soccer

6/21/25 US Men Win, play Sun 7 pm, USWNT roster drops, World Club Cup continues, Indy 11 host Vegas Sat 7 pm

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Club World Cup Presents Surprises in the 1st Round

So I have to admit I did not think the Club World Cup would we be worth watching but boy was I wrong. Some of the games have been competitive – especially the South American teams. Of course awesome to see at least 1 MSL team Miami of course going thru to the Semi’s thanks to this sublime Messi free-kick  . If you haven’t watched yet – check out the games on TBS/TNT/Univision.

US Men face Haiti Sun 7 pm Advance to Quarter Finals of Gold Cup

The US men – I think the US men look like an un-organized pathetic shell of its former self. A 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia on this Chris Richards Goal yes a set-piece k No cohesive plan – no organized attack, no finishing and just average defense at best. Of course despite what the Fox pundits Lexi, Landon and Edu are forced to say – honestly we have 2 starters on this team – Adams & Centerback Chris Richards – I think Ream of course will make the team along with 3 or 4 more of these guys on this roster at the most. I think Tillman has shown some good things against these pathetic teams lets see how he does against top 50 competition if we get to Canada or Mexico. Man I would love to have to play both of them. Jesse Marsch beating the US would be a nice slap in the face to US Soccer. I assume Poch will play the kids vs Haiti (aka Carmel High Varsity) on Sunday. (lots of stories below)

USMNT GOLD CUP DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (club/country; caps/goals):

GOALKEEPERS (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 0/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 51/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 3/0), Alex Freeman (Orlando City; 0/0), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 19/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 68/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 24/1), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 32/3), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel/GER; 4/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 43/3)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 47/8); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 44/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 0/0), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 18/0), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC; 24/1), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 4/0), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo; 4/1), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; 0/0); Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 17/0)
FORWARDS (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/NED; 1/0), Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 4/3), Damion Downs (FC Köln/GER; 0/0), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 4/1), Haji Wright INJURED -(Coventry City/ENG; 15/4)

Camps to Check out This Summer

Carmel High School Soccer Camp- Boys – Murray Stadium 6:30-8:30 pm
June 23-25 (grades 5-8th)  $125
July 21-23  $125
Questions? Please contact Coach Shane Schmidt at sschmidt@ccs.k12.in.us

Greyhound Girls Soccer Camp – Murray Stadium
Girls Jul 07 – Jul 09, 2025 at 9:00-10:30 $95 (5th-8th Grade) Register

Indy 11 Host Las Vegas Lights During Pride Night at the Mike Tonight 7 pm

Midfielder Jack Blake netted the game-winning goal in first half stoppage time off a smooth sequence from midfielder Aodhan Quinn to give Indy Eleven a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds & Carmel Goalkeeper Eric Dick last week. Defender Ben Ofeimu has been selected to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 15 after leading his team to its second consecutive clean sheet in a 1-0 win vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday. The Boys in Blue have had nine different players named to the Team of the Week in 2025! It is the sixth time that the 24-year-old Ofeimu has earned this recognition since he was acquired by Indy Eleven on April 11, 2024, and his third first-team selection.Indy Eleven hosts Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday at 7 pm ET on WISH-TV and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

TV GAME SCHEDULE

GC=Gold Cup, WCC = World Club Cup in US

Fri, June 20
9 pm TBS Bayern Munich vs Boca Juniors WCC
10 pm FS1 Guatemala vs Panama GC

Sat, June 21

7 pm TV8, Golazo Indy 11 vs Las Vegas Lights FC
7 pm FS1 Curacao vs Canada GC
9 pm TBS River Plate vs Monterrey WC
10 pm FS1 Honduras vs El Salvador GC

Sun, June 22

12 noon Danz Juventus vs Wydad Casablanca WCC
3 pm univision Real Madrid vs Pachuca WCC
7 pm Fox       US Men vs Haiti Gold Cup
7 pm FS1 Saudi Arabia vs T&T GC
9 pm TNT Man City vs Al Ain WCC
10 pm FS1 Mexico vs Costa Rica GC

Mon, June 23
3 pm ?? Athletico Madrid vs Botafogo WCC
3 pm ?? PSG vs Seattle Sounders WCC
9 pm TBS Inter Miami (Messi) vs Palmeiras
9 pm Porto vs Al Ahly

Tues, June 24
3 pm Univision Bayern Munich vs Benfica
3 pm ?? Boca Juniors vs Aukland City
7 pm FS2 Guadaloupe vs Guatemala
7 pm FS1 Panama vs Jamaica GC
10 PM danz Chelsea vs ES Tunis
10 PM LAFC vs Flamengo
10 pm FS1 Canada vs El Salvador GC
10 pm FS2 Honduras vs Curacao GC

Wed, June 25

3 pm Danz Dortmund bs Ulsan
3 pm Fluminese vs Sundowns

Thur, June 26

3 pm Uni/TNT Juventus vs Man City
9 pm Pachuca vs Al Hitlal
9 pm TNT Salzburg vs Real Madrid
8 pm TBS, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland

Fri, June 28th

12 noon ?? Club WC QF 1A vs 2 B
4 pm :?? Club WC QF 1C vs 2D
7:15 pm FS1 Gold Cup QF
10 pm FS1 Gold Cup QF

Sun, June 29th

TNT, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland in Cincy

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USA

The USMNT is a mess. That’s the price of the U.S. becoming a ‘soccer country’
Concacaf Gold Cup: How every team can qualify for quarterfinals
Poch hails ‘humble’ Richards, expects decisive play
Richards saves the day for the USMNT on a night when the front line couldn’t
USMNT squeak past Saudi Arabia to book Gold Cup knockout round spot: What we learned
USMNT beats Saudi Arabia to clinch Gold Cup knockouts spot
Poch: USMNT not playing to get revenge on critics
Chris Richards’ goal sends USMNT through to Gold Cup knockout stage
2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup: Scouting Haiti
Is getting out of the Group Stage Enough for Poch?  Stadium Rant

No Winners in the Pulisic Drama
More Poch Shots at Pulisic  
USA vs. Trinidad & Tobago, 2025 Gold Cup: Man of the Match
Should these USMNT stars stay or leave their current clubs? | The Cooligans
Is the panic meter rising for USMNT ahead of World Cup? | The Cooligans
“It’s now or never”: How Malik Tillman’s winding USMNT road took him from Bavaria to America
Transfer talk  – US players – Pepi to Fulham, Musah, Downs?
‘Secret love for soccer’ put Freeman on U.S. path

USMNT outclassed by Switzerland in final Gold Cup tuneup: Did we learn anything?


US Women

Lavelle, Bethune, 4 newcomers in USWNT roster
European-based stars get summer rest as Emma Hayes calls in summer USWNT roster
Hayes giving overworked U.S. stars summer break


Club World Cup

🌎 Club World Cup: How teams can reach last 16
Club World Cup: Is European soccer’s superiority being exposed as a myth?
Is the Club World Cup important? Yes, just ask the South American teams
Bayern use late goal to top Boca, advance at CWC
LAFC out of Club World Cup after late penalty miss
Chelsea’s Jackson sorry for red: ‘I let you down’
Flamengo stun Chelsea in another big Club World Cup upset
Messi doesn’t play for Inter Miami as much as he could. Here’s why (and how Club World Cup fits in)
Club World Cup updates, odds: Real Madrid draw shows scale of Alonso’s task

MLS & USL

The making of Diego Luna, as seen through the eyes of his coaches
LAFC look ahead after “disappointing” Club World Cup elimination
USMNT aim to “change the narrative” with Gold Cup run

Goalkeeping


Real Madrid prepared to finalise veteran superstar’s contract in July – 
Monaco target André Onana but goalkeeper is keen to stay at Manchester United
Gk repalces Turner at palace

Reffing

Goalkeeper 8 Second Rule – FIFA Rule Change
FIFA Rule Change – PK GK Jump

Our Indiana Refs before they left for The Midwest Regionals in St Louis last weekend. Well done follks!

Referees at this month’s FIFA Club World Cup will wear ‘body cams’ with the footage used in broadcasts of the game – but only if the images are of non-controversial incidents, FIFA refereeing officials said on Wednesday. The match referees in the tournament will wear a small camera protruding from their earpiece which will be able to generate video from the referee’s point of view. But while broadcasters will be able to offer unique angles on goals and saves – as well as close-up live video and sound from the pre-match coin toss – viewers won’t get to see penalty decisions or other disputable moments from the new camera angle.

“The objective is to offer the TV viewers a new experience,” said Pierluigi Collina, the Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. Collina said that IFAB, which sets the Laws of the Game, had allowed a trial of the technology and suggested that footage of controversies might be part of a later phase in the future. “Let’s do things step by step. At the moment… this is a trial. We need to do something new and the simpler the better. So we fixed some rules within a protocol. We will offer these images in the future? Maybe when we learn to run, maybe not, maybe we will do,” he said. The live images will be broadcast via a private 5G network from the ref to the match production team, said FIFA Director of Innovation, Johannes Holzmuller, who said the live aspect would only be available in the six NFL stadiums being used for the tournament. What Club World Cup fans will be able to see are the VAR reviews, as seen by referees on the pitchside monitor, which will be broadcast on giant screens in the stadium. That video will then be followed by the referee announcing the final decision over the public address system and the television broadcast.

The tournament will also see the use of ‘enhanced semi-automatic offside’ technology which will use 16 cameras linked to AI technology and algorithms which will send an audio message to the assistant referee when an offside player touches the ball. The system will likely see the flag raised earlier for offside and reduce cases of play continuing after a clear offside until a later VAR review. The tournament will also be an early introduction of the new law that goalkeepers have eight seconds to release the ball after picking it up – or be punished with a corner. It replaces the previous law that keepers had six seconds to release the ball or give up an indirect free kick. The goalkeepers will be shown a five second warning by the referee who will count down showing the fingers of one hand.

USMN-B-T 1-0 Saudi Arabia. Remember People! It’s a Results Bizness 🦅Before an agonizingly empty stadium, our U.S. boys did just enough to overcome a weak Saudi Arabian squad who have been here for about five minutes but already seem to be the epitome of CONCACAF. The game itself felt like a chore to watch. The U.S. had 72% possession in the first half but conjured zero shots on goal against a physical opponent. The football was sparkless, tepid and lacking in ambition and ideas. To progress from the group will be a relief for Mauricio Pochettino but it is a bare minimum for a program who has won its first two games in this tournament 15 out of 18 times.Chris Richards Is a Great American 🙌The Crystal Palace giant out of Birmingham, Ala. was a man amongst boys in this game. That a pair of his blocks were two of the best three highlights on the night tells you all you need to know about the quality of the game. The other, of course, was his goal. A moment of stand alone quality, from the wicked Sebastian Berhalter set piece to the finish, first-time off a difficult bounce, which Clint called an elite striker’s technique. I am so happy for Chris. He is a lovely, thoughtful, sensitive human being who has had to grind his way out of Alabama, and summon a true tenacity to establish himself in the Premier League. He has a massive opportunity in this moment to become one of the true faces of the team. Watching him seize it is really edifying. Give that man all the commercial deals.Who Will Step Up, Fight, and Seize Their Chance to Make Themselves Undeniable? 🥊How was this performance so plodding? Pochettino has made it utterly explicit he wants players who will fight for him. So many of these boys have been gifted an unexpected opportunity they could never have dreamed of: To make themselves unignorable for that World Cup squad on home turf. Yet, the performance was flatter than the Texas Panhandle. The football was so deferential. No one seized their chance to grab a drowsy game by the throat and enforce their will upon it. Working out why that is will be the key for Pochettino. Malik Tillman has the skills and the club form to do that. Patrick Agyemang has the hype and the plaudits but was unable to summon the touch or the balance. All of these players have sacrificed so much to make it to this stage. One transcendent moment could change their lives. If only the football reflected that…I Do Love Me Some Diego Luna 🌔👦The one player who is running off the ball and trying to create a spark with his flicks and tricks. I ran into Diego in Austin and told him just how much we are hearing from so many of you about his fight, hustle, and mustache-tinged singular swagger. I asked him what goes through his mind when he gets on the ball, and he told me he tries to “be happy” and summon “the joy he felt playing as a kid.” I said that to Clint on last night’s show, and he said that when he was young his brother used to tell him, he “had to be serious about having fun.” A phrase I love and will think of whenever Diego is in possession.  Even Spinal Tap Drummers Think Our No 9 Position Is Doomed 🫠Haji Wright’s injury is a real concern for our boys. With Agyemang crying out for competition, Haji did not dress, left out of the squad with an Achilles issue. Kyle Bonn reported, “After a big sigh, Mauricio Pochettino on Haji Wright‘s injury: “We will communicate something on his injury in the next few days.”” It does not sound good. His absence will be painful. Twenty-year-old German-American Damion Downs, this could be your time…  Matt Freese Has Two Clean Sheets By Making Just One More Save Than You 🧤The goalkeeper battle between two Matts is psychologically intriguing. Matt Turner was the No 1 and has battled his way to a Premier League crevice, albeit with precious little playing time. For a player shorn of match practice, it must be an agony to have had a watching brief. NYCFC’s Harvard grad Matt Freese has been wicked smart in goal — two clean sheets off ONE SAVE TOTAL IN THOSE TWO GAMES. Guzan has to be watching and thinking that if he started smoking ciggies, he could maybe be the American version of Wojciech Szczęsny and make an unexpected return from exile. It Is Painful to See These Stadia so Empty for a United States Game On Home Turf a Year Out from the World Cup 😢Watching the United States walk out to gapingly empty terraces is an agony for all those who love the game in this nation. You have all made it clear as to the reasons—the unfathomable cost of tickets, the political climate, the absence of the big-named players, and the mediocre run of form. Make no mistake, there is an inertia around this program and even its most diehard fans at the worst possible time. The comment which hurts the most to read is: “If the players don’t care, then why should we?”  The media drumbeat going into this game was crickets. The only news stories gaining traction were those surrounding Tim Weah and Weston McKennie’s surreal White House visit. But the empty stadium spoke its own message so loudly and agonizingly. Something profound has broken between this team and its core fanbase and it cries out for a sincere and speedy effort to rebuild that trust and connection again. Anyone who followed them in the 2010 and 2014 cycles knows just how singular and beautiful that connection can be. We head to 80,000-capacity AT&T Stadium on Sunday night to play Haiti. (Chuckles “I’m in danger.”)🎟️ If you’re in the Dallas area and considering going to the game, use this link to get 10% off tickets to USA vs. Haiti. 🇺🇸 🇭🇹The Knockout Rounds Will Be Moment Of Truth Time 📊We may play Costa Rica or Mexico. To better days ahead for all of us. We need to make noise. We need to be able to dream. Our gents will next play against the NBA Finals Game 7. We cannot catch a break…  
  The Club World Cup Is Going to Be Some Turbulent Journey 🏆What a surreal sight this tournament has been. Hastily thrown together from an organization perspective and even more shoddily marketed. Having Gianni Infantino be the face of his own creation was an almost vanity marketing campaign, with iShowSpeed bolted on for clout. The oft-shockingly empty stadia have been a startling humiliation. The action has been a slow boil. With shattered players battling dry pitches and blazing conditions in unbearable heat, Barney Ronay called it, “almost-football.” Action has been a slow boil. The only heat has mostly been of the brain-twisting, weather-induced kind. I will talk more about this surreal reality with Rory Smith on Monday in a Do It Live! after Seattle Sounders play PSG (kick-off @ 3 p.m. ET), but for now, congratulations to Inter Miami. They should not be in this tournament, as they were only jammed in for Messi marketing purposes, but they seized their chance, clipping a physically shattered Porto off this sublime Messi free-kick to become the first MLS team to beat a European opponent in competitive play. No small achievement.

Concacaf Gold Cup: How every team can qualify for quarterfinals

  • Dale JohnsonJun 21, 2025, 06:13 AM ET

The group stage at the Concacaf Gold Cup is well underway, and we’ll soon start to find out the first qualifiers for the quarterfinals.

Who can qualify on matchday 2, who has work to do, and what are the results to look out for?

Here’s how it’s all shaping up.

Qualified for quarterfinals (3/8): Mexico, Costa Rica, United States

Tiebreakers

1. Group points
2. Group goal difference
3. Group goals scored
4. Head-to-head in the game(s) between the teams in question
5. Goal difference in the game(s) between the teams in question
6. Goals scored in the game(s) between the teams in question
7. Disciplinary points (yellow and red cards)
8. Drawing of lots

*Kick off times show in ET (and in local time)

GROUP A

Group A

GPWDLGDPTS
1 – Mexico (Q)2200+36
2 – Costa Rica (Q)2200+26
3 – Dominican Republic2002-20
4 – Suriname2002-30
Top two countries qualify for quarterfinals

Saturday, June 14, 2025
Mexico 3-2 Dominican Republic

Sunday, June 15, 2025
Costa Rica 4-3 Suriname

Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Costa Rica 2-1 Dominican Republic
Suriname 0-2 Mexico

Sunday, June 22, 2025
Dominican Republic vs. Suriname, 10 p.m. (9 p.m.) – AT&T Stadium
Mexico vs. Costa Rica, 10 p.m. (7 p.m.) – Allegiant Stadium

The group was all wrapped up on Wednesday with Mexico and Costa Rica having both won their two fixtures.

It means that all that’s left to be decided when the two meet on Sunday is who wins the group.

Mexico have the better goal difference so will finish in first place with a win or a draw.

Costa Rica need a victory to climb into top spot.

GROUP B

Group B

GPWDLGDPTS
1 – Canada1100+63
2 – El Salvador101001
3 – Curaçao101001
2 – Honduras1001-60
Top two countries qualify for quarterfinals

Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Curaçao 0-0 El Salvador
Canada 6-0 Honduras

Saturday, June 21, 2025
Curaçao vs. Canada, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.) – Shell Energy Stadium
Honduras vs. El Salvador, 10 p.m. (9 p.m.) – Shell Energy Stadium

Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Guadeloupe vs. Guatemala, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.) – Shell Energy Stadium
Panama vs. Jamaica, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.) – Q2 Stadium

Canada are in control of the group, as the only nation to pick up three points from the opening round, and they will be through to the quarterfinals with a win over Curaçao.

No other team can advance on matchday 2.

GROUP C

Group C

GPWDLGDPTS
1 – Panama2200+46
2 – Guatemala210103
3 – Jamaica210103
4 – Guadeloupe2002-40
Top two countries qualify for quarterfinals

Monday, June 16, 2025
Panama 5-2 Guadeloupe
Jamaica 0-1 Guatemala

Friday, June 20, 2025
Jamaica 2-1 Guadeloupe
Guatemala 0-1 Panama

Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Guadeloupe vs. Guatemala, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.) – Shell Energy Stadium
Panama vs. Jamaica, 7 p.m. (6 p.m.) – Q2 Stadium

PANAMA

Win or draw: Qualify as group winners

Lose: Will definitely still qualify if Guatemala draw or lose.

If Guatemala win, three teams will have six points and it will go down to group goal difference. Panama (+4) look quite safe, however, as they would have to lose by 3 or more goals to go out behind Jamaica (0) and Guatemala (0).

JAMAICA

Win: Qualify if Guatemala draw or lose. If Guatemala win, three teams will have six points and it will go down to group goal difference. If Guatemala do win, Jamaica would need a victory by three or more goals to guarantee qualification — though they would also be through by winning by a greater margin than Guatemala.

Draw: Qualify if Guatemala lose. If Guatemala draw, places will first be decided on group goals scored, which Jamaica lead by one goal.

Lose: Can only qualify if Guatemala also lose, and it will again come down to goal difference, this time between Jamaica (0), Guatemala (0) and Guadeloupe (-4). Effectively, the team that loses by the lowest margin between Jamaica and Guatemala would be second (see Guadeloupe section).

If in each scenario goal difference finishes level between Jamaica and Guatemala (e.g. scorelines of 0-0 and 1-1 producing match goal difference of 2-2) then Guatemala are second on head to head.

GUATEMALA

Win: Qualify in second if Jamaica draw or lose. If Jamaica win, three teams will have six points and it will go down to group goal difference. As above, Guatemala would likely need to win by a bigger margin than Jamaica, though goal difference could still finish level.

Draw: Qualify if Jamaica lose. If Jamaica draw, places will first be decided on group goals scored, which Jamaica lead by one goal.

Lose: Can only qualify if Jamaica also lose, and it will again come down to goal difference, as above.

GUADELOUPE

Must beat Guatemala by at least two goals and hope Jamaica lose. If Jamaica lose by one goal, they finish second; if Jamaica lose by two or more goals, Guatemala will likely finish second having scored more goals.

If Guadeloupe win by three or more goals and Jamaica lose, Guadeloupe are sure to be second.

GROUP D

Group D

GPWDLGDPTS
1 – United States2200+66
2 – Saudi Arabia210103
3 – Haiti2011-11
4 – Trinidad and Tobago2011-51
Top two countries qualify for quarterfinals

Sunday, June 15, 2025
United States 5-0 Trinidad and Tobago
Haiti 0-1 Saudi Arabia

Thursday, June 19, 2025
Trinidad and Tobago 1-1 Haiti
Saudi Arabia 0-1 United States

Sunday, June 22, 2025
Saudi Arabia vs. Trinidad and Tobago, 7 p.m. (4 p.m.) – Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
United States vs. Haiti, 7 p.m. (4 p.m.) – AT&T Stadium

UNITED STATES

Have qualified and will top the group with a win or draw against Haiti.

If the U.S. lose, Saudi Arabia would need to win with a goal-difference swing of seven goals to steal first place.

SAUDI ARABIA

Win: Qualify, almost certainly in second place

Draw: Qualify, as long as Haiti do not win (see Haiti section)

Lose: Cannot qualify

HAITI

Win: They have a couple of routes. Haiti qualify as long as Saudi Arabia do not lose to Trinidad and Tobago by five or more goals (which puts Trinidad and Tobago through). If Saudi Arabia draw, it comes down to goal difference and goals scored, and Haiti are through if they win by two or more goals. If Haiti win by one goal and goal difference is identical (e.g. 1-0, 1-1) then Saudi Arabia are second on head to head.

Cannot qualify with a draw or loss.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Win: Have to get the victory over Saudi Arabia, and they will be through if Haiti draw or lose. If Haiti win, Trinidad and Tobago must win by five or more goals to finish second on goal difference.

Cannot qualify with a draw or loss.


Club World Cup: Is European soccer’s superiority being exposed as a myth?

Henry BushnellSenior reporter

June 21, 2025 at 12:02 AM EDT·

7 min read7

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — European soccer’s superiority had, throughout the 21st century, become self-evident; inescapable and irreversible; extreme and presumed. It was apparent in the salaries and prices of players, in the exodus of talent from the Americas and Africa, in the prestige of the UEFA Champions League and, twice per year, on the field. At the former Club World Cup, the seven-team version played each winter, since 2007, European teams played 34 games. They lost once.

So they strolled into this expanded version, the 2025 Club World Cup, as heavy favorites. They negotiated outsize appearance fees. Their supporters assumed they’d waltz to the latter stages, untouched.

Instead, halfway through the group stage, they’ve been humbled.

In six games so far against South American opposition, they’ve lost two, drawn three, won one (finally, on Friday, thanks to Bayern Munich).

They have also dropped seven points to the Saudi Pro League, MLS and Liga MX.

Their early stumbles have delighted fans from other continents. They’ve surprised Western pundits. And they’ve ignited provocative debate around a simple question: Is the supposed supremacy of European clubs a myth?

‘They are good teams too’

On one side, there are the raw results and the performances here over the past week. Flamengo didn’t just beat Chelsea 3-1 on Friday in Philadelphia; at times, it pummeled the free-spending English Premier League giants. And Fluminense — Brazil’s 13th best team last year — didn’t just hold Borussia Dortmund to a 0-0 draw; it outplayed what was, a month ago, the hottest team in Germany.

In almost every single match between South American and European foes, there was evidence that the gap is slimmer than most Europeans (and non-Hispanic Americans) realize. Botafogo’s upset of PSG was a so-called “smash-and-grab,” but even smash-and-grabs require a certain level of physical, technical and tactical quality. Boca Juniors, similarly, bellied up to Bayern Munich on Friday and snatched a second-half equalizer, before conceding late. It was a “really tough game,” Bayern’s Harry Kane said postgame.

Flamengo's Bruno Henrique celebrates after scoring during the Club World Cup Group D soccer match between Flamengo and Chelsea in Philadelphia, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
Flamengo players celebrate during their statement win over Chelsea at the 2025 Club World Cup in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

There was also Monterrey 1, Inter Milan 1; and Al Hilal 1, Real Madrid 1, “a very balanced match,” as Al Hilal fullback João Cancelo said afterward.

On paper, per Opta, these were games between the 9th best team in the world and the 81st; between No. 15 and No. 238; No. 4 and 132; No. 7 and 131; No. 6 and 130; No. 8 and 77. On the field, though, they looked very different, and begged the question: Is Opta wrong?Are the assumptions of European preeminence wrong?Were we all wrong?

For four-and-a-half decades, after all, from 1960 until 2004, when the champions of South America and Europe met in the now-defunct Intercontinental Cup, the South Americans won 22; the Europeans won 21. Europe’s subsequent commercialization of the sport has seemingly shifted the balance of power, or at least wealth, but … perhaps the on-field gap never really widened?At this new-look Club World Cup, which everyone agrees is a better indicator than the old one, “the South American teams have caused big problems for some of the European teams,” Kane said, and perhaps the explanation is simple. As Kane’s teammate, Konrad Laimer, said: “Because they are good teams, too. Football is football.”

The European excuses

On the other side of the debate, however, there are excuses — or at least other explanations, some legitimate.There is the timing of this tournament, which falls at the end of 10-month European seasons, but mid-campaign for clubs from Brazil, Argentina and MLS. Whereas South American teams built up to the Club World Cup, weary European bodies and minds were ready to wind down. Most got a couple weeks off before reconvening with teammates 7-10 days before their Club World Cup openers, or after an international window. “There are many tournaments that they’ve had to play, and perhaps they’ll arrive with some fatigue,” Inter Miami forward Luis Suarez predicted before the competition began. “I think there will be some surprise results.”There is also the suffocating U.S. summer heat, which has seemed to affect European teams more than others.“We are used to the heat,” Al Hilal’s Brazilian winger Malcom said after his team hung with Real Madrid on a humid 90-degree afternoon in suburban Miami. Atlético Madrid’s Spanish midfielder Marcos Llorente, on the other hand, called an 88-degree afternoon in Southern California “impossible.”

There is travel to which the Europeans aren’t accustomed. There are distant time zones, and games that kick off after all their friends and family back home are asleep. There are all sorts of confounding variables that preclude the Club World Cup from being an accurate point of comparison.And most of all, there is the unavoidable sense, or narrative, that the European teams just don’t really care.Many players do, to be clear. But do they care, with every last ounce of their being, like some of their South American counterparts do?There has undoubtedly been an intensity gap that has neutralized the quality gap, and helped some South American sides show well. To them, these games are among the most significant in recent club history. To the Europeans, the Champions League and, in some cases, their domestic leagues were and are more prestigious.Public attitudes toward the Club World Cup have also colored this excuse. While European fans have stayed home, and in some cases slept through games, supporters of South American and North African clubs have filled stadiums with balloons, flags, banners and unceasing noise.

“We’ve all been a part of big moments; this is still something totally different,” Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany said Friday after experiencing the locura of Boca fans.

Kane confirmed: “It felt like an away game out there.”

That, too, is an equalizing factor.

The conclusion

None of that entirely explains the upsets. But there is nuance in the conclusion that the gap between Europe and the rest of the world is somewhat narrower than many thought — because there are also gaps within Europe and within that other broad category.There is a massive gulf, for example, between Bayern Munich, which ultimately outclassed Boca here on Friday night; and Porto, which finished third in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, closer to fourth-place Braga than to the top two.There is also a sizable gulf between Palmeiras or Flamengo, the two most powerful teams in South America’s richest league, and most of the other non-European challengers at this Club World Cup.

What we probably overestimated was the distance between the Portos and the Inter Miamis; between the Dortmunds and the Fluminenses; between the Benficas and Bocas; between the Chelseas and the Flamengos. Most of the teams Porto and Benfica play, weekend after weekend, are probably worse than the best of MLS — and certainly worse than Boca, River Plate and much of the Brasileirão. Some of the Brasileirão, and certainly the top two, meanwhile, could compete with the top halves of the top flights in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. They have enough money, enough intelligence, enough homegrown talent.There is still, though, a distance to the tippy-top.“There is an elite in football that is superior,” Flamengo coach Filipe Luis, who played for Atlético Madrid and Chelsea, admitted Friday. “Brazilian clubs are competitive at the second level of European football. Flamengo will not devalue themselves against any opponent. But the squads of the elite are better. That’s a fact.”What we underestimated, though, was how streetwise grit and pure desire and all the aforementioned variables could close the gap between those squads for 90 minutes. We underestimated how much a $100 million squad could trouble a $1 billion squad when it plays as an impassioned unit that’s “really emotional in some situations,” as Laimer said of Boca.South American teams have bumped and bruised and disrupted the sometimes-coddled Europeans here in Miami and Los Angeles, in New Jersey and Philly. They haven’t proven that they are better, but that they’re good enough to be better on a given day.

USMNT grinds way by Saudi Arabia into Gold Cup knockout stage

Chris Richards scores for the USMNT

By Paul Tenorio

125

June 19, 2025

AUSTIN, Texas — Center back Chris Richards made two sliding plays on either side of halftime — the first stopped a shot on a dangerous transition to keep the game scoreless and the second finished off an inch-perfect free kick – to lift the U.S. to a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Thursday night in the Concacaf Gold Cup.

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The result sent the U.S. through to the tournament quarterfinals, though the group finale vs. Haiti on Sunday will determine if the Americans go through in first or second place in the group.

Richards’ finish saved the U.S. in what was otherwise a listless appearance in front of a barren home crowd at Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium. The lackluster environment is only the latest instance of what seems to be a real apathy around a team that will host the World Cup in less than a year. The U.S. played in front of empty crowds at the Concacaf Nations League in Los Angeles in March. The group opener on Sunday in San Jose was not a sellout either.

It is a lack of excitement caused as much by high ticket prices as the general performance of the team.

On the field, Thursday’s win gave the U.S. back-to-back victories for the first time since January camp. Results otherwise have left plenty to be desired. The American team has failed to excited fans or generate much enthusiasm or momentum.

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This Gold Cup is a chance to reverse that. But Mauricio Pochettino’s side needed to get results to start to build belief that it was headed in the right direction. The one-goal win over the Saudi did provide the result, if not necessarily the style points.

The U.S. tilted play through the left side and Max Arfsten in the first half, but the Columbus Crew wingback struggled to do much with his opportunities. The U.S. lost possession 60 times in the first half, per TruMedia, and Arfsten was responsible for 15 of those changeovers.

Saudi Arabia, a guest nation in Concacaf’s championship, had the best chances of the first stanza. Richards made a fantastic tackle in the 31s minute, sprinting back and making a last-ditch slide tackle to block Abdulrahman Al-Obood’s effort and keep the game scoreless.

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The U.S. worked possession looking for ways to break Saudi down, but created very little of note through the first hour of the game. Then right back Alex Freeman earned a free kick when he was fouled cutting centrally with the ball in the 62nd minute.

Sebastian Berhalter, the son of former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter, who once spent a season on loan with Austin FC, stood over the free kick and served a low curling ball into the box, where Richards slid with his leg outstretched to direct the ball home.

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It was an important moment from the Crystal Palace veteran, who has been charged with being one of the leaders on this younger, inexperienced U.S. team.

The U.S. will close out group play on Sunday against Haiti at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with that result, coupled with Mexico and Costa Rica’s Group A finale, determining the quarterfinal matchups. A draw will be sufficient for the U.S. to top the group. The U.S. hasn’t lost to Haiti in their last nine meetings, a streak that dates back to 1973.

(Top photo: Omar Vega/Getty Images)

Winning fosters USMNT belief at a time when fans need a team they can trust

Jun 19, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; United States of America defender Chris Richards (3) celebrates after scoring a goal against Saudi Arabia in the second half during a group stage match of the 2025 Gold Cup at Q2 Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

By Paul Tenorio

74

June 20, 2025

AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. men’s national team is just a few weeks removed from the bitterness of two friendly defeats, the second of which was particularly ugly. Not nearly enough time has passed to have forgotten completely the feeling those results wrought on the group.

That made it easier for Mauricio Pochettino to deliver his postgame message after the U.S. gutted out a not-so-perfect 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Thursday night to secure a spot in the Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals.

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“Enjoy that feeling,” Pochettino told the group. “Understand what that feeling is like and what you just had to do, all that emotion you put out on the field, because it doesn’t come easy. So you know what you have to do now. You need to continue to do and replicate that.”

It is one thing to believe that you have a process and that the process is working. It is harder to transmit that belief when the results are not going your way. That’s why the one-goal victory over Saudi Arabia was so important, even if it wasn’t pretty. The U.S. has now won back-to-back games. The confidence and belief in the group grows a bit more as a result. And Pochettino’s message resonates more, too.

“One of the important things to survive in this business … is to see things that maybe sometimes people cannot see,” Pochettino said. “And I think our point is not the knowledge about the game, is not about in the way that we want to approach the game, if we use different systems or not. It is to anticipate situations that people sometimes, like in all the business [don’t have] the possibility to see. That’s important. When everyone wants to destroy everything, sometimes you say, ‘No, we are [OK.]’ Because it’s difficult to defend when you don’t win. It’s difficult to say, ‘No, but we are in a good way.’ …

“I think [those bad results are part of] a process that is going to provide us the possibility to be more solid and bring the victories that we want.”

USMNT manager Mauricio PochettinoMauricio Pochettino has the USMNT into the Gold Cup knockout stage (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)

Pochettino clearly came into this summer with ideas he wanted to transmit through his decisions — on whom to bring, on what to say publicly, on how the team sets up and who is starting. The results didn’t happen right away. Pochettino said he was calm. He told the group to keep trusting.

So Gold Cup wins over Trinidad and Tobago and Saudi Arabia matter. Not because of the quality of the opponent or even the level of the team. But because results are what help foster buy-in.

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“We lost two games, and then we lost another two games after. I was really, really relaxed. And you can ask the players after Switzerland, [I was] saying, ‘Hey, look guys, relax. Now it’s time to rest. Is to analyze the situation.’ And sometimes you need to be honest. And I think it was my mistake or our mistake, and [so I said], ‘Hey, calm, we are going to prepare, and for sure, we are going to arrive in a very good condition.’ And maybe these few words … when you tell [players] something and that [happens], then that is going to be a very good group, very united and [they are going to] trust each other and go and fight. Because we know that we are all [in it] together.”

Pochettino said his staff can sense it coming together. They can “smell it,” he said.

They have to hope that the positivity continues to permeate, because it was clear in Austin that the apathy around this program is very real. The results haven’t been good, and the vibes have been worse. Attendance at Q2 Stadium was just 11,727. That follows just 12,610 in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday against T&T. The optics probably won’t be any better vs. Haiti this Sunday at the cavernous AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

USMNT fans at the Gold CupUSMNT fans were conspicuously absent for Thursday’s Gold Cup match vs. Saudi Arabia (Photo by Noah Goldberg/Getty Images)

Fans are opting out of paying high ticket prices to watch a team that hasn’t been performing, which should be a glaring signal for U.S. Soccer. There is less than a year until the 2026 World Cup begins. The priority needs to be on getting full stadiums and generating momentum around the team. It puts enormous pressure on U.S. Soccer to set its ticket prices appropriately for its slate of friendlies in September, October, November, March and next June.

Price points haven’t been the only issue, though. The U.S. men need to get people to start believing that they’re worth coming out to watch.

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There wasn’t a ton on Thursday that fulfilled that narrative. The Americans had the ball for most of the game, generating 67 percent possession and 469 passes. And yet they mustered just five shots and 0.70 expected goals.

It was an imperfect performance. But Pochettino is more worried about finding the moments he can pull from the game that underline his message.

It was Chris Richards sprinting back and sliding to block a shot on a clear Saudi transition attack that could have led to a goal. It was Sebastian Berhalter mixing it up with the Saudi team. Most importantly, it was the final scoreline.

USMNT's Matt Freese and Chris RichardsUSMNT GK Matt Freese embraces Chris Richards after the latter’s hustle and tackle prevented a great Saudi Arabia chance (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)

The simplest way to relay what Pochettino said is this: In this business, it’s the results that matter. That’s it. And that’s what the U.S. has been lacking over the last 18 months. They need to start winning games. The style points are just a bonus.

This U.S. group has holes. Of course it does. We know about the guys missing from this tournament. We know about the weaknesses that exist even when many of those players are present. That was on display against Panama in the Nations League in March.

With time ticking down toward the summer of 2026, it’s about finding the right mentality and the right combinations and the right belief to start winning again.

Pochettino was asked about that goal – about how to coach it into a team.

“It’s the hardest part of coaching, it is difficult because it takes time, because it’s a process,” Pochettino said. “Coaching the offensive, defensive, tactical, and game aspects is something any coach or every coach has sufficient knowledge to do. After that, it’s the values you transmit as a coaching staff. Not just me, but my entire coaching staff. That’s what we want to create, that environment or that relationship that has to exist. The habits. The habits we think should exist in a team that wants to compete for big things, which have to be fundamental. … Culture is created through the habits you have. Culture isn’t created by talking, culture isn’t created by giving theoretical lessons, it’s created with decisions, with actions. We often talk now with the players, about not talking on the field, but rather speaking with actions, because we can all communicate well, and all of us in a football environment have that ability to communicate. …

“It can be very nice to say things, but then you have to translate it onto the field. … That’s what truly dictates what we are. And that requires, as I was saying before, actions. Creating good habits, the habits that we think are fundamental to being competitive in any team. Because otherwise we would be a group of players who don’t come together. We wouldn’t be a team. We would be a group of players who play together, and nothing more. And to achieve a team, you need a foundation of values that we all agree to respect and follow.”

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Pochettino was then asked whether his team was there yet.

“We are currently under construction,” he said.

The 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia showed that. It was far from perfect. But it was a win. For a group that’s trying to become a team and craft its values, finding a way to get the three points was important.

The hope is that it now builds a little bit more. For the players in the locker room, for the players watching at home and for the fans who want to know whether they can start to believe again that this group of players can be the team they want it to be.

It will take a lot more — and there will most definitely be more setbacks. For now, this U.S. group will have to settle for a slight spark of belief that this can get back on track.

“It’s just that,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “It’s belief.”

6/10/25 Special US Men’s Version, USMNT vs Switzerland tonight 8 pm. on TNT, World Club Cup starts Sat, Portugal wins Nations League Final over Spain, Indy 11 host Carmel GK Sat, Carmel FC supplemental tryouts

gatorbest , , , , , , , , ,

US Loses to Turkiye 2-1 – Plays Top 20 Switzerland Tonight 8 pm on TNT

So the US got off to a great start with a Goal by Jack McGlynn just a few minutes in but some horrific play by DM Johnny Cardosa led to 2 straight goals in about 2 minutes as Turkiye took the lead and held on for the 2-1 win. (highlights) I thought the changes by Poch to sub out Johnny with Adams & CB Miles Robinson with Mark McKensie – changed the flow of the game at the half as the US dominated play in the 2nd outshooting Turkiye & out possessing them for the game.

Tonight the US takes on Switzerland – another top 20 world team that should give us a real run. I will be interested to see how seriously Poch takes this? Does he give new guys a chance – or try to build on the good things that players did last game. I would like to see Richards & McKenzie back in the middle tonight to give them a chance to grow together. It sounds like Adams is out – does Johnny get another chance to show he can play like he does in Spain rather than the pathetic display he showed Sat or every other time he puts on the Red, White & Blue? Luca De La Tore was a bright spot as one of the few players who really took us forward – into the attack. I also thought Malik Tillman played better than his average play with our US starters. Unfortunately I think Poch is an clueless – and he’ll continue to experiment with his new found MLS players and get beat again 2-1. Hopefully I am wrong.

Shane’s Starters tonight
White
Aaronson/Tillman//McGlynn
Cardoso //De La Tore
Tolkin/McKensie/Richards/Harriel
Turner
Diving into the controversary regarding our US starters not showing up this summer. Let me start with I am hugely disappointed our starters are not here for these European friendlies. I really thought Poch should have asked everyone to come in for these friendlies – along with the MLS Gold Cup team and we should have tried to put our best 11 on the field for 10 days and these 2 games. I have this feeling if it was set up correctly – negotiated properly with the clubs (something Poch does not do) that a lot of the guys might have showed up for a 10 day stint. Asking them all to stay for the 5 week Gold Cup is ridiculous – even this summer. Sorry Landon Donovan since you NEVER pushed yourself to play at the highest level – EUROPE for an entire season – you have NO leg to stand on calling guys out. Especially since you took off 18 months for mental issues before your last chance at a World Cup. None of those old US players played the # of games or to the level of competition that the current US players are playing. We had more players in Champions League last year than the previous 10 years combined from our old regime. It simply does not compare to the load that our current European players playing at top clubs have. If US soccer had a clue they would have brought them in for the 11 days — like Portugal and Spain did in the Nations League final. Most of our guys were here for Nations League in the Spring. The bottom line is the Gold Cup has in the last 15 years been a warm-up B team roster for us – unless it meant Confed Cup placement. Under Berhalter/BJ we had grown beyond all of Concacaf included Mexico and Canada. Not so under Poch obviously. So what’s the real issue here? Hard to say – but calling Christian Pulisic – who is the Best American Soccer Field Player to have ever lived out for missing 1 Gold Cup is short sighted in my opinion.
CBS/Golazo Discussion on Pulisic State of the Union Discussion on this Tyler Adams is the US Captain

USMNT GOLD CUP DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (club/country; caps/goals):

GOALKEEPERS (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 0/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 51/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 3/0), Alex Freeman (Orlando City; 0/0), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/FRA; 19/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 68/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 24/1), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 32/3), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel/GER; 4/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 43/3)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 47/8); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 44/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 0/0), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 18/0), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC; 24/1), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 4/0), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo; 4/1), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; 0/0); Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 17/0)
FORWARDS (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/NED; 1/0), Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 4/3), Damion Downs (FC Köln/GER; 0/0), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 4/1), Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 15/4)

Euro Nations League Final Portugal beats Spain 2-2 (5-3) on PKs

Wow – the Nations League Final between Spain and Portugal was simply spectacular the 2-2 thriller in Bayern Munich was magisterial as 40 YO Christiana Ronaldo scored the tying goal to put Portugal into Extra Time before coming off. (highlights).  Ronaldo & Portugal lift Trophy

Indy 11 hosts Pittsburgh Riverhounds and former Carmel High, CDC GK Eric Dick this Sat 7 pm
Indy 11 Summer of Soccer is a cool promo going on with tickets and a chance to win a free trip to the Indy 11 Charleston game. Indy 11 will host the Pittsburgh Riverhounds with former Carmel High, and CDC player Eric Dick in Goal. The 2024 USL GK of the year has Pittsburgh in 6th place overall 3 notches above Indy 11. Zeke invites you to enjoy a tail-wagging good time as we welcome our furry fans to the stadium. Enjoy the match with your pup by your side, the perfect outing for dog lovers and Indy Eleven fans! Pups at the Pitch Tickets are just $29 for you and your dog – Tickets

Carmel FC Supplemental Tryouts

Carmel FC are looking for High School quality Players for its 2010 Gold Boys (mid 1st division team) and 2009 Gold Boys (Great Lakes) reach out to me shanebestsoccer@gmail.com if interested.

USA MEN

What to watch for USMNT June 2025 Friendlies: USA vs. Switzerland – no time to be neutral

USA vs. Turkey player ratings: Score, grades, stats from USMNT pre-Gold Cup
USMNT 1–2 Turkiye: Player Ratings As USMNT Suffers Third Consecutive Defeat Under Mauricio Pochettino
Turkey loss gives Poch, USMNT more questions than answers
Soccer Wire – Player Ratings
Mistakes cost USMNT in 2-1 loss to Türkiye
Source: USMNT’s Turner to join Lyon in $9M move
USMNT depth chart: Top 15 at each position entering Gold Cup


Drama Around The US Camp
Pulisic likes dad’s response to Donovan criticism
The US men’s national team has more of the last thing it needs: sports dad drama

hum that American Coach is doing pretty well at Canada eh? Oh he added Michael Bradley to his staff

TV GAME SCHEDULE

GC=Gold Cup, WCC = World Club Cup in US
Tues, June 10

2:45 pm Fox Sport2 Netherlands vs Malta
8 pm TNT, Peacock    US Men vs Switzerland
Fri, June 13
10:30 pm FS1 Portland Timbers vs San Jose MLS

June 13 – 29               GOLD CUP MEN
June 13

10:30 pm Fox Sports1 Portland Timbers vs San Jose Earthquakes

June 14
4:30 pm Fox St. Louis City vs LA Galaxy
7 pm TV 8 & CBS Golaso Indy 11 vs Pittsburg Riverhounds (Carmel GK Eric Dick returns)
7:30 pm Apple Free Columbus vs Vancouver
8 pm Univision Al Ahly vs Inter Miami Club World Cup
9:30 pm Apple Free Colorado vs Orlando MLS
10:!5 pm FS1 Mexico vs Dominican Republic GC

Sun, June 15

12 noon DANZ Bayern Munich vs Auckland City WCC
3 pm Univision PSG Vs Atletico Madrid WCC
6 pm Fox, Uni           US Men vs Trinidad   Gold Cup
8:15 pm FS1 Haiti vs Saudi Arabia GC
10 pm Danz Botafogo vs Seattle Sounders WCC
11 pm FS1 Costa Rica vs Suriname GC
Mon, June 16
3 pm unimas, TUDN Chelsea vs LAFC
6 pm Danz Boca Juniors vs Benefica WCC
7 pm FS1 Panama vs Guadeloupe GC
9 pm FS1 Jamaica vs Guatemala

Tues , June 17
12 noon TNT Fluminese vs Dortmund WCC
3 pm Danz River Plate vs Urawa Reds WCC
8:15 pm FS1 Curacao vs El Salvador GC
9 pm Danz Inter Milan vs Monterrey WCC
10:30 pm FS1 Canada vs Honduras GC

Wed, June 18

12 noon DANZ Man City vs Wydad Casablanca WCC
3 pm unimas Real Madrid vs Al Hilal WCC
6 pm Danz Pachuca cs Salzburg WCC
7 pm FS1 Costa Rica vs Dom Republic GC
9 pm dazn Al Ain vs Juventus (Mckinney, Weah) WCC
10 pm FS1 Mexico vs Suriname

Thur, June 19

12 noon Dazn Palmeiras vs Al Ahly WCC
3 pm Dazn Inter Miami vs Porto WCC
6 pm Dazn Seattle Sounders vs Atletico Madrid WCC
6:45 pm FS1 T&T vs Haiti GC
9 pm Dazn PSG Vs Botafogo WCC
9:15 pm FS1                US Men vs Saudi Arabia  Gold Cup

Fri, June 20
2 pm TNT Flamengo vs Chelsea WCC
6 pm DANZ LAFC vs ES Tunis WCC
7:45 pm FS1 Jamaica vs Guadeloupe GC
9 pm TBS Bayern Munich vs Boca Juniors WCC
10 pm FS1 Guatemala vs Panama GC

Sat, June 21

7 pm TV8, Golazo Indy 11 vs Las Vegas Lights FC
7 pm FS1 Curacao vs Canada GC
9 pm TBS River Plate vs Monterrey WC
10 pm FS1 Honduras vs El Salvador GC

Sun, June 22

12 noon Danz Juventus vs Wydad Casablanca WCC
3 pm univision Real Madrid vs Pachuca WCC
7 pm Fox                 US Men vs Haiti Gold Cup
7 pm FS1 Saudi Arabia vs T&T GC
9 pm TNT Man City vs Al Ain WCC
10 pm FS1 Mexico vs Costa Rica GC

Mon, June 23
9 pm TBS Inter Miami (Messi) vs Palmeiras

Thur, June 26

TBS, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland

Sun, June 29th

TNT, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland in Cincy

World Club Cup

2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Group G Preview
American fans are hoping Weah and McKennie can create some magic in this tournament.
2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Group F Preview
Gio Reyna hopes to rediscover his form during the group stage.

2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Group B Preview
Seattle Sounders take on a monster of a group at the Club World Cup.
2025 FIFA Club World Cup: Group A Preview
Messi and friends take on a tough group.
Mamelodi Sundowns’ Club World Cup goal: ‘We want to inspire people’

Nations League Finals – Portugal Prevails

Portugal’s impressive Nations League win over Spain outshines Ronaldo vs. Yamal

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Is Mauricio Pochettino’s style too slow for the USMNT?

  • Ryan O’HanlonJun 10, 2025, 08:14 AM ET

If anything will stick from the USMNT’s mostly unmemorable 2-1 loss to Turkey last week, it’ll be either Jack McGlynn‘s first goal with the team, or the unfortunate moment when Johnny Cardoso flicked the ball into Arda Güler‘s shin and into his team’s own goal.

But the most illustrative moment from the exhibition match happened a few seconds before the ball was trickling past goalkeeper Matt Freese and across the goal line.

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Alex Freeman had just won the ball from Juventus‘ Kenan Yildiz right outside the USMNT’s penalty area. He shifted the ball over to Cardoso, who had the opportunity to play a quick, long, forward pass into tons of space on the left side of the field. Turkey had just lost possession, so it hadn’t yet shifted into its defensive shape. Instead, Cardoso hesitated and then played a safe pass to Chris Richards. As this happened, U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino threw his hands into the air, jumped up, spun around and yelled something toward the bench. A couple of seconds later, Freese was scooping the ball out of his net.While the goal itself was a freak play — somewhat bad luck that the ball was deflected in the first place, entirely bad luck that it deflected in such a way to then spin into the side netting — the entire possession was a microcosm of the team’s biggest problem under Pochettino: It plays too slow. While most of the modern USMNT era has been characterized by constant, hectic overactivity, the past couple of months have flipped back too far in the other direction.

Pochettino knows this; he addressed the play postmatch, reacting in the moment, and he made similar comments after the 1-0 loss to Panama in the Nations League semifinals. But if the team is going to make a run at the World Cup next summer, he’s going to have to find a way to get his players to, well, run.

Why Pochettino’s USMNT is the slowest on record

Pochettino has managed only nine U.S. games so far, and the general rule in the club soccer world is that we should wait 10 games before drawing any conclusions. But only three of those games were competitive, while a fourth, the third-place Nations League match, was what we’ll call “partially competitive.” Throw in the fact that the rosters and lineups have been significantly different across almost every international break, and it’s still way too early to say anything remotely definitive.he biggest difference between Pochettino’s tenure and the Gregg Berhalter era that preceded it, though, seems to be the structure in possession. The latter had somewhat rigid positional guidelines for where everyone should be, while the former has given the players license to solve defensive problems on their own.

“The way we press [under Pochettino] is a lot more aggressive, especially from goal kicks,” midfielder Luca de la Torre told ESPN after the Turkey match. “There’s the intention to play in the half of the other team. And there’s probably more freedom with Pochettino in terms of the positioning of the players to find the solutions in open play.”Midfielder Malik Tillman echoed De la Torre’s final point. “He gives us offensive players a lot of freedom to move around the pitch to find the right spaces,” the PSV attacker said. “With Gregg, there was a lot more focus on being in the same spaces.”Again, it’s still way too early to say which approach is more effective, or if one is even more effective than the other. And while strict positional guidelines provide built-in fundamentals that the team can play within right away, the more relational style should theoretically take more time to develop since the players need to understand each other’s inherent tendencies. The free-flowing approach could improve with time — or it could be impossible to establish due to the ever-changing personnel and limited game time on offer in the international game. Perhaps, too, this is why the team has struggled to move the ball at speed so far under Pochettino. It’s hard to make decisions when you’re not sure where your teammates are going to be. Stats Perform has full data for USMNT matches going back to 2010. And among the managers who have been in charge for at least five games, Pochettino’s team ranks last for:

– The speed it moves the ball upfield: 1.03 meters per second
– The number of possessions it has per match: 82.1

The former is pretty straightforward — literally, how quickly do you move the ball toward the opposition goal? The latter represents, roughly, how much chaos you want your matches to have. For example: Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool played high possession games where the ball was constantly changing hands, while Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City rank last in the Premier League for possessions per game almost every season. For comparison: Berhalter’s teams moved at 1.34 meters per second and averaged 87.8 possessions per game. This isn’t to say that the slower approach can’t work; clearly, it can. Pep’s City won everything while playing slower than everyone else, while Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal play very slowly, and they’ve finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons. In general, European soccer has become more methodical and less hectic with each passing season. At the same time, the three best teams in the world right now — PSG, Liverpool and Barcelona — all tend to play faster and embrace more chaos than is popular at the highest levels of the game. And most of the USMNT’s best players are better off playing that way, too.

Why the USMNT player pool wants to run

When it works, the slower approach keeps the ball away from your opponents, prevents the kind of odd-number counterattacks that Hansi Flick’s Barcelona frequently face, and creates a low volume of high-quality chances.Defensively, the team has been totally fine under Pochettino. The loss against Panama had nothing to do with a dysfunctional defense. The USMNT conceded three total shots for 0.1 expected goals — if you could guarantee that the Americans would do that at every game at the World Cup next summer, then I’d tell you to go and bet on them to win the tournament right now.No, the problem against Panama — and more broadly — was that the USMNT created a low volume of low-quality chances. If you’re not going to take more risks and attempt more shots, then you have to be able to generate better shots with the few shots you do take. In Pochettino’s nine matches, though, the U.S. has attempted 10.4 shots per game — fewer than in any managerial tenure other than Dave Sarachan’s lame-duck interim stint between Jurgen Klinsmann and Gregg Berhalter. But they’ve also generated only five total shots worth at least a third of an expected goal. For comparison, Berhalter’s teams averaged 1.6 per game.

These are all of the 94 shots attempted under Pochettino, sized by the expected-goal value of the attempt:

Ultimately, the slower approach just doesn’t really seem to fit many of the USMNT’s best players. In attack, Folarin Balogun had his breakout season while playing in a transition-heavy approach under Will Still at Reims. Both Christian Pulisic and Timothy Weah are at their best when they’re able to run at unsettled defenses. And at PSV, both Ricardo Pepi and Malik Tillman have been successful for Peter Bosz and his wide-open tactics. In midfield, all of Tyler Adams‘ best seasons have come for the embracers of chaos at Bournemouth, Leeds and RB Leipzig. Weston McKennie continues to flourish despite the relatively conservative tactics at Juventus, but I think a lot of that is because his managers all realize they need to find a way to embrace the risks he takes off the ball. And at this point in his career, Yunus Musah‘s most valuable skill is his ability to break through pressure and create transition moments for his team. Even at the back, Antonee Robinson is one of the most athletic fullbacks in the open field … in the entire world. Chris Richards plays for a former Red Bull manager in Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace. Sergiño Dest is probably the only first-choice player who seems totally comfortable in this possession-dominant, patient approach — and he’s still yet to play a game for Pochettino.

Now, there is a potential cheat code — set pieces — here. Without them, Arsenal would be a top-four challenger and a Champions League also-ran rather than a title challenger and a European semifinalist. If you can methodically create chances from set pieces, then you can afford to play a low-risk, slower style. Plus, if you score the opening goal from a set piece, then the defense has to soften up, and that makes it easier to attack. Although the U.S. hired famed set piece coach Gianni Vio, we still haven’t seen any of this yet. For all the possession the USMNT has had under Pochettino — 60.4%, more than under any other manager — it has attempted just 1.6 set piece shots per game, the fewest under any manager.

So, through the first nine games of the Pochettino era, we seem to have a coach who says he wants his team to play faster and a group of players who thrive at a higher tempo. Yet, somehow, they’ve struggled to ever get out of first gear. Perhaps Poch’s public frustrations don’t match with what he’s telling his team to do. Maybe these players need stricter positional guidelines. Or it could just be some early-tenure growing pains.The broader challenge for this summer, with the limited roster at the Gold Cup, and next summer at the World Cup, is for the USMNT to find a way to start consistently generating higher-quality chances on goal. And barring some development on the set piece front, the way to get there is to find an answer to what seems like a simple question: How do you get all of your runners to start running again?

Turkey loss gives Poch, USMNT more questions than answers

  • Jeff Carlisle Cesar Hernandez ESPN Jun 7, 2025, 07:41 PM ET

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — The U.S. men’s national team, with a squad that is far from full strength, kicked off its Gold Cup preparation with a 2-1 loss to Turkey during a friendly at Pratt & Whitney Stadium on Saturday.Initially up 1-0 thanks to a first-minute goal from Jack McGlynn, the U.S. then lost its lead with a rapid set of goals from Arda Güler and Kerem Aktürkoglu in the 24th and 27th minutes, respectively.Next up for the USMNT in its final Gold Cup preparation tuneup is a match against Switzerland in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday. — Cesar Hernandez

More questions than answers for Pochettino

Outside of McGlynn, and perhaps Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman, it’s tough to find many positives from the experimental XI that had an average age of 23.8.Turkey won more duels, aerial duels and had a higher success rate of tackles against the Americans, who seemed to lose the mentality game and intensity as the match progressed — despite the fact that the home side had plenty more possessions that led to substandard half chances.The USMNT never mentally recovered after conceding those first-half goals, and looking ahead to Switzerland, it will be manager Mauricio Pochettino’s responsibility to find other members of this makeshift roster who were expected to “fight for a place” in the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.At the moment, missing marquee members like Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Antonee Robinson, Sergiño Dest and a handful of others have left large cleats that have yet to be filled. If this crop of players doesn’t show any improvements or a stronger mentality against Switzerland, it could be a sign of a long — or perhaps shorter than expected — summer ahead in the Gold Cup with no real alternates stepping up in the depth chart. — Hernandez

Race for No. 9 place remains wide-open

Patrick Agyemang was hoping for a special kind of homecoming, given that he was born and raised in East Hartford, the same city as Saturday’s venue. It wasn’t to be, even as he was given the plumb assignment of the starting striker role.Agyemang used his size to good effect at times, and in terms of physicality, gave as good as he got from Turkey’s backline. But too often his touch was lacking, especially on those occasions when Diego Luna played passes into Agyemang’s feet. Agyemang wasn’t goal dangerous, recording one shot on target in the 52nd minute that didn’t force a difficult save.The performance left Pochettino still looking for a solution at the No. 9 position.Haji Wright got on the field for 25 minutes but was deployed out wide as opposed to a more central role. He rarely was involved save for one late run when he dribbled straight into the feet of his opponent.Agyemang was subbed out in the 75th minute for Brian White, but the Vancouver Whitecaps striker barely got a sniff of the ball, recording just seven touchesWhat Pochettino does against Switzerland in three days remains uncertain, although it seems worth giving FC Cologne forward Damion Downs a shot, or shifting Wright into the middle. — Jeff Carlisle

Cardoso still misfiring for the U.S.

Johnny Cardoso remains a hot commodity in the transfer market following a solid season with Real Betis, with Atlético Madrid expected to secure his signature. The New Jersey-born, Brazilian-raised midfielder has rarely replicated his club form when donning a U.S. shirt, though.

