’s best stops
Matchday 1 great saves | Best Saves | UEFA Champions …
LA GK Hugo Loris Sits on Save
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 28
Teenage GK Kalmurza becomes youngest to save a penalty in Champions League debut

Champions League -Matchday1

Champions League talking points: Is Rashford back to his best? Who shone?
Champions League returns in style: Marcus Rashford redeems Barcelona, Harry Kane dominates, Real Madrid
Champions League overreactions: Arsenal only PL team to have deep run
Haaland breaks record as fastest to 50 UCL goals
With Haaland and Guardiola, Manchester City can never be counted out in the Champions League
Flick praises ‘fantastic’ Rashford after Barça win
Rashford’s brilliant first goals for Barcelona prove Man United exit doesn’t define him
Leverkusen rescue dramatic draw in Copenhagen
Simeone on fan squabble: ‘I was fighting back’
Chelsea are back in the Champions League, but Bayern prove too much to handle
Monaco players get creative after air conditioning fails on UCL flight to Belgium

USA

Pepi back with 2 goals for PSV, eyes WC with U.S.
USMNT countdown to the World Cup: The race for the No. 9 shirt is wide open
Will Gladbach’s instability prove to be a blessing or a curse for Reyna?
Campbell hopeful for the U-20 World Cup and his Borussia Dortmund future
Pepi’s big day, Reyna starts, while Sands, Adams Balogun impress, & more
USMNT 2026 World Cup Big Board 2.0: Balogun, Zendejas on the rise
RUMOR: Joe Scally’s golf cart donuts reportedly lead to USMNT snub
Tim Weah Becomes 1st American to Score at Bernabeu
USWNT to close out 2025 with Florida friendlies against Italy

The U20 World Cup on Fox starts the last week in September

EPL

First-month grades for all 20 Premier League teams: From an A+ to F
Should Man United keep Ruben Amorim or let him go? The case for, against him
Arsenal vs Man City: Kick-off time, how to watch, stats, team news
Watch: Is undefeated Liverpool actually good or just lucky?
The concerning trend behind Liverpool’s early season success

World

José Mourinho set to become Benfica manager
Iconic broadcaster Ray Hudson announces his retirement, a look back at some of his best calls
FIFA Rankings: Spain Over France, Argentina at No. 1; USA at No. 16

MLS

MLS Power Rankings: Did Müller, Vancouver just leapfrog the league’s best?
Sources: Messi, Miami near multiyear extension
Messi delivers goal, assist; Miami tops Seattle
Messi tracker: All goals, assists, key moments for Inter Miami in 2025
Son reflects on first MLS hat trick with LAFC
Son’s 1st Hat Trick

NWSL

NWSL commissioner says lessons have been learned from on-field medical crises

Reffing

Know How Much Refs Normally Run?
Understanding offsides

Jorge, Nick & The Ole Ballcoach at University High Monday Night

Doing a little 2 man with Scott Baker at Zionsville vs Noblesville Girls.

Got to do some MAL games U12 at Grand Park with these young Refs

=====RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===

Got some Good BarBQ for your Summer Plans ? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

FULL TV GAME SCHEDULE

Fri, Sept 19
8 pm Prime Houston Dash vs Chicago Red Stars NWSL
10 pm CBSSN, Prime Utah Royals vs Racing Louisville NWSL
Sat, Sept 20
7:30 am USA Liverpool vs Everton
7:30 am CBSSN Leicester City vs Coventry City (Wright)
9:30 am ESPN+ Hoffenhiem vs Bayern Munich
10 am USA West Ham vs Crystal Palace (Richards)
10 am Peacock Burnley (Adams) vs Nottingham Forest
10 am Peacock Wolverhampton vs Leeds (Aaronson)
10 am Para, Prime Norwich City (Sargent) vs Wrexham
10:15 am ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Espanyol
12 noon Para+ Hellas Verona vs Juventus (McKennie)
2:45 pm Para+ Udinese vs AC Milan (Pulisic)
12:30 pm NBC Man United vs Chelsea
3 pm USA Fulham (Robinson) vs Brentford
7:30 pm Prime Columbus Crew vs Toronto FC
7:30 pm Prime, Apple Miami vs DC United
7:30 pm TUBI KC Current vs Seattle Reign NWSL
10 pm TUBI Portland Thorns vs San Diego Wave NWSL
10:30 pm Prime LA Galaxy vs Cincy
Sun, Sept 21
9 am USA Bournmouth vs New Castle
10:15 am ESPN+ Mallorca vs Atletico Madrid (Cardosa)
11:30 am ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) vs B Mgladbach (Scally, Reyna)
11:30 am USA Arsenal vs Man City
2:45 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Sassuolo
2:45 pm beIN Sport Olympique Marseille (Weah) vs PSG
3 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Getafe
8:30 pm ESPN2 Bay FC vs NY/NJ Gotham FC NWSL
9 pm FS 1 LAFC (Son) vs Real Salt Lake (Luna)
Tues, Sept 23
2:45 pm Para+ Fulham (Jedi) vs Cambridge
2:45 pm Para+ Wrexham vs Reading League Cup
3 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Lecce Copa
3:30 pm ESPN2 Levante vs Real Madrid
Wed, Sept 24 Europa League
3 pm Para+ Crvena Z vs Celtic (CVB)
3 pm Para+ Real Betis vs Nottingham Forest
thur, Sept 25 Europa League
3 pm Para+ Rangers vs Genk
3 pm Para+ Aston Villa vs Bologna
Fri, Sept 26
2:30 pm ESPN2 Bayern Munich vs Werder Bremen
8 pm Prime KC Current vs Chicago Stars NWSL
10:30 pm Para+/Golazo San Diego Wave vs Orlando Pride NWSL
Sat, Sept 27
10 am USA ? Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Liverpool
10 am Peacock Leeds United (Aaronson) vs Bournemouth (Adams)
10:15 am ESPND, ESPN+ Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid
12 pm Para+ Juventus (Mckinnie) vs Atalanta
12:30 pm ESPN+ B Mglabach (Reyna, Scally) vs Frankfurt (Chandler)
12:30 pm USA Nottingham Forest vs Sunderland
3 pm USA Tottenham vs Wolverhampton
7:30 pm Tubi Racing Louisville vs Angel City FC NWSL
10 pm Tubi Bay FC vs Utah Royals NWSL
Sun, Sept 28
11:30 am USA Newcastle United vs Arsenal
3 pm ESPNd, ESPN+ Barcelona vs Real Sociedad
7 pm Apple TV Cincy vs Orlando City
Sept 30, Oct 1/2 Champions League
Fri, Oct 10
8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador
Tues, Oct 14
9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia
Thurs, Oct 23
9 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Chester PA
Sun, Oct 26
4 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Hartford CT
Sat, Nov 15
5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA
Tues, Nov 18
7 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL

Proud Member of American Outlaws http://www.facebook.com/IndyAOUnite

Looking to Get a Professional Company Headshot? Check out https://capturely.com/ Tell Rob The Ole Ballcoach sent you and he’ll give you a deal.

DISCOUNT SMALL ENGINE & BIG ENGINE REPAIRS IN CARMEL

USMNT weekend viewing guide: Ides of September

Some of our most watched leagues embark on a new season.

Real Madrid C.F. v Olympique de Marseille - UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1

Getty Images

It was a full week of soccer with Champions League rounds kicking off midweek but things aren’t slowing down over the weekend and we have a slew of matches including some head-to-head action in Germany. Here’s what we have our eyes on this weekend:

Saturday

Augsburg v Mainz – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks did not appear last weekend in Augsburg’s 2-1 loss to St. Pauli, a week after getting his first minute off the bench in a 3-2 loss to Bayern Munich. Augsburg have lost their last two and look to get back on track as they play host to a Mainz side that are still looking for their first win of the season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Leeds United – 10a on Peacock: Brenden Aaronson received his first start of the season last weekend in Leeds’ 1-0 loss to Fulham. Leeds have one point from their past three matches, after opening the season with a win over Everton, and are in 16th place early in the season. This weekend they face a Wolverhampton side that have lost all four matches this season, though three of the four have been decided by a single goal.

West Ham United v Crystal Palace – 10a on USA Network: Chris Richards came off the bench to score a goal and convert his penalty midweek as Crystal Palace defeated Millwall in a penalty shoot-out to advance in the third round of the EFL Cup. Palace are undefeated though they have just one win in four matches early in the EPL season. They take on a West Ham side that have been involved in some lopsided affairs, winning 3-0 over Nottingham Forest for their lone points of the season while giving up three or more goals in each of their losses.

Norwich City v Wrexham – 10a on Paramount+: Josh Sargent was held scoreless for the first time this season as Norwich City drew with Coventry 1-1 last weekend. Sargent will look to return to his scoring ways against Wrexham this weekend as Norwich look for their third win against a newly promoted side that have just one win on the season.

Hellas Verona v Juventus – Noon on Paramount+: Weston McKennie was back in the lineup for Juventus because of course he is. McKennie, who had appeared as a late sub in Juve’s first two matches started as a left wing-back as Juventus defeated Inter Milan 4-3 last weekend, and started again midweek as Juve drew with Burussia Dortmund 4-4 in Champions League action. Despite speculation that McKennie was on the outside looking in to start the season he has once again shown himself to be a part of the picture in Turin. Juventus have won their first three league matches and are tied with Napoli atop the Serie A table. On Saturday they face a Hellas Verona side that are looking for their first win of the 2025-26 campaign.

Udinese v AC Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic has come off the bench in AC Milan’s past two matches, wins over Lecce and Bologna. The team doesn’t have European competition to worry about though they do have a Coppa Italia match with Lecce coming up on Tuesday. Their slip up to start the season, a 2-1 loss to Cremonese, has Milan in fifth place, a point behind this weekend’s opponent Udinese.

Fulham v Brentford – 3p on USA Network: Antonee Robinson was an unused substitute last weekend in Fulham’s 1-0 win over Leeds United, and he has appeared twice for just over fifty minutes combined this season. Fulham’s win over Leeds was their first victory of the season and they are currently a point ahead of Brentford who drew with Chelsea last weekend in league play and defeated Aston Villa midweek on penalties in the Carabao Cup.

Saturday MLS Matches with USMNT flavor – here is when the September MLS call ups are kicking off their matches this weekend, all matches on MLS Season Pass:

NYCFC v Charlotte – Noon: Matt Freese v Tim Ream
Philadelphia Union v New England – 2:30p: Nathan Harriel
Atlanta United v San Diego – 4:30p: Luca de la Torre
Columbus Crew v Toronto FC – 7:30p: Max Arfsten and Sean Zawadski
Orlando City SC v Nashville SC – 7:30p: Alex Freeman
Sporting Kansas City v Vancouver Whitecaps – 8:30p: Tristian Blackmon
Houston Dymano v Portland Timbers – 8:30p: Jack McGlynn
LA Galaxy v Cincinnati – 10:30p: Roman Celetano

Sunday

PSV v Ajax – 8:30a on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest and Ricardo Pepi had a rough midweek falling to Union Saint-Gilloise 3-1 in Champions League group stage play with Pepi having a bit of a howler on the defensive end (don’t ask me what he’s doing down there). They return to Eredivisie action which is normally safer, Pepi scored two last weekend and Dest had an assist in PSV’s 5-3 win over NEC Nijmegen, but they will be facing rivals Ajax, who are just a point back of them in the league standings.

Bournemouth v Newcastle – 9a on USA Network: Tyler Adams and Bournemouth have won three straight and currently sit tied with Arsenal and Tottenham for second place with nine points. On Sunday they face Newcastle who picked up their first league win 1-0 over Wolverhampton last weekend and fell 2-1 to Barcelona in Champions League play on Thursday.

Torino v Atalanta – 9a on Paramount+: Yunus Musah got his first start for Atalanta on Wednesday in Champions League play. Unfortunately, his side fell to last seasons champions PSG 4-0. Musah had also come off the bench last weekend to make his first appearance for his new club in a 4-1 win over Lecce.

Mallorca v Atletico Madrid – 10:15a on ESPN Deportes and ESPN Select: Johnny Cardoso was not included in the squad for Atletico Madrid midweek as the team fell to Liverpool 3-2 and he was an unused substitute last weekend in his teams 2-0 win over Villarreal. Cardoso apparently picked up a bit of an injury though it’s unclear at this time how much action he will miss.

Monaco v Metz – 11:15a on beIN Sports: Add Folarin Balogun to the list of USMNT players who had a rough start to the Champions League midweek. Balogun’s Monaco side fell to Club Brugge 4-1 on Thursday. In League play Monaco have won three of four, including a 2-1 win over Auxerre last weekend with Balogun picking up an assist, and the team sits in third place heading into their match with Metz who have just one point in four matches.

Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Monchengladbach – 11:30a on ESPN Select: Mallik Tillman and Gio Reyna will face off on Sunday as Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach meet up in league play. Tillman started on Thursday but went just 51’ in Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw with Copenhagen. Meanwhile Reyna made his first appearance for Gladbach, getting the start and going 74’ in the team’s 4-0 loss to Werder Bremen. Interestingly, Joe Scally who has been such a consistent feature for Gladbach was an unused substitute in the loss that cost manager Gerardo Seoane his position.

Olympique Marseille v PSG – 2:45p on beIN Sports: Tim Weah was one of the few American’s to have a positive match midweek in the Champions League group stage. Weah opened the scoring at the Bernabeu to put Marseille up 1-0 on hosts Real Madrid. Unfortunately, Marseille were unable to hold on to the lead as Madrid took advantage of a questionable handball call late in the match to pull out the 2-1 victory. Marseille have alternated wins and losses to start the Ligue 1 season, most recently defeating Lorient 4-0, and will now host league leading PSG on Sunday.

Sunday MLS Activity:

Austin v Seattle Sounders – 7p on MLS Season Pass: Cristian Roldan

LAFC v Real Salt Lake – 9p on FS1: Diego Luna

Champions League overreactions: Arsenal only PL team to have deep run

Bill ConnellySep 19, 2025, 07:00 AM ET ESPNFC

One of the lessons we learned in last season’s Champions League league phase was that there’s little sense in playing for draws. Twenty-six teams won at least three of their eight matches, and 24 advanced. Feyenoord lost by scores of 4-0 and 6-1, but advanced with three wins. Club Brugge lost by scores of 3-0, 3-1 and 3-1 and advanced. Hell, three wins for Dinamo Zagreb damn near overcame a 9-2 first-matchday loss to Bayern Munich.If Matchday 1 of this year’s competition is any indication, teams figured this out, too, because teams were going for it. Sixteen of 18 matches featured at least two goals, and 11 featured at least four. We saw 18 goals after the 80th minute, and it only felt like all those were in the epic 4-4 between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. We know that one matchday won’t teach us everything we need to know about a given competition; in last year’s Champions League, after all, eventual champion Paris Saint-Germain barely salvaged a meek 1-0 win over a bad Girona team, and eventual semifinalist Barcelona lost to Monaco. Reserved reactions are smart, but they’re also no fun whatsoever. So as we do at the start of the club season, we’re going to take the regulator off a bit and overreact.Here are five things I’m far more confident in than I was when matches began on Tuesday. – Champions League talking points: Is Rashford back to his best? Who shone?
– Women’s Champions League: Arsenal draw Lyonnes, Chelsea get Barça
–

Arsenal will win the Champions League

The only surprise about Arsenal‘s 2-0 win at Athletic Club on Tuesday was that they didn’t score from a set piece. Otherwise, it was just about as Arsenal as an Arsenal match could be in that a) very little happened over a long period of time and b) Arsenal won. They have long been happy to default to “war of attrition” mode (total goals in their first four Champions League league phase matches last season: 4), and following a summer of ambitious spending — eight new acquisitions, nearly €300 million in transfer fees — they now have the depth to really lean on opponents.That depth earned them three points in Bilbao. Through 70 minutes, the two teams had combined for just 0.9 xG from 17 shots. But in the 72nd minute, substitute Gabriel Martinelli scored on a breakaway assisted by substitute Leandro Trossard, and then Trossard put the match away with a goal (assisted by Martinelli) at the end of another vertical attack in the 87th minute.Arsenal’s subs were difference-makers while in a combined 82 minutes, Athletic’s five subs combined for two shots (combined xG: 0.05) and no chances created. In fact, after a decent run of attacking to start the second half, Athletic managed only those two shot attempts in the final 33 minutes.Arsenal already have the best defensive setup in Europe at a time when many top clubs, including Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, are struggling at times with transition defense and tactical balance. Now coach Mikel Arteta knows he can eventually find attacking answers, too, even if he has to wait for opponents to wear down first. That means he has even less reason to take major tactical risks. Athletic had kept wingers Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke mostly quiet on the night, and they’d gotten away with allowing a couple of decent opportunities to Viktor Gyökeres. But even without injured stars Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz, Arsenal still landed a knockout blow.You can make an easy case that the Gunners overpaid for both Eze and Gyökeres — both are 27 years old, neither are heavily involved in link-up play or intricate passing sequences, and both could become albatrosses by the end of their respective contracts. But Arsenal can afford them, they’re clearly in win-now mode, and it’s hard not to like their chances of making a run even deeper than last year’s semifinal trip. (I said something similar about their chances in their other primary competition recently.)

Arsenal threw body blows, bided their time and then put the match away. Thrilling? No. Effective in a way that could remain effective through May? Yes.

No other Premier League team will make a major run

Arsenal obviously weren’t the only English club to spend absurd amounts to build roster war chests this summer. In fact, among the Premier League’s Champions League teams alone, their outlay of transfer fees (€293.5 million) was dwarfed by that of Liverpool (€484.7 million) and Chelsea (€339.2 million) and nearly matched by Newcastle’s (€278.9 million). The league threw its financial weight around in an almost unprecedented way.

However, spending power has not bought loads of Champions League runs in recent seasons. After producing all-Premier League finals in 2019 and 2021, the league has averaged only one semifinalist per year since. And aside from Arsenal, the other English teams in this competition are in odd places at the moment.

Liverpool is less a team and more a collection of adrenaline junkies at the moment. They’ve already blown five leads in six matches, including three two-goal leads. Now, they’ve still won five of those six, including all four Premier League matches and Tuesday’s raucous affair against Atlético Madrid. They’ve scored five game-winners after the 82nd minute, too, three in stoppage time. This is an absolute thrill-ride, and with their suddenly epic spending, they’re almost developing a Real Madrid-like inevitability. But Real Madrid’s most clutch squads weren’t blowing leads at this rate, and relying on late heroics is a good way to eventually fall in a knockout competition.

That said, from a stats perspective, their match against Atletico was probably their best of the season. They attempted 20 shots to Atleti’s 10 despite leading most of the way, and their plus-2.1 xG advantage was far greater than in early Premier League wins over Bournemouth, Newcastle and Arsenal (combined: plus-0.3). Yes, it was another blown lead, but it required a couple of miraculous Marcos Llorente goals — the kind he particularly enjoys delivering at Anfield (and Anfield only) — and it was otherwise a one-sided affair. Maybe that’s a good sign.

Manchester City also handled its business just fine this week, eventually easing to a 2-0 win over 10-man Napoli. Napoli were enjoying their only particularly threatening spell at the time of Giovanni Di Lorenzo‘s red card in the 21st minute, and it was one-way traffic from there. It looked for a while that Napoli might be able to will themselves to a 0-0 draw, but Erling Haaland put an end to that in the 56th minute.

Napoli finished with one shot attempt and 26% possession, but that one shot was a close-range effort on a set piece and required a pretty good save from Gianluigi Donnarumma. It was worth 0.17, which just about mirrored the average xG per shot City are allowing in Premier League play. Going back to the 4-3 Club World Cup loss against Al-Hilal, there’s a level of defensive fragility here that makes it hard to trust this team just yet.Tottenham Hotspur also won their opener, but they did the bare minimum against Villarreal, scoring on a dreadful error from keeper Luiz Júnior in the fourth minute and closing up shop. They attempted just nine shots (0.5 xG) and allowed 10 (0.5). They got the job done, but did nothing to assuage my concerns about their ability to create quality shots — they’re currently 17th in the Premier League in xG per shot — and I’m guessing this is a round-of-16 or quarterfinal team this year.

On paper, Chelsea certainly have the pieces to make a run, but their dramatic Champions League inexperience was laid bare in Munich on Wednesday. Against a sharp Bayern Munich, they were outshot and outrun, 3-1. Cole Palmer scored on a counterattack and had a second goal disallowed, but Chelsea ceded control to their hosts in a way that a genuine contender rarely does. They looked like an inexperienced underdog. Not a great start.

Newcastle United probably deserved a better outcome on Thursday against Barcelona; they generated more xG in 10 shots (1.4) than Barça did in 19 (1.3), but they were bested by Barça’s high defensive line, possession-hungry play and two goals — one good, one unbelievable — from Marcus Rashford.The concerns I have for Newcastle in the Premier League — depth and scoring capabilities, basically — certainly apply in the Champions League, and their chances of securing a top-eight finish in the league phase took a hit here.

A Belgian team is making the quarterfinals

Don’t ask me which one, though, because two have a shot.

Since a Super Cup loss to Club Brugge, Belgian champion Union St.-Gilloise — one of the most enjoyable teams to follow in recent years as they leapt from the second division to immediate top-division contention and landed exciting young player after exciting young player — has laid down a path of destruction. They’ve outscored seven Belgian opponents by a combined 15-3 margin this season, and in their first-ever Champions League match on Tuesday, they traded haymakers with PSV for most of an hour, then shut things down and won easily, 3-1.PSV finally scored in the 90th minute, and they perhaps deserved more after creating shots worth 2.2 xG, but USG generated 3.4 xG from 18 shots. They out-PSV’d PSV.Club Brugge, meanwhile, out-everything’d Monaco in a 4-1 home win on Thursday. They’ve dropped some points in domestic play, but they could be forgiven since, including qualification ties, they’ve outscored five Champions League opponents by a combined 17-3 thus far. Veteran Hans Vanaken and the left-sided duo of Christos Tzolis and Joaquin Seys have combined for seven goals and eight assists; Vanaken had one of each as four different FCB players scored.Going back to last year’s round-of-16 run, Club Brugge have now won nine of their last 14 UEFA matches. Via the Opta Supercomputer, they now have the 12th-highest projected point total for the league phase now; USG is 11th. Both are ahead of Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Newcastle, Juventus and Atlético Madrid, among many others.Dutch teams have the far greater history in this competition, but their neighbors to the south are looking great, and they’ve positioned themselves well.

The price tag for Eintracht’s Can Uzun keeps going up

One of the most ruthless aspects of European competitions is that even if an upstart emerges and threatens to upend the status quo, the sport’s powers can pluck that upstart apart in the transfer window before the competition is even over.

Benfica had one of the most impressive teams in the group stage of the Champions League in 2022-23, winning a group with both PSG and Juventus while going unbeaten against both. But Chelsea offered eleventy million Euros (okay, €121 million) for star midfielder Enzo Fernández — who had himself only arrived from River Plate that previous summer — in the January transfer window, and that was that. Benfica still walloped Club Brugge in the round of 16 in February, but they fell with little resistance against Inter Milan in the next round. (Chelsea grabbed another breakout star, Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykhailo Mudryk for €70 million in that same window. That one hasn’t worked out quite as well.)

For players on teams that aren’t mega-clubs, European competitions are almost like auditions. Eintracht Frankfurt know this as well as anyone. Omar Marmoush‘s four goals and two assists in 406 Europa League minutes last season helped to provide proof of concept for a €75m January transfer to Manchester City.

For good measure, Hugo Ekitike (four goals and three assists in 809 minutes) then left for Liverpool for €95 million over the summer and even though they aimed for more of a veteran presence with their own summer acquisitions, another young star has quickly emerged. Nineteen-year-old Can Uzun has three goals and two assists in three Bundesliga matches this season, and he made an immediate Champions League impact with a go-ahead goal against Galatasaray on Thursday.Eintracht have made a lot of money due to their recent run of great talent identification and development, and it seems they’ll probably be rewarded for Uzun’s star turn, too. But it would be awesome to see what they might be capable of if they could keep some of this talent in-house for a bit longer at some point. They scored five goals against Galatasaray even without Marmoush and Ekitike, after all.If we’re doing some proper scouting for future big moves, here are eight other players who probably saw their respective stock prices rise quite a bit this week under the floodlights.

Ismael Saibari, PSV Eindhoven (24). He’s a central midfielder who plays so advanced that he was second in the Eredivisie in assists last season (11) and ninth in goals (11), and for all the nice words I paid to Union Saint-Gilloise above, Saibari created a couple of spectacular chances to redefine the game, missing opportunities in the sixth (0.54 xG) and 55th (0.80 xG) minutes.

Camilo Durán, Qarabag (23). Qarabag have come to rule Azerbaijan’s Premier League with a veteran-heavy squad, but Durán, acquired this summer from Portugal‘s Portimonense, took full advantage of a shot at Portuguese giants Benfica. He assisted Qarabag’s first goal, then scored its second as the Atlilar (the Horsemen, a pretty fantastic nickname) came back to secure their first-ever group stage victory in the Champions League.

Lamine Camara, Monaco (21). Monaco got absolutely wrecked by Club Brugge, but Camara still filled the box score. He had 20 combined progressive passes and carries and 10 ball recoveries, most of anyone in Matchday 1. He also suffered two fouls and won seven ground duels. He enjoyed a breakout season last year, with seven league assists, and if Monaco did anything right on Thursday, Camara was probably behind it.

Daniel Bassi, Bodo/Glimt (20). He has only just begun to work his way into the rotation for the Arctic Circle club, but in just 45 minutes on Wednesday, he won a penalty, scored to cut Bodo/Glimt’s deficit to 2-1, then played a key role in the sequence that made it 2-2.

Youssoupha Mbodji, Slavia Prague (21). Why was Bodo/Glimt down two goals to begin with? Because Mbodji scored twice, appearing out of nowhere from his left back position to finish two great opportunities.

Georgiy Sudakov, Benfica (23). A Benfica player recently acquired from Shakhtar? He was destined to become a Champions League star! And while his team played poorly enough against Qarabag to get its manager fired, Sudakov was fantastic, creating one assist from two chances and completing 12 progressive passes.

Nicolo Tresoldi, Club Brugge (21). After a couple of solid seasons in the 2. Bundesliga, the 6’0 Tresoldi joined a Champions League team, and including qualification he has two goals and an assist in 226 minutes. He scored Brugge’s first against Monaco, and I’m guessing that’s not his last in the league phase.

Marcus Rashford, Barcelona (27). Have you heard of this up-and-comer? Okay, no, this list was neither meant for known onetime stars or Barcelona players, but I had to squeeze him in here somewhere. I mean, did you see this strike?This is what life looks like when you escape Manchester United, I guess.

My off-the-cuff 1-to-36 rankings after one matchday

• 1. Arsenal
• 2. PSG
• 3. Liverpool
• 4. Real Madrid
• 5. Bayern Munich
• 6. Barcelona
• 7. Manchester City
• 8. Inter Milan

Real Madrid are a perfect 5-for-5 since the Xabi Alonso era began in earnest last month, and while they needed a pair of penalties to survive Marseille at home, 2-1, the score was misleading — Real Madrid generated far more quality chances (even while playing down a man for about 20 minutes because of Dani Carvajal‘s foolish red card) and got away with both the red card and an early-game injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold.

• 9. Chelsea
• 10. Tottenham
• 11. Napoli
• 12. Newcastle
• 13. Borussia Dortmund
• 14. Juventus
• 15. Eintracht Frankfurt
• 16. Sporting CP

BVB-Juventus set the early bar for Match of the Tournament with eight second-half goals, a brilliant surge from Borussia Dortmund, and an equally brilliant stoppage time comeback from the home team.https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ebg7aEFNlMc?si=983a-VnKbpvdfHZD&wmode=transparent

• 17. Atlético Madrid
• 18. Bayer Leverkusen
• 19. Villarreal
• 20. Union Saint-Gilloise
• 21. Club Brugge
• 22. Atalanta
• 23. Athletic Club
• 24. Bodo/Glimt

The fightin’ Glimts of Bodo, semifinalists in last year’s Europa League, erased a 2-0 deficit at Slavia Prague to salvage a point, and now they’ll get a shot at revenge with a semifinal rematch at home against Tottenham Hotspur in two weeks. (Monaco, Juventus and Manchester City must also visit the Arctic circle. Love it.)

• 25. Marseille
• 26. Benfica
• 27. Qarabag
• 28. Galatasaray
• 29. Monaco
• 30. Copenhagen
• 31. PSV Eindhoven
• 32. Ajax
• 33. Pafos
• 34. Slavia Prague
• 35. Olympiacos
• 36. Kairat Almaty

I got to know this Qarabag team watching them nearly take down Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League two years ago, and with the dose of energy Durán has given them, they look awfully fun. Their comeback win over Benfica was a stunner, and they might need to spring only one more surprise to advance to the knockout rounds.

Juventus 4-4 Borussia Dortmund: Breaking down an instant Champions League classic

TURIN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 16: Lloyd Kelly of Juventus celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund at Juventus Stadium on September 16, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Tullio Puglia - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

By Conor O’Neill Sept. 17, 2025

“I’ve already had enough of this type of match,” grumbled Juventus manager Igor Tudor in his post-match interview with Sky Sports Italia after their 4-4 draw with Borussia Dortmund. He certainly wasn’t speaking for the majority.For those fortunate enough to watch on, the Champions League laid out an opening-night banquet in Turin: eight goals from seven scorers, the latest two-goal-deficit fightback in the competition’s history, refereeing controversy and a glimpse of the game’s next star. Now, with breath just about regained, it’s time to unpack how last night’s madness unfolded.

Borussia Dortmund go 4-2 up in the 86th minute. Job done, surely… (Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

“We are conceding too many. At least we’re scoring a lot too, but we cannot carry on like this,” said Tudor, his fatigue betraying the whirlwind week his side has endured. A few days after a last-gasp 4-3 Serie A victory against perennial rivals Inter, here he was again embroiled in another chaotic thriller.While Italian football has shed much of its traditional defensive skin, Serie A still averaged fewer goals per game last season than Europe’s other ‘big five’ leagues, and its coaches bristle when games descend into disorder.The opening half was far more restrained, feeling like a subdued comedown from Juventus’ weekend exploits. It was tame and tentative, with neither side especially eager to force the issue. A speculative long-range effort from defensive midfielder Khephren Thuram after just three minutes drew a sharp save from Gregor Kobel, but action was scarce thereafter.The expected goals (xG) step chart below shows that while Juventus created more chances in the first half (0.67 xG), they didn’t exactly overwhelm Dortmund. Most of their threat came from corners and Weston McKennie’s long throws rather than incisive attacking play.

Juventus’ blunt approach still carried more impetus than Dortmund could muster, with the visitors failing to register a shot on target in the first half. Their first sign of attacking life arrived five minutes into the second period, when right centre-back Julian Ryerson picked out the darting run of Maximilian Beier. The attacking midfielder stretched to meet it and almost squeezed in his extremely acute effort, only to rattle the base of the post.

At last, a spark, and moments later, Adeyemi’s wonderful opener ignited the night. The 23-year-old German is blessed with quick feet, and only Jamie Gittens, now at Chelsea, completed more take-ons per 90 minutes for Dortmund last season. That elusiveness proved decisive, as Adeyemi skipped by three closely attendant markers before arrowing his shot into the corner.

As good as Adeyemi’s goal was, Kenan Yildiz’s wonder strike leveller 10 minutes later was the standout effort in a game packed with goal-of-the-round contenders. The move began with excellent work from substitute Joao Mario, the summer signing from Porto, who carried the ball across the width of the pitch before laying it off to Yildiz on the right edge of the box. From there, he curled a stunning effort into the top-right corner, a finish he later described as “a bit instinctive”. Those innate instincts for the spectacular are among the reasons that the 20-year-old Turkish winger is fast emerging as one of the most precious young gems in European football.

Champions League 2025-26 Projections: Who will lift the trophy in Budapest on May 30?

Yildiz was at his effervescent best all evening. As his player dashboard shows, no player was more involved in Juventus’ attacking sequences. Ryerson endured a tough evening, struggling to contain him.

Seemingly still spellbound by Yildiz’s strike, Juventus forgot they still had a match to play, falling behind again less than a minute after the restart. Below, Felix Nmecha can be seen screaming for the ball, arms outstretched, as Juventus left vast space at the edge of the area. The warning went unheeded when the ball was finally poked out to him, Nmecha punished them with yet another curling finish into the top corner.

This madcap spell was far from finished, and Juventus equalised again moments later, completing a remarkable flurry of three goals in four minutes. This time it was Dusan Vlahovic’s turn. Having only just come on, he could scarcely believe the space afforded to him as Yildiz slipped a clever through ball into his path. Vlahovic’s finish was relatively routine — the first goal of the night to come from inside the box.

Compared to the manic tempo that had preceded it, the ensuing seven-minute goalless lull felt like a marathon, broken when wing-back Yan Couto fired Dortmund back in front in the 74th minute. His low, driven effort from just inside the box skidded past Michele Di Gregorio at his near post, one the goalkeeper will feel he ought to have saved.

No thriller is truly complete without a dash of controversy, and this one duly obliged in the 86th minute when Dortmund were awarded a penalty. After squandering a golden counter-attack, the visitors worked the ball to Guirassy, whose shot struck a falling Lloyd Kelly’s hand, which he was using to break his fall. Centre-back Ramy Bensebaini calmly converted from the spot, and with a two-goal lead, it seemed Dortmund had settled the contest.Six minutes of stoppage time offered Juventus only a sliver of hope, and after three of them, it seemed to have fully evaporated. But Dortmund, a side with a reputation for late implosions, were architects of their own downfall. Penalty-scorer Bensebaini, instead of taking the sensible option of clearing long or conceding a throw, played the ball straight to the feet of Juventus’ Pierre Kalulu. From there, Kalulu flashed a cross across the face of goal for Vlahovic to turn in.

The dramatic equaliser came from the unlikeliest of sources, as Vlahovic then laid on an assist to Kelly, playing now as an auxiliary centre-forward, who powered home a headed effort. Few would have imagined Kelly delivering the decisive touch in a rip-roaring Champions League contest when he arrived from Newcastle United in February. Yet in some ways it was fitting: an unconventional goalscorer for a thrillingly unconventional game.Kelly’s goal is the latest scored by a Juventus player in the Champions League, which, for a club as storied as the Turin side, is quite something.Igor Tudor might be tired of chaotic games like this, but for everyone else, this was Champions League football at its very best, whetting our appetites for the campaign ahead.

Champions League post-MD1 projections: Liverpool early favourites but are Inter flying under the radar?

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17: Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 3-2 during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atletico de Madrid at Anfield on September 17, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

By Anantaajith RaghuramanSept. 19, 2025 11:39 am EDT

There were 67 goals scored across a thrilling Matchday 1 of the 2025-26 Champions League.Most of the big-hitters began with wins, some doing so in hostile territory and difficult circumstances. There were a few surprises along the way too, adding to the intrigue of this second season in the competition’s expanded 36-team format.Throughout the tournament, The Athletic will use its projections — powered by Opta data — to understand each club’s probability of league-phase elimination, direct qualification to the last 16 via a top-eight finish, entry into the play-off round by placing ninth to 24th and of winning the whole thing at the final in Budapest, Hungary on May 30.Despite being just one week into the eight-round league phase, our projections have already seen plenty of movement. The link to them is below.What You Should Read NextChampions League 2025-26 Projections: Who will lift the trophy in Budapest on May 30?Our Opta-powered Champions League projections update after each matchday

Here, we break down the key risers, fallers and more from Matchday 1.

Match of the week

Juventus’ stunning comeback to draw 4-4 with visitors Borussia Dortmund was the pick of the games. A fixture that was goalless for the first 51 minutes sprang to life in true “under the lights on a Tuesday night” fashion.

The result in Turin did not move the needle too much in terms of our projections for either team. Dortmund are still projected to pick up 12 points and have a 63 per cent chance of making the play-off round, the same as Juventus, who our calculations have finishing with 11 points.

Real Madrid are the only truly tough team among Juventus’ remaining seven opponents, while Dortmund must still play Manchester City and Inter.

How did the contenders do?

Despite wins for champions Paris Saint-Germain, Inter, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Arsenal and Barcelona, Liverpool lead the pack with a 20 per cent chance of being crowned champions of Europe for the seventh time.

Arne Slot’s side scored twice in the opening six minutes against Atletico Madrid but, typical of their start to the season, needed a stoppage-time goal from Virgil van Dijk (celebrating in the top image) to take all three points at Anfield. That improved their chances of qualifying directly for the round of 16 from 77 per cent to 84.

They trail only Arsenal, who beat Athletic Club 2-0 in Bilbao, on that front — Mikel Arteta’s side now have an 86 per cent chance of reaching the last 16 without having to go through February’s play-offs. This is largely due to the fact the north London club face, according to Opta’s fixture difficulty rankings, the third-easiest set of league-phase fixtures (Liverpool’s schedule ranks seventh). Arsenal currently have the second-highest chance of winning the competition at 17 per cent.

Barcelona are the only other team, alongside Liverpool and Arsenal, to have a less-than-one-per-cent chance of league-phase elimination after an impressive 2-1 away win against Newcastle United thanks to Marcus Rashford’s double. The manner in which Pedri and Frenkie de Jong dealt with Newcastle’s physical, ground-consuming midfield was also a joy to behold.

Barcelona’s projected points tally has improved to 17 (from an initial 15), while their chances of directly reaching the round of 16 have increased to 71 per cent (from 56).

The Catalans’ next match will have a major impact on our projections as they host PSG, back at their temporary Montjuic home. Luis Enrique’s team dispatched Atalanta 4-0 with four different players scoring the goals, improving their chances of retaining the title to 12 per cent (from 11). They still have a two per cent chance of a league-phase exit due to having the second-hardest fixture list per Opta, with matches against Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur to come after that trip to Barcelona on October 1.What You Should Read Next70 years of the European Cup/Champions League: The best players, numbers and records from the world’s biggest club competitionHow much has Europe’s premier club football tournament changed since it began on this day in 1955?

Bayern, who have the hardest fixtures of all, were dominant in a 3-1 home win against Club World Cup champions Chelsea, courtesy of a Harry Kane brace and some self-enforced errors by the west London club. Though the Germans look a much more complete team now than last season, they have to play both Arsenal and PSG away, as well as a couple of potentially tricky games against Belgian pair Club Brugge and Union Saint-Gilloise. Bayern’s chances of league-phase elimination have fallen substantially, from 11 per cent to three, and beating Chelsea also boosted their odds of a top-eight finish to 50 per cent from 35.

City saw Napoli off 2-0, with Kevin De Bruyne’s swift return to the Etihad Stadium following his summer transfer cut short after 26 minutes as he was substituted following team-mate Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s dismissal. The win reduced City’s odds of finishing outside the top 24 to one per cent, while they have a 70 per cent chance of directly qualifying for the round of 16 in March. Barring a visit to Real Madrid in early December, Pep Guardiola’s side do not have a particularly tricky set of league-phase fixtures left.

Speaking of Madrid, they huffed and puffed to a 2-1 home win against Marseille to overcome losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to injury and Dani Carvajal to a red card either side of Timothy Weah’s 22nd-minute goal for the visitors.While not the most convincing victory, it means Madrid’s chances of league-phase elimination fell from six per cent to two, while their top-eight-finish probability rose from 48 per cent to 57. A 4,000-mile (over 6,000km) journey to play Kairat in Almaty, Kazakhstan, isnext for them, before facing Juventus, Liverpool and City all before Christmas. Phew.Inter’s 2-0 win against Ajax in Amsterdam went under the radar slightly, but the Italian side will once again be expected to go a long way in the competition. Champions League runners-up in two of the past three seasons, they have a three per cent chance of lifting the trophy this time and a 42 per cent chance of finishing in the top eight of the league phase. Inter host Liverpool and Arsenal and go to Atletico Madrid, but will be the favourites in their other four matches.

Biggest movers

Union Saint-Gilloise have increased their chances of qualification due to a surprise 3-1 win at PSV, courtesy of goals from rising stars Promise David and Anouar Ait El Hadj and centre-back Kevin Mac Allister (brother of Liverpool’s Alexis).Having begun the projections in 24th spot, the Belgian champions have soared to 13th with a 62 per cent chance of making the play-off round and 24 per cent odds of a top-eight finish. Newcastle, Inter and Atletico are USG’s next three opponents, so this may be short-lived, but for now, optimism in Brussels is through the roof.

PSV’s defeat at home, combined with Ajax never really threatening visitors Inter, poses some early questions for the competition’s Dutch contingent. Ajax were already ranked 32nd in our projections and are now down to second-last with a 71 per cent chance of league-phase elimination. This despite the fact John Heitinga’s side have the sixth-easiest schedule overall.

Eredivisie champions PSV have dropped from 22nd to 32nd, with their projected points falling from 10 to seven. They have the same odds as Ajax of finishing outside the top 24 in January and face the third-hardest schedule with visits to Anfield and St James’ Park, as well as home matches against Napoli, Atletico and Bayern. Yikes.

Alongside USG, Qarabag enjoyed an unexpectedly positive start in what is just the second time in the Champions League proper in club history. The side from Baku in Azerbaijan beat Benfica 3-2 away, courtesy of 25-year-old winger Oleksiy Kashchuk’s 86th-minute winner after the hosts had gone two up in 16 minuteQarabag ranked 35th out of 36 in our initial projections, having come through three rounds of qualifying to reach the league phase, and were estimated to pick up just six points, with elimination considered an overwhelming possibility (87 per cent). Wednesday’s result has added three points to their projected total and moved them up to 29th with a 41 per cent chance of making the play-offs and a two per cent probability of finishing in the top eight. They have the 12th-hardest schedule, with matches against Chelsea, Liverpool and Napoli to come, the latter two away, but this is the time to dream.

Benfica, meanwhile, could not have gotten off to a worse start, dropping from 13th to 23rd in our rankings following Tuesday night’s defeat in Lisbon. Their projected points tally has fallen from 12 to nine.

The result led to Bruno Lage’s sacking and Jose Mourinho’s return to the club where he began his managerial career 25 years ago. Benfica’s list of remaining fixtures looks tricky, with Mourinho set to face two of his former employers in Chelsea (their next game) and Madrid, along with trips to Newcastle and Juventus and a home match against Napoli.What You Should Read NextJose Mourinho is back at Benfica and ‘more alive than ever’. They need his old devil magicBenfica have chosen Mourinho as their new head coach – 25 years on from his first crack at the job – following a horror loss to Qarabag

The “us against them” mentality Mourinho brings with him could yet have another say in Europe, so don’t count them out just yet. Benfica have a virtually equal probability of finishing within the top 24 (48 per cent) and outside it (47).

The chasing pack

Chelsea began the tournament with a seven per cent chance of winning it, but that has now dropped to five following defeat in Munich. Their odds of a top-eight finish fell from 51 to 37 per cent. Though it may not be time to panic just yet: last season’s UEFA Conference League winners have the fifth-easiest schedule, with matches against Ajax, Pafos of Cyprus and Qarabag, though the visit of Barcelona and a finale at Napoli will pose challenges.

Their fellow English sides Newcastle and Tottenham, the latter beat Villarreal 1-0 at home, are in a similar boat. Both have a greater chance of needing the play-offs to get to the round of 16 than of finishing in the top eight and neither of them are considered likely tournament winners. But don’t let that fool you: these two can cause plenty of difficulties, as Barcelona found in the opening 30 minutes against Eddie Howe’s side.

Spurs have the fourth-easiest schedule, with PSG away in late November their toughest remaining fixture. Games against Bodo/Glimt, Copenhagen and Slavia Prague will provide opportunities to rack up points. It will not be as straightforward on paper for Newcastle, who have the fifth-toughest schedule. Before a final-game visit to Paris in January, they face Benfica, Athletic Club, Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen.

Atletico, who struggled early in the league phase last season too, losing two of their first three matches, have it all to do after being handed a very tough fixture list. Games against Inter and Arsenal, the latter away, will need them to both play superbly and have their full squad fit, with neither being the case for that opening defeat at Liverpool. Diego Simeone and company now have just a 10 per cent chance of finishing in the top eight, but do have a less than one-third probability of league-phase elimination (31 per cent).

Napoli shot themselves in the foot early on Thursday night against City at the Etihad but can take some solace from getting their toughest league-phase fixture out of the way early.

The Italian champions’ projected final points tally is 12, while they still have a 17 per cent chance of finishing in the top eight. Their next two games are home against Lisbon’s Sporting CP (who beat Kairat 4-1 on Thursday) and at PSV. Antonio Conte’s side don’t play what looks the second-toughest tie of their opening eight — a visit from his former employers Chelsea — until the final matchday in late January.

(Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

Little-known World Cup ticket rule sparked confusion. FIFA has (some) answers

This photo taken on Sept. 10, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico, shows the ticket presale page on the FIFA World Cup 26 official website. Given the expected high demand, tickets will be released in phases. The first phase, the "Visa Presale Draw," requires fans to register a FIFA Fan ID on the official website. Only Visa cardholders over the age of 18 will be eligible to apply. The registration window will run from Sept. 10-19, with successful applicants notified by email starting Sept. 29 and assigned purchase time slots beginning Oct. 1. While tickets for all 104 matches will be put on sale, receiving a timeslot does not guarantee availability. (Photo by Li Muzi/Xinhua via Getty Images)

By Henry Bushnell

Sept. 17, 2025

When the first 2026 World Cup ticket lottery opened last week, Nick, a longtime soccer fan in Colorado, had a plan. Like many others across North America, to double his family’s chances in the random draw, he and his wife both signed up for FIFA IDs and entered. Then, via social media, they learned of a little-known rule that has sparked confusion as the Sept. 19 application deadline nears: “entries are limited to only one (1) entry per household.”

https://1108230acb1a3dd863a55e5f91b82635.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

The restriction exists on Page 3 of the lottery’s “official rules,” and within the answer to Question 7 of a general ticketing FAQ on FIFA’s website. It was not, however, communicated to media or fans prior to the opening of this first sales phase, the “Visa Presale Draw,” last Wednesday.

So it startled some fans whose spouses, parents, children or roommates had applied.

Some were especially spooked by a portion of the FAQ that reads: “If FIFA identifies multiple registrations originating from the same household, it reserves the right to disqualify those entries and prevent the associated individuals from being selected in the draw.”

The revelation triggered flurries of questions on Reddit, TikTok, Instagram and elsewhere. As millions of applications rolled in — FIFA said there were over 1.5 million in the first 24 hours, and demand was “extraordinary!” — fans worried that their attempts to increase their lottery odds might backfire.

Ticket limits have become commonplace at major sporting events. (Carl De Souza / Getty Images)

“Everybody wants to maximize their opportunities,” said Jason Daley, a longtime fan who runs The World Cup Guide, “but nobody wants to risk their entire application being ignored.”

Nick — who spoke on the condition that The Athletic only publish his first name, so that the interview wouldn’t impact him professionally — said that he and his wife decided to delete one of their two entries.

Zara Pira, a fan in Toronto, told her apartment roommate to withdraw an entry because she was worried they’d both be disqualified. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said. “I don’t want to get stuck in this limbo and lose my chances.”

None of them, though, had seen any guidance from FIFA. A FIFA spokesman, when asked last week by The Athletic whether a husband and wife who applied would both be disqualified, did not provide a definitive answer.

https://1108230acb1a3dd863a55e5f91b82635.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

Another FIFA spokesperson eventually told Travel Futbol Fan, a content creator who’s been explaining World Cup ticket intricacies to his TikTok followers, that households who’d submitted multiple applications didn’t need to take any action, but FIFA would only consider the first application.

On Tuesday, a third spokesman then told The Athletic that, in the days after the application window closes on Sept. 19, FIFA employees and other humans will manually check entries tied to the same home address as another entry. If they determine the two entrants are spouses or partners, the second application will be scrubbed, and the first will remain valid.

In other cases, specific details — such as credit cards, names and contact information — will be “taken into consideration,” the spokesman said, “and fans should not be concerned.”

When asked whether unrelated roommates, such as Pira and her friend, were allowed to apply separately, the spokesman confirmed that they can.

When asked about multigenerational households, though, and the precise line between permissible and impermissible, he could not give a conclusive answer. Much of this, he admitted, is “complex,” with many “different nuances.”

The reason for household limits

Ticket limits have become commonplace at major sporting events as a means to shut out scalpers and broaden access. The 2024 Paris Olympics, for example, capped purchases at four tickets per person for high-demand events and six per person for other events. At the 2018 men’s World Cup, according to FIFA, a given household could buy up to four tickets per match and 28 across the entire tournament. At the 2022 World Cup, the household caps were six per match and 60 overall.

“Household limits have been introduced to ensure fair and equitable ticket access for all fans,” the FIFA spokesman said.

https://1108230acb1a3dd863a55e5f91b82635.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

For the 2026 World Cup, an expanded 48-team tournament set to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer, FIFA lowered the cap back to four per household per match, and 40 tickets per household across all 104 games.

The spokesman said that data from the 2018 and 2022 tournaments — where the average number of tickets purchased per order (per match) was 2.2 and 2.8, respectively — “came into play as they were determining the specific rules and conditions for this tournament.”

The cap, though, has become a hurdle for families of five or more, and for larger groups hoping to attend games together. (There are 11.7 million households of five or more in the U.S. alone, according to the Census Bureau’s 2024 Current Population Survey.)

