Champions & Europa League Play Returns Tues/Wed/Thurs Match Day 6
Awesome to see the top clubs in the World battle it out – thru 5 rounds Arsenal, Bayern, Atalanta, PSG & Inter stand in the Top 5, while my Juventus with McKinney & Leverkusen with Tillman are just above the cut line. American’s Ricardo Pepi scored late for PSV in a 3-2 loss, and Foralin Balogon scored the winner for Monico over Galatasaray for his 3rd straight Champions League game with a Goal. McKinney’s stunner the winner for Juve in Champs league. Not UCL but Pulisic has been deadly in front of net this season for AC Milan as he’s tied for Serie A lead for scoring despite only playing 9 games. Pulisic ties it up 30 seconds after coming on then Supersub Scores a Brace as Milan wins it. See all the US players playing below.
US Draw Includes Australia, Paraguay, (Euro Winner Turkey?)
So the US got a decent draw – no reason the US can’t get out of this group – honestly in the #1 slot. The US has recently beaten both Australia and Paraguay in the past few months often without our team. The draw looks like we could make a run to Sweet 16 where we would face Belgium – again. But lets not count our chickens yet. Also exciting to see the US has signed to play Germany in Chicago June 6, and Portugal and Belgium in Atlanta in late March.
Inter Miami & Messi Win MLS Cup over Vancouver
Messi continued his mastery over MLS – with a goal and an Assist in the 3-1 win over a game Vancouver at home in Miami. MLS Final Highlights The win finally justifies the extreme amount of money Miami has spent in signing the trifecta of Messi, Jordi Alba & Sergio Busquets (both of who are retiring). Fun game to watch as Vancouver made a game of it before Messi helped Miami pull away late.
Former Carmel GK Eric Dick Signs with Indy 11 after winning USL Championship for Pittsburgh
Awesome to see former Carmel Dad’s Club/Carmel High/Butler GK Eric Dick is coming home to Indy as he will return to the Indy 11 this upcoming season — fresh off a Player of the USL Championship performance for Pittsburgh.
Notes
Thrilled for Wilfried Nancy, who has just moved from Columbus to manage Celtic. We’ve had him on a number of times. He is such a soulful, inspirational leader. I can’t wait to watch him learn and grow in Scotland. I want to send huge love to the great Shaka Hislop (ESPN Analyst), who revealed he is battling prostate cancer and urged Caribbean men to get tested. His message is a crucial one. I wish Shaka and his family strength and health at this moment.
Mohomed, Margaret, and Shane reffing indoors at the Grand Park Tourney Sunday – last 1 of the year.
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GAMES ON TV
Wed, 12/9 Champs League 12:45 pm Para+ Villareal vs Kebenhavn 2:45 pm Para+ Hull City vs Wrexham 3 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs Man City 3 pm CBSSN Bayern Leverkusen (Tilman) vs New Castle United 3 pm Para+ Juventus (McKennie) vs Paphos 3 pm Para+ Arsenal vs Club Brugge 3 pm Para+ Athletic Club vs PSG 3 pm Para+ Dortmund vs Boda Glimt Thurs, 12/10 Europa 12:45 pm Para+ Rangers vs Ferencvaros 12:45 pm Para+ Young Boys vs Lille 12:45 pm Para+ Nottingham Forest vs Utrecht 3 pm Para+ Lyonnais (Tessman) vs Go Ahead Eagles 3 pm Para+ Celtic (Trusty) vs AS Roma 3 pm Para+ Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace (Richards) Fri, 12/12 2:30 pm ESPN+ Union Berlin vs RB Leipzig 3 pm Para+ West Brom (Dike) vs Sheffield United Sat, 12/13 8 am ESPN+ Atletico MAdrid vs Valencia 9:30 am ESPN+ MGladback (Reyna, Scalley) vs Wolfsburg 10 am USA Chelsea vs Everton 10 am USA Livepool vs Brighton 12:30 pm NBC Burnley vs Fulham (Jedi) 3 pm USA Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Sun, 12/14 6:30 am Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Sassuolo 9 am USA Sunderland vs New Castle 9 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City 9 am PEacock Nottingham Forest vs Brighton 9 am Pea West Ham vs Liverpool 11:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Mainz 11:30 am USA Brentford vs Leeds United (Aaronson) 3 pm ESPN+ Alavez vs Real Madrid 8 pm CBSSN Toluca vs Tigres UANL Mon, 12/15 3 pm USA Man United vs Bournemouth (Adams) Wed, Dec 17 2:30 pm Para+ New Castle vs Fulham (Jedi) 2:30 pm Para+ Man City vs Brentford Fri, Dec 19 2:30 pm ESPN+ Dortmund vs MGladbach (Reyna, Scalley) 4 pm CBSSN Bologna vs Inter Milan Jan 24 5:30 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Paraguay Jan 27 10 pm TBS, HBO USWNT vs Chile Sat, March 28 3:30 TNT, Max USA Men vs Belgium in Atlanta Tue, Mar 31 7:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Portugal in Atlanta Sat, June 6 2:30 pm TNT. Max US Men vs Germany in Chicago June 12 9 pm Fox US Men vs Paraguay World Cup June 19 3 pm FOX US Men vs Australia World Cup June 25 10 pm FOX US Men vs European Team World Cup
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Scoring Champions
League play continues ahead of the winter break
Burnley v Fulham – 9:30a on 12:30p on NBC: Antonee Robinson has been progressing well in training and reportedly could return to the field on Saturday as Fulham face Burnley. Fulham are in fifteenth place and have lost their past two matches. They will look to get back on track against a Burnley side that is second worst thus far and have lost six straight matches.
Bayer Leverkusen v Koln – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman and Bayer Leverkusen will look to bounce back from their loss to Augsburg last weekend as they take on Kristoffer Lund and his Koln team that are in ninth place but coming off a disappointing draw with St. Pauli.
PSV v Heracles – 2p on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest has started 14 of 15 league matches for PSV this season and Ricardo Pepi has joined him in the past two as PSV maintain their league lead. Pepi also scored in each of the last two league matches and has an assist as well as he looks to make his case for additional minutes moving forward. He also was one of several American’s to score midweek and he notched a goal for PSV in their 3-2 loss to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. On Saturday PSV will face 16th place Heracles who after a particularly rough start to the season are actually undefeated in their past six matches across all competitions.
Atalanta v Cagliari – 2:45p on Paramount+: Yunus Musah saw three minutes off the bench on Tuesday in Atalanta’s 2-1 win over Chelsea in Champions League play. Unfortunately, Musah still hasn’t appeared in a league match since October and he has just 80’ across all competitions since late September. The loan at Atalanta does not seem to be going well and Musah is at real risk of missing out on next summers World Cup if he isn’t able to turn things around or find another move.
Paris v Toulouse – 3:05p on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie started again for Toulouse last weekend as they snapped their six match winless streak by defeating Strasbourg 1-0. Toulouse now face Paris FC who are in fourteenth place and are winless in their last four matches.
Sunday
AC Milan v Sassuolo – 6:30a on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic came on as a second half substitute on Monday as AC Milan came from behind to defeat Torino 3-2 after falling behind 2-0 in the opening 20 minutes of the match. Pulisic’s goals were his six and seventh of the Serie A season and he has eleven goals and assists in the twelve matches be has played across all competitions this season. With the win Milan remain tied with Napoli for first place in Serie A.
Crystal Palace v Manchester City – 9a on NBCSN and Peacock: Chris Richard, the best player in the USMNT pool (which I’m sure itself will cause some debate), started yet again for fourth place Crystal Palace as they defeated Fulham 2-1 last weekend. Palace haven’t had a lot of tough matchups this season but they have been in every match they have played, with just three losses on their record, all of which were by a single goal.
Olympique Lyon v Le Havre – 9a on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann has been sidelined for Lyon’s past two matches and will reportedly be out again this weekend as fifth place Lyon face a Le Havre side that are just three points out of the relegation playoff spot.
Brentford v Leeds United – 11:30a on USA Network: Brenden Aaronson came off the bench for 25’ and notched an assist as Leeds drew with Liverpool 3-3 after initially falling behind 2-0. Leeds have four points from their last two matches but still are just two points out of the relegations spots.
Olympique Marseille v Monaco – 2:45p on beIN Sports: The second USMNT matchup of the weekend sees Tim Weah and third place Marseille facing off against Folarin Balogun and seventh place Monaco on Sunday afternoon. Weah has started three straight league matches for Marseille since returning from injury while Balogun missed last weekends league match but started and scored for Monaco midweek in their 1-0 win over Galatasaray in Champions League play.
Bologna v Juventus – 2:45p on CBS SS and Paramount+: Weston McKennie also scored in Champions League action this week, notching the opener for Juventus as they defeated Pafos 2-0 on Wednesday. McKennie also started against Napoli last weekend and notched an assist but Juve fell to the second place team and remain in seventh place in the league standings. They could move past fifth place Bologna who they face on Sunday as they trail their opponents by two points.
USMNT midweek viewing guide: Rounding into form
Follow along with all the USMNT action this week. Wednesday
Leverkusen vs Newcastle, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV, ViX: Malik Tillman and Leverkusen host Newcastle United in Champions League.
Juventus vs Pafos, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Weston McKennie and Juve host Cyprus-based club Pafos in Champions League.
Thursday
Lyon vs Go Ahead Eagles, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Tanner Tessmann and OL host Dutch club Go Ahead Eagles in Europa League.
Shelbourne vs Crystal Palace, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Chris Richards and Palace visit Irish club Shelbourne in Conference League.
Also in action:
Celtic vs Roma, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, TUDN USA, UniMás, FuboTV, ViX: Auston Trusty and Celtic host AS Roma in Europa League. Cameron Carter-Vickers is out for the season with an Achilles tendon injury.
Panathinaikos vs Viktoria Plzeň, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Erik Palmer-Brown and Panathinaikos host Viktoria Plzeň in Europa League.
KuPS vs Lausanne, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Swiss-American center-back Bryan Okoh and Lausanne Sport visit Finnish club KuPS in Conference League.
Lech Poznań vs Mainz, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Lennard Maloney and Mainz visit Lech Poznań in Conference League.
Friday
Greuther Fürth vs Hertha Berlin, 12:30p on ESPN Select, FuboTV: Julian Green, Maxi Dietz, and Fürth host Hertha BSC in the 2. Bundesliga. John Brooks (on Hertha’s books) hasn’t played since May 2024, missing time due to multiple separate injuries.
Standard Liège vs OH Leuven, 2:45p: Marlon Fossey and Standard host Leuven in Belgium’s top tier.
West Brom vs Sheffield United, 3p on Paramount+: Daryl Dike, George Campbell, and West Brom host Sheffield United in the Championship.
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Messi wins MLS MVP for second straight season, makes more league history
Maddie Meyer / Getty Images By Felipe Cardenas Dec. 9, 2025Updated 11:46 am EST
Days after becoming an MLS Cup champion, Lionel Messi has etched out even more of a place in league history. Messi was officially announced as the 2025 Landon Donovan MLS MVP on Tuesday, becoming the first player to win back-to-back MVP awards in league history. He’s just the second to win multiple MVP honors, joining former Kansas City great Preki, who won it in 1997 and 2003. It’s hardly a surprise: Messi, even at 38, finished the regular season with 29 goals and 19 assists, leading the league in both categories.He added six goals and nine more assists during Miami’s playoff run – a playoff-record 15 goal contributions in a single season. Messi narrowly missed breaking Carlos Valderrama’s 25-year-old assists record, with the Colombian legend tallying 22 assists in 2000 with the since-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny. If the evidence of his play on a game-by-game basis – and his commitment to a new three-year deal – weren’t enough, Messi’s numbers this season are unequivocal proof that the Argentine has taken his MLS era seriously.Messi received over 70% of the total vote, which was conducted by media, players and club personnel, to claim his latest individual prize in a career full of them. San Diego FC winger Anders Dreyer, who tied for the league lead in assists and added 19 goals, finished second with just over 11%. He was followed by LAFC’s Denis Bouanga (7.27%), FC Cincinnati’s Evander (4.78%) and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge (2.42%). Interestingly, Messi received just 55.17% of the player vote.
“First of all, I’m thankful for this recognition,” Messi said in a statement. “It’s always nice to receive individual awards but I want to share it with my teammates. I was also fortunate to win the MLS Golden Boot thanks to the help of my teammates. I’m happy to receive this award and be the first in the history of this league to win it in two consecutive years. I’m very thankful.”As for more context regarding his eye-opening stats: His 48 total goal contributions were the second highest single-season total in MLS history (Carlos Vela; 49 in 2019). It’s an impressive statistic considering Messi played in 28 of 34 regular season games. When factoring in the playoffs (63 goal contributions), his production is second-to-none.He is the only player in league history to record at least 36 goal contributions in a season multiple times (2024, 2025) and is the second player in MLS history to lead the league in both goals scored and assists. In 2015, former Toronto FC playmaker Sebastian Giovinco led the league with 22 goals and 16 assists. Messi is only the fourth player in the last decade to be named MVP and win the MLS Golden Boot in the same season.
Messi wins MLS Cup MVP honors after Inter Miami’s 3-1 win over VancouverElsa / Getty Images
He was dominant throughout the year, and even though Saturday’s 3-1 win over Vancouver in the MLS Cup final was devoid of a magical Messi goal, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker finished the game with two decisive assists.His second was a beauty to Tadeo Allende, who iced the game and title for the home side. It capped a remarkable year for Messi, who continues to perform at a level that keeps him relevant just months away from the 2026 World Cup – even though he has resisted publicly committing to playing in the competition so far.Messi’s 10 multi-goal games in a single season marked a new MLS record, breaking the previous record of eight shared by Stern John (Columbus Crew, 1998), Mamadou Diallo (Tampa Bay Mutiny, 2000), and Zlatan Ibrahimović (LA Galaxy, 2019). During one of Messi’s most dominant stretches this season, he scored multiple goals in five consecutive games from May 28 to July 12 – another record. No other player in MLS history has had a multi-goal run of more than four matches.To cap it all off, Messi is also just the sixth player in MLS’s 30 seasons to win both the regular season MVP and the MLS Cup final MVP in the same season. Messi joins Tony Meola (2000), Carlos Ruiz (2002), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (2008), Robbie Keane (2014), and Josef Martínez (2018) in that select group.
As it relates to MLS MVPs and hitting new ground, there’s one more frontier to conquer, and it’s a term with which Messi has plenty of familiarity: the hat trick.
Christian Pulisic can use USMNT World Cup draw to launch himself as an American icon
Christian Pulisic is targeting World Cup success with the USMNT John McGloughlin / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
After the Village People had shuffled off stage, Donald Trump had put his FIFA Peace Prize on the shelf in the Oval Office, and Gianni Infantino had starting scrolling his Instagram notifications, I imagine that Christian Pulisic, sat in his apartment in Italy, took another glance at the outcome of the draw for the 2026 World Cup and let out a little sigh of relief.
Group D: the United States, Paraguay, Australia and a European playoff winner, most likely Turkey. Not bad. Not bad at all.Pulisic certainly would have known it could have been much, much worse.And as he reflected a little on what awaits him in June (and hopefully July) next year, the Milan winger would have surely felt that tingling in his stomach.Because that draw, with no major obstacle likely until a possible meeting with Belgium in the round of 16, sets the stage perfectly for Pulisic for what could be the summer of his life. It creates the ideal stage for him to make the defining run of his career and transition from being merely a U.S. soccer star to a true, mainstream American sports superstar.The stakes are absolutely colossal for him in 2026. If Milan manages to win Serie A and he maintains his current form – two more goals Monday have him atop the league’s scoring chart – it’s near-certain he would be named Serie A Player of the Year. Carrying that momentum into a World Cup on home soil, the expectations would be that he would take his team on a thrilling adventure.
Christian Pulisic struck twice in Milan’s Monday victory over Torino.Image Photo Agency / Getty Images
This is the tournament that could absolutely change his life and his legacy in the United States. If he can be the hero for the USMNT on home soil, in a World Cup, the opportunities that will open up for him in terms of his reputation, commercial appeal and marketability will be enormous.American sports fans, the kind who only tune in to soccer once every four years, will judge Pulisic in the same way they judge NFL and NBA stars — on whether he can deliver on the biggest stage when the stakes are highest. In this sport, that means the World Cup. Soccer fans know winning Serie A would earn Pulisic respect throughout the game and adoration in Italy, but it still wouldn’t make him a household name in America.Bringing people to their feet in stadiums, fan zones and bars across America next summer? That would catapult Pulisic to true Captain America status.We know that World Cups are unpredictable, however, and the first random element is the draw. Traps can be set and challenges get tougher just from those plastic balls pulled out on stage.Group D isn’t easy – almost no group that could be imagined for a team like the USMNT in the modern game can truly be considered that way. Yet when you compare it with, say, 2014, when the USA was dealt a group stage with Germany, Portugal and Ghana (and no progression for third place in that edition) and was written off by many international commentators, you realize that it is a setting that offers Mauricio Pochettino’s team every chance of advancing.What makes me excited for Pulisic and the team as a whole is the way that Pochettino is setting up the USMNT, with his tactical restructuring and overall approach, with the focus taken off Pulisic and put squarely on the team. In the past, he felt pressure, having to do too much and dropping into parts of the field he didn’t need to, which took away from his game.
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Pochettino has changed the dynamic. He has made it clear that this is not a squad with a Messi-like player and he is setting up the system so that there are several attacking players with responsibility to be creative forces. There is Malik Tillman, Sergiño Dest, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah and, in the right circumstances, Gio Reyna. Folarin Balogun is expected to deliver goals and Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright will be waiting for the chance if he doesn’t deliver. It’s not all on Pulisic.
Players such as Malik Tillman have helped share the USMNT’s attacking burden.David Buono / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
But make no mistake, the USMNT still needs Pulisic to be the ‘Messi’ figurehead in some ways, providing that high-level creativity, without the crushing weight of having to solve all the questions himself. He can now play his game exactly as he would at Milan, saving his energy for those one-v-one moments and open spaces where he can produce the magic.On paper, this is the best World Cup group draw the program has had in a long time. Crucially, the U.S. got the absolute weakest team in Pot 2 with Australia — that’s a dream outcome. But let’s be clear: there’s a big difference between paper and performance. People confuse “best outcome” with “easiest,” a concept that doesn’t exist at a World Cup.There isn’t an absolute minnow in the group, the kind of opponent that teams look to boost their goal difference. Every game will be competitive, featuring teams that are cut from the same cloth as Wales and Iran from four years ago — tough, resilient, and hard to break down. But none of these three opponents possesses the game-breaking individual brilliance of a Kylian Mbappé, a Lamine Yamal, or an Erling Haaland, who can ruin your perfect game plan by beating three guys and scoring out of nowhere. In terms of individual star power, even if Turkey and exciting Real Madrid rising force Arda Güler make it through the playoff, Pulisic is top of the tree in this group.Still, the team’s tactical planning must be spot on for each opponent.Paraguay is a side that is defensively stout, resilient and comfortable sitting deep in a mid-block and playing on the counter. What is needed are players who can break down that deep block. This is where a number of players, such as a healthy Reyna or Tillman, are vital, as they are creative, can force defenses out, and open up space for runners like Balogun or Pulisic in behind.Australia, who will perhaps be feeling disrespected, are capable on the counter and will be playing with immense self-belief. What hurts Australia is pace, exploiting the space they leave when they throw their outside players forward. Players such as Balogun, Weah, and hopefully a healthy Antonee Robinson, who thrive in transition, will be absolutely necessary in that game. Australia relies on work rate, physicality and set pieces to make up for any difference in quality, which reminds me a little bit of how the U.S. team used to play.If Turkey makes it out of the UEFA Path C playoff and into the tournament, they will be a tough team to beat, but their defense can be vulnerable to pace and there are ways to get past them. The U.S. has pace in the roster and options available to Pochettino to exploit identified weaknesses.
One factor not to be discounted is home-field advantage. If the U.S. is playing its best, and with full stadiums of American supporters pushing them on, they will feel that they can run through walls. After Friday’s draw, I fully expect that the U.S. tops the group.If that task is navigated, the pathway opens up beautifully. Next would be a third-place team in the round of 32. Then, the likely round-of-16 opponent, if paper form is followed, is Belgium.They are a good team, but you would still take Belgium 10 times out of 10 over facing alternatives such as France, England, Spain, or Portugal. While they are not the “golden generation” anymore, they still have quality players such as Youri Tielemans, Jeremy Doku, and Amadou Onana, but I still feel the USMNT has the tools to get the job done.If you’ll indulge the dream and look ahead, beating Belgium would push the U.S. into the quarterfinals – and I believe that is realistic if the team executes Pochettino’s plans and plays to its very best. Morocco showed in 2022 that a team can go deep by being cohesive, and the U.S. now has the quality and a world-class coach to deliver something special.
Turkey must make it through a UEFA playoff if Real Madrid youngster Arda Guler is to make his first World Cup appearance next summer.Alberto Gardin / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Pochettino has taken a massive step by setting the team’s mentality and unity, reminding the players that there are no guarantees for anyone. But now, the focus has to shift to tactical management.The Argentine must now start to deal with ideas for different opponents and game situations, focusing on whether the plan is high-pressing, playing on the front foot, or dropping deep to protect a lead. He needs to finalize the blueprint of how the team operates, which, frankly, took until mid-October to figure out.The U.S. will be in possession more often in the group stage than in previous World Cups. Pochettino has to deliver top game plans that expose opponents, similar to how Bob Bradley was able to neutralize the midfield source of Xavi and Xabi Alonso against Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup. He needs soldiers who can play short-impact roles effectively, and he needs to ensure the team utilizes the scoring options he’s found.here are four friendlies scheduled before the opening game against Paraguay on June 12 in Los Angeles. The March 28 game against Belgium in Atlanta takes on a new tone given the draw, and it will be interesting to see if the two coaches are wary of showing their hand against potential World Cup opponents.Portugal and Germany are also on the docket, and these games will offer real tests of just how close the squad is to the level needed for the latter stages of the tournament.The USMNT has been dealt a good hand by the draw, but as any poker player knows, it’s how you play ’em that counts.You need something special to go far at a World Cup, and watching Pulisic add to his tremendous season with two more goals on Monday gave me that feeling that we have an ace in hand.
USA coach Mauricio Pochettino says patriotic ‘emotion of the people’ can inspire World Cup run
Mauricio Pochettino hopes soccer fans will feel intense passion and non-soccer fans will get swept up by patriotism during the World Cup run. Jamie Sabau / Getty Images
As the 2026 World Cup came into focus after Friday’s draw, U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino reiterated his call for the entire country to get behind his players — and for those players to fight for their country.
The national team, he said, is “not a normal team,” and the World Cup is not a normal event.“Did you see today?” Pochettino rhetorically asked reporters a few hours after the draw, which doubled as a bizarre, patriotic show described by others in attendance as “very American.”
“We are going to have a country behind us,” Pochettino said. “We are going to play with the emotion of the people.”
He then sent a message to his players: “People need to feel proud about you, but not because you are going to win — we cannot promise that we are going to win — but in the way that you are going to defend your shirt, your flag, your culture, your philosophy. How we are, how the people are here, how the society is, how you think, in a cultural way.
“Every time that we are going to play a game, the World Cup is this.”
Pochettino, an Argentine coach who took charge of the USMNT last year, has spoken frequently about the need for the American public to get behind his team. He began delivering passionate monologues during and after this past summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, when Guatemala and Mexico fans outnumbered U.S. fans at the semifinal and final in St. Louis and Houston.
Mauricio Pochettino wants stadiums for USMNT World Cup games to be filled with red, white and blue.Matthew Visinsky / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“The fans,” he said in July, “have one year to realize how important fans are in soccer.”
He now assumes the World Cup will be different. Soccer fans will feel intense passion; non-soccer fans will get swept up by patriotism. SoFi Stadium in Southern California and Lumen Field in Seattle, the USMNT’s two group stage venues, will fill with red, white and blue.
For a while, there were questions about public support, as even USMNT die-hards were frustrated by losses and overcome by apathy. The team’s second-to-last game of 2025, a 2-1 win over Paraguay — the opponent it will face in its World Cup opener — did not fill an 18,500-seat stadium.
“The last few games, the last few windows, I think the team (showed) a very good thing to the fans,” Pochettino said Friday. “To attract, to say, ‘C’mon, guys, you need to support us,’ that is how we feel, how we are. We need your energy, your support. And I think the fans are there, behind the team. And I think it’s going to be exciting. We are building a very good relationship. I think we start to show that we are USA.”
With the positive results, the dream of a World Cup run has been rekindled. And the vision of American flags flying, of millions of people inspired, has returned.
That’s what people at U.S. Soccer and around the team have envisioned for years. Gregg Berhalter, Pochettino’s predecessor, recalled being in Germany during the 2006 World Cup. “Just to see how the fans got behind the country — and it just pivoted, it changed, it became a wave,” Berhalter said in 2024. “And that’s what I’d say to fans: This is your opportunity. … The team is trying to do something that’s never been done before. So, be part of that.”
Over the nine-decade history of the men’s World Cup, there is solid evidence to suggest home advantage can be a powerful force. Six hosts have won the tournament: Uruguay in 1930, Italy in 1934, England in 1966, West Germany in 1974, Argentina in 1978 and France in 1998. In 2002, co-host South Korea embarked upon a stunning run that saw its group of domestic-based players make it all the way to the semifinals, collecting famous victories over Spain and Italy along the way.
South Korea’s squad and head coach Guus Hiddink were honored with a ticker-tape parade after their 2002 semifinal run.Emmanuel Dunand / AFP via Getty Images
Four years later, as Berhalter referenced, Jurgen Klinsmann united Germany behind a young team that had been written off before the tournament and took it to the brink of the final, before an extra-time defeat to eventual victor Italy. And eight years ago, while the U.S. was licking its wounds from a humiliating and doomed qualifying campaign, Russia’s squad quickly drew nationalistic support behind it, ousting heavily-favored Spain in the round of 16 before being squeezed out by Croatia on penalties.
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The U.S., which advanced to the round of 16 in 1994, probably belongs in the category of hosts who outperformed their talent as well, a group stage victory over Colombia being the highlight.
Some others have struggled, either unable to lift their standard despite the home support or perhaps overwhelmed by it. Qatar was the first team eliminated from the 2022 World Cup without a single point. South Africa was valiant in 2010 but ultimately exited in the group stage. Brazil crumbled under the unimaginable pressure of hosting the 2014 tournament and infamously lost to Germany in the semifinals 7-1.
Pochettino is wary of that pressure but said, “I think it’s good pressure.”
“We need to be careful (with) the message we are going to send,” he continued. “Because every time we are here talking, the players are listening.” But pressure, he said, is OK as long as it’s not pressure to win. What it should be is pressure that pushes him and his team to “try to be better.”
Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool downfall was inevitable – and it stems from Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving
Liverpool’s post-Mohamed Salah era might have begun, with a strange twist in the way that the Egyptian King has lost his team
Mohamed Salah looks on ahead of the Champions League group game against Eintracht Frankfurt (Image credit: Getty Images)
What may be Liverpool’s first post-Mohamed Salah win didn’t introduce a shred of irony. It was just as we all expected, in the shadow of the monarch. Salah would have ordinarily taken the penalty that won the Reds the game; ordinarily, he’d be far and away their best player this season.But he wasn’t, and he isn’t. That’s Dominik Szoboszlai on both counts, who buried the spot kick late into the Lombardian twilight. It’s safe to assume that if anyone’s picking up the dropped baton, it’s Szoboszlai – at least for now.
That’s the opposite of ironic – the next guy assumes the reins, who’d have guessed? – but nevertheless, it’s a weird feeling. Liverpool have been far from a one-man team over the past eight years: they’ve had one of the greatest centre-backs in Premier League history, a right-back and a goalkeeper to a similar level and Salah himself was only 33 per cent of a world-class frontline, with plenty still surely debating that Sadio Mane, at his peak, was a better footballer. The red side of Merseyside has been blessed with one of its greatest-ever eras for talent.
Yet, the ‘Egyptian King’ nickname rings true. For the past eight years, Salah has been watching the throne. For all the leaders (Van Dijk and Henderson), the local lads (Trent and Jones), the superstars (Alisson and Mane) and the next generation (Wirtz and Isak), this has always been his team. Salah first: everyone else later.He is the last surviving starter from his debut against Watford in August 2017, with substitute Joe Gomez the only other in that matchday squad still kicking about at the training ground (though it’s so long ago that it’s a different training ground). That afternoon, Salah scored his third Premier League goal, following two in a spell at Chelsea. Now, he has more strikes in the competition than anyone else from overseas ever. And 190 more than Gomez, coincidentally (though this may be misattributed as ironic, it’s not).They’ve had their differences since – but in 2022, Carragher told FourFourTwo that Salah’s future was abundantly clear from that afternoon at Vicarage Road.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.“I’ll always remember that first game, away at Watford,” he said. “He only got the one goal that day but the actual runs he made, you could tell that this fella was going to score goals.“You could tell right away what kind of player he was, he was a goalscorer, he wasn’t a winger. He wasn’t going to be whipping crosses in at all – the goals were going to become a big part of his game.” Eight years later and no one has so much as challenged that right-wing spot. Salah has helped change the perception of wide players in England.But the fact of the matter is that wide players do not score that many goals without the team being theirs. From the minute he signed, Liverpool’s then-best player, Mane, moved from his customary right-wing berth. From then on, Salah’s place in the side has been a non-negotiable. Roberto Firmino got a little older and Diego Jota came along. Mane moved out for Luis Diaz; Darwin Nunez came along and Cody Gakpo signed. Salah remained – signing two huge contracts, too.So he should have: he won back-to-back Golden Boots in his first two seasons and never let up. But perhaps underrated in the years since, is the strength of that right-hand side. In Liverpool’s prime, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah were on a telepathic wavelength with one another: one holding width, one dropping deep, one pushing on, in perfect unison.
Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold were key to Salah’s success (Image credit: Getty Images)
It was all done to get Salah into the areas where he was most dangerous. It’s an oversimplification to point out that after Henderson left in the summer of 2023, Salah had his worst campaign in terms of goals… but it’s worth mentioning.It makes the present all the more fascinating.When Arne Slot arrived, he followed Jurgen Klopp’s playbook: Liverpool exerted a little more composure, but with no major signing aside from Federico Chiesa, everything remained the same: the first-choice XI, with everything in its right place. Alexander-Arnold, tasked once more, with overlapping. And this season, there is too much chaos – too many deck chairs and wheelie bins in the tornado – to point out exactly where it’s going wrong.
But the mayhem and Slot’s suggested solution is at least reminiscent of Andoni Iraola’s first few weeks at Bournemouth. The Basque, too, unleashed a high press with little to no synchronicity and tanked the first two months of his tenure. Full-backs can’t maraud that high without protection further back: something that Slot has realised, too, with the gradual phasing out of all those shiny new parts.
Slot has struggled to find answers with this side (Image credit: Getty Images)
Wirtz has been dropped, Ekitike and Isak have rotated and new combinations are emerging in midfield. But perhaps most intriguingly, Gomez is back in the fold. The defender had one foot out of the door on deadline day: now he’s seemingly the only right-back in the squad with his head screwed on. Cause and effect. It has a kick-on with the right-winger.It marks the first time in almost a decade that the side is no longer geared towards Mohamed Salah. Some may say this was always going to happen anyway – if not this way, than with an influx of superstar arrivals. Others will claim it’s about time – and no shame – when your talisman is 33.True irony is difficult to find with coincidence a more likely substitute: but whatever you’d describe it as, it’s decidedly bizarre that Joe Gomez – the only man there before him – perhaps signals the end of Salah’s time at the club.All good things come to an end: Trent knew that all too well. Now it seems the pair were linked closer telepathically than we cared to credit. The Egyptian King could outlast almost everyone at Anfield.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn’t receive a winners’ medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson’s season at Barcelona to Robinho’s career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
The US women return to play Friday night with a mix of youngsters and veterans as the team will play for the last time this year. In the last three matches the team opened with a shocking loss to Portugal, bounced back with a determined win in a rematch, and then trounced New Zealand 6-0 in a vintage performance. Naomi Girma is back and her presence will anchor the backline while in the midfield Lilly Yohannes will join Lindsey Heaps and Rose Lavelle to give options in creating the engine for the team and on the forward line Cat Macario, Emma Sears, Olivia Moultrie, Alyssa Thompson, and Jaedyn Shaw will provide options to create and score. The question is can they start to build some chemistry?
US Women’s Roster – Friendly’s Next Friday Nov 28, Dec 1 vs Italy
Former Carmel GK Eric Dick Wins USL Championship for Pittsburgh in Shootout
Awesome to see former Carmel Dad’s Club/Carmel High/Butler GK Eric Dick win the USL title this past weekend with Pittsburgh as he pitched the shutout then won the Shootout (5-3) – to win their first championship. The 26-year wait is over as the @RiverhoundsSC take down Tulsa to win the 2025 @USLChampionship final! (full Highlights). Dick was Man of the Match. Dick’s Impact.
Most Watched NWSL Championship Gothem Wins & Lavelle is MVP
The NWSL championship match between Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit on Saturday averaged 1,184,000 viewers on CBS and Paramount+ (More) marking the match as the most-viewed NWSL game of all time. The average viewership marks a 22% increase from Orlando’s win in 2024, which held the previous viewership record, and a 45% gain from 2023.
American’s Shine in Champions League & Pulisic wins Derby
The CONCACAF capital of the world was in the Arctic Circle, where Juventus won 3-2 against Norwegian kings Bodø/Glimt with the USMNT’s somewhat forgotten man, Weston McKennie, heading home Juve’s second score, before Canada’s Jonathan Davidsealed the win in stoppage time with his first goal since August. Then, 2,255 miles away in the south of France, Tim Weahassisted 36-year-old Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Marseille’s winner over visiting Newcastle. Last weekend Christian Pulisic scored the winning Goal to win the Milan Derby vs Inter Milan.
Carmel GK Eric Dick Wins USL Championship for Pittsburgh
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GAMES ON TV
Thurs, 11/27 Europa 12:45 pm Feynord vs Celtic (Trusty) Fri, Nov 28 2:30 pm B MGladbach (Reyna, Scally) vs RB Leipzig 7 pm TNT, Max USWNT vs Italy Sat, Nov 29 9:30 am ESPN+ Union Berlin vs Heidneheim 10 am USA Brentford vs Burnley (Adams) 12 noon Para+ Juventus (McKinney) vs Calgari 12:30 pm ESPN+ Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) vs Dortmund 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Lazio 3 pm USA Tottenham vs Fulham 6 pm Apple TV Inter Miami (Messi) vs NYCFC MLS East Conf Finals 9 pm Apple TV San Diego, Vancouver MLS West Conf Finals 10 pm Telemundo Tigres vs Tijuana Sun, Nov 30 7 am USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man United 9 am Para+ Pisa vs Inter Milan 9 am USA Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton 9 am PEacock Nottingham Forest vs Brighton 9 am Pea West Ham vs Liverpool 11:30 am USA Chelsea vs Arsenal 3 pm ABC Girona vs Real Madrid Mon, Dec 1st 7 pm TBS, Max USWNT vs Italy
USMNT gets better idea of who it could draw in 2026 World Cup
The World Cup Draw procedures are out. by Donald Wine II Nov 25, 2025, 1:01 PM EST Stars & Stripes
Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images
The United States Men’s National Team now knows who it could potentially face in each match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. Today, FIFA released its World Cup Draw procedures, which will take place on December 5th. While it’s complicated, the USMNT’s matches get a bit clearer.
First, FIFA has divided each of the remaining teams into Pots, including the various playoff pathways. The USMNT, as a co-host, will be in in Pot 1 and pre-drawn into Group D. Mexico and Canada will also be pre-drawn into Groups A and B, respectively. They will be placed in the 1 position for those groups.
The pots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw (FIFA ranking in parentheses):
Pot 1 – United States (14), Mexico (15), Canada (27), Spain (1), Argentina (2), France (3), England (4), Brazil (5), Portugal (6), Netherlands (7), Belgium (8), Germany (9)
Pot 2 – Croatia (10), Morocco (11), Colombia (13), Uruguay (16), Switzerland (17), Japan (18), Senegal (19), Iran (20), South Korea (22), Ecuador (23), Austria (24), Australia (26)
Pot 3 – Norway (29), Panama (30), Egypt (34), Algeria (35), Scotland (36), Paraguay (39), Tunisia (40), Ivory Coast (42), Uzbekistan (50), Qatar (51), Saudi Arabia (60), South Africa (61)
Pot 4 – Jordan (66), Cape Verde (68), Ghana (72), Curaçao (82), Haiti (84), New Zealand (86), UEFA Playoff A winner, UEFA Playoff B winner, UEFA Playoff C winner, UEFA Playoff D winner, Inter-confederation Playoff Path 1 winner, Inter-confederation Playoff Path 2 winner
The USMNT learned that they will face a team from Pot 3 in their World Cup opener on June 12th at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. They will face a Pot 2 team at Lumen Field in Seattle on June 19th, and they will close against a Pot 4 team on June 25th back at SoFi Stadium. The United States, Canada, and Mexico will be identified by different colored ping pong balls for the draw of Pot 1: Mexico in green, Canada in red, and the U.S. with a blue ping pong ball. The rest of Pot 1 will be the same color and then automatically assigned to position 1 of the group into which they are drawn.