Saturday proved to be more of the same. With the U.S. leading 1-0 and Cardoso in complete control of the ball, he attempted to pass out of his own box, only for the delivery to ricochet off of Güler and into the U.S. net. It’s the kind of play one wouldn’t expect from a Sunday league player, let alone one of LaLiga‘s more highly regarded performers.

The play shook the Americans’ confidence, and they conceded a second three minutes later.

It wasn’t the first time Cardoso has disappointed. In a friendly against Colombia prior to last year’s Copa América, Cardoso was lackadaisical in coming to the ball, allowing the Cafeteros to counter and score their fifth and final goal. Against Turkey, it was another careless play that led directly to a goal.

Cardoso is in the lineup for his composure on the ball, but if he can’t showcase that trait, it’s tough to see him getting on the field. The news surrounding the U.S. midfield wasn’t all bad. Luca de la Torre was sharp in the first half, completing 38 of 39 passes, and was a bright spot throughout. But there isn’t quite enough steel when De la Torre and Cardoso are paired together. Fortunately, Adams was available, and Pochettino duly swapped the AFC Bournemouth midfielder in for Cardoso at halftime. The U.S. looked more solid in the center of the park in the second half, although Turkey didn’t seem to be pushing forward as much. All told, it was a day when Cardoso fell a notch down the U.S. midfield depth chart. — Carlisle

Dest, Robinson replacements need to find chemistry

Some slack should be given considering the inexperience of the fullbacks in the young starting XI, but Pochettino will still likely be unhappy with the ensuing lack of cohesion in defense that rapidly emerged in the first half. At left back, Max Arfsten, who was earning his fourth cap, struggled with winning duels and wasn’t able to connect many of his crosses going forward through his pressing runs. At right back, the debut of Alex Freeman was average at best, occasionally allowing opportunities for Turkey to run into the final third with dangerous and speedy counters. Coupled with Cardoso’s questionable start in front of the backline, the defensive puzzle quickly became scrambled when Turkey had possession, leading to difficult moments for Chris Richards and Miles Robinson in the heart of it all. Recognizing early on that the U.S. defensive experiment was proving to be porous, Turkey pounced on its recoveries in the final third and set the tone for the rest of the match. Pochettino will have little time to fine-tune his approach and might need to continue trying new faces in the fullback spots that would, ideally, be led by absent starters Robinson and Dest who weren’t available for the Gold Cup roster. — Hernandez

USMNT’s Tyler Adams out vs. Switzerland; Pochettino to rotate squad

USMNT's Tyler Adams

By Paul Tenorio The Athletic June 9, 2025Updated 5:59 pm EDT

U.S. men’s national team midfielder Tyler Adams will not play Tuesday night in Nashville against Switzerland due to precautions around a foot injury. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said Monday in a press conference that Adams would be rested in this friendly as the U.S. eyes his involvement in the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup.“Tyler is out for tomorrow because he suffered a small issue in his foot,” Pochettino said. “But I think it’s not a big issue. Hope it’s not a big issue. I think we can manage it in a good way and rest it for a few days, and then see if he can be ready for the Gold Cup. That is why he’s not going to be involved tomorrow.” Adams played just the second half in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Turkey, and after that appearance Pochettino said it had been a planned substitution due to the foot issue that Adams brought into camp from his Premier League season with Bournemouth.

USMNT's Tyler AdamsTyler Adams played the second half in Saturday’s loss to Turkey. (Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire/AP Images)

Pochettino also said the U.S. team would be heavily rotated for its second friendly in four days. The U.S. is entering the match at GEODIS Park on the heels of its first three-game losing streak under a single manager in 10 years.“Preparing for the Gold Cup, I think it’s good to make some changes now and to give the possibility to other players to play,” Pochettino said. “What I want to see tomorrow is to continue evolving the way that we started to play against Turkey. It’s a continuation of this feeling. If we will get tomorrow after 90 minutes, the same feeling, I think the progression is there and I’m going to be happy. The result also is important. But I think now, with a lot of new players, for the first time and building a team for the Gold Cup, I think the focus is more in the process to improve than maybe the result. And of course, I think the Gold Cup is going to be both progression and results.” Unused subs that could feature in this game include goalkeeper Matt Turner; center backs Walker Zimmerman and Tim Ream; fullback John Tolkin; midfielders Sebastian Berhalter, Brenden Aaronson and Paxten Aaronson; and forward Damion Downs.The U.S. lost to Turkey on Saturday in Connecticut, but Pochettino was pleased with the effort and mindset his team played with against the world’s 27th-ranked team, according to FIFA’s table. Switzerland, No. 20, will provide another tough test for the U.S., coming off a 4-2 win over Mexico in Utah on Saturday.Following the friendly, the U.S. will turn its attention to the Gold Cup, where it will open group play against Trinidad & Tobago in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday. Matches against guest nation Saudi Arabia and Haiti will follow, as the U.S. seeks to wrest back the continental title from Mexico. The two nations have alternated winning the competition for the last seven editions. (Top photo: David Butler II/Imagn Images)

USMNT’s upbeat reaction to Turkey loss a telling sign of need to restore basics

EAST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - JUNE 7: United States players huddle up before the second half of an International Friendly match against Turkey at Pratt & Whitney Stadium on June 7, 2025 in East Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

By Paul Tenorio June 8, 2025 THe Athletic

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino had just finished delivering a long answer about Jack McGlynn’s performance in the U.S.’s 2-1 loss to Turkey on Saturday when he paused and looked around at the room in front of him.“It’s a good thing we are talking about soccer, eh?” he asked. “That is a good thing. Fútbol.”The implication, of course, was that much of Pochettino’s ire after March’s Concacaf Nations League failure — and really, the frustration of the fanbase — centered less around the actual soccer in losses to Panama and Canada. Yes, that team also failed to impress with what it did on the field, but more concerning was the lack of effort. The absence of fight. The appearance of indifference.The inclusion of several MLS players for this camp was meant to add a bit more hunger to a team that seemed to lack some of that internal motivation. The challenge changed a bit when 10 U.S. regulars weren’t available via Club World Cup commitments, injuries, personal reasons or a desire for rest, in the case of Christian Pulisic. Almost the entire group has been filled with hopefuls now.

However, in a way, it allowed Pochettino to lean further toward the goal of the Gold Cup tournament, which starts for the U.S. against Trinidad and Tobago on June 15. He clearly wants to try to inject competition and desire into the group.So while it was odd, and certainly spoke to the negative state in which this program currently finds itself, that Pochettino and the players were mostly upbeat after a third consecutive loss, it was just as telling that they found satisfaction in hitting what had long been considered a bare minimum for the USMNT.“I think we need to be positive, because today I think only we can talk about fútbol action, soccer action,” Pochettino said. “The team showed great energy, great mentality, great attitude. And then it’s this type of game that maybe, if you make a mistake, you can lose. But you made a mistake because it’s soccer, it’s fútbol. That is why I think I am so, so happy about the way that I think we delivered the show and in the way that we tried to play.”

Malik Tillman misses a chance vs TurkeyMalik Tillman missed a golden opportunity to score vs. Turkey. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)

It wasn’t completely unfair of Pochettino to feel as if there were positives to hold onto in the loss to a talented Turkey side. The U.S. was the better team for the first 20 minutes. Pochettino correctly pointed out that, until Johnny Cardoso made an egregious mistake in his own box and gifted Turkey a goal, the U.S. seemed in control.The inexperienced American side struggled to regain composure after Cardoso’s extra touch and attempted pass caromed off Turkey’s Arda Güler, the 20-year-old Real Madrid winger, and into the net. Only about two minutes later, a poor clearance was easily put home by Kerem Aktürkoğlu, who plays his club soccer at Benfica, to give Turkey the lead.The U.S. held on through the rest of the first half, but came out after halftime with renewed energy and much more purpose. It created chances — a weakness for this team over the past two cycles — and they probably should have had an equalizer. Malik Tillman’s point-blank header was the best opportunity, but there were a few other decent looks, as well, including two at the back post from Max Arfsten.“So many positives to take away from that game,” U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams said. “I was saying before, as we were walking off the field, I think it’s one of the first times that we’ve gone down, and we’ve created so many clear chances afterwards. So I think that’s a huge positive for us. Now, it’s just about putting the ball in the back of the net.”After five days together, Pochettino felt the soccer could be fine-tuned and fixed. There were many more details that the group would continue to add and build into how they played on Saturday. And Pochettino felt the game provided important experience for many of the players. For one, he pointed to Patrick Agyemang, 24, battling with two center backs, Çağlar Söyüncü and Merih Demiral, who have played at “the highest levels.”

USMNT's Patrick Agyemang vs. Turkey Agyemang, who grew up miles from the Connecticut stadium, takes on Demiral. (Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

But Pochettino’s focus was on the type of effort the team showed on the field. It has been clear in the head coach’s comments the past few weeks that he was frustrated with the pool — or at least with how things played out in March — and that he was also tuned in to what people were saying about the team.This summer and the forthcoming Gold Cup seem to be about sending a message. On Saturday, Pochettino put up the first smoke signals of his intent.But there is now an odd sort of dynamic where this group, filled with debutantes and unproven national team players, can set a standard that is meant to carry through to next summer’s World Cup — and to the “golden generation” of players that carry so much expectation into that tournament.That’s not an assumption. Pochettino said as much.“If I decide in September (to call a) different roster, what I want is the same level of commitment, attitude,” the veteran coach said. “Today, who is going to tell me: ‘Oh, we have showed a lack of…’? ‘We showed lack of…’ Lack of what?“Today, I think we can all agree the team showed what it needed to show. And then if the opponent is better or had more luck or you made a mistake, it’s not a problem. But for sure, playing in this way, we are going to win most of the games.”Saturday’s “first step” in the rebuilding process was a loss. If the message is going to truly take hold, the U.S., and Pochettino, will need the results to follow, too.

Club World Cup Group A: Stylish Palmeiras should dominate but will Inter Miami make it through?

Club World Cup Group A: Stylish Palmeiras should dominate but will Inter Miami make it through?

Ahmed Walid June 10, 2025 6:06 am EDT

The first edition of the expanded Club World Cup will want to offer unpredictability as 32 teams from six different continents face each other.Palmeiras of Brazil, Portugal’s Porto, Al Ahly from Egypt and Major League Soccer side Inter Miami make up Group A of this year’s tournament, and beyond the Brazilian side, there is a case for any of the other teams to qualify for the straight-knockout round of 16.Miami’s defensive struggles might hinder them, despite the presence of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in attack. Porto are looking at the tournament as an opportunity for redemption after one of their worst seasons of recent years at domestic and European levels. Meanwhile, Al Ahly have consistently done well in the previous annual format of this tournament, finishing third on four occasions this decade.Here, The Athletic picks out the group favorites, the fun facts, and the storylines to watch.

Fixtures:

(All kick-offs ET/BST)

June 14: Al Ahly vs Inter Miami (Miami — 8pm/1am June 15)

June 15: Palmeiras vs Porto (New York/New Jersey — 6pm/11pm)

June 19: Palmeiras vs Al Ahly (New York/New Jersey — 12pm/5pm)

June 19: Inter Miami vs Porto (Atlanta — 3pm/8pm)

June 23: Inter Miami vs Palmeiras (Miami — 9pm/2am June 24)

June 23: Porto vs Al Ahly (New York/New Jersey — 9pm/2am June 24)

The favorite is…

Palmeiras.

Under coach Abel Ferreira, the Sao Paulo side have won Brazil’s Serie A in 2022 and 2023, the Copa do Brasil in 2020 and two successive Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021.

They are currently fourth in Serie A, Brazilian football’s top division, early in its March-to-December 2025 season and will play Universitario of Peru in the round of 16 of this year’s Copa Libertadores when that competition resumes in August, with talents such as Estevao Willian and Richard Rios key to the team’s success. The signings of Facundo Torres, Paulinho and Vitor Roque have bolstered their attacking options this season, too.

Ferreira’s side are tactically flexible and able to attack and defend in different shapes, depending on the situation.

“We are not exceptional at one very specific thing, but we are good at everything,” the Portuguese head coach recently told FIFA. “We’re good and balanced when it comes to positional, attacking football. We’re good and balanced at playing counter-attacking football, we’re good at set pieces, we’re good at boxing in our opponents and making life hard for them with our defensive structure.”

Considering their consistent success in recent years, the talent in the squad and the tactical maturity they bring to the table, it’s hard to look beyond Palmeiras as Group A winners.

Estevao Willian is a rising star and will be joining Chelsea later this summer (Daniel Duarte/AFP via Getty Images)

The standout match is likely to be…

The opening match of the whole competition between Al Ahly and Miami in the latter’s hometown.

Cairo’s recently-crowned Egyptian champions, who also held the African Champions League title until earlier this month, have stepped up their game before at international level, beating Palmeiras in the Club World Cup four years ago to secure the bronze medal, and in this new format they are eager to reach the knockout rounds.

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Miami will be hoping the same, and considering that their other two group games will be against Porto and Palmeiras, both sides are in a must-win situation in this opener. The footballing quality might not be of the highest calibre compared to other matches in the competition, but there is a case for this being an entertaining match.Al Ahly, the record 12-time African Champions League winners, know how to rise to the occasion regardless of their form. They are led by all-rounder midfielder Emam Ashour and Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali, who scored a combined 35 goals this season, with the recent arrivals of Egypt international forwards Ahmed Sayed Zizo and Trezeguet strengthening the squad.

On the other hand, Miami’s big names speak for themselves: Messi, Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. However, the start of their 2025 season hasn’t been smooth.

New coach Javier Mascherano’s side have dropped 19 points in MLS already after 16 games and were knocked out of the Concacaf Champions Cup in the semi-finals by Vancouver Whitecaps.

Miami’s defensive fragility might make this more of an even contest than people expect.

Will Inter Miami’s underwhelming form carry over into the Club World Cup? (Rich Lam/Getty Images)

The group’s galactico

Even if they are well into their thirties, Messi, Suarez, Busquets and Alba make Miami as a team the galactico of Group A. However, if we have learnt something in football, it’s that simply having galacticos doesn’t make you a strong side.

After winning the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, the award for having the best regular-season record in MLS, the departures of less-famous players have affected Miami, especially defensively. Diego Gomez, Julian Gressel, Robert Taylor, Matias Rojas and Leo Campana had important roles to play last season, and their departures have resulted in a less functional unit.

In addition, Drake Callender’s ongoing absence because of a groin injury has kept 38-year-old Oscar Ustari in goal. Ustari hasn’t been the most solid this season, conceding 1.8 goals more than expected in the league.

Defensive set pieces are another area where Miami have been exploited, but the individual quality they have up front is still creating numerous chances and racking up the goals.

In 2025, Miami are a team whose individuals are shaping the core of the attack, but the lack of selfless players to complement that is hindering the side overall.

The player who could make a name for themselves…

Estevao.

The dazzling 18-year-old winger will join Chelsea after this tournament, with Palmeiras having reached an agreement with the Premier League club last summer. Chelsea will pay €34million (£28.6m/$38.8m) up front, with another €23m tied to performance-based incentives.

Estevao’s incredible performances at youth levels fast-tracked his career, making his debut for Palmeiras aged 16. In the 2024 season, he scored 13 goals and provided nine assists in Serie A as Palmeiras finished second behind Botafogo.

The teenager excels in one-versus-one situations, can dribble in both directions and has the pace to drive past defenders. He has a left foot that knows its way to goal regardless of the shooting angle, while also creating chances for his team-mates in open play and on set pieces.

(Christian Alvarenga/Getty Images)

So far in the 2025 season, Estevao has been featuring more as an attacking midfielder, which is where he sees himself in the long term. “I started playing as a winger towards the end of my academy days, to avoid as much physical contact and give me more one-v-ones,” he told FIFA.

“That’s how I earned my spot in the Palmeiras side, where there’s a lot of competition for places in the middle of the park, but really, I’m more of a midfielder. That’s where I’m in my element. In a few years’ time, I’d like to get back to playing in my original position.”

Whether down the wing or in central areas, keep an eye out for Estevao’s tricks.

A story to look out for is…

Porto’s attempt to save their season.

The 30-times Portuguese champions finished the 2024-25 Primeira Liga in third place for the second year in a row, and weren’t competing with Benfica and eventual winners, Sporting CP, come the run-in, finishing nine and 11 points adrift respectively.

Add in taking just 11 points from their eight league-phase matches in the revamped Europa League and then being eliminated by Roma in its first knockout round, a last-32 exit from the Taca de Portugal (Portugal’s FA Cup) against fellow top-flight side Moreirense and losing to Sporting in the semi-finals of the Taca da Liga (League Cup) and it was a season to forget for Porto fans.

A positive performance in the Club World Cup could help them save face and prove to be the reset the club need.

Martin Anselmi was only able to guide Porto to a third-place finish this season (Miguel Riopa/AFP via Getty Images)Another story is how Al Ahly will fare under manager Jose Riveiro, whose first official game in charge will be that opener against Miami. Predecessor Marcel Koller was sacked in late April following their 1-1 draw at home against Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of a Champions League semi-final, which led to the holders’ elimination on the away-goals rule.Despite guiding Al Ahly to two league titles (and most of a third), two Egypt Cups (the country’s domestic knockout competition) and back-to-back Champions League triumphs, Koller was under pressure during the 2024-25 season due to a reactive style of play that didn’t suit the profiles of the squad.The manager’s seat at Al Ahly is always a hot one, and Riveiro, a 49-year-old Spaniard who was previously a manager in Finland and South Africa, needs a strong start to gain the fans’ approval.

You might not know this but…

Miami’s squad includes a midfielder with almost-perfect genes.

Federico Redondo is the son of former Argentina international and Real Madrid legend Fernando Redondo, who won two Champions League titles with the Spanish club in 1998 and 2000 and another as a Milan player in 2003. The 22-year-old is also the nephew of Santiago Solari, another former Madrid player, through his mother and is currently playing alongside Busquets.

Can Federico step up and emulate his family’s achievements?

(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Kelsea Petersen)

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5/30/25 Champions League Finals 3 pm CBS, US Ladies play Sat 5 pm, US Men Pulisic to miss Gold Cup, Euro Nations League Finals Wed/Thur

gatorbest , , , , , , , , ,

News & Notes

I didn’t get a chance to properly write about American Chris Richard’s and Crystal Palace’s huge FA Cup victory 2 weekends ago. The moment is captured here Crystal Palace wins FA Cup on Radio. I have included the great story from The Athletic about Chris Richards showing just how it was for a kid from Alabama to make it big in soccer (see below). Also cool to see Liverpool lift the EPL Trophy again at Anfield my coaching pal Bill Spencer is thrilled. This scene with Arnold who is leaving his boyhood team for Real Madrid next season was touching – Trent Alexander Arnold last game at Anfield. Of course re-signed Forward Mo Salah won EPL player of the Year here are his (Goals). Must Watch this weekend – Champions League Sat 3 pm on CBS, US Women Sat 5 pm TBS, Miami & Messi vs Columbus Crew Sat 7:30 pm on Apple TV, Concacaf Champ Cup Final MLS vs Mexico Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps Sun 9 pm on FS1. Friday on CBSSN friendlies for the ladies with England vs Portugal at 3 pm & Germany vs Netherlands CBSSN 5 pm.

Champions League Final Sat 3 pm Inter Milan vs PSG on CBS
So can PSG actually finally win a UCL title now that Messi, Neymar and Mbappe aren’t there? Amazingly the Parisians seem to be a better team now without the superstars as they march to their 2nd UCL finals ever. I think it will be a very even game — Inter Milan can and will score – but something tells me PSG pulls this off – 2-1 or something like that. (tons of stories below).

Pulisic pulls out of Gold Cup – US to send B+ team
Lots of controversy this week with US top stars not playing in the Gold Cup especially our talisman Christian Pulisic from AC Milan. You could argue this has been his best season overseas ever with near top of the league goals & assists. I for one do not understand – this is honestly THE LAST Competition before the World Cup next summer – he is our best player. Doesn’t he need to be there to help get us ready? Listen Juve stars McKinney & Weah (Club World Cup) and outside back Jedi Robinson (injured knee) are already missing – doesn’t that make it more important to be there? Bologan, Adams, Richards, Dest and most of our starting backline & GK are there. I just don’t understand why Puli thinks he shouldn’t be there. Does he need rest – of course he does – watch he’ll propose this summer. But as the best player on our team – he should be there. Renaldo would be there – Messi would be there – so should Pulisic. (More on this & Gold Cup prep below)

US Women play China Sat 5 pm on TBS, Tues vs Jamaica on TNT @ 8 pm
It will be nice having Centerback Girma back in the fold along with recent Champions League winners Emily Sonnett & Emily Foxx on the backline as the US ladies take on China and Jamaica this week. NWSL standout Lo’eau LaBonta of KC will get her chance to play for the US for the first time and Caterina Macario should be full strength but of course the US will be without the Holy Trinity.

U.S. Women’s Roster by Position (Club; Caps/Goals) June Matches vs. China PR & Jamaica
GOALKEEPERS (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 0) Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 3), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 1)
DEFENDERS (8): Kerry Abello (Orlando Pride; 0/0), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 159/25), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 66/1), Naomi Girma (Chelsea FC, ENG; 44/2), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit; 5/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 2/0), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 3/0), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 107/2)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 33/1), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 165/37), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 2/0), Lo’eau LaBonta (Kansas City Current; 0/0), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 5/2), Lily Yohannes (Ajax, NED; 6/1)
FORWARDS (7): Lynn Biyendolo (Seattle Reign FC; 78/22), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 4/1), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 23/10), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville; 4/1), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals; 7/2), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 17/1), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 3/0)

Good luck to all those teams playing in State & President’s and Challenge Cup games this weekend at Grand Park! Especially our Carmel FC teams below!

2012 Girls Gold, 2014 Boys Gold – President’s Cup
2008/9 Girls Gold, 2012 Boys Blue, 2014 Boys Blue, 2013 Girls Blue – Challenge Cup

Had a blast doing CYO Games this Spring – here with Mike Arrington & the Master Dave Howard on the southside for playoff Finals.
Register for Free for Carmel FC Tryouts

Carmel High School Soccer Camp- Boys – Murray Stadium 6:30-8:30 pm
June 23-25 (grades 5-8th)  $125
July 21-23  $125
Questions? Please contact Coach Shane Schmidt at sschmidt@ccs.k12.in.us

Greyhound Girls Soccer Camp – Murray Stadium
Girls Jul 07 – Jul 09, 2025 at 9:00-10:30 $95 (5th-8th Grade) Register

TV Games

Sat May 31st at 3 pm on CBS- Coverage starts at 2 pm

Fri, May 30

3 pm CBSSN England vs Portugal Ladies Friendly
5 pm CBSSN Germany vs Netherlands Ladies Friendly

Sat, May 31

CBS 3 pm                     Inter Milan vs PSG UEFA Champions League Final in Munich, Germany

5:30 pm TBS                US Women vs China
7:30 pm Apple Free Miami (Messi) vs Columbus
10:30 pm Unimas LAFC vs Club America (Club WC play-in game) LAFC vs Club America Preview

Sun, June 1

6 pm Apple Free Seattle Sounders vs Minn United MLS
9 pm Fox Sport 1        Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps  CC Champions Cup Final

Tues, June 3

8 pm TNT, Max, Peacock       US Women vs Jamaica

Wed, June 4

2:45 pm Fox                Germany vs Portugal – Nations League Semi

Thurs, June 5

2:45 pm Fox                Spain vs France– Nations League Semi

Fri, June 6

730 pm Golazo, Para+ Louisville vs Utah NWSL
10 pm Prime San Diego vs Seattle NWSL

Sat, June 7

1 pm CBS Gothem FC vs KC Current NWSL
3:30 pm TNT, Tele      US Men vs Turkey  
7 pm Ion Bay City vs Portland NWSL
10 pm Ion LA Angel City vs Chicago

Sun, June 8

2:45 pm Fox                Nations League Finals
4 pm Golazo, Para+ Washington vs NC Courage NWSL

Tues, June 10

8 pm TNT, Peacock    US Men vs Switzerland

June 13 – 29               GOLD CUP MEN
Sat, June 14
7 pm TV 8 & CBS Golaso Indy 11 vs Pittsburg Riverhounds (Carmel GK Eric Dick returns)

Sun, June 15

6 pm FS1                     US Men vs Trinidad   Gold Cup

Thur, June 19

6 pm FS1                     US Men vs KSA  Gold Cup

Sat, June 21

7 pm TV8, Golazo Indy 11 vs Las Vegas Lights FC

Sun, June 22

7 pm FS1                     US Men vs Haiti Gold Cup

Thur, June 26

TBS, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland

Sun, June 29th

TNT, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland in Cincy

US Men

USA Soccercast, Episode 154: Christian Pulisic opts out of USMNT camp, Gold Cup
USMNT weekend roundup: Losing in the final S&S
USMNT to be without Christian Pulisic and other key players for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup
Wynalda Defends Pulisic Not Playing this summer  
Injured Balogun dropped from U.S. Gold Cup squad
Which USMNT players need to make a summer club move to prepare them for the World Cup?
USMNT weekend roundup: Palace & PSV trophy lifts
How the 1994 World Cup took shape and prepared America for 2026

US Women

Girma back in USWNT squad vs. China, Jamaica
2025 USWNT Friendly: Scouting China
No Morgan, no Rapinoe: The USWNT doesn’t have a face of the team now. Is that OK?
Sonnett & Emily Foxx when Champions League with Arsenal win over Barcelona
5 Things to Know – China vs USA
Naomi Girma Back on USWNT Roster for First Time in 2025

Louisville’s Fischer gets 3-match ban for hair pull
NWSL Power Rankings: San Diego Wave starting to look ominous

Champions League

How PSG moved on from Mbappé, Messi and Neymar — but got better
Champions League winners? Best moment? Star player? Pundits’ picks
From Man City To Barcelona – Inter Milan Road To Munich Shows They Fully Deserve To Be In Champions League Final
Inter Milan Will Break Club Goalscoring Record In Champions League If They Score Vs PSG In Final
Italy Star Argues ‘Inter Milan Gained Credibility Outside Italy Ahead Of Champions League Final Vs PSG
Report – Ex Bayern Munich Star Back Fit & Ready To Start PSG Vs Inter Milan Champions League Final
How Inter Milan’s ‘warrior spirit’ reignited a Champions League dream
Champions League final: Build-up as Inter and PSG fans arrive in Munich
From amateur to Champions League final: The stunning rise of Inter’s Denzel Dumfries
Ranking the 30 players who will decide the UEFA Champions League final

Club World Cup in US in June/July

Champions League and Club World Cup: A blockbuster Saturday of soccer’s contrasts On Saturday, the storied Champions League final and a brand new Club World Cup play-in spotlight soccer’s split between legacy and FIFA’s latest gamble.

Denis Bouanga’s goal in 115th minute sends LAFC to Club World Cup

Club World Cup 2025: Full schedule, fixtures, dates and venues for Chelsea and Man City
Complete guide to the Club World Cup stadiums 🏟️
LAFC vs Club America Preview Winner plays in Club World Cup

MLS

St. Louis City fire head coach Olof Mellberg 15 games into his MLS tenure

World

✅ Allegri returns to Milan for second spell, official statement 🔙
Official: Milan hire Allegri as new coach
Carlo Ancelotti highlights result which sealed Real Madrid dismissal
Ancelotti talks Real Madrid exit, Mbappe, Vinicius, Alonso – ‘After the Arsenal game, we…’
LAFC vs Club America Preview

Goalkeeping

Barcelona open to selling club captain if they succeed in landing top target
Dean Henderson’s Save vs Man City Saved Crystal Palace in FA Cup Win
GREAT Conference League Saves! 🧤😱 | Semi-finals Edition
Yes Yann Sommer was that good vs Barca – 10 saves
Emmi Martinez of Villa sees Red
Vasoline on your gloves to keep sticky ?
Good GK Activation/Stretching

June 16th: 9-4 / June 17th: 8-3 12383 Cyntheanne Rd, Fishers, IN $595 Register

Reffing

Man United vs Villa GK Save or Foul?
Offside or not?  
Yellow Card after the foul


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PSG-Inter: UEFA Champions League final preview, predictions

  • May 30, 2025, 09:51 AM ET ESPN

On Saturday, the 2024-25 European club season comes to an end with the traditional closer, the UEFA Champions League final. Held in Munich this year, the head-to-head is a tantalizing one that few expected: the “born again” Paris Saint-Germain, led by manager Luis Enrique and a young, hungry squad, taking on wily veterans Inter Milan, who have a unique formation, plenty of savvy stars and an underrated tactician in Simone Inzaghi. Both teams have taken down giants to reach the showpiece finale — PSG eliminated Liverpool and Arsenal in the knockout rounds, while Inter Milan fended off fancied Barcelona and Bayern Munich to punch their ticket — and now face a winner-take-all showdown.So who will win, and what storylines are bubbling under the surface? ESPN writers Mark Ogden, Gab Marcotti, Julien Laurens, Tom Hamilton and Bill Connelly walk you through what to watch for and give their picks for who will claim the prize Saturday night.

A final of youth vs. experience

The contrast is evident. Inter’s likely starting XI have an average age of 30 years and 4 months; Paris Saint-Germain’s is 24 and 7 months. Inter have eight players who featured the last time they were in the Champions League final, two years ago; Marquinhos is the only PSG starter to have played in a Champions League final at any time in his career. That’s the most obvious difference between Saturday’s finalists, and what impact it will have will depend heavily on how the game is played.

Editor’s Picks

A higher tempo evidently favors the fresh legs of PSG, whereas a slower, nervy grind ought to give Inter the edge, at least on paper. But both sides are far more multifaceted than they appear. Both can play a possession game, poking and prodding until the right opening appears — witness Ousmane Dembélé‘s opener against Arsenal, a result of 26 passes — but both can be direct and hit you going north-south. PSG have the speed of Dembele, Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola; Inter have the chemistry of Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martínez, a rare front tandem in the modern game. It’s not as simple, therefore, to liken it to a basketball game and suggest Inter want fewer possessions and PSG want more, because both coaches can and do mix things up. Rather, perhaps precisely because these teams are managed by two of the best around, we might see some myths get buried Monday night. Inter might show that the parameters of fitness and athleticism have changed and that top pros can go strong into their early 30s. PSG might show that experience is overrated relative to game intelligence and tactical instruction. So don’t just boil this down to experience vs. athleticism. There’s much more to it. — Marcotti

Battle of the superstar, MVP goalkeepers

The Champions League is usually all about the superstar forwards and their ability to win games out of nothing, from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to Mohamed Salah and Vinícius Júnior, but this time around, it could be decided by the goalkeepers.

Klinsmann hails Yann Sommer’s heroics in Inter’s semifinal win

Jurgen Klinsmann names Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer as his man of the match after coming up with some huge saves to deny Barcelona.

Inter’s Yann Sommer and PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma were the players who got their teams over the line in the semifinals, and they have produced similar performances on the international stage with Switzerland and Italy, respectively.

Sommer, who spent a year in Munich with Bayern in 2023 after 11 seasons with Borussia Monchengladbach, replaced André Onana at Inter following the Cameroon international’s move to Manchester United two years ago, and the 36-year-old has been a clear upgrade on Onana, with his performance against Barcelona in Inter’s dramatic semifinal second-leg win producing at least five world-class saves. Donnarumma had a similar performance for PSG in their semifinal second leg against Arsenal, when he pulled off incredible saves from Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka to keep Luis Enrique’s team ahead. Sommer and Donnarumma have had to bounce back from difficult periods in their careers to establish themselves as two of the world’s best, and they will both be looking to win their first Champions League title in Munich. If it goes all the way to penalties, it could be too tough to call between the two goalkeepers. Sommer was the hero of Switzerland’s Euro 2020 round-of-16 shootout win against France when he saved a Kylian Mbappé spot kick, while Donnarumma has won a remarkable six of seven shootouts for club and country, including the Euro 2020 final against England at Wembley, to give him an 87.5% success rate. — Ogden

Will Luis Enrique win another Treble?

Laurens: Enrique doesn’t get enough credit

Julien Lauren praises Luis Enrique’s impact on PSG and reveals details of his training sessions.

Back in 2015, Luis Enrique won the Treble (Champions League, LaLiga, Copa del Rey) with Barcelona and had an unstoppable front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar. Ten years on, he has the chance to achieve another one, but with another club, and could equal something that only Pep Guardiola, his former club teammate at the Camp Nou, has done in the history of the game: winning two Trebles with two different clubs. Luis Enrique has had to wait 10 years to get another shot. That’s a very long time for a manager so obsessed with the game, though for him, it’s not just about winning; it’s about how you win, and this final will be very different than the previous one too. Then, Luis Enrique pretty much inherited Guardiola’s entire Barcelona squad except for Luis Suarez and Ivan Rakitic, who arrived the same summer as him, and the winning pedigree and mentality that came with it. For this PSG squad, it’s the opposite. This is his team. This is the Luis Enrique project, and this is only Year 1. The Asturian has built it all, getting rid of Neymar, Marco Verratti (just to name the two biggest names) and others because they didn’t fit with what he was constructing. He recruited the players he wanted (defender Willian Pacho, midfielder João Neves, playmakers Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué) to complete his jigsaw and deliver on his ambitious style of play: high press, high intensity, fluidity within the structure, pace, and attacking flair. His team has been the best in Europe in 2025; they just have to finish the job on Saturday. — Laurens

How these teams reached the final

Simply watching these two teams as they advanced through the Champions League knockout rounds — PSG with ball pressure, steady buildup and an overwhelming tilt of the field, Inter with structure and substitutions and perfectly timed swipes of the sword — would give you a pretty clear impression that they thrive as polar opposites. The stats very much back up that impression.PSG are here because of pitch domination. After some early-season wobbles, they became maybe the best team in the world starting in December. Since Matchday 6, they’ve averaged the most points per game (2.45) with the most goals (30) and the best goal differential (plus-21). That includes a 7-0 win over Brest, yes, but also four wins in five games against the three teams in England (Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City).PSG have flooded teams with pure quantity: For the entire competition, they’re fifth out of 36 Champions League teams in shots per possession and third in shots allowed per possession. They’ve attempted 45 shots worth at least 0.2 xG and allowed 20, a plus-25 margin that ranks first. They just do more than their opponents: They’re first in ball recoveries (48.6) and take-ons per match (27.7), second in direct attacks (sequences starting in the defending half and producing a shot within 20 seconds) and third in buildup attacks (sequences that contain 10 or more passes and produce either a shot or a touch in the box).In short, they play like the young and endlessly aggressive team they are.

Inter, meanwhile, fill the role of the collective sturdy veteran. They win with quality over quantity: They attempt only 13.6 take-ons per match (35th), but they win 49.7% of them (third). They force 8.8 high turnovers per game (27th) but score 0.6 goals per game from them (ninth). They’re 15th in shots per possession but eighth in xG per shot, and they’re 22nd in shots allowed per possession but first in xG allowed per shot. Opponents have attempted more shots than them, but looking specifically at shots worth 0.2 xG or more, they attempt 2.3 (12th) and allow only 1.3 (third).

Inter force you to expend energy attempting to beat them with individual brilliance, and if you do so, they are almost always ready with a counterstrike. Just ask Bayern and Barcelona. PSG will almost certainly control large portions of the pitch and this match, but Inter are more likely to score from set pieces, more likely to win the ball in the air and almost certain to create random, high-quality opportunities that give them a chance at Champions League glory. — Bill Connelly

The omen of first-time winners in Munich

Dumfries: Champions League is the moment for Inter

Inter defender Denzel Dumfries and goalkeeper Yann Sommer look ahead to the Champions League final against PSG.

Munich has staged four previous European Cup/Champions League finals — three at the Olympiastadion, one at the Allianz Arena — and the German city has proved to be lucky for those teams aiming to be crowned European champions for the first time. That might be great news for PSG.

Nottingham Forest won the first of their two European Cups with a 1-0 victory against Swedish champions Malmo in 1979, while Marseille became the first (and so far only) French club to win Europe’s biggest prize by defeating AC Milan 1-0 in the Olympiastadion in 1993. Four years later, Borussia Dortmund made the short trip to Munich to take on reigning Champions League kings Juventus in their first-ever final, but despite the odds favoring Marcello Lippi’s formidable team, Dortmund cruised to a 3-1 win.

Bayern Munich faced Chelsea on home ground in the 2012 final, but despite facing the English side in their own stadium, Bayern could not break the sequence of first-time winners in Bavaria as Chelsea sealed the first of their two Champions League titles with a penalty shootout victory at the Allianz.

So will three-time European champions Inter be able to deny PSG a first Champions League title in Munich this weekend, or will Luis Enrique’s team keep the sequence going?

One more bit of good news for PSG: Marseille clinched a French victory in Munich in 1993 by defeating a team from Milan in their second attempt at winning the competition. PSG face another team from Milan in Munich, one that’s also aiming to win the Champions League on the second attempt. — Ogden

Two incredible full backs, but only one can win

Can PSG be inspired by the Munich UCL final good luck charm?

Julien Laurens and Mark Ogden discuss what PSG will need to do to beat Inter Milan in the Champions League final.

Back in the summer of 2021, Achraf Hakimi and Denzel Dumfries passed like ships. Hakimi had enjoyed an incredibly successful 2020-21 season at Inter Milan and helped Antonio Conte’s side to the Scudetto. At the end of that term, he departed for PSG.

Hakimi’s replacement? Dumfries, signed for €15 million, a fraction of the eventual €71 million Inter Milan collected for Hakimi.

But now they’re back on the same pitch, and it’s no exaggeration to say the pair have been outstanding in this year’s tournament.

Dumfries was integral to Inter’s remarkable win over Barcelona in the semifinals, scoring twice in the first leg (including on that scissor kick), and then managing to tee up Lautaro Martinez for their opener in the return fixture in Milan. Hakimi has kept a close eye on Dumfries, saying last week: “He’s a great player. One thing I like about him is that he’s very strong in the air, while I’m terrible.” Then came the little dig, however, with Hakimi saying it’s “easier” to play wing back in a 3-5-2 than to handle a back four role.

Hakimi has been consistently regarded as the best right back in world football, and he has enjoyed another superb season for PSG, even scoring the winner against Arsenal in their semifinal.

The two had very different paths to the top: Dumfries played amateur football to age 18 before progressing to PSV and then Inter Milan, while Hakimi came through the Real Madrid academy. But if you look at the stats comparison between the two this season, they are close on many metrics, such as ground duels won and tackles per 90 minutes. Then comes the nuance: Hakimi has made 3.67 interceptions per 90, compared with Dumfries’ 1.27, and Dumfries has been far more dominant in the air (winning 71% of aerial duels to Hakimi’s 47%).

They are very different types of players, but one thing binds them: their desire to get into attack and influence the match. Which one will have the defining moment Saturday? — Hamilton

It’s prediction time! Who will win, and by what scoreline?

Inter Milan 2, PSG 1: As soon as Inter and PSG confirmed their spots in the final, I predicted a 2-1 win for Inter, and I am sticking with that. I believe PSG are the better team and more exciting to watch, but Inter are a tough, uncompromising side with a cutting edge up front, so I am backing their resolve over PSG’s flair to seal the win. — Ogden

Inter Milan 2, PSG 0: They knocked out the champions of Germany and Spain, so why not make it a trifecta with the champions of France, too? The bookies fancy PSG, and you can see why. But if the game comes down to set pieces (where Inter have an edge) and intangibles (experience, sure, but also the ability to get back up after being punched in the face), Inter can shade this. — Marcotti

Inter Milan 3, PSG 2: This is going to be tight, but Inter will edge it. They have the most underrated manager (Simone Inzaghi) in world football, and their ability to arm-wrestle the tightest matches into victory will come through again. — Hamilton

PSG 1, Inter Milan 0: We’ll just play the odds here. Inter will inevitably create a couple of good chances, but PSG will create more of them. — Connelly

USWNT has no face of the team now. Which player will step up?

  • Jeff KassoufMay 29, 2025, 09:15 AM ET

The U.S. women’s national team has always had an abundance of strong leaders and recognizable stars throughout its 40-year history. Many iconic players competed across multiple generations, with 14 of them accumulating 200 caps or more, and three eclipsing the 300 mark. Today’s USWNT, however, is marked by youthful inexperience, as head coach Emma Hayes experiments to decide who will join her on the path to the 2027 World Cup.

Hayes started the youngest USWNT lineup in 24 years against Brazil last month. She has doled out 23 first-time call-ups since being hired in November 2023. Fifteen players on the current roster have 10 caps or fewer, and the three goalkeepers have a combined four caps.

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All of which underscores this changeover in generations as a jarring moment in USWNT history: For the first time in a long time, there is no obvious face of the team or spokesperson for the larger group.

Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Becky Sauerbrunn prominently filled those roles over the past decade, leading the USWNT to back-to-back World Cup titles and standing on the front lines of the fight for equal pay off the field. All three have retired in the past 18 months.

Transitioning generations is natural and necessary for any team, so is it even that big of a deal? Well, yes, it is, considering the uniquely high standards of a USWNT program that has won four World Cups and five Olympic gold medals — world records in both. It is not the first time that a new generation has had to pick up where its predecessors left off, but the player turnover happening in this cycle is arguably unprecedented.

“Sometimes we just assume that everybody knows what the demands or the standards are for a U.S. women’s national team player,” Hayes said recently. “But as I’ve mentioned, we’ve got a lot of new players that lack a lot of experience. We have to transfer that, and we have to transfer it in the right way.”

Last year provided clear evidence that the changing of the guard for the USWNT was going smoothly. Hayes officially took over the job in late May, and by mid-August, the team won the Olympic gold medal. Hayes said then that she couldn’t worry about the lack of time she had — her focus was short-term on the Olympics. Only during the past eight months has she had time to plot out her long-term vision for success.

During February’s SheBelieves Cup, Hayes sat down with Lindsey Heaps, Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett, Lynn Biyendolo, Tierna Davidson and Sam Coffey to discuss whether they see themselves as leaders — and how that might not matter, she said, because their teammates view them as leaders anyway. What followed was weeks of conversation among players and staff around how to transfer the “non-negotiables” of work ethic and effort — and what she frequently calls “the American DNA” — to a new group of players trying to establish its own identity. “Their insights are invaluable, and I lean on learnings from them to help this process,” Hayes said of her more experienced players. “It’s going to be a little bit unfamiliar at this moment in time, but I think we’ll go to the next place. I’m certain of that.” LaBonta: USWNT senior call-up ‘a dream for over 20 years’ Kansas City captain Lo’eau LaBonta reacts to her first ever senior call-up to the USWNT at 32 years old. Heaps is the USWNT’s captain and most experienced player with 165 caps. She is a passionate, often unheralded leader who organizes the team behind the scenes, as Hayes pointed out after the team’s Olympic triumph in August. Heaps is one of the few remaining (or, at least, healthy) bridges to the past generation of players. She came onto the scene ahead of the 2016 Olympics and was part of the 2019 World Cup-winning team. Only two other players from that 2019 squad are on the current roster: Sonnett and Dunn. Hayes confirmed last week that Naomi Girma is the vice-captain. Both Girma and Heaps have had to grow into more vocal roles. “I think it just takes time,” Sauerbrunn told ESPN. “If you look at some of the personalities on the team that have retired, that took us a while to get into that after Abby Wambach retired and Shannon Boxx retired [after the 2015 World Cup]. “You just kind of learn a little bit from the people ahead of you and then you have to go and learn on your own as you figure out what you’re comfortable with. Some people want to be the spokesperson, and some people are behind there in the weeds.” The USWNT doesn’t live in the weeds, however. It is the most famous women’s sports team on the planet, and the most successful women’s soccer team in history.

Sauerbrunn’s generation had to publicly fight the U.S. Soccer Federation and U.S. President Donald Trump as part of its years-long quest for equal pay, which increased attention and scrutiny on the USWNT. Sauerbrunn said she hopes the next generation doesn’t have to shoulder as much of a burden off the field — but she also said it isn’t really a choice.”It’s not even if they want to [take on those things], because I think they have a responsibility with this platform,” Sauerbrunn said. “But it’s what they’re comfortable doing within that platform.”Coffey, who has 33 caps, is the captain of the Portland Thorns and one of the USWNT’s several emerging leaders. She said her leadership looks different each day based on the USWNT’s needs, but she told ESPN “we’re in trouble when we’re quiet,” which means she is constantly a vocal source of positive reinforcement.Coffey barely played alongside the past generation of stars, but she still regularly seeks advice from Sauerbrunn, her former Thorns teammate, who she calls “the gold standard of what it means to be a leader.”Sauerbrunn was the USWNT’s captain at multiple points over the past two World Cup cycles. Rapinoe and Morgan were the faces of the team who became global superstars. Wambach previously filled that spokesperson and star role, and Mia Hamm — among others — before that.At 24 years old and already the vice-captain, Girma is clearly next in line as leader after Heaps. Girma has already taken on some of those duties, but there has been a void of experience around the team for simple reasons: injuries and other absences.Girma, who became the first player to fetch a $1 million transfer in January, effectively missed the last three USWNT camps due to injury. Davidson tore her ACL in March, days before the camp began for the Brazil games. Biyendolo missed the April games due to injury. Dunn was absent from club and country last fall for personal reasons. And Rose Lavelle has been sidelined all year.

All three forwards who led the USWNT to the Olympic gold medal — Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson (nee Smith) — have been missing from the team since the gold-medal game, save for a goal-scoring cameo from Rodman in April. Wilson and Swanson are on maternity leave, and Rodman is sidelined again due to a chronic back injury.Rodman, 23, is emerging as a star who transcends sports into pop culture and is someone Sauerbrunn says could reach the star status of Rapinoe. “And with that, I think she’s going to develop the responsibility of being a spokesperson for the team when you are also the face of the team,” Sauerbrunn said.With iconic stories, hit Originals and live sports, there’s something for everyone on Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Get all three for a price you’ll love.

Rodman is electric when she is on the field, and the media attention she has attracted suggests she is already becoming The Next Big Thing™ for the USWNT. Staying healthy is her biggest challenge right now. She said earlier this year that she didn’t think her back would ever be 100% healthy.There is an argument that Hayes is the biggest personality on the team, which further reflects the volatile nature of the player pool. She won the first Ballon d’Or women’s coaching award last year, and she instantly commands attention, whether she’s in a locker room, boardroom or packed convention hall.Hayes has appeared to use her platform to absorb and deflect the external pressures placed on a team full of young, talented players like Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw, and 17-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes. She has preached patience as the group discovers its identity. “I think you’re seeing that this less experienced team are growing up,” Hayes said after the team’s 2-1 win over Brazil on April 5. Who among them will take on the vaunted role as one of the next faces of the USWNT? The lack of an immediate answer is an unfamiliar, uncomfortable position for a team so accustomed to having one, but it isn’t necessarily something that needs fixing. It’s a natural step in the transfer process.

Records Across the Board and International Call Ups
The NWSL had a wild week 10, setting up this upcoming international window seamlessly for the action to come in Week 11. With the Pride returning to winning form with Banda’s first hat trick, the Current and the Wave continuing their top of the table dominance, and the Spirit hitting their fifth straight road win, there were 27 goals across the league last weekend.With 108 call-ups across 30 countries and all 14 NWSL clubs represented, this upcoming international window promises to be a busy one—for both players and fans.
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Champions League magic, Club World Cup controversy: A blockbuster Saturday of soccer’s contrasts

Henry BushnellSenior reporter May 29, 2025 at 10:21 AM EDT·

A blockbuster Saturday of soccer will begin with a game that needs no introduction. At 3 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. in Munich, the 2025 Champions League final will ignite. Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain will vie for the grandest prize in club football. Both are behemoths, rich and talented, so much so that they are also among the favorites at this summer’s Club World Cup.Which brings us to Saturday’s nightcap, a game that needs every introduction. At 10:30 p.m. ET, 7:30 p.m. in Los Angeles, LAFC and Mexican powerhouse Club América will vie for one last place in that Club World Cup.Globally, their 11th-hour playoff pales in comparison to the Champions League final. It has no precedent nor built-in prestige. It is a qualifier for an unproven tournament, one that neither LAFC nor América would have realistic hopes of winning. PSG and Inter, on the other hand, are playing to actually win a competition that’s far more prestigious. One will enter the Club World Cup perched on a throne that many consider to be atop the sport.

But here in North America, when Yahoo Sports asked TelevisaUnivision executive Olek Loewenstein about the Club World Cup’s most attractive teams, and specifically about where Club América would rank if it qualified, he didn’t hesitate.“Oh, No. 1,” Loewenstein said.That, in part, is why this novel game is happening — and why it is, in FIFA’s words, a “blockbuster bout” in its own right. LAFC’s BMO Stadium is sold out, with the cheapest resale tickets priced north of $200. While América regularly packs stadiums across the continent, even for friendlies, Saturday’s game brings unique stakes. The winner will get at least $9.55 million in guaranteed prize money, and a global stage that neither club has ever had. Hype, it seems, is building.But it’s a different type of hype than the one overtaking Paris, Milan and Munich.It has been manufactured in months, rather than developed over decades.And it epitomizes the contrasts between the UEFA Champions League and the Club World Cup, which is, in some ways, the UCL’s upstart challenger.

MUNICH, GERMANY - MAY 28: The official match ball is seen ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final 2025 between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Internazionale Milano at the Munich Football Arena on May 28, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
The stage is set in Munich — and so is the official match ball for the 2025 UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan. (Photo by Michael Regan – UEFA via Getty Images) (Michael Regan – UEFA via Getty Images)

The controversial Club World Cup playoff

Perhaps now is the time for the Club World Cup introduction, and the explanation of a playoff that, a month ago, did not yet exist. The field for the inaugural 32-team, quadrennial club tournament had been set since the fall. North America’s representatives were seemingly finalized when Pachuca won the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the region’s only known route to the Club World Cup.But then, in October, FIFA released the Club World Cup’s regulations. Article 10 prohibited the participation of two clubs who share an owner — which, for Pachuca and fellow Mexican club León, became a problem. Both are owned by Grupo Pachuca.In March, citing this rule, FIFA expelled León, the 2023 CONCACAF champs, from its tournament. León players decried the “grave,” “brutal injustice” — “football is stained by this,” James Rodríguez said — but FIFA was already considering replacements. Its rules gave it significant discretion. And its plan soon became clear.The Club World Cup’s qualification criteria gave FIFA five or six realistic options. It could choose the Columbus Crew or LAFC, the runners-up to Pachuca and León in the last two CONCACAF finals. Or it could turn to its CONCACAF rankings, where Club América was the top unqualified team; Costa Rica’s Alajuelense was the top team from a country with less than two participants; and the Philadelphia Union were the top team from a country with less than two standard qualifiers.The criteria stipulated that “a cap of two clubs per country is applied” to those attempting to qualify via rankings. FIFA ignored that stipulation, picked LAFC and América, and pitted them against each other in this one-off “play-in.”

It is, in many ways, the perfect high-stakes appetizer for the Club World Cup. It’s also par for the tournament’s course. With skepticism and resistance dogging its launch, and with a need to sell tickets, broadcast rights and sponsorships, FIFA has reached for star power. It gave Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami a “host country” berth in October. More recently, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has talked up the possibility that Cristiano Ronaldo could join one of the qualified teams less than three weeks before kickoff.

And now, FIFA will get either Major League Soccer’s most valuable club or Mexico’s winningest. LAFC was MLS’ pre-Messi glamor club. América is the continent’s most popular. They will duel in prime time for a place in Group D alongside Flamengo, ES Tunis and Chelsea.

The magic of the Champions League

The Champions League final, on the other hand, does not have a sexy headliner. It does not have Real Madrid, nor Barcelona, nor an English Premier League power. It is the first final without them or Bayern Munich in over two decades. Some casual American fans might not find it all that intriguing.And yet, it will almost certainly be the most-watched sporting event on Earth in 2025.Even with Lautaro Martínez and Ousmane Dembélé — rather than Ronaldo or Messi, or Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappé — as the stars, it hardly needs hype manufactured.And it does not need to be sold as “the $26 million game,” even though its prize pot is larger than the Club World Cup’s. It is lucrative, and increasingly commercialized, yes, but its appeal is not about money. Its appeal is simple: It’s the Champions League.

There are surely some fans and soccer execs who are bummed that Barcelona isn’t playing in it. Ratings won’t break records. Narratives, beyond PSG’s unlikely resurgence and a possible first title, might not break through into the casual fan’s consciousness.But there is magic in this competition, and in this singular match. Magic sourced in simplicity. For 70 years, the best clubs in Europe — which are almost always the best clubs in the world — have battled for supremacy. And inevitably, special things have happened.So, you wouldn’t dare bet against more special things on Saturday. You might not know the magicians, yet, but you don’t need to; and soon, you will. Inter and PSG might not give us a 13- or nine-goal thriller, as they did in the semis and quarters, respectively; but they’ll surely give us drama, and emotions, all of which will sell itself.

Johnny Cardoso caps breakout season with a USMNT first in Conference League final defeat

USMNT and Real Betis midfielder Johnny Cardoso

By Jeff Rueter the athleitc – May 28, 2025

It wasn’t quite the history that Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis meant to make on Wednesday. Going in search of a first European trophy, the U.S. men’s national team defensive midfielder’s Spanish club blew a 1-0 lead against Chelsea and capitulated entirely in the last 25 minutes, falling 4-1 in the UEFA Europa Conference League final. Cardoso did, however, become the first American male to start in a major European final in the process, taking his usual place as the anchor of Real Betis’ midfield and playing 85 minutes.Wednesday’s final came almost four years to the day after Christian Pulisic became the first American man to play in a final on the other end of the UEFA spectrum, coming off the bench as his Chelsea side topped Manchester City to win the Champions League. That match was highly anticipated in spite of Pulisic’s rotational role with the Blues, arguably the high point of what became a frustrating spell in London for the winger.Just as the Europa Conference League doesn’t have the same pull as the Champions League, Cardoso doesn’t carry the same clout in U.S. circles as Pulisic, but then again, nobody in the pool can match Pulisic’s magnetism and high-level production these days. Nevertheless, Cardoso has been closely monitored by some of Europe’s biggest clubs, with his European stage offering a spotlight. Tottenham worked something of a “dibs” option on the midfielder when it sold Giovani Lo Celso to Betis in 2024, establishing a fixed fee of €25 million (£20.9m; $26.9m) should he further pique Spurs’ interest.

That clause expires at the end of June, and other clubs (including Manchester United and Atlético Madrid) are reportedly also monitoring the 23-year-old for a potential summer move, despite a February contract extension tying him to Betis through 2029-30. On the back of a capable individual showing on Wednesday, particularly in the first half, it’s plausible that Cardoso won’t be with Betis for much longer.

The Conference League final was the culmination of the latest step in Cardoso’s rapid ascent — one that makes him among the most intriguing players in the entire USMNT pool.

What Sets Johnny Apart

Most U.S. eligible players spend their formative years getting driven around to weekend soccer tournaments or slamming a ball off of a wall. Born in New Jersey and raised in his parents’ native Brazil, Cardoso cut his teeth playing futsal. The small-field alternative to soccer emphasizes technical prowess instead of open-space running, requiring its players to keep close control of a ball and make quick decisions in possession.Those instincts helped the midfielder as he began his professional career, debuting with Brazilian side Internacional days before his 18th birthday. He amassed 117 league appearances with the club, capping his tenure with a run to the 2023 Copa Libertadores semifinal, where he started both legs against eventual champion Fluminense.Soon, Cardoso had his suitors: Napoli, Brighton, Sporting and Galatasaray reportedly among them. Ultimately, he felt that Betis represented the best opportunity for launching his European career.“It was a question of feeling,” Cardoso told The Athletic in 2024. “I just had this hunch that it was the right choice. I thought I would be able to adapt to the city and felt Spain would suit my style of play. I am a very technical player, which comes from futsal. I read the game well and Spanish football is very positional, very organized. I knew that it would be easier to adapt here than in the Premier League, for example.”

Betis has been praised as a very technical side under Manuel Pellegrini, with the Chilean manager favoring players who can be nimble on the ball. Stylistically, it afforded Cardoso an immediate fit into the core of Pellegrini’s side while he adjusted from the Brazilian Serie A’s hard-nosed nature to La Liga’s more wide-open alternative. Based on his underlying numbers, that transition didn’t take long at all.

First, some footage. Early in Cardoso’s tenure, Betis was facing Cadiz in league play. Here, Cardoso found himself in a more advanced position than usual as Cadiz worked to force a turnover and spring a break.

Offering his teammate an outlet, Cadiz’s four-man convergence forces an eventually blocked pass. Cardoso anticipated a passing triangle, ignoring the initial pass to jump into the next passing lane.

If he gets his timing wrong, Cadiz will have a golden chance to open space and launch the ball upfield. Between his reading of the sequence and his somewhat gangly 6-foot-1 frame, which he positions to present a wide obstacle to his opponent’s anticipated pass, he’s able to stop this quick break before it can be sprung.

Johnny Cardoso plays for Real Betis

At this point, his work isn’t done. With Internacional, Cardoso gained plaudits for his ability to break lines with his passing. That much hasn’t manifested in his role with Betis — no midfielder in La Liga who has played at least 1,800 minutes since he debuted sends a lower rate of his passes at least five yards upfield than Cardoso’s 8.7%. Most often, Cardoso is asked to prod the ball to either of his box-to-box midfield partners to do the line-breaking worHere, the line is already broken. Keeping the ball on the ground, Cardoso dribbles upfield and spots a pocket of space between attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir and Willian José. As the ball skips just beyond Fekir, the Brazilian forward is in perfect position for an unmarked first-touch finish, as Cardoso has played the ball with ideal weight and pace.

Johnny Cardoso plays for Real Betis

When Betis tightens the screw and moves its midfield line into the attacking half, Cardoso doesn’t look out of place. His technical acumen allows him to create chances in a manner usually reserved for the sport’s attacking showmen.

When the ball is in Betis’ own half, those same close-control techniques can help him prevent making costly turnovers close to his own goal, as Fiorentina saw in the Conference League semifinal. He’s still a defensive midfielder, after all, so he isn’t shy about dropping a shoulder or swinging a leg to get around an opponent in the name of securing possession.

How Johnny Fits With the USMNT

This combination of tidy technician work and his rangy mobility has made him an ideal target for many clubs. It’s also what played him into Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT as the primary deputy to Tyler Adams, a long-needed alternative to the Bournemouth midfielder.

Depending on how Mauricio Pochettino wants to calibrate his midfield, there could be room for both defensive midfielders to start. They could set up as a stingy double-pivot to shield the USMNT’s often-unsettled back line, affording the defense more time to get its shape right while two tireless ball hawks offer protection. In this scenario, Weston McKennie could play more advanced in a three-man midfield.

At the very least, he’s a very viable option to step in if needed, especially after being tested at a higher level this season. One issue during the 2022 World Cup was Berhalter’s reliance on Adams, McKennie and Yunus Musah to start all four matches. By the round of 16, the youthful trio looked fatigued, giving the Netherlands more freedom to operate up the heart of the park than the USMNT had faced in the group stage.

