#2 US Women vs #1 Spain Sat 2:30 pm TBS
The top 2 teams in the World will face off this weekend and Tuesday in a double set of games to see who should really be ranked #1? Sad to see Naomi Girma has been ruled out in central defense for the US. Hayes will likely lean on players that battled Top 10 opponents Japan and Brazil earlier this year, with no new faces expected to get starts. The US hasn’t played Spain since 2022 — a four-year span that saw La Roja pick up the 2023 World Cup, two Nations League titles, and FIFA’s top ranking while the USWNT fell to No. 2 despite its 2024 Olympic gold win.“It’ll be a really good benchmark for us,” midfielder Rose Lavelle said. “We always go into every game with the expectation that we want to win, but we also want to use it as a huge growth opportunity.” (See full roster)
Goakeepers: Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United)
Defenders: Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Lilly Reale (Boston Legacy FC), Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC)
Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Manchester City FC), Lindsey Heaps (Denver Summit FC), Claire Hutton (Bay FC), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Evelyn Shores (Angel City FC), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Stars), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes)
Forwards: Trinity Byars (San Diego Wave FC), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current). Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC), Ashley Sanchez (North Carolina Courage), Pietra Tordin (Portland Thorns FC), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea FC), Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns FC)
Indy 11 Fan Appreciation Day vs Tampa Bay Sat 7 pm
Indy Eleven hosts its final 2026 regular-season home game vs. USL Championship Players’ Shield leader Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday at 7 p.m. on MyINDY-TV 23 and ESPN+. The Boys in Blue are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with 34 points with three matches remaining, trailing Miami FC by two points (Miami has two games left). The top eight teams in the East after Decision Day on October 24 will compete in the playoffs. According to USL Tactics.com, Indy Eleven has a 47% chance to make the playoffs. Join them for giveaways, discounted merchandise offerings, and a full-team autograph session after the match. Discounted tickets start at $14 online only and fans can add on a knit scarf at checkout for $20. Ticket options include Family Four-Packs, The Family Four-Pack can be purchased online only. Priced at just $49, the Family Four-Pack includes four tickets, FREE parking, $20 in Concession Vouchers, and a 20% Merchandise Discount, along with access to the Fun Zone/Kids Activation Area.
US Men Beat Canada 1-0 Ready for Qualifying Nov 17 in Cincy
The US men extended the streak to 4 straight wins as another teenager scored to make it 3 of the last 4 goals for the US were scored by kids who should still be in high school. Amazing to see how the newbies adjusted and that brings up the question of who gets a call up for Qualifying in Nov? Pouch has some big decisions to make – I love our new GK Diego Kochen between the pipes, while Caven Sullivan and Julian Hall are no brainers up front. Will be interesting to see how else makes the cut as the expected regulars like McKinney, Pulisic, Aaronson, and Atletico man Johnny Cardosa return to the fray. Either way Tix are available for the Qualifier in Cincy on Nov 17 under $50 in the endzones so reasonable pricing. I will be there with the outlaws and my buds!! The future of US Soccer looks Bright (short video)
Ben’s BBQ Shack near Grand Park has the Best Dang Brisket you can buy in Indiana
TV Schedule
Sat, Oct 10
7:30 am USA Arsenal vs Leeds United (Aaronson)
7:30 am CBSSN Swansea City vs Norwich
9:30 am Peacock Ausburg vs Bayern Munich
10 am Para+ Derby County vs Wrexham
10 am USA Aston Villa vs Brentford
10 am ? Chelsea vs Bournemouth (Adams)
12 noon Para+ Inter Milan vs Parma
12:30 pm NBC Man United vs Tottenham
12:30 pm ESPN+ Barcelona vs Getafe
2:30 pm TNT. HBO USWNT vs Spain DC
3 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Villareal
7 pm INdy 11 vs Tampa Bay Rowdies
7:30 pm apple Inter Miami vs DC United
7:30 pm Apple Orlando City vs Columbus Crew
7:30 pm Apple Atlanta United vs Cincy
Sun. OCt 11
6:30 am CBSSN Como vs Roma
9 am USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Nottingham Forest
9 am NBCSN Hull City vs Everton
9 am CBSSN Lecce vs Bologna Italy
11:30 am NBC Liverpool vs Man City
12 Noon Para+ Sassuolo vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
2:45 pm Para+ Calgliari vs Juventus (McKinney)
Tues, Oct 13 CHAMPS LEAGUE
12:30 pm CBSSN Lens vs Sporting CP
3 pm Univision, Para+ Atletico Madrid (Cordosa) vs Man United
3 pm CBSSN RB Leipzig vs PSV (Pepi, Dest)
3 pm Para+ Arsenal vs Lille
3 pm Para+ Galatasaray vs Barcelona
3 pm Par+ Inter Milan vs Club Brugge
7 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Spain in Philly
Weds, Oct 14 CHAMPS LEAGUE
12:30 pm CBSSN Feyenoord vs Como
12:45 pm Univ, Para+ Lask Linz vs Liverpool
3 pm Para+ Man City vs PSG
3 pm CBSSN Bode/Glint vs Dortmund
3 pm Para+ Aston Villa vs Fenerbahce
3 pm PARa Roma vs Real Madrid
US Players Oversees compliments of Stars & Stripes
Saturday
Arsenal v Leeds — 7:30a on USA Network: Brenden Aaronson has also been coming off the bench, averaging 23 minutes in the last three matches for Leeds since getting subbed at the half in Leeds second match of the season. Leeds have won twice and drawn three times, they are undefeated but sitting in fifth place in the EPL table. They will face defending champions Arsenal who fell 3-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion heading into the break for their first loss of the season and currently trail perfect Manchester City by three points.
Mainz v Beyer Leverkusen — 9:30a on Fandango / Peacock (Spanish): Malik Tillman was an unused substitute for Leverkusen in their last match before the break, a 2-0 win over RB Leipzig. That came a week after Tillman played 14’ off the bench in a 2-2 draw with Augsburg.
Union Berlin v Elversberg — 9:30a on Fandango / Peacock (Spanish): Cole Campbell and Elversberg settled for a scoreless draw with Schalke heading into the break, they remain in seventh place in the Bundesliga thanks to the two wins they picked up to start their campaign. They are facing 17th place Union Berlin who are still looking for their first win of the season and have just one point through four matches.
Chelsea v Bournemouth — 10:00a on Peacock: Tyler Adams had started three straight matches for Bournemouth heading into the break, most recently a 1-0 loss to Liverpool. Bournemouth are still looking for their first win of the season, with the silver lining being that their most recent loss didn’t feature a collapse at the end. Bournemouth are facing a Chelsea side that won their first two matches of the season but have failed to pick up a win in their last three matches, most recently falling to Brentford 3-0.