Pots for the 2026 World Cup DrawSource: FIFA
FIFA has also created pathways to ensure the best teams avoid each other before the semifinals and final. Spain – ranked 1 in the FIFA world rankings – will be randomly drawn into the opposite pathway as #2 Argentina. This will ensure those teams, should they win their groups, will not meet before the World Cup Final on July 19th. The same will be done for #3 France and #4 England to ensure they would be on opposite sides of the bracket.
2026 World Cup PathwaySource: FIFA
No group can have more than one team from the same confederation with the exception of UEFA, which has 16 teams. Each group will have 1, but no more than 2 UEFA teams drawn into it on December 5th. This would include the placeholders for the UEFA Playoff winners as well as the 2 inter-confederation playoff winners in Pot 4. For the USMNT, it would mean that since each inter-confederation playoff team contains a team from Concacaf, the USMNT will not see an inter-confederation winner in Group D. Likewise, if they draw a team from UEFA in Pots 2 and 3, they would not see any team from the UEFA playoff out of Pot 4.
The full match schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be confirmed on December 6th after the draw has taken place. This will allow fans to set their calendars and know where each of the 104 games will be taking place. It sets up some complicated drama for everyone at the FIFA World Cup Draw, but at least for the USMNT, they are a few days away from knowing who they will face in the group stage.
Champions League Projections
Arsenal, the only side left in the Champions League with a 100% win record, have a 23% chance of winning the tournament, according to Opta’s latest prediction. This comes after Mikel Arteta’s side beat Bayern Munich 3-1 at the Emirates, with the German side now projected to have a 19% chance of winning the tournament.
Holders Paris Saint-Germain, who have overtaken Bayern in second place on goal difference (see standings), have been given an 11.2% chance of winning the tournament following their 5-3 win over Tottenham. Inter Milan (4th) and Real Madrid (5th), who are also on 12 points, are given just 4.1% and 6.2% chances of taking glory, respectively. Kylian Mbappe is now the tournament’s top scorer with nine goals, helped by his four goals in Real’s 4-3 victory over Olympiakos, including a seven-minute hat-trick.
Despite losing 2-0 at home to Leverkusen on Tuesday, Manchester City are given the fourth-best odds at 8.3%, while Chelsea are given a 6.0% chance. Liverpool, who sit 13th in the league phase table following a 4-1 loss to PSV, are projected to have a 5.7% chance. Barcelona make up the rest of the top 10 with a 4.5% chance, even though they’re currently 18th.
US Beats Paraguay faces Uruguay Tues 7 pm on TNT/Max
Welcome back Player of the Match – Gio Reyna. Wow – how this guy struggles at his clubs baffles me – he is truly one of our most talented US players. He was the best player on the field – and short of Pulisic – I am not sure anyone makes a much of a difference for us as Gio does. He simply does things – other players can’t do. Why he doesn’t do this for his clubs – I don’t know. But for the US he simply has to be on the field. He’s why the US was able to handlle Paraguay 2-1 on the day. US Highlights
I thought the back 3 was solid at times – honestly mainly in allowing our attack to possess the ball and stay in attack much more than normal – the US with 65% possession is just not sometime I am used to seeing against Central American competition. Lets see if that holds up against the best team we have played in Uruguay. I don’t think it will as that 3 man back line looked suspect to me plenty of times last time out. I am hoping Trusty with get a run along along the back line to see if he can slide into the mix with Ream and Richards in the long term. I still am not sure Ream should be starting though he should be in the mix. I thought both Roldan and Berhalter looked fine at the 6 slot and Tessman also was solid. Hopefully Aidan Morris will get the nod this go round. Again I picked a tie or loss in our first match so don’t listen to me — but I don’t see how we pull out the win here without so many stars missing if Uruguay plays its starters which I think it will. 1-2 perhaps 2-3 seems like a reasonable count by games end. 1-2 would look better for us defensively of course. I suspect Freese in the net again with the same outside backs to start. Hopefully Pepi will get a run up front along with Haji on one win and of course Gio at the 10 again.
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club/Country; Caps/Goals)
Washington Spirit vs NY/NJ Gothem – NWSL Championship Saturday on CBS 8 pm
The Washington spirit found a way to get past a bunch of injuries – including to the best player in the League – Trinity Rodman – and a interim coach in Adrian Gonzalez won at home 1-0 over the Portland Thorns (highlights) to advance to the Finals. On the other side American International Jadyn Shaw – scored a stoppage time to beat defending champions Orlando Pride and Marta on the road Sunday highlights . The final in San Jose will start Saturday at 8 pm on CBS. Washington vs Gothem Preview
Tues, Nov 18 2:45 pm FS2 Belgium vs Liechhtenstein WCQ 4 pm ?? Canada vs Venezuela 7 pmTNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL 8:30 pm Univision Mexico vs Paraguay Weds, Nov 19 12:45 pm ESPN+ Juventus vs OL Lyonnes (Heaps) Women’s UCL 12:45 pm CBSSN Wolfsburg vs Man United Women’s (GK Joyce) UCL 3 pm CBSSN Arsenal vs Real Madrid Women’s UCL Thurs, Nov 20 12:45 pm CBSSN Twente vs Atletico Madrid Women’s UCL 3 pm CBSSN PSG vs Bayern Munich Women’s UCL 3 pm ESPN+ Chelsea vs Barcelona Women’s UCL Sat, Nov 22 7:30 am USA Burnley vs Chelsea 9:30 am ESPN+ Heidenheim vs Mgladbach (Reyna & Scally) 9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Freiburg 9:30 am ESPN+ Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) 10 am USA Bournmouth (Adams) vs West Ham United 10 am Peacock Wolverhampton vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10 am Pk Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest 10:15 AM ESPN+ Barcelona vs Athletic Club 12 noon Para+ Juventus (McKinny) vs Fiorentina 12:30 pm NBC New Castle vs Man United 8 pm CBS NWSL CHAMPIONSHIP Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Gothem (Lavell, Shaw) 9:30 pm Apple TV Vancouver vs LAFC MLS Playoffs
Friday
Mainz vs Hoffenheim, 2:30p on ESPN DTC, ESPN Select, FuboTV: Lennard Maloney and Mainz host Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.
Nice vs Marseille, 2:45p on beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español, FuboTV, Sling TV, Fanatiz: Tim Weah and OM visit OGC Nice in Ligue 1.
Standard Liège vs Zulte Waregem, 2:45p: Marlon Fossey and Standard host Zulte Waregem in Belgium’s top tier.
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Reyna impresses in return, as USMNT continues unbeaten run
Jeff CarlisleNov 16, 2025, 05:29 AM ET
CHESTER, Pennsylvania — It had been 503 days since Gio Reyna last started a game for the U.S. men’s national team. It had been 602 days since he last scored for the USMNT. On a chilly night outside of Philadelphia, the U.S. attacker ended both streaks in a 2-1 friendly win with Paraguay.It was a performance that marked a major step forward for Reyna in his chance to secure a spot in his second consecutive World Cup squad. It’s a goal that seemed incongruous heading into the match, given Reyna has logged only 147 minutes with club side Borussia Mönchengladbach all season.But U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino told Reyna at training on Friday that he would be in the starting lineup, and it didn’t take the midfielder long to make his mark in this match.
In the fourth minute, a goalmouth scramble following a U.S. corner saw the ball fall to Max Arfsten, and his cross was nodded home by Reyna. The U.S. midfielder was also involved in the sequence that led to the U.S. side’s game-winning goal in the 75th minute, when his centering feed was deflected into the path of Folarin Balogun, allowing the AS Monaco forward to slot home.The USMNT’s initial tally in the match was the ninth of Reyna’s international career, putting him one ahead of his father Claudio on the USMNT’s all-time scoring list and giving the younger Reyna a bit of familial bragging rights.”Honestly, I had no idea,” Reyna said about passing his father.”I didn’t even know how many goals I had to be honest, so I was just happy to score, happy to be back. I sent a few texts teasing him after the game, but he was happy for me, so it’s nice.”Reyna did have a few blips on the night. His failure to close down Paraguay defender Júnior Alonso was the first domino to fall in the buildup to Paraguay’s 10th-minute equalizer by Alex Arce. (Defenders Tim Ream and Miles Robinson needed to drop quicker and deeper on the play as well.)Yet those were rare for Reyna on the night. He was busy throughout, spraying passes and connecting with teammates. The 75 minutes he logged were his longest in a match since he went 77 minutes for Borussia Dortmund against TSG Hoffenheim on Dec. 15, 2024.Reyna’s lack of minutes with Gladbach have been due to a few factors. A thigh injury slowed his progress, and he has also been trying to get acclimated to a new club. And while Reyna has long been a player who didn’t need to have everything clicking at the club level to excel for the national team, he credited the support of Gladbach’s staff for helping him deliver Saturday night’s impressive performance. He said he’s back up to 85% of full fitness and expects that to improve.”Obviously, I had a little injury that I was still recovering from the last few weeks, but they’ve been fantastic with building me up to full fitness and slowly getting there as you can see that tonight,” he said about his club.”But yeah, I definitely expect when I get back to definitely start more matches, but they’ve been great. So I think it’s a lot of credit to them too and how they’ve sort of pushed me and believed in me and sort of set me back to be prepared to play on this stage.”He added about his time at Gladbach, “I feel really, really good, feel valued, feel important, feel ready to go. So obviously, when you feel better mentally, you can definitely play better on the field too.”To be clear, Reyna hasn’t banished all of the doubts surrounding his position with the team going forward.Think for a second what had to happen for Reyna just to get on the field for this match. Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman, Timothy Weah and Alejandro Zendejas — players who have featured in an attacking role in the past, or could in the future — all missed the match because of either injury or, in the case of McKennie, the desire of Pochettino to leave McKennie back in Italy as he tries to impress new Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti.When those players return, Reyna will need to find a way to prove to Pochettino that he still deserves to be on the field.There’s also the rather significant fact that Reyna has yet to really crack the Gladbach lineup consistently. Staying healthy is part of the trick to remaining in the lineup, and Reyna hasn’t shown for some time that he can do that. The performance against Paraguay alone can’t be looked at as a breakthrough. It has to be followed by another, and another, and another.Reyna realizes this. The clock to the World Cup is ticking with just 208 days to go. But he was presented with a rare opportunity to impress, and he took it. Pochettino certainly took notice.[Reyna] confirmed that he’s a player that needs to improve because he needs to play more in his club,” Pochettino said.”But we can see today that he was great — scored and assisted — in the way that always showed the capacity to read the game and find the free space in between the lines. I think [he] was a nightmare for Paraguay and I think he did a very good job.”Reyna wasn’t the only player to take advantage. In fact, the rest of this U.S. side, one that was missing enough players to almost field a separate starting lineup, did as well. In the first half, the match settled into the kind of physical contest that was reminiscent of last year’s 1-0 Copa America loss to Uruguay, one that ultimately eliminated the U.S. from the tournament.In that match, La Celeste slowly ground the U.S. into dust with some ferocious physical play. On this occasion, it was the U.S. who applied the pressure, both physical and technical, by pressing Paraguay bit by bit until La Albirroja finally wilted.Tanner Tessmann and Brenden Aaronson were instrumental in tilting the field more in the USMNT’s favor. On the game winner, it was that relentless pressing, in this case by substitute Diego Luna, that saw the ball initially pop free to Balogun, who played the ball through to Reyna. The goal soon followed, capping off a night for Balogun that saw him absorb some heavy challenges only to produce in a critical moment.
For Ream, the key to how the U.S. finishes matches can be traced back to how it starts them.”I think it starts from being aggressive from the first whistle, and kind of in a way just laying a marker and having the other team understand that we’re here to fight, we’re here to play, we’re here to win a game and we’re not going to treat it as a friendly either,” Ream said.That was evident in stoppage time when Paraguay’s Gustavo Gómez and U.S. defender Alex Freeman grappled for the ball on what was whistled as a U.S. throw-in, sparking a bench-clearing melee. Incredibly, just one red card to Paraguay’s Omar Alderete, who didn’t even play in the game, was issued. But it was another example of how this U.S. team isn’t backing down from anyone.”There were a few cheap shots thrown from their end to be honest,” said U.S. keeper Matt Freese.”But it’s part of being a team, and we’re going to be standing up for each other no matter the moment, no matter the end of the game, beginning of the game, in the middle of the game on the sideline like that. That’s what it means to be a team, and I don’t think I’ve ever moved that quickly getting in there.”The U.S., unbeaten in its past four matches, continues to ride a wave of momentum. With each passing game, there is more cohesion and an increased understanding of what Pochettino wants. The U.S. manager has succeeded in making the U.S. players comfortable with being uncomfortable, and that isn’t about to change.”Big credit, but that is not enough,” Pochettino said.”We are happy. We need to keep going because we need to improve, improve, improve, and arrive to the World Cup in our best, in our peak. And that shows that it’s not about the name, it’s about the team, it’s about the collective, it’s about the idea of the altogether.”Uruguay, a team with its own ethos of physicality and grit, combined with ability (it had a 0-0 draw against Mexico on the same night), is up next on Tuesday. Reyna in particular feels ready to go and will be keen to prove he’s back for good.
USMNT players who proved the most – and have more to prove – after beating Paraguay
Nov. 15, 2025Updated Nov. 16, 2025CHESTER, Pa. — The signs of the progression of Mauricio Pochettino’s national team have manifested not just in the results — and after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Paraguay, that’s now four straight unbeaten, all against World Cup-qualified teams, if you’re counting — but also in how the team is playing.The U.S. has looked increasingly confident on the field. A team that felt for months like it lacked an identity now has a distinct personality. The Americans aren’t rigid in how they play, but the ideas of the system are consistent and effective. They are aggressive in how they press and how they attack. There is a demand not to shrink away, no matter the opponent.It starts from being aggressive from the first whistle,” Tim Ream, who captained the U.S. once again Saturday, said. “And kind of, in a way, just laying a marker and having the other team understand that we’re here to fight, we’re here to play, we’re here to win a game.”Comfort begets confidence. Confidence begets more comfort. Over the last three windows that has been the ebb and flow of this national team. After the win over Paraguay, another game in which the U.S. looked calm, composed and in control, the talk around the national team was about thinking less.They know who they are.“We were talking now in the dressing room with the players, how they started to feel the football that we want to apply on the pitch,” Pochettino said.What is most impressive about it all is that the team that played on Saturday is not at all the same as the team that played last month in Denver. Four players in the starting lineup against Paraguay — Gio Reyna, Sergiño Dest, Joe Scally and Brenden Aaronson — had not started in any of the previous three games. Pochettino started 24 different players across the last four games.Still, the comfort in the system has sustained. That’s a testament to the progress of the whole, he said.
“It always takes time to implement, to set the principles,” Pochettino said. “And then our experience always happen: in Espanyol, in Southampton, in Tottenham, in Paris Saint-Germain and in Chelsea. Always with time we can apply the ideas, the philosophy, the culture that we want to implement. It always takes time … and decisions, strong decisions. Sometimes people cannot understand why we decide something, or we take some decision, but that is our duty.”And in Saturday’s friendly, with players like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Chris Richards, Tim Weah, Malik Tillman, Antonee Robinson and Tyler Adams absent, several others had a chance to make an impression.
Gio Reyna enjoyed a successful return to the U.S. men’s national team in Saturday’s friendly vs. ParaguayVincent Carchietta / Getty Images
The big winner
The most prominent, of course, was Reyna. The 23-year-old midfielder scored in the fourth minute and showed his quality on the ball in several key moments over the game. Reyna was more active off the ball, though he was late to press on Paraguay’s lone goal. Still, Reyna certainly made an argument for future inclusion in this squad.
“I think he did a very good job,” Pochettino said. “I’m so happy with him. He showed why he started and confirmed he is a player that needs to improve, because he needs to play more in his club, but we can see today he was great. … Always the capacity to read the game and find the free space in between the lines. I think it was a nightmare for Paraguay.”
Tuesday against Uruguay – if he features again – will present a different challenge for Reyna, who said after the game he was about 85 percent fit. Pochettino has said that he will value players who show they have the fitness and ability to play several games in a short amount of time. Reyna, obviously, has had injury issues over the past several seasons, and playing time at Borussia Monchengladbach has been spotty. Tuesday will be an important test to show he can play a role in games a few days apart.
“I feel like I can play again,” Reyna said. “I’m going to do everything I can to be ready to play (however) many minutes required. But I haven’t even thought about that yet.”
USMNT defender Joe Scally is back in camp for the first time since last MarchDrew Hallowell / Getty Images
A mixed bag out wide
Scally and Dest both had positives and negatives in their respective performances. Scally came into this game with more to prove, especially considering that his skillset and versatility make him a strong fit for the hybrid fullback-right center back role in Pochettino’s system.The U.S. plays a back four, but builds out of a back three with two central midfielders. Scally fits well to stay in that back three in possession. While he was exposed with the speed of Miguel Almirón on the U.S. goal, the Atlanta United winger was sprung by a gorgeous long ball and took the ball beautifully to play a one-time cross. No doubt, Pochettino will see value in Scally at a position where he has been searching for consistency beyond Tim Ream and Miles Robinson.
Dest, meanwhile, thrives in a more attacking role. He pushed forward effectively against Paraguay and adds a dynamism on the right side that, combined with Reyna and Balogun, kept the opponent off balance.
A need to show more
Aaronson, meanwhile, tried to show he can be an effective option in central midfield. He brings such incredibly different qualities than his counterparts at the position. The U.S. has started players like Pulisic, Reyna, Tillman and Diego Luna in attacking midfield – all players who want to get in the half spaces and get on the ball. But Aaronson’s aggressiveness and ability to press could bring a different look off the bench in certain scenarios at the World Cup.
His performance was solid against Paraguay, but Aaronson has plenty more to gain if he gets minutes against Uruguay. He needs to show he can also create goals and be dangerous in and around the box.
Ricardo Pepi scuffs a great chance to score vs. ParaguayOmar Vega / Getty Images
The same is true for Ricardo Pepi, who came into the game as a substitute for his first U.S. appearance since last November. Pochettino said this week that Pepi was behind the other strikers simply because he’s been away from the team and working back from injury for so long, but he felt it was important to bring him in.
When the PSV striker missed a golden opportunity in the second half, though, it felt like a bigger miss to show Pochettino why he was a top-three forward in the pool, and thus a World Cup striker. That’s the type of role Pepi will likely need to master at the World Cup – the ability to come off the bench and deliver in the clutch moments. Pepi, typically a very effective super sub, will look for another chance to find that goal on Tuesday.
Many of the players spoke this week about how little time there was left to make an impression and win a job. The intensity in camp is increasing as the competition gets more real. Tuesday’s friendly in Florida will give the Americans perhaps their toughest test of the last three windows — probably the best team they will have seen since a South Korea side that is the last to beat them.or the players here, the audition continues.“You can see today all the players that were on the pitch, how they show their quality, the capacity to play (entertaining) football,” Pochettino said. “I think we created chances. We were better. It’s very competitive and difficult to beat (us). Big credit. But that is not enough. We are happy. We need to keep going. Because we need to improve, improve, improve, and arrive to the World Cup in our best, in our peak.”
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Alex Freeman details USMNT’s fight vs. Paraguay and the battle scars that prove a point
Alex Freeman and Gustavo Gomez got into a fight near the end of USA vs. Paraguay. Drew Hallowell / Getty Images
TAMPA, Fla. — Alex Freeman, two days after being bloodied in a melee near the end of the U.S. men’s national team’s win over Paraguay, said that his dad, former NFL receiver Antonio Freeman, was “proud I stood my ground.”
“You know him, he loves the [scuffle] stuff,” Freeman said with a smile.
The two spoke after the game. Alex said Antonio was also “happy I kept my head, didn’t do anything stupid to get a red [card].”
The fight kicked off when Freeman and Paraguay’s Gustavo Gómez both attempted to grab a ball that had gone out of play for a throw-in.
“Obviously it was our throw-in,” Freeman recalled, “so I was just going to grab the ball. And then he grabbed it at the same time. And … he kinda had me in a headlock, and I didn’t think that was fair.
“And then it just turned into a whole thing. It was next to their bench, so obviously they had the numbers.”
Freeman’s U.S. teammate, Sebastian Berhalter, instantly sprinted over to the scene and tried to get at Gómez. “It just shows that he’s got my back, and I got his,” Freeman said.
“I was very happy with the way we supported each other,” U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese said after the match. “There were a few cheap shots thrown from their end, to be honest. But that’s part of being a team, we’ll be sticking up for each other no matter the moment.”
At first, Freeman didn’t realize the scuffle had turned into a massive scrum, with dozens of players and staff from both sides involved. Then, suddenly, “everybody was surrounding me, I was kinda getting jabbed everywhere,” he recounted. “So, I tried to get out of there as soon as possible.”
He escaped to the side, away from the U.S. bench. A Paraguayan player dragged him to the ground. Another, Diego Gómez, almost appeared to kick him, then restrained him as that portion of the melee cooled off.
USMNT players did not back down from a scuffle vs. Paraguay at the end of their friendly.Vincent Carchietta / Getty Images
Meanwhile, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, who’d rushed to the scene, fell into a miniature camera well with Berhalter. Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro recognized and helped Pochettino to his feet. Pochettino later lamented that the situation was “very, very dangerous” before striking a bit of a different tone on Monday.
“We all feel now very proud about the way that we acted and behaved. Alex was defending and caring about the ball,” Pochettino said. “That showed character, and that we care. I really was happy when that happened. Because I think when the aggression is coming from the other side, we need to defend [ourselves].”
Pochettino “always tells us to fight, fight, fight,” U.S. wingback Max Arfsten said postgame. “I think we embody that.”
Freeman said that any bad blood stayed “on the field” and didn’t linger afterward. He did, though, come out of the scrum with what appeared to be a bloody lip. He also told The Athletic on Monday that he had a wound on the back of his neck, potentially from the initial headlock. He also rolled up the sleeve of his jacket to reveal a (now-closed) cut on the inside of his wrist.
But he was smiling as he displayed the scars. He was also smiling as he looked ahead to Tuesday’s game against Uruguay. He remembers watching the last U.S.-Uruguay game, at the 2024 Copa América, when the U.S. struggled to match Uruguay’s physicality. “It was very scrappy,” Freeman said.
Now, after his first game against a South American opponent, he feels like he’s “lived it. And obviously I’ve started one [fight].”
Which, he said, is “good. It’s good that we have that before the World Cup, have that scrappiness, and be able to see what we’re made of.”
“We’re not scared of anything, as a U.S. team. If it was a problem in the past, it’s definitely not a problem now.”
The USMNT is making progress. The fans it hoped to attract haven’t (yet) noticed.
TAMPA — It was 10 months ago that JT Batson sat onstage at the United Soccer Coaches convention and laid out his ambitious vision for U.S. men’s national team games ahead of the 2026 World Cup. “We want to play in the biggest stadiums possible, in front of the most people possible, full stop,” Batson, U.S. Soccer’s CEO, said. “Our national team events should be huge events,” he continued. “They should be parties, they should be celebrations of soccer, and they should be something that everybody looks forward to.” In many other countries, they are all of that. With the men’s World Cup coming here, the thinking went, and buzz presumably building, USMNT matches could pack NFL stadiums. They could, at least temporarily, be marquee occasions. But it hasn’t happened. At least not yet. The USMNT’s second-to-last game of 2025, against Paraguay on Saturday outside Philadelphia, failed to fill the 18,500-seat Subaru Park (despite the best efforts of thousands of exuberant Paraguay fans). Instead, it seemingly prompted Mauricio Pochettino, the USMNT’s Argentine coach, to make yet another plea for supporters.“We need our fans [to] follow and support the national team. And we need to build that relationship,” Pochettino said, tangentially, at his post-match news conference. “Our fans need to be fans of USA men’s national team, and to follow our crest, our flag, our colors. That is the most important.“In Argentina, Argentina is more important than any name. In Brazil, the same. In England, the same. In Spain, the same,” he continued. “In every single country, in Paraguay, it’s the same. … Who is the hero? The team. The team need to be their hero.”
Mauricio Pochettino has urged fans to get behind his USMNT, but the response at friendlies has been mixed.John Dorton / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
Why hasn’t this happened in the U.S.? The reasons are deep, complicated and debatable. Many of them are broad, cultural, long-standing and irreversible, far beyond Pochettino’s scope. Soccer’s development, of course, was delayed and backwards here in the States compared to other countries. U.S. national team games became expensive and overly commercialized before they became unmissable events that the average sports fan — or even the average soccer fan — felt a connection to.The hope was that a looming World Cup would fuel connection. Excitement and patriotism would bring people in as the tournament approached. U.S. Soccer’s goal, from a business and sporting perspective, was to replicate World Cup environments in the two dozen games it organized between the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.“Ideally, we’re playing a high-profile opponent in big stadiums, because that’s what the World Cup’s gonna be,” then-coach Gregg Berhalter said in February 2024. “That’s our ideal. That’s our No. 1 filter. How do we play the best possible opponent in the biggest possible stadium?”But they simply haven’t done that. In 2025, their games at NFL stadiums have been either full of Mexico fans or more than half empty. Their friendlies have all been at MLS grounds or, in one case, a 36,000-seat college football stadium.They haven’t done it, in part, because the best possible opponents haven’t been available. European and South American giants were often competing in the UEFA Nations League or World Cup qualifiers while U.S. Soccer was searching for opponents to fill the vacuum created by automatic qualification.And the games that were organized haven’t gone to NFL stadiums because the USMNT, on its own and without much to play for until 2026, hasn’t inspired the excitement necessary to fill those stadiums — or even come close.In 2023, the program was on the rise. In 2024, over three Copa América games, it drew 162,478 fans to NFL stadiums. But the Americans crashed out of that tournament, and momentum stalled. Arguably, it reversed and became disillusionment. U.S. Soccer’s hiring of Pochettino caught the attention of soccer fans, but it didn’t change the popular narrative. It didn’t make the team more likable. It didn’t bring many new fans in.Then, after the U.S. lost to Panama and Canada in March, and after a B-plus squad met relatively low expectations at the Gold Cup this summer, apathy seemed to set in.
Mauricio Pochettino salutes U.S. fans after playing Panama at Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium in his first match as U.S. manager in October 2024John Dorton / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
Over the past two months, the USMNT has begun to inspire some optimism. With three wins and a draw in its last four games, all against 2026 World Cup participants, the outlook has improved. This was the context for Pochettino’s Saturday plea. “We are happy. We need to keep going,” he said. “Because we need to improve, improve, improve, and arrive to the World Cup in our peak.” And the fans, he argued, could be a part of that.“If we are capable [of attracting] our fans, and [they] support us, I think we can create a very good building between the fans and us, and arrive to the World Cup very, very strong,” Pochettino said. “Because our players need the support of the fans. They need the energy from the fans. And that is an important thing, that is my message to our fans — keep pushing, believe in the national team.”The hope is that the tide of support begins to rise in March, when the U.S. will play Portugal and likely Belgium — as long as Belgium beats Liechtenstein on Tuesday to qualify for the World Cup and avoid a European playoff.
There will then be two friendlies in late May and early June, sendoff games before the USMNT sets up its World Cup camp at the University of California, Irvine, an hour southeast of Los Angeles. By then, surely, NFL stadiums will fill. But for now, there are only friendlies between depleted squads, with no stakes or World Cup implications, just as there has been for the better part of the past three years. So, the buzz remains muted. Tuesday’s match against Uruguay here at Raymond James Stadium, the first USMNT friendly at an NFL stadium since June of 2024, will probably bring more of the same. Upper-deck tickets are not being sold, according to Ticketmaster, and although there are advertisements at Tampa International Airport and elsewhere around town, plenty of lower-bowl tickets remain available.
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Wow I slip off to Jacksonville for 1 weekend for a little Family Reunion and Football and the Carmel High Boys and Girls go off and make the Finals for the State Championship in Soccer and the Boys win it all. Huge congrats to Shane Schmidt and the Carmel High School boys on his first State Championship and the programs 4th overall State Championship after winning the final over defending Champ Harrison 3-1 last weekend. CHS Boys State Final Video
The Carmel Girls also wrapped up a fantastic season in new coach John Simmonds and Carmel FC Asst Coach Carla Baker’s first season back charge as they made the Finals losing a heartbreaker to the HSE Girls 1-0 on Saturday at The Mike. Again congrats to both teams along with the Guerin High Catholic Boys who won State on PKs .
Cool to see Sir David Beckham – Current GM of Inter Miami — get knighted this week in England. His Miami of course hosts Nashville in the crucial Final Game 3 Sat night at 8 pm on Apple TV in Miami to see who advances. Cincy hosts Columbus in Hell is Real Final at 6 pm on Apple TV and Amazon Prime, while Minn United hosts game 3 and my Seattle Sounders at 4 pm on Prime & Apple TV.
Sat, Nov 8 7:30 am USA Tottenham vs Man United |9:30 am ESPN+ Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich 9:45 am FS2 US U17B vs Tajikstan U17B World Cup 10 am USA Everton vs Fulham 12 noon Paar+ Juventus (McKinney) vs Torino 12 noon CBS Washington Spirit vs Racing Louisville NWSL PLAYOFFS 12:30 pm NBC Sunderland vs Arsenal 2:45 pm Para+ Parma vs AC Milan (Pulisic) 3 pm NBC Chelsea vs Wolverhampton 4 pm Apple TV Minn United vs Seattle Game 3 Playoffs 6 pm Apple TV Cincy vs Columbus Game 3 Playoffs 8 pm Apple TV Miami vs Nashville Game 3 Playoffs Sun, Nov 9 9 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Brighton 9 am USA Aston Villa vs Bournmouth (Adams) 11:30 USA Man City vs Liverpool 12:30 ABC KC Current vs NY Gotham FC NWSL Playoffs 3 pm ABC Portland Thorns vs San Diego Wave NWSL 3 pm ESPN+ Celta Vigo vs Barcelona 2:45 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Lazio 9 pm Apple TV San Diego vs Portland Game 1 Playoff R2 Wed, Nov 12 12:45 pm CBS SN Bayern vs Arsenal UEFA Womens UCL 3 pm ESPN+ Man United (US GK) vs PSG UEFA Womens UCL 3 pm CBS SN Atletico Madrid vs Juventus UEFA Womens UCL Thurs, Nov 13 11 am ESPN+ Nigeria vs Gabon WCQ 12 noon FS2 Azerbaijan vs Iceland WCQ 2 pm ESPN+ Cameron vs Congo WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 France vs Ukraine WCQ 2:45 pm ?? England vs Serbia WCQ 5 pm CBSSN Surinam vs El Salvador WCQ 7 pm CBS SN T&T vs Jamaica WCQ 7:30 pm FS2 Canada vs Ecuador Friendly 9 pm CBS SN Haiti vs Costa Rica WCQ Fri, Nov 14 9:45 am FS+, TUDN Argentina U17 vs Mexico U17 World Cup 10:45 am Telemundo US U17 vs Morocco U17 World Cup 2:45 pm fubu? Poland vs Netherlands WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Luxembourg vs Germany WCQ Sat, Nov 15 9 am FS1 Kazakhastan vs Belgium WCQ 12 noon CBS Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Portland Thorns NWSL Playoffs 12 noon? Georgia vs Spain WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Greece vs Scotland WCQ 2:45 pm ? Switzerland vs Sweden WCQ 5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA 8 pm TUDN, Univision Mexico vs Uruguay Sun, Nov 16 7 am ESPN2 Liverpool vs Chelsea FC Womens Superleague 9 am FS1 Hungary vs Ireland WCQ 9 am FS2 Portugal vs Armenia WCQ 12 noon FS2 Azerbaijan vs France WCQ 12 noon ?? Albania vs England WCQ 2:45 pm FS1 Italy vs Norway WCQ 3 pm ABC Orlando Pride vs NY Gothem FC NWSL Playoffs Mon, Nov 17 12 noon FS2 Finland vs Andorra WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Germany vs Slovakia WCQ Tues, Nov 18 2:45 pm FS2 Belgium vs Liechhtenstein WCQ 4 pm ?? Canada vs Venezuela 7 pmTNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL 8:30 pm Univision Mexico vs Paraguay Weds, Nov 19 12:45 pm ESPN+ Juventus vs OL Lyonnes (Heaps) Women’s UCL 12:45 pm CBSSN Wolfsburg vs Man United Women’s (GK Joyce) UCL 3 pm CBSSN Arsenal vs Real Madrid Women’s UCL Thurs, Nov 20 12:45 pm CBSSN Twente vs Atletico Madrid Women’s UCL 3 pm CBSSN PSG vs Bayern Munich Women’s UCL 3 pm ESPN+ Chelsea vs Barcelona Women’s UCL Sat, Nov 22 7:30 am USA Burnley vs Chelsea 9:30 am ESPN+ Heidenheim vs Mgladbach (Reyna & Scally) 9:30 am ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Freiburg 9:30 am ESPN+ Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) 10 am USA Bournmouth (Adams) vs West Ham United 10 am Peacock Wolverhampton vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 10 am Pk Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest 10:15 AM ESPN+ Barcelona vs Athletic Club 12 noon Para+ Juventus (McKinny) vs Fiorentina 12:30 pm NBC New Castle vs Man United 8 pm CBS NWSL CHAMPIONSHIP 9:30 pm Apple TV Vancouver vs LAFC MLS Playoffs
US Players on TV
Friday
Charlotte v NYCFC – 7p on MLS Season Pass: Matt Freese has yet to give up a goal in regulation but his NYCFC side are tied in the best of three series with Tim Ream and Charlotte after the second match was scoreless for 90’ and went to a penalty shootout which Charlotte won to draw even in the series, 1-1. The rubber match will be played on Friday night with the winner advancing to face the waiting Philadelphia Union.
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v Heidenheim – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman returned midweek to play 33’ in Bayer Leverkusen’s 1-0 win over Benfica in Champions League play. Tillman had been out since mid-October and was not included in the November call-ups but it is good to see him getting back on the field for Leverkusen.
Middlesbrough v Birmingham City – 10a on Paramount+: Aidan Morris started and played the full 90’ for Middlesbrough as they drew with Leicester last weekend. The result extends a three match slide for Middlesbrough who remain in the top three of the table but are now five points back of league leading Coventry City. On Saturday they will face a Birmingham City side that are in ninth place, just two points out of the promotion playoff positions.
Stoke City v Coventry City – 10a on CBSSN: Haji Wright notched his first assist of the season on Tuesday as Coventry City handled Sheffield United 3-1, maintaining their three point lead for first place in the English Championship. Coventry will now travel to Stoke City to take on the second place team who are currently on a three match win streak.
Norwich City v Leicester City – 10a on Paramount+: Josh Sargent also picked up an assist midweek against a Sheffield side as Norwich snapped a six game losing streak but settled for a draw with Sheffield Wednesday. After starting the season with at least a goal in his first four matches Sargent has yet to find the back of the net again in the past ten though he has assisted twice. Norwich are winless in that same streak and currently sit in the bottom three with just nine points through fourteen matches. Norwich will try to get back into the win column against a Leicester City side that are also winless in their last five matches and are currently 13th in the table.
Olympique Marseille v Brest – 11a on beIN Sports: Tim Weah has missed the past two matches for Marseille and was not included in the USMNT November squad though he was spotted at Marseille training in the team socials so is perhaps nearing a return.
Juventus v Torino – Noon on Paramount+: Weston McKennie was also left off the November squad with Pochettino saying he would like to give McKennie the opportunity to remain in Italy to train with his new club manager. McKennie has started his first two matches under Spalletti including last weekend’s 2-1 win over Cremonese and Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Sporting in Champions League action.
Borussia Monchengladbach v Koln – 12:30p on ESPN Select: Joe Scally and Gio Reyna have been called in for the November camp though it sounds like the expectations for Reyna are more that he would get to interact with the staff than that he will see extended playing time. On Saturday they will face Kristoffer Lund who was not called into the November camp though he has been starting regularly for Koln. Koln defeated Hamburg last weekend and are currently in seventh place while Gladbach finally picked up their first win of the Bundesliga season, defeating St Pauli 4-1.
Parma v AC Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic is among the injured players who will be missing out on the November camp but he is reportedly available for AC Milan this weekend as they travel to Parma. Pulisic has missed the past four matches but Milan have stayed afloat during that time with two wins and two draws, they currently sit a point back of league leading Napoli and are tied with both Inter Milan and Roma on twenty-one points.