Since Adams debuted, the U.S. has been at its best with him in the lineup. That may give him an edge over Cardoso if the co-hosts can advance into the knockout bracket, but it shouldn’t preclude Cardoso from getting ample run-out if he continues in his current form. If he can take his game to the next level, with or without a summer move, it’ll present Pochettino with a rare “good problem” as he works through the rest of the team’s ongoing headache areas. And with Cardoso part of the Gold Cup squad at a time when McKennie and Musah are absent, he should have every chance to make that case.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Chris Richards and Matthew Turner of Crystal Palace celebrate with the trophy after winning the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on May 17, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)

What it’s like to watch your son win the FA Cup – by Chris Richards’ parents

Adam Crafton The Athletic May 24, 2025

Almost a week has passed since Carrie Richards watched her son climb the Wembley steps to be greeted by Prince William, and raise the FA Cup with his victorious Crystal Palace team-mates.The rush of adrenaline will take some time yet to subside. So, too, will the beaming pride felt by Carrie and her husband, Ken. They flew in from Birmingham, Alabama, to see their son, the 25-year-old USMNT defender Chris Richards, become only the third American to win the FA Cup — as part of the Palace team that defeated Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Matt Turner, the national team’s goalkeeper, also received a winner’s medal, albeit he was an unused substitute on the day.“ Saturday was the most surreal experience of my life,” Carrie grins, speaking on a video call with The Athletic from the family home. “Seeing the fans walking down Wembley Way… I have never seen anything like it. The stadium was electric. My heart was beating. If I had worn my Apple watch, it probably would have told me I needed to go to the emergency room, from the moment we got there to the moment we left.”The game itself was a nerve-shredding, nail-eviscerating experience. Palace had never won a major trophy in their history. This was City’s 14th appearance in an FA Cup final and they had won two of the previous six editions of the tournament. For Palace to win demanded extreme commitment, the players stretching every last sinew in red and blue. It needed supreme organisation, a splash of quality and also a little fortune.Palace scored the game’s only goal via their talismanic attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, but also survived a red card review against their goalkeeper, Dean Henderson. He subsequently saved a penalty.

Henderson saves Omar Marmoush’s penalty as Richards watches on (Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images)

Carrie says: “Even if we’d been two or three ahead, I don’t I think I would have felt any more comfortable! A few weeks back, we were 2-0 up against City and we still lost 5-2 (in the Premier League fixture).”Even after Palace survived 90 minutes of ordinary time, the fourth official’s board indicated 10 additional minutes for stoppages. Ken and Carrie blow out their cheeks. “We were counting down every last second,” she says. “I remember seeing we were down to three minutes, but there wasn’t a second where I was like, ‘OK, I can breathe now!’ until he blew the final whistle.”That was the starting pistol for an explosion of joy and abandon. Carrie, who was seated with the families of the Palace players, says: “Everyone was in tears. Everyone was hugging…”“High-fiving, too,” Ken interjects. “It was crazy. We were just ecstatic, there were lots of balloons going around.”The couple took in the scene. Multiple generations of families collapsing into each other on the terraces. Some players appeared to enter a trance; some sinking to their knees, others on their backs, exhausted, while more still embraced joyously. Messages from across the pond flooded into Carrie’s inbox. One photograph in particular, of royalty placing the winners’ medal around her son’s neck, kept coming through.She says: ‘What’s funny is all my friends were more impressed with him being greeted by Prince William. They were like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ Americans are so fascinated with the royal family!”

Prince William, Prince of Wales, presented the cup to Crystal Palace (Eddie Keogh – The FA/Getty Images)

Richards excelled in the Palace defence, muzzling City superstar Erling Haaland. He made four blocks, 12 clearances and won five duels. Not once did an opponent dribble past him.Before the game, his parents had sent their usual text messages. Ken says: “I tell him good luck. Trust your instincts, trust what you see, go out, play and have fun.”Carrie’s message was a little more sentimental. “I was telling him how proud I was. The coach Oliver Glasner told him this opportunity was not a burden, but a privilege. We just wanted Chris to stay in the moment, be present, enjoy every minute, because we knew or had been told that it could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”Carrie and Ken’s first pleasant surprise came when arriving at Wembley and seeing their son on the front cover of the match-day programme. As for how the Palace fans feel about him?“People were walking around with Afro wigs on and American flags,” Carrie laughs. “A whole group (of fans) were in the section of the stadium chanting ‘USA!’ That’s priceless.”

Richards at Wembley (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

For the Richards family, this represented a milestone.Their collective story is one of devotion and sacrifice. Unseen to the ordinary fan is how families share in the emotional rollercoaster of professional soccer; matchday at the highest level can test emotions, but the journey to the summit requires patience, empathy and no little resilience. Richards was born into a comfortable household. His mum worked in a managerial paralegal-type role in a law firm, while his dad owned a moving transportation company that helped people with house moves. But when the economy crashed in 2009, and far fewer people moved home, the business went under.“We lost everything,” Carrie says. “We had to start completely over, from doing very well before to having absolutely nothing. We were definitely pinching pennies every week. I can remember one time even Chris getting in from practice and him handing me a letter that said if we didn’t pay his soccer fees, then he wouldn’t get to play that next week.“I was so embarrassed. We were just robbing Peter to pay Paul every week.”In the United States, life as a soccer parent can be exorbitantly expensive. Carrie and Ken say that Chris would often have games either out of state, or far enough away to require a hotel stay. He had two younger siblings who also required attention. “We were an average family and we were struggling to pay it,” Carrie says.Trips out of town would cost at least $500 for a weekend. Carrie or Ken would often volunteer to drive the passenger van for the team, because that was a way to have the cost of a hotel covered.“There was another player whose parents could never go, so they would split the hotel costs with us and they would stay in our room,” she says. “I don’t think him quitting was ever a question. For us, it was always just, ‘How are we going to do it?’ rather than, ‘Will we do it?’.”

A young Richards takes on his marker (Carrie Richards)

The family lived in Hoover, Alabama, around 10 miles south of Birmingham. A place where football is king — Hoover High School has 13 state titles — and soccer is seen as a curiosity. “Soccer here is probably the fifth most popular sport,” says Carrie. “It is only now (after the final) some people around us are starting to say, ‘Oh, now I understand what Chris achieved because he’s on the news’.

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“A few weeks ago, somebody asked me what I was going to London for. I said: ‘Oh, my son plays soccer in England’. And they’re like, ‘Oh he doesn’t want to play in the United States?’. So I think there’s still a lot of people around here just don’t understand the magnitude of playing in the Premier League.

“They’re like, ‘Oh, you’re going all the way to the UK for a game?’. Yes, the FA Cup is the oldest tournament in history! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

On Richards’ arms, he has tattoos of heroes including Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali and Barack Obama, but his first tattoo, written in Roman numerals, is the date he left home shortly after turning 16.He had not long been cut by FC Dallas when he was offered a place at U.S. Soccer Academy Development club Houston Texans SC. This was a step down to move forwards, playing in a non-MLS academy 10 hours from home.Chris, his mum admits, was “devastated” when Dallas let him go.Ken says, “I’m a little old school and I felt like he would do one of two things: he would give up or use it as fuel to push him on. That’s exactly what he did. Sometimes it’s good to have a little disappointment. It built a resilience which helped him as he left home and especially when he later moved to Europe.”

A delighted Richards with team-mate Jean-Philippe Mateta at Wembley (Julian Finney – The FA/Getty Images)

For both parents, letting their eldest boy fly the nest was a wrench. Houston found him a host family, the Eastons, who met Carrie and Ken once before taking in their son. They remain in touch to this day and describe the family as “just amazing”.“We were thinking that we have two more years to prepare him for life — to learn how to cook, how to make a doctor’s appointment,” says Carrie. “He moved 10 hours away to a family that we’d barely met in a city that we’ve never been to. We were praying for the best.“But he was saying: ‘We’ve got to do this’. So, OK, I’ve got to get on board. It was heart wrenching.“I cried every day for God knows how long. Every time we went to see him, I would cry when we left. He didn’t even have his driver’s licence yet. Our other son Christian was two, just a little baby, and he was missing his big brother. It was almost like he’d gone to college two years early. We mentally weren’t ready for that.”Ken smiles. “And there were so many people, family and friends, in our ears, saying, ‘Are you guys going to let them go? You guys are crazy. This is the worst idea you could have!’,” he says.Carrie continues, “We were second guessing ourselves, asking: ‘Is this the dumbest thing we’ve ever done?’.”

It turned out to be the opposite.Richards grew in height and quality while in Houston and his team racked up a string of impressive wins, including against the team who had released him. Dallas then invited him back and, after trials at Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim, he was signed by Bayern Munich just as he turned 18.

There were a handful of appearances for Bayern’s first team, as well as loan spells at Hoffenheim, before Palace spent an initial €12million (£10m; $13.5m) on Richards in the summer of 2022. This campaign has been his best yet, starting 28 games in Glasner’s exciting Palace team, particularly coming to the fore in a second half of the season in which Palace have shot up the Premier League table and claimed the FA Cup.

Carrie, Chris and Ken Richards with the FA Cup (Carrie Richards)

“It was very moving at the final to see how much it meant to the people of south London — for him to be a part of something that’s so historic,” says Ken. “He’ll forever be a part of that. Maybe 100 years from now, it’ll be maybe a trivia question: ‘Who’s the American centre-back when we won our first FA Cup?’.”

After the game, there was time for hugs, drinks and photographs at the nearby Boxpark, both with his parents and his girlfriend, who recently gave birth for the first time. His siblings watched from home, with his sister Mackenzie studying at college and younger brother Christian still at school. They sent explanations from across the pond when Carrie and Ken were trying to understand, amid little in-stadium communication, why the game had been delayed for a VAR review of Henderson’s handball outside the penalty area.

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But enough about Chris the footballer. What does Chris the person mean to his parents?

Ken pauses, his eyes moistening. “He’s such a good person. Everybody thinks highly of their kids but he really is a great person who cares about other people. He’s very humble, very considerate…”

Carrie jumps in: “He has a really good sense of humor.”

Ken nods: “Yes, he’s funny. There are so many adjectives I can use, but he’s special.”

Carrie says: “He would do anything for either of us, for his siblings. He’s loyal to the friends he grew up with.”

Richards and fellow USMNT player Turner parade the FA Cup around Wembley (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)

As parents of an American soccer player, the next year brings excitement, with a home World Cup on the horizon in the summer of 2026.

“He was injured right before the World Cup in Qatar,” Carrie adds. “Since we had already taken off the time to go to the World Cup, we decided to go over and spend that time with him, because he was not in a good place emotionally at all. So we made sure we were there for him.

“When he was a little boy, he always had these little sticky notes on his mirror: he wants to achieve this or he wants to achieve that. Playing in the World Cup was one one of these. We would be so incredibly proud.”

Fulham and USMNT’s Antonee Robinson undergoes minor knee surgery

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 20: Antonee Robinson of Fulham controls the ball during the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Chelsea FC at Craven Cottage on April 20, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

By Ali Ramplingn May 28, 2025

Fulham and U.S. men’s national team full-back Antonee Robinson has undergone knee surgery.Fulham confirmed the 27-year-old had undergone the operation on his right knee on Tuesday and described the surgery as “minor”.No exact timeframe has been given for his return but Fulham said he will undergo a period of rehabilitation to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.Robinson was not included in Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT squad for this summer’s Gold Cup, having been given the summer off after a long season with Fulham.He made 38 appearances in all competitions and provided 10 assists — the most of any defender in the Premier League. This followed a 2023-24 campaign in which he provided six assists in the top flight and was named Fulham’s player of the season.What You Should Read NextAntonee Robinson: My game in my wordsThe Fulham and USMNT international talks us through his strengths and weaknesses — and Salah asking him how old he is…

Robinson featured in 36 of Fulham’s 38 Premier League fixtures this campaign but missed two of his side’s final five league matches through injury. He was also absent from the Concacaf Nations League finals in March due to tendinopathy.The left-back is one of a number of first-team regulars missing from the U.S. Gold Cup squad, alongside Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah. Like Robinson, Pulisic was also given the summer off after making 50 appearances in all competitions for Milan this season, while McKennie and Weah both have club commitments with Juventus competing in the Club World Cup.The U.S. play Trinidad & Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti in the Gold Cup group stages, which start in June.

5/16 Final weeks of Euro seasons, American in FA Cup Final Sat 11:30 ESPN+, MLS Rivalry Weekend, Europa Cup Wed 3 pm, State & Prez Cup this weekend at Grand Park

gatorbest , , , ,

Lots to play for this weekend and Germany & Spain wrap up their seasons and Italy & England are not far behind. Champions & Europa League and even Relegation Battles for some. (Read full round-up below).

FA Cup – Crystal Palace vs Man City Sat 11:30 am on ESPN+
American Chris Richards will look to become one of the few American’s (Tim Howard 2 times) to lift a FA Cup Trophy as Crystal Palace battles Man City in London at 11:30 am on ESPN+. Should be quite a game – especially if Palace can continue their run of scoring goals. The first American to win the FA Cup was… Julian Sturgis, from Boston, in 1873. He did it with Wanderers FC, an amateur club who are sadly no more. Props to Pablo Maurer for a hot piece of trivia. Of course Pulisic and AC Milan failed to win the Copa Italia on Wed vs Bologna and hopefully this will be enough to fire their pathetic coach. Pulisic always gets pulled in the last 15 minutes even if he has been the best player on the field. Drives me nuts. Pulisic scores again vs Bologna in Mother’s Day weekend

The Indy 11 ladies return to Grand Park indoors tonight as they open their season tonight!
Gamedays with the girls are BACK. That’s right—Indy Eleven W League team is SERVING goals, glory, and greatness all season long. We kick-off the season , May 16 at 7 PM. Join us at Grand Park Events Center as we cheer on our Girls in Blue! GET YOUR W LEAGUE TICKETS TODAY!

I want to wish everyone good luck at the President’s Cup and State Cup games this weekend on Saturday & Sunday at Grand Park. I will be out there coaching and reffing both days.

Congrats to the 2008 Girls – Kings Hammer Champs in Cincy (Lilly in goal)
Carmel FC 2013 Boys Gold Champions at Dynamo Tourney (Coach Brian Felter R)

 

Back on the Fields for President Cup at Grand Park this weekend! Here with Brad & Daniel.


TV Games

Fri, May 16
3:15 pm Peacock Chelsea vs Man United

7 pm ESPN+ El Paso vs Indy 11

8 pm Prime Video Orlando Pride (Marta) vs KC Current

Sat, May 17

9:30 am ESPN+ Dortmund (Reyna) vs Kiel
9:30 am ESPN+ Borussia MGladbach (Scaley) vs Wolfsburg
11:30 am   ESPN+        Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City FA Cup Final
2:45 pm Para+ Genoa vs Atalanta 5 pm
CBS Golazo NC Courage vs Chicago Red Stars (Nayher) NWSL
7:15 pm FS1, Apple Columbus vs Cincy MLS
9:30 pm FS1, Apple Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders
10 pm Ion Bay FC vs Angel City NWSL

Sun, May 18

USA 7 am Everton vs Southampton (last game at Goodison Park)
9 am USA West Ham vs Nottingham Forest
10 am Peacock Brentford vs Fulham (Robinson)
11:30 am USA Arsenal vs New Castle
1 pm ESPN+ Atletico vs Real Bettis, Barca vs Villareal, Valencia vs Athletic Club all Spain games 2:45 pm CBSSN Inter vs Lazio Italy
2:45 pm Para+ Roma vs AC Milan (Pulisic)
7 pm Apple Miami (Messi)vs Orlando City MLS
9 pm Apple TV LA Galaxy vs LAFC – El Traffico
9:15 pm Univision America vs Cruz Azul
Tues, May 20
3 pm USA Man City vs Bournmouth (Adams)
3 pm Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Wolverhampton
7:30 pm Para+ NE vs Chicago Fire US Open Cup
10:30 pm CBSSN SJ Earthquakes vs Portland Timbers US Open Cup

Wed, May 21

CBSSN, Para+           Man United vs Tottenham Europa League Final in Balboa, Spain
7:30 pm CBSSN NY Red Bulls vs Dallas US Open Cup
7:30 pm Para_+ Philly Union vs Pittsburg Riverhounds (GK Carmel’s Eric Dick)

Wed, May 28

Paramount Plus             Chelsea vs Real Bettis (Ricardo) Europa Conference League Final in Poland

Sat, May 31

CBS 3 pm                     Inter Milan vs PSG UEFA Champions League Final in Munich, Germany

5 pm TBS                     US Women vs China

Sun, June 1

Fox Sport 1                  Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps  CC Champions Cup Final

Tues, June 3

TNT, Max, Peacock       US Women vs Jamaica

Wed, June 4

2:45 pm Fox                Germany vs Portugal – Nations League Semi

Thurs, June 5

2:45 pm Fox                Spain vs France– Nations League Semi

Sat, June 7

3:30 pm TNT, Tele      US Men vs Turkey  

Sun, June 8

2:45 pm Fox                Nations League Finals

Tues, June 10

8 pm TNT, Peacock    US Men vs Switzerland

June 13 – 29               GOLD CUP MEN

Sun, June 15

6 pm FS1                     US Men vs Trinidad   Gold Cup

Thur, June 19

6 pm FS1                     US Men vs KSA  Gold Cup

Sun, June 22

7 pm FS1                     US Men vs Haiti Gold Cup

Sun, June 26

TBS, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland

Sun, June 29th

TNT, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland in Cincy

USMNT weekend viewing guide: Finales

By jcksnftsn  May 16, 2025, 10:47am PDT  

Tottenham Hotspur FC v Crystal Palace FC - Premier League

We are down to the final matchday in Germany, France and the Netherlands and there is a FA Cup final with USMNT implications this weekend as well, so despite a slow start on Friday there’s a lot of action on Saturday and Sunday as all the major leagues are still in action before the summer break. Here’s what we’re watching:

Saturday

Borussia Dortmund v Holstein Kiel – 9:30a on ESPN+

Gio Reyna was an unused substitute again last weekend and has appeared just once in league play since early March. His Dortmund side enter the last weekend of the Bundesliga season within a point of Freiburg for fourth place. Freiburg’s 2-1 victory last weekend relegated Holstein Kiel and John Tolkin with a week remaining.

Borussia Monchengladbach v Wolfsburg – 9:30a on ESPN+

Joe Scally did not start last weekend but came on as a halftime substitute as Borussia Monchengladbach fell to Bayern Munich 2-0. Gladbach are in tenth place heading into their finale against Kevin Paredes’ twelfth place Wolfsburg though it appears that Paredes has been shut down for the season.

St. Pauli v Bochum – 9:30a on ESPN+

James Sands remains out but his St Pauli teammates need just a point to guarantee that they will be in the Bundesliga again next season when Sands returns to the field. They face a Bochum side that are set to finish dead last in the Bundesliga table.

Crystal Palace v Manchester City – 11:30a on ESPN+

Chris Richards and Crystal Palace will be heavy underdogs on Saturday but have a chance to take home a trophy as they face Manchester City in the FA Cup Final. Richards scored in Palace’s last meeting with Man City, just a month ago, but City came back to thump Palace 5-2 in the league match.

Olympique Lyon v Angers SCO – 3p on beIN Sports

Tanner Tessmann and Lyon have lost their last two and three of their past four to fall out of the spots for European competition next season. To pull into the top six Lyon will need to defeat thirteenth place Angers and will need a loss from at least one of Nice, Lille, or Strassbourg in the last week of the season.

Lens v Monaco – 3p on beIN Sports

Folarin Balogun was out injured again last weekend as Monaco defeated Lyon 2-0 to clinch their top three finish and a Champions League spot next Fall. Monaco will now face Lens in the final weekend of the season with neither team able to make significant moves up or down the table, though Monaco could still overtake second place Marseille.

Saint-Etienne v Toulouse – 3p on beIN Sports

Mark McKenzie and Toulouse are in twelfth place heading into their final match, clear of the relegation scrum but unlikely to break into the top ten either as the season closes out. McKenzie returned to the starting lineup last weekend following his two match red card suspension and he has appeared in 29 of 33 matches for the Ligue Un side this season.

Sunday

Sparta Rotterdam v PSV Eindhoven – 8:30a on ESPN+

Malik Tillman, Sergino Dest and PSV defeated Heracles Almelo 4-1 on Wednesday with Tillman scoring twice and adding an assist and Dest assisting on the other goal. The victory, combined with yet another Ajax draw, pulled PSV into first place in what is an incredible comeback for the league title, thanks in no small part to Ajax’s meltdown. Ajax have failed to win in their past four matches, dropping ten points to allow PSV to retake the league lead heading into the final weekend. Eindhoven travel to Rotterdam controlling their own destiny and will clinch the league title with a win over the eleventh place side which they defeated 2-1 at home in October.

Brentford v Fulham – 10a on Peacock

Antonee Robinson was not included in the squad last weekend as Fulham fell to Everton 3-1. That makes two of the past three league matches in which Robinson did not appear which is quite unusual for a player who has been so consistent, logging just under three-thousand league minutes this season. Fulham are in eleventh place going into the final two weeks of the season and will face eighth place Brentford who are four points ahead of them in the table.

Atletico Madrid v Real Betis – 1p on ESPN+

Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis drew with Rayo Vallecano on Thursday and are now four points behind fifth place Villarreal with two matches to play. Betis can do no worse than their current sixth place position and qualifying for Europa League next fall but they will need some help over the next two weeks if they are going to catch Villarrreal for the coveted Champions League spot. Betis will have their hands full this weekend as well as they take on third place Atletcio Madrid. Betis won the first matchup between the clubs this season, 1-0 back in October with Betis hosting the match.

Cagliari v Venezia – 2:45p on Paramount+

Gianluca Busio and Venezia defeated Fiorentina 2-1 last weekend to pull a point ahead of Lecce and they now control their own destiny in the fight to avoid relegation. They will face fourteenth place Cagliari this weekend before finishing the season against a Juventus side that are fighting to remain in the top four. Venezia are just a point ahead of both Lecce and Empoli with the latter easily having the easiest remaining schedule of the three as they face last place Monza this weekend before finishing with 15th place Hellas Verona next Sunday. Venezia do hold the tie-breaker over Empoli should the teams end even but Lecce hold the tiebreak advantage over Venezia.

Juventus v Udinese – 2:45p on Paramount+

Tim Weah and Weston McKennie both started and went the full 90’ last weekend with Weah feeding Weston to setup the go ahead assist. Unfortunately, Juventus would play down a man the final 30’ after Pierre Kalulu was sent off with a straight red and Lazio would tie up the match late in stoppage time. The two teams remain tied for fourth place and the final Champions League spot with Juventus holding the tiebreaker advantage thanks to their 1-0 win in October. Juventus now face twelfth place Udinese who are coming off a 2-1 loss to last place Monza.

Roma v Milan – 2:45p on Paramount+

Christian Pulisic and AC Milan fell to Bologna midweek in the Coppa Itallia and will need help to pass at least two teams to make any European competition next Spring. They are within three points of Roma and a win this weekend would give them the tiebreaker but they will still need help as they remain two points behind Bologna in league play and four points behind fourth place Juventus and fifth place Lazio. Yunus Musah did not appear midweek in the Coppa Itallia and saw just a handful of minutes off the bench last weekend in Milan’s 3-1 Serie A win which was also against Bologna. Roma are coming off a 2-1 loss to third place Atalanta and still have hopes of cracking the top four though they will also need help as they trail by a point.

WORLD

FA Cup win won’t save Man City, but it can kick-start their rebuild
How Hansi Flick won the LaLiga title and took Barcelona back to the top
Madrid’s Carlos Ancelotti to Brazil is official And he reckons Ancelotti has his work cut out

Moyes: Goodison farewell match will be emotional

Salah: Don’t boo TAA in final Liverpool games

USA

Tillman puts PSV on title brink as Ajax collapse
 Pulisic scores again vs Bologna in Mother’s Day weekend
USMNT to face Korea, Japan in Sept. friendlies
USWNT celebrates 40 years with beautifully complementary kits
FIFA confirms 48-team Women’s World Cup in ’31
Kassouf: Tullis-Joyce top contender for USWNT goalkeeper

US Jersey Reveal

Goalkeeping

1 v 1 – Close Down Attacker – don’t back up
Yes Yann Sommer was that good vs Barca – 10 saves
Sommer tips last shot to save game vs Yamal

June 16th: 9-4 / June 17th: 8-3 12383 Cyntheanne Rd, Fishers, IN $595 Register

Reffing

El Classico Handball or not?  
Attacking Player in Wall?  

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Must Watch: Orlando Pride vs. Kansas City Current this Friday on Prime Video

The league’s top two teams will face off in Orlando in the third installment of Rivalries presented by Ally. Orlando went unbeaten against the Current in 2024, lifting the Championship trophy on Kansas City’s home turf. Who will appear in the top spot after this weekend? 

Watch this Friday on Prime Video at 8PM ET.  Read More
Nominees Announced for 2025 NWSL Lauren Holiday Impact Award

The Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide, recognizes an NWSL player for outstanding service and character off the pitch, with the winner receiving a $50,000 donation to a charitable organization of their choice. Check out this year’s nominees!Read More
Esther González extends contract with Gotham FC through 2027

NWSL Champion and World Cup winner Esther González is here to stay. Her 2023 signing has made an immediate impact for Gotham FC. She scored the game-winning goal in the their first NWSL Championship in club history in her debut season. Now, in Week 9, González leads the league in goals (7). Read More
Louisville’s Arin Wright rocks captain armband designed by son for special Mother’s Day moment. 

The Racing Louisville captain dons an armband every game, but the one she wore on May 9 may be one of the most cherished mementos of her career.
 Read More

Indy 11

Gamedays with the girls are BACK. That’s right—Indy Eleven W League team is SERVING goals, glory, and greatness all season long.
We kick-off the season , May 16 at 7 PM. Join us at Grand Park Events Center as we cheer on our Girls in Blue! GET YOUR W LEAGUE TICKETS TODAY!

Europe’s top soccer leagues: Titles, cup finals, UCL, relegation

  • Dale JohnsonMay 16, 2025, 04:00 AM ET

The 2024-25 season has entered the closing stages, with the battles for the major honours, European qualification, relegation and promotion heating up.

Here’s a roundup of what’s at stake and what could be decided this weekend in the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLiga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1.

This page will be updated through to the end of the European season.

Premier League
Last day: May 25

Title

Liverpool (83) were confirmed as champions on April 27 with four games to spare.

Champions League (5)

CONFIRMED

  • 1. Liverpool (36 games played, 83 points)

Premier League table

GPPTSGD
1 – Liverpool3683+46
2 – Arsenal3668+33
3 – Newcastle3666+23
4 – Man City3665+24
5 – Chelsea3663+19
6 – Aston Villa3663+7
7 – Nottm Forest3662+12
8 – Brentford3655+10
9 – Brighton3655+3
10 – Bournemouth3653+12
11 – Fulham3651+1

In 2025-26, the Premier League will have five teams in the Champions League due to the performance of its clubs in Europe this season, meaning the top five will qualify for the UCL.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur play each other in the Europa League final on May 21. The winners will qualify for the Champions League, meaning the Premier League will have six teams in the UCL and nine in Europe.

Liverpool have already booked their place, and while Arsenal (68) looked assured of qualifying they still have a little work to do. Two points will secure it for the Gunners as a maximum of 70 is needed.

All of the top seven are now guaranteed European football of some description.

Five other teams are battling along with Arsenal for the remaining four places, with just two fixtures remaining. Newcastle United (66), Manchester City (65) and Chelsea (63) are holding them right now; Aston Villa (63) and Nottingham Forest (62) will try to fight their way into those key positions.

Remaining games – UCL race

TeamGW37GW38
CHELSEAMan United (H)Nottm Forest (a)
FORESTWest Ham (a)Chelsea (H)
NEWCASTLEArsenal (a)Everton (H)
MAN CITYBournemouth (H)Fulham (a)
VILLASpurs (H)Man United (a)

Chelsea and Aston Villa are first up on Friday. At the start of the season, their fixtures would have been marked down as tricky. But Chelsea are at home to 16th-placed Man United, and Villa host 17th-placed Spurs, just a few days before the pair meet in the Europa League final. Chelsea and Villa will be expected to win to put the pressure on in the UCL race.

On Sunday, Forest travel to West Ham, which looks a must-win game to keep their hopes alive. Then Arsenal are at home to Newcastle, and if the Gunners lose they will suddenly look in a little danger, though they have relegated Southampton on the final day.

Man City don’t play until Tuesday, when they are at home to Bournemouth.

There’s a big last-day fixture, when Chelsea head to Forest in what could be a winner-takes-all UCL showdown.

Europa League (2)

As it stands, sixth (Villa) will enter the Europa League by league position, and it will go to one of those teams in the Champions League section.

Editor’s Picks

Sixth will be joined by the FA Cup winners, with Crystal Palace taking on Man City in the final on Saturday. (stream live on ESPN+ in the U.S.)

If Palace, who are 12th, win the FA Cup, then there will be no knock-on effect to the league places; the Eagles will be in the Europa League.

If Man City win it and finish in the top six, the FA Cup’s Europa League place will go to seventh — to last of the teams in the UCL race.

If Chelsea win the Conference League — they are in the final vs. Real Betis on May 28 — they are guaranteed at least a place in the Europa League, but will play in the Champions League if they finish in the top five. Their final position could also influence the allocation of European places.

Why Crystal Palace could stun Man City in the FA Cup final

Mark Ogden explains why he is backing Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup final.

Conference League (1)

Newcastle are guaranteed at least a place in the Conference League playoff round, as they won the Carabao Cup. But if Newcastle finish in the top six, to play in the UCL or UEL, the Conference League place goes to seventh. If Man City also win the FA Cup, the Conference League playoff-round place goes to eighth — so it’s a position worth fighting for.

With the FA Cup final taking place on Saturday, those in contention will know if it’s still on before they play again.

Brentford (55) have eighth in their control, with Brighton & Hove Albion (55), AFC Bournemouth (53) and Fulham (51) in contention.

Fulham have four points to make up and travel to Brentford on Sunday; Brighton have a tough game against champions Liverpool, while Bournemouth have to take on Man City.

If Brentford can win, a loss for Brighton on Monday and a draw/loss for Bournemouth on Tuesday will effectively lock the Bees in eighth, due to their far superior goal difference — but will it matter?

Relegation (3)

CONFIRMED

  • 18. Ipswich (36, 22)
  • 19. Leicester (36, 22)
  • 20. Southampton (36, 12)

Southampton (12), Leicester City (22) and Ipswich Town (22) have been relegated.

Leeds United and Burnley have been promoted back to the top flight from the Championship; another team will come up via the playoffs.

Sheffield United take on Sunderland in the playoff final on May 24.

LaLiga
Last day: May 25

Title

Remaining games

BarcelonaReal Madrid
G37Villarreal (H)Sevilla (a)
G38Athletic (a)Real Sociedad (H)

There are two games left to be played in Spain.

Barcelona (85) were crowned champions on May 15 with a 2-0 victory at Espanyol, moving them seven points ahead of Real Madrid (78).

Champions League (5)

CONFIRMED

  • 1. Barcelona (36, 85)
  • 2. Real Madrid (36, 78)
  • 3. Atlético Madrid (36, 70)
  • 4. Athletic Club (36, 67)

LaLiga table

GPPTS
1 – Barcelona3685
2 – Real Madrid3678
3 – Atlético3670
4 – Athletic Club3667
5 – Villarreal3664
6 – Real Betis3659
7 – Celta Vigo3652
8 – Vallecano3648
9 – Osasuna3648
10 – Mallorca3647
11 – Valencia3645

Like the Premier League, LaLiga will have five teams in the Champions League next season.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid (70) had already booked their places, with Athletic Club (67) making it four with a 2-0 win at Getafe on Thursday.

The contenders for the last UCL place are fifth-placed Villarreal (64) and Real Betis (59) in sixth.

Villarreal beat Leganés 3-0 on Wednesday to pull away from Betis.

Betis dropped points in a draw at Rayo Vallecano on Thursday, and that means it’s almost over for them. Villarreal can seal their place with a win on Sunday … the only issue is they are away at Barcelona. A chance for Betis? Unfortunately they also have a very difficult away fixture, at Atlético Madrid.

– Stream all LaLiga games live on ESPN+ (US only)

McManaman: I’ve never seen an El Clásico as chaotic as that

Steve McManaman reacts to Barcelona’s 4-3 win over Real Madrid in LaLiga.

Europa League (2)

As Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, the place for the cup transfers to the league — sixth and seventh will enter the Europa League. One place will go to Athletic Club, Villarreal or Real Betis in sixth, but there’s a close race for seventh.

Celta Vigo (52) hold the spot, followed by Rayo Vallecano (48), Osasuna (48) and Mallorca (47).

On Tuesday, Celta Vigo won at Real Sociedad to open a gap and end the home side’s hopes of European football. On Wednesday, Valencia suffered a damaging defeat at Alavés and Mallorca lost at the Bernabeu.

Then on Thursday, Osasuna won 2-0 against Atlético Madrid and Vallecano drew with Betis.

It now looks very good for Celta, and they can confirm their place in the Europa League if they win on Sunday — but it’s certainly not over. Celta entertain Rayo Vallecano, so an away win opens it right back up again. Also on Sunday, Osasuna are at home to Espanyol and Mallorca host Getafe.

Real Betis are in the Conference League final, with the winners of competition earning a spot in the Europa League, but this can’t impact the LaLiga allocation.

Europa Conference League (1)

This will go to eighth place, held right now by Rayo Vallecano, with the same list of teams battling it out as noted in the Europa League section.

Although Valencia (45) cannot now qualify for the Europa League, they do have a sniff of eighth. But on Sunday they face a tough home game against Athletic Club.

Relegation (3)

CONFIRMED

  • 19. Las Palmas (36, 32)
  • 20. Real Valladolid (36, 16)

Real Valladolid (16) went down last month, and they were joined by Las Palmas (32) on Wednesday. Alavés (38) pulled clear by beating Valencia, leaving them six points ahead of Las Palmas with a better head-to-head record.

That leaves one place, with Leganés (34) looking doomed after losing in midweek. There would appear to be no way out, but there actually is hope of catching Alavés as Leganés travel to Las Palmas on Sunday.

If Leganés lose, they would definitely be down.

If the game is a draw, Leganés would be relegated if Alavés win or draw.

If Leganés win, it will likely go to the final day for the third relegation place and we might see Espanyol (39) and Getafe (39) in trouble.

It’s a very tight race for the two automatic promotion places from LaLiga2.

Elche, Levante, Mirandés, Racing Santander and Real Oviedo are fighting it out. A third team comes up through four-team playoffs.

Bundesliga
Last day: May 17

Title

Bayern Munich (79) won the title on May 4.

Has Bayer Leverkusen’s golden era come to an end?

Janusz Michallik believes Bayer Leverkusen’s most successful era has officially come to an end.

Champions League (4)

CONFIRMED

  • 1. Bayern Munich (33, 79)
  • 2. Bayer Leverkusen (33, 68)

Bundesliga table

GPPTSGD
1 – Bayern3379+63
2 – Leverkusen3368+29
3 – Frankfurt3357+20
4 – Freiburg3355-2
5 – Dortmund3354+17
7 – Mainz3351+12
6 – RB Leipzig3351+6
8 – Bremen3348-6
9 – Gladbach3345-1

Bayern and Bayer Leverkusen (68) have already secured their places.

It’s now a three-horse race for the final two spots, with one game to be played on Saturday.

Third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt (57, +20) looked certainties two weeks ago, but are now in danger of finishing fifth; while SC Freiburg (55, -2) sit fourth.

But Freiburg are at home to Frankfurt on the final day, and that leaves the door wide open for in-form Borussia Dortmund (54, +17).

Dortmund are assured of UCL football if they win at home to relegated Holstein Kiel by 2+ goals. A win of any description will be enough if Freiburg draw. A draw or win does the job for Dortmund if Freiburg lose.

For Freiburg, they will be in the UCL if they match or better Dortmund’s result but, with BVB at home to Kiel, the likelihood is that Freiburg must win.

And if Freiburg do win, it means Frankfurt, who only need a point, are in big trouble and could miss out on goal difference to Dortmund (if they win by those 2+ goals). If Freiburg win by one goal, they would qualify for the UCL with a negative goal difference.

If Freiburg get a victory, and Dortmund win by only one goal, then it’s Freiburg and Frankfurt (goal difference over BVB) in the UCL.

Europa League (2)

Only fifth place will be in this competition via league placing, and that place will almost certainly go to the team that misses out on the UCL.

For the second successive season, the final of the DFB Pokal (stream LIVE on May 24 on ESPN+, U.S. only) sees a Bundesliga club take on a lower-league side. Last season, Leverkusen beat then-2. Bundesliga strugglers Kaiserslautern.

This time VfB Stuttgart will play Arminia Bielefeld who, incredibly, are in the third division. The winners of the final will qualify for the Europa League.

Stuttgart are in ninth on 47 points and can’t finish in the top six, so there will be no transfer of the place to the league if they win the cup. If Arminia Bielefeld, who are top of 3.Liga and have sealed promotion, produce a shock win in the final, they are set to play in the Europa League as a second-division club

Conference League (1)

While Mainz (51, +12) and RB Leipzig (51, +6) have a mathematical chance of finishing fifth if Dortmund lose, goal difference means that’s highly improbable. The same can be said of Werder Bremen (48, -6) and their chances of sixth.

So, two clubs are fighting for sixth and a place in Conference League qualifying.

Mainz have a far superior goal difference to RB Leipzig, so a win will punch their ticket. The problem is Mainz are at home to Leverkusen, not an easy task. RB Leipzig host Stuttgart, who will have one eye on the cup final and must better Mainz’s result to claim sixth.

There is no route into Europe for seventh or eighth as there was last season.

Relegation (2+1)

Two teams are relegated automatically, while third-bottom takes on third place in the 2.Bundesliga in a playoff.

CONFIRMED

  • 17. Holstein Kiel (33, 25)
  • 18. VfL Bochum (33, 22)

VfL Bochum (22) and Holstein Kiel (25) are down, with 1. FC Heidenheim (29, -24) only having slim hopes of avoiding the playoff as they are three points behind TSG Hoffenheim (32, -18).

Heidenheim must beat Werder Bremen at home, hope Hoffenheim lose and there be a goal difference swing of 6+ goals. A chance? Hoffenheim have to host champions Bayern.

In 2.Bundesliga, Hamburg have been promoted. FC Cologne need at least a draw at home to sixth-placed Kaiserslautern on Sunday to be promoted. If Cologne lose, SV 07 Elversberg or Paderborn would overtake them on goal difference with a win for the second automatic spot.

Serie A
Last day: May 25

Title

The tight title race continues between Napoli (78) and Internazionale (77) with two games to be played.

On Sunday, it’s Parma vs. Napoli and Inter vs, Lazio. The title can be decided if Napoli win and Inter lose.

If the two teams finish on the same points there will be a one-legged playoff, hosted by the club with the best goal difference, to decide the Scudetto.

Champions League (4)

CONFIRMED

  • 1. Napoli (36, 78)
  • 2. Inter Milan (36, 77)
  • 3. Atalanta (36, 71)

Atalanta (71) got over the line with a 2-1 win over Roma on Monday. The fight for the last spot is intense, with a maximum of 71 points required.

Juventus (64) are in fourth, followed by: Lazio (64), AS Roma (63), Bologna (62) and AC Milan (60).

All the teams in contention play at the same time on Sunday.

Juventus are at home to Udinese and have the most favourable fixture. Lazio have to go to Inter Milan, Roma and Milan face each other, and Bologna are at Fiorentina.

Juve could be confirmed in the UCL if they win, Lazio and Roma lose, and Bologna fail to win.

Milan have won four of their last five matches to climb back into contention for Europe, but taking fourth looks a huge stretch.

If Inter win the Champions League there will be no impact on the Serie A places.

Inter or PSG: Which team is favourite to win the Champions League?

Stewart Robson and Alejandro Moreno preview the Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan.

Europa League (2)

Bologna are guaranteed at least Europa League football after they won the Coppa Italia, beating AC Milan 1-0 in the final. If Bologna finish in the top five, then sixth will play in the UEL by league position.

On league position, fifth place (Lazio as it stands) will play in the Europa League, which will also be a battle between the clubs listed above.

Milan and Fiorentina (59) still have a chance of finishing fifth or sixth if others stumble.

Conference League (1)

At present this goes to sixth (Roma), though it will pass to seventh if Bologna finish in the top six. If so, that gives AC Milan and Fiorentina a marginally better chance of claiming a place in Europe.

Relegation (3)

CONFIRMED

  • 20. Monza (36, 18)

Monza (18) were relegated last month.

It’s a fierce battle to avoid the last two spots between Empoli (28), Lecce (28) and Venezia (29).

On Sunday, Empoli are at Monza, Lecce host Torino and Venezia make the trip to Cagliari.

While it’s probably a three-horse battle, Parma (32), Hellas Verona (33) and Cagliari (33) aren’t quite safe.

In Serie B, Sassuolo and Pisa have been promoted. One of six clubs will also come up through the end-of-season playoffs. Spezia, Cremonese, Juve Stabia, Catanzaro and Palermo have booked five of the six places with one round to play.

Ligue 1
Last day: May 17

All teams have played 33 games, with one round of games to go — to be played on Saturday.

Title

Paris Saint-Germain (81) secured the title with ease on April 5.

If PSG win the Champions League there will be no impact on the Ligue 1 places.

Champions League (3+1)

France gets three automatic places, with fourth place entering the UCL in the third qualifying round.

CONFIRMED

  • 1. Paris Saint-Germain (33, 81)
  • 2. Marseille (33, 62)
  • 3. AS Monaco (33, 61)

An incredibly tight race, where most teams kept on winning, took a strange twist on Saturday.

Nice, Lille, Strasbourg and Lyon remarkably all lost, meaning that victories for Marseille (62) and AS Monaco (61) sealed their spots. It seemed certain to go down to the final day, but it’s already resolved.

That does still leave the fourth place in qualifying, which is in the control of Nice (57, +19). A home victory over Brest should be enough, because they are four goals better off than Lille (57, +15) and six of Strasbourg (57, +13).

If Nice fail to win though, Lille (home to Reims) or Strasbourg (home to Le Havre) could take advantage.

There’s a very unlikely scenario where all three lose and are overtaken by Lyon (54, +17), who are at home to Angers, on goal difference.

NB: Lyon are provisionally relegated to Ligue 2 on financial grounds, which could affect European allocation.

Europa League (2)

Fifth place (Lille now) will be in the Europa League.

However, if PSG win the Coupe de France final on May 24, the UEL place will pass to sixth (that’s Strasbourg at the moment). PSG play Stade de Reims, who are 14th and will not finish in a domestic European place. If Reims win the cup, they will be in the Europa League.

Conference League (1)

At present, this goes to sixth (Strasbourg) and is a battle between the clubs listed in the Champions League section.

If PSG take the Coupe de France, seventh will be in the Conference League playoff round — a position held by Lyon.

Relegation (2+1)

CONFIRMED

  • 18. Montpellier (33, 16)

Montpellier (16) are already relegated, leaving one automatic and one playoff spot to be decided.

The best second-bottom Saint-Etienne (30, -37) can hope for is to get above Le Havre AC (31, -32) and into the playoff place as they have far inferior goal difference to 15th-placed Nantes (33, -16) and Stade de Reims (33, -13).

To avoid automatic relegation, Saint-Etienne almost certainly must win at home to Toulouse, and hope Le Havre do not take three points at Strasbourg.

There is a scenario whereby Saint-Etienne draw and Le Havre lose by five goals — which would see Saint-Etienne in the playoff place on goal difference and Le Havre relegated.

Due to goal difference, Nantes and Reims only need a point to make sure they avoid the playoff spot. But if Le Havre beat Strasbourg, a loss for Nantes (home to Montpellier) or Reims (away to Marseille) would seen them finish third bottom and in the playoff.

Lorient and Paris FC have secured promotion from Ligue 2, with Metz playing third bottom in that relegation/promotion playoff.

Wrexham in swoop for Premier League captain: report

By Ewan Gennery published 7 hours ago

Wrexham are aiming to make it four promotions in a row next season

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds

Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, Wrexham’s owners (Image credit: Getty Images)

Wrexham have enjoyed a sensational rise up the English football pyramid in the last few seasons.

They’ve earned promotion back-to-back-to-back and will play in the EFL Championship for the first time ever.They are looking to complete an unprecedented four promotions in a row and reach the Premier League, and have their eye on some spectacular reinforcements to make it happen.You may like

  • Ex-Scottish international being lined up for move to Wrexham

Several high profile names already turn out for the Red Dragons including captain James McClean, Jay Rodriguez and Steven Fletcher.

Ben Foster made football headlines across the country when he returned to the club and saved a stoppage time penalty against Notts County to put them three points ahead in an intense National League title race.

Steven Fletcher of Wrexham and Alfons Sampsted of Birmingham City challenge for the ball during the EFL League One match at St Andrew's on September 16, 2024
Steven Fletcher of Wrexham turning out against Birmingham last season (Image credit: Alamy)

However, owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds are prepared to make their biggest signing yet this summer.TalkSPORT is reporting that Fulham captain Tom Cairney, who is out of contract at the end of the season is being lined up to join the Welsh club in their bid to reach the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The most prominent U.S.-born FA Cup winner – and his little-known predecessor

The FA Cup trophy

By Pablo Maurer The Athletic – May 16, 2025 6:00 am EDT

Tim Howard is arguably the greatest goalkeeper in U.S. men’s soccer history, and when he thinks of the FA Cup, memories come flooding back. There are the obvious ones, like his championship in 2004 and his heroics in the 2009 semifinals, when a pair of penalty saves guided Everton by Manchester United, his former club. But Howard has others, too, amassed during a decade-long career in the Premier League, to this day a rare feat for an American. Speaking to the U.S. men’s national team legend, it becomes obvious the tournament is special to him. “I’ve had some good fortune and some sad days,” Howard said. “But having been to three Cup finals and winning one, it is just an incredible day out. The pageantry to the Cup final. You get a new suit, the stadium is brimming with fans from both teams, which you don’t really get in England frequently – it is half and half, fans from both sides. I have so many dear memories of those finals, and they are so lasting because of how special the FA Cup is to people in the UK. There is still a magic to the FA Cup there.”

That atmosphere is something a pair of Americans – Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards and Matt Turner – will get to experience, in varying degrees, in the 2025 final Saturday at Wembley Stadium. Other U.S. internationals have appeared in an FA Cup final, but winning it has proved rather elusive. John Harkes’ Sheffield Wednesday forced Arsenal into a final replay before ultimately succumbing in 1993, while current U.S. star Christian Pulisic was a runner-up for three straight seasons with Chelsea and even scored in the 2020 final defeat to Arsenal. Should Palace beat Manchester City, Richards and Turner will join Howard as the only American men in the modern era to win the trophy.

Crystal Palace's Chris Richards and Matt TurnerCrystal Palace’s Chris Richards and Matt Turner are hoping to win the FA Cup. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)

There is, though, one other U.S.-born man who tasted FA Cup glory. Over 150 years ago, Boston native Julian Sturgis won the second edition of the tournament with Wanderers FC, an amateur side that took its name from the fact that, well, it did not have a home ground. In 1873 – a full 134 years before Howard won his FA Cup with Manchester United – Sturgis became the first American-born player to win it. That was news to Howard. “Even back then when I won it,” said Howard, laughing, “I thought I was the first American to do it. But I guess not. It still feels good to be in a class with very few.” The paths the two players took to win the trophy could not be more different.

Howard arrived at Manchester United in 2003 after a dominant first stint in MLS. At the time, the $4 million paid for him was a king’s ransom for an MLS player, and Howard’s early performances at Old Trafford did not disappoint. He was instrumental in helping the club win a Community Shield, and he started the 2004 FA Cup final vs. Millwall, a 3-0 United triumph.

Howard had briefly lost his starting spot in ‘04 to Roy Carroll, and an erratic start in ‘05 saw him supplanted once again by the Northern Ireland international. Howard played a pair of early-round cup matches but did not figure in the 2005 final, forced to start the game on the bench.But United coach Sir Alex Ferguson did favor Howard in penalties, and prior to the match, the American was told to remain ready should the encounter with Arsenal end in a draw.“Because I’d had some success with penalties prior – in the Community Shield the year before for example – there was a thought that we’d switch up the goalkeeper, make a sub late on in extra time, to kind of get me in the game if it got to that,” Howard said

Howard remembers being told to warm up. He trotted down the touchline to prepare for his entrance.“The final whistle blew and I was like ‘What happened?’” Howard said. The answer he got from Ferguson feels, to this day, a little unbelievable. I forgot. “And we lost,” Howard said, with a laugh. “It was always a big ‘what if’ for me. What if we’d won again? What if I’d made the game-winning save? What if I could have been a two-time FA Cup champion? But it obviously wasn’t meant to be.”

Tim Howard wins the FA Cup with Man UnitedTim Howard won the 2004 FA Cup with Manchester United, which shut out Millwall 3-0 in the final (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images; John Peters/Manchester United/Getty Images)

Two years later, Ferguson had moved on from Carroll and Howard, with the American finding himself at Everton. Though Howard holds little resentment toward United, the club that brought him to Europe, the semifinals of the 2008-09 FA Cup presented the American with a chance to close the door entirely on his time at Old Trafford. A matchup with United seemed the perfect opportunity. “Any athlete who wants to compete will have a bad taste in their mouth (when a club moves on),” Howard said. “United didn’t do anything to me, they helped boost my career beyond measure, but as a competitor, there was part of me that just wanted to slay that dragon, to put that whole situation to bed. On this stage, and against this opponent, it was my opportunity to exorcise those demons. If I could perform against Manchester United, I could prove something to other people and mostly to myself.” Howard certainly did so. A tense 0-0 affair was followed by penalties, offering Howard the opportunity he so badly wanted. Everton’s efforts started auspiciously, with Tim Cahill putting the club’s opening effort over the bar. But the American kept things level with a stop on a poor effort from Dimitar Berbatov. Howard’s second save, on Rio Ferdinand, was far more memorable, perfectly read and executed. By the time Howard watched Everton defender Phil Jagielka send Evertonians into bedlam with the winner, the demons had been fully exorcized. “God that felt good, man,” Howard said. “I remember we went into the dressing room, I put a towel over my head and I was just sobbing. The outpouring of emotion – it was just like, ‘It’s done now.’ I didn’t have to question if I was good enough anymore. That chapter was just done. It felt incredible.” Howard remains an Evertonian to this day, as he will proudly tell you. The magic of the FA Cup, that persists for him as well.

“There’s a history to the tournament,” Howard said. “There have been so many giant-slayings. Teams that should never have ever graced the pitches of the biggest teams in the world go get to play there. There is a prestige to that, because of how special football is in the UK. It’s just incredible.”

There was very little prestige involved when Sturgis won the tournament in 1873. The game of football itself was borderline unrecognizable back then – Sturgis’ taste of glory came just 10 years after the official establishment of the game in the UK and just six after the introduction of the first offside rule, which stated that three defenders must remain ahead of the ball at all times. Matches were crude and violent and played on muddy pitches. Tactics remained an afterthought, chucked aside in favor of brute force and the long ball.

This was the context for Sturgis’ club, Wanderers. Founded in 1859, right around the time that Darwin published “The Origin of the Species” and Dickens penned “A Tale of Two Cities,” Wanderers culled their entire team from local private schools in their early years. They were founding members of the Football Association in 1863, and by the time Sturgis debuted a decade later, they’d become a dominant force in English football. Sturgis himself was born in Boston in 1848, the fourth son of a merchant and lawyer. His father did business with China and just seven months into Julian’s life, the affluent family relocated to London. Sturgis attended Eton and was a standout athlete there, participating in both of the school’s varieties of football – wall and field. The Eton “wall game,” still played at the school to this day, shares little to no resemblance to the modern game of football, while the school’s field variety feels a little more familiar – you aren’t allowed to handle the ball, for example – but seems more aligned with rugby.

Sturgis’ athletic ways continued at Oxford, where he excelled on the college’s rowing team. After graduating, he began working towards a career as a barrister; as a pastime, he joined up with Wanderers, a fully amateur side.

Wanderers had actually won the FA Cup a year prior, in 1872, though the tournament was then known as the Football Association Challenge Cup. The format of the tournament back then was also vastly different, with the prior year’s champions being granted automatic entry into the next year’s finals, a format which would be abandoned by 1874. As the previous year’s winners, Wanderers were also allowed to select the venue for their title defense, another rule thrown away just a year later.

Calling Sturgis the tournament’s first American is a bit of an understatement, actually. He was not only the first American to participate in a final, he was the first foreigner to appear in any phase of the tournament, which had previously been populated exclusively by English, Irish or Scottish nationals. Sturgis was likely not perceived as an American back then, and no newspaper clippings or match reports mention his nationality, as he’d spent the vast majority of his life in the UK. We’ll have to assume that any trace of a Boston accent had been wiped away.More on the FA Cup FinalRebecca Lowe: Crystal Palace are my lifelong love. Winning the FA Cup would mean everythingNBC’s Premier League presenter will see her beloved Palace play for the first time in 12 years at Wembley as the club target a first trophy

Like so many other bits of football history, the number of people who were in attendance at Lillie Bridge Stadium in Fulham (demolished in the late 1800s) is hard to pin down. Some accounts put the number at 3,000, while others claim only 150 people attended the 11 a.m. match.

The formation of both teams serves as a testament to how much things have changed, with both teams lining up in a traditional 1-1-8. One fullback, one halfback and eight forwards. Oxford controlled the opening phases of the match, but Wanderers surged ahead on a 27th-minute strike from Arthur Kinnaird, by most accounts the man of the match. Wanderers’ 1873 Cup title would be Kinnaird’s first of five titles, a record that stood until 2010 when Ashley Cole broke it. His nine FA Cup appearances remain a record to this day.

Moments later, William Kenyon-Slaney – another standout for Wanderers who a year earlier had become the first player to score for England at the international level – appeared to double the lead for Wanderers, but the goal was waved off for an offside infraction.

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Oxford pushed for an equalizer but was reduced to 10 men after losing a player to injury (the use of substitutes, which was pioneered in the U.S., was still many years away as well.) Instead of playing a man down, Oxford chose to pull its goalkeeper, a rash decision that was immediately punished. The 2-0 final score sent Sturgis home as the first American to ever win the FA Cup.

Sturgis would make the Cup final again in 1876, scoring the only goal in the semifinals to push his new club, Old Etonians, to the brink of glory. Though they lost that match, Sturgis was influential in nearly every edition of the tournament in which he participated, scoring a hat trick for Etonians in 1878. The press described him as “clever,” “brilliant” and always “working hard from first to last.” The Christmas Eve 1866 edition of the Pall Mall Gazette describes Sturgis as “most conspicuous.”

Sturgis’ playing career drew to a close in the late 1870s, but his second act feels like the sort of story unique to that era, the sort of jack-of-all-trades, P.T. Barnum tale made impossible by modern life. By the time he debuted for Wanderers, Sturgis was already an accomplished rower, football player and debater, and by the end of his career a decade later he was a well-regarded lawyer. He became a British citizen in 1877 and in the years that followed he became a well-known librettist – one who writes lyrics and accompanying text for an opera.

His work as a novelist and librettist continued until the turn of the century. When Sturgis died in 1904, little was made of his football career, as he’d long surpassed it. Renowned novelist Henry James wrote of Sturgis’ “beautiful, noble, stainless memory, without the shadow upon him, or the shadow of a shadow, of a single grossness or meanness or ugliness – the world’s dust on the nature of thousands of men.”

While Howard is, for now, the only American male to have won an FA Cup in the modern era, it’s undeniable that Sturgis did so considerably earlier. And while Howard has gone on to great things in his post-playing days – he is an accomplished pundit and remains around the game – it’s highly unlikely that any FA Cup winner anywhere will ever touch Sturgis’ life off the field.
What You Should Read NextThe FA Cup final, an occasion full of historic traditions and unusual quirksFA Cup final day in England is a moment when the national sport celebrates its long history via a series of much-loved rituals

(Top photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Infantino, Trump and a walkout at FIFA summit, Ronaldo tops money list again

LUQUE, PARAGUAY - MAY 15: FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the 75th FIFA Congress at Centro de Convenciones de CONMEBOL on May 15, 2025 in Luque, Paraguay. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

By Phil Hay May 16, 2025Updated 7:19 am EDT

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

Hello. The bromance between Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump continues to blossom. But closer to home, Infantino has trouble in paradise.

FIFA Congress mess: UEFA delegates’ dramatic exit as Infantino arrives late from Trump meeting

(Daniel Duarte/AFP via Getty Images)

Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, is in his element in American political circles, which is to say that he spends a lot of time in Donald Trump’s orbit. The men are friends, as far as these things go. Infantino has been in the Oval Office. So has the World Cup trophy, and the Club World Cup trophy (below).

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Infantino says a tight alliance with America’s president is vital, with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon. In cultivating that relationship, however, he might have pushed things too far. His choices have led to an internal mutiny at FIFA. Here’s what’s happened…

Three-hour delay

Over the past week, FIFA’s diary was filled with various events, including yesterday’s congress — an annual gathering of representatives from the world governing body’s 211 members. These meetings are important, with issues affecting football debated and addressed. Paraguay hosted this week’s edition.

Infantino, as FIFA’s head, was scheduled to be there. But out of the blue, he announced he was joining United States president Trump on a trip to the Middle East for meetings with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The change of plan had knock-on effects: a meeting of the FIFA council, which was supposed to be held in person in Paraguay on this Tuesday just gone, was staged virtually last Friday instead.

Infantino then arrived late for the congress, causing a three-hour delay. This, he said, was due to a complication with the jet that was flying him to the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion.

In protest, eight delegates from UEFA — European football’s governing body — walked out of the congress and issued a statement attacking Infantino. Adam Crafton was on hand to follow the clown show.

Infantino was contrite to a point, saying: “Apologies, sorry, and I am looking forward to spending time with you here.”

But he defended his tour with Trump on the grounds that the U.S. is one of the hosts of the 2026 World Cup, Qatar staged the tournament in 2022 and Saudi Arabia has been chosen as the host for 2034.

“Some important World Cup discussions took place and I needed to be there to represent football and all of you,” he said. As far as the European contingent were concerned, the explanation didn’t wash.

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‘Private political interests’

(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

One of the problems for Infantino is that his relationship with Trump, and meetings such as the one in the Middle East, can be rather opaque.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and Debbie Hewitt, the president of England’s Football Association, were among the executives to walk out on Thursday.

A UEFA statement issued last night read: “The last-minute changes to the timings of the FIFA congress are deeply regrettable. To have the timetable changed at the last minute for what appears to be simply to accommodate private political interests does the game no service and appears to put its interests second.”

FIFA can be highly political but a certain etiquette persists. By the organisation’s standards, accusing Infantino of “accommodating private political interests” is a hell of a dig. He has bridges to build and dissent to quell, but as the 2026 World Cup draws nearer, his proximity to Trump promises to get closer, too. Those around him are finally asking: who is this relationship benefiting most?

News round-up

Barca Crowned: Flick’s side clinch La Liga title after worrying scenes outside stadium

Premier Sports

A 28th title in La Liga is Barcelona’s, still eight behind Real Madrid. Fittingly, the goal that set them on their way last night was assisted by their most effective (and complicated) signing, Dani Olmo, and scored by the star of the show, Lamine Yamal (above). The 17-year-old is having his own goal-of-the-season contest.