Ipswich v Fulham — 10:00a on Peacock: Antonee Robinson and Fulham are also still looking for their first win of the season, after losing their first three matches they’ve drawn the last two with Liverpool and Manchester United. Robinson has started every match for Fulham who now face an Ipswich side that have two wins and three losses in their first five, most recently falling to Everton 1-0.
Alavés v Atlético Madrid — 10:15a on ESPN+: Johnny Cardoso has started the last two matches for Atletico Madrid including playing 90’ in their win over Real Madrid heading in the international break. Cardoso had started the season seeing few minutes while dealing with injury but usage ahead of the break and the extra time off to rest would suggest that he could see extended minutes again on Saturday when Atleti return to the field against Alaves.
Monaco v Toulouse — 2:45p on beIN SPORTS: Folarin Balogun and Mark McKenzie will face off in Ligue 1 play on Saturday afternoon as first place Monaco host a Toulouse side that picked up their first win of the season heading into the break. Balogun saw his first minutes of the season for Monaco heading into the break, getting 14’ off the bench in the teams 2-1 win over Lens. Meanwhile, McKenzie will be heading to Philadelphia in January but it hasn’t impacted his playing time for Toulouse yet, he has played every minute to start this season.
Real Madrid v Villarreal — 3:00p on ESPN+: Alex Freeman has started the past two and three of the last four for Villarreal who won back to back games over Malaga and Levante heading into the break. Intensity will step up a notch this weekend as Villarreal travel to the capital to take on a Real Madrid side that are coming off the aforementioned loss to Atleti heading into the break, their second loss early in this season, but are still in fourth place, just a point out of second.
MLS Season Pass Matches:
- Chicago v NYCFC — 2:30p: Chris Brady, Matt Freese
- NY Red Bulls v San Diego — 7:30p: Adri Mehmeti, Julian Hall, Caden Clark, Cade Cowell
- Philadelphia v Real Salt Lake — 7:30p: Cavan Sullivan, Quinn Sullivan, Neil Pierre, Frankie Westfield, Diego Luna
- Atlanta v Cincinnati — 7:30p: Miles Robinson
- Orlando v Columbus — 7:30p: Patrick Schulte
- New England v Seattle — 7:30p: Matt Turner, Peyton Miller, Brooklyn Raines, Cristian Roldan
- Austin v Nashville — 8:30p: Brian Schwake
- Colorado v San Jose — 9:30p: Paxten Aaronson
Sunday
Nice v Strasbourg — 9:00a on beIN SPORTS: Gio Reyna started all four matches for the USMNT over the international break and had started the past four matches for Strasbourg heading into the break for a usage rate that might be a new career high for him. Given the minutes logged it wouldn’t be shocking to seem him used more conservatively this Sunday but based on reporting he had been asking US Manager Mauricio Pochettino for increased workload as he feels that is best for his ongoing health improvements to build up minutes at this point. Strasbourg suffered their second defeat of the season heading into the break, a 2-1 loss to Paris FC and they will now travel to Nice who are coming off their first win of the season, a 2-1 result over Lille.
Cologne v Borussia Monchengladbach — 9:30a on Fandango / Peacock (Spanish): After threats that Joe Scally should find another club for this season he has started three straight matches for Borussia Monchengladbach. Unfortunately, the club has been getting trounced, they’ve lost all four league matches, given up at least three goals in each, and a combined 16 goals across the four matches. They are bottom of the table and things are looking very bleak. They will be facing an FC Cologne side that themselves have just four points in the four matches and have given up over two goals per match.
Sassuolo v AC Milan — 12:00p on Paramount+: Christian Pulisic has appeared in the past two matches for AC Milan, most recently starting and scoring the opener in a 3-0 win over Lecce. Yunus Musah, who was called in to the US camp did not start that match but did see 14’ minutes off the bench and has appeared in every match for Milan early this season including three starts in five matches. Milan haven’t suffered defeat yet but have drawn twice and are two points back of a trio of teams in first place. Their opponent this weekend is Sassuolo who are coming off a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Monza.
Cagliari v Juventus — 2:45p on Paramount+: Weston McKennie started Juventus’s last match before the international break but had missed the prior three due to muscle fatigue and was not called into the US camp as a result. Juventus was victorious in McKennie’s return to the field, defeating Atalanta 2-0 to bounce back from their 3-2 loss to Sassuolo.
Troyes v Marseille — 2:45p on beIN SPORTS: Timothy Weah will be suspended this weekend as he was show red in Marseille’s last match after seeing yellow in the 32nd minute and again in the 77th as Marseille fell to Paris Saint-Germain 2-1. Marseille have lost four straight matches, and three of the four by one goal. They will look to get things turned around without their early season captain as they face Troyes on Sunday afternoon.
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USA Women vs Spain
Hayes: USWNT needs collective effort to top world No. 1 Spain
Previewing USWNT vs. Spain – A solid test for the USA
What can the USWNT learn from World Cup champions Spain?
USWNT begin to lock in for Women’s World Cup with Spain …
Rodman says USWNT camp helping her play less predictably
Lavelle: USWNT games with Spain a ‘benchmark’ before World Cup
NWSL goals leader Sanchez learning on fly in USWNT return
Hayes: USWNT working with Chelsea over Naomi Girma injuries
Emma Hayes not just managing USWNT, but leading new era and ecosystems
USWNT vs. Spain: Opponent Profile, Recent Form & History
2026 USWNT Friendly: Scouting Spain
US Men
USMNT caps off youthful camp with narrow win over Canada
USMNT takeaways: Pochettino’s youngsters shine, but lineup questions linger
Youthful USMNT rises to the challenge presented by feisty, physical Canada
USMNT player ratings: Freeman’s two-way play earns him 8/10 in win over Canada
How Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall and more delivered for USMNT
Goalkeeping
Is it Diego Kochen’s time to be USMNT’s top keeper?
US GK Brian Schwake’s Journey
UEFA Nations League: Incredible Goalkeeper Saves Compilation
Nations League great saves: Matchday 1 & 2 | Video
7 SAVES & 1.48 XG PREVENTED GIGI DONNARUMMA !
Senne Lammens is best goalkeeper in the world making 19 …
MLS: Best Saves of the Week
Reffing
Young Refs
Stop play when Younger Players are Injured
Indirect Free Kick Instructions
Know Someone Who Would Make a Great Referee? Have a teammate, friend, sibling, parent, or someone else you think would be great with a whistle? 
[REFEREE INTEREST LINK] They can submit their contact information now, and they’ll receive an email once Spring 2027 referee registration opens.