Minnesota United v Seattle Sounders – 4p on MLS Season Pass: Cristian Roldan and the Seattle Sounders defeated Minnesota United 4-2 in the second match of the best of three series and will now return to Minnesota where the two teams played to a scoreless draw before Minnesota won the match in penalties.
Cincinnati v Columbus Crew – 6p on MLS Season Pass: Miles Robinson and second seeded Cincinnati were thumped by Max Arfsten, Sean Zawadzki Patrick Schulte, and the Columbus Crew 4-0 in the second match of their series and will look to get things turned back around at home on Saturday to take the series in the hotly contested in state rivalry.
Sunday
Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion – 9a on Peacock: Chris Richards and Crystal Palace defeated Brentford last weekend. Richards has started every league match for Palace this season but there has been a bit of criticism from the club over his usage with the national team and he was left off the squad for November.
Aston Villa v Bournemouth – 9a on USA Network: Tyler Adams will be in the squad this November after missing the October window for the birth of his second child. Adams scored his first EPL goal last weekend but Bournemouth fell to Manchester City 3-1 last weekend, falling to fifth place in the league table.
Nottingham Forest v Leeds United – 9a on Peacock: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United fell to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend and now have another relegation scrap at Nottingham Forest on Sunday morning. Aaronson has started the past seven matches for Leeds who are currently four points out of the relegation spots and five points ahead of Forest.
Lorient v Toulouse – 9a on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie’s Toulouse will travel to Lorient on Sunday. McKenzie was not included in the squad last weekend as Toulouse played to a scoreless draw with Le Havre but he was included in the November squad list.
AZ v PSV – 10:45a on ESPN Select: Ricardo Pepi came on as a sub midweek and pulled PSV level with Olympiacos as the teams played to a 1-1 draw in Champions League action. Pepi has been come off the bench since returning from injury but he has three goals in his last four matches, including two in Champions League action which may get him more time. Sergino Dest has been a regular starter for the Dutch side that is currently level with Feyenoord for first place and will be facing third place AZ on Sunday.
Stuttgart v Augsburg – 11:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks remained in the starting lineup for Augsburg a week after giving up six goals to RB Leipzig. The performance last weekend was much more respectable but his side still fell to Borussia Dortmund, 1-0. Augsburg are in fourteenth place and will have their third straight match against a top five opponent when they face fourth place Stuttgart this weekend.
Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz – 1:30p on ESPN Select: Lennard Maloney got his first start of the season for Mainz last weekend, lining up as a centerback as the team drew with Werder Bremen 1-1, snapping a four match losing streak.
Olympique Lyon v PSG – 2:45p on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann has come off the bench in Lyon’s last two league matches but has been starting in Europa League for the team, including Thursday’s 2-0 loss to Real Betis. Lyon have drawn their last two league matches, falling to sixth place, and now host league leading Paris Saint-Germain who are four points ahead of them.
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NWSL playoffs preview: How can each team win it all?
Jeff KassoufNov 6, 2025, 12:42 PM ET
The 2025 NWSL playoffs are here and just like in the regular season, everyone is chasing the Kansas City Current after the Shield-winners’ historic season. Kansas City is the undeniable favorite to win the NWSL Championship on Nov. 22, but historically, the NWSL has been anything but predictable.
Could one of the other seven teams go on a run for a few weeks and lift the trophy? Of course? Will they? Well… here’s why each team will — and won’t — win the NWSL Championship.
Next game: at KC Current, Nov. 9, 12:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
Why they will win: Talent and tactics. Gotham is not your average No. 8 seed. This is a team that should have finished higher up the table, but laid an egg on Decision Day. Still, Gotham is loaded with championship-caliber talent: little over a month ago, they were lighting up the league with new arrival Jaedyn Shaw joining the healthy, in-form Rose Lavelle and the workhorse Jaedyn Shaw.
If Esther González, with her 13 regular-season goals, is healthy, she has proven capable of carrying the team throughout the season.
Why they won’t win: Defensive lapses. Only Kansas City conceded fewer goals than Gotham’s 25 this season, granted, but the way in which Gotham has conceded goals is something Kansas City could feast on. Gotham endured self-inflicted mistakes trying to play out of the back in Sunday’s loss to North Carolina, and that’s exactly what happened the first time that Gotham and Kansas City met in June, when the Current took the lead three minutes into the match.
Next game: at Washington Spirit, Nov. 8, 12 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+
Why they will win: A gritty identity. Louisville can play a direct, purposeful style of play and punish teams on counterattacks thanks largely to forward Emma Sears. Their 41% average possession ranks dead last in the league, per TruMedia, but they produced 35 goals and 10 wins from that. It’s the type of soccer that won’t always win award, but can be very effective over a 90-minute knockout game. And maybe — just maybe — their postseason naivete could play to their advantage like it did for, say, the 2016 Western New York Flash.
Why they won’t win: Late-game management. Louisville had a propensity to drop points late in games far too often this season, which left them to fight for a playoff berth until the final moments of Decision Day instead of trying to host a playoff game. That trend could creep back up on an inexperienced squad playing in the franchise’s first playoff game — and in one of the most hostile environments in the league.
Next game: at Portland Thorns, Nov. 9, 3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
Why they will win: They grab hold of the game. San Diego kept the ball more than any other team in the regular season — 59.4% per TruMedia, over 6% more than next-closest Gotham FC — and that allowed the Wave to frequently dictate the flow of games. The Wave served up another taste of that in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Kansas City when they jumped out to an early lead.
The French connection of Kenza Dali and Delphine Cascarino remains electric, and they could be the difference-makers.
Why they won’t win: Inconsistent final product. Their possession game is great, but too often this season, San Diego has failed to muster enough in the final third. The Wave’s run of four straight games without a goal just after the summer break was the worst of the stretches.
They came alive, finally, in a 6-1 win against the Chicago Stars on Oct. 18, but that game was an anomaly — and with all due respect, Chicago is not Portland nor any other playoff team. If San Diego needs to chase this game at Providence Park or another should they advance, that could spell trouble.
Next game: at Orlando Pride, Nov. 7, 8 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime
Why they will win: Experience and resolve. Stay with me through the potential cliches and yes, get your ChatGPT jokes out of the way: Laura Harvey is the winningest coach in league history. Yes, even the all-time great Reign teams she coached came up short in the playoffs, but Harvey and the ageless Jess Fishlock keep finding ways to win (or score) even when the expectations are relatively low. They’ve overachieved this year, and they are certainly capable of making Orlando sweat.
Why they won’t win: They don’t score enough. Seattle’s 32 goals scored this regular season tied with the last-place Chicago Stars and ranks worst among all playoff teams. What’s worse is that, per TruMedia, the Reign over-performed from 25.19 expected goals — the worst mark in the league. Their 162 chances created also ranks last in the NWSL this season. Seattle managed to grind out results this season, none more impressive than handing Kansas City one of its three losses in an early-season meeting.
Next game: vs. Seattle Reign, Nov. 7, 8 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime
Why they will win: It’s all finally clicking. Orlando was never going to repeat last year’s near-invincible double-trophy season. Orlando is also than their mid-season slump suggested. The Pride enter the playoffs on a five-game unbeaten streak highlighted by a big 3-2 road win over the Spirit in a rematch of last year’s final.
What made Orlando great last year is that everyone on the roster was playing to their utmost potential, even the role players who don’t get the spotlight. That theme has returned in this late-season peak, with Carson Pickett, Kerri Abello and Haley McCutcheon among those scoring or creating goals. Timing is everything, and the Pride might feel that it is on their side.
Why they won’t win: They’re trapped on the wrong side of the bracket. Orlando’s path to a repeat NWSL Championship starts with a scheduling oddity and a trap game: a rematch of Sunday’s regular-season finale with Seattle. That 1-1 draw was a toss-up much like Friday’s quarterfinal will be, and whoever wins on Friday will likely have to go to Kansas City for a semifinal.
The odds are not with either team there, and while Orlando has been more productive than Seattle, the Pride still sit middle of the pack in the NWSL this year in chance creation and expected goals.
Next game: vs. San Diego Wave, Nov. 9, 3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
Olivia Moultrie: I can’t wait to continue my journey with the Portland Thorns
USWNT’s Olivia Moultrie believes signing a contract extension with the Portland Thorns is the right decision at this stage in her career.
Why they will win: They own the midfield. Well, they will win if they can own the midfield. Sam Coffey, Olivia Moultrie and Jessie Fleming are perfectly capable of that. All three have been influential in Portland’s steady late-season form, and Coffey is one of the best midfielders in the league. They have their work cut out for them against fellow Midfielder of the Year candidate Kenza Dali and the dynamic Gia Corley.
This quarterfinal will be won and lost in midfield and the Thorns should have a raucous Providence Park crowd behind them.
Why they won’t win: A disconnect reemerges. The early-season Thorns suffered from the same issues as the 2024 Thorns: inconsistency and incongruity. They’ve largely shaken that off over the past month or two to hit their stride, but the issue of players being out of sync has popped up sporadically over these past two seasons. Largely, individuals have carried them through those stretches, whether Sophia Wilson last season or Coffey or Moultrie this year.
San Diego is well organized — not to mention a stacked Spirit team potentially awaiting in a semifinal — and could force the Thorns to stray from their identity.
Next game: vs. Racing Louisville, Nov. 8, 12 p.m. ET, CBS/Paramount+
Why they will win: Consistency. The Spirit have quietly marched through the season in Kansas City’s shadow, but player for player, they feel like they can stack up with the league’s best — as forward Trinity Rodman recently said. When healthy, the Spirit has the offensive firepower to match Kansas City, and the central combination of Esme Morgan and Tara McKeown has largely been up to the task.
Much like last year, when the Spirit sat in the shadow of Orlando’s dominance, Washington is the best team nobody is talking about.
Why they won’t win: Mounting injury concerns. Washington had nothing to play for on Decision Day and smartly opted to rest players, but the sight of only three healthy field players on the bench — with two goalkeepers named just to have a legal roster — underscored some of the injury concerns for Kansas City’s most legitimate challenger. All eyes are on forward Trinity Rodman and whether she returns from her sprained MCL, but how close to 100% will Croix Bethune and Leicy Santos be, just to name two other major players?
Rodman, especially, had to labor through the pain during last year’s playoffs. She and some teammates will have to do the same again this year.
No. 1 seed Kansas City Current
Next game: vs. Gotham FC, Nov. 9, 12:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
Why they will win: They are unstoppable. This is the best team in NWSL history. Kansas City set records for wins (21), points (65), goals against (13) and shutouts (16). The Current are richly deep in talent in their front six, from the steady Lo’eau LaBonta to the flashy Debinha, and they punish teams ruthlessly and quickly on the counterattack. They control games out of possession better than any team since the 2018 North Carolina Courage, and this year, they’ve had the defense (for a full season) to back up their attack.
By all logic, this team should beat any opponent and lift the trophy on Nov. 22.
Why they won’t win: If Chawinga isn’t healthy… Finding faults with Kansas City, who only lost three times all season, feels like splitting hairs. But one major question is the adductor injury to back-to-back NWSL Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga, who is day-to-day and missed Sunday’s game, two weeks after sustaining the injury.
The sample size is small to evaluate Kansas City’s games without Chawinga, but the Current are less productive (see: 1-0 loss to Houston last month) and less unpredictable, as Sunday showed. And what if Bia Zaneratto, who left Sunday’s game injured, is also unavailable?
For Nashville, Inter Miami, decisive playoff game adds chapter to intertwined history
In a weird way, Nashville SC and Inter Miami have a lot of shared history.
The clubs entered MLS in the same year, 2020. Expansion draft and other roster building mechanisms were simultaneous. The way the clubs have operated is much different. There was the glamor of Miami — long before Lionel Messi joined — and then the defensive-minded Nashville, who went about their business a bit more quietly.
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Both have had plenty of success in their first six seasons, sometimes at the expense of the other.
Nashville and Miami played their first playoff match against each other in 2020 (Nashville won). There was a U.S. Open Cup round of 16 game in 2023 (Miami won) and then, the big one, an electric Leagues Cup final that went to penalties in 2023. Miami won, with Messi delivering his first trophy to Miami merely a month after debuting.
Miami beat Nashville in the Concacaf Champions Cup the following year and now, these two teams are together again, facing a win-or-go-home playoff match on Saturday with Nashville looking to extend its season and send the league’s most expensive roster home with another playoff disaster.
“It does feel like there’s this yin and yang type of thing, we keep matching up against Miami in these big moments,” Nashville midfielder Alex Muyl told The Athletic. “It’s interesting. … The real rivalry grows in these moments in big games. There’s just history and high stakes between the teams, fate has put us in these positions to play really meaningful games against them.”
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami split the first two playoff games vs. Nashville SCSteve Roberts / Imagn Images
Miami took the playoff opener handily, but then Nashville mostly dominated Game 2 to set up a decisive finale back in South Florida.
There isn’t a whole lot of new preparation for Nashville to do, even with Luis Suárez suspended. This is the fourth match in a row these two teams will play against each other, as they happened to play on the final day of the regular season too.
Added Muyl: “It’s strange, but honestly, playing Miami this many times is amazing. Playing Miami has always felt like such an anomaly and a different kind of game because of everything around the game. When it comes up on the calendar, you kind of have to adjust. But when you play them four times, it feels normal. You tune out the other parts.”
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Nashville may not be taking the bait, but the stakes for Miami as a whole are significant. And as it relates to Messi, he is staring down the potential of what would be just the second trophyless season in his career.
In 20 of his 21 previous professional seasons — and in all 20 uninterrupted by COVID-19 — Messi won at least one team trophy. In 14 of those 20 seasons, he won two or more.
“I don’t think anyone in Nashville knew that statistic,” Maher said with a laugh. “That has not been talked about.”
Striker Sam Surridge (9) has given Nashville SC plenty to celebrate in 2025Matthew Maxey / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
Inside Nashville’s locker room, it’s only about them, not the opponent. They will gladly deflect questions about Miami and Messi. It’s a club that has long embraced an underdog mentality and a hardworking, gritty ethos even as it exploded with its best attacking season in its brief history this year, paced by Sam Surridge (24 goals, five assists) and Hany Mukhtar (16 goals, 12 assists).
“What we’re building here is not a one-year thing,” Maher said. “We’re looking forward and we expect to win, that’s what (head coach) B.J. (Callaghan) has brought to the team. Every time we step on the field, we expect to win.”
Nashville already won its first trophy in club history this year, lifting the U.S. Open Cup on October 1. It was a special night, but the team immediately got on a plane and started preparing for a weekend match a few days later in Montréal. There hasn’t been much time to bask in that celebration. Nashville hopes there’s one more in 2025.
“I don’t know if any of us have really allowed the Open Cup to settle in yet as a team,” Maher said. “I don’t know if words can describe how special a moment was for us, but we want to celebrate two trophies at the end of the year, not one.”
The experimentation was largely supposed to be over.
With just two windows left until the U.S. men’s national team’s pre-World Cup camp, manager Mauricio Pochettino was narrowing in on the players that would be part of a home tournament. The roster changes and new names were expected to fade away.
But the uncontrollable realities of sport tend to get in the way of idealism.
November’s U.S. roster will be without several regulars: Christian Pulisic, Tim Weah, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman and Antonee Robinson were left off the team. So, too, was Chris Richards, whose absence comes at the culmination of a running war of words between his club coach, Oliver Glasner, and Pochettino. Several others who have been a part of the last two cycles – Yunus Musah, Matt Turner and Johnny Cardoso – were also out of Pochettino’s squad.
Those absences have undoubtedly opened the door for other players to make an impression. But it speaks to the difficulty of national team management. For as little time as Pochettino and his staff have had to build their team and their identity, they are also at the whims of the sport in the form of injury and other influences.
Pulisic was missing because he has been sidelined due to a low-grade hamstring tear suffered last month in a friendly against Australia. He is expected to play this weekend for AC Milan, but it will be his first minutes back on the field since October 14.
“It’s common sense not to call a player that maybe is coming from … a small issue,” Pochettino said. “It’s to provide him the possibility to recover 100%, be full and be ready to play after the international duty with his team. That is common sense. We never risk players.”
Tillman (hamstring), Weah (thigh), Richards (calf), Cardoso (ankle) and Robinson (knee) are also absent for this camp due to injury or the need for rest. Richards played Thursday for Crystal Palace in the Europa League, but Pochettino said the center back deserved a chance to rest and recover.
“We had a lot of discussion about that, but I think the priority always needs to be the player,” Pochettino said. “After the camp in Denver, I think we decided not to call (him). We already know his leadership on the team, but I think the most important thing now is to provide him the possibility to play, to recover in his club, and not to take risk.”
U.S. center back Chris Richards and Crystal Palace manager Oliver GlasnerSebastian Frej / Getty Images
Richards was at the center of some debate after Glasner, the Crystal Palace coach, seemed to take issue with the U.S. playing Richards in both games last month despite the calf issue. It was an interesting take especially considering that the center back went the full 90 minutes for Palace in all four games leading into the international break and went the full 90 in the first game back from it.
Pochettino pushed back on the idea that he and his staff ever jeopardize their players, both in a TalkSport interview published Thursday and then again in his comments following his roster reveal.
“I am very disappointed with Oliver because we always respect and we as the coaching staff respect the player and we respect the clubs,” Pochettino said in the former. “Our medical area is in contact with all the clubs that we have players at and always we will take the best decision for the player.
“I understand that sometimes coaches can complain about the national team. We’ll see one day if he’s in my position to be a coach in the national team where he can understand this type of situation.”
To be fair to the U.S. coach, there is plenty of evidence available — including in this roster — that he has opted to leave players out if he thinks they would be better off staying at their clubs.
Pochettino continued by reiterating that players know he acts in their best interest, and that because the U.S. did not have World Cup qualifying on its schedule, these friendlies have served as important markers for the team’s development ahead of next summer.
Even with just four games until the pre-World Cup camp in June, the former Tottenham, Chelsea and PSG manager has taken the long-term view with this roster.
While a number of players were left out with injury, one prominent star, McKennie, was left at his club simply to help him keep his place. The midfielder had to work his way into the good graces of manager Igor Tudor to get onto the field at the start of this season, what has become somewhat of an annual tradition at the Italian club. Tudor was fired last week, however, and former Italy coach Luciano Spalletti was hired.
“With a new coach arriving in a new club you can see that Weston is playing all the games,” Pochettino said. “Now, I think these next few weeks, with the possibility for the new coach to work with the players there, and to compete, I think it’s important for Weston to be there and try to convince the coaches that ‘Keep playing me.’ I think it’s more important, that, than maybe to be with us, no? Because we already know what he can provide the team.”
Playing time has been hard to come by for Yunus Musah at AtalantaMarco Luzzani / Getty Images
The message is definitely more concerning for players like Musah and Turner, both starters at the 2022 World Cup, but who find themselves lower in the pecking order under Pochettino. Columbus Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki was taken over Musah, for example, as the 22-year-old has struggled for minutes at Atalanta.
Among the players who will get a chance to make an impression are Zawadzki, Sebastian Berhalter, Joe Scally, Gio Reyna and Ricardo Pepi, who is returning from an injury that has kept him out of the picture for the U.S. since last November.
Pepi, who scored a stoppage-time equalizer in the Champions League this week for PSV, is an example of the good that can come on the opposite end of Pochettino’s philosophy: players who are coming back from injury and earn a spot back in the national team.
The idea “is to provide a big boost on the motivation for them to keep pushing, keep improving,” Pochettino said. “They need to have the motivation that we care about them. I think that is the most important. When the players are good in here, in their mind, I think it’s important (in helping) to improve the legs and the physical condition. They need to know that they are in the race for the competition and for the place to be in the roster in the World Cup.
“That, for us, is the most important thing. They can play more or less, but the importance here is they need to give their best to try to arrive in the best shape to be like animals and feel really strong to arrive in a competition that is going to be the most important competition for us in the history of the national team.
“That is the idea that we want to translate to them.”
U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper Matt Turner is training with former club Crystal Palace.
The 31-year-old, who is on loan with MLS’s New England Revolution from Lyon through June 2026, is spending time back in London in order to maintain fitness before the November international break next week. The USMNT host friendlies with Paraguay on Saturday, Nov. 15, and Uruguay on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
Turner, who has 52 caps for his country, spent last season on loan at Palace from fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest, but they opted not to extend his stay, before Lyon paid €8million (£6.74m) to bring him to France. He then moved straight back to MLS prior to the summer transfer deadline in a loan move, with an option to buy.
Turner has been welcomed back to train with Palace after the end of New England’s season, with manager Oliver Glasner saying the goalkeeper had informed him of different rules regarding fixture scheduling and player rest in the U.S. compared to England, given Palace’s issues with congestion.
“He told me there is a law that every player has to have six weeks off. You’re not allowed to train,” Glasner said in his press conference before Palace’s UEFA Conference League game with AZ Alkmaar.
“If you make the finals you struggle with pre-season because players are not allowed to train within six weeks.
Glasner took aim at what he said was about “maximising money” over player welfare regarding scheduling, as Palace face five games in 12 days over December due to their Carabao Cup quarter-final match with Arsenal being scheduled for December 23.
“I would prefer they sit together, talk about it and find the best solution for football, for the players,” he said. “(But) I won’t see this in my managerial career. We have the Club World Cup, the World Cup should be 64 teams, there’s always more and more maximising money.
“Always about maximising it’s not about the welfare of the players or finding what’s best. Everyone is looking at themselves to maximise the money. Now we can say it’s the UEFA schedule. It was clear this week before Christmas that the Conference League is played and it was 99 per cent the English team would play there.
“Why fix the Carabao Cup quarter-final to play then? I just don’t understand it. I think there is a hierarchy in football — UEFA games, Premier League games, then is it FA or EFL or they’re on the same level. Then if it’s a UEFA game you can’t say ‘we’ll play the quarter final (then)’.”
This is an updated version of an article first published in June 2025.
So, arise, Sir David Beckham, and welcome to the small and exclusive band of people from the football industry to receive one of the highest honours in the United Kingdom — a knighthood from the royal family.
The news had originally been announced in June in The Gazette, the official organ of public record, as part of King Charles III’s official birthday honours — one of the two occasions each year when the ruling monarch honours a selection of people for their “significant contributions” to the country.
Beckham, the former England captain and now joint owner of MLS team Inter Miami, took part in an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle earlier today to make everything official. He was accompanied by his wife, the pop star turned fashion designer, who became Lady Victoria, and his parents Sandra and David.
The wait is finally over for the man she famously christened Goldenballs in his playing days, and whose desire to become a Sir has been depicted at times as almost obsessional.
“I couldn’t be prouder. People know how patriotic I am — I love my country and I’ve always said how important the monarchy is to my family,” said Beckham, who also revealed that King Charles had been impressed with his suit, which had been designed by his wife.
Not everyone will wish to join in the celebrations, bearing in mind the honours system — described by The Gazette as “classes of appointment” to the Order of the British Empire — is regarded by many of its anti-Establishment critics as outdated and elitist and, as such, brings some strong opinions.
“Truly deserved,” writer, author and broadcaster Brian Reade responded on X after the story of Beckham’s knighthood was leaked to the UK’s Sun newspaper in the summer. “Never before has a man scraped and crawled so hard to get three pointless letters stuck in front of his brand name.”
Others, however, will find it hard to begrudge Beckham after a career that took in Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain (plus a loan spell at Preston North End as a youngster), as well as 115 appearances for England’s national team and some prodigious work for charity, principally Unicef.
Beckham in his pomp as England’s captainStu Forster/ALLSPORT
Now 50, Beckham is the 14th name on a list of football knighthoods (excluding administrators) featuring four former England managers — Walter Winterbottom, Alf Ramsey, Bobby Robson and, most recently, Gareth Southgate — as well as celebrated figures such as Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews and Geoff Hurst.
Charles Clegg, a former England international who became chairman/president of the English Football Association, was the first person from the sport to be knighted, in 1927. It was Kenny Dalglish’s turn in 2018 and, before that, Trevor Brooking in 2004. And the other names on the list mean that Manchester United can now claim to have contributed four knights of the realm — more than any other club.
One was Matt Busby, the manager who led United from the horrors of the 1958 Munich air disaster to winning the European Cup a decade later. Bobby Charlton, who was alongside him during those moments of tragedy and glory, was another. Then, of course, there is Alex Ferguson, whose knighthood was rushed through in 1999 only weeks after he steered United to an unprecedented treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
So, how does it all work? And how does the honours committee — a body made up of politicians and senior civil servants — go about informing the relevant people they are under consideration?
With great secrecy, is the short answer.
“You get a few months’ notice,” says Brendan Foster, the former long-distance runner who was knighted in 2020. “An email comes through saying they are minded to give you a knighthood, and asking whether you would want to accept; and you have to keep it a secret, otherwise you’re in trouble.”
Foster celebrates winning a 5,000m race in August 1975Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Foster, regarded as the voice of British athletics because of his long and distinguished commentary career with the BBC after retiring from the sport, is also the founder of the Great North Run, the largest half-marathon in the world. He received his knighthood from Princess Anne, once an equestrian athlete who had competed with him in Great Britain’s squad at the 1976 Olympic Games, rather than her mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
“You think about the people who have helped you get where you are,” says Foster, recalling his knighthood ceremony. “You think about your parents, your coaches, the guys you trained with and everyone else who helped. But you also think about the country. This is a great country and anybody who accepts the honours is, by definition, saying, ‘I’m proud of the country I live in’.”
Most of the time, the knights-elect receive their insignia at either Buckingham Palace in London or Windsor Castle, when the protocol is to kneel on your right knee while the King, or another member of the royal family, touches your right shoulder, then the left one, with a bare sword blade. For females, the equivalent is to be made a Dame.
After that, it is the individual’s choice whether they want to use their new title. Foster, for example, says he is “50-50” about using ‘Sir’, though he jokes that it comes in handy when he needs to make a restaurant booking.
Ferguson, statistically the most successful manager in British football history, had some misgivings of his own, despite having previously been given an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) and CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) — two of the awards beneath a knighthood in rank — in 1985 and 1995 respectively.
He and his wife were worried about the extra commitments the new title might involve (although there are no special requirements) and how it might look, with them hailing from a working-class background in the Scottish city of Glasgow, to be known as Sir Alex and Lady Cathy.
“I put it to the family,” Ferguson revealed in a 2000 interview with the official Manchester United magazine, “and Cathy was a bit, ‘Oh, I don’t know, what would your father think?’. And my son said, ‘Mum, it’s nothing to do with Dad’s parents. They’re gone. They’d be proud of him — you can’t refuse this, it’s recognition of what he’s done’. We had a discussion and decided it was right.”
In 2020, it was revealed that the number of people refusing an honour was 68 out of 2,504 offered (2.7 per cent), whereas there were only 277 occasions from 1951 to 1999 when somebody took that stance. So the frequency with which people say ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ is going up.
Realistically, though, Beckham’s name was never going to be added to a list that includes singer David Bowie, physicist Professor Stephen Hawking, the ex-Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone and, on five occasions for various honours including a knighthood, artist LS Lowry.
Sir David and Lady VictoriaHector Vivas/Getty Images
The only awkwardness here is that Beckham, awarded an OBE in the Queen’s birthday list in 2003, will probably never be allowed to forget the controversy in 2017 when leaked emails, from four years earlier, showed his anger about being rejected for a knighthood.
The emails had been hacked from a company associated with his then-representative, Simon Oliveira, and were published by a variety of newspapers, showing him branding the honours committee “unappreciative c**ts” and insisting he didn’t “care about being knighted”. The email exchanges also revealed the UK authorities had concerns over Beckham’s tax affairs.
And now? Nobody should be surprised he has finally got his wish, bearing in mind his career achievements and several other factors that may or may not have counted in his favour.
He is, after all, on friendly terms with Prince William, Charles’ eldest son, and has banqueted at Buckingham Palace as a guest of the King (they are said to have bonded over a shared love of making honey). Plus, who could forget Beckham standing for 12 hours in the queue of people to see the late Queen lying in state in central London’s Westminster Hall following her death in 2022?
Beckham leaves Westminster Hall after paying his respects to the coffin of Queen Elizabeth IILouisa Gouliamaki/AFP via Getty Images
All that is left, perhaps, is to see whether the six-time Premier League champion chooses to call himself Sir David. Asked if he would use the title at home, he told Sky News: “I’m not insisting, but if they (his family) would like to call me Sir Dad or Sir Son, they can. But no, it’s going to take some getting used to people saying it.”
Indy 11 host Home Finale vs Loudon United 7 pm at the Mike
Indy Eleven’s late rally came up short in a 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at Highmark Stadium Saturday night. Defender James Musa found the back of the net in the 88th minute, but the Boys in Blue were unable to complete the comeback in the final moments vs former Carmel High & Butler GK Eric Dick. 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.
US Men Beat the Aussies 2-1 – Pulisic is lost for a month
The US men put together perhaps their best performance in the Pochitino era with a solid 2-1 win over Australia Tuesday night highlights. Now this was an Aussie B team as 7 starters were switched from their win over Canada over the weekend. The sad news is Christian Pulisic injured his hamstring and will miss up to a month with AC Milan. On the night – Haji Wright scored a brace – keeping his hot form from England intact – as he got 2 assist from Christian Roldan playing the 6 role. Defensively Mark McKensie started on the right with Richards in the middle on the defensive backline. All in all — I picked 2-1 if Pulisic played and that’s what happened. Again – this was an Aussie B team – Poch still hasn’t beaten anyone – but at least we aren’t losing.
Good time reffing with Colin Kuhl (U17 Indy 11 CB) & his dad Ryan at Hoosier Sunday
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FULL TV GAME SCHEDULE
Fri, Oct 17 2:30 pm ESPN+ Union Berlin vs MGladbach (Reyna, Scally) 10 pm Prime Bay FC vs NC Courage NWSL 10 pm Prime Seattle Reign vs Utah Royals NWSL Sat, Oct 18 7:30 am Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea 9:30 am Mainz vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) 10:15 am ESPN+ Barcelona vs Girona 10 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Bournmouth (Adams) 10 am USA Brighton vs New Castle 12:30 pm NBC Fulham vs Arsenal 12:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Dortmund 12:30 pm CBS Washington Spirit vs Orlando Pride NWSL 2:45 pm Para+ Roma vs Inter Milan 3 pm Peacock FIFA U20 WC 3rd Place Game 6 pm MLS Decision Day – games on Apple TV FREE 6 pm Apple – Seattle Sounders vs NYCFC 7 pm TV 23 Indy 11 vs Loundon 7:30 pm Ion, Prime Houston Dash vs KC Current (NWSL) 9 pm MLS Decision Day – 9 pm Apple Portland vs San Diego MLS Sun, Oct 19 6:30 am Como vs Juventus (McKennie) 9 am USA Tottenham vs Aston Villa 11:30 am USA Liverpool vs Man United 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Fiorentina 3 pm ESPN+ Getafe vs Real Madrid 5 pm ESPN Angel City vs Portland Thorns (NWSL) 7 pm FS2 FIFA U20 World Cup Final Argentina vs Morocco 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 vs Tottenham 3 pm Para+ Chelsea vs Ajax 3 pm Para+ Frankfurt vs Liverpool 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
Sat, Nov 15 5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA Tues, Nov 18 7 pmTNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL
One of my favorite US Goalkeepers – loved his time at Aston Villa and for the USMNT !
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Back again
Some of our most watched leagues embark on a new season. by jcksnftsn Oct 17, 2025, 12:57 PM EDT
We’re back from the international break with a nice schedule of soccer matches though it is impacted a bit by injury. Availability could also be impacted by the turnaround from yet another international break but that shouldn’t impact our first match of the weekend:
Saturday
Mainz v Bayer Leverkusen – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Malik Tillman is questionable to return for Bayer Leverkusen when they face Mainz on Saturday morning. Tillman played, and assisted Balogun’s match tying goal, in the Ecuador friendly but did not dress for the second match against Australia.
Koln v Augsburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: Noahkai Banks was not called in for the USMNT for October but did get his first start and scored a goal for Augsburg just before the break as Augsburg defeated Wolfsburg to snap a four match loosing streak.
Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth – 10a on Peacock: Chris Richards and Tyler Adams face off in Premier League action this weekend with the two teams looking to continue their hot starts to the season. Richards and Crystal Palace lost for the first time this season as they were headed into the break but remain in sixth place while Adams, who missed the international break due to the birth of his child, and Bournemouth currently sit in fourth place, just two points back of league leading Arsenal.
Burnley v Leeds United – 10a on Peacock: Brenden Aaronson has started four straight matches for a Leeds Side that are currently in 15th place which isn’t great but is exceeding expectations for a squad that many assumed would be headed straight back to the English Championship after the season. Leeds fell to Tottenham prior to the break and are 1-1-2 in the four matches that Aaronson has started. They are facing Burnley in what appears to be an early season relegation six pointer, Burley are currently in 18th place, four points back of Leeds.
Coventry City v Blackburn Rovers – 10a on Paramount+: Haji Wright, who translated his hot form with club to his USMNT experience by scoring two goals against Australia will take the field for Coventry City as they look to take advantage of a Blackburn side that are just out of the relegation positions. Wright has scored eight goals in nine matches this season, including goals in six of his eight starts, as Coventry have yet to lose and are currently sitting atop the Championship table.
Nice v Olympique Lyonnais – 11a on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon will look to get back to their winning ways when they face twelfth place Nice on Saturday. Lyon fell to Toulouse heading into the break but remain tied for second place with both Marseille and Strasbourg, just a point back of league leading PSG.
Fulham v Arsenal – 12:30p on NBC: Antonee Robinson continues to struggle with injury to start the 2025-26 season and has been ruled out for The Cottagers match against Arsenal on Saturday. Robinson, who has been such a regular for Fulham, has played just 61’ minutes thus far this season, appearing as a substitute in three matches.
PSV v Go Ahead Eagles – 12:45p on ESPN Select: Sergino Dest and PSV defeated PEC Zwolle 4-0 heading into the break. Ricardo Pepi missed the match due to injury but is available this weekend as PSV face tenth place Go Ahead Eagles. PSV remain three points behind a Feyenoord team that have yet to suffer defeat this season.
Angers v Monaco – 1p on beIN Sports: Folarin Balogun has just one goal for Monaco thus far this season though he looked sharp for the US over the break. Balogun has come off the bench in the last couple of matches, including their most recent match when they were already down 2-0 to Nice. Monaco were able to come back to split the points with Nice and are in fifth place in Ligue 1.
Olympique Marseille v Le Havre – 3p on beIN Sports: Tim Weah and Marseille defeated Metz 3-0 heading into the break to remain in second place in Ligue 1. Weah has been starting as a wingback for Marseille, a position which he was also deployed in for the US over the break.
Atletico Madrid v Osasuna – 3p on ESPN Deportes: Johnny Cardoso is still struggling with an ankle injury and seems likely to miss out this weekend as Atletico Madrid face Osasuna.
Saturday MLS Matches with USMNT flavor – the below MLS players were called into the October camp though three of the four keepers (Brady, Turner, Schulte) never saw the field:
Cincinnati v CF Montreal – 6:00p on MLS Season Pass: Miles Robinson
Charlotte v Philadelphia Union – 6:00p on MLS Season Pass: Tim Ream
Columbus Crew v NYRB – 6:00p on MLS Season Pass: Max Arfsten and Patrick Schulte
New England v Chicago Fire – 6:00p on MLS Season Pass: Matt Turner v Chris Brady
Toronto FC v Orlando City SC – 6:00p on MLS Season Pass: Alex Freeman
NYCFC v Seattle Sounders – 8:30p on MLS Season Pass: Matt Freese v Cristian Roldan
St. Louis City v Real Salt Lake – 9:00p on MLS Season Pass: Diego Luna
Sunday
Como v Juventus – 6:30a on Paramount+: If you’re an early riser Weston McKennie and Juventus face Como in the espresso match of the week on Sunday morning. Juventus have drawn three straight matches and now sit in fifth place in the league table just six matches into the season. After barely sniffing the field in the first two matches of the season McKennie has started four of Juve’s past six matches across all competitions, including both Champions League matches.
Toulouse v Metz – 11:15a on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie and Toulouse snapped a four match winless streak by defeating Tanner Tessmann and Lyon 2-1 ahead of the break. McKenzie has played every minute for Toulouse to start the season as the team currently sits solidly middle of the table.
St Pauli v Hoffenheim – 11:30a on ESPN Select: James Sands has started every match for St Pauli who have lost three straight and fallen to tenth in the Bundesliga table. St. Pauli will now face a Hoffenheim side that have an identical record and are coming off a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Koln.