When asked about options for large families or groups, the FIFA spokesman mentioned hospitality packages. (The cheapest package for the cheapest group-stage game costs $1,400 per person.)

Separately, in theory, families could buy additional tickets, beyond the four-per-match limit, on unauthorized resale sites like StubHub. But it’s unclear if they’d be able to sit together, and FIFA, in the past, has warned fans to “be wary of unofficial ticketing sites claiming to be already selling tickets.”

On FIFA’s official resale platform, household limits will apply, though it’s unclear how they’ll be enforced in later phases.

It’s also unclear how, exactly, FIFA will distinguish between roommates and spouses who have different last names and different credit cards.

‘Annoyed with the lack of clarity’

Amid the uncertainty, Daley said he got many questions from friends, readers and others about what, exactly, was permissible as the presale draw opened. There were people wondering if they could apply twice with the same card. There were people wondering whether sons, daughters and parents could apply, essentially on their behalf. “There’s definitely high interest in trying to maximize opportunities,” he said.

https://1108230acb1a3dd863a55e5f91b82635.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

Initially, he didn’t have clear answers to those questions. He scrutinized the information available and didn’t see any reason two spouses couldn’t both apply. FIFA’s “Visa Presale Draw Explainer” video on YouTube noted that “households can purchase up to four tickets per a match,” but said nothing about a limit on applications. FIFA officials had not mentioned the application limit during an hour-long Zoom call with reporters the week prior. There was nothing in the “Visa Presale Draw” section or “Sales Restrictions” section of a World Cup customer support website.

Then, when the application phase opened last Wednesday, attention turned to the long wait times and error messages that plagued the rollout.

It wasn’t until the following day that a significant number of applicants began to discover the one-per-household limit and question FIFA.

“I think most people are fine with one entry per household,” Daley said. “But — just tell them. I think that’s where the frustration came from.”

Nick, who was feeling pessimistic about his chances of being selected for a ticket-buying opportunity in this first phase, agreed. “I’m not really stressed out about it,” he said. “I’m just kind of annoyed with the lack of clarity.”

Next steps in the 2026 World Cup ticket process

After the Sept. 19 deadline for applications, FIFA will complete its “data cleansing” or “data scrubbing” process. With the help of technology, it will weed out bots and other improper entries. It will then select applicants at random and begin notifying some on Sept. 29 that they have an opportunity to purchase tickets on specific dates, in specific time slots, starting Oct. 1.

It’s unclear how many people will be chosen in this first lottery phase. Soon after it concludes on Oct. 21, there will be a second lottery phase similar to the first — but with no stipulation that entrants must have a Visa credit card, debit card or reloadable prepaid card.

https://1108230acb1a3dd863a55e5f91b82635.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

The second phase will be open to people who entered this first lottery, whether or not they were chosen and purchased tickets, FIFA has said. The official rules state: “A person entering the Presale Draw also may enter any other random selection draw separately offered by FIFA subsequent to this Presale Draw.”

After the second phase, and after the Dec. 5 World Cup draw places teams into groups and host cities, there will be a third lottery phase, during which ticket buyers can select specific matchups. There will then be a “first-come, first-served” phase or “last-minute sales” phase in the spring. FIFA will also operate a resale platform where fans can buy tickets on the secondary market at uncapped prices.

The four-per-household-per-match and 40-per-household limits will apply across all phases — meaning, for example, that if someone purchases four tickets to a given group-stage match next month, they cannot purchase four more tickets to that same match next spring.

8/15/25 EPL, La Liga, Ligue 1 Return, US Open Cup Final 4 Set, Local High Schools Start, Americans Abroad, Pulisic row continues

August 15, 2025September 12, 2025 gatorbest carmel-fc, carmel-high-school, carmel-soccer, epl, football, goalkeeping, indy-11, liverpool, premier-league, pulisic, soccer, us-soccer

Three of Europe’s top five leagues return on Friday, with the Premier League, La Liga, and Ligue 1 kicking off for Matchday 1; the German Bundesliga and Italian Serie A will start a week later on Aug 22/23 they both have League cup games this weekend. See La Liga (Spain) games (More) and Ligue 1 (France) fixtures (More) – full season previews below for all 3 leagues. In the EPL my Final 4 are Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea – hoping Crystal Palace or Fulham can make a top 6 run.
Premier League Fri 3 pm USA Network Liverpool vs. Bournemouth, Liverpool haven’t lost their opening league game in any of the last 12 seasons, winning nine of them. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah is the Premier League’s top goal scorer and leading player for goal contributions on Matchday 1. Adding to this, Bournemouth and American midfielder Tyler Adams have just one point from their eight Premier League visits to Anfield. See the full list of Premier League fixtures here.

Notes

Chelsea players will give an equal portion of their $15.5M Club World Cup bonus to the family of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, equating to around $500,000 (More). Cute look at new Everton Stadium. Funny Wrexham Fans left too early – I have to admit I am watching these games on Para+ now that they are in the Championship – Ollie with the brace.

US Players Abroad Begins Seasons this Week – Richards Palace Wins Community Shield
What a thrill to see Chris Richards and Crystal Palace win the Community Shield 3-2 in PKs over Liverpool on Sunday (Palace Hi-lights), just months after winning the FA Cup at Wembley over Man City – Crystal Palace looked the better squad vs the defending EPL Champs. Palace plays at Chelsea at 9 am on Sunday on USA, while Fulham hosts – while Complete rundown on American’s Abroad below.
Man I am not sure who is advising Christian Pulisic but I wish he would just leave well enough alone on the criticism from Landon Donovan & Tim Howard here’s what was said. Not sure if he’s doing it to get more people to watch his Series on Golazo Network (see Pulisic Docuseries Trailer) or what. Tim Weah, speaking on the CBS Sports series Pulisic about criticism by former USMNT stars now working as television and podcast commentators of Christian Pulisic‘s decision not to play in the 2025 Gold Cup. (Golazo Network). At this point lets just get to early September play our friendlies – Pulisic can come score a couple of goals and we can put this all behind us. Oh by the way the US men are coming to Columbus, Ohio Lower.com Field on Tuesday night Sept 9th for a 7:30 pm match up with #17 ranked Japan. The Ole Ballcoach is going along with some buddies to the game sitting in section 129 ($50) – close to the American Outlaws who will be in the Nordic Section 127. Visit http://ussoccer.spinzo.com/CarmelFC this special link to get discounted tickets. Let me know if you plan to join – feel free to send on to friends.

LEAGUES CUP four MLS vs. LIGA MX quarterfinals Wed Aug 20.

Quarterfinal matchups

Inter Miami CF (MLS 2) vs. Tigres UANL (LIGA MX 3) 8 pm on FS1, Apple TV Free
Seattle Sounders FC (MLS 1) vs. Club Puebla (LIGA MX 4) 11 pm FS1, Apple TV Free
LA Galaxy (MLS 3) vs. CF Pachuca (LIGA MX 2) 11:45 Apple TV Free
Orlando City (MLS 4) vs. Toluca FC (LIGA MX 1) 9 pm Apple TV Free

High School Soccer Season Kicks Off!

High school soccer officially starts this weekend across the state, and Carmel FC wants to send a huge congratulations and good luck to all our current players representing their schools this season. We’re proud to see you take the field, wear your school colors, and continue to showcase the skills, hard work, and sportsmanship you’ve developed here at Carmel FC. The Carmel High Girls Come in Ranked 3rd with new head coach John Simmons and Asst Coach and former Carmel FC Coach Carla Baker in charge replacing long time coach Frank Dixon at the helm. The CHS Boys are unranked after a 7-8-3 record but reached the Regional Semi’s last year.

ISCA Class 3A girls soccer poll

Hamilton Southeastern
Noblesville
Carmel
Crown Point
Evansville Memorial
Brownsburg
Cathedral
Castle
Center Grove
Homestead
Penn
East Central
Westfield
Zionsville
FW Carroll
Northridge
Fishers
Bloomington South
Lake Central
Mt. Vernon

ISCA Class 2A girls soccer poll

Lawrenceburg
Brebeuf Jesuit
Mishawaka Marian
FW Bishop Dwenger
SB Saint Joseph
Bishop Chatard
Guerin Catholic
Evansville Mater Dei
Bellmont
Hanover Central
Heritage Hills
Highland
Washington
FW Concordia Lutheran
West Lafayette
Hamilton Heights
Roncalli
Park Tudor
Gibson Southern
Madison

ISCA Class 3A boys soccer poll

Harrison (West Lafayette)
Hamilton Southeastern
Center Grove
FW Carroll
Zionsville
Fishers
Bloomington South
Noblesville
Concord
Evansville Memorial
Brownsburg
Cathedral
Columbus North
Goshen
Warsaw
Castle
Westfield
Chesterton
Crown Point
Penn

ISCA Class 2A boys soccer poll

FW Concordia Lutheran
Park Tudor
Hammond Bishop Noll
Bishop Chatard
Illiana Christian
Heritage Hills
FW Bishop Luers
Washington
South Bend St. Joseph
West Lafayette
Cascade
Hanover Central
Leo
Bethany Christian
FW Bishop Dwenger
Speedway
Culver Academy
Charleston
Heritage Christian
West Noble

Mike S, Shane & Scott F last preseason High School Scrimmage at Bishop Chatard Thurs Night. Excited to hit the fields Saturday at @ Heritage Christian & Guerin.

Had a blast training new Carmel Dad’s Club Refs Ryleigh, Fred, & Noah last weekend at Badger Field.

TV GAME SCHEDULE

Fri, Aug 15 EPL Starts
12 noon ESPN+ Grobaspach vs Bayer Leverkusen German Cup
3 pm USA Liverpool vs Bournemouth (Adams)
8 pm Amazon Prime Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Racing Louisville NWSL
10 pm CBS Golazo Utah Royals vs Angel City (Thompsons) NWSL
Sat, Aug 16
7:20 am Para+ Wrexham vs West Brom
7:30 am USA Aston Villa vs New Castle United
10 am USA Brighton vs Fulham (Robinson is hurt)
12:30 pm NBC Wolverhampton vs Man City
1:30 pm ESPN2 Mallorca vs Barcelona
2:30 pm ESPN+ Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich
4 pm CBS KC Current vs Orlando Pride (Marta) NWSL
7 pm TV6, ESPN+ Loundoun United vs Indy 11
7:30 pm Apple TV free Inter Miami (Messi) vs LA Galaxy
7:30 pm ION NC Courage vs Portland Thorns NWSL
8:30 pm FS1 Minn vs Seattle Sounders
9 pm ESPN2 Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Phoenix Rising
10 pm ION Bay FC vs San Diego Wave NWSL
Sun, Aug 17
6:50 am Para+ Ipwich Town vs Southampton
9 am USA Chelsea vs Crystal Palace (Richards)
11:30 am NBC Man United vs Arsenal
3 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Bari Copa Italia
3:30 pm ESPN2 Espanyol vs Athletico Madrid (Cardoso)
4 pm Para+? NY Gothem vs Houston Dash NWSL
5 pm Apple TV NYCFC vs Nashville
7 pm Apple TV San Jose vs San Diego
9 pm Apple TV Vancouver (Mueller) vs Houston
Mon, Aug, 18
3 pm USA Leeds United vs Everton
10 pm CBSSN Seattle Reign vs Chicago Red Stars NWSL
Weds Aug 20
Leagues Cup MLS vs Liga MX
Inter Miami CF (MLS 2) vs. Tigres UANL (LIGA MX 3) 8 pm on FS1, Apple TV Free
Seattle Sounders FC (MLS 1) vs. Club Puebla (LIGA MX 4) 11 pm FS1, Apple TV Free
LA Galaxy (MLS 3) vs. CF Pachuca (LIGA MX 2) 11:45 Apple TV Free
Orlando City (MLS 4) vs. Toluca FC (LIGA MX 1) 9 pm Apple TV Free
Sat, Sept 6
5 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Korea
Tues, Sept 9
7:30 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Japan in Columbus, Ohio
Fri, Oct 10
8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador
Tues, Oct 14
9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia

=====RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===

Got some Good BarBQ for your Summer Plans ? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

USA

Pulisic slams ‘cop-out’ criticism by ex-U.S. players
USMNT winger Paredes suffers fresh injury blow
Dest, Morris, Corboz, Pittman stand out, Jedi shelved, & Much More
Dest nets stunner as PSV hits 6 in league opener
How Columbus became US Fortress
MLS Commish Garber on Apple Deal, Legacy of 2026 World Cup
Discounted Tix for USA vs Japan in Columbus

EPL

Premier League 2025-26 mega-preview: Key stats, questions, predictions for all 20 teams
Liverpool favored over Man City to repeat in EPL
What’s new in the Premier League: War on holding, goalkeeper rule, RefCam, more
Ranked: The top 50 players going into the new Premier League season
Premier League Week 1 predicted starting XIs: Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, more
Arteta: Arsenal need a ‘title’ to secure elite tag
Premier League 2025-26 kits: Ranking every jersey released
Men’s summer transfer grades: C+ for Grealish loan to Everton

Championship
Wrexham smash transfer record to sign Broadhead
For Wrexham to reach Premier League, they must survive tough Championship first

Fantasy
FPL tips 2025/26: 30 players you should consider signing including Palmer, Wirtz and Gyokeres

World

LaLiga 2025-26 burning questions: Barça, Real Madrid, title race, Mbappé vs. Yamal
GFFN journalists’ Ligue 1 season predictions 25/26
PSG stage stunning comeback vs. Tottenham to win Super Cup
Chelsea players donate some of Club World Cup winnings to Jota
Ranking the 30 best men’s soccer club managers in Europe
Men’s Ballon d’Or list: Yamal, Dembélé favourites
What’s in a soccer contract? Salary, add-ons, transfer fees, release clauses and more
Madrid want Barça-Villarreal U.S. game blocked
Could a Barça LaLiga game in Miami happen? Why do Real Madrid want to block it?

MLS

Müller lands in Vancouver: Feel ‘too good to retire’
Maga hats, anti-Ice banners and plenty of confusion: did MLS create its own political mess?

Goalkeeping

🧤Save of the night: Armani rescues River in Paraguay
Indy 11 Sulte in Save of Week Contention
Carmel’s own Eric Dick in Save of Week Contention for Pitt

Barça can register García after Ter Stegen ruling

Reffing

Premier League cracking down on holding in area

Premier League referees’ chief Howard Webb has suggested that VAR could be expanded to include reviews for yellow cards and corners. The technology is currently only used to review potentially match-changing decisions such as goals, straight red cards, penalties, and mistaken identity. The case in favour argues that second yellow cards, which result in red cards, can significantly influence a match. Webb revealed that the game’s law-making body, the International Football Association Board (Ifab), is considering changes to VAR’s scope, including discussions around possible extensions for the technology. This comes after Uefa recently opposed measures to widen VAR’s powers to intervene in corner kicks and yellow cards, arguing it would increase delays. In related news, Webb said it would be “tough” for David Coote to return to top-level refereeing after being sacked for making derogatory remarks about Liverpool and then manager Jurgen Klopp. “Under the circumstances, it’s difficult [for him to return],” said Webb. “We stay in contact and care about him, but it would be tough.”

Americans abroad

Dest, Morris, Corboz, Pittman stand out, Jedi shelved, & Much More

ASN’s Brian Sciaretta writes up his thoughts from the weeekend amongst Americans abroad. Sergino Dest looked terrific, while Scott Pittman, Aidan Morris, Marlon Fossey, and Mael Corboz are also standout performers. Plenty of good and bad to go through.

BY Brian SciarettaPosted
August 11, 2025
9:00 AM

SHARE THIS STORY

IT WAS A BUSY weekend for Americans in Europe, despite the top divisions in Germany, England, France, and Italy still at the tail end of preseason. Many U.S. players, in including USMNT hopefuls, were in action in both regular season and preseason games.

For now, let’s just get right into it and we will start with the Eredivisie opening weekend.

Dest shines vs. PSV

One of the big stories this weekend for American in Europe was the big statement made by defending champion PSV, who sold a lot of talent this summer (including USMNT midfielder Malik Tillman) but also spent money on new players.

Despite playing well at times this preseason, Ricardo Pepi was not deemed fit enough to be in the squad for Saturday’s opener against Sparta Rotterdam. But Sergino Dest, who mist most games this calendar year, including the Gold Cup, did start.

The news could not have been any better for Dest, who played in top form and did not show any indication of his ACL tear or subsequent injury at the end of the season. He played like the high level player he is.

Dest scored the third goal in a 6-1 win over Sparta that featured PSV having five different goal scorers. That is what makes this team difficult to beat – numerous scoring options.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1954270649280565616&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansoccernow.com%2Farticles%2Fdest-morris-corboz-pittman-stand-out-jedi-shelved-amp-much-more&sessionId=b97d7ee8871e8e33f101a73908a1608b9f865519&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

Overall, Dest played 82 minutes and had three shots. He was consistently dangerous. This bodes well for both PSV and the USMNT as it heads into the fall.

Rest of Eredivisie

In the rest of the Eredivisie outside of PSV, Taylor Booth started and played all 90 minutes for Twente in a 1-0 loss to PEC Zwolle. It was a disappointing result for Twente, who is expected to be in contention for a top five finish, because Zwolle is typically in relegation battles.

Booth, 24, wasn’t one of Twente’s problems on the day and he did create a few chances. He had his own shot in the box blocked in the first few minutes and then he set up two chances later in the game with crosses.

Booth is still likely a long way off from the USMNT but a good season could put him into the picture next year, likely after the World Cup.

The younger Booth brother, Zack Booth, had a tough game in Excelsior’s opener as he came off the bench in the 71^st minute in a 5-0 loss to NEC Nijmegen. The game was 4-0 when he came on. The best news for Booth, 21, is that Excelsior will likely have to make changes after such a poor result.

Championship: Morris impresses for Boro

There are a lot of Americans in the Championship this season and we could see a few involved in the promotion races.

Aidan Morris, 23, was solid in central midfield for Middlesborough in a 1-0 win over Swansea to open the season. He was good at setting the pace and helping Boro win the possession battles.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1954213322712080483&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansoccernow.com%2Farticles%2Fdest-morris-corboz-pittman-stand-out-jedi-shelved-amp-much-more&sessionId=b97d7ee8871e8e33f101a73908a1608b9f865519&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

It wasn’t a flashy performances, but he is very important to the Boro midfield moving forward.

After a big 2024/25 campaign, Josh Sargent scored his first goal of the new season in Norwich’s opening day win. The 55^th minute goal was an equalizer in what eventually turned out to be a 2-1 loss at home to Millwall.

The goal was all hustle as Sargent blocked a goalkeeper clearance directly back into the goal. It was more seen as a goalkeeper error, but Sargent hustled on the play.

Sargent remains an interesting player for the rest of the month. Norwich is still hopeful of selling him, as they could use the money. But for Sargent to get interest, he needs to keep scoring in any way possible. But where does Sargent want to go? Turning down Wolfsburg two weeks ago shows signs of a limited options.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1954201306064683276&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansoccernow.com%2Farticles%2Fdest-morris-corboz-pittman-stand-out-jedi-shelved-amp-much-more&sessionId=b97d7ee8871e8e33f101a73908a1608b9f865519&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

Damion Downs played the final 31 minutes for Southampton and was on the field as they scored two very late goals to turn a 1-0 loss into a 2-1 win over Wrexham in the season opener. It was a good shift for Downs as he was involved in the final goal where he slightly touched a pass to Jack Stephens, who smashed in the winner from close range.

Downs, 21, is in a good spot. He will continue to get chances and he will contribute to a team that should be in contention to bounce right back up.

George Campbell came on in the dying minutes for West Brom to help see out a 1-0 victory over Blackburn. It marked his debut for the club after moving from Montreal earlier in the transfer window.

Charlton defeated Watford 1-0 on Saturday. Charlie Kelman, 23, started and played 71 minutes for Charlton. He is coming off a season where he won the third-tier League One scoring title with Leyton Orient. Caleb Wiley was out with a back injury for Watford. Kelman had a good chance to score in the 59^th minute but his close-range shot was saved. Charlton found a stoppage time winner to earn all three points.

Scotland: Pittman & CCV stand out

Scott Pittman, 33, has scored goals in Livingston FC’s first two games of the Scottish Premiership season. The latest in a 3-1 win over Falkirk on Saturday.

The all-time appearance leader for Livingston opened the scoring in the 18^th minute with a shot from inside the box for a 1-0 lead.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1954467767316631711&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansoccernow.com%2Farticles%2Fdest-morris-corboz-pittman-stand-out-jedi-shelved-amp-much-more&sessionId=b97d7ee8871e8e33f101a73908a1608b9f865519&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

After earning promotion last season, Livingston is looking to pull away from a relegation battle early.

Celtic dominated its way to a 2-0 win over Aberdeen on Saturday. Cameron Carter-Vickers completed 139 passes in the win. Auston Trusty completed 51 passes in just 24 minutes when he came on to see out the win.

Those passing numbers reflect Celtic’s domination in possession which typically began with the central defenders.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1954593889072939462&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansoccernow.com%2Farticles%2Fdest-morris-corboz-pittman-stand-out-jedi-shelved-amp-much-more&sessionId=b97d7ee8871e8e33f101a73908a1608b9f865519&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

Coincidentally enough, Aberdeen’s best chance of the game came from American midfielder Dante Polvara in the 75^th minute – two minutes after he subbed on. His right footed shot from close range was saved.

Belgium: Fossey scores in big Standard win

Standard Liege defeated Genk 2-1 on Sunday to move to seven points from three games to start the Belgium First Division season. Standard captain and USMNT hopeful Marlon Fossey scored in the 54^th minute to give Standard a 2-1 lead – which he then celebrated with a back flip.

On the play, Fossey, 26, moved into the attack and was able to pounce on a ball from close range and beat the keeper with a shot into the top of the net.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-5&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=true&id=1954878499774144621&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansoccernow.com%2Farticles%2Fdest-morris-corboz-pittman-stand-out-jedi-shelved-amp-much-more&sessionId=b97d7ee8871e8e33f101a73908a1608b9f865519&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

Will Fossey make it back into the USMNT picture? It seems difficult. With Dest now back, Alex Freeman continuing to impress in Orlando, and Joe Scally continuing to be the starter for Borussia Monchengladbach, there is a crowded field. But performances like this don’t hurt.

Also in Belgium, Westerlo dropped a 1-0 loss at home to KV Mechelen at home after conceding a goal in the 84^th minute. Griffin Yow started at right wing for Westerlo but was subbed out after the first half as part of a tactical change. Despite the loss, Bryan Reynolds had a strong 90-minute shift at right back. Both Yow and Reynolds could move before the end of the month as they have likely done all they can do for a small club like Westerlo. The club could also use the money but it comes down to offers.

2.Bundesliga: Corboz impresses again

It was the second matchday in the 2.Bundesliga season where several Americans play their trade. This week, there were two games that saw multiple players involved.

Holstein Kiel dropped a 2-0 decision to Arminia Bielefeld and it was a big setback for Holstein Kiel, which has no points from the first two games in a season where they are coming back down from the Bundesliga.

John Tolkin, 23, started for Holstein Kiel but was subbed out at halftime for tactical reasons as both wingbacks were removed. The tactical shift did not help at all. Tolkin was okay in his 45 minutes, but the team overall was very poor and does not want to have a poor start to the season. Such starts only create relegations battles.

On the flip side, Arminia Bielefeld was excellent and now has a perfect six points from two games – immediately coming off promotion last year. Led by American captain Mael Corboz, Arminia Bielefeld is off to a great start. Corboz has done well to add maturity to a team that looks ready for the 2.Bundesliga. Corboz, 30, is one of the best “under the radar” stories in American soccer.

Eintracht Braunschweig defeated Greuther Furth 3-2 and Johan Gomez enjoyed one of his best performances in years when he came off the bench in the 61^st minute. He was dangerous, assisted on goal that was called back, won a lot of duels, and built a case to start for the club.

For Eintracht, the club has six points from two games. This is huge after narrowly avoiding relegation last season.

On the flip side, Furth sits on three points from two games after the loss. Both Julian Green and Max Dietz both started. Green was subbed out in the 86^th minute while Dietz went the whole game. Neither stood out.

On Friday, Paderborn drew Preussen Munster 1-1. Santiago Castaneda, 20, started in defensive midfield for Paderborn but did not stand out in his 78 minutes. Both of the Tampa native’s first two games have been quiet.

Richards wins Community Shield

Chris Richards can now add a Community Shield to his trophy case as played the entire game at Wembley as his Crystal Palace defeated reigning Premier League champions Liverpool on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Richards had a “hockey assist” on his team’s second goal and saw his header off a corner saved in the 61^st minute.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-6&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1954598571501563955&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansoccernow.com%2Farticles%2Fdest-morris-corboz-pittman-stand-out-jedi-shelved-amp-much-more&sessionId=b97d7ee8871e8e33f101a73908a1608b9f865519&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

Richards looks to be in great shape to start the Premier League season next week. His great calendar year of 2025.

Elsewhere abroad

In Poland’s Ekstraklassa, Jagiellonia Bialystok defeated Cracovia 5-2 with Aziel Jackson making his first start for Bialystok in the win. Leon Flach also played the final 12 minutes in the win. Kahveh Zahirolelam made his debut for Cracovia when he came on in the 79th minute.

In Croatia’s HNL, Hajduk Split defeated HNK Gorica 2-0. The win was helped by a Gorica red card in the 50th minute when the score was 0-0. Rokas Pukstas returned to the starting lineup after struggling to break in recently and he was helped by injuries that made him needed. He was active in the attack, despite no goal contributions. Was it enough for him to remain in in the starting lineup? That is an open question.

In the Austrian Bundesliga, George Bello scored in the 50th minute for LASK in a 3-1 loss to WSG Tirol. Sam Adeniran started for LASK but was ineffective. It was good news for Bello to have scored but LASK is winless after two games and has work to do in the weeks ahead.

Quincy Butley, 23, meanwhile started and played well for WSG on the right side of the midfield where he won duels and passed effectively. WSG has won its first two games of the season.

In the Swiss Super League, Lausanne dropped a 2-1 decision at home to FC Zurich. Konrad de la Fuente played the final 18 minutes in the loss.

In the Danish Superliga, Matthew Hoppe started for SonderjyskE but was held in check by Viborg in a 1-0 loss. Hoppe was subbed out in the 71st minute.

In Uruguay’s Primera, Agustin Anello played 82 minutes for Boston River in a 1-1 draw with Montevideo City Torque. Anello was subbed out with his team trailing 1-0 and down to 10 men. Boston River now has four points from two games.

Preseason & Transfer updates

Robinson on the shelf

Antonee Robinson has not played at all this preseason and will not be available for Fulham to start the season. Once figured to be the subject of transfer rumors this summer to big clubs, everything with Robinson has been quiet.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-7&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1954901686646149236&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansoccernow.com%2Farticles%2Fdest-morris-corboz-pittman-stand-out-jedi-shelved-amp-much-more&sessionId=b97d7ee8871e8e33f101a73908a1608b9f865519&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

It’s hard to see him part of the USMNT in September at this rate.

McKennie & Campbell meet

Juventus defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 and there is a lot to unpack in this game from an American perspective.

Weston McKennie came off the bench in the 66^th minute as part of a near-entire team substitution for Juventus.

There wasn’t much to report on his performance on the field. But off the field, we now have this – Roma interest.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-8&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1954790653507846410&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansoccernow.com%2Farticles%2Fdest-morris-corboz-pittman-stand-out-jedi-shelved-amp-much-more&sessionId=b97d7ee8871e8e33f101a73908a1608b9f865519&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

Every year, McKennie is on the brink of falling out of favor with Juventus and has always pulled himself back into the mix. But eventually this will end. Perhaps now is a good time for him to make a break and Roma is still a very high landing spot. McKennie knows Serie A well and likely wouldn’t need as much adjustment.

Also in this game was Cole Campbell, who played the last 15 minutes for Borussia Dortmund. This comes after interest from VfB Stuttgart was shelved – at least temporarily as Dortmund assess its winger situation. The speedy U.S. U-20 attacker has been on the edge of BVB’s first team and has made his debut. But works remains for him to be a consistent presence.

As expected, there was no Gio Reyna for BVB and there has been no breakthrough on the transfer front.

Captain McKenzie

Toulouse played Sevilla to a 1-1 draw in a preseason friendly and the big takeaway is that USMNT central defender Mark McKenzie wore the captain’s armband for Toulouse – a sign of his growing importance to the Ligue 1 club.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-9&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1954628824685023380&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americansoccernow.com%2Farticles%2Fdest-morris-corboz-pittman-stand-out-jedi-shelved-amp-much-more&sessionId=b97d7ee8871e8e33f101a73908a1608b9f865519&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

Milan smashed by Chelsea

Chelsea smashed AC Milan 4-1 over the weekend with Yunus Musah starting and playing 73 minutes for Milan. It was 3-1 when Musah departed the game. Musah remains a player to watch in the weeks ahead as his preseason has not gone well. Milan might opt to drop their asking price and move on.

Proud Member of American Outlaws http://www.facebook.com/IndyAOUnite

Looking to Get a Professional Company Headshot? Check out https://capturely.com/ Tell Rob The Ole Ballcoach sent you and he’ll give you a deal.

DISCOUNT SMALL ENGINE & BIG ENGINE REPAIRS IN CARMEL

Antonee Robinson’s injury timetable underscores his importance to USMNT

Fulham and USMNT left back Antonee Robinson

By Jeff RueterAug. 14, 2025Updated 12:47 pm EDT The Athletic

No doubt, Fulham will feel a bit up against it heading into the club’s Premier League opener, away at Brighton.The 2024-25 season saw Antonee Robinson cement his place as one of Marco Silva’s most vital charges, arguably the best pure left back in the Premier League. Nicknamed “Jedi,” he’s proven capable of containing Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah on one end before dependably squaring crosses right into his striker’s stride. He gutted out an injury to his right knee until season’s end, finishing third in the fan-voted Player of the Season pageant after a 10-assist campaign.On Thursday, 48 hours before a trip to the AmEx, Silva confirmed that Robinson would not be available for selection as he works back from an offseason surgery on that vital plant-leg knee. So, too, would Ryan Sessegnon, leaving the Portuguese manager without his two top options at left back.Mauricio Pochettino may still be envying Silva’s situation. At least the Fulham boss has a viable alternative in the role to Robinson.It’s hardly a new phenomenon that the U.S. men’s national team is dangerously thin at left back. In fact, the program went over a decade with makeshift solutions, forcing players like DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson to own the role despite spending their careers up until that point further afield. While U.S. Soccer can’t take credit for Robinson’s development, his commitment was a clear end to holding the left side of the back line together with duct tape and chewing gum.While Robinson has amassed a tidy 50 caps to date, he’s been absent for the last four camps under Pochettino, a 12-game sample from which the coach has learned plenty about his player pool. He’s had his initial trust in Diego Luna validated by a star-making turn at the Gold Cup. That same tournament gave reason to think Matt Freese could be a shot-stopping alternative to Matt Turner in goal.There have been frustrating realizations, too. Mexico is back on the ascent, although that’s a bit more of a subplot than usual as both nations will abstain from World Cup qualifying this cycle. His faith in the core that helped qualify for the 2022 installment has potentially been rocked by Christian Pulisic and others opting out or missing out on the Gold Cup. And, more relevant to today’s news via Silva: he doesn’t have a clear alternative to Robinson at left back.

Antonee Robinson and Mauricio Pochettino USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t have many options behind Antonee Robinson at left back (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

Unlike other USMNT mainstays like Gio Reyna, Pochettino and Robinson have already logged a bit of collaboration. The left back was on Pochettino’s first squad last October, and started both legs of the Concacaf Nations Leg quarterfinal against Jamaica the following month. In the second, Robinson assisted on the second goal of a 4-2 win that sent the U.S. through to the final four. Since then, however, Pochettino has had to play alternatives to Robinson. When an ailment kept Robinson out for the Nations League’s business end in March, it became a calamity: Panama targeted out-of-position Max Arfsten and, later, Joe Scally, exploiting the latter’s lack of awareness to score a last gasp winner in a 1-0 semifinal upset. Scally went on to start the third-place game, putting in such a poor shift that he got a halftime hook.In the 12 games that have passed since Robinson’s last U.S. appearance, four players have been called upon in his absence. Arfsten has been Pochettino’s most relied-upon alternative, appearing in nine of that dozen, most often as starter. John Tolkin, of recently relegated Holstein Kiel in Germany, has made five appearances, while Scally and DeJuan Jones have each appeared twice in the role. None have made a terribly compelling case for further looks.Throughout the Gold Cup, Arfsten and Tolkin — as indicated by their higher utilization — were the two options on Pochettino’s squad.Arfsten, a winger with the possession-dominant Columbus Crew, has fared about as you’d expect for a player who usually sees the game from a vastly different perspective. His attacking contributions were that of an ideal wingback, logging assists and chipping in goals as an auxiliary threat from wide. His defensive performances were riddled with the kinds of mistakes coaches have to drill out of defenders in the youth ranks, taking the bait and making needless fouls (like one just inside the box against Costa Rica that resulted in a penalty).Tolkin, largely as a substitute, has at least spent his career in the role since debuting with his boyhood New York Red Bulls. His issues more closely mirror the struggles recently seen from young left backs George Bello, Kris Lund and Sam Vines: bona fide left backs, but unable to prove themselves at the international level.There’s a paucity of alternatives, too. Unlike other spots, there’s no alternative who hasn’t been tested and is flying under the radar. The closest to matching that mold is Caleb Wiley, the Chelsea prospect who earned three caps in 2023 and 2024 but hasn’t been in a national team camp since Pochettino took charge. While it’s impressive for a 20-year-old to have amassed 135 club appearances, mostly with Atlanta United before the club from London came calling, his first loan with Strasbourg was inconclusive. He’s at Watford now, and could very easily work into the fold in the months to come. The other alternatives to Scally are, in the program’s grand tradition, playing out of position. There’s Arfsten, still tapping into his winger’s instincts at the expense of his team’s defending. There’s Scally shifting over from right back (and Sergiño Dest before him, the first-choice option in that spot), who fancy themselves to put in a shift on the left. Even then, it weakens the right back contingent that is seemingly three players deep: Dest, Scally, Alex Freeman. If Robinson’s recovery timetable will keep him out of the next international camp spanning from Sept. 1-9 (the fifth-to-last camp before the 2026 World Cup), those speculative alternatives may get another chance to log starts and fortify their cases for inclusion. Pochettino and a fanbase starved for optimism will rightfully hope for a pleasant surprise. As it stands right now, it’s a bleak reality for the USMNT: against ideal operational standards, this is a Jedi without a worthy padawan. (Top photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

La Liga season preview: Our predictions on Barcelona, Real Madrid and much more

By Dermot Corrigan

Aug. 15, 2025 12:20 am EDT

The new La Liga season gets started later on Friday, with defending champions Barcelona opening at Real Mallorca tomorrow and Real Madrid welcoming Osasuna on Tuesday.

As usual, there is no shortage of storylines, including Barca again struggling to register their new signings, Madrid once more battling against La Liga’s authorities and Atletico Madrid spending big to try to challenge the Clasico duo for the title. There’s also plenty of political intrigue, controversy, figures under pressure and the possibility for history to be made on and off the pitch.

The Athletic has taken its annual stab at predicting how things will go (which will hopefully turn out better than last year, when we predicted Barcelona would sack new manager Hansi Flick by Christmas)…

Who will win La Liga and why?

Flick had a phenomenal first season in charge at Barcelona, winning the domestic treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Supercopa.

His squad is arguably stronger this year. Defender Inigo Martinez has left, but on-loan Marcus Rashford brings another option in attack, and most importantly, the team’s young core should be even better — centre-back Pau Cubarsi, midfielders Pedri and Gavi, and especially emerging-superstar attacker Lamine Yamal.

Can Flick’s Barca build further on last season’s success? (Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)

Madrid also look to have significantly improved, with a rebuilt defence and fresh energy and impetus under new coach Xabi Alonso. Atletico have spent a lot again to try to mount a challenge, and Diego Simeone arguably now has the deepest squad of his 14 seasons in charge. But Alonso’s impact across the capital could be hampered by minimal pre-season preparation time after going to the final four of the Club World Cup last month, while Simeone’s new signings might take a while to settle in.

So, assuming Barcelona’s annual issues with actually registering their new players are resolved, and they get to return to play at their iconic Camp Nou again from September as planned, Flick’s team should be celebrating another title in May.What You Should Read NextHansi Flick and the curious challenge of a second season at BarcelonaThe German manager has proved himself an expert handler of Barca’s infamous ‘entorno’. Can he build on last season’s success?

Who else will qualify for the Champions League?

Barcelona, Madrid and Atletico have finished among the top four in Spain every year since 2012-13, and they will again this time. But the race for the fourth Champions League qualification spot looks wide open.

Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal are playing in that competition this season, so their domestic form could suffer as they juggle the extra eight games. That might open up an opportunity for Real Betis, who continue to make progress year on year under veteran coach Manuel Pellegrini. Betis’ top-four challenge will be especially strong if they can secure the return of Brazilian attacker Antony from Manchester United after his impressive loan spell in the second half of last season.

https://e2f6d63cb7cd781a752a15b785bf8705.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

Mallorca could potentially challenge for a European spot, while Valencia improved tremendously after Carlos Corberan took over as coach in January.

Who will be the biggest underperformers?

One of the biggest questions is how Madrid’s Club World Cup exertions, tacked onto the end of last season, will affect how they start this new campaign.

Madrid’s players finally got to go on holiday on July 10, after losing 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals in the United States. They then returned for pre-season training on August 4, just 15 days before they welcome Osasuna to the Bernabeu for both sides’ opening La Liga fixture.

Managing that situation is a huge challenge for new coach Alonso, who also has to integrate three new defenders in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras.

Alonso was appointed as Madrid coach back in May (Sara Gordon/Real Madrid via Getty Images)

Their games at the Club World Cup suggested that Alonso’s biggest issue will be how to fit both Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior into his XI while implementing a version of the high-energy, high-pressing style he used at previous club Bayer Leverkusen.

Midfielder Jude Bellingham will be missing until mid-October at least, following a summer operation to fix a long-running shoulder issue, and players could also still leave in the summer transfer window, including Brazilian attacker Rodrygo.

Alonso could well end up being a success at the Bernabeu – he has the experience and nous to deal with the challenge of the job – but there might be some bumps along the way, and Madrid could be playing catch-up in the 2025-26 title race from early on.

How do you expect the promoted clubs to do?

Levante, Elche and Real Oviedo would all see a 17th-place finish in the 20-club table, so avoiding an immediate return to the second tier, as success.

The three promoted clubs are working with limited finances, having spent around €10million (£8.6m; $11.7m) between them so far on new players (for comparison, the three teams promoted to the Premier League this summer have spent over €300m combined).

But they all have superb stories to follow.

Oviedo’s club captain is former Arsenal and Spain playmaker Santi Cazorla, now 40, whose fairytale return to his hometown club saw him score in last June’s emotional play-off final victory.What You Should Read NextSanti Cazorla on ‘ideal Arsenal coach’ Mikel Arteta and Barca’s ‘unfair’ treatment of XaviThe former Arsenal midfielder, who is now 40 and playing for boyhood club Real Oviedo, speaks to The Athletic

Levante’s players, coach and staff played a big role in providing crucial supplies and support when the team’s home city of Valencia was badly flooded last October. Elche owner Christian Bragarnik’s CV includes experience as a striker in fifth-tier Argentine football, time spent as a video-store assistant, and working as an agent to Diego Maradona.

Who will be the best young player this season?

Yamal only turned 18 in mid-July and could already be the best player in Spain, if not the world, so he’s a good candidate for this section.

But Franco Mastantuono, Madrid’s new €63million signing from River Plate in Argentina, is even younger (his 18th birthday was on Thursday) and, some say, just as talented.

Already a senior Argentina international, Mastantuono is used to dealing with pressure and expectation. He has already played 64 senior games for River, scoring 10 goals and providing seven assists. Some of those goals were spectacular, especially the tremendous free kick scored in a 2-1 derby victory against fierce local rivals Boca Juniors in April.

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=TheAthletic&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1933518282071633934&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fathletic%2F6550631%2F2025%2F08%2F15%2Fla-liga-new-season-real-madrid-barcelona-atletico%2F&sessionId=5167feaecee7e26b355ad2f6c585bbcb45f7610b&siteScreenName=TheAthletic&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px

Many kids have arrived at Madrid with big hype and have taken a long time to settle, or just never made it at all. But people who know Mastantuono reckon he can hit the ground running and quickly rival Yamal as the hottest teenager in La Liga.

Which under-the-radar figure have the big clubs been sleeping on?

Athletic Club’s Mikel Jauregizar had a real breakout season in 2024-25 and is fast developing into one of the top defensive midfielders in La Liga. Only 18 months on from his senior debut, the super-combative and mobile 21-year-old has established himself as a key member of coach Ernesto Valverde’s team.

Jauregizar, pictured in pre-season for Athletic (Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

He is not the biggest at 177cm (5ft 10in), but Jauregizar ranked third-highest among all midfielders for tackles in La Liga last season. That ability to regain possession and then launch attackers such as brothers Inaki and Nico Williams was key to Valverde’s team’s success in finishing fourth.

Jauregizar did not help himself with his performance in Athletic Club’s biggest game of the season, being embarrassingly dribbled past by Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire in the Europa League semi-final first leg at San Mames. But his career so far suggests he is a very quick learner, and playing in the Champions League this season should bring plenty more experience and exposure.

https://e2f6d63cb7cd781a752a15b785bf8705.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

Which club have had the best transfer window?

For much of last season, Atletico appeared set to seriously compete on all fronts, but their season shuddered to a stop in March with a series of disappointing defeats by Barcelona and Madrid across La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.

Atletico’s subsequent summer spending of around €150million looks directly aimed at fixing issues in the squad highlighted during that tough spell. Slovakia defender David Hancko and United States international midfielder Johnny Cardoso bring more physicality, while Italian Matteo Ruggeri and Spain’s Alex Baena form an all-new left flank.

United States international Cardoso in action for Atletico in pre-season against Newcastle (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

On paper, they all look like excellent acquisitions. The question now is how Simeone integrates all his new players and whether he can get them to buy quickly into his trademark super-intense style of play.

If it all clicks, Atletico’s challenge could go a lot further this season.

Which club have had the worst transfer window?

Villarreal supporters had known that Spain international Baena was set to leave, and the club banking €42million from Atletico and signing Las Palmas’ Alberto Moleiro as a replacement for €16m was not such bad business. Similarly, selling inconsistent forward Thierno Barry to Everton for €30m and getting Spain Under-21 international centre-back Rafa Marin on loan from Napoli look like smart moves.

Less easy to understand is bringing in former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey on a free transfer.

Partey’s experience and ability could be useful on the pitch as Villarreal return to the Champions League this season, but for many, it is just unacceptable to sign a player who has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in England. Partey denies the charges, and club president Fernando Roig said on Tuesday: “We respect the presumption of innocence and of course we condemn any kind of violence, inside or outside football.”

Tell us one great storyline we might have missed…

Barcelona’s issues around registering their summer signings with La Liga are eye-catching due to the size of the club and the regular drama involved, but they are far from the only ones struggling in this area ahead of the new season.

Just days before the games kick off this weekend, more than 50 new arrivals had yet to be officially registered with La Liga. Clubs still looking to make room within their budget included the three promoted clubs, as well as Sevilla, Celta Vigo, Espanyol, Getafe, Real Sociedad, Betis and Alaves.

So some well-known names are likely to watch their new team’s opening game from the stands, while a frantic couple of weeks of wheeling and dealing are likely until the end of the transfer window.

What will be making headlines as the season progresses?

La Liga president Javier Tebas has been openly trying to stage official Spanish top-flight games in the United States since 2018, but until now has always been denied by a mix of political and practical factors.

Tebas is nothing if not dogged, however, and many of the big hurdles have now been removed — including the settlement of a U.S. legal case between world football’s governing body FIFA and promoters Relevent, and improved relations with the Spanish FA in the post-Luis Rubiales era.

A plan to play late December’s Villarreal vs Barcelona fixture in Miami is now well advanced, with both clubs publicly backing the idea.

The biggest opposition domestically comes from Madrid president Florentino Perez, while green lights are still required from the European game’s rulers UEFA, Concacaf (the regional federation that includes the U.S.) and the United States Soccer Federation.

Though it’s not yet fully sorted, sooner or later, Tebas’ signature project looks certain to happen.

(Top photos of Rashford, left, and Alexander-Arnold: Getty Images)

FourFourTwo Premier League Season Previews 2025-26

By Ewan Gennery published August 8, 2025

Our legendary previews on all 20 teams set to grace the Premier League this season is here, brought to you by expert journalists and hardcore fans at the heart of each club

Comments (0)

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool, lifts the Premier League trophy after his team's victory in the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield on May 25, 2025 in Liverpool, England.

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool, lifts the Premier League trophy after his team’s victory in the 2024/25 Premier League (Image credit: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Jump To:

↔︎

We’re not far away from the start of the 2025/26 Premier League and all the twists, turns and drama that comes with it.

The transfer market has been going into overdrive as teams look to do battle once again, with some mouthwatering spectacles set to light up the pitch again from August to May.

Read on for FourFourTwo’s preview on all 20 Premier League teams in the 2025/26 season…You may like

Arsenal

Bukayo Saka celebrates with Gabriel Martinelli after scoring for Arsenal against Real Madrid (Image credit: Getty Images)

After finishing second for a third season in a row last year, Arsenal are looking to go one better and finally lift the Premier League title. Preseason has been strong, with several new signings through the door, and now, Mikel Arteta is ready to take his side over the line and lift silverware this season.

FourFourTwo has your complete season preview ahead of the new campaign, with the lowdown on star players, what to expect and predictions of what’s to come over the next few months, along with Arsenal’s full fixture list, too.

Aston Villa

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa missed out on Champions League football on the final day of last season. After another impressive campaign, in which they qualified for European football, reached the quarter-final of the Champions League, and the semi-final of the FA Cup, they will be looking to continue finishing inside the top six and make a serious play for one of the cups.

FourFourTwo has everything you need for the new term with our season preview. Get the inside scoop on star players, what to look forward to, and our predictions for the coming months, along with Aston Villa’s fixtures.

Get FourFourTwo Newsletter

The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Brentford

Brentford are entering uncharted waters. For the first time in the Premier League they will not be led by Thomas Frank, and Bryan Mbeumo will not be in the squad. They have attempted to negate too much disruption by appointing former set-piece coach Keith Andrews, while they’ve brought in Caoimhin Kelleher and Jordan Henderson as they look to solidify their mid-table status.

Your essential guide to the new season is here. FourFourTwo brings you the full preview, including key players, team expectations, our final predictions and Brentford’s fixtures.

Brighton

This will be Brighton’s eighth season in the Premier League and they enter with significant expectations. 18-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas has become their third highest transfer of all-time as they look to push for European football for the second-time in their history.

Ahead of the new campaign, FourFourTwo offers your complete season preview. We’ve got the lowdown on the biggest stars, what to expect, and a glimpse into our predictions for the next few months – plus Brighton’s full fixture list.

Burnley

Burnley finished second in the Championship last season with 100 points, the most ever for a team in second place, only beaten to the title on goal difference. Across the 46 games, they conceded just 16 goals, but shot-stopper James Trafford has returned to Manchester City. Scott Parker will be hoping they can build on their strong defensive performance and stay up this season.

Get ready for the new season with FourFourTwo’s comprehensive preview. We’ll give you the scoop on star players and share our predictions for the months ahead, along with Burnley’s complete fixture list.

Bournemouth

Fresh off the back of their record points tally, Bournemouth will be looking to go one further and reach European football for the first time. Adoni Iroala’s side however, will be without much of their defence from last season, including Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez making their task slightly more difficult.

FourFourTwo’s new season preview is out now. Dive into our analysis of key players and our predictions for what’s to come over the next few months – and check out Bournemouth’s fixture list, too.

Chelsea

Club World Cup champions Chelsea head into the season with lofty expectations. Their impressive performance in America this summer shows their scatter-gun transfer approach has worked and after spending north of £250 million again this summer, the Blues fans will be hoping they can make a serious bid for the title.

And the new season is almost here: FourFourTwo has your complete preview, covering everything from top players to our final predictions, and even Chelsea’s fixtures.

Crystal Palace

The mood is mixed at Selhurst Park. On the one hand, Oliver Glasner has delivered nothing that any Eagles manager has ever done before and won a trophy: the good feeling isn’t going to disappear any time soon, and Crystal Palace fans are hoping to push on up the league – but on the other, the cloud of the European football debacle and what competition they’ll be dropped into still lingers.

We’ve got everything you need to know ahead of the start of a new campaign with our comprehensive season preview, delving into what to look forward to and where Palace will be in another year’s time – plus, see Crystal Palace’s fixture list.

Everton

David Moyes is back at the wheel at Everton and the Toffees are under new ownership, as they look to buck the recent trend of fighting the drop and push on up the league: it’s arguably the most exciting time to be on the blue side of Merseyside for quite some time – and that’s before you factor in the small matter of a new home.