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USWNT begin to lock in for Women’s World Cup with Spain friendlies despite defensive questions
The USWNT will be without center back Naomi Girma and defensive midfielder Sam Coffey for this month’s friendlies against Spain, who will ultimately test the hosts’ depth in defense
By Pardeep Cattry Add CBS Sports on Google
Getty Images
For a team with the explicit goal of winning the Women’s World Cup, there is no test more perfect than a pair of friendlies against the last team to take home the title. To do it a month before World Cup qualifiers and eight months before the tournament itself makes for perfect timing. The U.S. women’s national team remain as well-equipped as any to handle the challenges Spain will pose over the next week, starting with Saturday’s friendly in the nation’s capital, but make no mistake – the circumstances are not exactly perfect.
The reigning Olympic gold medalists are still the attack-minded force they have always been, but they will be understaffed for their doubleheader against Spain, and in a key area of the pitch. Center back Naomi Girma and defensive midfielder Sam Coffey were ruled out of the games with injuries, leaving the USWNT particularly understaffed in defense. Claire Hutton will likely fill Coffey’s role and may have done so anyway, such is the quality of the 20-year-old. Head coach Emma Hayes has an eclectic group to work with at center back, though: Tierna Davidson, Girma’s presumed partner at the World Cup next year; Tara Rudd, who joined the fold after the U.S. team won gold at the 2024 Olympics; Kennedy Wesley, who has seven caps; and Kate Del Fava, a first-timer with the senior national team after years of experience in the NWSL.
“Can’t do anything about that,” Hayes said candidly on Friday, though she does not exactly feel down on her luck.
How to watch USWNT vs. Spain, odds
Date: Saturday, Oct. 10 | Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Audi Field — Washington, D.C.
TV: TBS | Live stream: HBO Max
Odds: USWNT +260; Draw +250; Spain -110
“They’re top players and I can put them in situations this week to create the exposures,” she continued. “I think developing as a pairing is something that they’re going to have to do, but I believe in them, and I watch their attention to detail. I think you got [Tierna], who, by nature, is a defender that can progress the ball up the pitch. Great covering defender, really good aerially. You got Kennedy, who steps to the play really well. I think they’re actually a good complement to each other. I think they’re very intelligent people, so they can solve really good tactical puzzles, and I’ve seen them do it all week, so I’m looking forward to seeing how they progress together.”
The 25-year-old Wesley is one of the late beneficiaries of Hayes’ player pool expansion project following the Olympics but has been a focal point for the San Diego Wave, who remain in the hunt for the NWSL Shield thanks in large part to their league-leading defensive efforts. Her stock appears to on the rise and at a timely juncture in the USWNT’s preparations for the World Cup, and Wesley seems to be soaking up every moment along the way.
“I think both Tierna, [Emily Fox], there are so many players that bring an ample amount of experience and it’s been nothing so, so helpful to me, recognizing I can go to them with any question I have.” Wesley said Thursday. “If I’m hesitant, they’re always the first ones to kind of back me in my decisions, so it’s been really awesome training with them the last few days and for the last few months, but I do think that their experience will help us propel in moments when we need it in the game. When we have long spells of defending, when the momentum might not be our way, I think those are players that I’ve relied on, the group can rely on in those really tough moments.”
The group will perhaps be equally reliant on her on Saturday, Spain’s impressive attack headlined by two-time Ballon d’Or-winning playmaker Alexia Putellas set to offer the USWNT’s defense – understaffed or otherwise – their stiffest challenge yet. The U.S. team’s defense has gone somewhat untested since the Olympics, with opponents averaging just seven shots per game and less than one expected goal along the way. The numbers are not all that different against teams ranked in FIFA’s top 10, though Spain pose their own challenges.
“I think the first thing that comes to mind is that we’re going to need to be really disciplined,” Wesley said. “I think they’re so dynamic in their movements, in their interchange when they have the ball, when they’re in possession so it’ll be really really important for us to be disciplined, not get pulled out of position so that we can kind of dispute their attack but I also think working form the back to front, it’ll be really important we’re really front-footed and pressing high on the field, not allowing them space and time because I think that’s what they’re the most successful so I think between the discipline and the front-footedness, I think those are really important.”
Chemistry questions are not reserved solely for the back line, even if they will be in focus as Spain attempt to impose their possession-oriented, attack-minded style. Hayes has spent the post-Olympic period expanding the player pool, tinkering with her lineups over the course of 30 games as she builds experience and depth in each area of the pitch. In both friendlies against Spain, though, she boasted that the lineups will be fairly similar and that the time for experimentation is essentially over. Though it is hard to envision a first-choice version of the USWNT without Girma in the lineup if she’s available, Hayes might answer questions about who’s leading the race for starting roles in attack at the World Cup.
Many of her mainstays are available, including the Triple Espresso – Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson – though she is hardly limited in that department. Regulars including Alyssa Thompson, Emma Sears and Michelle Cooper are all amongst the bunch, and that group alone is a stark reminder that the U.S. team’s historic attacking might is going nowhere.
“I think the cool part about the front line is that we all have chemistry in different ways,” Wilson said. “I think we all can work together and kind of get the same product, and it doesn’t really matter who’s out there. I think we trust everyone to step up when their name is called. I think defensively, we really pride ourselves on being a high-pressing team and a team that wants to press and press with speed because I think we can create chances that way, and I think we have the players to do that, so just following that and knowing that’s one of our strengths and I think it will be a strength against Spain.”
There are some newcomers in the group; their abilities to break into the core player pool still unclear. Trinity Byars and Pietra Tordin are amongst those who could earn their first cap, while Ashley Sanchez marks an impressive return to the national team around two years after she was last in the group. It is a well-earned return to the fold for Sanchez, who tagged along for the 2023 World Cup but has not been much of a fixture with the USWNT since. She leads the NWSL with 20 goals and is likely in the midst of an MVP-caliber season and, like Wesley, is also charting an upward trajectory at the right time.
“I think it’s really cool and I’m obviously really proud of her,” Rodman, her longtime teammate at the Washington Spirit before Sanchez’s trade to the Courage in 2024, said. “I think through her career, she’s been through a lot- ups and downs of coming into the national team, not starting, getting traded, and just so many things that I think that she’s overcome, and even just playing in the midfield and now being the top goalscorer on the wing, I think, is really impressive, and I’m just really happy for her, and I do think this is her time, and I’m very excited to be able to share the field with her, and I think she deserves it. To be able to kind of play a lot of her career as a midfielder and to now thrive up top, I think, brings just another piece to the game and can also bring another type of forward to this lineup as well, which I think is really good for us.”
The fact that the USWNT enters their doubleheader against Spain with unanswered questions is intriguing in its own right; uncertainty rarely reassuring, no matter the circumstances. From the team’s perch, though, it is all by design.
“Even [the World Cup] just being next year, I think we’ve already kind of got into that mindset, but obviously, we need to qualify,” Wilson said. “But I think this team has been preparing for the World Cup since the day the Olympics ended. I think that’s just the mindset, that everything we do in between these tournaments is just in preparation for the next.”