Atalanta v Lazio – Noon on Paramount+: Yunus Musah has appeared in four league matches for Atalanta since joining the side early in the 2025-26 season, all as a substitute and he has under fifty minutes with the club. Atalanta are currently in sixth place as they’ve drawn their last two matches and will be looking to get back on track as they host thirteenth place Lazio.
AC Milan v Fiorentina – 2:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic is set to miss about a month with a relatively minor hamstring injury he picked up while away on international duty. Pulisic has been on an absolute tear to start the season with six goals and three assists in twelve matches across all competitions to start the season, and will surely be missed by a Milan side that are currently in third place.
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Charlie Davies: Haji Wright putting himself high in Pochettino’s World Cup plans
Haji Wright is in form for the USMNT Robin Alam / ISI Photos
Mauricio Pochettino’s U.S. men’s national team squad is finally starting to take shape, and one of the big positives of this international break was Haji Wright’s emergence as a real contender for the center-forward role at the World Cup.Folarin Balogun is looking sharp and is clearly the first-choice striker at this moment, but with Ricardo Pepi still working his way back from his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Wright has taken his chance to move into second place in the depth chart. He might yet push Balogun for the starting role.It wasn’t just Wright’s two goals in the 2-1 win over Australia, exquisitely taken though they both were, that impressed me. It was his overall performance, the way he is leading the line and connecting with the two ‘No. 10s’ behind him.And added to the positive impact he had on Tuesday is his impressive form at club level with his eight goals in nine games for table-topping Coventry City in the Championship, indicating that he is a player in top form and brimming with confidence. His tally has also put him in the lead in the division’s scoring charts.You could see that confidence in both those goals in Colorado. You don’t convert those chances in the way he did unless you have conviction in your own ability. While he is a modest and quiet guy, as evidenced by his celebrations, Wright clearly believes in himself.
Wright took his chance for the USMNT’s second goal against Australia expertly.Jamie Schwaberow / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images
The quality and thought process behind those finishes were high-level, demonstrating an elite mindset in a split second.
Wright is a player who has benefited from spending time playing on the left-wing early in his time at Coventry. He may not have been as effective in that role, but it has helped him evolve into a more complete striker. In some ways, it reminds me of the evolution of Thierry Henry.
Henry, who early on in his career at Juventus was stuck out on the wing, was able to turn that skill set into an ability to rip apart defenses from a central position when he became an out-and-out striker at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger.
When you play on the wing, you learn about timing your runs, you have to study the back-line closely, and you need to have awareness of how to create space and get yourself into a position to exploit spaces behind the defense. It is a very different skill set to playing as a straightforward No. 9, when you spend a lot of your time with your back to the goal or focused on getting into the box to get on the end of crosses.
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Playing wide requires you to be tactically in tune, especially regarding transition and tempo, because if you get exposed, you get found out real quick. That experience helped sharpen his runs, intuition, and timing. Wright, who has the size to be a target man, also has the flexibility now to use that wide experience to influence and impact the game in the channels. This mindset means he understands when opponents need to drop or step out, allowing him to exploit the big holes created in the defense.
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His manager at Coventry, Frank Lampard, who Wright has called an “inspiration”, is getting the best out of him. Everything seems to be coming together at last for Wright, and I am delighted to see it.
The second goal he scored, in particular, was revelatory. It showed great instincts and composure, but most importantly, a fearlessness to go to his weaker left foot and still be able to curl the ball into the far corner. That versatility is a game-changer for any striker — knowing you aren’t reliant on one side versus another makes a defender’s job infinitely harder.
His first goal was also stunning but more for the finish itself — opting to strike early, in his stride and with the outside of his right foot, rather than taking an extra touch and opening up his body, allowed him to catch the keeper completely off-guard without giving any clues to his intent. It reminded me of a classic Liverpool-era Fernando Torres finish.
Both goals were created by smart passes from Cristian Roldan, which will be another encouraging element of that display for Pochettino. Roldan is showing that there is a lot more to his game than many had thought.
I’ve got huge admiration for the way that Wright has matured as a player while navigating the difficult path of a career in Europe that has seen him play in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Turkey before taking on the challenging test of the Championship — surely the best second division league in the world.It was clear from the early days of his career that he wanted to make it in Europe — you didn’t leave an MLS academy, in 2015, to join a second tier American club (in Wright’s case the New York Cosmos then in the now defunct NASL) unless you had your heart set on a move to Europe, which in the time could be tricky to achieve when under contract in MLS.
Ricardo Pepi’s injury issues have pushed him down the U.S. depth chart.Bill Barrett / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images for USSF
It takes guts to keep going when you are working your way up the ladder in Europe. I played in the Danish league and playing at some of the small grounds over there, you feel far from the big time, and it could be easy to lose heart.But Wright stuck with it and never gave up his dream. It was a nomad’s path, and one where many players lose their way, ending up on poor contracts and returning to MLS. But he kept fighting. His moves, especially one to the Turkish league with Antalyaspor, were strategic stepping stones. This kid wanted it.Now, at 27 years old, he is hitting his peak. The quality he has developed over the past few years, combined with his size and athleticism, makes him a real threat. When he carries this club form into the national team and produces in this manner, it creates a dangerous concoction. Not to mention, having already scored a World Cup goal (against the Netherlands in a World Cup knockout round), however flukey, is a massive confidence and booster.
Balogun has more to offer in the tight spaces with that close touch and smart technique, and he is rightly the number one strike option for Pochettino.
His movement, hold-up play, and ability to link with Christian Pulisic were a cut above. The chemistry between Balogun and Pulisic is highly encouraging. He is unpredictable and versatile — he’ll drift into the wide spaces or drop deep and, while dangerous in front of goal, he is so much more than a poacher.
But while Balogun is the undisputed starter, Wright has put himself firmly in the number two spot for the USMNT striker role, and that puts tremendous pressure on Pepi.Pepi will view himself as the best striker, but is now on the back foot after the ACL tear. Pepi has a lot of work to do over the next six months to get back into the conversation of the top three. If we are talking about right now, Wright has a great opportunity in front of him, not only to go to the World Cup but to play a large part in it.Given his current age and scoring trajectory, I fully expect him to be sold to a top division team in England or in Europe after this year. He has done everything he can to make himself one of the prized assets of the Championship.Wright is finally getting the opportunities he deserves, and so far, he is making the most of them.
And that’s good news for the USMNT.
Cristian Roldan and the making of Mauricio Pochettino’s ‘perfect player’
DENVER – Cristian Roldan could sense where the questions were going.When the U.S. men’s national team roster for October was announced, coach Mauricio Pochettino praised the Seattle Sounders midfielder for what he brought to camp the previous month. But one thing the coach highlighted was something for which Roldan was known during the 2022 cycle: He was considered a glue guy.“That is a good example (of) how you need to be involved and defend and fight for your place,” Pochettino said. “You need to arrive and show your personality and your character and then be available always — (and) if you play, you behave the same way as if you don’t play.”Roldan, the 30-year-old veteran, is proud of his role in the locker room. It’s hardly a bad thing to be considered a highly respected player who has close relationships with players up and down the roster. But after fielding a couple questions about that part of why he was in camp, Roldan wanted to make sure it was clear he wasn’t in camp just to be a glue guy.“I want to be involved,” Roldan said. “I want to be — sorry for my language — shooting the s*** with all the guys, right? I want to be involved in knowing what’s going on in their lives and also being able to help in football. But what I could also bring is competitiveness. I’m not just an off-the-field guy. I think everybody will tell you what I bring competitive-wise, in training, on game days. My voice. … I want to be a good teammate, but I also want people to know that I’m competing really hard here.”
If there was any question about Roldan’s competitive place in the team, he answered it in October. Roldan turned in two more solid performances in the window, assisting on both goals in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Australia. Now, a player who wasn’t in the World Cup conversation just six weeks ago is not only in a good spot to make the U.S. roster, he may also be playing his way into the discussion to start.
Cristian Roldan celebrates after the USMNT’s win over Japan in SeptemberKoji Watanabe / Getty Images
As he walked through the mixed zone after the win over the Socceroos, Roldan couldn’t quite suppress his smile. And why would he? He had backed up his earlier declaration.
“It’s easy to say that (you’re more than an off-field leader), right?” Roldan said. “It’s always easy to say that. But it’s another thing to display that on the field when your name is called. When maybe you don’t think that your name is going to be called, and to have your name called, and then contribute right in the game and play well. It’s very satisfying.“But again, I have to be ready for the next phase if I’m getting called up. If I have another opportunity. I can’t just say I’m here to keep the team competitive in training. I’ve got to also show it in games when my opportunity comes.”And while Pochettino was still impressed by Roldan’s presence off the field, his postgame comments were saved for what he had done on the pitch.“Cristian Roldan is an example of how if you want to build your perfect player; he has a little bit of everything,” Pochettino said.As he prepares to lead the Sounders to yet another MLS postseason — Seattle is locked in as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference — Roldan suddenly looks to be a big part of the national team going into next month’s friendlies vs. Paraguay and Uruguay. It is the manifestation of the ideas Roldan talked about the day before the Australia win during an exclusive interview with The Athletic.
‘He’s a coach’s dream’
Roldan’s professional career started by being overlooked.
He was Gatorade National Player of the Year in high school and a standout for the University of Washington. He seemed destined to be a top-five pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. But Roldan had a poor performance at the scouting combine. At the time, with few teams committing resources to scouting the college game, a couple scrimmages had the ability to tank a player’s value.Roldan slid, and the team just up the road from his college program, the Sounders, traded up to get him 16th overall.Stay in the know by selecting your interests on The Athletic:
“I used to scout some of (the UW) training sessions back in the day and you could tell back then what his training habits were,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said. “We had Garth (Lagerwey) chasing around the room trying to trade for him. We already knew because we’d seen it.”
Roldan took some time to settle in as a professional, but Schmetzer said the training habits he saw while scouting immediately stood out. Roldan was willing to work in any position to prove himself. By his second season, he played in 33 of 34 games, starting 28.“For lack of a better term,” Schmetzer said, “he’s a coach’s dream.”Roldan has been a consistent starter ever since, was a key piece in two MLS Cup-winning sides and was named to the team of the tournament when Seattle became the first MLS team to win the Concacaf Champions League in 2022.
Cristian Roldan speaks with fellow MLS standout Diego Luna on the USMNT benchScott Coleman / Imagn Images
Roldan broke into the national team in 2017, playing in the Gold Cup, then featured in five World Cup qualifiers in the last cycle. U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter brought him to Qatar in part because of his presence in the locker room, where he had become an important voice for a number of the young players.
Roldan didn’t play in the tournament, but he was a big part of the group. Weston McKennie once called him, “the biggest team player I’ve ever met in my life.” He and Christian Pulisic are also close.
“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the nuances of a team,” Roldan said. “A team isn’t about just getting the best players out on the field. Sometimes it’s someone that brings a different mentality. Sometimes it’s someone who is more of a leader. Sometimes it’s more of a guy that plays with their heart on their sleeve. With Gregg, I started off playing, and then I realized, ‘OK, well, I might not play as much, so how can I still impact the team?’ And I had been with a team long enough already at that point that I had established really good relationships with players, with staff.
“So understanding I’m going to make sure the level of training is extremely high by my standards, and hopefully that translates to the group. … And then off the field understanding where guys are at: if they’re playing or not. How can I help? How can I be a friend? How can I be a teammate? How can I take pressure off guys by just being normal?
“Quickly, I realized that was going to be my case with the last cycle. Sometimes you don’t necessarily need the best 26. Sometimes it’s the environment, the culture that the 26 bring. And sometimes that makes your team even better.”
Cristian Roldan defends PSG’s Achraf Hakimi at the FIFA Club World CupBuda Mendes / Getty Images
After Qatar, Roldan was a part of the U.S. in the 2023 Gold Cup. But he wasn’t on the roster for Copa América last year, nor any of Pochettino’s first squads. When he turned 30 this past June, it seemed like his international career was over. But at the FIFA Club World Cup, where he competed against Botafogo, Atlético Madrid and PSG, Roldan felt inspired by how he measured up in those games.
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“It was huge for my confidence,” he said. “I never really got the chance to play against the very best in the world. I didn’t play in the World Cup when I went in ‘22. I didn’t play in some of the bigger games with the national team. I never left Seattle and played in Europe and played in these Champions League games. So that was a great moment for me to kind of understand where I’m at, (to) understand that I can compete against the best, understand that I’m playing at a high level.”
He was ready to seize the moment — and he wanted more than to just be a glue guy.
‘Riding the wave,’ with perspective
The last two months have been a perfect example of why experience matters in a team.
Roldan’s success in Seattle, mixed with his confidence following the Club World Cup and his understanding of team chemistry from the 2022 cycle, gave him an ideal mindset when he earned the U.S. recall. The same concept that propelled him to Qatar — sacrificing, being a good teammate — could and should apply to how he thought about his role with this U.S. team.
“Getting the most talented guys on paper can work,” Roldan said. “It can work, for sure. But I think, coming from experience, understanding your role on the team is also just as important and can also benefit the team a whole lot more. And I’m not trying to push — I’m not saying, like, ‘Oh, I should be starting, right?’ I’m just saying sometimes it’s not about the ‘best players’ on the team, it’s about the best team on the field.”
Last month, Roldan applied his approach to a start next to Tyler Adams and how he saw their roles in midfield. Adams excels at breaking up passing lanes, making interceptions, covering ground and making tackles. Roldan felt it was important to sit deeper so that Adams didn’t feel restricted by being “the No. 6.” He wanted Adams to lean into his strengths.
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To do that, Roldan knew it meant sacrificing some of what he feels he does well in order to sit deeper and be more of the metronome.
Cristian Roldan’s work marking Lionel Messi in the 2025 Leagues Cup final caught Mauricio Pochettino’s eyeSteven Bisig / Imagn Images
“A lot of it is sacrificing a little bit of your game to make the entire team better,” Roldan said. “And coaches understand that, but sometimes that’s hard for other people to understand. That you are putting yourself second for the team.”
The win over Japan may have been a turning point for this U.S. team, and Roldan’s performance brought him back into the fold in October. He knew that one good game wouldn’t guarantee anything. And so he came into the training sessions with the same approach as he had since Schmetzer first scouted him.
“They’re going to know that they’re going to have to be on their game, because I’m going to bring it,” Roldan said. “And so it just increases the level of training, the cohesiveness within the group, and just training habits in general. I think sometimes people think, ‘OK, you come to the national team to relax.’ No, it’s quite the opposite. This is where you have seven days to train, and you have to get the most out of it.
“Sometimes it’s my game day. I don’t know if I’m going to be on the roster, if I’m going to be playing, if I’m going to be on the bench. I don’t know if I’m going to feature in a game. So I’ve got to show that I belong. And that’s my mentality going into training. It’s, ‘How can I treat this as if it’s a game? How can I get the most out of my teammates?’ By being a leader, by speaking, by tackling, by playing the ball forward, understanding what our team needs, understanding the drills that they want, understanding how we want to play. That’s my mindset. I don’t know when my last camp is, and so I have to treat every session in that way.”
He did enough to get back on the field, first as a substitute against Ecuador and then starting vs. Australia. On Tuesday, Roldan pushed forward more and showed his ability to pick a pass, setting up both of Haji Wright’s goals.
It gave Pochettino plenty to think about. And for Roldan, it only upped the pressure he put on himself. He is dreaming of a chance to play in a World Cup at his home stadium in Seattle, where he built his career – and where the U.S. will play its second group game.
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“I’m playing, I feel, the best of my career,” Roldan said. “Unfortunately, it’s at age 30. I wish it was a little younger. But it’s great, first of all, that I’m getting seen, that I’m getting involved in camps, and now feeling like I’m a part of the team.
“I’m riding the wave. I think it’s important to ride the wave, right? There’s highs and lows in football, and when it’s high, you have to take a deep breath and continue in that path and in that wave.”
Christian Pulisic diagnosed with ‘low-grade’ hamstring injury, will miss Milan vs. Fiorentina
Pulisic sustained the injury during the USMNT’s 2-1 victory over Australia on Wednesday. Jason Connolly / AFP/Getty Images
The forward underwent an MRI scan on Friday upon his return to his club which diagnosed the injury.
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Milan say he will be re-evaluated again in approximately 10 days.
Pulisic exited Wednesday’s friendly midway through the first half after a challenge from Australia defender Jason Geria.
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Although he’d felt some ankle soreness last week and played only 18 minutes last week against Ecuador, the treatment he received on the field did not seem to suggest an ankle injury. National team head coach Mauricio Pochettino later confirmed that it was a hamstring issue.
Pulisic is the Serie A joint-top scorer with his four goals, tying him with Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini.
After Sunday’s game against Fiorentina, Milan, who are third in the Serie A table and two points off league leaders Napoli, will conclude October by facing Pisa on October 24 and Atalanta on October 28.
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.
Brett Y, Will F and me reffing at Purdue Polytech High in Broadripple Monday.
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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 pmTNT, 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
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.
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.
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
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Five talking points ahead of the Champions League action
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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
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.
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“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.
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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.
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 ScoresMatchday 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.
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
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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 pmTNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL
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USMNT weekend viewing guide: Ides of September
Some of our most watched leagues embark on a new season.
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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
• 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.)
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
“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.
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?
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).
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 “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
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
US Finally Wins a Game 2-0 in the Fortress that is Columbus, Ohio The USMNT has finally beaten a Top 25 team under Pochitino as he lined up in the same 3-4-2-1 formation he ended with against Korea that yielded so many good shots. The US dominated from the start with 65% possession and a wonder goal from Man of the Match Alex Zendejas. The America’s man hit this spectacular volley (Zendejas Volley) to give the US the 1-0 lead. Zendajas Golazo in Spanish. Later the US would add an insurance goal from Flo Balogen (Balogan Goal) on a beautiful slip pass from Pulisic. (US Highlights). All in all a nice performance as I was in attendance of course. Now this was Japan’s C team mind you. So Bochitino poking his chest out like they had accomplished something was hiliarious. It beats losing – but Japan played their stars vs Mexico and their CHUMPs vs the USA. Let that sink in a second as you realize the depths that Bochitino has taken this team to in his 1 Full year on the job and the lowest ranking in 2 decades. Yes he’s been here 1 year now and still had 5 experimental MLS players in camp against 2 top 20 teams with 8 games until the World Cup. Its like he has never watched us play or watched tape (because he hasn’t) It seems the US Soccer press is beginning to Call BS just like I have for over a month now. Anyway it sure was nice to see the US actually win a game in person – albeit against Japan’s C team. I can tell you there were less than 1000 Japanese in the stadium – if the US wants to play a home game in front of a US only crowd – the ONLY places that is guaranteed to happen is in the Midwest – Columbus or Cincy.
INDY 11 Indy Eleven concludes its season-long three-game USL Championship road trip at Eastern Conference opponent Rhode Island FC on Saturday at 7:00 pm on ESPN+. Midfielder Jack Blake and goalkeeper Hunter Sulte have earned USL Championship “Team of the Week” honors after helping the Boys in Blue to a key road victory at Hartford Athletic last week. For Blake, it is the fourth time in 2025 and the 12th time in the past two seasons that he has gotten this recognition. Sulte is a two-time “Team of the Week” selection this year and a four-time pick in his two-year Indy Eleven career.
Champions League Returns Tues/Wed/Thur next week on Paramount+, CBSSN, Prime Video Group play starts Tuesday with 12:45 and 3 pm time slots all 3 days and constant coverage starting at 12 noon everyday and lasting thru the wrap up shows after the games.
All Youth Players who wear their Jersey to the Game will get FREE ADMISSION vs #19 Columbus North
Got a chance to ref with the Vets Sat at North Central with Joe and Alex got to see HSE Girls – good team Got to run center w/Alex and Jessica on hand on a beautiful night at Lawrence Central vs Brebeuf A blast catching the US vs Japan in Columbus with my Soccer Buddy Bart Scoble – Dos a Cero Baby!
TV GAME SCHEDULE
Sat, Sept 13 7:30 am USA Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest 10 am USA Fulham (Robinson) vs Leeds United (Aaronson) 10 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Sunderland 12 noon Para+ Juventus vs Inter 12:30 pm NBC Westham United vs Tottenham 12:30 pm CBS NC Courage vs Angel City NWSL 12:30 pm ESPN+ Bayern Munich vs Hamburger 3 pm USA Brentford vs Chelsea 3 pm ESPN+ Atletico Madrid (Cardosa) vs Villareal 5 pm Tubi Orlando Pride vs Bay FC NWSL 7:30 pm Tubi KC City vs Washington Spirit NWSL 7:30 pm Apple DC United vs Orlando City 8:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy 8:30 pm Apple Dallas vs Austin Sun, Sept 14 9 am USA Burnley (Adams) vs Liverpool 11:30 am USA Man City vs Man United 11:30 am ESPN+ M’Gladbach (Reyna, Scally) vs Werder Bremen 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Bologna 3 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Valencia 3 pm ESPN Chicago Red Stars vs Portland Thorns NWSL 6 pm Golazo, Para Utah Royals vs Houston Dash NWSL 8 pm Golazo, Para Seattle Reign vs Racing Louisville NWSL Tues, Sept 16 – Champions League 12:45 pm CBSSN PSV (Dest) vs Union SG 12:45 pm PAra+ Athletic Club vs Arsenal 3 pm Para+ Juve vs Dortmund 3 pm Para+ Real Madrid vs Olympique Marseille 3 pm Para+ Tottenham vs Villareal 3 pm Para+ Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Millwall League Cup 8 pm CBSSN Nashville SC vs Philly Union US Open Cup Semi Final Weds, Sept 17- Champions League 3 pm CBSSN Ajax vs Inter Milan 3 pm Para+ Bayern Munich vs Chelsea 3 pm PAra+ Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid (Cardoso) 3 pm Para+ PSG vs Atalanta 8 pm CBSSN Minn vs Austin US Open Cup Semi Thurs, Sept 18 – Champions League 12:45 pm CBSSN Kabenhavn vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman) 12;45 pm Para, Prime Club Brugge vs Monaco 3 pm CBSSN Frankfort vs Galatasaray 3 pm Para+, Uni New Castle vs Barcelona 3 pm Para, Prime Man City vs Napoli 10:30 pm CBSSN Angel City vs Washington Spirit (Rodman) 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 Burnley (Adams) vs Nottingham Forest 10 am Peacock West Ham vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 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 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 TUBI KC Current vs Seattle Reign NWSL 10 pm TUBI Portland Thorns vs San Diego Wave NWSL 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) Fri, Oct 10 8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador Tues, Oct 14 9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia Thurs, Oct 23 9 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Chester PA Sun, Oct 26 4 pm TNT, Max USA Women vs Portugal Hartford CT Sat, Nov 15 5 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Paraguay Chester PA Tues, Nov 18 7 pmTNT, Max USA Men vs Uruguay Tampa, FL
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Lovely night for Soccer reffing with veteran Thomas Kelley at Noblesville. Love those grass fields.
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Back again
Some of our most watched leagues embark on a new season.
Saturday
Fulham v Leeds United – 10a on USA Network: Antonee Robinson and Fulham will face Brenden Aaronson and Leeds United on Saturday morning. Robinson came off the bench in Fulham’s two most recent matches to play 20-30 minutes, and remained with his club over the break as he continues his recovery. Aaronson has also been coming off the bench for Leeds and getting roughly the same number of minutes though it seems clear that it is in a designed role and not an effort to get his minutes up over time. Fullham fell to Chelsea 2-0 ahead of the break and are still looking for their first win on the season while Leeds have thoroughly mixed results, opening the season with a win before being thrashed 5-0 by Arsenal and then rebounding with a draw against Newcastle.
Crystal Palace v Sunderland – 10a on Peacock: Chris Richards has played every minute of the first three matches for Crystal Palace and the club picked up their first win of the season, 3-0 over Aston Villa, heading into the break. They now face a newly promoted Sunderland side that have won two of their first three matches, defeating both West Ham and Brentford in the opening weeks of the season.
Bournemouth v Brighton & Hove Albion – 10a on Peacock: Tyler Adams and Bournemouth have won their past two matches 1-0 defeating Wolverhampton and Tottenham with Adams playing nearly every minute of the match though he also received a yellow card in each match. Bournemouth bounced back well after their season opening 4-2 loss to Liverpool and currently sit in seventh place, three points back of the league leaders.
Coventry City v Norwich City – 10a on Paramount+: Haji Wright and Josh Sargent will face off in English Championship action this weekend. Wright and Coventry have won twice and drawn twice in their first four matches of the season and currently sit in fifth place with Wright scoring in each of the team’s last three matches. Meanwhile Sargent, who may be running out of chances with the USMNT, was named the Championship player of the month after scoring five goals in the teams first four matches, including both goals of Norwich’s 2-0 win over Blackburn heading into the break two weeks ago.
Juventus v Inter Milan – Noon on Paramount+: Weston McKennie has seen just a minute in each of Juventus’s first two matches of the season, wins over Parma and Genoa. It seems that he has work to do to once again work his way back into the squad, a position he is very familiar with and has been very successful at. Juve have a huge matchup this weekend with last seasons runners up, Inter Milan.
NEC v PSV – 12:45p on ESPN Select: Sergnio Dest, Ricardo Pepi, and PSV will look to bounce back from a shocking 2-0 loss to Telstar heading into the International break. Dest started the match, as he has each of PSV’s first four matches, while Pepi came on at the half for his first extended appearance of the season.
Club America v Guadalajara – 11:15p on Paramount+: Alejandro Zendejas and Club America are undefeated in their first seven matches of the Liga MX Apertura with just two draws though they are still in second place, a point back of Monterrey who have won six matches and lost once. Zendejas has appeared in every match and started all but one.
Saturday MLS Matches with USMNT flavor – the below MLS players were called into the September camp and with the exception of the backup keeper, Roman Celentano, each made at least a brief appearance in the friendlies against South Korea and Japan:
Atlanta United v Columbus Crew – 7:30p on MLS Season Pass (Apple TV): Max Arfsten and Sean Zawadski
Charlotte v Inter Miami – 7:30p on MLS Season Pass: Tim Ream
DC United v Orlando City SC – 7:30p on MLS Season Pass: Alex Freeman
Cincinnati v Nashville SC – 7:30p on MLS Season Pass: Roman Celentano
Seattle Sounders v LA Galaxy – 8:30p on MLS Season Pass: Cristian Roldan
Chicago Fire v NYCFC – 8:30p on MLS Season Pass: Matt Freese
Vancouver Whitecaps v Philadelphia Union – 9:30p on MLS Season Pass: Tristan Blackmon and Sebastian Berhalter v Nathan Harriel
Real Salt Lake v Sporting Kansas City – 9:30p on MLS Season Pass: Diego Luna
Colorado Rapids v Houston Dynamo – 9:30p on MLS Season Pass: Jack McGlynn
San Diego v Minnesota United – 9:30p on MLS Season Pass: Luca de la Torre
Sunday
Southampton v Portsmouth – 7a on CBSSN: Damion Downs did not appear against South Korea and saw just a handful of minutes off the bench in the match against Japan, a role which matches what he’s seen thus far this season with his club in the English Championship. Downs has appeared in three of four matches as a substitute for Southampton, missing one due to illness.
Atalanta v Lecce – 9a on CBSSN: Yunus Musah spent the international break joining his new club, Atalanta who finished last season in third place in Serie A though they are still looking for their first win this season. Musah’s role with his new club remains to be seen, he had started in the midfield for AC Milan just ahead of his transfer, playing the full 90’ in the teams 2-0 win.
Lille v Toulouse – 9a on beIN Sports: Mark McKenzie and Toulouse suffered a 6-3 loss to PSG heading into the international break and will look to wipe the slate clean as they face Lille on Sunday. McKenzie has played every minute thus far for Toulouse who won their first two matches, without surrendering a goal, before being crushed by PSG in their most recent match.
St. Pauli v Augsburg – 9:30a on ESPN Select: James Sands started St Pauli’s first two matches of the season, a draw with Borussia Dortmund and a win over Hamburger, playing almost every minute early for a club that is picking up points early in the season and looking to put some ground between themselves and the threat of relegation. St. Pauli face Augsburg this weekend. Augsburg is coming off a 2-3 loss to Bayern Munich, a loss in which Noahkai banks saw 1’ minute off the bench, which was one more minute than he received while on international break with the USMNT.
Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen – 11:30a on ESPN Select: Joe Scally, Gio Reyna, and Borussia Monchengladbach are looking for their first win, and first goal, of the season as they face Werder Bremen on Sunday. Gladbach opened the season with a scoreless draw against newly promoted Hamburger and fell 1-0 to Stuttgart in week two. Scally started both matches at rightback while Reyna has yet to appear for his new club. Werder Bremen also have one loss and one draw in their first two matches though they have given up seven goals in the two matches.
Rennes v Olympique Lyon – 2:45p on beIN Sports: Tanner Tessmann has started the season playing every minute for a Lyon side that have won their first three matches. Lyon are tied with PSG for the league lead with both teams also having a +5 goal differential. This weekend Lyon will face a Rennes side that are 1-1-1 to start the season and sitting in ninth place. Interestingly Rennes have played down a man in two of their three matches, the season opening win over Marseille as well as a 4-0 loss to Lorient in the second week of the season.
AC Milan v Bologna – 2:45p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic scored his first goal of the season after coming on as a substitute late in AC Milan’s 2-0 win over Lecce just ahead of the break. Milan face a Bologna side who opened the season with a 1-0 loss to Roma before bouncing back and defeating Como 1-0. Milan will be looking to make a move up the table this season, relative to their disappointing eighth place finish last season, and a home win over a team that finished a point back of them would be the type of result they will need.
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World Cup Onside/Offside: Good win for USMNT, Messi’s last dance?
Luis Miguel Echegaray
Sep 10, 2025, 01:10 PM ETareside! This week, Luis Miguel Echegaray recaps some of the most notable highlights from the international break. From jubilation in west Africa and the heights of El Alto in South America to a spark of encouragement in Columbus, Ohio, here is LME’s point of view as World Cup qualifiers took center stage.
ONSIDE: Finally, a spark for the U.S.
After Saturday’s uninspiring 2-0 loss to South Korea in Harrison, New Jersey, with another disjointed performance, the United States men’s national team finally gave its fans a reason to believe in Mauricio Pochettino’s project, beating Japan 2-0 at Columbus, Ohio’s Lower.com Field on Tuesday night.
Pochettino reacted to the South Korea loss by tinkering both in strategy and lineup (five changes from Saturday) so his side could better the agile, high-possession mentality of Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan, a team I think will do very well next summer. And so he went back to the playbook from his Southampton and Tottenham days, when he often employed a 3-4-3 (or 3-4-2-1) formation in order to play the role of contrarian against teams who enjoy buildup play. That’s exactly what happened Tuesday night as the U.S. pressed, attacked and exploited the massive holes that were available due to their high-press mentality.
It was classic, old-school Pochettino, and it worked.
Christian Pulisic — who was not part of the squad during the summer, which yielded plenty of criticism — was magnificent Tuesday night, finding so much freedom in possession as he constantly recovered the ball, made chances and notched an assist for Falorin Balogun. Club América’s Alex Zendejas was also excellent, capping a great performance with a lovely goal.
I also think that if there is meant to be any success in the future, it must unequivocally involve Chris Richards because I cannot overstate enough the importance of the center back from Crystal Palace. He is vital to everything the U.S. does.
Now, the actual result against Japan is neither here nor there — this was a friendly, after all, and the U.S. opponents rotated heavily after their draw with México, meaning key starters such as Liverpool‘s Wataru Endo, Takefusa Kubo from Real Sociedad didn’t play while others (Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, Monaco’s Takumi Minamino) entered only as substitutes. This also wasn’t the U.S. team’s “strongest” XI either, but let’s not focus on this point; instead, let’s remember the bigger takeaway. On Tuesday night in Columbus, they players — and Pochettino — were able to see the personality of a cohesive, resilient and creative side and in my opinion, it was their best performance since the Argentinian took over.
I do think, however, that playing every single friendly on American soil is not necessarily a good thing for this team because tougher challenges will come their way. Instead, I wish they tested themselves more often in hostile environments against a legitimate World Cup contender.
Now, some have argued to me that in a nation with massive support for Mexico and other nations, playing in the U.S., from the Americans’ perspective, can already seem like playing in an away environment. But that’s not the same. I am talking about a U.S. side that, for the sake of hypothetical argument, should travel to Monumental stadium and face Argentina, or head to north Africa and test itself against Moroccoin Rabat. Heck: forget major teams. Go and play a team such as Scotland or Indonesia, it doesn’t matter. The point is to face them at their house, in front of their fans, their culture and their support.
Canada, for example, did exactly that in the September window, with Jesse Marsch’s men winning 3-0 away at Romania and 1-0 against Wales in Swansea. The result is quite honestly secondary to the lessons you can learn when you play in alien territory, because this is how you learn how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable and if you want to make history at next summer’s World Cup, you have to be ready for everything. Being a host nation won’t save you.
The Americans’ remaining matches for the year are against Ecuador, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay — all good testers for 2026, but they’re all happening in the USA. After that, there are reports of games in March against European giants such as Belgium and Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Portugal, depending on their own qualification routes. These are all very strong opponents to warm up against, but I think playing in this kind of proverbial bubble, always at home, helps no one, most notably the United States men’s national team. Being a host nation means very little once the whistle is blown and the game kicks off.
But let me finish with a positive because on Tuesday night, Pochettino’s U.S. team played a tremendous game, which is hopefully a sign of continued progress and ultimate confidence that can build toward something very special by the time June comes around.
ONSIDE: The underdogs rise up in South America and Africa
South America’s automatic places for next summer’s competition were already cemented as Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay had booked their tickets before the final matchday. So all eyes centered on Venezuela and Bolivia, who were looking to earn that seventh spot, which would put them in the intercontinental playoff spot.
Venezuela had the upper hand heading into the evening, but a heartbreaking 6-3 defeat at the hands of Colombia meant that Bolivia had an opportunity to do something they hadn’t done since 2009 — win against Brazil, and leapfrog Venezuela for seventh place. Just like 16 years ago, La Verde had the altitude to rely on as their Municipal stadium in El Alto stands at an overwhelming 13,600 feet above sea level — 1,800 feet more than their previous stadium in La Paz. Bolivia used this to their fullest advantage, not losing a single qualifier at home. In fact, in this campaign, they broke a World Cup qualifying record for most points earned with 20 points, and their singular victory away from home was against Chile last year, which ended up being incredibly important.
Against Brazil, they grabbed a 1-0 win thanks to a questionable penalty decision — what’s CONMEBOL without a little drama, eh? — but it must also be said that this has been a campaign in which Óscar Villegas’ team has played its heart out. In the end, Bolivia earned the playoff spot and are now closer to returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1994, which was funnily enough also hosted by the United States. This would also be the second time in Bolivia’s history where they have actually qualified for the tournament: their two other previous World Cup appearances (1930 and 1950) were done through invitation.Meanwhile, in Africa, Cape Verde — with a population equivalent to the city of Atlanta — won a historic game over Cameroon 1-0, meaning that the Blue Sharks have a lead at the top of their qualification group by five points. One more victory from their final two matches and they’ll be heading to their first-ever World Cup. After the final whistle, Cape Verde fans stormed the pitch, celebrating what could be an incredible conclusion to their campaign.Now, it must be said that if you’re an avid African football fan, this is not a complete surprise as this beautiful country, which consists of 10 islands and multiple islets, have done very well in recent years, including a quarterfinal appearance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, but let’s not undermine this achievement. When you’re topping your group, one that includes a powerhouse like Cameroon, it is a testament to their work.
OFFSIDE: The end is nigh as the final chapters of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are about to be written
Last Thursday night in Buenos Aires, Lionel Messi played his final World Cup qualifier with Argentina. The evening — a 3-0 win for the defending World Cup champions over Venezuela — also yielded a brace from Messi to make it 36 goals from 72 games in CONMEBOL qualifying, which convincingly leads the history books on the continent. On Tuesday night, La Albiceleste lost 1-0 against Ecuador, but regardless, it comfortably concluded their 2026 qualifying campaign at the top of the table.
Messi, who sealed this campaign as the top scorer in South American qualifiers with eight goals, didn’t play in Guayaquil as he returned to the U.S. in order to get ready for Inter Miami’s final run towards MLS playoff, so this essentially means that Messi’s career in World Cup qualifiers is done. His presence at next summer’s tournament is also, at this moment, not guaranteed.