Find out what to expect from the new campaign: FourFourTwo provides a full season preview, including insights on star players and our predictions for the months ahead, along with Everton’s fixture list.

Fulham

Fulham are looking up in the table. Marco Silva has been in charge since 2021 now and with the Cottagers having kept key stars over the summer, now could be the time to mount a serious charge up the Premier League.

FourFourTwo’s complete season preview is here to get you ready. We’ve got the details on top players, what to expect, a look at our predictions and Fulham’s fixture list.

Leeds United

Leeds United are back in the big time – but can they remain there? Things are going to be tough for the Championship winners but after strengthening this summer, they’re in a good position to give it a whirl.

Be prepared for what’s to come: FourFourTwo offers you a full preview with the lowdown on star players and our predictions for the months to come, plus Leeds’ complete fixtures.

Liverpool

Liverpool have refused to stand still. After winning the title last term, big money has been spent on improving Arne Slot’s side, as Florian Wirtz joins for a British record fee and two new full-backs join the side.

Are the Reds set for the new season? FourFourTwo has you covered with our complete preview, featuring key players, what’s expected, and our predictions, along with Liverpool’s fixture list.

Manchester City

Manchester City failed to win the title last year for the first time in five seasons. Now, armed with new recruits across the pitch and newfound fire to get back on top, Pep Guardiola is looking to wrestle back his crown.

FourFourTwo’s complete season preview is here to get you hyped for the new campaign. We break down the star players, what you can expect, and our predictions for the campaign, ahead of Manchester City’s full fixtures.

Manchester United

Bryan Mbeumo hopes to hit the ground running at Old Trafford — Bryan Mbeumo trains with Manchester United (Image credit: Getty Images)

Last season was a generational low for a Manchester United side that finished 15th and lost the Europa League final. There’s certainly hope, however, that complete with a new-look frontline, the Red Devils can go again and that boss Ruben Amorim can start to get this side clicking under his system.

Before the new campaign kicks off, check out our full season preview from FourFourTwo. You’ll get the inside scoop on top players, what to anticipate, and what we think will happen over the next few months – and check out Manchester United’s complete fixture list.

Newcastle United

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe has endured a challenging summer transfer window — Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe (Image credit: Getty Images)

Newcastle United may have had a tough summer but they go into the new season having lifted a trophy last term and with Champions League to look forward to. Despite the struggles in the transfer market, Eddie Howe has built a side to be feared on the pitch: and this is a club that will be looking to go even further in their ambitions.

Ready for the new season? FourFourTwo has you covered with our in-depth preview. We give you the lowdown on the players to watch and share our predictions for the coming months, ahead of Newcastle’s fixtures.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest bucked all expectations last term with a finish in the European places – and after the unexpected bonus of Europa League football to look forward to, the Tricky Trees are welcoming European football back for the first time in a generation. There’s plenty to be excited by.

The new season is just around the corner, and our complete preview is finally here. FourFourTwo gives you the essential details on star players, a rundown of expectations, and a look at our predictions, plus Forest’s fixture list.

Sunderland

Sunderland’s dramatic promotion in the play-offs sees the Black Cats returning to the Premier League and wanting to do far more than make up the numbers: if summer business has anything to go by, they could be about to spring a few surprises, too.

What’s in store for the new season? Find out with our complete preview from FourFourTwo. We’ve got the scoop on key players, what to expect, and our predictions for the months to come – and we’ve even got Sunderland’s complete fixture schedule.

Tottenham Hotspur

FFT381.feat_whatsnew_a.shutterstock_editorial_15364130i — Tottenham boss Thomas Frank (Image credit: Copyright (c) 2025 Shutterstock Editorial. No use without permission.)

Optimism at Tottenham Hotspur is unusually high for a team that only scraped 17th in the table last season: that will be because Thomas Frank has arrived, preseason has been positive and the Europa League triumph last season means that the trophy curse has finally been banished. Now, Spurs can start looking upwards again.

The wait is over: FourFourTwo presents our comprehensive season preview, complete with a close look at the most exciting players and our predictions for the next few months., along with Tottenham’s fixture lists.

West Ham United

Tomas Soucek is the Hammers' unsung hero, according to fans — West Ham man Tomas Soucek (Image credit: Getty Images)

West Ham United are quietly going about their business this summer and with a highly-rated coach in Graham Potter, they’ll be hoping to cause some upsets and return to battling for Europe.

Anticipation is building, and so is our new season preview: FourFourTwo brings you all the essential info on players to watch and our bold predictions for the season – plus, West Ham’s fixtures.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has done a fine job since his arrival in December 2024 — Wolves boss Vitor Pereira (Image credit: Getty Images)

Wolverhampton Wanderers enjoyed a remarkable turnaround under Vitor Pereira last season – but having lost star players Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha, can the Old Gold expect another campaign like last, or can they push on up the Premier League?

Get a head start on the new campaign with the FourFourTwo season preview: we’ll give you a full rundown on the top stars and offer our predictions for the season ahead, along with Wolves’ complete fixtures.

Premier League Predictions: Liverpool vs Bournemouth, Man Utd vs Arsenal and the rest of Matchday 1

Oliver Kay

Aug. 15, 2025Updated 2:29 am EDT

Welcome to the first edition of The Athletic’s new Premier League Predictions game.

This is where you (our lovely subscribers) have the opportunity to join a data algorithm, a six-year-old boy, and me in putting our credibility on the line on a weekly basis.

Every week, we will give score predictions for each of the 10 Premier League games, with a correct scoreline gaining three points and a correct result gaining one point. To make things more interesting, there will be a bonus point if a player is the only one to get a scoreline or result correct. You’ll be able to see the standings from next week.

We will have a different subscriber each week, chosen from those who have replied with their interest (see here for how to get involved and for other general information), but I will be a constant throughout the season until May, along with the algorithm and, of course, six-year-old Wilfred.The more I talk about this, the more convinced I am that The Athletic are setting me up for a fall here, exposing not only my inability to predict the outcome of football matches but, even worse, my blatant bias against your team.Ah, let’s brush away these pangs of insecurity. Three hundred and eighty Premier League matches lie ahead of us from now to May 24, so let’s get cracking.For the opening weekend, the subscribers will be represented by Vaageesh, a Manchester United supporter who hails from Chennai, India. Will he tip his beloved team to hit the ground running against Arsenal? Will any of us? This is already causing me more stress than I thought it would…

Our subscriber’s match of the week

Manchester United vs Arsenal, Sunday 4.30pm BST/11.30am ET

Vaageesh says: “I don’t have much time; I’m writing this moments after entrapping my battling optimistic and pessimistic selves in a bunker. Here’s the rationale: Manchester United’s ability in transition will cancel out Arsenal’s confidence when in possession and neither will quite have the fluidity required to pull ahead despite the fact that both teams seem to have improved over the summer.”

Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal

Oli says: I’m old enough to remember Arsenal, as champions, being obliterated on the opening day in 1989-90 by a new-look Manchester United team, for whom it proved a classic false dawn. United’s prospective new owner, Michael Knighton, was on the pitch beforehand, ball-juggling and blowing kisses to the crowd, and Neil Webb smashed one in from 25 yards on his debut — wild stuff, honestly (yeah, get on with it, Grandad).If I close my eyes, I can imagine a scenario where something similar happens — this new United front line looks perfect for a balmy Sunday afternoon in August — but… no, not quite. This Arsenal team strike me as too serious to be rolled over on day one. I’ll try not to sit on the fence too often, but I’m going to have to go for a very lively draw here.

Manchester United 2-2 Arsenal

Bryan Mbeumo (left), Benjamin Sesko (middle) and Matheus Cunha (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Oli’s other predictions

Liverpool vs Bournemouth

Oli says: If I describe this as an awkward start for Liverpool, it’s in part because Bournemouth are unconventional opponents. Nobody seems to have it easy against them. I’ll go for a home win, but not a comfortable one. It might be a tight, nervous one, requiring a lively cameo from Rio Ngumoha and a late winner from Mohamed Salah, that kind of thing.

Liverpool 2-1 Bournemouth

Aston Villa vs Newcastle

Oli says: They have both had challenging summers, but stylistically this is one of my favourite match-ups in the league. The past six meetings have seen four wins for Newcastle (4-0, 5-1, 3-1, 3-0) and two for Villa (3-0 and 4-1), and I could see this one swinging violently one way or the other. Which way? I’ll say Villa this time.

Aston Villa 3-1 Newcastle

Brighton vs Fulham

Oli says: Another nice match-up, another that could certainly go either way. Why am I going with Fulham to hit the ground running against a Brighton team I rate? Not sure, but perhaps because of their quiet summer in the transfer market, rather than despite it.

Brighton 1-2 Fulham

Sunderland vs West Ham

Oli says: I’ve missed having Sunderland in the Premier League — or certainly the notion of what Sunderland should or could be. The place will be rocking on Saturday and even though I like the look of a couple of West Ham’s signings, it’s a winnable opening game for Sunderland.

Sunderland 1-0 West Ham

Tottenham vs Burnley

Oli says: I don’t know what to expect from Tottenham this season, but I will at least predict a winning start. Burnley had an outstanding defensive record last season, but facing Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus, etc, represents a step up in class for Scott Parker’s team.

Tottenham 2-1 Burnley

Wolves vs Man City

Oli says: The Wolves fans I know are all worried after another summer dominated by departures. As opening games go, this looks more likely to intensify the gloom rather than lift it. Manchester City always seem to hit the ground running — Erling Haaland in particular — and I expect that to continue.

Wolves 0-2 Manchester City

Chelsea vs Crystal Palace

Oli says: I don’t know how Chelsea’s Club World Cup exertions will affect them in the long run, but I fancy them to start well. Palace, incidentally, have been slow starters and excellent finishers over the past few seasons. There’s no reason to expect that pattern to continue, but Chelsea away on the opening weekend is tough.

Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace

Nottingham Forest vs Brentford

Oli says: Looking at how the fixtures have fallen, Forest are another team I fancy to start well — at least until the European commitments kick in, which will test their squad depth — whereas I’m slightly concerned for Brentford. I’m expecting a home win and a Morgan Gibbs-White goal, followed by a flamboyant kiss of the badge.

Nottingham Forest 2-0 Brentford

Leeds vs Everton

Oli says: For Leeds and their fans, this is the perfect opening game, particularly under the floodlights on a Monday night. They didn’t get to enjoy an occasion like this after promotion during the Covid pandemic in 2020, so I’m predicting an utterly wild atmosphere, an exuberant performance, a refereeing controversy, and, ultimately, a Leeds win to round off a lively opening weekend.

Leeds 2-1 Everton

(Top photo: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images; design: Demetrius Robinson)

How players force a transfer, Pulisic and Weah hit back at ‘evil’ ex-USMNT stars
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – MAY 25: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United applauds the fans as he warms up prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Everton FC at St James’ Park on May 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
By Phil Hay
Aug. 14, 2025
1

The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic’s daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox.

Hello! Feigning injury, missing pre-season, downing tools. We’re covering the dark arts involved in convincing a club to sell you. Just don’t bother with an actual transfer request.

On the way:

How footballers force a move
Pulisic beef intensifies
Rooney fires back at Brady
A stone-cold 50-metre lob
Exit strategy: Isak wants to leave Newcastle… but how do players get their way?

Alexander Isak during pre-season training in July (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
I once asked a footballer (best left nameless) why, at one of his previous clubs, he upset all and sundry by submitting a transfer request. “It wasn’t a transfer request,” he replied. “It was a perceived transfer request.”

You can guess the follow-up question: what on earth is a perceived transfer request? “They took it to be an official request, when it wasn’t,” he explained, which sounded suspiciously like semantics to me; a player actively plotting to leave, without saying so formally or quite so explicitly.

Written transfer requests — the unequivocal, black-and-white means by which restless pros can manipulate a move — are less common than you might think. For one thing, submitting a demand in writing risks forfeiting future bonuses or loyalty payments. For two, they’re regarded as small-time. As one agent tells The Athletic’s Stu James: “You’re handing in a letter saying you want to leave. What the hell does that do?”

Stu wrote about the art of manufacturing a transfer in 2021 but he updated his piece when trouble brewed between Newcastle United and Alexander Isak (above), and it’s relevant again in light of the sorry deterioration of that relationship. The Swedish striker has no intention of making another appearance for the Tyneside club. He would sooner sign for Liverpool. But how does he force his way out the door if Newcastle aren’t minded to trade him?

This isn’t new ground, or even close. Cerys Jones went back through the Premier League archives to analyse other high-profile names — Harry Kane, Luis Suarez and others — who effectively went on strike, hoping to be sold. Some who stamp their feet get their way. Others don’t. Stu’s feature is a window into Newcastle’s reality.

Top Stories
The biggest issues facing youth sports? Greg Olsen has strong opinions
NBA 2025-26 schedule release: 40 games I’m looking forward to next season
The epicenter of stalking in sports? Why tennis stands apart
Never get an owner angry
Isak hasn’t done a bad job in employing the tactics suggested by different agents Stu talked to (all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity). Complain of minor injuries? Check. Refuse to travel on a pre-season tour? Check. Down tools, or cast doubt over your commitment to your existing employers? Check. Textbook stuff.

Here’s what those who know the drill had to say about facilitating a contentious exit from a club:

One agent warned: “What you must never do is get an owner angry. Once a billionaire says, ‘He’s not for sale’, you’re dead. You’re ain’t going nowhere because their credibility is on the line.”
A manager with Premier League experience talked about trying to drop a wantaway star down to work with the club’s under-23s: “Then you’ll have the club push back on you and say, ‘He’s an asset, he needs to be involved’. You end up having friction with the club. It’s an absolute nightmare.”
Another high-profile representative said, “Some agents try to force things through that are just ridiculous. And all that happens is that it causes a load of bad feeling, nobody wins. Try to find a solution for everybody.”
But by far the most revealing quote came from David Sullivan, the co-owner of West Ham United. Generally speaking, Sullivan said, coaches want disruptive players out of the building because they “create a terrible atmosphere”. A sulking asset is essentially a bad apple. And in the case of Isak, it might be that fact that grants him his wish.

‘I feel like they’re evil’: Pulisic and Weah bite back on criticism of ex-USMNT players. Again.
USMNT’s Tim Weah and Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah celebrate against Germany in 2023 (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
To say that current USMNT stars are at odds with certain retired U.S. internationals would be the understatement of the day. Tyler Adams tried to be diplomatic about criticism from Landon Donovan and others in an interview with The Athletic this week, but yesterday’s episode of the ‘Pulisic’ series on Paramount+ took the beef up a notch.

One thing to point out first: by any objective measure, the USMNT have done nothing to shield themselves from ex-pro scrutiny. The past couple of years have been miserable, and Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah (above) choosing to miss this summer’s Gold Cup wasn’t going to pass without comment. But blimey, they’re taking it all to heart. Here’s what was said on ‘Pulisic’:

Weah: “Those guys are chasing cheques. And for me, I just feel like they’re really evil. Because they’ve been players, and they know what it’s like when you’re getting bashed. Those are the same guys that’ll turn around and shake your hand, and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day.”
Pulisic: “The most annoying thing, and the biggest cop-out of all time, is when all pundits want to say, ‘They didn’t want it, they didn’t have the heart. Back in our day, we would fight and die on that field’. It’s frustrating.”
Pulisic’s father, Mark: “These guys want clicks. It’s social media, it’s, ‘Subscribe to my channel, listen to my podcasts’, or whatever.”
Quote three is a little ironic coming from someone talking in a docuseries, but here we are. The thing is, I don’t see the former USMNT corps backing down tamely, so where this goes from here is anybody’s guess. National unity with less than a year to a home World Cup? If only.

News Round-Up
A tasty spat has broken out between Birmingham City shareholder Tom Brady and the club’s former head coach, Wayne Rooney. Brady was filmed raising doubts about Rooney’s work ethic in a recent documentary. Rooney hit back on his new podcast, saying the comments were “very unfair” and that Brady didn’t “really understand football that well”.
Barcelona’s board are putting millions of their own money on the line in an effort to get Marcus Rashford and others registered with La Liga. Their salary-cap stress has reached crisis point, again.
The Daily Liverpool: they’re closing in on the signing of 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma in Italy. He’ll set them back £26m ($35.2m).
The Club World Cup was a nice little earner for the squad at Chelsea. After winning the tournament, their players will share bonuses worth more than £10m. But, bless them, a portion is to be donated to the family of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva.
Gimnastic de Tarragona, a Catalan club who play in Spain’s third division, have cancelled the signing of Jose Manuel Calderon…after the defender was caught on camera saying: “I sh** on all dead Catalans.” Calderon apologised, albeit too little too late.
An under-21s match involving Manchester United had to be abandoned after midfielder Sekou Kone suffered a bad head injury. The 19-year-old was taken to hospital but appears to be OK.
Keeping it together: Chevalier and PSG come back from 2-0 down to beat Spurs in Super Cup

TNT Sports
Well, colour us shocked. Paris Saint-Germain ostracise Gianluigi Donnarumma and the first thing the goalkeeper’s replacement, Lucas Chevalier, does is mark his debut in last night’s UEFA Super Cup match by throwing one in this goal, above. That’s football being football.

The evening got better for Chevalier, who saved a penalty in a shootout as PSG picked up their fourth trophy of 2025. They were on the ropes in normal time, trailing 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur with five minutes to go, but something woke them from their slumber.

I’d caution against reading too much into Tottenham’s display because PSG were rusty, as if they were psychologically tearing themselves away from the beaches of Saint-Tropez. That said, for much of the game, there was decent structure to Spurs and their set pieces worked. It was only as they dropped deep in defence of their lead that PSG got a sniff. No early silverware for Thomas Frank, but green shoots all the same.

It didn’t stop Sheffield United sliding out of the Carabao Cup, but I wouldn’t have you missing Gustavo Hamer’s glorious 50-yard finish against Birmingham City last night. Nottingham Forest’s Murillo should sign him up for lessons.

ITV Sport
Around TAFC
On the eve of the Premier League season, I’ll point you towards a rundown of all the coverage you can expect from The Athletic. It’s here and it’s epic. I like the sound of the alternative league table.
There can’t have been many summers in which top-flight English teams threw more money at attacking signings, including Viktor Gyokeres and Florian Wirtz. Mark Carey and Thom Harris have taken a closer look at an expensive trend.
Gyokeres, in theory, should enhance Arsenal’s chances of winning the title. Amy Lawrence sat down for an exclusive chat with their manager, Mikel Arteta.
James Milner is a machine: 39 years old and still at it in the Premier League. This interview with him by Oli Kay is ace.
Fantasy Premier League: once more, the code to our TAFC league for any readers who wish to be part of it. Enter using 30j0f7. We’ve got a few more last-minute tips for you.
Most clicked in Wednesday’s TAFC: the PSG-Donnarumma rift.
And finally…

X / @sportsru
How we chuckled a few weeks back at the footballer in Brazil who re-enacted the Cristiano Ronaldo ‘Siu’ celebration routine and gave himself a gammy leg in the process.

But that self-inflicted wound looks fairly pedestrian when set aside the post-goal backflip attempted by Dynamo Barnaul’s Kirill Mogel in a Russian lower-league match at the weekend. To cut him some slack, the striker hadn’t scored for months but if the crunch was as nasty as it looked, he might not be scoring again for a good while either.

“The acrobatic trick didn’t work out for him,” lamented Dynamo Barnaul’s official website. I’ll say.

(Top photo: George Wood/Getty Images)

How players force a transfer, Pulisic and Weah hit back at ‘evil’ ex-USMNT stars

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United applauds the fans as he warms up prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Everton FC at St James' Park on May 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

By Phil Hay

Aug. 14, 2025

The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic’s daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox.

Hello! Feigning injury, missing pre-season, downing tools. We’re covering the dark arts involved in convincing a club to sell you. Just don’t bother with an actual transfer request.

On the way:

How footballers force a move
Pulisic beef intensifies
Rooney fires back at Brady
A stone-cold 50-metre lob

Exit strategy: Isak wants to leave Newcastle… but how do players get their way?

Alexander Isak during pre-season training in July (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

I once asked a footballer (best left nameless) why, at one of his previous clubs, he upset all and sundry by submitting a transfer request. “It wasn’t a transfer request,” he replied. “It was a perceived transfer request.”

Never get an owner angry

Isak hasn’t done a bad job in employing the tactics suggested by different agents Stu talked to (all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity). Complain of minor injuries? Check. Refuse to travel on a pre-season tour? Check. Down tools, or cast doubt over your commitment to your existing employers? Check. Textbook stuff.

Here’s what those who know the drill had to say about facilitating a contentious exit from a club:

One agent warned: “What you must never do is get an owner angry. Once a billionaire says, ‘He’s not for sale’, you’re dead. You’re ain’t going nowhere because their credibility is on the line.”
A manager with Premier League experience talked about trying to drop a wantaway star down to work with the club’s under-23s: “Then you’ll have the club push back on you and say, ‘He’s an asset, he needs to be involved’. You end up having friction with the club. It’s an absolute nightmare.”
Another high-profile representative said, “Some agents try to force things through that are just ridiculous. And all that happens is that it causes a load of bad feeling, nobody wins. Try to find a solution for everybody.”

But by far the most revealing quote came from David Sullivan, the co-owner of West Ham United. Generally speaking, Sullivan said, coaches want disruptive players out of the building because they “create a terrible atmosphere”. A sulking asset is essentially a bad apple. And in the case of Isak, it might be that fact that grants him his wish.

‘I feel like they’re evil’: Pulisic and Weah bite back on criticism of ex-USMNT players. Again.

USMNT's Tim Weah and Christian Pulisic Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah celebrate against Germany in 2023 (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

To say that current USMNT stars are at odds with certain retired U.S. internationals would be the understatement of the day. Tyler Adams tried to be diplomatic about criticism from Landon Donovan and others in an interview with The Athletic this week, but yesterday’s episode of the ‘Pulisic’ series on Paramount+ took the beef up a notch.

Weah: “Those guys are chasing cheques. And for me, I just feel like they’re really evil. Because they’ve been players, and they know what it’s like when you’re getting bashed. Those are the same guys that’ll turn around and shake your hand, and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day.”
Pulisic: “The most annoying thing, and the biggest cop-out of all time, is when all pundits want to say, ‘They didn’t want it, they didn’t have the heart. Back in our day, we would fight and die on that field’. It’s frustrating.”
Pulisic’s father, Mark: “These guys want clicks. It’s social media, it’s, ‘Subscribe to my channel, listen to my podcasts’, or whatever.”

Quote three is a little ironic coming from someone talking in a docuseries, but here we are. The thing is, I don’t see the former USMNT corps backing down tamely, so where this goes from here is anybody’s guess. National unity with less than a year to a home World Cup? If only.

News Round-Up

A tasty spat has broken out between Birmingham City shareholder Tom Brady and the club’s former head coach, Wayne Rooney. Brady was filmed raising doubts about Rooney’s work ethic in a recent documentary. Rooney hit back on his new podcast, saying the comments were “very unfair” and that Brady didn’t “really understand football that well”.
Barcelona’s board are putting millions of their own money on the line in an effort to get Marcus Rashford and others registered with La Liga. Their salary-cap stress has reached crisis point, again.
The Daily Liverpool: they’re closing in on the signing of 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma in Italy. He’ll set them back £26m ($35.2m).
The Club World Cup was a nice little earner for the squad at Chelsea. After winning the tournament, their players will share bonuses worth more than £10m. But, bless them, a portion is to be donated to the family of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva.
Gimnastic de Tarragona, a Catalan club who play in Spain’s third division, have cancelled the signing of Jose Manuel Calderon…after the defender was caught on camera saying: “I sh** on all dead Catalans.” Calderon apologised, albeit too little too late.
An under-21s match involving Manchester United had to be abandoned after midfielder Sekou Kone suffered a bad head injury. The 19-year-old was taken to hospital but appears to be OK.

Keeping it together: Chevalier and PSG come back from 2-0 down to beat Spurs in Super Cup

TNT Sports

Well, colour us shocked. Paris Saint-Germain ostracise Gianluigi Donnarumma and the first thing the goalkeeper’s replacement, Lucas Chevalier, does is mark his debut in last night’s UEFA Super Cup match by throwing one in this goal, above. That’s football being football.

It didn’t stop Sheffield United sliding out of the Carabao Cup, but I wouldn’t have you missing Gustavo Hamer’s glorious 50-yard finish against Birmingham City last night. Nottingham Forest’s Murillo should sign him up for lessons.

ITV Sport

Around TAFC

On the eve of the Premier League season, I’ll point you towards a rundown of all the coverage you can expect from The Athletic. It’s here and it’s epic. I like the sound of the alternative league table.
There can’t have been many summers in which top-flight English teams threw more money at attacking signings, including Viktor Gyokeres and Florian Wirtz. Mark Carey and Thom Harris have taken a closer look at an expensive trend.
Gyokeres, in theory, should enhance Arsenal’s chances of winning the title. Amy Lawrence sat down for an exclusive chat with their manager, Mikel Arteta.
James Milner is a machine: 39 years old and still at it in the Premier League. This interview with him by Oli Kay is ace.
Fantasy Premier League: once more, the code to our TAFC league for any readers who wish to be part of it. Enter using 30j0f7. We’ve got a few more last-minute tips for you.
Most clicked in Wednesday’s TAFC: the PSG-Donnarumma rift.

And finally…

X / @sportsru

How we chuckled a few weeks back at the footballer in Brazil who re-enacted the Cristiano Ronaldo ‘Siu’ celebration routine and gave himself a gammy leg in the process.

“The acrobatic trick didn’t work out for him,” lamented Dynamo Barnaul’s official website. I’ll say.

(Top photo: George Wood/Getty Images)

What’s new in the Premier League in 2025-26?

BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - AUGUST 08: A detailed view of the new Puma Premier League match ball during the pre-season friendly match between Brentford and Borussia Moenchengladbach at Gtech Community Stadium on August 08, 2025 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

By Cerys Jones

Aug. 15, 2025 12:05 am EDT

Have you missed football?

Probably not, because it never really stopped. But if you were struggling, fear not, because the Premier League is back.

Three hundred and eighty matches, 282 days, 20 teams, endless grumbling about VARs, and almost certainly a new officiating debate that none of us have dreamed up yet are waiting just around the corner, all starting when reigning champions Liverpool host Bournemouth on Friday at 8pm BST/3pm EST.Leeds United, Burnley, and Sunderland are up from the Championship, there are new faces on the pitch and in the technical areas, and, as always, there are a host of minor tweaks, too.his, then, is what you need to know for the new Premier League season.

New laws

The major change (and, whisper it, possibly even a popular one) is the introduction of the eight-second rule, which will already be familiar to those who watched the Club World Cup.If goalkeepers are in control of the ball with their arms/hands for more than eight seconds, they will concede a corner from the side closest to them. This replaces the old law, which was rarely enforced, where goalkeepers could concede an indirect free kick if they held onto the ball for more than six seconds.When the rule was announced by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), it said only four corners were awarded in its trial of the rule, which consisted of hundreds of matches.It is up to the referee to decide when the ’keeper has control of the ball and start the countdown. They will visually count down the last five seconds so it is clear to the goalkeeper what is happening.

There will be no disciplinary action unless the ’keeper repeatedly commits the offence, and they are not penalised if they are starting to or about to release the ball as the countdown ends.

The referee will also not start counting if the goalkeeper is being obstructed by an opposition attacker — if, during the countdown, an opponent pressures the ’keeper, they will concede an indirect free kick.

Teams will be awarded a corner if the opposition goalkeeper holds onto the ball for too long (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

There are also new ‘only the captain’ guidelines on approaching the referee. ‘Normal interactions’ between players and the referee will be allowed, but the guidance is aimed at preventing players from surrounding or mobbing them after big incidents or decisions. Team captains are responsible for helping direct team-mates away from the referee, and anyone who approaches without permission may be booked.The referee may invite the captain over to explain a decision. The hope is that players will know there is an avenue for them to receive engagement with the referee through their captain, but also know they can expect a booking if they approach when they should not.If the captain is the goalkeeper, they can nominate an outfield team-mate before the coin toss to approach the referee instead.Finally, the rules have been tweaked for accidental ‘double-touch’ penalties. If a player scores a penalty kick but accidentally touches the ball twice, they will be allowed to retake it. If they miss, they do not get another chance.

Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez was involved in a double-touch penalty in last season’s Champions League (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

New refereeing tech: semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), announcements, and ‘Ref Cam’

Some might recall that SAOT was on our list last year and was expected to be introduced “from after one of the autumn international breaks”. It actually ended up being introduced to the Premier League in April, so we deem it new enough to make the list again, as this will be the first full season where it is used.

The technology aims to reduce the length of VAR checks by automating parts of the decision-making process. The technology won’t be used for clear offside decisions. However, the old method of ‘drawing lines’ might still be needed in some cases if the technology fails, or if players are blocking the view of the ball or the system’s cameras.

(Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

This happened in March, on the first weekend when the technology was trialled in English football. During Wolverhampton Wanderers’ FA Cup game against Bournemouth, a congested penalty area meant officials could not rely on the technology and there was an eight-minute delay.There will also be more information for fans in stadiums this season. Graphics showing the results of SAOT decisions will be shown on giant screens, and after a trial in the Carabao Cup, referees will make an announcement in the stadium explaining the outcome of all VAR reviews (except for factual offside or onside calls).The league also plans to trial referee-worn cameras, as seen at the Club World Cup. The trial is expected to begin this month and last for around six weeks.The footage can be used as an additional replay angle in broadcasts, allowing fans to see the game from the referee’s perspective. However, no confrontational or controversial moments should be shown.

A new, bigger, UK broadcast deal

More Premier League games will be shown on TV than ever before as the league’s new broadcast deal, agreed back in December 2023 and worth £6.7bn, takes effect.

All games outside the Saturday 3pm blackout will now be broadcast live in the UK. Previously, some Sunday 2pm games were not available to watch live in the UK if they had been moved to that slot due to teams competing in European competition in midweek.

At least 215 matches will be on Sky Sports, and TNT will show 52. Amazon Prime no longer shows any.

Sky will show games on a Saturday at 5:30pm, on a Sunday at 2pm and 4:30pm, Monday and Friday evening games, and the first three rounds of midweek fixtures. Sky’s coverage also includes a new ‘Multiview’ format, which will allow customers to watch up to four games at once on Sunday afternoons.

TNT will show the early kick-off games at 12:30pm on Saturdays, as well as the last two rounds of midweek fixtures.

BBC Sport has highlights rights for all 380 matches.

In the U.S., NBC will show all 380 games, with just under half of them streamed exclusively on Peacock. The remainder will be shown on a main NBC channel or USA Network.

(Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

New broadcast access — including in-game and half-time interviews

Clubs are now obligated to grant more access to broadcasters, including the potential for access to dressing rooms or interviews at half-time or during the match.

Each club will only have to agree to these extra obligations a limited number of times.

At least twice per season, each club must do one of the following:

Allow filming for at least 90 seconds in their dressing room. This could be between the end of the warm-up and start of the match, at half-time, or immediately after the match once the players are back in the dressing room. The club can request that this footage is without audio unless they approve it.
Make a player or manager available for an interview at half-time. This should be no more than three questions, all of which should be positive and related to the match. The interview must be timed so it will not delay the restart.
Make a substituted player, or the manager, available for an interview during the match. This must be by no later than the 85th minute and the interview should be no more than two questions, both of which must be related to the match and positive.

The broadcaster will request this extra access before the fixture and say which of the three options it would prefer, but the club chooses which it plans to provide.

If a club is losing when they were supposed to provide this extra access, they can choose to do it at another match instead.

(Stu Forster/Getty Images)

A new ball — and not a Nike one

Lastly, the official ball has changed. Nike’s 25-year partnership has come to an end and Puma will now supply the match ball.

The German company is already the ball supplier for Serie A, La Liga, the English Football League, and the Carabao Cup. It was in the latter competition that Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta referred to the match ball when dissecting his side’s 2-0 loss to eventual tournament winners Newcastle United in the first leg of their semi-final.

“(The Carabao Cup ball) is very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies differently. When you touch it, the grip is also very different, so you adapt to that.”

(Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Check back for Arteta’s review of Puma’s Orbita Ultimate ball when the season gets underway…

=====RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===

Got some Good BarBQ for your Summer Plans ? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

Wrexham’s revamped home: A (longer) £1.7m pitch, heated dugout seats and goal-line technology

By Richard Sutcliffe

Aug. 15, 2025 12:22 am EDT

With Nathan Broadhead’s club record £7.5million transfer taking Wrexham’s tally of signings to nine, and more additions expected, Phil Parkinson has had a busy summer.

But he’s far from alone at Wrexham in experiencing a hectic close season. Aidan Miller, the club’s strategy and projects director, has overseen a revamp of the SToK Cae Ras designed to nudge the world’s oldest international football ground into the modern era.A new £1.7million ($2.3m) pitch, complete with undersoil heating and new drainage, has been the marquee addition. No one at Wrexham’s Carabao Cup first-round victory over Hull City could have failed to notice just how lush the new surface looked in the August sunshine. Nor how well it played.

The seeding and stitching operation to make Wrexham’s surface compliant with European football’s regulations was only part of an overhaul that included moving both dugouts to the opposite side of the pitch, building a new TV gantry, reconfiguring stands to squeeze in extra seats, erecting two new giant TV screens at one end and taking down the old scoreboard at the other.

Wrexham’s new pitch, as seen before their first home match of the season (Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)

There was also the dismantling of a temporary stand, plus the all-important deactivation of a live electric cable underneath the old Kop, as preparatory work continues ahead of the new 7,500-capacity stand starting to go up, on schedule, in the autumn.To squeeze all this into exactly 100 days between Wrexham staging a promotion party after last season had ended and Tuesday’s cup tie against Hull is impressive. Even more so when you consider the club did not know until beating Charlton Athletic on April 26 when the 20224-25 season would finish — or when their 2025-26 league campaign would start.“We had to do a lot of planning,” explains Miller, who joined Wrexham early in 2025 after almost seven years at Everton, primarily working on the club’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium. “The key thing with the pitch is it would take six weeks to reconstruct it. But two months to grow it.

“If we’d finished third and then not gone up, the window would have been tight. In the end, the opposite happened, where we had an extra three weeks (due to Wrexham clinching automatic promotion). But we’d had to plan for the worst and hope we got the best.”In recent years, Wrexham’s historic home has struggled to keep pace with Parkinson’s upwardly mobile team. Facilities have been improved, such as the installation of new floodlights prior to returning to the EFL in 2023. But, really, it won’t be until the new Kop stand is finished that The Racecourse Ground will truly shine.The changes — which include the installation of goal-line technology — have brought a new sheen to a venue that first hosted a Wales international in 1877.

The newly-installed cameras (Richard Sutcliffe/The Athletic)

“We’ve always said with the sporting side being so successful, then the standards get raised in terms of what is expected,” says Rob Faulkner, Wrexham’s chief business and communications officer, when giving The Athletic a tour of all the changes, including upgraded concourses and hospitality areas.

“A lot of things will go into the new Kop, particularly for the fans and players with top-class facilities, new dressing rooms and so on. But until then, we are trying to catch up as much as we can.”

At one stage this summer, six different projects were being worked on inside The Racecourse at the same time by a small army of workers.

Contractors Cleveland Land Services (CLS) worked around the clock to get the pitch ready, with seeding taking place on June 1 and the stitching in July.

The dugouts were moved across the pitch to the Mold Road Stand, where coaching staff and substitutes will benefit from heated seats in what can be a cold part of the stadium. This has allowed the old dugouts to be converted into fan seating.

Two hundred and 24 seats have been added to the Tech End behind the goal, giving a full extra row at the front of the upper section. The old electronic scoreboard at that end has also gone, so the view of those who stand on the back row will no longer be impeded.

The pitch has been extended in length to allow for rugby matches to be played in the future and also shifted a couple of metres towards the Kop. This meant the new two-level TV gantry had to be situated slightly to the side of its predecessor, to ensure the main camera position remains on halfway.

The new two-level TV gantry (Richard Sutcliffe/The Athletic)

A second gantry has also been built on the opposite side of the ground on halfway, meaning Wrexham now comply with UEFA and Championship (and Premier League) standards regarding a reverse angle camera position.

“It’s a bit like building a house, in that the plumber has to come in before the joiner,” says Miller. “As part of the work, we’ve had all the steelwork in the Wrexham Lager Stand painted. This involved someone abseiling, which meant two blocks of seats had to be taken out each time.

“It was the same with taking down the temporary stand. We removed one section (containing 558 seats) after the Stockport game last season (on March 22) to help with the pitch project.

“The fan zone also went at the same time, allowing us to create a pathway for the contractors to bring in mountains of gravel, soil and so on. We wanted these onsite, meaning we could start straight away the moment we got the green light.”

This also explains why the remaining blocks of the temporary stand were not taken down until late June, several weeks after the season had ended.

Miller adds: “We had work to do around the outside of the site, tidying up the drainage, laying tarmac and a few other things. Only then did we have the space to take down the temporary stand. Coordination was key, in terms of what is the priority — which for us was getting the pitch work going.”

The summer revamp is only the start. A new Kop stand will soon start to go up, with the intention to be ready for The Racecourse hosting the UEFA Under-19 Championship in June 2026.

Barriers obscure the building of the new Kop stand (Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)

It will be the key building block of a stadium masterplan drawn up by Populous, the same firm that designed Arsenal and Tottenham’s new homes, as well as Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, Wembley and The Sphere in Las Vegas.

The initial plan was to house 5,500 fans with the design, then allow another 2,000 to be added. However, a new planning application went in last month for a 7,500 capacity structure and a decision will be made soon by Wrexham Borough Council.

A new electricity substation on University land adjacent to The Racecourse’s main entrance on Crispin Lane has also been constructed.

This will provide power to the three blocks of student flats that sit behind the main stand, replacing the previous substation located towards the back of The Turf pub on the footprint of where the new Kop will stand. As part of this switch, a live power cable running underneath the area was deactivated.

“Until that was done, you couldn’t even start digging,” says Miller. “So, from a big ticket perspective, that’s probably the biggest thing we did this summer.”

As Miller says proudly, this now feels like “a Championship ground”.

(Top photo: Wrexham AFC)

5/24/25 EPL Ends Sun 9 am, US Ladies & Men’s Squads Announced,

May 24, 2025 gatorbest arsenal, football, liverpool, premier-league, sports

It’s the final weekend of play in the European leagues with lots of spots still up for grab for Champions League and European league options – especially in the EPL. Read below for all the breakdowns.

US Men’s Team Roster Set for Gold Cup

So the last major tournament before the World Cup will happen with about 1/3 of the US starters missing due to World Club Cup matches this summer – and of course Pulisic is not coming due to wear and tear this season. (read all about the rosters below)

US Men’s Team Roster

GOALKEEPERS: Matt Freese (New York City FC), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)

DEFENDERS: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), DeJuan Jones (San Jose Earthquakes), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati)

MIDFIELDERS: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew)

FORWARDS: Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Damion Downs (FC Köln), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps), Haji Wright (Coventry City)

TV Games

Wed, May 28

Paramount Plus Chelsea vs Real Bettis (Ricardo) Europa Conference League Final in Poland

Sat, May 31

CBS 3 pm Inter Milan vs PSG UEFA Champions League Final in Munich, Germany

5 pm TBS US Women vs China

Sun, June 1

Fox Sport 1 Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps CC Champions Cup Final

Tues, June 3

TNT, Max, Peacock US Women vs Jamaica

Wed, June 4

2:45 pm Fox Germany vs Portugal – Nations League Semi

Thurs, June 5

2:45 pm Fox Spain vs France– Nations League Semi

Sat, June 7

3:30 pm TNT, Tele US Men vs Turkey

Sun, June 8

2:45 pm Fox Nations League Finals

Tues, June 10

8 pm TNT, Peacock US Men vs Switzerland

June 13 – 29 GOLD CUP MEN

Sun, June 15

6 pm FS1 US Men vs Trinidad Gold Cup

Thur, June 19

6 pm FS1 US Men vs KSA Gold Cup

Sun, June 22

7 pm FS1 US Men vs Haiti Gold Cup

Sun, June 26

TBS, Peacock US Women vs Ireland

Sun, June 29^th

TNT, Peacock US Women vs Ireland in Cincy

USMNT weekend viewing guide: Long weekend, short schedule

Still some things to be wrapped up this holiday weekend. May 23rd – Stars & Stripes

It’s the last weekend of action in Italy, England and Spain, and the Netherlands and Germany have already wrapped up. So it’s a bit of an abbreviated schedule with many places already set, but there is still some action to catch this weekend ahead of the long summer break. Here’s what we’re watching:

Saturday

AC Milan v Monza – 2:45p on Paramount+

Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah also finish their season at home hosting already relegated Monza on Saturday afternoon. Milan will finish no worse than their current ninth place, but can climb no higher than seventh (and would need help for that) so will finish outside of the European spots this season. It’s possible that both Pulisic and Musah could move on from the club this summer, Musah’s playing time has really fallen off down the stretch and Pulisic would reportedly like to learn more about Milan’s plans before committing to a contract extension that would lock him in past next season.

Sunday

Fulham v Manchester City – 11a on Peacock

Antonee Robinson and Fulham sit in tenth place, leading the pack of American’s in the middle of the table. Fulham could hop Brentford for ninth place but will be facing a Manchester City side that need a win to guarantee their Champions League spot for next season. A loss, combined with wins by the trio of teams behind them (Newcastle, Chelsea, and Aston Villa) would push City down to sixth place and the Europa League. Robinson started again last week but has missed alternating matches over the past four matchdays and he was not included in the summer roster that was released on Thursday.

Bournemouth v Leicester – 11a on Peacock

Tyler Adams and Bournemouth sit in eleventh place, one point back of Fulham. Bournemouth’s task is quite a bit easier this weekend as they take on an already relegated Leicester City side. Since his return from injury in mid-October Adams has appeared in nearly every match for Bournemouth, starting most of those. Unfortunately a mid-February through March swoon took Bournemouth out of the running for the top six and they have dropped their last two matches as well but finishing the season with a win against Leicester on Sunday could end things on a more positive note.

Liverpool v Crystal Palace – 11a on NBC

Chris Richards and Crystal Palace are the last of the US trio and are facing Liverpool who will be taking a victory lap for having won the league title. It will be tough work to jump Fulham and Bournemouth into the top ten of the Premier League standings but Crystal Palace already have a Europa League spot for next season thanks to their FA Cup victory which also brought home the first trophy in the clubs 120 year history.

Venezia v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+

Venezia’s loss last weekend combined with wins by both Empoli and Lecce dropped Venezia into nineteenth place, needing a win this weekend as well as loss from Lecce and a loss or draw from Empoli this weekend. Unfortunately, Gianluca Busio and Venezia will be facing fourth place Juventus who also need a win to secure a Champions League spot for next season. Weston McKennie started and Tim Weah came on as a substitute last weekend as Juventus defeated Udinese 2-0 to maintain their narrow lead over Roma and Lazio, either of who could pass Juventus this weekend if they fail to defeat Venezia.

USA

Mauricio Pochettino names 27-man USMNT training roster ahead of Gold Cup
Gold Cup absences are a worst-case scenario for USMNT’s World Cup hopes Jeff Carlisle
Five fringe players who deserve a call-up for USMNT Gold Cup team Jeff Carlisle

IFA’s amazing 2026 World Cup host city posters feature astronauts, cowboys, giant lobsters
USMNT midweek roundup: Freeman, Sullivan, Agyemang in Open Cup

USWNT star Fox on Arsenal’s resilience, facing Barcelona in UWCL final

World

Salah named Premier League Player of the Season
What’s at stake on the final weekend: Titles, cup finals, UCL, relegation
Napoli edge out Inter to win 4th Serie A title
Klopp on booing TAA: So upset I turned off TV
How Arne Slot, Liverpool won the Premier League in 2024-25
Why do fans boo their team, and will it happen again to Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold?
What’s at stake on the final weekend: Titles, cup finals, UCL, relegation
Son ends Spurs drought: ‘Let’s say I’m a legend’

Goalkeeping

1 v 1 – Close Down Attacker – don’t back up
Yes Yann Sommer was that good vs Barca – 10 saves
Sommer tips last shot to save game vs Yamal

June 16th: 9-4 / June 17th: 8-3 12383 Cyntheanne Rd, Fishers, IN $595 Register

Reffing

El Classico Handball or not?
Attacking Player in Wall?

=====RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===

Looking for a good warm meal on the way home from practice at River Road or Badger Field? Getting Ready for a Graduation or other Party? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

Europe’s top soccer leagues: Titles, cup finals, UCL, relegation

Dale JohnsonMay 23, 2025, 06:42 PM ET

The 2024-25 season has entered the closing stages, with the battles for the major honours, European qualification, relegation and promotion reached their conclusion.

Here’s a roundup of what’s at stake and what could be decided in the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLiga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1.

Advertising

This page will be updated through to the end of the European season.

Premier League
Last day: May 25

Title

Liverpool (83) were confirmed as champions on April 27, with four games to spare.

Champions League (6)

CONFIRMED

1. Liverpool (37 games played, 83 points)
2. Arsenal (37, 71)
17. Tottenham (Europa League winners)

Premier League table

	GP	PTS	GD
1 – Liverpool	37	83	+45
2 – Arsenal	37	71	+34
3 – Man City	37	68	+26
4 – Newcastle	37	66	+22
5 – Chelsea	37	66	+20
6 – Aston Villa	37	66	+9
7 – Nottm Forest	37	65	+13
8 – Brighton	37	58	+4
9 – Brentford	37	55	+9

In 2025-26, the Premier League has been allocated five teams in the Champions League due to the performance of its clubs in Europe this season, meaning the top five will qualify for the UCL. Liverpool and Arsenal (71) have booked two of them.

In addition, Tottenham Hotspur won the Europa League, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the final, which earns a place in the Champions League. So the Premier League will have six teams in the UCL and nine in Europe.

All of the top seven are guaranteed European football of some description.

That leaves three spots up for grabs, with five teams battling it out. Manchester City, Newcastle United and Chelsea are holding them right now; Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will try to fight their way into those key positions on Sunday.

Remaining games – UCL race

Team	GW38
CHELSEA	Nottm Forest (a)
FOREST	Chelsea (H)
NEWCASTLE	Everton (H)
MAN CITY	Fulham (a)
VILLA	Man United (a)

Superior goal difference over Villa means Man City only need a point, while Newcastle and Chelsea definitely seal it with a win.

But there’s a big last-day fixture, when Chelsea head to Forest — who need a victory to have any chance.

Newcastle are at home to Everton, Villa go to Man United and Man City are at Fulham.

This is what each team needs for UCL football:

MAN CITY (68, +26)
In short: a point seals it
Win: Guaranteed UCL
Draw: Effectively guaranteed UCL due to superior goal difference over Villa
Lose: Get UCL unless Newcastle, Chelsea and Villa all win

NEWCASTLE (66, +22)
In short: a win seals it
Win: Effectively guaranteed UCL due to superior goal difference over Villa
Draw: Get UCL unless there’s both a winner in Forest vs. Chelsea and Villa win
Lose: Only get UCL if Villa lose to Man United

CHELSEA (66, +20)
In short: a win seals it
Win: Effectively guaranteed UCL due to superior goal difference over Villa
Draw: Get UCL unless both Newcastle win/draw and Villa win
Lose: Only get UCL if Villa lose to Man United and Newcastle lose by a greater margin (than Chelsea) of four goals

ASTON VILLA (66, +9)
In short: a draw could do it, but really they must win and hope another result goes their way
Win: Get UCL if one of Man City lose, Newcastle lose/draw or Chelsea lose/draw
Draw: Get UCL if Newcastle lose
Lose: Cannot get UCL

NOTTINGHAM FOREST (65, +12)
In short: must win and hope another result goes their way
Win: Get UCL if one of Newcastle draw/lose or Aston Villa draw/lose
Draw: Cannot get UCL
Lose: Cannot get UCL

Europa League (2)

CONFIRMED

12. Crystal Palace (FA Cup winners)

As it stands, sixth (Aston Villa) will enter the Europa League by league position, and it will go to one of those teams in the Champions League section.

Editor’s Picks

With one game to go, find out how the European places work in the Premier League1dDale Johnson
Clásico kits: Barcelona, Real Madrid’s all-time best, worst jerseys16dAlex Kirkland and Sam Marsden
Champions League final: Inter or PSG? Our experts make their picks16dMultiple contributors

Sixth are joined by the FA Cup winners, Crystal Palace. (stream a replay on ESPN+ in the U.S.)

If Chelsea win the Conference League — they are in the final vs. Real Betis on Wednesday — they are guaranteed at least a place in the Europa League, but will play in the Champions League if they finish in the top five. Their final position could also influence the allocation of European places.

There is a way for seventh to get a place in the Europa League. This requires:

1) Newcastle to finish in the top five
2) Chelsea to finish sixth
3) Chelsea to win the Conference League

In this scenario, there would be no English club in the Conference League, but three in the Europa League.

How Manchester United can recruit for the rebuild

Mark Ogden talks about Manchester United’s recruitment approach to improve the squad for next season under Ruben Amorim.

Conference League (1)

Newcastle are guaranteed at least a place in the Conference League playoff round, as they won the Carabao Cup. But if Newcastle finish in the top six, which is almost certain, to play in the UCL or UEL, the Conference League place goes to seventh.