USWNT’s friendlies with Spain a chance to ask unanswered questions about defense as World Cup approaches
The USWNT will face Spain in a pair of friendlies that will likely serve as the stiffest test for either team on the road to next summer’s Women’s World Cup
By Pardeep Cattry Oct 7, 2026 at 6:10 pm ET•5 min read
A week before the U.S. women’s national team opened camp for this month’s friendlies against Spain, Emma Hayes spoke about the team’s DNA. The four-time world champions are historically one of the game’s elite counter-attacking sides; no matter the team’s composition on the pitch or in the dugout, the players near the opposition goal always pull focus. That will not change in their back-to-back games against Spain, either, but a more pressing question awaits.
How exactly will the USWNT’s understaffed defense cope with Spain’s attack-oriented DNA?
Spain rank amongst the stiffest tests that await any team, such is the natural quality of a reigning World Cup-winning side, but also mark an outlier on the USWNT’s schedule following the 2024 Olympics, when Hayes’ work revamping the team truly began. Since winning Olympic gold in Paris weeks into Hayes’ tenure, the U.S. team have conceded just 15 goals in 34 games and only average seven shots against per match, while their opponents have mustered up an average of just two shots on goal per game. It is not just that they outscore the opposition, no matter the challenger – the USWNT’s back line has only had so much to do over the last two years. Spain will reveal whether or not it comes down to the hosts’ ability to smother the opposition’s attack or whether or not they have even had a chance to prove their worth yet.
USWNT schedule against Spain
All times U.S./Eastern
- Oct. 10: USWNT vs. Spain, 2:30 p.m. (TBS)
- Oct. 13: USWNT vs. Spain, 7 p.m. (TNT)
Much as she has with her wide-ranging attacking options, Hayes has spent the last two years rotating through her defensive options with the specific intent of building the player pool. Naomi Girma, who rightfully inherited Becky Sauerbrunn’s spot at center back before the 2023 Women’s World Cup, remains top choice and continues to live up to Hayes’ billing as the best defender she’s ever worked with. There’s just one problem, though – Girma will be unavailable with the re-emergence of a calf injury, which has led Hayes to call on Chelsea to reevaluate their practices.
“This has happened too often and if we want her to be in a position to play games on a regular basis for club and country, I think we have to change some things,” Hayes said Tuesday. “She’s the last person who wants to be in this place, and she’s worked really hard to get herself back to a good level. Obviously I’m not in control of that. I’m not the club. But we are working closely with Chelsea to think differently about creating the right solutions because the player suffers. And I know she’s absolutely devastated.”
There’s another issue, too – Gotham FC’s Emily Sonnett has often slotted into the back line, the veteran always a solid presence when called upon. She ruptured her patellar tendon in her left knee in July, though, an injury that ruled her out of the remainder of the NWSL season and one that could ultimately jeopardize her chances of playing at a third World Cup. Hayes is down to four options: Sonnett’s club and country teammate Tierna Davidson, who started alongside Girma at the Olympics and is the presumptive starter in Brazil; the Washington Spirit’s Tara Rudd, one of the early beneficiaries of Hayes’ post-Olympics experimentation; the San Diego Wave’s Kennedy Wesley, who has just seven caps; and the Utah Royals’ Kate Del Fava, a respected NWSL veteran who could earn her first cap at the age of 28.
Davidson is the only one of the group with experience playing in major international competitions but perhaps more importantly, none of them have played a full half alongside each other. Davidson and Rudd at least have experience with the national team’s rigors under Hayes’ leadership, the center back conundrum alone enough to throw a wrench in her plans to play a full-strength lineup for both friendlies against Spain.
The USWNT may not have added cover at defensive midfielder, either. Olympics starter Sam Coffey will also miss the Spain friendlies with an injury she sustained over the weekend with Manchester City, Hayes losing her usual first choice in the process. Bay FC’s Claire Hutton was a rival for Coffey’s starting spot before the injury and may have earned the nod against Spain regardless but again, this is not a position where the USWNT is necessarily deep. Gotham’s Jaelin Howell replaced Coffey on the roster and boasts just six caps, while captain Lindsey Heaps can play there in a pinch but the demands do not match her natural skillset. Hutton boasts plenty of promise on her own, the 20-year-old already poised to be a mainstay on the national team for years to come.
Spain is a tough enough challenge but for Hutton in particular, the USWNT’s absences at center back mean the strength of the team’s spine might rest solely on the midfielder’s performances against the world champions.
Wrapped up in the questions of the USWNT’s spine is how the team will prepare for Spain’s well-documented stylistic preferences, specifically their desire to dominate possession. The U.S. team’s schedule post-Olympics has offered them a variety of tests, including games against teams that pose physical challenges they have previously been ill-equipped for, but Spain is another test entirely. The USWNT usually dictate the tempo of the game but it is unclear if they will try to nick the ball off the visitors or simply cede possession to Spain, hoping to keep them out other ways. Hutton will likely play a key role in executing the strategy Hayes selects, whichever it may be.
Perhaps above all, though, Hayes’ reputation as a tactical pragmatist could be tested over the course of the next week. The injuries to Girma, Coffey and Sonnett are obviously not her fault and her prudent player pool expansion project in the last two years will only lend a helping hand as she figures out how to outdo Spain. The mistakes will not exactly be costly – long before she took this job, the USWNT had used losses in the build-up to major tournaments to identify mistakes that allowed them to go on and collect winners’ medals and the upcoming games could serve the same function, regardless of result. In the ultimate bellwether of both teams’ ability to win another World Cup in Brazil, though, every decision could very well be a revealing one.
No longer the underdogs, Spain are proven winners going toe-to-toe with the USWNT
David Aliaga/RFEF
By Asli Pelit and Laia Cervelló Herrero tHE Athletic
Oct. 9, 2026 4:29 pm EDT
So much has changed since the U.S. Women’s National team beat Spain 2-1 in Stade Auguste-Delaune in Reims, France, in the round of 16 at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Megan Rapinoe’s second penalty secured a U.S. victory, but Spain did not make it easy for the Americans that day.
Forward Jennifer Hermoso scored an equalizer after Rapinoe’s first goal from the penalty spot. Surprising many, the Spanish side, which only made their World Cup debut in 2015, dominated stretches of possession, frustrating the American team accustomed to imposing its will on opponents. Listed at 13th in the FIFA world rankings that summer, Spain were underdogs punching above their weight.Seven years later, as the two countries prepare to meet in two friendlies, one in Washington, D.C., and another in Philadelphia, it is Spain who walk into the nation’s capital as reigning World Cup champions and with the No. 1 ranking.“I think we’ve evolved a great deal, both at the club level and within the regional associations,” Spain head coach Sonia Bermudez said at a press conference at Audi Field on Friday. “I believe the standard in the youth ranks is very high. I think the shift in focus and the commitment shown by the federations, clubs, and regional associations are helping our sport grow every day.”