“Given my age, the most logical thing is that it won’t happen,” the 38-year-old star said last week, also holding the record for most appearances at the World Cup. “I’m excited, eager, but I’m taking it day by day, match by match. … I’ll continue as I have been, taking it day by day, trying to feel good, and above all, being honest with myself. When I feel good, I enjoy it. And if I’m not good, I have a bad time and I’d rather not be there. I’ll see. … I haven’t made a decision about the World Cup.”Why is Lionel Messi not committing to the 2026 World Cup with Argentina?Kasey Keller and Alejandro Moreno discuss Lionel Messi’s future with Argentina ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile in Europe, where UEFA qualifiers don’t finish until November, Cristiano Ronaldo also had a joyous international window. His pair of goals against Armenia in Portugal’s 5-0 rout meant that his 38 goals in World Cup qualifiers surpassed Messi and put him just one behind the recordholder, the legendary Carlos Ruíz from Guatemala. On Tuesday against Hungary, Ronaldo tied Ruíz with a penalty as Portugal won 3-2 against Hungary.Ronaldo, 40, also extended his international scoring record to 141 goals in 223 games. He will be 41 in February and his aim — just like Messi — is to play in a record sixth World Cup.So will we see a “Last Dance” next summer? Will the 2026 men’s World Cup be Messi and Ronaldo’s curtain call on the international stage?Even contemplating this feels surreal because after two decades of astonishing success and jaw-dropping memories, it’s almost unbelievable to believe that in the very near future, we will not see them play ever again, whether it’s for club or country.Years and years from now, younger generations will ask us about their incredible rivalry. They will ask about the most remarkable, inspiring and breathtaking time in the history of the sport when two superstars controlled the game in the palm of their hands and in turn, as we tell them all about it, we will als
Pulisic rates 9/10 as Japan win gets USMNT back on track
Following Saturday’s 2-0 loss to South Korea, the USMNT quickly bounced back with a more proactive attack through an experimental 3-4-3 formation. In a first half that included 63% possession, the home side created danger through high-pressing fullbacks Max Arfsten and Alex Freeman. After a clever dribble from Arfsten in the 30th minute, the 24-year-old launched a cross that found Zendejas, who impressively volleyed the ball into the back of the net.The U.S. continued its attacking influence in the second half.In 64th minute, the Americans doubled their lead after a pacey run from Christian Pulisic led to an assist for Balogun’s goal. Despite Japan shaking things up with second-half subs that wrestled back some of the momentum, the 2-0 result was cemented by the final whistle for the home team that had a late second wind in the dying minutes of the match.Looking ahead in their ongoing World Cup preparation, coach Mauricio Pochettino and his U.S. roster will take part in friendlies next month against Ecuador on Oct. 10 and Australia on Oct. 14.
Manager rating (scale of 1-10)
Mauricio Pochettino, 8 — Credit where credit is due. Pochettino took a tactical gamble after not only ringing in five different changes from his previous XI but also testing out a 3-4-3 formation. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, there were some questionable defensive moments in the new setup and goalkeeper Matt Freese was kept fairly busy by Japan’s opportunities. Nonetheless, the overall performance is a step forward after the loss to South Korea.
USMNT Player ratings (0-10; 10 = best; 5 = average)
GK Matt Freese, 9 — USA’s starting spot in net appears to be his to lose after earning a clean sheet thanks to his six saves. He fumbled the ball during one of those interventions, but it didn’t end up hurting the scoreline.
DF Tim Ream, 6 — An inconsistent but decent evening for the captain. While he was a vital distributor that was able to get forward, Ream also found himself losing aerial deals and occasionally chasing attacking players.
DF Chris Richards, 7 — Not bad from the Premier League player who added more confidence to the backline. Provided crucial interventions but also had some imprecise passes going forward.
DF Tristan Blackmon, 6 — An improvement after his shaky debut last week. Although his decision-making may not be at an elite national team level, Blackmon still dished out some important clearances.
MF Max Arfsten, 8 — Looked much more comfortable in an advanced role. Wasn’t the strongest during defensive moments, but that may not matter much when you consider his attacking presence that created the assist for the first goal.
MF Cristian Roldan, 6 — A mixed bag from the central midfielder that was able to win back possession, but also didn’t regularly win his duels in the heart of the XI.
MF Tyler Adams, 7 — It wasn’t a vintage Adams performance, but it was still a big improvement from last week. Some crucial interventions in the midfield and plenty of accurate passing.
MF Alex Freeman, 7 — Granted, Freeman wasn’t superb defensively and could have done a better job with his distribution, but he should hold his head high with the ground he covered on the right flank and his overall involvement in the attack. A promising 90+ minutes.
FW Christian Pulisic, 9 — Roamed around, created his own opportunities with recoveries, dropped deep and then clinched the well-earned assist for Balogun’s goal.
FW Folarin Balogun, 8 — A clear upgrade over Josh Sargent. Balogun linked well with the frontline and created plenty of danger with his attacking presence. Briefly went quiet before scoring the second goal of the match.
FW Alex Zendejas, 9 — Zendejas dove into a tackle that earned a yellow card early on but quickly bounced back with his goal and clever movement in the final third. A statement performance from the highly involved Club America winger.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
FW Diego Luna, 8 — An energetic cameo from the young player that was a focal point in the buildup and almost earned an assist in the final minutes.
MF Jack McGlynn, 8 — Nearly scored twice, with the second shot rocketing off the crossbar.
MF Sergiño Dest, 7 — Provided the pass that led to McGlynn’s shot that hit the crossbar. Another player that could benefit from Pochettino’s change in formation.
MF Luca de la Torre, 7 — Accurate with his distribution and almost secured an assist from McGlynn’s first short-range opportunity.
FW Damion Downs, N/A — Subbed on in the 79th minute.
So Bochitino want’s us to fill the stadiums but he doesn’t want us to question the players effort or his horrific tactics and player decisions. Ok Poch. Sure!!
Pochettino’s back three worked for the USMNT. What might that mean for the World Cup?
Mauricio Pochettino wasn’t hired to help the U.S. men’s national team win games against regional opponents or friendlies. Those were two areas in which predecessor Gregg Berhalter was still excelling up until the end of his tenure as coach. The perceived value of investing $6 million annually in the Argentine manager was his history of success in the club game. With his pedigree, the theory went, his fresh eyes could find diamonds in the rough of his new player pool and configure a system that would give the USMNT a better chance of making a deep run at the 2026 World Cup.A year isn’t a long time in a job, but it’s over halfway from when Pochettino assumed the role and when his ultimate performance review will commence after the World Cup comes to North America. At a certain point along the way, it’s expected there would be signs of progress.On Tuesday night, we finally saw some evidence of evolution. Pochettino seemed to adapt based on persistent issues with his base 4-2-3-1 — which he had used in all 11 games to date in 2025 — to a 3-4-2-1. By dropping a player from the attacking line beneath his striker and introducing a third center back, his team was able to play with more decisiveness in transition and more downhill intentionality.“I think we have players that play in this new formation,” Pochettino said after his team’s 2-0 win over Japan on Tuesday, listing a few defenders whose clubs play a similar system. “I think it’s good to have different plans, approach to the games, use different formations.”
It was successful, albeit in a win over a fully rotated side that qualified for the World Cup this spring. But it also led to a more entertaining performance from the USMNT than we’ve seen in some time. That latter point seems more dependably replicable in this shape, too.Throughout his first year, the U.S. player pool has been thoroughly examined as Pochettino familiarizes himself with dozens of previously unknown options. Some recurring issues were understandable consequences of his continued chopping and changing. Others suggested he just didn’t have the players available to make his ideal system sing.Often, a team that’s struggling to generate chances or results will flock to the wing for refuge. The wide areas are less congested than the central third, offering more open room for carries and give-and-go sequences that can quickly move upfield. It rewards players’ athleticism and instinct while helping advance in spite of a system that isn’t quite a well-oiled machine.One finding from the Gold Cup was that Max Arfsten was not a natural answer at left back in a 4-2-3-1. Arfsten plays as an attacking wingback with the Columbus Crew, and he didn’t have the awareness or defensive composure as the ball neared the box. The same zone was repeatedly targeted at the 2025 Concacaf Nations League, when Joe Scally started in defeats against Panama and Canada. Thus far, there’s no proven alternative to Antonee Robinson on the left in a back four.In this 3-4-2-1, Arfsten was playing a far more similar role to the one he occupies at the club level. His opposite number, Alex Freeman, plays his club soccer on the right edge of a back four. However, the 21-year-old has the mobility and positional awareness to play a more advanced role, as he often factors into the Orlando City attack.
For the first 15 minutes Tuesday, it was Freeman who was pinning Japan back with dribbles upfield. The opponent began to catch on, shifting its center a bit to its left to slow him down. Perhaps fueled by playing at the Crew’s home stadium, Arfsten had confidence and space to operate on the left, providing the game’s breakthrough with a well-looped cross.
Even at his defensive shakiest, Arfsten remained in Pochettino’s first team thanks to his attacking dynamism. He’s good value to win his attempted take-ons when dribbling, an invaluable trait to progress upfield while creating space for himself to cross. Asking him to lean into his bag of tricks is a less risky idea when there’s an extra center back to cover the defensive duties he was already struggling to handle. It also gets him into spots to make more actions like these, dribbling until he finds his crossing angle.
The use of a wingback helps solve for one of the player pool’s biggest deficiencies. While Christian Pulisic is the current generation’s greatest success and Tim Weah has forged a steady career in Europe, the U.S. pool is concerningly thin on the wings. Rather than forcing the issue, this tweak to a base 3-4-3 operates with two attackers beneath the striker in the channel — more like attacking midfielders than touchline-hugging wingers.
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That’s great news for Pulisic, Weah and Alex Zendejas, who are each more natural goalscorer than chance-creating crosser. It’s also good news for Malik Tillman, Diego Luna and, potentially, Gio Reyna, who would still have an obvious home in the half-spaces. Pochettino could find his favored combination based on the matchup, offering simple tweaks to the format for each match.
The formation shift might also be a welcome change for his star pupil. As a left winger playing out wide, Pulisic can struggle with his decision-making in possession sequences and transition alike, needing to cut in-field and survey passing options while acknowledging his instinct to set up his own shot. In the seam, he has a bit less to mull over as he’s already at a shooting angle…
…or able to slip a ball between the marking defender and a center back being pulled out of position away from his striker, as he did here to set up Folarin Balogun for the clincher vs. Japan. Don’t underestimate the value of Arfsten’s comfort in this role, offering a needed off-ball run to put the right half of the backline in two minds and thus giving Pulisic a little more space with which to operate. That has a trickle-down effect on the striker, who could get a little extra room with two more scoring threats or creators in close proximity.
As Pulisic exited following the assist, he gave Pochettino an affirmative nod while his coach gave a wink and a nod. Seemingly, they won’t see a need to swap barbs about this change on podcasts.
Mauricio Pochettino’s changes paid off vs. Japan (Koji Watanabe / Getty Images)
After halftime, Pochettino told the TNT broadcast that he was happy to see his team getting used to “another system.” Given how it performed, we haven’t seen the last of it. So what does that change about the squad permutations heading into the 2026 World Cup?
The biggest question about how viable this 3-4-2-1 will be has to do with the position group most directly impacted: the midfield. No area of the field has been rotated more heavily and consistently under Pochettino, with the previous cycle’s set-in-stone baseline of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah fully deconstructed to examine new options.
It goes without saying that two midfielders will have to cover more ground without a third teammate in the engine room. Sometimes, that’ll slow upfield progression until the ball sprays wide. Other times, it’ll allow opponents to take shots if they get behind the midfield and the backline is holding its ground, as Kōki Ogawa attempted in the 70th minute before seeing his chipped shot clang off the crossbar.
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While line-breaking with dribbles and passes alike is still a major benefit, tirelessness and agility to follow a play as the ball leaves your proximity are even more mandatory in a double-pivot. It may mean more coordinated in-game rotation to keep legs fresh, or more trust in players who are used to playing in a two-man midfield (like Cristian Roldan, this camp’s late inclusion).
Playing with two midfielders is also a risk sheerly in terms of Pochettino’s personnel. The pool is pretty deep in central midfield; beyond the incumbent ‘MMA’ trio, Tanner Tessman and Aidan Morris continue to thrive since moving to Europe, while Johnny Cardoso, Sebastian Berhalter and Luca De La Torre have continued to warrant looks with the national team.
Almost certainly, two of the players named above will miss the World Cup squad; it might be three if Pochettino needs more center back depth. Considering the lack of surefire center backs who can be starters at an international level, he might want the safety of choice.
USMNT center backs Chris Richards (3) and Tim Ream (13) with goal-scoring winger Alex Zendejas (Joseph Maiorana / Imagn Images)
If the midfield represents the pool’s deep end, then center back may be its wading area. Chris Richards and Tim Ream are the only options who have continued to make the majority of Pochettino’s camps, with Ream a month shy of his 38th birthday. Mark McKenzie starts for Toulouse in Ligue 1, but was bypassed in both September friendlies for the previously uncapped Tristan Blackmon. Miles Robinson and Walker Zimmerman are holdovers from Berhalter’s core. Celtic duo Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty both missed this camp, and with the Scottish side missing out on the Champions League, they may not get the big-game tests needed to work back into Pochettino’s plans.
Of the program’s fullbacks, most — from Arfsten and Freeman to Sergiño Dest, Scally and John Tolkin — are more comfortable going forward than doing defensive work. The only exceptions are Robinson and Freeman; both could serve as makeshift wide center backs to offer further wide options and variety in possession, or play more naturally out wide.
The story of the September window, narratively, was one of impatience: discouragement that the team didn’t look more ready for next summer’s close-up, and confusion about the continued vetting of fresh faces so close to a World Cup. To Pochettino, a career club manager, friendlies may as well be his preseason. A string of bad results will harsh the vibe, but the losses can be spun into positive if lessons were learned.
“It’s hard to be more consistent,” Pochettino said. “(This) formation is more simple to understand, for the players, than the formation that we started in (against) South Korea.” From there, he emphasized the change as a chance to “simplify things” and lean into his players’ strengths. “We have a squad that can fit very well in that formation.”
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In that sense, the change in shape against Japan may have provided valuable validation of his trust in players like Arfsten and evidence that this new formation could fit his player pool best. There’s still a lot of work to be done, especially in midfield. But for now, the U.S. fanbase can see a sign of evolution under Pochettino — and, after such a tense aftermath to Saturday’s defeat against South Korea, that sure looks like some measure of progress.
(Top photo: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)Your Next Read
Jeff Rueter is a senior soccer writer for The Athletic who covers the game in North America, Europe, and beyond. No matter how often he hears the Number 10 role is “dying,” he’ll always leave a light on for the next great playmaker. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffrueter
No doubt in my mind that Balogun is the leader for the #9 with Pepi at this point. I wish Sargent had more luck for the US but he just doesn’t score with the stars & stripes on. .
Pochettino shows signs of pointing USMNT in a positive direction
It has taken exactly one year, but at long last we have witnessed some signs of progress from Mauricio Pochettino’s U.S. men’s national team.
It’s nothing dramatic or radical, but after slumping to what has felt like the lowest levels possible, Pochettino and his players have given us a glimmer of hope. Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Japan was much-needed, but it wasn’t so much the result that pleased me, welcome as a win was after Saturday’s miserable performance against South Korea.It was the performance that cheered me the most; the ‘look and feel’ of a team that many, including me, had begun to fear was drifting aimlessly toward an inevitable disappointment in June’s World Cup. They suggested that maybe the die is not cast. That perhaps, we can still dream a little. Maybe.Collectively, Pochettino’s group, at last, looked something like a team rather than just a gathering of hopefuls thrown together for a tryout. And individually, there were some performances that reminded us that, as much as we may have despaired at recent displays, there is some talent with which the Argentine coach can work.Of course, we can’t get carried away. This was a Japan side missing many of its first-choice players, a ‘B team’ at best. But this wasn’t a full-strength USMNT either, and ultimately you can only beat what is in front of you.Crucially, for the first time in Pochettino’s tenure, there was a system change that made sense, a formation that fit the players and a collective comfort that has been sorely lacking. The manager may not overly concern himself with tactics, but he made a change and rolled out a back three with wingbacks — a shape that clearly played to the strengths of this squad. It made a real difference and allowed the U.S. to rely on the athleticism of its wide players, with Max Arfsten and Alex Freeman given license to attack.Arfsten, in particular, looked liberated, surging forward with the confidence he shows weekly for the Columbus Crew. Freeman, raw but with real potential, was less tidy on the ball but showed flashes of what he could become. Questions remain about the defensive side of his game, however. Early on he looked vulnerable, as Japan’s 23-year-old right wingback Henry Mochizuki targeted him. But he grew into the game as the U.S. took more control of possession, which allowed him to focus on his strengths going forward. That progression is encouraging.
USMNT had plenty to celebrate during its performance vs. Japan (Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY Network / Imagn Images)
Antonee Robinson is the first choice at left back, but it is reassuring to see that Arfsten, who provided a pinpoint cross for Alex Zendejas’ opener, might have the potential to be a credible backup in a position where there is little depth, which would allow Pochettino to avoid shoehorning Tim Weah or Sergiño Dest into a left wingback role.Freeman is at an earlier stage of his development and the World Cup might come too soon for him, but he also looked more confident in a system where he didn’t have the sole responsibility of defending.The back line itself, felt settled for the first time in ages. Chris Richards is now the undisputed leader at center back, and apart from one badly misplaced pass, he exuded calm and intelligence. He plays in a back three at Crystal Palace and looked very much at home in that system.Tim Ream also looked better in a back three and at the moment he, too, looks to have a spot in the first-choice starting XI. Ream is more at ease when the defensive line is a little lower and with his experience and reading of the game, there doesn’t appear to yet be a real challenger to him on the left of the back three.Tristan Blackmon was better vs. Japan than he was against South Korea, but he is still untested at the top level, and there remains a place up for grabs. Pochettino did not get a true look at Noahkai Banks, the 18-year-old who has broken into the first team at Augsburg in the German Bundesliga. Perhaps his chance comes in the October friendlies against Ecuador and Australia.Matt Freese in goal has been solid, and at the moment the No. 1 jersey is his to lose. He may not yet look like the heir to the long list of top goalkeepers that this country has produced, but he is currently ahead of his rivals for that role.If left back has been a perennial headache, midfield is suddenly a source of abundance. The inclusion of 30-year-old MLS stalwart Cristian Roldan raised eyebrows — he’s had his chances and never quite convinced at international level — but his attitude and professionalism are beyond reproach. Roldan is the kind of player every squad needs: a glue guy, a leader in the locker room, someone who raises the standard without ever becoming a distraction. In a tournament setting, when you’re picking your final 26 and know some players might not see the field, you want a Roldan, not a malcontent, in the team camp.His performance against Japan was quietly effective, and with the likes of Weston McKennie, Johnny Cardoso, Malik Tillman, and Yunus Musah all absent, he took his chance to justify his late call-up.There is a debate over whether a solid performance against a weakened Japan justifies another call, but as Pochettino continues to learn about his squad, Roldan’s reliability and attitude may keep him in the mix, especially if injuries or club form keep others out.The formation used puts a lot of responsibility on the two central midfielders, and alongside Roldan, Tyler Adams looked to relish the responsibility and the knowledge that he had so much ground to cover, so much to take control of. It was good to see Adams looking hungry and determined to make that swath of the field his own. There is no doubt about Adams’s quality and leadership; he sets the tone for the midfield and looks ready to reclaim that role fully.
Mauricio Pochettino and Folarin Balogun share a hug after a successful showing vs. Japan (Joseph Maiorana / Imagn Images)
Up front, the most encouraging development was the chemistry between Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun. Pulisic, so often burdened by expectation, looked loose and liberated in this new system. Freed from the rigid demands of being “the guy,” he roamed, found space and played with a joy that’s been missing. His second half was his best in a U.S. shirt for some time, capped by an assist for Balogun.Balogun, for his part, showed why he’s now the undisputed starter at striker. His movement, hold-up play and ability to link with Pulisic were a cut above. He’s not just a poacher; he’s comfortable dropping deep, drifting wide and creating as well as finishing.His main rival for that spot is probably still Ricardo Pepi, but the two are very different kinds of strikers. Pepi is more direct, more of a pure No. 9 who plays off the shoulder and looks to get in behind. Balogun, with his Arsenal academy upbringing, is more unpredictable, more versatile and, crucially, a better passer. Having both in the squad gives Pochettino options.Zendejas not only showed his outstanding technique with the volley for his goal, but he looked much more at home in this formation as well, operating behind Balogun and in the inside channels rather than working a narrow strip out wide.Even during the slower passages of play, there was a sense of purpose and understanding. The wingbacks knew their roles. The midfield duo covered ground and protected the back three. Pulisic and Zendejas, no longer forced to play as traditional wingers, thrived in more central, creative roles. Across the team, the formation brought out better things from the players.
However Pochettino came to the conclusion that this change was worth a try, the fact is that he has uncovered something that worked. Yes, it worked against a second-choice Japan in a friendly setting, but it worked, period. Very little up until then had gone Pochettino’s way as pressure continued to build.It’s easy to forget that Pochettino had almost no time to drill this formation. There were no tactical sessions, no practice games — just a leap of faith.Sometimes, international football is about keeping it simple: give the best players a system they know, and let them play. Sometimes, progress comes not from grand plans or ideological purity, but from circumstance and necessity. Coaches stumble upon solutions, forced by injuries or form to try something new. The key is to recognize when something works and to have the humility to stick with it.This was not the finished article. Far from it. But for the first time in a long time, there’s a feeling that the USMNT has taken a step in the right direction.October presents fresh challenges: Ecuador is fresh off a World Cup qualifying win over Argentina, and Australia interestingly also plays the back-three system. Ecuador should present a bigger challenge than either South Korea or Japan, and with roster experimentation ideally behind the USMNT, improvement and consistency now become the priority.But we can now look forward to those games with anticipation. Finally – finally – there are signs of progress. And for now, that’s enough.(Top photo: Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY Network / Imagn Images)
Former US men’s national team forward Charlie Davies is a contributor at The Athletic delivering hard-hitting opinion columns, straight-talking podcast appearances, and insightful explainer videos. Charlie made 17 appearances for the USMNT between 2007-09 and was pivotal in helping the team qualify for the 2010 World Cup, before his career was impacted by a serious car accident. He has remained firmly in the soccer spotlight with his TV contributions for CBS Sports and is one of the most prominent former USMNT voices in the country. Follow Charlie on Twitter @CharlieDavies9
USMNT after one year of Pochettino: Shake-ups, process and an unclear World Cup outlook
COLUMBUS, Ohio — One year ago, Mauricio Pochettino sat on a stage in lower Manhattan with a smile on his face, filled with optimism about the job he was taking on.“Everyone thinks that there is no time to prepare and to arrive in our best condition to the World Cup,” Pochettino said that day. “What I wanted to tell you is I am on the opposite side. I believe there is time enough. … Fútbol is like this: to touch the right buttons and we start to perform. For sure I think we have time. We have time. And we need to really believe in big things.”That time has slipped through Pochettino’s fingers faster than he might have expected.Exactly one year since Pochettino was named as head coach, the Argentine is still trying to find out exactly which buttons to press — and with whom. Tuesday night’s 2-0 win over Japan marked his only marquee win since taking the job, and it came against a heavily-rotated side in a friendly. Even so, it felt like a massive relief for a coach in need of some sort of positivity to reinforce what he insists is a carefully considered process centered around one finish line: next summer’s World Cup.Amid what has been a sometimes stormy tenure, including ugly losses at March’s Concacaf Nations League final four, poor results against World Cup-caliber opponents in pre-Gold Cup friendlies (making for the program’s first four-game losing streak in 18 years) and two defeats to rival Mexico, Pochettino has insisted that fans need only to be patient. The results would come, he said.His hope has to be that the win over Japan was the turning point in a rebuild he was paid handsomely to undertake.“Always when we talk about that sport, soccer, it is about (winning),” Pochettino said on Tuesday. “I am so pleased because I think the players deserved that result. … When you are strong in your ideas and your belief, it’s about to keep going and never give up. So (I’m) happy for that, yes.”But, he reiterated, the most important thing right now isn’t the results.“It’s the process,” he said.
It’s one that started at his introductory press conference last September 10, when the former Tottenham, Chelsea and PSG manager called his staff “winners” and talked about how they would “create the platform for (the U.S.) to perform.” A defiant Pochettino earlier this week reiterated the same idea: that his staff has a plan.“We know what we are doing,” he said. “We have experience.”Without the results, however, Pochettino was asking fans to blindly trust that his process would wind up in the right place when it counted most. U.S. Soccer sought a coach with Pochettino’s profile in part so that fans might have exactly that kind of confidence in how he built a team after taking over a side that was eliminated in the group stage of the 2024 Copa América – on home soil, no less.Pochettino was a hard pivot from Gregg Berhalter, a coach who spent almost his entire playing career in Europe but was still seen by some fans as an “MLS coach” supposedly holding back a mostly-European-based player pool. Pochettino came with a pedigree of success in European clubs — and a price tag to match. He is making a reported $6 million per year, the highest salary in the federation’s history.U.S. Soccer was willing to bet that Pochettino’s success at the club level would translate to the international stage. That hasn’t happened immediately.Still, despite some poor results, including Saturday’s 2-0 loss to South Korea, the players have been doing their best to buy in. The win over Japan was at least some validation of that faith.“(The coaches) have a plan in place, and they’re very well-versed in what they want to do,” U.S. veteran Tim Ream said on Saturday night after the Korea loss. “So for us as players, it’s all about coming in and adapting to what they want, what their instruction is, what their game plan is. … And that’s what we have to have to focus on as players. You can’t worry about, ‘Oh, we’re getting down to the wire. Oh, it’s going to be this.’ You just have to come in and adapt and adjust and do exactly what they’re asking you to do and go out and play the game.”
USMNT core figures Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams during Tuesday’s win over Japan (Adam Cairns / Columbus Dispatch / USA Today Network / Imagn Images)
Flipping the power dynamic
Pochettino’s tenure with the national team has, so far, been defined by his willingness to mix things up, especially after the March Nations League failures, when the U.S. lost to both Panama and Canada.“You remember March?” the coach asked, sarcastically and pointedly, during his press conference on Monday. “It was a wake-up call. Because we need to start a different process and (a) different approach.”
Pochettino challenged regulars in the team to prove they belong. He leaned heavily into the MLS player pool and insisted the domestic league is every bit as strong as some of its European counterparts. (An ironic turn for a fan base who insisted it was Berhalter who would favor MLS players even as he heavily leaned on the European core.) Pochettino also didn’t back down from a public back-and-forth with star Christian Pulisic this summer.The winger asked to skip the Gold Cup so that he could get much-needed rest. But in an interview with CBS Sports defending the decision amid criticism from alumni like Landon Donovan, Pulisic mentioned that Pochettino wouldn’t allow him to play just in pre-tournament friendlies.The manager responded forcefully on the eve of the Gold Cup.“I think when I signed my contract [with] the federation [it said] I am the head coach,” Pochettino said. “I’m not a mannequin.”The interaction was a microcosm of how Pochettino has tried to alter the power dynamics within the program. His goal has been to create more competition, mine the pool for depth and solve for any complacency that crept in. But without the results to reinforce those efforts, it left the strategy wide open for criticism.Pochettino insists the payoff is coming. And he’s been fairly open that the next step in the process will start in October. Upon revealing his September camp roster, he called this month’s gathering a “last opportunity to bring some new faces that we didn’t have the possibility to bring in the past.” In theory, that should mean we should have a better idea of Pochettino’s full-strength squad next month.For now, the players who make up that group remain somewhat of a question mark.
Malik Tillman and Diego Luna helped guide the USMNT to the Gold Cup final (Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images)
Building out depth
ochettino’s roster decisions over the last six months haven’t always been up to him. He couldn’t bring Weston McKennie, Tim Weah or Gio Reyna to the Gold Cup due to Club World Cup commitments. Sergiño Dest, Antonee Robinson, Ricardo Pepi, Folarin Balogun and Zack Steffen were out injured and couldn’t go either. Pulisic and Yunus Musah asked for time off.For these September friendlies, Pochettino said he took club form and fitness into consideration when leaving players like McKennie, Musah, Johnny Cardoso, Malik Tillman, Robinson and Matt Turner at home. Others, like Tanner Tessmann, Joe Scally and Aidan Morris seem on the outside looking in.Pochettino this week used Tillman as an example for how the roster churn shouldn’t be seen as an assessment of the best players in the pool. Tillman was a player he clearly would have called in if the U.S. was playing World Cup qualifiers. The Leverkusen midfielder was the breakout player of the Gold Cup. But with the U.S. playing two friendlies, Pochettino saw more value in letting the attacking midfielder stay at his club and work back into full fitness after missing all of preseason with an injury following the summer tournament.“You can call (him),” Pochettino said. “But if you call and you take a risk and it’s a setback and issue, and maybe it’s one, two, three months that (he doesn’t) play, it is a big risk for the World Cup.”Instead, Pochettino saw more value in bringing in other players to test them. That way, if the U.S. has to reach further into the pool for the World Cup, they know which players they can trust. So while fans (and media) groaned at some of the players called into camp, questioning whether there is an opportunity cost when minutes are spent on Tristan Blackmon or Nathan Harriel, Pochettino saw it as a necessary step in his process.“Of course I want to win,” he said. “But also we need to think in the process.”For Pochettino, the win over Japan was a level of validation. He pointed to Alejandro Zendejas’ performance as one that pushed a player into a better position for “the race for the roster for the World Cup.” Max Arfsten and others improved their standing, too.October should be an even more important gauge for this program.
It won’t be clear if Pochettino’s message and motivation have taken with this group until we see some of the players who have been at home since March’s Nations League disaster.
How can we judge whether he’s motivated the likes of Tessmann and Scally — and whether they are better options than Sean Zawadski or Harriel — unless he brings them back in October and gives them a chance? How will we know what this U.S. midfield looks like with Tyler Adams, McKennie and Tillman starting, rather than Adams, Sebastian Berhalter and Diego Luna, if we don’t see them together?
Mauricio Pochettino enjoyed a win over Japan, but successes haven’t been frequent in his time as U.S. manager (Koji Watanabe / Getty Images)
When winning matters
One year ago, Pochettino said “we are here because we want to win.” This week, he said the team didn’t have to start winning until the World Cup.
A national team coach operates on a different timeline than most any other type of coach. He’s not wrong that national teams are ultimately judged on their World Cup performances — not anything else. Gregg Berhalter used to say all the time that friendlies were times to experiment and try things, that sacrificing results in exhibitions in the name of success when the games counted made all the sense in the world. But that approach is fundamentally at odds with human nature.
Fans want to see wins. They want to see progress. Ahead of a home World Cup, that takes on even more importance. It’s part of the reason so many stadiums have been filled with fans of the opposition. It’s why a home World Cup feels so monumental. This is about building support around the national team, and in doing so to build up the sport in the country itself.
And it goes beyond just the fans. If the U.S. is going to find success at the World Cup, the players need to start to feel some level of confidence, too. So while wins won’t really matter until the World Cup, Pochettino’s process does need to account for wins before that.
“I love the feeling of winning, so I would like to win games before the World Cup,” Adams said this weekend. “I understand his thought process, and we talked about it in (the locker room). You could still have good performances and not necessarily get the result. But, yeah, I think at a certain time it’s important to have some results.”A result came Tuesday. Pochettino smiled at the end of his post-match press conference and said, “I’m looking forward to October.” It was a hugely different vibe than just a few days ago.The question will continue to come down to what Pochettino asked for: belief. Belief that there’s a plan behind some of what has felt, at times, like chaos. And belief that the plan will lead this U.S. team to something better than it was before he arrived. That, after all, is what U.S. Soccer is paying for.“It’s our responsibility to create the platform for them to perform,” Pochettino said that first day in New York last year.He will argue that the past year has been spent building that platform. Now the fruits of that work must start to yield results.he Japan win was, at least, a start.
(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen/The Athletic; Michael Owens/Getty, Catherine Ivill/Getty)
Folarin Balogun just reminded USMNT why he’s the answer to its striker problem
COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the 64th minute of a still-tight game Tuesday night in America’s heartland, Christian Pulisic skated past a Japanese midfielder, glanced up, and saw a somewhat novel sight.Over his nine-plus years with the U.S. men’s national team, Pulisic has turned and ran at countless defenders. He has spun into space countless times. He has skipped into dangerous positions game after game, and far too often, he has lacked options.But here at Lower.com Field, finally, Pulisic had the USMNT’s best option.
For the first time under head coach Mauricio Pochettino, he had Folarin Balogun.Spotting Balogun darting behind the Japanese back line, Pulisic stabbed a pass into space. Balogun surged onto it, nudged away a defender, finished with his left foot to the far post and gave the U.S. a 2-0 lead.
It was a “perfect example” of his movement, U.S. defender Tim Ream said, movement that made several teammates rave. “Even before that,” Ream continued, “he made a lot of good runs, a lot of [well]-timed runs, being able to get in behind when the pressure’s coming onto the midfielders, and onto the defenders, when we have the ball.”Balogun seemed to unlock the U.S. attack in a way that no other American striker has in years. Since Gregg Berhalter, the previous coach, took charge in 2019, 16 men have started up top for the USMNT; none has seized the position with two hands, two feet and consistent goals.Balogun, if healthy, is capable of doing that.
USMNT fans hope Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun can form a powerful combination. (Stephen Nadler / ISI Photos / ISI Photos via Getty Images)
“Balo is so good,” midfielder Cristian Roldan said.The Monaco forward is the most dynamic and well-rounded No. 9 that the USMNT has had this decade. And he could be a game-changer for Pochettino.He has been that, at times, since committing his international career to the U.S. over England and Nigeria in 2023. He went straight into the starting lineup, scored and won a trophy in his second match, looking like the striker the U.S. had been missing.But under Berhalter, who had built his system around a hole at striker, Balogun sometimes struggled. He scored just twice in nine appearances in 2024. Then, he battled injuries. Until last week, he still hadn’t linked up with Pochettino. As he recovered from an ankle knock last month, he was initially left off this September roster. He got an admittedly “late” call only after Vancouver Whitecaps veteran Brian White withdrew from the squad due to injury.That call, it turns out, might have changed the trajectory of the USMNT under Pochettino. The Americans created almost nothing from open play in a Gold Cup final loss to Mexico, and throughout most of Saturday’s 2-0 loss to South Korea. On Tuesday, in came Balogun, and plenty improved.“He brings that know-how, and the timing of his runs,” Ream said. “To be able to put defenders on the back foot, running back towards their goal, helps us massively.”Added Pulisic: “He gives sort of an out a lot of the times. Whether it’s coming into pockets and laying the ball off, or it’s little runs in behind, he just kind of relieves the team when we’re under pressure.”
As a winger for much of his youth, Balogun is most comfortable running towards goal, stretching an opponent. But he has worked to round out his game, and on Tuesday, that work was evident.He checked to the ball with the U.S. under pressure in its defensive half. In the 21st minute, with a defender on his butt near midfield, he seemed to cushion a careening ball to wingback Alex Freeman, then spun in behind, and ultimately created a chance for Alex Zendejas.
“It’s definitely something that I’m practicing,” Balogun said of playing with his back to goal, as a target.
“I’m more comfortable facing the goal — I think anyone is, to be honest. It’s difficult when you’re not facing the goal. You have to kind of use your perception, and use spatial awareness to try and protect the ball. But it’s part of the job of a striker.” And it’s a facet he’s improving.It’s on the run, though, where he excels. Against Japan, he was on the run as much as he’s ever been in a U.S. jersey.“When I turn, I feel like I look, and he’s making short runs across the back line,” Pulisic said.“I felt I had good connections with the other players,” Balogun said. “And yeah, I felt comfortable.”It was only his second game, and first start, under Pochettino. But already, he said, “I felt like I knew my job, and that’s a credit to what the coaches are telling us.” He was significantly more effective than the teammate he replaced, Josh Sargent. He combined with Pulisic for an early chance. His diagonal run from center to left helped spring the USMNT toward its first goal. And his second-half finish capped the victory.He could still face competition from Ricardo Pepi or others for a starting spot at the World Cup next summer. But for now, after a dreary weekend, he has injected promise and reminded U.S. fans of potential.His return and instant impact are among the biggest developments of the Pochettino era to date.The win felt “really good,” Balogun said. “After the game against South Korea, we wanted a reaction, we wanted to give the fans some good news before we split up with this camp. So, I was really happy.”(Top photo: John Dorton / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images)
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Interesting week of soccer I’ll start with Sad to see Wrexham’s Ollie Palmer’s farewell for those who watch We are Wrexham on FX or Disney+ Ollie was a big part of their multiple promotions – but his time with the club has come to and end. Also in the Championship American forward Josh Sargent Can’t Keep from Scoringas he notched a brace last weekend on his way to league leading 5 goals so far. Cool to see Pochitino Take in Ohio State College Football last weekend on Fox’s Texas vs OSU pregame show. Messi’s last home WC Qualifier at Argentina was last night. Another record signing on the ladies side as American & Angel City star Alyssa Thompson goes to Chelsea for $1.3 million-sad for my daughter who has season tix for Angel City FC. World Cup Tix Go on Sale starting next week unfortunately our closest locations are Atlanta & Kansas City. If you haven’t seen the Pulisic special series on Paramount plus its 8 episodes and worth the watch.