Eighth can still take the Conference League place, which requires:

1) Chelsea to finish seventh
2) Chelsea to win the Conference League

It’s also possible if Chelsea finish sixth and Newcastle are seventh, but that is now highly improbable.

After Tuesday night’s results, we now know exactly what needs to happen for eighth (and that means 10 Premier League teams) to get into Europe. And it really is possible:

1) Chelsea lose at Nottingham Forest
2) Aston Villa win or draw at Manchester United
3) Chelsea win the Conference League

Brighton & Hove Albion (58, +4) are in command of the place and only Brentford (55, +9) can catch them.

Brighton need at least a point from their game at Spurs on Sunday to secure eighth place. However, if Brighton lose they can get overtaken by Brentford, who are away at Wolves, as the Bees have the better goal difference.

Relegation (3)

CONFIRMED

18. Leicester (37, 25)
19. Ipswich (37, 22)
20. Southampton (37, 12)

Southampton (12), Ipswich Town (22) and Leicester City (25) have been relegated.

Leeds United and Burnley were automatically promoted back to the top flight from the Championship; Sheffield United take on Sunderland in the Championship playoff final on Saturday.

Serie A
Last day: May 25

Title

The tight title race came to a head on Friday when either Napoli (82) or Internazionale (81) could have been crowned champions.

Both won 2-0, with Napoli’s victory over Cagliari ensuring they were crowned champions.

Champions League (4)

CONFIRMED

1. Napoli (38, 82)
2. Inter Milan (38, 81)
3. Atalanta (37, 74)

Napoli and Internazionale have already been joined by Atalanta (74). The fight for the last spot goes to Sunday.

Juventus (67) have fourth place in their own destiny. AS Roma (66) are the closest challengers, while Lazio (65) are outsiders.

Juve must win at relegation-threatened Venezia to be sure of their place in the UCL.

If Juve draw, they can only be overtaken by Roma (because Juve hold the head-to-head record over Lazio), who would have to win at Torino.

If Juve lose, they drop out of the top four with a win for either Roma or Lazio. If Juve and Roma (with a draw) are on 67 points, Juve will be ahead on goal difference — but Lazio could take fourth with a victory.

Lazio are at home to Lecce, another team in relegation danger. Lazio have to win, hope Juve lose and Roma draw/lose.

NB: There is one crazy scenario. If Juve lose 3-0 to Venezia, Roma draw 1-1, and Lazio draw/lose, then Juve and Roma would be level on all tiebreakers. Fourth place would be decided by … a coin toss.

If Inter win the Champions League there will be no impact on the Serie A places.

Europa League (2)

CONFIRMED

8. Bologna (Coppa Italia winners)

Bologna (62)are guaranteed Europa League football after they won the Coppa Italia, beating AC Milan 1-0 in the final.

Fifth place (Roma as it stands) will play in the Europa League by league position, which will also be a battle between Juve, Roma and Lazio.

Conference League (1)

At present this goes to sixth (Lazio), though it will pass to seventh if Bologna finish sixth.

Even so, if Bologna win at home to Genoa on Saturday, and Lazio lose to Lecce on Sunday, then Bologna could be sixth and Lazio seventh — so it would still be Lazio in the Conference League place.

However, if Fiorentina (62, away to Udinese on Sunday), Bologna and Lazio end up level on 65 points, that will be the final order — with Fiorentina in the Conference League spot.

AC Milan (60) cannot qualify for Europe.

Relegation (3)

CONFIRMED

20. Monza (37, 18)

Monza (18) were relegated at the start of this month.

It’s a fierce battle to avoid the last two spots between Venezia (29), Empoli (31) and Lecce (31).

Going into Sunday’s games, Venezia have to win at home to Juve to have any chance, and then hope both Empoli (home to Hellas Verona) and Lecce (away to Lazio) lose to definitely stay up.

If two teams finish level on points for 17th — this can happen if Venezia win and one of the other teams draw — then there will be a one-legged playoff hosted by the team with the best goal difference to stay in Serie A.

In Serie B, Sassuolo and Pisa have been promoted. One of six clubs will also come up through the end-of-season playoffs. Spezia, Cremonese, Juve Stabia, Catanzaro, Cesena and Palermo will take part for the last promotion place. The second leg of the semifinals take place on Sunday.

LaLiga
Last day: May 25

Title

There is one round of games to be played in Spain. (Stream all LaLiga games live on ESPN+, US only)

Barcelona (85) were crowned champions on May 15.

Champions League (5)

CONFIRMED

1. Barcelona (37, 85)
2. Real Madrid (37, 81)
3. Atlético Madrid (37, 73)
4. Athletic Club (37, 70)
5. Villarreal (37, 67)

Like the Premier League, LaLiga will have five teams in the Champions League next season.

Barcelona, Real Madrid (81), Atlético Madrid (73), Athletic Club (70) and Villarreal (67) have already booked their places.

Barcelona celebrate 28th title win with parade

Barcelona celebrate winning their 28th LaLiga title win with an open-top bus parade through the streets of the city.

Europa League (2)

CONFIRMED

6. Real Betis (37, 59)

As Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, the place for the cup transfers to the league — sixth and seventh will enter the Europa League. One place goes to Real Betis (59), but there’s a close race for seventh.

Celta Vigo (52) hold the spot, followed by Rayo Vallecano (51) and Osasuna (51).

LaLiga table

	GP	PTS
1 – Barcelona	37	85
2 – Real Madrid	37	81
3 – Atlético	37	73
4 – Athletic Club	37	70
5 – Villarreal	37	67
6 – Real Betis	37	59
7 – Celta Vigo	37	52
8 – Vallecano	37	51
9 – Osasuna	37	51

The games involving these teams will be played on Saturday.

Celta Vigo go to Getafe knowing it’s still in their own hands: win, and they are in the Europa League.

Vallecano are at home to Mallorca, while Osasuna go to Alavés. If Celta Vigo slip up, Vallecano or Osasuna could take advantage. Vallecano hold the head-to-head record over Osasuna, who can therefore only qualify for the UEL with a victory if both Celta and Vallecano fail to win.

Real Betis are in the Conference League final, with the winners of competition earning a spot in the Europa League, but their performance can’t impact the LaLiga allocation.

Europa Conference League (1)

This will go to eighth place, held right now by Rayo Vallecano, with the same three teams battling it out as noted in the Europa League section. One of the trio will miss out on European football altogether.

Relegation (3)

CONFIRMED

19. Las Palmas (37, 32)
20. Real Valladolid (37, 16)

Real Valladolid (16) and Las Palmas (32) are already down, but the third relegation place is going to be decided on Saturday.

Leganés (37) host rock-bottom Valladolid, so they have a chance.

The only team Leganés can catch is Espanyol (39), who were well clear but have lost their last five matches. The good news for Espanyol? They are at home to Las Palmas, the other relegated team.

Leganés hold the head-to-head record over Espanyol, which means if Leganés get three points they will be safe if Espanyol fail to win.

It’s a very tight race for the two automatic promotion places from LaLiga2 with two games to be played. Levante, Elche, Real Oviedo, Mirandés and Racing Santander are fighting it out. A third team comes up through four-team playoffs.

Bundesliga
League season completed

Title

Bayern Munich (82) won the title on May 4.

Champions League (4)

CONFIRMED

1. Bayern Munich (34, 82)
2. Bayer Leverkusen (34, 69)
3. Eintracht Frankfurt (34, 60)
4. Borussia Dortmund (34, 57)

Bayern and Bayer Leverkusen (68) had already secured their places weeks ago, leaving a three-horse race for the final two spots on the final day.

Borussia Dortmund (57) booked a place on the final day, along with Eintracht Frankfurt (60) who won at Freiburg to cling on to a spot in the top four.

Has Bayer Leverkusen’s golden era come to an end?

Janusz Michallik believes Bayer Leverkusen’s most successful era has officially come to an end.

Europa League (2)

CONFIRMED

5. Freiburg (34, 55)

Only fifth qualified via league placing, with SC Freiburg (55) having to make do with a spot in the Europa League.

For the second successive season, the final of the DFB Pokal (stream LIVE on May 24 on ESPN+, U.S. only) sees a Bundesliga club take on a lower-league side. Last season, Leverkusen beat then-2. Bundesliga strugglers Kaiserslautern.

This time VfB Stuttgart will play Arminia Bielefeld who, incredibly, are in the third division and have been promoted as champions.

The winners of the Pokal will qualify for the Europa League.

Stuttgart finished ninth on 50 points, so there will be no transfer of the place to the league if they win the cup. If Arminia Bielefeld produce a shock win in the final, they are set to play in the Europa League as a second-division club

Conference League (1)

CONFIRMED

6. Mainz (34, 52)

Mainz (52) drew 2-2 at home to Leverkusen on the final day to finish sixth, though as it turned out they could have lost and still taken the Conference League qualifying round spot.

Relegation (2+1)

Two teams are relegated automatically, while third-bottom takes on third place in the 2.Bundesliga in a playoff.

CONFIRMED

17. Holstein Kiel (34, 25)
18. VfL Bochum (34 25)

VfL Bochum (25) and Holstein Kiel (25) are down, with 1. FC Heidenheim (29) unable to avoid the playoff after losing to Werder Bremen on the last day.

In 2.Bundesliga, Hamburg and FC Cologne are promoted. SV 07 Elversberg will face Heidenheim in the playoff. The first leg on Thursday finished 2-2, with the return to be played on Monday.

Ligue 1
League season completed

Title

Paris Saint-Germain (84) secured the title with ease on April 5.

If PSG win the Champions League there will be no impact on the Ligue 1 places.

Champions League (3+1)

France gets three automatic places, with fourth place entering the UCL in the third qualifying round.

CONFIRMED

1. Paris Saint-Germain (34, 84)
2. Marseille (34, 65)
3. AS Monaco (34, 61)
4. Nice (34, 60)

Marseille (65) and AS Monaco (61) sealed the direct spots with a game to spare.

Nice (60, +25) thrashed Brest 6-0 to secure the place in qualifying on goal difference ahead of Lille (60, +16).

Europa League (2)

CONFIRMED

5. Lille (34, 60)

Lille are sure to be in the Europa League.

If PSG win the Coupe de France final on Saturday, a UEL place will pass to sixth-placed Lyon (57). PSG play Stade de Reims, who are 16th and will not finish in a domestic European place. If Reims win the cup, they will be in the Europa League — possibly as a Ligue 2 club.

Conference League (1)

Strasbourg (57) were certain of being in Europe, until they lost to at home to Le Havre on the final day through a penalty in the 99th-minute. That meant they dropped below Lyon, and the only way Strasbourg can now qualify for Europe is if PSG take the Coupe de France — seventh place will be in the Conference League playoff round.

NB: Lyon are provisionally relegated to Ligue 2 on financial grounds, which could affect European allocation.

Relegation (2+1)

CONFIRMED

17. Saint-Etienne (34, 30)
18. Montpellier (34, 16)

Montpellier (16) went down in April.

Relegation for Saint-Etienne (30) was confirmed when they lost at home to Toulouse on the last day. Le Havre AC (34) looked certain to be in the relegation playoff with their game at Strasbourg level in the ninth minute of added time, but the late winner lifted them out of the bottom three and dumped in Stade de Reims (33).

Lorient and Paris FC have secured promotion from Ligue 2, with Metz to play Reims in the relegation/promotion playoff final — the first leg was 1-1 with the second leg on Thursday.

=====RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

What it’s like to watch your son win the FA Cup – by Chris Richards’ parents

Adam Crafton

May 24, 2025Updated 4:06 am EDT

Almost a week has passed since Carrie Richards watched her son climb the Wembley steps to be greeted by Prince William, and raise the FA Cup with his victorious Crystal Palace team-mates.

The rush of adrenaline will take some time yet to subside. So, too, will the beaming pride felt by Carrie and her husband, Ken. They flew in from Birmingham, Alabama, to see their son, the 25-year-old USMNT defender Chris Richards, become only the third American to win the FA Cup — as part of the Palace team that defeated Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Matt Turner, the national team’s goalkeeper, also received a winner’s medal, albeit he was an unused substitute on the day.

“Saturday was the most surreal experience of my life,” Carrie grins, speaking on a video call with The Athletic from the family home. “Seeing the fans walking down Wembley Way… I have never seen anything like it. The stadium was electric. My heart was beating. If I had worn my Apple watch, it probably would have told me I needed to go to the emergency room, from the moment we got there to the moment we left.”

The game itself was a nerve-shredding, nail-eviscerating experience.

Palace had never won a major trophy in their history. This was City’s 14th appearance in an FA Cup final and they had won two of the previous six editions of the tournament. For Palace to win demanded extreme commitment, the players stretching every last sinew in red and blue. It needed supreme organisation, a splash of quality and also a little fortune.

Palace scored the game’s only goal via their talismanic attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, but also survived a red card review against their goalkeeper, Dean Henderson. He subsequently saved a penalty.

Henderson saves Omar Marmoush’s penalty as Richards watches on (Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images)

Carrie says: “Even if we’d been two or three ahead, I don’t I think I would have felt any more comfortable! A few weeks back, we were 2-0 up against City and we still lost 5-2 (in the Premier League fixture).”

Even after Palace survived 90 minutes of ordinary time, the fourth official’s board indicated 10 additional minutes for stoppages. Ken and Carrie blow out their cheeks. “We were counting down every last second,” she says. “I remember seeing we were down to three minutes, but there wasn’t a second where I was like, ‘OK, I can breathe now!’ until he blew the final whistle.”

That was the starting pistol for an explosion of joy and abandon. Carrie, who was seated with the families of the Palace players, says: “Everyone was in tears. Everyone was hugging…”

https://0ed06830be0c4e6b0d1d3a989270c239.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

“High-fiving, too,” Ken interjects. “It was crazy. We were just ecstatic, there were lots of balloons going around.”

The couple took in the scene. Multiple generations of families collapsing into each other on the terraces. Some players appeared to enter a trance; some sinking to their knees, others on their backs, exhausted, while more still embraced joyously. Messages from across the pond flooded into Carrie’s inbox. One photograph in particular, of royalty placing the winners’ medal around her son’s neck, kept coming through.

She says: ‘What’s funny is all my friends were more impressed with him being greeted by Prince William. They were like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ Americans are so fascinated with the royal family!”

Prince William, Prince of Wales, presented the cup to Crystal Palace (Eddie Keogh – The FA/Getty Images)

Richards excelled in the Palace defence, muzzling City superstar Erling Haaland. He made four blocks, 12 clearances and won five duels. Not once did an opponent dribble past him.

Before the game, his parents had sent their usual text messages. Ken says: “I tell him good luck. Trust your instincts, trust what you see, go out, play and have fun.”

Carrie’s message was a little more sentimental. “I was telling him how proud I was. The coach Oliver Glasner told him this opportunity was not a burden, but a privilege. We just wanted Chris to stay in the moment, be present, enjoy every minute, because we knew or had been told that it could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Carrie and Ken’s first pleasant surprise came when arriving at Wembley and seeing their son on the front cover of the match-day programme. As for how the Palace fans feel about him?

“People were walking around with Afro wigs on and American flags,” Carrie laughs. “A whole group (of fans) were in the section of the stadium chanting ‘USA!’ That’s priceless.”

Richards at Wembley (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

For the Richards family, this represented a milestone.

Their collective story is one of devotion and sacrifice. Unseen to the ordinary fan is how families share in the emotional rollercoaster of professional soccer; matchday at the highest level can test emotions, but the journey to the summit requires patience, empathy and no little resilience.

https://0ed06830be0c4e6b0d1d3a989270c239.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

Richards was born into a comfortable household. His mum worked in a managerial paralegal-type role in a law firm, while his dad owned a moving transportation company that helped people with house moves. But when the economy crashed in 2009, and far fewer people moved home, the business went under.

“We lost everything,” Carrie says. “We had to start completely over, from doing very well before to having absolutely nothing. We were definitely pinching pennies every week. I can remember one time even Chris getting in from practice and him handing me a letter that said if we didn’t pay his soccer fees, then he wouldn’t get to play that next week.

“I was so embarrassed. We were just robbing Peter to pay Paul every week.”

In the United States, life as a soccer parent can be exorbitantly expensive. Carrie and Ken say that Chris would often have games either out of state, or far enough away to require a hotel stay. He had two younger siblings who also required attention. “We were an average family and we were struggling to pay it,” Carrie says.

Trips out of town would cost at least $500 for a weekend. Carrie or Ken would often volunteer to drive the passenger van for the team, because that was a way to have the cost of a hotel covered.

“There was another player whose parents could never go, so they would split the hotel costs with us and they would stay in our room,” she says. “I don’t think him quitting was ever a question. For us, it was always just, ‘How are we going to do it?’ rather than, ‘Will we do it?’.”

A young Richards takes on his marker (Carrie Richards)

The family lived in Hoover, Alabama, around 10 miles south of Birmingham. A place where football is king — Hoover High School has 13 state titles — and soccer is seen as a curiosity. “Soccer here is probably the fifth most popular sport,” says Carrie. “It is only now (after the final) some people around us are starting to say, ‘Oh, now I understand what Chris achieved because he’s on the news’.

https://0ed06830be0c4e6b0d1d3a989270c239.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

“A few weeks ago, somebody asked me what I was going to London for. I said: ‘Oh, my son plays soccer in England’. And they’re like, ‘Oh he doesn’t want to play in the United States?’. So I think there’s still a lot of people around here just don’t understand the magnitude of playing in the Premier League.

“They’re like, ‘Oh, you’re going all the way to the UK for a game?’. Yes, the FA Cup is the oldest tournament in history! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

USA 🇺🇸 #CPFC pic.twitter.com/SGMtGrwuGJ

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 17, 2025

On Richards’ arms, he has tattoos of heroes including Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali and Barack Obama, but his first tattoo, written in Roman numerals, is the date he left home shortly after turning 16.

He had not long been cut by FC Dallas when he was offered a place at U.S. Soccer Academy Development club Houston Texans SC. This was a step down to move forwards, playing in a non-MLS academy 10 hours from home.

Chris, his mum admits, was “devastated” when Dallas let him go.

Ken says, “I’m a little old school and I felt like he would do one of two things: he would give up or use it as fuel to push him on. That’s exactly what he did. Sometimes it’s good to have a little disappointment. It built a resilience which helped him as he left home and especially when he later moved to Europe.”

A delighted Richards with team-mate Jean-Philippe Mateta at Wembley (Julian Finney – The FA/Getty Images)

For both parents, letting their eldest boy fly the nest was a wrench. Houston found him a host family, the Eastons, who met Carrie and Ken once before taking in their son. They remain in touch to this day and describe the family as “just amazing”.

“We were thinking that we have two more years to prepare him for life — to learn how to cook, how to make a doctor’s appointment,” says Carrie. “He moved 10 hours away to a family that we’d barely met in a city that we’ve never been to. We were praying for the best.

https://0ed06830be0c4e6b0d1d3a989270c239.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-45/html/container.html

“But he was saying: ‘We’ve got to do this’. So, OK, I’ve got to get on board. It was heart wrenching.

“I cried every day for God knows how long. Every time we went to see him, I would cry when we left. He didn’t even have his driver’s licence yet. Our other son Christian was two, just a little baby, and he was missing his big brother. It was almost like he’d gone to college two years early. We mentally weren’t ready for that.”

Ken smiles. “And there were so many people, family and friends, in our ears, saying, ‘Are you guys going to let them go? You guys are crazy. This is the worst idea you could have!’,” he says.

Carrie continues, “We were second guessing ourselves, asking: ‘Is this the dumbest thing we’ve ever done?’.”

It turned out to be the opposite.

Richards grew in height and quality while in Houston and his team racked up a string of impressive wins, including against the team who had released him. Dallas then invited him back and, after trials at Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim, he was signed by Bayern Munich just as he turned 18.

There were a handful of appearances for Bayern’s first team, as well as loan spells at Hoffenheim, before Palace spent an initial €12million (£10m; $13.5m) on Richards in the summer of 2022. This campaign has been his best yet, starting 28 games in Glasner’s exciting Palace team, particularly coming to the fore in a second half of the season in which Palace have shot up the Premier League table and claimed the FA Cup.

Carrie, Chris and Ken Richards with the FA Cup (Carrie Richards)

“It was very moving at the final to see how much it meant to the people of south London — for him to be a part of something that’s so historic,” says Ken. “He’ll forever be a part of that. Maybe 100 years from now, it’ll be maybe a trivia question: ‘Who’s the American centre-back when we won our first FA Cup?’.”

After the game, there was time for hugs, drinks and photographs at the nearby Boxpark, both with his parents and his girlfriend, who recently gave birth for the first time. His siblings watched from home, with his sister Mackenzie studying at college and younger brother Christian still at school. They sent explanations from across the pond when Carrie and Ken were trying to understand, amid little in-stadium communication, why the game had been delayed for a VAR review of Henderson’s handball outside the penalty area.

But enough about Chris the footballer. What does Chris the person mean to his parents?

Ken pauses, his eyes moistening. “He’s such a good person. Everybody thinks highly of their kids but he really is a great person who cares about other people. He’s very humble, very considerate…”

Carrie jumps in: “He has a really good sense of humor.”

Ken nods: “Yes, he’s funny. There are so many adjectives I can use, but he’s special.”

Carrie says: “He would do anything for either of us, for his siblings. He’s loyal to the friends he grew up with.”

Richards and fellow USMNT player Turner parade the FA Cup around Wembley (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)

As parents of an American soccer player, the next year brings excitement, with a home World Cup on the horizon in the summer of 2026.

“He was injured right before the World Cup in Qatar,” Carrie adds. “Since we had already taken off the time to go to the World Cup, we decided to go over and spend that time with him, because he was not in a good place emotionally at all. So we made sure we were there for him.

“When he was a little boy, he always had these little sticky notes on his mirror: he wants to achieve this or he wants to achieve that. Playing in the World Cup was one one of these. We would be so incredibly proud.”What You Should Read NextHow Crystal Palace won the FA Cup: A tearjerking tifo, lucky cufflinks and Glasner’s masterplanThe most glorious day in Crystal Palace’s history was a long time coming – and a result of meticulous planning

(Top photo: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)

Pochettino uses USMNT Gold Cup squad to send a pointed message

By Paul Tenorio

May 22, 2025

The news coming out of Thursday’s U.S. men’s national team roster release was the names that were missing.

No Christian Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Yunus Musah or Josh Sargent.

The reasons for those absences from this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup vary. McKennie, Weah and Reyna are playing in the FIFA Club World Cup. Musah asked to be excused due to personal reasons. Sargent was a coach’s choice. Robinson has dealt with numerous injuries this season with Fulham and needed a rest. Pulisic requested to get the summer off after playing another 50-game campaign for AC Milan.

“Many people can say it’s really important for us to be all together for the last time (in a tournament) before the World Cup,” Pochettino said. “But always as a coaching staff we listen to the player and then, of course, we take the decision. We have our own idea in everything, but after the consideration … we decided the best for him, the best for the team, the best for the national team is the decision that we made.”

The larger message from Pochettino, though, was clear — both for the players who were absent and the ones that were going to be in camp.

Mauricio Pochettino and Christian Pulisic Christian Pulisic won’t be involved in the USMNT’s Gold Cup quest this summer. (Photo by Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

“The important thing is to provide to the new players the possibility to challenge,” Pochettino said. “And to challenge the possibility to take a place. My first conversation we are going to have on (June 1) when we are all together is: ‘Listen, guys. You have the possibility to defend your place. When you are now in the national team, it is not because you are here to try to replace people that (are) sure that (they are) going to be here. No, you have the possibility to defend your place. How you are going to defend your place, that is the important thing for us. You need to fight, you need to show attitude, the right attitude, but not only that, perform, and be brave, and follow the rules that we set in the group.’

“I think it is really important for us. And of course they need to know that they … are going to compete in a fair way with different people that maybe are not involved today in this squad.”

In other words: Fight like this is your job to lose, not your job to win. Because no one is guaranteed a spot on this U.S. national team.

The performances in March in the Concacaf Nations League finals, when the U.S. lost to both Panama and Canada, left plenty to be desired and room to see more desire from the group. That is what Pochettino seems to be seeking. His praise of Diego Luna’s approach in the last camp was about the RSL midfielder’s passion as much as his on-field play.More on U.S. SoccerNew USMNT, USWNT kits feature classic looks with a nod to an iconic throwbackWith the 2026 World Cup on home soil nearing, the USMNT has one new look, while the USWNT has a complete set that meets a World Cup standard

The names being brought into this camp seem to be a bid to inject more of that into a group that needs it. There are players like Sebastian Berhalter, the son of ex-U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter, who got released by Columbus and Austin and has earned his call-up with his strong form for the Vancouver Whitecaps; Luna, who has spoken often about constantly feeling like he needed to prove himself; and Alex Freeman, the son of a Super Bowl winner who will get a chance to make his national team debut amid a breakout season in Orlando.

“Obviously those thoughts have crossed my mind,” Freeman said when asked last week by The Athletic about a potential USMNT call-up. “It just gives me more to work for, more to strive for. It would be a dream to play for them.”

The value of this Gold Cup could be finding the right mix of hungry players for the World Cup squad in order to offset a core that has at times been considered a “golden generation.” The utility is in creating the right culture within the group.

Pochettino has made clear that he doesn’t care where players play their club soccer. Asked about a handful of European-based players who were not on the team, Pochettino said they are “at the same level as some of the players that are now involved in the roster.”

“My feeling in all these camps — from October, November, January and March — I think many players, they took the chance and deserve again to come back,” he said. “Because they not only performed and behaved well in the camp, after that they kept performing in their teams.”

USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino Pochettino is hoping for a bounce-back summer for the USMNT, a year out from the World Cup it will cohost. (Photo by Erich Schlegel/Imagn Images)

Pochettino continued rolling in his answer, thinking back on a previous question asked. His response spoke plenty about where he thinks this team can improve and the type of players he’s seeking to improve it.

“In a previous question you asked: Is (this squad meant) to punish or say ‘pay attention’ to some players? I think what we want to create in our national team is people desperate to come, but desperate to come to perform,” he said. “To perform means follow the rules, create a good atmosphere, be part of the team. Be able, in every single aspect, (to meet) our (federation) demands … and understand that it’s possible (this could) be the last possibility to be with us. Because (in most windows) we only have time to come to maybe train one, two, three times, then play. One, two recovery sessions and then play. And then go home and maybe wait two months to be all together (again). 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. Is that the culture that we want to create? 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 on the national team. Because we need to create this culture about winning and we need to chase our aim. If we want to be good in one year’s time, we need to think that today is the most important day, because we need to build from today our way to arrive. It’s not to say, ‘OK, I wait, I wait, I wait. No, the World Cup is in one year. It’s in six months. It’s in one month.’ And then it’s late.

“That is why I think it’s important to have (a) different approach. And for us, I think we learned a lot in the last few camps, for sure in March. And I think it is about maybe using a different way to approach this. These opportunities are amazing. We are so motivated, so excited. That is why I am full of energy. We are full of energy working in trying to create a good group that we can feel proud (of).”

After a string of bad results in major competitions, it’s clear something different is needed. If the result of the Gold Cup is that it injects a different and more competitive culture into this U.S. national team, then it will be an incredibly successful tournament.What You Should Read NextUSMNT frustrations boiling over as World Cup clock keeps on tickingExpectations of this U.S. group are growing, especially with a World Cup on home soil. So why does it feel like progress has been stunted?

(Top photo: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

USMNT Gold Cup squad: Pulisic, Musah not the only high-profile absences

By Paul Tenorio

May 22, 2025

The U.S. will be without several regulars for this summer’s Gold Cup, including stars Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and Antonee Robinson.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino named a 27-man roster for camp ahead of this summer’s Gold Cup on Thursday. The U.S. will only be able to carry 26 players into the tournament, with Concacaf’s deadline to finalize the squad on June 4. The U.S. will play friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland before group games against Trinidad & Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti.

Pulisic and Robinson have been given the summer off after long seasons with AC Milan and Fulham, respectively. Robinson has been dealing with several injury issues, including tendinopathy, which caused him to miss the Concacaf Nations League finals in March. If Pulisic plays this weekend for AC Milan, it will be his 120th game for club and country in the past two years.

“Christian and his team approached the Federation and the coaching staff about the possibility of stepping back this summer, given the amount of matches he has played in the past two years at both the club and international level with very little break,” U.S. Soccer sporting director Matt Crocker said in a statement. “After thoughtful discussions and careful consideration, we made the collective decision that this is the right moment for him to get the rest he needs. The objective is to ensure he’s fully prepared to perform at the highest level next season.”

McKennie and Weah (Juventus) and Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund) will also miss the tournament due to commitments with their club teams, which are competing in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.

Other notable names not on the squad include midfielder Yunus Musah, who had an up-and-down season for Milan, and Josh Sargent, who scored 15 goals for Norwich this season in the English Championship.

The absence of so many notable players means the U.S. will go into the summer’s tournament with a mix of players considered to be first-choice regulars, as well as more than a few players trying to break into the squad ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

Despite all of the omissions, there are some positive developments within this team.

USMNT right back Sergiño Dest is back in the mix ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Sergiño Dest is back after tearing his ACL in April 2024, a welcome return for one of the USMNT’s best players. Several others who missed the Nations League through injury — Johnny Cardoso, Malik Tillman and Folarin Balogun — are also back in the rotation.

World Cup veterans Tyler Adams, Matt Turner, Tim Ream, Luca de la Torre, Brenden Aaronson and Haji Wright are also in the team, while veteran center backs Mark McKenzie, Miles Robinson and Chris Richards bolster the defensive options.

Among the notable new names in the mix: Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, the son of former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter; Orlando City right back Alex Freeman, the son of NFL Super Bowl winner Antonio Freeman; Philadelphia Union attacking midfielder Quinn Sullivan; and German-American striker Damion Downs, a 20-year-old who had 10 goals for Koln in the 2. Bundesliga as the club earned promotion to Germany’s top flight.

Interestingly, Pochettino opted for MLS-based strikers Patrick Agyemang and Brian White over Sargent, who started multiple games for the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup. Diego Luna, a standout at the Nations League, will also get another opportunity to make his case for inclusion in the World Cup squad.

The full roster is below:

GOALKEEPERS: Matt Freese (New York City FC), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew), Zack Steffen (Colorado Rapids), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace)

FORWARDS: Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Folarin Balogun (Monaco), Damion Downs (FC Köln), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps), Haji Wright (Coventry City)

Christian Pulisic missing Gold Cup: Bad look for the player, bad break for USMNT

By Paul Tenorio

116

May 21, 2025

Christian Pulisic has long been the tone-setting player on this U.S. men’s national team, a leader by example who has been counted on in the program’s biggest moments.

With just more than a year left to prepare for the World Cup, however, the U.S. will have to work its way out of a major slump without its most important player.

Pulisic will not be a part of the U.S.’s Gold Cup roster, sources confirmed to The Athletic on Wednesday night. The news was first reported by Fox Sports. The 26-year-old winger seemingly wants a break after a long season with AC Milan. He has nursed and played through several slight injuries over the course of the Serie A campaign. The hope is that resting Pulisic in the Gold Cup will give him a better chance at being healthy for next season and, by extension, next summer’s World Cup.

All of that may be true and valid. The demand of an increasingly grueling calendar on players is as under the microscope as ever, and we won’t hear the official reasons for Pulisic’s absence until U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino speaks Thursday.

But it is still a bad look for the player and a bad break for this U.S. team that its best player and face of the program is missing this tournament.

The U.S. is in the midst of a major tailspin. It was knocked out in the group stage at the Copa América last summer and then dumped in the semifinals of the Nations League by Panama in March before losing the third-place game to Canada.

Vibes around this group are alarmingly low. The Gold Cup was meant to be a potential salve to the culture within the team, and the faith of the fanbase around it. Ahead of a home World Cup, it took on even more importance.

It is also the first time Pochettino will get more than a short international window with his Europe-based players. That has real value for a new coach trying not just to instill a system, but also heal the internal mindset and attitude. Pulisic himself called on Pochettino to do that last September.

“Hopefully, he’s someone that’s going to come in and really change the culture around here,” Pulisic said at the time.

Now, Pulisic appears to be opting out of that chance at a cultural reset this summer.

Mauricio Pochettino and Christian Pulisic Christian Pulisic will be a spectator for this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. (Photo by Shaun Clark/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

The U.S. was already weakened by the FIFA Club World Cup this summer. Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, two regular USMNT starters, will be participating in that tournament with Juventus and won’t be with the U.S. Gio Reyna, once an enticing prospect, is struggling for minutes at the club level, but will be with Borussia Dortmund for the Club World Cup, as well.

Yunus Musah, Pulisic’s Milan teammate, will also miss the tournament, sources told The Athletic, meaning the U.S. will be without five players from its supposed “golden generation” this summer.

That doesn’t mean the group will be entirely decimated. Several key players are still expected to be a part of the squad. Left back Antonee Robinson, right back Sergiño Dest, forward Folarin Balogun and midfielders Johnny Cardoso and Malik Tillman, all of whom missed the Nations League debacle, were on the 60-man preliminary roster and are expected to make the squad.

World Cup captain Tyler Adams should also be there, as well as FA Cup winner Chris Richards.

The absence of those other key figures means opportunities could be opened up for players who are trying to make an impression and whose hunger could help this team. The preliminary list included the likes of Diego Luna, a standout at Nations League, and Brenden Aaronson and Alejandro Zendejas, who missed the previous squad and will want to prove a point. (Though Zendejas would not be available if Club America qualifies for the Club World Cup at the end of the month.)

A wildcard may even be able to slip in there if they get a look.

The positive spin on this situation is that the void left behind by one player opens a window for another. But the reality is that there is no replacement for Pulisic. The 2026 World Cup has been touted for some time as a transformative moment for the sport in this country. Pulisic is undeniably the most famous American on the national team. The responsibility that comes with that fame is enormous. For some fans, Pulisic is the national team.

His absence, particularly at this time, hits differently.

When Pochettino was hired last September, he was supposed to be a stabilizer. His sterling resume and global recognition was meant to calm some of the diehard fans that were turning on the program and blaming former coach Gregg Berhalter for all that was going wrong.

One of the benefits of Pochettino’s hire was that it would turn the pressure back onto the players. That has certainly proved to be true. The Nations League was eye-opening. The team looked disinterested. Fans and alumni started to call out a group they felt was complacent and entitled. At the time, Pochettino preached patience.

“I don’t want the people to feel pessimistic,” he said. “Disappointed? Disappointed, we are all. And the fans need to feel the disappointment that we didn’t win. But I don’t want to allow (them) to feel pessimistic, because we have good players. We are going to find a way to perform.”

Since the 2022 World Cup, Pulisic has been one of the few American players that has taken steps forward in his game. He’s become counted on to deliver week-in and week-out at AC Milan, and has mostly done so. Out of any of the so-called “golden generation,” the winger’s play and desire to produce for the U.S. has been evident.

“This team is everything to me,” Pulisic said on Paramount+ after the Nations League losses. “I care so much for this team, for this country. I hope people know that about me. It’s truly an honor to lead this country.”https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHkElrsM6Km/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=540&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com&rp=%2Fathletic%2F6373974%2F2025%2F05%2F21%2Fchristian-pulisic-out-gold-cup-usmnt-impact-pochettino%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A2312.3000000000466%2C%22ls%22%3A778.8000000000466%2C%22le%22%3A1283.8000000000466%7D

It’s hard to argue that his absence from this tournament a year out from the World Cup doesn’t speak just as loudly, though.

One can’t help but think back to something Pochettino said the day he was introduced as the U.S. coach. Asked about the lack of meaningful competitive games before the World Cup, Pochettino pushed back on that notion.

“When I was a player with Argentina, Copa America, World Cup or friendly, it was the same,” he said. “To show that you are the best and win the game for your country, for your pride and everything. Because that is what it means to be competitive. We are going to be focusing on that.”

This Gold Cup was already going to be a test on that competitiveness and desire. That one of its leaders won’t be there is a rough start to the evaluation.

5/10/25 Champ & Europa League Finals set, EPL battle for top 4/6, Pulisic scores, El Classico & Liverpool v Arsenal Sun

May 10, 2025May 13, 2025 gatorbest champions-league, football, indy-11, liverpool, premier-league, soccer, soccer-on-tv, usmnt

PSG & AC Milan advance to Champions League Final

Again Champions League delivered on Tuesday as Barcelona battled Inter Milan to a instant classic 4-3 win in Extra Time at the San Siro. It was scintillating as Milan scored early in ET – and held on to win a second straight spectacular game after tying 3-3 in Barcelona. Rocky Ray Hudson was on the call – so glad this game was on CBS. If you didn’t you must watch this – Barca vs Inter Highlights. Inter’s GK Yon Sommer stood on his head (saves in GK below). It was honestly one of the best games and certainly the Best Champions League game I have ever watched on TV – Hopefully America Watched! Milan will move into the Champions League final vs PSG who easily handled Arsenal 2-0 at home (Highlights) to win 3-0 in aggregate. Its sets up the Final on May 31 at 3 pm on CBS in Germany.
Inter Milan vs. Barcelona:This match on CBS attracted an average of 1.278 million viewers, setting a U.S. record for the most-watched non-final Champions League match in English. Viewership Increase: The complete UEFA Champions League semi-finals averaged a combined 1.25 million viewers, up 50% from last year and 92% from 2017. CBS Sports touted the match as the most-watched UEFA Champions League semifinal in U.S. history.

Inter Milan vs PSG – Champs League Final May 31st
Man United Tottenham Europa League Final
Chelsea vs Real Bettis (Cordosa)

Congrats to the Carmel FC 2014 Blue Boys for Advancing to the Challenge Cup Finals – other CFC teams to advance below.

– 2013 Girls Blue 1 in Challenge Cup
– 2008/2009 Girls Gold in Challenge Cup
– 2014 Boys Gold in Presidents Cup
– 2014 Boys Blue in Challenge Cup
– 2012 Boys Blue in Challenge Cup

Wrapped Up the CYO Regular Season with a Game with Sue Howard at St Luke Catholic-more Ref pics below

Super proud of my Son and former Carmel FC & Carmel High Goalkeeper **Tyler Best** for graduating this weekend from Indiana University with a Double Major in the History (Civil War) & The Classics (Rome & Greece)

TV Games

Wed, May 14

CBS Sports Net, Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Bologna Coppa Italian Final

Sat, May 17

ESPN+? Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City FA Cup Final
Wed, May 21

Paramount Plus Man United vs Tottenham Europa League Final in Balboa, Spain

Wed, May 28

Paramount Plus Chelsea vs Real Bettis (Ricardo) Europa Conference League Final in Poland

Sat, May 31

CBS 3 pm Inter Milan vs PSG UEFA Champions League Final in Munich, Germany

5 pm TBS US Women vs China

Sun, June 1

Fox Sport 1 Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps CC Champions Cup Final

Tues, June 3

TNT, Max, Peacock US Women vs Jamaica

Wed, June 4

2:45 pm Fox Germany vs Portugal – Nations League Semi

Thurs, June 5

2:45 pm Fox Spain vs France– Nations League Semi

Sat, June 7

3:30 pm TNT, Tele US Men vs Turkey

Sun, June 8

2:45 pm Fox Nations League Finals

Tues, June 10

8 pm TNT, Peacock US Men vs Switzerland

June 13 – 29 GOLD CUP MEN

Sun, June 15

6 pm FS1 US Men vs Trinidad Gold Cup

Thur, June 19

6 pm FS1 US Men vs KSA Gold Cup

Sun, June 22

7 pm FS1 US Men vs Haiti Gold Cup

Sun, June 26

TBS, Peacock US Women vs Ireland

Sun, June 29^th

TNT, Peacock US Women vs Ireland in Cincy

USMNT midweek viewing guide: Pulisic, Musah in Coppa Italia final

Plus Haji Wright and Coventry look to rebound in the promotion playoffs to reach the Premier League.

Tuesday

Sunderland vs Coventry, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV: Haji Wright and Coventry lost the first leg 1-2 at home to Sunderland in the Championship promotion playoff semifinal. They’ll have to respond in the away leg to move on to the final at Wembley.

Also in action:

Modena vs Cesena, 2:30p: Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena visit Modena in Serie B.
Palermo vs Carrarese, 2:30p: Kristoffer Lund and Palermo host Carrarese in Serie B.

Wednesday

PSV vs Heracles, 2p on ESPN+ (free trial): Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV host Heracles in the Eredivisie.
AC Milan vs Bologna, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV (free trial): Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and Milan could lift a trophy here in the Coppa Italia final.

Also in action:

Utrecht vs Sparta Rotterdam, 2p: Paxten Aaronson and Utrecht host Sparta Rotterdam in the Eredivisie.
Stockport County vs Leyton Orient, 3p on Paramount+: Charlie Kelman scored both of Orient’s goals in the 2-2 first leg draw in this League One promotion semifinal. Kelman and Orient will need to do better in the away leg if they hope to reach the promotion final with a shot at the Championship next season. Kelman is on loan from Championship club QPR, so he theoretically has a shot at the second tier regardless of the result.
Aberdeen vs Celtic, 3p on Paramount+: Scottish champions Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic visit Aberdeen in the league.
CF Montréal vs Columbus Crew, 7:30p: Patrick Schulte and the Crew visit Jalen Neal and Montréal in MLS action,
DC United vs NYCFC, 7:30p: Matt Freese and NYCFC visit DC in MLS play.
Orlando City vs Charlotte FC, 7:30p: Tim Ream, Patrick Agyemang, and Charlotte visit Duncan McGuire, Alex Freeman, and the Lions in MLS.
Philadelphia Union vs LA Galaxy, 7:30p: Quinn Sullivan and the Union host the Galaxy in MLS action.
Toronto FC vs FC Cincinnati, 7:30p: Miles Robinson, Roman Celentano, Matt Miazga, and Cincy visit Toronto in MLS play.
Austin FC vs Atlanta United, 8:30p: Brandon Vázquez, Owen Wolff, and Austin host the Five Stripes in MLS.
Houston Dynamo vs Minnesota United, 8:30p: Jack McGlynn and the Dynamo host Minnesota in MLS action.
Real Salt Lake vs Portland Timbers, 9:30p: Diego Luna and RSL host the Timbers in MLS play.
América de Cali vs Huracán, 10p on beIN Sports Connect USA, FuboTV, Sling TV, Fanatiz: Matko Miljevic and Argentine club Huracán are on top of Group C in Copa Sudamericana with 10 points from 4 games played. Based on group results so far, this away trip to América de Cali will be their toughest test; América are second with 6 points.
San Diego FC vs Colorado Rapids, 10:30p: Zack Steffen, Djordje Mihailovic, Cole Bassett, Reggie Cannon, Sam Vines, and the Rapids pay a visit to Luca de la Torre and San Diego in MLS.
San Jose Earthquakes vs Inter Miami, 10:30p: Benja Cremaschi and the the Herons visit Niko Tsakiris, Noel Buck, and the Quakes in MLS action.

Thursday

Rayo Vallecano vs Real Betis, 1p on ESPN+: Johnny Cardoso and Betis visit Rayo in La Liga.

USMNT weekend viewing guide: Closing in

With a small handful of matches yet to play, things are getting tight.

By jcksnftsn May 9, 2025, 10:13am PDT 19 Comments / 19 New

There is much yet to play for rolling into the last few weeks of the season with Champions League qualification for American’s still to be sorted out in four of the top five leagues and clubs grasping for safety in Italy and Germany. Here is what you should keep an eye on this weekend:

Saturday

Holstein Kiel v Freiburg – 9:30a on ESPN+

John Tolkin and Holstien Kiel have won two straight matches to pull within a point of Heidenheim who currently sit in the relegation playoff spot. However, things will get tougher this weekend as Kiel face fourth place Freiburg who are looking to hold off Dortmund’s late charge for the final Champions League qualification position.

Fulham v Everton – 10a on Peacock

Antonee Robinson was back in the starting lineup last weekend after a rare respite the prior week. Robinson went the full 90’ in Fulham’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa and he will pass the 3,000 minute mark assuming he starts again this weekend. Fulham are in eleventh place with three matches remaining.

Lazio v Juventus – Noon on Paramount+

Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus drew with Bologna on Sunday and remain in fourth place, tied on points with both Roma and this weekend’s opponent, Lazio. Five points back of third place Atalanta there are four clubs vying for one remaining spot to qualify for Champions League play next season and every point will count over the last three match days.

Bournemouth v Aston Villa – 12:30p on NBC and Peacock

Tyler Adams and Bournemouth defeated Arsenal 2-1 last Saturday for their first ever win at the Emirates. Adams started and went the full 90’ as Bournemouth gave up the opener in the 34th minute but would score two in the second half for the away win. Bournemouth moved into the top ten with the win and now face an Aston Villa side that are one spot, but seven points, ahead of them in the Premier League table.

Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach – 12:30p on ESPN+

Joe Scally and Borussia Monchengladbach played Hoffenheim to a 4-4 draw in a back and forth affair last weekend. Gladbach haven’t won in their past five matches and now face a Bayern Munich side who are celebrating their league title thanks to Bayer Leverkusen’s draw with Freiburg last weekend.

Monaco v Lyon – 3p on beIN Sports

Folarin Balogun received his first league start this year and scored a goal in Monaco’s 3-1 win over Saint-Etienne last weekend as Monaco maintained their one point lead for third place and Champions League qualification. Balogun and Monaco will face Tanner Tessmann and Lyon this weekend who just a few weeks ago looked as though they also had a shot at Champions League play next season but defeats in two of their past three matches have them in seventh place and outside of European qualification altogether with two matches remaining in the Ligue 1 season.

Sunday

Feyenoord v PSV Eindhoven – 8:30a on ESPN+

Richard Ledezma and Malik Tillman started for PSV last weekend as they defeated Fortuna Sittard 4-1. PSV now face third place Feyenoord as they look to gain ground on league leading Ajax who have left the door open just a crack by failing to win in their past two matches. Ajax still hold a four point lead for the league title with three matches remaining but PSV still have something to play for, at least for the moment. Sergino Dest also made it off the bench last weekend picking up a handful of minutes in his first appearance since March.

Tottenham v Crystal Palace – 9:15a on Peacock

Chris Richards and Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest last Monday with Richards starting and going the full 90’ in the draw. Palace will take on a struggling Tottenham side on Sunday before facing Manchester City in the FA Cup final next weekend.

Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund – 9:30a on ESPN+

Gio Reyna did not make it off the bench last weekend in Dortmund’s 4-0 defeat of Wolfsburg. The win pulled Dortmund within a point of Freiburg for fourth place and a shot at Champions League play next season. On Sunday Dortmund will face second place Leverkusen who drew 2-2 with the aforementioned Freiburg last weekend.

Real Betis v Osasuna – 3p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+

Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis went to extra time on Thursday to draw 2-2 with Fiorentina and advance to the Conference League final by defeating the Italian side 4-3 over the two leg semi-final. Betis are also within a point of fifth place Villarreal with the top five qualifying for Champions League. Betis face ninth place Osasuna who are coming off a 4-2 loss to Villareal.

Monday

Venezia v Fiorentina – 12:30p on Paramount+

Gianluca Busio and Venezia drew 1-1 with Torino last Friday to pull within a point of Lecce for safety. Venezia hold a healthy goal differential advantage over Lecce so would secure safety if they are able to make up the remaining point over the final three weeks of the season. They start by facing Fiorentina on Monday who will have some added rest coming off their grueling defeat to Real Betis in the Conference League semi-final on Thursday.

NWSL Week 8 Preview: Buckle Up for More Chaos

Last weekend delivered peak NWSL chaos—stoppage-time stunners, breakout rookie moments, and a history-making sister-to-sister goal. Topping that energy won’t be easy, but if there’s one thing this league guarantees, it’s that every weekend there’s potential for more fun. Here’s what to expect in Week 8!
Saturday, May 10

Chicago Stars FC vs. Washington Spirit – 12:50 PM ET

How to watch: ABC, ESPN+

Chicago held Gotham scoreless last week behind Alyssa Naeher’s brilliance, giving the veteran goalkeeper her 50th career regular season shutout. They’ll be hoping to repeat that performance against the Washington Spirit, one of the most dangerous teams in the league. Washington arrives off a wild loss to Angel City, with Esme Morgan netting a brace, Gift Monday grabbing a goal as well, and Croix Bethune seeing more game time. Expect this one to be tight and physical, with Hatch, Leicy Santos, and Morgan all dangerous in the final third.

North Carolina Courage vs. Orlando Pride – 7:30 PM ET

How to watch: ION

Previously winless before Week 6, North Carolina is now coming off back-to-back wins, thanks to game-winners from Ashley Sanchez in both games and a milestone shutout for Casey Murphy in the most recent. With Kaleigh Kurtz’s ironwoman streak still alive, Denise O’Sullivan anchoring the midfield, and Ryan Williams getting involved in the offense, the Courage are starting to hit their stride. Orlando will look to bounce back after their first road loss of the year. Marta and Barbra Banda remain the heartbeat of the Pride’s attack despite not having scored in recent games, and they lead the league in goals after the 75th minute—so don’t turn the game off early .