Spain won its first Women’s World Cup trophy in 2023.Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Though they lost to England on penalties in the final of the 2025 European Championship, Spain continues to build a convincing campaign to retain their World Cup title in Brazil in 2027. The pair of friendly matches against the U.S. will be an important test for Bermudez to evaluate her squad against a top opponent and potential knockout round foe next summer.
“It gives us the chance to try out different ways of playing and different formations,” Bermudez said. “Some players will likely make their debut tomorrow, while others, those who fit the mold, will be joining the squad.”
There are few teams other than the U.S. that can match Spain’s technical abilities.
While Spain did not compete on the international stage until the 1997 Women’s Euros, and not at a World Cup until 2015, they have made up for lost time with their youth development.
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Last month’s U-20 World Cup in Poland is a great example of what they are capable of. The youth squad defeated North Korea 4-3 in a penalty shootout, bringing home another trophy that emphasizes their position on the global stage.
“Fortunately, we have a very healthy youth setup. The team recently won the youth World Cup, and the twenty-five players we have here are capable of contributing in various positions,” Bermudez said. “We want to experiment with different approaches, keeping in mind the summer ahead, which promises to be a significant one.”
Spain celebrates winning the penalty shootout during the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Final against North Korea.Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images
At the club level, Spanish women’s soccer did not begin its final push toward professionalization until the 2010s. At that time, the U.S. was the sports gold standard. For Spanish players aspiring to make a living from soccer, the NWSL offered a glimpse of what a professional career looks like. Veronica Boquete and Vicky Losada were among the pioneers who crossed the Atlantic in search of opportunities unavailable at home. Boquete joined Portland Thorns in 2014, the same year Losada signed with the Western New York Flash.
hile the national team has grown exponentially, the league outside of FC Barcelona has struggled to keep up. After the 2023 World Cup, striker Esther Gonzalez left Real Madrid for Gotham FC, signing a contract with the club through 2025. She scored the winning goal in the 2023 NWSL Championship, helping Gotham claim its first title.
Bermudez herself is no stranger to America’s technical and physical abilities. She too played for the Flash after winning three consecutive league titles with Barcelona.
What Emma Hayes is looking to learn from the USWNT vs. Spain
Tamerra Griffin
“I was lucky enough to experience (the NWSL),” Bermudez recalled. “It was incredible, and the style of play was so different. Back at Barça, the context was all about the passing game, whereas in the U.S., the game is more about transitions and end-to-end play. You have to be in top physical shape. I think that’s the defining characteristic of the U.S. team; they are very physical, very powerful in duels and excel at transitions.”
Barcelona is the outlier in Spanish professional women soccer and its influence on the national team is undeniable.
After their defeat to the U.S. in 2019, Spain pulled together a star-studded squad that heavily leaned on Barcelona players in the run to the 2023 World Cup final.
Midfielder Aitana Bonmatí became the centerpiece of Spain’s midfield, combining technical precision with an ability to dictate tempo and exploit space. Alexia Putellas was an influential figure despite recovering from a serious knee injury that limited her contribution. Goalkeeper Cata Coll took over from Misa Rodríguez after the group stage, showing she was much more comfortable under pressure. But perhaps Spain’s most dangerous wild card was Salma Paralluelo who came to Barcelona from Villareal the prior season. A former elite track athlete, Paralluelo brought something Spain had previously lacked: explosive speed capable of stretching defenses. Though many of those players have since left the Catalan giant, its impact is undeniable.
Spain’s team is heavily influenced by players who also play for FC Barcelona.RFEF
When Spain and the U.S. meet at Audi Field on Saturday, the result of the friendly will not determine which country has the stronger women’s soccer program. But it will be one of the most important tests for both teams to understand what they are up against in Brazil next year. Back in 2019, Spain was trying to prove it could compete with the Americans. Now, the Americans know Spain can beat anyone, even them.“These are important matches as we prepare for the World Cup,” Bermudez said. “We want to test ourselves, see what needs improvement, and identify our strengths. I believe these games are fundamental to our preparation.”Bermudez is facing Emma Hayes’ USWNT without Bonmati, Cata Coll and former Gonzalez, but she is confident it will be a match worthy of everyone’s time.“You’re going to see a great match,” Bermudez said. “You have the chance to watch the best players in the world compete in these games.”And possibly a preview of a must-see knockout match next summer.Asli Pelit|Staff Writer, Women’s SoccerFollow
USWNT working with Chelsea over Naomi Girma injuries – Emma Hayes
Jeff KassoufOct 6, 2026, 02:13 PM ET ESPN
FAYETTEVILLE, Georgia — United States women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes said she and her staff are working closely with Chelsea to change how defender Naomi Girma is managed after another setback due to a calf injury.”This has happened too often and if we want her to be in a position to play games on a regular basis for club and country, I think we have to change some things,” Hayes told reporters on Tuesday at the U.S. Soccer national training Center.The United States plays world No. 1 Spain twice in the coming week in two highly anticipated friendly matches between the two most recent World Cup champions.The U.S. will be without Girma and defensive midfielder Sam Coffey, who Hayes said had a setback with an ankle issue while playing for Manchester City on Sunday.Girma, the United States’ top defender and one of the best centerbacks in the world, had to pull out of training camp after suffering an injury with Chelsea last week.Girma sustained another setback to a calf injury that has bothered her sporadically since joining Chelsea in January 2025.”She’s the last person who wants to be in this place, and she’s worked really hard to get herself back to a good level,” Hayes said.Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor said last week that Girma would be out for a few weeks.”Obviously I’m not in control of that,” Hayes said. “I’m not the club. But we are working closely with Chelsea to think differently about creating the right solutions because the player suffers. And I know she’s absolutely devastated.”Hayes coached Chelsea for over a decade, winning seven league titles among other trophies. She was hired as USWNT head coach in November 2023 and transitioned to USWNT head coach two months ahead of the 2024 Olympics.Girma arrived at Chelsea from the San Diego Wave in January 2025 in the world’s first $1 million transfer for a women’s soccer player.