That facilitated a 2-0 win at local rivals Espanyol, where things seem to happen when Barca show up in party mode. Two years ago, when Barca also won the title there, the club’s euphoric players were chased down the tunnel by magnanimous home fans. At full time yesterday, Espanyol turned on their sprinklers, seemingly attempting to clear the pitch and avoid a repeat. Beforehand, there was a far more troubling incident in which a car drove into a crowd outside the stadium, injuring 15 people. We’re awaiting further updates regarding the severity of those injuries. But Barca have done it, in Hansi Flick’s first year and with an extraordinary amount of swagger. Laia Cervello Herrero picked out the five key moments in their campaign, and I had completely forgotten about Flick lamenting a “s*** November”. Set against Barca’s supreme serenity, that month is like a bad dream.


5/10/25 Champ & Europa League Finals set, EPL battle for top 4/6, Pulisic scores, El Classico & Liverpool v Arsenal Sun

gatorbest , , , , , , ,

PSG & AC Milan advance to Champions League Final

Again Champions League delivered on Tuesday as Barcelona battled Inter Milan to a instant classic 4-3 win in Extra Time at the San Siro. It was scintillating as Milan scored early in ET – and held on to win a second straight spectacular game after tying 3-3 in Barcelona. Rocky Ray Hudson was on the call – so glad this game was on CBS. If you didn’t you must watch this – Barca vs Inter Highlights. Inter’s GK Yon Sommer stood on his head (saves in GK below). It was honestly one of the best games and certainly the Best Champions League game I have ever watched on TV – Hopefully America Watched! Milan will move into the Champions League final vs PSG who easily handled Arsenal 2-0 at home (Highlights) to win 3-0 in aggregate. Its sets up the Final on May 31 at 3 pm on CBS in Germany.
Inter Milan vs. Barcelona:This match on CBS attracted an average of 1.278 million viewers, setting a U.S. record for the most-watched non-final Champions League match in English. Viewership Increase: The complete UEFA Champions League semi-finals averaged a combined 1.25 million viewers, up 50% from last year and 92% from 2017. CBS Sports touted the match as the most-watched UEFA Champions League semifinal in U.S. history.

Inter Milan vs PSG – Champs League Final May 31st
Man United Tottenham Europa League Final
Chelsea vs Real Bettis (Cordosa)

Congrats to the Carmel FC 2014 Blue Boys for Advancing to the Challenge Cup Finals – other CFC teams to advance below.

– 2013 Girls Blue 1 in Challenge Cup
– 2008/2009 Girls Gold in Challenge Cup
– 2014 Boys Gold in Presidents Cup
– 2014 Boys Blue in Challenge Cup
– 2012 Boys Blue in Challenge Cup

Wrapped Up the CYO Regular Season with a Game with Sue Howard at St Luke Catholic-more Ref pics below
Super proud of my Son and former Carmel FC & Carmel High Goalkeeper Tyler Best for graduating this weekend from Indiana University with a Double Major in the History (Civil War) & The Classics (Rome & Greece)

TV Games

Wed, May 14

CBS Sports Net, Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Bologna Coppa Italian Final

Sat, May 17

ESPN+?                       Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City FA Cup Final
Wed, May 21

Paramount Plus           Man United vs Tottenham Europa League Final in Balboa, Spain

Wed, May 28

Paramount Plus             Chelsea vs Real Bettis (Ricardo) Europa Conference League Final in Poland

Sat, May 31

CBS 3 pm                     Inter Milan vs PSG UEFA Champions League Final in Munich, Germany

5 pm TBS                     US Women vs China

Sun, June 1

Fox Sport 1                  Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps  CC Champions Cup Final

Tues, June 3

TNT, Max, Peacock       US Women vs Jamaica

Wed, June 4

2:45 pm Fox                Germany vs Portugal – Nations League Semi

Thurs, June 5

2:45 pm Fox                Spain vs France– Nations League Semi

Sat, June 7

3:30 pm TNT, Tele      US Men vs Turkey  

Sun, June 8

2:45 pm Fox                Nations League Finals

Tues, June 10

8 pm TNT, Peacock    US Men vs Switzerland

June 13 – 29               GOLD CUP MEN

Sun, June 15

6 pm FS1                     US Men vs Trinidad   Gold Cup

Thur, June 19

6 pm FS1                     US Men vs KSA  Gold Cup

Sun, June 22

7 pm FS1                     US Men vs Haiti Gold Cup

Sun, June 26

TBS, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland

Sun, June 29th

TNT, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland in Cincy

USMNT midweek viewing guide: Pulisic, Musah in Coppa Italia final

Plus Haji Wright and Coventry look to rebound in the promotion playoffs to reach the Premier League.

Tuesday

  • Sunderland vs Coventry, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV: Haji Wright and Coventry lost the first leg 1-2 at home to Sunderland in the Championship promotion playoff semifinal. They’ll have to respond in the away leg to move on to the final at Wembley.

Also in action:

  • Modena vs Cesena, 2:30p: Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena visit Modena in Serie B.
  • Palermo vs Carrarese, 2:30p: Kristoffer Lund and Palermo host Carrarese in Serie B.

Wednesday

  • PSV vs Heracles, 2p on ESPN+ (free trial): Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman, Richy Ledezma, and PSV host Heracles in the Eredivisie.
  • AC Milan vs Bologna, 3p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV (free trial): Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and Milan could lift a trophy here in the Coppa Italia final.

Also in action:

  • Utrecht vs Sparta Rotterdam, 2p: Paxten Aaronson and Utrecht host Sparta Rotterdam in the Eredivisie.
  • Stockport County vs Leyton Orient, 3p on Paramount+: Charlie Kelman scored both of Orient’s goals in the 2-2 first leg draw in this League One promotion semifinal. Kelman and Orient will need to do better in the away leg if they hope to reach the promotion final with a shot at the Championship next season. Kelman is on loan from Championship club QPR, so he theoretically has a shot at the second tier regardless of the result.
  • Aberdeen vs Celtic, 3p on Paramount+: Scottish champions Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic visit Aberdeen in the league.
  • CF Montréal vs Columbus Crew, 7:30p: Patrick Schulte and the Crew visit Jalen Neal and Montréal in MLS action,
  • DC United vs NYCFC, 7:30p: Matt Freese and NYCFC visit DC in MLS play.
  • Orlando City vs Charlotte FC, 7:30p: Tim Ream, Patrick Agyemang, and Charlotte visit Duncan McGuire, Alex Freeman, and the Lions in MLS.
  • Philadelphia Union vs LA Galaxy, 7:30p: Quinn Sullivan and the Union host the Galaxy in MLS action.
  • Toronto FC vs FC Cincinnati, 7:30p: Miles Robinson, Roman Celentano, Matt Miazga, and Cincy visit Toronto in MLS play.
  • Austin FC vs Atlanta United, 8:30p: Brandon Vázquez, Owen Wolff, and Austin host the Five Stripes in MLS.
  • Houston Dynamo vs Minnesota United, 8:30p: Jack McGlynn and the Dynamo host Minnesota in MLS action.
  • Real Salt Lake vs Portland Timbers, 9:30p: Diego Luna and RSL host the Timbers in MLS play.
  • América de Cali vs Huracán, 10p on beIN Sports Connect USA, FuboTV, Sling TV, Fanatiz: Matko Miljevic and Argentine club Huracán are on top of Group C in Copa Sudamericana with 10 points from 4 games played. Based on group results so far, this away trip to América de Cali will be their toughest test; América are second with 6 points.
  • San Diego FC vs Colorado Rapids, 10:30p: Zack Steffen, Djordje Mihailovic, Cole Bassett, Reggie Cannon, Sam Vines, and the Rapids pay a visit to Luca de la Torre and San Diego in MLS.
  • San Jose Earthquakes vs Inter Miami, 10:30p: Benja Cremaschi and the the Herons visit Niko Tsakiris, Noel Buck, and the Quakes in MLS action.

Thursday

Rayo Vallecano vs Real Betis, 1p on ESPN+: Johnny Cardoso and Betis visit Rayo in La Liga.

USMNT weekend viewing guide: Closing in

With a small handful of matches yet to play, things are getting tight.

By jcksnftsn  May 9, 2025, 10:13am PDT  19 Comments / 19 New

Juventus Training Session

There is much yet to play for rolling into the last few weeks of the season with Champions League qualification for American’s still to be sorted out in four of the top five leagues and clubs grasping for safety in Italy and Germany. Here is what you should keep an eye on this weekend:

Saturday

Holstein Kiel v Freiburg – 9:30a on ESPN+

John Tolkin and Holstien Kiel have won two straight matches to pull within a point of Heidenheim who currently sit in the relegation playoff spot. However, things will get tougher this weekend as Kiel face fourth place Freiburg who are looking to hold off Dortmund’s late charge for the final Champions League qualification position.

Fulham v Everton – 10a on Peacock

Antonee Robinson was back in the starting lineup last weekend after a rare respite the prior week. Robinson went the full 90’ in Fulham’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa and he will pass the 3,000 minute mark assuming he starts again this weekend. Fulham are in eleventh place with three matches remaining.

Lazio v Juventus – Noon on Paramount+

Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juventus drew with Bologna on Sunday and remain in fourth place, tied on points with both Roma and this weekend’s opponent, Lazio. Five points back of third place Atalanta there are four clubs vying for one remaining spot to qualify for Champions League play next season and every point will count over the last three match days.

Bournemouth v Aston Villa – 12:30p on NBC and Peacock

Tyler Adams and Bournemouth defeated Arsenal 2-1 last Saturday for their first ever win at the Emirates. Adams started and went the full 90’ as Bournemouth gave up the opener in the 34th minute but would score two in the second half for the away win. Bournemouth moved into the top ten with the win and now face an Aston Villa side that are one spot, but seven points, ahead of them in the Premier League table.

Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach – 12:30p on ESPN+

Joe Scally and Borussia Monchengladbach played Hoffenheim to a 4-4 draw in a back and forth affair last weekend. Gladbach haven’t won in their past five matches and now face a Bayern Munich side who are celebrating their league title thanks to Bayer Leverkusen’s draw with Freiburg last weekend.

Monaco v Lyon – 3p on beIN Sports

Folarin Balogun received his first league start this year and scored a goal in Monaco’s 3-1 win over Saint-Etienne last weekend as Monaco maintained their one point lead for third place and Champions League qualification. Balogun and Monaco will face Tanner Tessmann and Lyon this weekend who just a few weeks ago looked as though they also had a shot at Champions League play next season but defeats in two of their past three matches have them in seventh place and outside of European qualification altogether with two matches remaining in the Ligue 1 season.

Sunday

Feyenoord v PSV Eindhoven – 8:30a on ESPN+

Richard Ledezma and Malik Tillman started for PSV last weekend as they defeated Fortuna Sittard 4-1. PSV now face third place Feyenoord as they look to gain ground on league leading Ajax who have left the door open just a crack by failing to win in their past two matches. Ajax still hold a four point lead for the league title with three matches remaining but PSV still have something to play for, at least for the moment. Sergino Dest also made it off the bench last weekend picking up a handful of minutes in his first appearance since March.

Tottenham v Crystal Palace – 9:15a on Peacock

Chris Richards and Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest last Monday with Richards starting and going the full 90’ in the draw. Palace will take on a struggling Tottenham side on Sunday before facing Manchester City in the FA Cup final next weekend.

Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund – 9:30a on ESPN+

Gio Reyna did not make it off the bench last weekend in Dortmund’s 4-0 defeat of Wolfsburg. The win pulled Dortmund within a point of Freiburg for fourth place and a shot at Champions League play next season. On Sunday Dortmund will face second place Leverkusen who drew 2-2 with the aforementioned Freiburg last weekend.

Real Betis v Osasuna – 3p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+

Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis went to extra time on Thursday to draw 2-2 with Fiorentina and advance to the Conference League final by defeating the Italian side 4-3 over the two leg semi-final. Betis are also within a point of fifth place Villarreal with the top five qualifying for Champions League. Betis face ninth place Osasuna who are coming off a 4-2 loss to Villareal.

Monday

Venezia v Fiorentina – 12:30p on Paramount+

Gianluca Busio and Venezia drew 1-1 with Torino last Friday to pull within a point of Lecce for safety. Venezia hold a healthy goal differential advantage over Lecce so would secure safety if they are able to make up the remaining point over the final three weeks of the season. They start by facing Fiorentina on Monday who will have some added rest coming off their grueling defeat to Real Betis in the Conference League semi-final on Thursday.

NWSL Week 8 Preview: Buckle Up for More Chaos

Last weekend delivered peak NWSL chaos—stoppage-time stunners, breakout rookie moments, and a history-making sister-to-sister goal. Topping that energy won’t be easy, but if there’s one thing this league guarantees, it’s that every weekend there’s potential for more fun. Here’s what to expect in Week 8!
Saturday, May 10

Chicago Stars FC vs. Washington Spirit – 12:50 PM ET

How to watch: ABC, ESPN+

Chicago held Gotham scoreless last week behind Alyssa Naeher’s brilliance, giving the veteran goalkeeper her 50th career regular season shutout. They’ll be hoping to repeat that performance against the Washington Spirit, one of the most dangerous teams in the league. Washington arrives off a wild loss to Angel City, with Esme Morgan netting a brace, Gift Monday grabbing a goal as well, and Croix Bethune seeing more game time. Expect this one to be tight and physical, with Hatch, Leicy Santos, and Morgan all dangerous in the final third.

North Carolina Courage vs. Orlando Pride – 7:30 PM ET

How to watch: ION

Previously winless before Week 6, North Carolina is now coming off back-to-back wins, thanks to game-winners from Ashley Sanchez in both games and a milestone shutout for Casey Murphy in the most recent. With Kaleigh Kurtz’s ironwoman streak still alive, Denise O’Sullivan anchoring the midfield, and Ryan Williams getting involved in the offense, the Courage are starting to hit their stride. Orlando will look to bounce back after their first road loss of the year. Marta and Barbra Banda remain the heartbeat of the Pride’s attack despite not having scored in recent games, and they lead the league in goals after the 75th minute—so don’t turn the game off early .

San Diego Wave FC vs. Portland Thorns FC – 10:00 PM ET

How to watch: ION

Three wins in a row have San Diego climbing fast, and rookie Trinity Armstrong’s stoppage-time winner last weekend only added to the momentum. With 11 different goal scorers and Kailen Sheridan in top form, the Wave have all the answers. Portland, fresh off a 1–0 win over the reigning champs, continues to lean on young contributors like Jayden Perry and Reilyn Turner. Jessie Fleming opened her NWSL account via PK the week prior—expect more set-piece danger here in a clash between two of the league’s most balanced rosters.

Sunday, May 11

Kansas City Current vs. Bay FC – 12:50 PM ET

How to watch: ESPN, ESPN+

Despite suffering two straight losses, Kansas City remains atop the table thanks to early-season dominance and the fewest yellow cards in the league. Temwa Chawinga is still searching for her next goal, while Debinha and LaBonta pose constant threats. Bay FC enters with Jordan Silkowitz fresh off a PK save and rookie Taylor Huff quietly logging every minute this season. With both teams among the league leaders in shots and corners, expect end-to-end action—and maybe a goal-of-the-week contender.

Seattle Reign FC vs. Houston Dash – 8:00 PM ET

How to watch: NWSL+, Paramount+, Golazo

Seattle handed Kansas City its first scoreless match of 2025 last week behind Lynn Biyendolo’s first Reign goal and clutch saves from Claudia Dickey and return home this weekend to welcome the Dash. Houston experienced defeat last weekend against Racing and before that, a gutsy win over Utah. They now turn to Jane Campbell—who just hit 40 career clean sheets—and sophomore Avery Patterson to keep things on track. With both sides ambitious to make up for a poor start to the season, this one could be a statement win in the making.

5 Reasons to Watch Chicago Stars vs. Washington Spirit

Champions League

Champions League final: Inter or PSG? Our experts make their picks
Inter Milan, Barcelona write new chapter in UCL folklore
Arsenal can’t shake nearly-men tag as PSG’s collective wins out

Man United reach Europa League final, but hardly look up to the task

US

U.S. duo Balogun, Dike net 1st goals since injuries

American Brendan Aaronson wins Championship title with Leeds United – back to the EPL

World

What’s at stake across the top leagues: Titles, cup finals, UCL, relegation
Alonso to leave Leverkusen, Madrid beckons
Bellingham ruled last season’s Clásicos. Can he save Madrid’s title hopes vs. Barça?
Memorable Classico’s
Clásico kits: Barcelona, Real Madrid’s all-time best, worst jerseys
Ancelotti’s Real Madrid limbo explained: Why he could leave, and what comes next
Why Lamine Yamal is already better than Messi in some ways, but still has room to improve

Catch EL Classico Sun at 10:15 am on ESPN – Madrid just 4 pts back of Barca for the title with 4 games to go.

EPL

Liverpool’s Salah named Footballer of the Year
Pep: This season ‘most difficult’ of my career
Arteta warns fans: Finding striker will be tough
Liverpool boss Slot ‘disappointed’ by TAA exit
Arsenal Keep or Dump: What must Arteta change this summer in order to win league?
‘Annoyed’ Arteta says best team in UCL ‘are out’
How Liverpool move on from Alexander-Arnold, as Real Madrid move nears

GOALKEEPING

Somner Ruled The Champions League Semis for Inter Milan
Great Saves Gigi for PSG
USL Jägermeister Cup Save of the Round – Round 1
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 8/9
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 7
Goal Kick Technique
How to Throw the Ball Properly  

June 16th: 9-4 / June 17th: 8-3 12383 Cyntheanne Rd, Fishers, IN $595 Register

Reffing

Great to ref with Jacob and his daughter Peyton at Grand Park for Challenge Cup Games Sat.
Got to Ref with a 1st timer Matthew Nelson (L-R) along with TRay and the OBC – at Challenge Cup @ Grand Park

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Champions League final: Inter or PSG? Our experts make their picks

  • Multiple contributors

May 8, 2025, 05:00 AM

The 2025 UEFA Champions League final is set: Reigning Italian champions Internazionale will take on French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the finale in Munich.

In a strange quirk, it will the first time in history that the two clubs — both European royalty — will face off in a competitive fixture in what promises to be compelling clash of styles.

PSG secured their spot in the finale after completing a 3-1 aggregate win over Arsenal on Wednesday, in a tie that saw Les Parisiens team ethic come to the fore. Inter, meanwhile, edged Barcelona in what will go down in history as one the great Champions League semifinals.

With all that in mind, ESPN’s team of writers have gazed into their crystal balls to predict which club will be crowned European champions at the Allianz Arena on May 31.

Inter Milan logoPSG logoIt’s Inter Milan vs. Paris Saint-Germain in the final! How will things play out, and what will be the score?

MARK OGDEN: It’s a really tough call. Two teams chasing a treble, led by experienced, successful coaches in Luis Enrique (PSG) and Simone Inzaghi (Inter), and both sides aiming to overcome recent memories of defeats in the Champions League final — PSG in 2020 and Inter in 2023. It’s also two teams with totally contrasting styles, and they each master their own way of playing.

Editor’s Picks

So what will it be? The irresistible force of PSG or the immovable object of Inter? The football romantic in me says it will be PSG and their free-flowing attacking style, led by Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué, that will come out on top, but my head says that Inter will have a plan to nullify PSG and that their experience will get them over the line.

Francesco Acerbi‘s stoppage-time equalizer against Barcelona in the semifinal second leg in San Siro might just be a sign that this will be Inter’s year. When a 37-year-old center-back breaks forward to score a center-forward’s goal to save his team — it was Acerbi’s first goal in UEFA competition — you can’t help but think that the stars are aligning for Inter. Inter 2-1 PSG.

GAB MARCOTTI: I kinda expect a pretty tactical final, which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a dull game. Both managers can scheme in different ways to get an edge. On paper, PSG will be fresher because they’re a younger side and because, unlike Inter, they have nothing to play for between now and the final. You’d think Luis Enrique would look to exploit that, but whether he does it by coming out of the gates quickly or later in the game — perhaps after their possession game has tired Inter out — is tough to predict.

Inter boss Inzaghi will feel like he has an edge on set pieces and with his 3-5-2 set-up, which many clubs are unaccustomed to facing. A lot will depend on what the Nerazzurri coach can get out of his midfield and how well they stack up against the trio of João Neves, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz, especially since Hakan Çalhanoglu has been carrying an injury for months.

Beyond that, I imagine this game being decided by X factors such as goalkeeping (we saw Yann Sommer in miracle mode Tuesday night and then on Wednesday, Gianluigi Donnarumma was like “Hold my beer …”) and substitutions. There is so much quality for PSG to call on from the bench — with Warren Zaïre-Emery, whichever forward doesn’t start and, of course, Gonçalo Ramos. But subs are Inzaghi’s thing; few managers in the world spend as much time thinking about them. I can see a low-scoring game. Inter 1-0 PSG.

Leboeuf: PSG deserve to reach the Champions League final

Frank Leboeuf reacts to PSG’s Champions League semifinal victory against Arsenal.

JAMES OLLEY: There was a fearlessness about Inter against Barcelona that will make them dangerous if they can replicate that, especially contrasting with the nervousness PSG showed in the first half of their second leg against Arsenal.

Mark is right in that there are signs this could be Inter’s year, but PSG have the star power to emerge triumphant. Their midfield should prove too strong for Inter to wrestle control of the game away from and PSG have the added benefit of tailoring the next three weeks entirely toward the final, with the Ligue 1 title already wrapped up. I agree with the general consensus here that it will be tight, but I think that man Dembélé will get on the scoresheet and cap a wonderful 2025. Inter 1-2 PSG.

JULIEN LAURENS: Once again, the contrast in style will be huge between the two teams. The youngest team of the competition against the oldest team, the 4-3-3 against the 3-5-2, the intensity against the composure, the 2020 losing finalist against the 2023 losing finalist, the Parisian flair against the Italian tactics: You can’t really do much different than PSG and Inter Milan.

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and others to bring you the latest highlights and debate the biggest storylines. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

They have points in common, too, though: two managers, Luis Enrique and Inzaghi, who built these teams and squads, implementing a definite style but also the right mentality. They never give up, play the right way, have absolute faith in their own ability.

There won’t be much in between them in the final. Paris have been the best team in Europe in 2025 and have the best midfield and front three. But Inter have the best defense, while the two most in-form goalkeepers in Europe are Donnarumma and Sommer. So, what will make the difference? Individual talent, special quality, a glimpse of genius. In that regard, PSG have more to offer. Inter 1-2 PSG.

TOM HAMILTON: This is a flip-of-a-coin match. Defending against PSG sometimes must feel like trying to hold back the tide. Against Inter, it must be like swimming in a calm sea, only to suddenly get ended by a rogue wave.

Inter have done their best impression of Lazarus in this season’s Champions League and the sight of Acerbi appearing on the edge of Barcelona’s box to slice home the equalizer, just seconds after Lamine Yamal had hit the post at the other end, will be one of those enduring snapshots of this year’s competition. Inter have such a sturdy structure and they are a team far more than the sum of their parts. PSG have this brilliant midfield which can push and pull a match, with their lethal batch of forwards looking to pounce at any moment.

You have this wonderful matchup of youth against experience, flair against pragmatism and contrasting formations, all played under the guidance of a pair of outstanding managers. In short, this will come down to fine margins and focus. Logic suggests this is PSG’s year, with Dembélé the outstanding player in the tournament, but this Champions League hasn’t gone to script. Inter 3-2 PSG after extra time.

BETH LINDOP: Inter helped to deliver one of the most entertaining semifinals in Champions League history but, since the turn of the year, PSG have been the best team in Europe and I expect them to have too much for Inzaghi’s side in the final.

They’re among a select group of teams to have made Premier League champions Liverpool look ordinary this season, and their performance across the two legs against Arsenal was mature and measured.

PSG’s squad is stacked with talent and Dembélé is in incredible form at the moment, so I think he’ll be decisive in Munich, providing he’s fully recovered from his hamstring injury. The most impressive thing about the French champions, though, is their tenacity and relentlessness under Luis Enrique. PSG have always had a sprinkling of star quality but too often, in the decisive moments, their mentality has let them down. They’re now a proper team, with every player fighting for each other. Inter 1-2 PSG.

Klinsmann hails Yann Sommer’s heroics in Inter’s semifinal win

Jurgen Klinsmann names Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer as his man of the match after coming up with some huge saves to deny Barcelona.

ALEX KIRKLAND: I agree that it will be very tight, and I think that actually (sorry) it might be a just little bit dull. These finals tend to be incredibly tense, nervous occasions, with both teams focused on not taking too many risks and giving up chances. That’s especially true when they’re between two good, evenly matched sides, as is the case here with PSG and Inter. Four of the past five UCL finals ended 1-0, and even in last year’s 2-0 win for Real Madrid over Dortmund, both goals came late. We’ve been spoiled for entertainment in this year’s knockout phase, so I guess it’s OK if the final isn’t quite as much fun.

I’ve really enjoyed watching PSG this season — especially that silky midfield — and I’d like to see them win. But it’s worth underlining that even in last night’s 2-1 win over Arsenal, an all-round good performance, they still gave up 2.91 xG to an Arsenal team with literally no striker. They also had a fairly rudimentary attacking plan of getting the ball out wide to their wingers, and then hoping for the best. Donnarumma will need to be at his best again, and even if he is, I’d back Inter to edge the game. Inter 1-0 PSG.

SAM MARSDEN: I will take Gab’s point about PSG being fresher and spin it in Inter’s favor. It can sometimes help to be distracted. Inter’s battle for the Serie A title with Napoli will not only provide them with that, but it will also keep them in a competitive rhythm going into the final. PSG now have two inconsequential games in Ligue 1 to come — although the Coupe de France final against Reims on May 24 may serve as a nice warmup — and that gap in intense games can sometimes do more harm than good.

That said, it really does feel like a balanced final between teams with different setups. Everyone expected Real Madrid to beat Borussia Dortmund last year. Manchester City were big favorites against Inter in 2023. There is no clear pick this year. Inter’s relatively unique (at this end of the Champions League) two-striker system could cause PSG problems, but the French side have tons of verve in attack, a decent crop of midfielders and an incredible work ethic.

It’s the old cliché, isn’t it? It will probably come down to the small details: a mistake here, a great save there, a red card … Inter have already won ties without seeing much of the ball against Barcelona and Bayern Munich — who Inzaghi says are the best two teams in Europe — so why not against PSG, too? Inter 2-1 PSG.

ROB DAWSON: Inter did incredibly well to survive three Barcelona comebacks to book their place in the final. They showed unbelievable resilience to score so late on in stoppage-time and then again in extra-time.

But amid all the excitement, they also looked vulnerable. They gave up goals in quick succession and lost their organization a number of times in key moments. Plenty of that is down to the way Barcelona play, but it will also give Luis Enrique and Paris Saint-Germain a lot of encouragement.

It’s been a long season, and the final in Munich will depend a lot on which team turns up with the most energy. For one of them, it might end up being one step too far. PSG look more stable. They weathered a lot of Arsenal pressure over the two legs of their semifinal and had the attacking players to make the most of opportunities at the other end. It should be a tight game, and PSG have the tools to edge it if it comes down to fine margins. Inter 0-2 PSG.

Could Manchester United or Tottenham become the lowest-placed team ever to win a European trophy?

Sevilla's players and members of staff parade with their trophy aboard a open-top bus to celebrate their seventh UEFA Europa League title, in Seville on June 1, 2023. Sevilla won a record-extending seventh Europa League title after overcoming Roma 4-1 on penalties in yesterday's final in Budapest following a 1-1 draw after extra time. (Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP) (Photo by CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP via Getty Images)

By Will Jeanes The Athletic May 9, 2025Updated 10:55 am EDT

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will contest the Europa League final on May 21, with the winner — alongside picking up a coveted piece of silverware — qualifying for next season’s Champions League and all the financial rewards that come with it.

This has happened despite both teams enduring miserable seasons in the Premier League, racking up unwanted records and winless runs unbefitting of European finalists.

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As things stand, Manchester United are 15th and Tottenham are one place below in 16th. Neither team can come higher than 12th and the possibility of finishing just one spot clear of relegation in 17th remains alive for both sides.

The rule change brought in at the start of this campaign which meant no clubs from the Champions League dropped into the Europa League has certainly played a big part in two such teams reaching the final. However, as we shall see, this is still an unusual situation and the victor in the showpiece in Bilbao will join a select group of clubs to have won continental silverware despite having historically poor domestic seasons.

Here, The Athletic talks you through the five lowest-placed league teams to have won a major European trophy.

West Ham United in 2022-23: Finished 14th in the Premier League and won the Europa Conference League

West Ham have the dubious honour of being the lowest-placed team to ever win a major European trophy.

David Moyes’ side triumphed in the second edition of the Europa Conference League (‘Europa’ was dropped from the competition’s name at the start of this season) in 2022-23, despite coming a lowly 14th in the Premier League.

The London club won 14 of their 15 matches in the continental competition and sealed the trophy following a dramatic 2-1 victory over Italian club Fiorentina in the final in Prague, with Jarrod Bowen scoring a 90th-minute winner.

In contrast, they won just 11 of their 38 Premier League matches in 2022-23 — finishing only six points clear of the relegation zone. Their longest winning streak in the league was two games (achieved once) but in the Europa Conference League it was 10 matches.

Bowen strikes late to win the Europa Conference League for West Ham (Photo by Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images)

Moyes’ team won just three away games in the top flight, a figure that they had reached by October 6 in the Europa Conference League. A further juxtaposition was in their overall goal difference in both competitions; it was 26 in the Europa Conference League and -13 in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, their triumph in the Czech capital meant they qualified for the following season’s Europa League. In contrast, Aston Villa, who finished seventh in the Premier League with 21 more points than West Ham, went into the play-off round of the Europa Conference League — UEFA’s tertiary competition.

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Should Manchester United or Tottenham finish in their current league positions, then whoever wins the final will replace West Ham as the lowest-placed league team to win a major European trophy.

Inter in 1993-94: Finished 13th in Serie A and won the UEFA Cup

Inter’s 13th-placed finish in Serie A in 1993-94 is the worst in their history and the second-lowest a team has finished domestically while winning a major European trophy.

A topsy-turvy first half of the season resulted in Osvaldo Bagnoli being dismissed as the Italian club’s manager in early February. Inter were sixth in the table at the time of his departure.

Bagnoli was replaced by Gianpiero Marini, who as a player made more than 350 appearances for the club and won the World Cup with Italy in 1982. The new boss oversaw Inter’s win over German club Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, but the two-legged victory coincided with a collapse in league form that saw Marini’s side lose four Serie A games in a row from March 13 to April 2.

They also lost the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final in this period, going down 3-2 to fellow Italian side Cagliari in Sardinia on March 30.

Inter recovered from this slump to beat Cagliari 3-0 in the second leg on April 12 for a 5-3 aggregate victory, with Dennis Bergkamp, Nicola Berti and Wim Jonk scoring the goals at San Siro that sealed Inter’s place in the final.

Bergkamp’s Inter also beat Ian Crook’s Norwich City on the way to winning the UEFA Cup (Shaun Botterill/ALLSPORT/Getty Images)

The triumph was tempered by the fact that the club had been sucked into a relegation battle in what was a remarkably tight Serie A season.

They got away with it, though. Despite failing to win any of their final three league games, Inter stayed up… by one point. Marini’s side finished 13th out of 18 teams and a sign of how close the season was is that Piacenza, who came 15th and were relegated, were just six points off sixth-placed Napoli who qualified for the UEFA Cup (though it was two points for a win at the time).

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The two-legged UEFA Cup final, which came either side of Inter’s last Serie A game, was against Austria Salzburg (now Red Bull Salzburg). The Italian club won 2-0 on aggregate (0-1 and 1-0) thanks to goals from Berti and Jonk and in doing so secured the club’s fourth major European trophy after their European Cup triumphs in 1964 and 1965 and their UEFA Cup victory in 1991.What You Should Read Next‘I remember marking Bergkamp at the time and he was taking me to areas of the pitch that I had never been before’Norwich’s 540 minutes of European football put the club on the map. Those involved tell the story of their UEFA Cup run in 1993…

Arsenal in 1969-70: Finished 12th in the First Division and won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Since their 12th-place finish in the English top flight in 1969-70, Arsenal have only registered a worse league position twice — 16th in 1974-75 and 17th in 1975-76.

That 1969-70 campaign did, however, see the London club win their first major European trophy. With Bertie Mee — the man second only to Arsene Wenger for the most games as Arsenal manager — in charge, they put the disappointment of third-round exits in both the FA Cup and League Cup behind them to reach the final of the penultimate edition of the Inter-Cites Fairs Cup; defeating Glentoran (Northern Ireland), Sporting CP (Portugal), Rouen (France), Dinamo Bacau (Romania) and Ajax (Netherlands) to get there.

A 10-game winless run in the league from mid-December to late February threatened to derail Arsenal’s season, but a narrow 1-0 aggregate victory over Rouen in the third round of the Fairs Cup (the second leg was on January 13) provided some much-needed mid-winter confidence.

Bob Wilson, Peter Simpson and Frank McLintock savour Arsenal’s Fairs Cup victory (Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Mee’s team proceeded to thrash Dinamo Bacau 9-1 over two legs in the quarter-finals before defeating an Ajax team containing a 22-year-old Johan Cruyff 3-1 on aggregate in the last four. The Dutch club would go on to win the European Cup (today’s Champions League) in each of the following three seasons.

The final, also played over two legs, was against Anderlecht in late April. The Belgian club won the first match at home 3-1, with Ray Kennedy scoring what would prove to be a vital 82nd-minute goal for Arsenal. Back at Highbury, goals from Eddie Kelly, John Radford and Jon Sammels secured a 3-0 win for the English club and a 4-3 victory on aggregate.

Schalke in 1996-97: Finished 12th in the Bundesliga and won the UEFA Cup

The lowest-placed German team to ever win a major European trophy, Schalke triumphed over Inter in the last two-legged UEFA Cup final in May 1997 to secure their only piece of continental silverware.

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An unimpressive Bundesliga season saw the club from Gelsenkirchen collapse from fifth to 12th after winning just one of their last 12 matches, overall barely averaging a goal per game in the league and finishing with a goal difference of -5.

They were much more dependable in Europe, however, defeating Roda (Netherlands), Trabzonspor (Turkey), Club Brugge (Belgium) and both Valencia and Tenerife of Spain to set up the final with Inter.

Schalke’s Jens Lehmann and Mike Buskens sandwich Inter’s Youri Djorkaeff at San Siro (Ben Radford /Allsport/Getty images)

Both teams won 1-0 at home, with Belgian attacking midfielder Marc Wilmots scoring for Schalke and Ivan Zamorano finding the net in the 84th minute for Inter at San Siro in the second leg to force extra time — the first UEFA Cup final to need an additional 30 minutes since 1988.

Neither side could score a golden goal and Schalke won the penalty shootout 4-1, with Ingo Anderbrugge, Olaf Thon, Martin Max and Wilmots all converting for the German club.

Sevilla in 2022-23: Finished 12th in La Liga and won the Europa League

The lowest-placed Spanish side to ever triumph continentally, Sevilla handed Jose Mourinho his first defeat in a major European final when they beat Italian club Roma 4-1 on penalties following a bad-tempered 1-1 draw in Budapest in 2023.

After coming third in their Champions League group and dropping into the Europa League, Sevilla battled their way to the final of UEFA’s secondary competition by winning three of their four two-legged knockout ties by a single goal — including former Tottenham player Erik Lamela’s extra-time winner against Juventus in the semi-finals.

Sevilla’s players celebrate after winning a seventh Europa League (Ferenc Isza/AFP via Getty Images)

Sevilla failed to win any of their last four La Liga games of the season, all of which came after they had secured their place in the Europa League final. As a result, they dropped down to 12th in the Spanish top flight — at the time their lowest finish since coming 20th and being relegated in 1999-00.

However, they more than made up for that by winning the Europa League for a record-extending seventh time (with all of those from 2006 onwards) and qualifying for the following season’s Champions League.

(Top photo of Sevilla’s parade: Cristina Quicler/AFP via Getty Images)

Arsenal missed chances against PSG – but the issues go beyond needing an elite striker

Mikel Arteta coaches Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League Semi-final Second Leg football match between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Parc des Princes Stadium, on may 07, 2025. (Photo byIbrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

By Jordan CampbellMay 9, 2025

“Nothing is logical in football,” said Luis Enrique, reflecting on how his Paris Saint-Germain side had survived a precarious league phase and an early Arsenal onslaught in a semi-final second leg in Paris to make this season’s Champions League final.

It was a sentiment also expressed by his counterpart Mikel Arteta, who spoke of tears in the away dressing room and his mix of pride, upset and annoyance at the 3-1 aggregate loss.

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Arteta believed the probabilities had somehow evaded the natural end-result by progressing the French champions rather than his Premier League team. Luis Enrique disagreed. Just because Arsenal were able to play in the way they wanted, he argued, did not mean they were superior.

But Arsenal created seven big chances (which Opta defines as “a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score”) across the two games against PSG, three while being beaten 1-0 in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium and four in the Parc des Princes return, outperformed PSG on expected goals (xG) in both matches by a margin of 1.7-1.2 and 3.0-1.7 and dominated territory.

The tides of a two-legged tie contain more nuance than numbers can capture, but they reinforced the sense that Arsenal had delivered part of the performance required to overturn that single-goal deficit from the home leg. The only things missing were the finishes.What You Should Read NextPSG 2 Arsenal 1 (agg: 3-1): Decisive Donnarumma, worthy finalists, Arteta’s set-piece problemParis Saint-Germain saw off Arsenal to book a date with Inter in the Champions League final – The Athletic analyses the action

“When you analyse both games, who has been the best player? The MVP has been the same player — the goalkeeper (PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma),” Arteta said.

“The Champions League is decided in the boxes and it’s won the game for them because obviously today after 20 minutes, and what happened in London as well, the result should have been very different.”

It is rare for Arteta to accept that Arsenal did not do enough to win a game. Based on the logic of statistics, he sees his team dominate most phases of most matches and believes falling on the wrong side of fine margins is what is keeping them at the gates of major honours.

Luis Enrique may believe nothing is logical in football but it was surely obvious to him that the difference between the two teams was the superior end-product of PSG’s players.

Arsenal lack a killer striker, a lesson they were taught by Newcastle United and their front man Alexander Isak in the Carabao Cup semi-finals earlier this season. But they also lack end-product on the wing and in midfield, too, a lesson they were taught by PSG.

Does Arteta recognise that second lesson? Given he believes no team has been better than his in the 2024-25 Champions League and that this setup and personnel delivered a performance worthy of beating PSG, can he diagnose where they are still lacking when his assessment suggests such limited room for improvement?

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In the wake of the limp defeat against Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage last season, there was an acceptance that Arsenal, even with Kai Havertz up front, lacked an edge in attack at the top level.

Yet they did not then purchase a striker, wide player or creative midfielder last summer. Arteta instead chose to spend heavily on a left-back in Riccardo Calafiori and a duelling midfielder in Mikel Merino. Merino and Havertz, who was signed the summer before, were both brought in to solve the left No 8 problem but neither looked like the right fit there once they arrived and only improved after moving to a striking position by sheer happenstance. 

They can be seen as a misdiagnosis by Arteta, who now appears to have settled on Declan Rice as that left eight, a player initially brought in as a holding midfielder and then shifted to another role too.

Merino has been used as a makeshift forward (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Recalibrating rather than sticking to a failing plan is positive and a sign of humility, but it is understandable why these final few tweaks and additions are proving to be testing.

Arsenal are a side of few sharp joins, which makes pinpointing fault lines difficult. When a squad of hybrid players has been built to fit hybrid roles, how easy is it to identify the missing piece of the jigsaw? Is there even just one piece missing, or are there two or three?

What should have been the final-build phase of the team last year now rolls into another summer, which becomes a critical juncture for Arsenal.

Arteta cannot allow the impressive European displays, or the harsh red cards and injuries that have dogged their Premier League season, to cover his team’s shortcomings. He must accurately diagnose what is preventing Arsenal from taking the final step.

He has done an exceptional job in reshaping an entire club over the past five years but the danger with being chief architect for so long is the potential to become blind to the flaws in your own engineering, unable to see past the original vision.

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When Kieran Tierney leaves this summer, every player in the squad bar Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will have been given their senior Arsenal debut by Arteta. How they defend and attack, and who does it, have been entirely shaped by him.

His default over the last two years has been to reinforce the defence and strengthen in midfield rather than indulge in flair and imagination at the top of the pitch. Perhaps it was a natural overcorrection to how this squad’s first tilt at the Premier League title collapsed two years ago on the run-in, but he must surely recognise Arsenal need more incisive players across several positions.

There is a gap up front, and in other areas of attack, where Arsenal do not stack up compared to rivals such as Liverpool and PSG, but they will not be able to address every flaw or upgrade all areas where there is headroom in one transfer window. Completing this team will be a question of prioritising, and diagnosing issues correctly.

Rice looks rueful as Ben White shakes Donnarumma’s hand after the final whistle in Paris (Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images)

The singular conclusion drawn whenever Arsenal are outgunned by another team is that they are missing a striker.

But whether they had a better No 9 or not was not a prescient point in this Champions League elimination.

The opening 25 minutes in Paris, until the sucker-punch of Fabian Ruiz’s deflected goal to make it 2-0 on aggregate, was as perfect a display from Arsenal as Arteta could have hoped for. Bar one or two turnovers and shots left on the shelf, they had PSG in a daze.

Even without a natural striker, Arsenal dominated Real Madrid in the quarter-finals and then created enough big chances to beat PSG. But those opportunities, barring Leandro Trossard’s one-v-one miss in the first leg, did not fall to the player who had been deployed up front.

Some will argue this is an indictment of what they are missing and that a better striker would have provided the movement and link-up play to get on the end of more chances, but the ones Arsenal did produce against PSG should have been enough. It was the individual execution of their supporting cast — plus an inspired Donnarumma — that has stopped them making the final against Inter on May 31.

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Trossard and Martinelli — playing in wide forward roles — missed two one-v-one chances in that 1-0 defeat last week. Then in the opening eight minutes on Wednesday, Rice saw a back-post header shave the post, Martinelli had a volley parried away and a Martin Odegaard shot from the edge of the box was terrifically pushed wide by Donnarumma.What You Should Read NextArsenal came close to a Champions League final with an incomplete squad – they need to strengthenMikel Arteta needs the sort of clinical firepower that PSG can call upon – it’s a gap that must be addressed this summer

In the second half, Saka had a curling shot destined for the top corner tipped over and, after scoring to give Arsenal hope of a comeback, he was unable to convert a golden chance when Calafiori’s cross flashed into his path, although Donnarumma’s dive made it a much harder task to keep the ball down.

There will be many who believe that if Arsenal swallow the magic-striker pill, they will automatically become trophy winners again. No doubt, an elite player up front would elevate the team, but football is not as binary as that and the issues with creation and conversion that have arisen over the past two seasons stretch beyond just one position.

Additional firepower is clearly needed but how Arteta diagnoses and treats that requirement will be an interesting sub-plot to the arrival of new sporting director Andrea Berta, who will have developed his own thoughts on the make-up of the squad in recent months.

Perhaps it’s part psychological, though, and now is the time for the signing of a couple of elite specialists in attacking positions to convince the rest of the dressing room that goals are inevitable.

(Top photo: Ibrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Even in defeat, Lamine Yamal proved he has become Barcelona’s main man

MILAN, ITALY - 2025/05/06: Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona seen in action during UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final - 2nd leg football match between FC Internazionale and FC Barcelona at San Siro Stadium. Final score; FC Internazionale 4: 3 FC Barcelona. (Photo by Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

By The Athletic FC PodcastMay 9, 2025Updated 7:02 am EDT

Barcelona’s heartbreaking 4-3 loss against Inter Milan on Tuesday night, which sunk them to a 7-6 aggregate defeat, was a crushing way for their European campaign to end.

Amid the chaos in Milan, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal put on another breathtaking performance, just as he did in the first leg, further solidifying his status as the most exciting prospect in world football.

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On Wednesday’s episode of The Athletic FC Podcast, Ayo Akinwolere was joined by The Athletic’s Barcelona correspondent Pol Ballus and Italian football broadcaster Max Callegari to break down what makes Yamal such a special talent. Watch the episode below.

A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on YouTube below or on The Athletic FC Podcast feed via Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

Play: Video

Ayo: Pol, let’s give Lamine Yamal some light. This boy is unbelievable. There’s a piece you and a whole heap of other journalists have got out now on The Athletic where you spoke to former managers, agents and coaches from around the global game on what they think this kid can offer.

He already feels like one of the leaders in this team but something I got from that piece was that he doesn’t just dribble for the sake of dribbling, there is already an end product.

Pol: When things were tough against Inter, he was like, ‘Pass me the ball, just pass the ball to me because I know what I have to do’. All the Barca players know that this is how they should approach the game. They know that the chosen one is him. That comes from Pedri, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi, Dani Olmo and everyone else, and these are all world-class players. But they know that there’s no one in that team like Yamal.

That’s what speaks for itself, and that’s what makes him different.

The big stage is what suits him, this tie confirmed it. He likes to be in the spotlight with everyone looking at him, and with San Siro fans booing him. When he came onto the pitch just before the game, his name was chanted and all the fans in San Sirio were shouting, “Boo!” But he just smiled and was like, ‘Yes, get in! Bring it on’.

At this point, it’s impossible to say what he will become because football, as an industry, is so difficult to deal with. It’s going to be down to him and how he handles it, but also how Barcelona handle his career.

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He is surrounded by team-mates who understand him and a club willing to make him the star. His impact and progress has even taught the veteran players in the squad, such as Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, and made them understand that the kid is the one. The players in the team know you don’t have to cross the ball to Lewandowski, you have to pass the ball to Yamal now — that’s the changing of the guard.

Max: What was also very good to see at the end of the game was the admiration of the Inter players for Yamal. Marcus Thuram, Federico Dimarco and others went to console him, showing him how they admired his style of play and his incredible personality.

Ayo: What was it like watching Yamal through an Italian lens, Max? Italy doesn’t produce those kinds of players and Yamal at 17 is quite phenomenal. I’d hate to be Dimarco marking him because at half-time, Dimarco looked like he was out of steam. It must be magical to see, especially on a big stage like that.

Max: It is magical. I couldn’t imagine seeing a player like him just a few years after the era of Lionel Messi. I thought we’d need to wait much longer to see another player who could give us the feeling Yamal is giving us now. This is the magic of Yamal, of football. As Pol says, we don’t know where he will arrive, it’s up to him. But we know that he is better than Messi was at the same age and the same stage.

You can listen to full episodes of The Athletic FC Podcast free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube.

(Top photo: Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

5/2/25 Champs League Semis Tues/Wed spectacular on CBS, Indy 11 home Sat, Messi & Miami lose cup game to Vancouver

gatorbest , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Captain America did it again as his goal vs Inter Milan help AC Milan advance to the Coppa Italia final at the Stadio Olimpico on May 14 where a win would insure a Europa League spot during this disappointing 9th place season. Word is he’ll sign on till 2029 with a new contract and a hefty raise soon. Chris Richards anchored the 3 man defense for Crystal Palace in 3-0 thumping of Aston Villa Highlights in their FA Cup Semi and will face Man City in the FA Cup Finals at Wembley Sat, May 17 with a Champions League spot on the line. Both American’s play Monday. Awesome Call on Wrexham Final Goal as they become 1st team to win back to back to back promotions. Also cool to see Eric Dick a former Carmel High, CDC, & Butler Goalkeeper will be on TV Wed night on CBS Sports Network as his Pittsburgh Riverhounds host MLS NYCFC at 7 pm in US Open Cup play. Sunday we get NWSL action Gotham FC vs Chicago Stars on CBS at 1 pm. Oh and Good Luck everyone playing in the Challenge Cup this weekend at Grand Park – I will be reffing all day Saturday on F12.

Champions League Tues/Wed, Europa Thurs

Wow do I love Champions League football – no my favorite teams are not alive, and there are no American’s in this year’s final 4 – but the excitement of the World’s Top Club competition is exhilarating! Arsenal is down 1-0 to PSG on the way to Paris Wed, while Barcelona and 17 year old Messi like Yamal will host Inter Milan Wed on Para+ after a spectacular 3-3 tie highlights in Milan on Wed. In Europa action the 3 English teams rolled at home looks to be an all English final with a Champions League spot on the line, while the lone American still playing Johnny Cordosa & Real Bettis take a 2-1 lead to Fiorentina. (see some fantastic saves in both Competitions in the GK section below) Buckle up this week folks – gonna be a doozy Tues/Wed.

Tues Champions League

Inter Milan vs Barcelona (3-3) on Para+, Univision
Wed Champions League
PSG vs Arsenal (1-0) on CBS & Para+ 3 pm
Thurs 3 pm Europa League on Para+
Man United vs Athletic Club
Bode vs Tottenham CBSSN
Djurgarden vs Chelsea
Fiorentina vs Real Bettis (Cordosa) (1-2)

MLS Miami falls to Vancouver in Champions Cup to face Mexico’s Cruz Azul in Final

Its was prime time MLS viewing on Wed night as Miami and Messi returned home down 2-0 to the hottest team in MLS the Vancouver Whitecaps. After scoring early everyone of course assumed Miami would come back like always and close out the series – everyone but Vancouver. Behind goals from Brian White and Sebatian Berhalter (yes GB’s son) the Caps – capped Miami 3-1 to win 5-1 on aggregate setting up the final with Mexico’s Cruz Azul on June 1st. On TV Sat struggling Atlanta will host Nashville winners of 2 straight at 2:45 pm on Fox, while you can check out San Diego’s new stadium vs Dallas at 9:15 on FS1 Sat. Meanwhile word is Man City’s Kevin DeBruyne is in talks with Chicago Fire while Paul Pogba seems to be leaning away from DC United.

Indy 11 home vs Detroit City 7 pm Mental Health Awareness Night on TV8.

The Indy Eleven made its USL Jägermeister Cup debut in impressive fashion with a 4-0 victory at Forward Madison FC to take an early lead in the Group 3 standings with three points, followed by One Knoxville SC with two.  Those two teams will meet on May 24 at Knoxville in the second of four Group Stage games.
Join us for a meaningful and impactful evening as Indy Eleven hosts Mental Health Awareness Night—a special event dedicated to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and supporting mental health initiatives in our community. Together, we’ll shine a light on the importance of mental well-being while the Boys in Blue take on Detroit City FC on the field.  Discounted Tickets: For the first 500 fans, tickets start at just $12 exclusively via This Link!  They play at the Philly Union Wed night May 7th in US Open Cup on Paramount+.

Congrats to the Carmel FC 2009 Boys Blue & Coaches for win at Terre Haute Tourney!

June 16th: 9-4 / June 17th: 8-3 12383 Cyntheanne Rd, Fishers, IN $595 Register

TV Games

Fr, May 2

2:45 pm Para+            Torino vs Venzia (Busio)

3 pm Peacock              Man City vs Wolverhampton

8 pm Amazon Prime   Washington Spirit vcs ACFC NWSL

10:30 pm Gola, Para   Seattle vs KC   NWSL

Sat, May 3

7:30 am USA               Villa vs Fulham (Robinson)

10 am Peaccok            Everton vs Ipswich Town

12:30 pm NBC            Arsenal vs Bournmouth (Tyler Adams) 

2:45 pm Golazo, Para Inter Milan vs Hellas Verona

3 pm ESPN+                 Barcelona vs Real Valladolid

2:45 pm Fox                Atlanta United vs Nashville SC MLS

7:30 pm Ion                 Portland Thorns vs Orlando Pride (Marta)  NWSL

7:30 pm TV? Indy 11 vs Detroit City @ the Mike

9 pm FS1                     San Diego vs Dallas  MLS   

10 pm Ion                    Utah Royals vs NC Courage NWSL

Sun, May 4

10 am CBSSN              Monza vs Atalanta  

11:30 pm Peacock      Chelsea vs Liverpool  

1 pm CBS                    Gothan FC vs Chicago Stars (Naher) NWSL

2:45 pm Para+,           Juventus (Mckinney, Weah) vs Bologna 

7 pm Apple TV            Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy

8 pm Golazo, Para+    San Diego Wave vs Bay City NWSL

Mon, May 5

2:45 pm Para+, FoxD Genoa vs AC Milan (Pulisic)

3 pm USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Nottingham Forest

Tues, May 6                Champions League

3  pm CBS, Uni         Inter Milan vs Barcelona

Weds, May 7              Champions League

3  pm CBS, Par+       PSG (1-0) vs Arsenal

7 pm CBSSN                Pittsburgh Riverhounds (Dick) vs NYC USL  

7:30 pm Para+            Philly Union vs Indy 11   US Open Cup

Thurs, May 8    Europa

3 pm CBSSN               Bodo vs Tottenham  

3 pm Para+, Uni         Man United vs Athletic Club

3 pm para+                 Real Bettis (Cordosa) vs Fiorentina

3 pm para+                 Chelsea vs Djurgarden

Sat, May 17

ESPN+?                       Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Man City FA Cup Final
Wed, May 21

Paramount Plus             Europa League Final in Balboa, Spain

Wed, May 28

Paramount Plus             Europa Conference League Final in Poland

Sat, May 31

CBS 3 pm                     UEFA Champions League Final in Munich, Germany

5 pm TBS                     US Women vs China

Sun, June 1

Fox Sport 1                  Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps  CC Champions Cup Final

Tues, June 3

TNT, Max, Peacock       US Women vs Jamaica

Wed, June 4

2:45 pm Fox                Germany vs Portugal – Nations League Semi

Thurs, June 5

2:45 pm Fox                Spain vs France– Nations League Semi

Sat, June 7

3:30 pm TNT, Tele      US Men vs Turkey  

Sun, June 8

2:45 pm Fox                Nations League Finals

Tues, June 10

8 pm TNT, Peacock    US Men vs Switzerland

June 13 – 29               GOLD CUP MEN

Sun, June 15

6 pm FS1                     US Men vs Trinidad   Gold Cup

Thur, June 19

6 pm FS1                     US Men vs KSA  Gold Cup

Sun, June 22

7 pm FS1                     US Men vs Haiti Gold Cup

Sun, June 26

TBS, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland

Sun, June 29th

TNT, Peacock             US Women vs Ireland in Cincy

USA

Opinion: Bruce Arena and the weary take of staggering frailty on Mauricio Pochettino’s nationality
Christian Pulisic hits consecutive double-digit scoring seasons in 2-0 win over Venezia
Christian Pulisic’s decade-long European streak still alive as AC Milan advance to Coppa Italia final
USMNT weekend highlights: Puli goal, Luna brace, Sargent TOTS
SSFC Spotlight: Alex Freeman lighting up MLS
Poch will only select ‘right characters’ for USMNT
Marsch banned 2 games after red card vs. USMNT

Netflix to release “The 99ers” film on 1999 USWNT World Cup triumph
Atlanta a likely host for 2031 Women’s World Cup hints FIFA president Gianni Infantino
USWNT and Angel City FC superstar: A brief analysis on Alyssa Thompson
FIFA-funded study to begin research into possible menstrual cycle link to women’s knee injurie

American Forward Josh Sergant was elected to the Best 11 for the Championship this season

Champions League

Breaking down European semifinals: Arsenal vs. PSG, Barcelona vs. Inter predictions
Barça, Inter, Yamal deliver perfect Champions League night
How Yamal’s first 100 games compare to other phenoms’: Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé
Inzaghi: Phenoms like Yamal ‘born every 50 years’
Thuram and Dumfries fuel return of ‘real Inter’
Sources: Barça’s Kounde to miss Inter 2nd leg
Barça battle back for draw in goalfest with Inter
Inter’s Martínez plays down Yamal-Messi links
PSG’s Dembélé shows Arsenal what they’re missing: a clinical forward
Arteta: Arsenal need ‘something special’ in Paris
The fatal errors that cost Arsenal against PSG
On a day when Messi and Ronaldo faded, Lamine Yamal filled the void

Europa League continues to offer Man United a lifeline for this season
Wins put Man Utd, Spurs on brink of unlikely final
Tottenham’s confusing season could still end with Europa League glory
How Premier League teams can qualify for Champions League, Europe this season
The secret behind Arctic Circle club Bodo/Glimt’s red-hot Europa League run
Where are the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League finals?

MLS

Inter Miami and an aging Messi ousted from CONCACAF Champions Cup
Lionel Messi continues to set attendance records during 2025 — here’s the full list
BREAKING: Club América and LAFC set to play Club World Cup playoff; Infantino ‘confirms’ FIFA plan
Inter Miami has little to show for Messi and its star-studded roster
Sources: Pogba eyeing Europe despite D.C. talks
Cruz Azul dispatch Tigres to reach the CONCACAF Champions Cup FinalOneFootball

EPL

Taking Palace to FA Cup final, Eze looks ready for next step
Chris Richards

World

Men’s soccer rivalries to know: El Clásico, Manchester Derby
Antonio Rüdiger could serve up to a 12-match ban after red card in Copa del Rey final
Cristiano Ronaldo fights back tears as Al-Nassr set to end season without a trophy

OFFICIAL: Jamie Vardy announces he’s leaving Leicester City after 13 seasons

NWSL & World

If parity is NWSL’s ‘superpower’ vs. Europe competition, is expansion its kryptonite?
Last-place Chicago Stars fire coach Donaldson
NWSL seeks to launch second division in 2026
NWSL MVP Tracker: Thompson leads USWNT in ranking, but other internationals dominate
How ruthless Chelsea romped to a sixth consecutive WSL title
Chelsea left ‘sad and frustrated’ after UWCL exit
Wrexham women lose cup final but take another step forward

Indy 11

Indy Eleven at MLS Philadelphia Union in Open Cup
Blake, Amoh Earn USL Jägermeister Cup Team of the Round Honors
Recap-MAD 0:4 IND
Indy Eleven Academy wins 3 National Championships!
Recap-IND 1:3 CHS
Foster repeats on USLC “Team of the Week”

Congrats to former Carmel FC Defender Maverick McCoy as his Indy 11 U19s continue to Win

Goalkeeping

Great Saves Donnarumma & Szczesny
Champs League Great Saves Wed  
Europa League Semi Final Great Saves
Cortious Saves vs Arsenal last round
Not Cool by Gigi Donnarumma fake falldown on Corner
Goal Kick Technique
How to Throw the Ball Properly  

Reffing

Copa del Rey final referee breaks down in tears after Real Madrid TV releases video bashing him
Real Madrid’s running battle with referees: How did it start? When will it end?
Did the VAR slip up with Evanilson’s red card vs. Man United?
Not Cool by Gigi Donnarumma

If this is offsides Soccer has a problem

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This Week in the NWSL
Records Fall and Rookies RiseThis past game weekend was perhaps the most action-packed weekend of the season so far, with dramatic comeback winners, rookie breakthroughs, and lots and lots of goals. Week 6 introduced 8 new goal-scorers to the books, with the NWSL now nearing 500 unique goal scorers in league history. The 40 club is also growing with the Spirit’s Aubrey Kingsbury and Houston’s Jane Campbell becoming the fourth and fifth goalies to have 40 career shutouts in the last two game weekends respectively. Casey Murphy needs one more shutout to add this milestone to her career. 