San Diego Wave FC vs. Portland Thorns FC – 10:00 PM ET

How to watch: ION

Three wins in a row have San Diego climbing fast, and rookie Trinity Armstrong’s stoppage-time winner last weekend only added to the momentum. With 11 different goal scorers and Kailen Sheridan in top form, the Wave have all the answers. Portland, fresh off a 1–0 win over the reigning champs, continues to lean on young contributors like Jayden Perry and Reilyn Turner. Jessie Fleming opened her NWSL account via PK the week prior—expect more set-piece danger here in a clash between two of the league’s most balanced rosters.

Sunday, May 11

Kansas City Current vs. Bay FC – 12:50 PM ET

How to watch: ESPN, ESPN+

Despite suffering two straight losses, Kansas City remains atop the table thanks to early-season dominance and the fewest yellow cards in the league. Temwa Chawinga is still searching for her next goal, while Debinha and LaBonta pose constant threats. Bay FC enters with Jordan Silkowitz fresh off a PK save and rookie Taylor Huff quietly logging every minute this season. With both teams among the league leaders in shots and corners, expect end-to-end action—and maybe a goal-of-the-week contender.

Seattle Reign FC vs. Houston Dash – 8:00 PM ET

How to watch: NWSL+, Paramount+, Golazo

Seattle handed Kansas City its first scoreless match of 2025 last week behind Lynn Biyendolo’s first Reign goal and clutch saves from Claudia Dickey and return home this weekend to welcome the Dash. Houston experienced defeat last weekend against Racing and before that, a gutsy win over Utah. They now turn to Jane Campbell—who just hit 40 career clean sheets—and sophomore Avery Patterson to keep things on track. With both sides ambitious to make up for a poor start to the season, this one could be a statement win in the making.

5 Reasons to Watch Chicago Stars vs. Washington Spirit

Champions League

Champions League final: Inter or PSG? Our experts make their picks
Inter Milan, Barcelona write new chapter in UCL folklore
Arsenal can’t shake nearly-men tag as PSG’s collective wins out

Man United reach Europa League final, but hardly look up to the task

US

U.S. duo Balogun, Dike net 1st goals since injuries

American Brendan Aaronson wins Championship title with Leeds United – back to the EPL

World

What’s at stake across the top leagues: Titles, cup finals, UCL, relegation
Alonso to leave Leverkusen, Madrid beckons
Bellingham ruled last season’s Clásicos. Can he save Madrid’s title hopes vs. Barça?
Memorable Classico’s
Clásico kits: Barcelona, Real Madrid’s all-time best, worst jerseys
Ancelotti’s Real Madrid limbo explained: Why he could leave, and what comes next
Why Lamine Yamal is already better than Messi in some ways, but still has room to improve

**Catch EL Classico Sun at 10:15 am on ESPN** – Madrid just 4 pts back of Barca for the title with 4 games to go.

EPL

Liverpool’s Salah named Footballer of the Year
Pep: This season ‘most difficult’ of my career
Arteta warns fans: Finding striker will be tough
Liverpool boss Slot ‘disappointed’ by TAA exit
Arsenal Keep or Dump: What must Arteta change this summer in order to win league?
‘Annoyed’ Arteta says best team in UCL ‘are out’
How Liverpool move on from Alexander-Arnold, as Real Madrid move nears

GOALKEEPING

Somner Ruled The Champions League Semis for Inter Milan
Great Saves Gigi for PSG
USL Jägermeister Cup Save of the Round – Round 1
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 8/9
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 7
Goal Kick Technique
How to Throw the Ball Properly

**June 16th: 9-4** / **June 17th: 8-3** 12383 Cyntheanne Rd, Fishers, IN **$595** Register

Reffing

Great to ref with Jacob and his daughter Peyton at Grand Park for Challenge Cup Games Sat.

Got to Ref with a 1st timer Matthew Nelson (L-R) along with TRay and the OBC – at Challenge Cup @ Grand Park

=====RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

Champions League final: Inter or PSG? Our experts make their picks

Multiple contributors

May 8, 2025, 05:00 AM

The 2025 UEFA Champions League final is set: Reigning Italian champions Internazionale will take on French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the finale in Munich.

In a strange quirk, it will the first time in history that the two clubs — both European royalty — will face off in a competitive fixture in what promises to be compelling clash of styles.

PSG secured their spot in the finale after completing a 3-1 aggregate win over Arsenal on Wednesday, in a tie that saw Les Parisiens team ethic come to the fore. Inter, meanwhile, edged Barcelona in what will go down in history as one the great Champions League semifinals.

With all that in mind, ESPN’s team of writers have gazed into their crystal balls to predict which club will be crowned European champions at the Allianz Arena on May 31.

It’s Inter Milan vs. Paris Saint-Germain in the final! How will things play out, and what will be the score?

MARK OGDEN: It’s a really tough call. Two teams chasing a treble, led by experienced, successful coaches in Luis Enrique (PSG) and Simone Inzaghi (Inter), and both sides aiming to overcome recent memories of defeats in the Champions League final — PSG in 2020 and Inter in 2023. It’s also two teams with totally contrasting styles, and they each master their own way of playing.

Editor’s Picks

Arsenal can’t shake nearly-men tag as PSG’s collective wins out2dMark Ogden, +3 More
Inter Milan, Barcelona write new chapter in UCL folklore3dSam Marsden, +2 More
The worst good players: Which elite stars stink at passing? Who can’t dribble or shoot?1dRyan O’Hanlon

So what will it be? The irresistible force of PSG or the immovable object of Inter? The football romantic in me says it will be PSG and their free-flowing attacking style, led by Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué, that will come out on top, but my head says that Inter will have a plan to nullify PSG and that their experience will get them over the line.

Francesco Acerbi‘s stoppage-time equalizer against Barcelona in the semifinal second leg in San Siro might just be a sign that this will be Inter’s year. When a 37-year-old center-back breaks forward to score a center-forward’s goal to save his team — it was Acerbi’s first goal in UEFA competition — you can’t help but think that the stars are aligning for Inter. Inter 2-1 PSG.

GAB MARCOTTI: I kinda expect a pretty tactical final, which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a dull game. Both managers can scheme in different ways to get an edge. On paper, PSG will be fresher because they’re a younger side and because, unlike Inter, they have nothing to play for between now and the final. You’d think Luis Enrique would look to exploit that, but whether he does it by coming out of the gates quickly or later in the game — perhaps after their possession game has tired Inter out — is tough to predict.

Inter boss Inzaghi will feel like he has an edge on set pieces and with his 3-5-2 set-up, which many clubs are unaccustomed to facing. A lot will depend on what the Nerazzurri coach can get out of his midfield and how well they stack up against the trio of João Neves, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz, especially since Hakan Çalhanoglu has been carrying an injury for months.

Beyond that, I imagine this game being decided by X factors such as goalkeeping (we saw Yann Sommer in miracle mode Tuesday night and then on Wednesday, Gianluigi Donnarumma was like “Hold my beer …”) and substitutions. There is so much quality for PSG to call on from the bench — with Warren Zaïre-Emery, whichever forward doesn’t start and, of course, Gonçalo Ramos. But subs are Inzaghi’s thing; few managers in the world spend as much time thinking about them. I can see a low-scoring game. Inter 1-0 PSG.

Leboeuf: PSG deserve to reach the Champions League final

Frank Leboeuf reacts to PSG’s Champions League semifinal victory against Arsenal.

JAMES OLLEY: There was a fearlessness about Inter against Barcelona that will make them dangerous if they can replicate that, especially contrasting with the nervousness PSG showed in the first half of their second leg against Arsenal.

Mark is right in that there are signs this could be Inter’s year, but PSG have the star power to emerge triumphant. Their midfield should prove too strong for Inter to wrestle control of the game away from and PSG have the added benefit of tailoring the next three weeks entirely toward the final, with the Ligue 1 title already wrapped up. I agree with the general consensus here that it will be tight, but I think that man Dembélé will get on the scoresheet and cap a wonderful 2025. Inter 1-2 PSG.

JULIEN LAURENS: Once again, the contrast in style will be huge between the two teams. The youngest team of the competition against the oldest team, the 4-3-3 against the 3-5-2, the intensity against the composure, the 2020 losing finalist against the 2023 losing finalist, the Parisian flair against the Italian tactics: You can’t really do much different than PSG and Inter Milan.

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

They have points in common, too, though: two managers, Luis Enrique and Inzaghi, who built these teams and squads, implementing a definite style but also the right mentality. They never give up, play the right way, have absolute faith in their own ability.

There won’t be much in between them in the final. Paris have been the best team in Europe in 2025 and have the best midfield and front three. But Inter have the best defense, while the two most in-form goalkeepers in Europe are Donnarumma and Sommer. So, what will make the difference? Individual talent, special quality, a glimpse of genius. In that regard, PSG have more to offer. Inter 1-2 PSG.

TOM HAMILTON: This is a flip-of-a-coin match. Defending against PSG sometimes must feel like trying to hold back the tide. Against Inter, it must be like swimming in a calm sea, only to suddenly get ended by a rogue wave.

Inter have done their best impression of Lazarus in this season’s Champions League and the sight of Acerbi appearing on the edge of Barcelona’s box to slice home the equalizer, just seconds after Lamine Yamal had hit the post at the other end, will be one of those enduring snapshots of this year’s competition. Inter have such a sturdy structure and they are a team far more than the sum of their parts. PSG have this brilliant midfield which can push and pull a match, with their lethal batch of forwards looking to pounce at any moment.

You have this wonderful matchup of youth against experience, flair against pragmatism and contrasting formations, all played under the guidance of a pair of outstanding managers. In short, this will come down to fine margins and focus. Logic suggests this is PSG’s year, with Dembélé the outstanding player in the tournament, but this Champions League hasn’t gone to script. Inter 3-2 PSG after extra time.

BETH LINDOP: Inter helped to deliver one of the most entertaining semifinals in Champions League history but, since the turn of the year, PSG have been the best team in Europe and I expect them to have too much for Inzaghi’s side in the final.

They’re among a select group of teams to have made Premier League champions Liverpool look ordinary this season, and their performance across the two legs against Arsenal was mature and measured.

PSG’s squad is stacked with talent and Dembélé is in incredible form at the moment, so I think he’ll be decisive in Munich, providing he’s fully recovered from his hamstring injury. The most impressive thing about the French champions, though, is their tenacity and relentlessness under Luis Enrique. PSG have always had a sprinkling of star quality but too often, in the decisive moments, their mentality has let them down. They’re now a proper team, with every player fighting for each other. Inter 1-2 PSG.

Klinsmann hails Yann Sommer’s heroics in Inter’s semifinal win

Jurgen Klinsmann names Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer as his man of the match after coming up with some huge saves to deny Barcelona.

ALEX KIRKLAND: I agree that it will be very tight, and I think that actually (sorry) it might be a just little bit dull. These finals tend to be incredibly tense, nervous occasions, with both teams focused on not taking too many risks and giving up chances. That’s especially true when they’re between two good, evenly matched sides, as is the case here with PSG and Inter. Four of the past five UCL finals ended 1-0, and even in last year’s 2-0 win for Real Madrid over Dortmund, both goals came late. We’ve been spoiled for entertainment in this year’s knockout phase, so I guess it’s OK if the final isn’t quite as much fun.

I’ve really enjoyed watching PSG this season — especially that silky midfield — and I’d like to see them win. But it’s worth underlining that even in last night’s 2-1 win over Arsenal, an all-round good performance, they still gave up 2.91 xG to an Arsenal team with literally no striker. They also had a fairly rudimentary attacking plan of getting the ball out wide to their wingers, and then hoping for the best. Donnarumma will need to be at his best again, and even if he is, I’d back Inter to edge the game. Inter 1-0 PSG.

SAM MARSDEN: I will take Gab’s point about PSG being fresher and spin it in Inter’s favor. It can sometimes help to be distracted. Inter’s battle for the Serie A title with Napoli will not only provide them with that, but it will also keep them in a competitive rhythm going into the final. PSG now have two inconsequential games in Ligue 1 to come — although the Coupe de France final against Reims on May 24 may serve as a nice warmup — and that gap in intense games can sometimes do more harm than good.

That said, it really does feel like a balanced final between teams with different setups. Everyone expected Real Madrid to beat Borussia Dortmund last year. Manchester City were big favorites against Inter in 2023. There is no clear pick this year. Inter’s relatively unique (at this end of the Champions League) two-striker system could cause PSG problems, but the French side have tons of verve in attack, a decent crop of midfielders and an incredible work ethic.

It’s the old cliché, isn’t it? It will probably come down to the small details: a mistake here, a great save there, a red card … Inter have already won ties without seeing much of the ball against Barcelona and Bayern Munich — who Inzaghi says are the best two teams in Europe — so why not against PSG, too? Inter 2-1 PSG.

ROB DAWSON: Inter did incredibly well to survive three Barcelona comebacks to book their place in the final. They showed unbelievable resilience to score so late on in stoppage-time and then again in extra-time.

But amid all the excitement, they also looked vulnerable. They gave up goals in quick succession and lost their organization a number of times in key moments. Plenty of that is down to the way Barcelona play, but it will also give Luis Enrique and Paris Saint-Germain a lot of encouragement.

It’s been a long season, and the final in Munich will depend a lot on which team turns up with the most energy. For one of them, it might end up being one step too far. PSG look more stable. They weathered a lot of Arsenal pressure over the two legs of their semifinal and had the attacking players to make the most of opportunities at the other end. It should be a tight game, and PSG have the tools to edge it if it comes down to fine margins. Inter 0-2 PSG.

Could Manchester United or Tottenham become the lowest-placed team ever to win a European trophy?

Sevilla's players and members of staff parade with their trophy aboard a open-top bus to celebrate their seventh UEFA Europa League title, in Seville on June 1, 2023. Sevilla won a record-extending seventh Europa League title after overcoming Roma 4-1 on penalties in yesterday's final in Budapest following a 1-1 draw after extra time. (Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP) (Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty Images)

By Will Jeanes The Athletic May 9, 2025Updated 10:55 am EDT

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will contest the Europa League final on May 21, with the winner — alongside picking up a coveted piece of silverware — qualifying for next season’s Champions League and all the financial rewards that come with it.

This has happened despite both teams enduring miserable seasons in the Premier League, racking up unwanted records and winless runs unbefitting of European finalists.

As things stand, Manchester United are 15th and Tottenham are one place below in 16th. Neither team can come higher than 12th and the possibility of finishing just one spot clear of relegation in 17th remains alive for both sides.

The rule change brought in at the start of this campaign which meant no clubs from the Champions League dropped into the Europa League has certainly played a big part in two such teams reaching the final. However, as we shall see, this is still an unusual situation and the victor in the showpiece in Bilbao will join a select group of clubs to have won continental silverware despite having historically poor domestic seasons.

Here, The Athletic talks you through the five lowest-placed league teams to have won a major European trophy.

West Ham United in 2022-23: Finished 14th in the Premier League and won the Europa Conference League

West Ham have the dubious honour of being the lowest-placed team to ever win a major European trophy.

David Moyes’ side triumphed in the second edition of the Europa Conference League (‘Europa’ was dropped from the competition’s name at the start of this season) in 2022-23, despite coming a lowly 14th in the Premier League.

The London club won 14 of their 15 matches in the continental competition and sealed the trophy following a dramatic 2-1 victory over Italian club Fiorentina in the final in Prague, with Jarrod Bowen scoring a 90th-minute winner.

In contrast, they won just 11 of their 38 Premier League matches in 2022-23 — finishing only six points clear of the relegation zone. Their longest winning streak in the league was two games (achieved once) but in the Europa Conference League it was 10 matches.

Bowen strikes late to win the Europa Conference League for West Ham (Photo by Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images)

Moyes’ team won just three away games in the top flight, a figure that they had reached by October 6 in the Europa Conference League. A further juxtaposition was in their overall goal difference in both competitions; it was 26 in the Europa Conference League and -13 in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, their triumph in the Czech capital meant they qualified for the following season’s Europa League. In contrast, Aston Villa, who finished seventh in the Premier League with 21 more points than West Ham, went into the play-off round of the Europa Conference League — UEFA’s tertiary competition.

Should Manchester United or Tottenham finish in their current league positions, then whoever wins the final will replace West Ham as the lowest-placed league team to win a major European trophy.

Inter in 1993-94: Finished 13th in Serie A and won the UEFA Cup

Inter’s 13th-placed finish in Serie A in 1993-94 is the worst in their history and the second-lowest a team has finished domestically while winning a major European trophy.

A topsy-turvy first half of the season resulted in Osvaldo Bagnoli being dismissed as the Italian club’s manager in early February. Inter were sixth in the table at the time of his departure.

Bagnoli was replaced by Gianpiero Marini, who as a player made more than 350 appearances for the club and won the World Cup with Italy in 1982. The new boss oversaw Inter’s win over German club Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, but the two-legged victory coincided with a collapse in league form that saw Marini’s side lose four Serie A games in a row from March 13 to April 2.

They also lost the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final in this period, going down 3-2 to fellow Italian side Cagliari in Sardinia on March 30.

Inter recovered from this slump to beat Cagliari 3-0 in the second leg on April 12 for a 5-3 aggregate victory, with Dennis Bergkamp, Nicola Berti and Wim Jonk scoring the goals at San Siro that sealed Inter’s place in the final.

Bergkamp’s Inter also beat Ian Crook’s Norwich City on the way to winning the UEFA Cup (Shaun Botterill/ALLSPORT/Getty Images)

The triumph was tempered by the fact that the club had been sucked into a relegation battle in what was a remarkably tight Serie A season.

They got away with it, though. Despite failing to win any of their final three league games, Inter stayed up… by one point. Marini’s side finished 13th out of 18 teams and a sign of how close the season was is that Piacenza, who came 15th and were relegated, were just six points off sixth-placed Napoli who qualified for the UEFA Cup (though it was two points for a win at the time).

The two-legged UEFA Cup final, which came either side of Inter’s last Serie A game, was against Austria Salzburg (now Red Bull Salzburg). The Italian club won 2-0 on aggregate (0-1 and 1-0) thanks to goals from Berti and Jonk and in doing so secured the club’s fourth major European trophy after their European Cup triumphs in 1964 and 1965 and their UEFA Cup victory in 1991.What You Should Read Next‘I remember marking Bergkamp at the time and he was taking me to areas of the pitch that I had never been before’Norwich’s 540 minutes of European football put the club on the map. Those involved tell the story of their UEFA Cup run in 1993…

Arsenal in 1969-70: Finished 12th in the First Division and won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Since their 12th-place finish in the English top flight in 1969-70, Arsenal have only registered a worse league position twice — 16th in 1974-75 and 17th in 1975-76.

That 1969-70 campaign did, however, see the London club win their first major European trophy. With Bertie Mee — the man second only to Arsene Wenger for the most games as Arsenal manager — in charge, they put the disappointment of third-round exits in both the FA Cup and League Cup behind them to reach the final of the penultimate edition of the Inter-Cites Fairs Cup; defeating Glentoran (Northern Ireland), Sporting CP (Portugal), Rouen (France), Dinamo Bacau (Romania) and Ajax (Netherlands) to get there.

A 10-game winless run in the league from mid-December to late February threatened to derail Arsenal’s season, but a narrow 1-0 aggregate victory over Rouen in the third round of the Fairs Cup (the second leg was on January 13) provided some much-needed mid-winter confidence.

Bob Wilson, Peter Simpson and Frank McLintock savour Arsenal’s Fairs Cup victory (Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Mee’s team proceeded to thrash Dinamo Bacau 9-1 over two legs in the quarter-finals before defeating an Ajax team containing a 22-year-old Johan Cruyff 3-1 on aggregate in the last four. The Dutch club would go on to win the European Cup (today’s Champions League) in each of the following three seasons.

The final, also played over two legs, was against Anderlecht in late April. The Belgian club won the first match at home 3-1, with Ray Kennedy scoring what would prove to be a vital 82nd-minute goal for Arsenal. Back at Highbury, goals from Eddie Kelly, John Radford and Jon Sammels secured a 3-0 win for the English club and a 4-3 victory on aggregate.

Schalke in 1996-97: Finished 12th in the Bundesliga and won the UEFA Cup

The lowest-placed German team to ever win a major European trophy, Schalke triumphed over Inter in the last two-legged UEFA Cup final in May 1997 to secure their only piece of continental silverware.

An unimpressive Bundesliga season saw the club from Gelsenkirchen collapse from fifth to 12th after winning just one of their last 12 matches, overall barely averaging a goal per game in the league and finishing with a goal difference of -5.

They were much more dependable in Europe, however, defeating Roda (Netherlands), Trabzonspor (Turkey), Club Brugge (Belgium) and both Valencia and Tenerife of Spain to set up the final with Inter.

Schalke’s Jens Lehmann and Mike Buskens sandwich Inter’s Youri Djorkaeff at San Siro (Ben Radford /Allsport/Getty images)

Both teams won 1-0 at home, with Belgian attacking midfielder Marc Wilmots scoring for Schalke and Ivan Zamorano finding the net in the 84th minute for Inter at San Siro in the second leg to force extra time — the first UEFA Cup final to need an additional 30 minutes since 1988.

Neither side could score a golden goal and Schalke won the penalty shootout 4-1, with Ingo Anderbrugge, Olaf Thon, Martin Max and Wilmots all converting for the German club.

Sevilla in 2022-23: Finished 12th in La Liga and won the Europa League

The lowest-placed Spanish side to ever triumph continentally, Sevilla handed Jose Mourinho his first defeat in a major European final when they beat Italian club Roma 4-1 on penalties following a bad-tempered 1-1 draw in Budapest in 2023.

After coming third in their Champions League group and dropping into the Europa League, Sevilla battled their way to the final of UEFA’s secondary competition by winning three of their four two-legged knockout ties by a single goal — including former Tottenham player Erik Lamela’s extra-time winner against Juventus in the semi-finals.

Sevilla’s players celebrate after winning a seventh Europa League (Ferenc Isza/AFP via Getty Images)

Sevilla failed to win any of their last four La Liga games of the season, all of which came after they had secured their place in the Europa League final. As a result, they dropped down to 12th in the Spanish top flight — at the time their lowest finish since coming 20th and being relegated in 1999-00.

However, they more than made up for that by winning the Europa League for a record-extending seventh time (with all of those from 2006 onwards) and qualifying for the following season’s Champions League.

(Top photo of Sevilla’s parade: Cristina Quicler/AFP via Getty Images)

Arsenal missed chances against PSG – but the issues go beyond needing an elite striker

Mikel Arteta coaches Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League Semi-final Second Leg football match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Parc des Princes Stadium, on may 07, 2025. (Photo byIbrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

By Jordan CampbellMay 9, 2025

“Nothing is logical in football,” said Luis Enrique, reflecting on how his Paris Saint-Germain side had survived a precarious league phase and an early Arsenal onslaught in a semi-final second leg in Paris to make this season’s Champions League final.

It was a sentiment also expressed by his counterpart Mikel Arteta, who spoke of tears in the away dressing room and his mix of pride, upset and annoyance at the 3-1 aggregate loss.

Arteta believed the probabilities had somehow evaded the natural end-result by progressing the French champions rather than his Premier League team. Luis Enrique disagreed. Just because Arsenal were able to play in the way they wanted, he argued, did not mean they were superior.

But Arsenal created seven big chances (which Opta defines as “a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score”) across the two games against PSG, three while being beaten 1-0 in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium and four in the Parc des Princes return, outperformed PSG on expected goals (xG) in both matches by a margin of 1.7-1.2 and 3.0-1.7 and dominated territory.

The tides of a two-legged tie contain more nuance than numbers can capture, but they reinforced the sense that Arsenal had delivered part of the performance required to overturn that single-goal deficit from the home leg. The only things missing were the finishes.What You Should Read NextPSG 2 Arsenal 1 (agg: 3-1): Decisive Donnarumma, worthy finalists, Arteta’s set-piece problemParis Saint-Germain saw off Arsenal to book a date with Inter in the Champions League final – The Athletic analyses the action

“When you analyse both games, who has been the best player? The MVP has been the same player — the goalkeeper (PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma),” Arteta said.

“The Champions League is decided in the boxes and it’s won the game for them because obviously today after 20 minutes, and what happened in London as well, the result should have been very different.”

It is rare for Arteta to accept that Arsenal did not do enough to win a game. Based on the logic of statistics, he sees his team dominate most phases of most matches and believes falling on the wrong side of fine margins is what is keeping them at the gates of major honours.

Luis Enrique may believe nothing is logical in football but it was surely obvious to him that the difference between the two teams was the superior end-product of PSG’s players.

Arsenal lack a killer striker, a lesson they were taught by Newcastle United and their front man Alexander Isak in the Carabao Cup semi-finals earlier this season. But they also lack end-product on the wing and in midfield, too, a lesson they were taught by PSG.

Does Arteta recognise that second lesson? Given he believes no team has been better than his in the 2024-25 Champions League and that this setup and personnel delivered a performance worthy of beating PSG, can he diagnose where they are still lacking when his assessment suggests such limited room for improvement?

In the wake of the limp defeat against Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage last season, there was an acceptance that Arsenal, even with Kai Havertz up front, lacked an edge in attack at the top level.

Yet they did not then purchase a striker, wide player or creative midfielder last summer. Arteta instead chose to spend heavily on a left-back in Riccardo Calafiori and a duelling midfielder in Mikel Merino. Merino and Havertz, who was signed the summer before, were both brought in to solve the left No 8 problem but neither looked like the right fit there once they arrived and only improved after moving to a striking position by sheer happenstance.

They can be seen as a misdiagnosis by Arteta, who now appears to have settled on Declan Rice as that left eight, a player initially brought in as a holding midfielder and then shifted to another role too.

Merino has been used as a makeshift forward (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Recalibrating rather than sticking to a failing plan is positive and a sign of humility, but it is understandable why these final few tweaks and additions are proving to be testing.

Arsenal are a side of few sharp joins, which makes pinpointing fault lines difficult. When a squad of hybrid players has been built to fit hybrid roles, how easy is it to identify the missing piece of the jigsaw? Is there even just one piece missing, or are there two or three?

What should have been the final-build phase of the team last year now rolls into another summer, which becomes a critical juncture for Arsenal.

Arteta cannot allow the impressive European displays, or the harsh red cards and injuries that have dogged their Premier League season, to cover his team’s shortcomings. He must accurately diagnose what is preventing Arsenal from taking the final step.

He has done an exceptional job in reshaping an entire club over the past five years but the danger with being chief architect for so long is the potential to become blind to the flaws in your own engineering, unable to see past the original vision.

When Kieran Tierney leaves this summer, every player in the squad bar Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will have been given their senior Arsenal debut by Arteta. How they defend and attack, and who does it, have been entirely shaped by him.

His default over the last two years has been to reinforce the defence and strengthen in midfield rather than indulge in flair and imagination at the top of the pitch. Perhaps it was a natural overcorrection to how this squad’s first tilt at the Premier League title collapsed two years ago on the run-in, but he must surely recognise Arsenal need more incisive players across several positions.

There is a gap up front, and in other areas of attack, where Arsenal do not stack up compared to rivals such as Liverpool and PSG, but they will not be able to address every flaw or upgrade all areas where there is headroom in one transfer window. Completing this team will be a question of prioritising, and diagnosing issues correctly.

Rice looks rueful as Ben White shakes Donnarumma’s hand after the final whistle in Paris (Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images)

The singular conclusion drawn whenever Arsenal are outgunned by another team is that they are missing a striker.

But whether they had a better No 9 or not was not a prescient point in this Champions League elimination.

The opening 25 minutes in Paris, until the sucker-punch of Fabian Ruiz’s deflected goal to make it 2-0 on aggregate, was as perfect a display from Arsenal as Arteta could have hoped for. Bar one or two turnovers and shots left on the shelf, they had PSG in a daze.

Even without a natural striker, Arsenal dominated Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and then created enough big chances to beat PSG. But those opportunities, barring Leandro Trossard’s one-v-one miss in the first leg, did not fall to the player who had been deployed up front.

Some will argue this is an indictment of what they are missing and that a better striker would have provided the movement and link-up play to get on the end of more chances, but the ones Arsenal did produce against PSG should have been enough. It was the individual execution of their supporting cast — plus an inspired Donnarumma — that has stopped them making the final against Inter on May 31.

Trossard and Martinelli — playing in wide forward roles — missed two one-v-one chances in that 1-0 defeat last week. Then in the opening eight minutes on Wednesday, Rice saw a back-post header shave the post, Martinelli had a volley parried away and a Martin Odegaard shot from the edge of the box was terrifically pushed wide by Donnarumma.What You Should Read NextArsenal came close to a Champions League final with an incomplete squad – they need to strengthenMikel Arteta needs the sort of clinical firepower that PSG can call upon – it’s a gap that must be addressed this summer

In the second half, Saka had a curling shot destined for the top corner tipped over and, after scoring to give Arsenal hope of a comeback, he was unable to convert a golden chance when Calafiori’s cross flashed into his path, although Donnarumma’s dive made it a much harder task to keep the ball down.

There will be many who believe that if Arsenal swallow the magic-striker pill, they will automatically become trophy winners again. No doubt, an elite player up front would elevate the team, but football is not as binary as that and the issues with creation and conversion that have arisen over the past two seasons stretch beyond just one position.

Additional firepower is clearly needed but how Arteta diagnoses and treats that requirement will be an interesting sub-plot to the arrival of new sporting director Andrea Berta, who will have developed his own thoughts on the make-up of the squad in recent months.

Perhaps it’s part psychological, though, and now is the time for the signing of a couple of elite specialists in attacking positions to convince the rest of the dressing room that goals are inevitable.

(Top photo: Ibrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Even in defeat, Lamine Yamal proved he has become Barcelona’s main man

MILAN, ITALY - 2025/05/06: Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona seen in action during UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final - 2nd leg football match between FC Internazionale and FC Barcelona at San Siro Stadium. Final score; FC Internazionale 4: 3 FC Barcelona. (Photo by Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

By The Athletic FC PodcastMay 9, 2025Updated 7:02 am EDT

Barcelona’s heartbreaking 4-3 loss against Inter Milan on Tuesday night, which sunk them to a 7-6 aggregate defeat, was a crushing way for their European campaign to end.

Amid the chaos in Milan, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal put on another breathtaking performance, just as he did in the first leg, further solidifying his status as the most exciting prospect in world football.

On Wednesday’s episode of The Athletic FC Podcast, Ayo Akinwolere was joined by The Athletic’s Barcelona correspondent Pol Ballus and Italian football broadcaster Max Callegari to break down what makes Yamal such a special talent. Watch the episode below.

A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on YouTube below or on The Athletic FC Podcast feed via Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Ayo: Pol, let’s give Lamine Yamal some light. This boy is unbelievable. There’s a piece you and a whole heap of other journalists have got out now on The Athletic where you spoke to former managers, agents and coaches from around the global game on what they think this kid can offer.

He already feels like one of the leaders in this team but something I got from that piece was that he doesn’t just dribble for the sake of dribbling, there is already an end product.

Pol: When things were tough against Inter, he was like, ‘Pass me the ball, just pass the ball to me because I know what I have to do’. All the Barca players know that this is how they should approach the game. They know that the chosen one is him. That comes from Pedri, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi, Dani Olmo and everyone else, and these are all world-class players. But they know that there’s no one in that team like Yamal.

That’s what speaks for itself, and that’s what makes him different.

The big stage is what suits him, this tie confirmed it. He likes to be in the spotlight with everyone looking at him, and with San Siro fans booing him. When he came onto the pitch just before the game, his name was chanted and all the fans in San Sirio were shouting, “Boo!” But he just smiled and was like, ‘Yes, get in! Bring it on’.

At this point, it’s impossible to say what he will become because football, as an industry, is so difficult to deal with. It’s going to be down to him and how he handles it, but also how Barcelona handle his career.

He is surrounded by team-mates who understand him and a club willing to make him the star. His impact and progress has even taught the veteran players in the squad, such as Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, and made them understand that the kid is the one. The players in the team know you don’t have to cross the ball to Lewandowski, you have to pass the ball to Yamal now — that’s the changing of the guard.

Max: What was also very good to see at the end of the game was the admiration of the Inter players for Yamal. Marcus Thuram, Federico Dimarco and others went to console him, showing him how they admired his style of play and his incredible personality.

Ayo: What was it like watching Yamal through an Italian lens, Max? Italy doesn’t produce those kinds of players and Yamal at 17 is quite phenomenal. I’d hate to be Dimarco marking him because at half-time, Dimarco looked like he was out of steam. It must be magical to see, especially on a big stage like that.

Max: It is magical. I couldn’t imagine seeing a player like him just a few years after the era of Lionel Messi. I thought we’d need to wait much longer to see another player who could give us the feeling Yamal is giving us now. This is the magic of Yamal, of football. As Pol says, we don’t know where he will arrive, it’s up to him. But we know that he is better than Messi was at the same age and the same stage.

You can listen to full episodes of The Athletic FC Podcast free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube.

(Top photo: Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

4/28/25 Champs League Tues/Wed, Liverpool wins EPL, Wrexham Wins League 1, Europa Thurs 3 EPL teams left

April 28, 2025May 1, 2025 gatorbest arsenal, champions-league, christian-pulisic, europa-league, football, goalkeeping, indiana-soccer, liverpool, mls, nwsl, premier-league, soccer, wrexham

Man I skip 1 week and lots of stuff happened. Awesome Scenes from Anfield as Liverpool clinched the EPL title at home Sat. – my coaching buddy Bill is thrilled!! Christian Pulisic Scored (highlights) Saturday to notch his 50th goal contribution in 2 seasons at Italian powerhouse AC Milan. I will be glued to Fox Sports 1 Wed night 8 pm as Messi & Inter Miami look to overcome a 2 goal deficit at home vs Vancouver in the 2nd leg Semi-Final of the Champions Cup. Awesome story on Bodo/Glimt below – the Norwegian side playing at Tottenham is in their 1st ever Semis of Europa – located just 30 miles from the Arctic Circle they have just 55 thousand people. We’ll see how many yellow toothbrushes get into Tottenham stadium. Games kicking off Thurs 3 pm on CBSSN and Golazo & Para+.

Champions League Tues/Wed, Europa Thurs

We are down to the Final 4 in Champions League Tues with Arsenal facing PSG on 3 pm and Barcelona hosting Inter Milan on Wed @ 3 pm on Wed on Paramount plus. Kind of sux that these games are not going to be on CBS or at least CBS Sports Network – of course they are gonna make us pay to see these games. Anyway lots over coverage below on the game coming up Tues/Wed.

Tues Champions League
Arsenal vs PSG on Para+ 3 pm
Wed Champions League
Barcelona vs Inter Milan on Para+
Thurs 3 pm Europa League on Para+
Athletic Club vs Man United
Tottenham vs Bode CBSSN
Djurgarden vs Chelsea
Real Bettis (Cordosa) vs Fiorentina

We Are Wrexham Wins League One – Back to Back to Back

Cool seeing the scenes from Wrexham as they became the first English team to ever win back to back to back promotions as they won League one – just 3 seasons after being in the lowest pro division in English soccer. The TV show on FX should be really exciting when it comes out following Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney as they chronical the club they purchased 4 years ago. On to the Championship now just 1 league below their aim of the EPL. Stories below…

Indy 11 hosts Detroit City Wed Night 7 pm @ the Mike

Indy Eleven: 1-2-2 (+1) will face Detroit City FC on Wed night 7 pm @ the Mike. Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster. Season, Flex Plan, Group, and Hospitality tickets are available here. For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com.

GoalKeeper Training for Carmel FC Is outdoors
Coach James Pilkington will run sessions on Monday at Shelbourne 6-9 pm and Wed at Badger 6-9 pm. Keep your eyes here for info on the big Summer White Glove GK camp coming June 16-17 in Fishers. More info to come.

Always fun to ref with T Ray and Mike A – at The Girls Showcase this weekend at Grand Park. Got close to 30 miles on the legs reffing this weekend. Of course Nate Sinder’s Brisket was still the highlight of the weekend however. Best in the Midwest!

TV Games

Tues, Apr 29 Champions League

3 pm Par+ Arsenal vs PSG

Weds, Apr 29 Champions League

3 pm Par+, Uni Barcelona vs Inter Milan

7 pm ?? Indy 11 vs Detroit City

8 pm Fox Sport 1 Inter Miami vs Vancouver (0-2) Champ Cup

Thrus, Apr30 – Europa

2:30 pm USA Nottingham Forest vs Brentford

3 pm CBSSN Tottenham vs Bodo

3 pm Para+, Unimas Athletic Club vs Man United

3 pm para+ Real Bettis (Cordosa) vs Fiorentina

3 pm para+ Djurgarden vs Chelsea

10 pm FS2 Cruz Azul vs Tigrees Champ Cup

Fr, May 2

2:45 pm Para+ Torino vs Venzia (Busio)

3 pm Peacock Man City vs Wolverhampton

8 pm Amazon Prime Washington Spirit vcs ACFC NWSL

10:30 pm Gola, Para Seattle vs KC NWSL

Sat, May 3

7:30 am USA Villa vs Fulham (Robinson)

10 am Peaccok Everton vs Ipswich Town

12:30 pm NBC Arsenal vs Bournmouth (Tyler Adams)

2:45 pm Golazo, Para Inter Milan vs Hellas Verona

3 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Real Valladolid

2:45 pm Fox Atlanta United vs Nashville SC MLS

7:30 pm Ion Portland Thorns vs Orlando Pride (Marta) NWSL

9 pm FS1 San Diego vs Dallas MLS

10 pm Ion Utah Royals vs NC Courage NWSL

Sun, May 4

10 am CBSSN Monza vs Atalanta

11:30 pm Peacock Chelsea vs Liverpool

1 pm CBS Gothan FC vs Chicago Stars (Naher) NWSL

2:45 pm Para+, Juventus (Mckinney, Weah) vs Bologna

7 pm Apple TV Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy

8 pm Golazo, Para+ San Diego Wave vs Bay City NWSL

Mon, Tues May 7

2:45 pm Para+, FoxD Genoa vs AC Milan (Pulisic)

3 pm USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Nottingham Forest

Tues, May 6 Champions League

3 pm Par+, Uni Inter Milan vs Barcelona

Weds, May 7 Champions League

3 pm Par+ PSG (1-0) vs Arsenal

7 pm CBSSN Pittsburgh Riverhounds (Dick) vs NYC USL

7:30 pm Para+ Philly Union vs Indy 11 USL

USMNT midweek viewing guide: Johnny in Conference League semis

A fairly slow midweek features Johnny and Betis in the first leg of a semifinal.

Wednesday

FC Barcelona vs Inter Milan, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, Univision USA, FuboTV, ViX: Diego Kochen may be on the FC Barcelona bench as they take on Inter in the first leg of a Champions League semifinal first leg.
Toronto FC vs CF Montréal, 7p on FS2, FuboTV, Sling TV: Jalen Neal and Montréal visit Toronto in the Canadian Championship.
Inter Miami vs Vancouver Whitecaps, 8p on FS1, TUDN USA, FuboTV (free trial), Sling TV, Tubi, ViX: Brian White and the ‘Caps visit Benja Cremaschi and Inter Miami in a Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal second leg. Vancouver leads 2-0 on aggregate.

Thursday

Real Betis vs Fiorentina, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Johnny Cardoso and Betis host Fiorentina in a Conference League semifinal first leg.

Also in action:

Mantova vs Cesena, 9a: Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena visit Mantova in Serie B.
Palermo vs Südtirol, 9a: Kristoffer Lund and Palermo host Südtirol in Serie B.

Champions League

FC Barcelona Vs Inter Milan: An Intense Battle of Giants in the UCL
Thanks to Flick and young stars, Barcelona are fun again as they eye trophy treble
How Mbappé’s arrival made Real Madrid worse, and his exit made PSG better
Inter Milan defensive mainstay ruled out of Barcelona encounter –
Ligue 1 Review | Troubling signs for PSG ahead of Arsenal semi-final
Inter Milan handed major Thuram injury boost ahead of Barcelona clash
De Jong, Lewandowski, Balde: latest Barcelona injury updates for Inter
Arsenal vs PSG predicted lineups, team news, analysis for Champions League semifinal first leg
Brazil Star Tipped To Start Barcelona Vs Inter Milan Champions League Showdown
4️⃣ things to look out for in the Champions League this week
How Premier League teams can qualify for Champions League, Europe this season

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

📊 Mo Salah sets new Premier League record with goal against Tottenham
🔬 The Debrief as Liverpool are crowned Premier League champions
Best Moments That Made Liverpool’s 2024/25 Season One to Remember
‘Congratulations, Liverpool – it took you long enough’
Premier League Glory Sees Liverpool Captain Praise Most Beautiful Club
Bernardo Silva believes Man City’s season cannot be saved by FA Cup or Champions League qualification
Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend
Mo Salah sets new Premier League record with goal against Tottenham

World

Wrexham clinches promotion to EFL Championship, notching third promotion in as many seasons
Ryan Reynold Excited for Wrexham SI
Real Madrid to send Ancelotti off with a proper farewell, will pay his full salary
Carlo Ancelotti to leave Real Madrid and take charge of Brazil
Serie A Table: Insane battle for Champions League, 5 teams within 3 points

Reffing

Official–French Referee Clement Turpin To Ref Barcelona Vs Inter Milan Champions League Showdown
Referee Michael Fabbri’s Penalty Horroshow In Inter Milan 0-1 Roma Clash Condemned As An Error By Italian Refereeing Association Chiefs
Starter Kit New Refs

Shane, and T Ray at The Girls Showcase at Grand Park this weekend

GK

PSG Donnarumma’s weakness under the high ball could be exploited by Arsenal in CL semis
Great Saves Europa League Last Round
Save of the Week NWSL
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 7
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 6
Goal Kick Technique
How to Throw the Ball Properly
6 exercises to protect your Ankles

June 16th: 9-4 / June 17th: 8-3 12383 Cyntheanne Rd, Fishers, IN $595 Register

======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===

Looking for a good warm meal on the way home from practice at River Road or Badger Field? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

Bodo/Glimt: How a team from a small Norwegian coastal town became European semi-finalists

ROME, ITALY - APRIL 17: Players of FK Bodo/Glimt celebrate in front of their fans, after FK Bodo/Glimt defeat Lazio 3-2 in the penalty shootout to progress through to the Semi-Finals of the Europa League, following the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between S.S. Lazio and FK Bodo/Glimt at Stadio Olimpico on April 17, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Tullio Puglia - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

By Elias Burke April 30, 2025 The Athletic

Assessing the Europa League semi-finalists, there is a clear outlier in relation to European success.Manchester United are one of Europe’s most decorated clubs and won this competition in 2016-17. Athletic Club had spent six seasons outside European competition before this term, but they had been a fixture in Europe through the 2010s and reached the Europa League final in 2011-12, beating United en route. Tottenham Hotspur have not won a European trophy since 1984, but reached the Champions League final in 2019. Like United and Athletic Club, Spurs were grouped among the favourites to lift the trophy in Bilbao on May 21. For their semi-final opponents Bodo/Glimt, who knocked out Lazio in the quarter-final to reach the final four, the prospect of European glory is relatively new. As recently as 2017, Glimt were in Norway’s second tier — a footballing galaxy away from Old Trafford, the Stadio Olimpico or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After a season consolidating their position in Norway’s top flight, the club, based north of the Arctic Circle, finished second in 2019 to begin a rapid rise that has seen them become the nation’s undisputed top dogs.

Nikita Haikin saved two Lazio penalties in the quarter-final shootout win (Silvia Lore/Getty Images)

On their way, they collected four out of five Eliteserien titles between 2020 and 2024 and established themselves as a force in Europe, beating a Jose Mourinho-led Roma 6-1 in the 2021-22 Europa Conference League group stage, before thrashing Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic 5-1 over two legs in the play-off round.

This year, they’ve taken another leap, becoming the first Norwegian team to reach the semi-finals of a major European competition. It’s the club’s greatest accomplishment and the outstanding achievement of any Scandinavian side this century.

“Bodo is a small coastal town in the north,” says Lars Magnus Roys, a football journalist for Norwegian broadcaster TV2, based in Bergen. “There’s not really much happening in Bodo other than football. What they’ve done in the past few years has been just remarkable.”

Now they have their sights on Tottenham Hotspur, and what would be their most remarkable feat yet — earning a place in the Europa League final.

Unlike most of football’s recent risers, Glimt’s ascent has not coincided with a takeover from a billionaire or sovereign wealth fund. After yo-yoing between Norway’s second and first divisions for the decade prior, Glimt won promotion in 2017 and implemented a plan to revolutionise their culture and playing style — catching Norway’s biggest clubs with solid practise, not cash injections.

Led by Kjetil Knutsen, promoted to head coach in 2018 after serving as an assistant, Glimt left a counter-attacking style behind and began dominating in the opposition’s half.

“The history of Bodo/Glimt until 2018 is that they were a counter-attacking team,” former assistant coach Morten Kalvenes told The Athletic in 2022. “So what we had to change at the beginning of 2019, to adapt but use that (counter-attacking history), firstly was to press higher as a team. Move the whole team much higher up the field, when the situation required it. When we were forced to defend low, then we defended low, but every week we were constantly looking for the signal where we can go from low to high.”

Inspired by the principles of Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa, Knutsen is renowned in Norway for his “murderball” training sessions, preparing his players physically to carry out the energetic style that has provided the foundations for their success.

Knutsen is inspired by Marcelo Bielsa (Andrea Staccioli/Getty Images)

“Kjetil and I had a few meetings working on the preparation before pre-season,” said Kalvenes. “He told me, ‘No 1: when we do pre-season, I want you to highlight especially one thing, and that is the training culture, the training culture, the training culture’. That meant we raised expectations. We raised the bar in structure, discipline, consistency, everything.

“What I noticed immediately was how the players were in training. I felt that I really liked the attitude of the players, how they were reacting to our coaching, how open-minded they were about the feedback, how — if we are training for one hour — then all 60 minutes are of the same level of intensity. What I mean is that if you do some simple passing drills at the beginning of the sessions, then you get the players as focused even when you’re working on simple details.”

Knutsen’s success did not come overnight, despite these principles in place. After winning promotion from the second tier, Glimt lost four of their first five games in charge, and outside pressure began to grow. Still, the club did not flinch, believing in the style and culture he was building.“It was never, ever a discussion internally,” says sporting director Havard Sakariassen. “The way I see it, if you know something about football, you saw the team was on a really good path. The way we played was much more dominant than the years before. We didn’t manage to score a lot of goals, but we drew a lot of games. It was more, ‘If you go, we all go’. That was the internal thing.This is not a big club with a lot of decision-makers. There is no owner here. Nothing like that. In core, during that period, we were 100 per cent certain Kjetil was the right man — and he knew it.”

A joined-up focus between the coaching team and the recruitment strategy was crucial to the eventual success. Without hordes of cash to hoover up Scandinavian talent set for stardom, Glimt have typically recruited locally.

Only one senior player, goalkeeper Nikita Haikin, who was born in Israel and represents Russia, hails from outside Norway and Denmark. Patrick Berg, their midfield fulcrum and star player, is homegrown and part of a family dynasty. Berg’s grandfather Harald played 12 seasons for his hometown club and won 43 caps for Norway, and his three sons, Runar, Arild and Patrick’s father Orjan, also played for Glimt.

Patrick Berg scored 10 goals for Bodo/Glimt in the 2024 season (Kent Even Grundstad/Getty Images)

There’s never a guarantee of success when signing a player, but recruiting almost exclusively from Scandinavia brings unique challenges. Of the eight permanent signings Glimt have made in the last 12 months, only Jens Petter Hauge has featured for their national team in the past five years. Like Berg, who left for Lens in 2022 and returned six months later, Hauge was re-signed from Eintracht Frankfurt after leaving Norway for a top-five European league and struggling to adjust. Placed within an environment that allows incoming players to settle, it’s no coincidence that Glimt players tend to maximise their talent.

“The logistics are really, really hard,” says Sakariassen. “But the main thing is how you work with people because I know that we recruit good players. We have seen the potential. If they come here and don’t perform well for the first or second month, or everything is new, we still spend the time, and we try to get the potential out of them. We work hard with the people we have, and we believe that when we bring people in, we can help them release their potential. But it’s hard, and everyone is trying to do the same.

“We have a clear way of playing, which makes it easier to recruit players. We play 4-3-3. The demands of each role are really easy to identify, so we look for players with an X factor, players who can make a difference for us in Europe. We truly believe we can develop players and those players can get to their full potential. We need a blend of older players with experience, younger players and those peaking in performance, but they all have to be able to handle the intensity we demand, and that can be hard for older players.

“I think it has a value in itself, in your life, to be able to play at this level in your home town, also with your friends. So I think the culture in the club here is something they really enjoy. Also of course, over the years, we have become competitive in Scandinavia regarding salaries and the business part of it. But I think it has to be rare to be able to play football with your mates at this level anywhere in Europe, and that has a value.”

Time, which allowed Knutsen to thrive in his first job in Norway’s top tier and brought the best out of players who had difficulty with the initial adjustment, is a privilege not often afforded to big clubs in elite leagues. There is some parallel with Athletic Club, whose Basque-only policy emphasises long-term player development, but Ruben Amorim and Postecoglou are under pressure to deliver in Europe after disappointing league seasons at United and Spurs, respectively. As the leading light of Scandinavian football, there is regional pressure to maintain their relative overperformance, but the freedom to operate outside the intense microscope their semi-final counterparts are subjected to has helped their evolution.