Her calf issues first forced her to withdraw from USWNT training camp in January 2025 and have limited her time for club and country over the past two years.Girma only played in 10 league matches for Chelsea last season and has not played in the league yet this season.She missed the USWNT’s pair of away friendlies against Brazil in June.Hayes called Girma “the best defender I’ve ever seen” during the team’s run to the 2024 Olympic gold medal. Coffey’s absence will also present challenges for the United States centrally against Spain.Hayes said Coffey had “just the reoccurrence of a little bit of an ankle issue” during Sunday’s league match.”Of course she’s devastated,” Hayes said. “Sam always wants to be involved in everything.”But, like I said at the beginning, you just have to get used to these things. Like, sometimes I hear the conversation like, ‘Why is this player in? Why is that player in?’ Look, I can’t tell you what a World Cup qualifying squad will look like or a World Cup squad will look like, but I have to make sure we’ve got a playing pool that’s developed and these are great opportunities for the players who get the chance to play ahead of them.”Midfielder Jaelin Howell replaced Coffey on this week’s roster. It is Howell’s first call-up in nearly a year.Defender Kate Del Fava replaced Girma on the roster.Del Fava was originally named to the U23 USWNT roster as an overage player. Her first international call-up at any level was in June for a U23 camp.Hayes said she expects Spain to test the USWNT “in every way” because of their tactical sophistication.Spain is the reigning World Cup champion after winning the title for the first time in 2023. Hayes views the friendly matches on Saturday in Washington, D.C., and Oct. 13 in Chester, Penn., as “essential” preparation ahead of next summer’s World Cup.Those lessons must be learned with the roster she has available.”I always say, I haven’t, for one minute, ever had the best available squad available,” Hayes said. “You’re never going to; that’s the reality of it. There are always going to be injuries. There’s always going to be form. There’s always going to be things that happen in between, which is why I’ve been so insistent on developing bigger numbers.”
What does USMNT’s success without Pulisic, McKennie, Balogun mean going forward?
From left, Folarin Balogun, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie celebrate a U.S. goal at the 2026 World Cup Sebastian Frej / Getty Images
By Paul Tenorio, Henry Bushnell, Tom Bogert and Felipe Cardenas
Oct. 9, 2026
The September-October international window was enormously successful for Mauricio Pochettino and the U.S. men’s national team. The U.S. won all four of its games, defeating Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada, and it did so while giving 13 players their first cap with the senior team.
If the goal was to mark the new start of a cycle for Pochettino, he undoubtedly accomplished that.
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So focused was the public on the crop of young players like 17-year-old Philadelphia Union (and soon-to-be Manchester City) rising star Cavan Sullivan, Borussia Dortmund winger Mathis Albert and Red Bull New York forward Julian Hall, that there was almost no discussion around the players who were missing from the squad, namely the program’s three biggest stars: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Folarin Balogun.
Initially upon their exclusions, Pochettino was rather terse while describing Pulisic’s situation, and a bit more verbose while discussing Balogun, who had just experienced an intense transfer saga involving Monaco and Everton and had barely returned to action. McKennie, meanwhile, had just recovered from a muscle injury before camp began.
From there, attention shifted elsewhere, allowing the three stalwarts to spend the window in their own ways. Balogun, for instance, exchanged jerseys with Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels in London. McKennie posted video of himself at Oktoberfest. On the eve of USMNT-Mexico, Pulisic was playing for Milan in a closed-door friendly vs. Padova.
And on the U.S. training field and on matchnights across the two weeks, it didn’t register a blip. It was Shangri-La for a coach who prefers a “we’re focused on the players we have in camp” mentality around the U.S. team.
Success without the big stars, though, may leave you pondering what it might mean for them and the national team going forward, both in the short and long term.
Our writers who followed the team across the country over the last couple weeks are here to explain how they see it.
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What does this window mean for the three key figures? What does it say about the state of USMNT?
Tenorio: I don’t think it says much of anything about them other than that their club situations and health dictated they not be a part of this camp, which was convenient for Pochettino, as he used the two weeks to start to transition the pool into the 2030 cycle. It was more important to bring in some new faces, not just to introduce more competition to the pool, but also to give something for the fanbase to get excited about.
Pulisic, McKennie and Balogun are, without a doubt, the three best players in the U.S. pool. Their spots are not threatened. But would friendlies against Peru and Chile have been as interesting if it was just the same World Cup roster from this summer? Definitely not.
Cardenas: I agree. I’ve seen some U.S. pundits suggest that the breakout performances of players like Hall, Sullivan and Justin Ellis should put the “veterans” on notice.
There isn’t a player who was in this past camp who could nullify Pulisic, McKennie or Balogun, for example. More than anything, the USMNT player pool was given a boost, and that’s worth celebrating, considering where that discourse was just four years ago.
Bogert: It doesn’t say much about the three World Cup stalwarts. Each situation made sense individually to be absent from the first window of the new cycle. If anything, a quiet few weeks out of the limelight must have been nice.
It says a whole lot about the state of the pool, in particular the next generation emerging. There has not been anything resembling this excitement for a new generation since when Pulisic, McKennie, Tyler Adams, Chris Richards, Tim Weah and others were breaking into senior soccer.
A number of debutants proved they’re ready to be in the senior national team, led by Sullivan and Hall. The others aren’t far behind. The kids can supplement, not supplant, this summer’s key starters.
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Bushnell: There’s an outside chance that the team’s success without those Big Three would embolden Pochettino to drop Pulisic or McKennie in the future if (and only if) they’re harming chemistry or aren’t performing for the national team. I don’t think Pochettino would agree with the assessment that those three “are, without a doubt, the three best players in the U.S. pool” (he’d point to Adams, Malik Tillman and even Alex Freeman as guys who are on a similar level).
But I don’t think the window says much about those three, and I don’t think it says as much about the player pool as some fans believe. The performances were largely good, but only a few kids genuinely looked ready, and a mostly-first-choice U.S. team still got bossed around by Mexico for 25 minutes before one Gio Reyna run and one (eventually two) goalkeeping mistakes reversed the tide.
Cavan Sullivan (left) was among the USMNT youngsters to grasp their opportunity during the recent four-game international window.Allan Henry / Imagn Images
Do you expect that, if healthy, all three will be in camp in November?
Tenorio: If all three players are getting regular minutes and healthy, they absolutely will be in camp. All three are starting players in this team. No one in the September-October window showed they are better players than Pulisic, McKennie and Balogun. If you offered today for Cavan Sullivan to follow Pulisic’s career path — Bundesliga standout, Champions League winner, AC Milan starter — you’d take it without a doubt, and it’d be a success. We can’t let the idea of potential override the reality of the pool and the current level of the players.
Cardenas: I expect to see all three players called up for November, even if one or all aren’t regular starters at their clubs. This reminds me of one of my favorite Tata Martino quotes during his spell as Mexico head coach. Martino leaned on Hirving Lozano and Raúl Jiménez before the 2022 World Cup despite Lozano struggles at Napoli and Jiménez’s average output with Wolves.
“It’s not like Mexico can just open a suitcase and pull out top players,” Martino told The Athletic in 2020. His point: sometimes you play your best guys no matter their club form.
Bogert: Absolutely. As they should be.
Bushnell: Yes.
Mauricio Pochettino and Chris Richards share a light moment during training before the U.S. friendly vs. CanadaOmar Vega / Getty Images
How would you rate Pochettino’s handling of the player pool overall in his first window back?