The search for record-breaking continues as Lynn Biyendolo is only one assist away from the most regular season assists in league history. Catch Lynn at home with the Reign as the Current joins them in a high-stakes match, where the Current seeks to extend their league record for consecutive multi-goal games. 

NC Courage complete historic stoppage-time comeback to beat undefeated KC Current

The North Carolina Courage delivered the upset of last Saturday night, storming back in the final minutes to stun the 5-0-0 Kansas City Current. This made the Courage the first team since 2017 to score both a game-tying and game-winning goal in the 90th minute or later.
 Read More     
San Diego Wave’s U-17 players make history

The Wave made history on Saturday night, all coming from their youth. For the first time in NWSL history, three 17-year olds started the same regular season match, and all three were U.S U-17 Youth National Team standouts. Read More
Must Watch: Gotham FC vs. Chicago Stars this Sunday

With Esther González leading the Golden Boot race, she will be a force to be reckoned with, although historically Chicago has the edge in this match up. On the Chicago side, Alyssa Naeher needs one more shutout for her 50 career shutout milestone.

Watch this Sunday on CBS at 1PM ET.  
 Read More
Esther González scores another brace

Esther González scored a first-half brace shortly after her teammate and rookie Sarah Schupansky scored within 3 minutes of kick off. This proves to be the third brace in her last four matches, making her a forward to fear this season.   Read More

USMNT Player Tracker: Pulisic saves Milan (again), Richards gets real, and Paredes setback

USMNT Player Tracker: Pulisic saves Milan (again), Richards gets real, and Paredes setback

By Greg O’Keeffe April 28, 2025 The Athletic

Across the Atlantic this week, the USMNT’s overseas contingent has savored titles (and tangerines) in Scotland and enjoyed the magic of the FA Cup at Wembley. But some things don’t change: once again, Christian Pulisic gave Milan something to cling to. Elsewhere, Johnny Cardoso and Paxten Aaronson turned heads in La Liga and the Eredivisie, but Wolfsburg’s Kevin Parades suffered a blow as he continues his return from a foot injury. Read on as this week’s USMNT Player Tracker brings you all the ups and downs of the players national head coach Mauricio Pochettino will turn to this summer.

Pulisic keeps Milan’s fading hopes alive

Pulisic’s nerves of steel meant Milan clung onto their hopes of Champions League football next season.The USMNT star was unflappable when presented with an early unexpected chance to score against Venezia on Sunday, on what manager Sergio Conceicao said was a small, dry pitch that wasn’t easy for his players.An error from the hosts at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, when they gave the ball away cheaply in their own half, allowed Milan’s Youssouf Fofana to seize possession and play in Pulisic at close range. Of course, the 26-year-old stayed cool and put it in the back of the net, giving the Rossoneri a major boost after just five minutes.That was it for another agonizing 91 minutes, as Milan had to fight against the relegation-battling Venetians before Santiago Gimenez made it 2-0 in stoppage time at the end. Pulisic’s big moment earned him the nod from Milan fans as man of the match, and he also put himself in elite statistical company. According to Opta, the goal meant he is now only one of the three Serie A players to have been directly involved in at least 50 goals (31 goals and 19 assists) in the last two seasons in all competitions, alongside Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman (50) and Lautaro Martinez (54) of Inter. In terms of what it means for his club, they are still eight points away from the Champions League qualifying spots with four league games remaining. It will be a tall order to drag themselves ahead of the teams above them, not least Weston McKennie’s Juventus, who are currently fourth and also won on Sunday. But after springing something of a surprise win over rivals Inter last week to reach the final of the Coppa Italia, then winning in Venice, at least Pulisic and co are developing upward momentum in the closing stages of what remains a below-par season.

Jeff Rueter’s graphic of the weekend

Champ Carter-Vickers sets Rangers record straight

It was an altogether more decisive win for Pulisic’s international team-mates in Scotland on Saturday.

But USMNT defender Cameron Carter-Vickers probably did not envisage spending a few minutes picking tangerines off the field before later celebrating his team being crowned champions. Celtic’s 5-0 thrashing of Dundee United earned the 27-year-old a fourth title medal with Celtic in a game that was interrupted during the first half when Celtic fans threw the fruit onto the field as a protest against their opponents’ ticketing prices for the game. Around the 12-minute mark, the supporters in the away section threw the tangerines and unfurled a banner reading “£njoy th£ fruits of our labour”.

Staff clear tangerines from the Tannardice turf (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

That aside, it was easy work for Carter-Vickers and his team, who have now won the Scottish top flight 13 times in the past 14 seasons.

Carter-Vickers was a happy man, then, but he disagreed when asked afterwards whether Celtic had to set the record straight in their next game, which happens to be against rivals Rangers, who have dented an otherwise glittering season by beating them twice.

“Yes. I mean, some people might say set the record (straight),” he told the Daily Record. “I wouldn’t personally use that kind of language because for me, it’s not just like one or two games in the season, but the whole 38.“And I think we’ve shown over the 38 games that we are the best team. But, yeah, we definitely want to win the game next weekend and put in a strong performance because, at the end of the day, we know it’s something that the fans care about and we care about also.“Of course we want to win. We want to win every game we play. And that’s no different for who it is.”It might have been a less perfect afternoon for Carter-Vickers’ U.S. team-mate Auston Trusty, who was benched and did not make it onto the field in the game that confirmed their title. Trusty, who recently became a new father, has not featured in three of his team’s four most recent games. On Saturday, manager Brendan Rodgers preferred Republic of Ireland defender Liam Scales ahead of him. But he did not let that spoil the fun for him and was on the fruit-free pitch to enjoy the post-match celebrations.

Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Jeffrey Schlupp and Arne Engels celebrate on a fruit-free field (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Straight from the horse’s mouth

The Champagne wasn’t quite uncorked yet for another USMNT defender on Saturday, but it could be on ice. Chris Richards took his usual place in Crystal Palace’s indomitable back three at Wembley in their hugely impressive 3-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Aston Villa. The south London club will now face Manchester City in the final on May 17, after Pep Guardiola’s side beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the other semi on Sunday. Before Palace’s big win, Richards did the media rounds and chatted with Men in Blazers, who asked him about the USMNT’s woeful performances in March’s Concacaf Nations League semi-final and third-place games.

“I think the best adjective for what happened in the last camp was we got Concacaf’d,” he said. “We’re going to have to put this show pony-ness away.”

Richards and Ben Chilwell helped Palace shut out Aston Villa (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Then asked why the U.S. players haven’t always been able to translate successful club form onto the international scene, he added: “One of the reasons I think that everyone has been so successful at their clubs is you’re in that environment every day. “I know it’s hard to emulate that when it comes to national team, but I think that’s why guys seemed so much more in tune or sharper — you’re playing with these guys every single day and when you’re coming to national team, these are guys you only train with, depending on flights, depending on times, maybe two days leading up to a game.

“I understand that’s what every national team is doing, so there’s no excuse, but we needed to be more competitive in the last camp and I think going forward, not just from the players’ aspect but from the coaching aspect… we kind of had a coming-to-Jesus meeting after the last game and we can’t let something like the last camp happen again — especially leading up to a World Cup.”What You Should Read NextChris Richards on USMNT and Crystal Palace ambition: ‘It would go berserk if we won a trophy’The defender from Birmingham, Alabama is part of a tight-knit group at Selhurst Park whose faith has strengthened team unity

How did other U.S. players get on?

Name: Ethan Horvath
Club: Cardiff City
Position: Goalkeeper
Appearances (all competitions): 18

Horvath experienced the low of relegation with his Welsh club on Saturday when their 0-0 draw with U.S.-owned West Brom sealed their EFL Championship fate.

It meant Cardiff will be in League One, England’s third-tier, next term, but the 29-year-old, who joined the Bluebirds in the winter transfer window, still made some excellent saves on a difficult afternoon.

Name: Kevin Paredes
Club: Wolfsburg
Position: Midfielder/wing-back
Appearances: 2

Paredes was so impressive on his return from long-term injury last time out, creating a goal in the 2-2 draw with Mainz, that he kept his place for Wolfsburg’s game against Freiburg on Saturday.

However, it was a difficult afternoon for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, who were reduced to 10 men after just 26 minutes and ended up losing 1-0. Despite the result, Paredes looked sharp again until he was forced off just past the hour with a hamstring problem.

That is believed to be a minor strain and while he is likely to miss the next game against Gio Reyna’s Borussia Dortmund, he should be back in contention for Wolfsburg’s final two fixtures of the Bundesliga campaign.

Paredes grabs Freiburg’s Patrick Osterhage (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Perhaps Paredes will have the words of the national coach in his mind after Pochettino said last week that the USMNT needs players to “fight for the people that would love to be in your position” and “the right characters to be really competitive”.

The 21-year-old, who fell to his knees and sobbed when his young U.S. side were knocked out of the men’s soccer tournament during last summer’s Olympics, is hoping that his will to win (and electric talent) catches Pochettino’s eye. Now he must end the season with Wolfsburg strongly and earn a chance to feature in the USMNT’s summer friendlies or Gold Cup campaign.

Name: Paxten Aaronsen
Club: FC Utrecht
Position: Midfielder
Appearances: 35

The 21-year-old is another young prospect hoping to gain more senior USMNT exposure this summer on the back of a strong season.

He grabbed an assist as Utrecht won 4-0 away at RKC Waalwijk in the Eredivisie. They’re now fourth in the table and level on points with Feyenoord in third. Aaronson has been a key part of this push for Champions League football, with seven league goals to his name so far and having created four more.

His success means the Dutch club, who loaned him for the season from Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, want to borrow the American again next season.

“We are in talks with Frankfurt,” said Utrecht coach Ron Jans recently. “We hope we can keep him for another year. It will take a few weeks before it is clear whether it will work.”

Whether Frankfurt are inclined to oblige remains to be seen.

Een jongensdroom die uit is gekomen voor Paxten Aaronson 💭

— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) April 24, 2025

What’s coming up?

(All Eastern Time)

Johnny Cardoso is having a fine old time with his club Real Betis. They’re sixth in La Liga, on course for Europa League qualification and only six points off the Champions League qualification places.

Last Thursday, they thumped Valladolid 5-1, meaning they head into their Europa Conference League semi-final against Fiorentina on Thursday in fine fettle.

Cardoso’s performances have caught the eye and he has been praised by former USMNT player Charlie Davies.

“Johnny Cardoso: we have to talk about him now, at the moment,” Davies said on CBS Sports Golazo America. “(He’s) 23 years old, killing it at Real Betis, another massive goal for him at the club, and he was near perfect on the ball (in Betis’ previous win over Girona). I think he’s really found a good role within this team and Isco is the guy that makes this team tick, but in terms of being an outlet and being able to shuttle the ball across, he has great positioning.”

Watch them in that semi-final on Thursday (3pm, Paramount+).

Cardoso is enjoying his time with Real Betis (Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

By Saturday, we will know if Antonee Robinson has recovered from the knee pain that has plagued him lately to face Aston Villa in the Premier League (7:30am, Peacock Premium).

Given the load on him this season for club and country and the possibility of further football in the summer’s Gold Cup, it will be vital that the left-back’s minutes are managed carefully to prevent his knee issue becoming worse going into the World Cup year.

Also on Saturday, Bournemouth and Tyler Adams are charged with trying to end their season on a high after their promise stalled, leaving them in mid-table. They travel to second-placed Arsenal (12:30pm, Peacock Premium).

Finally, next Monday, see if Pulisic and Milan’s belated mini-revival can keep going when they take on Genoa (2:45pm, Paramount+).(Top photos: Getty Images)

Barcelona are the world’s most fun team to watch – because they are flawed

Raphinha right winger of Barcelona and Brazilcelebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final First Leg match between FC Barcelona and FC Internazionale Milano at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on April 30, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

By Pol Ballús May 1, 2025

“I am extremely proud of the performance my squad has put in, because tonight we faced one of the most offensive and beautiful teams in the world.”

Those were the words of Inter manager, Simone Inzaghi, after the first leg of a thrilling tie in the Champions League semi-finals. Six goals, an endless carousel of highlights and arguably the best game in the competition this season.

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Among all the things we learned on Wednesday night was the reassurance that Barcelona are the world’s most entertaining team — which does not mean the best.

How Lamine Yamal carried his team in a mind-blowing exhibition, the fact they scored three goals against a team that had only conceded four in 12 games in the Champions League this season, and the mentality the squad showed in coming back from a two-goal deficit, and then 3-2 down, were a treat to witness. But all of this happened because the Catalans were imperfect, as they have been throughout the whole season.

Since Hansi Flick took charge last summer, Barca’s approach in games has been enthralling but self-destructive. They are defined by a high defensive line, which they combine with a relentless counter-press. Flick’s system has been generally well adjusted during the season, and his squad’s offensive firepower has brought them to where they are right now — in sight of a remarkable treble of La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey (which they won in similarly ridiculous fashion last weekend).

But their football is a high-wire act, and it feels like every play in a game has only two potential outcomes: Barcelona suffocates their opponent and destroys them, or as soon as a team slides through their first line of pressure, they find a vulnerable defence to capitalise on.

That was perfectly exposed in the Inter game. Barca registered 19 shots against Inter. They scored three goals and hit the woodwork two more times. Meanwhile, Inter had seven shots, three of them on target which resulted in goals, and had a fourth one disallowed because Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s toe was somehow in an offside position.

This is the price Flick has to pay in order to play like Barca do. The most extreme example is probably Yamal, a precocious talent who makes the difference like nobody else in the offensive end. However, that attacking output is offset by the knowledge that he will be less active in off-the-ball pressing or defending.

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Frenkie de Jong is similar. He is a luxury of a holding midfielder, a gifted technician that does not lose a ball, can split pressing lines driving the ball and is in the best form of his Barca career. However, as soon as he is not in possession, you will see him struggling to fill the gaps in defence, being as aggressive on duels as he should be and, therefore, making the team more vulnerable.

“We are not going to back down on our plan — in fact, I’d say the opposite,” said a source in Barcelona’s backroom staff — who prefers to remain anonymous in order to protect their position — in the build-up to the Inter game. “We’ll double our trust in the approach we have to the game. We’ll keep playing as radical as you’ve seen.”

Yamal is a genius on the ball but offers little protection (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)

Inter manager Simone Inzaghi went on the same line while speaking to Italian broadcasters after the game. “Barcelona’s strategy is very risky, but it pays off,” he said. “They’ve scored over 150 goals, have already won two titles, and are still competing for two more.”

What happened in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals is not news to Barcelona. They arrived at the game after Saturday’s fascinating Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid, when they won 3-2 with a comeback sealed in extra-time.

A week earlier, they came back from 3-1 down against Celta Vigo to claim another injury-time win in La Liga. Over the last five games Barca played across all competitions, they have conceded 11 goals.

There might be an explanation behind this recent tendency, though: Barca players are exhausted, and some are injured.

Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde were not available for the first leg, with backups Ferran Torres and Gerard Martin replacing them. Jules Kounde is very likely to miss the second leg through a hamstring injury suffered against Inter. Meanwhile, Pedri, arguably their most influential player, has spent so long on the pitch this season that he can hardly complete 90 minutes.

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“It’s not easy, when you play every three days, to train things as you’d want,” said Flick during his post-match media duties. “This is the situation. Kounde’s injury is also about playing every three days. It happens.”

It all comes at a time when Barca are facing some of the best squads in Europe as they pursue the treble. But the dressing room is not worried by that.

“It’s good to see what we do because we like to play attacking football, control the game and score goals,” said De Jong after the game. “We take some risks with that, but I think we also obtain many good things, so we will keep having the same mentality.”

De Jong says Barcelona will not sacrifice their principles (Carl Recine/Getty Images)

“We wanted more,” added Yamal. “I believe we could have won the game. I’m happy to help the team but I always want to win and that’s why I ended the game a bit bitter.

“But we will go again like we did today. We are focused on the second leg, and we’ll go right after them.”

Hold on tight: next Tuesday’s decider in Milan promises to be a must-watch.

(Top photo: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Lamine Yamal’s first press conference: Messi comparisons, hair dye and silencing the critics

Lamine Yamal on Lionel Messi parallels: ‘I don’t want to compare me with anyone’

Barcelona’s Jules Kounde likely to miss Champions League semi-final second leg with injury

Inter Miami has little to show for Messi, star-studded roster

  • Lizzy Becherano ESPN May 1, 2025, 01:40 AM ET

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Chase Stadium was vibrating just moments ahead of the first whistle as supporters filled every seat, with chants echoing throughout the stands and pink Inter Miami CF flags waving in the air. By the 72nd minute, however, the Vancouver Whitecaps managed to completely silence the once lively cauldron with a fierce attack as the large scoreboard read MIA: 1, VAN: 3. The life that once coursed through the rows of Chase Stadium in the moments prior to the goals felt like a distant memory as fans succumbed to the disappointment of an elimination in the knockout round of yet another tournament. Once the referee blew the final whistle, those still left in the stands clapped, but the players ignored those efforts, choosing to exit the pitch with haste. Lionel Messi rushed into the tunnel with his head down, stepping into the darkness of Chase Stadium’s infrastructure to leave everything about this series behind him on the pitch.

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Inter Miami knew they faced an enormous challenge when entering the match with a 2-0 deficit from the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal first leg, but no one expected the final 5-1 aggregate scoreline.

When signing the Barcelona boys, Inter Miami co-owner Mas vowed continuous success would enthrall spectators at Chase Stadium and fans all over the world. Though the club saw immediate results when winning the inaugural Leagues Cup trophy, in 2023, Inter Miami could not keep up with expectations. With each passing season, the club finds new ways to strengthen the playing squad and provide Messi with the necessary tools to thrive in the final third in a bid to keep that initial promise of trophies. But efforts continue to fall short, paving the way for the same, tired concern: where is the silverware for this star-studded roster?

Just over a year ago, on April 11, Inter Miami fell 5-2 on aggregate to CF Monterrey in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Former head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino blamed MLS roster rules, insisting the constraints of the American system held the team back from competing against Liga MX giants who overspend on every position. Despite the initial declarations, Inter Miami vowed to come back stronger in 2025.This year felt different for supporters as the club made several changes to the roster in hopes of finding success after the 2024 disappointments. The team incorporated players like Telasco Segovia, Tadeo Allende and Maximiliano Falcón into the starting XI, while making necessary additions to the bench for depth. At the helm, Miami found new leadership to steer the club to triumph. Mesmerized by his football philosophy, Mas insisted Javier Mascherano would be the one to untap international stardom and guide the historic leap into the semifinals.”There is pressure here to win, and that pressure is going to continue. We expect it of ourselves, our coaches and players,” Mas said when introducing Mascherano as head coach in November 2024.To which the new coach reaffirmed: “I am convinced I can do it. I have no doubt.”But instead, history repeated itself as the team fell short and Inter Miami was once again eliminated just shy of the final.Inter Miami started the second leg strongly, kicking off the match with the energy of a team that needed a miracle to advance. Players chased every ball, won those 50-50 challenges that felt impossible in Canada, and connected well on the attack.By the ninth minute, Messi danced his way to the final third to find Luis Suárez and initiate the first goal-scoring play of the night. The pass from Messi to his former Barcelona teammate and current attacking partner ignited Suárez to connect with Jordi Alba — another Barça alum — for the left-back to fire truly home.

The goal made its way through the fantastic four, starting from Sergio Busquets, coming through Messi and Suarez before Alba found the net. But the magic fizzled out in the second half, after suddenly two defensive errors cost Miami two goals in the span of three minutes and ultimately the series. Those two goals dismantled the hope of a comeback for Inter Miami and, with that, the game plan Mascherano set out to complete through his players vanished.Instead, flashbacks of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals match against Monterrey began to crop up. On April 11, 2024, the team entered the second leg at a disadvantage, needing two goals or more to secure a positive result. Though players arrived at the BBVA Stadium in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, anxious to live up to the expectations that the coach, squad and team executives set for fans, efforts disappointed. When Monterrey gained the lead, the Herons took an anemic hit and began unraveling.

Herculez Gomez and Cristina Alexander debate the biggest storylines and break down the best highlights that soccer in the Americas has to offer. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

This time around, the game felt no different.

After the 53rd minute, when Brian White and Pedro Vite scored within four minutes of each other, desperation became the leading contributor to decision-making. The deep concentration and man-to-man marking that defender Maximiliano Falcon discussed during the pre-match conference could no longer be seen on the field.Players resulted to shoving and physical tactics over technique, while Mascherano made rash decisions from the sidelines. The two goals forced the Miami boss to make key changes to the line-up, incorporating Allen Obando for Segovia, and Gonzalo Luján to replace Falcon for the first time since signing those players in pre-season.On the field, those in the attack began to sporadically shoot in the direction of the goal in hope of finding the back of the net. Even Messi, who knows how to read the field with precision to perfectly plan his next move, began involving himself in every aspect of the game with angst. The player who naturally prioritizes calculated plays over impulsive actions could not hold back from attacking every opportunity with frustration. He didn’t wait for players to find him in the final third for the determining goal-scoring opportunity, instead he went out of his way to find the ball himself across the entire pitch.

With patience, smarter decisions could’ve been made to connect passes and dance through defenders to beat the goalkeeper, as the team has done countless times this season.

Gomez: More important Inter Miami win Champions Cup than MLS

Herculez Gomez speaks ahead of Inter Miami’s Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal second leg vs. Vancouver.”In the span of three to four minutes they decided the series. We wanted to play a longer game, without rushing and with calm,” said Mascherano after the match. “We were one goal away from tying the series and what we pretended to do is have a long game.”The hardest part was done, which was to score the first goal. But this is football, especially in a semifinal. Two or three errors against a good opponent, obviously good because they reached the semifinal, but they end up hurting you and end up sentencing with the series.”The game plan dissipated and no amount of star power on the roster could save the club from elimination. Inter Miami have come to know this reality all too well. Mascherano couldn’t even rely on Tata Martino’s former excuse as the team played against three MLS teams and stood as one of the highest-valued rosters on this side of the bracket.After Wednesday’s match, Busquets vowed that Miami would come back stronger, like the team did in 2024.”We keep getting further and further every year,” he said. “But with that consolation although today it’s not much. We think ahead.”The difference this time around, however, is that time is running out, and the clock continues to wind down on the careers of Miami’s fantastic four. By 2026, the Herons may look wildly different as the contracts of Suárez, Messi, Alba and Busquets run through the end of the 2025 MLS campaign.Rumors continue to swirl, and talks remain ongoing about extending the contract of Messi, but his supporting cast may choose to retire come December, or play somewhere else, and Inter Miami will have little to show for their time in South Florida.One Leagues Cup trophy and a Supporters’ Shield is not the decorated silverware that Mas promised at the presentation of these players in 2023. Breaking the MLS record for most points scored in single season will not be enough for Inter Miami at the end of this star-studded chapter.Inter Miami still have three opportunities to win a trophy this season: MLS, the Leagues Cup and the Club World Cup. Wednesday night’s elimination has never made it more clear: this side has precious few chances left to win the silverware it so desperately craves.

Sebastian Berhalter’s arrival makes for a unique North American soccer plot twist

Vancouver Whitecaps standout Sebastian Berhalter

By Jeff Rueter pril 30, 2025 The Athletic

Study Sebastian Berhalter’s rapidly burgeoning goal catalog, and the majority of any clip’s duration leaves him out of the frame entirely.A breakout star on the Vancouver Whitecaps, currently the hottest team in North America, Berhalter is a regular starter as a right-sided central midfielder. He’s a vital part of the Whitecaps’ build-up, an increasingly expert progressive passer who rates among MLS’s best in the current season. Once the ball is among the forwards, he carefully picks his moment to arrive near the box. It’s a facet of his game that he’s been relishing in this year.Minnesota United was just the latest to learn about Berhalter’s late-arriving quality to open the scoring in their Sunday matinee.It’s perhaps a fitting calling card given Berhalter’s gradual rise as a player. Just shy of his 24th birthday, he was touted as a player to watch as a future MLS contributor but was often overshadowed. He didn’t break out before turning 20, as peers like Aidan Morris and Caden Clark may have, and he wasn’t a regular starter until landing with his third team in the league, joining Vancouver ahead of the 2022 season.These days, the son of former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter is making a name all his own, among the headliners of a Whitecaps side entering the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal second leg against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in pole position.

“It’s kind of been a steady incline, and I think that’s something that’s kind of been consistent in my life,” Berhalter told The Athletic. “It’s never come for me all at once. I’ve had to work really hard to be where I’m at, so it’s kind of like — I don’t want to say it’s what I’m expecting, but it’s something that I have the confidence that if I just keep doing what I’m going to do, then eventually it’s going to come.”

The 2020 season was poised to be the dawn of Berhalter’s MLS career. He had just signed a homegrown contract with the Columbus Crew and was projected to earn MLS minutes. When the COVID-19 pandemic put the country into lockdown, however, his development went in an entirely different direction.

With the world displaying an abundance of caution, the sport stood still for clubs and countries alike. There were no games, no training sessions for young players to get their reps and be ready for a return to play. Sebastian headed to Chicago, joining his father and working under Gregg to refine his game as his professional career was just kicking off.Look beyond the family ties, and this was a rare chance for a still-developing young midfielder to get one-on-one guidance from an active national team coach. Throughout his upbringing, Sebastian had been told he’d need to forge his own path to reach his professional dreams.“That’s probably, when I look back at it, one of the most important times in my life, in terms of as a soccer player and as a person,” the younger Berhalter said of those sessions at a field beside Lane Tech High School.“He knows how to kind of keep me in check, how to push my buttons. It was fun, man. Looking back on it, that’s exactly what I needed. I needed to kind of be broken down a little bit, and that’s what he did.”Admittedly, Sebastian didn’t always “love it all the time.” There was no corner to cut, no eased expectations to keep the peace at that night’s dinner. These sessions were tailored specifically to bolster the young player’s chances of enjoying a successful career.

Ex-USMNT coach Gregg BerhalterFormer USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter now runs the Chicago Fire in MLS. (Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images)

Among the most important takeaways from these sessions was helping Sebastian adjust his game to “physically, actually just grow into my body.” Speed was at the top of the list, recalibrating his stride and explosiveness to get as much from him as he could.“He did a great job, and I’m thankful for that,” Sebastian said, “because it was one of the only times in my life he’s really trained with me. He was super hands off (when I was) growing up. It was always, like, ‘You’ve got to do it by yourself.’ It kind of instilled that into me, my work ethic — ‘OK, if I want this, I’m gonna have to go get it.’”While he didn’t immediately parlay those lessons into a starting role, making nine league appearances as the Crew went on to win MLS Cup 2020, it was a vital crash course that provided a sturdy bedrock upon which to build out his technical skillset and mental acumen.When talking about those training sessions, Berhalter calls himself “one of the luckiest guys in the world.” If he feels he needs a keen observer to provide a tip or some advice, he’s able to pick the brain of the USMNT coach with the best winning percentage of anyone who has held the job on a permanent basis.There were times, however, when that status as a national team manager put Gregg and his family in a bright, if unwanted, spotlight — perhaps at no time more than after the 2022 World Cup.

Sebastian was in Qatar throughout the USMNT’s run, seeing his dad’s team advance from its group before falling to the Netherlands in the round of 16. Soon after, news broke that midfield star Gio Reyna — whose lack of utilization was a common talking point during the team’s run — had frustrated his teammates with a lack of effort in training before the opening match against Wales. Reyna apologized to the team later during the group stage, and the matter seemed resolved.

Public interest around Reyna’s situation sustained into early 2023, when Gregg Berhalter’s comments at a leadership symposium went public. He referenced the situation (omitting any player’s name) in what he said was supposed to be an off-record session. News also broke that Reyna’s parents, Claudio and Danielle, had called U.S. Soccer to bring up a domestic incident between Gregg and his now-wife, Rosalind, while the two were in college — a perceived attempt at blackmail against a coach who didn’t start their child at a World Cup.That the two families were close and had shared deep ties with each other made for, without a doubt, one of the ugliest off-field scandals in program history. Berhalter was ultimately re-hired for a second tenure after an independent investigation, and his dynamic with Gio Reyna was a frequent point of discussion through the rest of his tenure, which ended after the 2024 Copa América. While it was undeniably a difficult moment, Sebastian felt it ultimately strengthened the Berhalters’ bond.“I think it definitely brought our family closer together, everyone,” Sebastian said. “Because of that, we’re closer together than we were before, which is cool, just to see everyone have each other’s backs. Now we know that we’re a tight-knit family.”Berhalter unequivocally said he’s proud of his father’s work with the USMNT, adding that he took cues from how Gregg handled media scrutiny.“It just never affected him. It doesn’t matter what anyone says, you’re doing your job. It’s something that I definitely take with me,” he said.Given their similar ages and parents’ friendship, Sebastian and Gio (who is roughly 18 months younger) grew up as friends. When asked if he and Gio have spoken about the saga, or if their relationship is in a better place, Sebastian simply said “no,” not displaying a desire to elaborate.

Vancouver Whitecaps standout Sebastian BerhalterSebastian Berhalter has had plenty to celebrate in 2025. (Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images)

To further Berhalter’s development after its 2020 MLS Cup title, Columbus sent him on loan to Austin FC for their inaugural season in 2021. Coached by Josh Wolff, a former assistant of Gregg’s with the Crew and USMNT, Sebastian Berhalter admitted he “got beat down a little bit,” but quickly assessed that it was what he needed to make it at the game’s highest level.

When Austin, whose sporting director at the time was Claudio Reyna, turned down the purchase option at the end of his loan, Berhalter was traded by Columbus to Vancouver for just $50,000 of allocation money — the lowest amount MLS allows teams to trade — with an additional $50,000 of performance metrics. Even when assuming he cleared those benchmarks, it’s among the best bargain acquisitions in recent memory.

Since joining the Whitecaps, Berhalter’s minutes have increased with each successive season, and he’s on track to eclipse his 2024 ledger of 2,021 in MLS competition. He has evolved into the archetypal box-to-box midfielder, a late-arriving number 8 who can keep the team moving towards goal while having an eagerness to track back and defend if possession changes hands. He’s part of an established core that have been together for multiple seasons, making movement patterns easier as many starters can dependably trust each other’s instincts.

“I think you see that when we play,” Berhalter said. “You can see it’s a group that’s been together for three to four years, and everyone trusts each other. Everyone believes in each other. We know each other so well. It’s nice to see that everything’s coming together.”

Goals like the opener on Sunday are also a byproduct of how the Whitecaps have had to adjust in the young season. Since 2021, Scotland international Ryan Gauld has been at the heart of Vancouver’s attack, among the best playmakers in MLS. However, Gauld picked up a knee injury in the team’s third game of the regular season, leaving reason to wonder if the club could maintain its form without its most important facilitator.Berhalter has picked up some of that responsibility, also benefitting from new coach Jesper Sørensen’s field-tilt machine that keeps more of Vancouver’s touches in the final third. As of April 29, he averages 37.4 pass attempts in the opponent’s half per 90 minutes, up from roughly 26 per 90 in each of the last three seasons. Despite the massive uptick in volume, he’s also displayed career-best accuracy, completing 87.9% of his attacking half passes and 79% of those attempted in the final third.

Vancouver Whitecaps stats

“It’s something I think I can do as a player, and it’s been fun,” Berhalter said of his increased utilization near the box. “I like arriving. I feel like when I arrive, I can still get back, so it’s not a big issue for me. I want to score, I want to assist, I want to help the team win games. I think that’s the most important thing, whatever role it is.”

“Arriving” is a word Berhalter uses often when talking about his progression over the past year or two, using movement to unsettle a defense as it establishes itself against an attack. Two players he studies closely in regards to arriving are Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali and Barcelona attacking midfielder Pedri.

“I think those two are ones that are a little bit different in ways,” Berhalter said. “But they both have that almost defining characteristic of having their specialties. With Tonali, it’s just powerful, being able to arrive (despite contact). Pedri, it’s the way he can take the ball anywhere and also still being able to arrive.”

He’s also a key figure on a team that’s often overlooked in the broader MLS landscape. Vancouver props up the upper-left corner of the league’s geography, some distance from other Canadian clubs in Toronto and Montreal while being overshadowed in the Pacific Northwest by a historic rivalry between the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers. This year has even more weight to it for Vancouver, as the club is actively up for sale.

Berhalter stops short of branding his team an underdog, even as it squares off with the superteam on the opposite corner of MLS’s map. He said Vancouver “doesn’t need the media attention,” and has gotten used to not getting much over the past three seasons. When bringing a 2-0 advantage from the first leg to Miami, it’s highly unlikely that the moment will phase the Whitecaps.

“Yeah, it’s one game at a time,” Berhalter said. “That’s probably been the biggest thing, because when you have that many games, you can’t look too far ahead. Especially with opponents like Miami, you can tend to look ahead and be like, ‘Oh, we’re playing this guy, playing that guy.’ It’s been good. It’s honestly been impressive with this group, how we’ve handled this. I think just internally, everyone’s been really driven, really focused, and everyone knows what they need to do to get the job done.”

Sebastian Berhalter marks Lionel MessiSebastian Berhalter marks Lionel Messi in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. (Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images)

The Berhalter family has never been more present in MLS, with Sebastian starring for an MLS Cup contender and Gregg attempting to rebuild the Chicago Fire as head coach and director of football. And we may again see a member of the family back with the USMNT given Sebastian’s play. Few midfielders in the U.S. pool are in as fine of form, and his two-way play and emergence stand in sharp contrast to the criticism U.S. players received after a shocking showing in March’s Nations League finals.

As of April 28, Berhalter said he hasn’t heard from manager Mauricio Pochettino or his staff about whether he’s being eyed for a possible call-up at this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup. Then again, these things move quickly — Charlotte FC striker Patrick Agyemang hadn’t heard from the federation either until just before his debut in January. While Berhalter is level-headed as always with his answer, it’s clear how much it would mean for him to represent his country.

“It’s been my dream since I’ve been a kid, but I think it’s something that I’m just taking one game at a time,” Berhalter said. “Being around the national team so much — I think I’ve watched every recent game more than probably anyone else has (laughing) — but yeah, it’s not something I’m thinking about. I just worry about winning games here and performing well.”

Those wins keep coming for Vancouver, which sits atop the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings at the end of April. Goal contributions and good team results are providing plenty of highlights and moments to bookmark. So, too, did the team’s sole defeat to date in league play.

On March 22, with the Whitecaps among many teams carrying depleted rosters during the international window, Vancouver welcomed Chicago to BC Place. For the first time, Sebastian lined up against a team coached by his father. The Fire won 3-1.

Nevertheless, it was an unforgettable instance for a player who has earned his starting spot. Regardless of whether he breaks through with the U.S. before the World Cup, or at all, his form since becoming a regular in the Whitecaps’ lineup last year has cemented his arrival.

“I went to him before the game,” Sebastian said of Gregg, “and right after everyone shook hands, he just came over and said he’s proud of me. That was probably one of the coolest moments in my career, where you have your dad on the sideline telling you he’s proud of you.

“It was a cool moment. That gave me the confidence to just go have fun and enjoy it; you know, you’ve earned this.”

The prospect of a Man Utd vs Spurs Europa League final feels wrong – but is it really a shock?

The prospect of a Man Utd vs Spurs Europa League final feels wrong – but is it really a shock?

By Elias Burke ay 2, 2025Updated 5:28 am EDT

After Paris Saint-Germain burst Arsenal’s post-Real Madrid bubble in the Champions League on Tuesday, Thursday was England’s day in Europe.

In the UEFA Conference League, a heavily rotated Chelsea side hammered Djurgarden 4-1 on artificial turf in Sweden. In the Europa League, Manchester United produced one of the shocks of the competition, putting their five-game Premier League winless run behind them to beat Athletic Club 3-0 in Bilbao.

n the other side of the bracket, Tottenham Hotspur took care of business in north London, beating Norway’s Bodo/Glimt 3-1. Glimt are excellent at home, and the Arctic conditions and plastic pitch at the Aspmyra Stadion will act as a leveller in the second leg, but Spurs’ two-goal advantage makes them firm favourites to reach the final.

It won’t be the first time a Premier League club has come close to European glory in unusual circumstances — England has produced a few unlikely Europa League finalists over the years. In 2005-06, when the tournament was named the UEFA Cup, Middlesbrough reached the final while toiling in the league’s bottom half, finishing 14th. They knocked out Roma and Basel, among others, before losing 4-0 to Sevilla in the final.

Fulham’s run to the final in 2009-10 was arguably even more impressive, eliminating Italian giants Juventus 5-4 on aggregate in the last 16 despite only finishing 12th in the league.

United and Tottenham’s status and financial strength meant they were both among the strong favourites to win the tournament before it started, but if they both make it to Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium on May 21, given their domestic struggles, it will rank among the Premier League’s most prominent displays of strength on the European stage.

Ruben Amorim’s domestic struggles have been forgotten in Europe (Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images)

Both sides are on course for historically poor Premier League seasons. After taking a 5-1 battering away to Liverpool on Sunday, Tottenham can no longer mathematically finish in the top half — the first time they’ll finish outside the top 10 since 2008 (also, coincidentally, the last year they won a major trophy, the League Cup).

Since breaking the top four in 2009-10, Spurs have established themselves as a near-perennial top-six club, but having already lost 19 times in the league (a club Premier League record), the prospect of restoring pride in the league is gone and winning the Europa League is the only way to save their season.Much of this narrative also applies to United, perhaps even unlikelier Europa League finalists. After a second-half collapse at Old Trafford in the quarter-final against Lyon, allowing the French club to come back from 2-0 down to lead 4-2 in extra time, United produced a fightback that was improbable even by their illustrious standards, scoring three times in seven minutes to win 5-4 on aggregate. Against all logic, both clubs, under the guidance of under-pressure head coaches, have displayed an ability to leave their weekend woes behind to step up on Thursday nights.

Should we be that surprised, though? The obvious caveat to any narrative regarding the “magic” of their European journeys, and the shock at seeing two teams who have struggled so badly in the Premier League stand on the cusp of a major trophy, is that Tottenham and United were the obvious favourites to reach this point given their financial strength.

The figures show that English top-flight clubs, particularly those in the ‘Big Six’, operate far above their Europa League competitors in terms of their transfer kitty and salary budget. Indeed, their resources dwarf many of the continent’s most prominent “legacy clubs”.

Tottenham have a vast stadium – and resources (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

According to the Deloitte Money League, United’s revenue in the 2023-24 season of £655million (€770million; £$870m) made them the fourth richest club in the world. Tottenham, whose revenues totalled £523m are ninth. The next club from this season’s Europa League in this table are 20th-placed Lyon, with revenues of £224m.

This is also the first season under the new 36-club format where third-placed clubs from the Champions League have not dropped to UEFA’s secondary tournament, eliminating the chance of facing clubs who started in Europe’s premier club competition and may come closer to financial parity.

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None of that will matter to the players or their coaches, both of whom have been under intense scrutiny given their Premier League records. The prospect of reaching a European final will also not be lost on the supporters, many of whom have travelled the country watching their clubs fail on a weekly basis. Irrespective of how likely their chances of reaching the final were before the first ball was kicked in September, the fact they’re on their way to one is remarkable given the wider context of their seasons.

Those at Old Trafford for the quarter-final second leg will be reluctant to assume the final is a formality, as will the Spurs fans who watched Glimt beat Lazio 2-0 in the quarter-final first leg in freezing temperatures Ange Postecoglou’s players are not accustomed to.

But if they meet in Spain on May 21 and Chelsea join one of them in lifting a European trophy in Poland a week later, this unlikely-ish meeting will perhaps be the most convincing display yet of the depth of quality in England’s top tier.

(Top photos: Casemiro, left, and James Maddison; Getty Images)

Is Lamine Yamal already the best footballer in Europe? And if not, who is?

Is Lamine Yamal already the best footballer in Europe? And if not, who is?

By Oliver Kay, Stuart James and more

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May 2, 2025 12:10 am EDT

“Lamine is the kind of talent that comes along every 50 years,” said Simone Inzaghi after watching the 17-year-old Yamal shine against his Inter team during a breathless 3-3 Champions League semi-final first leg draw in Barcelona.

“One thing that amazes me in football is you always think that there is nobody better than Ronaldo and Messi, (Ruud) Gullit, (Diego) Maradona, a lot of people, and then Lamine Yamal arrives,” said Thierry Henry, the former Arsenal and Barcelona forward working for U.S. broadcaster CBS.

In the afterglow of a wonderful performance, in which he scored one beautiful goal, glided across the pitch, turned defenders inside out and showed off his range of tricks, there was no shortage of praise for Yamal.

Yamal bends in a beautiful Champions League goal against Inter (Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The draw with Inter was his 100th appearance and brought his 22nd goal (along with 33 assists). At the same age, Cristiano Ronaldo had made 19 appearances (featuring five goals and four assists) and Lionel Messi had made nine, scoring once.

All of which makes it easy to conclude that he is already the best player in Europe. Or as the former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand put it: “As a pure football talent, I’m going as far as to say I think Lamine Yamal is on another level to any player playing the game in the top five leagues in world football.”

Excitement has long surrounded Yamal, from his moment of perfection at the Euro 2024, to the comparisons with Messi he is keen to avoid.

But is he already the best footballer in Europe? And if he isn’t, who is?

We asked our writers.

‘It is when, not if, he wins the Ballon d’Or’

If I could watch anyone play right now, it would be Lamine Yamal. Every time Yamal got the ball against Inter, you expected something to happen — and that something could be anything because of his incredible talent and the fact that he plays with so much freedom. His goal was breathtaking — a sinuous run and then a shot that was not just beautifully placed but executed in a way (taken early, minimal backlift) that left Yann Sommer, the Inter goalkeeper, rooted.

I actually enjoyed Yamal’s run a few minutes later even more. Poor Federico Dimcarco, who went sliding on by (totally off the pitch) as Yamal, the master of the chop, expertly dragged the ball back inside the wing-back. But for Sommer’s fingertips, we would be talking about another exceptional goal.

To say that Yamal is the best in the world right now, at the age of 17, feels like a big claim. There’s an argument that he needs to score more prolifically – he’s averaging close to one every three this season in all competitions (six goals in 30 appearances in La Liga), and for that reason, I’d put him behind someone like Mohamed Salah, whose numbers are astonishing. But Yamal is a genius and it’s a matter of when, not if, he wins the Ballon d’Or.

Stuart James

‘I’ve never seen a better 17-year-old footballer… but…’

He’s phenomenal and I love watching him. I would go so far as to say — with caveats to follow — that I’ve never seen a better 17-year-old footballer.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were incredibly talented, but they were not influencing games at the highest level at 17. What Yamal is doing is almost unheard of, but a word of caution: what Ansu Fati was doing at 17 was also extraordinary. Progression is rarely linear.

The Messi/Ronaldo period has created what is an unrealistic perception of what greatness is. In the 1990s and 2000s, “best in the world” was always a fairly fluid debate; back then, it was arguably Rivaldo or (original) Ronaldo or Zinedine Zidane or Paolo Maldini or Luis Figo or Ronaldinho or Kaka or, indeed, Thierry Henry at various points.

Messi and Ronaldo shifted expectations, but Yamal is doing things beyond them at 17 (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)

I expect the post-Messi era will be similar, with “best in the world” status more transient. This season has brought arguments, at various points, for Mohamed Salah, Raphinha, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior — not forgetting Rodri, the deserving winner of last year’s Ballon d’Or. It’s wonderful to think a 17-year-old might be part of that conversation for years to come if he continues to develop.

Oliver Kay

‘I’d still put Salah ahead of him’

He’s the player I most enjoy watching at the moment and to turn a Champions League semi-final in the way that he did, against players of that calibre, clearly describes ability that should terrify everyone.

But the best? I would still put Mohamed Salah ahead of him, just on numbers and the consistency of his output. And longevity. Salah is still dominating opponents at 32, having been studied and strategised against for years, which is a hard value to quantify but clearly worth something.

It’s extremely close, though, and if you ask me again in a year, I will probably have changed my mind.

Seb Stafford-Bloor

‘Yamal is uniting generations’

My 10-year-old nephew Flynn is in his football mad era. Last year, he asked me who Steven Gerrard was, which made me feel extremely old. He never needed to ask me who Lamine Yamal was, though. If anything, he’s the one telling me all about him. This 17-year-old kid is uniting generations with his talent.

On Saturday, my nephew, who spent the afternoon watching his beloved Tranmere Rovers secure League Two status after a dismal season, asked if we could watch the Copa del Rey final. Who was the player he most wanted to watch? You guessed it. The magic.

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When we grow up, the vividness of imagination that we enjoy during childhood fades, but when watching a player like Yamal, we are all back in time and feel capable of anything. He’s the best right now and will be high up on that list for a long time to come.

Caoimhe O’Neill

‘Mbappe is still the man’

At the top of his game, there’s no better footballer in Europe than Kylian Mbappe.

Not since Cristiano Ronaldo’s early days in Madrid have we seen a player more capable of dominating defences with an equally potent blend of skill and physicality. Whether it’s done by a shifty stepover or brute force and world-class pace, he has more tools to find a yard of space in a crowded box than anyone. Twenty-two goals in 29 league appearances in his debut La Liga season is an excellent return, but such is his quality that we expect much more in the future.

Mbappe has done it on the biggest stages (David Ramos/Getty Images)

When he inspired France to World Cup glory as a teenager, it appeared he was the immediate successor to Messi at the top. At 26, he’s yet to win a Ballon D’Or. Still, while the crown is not undisputed, Mbappe is the man in European football in my eyes.

Elias Burke

‘Clearly Barcelona’s most important player’

Yamal’s tremendous solo goal in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg between Barcelona and Inter showcased the teenager’s tremendous dribbling ability and outstanding shooting prowess.

Barca’s youngest player is already their on-pitch leader — his goal against Inter was the game’s key moment, coming with his team reeling at 2-0 down.

Over the 90 minutes, he had the most shots (6), most crosses (10), and most dribbles (6) of any player on the pitch. Only midfield colleagues Pedri and Frenkie De Jong had more interventions than his 102.

A superb fingertip save from Sommer denied him a second wonder-goal. He set up chances for team-mates Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo, his dummy distracted the defence for Raphinha’s 3-3 goal, and he hit the crossbar with a late cross-shot.

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You keep having to remind yourself that he does not turn 18 for another few months. But he is already clearly Barcelona’s most important player, nothing seems to faze him at all, and the really scary part is that he can still get a lot better.

Dermot Corrigan

‘Let’s not forget Rodri’

Please, let’s not allow injury to make us forget Rodri’s existence. The Manchester City midfielder was Spain’s key player in their European Championship win last summer and is the reigning Ballon d’Or winner.

If we’re talking about right now with the blinkered definition of a player who has literally kicked a ball in the last 48 hours, then it’s Yamal, sure. If we extend it to a player who has graced the pitch in the past week, it’s Salah.

Rodri has been absent from the pitch and maybe our minds? (Michael Regan/Getty Images)

But if we take a step back and ask who the best player currently operating is, the understated Rodri is that man. He may not play in the most heralded of positions, slaloming through and curving shots off the post, but his job is to play the position of two men. He does that at an elite level.

Only this week, he returned to Manchester City training and could return before the end of the season. Rodri, I remember you, and look forward to seeing you soon.

Jacob Whitehead

‘Is he better than Vinicius Jr at full tilt?’

In the maelstrom around Real Madrid’s Ballon d’Or no-show and banners mocking him this season, it seems we might all have forgotten just how good Vinicius Jr really is.

When he is on top form, nobody comes close — in a very literal sense. Just look at the host of right-backs the winger has left in his wake while racking up 105 goals for Madrid.

That puts him ahead of Ronaldo Nazario as the top-scoring Brazilian in Madrid’s history and is even more impressive given how much he struggled to find the target at the start of his time in the Spanish capital.

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Vinicius Jr was unplayable in the first half of this campaign, best summed up by his devastating hat-trick in a 5-2 Champions League comeback win against Borussia Dortmund.

It seemed the 24-year-old was on a mission to claim the Ballon d’Or, so perhaps it is no surprise he has failed to hit those heights since missing out on football’s most prestigious individual award to Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri in October (although he did win FIFA’s The Best award in December). The fallout did him and Madrid no favours.

Having another galactico alongside him in Mbappe has also taken some of the shine off his role for his club. Even so, there are few other players who can terrify an opposition defence in the way he does. When Vinicius Jr is at full tilt, you know something special is about to happen.

Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero

(Top image: Getty Images)

4/28/25 Champs League Tues/Wed, Liverpool wins EPL, Wrexham Wins League 1, Europa Thurs 3 EPL teams left

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Man I skip 1 week and lots of stuff happened. Awesome Scenes from Anfield as Liverpool clinched the EPL title at home Sat.  – my coaching buddy Bill is thrilled!! Christian Pulisic Scored (highlights) Saturday to notch his 50th goal contribution in 2 seasons at Italian powerhouse AC Milan. I will be glued to Fox Sports 1 Wed night 8 pm as Messi & Inter Miami look to overcome a 2 goal deficit at home vs Vancouver in the 2nd leg Semi-Final of the Champions Cup. Awesome story on Bodo/Glimt below – the Norwegian side playing at Tottenham is in their 1st ever Semis of Europa – located just 30 miles from the Arctic Circle they have just 55 thousand people. We’ll see how many yellow toothbrushes get into Tottenham stadium. Games kicking off Thurs 3 pm on CBSSN and Golazo & Para+.

Champions League Tues/Wed, Europa Thurs

We are down to the Final 4 in Champions League Tues with Arsenal facing PSG on 3 pm and Barcelona hosting Inter Milan on Wed @ 3 pm on Wed on Paramount plus. Kind of sux that these games are not going to be on CBS or at least CBS Sports Network – of course they are gonna make us pay to see these games. Anyway lots over coverage below on the game coming up Tues/Wed.

Tues Champions League
Arsenal vs PSG on Para+ 3 pm
Wed Champions League
Barcelona vs Inter Milan on Para+
Thurs 3 pm Europa League on Para+
Athletic Club vs Man United
Tottenham vs Bode CBSSN
Djurgarden vs Chelsea
Real Bettis (Cordosa) vs Fiorentina

We Are Wrexham Wins League One – Back to Back to Back

Cool seeing the scenes from Wrexham as they became the first English team to ever win back to back to back promotions as they won League one – just 3 seasons after being in the lowest pro division in English soccer. The TV show on FX should be really exciting when it comes out following Ryan Reynolds &  Rob McElhenney as they chronical the club they purchased 4 years ago. On to the Championship now just 1 league below their aim of the EPL. Stories below…

Indy 11 hosts Detroit City Wed Night 7 pm @ the Mike

Indy Eleven: 1-2-2 (+1) will face Detroit City FC on Wed night 7 pm @ the Mike.  Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster. Season, Flex Plan, Group, and Hospitality tickets are available here.  For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com.

GoalKeeper Training for Carmel FC Is outdoors
Coach James Pilkington will run sessions on Monday at Shelbourne 6-9 pm and Wed at Badger 6-9 pm. Keep your eyes here for info on the big Summer White Glove GK camp coming June 16-17 in Fishers. More info to come.

Always fun to ref with T Ray and Mike A – at The Girls Showcase this weekend at Grand Park. Got close to 30 miles on the legs reffing this weekend. Of course Nate Sinder’s Brisket was still the highlight of the weekend however. Best in the Midwest!

TV Games

Tues, Apr 29               Champions League

3  pm Par+                  Arsenal vs PSG 

Weds, Apr 29 Champions League

3  pm Par+, Uni          Barcelona vs Inter Milan  

7 pm ??                       Indy 11 vs Detroit City

8 pm Fox Sport 1       Inter Miami vs Vancouver (0-2) Champ Cup

Thrus, Apr30  –  Europa

2:30 pm USA               Nottingham Forest vs Brentford

3 pm CBSSN               Tottenham vs Bodo

3 pm Para+, Unimas  Athletic Club vs Man United

3 pm para+                 Real Bettis (Cordosa) vs Fiorentina

3 pm para+                 Djurgarden vs Chelsea

10 pm FS2                   Cruz Azul vs Tigrees  Champ Cup

Fr, May 2

2:45 pm Para+            Torino vs Venzia (Busio)

3 pm Peacock              Man City vs Wolverhampton

8 pm Amazon Prime   Washington Spirit vcs ACFC NWSL

10:30 pm Gola, Para   Seattle vs KC   NWSL

Sat, May 3

7:30 am USA               Villa vs Fulham (Robinson)

10 am Peaccok            Everton vs Ipswich Town

12:30 pm NBC            Arsenal vs Bournmouth (Tyler Adams) 

2:45 pm Golazo, Para Inter Milan vs Hellas Verona

3 pm ESPN+                 Barcelona vs Real Valladolid

2:45 pm Fox                Atlanta United vs Nashville SC MLS

7:30 pm Ion                 Portland Thorns vs Orlando Pride (Marta)  NWSL

9 pm FS1                     San Diego vs Dallas  MLS   

10 pm Ion                    Utah Royals vs NC Courage NWSL

Sun, May 4

10 am CBSSN              Monza vs Atalanta  

11:30 pm Peacock      Chelsea vs Liverpool  

1 pm CBS                    Gothan FC vs Chicago Stars (Naher) NWSL

2:45 pm Para+,           Juventus (Mckinney, Weah) vs Bologna 

7 pm Apple TV            Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy

8 pm Golazo, Para+    San Diego Wave vs Bay City NWSL

Mon, Tues May 7

2:45 pm Para+, FoxD Genoa vs AC Milan (Pulisic)

3 pm USA Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Nottingham Forest

Tues, May 6                Champions League

3  pm Par+, Uni         Inter Milan vs Barcelona

Weds, May 7              Champions League

3  pm Par+       PSG (1-0) vs Arsenal

7 pm CBSSN                Pittsburgh Riverhounds (Dick) vs NYC USL  

7:30 pm Para+              Philly Union vs Indy 11   USL

USMNT midweek viewing guide: Johnny in Conference League semis

A fairly slow midweek features Johnny and Betis in the first leg of a semifinal.

Wednesday

  • FC Barcelona vs Inter Milan, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, Univision USA, FuboTV, ViX: Diego Kochen may be on the FC Barcelona bench as they take on Inter in the first leg of a Champions League semifinal first leg.
  • Toronto FC vs CF Montréal, 7p on FS2, FuboTV, Sling TV: Jalen Neal and Montréal visit Toronto in the Canadian Championship.
  • Inter Miami vs Vancouver Whitecaps, 8p on FS1, TUDN USA, FuboTV (free trial), Sling TV, Tubi, ViX: Brian White and the ‘Caps visit Benja Cremaschi and Inter Miami in a Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal second leg. Vancouver leads 2-0 on aggregate.

Thursday

  • Real Betis vs Fiorentina, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Johnny Cardoso and Betis host Fiorentina in a Conference League semifinal first leg.

Also in action:

  • Mantova vs Cesena, 9a: Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena visit Mantova in Serie B.
  • Palermo vs Südtirol, 9a: Kristoffer Lund and Palermo host Südtirol in Serie B.

Champions League

FC Barcelona Vs Inter Milan: An Intense Battle of Giants in the UCL
Thanks to Flick and young stars, Barcelona are fun again as they eye trophy treble
How Mbappé’s arrival made Real Madrid worse, and his exit made PSG better
Inter Milan defensive mainstay ruled out of Barcelona encounter – 
Ligue 1 Review | Troubling signs for PSG ahead of Arsenal semi-final
Inter Milan handed major Thuram injury boost ahead of Barcelona clash
De Jong, Lewandowski, Balde: latest Barcelona injury updates for Inter 
Arsenal vs PSG predicted lineups, team news, analysis for Champions League semifinal first leg
Brazil Star Tipped To Start Barcelona Vs Inter Milan Champions League Showdown
4️⃣ things to look out for in the Champions League this week
How Premier League teams can qualify for Champions League, Europe this season

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

📊 Mo Salah sets new Premier League record with goal against Tottenham
🔬 The Debrief as Liverpool are crowned Premier League champions
Best Moments That Made Liverpool’s 2024/25 Season One to Remember
‘Congratulations, Liverpool – it took you long enough’
Premier League Glory Sees Liverpool Captain Praise Most Beautiful Club
Bernardo Silva believes Man City’s season cannot be saved by FA Cup or Champions League qualification
Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend
Mo Salah sets new Premier League record with goal against Tottenham

World

Wrexham clinches promotion to EFL Championship, notching third promotion in as many seasons

Wrexham clinches promotion to EFL Championship, notching third promotion in as many seasons
Ryan Reynold Excited for Wrexham SI
Real Madrid to send Ancelotti off with a proper farewell, will pay his full salary
Carlo Ancelotti to leave Real Madrid and take charge of Brazil
Serie A Table: Insane battle for Champions League, 5 teams within 3 points

Reffing

Official–French Referee Clement Turpin To Ref Barcelona Vs Inter Milan Champions League Showdown
Referee Michael Fabbri’s Penalty Horroshow In Inter Milan 0-1 Roma Clash Condemned As An Error By Italian Refereeing Association Chiefs
Starter Kit New Refs  

Shane, and T Ray at The Girls Showcase at Grand Park this weekend

GK

PSG Donnarumma’s weakness under the high ball could be exploited by Arsenal in CL semis
Great Saves Europa League Last Round
Save of the Week NWSL  
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 7
USL Championship Save of the Week – Week 6
Goal Kick Technique
How to Throw the Ball Properly  
6 exercises to protect your Ankles 

June 16th: 9-4 / June 17th: 8-3 12383 Cyntheanne Rd, Fishers, IN $595 Register

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Save 20% on these Succulent Ribs at Rackz BarBQ when you mention the Ole Ballcoach – Corner of 131 & Hazelldell. – Call 317-688-7290.

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Bodo/Glimt: How a team from a small Norwegian coastal town became European semi-finalists

ROME, ITALY - APRIL 17: Players of FK Bodo/Glimt celebrate in front of their fans, after FK Bodo/Glimt defeat Lazio 3-2 in the penalty shootout to progress through to the Semi-Finals of the Europa League, following the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 Quarter Final Second Leg match between S.S. Lazio and FK Bodo/Glimt at Stadio Olimpico on April 17, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Tullio Puglia - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

By Elias Burke April 30, 2025 The Athletic

Assessing the Europa League semi-finalists, there is a clear outlier in relation to European success.Manchester United are one of Europe’s most decorated clubs and won this competition in 2016-17. Athletic Club had spent six seasons outside European competition before this term, but they had been a fixture in Europe through the 2010s and reached the Europa League final in 2011-12, beating United en route. Tottenham Hotspur have not won a European trophy since 1984, but reached the Champions League final in 2019. Like United and Athletic Club, Spurs were grouped among the favourites to lift the trophy in Bilbao on May 21. For their semi-final opponents Bodo/Glimt, who knocked out Lazio in the quarter-final to reach the final four, the prospect of European glory is relatively new. As recently as 2017, Glimt were in Norway’s second tier — a footballing galaxy away from Old Trafford, the Stadio Olimpico or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After a season consolidating their position in Norway’s top flight, the club, based north of the Arctic Circle, finished second in 2019 to begin a rapid rise that has seen them become the nation’s undisputed top dogs.