“There is pressure around us, but not in the way you see in other clubs,” says Sakariassen. “That pressure is not just something for the club, but also with the players. If you get a lot of criticism, it’s maybe hard to perform. Bodo is 55,000 people, and it’s on another level. So it’s probably easier to get out their potential and have some time here, too.”

Bodo/Glimt fans salute Knutsen after the win over Lazio (Giuseppe Maffia/Getty Images)

“For us, it’s to ride the momentum, and that means that we have to be a performing club all the time. We have to work on that and try to be patient with the players that we have, to have the time to grow. Normally, it takes even the best players that we brought in… like Albert Gronbaek, it took him six to nine months. Hugo Vetlesen, it took him one and a half years before he showed his full self in the team. So patience is definitely a part of it. And luckily, we have people with some patience.”

Gronbaek later became a Denmark international and was eventually sold for €12million (£10m) to Rennes after two seasons in northern Norway. Vetlesen left for Club Brugge in 2023 and made seven appearances in the Champions League this term. While performance in European competition has propelled them into financial parity with Scandinavia’s biggest clubs, there’s an acceptance that when players shine, there will be interest from more affluent and prestigious sides.

Given this success has been under the watch of Knutsen, clubs around Europe have their eyes on the coach, too. He was reportedly on Brighton and Hove Albion’s list before they appointed Roberto De Zerbi in 2022 and had interest from Ajax and Celtic the following summer. As he has been the guiding light through this period, there’s an element of the unknown if he were to leave Glimt, but the club is confident that their culture — akin to Liverpool’s famous “boot room” succession plan — is strong enough to continue rising.

“Of course, Kjetil is one of the key personnel here. But we are very team-driven, also within the coaching room,” says Sakariassen. “Of course, Kjetil will take the decisions at the end, but it’s a kind of a flat structure where everyone is cautious on the pitch. Also, the way we work with the logistics, it’s not one person who makes the decisions; it’s not me who makes the decisions and ‘We do it this way’, we do it together. So I hope that if somebody quits or for other reasons can’t work in the coming year, we are spreading out the knowledge that could be a good and sustainable path into the future.”

The future appears to be in safe hands but all immediate focus is on the Europa League semi-final. Three Glimt players are suspended for the first leg, including Berg, and an injury to starting centre-back Odin Bjortuft in their 3-0 win over KFUM in the Eliteserien could weaken their preferred starting XI further. Glimt have learned to be savvy in European matches and have impressed away from home this season, including in a narrow 3-2 defeat away to United in November. But on the artificial pitch at Aspmyra, they truly fancy their chances against anybody.

“I think we will have the same belief that we had against Olympiacos, Lazio, Twente — it is not an easy way to play Tottenham,” says Sakariassen. “I hope we don’t focus on the occasion, play the game, and dare to be ourselves. Of course, it is a massive game, the interest around the club and the games are massive here in Bodo too, but I hope we have and I truly believe we have all the tools to be brave enough to go out in London and just be Bodo/Glimt.

“The experience that we have gained over the last few years makes us more confident in situations like this. I truly believe in the team and hope we make two great performances against Tottenham. Starting away.”

(Top photo: Tullio Puglia/Getty Images)

Champions League semi-finals: Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of all four contenders

By Mark Carey and Conor O’Neill April 28, 2025 12:10 am EDT

From 36 clubs at the start of the season, just four remain.

After four quarter-finals filled with tension, it is Inter and Barcelona, and Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain who face off in two blockbuster semi-final ties.

While the remaining quartet still represent some of Europe’s heavyweight clubs, there is a refreshing narrative that is guaranteed to occur this year. Arsenal and PSG are still looking to win the competition for the first time in their history while Barcelona and Inter have not lifted the trophy for a decade or more. In a period dominated by Real Madrid and other English powerhouses, a new chapter is imminent.

As things stand, Arsenal edge it as the favourites to lift the trophy with a 28.7 per cent chance of victory per Opta’s Supercomputer. In truth, the margins are paper-thin between the final four — and you could make a strong case for any of the remaining clubs to go all the way.

Where might each tie be won and lost? Allow The Athletic to walk you through the tactical wrinkles for each side, with the added inclusion of a few data nuggets to whet the appetite for this week’s matches.

Arsenal

Forget the Premier League, Arsenal are on a rampage in Europe.

Mikel Arteta’s men were good value for their victory against holders Real Madrid after progressing to their first semi-final since 2009 — showing different sides to their game in and out of possession across both legs.

For all that they have come unstuck against deep defensive blocks in recent seasons, Arsenal’s attacking style is arguably more suited to the Champions League as they face up to teams more willing to go toe-to-toe with them.

With greater space for their wingers to stretch their legs, Arteta’s side have doubled down on width when going forward in Europe. Of the remaining semi-finalists, Arsenal’s 24 per cent share of attacking touches through the middle of the pitch is the lowest.

Bukayo Saka’s return to fitness and form has been unanimously welcomed by Arsenal fans, with the 23-year-old having a crucial impact in Arsenal’s victory over Madrid. His two fouls drawn allowed Declan Rice to steal the headlines with his subsequent free-kick strikes, with a dead-eyed dinked finish at the Bernabeu capping off a pair of memorable performances.

The game in Spain took a different form to the first leg at the Emirates. For long periods, Arsenal set up in their typical 4-4-2 out of possession at the Bernabeu — staying compact to force Madrid into wide areas and rarely through the centre of the pitch.

However, there were plenty of occasions when this defensive shape dropped even deeper.

Such was the strong organisation that Arteta’s side showed out of possession that you could map different sequences dropping into a back five, a back six, a back seven, and even a back eight across the duration of their second-leg victory — with Rice or Thomas Partey dropping between the centre-backs, or Saka and Gabriel Martinelli tracking back to support their respective full-back.

While you would not expect Arsenal to perform in the same way across the entirety of their semi-final tie against PSG, there may be occasions when similar penalty-box defending will be required.

Given the fluid rotations of Luis Enrique’s forward line, Arsenal will need to ensure that they do not break their structure too often across both legs. Fortunately, Arteta’s side thrive out of possession, boasting the second-strongest defensive record across Europe’s top five leagues when looking at their 0.83 expected goals conceded per 90 minutes this season.

Add in the fact that Arsenal kept a clean sheet in their 2-0 victory over PSG during the competition’s league phase in October, and there is reason to be quietly confident of more memorable nights in north London and Paris.

Paris Saint-Germain

A second successive Champions League semi-final is not to be underestimated for PSG, particularly given the context within which Luis Enrique has achieved the feat this season.

A Kylian Mbappe-less PSG is one that is far more cohesive, co-ordinated, and coherent than recent years, and it is clear that this is the closest iteration to Enrique’s ideals — both in and out of possession — since he arrived in the French capital.

A 3-1 first-leg lead over Aston Villa should have made for a straightforward second-leg at Villa Park but Unai Emery’s men gave PSG a scare with some aggressive, direct attacks through the heart of their defence.

“Villa never managed to equalise the tie but for 10 minutes, we wondered whether we could keep the ball, if we could get the ball out of midfield or play long,” Luis Enrique said after the game.

“I don’t think this team has been so dominated by another team in that way, but this opponent has to take risks because they were going out of the competition. They attacked with great intensity and we were playing in front of a great crowd too.”

Many clubs can get swept up in the atmosphere of a Champions League night under the lights but PSG stood firm with some help from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma — and were deserving winners across the two legs.

Luis Enrique will be less pleased about PSG’s out-of-possession performance on that Tuesday evening at Villa Park, particularly when considering it has been one of the strongest parts of their game this season. A co-ordinated high-pressing approach has helped to force opponents to go long when building up as PSG look to regain the ball as quickly as possible and dictate the tempo of the game.

It feels disingenuous to discuss PSG’s defensive approach before acknowledging their incredible technical quality going forward. They might have had a slower start than they would have liked in this year’s Champions League but there is little doubt that they have clicked into gear at the perfect time.

Step off them and they have the technical quality of Joao Neves, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz to pop the ball around you, with any of them dropping outside of the opposition block to kick-start PSG’s progression through the thirds.

Get tight to them and they have the individual quality to make some of Europe’s best look rather ordinary. For context, PSG’s 27.9 take-ons per 90 is more than any other side in the Champions League this season, with one-v-one specialists across the forward line.

It was less frequent at Villa Park but any one of Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will frequently rotate across the forward line and pop up in different positions across the pitch.

Throw in the running power of full-backs Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi — both of whom scored in their quarter-final second leg — to support attacks, and it is often a case of picking your poison when PSG throw bodies forward.

Mendes’ goal was a perfect example of the razor-sharp threat that Enrique’s side possesses. Third-man running, one-touch play and maximum width across the pitch make for a devastating combination.

It is fair to say that PSG were a little undercooked in their October game against Arsenal but Luis Enrique’s men have hit top gear in the months that followed. With a(nother) Ligue 1 title sewn up and a treble-winning season still on the cards, the momentum is with PSG as they look to lift the Champions League trophy for the first time.

Barcelona

A 3-1 second-leg defeat by Borussia Dortmund was an anomalous result for Barcelona.

Their 24-game unbeaten run had ended but a four-goal buffer from the first leg meant that Hansi Flick’s side were never likely to be at full tilt at Westfalenstadion, managing the tie more so than the game itself.

As well as their three strikes, Dortmund had the ball in the back of the net twice more after Pascal Gross and Julian Brandt made deep runs behind Barcelona’s defensive line to race through on goal.

Both efforts were chalked off for offside but the events were a microcosm of Barcelona’s season under Flick with a brave high line.

The numbers to support this are staggering. Barcelona have drawn opponents offside on 68 occasions in the Champions League this season, which is comfortably the most of any team to have made it into the knockout phase. For context, Aston Villa are the second-highest on the list with 34 — exactly half the number with the same number of games played.

With an average defensive line height of 33.7 metres — the highest of any side to make it to the knockout phase — Barcelona’s choreographed approach out of possession has been highly refined under Flick.

That being said, there are signs that such an approach is fallible. With Ronald Araujo coming into Flick’s defence against Dortmund, Barcelona fans must still wince when watching the bravery that is required to play such a high line.

That approach will gain increased focus against Inter’s attacking duo of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram. While neither has blistering pace to run in behind, their neat combination play is enough to worry any defence in European football.

Of course, Barcelona’s strengths far outweigh any weaknesses under Flick as they push for another historic treble. Going forward, the versatility that they offer makes them perfectly suited to knockout football — resembling Luis de la Fuente’s Spain national team during their winning Euro 2024 campaign.

On the one hand, Flick’s side are one of the teams most likely to play nine-plus passes per sequence in the competition, regularly circulating possession with the technical quality of Pedri, Frenkie De Jong, and (earlier in the competition) Marc Casado.

However, do not be fooled into thinking Barcelona simply pass teams into submission. The pacy threat and tireless running of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha means that Flick’s side can punish you in transitional moments.

Eight of their goals in the Champions League this season have come from direct attacks, the most of any side in the competition. They might not employ it as frequently as others — for example, PSG boast double the volume of direct attacks this year — but when they do regain possession, Barcelona can pierce through opposition defences in the blink of an eye.

Raphinha has had a career-best season in Spain with 12 Champions League goals to sit alongside his 15 La Liga strikes — but Yamal is undoubtedly the jewel in Barcelona’s crown.

Many superlatives have already been attached to Yamal’s name but the teenager’s unpredictability is one of his strongest traits in his fledgling career. When mapping his progressive carries in La Liga this season, you can see below that he is equally likely to cut inside onto his stronger left foot, drive outside to his right, or direct his runs straight towards goal.

Whether Yamal will have the same joy against Inter’s defensive back five is another story. Simone Inzaghi’s side are one of the toughest teams in Europe to break down and will often double up in wide areas against opposition wingers — whether it is a supporting centre-back or midfielder to drop in and help their respective wing-back out of possession.

For all of the incredible talent on display for both sides, keep an eye on the flanks across both ties.

Inter

Inter might be viewed as underdogs but no remaining team has reached a Champions League final more recently.

The core of that side is still intact, with eight of the starters from the 2023 final — a narrow 1-0 defeat by Manchester City — still at the club. That continuity has allowed Inzaghi to mould the most tactically distinct team left in the competition.

While the other semi-finalists are broadly defined by high pressing and front-footed play, Inter favour a more measured, controlled approach. Of the teams to reach the last 16, only Club Brugge pressed less intensely, as shown on the PPDA graphic below.

Instead, Inter are comfortable sitting deep, holding their disciplined 3-5-2 shape, and building slowly from the back. Their direct speed — a measure of how quickly a team progresses the ball upfield — is slower than every Champions League side except for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

This restrained approach complements their out-of-possession game. Like classic Italian sides of the past, they are comfortable defending without the ball — no team has conceded fewer than their five goals in this season’s competition. Inzaghi often speaks of Inter’s willingness to do the hard yards out of possession; ahead of their quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich, he predicted the match would contain “moments where we’ll have to suffer”.

That proved true across both legs as Inter conceded the bulk of possession to Vincent Kompany’s side. While they rode their luck at times, Inter’s methodical build-up means they are rarely caught out of shape when they forfeit the ball. They have conceded just 0.18 xG from fast breaks and their xG per shot against is the lowest in the competition.

Yet their disciplined approach should not be mistaken for being unadventurous. Inter are one of the most fluid sides in Europe, with positional rotations a key feature of their possession play.

Nicolo Barella’s touch map in this season’s competition reflects that fluidity — nominally a central midfielder, he has popped up on both wings, in deeper defensive zones, and in the final third behind the two strikers. Inzaghi gives his players the licence to rotate freely, making Inter unpredictable in attack and capable of creating overloads across the pitch.

Another strength of Inzaghi’s system is the blossoming partnership it enables up top between Martinez and Thuram. A two-man strike force is increasingly rare in modern football, but it has given Inter a unique edge.

Before facing RB Leipzig earlier in the competition, Inzaghi spoke of the importance of “keeping our shape, and knowing when to pick our moments”. Inter’s first goal away at Bayern was a textbook example — and the telepathic understanding between the two strikers was pivotal.

After launching a quick break, Thuram played an intelligent backheel from the middle of the box into the path of Martinez, who finished with the outside of his boot, in what was a real contender for goal of the competition.Against Barcelona, Inter will again likely be limited to fleeting moments on the ball. But with their defensive discipline, tactical flexibility, and ability to strike with precision, they remain more than capable of posing a serious threat.When Inter faced Barcelona in 2022, Inzaghi said: “It is a very delicate match, where we have to show our teeth.”Expect the same again. (Top photos: Bukayo Saka, left, and Lautaro Martinez; Getty Images)

Christian Pulisic ‘gave a lot’ during AC Milan Coppa Italia victory – Sergio Conceicao

By Pablo Maurer April 24, 2025 The Athletic

AC Milan head coach Sérgio Conceição praised U.S. men’s national team captain Christian Pulisic on Thursday, saying he has “great confidence” in the midfielder.Conceição’s comments were made following Milan’s 3-0 win over rivals Inter in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals on Wednesday.Milan advanced to the finals with the 4-1 aggregate victory. A first-half brace from Serbian striker Luka Jović led the way for Milan, but Pulisic’s influence on both sides of the ball was also essential to the victory, according to Conceição.“He sacrificed himself for the team,” Conceição said in his post-game remarks. “He had a good game. We had to balance the central areas, he and Jovic were important on Asllani. He ran a lot, he gave a lot to the team.” Pulisic put in a 78-minute shift before being replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek. He had 41 touches during the match but lacked polish at times on the ball, completing 22 of his 28 pass attempts, though his defensive performance was sound. “Then it’s clear, he lacks a bit of freshness with the ball,” said Conceição. “When we spend more time without the ball, for players like Puli, it becomes more difficult. But I have great confidence in him.” Milan’s victory on Wednesday keeps their hopes of European soccer alive, with a spot in the UEFA Europa league awarded to the winners. Milan are in the midst of a bitterly disappointing league campaign and currently sit ninth in the Serie A table. The club are ever-present in European competition and have not missed continental play since the 2016-2017 season, when they finished seventh. They are eight points behind the final European spot awarded for league play. Those poor performances have put Conceição himself at risk. On Wednesday, he deflected questions about his own job security. “Conceicao is not important,” he said. “It is important to win against Venezia and then, when the final comes, we will be happy to do it. It’s not that we have already won it. I’m the same coach as two days ago, it’s not that everything is beautiful or everything is ugly. We need to find balance also on an emotional level, not just as a team.”

Milan will face the winner of Thursday’s semi-final between Bologna, who won the first leg 3-0, and Empoli in the Coppa Italia final at the Stadio Olimpico on May 14.What You Should Read NextBruce Arena questions if Mauricio Pochettino hire as USMNT head coach was a mistakeThe national team coach finds himself under fire again, this time from the most successful manager in USMNT history.

(Photo: Alessandro Sabattini / Getty Images)

Why this Premier League title meant everything to Liverpool

Liverpool fans celebrate` victory and the Premier League title following the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture date: Sunday April 27, 2025. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

By Simon Hughes

April 28, 2025Updated 8:07 am EDT

When Alexis Mac Allister struck the goal that made Liverpool’s title feel that bit more secure, the noise that followed prompted principal owner John W. Henry to adjust his hearing aid.

Yes, this isn’t baseball, John. This is football and this is Liverpool, where Henry and an entire generation of Liverpool supporters were experiencing something for the first time. It felt like the roof on the new Anfield Road stand was about to fly off. The boom at the other end seemed to rumble from the bowels of the Kop.

All day long in the city there was a sense that the place was going to go up, and at the moment of reckoning the detonation was even louder.

The central figure in this scene was the referee, Tom Bramall. For four minutes of stoppage time, the focus of the crowd fell on him. With a blow of his whistle, all sorts of words applied: pandemonium, euphoria, mania. Scouse men, old enough to have been around when this club became relevant under Bill Shankly, were hugging one another. “Finally,” one said, though he did not seem to be talking about this game, but a much longer story.

(Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

It is easy to frown at such language and descriptions. After all, Liverpool emerged as champions elect some time ago. All they needed to do was get a point against opposition that had not won at this venue in 14 years. Their football now is methodical rather than thrilling, not the type to stimulate enthusiasm among neutrals — if they exist.

None of that matters to Liverpudlians who, it is fair to say, do not really care for the impressions of others anyway. This team has created its own mini-jeopardies along the way, adding to the suspense, and that included Spurs taking the lead via a former Liverpool player in Dominic Solanke. Yet inside 22 minutes of that goal, Liverpool were 3-1 up. And that was very much that.

It was tempting to look at the pitch during the celebrations, examining the reactions of the players. But the real stuff was in the stands. And by that, I don’t mean Henry and Mike Gordon, the man previously tasked with the running of Liverpool, high-fiving one another, or Richard Hughes, the sporting director less than a year into the job, earnestly shaking the hand of anyone congratulating him.

Arne Slot and John W. Henry share a moment after Liverpool’s title win is confirmed (Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Nearby, the legendary defender Alan Hansen, having recovered from a health scare a year ago, was raising his fists. Hansen was the last Liverpool captain to lift the title in front of fans at Anfield. The tale after that achievement is well-told. Here are your medals. A few beers shared by the players. Enjoy the summer. See you in a few weeks’ time for pre-season training. We’ll be doing this again.

Except that did not happen. And even when it did, nobody was around to really share it. It explains why this meant everything.

To understand the scenes inside Anfield, you have to take a walk through the city and you have to wind back in time, stopping first at 2020. You have to stand at the Pier Head, overlooking the River Mersey, and remember the strangeness of the 24 hours after Liverpool secured their first title in 30 years.

(Drew Jordan / The Athletic)

On the night that happened, crowds descended onto the streets around the stadium despite restrictions on mass gatherings owing to the spread of Covid-19. Dusk was settling and, within an hour, it was difficult to tell how many were there. Amid a whiff of cordite and the light of flares, shadows were everywhere. Everybody seemed faceless. There was energy and joy but the mood was thick with desperation and laced with danger.

Fans had to celebrate outside Anfield when Liverpool won the title in July 2020 owing to Covid-19 restrictions (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)

It was a carnal reaction, but it felt synthetic and, in pursuit of the real, the party trudged on. There was no official organiser for the Pier Head, but everyone seemed to know where to go. Local match-goers hung around chatting, reaching into plastic bags for warming bottles of beer. Songs went up and, eventually, a teenager from Southport attempted to change the pace by directing a couple of fireworks at offices owned by rivals, Everton. His mates cheered. Not many others did. After thousands of pounds worth of damage to the Royal Liver Building, an arson conviction followed. Liverpool had won the league but the response, in very unusual circumstances, felt a bit tryhard.

On a glorious Sunday morning nearly five years later, with Liverpool hours away from becoming champions again, it is easier to draw distinctions from the same, albeit quieter, setting about what the achievement means for club and place. Much can be gleaned from the Pier Head because of its connection to brown, scudding waters and the riches the river brought through shipping and trades as grim as slavery, which helped finance the resplendence of the civic structures marking its frontage.

(Simon Hughes for The Athletic)

The spread of wealth in Liverpool, however, was spectacularly uneven. By the 1840s, as its port grew to become the second largest in the British empire behind London, life expectancy on the shores of the Mersey fell to just below 26. Seventy-five per cent of young men who volunteered for military service were turned away for being unfit and many headed for the docks, where the work was casual.

Unlike in the manufacturing towns of England’s north west, where shifts were brutal but income was steady, dockers from Liverpool would assemble at the gates of the shipyards twice a day not knowing whether they were going to be allowed in and ultimately get paid. On top of that, clocking-on times were determined by the unpredictable tides of the Mersey. Liverpool’s geography therefore contributed as much towards a less structured way of life as an overriding employment culture without contracts or certainty.

Its geography also accounted for enormous challenges after the heavy bombing of the Second World War, including the rise of containerisation, because the Mersey simply wasn’t big enough to accommodate ships increasing in size. By the end of the 1970s, Liverpool’s social and economic struggle was visible inside the stadiums of Liverpool and Everton, where attendances slumped despite a period of unprecedented success on the pitch for both clubs. In 12 of the 15 seasons between 1975 and 1990, the old First Division title was won by a team from Merseyside. Football offered salvation, but sites such as the disused Albert Dock, crumbling beside the Pier Head, became a symbol of decay.

https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/2yky8t1EfQIaYW6rcx7RZV?utm_source=generator

In 1981, prime minister Margaret Thatcher had received a memo from her chancellor, Geoffrey Howe, which proposed the abandonment of Liverpool through a process called “managed decline”. With Conservative popularity in the city collapsing as fast as living standards, her many critics in Liverpool believe that Howe’s recommendation was carried out. By the time Liverpool’s dominance of English football ended in 1990, you only needed to look around for proof.

That achievement came 12 months after Hillsborough, where 97 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death. Though authorities in South Yorkshire and centrally were to blame for the disaster, some of the deceased were still fighting for their lives when those responsible started shifting the focus away from their own failings, buttressed by support from craven sections of the media.

The subsequent fight for justice ran parallel with the story of the city’s football clubs trying to get back on track. In 2020, Liverpool’s younger supporters were close to experiencing something for the first time in their lives when events way beyond anyone’s control altered what felt right. It’s strange how moments you have rehearsed in your mind for so long end up with a very different script.

It was once claimed that the steel birds sitting on top of the Liver Building would fly away if Liverpool won the FA Cup but after that happened in 1965 for the first time, they remained and the team marked the achievement with a civic reception on the balcony of the town hall.

Bill Shankly addresses guests at a civic reception at Liverpool’s town hall in 1965 (PA Images via Getty Images)

There were huge crowds in all directions, choking Water Street, Dale Street and Castle Street. You would have thought that such a scene would be regarded as one of the most famous in Liverpool’s history. Perhaps that would have been the case had it not been for a reaction to a loss to Arsenal in the final of the same competition six years later.On this occasion, when the squad returned from London, they assembled on the steps of St George’s Hall, a mile or so inland from the Pier Head. Shankly turned to the 100,000 people in front of him, telling them that he’d “drummed it into our players, time and again, that they are privileged to play for you. And if they didn’t believe me, they believe me now.”Secretary Peter Robinson concluded the Liverpool manager’s power was total; that if he told supporters to “storm through the Mersey tunnel and seize Birkenhead, they’d have done it”. Yet the imagery from that day had a more profound effect because the fortunes of the club Shankly and Robinson guided was connected to somewhere other than Anfield.In defeat, the matrimony between manager, club and city had never been more visible. Shankly could say anything and his followers would believe it. You can imagine, then, the effect of his belief that the league title was the club’s “bread and butter — that’s what we want to win, all the time”.
Except for 30 years, Liverpool did not get there. Maybe that explains why, even with a 12-point lead at the top of the table and needing only one more, there remained some sense of caution in the city on Sunday morning. The “Liverpool Champions 2024-25” season t-shirts being flogged on the steps of St George’s were not exactly flying out. Liverpool had a slightly occupied feel to it. Everyone knew something was happening but until you got closer to the ground, it wasn’t clear exactly what that was.

(Simon Hughes for The Athletic)

The quickest route from the centre of the city to Anfield takes you via Scotland Road and through Everton, a district that defined the foundations of both of the city’s football clubs, as well as preconceptions nationally about Liverpool as a place. Everton has had several identities, but crucially in 1878, when the club that takes its name was founded, it was a desirable suburb for wealthy merchants who built mansions on the hillside and enjoyed the views. It was therefore more practical to build a stadium in the neighbouring borough of Anfield, but after a rent dispute 14 years later, Liverpool FC came along, pushing Everton further away from its roots and into Walton.

More development introduced a mass of terraced housing for working-class Catholic and Protestant communities and Everton became one of the biggest hubs of Irish immigration outside of Ireland. The influx contributed greatly to the way Liverpool feels about itself and how the rest of Britain tends to feel about Liverpool. A sense of otherness is at play on both sides. Some Liverpudlians do not think very highly of the rest of England and that augments the desire for its football team to prove itself as the best in the country.

From St Domingo Road, you can’t see Anfield, but on this day you knew exactly where it was because of the red cloud hanging over it. Ninety minutes before kick off, Liverpool’s squad had arrived.

Fans gather at Anfield before kick-off (Simon Hughes for The Athletic)

Closer more, in pubs like the Mere, the Grove and the Salisbury, it was impossible to avoid the chants of “We’re gonna win the league…” They were not quite saying they were champions yet. It was still too early. But a few hours later, it wasn’t.Liverpool were champions. Liverpool are champions. In the traditions of the past, it is now their job to keep it that way.(Top photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

When will Liverpool get the Premier League trophy and will there be a parade?

How impressive has Arne Slot been in his debut season at Liverpool?

Who could replace Trent Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool’s leadership group?

The miseducation of Yunus Musah at Milan

USMNT and AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah

By Jeff Rueter April 22, 2025

Before Yunus Musah could collect a pass from Kyle Walker early in the first half, a Fiorentina opponent was converging. The quick action should not have come as a surprise for the 22-year-old. Musah’s stock rose on the back of some precocious play with Valencia and the U.S. men’s national team, particularly as a box-to-box midfielder. When presented with space into which to run, his athleticism and close-control dribbling has allowed him to quickly progress upfield. When presented with little room to roam, he has shown a willingness to keep it conservative and recirculate. On April 5, however, Musah was not playing as a number 8. Instead, AC Milan manager Sergio Conceição lined Musah up in a double-pivot alongside Youssouf Fofana, facing Fiorentina’s three-man engine room. It was a more withdrawn role than his preferred utilization, but the hope was that the similar role description would still set Musah up to succeed. Back to that ball from Walker. In the seventh minute, Musah was moving toward his defense to collect a pass up the channel from the England international. Fiorentina’s numerical advantage put Nicolò Fagioli in prime position to quickly pounce, and Musah attempted to dribble around the Italian. It’s a natural maneuver on the wing, but one that requires precise execution in the heart of the park. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t so nimble on this occasion. The ball trickled away from Musah and right to Fiorentina, giving the visitors a chance for an unexpected short-field counter. Another midfielder, Rolando Mandragora, collected the ball and caught Fofana in two minds about whether to converge or let off and pick up another defensive mark. It created enough time for Mandragora to bypass Fofana with a quick pass to Albert Gudmundsson, who dribbled toward the touchline and crossed in front of the goalmouth for a clumsy tapped-in own goal.

A brutal start for Milan 😳

Yunus Musah gives possession away and ends in a own goal for the Rossoneri 👀 pic.twitter.com/gjMwMOK1RS

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 5, 2025

Merely seven seconds passed from Musah’s dribble attempt to Fiorentina opening the scoring. After tracking back in vain, Musah looked to the sky in dejection. No teammate approached to console him.

Minutes later, Fiorentina doubled its lead. Musah had done well to recover and defend Walker’s usual terrain down the right flank, but when he forced his opponent to pass backwards, it was to a player standing where Musah would usually be in midfield. His unmarked cross flew into the box, leading to an easy squared assist for a Moise Kean finish.Even after his team halved its deficit, Musah was visibly shaken. In the 23rd minute, Conceição made a dramatic first-half tactical substitution, pulling Musah for another striker and dropping Tijjani Reijnders back into midfield. Although Milan rescued a 2-2 draw, this was a missed chance to make up ground in Serie A against a team directly above them in the table. It was also an awful shift for Musah, who has been an unused substitute in each of Milan’s two ensuing matches. As the 2024-25 campaign nears its end – and the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals vs. rival Inter Milan beckons on Wednesday – he looks to be a shell of the prospect who was among Europe’s most promising midfielders less than two years ago. For a player whose trademark characteristic is his smile, there’s been little to celebrate in a setback of a season.

At this point of 2023, Musah looked to have outgrown Valencia. Then just 20, he had drawn plenty of praise for his breakout performance at the 2022 World Cup, teaming with Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams to give the U.S. a coherent midfield trio. Musah didn’t have McKennie’s vivacious personality, nor Adams’ tireless work rate, but his technical ability and linking of both the defense to the midfield and the midfield to the forward line made him an essential part of Gregg Berhalter’s side. He had also become a mainstay for his club, logging 2,120 minutes in La Liga. By and large, those shifts came as a central midfielder, just as they had in Qatar. It was easy to see why Milan was among his suitors, as then-manager Stefano Pioli’s team had a clear need for a progressive box-to-box midfielder. They got their man, spending £17 million ($21.8 million) to sign Musah shortly after acquiring Pulisic.

While Musah was still filling other roles, especially out wide, this was the year that saw Valencia work to refine his game in the heart of the park. Previously, the club had alternated him between midfield and right wingback, enjoying his progressive dribbles as an outlet to build up the pitch. The concentrated focus in midfield helped show he could fit the role, and this was the year (and set of shifts) that ultimately won Milan’s favor. Throughout 2023-24, Pioli experimented more with a base 4-3-3 formation. It was a natural alternative to the 4-2-3-1 that Milan used heavily throughout Pioli’s tenure, and one that provided Musah with shifts in his preferred role. While Musah was needed to play other roles, from a deeper defensive midfield spot to a few roles along the right flank, he still logged much of his minutes in central midfield.

More importantly, it helped Milan to a second-place finish in Serie A after finishing fourth a year prior. However, Pioli announced his plan to depart the club as the season neared its end. Paulo Fonseca was appointed before the start of preseason in early June. Fonseca operated in a base 4-2-3-1, only sparingly shifting to a three-man midfield. Poor results led to his sacking in late December, with Conceição stepping in to start the new year. While his approach asked for more long balls and direct attacks than Fonseca’s, Milan still predominantly stayed in a 4-2-3-1 with a double-pivot at its midfield base. In Serie A, Milan has used a three-man midfield just three times since changing coaches. As a result, Musah has had less time in his preferred role than at any point of his senior career.

To understand why Musah’s ever-changing role could directly lead to his awful 23 minutes against Fiorentina, let’s strip the situation down to its basics.

Here is a young midfielder who was signed on the back of his box-to-box work. Currently, Milan does not play with a true number 8, leaving Musah to bring his approach to either defensive midfield or attacking midfield. The more advanced role invites a player to take more risks: more of the dribbles Musah enjoys taking, more high-risk passing. This is where Musah has spent the most of his time in 2024-25.

Against Fiorentina, those same actions (like the dribble leading to the own goal) are more dangerous when attempted in a player’s defensive half. There are fewer lines of teammates to bail someone out after a mishap, and less time to form a makeshift defensive shape. An opponent of their caliber will hardly be wasteful when such a gift finds them. Each role also asks a player to read a game in different ways. This isn’t a new issue for USMNT players at the club level, with McKennie and Pulisic having to change roles throughout their careers based on teammates’ availability and their coaches’ wishes. A young midfielder like Musah may drift even further from their eventual home as their athleticism outpaces their game reading. Before establishing himself as a defensive midfielder, Adams logged many shifts at fullback and wingback with his boyhood New York Red Bulls.Another midfielder on the 2022 World Cup squad, Kellyn Acosta, did similar time upon breaking through with FC Dallas. For years, his midfield shifts were scattered in between starts at either fullback position. In his “My Game in My Words” installment on The Athletic, Acosta recalled that shifts at outside back allowed him to “take multiple touches and find my pass” without the quick decision-making necessary to navigate a crowded midfield.“As I was younger, it was one of those things where you don’t want to make a mistake,” Acosta said in 2022. “You’re like ‘OK, I received the ball from my center back; the safe option is often to go back to the center back.’ Eventually, I started connecting passes and being more daring. I started being more comfortable with overlapping, finding space, taking shots, getting assists, crossing. As the games went on, I felt more and more comfortable.”Eventually, those reps were put into action as Acosta carved a role in midfield. Across 58 senior international caps with the U.S., the overwhelming majority were as a central or defensive midfielder.Of course, the 29-year-old Acosta has spent his entire career to date in MLS. With Dallas, the Colorado Rapids, Los Angeles FC and the Chicago Fire, Acosta has been a primary target each time he moves clubs. Colorado, LAFC and Chicago all signed Acosta to fill a specific role in their midfield.

When a young player like Musah leaves a relegation-zone side in La Liga for a Champions League qualifier in Serie A, his immediate role is best defined as “a squad option.” He’s there to patch holes, and the versatile skillset that made him seem like such a promising midfielder can be transposed to fill a lot of gaps as first-choice options are hurt, need a rest or are out of form.

MIlan's Yunus Musah and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior in the UEFA Champions League Musah and Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior vying for possession in the UEFA Champions League. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Tack on Milan’s pair of coaching changes and sustained poor form over the last 10 months, and there’s no room for a coach to ride out a developing midfielder in hopes that time will refine his rough edges. The stakes are too high for Milan to exhibit that kind of patience, and players will be graded on the same pass/fail curve whether they’re young or old.ake a mistake like Musah’s against Fiorentina, and the ensuing first-half hook and two games as an unused substitute are a sad reality of the situation he signed on to enter.Playing for the best club possible still provides a player with trade-offs. For someone in critical developmental years like Musah, who hasn’t looked any more evolved than he did in Valencia’s most hapless stretches, it may be too great a sacrifice without a makeweight payout. Even the nature of this latest gaffe suggests that playing in the defensive half is too negative of an assignment given how Musah approaches the game. That dribble was his instinctive reaction to a converging defender, rather than a safer recirculated pass attempt or clearance out of bounds.Milan will need to retool its squad again whether or not Conceição is brought back. Musah’s name has understandably been in transfer rumors, with his status as a homegrown in England (after years in Arsenal’s academy) inviting links to Premier League sides like Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham.If Musah leaves, the global status of his suitors ought to be of secondary importance. With time running short before the 2026 World Cup, the priority has to be getting him into a situation where he can dependably earn the right to play in his preferred slot. If he can return to his best form and improve upon it with consistent playing time in midfield, he could ensure that Mauricio Pochettino builds his squad with Musah at its heart. If not, then one of the breakout players of the 2022 World Cup could be a non-factor altogether just four years later.

USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps says salary cap issue to blame for NWSL departures

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Lindsey Heaps #10 of the United States celebrates scoring during the second half against Brazil at SoFi Stadium on April 05, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

By Melanie Anzidei April 19, 2025

USWNT captain and Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps says the NWSL salary cap may be to blame for some of America’s top players leaving the league for Europe.A small wave of Americans left the NWSL for Europe this summer, highlighted by Naomi Girma who became the first million-dollar transfer in women’s soccer. Girma left the San Diego Wave for Chelsea for a world-record $1.1 million fee in January.Speaking ahead of Lyon’s Champions League semifinal clash with Arsenal, Heaps called the cap an “ongoing issue,” when asked why Americans are coming to Europe.“There’s a salary cap in NWSL and I think that’s an ongoing issue there that hopefully can be changed or increased,” Heaps said at Lyon’s press conference. “It’s a factor in the NWSL and for players coming overseas.”Heaps will square off against USWNT teammates Emily Fox and Jenna Nighswonger, both defenders on Arsenal, on Saturday. She described the matchup as “so cool, so exciting and also very special for me, because these moments don’t happen a lot.”There are “a lot of things” that attract Americans to Europe, Heaps said. “You have two very, very good leagues. (When) you play a lot of time in the NWSL, like I did, I wanted a different challenge.“It wasn’t anything against the NWSL, but I wanted to come play in Champions League again. I wanted to play for a big club like this. I think I just needed a different kind of challenge.“Maybe that’s also what these players felt. Speaking with Nay [Naomi Girma], speaking with Jenna [Nighswonger], speaking with Foxy [Emily Fox], that’s what they need. That’s what they needed at the time.” At their recent national team camp, Heaps said she teased Fox ahead of their Champions League clash. “I was giving Foxy [Emily Fox] as much crap as I possibly could and trying to just chip at her a little bit.”She said it was “special” to see her U.S. teammate’s excelling in an environment like Arsenal’s. “To see [Fox] go and make that big move and play well and be a very impactful player for the team as well, I think that’s really special for me to see as a captain.“I want all of my players to be doing well – just not this weekend, I hope.”

4/15 Champions League Quarter Finals Tue/Wed, Indy 11 US Open Cup Wed 7:30 pm @ the Mike, US Ladies Split with Brazil

April 15, 2025April 15, 2025 gatorbest carmel-fc, champions-league, football, indiana-soccer, indy-11, indy-11-us-open-cup, liverpool, premier-league, soccer, us-womens-soccer, usmnt, uswnt

Champions League Tues/Wed, Europa Thurs

Its the Final game of the Round of 8 in the Champions League today and Wed at 3 pm on Paramount+ as Aston Villa is just 2 goals down to PSG in their home tally 1-3, while Barcelona will travel to the Big Yellow wall – Dortmund (we’ll see if Reyna gets time after being told he can look for a new club this summer) with a 4-0 lead. Meanwhile Arsenal take a 3-0 lead to Real Madrid on Wednesday, while Bayern Munich travels to Milan down 2-1 to Inter – both games at 3 pm.

Tues Champions League
Dortmund vs Barcelona & Aston Villa vs PSG on Para+
Wed
Arsenal vs Real Madrid & Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan on Para+
Thurs 3 pm Europa League on Para+
Man United vs Lyonnais & Frankfurt vs Tottenham & Chelsea vs Warszawa & Athletic Club vs Rangers

Around the World – Messi signs 2 more yrs w/Miami, Reyna free to go, US hosts 2031 WWC

Great news hearing that Messi has signed on to continue playing 2 more years with Inter Miami. In fact I am heading to Cleveland this weekend to see him play Sat vs Columbus at 4:30 pm. That means he will be there when Miami opens its new stadium next year and will be in Miami after the World Cup wraps up in the summer of 2026. Does this mean he’ll play 1 more World Cup for Argentina? Interesting to see what happens there – as Argentina qualified for the World Cup and pounded Brazil without Messi in the team. In other interesting news- Dortmund has given Gio Reyna permission to look for another team this summer. He’s gotten playing time but has not performed that well over the past few weeks. The US will need him in top form for the Gold Cup this summer. A must win event after getting pounded in Nations League.

Indy 11 host US Open Cup Game vs Miami FC Wed Apr 16 7:30 pm @ the Mike & on Paramount+

Indy Eleven: 1-1-2 (+1), 5 pts; 7th in Eastern Conference had their game at Hartford canceled on Saturday and will return home to face Miami FC in the US Open Cup 3rd round Wed night @ the Mike. Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster. Season, Flex Plan, Group, and Hospitality tickets are available here. For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com.

GoalKeeper Training for Carmel FC Is outdoors starts next week

Coach James Pilkington will run sessions on Monday at Shelbourne 6-9 pm and Wed at Badger 6-9 pm

Stepping up to the A team – at the Boys Showcase @ Grand Park Sat with Alex F & Brent – always good to learn from the Best.

Hey look who hopped in on a cold Sunday at Grand Park Dave Howard joins (L-R) Pedro, Shane & Ruiz)

TV GAMES

Tues – Champions League
Dortmund vs Barcelona & Aston Villa vs PSG on Para+ 3 pm
Louisville City FC vs. Loudon United FC on CBS Sports Network 7 pm US Open Cup

Wed
Arsenal vs Real Madrid & Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan on Para+
Indy 11 vs Miami FC 7:30 pm @ the Mike & Para+ US Open Cup

Thurs 3 pm Europa League on Para+
Man United vs Lyonnais & Frankfurt vs Tottenham & Chelsea vs Warszawa & Athletic Club vs Rangers

USMNT midweek viewing guide:

Plus Johnny, Tessmann, and Brown in Europa and Conference Leagues on Thursday.

Tuesday

Borussia Dortmund vs FC Barcelona, 3p on Paramount+, FuboTV, TUDN USA, Univision USA, ViX: Gio Reyna and Dortmund host Barcelona in the second leg of this UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. Barça are up 4-0 on aggregate after the first leg in Spain last week. Diego Kochen is often in Barça’s squad. Cole Campbell has played with Dortmund’s first team this season, but not recently, and he’s currently out with a minor injury.
Chivas vs Puebla, 9:05p on Peacock, UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV: Cade Cowell and Chivas de Guadalajara host Puebla in Liga MX.

Wednesday

Newcastle vs Crystal Palace, 2:30p on USA, UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV, Sling TV: Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace visit Newcastle United in Premier League action.
Monterrey vs Club América, 9p on TUDN USA, Univision USA, FuboTV, ViX: Alex Zendejas and América visit Rayados in Liga MX.

Thursday

Jagiellonia Białystok vs Real Betis, 12:45p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV, ViX: Johnny Cardoso and Betis visit Jagiellonia Białystok in the second leg of this Conference League quarterfinal. Leon Flach has been a regular starter for Jagiellonia Białystok since joining from the Philadelphia Union in January, but Flach was subbed off due to injury only 5 minutes into Jagiellonia’s game on Sunday. Betis are up 2-0 on aggregate.
Frankfurt vs Tottenham, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Nathaniel Brown and Eintracht Frankfurt are all even 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur after the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal.
Manchester United vs Lyon, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, FuboTV, ViX: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon visit Manchester United in the second leg of their Europa League quarterfinal, all tied 2-2 on aggregate.

Friday

Norwich vs Portsmouth, 10a: Josh Sargent and the Canaries host Portsmouth in the Championship.
Coventry vs West Brom, 10a on Paramount+: It’s a meeting of American forwards as Haji Wright and Coventry host Daryl Dike and Albion in the Championship.
Watford vs Burnley, 10a on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV: Caleb Wiley and Watford host Luca Koleosho and Burnley in the Championship.
Oxford United vs Leeds United, 3p on Paramount+: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds visit Oxford United in the Championship.

Also in action:

Middlesbrough vs Plymouth, 10a: Aidan Morris and Boro host Plymouth Argle in the Championship.
Sheffield United vs Cardiff, 12:30p on Paramount+: Ethan Horvath and Cardiff City visit Sheffield United in the Championship.
NK Varaždin vs Hajduk Split, 12:45p: Rokas Pukštas and Split visit Varaždin in Croatia’s top tier.
LASK Linz vs WSG Tirol, 1:30p on Onefootball: George Bello and LASK host Tirol in Austria’s top tier relegation group.

NWSL Schedule
MLS Schedule
USL Schedule

— US OPEN CUP ON TV —

Atlanta (April 14, 2025) – Paramount+ and CBS Sports are set to kick off their partnership as the exclusive English-language broadcast home of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer’s National Championship, with unprecedented tournament coverage, beginning with the competition’s Third Round this Tuesday, April 15, and Wednesday, April 16. The entire 16-game Third Round slate – and every match onward to the tournament Final – will stream live on Paramount+. Six of those Third Round contests will also be simulcast via additional platforms; fans can watch four matches for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network, while two more contests will air on CBS Sports Network. The full broadcast schedule for the Third Round can be found below.

CBS Sports’ Open Cup presence will be bolstered across both days with studio shows featuring host Nate Bukaty and analysts Charlie Davies and Tony Meola, along with Mike Grella (Tuesday) and Michael Lahoud (Wednesday). Coverage from the studio will begin with Tuesday evening’s U.S. Open Cup Preview, a 30-minute look-ahead to the Third Round airing on CBS Sports Network at 6:30 p.m. ET. The studio crew will also take fans around the country with live analysis and previews on the Golazo Matchday show, airing between games on CBS Sports Golazo Network both Tuesday (9-10 p.m. ET) and Wednesday (9-9:30 p.m. ET) nights – pending the finish of the network’s early-window match. In all Third Round contests, 16 clubs from the Division II USL Championship will enter the tournament against a Second Round victor. That latter group includes 15 professional teams spanning the USL Championship (4), USL League One (9), and MLS NEXT Pro (2), in addition to El Farolito, which for the second year in a row is the last club standing from the amateur Open Division.

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Broadcast Schedule – Third Round

Tuesday, April 15 (all times ET)

Columbus Crew 2 vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC	6:00 PM	Paramount+
U.S. Open Cup Preview	6:30 PM	CBS Sports Network
Louisville City FC vs. Loudon United FC	7:00 PM	Paramount+ & CBS Sports Network
Charlotte Independence vs. North Carolina FC	7:00 PM	Paramount+
Portland Hearts of Pine vs. Rhode Island FC	7:00 PM	Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Charleston Battery vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC	7:30 PM	Paramount+
Union Omaha vs. San Antonio FC	8:00 PM	Paramount+
CBS Sports Golazo Matchday	9:00 PM	CBS Sports Golazo Network
AV ALTA FC vs. Orange County SC	10:00 PM	Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Tacoma Defiance vs. Oakland Roots SC	10:30 PM	Paramount+

Wednesday, April 16 (all times ET)

Detroit City FC vs. Westchester SC	7:00 PM	Paramount+
FC Naples vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies	7:00 PM	Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Indy Eleven vs. Miami FC	7:30 PM	Paramount+
FC Tulsa vs. Phoenix Rising FC	8:00 PM	Paramount+
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. One Knoxville SC	9:00 PM	Paramount+
CBS Sports Golazo Matchday	9:00 PM	CBS Sports Golazo Network
New Mexico United vs. El Paso Locomotive	9:30 PM	Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Sacramento Republic FC vs. El Farolito	10:00 PM	Paramount+ & CBS Sports Network
Las Vegas Lights FC vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC	10:30 PM	Paramount+

A red-hot Third Round will have barely cooled off before the focus turns to the Round of 32/Round of 16 Draw, to be held this Thursday, April 17, as part of CBS Sports Golazo Network’s flagship program, Morning Footy, at 9:15 a.m. ET. Thursday’s Draw will combine a pair of Third Round winners with another pair of clubs entering the tournament from Division I Major League Soccer, all drawn from eight groups of four teams. In addition to full matches and highlights, CBS Sports’ coverage will include studio programming on CBS Sports Golazo Network and the creation of ancillary content beyond games which will focus on markets and clubs in the competition, as well as the tournament’s rich history as the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States. CBS Sports will also provide additional Open Cup editorial coverage on CBSSports.com, the Golazo Starting XI newsletter and across its @GolazoAmerica and @CBSSportsGolazo social accounts.

About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

Now in its 110th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has crowned U.S. Soccer’s national champion since 1914. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and is open to professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the U.S. was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt. The 2025 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The 2025 tournament features a total purse worth $1 million that includes a $600,000 award for the champion. Los Angeles Football Club of MLS is the defending Champion. The 109th edition of the tournament concluded on September 25, 2024, with LAFC beating four-time Champions Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles to become Open Cup Champions for the first time.

The official website of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is ussoccer.com/us-open-cup. Fans can also follow the competition on X/Twitter and Instagram @OpenCup and Facebook @OfficialOpenCup.

Champions League

Real Madrid’s greatest UEFA Champions League comebacks

Reffing

Tanner, Casey and Shane Saturday at Grand Park for the Boys College Showcase actually warmed up a tad

Man Nate our Ref Assignor makes the BEST BRISKET I have ever had- here’s Shane – eating waay to much!

First time reffing with Mike Strang along with Matt and me Friday at the Boys College Showcase

======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ===

Save 20% on your order

(mention the ole ballcoach)

======================RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20% ======================

Champions League projections: How Arsenal steadily became 2024-25 tournament favourites

Arsenal's English midfielder #41 Declan Rice celebrates scoring the team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Quarter final first leg football match between Arsenal and Real Madrid, at the Emirates Stadium, in London, on April 8, 2025. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP) (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

By Anantaajith Raghuraman 70 ril 15, 2025Updated 10:33 am EDT

Time can make fools of us all. Even supercomputers.