USA faces Korea Sat 5 pm then Japan Tues at 7:30 pm in Columbus on TNT, HBO, Peacock
So lets put it out there – I said it last week that Men’s Coach Bochitino has no clue what he is doing after again seeing what a pathetic roster he called in for this one of the last 10 games we will play before the World Cup. Now the media is finally starting to agree with me –ESPNFC Agrees Poch is Clueless. How he could leave home our starting GKs, starting 8, backup 6s, and outside backs is just beyond me. He should be getting this squad ready for battle against top 20 competition and instead he brought questionable MLS players in for their first camps. At least Pulisic is back and Dest and Weah. But there is still a lot of the core of this squad missing. I may be the one holding up the Go Back Home BOCHITINO POSTER in Columbus on Tuesday night. Clueless is all I can say at this point. I honestly think this guy is mailing this $6 million a year job in and laughing in our US faces. So what do I see this weekend? 1 loss and 1 tie. We’ll lose the first one to Korea and Son as he’ll torch our backline and its lack of speed. While Japan will match us in possession but will not beat us in the fortress that is Columbus with the American Outlaws in Full Voice. I hope we have a good crowd – though US soccer and Boch have given us NOTHING to get excited about. I truly thought Poch was gonna bring our A team and we would win both of these games this weekend. I guarantee if Nashville Headman BJ Callaghan who won a nations league and Gold cup with this team was in charge that is what would happen. But with Boch calling the shots its a lost and tie and him saying we need to play em better with more hart. Since I would have NEVER picked this US Roster– I have no clue who might start this weekend but lets try this.
Seattle was truly spectacular last Sunday Full house in Seattle – as they destroyed Messi and Inter Miami 3-0 Hi-Lights on the night. After such a fantastic Leagues Cup that the MLS dominated – it was sad to see Miami players Suarez and Busquets just absolutely lose it after the game as the post game broke out into an all-out brawl. I am not sure MLS has punished Miami’s punks enough as Suarez (6 games) and (Busquets 2 games) were only kicked out of Leagues Cup games. Suarez spit on coach or security guard from Seattle he has to be suspended from MLS games too.
More USA Friendlies this Weekend and Tues in Columbus
USA v. South Korea (Saturday, 5 p.m. ET, TNT/Peacock) USA v. Japan (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT/Peacock)
If the U.S. men’s national team World Cup squad was one of those reality cooking challenge shows, we are at the stage where the clock is running down but the raw ingredients are still spread out all over the prep table, and it remains to be seen if we can combine them into any kind of competitive recipe. South Korea and Japan will be testing mid-tier opponents. Win one game, get Pulisic firing, and we can all feel so much better. Lose both and it is going to feel very, very dark. Two very different paths lie ahead. Here are the headlines to prepare you for all that is to come: Christian Pulisic, Our Lord and Savior, Is Back When the roster for the upcoming friendlies was announced last week, Pochettino said he hadn’t spoken with Pulisic since the Gold Cup, adding, “I think everything is behind us, all that happened in summer, and I think now we need to look forward.” We will find out the truth of that the moment Christian takes the field for his first appearance since that Nations League disaster back in March. He has looked spritely for Milan with a goal in his first two games, but must now play for the U.S. with the same dominance as he did in the commercials which were omnipresent this summer. Knowing Christian, he will be highly motivated to score. He knows one electric moment of football can change everything in the blink of an eye. I would settle for another goal testicled over the line. When I spoke to Tyler Adams, he told me the difference between the U.S. with and without Pulisic is that Christian is the one American player who can make something out of nothing. I both pray and expect that to happen tomorrow.
The Focus is Going to Shift Immediately from the Big Names Who Are Not There, to the Glut of New Ones Who Are ️ So much focus over the past weeks has been spent on the vast number of big-name players who were not called up. Make no mistake: this is an MLS-heavy, raw squad with some mighty omissions—not just reputationally in terms of the more familiar names like Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna, but also from a footballing perspective. Aidan Morris, who has been balling out for top-of-the-Championship Middlesborough, is outside looking in.
There are honestly so many questions all over the field. Who is the No. 1 striker? Who is our goalkeeper, out of a very raw group? Who are our leaders? The midfield group looks very green aside from Tyler Adams. There is always a sense with our squad, that the big names—McKennie, Reyna, Brendan Aaronson, Yunus Musah—will come back and save us. We often tell ourselves this team is just a placeholder and that the cavalry is coming. What if it is not coming? And this is it? The U.S. are playing South Korea and Japan. Two teams who are well-drilled, intelligent collectives, primed to punish any mistake we make at high pace. They will be stern tests. The kind of quality we could expect to face if we make the knockout phase of the World Cup. This is a moment for the USMNT to prove themselves to themselves against teams at the level of Türkiye and Switzerland, the two sides who outclassed them in friendlies ahead of the Gold Cup.
One Thing Not to Worry About Finally, don’t stress the noise from outside pundits. Their voices and opinions and insights are actually what you want. I laughed with Tyler Adams that the volume of noise we currently have in the United States is a tiny squeak compared to the booming torrent of punditry in England or Italy. Think about how many former NFL or NBA stars have platforms to make their opinions known. A vast layer of pundits is ultimately a sign of a healthy football-sphere. Indeed, it will hopefully grow and grow as the profile of the game grows, and the U.S. men, please god, begin to capture the interest of the nation. That is the real story of the moment. This team needs to start winning. The empty seats at Gold Cup stadia spoke volumes about where this team is right now. Charlie Davies wrote this week: “There is already a worrying lack of enthusiasm bordering on apathy in the USMNT’s fan base at a time when positivity and optimism should be growing in anticipation of this huge moment in American soccer. I don’t even want to think about what the impact would be of another heavy loss at home.” It is hard to live out this team playing in the shadows like this. The truth is, we are in danger of becoming a club football country now. Liverpool-Arsenal felt like a massive rumble that captured the interest of American sports fans. The lack of casual chatter going into this U.S. game is deafening. This is the moment to change everything.
Got to Ref with Drew Emenhiser for the first time at Lawrence North Wed a little 2 man style. Nice night for soccer with Jonathan and Andrew at Heritage Christian with the Girls Thursday night. All Youth Players who wear their Jersey to the Game will get FREE ADMISSION vs #19 Columbus North
TV GAME SCHEDULE
Sat, Sept 6 9 am Fox Sport 2 Latvia vs Serbia WCQ 10 am CBSSN,Para+ Bolton vs AFC Wimbledon 12 noon FS2 England vs Andorra WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Ireland vs Hungary WCQ 5 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Korea 7:30 pm ESPN+ Charleston vs Indy 11 7:40 pm Tubi NC Courage vs Utah Royals NWSL 10 pm Tubi Bay FC vs KC Current NWSL Sun, Sept 7 9 am FS1 Georgia vs Bulgaria WCQ 12 noon FS1 Lithuania vs Netherlands WCQ 2:45 pm FS1 Germany vs Northern Ireland WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 Poland vs Finland WCQ 2:45 pm ?? Turkey vs Spain WCQ 3 pm Para+, Prime Chicago Red Stars vs Orlando Pride NWSL 4 pm CBSSN, Para, Prime, Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Seattle Reign NWSL 5 pm ESPN NY/NJ Gotham vs Angel City NWSL 7 pm Apple free Sporting KC vs Austin MLS 8:30 pm ESPN San Diego Wave vs Houston Dash NWSL Mon, Sept 8 2:45 pm FS2 Israel vs Italy WCQ 8:30 pm Para+, Peacock El Salvador vs Suriname WCQ 9:30 pm CBSSN, Para Panama vs Guatamala WCQ Tues, Sept 9 12 noon ESPNDes South Africa vs Nigeria WCQ 2:45 pm FS2 France vs Iceland WCQ 2:45 pm ?? Serbia vs England WCQ 3 pm ?? Wales vs Canada 7:30 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Japan in Columbus, Ohio 9 pm Uni, TUDN Mexico vs Korea Fri, Sept 12 2:30 pm ESPN2 Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) vs Frankfurt Sat, Sept 13 7:30 am USA Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest 10 am USA? Fulham (Robinson) vs Leeds United (Aaronson) 12 noon Para+ Juventus vs Inter 12:30 pm CBS NC Courage vs Angel City NWSL 5 pm Tubi Orlando Pride vs Bay FC NWSL 7:30 pm Tubi KC City vs Washington Spirit NWSL 7:30 pm Apple Cincy vs Nashville 8:30 pm Apple Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy Sun, Sept 14 9 am USA Burnley vs Liverpool 11:30 am USA Man City vs Man United 11:30 am ESPN+ M’Gladbach (Reyna, Scally) vs Werder Bremen 2:45 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Bologna 3 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Valencia 3 pm ESPN Chicago Red Stars vs Portland Thorns NWSL 6 pm Golazo, Para Utah Royals vs Houston Dash NWSL 8 pm Golazo, Para Seattle Reign vs Racing Louisville NWSL Fri, Oct 10 8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador Tues, Oct 14 9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia
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Just how “together” they are will be revealed over the next week and beyond, but make no mistake: they need to be on the same page if the U.S. is to reach its stated aim of making a deep run at next summer’s World Cup.This isn’t to say that the two have had a falling out, nor do they need to be best friends and have regular dinners together. But there has been a disconnect.
Pulisic waved off an attempt by Pochettino to sub him out of the third-place game at the Concacaf Nations League last March. He missed out on the recent Gold Cup two months later, and while USSF sporting director Matt Crocker said at the time, “We made the collective decision that this is the right moment for [Pulisic] to get the rest he needs,” the public backlash was intense, with former USMNT players, among them Landon Donovan, questioning the player’s commitment.
Pulisic’s response, in part, was to state in an interview with CBS Sports that he had offered to play in two pre-Gold Cup friendlies, but that Pochettino had turned him down. Pulisic later said in the interview that he didn’t understand the decision even as the manager explained he wanted just one roster for the entire Gold Cup program. While Pulisic’s impulse to defend himself is understandable, divulging some of the deliberations about his Gold Cup participation was a mistake and only served to annoy Pochettino. The U.S. manager responded, stating that he is “not a mannequin” and that he alone would decide who plays for the USMNT and when. When the roster for the upcoming friendlies was announced last week, Pochettino said he hadn’t spoken with Pulisic since the Gold Cup, adding, “I think everything is behind us, all that happened in summer, and I think now we need to look forward.”Left unsaid is how effective that approach will be if there hasn’t been any communication. To be clear, success at the World Cup doesn’t rest solely on Pulisic, as numerous moving parts need to align for a deep run to occur. The U.S. needs to sort out its goalkeeping situation. Right back Sergiño Dest has to be healthy, the better to augment the attack with his ability to deliver the unexpected. The same is true for Antonee Robinson on the opposite flank. Holding midfielder Tyler Adams needs to be at his ball-hawking best. One of the available strikers — be it Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Josh Sargent, Haji Wright, etc. — needs to hit top form ahead of the tournament.But Pulisic’s combination of talent, creativity and experience remains a critical piece of the attack. When Pulisic plays well and is in full flow, the team usually follows suit. Scoring goals is the most difficult part of the game, and Pulisic remains a vital contributor to that aspect of the cause. Pochettino and Pulisic need each other for the team to succeed. Part of what’s at issue between Pulisic and Pochettino is that the U.S. manager is in the middle of attempting a cultural reset. That goes for everyone, from the biggest stars down to uncapped players who get called in. Pochettino is demanding total commitment, at least as he defines it. As fatigued as Pulisic was after playing over 50 games a season at AC Milan the last two years, his decision to sit out the Gold Cup, while offering to play in the two friendlies before the tournament, sent Pochettino a different kind of message.
“If you arrive to the camp and you want to spend a nice time, play golf, go for a dinner, visit my family, visit my friend, that is the culture that we want to create?” Pochettino said last May. “No, no, no, no, no. What we want to do is to go to the national team, arrive and be focused and spend all my focus and energy in the national team. If we want to be good in one year’s time, we need to think that today is the most important day.”The adjustment from the players — including Pulisic — to Pochettino’s approach has taken some time. Defender Tim Ream admitted after the Gold Cup that it had taken too long. At Tuesday’s media availability, Ream said that with players just arriving, there hadn’t been a team-wide meeting yet to discuss expectations, though coaches had been pulling players in for individual meetings.”We’ll sit down I’m sure [Tuesday] and have a discussion,” he said.”But for us, it is just the guys who were here during the Gold Cup … We kind of know what the standard needs to be and what it is going forward and just making sure that everybody’s being held accountable, pushing each other, helping each other, and making sure that we all know that we’re on the same page, we’re on the same team.”Pochettino was a top-flight manager for 15 years — with stops at Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea — before taking up with the USMNT. If there is to be movement in any direction, that will fall on Pulisic, because Pochettino won’t be changing his ways. The U.S. manager has made it clear that no one’s spot is secure. Weston McKennie was left off the current roster, and while Pochettino blamed his absence on a lack of rest due to participation in the Club World Cup, Tim Weah had a similar workload, yet was included in this camp. Relationships between players and coaches can be fluid, going through difficulties. Pulisic’s rapport with former U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter experienced some rough patches before the two found alignment ahead of the 2022 World Cup, in which Pulisic played a critical role in the U.S. reaching the round of 16. That could very well be the case with Pochettino and Pulisic. However, Pulisic and the rest of the team will need to adapt to Pochettino’s ways.
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USMNT’s home crowd dilemma is US Soccer’s age-old problem
Since taking over as coach of the U.S. men’s national team last fall, Mauricio Pochettino has had a jarring introduction to some aspects of American soccer culture. He has felt it most acutely standing on the sideline and looking into the stands around him.Pochettino’s first competitive games in charge of the U.S. were opening acts in doubleheaders staged by Concacaf, meaning swathes of ticket holders for the late games, which featured Mexico, didn’t show up for the U.S. contests. Then, during the Gold Cup, Pochettino experienced the power of the immigrant communities in the U.S. as Guatemala fans far outnumbered Americans in St. Louis for the semifinal and Mexico supporters created a home-field advantage for El Tri in Houston in the final.Other games highlighted a lack of interest. Six games between September 2024 and July 2025 had 18,008 or fewer fans in attendance.For an Argentine used to diehard fans packing home stadiums, the huge numbers supporting visiting teams and the lack of U.S. fan support seemed to catch Pochettino off guard. After the final, he implored U.S. soccer fans to come out and support the team. “I would love to see my players playing with 70,000 people cheering,” Pochettino said in the postgame press conference in Houston. “We need the people. We need the fans. The fans have one year to realize how important are the fans in soccer.
“I think that today (against Mexico), like with Guatemala, it’s a scene in our country to see how important are the fans – to be in the stadium, to stay with the team, to support, not only through Instagram, social media or behind the TV. It’s (important) to be here and translate the energy.
“Football without fans? It’s impossible.
Mauricio Pochettino ha expressed his wish for packed home crowds – full of USMNT fans. (Robbie Jay Barratt / AMA/ Getty Images)
“Here, I think that it’s time to realize that we need the fans. … I think, I hope, and I wish, next time to play with full stadium, with our fans there cheering for the team and helping to achieve a good performance and good result.”The U.S. coach was wading into an attendance issue that has ensnared the program for more than a decade now. It traces back to a ticketing strategy built around revenue rather than accessibility, a team that has struggled on the field and the realities of playing a global sport in a country defined by its diversity.On Saturday, the U.S. will play South Korea in front of a 25,000 sold-out crowd at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. Tuesday’s friendly against Japan at Columbus’ 20,000-capacity Lower.com Field is trending toward a sellout as well. Fewer than 600 tickets were available, including suites and premium options, as of Thursday night.The crowds are indicative of U.S. Soccer’s efforts to alter the equation and find the right mix of market, price point and opponent to balance sporting goals, fan engagement and revenue-driven realities. With what has long been expected to be a transformative home World Cup approaching, the efforts to reach new fans and bring them into the gates are as critical as ever to the short- and long-term growth of the sport. As the men’s team struggles to get results, making the games more accessible will be a vital part of any attempt to build excitement in the run-up to the tournament.
The slide is infamous in American soccer circles. As part of a presentation at a board meeting in 2017, U.S. Soccer executives presented how the federation’s ticketing strategy shifted from the 1998 World Cup cycle through to the 2018 cycle to emphasize smaller venues and higher ticket prices for U.S. games. Ticket prices in the 2002 cycle averaged $28.05. By the 2018 cycle, when the U.S. men missed the World Cup, the average price jumped to $97.06. Revenue more than doubled, from $7 million over eight games in the 2002 cycle to $17.6 million in the 2018 cycle. But it came at a cost of attendance and accessibility. In that same period, attendance dropped from 249,266 fans across eight games to 181,090.What You Should Read NextDoes USMNT have an attendance issue? The answer isn’t simpleThe USMNT’s friendlies against Canada and New Zealand were played with swathes of empty seats in the stadia – but is that cause for concern?
Undoubtedly, the socioeconomic makeup of those in the stadium shifted along with those fast-rising prices.U.S. Soccer chief commercial officer David Wright insists that the federation is “an organization that has evolved dramatically in the last three to five years.” But ticket prices for games can vary dramatically, based both on dynamic pricing and also on the business realities for U.S. Soccer.
“We’re a 501(c)(3), nonprofit, but as many people know, our ability to drive revenue is really important because it funds and candidly accelerates our ability in the sport,” Wright tells The Athletic. “Obviously, we’ve got our women’s and men’s senior national teams, but we have 25 other national teams that are really important to U.S. Soccer and our overall efforts throughout the game. We’re also thinking about coaching, we’re thinking about refereeing, thinking about participation, and have programming against all three to grow. So it takes resources. It’s always a balance between the business side, but then also providing access and accessibility.”
The USMNT takes on Japan, and Yuto Nagatomo, next week. (Koji Watanabe / Getty Images)
Tickets were available for the Japan friendly in Columbus for less than $50. The get-in price for friendlies in Austin and Colorado in October are currently $54 and $75, respectively. Tickets prices in New Jersey were not as friendly. The original get-in price for non-supporters in New Jersey was $50, but a month later that had jumped to $180.There have been at least some steps toward increasing that accessibility.U.S. Soccer recently reached a deal with the American Outlaws, its largest supporters group, in which all tickets for supporters in federation-hosted matches through October 2026 will be capped at $45 (plus fees), and will be sold directly by the Outlaws to members.The aim is not just to drive accessibility, but to bring new fans into the supporters’ culture.“Our supporter groups are the lifeline,” Wright said. “They provide incredible energy and atmosphere. I think it also speaks to our fan-first approach. We’re an evolving organization. We have great relationships with our supporter groups. And I think it’s just an acknowledgement that (they) are really important, and to be able to provide access in a really meaningful way is a win-win.”In a statement, Justin Brunken, co-founder of the American Outlaws said the partnership, “helps eliminate one of the biggest barriers — cost — and makes it possible for more passionate fans to stand, sing, and support together.”“This isn’t just about saving a few bucks,” the statement read. “It’s about keeping soccer grounded in community.”U.S. Soccer has also done more outreach toward college students to bring younger games into the stadium at discounted prices.The business side of U.S. Soccer has changed dramatically since 2017, which has also impacted the reliance on ticket revenue for the federation’s aims. U.S. Soccer brought all commercial work in-house in 2022, ending its longstanding relationship with Soccer United Marketing. Since the federation’s sponsorships have been moved in-house, commercial and event revenue has increased substantially, with projections above $200 million in total revenue.The federation also grew out its “advancement” team, which focuses on donations. Those efforts have brought in enormous donations from Arthur Blank for the new training facility and Michele Kang with a directive to grow women’s and girls’ soccer, as well as many other donations pointed toward everything from hiring Pochettino to growing youth programs or coaching and referee education. In prior years, U.S. Soccer raised between $4 to $6 million annually in contributions. That number jumped to around $70 million under the expanded advancement team.“As a percentage of revenue, (ticker revenue will) come down, but it doesn’t diminish the importance,” Wright said. “Not only is the revenue obviously important to fuel the business and to provide opportunities, but it’s obviously one of the most high-profile opportunities to engage with fans,” Wright said. “So the ability to have 20 to 25 marquee matches a year that provide access and leave an impact in a community, while also engaging millions of fans via social (media) and broadcast is really important. It’s something that we recognize, and obviously we’re leaning in on.”The strong expected crowds in New Jersey and Columbus show that the U.S. men can draw a crowd, but finding the right venue and the right opponent is an increasingly difficult dance.
It’s easy to point to some of the repeat visits to cities — Austin, Columbus, Cincinnati, St. Louis — and wonder how exactly U.S. Soccer makes decisions on where they play games. It’s not an easy process.
It starts with finding an opponent, which has been especially difficult in this cycle because the U.S. men are not playing qualifiers, but confederations are still going through their qualification process. That, combined with the Nations League, has decreased available opponents in every window.Once an opponent is found, John Terry, U.S. Soccer’s senior director of events, tries to narrow down markets based on a number of factors.Opponents often have preferences on how far they will travel based on their second opponent in the window and where that game is being staged. Brazil, for example, was willing to play the U.S. ahead of the Copa América, but only if the game was staged in Orlando. U.S. Soccer was willing to make that accommodation, and to play on a temporary surface at Camping World Stadium, in order to get a game against such a high-quality opponent.U.S. Soccer also has to find training facilities for both teams in markets — one reason why it hasn’t frequented the New York market as often, for example, and why Austin and St. Louis have been favorites for the team.The availability of venues in markets isn’t always simple either. In the fall, U.S. Soccer is contending with the NFL, college football, MLS and concerts. It has to think about the cost of playing on grass laid on top of turf — both in terms of dollars and in quality of play. It considers the size of the venue and the ticket demand in the market. And it isn’t picking a city based solely on what is happening in that window. It also has to consider future windows and look at where it can play games in future months. And, of course, it’s weighing those options simultaneously for both the men’s and women’s national teams.
Austin’s Q2 Stadium has become a popular site for the USMNT. (David Buono / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Even then, repeats can happen. U.S. Soccer had its October USMNT friendly scheduled in Austin against Ecuador for months when Concacaf put them in Austin for a Gold Cup group stage game this summer, for example. Meanwhile, travel for a team increasingly based in Europe has made it more difficult to schedule games on the West Coast. (Though the makeup of the roster under Pochettino has been swinging back toward a prominent mix of MLS players.) U.S. Soccer also tries to avoid traveling far distances between games in a window. There has been an effort in recent years to go to new markets, or to get back to cities for the first time in several years. That includes a friendly played in San Antonio, Saturday’s game in New Jersey — the first there since the U.S. lost to Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying in 2017 — and a reported friendly set for Tampa in November. “It’s not just because we’ve got a World Cup (coming), that’s a strategy that I think we’ve employed for a number of years now,” Wright said. “For us, it’s: How do you expose the sport to a variety of different markets, but also partner with local markets that really want you to be there?” In addition to all of those considerations, U.S. Soccer does think about trying to maximize home field advantage. But as the pro-Guatemala crowd in St. Louis showed, sometimes it doesn’t matter where the U.S. plays. The makeup of the country is such that it can lead to crowds that favor the visitors.That may not always be what the coach or team wants, of course. But for U.S. Soccer, there are still gains to be made in those crowds. “The amount of diversity in this country is a really, really powerful thing, and something that, as an organization, I think we’ve really leaned in and embraced,” Wright said. “If you’re a fan of the sport in this country, we believe we’ve got a real opportunity to engage with you. There’s about 130 million fans of the game. We expect that number to drastically increase coming out of the next summer. Not all those 130 million are passionate U.S. soccer fans, but they’re passionate about the game … And I think it is really powerful as we think about the future. It’s a huge area of opportunity.” Those points of connection will be the true measure of success of the World Cup, and that’s a process that has already started. The magnitude of the World Cup’s impact will depend on many things, including the results of the host team. But beyond what happens on the field, U.S. Soccer must find wins off of it, too. Getting the cities, venues and prices right to open the game up to fans can make just as lasting an impact. (Top photo: Joe Puetz / Imagn Images)
USMNT’s Balogun finally has his chance for a late first impression on Pochettino
U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, back with the national team for the first time in nearly a year, said Wednesday that the injuries that kept him away from the USMNT are “behind me.” “I’m in a good shape, and in a good way,” Balogun said via Zoom from U.S. camp in Morristown, N.J., ahead of Saturday’s game against South Korea. Those injuries cost him four consecutive U.S. camps, the team’s first four under head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Balogun, after starting or appearing in all nine A-team games for the USMNT in 2024 under former head coach Gregg Berhalter and interim Mikey Varas, missed camps in October, November and this past March due to injury. He was initially named in Pochettino’s pre-Gold Cup squad, but also withdrew from that camp due to an ankle ailment. “It was a tough period, but I think every athlete goes through that at some stage,” Balogun said. Another ankle issue in August cost him a preseason game and Monaco’s Ligue 1 opener. It was presumably part of the reason why the 24-year-old was not on the first version of the USMNT’s September roster, which was revealed last week. But when Brian White withdrew due to injury, U.S. Soccer contacted Balogun, who’d made his 2025-26 debut that past weekend, playing 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Lille. “I got the call — I can’t remember the date, exactly, but it was a bit late,” Balogun acknowledged Wednesday. “I was really happy,” he added. “It was important for me to be back with the team.” Several days later, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3-2 win over Strasbourg. Then he jetted across the Atlantic, to New Jersey, where he was one of the last to arrive at U.S. camp. Now, he will get his chance to make a delayed first impression. He is one of a few players who, at roughly the midway point of Pochettino’s tenure, are meeting and training under the new boss for the first time. “Everyone wants to make an impression,” Balogun said. “And I think that’s just natural, with such a big competition coming in 10 months, it’s important to leave your mark.” That “big competition,” of course, is the World Cup. The 2026 edition, slated for June and July in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, would be Balogun’s first. For roughly 11 months, the countdown to that milestone coincided with Balogun’s absence from the USMNT. Now, a first opportunity to impress the coach who’ll select the U.S. World Cup roster might lead some players to press, to over-exert, to try to be something other than themselves. “That’s part of the psychology, to not overdo it, because things will just become more complicated,” Balogun said. “The harder you try sometimes, the more difficult it is.” But Balogun is comfortable searching for and finding a middle ground, and pushing for a potential place in the U.S. starting lineup come next June. He’ll compete with EFL Championship leading scorer Josh Sargent and new Southampton signing Damion Downs for the prime minutes at striker in this camp, which also includes a friendly against Japan. “It’s something I’ve been doing all my career, fighting for my position and fighting to get in teams,” the former Arsenal academy product said. “I believe that’s a balance that comes naturally to me.” (Top photo: Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Pochettino, ‘jealous’ of CFB atmospheres, wants Americans to share same passion with soccer
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — For Mauricio Pochettino, the 2025 Gold Cup doubled as a crash course in American soccer culture. First in half-empty stadiums, then in front of hostile crowds on home soil, the Argentine coach of the U.S. men’s national team seemed shocked by the lack of public passion for his team.After a Gold Cup semifinal against Guatemala and a final against Mexico, he spoke about the missing emotional connection between U.S. players and fans. “The fans,” he said, “have one year to realize how important fans are in soccer.”Ahead of his next USMNT camp, though, he learned that such passion exists in the United States — for the other type of football.Last Saturday, Pochettino visited Columbus, Ohio, for the Week 1 college football showdown between the universities of Ohio State and Texas. He stood among a crowd of 107,524 people, nearly all wearing red and silver for the Buckeyes. “It was amazing,” Pochettino said Friday ahead of the USMNT’s first of two September games (Saturday against South Korea).“For me, it was a massive surprise,” Pochettino continued. “I’m 53. It’s difficult to have this type of surprise. But to live the atmosphere that we lived there, three hours before, seeing the passion of the people, the atmosphere … the fans in the stadium, 100,000. I was so jealous.”
He was jealous, of course, because that type of passion often doesn’t follow the USMNT or any U.S. soccer team.“I was so jealous, I said, ‘I want to coach these teams. I want to be next,’” Pochettino said with a wide smile and a laugh.Throughout his three decades in soccer, he has played for and coached teams boosted by similar passion. He has seen it at Newell’s Old Boys and Espanyol, at Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain.When he didn’t see it this summer — or when he saw it for Guatemala in St. Louis, and when he saw it for Mexico in Houston — he called it out.“The fans gave to you, to Guatemala, an unbelievable energy,” he said after the U.S. squeaked past Los Chapines in the semis. “That is football. That is football. When we say the connection between the fans and the team, that is the connection that we like to see in the World Cup. That connection that makes you fly. The energy that translates.”He said he saw Guatemala players crying after the loss and noted, “That is the way that we need to feel. And our fans need to feel the same. It’s not to come here to enjoy all the spectacle, and if you lose, nothing happens. … You play for your pride. … When we talk about culture, that is culture. … That is an important thing that we need to learn here in this country.”Pochettino saw an example of that kind of sports culture at 9 a.m. last Saturday, when he appeared on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show in Columbus. He led an “O-H-I-O” chant. “We really feel the passion of the people here in this country,” he said Friday.And he knows that part of his job, as USMNT coach, is to try to create that passion for soccer. He talked Friday about being a “representative or ambassador” for the sport. “I think I feel a little bit of responsibility,” Pochettino said. “It’s our responsibility to translate to all these people that maybe are more focused on another sport like football, American football. It’s to try to convince them (to) share with soccer that passion. “If only a little bit we can translate to our sport, I think our players will appreciate a lot, and for sure (the fans) will help us to achieve or earn what we want.” (Photo: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
USMNT star Tim Weah doubles down on ‘evil’ comment about former players turned pundits
U.S. men’s national team forward Tim Weah said Thursday that he doesn’t regret calling former USMNT players turned pundits “evil” for their criticism of the current team.Weah made the comments earlier this summer in an interview for Christian Pulisic’s Paramount+ docuseries. The remarks aired in an episode released last month and reignited the public spat between active USMNT players and alumni.“I think those guys are chasing checks,” Weah said in the docuseries. “And for me, I just feel like they’re really evil. Honestly. Because they’ve been players, and they know what it’s like when you’re getting bashed. Those are the same guys that’ll turn around and shake your hand and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day.”“Don’t get me wrong,” he added, “I respect all of them. They were the players that I looked up to. But quite frankly, the guys before us didn’t win anything, either. Christian himself has had a better career than every single one of the guys who speak negative on us.”On a video call with reporters Thursday from U.S. camp in New Jersey, Weah was asked whether, in retrospect, he felt the term “evil” was accurate and appropriate.“One hundred percent — don’t regret anything I said,” he began. “But I’m fully focused on the positives now. I’m leaving all that negative energy out the window.”
Tim Weah, left, trains with USMNT teammate Folarin Balogun. (John Dorton / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images)
Weah continued: “I think right now it’s important to kind of shift the focus to what we’re doing as a group, and what this team is doing, and how we can execute performances and kinda take our game to the next level in order to be prepared for the World Cup. I’m 100 percent focused on that. And if that means blocking out all the noise, that’s what we’re gonna have to do. We’re just focused on what our main goal is. We’re, each camp, trying to build. I’m so happy to be back with the boys.”
Weah missed this summer’s Gold Cup while with Juventus at the Club World Cup. Then, last month, he completed a roughly $17 million transfer from Juve to Marseille — a club with whom his father, George, played for six months at the end of his career. The move begins as a loan deal but includes an obligation to buy after the current season. “The move to Marseille was a fun one, obviously, with my family history,” Weah said Thursday. “Joining the club, for me, was a no-brainer. I know the history of Marseille, how passionate that city is and how fans are and the team is. I knew it was the right place for me to be before the World Cup and building up to one of the biggest tournaments of our lives.” U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino left other regulars who’d recently moved to new clubs off his September roster. Pochettino said last week that the reason for omitting Johnny Cardoso, for example, was to allow Cardoso to settle at Atlético Madrid.Weah completed his transfer more recently and has played fewer games for Marseille than Cardoso has for Atleti. But when asked if missing this U.S. camp was ever a consideration, Weah said, “No, I never thought about not coming into camp.”“As Marseille’s a priority, the national team is also a priority to me as well,” he continued. “Coming here, and being with the group, and building on what we already have, and fine-tuning a lot of things, for me, is important. Because at the end of the day, the goal is nine months away. We have to perform and be on top of our game. So, any chance I get to come in and kinda build with these guys, I’m 100 percent for it. I’m always here.”He also spoke about Marseille — the city and club — as the ideal place for him as he and the USMNT build toward next summer.
“The club is everything to the city, everything to the fans. I mean, they eat, sleep, breathe football; eat, sleep, breathe Marseille,” Weah said. “You know what it means to them, it’s their heart and soul, so you have to give 100%. If we lose a game, they’re on us. It’s super intense. Just the group alone, we get into so [many] fights together, in trainings, in the locker rooms, that people think we’re crazy at times. But it’s just because everyone is so passionate, everyone has the same goal, everyone wants to win. “And I think being at a club like that before the World Cup, and before going into something so big, I think it’s super important for me. Because I get to build that mindset of being a warrior, I get to build on that. I think that’ll be super positive for me going into the World Cup — and also for the [national] team, because I get to bring that kind of vibe into camps when I come back.”(Top photo: Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)
Three of Europe’s top five leagues return on Friday, with the Premier League, La Liga, and Ligue 1 kicking off for Matchday 1; the German Bundesliga and Italian Serie A will start a week later on Aug 22/23 they both have League cup games this weekend. See La Liga (Spain) games (More) and Ligue 1 (France) fixtures (More) – full season previews below for all 3 leagues. In the EPL my Final 4 are Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea – hoping Crystal Palace or Fulham can make a top 6 run. Premier League Fri 3 pm USA Network Liverpool vs. Bournemouth, Liverpool haven’t lost their opening league game in any of the last 12 seasons, winning nine of them. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah is the Premier League’s top goal scorer and leading player for goal contributions on Matchday 1. Adding to this, Bournemouth and American midfielder Tyler Adams have just one point from their eight Premier League visits to Anfield. See the full list of Premier League fixtures here.
Notes
Chelsea players will give an equal portion of their $15.5M Club World Cup bonus to the family of Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, equating to around $500,000 (More). Cute look at new Everton Stadium. Funny Wrexham Fans left too early – I have to admit I am watching these games on Para+ now that they are in the Championship – Ollie with the brace.
US Players Abroad Begins Seasons this Week – Richards Palace Wins Community Shield What a thrill to see Chris Richards and Crystal Palace win the Community Shield 3-2 in PKs over Liverpool on Sunday (Palace Hi-lights), just months after winning the FA Cup at Wembley over Man City – Crystal Palace looked the better squad vs the defending EPL Champs. Palace plays at Chelsea at 9 am on Sunday on USA, while Fulham hosts – while Complete rundown on American’s Abroad below. Man I am not sure who is advising Christian Pulisic but I wish he would just leave well enough alone on the criticism from Landon Donovan & Tim Howard here’s what was said. Not sure if he’s doing it to get more people to watch his Series on Golazo Network (see Pulisic Docuseries Trailer) or what. Tim Weah, speaking on the CBS Sports series Pulisic about criticism by former USMNT stars now working as television and podcast commentators of Christian Pulisic‘s decision not to play in the 2025 Gold Cup. (Golazo Network). At this point lets just get to early September play our friendlies – Pulisic can come score a couple of goals and we can put this all behind us. Oh by the way the US men are coming to Columbus, Ohio Lower.com Field on Tuesday night Sept 9th for a 7:30 pm match up with #17 ranked Japan. The Ole Ballcoach is going along with some buddies to the game sitting in section 129 ($50) – close to the American Outlaws who will be in the Nordic Section 127. Visit http://ussoccer.spinzo.com/CarmelFC this special link to get discounted tickets. Let me know if you plan to join – feel free to send on to friends.
LEAGUES CUPfour MLS vs. LIGA MX quarterfinals Wed Aug 20.
Quarterfinal matchups
Inter Miami CF (MLS 2) vs. Tigres UANL (LIGA MX 3) 8 pm on FS1, Apple TV Free Seattle Sounders FC (MLS 1) vs. Club Puebla (LIGA MX 4) 11 pm FS1, Apple TV Free
LA Galaxy (MLS 3) vs. CF Pachuca (LIGA MX 2) 11:45 Apple TV Free
Orlando City (MLS 4) vs. Toluca FC (LIGA MX 1) 9 pm Apple TV Free
High School Soccer Season Kicks Off!
High school soccer officially starts this weekend across the state, and Carmel FC wants to send a huge congratulations and good luck to all our current players representing their schools this season. We’re proud to see you take the field, wear your school colors, and continue to showcase the skills, hard work, and sportsmanship you’ve developed here at Carmel FC. The Carmel High Girls Come in Ranked 3rd with new head coach John Simmons and Asst Coach and former Carmel FC Coach Carla Baker in charge replacing long time coach Frank Dixon at the helm. The CHS Boys are unranked after a 7-8-3 record but reached the Regional Semi’s last year.