Nikita Haikin saved two Lazio penalties in the quarter-final shootout win (Silvia Lore/Getty Images)

On their way, they collected four out of five Eliteserien titles between 2020 and 2024 and established themselves as a force in Europe, beating a Jose Mourinho-led Roma 6-1 in the 2021-22 Europa Conference League group stage, before thrashing Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic 5-1 over two legs in the play-off round.

This year, they’ve taken another leap, becoming the first Norwegian team to reach the semi-finals of a major European competition. It’s the club’s greatest accomplishment and the outstanding achievement of any Scandinavian side this century.

“Bodo is a small coastal town in the north,” says Lars Magnus Roys, a football journalist for Norwegian broadcaster TV2, based in Bergen. “There’s not really much happening in Bodo other than football. What they’ve done in the past few years has been just remarkable.”

Now they have their sights on Tottenham Hotspur, and what would be their most remarkable feat yet — earning a place in the Europa League final.

Unlike most of football’s recent risers, Glimt’s ascent has not coincided with a takeover from a billionaire or sovereign wealth fund. After yo-yoing between Norway’s second and first divisions for the decade prior, Glimt won promotion in 2017 and implemented a plan to revolutionise their culture and playing style — catching Norway’s biggest clubs with solid practise, not cash injections.

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Led by Kjetil Knutsen, promoted to head coach in 2018 after serving as an assistant, Glimt left a counter-attacking style behind and began dominating in the opposition’s half.

“The history of Bodo/Glimt until 2018 is that they were a counter-attacking team,” former assistant coach Morten Kalvenes told The Athletic in 2022. “So what we had to change at the beginning of 2019, to adapt but use that (counter-attacking history), firstly was to press higher as a team. Move the whole team much higher up the field, when the situation required it. When we were forced to defend low, then we defended low, but every week we were constantly looking for the signal where we can go from low to high.”

Inspired by the principles of Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa, Knutsen is renowned in Norway for his “murderball” training sessions, preparing his players physically to carry out the energetic style that has provided the foundations for their success.

Knutsen is inspired by Marcelo Bielsa (Andrea Staccioli/Getty Images)

“Kjetil and I had a few meetings working on the preparation before pre-season,” said Kalvenes. “He told me, ‘No 1: when we do pre-season, I want you to highlight especially one thing, and that is the training culture, the training culture, the training culture’. That meant we raised expectations. We raised the bar in structure, discipline, consistency, everything.

“What I noticed immediately was how the players were in training. I felt that I really liked the attitude of the players, how they were reacting to our coaching, how open-minded they were about the feedback, how — if we are training for one hour — then all 60 minutes are of the same level of intensity. What I mean is that if you do some simple passing drills at the beginning of the sessions, then you get the players as focused even when you’re working on simple details.”

Knutsen’s success did not come overnight, despite these principles in place. After winning promotion from the second tier, Glimt lost four of their first five games in charge, and outside pressure began to grow. Still, the club did not flinch, believing in the style and culture he was building.“It was never, ever a discussion internally,” says sporting director Havard Sakariassen. “The way I see it, if you know something about football, you saw the team was on a really good path. The way we played was much more dominant than the years before. We didn’t manage to score a lot of goals, but we drew a lot of games. It was more, ‘If you go, we all go’. That was the internal thing.This is not a big club with a lot of decision-makers. There is no owner here. Nothing like that. In core, during that period, we were 100 per cent certain Kjetil was the right man — and he knew it.”

A joined-up focus between the coaching team and the recruitment strategy was crucial to the eventual success. Without hordes of cash to hoover up Scandinavian talent set for stardom, Glimt have typically recruited locally.

Only one senior player, goalkeeper Nikita Haikin, who was born in Israel and represents Russia, hails from outside Norway and Denmark. Patrick Berg, their midfield fulcrum and star player, is homegrown and part of a family dynasty. Berg’s grandfather Harald played 12 seasons for his hometown club and won 43 caps for Norway, and his three sons, Runar, Arild and Patrick’s father Orjan, also played for Glimt.

Patrick Berg scored 10 goals for Bodo/Glimt in the 2024 season (Kent Even Grundstad/Getty Images)

There’s never a guarantee of success when signing a player, but recruiting almost exclusively from Scandinavia brings unique challenges. Of the eight permanent signings Glimt have made in the last 12 months, only Jens Petter Hauge has featured for their national team in the past five years. Like Berg, who left for Lens in 2022 and returned six months later, Hauge was re-signed from Eintracht Frankfurt after leaving Norway for a top-five European league and struggling to adjust. Placed within an environment that allows incoming players to settle, it’s no coincidence that Glimt players tend to maximise their talent.

“The logistics are really, really hard,” says Sakariassen. “But the main thing is how you work with people because I know that we recruit good players. We have seen the potential. If they come here and don’t perform well for the first or second month, or everything is new, we still spend the time, and we try to get the potential out of them. We work hard with the people we have, and we believe that when we bring people in, we can help them release their potential. But it’s hard, and everyone is trying to do the same.

“We have a clear way of playing, which makes it easier to recruit players. We play 4-3-3. The demands of each role are really easy to identify, so we look for players with an X factor, players who can make a difference for us in Europe. We truly believe we can develop players and those players can get to their full potential. We need a blend of older players with experience, younger players and those peaking in performance, but they all have to be able to handle the intensity we demand, and that can be hard for older players.

“I think it has a value in itself, in your life, to be able to play at this level in your home town, also with your friends. So I think the culture in the club here is something they really enjoy. Also of course, over the years, we have become competitive in Scandinavia regarding salaries and the business part of it. But I think it has to be rare to be able to play football with your mates at this level anywhere in Europe, and that has a value.”

Time, which allowed Knutsen to thrive in his first job in Norway’s top tier and brought the best out of players who had difficulty with the initial adjustment, is a privilege not often afforded to big clubs in elite leagues. There is some parallel with Athletic Club, whose Basque-only policy emphasises long-term player development, but Ruben Amorim and Postecoglou are under pressure to deliver in Europe after disappointing league seasons at United and Spurs, respectively. As the leading light of Scandinavian football, there is regional pressure to maintain their relative overperformance, but the freedom to operate outside the intense microscope their semi-final counterparts are subjected to has helped their evolution.

“There is pressure around us, but not in the way you see in other clubs,” says Sakariassen. “That pressure is not just something for the club, but also with the players. If you get a lot of criticism, it’s maybe hard to perform. Bodo is 55,000 people, and it’s on another level. So it’s probably easier to get out their potential and have some time here, too.”

Bodo/Glimt fans salute Knutsen after the win over Lazio (Giuseppe Maffia/Getty Images)

“For us, it’s to ride the momentum, and that means that we have to be a performing club all the time. We have to work on that and try to be patient with the players that we have, to have the time to grow. Normally, it takes even the best players that we brought in… like Albert Gronbaek, it took him six to nine months. Hugo Vetlesen, it took him one and a half years before he showed his full self in the team. So patience is definitely a part of it. And luckily, we have people with some patience.”

Gronbaek later became a Denmark international and was eventually sold for €12million (£10m) to Rennes after two seasons in northern Norway. Vetlesen left for Club Brugge in 2023 and made seven appearances in the Champions League this term. While performance in European competition has propelled them into financial parity with Scandinavia’s biggest clubs, there’s an acceptance that when players shine, there will be interest from more affluent and prestigious sides.

Given this success has been under the watch of Knutsen, clubs around Europe have their eyes on the coach, too. He was reportedly on Brighton and Hove Albion’s list before they appointed Roberto De Zerbi in 2022 and had interest from Ajax and Celtic the following summer. As he has been the guiding light through this period, there’s an element of the unknown if he were to leave Glimt, but the club is confident that their culture — akin to Liverpool’s famous “boot room” succession plan — is strong enough to continue rising.

“Of course, Kjetil is one of the key personnel here. But we are very team-driven, also within the coaching room,” says Sakariassen. “Of course, Kjetil will take the decisions at the end, but it’s a kind of a flat structure where everyone is cautious on the pitch. Also, the way we work with the logistics, it’s not one person who makes the decisions; it’s not me who makes the decisions and ‘We do it this way’, we do it together. So I hope that if somebody quits or for other reasons can’t work in the coming year, we are spreading out the knowledge that could be a good and sustainable path into the future.”

The future appears to be in safe hands but all immediate focus is on the Europa League semi-final. Three Glimt players are suspended for the first leg, including Berg, and an injury to starting centre-back Odin Bjortuft in their 3-0 win over KFUM in the Eliteserien could weaken their preferred starting XI further. Glimt have learned to be savvy in European matches and have impressed away from home this season, including in a narrow 3-2 defeat away to United in November. But on the artificial pitch at Aspmyra, they truly fancy their chances against anybody.

“I think we will have the same belief that we had against Olympiacos, Lazio, Twente — it is not an easy way to play Tottenham,” says Sakariassen. “I hope we don’t focus on the occasion, play the game, and dare to be ourselves. Of course, it is a massive game, the interest around the club and the games are massive here in Bodo too, but I hope we have and I truly believe we have all the tools to be brave enough to go out in London and just be Bodo/Glimt.

“The experience that we have gained over the last few years makes us more confident in situations like this. I truly believe in the team and hope we make two great performances against Tottenham. Starting away.”

(Top photo: Tullio Puglia/Getty Images)

Champions League semi-finals: Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of all four contenders

Champions League semi-finals: Breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of all four contenders

By Mark Carey and Conor O’Neill April 28, 2025 12:10 am EDT

From 36 clubs at the start of the season, just four remain.

After four quarter-finals filled with tension, it is Inter and Barcelona, and Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain who face off in two blockbuster semi-final ties.

While the remaining quartet still represent some of Europe’s heavyweight clubs, there is a refreshing narrative that is guaranteed to occur this year. Arsenal and PSG are still looking to win the competition for the first time in their history while Barcelona and Inter have not lifted the trophy for a decade or more. In a period dominated by Real Madrid and other English powerhouses, a new chapter is imminent.

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As things stand, Arsenal edge it as the favourites to lift the trophy with a 28.7 per cent chance of victory per Opta’s Supercomputer. In truth, the margins are paper-thin between the final four — and you could make a strong case for any of the remaining clubs to go all the way.

Where might each tie be won and lost? Allow The Athletic to walk you through the tactical wrinkles for each side, with the added inclusion of a few data nuggets to whet the appetite for this week’s matches.

Arsenal

Forget the Premier League, Arsenal are on a rampage in Europe.

Mikel Arteta’s men were good value for their victory against holders Real Madrid after progressing to their first semi-final since 2009 — showing different sides to their game in and out of possession across both legs.

For all that they have come unstuck against deep defensive blocks in recent seasons, Arsenal’s attacking style is arguably more suited to the Champions League as they face up to teams more willing to go toe-to-toe with them.

With greater space for their wingers to stretch their legs, Arteta’s side have doubled down on width when going forward in Europe. Of the remaining semi-finalists, Arsenal’s 24 per cent share of attacking touches through the middle of the pitch is the lowest.

Bukayo Saka’s return to fitness and form has been unanimously welcomed by Arsenal fans, with the 23-year-old having a crucial impact in Arsenal’s victory over Madrid. His two fouls drawn allowed Declan Rice to steal the headlines with his subsequent free-kick strikes, with a dead-eyed dinked finish at the Bernabeu capping off a pair of memorable performances.

The game in Spain took a different form to the first leg at the Emirates. For long periods, Arsenal set up in their typical 4-4-2 out of possession at the Bernabeu — staying compact to force Madrid into wide areas and rarely through the centre of the pitch.

However, there were plenty of occasions when this defensive shape dropped even deeper.

Such was the strong organisation that Arteta’s side showed out of possession that you could map different sequences dropping into a back five, a back six, a back seven, and even a back eight across the duration of their second-leg victory — with Rice or Thomas Partey dropping between the centre-backs, or Saka and Gabriel Martinelli tracking back to support their respective full-back.

While you would not expect Arsenal to perform in the same way across the entirety of their semi-final tie against PSG, there may be occasions when similar penalty-box defending will be required.

Given the fluid rotations of Luis Enrique’s forward line, Arsenal will need to ensure that they do not break their structure too often across both legs. Fortunately, Arteta’s side thrive out of possession, boasting the second-strongest defensive record across Europe’s top five leagues when looking at their 0.83 expected goals conceded per 90 minutes this season.

Add in the fact that Arsenal kept a clean sheet in their 2-0 victory over PSG during the competition’s league phase in October, and there is reason to be quietly confident of more memorable nights in north London and Paris.

Paris Saint-Germain

A second successive Champions League semi-final is not to be underestimated for PSG, particularly given the context within which Luis Enrique has achieved the feat this season.

A Kylian Mbappe-less PSG is one that is far more cohesive, co-ordinated, and coherent than recent years, and it is clear that this is the closest iteration to Enrique’s ideals — both in and out of possession — since he arrived in the French capital.

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A 3-1 first-leg lead over Aston Villa should have made for a straightforward second-leg at Villa Park but Unai Emery’s men gave PSG a scare with some aggressive, direct attacks through the heart of their defence.

“Villa never managed to equalise the tie but for 10 minutes, we wondered whether we could keep the ball, if we could get the ball out of midfield or play long,” Luis Enrique said after the game.

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“I don’t think this team has been so dominated by another team in that way, but this opponent has to take risks because they were going out of the competition. They attacked with great intensity and we were playing in front of a great crowd too.”

Many clubs can get swept up in the atmosphere of a Champions League night under the lights but PSG stood firm with some help from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma — and were deserving winners across the two legs.

Luis Enrique will be less pleased about PSG’s out-of-possession performance on that Tuesday evening at Villa Park, particularly when considering it has been one of the strongest parts of their game this season. A co-ordinated high-pressing approach has helped to force opponents to go long when building up as PSG look to regain the ball as quickly as possible and dictate the tempo of the game.

It feels disingenuous to discuss PSG’s defensive approach before acknowledging their incredible technical quality going forward. They might have had a slower start than they would have liked in this year’s Champions League but there is little doubt that they have clicked into gear at the perfect time.

Step off them and they have the technical quality of Joao Neves, Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz to pop the ball around you, with any of them dropping outside of the opposition block to kick-start PSG’s progression through the thirds.

Get tight to them and they have the individual quality to make some of Europe’s best look rather ordinary. For context, PSG’s 27.9 take-ons per 90 is more than any other side in the Champions League this season, with one-v-one specialists across the forward line.

It was less frequent at Villa Park but any one of Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will frequently rotate across the forward line and pop up in different positions across the pitch.

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Throw in the running power of full-backs Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi — both of whom scored in their quarter-final second leg — to support attacks, and it is often a case of picking your poison when PSG throw bodies forward.

Mendes’ goal was a perfect example of the razor-sharp threat that Enrique’s side possesses. Third-man running, one-touch play and maximum width across the pitch make for a devastating combination.

It is fair to say that PSG were a little undercooked in their October game against Arsenal but Luis Enrique’s men have hit top gear in the months that followed. With a(nother) Ligue 1 title sewn up and a treble-winning season still on the cards, the momentum is with PSG as they look to lift the Champions League trophy for the first time.

Barcelona

A 3-1 second-leg defeat by Borussia Dortmund was an anomalous result for Barcelona.

Their 24-game unbeaten run had ended but a four-goal buffer from the first leg meant that Hansi Flick’s side were never likely to be at full tilt at Westfalenstadion, managing the tie more so than the game itself.

As well as their three strikes, Dortmund had the ball in the back of the net twice more after Pascal Gross and Julian Brandt made deep runs behind Barcelona’s defensive line to race through on goal.

Both efforts were chalked off for offside but the events were a microcosm of Barcelona’s season under Flick with a brave high line.

The numbers to support this are staggering. Barcelona have drawn opponents offside on 68 occasions in the Champions League this season, which is comfortably the most of any team to have made it into the knockout phase. For context, Aston Villa are the second-highest on the list with 34 — exactly half the number with the same number of games played.

With an average defensive line height of 33.7 metres — the highest of any side to make it to the knockout phase — Barcelona’s choreographed approach out of possession has been highly refined under Flick.

That being said, there are signs that such an approach is fallible. With Ronald Araujo coming into Flick’s defence against Dortmund, Barcelona fans must still wince when watching the bravery that is required to play such a high line.

That approach will gain increased focus against Inter’s attacking duo of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram. While neither has blistering pace to run in behind, their neat combination play is enough to worry any defence in European football.

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Of course, Barcelona’s strengths far outweigh any weaknesses under Flick as they push for another historic treble. Going forward, the versatility that they offer makes them perfectly suited to knockout football — resembling Luis de la Fuente’s Spain national team during their winning Euro 2024 campaign.

On the one hand, Flick’s side are one of the teams most likely to play nine-plus passes per sequence in the competition, regularly circulating possession with the technical quality of Pedri, Frenkie De Jong, and (earlier in the competition) Marc Casado.

However, do not be fooled into thinking Barcelona simply pass teams into submission. The pacy threat and tireless running of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha means that Flick’s side can punish you in transitional moments.

Eight of their goals in the Champions League this season have come from direct attacks, the most of any side in the competition. They might not employ it as frequently as others — for example, PSG boast double the volume of direct attacks this year — but when they do regain possession, Barcelona can pierce through opposition defences in the blink of an eye.

Raphinha has had a career-best season in Spain with 12 Champions League goals to sit alongside his 15 La Liga strikes — but Yamal is undoubtedly the jewel in Barcelona’s crown.

Many superlatives have already been attached to Yamal’s name but the teenager’s unpredictability is one of his strongest traits in his fledgling career. When mapping his progressive carries in La Liga this season, you can see below that he is equally likely to cut inside onto his stronger left foot, drive outside to his right, or direct his runs straight towards goal.

Whether Yamal will have the same joy against Inter’s defensive back five is another story. Simone Inzaghi’s side are one of the toughest teams in Europe to break down and will often double up in wide areas against opposition wingers — whether it is a supporting centre-back or midfielder to drop in and help their respective wing-back out of possession.

For all of the incredible talent on display for both sides, keep an eye on the flanks across both ties.

Inter

Inter might be viewed as underdogs but no remaining team has reached a Champions League final more recently.

The core of that side is still intact, with eight of the starters from the 2023 final — a narrow 1-0 defeat by Manchester City — still at the club. That continuity has allowed Inzaghi to mould the most tactically distinct team left in the competition.

While the other semi-finalists are broadly defined by high pressing and front-footed play, Inter favour a more measured, controlled approach. Of the teams to reach the last 16, only Club Brugge pressed less intensely, as shown on the PPDA graphic below.

Instead, Inter are comfortable sitting deep, holding their disciplined 3-5-2 shape, and building slowly from the back. Their direct speed — a measure of how quickly a team progresses the ball upfield — is slower than every Champions League side except for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

This restrained approach complements their out-of-possession game. Like classic Italian sides of the past, they are comfortable defending without the ball — no team has conceded fewer than their five goals in this season’s competition. Inzaghi often speaks of Inter’s willingness to do the hard yards out of possession; ahead of their quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich, he predicted the match would contain “moments where we’ll have to suffer”.

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That proved true across both legs as Inter conceded the bulk of possession to Vincent Kompany’s side. While they rode their luck at times, Inter’s methodical build-up means they are rarely caught out of shape when they forfeit the ball. They have conceded just 0.18 xG from fast breaks and their xG per shot against is the lowest in the competition.

Yet their disciplined approach should not be mistaken for being unadventurous. Inter are one of the most fluid sides in Europe, with positional rotations a key feature of their possession play.

Nicolo Barella’s touch map in this season’s competition reflects that fluidity — nominally a central midfielder, he has popped up on both wings, in deeper defensive zones, and in the final third behind the two strikers. Inzaghi gives his players the licence to rotate freely, making Inter unpredictable in attack and capable of creating overloads across the pitch.

Another strength of Inzaghi’s system is the blossoming partnership it enables up top between Martinez and Thuram. A two-man strike force is increasingly rare in modern football, but it has given Inter a unique edge.

Before facing RB Leipzig earlier in the competition, Inzaghi spoke of the importance of “keeping our shape, and knowing when to pick our moments”. Inter’s first goal away at Bayern was a textbook example — and the telepathic understanding between the two strikers was pivotal.

After launching a quick break, Thuram played an intelligent backheel from the middle of the box into the path of Martinez, who finished with the outside of his boot, in what was a real contender for goal of the competition.Against Barcelona, Inter will again likely be limited to fleeting moments on the ball. But with their defensive discipline, tactical flexibility, and ability to strike with precision, they remain more than capable of posing a serious threat.When Inter faced Barcelona in 2022, Inzaghi said: “It is a very delicate match, where we have to show our teeth.”Expect the same again. (Top photos: Bukayo Saka, left, and Lautaro Martinez; Getty Images)

Christian Pulisic ‘gave a lot’ during AC Milan Coppa Italia victory – Sergio Conceicao

Christian Pulisic ‘gave a lot’ during AC Milan Coppa Italia victory – Sergio Conceicao

By Pablo Maurer April 24, 2025 The Athletic

AC Milan head coach Sérgio Conceição praised U.S. men’s national team captain Christian Pulisic on Thursday, saying he has “great confidence” in the midfielder.Conceição’s comments were made following Milan’s 3-0 win over rivals Inter in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals on Wednesday.Milan advanced to the finals with the 4-1 aggregate victory. A first-half brace from Serbian striker Luka Jović led the way for Milan, but Pulisic’s influence on both sides of the ball was also essential to the victory, according to Conceição.“He sacrificed himself for the team,” Conceição said in his post-game remarks. “He had a good game. We had to balance the central areas, he and Jovic were important on Asllani. He ran a lot, he gave a lot to the team.” Pulisic put in a 78-minute shift before being replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek. He had 41 touches during the match but lacked polish at times on the ball, completing 22 of his 28 pass attempts, though his defensive performance was sound. “Then it’s clear, he lacks a bit of freshness with the ball,” said Conceição. “When we spend more time without the ball, for players like Puli, it becomes more difficult. But I have great confidence in him.” Milan’s victory on Wednesday keeps their hopes of European soccer alive, with a spot in the UEFA Europa league awarded to the winners. Milan are in the midst of a bitterly disappointing league campaign and currently sit ninth in the Serie A table. The club are ever-present in European competition and have not missed continental play since the 2016-2017 season, when they finished seventh. They are eight points behind the final European spot awarded for league play. Those poor performances have put Conceição himself at risk. On Wednesday, he deflected questions about his own job security. “Conceicao is not important,” he said. “It is important to win against Venezia and then, when the final comes, we will be happy to do it. It’s not that we have already won it. I’m the same coach as two days ago, it’s not that everything is beautiful or everything is ugly. We need to find balance also on an emotional level, not just as a team.”

Milan will face the winner of Thursday’s semi-final between Bologna, who won the first leg 3-0, and Empoli in the Coppa Italia final at the Stadio Olimpico on May 14.What You Should Read NextBruce Arena questions if Mauricio Pochettino hire as USMNT head coach was a mistakeThe national team coach finds himself under fire again, this time from the most successful manager in USMNT history.

(Photo: Alessandro Sabattini / Getty Images)

Why this Premier League title meant everything to Liverpool

Liverpool fans celebrate` victory and the Premier League title following the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture date: Sunday April 27, 2025. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

By Simon Hughes

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April 28, 2025Updated 8:07 am EDT

When Alexis Mac Allister struck the goal that made Liverpool’s title feel that bit more secure, the noise that followed prompted principal owner John W. Henry to adjust his hearing aid.

Yes, this isn’t baseball, John. This is football and this is Liverpool, where Henry and an entire generation of Liverpool supporters were experiencing something for the first time. It felt like the roof on the new Anfield Road stand was about to fly off. The boom at the other end seemed to rumble from the bowels of the Kop.

All day long in the city there was a sense that the place was going to go up, and at the moment of reckoning the detonation was even louder.

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The central figure in this scene was the referee, Tom Bramall. For four minutes of stoppage time, the focus of the crowd fell on him. With a blow of his whistle, all sorts of words applied: pandemonium, euphoria, mania. Scouse men, old enough to have been around when this club became relevant under Bill Shankly, were hugging one another. “Finally,” one said, though he did not seem to be talking about this game, but a much longer story.

(Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

It is easy to frown at such language and descriptions. After all, Liverpool emerged as champions elect some time ago. All they needed to do was get a point against opposition that had not won at this venue in 14 years. Their football now is methodical rather than thrilling, not the type to stimulate enthusiasm among neutrals — if they exist.

None of that matters to Liverpudlians who, it is fair to say, do not really care for the impressions of others anyway. This team has created its own mini-jeopardies along the way, adding to the suspense, and that included Spurs taking the lead via a former Liverpool player in Dominic Solanke. Yet inside 22 minutes of that goal, Liverpool were 3-1 up. And that was very much that.

It was tempting to look at the pitch during the celebrations, examining the reactions of the players. But the real stuff was in the stands. And by that, I don’t mean Henry and Mike Gordon, the man previously tasked with the running of Liverpool, high-fiving one another, or Richard Hughes, the sporting director less than a year into the job, earnestly shaking the hand of anyone congratulating him.

Arne Slot and John W. Henry share a moment after Liverpool’s title win is confirmed (Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Nearby, the legendary defender Alan Hansen, having recovered from a health scare a year ago, was raising his fists. Hansen was the last Liverpool captain to lift the title in front of fans at Anfield. The tale after that achievement is well-told. Here are your medals. A few beers shared by the players. Enjoy the summer. See you in a few weeks’ time for pre-season training. We’ll be doing this again.

Except that did not happen. And even when it did, nobody was around to really share it. It explains why this meant everything.

To understand the scenes inside Anfield, you have to take a walk through the city and you have to wind back in time, stopping first at 2020. You have to stand at the Pier Head, overlooking the River Mersey, and remember the strangeness of the 24 hours after Liverpool secured their first title in 30 years.

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(Drew Jordan / The Athletic)

On the night that happened, crowds descended onto the streets around the stadium despite restrictions on mass gatherings owing to the spread of Covid-19. Dusk was settling and, within an hour, it was difficult to tell how many were there. Amid a whiff of cordite and the light of flares, shadows were everywhere. Everybody seemed faceless. There was energy and joy but the mood was thick with desperation and laced with danger.

Fans had to celebrate outside Anfield when Liverpool won the title in July 2020 owing to Covid-19 restrictions (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)

It was a carnal reaction, but it felt synthetic and, in pursuit of the real, the party trudged on. There was no official organiser for the Pier Head, but everyone seemed to know where to go. Local match-goers hung around chatting, reaching into plastic bags for warming bottles of beer. Songs went up and, eventually, a teenager from Southport attempted to change the pace by directing a couple of fireworks at offices owned by rivals, Everton. His mates cheered. Not many others did. After thousands of pounds worth of damage to the Royal Liver Building, an arson conviction followed. Liverpool had won the league but the response, in very unusual circumstances, felt a bit tryhard.

On a glorious Sunday morning nearly five years later, with Liverpool hours away from becoming champions again, it is easier to draw distinctions from the same, albeit quieter, setting about what the achievement means for club and place. Much can be gleaned from the Pier Head because of its connection to brown, scudding waters and the riches the river brought through shipping and trades as grim as slavery, which helped finance the resplendence of the civic structures marking its frontage.

(Simon Hughes for The Athletic)

The spread of wealth in Liverpool, however, was spectacularly uneven. By the 1840s, as its port grew to become the second largest in the British empire behind London, life expectancy on the shores of the Mersey fell to just below 26. Seventy-five per cent of young men who volunteered for military service were turned away for being unfit and many headed for the docks, where the work was casual. 

Unlike in the manufacturing towns of England’s north west, where shifts were brutal but income was steady, dockers from Liverpool would assemble at the gates of the shipyards twice a day not knowing whether they were going to be allowed in and ultimately get paid. On top of that, clocking-on times were determined by the unpredictable tides of the Mersey. Liverpool’s geography therefore contributed as much towards a less structured way of life as an overriding employment culture without contracts or certainty.

Its geography also accounted for enormous challenges after the heavy bombing of the Second World War, including the rise of containerisation, because the Mersey simply wasn’t big enough to accommodate ships increasing in size. By the end of the 1970s, Liverpool’s social and economic struggle was visible inside the stadiums of Liverpool and Everton, where attendances slumped despite a period of unprecedented success on the pitch for both clubs. In 12 of the 15 seasons between 1975 and 1990, the old First Division title was won by a team from Merseyside. Football offered salvation, but sites such as the disused Albert Dock, crumbling beside the Pier Head, became a symbol of decay.

https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/2yky8t1EfQIaYW6rcx7RZV?utm_source=generator

In 1981, prime minister Margaret Thatcher had received a memo from her chancellor, Geoffrey Howe, which proposed the abandonment of Liverpool through a process called “managed decline”. With Conservative popularity in the city collapsing as fast as living standards, her many critics in Liverpool believe that Howe’s recommendation was carried out. By the time Liverpool’s dominance of English football ended in 1990, you only needed to look around for proof.

That achievement came 12 months after Hillsborough, where 97 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death. Though authorities in South Yorkshire and centrally were to blame for the disaster, some of the deceased were still fighting for their lives when those responsible started shifting the focus away from their own failings, buttressed by support from craven sections of the media.

The subsequent fight for justice ran parallel with the story of the city’s football clubs trying to get back on track. In 2020, Liverpool’s younger supporters were close to experiencing something for the first time in their lives when events way beyond anyone’s control altered what felt right. It’s strange how moments you have rehearsed in your mind for so long end up with a very different script.

It was once claimed that the steel birds sitting on top of the Liver Building would fly away if Liverpool won the FA Cup but after that happened in 1965 for the first time, they remained and the team marked the achievement with a civic reception on the balcony of the town hall.

Bill Shankly addresses guests at a civic reception at Liverpool’s town hall in 1965 (PA Images via Getty Images)

There were huge crowds in all directions, choking Water Street, Dale Street and Castle Street. You would have thought that such a scene would be regarded as one of the most famous in Liverpool’s history. Perhaps that would have been the case had it not been for a reaction to a loss to Arsenal in the final of the same competition six years later.On this occasion, when the squad returned from London, they assembled on the steps of St George’s Hall, a mile or so inland from the Pier Head. Shankly turned to the 100,000 people in front of him, telling them that he’d “drummed it into our players, time and again, that they are privileged to play for you. And if they didn’t believe me, they believe me now.”Secretary Peter Robinson concluded the Liverpool manager’s power was total; that if he told supporters to “storm through the Mersey tunnel and seize Birkenhead, they’d have done it”. Yet the imagery from that day had a more profound effect because the fortunes of the club Shankly and Robinson guided was connected to somewhere other than Anfield.In defeat, the matrimony between manager, club and city had never been more visible. Shankly could say anything and his followers would believe it. You can imagine, then, the effect of his belief that the league title was the club’s “bread and butter — that’s what we want to win, all the time”.
Except for 30 years, Liverpool did not get there. Maybe that explains why, even with a 12-point lead at the top of the table and needing only one more, there remained some sense of caution in the city on Sunday morning. The “Liverpool Champions 2024-25” season t-shirts being flogged on the steps of St George’s were not exactly flying out. Liverpool had a slightly occupied feel to it. Everyone knew something was happening but until you got closer to the ground, it wasn’t clear exactly what that was.

(Simon Hughes for The Athletic)

The quickest route from the centre of the city to Anfield takes you via Scotland Road and through Everton, a district that defined the foundations of both of the city’s football clubs, as well as preconceptions nationally about Liverpool as a place. Everton has had several identities, but crucially in 1878, when the club that takes its name was founded, it was a desirable suburb for wealthy merchants who built mansions on the hillside and enjoyed the views. It was therefore more practical to build a stadium in the neighbouring borough of Anfield, but after a rent dispute 14 years later, Liverpool FC came along, pushing Everton further away from its roots and into Walton.

More development introduced a mass of terraced housing for working-class Catholic and Protestant communities and Everton became one of the biggest hubs of Irish immigration outside of Ireland. The influx contributed greatly to the way Liverpool feels about itself and how the rest of Britain tends to feel about Liverpool. A sense of otherness is at play on both sides. Some Liverpudlians do not think very highly of the rest of England and that augments the desire for its football team to prove itself as the best in the country.

From St Domingo Road, you can’t see Anfield, but on this day you knew exactly where it was because of the red cloud hanging over it. Ninety minutes before kick off, Liverpool’s squad had arrived.

Fans gather at Anfield before kick-off (Simon Hughes for The Athletic)

Closer more, in pubs like the Mere, the Grove and the Salisbury, it was impossible to avoid the chants of “We’re gonna win the league…” They were not quite saying they were champions yet. It was still too early. But a few hours later, it wasn’t.Liverpool were champions. Liverpool are champions. In the traditions of the past, it is now their job to keep it that way.(Top photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)

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The miseducation of Yunus Musah at Milan

USMNT and AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah

By Jeff Rueter April 22, 2025

Before Yunus Musah could collect a pass from Kyle Walker early in the first half, a Fiorentina opponent was converging. The quick action should not have come as a surprise for the 22-year-old. Musah’s stock rose on the back of some precocious play with Valencia and the U.S. men’s national team, particularly as a box-to-box midfielder. When presented with space into which to run, his athleticism and close-control dribbling has allowed him to quickly progress upfield. When presented with little room to roam, he has shown a willingness to keep it conservative and recirculate. On April 5, however, Musah was not playing as a number 8. Instead, AC Milan manager Sergio Conceição lined Musah up in a double-pivot alongside Youssouf Fofana, facing Fiorentina’s three-man engine room. It was a more withdrawn role than his preferred utilization, but the hope was that the similar role description would still set Musah up to succeed. Back to that ball from Walker. In the seventh minute, Musah was moving toward his defense to collect a pass up the channel from the England international. Fiorentina’s numerical advantage put Nicolò Fagioli in prime position to quickly pounce, and Musah attempted to dribble around the Italian. It’s a natural maneuver on the wing, but one that requires precise execution in the heart of the park. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t so nimble on this occasion. The ball trickled away from Musah and right to Fiorentina, giving the visitors a chance for an unexpected short-field counter. Another midfielder, Rolando Mandragora, collected the ball and caught Fofana in two minds about whether to converge or let off and pick up another defensive mark. It created enough time for Mandragora to bypass Fofana with a quick pass to Albert Gudmundsson, who dribbled toward the touchline and crossed in front of the goalmouth for a clumsy tapped-in own goal.

A brutal start for Milan 😳

Yunus Musah gives possession away and ends in a own goal for the Rossoneri 👀 pic.twitter.com/gjMwMOK1RS

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 5, 2025

Merely seven seconds passed from Musah’s dribble attempt to Fiorentina opening the scoring. After tracking back in vain, Musah looked to the sky in dejection. No teammate approached to console him.

Minutes later, Fiorentina doubled its lead. Musah had done well to recover and defend Walker’s usual terrain down the right flank, but when he forced his opponent to pass backwards, it was to a player standing where Musah would usually be in midfield. His unmarked cross flew into the box, leading to an easy squared assist for a Moise Kean finish.Even after his team halved its deficit, Musah was visibly shaken. In the 23rd minute, Conceição made a dramatic first-half tactical substitution, pulling Musah for another striker and dropping Tijjani Reijnders back into midfield. Although Milan rescued a 2-2 draw, this was a missed chance to make up ground in Serie A against a team directly above them in the table. It was also an awful shift for Musah, who has been an unused substitute in each of Milan’s two ensuing matches. As the 2024-25 campaign nears its end – and the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals vs. rival Inter Milan beckons on Wednesday – he looks to be a shell of the prospect who was among Europe’s most promising midfielders less than two years ago. For a player whose trademark characteristic is his smile, there’s been little to celebrate in a setback of a season.

At this point of 2023, Musah looked to have outgrown Valencia. Then just 20, he had drawn plenty of praise for his breakout performance at the 2022 World Cup, teaming with Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams to give the U.S. a coherent midfield trio. Musah didn’t have McKennie’s vivacious personality, nor Adams’ tireless work rate, but his technical ability and linking of both the defense to the midfield and the midfield to the forward line made him an essential part of Gregg Berhalter’s side. He had also become a mainstay for his club, logging 2,120 minutes in La Liga. By and large, those shifts came as a central midfielder, just as they had in Qatar. It was easy to see why Milan was among his suitors, as then-manager Stefano Pioli’s team had a clear need for a progressive box-to-box midfielder. They got their man, spending £17 million ($21.8 million) to sign Musah shortly after acquiring Pulisic.

While Musah was still filling other roles, especially out wide, this was the year that saw Valencia work to refine his game in the heart of the park. Previously, the club had alternated him between midfield and right wingback, enjoying his progressive dribbles as an outlet to build up the pitch. The concentrated focus in midfield helped show he could fit the role, and this was the year (and set of shifts) that ultimately won Milan’s favor. Throughout 2023-24, Pioli experimented more with a base 4-3-3 formation. It was a natural alternative to the 4-2-3-1 that Milan used heavily throughout Pioli’s tenure, and one that provided Musah with shifts in his preferred role. While Musah was needed to play other roles, from a deeper defensive midfield spot to a few roles along the right flank, he still logged much of his minutes in central midfield.

More importantly, it helped Milan to a second-place finish in Serie A after finishing fourth a year prior. However, Pioli announced his plan to depart the club as the season neared its end. Paulo Fonseca was appointed before the start of preseason in early June. Fonseca operated in a base 4-2-3-1, only sparingly shifting to a three-man midfield. Poor results led to his sacking in late December, with Conceição stepping in to start the new year. While his approach asked for more long balls and direct attacks than Fonseca’s, Milan still predominantly stayed in a 4-2-3-1 with a double-pivot at its midfield base. In Serie A, Milan has used a three-man midfield just three times since changing coaches. As a result, Musah has had less time in his preferred role than at any point of his senior career.

To understand why Musah’s ever-changing role could directly lead to his awful 23 minutes against Fiorentina, let’s strip the situation down to its basics.

Here is a young midfielder who was signed on the back of his box-to-box work. Currently, Milan does not play with a true number 8, leaving Musah to bring his approach to either defensive midfield or attacking midfield. The more advanced role invites a player to take more risks: more of the dribbles Musah enjoys taking, more high-risk passing. This is where Musah has spent the most of his time in 2024-25.

Against Fiorentina, those same actions (like the dribble leading to the own goal) are more dangerous when attempted in a player’s defensive half. There are fewer lines of teammates to bail someone out after a mishap, and less time to form a makeshift defensive shape. An opponent of their caliber will hardly be wasteful when such a gift finds them. Each role also asks a player to read a game in different ways. This isn’t a new issue for USMNT players at the club level, with McKennie and Pulisic having to change roles throughout their careers based on teammates’ availability and their coaches’ wishes. A young midfielder like Musah may drift even further from their eventual home as their athleticism outpaces their game reading. Before establishing himself as a defensive midfielder, Adams logged many shifts at fullback and wingback with his boyhood New York Red Bulls.Another midfielder on the 2022 World Cup squad, Kellyn Acosta, did similar time upon breaking through with FC Dallas. For years, his midfield shifts were scattered in between starts at either fullback position. In his “My Game in My Words” installment on The Athletic, Acosta recalled that shifts at outside back allowed him to “take multiple touches and find my pass” without the quick decision-making necessary to navigate a crowded midfield.“As I was younger, it was one of those things where you don’t want to make a mistake,” Acosta said in 2022. “You’re like ‘OK, I received the ball from my center back; the safe option is often to go back to the center back.’ Eventually, I started connecting passes and being more daring. I started being more comfortable with overlapping, finding space, taking shots, getting assists, crossing. As the games went on, I felt more and more comfortable.”Eventually, those reps were put into action as Acosta carved a role in midfield. Across 58 senior international caps with the U.S., the overwhelming majority were as a central or defensive midfielder.Of course, the 29-year-old Acosta has spent his entire career to date in MLS. With Dallas, the Colorado Rapids, Los Angeles FC and the Chicago Fire, Acosta has been a primary target each time he moves clubs. Colorado, LAFC and Chicago all signed Acosta to fill a specific role in their midfield.

When a young player like Musah leaves a relegation-zone side in La Liga for a Champions League qualifier in Serie A, his immediate role is best defined as “a squad option.” He’s there to patch holes, and the versatile skillset that made him seem like such a promising midfielder can be transposed to fill a lot of gaps as first-choice options are hurt, need a rest or are out of form.

MIlan's Yunus Musah and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior in the UEFA Champions LeagueMusah and Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior vying for possession in the UEFA Champions League. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Tack on Milan’s pair of coaching changes and sustained poor form over the last 10 months, and there’s no room for a coach to ride out a developing midfielder in hopes that time will refine his rough edges. The stakes are too high for Milan to exhibit that kind of patience, and players will be graded on the same pass/fail curve whether they’re young or old.ake a mistake like Musah’s against Fiorentina, and the ensuing first-half hook and two games as an unused substitute are a sad reality of the situation he signed on to enter.Playing for the best club possible still provides a player with trade-offs. For someone in critical developmental years like Musah, who hasn’t looked any more evolved than he did in Valencia’s most hapless stretches, it may be too great a sacrifice without a makeweight payout. Even the nature of this latest gaffe suggests that playing in the defensive half is too negative of an assignment given how Musah approaches the game. That dribble was his instinctive reaction to a converging defender, rather than a safer recirculated pass attempt or clearance out of bounds.Milan will need to retool its squad again whether or not Conceição is brought back. Musah’s name has understandably been in transfer rumors, with his status as a homegrown in England (after years in Arsenal’s academy) inviting links to Premier League sides like Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham.If Musah leaves, the global status of his suitors ought to be of secondary importance. With time running short before the 2026 World Cup, the priority has to be getting him into a situation where he can dependably earn the right to play in his preferred slot. If he can return to his best form and improve upon it with consistent playing time in midfield, he could ensure that Mauricio Pochettino builds his squad with Musah at its heart. If not, then one of the breakout players of the 2022 World Cup could be a non-factor altogether just four years later.

USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps says salary cap issue to blame for NWSL departures

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 05: Lindsey Heaps #10 of the United States celebrates scoring during the second half against Brazil at SoFi Stadium on April 05, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

By Melanie Anzidei April 19, 2025

USWNT captain and Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps says the NWSL salary cap may be to blame for some of America’s top players leaving the league for Europe.A small wave of Americans left the NWSL for Europe this summer, highlighted by Naomi Girma who became the first million-dollar transfer in women’s soccer. Girma left the San Diego Wave for Chelsea for a world-record $1.1 million fee in January.Speaking ahead of Lyon’s Champions League semifinal clash with Arsenal, Heaps called the cap an “ongoing issue,” when asked why Americans are coming to Europe.“There’s a salary cap in NWSL and I think that’s an ongoing issue there that hopefully can be changed or increased,” Heaps said at Lyon’s press conference. “It’s a factor in the NWSL and for players coming overseas.”Heaps will square off against USWNT teammates Emily Fox and Jenna Nighswonger, both defenders on Arsenal, on Saturday. She described the matchup as “so cool, so exciting and also very special for me, because these moments don’t happen a lot.”There are “a lot of things” that attract Americans to Europe, Heaps said. “You have two very, very good leagues. (When) you play a lot of time in the NWSL, like I did, I wanted a different challenge.“It wasn’t anything against the NWSL, but I wanted to come play in Champions League again. I wanted to play for a big club like this. I think I just needed a different kind of challenge.“Maybe that’s also what these players felt. Speaking with Nay [Naomi Girma], speaking with Jenna [Nighswonger], speaking with Foxy [Emily Fox], that’s what they need. That’s what they needed at the time.” At their recent national team camp, Heaps said she teased Fox ahead of their Champions League clash. “I was giving Foxy [Emily Fox] as much crap as I possibly could and trying to just chip at her a little bit.”She said it was “special” to see her U.S. teammate’s excelling in an environment like Arsenal’s. “To see [Fox] go and make that big move and play well and be a very impactful player for the team as well, I think that’s really special for me to see as a captain.“I want all of my players to be doing well – just not this weekend, I hope.”

4/15 Champions League Quarter Finals Tue/Wed, Indy 11 US Open Cup Wed 7:30 pm @ the Mike, US Ladies Split with Brazil

gatorbest , , , , , , , , , , ,

Champions League Tues/Wed, Europa Thurs

Its the Final game of the Round of 8 in the Champions League today and Wed at 3 pm on Paramount+ as Aston Villa is just 2 goals down to PSG in their home tally 1-3, while Barcelona will travel to the Big Yellow wall – Dortmund (we’ll see if Reyna gets time after being told he can look for a new club this summer) with a 4-0 lead. Meanwhile Arsenal take a 3-0 lead to Real Madrid on Wednesday, while Bayern Munich travels to Milan down 2-1 to Inter – both games at 3 pm.

Tues Champions League
Dortmund vs Barcelona & Aston Villa vs PSG on Para+
Wed
Arsenal vs Real Madrid & Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan on Para+
Thurs 3 pm Europa League on Para+
Man United vs Lyonnais & Frankfurt vs Tottenham & Chelsea vs Warszawa & Athletic Club vs Rangers

Around the World – Messi signs 2 more yrs w/Miami, Reyna free to go, US hosts 2031 WWC

Great news hearing that Messi has signed on to continue playing 2 more years with Inter Miami. In fact I am heading to Cleveland this weekend to see him play Sat vs Columbus at 4:30 pm. That means he will be there when Miami opens its new stadium next year and will be in Miami after the World Cup wraps up in the summer of 2026. Does this mean he’ll play 1 more World Cup for Argentina? Interesting to see what happens there – as Argentina qualified for the World Cup and pounded Brazil without Messi in the team. In other interesting news- Dortmund has given Gio Reyna permission to look for another team this summer. He’s gotten playing time but has not performed that well over the past few weeks. The US will need him in top form for the Gold Cup this summer. A must win event after getting pounded in Nations League.

Indy 11 host US Open Cup Game vs Miami FC Wed Apr 16 7:30 pm @ the Mike & on Paramount+

Indy Eleven: 1-1-2 (+1), 5 pts; 7th in Eastern Conference had their game at Hartford canceled on Saturday and will return home to face Miami FC in the US Open Cup 3rd round Wed night @ the Mike.  Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster. Season, Flex Plan, Group, and Hospitality tickets are available here.  For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com.

GoalKeeper Training for Carmel FC Is outdoors starts next week

Coach James Pilkington will run sessions on Monday at Shelbourne 6-9 pm and Wed at Badger 6-9 pm

Stepping up to the A team – at the Boys Showcase @ Grand Park Sat with Alex F & Brent – always good to learn from the Best.

Hey look who hopped in on a cold Sunday at Grand Park Dave Howard joins (L-R) Pedro, Shane & Ruiz)

TV GAMES

Tues – Champions League
Dortmund vs Barcelona & Aston Villa vs PSG on Para+ 3 pm
Louisville City FC vs. Loudon United FC on CBS Sports Network 7 pm US Open Cup

Wed
Arsenal vs Real Madrid & Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan on Para+
Indy 11 vs Miami FC 7:30 pm @ the Mike & Para+ US Open Cup

Thurs 3 pm Europa League on Para+
Man United vs Lyonnais & Frankfurt vs Tottenham & Chelsea vs Warszawa & Athletic Club vs Rangers

USMNT midweek viewing guide:

Plus Johnny, Tessmann, and Brown in Europa and Conference Leagues on Thursday.

Tuesday

  • Borussia Dortmund vs FC Barcelona, 3p on Paramount+, FuboTV, TUDN USA, Univision USA, ViX: Gio Reyna and Dortmund host Barcelona in the second leg of this UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. Barça are up 4-0 on aggregate after the first leg in Spain last week. Diego Kochen is often in Barça’s squad. Cole Campbell has played with Dortmund’s first team this season, but not recently, and he’s currently out with a minor injury.
  • Chivas vs Puebla, 9:05p on Peacock, UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV: Cade Cowell and Chivas de Guadalajara host Puebla in Liga MX.

Wednesday

  • Newcastle vs Crystal Palace, 2:30p on USA, UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV, Sling TV: Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Crystal Palace visit Newcastle United in Premier League action.
  • Monterrey vs Club América, 9p on TUDN USA, Univision USA, FuboTV, ViX: Alex Zendejas and América visit Rayados in Liga MX.

Thursday

  • Jagiellonia Białystok vs Real Betis, 12:45p on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV, ViX: Johnny Cardoso and Betis visit Jagiellonia Białystok in the second leg of this Conference League quarterfinal. Leon Flach has been a regular starter for Jagiellonia Białystok since joining from the Philadelphia Union in January, but Flach was subbed off due to injury only 5 minutes into Jagiellonia’s game on Sunday. Betis are up 2-0 on aggregate.
  • Frankfurt vs Tottenham, 3p on Paramount+, ViX: Nathaniel Brown and Eintracht Frankfurt are all even 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur after the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal.
  • Manchester United vs Lyon, 3p on Paramount+, TUDN USA, UniMás, FuboTV, ViX: Tanner Tessmann and Lyon visit Manchester United in the second leg of their Europa League quarterfinal, all tied 2-2 on aggregate.

Friday

  • Norwich vs Portsmouth, 10a: Josh Sargent and the Canaries host Portsmouth in the Championship.
  • Coventry vs West Brom, 10a on Paramount+: It’s a meeting of American forwards as Haji Wright and Coventry host Daryl Dike and Albion in the Championship.
  • Watford vs Burnley, 10a on Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, FuboTV: Caleb Wiley and Watford host Luca Koleosho and Burnley in the Championship.
  • Oxford United vs Leeds United, 3p on Paramount+: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds visit Oxford United in the Championship.

Also in action:

  • Middlesbrough vs Plymouth, 10a: Aidan Morris and Boro host Plymouth Argle in the Championship.
  • Sheffield United vs Cardiff, 12:30p on Paramount+: Ethan Horvath and Cardiff City visit Sheffield United in the Championship.
  • NK Varaždin vs Hajduk Split, 12:45p: Rokas Pukštas and Split visit Varaždin in Croatia’s top tier.
  • LASK Linz vs WSG Tirol, 1:30p on Onefootball: George Bello and LASK host Tirol in Austria’s top tier relegation group.


NWSL Schedule
MLS Schedule
USL Schedule

— US OPEN CUP ON TV —

Atlanta (April 14, 2025) – Paramount+ and CBS Sports are set to kick off their partnership as the exclusive English-language broadcast home of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer’s National Championship, with unprecedented tournament coverage, beginning with the competition’s Third Round this Tuesday, April 15, and Wednesday, April 16. The entire 16-game Third Round slate – and every match onward to the tournament Final – will stream live on Paramount+. Six of those Third Round contests will also be simulcast via additional platforms; fans can watch four matches for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network, while two more contests will air on CBS Sports Network. The full broadcast schedule for the Third Round can be found below.

CBS Sports’ Open Cup presence will be bolstered across both days with studio shows featuring host Nate Bukaty and analysts Charlie Davies and Tony Meola, along with Mike Grella (Tuesday) and Michael Lahoud (Wednesday). Coverage from the studio will begin with Tuesday evening’s U.S. Open Cup Preview, a 30-minute look-ahead to the Third Round airing on CBS Sports Network at 6:30 p.m. ET. The studio crew will also take fans around the country with live analysis and previews on the Golazo Matchday show, airing between games on CBS Sports Golazo Network both Tuesday (9-10 p.m. ET) and Wednesday (9-9:30 p.m. ET) nights – pending the finish of the network’s early-window match. In all Third Round contests, 16 clubs from the Division II USL Championship will enter the tournament against a Second Round victor. That latter group includes 15 professional teams spanning the USL Championship (4), USL League One (9), and MLS NEXT Pro (2), in addition to El Farolito, which for the second year in a row is the last club standing from the amateur Open Division.

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Broadcast Schedule – Third Round

Tuesday, April 15 (all times ET)

Columbus Crew 2 vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC6:00 PMParamount+
U.S. Open Cup Preview6:30 PMCBS Sports Network
Louisville City FC vs. Loudon United FC7:00 PMParamount+ & CBS Sports Network
Charlotte Independence vs. North Carolina FC7:00 PMParamount+
Portland Hearts of Pine vs. Rhode Island FC7:00 PMParamount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Charleston Battery vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC7:30 PMParamount+
Union Omaha vs. San Antonio FC8:00 PMParamount+
CBS Sports Golazo Matchday9:00 PMCBS Sports Golazo Network
AV ALTA FC vs. Orange County SC10:00 PMParamount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Tacoma Defiance vs. Oakland Roots SC10:30 PMParamount+

Wednesday, April 16 (all times ET)

Detroit City FC vs. Westchester SC7:00 PMParamount+
FC Naples vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies7:00 PMParamount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Indy Eleven vs. Miami FC7:30 PMParamount+
FC Tulsa vs. Phoenix Rising FC8:00 PMParamount+
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. One Knoxville SC9:00 PMParamount+
CBS Sports Golazo Matchday9:00 PMCBS Sports Golazo Network
New Mexico United vs. El Paso Locomotive9:30 PMParamount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Sacramento Republic FC vs. El Farolito10:00 PMParamount+ & CBS Sports Network
Las Vegas Lights FC vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC10:30 PMParamount+

A red-hot Third Round will have barely cooled off before the focus turns to the Round of 32/Round of 16 Draw, to be held this Thursday, April 17, as part of CBS Sports Golazo Network’s flagship program, Morning Footy, at 9:15 a.m. ET. Thursday’s Draw will combine a pair of Third Round winners with another pair of clubs entering the tournament from Division I Major League Soccer, all drawn from eight groups of four teams.  In addition to full matches and highlights, CBS Sports’ coverage will include studio programming on CBS Sports Golazo Network and the creation of ancillary content beyond games which will focus on markets and clubs in the competition, as well as the tournament’s rich history as the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States. CBS Sports will also provide additional Open Cup editorial coverage on CBSSports.com, the Golazo Starting XI newsletter and across its @GolazoAmerica and @CBSSportsGolazo social accounts.

About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

Now in its 110th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has crowned U.S. Soccer’s national champion since 1914. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and is open to professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the U.S. was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.  The 2025 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The 2025 tournament features a total purse worth $1 million that includes a $600,000 award for the champion.  Los Angeles Football Club of MLS is the defending Champion. The 109th edition of the tournament concluded on September 25, 2024, with LAFC beating four-time Champions Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles to become Open Cup Champions for the first time.

The official website of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is ussoccer.com/us-open-cup. Fans can also follow the competition on X/Twitter and Instagram @OpenCup and Facebook @OfficialOpenCup.

Champions League


Real Madrid’s greatest UEFA Champions League comebacks



Reffing

Tanner, Casey and Shane Saturday at Grand Park for the Boys College Showcase actually warmed up a tad
Man Nate our Ref Assignor makes the BEST BRISKET I have ever had- here’s Shane – eating waay to much!

First time reffing with Mike Strang along with Matt and me Friday at the Boys College Showcase

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Champions League projections: How Arsenal steadily became 2024-25 tournament favourites

Arsenal's English midfielder #41 Declan Rice celebrates scoring the team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Quarter final first leg football match between Arsenal and Real Madrid, at the Emirates Stadium, in London, on April 8, 2025. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP) (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

By Anantaajith Raghuraman 70 ril 15, 2025Updated 10:33 am EDT

Time can make fools of us all. Even supercomputers.

Barring some sensational results in the quarter-final second legs this week, there are probably only five teams left who can win this season’s Champions League (Arsenal, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Bayern Munich). That’s a significant shift from the start of the season when, before a ball was kicked in the new-look format, The Athletic’s Opta-powered projections had Manchester City (25 per cent) and Real Madrid (18 per cent) as the most likely sides to lift the trophy. How are those projections calculated, you ask. Well, Opta’s win prediction model estimates the probability of each match’s outcome (win, draw or loss) by using a combination of betting market odds and Opta’s team power rankings. The odds and rankings are based on historical and recent team performances and the competition in its entirety is simulated 10,000 times to produce a final projection for each side.But not even models can anticipate things such as Rodri’s season-altering injury for City or Declan Rice suddenly discovering he can take direct free kicks like a Brazilian.

If slow and steady really does win the race, then Arsenal’s progression to tournament favourites, per our projections, looks to be well-timed. Here’s how the fortunes of the remaining eight clubs have fluctuated throughout the season.

Arsenal

Arsenal began the Champions League campaign behind Manchester City, Real Madrid and Inter with a six per cent chance of winning the competition for the first time. A 0-0 draw at Atalanta on matchday one, combined with other results, saw Bayer Leverkusen (who beat Feyenoord 4-0) overtake them. The next three weeks brought a 2-0 win over PSG and a 1-0 loss at Inter. Few were thinking of Arsenal as tournament favourites at this point.

But they won their final four league games 13-1 on aggregate to boost their title odds to 17 per cent, tied with Inter and behind only Liverpool (24 per cent) before the playoff round.

PSG’s elimination of Liverpool in the round of 16 and Arsenal’s convincing 3-0 win in Madrid last week mean they are now the (narrow) favourites to win it all, with a 27 per cent chance.

Whisper it quietly, but Arsenal could go all the way (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

It’s been a frustrating, injury-hit season for Mikel Arteta’s side, but after enduring a six-season absence from European football’s leading competition, they could — and should — follow up last season’s quarter-final appearance with their first trip to the semi-finals since 2008-09.What You Should Read NextArsenal are forging ‘football heritage’ in both the men’s and women’s Champions LeaguesBoth Arsenal’s men’s and women’s teams are marching on in the Champions League, laying the foundations for sustained success along the way

Real Madrid

Despite starting the season as the reigning champions and second favourites in our projections, Real Madrid stuttered and stumbled through the league phase in uncharacteristic fashion after winning 15 of their 18 group stage matches in the previous three seasons.

They needed late heroics to beat Stuttgart on matchday one before losing 1-0 to Lille in France and 3-1 at home to Milan either side of a 5-2 comeback win against Borussia Dortmund.

A chastening 2-0 loss at Liverpool on matchday five reduced Madrid’s title chances to six per cent, with a seven per cent chance of league-phase elimination.

Defeat at Lille is one of several Champions League low points for Real Madrid this season (Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images)

But Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat Atalanta, Red Bull Salzburg, and Brest in their final three matches to make the playoff round, where they thrashed Manchester City 6-3 on aggregate. That boosted their title chances to 11 per cent, behind only Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal and Inter.

But a poor display in north London last week has seen that drop to less than one per cent. There have been Bernabeu turnaround miracles in the past, but Madrid have just a three per cent chance of making it into the last four as it stands.

Barcelona

Barcelona were level with Arsenal with a six per cent chance of winning the title before the season began. A surprise 2-1 loss at Monaco set them back, but a statement win over Bayern on matchday three, combined with comfortable victories against Young Boys (5-0) and Red Star Belgrade (5-2) meant that figure jumped to nine per cent — just ahead of Arsenal’s eight per cent — at the halfway point.Relive a statement winBarcelona 4 Bayern Munich 1: Raphinha hat-trick gives Hansi Flick a triumphant night against his former clubWe analyse the key talking points from one of the most enticing matches from the initial stage of this season’s Champions League

They ended the league phase with three wins and a draw to finish second, but Barcelona’s title chances remained the same before rising to 20 per cent — the best of the teams left in the competition — after their 4-1 aggregate win over Benfica in the round of 16. Despite beating Dortmund 4-0 last week, they are now narrow second-favourites to win the title (26 per cent) behind Arsenal, who they could meet in the final in what would be a repeat of the 2006 edition.