Barring some sensational results in the quarter-final second legs this week, there are probably only five teams left who can win this season’s Champions League (Arsenal, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Bayern Munich). That’s a significant shift from the start of the season when, before a ball was kicked in the new-look format, The Athletic’s Opta-powered projections had Manchester City (25 per cent) and Real Madrid (18 per cent) as the most likely sides to lift the trophy. How are those projections calculated, you ask. Well, Opta’s win prediction model estimates the probability of each match’s outcome (win, draw or loss) by using a combination of betting market odds and Opta’s team power rankings. The odds and rankings are based on historical and recent team performances and the competition in its entirety is simulated 10,000 times to produce a final projection for each side.But not even models can anticipate things such as Rodri’s season-altering injury for City or Declan Rice suddenly discovering he can take direct free kicks like a Brazilian.

If slow and steady really does win the race, then Arsenal’s progression to tournament favourites, per our projections, looks to be well-timed. Here’s how the fortunes of the remaining eight clubs have fluctuated throughout the season.

Arsenal

Arsenal began the Champions League campaign behind Manchester City, Real Madrid and Inter with a six per cent chance of winning the competition for the first time. A 0-0 draw at Atalanta on matchday one, combined with other results, saw Bayer Leverkusen (who beat Feyenoord 4-0) overtake them. The next three weeks brought a 2-0 win over PSG and a 1-0 loss at Inter. Few were thinking of Arsenal as tournament favourites at this point.

But they won their final four league games 13-1 on aggregate to boost their title odds to 17 per cent, tied with Inter and behind only Liverpool (24 per cent) before the playoff round.

PSG’s elimination of Liverpool in the round of 16 and Arsenal’s convincing 3-0 win in Madrid last week mean they are now the (narrow) favourites to win it all, with a 27 per cent chance.

Whisper it quietly, but Arsenal could go all the way (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

It’s been a frustrating, injury-hit season for Mikel Arteta’s side, but after enduring a six-season absence from European football’s leading competition, they could — and should — follow up last season’s quarter-final appearance with their first trip to the semi-finals since 2008-09.What You Should Read NextArsenal are forging ‘football heritage’ in both the men’s and women’s Champions LeaguesBoth Arsenal’s men’s and women’s teams are marching on in the Champions League, laying the foundations for sustained success along the way

Real Madrid

Despite starting the season as the reigning champions and second favourites in our projections, Real Madrid stuttered and stumbled through the league phase in uncharacteristic fashion after winning 15 of their 18 group stage matches in the previous three seasons.

They needed late heroics to beat Stuttgart on matchday one before losing 1-0 to Lille in France and 3-1 at home to Milan either side of a 5-2 comeback win against Borussia Dortmund.

A chastening 2-0 loss at Liverpool on matchday five reduced Madrid’s title chances to six per cent, with a seven per cent chance of league-phase elimination.

Defeat at Lille is one of several Champions League low points for Real Madrid this season (Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images)

But Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat Atalanta, Red Bull Salzburg, and Brest in their final three matches to make the playoff round, where they thrashed Manchester City 6-3 on aggregate. That boosted their title chances to 11 per cent, behind only Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal and Inter.

But a poor display in north London last week has seen that drop to less than one per cent. There have been Bernabeu turnaround miracles in the past, but Madrid have just a three per cent chance of making it into the last four as it stands.

Barcelona

Barcelona were level with Arsenal with a six per cent chance of winning the title before the season began. A surprise 2-1 loss at Monaco set them back, but a statement win over Bayern on matchday three, combined with comfortable victories against Young Boys (5-0) and Red Star Belgrade (5-2) meant that figure jumped to nine per cent — just ahead of Arsenal’s eight per cent — at the halfway point.Relive a statement winBarcelona 4 Bayern Munich 1: Raphinha hat-trick gives Hansi Flick a triumphant night against his former clubWe analyse the key talking points from one of the most enticing matches from the initial stage of this season’s Champions League

They ended the league phase with three wins and a draw to finish second, but Barcelona’s title chances remained the same before rising to 20 per cent — the best of the teams left in the competition — after their 4-1 aggregate win over Benfica in the round of 16. Despite beating Dortmund 4-0 last week, they are now narrow second-favourites to win the title (26 per cent) behind Arsenal, who they could meet in the final in what would be a repeat of the 2006 edition.

Raphinha and Yamal have Barcelona flying high again (David Ramos/Getty Images)

Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund scored 10 goals in their first two Champions League matches this season, prompting early optimism and doubling their title chances to four per cent from two before matchday one. It was false hope, though, as losses to Real Madrid (5-2), Barcelona at home (3-2) and Bologna (2-1) in the next five games saw them fall out of the top eight.

They beat Sporting CP 3-0 in the play-off round but were given just a 38 per cent chance of beating Lille after the first leg of their round-of-16 tie ended 1-1. Even so, they came from behind to win the second leg 2-1 but saw title chances boosted to only one per cent after they drew Barcelona in the quarter-finals (with Bayern Munich or Inter in the semis, were they to progress). A 4-0 first-leg defeat suggests the projection model was spot-on about Dortmund.

Dortmund’s chances of turning over a four-goal deficit are reflected in The Athletic’s projections (David Ramos/Getty Images)

Inter

Having started the competition with an 11 per cent chance of winning it (behind only Real Madrid and Manchester City), the only blemish on Inter’s league phase was a 1-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen on matchday six. They conceded just one goal in eight matches and recorded impressive wins over Arsenal and Monaco, which boosted their title chances to 17 per cent (tied with Arsenal for second) after the league phase was completed.

Feyenoord were a mere formality in the round of 16 and while their last-eight tie with Bayern is the closest on paper at 2-1, Inter have every reason to be confident, with an 85 per cent chance of progression to the last four. Can the 2023 runners-up go one better two years on?

Inter’s late win in Munich has boosted their chances of overall victory (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Bayern Munich

Bayern began the league phase with only a four per cent chance of winning the title, tied for sixth overall. That instantly improved (albeit only by one percentage point) after they thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 on matchday one, the second-highest number of goals in a single Champions League game behind Dortmund’s 8-4 win against Legia Warsaw in 2016.

Defeats to Aston Villa and Barcelona then dropped their chances to three per cent and increased the probability of a league-stage elimination to six per cent.

A run of four wins in their final five matches saw them finish 12th. They required a last-ditch Alphonso Davies winner to get past Celtic in the playoff round but comfortably trounced domestic rivals Leverkusen 5-0 in the round of 16.

Even so, last week’s home loss to Inter has left them with just a two per cent chance of winning the title in Vincent Kompany’s first season in charge.

Can Bayern turn around their tie in San Siro? (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Paris Saint-Germain

If Arsenal’s projections have shown steady progress, PSG have experienced a huge surge. Having started the season with a four per cent chance of winning the tournament, they won just one of their first five matches, losing to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern while drawing with PSV. That left them with a 42 per cent chance of league-phase elimination and dropped their title chances to two per cent. It looked all but over for Luis Enrique’s side.

But a 4-2 comeback win against Manchester City breathed life into their European season, before a 10-2 aggregate destruction of Brest in the playoffs boosted their title chances to nine per cent. Defeating long-time favourites Liverpool on penalties in the round of 16 more than doubled it to 19 per cent and the 3-1 lead over Villa means they now have a 23 per cent chance of winning the competition for the first time.

If momentum wins you titles, then this season’s Champions League is surely PSG’s to lose.

Momentum is with PSG, but can they maintain it? (Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images)

Aston Villa

Aston Villa have enjoyed their Champions League adventure, which understandably began with a less than one per cent chance of winning the title. They had memorable results against Bayern (1-0), Juventus (0-0), Bologna (2-0), RB Leipzig (3-2) and Celtic (4-2) to finish eighth and avoid the playoff round.

Their chances of winning the title ‘improved’ to one per cent after matchday eight and peaked at three per cent before the quarter-finals got underway. But a 3-1 defeat in Paris has seen that return to less than one per cent, with just a nine per cent chance of even making it into the semis.

(Top photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

Jude Bellingham: Champions League comeback challenge ‘tailor-made’ for Real Madrid

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 26: Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid speaks to the media during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 training and press conference at Anfield on November 26, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images)

By Mario Cortegana April 15, 2025 11:16 am EDT

Jude Bellingham says the possibility of a historic Champions League comeback against Arsenal is a challenge ‘tailor-made’ for Real Madrid.The Spanish side trail 3-0 following last week’s first leg defeat in London but will still believe they can progress to the semi-final stage, having enjoyed multiple comebacks in the knockout stages in recent seasons.In 2021-22, Madrid came from 2-0 down on aggregate to eliminate Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 and defeated Manchester City in the last four, despite trailing 5-3 on aggregate going into the final minute of the second leg.Bellingham, who was part of the Madrid squad that won the 2023-24 Champions League following two late goals to eliminate Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, was asked ahead of Arsenal’s visit what the most-repeated word in the dressing room was this week.“‘Remontada’ (Spanish for comeback),” Bellingham said. “Honestly, I’ve heard it a million times this week, I’ve seen a lot of videos on social media, and I’ve also heard it from you, the press.“It’s a night tailor-made for Madrid.”

Bellingham was then asked at what point Madrid’s players began believing in the possibility of a comeback.What You Should Read NextReal Madrid’s board must shoulder some blame for Arsenal thrashing – it’s not all on Carlo AncelottiIt is easy to single out the manager for Tuesday’s collapse, but he has been calling for reinforcements since the middle of last season

“Honestly, after the game it’s complicated because you have that difficult moment, analysing what you haven’t done well,” the England international said.“But as you talk about it and you see the confidence you get into all that. We have had previous experiences. These feelings are contagious. It was almost immediate, on the bus, even though we weren’t like we are now.”

Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti called on his side to play “with our heads, with heart and with guts”, while also speaking of the importance of using a “cool head”.“Madrid have all the resources to turn this tie around: quality, commitment, experience, the fans,” Ancelotti said.“We have to get the best out of each and every one of us. In previous years it’s not that people said we played spectacularly, and maybe that’s true because we want to be effective rather than spectacular.”Madrid will return to La Liga action four days after the Arsenal visit as they host Athletic Club of Bilbao.What You Sh

USMNT Player Tracker: Carter-Vickers’ piledriver, Pulisic the assist king and Richards’ consolation

By Greg O’Keeffe April 14, 2025

It was another busy weekend for the United States’ contingent of players across Europe’s major leagues, as Cameron Carter-Vickers moved tantalisingly close to becoming the season’s first American title winner, Christian Pulisic got back to business and Malik Tillman’s comeback continued apace.Jump into this week’s analysis of how the USMNT emigres are faring as we run the rule over their fortunes ahead of a key summer.

Carter-Vickers unleashes hell

In another memorable season for Celtic, Cameron-Carter Vickers created one for the highlights reel on Saturday.The centre-back is on the brink of a fourth title winner’s medal in as many years in Scotland, and it is now a matter of when, not if, Brendan Rodgers’ side are crowned champions. That would have happened already had 10-man Rangers not mounted an unlikely recovery to secure a 2-2 away draw against Aberdeen on Sunday. Their 97th-minute equaliser is merely delaying the inevitable, though.During Celtic’s 5-1 demolition of Kilmarnock the previous day, Carter-Vickers scored a goal that he — or any of his team-mates — will do well to better before the end of the campaign.It was his first of the season and he did it in style: carrying the ball forward unchecked before unleashing an unstoppable long-range strike into the top right of the goal.t’s not the sort of thing you’d associate with the 27-year-old — as demonstrated by team-mate Alistair Johnston’s priceless reaction, looking completely stunned with his hands on his head.It had to be good simply to be considered the best finish of the game, as Celtic’s Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate had earlier scored his own contender for goal of the season from a similar range. But given Hatate is more of an attacking player with nine goals and four assists to his name already in the current campaign, we’re inclined to give the American’s stunner the edge.

Carter-Vickers celebrates with his Celtic team-mates (Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)

From a USMNT point of view, it can only be a positive that a defender who appears to be part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans — he featured in both of March’s Concacaf Nations League finals matches — is developing a consistent winning mentality with his club.“Before I came here, I played five seasons in the Championship down in England and that league is a lot more win, win, lose, lose,” he told the Daily Record, recalling his previous spells at Bournemouth, Luton Town, Stoke City, Swansea City, Ipswich Town and Sheffield United in England’s second tier while on Tottenham Hotspur’s books.“As a player, I’m used to not necessarily winning all the time and I understand that it’s actually very hard to win all the time, no matter who you’re playing. It’s definitely something we’ve done well over the last few years and something we want to continue to do.

“We’ve got one cup (the Scottish League Cup) in the bag so far, and are in a good position to get two more trophies domestically. Our Champions League campaign was a decent one and we showed we could compete at that level. Now you want to finish it in style.”It might be that winning the Scottish Premiership is less difficult than securing the title in some other top-flight leagues — Celtic have been its champions in 10 of the past 11 seasons — but for Carter-Vickers and U.S. team-mate, new father Auston Trusty, a regular who was on the bench at the weekend, it will be a first title with a predominantly American central defence.What You Should Read NextForty years of dominance and a 55th title on ice, but Scottish football is more than just Rangers and CelticCeltic will have to wait a little longer to draw level with Rangers on 55 league titles after late drama at Aberdeen delayed the inevitable

Pulisic and Leao’s creative tete-a-tete

In Italy, Milan’s season continues with more ups and downs than recently endured by the stock exchange.They may still be outsiders to qualify for next season’s Champions League, but Milan can at least continue to rely on Christian Pulisic. The USMNT star created his side’s second goal, with a dangerous corner kick, during a 4-0 away win against Udinese on Friday.It was Pulisic’s 10th league assist of the season (he has 11 in all competitions) and continues a friendly competition with influential team-mate Rafael Leao over which of them can emerge this season as the Milan squad’s most prolific provider.

Pulisic prepares to take a corner at Udinese (Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“We have a good competition between the two of us,” Pulisic told DAZN after Portugal international Leao also grabbed a goal and assist against Udinese. “He’s fantastic when he plays like that.”

Milan are in ninth, eight points behind Weston McKennie and Tim Weah’s Juventus, the team currently occupying fourth spot, which is the last place in Serie A that brings Champions League qualification.

Chris Richards’ silver lining

It may not have been as spectacular as another U.S. defender’s goal at the weekend but, in the Premier League, Chris Richards was in on the act, too.The Crystal Palace centre-half was in the right place to guide in Adam Wharton’s corner from close range to put his team 2-0 up at Manchester City on Saturday.It was his first Premier League goal of the season and the highlight of a solid performance — for the 25-year-old at least. That 21st-minute header was about as good as it got for the Londoners, with City turning it around thereafter and going on to win 5-2, a rare setback in recent weeks for Oliver Glasner’s otherwise upwardly mobile outfit.“We just didn’t do everything to the highest level,” he told TNT Sports after the game. “That is what we’ve done so well, for the last probably two or three months. We’ve been really strong defensively and we’ve taken our chances up front.“We definitely want to be fighting for one of those (European) spots. We still can do it in the league and we can also do it in the cup. We just want to take them one game at a time. But I think everybody can see the European spots are up for grabs right now.“So we can’t let it dent our confidence. We have four or five more games in the next two weeks. We are disappointed with today, but we have a chance to get a little bit of retribution on Wednesday.”

As he says, Palace can make amends in midweek, albeit they face another difficult away game — against Champions League-chasing Newcastle United.

Richards nods in Palace’s second at the Etihad Stadium (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Jeff Rueter’s graphic of the weekend

How did other U.S. players get on?

Name: Josh Wynder
Club: Benfica
Position: Defender
Appearances (all competitions): 1

The 19-year-old celebrated a landmark in his promising Benfica career by making his senior bow for the Portuguese giants in the nation’s top knockout cup competition last week.

Wynder came on in the 76th minute of a 5-0 victory at fourth-division Tirsense, and gave a good account of himself. The Kentucky-born centre-back, who has had one senior USMNT call-up so far, is said by Portuguese media to be in contention for more regular first-team football at the Estadio da Luz next season.Name: Gio Reyna
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Midfielder
Appearances: 22

How Reyna must pine for the days of youthful potential being enjoyed by Wynder in Lisbon. While he’s not exactly long in the tooth at 22, it does seem a while ago that we spoke of the USMNT playmaker in those terms — in European football at least. The promise of Reyna’s time in the Bundesliga has flatlined this season and he was an unused sub again on Saturday, as Dortmund got a 2-2 away draw against league leaders Bayern Munich. He hasn’t played in the league now since March 1 and three different managers, in a turbulent season for the club, have yet to consider him a regular. Reyna does tend to get more action in the Champions League, and played 22 minutes of Dortmund’s 4-0 quarter-final first-leg thumping at Barcelona last week. There might be another runout in the second leg at home on Tuesday with the tie surely already over, but the noise about him needing to move on in the summer if he wants regular football is only increasing.

Reyna, centre, in training at Dortmund (Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images)

Name: Malik Tillman
Club: PSV
Position: Midfielder
Appearances: 29
Goals: 13

Having scored on his first start in almost three months against Groningen, Tillman continued his encouraging comeback from an ankle injury with another goal — this time it was a tap-in, but they all count — in Saturday’s 5-0 thrashing of Almere City. It may be too late to help PSV retain their Dutch league title, with Ajax nine points ahead of them in first place and only five games to go, but Tillman’s impressive return will be good news for Pochettino.he goal aside, there was plenty to like in his performance against Almere: backheels, smart interventions and two almost-assists.

What’s coming up?

(All Eastern Time)

He may have been frustrated again at the weekend, but Reyna might get another chance to impress new coach Niko Kovac and show what he can do on the biggest stage when Barcelona come to town on Tuesday (3pm, Paramount +). It’s hard to see Dortmund overturning a 4-0 first-leg deficit in the second leg of this Champions League quarter-final, even with home advantage, but Kovac was buoyed by the weekend’s draw with Bayern and wants to see his players continuing to perform as they did in Munich. “We have to do more. Against top teams, you have to push yourself to the limit, which we didn’t do in Barcelona,” he said.Speaking of tough tasks, that daunting trip to Newcastle we mentioned for Palace and Richards is on Wednesday (2.30pm, USA/Universo). Despite the eventual scoreline, there were flashes of promise in Palace’s loss at outgoing champions City, and Richards and company have shown the sort of spirit this season which suggests they won’t let that result get them down for too long.Manchester United’s blundering campaign continues to implode and it’ll be interesting to see if Tanner Tessmann gets the chance to make things worse for the Premier League giants in the finely-balanced second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Lyon at Old Trafford on Thursday. It finished 2-2 in the first leg in France and, while Tessmann wasn’t involved, he came off the bench in Sunday’s 3-1 Ligue 1 defeat of Auxerre and will hope for more minutes against Ruben Amorim’s men.It should be a simpler Thursday evening for Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis in their UEFA Conference League quarter-final’s second leg. They beat Jagiellonia Bialystok 2-0 in the first game and head to Poland for the decider smarting from a 2-1 loss against Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday, when Cardoso was taken off after 71 minutes.(Top photos: Getty Images)

For Pochettino and USMNT, Gold Cup is a time to reboot, not experiment

By Felipe Cardenas April 11, 2025Updated April 14, 2025 The Athletic

When Gregg Berhalter took a largely MLS-based squad to the 2021 Gold Cup, the decision was part of Berhalter’s grand plan to expand the U.S. player pool ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Momentum was on his side. Berhalter had celebrated a Concacaf Nations League title over Mexico (a 3-2 extra-time win in Denver) with his full senior roster, and the young Americans were viewed as a promising generation of European-based players ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.The nominal U.S. B-team reached that Gold Cup final and handed a veteran Mexico side a second consecutive final defeat to lift the continental trophy. It was arguably the highest point of Berhalter’s tenure. The squad’s depth was celebrated, and the U.S. was hands down the strongest team in the region.Four years later, the tides have turned against the Americans. The U.S. is drowning in a sea of heightened expectations ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which it will co-host with Mexico and Canada. Manager Mauricio Pochettino, after just eight games in charge, is in need of a signature win after the U.S. finished fourth in the Nations League finals.The Europe-based players, led by Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Tim Weah and Weston McKennie, are under increased pressure after their poor performances in Los Angeles in March. The unheralded U.S. team at the 2021 Gold Cup showed fight and grit in their defeat of Mexico, something that has been lacking ever since Pochettino replaced Berhalter last fall.It will all come to a head in June when the U.S. faces Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti and guest nation Saudi Arabia in Concacaf’s premier tournament, with the groups confirmed in Thursday night’s draw.

Make no mistake: the U.S. has to win this Gold Cup. And Pochettino has to take his strongest-possible squad, not an experimental one. He is in dire need of positive energy and will have no excuses as the U.S. will once again play a tournament comfortably held on U.S. soil. The Americans won’t face hostile crowds unless a matchup against Mexico materializes in the knockout rounds. But they wouldn’t face Mexico in Guadalajara or in Mexico City. The U.S. will still be at home – not that it was much of a help in last summer’s pre-Pochettino Copa América or last month’s Nations League finals.

Nevertheless, the group is beyond manageable. If an overconfident or uninterested U.S. team flops this summer, the pitchforks won’t necessarily be out for Pochettino, but his reputation, and that of the players, will take another hit. No matter how secure his job is, or how large his contract buyout may be, Pochettino must lead the U.S. to a trophy. Not to save his job, but, rather, to fend off the growing sense of negativity around the senior national team – at a time when galvanizing the country around this team is paramount.His previous record as a manager who punched above his weight in Europe made for a nice story when he was hired by U.S. Soccer. Right now, however, his inexperience at the international level, and his lack of knowledge of American soccer and the types of players the country produces, is shining far brighter than his résumé.Pochettino looked befuddled at his players’ casual approach in losses to Panama and Canada last month. He was at a loss of words and asked the American soccer public to have patience just 426 days before the 2026 World Cup.“I don’t want the people to feel pessimistic,” Pochettino said after the 2-1 loss to Canada in the Nations League third-place game at SoFi Stadium. “Disappointed? Disappointed, we are all. And the fans need to feel the disappointment that we didn’t win. But I don’t want to allow (them) to feel pessimistic, because I think we have good players. We are going to find a way to perform. And for sure we are going to compete in a different way. And (at) the end, we are going to get different results than Thursday and today.”

USMNT star Christian Pulisic Christian Pulisic and the USMNT struggled in the Nations League finals. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Because Borussia Dortmund and Juventus will participate in the Club World Cup this summer, Pochettino will be without playmaker Gio Reyna, who plays sparingly for the German club, and McKennie and Weah, who are key players for the Serie A giant. FIFA has given participating clubs player priority over national teams, so barring any transfers, they won’t be available. Pulisic, however, will be, as AC Milan is not in the Club World Cup. If Pochettino is thinking about giving Pulisic the summer off, he should reconsider.Pulisic didn’t end the Nations League unscathed. His performances were muted as team captain. His messaging, though, was on point, albeit it painfully obvious after a tremendously disappointing tournament. Pulisic should not be given a pass this summer.

“Obviously, the feeling is not good right now,” he said after last month’s loss to Canada. “We need to turn it around and we can hopefully build some momentum this summer, because we really do need it and with big, big tournaments ahead.”

For whatever reason, the Gold Cup has gradually lost its prestige. Nations League has soaked up the narratives and is growing in popularity, despite its young history as an official competition. That should not matter. The Gold Cup will be the last opportunity for Pochettino to test his players in a tournament environment before their opening match at the World Cup. Certain places on the squad, namely in midfield, at center forward, at center back and at goalkeeper, should be up for grabs.

That puts Pochettino in a complex position. If he’s going to experiment, he better get it right. If he’s going to demote a player, say like starting goalkeeper Matt Turner, the replacement has to elevate the team. If Real Salt Lake No. 10 Diego Luna is viewed as a viable alternative for a World Cup-bound team, then the 21-year-old must take a major stride as a creative player this summer. In Los Angeles last month, the U.S. side was void of leadership on the pitch.

“The mentality has to change,” Adams said before the Canada game. “We’ve had good talks about where we are and where we need to go, just an honest evaluation and then there needs to be a response.”

There wasn’t a response against Jesse Marsch’s Canadian side. Adams talked like a team leader, but he was among the squad’s most subpar performers. The Gold Cup will be a referendum for the Bournemouth midfielder, as well. The expectation is that he will be joined by fellow Premier League standout Antonee Robinson.

Fulham's Antonee Robinson and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah U.S. fullback Antonee Robinson was hailed for his performance against Liverpool and Mohamed Salah. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images)

The 27-year-old missed Nations League through injury, but he has since reclaimed his starting position with Fulham, and is widely considered as one of the best left backs in England. Robinson’s direct play, speed and service were missed last month, and Pochettino will be relieved if Robinson is fit for competition this summer. He has no like-for-like replacement on the U.S., and, along with Pulisic, Robinson will be counted on at the Gold Cup to provide a higher level of play in a key position.

When Pochettino was hired, the Gold Cup was viewed as an important dress rehearsal before the 2026 World Cup. After underperforming at the Nations League, this is no time to experiment with the player pool. The U.S. and Pochettino must now approach the Gold Cup as a test of their dwindling fortitude. Regional foes like Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Canada are eagerly waiting for an opportunity to bury the Americans in their own mediocrity.

If Pochettino and his players don’t punch back this summer, the pessimism that the former Tottenham manager wants to stamp out will further engulf a program that’s swinging and missing more often than expected.What You Should Read NextUSMNT frustrations boiling over as World Cup clock keeps on tickingExpectations of this U.S. group are growing, especially with a World Cup on home soil. So why does it feel like progress has been stunted?

(Top photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

Emma Hayes is putting her USWNT players in the frying pan. Who can handle the heat?

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 08: United States head coach Emma Hayes, Sam Coffey #17 of the United States and Crystal Dunn #19 of the United States during pre-game activities prior to game vs Brazil at PayPal Park on April 08, 2025 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

By Tamerra Griffin 41 ril 9, 2025

Compared to the bright, breezy environment of SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for game one, the United States women’s national team’s (USWNT) swift rematch with Brazil at San Jose’s PayPal Park carried an inverted energy, atmospherically and competitively. The latter ended in a 2-1 defeat for the U.S. before a packed house of 18,000 in California’s Bay Area on Tuesday night, the booming, sold-out crowd competing with the periodic sound of planes touching down at the nearby airport. The first, in the sunshine of Saturday afternoon, brought 32,303 people to a venue that holds 70,000 to see what turned out to be a secure 2-0 win for the hosts.Match two also embodied the classic traits of a return fixture against the same opponent, with noticeable changes to the previous lineup. But as U.S. head coach Emma Hayes has reiterated throughout this window, experimentation was going to be the prevailing theme of these two fixtures. She is working toward identifying a core group of players by the end of June who will eventually compete in the 2027 World Cup.“I wanna put players in the frying pan and I want you to feel the heat,” Hayes said in her post-game news conference late Tuesday night. “This camp was always about expanding and experimenting (with) that player pool. I really feel like that is becoming so clear to me on which players I think are really ready for us right now, which ones are not.”With that mandate, this could, arguably, have been a period better enjoyed behind closed doors for the team.Of the 22 players (including alternates) selected for the 2024 Olympics, headlined by Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman as the Triple Espresso forward line, only 10 made the most recent roster. The starting 11 on Tuesday averaged just 17 caps and formed the youngest USWNT roster in 24 years. It was bound to look as challenging as it felt — especially when that group, unlike Saturday’s squad, was tasked with handling 2023 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) MVP Kerolin Nicoli for 90-plus minutes.

Brazil’s Kerolin Nicoli was a threat all evening. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

When caterpillars retreat to their cocoons, part of the process of transformation can be aesthetically unbecoming and grotesque. For the USWNT, though, that metamorphosis is happening in real-time and out in public view. The revolution is being televised, and Hayes is unconcerned with how it might look to an untrained eye.“We could play 11 relatively experienced players now and build those connections, there’s no problem,” Hayes had told reporters on Friday. “But if we get to a World Cup in two years and all of a sudden, an Ally Sentnor or Lily Yohannes are completely underprepared, then you’re going to say, ‘Well, why didn’t we give them the opportunities in that period?’”Hayes shared that Sentnor — a 21-year-old striker and No. 1 NWSL draft pick of the Utah Royals in 2024 who is known for scoring long-range bangers — had told her that February’s SheBelieves Cup finale, which saw the USWNT fall to Japan 2-1, had been the most difficult game she’d played in her career. The manager also pointed out Yohannes, whose skill and promise as a midfielder became popular knowledge following her Champions League debut at 16 (she is now 17) for Dutch club Ajax, had not been involved in the U.S. youth national team system very long and thus has limited experience with international competition outside of Europe.

“It’s a completely different situation that we have to expose them to,” Hayes continued, “and if I put on the field (a lot of) 17, 18, 19, 20-year-olds, I’m setting them up to fail, in my honest opinion, so we have to drip-feed it in, whether it’s some of them in one game, some of them in another game, (or) some of them from the bench.” The four halves of soccer against Brazil this week have provided that.Saturday’s game kicked off with the five most-capped players on the roster — Lindsey Heaps, Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett, Emily Fox and Rodman — in the starting 11. The second half, however, saw the entries of Yohannes and 20-year-old Jaedyn Shaw, plus a national-team debut for Houston Dash defender Avery Patterson, 22. Last night, by contrast, 31-year-old Sonnett was the most-capped player at kickoff with 106. Next in line? Midfielder Korbin Albert with 25, aged 21.Claire Hutton watched the first match from the bench as an unused substitute, then started the second to double her number of international caps. The 19-year-old, who plays for the Kansas City Current, roamed about central midfield Tuesday night with Albert and distinguished herself with her brave defending and positioning, according to Hayes.“We’ve done a lot of film with her this week, a lot of detailing,” said Hayes. She added that the Americans’ goal, scored by Catarina Macario in the first minute of the game, came as a result of Hutton stepping up further away from the back line, allowing her to intercept the ball and initiate the decisive counter-attack — something Hayes and the coaching staff have been working on with her.Hutton, for her part, spoke with Sentnor, who did play in that first match, on the team’s flight up to the Bay Area from LA. The pair are good friends. She knew what she experienced Tuesday night would be “a whole different beast” compared to Saturday.“It’s international football. You’re gonna get clobbered if you take too many touches on the ball,” Hutton said. “So it’s just a learning moment and a moment to move forward on.”

It’s no secret that the state of the USWNT’s midfield has for years been shrouded in concern, but the teenager’s aggression toward an opposing team that relishes one-versus-one duels demonstrated for Hayes that she is suited for this level.

“For a 19-year-old to play like that against Brazil is a superb performance from her. One in which I know she is ready to progress with us,” Hayes said.

The USWNT fell to a defeat against Brazil in San Jose. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

And while the second half of Tuesday’s game saw the return of more veteran players — Heaps, Sam Coffey, Dunn and Alana Cook, and even Shaw, subbed on for her 25th cap — Hayes found the group’s performance flat. The USWNT’s expected goals figure for the second half was zero, and Hayes said only one player broke into the top 10 for pass completion.

Patterson’s determined performance as a left back crackled with possibility, but concerns remain in the middle defensively — both in terms of the ongoing audition to be Naomi Girma’s co-conspirator and the ability of both goalkeepers who played in this window, Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Mandy McGlynn, to distribute the ball with precision.nt“I think both her (McGlynn) and Phallon have had the opportunity to play against a top opponent, just like Jane (Campbell) had the opportunity to play against a top opponent with Japan, and I think it’s fair to say I’m a lot clearer,” Hayes said Tuesday night.It’s hard to imagine these players returning to their clubs after these two games without stacks of notes and feedback from Hayes and, for the younger set, the veteran teammates around them.“Every time I go into camp, it’s definitely a learning experience and developing as a player,” 19-year-old defender Gisele Thompson told reporters in the mixed zone. “I think I can learn so much from all of these players, especially Crystal, (and) Emily Fox. They’ve helped me so much along the way. Just being in these camps helps me as a player, even (at) club.”Thompson and Hutton both spoke of confidence in their reflections on camp, how the experience and what they learned from it bolstered their toolbox as players, imbuing them with excitement about how they’ll integrate their notes.“That was a battle. I’ve never played a game like that before,” Hutton said of last night’s game, the beginnings of a laugh escaping from her response in the mixed zone. “So knowing that I had that, I can do anything now.”(Top photo: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson’s resurgence on the field is a lesson in resilience

Apr 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; United States of America forward Alyssa Thompson (11) celebrating forward Trinity Rodman’s (2) goal against Brazil at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bailey Holiver-Imagn Images

By Tamerra Griffin ril 7, 2025Updated April 8, 2025

This is Alyssa Thompson’s moment.

That much was palpable when she received the ball left of the center circle from defender Crystal Dunn during the U.S. women’s national team’s 2-0 win over Brazil on Saturday in front of 32,303 people in her home city of Los Angeles.

For anyone who has watched the 20-year-old attacking player during her three seasons across town with Angel City FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), her path might as well have been cut into the field at SoFi Stadium with a lawn mower: straight to goal.

One feint sent a Brazilian defender sliding out of the play and Thompson exploited the space left behind. By the time she reached the top of the 18-yard box, the moment had begun to feel like what could one day be considered vintage Thompson, much like the goal she scored for Angel City before the international break. But rather than aim for the goal, Thompson delivered an assist that split two more defenders to reach an oncoming Trinity Rodman, who knocked the ball past Brazilian and Kansas City Current goalkeeper Lorena in the sixth minute.

“That was the perfect ball to a perfect finish. I think we read each other’s minds in that moment,” Rodman said after the match.

Trinity Rodman and Alyssa Thompson celebrate the opening goal against Brazil at SoFi Stadium. (Bailey Holiver / Imagn Images)

Her direct attacking style aside, Thompson’s short journey from being voted Gatorade Player of the Year at high school level in 2021 to this moment has been anything but linear.

She was the first overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft and the youngest player on the USWNT’s World Cup roster in a matter of months. Her standout rookie season rolled into her first senior call-up, however, and things quickly changed.

Thompson made just two appearances off the bench in the defending champion United States’ ill-fated run to the round of 16 at that World Cup, playing just 17 minutes in a tournament that saw very little squad rotation by coach Vlatko Andonovski. The World Cup crash led to Andonovski resigning and the youngest member of the squad getting left out of the roster to regain form, with mixed results, for her club.

After new coach Emma Hayes took the reins midway through 2024, Thompson watched the USWNT’s Olympic gold medal run from home. Instead of a summer in France, she worked to hone her skills, and after five goals and two assists in seven NWSL games, Thompson got the call from Hayes in October. And she didn’t waste her shot.

The then-19-year-old scored her first senior international goal 39 minutes into a friendly against Iceland in Austin. The joy was apparent on her face as she leaped into the arms of substitute Sophia Wilson on the sideline.

“I feel like last year, and the last couple of years, I put a lot of pressure on myself,” Thompson told reporters last week. “I think just coming in this year, I just wanted to be confident in my abilities and know what I bring as a player, and not compare myself to other people. I think that has helped me a lot, just knowing that if I’m playing like Alyssa Thompson then I’ll be able to put a good foot forward for my team.”ach month since, Thompson has been finding and learning ways to sharpen her craft. And, with the marquee front three of Wilson, Rodman and Mallory Swanson, who headlined that Olympic triumph, down to just Rodman for now, Thompson found another moment to make her case on Saturday.Hayes acknowledged Thompson’s journey ahead of the match as a cautionary tale of how a mistimed moment can obscure a player’s potential, especially from an outsider’s perspective.“I hope that we can look at someone like Alyssa Thompson’s situation, i.e. a 17-year-old coming into the program probably underprepared for that because the level is so much higher, to then have a journey which is pretty normal for a young player. But I think she’s in the best place she has been in terms of her start to the season,” Hayes said.But the former Chelsea manager also expressed her intention to continue elevating the characteristics that make Thompson an attacking threat as she progresses through national team camps and racks up minutes on the field.“Since October we’ve been working so hard positionally with her to get her to have a better understanding of what to do and when, and saying, ‘Listen, at the top level, you’re a great one-v-one specialist, but when you’re playing the top players in the world, they know how to drop off of you in a certain way where they don’t give you a one-v-one opportunity, so how do you link with others?’,” Hayes said.There were glimpses of those areas of growth in Saturday’s match, particularly in some of Thompson’s unsuccessful attempts to take on the well-read Brazilian and Olympique Lyonnais central defender Tarciane. Still, she created dangerous scoring opportunities that contributed to the team’s 2.72 expected goals (xG) figure.

Alyssa Thompson has worked herself back into the U.S. team after a long absence in 2024. (Bailey Holiver / Imagn Images)

Hayes has seen the gap close between where Thompson was six months ago and where she is now, and part of that comes through in her instinctive thinking.“When you play for me, I will overload you to take a player to another level tactically, but that means for a period of time, there’s a lot of thinking going on, a lot of processing,” Hayes said. “There’s a lot of conscious thinking, whereas I feel like with Alyssa now, she understands that, so she’s able to do it more naturally.”Thompson is still at the beginning of her professional career and it’s important to consider: managing internal pressure, brewing confidence and resisting the urge to compare herself to others. These are all tall orders for most teens (and adults) even when they haven’t faced the challenges she has. But they, too, have led to the moment Thompson is now enjoying, and she credits her teammates with supporting her through it.“They believe in me so much and I attribute a lot of my success to them because their help and reassurance has really helped me become the player that I am right now,” Thompson said.Angel City captain and defender Ali Riley has viewed Thompson’s journey from a unique vantage point.The 37-year-old Los Angeles native attended Harvard-Westlake, the same high school Thompson and her younger sister and Angel City teammate Gisele did, and experienced that same World Cup in 2023, though Riley played for co-host New Zealand (she was born in LA but her father is from New Zealand). Riley was quick to refuse credit for any guidance she’s given the elder Thompson and made clear her progress is just as promising as her ceiling — as a player and as a face of the sport.

Angel City teammate Riley has had a front-row seat to Alyssa Thompson’s rise. (Kiyoshi Mio / Imagn Images)

“Even when we look at how much she’s grown, her performances on the field, what’s so special about her is that this is the beginning,” Riley told The Athletic. “I think she has the personality and the eloquence to be someone who can speak about being a woman in sport, being a woman of color in sport. She’s so good about speaking about her experience growing up, the value of representation.”

Riley, who hasn’t played since last season because of nerve damage in her left leg, added that Thompson was voted into the team’s leadership group this year.

When Thompson went through a bit of a scoring drought during that 2024 season, Riley said she faced criticism from “keyboard warriors” on social media who picked through her stats and body language with a fine-tooth comb. Now, Riley said, “when she scores, she doesn’t seem relieved, she’s genuinely happy.”

So far, that happiness has shown up as cheeky TikTok goal celebrations with her sister Gisele and fellow Angel City striker Casey Phair on the sidelines. Other times, it’s a full-throated rebel yell.

For Thompson to enjoy another stellar performance in her hometown on Saturday only sweetened the moment — topped off with one of those yells after assisting fellow Southern California native Rodman.

“I love playing in LA,” Thompson said in the mixed zone following the match. “Being here is amazing for the club, and I’ve never played in LA with the national team, so being able to feel that comfort from my city and my family and friends, I just felt like I could be more like me, and I knew what I could do.”

(Top photo: Imagn Images)

U.S. Soccer, NWSL see 2031 Women’s World Cup as ‘catalyst’ for growth and league expansion

LYON, FRANCE - JULY 07: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced.) Carli Lloyd of the USA celebrate with the trophy following victory in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Final match between The United States of America and The Netherlands at Stade de Lyon on July 07, 2019 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

By Meg Linehan April 5, 2025Updated April 8, 2025

LOS ANGELES — The United States has not yet formally won the bid to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup but various figures from the U.S. Soccer Federation and the NWSL are already looking six years ahead to harness the power of hosting the tournament.

“It gives us something to work towards that we know from history can change the interest level in women’s soccer,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman told The Athletic before the U.S. women’s national team face Brazil on Saturday, a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal match.

AdvertisementFIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that the U.S. submitted the only “valid bid” to host the 2031 tournament before the governing body’s deadline. FIFA later announced that the U.S. submitted a joint bid with “other member associations from Concacaf (to be confirmed in due course).”

The longer runway allows for significant planning time, especially with the potential to build upon hosting the 2026 men’s World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson stressed that the bid includes growing the game across the region through Concacaf participation, and pointed to Friday’s announcement of Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang doubling down on her investment in U.S. Soccer with a $25 million contribution. Batson said this will allow the federation to be better prepared for 2031.

“Your ability to use the World Cup as a catalyst is before, not after,” Batson said. “So starting way early on, that is something that we’re really excited about.”

Michele Kang with U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson. (Mike Lawrence / Getty Images for USSF)

Details about what the bid includes are thin, with Mexico absent on paper after their previous co-host billing from the 2027 bidding process. However, Batson called the U.S. a “co-host” rather than a host. Many of the details, he said, depend on the tournament potentially expanding to a 48-team endeavor, which he said is something U.S. Soccer has been “passionate supporters for.”

“We think it would be incredible for growing the women’s game,” Batson told reporters on Friday.

“One of the things we hear from folks who lead federations around the world is they view the Women’s World Cup as an opportunity for them to 1. make a World Cup, and 2., really go compete in a way they wouldn’t be able to on the men’s side,” Batson said. With U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone now a member of the FIFA Council, it’s another chance for the federation to advocate for tournament expansion.

Beyond U.S. Soccer, the NWSL stands to benefit from the third Women’s World Cup on home soil — and the first with a professional league in a position to take advantage of the tournament bump.

“Hopefully, this will be a catalyst for a lot of cities,” Kang, whose Washington Spirit was a beaten finalist in the NWSL last year, said following the SheBelieves Summit at a small media roundtable. “Even from an infrastructure perspective, I’m trying to convince our area that the World Cup is coming and Washington, D.C. could be the center of women’s football, not just government and political power. We’re trying to use that as an opportunity to expand the presence and get women’s football squarely in the mainstream.”What You Should Read NextEmma Hayes: USWNT in ‘dreamland’ as United States set to co-host 2031 Women’s World CupFIFA confirmed that a joint bid from U.S. Soccer and other Concacaf member associations was the sole expression of interest for 2031.

Angel City CEO and co-founder Julie Uhrman was enthusiastic about what hosting the World Cup could offer all levels of the sport.

“It’s more visibility for women’s football, it’s more access to see incredible athletes,” Uhrman said. “Then the idea that most of them play in the NWSL, and you can continue to see them every single month following the World Cup, it’s a huge opportunity, not only for the league but to grow the sport from the grassroots level all the way to the professional level.”

Existing and potential NWSL markets stand to benefit six years down the line, a landscape that Berman has aspirations to expand as large as the NFL.

With Denver and Boston entering the league in 2026 before the men’s World Cup, there are no signs that the NWSL will stop there. Berman said that while expansion plans have been based on the league’s business, a 2031 World Cup in the U.S. could provide an additional filter for the league to consider.

“I’m very confident that our expansion will continue between now and then, so this will certainly give us even more reason to be bullish on our expansion plan,” Berman said. “Seeing how the country reacts to the men’s World Cup next year will be really important. We’re already working closely with FIFA and the host committees, even though it’s the men’s World Cup, to capitalize on it being here. Through that, we can formulate a plan that will take us through 2031.”

(Top photo: Alex Grimm / Getty Images)

11/29/24 USWNT plays England Sat 12:30 TNT, US Keeper Naeher to retire, Pulisic, Pepi, Score in Champs League, Orlando & Marta win NWSL, MLS Semi’s Sat

November 29, 2024November 29, 2024 gatorbest ac-milan, arsenal, emma-hayes, fulham, indy-11, liverpool, nwsl, premier-league, pulisic, soccer, sports, us-womens-soccer, uswnt, uswnt-vs-england

US Ladies Travel to England Sat 12:20 on TNT, then face Dutch Tues
Excited to see the US ladies headed to Europe to face solid competition – though this is a mighty young and inexperienced roster Hayes is carrying over. Man I would love to see at least part of the Triple Expresso trio in England – but all 3 will be missing after draining NWSL Seasons. Also with US GK Alyssa Naeher announcing her retirement from international football after this 2 game set – interesting to see 2 new keepers in the mix this time – including youngster Phallon Tullis-Joyce the Man U keeper. (nice story about her below- along with tons on the game & Naeher). I’m guessing we lose a close one at England with so many players missing – but of course I won’t question our Gold Medal winning Coach – I trust she’s doing what’s right here. Cool Behind the Crest with the US Ladies. Man we are going to miss Naeher – seriously her saves and PK saves at critical times in the 2019 World Cup and this summer’s Olympics rank her as perhaps the best overall US GK ever. Naeher’s best moments (more below under GK)

Nice to See US Players Making a Difference in Champions League this week
Love the first goal for AC Milan by Pulisic – Pulisic Scores another Champ League Goal here it is in proper Spanish – much better of course Capitan Ameri’ca. Also 2 American’s helped PSV come from behind to win 3-2 as Tilman scored 2 and Pepi scored the winner in stoppage time. Champion’s League Talk on Galazo.

NWSL Ends Fantastic Season with Orlando & Marta Winning the Championship
Wow what a season for the Orlando Pride and NWSL – as Orlando won the Championship in KC over the Washington Spirit as over 1 million watched on CBS on a Saturday night head to head with College Football. The skills competition pulled another 1.5 million eyeballs Sun afternoon and was the most watched sport not called NFL on Sunday. The first Women’s Soccer Specific stadium in KC hosted 20K rowdy fans as Brazilian Superstar Marta finally brought home a trophy for Orlando. NWSL Final Highlights. In my eyes the NWSL is doing everything MLS is too stupid to do. With games on CBS, ESPN, & Prime – their 240 million dollar package is putting USWNT and world stars in front of a growing female audience begging for more coverage. Unlike MLS – NWSL doesn’t have MOST of their games behind a paywall – as only Prime’s Friday night games do that. Congrats NWSL – it was great seeing your playoff games on Real TV – keep up the good work !!

USWNT roster (club; caps/goals) vs England & Netherlands

Goalkeepers (3): Mandy Haught (Utah Royals FC; 1), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 0 -Cool story about her below), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 113)

Defenders (9): Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 64/3), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 60/1), Eva Gaetino (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 1/0), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 42/2), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit; 59/0), Alyssa Malonson (Bay FC; 1/0), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 17/2), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 2/0), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 101/2)

Midfielders (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 20/1), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 26/1), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit; 2/0), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 159/36), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 108/24), Lily Yohannes (Ajax, NED; 1/1)

Forwards (6): Yazmeen Ryan (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 2/0), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 2/1), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals FC; 0/0), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 19/8), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 11/1), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 73/20)

Shane, Mike Arrington & T Ray Phillips at the Girls Showcase last weekend at Grand Park Friday- man I love reffing with these guys. And of course the chow – this time Chili was fantastic – thanks Nate !!

TV GAME SCHEDULE

Sat, 11/29
12 noon ESPN+ Dortmund vs Bayern Munich
12 pm TNT, Telemundo USWNT @ England
12 pm CBS Golazo AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Empoli
12:30 pm USA West Ham vs Arsenal
3:30 pm ESPN Des Real Valladolid vs Atletico Madrid
7:30 pm Sirius XM, apple Orlando City vs NY Red Bulls
8 pm Univision Cruz Azul vs Tijuana
10 pm Apple LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders
Sun, 11/30
8:30 am USA Chelsea vs Aston Villa
8:30 am Peacock Tottenham vs Fulham (Jedi)
11 am USA Liverpool vs Man City
12 pm CBSSN, Para+ Fiorentina vs Inter Milan
2:45 pm Para+ Lecce vs Juventus (McKinney, Weah)
Tues, 12/3
2:45 pm TNT? Netherlands vs USWNT
2:45 pm ESPN2 Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen
3 pm PAra+ AC Milan (Pulisic & Musah) vs Sassuolo
3 pm CBSSN France vs Spain (Women)
Weds, 12/4
2:45 pm ESPN+ RB Leipzig vs Frankfurt
3 pm ESPN+ Athletic Club vs Real Madrid
3:15 pm Peacock Arsenal vs Man United
3:15 pm USA Aston Villa vs Brentford
Thurs, 12/6
2:30 pm Peacock Fulham (Jedi) vs Brighton
3:15 pm USA AFC Bournemouth vs Tottenham
Fri, 12/7
12:30 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Parma
2:45 pm PAra+ Atalanta vs AC Milan (Pulisic & Musah)

US Ladies

How the USWNT is spending Thanksgiving in London ahead of England clash
Yohannes in for USWNT, Rodman, Smith left out
https://prosoccerwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/uswnt/2024/11/18/uswnt-roster-three-takeaways-squad-england-netherlands/76403789007/ WC, Olympic champ Naeher retiring from USWNT
Naeher: ‘Nervous’ to tell Hayes about retiring
Alyssa Naeher announces retirement from USWNT
Why is Alyssa Naeher retiring from USWNT? Star goalie explains decision to walk away
Hayes: I was ‘unwell’ before taking USWNT role
U.S. to face Japan, Australia in SheBelieves Cup
Emma Hayes’ USWNT rebuild is just getting started
Olympics are over, World Cup is in three years: What questions must USWNT answer now? EPSN

Champions League

The 5 most interesting stats of Matchday 5 https://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/champions-league/scoreboard/ Christian Pulisic — playing the best soccer of his career — delivers again Real Madrid is floundering in the Champions League, but the format could save it Dortmund’s Gittens closes in on unique UCL feat for an Englishman
Amorim enjoys ‘special’ first Man Utd win despite ‘anxiety’
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou comments on “frustrating” late draw versus Roma

Real Madrid is floundering in Champions League. The format they hate might save them Real Madrid lost to Liverpool on Wednesday, its third defeat in five Champions League games.