ISCA Class 3A girls soccer poll
Hamilton Southeastern
Noblesville
Carmel
Crown Point
Evansville Memorial
Brownsburg
Cathedral
Castle
Center Grove
Homestead
Penn
East Central
Westfield
Zionsville
FW Carroll
Northridge
Fishers
Bloomington South
Lake Central
Mt. Vernon
ISCA Class 2A girls soccer poll
Lawrenceburg
Brebeuf Jesuit
Mishawaka Marian
FW Bishop Dwenger
SB Saint Joseph
Bishop Chatard
Guerin Catholic
Evansville Mater Dei
Bellmont
Hanover Central
Heritage Hills
Highland
Washington
FW Concordia Lutheran
West Lafayette
Hamilton Heights
Roncalli
Park Tudor
Gibson Southern
Madison
ISCA Class 3A boys soccer poll
Harrison (West Lafayette)
Hamilton Southeastern
Center Grove
FW Carroll
Zionsville
Fishers
Bloomington South
Noblesville
Concord
Evansville Memorial
Brownsburg
Cathedral
Columbus North
Goshen
Warsaw
Castle
Westfield
Chesterton
Crown Point
Penn
ISCA Class 2A boys soccer poll
FW Concordia Lutheran
Park Tudor
Hammond Bishop Noll
Bishop Chatard
Illiana Christian
Heritage Hills
FW Bishop Luers
Washington
South Bend St. Joseph
West Lafayette
Cascade
Hanover Central
Leo
Bethany Christian
FW Bishop Dwenger
Speedway
Culver Academy
Charleston
Heritage Christian
West Noble
Mike S, Shane & Scott F last preseason High School Scrimmage at Bishop Chatard Thurs Night. Excited to hit the fields Saturday at @ Heritage Christian & Guerin. Had a blast training new Carmel Dad’s Club Refs Ryleigh, Fred, & Noah last weekend at Badger Field.
TV GAME SCHEDULE
Fri, Aug 15 EPL Starts 12 noon ESPN+ Grobaspach vs Bayer Leverkusen German Cup 3 pm USA Liverpool vs Bournemouth (Adams) 8 pm Amazon Prime Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Racing Louisville NWSL 10 pm CBS Golazo Utah Royals vs Angel City (Thompsons) NWSL Sat, Aug 16 7:20 am Para+ Wrexham vs West Brom 7:30 am USA Aston Villa vs New Castle United 10 am USA Brighton vs Fulham (Robinson is hurt) 12:30 pm NBC Wolverhampton vs Man City 1:30 pm ESPN2 Mallorca vs Barcelona 2:30 pm ESPN+ Stuttgart vs Bayern Munich 4 pm CBS KC Current vs Orlando Pride (Marta) NWSL 7 pm TV6, ESPN+ Loundoun United vs Indy 11 7:30 pm Apple TV free Inter Miami (Messi) vs LA Galaxy 7:30 pm ION NC Courage vs Portland Thorns NWSL 8:30 pm FS1 Minn vs Seattle Sounders 9 pm ESPN2 Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Phoenix Rising 10 pm ION Bay FC vs San Diego Wave NWSL Sun, Aug 17 6:50 am Para+ Ipwich Town vs Southampton 9 am USA Chelsea vs Crystal Palace (Richards) 11:30 am NBC Man United vs Arsenal 3 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Bari Copa Italia 3:30 pm ESPN2 Espanyol vs Athletico Madrid (Cardoso) 4 pm Para+? NY Gothem vs Houston Dash NWSL 5 pm Apple TV NYCFC vs Nashville 7 pm Apple TV San Jose vs San Diego 9 pm Apple TV Vancouver (Mueller) vs Houston Mon, Aug, 18 3 pm USA Leeds United vs Everton 10 pm CBSSN Seattle Reign vs Chicago Red Stars NWSL Weds Aug 20 Leagues Cup MLS vs Liga MX Inter Miami CF (MLS 2) vs. Tigres UANL (LIGA MX 3) 8 pm on FS1, Apple TV Free Seattle Sounders FC (MLS 1) vs. Club Puebla (LIGA MX 4) 11 pm FS1, Apple TV Free LA Galaxy (MLS 3) vs. CF Pachuca (LIGA MX 2) 11:45 Apple TV Free Orlando City (MLS 4) vs. Toluca FC (LIGA MX 1) 9 pm Apple TV Free Sat, Sept 6 5 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Korea Tues, Sept 9 7:30 pm TNT, Tele, Max USA Men vs Japan in Columbus, Ohio Fri, Oct 10 8:30 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Ecuador Tues, Oct 14 9 pm TNT, Max USA Men vs Australia
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Premier League referees’ chief Howard Webb has suggested that VAR could be expanded to include reviews for yellow cards and corners. The technology is currently only used to review potentially match-changing decisions such as goals, straight red cards, penalties, and mistaken identity. The case in favour argues that second yellow cards, which result in red cards, can significantly influence a match. Webb revealed that the game’s law-making body, the International Football Association Board (Ifab), is considering changes to VAR’s scope, including discussions around possible extensions for the technology. This comes after Uefa recently opposed measures to widen VAR’s powers to intervene in corner kicks and yellow cards, arguing it would increase delays. In related news, Webb said it would be “tough” for David Coote to return to top-level refereeing after being sacked for making derogatory remarks about Liverpool and then manager Jurgen Klopp. “Under the circumstances, it’s difficult [for him to return],” said Webb. “We stay in contact and care about him, but it would be tough.”
Americans abroad
Dest, Morris, Corboz, Pittman stand out, Jedi shelved, & Much More
ASN’s Brian Sciaretta writes up his thoughts from the weeekend amongst Americans abroad. Sergino Dest looked terrific, while Scott Pittman, Aidan Morris, Marlon Fossey, and Mael Corboz are also standout performers. Plenty of good and bad to go through.
BY Brian SciarettaPosted August 11, 2025 9:00 AM
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IT WAS A BUSY weekend for Americans in Europe, despite the top divisions in Germany, England, France, and Italy still at the tail end of preseason. Many U.S. players, in including USMNT hopefuls, were in action in both regular season and preseason games.
For now, let’s just get right into it and we will start with the Eredivisie opening weekend.
Dest shines vs. PSV
One of the big stories this weekend for American in Europe was the big statement made by defending champion PSV, who sold a lot of talent this summer (including USMNT midfielder Malik Tillman) but also spent money on new players.
Despite playing well at times this preseason, Ricardo Pepi was not deemed fit enough to be in the squad for Saturday’s opener against Sparta Rotterdam. But Sergino Dest, who mist most games this calendar year, including the Gold Cup, did start.
The news could not have been any better for Dest, who played in top form and did not show any indication of his ACL tear or subsequent injury at the end of the season. He played like the high level player he is.
Dest scored the third goal in a 6-1 win over Sparta that featured PSV having five different goal scorers. That is what makes this team difficult to beat – numerous scoring options.
Overall, Dest played 82 minutes and had three shots. He was consistently dangerous. This bodes well for both PSV and the USMNT as it heads into the fall.
Rest of Eredivisie
In the rest of the Eredivisie outside of PSV, Taylor Booth started and played all 90 minutes for Twente in a 1-0 loss to PEC Zwolle. It was a disappointing result for Twente, who is expected to be in contention for a top five finish, because Zwolle is typically in relegation battles.
Booth, 24, wasn’t one of Twente’s problems on the day and he did create a few chances. He had his own shot in the box blocked in the first few minutes and then he set up two chances later in the game with crosses.
Booth is still likely a long way off from the USMNT but a good season could put him into the picture next year, likely after the World Cup.
The younger Booth brother, Zack Booth, had a tough game in Excelsior’s opener as he came off the bench in the 71st minute in a 5-0 loss to NEC Nijmegen. The game was 4-0 when he came on. The best news for Booth, 21, is that Excelsior will likely have to make changes after such a poor result.
Championship: Morris impresses for Boro
There are a lot of Americans in the Championship this season and we could see a few involved in the promotion races.
Aidan Morris, 23, was solid in central midfield for Middlesborough in a 1-0 win over Swansea to open the season. He was good at setting the pace and helping Boro win the possession battles.
It wasn’t a flashy performances, but he is very important to the Boro midfield moving forward.
After a big 2024/25 campaign, Josh Sargent scored his first goal of the new season in Norwich’s opening day win. The 55th minute goal was an equalizer in what eventually turned out to be a 2-1 loss at home to Millwall.
The goal was all hustle as Sargent blocked a goalkeeper clearance directly back into the goal. It was more seen as a goalkeeper error, but Sargent hustled on the play.
Sargent remains an interesting player for the rest of the month. Norwich is still hopeful of selling him, as they could use the money. But for Sargent to get interest, he needs to keep scoring in any way possible. But where does Sargent want to go? Turning down Wolfsburg two weeks ago shows signs of a limited options.
Damion Downs played the final 31 minutes for Southampton and was on the field as they scored two very late goals to turn a 1-0 loss into a 2-1 win over Wrexham in the season opener. It was a good shift for Downs as he was involved in the final goal where he slightly touched a pass to Jack Stephens, who smashed in the winner from close range.
Downs, 21, is in a good spot. He will continue to get chances and he will contribute to a team that should be in contention to bounce right back up.
George Campbell came on in the dying minutes for West Brom to help see out a 1-0 victory over Blackburn. It marked his debut for the club after moving from Montreal earlier in the transfer window.
Charlton defeated Watford 1-0 on Saturday. Charlie Kelman, 23, started and played 71 minutes for Charlton. He is coming off a season where he won the third-tier League One scoring title with Leyton Orient. Caleb Wiley was out with a back injury for Watford. Kelman had a good chance to score in the 59th minute but his close-range shot was saved. Charlton found a stoppage time winner to earn all three points.
Scotland: Pittman & CCV stand out
Scott Pittman, 33, has scored goals in Livingston FC’s first two games of the Scottish Premiership season. The latest in a 3-1 win over Falkirk on Saturday.
The all-time appearance leader for Livingston opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a shot from inside the box for a 1-0 lead.
After earning promotion last season, Livingston is looking to pull away from a relegation battle early.
Celtic dominated its way to a 2-0 win over Aberdeen on Saturday. Cameron Carter-Vickers completed 139 passes in the win. Auston Trusty completed 51 passes in just 24 minutes when he came on to see out the win.
Those passing numbers reflect Celtic’s domination in possession which typically began with the central defenders.
Coincidentally enough, Aberdeen’s best chance of the game came from American midfielder Dante Polvara in the 75th minute – two minutes after he subbed on. His right footed shot from close range was saved.
Belgium: Fossey scores in big Standard win
Standard Liege defeated Genk 2-1 on Sunday to move to seven points from three games to start the Belgium First Division season. Standard captain and USMNT hopeful Marlon Fossey scored in the 54th minute to give Standard a 2-1 lead – which he then celebrated with a back flip.
On the play, Fossey, 26, moved into the attack and was able to pounce on a ball from close range and beat the keeper with a shot into the top of the net.
Will Fossey make it back into the USMNT picture? It seems difficult. With Dest now back, Alex Freeman continuing to impress in Orlando, and Joe Scally continuing to be the starter for Borussia Monchengladbach, there is a crowded field. But performances like this don’t hurt.
Also in Belgium, Westerlo dropped a 1-0 loss at home to KV Mechelen at home after conceding a goal in the 84th minute. Griffin Yow started at right wing for Westerlo but was subbed out after the first half as part of a tactical change. Despite the loss, Bryan Reynolds had a strong 90-minute shift at right back. Both Yow and Reynolds could move before the end of the month as they have likely done all they can do for a small club like Westerlo. The club could also use the money but it comes down to offers.
2.Bundesliga: Corboz impresses again
It was the second matchday in the 2.Bundesliga season where several Americans play their trade. This week, there were two games that saw multiple players involved.
Holstein Kiel dropped a 2-0 decision to Arminia Bielefeld and it was a big setback for Holstein Kiel, which has no points from the first two games in a season where they are coming back down from the Bundesliga.
John Tolkin, 23, started for Holstein Kiel but was subbed out at halftime for tactical reasons as both wingbacks were removed. The tactical shift did not help at all. Tolkin was okay in his 45 minutes, but the team overall was very poor and does not want to have a poor start to the season. Such starts only create relegations battles.
On the flip side, Arminia Bielefeld was excellent and now has a perfect six points from two games – immediately coming off promotion last year. Led by American captain Mael Corboz, Arminia Bielefeld is off to a great start. Corboz has done well to add maturity to a team that looks ready for the 2.Bundesliga. Corboz, 30, is one of the best “under the radar” stories in American soccer.
Eintracht Braunschweig defeated Greuther Furth 3-2 and Johan Gomez enjoyed one of his best performances in years when he came off the bench in the 61st minute. He was dangerous, assisted on goal that was called back, won a lot of duels, and built a case to start for the club.
For Eintracht, the club has six points from two games. This is huge after narrowly avoiding relegation last season.
On the flip side, Furth sits on three points from two games after the loss. Both Julian Green and Max Dietz both started. Green was subbed out in the 86th minute while Dietz went the whole game. Neither stood out.
On Friday, Paderborn drew Preussen Munster 1-1. Santiago Castaneda, 20, started in defensive midfield for Paderborn but did not stand out in his 78 minutes. Both of the Tampa native’s first two games have been quiet.
Richards wins Community Shield
Chris Richards can now add a Community Shield to his trophy case as played the entire game at Wembley as his Crystal Palace defeated reigning Premier League champions Liverpool on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Richards had a “hockey assist” on his team’s second goal and saw his header off a corner saved in the 61st minute.
Richards looks to be in great shape to start the Premier League season next week. His great calendar year of 2025.
Elsewhere abroad
In Poland’s Ekstraklassa, Jagiellonia Bialystok defeated Cracovia 5-2 with Aziel Jackson making his first start for Bialystok in the win. Leon Flach also played the final 12 minutes in the win. Kahveh Zahirolelam made his debut for Cracovia when he came on in the 79th minute.
In Croatia’s HNL, Hajduk Split defeated HNK Gorica 2-0. The win was helped by a Gorica red card in the 50th minute when the score was 0-0. Rokas Pukstas returned to the starting lineup after struggling to break in recently and he was helped by injuries that made him needed. He was active in the attack, despite no goal contributions. Was it enough for him to remain in in the starting lineup? That is an open question.
In the Austrian Bundesliga, George Bello scored in the 50th minute for LASK in a 3-1 loss to WSG Tirol. Sam Adeniran started for LASK but was ineffective. It was good news for Bello to have scored but LASK is winless after two games and has work to do in the weeks ahead.
Quincy Butley, 23, meanwhile started and played well for WSG on the right side of the midfield where he won duels and passed effectively. WSG has won its first two games of the season.
In the Swiss Super League, Lausanne dropped a 2-1 decision at home to FC Zurich. Konrad de la Fuente played the final 18 minutes in the loss.
In the Danish Superliga, Matthew Hoppe started for SonderjyskE but was held in check by Viborg in a 1-0 loss. Hoppe was subbed out in the 71st minute.
In Uruguay’s Primera, Agustin Anello played 82 minutes for Boston River in a 1-1 draw with Montevideo City Torque. Anello was subbed out with his team trailing 1-0 and down to 10 men. Boston River now has four points from two games.
Preseason & Transfer updates
Robinson on the shelf
Antonee Robinson has not played at all this preseason and will not be available for Fulham to start the season. Once figured to be the subject of transfer rumors this summer to big clubs, everything with Robinson has been quiet.
Every year, McKennie is on the brink of falling out of favor with Juventus and has always pulled himself back into the mix. But eventually this will end. Perhaps now is a good time for him to make a break and Roma is still a very high landing spot. McKennie knows Serie A well and likely wouldn’t need as much adjustment.
Also in this game was Cole Campbell, who played the last 15 minutes for Borussia Dortmund. This comes after interest from VfB Stuttgart was shelved – at least temporarily as Dortmund assess its winger situation. The speedy U.S. U-20 attacker has been on the edge of BVB’s first team and has made his debut. But works remains for him to be a consistent presence.
As expected, there was no Gio Reyna for BVB and there has been no breakthrough on the transfer front.
Captain McKenzie
Toulouse played Sevilla to a 1-1 draw in a preseason friendly and the big takeaway is that USMNT central defender Mark McKenzie wore the captain’s armband for Toulouse – a sign of his growing importance to the Ligue 1 club.
Chelsea smashed AC Milan 4-1 over the weekend with Yunus Musah starting and playing 73 minutes for Milan. It was 3-1 when Musah departed the game. Musah remains a player to watch in the weeks ahead as his preseason has not gone well. Milan might opt to drop their asking price and move on.
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Antonee Robinson’s injury timetable underscores his importance to USMNT
By Jeff RueterAug. 14, 2025Updated 12:47 pm EDT The Athletic
No doubt, Fulham will feel a bit up against it heading into the club’s Premier League opener, away at Brighton.The 2024-25 season saw Antonee Robinson cement his place as one of Marco Silva’s most vital charges, arguably the best pure left back in the Premier League. Nicknamed “Jedi,” he’s proven capable of containing Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah on one end before dependably squaring crosses right into his striker’s stride. He gutted out an injury to his right knee until season’s end, finishing third in the fan-voted Player of the Season pageant after a 10-assist campaign.On Thursday, 48 hours before a trip to the AmEx, Silva confirmed that Robinson would not be available for selection as he works back from an offseason surgery on that vital plant-leg knee. So, too, would Ryan Sessegnon, leaving the Portuguese manager without his two top options at left back.Mauricio Pochettino may still be envying Silva’s situation. At least the Fulham boss has a viable alternative in the role to Robinson.It’s hardly a new phenomenon that the U.S. men’s national team is dangerously thin at left back. In fact, the program went over a decade with makeshift solutions, forcing players like DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson to own the role despite spending their careers up until that point further afield. While U.S. Soccer can’t take credit for Robinson’s development, his commitment was a clear end to holding the left side of the back line together with duct tape and chewing gum.While Robinson has amassed a tidy 50 caps to date, he’s been absent for the last four camps under Pochettino, a 12-game sample from which the coach has learned plenty about his player pool. He’s had his initial trust in Diego Luna validated by a star-making turn at the Gold Cup. That same tournament gave reason to think Matt Freese could be a shot-stopping alternative to Matt Turner in goal.There have been frustrating realizations, too. Mexico is back on the ascent, although that’s a bit more of a subplot than usual as both nations will abstain from World Cup qualifying this cycle. His faith in the core that helped qualify for the 2022 installment has potentially been rocked by Christian Pulisic and others opting out or missing out on the Gold Cup. And, more relevant to today’s news via Silva: he doesn’t have a clear alternative to Robinson at left back.
USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t have many options behind Antonee Robinson at left back (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Unlike other USMNT mainstays like Gio Reyna, Pochettino and Robinson have already logged a bit of collaboration. The left back was on Pochettino’s first squad last October, and started both legs of the Concacaf Nations Leg quarterfinal against Jamaica the following month. In the second, Robinson assisted on the second goal of a 4-2 win that sent the U.S. through to the final four. Since then, however, Pochettino has had to play alternatives to Robinson. When an ailment kept Robinson out for the Nations League’s business end in March, it became a calamity: Panama targeted out-of-position Max Arfsten and, later, Joe Scally, exploiting the latter’s lack of awareness to score a last gasp winner in a 1-0 semifinal upset. Scally went on to start the third-place game, putting in such a poor shift that he got a halftime hook.In the 12 games that have passed since Robinson’s last U.S. appearance, four players have been called upon in his absence. Arfsten has been Pochettino’s most relied-upon alternative, appearing in nine of that dozen, most often as starter. John Tolkin, of recently relegated Holstein Kiel in Germany, has made five appearances, while Scally and DeJuan Jones have each appeared twice in the role. None have made a terribly compelling case for further looks.Throughout the Gold Cup, Arfsten and Tolkin — as indicated by their higher utilization — were the two options on Pochettino’s squad.Arfsten, a winger with the possession-dominant Columbus Crew, has fared about as you’d expect for a player who usually sees the game from a vastly different perspective. His attacking contributions were that of an ideal wingback, logging assists and chipping in goals as an auxiliary threat from wide. His defensive performances were riddled with the kinds of mistakes coaches have to drill out of defenders in the youth ranks, taking the bait and making needless fouls (like one just inside the box against Costa Rica that resulted in a penalty).Tolkin, largely as a substitute, has at least spent his career in the role since debuting with his boyhood New York Red Bulls. His issues more closely mirror the struggles recently seen from young left backs George Bello, Kris Lund and Sam Vines: bona fide left backs, but unable to prove themselves at the international level.There’s a paucity of alternatives, too. Unlike other spots, there’s no alternative who hasn’t been tested and is flying under the radar. The closest to matching that mold is Caleb Wiley, the Chelsea prospect who earned three caps in 2023 and 2024 but hasn’t been in a national team camp since Pochettino took charge. While it’s impressive for a 20-year-old to have amassed 135 club appearances, mostly with Atlanta United before the club from London came calling, his first loan with Strasbourg was inconclusive. He’s at Watford now, and could very easily work into the fold in the months to come. The other alternatives to Scally are, in the program’s grand tradition, playing out of position. There’s Arfsten, still tapping into his winger’s instincts at the expense of his team’s defending. There’s Scally shifting over from right back (and Sergiño Dest before him, the first-choice option in that spot), who fancy themselves to put in a shift on the left. Even then, it weakens the right back contingent that is seemingly three players deep: Dest, Scally, Alex Freeman. If Robinson’s recovery timetable will keep him out of the next international camp spanning from Sept. 1-9 (the fifth-to-last camp before the 2026 World Cup), those speculative alternatives may get another chance to log starts and fortify their cases for inclusion. Pochettino and a fanbase starved for optimism will rightfully hope for a pleasant surprise. As it stands right now, it’s a bleak reality for the USMNT: against ideal operational standards, this is a Jedi without a worthy padawan. (Top photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
La Liga season preview: Our predictions on Barcelona, Real Madrid and much more
The new La Liga season gets started later on Friday, with defending champions Barcelona opening at Real Mallorca tomorrow and Real Madrid welcoming Osasuna on Tuesday.
As usual, there is no shortage of storylines, including Barca again struggling to register their new signings, Madrid once more battling against La Liga’s authorities and Atletico Madrid spending big to try to challenge the Clasico duo for the title. There’s also plenty of political intrigue, controversy, figures under pressure and the possibility for history to be made on and off the pitch.
The Athletic has taken its annual stab at predicting how things will go (which will hopefully turn out better than last year, when we predicted Barcelona would sack new manager Hansi Flick by Christmas)…
Who will win La Liga and why?
Flick had a phenomenal first season in charge at Barcelona, winning the domestic treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Supercopa.
His squad is arguably stronger this year. Defender Inigo Martinez has left, but on-loan Marcus Rashford brings another option in attack, and most importantly, the team’s young core should be even better — centre-back Pau Cubarsi, midfielders Pedri and Gavi, and especially emerging-superstar attacker Lamine Yamal.
Can Flick’s Barca build further on last season’s success? (Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)
Madrid also look to have significantly improved, with a rebuilt defence and fresh energy and impetus under new coach Xabi Alonso. Atletico have spent a lot again to try to mount a challenge, and Diego Simeone arguably now has the deepest squad of his 14 seasons in charge. But Alonso’s impact across the capital could be hampered by minimal pre-season preparation time after going to the final four of the Club World Cup last month, while Simeone’s new signings might take a while to settle in.
Barcelona, Madrid and Atletico have finished among the top four in Spain every year since 2012-13, and they will again this time. But the race for the fourth Champions League qualification spot looks wide open.
Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal are playing in that competition this season, so their domestic form could suffer as they juggle the extra eight games. That might open up an opportunity for Real Betis, who continue to make progress year on year under veteran coach Manuel Pellegrini. Betis’ top-four challenge will be especially strong if they can secure the return of Brazilian attacker Antony from Manchester United after his impressive loan spell in the second half of last season.
Mallorca could potentially challenge for a European spot, while Valencia improved tremendously after Carlos Corberan took over as coach in January.
Who will be the biggest underperformers?
One of the biggest questions is how Madrid’s Club World Cup exertions, tacked onto the end of last season, will affect how they start this new campaign.
Madrid’s players finally got to go on holiday on July 10, after losing 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals in the United States. They then returned for pre-season training on August 4, just 15 days before they welcome Osasuna to the Bernabeu for both sides’ opening La Liga fixture.
Managing that situation is a huge challenge for new coach Alonso, who also has to integrate three new defenders in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras.
Alonso was appointed as Madrid coach back in May (Sara Gordon/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
Their games at the Club World Cup suggested that Alonso’s biggest issue will be how to fit both Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior into his XI while implementing a version of the high-energy, high-pressing style he used at previous club Bayer Leverkusen.
Midfielder Jude Bellingham will be missing until mid-October at least, following a summer operation to fix a long-running shoulder issue, and players could also still leave in the summer transfer window, including Brazilian attacker Rodrygo.
Alonso could well end up being a success at the Bernabeu – he has the experience and nous to deal with the challenge of the job – but there might be some bumps along the way, and Madrid could be playing catch-up in the 2025-26 title race from early on.
How do you expect the promoted clubs to do?
Levante, Elche and Real Oviedo would all see a 17th-place finish in the 20-club table, so avoiding an immediate return to the second tier, as success.
The three promoted clubs are working with limited finances, having spent around €10million (£8.6m; $11.7m) between them so far on new players (for comparison, the three teams promoted to the Premier League this summer have spent over €300m combined).
Levante’s players, coach and staff played a big role in providing crucial supplies and support when the team’s home city of Valencia was badly flooded last October. Elche owner Christian Bragarnik’s CV includes experience as a striker in fifth-tier Argentine football, time spent as a video-store assistant, and working as an agent to Diego Maradona.
Who will be the best young player this season?
Yamal only turned 18 in mid-July and could already be the best player in Spain, if not the world, so he’s a good candidate for this section.
Already a senior Argentina international, Mastantuono is used to dealing with pressure and expectation. He has already played 64 senior games for River, scoring 10 goals and providing seven assists. Some of those goals were spectacular, especially the tremendous free kick scored in a 2-1 derby victory against fierce local rivals Boca Juniors in April.
Many kids have arrived at Madrid with big hype and have taken a long time to settle, or just never made it at all. But people who know Mastantuono reckon he can hit the ground running and quickly rival Yamal as the hottest teenager in La Liga.
Which under-the-radar figure have the big clubs been sleeping on?
Athletic Club’s Mikel Jauregizar had a real breakout season in 2024-25 and is fast developing into one of the top defensive midfielders in La Liga. Only 18 months on from his senior debut, the super-combative and mobile 21-year-old has established himself as a key member of coach Ernesto Valverde’s team.
Jauregizar, pictured in pre-season for Athletic (Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
He is not the biggest at 177cm (5ft 10in), but Jauregizar ranked third-highest among all midfielders for tackles in La Liga last season. That ability to regain possession and then launch attackers such as brothers Inaki and Nico Williams was key to Valverde’s team’s success in finishing fourth.
Jauregizar did not help himself with his performance in Athletic Club’s biggest game of the season, being embarrassingly dribbled past by Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire in the Europa League semi-final first leg at San Mames. But his career so far suggests he is a very quick learner, and playing in the Champions League this season should bring plenty more experience and exposure.
For much of last season, Atletico appeared set to seriously compete on all fronts, but their season shuddered to a stop in March with a series of disappointing defeats by Barcelona and Madrid across La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
Atletico’s subsequent summer spending of around €150million looks directly aimed at fixing issues in the squad highlighted during that tough spell. Slovakia defender David Hancko and United States international midfielder Johnny Cardoso bring more physicality, while Italian Matteo Ruggeri and Spain’s Alex Baena form an all-new left flank.
United States international Cardoso in action for Atletico in pre-season against Newcastle (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)
On paper, they all look like excellent acquisitions. The question now is how Simeone integrates all his new players and whether he can get them to buy quickly into his trademark super-intense style of play.
If it all clicks, Atletico’s challenge could go a lot further this season.
Which club have had the worst transfer window?
Villarreal supporters had known that Spain international Baena was set to leave, and the club banking €42million from Atletico and signing Las Palmas’ Alberto Moleiro as a replacement for €16m was not such bad business. Similarly, selling inconsistent forward Thierno Barry to Everton for €30m and getting Spain Under-21 international centre-back Rafa Marin on loan from Napoli look like smart moves.
Less easy to understand is bringing in former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey on a free transfer.
Partey’s experience and ability could be useful on the pitch as Villarreal return to the Champions League this season, but for many, it is just unacceptable to sign a player who has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in England. Partey denies the charges, and club president Fernando Roig said on Tuesday: “We respect the presumption of innocence and of course we condemn any kind of violence, inside or outside football.”
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Tell us one great storyline we might have missed…
Barcelona’s issues around registering their summer signings with La Liga are eye-catching due to the size of the club and the regular drama involved, but they are far from the only ones struggling in this area ahead of the new season.
Just days before the games kick off this weekend, more than 50 new arrivals had yet to be officially registered with La Liga. Clubs still looking to make room within their budget included the three promoted clubs, as well as Sevilla, Celta Vigo, Espanyol, Getafe, Real Sociedad, Betis and Alaves.
So some well-known names are likely to watch their new team’s opening game from the stands, while a frantic couple of weeks of wheeling and dealing are likely until the end of the transfer window.
What will be making headlines as the season progresses?
La Liga president Javier Tebas has been openly trying to stage official Spanish top-flight games in the United States since 2018, but until now has always been denied by a mix of political and practical factors.
Tebas is nothing if not dogged, however, and many of the big hurdles have now been removed — including the settlement of a U.S. legal case between world football’s governing body FIFA and promoters Relevent, and improved relations with the Spanish FA in the post-Luis Rubiales era.
The biggest opposition domestically comes from Madrid president Florentino Perez, while green lights are still required from the European game’s rulers UEFA, Concacaf (the regional federation that includes the U.S.) and the United States Soccer Federation.
Though it’s not yet fully sorted, sooner or later, Tebas’ signature project looks certain to happen.
(Top photos of Rashford, left, and Alexander-Arnold: Getty Images)
FourFourTwo Premier League Season Previews 2025-26
Our legendary previews on all 20 teams set to grace the Premier League this season is here, brought to you by expert journalists and hardcore fans at the heart of each club
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Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool, lifts the Premier League trophy after his team’s victory in the 2024/25 Premier League (Image credit: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
We’re not far away from the start of the 2025/26 Premier League and all the twists, turns and drama that comes with it.
The transfer market has been going into overdrive as teams look to do battle once again, with some mouthwatering spectacles set to light up the pitch again from August to May.
Read on for FourFourTwo’s preview on all 20 Premier League teams in the 2025/26 season…You may like
Bukayo Saka celebrates with Gabriel Martinelli after scoring for Arsenal against Real Madrid (Image credit: Getty Images)
After finishing second for a third season in a row last year, Arsenal are looking to go one better and finally lift the Premier League title. Preseason has been strong, with several new signings through the door, and now, Mikel Arteta is ready to take his side over the line and lift silverware this season.
FourFourTwo has your complete season preview ahead of the new campaign, with the lowdown on star players, what to expect and predictions of what’s to come over the next few months, along with Arsenal’s full fixture list, too.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa celebrate (Image credit: Getty Images)
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa missed out on Champions League football on the final day of last season. After another impressive campaign, in which they qualified for European football, reached the quarter-final of the Champions League, and the semi-final of the FA Cup, they will be looking to continue finishing inside the top six and make a serious play for one of the cups.
FourFourTwo has everything you need for the new term with our season preview. Get the inside scoop on star players, what to look forward to, and our predictions for the coming months, along with Aston Villa’s fixtures.
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Brentford
Nathan Collins of Brentford (Image credit: Getty Images)
Brentford are entering uncharted waters. For the first time in the Premier League they will not be led by Thomas Frank, and Bryan Mbeumo will not be in the squad. They have attempted to negate too much disruption by appointing former set-piece coach Keith Andrews, while they’ve brought in Caoimhin Kelleher and Jordan Henderson as they look to solidify their mid-table status.
Your essential guide to the new season is here. FourFourTwo brings you the full preview, including key players, team expectations, our final predictions and Brentford’s fixtures.
This will be Brighton’s eighth season in the Premier League and they enter with significant expectations. 18-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas has become their third highest transfer of all-time as they look to push for European football for the second-time in their history.
Ahead of the new campaign, FourFourTwo offers your complete season preview. We’ve got the lowdown on the biggest stars, what to expect, and a glimpse into our predictions for the next few months – plus Brighton’s full fixture list.
Burnley
Josh Brownhill of Burnley (Image credit: Getty Images)
Burnley finished second in the Championship last season with 100 points, the most ever for a team in second place, only beaten to the title on goal difference. Across the 46 games, they conceded just 16 goals, but shot-stopper James Trafford has returned to Manchester City. Scott Parker will be hoping they can build on their strong defensive performance and stay up this season.
Fresh off the back of their record points tally, Bournemouth will be looking to go one further and reach European football for the first time. Adoni Iroala’s side however, will be without much of their defence from last season, including Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez making their task slightly more difficult.
FourFourTwo’snew season preview is out now. Dive into our analysis of key players and our predictions for what’s to come over the next few months – and check out Bournemouth’s fixture list, too.
Chelsea
Chelsea star Cole Palmer (Image credit: David Ramos/Getty Images)
Club World Cup champions Chelsea head into the season with lofty expectations. Their impressive performance in America this summer shows their scatter-gun transfer approach has worked and after spending north of £250 million again this summer, the Blues fans will be hoping they can make a serious bid for the title.
And the new season is almost here: FourFourTwo has your complete preview, covering everything from top players to our final predictions, and even Chelsea’s fixtures.
The mood is mixed at Selhurst Park. On the one hand, Oliver Glasner has delivered nothing that any Eagles manager has ever done before and won a trophy: the good feeling isn’t going to disappear any time soon, and Crystal Palace fans are hoping to push on up the league – but on the other, the cloud of the European football debacle and what competition they’ll be dropped into still lingers.
We’ve got everything you need to know ahead of the start of a new campaign with our comprehensive season preview, delving into what to look forward to and where Palace will be in another year’s time – plus, see Crystal Palace’s fixture list.
Everton
Everton manager David Moyes (Image credit: Alamy)
David Moyes is back at the wheel at Everton and the Toffees are under new ownership, as they look to buck the recent trend of fighting the drop and push on up the league: it’s arguably the most exciting time to be on the blue side of Merseyside for quite some time – and that’s before you factor in the small matter of a new home.
Find out what to expect from the new campaign: FourFourTwo provides a full season preview, including insights on star players and our predictions for the months ahead, along with Everton’s fixture list.
Fulham
Alex Iwobi of Fulham battles with Yegor Yarmolyuk of Brentford (Image credit: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Fulham are looking up in the table. Marco Silva has been in charge since 2021 now and with the Cottagers having kept key stars over the summer, now could be the time to mount a serious charge up the Premier League.
Leeds United are back in the big time – but can they remain there? Things are going to be tough for the Championship winners but after strengthening this summer, they’re in a good position to give it a whirl.
Be prepared for what’s to come: FourFourTwo offers you a full preview with the lowdown on star players and our predictions for the months to come, plus Leeds’ complete fixtures.
Liverpool
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah (Image credit: Pic Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Liverpool have refused to stand still. After winning the title last term, big money has been spent on improving Arne Slot’s side, as Florian Wirtz joins for a British record fee and two new full-backs join the side.
Are the Reds set for the new season? FourFourTwo has you covered with our complete preview, featuring key players, what’s expected, and our predictions, along with Liverpool’s fixture list.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola instructs his players (Image credit: David Ramos/Getty Images)
Manchester City failed to win the title last year for the first time in five seasons. Now, armed with new recruits across the pitch and newfound fire to get back on top, Pep Guardiola is looking to wrestle back his crown.
FourFourTwo’scomplete season preview is here to get you hyped for the new campaign. We break down the star players, what you can expect, and our predictions for the campaign, ahead of Manchester City’s full fixtures.
Manchester United
Bryan Mbeumo trains with Manchester United (Image credit: Getty Images)
Last season was a generational low for a Manchester United side that finished 15th and lost the Europa League final. There’s certainly hope, however, that complete with a new-look frontline, the Red Devils can go again and that boss Ruben Amorim can start to get this side clicking under his system.
Before the new campaign kicks off, check out our full season preview from FourFourTwo. You’ll get the inside scoop on top players, what to anticipate, and what we think will happen over the next few months – and check out Manchester United’s complete fixture list.