Raphinha and Yamal have Barcelona flying high again (David Ramos/Getty Images)

Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund scored 10 goals in their first two Champions League matches this season, prompting early optimism and doubling their title chances to four per cent from two before matchday one. It was false hope, though, as losses to Real Madrid (5-2), Barcelona at home (3-2) and Bologna (2-1) in the next five games saw them fall out of the top eight.

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They beat Sporting CP 3-0 in the play-off round but were given just a 38 per cent chance of beating Lille after the first leg of their round-of-16 tie ended 1-1. Even so, they came from behind to win the second leg 2-1 but saw title chances boosted to only one per cent after they drew Barcelona in the quarter-finals (with Bayern Munich or Inter in the semis, were they to progress). A 4-0 first-leg defeat suggests the projection model was spot-on about Dortmund.

Dortmund’s chances of turning over a four-goal deficit are reflected in The Athletic’s projections (David Ramos/Getty Images)

Inter

Having started the competition with an 11 per cent chance of winning it (behind only Real Madrid and Manchester City), the only blemish on Inter’s league phase was a 1-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen on matchday six. They conceded just one goal in eight matches and recorded impressive wins over Arsenal and Monaco, which boosted their title chances to 17 per cent (tied with Arsenal for second) after the league phase was completed.

Feyenoord were a mere formality in the round of 16 and while their last-eight tie with Bayern is the closest on paper at 2-1, Inter have every reason to be confident, with an 85 per cent chance of progression to the last four. Can the 2023 runners-up go one better two years on?

Inter’s late win in Munich has boosted their chances of overall victory (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Bayern Munich

Bayern began the league phase with only a four per cent chance of winning the title, tied for sixth overall. That instantly improved (albeit only by one percentage point) after they thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 on matchday one, the second-highest number of goals in a single Champions League game behind Dortmund’s 8-4 win against Legia Warsaw in 2016.

Defeats to Aston Villa and Barcelona then dropped their chances to three per cent and increased the probability of a league-stage elimination to six per cent.

A run of four wins in their final five matches saw them finish 12th. They required a last-ditch Alphonso Davies winner to get past Celtic in the playoff round but comfortably trounced domestic rivals Leverkusen 5-0 in the round of 16.

Even so, last week’s home loss to Inter has left them with just a two per cent chance of winning the title in Vincent Kompany’s first season in charge.

Can Bayern turn around their tie in San Siro? (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Paris Saint-Germain

If Arsenal’s projections have shown steady progress, PSG have experienced a huge surge. Having started the season with a four per cent chance of winning the tournament, they won just one of their first five matches, losing to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern while drawing with PSV. That left them with a 42 per cent chance of league-phase elimination and dropped their title chances to two per cent. It looked all but over for Luis Enrique’s side.

But a 4-2 comeback win against Manchester City breathed life into their European season, before a 10-2 aggregate destruction of Brest in the playoffs boosted their title chances to nine per cent. Defeating long-time favourites Liverpool on penalties in the round of 16 more than doubled it to 19 per cent and the 3-1 lead over Villa means they now have a 23 per cent chance of winning the competition for the first time.

If momentum wins you titles, then this season’s Champions League is surely PSG’s to lose.

Momentum is with PSG, but can they maintain it? (Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images)

Aston Villa

Aston Villa have enjoyed their Champions League adventure, which understandably began with a less than one per cent chance of winning the title. They had memorable results against Bayern (1-0), Juventus (0-0), Bologna (2-0), RB Leipzig (3-2) and Celtic (4-2) to finish eighth and avoid the playoff round.

Their chances of winning the title ‘improved’ to one per cent after matchday eight and peaked at three per cent before the quarter-finals got underway. But a 3-1 defeat in Paris has seen that return to less than one per cent, with just a nine per cent chance of even making it into the semis.

(Top photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

Jude Bellingham: Champions League comeback challenge ‘tailor-made’ for Real Madrid

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 26: Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid speaks to the media during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 training and press conference at Anfield on November 26, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images)

By Mario Cortegana April 15, 2025 11:16 am EDT

Jude Bellingham says the possibility of a historic Champions League comeback against Arsenal is a challenge ‘tailor-made’ for Real Madrid.The Spanish side trail 3-0 following last week’s first leg defeat in London but will still believe they can progress to the semi-final stage, having enjoyed multiple comebacks in the knockout stages in recent seasons.In 2021-22, Madrid came from 2-0 down on aggregate to eliminate Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 and defeated Manchester City in the last four, despite trailing 5-3 on aggregate going into the final minute of the second leg.Bellingham, who was part of the Madrid squad that won the 2023-24 Champions League following two late goals to eliminate Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, was asked ahead of Arsenal’s visit what the most-repeated word in the dressing room was this week.“‘Remontada’ (Spanish for comeback),” Bellingham said. “Honestly, I’ve heard it a million times this week, I’ve seen a lot of videos on social media, and I’ve also heard it from you, the press.“It’s a night tailor-made for Madrid.”

Bellingham was then asked at what point Madrid’s players began believing in the possibility of a comeback.What You Should Read NextReal Madrid’s board must shoulder some blame for Arsenal thrashing – it’s not all on Carlo AncelottiIt is easy to single out the manager for Tuesday’s collapse, but he has been calling for reinforcements since the middle of last season

“Honestly, after the game it’s complicated because you have that difficult moment, analysing what you haven’t done well,” the England international said.“But as you talk about it and you see the confidence you get into all that. We have had previous experiences. These feelings are contagious. It was almost immediate, on the bus, even though we weren’t like we are now.”

Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti called on his side to play “with our heads, with heart and with guts”, while also speaking of the importance of using a “cool head”.“Madrid have all the resources to turn this tie around: quality, commitment, experience, the fans,” Ancelotti said.“We have to get the best out of each and every one of us. In previous years it’s not that people said we played spectacularly, and maybe that’s true because we want to be effective rather than spectacular.”Madrid will return to La Liga action four days after the Arsenal visit as they host Athletic Club of Bilbao.What You Sh

USMNT Player Tracker: Carter-Vickers’ piledriver, Pulisic the assist king and Richards’ consolation

USMNT Player Tracker: Carter-Vickers’ piledriver, Pulisic the assist king and Richards’ consolation

By Greg O’Keeffe April 14, 2025

It was another busy weekend for the United States’ contingent of players across Europe’s major leagues, as Cameron Carter-Vickers moved tantalisingly close to becoming the season’s first American title winner, Christian Pulisic got back to business and Malik Tillman’s comeback continued apace.Jump into this week’s analysis of how the USMNT emigres are faring as we run the rule over their fortunes ahead of a key summer.

Carter-Vickers unleashes hell

In another memorable season for Celtic, Cameron-Carter Vickers created one for the highlights reel on Saturday.The centre-back is on the brink of a fourth title winner’s medal in as many years in Scotland, and it is now a matter of when, not if, Brendan Rodgers’ side are crowned champions. That would have happened already had 10-man Rangers not mounted an unlikely recovery to secure a 2-2 away draw against Aberdeen on Sunday. Their 97th-minute equaliser is merely delaying the inevitable, though.During Celtic’s 5-1 demolition of Kilmarnock the previous day, Carter-Vickers scored a goal that he — or any of his team-mates — will do well to better before the end of the campaign.It was his first of the season and he did it in style: carrying the ball forward unchecked before unleashing an unstoppable long-range strike into the top right of the goal.t’s not the sort of thing you’d associate with the 27-year-old — as demonstrated by team-mate Alistair Johnston’s priceless reaction, looking completely stunned with his hands on his head.It had to be good simply to be considered the best finish of the game, as Celtic’s Japanese midfielder Reo Hatate had earlier scored his own contender for goal of the season from a similar range. But given Hatate is more of an attacking player with nine goals and four assists to his name already in the current campaign, we’re inclined to give the American’s stunner the edge.

Carter-Vickers celebrates with his Celtic team-mates (Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)

From a USMNT point of view, it can only be a positive that a defender who appears to be part of Mauricio Pochettino’s plans — he featured in both of March’s Concacaf Nations League finals matches — is developing a consistent winning mentality with his club.“Before I came here, I played five seasons in the Championship down in England and that league is a lot more win, win, lose, lose,” he told the Daily Record, recalling his previous spells at Bournemouth, Luton Town, Stoke City, Swansea City, Ipswich Town and Sheffield United in England’s second tier while on Tottenham Hotspur’s books.“As a player, I’m used to not necessarily winning all the time and I understand that it’s actually very hard to win all the time, no matter who you’re playing. It’s definitely something we’ve done well over the last few years and something we want to continue to do.

“We’ve got one cup (the Scottish League Cup) in the bag so far, and are in a good position to get two more trophies domestically. Our Champions League campaign was a decent one and we showed we could compete at that level. Now you want to finish it in style.”It might be that winning the Scottish Premiership is less difficult than securing the title in some other top-flight leagues — Celtic have been its champions in 10 of the past 11 seasons — but for Carter-Vickers and U.S. team-mate, new father Auston Trusty, a regular who was on the bench at the weekend, it will be a first title with a predominantly American central defence.What You Should Read NextForty years of dominance and a 55th title on ice, but Scottish football is more than just Rangers and CelticCeltic will have to wait a little longer to draw level with Rangers on 55 league titles after late drama at Aberdeen delayed the inevitable

Pulisic and Leao’s creative tete-a-tete

In Italy, Milan’s season continues with more ups and downs than recently endured by the stock exchange.They may still be outsiders to qualify for next season’s Champions League, but Milan can at least continue to rely on Christian Pulisic. The USMNT star created his side’s second goal, with a dangerous corner kick, during a 4-0 away win against Udinese on Friday.It was Pulisic’s 10th league assist of the season (he has 11 in all competitions) and continues a friendly competition with influential team-mate Rafael Leao over which of them can emerge this season as the Milan squad’s most prolific provider.

Pulisic prepares to take a corner at Udinese (Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“We have a good competition between the two of us,” Pulisic told DAZN after Portugal international Leao also grabbed a goal and assist against Udinese. “He’s fantastic when he plays like that.”

Milan are in ninth, eight points behind Weston McKennie and Tim Weah’s Juventus, the team currently occupying fourth spot, which is the last place in Serie A that brings Champions League qualification.

Chris Richards’ silver lining

It may not have been as spectacular as another U.S. defender’s goal at the weekend but, in the Premier League, Chris Richards was in on the act, too.The Crystal Palace centre-half was in the right place to guide in Adam Wharton’s corner from close range to put his team 2-0 up at Manchester City on Saturday.It was his first Premier League goal of the season and the highlight of a solid performance — for the 25-year-old at least. That 21st-minute header was about as good as it got for the Londoners, with City turning it around thereafter and going on to win 5-2, a rare setback in recent weeks for Oliver Glasner’s otherwise upwardly mobile outfit.“We just didn’t do everything to the highest level,” he told TNT Sports after the game. “That is what we’ve done so well, for the last probably two or three months. We’ve been really strong defensively and we’ve taken our chances up front.“We definitely want to be fighting for one of those (European) spots. We still can do it in the league and we can also do it in the cup. We just want to take them one game at a time. But I think everybody can see the European spots are up for grabs right now.“So we can’t let it dent our confidence. We have four or five more games in the next two weeks. We are disappointed with today, but we have a chance to get a little bit of retribution on Wednesday.”

As he says, Palace can make amends in midweek, albeit they face another difficult away game — against Champions League-chasing Newcastle United.

Richards nods in Palace’s second at the Etihad Stadium (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Jeff Rueter’s graphic of the weekend

How did other U.S. players get on?

Name: Josh Wynder
Club: Benfica
Position: Defender
Appearances (all competitions): 1

The 19-year-old celebrated a landmark in his promising Benfica career by making his senior bow for the Portuguese giants in the nation’s top knockout cup competition last week.

Wynder came on in the 76th minute of a 5-0 victory at fourth-division Tirsense, and gave a good account of himself. The Kentucky-born centre-back, who has had one senior USMNT call-up so far, is said by Portuguese media to be in contention for more regular first-team football at the Estadio da Luz next season.Name: Gio Reyna
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Midfielder
Appearances: 22

How Reyna must pine for the days of youthful potential being enjoyed by Wynder in Lisbon. While he’s not exactly long in the tooth at 22, it does seem a while ago that we spoke of the USMNT playmaker in those terms — in European football at least. The promise of Reyna’s time in the Bundesliga has flatlined this season and he was an unused sub again on Saturday, as Dortmund got a 2-2 away draw against league leaders Bayern Munich. He hasn’t played in the league now since March 1 and three different managers, in a turbulent season for the club, have yet to consider him a regular. Reyna does tend to get more action in the Champions League, and played 22 minutes of Dortmund’s 4-0 quarter-final first-leg thumping at Barcelona last week. There might be another runout in the second leg at home on Tuesday with the tie surely already over, but the noise about him needing to move on in the summer if he wants regular football is only increasing.

Reyna, centre, in training at Dortmund (Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images)

Name: Malik Tillman
Club: PSV
Position: Midfielder
Appearances: 29
Goals: 13

Having scored on his first start in almost three months against Groningen, Tillman continued his encouraging comeback from an ankle injury with another goal — this time it was a tap-in, but they all count — in Saturday’s 5-0 thrashing of Almere City. It may be too late to help PSV retain their Dutch league title, with Ajax nine points ahead of them in first place and only five games to go, but Tillman’s impressive return will be good news for Pochettino.he goal aside, there was plenty to like in his performance against Almere: backheels, smart interventions and two almost-assists.

What’s coming up?

(All Eastern Time)

He may have been frustrated again at the weekend, but Reyna might get another chance to impress new coach Niko Kovac and show what he can do on the biggest stage when Barcelona come to town on Tuesday (3pm, Paramount +). It’s hard to see Dortmund overturning a 4-0 first-leg deficit in the second leg of this Champions League quarter-final, even with home advantage, but Kovac was buoyed by the weekend’s draw with Bayern and wants to see his players continuing to perform as they did in Munich. “We have to do more. Against top teams, you have to push yourself to the limit, which we didn’t do in Barcelona,” he said.Speaking of tough tasks, that daunting trip to Newcastle we mentioned for Palace and Richards is on Wednesday (2.30pm, USA/Universo). Despite the eventual scoreline, there were flashes of promise in Palace’s loss at outgoing champions City, and Richards and company have shown the sort of spirit this season which suggests they won’t let that result get them down for too long.Manchester United’s blundering campaign continues to implode and it’ll be interesting to see if Tanner Tessmann gets the chance to make things worse for the Premier League giants in the finely-balanced second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Lyon at Old Trafford on Thursday. It finished 2-2 in the first leg in France and, while Tessmann wasn’t involved, he came off the bench in Sunday’s 3-1 Ligue 1 defeat of Auxerre and will hope for more minutes against Ruben Amorim’s men.It should be a simpler Thursday evening for Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis in their UEFA Conference League quarter-final’s second leg. They beat Jagiellonia Bialystok 2-0 in the first game and head to Poland for the decider smarting from a 2-1 loss against Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday, when Cardoso was taken off after 71 minutes.(Top photos: Getty Images)

For Pochettino and USMNT, Gold Cup is a time to reboot, not experiment

USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino

By Felipe Cardenas April 11, 2025Updated April 14, 2025 The Athletic

When Gregg Berhalter took a largely MLS-based squad to the 2021 Gold Cup, the decision was part of Berhalter’s grand plan to expand the U.S. player pool ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Momentum was on his side. Berhalter had celebrated a Concacaf Nations League title over Mexico (a 3-2 extra-time win in Denver) with his full senior roster, and the young Americans were viewed as a promising generation of European-based players ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.The nominal U.S. B-team reached that Gold Cup final and handed a veteran Mexico side a second consecutive final defeat to lift the continental trophy. It was arguably the highest point of Berhalter’s tenure. The squad’s depth was celebrated, and the U.S. was hands down the strongest team in the region.Four years later, the tides have turned against the Americans. The U.S. is drowning in a sea of heightened expectations ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which it will co-host with Mexico and Canada. Manager Mauricio Pochettino, after just eight games in charge, is in need of a signature win after the U.S. finished fourth in the Nations League finals.The Europe-based players, led by Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Tim Weah and Weston McKennie, are under increased pressure after their poor performances in Los Angeles in March. The unheralded U.S. team at the 2021 Gold Cup showed fight and grit in their defeat of Mexico, something that has been lacking ever since Pochettino replaced Berhalter last fall.It will all come to a head in June when the U.S. faces Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti and guest nation Saudi Arabia in Concacaf’s premier tournament, with the groups confirmed in Thursday night’s draw.

Make no mistake: the U.S. has to win this Gold Cup. And Pochettino has to take his strongest-possible squad, not an experimental one. He is in dire need of positive energy and will have no excuses as the U.S. will once again play a tournament comfortably held on U.S. soil. The Americans won’t face hostile crowds unless a matchup against Mexico materializes in the knockout rounds. But they wouldn’t face Mexico in Guadalajara or in Mexico City. The U.S. will still be at home – not that it was much of a help in last summer’s pre-Pochettino Copa América or last month’s Nations League finals.

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Nevertheless, the group is beyond manageable. If an overconfident or uninterested U.S. team flops this summer, the pitchforks won’t necessarily be out for Pochettino, but his reputation, and that of the players, will take another hit. No matter how secure his job is, or how large his contract buyout may be, Pochettino must lead the U.S. to a trophy. Not to save his job, but, rather, to fend off the growing sense of negativity around the senior national team – at a time when galvanizing the country around this team is paramount.His previous record as a manager who punched above his weight in Europe made for a nice story when he was hired by U.S. Soccer. Right now, however, his inexperience at the international level, and his lack of knowledge of American soccer and the types of players the country produces, is shining far brighter than his résumé.Pochettino looked befuddled at his players’ casual approach in losses to Panama and Canada last month. He was at a loss of words and asked the American soccer public to have patience just 426 days before the 2026 World Cup.“I don’t want the people to feel pessimistic,” Pochettino said after the 2-1 loss to Canada in the Nations League third-place game at SoFi Stadium. “Disappointed? Disappointed, we are all. And the fans need to feel the disappointment that we didn’t win. But I don’t want to allow (them) to feel pessimistic, because I think we have good players. We are going to find a way to perform. And for sure we are going to compete in a different way. And (at) the end, we are going to get different results than Thursday and today.”

USMNT star Christian PulisicChristian Pulisic and the USMNT struggled in the Nations League finals. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Because Borussia Dortmund and Juventus will participate in the Club World Cup this summer, Pochettino will be without playmaker Gio Reyna, who plays sparingly for the German club, and McKennie and Weah, who are key players for the Serie A giant. FIFA has given participating clubs player priority over national teams, so barring any transfers, they won’t be available. Pulisic, however, will be, as AC Milan is not in the Club World Cup. If Pochettino is thinking about giving Pulisic the summer off, he should reconsider.Pulisic didn’t end the Nations League unscathed. His performances were muted as team captain. His messaging, though, was on point, albeit it painfully obvious after a tremendously disappointing tournament. Pulisic should not be given a pass this summer.

“Obviously, the feeling is not good right now,” he said after last month’s loss to Canada. “We need to turn it around and we can hopefully build some momentum this summer, because we really do need it and with big, big tournaments ahead.”

For whatever reason, the Gold Cup has gradually lost its prestige. Nations League has soaked up the narratives and is growing in popularity, despite its young history as an official competition. That should not matter. The Gold Cup will be the last opportunity for Pochettino to test his players in a tournament environment before their opening match at the World Cup. Certain places on the squad, namely in midfield, at center forward, at center back and at goalkeeper, should be up for grabs.

That puts Pochettino in a complex position. If he’s going to experiment, he better get it right. If he’s going to demote a player, say like starting goalkeeper Matt Turner, the replacement has to elevate the team. If Real Salt Lake No. 10 Diego Luna is viewed as a viable alternative for a World Cup-bound team, then the 21-year-old must take a major stride as a creative player this summer. In Los Angeles last month, the U.S. side was void of leadership on the pitch.

“The mentality has to change,” Adams said before the Canada game. “We’ve had good talks about where we are and where we need to go, just an honest evaluation and then there needs to be a response.”

There wasn’t a response against Jesse Marsch’s Canadian side. Adams talked like a team leader, but he was among the squad’s most subpar performers. The Gold Cup will be a referendum for the Bournemouth midfielder, as well. The expectation is that he will be joined by fellow Premier League standout Antonee Robinson.

Fulham's Antonee Robinson and Liverpool's Mohamed SalahU.S. fullback Antonee Robinson was hailed for his performance against Liverpool and Mohamed Salah. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images)

The 27-year-old missed Nations League through injury, but he has since reclaimed his starting position with Fulham, and is widely considered as one of the best left backs in England. Robinson’s direct play, speed and service were missed last month, and Pochettino will be relieved if Robinson is fit for competition this summer. He has no like-for-like replacement on the U.S., and, along with Pulisic, Robinson will be counted on at the Gold Cup to provide a higher level of play in a key position.

When Pochettino was hired, the Gold Cup was viewed as an important dress rehearsal before the 2026 World Cup. After underperforming at the Nations League, this is no time to experiment with the player pool. The U.S. and Pochettino must now approach the Gold Cup as a test of their dwindling fortitude. Regional foes like Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Canada are eagerly waiting for an opportunity to bury the Americans in their own mediocrity.

If Pochettino and his players don’t punch back this summer, the pessimism that the former Tottenham manager wants to stamp out will further engulf a program that’s swinging and missing more often than expected.What You Should Read NextUSMNT frustrations boiling over as World Cup clock keeps on tickingExpectations of this U.S. group are growing, especially with a World Cup on home soil. So why does it feel like progress has been stunted?

(Top photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

Emma Hayes is putting her USWNT players in the frying pan. Who can handle the heat?

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 08: United States head coach Emma Hayes, Sam Coffey #17 of the United States and Crystal Dunn #19 of the United States during pre-game activities prior to game vs Brazil at PayPal Park on April 08, 2025 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

By Tamerra Griffin 41 ril 9, 2025

Compared to the bright, breezy environment of SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for game one, the United States women’s national team’s (USWNT) swift rematch with Brazil at San Jose’s PayPal Park carried an inverted energy, atmospherically and competitively. The latter ended in a 2-1 defeat for the U.S. before a packed house of 18,000 in California’s Bay Area on Tuesday night, the booming, sold-out crowd competing with the periodic sound of planes touching down at the nearby airport. The first, in the sunshine of Saturday afternoon, brought 32,303 people to a venue that holds 70,000 to see what turned out to be a secure 2-0 win for the hosts.Match two also embodied the classic traits of a return fixture against the same opponent, with noticeable changes to the previous lineup. But as U.S. head coach Emma Hayes has reiterated throughout this window, experimentation was going to be the prevailing theme of these two fixtures. She is working toward identifying a core group of players by the end of June who will eventually compete in the 2027 World Cup.“I wanna put players in the frying pan and I want you to feel the heat,” Hayes said in her post-game news conference late Tuesday night. “This camp was always about expanding and experimenting (with) that player pool. I really feel like that is becoming so clear to me on which players I think are really ready for us right now, which ones are not.”With that mandate, this could, arguably, have been a period better enjoyed behind closed doors for the team.Of the 22 players (including alternates) selected for the 2024 Olympics, headlined by Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman as the Triple Espresso forward line, only 10 made the most recent roster. The starting 11 on Tuesday averaged just 17 caps and formed the youngest USWNT roster in 24 years. It was bound to look as challenging as it felt — especially when that group, unlike Saturday’s squad, was tasked with handling 2023 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) MVP Kerolin Nicoli for 90-plus minutes.

Brazil’s Kerolin Nicoli was a threat all evening. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

When caterpillars retreat to their cocoons, part of the process of transformation can be aesthetically unbecoming and grotesque. For the USWNT, though, that metamorphosis is happening in real-time and out in public view. The revolution is being televised, and Hayes is unconcerned with how it might look to an untrained eye.“We could play 11 relatively experienced players now and build those connections, there’s no problem,” Hayes had told reporters on Friday. “But if we get to a World Cup in two years and all of a sudden, an Ally Sentnor or Lily Yohannes are completely underprepared, then you’re going to say, ‘Well, why didn’t we give them the opportunities in that period?’”Hayes shared that Sentnor — a 21-year-old striker and No. 1 NWSL draft pick of the Utah Royals in 2024 who is known for scoring long-range bangers — had told her that February’s SheBelieves Cup finale, which saw the USWNT fall to Japan 2-1, had been the most difficult game she’d played in her career. The manager also pointed out Yohannes, whose skill and promise as a midfielder became popular knowledge following her Champions League debut at 16 (she is now 17) for Dutch club Ajax, had not been involved in the U.S. youth national team system very long and thus has limited experience with international competition outside of Europe.

“It’s a completely different situation that we have to expose them to,” Hayes continued, “and if I put on the field (a lot of) 17, 18, 19, 20-year-olds, I’m setting them up to fail, in my honest opinion, so we have to drip-feed it in, whether it’s some of them in one game, some of them in another game, (or) some of them from the bench.” The four halves of soccer against Brazil this week have provided that.Saturday’s game kicked off with the five most-capped players on the roster — Lindsey Heaps, Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett, Emily Fox and Rodman — in the starting 11. The second half, however, saw the entries of Yohannes and 20-year-old Jaedyn Shaw, plus a national-team debut for Houston Dash defender Avery Patterson, 22. Last night, by contrast, 31-year-old Sonnett was the most-capped player at kickoff with 106. Next in line? Midfielder Korbin Albert with 25, aged 21.Claire Hutton watched the first match from the bench as an unused substitute, then started the second to double her number of international caps. The 19-year-old, who plays for the Kansas City Current, roamed about central midfield Tuesday night with Albert and distinguished herself with her brave defending and positioning, according to Hayes.“We’ve done a lot of film with her this week, a lot of detailing,” said Hayes. She added that the Americans’ goal, scored by Catarina Macario in the first minute of the game, came as a result of Hutton stepping up further away from the back line, allowing her to intercept the ball and initiate the decisive counter-attack — something Hayes and the coaching staff have been working on with her.Hutton, for her part, spoke with Sentnor, who did play in that first match, on the team’s flight up to the Bay Area from LA. The pair are good friends. She knew what she experienced Tuesday night would be “a whole different beast” compared to Saturday.“It’s international football. You’re gonna get clobbered if you take too many touches on the ball,” Hutton said. “So it’s just a learning moment and a moment to move forward on.”

It’s no secret that the state of the USWNT’s midfield has for years been shrouded in concern, but the teenager’s aggression toward an opposing team that relishes one-versus-one duels demonstrated for Hayes that she is suited for this level.

“For a 19-year-old to play like that against Brazil is a superb performance from her. One in which I know she is ready to progress with us,” Hayes said.

The USWNT fell to a defeat against Brazil in San Jose. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

And while the second half of Tuesday’s game saw the return of more veteran players — Heaps, Sam Coffey, Dunn and Alana Cook, and even Shaw, subbed on for her 25th cap — Hayes found the group’s performance flat. The USWNT’s expected goals figure for the second half was zero, and Hayes said only one player broke into the top 10 for pass completion.

Patterson’s determined performance as a left back crackled with possibility, but concerns remain in the middle defensively — both in terms of the ongoing audition to be Naomi Girma’s co-conspirator and the ability of both goalkeepers who played in this window, Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Mandy McGlynn, to distribute the ball with precision.nt“I think both her (McGlynn) and Phallon have had the opportunity to play against a top opponent, just like Jane (Campbell) had the opportunity to play against a top opponent with Japan, and I think it’s fair to say I’m a lot clearer,” Hayes said Tuesday night.It’s hard to imagine these players returning to their clubs after these two games without stacks of notes and feedback from Hayes and, for the younger set, the veteran teammates around them.“Every time I go into camp, it’s definitely a learning experience and developing as a player,” 19-year-old defender Gisele Thompson told reporters in the mixed zone. “I think I can learn so much from all of these players, especially Crystal, (and) Emily Fox. They’ve helped me so much along the way. Just being in these camps helps me as a player, even (at) club.”Thompson and Hutton both spoke of confidence in their reflections on camp, how the experience and what they learned from it bolstered their toolbox as players, imbuing them with excitement about how they’ll integrate their notes.“That was a battle. I’ve never played a game like that before,” Hutton said of last night’s game, the beginnings of a laugh escaping from her response in the mixed zone. “So knowing that I had that, I can do anything now.”(Top photo: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson’s resurgence on the field is a lesson in resilience

Apr 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; United States of America forward Alyssa Thompson (11) celebrating forward Trinity Rodman’s (2) goal against Brazil at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bailey Holiver-Imagn Images

By Tamerra Griffin ril 7, 2025Updated April 8, 2025

This is Alyssa Thompson’s moment.

That much was palpable when she received the ball left of the center circle from defender Crystal Dunn during the U.S. women’s national team’s 2-0 win over Brazil on Saturday in front of 32,303 people in her home city of Los Angeles.

For anyone who has watched the 20-year-old attacking player during her three seasons across town with Angel City FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), her path might as well have been cut into the field at SoFi Stadium with a lawn mower: straight to goal.

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One feint sent a Brazilian defender sliding out of the play and Thompson exploited the space left behind. By the time she reached the top of the 18-yard box, the moment had begun to feel like what could one day be considered vintage Thompson, much like the goal she scored for Angel City before the international break. But rather than aim for the goal, Thompson delivered an assist that split two more defenders to reach an oncoming Trinity Rodman, who knocked the ball past Brazilian and Kansas City Current goalkeeper Lorena in the sixth minute.

“That was the perfect ball to a perfect finish. I think we read each other’s minds in that moment,” Rodman said after the match.

Trinity Rodman and Alyssa Thompson celebrate the opening goal against Brazil at SoFi Stadium. (Bailey Holiver / Imagn Images)

Her direct attacking style aside, Thompson’s short journey from being voted Gatorade Player of the Year at high school level in 2021 to this moment has been anything but linear.

She was the first overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft and the youngest player on the USWNT’s World Cup roster in a matter of months. Her standout rookie season rolled into her first senior call-up, however, and things quickly changed.

Thompson made just two appearances off the bench in the defending champion United States’ ill-fated run to the round of 16 at that World Cup, playing just 17 minutes in a tournament that saw very little squad rotation by coach Vlatko Andonovski. The World Cup crash led to Andonovski resigning and the youngest member of the squad getting left out of the roster to regain form, with mixed results, for her club.

After new coach Emma Hayes took the reins midway through 2024, Thompson watched the USWNT’s Olympic gold medal run from home. Instead of a summer in France, she worked to hone her skills, and after five goals and two assists in seven NWSL games, Thompson got the call from Hayes in October. And she didn’t waste her shot.

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The then-19-year-old scored her first senior international goal 39 minutes into a friendly against Iceland in Austin. The joy was apparent on her face as she leaped into the arms of substitute Sophia Wilson on the sideline.

“I feel like last year, and the last couple of years, I put a lot of pressure on myself,” Thompson told reporters last week. “I think just coming in this year, I just wanted to be confident in my abilities and know what I bring as a player, and not compare myself to other people. I think that has helped me a lot, just knowing that if I’m playing like Alyssa Thompson then I’ll be able to put a good foot forward for my team.”ach month since, Thompson has been finding and learning ways to sharpen her craft. And, with the marquee front three of Wilson, Rodman and Mallory Swanson, who headlined that Olympic triumph, down to just Rodman for now, Thompson found another moment to make her case on Saturday.Hayes acknowledged Thompson’s journey ahead of the match as a cautionary tale of how a mistimed moment can obscure a player’s potential, especially from an outsider’s perspective.“I hope that we can look at someone like Alyssa Thompson’s situation, i.e. a 17-year-old coming into the program probably underprepared for that because the level is so much higher, to then have a journey which is pretty normal for a young player. But I think she’s in the best place she has been in terms of her start to the season,” Hayes said.But the former Chelsea manager also expressed her intention to continue elevating the characteristics that make Thompson an attacking threat as she progresses through national team camps and racks up minutes on the field.“Since October we’ve been working so hard positionally with her to get her to have a better understanding of what to do and when, and saying, ‘Listen, at the top level, you’re a great one-v-one specialist, but when you’re playing the top players in the world, they know how to drop off of you in a certain way where they don’t give you a one-v-one opportunity, so how do you link with others?’,” Hayes said.There were glimpses of those areas of growth in Saturday’s match, particularly in some of Thompson’s unsuccessful attempts to take on the well-read Brazilian and Olympique Lyonnais central defender Tarciane. Still, she created dangerous scoring opportunities that contributed to the team’s 2.72 expected goals (xG) figure.

Alyssa Thompson has worked herself back into the U.S. team after a long absence in 2024. (Bailey Holiver / Imagn Images)

Hayes has seen the gap close between where Thompson was six months ago and where she is now, and part of that comes through in her instinctive thinking.“When you play for me, I will overload you to take a player to another level tactically, but that means for a period of time, there’s a lot of thinking going on, a lot of processing,” Hayes said. “There’s a lot of conscious thinking, whereas I feel like with Alyssa now, she understands that, so she’s able to do it more naturally.”Thompson is still at the beginning of her professional career and it’s important to consider: managing internal pressure, brewing confidence and resisting the urge to compare herself to others. These are all tall orders for most teens (and adults) even when they haven’t faced the challenges she has. But they, too, have led to the moment Thompson is now enjoying, and she credits her teammates with supporting her through it.“They believe in me so much and I attribute a lot of my success to them because their help and reassurance has really helped me become the player that I am right now,” Thompson said.Angel City captain and defender Ali Riley has viewed Thompson’s journey from a unique vantage point.The 37-year-old Los Angeles native attended Harvard-Westlake, the same high school Thompson and her younger sister and Angel City teammate Gisele did, and experienced that same World Cup in 2023, though Riley played for co-host New Zealand (she was born in LA but her father is from New Zealand). Riley was quick to refuse credit for any guidance she’s given the elder Thompson and made clear her progress is just as promising as her ceiling — as a player and as a face of the sport.

Angel City teammate Riley has had a front-row seat to Alyssa Thompson’s rise. (Kiyoshi Mio / Imagn Images)

“Even when we look at how much she’s grown, her performances on the field, what’s so special about her is that this is the beginning,” Riley told The Athletic. “I think she has the personality and the eloquence to be someone who can speak about being a woman in sport, being a woman of color in sport. She’s so good about speaking about her experience growing up, the value of representation.”

Riley, who hasn’t played since last season because of nerve damage in her left leg, added that Thompson was voted into the team’s leadership group this year.

When Thompson went through a bit of a scoring drought during that 2024 season, Riley said she faced criticism from “keyboard warriors” on social media who picked through her stats and body language with a fine-tooth comb. Now, Riley said, “when she scores, she doesn’t seem relieved, she’s genuinely happy.”

So far, that happiness has shown up as cheeky TikTok goal celebrations with her sister Gisele and fellow Angel City striker Casey Phair on the sidelines. Other times, it’s a full-throated rebel yell.

For Thompson to enjoy another stellar performance in her hometown on Saturday only sweetened the moment — topped off with one of those yells after assisting fellow Southern California native Rodman.

“I love playing in LA,” Thompson said in the mixed zone following the match. “Being here is amazing for the club, and I’ve never played in LA with the national team, so being able to feel that comfort from my city and my family and friends, I just felt like I could be more like me, and I knew what I could do.”

(Top photo: Imagn Images)

U.S. Soccer, NWSL see 2031 Women’s World Cup as ‘catalyst’ for growth and league expansion

LYON, FRANCE - JULY 07: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced.) Carli Lloyd of the USA celebrate with the trophy following victory in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Final match between The United States of America and The Netherlands at Stade de Lyon on July 07, 2019 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

By Meg Linehan April 5, 2025Updated April 8, 2025

LOS ANGELES — The United States has not yet formally won the bid to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup but various figures from the U.S. Soccer Federation and the NWSL are already looking six years ahead to harness the power of hosting the tournament.

“It gives us something to work towards that we know from history can change the interest level in women’s soccer,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman told The Athletic before the U.S. women’s national team face Brazil on Saturday, a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal match.

AdvertisementFIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that the U.S. submitted the only “valid bid” to host the 2031 tournament before the governing body’s deadline. FIFA later announced that the U.S. submitted a joint bid with “other member associations from Concacaf (to be confirmed in due course).”

The longer runway allows for significant planning time, especially with the potential to build upon hosting the 2026 men’s World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson stressed that the bid includes growing the game across the region through Concacaf participation, and pointed to Friday’s announcement of Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang doubling down on her investment in U.S. Soccer with a $25 million contribution. Batson said this will allow the federation to be better prepared for 2031.

“Your ability to use the World Cup as a catalyst is before, not after,” Batson said. “So starting way early on, that is something that we’re really excited about.”

Michele Kang with U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson. (Mike Lawrence / Getty Images for USSF)

Details about what the bid includes are thin, with Mexico absent on paper after their previous co-host billing from the 2027 bidding process. However, Batson called the U.S. a “co-host” rather than a host. Many of the details, he said, depend on the tournament potentially expanding to a 48-team endeavor, which he said is something U.S. Soccer has been “passionate supporters for.”

“We think it would be incredible for growing the women’s game,” Batson told reporters on Friday.

“One of the things we hear from folks who lead federations around the world is they view the Women’s World Cup as an opportunity for them to 1. make a World Cup, and 2., really go compete in a way they wouldn’t be able to on the men’s side,” Batson said. With U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone now a member of the FIFA Council, it’s another chance for the federation to advocate for tournament expansion.

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Beyond U.S. Soccer, the NWSL stands to benefit from the third Women’s World Cup on home soil — and the first with a professional league in a position to take advantage of the tournament bump.

“Hopefully, this will be a catalyst for a lot of cities,” Kang, whose Washington Spirit was a beaten finalist in the NWSL last year, said following the SheBelieves Summit at a small media roundtable. “Even from an infrastructure perspective, I’m trying to convince our area that the World Cup is coming and Washington, D.C. could be the center of women’s football, not just government and political power. We’re trying to use that as an opportunity to expand the presence and get women’s football squarely in the mainstream.”What You Should Read NextEmma Hayes: USWNT in ‘dreamland’ as United States set to co-host 2031 Women’s World CupFIFA confirmed that a joint bid from U.S. Soccer and other Concacaf member associations was the sole expression of interest for 2031.

Angel City CEO and co-founder Julie Uhrman was enthusiastic about what hosting the World Cup could offer all levels of the sport.

“It’s more visibility for women’s football, it’s more access to see incredible athletes,” Uhrman said. “Then the idea that most of them play in the NWSL, and you can continue to see them every single month following the World Cup, it’s a huge opportunity, not only for the league but to grow the sport from the grassroots level all the way to the professional level.”

Existing and potential NWSL markets stand to benefit six years down the line, a landscape that Berman has aspirations to expand as large as the NFL.

With Denver and Boston entering the league in 2026 before the men’s World Cup, there are no signs that the NWSL will stop there. Berman said that while expansion plans have been based on the league’s business, a 2031 World Cup in the U.S. could provide an additional filter for the league to consider.

“I’m very confident that our expansion will continue between now and then, so this will certainly give us even more reason to be bullish on our expansion plan,” Berman said. “Seeing how the country reacts to the men’s World Cup next year will be really important. We’re already working closely with FIFA and the host committees, even though it’s the men’s World Cup, to capitalize on it being here. Through that, we can formulate a plan that will take us through 2031.”

(Top photo: Alex Grimm / Getty Images)

4/5/25 USWNT beats Brazil, US Gets 2031 World Cup, Indy 11 home vs NC Sat Night @ 7 pm, Champions League Elite 8 Tue/Wed, Leagues back in play

gatorbest , , , ,

Indy Home Sat Night @ the Mike 7 pm Kickoff on CBS Golazo Network

The Boys in Blue lost the home opener last Saturday night and look to rebound vs the North Carolina Courage at 7 pm at Carroll Stadium in its “Kick for a Cause” match with partner Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana live on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Indy Eleven scored first and last, but came up short in a 3-2 setback to defending USLC champion Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in front of 10,202 fans on a rainy night at Carroll Stadium. Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster. Season, Flex Plan, Group, and Hospitality tickets are available here.  For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com. A reminder to our Carmel FC GKs Coach James Pilkington who is also the GK coach for Indy 11 – invites everyone to come early say 6:15 pm or so to watch the Indy 11 GKs warm-up.

Depleted US Women face Brazil tonight 8 pm and Tues night on TNT, Telemundo, Max -US Also Gets 2031 World Cup

The US Ladies will face Brazil tonight in LA with a depleted roster as both central defenders and 2/3 of the Trio will be missing with just Trinity Rodman returning up front. Should be interesting to see who coach rolls out and which youngsters get playing time in the this match-up against the Olympic 2nd place finishers. Huge to see the US will be getting the 2031 World Cup! More details on that below.

U.S. women’s national team roster by position (Club; Caps/Goals) – April matches vs. Brazil

GOALKEEPERS (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 10), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 2), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 0)

DEFENDERS (8): Alana Cook (Kansas City Current; 29/1), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 157/25), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 65/1), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit; 3/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 0/0), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 3/0), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 105/2)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 25/1), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 31/1), Lindsey Heaps (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 163/36), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 1/0), Jaedyn Shaw (North Carolina Courage; 24/8), Lily Yohannes (Ajax, NED; 4/1)

FORWARDS (7): Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 2/1), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 22/5), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 21/9), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 46/10), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 7/0), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals; 5/2), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 15/1)

INDY 11

#INDvNC Preview
Indy Eleven to host Miami FC in U.S. Open Cup
Foster earns “Team of the Week” honors
Recap-IND 2:3 COS
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana Spotlight Partner for “Kick for a Cause”
Indy Eleven Announces 2025 Promotional Schedule – Tickets on Sale NOW!

US Ladies

Depleted U.S. to experiment in Olympic rematch
USWNT big board: How the 2027 World Cup team is taking shape
Parsons: USWNT’s Thompson best in NWSL in ’25
USWNT thrilled to welcome back ‘unique’ Rodman
After rapid rise, 17-year-old Lily Yohannes is focused on steady growth
USWNT to face Canada in Continental Clásico
Former USWNT star Alex Morgan announces birth of baby boy Enzo

US Men

USMNT weekend viewing guide: increasing opportunities
Despite Nations League struggles, USMNT remain 16th in FIFA world rankings
Can Mauricio Pochettino lead the USMNT to World Cup glory?
The USMNT should embrace playing in Concacaf Nations League group stage again
Coming up for the USMNT: What teams could the USMNT play to finish out 2025?
What does a dream USMNT starting XI look like at the 2026 World Cup?
The USA, Mexico, and Canada’s approach to preparing for a World Cup
What did we learn about the USMNT after Concacaf Nations League?


TV SCHEDULE

Sat 4/5

7:30 am USA Everton vs Arsenal
9 am ESPN+ Freiburg vs Dortmund (Reyna)
10 am USA Ipswitch Town vs Wolverhampton
10 am Peacock Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Brighton
10:!5 am ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Valencia
12 noon CBS Parma vs Inter
12:30 USA Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
3 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah) vs Florentina
4:30 pm Apple TV Real Salt Lake vs LA Galaxy
7 pm CBS Golazo Indy 11 vs NC
7:45 pm Apple TV Austin vs Portland Timbers
10:30 pm Apple TV San Diego vs Seattle Sounders

Sun, 4/6

9 am Peacock Fulham (robinson) vs Liverpool
9 am USA          Chelsea vs Brentford
10 am ESPN+          Sevilla vs Athletico Madrid
11:30 am NBC Man United vs Man City

7 pm Apple TV Inter Miami vs Toronto FC Sunday Night Futbol

Tues/Wed


NWSL Schedule
MLS Schedule
USL Schedule

USMNT weekend viewing guide: increasing opportunities

Races for more playing time next season as well as chances at promotion or avoiding relegation

Saturday

Coventry City v Burnley – 7:30a on Paramount+

Haji Wright started his third straight match last weekend as Coventry City fell to Sheffield United 3-1 but remained in fifth place, just two points ahead of West Brom, Middlesbrough, and Bristol City. They have another tough matchup this weekend as they face third place Burnley who are tied for second and automatic promotion with Leeds United.

Luton Town v Leeds United – 7:30a on Paramount+

Brenden Aaronson and Leeds drew again last weekend, this time with 16th place Swansea, and have won just once in the past five matches. With the run of results they have fallen out of the top spot and into a tie with Burnley for second place and that all important automatic promotion spot. Leeds travel to Luton Town this weekend where they face the 23rd place team that is currently in the relegation zone and three points back of safety but have managed points in each of their past three matches, including wins over fellow relegation candidates Hull City and Cardiff City.

Freiburg v Borussia Dortmund – 9:30a on ESPN+

Gio Reyna did not see the field last weekend in Borussia Dortmund’s return from the international break, the third straight league match in which he has failed to appear. Dortmund picked up the win but remain in tenth place in the Bundesliga. The team does have the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final matchup with Barcelona on Wednesday so perhaps there will be a bit of rotation this weekend to keep legs fresh.

Mainz v Holstein Kiel – 9:30a on ESPN+

John Tolkin made a brief appearance in his return from injury just ahead of the international break but did not make the field for Holstein Kiel last weekend in their 3-0 loss to Werder Bremen. Holstein Kiel are dead last in the Bundesliga table and need to make up five points on Heidenheim over the last seven matches just to make the relegation playoff and avoid direct relegation to the 2 Bundesliga.

Crystal Palace v Brighton and Hove Albion – 10a on Peacock

Chris Richards went the full 90’ last weekend in Crystal Palace’s 3-0 win over Antonee Robinson and Fulham but Matt Turner was on the bench for the FA Cup matchup and looks like he is fully out of the Palace picture and in need of a summer transfer window move. However, Richards was not included in the midweek matchday squad as Palace drew with Southampton 1-1. Palace are in 12th place in the Premier League table and will face eighth place Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.

West Ham United v Bournemouth – 10a on Peacock

Tyler Adams and Bournemouth fell 2-1 to Manchester City in FA Cup action last weekend and lost at home to relegation candidates Ipswich Town midweek 2-1. Bournemouth are winless in their past five matches and have fallen to tenth place, eight points back of the top four.

Brest v Monaco – 1p on beIN Sports

Folarin Balogun is back for Monaco, getting 14’ minutes off the bench last weekend in the teams 2-1 win over Nice. Balo had been out since early December so it is certainly good to see him make it back on the field, even in a limited capacity. With the win Monaco moved into second place in the Ligue 1 table, well back of league leading PSG but an important position for Champions League qualification.

Groningen v PSV – 2p on ESPN+

Sergino Dest has started two straight matches for PSV Eindhoven and Malik Tillman made his return from injury as well last weekend though it was in a 2-0 loss to Ajax as the PSV rivals took a nine point lead in the title race, likely sealing their trophy this season. Richard Ledezma also appeared for PSV last weekend, seeing 13’ minutes off the bench.

AC Milan v Fiorentina – 2:45p on Paramount+

AC Milan fell to Napoli last weekend, likely sealing their Serie A fate as they are now nine points back of Champions League qualification with eight matches to play. Christian Pulisic started but was denied a goal as Santi Jimenez missed a penalty. Yunus Musah was serving a yellow card suspension and was not available.

Barcelona v Real Betis – 3p on ESPN Deportes and ESPN+

Johnny Cardoso scored his second goal in four matches as Real Betis defeated Sevilla 2-1 to remain within six points of a top four finish in La Liga. Betis have won six straight and will now face Barcelona who have a three point lead in the title race thanks to Betis’ recent win over Real Madrid.

Olympique Lyon v Lille – 3:05p on beIN Sports

Tanner Tessmann and Lyon suffered a 4-2 loss to Strassbourg to fall to seventh place in the Ligue 1 table and will now face fifth place Lille. Lyon are just five points back of a top three finish and will need some results against other top teams down the stretch to make the leap.

Sunday

Lecce v Venezia – 6:30a on Paramount+

Gianluca Busio started last weekend but Venezia fell to Bologna 1-0 and remain five points back of safety in Serie A. Venezia’s defense has been solid lately, allowing just five goals in the last seven matches but they have also found it hard to score as they have found the back of the net just once over that same period.

Fulham v Liverpool – 9a on Peacock

Antonee Robinson returned from international break healthy enough to play the 71’ minutes in Fulham’s 3-0 FA Cup loss to Crystal Palace and turn around for a full 90’ midweek in Fulham’s 2-1 loss to Arsenal. Fulham are in ninth place now, heading into their matchup this weekend with league leading Liverpool who have a twelve point lead for the league title.

St Pauli v Borussia Monchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN+

Joe Scally started for Borussia Monchengladbach as the team defeated RB Leipzig 1-0 to move ahead of them and into fifth place in the Bundesliga table. Gladbach are now within two points of fourth place Mainz for a Champions League spot and will take on a St Pauli side that are just outside of the relegation positions.

Union Berlin v Wolfsburg – 11:30a on ESPN+

Kevin Paredes was on the bench for the first time this season but did not appear for Wolfsburg in their 1-0 loss to Heidenheim. Wolfsburg are in ninth place though just four points back of qualification for next seasons Europa Conference League.

Roma v Juventus – 2:45p on Paramount+

Weston McKennie went the full 90’ and Tim Weah came off the bench for the final eight minutes last weekend as Juventus defeated Genoa 1-0 to remain in fifth place, one point back of fourth place Bologna and three points ahead of this weekends opponent Roma. Roma defeated Lecce 1-0 last weekend, they have won seven straight league matches and haven’t suffered a defeat in league play since December 15th. The two teams played to a scoreless draw in their last meeting, back in early September.

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

Toulouse fell to Stade Brest 2-4 with Mark McKenzie starting and playing the full 90’. Toulouse have lost two straight and fallen to eleventh in the table. The team will now travel to face third place Olympique Marseille who are coming off back to back losses by a 3-1 score line.

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USWNT coach Hayes backs depleted defense for gold-medal rematch

  • Jeff Kassouf ESPN Apr 4, 2025, 04:22 PM ET

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — United States women’s national team coach Emma Hayes said she feels confident in her team’s defensive personnel ahead of an Olympic gold medal-game rematch against Brazil, despite the “extremely unfortunate” injury to center-back Tierna Davidson. Davidson tore her ACL last week and will miss the remainder of 2025. The USWNT was already without fellow starting center-back Naomi Girma, who is dealing with a calf injury, heading into Saturday’s game at SoFi Stadium.”Without Naomi Girma, without Tierna Davidson, this is the right time to develop individuals first,” Hayes said at a news conference Friday. “I’ve been really clear that this camp, the next two camps, there is going to be experimentation, and that means that the connections on the field might not be as strong, but we get a chance to see where the individual development is in that.”Defenders Crystal Dunn and Emily Sonnett are the most senior defenders on the current roster. They are joined by some young and less experienced players like center-back Tara McKeown, who earned her first caps in February, and fullback Avery Patterson, who is in her first camp with the USWNT.Hayes said on Friday that she would “drip-feed” young players into games alongside veterans to make sure that less experienced players are set up for success.

“What I have noticed in this camp is the gap closing across the board within the team, and that’s our first starting point,” Hayes said.The USWNT will also play Brazil on Tuesday in San Jose, California. The Americans won the 2024 Olympic final 1-0 in August to capture a fifth Olympic gold medal for the program.The USWNT is without nearly half their starters from that game. Forward Sophia Wilson (nee Smith) is on maternity leave, forward Mallory Swanson is on personal leave, and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher recently retired from international duty. In addition to injuries to Girma and Davidson, Rose Lavelle — a longtime mainstay in midfield — is also sidelined.Forward Trinity Rodman has returned to the squad, however, for the first time since the Olympics after dealing with chronic back problems. The 22-year-old said recently that she might not ever be 100% healthy.”I think the back’s very difficult because you can’t avoid using it at every moment in a game, every moment of your day-to-day life,” Rodman said on Friday. “For me, it is about management and training my back to be in certain positions so I’m not overworking other muscles to overcompensate for it.”It’s been an interesting and hard journey, but it’s been good getting back.”Hayes said she will manage Rodman to make sure she doesn’t push her too hard too soon. Rodman made her first start of the NWSL season for the Washington Spirit last weekend.Forward Catarina Macario is expected to play a significant role for the USWNT over the next two games against Brazil, which is her birth country. Macario was born in Brazil and moved to the U.S. with her family in 2012. She acquired U.S. citizenship in 2020 and received her first call-up to the USWNT on the same day.”I haven’t thought about it too much,” she said Friday about playing Brazil. “But will obviously be very special — kind of like a full-circle moment.”Hayes expects Brazil to bring high pressure defensively, which will force her team to make quick decisions. On Friday, she cited the famous Mike Tyson quote about how everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”Let’s see what we’re like when we’ve been punched in the game,” Hayes said. “That’s something that I think we’re set up to do in the work that we’re doing both on the pitch and in the classroom.”

FIFA confirms U.S, UK as sole bidders for 2031, 2035 Women’s World Cups

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 20: Women's World Cup trophy before the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Final game between England and Spain at Stadium Australia on August 20, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

By Matt Slater, Ali Rampling and more The Athletic April 3, 2025Updated April 4, 2025 3:00 pm EDT

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that the United States and the United Kingdom are the sole respective bidders for the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups.Infantino made the announcement on Thursday at the 49th UEFA Congress in Belgrade, Serbia. Should a compliant bid be submitted by the end of 2025, this will pave the way for the UK to host the Women’s World Cup for the first time. The U.S. last hosted in 2003, having previously done so four years earlier. The Football Associations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland announced in March they would be submitting a collective expression of interest to host the 2035 tournament, seemingly leaving the U.S. as the sole bidder for 2031 with the potential for another Concacaf nation to join. U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Soccer Federation announced last April their intention to lodge a joint bid for the 2031 tournament. The two federations withdrew their bid for the 2027 World Cup — which will be staged in Brazil — to instead focus on 2031. Infantino did not mention Mexico but said “potentially some other Concacaf members” could be involved. At March’s FIFA council meeting, football’s international governing body had invited federations affiliated to UEFA or the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to bid for the 2035 tournament. Reports in Spain had suggested Spain, Morocco and Portugal were planning to launch a rival bid for 2035 but the UK was described as the only “valid” bid by Infantino. Spain, Morocco and Portugal will jointly host the men’s competition in 2030.

The Athletic reported in March that the U.S.-Mexico bid was exploring staging matches in Costa Rica and Jamaica. Sources familiar with discussions, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated early-stage conversations about hosting a limited amount of fixtures in the two Concacaf countries had taken place.

“We are honoured to be the sole bidder for the FIFA women’s World Cup 2035,” English FA CEO Mark Bullingham said. “Hosting the first FIFA World Cup since 1966 with our home nations partners will be very special. The hard work starts now, to put together the best possible bid by the end of the year

Infantio added: “Today, I can also confirm that as part of the bidding process, we received one bid for ’31 and one bid — valid bid, I should add — for ’35. The ’31 bid is from the United States of America and potentially some other Concacaf members together. And the ’35 bid is from Europe, from the home nations. Advertisement“So, the path is there for the Women’s World Cup to be taking place in ‘31 and ‘35 in some great countries, in some great nations, to boost even more the women’s football movement.” Member associations will be required to formally submit their bids to FIFA in the final quarter of this year.

2035 World Cup can build on Euros success in England

By soccer writer Jacob Whitehead

When England won their last home tournament — the 2022 European Championship — it was heralded as an opportunity to secure a lasting legacy for women’s football across the entire UK.

“We see this as only the beginning,” the squad wrote in an open letter to the then-prime minister Rishi Sunak, bolding up that phrase.

Though the Lionesses continued to be successful, reaching the final of the next year’s World Cup, questions have been subsequently raised over whether that had been reflected at lower levels.

Figures indicate a moderate uptick — there has been a 14 per cent increase in schools offering girls equal access to football, according to an FA report last September — but it would be optimistic to describe this as an explosion across the grassroots game. There are still concerns over diversity across women’s football’s community and infrastructure.

But the 2035 World Cup gives these efforts fresh impetus. Rather than relying on the diminishing ripples of past success at their backs, this is a magnet which should pull investment forward — a lodestar to build towards.Between Brazil, the United States, and the United Kingdom, FIFA are pursuing tournaments in high-interest areas for women’s football from established markets — a notable departure from their approach to the men’s World Cups over upcoming cycles.

(Daniela Porcelli/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Emma Hayes: USWNT in ‘dreamland’ as United States set to co-host 2031 Women’s World Cup

HOUSTON, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 20: Head coach of the United States Emma Hayes waves to the crowd prior to the match against Colombia during the 2025 SheBelieves Cup at Shell Energy Stadium on February 20, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Maria Lysaker/Getty Images)

By Tamerra GriffinApril 4, 2025Updated 3:35 pm EDT

Emma Hayes says the U.S. women’s national team is in “dreamland” following the news that the United States is set to co-host the 2031 Women’s World Cup.

FIFA confirmed on Friday that a joint bid from U.S. Soccer and other Concacaf member associations was the sole expression of interest for the 2031 tournament. Should a compliant bid be submitted by the end of 2025, this will pave the way for the U.S. to stage the Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2003.

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Hayes would not be drawn as to whether she would still be in international management ahead of the tournaments in 2031 and 2035, which the United Kingdom is the sole bidder for, but she said she intended to attend the tournaments in a supporter capacity at the very least.

“Dreamland I think for us to know that there’ll be a World Cup coming to these shores,” Hayes said, speaking during Friday’s pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s friendly against Brazil.

“The infrastructure’s going to be in place from the men’s World Cup (in 2026), so how amazing that is. I don’t know what that will look like beyond what we’ll do in this country, but I think real credit goes to (U.S. Soccer CEO) JT (Batson) and (U.S. Soccer president) Cindy (Parlow Cone) for the work they’ve done on that bid.

“It’s so aligned with our strategy and how we wanted to really push as best we could. We know we can’t control that decision but we wanted to make sure the federation knew it was really important for us to host, so real credit to them.”

U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Soccer Federation announced last April that they were set to launch a joint bid for the 2031 tournament. The two federations withdrew their bid for the 2027 World Cup — which will be staged in Brazil — to pivot to 2031. The Athletic reported in March that the prospect of staging matches in Costa Rica and Jamaica was also being explored.

“U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed its interest to submit a joint bid with other Member Associations from Concacaf (to be confirmed in due course),” a FIFA statement on the 2031 expression of interest read.

World football’s governing body say the hosts for 2031 and 2035 are expected to be announced at the FIFA congress in the second quarter of 2026.

It was also confirmed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Thursday that a joint United Kingdom bid from the football associations of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales was the sole expression of interest for the 2035 Women’s World Cup.

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On the prospect of the Women’s World Cup taking place in her home country, Hayes added: “And obviously for England, home of football, it’s amazing for England, especially knowing how successful the Euros (in 2022) has been for them. So I think it’s fair to say in whatever capacity, fan or coaching, I will for sure be at those World Cups.”

(Maria Lysaker/Getty Images)

After rapid rise through USWNT ranks, 17-year-old Lily Yohannes is focused on steady growth

Feb 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; USA midfielder Lily Yohannes (11) against Australia in the SheBelieves Cup at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

By Tamerra Griffin

3

April 4, 2025Updated 11:29 am EDT

If Lily Yohannes succumbed to the nine-hour jetlag between her home in the Netherlands and Southern California when she sat down late Tuesday afternoon for an interview on The Athletic’s Full Time podcast, it was scarcely apparent.