Tenorio: It was ideal. Pochettino didn’t have to make enormously difficult decisions about leaving guys out. He brought in a large crop of youngsters, many of whom will feature for the Olympic team in the November window (and in 2028) and introduced them to the culture of the senior team and the demands that he will place on them. In doing so, he found some players who can be useful to the senior team — Sullivan, Albert and Kochen all come to mind. The harder part comes now. Is it better for those three, for example, to be involved in the senior camp and come off the bench, or is it more valuable for them to be starting and playing with the under-23s?
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Cardenas: To me it felt like Poch gave a number of hot-shot 9th graders a taste of varsity soccer. He tested them in training, got to know them away from the pitch and then gave them an opportunity to play under the lights on a Friday night.
Those players can now earn call-ups in the future, but they are not replacing key members of the core group. This camp, in my opinion, was more about integrating young players into Pochettino’s culture than it was about November.
Bogert: Pochettino, his staff and U.S. Soccer nailed this first post-World Cup window. The squad didn’t just include a couple of interesting youngsters; It was full-send with the program’s most talented emerging teenagers.
All 13 previously uncapped players made their debuts. Sullivan started the first game. Most of them played that first game. Pochettino both showed he trusted them, but shielded and managed them best he could, too. He didn’t overhype anyone and tried his best to deflect questions about individuals to focus his answer on the team and caution there will be ups and downs in the future.
Bushnell: Nearly perfect. My only gripe is with his reversion to playing Yunus Musah as a right midfielder in the latter two games, rather than in the position at which he’s been starting for freakin’ AC Milan — and at which he clearly has the most upside.
Ricardo Pepi and Tim Weah were among the experienced attacking stars absent from the USMNT during the most recent windowOmar Vega / Getty Images
Who else would you expect to see in November who was not called in this time?
Tenorio: A lot of this will depend on playing time, but I think we will see a crop of veteran midfielders in November. I’d be interested to see Tanner Tessmann, Johnny Cardoso and Aidan Morris back in camp. Tim Weah could be back in the mix, as well. Keep in mind that Pochettino will have a December camp where he’ll be able to get more time with the young MLS players we saw in September and October. He won’t be able to summon his European-based veterans for that camp. Getting a look at some of those he didn’t have at the World Cup will be important to continually assess the player pool.
Cardenas: Cardoso and Tessmann are on my list, too. I don’t think that Weah has played himself out of favor, but his future role under Pochettino will be intriguing.I do think a player like Ricardo Pepi should be nervous. Hall and Ellis are raw, but they scored multiple goals and looked like the type of pacey strikers that Pochettino values. Pepi was unlucky with the injury he suffered just before camp, but he has not really been impactful for the national team in quite some time. His last U.S. goal came in November of 2024.What You Should Read
Bogert: Pepi is a likely shout, given he only missed out on the last window with a late injury. The central midfielders listed above — Cardoso, Morris, Tessmann — will be under consideration, but none made the World Cup squad. McKennie will be back, while Sebastian Berhalter has only gotten better in the last six months, and Musah returned from the cold this fall as well.
That’s all before getting to the next generation: Brooklyn Raines impressed in his first senior minutes and Adri Mehmeti, while not quite ready yet, looms as a future successor. That position is deep.
Weah is very interesting. A few years ago, he was a constant for the USMNT. Consistent and versatile, Weah always earned minutes. Under Pochettino, his play hasn’t warranted the same, and he was an afterthought at the World Cup. The team has shifted more primarily to a back four this fall, and if that continues, it should help Weah’s case, as his natural position is right wing. But that’s where the emerging Sullivan plays, too.
Bushnell: In addition to some of the names mentioned above, keep an eye on New York Red Bulls defender Justin Che (who might have been in this past camp if not for injury), Stoke City midfielder Jack McGlynn (who’s off to a flying start in the Championship), and maybe even SC Paderborn midfielder Santiago Castañeda (who is 21 years old but narrowly misses the Olympic age cut-off).
Those who are age-eligible for the Olympics, such as San Jose Earthquakes playmaker Niko Tsakiris, will most likely join players like Mehmeti, Zavier Gozo and Neil Pierre with the Under-23s, who’ll begin their preparations for 2028 in November.
Paul Tenorio|Senior Writer, MLS
The Turf pub played a key role in Wrexham’s past – but remains integral to the club’s future
The Turf pub sits in the shadow of Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground Richard Sutcliffe/The Athletic
Oct. 9, 2026
Tuesday afternoon, Wrexham. As is often the case during a Welsh autumn, the weather can’t quite make up its mind what to do next, with bright sunshine one minute followed by dark, forbidding clouds the next.Wayne Jones, landlord of The Turf pub and breakout star of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, is taking a well-earned break in the shadow of the new Kop stand being built next door at The Racecourse Ground. Already today he has served punters from across the globe, including a family from Melbourne, Australia, a couple from Europe and a number of small groups from the U.S. and Canada.AdvertisementOn a matchday this might be understandable, but Wrexham do not play at home again for another week.“This is actually a quiet day,” says Jones with a smile before quickly checking the time on his phone. “It’s 2.30pm now and we’ve had maybe 30 (overseas fans) in so far today. And only four selfies!“That’s quiet compared to a lot of days. Regularly through the summer, coach loads will rock up. Two or three or even more some days. There’s no match on; they just want to visit Wrexham and The Turf.“Five, nearly six years, into all this and I still find it crazy. You tell people the numbers we get through the doors and they don’t believe you. But, then a few days later they pop into the pub and go, ‘S***, you were telling the truth!’.”
A rare quiet day inside The TurfRichard Sutcliffe/The Athletic
For “all this”, read the February 2021 takeover by Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds that not only transformed the fortunes of a football club but also a town.
The Turf has been in the vanguard of that revival after heavily featuring in the first series of the documentary in the autumn of 2022. The upshot is a pub that, last month, was bought from Admiral Taverns by Wrexham’s parent company is now firmly on the tourist trail.
It’s not just fans of Welcome to Wrexham who make the pilgrimage, either. British and Hollywood royalty having also beaten a path to the doors of a venue where the meeting that led to the club’s formation was held way back in 1864.
The Prince of Wales, the heir to the British throne, once had a none-too-successful attempt at pouring a pint behind the bar, while Hugh Jackman, Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell are among the A-listers to have popped in. As the star of Anchorman and Elf made clear to The Athletic during his own visit in February 2023, a desire to experience “a pub you think you know from the show” helps explain the draw.
Prince William and Rob Mac survey the heir to the throne’s attempt to pour a pint at The TurfChris Jackson/Getty Images
“I remember asking Rob and Ryan in the early days, ‘Will this ever calm down?’,” adds Jones, who has run The Turf for almost 19 years. “Both said, ‘No, just enjoy it!’.”
ones’ popularity among Wrexham’s worldwide fan base explains why he has been an ambassador on all four pre-season tours. Along with a pop-up version of The Turf that sells Wrexham Lager, the historic brewing firm in which Reynolds and Mac have held a majority stake since 2024, he is a huge draw for fans, who regularly queue round the block to have their photo taken with the Welshman.