Newcastle United
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe (Image credit: Getty Images)
Newcastle United may have had a tough summer but they go into the new season having lifted a trophy last term and with Champions League to look forward to. Despite the struggles in the transfer market, Eddie Howe has built a side to be feared on the pitch: and this is a club that will be looking to go even further in their ambitions.
Ready for the new season? FourFourTwo has you covered with our in-depth preview. We give you the lowdown on the players to watch and share our predictions for the coming months, ahead of Newcastle’s fixtures.
Nottingham Forest bucked all expectations last term with a finish in the European places – and after the unexpected bonus of Europa League football to look forward to, the Tricky Trees are welcoming European football back for the first time in a generation. There’s plenty to be excited by.
The new season is just around the corner, and our complete preview is finally here. FourFourTwo gives you the essential details on star players, a rundown of expectations, and a look at our predictions, plus Forest’s fixture list.
Sunderland
Sunderland fans (Image credit: Getty Images)
Sunderland’s dramatic promotion in the play-offs sees the Black Cats returning to the Premier League and wanting to do far more than make up the numbers: if summer business has anything to go by, they could be about to spring a few surprises, too.
What’s in store for the new season? Find out with our complete preview from FourFourTwo. We’ve got the scoop on key players, what to expect, and our predictions for the months to come – and we’ve even got Sunderland’s complete fixture schedule.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham boss Thomas Frank (Image credit: Copyright (c) 2025 Shutterstock Editorial. No use without permission.)
Optimism at Tottenham Hotspur is unusually high for a team that only scraped 17th in the table last season: that will be because Thomas Frank has arrived, preseason has been positive and the Europa League triumph last season means that the trophy curse has finally been banished. Now, Spurs can start looking upwards again.
The wait is over: FourFourTwo presents our comprehensive season preview, complete with a close look at the most exciting players and our predictions for the next few months., along with Tottenham’s fixture lists.
West Ham United
West Ham man Tomas Soucek (Image credit: Getty Images)
West Ham United are quietly going about their business this summer and with a highly-rated coach in Graham Potter, they’ll be hoping to cause some upsets and return to battling for Europe.
Anticipation is building, and so is our new season preview: FourFourTwo brings you all the essential info on players to watch and our bold predictions for the season – plus, West Ham’s fixtures.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira (Image credit: Getty Images)
Wolverhampton Wanderers enjoyed a remarkable turnaround under Vitor Pereira last season – but having lost star players Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha, can the Old Gold expect another campaign like last, or can they push on up the Premier League?
Get a head start on the new campaign with the FourFourTwoseason preview: we’ll give you a full rundown on the top stars and offer our predictions for the season ahead, along with Wolves’ complete fixtures.
Premier League Predictions: Liverpool vs Bournemouth, Man Utd vs Arsenal and the rest of Matchday 1
Welcome to the first edition of The Athletic’s new Premier League Predictions game.
This is where you (our lovely subscribers) have the opportunity to join a data algorithm, a six-year-old boy, and me in putting our credibility on the line on a weekly basis.
Every week, we will give score predictions for each of the 10 Premier League games, with a correct scoreline gaining three points and a correct result gaining one point. To make things more interesting, there will be a bonus point if a player is the only one to get a scoreline or result correct. You’ll be able to see the standings from next week.
We will have a different subscriber each week, chosen from those who have replied with their interest (see here for how to get involved and for other general information), but I will be a constant throughout the season until May, along with the algorithm and, of course, six-year-old Wilfred.The more I talk about this, the more convinced I am that The Athletic are setting me up for a fall here, exposing not only my inability to predict the outcome of football matches but, even worse, my blatant bias against your team.Ah, let’s brush away these pangs of insecurity. Three hundred and eighty Premier League matches lie ahead of us from now to May 24, so let’s get cracking.For the opening weekend, the subscribers will be represented by Vaageesh, a Manchester United supporter who hails from Chennai, India. Will he tip his beloved team to hit the ground running against Arsenal? Will any of us? This is already causing me more stress than I thought it would…
Our subscriber’s match of the week
Manchester United vs Arsenal, Sunday 4.30pm BST/11.30am ET
Vaageesh says: “I don’t have much time; I’m writing this moments after entrapping my battling optimistic and pessimistic selves in a bunker. Here’s the rationale: Manchester United’s ability in transition will cancel out Arsenal’s confidence when in possession and neither will quite have the fluidity required to pull ahead despite the fact that both teams seem to have improved over the summer.”
Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal
Oli says: I’m old enough to remember Arsenal, as champions, being obliterated on the opening day in 1989-90 by a new-look Manchester United team, for whom it proved a classic false dawn. United’s prospective new owner, Michael Knighton, was on the pitch beforehand, ball-juggling and blowing kisses to the crowd, and Neil Webb smashed one in from 25 yards on his debut — wild stuff, honestly (yeah, get on with it, Grandad).If I close my eyes, I can imagine a scenario where something similar happens — this new United front line looks perfect for a balmy Sunday afternoon in August — but… no, not quite. This Arsenal team strike me as too serious to be rolled over on day one. I’ll try not to sit on the fence too often, but I’m going to have to go for a very lively draw here.
Manchester United 2-2 Arsenal
Bryan Mbeumo (left), Benjamin Sesko (middle) and Matheus Cunha (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Oli’s other predictions
Liverpool vs Bournemouth
Oli says: If I describe this as an awkward start for Liverpool, it’s in part because Bournemouth are unconventional opponents. Nobody seems to have it easy against them. I’ll go for a home win, but not a comfortable one. It might be a tight, nervous one, requiring a lively cameo from Rio Ngumoha and a late winner from Mohamed Salah, that kind of thing.
Liverpool 2-1 Bournemouth
Aston Villa vs Newcastle
Oli says: They have both had challenging summers, but stylistically this is one of my favourite match-ups in the league. The past six meetings have seen four wins for Newcastle (4-0, 5-1, 3-1, 3-0) and two for Villa (3-0 and 4-1), and I could see this one swinging violently one way or the other. Which way? I’ll say Villa this time.
Aston Villa 3-1 Newcastle
Brighton vs Fulham
Oli says: Another nice match-up, another that could certainly go either way. Why am I going with Fulham to hit the ground running against a Brighton team I rate? Not sure, but perhaps because of their quiet summer in the transfer market, rather than despite it.
Brighton 1-2 Fulham
Sunderland vs West Ham
Oli says: I’ve missed having Sunderland in the Premier League — or certainly the notion of what Sunderland should or could be. The place will be rocking on Saturday and even though I like the look of a couple of West Ham’s signings, it’s a winnable opening game for Sunderland.
Sunderland 1-0 West Ham
Tottenham vs Burnley
Oli says: I don’t know what to expect from Tottenham this season, but I will at least predict a winning start. Burnley had an outstanding defensive record last season, but facing Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus, etc, represents a step up in class for Scott Parker’s team.
Tottenham 2-1 Burnley
Wolves vs Man City
Oli says: The Wolves fans I know are all worried after another summer dominated by departures. As opening games go, this looks more likely to intensify the gloom rather than lift it. Manchester City always seem to hit the ground running — Erling Haaland in particular — and I expect that to continue.
Wolves 0-2 Manchester City
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace
Oli says: I don’t know how Chelsea’s Club World Cup exertions will affect them in the long run, but I fancy them to start well. Palace, incidentally, have been slow starters and excellent finishers over the past few seasons. There’s no reason to expect that pattern to continue, but Chelsea away on the opening weekend is tough.
Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace
Nottingham Forest vs Brentford
Oli says: Looking at how the fixtures have fallen, Forest are another team I fancy to start well — at least until the European commitments kick in, which will test their squad depth — whereas I’m slightly concerned for Brentford. I’m expecting a home win and a Morgan Gibbs-White goal, followed by a flamboyant kiss of the badge.
Nottingham Forest 2-0 Brentford
Leeds vs Everton
Oli says: For Leeds and their fans, this is the perfect opening game, particularly under the floodlights on a Monday night. They didn’t get to enjoy an occasion like this after promotion during the Covid pandemic in 2020, so I’m predicting an utterly wild atmosphere, an exuberant performance, a refereeing controversy, and, ultimately, a Leeds win to round off a lively opening weekend.
How players force a transfer, Pulisic and Weah hit back at ‘evil’ ex-USMNT stars NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – MAY 25: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United applauds the fans as he warms up prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Everton FC at St James’ Park on May 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) By Phil Hay Aug. 14, 2025 1
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Hello! Feigning injury, missing pre-season, downing tools. We’re covering the dark arts involved in convincing a club to sell you. Just don’t bother with an actual transfer request.
On the way:
How footballers force a move Pulisic beef intensifies Rooney fires back at Brady A stone-cold 50-metre lob Exit strategy: Isak wants to leave Newcastle… but how do players get their way?
Alexander Isak during pre-season training in July (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images) I once asked a footballer (best left nameless) why, at one of his previous clubs, he upset all and sundry by submitting a transfer request. “It wasn’t a transfer request,” he replied. “It was a perceived transfer request.”
You can guess the follow-up question: what on earth is a perceived transfer request? “They took it to be an official request, when it wasn’t,” he explained, which sounded suspiciously like semantics to me; a player actively plotting to leave, without saying so formally or quite so explicitly.
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Written transfer requests — the unequivocal, black-and-white means by which restless pros can manipulate a move — are less common than you might think. For one thing, submitting a demand in writing risks forfeiting future bonuses or loyalty payments. For two, they’re regarded as small-time. As one agent tells The Athletic’s Stu James: “You’re handing in a letter saying you want to leave. What the hell does that do?”
Stu wrote about the art of manufacturing a transfer in 2021 but he updated his piece when trouble brewed between Newcastle United and Alexander Isak (above), and it’s relevant again in light of the sorry deterioration of that relationship. The Swedish striker has no intention of making another appearance for the Tyneside club. He would sooner sign for Liverpool. But how does he force his way out the door if Newcastle aren’t minded to trade him?
This isn’t new ground, or even close. Cerys Jones went back through the Premier League archives to analyse other high-profile names — Harry Kane, Luis Suarez and others — who effectively went on strike, hoping to be sold. Some who stamp their feet get their way. Others don’t. Stu’s feature is a window into Newcastle’s reality.
Top Stories The biggest issues facing youth sports? Greg Olsen has strong opinions NBA 2025-26 schedule release: 40 games I’m looking forward to next season The epicenter of stalking in sports? Why tennis stands apart Never get an owner angry Isak hasn’t done a bad job in employing the tactics suggested by different agents Stu talked to (all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity). Complain of minor injuries? Check. Refuse to travel on a pre-season tour? Check. Down tools, or cast doubt over your commitment to your existing employers? Check. Textbook stuff.
Here’s what those who know the drill had to say about facilitating a contentious exit from a club:
One agent warned: “What you must never do is get an owner angry. Once a billionaire says, ‘He’s not for sale’, you’re dead. You’re ain’t going nowhere because their credibility is on the line.” A manager with Premier League experience talked about trying to drop a wantaway star down to work with the club’s under-23s: “Then you’ll have the club push back on you and say, ‘He’s an asset, he needs to be involved’. You end up having friction with the club. It’s an absolute nightmare.” Another high-profile representative said, “Some agents try to force things through that are just ridiculous. And all that happens is that it causes a load of bad feeling, nobody wins. Try to find a solution for everybody.” But by far the most revealing quote came from David Sullivan, the co-owner of West Ham United. Generally speaking, Sullivan said, coaches want disruptive players out of the building because they “create a terrible atmosphere”. A sulking asset is essentially a bad apple. And in the case of Isak, it might be that fact that grants him his wish.
‘I feel like they’re evil’: Pulisic and Weah bite back on criticism of ex-USMNT players. Again. USMNT’s Tim Weah and Christian Pulisic Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah celebrate against Germany in 2023 (Alex Grimm/Getty Images) To say that current USMNT stars are at odds with certain retired U.S. internationals would be the understatement of the day. Tyler Adams tried to be diplomatic about criticism from Landon Donovan and others in an interview with The Athletic this week, but yesterday’s episode of the ‘Pulisic’ series on Paramount+ took the beef up a notch.
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One thing to point out first: by any objective measure, the USMNT have done nothing to shield themselves from ex-pro scrutiny. The past couple of years have been miserable, and Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah (above) choosing to miss this summer’s Gold Cup wasn’t going to pass without comment. But blimey, they’re taking it all to heart. Here’s what was said on ‘Pulisic’:
Weah: “Those guys are chasing cheques. And for me, I just feel like they’re really evil. Because they’ve been players, and they know what it’s like when you’re getting bashed. Those are the same guys that’ll turn around and shake your hand, and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day.” Pulisic: “The most annoying thing, and the biggest cop-out of all time, is when all pundits want to say, ‘They didn’t want it, they didn’t have the heart. Back in our day, we would fight and die on that field’. It’s frustrating.” Pulisic’s father, Mark: “These guys want clicks. It’s social media, it’s, ‘Subscribe to my channel, listen to my podcasts’, or whatever.” Quote three is a little ironic coming from someone talking in a docuseries, but here we are. The thing is, I don’t see the former USMNT corps backing down tamely, so where this goes from here is anybody’s guess. National unity with less than a year to a home World Cup? If only.
News Round-Up A tasty spat has broken out between Birmingham City shareholder Tom Brady and the club’s former head coach, Wayne Rooney. Brady was filmed raising doubts about Rooney’s work ethic in a recent documentary. Rooney hit back on his new podcast, saying the comments were “very unfair” and that Brady didn’t “really understand football that well”. Barcelona’s board are putting millions of their own money on the line in an effort to get Marcus Rashford and others registered with La Liga. Their salary-cap stress has reached crisis point, again. The Daily Liverpool: they’re closing in on the signing of 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma in Italy. He’ll set them back £26m ($35.2m). The Club World Cup was a nice little earner for the squad at Chelsea. After winning the tournament, their players will share bonuses worth more than £10m. But, bless them, a portion is to be donated to the family of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva. Gimnastic de Tarragona, a Catalan club who play in Spain’s third division, have cancelled the signing of Jose Manuel Calderon…after the defender was caught on camera saying: “I sh** on all dead Catalans.” Calderon apologised, albeit too little too late. An under-21s match involving Manchester United had to be abandoned after midfielder Sekou Kone suffered a bad head injury. The 19-year-old was taken to hospital but appears to be OK. Keeping it together: Chevalier and PSG come back from 2-0 down to beat Spurs in Super Cup
TNT Sports Well, colour us shocked. Paris Saint-Germain ostracise Gianluigi Donnarumma and the first thing the goalkeeper’s replacement, Lucas Chevalier, does is mark his debut in last night’s UEFA Super Cup match by throwing one in this goal, above. That’s football being football.
The evening got better for Chevalier, who saved a penalty in a shootout as PSG picked up their fourth trophy of 2025. They were on the ropes in normal time, trailing 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur with five minutes to go, but something woke them from their slumber.
I’d caution against reading too much into Tottenham’s display because PSG were rusty, as if they were psychologically tearing themselves away from the beaches of Saint-Tropez. That said, for much of the game, there was decent structure to Spurs and their set pieces worked. It was only as they dropped deep in defence of their lead that PSG got a sniff. No early silverware for Thomas Frank, but green shoots all the same.
It didn’t stop Sheffield United sliding out of the Carabao Cup, but I wouldn’t have you missing Gustavo Hamer’s glorious 50-yard finish against Birmingham City last night. Nottingham Forest’s Murillo should sign him up for lessons.
ITV Sport Around TAFC On the eve of the Premier League season, I’ll point you towards a rundown of all the coverage you can expect from The Athletic. It’s here and it’s epic. I like the sound of the alternative league table. There can’t have been many summers in which top-flight English teams threw more money at attacking signings, including Viktor Gyokeres and Florian Wirtz. Mark Carey and Thom Harris have taken a closer look at an expensive trend. Gyokeres, in theory, should enhance Arsenal’s chances of winning the title. Amy Lawrence sat down for an exclusive chat with their manager, Mikel Arteta. James Milner is a machine: 39 years old and still at it in the Premier League. This interview with him by Oli Kay is ace. Fantasy Premier League: once more, the code to our TAFC league for any readers who wish to be part of it. Enter using 30j0f7. We’ve got a few more last-minute tips for you. Most clicked in Wednesday’s TAFC: the PSG-Donnarumma rift. And finally…
X / @sportsru How we chuckled a few weeks back at the footballer in Brazil who re-enacted the Cristiano Ronaldo ‘Siu’ celebration routine and gave himself a gammy leg in the process.
But that self-inflicted wound looks fairly pedestrian when set aside the post-goal backflip attempted by Dynamo Barnaul’s Kirill Mogel in a Russian lower-league match at the weekend. To cut him some slack, the striker hadn’t scored for months but if the crunch was as nasty as it looked, he might not be scoring again for a good while either.
“The acrobatic trick didn’t work out for him,” lamented Dynamo Barnaul’s official website. I’ll say.
(Top photo: George Wood/Getty Images)
How players force a transfer, Pulisic and Weah hit back at ‘evil’ ex-USMNT stars
Hello! Feigning injury, missing pre-season, downing tools. We’re covering the dark arts involved in convincing a club to sell you. Just don’t bother with an actual transfer request.
Exit strategy: Isak wants to leave Newcastle… but how do players get their way?
Alexander Isak during pre-season training in July (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
I once asked a footballer (best left nameless) why, at one of his previous clubs, he upset all and sundry by submitting a transfer request. “It wasn’t a transfer request,” he replied. “It was a perceived transfer request.”
You can guess the follow-up question: what on earth is a perceived transfer request? “They took it to be an official request, when it wasn’t,” he explained, which sounded suspiciously like semantics to me; a player actively plotting to leave, without saying so formally or quite so explicitly.
Advertisement
Written transfer requests — the unequivocal, black-and-white means by which restless pros can manipulate a move — are less common than you might think. For one thing, submitting a demand in writing risks forfeiting future bonuses or loyalty payments. For two, they’re regarded as small-time. As one agent tells The Athletic’s Stu James: “You’re handing in a letter saying you want to leave. What the hell does that do?”
Stu wrote about the art of manufacturing a transfer in 2021 but he updated his piece when trouble brewed between Newcastle United and Alexander Isak (above), and it’s relevant again in light of the sorry deterioration of that relationship. The Swedish striker has no intention of making another appearance for the Tyneside club. He would sooner sign for Liverpool. But how does he force his way out the door if Newcastle aren’t minded to trade him?
This isn’t new ground, or even close. Cerys Jones went back through the Premier League archives to analyse other high-profile names — Harry Kane, Luis Suarez and others — who effectively went on strike, hoping to be sold. Some who stamp their feet get their way. Others don’t. Stu’s feature is a window into Newcastle’s reality.
Never get an owner angry
Isak hasn’t done a bad job in employing the tactics suggested by different agents Stu talked to (all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity). Complain of minor injuries? Check. Refuse to travel on a pre-season tour? Check. Down tools, or cast doubt over your commitment to your existing employers? Check. Textbook stuff.
Here’s what those who know the drill had to say about facilitating a contentious exit from a club:
One agent warned: “What you must never do is get an owner angry. Once a billionaire says, ‘He’s not for sale’, you’re dead. You’re ain’t going nowhere because their credibility is on the line.”
A manager with Premier League experience talked about trying to drop a wantaway star down to work with the club’s under-23s: “Then you’ll have the club push back on you and say, ‘He’s an asset, he needs to be involved’. You end up having friction with the club. It’s an absolute nightmare.”
Another high-profile representative said, “Some agents try to force things through that are just ridiculous. And all that happens is that it causes a load of bad feeling, nobody wins. Try to find a solution for everybody.”
But by far the most revealing quote came from David Sullivan, the co-owner of West Ham United. Generally speaking, Sullivan said, coaches want disruptive players out of the building because they “create a terrible atmosphere”. A sulking asset is essentially a bad apple. And in the case of Isak, it might be that fact that grants him his wish.
‘I feel like they’re evil’: Pulisic and Weah bite back on criticism of ex-USMNT players. Again.
Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah celebrate against Germany in 2023 (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
To say that current USMNT stars are at odds with certain retired U.S. internationals would be the understatement of the day. Tyler Adams tried to be diplomatic about criticism from Landon Donovan and others in an interview with The Athletic this week, but yesterday’s episode of the ‘Pulisic’ series on Paramount+ took the beef up a notch.
One thing to point out first: by any objective measure, the USMNT have done nothing to shield themselves from ex-pro scrutiny. The past couple of years have been miserable, and Christian Pulisic and Tim Weah (above) choosing to miss this summer’s Gold Cup wasn’t going to pass without comment. But blimey, they’re taking it all to heart. Here’s what was said on ‘Pulisic’:
Weah: “Those guys are chasing cheques. And for me, I just feel like they’re really evil. Because they’ve been players, and they know what it’s like when you’re getting bashed. Those are the same guys that’ll turn around and shake your hand, and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day.”
Pulisic: “The most annoying thing, and the biggest cop-out of all time, is when all pundits want to say, ‘They didn’t want it, they didn’t have the heart. Back in our day, we would fight and die on that field’. It’s frustrating.”
Pulisic’s father, Mark: “These guys want clicks. It’s social media, it’s, ‘Subscribe to my channel, listen to my podcasts’, or whatever.”
Quote three is a little ironic coming from someone talking in a docuseries, but here we are. The thing is, I don’t see the former USMNT corps backing down tamely, so where this goes from here is anybody’s guess. National unity with less than a year to a home World Cup? If only.
News Round-Up
A tasty spat has broken out between Birmingham City shareholder Tom Brady and the club’s former head coach, Wayne Rooney. Brady was filmed raising doubts about Rooney’s work ethic in a recent documentary. Rooney hit back on his new podcast, saying the comments were “very unfair” and that Brady didn’t “really understand football that well”.
Barcelona’s board are putting millions of their own money on the line in an effort to get Marcus Rashford and others registered with La Liga. Their salary-cap stress has reached crisis point, again.
The Daily Liverpool: they’re closing in on the signing of 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma in Italy. He’ll set them back £26m ($35.2m).
Gimnastic de Tarragona, a Catalan club who play in Spain’s third division, have cancelled the signing of Jose Manuel Calderon…after the defender was caught on camera saying: “I sh** on all dead Catalans.” Calderon apologised, albeit too little too late.
An under-21s match involving Manchester United had to be abandoned after midfielder Sekou Kone suffered a bad head injury. The 19-year-old was taken to hospital but appears to be OK.
Keeping it together: Chevalier and PSG come back from 2-0 down to beat Spurs in Super Cup
TNT Sports
Well, colour us shocked. Paris Saint-Germain ostracise Gianluigi Donnarumma and the first thing the goalkeeper’s replacement, Lucas Chevalier, does is mark his debut in last night’s UEFA Super Cup match by throwing one in this goal, above. That’s football being football.
The evening got better for Chevalier, who saved a penalty in a shootout as PSG picked up their fourth trophy of 2025. They were on the ropes in normal time, trailing 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur with five minutes to go, but something woke them from their slumber.
I’d caution against reading too much into Tottenham’s display because PSG were rusty, as if they were psychologically tearing themselves away from the beaches of Saint-Tropez. That said, for much of the game, there was decent structure to Spurs and their set pieces worked. It was only as they dropped deep in defence of their lead that PSG got a sniff. No early silverware for Thomas Frank, but green shoots all the same.
On the eve of the Premier League season, I’ll point you towards a rundown of all the coverage you can expect from The Athletic. It’s here and it’s epic. I like the sound of the alternative league table.
There can’t have been many summers in which top-flight English teams threw more money at attacking signings, including Viktor Gyokeres and Florian Wirtz. Mark Carey and Thom Harris have taken a closer look at an expensive trend.
Gyokeres, in theory, should enhance Arsenal’s chances of winning the title. Amy Lawrence sat down for an exclusive chat with their manager, Mikel Arteta.
James Milner is a machine: 39 years old and still at it in the Premier League. This interview with him by Oli Kay is ace.
Fantasy Premier League: once more, the code to our TAFC league for any readers who wish to be part of it. Enter using 30j0f7. We’ve got a few more last-minute tips for you.
How we chuckled a few weeks back at the footballer in Brazil who re-enacted the Cristiano Ronaldo ‘Siu’ celebration routine and gave himself a gammy leg in the process.
But that self-inflicted wound looks fairly pedestrian when set aside the post-goal backflip attempted by Dynamo Barnaul’s Kirill Mogel in a Russian lower-league match at the weekend. To cut him some slack, the striker hadn’t scored for months but if the crunch was as nasty as it looked, he might not be scoring again for a good while either.
“The acrobatic trick didn’t work out for him,” lamented Dynamo Barnaul’s official website. I’ll say.
Probably not, because it never really stopped. But if you were struggling, fear not, because the Premier League is back.
Three hundred and eighty matches, 282 days, 20 teams, endless grumbling about VARs, and almost certainly a new officiating debate that none of us have dreamed up yet are waiting just around the corner, all starting when reigning champions Liverpool host Bournemouth on Friday at 8pm BST/3pm EST.Leeds United, Burnley, and Sunderland are up from the Championship, there are new faces on the pitch and in the technical areas, and, as always, there are a host of minor tweaks, too.his, then, is what you need to know for the new Premier League season.
New laws
The major change (and, whisper it, possibly even a popular one) is the introduction of the eight-second rule, which will already be familiar to those who watched the Club World Cup.If goalkeepers are in control of the ball with their arms/hands for more than eight seconds, they will concede a corner from the side closest to them. This replaces the old law, which was rarely enforced, where goalkeepers could concede an indirect free kick if they held onto the ball for more than six seconds.When the rule was announced by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), it said only four corners were awarded in its trial of the rule, which consisted of hundreds of matches.It is up to the referee to decide when the ’keeper has control of the ball and start the countdown. They will visually count down the last five seconds so it is clear to the goalkeeper what is happening.
There will be no disciplinary action unless the ’keeper repeatedly commits the offence, and they are not penalised if they are starting to or about to release the ball as the countdown ends.
The referee will also not start counting if the goalkeeper is being obstructed by an opposition attacker — if, during the countdown, an opponent pressures the ’keeper, they will concede an indirect free kick.
Teams will be awarded a corner if the opposition goalkeeper holds onto the ball for too long (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
There are also new ‘only the captain’ guidelines on approaching the referee. ‘Normal interactions’ between players and the referee will be allowed, but the guidance is aimed at preventing players from surrounding or mobbing them after big incidents or decisions. Team captains are responsible for helping direct team-mates away from the referee, and anyone who approaches without permission may be booked.The referee may invite the captain over to explain a decision. The hope is that players will know there is an avenue for them to receive engagement with the referee through their captain, but also know they can expect a booking if they approach when they should not.If the captain is the goalkeeper, they can nominate an outfield team-mate before the coin toss to approach the referee instead.Finally, the rules have been tweaked for accidental ‘double-touch’ penalties. If a player scores a penalty kick but accidentally touches the ball twice, they will be allowed to retake it. If they miss, they do not get another chance.
Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez was involved in a double-touch penalty in last season’s Champions League (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
New refereeing tech: semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), announcements, and ‘Ref Cam’
Some might recall that SAOT was on our list last year and was expected to be introduced “from after one of the autumn international breaks”. It actually ended up being introduced to the Premier League in April, so we deem it new enough to make the list again, as this will be the first full season where it is used.
The technology aims to reduce the length of VAR checks by automating parts of the decision-making process. The technology won’t be used for clear offside decisions. However, the old method of ‘drawing lines’ might still be needed in some cases if the technology fails, or if players are blocking the view of the ball or the system’s cameras.
(Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
This happened in March, on the first weekend when the technology was trialled in English football. During Wolverhampton Wanderers’ FA Cup game against Bournemouth, a congested penalty area meant officials could not rely on the technology and there was an eight-minute delay.There will also be more information for fans in stadiums this season. Graphics showing the results of SAOT decisions will be shown on giant screens, and after a trial in the Carabao Cup, referees will make an announcement in the stadium explaining the outcome of all VAR reviews (except for factual offside or onside calls).The league also plans to trial referee-worn cameras, as seen at the Club World Cup. The trial is expected to begin this month and last for around six weeks.The footage can be used as an additional replay angle in broadcasts, allowing fans to see the game from the referee’s perspective. However, no confrontational or controversial moments should be shown.
A new, bigger, UK broadcast deal
More Premier League games will be shown on TV than ever before as the league’s new broadcast deal, agreed back in December 2023 and worth £6.7bn, takes effect.
All games outside the Saturday 3pm blackout will now be broadcast live in the UK. Previously, some Sunday 2pm games were not available to watch live in the UK if they had been moved to that slot due to teams competing in European competition in midweek.
At least 215 matches will be on Sky Sports, and TNT will show 52. Amazon Prime no longer shows any.
Sky will show games on a Saturday at 5:30pm, on a Sunday at 2pm and 4:30pm, Monday and Friday evening games, and the first three rounds of midweek fixtures. Sky’s coverage also includes a new ‘Multiview’ format, which will allow customers to watch up to four games at once on Sunday afternoons.
TNT will show the early kick-off games at 12:30pm on Saturdays, as well as the last two rounds of midweek fixtures.
BBC Sport has highlights rights for all 380 matches.
In the U.S., NBC will show all 380 games, with just under half of them streamed exclusively on Peacock. The remainder will be shown on a main NBC channel or USA Network.
(Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
New broadcast access — including in-game and half-time interviews
Clubs are now obligated to grant more access to broadcasters, including the potential for access to dressing rooms or interviews at half-time or during the match.
Each club will only have to agree to these extra obligations a limited number of times.
At least twice per season, each club must do one of the following:
Allow filming for at least 90 seconds in their dressing room. This could be between the end of the warm-up and start of the match, at half-time, or immediately after the match once the players are back in the dressing room. The club can request that this footage is without audio unless they approve it.
Make a player or manager available for an interview at half-time. This should be no more than three questions, all of which should be positive and related to the match. The interview must be timed so it will not delay the restart.
Make a substituted player, or the manager, available for an interview during the match. This must be by no later than the 85th minute and the interview should be no more than two questions, both of which must be related to the match and positive.
The broadcaster will request this extra access before the fixture and say which of the three options it would prefer, but the club chooses which it plans to provide.
If a club is losing when they were supposed to provide this extra access, they can choose to do it at another match instead.
(Stu Forster/Getty Images)
A new ball — and not a Nike one
Lastly, the official ball has changed. Nike’s 25-year partnership has come to an end and Puma will now supply the match ball.
The German company is already the ball supplier for Serie A, La Liga, the English Football League, and the Carabao Cup. It was in the latter competition that Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta referred to the match ball when dissecting his side’s 2-0 loss to eventual tournament winners Newcastle United in the first leg of their semi-final.
“(The Carabao Cup ball) is very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies differently. When you touch it, the grip is also very different, so you adapt to that.”
(Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Check back for Arteta’s review of Puma’s Orbita Ultimate ball when the season gets underway…
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Wrexham’s revamped home: A (longer) £1.7m pitch, heated dugout seats and goal-line technology
But he’s far from alone at Wrexham in experiencing a hectic close season. Aidan Miller, the club’s strategy and projects director, has overseen a revamp of the SToK Cae Ras designed to nudge the world’s oldest international football ground into the modern era.A new £1.7million ($2.3m) pitch, complete with undersoil heating and new drainage, has been the marquee addition. No one at Wrexham’s Carabao Cup first-round victory over Hull City could have failed to notice just how lush the new surface looked in the August sunshine. Nor how well it played.
The seeding and stitching operation to make Wrexham’s surface compliant with European football’s regulations was only part of an overhaul that included moving both dugouts to the opposite side of the pitch, building a new TV gantry, reconfiguring stands to squeeze in extra seats, erecting two new giant TV screens at one end and taking down the old scoreboard at the other.
Wrexham’s new pitch, as seen before their first home match of the season (Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)
There was also the dismantling of a temporary stand, plus the all-important deactivation of a live electric cable underneath the old Kop, as preparatory work continues ahead of the new 7,500-capacity stand starting to go up, on schedule, in the autumn.To squeeze all this into exactly 100 days between Wrexham staging a promotion party after last season had ended and Tuesday’s cup tie against Hull is impressive. Even more so when you consider the club did not know until beating Charlton Athletic on April 26 when the 20224-25 season would finish — or when their 2025-26 league campaign would start.“We had to do a lot of planning,” explains Miller, who joined Wrexham early in 2025 after almost seven years at Everton, primarily working on the club’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium. “The key thing with the pitch is it would take six weeks to reconstruct it. But two months to grow it.
“If we’d finished third and then not gone up, the window would have been tight. In the end, the opposite happened, where we had an extra three weeks (due to Wrexham clinching automatic promotion). But we’d had to plan for the worst and hope we got the best.”In recent years, Wrexham’s historic home has struggled to keep pace with Parkinson’s upwardly mobile team. Facilities have been improved, such as the installation of new floodlights prior to returning to the EFL in 2023. But, really, it won’t be until the new Kop stand is finished that The Racecourse Ground will truly shine.The changes — which include the installation of goal-line technology — have brought a new sheen to a venue that first hosted a Wales international in 1877.
The newly-installed cameras (Richard Sutcliffe/The Athletic)
“We’ve always said with the sporting side being so successful, then the standards get raised in terms of what is expected,” says Rob Faulkner, Wrexham’s chief business and communications officer, when giving The Athletic a tour of all the changes, including upgraded concourses and hospitality areas.
“A lot of things will go into the new Kop, particularly for the fans and players with top-class facilities, new dressing rooms and so on. But until then, we are trying to catch up as much as we can.”
At one stage this summer, six different projects were being worked on inside The Racecourse at the same time by a small army of workers.
Contractors Cleveland Land Services (CLS) worked around the clock to get the pitch ready, with seeding taking place on June 1 and the stitching in July.
The dugouts were moved across the pitch to the Mold Road Stand, where coaching staff and substitutes will benefit from heated seats in what can be a cold part of the stadium. This has allowed the old dugouts to be converted into fan seating.
Two hundred and 24 seats have been added to the Tech End behind the goal, giving a full extra row at the front of the upper section. The old electronic scoreboard at that end has also gone, so the view of those who stand on the back row will no longer be impeded.
The pitch has been extended in length to allow for rugby matches to be played in the future and also shifted a couple of metres towards the Kop. This meant the new two-level TV gantry had to be situated slightly to the side of its predecessor, to ensure the main camera position remains on halfway.
The new two-level TV gantry (Richard Sutcliffe/The Athletic)
A second gantry has also been built on the opposite side of the ground on halfway, meaning Wrexham now comply with UEFA and Championship (and Premier League) standards regarding a reverse angle camera position.
“It’s a bit like building a house, in that the plumber has to come in before the joiner,” says Miller. “As part of the work, we’ve had all the steelwork in the Wrexham Lager Stand painted. This involved someone abseiling, which meant two blocks of seats had to be taken out each time.
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“It was the same with taking down the temporary stand. We removed one section (containing 558 seats) after the Stockport game last season (on March 22) to help with the pitch project.
“The fan zone also went at the same time, allowing us to create a pathway for the contractors to bring in mountains of gravel, soil and so on. We wanted these onsite, meaning we could start straight away the moment we got the green light.”
This also explains why the remaining blocks of the temporary stand were not taken down until late June, several weeks after the season had ended.
Miller adds: “We had work to do around the outside of the site, tidying up the drainage, laying tarmac and a few other things. Only then did we have the space to take down the temporary stand. Coordination was key, in terms of what is the priority — which for us was getting the pitch work going.”
The summer revamp is only the start. A new Kop stand will soon start to go up, with the intention to be ready for The Racecourse hosting the UEFA Under-19 Championship in June 2026.
Barriers obscure the building of the new Kop stand (Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)
It will be the key building block of a stadium masterplan drawn up by Populous, the same firm that designed Arsenal and Tottenham’s new homes, as well as Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, Wembley and The Sphere in Las Vegas.
The initial plan was to house 5,500 fans with the design, then allow another 2,000 to be added. However, a new planning application went in last month for a 7,500 capacity structure and a decision will be made soon by Wrexham Borough Council.
A new electricity substation on University land adjacent to The Racecourse’s main entrance on Crispin Lane has also been constructed.
This will provide power to the three blocks of student flats that sit behind the main stand, replacing the previous substation located towards the back of The Turf pub on the footprint of where the new Kop will stand. As part of this switch, a live power cable running underneath the area was deactivated.
“Until that was done, you couldn’t even start digging,” says Miller. “So, from a big ticket perspective, that’s probably the biggest thing we did this summer.”
As Miller says proudly, this now feels like “a Championship ground”.
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Teams will be awarded a corner if the opposition goalkeeper holds onto the ball for too long (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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Wrexham’s new pitch, as seen before their first home match of the season (Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)
The newly-installed cameras (Richard Sutcliffe/The Athletic)
The new two-level TV gantry (Richard Sutcliffe/The Athletic)
Barriers obscure the building of the new Kop stand (Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)
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