The 17-year-old U.S. women’s national team midfielder selected her words just as carefully from her Los Angeles hotel as she did at the Ajax training facility the first time she spoke with The Athletic in Amsterdam just over a year ago.

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Many things have changed since then, including Yohannes’ decision to represent the United States at the international level, and not the Netherlands. But her composed consideration is by design, a mechanism to keep her feet planted firmly in the here and now.

“I think just trying to stay as present as I can,” she says, when asked how she manages the pace of her career. “I’ve been grateful to have experienced so many great moments in such a short career so far. I think just having a great support system around me with my family, coaches, teammates, and them all just helping me to stay grounded, stay on track.”

In Los Angeles, head coach Emma Hayes has made clear that the U.S. women’s national team is in very early World Cup-building mode, a year out from even their first qualifiers of the 2027 tournament’s cycle. She is relinquishing a focus on chemistry to properly assess the players at her disposal. However, demands for excellence have always been part and parcel of this team, and Yohannes has already felt the impact of the English manager’s approach.

“I’ve already grown and learned so much from her in a year or so,” she says. “You can really feel how much she is invested in every player, every player’s development in this environment, and I think she just pushes the standard and has expectations of what she wants from us and how she wants us to play, and I think just trying to be intentional (with) every detail.”

Even as women’s soccer continues to mature, there remains a fixation on its youth, particularly in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), which boasts a hyper-competitive table of teams eager to bolster their rosters with fresh talent but lacks the culture and structure of Europe’s youth academy development system. That, combined with the lucrative opportunities of the American sports and entertainment market, intensifies the impulse to catapult teenage soccer phenoms to stardom.

Considering Yohannes’ unflappable style of play at the age of 17, it is less surprising that she has remained committed to steadiness as her professional world expands.What You Should Read NextWho is Lily Yohannes? The 16-year-old USWNT goal-scorer breaking through at AjaxYohannes’ family, and their dedication to soccer, have been a driving factor in the teen’s success.

“I’ve gotten some advice of, ‘Don’t get too high on the highs and too low on the lows’ and just trying to stay steady through it all,” she says. “For me, I have so many more goals that I want to achieve and obviously I celebrate the great achievements, but also just know that there’s more that (I) want and more goals that (I) want to accomplish.”

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Yohannes has already crossed some considerable goals off her list.

She signed her first professional contract with Ajax when she was 15. A Champions League run with the Dutch club followed shortly thereafter, and Yohannes became the youngest player to start a group-stage match in that European continental tournament. That year, Ajax reached the quarterfinals but was knocked out by Hayes-coached Chelsea.

Lily Yohannes celebrates scoring in her debut for the U.S. against South Korea last June. (Brad Smith / Getty Images)

Yohannes received her first invitation to the USWNT camp later that month as the team prepared for the SheBelieves Cup, an opportunity that did not tie her to the United States but provided an up-close glimpse of the national team environment while she continued to consider her commitment. Yohannes earned her first U.S. cap on June 4 in a pre-Olympics friendly against South Korea, a debut in which she scored 10 minutes after stepping onto the pitch as a 72nd-minute substitute for midfielder Korbin Albert.

Yohannes announced her commitment to play for the U.S. five months later, on Nov. 11, and featured for the national team later that month and in early December in fixtures against England and the Netherlands.

Now, with the USWNT’s Olympic gold medal run last summer in the rearview mirror and far-sighted visions set on the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, Yohannes said she can get back to another, quieter yet no less crucial goal: growth.

“In the short term, (it’s) staying present and continuing to work and grow with club and at the international level,” she says. “With the national team, just trying to take every experience that I can and learning and growing in this environment. It’s always an honor to come into camp and I just want to perform and help this team as best I can, and do the same at club (level).”

At the moment, Ajax is in a tight title race in the Dutch Eredivisie with Twente, currently at the top of the table, and PSV, who are ahead of Ajax and level with Twente on points. Just a point separates Ajax, who won the league’s cup title last year, from the other two contenders.

Conversations around opportunities in Europe are gaining traction in the U.S. women’s soccer landscape, especially after defender Naomi Girma’s recent $1.1 million move to the UK with Chelsea, something Yohannes acknowledged as a sign of growth.What You Should Read NextUSWNT’s Naomi Girma completes Chelsea move for record transfer fee in women’s soccerSources briefed on the matter have confirmed Chelsea will pay $1.1m to acquire Girma from the San Diego Wave.

“I’ve been in the Netherlands since I was 10, and that’s sort of just normal for me. I think playing in the academy system with the boys and then at Ajax has helped me to develop, and I would say everybody’s path is different,” she says. “It’s just per your own personal choices, and I think it’s great to have so many great leagues all over the globe.”

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She added that beginning her career in Europe meant focusing on the technical and tactical aspects of the game and that playing against other European teams and being exposed to a variety of playing styles has only benefited her.

“Ajax is a very possession-oriented team playing attacking football and having a sort of DNA has helped me to develop and grow qualities in my game,” she says. “I think within Europe as a whole it’s super-diverse, which is amazing, having Champions League and all those diverse teams and clubs come together and compete against each other.”

Yohannes isn’t the only player in the U.S. camp who had options as to which country she could represent, nor is she the only one who pursued opportunities in Europe at a young age.

Lily Yohannes and Catarina Macario have bonded in their short time together on the national team. (Ary Frank / Getty Images for USSF)

Although Catarina Macario’s path was markedly different from Yohannes’ — the Brazilian-American forward completed three seasons at college level with Stanford before setting off for Europe, first with Olympique Lyonnais in France and now Chelsea — the two have formed a bond after just two camps together.

“Cat’s super-cool. I think we have a great bond on and off the pitch,” Yohannes says of the 25-year-old. “I think she sort of took me under her wing when I first came into camp. Last camp was our first time playing together, so I know that’s something we were both looking forward to. Cat’s just such an amazing player with so much quality, so I’ve really enjoyed playing with her and off the field (we’re) having a good time.”

If given the chance again to partner in the U.S. attack in back-to-back friendlies against Brazil — first at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday and again at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif. three days later — Yohannes and Macario’s combined creativity on the ball could prove enough to withstand the South American team’s attempt at revenge for a 1-0 defeat last August in the Olympics’ gold medal match.

(Top photo: Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images)

3/28/25 USMNT loses NL, Indy 11 Season Home Opener Sat 7 pm @ The Mike, USWNT vs Brazil Next Fri, League Cup

gatorbest , , ,

Indy Home Opener Sat Night @ the Mike 7 pm Kickoff

Indy Eleven went on the road to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and picked up a 1-1 draw. Indy Eleven midfielder Bruno Rendon has been named to the USL Championship “Team of the Week” for Week 3 of the regular season after he scored his first USLC goal in a 1-1 draw at Lexington SC on Saturday. The Eleven finished its season-opening two-match road trip with a 1-0-1 mark, good for a three-way tie for fourth with four points in the Eastern Conference, despite having a bye the first week of the campaign. The Boys in Blue host 2024 USL Champion Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in the home opener Saturday at 7 pm at Carroll Stadium.  Single-game tickets for all matches are available via Ticketmaster. Season, Flex Plan, Group, and Hospitality tickets are available here.  For questions, call (317) 685-1100 during business hours or email tickets@indyeleven.com. A reminder to our Carmel FC GKs Coach James Pilkington who is also the GK coach for Indy 11 – invites everyone to come early say 6:15 pm or so to watch the Indy 11 GKs warm-up.

US Women face Brazil Next Friday night on TNT – Rodman Back on Roster

I have not had the chance to work with the Triple Espresso, Rose [Lavelle], Naomi [Girma] together since the Olympics, so it’s a long time, but to get one of them [Rodman] back is really exciting,” Hayes said.”Of course, [I] have to urge a little bit of caution [with Rodman], because she’s had an ongoing back complaint. I think she’s on the right road to that, but it can be quite easy to sort of trigger it. You can go from a position of a managed return to play, to too much. So, I have to try and find the sweet spot in camp to reintegrate her back in the team, but also to manage her, because she has a long season ahead.”Hayes continues to experiment with “less experienced players continuing to try to prove themselves,” as she said in a statement, in the early buildup to the 2027 World Cup. Eleven players on the roster have 10 caps or fewer, with an average age of 25.3 years old.”All of the players know they have to earn every roster spot, every starting spot and every minute they get as a finisher off the bench,” Hayes said. “Working with players who are striving for consistency in elite performance, so they can keep getting call-ups and keep exceling at this level, is an exciting process and one that continues with these two games.”The young faces include 17-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes, who will return after impressing at the SheBelieves Cup despite the Americans’ loss to Japan to concede the tournament title.Midfielder Claire Hutton, 19, is the other teenager on the roster. Houston Dash full-back Avery Patterson has also received her first senior call-up.

Hayes has also recalled several players who have been absent from the USWNT since she took over as coach last year. Center-back Alana Cook and forward Ashley Hatch return to the USWNT in a training camp with games for the first time under Hayes (Hatch trained with the team in January). Each player’s last appearance for the team was in late 2023. Forward Mia Fishel will also join the USWNT as a training player in camp, along with goalkeeper Angelina Anderson. Fishel tore an ACL in USWNT camp in February 2024 and just returned to the field for Chelsea FC’s senior team on Sunday. Anderson will train alongside the three rostered goalkeepers: Jane Campbell, Mandy McGlynn and Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Hayes has said that she will use 2025 to evaluate who could be the next starting goalkeeper following the retirement of longtime starter Alyssa Naeher.”If you think about this, prior to when even Alyssa [Naeher] made the No. 1 her own, it takes a period of time to be able to solidify that,” Hayes said. “And I think it’s fair to say we’ve got a lot of really good quality goalkeepers. Who will emerge from that as the No. 1? I don’t know, but they have to take their chances when they get them.”This is a performance-related business, and each and every opportunity they get, they have to make the most of it, because, of course, that will impact my decision making as we progress. This camp, there will be changes in goal again.”

U.S. women’s national team roster by position (Club; Caps/Goals) – April matches vs. Brazil

GOALKEEPERS (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 10), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 2), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 0)

DEFENDERS (8): Alana Cook (Kansas City Current; 29/1), Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC; 67/3), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 157/25), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 65/1), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit; 3/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 0/0), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 3/0), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 105/2)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 25/1), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 31/1), Lindsey Heaps (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 163/36), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 1/0), Jaedyn Shaw (North Carolina Courage; 24/8), Lily Yohannes (Ajax, NED; 4/1)

FORWARDS (7): Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 2/1), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit; 22/5), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 21/9), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 46/10), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 7/0), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals; 5/2), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 15/1)

INDY 11

#INDvCOS Preview
Rendon earns USLC “Team of the Week” honors
WISH-TV & MyINDY-TV 23 to Broadcast Indy Eleven Games for the 12th Consecutive Year
Recap-LEX 1:1 IND
Recap-MIA 1:3 IND
United Soccer League (USL) Launches Division One & Promotion/Relegation
Blake & Hogan earn USLC “Team of the Week” honors
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana Spotlight Partner for “Kick for a Cause”
Indy Eleven Announces 2025 Promotional Schedule – Tickets on Sale NOW!

#INDvCOS MATCHDAY TIMELINE:

  • 4:00 PM – Parking Lot B opens (tailgating lot)
  • 4:00-6:00 PM – Tailgate
  • 5:30 PM – Lots A & C open
  • 6:00 PM – Stadium gates, Box Office opens & Fun Zone open
  • 7:00 PM – Kickoff vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Fun Zone

Fans are encouraged to visit the Fun Zone before each home match.

  • Sogility will bring their Technical Soccer Zone for you to test your soccer skills.
  • Fans can also play cornhole, take a shot at the inflatable goal and play bocce ball.
  • Playing with soccer balls at the stadium is solely permitted in the Fun Zone

Food Trucks/Vendors

Fans are encouraged to visit the Carroll Stadium concession stands for stadium favorites and the following food trucks & vendors in attendance before and during the match:

  • Union Jack
  • Stadium on Wheels
  • Shaved Ice
  • Bull Grill
  • Travelin Tom’s Coffee
  • Gordon’s Milkshakes
Come Early Sat night to get your Schedule Magnet !

USMNT

USMNT loses to Canada, finishes fourth in Nations League
Meltdown or Warm Up – Post Nations League USMNT Vivisection
USMNT’s poor turnout at Concacaf Nations League Final Four: A clear disconnect with fans?
Former stars Donovan, Dempsey and Wynalda call out ‘embarrassing’ USMNT after Panama loss

US Women

USWNT: Rodman back for first time since Olympics
USWNT roster named for April friendlies against Brazil
USWNT: Rodman back for first time since Olympics
USWNT to face Ireland in June friendlies
López, Dumornay, Shaw lead best U21 women’s soccer players

WORLD

Bayern threaten to sue Canada over Davies injury
Brazil fires coach Dorival after loss to Argentina

TV SCHEDULE

Sat 3/29

7 pm TV 13, ESPN+ Indy 11 vs Colorado

7:30 pm Ion TV KC Current (Chawinga) vs Utah Royals
7:30 pm Apple TV DC United vs Columbus
8:30 pm Apple TV Chicago Fire vs Montreal
10 pm Ion TV Olrando Pride (Marta) vs San Diego NWSL
10:30 pm Apple TV LAFC vs Orlando City
10:30 pm Apple TV Vancouver vs Chicago

Sun, 3/30

8:30 am ESPN+ Preston North End vs Aston Villa FA Cup
10 am ESPN+              Barcelona vs Girona
11:30 pm ESPN+         Bournmouth (Adams) vs Man City FA Cup
2:15 pm Fox, Apple TV San Jose vs Seattle Sounders
2:45 pm Para+           Napoli vs AC Milan (Pulisic, Musah)
4 pm CBSSN Chicago Stars (Naeher) vs Racing Louisville NWSL
7 pm apple TV Portland vs Houston Sunday night Futbol
8 pm CBSSN Angel City FC vs Seattle Reign FC NWSL

Tues, 4/1
2:45 pm Peacock Arsenal vs Fulham
3 pm Peacock Notingham Forest vs Man United
9:15 pm FS2 America vs Cruz Azul Champs Cup
11:15 pm Fox or FS2 LAFC vs Tigres Concacaf Champs Cup

Wed, 4/2

2:35 pm USA Man City vs Leicester City
3 pm Peacock Liverpool vs Everton
3 pm Para+ AC Milan (Pulisic) vs Inter Milan
3:30 pm ESPND + Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona Cup
9:30 pm Fox Vancouver vs Pumas Champs Cup
11:30 pm Fox Sport 1 LAFC vs Inter Miami (Messi) Champs Cup
Thur, 4/3
3 pm USA Chelsea vs Tottenham
Fri, 4/4
TBS, Max USWNT vs Brazil

NWSL Schedule
MLS Schedule
USL Schedule

USMNT weekend viewing guide: FA Cup quarterfinals

50 USMNT players to follow along with this weekend.
Saturday

  • Fulham vs Crystal Palace, 8:15a on ESPN+ (free trial): Antonee Robinson missed Nations League duty with the USMNT due to issues with tendinopathy; his Cottagers host Chris Richards, Matt Turner, and Palace in an FA Cup quarterfinal.
  • Juventus vs Genoa, 1p on CBS, Paramount+, FuboTV: Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Juve host Genoa in Serie A.
  • Minnesota United vs Real Salt Lake, 8:30p: Apple TV Diego Luna and RSL visit Minnesota United in MLS.
  • América vs Tigres, 9:05p TUDN USA, Univision USA, FuboTV, ViX: Alex Zendejas and América host Tigres in Liga MX.

Also in action:

  • Watford vs Plymouth Argyle, 8:30a on Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo: Caleb Wiley and Watford host Plymouth Argyle in the Championship.
  • Venezia vs Bologna, 10a on FOX Deportes, Paramount+, FuboTV: Gianluca Busio and Venezia welcome Bologna into town for this Serie A match.
  • Mönchengladbach vs RB Leipzig, 10:30a on ESPN+: Joe Scally and Gladbach host Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
  • Hoffenheim vs Augsburg, 10:30a on ESPN+: Noahkai Banks and Augsburg visit Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.
  • Holstein Kiel vs Werder Bremen, 10:30a on ESPN+: John Tolkin and Holstein Kiel host Bremen in the Bundesliga.
  • Burnley vs Bristol City, 11a on Paramount+: Luca Koleosho and Burnley host Bristol City in the Championship.
  • Cardiff vs Sheffield Wednesday, 11a: Ethan Horvath and Cardiff City welcome Sheffield Wednesday in for this Championship match.
  • Leeds United vs Swansea, 11a on Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo: Brenden Aaronson and Leeds host Swansea in the Championship.
  • Middlesbrough vs Oxford United, 11a on Paramount+: Aidan Morris and Boro host Oxford United in the Championship.
  • Celtic vs Hearts, 11a on Celtic TV: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Celtic host Hearts in the Scottish Premiership. Trusty missed international duty, but may be ready for action; we’ll see.
  • Barça Atlètic vs Cultural Leonesa, 1p on Barça One: Diego Kochen often jumps back and forth between Barcelona’s first team and their reserves. The reserves host Cultural Leonesa in Spain’s third division.
  • Standard Liège vs Mechelen, 1:15p: Marlon Fossey and Standard host Mechelen as Belgium’s first division splits into group play. Fossey and Standard are in the Europa Conference League group.
  • Frankfurt vs VfB Stuttgart, 1:30p on ESPN+: Nathaniel Brown and Frankfurt host VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. Anrie Chase has been out injured, missing some time for Stuttgart.
  • Monaco vs Nice, 4:05p on beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español, FuboTV, Sling TV, Fanatiz, TV5 Monde USA: Folarin Balogun may be ready to get back on the field for Monaco as they host Nice in Ligue 1.
  • Colorado Rapids vs Charlotte FC, 4:30p: Tim Ream, Patrick Agyemang, and Charlotte visit Zack Steffen and the Rapids in MLS.
  • Chivas vs Cruz Azul, 11:05p on Peacock, UNIVERSO, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FuboTV: Cade Cowell and Chivas host Cruz Azul in Liga MX.

Sunday

  • PSV vs Ajax, 8:30a on ESPN+: Malik Tillman is aiming for a return from injury for PSV, joining Sergiño Dest and Richy Ledezma as they host Ajax in the Eredivisie.
  • Bournemouth vs Man City, 11:30a on ESPN+: Tyler Adams and Bournemouth look to knock giants Man City out in this FA Cup quarterfinal.
  • Borussia Dortmund vs Mainz, 11:30a on ESPN+: Gio Reyna and Dortmund meet Lennard Maloney and Mainz in the Bundesliga.
  • Napoli vs AC Milan, 2:45p on FOX Deportes, Paramount+, FuboTV (free trial): Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and Milan have a big Serie A match against Napoli.
  • Real Betis vs Sevilla, 3p on ESPN Deportes USA, ESPN+, FuboTV: Johnny Cardoso is back in training; we’ll see if he can play for Betis in their La Liga match with Sevilla.

Also in action:

  • Utrecht vs Heerenveen, 6:15a: Paxten Aaronson and Utrecht host Heerenveen in the Eredivisie.
  • Heracles vs Twente, 8:30a on ESPN+: Taylor Booth and Twente visit Heracles in the Eredivisie.
  • Toulouse vs Brest, 9a on beIN Sports USA, beIN Sports en Español, FuboTV, Sling TV, Fanatiz: Mark McKenzie and Toulouse host Brest in Ligue 1.
  • Cesena vs Juve Stabia, 9a on DCTV: Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena host Juve Stabia in Serie B.
  • Hajduk Split vs Sibenik, 10a: Rokas Pukštas and Split host Sibenik in Croatia’s first division.
  • Salernitana vs Palermo, 11:15a on DCTV: Kristoffer Lund and Palermo visit Salernitana in Serie B.
  • Dender vs Westerlo, 1:15p: Bryan Reynolds, Griffin Yow, and Westerlo visit Dender as Belgium’s top division splits into groups. Westerlo are in the Europa Conference League group.
  • Portland Timbers vs Houston Dynamo, 7p: Jack McGlynn and the Dynamo visit Portland in MLS play.

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Trinity Rodman returns to the USWNT, Emma Hayes continues to work around notable absences

PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 3: Trinity Rodman of United celebrates after scoring her team's first goal States during the Women's Quarterfinal match between United States and Japan during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Parc des Princes on August 3, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

By Meg Linehan and Jeff Rueter The Athletic March 25, 2025

Trinity Rodman has returned to the U.S. women’s national team roster for the first time since winning gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Head coach Emma Hayes named her 24-player roster, and two training players, on Tuesday for the team’s upcoming friendlies against Brazil. While the deep dive into player evaluation has continued, there is slightly less turnover in this roster compared to others with 19 players returning from the SheBelieves Cup.

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The only field player on this roster without a national team cap is Houston Dash defender Avery Patterson, earning her first senior team call-up. After being listed as a training player for SheBelieves Cup, Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce made the full roster for April and may get the chance for her first cap.

There are also multiple notable absences. Center-back Naomi Girma is still out after she left her Chelsea debut match injured earlier this month. Last week, Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor continued to confirm Girma was out but did not share a firm timetable for her return at club level.

Rose Lavelle continues to recover after ankle surgery in the offseason, and Mallory Swanson’s return remains uncertain. She has missed the first two weeks of the NWSL season with no further update provided by the Chicago Stars since March 12. The final third of Triple Espresso, Sophia Wilson, announced her pregnancy earlier this month.

Two players will join the camp as training players, with Mia Fishel joining the environment for the first time since she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ahead of the Concacaf W Gold Cup in February 2024. Hayes also tapped Angel City FC goalkeeper Angelina Anderson as a training player, marking her return following a call-up to the January camp.

“This roster has Olympians returning, less experienced players continuing to try to prove themselves, a few uncapped players and some players who have seen and done it all. The mix of players along with two games against a dynamic Brazil team who we last saw in the gold medal game means this event will be a lot of fun,” Hayes said in U.S. Soccer’s press release. “All of the players know they have to earn every roster spot, every starting spot and every minute they get as a finisher off the bench.”

USWNT April friendlies roster

Goalkeepers (3): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United)

Defenders (8): Alana Cook (KC Current), Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC)

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Midfielders (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Heaps (Lyon), Claire Hutton (KC Current), Jaedyn Shaw (NC Courage), Lily Yohannes (Ajax)

Forwards (7): Michelle Cooper (KC Current), Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC)

What’s the end game?

We know you’ve heard it before, but 2025’s major theme is player evaluation at the start of the cycle. Nothing has changed here, even with two “fun” games against Brazil and the extra spice of the Olympic gold rematch.

Hayes has a couple of uncapped players to look at in Tullis-Joyce, finally promoted to the full roster, and Patterson as potential attacking-minded outside back depth. Patterson was part of January’s Futures Camp which featured under-23 players alongside the senior team.

Hayes has also opted to bring in two veteran players, Alana Cook and Ashley Hatch, for fresh looks in 2025. Their inclusion comes as questions remain around Girma’s return and forward options without the entirety of Triple Espresso available. Hatch was called up to the USWNT January camp, but both she and Cook haven’t made an appearance for the team since 2023.

There are fewer brand new names from Hayes, but she’s still working her way through the pool on her own time — and the year remains about as free from pressure as this team experiences, even as the USWNT looks to bounce back from the loss to Japan in the SheBelieves Cup. Hayes still appears to be in individual evaluation mode with a side of tinkering — outside of the midfield which remains unchanged from SheBelieves Cup. Eventually, the switch to building meaningful chemistry will happen across the board ahead of next summer’s World Cup qualifiers, but there’s still no need to worry about it just yet.

—Meg Linehan

Who’s staying and who’s going?

The trade-off for evaluating younger players is that those spots don’t exist in a vacuum, and player selections inevitably come at the cost of more experienced players’ call-ups.

This squad is no exception. Many expected to see Wilson and Swanson miss out again. Girma is also an understandable omission as she settles in with Chelsea and deals with a possible minor injury.

Other veterans missed out for various reasons. Lynn Biyendolo has been listed as “day-to-day” by the Seattle Reign due to a lower leg injury. Abby Dahlkemper has played all 180 minutes of Bay FC’s young season but missed this U.S. squad as younger center-backs like Tara McKeown are vetted. Goalkeeper Casey Murphy seemed like a logical successor once Alyssa Naeher retired, but she’s missed successive camps as other goalkeepers get assessed.

Midfielder Hal Hershfelt seemed to be one of the new regulars for Hayes but hasn’t played for the USWNT since the December win against the Netherlands. The midfielder picked up a knock in Washington’s regular-season opener and was moving around after the Spirit’s loss last weekend in a walking boot. Defender Casey Krueger has been in fine form for Washington but hasn’t featured for Hayes since December. She spoke to the Hey Spirits podcast last month, saying she had a conversation with Hayes that indicated the team is moving forward without her.

Casey KruegerDefender Casey Krueger said last month that she thinks the U.S. is moving forward without her. (Elsa / Getty Images for USSF)

“It sounds like things are moving forward, which I understand. And I’m happy that the player pool is so deep. Getting everybody experience, giving people the recognition that they deserve, I think that’s huge,” Krueger said.“But it also stinks. I wanted to continue playing with them for as long as I could and continue to push the pool forward and just give the experience that I have, and help in any way that I can. But it looks like that’s not the case, so I’ll be supporting from afar.” Midfielder Ashley Sanchez was part of Hayes’ January training camp but hasn’t played for the national team since October. The scale of changes plays an obvious role, as Hayes is fully committed to exploring the deep end of her player pool. For more veteran players like Krueger, Murphy, Dahlkemper and even Sanchez, however, each missed squad only leaves more reason to wonder how, if at all, they fit into Hayes’ planning ahead of 2027.

—Jeff Rueter

(Top photo: Daniela Porcelli / Getty Images)

USMNT frustrations boiling over as World Cup clock keeps on ticking

USMNT's Tim Weah in defeat to Canada

By Paul Tenorio March 24, 2025

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The frustrations with this U.S. men’s national team have been simmering for some time, built not just through a series of underwhelming performances, but also in a growing perception of complacency and entitlement.On Sunday night, after a 2-1 loss against Canada that didn’t even feel too surprising, the most productive player in the program’s history publicly voiced that disappointment.

“I’m so sick of hearing how ‘talented’ this group of players is and all the amazing clubs they play for,” USMNT legend Landon Donovan posted on X after the Concacaf Nations League Finals third-place playoff. “If you aren’t going to show up and actually give a s!%* about playing for your national team, decline the invite. Talent is great, pride is better.”Donovan was hardly alone in expressing that sentiment about a team that some have dubbed the most talented generation of players in American history. Former USMNT players Stu Holden and Clint Dempsey, and even legendary French striker Thierry Henry, noted the growing disconnect and discontent between this group, its fanbase and the program’s alumni.

The disappointment around this team is not just because of the results. Yes, this U.S. team is falling short of expectations. But it’s also how this team is losing these games. The way Panama and Canada played offered a stark contrast. They looked like they had something to prove. The U.S. looked like they believed they didn’t have to prove anything to anyone.

USMNT star Christian Pulisic takes on CanadaChristian Pulisic didn’t have his finest performances for the U.S. during the Nations League Finals. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

The U.S. couldn’t match its opponents’ fight. They were out-willed. What once felt like a hallmark of U.S. teams now feels like a weakness. The Americans were flat against Panama, lacking the creativity and directness to break them down. There was more energy at the start against Canada, but they faded against a team that clearly wanted it more.

The narrative that this might be the U.S.’s golden generation was crafted because a group of players landed at big clubs in Europe earlier than any Americans before them. Putting aside the question of whether that was down to talent or the globalization of the sport (and the impact of Christian Pulisic’s success at Borussia Dortmund), it’s now clear that whatever ability this U.S. group has, it’s not enough to overcome teams that play like they have something more to fight for.

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Panama might not have the talent of this U.S. team, but it looked the stronger team. Canada also has players at top clubs, but it’s a team that plays with a clear chip on its shoulder. It was once a prerequisite that U.S. teams came with that mentality — and to be fair, the current players showed that level of fight at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and in other big games, too. But that spirit has not been evident. Last year’s 3-1 win over Jamaica in the Nations League semifinal after a last-minute equalizer was a warning shot. The Copa América was obviously a reality check. A coaching change was made in search of a spark.

This week’s results at SoFi Stadium show how much work must be done to figure out exactly what has changed since the World Cup exit. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino isn’t blind to the problem. After the loss on Sunday, he pondered how to turn a collection of players that looks great on paper into a team that consistently demonstrates its talent on the field.

“We assume. It may be because we have a certain quality,” Pochettino said. “But when it comes to competing, perhaps we don’t show that quality — or that presumption of quality — that makes us appear better than our opponents in all the analysis before playing.

“But then we have to prove it. So maybe that’s what’s costing us. We assume we’re better, but when it comes to competing, when it comes to showing it, perhaps we fail to find that form.”

How Pochettino accomplishes that is his biggest task. This roster felt like Pochettino beginning to search for answers. For the 23-man squad, he called in nine MLS players from January camp, including three injury replacements. It felt like a bid to manufacture competition within the team by adding hopefuls desperate to break into the World Cup picture.

The USMNT finishes 4th in Concacaf Nations LeagueThe USMNT needs to huddle up and iron out some issues before cohosting the 2026 World Cup (Alex Gallardo/Imagn Images)

It may not have changed the results, but it wasn’t a complete failure. On Sunday, Pochettino praised attacking midfielder Diego Luna for his mindset. Luna, 21, was making his competitive debut for the U.S. He hasn’t played in Europe. He played in the USL and then in MLS for Real Salt Lake. He saw this as his chance to break into a group where some might think he didn’t belong.

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“The desire and the hunger that he showed is what we want,” Pochettino said. “And that is not to say anything against the rest of the people; it’s only one example. When I told him today you are going to play, he was ready. And after playing well or not playing well, performing well, scoring, assisting — or not — that is what we want to see. And that is the example that we need to take.”

Pochettino put the onus on himself and his staff to get things right. He has had just three windows with his full team: October and November 2024 and this March camp. This summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup will be a vital opportunity to spend a month with the group and to find a way to unlock the requisite mentality needed to compete.

The Argentine manager is celebrated for creating and inspiring strong groups at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur. Even at Chelsea, Pochettino got more out of the team he inherited. Can he unlock a similar motivation in a U.S. group that has regressed since Qatar? Could the growing discontentment around them create a feeling of us versus the world?

A pair of defeats on home soil was a disappointing twist for Mauricio Pochettino. (Alexis Quiroz/Jam Media/Getty Images)

Something must change to get this team to live up to its hype — and to do so at an all-important home World Cup that has the opportunity to inspire the next generation of American soccer fans and players.

Pochettino reminded everyone that the 2026 World Cup is still the ultimate goal. He asked fans not to lose that perspective.

“I don’t want the people to feel pessimistic,” he said. “Disappointed? Disappointed, we are all. And the fans need to feel the disappointment that we didn’t win. But I don’t want to allow (them) to feel pessimistic, because we have good players. We are going to find a way to perform. We are going to compete in a different way. We are going to get different results than Thursday and today.”

The U.S. is running out of time to figure it out. The Gold Cup, which starts in June, is probably their last best chance to generate excitement before the World Cup — and build momentum within the team itself.

Three tactical issues behind the USMNT defeats to Panama and Canada

USA's Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino shouts instructions to his players from the touchline during the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal football match between USA and Panama at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on March 20, 2025. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

By Anantaajith Raghuraman March 25, 2025 The Athletic

“We want to destroy Panama, (and) we want to destroy the next one,” said head coach Mauricio Pochettino prior to the USMNT’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal on March 21.

His eyes were on the final. Instead, the U.S. hit the self-destruct button to lose 1-0 to Panama courtesy of Cecilio Waterman’s added-time goal. They did it again against Canada in the third-place playoff to fall 2-1 and end their Nations League journey in anything but style.

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Pochettino emphasised taking the positives from the two matches, but his options on that front are limited. The USMNT were outplayed, outworked, and — most worryingly ahead of the 2026 World Cup at home — outfoxed tactically.

Three major issues warrant Pochettino’s immediate attention.

An unclear approach out of possession

When the U.S. beat Panama 2-0 five months ago in Pochettino’s debut, they caused problems for Thomas Christiansen’s side by winning the ball high up the pitch on multiple occasions. So it was not a surprise to see them commit multiple men forward in their March 21 meeting too.

Midfielder Tanner Tessman is conflicted on whether to push ahead or protect the back line. But as Panama pass back to goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera, he joins the press.

Mosquera plays a pass right through the gap in midfield, bypassing all six U.S. players to find a team-mate.

The space between the midfield and defence is huge as the U.S.’s back line does not push up the pitch with the midfield.

The result is that Panama now have a five-on-four situation in transition…

To Pochettino’s credit, he altered the system shortly afterward. Tyler Adams and Tessmann stayed deeper while the front four of Weston McKennie, Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah and Josh Sargent pressed higher up the pitch.

Panama remained confident playing out from the back but did not have easy passes into their central attackers.

Pochettino used a similar approach against Canada, despite making five changes to his starting XI, with Canada happy to go long from defence to target their pacy front four of Ali Ahmed, Jonathan David, Tajon Buchanan and Tani Oluwaseyi. The issue the U.S. faced on this occasion was in coping with the quartet’s fluidity.

David lined up alongside Oluwaseyi up top but was excellent at dropping back to receive the ball, while Ahmed and Buchanan stayed wide. While Pochettino’s tweak against Panama had solved the U.S.’s primary issue, it was not foolproof.

In this example from the 45th minute, Canada centre-back Moise Bombito carries the ball forward under no pressure. David begins the move between the centre-backs but drops as they begin retreating to receive the ball and holds onto it to draw a defender before feeding a team-mate.

As seen in the final frame, both Oluwaseyi and Ahmed are on the blindside of U.S. defenders and can easily get into dangerous areas to meet a cross.

Neither of these moves resulted in goals, but they raise valid concerns about the USMNT’s out-of-possession approach.

Tracking back-post runners and individual errors

The Canada example prompts another concern for the U.S. — marking players at the back post. On multiple occasions against Panama and Canada, they were drawn towards the ball and left themselves vulnerable to blindside runs, with these moments often compounded by personal errors. Waterman made them pay for one of those incidents to score the winner.

The move begins with Pulisic’s ill-advised header backwards when he had more time to control the ball than he thought. The Milan forward splits the gap between his midfielders, and Waterman gets to the ball ahead of U.S. centre-back Mark McKenzie.

Waterman feeds Ismael Diaz, who passes back to midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla. While Carrasquilla considers his options, Waterman begins his move towards the right side, unnoticed by the U.S. defenders.

Carrasquilla then plays a pass into Waterman, with the U.S. defense yet to realize that he is unmarked.

Waterman responds with an emphatic finish into the bottom corner across goalkeeper Matt Turner, whose positioning is questionable.

Alarmingly, the U.S. did not learn from this mistake and almost conceded a similar goal against Canada.

On this occasion, a cross comes into the box with Canada forward Cyle Larin peeling away to the back post unmarked.

The U.S. get the ball clear but, once again, they rush towards the ball rather than covering the spaces or marking Canada’s players. Larin receives a pass under no pressure whatsoever.

Luckily for the U.S, he delays his shot, which is blocked by a sliding Marlon Fossey.

The U.S.’s inability to track runners was their downfall for Canada’s opener, too. As Ahmed drives inside, three Canadian players are free to run into the box, with three American players in static positions.

Timothy Weah does little to stop Ahmed from delivering a pass into the box, which is attacked by two players.

When the shot eventually comes in, the U.S. players are caught between committing to block it, like McKenzie and Cameron Carter-Vickers (white circle), and the rest who are caught ball-watching.

Ultimately, it hands Oluwaseyi the simplest of chances to put Canada ahead, and he duly obliges…

The U.S. did well to get themselves back into the game through Patrick Agyemang’s equalizer and withstood Canada’s threat for most of the game before committing an avoidable error in the lead-up to David’s winner.

In the 59th minute, Turner does well to collect a cross before spotting an opening up the pitch. He goes for the long throw down the middle despite having seven players in his vicinity, two of whom (white circles) are open.

But when the camera pans forward, we see two U.S. players up against Canada’s three, resulting in a predictable conclusion: Canada winning the ball and recycling possession, with the U.S. still getting back into their shape.

Canada eventually go long and, after a scramble down the right, the ball falls to Ahmed, who sets up David.

Throw-ins

The final concern for Pochettino will be how his side deal with throw-ins. Canada’s Alastair Johnston caused problems for them on two separate occasions in the first half, with both moves requiring Turner to intervene.

The first, in the 22nd minute, sees Ismael Kone unmarked, and he collects the ball despite the U.S. winning the first header.

Kone shoots unopposed, and the volley deflects off McKennie.

Turner punches it out under pressure before the U.S. clear the ball.

Johnston gets another opportunity in the 43rd minute. Once again, the U.S. win the first header, but it falls straight to the unmarked Mathieu Choiniere, who heads it back into the mix.

From here, the ball is headed on towards the back post from where Canada direct another header towards goal, but it goes straight to Turner.

The most damning example came in the 14th minute against Panama, when the U.S. somehow turned their own throw-in into a corner for Panama in the span of 25 seconds.

The U.S.’s importance in football is being fast-tracked as Major League Soccer rises in prominence and the country prepares to host the Club World Cup this summer and the World Cup in 2026. But this month’s results are a brutal reality check.

The two USMNT performances were littered with errors and tactical issues. Pochettino must return to the drawing board ahead of the team’s next match against Turkey in June.

(Header photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Worry, anger, frustration: What past USMNT greats think of struggling side

USMNT all-time scoring co-leaders Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan

By Pablo Maurer March 26, 2025

At some point during the U.S. men’s national team’s loss to Canada in the Nations League third-place game, members of the American Outlaws, the official USMNT supporters group, began pleading with Clint Dempsey.Dempsey, to some the greatest player in the history of American men’s soccer, was at the game as an analyst for CBS Sports, stationed at a desk just in front of the supporters end. After the broadcast, Dempsey recalled the exchange during the network’s wrap-up show.Advertisement

“You had some of them saying, ‘Hey, (Clint), get ‘em right. Say something,’” Dempsey said. “And I’m like ‘Hey! Y’all let them know. Let them know what’s going on. They need to fight for y’all.’”Nobody ever needed to teach Dempsey how to fight. Born and raised in tiny Nacogdoches, Texas, Dempsey was entirely different than most American players. He grew up poor, living in a trailer in his grandparents’ backyard and playing streetball with kids twice his age. He idolized players like Diego Maradona and Cuauhtémoc Blanco and cut his teeth in the largely Mexican men’s leagues in the area, playing against opponents twice his age.Dempsey made a habit throughout his career of showing up in big games, scoring consequential goals with club and country. He largely disappeared after his retirement in 2018 and can sometimes come across as softspoken even as a pundit. But his USMNT pedigree — along with Landon Donovan, he is the program’s all-time leading goalscorer — gives his words weight. And after the USMNT’s Nations League semifinal loss against Panama, Dempsey teed off.“During my career, the biggest blow that there was was not qualifying for the World Cup in 2018,” Dempsey said. “And you think — sometimes you have to take a step back to take two steps forward. And people talked about this team being the ‘golden generation.’ … You look at the step back. Copa América, not getting out of the group there on home soil. Here tonight, in an important game as we get closer to the World Cup, another failure. It doesn’t give you a lot of hope. You have more fans here for Mexico right now than the U.S.”

Dempsey continued, pointing out that some key USMNT players will miss this summer’s Gold Cup as they compete in the FIFA Club World Cup and that the U.S. might struggle to find competitive matches as the year wears on, with other countries still in the thick of World Cup qualification.

“I’m a little nervous,” said Dempsey. “And I’m worried about the future of this U.S. men’s national team.”

Dempsey is not the only one. In the hours that followed the U.S.’s loss to Canada, former players and coaches all sounded off. To some, it may feel like an old man yelling at a cloud. With a World Cup rapidly approaching, though, the chorus of voices seems certain to grow louder if the USMNT doesn’t manage to right the ship.What You Should Read NextUSMNT film room: Where it went briefly right, then very wrong, in Canada defeatBreaking down the USMNT’s only goal in the Nations League Finals, plus the one that led to another defeat.

Like Dempsey, Donovan can more or less let his national team career do the talking.Nobody scored more goals for the USMNT than Donovan, and nobody’s goals were more consequential. Some of the most important strikes in U.S. history came off his feet — a goal against Mexico in the last 16 of the 2002 World Cup; and a trio of goals in the 2010 World Cup that included a last-gasp group-winner against Algeria, which galvanized an entire nation.

Like Dempsey, Donovan disappeared from view a bit after retirement but eventually found his legs as a coach, first in USL and then NWSL. He remains a foundational figure in the history of U.S. soccer, called upon frequently to analyze the current state of affairs.

On Sunday, Donovan’s analysis made Dempsey’s look timid.

“I’m so sick of hearing how ‘talented’ this group of players is and all of the amazing clubs they play for,” Donovan wrote on X. “If you aren’t going to show up and actually give a s!%* about playing for your national team, decline the invite. Talent is great, pride is better.”

A couple days later, Donovan calmed down a bit, but not much.

“You’re probably more objective about stuff like this,” Donovan told The Athletic, “but I was just so viscerally upset after that game. I’m just getting tired of watching all of this s**t.”

Donovan was quick to let a pair of USMNT players off the hook for their performance against Canada. Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna showed well, Donovan thought, and Christian Pulisic — invisible for long stretches of both the Panama and Canada matches — was “really hurt by these performances.”

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“Those are the only ones that stick out to me,” continued Donovan. “There were just too many guys out there who were just going through the motions. When I watch games, sometimes it’s difficult to accurately judge someone’s ‘desire.’ But you also just see what your eyes tell you. It was obvious in these games who cared.”

Donovan, like any former player, is wary of being perceived as being some sort of grumpy old man. Undoubtedly, he is representative of the prototypical American player of his era. For years, the common perception of the American player, fairly or unfairly, was that they were a little short on skill and tactical acumen but excelled at the intangibles. They were often exceptionally fit, fearless and possessed a laundry list of other nebulous descriptors: grit, determination, hustle, edge.

USMNT great Landon DonovanLandon Donovan sees the USMNT getting further away from its identity. (Photo by Rob Kinnan/Imagn Images)

USMNT teams of Donovan’s era were sometimes not the prettiest to watch, but they wore opponents down. They were led by a series of American coaches raised in the pits of this country’s college and professional soccer ecosystems, most of whom possessed a deep understanding of the American game, none more so than Bruce Arena.

“People used to hate playing against us,” Donovan said. “Even when we lost. We’d get beat 2-0 and you could tell the other team was still like ‘f***, this game is going to be a f***ing nightmare.’ Occasionally, though, we’d have a poor effort. And Bruce would say ‘Guys, a coach shouldn’t have to coach effort. That’s not my job.’

“Back then I thought that was ridiculous,” Donovan continued. “But now I think about it and realize he was spot on. The last thing Mauricio Pochettino should have to worry about is whether these guys are going to leave it all on the field or not. Leaving it all on the field — that’s been a hallmark of the American player since the mid-80s. If we lose that, we are in big, big trouble.”

Donovan, who has certainly worked with his share of young players over the years, is cautious to paint with too broad a brush when it comes to the source of the U.S.’s current perceived mentality issue. He cannot help but agree, though, that part of the issue is simply generational, and mirrored outside of the sports world.

“There is absolutely a generational piece to this,” Donovan said. “You see it all over society. People just do not take pride in what they do anymore. When I first went to Leverkusen, when I was 17, it blew my mind how much pride the server took in doing their job. That’s a server at a restaurant — not a player playing for their national team. There is a lack of sense of pride in what people do.

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“When you are proud, you are not going to let two games like that just slip by without trying to do something about it,” he added. “I would’ve been embarrassed on the field after that game against Panama. I sure as hell wouldn’t have gone into the Canada game and played that poorly. I would have been too embarrassed.”

Donovan was never lacking in pride. He’s still not. When asked whether he thinks the USMNT of 2002 or 2010 could beat what some are referring to as a “golden generation” of players, he laughed.

“We would not have let Canada or Panama beat us without it being an absolute bloodbath,” Donovan said. “I used to hate going into training camps, because I got the shit kicked out of me. The competition was real. We had real players who cared about the result and were always, without exception, willing to put themselves on the line to get a result. I can’t talk about who was more skilled or talented, but we were always responsible for the result.

“Right now,” he concluded, “of course I’d take those teams over this current one.”

Tab Ramos hails from a different era than Dempsey or Donovan, one that feels almost alien to modern observers of the USMNT.

Ramos made his World Cup debut 35 years ago as part of the 1990 team that thrust the USMNT back into the global spotlight for the first time in 40 years. It’s impossible to overstate just how different the program looked in those days. Players in the mid-to-late 80s, when Ramos entered the picture, were underpaid and overworked, nearly invisible to the general public. The U.S. sometimes struggled to schedule matches against meaningful competition, and when it did, players sometimes flew in on the day of the game and back out just after the final whistle.

Born in Uruguay, Ramos spent his adolescence in Kearny, N.J., an American soccer holy site if there ever was one. From the beginning, his understanding of the game felt different than many other players of his era. So did his technical ability. Almost beyond argument, Ramos was the most technically gifted American player of his time. That talent took him abroad, earning him contracts with Real Betis and Figueres in Spain. He was a central figure at the 1994 World Cup, which the U.S. hosted.  When MLS was founded 30 years ago, Ramos was the first player signed to a contract.

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Ramos, who would go on to coach in MLS and USL after retirement and also serve as an assistant at the 2014 World Cup, has an intimate understanding of this current USMNT group. He worked with many of the squad’s players during his decade-long tenure as a coach and technical director in the U.S. youth program. Like Donovan and Dempsey, Ramos was shocked at what he saw in the Nations League.

“When I hear the players do interviews after the games, every single one of them says, ‘We need to have a stronger mentality. We need to work harder, tackle more,’” Ramos told The Athletic. “Here’s the thing: this isn’t the first time we’ve heard this. I think the fact that Pulisic, (Tyler) Adams, (Weston) McKennie, all of the important guys are saying ‘We need to get stuck in, we need to work harder.’ Well yeah, of course. But you need to stop talking about it. You need to start doing it.”

USMNT great Tab RamosTab Ramos doesn’t like what he sees from the current U.S. men’s national team players. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Getty Images)

In post-match interviews, Pochettino sometimes seemed almost shocked at the lack of effort from his squad and suggested, vaguely at least, that other players would be brought in to replace underperforming ones should the issue continue.

“If you were to ask any player in the world, people would say, ‘The American guys aren’t technical enough, this isn’t their game,’” Ramos said. “But at the end of the day they knew they had to play hard to beat you. Because they knew we’d fight to the end. I’m sure Pochettino was shocked. I’m sure he thought that with a full-strength squad, he probably took it for granted a little bit that his players would outwork the other team. He must have been shocked when he saw that wasn’t true.”

Like Donovan, Ramos chalks part of the current state of affairs surrounding the USMNT up to a generational shift, but his view includes some international perspective. Kids everywhere are changing, and the problem in the U.S. has more to do with soccer’s place in the cultural and sporting landscape, Ramos said.

“We don’t come from a soccer culture in this country,” he said. “All of the kids in other countries, they’re the same as our kids. They too are playing on their phone. It’s not like in Brazil or Argentina they’re not on their phone all day. But when they’re not on their phone? They are playing soccer. And they play like they mean it — they play to win. It just has to do more with our culture than some generational difference. Soccer in this country, it’s still not one of the biggest leagues, it’s fifth or sixth or seventh, however you want to look at it.”

Ramos bristles at the suggestion that this current generation of U.S. players accounts for a “golden generation” of sorts. Ramos himself hails from a foundational generation of players — the team that represented the U.S. at the 1994 World Cup, the first ever played on U.S. soil.

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“A ‘golden generation?’” Ramos said. “Are you kidding me? A this point I feel like I came from the golden generation. After seeing all of this? My generation was probably the golden generation. We took the U.S. to a World Cup after hopping fences to play in playgrounds and getting paid $400 a game to play for the Brooklyn Italians to prepare for the national team. If that’s not golden, I don’t know what is. We have just lost the essence of who we are as a soccer country.”

That ‘94 tournament served as a springboard for the founding of MLS and in many ways founded the general American public’s connection to the sport of soccer itself, one that continues to deepen every day.

Yet Ramos cannot help but be disappointed these days when he watches the USMNT play. A little over a year out from what promises to be the biggest World Cup in history, the U.S.’s Nations League matches against Panama and Canada were played in mostly-empty stadiums, with little to no fanfare. It’s a sobering reminder to Ramos, of soccer’s — or maybe American soccer’s — continued struggle for relevance.

“We were hoping for so much more,” he said. “We were hoping that soccer would get closer to the NFL, to everything else. And here we are 30 years later, and it still hasn’t happened. I’m disappointed. This is the year where everything should be clicking, everybody should be excited about the national team and how well Pulisic is doing at Milan and how McKennie is doing at Juventus and how Adams is a leader at Bournemouth.

“And guess what? People don’t even go to the games. People don’t want to see it.”

Canada sends USMNT reeling to fourth-place Nations League finish

Jonathan David scores for Canada vs. USMNT

By Paul Tenorio and Joshua Kloke

338

March 23, 2025

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Canada downed the U.S. men’s national team, 2-1, on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, claiming third place in the Concacaf Nations League, and delivering another disappointment to a U.S. team that had won the three previous versions of this tournament.

After falling to Panama in the semifinal on Thursday, the U.S. was asked to show more energy and creativity in the third-place game. There might have been some good moments, but it still was not enough to best Canada.

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The Canadians entered the game feeling like they had performed well in their semifinal loss to Mexico. There was real belief that they are a team to be taken seriously in the region, and the game against the Americans was an opportunity to prove that.

Goals from Tani Oluwaseyi and Jonathan David made the statement for Jesse Marsch’s side, which lost Alphonso Davies to injury after 12 minutes and then Marsch himself in the 54th minute after a blowup at the officiating crew.

On the other side, after an early exit from the Copa América last summer, the U.S. will go into this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup desperate for any semblance of optimism and momentum, with the 2026 World Cup looming in the not-so-distant future.

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Here’s our rapid reaction to the result:

Canada finally gets clinical performances up top

While Canada was the better team throughout Sunday, though not by the widest margin, it was what was finally presented up top that proved to be the difference: goals from the two starting forwards, David and Oluwaseyi.

Marsch moved on from his oft-used forward pairing of David and Cyle Larin after they struggled to consistently score. Coming into this match, Canada had gone goalless in half of Marsch’s 14 games in charge. Canada had generated just one shot on target against Mexico. Something had to give, which Marsch acknowledged after Thursday’s loss.

“A few more times where we can have a little bit more of an understanding of how to slow things down in the last third, and make some final passes that get us in and around the goal,” Marsch said of his team’s shortcomings in attack. “Then we can have the movements in the box that can give us more chances to be more creative in those moments.”

Oluwaseyi and David looked spirited throughout the game, fulfilling their roles well and providing those moments. Oluwaseyi acted as a poacher close to goal, punching home a quick shot after a few deflections in the 27th minute. David was given the assist on the goal.

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In the second half, after multiple possible missed penalty calls, David dropped deep into the midfield as he often does for Canada. He eventually found a pocket of space inside the U.S., deftly turned in possession of the ball and curled a perfectly placed shot past U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner.

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One big question coming out of Canada’s win will be the status of Larin and David as the preferred forward pairing. Marsch has no shortage of options with the recent additions of Daniel Jebbison and Promise David, making for plenty of roster intrigue leading up to the 2026 World Cup.

USMNT left grasping after two losses

U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino wanted to see more of just about everything from his team against Canada than he had in a semifinal loss to Panama a few days prior.

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“Tomorrow is going to be an important game to see how we react,” Pochettino said Saturday. “We need to show character. We need to show (that) all that we were talking (about) is not only about the result, but it’s only about improving our performance.”

More passion. More energy. More risk taking. More goals.

Pochettino got some of that in flashes, but it didn’t change the result.

Now, the U.S. coach will try to find something out of the performance off of which he can try to build. The U.S. certainly was not as flat as it was in the 1-0 loss to Panama, but at a time when this program desperately needed wins and momentum, it’s instead still left searching for answers.

Both Canada goals were aided by defensive lapses by the U.S.

Oluwaseyi’s opener was aided by a poor clearance and far too much space given to Canadian players to eventually allow a close-range finish. Those issues showed on the second goal, too. David’s 59th-minute game-winner included some frustrating defensive letdowns from the U.S.. Weah’s tackle of Tajon Buchanan bounced the ball unluckily into the path of Ali Ahmed, who found David in the U.S. box. U.S. center back Mark McKenzie dropped off of David in order to take away Buchanan’s run, but with that space afforded him inside the box, David, Canada’s deadliest finisher, easily picked out the far post.

The Americans did show more energy in the attack against a Canada team that allowed more space in transition. The one bright moment of the game featured some of the players the U.S. hoped would use this platform to make an impression: Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna assisted on Charlotte FC forward Patrick Agyemang’s goal.

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The U.S. was challenged to show how it would respond to the Panama loss, but it also had to show how it could respond to going down a goal. After Oluwaseyi opened the scoring for Canada in the 27th minute, the U.S. found life again. Tyler Adams found Tim Weah on the left wing, and Weah took on his defender well before finding Luna in the box. The RSL midfielder paused slightly to let a defender slide by, then touched it to Agyemang, who finished past Dayne St. Clair.

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The intensity of the game picked up in the second half after the penalty shout and Marsch’s red card. In the end, though, it was Canada that landed the final punch.

Pochettino seemed to stick to his plan to see players in the third-place game. Three key starters — Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Christian Pulisic — were all subbed out in the 69th minute. The subs, which included Gio Reyna, couldn’t turn the game in the Americans’ favor.

After two losses this week, the U.S. has just as many questions to answer as it did last summer when it fell in the group stage of the Copa América – and only about 15 months to find them before kicking off the World Cup at this very same stadium.What You Should Read NextPanama defeat conjures memories of USMNT’s most devastating lossesA loss in the Nations League semis was brutal, but it doesn’t quite rank up with some of the biggest gut-punches in USMNT history.

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Mauricio Pochettino says USMNT fans need patience after Nations League debacle

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Head coach Mauricio Pochettino of United States looks down during the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal match between United States and Panama at SoFi Stadium on March 20, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Alexis Quiroz/Jam Media/Getty Images)

By Joshua Kloke and Paul Tenorio

89

March 23, 2025

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Mauricio Pochettino had a message for those whose belief is waning after the U.S. men’s national team’s concerning fourth-place finish in the Concacaf Nations League: Have patience.

“I don’t want that the people feel pessimistic,” the U.S. manager said after his team lost 2-1 to Canada in the tournament’s third-place game at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. “Disappointed? Disappointed, we are all. And the fans need to feel the disappointment that we didn’t win. But I don’t want to allow (them) to feel pessimistic, because I think we have good players. We are going to find a way to perform. And for sure we are going to compete in a different way. And (at) the end, we are going to get different results than Thursday and today.”

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After two more negative outcomes, losing to Panama in Thursday’s semifinal and again to a Canadian team that had coach Jesse Marsch red-carded, it is clear that the U.S. team and its Argentinean coach has a lot to fix. What it is that they need to change is not as easy to pinpoint. Right now, it feels like just about everything needs to get taken down to the studs.

“It’s back to the drawing board in terms of that intensity, that passion, that fight,” U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner said. “I think it’s pretty clear after these two games that we weren’t up to that level of intensity and some hard conversations need to be had amongst ourselves and we need to push each other to get back to that level. Because it’s not just a given that we can step onto the pitch and perform at a certain level.”

It feels like a long road and a complicated task. Or maybe not. U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams believes there is a quick way to remedy it. “Win games,” Adams said. “It’s that simple.”

Goalkeeper Matt Turner endured another disappointing afternoon. (Alexis Quiroz / Jam Media / Getty Images)

Pochettino came back time and again to the idea that the Nations League was only one stop on a journey toward the end game that is the World Cup. It’s an idea he discussed earlier this week, pointing to teams who have played well or poorly ahead of the tournament only to have opposite results at the World Cup. Pochettino said he didn’t want to let these losses overwhelm the ultimate goal.

“I don’t want to say I am happy at this (failure), don’t take me wrong, but if there (is) something negative about results, or things to learn, it’s better (to learn it) now because I think we have time,” Pochettino said. “Because if we will be in this situation in one year’s time, for sure I will tell you: ‘Houston, we have a problem.’ No? Eso es.

“But you will see. If in one year we are talking about that, it’s because we have a big problem and we were not capable to discover and to try to decide a better strategy and way to provide the team the capacity to play in a different way. I think we have time. And I prefer to let that (lesson) happen today than in one year.”

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The road to fixing things starts this summer at the Gold Cup. Pochettino and his staff will get a month with the squad, their first chance to truly spend time and try to build something within the group.

“Obviously, the feeling is not good right now,” U.S. star Christian Pulisic said. “We need to turn it around and we can hopefully build some momentum this summer, because we really do need it and with big, big tournaments ahead.”

Better vibes for Canada

On the other side, Canada can leave Los Angeles feeling positive about their ability to beat their rivals on U.S. soil. That positivity, although slightly muted given the win comes in a third-place contest, was the prevailing feeling from the Canadian side.

“The mentality of this team is strong. And today was another big test for us against a very good American team and it showed that we’re ready to compete and beat everybody in this region,” Canada assistant coach Mauro Biello said. “For many years, we were always the underdog. But I think things are starting to shift. And we’ve proven that over the last two games here.”

A turning point in the game for Canada was head coach Marsch being sent off in the 54th minute with a straight red card. Marsch had stepped on the field to shout repeatedly at referee Katia Itzel García in protest of two potential missed penalty calls on Canada forward Jonathan David.

Jesee Marsch was infuriated by two refereeing decisions. (Eliecer Aizprua Banfield / Jam Media / Getty Images)

David would score a stunner of a goal five minutes later. That goal would end up being the difference.

Biello said the goal “galvanized the team.” Yet David himself was quick to clarify, with a grin, that Marsch’s second protest might not have been totally necessary.

“So for me, the first one is a penalty. The second one, there’s nothing because I don’t even try to win the penalty. I just slipped. I think it’s an accumulation of what happened in the Mexico game and the first penalty that we didn’t get today. And his reaction I think is understandable, because you want to be taken seriously and not have the referee even just not even consider our pleas,” David said.

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Marsch’s red card appeared to change the dynamic of the game. Canada attacked more fervently afterwards . The U.S. had little response.

“I saw him over there flying about. I was loving it. He made an emotional stand for us,” Canada defender Alistair Johnson said. “I think that was something that’s been bubbling underneath the surface over these past couple of matches in terms of not getting the same whistles that he feels that we should, and that he knows that us, being Canadians, we’re a little too humble to start rolling around and begging for a call. So I think he felt like, ‘No, this is my moment. I need to make a stand to show that, f***, this isn’t right.’”

Marsch’s red card prevented him from fulfilling his postgame press conference duties. But it didn’t prevent him from injecting some life into the Canada locker room afterwards.

“(Marsch) had a smile from ear-to-ear,” Johnson said. “Beating the Americans for us is top of the agenda, as good as it gets. And then obviously for (Marsch) with his double allegiance, it probably felt really good.”

(Top photo: Alexis Quiroz / Jam Media / Getty Images)