This unlikely fame also explains why, when in the U.S., locals have been known to shout, “Hey, pub guy!” at him in the street.
A visit to a water park when on a family holiday in Cyprus last month brought similar recognition. “We were just outside Ayia Napa and this Cypriot guy, in full speedos, shouts across, ‘Love you on the show, Wayne!’. That sort of thing makes my daughter cringe, makes my wife laugh and makes me run for the hills.”
Eric Allyn, the U.S. businessman whose family bought a minority shareholding in Wrexham in 2024, is another to have fallen under The Turf’s spell. When in the UK, he even joins the regulars’ bus trips to away games, once famously being serenaded by his fellow Turf travellers when playing pool in a Blackpool pub with the jocular chant, “Where were you when we were s***?”
Wayne Jones has assumed celebrity status courtesy of Welcome to WrexhamFrazer Harrison/Getty Images
Jones adds: “We’ve become really good friends. He’s taken a real shine to The Turf and everyone in it. We’ve not changed as a result. No a***-licking in any way, Eric just comes in and gets the same mickey-taking as everyone else.
“It’s the same with anyone who comes in. I get asked regularly how our non-matchday locals react to so many visitors. They engage. They’ll get up and ask, ‘Shall I take a picture of you?’, and then ask where they are from.
“I wouldn’t tolerate anyone being rude anyway. But I can’t force people to go out of their way to chat to people. Yet they all do that naturally. That might surprise some people but I’d say Wrexham people are pretty chatty and friendly as a rule.
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“Plus, don’t forget we didn’t have much for decades and decades. So maybe our regulars are quite enjoying their time in the spotlight; enjoying welcoming tourists into our town and, if you like, showing it off a little bit.”What You Should Read Next
Wrexham’s Hollywood owners have made The Turf a tourist hotspotWayne Jones’ life has been transformed by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney taking over Wrexham – his club and pub are booming
Considering The Turf is so interwoven with the football club — the players changed there before home matches in the 1920s — the transfer of ownership could be seen as coming full circle.
Certainly, Jones believes the sale to Wrexham Holdings, the club’s parent company, makes sense. “Now is the time when it could work,” he says. “We’ve had a very good 10-year stewardship under Admiral Taverns, who were very supportive to me and my family throughout.
“When the prospect of a sale first came up, they were insistent no deal would be done with the football club unless they took care of me. That humbled me, if I’m honest. Sometimes, you’ll be told you’re just a number to a pub company, but that never felt to be the case with Admiral. I’m told the club agreed, saying something like, ‘We want to keep Wayne on’.”
Surely it couldn’t have been any other way? The Turf without the welcoming landlord so familiar to millions across the world is unthinkable. “I was a little bit panicky when Admiral first approached me several months back,” adds Jones. “I’ve been here nearly 19 years, putting blood, sweat and tears into the place. So, yes, I was a little bit anxious.
D“I was then told Rob would phone me later that night. Straight away, he launches in with typical enthusiasm, ‘Wayno! We’re buying the pub’. In a way only Rob could possibly do, he calmed me down and explained how it was going to be very beneficial for us and very beneficial for the pub itself and the town.
“Eric also reached out after Rob’s call. So did Ryan. All of them said, ‘If you need anything, give us a shout. You’re the one who knows how to run a pub, so run it’.”
Ryan Reynolds’ and Rob Mac’s signatures hang on the wall inside The TurfRichard Sutcliffe/The Athletic
When The Athletic last sat down with Jones during the run-in to the 2022-23 season that culminated in promotion to the EFL, he had just started his latest five-year contract with Admiral to run The Turf. Another five-year deal will be signed soon to reflect the change of ownership.
Advertisementt his own behest, Jones will remain self-employed and be solely responsible for employing the staff. Clearly, Wrexham’s senior management understand the adage, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’
There are already plans in the pipeline under Admiral to give the pub a lick of paint and to re-tarmac the car park. A little further down the line, there will be a new-look ‘Fanzone’ under the umbrella of The Turf.
Jones adds: “This might be slightly above my pay grade, but I don’t think anyone wants to change The Turf. I’ve seen all sorts of rumours (since the sale): ‘It’s gonna be moved, it’s gonna be paid entry, it’s gonna be corporate.’ None of that is going to happen.
“The Turf will always remain very important to Wrexham fans and I’m glad the newer people who have come into the club of late get that importance, too. And not an opportunity to say, ‘We can knock that down and build the stand up to do things our way’. I like how they want to keep the club true to its roots. I genuinely think that comes from the very top. Rob, Ryan, Eric — those three in particular would have something to say. They get this town and the club.
“By all means, you could knock the pub down and build it somewhere else. But you’d never be able to replace that history. And once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
The Turf’s balcony that used to overlook The RacecourseRichard Sutcliffe/The Athletic
Jones’ own links to the pub pre-date him taking over the tenancy almost two decades ago. Not only was this his parents’ local but, as a teenager, his first job was to ferry sandwiches and pints of beer up on trays to the balcony that used to overlook The Racecourse.
There, thanks to The Turf being unique back then as the only pub to form part of a football ground in the Football League, fans would watch the match, having paid a nominal sum to the landlord.
“Most Saturdays there would be about 250 people up there,” adds Jones, “which used to really aggravate the club. Back in those days, crowds were only 1,600 or 1,700, so The Turf had a good chunk of the crowd.”
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The balcony remains, but the view of the football ended in 1999 with the construction of the Mold Road Stand, whose back wall sits just a few yards from The Turf.
The Kop is springing up behind The TurfRichard Sutcliffe/The Athletic
Now, the frame of the new Kop towers over both, a symbol not only of the club’s recent revival under Mac and Reynolds but also of potentially even brighter days ahead.
Jones, having happily just posed mid-interview for a fifth selfie of the day with a fan, looks up in awe at a £69.1million ($91.5m) structure that, half a dozen years ago, would have seemed as unlikely as the adjacent pub being packed on a daily basis by coach loads of visitors from overseas and, increasingly, the UK.
“Just when I think it is quietening down, they go and chuck the documentary on ITVX,” he says with a smile about the UK streaming platform now broadcasting series one. “So all the people who didn’t have Disney before can now watch it.
“As a result, we’re getting a lot more British people nowadays. From England — lots of Geordies, for some reason — Scotland, you name it. All coming in to sample a place they’ve seen on TV, showing in a way why things can’t change too much.
“Eric wants to come in and have a Wrexham Lager and enjoy The Turf as it is. This is the birthplace of the club. Rob and Ryan realise the importance of the building, so it is in safe hands.”
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