American’s Ricardo Pepi scored the game winner for PSV after Mark Tillman scored the first 2 goals in the 87th & 90th minutes to beat Shakhtar Donetsk in Champions League action.

MLS

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-cup-2024-odds-who-s-the-favorite-to-win-it-all
Conference finals predictions: What’s our ideal MLS Cup? Who will surprise? MLS playoffs conference semis: Galaxy the last giant standing
Seattle stun LAFC on the road; Red Bulls sucker punch NYCFC
Galaxy put six past Minnesota; Atlanta crash out in Orlando

NWSL

Banda the difference as Orlando Pride crowned NWSL champs
NWSL Championship Weekend Wins Fans, Sets Viewership Records
Marta has lived through long, lean years. Now she has another title
Orlando Pride: A historic journey to their first NWSL Championship
NWSL title match was most-watched game in league history: How media rights deal shaped its success
Marta’s resurgence, the clean sheets, the unbeaten run – Orlando Pride’s NWSL championship seemed destined
Kansas City Current’s Temwa Chawinga wins NWSL MVP

GK

Alyssa Naeher announces retirement from USWNT
“I have to say” – Del Piero singles out Aston Villa player for his performance vs Juventus
USWNT’s rock, goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, is retiring from international soccer
Why is Alyssa Naeher retiring from USWNT? Star goalie explains decision to walk away
Naeher’s best moments
Great Saves Naeher

World

Growth of Bayern-Dortmund rivalry has made Klassiker must-see TV
It’s time for Pep Guardiola to unleash a Manchester City legend on Sunday
“Not a good sign” – Liverpool duo now doubtful for Manchester City clash as Slot delivers worrying update
Analysis: What Liverpool’s ‘Dominant’ Real Madrid Victory Means for Man City Clash
Preview: Premier League Heavyweights Collide at Anfield

Reffing

Become a Licensed Ref with Indiana Soccer – must be over 13
Reffing the Best Job for High School Kids Ever
Become a Licensed High School Ref

USMNT’s Ricardo Pepi reflects on ‘most important’ goal of career in PSV’s ‘crazy’ Champions League win

EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS - OCTOBER 26: Ricardo Pepi of PSV celebrates 1-0 with Malik Tillman of PSV during the Dutch Eredivisie match between PSV v PEC Zwolle at the Philips Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Eindhoven Netherlands (Photo by Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images)

By Nnamdi OnyeagwaraNov 28, 2024

Ricardo Pepi said his stoppage time winner against Shakhtar Donetsk was the most important goal of his career after he and USMNT team-mate Malik Tillman played instrumental roles in PSV’s “crazy” 3-2 comeback victory in the Champions League.The Dutch side had trailed 2-0 in the latter stages at the Philips Stadium on Wednesday before Tillman, 22, scored two goals in the 87th and 90th minute of the game to level proceedings. Pepi, 21, who came on at half-time, scored in the 95th minute to complete a dramatic comeback and secure all three points for PSV. Game-winner Pepi told PSV’s official club website: “I think definitely this one (is the most important goal of my career). It’s up there for sure. I think this one is important, we needed the three points and now we’re in a good spot to make it to the next round.“Emotions are all over the place, I was very happy. It was a crazy game, a lot of emotions in the game. It doesn’t feel real. I’m just very happy to help the team.

“It was crazy, to be honest, but I feel like we have something special in our group. We don’t stop until the final whistle blows. “That is something very special that we’ve worked on. At the end of the day, the result went our way and tonight was something very special.“As a striker, it is always important (to score goals) It’s a special feeling.”Tillman echoed Pepi’s sentiment, saying: “I think ‘disturbed’ is the only right word. What an amazing comeback, I’m really speechless. I’ve never seen Philips Stadium explode like this before.“I literally had goosebumps. To win a game like that, that’s just indescribable. Also all credit to Pepi. Bizarre that he scores so often at important moments.”

The victory leaves PSV 18th in the Champions League league phase.Tillman’s move to PSV from Bayern Munich was made permanent this summer while Pepi joined the club in the summer of 2023 from FC Augsburg and the pair are enjoying successful campaigns for the Dutch side.Tillman has scored eight goals and provided four assists in 19 games for PSV this season, while Pepi has scored 11 goals and provided one assist in 18 games, helping PSV to the summit of the Eredivisie.PSV, who are five points clear at the top of Eredivisie, face second-placed Utrecht on Sunday.

USWNT vs. England, 2024 Friendly: Scouting England

By Brendan Joseph Nov 28, 2024, 6:00am PST Stars and Stripes —

England v South Africa - Women’s International Friendly

As the reigning Olympic gold medalists and top-ranked team in the world, the United States Women’s National Team reeled off three consecutive friendly victories over Iceland and Argentina. There are two remaining fixtures this year, against a pair of opponents that should provide a slightly sterner challenge than the previous foes. The first, England, has ascended to elite status in the footballing world and produced consistent results since claiming the 2022 UEFA European Championship, with the chance to lodge a resounding exhibition result. London’s historic Wembley Stadium, a 90,000-seat venue with a HATKO Hybridgrass Carpet surface, is set to host.

This is the 20^th all-time meeting between the two nations, with the USWNT holding a 12-5-2 advantage but failing in the most-recent match-up (1-2) in October of 2022. Ranked second internationally by FIFA, England booked a ticket over the summer to the 2025 UEFA European Championship with a second-place finish during qualifying in a difficult Group 3, drawing twice with Sweden (1-1, 0-0), grabbing two wins against Ireland (2-0, 2-1), and splitting results with France (1-2, 2-1). Recent friendly results include a defeat to Germany (3-4) and a tight result against South Africa (2-1).

The “unrivaled” Sarina Wiegman was appointed to the manager position in August of 2020 and stepped into the role in September of 2021, “succeeding Phil Neville at the end of his term” after “honoring her commitment to the Netherlands FA.” The 54-year-old former midfielder from The Hague earned 104 caps and served as captain for her birth nation before embarking on a coaching career that included stops at Ter Leede, ADO Den Haag, and the Oranje (Orange). Since taking over England, she has continued to add to her career legacy that includes two UEFA Women’s Championships, a Women’s Finalissima, and two runner-up finishes at the World Cup in 2019 and 2023.Here it is!

Your #Lionesses to face & this November and December…— Lionesses (@Lionesses) November 19, 2024

For the friendlies against the USWNT and Switzerland, Wiegman named a 24-player roster that is missing several notable talents. The domestic Women’s Super League is home to 18 of the call-ups, while three are on the books at National Women’s Soccer League clubs. Lauren James, Ella Toone, Niamh Charles, and Lauren Hemp are out due to various injuries. Maya Le Tissier was initially included in squad but was removed due to a concussion and replaced by Lotte Wubben-Moy.

GOALKEEPERS (3): Mary Earps (Paris Saint-Germain), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride)

DEFENDERS (9): Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Millie Bright (Chelsea), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Jess Carter (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal), Gabby George (Manchester United), Millie Turner (Manchester United)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Keira Walsh (Barcelona), Fran Kirby (Brighton & Hove Albion), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Jess Park (Manchester City), Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City), Ruby Mace (Leicester City)

FORWARDS (5): Beth Mead (Arsenal), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Jessica Naz (Tottenham Hotspur), Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea)

Under Wiegman, England are praised as becoming “tactical chameleons” with the variations and flexibility to line up in a few different formations, notably pulling out an unexpected 3-5-2 during tournament play. She uses a “team-first” style with a “clarity of tactics” and “zonal defending with three midfielders” that also “allows players to improvise and make mistakes.” The squad has been trained to handle pressure, with practice matches featuring intentionally incorrect refereeing decisions in order to cause a heightened emotional state. According to The Mastermind Site, the high-possession attack is generated from “progression out of the back” through the centre-backs that builds with “short, sharp passes,” while the defense has struggled to handle the transition and “drops into [the] mid-block quite early.”

Projected England Starting XI (via BuildLineup.com)

Due to both injuries and the ravages of time, Mary Earps appears to be slowly losing her grip on the number-one role, replaced by relative-to-the-position youngster Hannah Hampton. The 24-year-old Chelsea goalkeeper is comfortable coming very far off of her line to claim the ball and has the athleticism to leap for crosses and beat out taller opposing strikers. Standing at five-foot-eight, she has the size and length to cover the goalmouth and displays solid reflexes on short-range opportunities, standing firm when facing an onrushing opponent. Her work in possession is beyond serviceable, playing line-drive passes at a variety of distances while under pressure, hitting deep kicks from restarts, and taking an active role to build out of the back.

The experienced Alex Greenwood is highly influential in possession with frequent distribution as “an exceptional progressor” but can also win her fair share of headers and “produces positive moments in the final third.” The 31-year-old Manchester City centre-back will often push forward into the midfield in order to serve as a safety valve for her pressured teammates and get the ball into the box. Leah Williamson was forced to miss the World Cup with an anterior cruciate ligament rupture but has regained her spot in the starting lineup, resuming her status as “the ultimate ball-playing defender” with a “delightful passing range” and “reliability under pressure.” She is reasonably strong in the air and utilizes her read of the opponent during the build-up and when blocking lanes, coming in from behind and stepping forward at the right moments. Imposing veteran Millie Bright could also feature in proceedings, describing herself as playing “on the front foot” and providing “power and a penchant for scoring spectacular volleys.” The five-foot-ten Chesterfield native “reads the game well,” is a constant danger on set pieces, dispenses “thunderous tackles,” and finds teammates with long-range efforts that will bypass multiple lines.

Lucy Bronze’s first Chelsea goal is a SCREAMER! pic.twitter.com/9rUQW1KkUX— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) September 27, 2024

Artfully praised as “a stalwart of quiet calm,” Jess Carter has lined up in a variety of roles over her career due to her high level of athleticism, comfort on the ball, and ability to pick her moments for individual brilliance. The 27-year-old NJ/NY Gotham FC defender constantly presses forward and overlaps on the outside but can also move centrally in both phases of the game, best described as a somewhat reluctant fullback. One of the squad’s veterans, Chelsea’s Lucy Bronze is “a serial winner and versatile [talent]” with an attacking mindset guided by “pace, core strength, and composure in possession.” As a two-way player, she is strong in the air, plays a constant barrage of accurate passes, swarms the opponent’s lanes, and makes a crucial impact in the final third with delicate crosses.

Versatile and “brilliant” Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh boasts excellent “passing quality, range, and vision” but is also a master manipulator of space, serving as a metronome with a high usage rate. She can find any teammate on the field and has just enough guile on the ball to avoid pressure, spinning and darting around both halves in order to buy time. One of the creative roles is occupied by Georgia Stanway of Bayern Munich, a dynamic option who racks up assists for club and country by leading the transition and “working well in tight [areas].” Her aggressive nature will produce some crushing yet sometimes dangerous challenges, but the regular highlight-reel finishing and long-distance shooting are more than enough to merit constant inclusion in the lineup. There is also Jess Park, who has been getting an extended run with the squad and made two starts during EURO qualifying, earning praise as a “skillful, creative player with an eye for goal.” Hailed as “the future for England and Manchester City,” the multi-faceted option is a pacy, offensive machine with a daring nature that challenges both centre-backs and fullbacks alike.That is a CLASSIC Beth Mead goal #BarclaysWSL @ArsenalWFC pic.twitter.com/aG0Zymo2WO— Barclays Women’s Super League (@BarclaysWSL) November 8, 2024

Beth Mead is slowly moving out of her peak years, but the Arsenal forward can still grab the spotlight with her “ability to create chances, penetrate opposing back lines, and receive between the lines,” with the utilization of intuitive timing. She is equally comfortable on the inside and the outside of the field, with darting runs that slalom toward the center or physical battles in the box. Despite wanting for playing time at Manchester City, Chloe Kelly has been a reliable option off of the bench for England and should pick up a start due to several absences, providing the potential danger for a long-range blast. The 26-year-old attacker is always looking to cut inside and hit a searching shot with either foot but can also hang on the wing and pick out teammates with accurate crosses.

Former University of North Carolina Tar Heel Alessia Russo is the main scoring threat at the top of the formation and has found the back of the net five times this season. The 25-year-old Arsenal forward “is a very good dribbler and provides dangerous passes,” while also shooting frequently and winning aerial duels with “excellent positioning inside of the box.” As expected of a player with her abilities, she is dangerous with both feet, reads the opponent quickly, and can finish at any distance when given a yard of space. Marc Lamberts praises her progression of possession, high level of distribution, and prolific nature, enabling her to slot into a variety of roles and match the manager’s tactical shifts.

After a few less taxing friendlies, the USWNT has the privilege of a true test against a program that spent the past decade ascending into the elite level. England has a talented squad and a wily, experienced manager, which should provide a compelling physical and tactical match-up. The added bonus of the fixture taking place at Wembley adds interest for both fan and neutral viewer, although crucial absences on both sides dampen proceedings.The match is scheduled for Saturday, November 30^th at 12:20 p.m. Eastern, 9:20 a.m. Pacific. Viewing options include TNT, Universo, truTV, Max, Peacock, and Fubo TV (free trial).

Why USWNT coach Emma Hayes was so happy in the basement of a London pub: ‘I’ve got my mojo back’

By Charlotte Harpur The Athletic = Nov 25, 2024

The first time Emma Hayes introduced herself to the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) she put a photo up on the big screen.The photo showed the intersection on Camden High Street, north London, just outside a pub called the World’s End. Hayes said to the players: “This is Camden, England. This is where I’m from. This is what made me.”

So when Hayes returned to the UK ahead of England vs USWNT at Wembley on Saturday, U.S. Soccer decided to use the pub as the setting for her pre-match press conference. A press conference in a pub — that must be a first.

So, at 11am on a Monday morning, The Athletic was weaving our way down a pub’s staircase, round the bar, past some less-than-salubrious toilets, into Underworld, a black-walled basement club where Hayes spent much of her youth dancing until 3am.“I remember many an evening we would come in here, and thankfully it still smells of fart and feet,” said Hayes, who’d been greeted with a ‘Welcome back Emma’ sign outside. “It was a big indie place for me back in the day and I definitely have not seen this place in the daylight so that’s refreshing.”Although the music blaring from the speakers remains the same, the agenda and vibe at this time in the morning were slightly different — not least the fact that tea, coffee and pastries were being served.With a table and mics set up where Hayes used to rock and roll, the head coach looked out to a bizarre mix of her mum, sisters, school friends, former and current colleagues, and the international media.Asked how she felt to be in the Underworld with those closest to her, every word captured on camera, navigating questions from coaching at Wembley to Donald Trump, from USWNT’s Thanksgiving plans to the homophobic abuse aimed at her former player Sam Kerr, from developing the national youth team strategy to Hayes’ top tourist tips, Hayes said simply: “F****** brilliant!”

(U.S. Soccer/Getty Images/Brad Smith)

Hayes may be coaching in America but she has not changed, firmly shaped by her upbringing in north London.She credits her friends and family for keeping her humble. Those in the audience had shared her journey with her since she was a child, people who continue to run projects across the London borough at Camden Sports Development or youth leagues at Regent’s Park.“My community is what I am and what I care about,” she said. “I’m so stoked to be here with people that have been massive in my life. My friends have never changed and I’m grateful for that. If you say otherwise, there’ll be about 50 of them lining up at the door for you… I’m kidding.“Are you?” one heckled.“I probably shouldn’t say this in a press conference,” said Hayes, “but one of my friends used to live up in Delancey Street and she lived in a big posh house, a nice five-storey, it was lovely, gorgeous.

“I used to go up there and pretend, maybe one day, this would be a life for me. I used to come home with a little posh accent and my mum would say, ‘Your s*** still stinks’”.That was one way to keep your daughter grounded.When it comes to her tenure as the USWNT boss, Hayes is, in her words, “fresh out of the packet”, but she is already thinking about her legacy, explaining that unifying the US talent pool under a women’s football development strategy is “going to be the biggest piece” of what she leaves behind.She described herself as a “builder” who wants to lay foundations for the long term, and importantly she wants to devise a strategy for players and staff across all departments which is centred around a “female lens”.“Everything we create, the systems, frameworks, methodology, everything is done through a male lens. I seek to challenge that. If we value women and want to keep women in the workplace, we have to be creative because raising children is the hardest job in the world and your children need you too. But you’re entitled to be able to do that and have a job in football. We have to think through a female lens. That’s at the heart of everything.”Hayes said of her own accord: “I’m not going to answer any questions on men’s football. I know exactly where I am and what I want to do with my life. That’s in the women’s game, developing everything in and around that.”On Saturday Hayes will be a visitor at what she called her “second home”, Wembley. The 48-year-old will have to go through a “weird moment” of humming the English and American anthems because she “loves them” both before coming up against former Chelsea players like her ex-captain Millie Bright.Hayes momentarily feared making the jump from club to national-team management as she was unsure how the change in rhythm would affect her. For around 25 years, she had driven to the training ground six or seven days a week.“I worried about that for about four seconds,” she said. “Then I said, ‘OK, what are the benefits?“I get to get up and breathe, take Harry to school, go to the gym, create my schedule around those things, and not sacrifice the things that make me feel healthy.”She added: “I definitely didn’t feel healthy at the end of my time at Chelsea. I don’t want to say it’s pressure. I just think it’s the stress, the toll it took on me. Doing that during menopause, I realised, was even harder.“To get on top of all of these things, I feel like I’ve got my mojo back, my smile back and joy back. I didn’t realise how much I’d lost in that. I’m loving football more than ever.”(Top photo: U.S. Soccer/Getty Images/Brad Smith)

England vs USWNT: The Lionesses who were made in America

By Megan Ferin Nov 27, 2024

When England face the USWNT at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, all eyes will be on Emma Hayes.

The former Chelsea manager is making her first return to English soil in a managerial capacity since leaving the seven-time Women’s Super League (WSL) champions in May to lead the U.S. women’s team.

Footballing trips across the Pond are familiar territory for Hayes, though. Her coaching career began at summer camps in Long Island, New York when she was 25, when she headed to the States with just $1,000 (£1,250 at today’s exchange rates) and a one-way ticket. After eight years coaching club and college teams (with a three-year stint as Arsenal’s assistant coach in the middle), she returned to England in 2012, building Chelsea into a domestic behemoth, before heading back to America this summer and promptly leading her new team to gold medals at the Olympics in France.

Hayes is not an anomaly. Where MLS was historically branded a “retirement league” for august but ageing male players, English women footballers (and coaches) have found early-career moves to the States foundational.

Of England’s current 24-strong squad, forward Alessia Russo and right-back Lucy Bronze, plus head coach Sarina Wiegman, credit time spent in the U.S. as being critical in their career development, while goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse and defenders Esme Morgan and Jess Carter currently ply their trades in the top-flight National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

Other England internationals with U.S. roots include Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy, who attended the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Aston Villa defender Lucy Parker, who went to Louisiana State University (LSU) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Now-retired internationals Rachel Daly, Demi Stokes, Karen Bardsley and Jodie Taylor also found value playing college and club football on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

The American appeal is multi-faceted. There is the opportunity to develop within a more direct, physical style of football, and the boon of getting a university education alongside playing competitive football, as well as the chance of regular game time.

The Athletic takes a look at the England squad members “made” in America…

Alessia Russo, 2017-20, University of North Carolina

Russo was, at first, a gamble.

In 2017, North Carolina were being pipped to top American talents by rival universities, so their head coach Anson Dorrance needed to recruit from further afield. At England youth camps, a teenage Russo repeatedly caught the eye, to the point a full scholarship was offered. Russo accepted. There was anticipation — but then angst.

“I sent my assistant coach to watch her play and he calls me back in a panic and says, ‘Oh my gosh, Anson, I am so sorry. This kid can’t play, she’ll never play for us’,” Dorrance told the Press Association news agency in 2023.“I’m thinking, ‘Oh god, we’ve dumped all of our money into a player that can’t play’, and all of a sudden I’m having sleepless nights. Then I get a call a couple of days later, ‘Oh no, Anson, I’m wrong, they had the wrong (shirt) number on Alessia. She’s an a**-kicker’.”Upon Russo’s arrival, the No 19 shirt worn by USWNT legends Mia Hamm and Crystal Dunn during their time at UNC, was brought out of retirement for her — a sign of the potential they saw.

Russo in action for North Carolina in 2019 (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

To honour the history, Russo wore a Hamm patch on one sleeve of her jersey and a Dunn patch on the other. But Russo’s greatest tribute came in the form of her performances.

In three seasons, she established herself as one of the best forwards in the college game, being named a first-team All-American (awarded annually to the most outstanding athletes in their sport) in 2018 — the first UNC player to earn that honour since Dunn — and 2019, and helping UNC twice finish as runners-up for the national championship. Russo was also a semi-finalist for the Hermann Trophy, an honour awarded to the top collegiate player in the country, in those two years.

Russo’s triumphs were born out of challenge. A broken leg forced her to miss the end-of-season play-offs in 2019 (she was still named Offensive Player of the Year for UNC’s regional league and a first-team All-American). She later told Manchester United’s UTD Podcast that the mental strength the recovery process built was key to handling future setbacks.

The step up in physicality and athleticism was also steep. The game in America focused on slick, direct transitional play, where athleticism and physical fitness were lionised above technical skill. While Russo’s technical skill today is laudable, one of the Arsenal forward’s most impressive assets is her strength and power in the final third.

“Moving to America helped me develop loads, on and off the pitch,” Russo told Arsenal’s media team in a 2024 documentary. “I needed to grow up physically. I’d not really set foot into the gym or pushed my body. In America, you have to step up.”

Lucy Bronze, 2009, University of North Carolina

Bronze knows how to lift silverware. The Chelsea full-back has five Champions Leagues, three WSL titles, two Division 1 Feminine winner’s medals and one from Liga F, among others. She is the first English footballer to win the Champions League with two different foreign clubs and the first England footballer and first female defender to claim the FIFA Best Women’s Player of the Year award and a spot on the FIFPRO World XI (2020).

“That comes from my time in the U.S. and how competitive it was,” Bronze told Chelsea’s website after joining them from Barcelona in the summer.

Bronze in action for North Carolina in 2009 (Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Bronze’s spell in the States was brief but impactful. Her mum, Diana Tough, persuaded Bronze to attend summer training camps in North Carolina. There she impressed head coach Dorrance, who offered her a scholarship to UNC in 2009. Across 24 appearances, Bronze helped UNC claim the 2009 national title as she won All-American honours.Key to her development on the pitch were Dorrance’s training methods. The now-retired coach (he won 21 national titles over a 45-year career but also faced a lawsuit from two former players claiming sexual harassment, which resulted in a settlement in 2008 despite him denying the allegations) was known for pitting players against each other during sessions. Bronze often found herself up against Tobin Heath, a 2008 Olympic gold medallist with the USWNT. “I realised that I need to work a lot harder and push myself if I want to compete against those kind of players,” Bronze told Forbes.

After just a year in North Carolina, Bronze returned to England to continue her sports science degree at Leeds Metropolitan University, while playing for Sunderland, then Everton and Liverpool.

“It was tough being away from home, from where I’d learned to play football, but I think that made me the player I am,” Bronze has said. “That really shaped me, more than anything else in my career at such a young age. I then knew how to be a winner and that has driven me every year since.”

Sarina Wiegman, 1989, University of North Carolina

A glance at Wiegman on the touchline is a window into the soul. On the outside, the two-time European Championship-winning head coach is calmness personified. But behind that, her mind is whirring, analysing, competing.This has always been Wiegman’s way around the football pitch.“I think the difference between her and most of the kids I was coaching back then is the Europeans come in with a greater maturity,” Dorrance told the PA news agency. “We had a wonderful culture of great kids, very talented kids, but she always seemed to be a tad more serious than anyone else. You can even see her in press conferences — you’re interviewing a serious individual.”Where Russo credits UNC for instilling in her a physical and psychological strength and ronze also says it gave her a winning mentality, for Wiegman, her time on its campus was the start of her understanding the differing standards in women’s football — and importantly, how to raise them.In 1988, while competing in the FIFA Women’s Invitation Tournament with the Netherlands, Wiegman was invited by Dorrance to study at UNC and join the school’s football team. The following year, she was playing alongside Hamm, Kristine Lilly and Carla Overbeck, lifting the national championship trophy at season’s end.

Wiegman considered her time in the U.S. “an absolute trigger for me”, describing the quality of players and working conditions as operating at the “highest level”.

Upon returning to her home country a year later, the disparity in infrastructure and quality was stark. “When I went back, I thought, ‘If I can contribute in the Netherlands, to create what is in the U.S. in the Netherlands, I would be a happy person’,” she told UK newspaper The Guardian in 2023. “It took 20 years.”

Anna Moorhouse, 2022-present, Orlando Pride

For Moorhouse, America was a slow burn.

The 29-year-old goalkeeper earned her first call-up to Wiegman’s England squad in July this year. A second call-up arrived in October, and she’s now had a third. The attention arrived as Moorehouse was having one of her best seasons between the sticks, helping Orlando Pride first to the NWSL Shield (given to the club with the best regular season record each year, and the first trophy in club history) and then, this past weekend, to the NWSL championship, thanks to a 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit in the final.

Moorhouse has been integral, keeping clean sheets in half of her 26 appearances this season.

Moorhouse has become an influential player for Orlando (Elsa/Getty Images)

Her recent success in the States is more notable when considered in the light of her itinerant past. In the decade prior, Moorhouse spent time at Everton, Durham, Doncaster Rover Belles, Arsenal and West Ham United in England, before two mixed seasons with Bordeaux in France’s top division.

A move to Orlando came along in 2022, but her fortunes looked destined to follow the established theme. In that debut season, Moorhouse made five appearances, conceding 13 goals without keeping a single clean sheet nor being part of a win as the Pride finished 10th in the 12-team NWSL. Not until three games into the next season did Moorhouse play in her first victory (also the Pride’s first of the 2023 campaign), a 3-1 win against the San Diego Wave. In her ninth appearance last season, she kept her first clean sheet in a 1-0 defeat of Racing Louisville.Moorhouse was not helped by the quality of defence in front of her, but the league’s relentless transitional style also posed an initial challenge.“The biggest difference between the two leagues is the (NWSL) is a lot faster pace. You have athletes in every single position,” she told women’s football website INDIVISA this year. “You have so many transitions. The players are just pure athletic. When I first got here, I was trying to play and getting caught on the ball. I was trying to get up to speed. I think I’ve grown into that and I’ve changed that side of my game.“

Esme Morgan, 2024-present, Washington Spirit

After seven years with Manchester City, England defender Morgan made the bold call to move to the NWSL’s Washington Spirit in the summer, craving a new experience. “If I’d have got to the end of my career and just stayed in England the whole time, having heard how much other people have enjoyed going abroad, maybe I would have regretted it,” she told The Washington Post.

Her struggles to break into Gareth Taylor’s starting XI and the potential impact on her place in Wiegman’s squad had been evident. The 24-year-old featured in just nine WSL matches for City last season, starting five, and she spent most of her time with England on the bench.

The move to Washington represented an opportunity to shift this and so far, has. Following a thigh injury which delayed her debut until mid-September, Morgan has become a mainstay in the Spirit’s back line, helping them to finish runners-up to Orlando in both the regular-season table and again in Saturday’s play-offs final.

Morgan has been utilised mostly in central defence but has slotted in at right-back when required, a versatility that Wiegman will welcome, given Niamh Charles’s shoulder surgery. Her adaptation to the shift in style will also be crucial in setting her apart from other defenders at Wiegman’s disposal.

After the Spirit’s semi-final win against NJ/NY Gotham — in a penalty shootout — Morgan even lamented the number of fouls called by the officials: “This league certainly, comparing it to the English league, everyone’s so physical, so fit, so fast, so much less time on the ball, and so I really enjoy the challenge of it. No one ever plays to sit out and defend for a draw for 90 minutes or just low-block the whole time.

“I feel like it’s an element of my game that is developing a lot from being over here.”

Jess Carter, 2024-present, NJ/NY Gotham FC

From one league champion to another — Carter swapped Chelsea for NJ/NY Gotham in July after six seasons in west London.

Carter’s transfer was eagerly anticipated by the New York club’s fans: a six-time WSL and reigning European champion, the England defender’s pedigree spoke for itself. For Carter, the opportunity to challenge herself in a different environment appealed, particularly as the arrival of England team-mate Bronze posed a threat to her in terms of getting regular club minutes.

Jess Carter, right, scored against former club Chelsea in a pre-season friendly (Ira L. Black – Corbis/Getty Images)

Carter, who has U.S. citizenship through her father, had always kept an eye on football across the Pond. But her move was also tinged with controversy after the defender said her decision was about wanting to be “surrounded by people who treat other people well”.Her off-field relationship with former Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who had moved to Gotham in April, was thrust into the spotlight after manager Hayes said in March that romances between team-mates were “inappropriate”. Carter liked a post on X condemning Hayes’ remark. Hayes later said she “let herself down” with the comment, but added, “I don’t take those things back”.lthough she did not mention Chelsea, Carter told women’s soccer website The Equaliser in an interview announcing her transfer: “Gotham shares my same values. How you treat people and how the team is treated are my biggest values. I think I can really become a better football player when I’m surrounded by people who treat other people well, and really care for one another as people before footballers.”

Carter has shown the power of confidence, instantly becoming a mainstay in the reigning champions’ defence as they progressed to the NWSL semi-finals, though they were denied a chance to play for successive titles by the Spirit.

While Carter, like her compatriots, has credited the league’s athleticism and physicality for aiding her development, she has also praised the positivity that comes with the American sporting culture.

“When I first came, I was like, well, this is a little bit much — everyone is so energetic!” Carter told football website 90 Minutes in October. “But it’s more the fact that I could probably count on one hand in WSL club football how many times my managers or coaches turn around and say, ‘You did really well. Good job. Well done’. That positive reinforcement I don’t think really happens much in the WSL, or not in my experience, anyway.”

Lotte Wubben-Moy, 2017-19, University of North Carolina

At 17 years old, Wubben-Moy was presented with a decision: say yes to a dream or choose the more difficult path to achieve it.

It is telling of the Arsenal defender’s mindset that she chose the latter, opting to leave her girlhood club Arsenal after 13 professional appearances and the offer of a professional contract to pursue higher education at UNC and further development under Dorrance.

Looking back, Wubben-Moy calls the decision “the hardest” of her life so far, but the upsides have been plentiful. After three years of starting regularly at centre-back and helping UNC to successive runner-up finishes in the NCAA College Cup, Wubben-Moy returned to England in 2020 and has established herself as one of England and Arsenal’s most aggressive and consistent defenders after two standout campaigns.

“They definitely contributed to the player I am today, not just on the field but off the field as well,” Wubben-Moy told Arsenal’s website in 2020 of her time at UNC.

Dorrance specifically is praised by Wubben-Moy for his impact. The architect of the first U.S. World Cup win in 1991, Dorrance lionised the “winning mentality” that defines American sporting success. His tactics to develop the mental and physical side of a player’s game hinged on creating what he called a “competitive cauldron”, where players’ performances were analysed in front of peers and rankings posted on a weekly bulletin board for all to see.

As Wubben-Moy learned to adapt her game to the U.S.’s more athletic style of play in real-time, the visibility of her progression served as a catalyst.

“It doesn’t suit everyone and it is brutal, as in the numbers don’t lie,” Wubben-Moy told The Guardian in 2021. “But while so much of the game today is dictated by stats, the bottom line is still whoever scores more goals, whoever’s better on the day, whoever’s feeling more confident, that’s who wins.”

Wubben-Moy called the “competitive cauldron” a “masterpiece” due to the myriad mental components it demanded.“There are only going to be so many winners,” Wubben-Moy said. “But if as a team you can lift each other up while being competitive and go from saying, ‘Ah, I could be better there’ to looking at your mate and saying, ‘She’s gonna help me get there’, I think that’s next level.”

(Top photos: Getty Images)

USMNT Player Tracker: Pepi the hat-trick hero, Adams’ impact and Reyna returns

By Greg O’KeeffeNov 25, 2024

Ricardo Pepi’s growing dilemma at PSV Eindhoven, Paxten Aaronson’s key role in Utrecht’s remarkable progress and Gio Reyna’s much-anticipated return all play a part in this week’s USMNT tracker.

Throughout the season, we will bring you updates on the U.S. players plying their trade in various leagues around Europe. With a World Cup on home soil on the horizon and new national team boss Mauricio Pochettino monitoring from afar, we’re keeping tabs on how they perform every weekend.

Issue of the weekend

His defending champions are top of the league, remain competitive in Europe and have an attack as formidable as their defence is mean — Peter Bosz cannot have much to grumble about.But the PSV manager does have one thorny issue to resolve and, even if he is probably tired of talking about it already, it is not going away anytime soon.Bosz is wedded to playing a lone centre-forward, so how do you make two go into one? Specifically, how do you give enough game time to a striker considered a club legend while also accommodating the Eredivisie’s best young forward in the team?Captain Luuk de Jong’s muscle strain at the weekend meant Pepi made successive starts this season for the first time. The 21-year-old duly followed his goal and assist from the 3-0 win over NAC Breda before the international break with a hat-trick in their 5-0 thrashing of Groningen.

Pepi celebrates after scoring his team’s fifth against Groningen (Broer van den Boom/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

It puts Pepi on nine goals to date this term — he is joint-top scorer in the division alongside FC Twente’s Sem Steijn. But, while the latter has clocked nine goals from 11 starts for his fifth-placed team, Pepi has that many from just four starts. Other clubs across Europe are by now well aware of his prowess, and have taken note of his relative lack of opportunities.De Jong has five more starts than Pepi, and three fewer goals which would suggest that, at 34, his prolific powers are beginning to ebb. So how could Bosz perform a better balancing act between a club icon and what could be one in the making (if he stays in Eindhoven for long enough)?Could PSV go two up front, giving both men a chance to shine together? It appears not.Asked in his post-match press conference if it is an option, Bosz appeared to shut it down. “For years we have had a system that everyone thrives on and that is with one striker,” he said.When pressed further on whether Pepi’s remarkable form is making his selection task harder he was giving nothing away. ”No, I’m happy to have two good strikers,“ insisted Bosz.

The familiar sight of Pepi replacing De Jong (Photo Prestige/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Almost as taciturn after the game was Pepi himself, who was grilled by ESPN on how it feels to be in and out of the team when playing so well — not least with three goals in his last four appearances for the USMNT under new manager Pochettino.“No matter when my name is called, I am going to be ready and I have been showing that,” he said. “I’m going to keep preparing and working hard. (Whether Pepi is picked) is not my decision. That’s the coach’s decision and it’s completely out of my control so I just focus on what I can control.Advertisement“I’ve said it before, mentally it can be difficult, but sometimes you get rewarded and get a couple of starts and all of a sudden everything changes a little bit.”Whether anything changes after his latest heroics remains to be seen. The team sheets for their next two games, Wednesday’s Champions League tie with Shakhtar Donetsk and Sunday’s top-vs-second clash with FC Utrecht, will be intriguing. But if there is a succession plan in the pipeline, Bosz needs to ensure Pepi enjoys more opportunities to thrive as he has in the last two league games.

Quote of the weekend

“Right now, everything he touches turns to gold. I think it’s very nice for him.”

PSV and Netherlands midfielder Guus Til, who also scored against Groningen, was another mightily impressed by the USMNT star’s hat-trick.

Player of the weekend

One young American who is getting the game time his performances deserve in the Eredivisie is Aaronson. And no wonder, with the 21-year-old involved in yet another goal for Utrecht as the team hot on PSV’s heels won again on Sunday.

Aaronson’s assist for Yoann Cathline in the 2-1 victory at NEC Nijmegen made it three goal contributions in three games. The loanee now boasts four goals and two assists in 10 starts so far this season.

The New Jersey native has knuckled down in another loan spell away from parent club Eintracht Frankfurt (who intend on making him a first-team regular next term), and is thriving in Holland after a harder spell in a doomed relegation scrap with Vitesse Arnhem last term.

Aaronson holds off NEC’s Rober Gonzalez (Broer van den Boom/BSR Agency/Getty Images)

Graphic of the weekend

Over 18 months since his previous consistent involvement at club level, Tyler Adams has logged consecutive starts for AFC Bournemouth — you’d be forgiven if you didn’t remember he plays there given how infrequently he has been fit to feature — on either side of the November window.

After a 67-minute shift against Brentford on November 9, the midfielder remained in Andoni Iraola’s lineup for Saturday’s visit from fellow south coasters Brighton, exiting after 65 minutes with a tidy performance to show for his efforts.

Iraola likely won’t conflate correlation with causation as the Cherries suffered defeat in both of Adams’ recent starts. Each was decided by a single goal, after all. Adams showed some signs of rust on Brighton’s first goal on Saturday, as Danny Welbeck and former Leeds team-mate Georginio Rutter deftly passed around him in the build-up. On both goals, Adams made recovery runs to get back into defensive position, showing he should still have the pace to be impactful at this high of a level.ow all that’s left is getting back that previously uncanny reading of sequences and more decisive defending when able.But sometimes, the most mundane of updates can provide the greatest comfort. Sometimes, just seeing a player make it through a pair of starts is its own kind of solace.Jeff Rueter

How did other U.S. players get on?

Name: Tanner Tessmann
Club: Lyon
Position: Midfielder
Games: 10

Pochettino was very complimentary about Tessmann after his performance in the second CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final win over Jamaica last week. The USMNT boss said he hoped to see him get more starts for Lyon too, but Tessmann was back on the bench for the financially troubled French club and had to be content with a nine-minute cameo in the 1-1 draw with Reims.

Name: Taylor Booth
Club: FC Utrecht
Position: Midfielder
Games: 8

Another young American trying to make a bright impression at Utrecht is Booth, who has not had as many starts as Aaronson but features regularly for Ron Jans’ side from the bench. Booth got onto the field again on Sunday and did well, creating a chance and looking bright on the ball.

Booth replaces Miguel Rodriguez against NEC (ANP via Getty Images)

Name: Griffin Yow
Club: Westerlo
Position: Right wing
Games: 10
Goals: 1

The 22-year-old scored in his Belgian side’s 4-0 win against Kortrijk, and looks fully recovered from the knee complaint that ruled him out for four games earlier in the season. Westerlo are seventh in the league.

Name: Gio Reyna
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Attacking midfielder
Games: 2

The USMNT playmaker made his long-awaited return from injury for the Bundesliga side in their 4-0 win over Freiburg on Saturday at Signal Iduna Park. His 12 minutes off the bench were his first action for his club since August and manager Nuri Sahin was pleased.

“Gio trained brilliantly this week,” he said in the post-game press conference. “It’s important to get training minutes and, if possible, as many minutes as possible into the legs.”

The challenge for Reyna, once fully fit, is to convince Sahin he should be a regular starter — an objective that proved so difficult under previous manager Edin Terzic.

Reyna urges his team on against Freiburg (Hesham Elsherif/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

When Mauricio Pochettino was a rugged enforcer, and why he wants his USMNT to follow suit

Felipe Cardenas Nov 27, 2024 The Athletic

auricio Pochettino’s goals as United States men’s coach are big and bold and complicated by both historical realities and current perceptions. Turn the national team into a competitive international power. Capitalize on the opportunity of a lifetime presented by the next World Cup. Tap into the sport’s massive, unfulfilled American potential.His first impression to the U.S. audience is one of a smart-suited tactician of global repute with a $6 million annual contract, but in 1989, Pochettino was a rough-edged, 17-year-old defender trying to earn himself a pro soccer career. Back then, the tasks were less ambitious but more direct. ‘Go soften up the opposing No. 9,’ he was told by his veteran teammates and coaches at Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys. The instruction was clear, the execution bruising.A message-sending challenge. A knee to the back of the thigh. A cleat to the ankle. No quarter given. No apology offered.Could it be that kind of mindset the USMNT needs as much as implied promises of formational focus and technical improvement? Pochettino is perceived as a savant, but his methods and motivations are founded on willpower and ferocity.

Even after the 2022 World Cup cycle and winning several regional trophies, questions continue to be asked about this team’s mentality and whether they can tap into the spicier aspects of the world’s game.

It was billed as the newly minted Pochettino’s first major test. On Oct. 15, the Americans traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico, to face their eternal rivals in a prime-time friendly with nothing but pride on the line.

As he’d played 67 minutes two days earlier against Panama, Pochettino allowed star Christian Pulisic to travel back early to his club, Milan, instead of being involved, to limit the winger’s minutes. Pulisic is enjoying the best moment of his career in Serie A, and his absence that night in Guadalajara left a leadership void. Mexico won their individual battles and bullied their visitors en route to a 2-0 win.

Pochettino’s side were listless, uninspired.Soft, perhaps?U.S. central defender Tim Ream seemed to think so.“It comes down to fighting for each other and being even more aggressive. We didn’t match (Mexico’s) intensity and that’s on us,” Ream told Sirius XM last week. “Bare minimum, you have to match the opponent’s intensity throughout the 90 minutes.”

Tim Ream during the loss to Mexico last month. (Ulises Ruiz / AFP / Getty Images)

The performances improved this month during a two-leg CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal versus Jamaica. A 1-0 away win in Kingston was followed by a convincing 4-2 victory in St. Louis. But that loss to Mexico has not been completely erased.The overwhelming takeaway from it was that this U.S. team still lacks fight and grit. That it’s more naive than it is talented, and that without Pulisic, it lacks a decisive player. It’s a concern, with the next World Cup in 2026, an event largely hosted by the United States, looming ever closer.Coupled with an embarrassing Copa America on home soil over the summer, the events from Guadalajara raised doubts about this side’s ability to manage high-stakes situations. The two wins over Jamaica will have built confidence internally, but the Reggae Boyz are no world power. Pochettino likes to talk about “the other football,” the intangibles, the steeled edge, the dark arts of soccer.Gamesmanship and deception are attributes rarely associated with the game in America. Around the world, however, those characteristics come together and are ingrained in players from a young age. Soccer is played differently stateside, and that cultural disconnect has become Pochettino’s principal concern as he takes over a team that, at times, has come off as uninterested and privileged.Pochettino has sent a message early in his tenure that a squad place under him should not be taken for granted. “We have to challenge the players, because they have to feel desperate to want to be called up; that’s what other federations like Argentina do, where the players don’t choose which games they go to,” he said before the first leg against Jamaica.

“In terms of how to translate the competitive spirit to the players, we have to do it little by little and step by step. That’s something that we can’t do too quickly because in the end, the most important thing is creating a structure around the players that has that ideology and mentality, and that our priorities are all aligned.”It raises the question: Why is this an issue for this U.S. men’s national team?

As an Argentine, it’s perhaps impossible for Pochettino to grasp that an opportunity to play for the national team is anything less than a dream. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your first cap or your 78th. Argentina, a star-studded side led by Lionel Messi and the reigning world champions, have come to epitomize what that commitment looks like.“The Argentinian player is desperate to be called up, doesn’t matter if it’s a friendly or a CONCACAF game, or Copa America, or a World Cup,” Pochettino said earlier this month during a video call with reporters. “The Argentinian player approaches a call-up like it’s a world final and like it’s their last chance.“I think our players have time to get into that mindset, and if we do, we’ll increase our level by 200 percent and we’ll have a chance, because we certainly have the talent to do something important.”

Mauricio Pochettino wants his players to be more cunning. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

The CONCACAF Nations League doesn’t carry much prestige, but it’s the only competitive tournament the U.S. will participate in before the 2026 World Cup. Speaking to reporters from Jamaica, Pochettino talked about putting his players in “uncomfortable zones” and raising the team’s emotional capacity to play do-or-die matches.“We need to build that expectation. We need to build that pressure,” Pochettino said. “We are USA. We need to perform and we need to win games.“If one of my players is kicked, we’re going to defend him. We have to be cunning enough to know when to kick the ball long or to stand in front of the ball. These are things that may seem like small details, but they have everything to do with playing this game. What we showed against Mexico was the opposite of what we showed against Jamaica. That’s the stamp that we want.”

Pochettino is being open about his first impressions of the players he’s inherited. It will be fascinating to watch the plan he and his staff implement as they try to turn the U.S. into a mentally hardened team — one that’s difficult to play against, as Pochettino put it. That certainly wasn’t what defined this same group under predecessor Gregg Berhalter, despite his best attempts to change their mindset.

When Pochettino was hired, his man-management skills were highlighted as a positive for this U.S. team. He had presided over the egos and personalities of Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain. He coached in the Premier League and a UEFA Champions League final. His tactics, focused on aggressive pressing and quick attacking sequences born out of possession, were also noted as a match for these U.S. players.But it’s Pochettino’s background as a rugged Argentine central defender that could be the secret to success for the men’s side.

When Gerardo “Tata” Martino met Pochettino in 1989, he saw a nervous teenager who was about to face the pressures of football in Argentina. At the time, Martino was a title-winning captain at Newell’s Old Boys. Pochettino, still raw, had been discovered by Jorge Giffa, a renowned identifier of talent for the club, and fast-tracked towards the first team.“I didn’t meet the man who would become a head coach,” Martino told The Athletic in August. “I met a player who had the typical anxiety and expectation of someone who was just starting his career. There was no way for me to even fathom that (Pochettino) would go into coaching. I met him when he was 17 years old and he had a massive responsibility ahead of him because Newell’s was in a difficult situation, facing relegation.”

Mauricio Pochettino was an old-school defender. (Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images)

Martino, who resigned as Inter Miami coach last week, knows Pochettino well. He has also coached and suffered through the idiosyncrasies of CONCACAF football as Mexico’s national team manager from 2019 to 2022.A Newell’s legend of three league titles as a player and another as the coach, Martino quickly spotted the young Pochettino’s fearless edge.“He was the prototypical central defender from that era, at a time when there was little talk about defenders making the first pass to break a line,” Martino said. “Rather, it was about how they defended, how they marked the opposition, their ability to anticipate and win balls in the air. That was Mauricio.”

In Guillem Balague’s 2017 book “Brave New World: Inside Pochettino’s Spurs,” Pochettino described a run-in he had with Martino during one of his first Newell’s training sessions. “I was 17, young and hungry. Not scared of anybody, cocky even,” Pochettino said.According to Pochettino, Martino quipped, “I’m going to kill you” after receiving a tough tackle from the academy defender.“No, there’s no chance,” Martino said emphatically with a laugh when asked whether he had threatened his rookie teammate. “Surely something must’ve happened. I was a player who had been in the top flight for almost 10 years. Mauricio was a kid who was just starting. That happened often back then. Today, those types of things don’t happen as often. It was normal for an experienced player to have a word with a young player who was just starting out.”Pochettino the enforcer further thrived when Marcelo Bielsa took over as Newell’s coach in 1990. Led by Bielsa and playing alongside Martino, Pochettino would win two league titles and reach a Copa Libertadores final in 1992. That squad’s relentless, high-pressing intensity is a characteristic Pochettino later adopted as a manager. His hire as U.S. men’s national team coach comes at a time when Argentine managers are in high demand.U.S. Soccer officials didn’t pinpoint that when they announced his appointment in September, but Martino believes Pochettino’s heritage is part of a growing trend.

“I think that’s an important piece to all of this,” Martino said. “Right now, coaches from Argentina, because of everything that has happened with the national team, are well respected, and that opens doors to be considered for certain jobs. I wouldn’t simply compare Mauricio to other Argentine coaches, though.”

USMNT looked better against Jamaica. (Tim Vizer / AFP / Getty Images)

Pochettino has been largely molded by European footballing methodologies. He is a sophisticated student of the game who has lived and coached in Barcelona, London and Paris. His DNA, though, is from rural Argentina. His core memories as a player at Newell’s are replete with blood, sweat and massive pressure.“Argentine coaches have become accustomed to difficult situations that aren’t as common today,” Martino said. “There was a time when coaches wouldn’t get paid, or they had to deal with the club’s ultras and the hostility of difficult moments. But those negative experiences strengthen you, they give you thicker skin.”Martino, though, stressed Pochettino will have to “learn how to become a national team manager.” Regardless of Pochettino’s qualifications and his implementation of progressive tactics early on, he’s in his first-ever stint as an international coach. Although so was Lionel Scaloni when he led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022.There were calls for the U.S. Soccer Federation to hire another American after Berhalter was fired.

Fans and pundits passionately discussed the importance of understanding the psyche of an American player. Tapping into the courage that defined previous U.S. teams was seen as a priority.Pochettino is an outsider who has read the room accurately. He knows a player’s resume and potential are secondary to their willingness to swallow their pride for the good of their country. Case in point, his response to that comfortable home win over Jamaica last week.“In the second half, we didn’t approach the game in the way we wanted,” he said. “The goal was to win the second half, and we didn’t approach it with the same intensity and mentality. It shows we still have things we need to improve.”

Internationally, the reputation of the U.S. men’s team eroded over the summer. They were humbled by opponents who were unafraid to test the limits of the sport’s rules. Their Copa America preparation, which included losing 5-1 against Colombia, and the group-stage elimination that followed, sent the wrong message to the world.he improvement Pochettino demands must come on the sport’s biggest stage in 2026. There is no other option.If the squad cannot align culturally with its new manager at a World Cup held mostly on home soil, the repercussions will lead to a renewed evaluation of the American player.